See you that loue the Pope so well what a blessing you would bring vpon the Land by restoring his authority which our forefathers counted a burden most vntollerable Antiquus Matthy Paris is noted to take too much delight in speaking euill of the Pope and Matthy of Westminster receiued his Narrations from him and both were too much affected to their owne Countrey Antiquissimus They were both of the Romish Religion the one a Monke of Saint Albones the other a Monke of Westminster Abbey both delighted to speake the truth and spake well of the Popes wherethey saw cause and related other Countries affaires with as vpright affections as their owne Paris saith that the iniustice impiety and dishonesty beare with these words they are his owne of the Court of Rome made the Greeke Church then to fall away and to oppose it selfe against the Roman and that shortly afterwards the Church of Antioch excommunicated the Pope and his Church for vsurping primacy ouer them and being also defiled with Simony Vsury Auarice and other hainous offences And we reade the same things plentifully deliuered in all forraigne Historians Nauclere Vrspergensis Krantzius Aventinus Schasuaburgensis Frisingensis Trithenius c. Vrspergensis in Chron. pag. 307. Abbas Vrspergensis at his being at Rome seeing among other infinite meanes and mines of wealth a great confluence of causes litigious about Bishops places and all other Ecclesiasticall dignities and Parish Churches out of all Countries running to the Court of Rome there to be decided Hee applaudes Rome with the Apostrophe Reioyce O Mother Rome for vnto thee are opened the Cataracts of treasures in the earth To thee runne the Riuers and mountaines of money in great plenty Be Jouiall for the iniquity of the sonnes of men c. thou hast that which thou alwayes thirstedst after Sing thy song that by the wickednesse of men not by thine owne Religion thou hast ouercome the world Men are drawne to thee not by their deuotion or pure conscience but by perpetrating manifold mischiefes and for decision of their Controuersies to thee most gainefull Antiquus Sir suppose all you haue alleadged be true for the substance will you condemne the wisdome policy and zeale of the Church or any members thereof for the vndiscreet managing of it by some particulars Is not wisedome policy power and zeale necessary to maintaine good Doctrine good gouernment and to winne soules and must not learned men and good gouernours bee maintained with wealth befitting their estate and dignity to keepe them from contempt and pouerty are not all these things necessary Antiquissimus Yes vndoubtedly very necessary and commendable but vnder colour of necessity you may not allow policies contrary to true piety and Gods Word such as I alleadged to wit The barring of the Scriptures from Gods people to keepe them in ignorance The disanulling of the Apostles ordinance of placing preachers resident in Cities and Townes subiect to Bishops Iurisdictions who may looke to their good life and sound doctrine and instead of them to allow and priuiledge ambulatory preachers to preach what they list mauger all Bishops and their Officers Yea to instill into the peoples mindes false doctrines treasonous and rebellious practises to the disturbance and destruction of Kingdomes and Common-wealthes who finde it best fishing in troubled waters and fish not for mens soules but for Kingdomes to subiugate all to the Dominion of Râ—me or Spaine nor the gathering of wealth by wrongs or oppressions to the vndoing of people and making the Religion of GOD to stinke in their nostrils as Helies wicked sonnes did 1 Samuel Chapter 2. verse 27. Wherefore the sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. Antiquus Well Sir to let this passe If you describe these polices truely they are very potent those of the society of Iesus are very learned diligent zealous and constant to endure all labours paines and perils to winne men their policies and plots are so strongly layed constantly followed wisely managed and powerfully backed with the Pope and Cardinals yea with Kings Princes and States fauouring them or tyed to the Pope by some necessitudes that they are vnresistable and therefore you may doe well to yeeld to them in good time for such wisedome strength and policy will preuaile Antiquissimus Thinke not so Antiquus This arme of flesh be it neuer so strong is too weake for the arme of the Lord. Note what is written in the Reuelation cap. 17. verse 12 13 14. The ten hornes are ten Kings these haue one minde they giue their power and strength vnto the Beast these shall make warre with the Lambe but the Lambe shall ouercome them for he is the Lord of lords and King of kings And they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull The power and policy of Babylon should not amate vs but animate vs. Chap. 2. sect 8. Reuel 18.9 to the chapters end Tu contra audentiùs ito For Babylon shal fall Reuelations chapter 18. verse 2. c. and Rome is that Babylon your men grant it as I haue shewed therefore Rome shall fall and her fall shall be wofull dolefull and irrecouerable The Kings and Merchants her friends shall bewayle her the world shall stand amazed and Gods people shall reioyce at her fall She must fall fully and finally and she hath begunne to fall already See History of the Councell of Trent pag. 4. euen when Pope Leo the tenth thought that state in greatest security then came an vnexpected blow from one contemned man Luther which shooke her foundations and since that time she hath shrunke continually and setled lower All the props of strength and policie haue not beene able to raise or hold her vp She hath all policies on her side the Protestants haue none but the plaine downe-right truth and ordinary teaching as Christ hath prescribed and yet that plaine truth hath preuailed against all her power and policies FINIS A IVSTIFICATION OF THE CHVRCH OF ENGLAND THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. 1. The first Chapter is a full discourse of the visibility of the Church and sheweth where the Church of the Protestants was before Luthers time This Chapter is large to giue the fuller satisfaction and for better perspicuity is diuided into foure Sections The first Section sheweth how visible the true Church ought to be The second sheweth that the Protestants Church hath euermore been so visible as the true Church of Christ ought to be in the ancient Primitiue Church Greeke and Easterne Church The third section deliuereth a sufficient historical discourse of the Waldenses prouing the point The fourth section sheweth that the Church of Rome excepting the Papacy and the maintainers thereof continued to be the true Church of God vntill Luthâ—rs â—â—me and was all one in substance with ours The first section is subdiuided into subsections and they into to many smaller Paragraffes noted thus § The first subsection
Paragraph Of the differences of Fathers and Protestants and of their contentions Page 236 Paragraph § 1 Many Fathers are confessed by all sides to haue held some erronious opinions which none are bound to receiue and yet in the substance of Religion were good Catholick Christians and our Predecessors Page 236 Paragraph § 2 Many differences also are noted among Romish Doctors which yet hinder them not from being all accounted Catholicks Page 243 Paragraph § 3 The differences among Protestants are nothing so great or many as those afore noted of the Fathers and of the Romish the especiall one about the manner how Christ is present in the blessed Sacrament is much lesse then it seemeth Page 248 Paragraph § 4 The popes vnwillingnesse to reforme manifest abuses by the way of generall Councels was the cause of all differences in Reformed Churches when each seuerall state was compelled to reforme a part without sufficient generall consultations with other Nations Page 250 Paragraph § 5 The Protestants contentions for Gods cause as they take it are nothing so hote or troublesome is the contentions of many ancient holy Fathers haue beene about smaller matters View the examples Page 253 CHAP. 4. Paragraph Of the rule to iudge the soundnesse and purity of all Christians and Churches by Page 261 This Chapter hath foure sections Page 261 Paragraph The first section of the rule vsed in the Primitiue Church Page 261 Paragraph The second of the Rule enlarged and approued in this Age. Page 268 Paragraph The third of obiections arising from the former discourses and their answeres Page 280 Paragraph The fourth of the necessity of preaching still to them that hold this rule Page 288 The first section Paragraph § 1 The rule in generall Page 261 Paragraph § 2 Opened by distinctions of the foundation of Religion Page 262 Paragraph § 3 A necessity of a short rule drawne out of the Scriptures Page 262 Paragraph § 4 This rule is described by S. Paul Page 263 Paragraph § 5 The practise of it by the Apostles who deliuered the most necessary fundamentall points to the Iewes and then baptized them Page 265 Paragraph § 6 The like practise vsed by the following Primitiue Church to their Catechumeni before Baptisme Page 266 The second section Paragraph § 1 The rule enlarged and approued in this Age. Page 268 Paragraph § 2 By Azorius out of the Schoole-Diuines in 14 Articles Page 269 Paragraph § 3 Some obseruations and censures of those 14 Articles Page 272 Paragraph § 4 The rule set downe by Bellarmine more briefely Page 273 Paragraph § 5 By Doctor Field farre more sufficiently in 6 Articles with his iudgement of the deductions therefrom euident or obscure Page 274 Paragraph § 6 Bishop Vshers distinction of superstructions vpon the foundation Page 277 Paragraph § 7 Consequents of this doctrine Page 278 The third section Paragraph § 1 Obiection If holding the foundation will serue then wee may easily obtaine saluation in the Church of Rome Page 280 Paragraph § 2 Answer The Church of Rome holds many things which by consequent destroyes the foundation by the most moderate Master Hookers iudgement Page 281 Paragraph § 3 Obiection This crosseth what was said before That many before Luthers time might be saued in the Roman Church Answ No for they liued in those errours of ignorance not obstinacy and not knowing any dangerous consequence of them Page 282 Paragraph § 4 Such men by particular repentance of sinnes knowne and generall repentance of vnknowne might by Gods mercy be saued Page 284 Paragraph § 5 Obseruations hereof Page 285 Paragraph § 6 Other learned Protestants ioyne in opinion with Master Hooker Page 286 The fourth section Paragraph § 1 There is a necessity or great profit of preaching euen to them that are well grounded in all necessary principles Page 288 Paragraph § 2 As Israel needed all helpes after the giuing of the Law and all were too little Page 289 Paragraph § 3 The profits of preaching in generall Page 290 Paragraph § 4 Some particulars for continuall spirituall food cordiall medicine and comfort memory armour c. Page 290 Paragraph § 5 The continuall need thereof was found in all Churches planted euen by the Apostles and in their times Page 292 CHAP. 4. Paragraph Of the succession of the Protestants Bishops and Ministers from the Apostles Page 296 Paragraph Section 1. The necessity thereof vrged without which there can be no Church Page 296 Paragraph 2 This succession is clamourously denyed to Protestants Page 299 Paragraph 3 But manifestly proued and the slanders confuted Page 300 Paragraph 4 Particularly in Cranmer our first Archbishop Page 302 Paragraph 5 In other Bishops of King Henry 8 his time Page 304 Paragraph 6 And of King Edward 6. and of Queene Maries time Page 306 Paragraph 7 And of Queene Elizabeths time Page 306 Paragraph 8 The false reports whereof doe alienate many from the Reformed Religion Page 309 Paragraph 9 A proofe of the sufficient ordination of Ministers in forraigne Reformed Churches Page 310 Paragraph 10 Which is further confirmed by the doctrine and practise of the Romish Page 312 CHAP. 6. Paragraph Of the Popes supremacy challenged ouer the whole Church page 1 Paragraph § 1 The necessity thereof vrged as the maine pillar of Religion Page 1 Paragraph § 2 The matter and method of the Answer propounded Page 4 Paragraph § 3 The ancient Church yeelded to Rome as the greatest and most honourable City of the world and seat of the Empire to haue the dignity of one of the fiue Patriarcks Page 5 Paragraph § 4 And among the Patriarkes sometime the first or chiefest place Page 6 Paragraph § 5 Which dignity the ambition and couetousnesse of following popes haue much impaired Page 8 Paragraph § 6 And haue challenged that dignity which was anciently yeelded vnto their predecessors for their sanctity and for politicke reasons and much more also by authority of the Scriptures But Bellarmine gathering the pith of all learned writers can finde no strengh in them by any Scriptures to maine the Papacy as in their chiefest places Matth. 16.18 Page 11 Paragraph § 7 And Iohn 21.15 c. Page 16 Paragraph § 8 Obserue the Romish strange extractions out of the words Feed my Sheep Page 18 Paragraph § 9 And other learned-foolish allegations of other Scriptures Page 20 Paragraph § 10 The Scripture against the supremacy of Peter Page 23 Paragraph § 11 And the fathers are vrged for it vainely beyond their meaning Page 24 Paragraph § 12 The Fathers are manifestly against it Page 29 Paragraph § 13 Saint Peters prerogatiues were personall and descended not to his successors Page 32 Paragraph § 14 The conclusion collecting the parts of this Chapter briefly and Iustifying the Protestants Page 35 CHAP. 7. Of the Popes infallible Iudgement in guiding the Church by true Doctrine Paragraph § 1 Jt cannot be prooued by Scriptures or Fathers or by the Analogie to the chiefe Priests of the Old
