a windowe in a basket when hee was in great danger in Damascus doth prooue Paule to hee the head of the church Of the nineteenth I haue spoken before pag. 10. The twenteenth prerogatiue Paule went to Hierusalem to see Peter What must he therefore needes be head of the church Belike then for the three yeares wherein he sawe him not but went preaching into Arabia and to Damascus he confessed him not to be head but as if he had forgoten himselfe all this while hee now at the last yeldeth him seme reuerence But if he had done it in any such respect he would and should at 〈…〉 before he had taken his office vpon him haue had Peters alowance And thus much concerning Peters priuileges or prerogatiues which they alleage out of Gods booke Which although many of them are euident arguments of excellent graces that God had bestowed vpon him and great mercies which God shewed to him yet if master Bellarmine or any other will out of them conclude Peters supremacie the weaknesse of his argument will be seene of very children But yet because before he made Peters prerogatiues his second proofe of this his supremacie I haue thought it necessarie to reckon them for other confutation of them needeth not that all may see what weak proofes they doe bring for this their chiefe point of doctrine As for the other eight prerogatiues they are not worth speaking of Both because we may iustly doubt of the truth of many of them as being proued but by fabulous writings and also because if they were true it were not matteriall for the point in question And therefore letting them alone as rotten propes which will fall in pieces of themselues if any weight be layed vpon them I hasten to his third proofe that hee promised And that is out of the fathers And herein it is needles to examine euerie particular testimony Onely I will set downe in what sense the fathers truly may and often doe ascribe vnto Saint Peter many excellent titles that thereby examining the fathers and finding them to keepe within the bounds of gods word we may with reuerēce receiue them But if they passe those lists I trust master Bellarmine and al his friends will beare with vs if we reiect the doctrine of men as himselfe in this very booke before refuseth the iudgement of Origene and Theophilact and of others in other places First therefore this word in latine primatus which wee now call Supremacie but indeede doth signifie that I may make such a word Firstnesse is ascribed vnto Peter of the fathers in respect of time as in the place alleaged here out of Ciprian neither Peter saith Ciprian whom the Lord chose first and vpon whom he did build his church whereas Paul did afterward reason of circumcision did boast himselfe or did take vpon him any thing insolently or proudly saying he had the primacy and that new ones and aftercommers shall rather obay him him This place is alleadged by master Bellarmine often to proue Peters supremacy or iurisdiction ouer others But the wordes are very plaine that Cyprian speaketh of his being first not in dignity but in tune as appeareth not onely in that he saith he was first chosen but also by the wordes of newe ones or after-commers But maister Bellarmine wil say that Andrew was chosen before him to be an apostle and therefore that Cyprian was deceiued if so he meant It may so be For men may erre But the question is not nowe whether Cyprians iudgement herein be true or not but vpon what occasion or in what respect Cyprian giueth Peter the primacy which is most plainly in this place set downe to be in respect of time And so may other of the fathers in this respect vse this word and giue him this title And sometime this title of primacy is giuen vnto him in regarde of some excellent thinges that he was indued withall by reason whereof his fellowes and brethren amongst themselues and the fathers after might giue vnto him some kinde of reuerence in name or otherwise But this wil do no good for proofe of popish supremacy For they doe hold that Peter in his owne right and by that iurisdiction which by Gods word he hath is head of the church and hath the supremacy aboue all other We say that because of his gifts of zeale knowledge constancy or boldnes he was admitted and allowed to speake and to doe many things but that in his owne right he was but equall with the rest and as he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder with them that were meaner then apostles Therefore to be a chiefe man or a head man among them is not to prooue him to haue iurisdiction ouer them In all corporations or fellowships as aldermen in citties although in regarde of that place they are alike none more or lesse an alderman then another yet among them some are better esteemed of euen of themselues because of their learning wisedome dexterity in gouernement credit power or wealth not because they can in right claime it but because other doe for such things as they see in them yeelde it vnto them not that they haue power ouer them but onely they are of good accompt among them And thus much to proue that that is not sufficient which maister Bellarmine saith will serue the turne to proue that the fathers say that Peter was head or had primacy ouer y e church For neither his estimation in respect of his gifts neither if by voluntary subiection they did submit themselues vnto him it can proue him to haue right to rule ouer them And this they must proue or els they gaiue nothing to their cause that Peter by the word of God hath authority ouer the whole church and ouer the apostles And therefore it maketh no great matter what men say of Peters authority but how truely they grounde their sayings vpon Gods word And thus I trust it appeareth to the indifferent reader that the minor proposition of that argument which I haue set downe in the end of my answere vnto maister Bellarmine ninth chapter of this booke wherein consisteth the great strength of the popish Monarchy is not agreeable vnto the truth or catholike doctrine howsoeuer that church of Rome reioiceth in that title that is none of hers thereby deceiuing the world as if all that shee taught were sound and catholike The proposition is this that Christ gane iurisdiction vnto Peter ouer the vniuersal church The chiefest profes that either they all haue or that maister Bellarmine can alleadge is out of Saint Matthew the xvi where they say this iurisdiction is promised and Saint Iohn xxi where they say it is giuen which their interpretation as I haue shewed cannot stand with the text it selfe or the interpretations of the sounder fathers His second reason which consisteth of the prerogatiues which Saint Peter had is grounded either vpon
that those good bishops did much good with that their authority to the church of God and were a great reliefe to the oppressed a comforte to the troubled and a good stay for religion We yeeld moreouer that a care ouer the whole church a belongeth not to the bishop of Rome only but to euery christian as Baronius a papist telleth vs. And as Saint Paule saith of himselfe although hee were not an vniuersall Bishop or pope ouer all the church yt that he had a care ouer all the Churches Which care as it shoulde be in all yet it should be greatest in them whom God hath beautified with greatest graces of power wisedome knowledge credite or any other thing whereby they may doe good to others So that the effect of Athanasius his wordes vnto Felix is that as God hath inabled him so also he should apply his greatnesse to doe him good We doe not yet see the Bishop of Rome to haue iurisdiction ouer the whole church but that the greatnesse that hee hath hee should vse it to the comfort of the godly But indeede the Bishop of Rome in steed of the care that he should haue doth exercise the power that he hath And the excercising of his power beganne somewhat soone in that chaire And therefore the fathers in the sixt council of Carthage as it seemeth were moued in the canons of the Nicen council to alter one worde For hauing agreed in the ninth canon or chapter of that council of Carthage to heare the Nicen decrees read when they come to the sixt chapter where the Nicen council hath that the bishop of Alexandria should hane power ouer the churches of Lybia Egipt Pentapolis as the bishop of Rome hath within his libertie in steede of the word power they read care Which no doubt those godly fathers did because they sawe how immoderately and by what bad shifts they did then seeke to bring vnder their subiection all others And therefore by this meanes they would teach them to whome they did graunt such honorable places that they were called rather to a burden then to an honour to looke vnto their charge rather then to ouer â—ooke them So then this care that the bishop of Rome should haue ouer all churches we wish also that hee would haue And yet we doe not hereby make him the bishop of the vniuersall church And for the third place out of Athanatius it hath lesse waight then any of the rest For because some accused the bishop of Alexandria to the bishop of Rome therefore he concludeth that the bishop of Rome is chiefe iustice aboue all and may take vpon him to iudge all matters but accusations are for the most priuat And who can hinder but that any may make complaint to a man that hath nothing to doe in the matter And many such complaints wil be made to such as will be willing to heare all matters as were many of the B. of Rome to increase their owne power That which is aleaged out of Basil is a request that Basil did purpose to make to the bishop of Rome like vnto that which Athanasius made to Felix and therefore one answere doth serue them both But in that epistle Basil calleth Athanasius the Top of all christians which name they would faine should be peculiar to their pope That out of Gregorie Nazianzene was not woorth blotting of so much paper For hee saieth the Citie of Rome beareth sway ouer the whol world what is that to the church of Rome And that that is alleaged out of Chrysostom in the first place is not much material because Chrisostome maketh that request to the B. of the west church and not to Innocentius alone Yea not Chrysostom only in the same his epistle but Socrates also in his historie testifieth that Chrysostom appealed from his aduersaries not to the pope which he would doubtlesse haue done if hee had taken his authoritie to haue beene such as now the church of Rome would haue it imagined but to the generall council And not hee onely appealed to a council but the multitude also were readie to make a tumult for him and said it was meete the matter should be heard not by the pope but in a generall council Secondly out of Chrysostom he alleageth these words we alwayes thanke you for that you haue declared vnto vs your fatherly good will What will the charitable affection of the pope prooue him to be head of the whole church If it will not this will doe no good his third place is this I intreate your watchfullnesse that although they haue filled all with tumults yet if they will haue their desease healed they be neither afflicted neither put out of mens companie Must the bishop of Rome bee the supreame head or else this request be in vaine He being as it is alwaies confessed of great authoritie although not so great as they imagine might either by intreating or by authority winne many to be of his minde and so hinder the excommunication of Chrysostomes aduersaries So that none of these arguments can conclude for the popes supremacie as we see And yet they wring whatsoeuer is said or done to the church of Rome as if it were a strong proofe for supremacie Whereas the godly of the east church being thus distressed were in policie forced and not for religious causes to seeke for helpe of the West church and of the bishop of Rome for their owne quietnesse And this doth appeare most plainly in an epistle that Basil writeth vnto the bishop of the west church for their helpe and especially by the aduise that hee giueth to Athanasius to that end wherein hee sheweth that there is no way for their safetie but to cause the bishops of the West church to take good parte with them And then if they chance to seeke for this at the popes hand by and by without all doubt hee must be head of the church It maketh me weary euen but to reade their arguments They doe so force their authorities that they bring and so vnnaturally apply them that it is tediousnesse to thinke of it Such is that also that foloweth out of Ciril For Ciril did thinke that if Nestorius would not reuoke his heresies within the time limited by Celestine bishop of Rome all men ought to shunne his companie as a person excommunicat and deposed And writing to Celestinnus he doth desire to know of him whether he thinke good that men shuld yet communicat which Nestorius or they should shunne his company And what if Ciril sawe that in Celestine that he thought him worthie to be especially regarded in these matters doth it thereupon folow that he would haue him to haue soeuraigne iurisdiction ouer the whole church Or if hee thinke him meete to deale in his owne matter must he needs giue him power ouer all men in all causes Master Bellarmine must make
