Apostoke Priesthood or Bisshoplie power is made greater by the chiefe Castell or Fortresse of Religion then by the Throne of Imperiall power In anuiuersa assumpt serm 2. Leo the Greate hauing saied that in Saint Peters Seat his own power liueth his authoritie excelleth in an other place sheweth himselfe to haue bene the successour of S. Peter and therefore to be the president of the Churche For thus he writeth to Iulianus the Bisshop epist 30. Memor sum me sub illius nomine Ecclesiae praesidere cuius à Domino Iesu Christo est glorificata confessio cuius fides omnes haereses destruit I am mindfull that I am Praesident of the Churche vnder his name Matth. 16 whose confession was made gloriouse of our Lorde Iesus Christe in epist 82. 87. and whose faith destroieth al heresies It were infinite to bring all that Leo saith in this behalfe Eulogius the Patriarche of Alexandria wrote to S. Gregorie after this sense Lib. 6. ep 37. as S. Gregory himself doth report it Suauissima mihi sanctitas vestra multa in epistolis suis de sancti Petri Apostolorum principis Cathedra locuta est dicens quòd ipse in ea nunc vsque in suis successoribus sedeat Your most swete Holinesse hath said manie things in his letters concerning the chair of S. Peter the prince of the Apostles saying that S. Peter himself sitteth it it euen til this present tyme in his successours And S. Gregory with great humility acknowlegeth it to be true affirming in an other place that Lib. 11. Ep. 54. the Apostolike See is head of all Churches For the honour of our country I wil not omit the testimony of S. Bede who in a sermon made vpon the Feast of a certain Abbate of England named Benedictus In Natali Benedicti inter homilias hyemales de Sanctis affirmeth him to haue gon to Rome vt ibi potius perfectā viuendi formam sumeret vbi per summos Christi Apostolos totius Ecclesiae caput eminet eximium That he might there rather take the perfit example of liuing where the excellēt head of the whole Churche doth appere aboue the reast through the highest Apostles of Christ Whereas much more may be alleaged yet these few testimonies may suffise to proue that the bishop of Rome is the Successour of S. Peter in his most principal and chiefe pastoral office And surely if we may be deceaued in any point of the faith which is so wel groūded in Gods word so vniformly cōfessed by the holy Fathers and so notoriously practised in the Catholike Churche as the Supremacy of S. Peter and of his successours in the See of Rome is I can not deuise when a man may be sure of any article of his faith But if there be a meane whereby a man may be sure of his belefe surely that meane whatsoeuer it be shall wel appeare to be found in the prouf of the supremacy of S. Peter and of his successours That the good Christian Emperours and Princes did neuer thinke them selues to be the Suprem Heads of the Churh in Spiritual causes but gaue that honour to Bisshops and Priests and most speciallie to the See of Rome for S. Peters sake as wel before as after the time of Phocas The XVI chap. An D. 246 PHilippus who was the first Christian Emperour did so litle think him selfe to haue bene the Heade of the Bisshoppes in Spirituall causes throughout his Dominion that wheras on Easter daie he would haue bene at the Vigils and holy watches and would haue communicated of the holy Mysteries the Bisshope of the place would not lette him doe it Nisi consiteretur peccata sua except he hadde first confessed his sinnes and stood amōg them that did penance and so by penance had washed awaie the faults which were reported of him Ferunt igitur libenter eum saith Eusebius quod à sacerdote imperatum fuerat suscepisse eccles histor lib. 6. c. 25. apud Ruffinum diuinum sibi inesse metum fidem religionis plenissimam rebus atque operibus comprobando They saie therefore that he toke gladly that whiche was inioyned to him of the Priest Imperatū making faith by the things and workes that the feare of God and most full persuasion of Religion was in him Is he chief in al causes who in some must obey the Priest the priest vvas aboue the Emperor in Ecclesiastical causes Or can he that is supreme gouernour in all things and causes Ecclesiastical haue an other aboue him in puttng him back from the mysteries and in enioyning him publik penaunce and in constreining him to confesse his sinnes Or is the comming to the Mysteries no cause Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Or is not the Bisshoppe or Priest who in this cause gouerneth the Emperour the Superiour and gouernour of the Emperour in the same cause Or is it not a kind of gouerning to command him to stand back to threaten him if he repine to punish him if he be stubborne Yea how to punish him to come to him in a rod as S. Paule speaketh that is to say 1. Cor. 4. in power and authoritie to beate or to correct And is not he a gouernour who may iustly beate the child If then in prescribing confessiō satisfaction and abstinence from communion the priest be the gouernour of the king I ask whether al other Ecclesiastical causes be greater or lesse then these are Note an infallible argument against your Antichristian supremacy The one parte of the Dilēma M. Nowel If other Ecclesiasticall causes be greater then these were surely the Emperour or king who is gouerned by a priest in the lesser Ecclesiasticall causes and therefore can not be supreme head in them is much more to be gouerned by a priest in the greater causes of the same kind And therefore he is much lesse supreme head in them For if when one thing standeth aboue an other I am to low to reache the lower much more I am to low to reache a higher then the other was But if other Ecclesiastical causes be lesser then the suspending from communion the other part or the inioyning of publike penance then the bishop or priest who is the gouernour of the Emperour or King in the greatest Ecclesiastical causes is much more his gouernour in the lesser Ecclesiasticall causes Because the lesser are of the same order kind and kinred whereof the greater are As therefore he that is supreme head in the greatest temporall causes as in iudging ouer life and death A similitude is much more supreme head in the lesser temporall causes as in iudging ouer lands or goods and as he that is not of sufficient authority to be supreme ruler in sitting iudge vppon mens lands or goods can much lesse sitte iudge ouer their liues by anie his former authoritie euen so neither the King who can gouern in the lesser causes
cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiaÌ„t ex aequo super eos Ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur tameÌ„ propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio Albeit the self same thing in an other place be done vpon al the Apostles and al doe receiue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and the strength of the Church be fastened equally vpoÌ„ them yet therefore one is chosen among twelue that a head being made the occasion of schisme may be taken away Three things are to be noted in this sentence First that the Church is so built vpon Peter the Rocke that in the same place where it is built vpon Peter the like is not done vppon the other Apostles Secondly the Church is equally fouÌ„ded vpon al the Apostles in an other place Ioan. 20. to witte when they are sent of Christ as Christ was sent of his Father to bind or to loose and so foorth Ioan. 20. Thirdly one is chosen head of the twelue to th' intent schisme may be auoided A man may say if al be equal The obiection and ansvvere How is one head This shall be more fully answered hereafter I say for this time Al twelue as touching the office of the Apostlesship were equal and all were Rockes and heades of the whole Church But being considered as particular Bisshops and Pastours wherby they had particular authority to teach some here and some there as now Bisshops doe euery man in his own diocese so one was their head How can it els be that S. Hierome shuld agree with himself al be equal and one is the head Can the head be equal with the other meÌ„bers Or is it not highest of al aÌ„d chief of al We must theÌ„ say that alare equal in the office of theÌ„ apostleship but Peter was otherwise appointed the chief Apostle and head in the Bisshoplie power whiche euery Apostle had beside the Apostolike office as it shal appeare hereafter In the mean time it is certain that S. Hierom writeth Hieron aduersus Iouin li. 2 Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis occasio tollatur Therefore among the twelue one is chosen to th' end a head being appointed the occasion of schism may be taken away And that there S. Hierome speaketh not of the Apostles owne choise but of Christes own choosing it appeareth euidentlie when he saith afterwarde that the good manâ—er Christ would not prefer S. Iohn before S. Peter Lib. 1. aduers leuiÌ„ least he should cause so yong a man to be enuied at Neither did it suffise that during the Apostles time onely such a Rocke and head should be appointed for so muche as the Churche of God neyther ended in their time And their successours in their Bisshoply autoritie hauing without al controuersie lesse assurance of grace then they had and being also farre more in nuÌ„ber had more need then the Apostles of a head and of a perpetual Rocke among them wherunto they might leane So that Leo the great hath most iust cause to say of S. Peter In Aniuers assumpt serm 3. Super hoc Saxum hanc soliditatem sortitudineÌ„ aeternuÌ„ construam teÌ„pluÌ„ Ecclesiae meae coelo inserenda sublimitas in huius firmitate consurget Vpon this stone this soundnes and strength I wil build an euerlasting temple and the heigth of my Church which is to be graffed in heauen shall rise in the strength of this Rock S. Augustine affirmeth in many places that S. Peter did represent the whole Churche according to whiche sense he writeth thus Epist 165. Petro totius Ecclesiae figuram gereÌ„ti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Our Lord sayth vnto Peter bearing the figure of the whole Churche Vppon this Rock I wil build my Churche So that he geueth this cause why this muche is sayed to Peter verely because Peter beareth the figure of the vvhole Church But how commeth it to