King Edgare made a wise religious speech to the English Bishops which Alred Abbot of Rhieuall published in writing Abrod Rhieval in Genealogiâ— Dauidis Regis Scotiae MS. I must say saith hee that which good men lament and wicked laugh at they melt away in gluttony and drunkennesse in chambering and wantonnesse that now the houses of Clerkes are accounted the Brothels of Whores and Synods of Iesters their Dicing their Singing and dancing their sitting vp till midnight with clamour and horror Thus thus yee waste the Patrimony or Kings the almes of Princes and which is more the price of his most precious bloud Did our Fathers exhaust their treasures to this end Vsher ibid. § 33 Polydor. lib 6. Hist Angl. Aâ—l. fric serm ad sacerdotes MS. colleg Benedict Cantabrig Joan. Stella Sacerdos in vita Bâ—nedicti 4 Papae 122. inquit Acciderat illi aetati quod omnis virtus tam in capite quaÌ„ in membris ex hominum iganvia consumpta fuerit I haue Constantines you haue Peters sword in our hands Let vs ioyne hands and swords that the leprous may be cast out of our Tents and the Lords Sanctuary may be purged Doe it carefully that wee may not repent of what we haue done and what we haue giuen finding that it is consumed not in the seruice of God but in the luxury of wicked man with vnbridled liberty The couetous rauin and tyranny both of Monkes and Priests most scandalous beyond all lay men at those times is described and lamented by Polydore Vergil Aelfricus Joannes Stella and others §. 8. Vsh ibid. cap. 3. §. 1. c. After the great secular yeare of Christ 1000 after his Incarnation the Christian faith much decayed from the ancient vnity and inundation of all wickednesse ouerflowed the world by the descriptions and lamentations of Wernerus Glaber Rodulphus Lupus Episcopus Guilelmus Archiepiscopus Tyrensis c. and wonderfull prodigies and terrours appeared from aboue and below were plagues famines earthquakes c. spoken of by Sigonius Hector Boethius Hepidamus Rupertus Wernerus Glaber Sabellicus Sigebert Nangiacus Vincentius Bellevacensus Antonius Florenticus Archiepiscopus Joannes Nanclerus as proclaymers of Antichrists comming for many beleeued that Antichrist was then borne as Baronius recordeth 1001. § 1. 4. §. 5. by the testimony of Abbo Floriacensis of the time presently after the thousandth yeere of Christ which opinion had continued from the times of Hippolitus Cyrill and Chrysostome In the thousandth yeare after Christs birth Vsh ib. cap. 4. Benno in viâ—â— Hilâ—hbrandi Platina in vita â—jus Siluester the second was Bishop of Rome and sate 4 yeares he was before named Gerbertus He entred by the Diuels aide saith the Cardinall Benno and by the deuils deceit was quickly destroyed And anno 1033. which was the thousandth after Christs death Benedict the ninth a childe of ten or twelue yeares old was made Pope by money not by merit and sate 12 yeares Hee was also cunning in Magicke and diuelish in Arts and wrought much mischiefe to the Church and Common wealth saith Benuo he was homo ignavus nullius pretij saith Platina and Stella Probrosus infamius saith Volateran Nefarius saith Baronius and he was chosen by the Deuils in the woods saith Benno In his time Cardinals began to be in some estimation a Baron anno 1061. §. 9.16 And in Nicolas the seconds time anno 1059. they had the first voyces in chusing Popes Now they doe all they are created by these words b August triumph de potestat eccles quaest 8. art 4. Ballar Apolog. contâ—a Iacobum Regem cap. 4. pag. 34 35. adedit Romae 1610. Estote fratres nostri principes mundi The Pope creates them and they create the Pope Bellarmine saith This dignity is not new since it hath beene 500 yeares But surely that is new which came into the Church after Satans loosing In which respect Wiclife saith Cardinals were the inuention of the Deuill For in stead of lots directeâ— by the Lord in the election of Matthias Acts 1. Now whomsoeuer the Cardinals chuse be he fit or vnfit Wicâ—f art 40. in concil Constan sess 8. in speculo milit eccle cap. 10. Cameraâ— Cardinal lib. de Reforâ— Eccle. he is straight Beatissimus Pater Immediatus Christi vicarius Wicliffe was indeed condemned in the Councill of Constance yet many in that Councell held with his opinion saith Cameracensis that such choise of the Pope by Cardinals was vnprofitable and hurtfull to the Church and was vsed without resonable cause burdensome to the Church and fit to be abolished Howsoeuer they are dignified with most glorious and transcendent titles Clemang de corrupto Eccle. statu § 26. whose office was at first saith Clemangis to carry out the dead and bury them §. 9. When a thousand yeeres was expired after the destruction of Jerusalem still greater miscries fell vpon Christendome Romanus Diogenes Emperour of the East was assayled by Warre and taken Prisoner by the Sultan of the Persians and Assyrians troden vpon in despight of the Christian religion and returning home had his eyes put out by his owne Nobles and reiected The Sultan subdueth many Countries great Antiochia Celosyra both the Calicias Isaurio Pamphilia Lycia Pisidia Lycaonia Cappadocia Galatia both the Pontuses Bythinia Matt. Paris hist anno Dom. 1072. and part of the lesser Asia c. And in the West the negligence and wickednesse of the Clergy was so outragious that some published letters as sent from Hell by Satan and all his infernall powers giuing thankes to the Ecclesiasticall orders that they failed in nothing to do him pleasure but sent or suffered so many soules to descend to Hell as neuer any Ages had done before Anton. in Chro. tit 16. cap. 1. § 21. Segebert chron an 1088 The Shismes of Anti-Popes and Anti-Cesars encreased this euill the Crownes and the Crosiers dissenting one excommunicating another and one contemning anothers censure and treading down both authority and equity vnder their feet And then began that Nouity not to call it heresie that to euill Princes subiection was not due and though men had sworne fidelity to them Onuphr Vita Greg. 7 ex libro 4. de varâ—a creationâ— Rom. Pontif yet they ought them no fidelity and that whosoeuer rose against the King was not periured but he that obeyed the King was to be accounted excommunicate This saith Sigebert was a Nouity if not heresie But Onuphrius saith that hence did arise perniciosissima seditio haeresis omnium pestilentissima And Auentinus saith Then false prophets false apostles Aventin Annal. Boâ—er l. 5. false priests came out and deceiued the people with counterfeit Religion and seeking to establish thier own power and dominion quenched Christian charity and simplicity and then all good open iust ingenuous and plaine people thought the kingdome of Antichrist began for they saw that was come to
question is not of the truth of the presence but of the manner whether it be to the teeth or belly which he in a manner denies or to the soule and faith of the Receiuer So also d Bellarm. De Purgat lib. 1. cap 6. Bellarmine for the proofe of Purgatory alleadgeth a number of Fathers as Ambrose Hilary Origen Basil Lactansius Jerom but farre from the purpose of the question and quite beside their meaning for they spake of the fire at the end of the world as e Sixtus Senens Bibl. lib. 5. Annot 171. Sixtus Senensis saith and Bellarmine cites them for the fire of Purgatory before the end f Bellarâ—ib Hee cites many other Fathers also to proue Purgatory because they commended prayer for the dead though he well knew that proceeded from an g Sâ—arez in 3. pa t â—â—ome qu. 59. art 6. disp 57. §. 1. pag. 1159. errour which they held that mens soules were not iudged till the last day nor rewarded or punished but reserued in some secret receptacles vnto the vniuersall Iudgement Which opinion is as contrary to Purgatory to confirme which he alleadgeth them as it is to the truth and therefore they are guilefully alleadged beside their meaning Antiquus These practises of alleadging counterfeit bookâ—s vnder the reuerend names of ancient holy Fathers of corrupting the genuine writings of the Fathers and of auoyding or peruerting their true meaning by any sophisticall interpretations and of producing them in shew to the purpose but indeed beside the purpose and the true question and by all or any of these meanes to seeke the victory by obscuring the truth are things to my heart and soule odious and abhominable Neither should I beleeue that euer any such thing was done by Men that professe Religion but I should thinke it rather a malicious slander deuised by their aduersaries if I had not seene manifest proofe of all by their owne bookes layed open before mine eyes But to let passe my iust griefe of this for the present I must adde that CHAP. 3. Of the differences of the Fathers and Protestants and of their contentions § 1. Many Fathers are confessed by all sides to haue held some erronious opinions which none are boun◠〈◊〉 receiue and yet in the substance of Religion were good Catholicke Christians and our predecessors 2 Many differences also are noted among Romish Doctors which yet hinder them not from being all accounted Catholickes 3 The differences among Protestants are nothing so great or many as those afore noted of the Fathers and the Romish The especiall one about Christs presence in the Sacrament is much lesse then it seemeth 4 The Popes vnwillingnesse to reforme manifest abuses by the way of generall Councels was the cause of all differences in Reformed Churches 5 The Protestants contentions for Gods cause as they take it are nothing so hote or troublesome as the contentions of many ancient holy Fathers haue beene about smaller matters §. 1. Antiquus YEt I cannot thinke but in the vndoubted and vncorrupted writings of the Fathers you find many things differing from the Doctrine of Protestants It cannot be otherwise for the Protestants differ among themselues the English from the German the German from the French one Nation from another and in euery Nation one company from another It is possible the Fathers may disagree from them all but to agree with them all that agree not among themselues it is impossible Besides the Protestants disagreements are so great with such bitter contentions and virulent writing one against another that they shew themselues not to be of the Church of God which is a City at vnity in it selfe and consists of men more mortifyed in their affections I tell you truely these disagreements and contentions do mightily alienate mens affections from your Religion Antiquissimus Your obiection hath three parts 1 Differences of the Fathers from vs 2 Differences among our selues 3 The hot contentions of Protestants for these differences Let me answer them in order First I doe ingenuously confesse that the Fathers do in many things differ from vs and no whit lesse from you Though they were very Reuerend learned holy men yet still they were men and had their errours and imperfections Your owne men first discouered them as Cham did his Fathers nakednesse and told his brethren Gen. 9. and we cannot hide them though wee gladly would and with Sem and Japhet turne our backs on theÌ„ neither is it now expedient when you so much vilifie the Scriptures and magnifie the Fathers beyond their right and seeke to draw the tryall of the truth of Religion rather then the Riuelets of Fathers and Histories then from the Fountaine of the Scriptures We must therfore tell you more necessarily theÌ„ willingly what your own men haue said of the Fathers slips and errours wherein not onely we but themselues are constrained for the truthes sake to forsake them And yet both wee and they account the same Fathers our predecessors for the other necessary points of sauing faith which they soundly held neither doe we any way doubt but that they are blessed Saints in Heauen Baron an 118. n. 2. Senous Bibl. lib. 5. amos 233. 1 Your Cardinall Baronius and Sixtus Senensis reckon vp many Fathers that held the Millenary errour to wit Papias the scholler of Iohn the Apostle Evangelist Apollinarius Irenaeus Tertullianus Victorinus Lactantius Seuerus Sulpitius Justin Martyr many other Catholike Fathers being deceiued by Papias Bish of Hierapolis a man much reuerenced for opinion of his Holinesse and learning Baron ib. n. 5. c. n. 2. citing Eusebius but yet homo ingenij pertenuis saith Eusebius who taught it as a tradition receiued from the Apostles and grounded vpon Revel 20. v. 4 5. The matter was this That there should be two Resurrections the first of the godly to liue with Christ a thousand yeeres on earth in all worldly happinesse before the wicked should awake out of the sleepe of death and after that thousand yeeres the second Resurrection of the wicked should be to eternall death and the godly should ascend to eternall life Baron an 373. n. 14. This errour continued almost two hundred yeeres after it began before it was condemned for an heresie and was held by so many Church-men of great account and Martyrs that Saint Augustine and Ierom did very modestly dissent saith Senensis ib. Concil Carthag in Cypriani operib 2 Saint Cyprian held that such as were baptized by heretickes should be rebaptized and so determined with a whole Councell of African Bishops Contrary to the African Bishops in the time of Aurelius and contrary to Cornelius Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Italian Bishops And yet was Cyprian alwayes counted a Saint a true member of the Church an holy Martyr Bellar. de confir lib. 2. cap. 7. §. respond ad 1. Aug. cont 2. ep Pelag. lib. 4. c. 8. Aug.
