canon as a canon of the Councell of Chalcedon for besides that in saying wee renewe the decree made by the hundred and fiftie Fathers assembled in this religious and royall cittie and by the six hundred and thirtie Fathers assembled at Chalcedon it shewes sufficientlie how this canon had bene till then disputed and called in question the Councell Trullian was aschismaticall ignorant and vnlawfull Councell as it shall heereafter appeare both by the testimony of BEDA an author of the same time who calls it an impious Councell and by the approbation which was made there of the Councell of Africa concerning the Anabaptisme of heretickes which had bene an erroneous and reprouable Councell as Saint AVGVSTINE and all antiquitie doe testifie and as the Popes aduersaries themselues doe acknowledge And this suffficeth for the first obiection Now let vs goe forward to the second To the second obiection then which is that the Bishop of Constantinople went about to participate in the title of Oecumenicall or vniuersall whereof the Pope had receiued the nomination in the Councell of Chalcedon wee bring fower Answeres The first answere is that it was not to possesse this title by the exclusion of the Pope but to possesse it by the association of the Pope and in regard of the other Patriarkes for not onely in the Councell of Chalcedon the title of vniuersall had bene offered the Pope before the Bishop of Constantinople had euer presumed to aspire to it but in the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas which is the first Councell where the name of Vniuersall had bene giuen to the Patriarke of Constantinople bee it directly or be it from the relation of a Councell holden a little before it there were read the requests of the Churchmen of Constantinople of Antioch and of Jerusalem presented in Constantinople it self to Pope Agapet and couched in these termes To our most holie and most blessed Lord Agapet Archbishop of the ancient Rome and vniuersall Patriarke And during the contention of saint GREGORIE and the Patriarks of Constantinople Eulogius patriarke of Alexandria writing to Pope GREGORIE calls him Uniuersall Pope And in the next age after saint GREGORIE the Emperor Constantine the bearded residing at Constantinople and assisting at the third generall Councell of Constantinople intituleth the pope Uniuersall Patriarke and Arch-Pastor You haue said hee in the epistle to the councell of the West seconded your captaine the vniuersall â—ier arch and Patriarke And againe You haue bene present by your Procurators you and the vniuersall Arch-Pastor at our councell And after when the Emperor Basilius the younger and Eustachius Patriarke of Constantinople would haue reconciled themselues to the Roman Church they capituled that it might be lawfull for them to obtaine with the consent of the Pope that the Church of Constantinople should be called Uniuersall in the compasse thereof as the Roman was in the compasse of the whole world And still after them Balsamon although puft vp with his imaginarie title of Patriarke of Antioch and a great enemy to the Latins which possessed his pretended patriarksip he fauoured the Pope as little as he could and attempted to proue all the patriarkes equall for that which concernes the ordinary administration of their patriarkships neuerthelesse he confessed that the custome of the Greekes was to attribute to the Pope the title of Vniuersall Pope and to the Bishop of Constantinople that of Vniuersall Patriarke I haue said hee a purpose to tell wherefore the Pope of Rome is called Vniuersall Pope and likewise the patriarke of Constantinople Vniuersall patriarke And a little after But because the Deuill of self-loue hath separated the Pope from the societie of the other most holy Patriarkes and hath restrained him onely into the West I omitt this discourse as vnprofitable The second Answere is that by the word Vniuersall the Bishop of Constantinople neuer pretended to exempt himself from the Popes iurisdiction but acknowledged himself subiect and inferior to the Pope as it appeares by those very peeces where the name of Vniuersall is attributed to the Bishop of Constantinople which doe all testifie that he was subiect and inferior to the Pope and that the instance that he made to be adioyned and associated to the Pope in the participation of the vniuersalitie was not to the end to possesse it in regard of the Pope but vnder the Pope and in regard of the other Patriarkes alwaies acknowledging the Pope for stocke and head of the vniuersalitie and protesting himselfe his subiect and his inferior For in the law of the Emperor Iustinian to Epiphanius Patriarke of Constantinople which is the first where the word vniuersall is offerred to the Patriarke of Constantinople doth not Justinian write to him Wee haue in all thinges preserued the Estate of the vnitie of the holy Churches with the most holy Pope of ancient Rome to whom wee haue written the like For wee suffer not that anie thinge should passe touching the Ecclesiasticall Estate which shall not be also referred to his Blessednesse for as much as he is the head of all the most holie Prelats of God And in the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas which is the first Councell in forme where we see the title of Vniuersall giuen to the Patriarke of Constantinople Is it not saith Anthimus Patriarke of Constantinople protested to doe all that the Soueraigne Pope of great Rome should decree And writt to all the most holy Patriarkes that hee would altogether followe the Sea Apostolicke And Menas Patriarke of Constantinople doth noe hee himself pronouncé these words Wee will in all things follow and obay the Sea Apostolicke And in the heate of the question of the word Vniuersall doth not saint GREGORIE reporte that Iohn Priest of Chalcedon a Cittie situate in Asia and at the gates of Constantinople hauing bene iudged at the Tribunall of Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople appealed from him to the Sea Apostolicke and was againe iudged at Rome and the Bishop of Constantinople giuing his helping hand to it euen then when he tooke vpon him the qualitie of vniuersall and sending the Acts of the first iudgement to Rome to be reuiewed by the Pope Knowest thou not Saith sainct GREGORIE that in the cause of John the Priest against our brother and fellow-Bishop Iohn of Constantinople he had recourse according to the Canons to the Sea Apostolicke and that it hath bene defined by our sentence And elsewhere John Bishop of Constantinople hath gone soe farr as vnder pretence of the cause of John the Priest he hath sent hither Acts wherein almost at the end of euerie line he calls himselfe vniuersall Patriarke And finally the Emperor and the Patriarke of Constantinople did they not themselues acknowledge in the strenght of this dispute that the Church of Constantinople was subiect to the Roman Church as saint GREGORIE reportes it in
haue alwaies obserued what the authority of the Prelates of the sea Apostolicke hath commaunded And why then when saint GREGORIE the Great to whom I haue brought downe this information as well because the English men deriue from him the originall of their Mission Ecclesiasticall as because Calume propoundes him for true and lawfull modell of the iurisdiction of Popes reprehended 1027. yeares agone Natalis Bishop of Salona in Dalmatia for the fault that he had committed for which he after did penance in deposing Honoratus Archdeacon of Salona notwithstanding Pope Pelagius letters did he write to him that such a disobedience had bene intollerable euen in one of the fower Patriarkes If one of the fower Patriarkes said hee had committed such an act soe great disobedience could not haue escaped without a greeuous scandall And why then when Clementius Primat of Bysacia in Africa had bene accused before the Emperor and sent backe by the Emperor to the Sea Apostolicke doth the same S. GREGORY saie If there be anie faulte in the Bishops I knowe not what Bishop is not subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if a faulte require it not according to the reason of humilitie we are all equall And why then when John Archbishop of Larissa in Thessalia had vniustly and vnworthily condemned Adrian Bishop of Thebes one of the Bishops of his iurisdiction and that the Bishop of Thebes had appealed to Rome from him did S. Gregorie ecclipse the Bishop and Bishopricke of Thebes from the iurisdiction of the Archbishop of Larissa his Metropolitan and declared the Archbishop of Larissa if euer he attempted more to exercise anie act of Metropolitan ouer him interdicted from the sacraments soe as they could not be restored to him except at the howre of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome Wee ordaine said hee that thy brotherhood abstaine from all the iurisdiction which you haue formerly had ouer him and ouer his Church And a while after that if in anie time or for 〈◊〉 occasion whatsoeuer thou shalt attempt to contradict this our statute knowe that we declare thee depriued from the sacred communion soe as it may not be restored to thee except in the article of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome And why then finally when the Patriarke of Constantinople had gotten the vpper hand of the other Patriarkes did he continue to suffer appeals of causes from his iurisdiction to the Popes tribunall and to acknowledge himselfe subiect and inferior to the Pope Iohn priest of Chalcedon saith S. GREGORIE in the cause that he had against our Brother colleague Iohn Bishop of Constantinople hath had recourse according to the Canons to the Sea Apostolicke and the cause hath bene determined by our sentence and againe pronouncing the restitution of Athanasius a priest and a Religious man of Lycaonia who had bene deposed and cast out of his monastery by the same John Patriarke of Constantinople and had appeald to him Wee declare thee said hee to be free from all spott of heresie and a Catholick c. and giue thee free leaue to returne into thy Monasterie and to holde there the same ranke as thou didst before And againe who doubts but the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Emperor and our brother Bishop of the same towne doe continually protest For as for the word vniuersall Bishop wherein the Bishop of Constantinople desired to participate with the Pope but vnder the Pope and in the Empire of the East forasmuch as Constantinople had bene erected into the title of the second Rome it shall be answered in a chapter by it selfe for the resusall that S. GREGORIE made to vse the title of vniuersall Bishop though it had bene giuen to his Predecessors in the Councell of Chalcedon it shal be satisfied in the same place and shewed that it was because of the euill sence the word vniuersall Bishop might receiue which was to signifie only Bishop and soe exclude the other Prelates from the title of Bishops in chiefe and of ministers and officers of God and to hold them but for committees and deputies of the vniuersall Bishop as the same S. GREGORIE protestes when he faith If there be one that is vniuersall Bishop all the rest are noe more Bishops and not to depriue himselfe from the superintendencie and iurisdictiō ouer all other Bishops of which he cryes cleane contrary If there be anie crime in the Bishops I knowe noe Bishop but is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if noe crime require it according to the reason of bumilitie we are all equall Of formed letters CHAPT XXVI The continuance of the Kinges answere THEN were alsoe in frequent vse formed letters by the commerce and contexture where of the communion was admirably exercised amongst all the members of the Church how farr soeuer they were distant one from an other in place THE REPLIE IT is true but the center of this communion and of this Ecclesiasticall vnitie which was exercised and entertained by the commerce of formed letters was the Sea Apostolicke and the Roman Church This appeares by S. Ireneus who cryes to the Romā Church because of a principality that is to say as it hath bene aboue manifested because of the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke it is necessary that euery Church should agree This appeares by S. Cyprian who calls the Roman Church the chaire of PETER and the principall Church and the originall of Sacerdotall vnitie This appeares by the lawe of the Emperor Gratian which ordained that the Churches should be deliuered to those that were in the Popes communion Hee ordained saith Theodoret that the sacred howses should be restored to those that cōmunicated with Damasus And a while after and this lawe was indefinitely executed in all nations This appeares by S. Ambrose who writes speaking of his Brothers comeing into one of the citties of the Isle of Sardinia He asked the Bishop of that place whether he agreed with the Catholicke Bishops that is to saie added he with the Roman Church This appeares by S. IEROME who writes to Pope Damasus I am ioyned in communion with thy Blessednesse that is to saie with Peters chaire I knowe the Church is built vpon that Rocke whosoeuer is not in the Arke he shall perish at the coming of the floud he that eates the lambe out os this howse is profane And a while after Whosoeuer gathers not with thee scatters that is to saie whosoeuer is not of Christ is of Antichrist And againe Send me word with whom I ought to communicate in Antioch for the heretickes of Campes with those of Tharses haue noe other ambition but that they might vnder the authoritie of your communion preache the three hypostosies according to the ancient vnderstanding And in an other place The while I cry if anie of you be ioyned to Peters chaire he
that the Arrians spread the rumor that Liberius had condemned Consubstantialitie The Arrians said he spread the rumor that Liberius had condemned the word consubstantiall Neuerthelesse for as much as saint IEROM speakeing of Liberius his exile writeth Liberius Bishop of the Roman Church hauing bene sent into exile for the Faith all the Clerkes swore they would receiue noe other but Felix hauing bene substituted in the priest hood by the Arrians manie periured themselues and at the end of the yeare were cast forth because Liberius ouercome with the wearynesse of his banishement and signing the hereticall impictie entred into Rome in the forme of a Conqueror And in an other place Fortunatianus Bishop of Aquilea is in this reputed detestable that he first solicited Liberius who was gone into banishment for the faith and inclined him and induced him to signe the heresie We followe the opinion of those that hold that during the tyme interposed betweene the returne of Liberius and the death of Felix Liberius remained fallen from the Popedome and that Felix was then true Pope For there is noe doubte but that the Clerkes which were cast forth with Felix because saith saint IEROM Liberius hauing signed the hereticall impietie was 〈◊〉 into Rome like a Conqueror were the orthodoxall and Catholicke Clerkes of the Roman Church who did materially periure themselues because they abandoned Liberius but not formally because Liberius first abandoned himselfe And in the third tyme which began after the death of Felix which if we beleeue Sozomene followed soone after the returne of Liberius Liberius not onely abiured that which the Arrians had constrained him to doe but made himselfe so constant a protector of the Catholicke Faith and cause and so despised all the persecutions of the Emperor as the Roman Church after the death of Felix and all the other Churches of the Catholicke communion with her did receiue and acknowledge him with an acknowledgement equiualent to rehabilitation for Pope In which appeared two actes of the prouidence of God with had appeared in saint Peters fall One that as saint Peter in the rising from his fall confirmed his Bretheren so Liberius in rising from his confirmed all the Bishops of the Catholicke Church shewing them the way rather to suffer a thousand persecutions then to signe the Councell of Arimini And the other that as the Fathers noted that God permitted saint Peter to fall that he might learne by his owne example to vse mercie to those that should fall and not to vse that rigor to them that the Nouatians would afterward haue introduced so God permitted that Liberius should fall into the communion of heretickes to the end that being restored he might learne by his owne example and serue himselfe for an example to others not to shutt the gates of Episcopall cōmunion from those Bishops that should fall into the same faulte when they should come to repentance and not to vse that rigor toward them that afterward the Luciferians would haue introduced Now it was in this meane while to witt when the Roman Church abiured Liberius because he had receiued the Arrians into his communion and ceased to acknowledge him for Pope and had reduced themselues into the obedience of Felix that saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is abouesaid these parenthesis be his adhering to the Roman Church abiured him also and anathematized him not with a iudiciary but with an applicatory and abiuratory anathema and by consequence the obiection which is drawne from it is not onely vnprofitable but impertinent For what meruaile is it if in this meane while to witt when the Roman Church herselfe abiured Liberius and withdrew herselfe from his obedience and ceased to acknowledge him for Pope and tooke Felix his part saint HILARY adhering to the Roman Church did abiure him and anathematize him also not with a iudiciary anathema but with an executory and abnegatory 〈◊〉 and tooke likewise the parte of Felix to whom the orthodoxall Clerkes and inhabitantes of the cittie of Rome had ranged themselues The great and admirable DAMASVS who was after successor to Liberius in the Popedome and whom the Greekes called the diamond of Faith had not he bene one of those that had withdrawen themselues from the communion of Liberius and had transferred themselues to that of Felix and so what wonder is it if Liberius owne successor and all the true Roman Church with him hauing ceased to acknowledge Liberius for Pope and hauing abandoned and anathematized him that is to saie with an executory and abiuratory anathema and hauing acknowledged Felix his Competitor for true and law full Pope S. HILARY also in their imitation ceased to account Liberius for Pope and anathematized him not with a iudiciary but with an executory and abiuratory anathema in withdrawing himselfe from his communion and passing to that of Felix And finally the fowrth and last answere is that as in tyme offchisme and duplicity of Popes S. HILARY following the orthodoxall and Catholicke part of the Clergie of Rome adhered to Felix and anathematized Liberius so in the tyme of the vnitie of Popes the same S. HILARY testifies that all Catholickes acknowledged the Pope for head of the Church For he reportes the epistle of the Councell of Sardica wherein the Bishops of the Councell writt these wordes to Pope Iulius Liberius predecessor It shall be esteemed verie good and conuenient if from all prouinces the Bishops should referr the affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea Apostolicke of Peter And thus much of the second obiection there remaines third To the third obiection then which is that Dioscorus in the false Councell of Ephesus did not content himselfe to excommunicate 〈◊〉 the Archbishop of Constantinople but went so farr as to excommunicate Pope Leo who vpeld him Wee answere three things first that it was not vnder his owne name that Dioscorus Patriark of Alexandria decreed this excommunication but vnder the name of all the false Councell of Ephesus which had bene called in the qualitie of an Oecumenicall Councell and which intitled it selfe an Oecumenicall Councell By meanes whereof this instance toucheth not the question whether another Bishop Archbishop or Patriark may excommunicate the Pope but whether a Councell Oecumenicall pretēding that the Pope is fallen into heresy may excōmunicate him The second that Dioscorus was deposed for this presumption in the Councell of Chalcedon and depriued for all eternity not onely of the title of Patriark but also of the title of Christian and Catbolicke in such sort as this example is so farr from making against the Pope as it falls vpon their heades that alleadge it And the third that there was so great difference betweene the enterprise of excōmunicating the other Bishops Archbishops Patriarkes and presumption of excommunicating the Pope as although Dioscorus Patriark of Alexandria was an Arch-hereticke and that he had approued in a full Councell the heresy of Eutiches and
