friends can assure him that there is no proofe of it there so haue wee also just cause to mistrust the inferior Priests the feet when the head begins to faile and when we heare S. Hierome crying out that all heresies and commotions both Ecclesiasticall and Civill commonly came from Priests nay it seemes they justly deserue to be thus stigmatized when their owne Canons haue laid this note vpon them which saies omne malum à Sacerdotibus dist 50. quod retentum à Gregorio 13. expunxit Sixtus Quintus Jnd. expurg Belg. fol 306. Besides by this rule of blind obedience they that followed Luthers doctrine are justified against the Pope because he was their lawfull Pastor and they did no more then their duty in harkening vnto him if it be true indeede that the Laity are bound to obey the Clergy in all things touching their faith and salvation The perpetuity of Christs Church on earth That the Church increased by Preaching and Miracles at the first That it shall continue vnto the end of the world by vertue of Christs promise and the assistance of the Holy Ghost All this is vndoubted truth and I pray you aske your friend whether hee know any Protestant that doth deny it Stapleton some other of the shamelesse crew haue gone about to perswade the world that wee beleeue not the perpetuity of Christs Church for ever vpon earth but it is so shamelesse a slaunder that Bellarmine himselfe stands vpon our defence and pleads our cause against all such calumniators Notandum est saith he multos ex nostris tempus terere let your friend note it for hee is one of those multi whom it concernes dum probant absolutè Ecclesiam non posse deficere Nam Calvinus caeteri Haeretici id concedunt Bellarm lib. 3. de Eccl. milit c. 13. in initio capit And though himselfe vndertaking in the same place to set downe the Protestants opinion doe it very vntowardly yet you see what hee thinkes of those other gamesters who charge vs to hold that the Church hath at sometime decayed and consequently that Christ hath failed in his promise made vnto her Tempus terunt saith he they are all but triflers If your friend haue any such conce it of vs desire him to belieue Bellarmine and hereafter to haue a better opinion If not aske him to what purpose hee cited Isa 59.22 Math. 28.19.20 Joh. 14.16.17 Math. 18.18 Howsoever let him now know that we belieue the Catholique Church to bee Regnum quod non dissipabitur an everlasting Kingdome that shall stand when all earthly Kingdomes faile But wee doe not beleeue that this is true of every particular Church and wee know that the Romish Church is no more then a particular and therefore as subiect to mutability and corruption as any other of the same nature Secondly tell him how wee beleeue that the holy Ghost doth and ever will guide the same Catholique Church into all necessary truth but we deny first that all those things are necessary to be beleeved which Rome professeth as truths Secondly that the guidance into such truths is a grace entailed to any one succession of Bishops more then to other or that the Popes chaire hath any greater reason to presume of her infallibility then any other Patriarchicall Seas had heretofore of theirs But we must talke more of this hereafter Saint Peter not the ministeriall head of the Church That our Saviour did constitute St Peter to bee Ministeriall of his Church Well may the name of a Ministeriall head be given to Saint Peter in respect of his Apostleship and there is not one of the twelue but that in the same respect the same name belongs vnto him as they are called the twelue foundations of the holy Ierusalem Apoc. 21.14 so they may bee called 12. Ministeriall Heads of the Church vnder Christ But to appropriate these names vnto Peter alone to make him not a Ministeriall but the Ministeriall head as if the rest were no Heads at all it is such a wrong done to the other Apostles as cruell Landlords sometimes offer to their Tenants when they take away their common from them and make it their owne inclosure As for the curtesie which perhaps they thinke they doe vnto Saint Peter it is such a one as he will never giue them thankes for that blessed Saint knowes well enough that all this quarrelling about Supremacy is not for his sake but for the Popes and that his name is vsed only for a leaping stocke to helpe the other to horse Hee takes as much delight in this honourable supremacy which they would cast vpon him joyned with the disgrace of his fellow Apostles as Paul and Barnabas did when the men of Lystra would haue sacrificed vnto them Act. 14.14 Hoc erant vtique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti Honoris Potestatis Cip. de vnit Eccles And yet we doe not say that this equality