in the scriptures declared to be so by God appoincted so is there no disorder that seuerall churches haue seuerall bishoppes to their heades but is moste necessarie for all good order so to bee And so is that sentence of Nazianzene generally takeÌ„ nothyng against the gouernance of seuerall bishops in seuerall diocesses no more then it is againste the ciuill regiment of seuerall gouernours in seueral countreis For as it is apperteinyng to God onely to our sauior Christ his sonne by their almightie power wisedome to gouerne all y e world all the church so is it enough and to muche for any one man well to gouerne a little parcell therof And so to returne to Nazianzene his saiyng VVhere is no rule there is no order Truthe it is but where one Bishop as one head is in euery diocesse there is some rule therefore there is some order VVhere many rule there is seditioÌ„ It is true if many magistrates haue equall rule in one coÌ„mon wealth or if many ecclesiasticall persones haue equall authoritie in one seuerall Churche wee confesse it is like to their phantasie who would haue many equall Goddes to rule the worlde But one seuerall ruler in one seuerall dominion one seuerall bishop in one seuerall diocesse dooe resemble one God rulyng one whole worlde and one Christ ruling one whole churche so well as earthly creatures maie resemble the heaueÌ„lie creatour But one earthlic man by gouernyng all the whole worlde or the whole churche throughout the worlde to resemble God or Christe is a presumption vnhearde of but onelie in the Pope of Rome Let therefore seuerall rulers and Bishoppes holde themselues contented with seuerall dominions and diocesses accordyng to Gods ordinaunce For it is false that suche seuerall rulers in seuerall places doo cause sedition and it is prooued false by the ciuile gouernemente of diuers rulers in diuers couÌ„treis for so it staÌ„deth for the moste part throughout the worlde at this daie Wherefore M. Dorman and D. Hardyng maie as well saie that the worlde is seditiously gouerned by diuers princes as the Churche by seuerall Bishoppes But as Nazianzene euer dreamed of one Emperour ouer all the worlde to auoide seditioÌ„ though he teacheth there is one God no more did he though he teache one Christe yet euer dreame of one onely head bishoppe or Pope ouer the whole Churche throughout the worlde to auoide schismes as dreamyng M. Dorman phantasieth and thinketh all men that bee awake to dreame too as he dooeth He speaketh further in his sleape and saâ—eth Howe shall wee then saie Our Lorde loueth Syon aboue all the tabernacles of Iacob What this dooeth meane or to what purpose it is I knowe not And I beléeue M. Dorman when he waketh if euer he wake can not tell hymself For Pighius out of whoÌ„ he borowed it is a sleape and neuer will wake to tell his dreame Dorman fol. 7. There is no doubt therefore but that Christe hath prouided for his churche whiche he redemed so dearely as with the expence of his owne moste precious bloud a iudge and chiefe ruler to ende and determine so many controuersies as he knewe should molest and infest the same Thei caÌ„ not saie that are aduersaries kicke againste this truthe that this whiche I allege was in the olde lawe and in a shadowe that these daies and this tyme requier other maners For that argumente hath their Englishe apologie soluted and pronounced that so to saie were Plusquam ridiculum seeyng there was then idem deus idem spiritus idem Christus eadem fides eadem doctrina eadem spes eadem haeredit as ideÌ„ foedus cadem vis verbi dei the same God the same holy ghost the same Christ the same faithe the same doctrine the same hope the same heritage the same couenaunte the same strength of Goddes woorde Nowell M. Dorman is so mightie in reasonyng and hath so many and so good groundes that he is full of conclusions as you sée We graunt Christe hath prouided for his churche so dearely bought and beloued of hym as well as he did for the Iues better too For wheras thei had but one chief bishop for their whole nation he hath by the ministerie of his Apostles prouided euery greate citie euery Diocesse of suche a one that thei maie bee the better gouerned and lesse pained to traueill farre for the decision of their doubtes and controuersies Wherefore in these poinctes wee make no exception to your olde shadowe nor require no new maners But as thei and we haue one God one spirite one Christe one faithe one doctrine one inheritaunce and so foorthe that so in like maner there bee one like ecclesiasticall â—egâ—ment that euery one diocesse countrey or nation haue in like wise one bishop to bee their iudge and determiner of doubtes as had the nation of the Iewes But M. Dorman dealeth not truely with the Apologie The Apologie declareth that the church of God was muche obscured and broughte to a small number emongeste the Iewes and it shâ—weth thaâ— it hath in like wise also been obscured and broughte to a small number emongest Christians The aduersaries of the Gospell who are the corrupters thereof and would haue no corruption nor decaie of the Churche now noted or knowen saie although the Churche of God was obscured and brought to a little number in the old lawe and in the shadowe and figure when nothing was perfite yet can it not be so in the time of the Gospell the tyme of grace and perfection c. The Apologie replieth That defence can not serue for there was the same God the same spirit the same Christ c. then as is now and therefore as the Churche decaied then so maie it and hath it decaied now M. Dorman handleth the matter as though he could prooue by the Apologie that because there was the same God the same Christ the same holy ghost c. in y e Iuishe church as is now therfore must there be one head bishop ouer all the christian churche dispersed throughout y e world as there was one head bishop ouer all y t Iues. Whiche foloweth no more then that we must haue circumcision now for that the Iues had it then Vnlesse M. Dorman thinke he may mingle In lente vnguentum thinges moste impertinent together and prooue quidlibet ex quolibet all thinges of euery thing at his pleasure Dorman Fol. 7. But yet this I proteste that apon the auctoritie of ther Apologie whiche with me is in that conceit that it is with all honest and learned men that is to saie taken as in deede it is for a fardle of lies I am no whitte the bolder to reason thus Nowell Here is at once a protestation and also a confutation of the Apologie For other confutation or answere to it then this and suche like as you shall heare hereafter haue thei not hetherto made Wherefore as iustlie might we chaleÌ„ge all the
impudente that he cared not whom he brought or what he saied so he mighte seeme to saie and bryng somethyng were it neuer so farre from or so muche against his purpose Dorman Fol. 5. 6. Leo of whom the whole Councell of Calcedon as one of the greatest for nomber so of all men accoÌ„pted emongeste the fower generall for authoritie reported so honourably that thei did not onely with one voice all openly professe themselues to beleue as he did but called him also by the name of Sanctissimus et beatissimus that is moste holie and blessed of all other speakyng of the misticall bodie of Christes Churche writeth after this sort Haec connâ—xio totius quidem corporis vnanimitatem requirit c This combination and ioignyng together he speaketh of the bodie of Christes Churche requireth an vnitie of the whole bodie but especially of the priestes emongest whom although there be one dignitie common to them all yet is there not one generall order emongest them all For euen emongest the blessed Apostles in that similitude of honor was there yet a difference of power and whereas in their election thei were all like yet was it geuen to one to bee aboue all the rest Out of whiche forme is taken our difference of Bishoppes and by merueilous order and disposition is it prouided that euery one should not chalenge to hymself euery thyng but that in euery Prouince there should bee one whose iudgement emongest the reste of his brethren should bee chief and of moste authoritie And againe certain appoincted in greater cities whose care should be greater by whom to the only seate of Peter the charge of the vniuersall Churche might haue recourse that nothyng might at any tyme dissent from the head Nowell The Councell of Calcedon professed that thei beleued as did Leo concerning the moste blessed Trinitie condemned Eutyches heresie but what is that to the purpose We professe that we doo therein beleue as did Leo and we doo like wise condemne the heresie of Eutyches For that the saied Councell calleth hym Sanctissimum beatissimum the moste holie and blessed what maketh that for his supremacie All the Priestes and deacons of Rome doo call S. Cyprian bishoppe of Carthage Beatissimum gloriosissimum papam the moste blessed and moste glorious Pope as I haue before noted and yet I thinke that M. Dorman will not therefore graunt sainct Cyprian the supremacie But what the Councell of Calcedon graunted to Leo Bishop of Rome or is feigned to haue graunted to hym or what thei graunted equallie with hym to Anatholius bishop of Constantinople and what Leo did like or mislike allowe or reiect of the said Councell I shall haue more conueniente place to declare afterwardes where M. Dorman dooeth more speciallie entreate of the saied councell Now concernyng this epistle by M. Dorman alleged this is first moste euident that the epistles caried about in the names of the firste auncient Popes are either forged or at the leaste corrupted by their ambitious successours of later tyme to make a shewe of the antiquitie of their chalenge of the supremacie and this to bée true is easie to perceiue by many circumstances as shall hereafter at large bee declared But be it that these be Leos owne woordes and were this Leo accompted neuer so holie yet I trust he beyng bishop of Rome maie netther bee his owne witnesse nor iudge in his owne cause of the Popes supremacie The holiest and the beste men that bee are lightly partiall in their owne matters Wherefore Christ our sauiour moste woorthie of all credite saieth Si testimonium perhibeam de meipso testimonium meum non est verum If I beare witnesse of my self my testimonie is not true whiche he saieth for that were his testimonie neuer so true as it was euer moste true yet beyng of hymself it would not be taken of men as true as it appeareth by the woordes of the Phariseis to our sauiour Tu de teâ—pso testimonium perhibes c. Thou say the Phariseis beareth witnesse of thy self thy witnesse is not true If Christes woordes maie not here take place let the Pope then cause this note to be blotted out of his own canon lawe also Papa iudex esse noÌ„ debet in causa propria The Pope maie not bee iudge in his owne cause For it standeth there in vaine as it seemeth To the whiche yet it appeareth that Pighius in the fifte booke of his Hierarchie had a respece for he allegyng a Clementine that is to saie a Popes decree for his purpose hath these woordes Quum Clementinam audis nolo imagineris audire te vnius hominis Romani pontificis in sua ipsius causa sententiam sed cogita te sententiam audire Viennensis concilij in quo ex vniuersa ecclesia conueneruÌ„t plusquaÌ„ 300 episcopi That is to saie When thou hearest the name of a Clementine I would not haue thee to imagine that thou hearest the iudgemente of one man to witte the bishop of Rome in his own cause but consider that thou doest heare the Sentence of the Councell of Vienne in the whiche moe then 300. Bishops were assembled out of the vniuersall Churche Thus farre Pighius Wherby it maie seeme that he dooeth not thinke the Popes onely testimonie in his owne cause to be sufficient D. Hardyng who dooeth folowe Pighius verie muche saieth that he will not allege the testimonies of many Popes for the proofe of the supremacie for that wee doo make though without all cause saieth he exception against the popes as vnlawfull witnesses in their own cause And therefore he is somewhat more shamefaste then M. Dorman and hath onely noted this epistle of Pope Leo whiche M. Dorman thus largely rehearseth and with marginall notes so beautifieth as some speciall place to prooue the Popes supremacie As he laith on loade coÌ„tinually not of popishe witnesses but Popes theÌ„selues witnesses in their owne false claime though he can not dissemble hymself in an other place but that wee maie make exception vnto them as not indifferent witnesses in their owne quarelles Well if these causes of exception to Popes in their own cause whiche I haue alleged shall not seeme to D. Harding and M. Dorman sufficiente I trust yet that all reasonable indifferent men shall iudge them sufficient And for more reasonable cause of exceptioÌ„ to this Leo here and all other Popes too in this matter wee saie that Zozimus or Sosimus bishop of Rome about a. 24. yeres before this Leo moued with an ambitious desire of this supremacie which the bishops of Rome his successours now striue for as it were pro aris focis for life and death as one might saie did corrupte and falsifie the decrees of the Nicene Councell pretendyng that it was decreed in that Councell that the bishop of Rome should be the chief iudge aboue all other bishops that it should
woorde of God is the true light wherein wee endeuoure our selues to our power to walke Your vnwritten verities are more meeter for blinde Battes to flitter in Wee haue our heade and Iudge in heauen one Christe onelie and in earth one prince and other ministers bothe ecclesiasticall and ciuill to gouerne and Iudge vs accordyng to his holie woorde To iuggle and to coniure too bée your owne Popishe properties we haue nothing to doo with theÌ„ And thus I haue answered M. Dormans asseueratioÌ„s in this place by shorte poinctes which maie suffice seyng he onely saith his pleasure proueth nothing at al. Dorman Fol. 14. Tell them that you haue seen them thriue so euell apon that presumption of theirs so many heresies so many schismes and leude opinions broughte in thereby that you are at a poincte with your selues to leaue them and take that waie that Saincte Hierome in the like case hath doen before you who although his knowledge in the tongues were suche as by the reporte of moste men it passed any others in his tyme yet would not he take vpon hym in the discussyng of doutes to leane to that rule of theirs to laâ—e and conferre together one texte with an other but referryng hymself to the see of Rome he alwaies protested that by that seate and faithe praised by the Apostles owne mouth would he be counceled and ruled Beatitudini tuae id est cathedrae Petri communione consocior To your holines saieth he writyng to Damasus then the Bishoppe of Rome that is to saie to Peters chaire am I ioigned in communion and he addeth a cause whie Super illam Petram aedificatam ecclesiam scio I knowe that on that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded Nowell The Pope and Papistes haue thriuen so well vpon their striuyng againste the truthe of Goddes woorde that I trust all the worlde shortly will be at a poinct to leaue them Saincte Hierome saieth no where that he would not compare the scriptures together for the discussyng of doubtes as M. Dorman would beare vs in hande and S. Augustine saieth he would dooe it and exhorteth other to dooe the same S. Hieromes woordes to Damasus Bishop of Rome make nothyng againste vs nor with M. Dorman For what meruaile is it if that sainct Hierome borne in a coaste of Italie Christened at Rome brought vp at Rome and made priest at Rome would in the faith of the blessed Trinitie rather ioigne himself in communion with Damasus Bishop of Rome a learned and godlie man then with Vitalis and Meletius whom M. Dorman calleth Miletus and Paulinus who were Antiochian bishops and therefore straungers to him and also not cleare from the Arrian heresie What argument can M. Dorman frame hereof Hierome a Prieste of Rome c. ioigned hymself in communion to his owne bishoppe Damasus Ergo we Englishemen musie ioigne our selues likewise to the bishoppe of Rome that now is beyng bothe a forainer and an enemie Againe Hierome ioigned in communion with Damasus a godlie bishoppe of Rome Ergo we must submit our selues to a false vsurper and enemie of God and all godlinesse Naie it foloweth rather thus As saincte Hierome refused to ioigne hymself to Vitalis bishoppe of Antiochia and an Arrian bothe because he was a straunger and also an heretike and ioigned hymself to Damasus his owne Bishoppe and a godlie Bishop so ought wée to refuse the Pope beyng bothe a foraine vsurper and a false heretike to ioigne againste hym with our owne godlie bishops at home But will M. Dorman saie saincte Hierome addeth a cause whiche is the pith of the matter saiyng thus Super illam petram c. I knowe that vpon that rocke Peters