a thing which can haue noe ground first because the originall Canons of the second Mileuitan Councell and of the Councell holden vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius from whence this repitition is taken reduce the 〈◊〉 to onely priests Deacons and other inferior clerkes make noe mention of Bishops Secondly because the title of the same twētie eight canon which is in the collection of Dionisius Exiguus and in the greeke edition is restrained precisely to these wordes that the priests deacons and 〈◊〉 that in their owne cause appeale beyond Sea should not be receiued to the 〈◊〉 and thirdly because the Fathers of the sixth Councell of Carthage protested in the acts of the same Councell that they would not meddle with this article till the Copies of the Councell of Nicea should be brought out of the East and after they should come they would assemble a new Synod to aduise vpon it Now these copies came but in the month of Nouember in the Consulship of Monaxius and Plinta that is to saie six monethes after the calling of the sixth Councell of Carthage in which tyme neither the sixth Councell of Carthage was on foote neither was Faustinus Legat to Pope Boniface then in Africa in whose presence this collection is pretended to haue bene made For that which the Illustrious Cardinall Baronius and the doctors of Collen doe suppose that Innocentius and Marcellus bearers of the copies of the Councell of Nicea arriued not in Africke till after the death of Pope Boniface and in the tyme of Pope Celestine and vpon this occasion put backe the edition of the collection of the thirtie three Canons vntill the tyme of Celestine vnder which Fauctinus made a second voyage into Africa is contradicted both by the inscription of the same copies which shewes that they were brought out of Alexandria into Africa by the priest Innocentius and sent from Africa by the same Innocentius and by Marcellus Subdeacon of the Church of Carthage to Boniface Bishop of the Roman Church the sixth of the calends of december and by saint CYRILL that saith to the Africans in the end of his Epistle As for the Pasch we signifie to you according to the request that you haue often made to vs in your letters that we will celebrate it the seauenteenth or according to the correction of some the fourteenth of the calends of may of the future indiction for for what cause should the answere be made to the question that they had made to him of the daie of the next Pasch if his answere were not to be returned before the same Pasch. And by the Epistle of the Africans to Pope Celestine which testifies that they had sent the copies of the Exemplifications from the 〈◊〉 to his predecessor Boniface by Innocent priest and Marcellus subdeacon And from this that which saint IEROME writes to saint AVGVSTIN derogates not The holie priest Innocent bearer of this epistle tooke not the yeare last past anie letters from me to your Dignitie as if hee should not haue returned into Africa For so farr is it from appearing by this that Innocent staied in the East till the yeare following as contrariwise it doth the more plainely appeare that he returned the same yeare into Africa but that he made a new voyage into the East the yeare after And then if this collection haue bene framed in a Councell of Carthage where Faustinus was present as the fourth canon of the same collection supposeth It must haue bene while the first staie that Faustinus made in Africa vnder the Popedome of Boniface and not during the second staie that he made there vnder the popedome of Celestine for the twentie fourth canon of the same collection ordaines that the article of the canonicall Bookes should be communicated to Pope Boniface whose Popedome mett with the fiirst staie of Faustinus in Africa and not with the second The eigth reason is that except Aurelius Bishop of Carthage and Ualentine Alypius and saint AVGVSTINE Bishop of Numidia there is not so much as one neither of all the two hundred seauenteen Bishops who were present at the sixth Councell of Carthage nor of the twentie two deputies that staied at Carthage after the separation of the rest of the Councell that is brought in to speake in this collection contrarywise all the other Bishops that are named there as Fortunatus Felix of Selemsela Numidius of Massilia are the Bishops that assisted thirtie yeare before in the second Councell of Carthage and more then this also the names of the Bishops of the sixth Councell of Carthage which are mentioned in this collection haue bene almost all supposed there in the steede of others that haue bene taken awaie to sett them in their places as we haue shewed amongst other examples by that of the fifth canon which is taken from the first Councell of Carthage where in steede of Gratus Bishop of Carthage there is sett into the collection Aurelius and by that of the ninth which is taken from the second Councell of Carthage where in steede of Genetlius Bishop of Carthage there is sett into the collection Augustine Bishop Legat of the prouince of Numidia and by that of the thirteenth which is taken out of the same second Councell of Carthage where in steede of Genetlius there is sett into the collection Aurelius A thing which could not haue bene done by the Fathers of a Councell who would neuer haue changed the names of those that had first propounded the canons to sett them vnder the names of others and that could not be attributed to the ignorance of the copies of the last ages but ought to be imputed either to the originall Rapsodist or to the exemplifiers of the next ages after him For the same mistakes and changes of names which are in the latine edition of this collection are in the collection of Dionisius which was made more then a thousand yeares agoe and in the greeke translation which was made shortlie after And finallie the ninth and last reason is that the conclusion which is read in some copies at the end of the collection intituled the sixth Councell of Carthage and in others at the end of the Rapsody of the Councell of Africa which wee call the African Councell is taken word by word out of the conclusion of the first Councell of Carthage except that in steede of Gratus there is 〈◊〉 For behold the latin termes wherein it is reported in the copies of Monsieur the president of Champigny at the end of the collection intituted the sixth Councell of Carthage and in others at the end of the collection intituled the African Councell Aurelius Episcopus dixit Juxta statuta totius Concilij congregati meae mediocritatis sententiam placet facere rerum omnium conclusionem vniuersi tituli designati huius 〈◊〉 tractatum ecclesiae gesta suscipiant And
rest For how dost not thou denie the future perfection of these prophecies thou that fearest not to denie soe great in 〈◊〉 to which the perfection is due And in an other place Although there are manie kindes of heresies amongst Christians and that all would 〈◊〉 to be Catholickes and call the rest except themselue heretickes there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church if you cast your eyes ouer the whole worlde more aboundant in multitude and as those that know themselues to be of it affirme more sincere in truth then all the rest but of the truth that is an other question That which sufficeth for this dispute is that there is one Catholicke Church to which different heresies impose different names they beinge neuerthelesse all called by their particular 〈◊〉 that they dare not disauowe from whence it appeares in the iudgement of arbiters not possessed with fauour to whom the name of Catholicke whereof they are all ambitious ought to be attributed By which wordes S. AVG. elegantly declares that the Church was not called Catholicke because she was actually and at one selfe same tyme ouer all Natiōs but for this cause amongst others that in multitude of people and in extent of nations she exceeded each one of other Christian societies Of the comparison of the Church with the Cittie builte vpon a Mountaine CHAP. XX. The continuance of the Kinges answere FOr heretofore the Catholicke Church like the Cittie built vpon a Mountaine which could not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not way subiect to be called in question but was euident and certaine to all in such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 noe bodie of an vndistracted spirit could doubt of it THE REPLIE IT seemes that the excellent King holdes this word that cannot be hidden to haue reference onely to the Cittie built vpon a Mountaine and will not haue it belong to the Church but by accident that is when she resēbles the 〈◊〉 builte vpon a Mountaine That is to say it seemes that his Maiestie vnderstandes not that this condition to be like a cittie built vpon a Mountaine and by consequent not to be hidden belongs perpetually to the Church but will haue it that the Church sometymes enioyes this condition as when Saint AVGVSTINE writ and sometymes is depriued of it as afterwardes Neuertelesse Saint AVGVSTINE who is the best interpreter that can be of his owne wordes saith that the Church hath this most certaine marke that she cannot be hidd And againe that of her it is said The cittie built vpon the Mountaine cannot bee hidd From whence it appeareth that this Epithete of beeing vnconcealeable belongs not by accidēt to the Church when she shall be found like the cittie built vpon a hill but appartaines to her properly directly and perpetually For where his Maiestie adds that the Church was then soe manifest as noe man in his right wittes could doubt of her that was true and soe is she still at this day in regarde of all those that agree vpon the true markes of the Church that is to saie in regarde of those that accordinge to Gods promises designe the Catholicke Church by the perpetuitie of her continuance and by the eminencie of multitude and extent ouer nations aboue all other Christian Sectes But to all heretickes and schismatickes who reiected those markes and would receiue noe signe for a note of the Church but onely puritie of manners or triall of doctrine of which they attributed to themselues the iudgement by interpretation of Scripture made accordinge to theire sense the Church was not onely doubtfull but altogether hidden It is saith S. AVG. a condition cōmon to all heretickes not to see that thinge which is in the world the most apparent an t built in the light of all nations out of whose vnitie all that they doe though they seeme to doe it with great care cannoe more warrant them from the wrath of God then the spiders webbs against the extremity of colde Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the Donatists and Protestantes in the question of the Church CHAPT XXI The continuance of the kinges answere FOR she vvas not shutt vp in anie corner of the vvorld liyng I knowe not vvhere in the South as the foolish Donatistes affirmed but she vvas spread in leught and breadth ouer all the space of the Earth THE REPLIE THE Donatistes held not that theire Church was inclosed by right and for euer into Africa but onely in fact and for a certaine tyme noe more then the Caluinistes who haue pretended that the true visible Church had bene reduced for manie ages into the Prouince of Albigeois and other boundes and afterward in some valleys of Dolphiny And yet the Donatistes did not make this confession with theire good will but in theire owne defence by constraint Contrarywise they attempted with all theire power to shewe that theire Church was not restrained onely into Africa For this cause they kept a Bishop at Rome whom they had sent to a fewe African Donatistes that dwelt there They had plented a pretended Church in Spanie in the territory of a Lady called Lucilla that fauored them They had made the false Actes of the mock Councell of the Arrians holden at Philipopolis neere Sardica to passe current insteede of the true Councell of Sardica because in the letters of those Bishops amongst the names of the Bishops to whom they were addressed theire was the name of Donatus the false Bishop of Carthage one of the Bishops of the Donatistes party thereby to make it credible that the Councell of Sardica had communicated with them yea when they entered into conference with the Catholickes they grewe to be soe impudent but that it was confounded at the instant as to maintaine that theire communion was spread ouer all the earth Heere first saith Saint AVGVSTINE speaking of the conference that he had with Fortunius the Donatist did he attemps to 〈◊〉 that his Communion was ouer the extent of the earth I asked him there 〈◊〉 whether he could addresse cōmunicatorie letters which we call formall whither I 〈◊〉 appoint and I affirmed as it was manifest to all that by this meanes the 〈◊〉 might be easilie determined c. but because the thinge was euidently false 〈◊〉 out of this discourse by confusion of 〈◊〉 And finally when they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the visible 〈◊〉 of the Church they had recourse to the 〈◊〉 vniuersality and said they communicated inuisibly with all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hidden members of Christ which were spread ouer all the world for it is against them that saint AVG. disputes when he writes It 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God hath other sheepe which I know not but God 〈◊〉 care of them he is too absurde in humane sense that imagins such things By 〈◊〉 whereof theire cause who haue separated them-selues from vs in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ages can be noe waie distinguished in the point of the Church from that of the Donatistes Of the extent of the ancient Catholicke Church
that these letters hauing bene written by hereticall authors to witt the Arrians and reported by an hereticall historian from whom Socrates and Sozoment tooke them to witt by Sabinus a macedonian hereticke who tooke part with the Councell of Antioch against the Pope and against the Counceil of Nicea and was a sworne Enemie to the Trinitie to saint Athanasius and to the Councell of Nicea they carryed their confutation on their foreheade and are of as little weight as those that the Lutherans or other Protestantes should nowe write against the Pope For who knowes not that the Pope hath alwaies proued that concerning Religion that Cicero said of himselfe concerning the common wealth to witt that none euer declared himselfe Enemie to the Church but he tooke him the Pope for his aduerse 〈◊〉 at the same tyme And the other that notwithstanding the boldnes or to speake with Sozomene the impudencie of these hereticall and Arrian letters the restitution that the Pope had made of these great persons and amongst others Athanasius Patriarcke of Alexandria and of Paule Archbishop of Constantinople was neuerthelesse executed and imbraced as iust both in forme and matter by the vniuersall consent of all the Catholickes in the world Athanasius and Paule saith Sozomene recouered each one his seate And in an other place speaking of the 300. Orthodoxall Bishops of the Councell of Sardica who represented all the Catholicke Bishops vpon the Earth They answered said he that they could not separate themselues from the communion of Athanasius and Paule and principally for as much as Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause had not condemned them And why then when the same Councell of Sardica where assisted according to the calculation of saint Athanasius Socrates and Sozomene more then 300. Bishops and which IVSTINIAN calls an Oecumenicall Councell And which Vigilius the ancient Bishop of Trent saith to haue bene assembled from all the prouinces of the Earth And where saint Athanasius and the greater parte of the same Fathers that had bene at the Councell of Nicea assisted proceeded not to institute the appeales as it shall appeare hereafter but to rule or to reduce into writinge the customes of the appeales did they ordaine that when a Bishop should appeale to the Pope it should be in the Popes choyse either to giue him iudges out of the neighbour prouinces or to graunt him legates which should be transported into those places If a Bishop said the Councell hauing bene deposed by the assemblie of Bishops of his prouince hath recourse in forme of an appeale to the most blessed Bishop of Rome and desires to be heard a new and that the Bishop of Rome holdes it iust that his cause should be re-examined lett him vouchsafe to write to the Bishops neighbbours to that prouince And a little after and if 〈◊〉 thinke it fitt to send priests from about his person which may together with the Bishops decide the businesse hauinge his authoritie from whom they are sent that alsoe ought to be allowed For as for what past afterward in Africa about the matter of Appeales in lesser causes that shall be spoken of hereafter in a chapter by it selfe And why then when the Fathérs of the same councell of Sardica yeilded an accompt of their Actes to the Pope did they write to him according to the copy which is inserted in the fragment of saint HILARIE and cited tacitly by Pope INNOCENT the first and expressely by Pope NICHOLAS the first It were very Good ad conuenient if from all the princes the Prelates of God would send relations to their Head that is to saie to the Sea of the Apostle Peter And why then when Valens Bishop of Murses in Mysia and Vrsatius Bishop of Singidon in Hungaria two of the chiese Whirle-windes in the Arrian tempest would departe from the heresy of Arius and from the slaunders that they had inuented against saint ATHANASIVS did they come to Rome to aske the Popes pardon and to protest obedience to him To the absolution of Athanasius said Sulpitius Seuerns there was yet added that Vrsatius and Valens chiefe of the Arrians after the councell of sardica seeing themselues excluded from the communion came in person to craue pardon of Iulius Bishop of Rome for haueing condemned an innocent And saint ATHANASIVS Vrsatius and Valens seeing these things were touched with remorse and goeing vp to Rome confest their fault and repenting craued pardon And themselues in the acte of their penāce giuē by writing to the Pope and inserted in the Relations of saint ATHANASIVS and Sozomene Wee confesse said they to your blessednesse in presence of all your priests our bretheren that all those things that are come hither to your eares against ATHANASIVS are false and fained and farr from being his actions and for this cause we earnestly desire to haue communion with him and principallie because your pictie out of your naturall goodnes hath vouchsaffed to pardon our Error And we farther promise that if for this occasion either those of the East or Athanasius himselfe doe maliciouslie call vs to iudgement wee will not departe from what you shall ordaine And why then when the Emperor constantius would set the last hand to the persecutiō of saint Athanasius did Amianus Marcellinus though a Pagan author reporte that he solicited Pope Liberius to condemne him not contenting himself that he had bene deposed by a councell cmpounded of 300. Bishops of the East and West vnlesse the Pope himselfe confirmed this deposition Although said hee that the Emperor know this was done neuerthelesse he procured with an earnest desire that it might be comfirmed by the authoritie where of the Bishops of the eternall Cittie are superiors For whereas afterward Pope LIBERIVS ouercome by the persecutions of Constantius the Arrian Emperor gaue himselfe vp to signe the condemnation of saint Athanasius it was after he had bene cast out of his seate by the Emperor at the instance of the Arrians and confined into Thracia And after he had suffered an exile of two yeares and a longe continuance of imprisonments threates of death and corporall afflictions and vexatiōs Nowe we make a great differēce betwene those sentēces that Popes pronounce de Cathedra that is to saie sett in their Ecclesiasticall Tribunall in the forme of publicke and iudiciary actes and with solemne and canonicall preparation and those things that they doe in the forme of particular and personall actes and not as constituted in the state and liberty of ludges but as reduced into the condition of captiues and prisoners and constrayned by the violence of humane feare such as may Be in a spirit morally constant And yet heere meete three miraculous circumstances and worthy of Gods prouidence toward the Apostolicks Sea in this historie The first that as in the solemnitie of the Pythian games wherein the Grecians celebrated the Feast of Apollo when one
