out of diuinity for his Majesties title For it is but by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King but by the law of God no man is to be made King that doth not truly serue God then the law of God being to be preferred before the law of man it followeth that whosoeuer wil not truly serue God is not to be made King M. Abbot should haue done wel to haue solued this argument vvhich is not vnworthy the maker and taken as he meant it insoluble and may happen to trouble many of his readers but he loueth not this fight at the short sword but to range a loofe off and to defend his part vvith foule vvordes rather then vvith any sound reasons I vvil helpe him out of the briars this once and say that in case of free election of a King that argument of Cardinal Bellarmines is most sound for no good Christian ought to make choise of him for a King or to yeeld their consent to him whom he knoweth vnlikely euer to serue Iesus Christ the Soueraigne King of heauen earth Marry vvhen the Kingdome goeth not by free choise and election but by ordinary succession then the subjects must accept of him whom it pleaseth God to giue them For our diuinity teacheth vs that God sometimes giueth Kinges in his wrath and not alwaies such as wil serue him as they ought to doe vvhich are notwithstanding their vndutifulnesse to God to be receiued and obeied of their subjects dutifully in al ciuil causes And although God at the first left it to the free liberty of euery country to make choise of vvhat kinde of ciuil gouernement they liked best vvhereof it proceedeth that it is by the law of man that vve haue this or that man to be our King yet when such a succession is once established by the law of man and confirmed by long custome then the law of God doth binde al men to the keeping of that just and good law of man Thus much briefly to shew how I could very wel by the rules of our diuinity defend his Majesties title to the crowne and to certifie them that are in greater jealousie of our obedience then they haue just cause that vve take our selues bound aswel by the lawes of God as of man to obey his Majesty and dutifully to serue him in al temporal affaires howbeit we take the religion professed by his Majesty and his proceedings therein not to be according to the good wil and pleasure of God and therefore doe daily pray vnto the diuine Majesty to send him grace to see and amend it and to giue vs perfect patience in the meane season to endure vvhatsoeuer shal be laid vpon vs for the constant profession of his only true and sincere religion As for my skil either in this point or in any other part of diuinity I know it to be very meane in comparison of thousands among the Catholikes and am very wel content that it be put to the proofe Only I require an indifferent reader and one that wil not take vaine wordes for good paiment but waigh diligently our arguments together and try out by seing the places who citeth his testimony both of holy Scriptures and ancient Fathers more truly and pertinently SECT 2. W. BISHOP WHEREVNTO I may conueniently enter with that golden sentence with which your Majesty beganne the conference c. A loue principium conformable to this in holy writ Apocal. 1. vers 8. I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and end saith our Lord and applying it to Princes I may be bold to say that nothing is more expedient and necessary for Kinges nothing more honourable and of better assurance for their estate then that in the very beginning of their raigne they take special order that the supreame and most puisant Monarke of heauen and earth be purely vprightly serued as wel in their owne examplar liues as through their Dominions for of almighty God his meere bounty and great grace they receiue and hold their Diademes and Princely Scepters and cannot possesse and enjoy them their mighty forces and prudent counsailes notwithstanding one day longer then during his diuine wil and pleasure Which the wisest King witnesseth speaking also in the person of Gods wisdome Prouer. 8 15. Per me Reges regnant By me Kinges doe raigne and Dan. 4. Nabuchodonoser sometime King of Babilon was turned out to grase with beastes for seauen yeares and made to know and confesse that the highest doth command ouer the Kingdomes of men and disposeth of them as pleaseth his diuine wisdome but I neede not stand vpon this point it being so wel knowne and acknowledged by your Majesty ROBERT ABBOT PLVTARCH reporteth that the Nobles of Lacedemon approuing a speech that vvas deliuered by a man of euil behauiour De auditione caused the same to be vttered by another of honest life and conuersation that it might carry the greater waight vvhen it proceeded from a man whose doings were answerable to his wordes M. Bishop hath vttered a goodly speech but it soundeth not effectually from his mouth or pen it vvere fit that some other man of other profession and comportment should be the writer and speaker of this matter for he denieth to his Majesty that supreme gouernement in causes Ecclesiastical whereby he should take vpon him to doe that that he perswadeth him and being sworne to the Pope he cannot but maintaine those lawes of his Distinct 96. Si Imperator vvhereby he inhibiteth Kinges and Princes to meddle with matters of religion and of the Church and reserueth the same wholy to be decreed by himselfe and his Prelates and as for Princes they must receiue and practise the same according to his order WILLIAM BISHOP HERE commeth to my memory that vvorthy obseruation of the diuine Preacher Eccles 13. vers 28. The rich man spake and al men held their peace and did extol his wordes vp to the skies but when a poore man spake they said who is this It becommeth not a Diuine saith our new gospeller to discourse of matters of diuinity but Princes doe them brauely To M. Abbot I answere first that his prophane story is besides the purpose for the Lacedemonians tooke exception against that persons speech because his life vvas not answerable but he cauilleth at my discourse not for default of my manners but for other points of doctrine Belike he thought it not expedient notwithstanding his example of the Lacedemonians did leade him thereunto to put mens doctrine to be tried by their life and conuersation least their new Gospel should by that rule be condemned and rejected because their Preachers and Ministers liues be not conformable to the precepts of Christes Gospel Besides the disproportion of this example that is also very false which he inferreth against me That I doe deny his Majesty to haue authority to doe that which I perswade him to doe to
hundreths al his Majesties Ancestors both English and Britans embraced and maintained the same Catholike Roman faith which we now doe The same might as easily be proued of the Churches of Scotland vvho acknowledge Palladius and Patritius for two of the chiefe founders of the Christian faith in that country vvho both were brought vp at Rome and sent into Scotland by Celestinus Bishop of Rome to instruct the Scots in the doctrine of the church of Rome euen as Augustine vvas from S. Gregory into England From which the Scots Church neuer swarued vntil of late yeares Knoxe Buchanan and such like giddy-headed and fiery spirited fellowes seduced them And M. Abbot most ignorantly or impudently affirmeth it to haue beene 1200 yeares after the incarnation of Christ ere the Popes authority could get any acknowledgment there for in the very same hundreth yeare by him named they vvere so farre off from denying the Popes authority ouer them in causes Ecclesiastical that they did acknowledge him to be also their Protectour in temporal affaires For when King Edward the third would haue giuen them Iohn Balial for their King they answered him Walsingham in vita Edw. Anno 1292. That they would not accept of him for such without the Popes consent who had their country in protection as they then pleaded And M. Abbots argument to the contrary is most friuoulous Alexander the King bade the Popes Legate to enter his country at his peril ergo he did not acknowledge the Popes authority By the like argument one might proue that King Philippe and Queene Mary did not acknowledge the Popes authority for they commanded a Legate of his to stay at Calis and to forbeare entrance into this Realme at his peril The Popes Legates then when they be sent about affaires that doe seeme to the Prince and his Councel prejuditious to the temporal state may be refused without disparagement to the Popes supreme authority in causes Ecclesiastical And the King of Scots had reason to refuse that Cardinal Legate whose special arrand was to collect mony to maintaine the warres of the holy Land vvhich was not to be spared in his country Besides the very entertainement of such a great State so accompanied was reputed as needlesse so ouer costly for that poore country If M. Abbot haue no better stuffe then this to vphold his badde cause he that best knew his owne meaning and designement hath to the life painted out himselfe where he saith They care not indeede what they say or write so that it may carry a magnifical and braue shew to dazel the eies of them that are not wel acquainted with their lewde and naughty dealing ROBERT ABBOT BVT M. Bishop being out of doubt that he should not preuaile in this first part of his sute therefore addeth the second Or if you cannot be wonne so soone to alter that religion in which it hath beene your misfortune to haue beene bredde and brought vp that then in the meane season you wil not so heauily persecute the sincere professours of the other Where you see the presumption of a base and beggerly vassal I forget here that he is a Doctor of diuinity I consider him as a subject thus to vpbraide his Prince vvith misfortune in his breeding and bringing vp whereas his Majesties bringing vp by the singular prouidence of almighty God hath serued to make him high admirable among other Princes and he hath learned thereby to be indeede a King by casting off the yoke of bondage vvhereby sundry other Princes are enthralled to a beast Yea and by his bringing vp is so wel able to defend the religion he professeth that M. Bishop must stand before him like a dumbe Asse able to say nothing but only to repeate their old cuckowes song The Church the Church The Fathers the Fathers albeit he can make nothing good neither by Church nor Fathers But his sute is that his Majesty vvil leaue off so heauily to persecute them complaining before he haue cause and intreating his Majesty to leaue off before he hath begunne And doth he like a dissembling hypocrite talke of heauy persecution only for an easie imprisonmēt and amersement of goodes vvhen they in most barbarous and cruel sort by infinite vexations and torments by rackes and strappadoes by fire and sword haue spilt and destroied the bloud and liues of so many thousandes of ours only for the profession of the Gospel of Christ but no otherwise doe they complaine of persecution then did of old the Donatists and runnegate Circumcellions And vve say of them as S. Augustine did of the others They suffer persecution Sed pro fatuitate pro vanitate but it is for their foolery Prouerb 22. vers 25. it is for vanity Foolishnesse is bound in the hart of a child saith Salomon but the rodde of correction shal driue it away from him Indeede they doe for the most part play the children it is but their wil or rather vvilfulnesse for which they suffer they can giue no reason why they doe so but what ignorance affordeth them They must follow the Church they wil doe as their fathers and fore-fathers haue done it is fit that a childes stomacke be subdued vvith a rodde and necessary that some course be taken for the subduing and reforming of their wil. WILLIAM BISHOP M. ABBOT concludeth this his clowdy and vvindy Section with a storme of railing calling me in it dumbe Asse dissembling Hipocrite base and beggarly Vassal This last name he giueth me because I shewe my selfe sorry for that it vvas his Majesties misfortune to be bredde and brought vp in the Protestants religion great cause you see vvas giuen him to burst out into so rude and bitter wordes But to qualify this clownish tricke he addeth the excuse of a country Coridon rather indeede accusing then excusing himselfe for why did he forget that I was a Doctor in diuinity or how did he forget it that euen then so wel remembred it He would not forsooth respect it here but by a metaphysical abstraction consider me only as a subject wherein he discouereth a double folly for first who seeth not that any man of neuer so great vvorship or honour may in like sort be called a base vassal if his dignity and degree be excepted Might not M. Abbot himselfe if one should forget his calling and learning be stiled in like manner a base beggarly vassal vvherefore this figure of his may rather be tearmed rustical then rethorical And had he not also forgotten himselfe to be a Doctor in diuinity yea a man of ordinary ciuility he would not haue plaied the part of a furnish and foule-mouthed butterwench by falling into such rude tearmes of scurrillity His second ouer-sight is more queasie and dangerous for if I be a base vassal in that I am a subject then is my Soueraignes honour called in question for none be base in that they are subjects vnlesse their Soueraignes be so meane and obscure
and to the publike tranquillity of the common vveale Now let the indifferent reader consider vvhether there be any one word in this supposed letter that carrieth meate in mouth as they say to feede the Protestants faith so that here is an ancient and reuerend Fathers letter cited to no purpose But M. Abbot saith that now a-daies not the King but the Pope is Gods Vicar and his Vicar general for al Kingdomes True it is the Pope is Gods Vicar in al Christian Kingdomes Sext. proem in glossa though there be not one vvord of any such matter in the glosse cited by him but that is in Ecclesiastical matters vvhich nothing hindereth but that the King is also Gods Vicar in temporal affaires for he may be called a Vicar that doth Vicem gerere alterius that is another mans Deputy Lieutenant or Substitute One King may haue many Vicars that is substitutes or deputies to whom he committeth some principal charge King Henry the eight for example hauing giuen him by the Parliament supreme power in both Ecclesiastical and Temporal causes had one Vicar for spiritual causes and many other for the temporal so God hath the Bishop of Rome for Christes Vicar general in causes of the Church and Kinges in the administration of the common vveale And the very Canon cited by M. Abbot would haue taught him so much if he had read it vvith a minde to learne the truth rather then to sucke out some matter of cauil out of it Distinct 96. Si Imperator for therein be these wordes The Emperour hath the priuiledges of his power which he obtained of God for the administration of publike lawes Marke here the Pope acknowledgeth the Emperour to be Gods Deputy and Vicar in the administration of the common lawes vvhich in the Canon that goeth next before is confirmed for there Gelasius an ancient Pope speaketh thus to Anastatius the Emperour Ibidem duo sunt There be two thinges ô Sacred Emperour wherewith this world is principally gouerned to wit the holy authority of Bishops and the power of Princes These two then be both Gods Substitutes and Vicars the one for spiritual causes the other for temporal wherefore M. Abbot reasoneth very childishly vvhen he goeth about to proue that we deny the King to be Gods Vicar because we teach the Pope to be Gods Vicar for vve hold that they both be Gods Vicars though in distinct and different matters Neither lastly can he take any aduantage of the word gouerne if it be in that letter for King Lucius demand was for the Imperial lawes to gouerne the temporal state of his realme vvherefore it is euident that he spake there of temporal gouernement and not of spiritual Now because the maine question is whether Kings haue authority ouer Bishops in Ecclesiastical causes or Bishops ouer Kinges let vs heare some two or three of S. Peter and S. Paules Successours M. Abbots owne vvitnesses deliuer their knowledge thereof The first shal be the same learned and holy Pope Gelasius last named he affirmeth in the same Epistle vvhich vvas written to the Emperour himselfe that the authority of Bishops in spiritual causes doth extend it selfe ouer Kinges and Emperours these be his vvordes Distinct 96. Duo sunt Thou knowest ô Emperour thy selfe to depend on their judgements and that they cannot be reduced to thy wil and pleasure therefore many Bishops fortified with these ordinances and with this authority supported haue excommunicated some Kinges others Emperours And if a particular example be demanded of the persons of Princes blessed Innocentius the Pope did excommunicate the Emperour Archadius for consenting vnto the deposition of S. Iohn Chrisostome And blessed S. Ambrose though a holy Bishop yet not Bishop of the vniuersal Church for a fault that to others did not seeme so grieuous excommunicating Theodosius the great did shut him out of the Church c. Is not this plaine enough and directly to the purpose that Bishops haue power ouer Princes in Ecclesiastical causes and the authority of Gelasius is of such vvaight with M. Abbot shortly after that here he cannot gaine-say it vvith any honesty I vvil joine to him Anacletus vvhom M. Abbot also noteth the next who succeeded immediately after Clement S. Peters Scholler he saith expresly Epistola 1. prope finem That the Church of Rome receiued by our Sauiour Christes order the primacy and preeminence of power ouer al Churches and ouer the whole flocke of Christian people If then M. Abbot vvil allow that Kinges be any of Christes people the Pope hath authority ouer them S. Clement himselfe one of S. Paules Philip. 4. v. 3. coadjutors and whose name is in the booke of life hath left this vvritten among the constitutions of the Apostles Lib. 2. c. 11. Wherefore ô Bishop endeauour to excel in sanctity of workes knowing thy place and dignity thou art Gods Lieutenant and placed ouer al Lordes Priests Kinges and Princes Fathers Sonnes Masters and al Subjects joined together Ibid. cap. 33. And in the same booke touching by the vvay the dignity of Bishops repeateth these memorable wordes out of holy Scripture spoken to Moyses as a King Bishop Exod. 7. v. 1. Ecce constitui to Deum Pharaonis Behold I haue created thee the God of Pharao vvho was King of the land of Aegipt vvhere both Moyses and al the children of Israel then liued see the dignity of a Bishop aboue his owne King And the 38. chapter of the same booke of Clement is formally intituled That Priests are more excellent then Kinges and Princes And finally that the gouernement of the whole Church was committed to Bishops that vessel of election S. Paul is a sufficient witnesse vvho saith Act. 20. v. 28. Take heede to your selues and to the whole flocke wherein the holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops to rule the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud If then M. Abbot wil allow that Kinges be any of Christs flocke and that he purchased them with his bloud they are to be ruled by Bishops who are placed by the holy Ghost to rule the whol◠flocke of Gods Church Hitherto comparing the Bishop of Rome with temporal Princes I haue proued the prerogatiue of Ecclesiastical gouernement to appertaine to the Bishops Now a word or two of the preeminence of the Church and See of Rome ouer al other Churches vvhich shal be briefly verified euen by the testimony of some of the most ancient and most holy successours of S. Peter and S. Paul to whom M. Abbot attributes so much The afore named Anacletus who succeeded next after their owne Disciple S. Clement hauing shewed that al Ecclesiastical causes belong to Bishops euen as temporal causes doe to the temporal Magistrate Epistola 1. ad omnes Ecclesias addeth that if more difficult questions shal arise as the judgements of Bishops and greater causes let them if any appeale be made
