cause of the Popes primacy and power is the greatest of all other as himselfe saith it is De summa rei Christianae the summe totall of Christianity depends vpon it In it the question is whether the Church shall stand any longer or bee dissolued and fall to nothing for what is it else to demand whether wee may not take the foundation from the building the Sheephard from the Flocke the Generall from the Army the Sunne from the Starres the head from the body but to aske whether we may not let the building fall the Flocke be scattered the Army dispersed the Stars obscured the body lye dead Bellarm. ibid. Therefore secondly to make this piece of the stately height wealth and magnificence of the Papacy which is forsooth the foundation of Religion most strong the choycest men for wit learning and all other habilities haue beene set on worke to doe their vttermost to maintaine it of which Bellarmine reckoneth the chiefest of sundry Countries In Polonia one in France two in Germany fiue in Low Germany six in England six in Spaine six in Italy eight in Graecia two And thirdly if there be any strength in any of their writings Bellarmine hath it and sets it out to the vttermost therefore if thou finde him weake know for certainty there is no strength in the cause He musters indeed Scriptures and Fathers and rangeth them into goodly rankes but all ad Pompam rather than ad pugnam For neuer a one of them strikes a sufficient blow for him nor against vs. Against his vrging of the place of Math. 16. when he hath with all his wit stretched it as farre as he can he is faine to admit three exceptions of the Protestantâ— which ouerthrow all that he would proue First that as Christ asked not of Peter onely but of all Whâ—m say yee that I am Peter answered for all Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for all could not speake at once neither was it decent one must be the speaker So also Christ replyed vpon him as vpon all and therefore what was spoken vnto him belonged to them all And thus the ancient Fathers interpret it Chrysostome vpon the place and Ierome and Austine as Bellarmine himselfe h Be lar de pont lib. 1. cap. 12 §. Secunda obâ— citeth them and reciteth their words neither saith he any thing to auoid their testimonies but addeth this onely Peter answered for all as the Prince and Head of all which in the true sence wee deny not neither makes it any thing for them Secondly the Protestants say It was not vpon Peters person but vpon Peters faith which was the saith of all the Apostles whereupon Christ would build his Church to wit That Christ was the Sonne of the liuing God that is the great Messias promised from the beginning the Sauiour of the world Thus the Fathers also teach as Bellarmine i ib cap 10. §. quarta senten confesseth Hilarius k lib 6. de Trin. Ambrose l lib 6 cap. 9. in Luk Chrysostome m Hom. 55 in Mat 83. iâ— Mat. Cyrill n ib. 1. de Trin. Hee might haue added also Augustine o De â—erbâ—s â— om serm â—â— who saith The Rocke is Christ not Peter vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast knowne saying Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God will I build my Church I will build thee vpon mee not mee vpon thee c. but this your Doctor Stapleton o De â—erbâ—s â— om serm â—â— p Princip doctr lâ—b â— cap â— See 〈…〉 Hâ—â—t pag â—0 â—â— calleth humanus lapsus in Saint Austin To all this Bellarmine saith they meant not Peters faith without some relation to his person What is this to the purpose This wee admit both in him and in all the Apostles their persons may bee said to bee foundations in some sort as in Ephes 2.20 Reuel 21.14 yet that is in regard of the Faith and Doctrine which they taught the subiect and substance whereof was Iesus Christ Thirdly the Protestants alleadge that whatsoeuer was promised to Saint Peter in the 16. of Matthew was certainly performed to all in Ioh. 20.23 where Christ said to all the Apostles Whose-soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted and whose-soeuer sinnes ye retaine they are retained And this the Fathers also plentifully teach q Cypr. de simplicitate praelatorum siue de vnitate Eccl. Cyprian r Hilari lib. 6. de Trinit Hilary Å¿ Hieron lib. 1. ad Iouinianum At inquit dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesià licet id ipsum in alio loco superomnes Apo â—olos siat cuâ—cti accipâ—ant c. Ierome and Saint Augustine in many places hath the like All which t Ib. lib. 1 c. 12. § Obiâ—â—tio vltima Bellarmine confesseth adding still lest he say nothing that yet Peter was a chiefe man among the rest which is not the question and none of vs denies it Thus he granteth first that what was there spoken to Peter belonged to all the rest secondly that the Church was built vpon Peters Faith which was the common faith of all the Apostles and not vpon Peters person either wholly or principally and thirdly that which there was promised to Peter was afterward performed to them all and so this place of Mat. 16. makes nothing to the end for which your men so often and so gloriously alleadge it Antiq. Were it not that I see it with mine eyes and read the whole tract aduisedly I should neuer haue beleeued that Bellarmine had yeelded thus much but yet he doth it with modifications Antiquis Hee must needs make some flourishes to satisfie his owne side but you see the substance of the matter is flat against him But note what he grants further u Bellar de Pont Rom li. â— cap. 11. §. Alterum arg Peter was made the foundation of the Church by those words of Christ Mat. 16.18 vpon this Rock will I build my Church so all the Apostles were foundations and all the three wayes that Peter was First as efficient causes by founding and planting Churches some in one Country and some in another for x Rom. 15.20 Paul would not build vpon another mans foundation and y 1 Cor 3.10 he layd the foundation in Corinth and another built thereon And thus were all the Apostles equally the foundations of the Catholike Church Reuel 21.14 Secondly as materiall causes by their Doctrine first reueiled vnto them by the Lord and then taught by them in all Churches which was pure without mixture of error infallible being inspired by the holy Ghost and sufficient both for true faith and holy life whereupon the Church for euer was to rest without need of any addition And thus is the Church built equally vpon all the Apostles z Ephes 2.20 And in this Saint Peter was no greater then the rest nor