of Rome But howe will they excuse the slauish seruitude wherunto they brought the greatest princes Saint Iohn offered to fall downe before the Angell but the angell would not suffer him to worship him I am saith he thy fellow seruant worship God But these vile wretches will suffer kings and emperours to kisse their feete Constantine the pope was the first that euer accepted of this honour done to him by Iustinian the emperour And then Stephan the second whose feete Pipin the french king did kisse But afterwards this grew to be so ordinarie a matter that the kissing of an old fooles foule feete is the greatest honour that can be done to the greatest prince at Rome And Pope Steuen hauing gotten into his handes the exarchie of Rauenna whereby he became great in Italy and al by the meanes of the said Pipin whom he also rewarded by making him king of Fraunce thrusting Childrick the true lawfull king into a monastery and intruding Pipin in his roome he now in triumphing manner is carried vpon mens shoulders And he is the first that I knew of any of the popes that thought the earth too good to beare so wicked a lumpe as himselfe was For I trust hee thought it not too base to touch his sacred feet Well the reason of his doings is not for vs to search but he was first carried of mens shoulders Neither will I here inquire of the cause of deposing the right king of Fraunce whether it were iust or not although no cause could make it a iust fact in him that had nothing to doe with it Onely this will I say that where master Bellar. would make the insufficiencie of the French kings to be the cause why either Zachary or Steuen that was next after him did depose the French king from his rightfull crowne yet Platina whose words I rather beleeue then master Bellarmine confesseth that Pipin being greedie of a kingdome sent his embassadours to the pope that he would by his authoritie confirme vnto him the kingdome of Fraunce Whereunto the pope agreed in respect of such former good turnes as hee had receiued of that house And so by the popes authoritie the kingdome of Fraunce is adiudged to Pipin the yeare of our Lord seuen hundred fiftie and three Thus much Platina Whereby it appeareth that the ambition of Pipin and wrong dealing of the bishop of Rome was a cause that Childerick was deposed But to returne to my matter againe we see what pope it was that was first so proude that he could not let his owne legs carrie him But it was set downe afterwards for a lawe vnto which the emperour must be also obedient if he will not be rebellious to the decrees of the church And it is decreed that the emperour himselfe if he be by must helpe to carry that loytring lubber For thus I reade it cited out of their owne booke of ceremonies Although the emperour or any other be he neuer so great a personage be by hee shall carry vpon his shoulders a litle while the chaire and the pope And againe it is decreed in the same place that the most noble lay man shall carry the end or traine of the pluuiall that the pope weareth be it the emperour or any king What a slauerie is this that he by his vngodly and wicked ordinances doth tie princes vnto as though they were his very staues Why should he looke that emperours should be his hacknie horses to cadge him vp and downe Or what reason hath he what warrant out of the scripture What example in Gods booke or of any good man so to disgâ—ace and deface the anointed of the Lord whom he as well as others should seeke by all meanes to honour and reuerence Yet let vs see what more reuerence these proud prelats can suffer to be done vnto them Pipin the new made Frence king did teach the pope a very euill vse For he slattering the pope that hee might make him more frendly to him in assuring him of his kingdome meeting him three miles from his lodging alighteth from his horse and leadeth the popes horse all the way not leauing him vntill he had brought the pope to his lodging It is also recorded that another time the king of England on the one side and the French king on the other performed him that seruice But what neede I seeke for the particular examples This is also a booke case It is alreadie ordered That the emperour shall leade his horse and kings shall goe before him as performing their seruice to this earthly God or God on earth But yet we haue not seene his fullnesse in pride For the emperour if he be by when the pope alighteth must hold his stirop So did Frederick Barbarossa the emperour vnto the pope Adrian the fourth although he had no great thankes for his labour For hee chanced to hold the the wrong stirop the pope was so offended thereat that when the bishop of Bamberg in the name of the emperour had by a pithy oration signified his ioy for the popes presence the pope replied that he heard indeede words of gladnesse but he could not by deedes perceaue any such thing And his reason was because the emperour held not his right stirrop The emperour although angry yet smiling answered that he vsed not to hold any bodies stirrop and that made him the lesse skilfull For he was the first whose stirrop he held And for that time they parted neither of them being well pleased But the next day the emperour made amends for his former offence holding the right stirrop And the same emperour Frederick did afterwards also hold the stirrop to pope Alexander the third a cruel and shamelesse enemie to the said emperour as appeareth by a letter which master Fox in his Actes and Monuments aleadgeth out of Roger Houeden and William of Gisborough In which Letter it doeth most plainely appeare not onely that the Emperour did holde his stirrop for the pope confesseth so much in writing vnto the Archebishoppe of Yorke and to the Bishop of Durham and would haue them to reioyce for the good successe of the church for the church is much increased when the popes stirrop is holden by such but also he cause they said to Moses and Aaron that they tooke too much on them seeing all the people were holy howe great then shall their iudgement be that abuse all euen the mightiest Monarchees at their pleasure Doest thou see O Peter thy successour and thou O sauing Christ behold thy vicar Marke well howe farr the pride of the seruant of thy seruants is gone vp saith an Abbat long since and therefore I trust no Lutheran no Caluenist no Hugonot but a flat papist and yet speaketh this in detestation of the pride of popes and namely of pope Boniface the eight who the second day of his Iubilie apparelled like an
Allens which I haue to shew written I suppose with his owne hand to father D. P. Rectour of the English Colledge in Rome hee reporteth that M. George Gilbert came into Fraunce by the reuerend father Robert Parsons and other to kâ—epe himselfe vntill that Day What meane they by that Day What meaneth Allen to write it in great letters as a thing that should bee especially noted and did perchaunce good to him and such other viperlike traitours to thinke of it It was doubtlesse no other day then that which they hoped the rebellion in England the troubles in Ireland the Spanish fleete so long looked for and so much spoken of should haue brought vnto them Against such dayes of mischiefe they seeke to praepare men before by their reconciling as that letter of Bruise before mentioned and many other vnanswerable proofes doe teach vs. And therefore seeing that vnder praetence of reconciling men to God they doe in deede by all meanes possible deuote and tye them to serue the Pope and that insatiable tirant who haue a long time by many wicked and Popelike practises shewed themselues vtter enemies to our estate and Prince what reason can be yeelded why Princes may not by most seuere punishments preuent the perillous purposes of such secret conspiratours and knowen enemies May Popes vse pollicies to get authoritie which by no right they can claime and to keepe it when they haue obtained it as in this treatise it will appeare they did and may not Princes prouide for the safetie of their persons the establishing of their kingdomes and the maintenance of their ancient and lawfull dominions May vsurpers keepe that which wickedly they haue gotten and may not lawfull Kings and Queenes defend their true and right inheritance Or must they suffer such serpents within their kingdomes such snakes as it were in their bosomes Wee cannot let such fugitiue traitours as seeke the ruine of their natiue countrey to wish also that such ready meanes to effect their desires might not be hindred No we cannot hinder their attempting of the same by their seditious pamphlets But wee hope that all Christian princes that knowe these their lewd practises not trusting the songs of those Syrens will before it be too late seeke to preuent the meanes that they vse to bring them to passe Neither need they who cal themselues though vntruely Catholikes and maintaine the Romish religion within their Dominions feare so to doe For Allen himselfe if that bee his answere to the English Iustice dare not say it is a matter yet defined but disputable onely whether the Pope may excommunicate or depriue a Prince in case of haeresie or apostacie and consequently to absolue his subiects from their othe and obedience to him If this be a case yet not ouerruled in the Popes Consistorie or at the least in any general Council then euen Popish princes need not bee afraide to withstand by all meanes that they can such dangerous deceiuers as come in sheepes clothing making shewe of Religion but are in deede rauening wolues secretly working treason In so much as they who fauour but too well the Romish Religion beginne now to know and detest these rouing runnagates whose counsels are mischieuous whose doings are treacherous And because the very ground of this their brag that they suffer for conscience sake is this supremacie of the B. of Rome and his power ouer all not Bishops only but Princes also which they would haue to be an article of religion so to touch the conscience whereas it is in trueth but a matter of Popish pride and ambition for this cause haue I indeuoured in this treatise to proue that it hath no warrant in the word or in the writings of the approued and auncient fathers Neither can al the Iesuites and Seminary priestes in Rome and Rheimes bee able to shew the article of the Popes supremacie to be a Catholique doctrine and therefore it is not to be receiued by their own rules And because it bringeth not a litle light vnto the trueth to know by what practises they are become so great and to what ends they haue bent or how they haue imployed their power which they haue gotten by craft and shifts I haue therefore pointed vnto such meanes as they haue vsed to aduance their seat and to some of their doings whereby it doeth most plainly appeare that their only care hath bin to make themselues great and rich nothing at al regarding the glory of God or y e good of Christs flocke which they say is committed to them And this I haue done by ancient or their owne histories seldome standing vpon the credit onely of our owne writers vnlesse it bee in report of the actes of the later Popes which cannot be reported by any but such as were in or after their dayes But if I had more relied then I doe vpon the reportes of Protestant writers I should haue the example of our aduersaries for my defence This treatise I set forth vnder the defence of your honours name to whom I acknowledge my selfe especially bound in many respects Which to do I am the rather moued that to that inward witnes of a good conscience whereby I knowe your L. is incited with a continual care and vigilant eye to preuent the perilous practises of those busie brokers for that Catholique king as they call him other enemies to this Common wealth might also bee added that outwarde testimonie of trueth confirmed by proofe and practise of the purer times to incourage you with a constant increase in godly zeale to discharge stil the duetie that God who hath called you to that honour hath layde vpon you and requireth of you to the seruice of her Maiestie and safetie of her subiectes Most humbly I craue you to take in good part this simple token of a sincere affection and slender pledge of my vnfained heart And thus committing the happie successe of this my traueile to Gods good blessing to whose direction and defence I also leaue your Lordship in all your doings I humbly take my leaue at my house at Ryton in the Bishopricke of Durham †⧠To such as are learned among our aduersaries who seeme in singlenesse of soule to seeke after the trueth THE Lord is my witnesse whome I serue in my spirite and to whose gaine I am desirous to bestowe my talent and whose glory I studie to aduance by all such meanes as of his mercy he hath affoorded me that I haue not written this or any other treatise because I am desirous to contend for we haue no such custome nor the Churches of God much lesse to purchase prayse of learning wherein vnfainedly I acknowledge my want and weaknesse but onely for defence of the trueth which in this countrey of ours is quite forsaken of many by reason of ignorance in all sortes which hath possessed men through their owne negligence and carelesse securitie of their owne soules health and is