passe that Peter doth bear the figure of the whole Churche Surely because he is the head and Rocke of the whole For euerie prince doth beare the figure and as it were the generall person of his subiectes and of them who are committed to his Charge For that they all are as it were gathered togeather and vnited in him alone And this to be the true meaning of S. Augustine In Ioan. tract 124 it appeareth euidentlie by his own wordes Ecclesiae Petrus Apostolus propter Apostolatus sui primatum gerebat figurata generalitate personaÌ„ Peter the Apostle by a generalitie which was figured did hear the person of the Church by reasoÌ„ of the primacy of his Apostleship Peter did beare the person of the Churche not as menne cary burthens on their backs but by a figured generalitie that is to say as a general officer For he doth beare their persons not naturallie but figuratiuely To witte by interpretation of the Law and not by real extension of his body to be made so big as to vphold al thir bodies Generalitas figurata S. Augustine calleth that a figured generalitie when it is not ordinarilie and naturallie made but when the lawe doth impute and take it so to be For the Lawe interpreteth and expoundeth the chiefe officer of a common weal to bear the person of the self coÌ„mon weal. And therupon the head being present for the coÌ„mon weals behalfe the law worketh as if the common weale it selfe were present when the head alone is present What was theÌ„ Peters office The primacy of the Apostleship He was first and chiefe propter Apostolatus sui primatum Propter and for the primacie of his Apostleship he signified all his flock in him self alone so that he tooke the keies for al and was the general Rocke for euery other particular Rocke and for that primacie of his he bare the figure of the Churche To shew yet farther the force of this reason the Reader must consyder that first Peter is said to be the Rocke and therein to beare the person of the Church figurata generalitate which is to say as if he were in deede the general or the whole mystical bodie of the Church which yet he is not but is only the officer thereof Secondarily a reason is geuen why Peter should signifie or beare the figure of the whole Church more then any other And the cause is propter Apostolatus sui primatum for the primacie of his Apostleship that is to say because he is chiefe If this cause were not found in S. Augustine the Protestants might haue some pretense to say as they doe verelie that Peter was not in deede the rock nor head but onlie that he is called so to signifie that the whole Church is built vpon Christ But now Peter doth not signifie the Church to be built vpon Christ as Peter is a man nor as he is a faithful maÌ„ nor as he
can by his Kingly power iudge in the greater nor the priest who is the Kings superiour in the lesser can possibly but much more be his superiour in the greater The remouing of the obiection Or haue we diuerse Kinds of Ecclesiastical and of spiritual causes Be there neuer so manie the Act of parliament geueth the highest and the supreme gouernment of them all In al causes vnto the King And yet the King lacketh not onelie practise experience or cunning but also he lacketh spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power to heare confessions to absolue men from their synnes to inioyne penance to consecrate the Sacrament of the altar to Ordre bishops and priestes by the Imposition of hādes or to excommunicate open synners Here Master Iewel wolde say that he neuer meant the prince should be supreme gouernour either in administring or in frequenting or in directing others to frequent the holy mysteries or in any like sacramental functions Why then doth he and his fellowes sweare men The othe of the supremacy generally to acknowledge the secular Christian prince Supreme gouernour in all things and causes Why doth he not rather declame and speake with all his force against that most impiouse and blasphemouse othe Yea so impiouse that those Protestants who most earnestly pressed the setting foorth therof dare not now iustifie the foorm of it Shall men in a Christian realme be sworen vpon the holy Euangelistes to keepe beleue or acknowledge that which noman at all no not they who procured it dare mainteine See good Countrie men see the discretiō of your parlaments in matters of Religion A men aliue abhorre from that act which the Laity made and enacted as a form so warely drawen wherevnto men might commit their euerlasting saluation or damnation Mark I say that M. Nowel M. Horn M. Iewel dare not warrant the King to be suprem gouernour in al Ecclesiastical causes But rather they confesse that a Bisshop or Priest may and ought to gouerne the King concerning his comming to the Mysteries and in such like matters This much being said cōcerning Philippus the first Christian Emperour who obeyed but gouerned not the Bisshop in Ecclesiastical matters let vs now goe forward An. Dom. 324. Constantinus the Great perceiuing the Bisshops which came to the Synod at Nice to haue many quarels and sutes among them selues appoynted a day wherein euery man should offer his complaint in writing and when he had takē al their libels without disclosing the contents of them Ruffinus lib. 10. Eccles histor cap. 2. he said vnto the bishops Deus vos constituit Sacerdotes potestatē vobis dedit de nobis quoque iudicandi ideo nos a vobis rectè iudicamur vos autē nō potestis ab hominibus iudicari propter quod Dei solius inter vos expectate iudicium God hath made you priests or Sacrificers and hath geuen you power to iudge of vs also And therefore we are rightly iudged of you But yee can not be iudged of men For which cause expect yee or tary for the iudgemēt of God alone among you This discourse of Constantine conteineth three thinges worthie to be noted First he saith the bishoppes are Sacerdotes Priestes or men that haue publik authority to make externall sacrifice vnto God for the whole Heb. 5. peples synnes Secondly he saieth that they haue power to iudge euen of the Emperour himself And this their power of iudging dependeth of their power of priesthod For the highest power may iudge the lower But no power can be higher then the power of a priest because he is the minister of God in that office which most directly toucheth Gods honour and seruice Malac. 1. Wherupon S. Augustin hauing said what was Moyses if he were not a priest In Psal 98 geueth this reason of his words Nūquid maior Sacerdote esse poterat Whether could he be greater then a priest as who should say seing Moyses was the greatest officer amōg the Israelits and yet he could not be greater then a priest it must nedes be that he was a priest The priestes then of God being the greatest officers in earth haue power to iudge euen of an Emperour if any be in their parishes or Dioceses Thirdly of these former points Cōstātine deduceth an other conclusion that priestes can not be iudged of mē How then can they be iudged of the Emperour Neither doth it skill that Constantine seemeth to haue iudged certaine priests or Ecclesiastical causes when the Donatists appealed vnto hī for he did it as S. Augustine saieth à sanctis antistitibus postea veniam petiturus In epistol 162. as one that would afterward aske leaue or pardon of the holy bisshops Who asketh leaue or pardon for that which he may doe by his owne power He did it then through the importunat sute of heretickes for the peace of the Church otherwise detesting them that demaunded his iudgement after that the bishoppes had iudged Optat. li 2 August in epist 162. and finding great fault therewith himself as Optatus and S. Augustine also doe witnesse But take away importunity of heretikes and the commission leaue or pardon of the right bishoppes who may for diuerse respectes either committe certain Ecclesiasticall causes to lay mē or winck for a tyme at such iudgemēts take away I say heresie and permission and ordinarily it is against the law of God that any secular Prince who needeth the office of a priest for his reconciliation vnto God should sitte iudge vpon him in causes of the Churche 2. Cor. 5. at whose handes he must receaue the Sacramentes of the Churche and by whose ministery his soule must be purged Now if one priest doe iudge an other that is Gods iudgement Deut. 17. Num. 3 and not the iudgement of men For God hath sette one priest ouer an other as the high priestes was aboue the Leuites in Moyses lawe and as the Apostles wereof a higher degree then the seuenty Disciples or then the seuen Deacons These woordes then of Constantine vos non potestis ab hominibus iudicari Ruffin li. 1. cap. 2. yee ô priestes of God can not be iudged of men are thus meant the order of priesthood is such as is not subiect to anie secular or earthly iurisdiction And seing all the power of iudgement which euen Christian Emperours or Kinges haue by their own state is earthly and secular it wil follow that no King or Emperour can by his owne power iudge a priest in priestlie causes and in Ecclesiasticall matters That all the power of Emperours though they be Christians is secular Constantine himself pronounceth saying to the Donatists as Optatus recordeth Petitis á me in seculo iudicium De schism Donatist lib. 1. cùm ego ipse Christi iudiciū expectem Yee aske of me iudgement in the world whereas I my self looke for Christes iudgement There are then two iudgements one in the world an other
