plainely shewed against Tortus or rather counterfet Bellarmine that the Apostles Creede was set foorth whereto Iames the Apostle before his martyrdom had added the Article of Christ before the departure of the Apostles from Ierusalem and therefore before S. Peter came to Rome by the testimonie of Baronius himselfe Anno 44. and had concluded necessarily from thence that the Catholike faith was fully finished before the Apostolike See was begunne hence it is said there arose a doubt in that right honourable Calanders conscience a Papist but very moderate and honest not onely of the supremacie of Peter and of that depriuing power annexed to the supremacy but of all the whole Romish Catholike faith which he saw was contained in the popish not Apostolicall Nycene or Constantinopolitane Creede § 125 Therefore when those former learned men together with William Argentine came againe to visite him It is very well sayd Calander that you are met againe to discusse before vs a verie difficult controuersie of the popes new creede which Pius the fouth had formerly compiled Paul the 5. comanded it lately to be printed my good freind Argentine hath lately recited it and I hope by and by he will recite the same to you This being prescribed by the Church vtterly to reiect it I doe as yet to speake truely make a conscience and to admit it wholly vnlesse it bee ratified by the testimonies of the holy Scripture I cannot admit without scruple of conscience For I haue lately learned to giue attendance to the holy Scripture which holy S. Peter doth directly affirme to bee as a candle lightned in this life to vs wandring in darknesse 2. Pet. 1. Which holy Paul doth likewise make the foundation of the Church Ephes 2.20 1. Tim. 3.15 and yet I cannot depart rashly from the Catholike Church whereto I haue beene accustomed which the same S. Paul calles the piller and ground of truth by which there is a creede of faith set out for me So I hang doubtfull betweene the Scripture the Church which God hath giuen vnto vs as the Sunne and Moone the two great lights to giue vs light to life Then Patriott you say right Calander said he in the § 126 generall that as the Sunne and Moone so the Scripture and the Church as two lights shew light vnto vs The Scripture and Church compared to the Sun Moon but that you erre in the speciall as after it shall better appeare But the holy Scripture hath light in it selfe as the Sunne the Church is a light but borrowed from the Scripture as the Moone from the Sun these two I confesse are giuen vs of God to direct vs vnto eternall life But the Scripture directs vs with masterly authority the Church with her ministery for the holy Scripture is the wisdome of God in Christ inspired from aboue into holy men for the eternall saluation and perfection of the Church as the Apostle hath defined it God hath commended the Scripture to the Church The office of the Church as an heauenly charge that it may discerne expound keep and publish it to men the Scripture is therefore mens master but the Church is Gods minister Therefore the Apostle calles the truth the foundation of the Church and the Church the piller of truth as Salomon made his chariot to haue a golden axtree and pillers of siluer vnderstanding by the axetree the sound doctrin of the Messias by the pillers the faithfull teachers of the same § 127 It is a wicked thing therefore to detract from the maiestie of the holy Scripture and it is vniust to derogate from the ministery of the true Church for the Scripture is the truth of God The office of the Scripture and the Church is the house of God the truth is the golden foundation of this house and this house is the siluer piller of this truth that is cut out of the truth as out of the rocke as Chrysostome obserueth So if the Scripture be the base of the Church then the Church is the piller of the word as he spake very wittily Now reason teacheth that the foundation is not sustained by the house but the house by the foundation And religion concludes from thence that truth makes the Church not the Church the truth For the approbation of the truth is the working cause of the Church For before it do approue the written word of God it is but a company of Infidels and Idolaters after it hath approoued it it beginneth to be the familie of the faithful worshippers of God that is a Church Further although the Church by the Spirit doe discerne the true Scripture from the false yet the Scripture being once knowen and acknowledged as before it made so after it sheweth the Church For what more certain note can there be of shewing a thing then the working cause of the thing Againe what priuiledge soeuer the Church doth rightly challenge to it selfe it receiued from the Scripture as that which calleth the Church the piller of truth Therefore the truth of the Scripture is more ancient in time more perspicuous for the light and greater for authority then the Church which when it once receiueth her essence light and power from the Scripture then at last as a piller it vpholdeth with her ministery the truth in respect of men and reueales it to the inhabitants of the earth and it is that ground whereon men both may and ought to leane and rest Lawes vpon pillers so the Scriptures on the Church Whereupon the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine is said to bee the foundation of the Church the Church is the strength of doctrine not the foundation It is euident therfore that the Church is founded and sustained by the truth and that the truth is sustained and reuealed by the Church once founded as it were a watch-tower for trauellers to direct them into heauen The Heathens were wont to write their lawes in tables and hang them vp vpon pillers to bee read of the people The Apostle describing the Church compareth it to such a piller the vse wherof was to shew the Law when it selfe was not the Law So the true Orthodoxe and Catholike faith being written in the tables of the Scripture is fastned to the Church as it wereto a most beautifull piller as a most strong prop which resteth vpon it not with its owne but a borrowed strength Wherefore the Apostle in the second to the Ephesians defines the Church when in the second to Timothie hee describes it For there hee argueth from the causes heere from the effects in each place he vnderstandeth the Church of Ephesus that is a particular Church In the first place he teacheth what made that in the second what that did nor so much what it alway doth for of necessitie the foundation being taken away the Church must fall as it happened first to the Church of Ephesus and afterward to the Church