Towne without a horse or anie beast of carriage and presented himselfe to Pope Leo reuerentlie offering him obedience and requiring with humilitie that he might ordaine of the estate of the 〈◊〉 after the accustomed manner c. neuerthelesse if it were not his will he would not importune him And againe He applied himselfe wholie to appease the spiritt of Leo with a prostrate humilitie And why then when Eutyches who liued in the tyme of the same Emperors pretended that he had appealed from Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople to Pope Leo did not Flauianus dispute that he could not appeale but that he had not appealed Eutyches saith Pope Leo writing to 〈◊〉 affirmes that in full iudgement he pretended you a request of appeale and it was not receiued by which meanes he was constrained to make acts of protestation in the cittie of Constantinople And Flauianus answering Leo Eutyches said he hath informed you that in the time of iudgement he pretended to vs and to the holy Councell heere assembled libells of appeale and that he appealed to your 〈◊〉 which was neuer done by him And againe Moued then most holie Father with all these attempts of his and with those which haue bene done and are done against vs and against the holy Church doe you worke confidently according to your wonted courage as it belongs to the priesthood and making the common cause and the discipline of the holy Churches your owne vouchsafe to confirme by your writings the condemnation which hath bene regularlie made against him And for what cause did the Councell of Chalcedon embrace the iudgement that the Pope had giuen against Eutyches after the sentence of Flauianus his owne Bishop as giuen by a competent iudge and attributed the finall deposition of Eutyches to the Popes iudgement By the decrees of his tyranny saied the Councell of Chalcedon writing to the Pope and speaking pf the attemptes that Dioscorus had made in the false Councell of Ephesus he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innocent and bath restored to him the dignitie whereof he was depriued by your Holynesse And why then when Peter Chrissologus Bishop of 〈◊〉 writt to the same Eutyches the Epistle which is annext to the front of all the Greeke and Latine actes of the Councell of Chalcedon did he saie We exhort thee in these things Reuerend Brother to lend an obedient attention to the letters of the most holy Pope of the cittie of Rome for asmuch as the blessed Peter who liues and rules in his owne Seate exhibits the true faith to those that seeke it for we for the desire we haue of peace and faith cannot heare matters of faith without the consent of the Bishop of Rome And why then when Theodoret Bishop of Tire a towne neere Persia and subiect to the Patriark of Antioch had bene deposed in the false Councell of Ephesus did he appeale to the Pope I attend said Theodoret in his letter to Pope Leo the sentence of your Apostolicke Throne and beseeche your Holynesse to succor me appealing to your right and iust iudgement and commaund that I transport myselfe to you and verifie that my doctrine followes the Apostolicke stepps And for what cause did Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople hauing bene deposed by the same Councell appeale to the same Pope We ought said the Emperor Valentinian the third writing to Theodosius the second Emperor of the East to preserue inuiolable in our daies the dignitie of particular Reuerence to the blessed Apostle Peter that the holy Bishop of Rome to whom antiquitie hath attributed the priesthood aboue all may haue place to iudge in matters of saith and of the Bishops c. for therefore according to the custome of Councells the Bishop of Constantinople had appealed to him in the contention which is risers about points of Faith and Liberatus Archdeacon of Carthage Flauianus saith he the sentence hauing bene pronounced against him appealed to the Apostolicke Sea by petition presented to his Legates For to saie as the Popes aduersaries doe that the actes of the falfe Councell of Ephesus which were read againe in the Councell of Chalcedon onely bare that Flauianus said to Dioscorus I appeale from thee without saying I appeale from thee to the Pope Who knowes not that those actes as it was represented to the Councell of Chalcedon had bene all falsified by Dioscorus who had put in and put out what he listed making the Bishops signe by force to blanckes They haue 〈◊〉 vs violence with woundes said the Bishops of the East to the Councell of Chalcedon we haue signed blanckes And Eusebius Bishop of Dorilaus reporting the same history to the councell of Cbalcedon Dioscorus said hee inserted in the actes things that were neuer spoken and constrained the Bishops to signe to blanckes And besides the exhibition that Flauianus made of his Petition of apppeale to the Popes Legates and the opposition that the Popes Legates made for him against Dioscorus and againste all the Councell as soone as he had appealed and the appeale that Theodoret the neighboring bishop to Persia and companion in Flauianus condemnation putin from the same councell to the Pope resisting and makeing his appeale be iudged of before the Pope doth it not sufficiently manifest that it was to the Pope that Flauianus appealed Moreoner how had Flauianus in saying simplie I appeale from thee made it vnderstood that it was to an oecumenicall councell that he apealed since the councell wherein Dioscorus condemned him tooke alsoe in condemning him the litle of oecumenicall and had bene assembled by the Emperor THEODOSIVS the second in the qualitie of oecumenicall and after confirmed as oecumenicall and that to be truly oecumenicall there wanted nothing of the number and plenitude of Bishops but the only authority of the Pope which was distracted from it by the seperation of his Legats whereof some were fledd and the rest remayned out of their ranke and amongst the presse Contrarywise that all the Patriarkes of the earth and all the principall metropolitans and Bishops of their Patriarkshipps were there and that there wanted of the Patriarkes none but the Pope alone is it not a sufficient proofe that Flauianus saying I appeale and presenting his libell of appeale to the Popes Legates and the Popes Legates protesting at the same tymt an opposition against the sentence from which he appealed that it was to the Pope that he appealed though the Emperor VALENTINIAN had not also said these expresse wordes The Bishop of Constantinople according to the custome of councells hath appealed to the Pope and Liberatus these Flauianus sentence hauing bene pronounced against him appealed to the Sea Apostolick For to obiect that the Pope did not retaine the iudgement of the cause intirely but desired it might be iudged in a generall councell haue wee not already said that the Popes custome after appeales was to doe two things one to iudge of
in the epistle to Iohn Bishop of Syracusa Who doubts but the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Lord the Emperor and our brother the Bishop of the same cittie protest continuallie Hee writes in the Epistle following to the same Bishop If there be anie cryme found in Bishops I know noe Bishop but is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke but when crimes exact it not all according to the condition of humilitie are equall He writes in the Epistle to Iohn the defendant correcting the iudgement which had bene giuen against the Bishop Steuen If they answere he had neither Metropolitan nor Patriarke it must be replied that the cause should haue bene heard and determined by the Sea Apostolicke which is the head of all the Churches He writes in the Fpistle to Iohn Bishop of Panormus Wee admonish thee that the Reuerence of the Sea Apostolicke be not troubled by the presumption of anie For then the state of the members remaines intire when 〈◊〉 iniurie is done to the head of the faith He writes in the Epistle to Natalis Bishop of Salona If one of the fower Patriarks had committed such an act so great a disobedience could not haue passed without a grieuous scandall He annulled in his Epistles to Iohn Bishop of Constantinople the Iudgement of the Church of Constantinople against Iohn Priest of Chalcedon Reprouing said he the sentence of the foresaid Iudges we declare him by our definition to be Catholicke and free from all hereticall crime And elsewhere Knowst 〈◊〉 not that in the cause of Iohn the Priest against our brother and Colleague John of Constantinople He had recourse according to the Canons to the Sea Apostolicke and it hath bene defined by our sentence He abrogated in his Epistle to Athanasius 〈◊〉 Regular of Lycaonia the decree of Iohn Bishop of Constantinople against him and restored him to his place Wee decree thee said he to be exempted from all blott of hereticall frowardnes and doe grant thee free leaue to returne into thy Monasterie and to holde the same place and ranke as thou didst before He abrogated in the Epistle to Iohn Archbishop of Larissa in Thessalia the sentence of the same Archbishop of Larissa against Adrian Bishop of Thebes and one of the fuffragans of the Archbishopricke of Larissa and ecclipsed the Bishopricke of Thebes from the iurisdiction of the Archbishopricke of Larissa and ordained that if the Archbishop of Larissa should euer more vndertake to exercise iurisdiction ouer the Bishop of Thebes he should be depriued of the communion of the Body of Christ and that it might not be restored to him except at the point of death but by the leaue of the Bishop of Rome Wee ordaine said hee that thy brotherhood obtaine from the power thou hadst before ouer the Bishop of Thebes and ouer his Church and according to the letters of our Predecessor for if anie cause either of faith or of crime or of money be pretended against our said Colleague Adrian it may be iudged if it be a matter of meane importance by our Nuncios which are or shall be in the Royall Cittie that is to saie in Constantinople and if it be a matter of Weight that it should be reported bither to the Sea Apostolicke to be decided by the sentence of our audience And if at anie time or for what occasion 〈◊〉 thou doe attempt to contradict this our decree know that we declare thee 〈◊〉 from the sacred Communion soe as it maie not be restored to thee vnlesse in the article of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome And finally he abrogated in his Epistle to John Patriarke of the first Iustinianea who had confirmed the sentence of the Archbishop of Larissa the iudgement of the said Iohn Primate of the first Iustinianea and condemnes him to remaine depriued of the communion of the Bodie of Christ for the space of thirtie daies Abrogating said hee and annulling the decrees of thy sentence Wee decree by the authoritie of the blessed Prince of the Apostles that thou shalt be depriued of the sacred communion for the space of thirtie daies Nowe what was this but to crye with a lowde voice that in refusinge the title of Vniuersall he refused not therefore the title of Head of the Church and the Iurisdiction and superintendency ouer all other Bishops Archbishops and Patriarks Of the Order of sitting in the Councell of Nicea CHAPT VIII BVT Caluin to fight against this doctrine and to proue that the Pope is not head of the Church nor Superior to the other Patriarkes vseth fower principall meanes first that the Popes legates haue not presided in the ancient Generall Councells The secōd that the Pope called them not The third that the appeales of Bishops were not to the Pope And the fourth that the Canons of Africa forbadd the Bishop of the first Sea by which Caluin impertinently 〈◊〉 the Pope to call himselfe Prince of Bishops and the first meanes he striues to proue by Seauen examples which wee had best confute all at a clapp for 〈◊〉 they will obiect them to vs in a second Answere He produceth then before all things the order of the Councell of Nicea which he ignorantly calls the Councell of Nice not knowing that the Councell of Nice was an hereticall Councell that the Arrians held at Nicé in Thrace to deceiue the Catholicks by the affinitie of the words Nice and Nicea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compounded almost of the same letters The Arrians saith the Epistle of the Asians to Liberius caused to be signed by fraude and periuries at Constantinople a faith contrarie to that of the holy Councell of Nicea which had bene brought from Nice in Thrace And Socrates They transported themselues into a cittie of Trace called Nice and after a longe st aie held there an other Councell c. to surprise the simple by the affinitie of the words For the simple people belieued that it was the faith of Nicea in Bithinia And Theodoret They brought manie Bishops against their wills into a Towne of Thrace whose name was Nice And Sozomene Passing through Thrace they came into a cittie of the Countrie called Nice 〈◊〉 there kept a Conuenticle c. And this they did expressely at Nice to the end to perswade the simple people to cōsent to it 〈◊〉 by the neerenes of the words and belieuing it to be the decree which was made at Nicea For although Stephanus doe indeede put in a Cittie of Nicea in Thrace neuerthelesse besides that Ammianus Marcellinus saith that the 〈◊〉 of Thrace situate vpon the passage from Italie to Constantinople which was the same wherein the Arrians had held their false Councell was called Nice The Greciā Ecclesiasticall historians very notablie marke this difference betweene the Councell of the Catholiques and that of the Annians vpon
the name where of the fraude was founded that that of the Catholicks was holden at Nicea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that of the hereticks at Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and reporting the two impostures of the Arrians vse in the first which was to hold a mocke-Councell at Nice in Thrace the word affinitie of name and saie that the Arrians aduised themselues of this fraude to surprise the simple by the affinitie of the names And in the second which was to hold a mocke Councell at Nicea in Bithinia they vse the word identity of names and say that they committed this fraude to surprise the simple by the identity of names By which meanes that in the writings of saint HILLARY the Towne of Nice in Thrace where the Conuenticle of the Arrians was held is called Nicea It is a vice of the Copists which haue imposed it vpon some learned men But in Summe what soeuer the cittie of Nice in Thrace be it is Certaine that that of Nicea in Bithinia where the Catholicke Councell was holden was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nicea and not Nice Which I would not reproche to Caluin were it not that all the Authors of the Ecclesiasticall historie agreeing in this note he is as inexcusable for hauing bene ignorant of it as many Catholickes which are deceiued after him are excusable for hauing followed him bonafide But heere is to much of this digression let vs come to the point He alleadges then that in the Councell of Nicea S. ATHANASIVS presided and that the Popes Legates had onely the fourth place I praie you saith Caluin if they had acknowledged Iulius for head of the Church would those that represented his person haue bene cast backe to the fourth place Had Athanasius presided in the generall Councell where the order of the Hierarchie ought to be siugularly obserued Now what should I answere to this but what the oracle said of Chalcedon to witt that heresie is the land of the blinde For all the Authors of Ecclesiasticall antiquitie S. EPIPHANIVS Ruffinus Socrates Theodoret Sózomene and S. ATHANASIVS himselfe and the Councell of Alexandria reported by him to whom wee may ouer and aboue add S. HILLARY testifie that S. ATHANASIVS was yet Deacon in the time of the Councell of Nicea and was not made Bishop of Alexandria till fiue moneths after the Councell of Nicea and that Alexander Bishop of Alexandria his Predecessor assisted at the Councell of Nicea and did not preside there so farr was S. ATHANASIVS that was then but his Deacon from presiding but onely held the second place there and was preceded by the Popes Legates It is true Caluin may easily be pardoned this error since he is soe ignorant in the Ecclesiasticall historie as to haue belieued that Sabellius who was aboue threescore yeares before Arrius and the Councell of Nicea was since both the one and the other But let vs leaue the error there and passe forward to the consequence Caluins argument then against the Legates of the Pope is that Sozomen writes At this Councell assisted from the Sea Apostolicke Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem Eustachius Bishop of Antioch Alexander Bishop of Alexandria and as for Julius Bishop of Rome hee assisted not at it because of his age but in his steede there assisted Vito and Vincentius Priests of the same Church And from thence Caluin infers that the Legats of Julius were onely then in the fourth place and consequently that Iulius did not preside there Now could I note in passing by that the Councell of Nicea was not holden vnder Julius as Caluin thought but vnder Sybuester the predecessor of Julius and that it is a deprauation of Sozomens copies that hath deceiued Caluin and before him Cassiodorus Beda and many others For first Eusebius saint IEROM Socrates Theodoret Gelasius of Cyzica and the ancient latine subscriptions and after all those Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheims testifie the Councell of Nicea was holdē in the time of Syluester and not of Iulius And secondly Sozomene notes that vnder the third consulship of Crispus and Constantine Caesars which is he by whom he hath begun his historie Syluester was Bishop of Rome Now the third consulship of Crispus and Constantine ended but fower moneths before the ouerture of the Councell of Nicea which begun in the moneth of May vnder the cōsulship of Paulinus Julianus by which meanes Julius could not haue sent his Legats seeing betweene Syluester and Julius Sozomene reports that there was a Papacy interposed which was that of Marcus which according to S. IEROM lasted eight moneths And thirdly the cause wherefore Sozomene obserues that the Bishop of Rome assisted not at the Councell which was his extreame age or as Theodoret saith his profound age could not agree with the person of Iulius who liued till thirtie yeares after the Councell And fourthly Sozomene assignes but twentie fiue yeares to Iulius Papacie in which place we must reade but fifteen with Socrates and consequently he could not presuppose that Iulius had bene Pope in the tyme of the Councell of Nicea seeing aswell hee as Socrates affirme that Iulius dyed after the death of Magnentius Gallus and Siluanus that is to saie thirtie yeares after the Councell for Magnentius was slaine according to Socrates vnder the sixth consulship of Constantine and the second of Gallus which was the twentie eigth yeare after the Councell and Gallus vnder the seauenth of Constantine and the third of his ownē which was the twentie ninth yeare after the Councell and Siluáńus according to Amianus Marcellinus after Gallus I add that Iulius would neuer haue reproched to those of the East that they did not request him to assist at the Councell of Antioch which was holden sixteen yeares after the Councell of Nicea if he had bene so old at the tyme of the Councell of Nicea as he could not be there I add that Sozomene had had much more cause to impute it to Iulius his age that he was not at the Councell of Sardica which was holden twentie two yeare after that of Nicea then that he was not at that of Nicea And finally I add that Sozomene himselfe decides the point of the question and teacheth vs that it is a vice in the writing which is slipt into the text of the historie For after he had finisht in the closing vp of the first booke the whole narration of the Councell of Nicea with these words Heere 〈◊〉 this place ends all that concernes the Councell of Nicea And after he had employed all the ninteen first chapters of his second booke to sett downe what past betweene the Councell of Nicea and that of Antioch against Eustathius when he had finished the recitall of the Councell of Antioch against