of Christ That is worldly or secular Secular iudgemēt this is heauenly or spiritual Constantine had none other iudgement but secular because his sentence could binde no farther then in this life But Christes iudgement which he excerciseth as wel presently by his Priestes and Ministers Ioan. 20. as at the later day in his own person is spirituall Spirital iudgemēt Matth. 16. In Coelis and rather apperteineth to heauen and to the life to come then to this world Againe that Constantines iudgement was earthlye S. Augustine in diuers places declareth saing of the very same Donatists In ep 162. Terrenum Regem suae causae iudicem esse voluerunt They would an earthly King to be the iudge of their cause He meaneth there Constantine the Christian Emperour by the name of an earthly King Hitherto I haue shewed that Constantine beleued and professed that Bishops or Priestes are not ordinarilie and where aequitie or conscience maie take place to be iudged by secular Princes Now it onely remaineth to consider specially the great honour which he gaue to the See of S. Peter and to his Successour the Bisshop of Rome First I take it for moste certaine that Constantinus the Great Constātin baptized at Rome was instructed and baptized of Syluester the Pope of Rome as not onely most auncient witnesses but euē the very stones ād pillers of marble doe witnesse which being erected in the Emperors owne house named Constantiniana beare the name of his baptisterie to witte of the verie place wherein Constantinus was baptised 1 in vita Syluestri in Pontificali 2 De sex aetatibus 3 in Chrō 4 lib. 2. Histor Whiche thing also Pope Damasus who liued not long after and consequēt lie 2. S. Bede 3. Ado and Marianus Scotus affirme the same Yea 4 Gregorius Turonensis who liued long before alludeth to the same storie in describing the baptism of King Chlodoueus Neither only the Latines haue thus auouched the truth 5 In vita Cōstant 6. Lib. 7. c. 35. 7 In Anna libus but the Greciās also as 5 Zonaras 6 Nicephorus 7 Cedrenus not esteming what Eusebius and some other moued by him reporte in that behalfe as whom for his affection to the Arrian heresie they had suspected Constantine then being baptized at Rome and thereby instructed that S. Peter had died there to whome he built a faire Church in the hil named Vaticane and that he had left a successour in that See Damasus in Pontif. who beside his Bisshoprike of Rome should haue the chiefe pastoral cure ouer al the faithfull gaue such reuerence to the saied Chaire and See of S. Peter that he thought it not conuenient for him to keep his ordinarie courte and Residence anie more in that Citie where the chiefe causes of all Christendome should be daily examined In so muche that he did not onely protest his faith in Christ and the honour due to S. Peter in expresse words which are before the first Nicene Coūcel some of whiche wordes are likewise alleged at the second general Coūcel kept at Nice but also he in deede went out of the Citie of Rome with this intent in Praefat. Concilij Niceni to keep no more his Imperiall residence in the same Which thīg is farther proued in that he gaue away his owne Palaice dedicating it a Temple vnto our Sauiour which temple standeth till this daie wherein also the Pope had aftetward a dwelling place And who doth not perceiue that he departeth with the mind to returne no more who at his going geueth his own house away Adde herevnto In vitae Constantini that Constantine went to seeke a newe dwelling place as Zonaras reporteth and at the last reasted in Bizance calling it of his owne name Constantinople or new Rome Why should Constantine thus aduisedly deparete from the head Citie of al the world the glorie of his Empire and the chiefe roialtie of his inheritance except he had bene fullie perswaded that S. Peter and his successours the Bisshops of Rome had bene placed at Rome by the wil of God Serm 1. de Natiuit Pet. Pauli thēce to publish the faith of Christ into al Countries as Pope Leo saieth wherevnto he would that his Imperial court should be no hinderance For otherwise if he had yelded to a simple Bisshop there was a Bisshop in Constātinople also as in euery other great Citie But it was not euery Bisshoppe to whome Constantine yealded but the chiefe Bissbop of all and the heade of the whole Militāt Church Which Exāple of his al good Emperours following neuer kept afterward their courte and ordinarie residence in Rome Zonaras in vita Constantis Nepotis Heraclij al be it Constance perceiuing more honour to be geuen to the Mother which was Rome then to the daughter whiche was Constantinople woulde haue returned to Rome but as Zonaras declareth without successe Which thing who so thinketh to haue chanced with out the singular prouidence of God may seme to think that the world is gouerned by chance To this fact of the Emperors in their absteining to keepe their residence in Rome let vs ioyn the expresse wordes also of diuers good successours of Constantine the Greate For if anie euil came betwene it is no marueil if thei did hate so good a thing as the Primacie of the Church was Concerning Constantius the heretike who was the sonne of great Constantine Athanasius complaineth An. D. 360 that he and his adherents the Arrians had no reuerence toward the Bisshop of Rome In Epist ad Solitar vitam agentes not consideringe vel quòd sedes illa apostolica esset vel quôd Roma Metropolis esset ditionis Romanae either that it was the Apostolike See or els that Rome was the Mother citie of the Roman circuit So that we may see euen from the beginning that as the most faithful Emperours did alwaies honour the Apostolike See of Rome euen so the heretikes and worste men did alwaies hate it and despise it For on the other side in the midst of the Arrian heresie the noble and vertuouse Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius doubted not to sette foorth a Lawe in these woordes An. D. 386 leg 1 Cod. de summa Trinitat Cunctos populos quos Clementiae nostrae regit imperium in tali volumus religione versari quam D. Petrum Apostolū tradidisse Romanis religio vsque ad huc ab ipso insinuata declarat quà mque Pontificē Damasū sequi claret Petrū Alexādriae Episcopū virum Apostolicae sanctitatis We wil al nations which are gouerned by our Clemēcy to liue in such a religiō as the religiō which is vsed from S. Peter til this day doth declare him to haue deliuered to the Romans ād which religiō it is euidēt that Pope Damasus ād Peter the Bishop of Alexandria a mā of an Apostolik holines doe follow By this Law it is witnessed first that S. Peter
praescript It hath ben alwaies the fashion of all heretikes as Tertullian saith to destroye other mens buildings as to vndoe that which other men doe Ipsum opus eorum non de suo proprio aedificio venit sed de veritatis destructione nostra suffodiuÌ„t vt sua aedificent Their very worck riseth not of their own building but from the destroying of the truthe They vndermine our things that they may build vp their owne And Hippolytus thinketh the seale of Antichrist to be nego In Homi. de consum mat sec I deny For as saith he the deuil did exhort the Martyrs to deny their God who was crucified so at the last day the seale of Antichrist and of his members shal be Nego creatorem coeli terrae nego baptisma nego adorationem à me Deo praestarisoliatam I deny the maker of heauen and of earth I denie baptisme I deny the adoration which I was wont to doe vnto God Thus in the old tyme whereas the Apostles preached Christ to be true God and man VVHat the old hereticke deny Arrius denied his true Godhead Marcion and Valentinus and Manicheus denied his true manhood Apollinaris is denied his true sowle the Monothelits denied his doble will the Donatists the Continuance of the vniuersality of his Church the Pelagians the necessity of Gods grace and the like may be said of all other heretiks whose opinions alwaies detracted some perfection from Christ or from his Church Now I will shew that the Protestants doe the like in our tyme. For whereas the vniuersal Church as wel by the preaching of the Apostles as by the witnesse of Gods writen word was in possession of a publike sacrifice of priesthood of seuen Sacramentes as of most vndoubted instrumentes of grace and of diuerse other godly and diuine orders and Canons haue they any other Gospell any other Churche or any other doctrine then that which consisteth in deniyng Hovv many things the Protestants take avvay froÌ„ the Churche Ioan. 1. and in taking away that which was before The holy scriptures and Churche tawght that a man being iustified is both really deliuered from his synnes and really receaueth faith hoape and charity Thei deny our synnes to be taken away by the lamb of God who came for that purpose saying they tary still but onely that they are not imputed They teache also that no iustice is at all made in vs by spreading charity in our harts Rom. 5. whereas S. Paul saith iusti coÌ„stituentur multi many shal be made iust But they only say iustice is imputed to vs. Again they fiue Sacraments of the seuen They deny that baptism remitteth our synnes or that baptisme is necessarie to children which are born of Ghristian parents Augustin epist 106. Which was the heresie of the Pelagians They deny the vse of holy oyle and of chrism They deny the reall presence of Christes body the adoration and reseruation thereof the transubstantiation of the bread into his body the vnblody sacrifice of Christes supper the communion of one kinde to be sufficient and consequently they deny that whole Christ in vnder eche kinde and the mingling of water with the wine And that one may receaue alone that Aultars are lawfull that there are Priestes of the newe Testament that Bishops are of any higher degree then Priestes that there is any one bisshoppe chief of all other that Priests can forgeue synnes but onelie may preache that they are forgeuen that it is lawfull to appoint certaine daies of fasting or the abstinence from certain meates for obedience although God both willed Adam to absteine from a certain frute Genes 2. and the Iewes to absteine from certain meates They deny that it is lawfull to pray to the Saints in heaueÌ„ or to pray for the faithful which died in Christ wherein they deny any communioÌ„ of praier betwene the faithful which are aliue and their brethern who liue out of this worlde with Christ They deny the infallible authority of generall CouÌ„cels the visible succession of bishoppes the place of purgation after this life the remaining of paine after the synne is forgeuen the chaÌ„ging or pardoming of the said paine by the high bisshop the vse and moderate honour of Images the signe of the healthfull crosse the making of a vowe to liue chaste or to renounce all propriety of goods or to liue in obedience the reuerence don the reliques of the blessed Martyrs the vse of praier in the holy tungs the vniuersall tradition of vnwriten verities and to be short theiÌ„ deny the bookes of the old Bible such as are not in the Canon of the Iewes These things and many other like whiles they