dissolving the whole frame of Ecclesiasticall Hierarchy and forme of gouernment settled by Christ was thought no lesse hurtfull then the bringing in of heresie and false doctrine by all that wrote against it and therefore they impute vnto it Heresim pestilentissimam and all such things as belong onely to Antichrist and his followers And indeed the desire of worldly wealth and honour drew on many corruptions of doctrine For when the ouer-politicke Popes found but few learned iâ—dicious men able to maintaine the truth and few potent couragious Princes able to maintaine their right against them then they fell to make their owne greatnesse wealth and honour the very rule to square out the Canons of Faith and Gouernment and then set Clerks on worke to deuise arguments to maintaine them The Church at that time abounding with rewards to quicken their wits and spurre on their diligence From this root proceeded doubtlesse the forged Donation of Constantine and the Decrees and decretall Epistles of ancient Bishops then newly brought to the knowledge of the world and neuer before seene and in these more learned Ages rejected by their owne Doctors and from this root sprung a new generation of Schoolemen moulding a new Doctrine mixed of Philosophy and divnity to amuse and amaze the world and keepe it in blindnesse and much corruption of Scriptures which now must haue no other sense then their Philosophy and the Rules of their Gouernment will giue it This desire of wealth and greatnesse brought in Image-worship which the holy Scriptures so plainly and plentifully condemne For when it might easily haue been abolished See the Histories of those times as but then creeping in and that Leo Jsaurus Emperour seeing the Sarazens take offence at Christians to abhorre and massacre them for their Images in Churches which offence Leo tooke away and burned the Images Pope Gregory the second that ought to haue Ioyned therein opposed him and tooke the hint to make the Emperour odious to all Italy as an enemy to Religion to the Saints and to their Memories And while the Emperour was weakned by the Sarazens in the East the Pope made this an occasion to make the West to reuolt from him and quickly depriued him of Italy to the great iniury of the Emperor scandall to the world and hurt to Christendome And then Image worship must be defended that had been the meanes of so much wealth to the Pope with opposing Councell to Councell Princes and learned men one against another to the great trouble of Christendome The worshipping of Images therefore did the Pope good seruice and so it doth still for it drawes multitudes of deuout people to Rome and other places with their offerings and other spendings to enrich them §. 14. But to leaue these things and come to particular doctrines held then by many otherwise then they be now by the Romans The Fathers held those bookes for Canonicall Scriptures which we now doe D. Field of the Church lib. 4. cap. 23. Appendix part 1. pag. 100. See all their allegations in D. Field lib. 4. cap. 23. and separated those from the Canon which we doe separate Namely Melito Bishop of Sardis Origen Athanasius Hilarius Nazianzen Cyril of Jerusalem Epiphanius Ruffinus Hierom Gregory and Damascene So did also many other learned men liuing in the corrupt state of the Church vnder the Papacy as Hugo de Sancto victore Richardo de Sancto victore Petrus Cluviacensis Lyranus Dionysius Carthusianus Hugo Cardinalis Thomas Aquinas Richardus Armachanus Picus Mirandula Ockam Caietan and Dredo In this point they were all Protestants and desired the reformation that we haue made That man after the Fall Field Appendix ad lib. 5. part 1. pag. 101. vntill he be restored by grace can doe nothing spiritually good or that is not sinne nor can any way dispose himselfe to a true conuersion vnto God without preuenting grace was the doctrine of S Augustine Prosper and more lately of Thomas Bradwardin Gregorius Ariminensis Cardinall Contaren and Bonaventure cited by Cassander Consult art 8. Iustification by Christs imputed righteousnesse not by our inherent was taught by S. Bernard Epist 190. Bernard Geâ—son lib. 4. de consulatione theologiae See these alleadged in my second Booke in the chapter of Iustification Assignata est homini Iustitia aliena quia caruit sua To man is assigned the righteousnesse of another because he had none of his owne And serm 61 Jn cantica And Gerson and Cardinall Contarenus and the Diuines of Colen in their Enchiridion and Antididagma and Albertus Pighius That man cannot merit any thing properly at Gods hand See D. Field Church appendix ad lib. 4. cap. 11. Scotus Ariminensis Waldensis are plaine So Pope Aâ—rian on the 4 of the Sentences cited by Cassander Consult art 6. and Clicthoveus cited there also And Bernard serm 1. in festo omnium sanctorum and oft elsewhere he saith our good workes are via regni non causa regnandi the way to heauen but not the cause meriting heauen See these Authors words cited at large in Bishop Vshers booke D. Field Church appendix part 1. pag. 103. c. And Cardinall Contarenus epist ad Cardinalem Farnesium To which adde out of Bishop Vshers answer to the Jrish Iesuite pag. 500. seq A great number more of ancient Fathers and later writers That Christs merits are to be apprehended by a liuely faith which faith is a motion of the spirit when men truely repenting of their former life are raised and lifted vp to God and doe truly apprehend the mercies of God promised in Christ and doe indeed feele in themselues an assurance that they haue receiued remission of their sinnes and reconciliation by Gods goodnâ—sse and by the merit of Christ and doe cry Abba Father Cited by Cassander consult aâ—â— 4. This is expresly deliuered in the booke exhibited by Charles the fift Emperour to the Diuines of both sides and the Diuines agreed vnto it And in the Enchiridion cited by Cassander ibid. well approoued by all the learned Diuines of Jtaly and France and by Cardinall Contarenus in his Tract of Iustification and by the Diuines of Colen in their Antididagma De duplici fiducia and by Saint Bernard serm 1. de Annuntiatione dominica The Communion in both kindes is deliuered to the people in all Churches of the world vnto this day sauing in the Roman Church and in the Roman Church it so continued for more then a thousand yeares in the solemne ordinary and publike dispensation of that Sacrament Cassander consult art 22. As Cassander sheweth and Beatus Rhenanus And it hath been called for with great earnestnesse by many Nations and Churches Rhenanus vpon Tertullian de corona militis both before and in the Councell of Trent and is still stiffely denyed by the Pope and his Prelates Against priuate Communions called priuate Masses where none of the people present receiue but the