seat of the Empire which so many fathers in fiue Synodes gathered together would neuer haue sayd if they had iudged the primacie of Peter had beene founded vpon the institution of Christ What can we imagine that so cheife an article of the Catholike faith was vnknowen to fathers so many for number so famous for holinesse so excellent for learning and that in fiue seuerall the most renowned generall Councels If the supremacie was plainely grounded vpon the Scripture Note then did the Councels very ill to take away the supremacie If the Councels did well in taking it a way certainely the supremacie is not so plainely founded vpon the Scripture If you shall lay enuie to their charge whereby men of such iustice and integrity would not behold a matter so manifest we will wonder at it If you obiect ignorance to them that hauing eies in their heads they could not see wee will laugh at it Neither can wee conceiue any other cause alleadged by you but either blinde enuie or enuious blindnesse An irony Concordan li. 2 cap. 13. O blind or enuious Cusan who rested content in the decrees of these Councels and whatsoeuer right belongeth to the Pope doth thinke the same was giuen him by the Church Dâ—fens part 2. de cap. 18. O malicious and dull pated Marsilius Patauine who thought he had no power either aboue Bishops or other Churches by any Law either diuine or humane but that onely which was giuen the Pope either absolutely or for a time in the Nicene Councell If all this power was giuen first by the Scripture not therefore by the Church if by the Church as Cusan and Marsilius say not therefore by the Scripture § 187 The sixt Councell was the Councell of Carthage in the yeere of Christ 418. The Councel of Carthage of 217. Bishops wherein 217. Bishops were assembled among whom Austin was present In which Councell as in the rest the power of all the Patriarches was made equall the right of appealing to the Bishop of Rome to such as were condemned by the Archbishop of their owne Diocesse was denied Which Cardinall Bellarmine notwithstanding doth auow to belong to all Bishops by the Law of God Cap. 25. de primi Rom. sedis yea if any were condemned by a Synode of their own prouince among the Antipodes they might prouoke to the consistorie of the Bishop of Rome Which Cardinall I thinke liues not in our Horizon but with the Antipodes who is wont to tread contrarie steps against so many men aliue not only of ours but against his own Doctors also Vnlesse peraduenture he descended lower then the Antipodes who dare be so bold to goe against so many holy fathers being dead He doth admit with his followers many fraudulent deuices whereby he goeth about to weaken the authoritie of this Councell Boniface the second with one blot of a greeuous accusation doth wipe out all the decrees of that Councell and damnes them all For hee saith that Aurelius sometime Bishop of the Church of Carthage with the rest of his Colleagues among whom was S. Austin began to waxe proud at the instigation of Satan in the times of Boniface and Celestine his predecessours against the Romane Church It is a hard case to say that Austin with his Colleagues at the instigation of Sathan beganne to waxe proud against the Church because they had resisted both by their decrees and letters three proud Romane Bishops Zozimus Boniface and Celestine in a iust cause common to all Churches Apiarius a wicked Preist whom for his lewdnesse in § 188 discharge of his ministerie Apiarius Vrbane the Bishop had iustly depriued appealed to Zozimus Bishop of Rome who sent three Legates Faustine Philip and Asellus to the Councell at Carthage in fauour and aid of Apiarius them he enioyned among other things that they should lay claime in his name to the right of appeales to him and his seat if anie Bishop accused or condemdemned did appeale to Rome that the Bishop of Rome might commit that cause by his letters to bee determined by the next prouinces or send Legates from his side who might sit about the businesse in his turne and with other Bishops might determine of the whole matter To that purpose he deliuered to his Legates the title and instrument of his right written with his owne hand the Canon of the Nycene Councell Concil Carthag 6. cap. 3. whereby he affirmed that the right of appeales was bestowed vpon him The fathers of the Carthaginian Councell assoone as they had heard the Legates answered that they neuer had read anie such thing in the canons of the Councell of Neece and withall willed the Legates that if they had that canon they should giue it to Daniel the publike Notary A false canon offered for a true to reade it openly They in stead of the canon of the Nicene Councel offer the third chapter of the Councel of Sardis but mangled and gelded For in the authenticke it is thus written Osius said If any Bishop be condemned for any cause and thinketh that he haue no euill but a good cause that the iudgement may be againe renewed doth it please you that for charitie we honor the memorie of Peter the Apostle that it may be written of them who haue