any greater cause arise and diuers such other plaine and cleare markes of superiority that euen M. Abbots badde eies may easily serue him to discerne them Seing then S. Leo thought himselfe and his predecessours to haue ful authority and that by the holy Canons made by diuine inspiration to delegate ouer the Churches of the East vvhere was most doubt of his authority such power vnto others Can it be doubted but that he vvas most certainly perswaded that the Bishop of Rome hath and alwaies had supreme command in Ecclesiastical causes al the world ouer And that you may see that S. Leo vvas not only of that opinion but that the best most learned of the East Church of that time were also as fully perswaded of the Church of Romes authority ouer al the world I wil adjoine hereunto the sentence of Theodoretus one of the soundest Catholikes and one of the most learned and famous authours of those daies He being Bishop of Cyrus in Asia doth write vnto Renatus a Priest of Rome thus Theodoret. Epistola 2. The Heretikes haue spoiled me of my Priestly function and seate they haue cast me out of the citties hauing no respect vnto my gray haires nor regard of my time spent in religion wherefore I pray you that you wil perswade the most holy Archbishop Leo that he wil vse his Apostolike authority and command vs to come to your Councel for that holy See doth hold the sterne of gouernement ouer al the Churches in the world Another Epistle this holy Father did write vnto Leo himselfe wherein he saith I doe expect the sentence of your Apostolike See and doe humbly beseech your Holinesse to succour me appealing to your just judgement c. And that you may yet further perceiue that S. Leo his sentence was of force to restore him being a Bishop in Asia to his former dignity and seate these few vvordes out of the Councel of Chalcedon wil sufficiently proue thus speaketh the Councel Actione 1. Let the most reuerend Bishop Theodoret enter in that he may be partner of the Councel because the most holy Archbishop Leo hath restored him to his Bishopricke Now I come to answere M. Abbots goodly proofes and vvise glosses to the contrary S. Leo saith he would not take vpon him to cal general Councels That is false for he did cal a general Councel in the West witnesse these his wordes vnto Tuilius the Bishop of Asturicensis Epistola 91. numer 17. I haue sent letters to our bretheren and fellow Bishops of Carthage in Afrike Tarragone in Spaine Portugal and France Eisque concilium Synodi generalis indiximus And haue summoned them to meete at a general Councel And that could not escape S. Leo his knowledge vvho vvas most skilful in al Antiquity which by tradition descended vnto one of his successors Pelagius the second who was S. Gregory the great his predecessor to wit Epistola 1 ad Orientales that the authority of calling general Councels was through the priuiledge of S. Peter giuen vnto the See Apostolike But he made request saith M. Abbot vnto Theodosius first and after vnto Martianus the Emperors that they would command a general Councel to be holden in Italy which they would not doe but chose rather another place Be it so for sometimes such mighty Monarkes take more state vpon them then Christian dutie doth permit And as for Theodosius the younger though he were a good Emperour at the first yet afterward it is euident that he assisted the Heretike Eutiches his Patron Dioscorus too farre in that wicked assembly at Ephesus See Actionem primam Concil Chalced. Liberatus cap. 12. the place by him assigned for that general Councel The reason that moued S. Leo to request those Emperours to cal a Councel was not for that he doubted of his owne authority therein but for diuers other good respects First because as I before signified the Bishops to be assembled vvere for the most part the Emperours subjects in temporal affaires and therefore were not vvithout his priuity to be called so farre from their residences And for this cause the Kinges of euery country being aduertised by the Popes Holinesse of a general Councel doe to this day as it appeared in the last general Councel of Trent summon the Bishops of their Realmes to the said general Councel and command them to make choise of some to send thither vvhich doth nothing derogate to the Popes general summoning Besides the Heretikes of those times vvould not obey the Pope nor their lawful Pastours command no more then these of our time wherefore the Emperours power vvhich they dreadded and stoode in more awe off vvas to be joined with the Popes authority wherefore he had good cause to request it Yet that the vnderstanding reader may perceiue how S. Leo euen then did fore-see that some inconuenience might happe to follow of his condescending so farre vnto the Emperours pleasure about the place and time of that Councel he as it were to preuent it doth yeeld his consent in such sort that no great aduantage can be taken of it Epist 41. ad Martian thus he vvriteth to the Emperour Martian I required indeede of your most gratious clemency that the Synode which you thought necessary to be assembled as we also required for the restoring of vnity in the East Church might be for a time deferred that the mindes of men being more settled those Bishops which for feare of enemies are staied at home might also meete but for that you doe zealously preferre Gods cause before the affaires of men and are wisely and Godly perswaded that it wil further the wealth of your Empire to haue the Priests of God in vnity and the Gospel preached without dissention Ego etiam vestris dispositionibus non renitor I doe not withstand or striue against this your ordinance Here you may see that he did not yeeld vpon obedience vnto the Emperours order but moued vpon good consideration would not contend against it his very wordes yet giuing that he might haue withstoode him if he had thought it more expedient for the common good Againe in his letters to the same Councel of Chalcedon he putteth in a caueat by vvhich they might vnderstand that this his condescending to the Emperour should not be taken for a prejudice against the authority of the See of Rome for calling of Councels these be his wordes Epistola 45. ad Synod Chalced. I had wished indeed most dearely beloued that al the Priests of God did agree in one profession of the Catholike faith c. but because many thinges are done of which we often repent c. the religious aduise of our most gratious Emperour is to be embraced mouing your holy brother-hood to assemble your selues together for the ouerthrowing of Sathans sleights and for the restoring of vnity in the Church Beatissimi Apostoli Petri sedis jure atque honore seruato the right
censure and touch of reproach vpon the same his worke called Bibliotheca Patrum Lastly concerning the doctrine of Predestination I reade not that the Pelagians were called in question about it nor yet for Satisfaction vvherefore M. Abbot must first out of some good Authors shew their errours therein before he goe about to slander vs vvith the imitation of them but as I am vvel assured of the later so I thinke he wil not in hast performe the former ROBERT ABBOT I Omit many other matters that might here be added perswading my selfe that I said enough to trouble M. Bishop in the prouing of that that he hath so propounded that the principal pillars of the Church of Rome in her most flourishing estate taught in al points of religion the same doctrine that now shee holdeth c. only for conclusion let me aske him what Bishop of Rome there was for the space of a thousand yeares that practised or taught that concerning Pardons which is now practised and taught in the Church of Rome that the Bishop of Rome hath any authority to giue such libels of pardon or that it is in him to giue faculties and authority to others to graunt the like vvith reseruation of special causes to himselfe or that he can for saying such and such praiers or for doing this or that release a man from Purgatory for so many hundred or thousand yeares vvhat Bishop of Rome was there that did proclaime a Iubilee vvith promise that al that would come to Rome to visit the Churches that yeare should haue ful and perfect forgiuenesse of al their sinnes or that did charge the Angels as did Clement the sixt that vvhosoeuer should die in his journey thitherward they should bring his soule into the glory of Paradise Balaeus in Clem. sexto which of them did take vpon him to Canonize a Saint vvho euer beleeued or taught as it is now receiued in the Church of Rome that the Bishops blessing is the forgiuenesse of venial sinnes Sextus in proem in glossa Rhem. Test in Math. 10. vers 12. Other innouations I wil passe ouer to further occasion but concerning these matters in this place I would pray M. Bishop to let vs be satisfied how the principal pillars of the Church of Rome haue in al points taught the same that the Church of Rome teacheth now The truth is that as the name of Theseus shippe continued a long time vvhen as it was so altered by putting in of new plankes and boordes as that it had nothing left of that that was in it when it was first built by Theseus so the Church of Rome stil continueth her name and would be taken to be the same albeit by chopping and changing shee is come to that passe that shee hath in a manner nothing left of that doctrine for vvhich shee vvas first called the Church of Rome But M. Bishop taketh vpon him to proue the contrary let vs now examine what his proofes are WILLIAM BISHOP YOV doe wisely to omit many other matters that you might haue added if they be like vnto these vvhich you haue already put downe for they are proued to be nothing else in manner but falsifications of the ancient Fathers vvritinges or fond illations of your owne bolstered out with a huge and shamelesse troupe of vntruthes the more one omitteth of such baggage and paultry stuffe the more it maketh for his credit Wherefore if M. Abbot had let al this alone no doubt but he should haue saued much of his reputation which by such vnchristian like and vnhonest dealing he is like to leese with the indifferent juditious reader If he perswade himselfe that he hath put me to some paines and trouble to trace out the vntruth of his allegations he is not deceiued for he produceth them so corruptly with such additions substractions misconstructions and euil applications that euery place he cites must needes be turned vnto in the Authours owne workes before a man can repose any trust in him or shal know what answere to make I pray you good Sir if there be any sparke of Christian sincerity left in you let this admonition serue to intreate you not to put your aduersary or reader to such trouble any more Either for loue of the truth or for feare of Gods judgements and rebuke of honest men forbeare to misreport your Authours If it be a shame to bely the Deuil vvhat impudency and impiety is it to bely most reuerend holy and learned Doctors and which much increaseth that hainous crime thereby to blinde Christian people and to draw them along with him to the bottomelesse pit of hel It hath I willingly confesse more troubled me to spend my spare time in discouering vntruthes and dishonest shifts trickes then it should haue done to haue bestowed it in substantial arguing and in round debating of questions in controuersie with short and sound arguments But I hope by this the vpright reader hath seene that M. Abbot was so farre off from troubling me to proue The principal pillars of the Roman Church in her most flourishing estate to haue taught the same doctrine that the present Church of Rome no teacheth that he hath rather furthered it by ministring vnto me so fit an occasion yea omitting others which I could choose my self for my better aduantage I haue not refused to verifie and make good the present doctrine of that Church euen by the testimony of those very authours of vvhich M. Abbot himselfe made choise as of men that spake most against it If then by their verdict who are thought by our aduersaries to be most estranged from vs our cause is confirmed and proued to be most just and veritable vvho is so carelesse of his owne saluation that had rather follow a lying Master leading to perdition then to imbrace so manifest a truth drawing towardes saluation May I not here justly exclaime with the holy King and Prophet and say Psalm 4. O yee Sonnes of men how long wil you be so heauy harted why are you so farre in loue with vanity and seeke after leasing he that is the true light Iohan. 1. who doth illuminate euery man that commeth into this world of his infinite goodnesse and mercy lighten your vnderstanding and incline your harts that you may perceiue and receiue that ingrafted word that truth of Christ preached by his Apostles approued by the most honourable Senate of the ancient Fathers beleeued al the world ouer that hath also continued euer since inuiolably vvhich only and none other can saue your soules Now for a conclusion and vpshot of this matter M. Abbot would faine know What Bishop of Rome for a thousand yeares after Christ had authority to giue any such libel of pardons as are now giuen or that could graunt to others any such faculty with reseruation of special causes to himselfe c. I answere if these be the greatest difficulties that with-hold him from approuing the doctrine
other countries or vvas there euer such a shamelesse writer as M. Abbot that blusheth not to set out in print such monstrous and notorious lies that in falshood exceede al fictions of Poets and Painters and in malice doe match vvith any deuilish deuise whatsoeuer Oh into what lamentable calamity is our poore Country fallen that must haue such cosening Companions such false Hypocrites and most impudent Liars for the guides of their soules to saluation and for the only teachers of al spiritual doctrine Can any man that injoyeth the right vse of his senses giue credit and trust vnto them vvho make no conscience but a cōmon custome to lie al manner of lies nay such a one if they be wise they should not beleeue when he telleth them a truth which they doe otherwise know For Demetrius Phaleius being asked what euil did follow a liar Marry saith he that no man afterward beleeue him when he telleth truth And good reason for how knoweth he vvhether he doe not lie then as he was accustomed to doe before He therefore that wil be sure not to be deceiued must neither giue credit vnto M. Abbot vvho is plainely conuicted to haue told very many grosse and palpable lies Any plaine honest man must needes much maruaile to behold or heare that he who maketh profession of Gods pure word and the truth of the Gospel should take such a special delight in lying but he must remember that al is not gold that glisters Al be not true Pastors of Christes flocke that come in sheepe-skinnes Al be not sincere teachers of Gods word that take vpon them to be Preachers And no one more assured touch of counterfaite coyne no plainer proofe of a rauening vvolfe and false teacher then such often and euident lying For as God is the truth it selfe and al his doctrine most true so are they vvith truth alone to be vpholden and defended Iob. 13. v. 7. What saith holy Iob hath God neede of our lies or that we should speake deceitfully in his cause no verily for the truth is strong enough of it selfe to confound falshood Fortis est veritas praeualet But the Deuils cause it is that needeth to be bolstered out and vnder-propped with lies Iohan. 