cherished and increased through softnesse and sufferance of some superiors For if such gifts of knowledge or vtterance as God lendeth vs be they great or little be giuen vs to edifie and doe good vnto others then let vs vse the same to his greatest glory and gaine for feare of his heauie displeasure if when hee call vs to a reckoning we bee found not to haue occupied to our masters profite because he will be angry with such as hide their talent in their napkin But if wee abuse these his good graces to darken therewith the light of the trueth and to encrease the mistes of errour how fierce shall be his wrath how hard shall be our iudgement For if to be negligent to maintaine the trueth be blame-worthie how great then is their sinne that impugne the same and that with those weapons that God hath bestowed vpon them to defend it withall Let vs therefore my wandring brethren from the plaine pathes let vs I say remember for what we striue Is it not for the trueth where may it be found In Gods eternall and vndoubted word VVhat is this word we truely affirme it with many of the Fathers to bee contained in the Scriptures of the old and new Testament But of your vnwritten verities you haue iust cause to doubt If therefore there be in you any loue to this trueth for the which you say you striue any care of Gods glory any regard of the ignorant who are the Lord knoweth soone led the wrong way any due respect to your owne soules health or any feare of Gods iust wrath let vs proceed by one rule that wee may minde one thing Folow not I pray you those false apostles those craftie workemen that can transforme themselues into Angels of light Deale plainly and truely in Gods cause yea let vs on both sides waigh the goodnes of the proofes not cauilling about words the trueth of the matter not the maner of handling of it If we speake of antiquitie let it be most ancient For that is truest but by and by came in heresies so that that onely which was first can bee true as vpon good ground Tertullian affirmeth If wee bring the Fathers let them be of the soundest and those not maimed nor mangled Neither must we rest vpon any of their doctrines but such as haue their warrant in the worde and being taught of them by a generall consent doe iustly obtaine the name of Catholique And for sundry points of your religion I can neuer be perswaded but such among you as haue any vnfained desire to attaine to true godlinesse doe euen within your selues confesse and acknowledge that many things which are commended to the simple as holy and helpfull for the sauing of their soules whatsoeuer shewe of godlines they may seeme to haue are yet farre from the power thereof For it cannot be that any man or woman that maketh due account of the price of our redemption the ransome for our sinnes the precious bloud of that lambe without spot Christ Iesus can euer become so sottish as to thinke that obseruing of dayes abstaining from some meates buying of buls pardons halowed graines and Agnus deis offering to Saintes pilgrimages going barefoote with haire-cloth next the skin crossings or any such like bodily and trifling exercises or works may euer be thought of woorth to make any recompence for our offences If without sheading of bloud there could bee no remission and that the bloud of Christ by which wee are freed for euer from the danger of sinne and haue eternall redemption what can these trifling toyes helpe vs therein yea what blasphemie is it to match them in this worke with that inestimable and peerelesse price Nowe therefore as Ambassadours from Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christes stead not onely to be reconciled to God whom you haue grieuously offended but also that you will deale plainly with Gods people and soundly and sincerely in matters of religion returne from whence you haue straied so long and so farre yeeld to the truth giue glory to God Lead them not any longer into the pit of error whom Christ hath bought with so rich a ransome Hide not the trueth from them henceforth with those false visardes of antiquitie and vniuersalitie which can neuer be prooued to be in the Romish religion And seeing your selues if you haue any consciences must confesse that many things are amisse in that you teach bee content to follow the godly and wise counsel which Cyprian giueth that we should goe backe to the head if any thing bee wrong in religion and so try where the fault is As if the water faile we will begin at the conduit and so from thence search where it stoppeth so we must saieth he come to that was taught in the beginning by Christ and his Apostles And this he saieth is the readiest way to leaue errors and to find out the trueth Let vs then I pray you walke in that way let vs vse that man to reforme religion But if you haue sold your tongues pennes to serue the Pope and as much as in you lieth to maintaine superstition you shall find vs by Gods grace ready at all times to answere whatsoeuer you shalbe able to say And although I bee not worthy to cary the bookes of many among vs that are accounted and knowen to be learned yet will I encouraged by the goodnesse of the cause apply my time and studie and slender abilitie to that end knowing those howers to be most happily spent that are imploied to the glory of God the benefit of the Church and the furtherance of the Gospel VVherein that you may ioine with vs I pray God if it bee his good will to turne your hearts open your eies to see know that which now you striue against As for your secret practises against God and his people the Lord for Christ his sake confound them and bring them to naught So be it * The first part of the Suruey of the Popes Supremacie wherein is a triall of his Title ALthough there is not in mine opinion any one Article in controuersie by knowledge whereof lesse benefit redoundeth to the church of Christ or lesse comfort to the afflicted conscience of the sorrowfull sinner than this of the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome yet if I be not deceiued there is not any one point more conuenient to be handled or more necessarie to be intreated vpon of such as sincerely loue the trueth of God or hearty obedience vnto soueraigne magistrates than is the same First for the iustifying of the godly and more than needefull lawes of christian Princes which they are forced to make to banish and abandon all forraine power that themselues may sit faster in that seate and the more quietly and safely inioy that soueraigntie wherein God hath placed them which is much hazarded and
Chrisostome and Cirill but this I trust is sufficient to shew the vanity of his answere which is so flatte against the words of those fathers For they speake of that faith because it hath respect vnto Christ and master Bellarmine would haue it imagined that they commend this faith as it commeth from Peter and because it is his And that master Bellarmine would seeme out of Hillary to confirme wherein yet hee sheweth no plaine dealing For whereas Hillary saith after by the confession of his happie faith hee deserued a high place or rather as the older copies doe read exceeding glorie master Bellarmine doth not only out of this doubtfull reading gather the strength of his argument preferring the new reading before the olde coppie in that paint disclaiming from antiquity but also to better his bad cause whereas Hillary himselfe sheweth in plaine wordes that this exceeding glorie is this that he thrise heard these wordes feede my sheepe yet hee woulde make vs beleeue that it consisteth in this that Peter is the head foundation and key carier Fie vpon poperie that euer it shoulde so stiflie bee maintained and yet cannot bee defended but by lying and falsifying And thus hauing answered the most forcible proofes that master Bellarmine bringeth to proue that the church must bee built vpon Peter I would on the other side wish him to consider how weake a foundation he and his fellowes doe builde vpon For Peter did not only by euill councell seeke to hinder his master Christ in the worke of our redemption for which hee was bitterly reprooued go behinde me Sathan thou art saith Christ an offence vnto me because thou vnderstandest not the thinges that are of God but the thinges that are of men but also afterwardes denie his master Christ and that with cursing and swearing but hauing receiued the spirit of God and beeing inabled as much as euer he was to the worke of the Lord yet by Peters fault Barnabas and other were brought into dissimulation so that they walked not the right waie to the truth of the gospell And therefore he was withstood euen to his face by Paule because hee was worthie to bee blamed So that euen then if there had beene no better or surer foundation to haue builded the church vpon then Peter the building might well haue runne to one side But thankes bee vnto God that we haue a surer rocke But what will he and his fellowes saie to that most grosse absurditie that followeth this their doctrine For if Peter be the foundation of the church what answere will they make to them that thinke the time was when the church was only in the virgin Mary Vpon what foundation was the church then builded Yea what foundation of the church was before Peter was borne or thought of in the time of the law Yea what foundation in all the time before the lawe when there was not so much as a high priest among the people Then was there a church as all men confesse and therefore it must needes also then haue a foundation but it could not be Peter For hee had these wordes spoken vnto him almost 4000. yeares after the church began And could it stand and florish so manie yeares builded only vpon Christ the sure foundation and shall we nowe thinke that this foundation beginneth to shrinke or is lesse able to vphold this building so that it must needes haue Saint Peter to helpe to holde it vppe for feare of falling God forbid that euer christians should haue so foolish thoughts and yet these and such like absurdities must folow this doctrine But to conclude this point I reason thus That only must be the foundation of the church now which was in the time of the lawe and before the law but then there was no other foundation but Christ therefore now there must be no other I meane no other especial or particular foundation My maior or first proposition is grounded vpon Maister Bellarmines wordes For going about to proue that the monarchy must be in the church he yeeldeth this reason because in Christs time it was gouerned by one and if now it be not so gouerned then it is not the same church or the same citty of God Now thus I reason for proofe of my maior If the not hauing of that outward forme of gouernement can make that it is not the same church how much more if any thing be added to the foundation but