examined the cause to Iulius the Bishop of Rome and if he shall thinke that the iudgement is to be renewed it be renewed appoint Iudges to that end But if he proue the cause to be such that those things be not repealed which were already spred those which he decreeth shall stand firme if this please all the Sinode answered It pleaseth Council Sard cap 3. apud Surium Tom 1. The Pope corrupteth the words of Osius But the Bishop of Rome curtoling those words of Osius Doth it please you that for charitie we honor the memorie of Peter the Apostle and by writ to Iulius the Rom Bishop goeth on thus Osius the Bishop said It pleaseth that if a Bishop be accused and the Bishops of the same Country being assembled shall iudge and depose him from his degree if be that is cast of do appeale and flye to the Bishop of the Roman Church would haue himselfe heard if he shall thinke it in â—â—t the iudgment be reuerst or do vouchsafe to write the examination of the cause to those Bishops that be of the next Prouince that they make diligent inquirie and determine it according to the credit of the truth And if any man will haue his businesse againe to be heard and shall moue the Bishop of Rome with his petition to send his Legate let it be in his power to do what he will in the businesse and what he shall thinke best The Popes deuise to cosen the African Fathers Here marke the notable tricke wherewith the Bishop of Rome went about to cosen the African Fathers First he pretends a Canon of the Nicene Councell for the right
imputed I haue made an euerlasting couenant with you neuer to forsake you euer to blesse you and to send my feare into your hearts that you neuer forsake me The imputation of righteousnesse doth necessarily follow the forgiuenes of sinne the grant of life and that eternall life doth likewise follow imputation of righteousnes for he that beleeueth in the sonne of God shall neuer come into condemnation but shall go from death to life and let him surely perswade himselfe that being now iustified by me and now glorified by me that being saued by my grace he shall sit in heauenly places with me and enioy the reall possession of the highest heauens Your sanctification Sanctification is the second part of the new couenant the beginning of your glorification as your coronation hereafter is the full accomplishment For what is grace but glory begun ☜ and what is glory but grace perfected Eternall life therefore which is begun in this world and made perfect in the world to come doth not differ in kinde but in degree Therefore your sanctification is begun in this world so that the relikes of sinnes doe abide in the most holy but couered the inbred corruption did abide in Paul regenerated but weakned it remained in him to try him not to destroy him that corruption is remitted not finished the guilt is released but the act remaineth Sanctification is not therefore perfect but true which inlightneth your mindes to true knowledge and reformeth your wills to the sincere obedience of the Gospell and therefore doth change the whole man both the inward and the outward man into my likenes by the power of my spirit that beholding the same in the Gospell as in a glasse Glorification you may proceed from glory to glory that is from the glory of your sanctification here to the glory of your coronation hereafter And herein behold how ill the Pope and I agree How Christ Antichrist disagree I set before you free remission he a mercenarie I a categoricall and absolute he an imperfect and hypotheticall I an euerlasting he a temporarie I require a sincere sanctification of a sinner in this life but imperfect hee faines a perfect holinesse but a counterfeit Now your Christ Iesus as he is propounded in the free couenant and the new testament is appointed the only foundation of the Church by the Prophets and Apostles vpon whom they are taught to build their good workes as gold siluer and pretious stones as the superficies fit for that golden and pretious foundation but they denie good workes to be the foundation it selfe because your workes be they neuer so glorious cannot endure the weight and burthen of the kingdom of heauen They make Christ alone euen Christ alone apprehended by faith as it were that mightie Atlas that with his shoulders and his power can beare vp heauen being made of God for you wisdome iustice sanctification and redemption and therefore the foundation of the whole building Not that saluation is begun by him and made perfect by you for there is one great stone of the whole building as deepest in the foundation so chiefest in the corner as the ground and beginning so the roofe and accomplishment of saluation Which your Pope hath not only deformed with wood hay and chaffe built vpon it that is with foolish and absurd doctrines differing from the foundation but with wicked and pestilent doctrines ouerthrowing the foundation and by that meanes hath most wickedly taken away the beginning matter forme instrument and end of saluation The causes of saluation For whereas the holy Scripture doth appoint the free mercy of God the efficient cause of righteousnesse the meritorious my obedience both actiue and passiue the formall the imputation thereof by the Holy Ghost the instrumentall faith conceiued out of Gods word founded vpon a free promise the finall the glory of Gods diuine mercy and iustice when as the Pope doth ouerthrow all the foundations of saluation then doth hee take and stop from you all the meanes and lights of comfort While I set before you eternall life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a reward of grace he makes it a stipend for worke that I make a gift hee makes a debt that I make a patrimonie he makes a stipend what I make due to adoption he makes as paid for obedience Hee doth not say it to him that is obedient which is very true but for