chaire the Churche is builded whiche is the cause why S. Hierome ioigned with Damasus will he saie But he maie be ashamed had he any shame at al thus shamefully by a false parenthesis to intermingle these woordes Peters chaire in this sentence of S. Hierome and so to falsifie it as though S. Hierome had saied or ment in this place that the Popes chaire is the rocke whereon the Churche is builded And now maie ye see to what ende all M. Dormans long former drifte commeth to witte to bryng vs from the scriptures to Peters chaire that is the Popes consistorie there to bee iudged whiche now at the laste after so long suspensioÌ„ and delaie vnder S. Hieromes name but moste falsly he hath vttered For the more plain declaration wherof I will report here sainct Hieromes woordes a little more largely then M. Dorman hath dooen whiche are these Facessat inuidia Romani culminis recedat ambitio cuÌ„ successore piscatoris discipulo crucis loquor Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens Beatitudinis tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior super illam Petram aedificatam Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra hanc domum agnum comederit prophanus est Si quis in Arca Nohae non fuerit peribit regnante diluuio That is to saie Let enuie auoide let the ambition of the height of Rome departe I speake to the successour of the fisher and a disciple of the crosse I folowyng no chief or head but Christ am ioigned in communion to your holines to saie Peters chaire vpon that rocke I knowe the Churche to bee builded whosoeuer eateth the Lambe without this house he is prophane or vnholie If one be not in the arke of Nohe he shall perishe when the floud is aloft Thus farre S. Hierome Now if a manne would aske of M. Dorman why he left out those twoo lines wherein S. Hierome admonisheth Damasus as the successour of the poore fisher Peter to laie aside all ambitioÌ„ whiche the greatnesse of the citie of Rome might mooue hym too and withall affirmeth that he will folowe no chief head but Christe whiche woordes are ioigned and by a participle dependyng to that whiche M. Dorman alleged whatsoeuer he shall answere thereto I knowe the true answere M. Dorman did of falsehood and corruption of the meanyng of sainct Hierome thus detrunke and mangle his sentence for he did sée that S. Hierome admonishing Damasus of humilitie and withall professyng hymself to folowe no chief or head but Christ not exceptyng Damasus case but rather affirmyng hym not to be Primum the chief maketh clearely with vs who in this controuersie of the Popes vsurped supremacie saie the same We folow no head but Christ we ioigne in communion with none but suche as folowe hym c. Furthermore he did see that the woordes of S. Hierome folowyng vpoÌ„ this rocke I know the church to bee builded might and ought to bee referred vnto Christe mentioned by S. Hierome so nere before and by Peter coÌ„fessed to be that rocke wheron the churche is builded and therefore M. Dorman left out of saincte Hieromes sentence the meÌ„tion of Christ that he might most falsly and blasphemously referre the rocke to Peters chaire as though Peters
and you haue seene that saincte Cyprian so taketh it The other shewyng that Christian princes are superiours to Bishoppes or high Priestes as was Moses to Aaron or els if Moses were as thei saie a prieste also that there were twoo high priestes in the Iewishe churche at once and so consequently ought to bée in our churches whereby M. Dormans assertion of one head ouer the whole churche is quite ouerthrowen And withal you see how the Papistes theÌ„ selues disobedient to their owne soueraigne appoincted by God to bee their gouernour are the successours of Chore Dathan and Abyron rebellyng againste Moses and Aaron their gouernours by God appoincted Wherefore you maie well vnderstande that were it either profitable or necessarie were it Goddes and Christes pleasure as maister Dorman saieth it is to haue suche an one head in earth ouer his churche God would haue certified vs of a thyng so profitable and necessarie for vs and so pleasaunt to hym in his scriptures where he hath declared his pleasure more plainlie and expresselie then by twoo olde shadowes of the Iewishe Churche whiche also bee suche that thei dooe teache vs cleane contrarie to that whiche M. Dorman saith is so necessarie for vs and Christes pleasure also You se how blindly he goeth about to proue that there ought to be one onely head ouer all the churche bringeth in for proufe therof the regiment of seuerall countreis kingdomes cities c. by seuerall princes seueral magistrates and heades whiche maketh moste directly with vs that seueral churches should in like wise haue their seueral heades And yet he thus dealing auanteth himselfe askinge who is so blinde that he can not sée that he reasoneth effectuously Like blinde bayard laiyng himselfe in the mire and there walowing neieth yet for wantoÌ„nesse as though he were galoping in the gréene and flinging in the plaine You see how often S. Cyprian is by him alleaged for the Pope of Rome his supremacie in those places where he speaketh of Rogatian and of himselfe beyng both bishops of other countreis and places of the equalitie of al bishops whiche is directly against the supremacie of one ouer all You sée in likewise how he alleageth S. Basil bewailing the state of the bishops of the Gréeke and east churche and the decay of their authoritie and of their sées as though he had spoken of the Pope of Rome and his estimation nowe decayed and his see so sore ruined and howe he hath either very ignorantly or moste malitiously by false translation corrupted S. Basil You sée how vntruly he would make Nouatus his othe exacted for the maintenaunce of his heresie to séeme the same that is our othe of obedience to our prince and renouncing of the Popes foraine vsurped tyrannie And howe he would make Vrsitius and Valens to séeme to acknowledge the Popes supremacie onely for that they after long dissention reconciled them selues to Iulius bishop of Rome as they did in likewise to Athanasius bishop of Alexandria in Egypt who by the like reason should be the head of the whole churche as well as Iulius You sée howe he hath alleaged S. Hierome speaking of the authoritie that euery bishop hath ouer the priestes and clergie of his owne diocesse as though he had spoken of the supremacie of the bishop of Rome ouer all byshops and the whole thurche throughout the world Yea and thus hath he not been ashamed to alleage out of suche treaties of S. Hierome as either haue not as muche as one woorde spoken nor meant of the bishop of Rome though the saide treaties be very longe either if any mention be made of him other Bishoppes are expressely made equall in authoritie with hym and therefore his supremacie ouer other Bishoppes cleane ouerthrowen You sée Pope Leo his witnesse in his owne cause can not helpe hym specially the witnesse being corrupted and the copies of his testimonie not onely diuers but cleane contrarie one to an other whiche taketh awaye all creadite from them all And were they as they are surmised Pope Leo his woordes yet they are as you haue séene by S. Cyprian and S. Hicrome euen in the same places by M. Dorman alleaged clearely and fâ—lly confuted You sée howe shamefully he alleageth Nazianzene his sayinges of one God as though they had beene spoken of one Pope of whome Nazianzene neuer dreamed You see the woordes of an vncertaine and vnwoorthie authour boldely without blushyng alleaged for S. Augustines woordes whiche woordes yet were they S. Augustines make nothing against vs. And vniuersally you sée his falshoode in translating or fraude in corruptinge manglinge or addynge to such authors as he doth alleage Neither is his deceite and guile comparable to his impudencie and vnshamefastnesse beinge not abashed to alleage those authours for him who aboue all others moste make agaynste him As namely S. Cyprian and S. Hierome beynge both most plaine and earnest for the equalitie of all byshops and so directly against the supremacie of one ouer all And thus you sée good Readers that such an one head of the whole churche in earth to be neither appeareth to be Gods and our sauiour Christes will or pleasure by any thinge hitherto by M. Dorman alleaged out of the scriptures neither to be the wil of any godly auncient doctour by any thing hitherto brought by M. Dorman out of their writinges neither appéereth it by any good or probable reason by him made to be profitable muche lesse necessarie to Christes church that any such head should be Nay the cleane contrary to witte that it is not Gods nor our sauiour Christes pleasure that it was not the will of the godly auncient doctours that it is neither necessarie nor profitable to Christes churche to haue any suche one head in earth appéereth euidently by the Scriptures doctours and reasons yea and by the same scriptures doctours reasons which are by M. DormaÌ„ for his purpose alleaged And these good reader be those most plaine and euident reasons these be those vrgent causes whiche M. Dorman promysed in the beginninge of this treatie he woulde alleage for the necessitie of one head ouer the whole churche Neyther séemeth it that M. DormaÌ„ him selfe was ignorant of this infirmitie weakenes of his sclender proufes and therfore hath he to call away the readers mynde from this consideration intermingled many matters impertinent as complaintes and lamentations for the great persecutions that they innocent laÌ„bes God wot doo suffer as trifling tales of surmised felons as the defence of Cardinal Hosius one of the greatest estates for learning and vertue as saith M Dorman that this day Christendome hath as long treaties of the Suenkfeldianss Arrians Anabaptistes as declamations against the scripture and conference of tertes of the scripture together whiche he is very oft in hande with declaringe a speciall offence and stomake against the same Al which
aduentured not to come aftervvard theÌ„ selues assuredly knovving that all that they coulde say vvas already vttered by their scholers mouthes but yet trustinge that all men did not so knovv the same but that they might still mainteine vvith some their olde opinion and doctoral estimation And though one Doctor came and vvas handled as vvere the disciples yet vvas the rebuke but one mans but had he gotten the victorie the prayse had been coÌ„moÌ„ to them al. This is the effecte of S. Chrysostome his exposition vpon the sendinge of the disciples and the comminge of one Doctor vnto our Sauiour Christe VVhiche our aduersaries like men of muche discretion haue politikely folovved But all men that haue any vnderstanding at all may easely vnderstande that thei all vvoulde not commit the handlinge of matters of suche vveight and for the vvhiche they all as it vvere Pro aris focis for life and death as one might terme it doo fight to those fevv beinge very yonge men and of meane learninge and small experience in comparison and of a diuers studie and professing themselues vvhich they can not hide to be yonge studientes in diuinitie all men I say may vvell knovve that they vvoulde not committe suche matters to such men vvithout their common aduise and helpe ioyned vvith â—hem Seeinge that D. Hardinge himselfe do the plainely confesse that he in the vevv of his vvorke vsed the aduise of his learned friendes and that it is not credible that M. Rastell vvould let his booke lie by him foure yeres in a readinesse vvithout a suruey therof made by some of so many remayning with him at Louane VVherfore it is not harde for any of any vnderstandinge to vnderstande that this publishinge of their common deuise vnto the worlde in the names of a few of the simplest sorte among them is but a practise of policie For they perciuinge that they cannot write nor set abroade bookes worthy to be compted learned mens doynges doo prouide authors meete for suche bookes as they can set foorth VVhereby they shall not onely keepe their owne autoritie and cause without all daunger what so euer be iudged of these authors or their bookes but shall also mainteinâ—â—n the mindes of men a great opinion and expectatioÌ„ of themselues as Veteranes and olde Souldiours whose brunt when they shall come to the matter wil be as may seeme of greater force and violence than that it can possibly be resisted seing these yonge souldiours haue geuen such a fresh onset But I dare assure you that either these matters shal thus stil be handled by scholers and yonge studientes as they call theÌ„selues or if th' olde doctors dare adueÌ„ture which yet many doctors doubt of they shal handle the saide matters but scholerlike as hath that one Doctor already doone and I doubt not but it shall to the worlde be made most manifest that he hath so doone And to speake more particularly as it was no greate matter for D. Harding out of Pighius Gropperus Hosius and certaine others who haue intreated of the same matters in common places before him to haue translated into English what he thought meete for his purpose whiche he hath lately put abroade as his owne dooinges so might M. Dorman with farre lesse labour and better right also a greate deale out of his maister D. Hardinges booke so lately before written borow of authorities and reasons ready framed to his haÌ„des as much as liked him and so of a peece of his maisters booke conteining onely .iiij. articles of .xxvi. with greate ease make vs an other new booke as greate as is his maisters the ordre here and there being a litle transposed to obscure the matter and to make a show of new inuention and the stile somewhat floorished with M. Dormans railing rhetorike For they that doo know M. Dorman better than I doo marueiling of his dooinges in Diuinitie matters doo thinke that he hath all his learninge not of inheritance but by lâ—gacie supposinge that he hath mette with Doctor Smith his written bookes who of late deceasinge did as they say put M. DormaÌ„ in some trust Els they thinke he coulde not so shortly and sodenly before he was knowen to be a student in Diuinitie become a Bacheler of the same Vnlesse perhappes he sometime stoode vpon the bridge with others whiles the creator saide Omnes vos qui statis in ponte estote Bacchalaurei dixit fatui suÌ„t But the same his acqueintance so marueiling of his new degree in schoole of Diâ—initie affirme that in iesting scoffing mockinge and railinge he is suche a Veterane and so olde a practicioner that he doth plainely raigne yea and triuÌ„phe too in the schoole of scolding and though they helde their peace his dooynges in this booke doo wel declare the same And it is not vnlikely but that M. Dorman with others vpon vew of D. Hardinges booke iudgeing that he as a graue and learned man had sufficiently reasoned against vs but had otherwise dealte to coldely with vs as of purpose auoidynge glikes nippes scoffes bittes cuttes and girdes for so himselfe saithe thought it good by common aduise that M. Dorman takinge D. Hardinges reasons and so eased of that greatest parte of the labour should set foorth the matter and amplifie it specially that of the Popes supremacie in the whiche he saw his Maister had professed breuitie after his and certaine others deuise and not only with nippes and girdes pinche and wringe vs but also with whole cartlodes of railynges in the whiche facultie M. Dorman excelleth should ouerwhelme vs that wee might seeme to all their fauourers not only borne downe and cleane ouerthrowen by D. Hardinge but also by M. Dorman torne all to peeces according as M. Dorman hath in this booke for his parte well endeuoured himselfe to accomplishe Novv if any doo maruell that I not prouoked as may seeme doo purchase to my selfe so great and grecuous an aduersarie as is M. Dorman by ansvvering his booke vvritten as he professeth against the bishop of Sarisburie I make them this ansvvere Though this and other like bookes appeare in name and vvoorde to be vvritten againste the saide bishop onely yet be they in deede and meaninge vvriten againste vs all as vvell as him for that they doo oppugne and assaulte the cause vvhiche is common to vs all vvith him vnder his name onely goeinge about through his sides as it vvere to thrust vs all through the hartes Further seeinge suche a number of bookes as it vvere dartes directed at his head vvhereof the moste parte are suche that had he leysure enough therto yet vvould he neuer ansvvere them but by contempte of them vvhiche yet not ansvvered might seeme therfore to be let alone for that thei vvere not ansvverable suche is either the sclender discretion of some sielie soules either the bolde braggerie of many malaperte aduersaries I thought for the satisfiynge of the symple and