deny what other thing do thei theÌ„ pul down the religioÌ„ of Christ which hath ben a building these fiften hundred yeeres And therein they prepare a way to Antichrist who in the end must deny all that they as yet leaue vndenied For if they should openly deny euery whit 2 Thes â— then the mystery of iniquity should not be a working and many simple men should not haue bene deceaued by them who now are deceaued because they pretend to refoorme and not to take away Christes religion But when the tyme is ripe then the iniquity which is now begun must be fulfilled and so is the whole religioÌ„ destroied I would this were not true And yet it is possible that euery Protestant knoweth not so much because Satan the great capitaine of their army keepeth his Counsel to himselfe knowing that how much the closer he worketh the more hurt he is like to doe But God through mercy detecteth his snares aÌ„d warneth them Genes 1â— 6. who wil be saued to flee into the hil with Loth and to the ship of the Churche with Noe there to prouide for their eternal saluatioÌ„ which our Lord graunt through his bitter passion Amen Finis Librum istum de primatu Romani Pontificis Petra Ecclesiae vniuersalis legerunt viri sacrae Theologiae Auglici idiomatis peritissimi quibus iudico meritò tutò credendum esse vt fine periculo imo summa cum vtilitate euul gari possit Cunerus Petri P.S. Petri Louanij 25. Februa Anno. 1566. A BRIEF SOME OF THE chief points of this treatise THE preface conteineth the marks of the true Church The difference betwen a dominion and a primacy 17. The Apostles strife coÌ„cerning superiority is declared 25. 26. 27. That there was one greater among the Apostles 20. vsque 37. To be a ruler and as a minister do not repugne 46. 47. The preeminence of priests aboue Kings 51. 52. caet A King can not be supreme gouernor in all ecclesiasticall causes because by right and Law he can not practise al ecclesiastical causes 61. 64. 67. The highe priest is preferred before the King by Gods lawe 72. 74. 76. The euil life of a bishop taketh not away his authority 78. 79. The differences betweÌ„ the bisshop of Rome and temporal princes 80. vsque 88. That Moises was a priest 83. 84. 85. The literal sense of holy scripture 96. The promise to be called Peter was the first cause why the church was built vpon him 110. The Protestants can not tell which is the first literal sense of these words vpon this rock I will build my Churche 135. How Peter beareth the person of the Church 165. The obiections against S. Peters supremacy are answered 219. vsque 230. How Christ loued Peter aboue others 237. The Church neuer lacked a visible rock 270. 271. The whole gouernment of the Church tendeth to vnity 299. Why S. Peter died at Rome 313. 313. S. Augustins minde touching the supremacy of the Pope of Rome 348. vsque 372. A priest aboue the Emperour in Eeclesiasticall causes 378. The oth of the roial supremacy is intolerable 383. CoÌ„staÌ„tine baptized at Rome 391 Phocas did not first make the See of Rome head of al Churches 405. vsque 410. Why Antichrist is permitted to come 423. Hereticks depart from the Catholik Church 469. Hereticks being once departed out of the Churche haue newe names 471. Why amoÌ„g the Catholiks some are called Franciscans Dominicans caet 477. Heretiks can neuer agree 479. The short reigne of heretickes 489 caet Hereticks preache without coÌ„mission 496. Heretiks doe prefer the temporal reign or sword before the spiritual 499. They are the members of Antichrist who withstand the external and publike sacrifice of Christes Church 518. Hereticks depriue Christ of his glorious inheritaunce in many nations together 517. The intolerable pride of heretikes in making themselues onely iudges of the right sense of Gods word 530. The ProtestaÌ„ts teache the same doctrine which the old hereticks did 553. The Protestantes are the right meÌ„bers of Antichrist in that they spoile Gods Church of very many gifts and graces and articles of the faith 560. FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing Page Line Faultes Corrections 10. 10. shephead shepheard 23. 22. them because them but because 98. 22. resurrection by resurrection by 103. 24. confession Being confession being 106. 13. stedfastnes of stedfastnes or of â—16 9. and promised aÌ„d being promised 145. 8. and in that and that 177. 21. the thing the man 186. 6. rocke of rock or 195. 14. sbme some 208. 23. vvhen Augustine vvhen Augustine 209. 11. hy me by me 214. 1. to true to be true 2â—9 17. in omnibus in ouibus 26â— 1. to the the 273. 15. vvas vvere vvas vvhere 281. 6. the pordinary the ordinary 382. 7. can gouern can not gouern 426. 14. CoÌ„essours Confessours 430. 13. teache teache 432. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 408. 1. out the out of the 496. 2. rom from 516. â— hauen heauen 539. 22. S. Saule S. Paul 553. 21. bishops bishop I F RESPâ—â—ITE VOLATILIA COELI ET PVLLOS CORVORVM
In deserto In penetralibus And then for the space of certain huÌ„dred yers together yee can not name what preachers or pastours your Churche had But thê° to flee into priui places aÌ„d to lack opeÌ„ preachers Math. 24 is directly against the word of God Prouer. 8. and expressely against the coÌ„maÌ„meÌ„t of our Sauiour Isai 62. whose wisdoÌ„ crieth in the tops of the waies and in the gates of the cities whose whatchmeÌ„â—ease not to speak both day and â—ight vpoÌ„ the wals of IerusaleÌ„ in whose house the caÌ„dle staÌ„deth vpoÌ„ the candlestick to geue light to al meÌ„ Math. 5. whose faith must be coÌ„fessed with the mouth Rom 10. 1. Philip. 2. Psal 44. whose gospel must not be blushed at whose seruants shine like stars whose spouse being most beawtiful through internal faith aÌ„d charity Circumamicta varietatibus is yet garnished about with variety of diuers tuÌ„gs which are daily heard to preache aÌ„d ceremonies which are daily sene in Gods seruice amoÌ„g the Catholiks Memor ero nominis Populi coÌ„fitebuntur in aeternuÌ„ Which spouse also hath promised to be mindful of the name of Christ from generatioÌ„ to generation in so much that many peple shall confesse and geue praise to God for euer age after age If such a gloriouse a manifest and a beautifull Churche must be beleued then must Wiclef Hus and their fellowes be avoided and our knowen manifest and in all generations most gloriouse Churche must be imbrace which neuer lacked a chiefe bishop iâ— S. Peters chaire with a number of bishops and faithful nations obeying hâ— doctrin and gouerment The truth 〈◊〉 which Catholik Church and chair thâ— I might the more effectally persuade The cause of this treatise 〈◊〉 haue taken in hand to proue the Sâ—premacy of the bishop of Rome according to the reason and meaning oâ— Gods word The which point alone if iâ— be graunted al other controuersies arâ— superfluous For all is concluded vnder one if one be appointed the chiefe shepheard by God ouer al sithens euery maÌ„ must heare aÌ„d obey the shepheards voice Ioan. 10. I request most humbly of your pacieÌ„ce to reade or to heare the whole treatise readen which is not long and not to condemne the matter before it be wel vnderstanded If my discourse be doutfull I am ready to make it plaine If it seme to faile in proof a charitable â—â—swere made vnto it shal shew by the â—ply how strong the Arguments geâ—erally be concerning the chief points Thus taking my leaue I wish as wel 〈◊〉 your worship as I do to my self beseâ—hing you not to miscontrue my doings â—ut to take them so charitably as they â—re meant For God is my witnesse the â—hing I seeke is as well the reducing of â—hem to their Mother Church who are â—on a stray as the staying of them who â—hrough mans frailty beginne to dout of their faith Which effects God grauÌ„t through Iesus Christ our Lord to his own glory Amen The Chapiters of the Treatise following 1 The state of the question fol. 1. 2 That there is a primacy of spiritual gouernment in the Church and how it differreth from secular gouerment 16. 3 Of the diuerse senses of these wordes vpon this rock I wil build my Church aÌ„d which is most literal 93. 4 These words thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rock I wil build my Church haue this literal meaning vppon the ô Peter being made a rock to th end thou shouldest stoutly confesse the faith I will build my Church 108. 5 The Fathers teache that S. Peter is this rock 136. 6 The reasons which the Fathers bring to declare why S. Peter was this rock 155 7 The authorities alleaged by M. Iewel to proue that S. Peter was not this rock proue against himself 171. 8 The conclusioÌ„ of the former discourse and the order of the other which followeth 189. 9 That S. Peter passeth far the other Apostles in some kinde of Ecclesiasticall dignity 194. 10 That the Apostles besyde the perogatiue of their Apostleship had also authority to be particular bishops 204. â—â— How far S. Peter did either excel or â—s equal with the Apostles in their Aâ—stolike office 2â—0 â—â— That S. Peters prerogatiue aboue the â—her Apostles is most manifestly sene by â—s chief bishoply power 232. â—â— That the Pastoral authority of S. Peâ—r was ordinary 267. â—â— That his ordinary authority belonâ—th to one bishop alone 279 â—â— That the bishop of Rome is that one â—dinary pastour who succedeth in S. â—eâ—rs chaire 305. â—â— That the good Emperours and prinâ—s did neuer think themselues supream â—eads of the Churche in spiritual causes 378. â—â— That the bishop of Rome is not Anâ—christ himself 421. â—8 That the bishop of Rome is not any â—ember of Antichrist concerning his â—octrine 464. THE STATE OF THE QVESTION CONCERning the Supremacie of S. Peter and of the Bishops of Rome after him The First Chapiter IN writing to and fro concerning the Supremacie of S. Peter and of the Bishops of Rome after him great controuersies are fallen out the which to th' end they may be the better opened I thought good to propose in order the chief points of the said question The Catholiques beleue that the Bishop of Rome sitting in S. Peters Chaier is by the appointment of Christ himself the chief Pastour of the whole militant Church whose voice euery sheepe ought to hearken vnto The Protestants on the other side denie not only the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome nor onlie the Supremacie of S. Peter but also they affirme that there is no Primacie nor any one chief gouernment in the Church at al. Therefore the first Question must be whether it be against â—he Word of God or no that there shoulde be in his Church any Primacie or chief Authoritie The second is whether S. Peter had the said Primacie or no. The third whether the Bishop of Rome had it after S. Peter Concerning S. Peter we fal againe into diuers new questioÌ„s as it shal now appeare When Simon the sonne of Iona was first brought vnto Christ by his brother Andrew Iesus loking vpon him said Thou art Simon the sonne of Iona Ioan. 1. thou shalt be called Cephas the vvhich by interpretation is Peter that is to say a stone or a rocke Here is the promise made that Simon shal be called Peter which name is deriued of a rocke or stone Verelie because he shal occupie that place in vpholding the frame of Christes militant Church the which a stone occupieth in holding vp the house which is built vpon it And when it pleased Christ to chose vnto him his twelue Apostles then he gaue the said name vnto SimoÌ„ surnaming him Peter Thirdly Mar. 3. Luc. 6. when Simon hauing the Godhead of Christ reuealed to him from heaueÌ„ had confessed the same saying Math. 16. Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God then Iesus answering said vnto