8. vers 44. For he is a liar and the Father of lies And without lying no falshood can be deceitfully coloured and made to appeare and seeme truth He then that wil be fedde vvith lies let him take the Deuil to his Father and M. Abbot or some other such like of his lying Ministers for his Master A certaine Minister being told that M. Abbot was reputed much to blame and very hardly censured by many discreet persons for that he had vsed so much deceit and leasinges in his writinges answered forsooth in his defence that he could not bely the Papists and their cause too much What can be said vnto such shamelesse persons surely nothing else but that the new light of their Gospel is now growne to his perfection vvhen as the brochers of it doe not only vnder-hand colourably paint it out with lies but are not ashamed openly to maintaine that they cannot lie to much in that cause O holy cause that needeth the helpe of lies But good master Minister be better aduised I pray you and rather hearken vnto the graue counsaile of the auncient Preacher Eccles 4. vers 26. Ne accipias faciem aduersus faciem tuam aduersus animam tuam mendacium take not falshood that is the face of the Deuil against truth vvhich is the true face of euery reasonable creature made after the Image of God and doe not admit lying against thine owne soule Sapient 1. vers 11. For the tongue that lieth killeth the soule Yea it doth not only kil his owne soule that lieth but the others also that beleeueth his lies blinding him with errors and so leading him blindfold into hel fire Math. 15. vers 14. For when the blinde guideth the blinde they both fal into the ditch Wherefore good Sir if you wil not yet a while make open profession to cast away your owne soule vvilfully and to leade al your followers after you to eternal damnation doe not for very shame vphold and maintaine open lying But if it be Gods good pleasure that you your selues shal make kowne to the vvorld that yee doe not only vse lying but also defend it as lawful necessary to vnder-proppe your badde cause then my trust in Gods infinite goodnesse and mercies is that the Moone-shine of your obscure Gospel waneth a-pace and the daies of your deceit draw towardes an end For howsoeuer you like iniquity and allow of leasinges Psal 5. v 6. God as the Prophet Dauid teacheth doth hate al them that worke iniquity and wil destroy al them that speake lies by bestowing vpon his faithful and prudent seruants such heauenly light and grace as they may easily discerne the juggling and false trickes of Protestant teachers 2. Tim 3. vers 9. For not their folly only as the Apostle speaketh but their falshood also and trechery are now sufficiently discouered and made manifest vnto al men of any reasonable capacity and study Wherefore al that haue tasted of the true gifts of Christes spirit vvil follow them no longer in their most dangerous and damnable courses but fly as fast and as farre from such false Prophets as poore sheepe doe from the jawes of rauening wolues and with speede returne happily vnto the only true fold of Christes flocke the holy Catholike Apostolike and Roman Church there to learne and imbrace that sincere auncient faith and pure religion vvhich only can saue their soules and which being planted by Christ and his Apostles hath euer since continued and brought forth aboundance of diuine fruit al the world ouer Which God almighty of his incomprehensible bounty graunt through the inestimable merits of IESVS CHRIST our most gratious Lord and Sauiour to whom vvith the Father and the holy Ghost be al honour prayse and glory for now and euer AMEN PRINTED ANNO DOMINI M. D.C.VIII A BRIEFE ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER I Haue hitherto set downe M. Abbots owne text word by word that the juditious reader comparing it with my answere may truly discerne vvhat substance is in his writing And how farre forth he is to credit him in the rest that hath in the first and best part of his booke behaued himselfe so insufficiently in matter of learning and dealt so dishonestly in the manner of handling of it There remaines behinde in this answere vnto my Epistle some light skirmishes and vaine friuolous brauadoes vpon those points of controuersie which I in one sentence only touched in the same Epistle excepting much foule speech and many slanderous lies which he plentiful powreth out by the way in both vvhich masteries I willingly leaue to him the bucklers Now because those his discourses are as it vvere scopae dissolutae not arguments soundly knit togither and set in any good aray but a feeble loose idle and disordered kinde of wrangling besides also the very same questions be afterwardes handled againe distinctly and particularly I haue judged it farre better to handle throughly euery controuersie in his due place then first lightly to skimme them ouer in hast as he hath done and afterward like vnto one that had either forgotten or ouer-shotten himselfe to recoile and turne backe againe to treate of the same matter more orderly and substantially vvhich course I hope wil not be misliked of the wise Take courteous Reader this that is already finished in good part If thou finde any thing in it to thy liking giue the glory to God And if thou be Catholike helpe me vvith thy good praiers that he who hath giuen me grace to beginne may increase his blessings vpon me to bring it to a good and perfect end The end of the first Part. FINIS COVRTEOVS READER I must needes acquaint thee with a notable legerdemaine which by perusing the Authour I found out after the rest was printed M. Abbot to proue that the Pope had no authority in Scotland 1200. yeares after Christ auerreth Page 117. that Alexander the second vtterly for-badde the Popes Legate to enter within his Kingdome which is not true For his Authour Mathew Paris declareth In Hērico 30 page 667. that the King indeede did at the first oppose himselfe against that visitation of his Kingdome to be made by the said Legate not for that he did not acknowledge the Popes supreme authority in those Ecclesiastical causes but because it was needlesse the matters of the Church being as he said in good order and for feare of ouer-great charges Nay further the said King did write a large letter vnto the Pope himselfe as the very same Authour recordeth where he first acknowledgeth In Hērico 30 page 873. that very person to be his Holinesse Legate as wel in Scotland as in England and Ireland Moreouer the King confesseth that he himselfe his heires and subjects were and would be obedient vnto the Popes jurisdiction and censures with much more to the same purpose Which alone is sufficient to conuince M. Abbot to be so perfidious and without al conscience in alleaging auncient Authours that no man who wil not willingly be blindly ledde by him can repose any trust in his allegations Good Reader beare with faultes in printing which besides false pointing be not many The principal that I remember are these Page 169 line 21 For Constantius the fourth reade Constantine the fourth and so in al that matter following treating of Pope Agatho his obedience to the said Emperour Page 170 line 32 though Emperour reade although an Emperour Page 186 line 21 for Concilij Praesidijs reade Concilij Praesidibus page 198 line 8 in the allegation of S. Leo there wants in the margent the quotation of his 23. Epistle to Martianus Augustus for the vvorship of Relikes Pag. 213 lin 27 for passed reade possessed pag. 261 line 25 for and ego reade an ego page 272 line 16 for Vndoubtly reade Vndoubtedly
wit to take special order that God almighty be truly and sincerely serued for Kinges may and ought to doe that though they be not supreme gouernours in causes Ecclesiastical For albeit it belong not to them to declare the true sence of al questioned places of holy Scriptures nor to determine al doubts rising in diuinity nor briefly to performe such other functions as are proper to the supreme Gouernour of Christes Church yet his Majesty might haue called together the most learned of his subjects of al sides and haue heard vvhich of them could best haue proued their doctrine to haue beene most conformable to the sacred word of God to Apostolical traditions to most ancient general Councels to the vniforme consent of the most holy and best learned Doctors of the primitiue Church and accordingly to haue embraced the same himselfe and by his Princely authority to haue established the same throughout al his Dominions It remaineth then euident That his Majesty might haue taken special order for the true seruice of God notwithstaÌ„ding he haue not supreme authority in Ecclesiastical causes And most false is this assertion of M. Abbots that any law of the Pope doth inhibite him to deale so farre-forth in matters of religion that Canon which he citeth doth only forbidde lay-Magistrates Distinct 96. Si Imperator to meddle with the ordering and judging of Priests and Clarkes and such other Ecclesiastical officers as doe properly belong to Bishops But that Kinges ought to meddle in matters of religion and how farre-forth they ought S. Leo the first a most famous Pope doth in these memorable vvordes declare You must ô Emperour without doubt know Epist 75. ad Leo. August that Kingly power is giuen to you not only for the rule of the world but is principally bestowed vpon you for the defence and aide of the Church that by suppressing wicked attempts you may both defend that which is established and also pacifie those thinges which are troubled But of this point I shal haue occasion presently to speake more at large It followeth ROBERT ABBOT AS touching the reason also vvhich he alleageth why Princes should take special order that God be rightly serued Because of his meere bounty and grace they receiue and hold their Diademes and Princely Scepters The Pope denieth that they hold the same immediately from God but are to receiue them by his mediation and approbation and no longer to hold them then they conforme themselues to his lawes Bulla Pij 5. Ecce nos constituti sumus super gentes regna c. Behold saith the Pope we are set ouer nations and kingdomes to build vp and to plant to pul vp and to destroy c. And therefore what the wisdome of God saith as M. Bishop alleageth by me Kings raigne the same the Pope blasphemously applieth to himselfe Prouerb 8. vers 15. Per me Râ—ges regnant By me Kings doe raigne thus the Pope would haue Princes as very beasts as Nabuchodonoser was not to know of whom they hold their crownes and kingdomes but to thinke that al dependeth vpon him But M. Bishop acknowledgeth here the truth that of God they hold the same and therefore should make it their special care that the same God be honoured accordingly And here vnawares he justifieth our doctrine as touching the Princes supreme authority for the gouernement of our Church the effect whereof we teach to be this to prouide by lawes and to take special order that God be purely and vprightly serued that Idolatry and superstition be remoued that the vvord of God be truly and sincerely taught that the sacraments be duly administred and the Bishops and Pastors diligently performe the seruice and duty that doth appertaine vnto them that the commandements of God be not publikely and scandalously broken for these things we acknowledge the King to be vnder Christ the supreme gouernour of the church within his Dominions and this duty M. Bishop confesseth to appertaine vnto him And thus did the good Kinges of Iudah Dauid Ezechias Iosias c. thus haue Christian Emperours and Princes done thus and no otherwise did Queene Elizabeth and yet for the doing hereof shee was proscribed by the Pope and so much as in him lay depriued of her Crowne and Scepter but the hand of God was with her and shee prospered thereby and died in peace c. WILLIAM BISHOP I Doe many times much muse how men of any sort and fashion specially how professors of Gods truth such as M. Abbot would be esteemed dare put into light such odde paltry shifts and poure out together such heapes of grosse lies A lie it was that I denied to his Majesty such authority as would serue for the taking order how God might be rightly serued in his realme Another lie it is that the Popes lawes doe inbibite Kinges to meddle with matters of religion A third that I affirmed Kinges to hold their crownes immediately from God vvhich though it be true in that sence he taketh it yet is it false that I so said in that place for I meddle not with those tearmes of immediately or mediately The fourth is that the Pope denieth Princes to hold their Diademes and Princely authority immediately from God but are to receiue them by his mediation for euen in the very Canon cited last before by himselfe the Pope acknowledgeth Distinct. 96. Si Imperator That Emperours and Kinges receiue from God the prerogatiue of their power vvhereupon the Glosse plainly noteth that they did not receiue their soueraigne authority from the Pope Which was also obserued in the Canon next before EadeÌ„ distiÌ„ct out of Pope Gelasius wordes And it is further the common opinion of al our Diuines vvherefore vnlesse this counterfait Diuine did meane here to lie for the whetstone I know not what he meant to huddle vp lies so thicke together euery one lowder then the other But saith he Pius Quintus writeth Eccenos constituti sumus super gentes regna Behold saith the Pope we are set ouer nations and kingdomes to build and to plant to plucke downe and to destroy c. therefore they apply to themselues that which the wisdome of God giueth to Kinges By me Kinges doe raigne This is the fift lie that he makes within the compasse of lesse then halfe a side for albeit the Pope vse the wordes spoken to the Prophet Hieremy Ecce nos constituti sumus c. yet doth he not those by King Salomon vttered in the person of Gods vvisdome vvhich M. Abbot deceitfully shuffleth in the place of the other Now the authority committed to the Prophet Hieremy did not make the King of Iuda to hold his crowne of him as al Diuines both Catholikes and Protestants doe grant wherefore though the same be yet remaining in the Church of God as it is not only granted by al Catholike Doctors but euen by the verdict of Caluin himselfe In cap. 10. Cor. vers
desolate and naked and eate her flesh c. yet they shal be most vvicked and impious Kinges and shal adore the monstruous beast there described and fight against Christ IESVS These be the very vvordes of the Text And the tenne hornes c. be tenne Kinges c. these haue one Councel and force and their power they shal deliuer to the beast these shal fight with the Lambe and the Lambe shal ouerthrow them c. Vers 16. And the tenne bornes which thou sawest in the beast these shal hate the harlot and make her desolate and naked c. so that the very same tenne Kinges signified there by tenne hornes that did giue al their power to the beast did hate the harlot But how can it be saith one that they vvho hate the vvicked harlot should joine with the beast who was as wicked as shee Yes that may wel be for it is no newes that vvicked men fal out among themselues so that one vngodly and wicked Prince doth sometimes with al his might aide another more vvicked then himselfe and at the same instant perhaps or shortly after fight against a third the most wicked of al they doe fight against both good and euil as their owne rage passions or occasions carry them Which I say to stoppe a starting hole of the Protestants who to auoide this inconuenience say that first these ten Kings were bent to al mischief◠and then helped the beast against the Lambe but afterward repented them of their former iniquity then loe they hated the harlot and persecuted her which they would not haue done if they had beene hadde Princes this is a prety shift Wel say first that this sence could stand vvith the vvordes of the text yet they cannot be applied to his Majesty who was not in his former time any aider of our religion and now is fallen off from that to the Protestants wherefore this deuise if it could stand with the text wil not serue their turne But the spirit of God hath preuented and wholy cut off this vaine imagination for it saith in the next verse That the tenne Kinges who hated the harlot euen then and after too gaue their Kingdomes to the beast til the word of God be consummate that is til the end of al. Wherefore most manifest it is euen by the warrant of Gods sacred word that those Kinges mentioned in the Apocalipse were reprobates such did they liue and such shal they die Let then his most excellent Majesty censure what reward they are worthy off who feare not to thrust his Highnesse into that list of condemned cast-a-waies and that too after they had such faire warning as in my answere to M. Perkins I gaue them to beware how they did his Majesty that shame and despite If it please his Highnesse to take notice of it I doubt not but that he wil conne them little thanke for this their commendation of him M. Abbot hauing acquited himselfe so Clarke-like in the precedent part of his answere That we are not to imitate our fore-fathers descendeth to the subsequent to wit That his Majesties Progenitours Kinges of England and Scotland were not of our Roman faith which he wil proue hereafter at more leisure that is to say neuer For he doth not deny but that the religious and holy man Augustine sent into our country by Gregory the great Bishop of Rome to conuert our Ancestours the Saxons and English to the Christian faith did then teach the same Roman faith vvhich vve now professe so that aboue this thousand yeares by his owne confession his Majesties Progenitours haue beene of our Catholike Roman faith and religion and very few Kings now liuing I weene can deriue their pedegree much further Afterward he doth rake out of the chanels of Bale Page 198. Iewel Hollinshead and such like late partial vvriters which any man not past al care of his reputation would be ashamed to cite for sufficient witnesses in matters of controuersy where in they themselues were parties that there was great disagreemēt betweene Augustine the Italian Monke as he speaketh and the Churches of England and Scotland vvhereas venerable Bede a most approued authour and neare vnto those times vvho did as most diligently trace out those matters so record them most faithfully he I say whose authority is sufficient to put downe an hundreth late writers interessed in the cause affirmeth that there vvas no variance betwixt them in any one article of faith but only in some few points of ceremony namely in these two Beda lib. 2. histor cap. 2. Vpon what day the feast of Easter was to be kept and about the rites of Baptisme For S. Augustine offered them to beare vvith al other their different rites if they would yeeld vnto him in these two points Vt Pascha suo tempore celebretis That yee would keepe Easter-day at the due time appointed by the Councel of Nice and minister the Sacrament of Baptisme after the manner of the Roman and Apostolike Church And concerning these two points vvho can thinke but that the Sacrament of Baptisme vvas like to be administred in those daies in the most renowmed citty of Rome after a more decent and deuout manner Euseb in vita Const l. 3. 17. Epiphan l. 3. Haeres 70. then among the Britans that liued in a corner of the world now for the other of keeping the feast of Easter the 14. day of the first Moone with the Iewes It was many yeares before condemned in the first most famous general Councel of Nice and therefore it cannot be denied but that those Britans vvere either very ignorant in the Canons of the Church if they knew not so solemne a decree or else too too contentious and vvilful in refusing to yeeld vnto it A third clause was added by S. Augustine that the Britans vvould joine with him and his fellowes Beda ibidem in preaching the word of God vnto the English nation which also argueth yet more strongly that they agreed together in al articles of faith or else they vvould not haue required their helpe in instructing others in matters of faith And this is not only registred by S. Bede that holy Historiographer but also reported by their owne late vvriters Hollinshead Volum 1. page 103. and * Page 6. M. Godwine in his Catologue of the Bishops of England S. Bede also witnesseth further in the place aboue-said that the same Britan Christians euen then confessed that they did perceiue that to be the true way of justice which Augustine did preach Furthermore the principal Preachers and most Godly men that liued not long before S. Augustines arriual among the Britans as namely S. Dulcitius and S. Dauid vvere brought vp at Rome and one of them the Popes Legate too Iohn Baal in their liues as the aduersaries themselues confesse Wherevpon it followeth clearely that not only for these later thousand yeares but also in the former