obedience which is very false that he forsooth might set my gifts to sale and by that meanes depriue me of glory and you of peace From whence it doth arise that the Romane Antichrist let him pretend what he will is a breaker of Gods couenant a corrupter of his will a subuerter of the foundation being full of Satan being busie about this one thing to bring destruction to my Churches and damnation to your soules Is it any maruaile then if he bring destruction to bodies and ouerthrow to Empires Papists as Doggs when as he secretly sends in his runnagate Priests into your Kingdomes who as mad dogs with their infamous libels may rent in sunder the good name and fame of Kings bring them into hatred contempt of others Who as subtle Foxes Foxes do with their cunning sleights alienate the Kings subiects from the faith of their obedience due by my commandement and to be performed by their oath Wolues And as cruell Wolues after they haue taken away the Kings good name by false calumniations and drawne away the Kings subiects from their fealtie and obedience doe spill the Kings blood by what meanes soeuer either by open rebellions or secret conspiracies and defend it to be a deed most lawfull and meritorious They shew their dogs tooth by rayling their fox-like subtletie by equiuocating and their woluish crueltie by conspiring They doe nothing else but deceiue the simple bite them that be sincere and deuoure those that be innocent They pretend faith but they teach periurie They say they reconcile men to Christ but in deed reconcile them to Antichrist in the meane while whom they get to adhere to the Pope they draw from the King For while they build vp spirituall obedience they cast downe the ciuill is not this the qualitie of a Fox They set vpon those that be weakest that they may ouercome the strongest as the Serpent seduced Eue that Eue might seduce Adam so these Serpents set vpon wiues that the wiues may deceiue their husbands they catch after women that they may entangle young men in whom is greater vigor and heat to commit any wicked enterprise So they haue a schoole full of masculine women and feminine men doth not here appeare to you the wilinesse of the serpent Now with what vilanous slanders these curres haue abused Princes both liuing and dead being the excellencies and glories of the earth witnes those infinite libels cast out against Elizabeth Queene of England and Iames King of Great
strange diuinity and to abandon Christian Princes are Synonamaes or all one with the Papists To binde Kings and to binde Scepters is all one To exclude a King out of the Temple and take from him his kingdome and life be Synonomaes with you O diuine and admirable power of excommunication which brought in not onely a new Grammer but a new Logicke also into Diuinity All Princes ought to bee taught of the high Preist therefore deposed They may be shut out of the kingdome of heauen therefore out of their earthly domimions Princes ought to obey the wholesome doctrine â—aught by their Pastors therefore if they refuse it they may rightly bee cast off by them The condition of Princes is very hard But what shall they doe excommunication can do thus much if we beleeue Saturnine But you haue other Catholike Doctors as I heare honester men a great deale who weaken and take away the edge of excommunication for bringing foorth such monstrous effects § 55 For that I may say nothing of Austin who thought that excommunication was very sparingly to bee vsed against Princes August cont Epist Parmen lib. 3. cap. 2. and when it were it was not to roote them vp but to correct them that we may omit Bernard De consid ad Eugen. lib. 2. who was not afraid to tell Pope Eugenius Therfore your power is ouer sinnes not ouer possessions because for them not for these you haue receiued the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen Thomas Aquinas your Angelicall Doctor sayd that excommunication is one thing and rotting out is another which we finde written in an Epistle of Pope Vrbane recorded in the canon Law whereof hee alleadgeth a reason out of the Apostle who sayth that one excommunicate is to that end so dealt withall Decret 2. part caus 4 qu. 3. cap. 37. that his soule may be saued in the day of the Lord. It is vsed then for correction not for destruction for excommunication is discipline saith Pope Vrbane not a rooting vp Either of them both a Canonist and a Preist seemed to borrow the distinction out of Austin So hee writeth that excommunication is not the taking away anie mans priuate goods which the transgressour of the Law did formerly possesse but it was the taking away of the publike goods which he was to receiue from the Church and the receiuing of the Sacraments The force of excommunication Therefore excommunication is of force if you may beleeue your owne men to shut a King out of the Church not out of his Kingdome to depriue him of the Sacrament not his Scepter to seuer him from the Communion of the faithfull not from the obedience of his subiects to saue his soule not to destroy his body to remooue him from the confines of the Kingdome of Heauen till he repent not to driue him out of his territories or to loose the raines of obedience from subiects or free them from their sworne fealty As Ludonicus Richeomus hath it in his Apologeticke These agree with the canon Render saith Christ to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Which bee Caesars his scepter crowne and sword which be Gods our faith worship inuocation and all our spirituall obedience Matth. 