nations but also in a fâ—â— more excellent kinde then the Christian Kings are For to what Christian King did Christ euer say Ioan. 20. As my father sent me I send thee Math. 16. or vpon this rock I will build miâ— Church Ioan. 21. or doest thow loue me more then these fede my shepe â–ª feede my lambs And yet is a King aboue priests â–ª yea aboue the high pastour of Christes flock he is so in dede with them who make lesse accompt of Christes heaueÌ„ly institution and Officer then of him that was first made either by the necessitie of wordly calamities to kepe away a greater euil from the common weale or els by the wanton and proud affection of earthly men ambitiously affecting tyrannical power Let no man thinck that I despise the authoritie of Kings God forbid but thei are a good thing brought in mercifully sumwhere to staye violent iniuries and robberies and other where permitted of God for our iust punishment 2. Cor. 5. and not any like thing to that diuine order of pastours which Christ ordeined purposely for our reconciliation to God the father and for the auoiding of al iust punishment otherwise deserued It was a King as Saint Gregorie In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1 noteth who deuided the ten tribes from the Churche of God and made those by the iust punishment of God to be idolatours who so greedely preferred his gouernment before the gouerment of the priests And are not we now in the same case who for greedines to reiect the Vicar of Christ are come to preferre the secular and temporall power before the spirituall the body before the sowle and earth before heauen In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Nonnulli saith Saint Gregory in tantum dementiae malum proficiunt vt commouere ipsum etiaÌ„ statum Ecclesiastici culminis non vereantur There are some who are come to so great madnes that they are not a feard to moue and trouble euen the state it self of the Ecclesiastical toppe or highest dignitie of the Churche And a little after His autem qui viuebant sub spiritali regimine Ibidem Regem petere quid aliud est quà m eandem spiritalem praelationem in seculaâ—m dominationem transferre geâ—re For those that did liue vnder the spiâ—â—tual gouernment to require a King â—hat other thyng is it then to goe aâ—out to transfer the same spiritual preâ—teship or gouernment into a tempoâ—al dominion Yf any man would deepely weigh with himself that God chose such a â—ecret and extraordinarie way to â—â—ue mankinde that no creature â—ould worck it beside his owne Almightie Sonne and that he comming â—nto the world was so farre from working his purpose by Kings and princes that whereas it was most easie for him to haue made manie Kings and Princes at the beginning to beleue in him 1. Cor. 1. he rather chose the weakest things of the world to confound the strong things and wrought the beginning and increase of his Church by the misbeliefe and persecâ—tion of princes if he would be thinâ— himself how farre the pouerty and hâ—militie of the Kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 from the pompe and wordly distractiâ—â— of Kings Yea though thei be Christiaâ— and good also he wold much wondâ—â— what sense in holy matters thei haue who dare make that princely state sâ—preme head of the Church which of 〈◊〉 states came last to the faith and the pomp whereof is most contrary of aâ—â— other degrees to the profession of the same And yet what are they who persuade this matter The incoÌ„stancie of the protestants verely those who hauing iustly reproued some lewd and proud bishops for their wordly pompe afterward set vp Kings in the bishops places yea aboue them also as though any King had lesse wordly pompe then the bishops Yea they also doe it who protesting thei will beleue nothing but the expresse word of God yet beleue Kings to be the heads of the Church â—hich they not only can not find in â—ods word but thei rather finde there 1. Reg. â— â—at God was angrie when the â—ouernment of the highe priest â—as reiected and a kingly gouernment â—alled for Moreouer yf by this precept the â—ings of the nations haue domiâ—ion ouer them it shall not be so â—mong you not only all tyrannical or â—ordly power of life and death but also â—l spiritual primacie and superioritie be forbidden to the Apostles ouer the whole militant Church it is forbiddeÌ„â—ikewise that there should be any superiour in any one part of the Church For the parts accordiÌ„g to their degree are of the same nature whereof the whole is Therefore if the whole militant body may haue no one head much lesse any part thereof may haue a head If then no Apostle may be superiour or primate in any parte of the Church much lesse any other Christian maÌ„ wâ—â— is inferiour to an Apostle may be sâ—preme gouernour in any one part of thâ— same Church But euery King in thâ— behalf as he is a Christian is inferioâ—â— to the Apostles for he is both tawgâ—â— his faith of them Matth. 28 and baptized by them and in spiritual matters he must be guided by them therefore seing the King may not be supreame gouernour of any parte of Christes Church in that respect as he is a Christian maÌ„ if yet he shal be supreame head of his own Christian realme by any meane at all it must be by that power which he either had before his Christianity or beside it For by his christianity it is not possible that he shold haue any greater power then the Apostles had Ioan. 20 who were sent into the world with Christes authority If then a King be supreme gouernour of the Church where he is a King besides his christianity he is no otherwise supreame gouernour thereof then any Ethnik prince might haue beÌ„ And so it 〈◊〉 brought to passe by the doctrine of the â—rotestaÌ„ts that an infidel King hah suâ—reme power to visite to reforme to â—orrect and to depose any bishop â—ithin his own realm The which arâ—umeÌ„t wheÌ„ Antichrist or the great Turk shal make vnto the ProtestaÌ„ts â—hey must nedes yeld vnto it and grauÌ„t â—iÌ„ to be supreame head of their Church Be it so of their Church but the Caâ—holikes shal stil keepe them vnder the â—piritual gouernmeÌ„t of the bisshops and â—astours which Christ hath instituted To enter one degree farther in this matter let vs graunt that some King were so ê‘fit so poore in spirit so chast so liberal as euer any bishop or priest was required to be in Gods law VVhat things a King caÌ„ not doe caÌ„ he yet baptize caÌ„ he coÌ„secrate Christes body can he forgeue synnes can he preache can he excommunicate can he blesse the people can he iudge of doctrine by his kingly authority If he can not doe these things how can he be aboue theâ— coÌ„cerning these causes who haue receaued
coÌ„mission of God to doe all thesâ— things The Suprem gouernour may practise any thing properly belonging to his gouernmeÌ„t It is not possible for a man 〈◊〉 haue the supreame gouernment in 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastical causes by lawful power aâ—â— right but that he should thereby haâ—â— also power and right to execute any 〈◊〉 those things which belong to such Ecclesiastical causes as are vnder his gâ—uernment Marck the point I say not he is bound to executâ— euery such matter as falleth vnder hâ—â— gouernment or that it is decent for hiâ— to doe it but that he may doe it anâ— hath right and power to doe it if he bâ— rightly the supream gouernour in thâ— behalf An exaÌ„ple in ciuil Matters For example the King who 〈◊〉 supream gouernour in the ciuil and teÌ„poral causes hath vnder him Iudges shriues maiors Capitains and constables If his maiesty will plaie the iudgâ— in Westminster hal or the shriue in any sessions or the Capitain in warre he surelie may doe it concerning the right â—f his Kingdome Yea he lacketh no â—ight nor lawfull power to play the Solâ—iour the Tailour the Mason Carâ—enter or Tanner albeit he perhappes doe lacke the cunning or experience â—o exercise or practise those Artes so as they ought to be practised Likewise an Archbisshoppe or Priuate who hath Bisshoppes An exaÌ„ple in Ecclesiastical matters Archedeacons Officials Priests and Clerks vnder him may by right of his Suâ—eriorie baptize anie childe blesse or geue benediction burie the dead approue their last wils by his own fact helpe a Priest to Masse cary the crosse in procession digge the graue and to be shorte he maie doe anie thing which anie man may doe who is vnder his iurisdiction If then the king haue the right and power of Supreme gouernement in al Ecclesiastical causes The applying of the rule to our purpose seing it belongeth to the right and power of Ecclesiastical causes that a man may preache baptize blesse or geue benedictioÌ„ to the people and administer the sacrament of Christes body and blood and binde or loose synnes it must needes be that the King euen by that his supreamicy should also haue power and right to preache to baptise