repressinge of the insolente to say somevvhat to some one of those bookes and therfore to M. Dormās rather than any others for that it came abroade nexte in ordre after D. Hardinge his booke Of vvhiche booke yet had I before I did beginne vnderstanded that I novve in processe doo that it had bene in substance so agreable vvith D. Hardinge his booke that the Bishoppe of Sarum should in ansvveringe the one in effect haue ansvvered bothe as he must needes doo it should for me haue bene let alone vntill the bishoppes ansvvere had come abroade in printe and than the conclusion onely excepted vvhiche is somevvhat seuerall to M. Dorman should it by me haue none othervvise bene ansvvered but onely by notinge in the margent in vvhat places of the bishoppes ansvvere to D. Hardinge euery place of M. Dormans booke is ansvvered vvhiche order I vvill hereafter folovve and vvhere M. Dorman shall haue any thinge peculiar that vvill I directly ansvvere my selfe Novv as the ignoraunce of the affinitie betvvene the Maisters and the scholers bookes caused me to beginne vvith M. Dormans booke as an other nevve vvoorke vntouched before intending verefy to goe through vvith the same so in the processe of the booke the knovvledge therof did grovv more and more and so much at the laste that I did not onely by the style as did Tullie Theophrastes Disciple but by the matter it selfe also knovv D. Harding his scholar so like to him that he might seeme his sonne also and spitte out of his mouth as they say so that in deede he may professe D. Hardinge to be his mayster of very good righte as of vvhome he hath the learninge that he shevveth in this booke And had he not dedicate the booke to D. Hardinge as to vvhome of right it apperteineth beyng as a man learned in the lavve not ignorant of the chiefe propertie of iustice suum cuique he mighte haue bene iustly accused of some vniuste compilation of his maisters almeries seeyng he is not yet his exequutor as vvell as D. Smithes This matter I say perceiued inforced me to stay least I might seeme of sette purpose though colorably to haue hasted to preuent the bishoppe of Sarisburie in ansvveringe D. Hardinge by ansvveringe M. Dorman and so to haue seemed vvillinge to goe before him one vvay in hastie dooynge vvhome I must needes folovv a great vvay behinde in all vvell dooinge And vvere not this cause vvhich yet is a great and a iuste cause I haue not suche leasure vvhiche is the common case of vs all as to ansvvere that vvhiche I doo heare say is already ansvvered and ready to printe as M. Dorman had leasure to vvrite againe that vvhiche vvas before vvriten by his Maister neither had I such leasure liste I as he dothe blotte paper vvith other mens dooinges These are the very causes vvhy I haue staied and as yet haue proceeded no further in the ansvveringeof M. Dormans booke But vvhen I had passed thus farre and the bishoppes ansvvere ▪ as the reporte than vvent vvas not fully finished and many good mèn muche desired somme ansvvere and as many aduersaries as much bragged that their bookes vvoulde neuer be ansvvered the councell of some friendes and suche continuall bragge of so many aduersaries caused me to suffer this little taste as vntimely fruite the sooner to come abroade that suche as finde double faulte vvith vs for not ansvveryng speedely or fully might in parte be satisfied And the rather haue I consented to suche aduise of my friendes for that by this taste that I haue giuen the readers of M. Dorman they shall knovv him throughly not a lyon as they say by his longe nayles but a lyar by his leude tales For by the vevve hereof they may not onely iudge of his vvhole treatie but also this principall parte and firste fronte in the vvhiche M. Dorman as a skilfull man hath placed the chiefe strength and force or rather this the very fundation of the vvhole beynge cleane ouerthrovven as I doubt not but it is all the reste muste needes come to ruine vvith all At the least I trust I haue so farre satisfied the discrete reader concerninge M. Dorman that it shall suffice hereafter to passe ouer the residue of his booke by briefe notes And I doo truste also that suche as shall blame me moste for not ansvvering the vvhole shal be greued moste that I haue ansvvered so much and that those that shall finde moste faulte i◠vvoordes vvith our slacke ansvveringe shall be moste vexed in minde vvith our speedy ansvvering For as their bookes vvere not therfore sodenly vvriten for that they came sodenly abroade so shal they I doubt not be ansvvered spedely that is in shorter space then they vvere vvriten in And yet all speede is not alvvay in most haste For it may so fall out that M. Dorman vvith the vvhole company of his adhaerentes the Papistes shall more easily write tenne such bookes more at randon as this is written then be hable to mainteine and to defende directlie this little parcel of his booke as eyther trulie or learnedly written And thus muche I thought good to saie concerning our not speedie answeringe as some men thinke and my parcel answering which some men wil blame for the satisfiyng of some for all looke not to satisfie though al Dormans and al other Papists were altogether already so answered as they al might be ashamed of their dooinges as I doubt nothinge god willinge but it shall shortely so come to passe though peraduenture not one emongst them all will euer confesse the same Now that I haue so diligently and largely and as it may seeme carefully also answered M. Dorman whose owne dooynges I affirme to be more woorthy of laughter than of any earnest answere which shall I am sure be layde also to my charge I doo certifie the reader that I doo not answere the reasons alleaged in this booke as M. Dormans but as the reasons of D. Hardinge of whom M Dorman hath borowed them and not onely Doctor Hardinges but Eckrus Pighius and Hosius reasons also yea and of all those that haue written in Latine for the Popes vsurped power and supremacie in whose writinges the like reasons are to be found and out of whom D. Hardinge as out of him M. Dorman hath translated adverbum almost such places as he thought for his purpose wherfore I haue vsed the more diligēce as vnder the name of one answeringe so many An other and most weightie cause why I haue vsed such diligence and prolixitie is this M. Dorman though he be a weake assaylant and sclender reasoner yet is he a great lyar and a venemous sclaunderer and therefore hath he sette abroade a lewde booke in deede but not so lewde as sclaunderous and sclaunderous not to seueral persons onely but to our whole countrey to our lawes and to our gratious soueraigne whom he chargeth as vsurping vndue authoritie sclaunderous I say not here at home
innocent sheepe of Christes folde men and wâ—men yea yonge striplinges and maydes those little lambes shead by these rauening and bloudthristie woulfes testifie the same moste aboundantly in our Phariseis Scribes and high priestes the successours and children of those their olde Iuish forefathers of whoÌ„ with their saide forefathers as this sentence was spoken so dooth it moste expressely represent and depainte them moste liuely in their naturall colours that ye maye well know them by their fruictes For that they spoile poore wydowes houses vnder y t pretence of their longe prayers their diriges Masses of Requiem Trentalles c. is but a trifle with them but the greatter shal be their damnation as our Sauiour saith Now concerning the schisme which M. DormaÌ„ shooteth at chieflie We answere we haue made none other schisme from you than did S. Paule make from the saide high priestes Scribes and Phariseis your predecessours from whom though he were from his childehood brought vp emongst theÌ„ he did wel vpon good grounde departe for that they had before departed made a schisme from God and his most holy lawe to the traditions of the mother churche of their Pharisaicall fathers as haue likewise you Papistes departed made a schisme from Christe and his Apostles doctrine and from the auncient churches founded by the Apostles labour to your mother the Romishe Sinagoge and haue by your poysoned Popishe traditions slayne moe soules than you haue by your crueltie murdred bodies of Christian men and wemen as we haue prooued and wyll dayly prooue more and more most euidently vnto the world vntill all godly in the worlde knowyng you by your fruictes dooe forsake you as did the godly before forsake the olde Phariseis Scribes and highe Priestes and folowed Christe and his holy Apostles as we haue partely already brought to a good forwardnesse Thus you may sée why we haue departed from you and returned to Christe and his holy Apostles and the churches by them founded from whom you haue departed Returne you to them and we will not swarue from you take away the schisme that you haue made from Christ our sauiour his holy Apostles and the churches founded vpon their doctrine and we wyll ioygne with you Otherwise as long as you shall thus swarue from Christe and his Apostles and their doctrine cry you out against schismatikes neuer so much we will neuer ioygne with you beinge the very schismatikes in déede And thus muche I thought to saye to the sentence of S. Augustine against Petilian by M. Dorman alleaged in the fyrst front of his booke as against vs but in déede moste directlie detectinge the schismaticall secte of all Papistes our aduersaries that I might leaue no one sentence of any olde doctour by M. Dorman though colourably and falsely alleaged vnanswered To the Reader I Doo vnderstande sith the first printinge of this booke that muche mutteringe and whisperinge is made by certaine Papistes about certaine places of my booke as false or faultie and namely that place of S. Cyprian De simplicitate Praelatorum as by me guilefully alleaged by omittinge that whiche maketh as they say for them and their Popes Supremacie This Popishe practise by mutteringe whisperinge poinctinge quarellinge and liynge to attempte the defacinge of the simple and plaine truthe and to the maintenaunce of their owne vntruthe is no new practise neither happeneth it to me vnloosed for at this time whiche they faile not to doo to al men and in all matters at all times But as I can not certainely answearevncertaine corner mutteringes so as soone as I shall see any certaine thinge set foorth in Printe to the worlde againste my booke I will God willinge not leaue it longevnanswered as well to the aduouchinge of my true dealinge as to the declaration of theirvniustquarellinge and consequently as I trust to the more full satisfaction of all reasonable Readers that doo looue truthe and sinceritie A. Nowell Dorman Fol. 1. A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCtion to the first Proposition THE blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian writyng to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese woordes Initia haereticorum ortus atque conatus schismaticorum malè cogitant ium haec sunt vt sibi placeant vt praepositum supèrbo tumore contemnant Sic de occlesia receditur sic alâ—are prophanum for is collocatur sic contra pacem Christi ordinationem atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur VVhiche is in Englishe thus muche to say The beginning of heretikes the first springyng vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinkyng a misse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that thei take in themselues of that that beyng puffed vp with pride thei contemne their head and gouernour appointed ouer theÌ„ By this meanes straie thei from the Churche Thus is a prophane altar placed without the doores and thus rebell thei against Christes peace gods ordinauÌ„ce and vnitie Nowell Saincte Cyprian writyng this Epistle to Rogatian one of his felowe bishoppes in Afrike who had a disobedieÌ„t deacon hath in the beginnyng of his letter these woordes Grauiter dolenter c. I and my felowe bishoppes here present were sore moued moste deare brother saieth saincte Cyprian when wee had redde your letters wherein you complaine of your deacon that he forgettyng your priestly place and his owne ministerie hath greeued you with his reproches and wronges Thus farre S. Cyprian By whiche wordes it appereth that the mattier was betwene Rogatian a bishop in Afrike and his deacon disobediente to hym and therefore nothing apperteinyng to the bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all Whiche might well haue appeared to the reader had maister Dorman written but the iiij lines next before the place by him alledged whiche are these Ideo oportet diaconum c. That is to saie Therefore it is mete that the Deacon of whom you doe write doe penaunce for his boldenesse that he acknowledge the honour of the priest and doo satisfie the bishop his superiour with full humilitie For the beginnyng of heretikes the springyng vp enterprise of schismatikes beyng euill minded are these that thei doo stand in their owne coÌ„ceite that thei despise their gouernour through swellyng pride c. As Maister Dorman hath out of saincte Cyprian alledged This declareth moste euidently that the sentence of S. Cyprian alledged by M. Dorman apperteineth to Rogatian and his deacon beyng Africanes and so generally to all other bishoppes their inferiours of what countrey soeuer thei bee and maketh nothyng for the Bishoppe of Romes supremacie at all If M. Dorman would proue hereby y t euery inferiour minister ought to be obedient to his owne bishop as his superiour or that the disobedience of suche is cause of schismes and heresies for so doeth S. Cyprian meane wee graunte the same But if he would haue it apperteine to the bishop of Rome or to make any thyng for the Popes supremacie as by that M. Dorman calleth this
of the church whiche thei haue alwaies forseen to be to theim terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as is the froonte of a battell well set in ordre and against the bishop of Rome appointed of God to be here in earthe the lawfull gouernour and head thereof not lackyng also therin greate policie that by strikyng the shepherde they might the easelier scatter the flocke Nowell You see here the conclusion gathered out of that whiche hetherto by hym hath been alledged out of S. Cyprian and sainct Basill And how the verie wordes written by sainct Cyprian in the places before mentioned for the maintenaunce of bishoppe Rogatian his authoritie and for his owne authoritie also thei being bothe Bishoppes of Afrike he is not ashamed here in his conclusion to place out of place and to apply them to the proofe of the bishoppe of Rome his supremacie whervnto thei apperteine nothyng at all and to frame thereof this leude argument The entrie into all heresies is to make open warres against the bishop appointed by God to bee the lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche This is the maior and is proued by S. Cyprian now foloweth his minor but the bishop of Rome is the bishop appointed by God to bee here in earth the lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche the conclusion ergo The entrie into all heresies is to make open warre againste the bishop of Rome I saiâ— the minor is false and a false conclusion doeth folowe of the same For the bishop of whom S. Cyprian speaketh appointed by God to be lawfull gouernour and heade of the churche is in Carthage S. Cyprian hymself and Rogatian in his owne Diocesse and not the Bishop of Rome otherwise then in his owne Diocesse onely And therefore open warre to bee made againste them in their owne Diocesse whereof thei be lawfull bishoppes is the beginnyng of heresies and not to resiste the bishop of Rome vsurpyng to be head of the vniuersall Churche ouer the whiche of right he hath no authoritie For these woordes the bishop appointed by God to bee the lawfull gouernour and head of the churche if thei make for any supremacie at all thei make for the supremacie of Rogatian and Cyprian bishops of Afrike of whoÌ„ S. Cyprian speaketh theim and not of the bishop of Rome of whom in those Epistles he speaketh not one woorde And if thei make not for the supremacie of Cyprian Rogatian thei make for none at all and if thei make for no supremacie at al they were here without all cause alledged by M. Dorman but onely to deceiue the simple by suche a guilefull and vntrue introduction to his firste false proposition of the Pope his supremacie Now if he thinke yet that he might make suche a simple collection of S. Cyprian and S. Basill his woordes as this That as the beginnyng of heresies in their time was the contempt of the inferiours towardes their owne Bishops for so S. Cyprian teacheth so in likewise is the contempte of the Pope as the highest of all bishops the beginnyng of heresies now First I denie the argument for that it foloweth not though it be euill for the inferiour to disobeie his owne bishop to whose obedience in all godlinesse he is bounden Therfore it is euill for a straunger not to obeie a straunge foraine vsurpar