22. Christ therefore saith render to Caesar his scepter his crowne his sword what say you Saturnine let him take away from Caesar being excommunicate his scepter his crowne his sword bee these your Synonimaes to render and to take away Christ if he had pleased could thus haue excommucate Tiberius and obtained of his father an army of Angels to haue cast him out of his throne He would not for he came to giue an heauenly crowne not to take away an earthly crowne When a certaine man sayd to him Luc. 12. Master command my brother to diuide the inheritance with me the Lord answered who hath made mee a Iudge betweene you Christ thought that the power of diuiding a priuate inheritance belonged not to his vocation who therefore could appoint the Pope to be a Iudge Distributer of kings crownes Christ being demanded of Pilate what kingdome he layd claime to answered my kingdome is not of this world but you Saturnine with the turn of a key which others receiued as well as Peter haue deliuered all that belongs to Caesar to the Vicar of Christs disposition forsooth Therefore what Christ could not doe can the Vicar of Christ do That which the Lord himselfe would not vndertake shall a seruant take vpon him Peter was a simple scholler to Christ belike whom § 56 you doe make to be your founder What Peter did to Princes for hee did not cast Nero out of his throne with a thunder bolt of excommunication he did not forbid Christians from taking the Oath of Allegeance or free them when they had taken it he did not dispose of his kingdomes and dominions hee did not arme the seruants against their master or stirre vp other Princes against the Emperor Hee taught that the glory of Martyrdome was to bee sought after by suffering not the infamie of rebellion by resisting cheefely by Bishops to whom hee hath committed the power of perswading not enforcing the duties of teaching not of fighting the vse of prayers not of weapons Shall it bee lawfull for the Popes successour which was not lawfull for his founder did not Peter vnderstand what it was to feede sheepe did he not learne what it was to binde and to loose did he not know the power of the keyes Belike hee had not met with your dictionary He could with his word as well haue strucken Nero as he strucke Ananias but he following his masters steps yeelded simple obedience to Nero as he had yeelded to Tiberius § 57 Whose successours they were so farre from resisting the Emperours How Peters successorus vsed Princes the seruants their masters that for 300. yeers euen to Syluester they did patiently submit themselues to Pagans as Martyrs and for 300. yeeres to Boniface they did humbly obey both Christian Catholike and Hereticke Princes as beads-men and for 400. yeeres to Gregorie the 7. they did obey them euen in their absence somewhat tolerably as free-men For the times of the Empire were diuers as the times of the Church were as the qualities of Emperors were diuers so of Bishops while the Emperour was but one and present the Bishop was of small reputation but when hee was absent and diuided hee grew great the Imperiall spoiles being left in Italy whereby the master being somewhat weakned and cast off the seruant began to grow lustie and stout and I wish he would leaue off to continue so still Lest happily the King of birds doe come And take his feathers from this ietting Iay Whereat the rest may doe naught else but laugh To see stolne feathers taken thus away For surely it was not thus from the beginning that the staffe should resist the sword the crosier
vsurper of the Kingdome which had murthered all the Kings Progeny What is this to the Pope that hee may depose a lawfull Prince with his Bishoply authority And whereas you propounded Elias zeale to bee imitated by you Patriott answered truely that your zeale was too fiery and would proue too preposterous vnlesse you could prooue you had Elias speciall instinct And when you said that Achab was remooued from his Kingdome by Elias or Elizeus it is partly true partly false It is true that you say he was remooued but by Iehu whom one of the sonnes of the Prophets did annoynt by Gods speciall commandement which God gaue to Elizeus that Iehu should roote out all the posterity of Achab. Hee was not therefore deposed by Elias or Elizeus but by Iehu whom God had raised vp by name extraordinarily for that purpose Neither did the sonne of the Prophet when hee annoynted Iehu beginne thus thus sayth Elizeus but thus saith the Lord. This doth no whit help the popes cause that Patriott did somtime scatter abroad your arguments as brooms that are not bound together and enforced him as a cripple with a broken legge to halt now vpon one leg now vpon both both in his antecedent and consequent as if the antecedent retained neither truth in the matter or Law in the forme and the consequent had lost all the necessity of proofe So that you neither did helpe the popes power or satisfie our consciences For it was to no purpose as he rightly said to seeke for causes at the last why princes should in fact be deposed by preists and prophets when you cannot proue that any was deposed § 71 You therefore as it seemes could not alleadge that any king was deposed by a priest but Patriott did alleadge that a preist was deposed by a king one especially Abiathar by Salomon This did not onely not help but hurt the popes cause Heere when you did enforce the couenant between God and the King your ready aduersary did demand if the King breake any of the articles of agreement who would enter suite against him or in what court or consistory were hee to bee accused And out of your owne grant hee concluded when you said that the king held his supreame authority taken from God and therefore the king was to yeeld account to God alone in the heauenly court for his gouernment Two pillers of gouernment ouerthrowen And where there are two pillers of gouernment Authority in the King and obedience in subiects which for all our good we are to keep safe sound you seemed Saturnin to ouerthrow them both when you made the king as it were an hypotheticall propositiō and the subiects conditionales but when you made the Popes categoricall