saith he the not hauing of the same outward gouernment doth make it to be not the same church therfore much more if it be altered in the foundation And to saie that the church now in the time of grace is not all one with that church that was before Christ or that then there was anie other foundation besides Christ is nothing els then to deny Christ to be a corner stone that ioyneth together both sides of the house making of both one By which the minor of my argument is verified Thus I trust to the indifferent reader it may appeare that as this interpretation of these wordes vpon this rocke I will builde my church that is vpon Peter is not catholike so the doctrine that followeth therupon is absurd Let vs now consider what weight there is in his second argument whith hee wringeth out of the word of building Wherein he affirmeth and in truth doth but affirme for he can proue nothing at all that to builde is to rule Indeede he alleadgeth three fathers which say Peter was Pastor of the church or ruled all the church but is this a good argument Peter did rule the whole church therefore to builde is to rule Such a shew of proofe may perchance seeme glorious in the eies of them that haue no loue to the truth but they are too too foolish that will be caught with such baites That to build is not to rule I proue thus A man buildeth to haue a house that he may rule and he cannot rule but that first the house must be made So that indeede building in the house ceaseth when ruling beginneth when the house is made then is it ruled With much like dexterity he will proue that the foundation doth rule the house In the ende if you will heare him he will make you beleeue that the house ruleth the maister not the maister the house But let vs grant Maister Bellarmine this which so earnestly he seeketh for Let vs yeelde that to builde is to rule what is then out of these wordes to be gathered Vpon this rocke I will build that is I will rule my church This we see Christ is the ruler and not Peter of the church Then let vs go forwarde that we may see what help vnto this popish supremacy the wordes following do bring vnto thee will I giue saith Christ the keies of the kingdome of heauen c. Here Maister Bellarmine is very earnest to proue that these keies were deliuered
new logicke before he can prooue such bad conclusions But then to mend the matter he bringeth in an authoritie that is not to be found in the Author that he doth aleage for it But wee must take it vpon the credit of Thomas of Aquine They shew that they want proofe when they would faine call againe the things that are not to helpe their cause As for Thomas we know welenough his good will to the church of Rome For he would not onely raâ—e out of the earth these sentences of Ciril but also as Canus reporteth of him hee speaketh of one Maximius that saieth much for the authoritie of the bishop of Rome Yea and he findeth much out of the council of Chalcedon In which councill the Bishop of Rome had his authoritie that he sought for much abridged Yet I say Thomas hath found out euen in that council good stuffe to confirme the authoritie of the bishop of Rome that ueuer came to our hands And no meruel for Melchior Canus telleth vs that Gregorie complaineth that in his dayes they were blotted out by heretiks And I pray you howe then did Thomas of Aquine come by them who was after Gregorie almost seuen hundred yeares Thus you may see howe they seeke by forged writings that which by authorities of credit they can not maintaine Well then let fained Ciril goe and let vs see what Theodoret saith He as others before him had done craueth the Popes helpe against Dioscorus And Leo the pope did for him what he could we deny not But yet before the councell of Chalcedon would restore Theodoret to his place againe he was forced by the whole councell to shew his detestation of Nestorius Eutiches and all heretickes although the pope had receiued him to communion before And heere before I goe any further this one note I thinke necessary to be added concerning many of the former testimonies That because they are drawen from the priuate Epistles of men distressed seeking for helpe and therefore they might wel be forced to write with as great humility as they could deuise to write for to obtaine succour it is no reason that these their forced petitions and priuate requests should be accounted as rules for catholicke religion Then commeth in Sozomen in which he mistaketh both the place alleadging the seuenth chapter for the eighth an errour easily committed and the matter For although Iulius bishop of Rome did thinke well of the dignity of his seat yea and in respect of his mightinesse that hee was now growen vnto partly by the goodnesse of former Emperours but chiefly through the dissentions of the east or greeke churches hee was in duty also bound more then others to haue a great care ouer all churches yet that his supremacy was not then acknowledged that very Chapter shall sufficiently testifie For there it is reported how that the bishops of the east churches to whom Iulius had written somewhat sharpely in the behalfe of Athanasius and others that fled to him did make answere to Iulius with a letter ful of tauntes and threatnings and shewed that their churches were as great and as many as his finding fault also with Iulius for receiuing such to his communion and such other things So that wee see that they did not account the Bishop of Rome as supreame head of the church neither doth Sozomen say that Iulius his seat came to that dignity by Christes institution or by Gods law which Bellarmine tooke in hand to proue but hath not brought one testimony of the fathers that can performe that promise They plead as the Lawyers say in possessorio they say they haue it by possession so many haue come to the church of Rome for helpe when they were distressed In thus many cases popes haue intermedled in other bishops charges So they tell vs what they haue done But the question is how iustly by what right law or authority they haue done many of the things that they haue done We would haue them plead de petitorio Let them proue their right For it is true that long since the pride of this seat did beginne abusing Gods good liberality and the fauour of godly princes towarde them still increasing in that ambitious humour vntill they had set themselues aboue all Which authority when they had once gotten they did shew themselues vnsatiable and cruell despising all authority and making their wil to be in steede of law as shal God willing in the proofe of their practise which is the seconde part of this treatise be declared But it doth not followe they haue done this therefore they haue done well in so doing That which is alleadged out of Acutius that Simplician the pope had care ouer all churches is much to the commendation of Simplician that he had so due regard of his dutie but this prooueth him not to haue authority ouer all because he had or at the least should haue care ouer all But I muse what maister Bellarmine meaneth to tell vs a tale out of Liberatus of a namelesse bishop of Patara What matter is it to vs or what strength can it bring to his cause to know what he or other men not knowen in the church of God for their learning iudgement zeale or such other vertues as are necessary for them that shoulde be witnesses in matters of religion doe thinke or say Much such proofe might be had out of the legend of lies But that will neuer proue their doctrince to be catholicke Lastly the woordes of Iustitian in that hee calleth the pope Iohn the seconde head of all holy churches may well bee admitted as in former times that name head was often vsed yea and is still of vs. A man of good dexterity or countenance is called a head man among others although hee hath not authority ouer them But such a head as now the pope is become that will controll all bishops yea depose emperours dispence with Gods word make new laws in the church haue his saying in all matters Iustinian himself could not haue liked And it must be marked that we deny not but a bishop of Rome as also another maÌ„ may welbe called head of the church if they be indewed with such gifts as are to the benefit of the whole church But we deny both that the name is or ought to be peculiar to the church of Rome or the bishop thereof only and also that the authority which by that and such like names he challengeth vnto him is tolerable in him or in any other For indeede our contention is whether the bishoppe of Rome haue supremacy ouer the whole church or not Now excellent names were giuen vnto men in times past as the name of pope Baronius a great papist of our time confesseth was common to all bishops The like he also writeth of the name of vniuersall bishop And Athanasius was called Pontifex maximus
The greatest bishop and yet not he but Liberius was then bishop of Rome And for this name head as I haue shewed it is nothing strange in all societies to haue a heade man and yet he not to haue iurisdiction ouer them By all which it appeareth howe weake an argument may be drawen from these names which may be common to so many to proue the supremacy which the bishop of Rome challengeth to himselfe onely Nowe maister Bellarmine hauing wrung what he can which is not much out of the fathers of the greeke church commeth to the latin writers to try what gleanings he can get among them Whom I doubt not but we shall finde speaking very reuerently of the church of Rome as in truth it well deserued because that the bishop of Rome although he began very soone to encroche somewhat vpon other mens right and to enlarge his power yet he vsed his greatnesse and authority for a long time to the maintenance of true religion the comfort of the distressed and to withstande by himselfe and other the bishops of the West church the heresies that troubled especially the East churches In al which things we know that by their place for that they were bishops of the Imperiall city and the authority that they were come vnto by fauour of the Emperours they were as it were ringleaders vnto others so that although they were moued sometimes to these good things by a desire that they had to be medling in all matters which was one of the waies whereby they came to their greatnes yet in that they did good vnto the church the godly did both commend them and also beare with them although sometime they were too forward and stept too farre before others But when they would haue had this authority confirmed to them in councils and established as a law of the church then did the ancient fathers wisely withstand their vnlawfull desires as the vi councils of Carthage and the councill of Chalcedon doe plainly proue So that the godly learned fathers of those times partly to incourage them in their well doing did giue them due commendation when they deserued it and partly for quietnesse sake and the peace of the church did wincke at many of their inordinate proceedings and vnorderly attempts so long as they were but their priuate actions yet would not the iurisdiction of the vniuersall church And these things being well remembred I may I trust be shorter in answering to the particular places And first for the place out of Cyprian which maister Bellarmine prosecuteth in many words as he is forced to doe that he may get out of him but a shew of an argument It is answered in few words For indeede maister Bellarmine groundeth vpon a false principle which I dare not say that he could not but see his errour but it is maruell if he can be ignorant of it The wordes wherein he especially trusteth are these This commeth to passe that heresies growe in the church whilst there is no returning to the beginning of the truth neither is the head sought for neither is the doctrine of our heauenly maister kept Nowe by this word head he vnderstandeth the head of the church whom he maketh Peter Whereas it is most certaine that Cyprian doth meane nothing els here then in another place where he endeuoureth to perswade after the same maner and by that very argument where by the head he meaneth that which the apostles taught For saith he if we returne to the head and beginning of the tradition of the apostles mans errour ceaseth And there he teacheth vs by a similitude howe we should come to the heade by the similitude I say of a conduct wherein if the water faile we goe to the head