betweene the Apostles was so equall but that there was ever a Prius Posterius among them as in all well-guided societies it is fit there should bee for avoiding confusion Iames and Peter and Iohn are termed Pillars by which they are vnderstood to be persons of speciall note among the rest Gal. 2.9 and like enough that Peter in regard either of his seniority in the Apostleship or the fervency of his zeale to Christ or some other speciall grace wherein hee did excell might be a more eminent pillar then any one of the other vt Plato Princeps Philosophorum sic Petrus Princeps Apostolorum Hierom. adversus Pelag. lib. 1. cap. 4. Now as that name made not other Philosophers subiect to Plato so neither doth the like giuen to Peter inferre any Iurisdiction that hee had over his fellowes or makes them any whit inferiour vnto him that way Saint Ambrose saith of Paul that he was not inferiour to Peter or to any other of the Apostles that went before onely in time in 2. Cor. 12.9 And in his booke de Incar Dom. Cap. 4. speaking of that Primacy that Peter had he calleth it Primatum Confessionis wherein Peter was preferred a primacy of confession faith he not of honour a primacy of faith but not of degree Your friend is of another minde and brings Scripture to proue a greater supremacy given vnto Peter then all this we speake of consider his proofes St Peters supremacy And I say to thee thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it and J will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth it shall be bound also in the heavens and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the heavens Math. 6. vers 18.19 Before that ever our Saviour spake these words to Peter you must vnderstand that hee had proposed a certaine question to them all
and J will giue to thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth it shall bee bound also in the heavens and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the Heavens Math. 16. v. 18.19 And our Saviour said Simon Simon behold Satan hath required to haue thee for to sift as wheat But I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being converted confirme thy Brothren Luk. 22. v. 31.32 Our Saviour Christ asking Peter if he loued him more then these said yea Lord thou knowest I loue thee whereupon Christ said to him twice feed my Lambes and the third time feede my Sheepe Ioh. 21. v. 15.16.17 That Saint Peter was chiefe of the Apostles and the first Bishop of Rome When all the holy Apostles are named S. Peter is the first Math. 10. vers 2. After the Apostles had visibly receiued the Holy Ghost S. Peter made the first Sermon thereof whereat 3000. persons were converted Act. 2. v. 41. With his word and power he killed Ananias and Saphira for their Sacriledge Act. 5. v. 5. Saiut Peter called the first Councell of the Apostles held at Ierusalem and first spake therein Act. 15. v. 7. Jt is affirmed by old writers and some moderne learned Protestants that S. Peter was 15. yeares Bishop of Rome and by the auncient Ecclesiasticall wryters that S. Peter and S. Paul were both of them martyred together in Rome vnder the Emperour Nero. Orig. apud Euseb Lib. 3. cap. 1. Eus Cap. 24. Lib. 2. Hist Eccliastic Tertul. de praesc c. 26. Aug. tract 123 in Ioh. Chrysost Beda in hunc locum S. Ambr. Serm. 66.68 St Maximus Statu faelix Ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum suo fanguine pro funderunt vbi Petrus passioni Dominicae adaequatur vbi Paulus Iohannis exitu Coronatur Tertul. de Praescrip cap. 36. That St Peters Successors Bishops of Rome haue exercised chiefe authority in the Church Militant ever since to this day After the Martyrdome of St Peter first Bishop of Rome 32. of the succeeding Bishops there were martyred for the faith of Christ Eusebius Pope Victor in the first 200. yeares excommunicated the Asian Bishops about the observation or keeping Easter day Pope Silvester 314. yeeres called the first Councell of Nice against the Arian hereste Pope Damasus 367. called the second generall Councell at Constantinople against Macedonius the heretique Pope Caelestine 414. called the third generall Councell at Ephesus against Nestorius the heretique Pope Leo 440. called the fourth generall Councell at Calcedon against the heretique Eutiches And likewise euer since to the last generall Councell of Trent the Bishops of Rome haue called them all as heresies and false Prophets did arise in the Church Jt is confessed by divers learned Protestants that the Roman Church was the true Mother Church which Christ our Saviour planted some for 300. yeares some for 400. yeares some for 600. yeares and some for 800 yeares after Christ which being true that it was once the true Church