to cause the 〈◊〉 of the westerne Church to be carried to the generall Councells celebrated in the East sent a legation compounded of two kinde of Legats the one internall and taken from the bodie of the particular Roman Church whom wee with the Councell of Sardica call Legats taken out of the Popes owne side and the other externall and taken out of the order of the Bishops And this legation was sometymes made by two distinct commissions as in the sixth generall Councell the Legats from the popes particular person and those from the Councell of Rome were deputed feuerally And sometymes by a ioynt deputation as in the Councell of Ephesus and Chalcedon Now were those Legats that we call internall that is to saie taken out of the particular Clergie of the Roman Church the principall Legats not in honor except when the Popes legations and those of the Councell of Rome were distinct but as for the instructions and in the report of the Popes intentions And therefore also when there was question of the particular voice of the Pope they were often named alone as in the historie of Sozomene and in the list of the signatures of the Councell of Sardica because they were onely Legats deputed both from the person of the Pope and from the bodie of his Church And of those examples we haue one remarkable in the commission that the Councell of Ephesus gaue to the Bishops that it sent to Constantinople for by this commission the Councell of Ephesus intituled Phillip Priest of the Roman Church Legate from the Pope in these words To Phillip Priest holding the place of the Bishop of Rome Celestine to Arcadius to 〈◊〉 c. And intituled not Arcadius Legat to the Pope though he were both Bishop and Legat to the Pope altogether because Phillip was Legat à latire from the Pope that is to saie a Legate taken out of the very bodie of the particular Roman Church and Arcadius was Legat from the Patriarchall Roman Church that is to saie Legat from the Pope and Councell of Rome by meanes whereof when Sozomene and Theodoret say there were two Legats from the Pope at the Councell of Nicea to witt Uito and Uincentius and that S. ATHANASIVS and Socrates put Osius Uito and Vincentius into one place they contradict not one an other for as much as the one speakes onely of the internall Legats that we call Legats a latere of which Osius was none and the other speakes of the Legats aswell internall as externall whereof Osius was one And in this the ancient Greeke and Latine Canonists agree with vs For not onely Hincmarus Archbishop of Rhemes who flourished in the time of Charles the Balde and was not suspected to fauour the Pope much writes At the Councell of Nicea in the place of Syluester Osius Bishop of Cordua and Vito and Vincentius Priests of the cittie of Rome presided But alsoe Dalmatius Bishop of Cyzica in Asia one of the Fathers of the Councell of Ephesus who liued neere a thousand two hundred yeares agoe and after him Gelasius Priest of Cyzica who liued vnder the Emperor Zeno a thousand one hundred and fortie yeares agoe that is to saie in the next age to the Councell of Nicea and from whose pen is come to vs the famous Canon of the Eucharist so much cited by Caluin and by all the Sacramentaries written in the extract of the same Councell of Nicea that Osius was the Popes Legat in the Councell of Nicea and that Vito and Vincentius were his Colleagues At this Councell saith 〈◊〉 of Cyzica speaking after Dalmatius of Cyzica of the Councell of Nicea assisted Osius Bishop of Cordua who held the place of the Bishop of great Rome Syluester with the Priests Uito and Vincentius And not onely Gelasius of Cyzica vseth these words but Photius Patriarke of Constantinople the greatestenemie to the Roman Church that euer was amongst the Greekes alleadgeth them neere eight hundred yeares agoe in these words I haue said he read a booke in forme of a historie intituled The Acts of the Councell of Nicea containing three tomes and bearing added he a little after the title of Gelasius of Cyzica in this booke saith he the Author writes that Osius Bishop of Cordua and Vito and Vincentius Roman Priests assisted at the Councell from the part of Syluester Bishop of Rome And not onely Photius alleadgeth them but himselfe in his treatie of the Synods dedicated to Michell King of the Bulgarians and reported by Euthymius writes with Vito and Uincentius was ioyned Osius Bishop of Cordua And indeede for what other cause should Osius simplie a Bishop of the patriarkship of the Roman Church and subiect in the first instance to the Metropolitan of Seuilla in Spaine and by appeale to the Patriarke of the West haue preceded all the Patriarks of the East yea in the East it selfe he that in the Councell of Eluira that we call Elibertin composed of ninteene Bishops of Spaine had held but the secōd or according to others the eleauenth place And in the Councell of Arles compounded of two hundred Bishops had had noe ranke amongst the principall Bishops of the Councell but for the same cause for which Uito Uincentius simple Priests of the Roman Church preceded them to witt for the order of his legation for to precede them by vertue of the particular conditions of his person neither age nor antiquitie of promotion nor learning nor desert hath euer giuen ranke in generall Councells to anie simple Bishops before Archbishops much lesse before the Patriarks otherwise the distinction of the Seas had bene introduced in vaine and the personall condition of Osius were good to make his person reuerent but not to make him preside in a generall Councell where the order of the Hierarchy saith Caluin ought to be singularly obserued Iointly that euen in all these qualities there were manie in the Councell that surpassed him For if wee speake of persecutions for the Faith 〈◊〉 Bishop of one of the citties of Thebaida who had lost a knee vnder the persecution of Maximinus and an eye whose skarre the Emperor Constantine was wont to kisse was not he there Potamon Bishop of Heraclea in Egipt whom S. EPIPHANIVS calls great Bishop and great 〈◊〉 and who in the same persecution had had an eye put out was not he there Paul Bishop of Neocesarea vpon Euphrates whose handes had bene maimed with a hott iron in the persecution of Licinius was not he there And if we speake of the guiftes of prophetie and working of miracles Spiridion Bishop of Trimithunta in Cyprus that Ruffinus calls a man of the order of the Prophets was not he there James that great Bishop of Antioch in Mygdonia otherwise called Nisibis that Theodoret saith had raised againe the dead and whom hee intitles the prince of
them by sight would not so much as admitt into his presence Anthymus transgressor of the canons but iustly deposed him from the Episcopall Sea of this cittie And a little after After the Bishops of Palestina assembled in this cittie and the other Easterne Bishops that is to saie of the Patriarkships of Antioch and Ierusalem and the deputies of the others Bishops and we did againe present petitions touching Anthymus and the other hereticks and demaunded that Anthymus should certifie his belieue by libell to the Sea Apostolicke and should purge himself from all hereticall errors and in this case should returne to the Church of Trebisonde or if he would not doe it that he should be finallie condemned and deposed from all sacerdot all dignitie and action And a little beneath These our iust requests the same most holy personage to witt Agapet preuenting them and seeing Anthymus had failed to appeare he condemned him with the foresaid hereticks and despoyled him of all office and dignitie sacerdot all and of all title orthodoxall euen till the pennance of his errors And the Fathers of the Councell itself in the sentence of the Synod The blessed Pope Agapet of most holie aud happie memorie settinge with God his hand to the sacred canons deposed Anthymus from the Sea which appartained not to him pardonning those which had participated or communicated in this act that is to saie Peter Patriarke of Jerusalem and other of the East And a little after But because that euen in doctrine Anthymus was burdened with infinite accusations and that manie petitions and supplications were presented against him and by diuers reuerend personages to a most religious Emperor and to the most blessed Pope the same most blessed Pope after much paine taken with a fatherly care to call backe his soule c. pronounced a sentence by writinge against him full of clemencie and seemely holynesse grauntinge him time of repentance and ordaining that till he had changed his opinion and satisfied the doctrines canonically defined by the Fathers hee should neither haue the title of a Catholicke nor a Prelate From whence it appeares that the Pope had made two diuers depositions of Anthymus and in two differinge tymes one from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and that grounded vpon discipline because against the canons Anthymus was exalted from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond to the Patriarkship of Constantinople And the other from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond which had bene reserued to him by the deposition from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and that grounded vpon doctrine because Anthymus was accused and defamed for heresie But the difference that was betweene these two depositions was that the first I meane that from the Patriarkship of Constantinople was absolute and definitiue and made and perfected by the Pope without the helping hand of anie Councell For whereas within the petition of the Bishops of the Patriarkships of Antioch and Jerusalem to the Pope the latine interpreter hath vnaptly translated Exossauimus Anthymum you must saie you haue cast forth Anthymus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appeares by this that follows And our Emperor hath participated in your good worke And the second to wit that from the Bishopricke of Trebisond was by prouision and conditionall and tempered with this clause vntill pennance which left the sentence depending and subiect to reuocation in case that Anthymus should appeare and purge himselfe of heresie Now the Pope died before he had leasure to attend whether Anthimus would come to repentance and purge himself both of the contempt and of the heresie which was imputed to him For this cause then the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas takinge it vp where the Pope left it and making an end to fulfill all the formalities required to cleere the doubt of the condition cited Anthymus againe and seeing he appeared not executed the second sentence of the Pope against him and deposed him from the Bishopricke of Trebizond and from all Sacerdotall and Catholicke title but without touching in anie sorte the deposition alreadie made and perfected from the Patriarkship of Constantinople Weé saie the Fathers of the Councell followinge those thinges well examined by the blessed Pope ordaine that he shall be cast out of the bodie of the holy Church of God and despoyled of the Bishopricke of Trebizond and depriued of all Sacerdotall dignitie and action and according to the sentence of the most holy Pope of the appellation of Catholicke For whereas the narration of the sentence of the Councell the lawe of Iustinian reporting the historie of the same sentence places amongst the causes of Anthymus deposition the transgression that he had made of the Canons in vsurping the Sea of Constantinople that makes nothinge toward inferringe that the deposition that the Councell decreed against him should be the deposition of the Patriarkship of Constantinople forasmuch as the Councell reported the memory of this vsurpation not to depose him then from the Patriarkship of Constantinople from which the same Councell testifies that he had already bene entirely excluded but to aggrauate the crime for which it would depose him from the Archbishoprike of Trebizond to witt heresie by a commemoration of his fore goeing crimes as it appeares both from the disposition of the sentence of the same Councell and from that of the sentence of Menas who presided there and from the repetition which was made of it in the Councell of Ierusalem holden vnder Peter Patriarke of Ierusalem In all which places there is nothing spoken of but the deposition of Anthymus from the Archbishopricke of Trebizond and not from that of the Patriarkship of Constantinople And indeede how could the Councell of Constantinople where Menas presided touch the deposition of Anthymus from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and Menas vote there in qualitie of Patriarke of Constantinople since Menas had bene promoted to the Patriarkship of Constantinople by the deposition of Anthymus For of this all the ancient monuments are of agreement Agapet saie the Syrians to the Emperor hath iustly deposed Anthymus from the Episcopall Sea of the cittie of Constantinople and with the helpe of your Imperiall authoritie cooperatinge and lendinge a hand to the diuine canons haue proposed the holy Menas to the same Church And Marcellinus Comes of the same time with Menas Agapet beinge come from Rome to Constantinople draue awaie soone after his arriuall Anthymus from the Church sayinge that accordinge to the Ecclesiasticall rule he was an adulterer because he had left his Church and had packt for another and ordained the Priest Menas Bishop in his place And Liberatus of the same time with Marcellinus The Empresse promisinge in secrett great presents to the Pope if he would suffer Anthymus in his Sea and on the other side tempting him with threates the Pope persisted in not harkninge to her request and Anthymus seeinge hee was
called by him or at his instance but for 〈◊〉 much as that Councell which was a particular Councell had vndertaken as compounded of Arrian Bishops who violated all order and discipline to decide things that concerned the vniuersall Church ordayning in hate to saint ATHANASIVS That euery Bishop that after he had bene deposed by a Synod should continue still to performe episcopall functions without hauing bene first reestablisht by an other greater Synod should be incapable of restitution and that the lawes of the Church bore that there could noe decrees be made in the Churches that is to saie as Caluin himself interprets it for things regarding the vniuersall Church without the Sentence of the Bishop of Rome he reproacheth it to them that they had exceeded the power of a particular Councell That is to saie had decided the affaires which concerned the generall gouernement of the Church without hauing inuited him to assiste at it either by himself or by his Legats A thing that if we were stript of all other argumentes would sufficiently shewe the Popes authoritie for if the absence of the Pope alone and not of anie other Patriarke or Metropolitan were an impediment to the makeing of decrees to oblige the vniuersall Church how can it bee but the Pope must be head of the Church and Superior of the other Patriarkes To the third obiection which is that saint IEROM speaking of a certaine Councell holden amongst the Gaules cryes What Emperor hath commaunded this Synod to he assembled From whence they inferre that the Emperors onely called the generall Councells Wee answere it is a very Sophisme for the Councell whereof saint IEROM spake was not a generall Councell but a particular that Ruffinus pretends to haue bene holden in Gaule against saint HILLARY Nowe wee agree of all sides and Caluin himselfe confesses it that the Metropolitans Primates and Patriarkes called particular Councells And the Councells of the westerne Church holden at Rome by Pope DAMASVS in the tyme of the heresie of the Macedonians by Pope Celestine against the heresie of the Nestorians by Pope LEO against the heresie of the Eutychians by Pope Agatho against the heresie of the Monothelites inforced the most obstinate to confesse that the Pope if not as head of the vniuersall Church yet at least as Patriarke of the West called the Patriarchall Councells of the westerne Church and not onely called the Patriarchall Councells of the Westerne Church but alsoe when there was neede caused to be called extraordinarily the nationall or prouinciall Coūcells of such a Natiō or Prouince of the West as he thought to be necessarie as it appeares for Africa frō these wordos S. AVGVSTINE The Ecclesiasticall necessitie enioyned vs by the Reuerēd Pope Zosime Bishop of the Sea Apostolicke had drawne vs to Caesaria And for Macedonia Achaia and Thessalia from these of Pope LEO to Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica his Legat in those prouinces If There be anie maior cause moued for which it shal be necessarie to cause an Episcopall assemblie to be called let it suffice thee to call two Bishops of euery Prouince such as the Metropolitans shall choose And for Spaine from these of the same LEO Wee haue sent letters to our bretheren and fellow Bishops of Arragon of Carthagena of Portugall and of Galitia and baue declared to them the assemblie of a