to whom he oweth no duetie of obedieÌ„ce Againe I saie though it be the beginnyng of heresie to disobey Cyprian Rogatian yea or Cornelius beyng godlie and catholike bishops yet is it not likewise the beginnyng of heresies to disobey any the late Popes of Rome who were not onely no godlie bishops as were Cyprian Rogatian and Cornelius but bothe moste wicked and in deede no Bishops at all but false vsurpers of worldlie tyrannie Whom for the subiectes of an other christiaÌ„ and lawfull soueraigne to obeie and not to disobeie is the beginning of heresies treasons and all other euils and mischiefes In the conclusion it is to be noted wheÌ„ Basill speaketh of all the Bishops of the Easte as the shepeherdes sufferyng persecution maister Dorman alteryng the number speaketh it of the Pope as the onely shephearde Remouyng the matter from many Greke pastours persecuted to one Romane depastor dispersyng the flocke and persecutyng not sufferyng persecution Dorman Fol. 2. Thus did in the tyme of S. Cyprian Nouatus that greate heretyke who as Nicephorus reporteth of hym holdyng betwene his handes the handes of suche as minded to receiue of hym the blessed Sacramente of th' altar vsed to theim these woordes A diura mihi per corpus et sanguinem domini Iesu Christi nunquam te a me discessurum et ad Cornelium Romanus is Episcopus fuit reredituruinesse Sweare to me ê™ he by the bodie and bloud of our Lorde Iesus Christe that thou wilt neuer forsake me nor retourne to Cornelius vvho vvas then bishop of Rome So did in our tyme the scholers and folovvers of Martin Luther So did Ihon Caluin vvith his congregacion at Geneua So doe euen at this time in our infortunate country those vvicked men apon vvhom I beseche almightie God to extende his mercie vvho occupiyng the places and roomes of catholike bishoppes beyng themselues indurate heretikes ceasse not daiely moste cruelly to practise that lesson learned of their auncestor Nouatus For vvhat manne admit thei to any liuyng of vvhom thei exact not first this othe VVhom suffer thei to coÌ„tinue in his liuing if he giue not this othe For the onely refusall hereof hovv many notable men of the clergie bothe for life and learnyng suffer they to pyne avvaie in prison I remembre not heare the greate nomber of gentlemen and other mere laye men not included in the statute of pooer young Scholers of bothe th'vniuersites vvho vvitheout all face of lavve for for the other theie pretended a colour beyng not so muche themselues spoiled of ther colleages as ther colleages vniuersities yea ther countrey self vvhiche had of the moste parte of them byn likely to haue receiued bothe help and comfort spoiled and robbed of theÌ„ vvander novv abroade in dispersion lamentyng th' estate of their miserable countrie Nowell As it is euident that we are moste farre from Nonatus heresie so is Nouatus his othe not onely vnlike but cleane contrary to our othes The controuersie betwixt Cornelius and Nouatus was not whether the bishop of Rome was the supreme head of the churche as it is now betwene vs and the Papistes but whether Cornelius or he was by right y e Bishop of Rome And Nouatus exacted of the Romaines or Italians an othe that thei should cleaue to hym as their bishop againste Cornelius who was their true Bishoppe in déede whiche was vnlawfull to require Our othes be of obedience to our naturall Prince due by Goddes lawe and of renouncyng of foraine vsurped power or authoritie ouer our Prince and countrey without the whiche we caÌ„ not be faithful to our owne
so euer you be if you will bee saued Nowell Vrsatius or Vrsitius and Valens in their recantation make nothyng for the Bishop of Rome his supremacie but rather against it Thei write to hym as thei vse to write to any other bishoppe their inscription is Ad Iulium Episcopum Romanum to Iulius the Romaine bishop Thei vse these woordes Bonitatis tuae literis in hanc sententiam traducti Wée were brought into this minde or iudgemente by the letters of your goodnesse Apud humanitatem tuam profitemur We doo professe vnto your humanitie or gentlenesse And pietas tua your godlinesse and suche like whiche are no woordes of supremacie For that thei call hym once beatissimum dominum papam the moste blessed lorde Pope maketh nothyng for his supremacie vnlesse it make for sainct Augustine bishoppe of Hippo in Afrike his supremacie also who is not onely called venerabilis papa honourable Pope but also the highest of al bishops But M. Dorman hymself confesseth somwhere I trow this name PapaÌ„ pope to be coÌ„men in that time to all bishops and therefore vnmeete to proue the supremacie of any one But if he thinke the titles added Most blessed Lorde doo make the worde Papam Pope to bee singular and for the supremacie thereto I doo answere First it is euident that this worde dominus Lorde or sir is vsed not onely to all bishops but to all Popishe sir Ihons also who yet haue no supremacie at all And I am contente that this woorde Beatissimus moste blessed maie serue M. Dorman his purpose here so that he will admitte it likewise in other places as in this emongest other All the Priestes and Deacons of Rome call Cyprian Bishoppe of Carthage Beatissimum gloriosissimum Papam the moste blessed and moste glorious Pope Loe Maister Dorman here is a double epitheton and title for your single Lette the bishop of Carthage then haue the supremacie with the bishoppe of Rome or let the bishoppe of Rome goâ— without it with the bishoppe of Carthage But if this make for Iulius bishoppe of Romes supremacie that Vrsatius and Valens offered vp their recantacion to hym as M. Dorman taketh it to doo lette it also make for Athanasius bishoppe of Alexandria his supremacie to whom in like maner thei offer vp their recantation also as is recorded in the same place The cause concernyng Vrsatius and Valens standyng thus M. Dorman abuseth the readers to muche to geue them a dor with a matter nothyng to the purpose saiyng So did Vrsatius and Valens and so to passe ouer without further declaration or as muche as once noting the place where the matter might bee founde Whiche M. Dormanne hath doen of set purpose and knowledge that it was nothing to the purpose that thei did and that him self alledged And yet herevpon as vpon good proues and declarations he concludeth thus By this meanes retourned thei to the Churche by this muste you retourne that haue straied if you will bee saued I tooke my Harpe into my hande and twange ê™ my stryng a. Dorman Fol. 3. Seyng now as I haue declared the goyng out of the Churche is by the conteÌ„pt of the head thereof and the returne home again by the acknowleging and reuereÌ„cyng of the same persuade your self that it hath not been for nothing that good men in all ages haue been and at this tyme are no lesse busied in defence thereof then heretikes missecreaÌ„tes and enemies to our faithe are readie with all their power to assault the same Nowell You haue declared nothyng at all your Doctours saie nothyng for you your allegations and examples are altogether impertinente Rogatians deacon beyng an African muste reconcile hymself to his owne bishop an African Pupianus ought to reconcile himself to sainct Cyprian bishop of Carthage For the first places alledged out of saincte Cyprian perteined onely to them twoo disobedient to their owne bishops beyng Africanes Saincte Basill speaketh of the Easte churche and bishops Nouatus sweareth men to sticke to his heresie and to take hym and not Cornelius for their bishop Maximus Vrbanus and Sidonius Priestes of Rome reconcile themselues to Cornelius their owne Romaine bishop whom thei had vniustly forsaken Vrsatius and Valens offer their recantation and be reconciled to Iulius bishop of Rome thei doo in like wise to Athanasius Bishoppe of Alexandria For thei tooke Arrius the heretikes parte against them bothe had greatly vexed them bothe and therefore were thei reconciled to bothe as al christians are likewise bound to reconcile themselues not onely to Bishoppes but to all other whom thei haue offended or wronged What rime or reason is it therefore for M. Dorman togather hereof the Bishop of Rome his supremacie as he hath gone about in this his Introduction whiche he might better haue named a SeductioÌ„ as in y e whiche he hath proued nothyng railed muche lied more deceiued fielie soules abused the wise better occupied readers And as there is not one place hitherto by M. Dorman alledged apperteinyng to his purpose nor any one sentence of his voide of liyng so shall you in the sequele of this treatie finde hym no chaunÌ„gelyng Dorman Fol. 4. The consideration whereof hath caused also me in this enterprise of myne to beginne first with the fortifiyng of that whereunto our enemie â–ª as the verie foundacion of all true religion the comforte and staie of the Catholikes the terrour and vtter vndoyng of all heretikes doe moste directe their batterie Nowell You haue doon like a wise manne and vsed herein more discretion then did your maister D. Hardyng who hath made this matter of the Popes supremacie but as a common matter and as the Latines saie vnaÌ„ ex multis one of many Where in deede as you hauâ— well considered it is the chief foundation of all Poperie your Religion the comforte and staie of all Papistes vsurpyng falsely the name of Catholikes the terrour and worldlie vndooyng of all those whom it pleaseth you to call heretikes holde thei neuer so muche with Christ and his Gospel agree thei neuer so muche with his true catholike auncieÌ„t Apostolike churche For maie you once establishe the Popes aucthoritie not to bee denied his supremacie not to bee disobeiâ—d you haue wonne all you neede no Scriptures no interpretation of Doctours no assemble of Counceiles all is in the boxe of the Popes boosome as the Popes themselues Boniface the eight and Paule the second with others doo bragge he is all in all he saith it ego it must needes bee beleued for Fides Petri non deficit Peters faithe faileth not as Pighius out of Eckius Hosius out of Pighius and D. Harding out of Hosius haue alledged whiche yet apperteineth as muche to the Pope as doeth a Saddle to a Sowe Likewise the Pope commaundeth it ergo it must be obeied For be is the iudge and finall determiner of all matters as M. Dorman hath often alledged
haue raigned but not by me thei haue been Princes and I haue not knowen them And if suche seueral testimonies of doctours maie not serus vs if we for further proufe bring a number of doctours ioinctly agreyng together forbiddyng bishops suche tyrannicall dominion ouer the churche of God as did saincte Cyprian in the Councell of Carthage with the allowance of the whole Councell then and with the approbation of saincte Augustine afterwarde and an other whole Councell also The woordes spoken by saincte Cyprian in the saied Councell and by so many Bishops and Doctours allowed are these Nemo nostrum episcopum se episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitateÌ„ collegas suos adigit quando habeat omnis episcopus pro licentia libeitatis potestatis suae arbitrium proprium tanquà m iudicari ab alio noÌ„ possit cum necipse possit alterum iudicare That is to say None of vs maketh hymself Bishop ouer Bishops or doeth by tyrannicall feare force his felowe Bishops to the necessitie of obeiyng seyng euery Bishop hath for his libertie power his free iudgement as he who can not be iudged of an other neither can himself iudge an other Bishop Thus farre saincte Cyprian and saincte Augustine Wee shall profite I saie no more by the allegations of Doctours yea or whole Councelles thaÌ„ by the allegation of the Scriptures themself againste the Popes saiynges or doynges what so euer thei bee Neither the texte of the scriptures nor the interpretation of Doctours nor iudgementes of Councelles can haue any credite againste hym For as Pighius the principall Doctour of the Popes part saieth In concilijs vniuersalibus vniuersis haud ferè aliud factum est quà m vt conuenientes ex toto orbe episcopi praeiudicatam iam Apostolicae sedis vnanimi consensu amplexarentur sequerentur sententiam nec in eis definitum aliquid quod non iam praeiudicatum antè definitumque esset à sede Apostolica That is to saie In all generall Councelles for the moste parte nothyng els is doen but that Bishops comyng together out of all partes of the worlde should embrace and folowe with agreable consent the foreiudged and afore determined sentence of the Apostolike see and that nothyng was defined in suche generall Councelles the whiche was not before defined and foreiudged by the Apostolike see Thus farre Pighius who also affirmeth in the same place that the onely iudgement of this one see is more sure then the iudgement of an vniuersall CouÌ„cell of the whole worlde Wherby it maie well be vnderstaÌ„ded what labour and coste euen by the Papistes themselues is loste and how in vaine their Bishoppes take suche paine to come to Councelles out of all partes of Christendome leauyng their cures vncared for and vnlooked tos and that sometyme a sorte of yeres together as of late thei haue doen in the laste Tridentine councell onelie to determine thynges alreadie determined and that therefore thei should like wise men keepe themselues at hâ—me and spare suche trauell and coste and onely herken what is pronounced out of that sacred mouth of the Pope at Rome and it to obeye absolutely And the same Pighius afterward in an other place saieth expresly Huic sedi authoritas componendi definiendi exortas i domo ecclesiastica vniuersas questiones controuersias ab eodem Christo est data tibi verò illius definitionibus iudicijs absque vlla discussione est imposita obsequendi necessitas That is to saie The authoritie of orderyng definyng and determinyng of all questions and controuersies risen in the Churche is geuen by Christe to this see of Rome and vpon thee is laied a necessitie of obeiyng all definitions and determinations of the saied see without any examinyng or discussing of y e same These be Pighius woordes also No meruaile therefore if you doo well coÌ„sider the premisses that M. Dorman calleth the Popes supremacie the fundation of al. Naie it is the fundation superstruction batilmentes garnishinges and all together it is all and all in all For were this one article of the Popes supremacie with the appurtenauÌ„ces as I haue said once obteined you neede not to trauell in writyng any more you neede not to bryng any proufes out of the scriptures Doctours or Councelles for you or againste vs any more for it were concluded at once that you be the Catholikes who doo acknowledge the necessitie of obeiyng the voice the determinations and definitions of that high Prieste without whattes or whies without discussyng or examinyng of them by your selues or with others and that we bee the heretikes who doo not obeye his voice beyng against Goddes voice but are so bolde to examine how his voices doo agree with Gods voice And therefore are we worthie to dye moste cruell death due to suche false heretiques Graunte this one proposition of the Popes supremacie with the appurtenaunces I saie and by and by all that M. Dorman hath hitherto most leudlie alledged or shall alledge hereafter for the Popes supremacie is to the purpose all lies he hath alreadie made and shall hereafter make for that purpose are truthes And whatsoeuer we saie to the contrarie what scriptures what Doctours what Councelles so euer we bryng all is to no purpose nor of any credite for he alone is iudge whose the cause is he alone as your greate Doctour Pighius saieth is more to be beleued then a generall Councell of the whole worlde assembled And therefore hath M. Dorman doen like a wise manne to entreate first of the Popes supremacie and in the treatie thereof to spende more paper ynke more oile and labour as thei saie yea twise as muche as he hath doen in the other three principall matters though otherwise the greatest of all other as touching euen the verie Masse it self whiche as it hath hitherto susteined the Pope and all his Cleargie so if the Pope doo not now by his supremacie and irrefragable authoritie susteined by maister Dorman like a friende at néede susteine the Masse againe it maie come to passe that bathe Pope and Masse will come to nought shortly Now foloweth the diuision of M. DormaÌ„s treatie Dorman fol. 4. In the handlyng whereof I purpose God willyng to take this order Firste before I come to the principall poincte that lieth in question betwene vs whiche is of the bishop of Romes supremacie to proue to you by moste plain and euident reasons that the Churche of Christe here militante in earth muste of necessitie for diuerse and sondrie vrgent causes haue one chief heade and ruler vnder Christe to rule and gouerne the same Secondarily that that one heade muste needes bee a Prieste Thirdlie so last of al that of all priestes the bishop of Rome is he whiche must supplie that place and that for so that is head ruler of the churche he hath byn of the auncient couÌ„cels olde fathers within the first sixe