of it that is to the fountaine and so from thence examine the want of the water so saith he must Gods priestes goe to the beginning when there is any question of Religion And that he meaneth that head in this place the very wordes by him alleadged do prooue because the former wordes put vs in minde of returning to the originall or beginning of the trueth and the wordes that follow leade vs to the heauenly doctrine Well then the head in this place doth signifie the spring and fountain from which our doctrine must beginne and so master Bellarmines argument is quite ouerthrowen And hauing proued that he buildeth his reason vpon a false ground I trust I neede not bestow any more labour to prosecute him in his wandering wordes Optatus is the second who speaketh nothing to helpe this desperate cause For although he commend vnto vs that one chaire in respect of the vnitie of doctrine for all the priests nowe saith Chrysostome must sit not vpon Moses chaire but vpon Christs chaire yet in the wordes alleadged by master Bellarmine he addeth and we haue proued that that is ours by Peter Optatus a bishop in Affrike not of Rome sitteth in Peters chaire Therefore Peters chaire and the popes chaire are not all one vnlesse their doctrine be one It is not tied to Rome or to that church But alluding to that place of Moses his chaire which our Sauiour Christ speaketh of because the Scribes and Pharises taught that which Moses did teach Optatus also saith that he doth sit in Peters chaire because hee taught that which Peter did confesse and teach Yea and he prooueth by this argument against the Donatists who taught that they onely were the church that the church is also where he taught because euen there is Peters chaire so that if Optatus your owne witnesse speake truly then you haue maruellously abused the world for many yeares in making them beleeue that S. Peters chaire is at Rome onely But Saint Ambrose seemeth somewhat plainer then the rest in that first place alleadged by maister Bellarmine The church is called Gods house whereof Damasus is a ruler this day But yet the words do not import any such thing as may prooue the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome For wee will not deny that the Bishop of Rome is a ruler in the church but that he is the only ruler we can not graunt But Saint Ambrose expounding those wordes of Paule wherein he teacheth Timothie how to behaue himself in Gods house takes occasion to shew both what is Gods house namely the church and who they are that are rulers in Gods house namely the bishops or pastours to whom the ministery is committed And to make this plaine by an example he setteth before vs the house of God at Rome which is the church there and the ruler of Gods house there who is Damasus their bishop If any man aske how it commeth to passe that he rather nameth Damasus then any other bishop Sundry reasons of it may be yeelded First Ambrose himselfe was a bishop in Italy for Milaine is in Italy vnder the popes wings and therefore the bishop of Rome was the most
to bring some plaine proofe and not so to stand vpon strange coniectures Againe Sozimus bishop of Rome willed hini to go to a councill at Cesarea and hee therefore saide that hee must needes goe If Sozimus did commaund and Augustine would not stand vpon his right in such a matter where perchance his going might be profitable to Gods church yet that would not make Sozimus head of the church No at that time they did not gather any such hard conclusions For although they would not refuse to do good euen being more imperiously commaunded then reason would yet supremacie as I haue shewed they would not acknowledge in the Bishop of Rome but rather were content to bee at great charges to conuince the popes falshoode In the last two places saint Augustine commendeth the bishop of Rome in that being so high as he was yet he would be friendly to them that were humble or lowe and then confesseth euery Bishoppe to be high yet him to be higher A man may be friend to them that are lower then he is and one Bishop may be higher than others and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them Higher I say in gifts credite place or many other waies In England we see differences of bishoprickes where yet the one hath not iurisdiction ouer the other Now for Prosper it were hard if his poeticall amplifications should be able to carry away the weight of so great a cause But for his words if he say that Rome is Peters seat in respect of the doctrine that there was taught and maintained as before Optatus and Augustine of whome he was a great follower haue done wee yeelde vnto him Otherwise I leaue the godly Reader to the arguments before alleadged to consider what he should think concerning this point whether Peter was Bishop there or not And where he saith that Rome is made vnto the world the head of pastorall honour wee yeelde vnto that also that at that time there was no church that either more sincerely did keepe that which the apostles taught or had more credit and authoritie amongst other churches then Rome had in respect that she was able and willing to do good vnto many other But where he saith that what by armes shee could not by religion shee hath subdued is not simply true For there are manie that neuer were nor will be by likely hood subdued to Romish religion But in some respect we also confesse that to be so in that religion subdueth the heart and winneth the affection of men to bee subiect whereas that outward force can onely preuaile against the outward man Now for Victor Vticensis who calleth the church of Rome head of all other churches I haue often shewed that it may truly so be called in respect of the authoritie which by many occasions it had goten not in respect of any inrisdiction that Christ gaue vnto it more then to other The next is Vyncentius Lirinensis who alluding vnto the name or indeede rather giuing vnto Rome that name that was commonly giuen vnto it saith that the head of the world gaue testimonie vnto it meaning the council of Ephesus You see saith master Bellarmine that the bishop of Rome is called head of the world Nay you see howe our popes catholiks incroch more and more for that vnsatiable gulfe of the church of Rome which will neuer haue honour and authoritie enough Who euer before master Bellarmine hath called the pope the head of the world He hath wont to be but head of the church But I feare that if his kingdome continue a while Acharonta mouebit hee will keepe a stir in hell also But Vincensius giueth no such name to Iulius bishop of Rome He would not be so iniurious to the ciuil authoritie he had learned better then so to giue to Caesar that that belongeth to Caeser and to God that that is Gods although the church of Rome might quite blotte out of their bookes that lesson for any regarde that they haue to keepe it As for Vincentius his meaning is plaine enough to them that will see the trueth For hauing spoken of sundry places from whence learned men came to that councill of Ephesus first out of the East then also out of the West churches he nameth Iulius bishop of the citty of Rome which citty he calleth the head of the worlde as immediately after he calleth Carthage one of the South and Millaine one of the North the sides of the world But if he had made so very great accompt of the church of Rome as in these daies men would haue vs to doe he would haue had perchance some more regard in placing that church in some other order then to make it almost the last that he mentioneth Out of Cassiodor a senatour and a great officer in Rome maister Bellarmine alleadgeth somewhat You saieth he to Iohn Bishop of Rome sit as watchmen ouer christian people as you are called father you loue all I see nothing heere that can helpe maister Bellarmine or his cause For who euer did thinke otherwise then that the Bishoppe of Rome was a watchman ouer christian people Or who will say that the Pope hath not or at the least shoulde haue a fatherly affection towardes all Well it followeth It is our part to looke to somewhat you looke to all Cassiodor liuing vnder the popes nose is content either by this praising of him to teach him what care he indeede should haue not onely to doe good to the people of Rome where he was Bishop but also as occasions should be offered to helpe others also Or els it may be that hee giueth him greater praise then he deserueth But what is this for the popes supremacy Must not the building needes fall that standeth vpon such weake propes Much like is that which followeth that the seat which is pope Iohns peculiar place is giuen generally to the whole worlde that is as I take it to doe good to all If a Romane magistrate to the bishop of Rome doe extoll more then in truth he may the power of that citty or els tell how farre their benefits doe extende must this be so strained and wrung to prooue supremacie The last testimony alleadged by maister Bellarmine doth so little helpe his cause that if he had done wisely he should neuer haue spoken of it For by that Epistle and others that are set before that councill of Chalcedon it may easily appeare that Leo Bishop of Rome did then bestirre him vsing the discention of the East church as a meane to increase his owne authoritie For it is most plaine and cannot be denied that afterwardes in that councill by his legates he sought the supremacy very earnestly and in sundry of his Epistles disanulleth that the councill did against it And in these Epistles he maketh mone to many to procure Theodosius the Emperour to stand his friend Anâ— in this Epistle
might get the true copies of that Nicen council from those places making no doubt but if those copies did agree which came from thence they must be most true as they all acknowledge writing to pope Boniface When the copies came they could finde no such thing Is it not then very plaine that the Bishop of Rome his legate vsed false writings for proofe of a bad cause But maister Bellarmine telleth vs that Saint Augustine and all they of they council mistooke the matter being deceaued by ignorance because they knew not what the council of Sardis did set downe concerning that point The question is whether the council of Nice did giue superiority ouer all other to the bishop of Rome as his legates did affirme And it is most plaine that it did not And therefore that which is in the councill of Sardis which if we shall beleeue the booke of councils set forth by Peter Crab a frier and a papist was at the least fortie yeares after the councill of Nice it maketh nothing to iustifie them and excuse their falsehoode that for the decrees of the Nicen council doe alleadge that which was ordained in that council of Sardis And of that council of Sardis it may truly be said as in the Lateran council or at the least in the Tripartit worke added vnto it complaint is made that now adaies it is harde to finde either olde or newe councils insomuch as the authour doth there maruell that the church of Rome hath beene so negligent in that pointe as not to take order for the better keeping of them Augustine writeth of that council of Sardis that is was an Arrian council holden against Athanasius The time also when it was kept is very vncertaine Yea almost al the circumstances argue great doubtfulnes of that council They that write the story of that council doe write thereof so diuersly both for the number of bishops assembled there and also concerning the Arrians being there which some affirme some deny that therby we may learn how little credit is to be giuen to it for to ground any vncertain or doubtful doctrine vpon y â— it might haue credit But that which maister Bel. doth afterwards say is yet more absurd For hauing affirmed that he is indeed perswaded that these canons which the church of Rome alleadgeth for her supremacy are not in the Nicen couecil but onely in that of Sardis yet he thinketh that Zozimus and Boniface two bishops of Rome did therefore name them the decrees of the Nicen council because they were both written together in a booke at Rome the ignoraunce whereof did much trouble the fathers as he saith Can master Bellarmine suppose that those fathers whose earnest indeuour was at that time to keepe the decrees of the councill of Nicen were ignorant what was to be accounted of that council or what articles belonged to the same Or is it likely that the copies of