generall Councell that is to saie generall for Spaine In which place they must not cauill vpon the word Councell and conuert it into Counsell For the first Councell of Bracara reporting the same historie saith By the commaundement of Leo the Bishops of Arragon Carthagena Portugall and Andaluzia held a Councell amongst them But besides the spirituall authoritie were it of Metropolitans Primates and Patriarkes for the calling of particular Councells be it of the Popes as wee pretend for the calling of generall Councells the temporall authoritie of the Emperors was alsoe requisite aswell to auoid state iealousies and hinder suspitions of conspiracies against the Empire as to take order for the Charge of transportations Staples and prouisions and to furnish the costes of the voyages which the Churches then newlie out of the persecution of the Pagans could yet hardlie beare And therefore when there was question of calling not onely generall Councells of all the Earth but alsoe the generall Councell of the Westerne Church the temporall authoritie of the Emperors concurred with the Spirituall authoritie of Popes for the execution of the conuocation The Emperor Valentinian saith Pope Sixtus the third tymefellowe to saint CYRILL hath commaunded by our authority that the Synod should be called And when there was question of calling Nationall Synods if it were within the countries of the Empire the authoritie of Emperors or of their lieuetenans was allso required and if it were within the ecclipsed countries or not depending from the Empire that of the Kings of the nations where it was to be celebrated must be ioyned thereto as when the first Councell of Bracara in Spaine was called it is said it was called by the commaundement of the glorious King Ariamira or according to others Theodomina And when the second Councell of Tours speakes of the first Councell of Orleans holden vnder Clouis it is said it was done at the request of the most inuincible king Clouis And when the second Councell of Mascon was holden vnder King Gontran it was ordained that the ordinarie Nationall Councells should be celebrated from three yeare to three yeare and that the care to cause them to be assembled appertained to the Bishop of Lion and the disposition to the most magnificent Prince Now if the temporall conuocation of Nationall Councells made by the Emperors or by the Princes of the Nations were 〈◊〉 impediment but that the spirituall conuocation of the same Councells might be due to the Primats of the Nations Why should the temporall conuocation of generall Councells made by the Emperor be an impediment why the authoritie to call them spiritually that is to saie in behalfe of spirituall and ecclesiasticall power might not belong to the Pope For that then as we haue newlie said the authoritie of Emperors was necessary and 〈◊〉 to make the decisions of Councells executorie by the Secular arme and by the ministers and officers of temporall iustice who otherwise would not haue labored to punish corporallie those that should contradict And that is the cause wherefore the Fathers of the Councells were soe carefull to sett this title in the forefront of their acts The most holie and generall Councell called by the authoritie of the most religious Emperor to the end to make their decrees executorie temporallie and by the ministrie of the Secular Tribunall but not to make them obligatorie in conscience and spirituallie For when was it saith saint ATHANASIVS that the iudgement of the Church hath euer taken authoritie from the Emperor And indeede who can doubt but that
if there had bene any generall Councell holden vnder the Pagan Emperors the Christians had bene obliged in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church though it had not bene called by them And that if the Turke should euer make himselfe vniuersall monarch of the world and that there should be a generall Councell holden vnder 〈◊〉 Empire the Christians should be obliged in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church though it were not called by him And then if the authoritie necessarie to make generall Councells obligatorie in conscience ought to be perpetuall and alwaies to haue place how can that be by imperiall authoritie which hath bene deuided into soe manie parcells as at this daie in a manner the least part of it belonges to the Empire For the conuocation of the pluralitie dispersed must depend from an vnitie and from an vnitie that hath authoritie ouer euerie indiuiduall of the pluralitie as the ancient Emperors themselues acknowledged that of the Pope to be when they ordayned That euery Bishop that being called to the Popes iudgment should 〈◊〉 to come should be constrained by the Gouernor of the Prouince to appeare And therefore as often as our aduersaries crie out such an Emperor called such or such a Councell so often they loose their tyme and their labour For wee are agreed that whilst the Emperors were Monarchs of the world or of the greater part of the world they called them all in regard of temporall authoritie but we saie besides the secular authoritie of the Emperor which was necessarie to make the conuocations of Councells authenticall temporally must an other authoritie interuene to witt a spirituall and ecclesiasticall authoritie to make it lawfull and authenticall spirituallle and to make that the Councells may be said to be called from God and obligatorie in conscience and to the Spirituall Tribunall of the Church Now that we maintaine to haue bene the authoritie of him who was the principle center of ecclesiasticall vnitie and the head of all the Bishops and without whose sentence it was vnlawfull to make definitiue lawes in the Church to witt the Pope whose authoritie for this regard ought to concurr with the authoritie of the Emperors either actuallie or virtuallie I said either actuallie or virtuallie for as much as it sufficed for the spirituall validitie of the conuocation of Councells that the Popes did either call them or cause them to be called or approued their conuocation For when the Emperors called them either at the Popes instance or with the consent and approbation of the Pope the spirituall conuocation of the Pope was alwaies reputed to interuene as also the Catholicke Emperors and which abstained from tyranizing ouer the Church neuer called them but whē the Pope required it of them or they required it of the Pope And when they were required by the Pope they were alwaies readie to call them although that for the places where they should be celebrated the Emperors because of the commodities or incommodities of the State reserued the election to themselues For whereas the Emperor Constantius refused Pope Liberius who demaunded of him that a generall Councell might be holden for saint ATHANASIVS cause it was the refusall of an Arrian Emperor noe lesse an enemie to the Sonn of God then to saint ATHANASIVS And whereas the Emperor Arcadius refused Pope Innocent who sent saith Sozomene fiue Bishops and two priests of the Roman Church to the Emperors to demaund of them a Councell for the cause of saint Chrisostome and sent saint CHRISOSTOME into a more remote banishment it wasatyrannicall act of an Emperor possest by the Enemies of this holy man For this then the temporall conuocation of the Emperors was necessary to wit that the ministers of the Empire who were obliged by the politicke and imperiall lawes not to suffer anie assemblies without the Emperors permission should not hinder them that the Estate should haue noe colour of iealousies and that the officers of the cittie should furnish the charges Staples and transportations of the Bishops and that the Councells should be kept at the expences of the imperiall Exchequer and that finallie the decrees of Councells might be obligatorie to the secular Tribunall and executory temporallie and by the Ministrie of the politicke Magistrate but not that the conuocation of the Emperors was of the essence of the Councell as that of the Popes was nor serued to make them obligatorie in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church noe more then the Presidency of the same Emperors at the Councells either by themselues or their Officers was of the essence of the Councells as that of the Pope was but onely for comelynes and ornament and for keepeing order and temporall policie witnes this language of the Councell of 〈◊〉 to Pope LEO the first Thou didst preside by thy legates in the Councell as the head to the members and the Emperors presided there for seemelynesse and ornament striuing with thee as Zorobabel with Iesus to renew in doctrine the building the Ierusalem of the Church For what meanes this comparison of Pope LEO with Iesus high Priest of the Iewish lawe and of the Emperor Marcian with Zorobabel Prince of the Iewish people but that there was like analogie in Christian Religions betweene the Pope and the Emperor for the holding of Councells as there was in the Iewish Church betweene the high Priest which was Iesus and the Prince of the people which was Zorobabel for the building of the Temple that is to saie that the one to witt the Pope should concurr there as head of the Priesthood and spirituall iurisdiction and the other to witt the Emperor should concurr there as head of the politicke and temporall iurisdiction and therefore when there is question of the calling of Councells there must be a distinction betweene the spirituall calling of Councells and the temporall calling of Councells that is to saie betweene the conuocation necessarie to make their assemblie authenticall temporallie and the conuocation necessarie to make their assemblie authenticall in conscience and spirituallie In the first case there was nothing to be determined betweene the Popes and the Emperors for none doubtes but the authoritie necessarie to call generall Councells temporallie and to make them executory by the secular arme was the authoritie of the Emperors noe more then at this daye anie doubtes but the authority necessary to make the conuocation of Nationall Councells authenticall temporally must be that of the Kings or Princes within whose estates they are to be holden In the second case there was yet lesse for as much as it is euident that the authoritie necessarie to legitimate in conscience the conuocation of Councells and to make them obligatorie spirituallie must be a spirituall and ecclesiasticall authoritie a temporall Magistrate not being able to conferr anie spirituall authoritie to Councells And indeede when the Emperors haue pretended
who had bene iudged in the first instance by the Archbishop of Constantinople and in the 〈◊〉 instance by the Pope did the Councell of Chalcedon cry out that Dioscorus and the false Councell of Ephesus had restored to Eutyches the dignitie that the Pope had depriued him of He hath said they declared Eutyches in 〈◊〉 and hath restored to him the dignitie taken from him by your Holynesse And wherefore then when John Patriarke of Alexandria had bene deposed from his patriarkship and Peter surnamed Mongus established in his place did John appeale to Pope Simplicius and tooke Synodicall letters from Calendion Patriarke of Antioch to accompanie his appeale John saith Liberatus addressed himselfe to Calendion Patriarke of Antioch and hauing gotten from him Synodic all letters of intercession appealed to Pope Simplicius And wherefore then when Pope Felix successor to Simplicius had deposed the same Peter Mongus Patriarke of Alexandria and Acacius Patriarke of Constantinople and Peter surnamed the Tanner Patriarke of Antioch and that these three Patriarkes trusting vpon the support of the Emperor Zeno who was an hereticke like themselues dispised the Popes sentence doth Victor of Tunes saie that they dyed all three vnder damnation And wherefore then when the Emperor Justin a Catholicke Prince was come to the Empire was the sentence that the Pope had pronounced against them executed soe exactlie that their names euen after their deathes were blotted out of the records of the Churches of Alexandria of Antioch and of Constantinople And that for the rest that had communicated with them but were not comprehended by name within the Popes letters the Emperor was faine to demaund pardon of the Pope for them Wee aske grace saith the Emperor writing to Pope Hormisdas for the names not of Acacius not of either Peter that is to saie not of Peter Patriarke of Antioch and of Peter Patriarke of Alexandria not of Dioscorus or Timotheus of whom your Holynesse letters to vs directed made especiall mention but of those whom the Episcopall Reuereuce hath celebrated in the other citties And wherefore then when Pope Agapet deposed within Constantinople itselfe Anthimus Patriarke of Constantinople doth Liberatus saie The Empresse Theodora wife to the Emperor Iustinian on the one side secretlie offered great presents to Pope Agapet and one the other side tried him with threates to hinder him from deposing Anthimus but the Pope persisted in not hearing her request And Anthimus seeing himselfe cast out of his Sea rendred vp the Archiepiscopall mantle to the Emperors and retired himselfe into a place where the Empresse tooke him into her protection And for what cause when the Councell of Constan 〈◊〉 holden vnder Menas speakes of the deposition of the same 〈◊〉 Patriarke of Constantinople doth it saie that the Pope had pardoned Peter Patriarke of Ierusalem and the other Bishops of the East that had communicated with him It must not be wondred at saith the Councell if the great Sea Apostolicke still continue to followe the first tract preseruing the Rights of the Church inuiolate and maintayning the faith and granting pardon to those that haue sinned And againe The blessed Pope Agapet of holie and Reuerend memorie comeing into this Royall Cittie hath next God giuen his helping hand to the sacred Canons and hath cast Anthimus out of the Sea which appertained not to him and hath pardoned those who had participated or communicated with him And wherefore then when John Archbishop of Larissa and Iohn Primate of the first Justinianea had iniustly condemned the one in the first and the other in thè second instance Adrian Bishop of Thebes in Thessalia did Sainct GREGORIE depriue the Bishop of the first Iustinianea of the communion for the space of thirtie daies and Ecclipsed the Bishopricke of Thebes from the iurisdiction of the Archbishopricke of Larissa and ordained that if the Archbishop of Larissa should anie more attempt to enterprise anie thing vpon the Bishop of Thebes he should remaine depriued of the sacred communion soe as it might not be restored to him except at the point of death without the leaue of the Bishop of Rome And wherefore then when the same S. GREGORIE restored Athanasius Abbot of Tamnaca in Lycaonia who had bene deposed by John Patriarke of Constantinople and had appealed from him to the Sea Apostolicke did he saie to him Wee declare thee free from all crime of heresie and giue thee free le aue to repaire to thy Monasterie and there to holde the same place as thou didst before But for as much as these shiftes are more then sufficiently confuted by the onely Canons of the Councell of Sardica which were framed to iustifie the restitution of S. ATHANASIVS and in the presence of S. ATHANASIVS himselfe wee remitt the Reader to the Chapter wee shall heereafter make thereof And the while we will examine the obiections that Caluin alleadges against the appeales to the Sea Apostolicke which consist in fiue principall instances which though they are treated of vnder two titles the one of corrections the other of appeales Neuerthelesse for as much as the right of appeales dependes from that of corrections and besides that Caluin mingles the instances of the one with the instances of the other we will treate of them vnder one Title to witt vnder that of Appeales Of the opposition of S. Ireneus to Pope Victor CHAPT II. THE first instance then that Caluin alleageth against the Popes censures is taken from Eusebius an Arrian author and from Ruffinus enemie to the Roman Church his translator who writt that S. IRENEVS reprehended Pope Uictor for hauing excommunicated the Churches of Asia for the question of the daie of Pasche which they obserued according to a particular tradition that S. IOHN had introduced for a tyme in their prouinces because of the neighbourhood of the Iewes and to bury the Synagogue with honor and not according to the vniuersall tradition of the Apostles Jreneus saith Caluin reprehended Pope Victor bitterlie because for a light cause he had moued a great and perillous contention in the Church There is this in the text that Caluin produceth He reprehended him that he had not done well to cutt of from the bodie of vnitie soe manie and soe great Churches But against whom maketh this but against those that obiect it for who sees not that S. IRENEVS doth not there reprehend the Pope for the wante of power but for the ill vse of his power and doth not reproache to the Pope that he could not excomcommunicate the Asians but admonisheth him that for soe smale a cause he should not haue cutt of soe manie prouinces from the bodie of the Church Jreneus saith Eusebius did fitlie exhort Pope Victor that he should not cutt of all the Churches of God which held this ancient tradition And Ruffinus translating and enuenoming Eusebius saith He questioned Victor that he had not