would giue to any of that rif-raffe rank that would vndertake this expedition into the holy Land a free and full pardon of all his sinnes besides a degree of glory aboue the vulgar in the celestiall paradise This our deepe sighted King obserues And if the Emperour or Kings went in person the Pope had the cunning to make vse of their absence to which purpose let me tell you one story among many other of your Popes doings out of Cuspiniaâ— a man of your own religion whose larger relation I will contract as briefly as I can §. 7. The Emperour Fredericke the second was valiant learned liberall magnificall and gaue great gifts and lands to the Church to procure the Popes fauour yet he found that the Pope receiued his enemies publike rebels and fostered them flying vnto him wherewith he was much offended yea the Pope to wit Gregory the ninth excommunicated and anathematized him for no other cause but that he went not yet to Ierusalem to fight against Gods enemies as he had promised and for which he had taken the Crosse vpon him Which iourney the Emperour answered was onely deferred till he had setled the Imperiall businesse and should find a fit time and that he was prouiding all things necessary for that iourney Meane season the Pope mightily vexed him and wrought much euill to the Empire and when the Emperour called an assembly of Princes at Rauenna they of Verena and Millan intercepted the Princes way and preyed vpon them that had taken the Croisado for the holy Land robbing them of their prouision and that by the Popes commandement who had procured the voyage and written to all Christian Princes to make it and thrust the Emperour and all men into it Yet the Emperour went forwards and while he was absent from his Countrey in this holy voyage labouring to defend by his sword Christs sheepe from the Wolfe the Pope himselfe did sheare slay and deuoure them While Fredericke tooke Ierusalem Nazareth Ioppe and other Townes from the Babylonian Sultan and made ten yeeres peace with him reedified the holy City and diuerse others and was crowned King there with great ioy vpon Easter day and wrote to the Pope of his happy successe that all Christendome might reioyce That proud vicar of Christ in his absence had with a great army entred Apulia taken it and made it subiect to himselfe forbidden them that had taken the Crosse to passe the seas and draue them out of Apulia and Lombardy and did many monstrous things vnworthy a Pope or Bishop And now receiuing the Emperors letters contemned them cast them away and spread a rumor that the Emperor was dead that he might the better thereby draw some Cities of Apulia to yeeld to him which hitherto kept their faith to the Emperour And when the Almainâ— and French and other Souldiers returned hee caused them most cruelly to bee slayne lest they should tell the truth When the Emperour knew this falshood hee returnes with a great army into Apulia driues out the Popes army and easily recouers his lands The Pope making league with the Lombards and Tuscians curseth the Emperour againe because hee had made that peace with the Turke for the gentle Vicar of Christ could finde no other cause Yet the valiant Emperour enduring all for Christs sake though hee had also intercepted the Popes Nuncios with letters to the Turke desiring him not to restore the holy land to Caesar as by â—umors bee heard he would seemed not to take knowledge of any wrongs but desired absolution from the Pope if in any thing he had offended and though he imployed many Princes and Bishops in that businesse yet could he obtaine nothing that yeere yet at last after much entreaty and chiefly by the mediation of Leopold Duke of Austria who died presently after the Emperour was absolued and feasted by the Pope and the Italian writers say he payed an hundred and twenty thousand ounces of gold for his absolution A deare price for one turning of the keyes which the Pope had of Christ for nothing A deare purchase of vnsure fauour the Popes excommunications stand in blood cruelty ambition his absolutions in couetousnesse Shortly after vpon some small stirres and also because the Pope doubted the Emperour passing into Germany would find out all his deuices hee strikes the Emperour againe with Anathema Who finding himselfe so mocked by the Pope grew enraged ioyned with the Popes enemies entred and subdued many Cities in Italy many in Vmbria many in Etruria quieted the Lombards rebels recouered Verona burned two Townes of Mantua threatning to besiege the City it selfe tooke Vincentia by force and roasted it with fire forraged the territories of Padua and spoyled almost all Lombardy afflicting Millan with many slaughters conquered Viterbium Fauentia Perusium Crâ—mona and did much other harme for which the Pope excommunicates him againe and then were first heard in the world the names of the Guelfes and Gibelines mighty factions the Gibelines fauouring the Emperour the Guelfes the Pope from which factions many euils followed for many ages Now when the greatest part of the Cities of Italy and almost all the Romans claue to the Emperour the Pope ordayned supplications to God for ayd and caused the heads of the Apostles to be carried about to procure helpe from heauen and to encourage the people and made an Oration to them in the pallace of Saint Peter and signed them with the Crosse as if they should fight against Infidels and so brought them out against Fredericke who ledde a great army before the walles of the City The Emperour seeing Christians come crossed against him who had vsed to fight for the Crosse of Christ against Infidels moued with indignation commanded the heads of them that were so crossed whom hee tooke with great slaughter to bee cut into foure parts And at last leauing the City he tooke Beneuentum and thence leading his army to the Picentes wasted the Aesculans fields then he euery where seized on the Templars goods and did other much hurt Then Pope Gregory 9. for very griefe departing this life Celelestine succeeded and sate only 18. dayes and the Popes sea remained voyd one and twenty moneths for that the Cardinalls could not come safely to the City for election of a new Pope Then Fredericke spoyled Fauentia oppressed first with famine depriued Bononia of the Vniuersity and translated it to Padua and besieged Parma Meane season Innocent III. was made Pope who formerly had beene a friend to Fredericke but now placed in the Papall dignity became his deadly enemy as Gregory had beene before Hee calling a Councell at Lions caused Fredericke to bee cited and making an Oration cited him himselfe and cursed him with Anathema and faigned many things as spoken by him against Christ which the Emperour plainely confuted as meere fictions in an Epistle yet extant to all the Prelats There this Pope againe depriues the Emperour of his dignity absolues the Princes from their
him or sent to Rome before him And yet these euils are small in comparison of others which Englishmen haue felt continually for many Ages from the Court of Rome as the Historians of those times with full consent record Verè enim hortus deliciarum Papis fuit tum Anglia puteus inexhaustus As we reade it was truly and trâ—mly said by Pope Jnnocent 4. England was a Garden of deliciousnesse to the Popes and a fountaine inexhaust or vndrainable I speake not now of the true blessings of the soule for which all men may thanke the Reformation of Religion which pious Princes make more account of then of all the Kingdomes of the earth The sincere worship of God alone without fellowes or copartners The veneration of the B. Virgin and holy Saints without superstition The peace of conscience with God by faith in the merits and death of Christ not that the faithfull should cease from good works fie away with such madnes but that when a man hath doneall he can do yet to acknowledge himself an vnprofitable seruant and neuer place confidence in his owne merits to gather exceeding great comfort in the daily and continual reading and meditating of the Scriptures not interpreting them after his own sense but in those things which he finds in them perspicuous and plaine for in such sort they afford vs if we beleeue the Fathers all things necessary to saluation and such as are agreeable to the expositions of the first Doctors of the Church he may sortisie his minde against false opinions which at this day are obtruded vpon the vnwary for ancient articles of faith The receiuing of the holy Communion according to the institution and commandement of our Lord and the continuall practise of the Chuch for more then a thousand yeeres vnder both kindeâ— Mindes confirmed against those thunders of Excommunication so terrible in former times which the Popes cast abroad oftentimes against innocent Princes and rather for humane causes then Diuine as euery man knoweth As when Innocent 3 kept all the people of this Land vnder a curse most deadly and damnable as the Popes would haue men beleeue and then it was so beleeued whole sixe yeeres three moneths and fourteene dayes In which time all that dyed in the Land were depriued of buriall and iudged to bee damned creatures all new borne remained vnbaptized prayers and teaching ceased in all Churches and men liued like Infidels In so large a land so plentifull of people to continue this curse but for one day vpon so many thousands of Innocents had been doubtlesse a most wicked and damnable thing But from all these euils and many other the blessed Reformation of that formerly corrupted Religion hath redeemed vs. Such things writes the learned and iudicious Casaubon And as the Reformation deliuered vs froÌ„ many euils so it hath filled vs with many blessings which we daily feele in full measure but are not able in any sufficient measure to expresse Take a short view of our blessings enioyed vnder our late Princes Cambden Annales Elizabethae initio B. Carltons Thankfull Remembrance initio Queene Elizabeth entring her raigne anno 1558 found at first many potent enemies few and impotent friends Philip King of Spaine who sued to marry her by a dispensation from the Pope hauing buried Mary her sister his former wife now being refused by her turned his loue into hatred Henry 2 King of France with whom she sought peace and amity brake out into open hostility His sonne Francis hauing married Mary the Queene of Scotland professed his Wife to be the heire of England assumed the Armes and Title thereof and sought to displace Elizabeth as one also accounted an Hereticke So were the great neighbour-States of Spaine France and Scotland her professed enemies Her Friends that would haue hâ—â—ped her were weake and could not but stood in need of helpe from her The Scots sore troubled with the French Armies procured by the Guisians The Low-Countries beaten down by the Duke of Alva Agent for the King of Spaine The Protestants of Denmarke and France were faine to craue aide from Her as also other friends did The State at home was much troubled the treasure exhausted and oppressed with great debt contracted by King Henries boundlesse expences King Edwards minority and Queene Maries forraigne marriage and other troubles the land without strength forces souldiers artillery powder and treasure Calis lately lost and nothing seemed lefâ— but a weake and poore State destitute of meanes and friends So that her great neare Neighbours round about her made no other account of her but as one left to be a prey to the strongest that would inuade her Yet see the mighty hand and blessing of God vpon her not onely to deliuer her out of all these difficulties but further to enable her to support her friends and to match and master her enemies When shee prouided Armour at Antwerpe and King Philip caused it to bee stayed yet she partly procured Armour and Weapons out of Germany but principally God opened new Brasse Mines in England which had been long before neglected sufficient for vs and to vent into other Countries and yeelded vs then first the stone called Lapis calaminaris needfull for working in Brasse By meanes whereof She caused store of Gunnes to be cast of Brasse and Iron at home and Gunpowder also then first to be made in England which before was bought from other Countries Camden ibid. pag 27. And further By the happy abolishing of the Popes Religion as England became the most free of all other Countries in the world the Scepter being as it were manumitted from the former seruitude of the Bishop of Rome so it became also more rich then in former Ages a great masse of money being kept at home which formerly was exhausted and yearely and daily carried to Rome for first fruits Indulgences appeales dispensations Palles such other things Strengthned therefore by all these blessings She fortified Barwicke against Scotland and prouided a great Nauy to safeguard the Sea-coasts And whereas former Kings hyred ships from forraigne places Hamburg Lubecke Dantiske Genua Venice c. Now She built great store of ships of Warre Herselfe and all Coast-townes with incredible alacrity wondring at her wisedome and care of them did the like So that in short time England was able to employ twenty thousand men in Sea-fight at once And her enemies began to feare her more then she did them And such was her power and policy See Speedes Chronicle in Elizabeth § 347. seq and Gods extraordinary blessings vpon them that the great affaires of Europe mainly depended vpon Her directions She sitting at the helme of the ship as Fronto spake of Antonius the Emperour arbitrated and guided their estates both in peace and warre Spaine seeking to ouerflow all was beaten backe and scarcely able to maintaine her owne Barkes In France the house of Valoys vnderpropped by Her counsell that of Bourbons