and also true that our Saviour Christ promised to bee with it to the consummation of the world and to send the spirit of Truth to abide with it for ever and that Hell gates should not preuaile against it and Christ saith Heaven and Earth shall passe but my words shall not passe How then can it be true that the Roman Church being once the true mother Church should fall so fouly from her first puritie as is by some too too boldly affirmed Jt is so necessary for every one to know and beliene the holy Catholique Church Militant that whosoever is not a sound member of that society either in act or desire cannot be saved as all those which were out of Noahs Arke were drowned And to end with a demonstration all the Patriarchall Episcopall Seas of the Apostles be extinguished and worne out many hundred yeares since by Heretiques and Jnfidels onely the Church of Rome the Seate of Saint Peter stands at this day most conspicuous according to the prayer and promise of Christ that his faith should not faile and that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against it Thus briefly is proued the beginning encreasing and continuing of the holy Christian Catholique Apostolique and Romane Church as also the promised continuall assistance of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of truth to remaine therewith alwaies to the Consummation of the World that is for ever Of which Vine all Christians that shall be saued must be vnited liuely branches and members THE ANSWERE to the Priests Motiues GOod Brother Whosoever he was that sent you these lines as motiues to make you a Romish Catholique I must needs thinke him your friend and by that name I meane to call him hereafter because I thinke hee did it out of a desire to saue your soule although I am sure he goes the wrong way to worke And if you should follow him which God forbid hee will certainly leade you into the ditch Though his proofes bee simple ones as I hope you will see by the answere yet it seemes hee thought better of them and they were the best he knew and therefore if hee faile in his purpose as I hope he shall yet you haue some cause to thanke him in that hee vsed the same arguments to perswade you wherewith hee himselfe was perswaded But for the validity of his reasons doe you judge your selfe when you haue heard vs both speake or if not let it bee tried by God and the country And who soever he was he hath placed a sentence in the foot of his discourse which for the importancie thereof deserved to bee set in a higher roome therefore I will begin with that first The true Catholique Church Jt is so necessary saith hee for every one to know and beleeue the holy Catholique Church militant that whosoever is not a sound member of that society either in act or desire cannot bee saved All this is true and there is great reason for it for if it were once agreed among Christians which were the true Church of Christ other differences in Religion would more easily be composed by the authority thereof But so long as the doubt remaines concerning the Church it selfe as in these daies that is the capitall controversie betweene Protestants Papists there is small hope of any good accord vnlesse both sides could agree vpon some third party to be vmpire Who must be such a one as is of sufficient vnderstanding to discerne where the truth resteth and withall of that indifferency in affection that he encline no way to one side more then to another For that either the Romish or reformed Church being themselues the parties litigant that they should require to be made Iudges in their own cause though some of our adver saries be not ashamed to make such a proposition yet I thinke there is no man that hath his fiue wits about him
Faith Religion and Sacraments instituted by Christ In which words let it bee no offence to say that hee deales as boatmen vse to doe when they looke one way row another for whatsoever he talkes of the Catholique Church you shall finde presently that hee meanes the Romish Church a meere particular one though for the credit thereof he would faine yoake it together with the Church Catholique in the same description But see his ill lucke For while he goes about to describe them both in one he failes to describe either of them as he should For if the Catholique Church doth comprehend as hee saith the multitude of all true beleeuers even from righteous Abel as Augustine speaketh to the end of the world how can this agree to the Romish Church On the other side if it comprehend no more then such as are subiect to one visible head how can the name of Catholique in right belong vnto it So this description is like a shooe that will serue neither foote If wee should grant