it is a comparitiue of positiue signification which hath noe other meaning but lesse then it should be that is to saie little or not great enough as when the same S. CYPRIAN writeh in the Epistle to Antonius If the number of Bishops resident in Africa seemed lesse sufficiēt that is to saie not enough sufficient And the other that if it were a comparison of the comparatiue signification it should noe more haue reference to the Roman Church but to these wordes paucis desperatis perditis interpreting them in the ablatiue and not in the datiue and translating the period in this sence If it be not peraduenture that the authoritie of the Bishops constituted in Asrica who had alreadie iudged of them be esteemed lesse then a small number of desperate and lost men it seemes that the continuance of the period doth afterward declare which compares the number of the Bishops of Africa who had iudged of Fortunatus with those that tooke part with Fortunatus and not with the Roman Church in these wordes If the number of those that iudged of them the yeare past comprehending the Priests and deacons be reckoned it will be found there were more assistants present at the iudgement and at the examination of the cause then of those that tooke Fortunatus part And indeede if saint CYPRIAN had intended this word in a comparatiue signification and in regard of the Roman Church how could he haue said three lines aboue they presumed to saile to the Roman Church which is the Chaire of Peter and the principall Church from whence the Sacerdot all vnitie hath proceeded And how coul Optatus Mileuitanus an African as well as hee saie At Rome hath bene constituted to Peter the chiefe the Episcopall Chaire that in this onely Chaire the vnitie of all might be preserued And howe could saint AVGVSTINE an 〈◊〉 as well as either of them say That Cecilianus might despise the conspiring multitude of his Enemies that is to saie of seauentie Bishops of Africa assembled in the Councell of Numidia with him For as much as he sawe himself vnited by letters communicatorie with the Roman Church in which had alwaies flourisht the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke and with the other Countries from whence the Ghospell came into Africa And againe That he doubted not but that Pelagius and Celestius who had bene iudged by two Councells of Africa whould more easilie yeild to the Popes authoritie drawne out of the authoritie of the holie Scriptures To the fifth head which is that the same S. CYPRIAN saith That there is but one Bishopricke whence euerie one holds his portion vndiuidedlie Wee answere hee vseth this language to insinuate that the Bishopricke cannot be possessed separatelie out of the vnitie and societie of the Episcopall Bodie but not to denie but that in the vnitie of this Episcopall Bodie the functions of Episcopall power are exercised in a more principall and eminent manner in the Roman Church then in the other Churches noe more then when wee saie that the soule is possessed by all the partes of the bodie inseparablie and vndiuidedly wee intend not to saie that for the exercise of her functions she resides not in a more principall and eminent fashion in the head then in the other partes otherwise why should hee call the Roman Church the Chaire of PETER and the principall Church and the originall of Sacerdot all vnitie To the sixth head which is that S. CYPRIAN saith in the Councell holden for the rebaptization of heretickes None of vs constitutes himself Bishop of Bishops Wee answere he speakes there onelie of the Bishops of Africa to whom hee directs his speach and whom hee exhorts to tell their opinion freelie in the Councell without being held backe by the respect of the authoritie that as Primate of Africa hee had ouer them And wee will add that if hee had holden this language euen to taxe and preuēt the Pope obliquely who afterward condemned him the matter would be of noe weight for as much as this Coūcell was an erroneous Coūcell where S. CYPRIAN cast the foundations of the Donatists heresie and that as such it was not onelie condemned by the Pope and by all the rest of the Church but euen by those that had adhered to saint CYPRIAN witnes these wordes of saint 〈◊〉 The Blessed Cyprian stroue to auoide the myrie lakes and not to drinke of the strainge waters and vpon this subiect addressed the Synod of Africa to Steuen Bishop of Rome who was the twentie sixth after saint PETER but his strife was in vaine And finallie those that had bene of the same opinion with Cyprian sett forth a newe decree saying What shall wee doe Soe hath it 〈◊〉 deliuered to them by their Ancestors and ours To the seauenth head which is of the inuectiues that S. CYP. suffered to slipp out of his mouth after the contention that hee had with Pope Steuen for the rebaptizatiō of hereticks taxing him of ignorance and presumption Wee answere it is impietie in Caluin to alleadge them since S. AVSTINE holds them vnworthy to be reported and couereth them with this excuse The things which Cyprian in anger hath spread against Steuen I will not fuffer them to passe vnder my penn And we adde the resistance that Pope Steuen made to the error of S. CYPRIAN was the safetie of the church as saint Uincent Lerin witnesseth in these wordes Then the Blessed Steuen resisted with but before his Colleagues iudginge it as I conceaue a thing worthie of him that he should surmount them as much in Faith as he did in the authoritie of his place Of the Commission of the Emperor Constantine the Great for the iudgement of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage CHAPT IV. THe third instance of Caluin is taken from Optatus Mileuitanus and from saint AVGVSTINE who saie that the Donatists hauing accused Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage and Felix Bishop of Aptunge his Ordinator and besought the Emperor Constantine who thē was resident amongst the Gaules to giue them Iudges of the Gaules the Emperor gaue them three Bishops of the Gaules whom he sent to Rome to iudge the affaire with Pope Melchiades But whom doth this Instance combate against but those that alleadge it For the Emperor being constrained by the importunitie of the Donatists and that as himselfe protested against all Ecclesiasticall order to giue them Iudges and hauing giuen them according to their demaund Iudges of the Gaules what could he more expressely doe to testifie the Popes authoritie then to remitt them to Rome and to ordaine that the same Iudges of the Gaules that hee had giuen them should transporte themselues from the Gaules to Rome to the end the cause might be 〈◊〉 at the Popes Tribunall and vnder the presidencie and direction of the Pope Was there a Stronger meanes to proue what wee reade in S. ATHANASIVS That antient custome of the Church was that the
causes of Bishops could not be determined till first the decision had bene made at Rome And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Sacerdot all lawe required that those things which were constituted without the Bishop of Romes sentence should be annulled Neuerthelesse for as much as Caluin obiectes that if this cause had belonged to the Popes Ordinary iurisdictiō he ought not to haue iudged it by the Emperors commission it is necessarie to cleere it To this obiection then before wee 〈◊〉 the matter to the bottom wee will answere in forme of a prologue fiue thinges first that it was not a commission except in regard of the three Assessors of the Gaules that the Emperor named to content the importunitie of the Donatists to the end that they might serue for 〈◊〉 warrants of the sinceritie of the proceedings of the Councell of Rome but a remittmēt as it appeares both by the Emperors confessiō who avowed that it belōged not to him to examin this cause by the electiō that the Pope made of fifteene other Bishops that he tooke for his assistāts besides those that the Emperor had nominated And therefore although S. AVG. in regard of the Donatists intētiō sometimes calls this remittmēta delegation neuerthelesse hee sheweth sufficientlie that it was rather a relegation then a delegation when he notes that the reason wherefore the Emperor did it was for as much as he durst not iudge the cause of a Bishop Your Superiors said he to the Donatists first brought the cause of Cecilianus to the Emperor Constantine And a little after But because 〈◊〉 durst not iudge the cause of a Bishop hee delegated the examination and 〈◊〉 thereof to Bishops I add that hee vsed this language by Synecdoche and referringe the word delegation to the Iudges of the Gaules onelie that were deputed to assist at the Councell of Rome and not to all the Councell of Rome as hee witnesseth elsewhere by these wordes The Emperor gaue to the Donatists the Iudges that themselues had demaunded that is to 〈◊〉 the Iudges of the Gaules And againe Donatus was heard at Rome by the Iudges that himself had demaunded For of the ninteene Bishops of the Councell of Rome there were but three of the qualitie of those that Donatus had demaunded Donatus had demaunded but three but saint AUSTIN extendes this clause by Synecdoche to all the Coūcell for as much as the three Iudges demaunded by Donatus had iudged in Common with all the Councell and were found soe conformable to the rest as the iudgement of the Councell which passed all with one voice and without anie diuersitie of opinions and theirs was one selfe same thing The second answere is that Constantine did not interpose his authoritie in this affaire as Maister by himself of the cause but as an Arbiter sought by the Donatists and assuringe himself as a Catholicke that he should be avowed by the Catholicks This Matter saith saint AVGVSTIN belonged greatly to the Emperors care whereof he ought to giue an accompt to God for the Donatists had made him arbiter and iudge of the cause of the tradition and of the Schisme From whence it appeares that the Emperors interposition in this cause was a matter of fact and not of right and whose example cannot be alleadged for a paterne of the ancient discipline of the Church The third that it was not a controuersie questioned amongst the Catholicks and according to the ordinarie lawes of the Church but a Sute commenced by the heretickes against the Catholicks and by waies extraordinarie to all the lawes and formes of the Church For the Donatists had alreadie broken the bond of vnitie and shaken off the yoake of the Churches authoritie They were saith saint AVGVSTIN alreadie culpable of the Schisme and alreadie stained with the horrible crime of the 〈◊〉 of Altar against Altar By meanes whereof there being noe iudge common betweene them and the Catholicks in the Church there remained nothing for them to doe but to haue recourse to the Arbitrements of the secular powers whose examples could noe more be drawne into consequence against the ordininarie authoritie of the Christian Church then the iudgment that Ptolomeus Philometor king of Egipt gaue betweene the Iewes and the Samaritans could forme a president against the ordinarie authoritie of the high priest and of the Sacerdotall colledge of the Iewish Church The fowrth that the cause questioned in this processe was not a cause of right and that should be proued by ecclesiasticall meanes such as the testimonies of Scripture or the traditions of the Apostles or the Custome of the Church or the sentences of the Fathers but a question of fact and whereof the hypothesis was mingled with accessories that belonged not to the causes of the Church and could not be examined by ecclesiasticall meanes onelie but must be iustified by human and secular meanes as the confronting of witnesses the acts of Notaries yea Pagan and heathen ones the Recordes of Clerkes and euen the applications of questions and corporall tortures For the accusation of the Donatists was principallie grounded vpon the framing of a false letter that they had forged against Felix Bishop of Aptunge for the examination whereof there must be a secular and proconsulary iudgement interposed betweene the ecclesiasticall iudgements that is to saie betweene the Councell of Rome and that of Arles to conuince the forgers of the falshood by the application of rackes and tortures Wee haue vndertaken saith saint AVSTIN the defence of the cause of Cecilianus although it belong not to the cause of the Churche that we may make their calumnies appeare euen in that And againe speaking of the torture which was offered to the scriuener Ingentius or Uigentius to make him confesse whether he had falsified the letter of the Aedile Alfius Cecilianus to Felix Bishop of Aptunge The Proconsull said hee amongst the fearefull cries of the vshers and the bloudy hands of the hangmen would not haue condemned a Colleague of his being absent And the fifth that all the actes that the Donatists extorted from the Emperor in this 〈◊〉 hee protested them to be soe manie irregularities and nullities and so manie vnlawfull enterprises vniust and extraordinarie wherein he suffered himself to be constrained against his will to giue waie to the passion and malice of the Donatists and in yeilding to them to assaie to reduce them to the peace and vnitie of the Church and he was soe 〈◊〉 from desiring to haue the example thereof serue for a lawe to the Bishops as contrarywise he promised to aske the Bishops pardon the historie is this The Donatists hauing accused Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage of treason or communication with traytors that is to saie with those that had deliuered the holie Bookes and the sacred Vessells to be put into the fier in the persecution tyme yea euen to haue bene ordained by a traytor soe did they intitle Felix
small number of Bishops there one onelie Bishop may come in legation and that in the same prouince a Priest may bee heard by fiue Bishops and a Deacon by three the proper Bishop of the Diocesse as hath bene aboue-said sitting with them Now the first clause of this decree is a traine of the second Canon of the third Councell of Carthage where after the Fathers had ordained that there should be sent to the nationall aniuersarie Councells three deputies from euery prouince they added this exceptation But from Tripolis because of the small number of Bishops there shall come but one onely Bishop From this canon then the Rapsodists of the sixth Councell of Carthage haue seperated and torne the traine from the head and haue set by an order reuersed the head which ordaines that there should come to the nationall Councells but three deputies from euery prouince in the eighteenth canon of their collection and the traine which excepts the prouince of Tripolis and the dispensation of sending but one deputie in the fourteenth that is to saie after the thirteenth with which it hath noe relation For that this exception hath bene made in the third Councell of Carthage and not in the fixth and that it is a traine of the second canon of the third Councell of Carthage it appeares both by the text of the third Councell of Carthage where it is in the same wordes by the Coūcell of Carthage holdē vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius which preceded the sixth Councell of Carthage where it is said that Plautius was come onely Legat from the prouince of Tripolis according to custome a thing that euidentlie shewes that the exception of the prouince of Tripolis had preceded the sixth coūcell of Carthage The other clause is an ignorant addition that the Rapsodist hath thrust in by which hee will haue it that in the prouince of Tripolis fiue Bishops with the diocesan that is to saie six Bishops might iudge a Priest not considering that in the prouince of Tripolis there was in all but fiue Bishops For that the Rapsodist meaneth fiue Bishops besides the Diocesan it is apparent by these wordes the proper Bishop as hath bene ahoue said being present Which remitts the Readers to the former canons where the diocesan Bishop is added besides the six Bishops that ought to iudge the Priests of the other Prouinces and by Zonara and Balsamon who saie interpreting this canon Hee meanes fiue Bishops besides the Diocesan Bishop which ought to preside at this act and that there was in all but fiue Bishops in the prouince of Tripolis it is manifest by the ninteenth canon of the third Councell of Carthage which is the sixteenth of the African Rapsody where Aurelius saith In Tripolis as it is affirmed or according to the Greeke as you know there are but fiue Bishops In the sixteenth Canon which is a confusion of fower articles all the articles are as soe manie canons of the third Coūcell of Carthage bound vp and patched together without order one with an other and that cannot be presumed to haue bene transferred from the sixth Coūcell of Carthage into the third as the new publishers of the councells of Africa pretend for as much as the most part of the same canons had bene instituted in the Coūcell of Hippo which the first Mileuitan Councell testifies to haue bene repeated in the third Councell of Carthage In the seauēteenth canon the collection saith It hath pleased that Mauritania Sitifensis as it hath requested of the Primat of Numidia from whose Congregation it is now to bee subtracted should haue a Primat a parte which all Primates of African prouinces yea all the Bishops consenting thereto because of the length of the waie doe permitt to be so Now this canon could not be made in the sixth Councell of Carthage for more then twentie yeare before the sixth Councell of Carthage Mauritania Sitifensis had a primat apart as appeares both by the third Councell of Carthage which saith that there were none but the Prouinces indued with the first Seas that should send Legates to the Councells and neuertelesse names the Legates of Mauritania Sitifensis and by the first Mileuitan Councell where Nicetius is called Primat of Mauritania Sitisensis And therefore also Fulgentius Ferandus attributes this decree to an other Councell of Carthage In the eighteenth canon it is said Item it hath bene decreed that those that ordaine shall imprint the canons of the Councells in the eares of the Bishops or Clearks that are to be ordained wordes which are sillable for sillable in the third Councell of Carthage which cannot be said to haue bene trāsferred thither frō the sixth as the new publishers of the Coūcells of Africa pretend For Possidius reportes that it was saint AVGVSTIN who hauing perceiued that he had bene created Bishop of Hippo ioyntly with Valerius his Predecessor contrary to the prohibition of the councell of Nicea after his promotion caused the decree of reading the canons of the coūcells to those that were to be promoted to be made To the same canon the Rapsodist ādds Item it hath pleased that the Eucharist shall not be giuen to the bodies of the dead c. and that the ignorance of Priests doe not cause men alreadie dead to be baptized For which cause it shall be confirmed in this holy Synod that according to the decrees of the councell of Nicea in ecclesiacticill causes which often decaie with age to the domage of the people there shall be called euerie yeare a councell whereto all the prouinces that haue Primats shall send from their councells two legates or as manie as they please that the authoritie may be intire in the companie assembled Which are two decrees the one taken from the sixth canon of the third councell of carthage which saith Item it hath pleased that the Eucharist shall not be giuen to the bodies of the dead c. And the other drawne from the second canon of the same third councell of carthage which pronounceth It hath pleased that for ecclesiasticall causes which often decaie with age to the domage of the people there shall be called euerie yeare a councell to which all the prouinces that haue prime Seas shall send three Legates from their councells to the end that the authoritie should be intire and the assemblie lesse subiect to enuie and lesse costlie to their hosts Now besides this that the last of these canons hath nothing common with the prohibition of giuing the Eucharist or baptisme to the dead with which the Rapsodist tyes it but speakes of causes attempted against ecclesiasticall persons And besides that the mention of the Coūcell of Nicea which is ioyned thereto is wholie impertinent seeing the lawe of the Councell of Nicea is but of prouinciall Councells and not of Nationall it could haue bene neither made nor cōfirmed