See you that loue the Pope so well what a blessing you would bring vpon the Land by restoring his authority which our forefathers counted a burden most vntollerable Antiquus Matthy Paris is noted to take too much delight in speaking euill of the Pope and Matthy of Westminster receiued his Narrations from him and both were too much affected to their owne Countrey Antiquissimus They were both of the Romish Religion the one a Monke of Saint Albones the other a Monke of Westminster Abbey both delighted to speake the truth and spake well of the Popes wherethey saw cause and related other Countries affaires with as vpright affections as their owne Paris saith that the iniustice impiety and dishonesty beare with these words they are his owne of the Court of Rome made the Greeke Church then to fall away and to oppose it selfe against the Roman and that shortly afterwards the Church of Antioch excommunicated the Pope and his Church for vsurping primacy ouer them and being also defiled with Simony Vsury Auarice and other hainous offences And we reade the same things plentifully deliuered in all forraigne Historians Nauclere Vrspergensis Krantzius Aventinus Schasuaburgensis Frisingensis Trithenius c. Vrspergensis in Chron. pag. 307. Abbas Vrspergensis at his being at Rome seeing among other infinite meanes and mines of wealth a great confluence of causes litigious about Bishops places and all other Ecclesiasticall dignities and Parish Churches out of all Countries running to the Court of Rome there to be decided Hee applaudes Rome with the Apostrophe Reioyce O Mother Rome for vnto thee are opened the Cataracts of treasures in the earth To thee runne the Riuers and mountaines of money in great plenty Be Jouiall for the iniquity of the sonnes of men c. thou hast that which thou alwayes thirstedst after Sing thy song that by the wickednesse of men not by thine owne Religion thou hast ouercome the world Men are drawne to thee not by their deuotion or pure conscience but by perpetrating manifold mischiefes and for decision of their Controuersies to thee most gainefull Antiquus Sir suppose all you haue alleadged be true for the substance will you condemne the wisdome policy and zeale of the Church or any members thereof for the vndiscreet managing of it by some particulars Is not wisedome policy power and zeale necessary to maintaine good Doctrine good gouernment and to winne soules and must not learned men and good gouernours bee maintained with wealth befitting their estate and dignity to keepe them from contempt and pouerty are not all these things necessary Antiquissimus Yes vndoubtedly very necessary and commendable but vnder colour of necessity you may not allow policies contrary to true piety and Gods Word such as I alleadged to wit The barring of the Scriptures from Gods people to keepe them in ignorance The disanulling of the Apostles ordinance of placing preachers resident in Cities and Townes subiect to Bishops Iurisdictions who may looke to their good life and sound doctrine and instead of them to allow and priuiledge ambulatory preachers to preach what they list mauger all Bishops and their Officers Yea to instill into the peoples mindes false doctrines treasonous and rebellious practises to the disturbance and destruction of Kingdomes and Common-wealthes who finde it best fishing in troubled waters and fish not for mens soules but for Kingdomes to subiugate all to the Dominion of Râ—me or Spaine nor the gathering of wealth by wrongs or oppressions to the vndoing of people and making the Religion of GOD to stinke in their nostrils as Helies wicked sonnes did 1 Samuel Chapter 2. verse 27. Wherefore the sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Antiquus Well Sir to let this passe If you describe these polices truely they are very potent those of the society of Iesus are very learned diligent zealous and constant to endure all labours paines and perils to winne men their policies and plots are so strongly layed constantly followed wisely managed and powerfully backed with the Pope and Cardinals yea with Kings Princes and States fauouring them or tyed to the Pope by some necessitudes that they are vnresistable and therefore you may doe well to yeeld to them in good time for such wisedome strength and policy will preuaile Antiquissimus Thinke not so Antiquus This arme of flesh be it neuer so strong is too weake for the arme of the Lord. Note what is written in the Reuelation cap. 17. verse 12 13 14. The ten hornes are ten Kings these haue one minde they giue their power and strength vnto the Beast these shall make warre with the Lambe but the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings And they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull The power and policy of Babylon should not amate vs but animate vs. Chap. 2. sect 8. Reuel 18.9 to the chapters end Tu contra audentiùs ito For Babylon shal fall Reuelations chapter 18. verse 2. c. and Rome is that Babylon your men grant it as I haue shewed therefore Rome shall fall and her fall shall be wofull dolefull and irrecouerable The Kings and Merchants her friends shall bewayle her the world shall stand amazed and Gods people shall reioyce at her fall She must fall fully and finally and she hath begunne to fall already See History of the Councell of Trent pag. 4. euen when Pope Leo the tenth thought that state in greatest security then came an vnexpected blow from one contemned man Luther which shooke her foundations and since that time she hath shrunke continually and setled lower All the props of strength and policie haue not beene able to raise or hold her vp She hath all policies on her side the Protestants haue none but the plaine downe-right truth and ordinary teaching as Christ hath prescribed and yet that plaine truth hath preuailed against all her power and policies FINIS A IVSTIFICATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. The first Chapter is a full discourse of the visibility of the Church and sheweth where the Church of the Protestants was before Luthers time This Chapter is large to giue the fuller satisfaction and for better perspicuity is diuided into foure Sections The first Section sheweth how visible the true Church ought to be The second sheweth that the Protestants Church hath euermore been so visible as the true Church of Christ ought to be in the ancient Primitiue Church Greeke and Easterne Church The third section deliuereth a sufficient historical discourse of the Waldenses prouing the point The fourth section sheweth that the Church of Rome excepting the Papacy and the maintainers thereof continued to be the true Church of God vntill Luthâ—rs â—â—me and was all one in substance with ours The first section is subdiuided into subsections and they into to many smaller Paragraffes noted thus § The first subsection