Popes supremacie as dooeth his maister D. Hardyng who hath these woordes It is not good saieth Homere to haue many rulers lette one bee ruler It is true that Homere saieth it is not good to haue many equal rulers ouer one countrey or nation but this maketh nothyng to proue that there should bee one heade ouer all the Churche throughout the worlde excepte D. Hardyng can proue that Agamemnon was kyng of all the worlde or at the least that Homere meant he should so bee but he meante nothyng lesse for he speaketh of the gouernemente of the armie of the Greekes onely And so I graunt it is good likewise that one bishop doo gouerne one diocesse as it was good in Homers iudgemente that one graunde capitaine should gouerne the Greeke armie And thus muche by the waie to D. Hardyng his Poeticall argumente for the Popes supremacie Now seyng it pleased doctor Hardyng to make mention of Aristotle who misliketh not Aristocratie that is to saie the gouernyng of the beste and wisest men beyng a competente number and seyng further that many cities haue been and bee farre better gouerned in Democratie by many rulers chosen of the people then euer was the whole churche by one Pope It is presumptuouslie doen by M. Dorman bothe against his maister doctor Hardyng and against Aristotle so noble a philosopher and to zelously for one Pope to safe thei be all blinde that can not see the necessitie of one onely head gouernour euery where And it maie seme to some that suche kinde of speache doeth not so muche spryng out of absurditie of the matter as out of the disposition of M. Dormans drousie head and dimme sight Let vs in Englande bee in that poincte of the best iudgement and in the beste case as we be in déede vnder so moderate a Monarchie and yet let them withall who haue of long tyme been vnder the quiete gouernemente of many reasonable rulers neither bee starke blind neither though not in so happie a state as are we yet in no vnhappy case as it semeth M. DormaÌ„ would place them But let euery nation citie thinke it self moste happie in that state of regiment that God hath placed it in And concernyng the gouernement of the vniuersall Churche seyng it standeth of so many or rather innumerable thousandes of menne and women of al countries nations and languages throughout the whole worlde so that it can not possiblie be ruled and gouerned by one neither was it by God appoincted to bee by one gouerned no more then the whole worlde it self the seuerall kyngdomes countries thereof being appoincted by God to seuerall kynges and gouernours Yet if it must nedes be gouerned by popes seyng it nedeth many gouernours I would we had many Popes were thei good gouernours but beyng as thei are false vsurpers and cruell tyrauntes one Pope is to many by one Concernyng the auoydyng and quietyng of Schismes and troubles in the Churche we saie that as the seuerall kynges of euery kyngdome the seuerall gouernours of euery countrie and citie c. are able to ouersee their seuerall charges and to kepe their people in ciuill order and peace so are the seuerall Bishoppes of euery diocesse and the seuerall chief prelates of euery prouince able to auoide or to appeace if thei rise all schismes and troubles ecclesiasticall as saincte Cyprian out of whom this reason is borowed and falslie wrested by theÌ„ to an other purpose dooeth moste plainlie teache saiyng thus Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. Whereas an order saieth saincte Cyprian is taken emongest vs all and it is right and reasonable that euery mannes cause be there heard where the fault was coÌ„mitted and wheras euery Bishoppe hath a part of the flocke assigned to hym whiche he ought to rule and gouerne and for the whiche he muste gâ—ue an accompte vnto the Lorde it is not conuenient that suche as bee vnder their gouernaunce should runne from one Bishoppe to an other but there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers and witnesses of their crimes Excepte suche desperate persones thinke the authoritie of Bishoppes in Afrike to bée lesse then is the authoritie of other Bishoppes Thus farre saincte Cyprian with muche more in the same place expresly affirmyng that it is right and reason that seuerall Bishoppes haue the gouernemente of seuâ—rall diocesses euen for the same cause for the whiche you doo vntruely alledge the necessitie of one heade and declaryng the commoditie of pacifiyng of heresies Schismes and dissentions for of them he speaketh in that place and of correctioÌ„ of vices by euery suche seuerall Bishoppe in his owne charge mosie directlie against D. Hardyng and M. Dormans doctrine of pacifiyng of schismes by one onelie head of the vniuersall Churche affirming all suche appellations from a Bishoppe of one countrey to a Bishoppe of an other countrey to be vnlawfull for that all Bishoppes of all countries be of like authoritie and that none but naughtie and desperate menne doo thinke the authoritie of some bishoppes to be inferiour to the authoritie of other And further folowyng D. Hardyng and M. Dormans owne groundes wee saie that as God is the one heauenlie kyng ouer all the worlde and yet hath not appoincted any one man to bee his onelie deputie in earth ouer all the Kyngdomes of the worlde but that the whole worlde is gouerned by his prouidence as the onelie kyng thereof and by the ministerie of many seuerall kynges and rulers whom he hath seuerally appoincted ouer euery nation as his deputies as is expreslie declared in the scripture so in like wise is Christe the onelie heauenlie heade of his Churche and neither neadeth nor hath appoincted any one persone in earth to bee his deputie or vicar generall ouer all the churche throughout the worlde but by his prouidence and the ministerie of many Bishoppes his seuerall vicars in euery diocesse bothe hath and dooth well gouerne his Churche and that as it is impossible that there should bee one onelie earthlie kyng ouer all the worlde as by the state of the worlde from the beginnyng hitherto is moste manifest and in case there were one yet were it impossible for that one to ouersée his charge and to keepe all the worlde in Ciuill order seyng the wisest kinges that be haue of one particular kyngdome their handfull as thei saie so in like maner is it impossible that there should be one generall head in earth ouer the vniuersall Churche or all Churches dispersed throughout all the world conteinyng so many nations so diuerse languages and natures of men or that suche an head could ouersee his charge keepe all Churches from Schismes and troubles and pacifie them when thei were risen This as a thyng tried by the state of the worlde at this daie and euer sith the first beginnyng thereof I leaue to thy reasonable consideration good reader to determine betwixte vs. Dorman Fol. 5. And because good
Christian readers you shall wel perceiue that this is no newe deuise or fantasie imagined by me I will here laie before your eyes the iudgemente of certaine notable menne whom God gaue to his churche to serue for a wall for the same against the incursions of the wicked Phylistines his enemies In whom you shall moste plainlie perceiue this order in Christes Churche to bee so necessarie that the onelie breach and lacke thereof hath been by theÌ„ taken to be the high waie verie path that leadeth to all heresies Nowell M. Dorman maie bee carelesse no man taketh the Popes supremacie to be his deuise and inuention it is knowen to bee the inuention of the ambitious Popes themselues whom the diuell hath set a woorke to trouble the quiete state of Christendome and to bryng all errours into Christ his Churche and to laie the foundation of the kyngdome of Antichrist Dorman Fol. 5. And firste to beginne with that blessed martyre of God sainct Cyprian hath he not concerning thiâ— matter in an epistle by hym written to Cornelius then bishop of Rome thiese woordes Neque enim aliunde obortae sunt haereses aut nata sunt schismata quà m indâ— quèd sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus tudex vice Christi cogitatur That is neither yet truely doo heresies arise or schismes growe of any other cause then thereof that menne obeye not the Prieste of God neither doo thinke that there is in the Churche in the steede and place of Christe one Priest and one iudge for the tyme. Nowell Either M. Dorman had not with sufficient diligeÌ„ce reade and noted that long epistle written by sainct Cyprian to Cornelius Bishop of Rome or els he deepely dissembleth that which he there perceiued For though the epistle be written to Cornelius yet it is for a great parte writteÌ„ of Cyprian hymself and many of the sentences in that epistle yea this verie sentence whiche M. Dorman here alledgeth for Cornelius his supremacie as Bishop of Rome by the tenure of the epistle appeareth to bee written speciallie of saincte Cyprian hymself Bishop of Carthage in Afrike rather then of Cornelius as afterward at large shal be declared And further it appeareth that this sentence and all other sentences of the authoritie of the Prieste or Priestes Bishoppe or Bishoppes for saincte Cyprian in that epistle doeth ofte chaunge the number and sometyme speaketh as of one sometyme as of many or all Priestes and Bishoppes doo indifferentlie appertaine as well to euery and all Bishoppes of all cities and diocesses as to either Cornelius or Cyprian For that he here saith Sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur The priest of God is not obeied is asmuche as Sacerdotibus dei the Priestes of God are not obeied As when the scripture saieth Regem honora honoure the Kyng is as muche as though it had saied Let subiectes of all places honour their kynges Touchyng these woordes Neque vnus in ecclesia ad tempus Sacerdos ad tempus index vice Christi cogitatur that is to saie Neither is one Prieste in the Churche for the tyme and iudge for the tyme in Christes steede thought vpon I haue declared at large before how that saincte Cyprian taketh all Bishoprikes to be but one Bishoprike as the faithes of all men are but one faithe Vnafides saieth sainct Cyprian vnum baptisma vnus episcopus cuius à singulis in solidum pars tenetur There is one faith one Baptisme there is one Bishoprike the whiche euery Bishoppe hath wholie for his parte So that wheÌ„ he speaketh of one Bishoppe one iudge in the churche for the tyme or of the bishop whiche is one and ruleth the Churche absolutelie he meaneth euery Bishop in his owne diâ—cesse without exception if he speake speciallie he doeth meane the Bishop of that citie or diocesse wherof he entreateth whether it be y e bishop of Rome Carthage or any other place For the moste manifest proufe whereof note these woordes of saincte Cyprian to Pupianus who was stubborne againste the saied Cyprian whereof it hath been before entreated Vnde enim schismata c. Whereof saieth sainct Cyprian doo heresies and Schismes spryng but of this that the Bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche is through the proude arrâ—gant presumption of certain contemned and set at nought and beyng the man by Goddes approbation allowed and honoured is of vnwoorthy men iudged And a little before this place Tâ— te episcopum episcopi iudicem iudicis ad tempus à deo dati coÌ„stituis Thou doest make thy self a Bishop ouer the Bishop and a Iudge ouer the Iudge by God for the tyme appoincted Thus muche saincte Cyprian to Pupianus who despised the saied Cyprian so appoincted by God to be the Bishoppe and Iudge for the tyme as he there saieth Now in his epistle to Cornelius he saieth thus Neque enim aliunde c. Neither doo heresies arise or schismes grow of any other cause but hereof that menne obeie not the Prieste of God neither dooe thinke that there is in the Churche in the steede and place of Christe one Prieste one Iudge for the tyme. Compare now these twoo places together and you shall finde them all one in effecte And that S. CypriaÌ„ nor any other could haue vttred in diuers places one sense more nearelie vnlesse he would haue vsed the same woordes altogether But it is moste manifeste to all men that will reade these epistles that in the first place by the bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche by the man by Goddes approbation allowed by the coÌ„temnyng of whom heresies and schismes doo spryng and arise by the Bishoppe or Prieste and by the Iudge for the tyme by God appoincted S. Cyprian hymself beyng Bishop of Carthage is ment and by hym that despiseth the saied Bishop is Pupian meant who did despise the saied S. Cyprian Wherefore either it muste folowe that saincte Cyprian is the heade of the vniuersall Churche seyng those woordes whiche by M. Dormans iudgemente appoincted that head apperteine to him orels as the truthe is in déede that any Bishop is called by saincte Cyprian the Bishoppe whiche is one and ruleth the Churche or the iudge for the tyme in the Churche in Christes steede or place for all is one and that then the speciall bishop of that place whiche is intreated of whether it be Rome Carthage or any other is meant and so consequentlie euery Bishop in his owne diocesse is that one Bishop that ruleth in the churche and that iudge for the time in the steede of Christe And that in this place saincte Cyprian meaneth no supremacie of any one Bishop but the equalitie of all Bishops it maie bee moste euident to them that will read the whole epistle and note how ofte he speaketh of all Priestes and Bishops As Sacerdotibus tantus honor conceditur so great honor is geuen to
ecclesiaruÌ„ esse coÌ„suetudineÌ„ vt ad eos qui longè iÌ„ minoribus vrbibê° per presbyteros diaconos baptizati sunt episcopus ad inuocationeÌ„ sanctispuÌ„s manuÌ„ impositurus excurrat c. That is I doo not denie this to bée the custome of churches that y e bishop doeth come to those that be Baptised in lesser tounes by Priestes deacons to laie his hand vpon them with the inuocatioÌ„ of the holy ghost And shortly after he saieth Quòd si hoc loco quaeris quare in ecclesia baptizatus nisi ê‘ manus episcopi noÌ„ accipiat spirituÌ„ sanctuÌ„ queÌ„ oeÌ„s asserimus iÌ„ vero baptismate tribui disce haÌ„c obseruationeÌ„ ex ea autoritate descendere ê™ post ascensum dnÌ„i spuÌ„s sanctê° ad apostolos desceÌ„dit Et multis iÌ„ locis idem factitatuÌ„ reperimus ad honoreÌ„ potius sacerdotij quam legis necessitateÌ„ Alioqui si ad episcopi taÌ„tùm imprecationeÌ„ spuÌ„s sanctê° defluit lugeÌ„di sunt qui in viculis aut in castellis aut iÌ„ remotioribus locis per praesbyteros diaconos baptizati antè dormierunt quà m ab Episcopis inuiserentur Ecclesiae salus in summi sacerdotis dignitate pendet cui si non exors quaedam ab omnibus eminens detur potestas tot in ecclesiis effictentur schismata quot sacerdotes That is to saie If you aske in this place wherefore he that is Baptised in the Churche doeth not receiue the holie ghost but by the handes of the bishop the whiche holie ghost we all doo affirme to bee geuen in true Baptisme Learne this obseruation to come of that authoritie that after the ascension of our Lorde the holie ghost came doune vnto the Apostles And we finde that the same is dooen in many places rather for the honour of Priesthoode then of the necessitie of the lawe Els if the holie Ghoste come doune onelie at the praier of the bishop thei are to be lamented who being baptised by Priestes and deacons in little tounes and villages or places further of doo dye before thei be visited by the bishops The healthe of the church dependeth vpon the estimation of the chief Priest who if he haue not authoritie pearelesse and aboue all other ye shall haue in the churche so many schismes as there be Priestes Thus farre S. Hierome whose woordes I haue repeated at large and in the last place without any intermission haue ioigned the verie woordes by D. Hardyng and M. Dorman alledged to S. Hieromes woordes nexte before Whereby it is moste euidente that S. Hierome speaketh of euery bishop in his owne diocesse and of the priestes and deacons that bée vnder hym in his said diocesse And that the authoritie which S. Hierome saieth the Bishop hath is the authoritie of laiyng his handes vpon children or other lately baptised by inferiour ministers and curates in villages of the said diocesse whiche authoritie is apperteinyng to all bishops in their owne diocesse that bishops haue that authoritie geueÌ„ them aboue other priestes or deacons beyng curates of smaller tounes and villages in their diocesse not by the necessitie of Gods lawe but for the honour of their bishoprike For if euery priest of the diocesse should in all poinctes bée of equall authoritie with the bishop there would arise so many Schismes by the arrogancie of the priestes as there bée priestes And for