that is to say betweene the three thirtith canon of the latine Rapsody the thirtie fourth And therefore the Greekes haue taken awaie these three quotations from the place where they are sett in the latine Rapsody and haue sett them in the Greeke Rapsody after the canons and signatures of the third Councell of Carthage as pertinentlie for the two last quotations as impertinently for the first which should precede the Register of the third Coūcell of Carthage But this is enough for the question of the compiling which neuerthelesse I remitt to the Iudgement of the readers For I know well that Cresconius an African canonist of 〈◊〉 a thousand yeares antiquitie hath cited the canons of a Councell that he intitles the generall Councell of Carthage with numbers answering to the numbers of this collection which we call the African Councell It is true that he might either be abused about the clause whereof wee haue spoken aboue or else that he might call this collection the generall Councell of Carthage for as much as it is a collection of many seuerall Councells of Carthage as Gratian and the other canonists alleadge the collection of the Greeke Synods made by Martin the ancient Bishop of Brague or Bracara in Spaine vnder the singular title of a Councell and intitles it 〈◊〉 Councell of Pope Martin Well know I also that the Africans in their Epistle to Pope Boniface sent him the copie of some Canons either made or confirmed by their Councell but there is no impediment why this sending may not be intended of the canons of the seauenth Councell of Carthage which had bene holden in the presence of the legates of the said Pope Boniface the day before the date of this Epistle And therefore without peruerting the iudgment of the Readers I haue contented my selfe with touching the causes of the first difference Let vs goe on to the second The secōd difficultie hath regarde to the number of the canons of this Rapsodie consists in this that the latine editiō cōtaines but an hūdred canons which with the Epistles and the act sent from the East make anhūdred fiue chapters that of the Greekes containes an hundred thirtie three besides the Epistles And the reason of this difference proceedes frō this that the originall Rapsody not comprehending all the canons of the Councell of Carthage but being restrained to the number of an hundred and the Greekes not hauing the copies of those other Councells of Carthage in cheefe that wee haue it seemed necessarie to them to add to this century an other collection of thirtie three Canons which goes vnder the title of the Canons of the sixth Councell of Carthage but which is taken from diuers former Councells and to sett it at the head of their Rapsodie For that the originall rapsody containes but an hundred Canons and was conformable to the number and to the cyphers of the latine and not of the Greeke it appeares by the citations that Cresconius an ancient African Canonist makes of this medley that we call the 〈◊〉 Councell wherein the numbers and titles of the Canons answere the order of the latine Rapsody Whether the latin edition of the African Canons be more faithfull then the Greeke Rapsody CHAP. VIII The Aduersaries of the Church will haue it that the relation of the Greeke rapsody is more faithfull then that of the latine Rapsody And wee cōtrary wise maintaine that the Relatiō of the latine rapsody is much more sure sauing some faultes in the Exēplifiers thē that of the Greeke that for three causes the first because the Councells of Africa haue bene made in latine and not in Greeke by meanes whereof reason wills that the latine Rapsody which hath bene taken out of the originall it selfe except the Epistles whereof it seemes as it shall appeare heereafter that the latine hath bene translated from the Greeke translation and that the 〈◊〉 latine originall hath bene lost must be more certaine then the Greeke Rapsody which had bene made but vpon the extracts of the translation The second because the Greekes haue bene much more ignorant in the matter of Councells of Africa then the latins as it appeares by the erroneous Councell holden vnder saint CYPRIAN that the Greekes haue sett into the ranke of the orthodox Councells of Africa And the third because that in the places where the readings of the Greeke and Latine Rapsody differ the readings of the latine Rapsody 〈◊〉 with the Councells of Africa in cheefe which wee haue in our hands and with the custome of the ancient African Church reported by saint AVGVSTINE by Fulgentius Ferrandus and other African Doctors And the readings of the Greeke Rapsody are repugnant thereunto I will content myselfe to alleadge two examples besides that which wee haue already tendred of the adition of the Bishops to the canon of the appeales The first example shall be taken from the seauentith one Canon of the Greeke Rapsody where the African Fathers hauing said It hath pleased that the Bishops priests and Deacons according to the former determinations shall abstaine from their owne wiues The Greekes that doe indeede forbid Priests to marry after their promotion yea call such marriages impious and detestable but if before their promotion they haue bene married prouided it were but once and besides that they be simple Priests and not Bishops doe permitt them the continuance of the wiues that they haue married before their priesthood haue aduised themselues to abuse the ambiguitie of their tongue which maketh vse of one same word to expresse determination and to expresse terme and haue conuerted these words according to the former determinations or according to their owne determinations into these wordes according to their proper termes And to the end to delude the sense of the canon haue made weekely priests who serue by turnes and alternatiue weekes and obserue the Celibat during the weekes of their Seruices and intermit it during the rest Now how false this interpretation is and how contrarie to the intention of the African fathers who neuer knew these weekely priests nor these alternatiue Celibats it appeares first by all the Conncell of the ancient Latine Church holden in the Regions neere Africa which oblige Bishops Priests and deacons without distinction of turnes and vicissitudes to a perpetuall Celibat It hath pleased saith the Elibertine Councell celebrated in the prouince of Grenado in Spaine neere an hundred yeares before the sixth Councell of Carthage to ordaine Bishops Priests Deacons and Subdeacons establisht in the Ministrie to abstaine wholie from their wiues and to 〈◊〉 no children And the first Councell of Toledo celebrated in Spaine in the tyme of the fifth Councell of Carthage from whence this canon is taken If anie Deacons haue liued incontinentlie with their wiues lett them not be honored with the degree of Priesthood And the second Councell of Arks celebrated a
the first Protestants haue caused to bee published and republished manie tymes this sixth Councell of Carthage as a Storehowse reputed by them very powerfull to resist the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke but also haue vomited disgorged with so much impudence the venome of their inuectiues against the Popes vnder the which this matter hath bene treated of as the heauens abhorre it calling Pope Boniface whom S AVGVS calls Reuerend Pope Boniface to whō he dedicated one of his principall Bookes and whom Prosper qualifies Pope of holy memory insteed of Boniface Maleface And Pope Celestine whom the Generall Councell of Ephesus calls new S. Peter in the steede of Celestine Infernall And yet since these two last yeares their Successors dissembling the learned answers of the Illustrious Cardinalls Bellarmine and Barronius haue caused the same Councell to be twice new printed once in France an other time in Germanie as an insoluble piece against the Popes authotity And therefore since the affairedeserues to be treated with much diligence and read with much attention it belongs to me to contribute the one and to the readers to the lend the other To this instance then before I vndertake to search this history to the bottomb I will bring eight obseruations in forme of preseruatiues and antidotes The first obseruation shall be that whatsoeuer the aime and successe of this Councell were nothing could be inferred from it to trouble shake the Popes authoritie in regard of Appeales For in the Coūcell of Chalcedon which was holden by six hundred thirtie six Bishops thirtie yeares after the sixth Councell of Carthage which was more famous authenticall then the sixth Coūcell of Carthage as being a generall Coūcell one of the first four Generall Coūcells whereas the sixth Coūcell of Carthage wat but a Nationall Coūcell the Appeales of causes which cōcerned either faith or the persons of Bishops cōtinued to goe to the Pope according to the forme that had bene ordayned by the rule of the Coūcell of Sardica The Epistle of the Emperor Valentiniā the third annexed to the head of all the copies of the Coūcell of Chalcedon as well Greeke as latine is a testimonie of this which saith Wee onght to preserue 〈◊〉 in our daies the dignitie of particular reuerēce to the blessed Apoctle Péter 〈◊〉 that the holie Bishop of Rome to whō antiquitie hath grāted the priesthood 〈◊〉 all may haue place to iudge of faith and of Bishops c. For for this cause 〈◊〉 to the custome of the Councells Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople hath 〈◊〉 to him in the cōtrouersie which is mooued concerning faith The law of the Emperor Marcian annexed to the end of the Acts of the same Councell is a testimonie of this which cryes out The Synod of Chalcedon by the authority of the blessed Bishop of the cittie eternall in glorie Rome examining matters of faith exactly and establishing the foundations of Religion giues to Flauianus the reward of his past life and the palme of a glorious death A testimonie of this is the petition of appeale sent to the Pope by Theodoret Bishop of 〈◊〉 a cittie confining vpon Persia and subiect to the Patriark of Antioch which saith I attend sentence of your Apostolicke Throne and beseeche your Holynesse to succour me appealing to your right and iust iudgement A testimonie of this is the ordinance of the directors of the policie of the Councell which was Let the most reuerend Bishop Theodoret come in that he may partake of the Councell because the most holy Archbishop Leo hath restored his Bishopricke to him and that the most sacred and religious Emperor hath ordained that he be present at the Councell And finallie the relation of the same Councell is a testimonie of this which writes to the Pope approuing the iudgement of appeale that he had giuen in the cause of Eutyches Abbot of Constantinople and condemning Dioscorus and the false Councell of Ephesus for presuming to meddle with it He hath restored to Eutyches the dignitie whereof he was depriued by your Holinesse c And after all this He hath 〈◊〉 his felony euen against him to whom the keeping of the vine had bene committed by our Sauiour that is to saie against your Apostolicke Holynesse The second obseruation shall be that the controuersie of appeales which was handled in the sixth Councell of Carthage was not of appeales in maior and Ecclesiasticall causes that is to saie in causes of Faith or of the Sacraments or of discipline or of the customes and ceremonies of the Church but of appeales in minor and personall causes that is to saie in the secular and temporall causes of persons constituted in orders as causes of adultery drunkenes battery theft debt and others causes as well morall as pecuniary and as well ciuill as criminall of Ecclesiasticall persons which the decrees of Councells and the lawes of Emperors submitted to the Tribunall of the Church This appeareth both by the qualitie of Apiarius his cause for which this question was moued which was a morall cause and wherein there were 〈◊〉 and infamous crimes handled and not an Ecclesiasticall cause And by the remonstrance which the Africans made to Pope 〈◊〉 That the beyond-sea iudgments could not be assured for the difficultie of causing witnesses to passe out of Africa into Europe which often because of the weakenes either of age or sexe could not indure sea voyages And by the Epistle of Pope Innocent the first which S. AVGVSTINE calls worthie of the Sea 〈◊〉 wherein these words were contained And principally whensoeuer 〈◊〉 of faith are handled I conceiue that all our brethren and colleagues ought not 〈◊〉 them but to Peter that is to saie to the authour of their name and dignitie And finally by the very proceedings of the Mileuitan Councell and of the Councell of Carthge holden vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius For not only the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell where the prohibition was made to inferior Clerkes not to appeale beyond sea 〈◊〉 the finall iudgment of Celestius alreadie heard and iudged for a cause of Faith in Africa to Pope Innocent the first with this acknowledgment that the Popes authority was of diuine right or to vse their owne owne termes drawne from the authority of the holy Scriptures but euen Pope Innocent the first being dead before he could heare Celestius in person and hauing only condemned him in generall vpon the reporte of the Councells of Africa the African Bishops reassembled in the Councell of Carthage holden vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius wherein the question of Apiarius and the controuersie of Episcopall appeales began caused their acts concerning Celestius to be carried to Rome and procured them to be confirmed by Pope Zosimus successor to Innocent The reuerend Bope Zosimus saith S. AVGVSTINE pressed Celestius to condemne those things that the Deacon Paulinus
Councell of Sardica Nessus Gratus Magesius Coldeus Rogatianus Consortius Raphinus Manninus Cecilianus Erennianus Marianus Ualerius Dinamius Nyronius Iustus Celestine Cypryan Uictor Honor at Marinus Pantagathus Felix Baudeus Liber Capiton Minersall Cosmus 〈◊〉 Hesperion Felix Seuerian Optantius Hesper Fidetius Salustus Paschasius And Osius speaking to the Councell of Sardica Manie Bishops make a custome of trauailing to the court and principallie the Africans that as we haue vnderstood by our welbeloued brother and Colleague Gratus receiue not wholsome Councells And Gratus himself citing in the first Councell of Carthage cōcerning the credit whereof we are all agreed and which is alleadged by 〈◊〉 Archdeacon of Carthage one of the Canons of the Councell of Sardica I remēber said hee that in the most holie Councell of Sardica it was 〈◊〉 that none should vsurpe a man of another diocesse for his Clerke By meanes whereof not only the Councell of Sardica was of more authority then the Councell of Africke as Zonarus himselfe acknowledgeth when he saith speaking of the intituling of the Archbishopps The Councel of Chalcedon agreed rather to the Canon of the Councell of Sardica then to that of the Councell of Africa but also in regard of discipline was more strong and obligatorie in respect of the Africans then the Councell of Nicea Now it happened as we haue alreadie touched aboue that when the Pope sent this Rule to the Africans the Canons of the Councell of Sardica were no more to bee found in the African Prouinces for the 〈◊〉 had soe wrought by craft as they had suppressed and banished out of Africa all the true Actes of the Councell of Sardica that had bene brought thither in the time of Gratus and of the first Councell of 〈◊〉 and had supposed and slipt into their steede the actes of the Anticouncelle of Sardica that is to saie the acts of the false Councell holden by the Arrians at Philopolis neere Sardica vnder the title of the Councell of Sardica because that in the Epistle of this false Councell the 〈◊〉 made mention of Donatus Bishop of the Donatists of Carthage This appeares by conferring the places of S. AVGVSTINE with the rest of 〈◊〉 For S. AVGVST testifies that the Actes of the Councell of 〈◊〉 which were in his time currant in Africa were the acts of the 〈◊〉 Councell which had condēned S. ATHANASIVS the Councell of Nicea He offerd me said S. AVGVSTINE speaking of Fortunius the donatist a certaine Booke where he would shew me that the Councell of Sardica had written to the African Bishops of the commnnion of Donatus And a little after Then hauing taken the Booke and considering the statutes of the same Councell I found that Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria c. and lulius Bishop of the Roman Church no lesse Catholicke had bene condemned by this Councell of Sardica whereby I was assured that it had bene a Councell of Arrians And in the third Booke against Cresconius the Donatist who had alleadged the same Councell of Sardica The Councell of Sardica saith hee was a Councell of Arrians as the copies that we haue in our hands doe manifest principallie holden against Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria a Catholike And all antiquitie contrariwise teacheth vs that the true Councell of Sardica had confirmed the Councell of Nicea and iustified S. ATHANASIVS and was a most holy and most Catholicke Councell The holy Synod of Sardica saith S. ATHANASIVS who assisted there in person compounded of aboue thirtie fiue Prouinces receiued vs in our iustifieable proceedings And a little after They declared Athanasius and those that were with him pure and free from all crime and their aduersaries slaunderers and wicked persons And elsewhere In the great Councell of Sardica our aduersaries were deposed as slanderers and more then three hundred Bishops subscribed to our iustification And againe The holie councell assembled at Sardica decreed that therein nothing of faith should be concluded but that they should content them selues with the confession of the councell of Nicea And Gratus Archbishop of Carthage who was also there in person I remember said hee that in the most holy councell of Sardica it was decreed that none should vsurpe a Clerke of an other diocesse And the Epistle of the same Councell of Sardica We haue declared our deare brethren and fellow-ministers Athanasius Marcellus Asclepas and others their adiuncts in the seruice of God innocent and blamelesse And Socrates The Bishops assembled at Sardica condemned before all things the desertion of those of Philopolis and then deposed the accusers of Athanasius and confirmed the decrees of the Coūcell of Nicea Sozomene They answered that they would not separate themselues from the Communion of Athanasius and Paul and principallie Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause and not hauing condemned them and the Councell of Chalcedon The father 's assembled at Sardica combated against the Relicks of Arrius A manifest proofe that the Africans in the tyme of S. AVGVSTINE and of the sixth Councell of Carthage had no other but the Actes of the false Councell of Sardica holden by the Arrians at Philopolis neere Sardica which had condemned S. ATHANASIVS and ouerthrowne the coūcell of Nicea and not those of the true councell of Sardica wich had iustified S. ATHANASIVS and cōfirmed the councell of Nicea But let vs returne to our history The Bishops of Africa then finding neither of these Canons in the copies of the councell of Nicea and not being able to finde them in those of the councell of Sardica because they had them not they stretched out vpon the occasion of the question of the priests for which at the beginning the conclusion was moued euen to Bishops and seeing that the title vpon which that was groūded which had vntill then bene obserued by custome concerning Bishops Appeales did no more appeare then that of Priestes tooke their tyme and opportunitie to complaine of the progresse of this custome and of the greeuances that the Appeales aswell of the one as of ther other that is to say as well of the Bishops as of the priests brought vpon them not by the fault of the appeales but by the malice of men which is such as the gate cannot be opened for Appeales but there wil happen great euills in the frequent executions of this remedie as the cōtempt of the first Iudges the delaie and prolonging of iustice the cost and vexation of the parties the incommoditie of the transportation of witnesses of all sexes and all ages nor wholly shut it vp from them least worse may come of it And therefore they writt to Pope Sozimus whom their letters found already dead and after to 〈◊〉 his successor an Epistle by which after they had remonstrated to him the troubles that the past examples of appeales had brought vpon them and had represented to him that they had not