hath beene so that no such errours and heresies haue come into it §. 6. Antiquissimus Yes euen in S. Pauls time Abuses began in the Roman Church as well as in the Corinthian Galatian and others Whereof S. Paul giues another Caueat chap. 16. verse 17 18. I beseech you Brethren saith he Marke them which cause diuisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue learned and auoyde them For they which are such serue not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceiue the hearts of the simple And verse 19 though he praise them yet he addeth But J would haue you wise vnto that which is good and simple or harmelesse concerning euill and he prayeth God to establish them verse 25. Antiquus All this yet prooues not that euer any such errours preuailed in the Church of Rome to the defacing or corrupting the soundnesse thereof §. 7. Antiquissimus But the Ancient Fathers and the Histories of the Church doe proue it Hieronymus contra Luciferianos Basil epist 69. As namely in the Arrian heresie whereby the Church of Rome together with the rest of the world was maruellously both defaced and corrupted that both in the members and in the head Whereof S. Jerom wrote that the whole world groned and wondered that it was become Arrian And S. Basil that men abandoned the houses of Prayer which then were made schooles of Impiety and were faine to pray to the Lord in Desarts And S. Hilary admonished in many words that the Church at that time was not to be sought Jn tectis exteriori pompa sed potius in carceribus speluncis in Houses or Temples and outward pompe but rather in Prisons and Caues Bellar De Pont. Rom. lib. 4. câ—p 9. initio Bellarm. in that Booke reckons 40. Popes accused of errours and heresies whom he labours to excuse but confesseth most of them guilty in one degree or other And when Liberius Bishop of Rome himselfe was drawne to subscribe to the Arrian heresie yeelded to the condemnation of Athanasius and communicated with Valens and Vrsarius whom he knew to be Hereticks As Bellarmine confesseth Antiquus This was a heauy time and a heauy thing it is to heare it yet in good time the Church of Rome recouered §. 8. Antiquissimus But the Scripture mentioneth another defection of Rome which will neuer be recouered For your Roman Doctors cannot auoyd it but Babylon in the 17 and 18 of the Reuelation signifieth Rome chap. 17.9 The seuen heads are seuen mountaines on which the woman sitteth and verse 18. The woman which thou sawest is the great City which raigneth ouer the Kings of the earth These two properties of the City situate vpon seuen hils and also raigning ouer the Kings of the earth doe manifestly describe the City of Rome and none other as it was in S. Johns time when the Reuelation was giuen Your owne Iesuite Ribera Doctor of Diuinity and Professor in the Vniuersity of Salmantica in his Commentaries vpon the Apocalyps chap. 14. verse 8 Num. 25. sequentib shewes plainely that Babylon can signifie nothing else but the City of Rome he cites many testimonies of the Fathers for it Hee cites also Sixtus Senensis and Bellarmine to bee of the same opinion and many other late Writers and concludes with these words Vt alios hujus aetatis scriptores omittam hoc dicam Ambrosius qui prius negaverat tandem in cap. 17. veritate conuictus Babylonem Romam significare confessus est Huic conveniunt aptissime omnia quae de Babylone dicuntur in hoc libro Apocalypscos and this he shewes at large in many particulars The like hath Viegas another Iesuite Viega in Apoc. 17. com 1. sect 4. pag. 772. Rhemist annot on Apoc. 17.9 scoffe at vs. so Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 2. Parsons 3. conuersions part 2. cap. 5. v. Bishop Reformed Cath. Doctor also of Diuinity and Reader in two Vniuersities of Portugall Conimbrica and Ebora And your Rhemish though they scoffe at the Protestants for interpreting Babylon to be Rome in Reuel 17.5 yet presently after they are forced themselues to confesse that Babylon signifies the City of Rome but they shift all from the Pope to the persecuting Emperours and apply the propheticall discourse to the times of S. Iohn the Writer principally as a type of the place wheresoeuer it be where Antichrist shall sit towards the end of the world But Ribera and Viegas proue plainly that S. Johns description agreeth to Rome towards the end of the world when Rome shall be the feat of Antichrist and shall be finally fully and irrecouerably destroyed according to the plaine words of Reuel 18. verse 2 8 21 c. Ribera pag. 454. saith Roma nisi pristinam illam impietatem of Idolatry and persecutions vnder the Emperours novis sceleribus immanibus peccatis aequatura esset maneret vsque ad finem seculi extremum Etenim non propter priora tantum peccata cam conflagraturam esse magno incendio vt ante diximus sed etiam propter illa quae extremis illis temporibus commissura est ex huius Apocalypsis verbis adeo perspicuè cognoscimus vt ne stultissimus-quidem negare possit Rome saith Ribera should doubtlesse continue to the end of the world if it did not match the old Impiety of the Emperours with new impieties and grieuous sinnes For we plainly learne that it shall be destroyed with that great consuming fire not for the former sins onely as we said before but for those sinnes which it shall commit in the last times yea wee learne it so plainly out of the words of this Reuelation that surely the veriest foole cannot deny it §. 9. Antiquus Indeed these learned Roman Doctors are plaine and powerfull in prouing this Mysticall Babylon described in the Reuelation can signifie no place but Rome and that it must be the seat of Antichrist towards the later end of the world But the same Doctors say also that Antichrist and the Pope are two diuerse things yea contrary one to the other as also that the Church of Rome and City of Rome are diuerse things and further that Antichrist is not yet come neither shall he come vntill three yeares and a halfe before the last day Reuel 11.3 12.6 14. 13.5 as they gather out of the prophesie of Daniel and the Reuelation by the 1260 dayes which make 42 moneths and a time times and halfe a time Hieronym in Daniel 9. Antiquissimus S. Ierom vnderstood those prophesies of the destruction of Ierusalem to which they maruellously agree and to the raigne of Antichrist it is very vnlikely they should agree * See B. Downam de Antichristo part 2. ad Demonstrat 13 §. 5. c. K. Iames his Praemonition pag. 60. seqq But your men haue reason to keepe off this deadly blow from themselues and their head Note their shifts
passe which Christ so many yeares before had foretold Thus writes Aventine of the times of Gregory the seuenth formerly called Hildebrand Waltramus Bishop of Naumburg and Lambertus Schasuaburgensis and Gerhohus Be cherspergensis say Now was Satan let loose out of prison Sir Iohn Haywooâ— of Supremacy pag. 68. Maâ—hiavel dispat de rep l. 1. c. 12. Hospâ—n de Orig. Monach. l. 6. c. 66. For Piety and Religion now did not onely decline by degrees but ran headlong to a ruinous downefall and there was no where lesse piety then in those that dwelt nearest to Rome as Machiavel obserued This Hildebrand called afterwards Gregory the seuenth liued in this tenth Age beginning his Papacy Anno 1076. The Canons or Dictates of this Hillebrand Onuphr in vita Gregorij 7 col 248. B. Vsher ib. cap. 5. §. 17. Greg. 7. Kegest lib. 2 post epist 55. tom 3. Conâ—â— edit Binij part 2. pag. 1196. which he deuised or executed beyond all his Predecessors saith Onuphrius were many and strange whereof these are the chiefest 1 That the Bishop of Rome onely is by right called vniuersall 2 That he may ordaine Clerkes in euery Church where he will 3 That the greater causes of euery Church ought to be referred to that Sea 4 That he alone can depose Bishops or reconcile them 5 That his Legat is aboue all other Bishops though he be of inferiour degree and that he may giue the sentence of deposition against them 6 That he alone may for the necessity of times make new lawes 7 That he alone may vse the Imperiall Ensignes 8 That his feet alone all Princes must kisse 9 That he may absolue subiects from their fidelity to wicked Princes 10 That he alone may depose Princes and Emperours 11 That his sentence way not be retracted by any man and he alone may retract all mens 12 That he ought not to be judged of any man 13 That he is not to be accounted Catholicke that concordeth not with the Roman Church 14 That the Church of Rome did neuer erre neither euer can erre 15 That the Bishop of Rome if he be Canonically ordained is by the merits of S. Peter vndoubtedly made holy 16 That no Councell without his command ought to be called generall Onuphr ib. col 250. Sir Iohn Hâ—y â—ard Supremacy pag. 57 Avenâ—â—n Annal. Boiorum lib. 7 â—ribuit hanc sententiam Eberhardo Salisburiensi Episcopo Hildebrandus primus specie religionis Antichristi imperij fundamenta jecit Hoc bellum nesandum primus auspicatus est quod per successorâ— hucusque continuatur And A entine hâ—â—â—elfe in the fiâ—t booke writes thus 17 That no Chapter or Booke in the Bible shall be accounted Canonicall without his authority 18 That no man dare to condemne him that appealeth to the Apostolicke Sea c. Vpon these foundations saith Onuphirius he laid his steps and stayres and made his way to effect all that in his mind he had conceiued This man was the first that enterprized to be elected and consecrated Pope without consent of the Emperour and set forth a Decree to excommunicate all that affirmed the consent or knowledge of the Emperour to be necessary to the election of Popes He saith Auentine was the first that vnder colour of Religion built vp the Popes Empire primus Jmperrium pontificium condidit which his successors for 400 and 50 yeares together maugre the world maugre the Emperours invito mudo invitis Imperatoribus haue so drawne out that they haue brought into seruitude high and low put them vnder their yoke and terrified all with their thunder that the Roman Emperour is now nothing but onely a name without a body without glory §. 10. Onuphrius speakes enough also though he was a great fauourer and amplifier of the Popes dignity Onuphâ—n vita Gregor 7. col 271 272. Thus he writes Him alone that is Hildebrand may all the Latin Churches but especially the Roman thanke for freedome from the Emperours hand and for the large endowment or wealth riches and profanaditione worldly iurisdiction and for being preferred and set ouer Kings Emperours and all Christian Princes and shortly to speake in a word by him it attained to that great and high estate whereby the Church of Rome is become the Mistris of all Christians whereas before as a poore handmaid tanguam vilis ancilla it was held vnder not onely by the Emperours but by euery Prince that was aided by the Emperour from him Hildebrand flowed the right jus of that great and almost infinite power of the Roman Bishop so feareful and venerable in all Ages For although before the Roman Bishops were honoured as the heads of Christian Religion Christs Vicars and Peters successors yet their authority stretched no further then to the propounding or maintaining of poinâ—s of faith but their persons were subiect to the Emperous all was done by the Emperours appointment by them the Popes were created of them the Popes of Rome durst not iudge or determine any thing All the Bishops of Rome Gregory the seuenth was the first trusting to the Armes of the Normans and the wealth of Maud the Countesse a powerfull woman in Italy and inflamed by the German Princes discords wasting themselues by ciuâ—ll warres beyond the custome of his Ancestors contemning the authority and power of the Emperor when he had obtained the Popedome dared not onely to excommunicate but further to depriue of his Kingdome and Empire the Emperour himselfe by whom if he was not elected yet he was confirmed in his Popedome Res ante easecula inaudita A thing neuer heard of before that Age. For the Fables which are reported of Arcadius Anastasius and Leo Iconomachus nihil moror I recke not of Whereupon Otto Frisingensis a Writer of those times Lego relego saith thus I reade ouer and ouer the Acts of the Roman Kings and Bishops but I neuer find any of them before this Henry excommunicated by the Bishop of Rome or depriued of his Kingdome B. Vsher grauiss quaest cap. 5. §. 8 9 c. c. Thus writes Onuphrius The like with Otto writes Gotfridus Viterbiensis Joannes Trithenius and others alleadged with these by our Bishop Vsher Of Hildebrand not onely Cardinall Benno who liued in his time and wrote his life but many others do write very prodigiousand diuellish things as Paulus Bernriedensis Ioannes Trithenus Ioh. Aventinus Marianus Scotus Otto Frisingensis Conradus Liechtenavius Abbas Vrspergensis Carolus Sigonius and Onuphrius that he was a Magician a Necromancer and by helpe of the Diuell got the Popedome and that he was so judged by thirty Bishops gathered together out of Italy Frace and Germany in Synodo Brixinae Noricae anno 1080. Although the late Iesuite and Cardinall Baronius would excuse him He propagated the doctrine of Deuils forbidding marriage to the Clergy and commanding abstinence from meates I Tim. 4.1 3. about which many troubles and euils arose in the Church In the Histories of