to geue benediction to administer the sacrament of Christes supper and to binde or loose synnes A farther declaration I say not that he by his supremacie hath cunning either to preache or to baptize or to geue benediction or to administer the sacrament of Christes supper or to play the tailer or the mason but that no law right and power doth or can forbid him to doe these things if in these things he be the supreme gouernour so that if he otherwise had cunning he might with praise no lesse preache and baptise and geue benediction or administer the sacrament of Christes supper then he might build a howse with his own haÌ„ds or cutte a garment yf he were cuÌ„ning â—herein But now if all the world confesse 2. Para. 20 non est tui officij ô Rex sed sacerdotuÌ„ domini â—hat à King by his kinglie office doth â—ot only lack knowlege but also hath no â—ight or power at al to preache to bapâ—â—ze to geue benediction or to conseâ—rate the sacrament of Christes supper 〈◊〉 a although otherwise he be most cunâ—ing and excellently lerned except â—e haue the office of a priest also geuen â—im and be lawfullie sent and authoriâ—d by the imposition of the hand of â—riesthood doutlesse it ought to be conâ—essed 1. Tim. 4. that a King by his kinglie office â—ath no right or supreme power at all in â—cclesiastical causes vnlesse it be comâ—itted to him from the bisshop And â—hat as wel because he of him self can â—ot practise those causes though he wold as euen our aduersaries coÌ„fesse â—s also because his power be it neuer 〈◊〉 roial reacheth not so high as the â—ower of spiritual gouernmeÌ„t appointed by Christ doth And surely no man by the commission which he onely hath to rest or to prison men maie also hang them or burn them For the lesser authority doth not coÌ„prehend the greater Say now M. Horn whether to celebrate our Lords supper and to preache Gods word and to absolue or bind sins it be a lesser or a greater ministery theÌ„ the Kings authoritie If it be lesser you haue reason on your side For then a greater power may comprehend it being the lesser But if it be incomparablie greater to minister vnto men the heauenly Sacraments then to minister iustice in temporal things if that be a higher power which toucheth the soule then that which only toucheth the body then by what meanes extend you the commission of a King which hath to do with lesse maters not only to the commission of a Priest In the booke agâ—inst M. Feenâ—Ì„ but also aboue it You bring many examples euil applied to make an apparance of somewhat But they al concerne matters of fact which are for many circumstances subiect to much wrangling But either it was no good Prince who medled of his own authority with disposing holy matters Or if he were otherwise good that deed was not good Or if he did it wel he did it by coÌ„mission from a Prophet or froÌ„ a high Priest Or he was deceiued by flatterers Or els being forced by necessity which is vnder no law he only sought the publike peace in that his deed and not to set himself ordinarily aboue the spiritual gouernmeÌ„t For howsoeuer the deeds of men be vncertaine deceitful aÌ„d vnknowen in al their particular circuÌ„stances the word of God can not fail which saith to Peter and to other Bishops after him Feed my sheep Ioan. 21. Here I aske whether the King or Emperour who is christened be Peters sheep or no If he be not he is not only not aboue the Church but he is not at all of the Churche If he be his sheepe then I say boldly that as it is against the law of nature which neuer can be wholie changed for a shepe to rule his shepheard in anie manner of such sort wherein he is the shepheard euen so it is vtterly impossible for anie King or Prince to be in anie respect of Ecclesiastical gouernment aboue his own pastour who soeuer he be for the time And yet farther to make this matter more plaine be it that a Christian King doth take vpoÌ„ him the supreame gouernment in Ecclesiastical matters What if a bishop being called before him Epist 32. sequeÌ„t say boldlie as S. Ambrose in a like case did may it please your maiestie to coÌ„maund my goods my laÌ„ds my body my life it shal be at your coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But as for the ordering and gouerning of my bishoprike I will not yeld it to you because Christ and not your maiestie committed the same to me what could that Christian King doe to that bishop more theÌ„ Nero or Traian might haue done Could he excommunicate him by his roial power M.
Horn will not say so What is it theÌ„ which he could doe might he putte him in prison so might Nero and also the great Turk By this meane it appeareth that the King be he neuer so much christened hath yet no power ouer the Bisshops soule And yet al spiritual and ecclesiastical power towcheth the sowle Therefore the King hath no spiritual power ouer the bishop at all Epist 32. Si vel scripturarum seriem diuinarum vel vetera tempora retractemus quis est qui abnuat in causa in causa inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus non Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare If we call to mind either the processe of holy scriptures or the auncient tymes who can denie but that in a cause of faith in a cause I say of faith bishops are woÌ„t to iudge of Christian Emperours and not Emperours of Bisshops If then the King haue no Spirituall power ouer the Bisshop how shal he corect or depose the Bisshop according to any spiritual or ecclesiastical processe of iudgement Shall he cause a Synod of Bisshops to be gathered that therin he may depose the said disobedieÌ„t Bishop Put case the Synod find him not worthy to be deposed or els wil not depose the said Bisshop How caÌ„ the King come to exercise yet any spiritual power vpoÌ„ the Bisshop You wil say he shal constrain the Synod to depose him Wherewith I pray you By the spiritual sword or by the temporal Not by the spiritual for it was neuer committed to the king that whose sinnes he should retaine they should be retained If then he shal obteine his purpose by the temporal sword who seeth not that the last resolution of the kings power is vpon his temporal and secular iurisdictioÌ„ which he should haue had though he had not ben a Christian Therefore S. Augustine finding many â—imes great fault with the Donatists Homil. de pastor in Psalm cont part Donatist â—ecause they appealed froÌ„ the iudgement of Bishops to the Emperor â—alleth euen Constantin who was then 〈◊〉 christian Prince terraenuÌ„ regem an earthly king In epist 48 Datos sibi Episcopos â—udices apud terrenuÌ„ regeÌ„ accusaueruÌ„t They accused the Bisshops who were assigned to be their iudges before an earthly King For albeit he was a Christian yet his Kinglie power was earthlie in respect of that heauenly power which Christ brought with him and gaue to his Disciples What doe I stande about the woordes of menne A most plaine demonstration of the dignity of high priests aboue the dignitie of faithful princes euen in the sight of God is to be sene in the olde Testament Where God who is no parcial Iudge assigneth a sacrifice for the syn of euerie degree of men according to their dignitie euen at his own altar And first he beginneth with the highe priest Leuitici 4 Sacerdos saying Si Sacerdos qui vnctus est peccauerit delinquere faciens populum offeret pro peccato suo vitulum If the priest which is anoynted shall synne causing the people to synne he shall offer a calf for his synne The second degree is not the prince Turba oiÌ„s but the whole people Quôd si omnis turba filiorum Israel ignorauerint offeret pro peccato suo vitulum Yf the multitude of the childern of Israel do amisse by ignorance it shal offer a calf for his synne After these two degrees cometh in the Princes place Princeps Leuitic 4 si peccauerit princeps offeret hostiam coram Domino hircum etc. If the prince shall synne he shal offer a hee gote in sacrifice before the Lord. Behold the prince is not only in the third place both behind the highe priest and behinde the whole multitude but also his sacrifice is of lesse valew and of a baser conditioÌ„ theÌ„ theirs For a hee gote was not so honourable a sacrifice as a yong oxe or a calfe The fourth degree is Anima that if one of the common people synne he shal offer a shee gote Of this matter Philo writeth thus Decebat principem priuato homini praeferri vel in sacrificio De victimis sicut principi populuÌ„ quandoquidem totum est sua parte maius Pontificem verò aequiparari populo in expiatione impetrandáque peccatoruÌ„ venia Habetur tnÌ„ is honor pontifici non propter ipsum sed quia minister est populi publicè vota faciens soluenda totius gentis nomine It became the prince to be preferred before a priuate man euen in the sacrifice as also the people to be preferred before the prince because the whole is greater then the part But it became the bishop to be made equal with the people in purging and in obteyning pardon of his synnes Howbeit that honor is geueÌ„ to the bishop not for his own sake but because he is the minister of the people making his praiers or vowes publikely to be performed in the name of the whole nation Marke the comparison the prince is a minister of the people as wel as the bishop But because the bishop is a minister in holy matters he is preferred before the prince In Leuit. quaest 1. Theodoretus also writeth thereof Docet quanta fit sacerdotij dignitas quam vniuerso populo parem facit Principem autem qui praetergressus fuerit legem aliquam non vitulum sed hircum aut capruÌ„ anniculum offerre iubet tam procul abest à sacerdotali dignitate is cui corporeuÌ„ imperiuÌ„ coÌ„missum est God doth teach how great the dignity of priesthod is which dignity he made equal with the whole people But he coÌ„maundeth the prince that shall transgresse any lawe not to offer a calf but a he gote of one yeres age so farre is he to whom corporal power is committed behind the priestly dignitie If then the whole people be aboue the Prince as who are hable to chose and to make a Prince when one lacketh and yet the bishop be equal with the whole people and also be set before it in the order of the law as being made by God himself and not hable to be made by the people because they can not consecrate a bishop or geue him spiritual power what impudency is this to teache that a prince by his own right and power maie visit iudge correct and depose a bishop who is now well sene to be farre greater in the sight of God then the King himself Let this much suffise to shew that the Bishoplie or pastor all authoritie of the Church is not only distincted froÌ„ the tyrannical kingdome of the vnfaithful natioÌ„s but also from the moderate reigne of what so euer Kings though they be christened One thing now is brieflie to be touched that notwithstanding many Bishops be euil and vse not their Office wel yet they loose it not thereby but stil we are bound by Christes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to do the things Math. 23 not which they doe but which they say