please your charitie that we should honor the memorie of the Apostle Peter lett it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome by the same Bishops that haue giuen the iudgemēt to the end that if it be needefull it may be renewed by the next Bishops and lett the Bishop of Rome giue the Judges but if the affaire be such as there is no neede of a new iudgement lett not the things once iudged be disabled but remaine firme The second was propounded by Gaudentius and authorized by all the Councell in these wordes If it seeme to you necessarie to add to this sentence full of sincere charitie that you haue propounded That if anie Bishop be deposed by the next Bishops and saie that his affaire ought to be iudged a new lett no other be installed in his sea till the Bishop of Rome haue pronounced vpon it with examinatiōs of the cause Which Canō was made as Balsamon notes to disanull the Canō that the Arriās had published in the Councell of Antioch against S. ATHAN which ordained that it should not be lawfull for a Bishop after he had bene deposed by all the votes of a Synod to exercise anie Episcopall functiō nor to hope for restitutiō and to condēne the intrusiō the Arians had made of Gregorie in steede of S. ATHAN without attending the reuiew of the processe And the third was againe propounded by Osius and confirmed by all the councell in these words It hath pleased that if a Bishop haue bene accused and that he haue recourse by waie of Appeale to the Blessed Bishop of the Roman Church and that he will heare him and doē esteeme it iust that the examinatiō of the affaire should be renewed let him vouchsafe to write to the Bishops neighbouring that prouince that they should carefullie and with diligence examine all things and iudge the affaire according to the creditt of the truth and if anie one demaund that his cause should be heard againe and seeme to moue the Bishop of Rome by his prayer that he should send Priests from his owne side it shall be in the power of the Bishops of Rome to doe what he shall think fit and if he conceiue that he should send to iudge with the Bishops persons hauing the authoritie of him that sends them lett it be so done and if he thinke it will suffice that those that are alreadie vpon the place should examine the affaire and the iudgment of the Bishop lett him doe what shall seeme best in his most wise iudgment Now these words do so dazle the eyes of the Popes aduersaries as they cannot supporte their light and therefore they attempt to resist and weaken them with seauen obiections The first that the Councell of Sardica propounds the ouerture of Appeales to the Pope not as a thing before practised but as put to deliberation and instituted at that present tyme and in words of the future tense from whence they inferr that the Right of Episcopall appeales was not from all Antiquitie yielded to the Pope but only since the Councell of Sardica and add that the Councell specifying the name of Pope Julius and say ing let it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome shewes that this institūtion began only in the Papacie of Julius and had no place in his predecessors tymes To this obiection then wee saie that it is ordinary to antient Councells when they renew vnwritten customes yea euen the verie written lawes of the Church to propound them as if they did new institute them and to take the notes of the assistants to conclude them and to declare them by words of the future tense As in the same Councell of Sardica the prohibition to passe from one Cittie to an other renewed because of Eusebius of Nicomedia head of the Arrian faction who was past from the Bishoprik of Nicomedia to that of Constantinople and the prohibition to a Bishop to receaiue a Clerke from an other Bishop excommunicated by him and others the like were propounded in future words and with receauing the votes of the assistants although the custome were tyme out of mynde in the Church and that they had bene euen sett downe in writinge in the Councell of Nicea And Pope Julius after he had cited the Canon of the Councell of Nicea for the reuiew of the iudgements of Synods adds that this Canon had bene formerly practised by custome in the Church and after reduced into writing at the Councell of Nicea And the Councell of Constantinople writing to Pope Damasus Doth it not saie of the ordination of Bishops by the metropolitans It is as you know both 〈◊〉 grounded vpon ancient custome and decision of the Councell of Nicea For as for the name of Pope Iulius which is specified in the first of the three canons of the Councell of Sardica besides that it is not found in the ancient latine Editions which were produced in the Councell of Africa in saint AVGVSTINES tyme where the text saith simplie as in the other following canons The Bishop of Rome and not Iulius Bishop of Rome By meanes whereof there is a Ground for suspition that it is a quotation of the exemplifiers which is slipt out of the margent into the Text there can be nothing inferred from it but this that the Fathers of the Councell of Sardica inserted the name of Iulius there to shew that the Councell by this canon ratified not only in generall Appeales to the Pope but iustified and ratified in particular the restitution that Pope Iulius had made of saint ATHANASIVS Paule of Constantinople Marcellus of 〈◊〉 Asclepas of Gaza and other Bishops that the Arrians had deposed in their false Councells agreeably to the Answere that they had made to the Arrians that they could not reiect the comunion of Athanasius and the other Bishops deposed by the Councells of Tyre Antioch and Constantinople because Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause had not condemned them And indeede if the Councell of Sardica had giuen beginning to the Right of Appeales how could Pope Iulius manie yeares before haue written to the Arrians Are you ignorant that it is the custome that wee be first written to that from hence may proceede the iust decision of things and therefore if there were anie suspition conceiued against the Bishop there that is to saie against the Bishop of Alexādria you should haue written to the church heere that is to saie to the church of Rome how could Socrates Sozomene haue said that Pope Iulius many yeares before the Coūcell of Sardica restored 〈◊〉 Patriarke of Alexandria Paule Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Primat of Galatia and other Bishops deposed by the Councells of the East because to him for the diginty of his Sea the care of all things belonged The second obiectiō is that the Councell of Sardica grounds the canon of appeales to the Pope not vpō diuine right but vpon the
the contrarie heresie confuted by Scripture only destitute of the helpe of tradition And although Optatus Mileuitus in the beginning had attempted it neuerthelesse the successe hath made saint AVGVSTINE who hath gone further in this question see and confesse that to compose it there was a necessitie of hauing recourse to the vnwritten Apostolicke tradition And what saint AVGVSTINE alleadgeth in generáll against Petilianus must not be obiected against this If anie one of Christ or of the Church or of ought belonging to the faith or to life declare 〈◊〉 then this that you haue receaued in the legall and Euange licall scriptures let him be anathema For himselfe declares elsewhere as it shall appeare hereafter that this word of S. PAVL further signifies against or to the preiudice of The Apostle faith hee hath not said more then but further for if he had said more then hee had condemned himselfe He that desired to come to the Thessalonians to supplie what was wanting in their Faith Now hee that supplies adds that which was not in the thing but takes not awaie what was therein before Of the vnderstanding of the words of S. Chrysostome in the thirtie third homilie vpon the Acts. CHAP. XIX The continuance of the Kinges answere EVEN soe S. CHRISOSTOME as well elsewhere as of deliberate purpose in the thirtie third homilie vpon the Acts handling this question how the true Church may be discerned amongst manie Societies which attribute this name to themselues doth teach that there are two instruments to iudge and decide this question First the word of God and afterward the antiquitie of the doctrine not inuented by anie late bodie but alwaies knowne since the beginning of the Church when she was but breeding THE REPLIE THERE are fowre 〈◊〉 to be made vpon this Article the first that sainct CRYSOSTOME giues not this Rule to discerne the true Church from all societies that differ from her in what point soeuer but onlie to discerne her from those that differ from her in the point of Christs diuinitie wherein it is noe wonder if the scripture be more cleere and expresse then in anie other The second that this marke to discerne the Church he giues not to those that are alreadie preoccupated with the opinion of anie of the Christian sects but to the Pagans which were not anticipated with passion for anie of the parties that combated about the pointes of Christs diuinitie and for this reason might seeme to iudge the more impartiallie The third that sainct CHRYSOSTOMES ayme is not to treate seriouslie there of the markes of the Church with the Pagans but to stopp their mouthes and to shew that whereas they said that they would turne Christians but that they knew not on which part to range themselues these were but pretences and not true language The fowrth that hee stopps not there but acknowledging that this meanes because of the subtletie and shiftes of hereticks is not sufficient requires and exactes an other that is to saie that hee reduceth in the last instance all the summe of the question to this point that that is the true Church which hath remained stedfast and immutable in her communion and from whence all the others are gone forth and that came forth from none A Pagan saith hee comes and saith I would turne Christian but I know not to whom I ought to adhere for there are amongst you manie strifes seditions and tumultes I know not which opinion I should choose nor which I ought to preferr euerie one saith I followe the truth whom shall I that am vtterlie ignorant in the Scriptures beleeue seeing both sides as well the Catholickes as the Sects of the Arrians as it shall appeare heereafter protest the same thinge That certainly answereth hee makes much for vs for if wee saie wee must beleeue reasons thou shalt not without cause be troubled but if wee saie wee must beleeue the Scriptures and they be simple and true it is easie for thee to iudge thereof if anie one conforme himselfe to them he is a Christian if anie striue against them he is farr from this rule But what will become of it saith the Gentile if the other coming also saie the scripture affirmes this thinge and thou saist it affirmes an other thinge and that you wrest the scripture into diuers parts each drawing the vnderstanding of the words thereof to his owne side c. Then saith S. CHRISOSTOME we will inquire of the Pagan if what he saith be pretences and excuses and aske him ifhe condemne the Gentiles Hee must saie some thinge for he will not desire to come to vs till first he condemne them wee will aske him then for what cause 〈◊〉 condemnes them for he will not condemne them without cause It is manifest that he will saie because their Gods are Creatures and are not the vncreated God This 〈◊〉 well answere wee for if this 〈◊〉 found in other heresies a clause which euidently shewes that he spoke onely of those heresies which opposed the 〈◊〉 of Christ which were those where with the East was afflicted and wee affirme the contrarie what neede more words Wee all confesse that Christ is God but see who combats against it and who combates not against it wee call him God and pronounce of him thinges worthie of God that he hath power that he is not seruile that he is sree that he doth all thinges of himself and they the contrary And then finallie seeing that this attempt succeeded not sufficiently It is not possible saith hee but he that heares without preoccupation should be perswaded For as if there were a Rule according to which all thinges should be squared there were noe neede of great consideration but it would be easie to discerne him that should make wrye lines Euen soe is it nowe But wheresore then would he saie doe they not see it Preiudication and human causes doe manie thinges that replies 〈◊〉 they saie also of vs. And how can they saie it for wee haue not seperated ourselues nor haue made noe schisme nor diuision in the Church Wee haue noe heresiarchs wee name not ourselues after the name of anie man wee haue noe leaders as to one Marcion to another Manicheus to an other Arius to an other an other heresi-founder But if wee take the appellatiō of anie particular it is not from those that began anie heresie but of those that preside ouer vs and gouerne the Church Wee haue noe doctors vpon earth God forbid wee haue one alone in heauen This also will hee saie the others likewise affirme it but the name that they beare answereth hee to witt of Marcionites or of Manichees or of Arrians conuinceth them and stopps their mouthes By which words it appeares that the last analysis and resolution of the question is all determined in this point that that is the true Church which hath remained vnmouable and stedfast in her communion from whom all the
Idolls but in the God of his Father walking in his precepts and not according to the sinnes of Israel how the priests and Leuites visited all the citties of his Kingdome hauing the lawe of God in their handes and instructing the people and how there were iudges of the Sacerdotall order established in Hierusalem for ecclesiasticall causes that when anie cōtrouersie should be presented concerning religiō the cōmaundemētes the ceremonies the iustifications the people might be instructed not to sinne before the Lord both histories aswell of the kinges as of the chronicles doe testifie For the rest with what temporall 〈◊〉 God fauoured him how much he abounded in glorie and in treasure howe much he exceeded Israel how dreadfull he was to the neighbouring nations how the terror of the lord said the scripture was spread ouer all the Kingdomes of the 〈◊〉 which were round about Iuda so as they durst not make war vpō Iosaphat how the Philistins paid him tribute how he receiued pēsion homage from the Arabians how Idumea acknowledged him what ordinary forces hee entertained for warr to witt three hundred thousand chosen men vnder the charge of Edna two hundred and fowre score thousand chosen souldiers vnder that of Iohanna two hūdred fourscore thousād mē of warr vnder the cōduct of Amazia two hūdred fourscore thousand Archers with Eliada an hundred fourscore thousand light horsemē who followed 〈◊〉 the historie collectiō of the chronicles exactlie declares Yet this fearefull number which amoūted vnto eleauē hūdred threescore thousand mē of warr did not cōprehend saith the scripture the garrisōs that he had in walled citties throughout his kingdome neither were reckoned an inestimable nūber of persōs vnable to beare armes as of old mē woemē childrē nor the tribe of Leui which exempt from the militarie state which neuerthelesse was accustomed to people and possesse fortie eight citties Now therevpon I demaund if there be anie appearance to conclude that the Iewish Church was then inuisible and if it be not flatlie to mocke the readers to alleadge Elias to that purpose For I will not saie that in Israel it self if not the image yet at least the memorie of piety was not so blotted out and extinguished but that the examples thereof were still fresh And that this is so the historie recites that when Iesabel put the prophets to death Abdias gouernor of Achabs howse saued one hundred in two seuerall caues as the same Abdias had a while before reported to Elias And that the verie daie before Elias flight the generall states of Israel called by Achab at the instance of Elias vpon mount Carmel to see the conclusion of Baal's priests after they had kneeled downe and cryed out the Lord is God the Lord is God had fallen vpō the foure hūdred fiftie false prophets and had cutt them in peeces Achab seeing it and consenting to it As little will I tell you that Elias when he pronounced this lamentation was not in the Kingdome of Israel nor amidest the light and communication of men but retired into a caue in the mountaine of Oreb fourtie daies iourney from Samaria the Metropolitan of Israel where he spake not according to the exact knowledge of what was happened since his departure but by a forme of indulgence to humane feare frailtie imagining what the wrath of Iesabel new kindled by his occasion might haue effected against his Bretheren in his absence By meanes whereof this multitude of faithfull Israelites exprest by the number of seauentie hundred a finite number for an infinite was not vnknowne to those that inhabited in Israel Onelie I will saie that the generall extirpation of true godlynes in the territories subiect to king Achab did not conclude therefore that it was rooted out from all the tribes comprehended vnder the first diuision of Israel since there were an infinitie of Israelites as hath aboue appeared withdrawne in the forme of a voluntarie exile into Hierusalem and into Iuda For besides those that remoued thither in Roboams raigne the scripture testifies that Asa father to Iosaphat neere twentie yeare before this persecution had gathered together the people of Iuda and of Beniamin and all the strangers of the tribes of Ephraim of Manasses and of Simeon because manie of them saith the same scripture had come to him for refuge seeing that the Lord their God was with him Moreouer the citties of the mountaine of Ephraim conquered by the same Asa vpon the Kingdome of Israel those of Bethel Iesana Ephron and others recouered by Abia his Father after the battaile that he wan against Ieroboam communicated in the true Religion with the people of Iuda and the remnant of this medlie of Israelites either subdued or sheltered and dwellinge amongst the Iewes and communicating with them lasted euen vntill the Birth of our Lord. In whose time sainct LVKE still notes that the Prophetesse Anna who also was perpetually in the Temple was of the line of Aser But whatsoeuer the Kingdome of Israel were it sufficeth that when Elias made this complaint the Iewish Church flourisht with so much puritie and splendor in that of Iuda as 〈◊〉 was neuer more pure nor more visible Which Elias could not be ignorant of since he was not only obliged with an expresse obligation he and all the rest of Gods seruants which remained in Israel to goe vp euerie yeare to certaine Feastes in Hierusalem to communicate in the Temple and in the sacrifices but also had but then newly passed by Berscha that bounded vpon the Kingdome of Iuda as he fledd from the tyrannie of Iesabel The fourth obiection is taken from the historie of Vria who by the commaundement of Achaz King of Iuda sett vp a prophan Altar before the Temple But besides this that neither Ezechias Sonn heire to the Kingdome of Iuda nor Esai prince of the blood of Iuda Prophet who by his extraordinarie Mission and propheticall authoritie a Succour promised in the old Testament did supplie noe lesse truly the defect of the dutie of the ordinary Mission in the person of Vria then the Poets fained fabulously that in the games of 〈◊〉 the Grashopper had supplied the defect of Eunomius string neither the Bodie of the sacerdotall and Leuiticall order did participate in this sacriledge but that all the Sacerdotall colledge rather chose to suffer exile then to consent to it From whence it is that when Ezechias the first month of his raigne caused the Delphicke oblations to be made in the behalfe of the people he was constrained to make vse of the Leuites to helpe to flea the beastes because of the small number of Priests which were then about him for as much saith S. HIEROME the Hebrew glosse as they had beē dispersed in the time of King Achaz and were not yet returned And secondly so farr were the people of Iuda from approuing it as contrariwise they did for