perswaded to correct things manifestly amisse and to reforme themselues There needs no Counsell thoâ—e need no syllogismes there need no alleadging of places of Scripture for the quiering of these stirres of the Lutherans but there is need of good minds of loue towards God and our neighbour and of humility c. Thus writes Contarenus I might cite your Thu anus and many others that lay the fault of the diuisions rents and differences in the Church vpon your Pope and Prelats Bad Statists and worse Christians But I pray you what other differences of moment do ye finde among the Protestants Antiquus When the Diuines of the Reformed in France were called to the Mompelgart colloquy in the yeare 1586 they looked for no more differences then of our Lords Supper which you spake of but they found more of the Person of Christ of Predestination of Baptisme of Images in Churches Antiquissmus They found those fiue indeed And it was a wonderfull prouidence of God that so many seuerall Countries Kingdomes and States abandoning the abuses of the Church or rather Court of Rome and making particular Reformations in their own dominions without generall meetings and consents should haue no more nor greater differences then these And of these the first two of Christs presence in the Sacrament and of the communication of properties of the diuinity and humanity in the person of Christ are in a maner all one and reconciled both alike Concerning the two next the differences among the Fathers who notwithstanding still continued members of the same true Catholik Church may well excuse the differences among the Protestants And for the fifth difference concerning Images it proued no difference at all Both sides therin fully agreed But these are not the Tithe of the differences amongst your men and in these fiue which you reckon many of your owne men differ one from another and yet with you are good Catholiks Antiquus Happily I might insist vpon many other differences among you if I carried a minde rather to number then to weigh them But I will name onely one more the great and scandalous dissention among you about the gouernment of your Church betwixt the Bishops and Formalists on the one side and the Puritans or Separatists on the other side Antiquissimus Both these sides agree in all necessary sauing points of doctrine But in this very point of gouernment D. Field Appen first part pag. 120. first pull out the beame out of your owne eyes before you stare vpon our motes Some of your Doctors hold that the Pope is aboue Generall Councels some that he is not Some hold that the pope hath the vniuersality of all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction in himselfe Others hold the pope to be onely the Prince Bishop in order and honour before other which are equall in commission with him and at the most but as the Duke of Venice among the Senators of that State Some hold that the pope may erre Iudicially Others that the pope cannot erre Iudicially Some hold the pope to be temporall Lord of al the world Others hold that he is not so Some hold that though the pope be not temporall Lord of the world yet in ordine ad spiritualia he may dispose of the Kingdome of the world Others hold that the pope may not meddle with Princes States in any wise §. 5. Antiquus The differences among Protestants you say are not great but I am sure their dissentions are great bitter scandalous and odious while they write most virulent inuectiues one against another damne one another most grieuously for their different doctrine without shew of any touch of Christan mortification or moderation Antiquissimus Those that do so are much to blame It is farre from mee to defend them Yet you know sometimes very holy and well mortified men may happen into strange contentions euen for smal matters Saint Paul and Barnabas appointed by the Holy Ghost to ioyne for the worke of the ministry in planting Churches among the Gentiles Acts 13.2 which they did very laboriously cheerefully with good successe and though they suffered persecution in doing it yet were comfortably deliuered and allwayes found God who had sent them present to protect and blesse them and afterwards they were sent by the Church to Ierusalem to the Apostles and elders Acts 15.1 2. about questions that troubled the Church and by the whole Councell of Apostles they were sent againe Iointly to the Churches of Antioch Syria and Cilicia and other Nations to giue them notice of the decrees of the Councell to direct and confirme the brethren now hauing deliuered their message and done their businesse imposed at Antioch and were so to go forward to Syria and Cilicia They fell to contention and for a matter of no great moment to wit Barnabas would haue Iohn to goe with them and Paul refused him the contention grew so sharp that they parted company and went seuerall wayes See how flesh and blood boyled in these good mens hearts Euen in those mens hearts whom God had made speciall choyce of and Ioyned them together for his most especiall and extraordinary workes vpon whom the Church of God after fasting and prayer had laid their hands and separated them to goe Ioyntly together about that holy busines who had power to doe many miracles and extraordinary workes Acts 15. who made report of the wonderfull successe which God gaue them in conuerting the Gentiles to the great admiration and consolation of the Apostles whom the Apostles sent againe with their decrees to the Churches euen these holy men fell out for a light cause and parted company Haply some man might say Are these to be accounted truely mortified and holy men who were carried away with such a humor of pride and sâ—lfe will that neither of them would yeeld to other are these guided by the spirit of God the spirit of peace loue concord humility are these fit to teach others that cannot ouerrule their owne passions or haue they no part of the spirit of God but are men ouerborne with haughtinesse wilfullnesse stubbornesse vnfit for men of this profession able to make men vtterly distaste and abhorre whatsoeuer they preach Thus would some men gather out of this action But Saint Paul a chosen vessell yet still an earthen vessel who knew well he had his cracks and his flawes himselfe gathereth another thing 2 cor 4.6 2 Cor. 4.6 God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Chirst But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of vs. Secondly At the first Councell of Nice many Churchmen offred vp to the Emperor Constantine Bills of Complaint one against another Zozomen hist lib. 1. cap. 16. which the Emperor tooke very ill and said this was worse then