and absolute although I reuerence them as most holy fathers yet I will speake truly you haue dealt herein as an vnskilfull Phisition who gets a more greeuous disease to the body by curing one that is easier Being repelled from the old Testament you fled into § 72 the strength of the new and here I had great hope that that your feede my sheepe and I will giue you the keyes had well strengthned the Popes authoritie and sharpned the edge of ecclesiasticall excommunication But it fell out otherwise For the aduersarie proued that by the first wordes diligence was enioyned the Byshoppe to feede the flocke and by the second were committed the keyes of the heauenly not the earthly kingdome And he brought for proofe not onely Augustine and Bernard as common witnesses but Aquinas Pope Vrbane Dominicus à Soto and Ludouicus Rycheomus all of them being on our side who thought the force of the keyes to be not in possessions but in crimes not in binding Scepters but sinnes and iudge it not to be a rooting vp but a meere discipline What you doe you thinke these to be Heretickes as lately you tearmed Sigebert and Vincentius what maruell is it if strangers accuse the Pope when his owne condemne him if his enemies set vpon him when his friends forsake him if the late Catholickes leaue him when the ancient forsake him The first foundation therefore of our obedience laid by Patriotta vpon the perpetuall and vnchangeable commandement of Christ and his Apostles standes firme and sure vnlesse you thinke that it be lawfull for the Vicar of Christ an holy man though a sinner to plucke downe the sacred tables of the Testament to violate the heauenly lawes of Christ and to abrogate the eternall decrees of God Forwhereas in the end you say that the Apostles and their Successours might lawfully haue deposed Nero Dioclesian Iulian Constantius Valens and the rest if the Church had had power to resist you would neuer haue said it as your aduersarie rightly obiected vnlesse you thinke the holy Apostles and fathers were dissemblers who obeyed those euill Emperours for feare not for dutie for times sake not for conscience sake wherein we heard that not the holy Scripture only but the antient historie was directly against you § 73 That we may greatly lament that Bellarmine and Alan so great wittes brought forth so wicked an vntruth And that we may omit Symancha Creswell Reynoldes Parsons and others of our side who brought all their wit and eloquence to patronize so wicked a cause with Alan trumpets not of the word but of warre and we must needes confesse that they haue brought an ouerthrow to many Catholicke families and a plague to their Countrie but also a torture to our consciences and an euerlasting infamie to the Catholicke religion Wherfore leaue off I pray you any more to solicite vs in this cause Saturnine vpon whose head wee see your first argument to be retorted by Patriotta who confest that subiection reuerence honour fealtie and obedience is due to a King while the King is a King But the King is king and we be subiects notwithstanding any excommunication or authoritie of the Pope whatsoeuer as Patriotta hath proued against you as it seemes to vs not only with common but with proper arguments of our owne Catholickes It followeth therefore by your owne confession that all subiection reuerence honour fealtie and obedience is to be performed of vs to our King § 74 Then Saturnine I am right heartily sorry most honourable Calander and am much vext with all that you whom wee euer held a deuout sonne of the Romaine Church now to finde a Renegate in the Heretickes tents and not onely doubting of the supreame authoritie of the Byshoppe but that which is farre worse and more dangerous to your soule oppugning it For not onely the excommunication of Princes which to diuers seemes to be the soueraigne censure of the ecclesiasticall and spirituall power of the Pope belongeth vnto him but their ouerthrow also and rooting out which proceedes not from the power of excommunication but from the power of a certain supreame authoritie in the Pope either as he is directly the Lord of the temporalties or indirectly in
Byshoppe of Rentzburge when he deliuered the bull against the prince All of them scoft at the mans impudency and disdainefully askt what that light headed and superstitious French man what the Rome-pope himselfe did in Germanie without the consent of the Germaine-byshops his colleagues They disdaine that discordes should be sowne that the libertie of Christians should bee opprest that the flocke of Christ redeemed by his blood should bee brought into slauerie by false Teachers And when the Legate would not giue ouer the Germane Byshoppes did not onely dispise his commandements but denounced a curse against him in all their Churches as an enemie to Christian peace and an Arch hereticke and pronounced him to be worse then any Turke Saracene Tartar or Iew. They did publickly likewise accuse the Byshoppe of Rome for attempting such matters among Christians which were against reason and the law of nations against the doctrine of Christ and which were not at any time done among the most sauage Tartars And as the Byshops so the nobles of Germanie did take in foule scorne so great a wrong offered by the § 116 Pope to the Emperour their Master to repell it conuented all the States wherein Eberhardus the Archbyshoppe of Salisburge a godly olde man when hee had knowne ten Romane-byshoppes and had diligently markt their practizes and dispositions vnder Fredericke the first Henry the sixt his sonne and Fredericke the second his Nephew for fifty yeares together that the chiefe byshoppe was wholy compounded of auarice luxurie contention warres discordes and desire of rule and so did decipher him for a rauenous wolfe in each part vnder a Shepheards weede and so liuely paint him out that although