this cause hath euery bishop an authoritie pearelesse as M. Dorman dooth translate it and aboue all other priestes in his diocesse For it is euident by the places before alledged that comparison is made betwene priestes deacons and cuvates in smal tounes and villages who haue authoritie to baptise beeyng many and betwene the Bishop of the diocesse who is one and the high prieste in the saied diocesse and hath authoritie pearelesse ouer all other priestes and deacoÌ„s in the same diocesse And that there is no comparison here made betwene the bishoppe of Rome as the high prieste or bishop ouer all other priestes and bishops as D. Hardyng and M. DormaÌ„ without all shame would wrest it whereas there is not one woorde from the beginnyng of that longe dialogue of S. Hieromes vnto this place by them alleged nor to the ende of the same either written or meante of the bishop of Rome but of euery Bishop in his owne diocesse And therefore this whole matter is altogether impertinente to D. Hardyng and M. Dormans purpose of one onely heade ouer the whole Churche vnlesse M. Dorman would frame vs therof this leude argument Sainct Hierome saith that euery bishop ought to haue authoritie aboue all other priestes of his owne diocesse ergo the Bishop of Rome ought to haue a preemineÌ„ce pearelesse aboue all bishops of all diocesses and ouer the whole churche throughout the whole worlde Whiche maie well bee M. DormaÌ„s reason but fure I am that no reasonable man beyng awake will so reason To conclude you see it is not without great cause that D. Hardyng in his booke calleth this place of S. Hierome a notable place and saieth that it maie not be lette passe whiche his maisters woordes M. Dorman well noting â–ª would not suffer it to passe vntill he had by the handelyng thereof declared his notable foolishenesse Wherein as I doo little merueil of M. Dorman whom the leudeâ— the writyng is the better it dooeth become hym so can I not but muche muse how it should come to passe that doctor Hardyng or any of any honestie and learnyng should so abuse hymself and the readers with the allegation of suche impertinente places and with what conscience and shamefastnesse thei can doo it Vnlesse thei thinke that this excuse maie serue in matters of religion also Dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirat which is to saie What matter maketh it whether you vse fine force plaine truthe or guile with an enemie And therefore thei deale with vs rather as enemies then as doeth become themselues beyng Christians or as apperteineth to the treatie of religion woorthie of al truthe sinceritie Dorman fol. 5. And againe in an other place speakyng of the apostles he writeth thus Quòd vnus posteà electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remâ—dium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se traâ—ens ecclesiam rumperet That is That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was dooen for a remedie against schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hymself the churche by suche halyng and pullyng thei might breake the same No well S. Hierâ—me in his epistle to Euagrius she weth that praesbyter and episcopus a Priest and a bishop bee all one by the firste institution and by the Lawe of God whiche he proueth by many testimonies of the scâ—ipâ—ures and withall he declareth that the Apostles themselues were called praesbyteri that is to saie elders or priestes So that all bishops whiche be the successours of the Apostles bee also praesbyteri that is to saie
priestes whereof it foloweth also that there is an equaliti◠emongest all bishops by Gods lawe as the equall successours of the Apostles And that this is S. Hieromes minde in that place all learned menne who haue redde the saied epistle doo well knowe Nowe to that plac◠whiche M. Dorman allegeth out of this epistle Quòd autem postea vnus electus est qui caeteris praeponeretur in schismatis remedium factum est ne vnusquisque ad se trahens ecclesiam rumperet That is to saie That one was afterwarde chosen to rule the reste that was doen for a remedie againste schismes least while euery man would chalenge to hymself the churche by suche halyng and pullyng thei might breake the same Thus farre hath M. Dorman alleged but S. Hierome proceedeth further to declare the same matter by these woordes Nam Alexandriae à Marco Euangelista vsque ad Heraclam Dionysium episcopos praesbyteri semper vnum ex se electum in excelsiori gradu collocatum episcopum nominabant quomodo si exercitus imperatorem faciat aut Diaconi eligant de se quem industrium nouerint archidiaconum vocent Quid enim facit excepta ordinatione episcopus quod praesbyter non faciat That is to saie For at Alexandria from Marke the Euangeliste vnto Heracla and Dionysius beyng bishops there the priestes did euer place one chosen of their companie in the higher roume and named him bishop as if an armie should make a capitaine or deacons should choose one of their owne companie whom thei knowe to be actiue and diligent and call hym Archedeacon For what doth the bishop onely orderyng excepted that a priest maie not doo These are saincte Hieromes woordes Whereby it appeareth plainlie that the woordes of sainct Hierome One chosen afterward emongest them to rule the rest for a remedie of schismes doo appertaine to euery Bishop as head ruler of the Cleargie of his owne Diocesse For saieth S. Hierome suche an heade ruler was chosen at Alexandria in Aegipte where S. Marke the Euangelist Heracla and Dionysius were bishops to gouerne the priestes and cleargie there And withall whatsoeuer was doen afterward was not doen de iure diuino vpō the grounde of Gods lawe as you would haue the Popes supremacie to stande but of an ecclesiastical order and pollicie For that whiche was doen by Goddes lawe was not dooen afterwarde but first this whiche was thus doen afterward saieth sainct Hierome was doen rather for the honour of the priesthood then for the necessitie of the law For by the lawe of God which is first the priest as S. Hierome saieth maie doo asmuche exceptyng orderyng onelie as maie the bishop but afterwarde for order one was placed in the highest place for the auoidyng of schismes And if a prieste by saincte Hieromes minde maie doo asmuche as a Bishoppe I thinke one bishop also may by Gods lawe doo asmuche as an other bishop Further seyng this one afterwarde chosen to rule the reste was chosen aswell at Alexandria as at Rome or elswhere and the Bishop of Alexandria was that rular of the reste of his Cleargie as well as was the bishop of Rome of his owne cleargie it must nedes fall out that these woordes one chosen afterwarde to rule the reste either make for no supremacie of any one bishop ouer all the churche as apperteinyng to euery Bishop in his owne diocesse or if M. Dorman will needes inforce a supremacie by the saied woordes he shal be inforced to confesse the saied supremacie to be commō to the bishop of Alexandria where S. Hierome saith this one was chosen to rule the rest with the bishop of Rome as by the other place laste before alleged by M. Dorman out of S. Cyprian the said supremacie should appertaine to the Bishoppe of Carthage But bothe Carthage and Alexandria are nowe in the handes of Infideles and therefore can there bee no supremacie of the church there and yet aswel there as at Rome where Christ is as muche blasphemed as he is either at Alexandria or Carthage But it is in deede moste plaine by that epistle of S. Hierome that he doeth not meane that one bishoppe should be aboue an other muche lesse one heade ouer all other For he expresly saieth that all bishops be equall and none superiour nor inferiour to an other by Gods lawe Neither doeth it hurte our cause in case that wée graunt to M. Dorman that this place doeth appertaine to the Apostles and that one was chosen emongst the Apostles themselues to haue the chiefe place that is to speake firste to moderate other to staie contention and to remedie schismes Naie it maketh with vs directlie who doo graunt that as emongest those .xij. one was so chosen to bee ruler so it is good that in euery competente number of priests and cleargie one be chosen likewise to be ruler And if M. Dorman vpō this graunt would inferre suche a supremacie of one ouer the rest of the Apostles as the Pope claimeth ouer the churche Saincte Paule reprouyng Peter more sharplie to his face then is lawfull now for any bishop to deale with the Pope dooeth proue that Peter had no suche supremacie For though the Pope by his abominable dooynges dooe damne hymselfe and innumerable other yet maie no man be so bolde as to blame him therefore but let him goe vncontrouled to the deuill of hel Neither foloweth it though one man bee chosen so to bee ruler emongest xij therefore maie one also bee chosen to bee ruler ouer all the Cleargie of the worlde of all nations and languages and to farre of also to be well ruled No more dooeth it folowe for that S. Hierome dooeth saie that one was chosen of the companie of the Priestes of euery one Churche or diocesse to rule the reste as namelie was dooen at Alexandria the whiche ruler was called the bishoppe therefore ought there to bee one chosen to rule all bishops of all diocesses namelie at Rome the said one ruler to be called Pope or head of the vntuersall Churche For this kinde of collection vsuall to M. Dorman I haue by his owne former reasons and similitudes of seuerall gouernours or Princes necessarie to bee ouer euery citie countrey or kyngdome and that none can be ouer the whole worlde proued to be a vaine and leude collectiō And I haue also by his owne witnesses S. Cyprian and S. Hierome and by the verie places of them by him guilefullie wrested at large declared the same And I shall yet hereafter more plainlie declare that S. Cyprian and S. Hierome whom he hath alleged for the supremacie of one that is to wit the Bishoppe of Rome are of all other writers moste cleare against him and that in the verie same places by hym for his purpose alleged so that it maie bee iustlie meruelled whether M. Dorman were so ignoraunte that he should bring those for his witnesses who dootestifie moste against hym or so
be lawful for any mā vnder any other bishop to appeale to the Bishoppe of Rome as to the highest iudge ouer all ecclesiasticall persones and the said Zozimus as the maner of falsaries is did counterfeite a decrée to that purpose and put it in writyng and labored to put it in executiō by mainteinyng one Apiarius a priest of the diocesse called Siccēsis in Afrike against his bishop called Vrbanus whiche Apiarius beyng by his saied bishop for his moste wicked life excommunicate appealed to the saied Zozimus Bishop of Rome If ye aske me how I prooue that I haue saied to witte the saied Zozimus Bishop of Rome to be a corrupter and falsarie I answere I prooue it not by twoo onely but by twoo hundreth and .xvij. good witnesses the whole Councell of Afrike in the whiche so many Bishops were assembled and emongest them was saincte Augustine the beste learned of all bishops and equall in vertue and godlinesse with the beste not onely of his tyme but of all ages with Orosius Prosper and many other bishops notable in learnyng and vertue Thei al as in their epistle to Celestine one of the successours of this Zozimus appeareth testifie that there was no suche matter for the Bishop of Romes superioritie as was by Pope Zozimus alleged neither in their vsuall copies of the Nicene Councell neither in the authenticall examples whiche were sent them by Cyrill Patriarke of Alexandria and by Atticus Patriarke of Constantinople whiche authenticalles agreyng with their owne copies and all other copies euery where had no suche thyng as Zozimus alleged but had the cleane contrary for that the sixt and seuēth decrée of the saied Nicene Councel make the Patriarkes of Alexādria Antiochia and Hierusalem equal with the bishop of Rome And the saied 217. Bishops made a decree in that Africane Councell that no sailyng ouer the Sea with controuersies nor appellations to the Bishop of Rome nor sendyng of his Legates laterall into their countries as iudges should bee vsed accordyng as by the epistle of the said whole councell sent to Pope Celestine plainly appeareth In the inscription of whiche epistle thei doo acknowledge the saied Celestine none other but Bishop of the citie of Rome for this terme Papa Pope was in those daies cōmon to any notable Bishop of what place so euer he were For the whiche it pleased D. Hardyng to call the Africanes emongest whom S. Augustine Orosius and Prosper with many other learned godlie Bishops were schismatikes as those that submitted not their neckes to the Pope and folowyng Hosius his author he saieth that Afrike continued in this schisme 100. yeres to wit from Boniface the firste to Boniface the seconde And M. Dormans iudgemente is that all suche are out of the state of saluation and in damnable case folowyng the iudgement of Pope Boniface who doeth saie declare define pronounce for the man as in a matter of weight laieth on loade of woordes that of necessitie of saluation all men must bée subiecte to the Bishop of Rome But I had rather bée a schismatike frō that false vsurpar with S. Augustine Orosius Prosper and those 217. godlie and learned fathers and with the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Cōstantinople Cyrill and Atticus ioignyng with them in the truthe of the Nicene Councell and so beyng I thanke God doo little feare any damnation other then to their fagottes and fire then to bee with the corrupter and falsarie Zozimus bishop of Rome a counterfeite catholike and in deede a false schismatike frō Christ and the truthe Though Hosius goeth about in vain to defende the cause of this corrupter moste impudently goyng about to prooue that neither in Gréece nor Afrike nor els where there was any true copie of the Nicene Coūcell remaining but onely with the Bishop of Rome whiche how credible it is I leaue to the discreate readers iudgement But of this matter M. Dorman geueth me occasion to speake more largely hereafter After this Zozimus his successour Bonifacius the first Celestine the first with all others almoste folowyng Zozimus steppes and ambition haue with toothe and naile striuen for this supremacie and for that purpose did sticke still to the falsified Nicene Canon and haue likewise falsified other Councelles in sundrie places and haue forged a great many of the epistles now abroade in the names of the olde Popes Clemente Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus and other their predecessours whome thei make to write almoste of nothyng els but of the prerogatiue of Peters chaire the see of Rome whereas those godlie olde fathers euer subiecte to persecutiō and death neuer thought of any suche matters neither had luste or leasure to occupie their heades and pennes about such ambitious matters as by the true stories of thē doeth moste plainly appeare and shall hereafter at large bee declared And whereas this Leo refused the title of Oecumenicall or vniuersall Patriarke geuen hym by the said Councell of Chalcedon and apperteinyng to hym of right as Pighius saieth though maister Dorman doo denie it there muste needes bée some errour And it is greate marueile that Leo would so ambitiously chalenge in his epistle the same title in effect whiche he refused so freely offered vnto hym by the whole Councell And it maie seeme that if the Popes iudgemente bee aboue the Councell as Pighius doth teache the Councell did erre in geuyng hym suche a title and if the Councell in this poincte did well as Pighius saieth but M. Dorman denieth either the Pope should haue receiued the said title offered or not haue claimed the like of those who would not gladlie graunte it vnto him Wherefore I trust no reasonable man will disalowe our exceptions to suche witnesses in their owne cause Yet besides these causes of moste iuste exceptions to this Pope and all other Popes in their owne cause of their falsely vsurped supremacie I will goe otherwise to woorke with M. Dorman I saie that Leo here bee it these bee his woordes whiche yet is in controuersie saith vntruely If M. Dorman aske howe I prooue it I would firste aske hym whether he hath truely translated this place And if he haue howe he can make these woordes in this epistle there is one digniti◠common to all Bishoppes to agree with these folowyng there is difference of power emongst them and it is geuen to one to bee aboue all the reste whose iudgement is of moste authorite and how this manne is not in dignitie differyng from the reste And if maister Dorman thinke he can well enoughe frame this Iarre I saie further I will proue the saiynges of Leo vntrue by twoo witnesses againste this one by indifferente witnesses against this partiall witnesse in his owne cause by witnesses without and aboue all exception againste this witnesse vnto whom so many and so iuste exceptions maie bee taken I will proue I saie his own witnesse of hymself false and M. Dorman too by M. Dormans owne