the councill of Nice shoulde bee more perfect at Rome so many hundreds of miles distant from Nice then at Constantinople which is hard by it or at Antioch or Alexandria not so far distant from it Or doth he thinke it reason that one Romish and another vnknowen copie writen perchance with that councill of Nice by some that sought thereby to increase the dignitie of the church of Rome of set purpose to bring it to that credit that it should be accounted as parcel of the council of Nice can he I say thinke it reason that those two copies should correct and control so many of better credit by a great deale then they are No these are but shifts to blind mens eies and indeede but bables for fooles to play withall Master Bellarmine doth also labour in this place very earnestly to prooue that the council had many decrees moe then those that are in the first tome of councils set forth by Peter Crab or spoken of by Ruffâ—nus To what end is all this Forsooth to excuse his holy fathers that they should not be thought to giue counters for gold or lead for siluer But how can hee excuse them for that they added to the begining of the sixt canon that the church of Rome hath alwaies had the supremacie in which false tricke Paschasinus Legate vnto the Bishop of Rome was taken in the council of Chalcedon For it is not the translation out of Greeke of Dionyse an Abbat almost three hundred yeares after that council was kept that Alan Cope speaketh of and master Bellarmine before hath aleaged for his defence that can haue credit against so many authenticall copyes so diligently sought and sent for so carefully examined by so many hundreds of learned men and so faithfully deliuered for discussing euen of this controuersie for Paschasinus hauing alleadged in that councill of Chalcedon for his maister the Bishoppe of Rome the wordes before mentioned was by those copies disprooued And whereas maister Bellarmine doth set downe this as the intent of the Bishop of Rome in the Councill of Carthage that he meant to shew that not onely all men might appeale to him but also that it were expedient for the church that so they should do Marke how directly the councill of Carthage doeth oppose it selfe against the Pope therein in their epistle which hath this title The Epistle of the Affrican Council to pope Celestine bishop of the citie of Rome For whereas master Bellarmine did confesse that the causes of inferiour ministers might be heard at home but Bishops must be heard at Rome this councill in this epistle saith directly contrary vsing it as an argument from the lesse to the greater If say they the causes of inferior clarks by the councill of Nice are prouided for how much more is it ordered then that bishops if they be excommunicate in their prouince shall not of your Holinesse be hastily or rashly or against order thought to be restored to the communion Thy will him to banish from him such as seeke such wicked refuges because say they the Nicene decrees haue plainely committed not inferiour clarkes onely but also the Bishops to their metropolitanes They assure themselues that no prouince shall want the grace of Gods spirit to order these things And that euerie man may if he mislike of the iudgement of them that haue heard his cause appeale to a councill either prouinciall or generall no wordes of appealing to the pope Unlesse a man will imagine say they that God will grant his spirite of triall of matters to euery one and deny it to all assembled in a Councill And further they alleadge that the trueth of matters examined farre from home can hardly be found out by reason that witnesses can not well be carried so farre For as for the legates à latere that should come from the popes side for examination of such matters they vtterly mislike as a thing not to be found in any of the synods of the
make that which is right wrong For hee can as they tell vs doe all things aboue right against right and without right Yea hee is lorde of lordes and hath the authoritie of the King of kings ouer his subiects But what will you more To doubt of the popes power it is no lesse then sacrilege As also it is alleadged out of Thomas of Aquine against the errors of the grecians question 66. That to say that the pope hath not supremacy ouer the whole church is like the errour of them that say the holighost proceeds not from the sonne But such are heretickes against the godhead as it cannot be denied and therefore doubtlesse by the iudgement of Thomas of Aquine they that do but doubt of the popes supremacy are hereticks against the godhead And is this that Thomas of Aquine that glorious Saint and clarke whose only sentence weigheth more then all the protestantes wits and wordes in the worlde as saith in a spitefull pamphlet our weeping cardinall of England who can neuer bee merry vntill be see the ruine and desolation of his naturall contry In which respect I pray God hartely that hee may nightly water his bed with teares and moysten alwaies his breade with weeping rather then he should see or his eies behold the destruction of this land which he and such other tigers whelps so greedely gape for And I doubt not but our good God which hath hitherto very often not mercifully onely but miraculouslie also and mightely preserued and vpholden the only proppe and staie of this our flourshing lande will still pleade her cause against all her foes and preserue her soule the soule of his turtle Doue against all their secret and malitious practises I confesle indeede that our sinnes which abound daily more and more doe iustly deserue that this pretious iewel should be taken from vs. And it is onely Gods mercie that hath preserued vs these many yeares euen his free and great mercie But if we could turne to the Lord vnfainedly we neede neither feare the suites or teares nor traiterous deuises of such hipocrites neither yet the might or malice of all those conspirators But if the Lord should as in iustice he may giue vs ouer to be a prey vnto their teeth yet the truth of our cause is grounded still vpon Gods word And the Israelites were Gods people still although when they rebelled against the Lord hee did sometimes deliuer them to be punished euen of his owne enemies and wicked ones And I beseech the Lorde make vs more patiently to beare his deserued wrath if it shall please him to lay it vpon vs then we haue vsed thankfully his vndeserued grace and fauour which hetherto he hath shewed vnto vs and continued amongst vs. And thus much by occation of that vndue commendation that Allen giueth vnto Thomas of Aquin. But him and such like I leaue to their owne fancies And to the godly I say onely with Saint Iames my bretheren haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons Let our cares be attentiue to marke and our hearts ready bent to receaue that which in due examination we find to be well spoken without beholding of the person or regarding any thing more then the word that is taught And thus haue I briefly shewed how this vniust authoritie which the pope chalengeth and into the which most craftely hee crept is in part most lewdly by him abused not onely in that he claimeth to haue a proude name ouer his bretheren and the whole church but also that he dare match himselfe with God and directly to oppose himselfe against his will But as in many things much so in nothing more doth the bishop of Rome darken Gods glorie or thrust himselfe into Gods place then in that he being himselfe a sinfull man yea a seruant to sinne euen set and sold to doe wickedly dareth yet take vpon him to forgiue sinne And that not as one that would preach and proclame vnto the penitent sinners Gods grace and mercy but as one that commendeth vnto the people his owne power to pardon and forgiue men their offences Wherein hee first offendeth in that he taketh more vpon him then belongeth to him or to any man For seeing our sinnefull act whether it be against God or man is therefore imputed to vs as siune and is indeede sinne because it is a breach of Gods Lawe it is very absurde to imagine that any man can dispense with vs for this sinne but only that good God against whose lawe we haue transgressed And for this cause the godly when their sinne was vnto them a heauy burthen haue made their suite and mone vnto God because he onely can heale that sore and helpe that sickenesse as that one example of Dauid in steed of many may prooue vnto vs Psal 51. 1. Haue mercy vpon me O Lord according to thy great mercie and according to the multitude of thy compassions put away mine iniquities And although his sinnes were exceeding great as after he confesseth yet because none could pardon them but God only therfore euen to him he commeth against whom he had offended to him he confesseth his fault of him he seeketh for release to him he sueth for pardon For of all men it is true that Iob saith who can make that cleane that is conceiued of vncleane seede there is not one And therefore God proclaimeth by his prophet Esay I euen I am he that putteth away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And first we bowe the knees of our heart to our good God yeelding vnto him immortall thankes and praise who dealeth thus gratioufly with vs vnwoorthy and sinnefull wretches as that hee doth not onely freely forgiue vs for Christ his sake all our sinnes and blot out all our offences and put away all our transgressions with an assured purpose neuer to cal them to remembrance or to charge vs with them in his iust iudgement but also for the better quieting of our fearefull and troubled consciences hath giuen power and commandement to his ministers by proclaiming to the penitent this his free pardon ministerially to heale the soule wounded with sinne to bind vp the broken and contrite heart and to raise by form the pit of despaire them whom the clog of conscience accused of sinne had pressed downe This euen this we acknowledge to be an vnestimable benefit and a great fauour that God sheweth to vs vile wretches that that mercy which he hath sealed vp for vs in heauen he hath caused to be made known here on earth by the ministery of the gospel And this is all the power that is giuen to man to proclaime vnto vs that pardon that God only giueth To tell vs that if our sinnes were as crimson they being for Christ his sake pardoned shal be as white as snow and if they were like
his malitious persecuting and pursuing of them What neede we to produce examples of forraine countries or former times We haue amongst vs in our dayes better proofe thereof then either we desire or they can denie Is it not too proude and insolent a part for either Pius the fifth or Sixtus the sith to call our soueraigne Queene and most gratious prince Elizabeth whom God hath mercifully placed amongst vs and ouer vs and mightely and maruelously defended from innumerable popish practises and Henry king of Nauarre and nowe also the French king hereticks schismaticks and I know not by what names of reproch he not prouing no nor daring to offer any reasonable triall or lawfull way to prooue the same Why is hee afraid to haue religion tried by a free generall council Why doth he hinder it by all meanes that he can The question is whether his religion that I say which he commendeth to christians and commaundeth to be onely and that vpon paine of death beleeued is true or not We denie it we haâ—e vnanswerable arguments for vs. The religion that he would haue vs to content our selues withall is not catholike that is it is not preached or taught at all times in all places with full consent as he and his frends must confesse when it is examined It hath not any sufficient warrant out of Gods booke which onely should be the ground of our relgion Nay it is so contrarie to Gods written words that it is impossible that that which God in the scripture teacheth vs and that which the popish church requireth of vs should both be true As for Gods worde we know it cannot lie And therfore we haue great cause to say that that which is contrarie to it cannot be true Again the church of Rome as they al confesse prooueth many points of their religion by traditions onely that is to say by the doctrines of men only These things we alleage Admit that it were not euidently true that we say Is it not good reason yet that we should be heard howe we can prooue that we alleage Were it not fit that before indifferent iudges the matter should