that the Romish faith in these daies were the true faith of Christ yet could not that make their Church to bee the Catholique Church but only a part thereof and that is the most that can bee said of it though it were farre better then it is but the Pope lookes higher then so Rome scornes to be ranckt in the order of particular Churches He must be the vniversall Bishop and she the vniversall Church of the World For if that should be denied what right hath either He or Shee to claime subiection of those who haue their severall dependance vpon other Bishops Therefore to make this good and to bring all fish into St Peters net there were some well-wishers to the Romish cause who not finding how two such disparates in nature as vniversall and particular Catholique and singular might possibly be joyned together in one subiect they found a meanes at last to joyne them both together in one word and hence it comes to passe that instead of Romana fides Romana Ecclesia which was wont to bee the common language among all Christians wee must call it henceforth Romano Catholicam fidem Romana Catholicam Ecclesiam or else they will complaine that wee allow them not their full stile Thus still it falls out that Portenta rerū gignunt portenta verborum And if it were not a new and strange doctrine it never needs to coine such new and strange words And yet as if Romana Ecclesia did not speake home enough to expresse their meaning or as if it were too large a terme and they durst not trust that more then Catholica or Apostolica Bellarmine de effect sacr l. 2. c. 25. to be sure to fit the shooe to the Popes foot restraines it to nunc Romana Ecclesia I know not what the spirit of giddinesse is if this bee not or why wee should not say of these men as it was said of the Arrians Habent annuas menstruas fides Ecclesias If the ancient faith of Rome were the same with the present what meanes nunc Romana if it were not how is the present faith Catholica For that onely is so quae est omnium temporum locorum The Councells of Lateran or Trent will not be guided by the Councells of Basil or Constance And therefore Cusanus speakes plainely and saies that there is fides temporum a faith that alters with the time and that the true sense of the Scripture is that which the present Church giues Non est mirum si praxis Ecclesiae vno tempore interpretetur scripturā vno modo alio tempore alio modo nam intellectus currit cum praxi intellectus enim qui cum praxi concurrit est spiritus vivificans sequuntur ergo Scripturae Ecclesiam non è converso Epist 7. Bohem. The holy christian Catholike Church No absolute Monarchy is a visible Monarchie vnder one visible lawfull head I complained before that the Church of Rome being a meere Particular he made it all one to the Catholique Church of Christ Here I finde cause to complaine on the other side of his wrong done to the Catholique Church when he termes it a visible Monarchie vnder a visible Head which is the placing of a barre in her armes and makes her no better then the Romish or any other particular being of the younger house 1. When hee names the Church a Monarchie if he mean it in respect of Christ sole King and Monarch thereof I will not contend with him about the name or if hee meane it in regard of particular Churches we confesse that in as much as they are subiect to their severall Bishops their governement in that respect is a kinde of Monarchie though not an absolute Monarchie but such a one as is tempered with an Aristocrasie because Bishops either doe not or should not impose lawes vpon the Church but Ex communi Concilio Presbyterorum by the advice and with the consent of their Presbyterie A visible Monarchie Not visible If the Catholique Church were a naturall body and not a mysticall If it were some individuall and singular subiect and not a meere vniversall as the name of a Catholique imports Visibility might well bee an adiunct belonging vnto it Which otherwise I confesse I vnderstand not how it should and I belieue they that speake most of it vnderstand it as little if your friend haue ever seene the Catholique Church with his eye let him say whether it be Diaphanum or adiaphanum luminosum corpus or opacum bid him tell you of what colour and complexion it is And doe not thinke I iest in mouing such questions for in good earnest it must bee qualified thus for in some such sort if it be subiect to the eye of man I grant he hath seene some particular persons that belong vnto the Church and are members thereof and so haue I often but for the Church it selfe whose formality consisteth in a spirituall coniunction with Christ the head of the members themselues one with another this mysticall vnion I am sure he