Iosephists Esperonists Arnoldists Wiclifists Hussits c. to omit other nick-names giuen them vpon other causes § 3 And now secondly that they were our fore-runners in the points of Religion wherein we differ from you your Writers shew plentifully a Hist Waldens Book 1. cap. 8. Aeneas Sylvius and Iohn du Bravius in their histories of Bohemia make the doctrine taught by Calvin all one with that of the Waldenses And the same Sylvius saith b Aeneas Sylv. hist Bohem. cap. 35. The Hussites did imbrace the opinions of the Waldenses And Hosius heres lib. 1. saith the leprosie of the Waldenses infected all Bohemia Lindanus in his Analyticke Tables makes Caluin inheritor of the Doctrine of the Waldenses Thomas Walden c VValden lib. 6. de reb Sacram. tit 12. cap. 10. saith The doctrine of the Waldenses crept out of the quarters of France into England meaning by Wiclife against whom he wrote d D. Vsher Gravis quaest cap. 8. §. 1. Poplinerius saith The Waldenses and Albigenses about the yeere 1100 and the succeeding times spread their doctrine parum differentem little differing from that which the Protestants now imbrace Lancelotus du voisin Poplinerius histor Franc. lib. 1. fol. 7. b. edit anno 1581. e Ib. cap. 9. §. 22. Gretserus the Iesuite calls the Albigenses Waldenses and Berengarians Caluinianorum atavos the Caluinists great grandfathers Gretser prolegâ—m in scripta edita contra Wald. cap. 5. f D. Abbot against Hill Reason 1. §. 18. Francis Guicciardin an Italian and Florentine Historian writing of the yeere 1520. lib. 13. saith that Luther set abroad the doctrine of the Bohemians naming Hus and Hierom. And Petrus Messias a Spaniard in the life of Wenceslaus mentioning the opinions of Hus and the Bohemians saith They were the seed of those errours as he cals them which were afterwards in Germany to wit taught by Luther g Ib. §. 29. And Iohannes Cocleus a man that had laboured in the story of the Hussites and set out bookes thereof and also wrote sharpely against Luther saith that Hus did commit spirituall fornication with many aliens with the Wiclivists the Dulcinists the Leonists the Waldenses the Albigenses and others of that sort enemies of the Church of Rome And he saith that Luther followed Hus his Doctrine lib. 2. de Actis scriptis Lutheri And cals the Lutherans new Hussites And againe lib. 3. and lib. 8. he saith that vnto his time till Luthers time and after there remained the sect of the Thaborites in many places of Bohemia and Moravia vnder the name of Picards and Waldenses h Histor Albigens lib. 1. cap. 8. Eckius in his common places cap. 28. saith Luther had done nothing else but renew the heresies of the Waldenses Albigenses Wiclife and Iohn Hus. § 4 Antiquus Sir our men deny not but these Waldenses and others were Luthers fore-runners in many things but they held some things which you are ashamed to hold and therefore were not of your Church or Religion Antiquissimus I know well that many errours were imputed to them which they neuer held As i B. Vsher Grauiss quaest cap. 10. §. 15. Bernardus Girardus the French Historian lib. 10. saith Although they had some ill opinions yet these did not so much stirre vp the hatred of the Pope and great Princes against them as their freedome in speech which they vsed in blaming and reprouing the vices dissolute manners life and actions of Princes Ecclesiasticall persons and the Pope himselfe That was the chiefe thing which drew the hatred of all vpon them effecit vt plures nefarie affingerentur eis opiniones à quibus omnino fuerant alieni this caused many wicked opinions to be deuised and fathered of them from which they were very free and guiltlesse k Ib. cap. 8. §. 28. Thuanus histor lib. 5. anno 1550. reckons vp their opinions thus They held that the Church of Rome because it had forsaken the true faith of Christ was that Whore of Babylon and that barren tree which Christ cursed and therefore we ought not to obey the Pope and Bishops which fostered his errours that the Monasticall life was the sinke and kennell of the Church the vowes thereof vaine and seruing onely for vnclean lusts that the Priests orders were notes of that beast mentioned in the Reuelation that purgatory fire sacrifice of the Masse Sanctuaries or hallowed places about Churches worshipping of Saints offerings for the dead were the Inuentions of Sathan Then he addeth To these certaine and chiefe heads of their doctrine alia afficta others are fained and deuised concerning Mariage resurrection the state of soules after death and of Meates l B. Iewel Apol. cap. 1. diuis 1. Bishop Jewell saith our ancient Christians were slandered that they made priuy meetings in the darke killed yong babes fed themselues with mens flesh and like Sauage and brute beasts did drinke their blood In conclusion how that after they had put out the Candles they committed adultery or incest one with another brethren with sisters sonnes with theiâ— mothers without shame or difference men without all Religion enemies of mankind vnworthy to be suffered in the world Thus they said of the ancient Christians and thus they said of the Waldenses most vniustly and vntruely of both you doubt not of the former let many of your owne Writers satisfie you of the later m Vsher grav qu. cap. 6. §. 11. Rainerius whose booke Gretserus the Iesuite lately set out among other Writers of the Waldenses saith The Waldenses were the most dangerous sect to the Church of all other for three causes the third whereof is that whereas other sects through the outragiousnesse of blasphemy against God worke a horrour in men this sect of the Leonists hath a great shew of piety because before men they liue iustly and of God they beleeue all things piously and hold all the articles contained in the Creed onely they blaspheme and hate the Roman Curch for which the multitude is easie to beleeue n Hist â—ald booke 1. cap. 5. Iacobus de Riberia in his collections of the Citie of Tholous saith the Waldenses wonne all credit from the Priests and made them little esteemed by the holinesse of their liues and excellency of their doctrine The like saith Rainerius cited ib. De forma haeret fol. 98. And Clauâ—ius de Scissel Archbishop of Turin saith they liued vnreproueably without reproach or scandall among men cited ib. In his Treatise against the Waldenses The B. of Canaillon sent a certaine Monke a Diuine Vesembec Oration of the Waldenses citat ib. to conferre and conuince the Waldenses of Merindal in Prouince who vpon his returne said He had not so much profited in all his life in the Scriptures as hee had done in those few dayes conference with the Waldenses Wherevpon the Bishop sent diuers Doctors to confound them but vpon their returne one of them said with a
loud voyce that he had learned more touching the Doctrine necessary to saluation by the Waldenses instructing their children in their Catechisings then in all the disputations of Diuinity which he had euer heard in Paris § 5 Antiquus I will not stand vpon those foule errours which some authors attribute to the Waldenses but there are nine points which the late learned Iesuite a Parsons three Conversions part 2. cap. 10. §. 26. Robert Parsons saith All Authors that write of the Waldenses doe attribute vnto them which I hope you will be ashamed to maintaine Those shew that you and they are not of one Church Antiquissimus Those shew the vanity and shamelesnesse of that man that to the face of the world auoucheth all Authors when many Authors say the plaine contrary This first article or errour which he saith they hold is that all carnall concupiscence and coniunction is lawfull when lust doth burne vs. And therefore some adde that in the darke they practise all kinde of carnall mixtures with whomsoeuer they first meet c. A filthy slander laid as well vpon the b Origenes lib. 6. contra Celsum Euseb hist lib. 4. cap. 7. See Cecilius his wicked Oration in Minuty Felicis Octauio recited also by D. Vsher Grau quaest cap. 6. §. 12 See him also ib. §. 20. Primitiue Christians as vpon them And them your owne Rainerius cited before cleareth saying Haec Leonistarum secta magnam habet speciem pietatis eo quod coram hominibus iuste viuant bene omnia de Deo credant c. Againe Casti sunt Leonistae pag. 231. lin 48. And againe Quaelibet naturâ turpia deuitant Item suos subditos ad eadem diligenter informant Ib. pag. 232 42. Rerum Bohemic script a M. Frehero edit Hanov. an 1602. They c In their booke of remedies against sinne cap. 21. cited in the History of the Waldenses booke 1. cap. 4. informe their people against this sinne thus The sinne of luxury is very pleasing to the Diuell displeasing to God and iniurious to our neighbours because therein a man obeyeth the basest part of his body rather then God who preserueth it A foolish woman doth not onely take from a man his good but himselfe too He that is giuen to this vice keepes faith to no man and therefore Dauid caused his faithfull seruant to be slaine that he might enioy his wife Amon defiled his sister Thamar This vice consumes the heritage of many as it is said of the prodigall child that he wasted his goods liuing luxuriously Balaam made choice of this sinne to prouoke the children of Israel to sinne by occasion wherof there dyed 24000 persons This sinne was the cause of the blindnesse of Sampson it peruerted Solomon and many haue perished by the beauty of a woman Prayer and Fasting and distance of place are the remedies against this sinne For a man may ouercome either vices by combating with them but in this he is neuer victorious but by flying from it and not approaching neere vnto it whereof we haue an example in Joseph It is therefore our duties to pray daily to the Lord that he will keepe vs from the sinne of luxury and giue vs vnderstanding and chastity Thus they taught and professed and is it credible had they practised the contrary they could haue continued so long and drawne so much of the world to imbrace their Religion with so great dangers and persecutions as they did No saith your d Rainer cited before §. 4. lâ—tâ—n Rainerius the honesty and râ—ghteousnesse of their liues was the greatest attractiue that drew the world after them to the greatest danger of the Church of Rome The sâ—coâ—d article of Parsons is They held all othes vnlawfull to Christians for any cause whatsoeuer in the world â—â—cause it is written Nâ—litâ—â—urare doe not sweare Mâ—tth 5. Iames 5. Aâ—swer Indeed they eschewed the common practise of swearing according to Christs precepts Matth. 5 37. but saith your Rainerius to avoyd corporall death and the reuealing of their brethren they would sweare But how agrees that with that which e Gabriel Prateclus Pauperum de Lugduno error 3â— Pratoclus saith of them That they held that no deadly sinne was to be tollerated though it were to auoyd a greater euill The truth is in iudgement they sticked not to sweare truely but in triuiall matters they would not sweare rashly which gaue occasion of that cavil As your Rainerius saith Dâ—cent vitare mendacium detractionem iuramentum ibid. 222. 15 16. f In their book entituled The spirituall Almanacke in the third comment cited by Hist Wald. Book 1. cap. 4. Their own doctrine is that there are lawfull oathes tending to the honour of God and the edification of our neighbours as in Hebr. 6.16 and as Israel was inioyned to sweare by the Name of the eternall God Deut. 6.13 and by the example of those oathes that past betwixt Abimeleck and Isaac Gen. 26.30 and the oath of Iacob Gen. 31.53 The third article is that no iudgement of life and death is permitted to Christians in this life for that it is written Nolite Iudicare Matth. 7. luke 6. Answ But Rainerius tels a contrary tale of a Waldensian Glouer who being condemned and led to death said openly in the hearing of all You now condemne vs rightly for if we had power ouer you as you haue ouer vs we would exercise it against your Clerkes and Religions ib. 222. 47. This cauill arose vpon their complaining of the Magistrates to whom they were deliuered vp by the Inquisitors Priests and Fryers who were their enemies not indifferent men but passionate and so they were condemned and executed by them without hearing examining or knowing of their cause This cruell simplicity of the Magistrates they spake against in their complaint to Ladislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia and elsewhere g In their booke entituled The light of the treasure of Faith fol. 214. cited ibid. But their doctrine was That they were not to suffer the Malefactor to liue and that without correction and discipline doctrine serues to no purpose neither should iudgements be acknowledged nor sinnes punished And therefore iust anger is the Mother of discipline and patience without reason the seed of vices and permitteth the wicked to digresse from truth and honesty The fourth article is That the Creed of the Apostles is to be contemned and no account at all to be made of it Answ Who would thinke that wise men would thus play the fooles In deed they account not the Salutation of the Angel to the B. Virgin nor the Apostles Creed to be prayers saith Rainerius ibid. 232. 10. h Rainerius supra §. 4. lit m. But yet they reuerently receiue the whole New Testament and the Apostles Creed which is gathered out of it Et credunt omnes articulos qui in Symbolo continentur saith the same Author And in their books they haue very good and
among other writers of Bohemian matters Hannov. anno 1602. see there pag 222. 223. and by Grets Iesuita Ingolstad anno 1603. see there Rainer contra haeret c. 4. pag. 54. And his testimony is often cited by Protestants as Morney Mysterium iniquitatis pag 731. aedit Salmuriâ—n 8. 1612. Vsher grav quaest c. 6. §. 11. Archb. Abbot contra Hill Reason 1. §. 29 c. Rainerius saith That of all Sects which either are or haue beene none hath beene more pernicious to the Church he meaneth of Rome then that of the Leonists For three causes marke them well first for the long continuance for some say it hath continued from the time of Sylvester he sate anno Christi 314. others say from the time of the Apostles Secondly for the generality for there is almost no countrey into which this Sect hath not entred Thirdly that whereas all other haue wrought a horrour through their outragious blasphemies against God this of the Leonists hath a great shew of piety because that before men they liue iustly and of God they beleeue all things well and all the Articles which are contained in the Creed onely they blaspheme and hate the Roman Church wherein the multitude is prone to hearken vnto them Note you the antiquity and the generality in all Nations arguing a visibility sutable to the Church Now heare your Poplinerius b Genebrard Chronol lib. 4. an 1581. pag. 782. edit Paris 1600. whom Genebrard calls an vpright and right learned man and one who hath written all things purely and simply according to the truth of the History not for fauour of the cause Hee c Palinerius hist Franc. lib. 1. edit an 1581. fol. 7. b. saith The Roman Church was neuer more sharpely oppugned then by the Waldenses and their successors in Aquitania and the Regions adioyning c. For these saith he against the wils of all Christian Princes about the yeere 1100 and in the succeeding times spread abroad their doctrine little differing from that which at this day the Protestants embrace not onely through all France but almost through all the Countries of Europe also For the French Spanish English Scots Italians Germans Bohemians Saxons Polonians Lithuanians and other Nations haue obstinately defended it to this day Gretserus the Iesuite saith d Gretserus prolegom in script edit contra Wald. cap. 2. The Waldenses multiplied so that vix aliqua regio ab hac peste immunis intacta mansit adeo se diffuderat vt cum plurimorum exitio in varias provincias infuderat c. Scarse any Region remained free and vntouched of it so greatly it spred it selfe into all Prouinces The Albigenses errour so increased saith Cesarius e Caesarius Heisterbach hist lib. 6. cap. 21. that in a short time it infected Vsque ad mille ciuitates a thousand Cities and if it had not been repressed by the sword I thinke saith he it would haue corrupted all Europe This also your Iesuite f Parsons three conuersions part 2. cap. 10. §. 