be tried For why should the pope that is a principall partie in this controuersie or his legats that are his sworne adherents and seruants take vpon them to be iudges in their owne cause We accuse them of Idolatrie superstition many heresies manifest breach of Gods lawe despising of Gods word yea of plaine apostacie from the true faith Shall we euer imagine that they will pronounce sentence against themselues And confesse themseules guiltie of these great crimes No no as we are not so foolish as once to hope that they who with tooth and naile seek to maintaine their owne pride will so subiect themselues to Christs yoke so we are not so mad as to thinke them to be fit iudges to pronounce whether the truth be on our side or theirs For we knowe that they will not speake for vs because they will neuer speake against themselues Let them then permitte this question that is amongst vs to be tried by a free council Let the matters in controuersie be debated let the reasons on both sides be heard and wayghed let indifferent iudges be appointed such as sincerly sighing in singlenes of hart seek to know the truth serue the Lord. TheÌ„ will it appeare who teach the tru religion But this can neuer be tried by such ouer-ruled conuenticles as that of Trent wherein indeed the protestants were admitted to speake But they might say but placet wee are content with that you haue done They might not set downe their reasons against Romish errorn they might not be heard to dispute But that was before concluded in som priuat meeting of a few popish diuines alowed at Rome for catholike doctrine and thence sent to the council to haue approbatian of them that durst not denie it to that they might say Amen Yea and what they could haue said the council wold not greatly haue regarded as it seemeth For Clement the seuenth when the emperour Charles the fift and the French king were earnest with the said Clement to haue a free generall conncil permitted wherein matters might maturely be discussed on both sides he answered that was a perillous matter and preiudiciall that the protestants should be suffered to dispute of those things that had beene before coâ—cluded by councils As though God by his word were not sufficient to giue lawes to his church or that he should be tied to the iudgements of men Not that we thinke the auncient lawfull councils to be against vs but because that vnder the name of generall Councils they bring in their later wicked and vngodly conuenticles of the times wherein corruption grew more and more in the Church which Councils haue concluded manie things that were neuer heard of in the purer age wee would therefore let them vnderstand that as manie of their councils are worthily reiected so euen the best are not to be bleeued but as they consent with Gods vndoubted and infallible worde And that this was the bondage of that Councill of Trent which our aduersaries would so faine haue so much accounted of it appeareth by Sleydon in his historie Brocard who was one in that councill writing vpon the Apocalipse Gentillet and Caluin against that council How theÌ„ dare those arrogant popes whose doctrine can not abide the touch whose decrees do shun the light condemne princes for heretikes or enemies to the catholike faith yet will not permit their faith and religion to be laid to the rule square of the catholike doctrine Theodoret saith truly The decrees of the church must be tried and proued not pronounced as an ouer ruled case or as a sentence of a Iudge And shall we then receiue as an Oracle from God that which is deliuered vnto vs after this maner the church of Rome or the bishop of Rome hath said it God forbid We will trie the spirits whether they bee of God We seeke to trie all their doctrines that we may holde fast that which is good This then I say is an euident argument of arrogant insolencie in Pius 5. and Sixtus 5. that so wickedlie they dare presume as to giue such slaunderous names to princes that professe so vndoubted a truth as then they both did and yet our most gracious Soueraigne dooth But to depriue them of their kingdomes to release their subiects from their bonde of obedience to dispose of their dominions according to their pleasures as they would doe if they could is as intollerable pride as their predecessours before did euer vs to other And so maliciouslie to prosecute this their conceiued mischiefe as they haue done these manie yeares whiâ—h open tumult with secrete conspiracies with poysoning of some principall Princes with murthering of other by other meanes with prepairing the hearts of doubtfull subiects agaynst the time of inuasion to take
their part for all these things are common to the pope and his white sonne the king of Spaine they are their continuall meditations dooth not this sufficientlie proue their cruell malice So that their proude practises and cruell purposes which are two of the fruits of the supremacie of the popes that I haue spoken of are plaine enough euen in our dayes we may see with our eyes the proofe of the same by almost dayly examples But their greedie mindes and couetous affections doe not appeare to vs so plainely as vnto our fathers vnto whom they were an intollerable burthen as I haue shewed before And although we nothing doubt but the fat morsels which they vnderstand their predecessours haue plucked from this land doe make the popes that haue beene in our dayes more eager to get such like againe yet God hauing deliuered vs from the rauening pawes and iawes of that Romish Lion the Lord make vs truly thankefull and in life fruitfull for this his inestimable mercie we feele not the griefe of his exactions But this I trust sufficeth to decalre that the power which the pope vnlawfully hath gotten he vnreasonably abuseth making it a wicked and vngodly meane to crowe ouer princes to fill his coffers and to execute his reuenges And now that the pope was come to that that hee might doe euen what he would to satisfie his proude greedie and cruell lusts he thought it good for him to dwel and continue alwayes in that lawlesse estate And therefore did he not onely striue by all the power and policie that he had and with all his indeuour to maintaine the same for the time present but also did prouide some meanes to maintaine it as hee hoped for euer And to performe this they haue had no small helpe by priuileges and grauntes from princes who at the first when bishops of Rome and others also did applie themselues in some measure to perfourme their duetie were willing to the better incouraging of them to goe on forwardes in well doings and that those worldly things should not be to them any let or hinderance in their callings that were a burthen vnto other they were willing I say to exempt them from such seruices and duties as they required of other to be don vnto them And because that at the first when Christianity began to increase and grow mightie no doubt many that were secret enemies and yet durst not when the Emperors had by law established the christian profession accuse any man for their religion would then lay other faults to their charges and obiect other crimes to bring the Gospel into contempt as appeareth by Tertullian Iustin the Martyr and others that they did when religion was yet professed in corners Now it is not vnlikely but that godly princes to exempt them from such flaunders and reproches would commit the hearing of those accusations vnto such as were of best credite among themselues that when their enemie did see that their accusations were not like to be fauoured vnlesse they were sufficiently proued they might be discouraged from defaming them with vniust reports But howsoeuer these immunities were graunted vnto them at the first or on what consideration I wil not precisely set downe But afterwards I am sure they tooke them as their owne right and that they did alwayes belong vnto them And therefore when as the Emperour would haue taken vpon him to haue iudged of some causes of cleargie men pope Iohn sheweth that hee must not so doe and telleth him boldly but falsely that the almightie God will haue the clearkes and priests of Christian religion to be ordered examined and receiued when they returne from errour not by publike lawes or powers of this world but of bishops and priests Christian emperors saith he must submit their executions to prelates and not preferre them Whereupon the glosse doth gather that the cleargie was neuer vnder the secular power and therfore that all the constitutions that are made that clearks should not be iudged by any but by bishops are but declarations of that their former right And in the same distinction the verie next chapter that pope Iohn is not ashamed to affirme that Christian princes were woont to be obedient to bishops and to how downe their neckes to them And afterwards there is in Gratian a whole treatise to this purpose to proue that as is their alledged out of Caius the Pope no man must presume so much as to accuse before a secular iudge a bishop or any clearke I need not alledge to this end many testimonies These are as plaine as need to be He that would see mo testimonies to this effect let him looke the first question of the eleueuh cause in Gratian he shall see it affirmed with full mouth But how vntruly in a word may be declared And first how false that is which he affirmeth that princes haue alwaies submitted themselues vnto priests there is no colour of truth in it if we examine the shamelesse lie either by the scriptures or by the examples of the emperors and kings in the primitiue church For Moses was the ciuill magistrate and Aaron was the priest Did Moses submit himselfe to Aaron No did he not rather on the contrarie reprooue him as at other times so especially concerning the golden calfe which he caused to be made And did not Aaron in token of his submission to Moses call him his Lord And why did God deliuer the law and the order for all the sacrifices and ceremonies and all the seruices that were commaunded rather by Moses to Aaron and the people Moses being the ciuill magistrate then by the ministerie of Aaron who was appointed to be the priest Did not God hereby testifie that he would haue the ciuill magistrate to haue a speciall regard vnto the things that belong to Gods seruice Was not Abiathar the high priest at the commaundement of Salomon when at the commaundement of Salomon the king he was put from the office of the high priest and the king made Zadocke high priest in his roome But out of manie examples let these suffice for the time before Christ S. Paul when he saith Let euerie soule be subiect to the higher powers teacheth vs that we must not looke that they should submit them selues vnto vs but how sincerely we should obey them And what is meant by the higher powers saint Peter telleth vs that the king is chiefe then other gouernours vnder him And these are the superiour powers which saint Paul meaneth of as if need were might hee proued by all antiquitie If we looke vpon the bishops that were in the time of Constantine and a good while after their stories will teach vs that they as humbly as they could submitted themselues to Emperours and princes called them Lordes intreated them with all submission Yea and Leo the third pope of that name eight hundred yeares after
