iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome ANd first to begin with the Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction of the Bishop of that Sea which they affirme at this day to extend it selfe not only ouer all nations kingdomes and prouinces of the world but also ouer al estates degrées synods and assemblies of men When the disciples contended amongst themselues Mat. 18. Mar. 9. Luke 9. who should be the greatest good occasion was offered vnto our Sauiour if he had intended any such Hierarchie or supremacie then by shewing whom he would aduaunce to that dignitie for euer to haue decided this question But as one intending no such matter hée perswadeth them rather in perfect humilitie and lowlinesse of mind one to goe before another In deed after his resurrection hee gaue them commission saying Go into all the world teaching all nations c. but no where nor at any time did hee say to them or any of them Goe to Rome Antioch or Hierusalem and be thou intituled or installed there for Bishop that thou mayest be prince of Priests supreme heade of the Church my vicar vppon earth not to bee iudged of any hauing all knowledge of Scriptures lawes within thy breast and that I giue to thée I will also tie and binde my selfe by promise to giue to all those shall in that place succéede thée And as Christ no where gaue any such prerogatiue to any of his disciples aboue the rest so did none of them euer vsurpe or take vpon them any such matter Yea the Apostle Peter was so farre from chalenging vnto himselfe any such prerogatiue aboue his felow Apostles that he did not onely giue the right hand of felowship to Paul Gal. 2. but also was content to be reprooued by him And as for the Church of Rome there was no more respect had vnto it in olde time as appeareth euidently by the testimonie of Pope Pius the second Ex Epist Pij secundi 301 theÌ„ to other churches But euery Church was then ruled by his owne gouernance till the yéere of our Lord 3â—0 Anno. 340. Then folowed the CouÌ„cel of Nice wherein was decréed not that the Bishop of Rome should be vniuersal Bishop chiefe priest of the worlde prince of the Church or any such matter but that the whole vniuersitie of Christs Church which was now farre spred ouer all the world Ex concil Nicen. should be distinguished in foure prouinces or precincts whereof euery one should haue his head church and chiefe bishop called then Metropolitane to haue the ouersight of such Churches as did lie about him In the nuÌ„ber of which patriarches or Metropolitanes the bishop of Rome had the first place not for any dignity of the person of him that then was bishop or of him that succéeded or of him whoÌ„ he is said to succeed but onely in the place wherein he did sit Ex Concil Calc ca. 2â— as most plainly may be proued by the Councel of Calcedon which saith Our fathers did worthily attribute the chiefe degrée of honor to the sea of old Rome because the principall raigne or emperie was in that city The same also is confirmed by Euseb Caesariensis Ex Gabriel Bicl lect 25. declaring that the excellencie of the Romane Emperie did aduance the Popedom of the Romane Bishop aboue other Churches Moreouer the said Caesar saith the councell of Nice gaue this priuiledge to the Bishop of Rome that like as the king of the Romanes is named Emperor aboue other kings so the bishop of the same city of Rome should be called pope aboue other bishops Thus although the B. of Rome for the dignity excellency of that city had the first place giueÌ„ to him this was don by maÌ„s authoritie not by the authoritie of God And all this notwithstanding he had no more nor greater authority theÌ„ the other Metropolitans but euery of the 4. had his peculiar circuit and precinct to him peculiarly apointed Ex Concil Constant cap. 36. in such sort as one of them should not deale within anothers precinct and also that there should be among theÌ„ equalitie of honor Whervpon we reade so oft in the decrées of the old couÌ„cels equal degrée of thrones and of honours amongst Priestes and ministers And againe speaking of the said Patriarkes Conc. Con. cap. 2.3 or Primates we reade in the Councell of Constantinople that Bishops should not inuade the dioces of others without their borders nor confound togither Churches The old doctors also for the most best sort of them accord in one sentence that all Bishops placed wheresoeuer in the Church of God be of one merit of like honor and all to be successours together of the Apostles For S Hierome sayth plainly Omnes Episcopi pares haeredes sunt sedis Apostolicae That is Al Bishops are equall and are the heires of the Apostolicall sea And by examples he sheweth that the Bishop of a small towne hath like authoritie as a Bishop of a great citie And that if one Bishop be higher or lower then another it is because one Bishoprike is richer or poorer then another otherwise they are all the successors of the Apostles For this cause when Victor which was Bishop of Rome Anno 200. Anno. 200 went about to excommunicate the East Churches for the obseruation of Easter day hée was not permitted by Ireneus so to doe Also when Boniface the first required of the Bishops of Carthage to sende vp their appellations to the Church of Rome he was not only denied thereof Con. Cart. 6 but also the learned and godly