witnesses sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by hymself for the proofe of his parte and that whiche is more I will prooue it by the verie same places of sainct Cyprian and sainct Hierome whiche are by Doctour Hardyng and maister Dorman here alleged that is to saie by the thirde epistle of the firste booke of the epistles of sainct Cyprian and by the epistle of sainct Hierome to Euagrius And I doubte not but as of his three witnesses brought for hym one is no witnesse but suche as if one would saie aske my self whether I bee a theefe or no so the other twoo witnesses who bee moste woorthie credite shall proue my cause true I truste and maister Dorman a verie liar Wherein I doo thus proceade First I will putte the reader in remembraunce yet once againe of Saincte Cyprians owne woordes before touched written in the same epistle by maister Dorman alleged whiche are these Cum statutum sit omnibus nobis c. whiche maie bee thus translated whereas an order is taken or statute made emongeste vs all and it is also reasonable and right that euery mannes cause be there hearde where the faulte was committed and whereas a portion of the flocke is assigned to euery bishoppe by himself whiche euery one ought to rule and gouerne and must geue an accompte of his doynges to the Lorde these whiche bee vnder our gouernaunce ought not therefore to runne about to witte from one Bishoppe to an other neither to breake the agreable concorde of Bishoppes by their guilefull temeritie or rashnesse but ought there to make answere in their causes where thei maie haue accusers witnesses of their crimes excepte it seeme to a fewe desperate and caste awaie persones that the authoritie of the bishoppes that bee in Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of others whiche Bishoppes haue alreadie geuen iudgement of them their cause is alreadie heard sentence is alreadie pronounced against them neither dooeth it agree to the graue iudgemente of Bishoppes to be blamed of the leuitie of a mouable and inconstant mynde whereas our Lorde dooeth saie Let your speache bee yea yea no no. Thus farre saincte Cyprian M. Dormans owne witnesse euen in the same epistle by hymself alleged And this sentence of saincte Cyprian touchyng the determinyng of controuersies in the places where thei dooe rise and that no appellations shal bee made to any bishop of an other Prouince yea and that namely not to the Bishop of Rome nor that he shall sende any Legates Laterall to heare or determine foraine matters dooeth the whole Carthaginense councell approue and allowe wherein was saincte Augustine Drosius and Prosper with 217. moe learned and godlie Bishoppes assembled as I haue before noted The same sainct Cyprian euer agreyng with hym self in this veritie of the equalitie of al bishops which is the ouerthrowe of the supremacie of one dooeth applie many suche places of the scriptures as are customarelie but moste falsely alleged now a daies by this authour and other aduersaries for the proufe of the popes supremacie ouer all Bishoppes to the declaration of the equall authoritie of euery Bishoppe in his own diocesse as the place of Deuteronomium concernyng the obedience due to the high Prieste out of Numerie of the disobedience of Chore Dathan and Abyron against Aaron out of the Actes of the Apostles touching Saincte Paules woordes I wiste not that he was the high Bishoppe for it is written thou shalt not speake euill to the prince of thy people All these places I saie doeth saincte Cyprian allege for the authoritie of Rogatian an Africane Bishop and againste the disobedience of the saied Rogatians oeacon against his bishop And the same places dooeth sainct Cyprian likewise againe in an other place allege for his owne authoritie beeyng Bishop of Carthage and against the stubbornesse of Pupianus towardes hymself So that saincte Cyprian doeth in all places maintaine the equalitie of bishops and withal ouerthrowe the supremacie of one ouer all directlie againste this place by you as out of Pope Leo alleged But in no place is sainct Cyprian more effectuous and piaine concernyng this matter then in his booke intituled De simplicitate praelatorū where he hath these woordes Dn̄sapostolis oībus post resurrectionem suam parem potestatē tribuit mox Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis That is to saie The Lorde after his resurrectiō did geue like orequall power to al his Apostles The other Apostles were the veric same that Peter was beeyng indued with like felowship both of honour and power Thus farre saincte Cyprian who beyng in so many places so directlie againste this vsurped supremacie of one and for the equalitie of all Bishoppes it is to be wondered with what face M. Dorman hath been so bold and busie with S. Cyprian in this his treatie of the popes supremacie Now let vs heare S. Hierome M. Dorman his second witnesse and euen in the same epistle by M. Dorman alleged also Where Saincte Hierome speakyng of the authoritie of Churches and Bishops and makyng thē all equall and none aboue an other hath these woordes Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis estimanda est c. Wée maie not thinke that the Churche of the citie of Rome is one and the Churche of the whole worlde an other Bothe Fraūce and Britaine now called Englāde Afrike and Persie lande the East countreis and Indie and al barbarous nations woorship one Christe and obserue one rule of truth If you seke for authoritie the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome wheresoeuer any bishoppe is whether he be at Rome or Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexādria or Tanis he is of the same merite of the same priesthoode The power of riches or basenesse of pouertie maketh not a bishope either higher or lower But thei be al the successors of the Apostles But thou wilte saie how dooe thei at Rome a◠the testimonie of the deacon ordein the priest What dooest thou allege to me the custome of one citie what dooest thou chalenge for the lawes of the Churche the vsage of a fewe whereof presumptiō hath risen Thus farre sainct Hierome Vpon the which place Erasmus in his Scholies noteth that Eugubium Rhegium and Tanis were base and little tounes and that sainct Hierome matcheth in paires and couples a poore simple little toune with a noble citie to she we therby that the dignitie of the Bishop is not estéemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie but that all bishops bee equall in office Now let vs compare these twoo sainct Cyprian I saie and saincte Hierome bearyng witnesse with the truthe with Leo onely bearyng witnesse to hymself Leo saieth In the holie Apostles themselues there was a differēce of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the reste On
the contrary parte S. Cyprian saith The Lorde gaue like and equall authoritie to all his Apostles all the Apostles bee indued with like felowship bothe of honour and power Thus saieth S. Cyprian in his booke intitled De simplicitate praelatorum Of the simplicitis of priestes noting them as double faced prelates that teache or attempt the coÌ„trary Againe Leo saieth Out of this forme is taken our difference of Bishoppes that in euery Prouince one bee chief and of moste authoritie and the bishop of greater cities to haue greater care and consequeÌ„tly that he who sitteth in Peters chaire should haue charge be heade of the vniuersall Churche Thus saieth Leo and thus he saieth because he hymself would be Lorde and head ouer all the churche S. Cyprian saieth Euery bishop hath his seuerall portioÌ„ of Christes flocke to rule and gouerne for the which he must geue an accoÌ„pt vnto the Lorde And that those who are vnder the charge of the bishop of one countrey maie not appeale to a bishop of an other nor the cause determined by one Bishop maie be called in question before an other for that the authoritie of one Bishop is not inferiour to an other nor the authoritie of the bishop of Afrike is lesse then the authoritie of the bishops of Italie or Rome it self for his woordes haue euidentlie that relation and that none thinke the authoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the authoritie of an other bishop but a fewe wicked and desperate men Thus you see how your owne witnesses are at square and there is yea and naie betwéene this your Leo and S. CypriaÌ„ in these matters S Hierome agreing with S. Cyprian saith All churches worshippyng one Christ and obseruyng one rule of truthe are equall with the churche of Rome all bishoppes bee the successours of the Apostles and of one priesthoode and of the same merite and dignitie Thus saieth S. Hierome But Leo saith contrary that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the rest that thei who be appoincted in greater diocesses or cities haue more care and authoritie and that th' onely see of Peter hath charge of the vniuersall Churche is heade therof Thus saith Leo. S. Hierome saith The lesse diocesse or toune or the poorer estate maketh not the bishop lower or lesse in authoritie the greater prouince the greater citie the greater riches make not a Bishop greater in authoritie And though Leo doo make neuer so muche of Rome and set it aboue the vniuersall Churche S. Hierome saith Th' authoritie of the vniuersall churche is greater then the authoritie of the churche of Rome as the worlde is greater then the citie of Rome And he saith further What dooest thou allege me the vse of the one citie of Rome for a lawe of the churche wherof riseth presumption of a fewe against all men I thinke y e fire and water are not of more contrary nature then are S. Cyprian and S. Hierome contrarie to that epistle alleged by M. Dorman as Leo the Popes epistle nor that any witnesses brought againste a man by his aduersarie euer haue more directlie testified againste him then these twoo witnesses S. Cyprian and sainct Hierome brought in by D. Hardyng and M. Dorman for them dooe testifie againste them euen in the verie places by themselues alleged besides their consonancie with themselues in al other places and the consent of S. Augustine and twoo hundreth and moe Bishops agrecyng with them againste this Leo. What should one iudge of these meÌ„ bringyng in together three witnesses of the whiche twoo are moste directlie againste them and againste the thirde also who alone seemeth to make with them that thirde as in his owne cause to bee suspected and further to bee doubted also whether it bee he in deede or an other vnder his name and suche as he is the woordes of his testimonie either manifestlie falsified or els at the least in diuers copies beyng not onely diuers but cleane contrarie as hauyng in one copie it is so in an other if M. Dorman slepte not it is not so And yet bothe these impossible bothe to bee true bee one mannes testimonie of one and the same matter and in one and the same place also Were these menne so blinde that thei did not see this or so shamelesse that seyng and knowyng thei durst yet allege suche witnesses for them So blind bussardes thei tooke all menne in the worlde sauyng themselues to bee Surelie me thinketh it to bee an harde case and a silie shamelesse shifte for menne to bee driuen to allege those authours and to bring those witnesses for them whose testimonies dooe thus conuicte them and quite ouerthrowe their cause and withall shame them vtterlie And verie miserable is the Pope and Poperie being driuen now at the laste to the patrocinie of suche proctours who openyng and bewraiyng the weakenesse of the groundes and foundations thereof so long tyme heretofore by ignoraunce of the worlde iudged sure will themselues bryng all Poperie beyng alreadie of it self ruinous to speedie and vtter destruction For the whiche also all godlie and suche as loue the truthe haue greate cause to geue God greate and hartie thankes for that these causes as desperate beyng forsaken of almoste all learned graue men M. Dorman with suche other as he is haue thus taken them in hande and that suche leude matters haue founde at the proctours and patrons moste méete for them Dorman Fol. 6. Hetherto haue you harde good readers beside the experience that we haue of ciuile policie and worldlie gouernemente the opinions also of saincte Cyprian sainct Hierome and holie Leo all three agreing in one that there must nedes be one iudge in Christes church in his steede that the health of the churche dependeth vpon the authoritie of the chief Prieste that if his authoritie bee not aboue all the reste there will so many Schismes breake in vpon vs as there bee Priestes that for the auoidyng of that mischiefe there was one chosen euen amongest the Apostles to gouerne the reste Last of all that that vsage in Chrisâ—es churche to haue one head is no newe inuention as some men falslie report but taken from the example of the Apostles theÌ„selues Nowell Hetherto haue you heard good readers how of the experience of ciuile policie and worldlie gouernment wherein euery seuerall countrey citie and companie haue their seuerall Princes rulers and heades maister Dorman would moste lâ—udely gather that al churches dispersed in all countries cities tounes villages nations peoples and laÌ„guages impossible to be knoweÌ„ and more impossible to be gouerned but of Christ onely the onely head of that vniuersalitie should haue one onely heade here in earth You haue hearde also how ignorantlie if he did not vnderstand how shamelesly if he did vnderstande he hath alleged S. Cyprian and S. Hierome for him beyng bothe in all other places vniuersallie and in the verie speciall places also by
by saincte Augustine that Christe is that rocke whereon the Churche is builded and not Peter nor Peters chaire vnlesse you take Peters confession made before be came at Rome to be his Chaire and then ye make with S. Augustine and vs against the Pope for Rome was not his chaire before he was bishop there You see that Peter is here the figure of the whole Churche in makyng his confessiō not of the churche of Rome onely you see that as Christe is the rocke so representeth Peter the christian people and not the people of Rome onely muche lesse the Pope onely you see that Petrus to saie the Churche is builded vpon Petra Christ and not Petra Christe builded vpon Petrus Peter you see that suche as will haue Peter beyng a man to be their rocke to builde vpon bee sectaries and heretikes diuidyng them selues from Christe despisyng hym and choosyng men and that thei onely be true Christians whiche wil not builde vpon Peter nor vpon any other man but vpon the rocke onely whiche is Christ hymself you see thei that builde vpon Peter maie saie I holde of Cephas whiche is Peter but thei that builde vpon the rocke maie saie I holde or I am of Christe Wherefore I conclude that all that builde vpon the Pope or his chaire as it were vpon the rocke as thei bée called so bee thei in deede Papistes not Christians as were all those false orders of hypocrites who forsakyng to builde vpon the rocke Christ and buildyng vpon men woorse then Peter Paule or Apollo a thousande tymes forsooke to saie Ego sum Christi I am of Christ I am a Christian and saied Ego Franciscanus ego Dominicanus c. I am of Francisce I am of Dominike a Franciscane a Dominicane a Bernardine yea an Augustinian cōtrary to this doctrine of S. Augustine whiche argueth that those hypocrites were neuer of his institution as thei falsely feigned thē selues to be And as S. Augustine witnesseth with Erasmus that Christe is Petra and not Peter nor Rome Peters chaire or see so hath Erasmus felowe witnesses enough of the auncient doctours of the churche yea and generall Councelles too that Popes were heretikes and therefore their chaire was not the rocke but waueryng and vncertaine sande the buildyng whereon did runne to the ruine of heresie Nowe you maie see good readers the cause why M. Dorman hath thus alleged vnto you sainct Hieromes sentence headlesse leauyng out the mention of Christ whom onely S. Hierome acknowledgeth for the head that the wordes of the rocke nexte folowyng might seme to be spoken of Peters rotten chaire or of ruinous Rome and not of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who liueth and reigneth for euer With like fraude did M. Dormā leaue also that whiche nexte foloweth in S. Hierome of the house without the whiche he that eateth the Pascall lambe is a prophane or vnholie man and the arke of Noe without the whiche all that bee perishe by the floudde For though that place might seeme to make for M. Dormans purpose concernyng the supremacie of the bishop of Rome as Erasmus hath noted yet he knowyng or some manne warnyng hym that it is in deede nothyng