sute of diuers Bishops of the East he did solemnely summon S. Athanasius that most learned and valiant Patriarke of Alexandria to appeare at Rome before him there to answere vnto such crimes as were indeede most vvrongfully objected against him Lib. 4. hist Tripart c. 6. Nicephor lib. 9. cap. 6. thus saith the holy History The Pope following the law of the Church commanded them also to come vnto Rome and according to the rule of the Canons cited the venerable Athanasius to judgement Athanasius obediently appeared but his aduersaries knowing that their lies in that place vvould soone be discouered durst not appeare vvhereupon Athanasius was purged of those imputations Ibid. cap. 12. and restored to his Bishoprick Vnto the same Iulius not long after Athanasius being pittifully abused by the Arrians repaired the second time for aide vvhere he found diuers other Bishops of the East namely Paulus Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Bishop of Ancony Asclopas Bishop of Gaya and Lucianus Bishop of Adrianople al Easterne Bishops and yet appealing to Iulius Pope of Rome for remedy of the wrongs done them by the Arrian Heretikes which doth most manifestly testifie that in the primitiue Church al other Bishops acknowledged the Bishop of Rome for the supreme Pastour of Christes Church vvhich also Zozomenus doth confirme shewing how Iulius restored them al Tanquam omnium curam gerens Zozom l. 3. hist. cap. 8. propter propriae sedis dignitatem As one that had care ouer them al for the dignity of his owne See And Iulius his owne wordes recorded by no meaner a man then S. Athanasius doe declare the same for blaming the Bishops of the East he saith Athanas in Apolog. 2. Why did you not write vnto vs especially you of Alexandria are you ignorant that the custome is that we should first be written vnto that from hence it might be defined what was right therefore if you haue any quarrel against any Bishop you ought to haue referred it hither to our Church c. And shortly after I signifie to you such thinges as were receiued from the blessed Apostle S. Peter c. vvhere M. Abbot may see that one of S. Peters successours of great worth and authority doth tel the Bishops of the East Church that by order set downe by S. Peter himselfe Bishops causes of al countries ought to be referred vnto the definition of the Bishop of Rome he therefore is their superiour I adde hereunto because it belongeth both vnto Pope Iulius and this present purpose of their supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes this sentence taken out of the Ecclesiastical history The Councel holden at Antioch was not good Hist Tripart lib. 4. cap. 9. for that Iulius Bishop of Rome was not there present nor sent any Legate in his place because the Ecclesiastical Canons doe command that Councels ought not to be celebrated without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome ROBERT ABBOT GELASIVS Bishop of Rome saith as we say Gelas cont Eutich Nestor That in the Saâ—rament is celebrated the Image or resemblance of the body and bloud of Christ and that there ceasseâ—h not to be the substance or nature of bread and wine But now the Romish religion maketh them Heretikes that say the Sacrament is the Image or resemblance of the body bloud of Christ and not the body and bloud of Christ it selfe or wil not beleeue that the bread and wine are substantially and really turned into the same body and bloud Albeit they beleeue with the same Gelasius that the Sacrament is a diuine thing and that thereby we are made partakers of the diuine nature euen of Christ himselfe really and substantially but yet spiritually vvith al his riches becomming ours and being eaten of vs not by our teeth into our bellies but by faith into our harts vnto life euerlasting WILLIAM BISHOP FIRST I say that M. Abbot hauing his eie-sight sore troubled with a grosse defluxion of salt rhewme taketh a Rowland for an Oliuer that is one Gelasius an vnknowne Grecian for Gelasius an African borne yet Bishop of Rome That he was not Gelasius the Bishop of Rome appeareth plainly out of that very treatise cited by M. Abbot for that Gelasius professeth to alleage the testimony of al the learned Fathers who wrote before him yet he maketh no mention of the most renowmed authours in the Latin Church as of S. Hillary S. Augustine S. Hierome and of Pope Leo al vvhich wrote before Gelasius the Bishop of Rome and were had in very great estimation by him as may be seene by his declaration of the Canonical Scriptures of the most approued fathers workes Dist 15. SaÌ„cta Romana Ecclesia Ibidem Againe that Gelasius citeth often and relieth much vpon the authority of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea vvhereas Gelasius the Pope hath noted his vvorkes for little better then Apocryphal so that nothing is more like then that the good man hath mistaken his marke and is fallen from the successours of S. Peter and S. Paul vpon I cannot tel whom yet because he is an old writer though of what credit it be vncertaine I wil not refuse him And to the former part of his sentence that in the Sacrament there is an Image or resemblance of Christes body I answere that vve Catholikes doe say as much in effect for euery Sacrament is a visible signe of an inuisible and holy thing and so Christs body vnder the forme of bread and wine is a resemblance of his body parted from his bloud on the Crosse and the body of Christ vnder the formes of bread and vvine as it is in the Sacrament is a picture also or resemblance of the vnion of his mistical body in faith and charity euen as the bread is made of many graines of corne and the vvine pressed out of many clusters of grapes The later part of his sentence may also haue a good meaning and stand wel with our doctrine for the nature of bread doth not wholy ceasse to be in the blessed Sacrament because the forme sauour and tast of bread which be natural qualities thereof doe stil remaine though the whole inward substance be turned into the body of Christ which that Gelasius doth in the same place signifie when he there saith The same bread to be changed into the diuine substance that is into the substance of Christ by the operation of the holy Ghost whereby the receiuers are made partakers of the diuine nature And M. Abbots glosse vpon these later wordes is very extrauagant for we cannot in property of speech be said to be partakers of Christs nature really by being made partakers of his riches for it is one thing to be partaker of a mans nature really another farre different to be partaker of his goodes and benefits And as for the receiuing of Christ spiritually by faith that may be done vvithout receiuing any Sacrament at al but Gelasius either speaketh of receiuing Christ in the
proofes for the Princes supremacy the Emperours some times called general Councels ergo they were supreme gouernors in causes Ecclesiastical a doubty argument as you may perceiue by the like A Lord calleth for his tenants being carpenters to build him a house ergo that Lord is the chiefest carpenter in the country If that Lord be not taken for supreme judge in the carpenters occupation though he had ful power to assemble the carpenters together vvhy shal the Emperour be esteemed chiefe gouernour in Ecclesiastical causes for that he hath authority to cal Ecclesiastical persons together Againe al men know that Ecclesiastical persons are in al temporal causes subject vnto temporal Princes who therefore may command them to meete together to compose contentions risen about spiritual causes vvhereby the temporal peace of his country is also much hindred and this may be wel done vvithout any pretence vnto soueraignity ouer them in spiritual matters so that if it were graunted that the Emperour had authority to cal general Councels yet it vvould not follow thereof that he were supreme head in Ecclesiastical causes much lesse can he be taken for supreme gouernour because the Popes gaue vnto the Emperours the cōmon and vsual wordes of courtesie as M. Abbot afterward very childishly reasoneth But let vs come to the ground-worke of the question I affirme then that though Emperour or King for the temporal command he hath ouer his spiritual subjects may cal them together vvhen there is just cause yet the soueraigne summoning of al Bishops Ecclesiastical persons to a general Councel doth not properly or principally belong to the Emperours but vnto the chiefe Pastour among them for very reason teacheth euery judicious man by induction through al societies it is most manifest that the chiefest member of any corporation or assotiation hath by instinct of nature that priuiledge of calling together the rest of that cōpany and corporation wherefore the lay Magistrate that is no proper member of the Ecclesiastical congregation cannot in natural reason and equity haue that power of assembling the Clergy together Besides no Christian Emperor had euer yet so much as temporal dominion ouer al Christendome those Christians then that were not his subjects at al could not be called together by his authority That their Empire vvhen it was at the largest vvas not so large as the bounds and limits of Christian religion S. Leo himselfe is witnesse in these wordes Sermon 1. in Natiuit SS Apost Petri Pauli Rome being made head of the world by the Chaire of S. Peter doth rule ouer more Countries by heauenly religion then by earthly dominion Againe since the Emperours became Christian not one hundred yeares together scarse did one Emperour command ouer al the Empire but lightly one gouerned in the East another ouer the West I would then gladly know to whether of them it belonged to cal general Councels or whether the Church of God must be destitute of such Councels vntil that matter were agreed vpon Further the calling of national prouincial Councels doth according vnto S. Augustine and Antiquity Aug. Ep. 217. Cal. lib. 4. Instit c. 7. n. 8. allowed therein by M. Caluin and the great hundred of * Centur. 4. c. 7. col 534. Magdeburge appertaine vnto the Primates and Metrapolitans of the same nation and prouince therefore by the like proportion it doth not appertaine to the Emperors but vnto the chief Patriarke of the Church to cal a general Councel That S. Leo on vvhose authority M. Abbot here doth stand tooke S. Peter first and after him the Bishops of Rome to be such I wil briefly proue thus he vvriteth Out of the whole world one Peter is chosen Serm. tert de Assumptione sua to haue chiefe charge of the vocation of the Gentils and is placed ouer the other Apostles and al the Fathers of the Church so that albeit there be among the people of God many Priests and many Pastours yet doth Peter peculiarly gouerne them ouer whom Christ doth principally raigne so that al temporal Princes who vvil not deny Christ to raigne ouer them must by S. Leos verdict acknowledge themselues subject in spiritual cases to S. Peter and his successours The same he doth confirme at large in an Epistle to the Bishops of the prouince of Vienna where he concludeth in these wordes To which S. Peter whosoeuer doth deny the primacy Epistola 87. he cannot in any sort diminish his dignity but puffed vp with the spirit of pride he doth drowne himselfe in the gulfe of hel Now least any man should take exceptions against S. Peters successours the Bishops of Rome though he vvould graunt the supremacy vnto S. Peter I adde that S. Leo in that second place doth rather speake of his owne authority vnder the name of S. Peter impugned then by Hilarius Bishop of Vienna then of S. Peters owne time Yet for more cleare demonstration of it Sermon 2. de anniuersario Assumptionis suae take these his wordes The disposition and order of truth doth continue and blessed Peter perseuering in the fortitude of a rocke hath not forsaken the gouernement of the Church which he vndertooke Peter I say doth to this day hold on and continue stil and liueth in his successours which he confirmeth in an hundreth places of his Epistles by me for breuities sake omitted contenting my selfe vvith that which he vvriteth in one letter vnto Anastasius Bishop of the Thessalonians to whom you shal see what authority he giues Epist 82. ad Anastasium Like as saith he my predecessours haue giuen to your predecessours euen so doe I following their example delegate vnto your charity the roome or charge of my gouernement that you imitating our mildenesse may helpe vs in the care which we owe vnto al Churches by the institution of God principally and that you may in a sort represent the presence of our visitation vnto prouinces farre distant from the Apostolical See of Rome For by reason of your nearenesse to them you may more readily see what matters and in what manner either you your selfe may by your diligence compose or else reserue vnto our judgement vvhere going on according to the Canons of the holy Fathers made by the spirit of God to vse his owne wordes he giues to that Bishop of Thessalonia dignity and authority ouer many Metrapolitanes of diuers prouinces That none be chosen without his priuity but al confirmed by his authority Canon 6. Item That if among the Prelates there happen to be question of greater affaires which God forbidde that cannot be ended by the prouincial Synode the Metrapolitan shal then prouide to instruct your brother-hood of the state of the whole businesse and if the parties being present it cannot be appeased by your judgement let it whatsoeuer it be be referred to our knowledge Canon 7. vvhere he giueth him Authority to cal Bishops before him and a Councel also if
was the true Apostolike faith about the questions then handled But forsooth because he did belike vse these curteous vvordes of obedience M. Aâ—bot that lieth at the catch and wants better stuffe is constrained to lay hold on them by which manner of arguing he might proue euery Pope to professe due obedience to euery priuate seruant of God because his ordinary stile is Seruus seruorum Dei The seruant of Gods seruants Now if one had so little wit as hence to argue and gather that the Pope professed obedience or were inferiour to al other seruants of God for if he be their seruant he is bound to obey them would not al the vvorld wonder at his folly And yet this admirable combatant and champion of the host of Ismael is faine to fly to the like miserable shifts and to imploy perforce vvordes that are vttered of custome and curtesie in al Countries for sound proofes If al Italians and French men that vvil say they are your seruants Seruitore di vostre Signoria Monsieur je suis vostre treshumble seruiteur should be taken short at his word and thereby be pressed to your obedience seruice you might soone become a great Signiour ouer many stately seruants that vvould doe what they list But that you may see how M. Abbot can scarsly borrow one weapon out of the true armory of Antiquiry vvhich vvil not serue to wound himselfe I wil here acquaint you vvith some wordes out of the very same Epistle of Pope Agatho to the Emperour Constantius the fourth vvhich doe demonstrate the Church of Rome neuer to faile in matter of faith Did you marke before in those few wordes how he esteemed Apostolike tradition and the definitions of Councels and of the See Apostolike to be the firme foundation of the Church of Christ which alone is sufficient to batter and beate flat to the earth that chiefe fortresse of the Protestants of the al-sufficiency of the vvritten word then hauing deliuered the true faith of the blessed Trinity he annexeth these wordes This is the Apostolical and Euangelical Tradition which the Apostolike Church of God the Mother of your most happy Empire doth hold this is the pure confession of piety this is the rule of the true faith holden aswel in prosperity as in aduersity by the Apostolike Church of Christ which is proued by Gods grace neuer to haue straied from the path of Apostolical Tradition nor euer was corrupted with Heretical nouelties because it was said to Peter I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being conuerted confirme thy brethren Here our Lord promised that the faith of Peter should not faile and willed him to confirme his brethren which the Bishops my predecessours as is wel knowne to al men haue alwaies done confidently and I though much inferiour to them yet for the person that by Gods goodnesse I sustaine doe desire to follow them at the heeles this out of Pope Agatho by the way in fauour of our cause because M. Abbot would haue gladly begged an almesse of him to relieue his miserable want Now that which followeth in him out of Tertullian That the Emperor is honoured according to the ancient doctrine of the Church as next vnto God inferiour vnto God only If the good man would haue bethought himselfe a little vvhat kinde of men the Emperours were in Tertullians time and before he vvould not I thinke for very shame haue once offered to proue those Emperours supreme authority in causes Ecclesiastical for they were al of them Heathen Idolaters and professed enemies to the Christian religion If then they vvere next vnder God supreme gouernours of Ecclesiastical causes it would follow thereof see the good effect of M. Abbots argument that the Christian religion vvas to be forsaken of al men and Idolatry to haue beene imbraced for that was these Emperors supreme judgement in spiritual matters What meant M. Abbots a Gods name to perswade Christians that Heathen and Idolatrous Emperours such as those were in Tertullians time vvere to be honoured followed in matter of religion before Bishops and Archbishops and next vnto God If those be Tertullians wordes euery man can apply them better then M. Abbot doth to wit that Emperours in temporal causes and in the ciuil gouernement of the common weale are vnder no man but next vnto God but in Ecclesiastical causes those Emperours had nothing at al to doe Now to those wordes which he proposeth as very odious That how much the Moone is lesse then the Sunne so much is the Emperour inferior to the Pope They be not precisely the wordes of the Canon but these That how much difference there is betweene the Sunne and the Moone so much is there betweene Bishops and Kinges The sence he doth not much alter but only sets it out more disdainfully vve allow of the sence being rightly taken to wit that the authority of Bishops is properly to be compared to the brightnesse of the Sunne because it is wholy conuersant in spiritual causes vvhich depend vpon the brightnesse and light of faith and doe formally appertaine to the heauenly Kingdome of the Sunne Christ Iesus Now who sees not that the Emperours power being properly to gouerne the temporal state by the light of natural reason which is very dimme and obscure if it be conferred vnto the light of grace may aptly be resembled to the Moone light the light of heauenly affaires as farre passing in clearenesse the light of vvorldly businesses as doth the brightnesse of the Sunne at noone daies passe the Moone-shine at mid-night Now if vve would search higher towards the most pure Antiquity we shal finde farre greater comparisons betweene the spiritual power of Bishops and the temporal of Emperours I vvil for a tast cite only the sentences of two most authentike Doctors S. Ambrose an ancient and most graue Father saith Bretheren the honour and sublimity of a Bishop Ambros initio sui Pastor citatur dist 96. cap. Si duo Greg. Oratio ad populum perturb cannot be equalled with any comparison The Majesty of Kinges and Diademes of Princes if they be compared to it are farre more inferiour then if the mettal of leade should be compered with gold And S. Gregory Nazianzene maketh no lesse difference betweene them two then there is betweene the soule the body the spiritual power of Bishops as much in his judgement excelling that of Princes as the soule in dignity doth surmount the body so that the Popes comparison alleaged by M. Abbot is very temperate in respect of these of the auncient Fathers vvhich notwithstanding vvere made vpon great judgement The lies and toies that ensue in M. Abbots text are not worth the answering First Catal. TestiuÌ„ he that reportes the Emperour to be the Popes man is an heretical and lying companion and therefore no sufficient vvitnesse Secondly if any Emperour or King out of his owne profound humility or aboundance of zeale towardes