hath beene so that no such errours and heresies haue come into it §. 6. Antiquissimus Yes euen in S. Pauls time Abuses began in the Roman Church as well as in the Corinthian Galatian and others Whereof S. Paul giues another Caueat chap. 16. verse 17 18. I beseech you Brethren saith he Marke them which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyde them For they which are such serue not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceiue the hearts of the simple And verse 19 though he praise them yet he addeth But J would haue you wise vnto that which is good and simple or harmelesse concerning euill and he prayeth God to establish them verse 25. Antiquus All this yet prooues not that euer any such errours preuailed in the Church of Rome to the defacing or corrupting the soundnesse thereof §. 7. Antiquissimus But the Ancient Fathers and the Histories of the Church doe proue it Hieronymus contra Luciferianos Basil epist 69. As namely in the Arrian heresie whereby the Church of Rome together with the rest of the world was maruellously both defaced and corrupted that both in the members and in the head Whereof S. Jerom wrote that the whole world groned and wondered that it was become Arrian And S. Basil that men abandoned the houses of Prayer which then were made schooles of Impiety and were faine to pray to the Lord in Desarts And S. Hilary admonished in many words that the Church at that time was not to be sought Jn tectis exteriori pompa sed potius in carceribus speluncis in Houses or Temples and outward pompe but rather in Prisons and Caues Bellar De Pont. Rom. lib. 4. câ—p 9. initio Bellarm. in that Booke reckons 40. Popes accused of errours and heresies whom he labours to excuse but confesseth most of them guilty in one degree or other And when Liberius Bishop of Rome himselfe was drawne to subscribe to the Arrian heresie yeelded to the condemnation of Athanasius and communicated with Valens and Vrsarius whom he knew to be Hereticks As Bellarmine confesseth Antiquus This was a heauy time and a heauy thing it is to heare it yet in good time the Church of Rome recouered §. 8. Antiquissimus But the Scripture mentioneth another defection of Rome which will neuer be recouered For your Roman Doctors cannot auoyd it but Babylon in the 17 and 18 of the Reuelation signifieth Rome chap. 17.9 The seuen heads are seuen mountaines on which the woman sitteth and verse 18. The woman which thou sawest is the great City which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth These two properties of the City situate vpon seuen hils and also raigning ouer the Kings of the earth doe manifestly describe the City of Rome and none other as it was in S. Johns time when the Reuelation was giuen Your owne Iesuite Ribera Doctor of Diuinity and Professor in the Vniuersity of Salmantica in his Commentaries vpon the Apocalyps chap. 14. verse 8 Num. 25. sequentib shewes plainely that Babylon can signifie nothing else but the City of Rome he cites many testimonies of the Fathers for it Hee cites also Sixtus Senensis and Bellarmine to bee of the same opinion and many other late Writers and concludes with these words Vt alios hujus aetatis scriptores omittam hoc dicam Ambrosius qui prius negaverat tandem in cap. 17. veritate conuictus Babylonem Romam significare confessus est Huic conveniunt aptissime omnia quae de Babylone dicuntur in hoc libro Apocalypscos and this he shewes at large in many particulars The like hath Viegas another Iesuite Viega in Apoc. 17. com 1. sect 4. pag. 772. Rhemist annot on Apoc. 17.9 scoffe at vs. so Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 2. Parsons 3. conuersions part 2. cap. 5. v. Bishop Reformed Cath. Doctor also of Diuinity and Reader in two Vniuersities of Portugall Conimbrica and Ebora And your Rhemish though they scoffe at the Protestants for interpreting Babylon to be Rome in Reuel 17.5 yet presently after they are forced themselues to confesse that Babylon signifies the City of Rome but they shift all from the Pope to the persecuting Emperours and apply the propheticall discourse to the times of S. Iohn the Writer principally as a type of the place wheresoeuer it be where Antichrist shall sit towards the end of the world But Ribera and Viegas proue plainly that S. Johns description agreeth to Rome towards the end of the world when Rome shall be the feat of Antichrist and shall be finally fully and irrecouerably destroyed according to the plaine words of Reuel 18. verse 2 8 21 c. Ribera pag. 454. saith Roma nisi pristinam illam impietatem of Idolatry and persecutions vnder the Emperours novis sceleribus immanibus peccatis aequatura esset maneret vsque ad finem seculi extremum Etenim non propter priora tantum peccata cam conflagraturam esse magno incendio vt ante diximus sed etiam propter illa quae extremis illis temporibus commissura est ex huius Apocalypsis verbis adeo perspicuè cognoscimus vt ne stultissimus-quidem negare possit Rome saith Ribera should doubtlesse continue to the end of the world if it did not match the old Impiety of the Emperours with new impieties and grieuous sinnes For we plainly learne that it shall be destroyed with that great consuming fire not for the former sins onely as we said before but for those sinnes which it shall commit in the last times yea wee learne it so plainly out of the words of this Reuelation that surely the veriest foole cannot deny it §. 9. Antiquus Indeed these learned Roman Doctors are plaine and powerfull in prouing this Mysticall Babylon described in the Reuelation can signifie no place but Rome and that it must be the seat of Antichrist towards the later end of the world But the same Doctors say also that Antichrist and the Pope are two diuerse things yea contrary one to the other as also that the Church of Rome and City of Rome are diuerse things and further that Antichrist is not yet come neither shall he come vntill three yeares and a halfe before the last day Reuel 11.3 12.6 14. 13.5 as they gather out of the prophesie of Daniel and the Reuelation by the 1260 dayes which make 42 moneths and a time times and halfe a time Hieronym in Daniel 9. Antiquissimus S. Ierom vnderstood those prophesies of the destruction of Ierusalem to which they maruellously agree and to the raigne of Antichrist it is very vnlikely they should agree * See B. Downam de Antichristo part 2. ad Demonstrat 13 §. 5. c. K. Iames his Praemonition pag. 60. seqq But your men haue reason to keepe off this deadly blow from themselues and their head Note their shifts