did never see therefore hee did never see the Church no not any particular Church to speake properly much lesse the Catholike church This is an article of faith and not an obiect of sense farre aboue the spheare of all optike learning it is an Article to bee believed not a thing to be descried by a paire of spectacles or any other prospectiue glasse if hee meane Video pro intelligo by the old Grammer rule let him and the rest speake so a Gods name and call it hereafter the intelligible Church that we may vnderstand them for then they shall begin to speake somewhat more like Protestants for otherwise while they call it the vniversall yet visible Church they interfeare at every word and speake pure non-sense The Pope not the head of the Church Vnder one lawfull visible head It had beene plaine dealing
did not Christ pray for them all it is evident that to touch Peter more deepely and to shew his fault to bee more grievous then any of the rest Christ turned his speech to him in particular in Math. Hom. 83. All this proues no greater Monarchy but rather a greater infirmity in Peter then in any of the rest and greater mercy in Christ towards him whose sinne did deserue à greater iudgement As S. Paul inferres the like of himsele 1. Tim. 1.16 I am sure the Pope will not bee thought to succeed Peter in the sinne of his deniall why then doth hee claime the benefit of Christs prayer Ego pro te oravi which was made purposely for Peter in regard of that sinne For as Peters deniall was his personall fault and is not derived per traducem to his Successors for then not only many Popes should Apostatare as Lyra in Math. 16. saith but all Popes should be Renegates which I beleeue not As therefore it was a personall sinne in Peter to deny Christ so the prayer of Christ for Peter was a personall favour bestowed vpon him and the Pope hath no more right to the one then the other besides let it bee considered that the faith which Saint Peter obtained by Christs prayer was not only fides notitiae such as Divels haue and tremble but it was fides fiduciae vera salvifica sides such a faith as worketh with charity and whosoever hath it shall vndoubtedly be saued and so Chrysostome vnderstands it Oraui proute ne deficeret fides tua hoc est ne in fine pereas Hom. 72. in Ioh. Now it is confessed by all Papists that all Popes are not furnished with this kinde of faith Pope Adrian 6. is said to haue doubted of the salvation of many of his predecessors and Bellarmine if the Seminary Priest bely him not hath passed a peremptory iudgement vpon Pope Sixtus Quintus Quia sine poenitentiâ vixit sine poenitentiâ mortuus est quantum sapio quantum capio descendit ad inferos Watson in his Quodlibets Now if this be true that Popes may bee damned it must needs follow that either Christs prayer did not prevaile with God which were impiety to thinke or that the Pope was never thought vpon by Christ when this prayer was a making Now to his third proofe 3. Our Saviour Christ asking Peter îf he loved him more then these said yea Lord thou knowst J loue thee wherevpon Christ said to him twice feed my Lambes and the third time feed my sheepe Ioh. 21. vers 16.17 Here is some mistaking of the Text againe for Christ did not say twice to Peter feed my Lambs once feede my sheep but twice feed my Sheepe and once feed my Lambs But let this passe for a peccadillo I say farther that in the words there is nothing spoken more to Peter then is elsewhere spoken to all the Apostles When they are commanded to goe and teach all Nations baptizing them Mat. 28.19.20 And if hee thinke that there lies any speciall mystery in these words because there is such distinct mention of lambs and sheepe both committed to Peters charge the like whereof we doe not find in the mission of the other Apostles Let him not be too hasty to say so till hee haue considered the words of their generall commission Mark 16.15 Goe into all the world Saint Peter could not haue a larger Dioces and preach the Gospell to every creature Therefore whether they be Lambes or sheepe they belong to the charge of euery other Apostle as well as to Saint Peters But they will say that Peter is commanded not only Pascere but regere and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies more then a Pastorall duty even a kinde of Regall authority to bee given by Christ vnto him Bellarmine stands much vpon the word though there bee little cause Lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. c. 15. I know that Kings are sometimes called Shepheards as Homer calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay God himselfe cals Cyrus so Jsa 44.28 But I thinke it were harsh because Kings are sometimes called shepheards to