not what blasphemy is For God doth not withdraw his loue and liking from any man that he once loued and doth not abhorre his soule vnlesse that man doe first forsake God and commit some offence against his diuine Majesty as all diuines agree but to imagine that our Sauiour committed any offence against his heauenly Father as impious Caluin doth insinuate is flat blasphemy against his immaculate purity In c. 27. Mat. and against the holy Scriptures that doe testifie Hebr. 7. vers 26. Our high Priest to be holy innocent impolluted segregated from sinners higher then the heauens c. That had no necessity to offer for his owne sinnes How therefore could his heauenly Father abhorre his soule or how could he be so euil perswaded of so good a Father God indeede to shew the rigour of his justice against our sinnes for which Christ suffered and the better to declare Christs inuincible fortitude and most feruent loue towardes vs was content not to yeeld vnto Christs humanity vpon the crosse so much as the ordinary inward comfort vvhich he affordeth vnto al that suffer for his names sake and that only did Christ in the name of his humanity expresse where he said My GOD my GOD why hast thou forsaken me and doest not afford me so much as that inward consolation which thou grantest to others But he was at the very same instant most assured that euen then God did loue him more ardently if it were possible then at any time in his vvhole life before because that then he did for his sake according to his heauenly decree and to satisfie his vvil and pleasure suffer the greatest sorrowes that the nature of man could sustaine and that without any kinde of extraordinary or ordinary helpe comfort or consolation but of this I haue spoken more in the Preface before alleaged Here I am only to note how M. Abbot slandereth me in this place with that whereof he himselfe cleareth me afterwards in his booke Let vs goe on vvith his reproches He saith That we be but sicophants and hirelings to the Pope for whose sake we must gale and disgrace howsoeuer there be no truth in that we speake How proueth he this is it not the part of a notable sicophant indeede to vpbraide a vvhole order of men vvith so great crimes vvithout any proofe at al How many learned Catholike writers be there in the world that neuer receiued one peny from the Popes holynesse no nor neuer so much as saw him or had any particular dealings with him what they doe out of their duty towardes God and of zeale to his sacred truth that M. Abbot vvould haue seely soules to beleeue to be done only of constraint and feare or for some hope of worldly gaine Perge mentiri goe on Sir with your tale By which meanes saith he many of your subjects are intangled in a misconscience of religion and thereby drawne from their true loialty and prepared for seditious practises so saith he both simply and falsly without any colour of proofe But we say that by the Catholike doctrine al subjects consciences are rightly informed in the waies of God and thereby instructed to be true and faithful to their Princes and to hate al such practises as tend to the perturbation of the vveale publike Yea vve doe more forcibly and effectually by the Catholike doctrine moue al subjects vnto dutiful obedience then the Protestants doe Caluin lib. 4. Instit ca. 10. num 5. Perkins reformed catholike pag. 157. for they hold that Christian liberty alloweth al men the free vse of al thinges indifferent and that such thinges may not be made necessary in conscience so that if the Prince goe about to restraine his subjects of that liberty they are not bound to obey him vvhereas we al maintaine that al men are bound in conscience to obey al such just lawes of Princes as are not directly against the law of God our doctrine therefore doth farre excel the Protestants in the matter of true loialty And to answere here by the vvay to that odious argument of theirs That the Papists forsooth are but halfe subjects because in matters of religion they are not ruled by their King and his lawes but doe depend vpon the Pope I say that if al they who in matters of faith and saluation doe not take their temporal Prince to be their supreme gouernour should be esteemed but halfe subjects then the mighty Monarkes of France and Spaine and al other Catholike Kings or Princes of the vvorld haue not any one whole subject for none of their people acknowledge them for chiefe cōmanders in Ecclesiastical causes then also for a thousand yeares together our former Kinges were wholy destitute of true and loial subjects for they depended no lesse then we doe vpon the Bishop of Rome for declaration and decision of spiritual affaires as it is very particularly demonstrated in that learned answere vnto Sr. Edward Cookes fift booke of reportes Briefly if this their reason vvere good the Apostles and al the first and best Christians vvere but halfe subjects for in matters of faith not one of them vvould be ruled by the Roman Emperors or other their temporal Princes but did al acknowledge and confesse some other supreme gouernour in those spiritual cases wherefore they must either allow vs to be perfect loial subjects notwithstanding our dependance vpon the Popes holynesse in causes Ecclesiastical or else condemne as disloial al the best Christian subjects that euer vvere euen since Christes owne daies And thus much may serue for this place to shew that they are to be reputed vvhole subjects and that of the best marke who doe giue vnto Math. 22. vers 21. Caesar that which is Caesars reseruing neuerthelesse vnto God and his Vicar that vvhich to him appertaineth I returne to M. Abbots accusations They haue beene bold already saith he to tel your Majesty that if you wil not yeeld them what they desire God knoweth what that forcible weapon of necessity wil driue them to at length meaning as he expoundeth it that if we could not get vvhat vve desire by vviles like Aspes we would like raging Lions seeke it by open violence These wordes of M. Abbots maketh me remember that worthy saying of a graue wise author Sr. Thomas Moore Take away lying and railing from Heretikes and you shal leaue them little or nothing This one little sentence of mine whereon he makes a whole discourse a part and doth glance and girde at it very often elsewhere thinking to haue gotten thereby a great aduantage against al Catholikes he could not propose to his Majesty without a lease of lies The first is that he auoucheth my only feare and conjecture to be the constant opinion of al Catholikes they haue beene bold saith he vvhen he citeth my only vvordes vvriting in mine owne name wherefore he doeth open wrong to others to impute that to them whereunto they were not
alleage the ancient Fathers sentences most perfidiously and so to pester and infect the world with lies That no man I weene can deeme him to proue faithful to his Prince that is found to deale so perfidiously both with God and man Now to that rule of Bias which being vvel vnderstood cannot be much misliked For such is the vncertainty and mutability of our corrupt and fraile nature that he whom this yeare we loue most intirely may the next yeare deserue to be misliked of vs as extremely for of a most excellent and vertuous man he may become bad without measure but of his Majesty I haue alwaies had a farre better opinion and doe daily pray to God to preserue him from al such extremities And howsoeuer it shal happen I acknowledge my selfe bound and stedfastly purpose God willing to beare towardes his Highnesse the loial hart of a true subject and the charitable affection of a louing Christian neither is there any thing in the end of my booke to the contrary That which he so often graceth vpon is already cleered and shal be more fully handled in due place Now to that which M. Abbot here deliuereth for very certaine to wit That neither I nor any of my minde meant his Majesty any good vnlesse we could gaine him to our religion vvhich not only to be very vncertaine but also false I may vvithout more adoe proue euen by his owne confession in the next passage vvhere he saith That the secular Priests vnder an vncertaine hope of his Majesties fauour acknowledged and maintained his just title to the crowne of England and would haue offered him their helpe at the Queenes deceasse therefore by his owne verdict vve vvished and meant his Majesty much good no lesse then the crowne of England before we had gained him to be as vve vvould haue had him for being vnder an vncertaine hope of his fauour as he vvriteth vve vvished that inestimable treasure to his Majesty Now vvhen his owne sayings wil serue to confute himselfe I may spare my further labour I hope that his Majesty hath found contrary to this mans fond assertion many good offices of both loial subjects and affectionate seruants performed to his Highnesse by men of our religion Sure I am that other mighty Monarks doe employ in places of great charge men contrary to themselues and the state in religion and haue thereby giuen great contentment to others and reaped no smal profit to themselues Now to M. Abbots disproofe of my reason ROBERT ABBOT BVT vvhat is the proofe of that his sincerity which he alleageth forsooth in time of vncertaine fortune vvhen assured friendes are most certainly tried he both suffered disgrace and hinderance for his loue towardes his Majesty being stiled in print A Scotist in faction vvhere vve see that a false marchant needes no broker how cunningly he gloseth the matter to make shew of great loue where none vvas What vvas it for his Majesties cause that those hard fortunes that disgrace and hinderance did befal you nothing lesse the Iesuites forsooth and the secular Priests whilest each seeke superiority ouer other fal together by the eares The Iesuites procure an Arch-priest one that should be at their deuotion to be set ouer the Seculars the Seculars refuse to yeeld him subjection and by appeale referre the matter to the Pope for the prosecuting of which appeale M. Bishop with another in his company are sent to Rome there by procurement of Parsons both â—e and his fellow vvere clapt vp in prison and continuing there for many weekes were at length by the sentence of their Protectour banished England and the one of them confined to Lorraine the other to France This is now the maine tragedy of M. Bishops misfortunes not concerning the cause of the Kinges Majesty any whit at al only in the managing of these matters it came to passe according to the prouerbe that vvhen theeues fal out true men come by their goodes for vvhilest euery part sought to prouide the better for themselues here in England for the time to come the Iesuites for their aduancement laboured to intitle the Lady Infanta of Spaine to the succession of the crowne of England but the Seculars presuming that if the Infanta were set vp they must certainly goe downe and choosing rather to aduenture themselues vpon vncertaine hope then to giue way to certaine despaire shrowded themselues vnder the acknowledgment of his Majesties just title not for any loue to his Majesty but for hatred to the Iesuites and for the preferment of themselues For imagining that thinges vpon the death of Queene Elizabeth would grow troublesome and intending to make offer to his Majesty of their help forsooth for the obtaining of the crowne they thought by capitulations and conditions his Majesty preuailing to make al sure for their part thinking that the Iesuites by their traiterous practises had set a sufficient barre against themselues and should be no let vnto them Hereupon they fal a vvriting one against another and M. Bishop is stiled A Scotist in faction and to picke a thanke with his Majesty writeth his twofold discourse One for the defence of his Highnesse honour the other for his title to the crowne of England a vvorke of supererogation for his part for his Majesty needed no such Proctours as he neither vvas the wrangling of a company of base fugitiues sufficient to question either his Majesties honour or his title to the crowne WILLIAM BISHOP HERE is such a tedious tale so impertinent so improbable that I could scarce endure the vvriting of it out yet that he should not complaine that any thing is omitted I haue put it al downe That part of it concerning M. Archpriests ordination is wholy besides the purpose and therefore I omit it wholy though it be mixed with many vntruths which would giue me aduantage against him if I were disposed to stand about them To the other of titles M. Abbot acknowledgeth that we secular Priests stoode in defence of his Majesties just title against the pretensions made in behalfe of the Lady Infanta And therefore any man of meane intelligence of the state of those Catholike countries vvhere we then liued may easily conceiue that we could not but suffer disgrace and hinderance by standing for a Prince that was not Catholike especially when we wanted not others to amplifie vrge and enforce the matter against vs. But our kinde friend M. Abbot saith we stood for his Majesty not for any loue to him but for hatred of the Iesuites and for our owne preferment I answere that in true Christianity when good offices be performed they must be interpreted wel vnlesse there be apparant proofe to the contrary as al good men doe agree from which general rule the Ministers perhaps are to be excepted and so they may vvhen al other reasons faile them aime at the secret intentions of men and judging them after their owne inward dispositions say though they did neuer so
al one to say the vniuersal particular Church here is a vvel shapen argument and worthy the maker it consists of al particular propositions which euery smatterer in logicke knowes to be most vitious besides not one of them is good but al are sophistical and ful of deceit First concerning the forme if it were currant one might proue by it that no one Church in the vvorld vvere Catholike take for example the English congregation vvhich they hold to be most Catholike and apply M. Abbots argument to it thus The Catholike Church is the vniuersal Church but the Church of England is a particular Church wherefore to say the English Church is Catholike is to say a particular Church is an vniuersal His first fault then is in the very forme of reasoning which alone is sufficient to argue him to be a sophister and one that meaneth to beguile them that vvil trust him now to the particulars His first proposition the Catholike Church is the vniuersal Church is both absurd because the same thing is affirmed of himselfe for vniuersal is no distinct thing but the very interpretation of the vvord Catholike and also captious as hauing a double signification For the Catholike Church doth signifie both the vvhole body of the Church compacted of al the particular members vnited and joyned together in one in which sence no one particular Church can be called the Catholike Church because it is not the vvhole body spread ouer al the world for it is totum integrale to vse the schoole tearmes and not totum vniuersale quod dicitur de multis Secondly the Catholike Church doth also designe and note very properly euery particular Church that embraceth the same true Christian faith which hath continued euer since Christs time and beene receiued in al countries not only because it is totum similare as M. Abbot speaketh vvherefore euery true member of the Catholike Church may be called Catholike but also because each of the said particular Churches hath the same Faith the same Sacraments and the same order of gouernement al vvhich are as it vvere the soule and forme of the Catholike Church vvhich M. Abbot acknowledgeth and further also confesseth out of S. Augustine that Christians were called Catholikes Ex communicatione totius orbis Epistola 48. By hauing communion of faith with the whole world If then by his owne confession euery particular Church yea euery particular Christian that embraceth and professeth that faith which is dilated al the vvorld ouer be truly called Catholike how fondly then did he goe about to proue the Church of Rome not to be Catholike and Papists not to be Catholikes because forsooth they were particulars Yet that he may be thought not to doate outright but rather to dreame he addeth That at least the Church of Rome hath no reason to assume to her selfe the prerogatiue of that title because that euery Church where the true faith is taught is truly called Catholike and no one more then another I note first that this man is as constant and stable as the weather-cocke on the toppe of a steeple before he proued stoutly as you haue heard that no particular Church could be called Catholike now he wil haue euery particular Church that receiueth the true faith to be called Catholike Neither doe vve say that any one Orthodoxe Church is more Catholike then another if the word Catholike be taken precisely though we hold that among al the particular Catholikes the Roman holdeth the greatest priuiledges both of superiority in gouernement and of continuance and stability in the same true Catholike faith which is deduced out of the word of God because that Church Math. 16. vers 18. Is the Rocke according to the exposition of the ancient Fathers vpon which the whole Church was built and against which the gates of hel should neuer preuaile Againe the Bishop of Rome succeedeth lineally vnto S. Peter Luc. 22. vers 23. Whose faith through the vertue of Christs praier shal neuer faile wherefore S. Ireneus a most learned Archbishop of Lions in France and a glorious Martir of great antiquity saith That al Churches ought to agree with the Church of Rome Lib. 3. cap. 3. for her more mighty principality S. Cyprian Archbishop of Carthage in Africke affirmeth Li. 1. epist 3. That perfidiousnesse and falshood in matters of faith can haue no accesse vnto the See of Rome S. Ambrose taketh it to be al one to say the Catholike and the Roman Church in these vvordes If he shal agree with the Catholike that is De ob Satyri Hieron in Apolog 1. cont Ruffi cap. 1. with the Roman Church So doth S. Hierome when he saith of Ruffinus What faith doth he say his to be if the Roman faith we are then Catholikes affirming men to become Catholikes by holding the Roman faith a De Praescript Tertullian b Epiphan Haeres 27. Epiphanius c Lib. 2. cōt Parmeni Optatus d August Epist 165. S. Augustine doe proue their Churches to be Catholike and themselues to be Catholikes by declaring that they doe communicate vvith the Church of Rome in society of faith and doe condemne their aduersaries to be Schismatikes and Heretikes because they did not communicate vvith the same Roman Church And vvhich is greatly to be noted no general Councel of sound authority vvherein the Christian truth hath beene expounded and determined but is confirmed by the Bishop of Rome And on the other side no heresie or errour in faith hath sprong vp since the Apostles daies that did not oppose it selfe against the Roman See and was not by the same finally ouerthrowne Whereupon S. Augustine had good reason to say That that chaire obtained the toppe of authority De vtil cred cap. 17. Heretikes in vaine barking round about it This little I hope vvil suffice for this place to declare that there is great cause vvhy vve should attribute much more to the Roman Church then to any other particular Church whatsoeuer and yeeld to it the prerogatiue of al singular titles in a more excellent manner Here comes in M. Abbots second proposition but the Church of Rome is a particular Church in which is as great doubling and deceit as in the former for albeit the Church of Rome doe in rigour of speech only comprehend the Christians dwelling in Rome yet is it vsually taken by men of both parties to signifie al Churches of vvhatsoeuer other Country that doe agree vvith the Church of Rome in faith and confesse the Pastour thereof to be the chiefe Pastour vnder Christ of the whole Church Like as in times past the Roman Empire did signifie not the territory of Rome alone or dominion of Italy but also any nation that vvas subject to the Roman Emperour Euen so the whole Catholike Church or any true member thereof may be called the Roman Church à parte principaliore because the Bishop of Rome is the supreme head