him might answerably maintaine him vphold his authority and all his proceedings with the disgrace and beating downe of all his or their aduersaries §. 2. See Hist concil Trent lib. 2. pag. 167. 169. 170. an 1546. lib. 4. pag. 322. This course was found to be very hurtfull to the Church and was complained of by many learned men in the following Ages and in the late Councell of Trent Reformation thereof was very earnestly called for by many Bishops especially the Spanish as a thing that vtterly abolished the Apostles Institution and the holy Fathers practise took away the Bishops office and was the cause why all things were out of order and so had growne by degrees from bad to worse for three hundred yeeres Neither was it possible to amend them wh le these ambulatory Monkes and Fryars did so swarme in the world with priuiledge to preach where and what they list against the Bishops willes Vpon such great and frequent complaints in Trent Ibid. pag. 170. the pope and Cardinals at Rome tooke the matter into their consideration and they quickly saw that if these exemptions and priuiledges of preaching Monkes and Fryers were taken away the popes authority would decay For it was a cleare case that after the six hundredth yeare the primacy of the Apostolicke Sea had beene vpheld by the Benedictine Monkes exempted and after by the Congregations of Clunie and Cistercium and other Monasticall Assemblies vntill the Mendicant Fryars arose by whom it had beene maintained till that time And therefore to take away those priuiledges were directly to oppugne the Papacy with a manifest depression of the Court of Rome These motions therefore were by all possible meanes to be silenced Note by the way something of the Monkes here named and the Ages they liued in §. 3. Tritem de viris illustr ord Benediclini lib. 1. cap. 2. 5. Tritemius writes that of the Benedictines there were before the Councell of Constance 15000 Religious houses and that out of this order there had beene taken of Popes eighteene Cardinals one hundred and eighty Archbishops one thousand one hundred sixty foure Bishops three thousand fiue hundred and twelue by which you may gesse at the multitudes power estimation and authority that this order had in the world Azor. instit moral lib. 12. c. 21. Azorius saith when this order grew slacke and swarued from their first rule the Cluniacenses arose out of them an 913. And the Câ—sternienses anno 1198. And these were they that vpheld the Papacy so notably in those middle times of darkenesse when all Learning both Diuine and Humane yea and almost all goodnesse was decayed out of the world and ignorant men were apt to beleeue any thing and take it for currant and authenticall which their seeming-holy Church-men taught being no way able to examine the truth thereof §. 4. Legend Aur. Iacobi de Voragine in vita Dominici c. Also in vita Dominici addita Lipomano De historia Sanctorum These things they say were made knowne to diuers deuout Monkes by Visions or Reuelations whereof Iacobus de Voragine Bishop of Genua reciteth some In legenda S. Dominici But in succeeding times when the worlds eyes were better opened and the opposers of the Papacy specially the Waldenses or Albigenses grew to greater numbers and strength Innocent 3. hit vpon better meanes against them by the two orders of begging Fryers newly deuised by S S. Dominick and Francis There is a wicked and prophane story which I thought the learned of this Age had beene ashamed of but that I find it new written againe by Costerus the Iesuite in the Preface of his Institutions how that Iesus Christ was in a great chafe that the Albigenses increased so fast and seemed to ouercome the world so that he said he would presently destroy the world But the holy Virgin his Mother prayed him to be patient a while that she might first send two men into the world S. Dominicke and S. Francis and if they could ouercome them all should be well if not then let him take his pleasure They write also that Dominicus hauing deuised a new order against Heretickes better then any former came to pope Innocent 3. to haue it confirmed The pope in some suspence whether to grant or deny it one night saw in his dream the great church of Lateran shrinking in his ioynts and ready to finke to the earth whereat affrighted he thought he saw Dominick presently come and hold it vp with his shoulders Vpon which vision he confirmed his new order Thus writes Vincentius in Speculo histor Antoninus Theodoricus Bertrandus Bonav de vita Francisci cap. 3. in fine apud Lipomanum Baptista Mantuanus But Bonaventure saith It was Saint Francis that held vp the Church See Bishop Vsher De successu Ecclesiae cap 9. § 9 10. Howsoeuer it is certaine they that wrote and they that beleeued these stories had a strong conceit that these two Orders were magnae spes altera Romae Strong successiue props to vphold the Maiesty of the Papacy And so they were many wayes 1 by their multitude for they quickly spread ouer the face of the earth some say Chawcer in the wife of Bathes tale as thicke as the Locusts darkning the ayre Reuel 9 or as Chawcer saith as thicke as motes in the Sunne Beame 2 By their credit and estimation among the people for they were receiued and admired as most holy men vowing pouerty forswearing riches lands or other worldly goods for Christs sake contented with their Houses Gardens and Orchards liuing on Almes begged or brought to them simply cloathed with ropes for their girdles and preaching very diligently in all places specially quaint Tales and Legends delighting the people But the sense of their credit made them vntolerably audacious See these things at large in Mat. Paris pag 404. and 673. And in B. Vsher De Eccles cap. 9. §. 14. seq in vilifying all ordinary Ministers of the Gospell creeping into and vsurping their Offices and magnifying themselues as the onely men of Gods priuy Councell full of inspirations and Reuelations they onely knew how to distinguish lepram à lepra one sinne from another how to open hard and knotty questions resolue all doubts giue true penance and absolution c. And they kept bookes of the names of all theit Clients that chose them to be their Confessors and counsellours and by such deuises drew infinite store of people and much wealth after them whereby they built very stately houses like Kings Palaces and professing pouerty abounded with all wealth and superfluity and so robbed the ordinary Ministers of their maintenance and brought them into such contempt and pouerty that they made grieuous complaints thereof to the Emperour Pope and Cardinals in which complaints some Bishops ioyned with them Yea the famous Vniuersity of Paris complained to the Popes of their wrongs also but all in vaine for