in other matters he were not a Lutherane in this one you would haue said he had beene almost Luther himselfe The old Catholicke fathers Oration is extant in Auentine a Catholicke Writer Auenti annal lib. 7. fol. 683. there you may haue it if you will read it § 117 That which the Byshoppes and Nobles of Germanie with the whole commons did with common consent against Innocent the fourth in the quarrell of Fredericke the Emperour the very same they did in the like quarrell of Lewes the fourth Emperour against Iohn the 22. that although they were released from the Oath of Obedience they did notwithstanding take the Oath of obedience to be faithfull to Lewes though hee were remooued and that they did by the iudgement of all the Doctours in both lawes Philip the faire the French King in a councell with full consent of the Nobles and Byshoppes did not only set at nought and despise the iniust sentence of the Popes depriuation sent out against him but brought all the kingdome from the Popes obedience and that hee might the better tame his pride he laid hold of the Pope kept him in durance so that within sixe weekes after in great anguish of soule hee gaue vp the Ghost Popes crossed by the French The pragmaticall sanction is well knowne which did of old infringe the Popes authoritie and all the canons of the Church of France that part which maintaineth the popish religion and all the decrees of the Kings parliament do so disanull the Popes power in excommunicating Kings and releasing their Subiectes from the Oath of obedience Tract inscript le Franc. Discours an 1600. that the very body of Sorbone and the whole Vniuersitie of Paris doe condemne the doctrine of the Iesuites as schismaticall and pernicious Neither Henrie the 8. onely Edward the 6. and § 119 Queene Elizabeth English practise against Popes whom you tearme Caluinists and Heretickes did by their lawes expell this vsurped authoritie of the Pope and punished by death the Abetters thereof but other Kings of England who raigned in the midst of poperie thought good to contemne the Popes censures and to suppresse the Actors therein by your Lawes The law of Edward the 3. 25 Edwar 3. doth it not seeme to bee made by a Caluinist which makes it treason to attempt and go about the death of the King to mooue warre in his Kingdome against the King or to ioyne with the Kings enemies in his kingdome or to giue them aide and comfort either within the Kingdome or without Doe you not see how that two hundred yeares before Queene Elizabeth was borne the Priests treason couered with the habite of religion by the Statute of Edward the third in euery branch of it as it were with lime twigges is met with and suppressed If to attempt the death of the King be treason therefore Greenway and other Iesuites who tooke counsell to destroy the King and kingdome had beene Traytors by Edward the thirds Law although Queene Elizabeth had made no such law If to raise warre against the King in his kingdome were then treason the priests were Traytors who stirred vp papists to take armes and to ioyne themselues with Catsby and Persie in the rebellion If to ioyne with the Kings enemie in his kingdome were then treason how can you then ye Iesuits auoide the sharpenesse of King Edwards law who being the instruments of sedition doe adheare to the Pope the Kings deadly enemie vnder the colour of religion If to aide and animaâ—e the Kings enemies either within his kingdome or without was treason at that time truly whosoeuer at this day vnder pretense of religion whatsoeuer do either solicite foraine Kings to inuade this Kingdome as Garnet Creswell Baldwine and others haue done or perswade the people to take armes to depose their King as Greenwell Hall and others haue vndertaken were Traytors although Elizabeth with her Caluinists had neuer made any law against them § 120 But King Edwardes law you will say doth not touch the people by name True But when the noble King remembred that the French King was stirred vp against Iohn King of England who had contemned the Popes censures that the Subiectes were incensed against their King the Barons and Byshops fell from him and were the Ministers of the Popes wrong that thereby hee might the better confirme his subiects in their obedience against the French the Spanish and the Romane and all others whatsoeuer froâ— whom he foresaw danger might come to himselfe and his kingdome and that he might decline the enuy of naming the Pope particularly made a generall Statute with the consent of the Byshoppes Baron and Commons without any exception of person or cause whatsoeuer wherein hee made him a Traytor whosoeuer did adhere to the Kings enemy in his kingdome or did aide or animate any either within his dominions or without who should moue warre against the King including by his generall word aswell the Pope as the Popes factours as if hee had expressely named them § 121 But in the 26. of Richard the second the Prelates Dukes Earle Barons and aâ—l the Commons of England the Clarkes and Lay people named the Pope when they all ioyned in a couenant of association with the