that their roial estate cannot giue lustre and dignity to those that serue and obey them for Soueraigne and Subjects be correlatiues and the splendour of the one doth dignifie and ennoble the other And to derogate from the subject in that he is a subject is to disparage and to blemish greatly the Soueraignes Majesty M. Abbot then shewed himselfe a jolly wise-man and very acute when he would remoue the cause of basenesse from my degree and cast it vpon the respect of my subjection vvhich is common to me with al other his Majesties subjects euen of the highest dignity and most honourable calling I doe not here forget that there is incomparable difference betweene one subject and another both in degree and quality yet am I bold to say that he vvho debaseth any one subject considered as a subject as M. Abbot speaketh doth jointly offer great wrong and disgrace not only to al the rest of the subjects but euen to the Soueraigne himselfe Here I hope the courteous Reader vvil giue me leaue to say some-thing of the birth and degree of some Roman Priests being by M. Abbot so often vpbraided with beggarly basenesse neither vvil I report aught else then that vvhich by some honest men of great intelligence is recorded for very true to wit that since these times of persecution more Gentlemen borne haue beene made Roman Priests then are to be found in al the English Ministery though for euery one Priest there be more then an hundreth Ministers And touching M. Abbot himselfe I am credibly informed that he is by birth but a meane Tanners Sonne of Gilford in Surrey and was at his first comming to Oxford but a poore Scholler gladde to sweepe and dresse vp chambers and to play the drudge for a slender pittance Which I doe not vvrite as in contempt of such base beginnings from vvhich many haue proued profound Clarkes and growne to great promotion but only to admonish M. Abbot out of the remembrance of his owne condition not to carry himselfe so contemptuously towardes others vvho vvere borne his betters farre and not brought vp so beggarly but that they had as good maintainance in the Vniuersity as those vvhose shoes he was gladde to wipe and to sweepe their chambers other wise that graue sentence of the wise Poët must needes be verified in him Nil est asperius humili cum surgit in altum None carry themselues more rough currish and hawty Then these base companions once raised to dignity But setting aside both right of birth and degree of study the very sacred order of Priest-hood vnto which albeit most vnworthy vve are by the meere goodnesse of God called doth by the stile of holy Canons exempt vs from the vulgar sort and by vertue of that sacred calling adorne and dignifie vs Distinct. 5. Can. denâ—que Deniue Sacerdotes c. quos dignitas Ecclesiastici gradus exornat Againe the most ancient and reuerend Fathers haue alwaies had the holy vocation of Priest-hood in so high and singular estimation that they haue not feared to paraleel and compare it vvith the greatest temporal Majesty on earth The ground of their reason is this Priests receiue power from IESVS Christ ouer the soules of men and that in supernatural courses teÌ„ding to the most high end of euerlasting blisse and glory vvhereas the Princes of this world how puisant soeuer they be haue dominion only ouer our goodes and bodies in ciuil causes to the quiet peacible gouernement of the affaires of this life Priests then honoured vvith such high gifts vvhich were neuer bestowed vpon Angels to vse S. Chrysostomes wordes that is that had * Lib. 3. de Sacerdot fâ—om Christ authority and power to a Ioh. 20. forgiue sinnes to consecrate his blessed b Math. 26. body that are briefly c 1. Cor. 4. the dispensours of Gods holy word and Sacraments d Hebr. 5. veâ—s 1. 2. taken from among men and appointed for men in those thinges that appertaine vnto God that they may offer gifts and sacrifices as for their owne so for the sinnes of the rest of Gods people to vse the Apostles wordes if these mens heauenly function be base beggarly and contemptible it is in the conceit only of blinded worldlings e 1. Cor. 2. vers 14. That perceiue not the thinges which are of the spirit of God nor can judge of them because they be spiritually to be examined And M. Abbot the best floure of whose garland is his Ecclesiastical calling should haue left the vilifying of the order of Priest-hood to some other of the laity And so no doubt he would haue done had he beene a true Clergy-man in deede and not so called by meere vsurpation for as you know it is the part of an vncleane bird to defile her owne nest But the wel-nurtured man would perhaps out of his little good manners haue made exception of this also as he did of my degree if he had remembred it Now to that vvhich followeth to shew that he had some cause to burst out into those bigge wordes he saies That I did vpbraide my Prince with misfortune in his bringing vp which is false for I mentioned it with compassion as King Priamus calamities are by many remembred vvith sorrow yet with great affection to his person I did not write a sillable that sounded to his Majesties disgrace but did rather excuse his failing in religion laying the fault of it vpon them who in his tender yeares vvhen he was not able to judge misinstructed him signifying that if it had beene his blessed hap to haue escaped their seducing speeches til he had come to riper age he would rather haue controled and corrected them then haue giuen eare to their errours and follies I vvillingly acknowledge a most rare readinesse of wit in his Majesty and firmenesse of memory both to attaine to high litterature and to deliuer it most eloquently so much the more sorry I am that these goodly and faire gifts of nature wanted such supernatural aides and ornameÌ„ts as education in the Catholike Church and among the best sort of Catholikes might and would most willingly haue afforded him for then no doubt he would haue farre out-gone himself in al good litterature and proued most singular Let the considerate reader to judge the better of our spirits compare my speeches to my Soueraigne vvith M. Abbots of the supreme Pastour of the Church as we beleeue vvhom the Protestants doe not denie to be one of the chiefest Patriarkes of the Christian world I meane the Bishop of Rome vvhom M. Abbot doth coÌ„monly raile vpon in most vile and reprochful tearmes stiling him ordinarily nothing else but The man of sinne and perdition the whoore of Babilon Antichrist himselfe and such like betweene whose supereminent dignity and M. Abbots meane place there is no lesse difference then betweene a temporal Prince and his subject of any good sort If I then be rightly
be referred vnto the See Apostolike Because the Apostles by the commandement of our Sauiour haue ordained that questions of greater difficulty shal alwaies be referred vnto the Apostolike See vpon which Christ built the whole Church saying vnto blessed Peter the Prince of the Apostles thou art Peter vpon this rocke wil I build my Church c. Anacletus his immediate successor Euaristus Pope Martir writing vnto the Bishops of Africke Epistola 1. ad Eccles Africanam speaketh thus Truly your charity following the rule of the wise hath chosen rather to referre vnto the See Apostolike as to the head what ought to be obserued in doubtful matters then to presume your selues by vsurpation and writing to the brethren in Aegipt Epistola 2. doth command certaine Bishops whom he resembleth to adulterers because they had intruded into other Bishops Citties to be cast out of those places and to be made infamous and depriued of al Ecclesiastical honours adjoining That if after these thinges so dispatched they should haue further complaint against them that matter were to be enquired out and to be determined by the authority of this holy See Note how these holy Popes that vvere so nigh vnto the Apostles taught it to belong vnto the See of Rome to determine of the causes of the Bishops of Afrike and Aegipt most remote from them And because the Apostle S. Paul willeth 2. Cor. 13. vers 2. euery word to stand in the mouth of two or three witnesses I vvil take for the third Alexander the first Pope and Martir who succeeded vnto Euaristus he is as plaine and formal in this cause as any of the rest these be his wordes Epist 1. omnibus orthodoxis It is related vnto the primacy of this holy and Apâ—stolike See vnto which the disposition of the highest cases and the affaires of al Churches are by our Lord committed as to the head c. and a little after Our Lord here appointed this holy See the head of the whole Church I omit here the verdict of al others herein because this very matter must be spoken off hereafter againe and againe these three most ancient graue and Godly Martirs al successours of S. Peter and S. Paul vpon whose authority M. Abbot here only insisteth vvil suffice to certifie the indifferent reader that euen from the Apostles daies the Bishop of Rome hath beene taken for supreme judge in al Ecclesiastical causes aswel in the East as West Church To finish this passage thou maist gentle reader by this little see what shamelesse shifts M. Abbot is forced to vse to make any coulourable shew out of antiquity for the lay Magistrates superiority in spiritual causes He is first driuen to cite an vnlearned an vnlikely and an Apocriphal letter of 1400. yeares old vpon the credit of men of our owne age and those most partial too on his owne side the letter bearing date also many yeares after the death of him that is supposed to be the authour of it and when al is done in the same vvorshipful letter there is not one pregnant proofe for any part of their doctrine lastly that his owne chosen witnesses doe deliuer vp most cleare euidence against himselfe he therefore that vvil giue judgement on his side must needes shew himselfe exceeding partial ROBERT ABBOT ANACLETVS Bishop of Rome Dist 1. Episcopus 2. peracta and after him Calixtus ordained that consecration being done al should communicate or else be excommunicated For so say they the Apostles did set downe and the holy Church of Rome obserueth But the Church of Rome that now is maketh it lawful for the Priest to receiue alone the people in the meane time standing gazing and looking on and the fight only must suffice them WILLIAM BISHOP HERE is nothing in manner worth the answering only the cosening deceitfulnesse of the man is to be displaied First Anacletus hath only De consecrat dist 1. Can. Episcopus that Deacons Subdeacons and other Ministers that in solemne feasts attend in holy vestiments vpon the Bishop whiles he doth sacrifice vnto God should in the same solemne feasts communicate or else be debarred of their Ecclesiastical places where is not one word of the lay peoples communicating And therefore that Canon is wholy besides the purpose sauing that it doth teach that then Bishops vsed to offer sacrifice vnto God and that the Clarkes did in holy vestiments serue them at Masse See the Canon and vvonder at the folly of the man In like manner doth the second Canon of Calixtus speake of Ecclesiastical persons that serue at Masse for so saith the Collector De consecrat dist 2. Can. peracta Ecclesiasticis liminibus careat Minister Let the Minister or he that serueth want Ecclesiastical place With which agreeth the glosse vpon the same Canon vvhich also is euident by the very Text for the punishment set downe is Ecclesiasticis carere liminibus To be shut out of the Ecclesiastical mens seates and places vvhich vvere no punishment to a lay man that was not before admitted into any such roome And as it may be seene in the said distinction Cap. Etsi non frequentius De consecrat dist 1. and Cap. Secularis Lay men were commanded about those times to communicate but thrife in the yeare at Easter Whitsontide and Christmasse Briefly here is nothing against the moderne practise of the Church of Rome for both they that solemnely serue at Masse on festiual daies doe receiue and no lay man is denied to communicate on any day either on those feasts or at any time else vvhen he vvil prepare himselfe thereto But to debarre Priests from seruing God in that most high degree be their deuotion and preparation neuer so good vntil they can get some company of the laity to communicate with them is without just cause to robbe God of his soueraigne honour to extinguish the working of his holy spirit in deuout soules and to defraude the whole flocke of the benefit of many most holy and effectual praiers not only of the Priests but also of the people vvho doe not with vs stand gazing on at the time of communion as M. Abbot prophanely conceiteth but humbly kneeling doe then pray most deuoutly and doe in spirit and desire communicate also Briefly there is not one sillable in those Canons sounding to the Protestant sence that Priests should not coÌ„municate if the Clarke or people joine not vvith them but only that the indeuout and slugglish Clarkes should be depriued of their places if vpon high feasts they did neglect to communicate with the Bishop or Pastor ROBERT ABBOT IVLIVS the Bishop of Rome disallowed intinctam Eucharistiam De consecrat 2. cum omne the dipping of the Eucharist the Sacrament of Christs body in the cuppe Because no witnesse thereof was brought out of the Gospel but there is mentioned the commending of the bread by it selfe and the cuppe by it selfe but