more infallible Thirdly as formall causes by their gouenment for all the Apostles were Capita Rectores Pastores Ecclesiae Vniuersae Heads Gouernors and Pastors of the Church Vniuersall Antiq. This Bellarmine saith indeed but he addes a difference in this third point the other were onely heads as Apostles and Legats but Peter as the ordinary Pastor they had fulnesse of power yet so as Peter was their head and they depended vpon him not hee on them Antiquiss What Bellarmine yeelds and proues against his owne side wee may well take as true and wrested from him by the euidence of the truth This last which hee addes in fauour of his side hee onely saith but proues not as behoued him For how depended the Apostles more on Peter then hee on them where doe we reade that euer hee appointed enioyned limited or reâ—â—rained any of them or shewed any authority ouer them but contrarily a Acts 11. Wee reade that he was censured by them and caused to giue an account of his actions Act. 11. b Gal â— And that hee was reproued to his face and openly by St. Paul who protested also that hee was not inferiour to St. Peter neither receiued they ought from him And further euen c lib. 4 depoâ—t Rom. cap. 23. Bellarmine himselfe saith they were all equall in the Apostleship which they râ—ceiued equally of Christ immediately and none of them of Peter as he proueth against many d Cardinalis Turrecremata Dominicus Iacobatius c. great men of his owne side in a whole chapter of set purpose e ibid. For the better to make all the Clergy depend vpon Peter though many succeed the other Apostles many great Catholikes hold that the Apostles receiued not their authority and iurisdiction of Christ immediately but Saint Peter only and all the rest of Saint Peter which f ib. Bellarmine soundly confutes both by Scriptures and Fathers shewing that Christ himselfe gaue them all parem potestatem equall power that not Peter but Christ himselfe did chuse Matthias by Lot at the instant prayer of the Apostles that Paul was an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Gal. 1.1 c. All which makes for the equality of Peter with the rest and not for his superiority ouer them Antiq. Yet surely he holdeth the same Supremacy which other Catholikes hold though he think it cannot be grounded so firmely vpon these places Antiquis You may well imagine he giues not ouer without much compulsion and reluctation these castles and holds which other great Captaines with all their power and policy held and maintained §. 7. But there is one poore castle more which hee laboureth to hold though very weakely that is in Iohn 21.15 Bellar. de Rom. pontif l. 1. c. 12 â— vt autem See D. Field Church book â— chap 22. where it appeareth saith hee that Christ gaue more to Saint Peter then to the other Apostles for hee said vnto him Louest thou mee more then these and then addes Feed my sheepe To him that loued more he gaue more to wit the care of his whole Flocke euen the care ouer his brethren Apostles making him generall Pastor ouer them also for there can no cause or reason be imagined saith Bellarmine why vpon Peters answere of his singular loue aboue the rest Christ should singularly say to him Pasce oues meas if he gaue him not something aboue the rest To which we say the Fathers shew another cause or reason Peter had denied Christ more then the rest and being forgiuen was to loue more then the rest Luk. 7.43.47 and therefore Christ vrged him singularly by thrice asking Louest thou mee Cyril super Ioan. lib. 12. cap. 64. Augustin tract in Ioan. 123. See this largely handled betwixt Raynolds Hart. p. 135. seq answerable to his three denials to performe the office enioyned in generall to all the Apostles So saith Cyril Because he denyed him thrice at his Passion therefore there is a threefold confession of loue required of him and so the glosse and Saint Augustine saith A threefold confession answereth to a threefold negation that the tongue may expresse as much in loue as it did in feare And so in very truth Christs words were rather a stay of Peters weakenesse then a marke of his worthinesse or a proofe of his supremacy Thus we haue the onely place of Scripture whereupon Bellarmine insisteth of performance and bestowing supremacy particularly vpon Peter Bellarmin saith De iustifâ—t 3. c. 8. initio Non potest aliquid certum esse certitudine fidei nisi aut immediate contineatur in verho Dei aut ex verbo Dei per euidentem consequentiam deducatur c. and that not a plaine and euident place of Scripture or by deduction of euident reason such as necessary points of diuinity should haue but onely their owne infirme and vnsound interpretation a poore and weake ground of so great a building The transcendent supremacy of the Pope of Rome ouer the whole Church of Christ and the many Doctrines and practises that depend thereupon haue no other ground in Scripture but this their owne conceited and forced interpretation of this place Peter louest thou mee more then these Feed my sheepe that is Take thou authority more then these to make thy successors aboue all theirs heads of the vniuersall Church with such power as themselues shall list to take or exercise Antiq. I cannot but ingenuously confesse this inference to be weake indeed and it doth much amaze me and makes me quake and stagger to consider how confidently I haue beene perswaded that the Scripture is most plaine and euident for the Popes supremacy and now to see that nothing of any moment can thence be alleadged for it §. 8. Isa chus Casaubonus excrcitatio ad Baronium Epist dedic pag. 19. Luk. 22.25 26. Gasper Scioppius in Ecclesiastico suo ex pos cap. 47 Is not this quidlibet e quolibet or rather Contrarium é contrario Antiquis By such alleadging of Scriptures they may make quidlibet è quolibet make any substance of any shadow The learned Frenchman Casaubon wonders at them Pasce oues meaâ— that is as Baronius interprets it Supremum in ecclesia dominium tibi assere Feed my sheepe that is Take to thy selfe the highest dominion in the Church or as Bellarmine Regis more impera Rule and command after the manner of Kings as if he would of set purpose contradict Christs words The kings of Nations exercise dominion ouer them but yee shall not doe so Nay further and more strangely Gaspen Scioppius saith that Christ by those words hath taken away Kings power and dominion ouer the Nations and forbidden it to be exercised among Christians and hath established that infinite power in the Pope ouer Princes by this and such like places of Scripture The pious world wonders at the Popes challenge to be the highest Iudge