28. Robert Parsons acknowledgeth and saith they had an army of 70000. men to fight for them Obserue here their multitude and obserue how it was repressed not by soul-convicting disputation but by body-killing-persecution We reade indeed of some disputations and conferences with them wherein the Popes learned Doctors and Bishops sought to conuince and winne them but all without fruit a Altissiodorensis Chronloog an 1207. Vsher cap. 10 §. 20 20. Diuers Abbots of the Cistercian order by appointment of the Pope and one Bishop Episcopus Oximensis with their assistants to the number of 30 went by two or three together thorow their Cities Villages and Townes preaching for three moneths space but saith the Author Paucâ—s revecant they converted but few b Ibid. At other times the like preachers assayed to perswade them but profited little or nothing c Bertrand de gest Tholossanor fol. 46 col 4. One among all other disputations is most famous * Montreal apud montem Regalem in the Diocesse of Carcasson betwixt Fulco B. of Tolous Didacus B. of Exon. Saint Dominicke Peter de Castro nouo and Ranulphus on the one side and Pontanus Iordanus Arnoldus Aurisanus Arnoldus Ottonus Philebertus Castrensis and Benedictus Thermus Pastors of the Albigenses on the other side d Iacobus de Riberia in collectaneu de vrbe Tâ—lcsa before foure Moderators or Arbiters two of them Noble men Bernardus de villa noua and Bernardus Arrensis and two Plebeians Raimundus Godius and Arnoldus Riberia The herosies or questions were these That the Church of Rome is not the holy Church nor Spouse of Christ but a Church defiled with the doctrine of the Deuill and is that Babylon which Saint John describes in the Reuelation the Mother of fornications and abhominations made drunke with the blood of the Saints and that those things are not approued of God which are approued of the Church of Rome And that the Masse was not ordained by Christ nor his Apostles but is an inuention of men This disputation held them many dayes without fruit sauing that diuers histories giue the victory to the Albigenses e Histor Albig booke 1. cap. 2. See Vsher ib. §. 22. And it is certaine that f Chronolog Altisiod an 1208. fol. 103. b Albigenses saepiùs attentati nullatenus gladio verbi Dei poterant expugnari Odo B. of Paris finally informed the Pope that The Albigenses being often set vpon could by no meanes be conquered by the sword of Gods Word and therefore it was fit to beat them downe by warres g Hilagarus hist of Foix pag. 126. And some say It was the Popes policy to entertaine them with conference and disputations that in the mean season he might prepare great Armies to root out them and their Religion These oft and great trauailes in preaching conferring disputing needed not to men invisible obscure of small numbers or contemptible §. 3. much lesse needed those great Armies which were gathered to put them downe if they were few and obscure a Vsher ib. cap. 8. § 31 32 37. Pope Alexander 3. had cursed them anno 1163. persecuted them with warre 1170. and with Inquisition 1176. And after this spoyled a great number of them anno 1181 exercitu militum peditumque infinite with an Army in number of horse and foot infinite saith Nangiacus b Gulielmus Nangiacus chron M S. and yet saith the Monke c Altissiodorens chrono an 1181. Altissiodorensis they recouered returned to their former opinions and multiplied d Antonin hist part 3. tit 23. cap. 1. prope mitium which Innocent 3 seeing and foreseeing the great danger of the Popes downefall by their spreading doctrine thought best to arme both heauen and earth against them Authorizing the e Fryers original about 12 hundred yeerâ— after Christ new-sprung Friers Dominicans and Franciscans to preach in all places whether the
and dutifulnesse he much pâ—ttied them r Hist Wald. book 2. cap. 8. And one Guerin an aduocate was hanged for falsely informing the King against them But the Ecclesiastickes persecuted and massacred them cruelly Ibid. cap. 4. In this Kings time the VValdenses sent two of their Pastors one George Morell of Frassiniers in Dauphine the other Peter Masson of Burgundy to the Protestant Ministers to wit to Oecolampadius Minister at Basse to Capito and Martin Bucer at Strasburg and to Berthaud Haller at Berne to conferre with them about some points of Religion where they found so great agreement in their faith with equall mislikes of the Romish corruptions that they much reioyced and praised God that had continued them and their fathers in the truth of that doctrine aboue foure hundred yeeres in in the middest of many troubles as they write The letters passing betweene them are to be seene in the History Å¿ Ibid. cap. 8. lib. 1. cap. 6. The like letters passed betwixt Preachers of the VValdenses and Calvin t To be seene among Calvins Epistles Epist 250. I hope I haue satisfied you concerning these VValdenses first that they were fully of our Religion u Sâ—bsection 3. subsect 1. Secondly that they were in great numbers and made great visible Churches x Subsect 2. Thirdly that they were spread in diuers Countries y Subsect 3. Fourthly that they continued from the time of your great Revolt from the purity of Religion vnto the late and more publike Reformation by M. Luther z Subsect 4. Antiquus Indeed you haue said very much both for the Greeke or East Church that it held your faith and so continueth and also for these Separatists the VValdenses in the West But you * Section 2. subsect 2. mentioned a third part that many continuing in outward communion with the Church of Rome were yet truely of your Faith and Religion let me heare what you say of that part and you shall haue my reply against them all Section 4. § 1. The Church of Rome excepting the Papacy and the maintainers thereof continued to be the Church of God vntill Luthers time proued by many Protestant Diuines § 2. Their Reasons § 3. But now then the state of that Church is much altered since the new light in Luthers time and since fully discouering the corruptions thereof § 4. And since the great alteration made by the Councell of Trent Antiquissimus I say first that I haue already alledged a great number liuing in community with Papists in outward Ceremonies which yet in substance of Religion were ours and not yours as the followers of Wiclifes doctrine and other teachers in all Countries which were innumerable as may appeare by my former Relation many of them being persecuted for it and many other knowne among themselues but concealing themselues from theâ—r persecutors §. 1. B. Vsher B. White Mr. Ric. Hocker But now I say further with D. Field Luther Calvin Beza Morney Melanchthon Bucer Mr. Deering Bishop Carlton and many other learned Protestants that setting aside the pope and Cardinals and their Hierarchy with the maintainers thereof which I account no part of the Church but a domineering faction tyrannizing ouer the Church the Church of Rome consisting of the rest which were innumerable continued to be the Church of God and in substance all one with vs vntill Luthers time Thus teacheth Doctor Field Of the Church Booke 3. chapter 6. And in the 8 chapter he addeth although we doe acknowledge Wiclife Hus Jerom of Prage and the like to haue been the worthy seruants of God and holy Martyrs and Confessors suffering for the cause of Christ against Antichrist yea we doe not thinke that the Church was found onely in them or that there were no other appearance or succession of the Church and Ministery as Stapleton and other of that faction falsely impute vnto vs. For we most firmely beleeue all the Churches in the world wherein our Fathers liued and dyed to haue beene the true Churches of God in which vndoubtedly saluation was to be found and that they which taught embraced and beleeued those damnable errours which the Romanists now defend against vs were a faction onely in the Churches as were they that denyed the Resurrection vrged Circumcision and despised the Apostles of Christ in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia This matter D. Field prosecuteth there and also in the Appendix to the fift booke part 3 pag. 7. Luther is also alleadged by Bellarmine De not is Ecclesiae cap. 16. out of his booke against the Anabaptists we confesse saith Luther that vnder the Papacy there was much good yea all Christian good and it came thence vnto vs the true Scriptures two true Sacraments true keyes for remission of sinnes true office of preaching true Catechisme as are the Lords Prayer the tenne Commandements the Articles of Faith Yea I say moreouer that vnder the papacy was true Christianity yea the very kernell of Christianity Calvin in his fourth booke of Jnstitutions chap. 2. § 11. saith That God suffered not his Church to perish in France Italy Germany Spaine and England hauing made his Couenant with them but it continued there through effectuall Baptisme and other remainders though for mens ingratitude he suffered the building to be much wasted rent and torne Beza in his questions saith The Church was vnder the papacy but the papacy was not the Church Master Perkins hath the like in his Exposition of the Creed pag. 405. edit Cambridge 1596. Morney in his Treatise of the Church chapt 9. In the later end deliuereth the same That vnder the papacy was the Church and Flocke of Christ but gouerned partly by hirelings partly by wolues and that Antichrist held it by the throat the people were of the Christian Common-wealth but the pope with his faction a Catiline to set it on fire whom Cicero fitly calleth a plague and not a part of the Common-wealth borne Ex luxu reipublicae as an impostume or disease is no part of the body but a corruption bringing dammage and death Bucer and Melancthon teach the same Mr. Edward Deering in his Lectures preached in Pauls Church in London vpon the Epistle to the Hebrewes Lecture 23. pag. 374. hath these words In this was the great goodnesse of God that in time to come his children might assuredly know hee reserued to himselfe a Church euen in the middest of all desolation and that hee called them by his word and confirmed by his Sacraments euen as at this day For seeing there could be no sinne so great but faith in Jesus Christ scattereth it all away it was impossible that the man of sinne doth not so much adulterate either the Word of God but that it should be to the faithfull a Gospell of saluation or else the Sacramenta of God but that they should be pledges of eternall life to those that did beleeue And a little after God of his infinite
and primacy he would not haue failed to vse them being so pregnant for his purpose In the same edition of Manutius Bedel ibid. See D. Field 5. cap. 42. fol. vlt. the Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Cesaria beginning Accepimus per Rogatianum is quite left out although Saint Cyprian thought it worthy his translation and publication and good cause why For that Bishop tartly vilifieth the Bishop of Romes both place person farre beneath that height which they now assume Firmilianns reproueth the folly of Stephanus that boasting so much of the place of his Bishopricke and succession of Peter bee stirred vp contentions and discords in all other Churches and bids him not deceiue himselfe he is become aschismaticke by separating himselfe from the communion of the Ecclesiasticall vnity for while hee thinkes he can separate all from his Communion hee hath separated himselfe onely from all He taxeth him for calling Cyprian a false Christ a false Apostle and a deceitfull workeman which being priuy to himselfe that these were his owne due preuentingly he obiected to another This Epistle is omitted in the new prints And thus graue Authors are shamefully curtalled and corrupted when they speake against the Pope and his doctrine their tongues are cut out contrarily words and sentences are foysted into their workes to make them seeme to speake for him when they neuer meant it Franc. Iunius reports that he comming in the yeare 1559. to a familiar friend of his Junius in praesatione ante Indicem expurgatorium Belgicum à se editum 1586 named Lewes Sauarius Corrector of a Print at Leydon found him ouerlooking Saint Ambrose Workes which Frellonius was printing Whereof when Junius commended the elegancy of the Letter and Edition the Corrector told him secretly it was of all Editions the worst and drawing out many sheets of now-waste-paper from vnder the Table told him they had printed those sheetes according to the ancient authenticke copies but two Franciscans had by their authority cancelled and reiected them and caused other to be printed and put in their roomes differing from the truth of all their owne bookes to the great losse of the Printer and wonder of the Corrector Gretzer De iure prohib libros lib. 2. cap. 10. The Iesuite Gretzerus defendeth these doings and writing of the purging or altering of old Bertram hee saith the Index hath done him no iniury when it hath done him that fauour which is done to some of the ancients as Tertullian and Origen Them and some others though very ancient Gratian quite cut off and the Church hath this authority saith hee to proscribe whole bookes or any parts of them great or small Thus Gretzerus And indeed of the two it were better to proscribe or cut them off as no witnesses then to corrupt and make them false witnesses to speake what they thought not or what is not true But for a Particular Church to proscribe or corrupt all the witnesses that speake against her is vntollerable See more in D. Morton Apologia Catholica part 2. lib. 2. c. 17 In the former point of Counterfeits the Children begot the Fathers In this point of Corruption the Children will teach the Fathers to speake and alter their testimonies and testaments at their pleasure §. 