Sacrament or else M. Abbot doth fondly alleage his wordes against the real presence wherefore his later paraphrase is a meere trifle and a vaine shift See more of this man and matter in the question of the real presence Let vs proceede ROBERT ABBOT De consecrat dist 2. comperimus THE same Gelasius when he vnderstood that some receiuing only the portion of the sacred body of Christ did forbeare the cuppe of his sacred bloud did forbidde that superstition and willed that either they should receiue the Sacrament whole or be kept from the whole because the diuiding of one and the same mistery cannot come without great sacriledge But now the Church of Rome is so farre off from acknowledging the diuiding of that mistery to be sacriledge as that shee pretendeth to be moued with just causes reasons Concil Trid. Sess 5. Can. 2. such as Christ and his Apostles and the primitiue Church had neuer the vvit to consider off to administer the Sacrament to the people only in one kinde and pronounceth them accursed that say shee erreth in so doing WILLIAM BISHOP NOW we come to Gelasius the Pope indeede and by his very phrase related by M. Abbot you may plainely perceiue that he beleeued firmely the sacred body of Christ and his pretious bloud to be really present in the blessed Sacrament for thus he speaketh We haue found that certaine men hauing receiued the portion of the sacred body doe abstaine from the Chalice of the sacred bloud Neither doe his wordes fit M. Abbots turne for the peoples receiuing vnder one kinde for he speaketh of Priests that doe consecrate both together vvho therefore must receiue both together that he may be partaker of the sacrifice which he himselfe hath offered For as it is said in the Canon next before De consecrat dist 2. relatum est Quale erit illud sacrificium cui nec ipse sacrificans particeps esse dignoscitur what kinde of sacrifice is that whereof he that sacrificeth doth not participate Wherefore it is by al meanes to be obserued that how often the Priest doth sacrifice the body and bloud of our Lord IESVS Christ vpon the Altar so often he exhibite himselfe a partaker of the body bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ. These wordes taken out of the Councel of Toledo goe immediately before those wordes which M. Abbot citeth and doe euidently shew that they are to be vnderstood of the Priest only that consecrateth the Sacrament as also the very title would haue told M. Abbot if he had beene disposed to take them right It is that the Priest ought not to receiue the body of Christ without his bloud So that here is not a vvord against the giuing the blessed body of Christ alone to the people But M. Abbot is forced like an euil Apothecary to take quid pro quo as they say one thing for another or else he should not be able to furnish his poore erring customers vvith any sort of pleasing drugges to feede their corrupt tast and grosse humours He doth by a parenthesis enterlace That Christ nor his Apostles nor the primitiue Church had euer the wit to consider any just cause of giuing the Sacrament in one kinde to the people vvhich is spoken too too like a blasphemer to touch our Sauiour Christ Iesus with lacke of vvit skil or due consideration who as diuers ancient Doctors doe testifie ministred the blessed Sacrament himselfe to two of his Disciples at Emaus vnder one only kinde of bread Luc. 24. vers 30. He tooke bread and blessed and brake and did reach it to them and their eies were opened and they knew him and he vanished out of their sight vvhere the circumstances August lib. 3. De consensu Euang. c. 25. Epist 59. ad Paul q. 8. Hier. in Epitaph Paulae of blessing breaking and giuing bread as he did at his last supper and the maruailous operation of it doe very probably proue it to haue beene the blessed Sacrament after which giuen in one kinde IESVS vanished out of their sight * Isichius lib. 2. in cap. 9. Beda in Theophil in eâ—m locum Lucae Opus imperfectuÌ„ in Mat. homil 17. In the Apostles time also very vsually the Sacrament vvas administred in one kinde They were perseuering in the doctrine of the Apostles and in communication of the breaking of bread and praiers vvhere breaking of bread being joined with preaching and praier doth conuince it to be spoken of the blessed SacrameÌ„t Againe saith S. Luke In the first of Sabaoth when we were assembled to breake bread Paul disputed with them c. This assembly vpon a Sonday furnished with S. Paules sermon must needes be to be made for the receiuing of the blessed Sacrament as a August Epist 86. Beda in illum locum S. Augustine and venerable Bede doe testifie In al which places following the expresse letter of the Scripture and the interpretation of many holy Fathers we haue warrant for the administration of the Sacrament to the people vnder one only kinde they then I hope vvanted not wit to know a cause of giuing the Sacrament in one kinde Lastly that in the primitiue Church the Sacrament was receiued vnder one kinde is most manifest by the testimony of b Tertull. lib. 2. ad Vxorâ—m Cyprian sermone de lapsis Ambros de obitu Satyri Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Ambrose and many others who declare how the Christians in those times of persecution carried to the sicke and reserued in their owne houses the blessed Sacrament viz. vnder the forme of bread to receiue it when they were in danger of torments or death for their more comfort and strengthning against those assaults Thus much by the way of administring the Sacrament vnder one kinde vnto the laity out of the practise of the primitiue Church the Apostles and our Sauiour himselfe in answere vnto M. Abbots parenthesis Now ere I take my leaue of this holy and most reuerend Pope Gelasius I vvil note briefly some branches of the Catholike faith which he doth formally deliuer to counterpoise those friuoulous objections vvhich M. Abbot haleth in obtorto collo as the Latin phrase is by the heeles out of his writinges First I haue declared out of him already Epist. ad Anast Imperat. In Epist ad Episcopos Daâ—daniae how that Bishops haue power and authority ouer Kinges and Emperours in Ecclesiastical causes so farre forth as to excommunicate them when vrgent cause so requireth He saith further That the Canons of the Church doe ordaine that from any part of the world appeale may be made to the See of Rome and that from it no man is suffered to appeale Againe That euery Church in the world doth know that the See of blessed Peter the Apostle hath right and power to loose and vnbinde that which is bound by the sentences of what Bishop soeuer as that See which hath lawful authority to judge
shal speake more at large presently This therefore may suffice to satisfie any indifferent reader how the first Christian Emperours were Presidents at Councels that is as may be gathered out of their owne wordes first to honour that assembly with their presence then to see that al things there be peacibly and orderly handled thirdly to learne the true Catholike faith by the definitions of those learned Bishops there assembled fourthly to recommend the same to al their faithful subjects and lastly to defend it against al obstinate Heretikes Al vvhich put together doth not come neare any probable proofe that they are supreme gouernours in Ecclesiastical matters but rather that they are in them to be gouerned For they neither argue determine nor define them but only doe receiue approue and defend them being before decided and defined by the Fathers assembled in the Councel by the Bishop of Rome Indeede Constantius an Arrian Emperour vvas perswaded by the Arrians to take vpon him the supreme judgement in Ecclesiastical causes but he vvas very sharply reprehended therefore by that most valiant champion of Christs Church Athanasius Patriarke of Alexandria If saith he the judgement of these matters belong to Bishops In Epist ad Solitar vitam agentes what hath the Emperour to entermeddle with them vvhere he relateth what that blessed Father Hosius vvho was Pope Siluesters chiefe Legate in the first Councel of Nice spoke of that vsurpation of Constantius Who saith he seing the Emperour Ibidem prope finem in decreeing to make himselfe Prince of the Bishops and President ouer their Ecclesiastical judgements may not worthily affirme him to be that abhomination of desolation which is foretold of Daniel In a word then the Protestants treading in the steps of the condemned Arrians vvould haue the lay Magistrates such Presidēts of Councels as haue supreme authority ouer the Bishops judgements vvhich we Roman Catholikes with the consent of al ancient and holy both Bishops and Emperours doe thinke to be very preposterous incommodious and intollerable Now to that trash vvhich M. Abbot chops in by the way by broken and halfe sentences the same Leo saith he professeth his obedience to the Emperours appointment and wil to Theodosius and Martianus for proofe he quoteth Leo vvhere we may gather that a false marchants fingers are to be looked vnto For in the first place there is expresse signification of S. Leo Epist 16. 17. not fulfilling the Emperour Theodosius request vvhich was to haue him present at the second Councel of Ephesus and there was no reason for it these be his owne wordes Albeit no reason doth permit me Epistola Leon. 16. t◠meete at the Episcopal Councel appointed by your piety because I haue no president for it by the example of any of my predecessours and the necessity of the time wil not suffer me to leaue the citty c. yet so farre forth as our Lord wil vouchsafe to helpe I haue applied my endeauour that the decree of your clemency may in some sort be obeied by sending hence some of my brethren who shal supply my place c. Doe you see what profession of obedience S. Leo made to the Emperour Theodosius vvhom he telleth plainly that no reason vvil permit him to obey his appointment and vvil Is not this trow you honest dealing deserues not this man to be wel credited vvhen he citeth the Fathers vvhen as he blusheth not to alleage them and to quote the place distinctly vvhich if you wil but turne vnto you shal finde him to be a man that hath a seared conscience and cares not what he saith so he may deceiue his simple reader Now to the second place there indeede S. Leo hath that the Emperours piety and most religious wil Epistola 57. is to be obeied by al meanes but he doth not make profession of his owne obedience to the Emperour but speaketh indefinitely obediendum est and that not to his appointment and wil as M. Abbot fableth but vnto his Godly and most religious wil that is vvhen he commandeth or desireth any thing according vnto the wil of God Now if you wil but looke into the circumstances of this obedience you shal yet further discouer the deceit of M. Abbot for the Emperour Martianus did write vnto Pope Leo that he would confirme the Councel of Chalcedon with his owne sentence vvhich was before subsigned by his Legates present thereat and that in the first place the Emperour being perswaded as it is set downe in the same Epistle that the Councel should haue greater force to suppresse al Heretikes if it might be taught throughout al Churches that the definition there of did please the See Apostolike Here you may see that the Emperour demanded no obedience of S. Leo but shewed himselfe to haue so great opinion of his judgement authority that it would greatly countenance and commend that general Councel which vvas by al the Bishops and the Emperour himselfe before subsigned A reasonable man can desire no more to proue S. Leo his supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes then the testimony of this godly Emperour Martianus Tom. 1. Concil in Prolog Concil Chal. epist 1. Martian ad Leo. For first he acknowledgeth him to hold the principality among al Bishops Secondly he acknowledgeth him to be the authour of calling general Councels these two points haue beene before rehearsed Thirdly he promiseth S. Leo to assemble the Bishops of the East that they might declare those thinges that be agreable vnto the Catholike faith and Christian religion euen as your Holinesse hath according vnto the Ecclesiastical Canons defined Ibid. epist 2. Sicut sanctitas tua secundum Ecclesiastic as regulas definiuit And lastly al thinges being so defined he doth send vnto S. Leo to confirme the general Councel Doth not this acknowledgement of the Emperour that the Pope is the authour of calling general Councels that he is to direct and instruct them assembled what they are to define and lastly to confirme and ratifie that which is defined euidently proue that the supreme managing and authorising of the highest Ecclesiastical affaires doe belong vnto the Bishop of Rome Now to returne to M. Abbot he shewes the like wordes of Pope Agatho his due obedience to Constantius the fourth I finde no such wordes in that place quoted by him true it is that I haue not his whole letter but the abridgment of it as is standes in the Summe of the Councels Epist Agath ad Constant in Synod 6. art 4. where he thus beginneth That we may briefly intimate to your piety what the vigour of our Apostolike faith doth containe which we haue receiued by tradition from the Apostles Apostolike Bishops and holy Councels by which the foundations of the Catholike Church of Christ are fastned and fortified c. Out of which wordes we may gather that Pope Agatho was ready to satisfie the Emperours request in certifying and instructing him vvhat
causes but relieth vvholy either vpon the example of reprobate Heretikes or vpon his owne inferences and enforcements drawne out of some darke sentences so shamelesly alleaged for the most part that they are cleane contrary to the plaine testimony of his owne authors in the very same place vvhereas we haue that most renowmed Emperours owne formal and expresse wordes professing himselfe to haue no power to judge ouer Bishops and Church affaires and that also fortified by the sound record of most graue holy and learned Fathers who liued some in his owne daies and some very neare thereunto Let then any man judge if he be not too too partial vvhether I gaue his Majesty wrong to vnderstand when I enformed him that Constantine the great that glorious ornament of our country vvould not take vpon him to be supreme gouernour in causes Ecclesiastical Or vvhether M. Abbot doe not goe about exceedingly to abuse his most excellent Majesty that with such bables foule shifts and manifest lies would perswade him the contrary Hitherto of the Emperours authority in calling of Councels and ouer Bishops so farre forth as M. Abbots objections out of S. Leo ministred just cause Now ere I passe vnto the next Successor of S. Peter and S. Paul which M. Abbot would force to speake in defence of their new Gospel I must according to custome shew in part what this Authour of his S. Leo doth teach in fauour of the Catholike cause that the indifferent reader may judge whether he were rather a Protestant or a Papist as they tearme vs. And because S. Leo is both ancient for he liued about 1200. yeares past and was also a most holy man by whom God did miraculously vvorke euen in his life time Againe for that he was very skilful both in the holy Scriptures and al learned Antiquity Greeke and Latin as may be seene by his Sermons and Epistles specially by the last Epistle written for the instruction of the Emperour called also Leo where he citeth S. Hillary S. Ambrose S. Augustine Latines S. Athanasius Theophilus Cyrillus Patriarkes of Alexandria Gregory Nazianzene S. Basil and S. Iohn Chrysostome Greeke Doctors And finally for that his workes be without al exception euen by the consent of the Protestants yea of such credit vvith them that they are gladde vvhen they can snatch a broken sentence out of him in fauour of their doctrine I wil therefore somewhat more largely cite his sentences in defence of the present Roman religion because they cannot choose but be of great value with al euen-minded men And the better to satisfie M. Abbots demandes I wil frame the order of S. Leos testimonies much thereafter Of the Pope and his Pardons S. Leo taught very much and most plainely as hath beene related in the beginning of this matter Of the Masse and of Transubstantiation he speakeh as perspicuously in very formal tearmes commanding Epist 79. ad Dioscor n. 2. That two Masses be said euery festiual day in great parishes where the people cannot conueniently meete al together at one Ne quaedam pars populi sua deuotione priuetur si vnius tantum Missae more seruato sacrificium offerri non possit nisi qui prima diei parte conuenit Lest some of the people be depriued of their deuotion if the custome of one Masse a day be obserued and the sacrifice may not be offered but at their meeting that come first in the morning In those daies when al men were so deuout to heare Masse that no body would willingly omit to heare one Masse at least euery holy day there was I weene no hundred markes to be forfeited for euery Masse they heard And were they then true Protestants thinke you who so zealously coueted to be present at the sacrifice of the Masse Moreouer S. Leo was so wel assured of the Real presence of Christes blessed body in the Sacrament and knew it to be so clearely acknowledged euen of the vulgar and common sort in those daies that he tooke it for a ground to confute the Eutichian heresie For hauing first declared that those Heretikes by affirming our Sauiour not to haue taken the true flesh of man did destroy his passion and resurrection he adjoineth Epist 22. ad Clerum In what darkenesse of ignorance in what drowsinesse of slouth haue these Eutichians I might as wel say Protestants lien that they could neither by hearing learne nor by reading vnderstand that which in the Church of God is so vniformely voiced and spoken off by euery man that it is not with-holden from the tongues of Infants to wit the truth of the body and bloud of Christ among the Sacraments of the Christian faith c. the substance and summe of S. Leos reason is that our Sauiour gaue his true flesh in the holy Sacrament to be eaten of vs therefore he tooke the true flesh of man otherwise he could not haue giuen it vs to eate ergo Eutiches was deceiued who denied Christ to haue taken the true flesh of man affirming him to haue taken only some shadow or similitude of it And because I am in the matter of Sacraments I vvil joine S. Leos testimony for the vertue of Baptisme In quo saith he foluitur quicquid peccati est Epist 84. ad Aquileiensem Episcopum cum quo nascitur Therefore is one baptised that whatsoeuer there is of sinne in him it may be loosed And after in the same Epistle Infants doe die to original sinne and elder folkes to al manner of sinne in Baptisme vvhich confutes the Protestants opinion that original sinne liueth and raigneth in al men after baptisme Now for the Sacrament of Confession and Satisfaction he is so formal that he hath left no euasion to the most nimble-witted Protestant Publike confession by reason of some inconueniences that thereupon ensued he prohibited but priuate and that which the Protestants cal auricular confession he alloweth and commendeth Epist 78. nu 2. ad vniuersos Episcopos Campaniae these be his wordes I decree that this manner of penance which is so exacted of the faithful that a prefession of euery kinde of sinne be written in a role and rehearsed publikely be wholy abrogated when as it is sufficient that the guilt of consciences be in secret confession declared to Priests alone For albeit that fulnesse of faith seeme laudable which for feare of God doe not stagger to blush before men neuerthelesse seing that some mens sinnes be such that it is not expedient they should be published least their enemies should take hold on them and prosecute them in law let that custome be abolished least many be thereby frighted from the remedies of penance for that confession is sufficient which is tendered first to God then also to the Priest c. Againe in another place Epistola 89. The manifold mercies of God doth so succour mans frailty that not only by the grace of baptisme but by the medicine of penance also