infer that Shepheards therefore are Kings whether wee speake of rustike or Ecclesiastick Shepheards But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee such a mysticall word and doth imply such a soveraigne authority what meant Saint Paul to vse that word speaking to the ordinary Presbyters of Ephesus whom he willed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Act. 20.28 You haue heard his three texts of Scriptures which if they be so cleere for the supremacy as hee would haue you thinke let him giue you some reason why Pope Zozimus Bonifacius Caelestinus did not alledge any of these Scriptures in the 6. Councell of Carthage when their supremacy lay a bleeding but only made their claime by the Councell of Nice it is not likely that ever such learned and wise Prelates as they would haue sought for humane proofes to iustify their cause if they had knowne how to doe it by divine authority which is to mee an vndoubted argument that these fore-alleadged places Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.31 Ioh. 21.16 either were not thought on in those daies to imply any such Supremacie in Peter or that Peters supremacy whatsoever it bee was not thought to belong any whit to the Pope Else why did they not stand vpon the Scriptures Why did the Popes Legates vrge the Nicene Canon Or rather why did they forge it to serue their turnes for so it is certaine that they did and the forgery remaines vpon record in the Acts of the Councell And though Cardinall Baron Tom. 5. Annal haue strained his wits hard to salue the matter yet it will not be Haeret lateri lethalis arundo But as I was about to say if these Scriptures make any good proofe for the Popes Supremacy why were not they brought forth in that Councell of Carthage either by the Pope or his Legates rather then the Nicene Canon Saint Augustine was one of the Fathers present in that Carthagenian Councell when this cause was debated and is it likely that either the Pope would haue stood then vpon Canons if he had known any Canonicall scripture for it or that Saint Augustine and the rest would haue denied him any authority that was due to him by Gods word I conclude that either the Church in those daies did not vnderstand these places of Scripture or the Romish doth not vnderstand them now But see whether these proofes that follow doe helpe his cause any better 1. When all the holy Apostles are named S. Peter is the first Mat. 10.2 That is not so for Saint Andrew is named before him Ioh. 1.44 James is named before him Gal. 2.9 Paul and Apollos were both named before him 1. Cor. 3.22 Nay see 1. Cor. 9.5 and Mark 16.7 and you shall finde him named last of them all 2. If it were so that Peter were still first named yet what a weake foundation is that for so great
Philippi hath 150. Churches vnder him Athens as many Hee of Corinth hath a hundred besides all the Ilands of the Aegean Sea Constantinople it selfe the very seat of the Turkish Empire hath aboue twenty Churches of Christians Put all these together and you shall see that Papists haue little cause to boast of their multitude or to sleight this Patriarch as if there were but few Christians subject vnto him There are likewise at this day Patriarchs though poore ones of Alexandria and Antioch and great multitudes of Christians that are subiect to each of them though nothing so many in number as were wont to bee heretofore by reason of the Turkish tyranny and oppression vnder which they are brought yet neither so few that it can bee truely said of the meanest of them as your friend ventures to affirme of them all That they bee extinguished and worne out many yeares since They be poore and suffer much affliction vnder the Turke and other Infidels and yet they may be never the worse Christians for all that True piety and godlinesse did never so much flourish in the Church as when the Church it selfe was most persecuted and afflicted by Tyrants Schola Crucis est Schola Lucis semen Ecclesiae est sanguis Martyrum and therefore they that make temporall prosperity a note to know the Catholique Church by as generally our Iesuites doe speake more like Epicures then Divines and Christians Besides your friend shewes himselfe very ignorant in the state of his owne Romish Church if he doe not know that the Pope at this day doth vsually create certaine titular Praelates Whereof one is called Patriarch of Alexandria the other of Antioch another of Ierusalem It is true that these all are but meere puppets and Idols and possesse not a foote of revenew or the least part of Iurisdiction in those places whereof they beare names yet your friend should not haue denied that there were any such Patriarchs seeing they are Creatures of