Christ committed anie particular companie of the faithfull men who then liued to any one apostle or disciple who might be resideÌ„t with theÌ„ alone as their only Pastor The partes and meÌ„bers of Christes whol militaÌ„t flock which are now made here aÌ„d there were instituted by th'Apostolike and Ecclesiastical authoritie not surely without the special prouidence and inspiration of the holy Ghost Tit. 1. Act. 14. Leo. ep 87 but yet not immediately by Christ but through his wil by mans authoritie And therefore the bounds of any parrissh or diocese may for probable causes be changed againe by an other man Greg. li. 2 ep 31. who hath such like authoritie to change the bounds of parisshes as they had who first made them Particular flocks then are voluntarie and likewise particular pastours But one flock and one pastour is of absolute necessitie in the earth aÌ„d so doth S. Cyprian witnesse Deus vnus est Christus vnus L. ep 8. vna Ecclesia Cathedra vna super PetruÌ„ Domini voce fundata There is one God and one Christ and one Church aÌ„d one chaire fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ Peter by our Lords voice Behold One Chaire this one chair which is fouÌ„ded vpon Peter must nedes be ment of the one pastoral preeminence which Christ him self did institute in the militant Church This mater standing so shal we say that the Church of Christ continueth in the earth or no If it doe continue shal Christes owne absolute institution continue aboue the vertuouse but yet voluntarie institution of men or shal the good and voluntarie institution of maÌ„ preuail more theÌ„ the most perfit institutioÌ„ of Christ Men made many particular flocks according as they thought most conuenient for this or that place and they did set ouer them many particular pastours somwhere a Priest and somewhere a Bishop Christe made in al but one militant flock which should consist both of Iewes and Gentils and did set ouer it Saint Peter one general shepheard And there was made euen in earth after Christes ascension one sheepcote Ioan. 21. Ioan 10. and one shepheard Shall now these many flocks and manie shepheards which men appointed coÌ„tinue stil aÌ„d shal not the one flock and the one shepherd which Christ assigned much more continue Forasmuch as a flock of sheep is one by the force of one pastor if the pastor in earth be not one the flock in earth is not one Credo vnam Ecclesiam But al meÌ„ beleue one militaÌ„t church which is the flock of Christ in earth therfore al men ought to coÌ„fesse one militaÌ„t shepheard of the same flock in earth also For although the Churche be one moe wayes then by one shepherd yet if Christ had not meant that his Churche should be one flock not only for hauing one faith one baptisme Ephes 4. or one spirit but also for hauing one shepheard he would neuer haue said There shal be made one sheepcote and one shepheard Ioan. 10. But now seing he faith I haue other sheepe which are not of this fold to wit of the Iewes synagog and I must bring those and they shal heare my voice and there shal be made one fold or flocke and one shepheard it is euident that as the Iewes and the Gentils beside the vnitie to come in heauen are one fold and one flock in this world euen so that they haue one temporal shepheard in this world beside Christe the euerlasting shepheard Which thing sith it is so is it possible that any Protestant wil be so iniuriouse to Christ as to preferre the good institution of S. Paule who planted one Church at Corinth Rom. 16. Act. 14. an other at Ephesus and the third at Athens before the absolute and perelesse institution of Christ who in the whole earth plaÌ„ted one great Church wherof he made one great shepheard vnder himself the vniuersal shepheard I see that the Protestantes talke much of Gods word but the word they speak of is writen in no Gospel They will haue many flockes and many shepheards to continue stil neither doe we denie it because it was so instituted by the Apostles but the Catholikes wil much more haue all these flocks to be only one church in earth because thei are al to be reduced vnto the obedience of one chiefe shepheard in earth which was the institution of Christ Either let the text be named where Christe did institute many parishes aÌ„d many dioceses or seing there is none such and on the other side seing we bring a plain text where it is said to one pastour Ioan. 21. feed my sheep let not the order vertuouslie taken afterward by the Apostles be so mainteined that the former appointment of the Sonne of God be thereby made voide Either let both orders take place as with the Catholikes they doe or if one of the two shal needs be disapointed let vs rather haue in al but one chiefe shepheard as Christ immediatly left the mater then to haue many and not to haue one Moreuer to what other thing doth al the whole order of the Church tend in earth but only to an vnity The vvhol gouernmeÌ„t of the militant Churche teÌ„deth to vnitie Why is one Curate in a parish set ouer many families and houses Why is one Bishop in a diocese set ouer many parishes Why is one Primate or Metropolitane in a prouince set ouer many Bishops Why are al the primates of one quarter of the world reduced vnder one Patriarch but only euermore to shew that the gouernmeÌ„t of the Church teÌ„deth by many midle vnities Ep 82. ad AnastasiuÌ„ Thessal to one supream pastoral vnity in this life WhervpoÌ„ Leo saith Magna dispositione ê“uisuÌ„ est vt esseÌ„t in singulis prouincijs singuli quoruÌ„ inter fratres haberetur prima senteÌ„tia rursus quidaÌ„ in maâ—oribus vrbibus coÌ„stituti sollicitudineÌ„ suscipereÌ„t amplioreÌ„ per quos ad vnaÌ„ Petri sedeÌ„ vniuersalis Ecclesiae cura conflueret nihil vnquam a suo capite dissideret It was ordeined with great prouidence that there should be in euery prouince one whose iudgemeÌ„t or senteÌ„ce might be chief among the brethern And again that certain being apoiÌ„ted in the greater Cities See M. Ievvel vvho hath the cure of the vniuersal Church should take greater charge by whom the cure of the vniuersal Churche might flow togeather to the one seat of Peter and that nothing might at any time dissent froÌ„ his head Lo by may primates the cure of the whole cometh to him who sitteth in S. Peters See which is at Rome Again seing al Ecclesiastical inâ—â—itutioÌ„ and gouernmeÌ„t of the Church came from Christ one way or other it must needs be Cyp. lâ—b 1. epist 3. that euery bishop hath the portioÌ„ of the flock which he gouerneth assigned to him by some order or other takeÌ„ by Christ himself But Christ by his own expres worâ— assigned not that S.
of Christ to them nor onely of that vnitie which is in Christ but of that also which is in the Churche and in the successours of S. Peter And therfore in his Psalm which he made agaiÌ„st the Donatists hauing shewed that the Prophets albeit they saw most grieuous faults in the clergie of Hierusalem yet did not set vp an other Altar and an other Religion nor did not break vnitie saith at the length vnto the Donatists Venite fratres In psalme cont Par. Donati si vultis vt inseramini in vite dolor est cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Numerate sacerdotes vel ab ipsa Petri sede Et in ordine illo patrum quis cui successit videte Ipsa est petra quaÌ„ noÌ„ vincuÌ„t superbae inferoruÌ„ portae Come ye ô brethern if ye wil be graffed in the vine It grieueth vs wheÌ„ we see you lie thus cut of NuÌ„ber ye the Bisshops eueÌ„ from the very seat of Peter and coÌ„sider who succeded whoÌ„ in that order That self is the Rock which the proud gates of hel doe not ouercome Is not this a marueilouse witnesse for the Primacie of the See of Rome First S. Augustin calleth the Donatists to vnitie To Christ say you no doubt of that But wheras the Donatists named Christ as fast as the Catholikes S. Augustine sheweth them where vnity is in this world saying number the Bishops eueÌ„ from the very seat of Peter Ab ipsa Petri sede Behold the vine into which in this life we must be graffed Behold the vnitie wherby we must hold NuÌ„ber the bishops eueÌ„ froÌ„ the self seate of Peter Higher we can not go in this world But let vs nuÌ„ber them At the lest let vs see who succeded the oÌ„e after the other Why shuld we see that successioÌ„ I pray you Ipsa est petra that See or successioÌ„ is the rock not only Christ not only Peter but the self See and successioÌ„ of Peter is the Rocke The See of Peter is the Rock Which Rock that rock which hell gates do not ouercome What S. Augustine You are becom a stark Papist There was neuer ScholemaÌ„ Canonist Popish priest no there was neuer any Pope who said more for the see of Rome then S. Augustin now hath sayd That See or successoÌ„ is the rock whiche hel gates doe not ouercome and to be cut of from that See is to be cut of froÌ„ the vine wheÌ„ce the braÌ„ches receiue life and nourishmeÌ„t Who is now cut of from that See Whether the Catholiks who lie in prison for the defense of it or the Protestantes who cal it the seat of Antichrist To the See of Rome the two CouÌ„cels gathered agaiÌ„st Pelagius in Africa aÌ„d Numidia sent their decrees Epist 90. vt statutis nostrae mediocritatis etiaÌ„ Apostolicae sed is adhibeatur autoritas that the authority of th'Apostolike See may be geueÌ„ to the decrees of our mediocrity they adde also the cause herof ê“tueÌ„da salute multoruÌ„ quorundaÌ„ ê‘uersitate etiaÌ„ corrigeÌ„da for the defense of many meÌ„s saluation and for the correctioÌ„ also of som mens frowardnes And wheras Pelagius