9. Index Expurg Belg. fol. 4. per Iunium edit pag. 12. 3 By deuised glosses and witty but wrong interpretations they wrest the sentences of the Fathers to meane otherwise then the Fathers intended This is confessed by the Diuines of the Vniuersity of Doway speaking of Bertrams booke The title Vt liber Bertrami presbyteri de Corp. sang Domini tolerari emendatus queat Iudicium Vniversitatis Duacensis Censoribus probatum Then their iudgement followes with some reasons why they rather mend the book then forbid it lest the forbidding should make men more desirously seeke it and greedily reade it and condemne the Church for abrogating all antiquity that is alleadged against them c. Therefore they will vse it as they doe other ancient Catholike bookes which they deliuer in these words Cumâ— in Catholicis veteribus alijs plâ—â—â—os feramus errores extenuemus excusemus excogâ—â—â—â—omento persaepe negemus commodum ijs seasum â—ffingamus dum opponuntur in disputationibus aut in confactionibus cum aduersarijs non videmus cur non candem aequitatem diligentem recognitionem mereatur Bertramus c. that is Seeing in other ancient Catholike writers we beare with many errors and we extenuate excuse and oftentimes by witty expositions deny and dâ—uise a commodious sense vnto them when they are opposed in disputations and conflicts with our aduersaries we see no reason why Bertram may not deserue the same equity and diligent recognition In this passage we may obserue these things 1 They acknowledge many errours to be in ancient Writers whom yet they account Catholickes and of their owne Church or Religion Otherwise they must haue a small and the Protestants a large Church 2 That those opinions though many which they Call errors make for their aduersaries the Protestants and are against Romes present doctrine and so obiected by the Protestants 3 How they auoyd them euen by applying their Art Wit and Learning Gods talents committed to them to obscure the Truth corrupt the witnesse thereof deceiue the simple and gull the learned making all beleeue that the ancient Writers are nothing at all against them but fully for them by peruerting their allegations to speake quite contrary to the Authors meaning O wit and learning wickedly bestowed conscience seared poore people miserably deluded And note further 4 the generality of this practise Iudicium Vniuersitatis Duacensis Censoribus approbatum confessed professed by a whole Vniuersity at once and deliuered for their deliberate iudgement and approoued by the most learned and iudicious censors appointed to that great office by the Hierarchy of the Church of Rome though this practice was a long time closely carried in darkenesse yet now it is defended in the open light by Gretzer the Iesuite §. 10. 4 The Roman Doctors may bring in whole Armies of witnesses on their side when they change the question and proue what no body denies a Bedel letters to Wadworth pag. 109. As when the question is whether the pope haue a Monarchy ouer all Christians an vncontroulable Iurisdiction an Infallible Iudgement c. b Bellar. de summo Pontifice lib. 2. cap. 15. 16 answered by D. Field lib. 5. cap. 35 36. Bellarmine alleadgeth a number of Fathers Greeke and Latin to proue onely that Saint Peter had a primacy of honour and authority which is farre short of that supremacy which the popes now claime and which is the question So to proue the verity of Christs Body and Blood in the Lords Supper c Bellar de Eucharistia lâ—b 2. toto Bellarmine spends the whole booke in citing the Fathers of seuerall Ages To what purpose when the
opinion All which to let passe * See D. Field Appendix 1. part pag. 100. seq and Appendix of 27 Articles to the seuenth chapter of the third booke printed at the end of the fourth multitudes of others you still count Catholickes and of your Church though they taught many things against you And therefore out of your owne iudgement we may conclude that some few differences in some points betwixt Protestants doe not hinder them from being all of one Church and Religion §. 3. Antiquus Yes for your differences are great and many ours small and few Antiquissimus When you looke through false spectacles things may be seene greater or smaller then they are take heed you looke not on our differences through the spectacles of malice which makes euery small thing great and vgly and on your owne differences through the spectacles of selfe-loue which makes them seeme small and tollerable One speciall point of the manner of Christs being and being receiued in the Sacrament Archb. Abbot ag Hill Reason 5 §. 26. makes the maine difference bewixt the Lutherans in Denmarke and some places of Germany and the other reformed Churches Anthony sometime King of Nauarre said to the Ambassadour of Denmarke Comment Relig. Reip. in Gal. lib. exhorting the reformed French to be of Luthers doctrine There bee forty points wherein Luther and Calvin doe differ from the pope and in 39 of them they agree betweene themselues and in that single one they dissent Their followers therefore should doe well to ioyne in the greater number against the pope till they haue ruâ—nated him and when his heart is broken they should fall to compound that last single difference God in his good time grant it Now in that one speciall point Zanchius de dissidio Cana Dom. Iudicium tomo septimo in fine Miscelaneorum D. Field Church lib. 5. Appendix part 1. pag. 114. the difference is nothing so great as you would haue it thought For as the most learned and iudicious Zanchius obserueth and our Doctor Field out of him In all necessary points both the parties agree and dissent in one vnnecessary which by right vnderstanding one another might easily bee compounded First both parties agree in the necessity of the receiuers due preparing themselues with knowledge of their sinnes repentance of them faith in Christ for pardon of them and resolution to liue according to Gods Law Secondly both sides agree in the acknowledgement of the excellent vse of the Sacrament for a perpetuall memoriall of the death and passion of Christ for our saluation and that with him we should dye to sinne and be raised againe to newnesse of life be made one with him and nourished by him in a spirituall life here to eternall life hereafter Thirdly both sides agree that the very body and blood of Christ are to be receiued in that Sacrament that thereby we may be partakers of the life of Grace and also be strengthened confirmed and continued therein Fourthly both sides agree that the elements of bread and wine presenting to our consideration and faith the spirituall nourishing force that is in the body and blood of Christ are not abolished in their substance but onely changed in their vse which is not onely to signifie but also to exhibit and communicate vnto vs the very body and blood of Christ with all the gracious working and fruits thereof Fiftly both sides agree that the meaning of Christs words This is my Body This is my Blood when hee gaue them the Bread and Wine was this This which outwardly and vâ—sibly I giue you is in substance Bread and Wine and in mystery or exhibitiue signification my Body and Blood but this which together with them I giue you inuisibly is my very Boâ—y that is to be crucified and my very Blood which is to be shed for the remission of your sinnes Sixtly both parties agree and professe they firmely beleeue that the very Body and Blood of Christ which the Sacraments doe not onely signifie but exhib t and whereof the faithfull are partakers are truely present in the Sacrament and by the faithfull truely and really receiued Thus farre all parties agree that is in the whole necessary and sufficient substance of the doctrine of this Sacrament for the other matter wherein they differ De modo of the manner how Christ is present in the Sacrament seeing it is not expressed in the Scriptures In the iudgement of Zanchius it might be well omitted themselues confesse when they haue gone as farre as they can to determine it still it is ineffable and not possible to be fully vnderstood It is enough for vs to beleeue the Body and Blood are there though how and in what manner we cannot define §. 4. Antiquus Whether it be of so little importance or no I dispute not but I am sure the Controuersie still remaines and is hotly pursued and yet this is not the onely difference betwixt your Protestants there are many other Antiquissimus The more greatly to blame is your pope and Romish Hierarchy that when many grieuous corruptions of your Church both in Doctrine and gouernment were manifestly layed open See D. Field Appendix to the fift booke of the Church part 1. pag. 71. Gerson 3. part Apologet. de concilio Constantion Idâ—m de concilio vnius obedientiae would not for al the importunity of Princes Prelats people yeeld to any wholsome reformation but with obstinate resistance hindred all publicke proceeding in Reformation by the course of a general Councell so that seuerall States and Kingdomes were faine to redresse things amisse seuerally within their owne compasse without sufficient Intelligence and consultation one with another which could not bee done without some differences and it is lâ—ttle lesse then miraculous that the differences were not many more and greater Cassander saith when many were moued out of a godly affection sharply to reproue certaine manifest abuses Cassander consultation art 7. they were repelled and disdainfully contemned by them who were puffed vp with the swell ng conceits of their Ecclesiasticall power which caused the great distraction or rent of the Church and no firme peace is to be hoped for vnlesse the beginning thereof be from them that gaue the cause of this diuision that is vnlesse they that haue the gouernment of the Church remit something of their too great rigor and listning to the desires of many godly ones correct manifest abuses according to the rule of sacred Scripture and the ancient Church from which they are departed c. Thus writes your Cassander though a papist yet moderate and truely Iudicious Contarenus in confutatione Articulorum Lutheri Also your Cardinall Contarenus writing of the grieuances and complaints of the Lutherans for the manifold abuses brought into the Church makes a prayer to God that he would moue the hearts of the Prelats of the Church at the last to put away most pernicious selfe-loue and be
perswaded to correct things manifestly amisse and to reforme themselues There needs no Counsell thoâ—e need no syllogismes there need no alleadging of places of Scripture for the quiering of these stirres of the Lutherans but there is need of good minds of loue towards God and our neighbour and of humility c. Thus writes Contarenus I might cite your Thu anus and many others that lay the fault of the diuisions rents and differences in the Church vpon your Pope and Prelats Bad Statists and worse Christians But I pray you what other differences of moment do ye finde among the Protestants Antiquus When the Diuines of the Reformed in France were called to the Mompelgart colloquy in the yeare 1586 they looked for no more differences then of our Lords Supper which you spake of but they found more of the Person of Christ of Predestination of Baptisme of Images in Churches Antiquissmus They found those fiue indeed And it was a wonderfull prouidence of God that so many seuerall Countries Kingdomes and States abandoning the abuses of the Church or rather Court of Rome and making particular Reformations in their own dominions without generall meetings and consents should haue no more nor greater differences then these And of these the first two of Christs presence in the Sacrament and of the communication of properties of the diuinity and humanity in the person of Christ are in a maner all one and reconciled both alike Concerning the two next the differences among the Fathers who notwithstanding still continued members of the same true Catholik Church may well excuse the differences among the Protestants And for the fifth difference concerning Images it proued no difference at all Both sides therin fully agreed But these are not the Tithe of the differences amongst your men and in these fiue which you reckon many of your owne men differ one from another and yet with you are good Catholiks Antiquus Happily I might insist vpon many other differences among you if I carried a minde rather to number then to weigh them But I will name onely one more the great and scandalous dissention among you about the gouernment of your Church betwixt the Bishops and Formalists on the one side and the Puritans or Separatists on the other side Antiquissimus Both these sides agree in all necessary sauing points of doctrine But in this very point of gouernment D. Field Appen first part pag. 120. first pull out the beame out of your owne eyes before you stare vpon our motes Some of your Doctors hold that the Pope is aboue Generall Councels some that he is not Some hold that the pope hath the vniuersality of all Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction in himselfe Others hold the pope to be onely the Prince Bishop in order and honour before other which are equall in commission with him and at the most but as the Duke of Venice among the Senators of that State Some hold that the pope may erre Iudicially Others that the pope cannot erre Iudicially Some hold the pope to be temporall Lord of al the world Others hold that he is not so Some hold that though the pope be not temporall Lord of the world yet in ordine ad spiritualia he may dispose of the Kingdome of the world Others hold that the pope may not meddle with Princes States in any wise §. 