other popish writers subscribe That with a few others did Bellarmine attempt against the Scripture which the boldnes of many popish writers more learned were afraid to attempt And will you hearken to this fellow Calander in a chiefe article of faith as he calls it so far dissenting from his owne side or dare you securely admit of those whom you see as the Madianites mutually wounding them-selues in a cause of such importance Saturnine who seemeth to bee no other thing but very Bellarmine himselfe proceedeth from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope from the Pope he falleth to the Popes chaire and hee proueth that the Church is to be founded vpon that rocke out of testimonies borrowed and framed out of Ierome Austin and Cyprian Cic de erat Cicero makes mention of a certaine mad fellow who finding a small boate on the sea-shore purposed to build a great ship of it Papists like mad-men These mens madnes is like who finding Peters chaire in the Fathers do dreame that the Church must be built vpon the chaire Ierome to Damasus I am vnited in communion saith he to your blessednes that is to Peters chaire I know that vpon that rock the Church is builded that is vpoÌ„ the chaire as you relate it Jerome misalleaged But Ierom thus I following after none chiefest but Christ 〈◊〉 vnited to your Blessednes c. You passe by Christ in this sentence as if he were a man vnknowne and you curtall Ieromes words wherein hee confesseth that he doth follow none chiefly but Christ You make mention of Peters chaire Vpon that rocks saith Ierome I knowe that the Church is â—aide Why should you not rather referre That rocke to Christ that goeth before then to Peter that followeth after in the sentence chiefly when Ierome doth adde the word I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke Now that Christ is that rocke wheron the Church is builded â—one at all doubteth but that Peter is that rocke many deny And yet you are so mad that you will build the ship of the Church vpon the chaire as it were vpon a small boate You haue well Saturnine by rasing out the name of Christ shauen away the sentence as a beard with Ieromes sharpe rasor I shall maruaile much if Austin when he cannot endure that Peter should bee the foundation of the Church would suffer the Pope to be and if when he did remoue the person of Peter from this honor hee would admit Peters chaire But when he makes mention of Peters seat that said he is the rocke Is it so indeed let vs adde the wordes following recken vp said he all the Priests from the very seat of Peter and in that order of Fathers marke who succeeded one another that is the rocke against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Then Saturnine while you are handling another § 161 matter Patriot you doe confirme by Austens authority another article of the Catholicke faith of the Pope Peters successour But said he againe to the confirmation of an article of the Catholicke faith Austens authoritie without the testimonie of the Scripture cannot be sufficient in the iudgement of Austen himselfe who speaketh of the matter as he had heard that the Byshop of Romes seat was the seat of Peter and that in that seat some succeeded others but hee makes it no article of the faith Wherefore when he speaketh that is the rocke it cannot be referred either to the seat or to the succession of Byshoppes in the seat For therein hee should contradict himselfe who makes Christ the rocke of the Church Apostles rockes in respect of doctrine vnlesse rather he referre it to Peter so vnderstood as I said with the rest of the Apostles who in respect of doctrine may in some sort be called rockes But it is not said you will say he is the rocke but shee is the rocke therfore the reference is not to the person in this place but to the seat i. to the chaire As though by the deceit and carelessenesse of writers greater faultes then these had not crept into Austens workes then she for he Although what hinders why shee is the rocke may not aswell bee referred to the person of Peter as those wordes in the Gospell vpon this rocke c. are referred to the person of Peter by the Rhemistes But let that be granted you for a time which you shall neuer euict that Peters chaire is ment in that place Austen saith not that is the rocke whereon the Church is builded but that is the rocke which the gate of hell shall not vanquish So he doth not promise that Rome shall alwaies withstand but doth testifie that Rome did then resist the gates of hell while it kept that faith vncorrupt that Peter left vnto them For if hee should now liue and make diligent search hee should not finde Rome in the middest of Rome This Rome not old Rome Our Romaines at this day are no Romaines they are but the carcasses of those Romaines who receiued their first faith from Paul and Peter which these men haue breathed out as their soules § 162 And now let Cyprian make answer for himselfe who affirmeth that the like power was giuen to all the Apostles by Christ Lib. de vnitat Eccles and that the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was being endowed with the same fellowshippe of honour and power Let him make answere for himselfe how he could lift vp Peters chaire aboue the chaires of the rest and would not haue it forsaken for iust cause which he did oppose in an vniust But Cyprian as both Ierome and Austen and other fathers haue iust cause to complaine Contra Stepha Corruption of Fathers after their death that so many bastardly bookes are brought in the place of those that were right and true And false sentences deceitfully foysted in and true violently cast out that now being dead they are constrained to speake and holde their peace according to other mens pleasures not their owne Now Ierome at your command conceales that which he vttered before Cypr. de vnit Eccles Now Cyprian speaketh that which he neuer meant He that forsaketh Peters chaire whereon the Church is built doth he trust that he is in the Church Cyprian writ thus a little before Christ doth build his Church vpon Peter alone How Peter the first stone in order not in power meaning that Peter was the first stone that was placed vpon Christ the foundation vpon whom the rest in their order were to bee builded First therefore in order not in power therefore he said that equall authoritie was giuen by Christ to all the Apostles but that it tooke the beginning from vnitie that the Church may be shewed to be one The foundation therefore of the building in Cyprian is nothing else but a beginning The rest of the Apostles were this which Peter was being endowed