was absolued in th' East as it is to be thought of those Bishops who vnderstood not his crafty meaning the CouÌ„cel of Carthage doth shew that the Pope was the iudge who ought to examin this questioÌ„ Ibidem Vtrum Pelagius episcopalibê° gestis quae in OrieÌ„te coÌ„fecta dicuÌ„tur iustè visus fuerit absolutus Whether Pelagius seemeth iustly to haue ben absolued by those Acts which are said to haue bene made in the East by the Bisshops Neither is this required of the Pope only by the way of charitie but they require his holinesse to take coÌ„passion of theÌ„ pastoralibus visceribê° accordiÌ„g to that mercy which a Pastor ought to haue toward his sheep And after the absurdity of his opinioÌ„s rehearsed thus they coÌ„clude Quaecunque alia ab eis obijciuntur non dubitamus Venerationem tuam cùm gesta Episcopalia perspexerit quae in OrieÌ„te in eadem causa confecta dicuntur id iudicaturum vnde omnes in Dei misericordia gaudeamus What so euer things els are obiected of them we dout not but your ReuereÌ„ce wheÌ„ it hath examined th' Acts which are said to haue bene made in this behalfe of the Bisshoppes in the East wil iudge or will decree that thing wherof we may al reioyse in our Lord. The whiche Epistle of the Councel of Carthage being receiued Epist 91. Innocentius the Pope praiseth theÌ„ because antiquae traditionis exeÌ„pla seruaÌ„tes keeping the examples of auncient tradition they referred such matters to the iudgemeÌ„t of the Bisshop of Rome scientes quid Apostolicae sedi debeatur knowing what is due to the Apostolike See cùm omnes hoc loco positi ipsum sequi desyderemus Apostolum à quo ipse Episcopatus tota authoritas nominis huius emersit queÌ„ sequentes taÌ„ mala iam damnare nouimus quà m probare laudaÌ„da For as much as all we that sit in this place desire to follow the Apostle him self from whom the Bisshoplie office it selfe and all the authoritie of this name sprang The whiche Apostle we following doe now as wellknow how to condemn euil things as to allowe those things which are to be praised What is it then whiche the auncient tradition deliuered Epist 91. Patres non humana sed diuina decreuere seÌ„tentia vt quicquid de disiunctis remotisque prouincijs ageretur non prius ducerent finieÌ„dum nisi ad huius sedis notitiaÌ„ perueniret vbi tota huius autoritate iusta quae fuerit pronunciatio firmaretur indèque sumerent ceterae Ecclesiae velut de natali suo foÌ„te aquae cuÌ„cte procederent The Fathers saith Innocentius haue decreed not by mans but by Gods sentence that what so euer was done in the Prouinces or countries a farre of they should not accompt it before to be ended except it came to the knowledge of this See where what so euer had bene iustly pronouÌ„ced it should be streÌ„gthened by the autoritie of this See and thence other Churches shoulde take it as it were waters which should proceede or flowe from their owne natiue fountaine Likewise the Councel of Mileuitum wrote from Numidia to the same pope Innocentius Epist 92. Quia te Dominus gratiae suae praecipuae munere in sede Apostolica collocauit magnis periculis infirmoruÌ„ meÌ„brorum Christi pastoraleÌ„ diligentiaÌ„ quaesumus ad hibere digneris Because our Lord hath placed you through the gift of his special grace in the See Apostolike we beseche you to vse your pastorall diligeÌ„ce in the great daungers of the weake members of Christ Marck here that these bishops of Numidia speak to the Pope as to their pastour and as to the pastour of the shepe which were vnder them amoÌ„g which bishops it is euident that S. Augustine was who also writeth to Hilarius of the same matter in this wise
deliuered a certain religioÌ„ to the Romans as wel concerning the Trinitie as other things Secondly that the said religion coÌ„ming from S. Peter was kept stil in the Church of Rome Thirdly that it was kept speciallie by the perpetual succession of Bishops For which cause Damasus the Bisshop of Rome is named in the Law After Damasus a blessed Bisshop of Alexandria called Peter is also named not with the intent to shewe also that the Bisshops of Alexandria kept alwayes the true faith for at that momeÌ„t Lucius a raging wolf occupied the seat in Alexandria but because this Peter of Alexandria who is now named was in deede the true bishop of Alexandria albeit he was now kept out of his Church by violence Nicep lib. 11. cap. 26 Whereas then there were two bisshops of Alexandria one who agreed with the bishop of Rome an other who disagreed â–ª because the said Peter did agree with Damasus and fled out of prison to him he is named with Damasus and therby the other bishop is insinuated to be an vsurper So that the whole force of the Decree resteth vpon the tradition and succession of S. Peter at Rome and of those who agree with him If Peter of Alexandria had not followed that succession of S. Peter he had no more ben esteemed then Lucius Georgius Gregorius or Dioscorus An. Do. 4â—4 Tom. 1. CoÌ„cil distinct 97. who being bishops of Alexandria wree al heretiks Pope Bonifacius the first wrote to the Christian Emperour Honorius in this wise Mihi Deus noster meuÌ„ Sacerdotium vobis res humanas regentibus deputauit Our God hath appointed mie priesthood to me wheras you doe gouern woordlie matters And in the same epistle he requireth the Emperours help not I warrant you for the disposing of his own priesthod but for the conseruation of the peace of the Churche To whome the Emperour promiseth his help confessing that he receaued the writings of his blessednes with dew gratulation of reuerence Apostolatus tuus desiring his Apostoleshippe to pray for the safegard of his Empire Honorius faith then was that the Emperours were heads of the ciuill gouernment for the defense of Ecclesiastical peace and not supreme heads in all Ecclesiasticall things and causes to defend I say the lawes of the Churche made by bishops and not to make new Ecclesiastical lawes wheruÌ„to to bishoppes should be subiect against their wils An. Dom. 450. Let vs adde hereunto that which an Empresse also writeth of the same matter for we may wel beleue that she wrote according to the faith of Church in her tyme. In epistol Gallae Placidiae ante synodum Chalcedonens Thus then Galla Placidia saith concerning the Churche of Rome In Apostolica sede primus ille ê“ coelestes claues dignus fuit accipere principatum Episcopatus ordinauit He that was worthy to receaue first the heauenly keyes that is S. Peter hath ordeined the primacy of the Bishoply office in the Apostolik See If this be so Peter was not only first and prince himself but he also ordeined the bishop of Rome to be the first and chief of bishops after him Ad synoduÌ„ Chalcedo Domino meo Theodosio c. When I say Peter ordeined it I meane that Christ by Peter ordeined it Valentinian is of the same belefe and iudgement saying Fidem à nostris maioribus traditam debemus cum omni competenti deuotione defendere dignitatem propriae venerationis B. Apostolo Petro intemeratam in nostris temporibus conseruare quatenus beatissimê° Romanae ciuitatis episcopus cui principatum Sacerdotij super omnes antiquitas contulit locum habeat ac facultatem de fide sacerdotibus iudicare We ought to defend with all competent deuotion the faith deliuered from our elders And to conserue and keepe in our tymes to the blessed Apostle S. Peter the dignity of his proper and owne worship vncontrolled so that the most blessed bishop of the City of Rome to whome â—ntiquity hath geuen aboue al me the cheefty of priesthood may haue place and power to iudge of faith and of priests Lo the honour that is geuen to the bishop of Rome is geuen to Saint Peter verily because the bishop of Rome sitteth in his chaire And when the bishop of Rome is despised the worship of S. Peter is stained If the old tyme gaue the primacy of priestod vnto the bishop of Rome for S. Peters sake and that super omnes ouer al men if eleuen hundred yeres agoe it was true to say that Antiquity gaue the chiefty of priestly power to the bishop of Rome are not they new teachers who after fiften hundred yeres goe about to pluck the primacy of priesthod from the bishop of Rome An. Dom. 4.57 Act. 3. In Concil Chalceâ—o Autoritate Ro. Episcopi Martianus likewise with Valentinian confesseth of the General Councel which came togeather at Chalcedon in â—â—â—â—wise Quae Synodus dum fidem diligenter inquirit authoritate beatissimi Leonis Episcopi aeternae vrbis Romae religionis fundamenta constituit sanctae ciuitati Flauiano palmam mortis tribuit gloriosae The which councel whiles it maketh diligent inquisition concerning the faith it both appointed the foundations of religion to the holy city the Church by the authoritie of most blessed Leo bishop of the euerlasting City of Rome By the authority of Pope Leo. and also gaue to Flauianus the crown of a gloriouse death Al this was done by the autority of the bishop of Rome And why by his autority the same Martianus gaue the cause therof before in an oratioÌ„ which he made in the fourth general councel Act. 1. Fol. 740. where he said of Leo the Pope qui ApostolicuÌ„ gubernat thronuÌ„ who gouerneth the See Apostolike And it is well knowen he ment only the Apostolike see of S. Peter An. D. 534 In Codicadâ— summa Trinit For the honour of that See IustiniaÌ„ writeth thus to Iohn the secoÌ„d pope of Rome Nos reddeÌ„tes honoreÌ„ Apostolicae sedi vestrae sanctitati qdsemê‘ nobis in voto fuit est vt decet patreÌ„ honoraÌ„tes vestraÌ„ beati tudineÌ„ oiÌ„a quae ad ecclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertineÌ„t festinauimus ad notitiam deferre vestrae sanctitatis We rendering honour to the See Apostolike and to your Holines the whiche thing euer was and is our desire and we honouring your blessednes as it becommeth vs to honour our Father haue hastened to bring to the knowledge of your Holines all things which doe appertein to the state of Churches If the Pope be as a Father to the Emperour and be so to be honoured it is vtterly impossible for the Emperour who is as it were a Sonne to be the supreme head or gouernour in spiritual causes of his spiritual Father Againe he saith Nec enim patimur quicquaÌ„ quod ad EcclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertinet quamuis manifestuÌ„ indubitatum sit quod mouetur vt noÌ„