men of Carthage assembling themselues in a Councell to the number of 217 Bishops made a publike decrée that none out of that countrie shoulde make anie appeale ouer the sea Yea the fathers in that Councell by their letters exhorted the Bishops of Rome that he would not induce the swelling pride of the worlde into the Church of Christ which sheweth and giueth the light of simplicitie and humilitie to such as loue to sée God c. And after this about the yéere of our Lord 583. Anno. 583. When Ioannes Bishop of Constantinople went about to establish that proude title of vniuersall Bishop to the sea of Constantinople the Bishop of Rome that then was Ex Palagi 20. dsti 99. cap. nullus Ex Anton. tit 12. cap. 3. called Pelagius the second his next successour Gregorie the first were so farre off either from giuing vnto the Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople that proud title or from chalenging it to themselues that when it was offered by certaine Bishops vnto Gregorie hée refused it saying none of my predecessours were so arrogant as to vsurpe this proude title calling it newe foolish proude peruerse wicked prophane such as to consent vnto it is as much as to denie the fayth Yet for all this there is no one thing for the which the Bishops of this later Church of Rome doe more egerly fight and contende
ordeined and so doth the holy Church of Rome hold And as the whole congregation did communicate together so also did they participate in both kindes for so Christ commāded the Apostles euery where taught De cōsecra dist 2. cap. cōperimus and the old Catholike fathers bishops followed And if any did otherwise as Gelasius saith hee was counted to commit sacriledge And it was not admitted in a strange language which the congregation vnderstoode not but in a vulgar common speach that it might be vnderstoode of all as is witnessed by S. Paul who cōmanded that al things should bee done in the Church to edifying but what edifying can bee there where the people knowe not what is said Euseb lib. 4. de vita Cōstant And for this cause godly Constantine caused the Scriptures to be placed in a legible hand in Churches And Iustinian in his 127 constitution ordeyned that all Bishops and Ministers should sound out their seruice and celebrate the mysteries not after a secrete maner but with a loud voice so as they might not onely be heard but also vnderstoode of the faithfull people which could not bee if they had spoken in an vnknowen tongue Herevnto might be added the testimonie of Hierome Augustin and others but for breuitie sake wee will rest vpon the testimonie of Innocentius the third Innocent 3. offi iud ord c. quo◠niam who saith Because in many partes within one citie and dioces much people of diuerse tongues are mixed togither hauing vnder one faith diuerse rites and maners we straitly cōmand that the Bishops of those cities or dioces prouide sufficient men which according to the diuersitie of rites and tongues may celebrate among them the holy functions minister the ecclesiasticall sacraments instructing them by word and also by example Yea and this they did also without lifting ouer the priests head or worshipping or knéeling or knocking their breasts or any such like thing Only giuing thanks for the benefite of their redemption praying vnto God for his continuall fauour and grace towardes them Platina in vita Sexti As Platina in the life of Sextus witnesseth of the Apostle Peter that he ministred the celebration of the Cōmunion onely with the Lords prayer As for the new found deuise terme of transsubstantiation it was not in the primitiue time nor many yéeres after til the councell of Lateran 1059. as Erasmus testifieth saying The Church hath latelye defined transubstantiation A long time it was sufficient to beléeue the true bodie of Christ to be present Li. annota 1. Cor. cap. 7 either vnder the bread or any other way Lib. senten 4. Likewise Iohn Duns speaking of the words of institution sayth These wordes of Scripture might be expounded more easily and more plainly without transubstantiation But the church did chuse this sense which is harder being thereto moued as séemeth chiefly because men should holde of the Sacraments the same which the Church of Rome doth hold And after in the same place hee expounding himselfe more plainely maketh mention of Pope Innocent the third and of the councell of Lateran For our Sauiour when hee instituted that mysterie meant not by chaunging the elements of bread into his bodie or of wine into his blood to worke a myracle but by ordaining a Sacrament to leaue a perpetuall memorie of his death till his comming againe Ambros in Io. cap. 6. And therefore saith S. Ambrose the bread and wine are both the same things they were before and also changed into another Meaning they are the same they were before in nature and substance and changed in respect of vse and propertie And Gelasius saith De sacra li. 4. cap. 4. the substāce of bread or the nature of wine cease not to be And Theodoret. After sanctification In Dialog 1. 