of the present Roman Church he may vpon very smal consideration be reclaimed and brought to reforme his errours For to S. Peter himselfe who was afterwards Bishop of Rome was giuen euen by our Sauiour Christ IESVS ful power and authority to pardon whatsoeuer he saw fit to be pardoned Math. 16. vers 19. To thee I giue saith he the keies of the Kingdome of heauen whatsoeuer thou loosest or doest pardon vpon earth shal be pardoned in heauen And if S. Peter might loose any sinne how hainous soeuer much more might he release some part of the temporal paine which was due to sinne vvhich is properly to giue a libel of pardon the like power had S. Paul who did in the person of Christ 2. Cor. 2. vers 10. Cyprian l. 3. Epist 15. Pardon the incestuous Corinthian by cutting off some part of his penance vvhich otherwise he had beene to suffer for his former sinnes vvhich were then forgiuen S. Cyprian and the Bishops and Clergy in those auncient daies of the primitiue Church did vse to pardon and release the penance injoyned to grieuous offendours after their repentance at the intercession and request of the Confessors and designed Martirs as hath beene before declared The most authentike Councel of Nice doth declare Cōcil Nicen. cap. 12. that it is lawful for Bishops to deale more mildly and fauourably vvith them vvhom they saw to performe their injoyned penance seriously vvhich was to graunt them a pardon Leo. Epist 77 ad Nicetum num 6. The very same doth Leo the great vvho was Bishop of Rome aboue 1100. yeares past teach most plainly willing the Bishop to release of the due penance injoined what he thought good which is properly to giue indulgence or pardon I omit here Pope Siluester his predecessour and S. Gregory the great one of his successours because I haue before alleaged them not doubting but that these few so auncient so graue so learned vvil suffice to satisfie and instruct him that is willing to learne And as for communicating the same authority to others vvho can reasonably doubt of it considering that the power of absoluing from sinne which is farre greater then the other is imparted to al both Bishops and Parish Priests I haue also before proued most manifestly Leo. Epist 82 ad Anastat Gregor lib. 4. Epist 6. ad Episcop Arelat that both S. Leo and S. Gregory most worthy Bishops did as delegate their authority vnto other Bishops so reserue vnto their owne hearing and judgement the causes of greatest difficulty vvherefore M. Abbot if he wil hearken vnto reason cannot choose but hold himselfe therein fully satisfied He recuiles backe to Indulgences and multiplieth his demands about one and the same matter like to a Cooke that hauing but one sort of meate to serue in doth mince it into many mammocks and then make thereof sundry dishes Can the Pope saith he for saying such or such praiers or for doing this or that release a man from Purgatory for an hundreth or a thousand yeares What a question is this if the Pope can distribute indulgences as hath beene before proued no doubt but he can the rather doe it by injoyning the party that receiueth them to say vvithal some praiers or to doe some other good vvorkes for thereby the party doth the better deserue to be made partaker of the other grace But can he release a soule out of Purgatory for a thousand yeares Yes marry can he and that too not for some certaine number of yeares but for euer and euer The reason is for that the soules there are members of the same body that we are and there capable of the same graces of pardon vvhereof also they stand in very great neede according to the truth of Christian doctrine howsoeuer the Protestants doe erroneously thinke the contrary reade the Question of Purgatory And touching the present purpose among many other pardons graunted by S. Gregory the great there is to be seene vntil this day one Altar by him erected in the Monastery of S. Andrewes in Rome where he was himselfe first Nouice and afterwardes Abbot where at vvhosoeuer said Masse for a soule in Purgatory shal deliuer one there-hence Concerning the Iubilee which is free and ful pardon graunted once in fiue and twenty yeares vnto euery one that shal visit seauen Churches in Rome that yeare some fifteene times or thereabouts what new difficulty can there be about that yea it is as the most renowmed pardon that is graunted so the most reasonable for it can be obtained but once in fiue and twenty yeares and then exceeding hardly by vnder going a long costly and painful journey to the citty of Rome and by exercising there al the workes of piety and mercy as fasting praying and giuing of almes making general confession and receiuing the blessed Sacrament and often visiting of many Churches and Altars Those most godly meanes of training men to true repentance and satisfaction for their former faults and amendmēt of their liues if the Protestant religion were acquainted withal there would be among them some checke and stoppe of their vvicked courses But if they vvil needes sinne on themselues and neuer giue ouer nor amend vntil Gods judgments fal vpon them yet let them not be offended at vs that doe aduise al men to labour in time for such indulgences that they may escape the due punishment of their sinnes either in this vvorld or in the next Is it not also most probable and likely if those good soules vvho to doe some satisfaction for their former euil liues and to serue God more deuoutly in those holy places where some of the holy Apostles and an innumerable company of valiant Martirs and holy Confessors liued and died doe die by the way in that Godly purpose that they are carried by Angels to heauen as Lazarus was into Paradise we pray to God to command such by his holy Angels to be brought into Abrahams bosome as may be seene in the Masse for the dead But Balaeus in Latin and Bale the Irish Apostata in English M. Abbots worthy authour reporteth that Clement the sixt himselfe did command the Angels to carry them into Paradise No great regard is to be had vvhat such a lying lewd fellow relates and so I thinke him vnworthy any other answere Touching Canonization of Saints we hold that the Bishops of the prouinces vvhere their vertuous liues and most godly deathes cōfirmed by miracles are best knowne did alwaies from the beginning of christian religion declare and testifie to the Church that they were to be esteemed of al men for Saints Since it hath beene found most expedient that the vvhole course of the life and death of such being by most diligent inquisition tried out and taken in the places of their aboade be afterwardes sent to Rome there to be also throughly examined first and then accordingly to be declared Saints by the highest Pastor of the Church that
vvel yet they meant not wel For vvhat other meanes hath he to be priuy to our inward thoughts and meaninges vnlesse it be by reuelation from heauen of vvhich vvhen he can resolue me I wil thinke him vvorthy of a further answere In the meane season he must be sencelesse that wil beleeue the secular Priests to haue bin so simple that they expected greater preferment vnder his Majesty professing and maintaining the new religion then they could looke for vnder the Infanta that would haue set vp the old For albeit the secular Priests had not beene aduanced vnto any of the greater liuings and dignities yet it could not be but that the meanest amongst them should haue had twenty times more the state being Catholike then being as it now is And if M. Abbot could not see this I should take him rather to be starke blinde then troubled with soare eies but if he saw this wel enough and yet to blind his reader would auouch the contrary then is he a shamelesse man and vvithout any care of his owne credit and honesty If it be demanded how we Catholike Priests could perswade our selues so much to respect and loue a Prince that was like to doe so little for vs and to employ our pennes and paines for him that might perhaps little esteeme of it I answere that he being by lawful succession to be our King our duty obliged vs to affect him Againe for his most blessed Mothers sake who liued and died so vertuously we could not but loue and honour him whom shee loued most tenderly Thirdly the Princely endowments which God had largely powred vpon his Majesty and specially his rare literature did draw the harts of al men that fancied learning to fauour him Fourthly we did euen then fore-see vvhat bloudy warres and intestine garboils were like to haue consumed our whole country if such opposition should haue beene made against him and therefore thought it better to seeke his Princely fauour towardes our religion and some moderate tolleration by faire dutiful meanes then to hazard any such forcible attempt Adde hereunto what a constant report vvas spread al the vvorld ouer which was hearkned vnto by the greatest personages that his Majesty vvould take no exceptions against any man for his religion but vvould suffer his subjects to liue quietly to their conscience and not so much as debarre any Catholike that should be found worthy from any place of preferment vnder him We hauing these and many other motiues of loue let any reasonable man judge whether we might not wel euen from our harts affect his Majesty and be prest and ready to doe him al the seruice we could M. Abbot hauing nothing else to except against my dutiful endeauours saith That it was a worke of supererogation in me for that his Majesty needed no such Proctour as I was I must needes take it kindly at his handes that he at length agniseth that I out of the aboundance of my affection towardes his Majesties honour and aduancement did doe my good wil howbeit there was no neede of my helpe I also vvillingly confesse that his Majesty might haue had many other who could haue performed that matter much better then my selfe yet that I vvas forwardly in his seruice when others vvere content to be silent I hope vvas no token of a hollow harted or backward subject And vvhereas he signifieth that his Majesties title vvas then questioned only amongst some base fugitiues so he vnciuilly tearmeth his betters by many degrees he shewes himself a meere stranger in domestical affaires for at those daies as al England can witnesse his Majesties title lay buried in obliuion and few men durst speake of it and not a few doubted of it a pamphet was printed directly against it an oath of assotiation and an act of Parliament seemed to haue beene made directly in prejudice of it There vvas further a most infamous libel published against his Majesties most sacred Mother and very exorbitant railing speeches powred out against her euen out of the pulpits the Ministers and others through her innocent sides vvounding also her off-spring and for hatred of her religion obscuring and blemishing much his Majesties interest to our crowne Where vvas then this valiant muster-master this powerable pen-man vvhy did not he then vvhen there was so great neede of defence make a sally forth and shew his valour and skil in the defence and fauour of his future Prince the time was nor propitious his affection was frozen he chose then rather with his fellow-Ministers to raile lustily at the mother then with the poore fugitiue Papists to write or speake in defence of their honour or title If you be such a seruer of times and flatterer of men in authority yet be not angry I pray you with those nor seeke to traduce their dutiful endeauours who in doubtful fortune and in times of disgrace shewed farre more true harts and forward affection vnto his Majesty Can you not be content quietly to reape the haruest of other mens trauailes vnlesse you doe also calumniate them vvho tooke so much paines for you can you not be satisfied to enjoy his Majesties fauour for vvhom you would neuer speake a vvord til it was for an aduantage vnlesse you seeke to incense him against them vvho vvere more feruent and affectionate in his seruice God send you more grace and better charity and to his Majesty more mature consideration of his faithful subjects deserts ROBERT ABBOT AND how little hold there was in these his defences may appeare by the example of his fellowes Watson and Clarke who tooke part with him in this action and the one of them wrote as much in the Kinges defence as M. Bishop did and yet when they saw vpon his Majesties entrance that thinges were likely to goe otherwise then liked them immediately they fal to conspiring and plotting against him the case is altered they vvere not now the men that they were before the like is M. Bishops fidelity and loue And he himselfe afterward plainly giueth his Majesty to vnderstand that he may hope no otherwise of him then he hath already found in them yet here he presumeth That sith his zeale and loue to his Majesty hath heretofore drawne him without the compasse of his profession to treate of law courses therefore his grace wil licence him out of the like zeale vnto Gods truth to say some-thing in matters of diuinity But surely if he by his law courses defended his Majesties cause no better then by diuinity he hath defended his owne he might very wel haue spared the labour and left it to them that were fit to doe it But this is the malapartnesse and sawcinesse of these base rascals and runnegates both Iesuites and Seculars to thrust themselues into matters that belong not to their profession or condition they are tampering with causes of Kingdomes and states they wil determine of Titles and Inheritances of Crownes and Scepters This is their
arrogancy and presumption assuming to themselues as if they were able for al thinges al their Geese be Swannes not an Asse amongst them but is vvorthy to stand with the Kings Horses not one of them I warrant you but is sufficient to be a Counsellour to a Prince He liuely describeth himselfe they are the only high spirited men of great conceit of deepe reach of noble resolution of most special and secret intelligence of braue discourse that can tel great tales of Bombomachides Clunnistaridi sarchides the great Gurgustionian Emperor euen like Narcissus so farre in loue with themselues that they are drownd in their owne pride But we know them wel enough vve see their foolery and laugh at it vvhen they come to trial they are for the most part but empty barrels al this great noise proueth in a manner nothing but meere winde Only vve are sorry for that as the Heretikes of old by strange deuised words and names stupefied and amazed simple and ignorant people and by that meanes gathered to themselues great admiration drew many to their heresies so these seducers vvith bold faces and bigge lookes and brauadoes of prating and cogging doe make silly soules vnstable fooles but specially women to admire them and grow in loue with them so to be carried by them blind-folded to their owne destruction But here we are much to obserue that by lâ—w courses only M. Bishop defended his Majesties title to the crowne by diuinity he could say nothing for his Master Bellarmine had taught him that it is but De jure humano quod hunc aut illum babeamus Regem It is but by the law of man that we haue this or that man to be our King and therefore he argueth because the law of God is to be preferred before the law of man he that by the law of man is to be King vnlesse he wil be a maintainer of Popish religion a vassal and slaue to the Pope by the law of God he must be no King This is M. Bishops diuinity and by this diuinity his Majesty must haue beene ordered if for our judgement God had suffered him to fal into their handes As touching his diuinity otherwise vvhich he saith hath beene the best part of his study more then thrise seauen yeares how wel he hath profited therein we shal see by examining the particulars of this booke WILLIAM BISHOP IF any firme or sound proofe may be drawne from examples I say then that his Majesty may better collect my fidelity by the example of more then two hundred Priests that haue alwaies carried themselues faithful towards his Highnesse then by the faults of two that did otherwise but it is M. Abbots custome to reason so loosly and out of one or two particulars to conclude an vniuersal which in moral matters argueth yet farre greater spite and malice for vvho can abide to heare that for one or two men offending al men of the same profession should be condemned rather then for the fidelity of hundreds to thinke wel of al the rest Whether I gaue any occasion of suspition by those my vvordes vpon which he so often warbleth hath beene already touched and shal be more hereafter Those idle foolish and false vvordes of his that follow vvhere he affirmeth vvithout any shadow of proofe that there is not one Seminary Priest that doth not thinke himselfe able to be a Counsellour to a King are so farre from al truth and honesty as al they can best witnesse that know them that I need not stand about the disproofe of them Only I note that vvhiles he vvil needes out of his accustomed ciuility tearme vs Asses he by craft calleth himselfe and his fellow Ministers the Kinges Horses for vvith vvhom should Priests be compared but vvith men of the like profession saying then that there is not an Asse among the Priests as he speaketh but is worthy to stand with the Kinges Horses he must in due proportion be vnderstood to signifie thereby that there is not a Priest so simple but taketh himselfe worthy to stand cheeke by jole vvith the jollier sort of Ministers vvhom by Peryphrasis he describes and discries to be the Kings Horses and that not without some shew of reason for they are ready to be ridden whether his Majesty pleaseth â—nd seeme to make the temporal Princes proceedings their north-pole by which they direct the whole course of their liues and learning But are they not made also trow you like to silly Asses pressed to carry such vvaighty burthens imposed vpon their benefices as it shal please their good Patrons to lay and loade vpon them and yet neuerthelesse they wil not sticke to sweare very formally that they come frankly and freely to them Albeit they be so quiet and commodious cattle to their good Patrons and Benefactors neuerthelesse towardes others specially towardes vs Catholikes many of them be not vnlike those horses described by S. Iohn Apocal. 9. v. 17. 18. And the heades of the Horses were as it were the heades of Lions and from their mouthes proceeded fire and smoke and brimstone so fierce and fiery they be against poore innocent Catholikes incensing the King and state to seeke their vtter subuersion and yet are they much more fatal to their owne followers ¶ For their tailes as it is also in the said text be like to serpents hauing heades and in these they hurt poisoning by their venimous doctrine and lende conuersation the soules of al men that beleeue and follow them Thus much by occasion of M. Abbots noble comparison of Asses and Horses That vvhich he speaketh of strange long-footed wordes inuented to stupefie the simple is a riddle to me our religion vseth none such As for nouelty of wordes bold faces bigge lookes brauadoes and such like they are the proper badges of the new Gospel and M. Abbot doth himselfe and his fellow Preachers great vvrong to impart their peculiar titles to others that deserue them not nor like any vvhit of them But let vs leaue these trifles and come to his worthy obseruation and argument thereupon It is That M. Bishop forsooth by law courses only defended his Majesties title to the crowne by diuinity he could say nothing for it Had not M. Abbots spiteful soare eies helped him to an odde insight of my writings he could neuer haue spied that there which was not to be seene in them for though I passed out of the limits of diuinity into some points of law yet diuinity was my ground vvhich teacheth that vve must yeeld to euery one his right and to lawful lineal successours the liuely-hoodes landes and possessions of their predecessours his obseruation then vvas false that I could say nothing out of diuinity for his Majesties title to the crowne But he wil proue out of Bellarmine that most learned Cardinal who indeede was my master and master also vnto many my betters some six and twenty yeares agoe that I could say nothing