the Popes owne making whose greatest vse is to gull the world vnder those names as if those foure Patriarchs did performe him obedience when indeed they bee but foure vizzards in comparison of the Patriarchs themselues Only the Church of Rome the seat of Saint Peter stands at this day Let him not stand too much vpon the standing of his Church Rome no sound Church of Christ For sure the leggs thereof are not so sound as they should bee a church may be worne out as well by diseases bred inwardly in her body as by the violence of externall persecution If Rome bee free from this latter yet a great part of the world thinkes her ill affected in her inward and vitall parts She thinkes not so her selfe no more doth many a dying man but will say he is well when he is ready to giue vp the Ghost Sacerdotium quod intus cecidit foris diu stare non potest Greg. Mor. You see the falshood of those propositions vpon which his demonstration is built see now how loosely his conclusion hangs vpon those propositions though I should grant them to be true If there be any sense at all in the connexion of the parts together this it is All the other Patriarchall Churches are fallen Onely Rome is not fallen Therefore it shall never fall Let him take his answere from S. Paul Rom. 11.17 If some of the branches be broken off and thou being a wild Oliue tree c. Now let him remember to what Church Saint Paul there writes and what they were to whom hee gaue such earnest premonition to take heed least for their infidelity God should cast them off as hee had done the Iewes in their sight This had beene a very needlesse admonition especially from the Apostle to the Romanes if he knew certainly that God had promised them such indeficiency of faith that whatsoever became of other Churches theirs should never turne Infidell Be not high minded but feare saith hee vnto them vers 20. and againe If God spared not the naturall branches the Jewes take heed least hee also spare not thee v. 21. and againe Behold the goodnesse of God towards thee if you continue in his goodnesse otherwise thou shalt be cut off v. 22. And yet your friend would make you thinke that the Romanes haue no cause to feare and that they cannot be cut off and all by vertue of an imaginary promise which hee supposeth Christ made to thē by which reckoning all Saint Pauls iffs were but Panici timoris Hee feared where no feare was and therefore might well haue spared all the breath he spent that way To conclude let mee now at the Parting giue him a demonstration out of these words of the Apostle That Church which may possibly bee cut off from Christ and fall into infidelity is not the true Catholique Church But it is possible the Romish Church may be cut off from Christ and fall into infidelity Teste Apostolo vt supra Therefore the Romish Church is not the true Catholique Church FINIS
the largest And Papists haue little hope ever to see it hereafter spread over the whole World Now because the Pope hath no jurisdiction in those parts nor ever had shall wee thinke therefore that Christ hath no kingdome there Or that the Grecian Armenian Jndian Aethiopian and other African Churches bee no Churches at all because they are no Popish Churches I omit to speake here of Protestants in Europe whose multitude the Pope knowes better then hee loues But for those other which I was speaking of it is certaine that either the Prophecies mentioned before are accomplished in those Christians or else they were never accomplished hitherunto at all eyther Christ now reigneth in those Churches or else his kingdome was never so large as it was promised that it should be And although it cannot be denied but that those Easterne Southerne Christians are much degenerated from their primitiue purity and there bee diverse things amisse in their profession yet they are Christians still and whosoever denies them that name because they are none of the Popes creatures hee robs Christ of more subiects then hee leaues him to raigne over Vbicunque timetur laudatur Deus ibi vera est Ecclesia August in Psal 21. The Church for the space of sixe hundred yeares was not only without this visible head but so farre from desiring it that when Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople an ambitious Prelate began to affect this matter he was told by Gregorie the Great that his course was Antichristian yet it is certaine the ambition of this Patriarch was no more then that which hath since broken forth in ambitious Popes vnder the name of their Supremacy and the same reasons which Gregory vsed against Iohn being many in number they conclude as strongly against Gregories Successors now a daies as ever they did then against the other Read