2. the mysticall simboles or pledges loose not their owne proper nature for they remaine in their former substance figure and forme In sermo ad infantis And Augustine That which you sée is bread and the cup which also your eyes shew you but as touching that which your faith requireth to bee instructed in the bread is the body of Christ De consecr dist 2. cap. qui manducat and the cup his blood And Origen That bread which is sanctified by the word of God in respect of the matter or substance entreth into the bellie and is cast into the draught And Christ himselfe not onely after the consecration but also after the communication sayth Luke 22. I will drinke no more of the fruite of the vine Now the fruit of the vine is wine and not blood And in speaking thus we derogate nothing from the Lordes supper neither doe wee make it a bare signe as some falsly slaunder vs. For we affirme and teach that Christ is truly present in his Sacraments in Baptisme that wee might put him on in his Supper that by faith spiritually we might eate him and through his death passion might obteine euerlasting life For although wee rent not Christ in péeces with our téeth yet we possesse him in faith mind and soule and therfore when we come vnto the Lords table we haue not our mindes fixed vpon the creatures but lift vp our mindes thither where Christ our true and onely foode is And so the councell of Nice commandeth saying Haue not your minds basely fastned on the bread and wine And Chrysost writeth saying we call the body of Christ a carkas and we must be Egles that we may know how we must mount a loft if we wil come vnto the body of Christ for this table is for Eagles and not for Iayes And Cyprian this bread is the food of the mind not of the belly And Augu. in another place saith how shall I hold him as absent how shal I thrust vp my hand into heuen that I might hold him sitting there He answereth send vp thy faith and thou hast holden him But for these our new found Romanists affirm and teach Christs body flesh blood and bones as he was borne crucified and buried to be in their little round cake Therfore they worship it they offer it they eate it or else they close it fast in a Pixe Where if it corrupt and putrifie before it be eaten then they burne it to powder and ashes And notwithstāding they know right wel by the scriptures that the body of Christ can neuer corrupt or putrifie yet will they néeds make it the body of Christ burne all them for heretikes which with them wil not beleue that which is against the Christian beliefe The xvj Chapter Of Matrimonie MAtrimonie which is the cōiunction or coupling together of man woman in an holy league inseparably to cleaue one to the other to liue togither in perfect loue and vnitie according to Gods ordināce in old time w not only counted an honorable high estate as may appeare by
as may appeare not onely by the decrée of Boniface the eight wherein he commaundeth euery man vpon paine of damnation not onely to beléeue but also to be subiect to the primacie or supreme authoritie of the Bishope But also by that they doe euery where burne those for heretikes which acknowledge not the same The seuenth Chapter Howe the Bishops of Rome in olde time were subiect to ciuill Magistrates AND as in olde time the Bishops of Rome kept themselues within the bounds limits of their own prouince and precinct so were they also as wel as all other ecclesiastical persons subiect to their Emperors lawful magistrates yea and that not onely in causes ciuill but also in ecclesiasticall gouernement Gregorius surnamed Magnus was subiect to Mauritius called him Lord saying you were then my Lord when you were not Lorde of the whole Empire Gregor ad Mauritium August lib. Epist 3. Epist 61. behold Christ himselfe shall make you answer by me which am his most simplest seruant and yours And before him Eleutherius his predecessor bishop of Rome writing to Lucius king of this realme calleth him by the name of Christs vicar Boniface also the first by humble supplication obteined of Honorius his Emperour that a lawe was established none should be made Bishop of Rome by ambition Dist 97. ca. Ecclesiae ca. Victor Iustinian also Emperour of Rome ordeined and constituted many wholesome lawes for the ordering and gouernement of the Cleargie as that no Bishop or Priest should excommunicate any man before his cause were knowen and proued to be such as for the which the auncient Canons of the Church woulde him to be excommunicate And if any should otherwise procéed contrarie to the same then the excommunicate person to bée absolued by an higher degree and the excommunicator to be sequestred from the Communion 24. q 3. cap. dc illicita so long as it should be thought méete by him that had the execution thereof c. Besides these many other such like examples if it were not to auoyde tediousnesse might be inferred But séeing the question groweth to this issue whether the Bishops of Rome ought by the diuine law of Gods word to be subiect to their lawful magistrates or not we will omit and cease to heape vp a multitude of examples out of mās law and produce a fewe witnesses out of the worde of God And first of all Christ our Sauiour did not onely commaund his disciples to giue their alleageance to Cesar but also himselfe paide tribute And the Apostle Paul writing to the ancient Romanes saith Rom. 13. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers vnder whose obedience neither Pope Cardinall Patriarch Bishop Priest Frier nor Monke is excepted nor exempted Theophil as Theophilactus expounding the same place declareth saying Hee teacheth all sorts whether he be Priest or Monke or else Apostle that they should submit themselues vnder their Princes And S. Augustine writing ad Bonifacium sayeth in such like sort Whosoeuer refuseth to obey the lawes of the Emperour which make for the veritie of God incurreth the danger of great punishment Aug. contra Cresco lib. 3 cap. 5. Also writing vnto Cresconium hee hath these wordes Kings according as it is inioyned them of God doe serue God in that they are kings if they in their kingdome commaund those things that be good and forbid things that be euill such as appertaine not onely to humane societie but also to Gods religion Vnder the olde Testament were not the Priests and Leuites subiect to the ciuill Magistrates yea euen in matters of Ecclesiasticall gouernement when king Dauid disposed them into foure and twentie orders or courses appointing them continually to serue in the ministerie 1. Para. 23. 24. 25 euery one in his proper order and turne as came aboute And when good king Ezechias renued the same institution of the Cleargie being decayed 2. Para. 31. 2. Parapo Chap. 31. But the Byshop of Rome at this day with his shaued Cleargie can not in anie kinde abide to bée ordered or disposed by any and therefore iudge good Christian Reader whether wée or they in this respect come nearer vnto the auncient constitution of the Primitiue Church The eight Chapter Of iustification NOw as we haue heard how the ancient Bishops in former time neither exempted themselues frō subiection to their lawful magistrates nor chalenged vnto themselues any vniuersall iurisdiction ouer others so let vs also in other points of their religion doctrine compare them with the first and primitiue time and we shall most plainly sée they are altogether vnlike vnto themselues And here to begin with the article of iustification first the blessed Apostles thēselues in al their writings and namely Paul the doctor teacher of the gentiles setteth forth no other meanes for iustificatiō or remission of sinnes but only faith aprehending the body or person of Christ Iesus crucified For as there is no way into the house but by the doore so is there no comming to God but by Christ alone which is by fayth And as the mortall bodie without bodily sustenance of bread and drinke can not but perish so the spirituall soule of man hath no other refreshing but only by faith in the bodie blood of Christ Iesus And for this cause it is saide To him doe all the Prophets witnesse that through his name Acts. 10. all that beléeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Hee that beléeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life Iohn 3. and be that obeyeth not the sonne Ephes 2. shal not sée life but the wrath of God abideth on him For by grace are ye saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God When the kéeper of the prison at Philippos asked Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saued they answered him Acts 16. saying Beléeue in the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt bee saued With this Charge and to this end our Sauiour sent foorth his disciples into all the world saying He that beléeueth and is baptised shal be saued but he that will not beléeue shall bee damned So Paul witnesseth that hee was called and sent of God to call the people to repentance that they might receyue forgiuenesse of sinnes Acts 16. and inheritance among them which are sanctified by fayth in Christ Thus the Apostles preached and thus were the olde Romanes to whom Paul sent a worthie Epistle notably deciding this question taught Acts. 10. The same did Cornelius a Romane and first that was baptised of all the Gentiles learne of Peter when he receiued the holy Ghost not by his own workes which he did according to the lawe but onely by hearing the fayth of Iesus preached And in this faith and doctrine not only the Church of Rome but the whole congregation of Gods people continued many yéeres as more plainely may appeare by the
that which is written to the Hebrews Where it is sayd Mariage is honourable among all Heb. 13. and the bed vndefiled But also was freely permitted to all sorts of men that were apt therunto and had néed of the same as it is written 1. Cor. 7. to auoid fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her husband But now the newe Catholikes of the Popes Church repute and cal mariage astate of imperfection and preferre single life be it neuer so impure before the same pretending that whereas the one replenisheth the earth the other filleth heauen Wherupō pope Ciricius in his decrées citeth that saying of the Apostle to wit they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. against those that are lawfully maried And for this cause they haue of late dayes not regarding whether they had the gift of cōtinencie or no through coacted vowes restrained many both men and women from holy wedlocke not to the filling of heauen but rather to the stuffing vp of hel For from hence haue procéeded adulteries fornicatiōs Sodomitrie with great occasiō of murthering infants as we reade of infants heads that were taken vp in pope Gregories mote by hūdreds what time the lawful wedlock of ministers began first to be restrained Anno. 600. By which occasion the said pope Gregorie reuoked the canon he had made a