Christ his life and conuersation were inquired vpon by Charles the great the emperor All which things do plainly proue that it is most false that Gratian out of many of them doth affirme that the Emperours Christian did alwaies submit themselues vnto the bishops And the selfe-same examples also doe plainly declare that the clergie may not be accused onely before ciuil magistrats but punished also by them according to the qualitie of their offence Neither did our sauiour Christ whose immunities and exemptions I suppose they will confesse were as great as any may claime when hee was standing before Pilate to be iudge plead that they might not meddle with him neither yet Saint Paul when he stoode before Festus who if there had beene any such priuiledge belonging vnto clergie men would at the least haue claimed it that others might haue by their examples alleaged the like But saint Paul in appealing vnto Cesar dooth giue vs a strong argument to prooue that princes may middle with such as they call clergie men But of the matter it selfe there is no iust cause of doubt Neither can it be proued that such immunities and exemptions are grounded vpon any testimonie of Scripture but rather are most contrarie to that subiection to magistrats that they commaund and God requireth But by those priuileges there came to the ciuil estate dubble damage First because thereby euil subiects were maruelously imboldned to doe whatsoeuer the bishop of Rome that very baine of true christian obedience would set them to doe for inlarging his liberties As among as infinit mumber of examples that one of Thomas Becket that archtraitor of England and yet forsooth a Romish saint and martyr doth sufficiently declare For how traiterously he sought to in fringe the auncient liberties of his and our natiue countrie to the maintenence whereof he was also sworne yea how leudly he stoode in defence of the liberties that they claime vnto clergie men and that in an vnhonest cause for Philip Brocke a canon of Bedford being accused and tried of mâ—rder gaue euil words to the iudges and the archbishop would not suffer him to be punished by the ciuil magistrate how stifly he set himselfe against the king to the mislike of most of the bishops in the land Mathew of Paris though otherwise a well-willer of his doth plainly set downe Yea what safetie may kings haue to their persons or what quietnesse in their dominions if they who are called clergie men may within any princes dominions execute against them the popes rash and vniust decrees without punishment of them that beare the sword If vnquiet heades and rebellious persons may deuise and practise what they thinke good to follow their owne lust and get vnto themselues the raines of libertie and when these things shall any way breake out they may not be examined by princes or magistrates or accused before such authoritie In this respect therefore that by such immunities bad men were much imboldned either to performe the popes commaundements or their owne desires princes had the lesse abilitie and oportunitie to shake off that yoke of more than Egyptiacal bondage which the pope laid vpon them For if they once indeuoured to attempt any such thing they had within their realm euen such as shuld by christian duty and very naturall affection be their strength aid them that vnder pretence of obedience to the vicar of Rome would make faint the hearts of the princes friends and mightily strengtheÌ„ the hands of his worst sort of subiects And no maruell though in the dayes of deepe darknes or ignorance this leprousie did so infect and spread for we among whom the light of Gods trueth doth shine in some reasonable manner in many places and in great abundance in some yet cannot be rid of that scabbe For though God in his tender mercy towards vs hath banished out of this land that prowd authoritie of the pope and giuen vnto vs as an inestimable treasure the true libertie of conscience and ministery of the word yet because our princes and magistrates are farre short of that zeale that was commended in godly kings and should be in christian magistrates and we our selues euen the whole body of the subiects do not walke according to our calling or worke according to our profession but detaine the trueth in vnrighteousnesse euen for our sins I say doubtles it commeth to passe that there are so many Cananites in our land waiting still as occasion may serue to bee prickes in our eyes and thornes to pricke vs in our sides so that though their power will not serue yet to cast vs out of the land yet they can find meanes enough to grieue vs in the land It is our sinne also that bringeth in among vs these that creepe not into widowes houses onely but into the houses of men especially women that are simple and ignorant and laden with sinne many of them withdrawing them from the true knowledge of God and duty towards their magistrates I meane the Iesuits and seminary priests a kind of people as necessary and commodious to liue among good subiects or in any quiet common-wealth as the frogges lice fâ—ies and grashoppers of Egypt were or as caterpillers are for fruit corne or grasse They seeme to be the very locusts that came out of the darke smoke that issued out of the botomlesse pit whose sting is secret like the scorpions teaching rebellion to princes vnder colour of obedience to the pope They are nimble and want no courage like horses prepared to the battell They are crowned with the honourable name of Iesuites and haue faces like men in external profession of obedience and trueth They seeme like vnto women that is not like to do hurt but yet obstinate and stiffe they are in that they take in hand and cruel and mightie to doe much â—urt among them that receaue them They are armed with the habergeon of authoritie from Rome They are lifted vp with the wings of proude conceit of their owne knowledge whereby they make a noise as though they could beare downe all before them Lastly they haue a king set ouer them for the kings that are ouer other subiects are not good enough to rule this crowned companie The pope is their king him they serue to him they yeld their obedience And their trauel is to make other also to become his subiects Whose fiue monethes that is the time of whose contiunance among vs is not yet expired because our sinnes as I haue said and must say againe and again our sinnes prolong the time of our chasticement The second inconuenience that these immunities granted the clergie men did bring vnto ciuil estates was the iâ—finit swarmes of subiects that were accounted of that number For besides their clarkes regular and irregular which grew to maruelous great multitudes they had their lesser orders which had also their part in
if they cannot prooue it to be a doctrine generally receiued at all times euen in the dayes of the apostles and so by continuall succession constantly taught in the ages next folowing and so deliuered vs they do but too much abuse the simple to tel them that is catholike auncient that is but the dreame or late deuise of some later teachers Now I call them whatsoeuer antiquity they seeme to haue that swarue any thing from that which the auncient of daies hath taught or Christ who is our true antiquitie hath deliuered It behooueth therfore al christians to take heede of such as vnder pretence of being popish catholicks and vnder or colour of this glorious name which belongeth neither to them neither yet to their religion creepe into corners deceiue the ignorant seeke to make many of their profession by hauing onely in their mouths this worde catholike faith catholike religion catholike church whereas in truth as it seemeth that they being neither thought worthy of preferment at home neither yet finding that they looked for abroad euen as the cormorants gather where the carkas is to get their prey so these seeke their meate and maintenance by seducing such simple and sillie soules Neither doe I affirme that all are moued by these causes either to leaue their natiue countrie either to returne to sowe amongst her maiesties subiects this seede of seduction and sedition but they that doe trouble this Realme are for the most part such and moued by such reasons But as they can not proue by an catholike grounds their title to the supremacie to bee good so their practise is too bad and farre from that christian modestie and meekenesse which should be in Gods children For if saint Peter said truly that such as himselfe was should not as Lords beare rule ouer the Lords hereâ—age but be as examples to the flocke then howe can the pope claime that soueraigne authoritie ouer all kings and whom saint Peter calleth chiefe If none can enter into anie calling especiallie to haue the charge ouer the flocke of Christ vnlesse he be called therevnto as it is confessed by all men what reason can the bishops of Rome pretend why either they should without any warrant nay contrarie to the worde so exalt themselues aboue all other or so vnlawfully or rather by so vile practises and shifts as by violence and strife by buing and selling by falshood and craft by poisoning and murders by sorcerie and the diuels helpe get to be popes Or being placed in that proude place howe commeth it to passe that with so great boldnesse without feare without shame they prophane the maiestie of God and despise yea tread vnder foote the excellencie of man be he neuer so high Is this the fruit of their catholike doctrine Doe such lewde dealings become Christs vicar or Peters successour But to conclude seeing the popes title vnto the supremacie hath no shew of truth and seeing his exercise of the same is almost nothing else but a blaspheming of God and a defacing of all authoritie ordained by God raise and rouse vp your selues after your long sluggishnes O ye christian princes and magistrates shake off from your neckes this yoke of bondage wherein you serue that Italian priest Ioine your powers and strength togither Gather and call a free Councill in deed where the pope as a partie may plead his cause not sit as iudge Force him to content himselfe with that place which the worde of God will aâ—foord him If any more be giuen vnto him or any other yet let not the godly potentats giue vnto any as they haue done such reines of libertie but that they may knowe that authoritie to be but from man and that their power is not full or absolute but onely limited and that if they abuse the same they may and shall answere for their boldnesse according to the qualitie of their offence So shall you deliuer christendome from a heauie bondage your owne realmes from a most daungerous enemie and the church of God from a most manifest Antichrist So shall you vse your authoritie to the comfort of the godly as you should doe and as in dutie you are bound to Gods glorie and establishing of the Kingdome of Christ Now vnto the king euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onelie wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen FINIS Iohn 10. 1 10. Mat. 22. 21 Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Esa 1. 12. Rom. 2. 16. Matâ— 23. Answere to the English Iustice cap. 1. Among the letters taken with Car the Hispauiolised Scot. William Allen his letter Cap. 4. Matth. 25. 26. Philip 3. 16 2. Cor. 11. 13. De praescript 1. Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 9. 22. Heb. 9. 12. 10. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 20. Ad Pompeium contra epistolam Stephan Least necessary to saluation Most necessary in some other respects The popes supremacie an enemie to all princes The religion of Papists The popes suprâ—macie the decay of true religiòn Dist 40. cap. 51. Papa The Popes flattâ—reâ—s Praefat. in lib. dâ— Rom. pontif The Popes claim vniust The Church Triumphant Militant The question Whether monarchicall gouernement be best M. Bellarmines first argument to proue there must be one visible head Lib. de pontif Rom. 1. cap. 5. That is not of necessitie be â— gouernment for the Church that is best for other kingdomes De pontif Rom. liâ— 1. cap. 3. Christ king in his Church Reuel 19. 16. Ephes 1. 22. Dan. 7. 14. Psal 72. 8. A pastour in particular churches a particular head â— Sâ—m 8. 7 10. Two heades Bellar. lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 9. Pastors appointed of God The pope not of God De pontif Rom. lib. 2. cap. 12. The Popes pride His contempt of the sword of Gods word The Popes charge infinit Tertull. de praescientia haeretic M. Bellar. his second argument Argument 3. Answere Hebr. 8. 9 10. Aaron no figure of Peter The church not subiect to one hie priest De missa li. 1. c. 2 1. Kin. 17. Ionah 3. Arg. 4. Bellarm. Answere Praefat. in ps 139 De Immunit m. 6. e Quoniam Bell. arg 6. Answere Bell. arg 7. Answer Ruffin hist eccl lib. 1. cap. 9. Bellar. arg 8. Answere Prouer. 29. 2. Popish vnitie Psal 2. 2. Vnitie without supremacie Act. 15. â— De Rom pontif lib. 1. cap. 9. An argument against the visible head ouer the whole church The Papists argument for the supremacie De pontif Rom. lib. 1. cap 10. Whether Christ haue resigned his place Ephes 1. 22 and 4. 15. and 5. 23. Coloss 1. 18. Acts 4. 11. â—ad Popes Mat. 28. 25. Ioh 14. 16 17. De praescript haeretie De simplie prel Concil Carth. 6. Galced Concil Act. 16. Lib. â— cap. 3. Barenes of proofe for the supremacie De pontif Rom. li. 1. cap. 12. Mat. 16. 13. Iohn 1. 42. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esy 28. 16. Bellarm maketh the Popethis stone or Peter