to his purpose for that the house without the whiche the Pascall lambe maie not bee eaten the Arke without the whiche no man can bée saued frō the floude by all olde doctours is interpreted to bee the one vniuersall churche of Christ and by none to be the churche of Rome and therefore like a wise man orels a false Fore hath he let that folowyng alone also as he cutte of Christe the head goyng and ioigned nexte before and so he hath tolde you a tale bothe without head and taile thereby to proue the Pope who is Antichriste to be the head of Christes churche Dorman Fol. 14. Saie vnto them as saincte Hierome saied vnto the Ibidem heretikes Vitalis and Miletus because thei are aduersaries to this seate that you knowe them not that thei scatter are schismatikes altogether out of the churche that gather not with Peters successour Nowell By your leaue sir you saie vntruelie that saincte Hierome saieth he knoweth not Vitalis and Meletius whom you call Miletus because thei were aduersaries to the seate of Rome but because thei were aduersaries to the true doctrine of the moste blessed Trinitie which Damasus did defende Saincte Hieromes woordes are these Non noui Vitalem Meletium respuo ignoro Paulinum Quicunque tecum non colligit spargit hoc est qui Christi non est est Antichristi That is to saie I knowe not Vitalis I refuse Meletius Paulinus I knowe not Whosoeuer dooeth not gather with thee he scattereth that is he that is not of Christe is of Antichriste Thus farre sainct Hierome I praie you maister Dorman what is in these woordes but thei maie as well bee spoken to saincte Augustine bishoppe of Hippo in Afrike or to saincte Ambrose Bishoppe of Milane or to any other godlie Bishoppe holdyng the truthe of the blessed Trinitie againste Vitalis Meletius and Paulinuus teachyng erronious doctrine and vsyng vnfitte termes thereof Here is neither mention made of this seate or that or the aduersaries thereto as causes why sainct Hierome should not knowe these menne but because thei taught false doctrine and Damasus taught true and therefore gathered not with hym but scattered and were not of Christe but of Antichriste therefore did saincte Hierome not knowe thē he beeyng a Romaine would not acknowledge their errours cloked vnder a straunge and newe inuented Greeke ternie But beeyng a Romaine prieste he well knewe Damasus the Romaine Bishoppe and so consequentlie his owne bishoppe as euery man is bounde to knowe his owne godlie Bishop he knewe his true doctrine and plaine Latine termes whereby he vttered the plaine truthe plainelie and therefore so knowyng hym and his doctrine he ioigned with hym in communion not for the seates sake or for that he was Peters successour therein but for the truthes sake whiche he beeyng Peters successour in truthe of doctrine more then in seate or Chaire did professe Againe the cause why saincte Hierome did not knowe but reiected Vitalis Meletius and Paulinus was not for that thei did not submitte them selues to Damasus as to the supreme head of the Churche or for that cause tooke them to bee enemies as maister Dorman would haue it seeme for there was no suche matter then in question but because thei did not agree with Damasus in the truthe but taughte falselie of the greateste poinctes of our religion and would haue wrapped the same in obscure and strange termes therby to deceiue the more therefore did sainct Hierome not knowe thē This is the true sense of this place good readers as al learned that wil reade it shall easily perceiue Wherfore maister Dorman thus corruptyng and falsifiyng Saincte Hierome by takyng awaie from hym and addyng to hym what he liste and drawyng the woordes of sainct Hierome concernyng the doctrine of
the moste blessed Trinitie to the Popes vsurped supremacie minglyng vs in lente vnguentum to witte matters moste impertinente together might moste iustlie bee blamed in this place therefore sauyng that he dooeth so in all places Finallie I would haue thee good reader to note that as S. Hierome would not knowe Vitalis and Meletius for that thei were forainers and not his owne bishops for that they taught false doctrine and therefore were not of Christ but of Antichrist and for that they were of a straunge language so haue we the same causes altogether not to knowe but to refuse the bishop of Rome and moe too as this specially that he being a forainer would vsurpe suche a supreame authoritie or rather cruell tyranny ouer vs with whom of right he hath nothing to doo Dorman fol. 14. Tell them boldely vvith S. Austen that yovv vvill ovve neither sute nor seruice to their chaire of pestilēce nor be a member of that body that either lacketh a head and is a dead tronke or hath many and is a liue monstre Novvell Be bolde and blushe not M. Dormā as boldly to belie S. Augustine as ye streight before haue dealt with S. Hierome For neither be the woords you doo reherse S. Augustines neither are the greatest part of them to be found in the place by you noted nor y e woordes which be in that place whiche you haue noted whose so euer they bee make ought for your purpose or against vs. You should haue done more simply had you alleaged a proufe for your headles trunke or liue monstre out of Pighius Hosius Pope Boniface his Extrauagants there shall you in déede finde for your purpose for much adoo is made there to saue the Popishe churche as hauing two heades one in heauen an other in earth as they say from being a liue monstre Erasmus being no simple iudge of the true and counterfeite writinges of the olde doctours in his preface before the booke De quaestionibus veteris noui testamēti intitled vntruly to S. Augustine doth by diuersitie of S. Augustines phrase and the phrase of that book probably and by very barbarous and false Latine vsuall in that booke vnaccustomed to S. Augustine certainly and by sundry doctrines in that booke most contrary to S. Augustines doctrine in his bookes vndoubtedly prooue that it is not S. Augustines worke so that it were to muche impudencie for any man but onely Hosius and M. Dorman to alleage it for S. Augustines The woordes of that authour who so euer he was a little more largely rehearsed by Hosius than by you M. Dorman leaste it myght appeare you had followed him to neere are these Eorum qui extra ecclesiam vel contra ecclesiam sedes suas instituerunt Cathedram pestilentiae dicimus Qui enim inconcessa praesumit c. We saye that the chaire of them whiche haue made them sees without or against the churche is the chaire of Pestilence He that presumeth vpon vnlawfull thinges is guiltie howe muche more if he also corrupte the tradition of him whose seate he vsurpeth For they trouble the order begunne of Peter the Apostle and kept to this tyme by the continuance of Bishoppes succeedyng chalenginge to themselues ordre without origine that is to saye professinge a bodye without an head Wherefore it is agreable their seate also to appeere to be the chayre of Pestilence Thus farre that incerteine author alleged by Hosius and nowe by M. Dorman for S. Augustine First if you woulde haue this place to make for you against vs you must proue your selues to be the true churche of Christe which you shall neuer be hable to dooe being in deede the Synagoge of Antichriste Further it appeareth by these woordes vvhose seate he vsurpeth meaninge Peters seate that this was writen in later times against some Antipope wrongfully chosen and intruding himselfe into the Bishoprike of Rome For it hath been no noueltie for these .iii. or .iiii. hundreth yeres to haue .ii. or .iii. Popes at once one chosen at Rome by some Cardinalles an other at Auinion by other some Cardinalles the thirde in a thirde place appointed by the Emperour and one to keepe his Papal see at Rome an other at Auinion in Fraunce the third at Rauenna in Italie or some where els And so some writer in fauour of him by like that was chosen and kept residence at Rome hath written this against some other that vsurped Peters seate and so they beynge many at one time troubled the order of the succession of one after an other begunne at Peter and so continued till such discorde came in by those who settinge vp an other chaire and so not sitting in Peters chaire sate as he saieth in the chaire of pestilence Howsoeuer it be the mater can not be applied to vs who doo not vsurpe Peters chaire Further what woord is there here to proue y e chayre of Rome to be the head of y e vniuersall church but rather to be the head of that peculiar church of Rome onely where Peters successours haue cōtinued Such kinde of head gouernour as we doo not denie euery bishop to be in his own diocesse so yet subiect to his prince as y e bishop of Rome ought to be to y e Emperour his lord To proceede we hauing Christ to be our head our church is no dead trunke as lacking an head and hauing him our head onely other his ministers our gouernours vnder him our churche is no liue monster as hauing many heades no more than our cōmon wealth hauing God the only head in heauen our prince his seruant our head gouernour in earth is therefore a liue monstre or the whole worlde hauing God to his head is therefore a dead truncke because it hath no one onely earthly head nor can haue any such no more can the vniuersall churche throughout the whole worlde haue any suche one earthly head Wherefore as M. Dormā would gather our church to be a dead truncke for that we will not graunt one onely head in earth ouer all the churche though we graunt Christe to be the onely head therof as in déede he is so let him gather in like wise that the whole world is a dead trūcke for that it hath no one onely head in earth though it haue God for his head in heauen and so he may cōclude that god and Christ the authours of life be no heades or no such heades as can saue the bodies whereof they be heades from being dead trunckes except the saide bodies haue a false vsurper from Rome to be their head besides and to geue them life And had M. Dorman had so muche leasure from his diuinitie matters as to haue looked better vpon his notes of the Canon lawe his peculiar studie he would haue bene better aduised than to haue called vs Acephalos headles and therfore dead trunckes who doo obey our owne Prelates seing Acephali as is there
haue we lost Is it not well and plainely declared by the examples of kyng Dauid Salomon Iosaphat Ezechias and Iesias that princes haue authoritie in gouerning of the Cleargie churche matters though they may not execute all ecclesiasticall functions and offices What though our most gracious soueraigne Ladie beynge a woman haue not so great skill in feates of warre as haue hir capitaines haue not so good knowledge in the lawes of hir realme as hir Iustices and other learmed men in the lawes haue though she haue in all good learning and in the scriptures too more knowledge then had any of your Popes this seuen hundreth yeres I beleue and therefore no lette in that poinâ—te but she may be head of the whole churche as well and rather then the Pope what if shée sit not in publique iudgement nor determine controuersies as dooe hir Iustices or be not general of an armie as are the nobles hir subiectes What I saye if shée can noâ— execute all ciuill offices in hir owne person Would you therfore M. Dorman take from hir hir ciuill principalitie ouer hir subiectes that she shall not be their Prince and head vnder God Surely you may with as good reason dooe it as you woulde take away hir superioritie ouer hir clergie from hir for that she can not may not nor will not execute ecclesiasticall functions Though the quéenes maiestie haue not that vnderstanding of all the affaires of hir realme that experience in all thinges that actiuitie in executing theÌ„ that hath the whole body of hir most honorable Councell yet doothe the whole body of hir Councell though most honorable humblie acknowledge hir to be their head onely proude Priestes because some thinges are incident to their office whiche the Prince may not nor liste not to dooe refuse their soueraigne to be their supreame gouernour Let the bishoppes be the Queenes Maiesties most godly Councell in matters of religion and I pray God they may so be as is the other moste honorable Councell in ciuill matters but let that godly Councel as well as that most honorable Councel be vnder the godly and moste highe honorable Prince as superiour to them both To commande thinges as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill to be done to sée them done to commende and rewarde all well dooers of them to correct and punishe all euill dooers of them or negligent in their office is the part of an head or supreame gouernour to doo thinges commaunded is the office of inferiour membres and obedient subiectes But M. Dorman would proue that the head is not the head because it can not nor liste not dooe all offices of all the principall membres of the bodie and séeketh for an head emongest the membres because they can dooe some thinges that the head can not For this is in déede the very effecte of that his seconde long treatie next folowyng a matter moste méete for M. Dormans dreaming head in the which treatie his chiefe paines is tâ— prooue that Priestes and not Princes ought by theyr office to preache to minister the Sacramentes to excoÌ„municate to absolue to resolue men â—n doubtes and scruples of conscience and suche liâ—e whiche no man euer denied yea and he thinketâ— that in so dooinge he hath spunne a fayre thréede Thus muche hath M. Dorman by his transition annexed to th end of this his treatie of one head occasioned me to admonishe the readers of that matter whiche as it may suffice for an answeare to the whole treatie folowing with all discreate readers so shall I yet for the satisfiyng of the meaner sort particularly answeare as muche as shal be left vntouched by the bishop of Sarisburie for the same matters as being before handled by D. Harding are incideÌ„t to the bishops answeare of his booke specially if there he any thyng sounding against the Princes supreame gouernment ouer persons and in causes as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill or temporall FINIS Fol. 3. 5. 14. 22. 60. 72. c. Fol. 65. M. Rastell in his praeface to continue the memorie of the chaleÌ„ge c. and to moue an expectation vvhich part shall firste shovv her weakenes c. * And againe he saith specially vvhere the nuÌ„breis great c. D. Hard. saith he did prepare his booke but for one friend and M. Rastell his booke for one friende alone in their prefaces to the Reader D. Harding in his preface to the B. of Sarum fol. 1. a. 2. b. and M. Rastell fol. 1. b. Math. 22. b. 16. c. Math. 22. d 35. Luc. 10. d. 25 In his preface Rastell in praefatâ—â—ne â–ª M. Rastell in his preface fol. 1. saithe I am but a comon souldiour amonge the orders of diuines and therfore I must stande behinde so manie bishops Doctors bachelers and scholars in diuinitie I vvill vvith a penknife deminish his lustie bloud Let the olde souldiours vvith great svvoordes and pikes kill his heresie * And againe M. Rast saith he will proue M. Iuell may be answered by a meane Scholer in Diuinitie that he nedeth not to prouoke the best of the Catholikes lyuinge D. Harding fol. 5. D. Harding fol. 75. b. M. Rastell in his praefa econfesseth his booke to haue bene begun four yeeres agoe fol. 119. * Raylinge Reuilynge â–ª Ribalrie Dorman fol. 110. â— 1. 2 3 4 Math. 7. c. 15. Mar. 12. d. 38. Luc 20. g. 46. Iohan. 18. e. 28. f. 31. Domine iâ—dex rogam vos c. Vt in actis Regist LoÌ„dinensiâ— Marc. 12. Luc. 20. Act. 22. a. 3. It is to be founde fol. 49 b. of the first print and fol. 50. b. of this print Nowell It is Epist â— Lib. epist 3. Epist 11. Lib. 4. Epist 9. Epist 61. 2â— Episcopos Italiam Galliam Nowell It is Epist 69. He should haue saied * thei inuade the chief roumes or places * he is compted more worthie to be the bishop of the people Hosius contra Brentium lib â–ª 1. folio 24. lib. 5. fol. 249. In oratione habita in consistorio Romae 1564. Februario mense typis excusa Basil epist 69. a Defecerunt qui pascunt cuÌ„ scientia ouile domini b Aconomias pauperum in proprias voluptates iÌ„sumuÌ„t c Annihilata est canonum sinceritas d Licentia peccandi multa c. e Serui enim sunt eoruÌ„ qui beneficiuÌ„ contulerunt Nowell Hosius against Brentius lib 2 Fol. 42. hath the same Basilius Epistola 70. Persequutionem patiuntur pastores vt disê‘gantur oues gregis Lib. 6. ca. 30. Nowell It is cap. 3. and not 30. The like is Eusebii libr. 6. cap. 43. and in sundrie Epistles of S. Cyprian vvho dooth speake moste of Nouatianus The banishement of scholers from the vniuâ—rsities for refusing to svveare against the Pope Eusebius libr. 6. cap. 43. Cyprianus li. 3. Epist 13. Eusebius li. 6. cap. 43. Nicephorus lib. 6. cap. 3. Cyprianus lib. 4. epist 9. Cyprianus li. 2. epi. 8 IdeÌ„est Nouatus qui apud â—os primum discordiae