little before inhibiting the lawfull mariage of ministers And Pope Pius the second said he saw many causes why ministers were to be restrained of mariage Platina in vita Pij 2. but he saw mo greater why they were to be permitted to marry Yea this is most certain that the nearer we come to the ancient time of the Church the lesse ancient shal we find the Romish doctrine in this point And to beginne with the Apostles and their owne examples canons who although they were not all maried yet diuers of them were and the rest had power and liberty to haue kéepe their wiues as witnesseth Paul saying 1. Cor. 9. haue we not power to lead about a wife being a sister as well as the rest of the Apostles Albeit Clemens Alexandrinus which was 200. yéeres after Christ denieth not but that Paul was maried beeing an Apostle as well as Peter and Philip. The Canons also which are said to be the Apostles say If any teach that a priest for religion sake ought to contemne his owne wife Can. Apost 6. Canon let him bee accursed Anno. 180. In the yeare of our Lord 180. we read of Policrates Bishop of Ephesus who dissenting from pope Victor about a certaine controuersie of Easter day alledgeth for himself how his progenitors before him seuen together one after another succéeded in that state he now the eight was placed in the same place Vsing this discent of his parents not onely as a defence of his cause but also a glory to himselfe In the Nicene councell Anno. 400. when some went about to restraine ministers from mariage Paphnutius a godly father himselfe béeing vnmaried resisted the same And likewise before this Anno. 300. Gangren Concil dist 28. the councell of Gangren which was Anno. 300. did establish the libertie of priests mariage as a thing both good and godly Moreouer procéeding yet in times and Chronicles of the Church we shall come to the sixt councel Concil Cōstant dist 35. cap. quoniam called the councel of Constantinople almost 700. yéeres after Christ The wordes of which councell be alledged in the decrées and be these in English Because in the order of the Romane Canon wee knowe it so to bee receyued that such as be Deacons and Priestes shall professe themselues to haue no more copulation with their wiues we following the ancient Canon of the diligent Apostles and constitutions of holy men enact that such lawfull marriage from hencefoorth shall stande in force in no case dissoluing their coniunction with their wiues neither depriuing them of their mutuall societie and familiaritie together in such time as they shall thinke conuenient Hitherto you haue heard the Decrée heare nowe the penaltie in the same Decree and destinction conteyned If anie therefore shall presume agaynst the Canons of the Apostles to depriue eyther Priest or Deacon from the touching and companie of his lawfull wife let him bee depriued Finally here in England till the comming of Anselme in the dayes of William Rufus Guiliel Malmsb. li. 1. de gestis pont and king Henrie the first of pope Hildebrand 1067. the restraint of ministers lawfull mariage was not publikely established for a law And as it was not yet entered in here no more was it in many other places of the world For Auentinus a faithfull writer of his time Exact syno Mediola Anno. 1070 who writing of the councell of Hildebrand saith Priests at that time had publikely wiues and did procreate children as other Christians Gebuilerus One of the Popes crew testifieth that in the time of the emperour Henrie 4. Anno. 1057. Anno. 1057 to the number of 24 Bishoppes both in Germanie Spaine France were maried with the Cleargie also of their Dioces Pope Symmachus disti 80. saith let Priests be restrained from the conuersation of all women except it be their mother sister or their owne wife Where the glose in the margent giueth this note Here he speaketh according to the ancient times Truly therefore is that verified in this later church of Rome which so many yéeres ago Paul prophecied foretold of namely that in the later times there shoulde some depart from the faith 1. Tim. 4. hearkening vnto spirits of error to the doctrines of deuils forbidding to marrie and cōmanding to abstain from meats which the Lord hath created to be taken with thankesgiuing To conclude therefore mariage in it selfe is either good or euil if it be good why do they forbid it if it be euil why do they make a sacramēt of it The xvij Chapter Of Magistrates and ciuill gouernement AS concerning Magistrates and ciuill gouernment what hath bene in old time the iudgement of the godly may manifestly appeare by that which Paul writeth to the Romanes saying Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers Rom. 13. for there is no power but of God whosoeuer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to thēselues iudgement Where first it is to be noted that the Apostles would that euery soule should be subiect to his lawfull magistrate Which words Chrysostome as hath beene alreadie shewed expoundeth of Priests Monkes Prophets Apostles Euangelists and what soeuer For if any pretende to bee exempted because hee is spirituall let him consider that none euer had such abundance of the spirite as Christ and yet was he subiect to the ciuill gouernement And if holinesse of life coulde discharge men from obedience to ciuill rulers who more holy then