Greg. on that Argument lib. 4. Ep. 30.32.36 alibi If the same question were made now to the Pope which was then made by Gregory to that Patriarch Tu quid Christo vniversalis Ecclesiae capiti in extremi iudicij dicturus es examine qui cuncta eius membra vibi conaris vniversalis appellatione supponere I thinke his Holinesse would be to seeke of an answere I am sure Gerson a learned Roman Catholike was so farre from thinking such a visible Head to bee any matter of necessity in the Catholique Church that hee thought the body might doe well enough though this head were taken off from the shoulders as appeares by his booke written De aufenibilitate Papae And so I passe from this description of the Catholique Church All that followes from thence to the end almost of the first page might well haue bin spared neither can I devise to what purpose it is brought in 1. That our Saviour Christ being a Priest for ever secundum ordinem Melchisedec Christ the head of the Church was the first visible Head and founder of the said holy Christian Catholique Church c. Hee is no Christian that doubts of it but when I heare him say that Christ was the first visible head of the Church me thinkes hee speakes strangely vnlessE hee thinke that Christ is now ceased to bee somewhat that hee was heretofore For why else did he not say in praesenti that Christ is the head of the Church as well as he is a priest for ever vnlesse he were afraid to hurt the Popes head Primus semper dicitur in ordine ad secundum secundus ad tertium Now if the Church by the death of Christ her first head got her a second head which was S. Peter why then vpon his death shee got a third head and so consequently hath had as many Heads as shee hath had Popes which is scarce good English 2. How farre the Clergy are to bee obeyed That Christ did institute a Clergy a Laity in his Church the one to preach and administer Sacraments the other to learne and to obey c. I hope hee doth not meane that the Clergy are freed from obeying the Gospell because they are bound to preach it But that Christ did institute such a distinction of people in his Church we know before hee told vs so Heere a man might suspect that some Priest had his finger in the framing of this writing in as much as when he speakes of the duty of the Laity he tels them That they are bound to obey the Clergy in all things touching their Faith a speech too lauish for any Priest to speake and too slavish for any ingenuous Lay man to heare except it be much circumcised they must obey in all things he meanes first the persons then the doctrine Ex personis fidem non ex fide personas And Champnies an English Sorbonist professeth as much l. de vocat minist c. 1. And so likewise Stapleton In doctrinâ religionis non quid dicatur sed quis loquatur attendendum est defens Ecclesiasticae autorit l. 3. c. 7. demon strat princip doctrin l. 10. c. 5. Which Tertullian thought a great absurdity and so disclaimes it Veritas docendo persuadet non suadendo docet adver Valent. Hic est sacerdos de genere Aaronis non decipiet nos 1. Mac. 7.14 so did some over-credulous Iews say of Alcimus but yet they were deceiued And so would your friend perswade you to belieue him because he is a Romish Priest and to take vp your faith vpon his credit But let it first appeare that their Clergy are so priviledged by speciall or common grace that either they cannot preach false doctrine though they would or that they wil not though they can then we are content they should bee obeyed in all things Alfonsus à Castro tells indeed strange things that hee heard a Dominican preach concerning the priviledges of his owne order l. 1. de haeres c. 9. but your friend goes beyond him and saies as much of every popish Priest such must bee obeyed in all things and therefore such cannot or should not erre and then vbi Papae infallibilitas what preheminence shall his holinesse haue more then every common Masse Priest Either this Pontifex maximus this high Priest must forbeare to say his Pater noster or forbid other Priests to say theirs or else they will goe cheeke by cheeke with him neque sufficit dicere neither can they say that they are all equall potestate ordinis only for they will be so potestate iurisdictionis too if they are to be obeyed in all things What will they say then that the Pope alone is the infallible Church to the learned Papist but to the common people every parish Priest is their Church to this I may answere that as Cotton seem'd to mistrust even the Popes infallibility when he desired to know of the divell the strongest proofe in Scripture for Purgatory Thuan. To. 5. fol. 1136. though hee needed not haue troubled the divell so farre when many of his owne