Sacra Scriptura est Regula credendâ— certissima tutissimaque saith Bellarmine i Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 1. c. 2. § quare cuÌ„ The Scripture is the most certaine and safe rule of Faith and Spiritus dominatur in conscientijs fidelium The holy Spirit rules in the faithfuls consciences making them all to submit to the word of God and though disioyned in Nations Lawes and Languages yet still to consent in the substantiall points of reformed Religion and constantly to suffer for them in persecution which vnity is not wrought by any Kingdome inter nos among vs such as the Pope assumeth but by Christs Kingdome intra nos within vs ruling our hearts by his Word and Spirit which Kingdome hee saith is not of this world but meerely spirituall and diuine §. 3. But now as if Gods truth stood need of our shadowed lies to maintaine it or that humane policy could deuise better means for the gouernment of Gods Church then either he by his own prouidence hath prescribed or the Ancient Primitiue Church practised or else which is the truth because there are some newer doctrines and practises to be maintained neither imposed by God nor able to stand of themselues we forsooth must deuise to set vp a man as blinde and corrupt as our selues and attribute vnto him infallibility in iudgment and vnbounded iurisdiction in gouernment which neither Scripture Fathers nor any reason doth giue him and by him we must suffer our selues to bee ledde blindefold in a conceit of greater peace and vnity than the Truth and Gods Spirit at first afforded which is a meere dreame and not onely a carnall but a most deceiuable policy and no better than the Priests of Antichrist may plot in being content to yeeld themselues to the whole guiding of their wicked Master and attribute vnto him infallibility of iudgement without ground or reason §. 4. That the Popes infallibility and iurisdiction haue no ground in the Scriptures or Fathers I haue shewed before with many reasons against them both Now since you vrge the profit thereof I will shew you the vnprofitablenesse and the intollerable inconuenience thereof to the Church Princes and Common-wealthes Antâ—q If you can doe so you shall goe beyond my expectation Antiquis I haue done it in part already See before book 1. cap. 5. §. 3 5 c. when I shewed you how the Popes earthly kingdome erected and maintained by many vniustifiable practises and polices spoyleth Christs heauenly Kingdome and robbeth earthly kingdomes of wealth peace comfort and many other blessings as by exempting all the Clergy both their persons goods and lands from the gouernment right or maintenance of secular Princes and Magistrates By making the Pope superiour to Emperours and Kings to depose them and dispose of their Kingdomes to others if he thinke it good for the Church and to that end freeing subiects from their sworne fidelity and arming them against their Soueraignes A doctrine fruitfull of treasons and rebellions Ib. sect 7. By dispensing and dissoluing oathes couenants and leagues and all other bonds and sinewes of humane society peace and security Ib. sect 8 9. By dispensing with Gods Lawes in matrimoniall causes and in other matters of great moment Ib. cap. 6. per totum As also by many hurtfull policies to maintaine this power depriuing Gods people of Gods word and authorizing Monks and Friers to preach where they list without controule of Bishops corrupting diuinity by Schoolmens subtilties Iesuits Statists and Incendiaries and many other deuices to draw to their faction the Wealth and Soueraignty of the word Meditate and consider well of that which then I declared and you will be satisfied that a number of things in the Papacy practised are most vnprofitable to the Church and vntollerable to Princes and Common-wealths §. 5. But to satisfie the more thorowly I will shew you some examples Hildebrand who as Onuphrius saith first set vp the Popes princedome made himselfe Pope by help of the Diuell so he was accused by a Synod a Trithem chroÌ„ Hirsaugiens an 1081. Auentin annal Boior l. 5. Marian chroÌ„ l. 3. an 1081 c of 30. Bishops of Italy France and Germany and by the ayd of armed men with some few of the Clergy and furthered by the great riches of Maud a powerful Gentlewoman of Italy his familiar friend without either the b Carlt. iurisd cap. 7. §. 103. Benno Naucler generat 36. This story I collect out of those histories and our learned men K. Iames BB Iewel Morton Carlton Bilson Vshâ—â— c. Emperours consent or the Cardinals hee called his name Gregory the seuenth Being now warme in the Popes Chayre he cites the Emperour Henry the fourth anno 1076. to appeare and answere in a Synod at Rome to crimes obiected against him vpon paine of present deposition Henry cals a Synod at Wormes where all the Teutonick Bishops except the Saxons renounce Hildebrand from being Pope and to their decree the German and French Bishops and most of the Italian Bishops assembling at Papia subscribed taking their oathes neuer to obey him more as Pope With this decree Caesar sends his letters to Hildebrand renouncing him and pronouncing him deposed from the Popedome The letters and deposition were deliuered in a Synod at Rome whereupon Ioannes Portuensis episcopus rushed vp and cried out Capiatur let him bee taken at which word the Prefect of the City and souldiers were at point to take and slay him in the Church But he stoutly catching vp a sword and calling vpon the name of Peter Prince of the Apostles with solemne words cursed the Emperour depriued him of his Empire absolued all Christians from their oath of fidelity made vnto him and forbade them to obey him as King And this was the first time that euer any Emperour or King was pronounced deposed by the Pope and subiects set free from their Alleagiance as c See Onuphrius cited before Booke 1. cap. 4. §. 9 10. Vrspergens fol. 226. B. Carlton Iurisd c. 7. §. 105. Malmsburiensis hist in Willm primo Angl. Reg. Otho Frising in vita Henrici 4. l. 4. c. 31. B. Vsher De Eccles succes cap. 5. §. 6. Onuphrius and many other historians say This Emperor Henry saith Vrspergensis was valiant and fought 62. set battles in number surpassing M. Marcellus and Iulius Caesar of whom the one fought 30. the other 50. This fact of Hildebrand opened all mens mouthes with outcries against him calling him Antichrist and that by deuising fables corrupting histories abusing Scriptures through his headlong ambition hee sought the rule of the world vnder the title of Christ and played the rauening wolfe in sheepes cloathing spoyling all religious piety raysing warres seditions rapes murders periuries and all euils Thus cryed the world saith Auentine Meane season Hildebrand prosecuting the deposition of Henry stirred vp the Saxons against him offring to make them Kings of the whole West besides