5. Antiquus The differences among Protestants you say are not great but I am sure their dissentions are great bitter scandalous and odious while they write most virulent inuectiues one against another damne one another most grieuously for their different doctrine without shew of any touch of Christan mortification or moderation Antiquissimus Those that do so are much to blame It is farre from mee to defend them Yet you know sometimes very holy and well mortified men may happen into strange contentions euen for smal matters Saint Paul and Barnabas appointed by the Holy Ghost to ioyne for the worke of the ministry in planting Churches among the Gentiles Acts 13.2 which they did very laboriously cheerefully with good successe and though they suffered persecution in doing it yet were comfortably deliuered and allwayes found God who had sent them present to protect and blesse them and afterwards they were sent by the Church to Ierusalem to the Apostles and elders Acts 15.1 2. about questions that troubled the Church and by the whole Councell of Apostles they were sent againe Iointly to the Churches of Antioch Syria and Cilicia and other Nations to giue them notice of the decrees of the Councell to direct and confirme the brethren now hauing deliuered their message and done their businesse imposed at Antioch and were so to go forward to Syria and Cilicia They fell to contention and for a matter of no great moment to wit Barnabas would haue Iohn to goe with them and Paul refused him the contention grew so sharp that they parted company and went seuerall wayes See how flesh and blood boyled in these good mens hearts Euen in those mens hearts whom God had made speciall choyce of and Ioyned them together for his most especiall and extraordinary workes vpon whom the Church of God after fasting and prayer had laid their hands and separated them to goe Ioyntly together about that holy busines who had power to doe many miracles and extraordinary workes Acts 15. who made report of the wonderfull successe which God gaue them in conuerting the Gentiles to the great admiration and consolation of the Apostles whom the Apostles sent againe with their decrees to the Churches euen these holy men fell out for a light cause and parted company Haply some man might say Are these to be accounted truely mortified and holy men who were carried away with such a humor of pride and sâ—lfe will that neither of them would yeeld to other are these guided by the spirit of God the spirit of peace loue concord humility are these fit to teach others that cannot ouerrule their owne passions or haue they no part of the spirit of God but are men ouerborne with haughtinesse wilfullnesse stubbornesse vnfit for men of this profession able to make men vtterly distaste and abhorre whatsoeuer they preach Thus would some men gather out of this action But Saint Paul a chosen vessell yet still an earthen vessel who knew well he had his cracks and his flawes himselfe gathereth another thing 2 cor 4.6 2 Cor. 4.6 God who hath commanded the light to shine out of darknes hath shined in our hearts to giue the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Chirst But we haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of vs. Secondly At the first Councell of Nice many Churchmen offred vp to the Emperor Constantine Bills of Complaint one against another Zozomen hist lib. 1. cap. 16. which the Emperor tooke very ill and said this was worse then
all the euils that the Church of God had endured that it shold be rent with contentions and contrary opinions of her owne children for the contrary opinions among the learned at that time and their dissentions saith the Story were so scandalous that many were thereby alienated from embracing Christian Religion But Constantine appointing a day to receiue all their Bookes of complaints when it came hee exhorted them to vnity and concord and to ioyne hands for the holy worke of their calling and in one great fire he burned all their Books of accusations Matth. 11.29 1 Pet. 2.21 c. Thirdly Meeknes and mildnes is an excellent vertue in all Christians and especially in the Ministers of God Leaders of others our Sauiour Christ calls vs to learne it of himselfe as his peculiar vertue But yet when the cause is Gods and not our owne we may learne also euen of him a holy zeale and earnestnesse he pronounced many woes against the Scribes and Pharises Read Matth. 23. ver 13. to the end for dishonouring God corrupting his Religion misleading the people and abusing them he called them hypocrits damned creatures children of hell fooles and blind guides painted sepulchers full of hypocrisie and iniquity serpents and generations of vipers Ioh. 8 44. And elsewhere saith to the Pharisies and other Jewes ye are of your Father the Deuill and the lusts of your Father ye will do c. Acts 8.20 23. So Saint Peter to Simon Magus Thy money perish with thee Thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of Iniquity Act. 13.10 and Saint Paul to Elimas who went about to turne Sergius Paulus the Deputy from the faith O full of all subtilty and all mischiefe thou child of the Deuill thou enemy of all righteousnesse c. Zeale of Gods glory is not onely excusable but commendable euen when it is mixed with Error which is condemnable Phil. 3.4 6. for so Saint Paul reckons it among the things wherin he might glory Concerning Zeale I persecuted the Church Bellar. De Rom. pont lib 4. cap. 7. §. per hoc respondetur Fourthly Bellarmine somewhat excuseth Cyprian though sa th he he seemeth to haue sinned mortally in crossing and vexing the pope being in the right himselfe being in the wrong At least he should not haue written such reuiling and reproachfull words against the pope Steuen as he did in thâ—t Epistle to Pompey calling the pope superbum imperitum caecae ac prauae mentis c. Proud vnskillfull of a blind and corrupt mind Yet saith Bellarmine also It seemes Cyprian sinned not mortally because hee sinned onely of Ignorance thinking the pope perniciosè errare to erre dangerously and while he so thought hee was bound in conscience not to obey him because he ought not to do against his conscience Thus saith Bellarmine Fiftly the question of Rebaptizing such as were baptized by Heretickes See D. White Way digress 21. Eu ch hist lib. 7. cap. 2. seq bred many broyles in the Church betwixt Saint Cyprian with the Councell of 80 Bishops of Africke and also the Metropolitans Dionysius and Firmilianus with most of the Bishops of Egypt Cappadocia Galatia and Cilicia on the one part and the Bishop of Rome with the Westerne Bishops on the other part There was scarce any Church or Catholicke Bishop therein which was not entangled in this discord And many bitter speeches and contumelious actions and writings passed betweene them Sixtly Eusâ—b hist lib. 5. cap. 21. the strife betwixt the East and West Churches about the day of the celebration of Easter proceeded so farre as to excommunications The Easterne Churches kept Faster day the 14 day of the first Moone in March after the vernall Equinoctiall though it hapned on the weeke day by tradition from Saint John and Saint Philip Ibib. cap. 22. and many other holy men and Martyrs liuing and dying in Asia as Bishop Polycrates wrâ—teth But in diuers Synods held 1 in Palestina vnder B. Theophiluâ— of Caesarea and Bish Narcissus of Jerusalem 2 In Rome vnâ—er pope Victor 3 in Pontus vnder Palmas 4 in France vnder Irenaeus 5 In Greece and other places It was ordered that Easter should be kept not on the weeke day but on the Sunday after the 14 day And Victor Bishop of Rome Ibid. cap. 21. Jbid. cap. 23. proceeâ—ed in sinâ— to pronounce all the Reuerenâ— Easterne Bishops that kept it otherwise excommunicated and inueighed sore against them by letters But not onely they but the Westerne Bishops also disliked Victors doing therein yea dissâ—aded and sharpely reproueâ— him Especially Jrenaeus with his brethren of France alleâ—â—ging that for such like differences as this For example for the kâ—â—p ng of Lent Fast some onely one day See the Epistle of Irenaeus in Euseb History ib. some two some more some forty dayes before Easter and that by custome of long time before that Age in such difference of fasting they kept the vnity of faith and peace one with another and neuer proceeded to hate or excommunicate one another for such petty differences D. Field Appendix 1. part pag. 116. Zozemen lib 8. cap. 15. Socrat. lib. 6. cap. 13. Seuenthly Grieuous were the differences and contentions betwixt Saint Chrysostome and Epiphanâ—us the one refusing to pray with the other the one accusing the other of manifest breaches of the Canons the one cursing the other and praying that he should nâ—uer die a Bishop the other cursing him agaâ—ne and praying that he should neuer returne into his Countrey aliue Bâ—th which came to passe For Chrysostome was cast out of his Bishopricke and dyed in banishment And Epiphanius dyed in his reâ—urne homeward Yâ—t were both of these excellent holy and Catholicke Bishops that thus contended Eightly And beside their owne contentions the taking of parts with them drew on much mischieife Theophilus Patriarke of Alexandria ioyned with Epiphanius against Chrysostome and with them ioyned the other Bishops of the Prouinces as they fancied The Empresse was set against Chrysostome being informed that he had made a Sermon against women She incensed the Emperour by whose appointment Theopilus called a Counsell of Bishops at Chalcedon whither all Chrysostomâ—s enemies resorted and there pronounced him deposed Cyrinus Bishop there called him impious arrogant and froward From thence most of the Bishops went to Constantinople but none of the Clergy met them to doe them honour There they obiected many crimes against him and cited him to answer But he refused to come excepting against them as his enemies and appealing to a generall Councell But finally they condemned him for obstâ—nacy in not comming vnto them and depriued him of his Bishopricke This being noysed in the City caused a great sedition multitudes watching about the Church to hinder his carrying away anâ— cryed out his cause ought to be heard in a greater Councell of Bishops But by the Emperours command and practise he
glasse darkely Aug. epist 57. Regula Fidei pufillis magnisque communis And therefore beside that larger measure of knowledge whereof all are not capable there must be a rule of Faith common to great and small as Saint Augustine calls it And as there is a common saluation a Iude v. 3. whereof the meanest beleeuer is capable as well as the greatest Apostles b 2 Pet. 1.1 so there must be a common faith c Tit. 1.4 sufficient to conduct vs all vnto it §. 4. This Saint Paul calls The fourme of sound words 2 Tim. 1.13 hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus 1 It must be a forme frame or fashion body method Rule of Faith or of sound and sauing Doctrine fit for all Preachers to frame their Sermons by and all Christians to frame their faith and life by Timothy in preaching and the Ephesians in hearing and practizing 2 It must be not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as rom 6.17 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here a short forme or briefe method There must perspicuity for the vnderstanding and breuity for the memory of simple men 3 To these must be added certainty which thou hast heard of me learned of men inspired by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 2 Tim. 3 15 16 17. Bellar. De verbo Dei lib. 1. cap. 2. § quare cum Sacra Scriptura est regula credendi certissima tutissimaque saith Bellarmine 4 Adde also sufficiency both for Credenda all things to be beleeued in Faith and for Facienda all things to be performed in Loue which is the fulfilling of the Law For true Faith and good life containe all things belonging to a Christian And all things appertaining to these that are necessary for all men to know are contained in the Scriptures saith Bell also * Idem ib. l. 4. c 11.9 His notatu Duo omnia illa scripta esse ab Apostolis qua sunt omnibus necessaria quae ipsi palam omnibus pradicaverant Costerus in Enchiridio c. 1. de sacra scriptura §. Caeterum Caeterum non insiciamur praecipna illa capita qua omnibus Christianis ad salutem necessaria perspicue satis essè Apostolicis scriptu comprehensa As Augustine also de doctr Christiana l. 2. c. 9 â—ellar de Iustif l. 3. c. 8. § prima ratio B. Vsher serm Wansted p. 42. Vincent Lirinen siâ— contra haeres c. 3. Jn ipsa catholica ecclesia magnopere curandum est vt id teneamus quod vbique quod semper quod ab omnibus creditum est hoc est enim verè proprinque catholicum Ioan. Serran in Apparat. ad fidem call â—l edit Paris 1607. pag. 172. Vsher ib. pag. 59. See S. August libr. de fi de operibus cap. 9. Yea and that plainly enough saith the Iesuite Costerus 5 And to these belong also that Antiquity Vniuersality and Vnity which are so much spoken of and are vsually but most falsly applyed to the new additioÌ„s of the Roman Church as well as to these fundameÌ„tall principles to which onely they belong Vincentius Lirinensis saith well That is truely and properly Catholicke and to be held in the Catholicke Church whâ—ch in all places in all times and of all Christians hath beene and is beleeued And this saith Serranus a late learned man who hath written a full discourse of this argument is that doctrine against which the gates of Hell shall neuer preuaile and which the Father of lies by all his deuises and attempts could neuer yet nor euer shall abolish or foote out of the hearts of men This Antiquity Vniuersality or Catholicisme and this Vnity or Generall consent of Christian doctrine will neuer be found any where but in the essentiall substantiall and fundamentall points thereof 6 Saint Paul yet addeth these words Which is in Christ Iesus because he is the deepest Foundation root Author and finisher of our Faith and Loue of our future saluation and of our present gracious conuersation Other Foundation can no man lay saith the same Saint Paul 1. cor 3.11 Not that there need no other principles of Faith then those that concerne his person onely and directly for the Articles concerning God the Father the Holy Ghost the forgiuenesse of sinnes resurrection of the dead the last Iudgement c. haue their place in the Foundation Hebr. 6.1 â— but because Christ is the most especiall obiect of our Faith and the primary Foundation of all the other for they haue all reference vnto him being such as concerne either His Father or His spirit or His incarnation or His office of mediation or His Church or the speciall benefits which he hath purchased for it And also all the Articles as they build vs vpon the Foundation and as they incorporate vs into the mysticall Body or as they are meanes of our Iustification and life they looke vpon the sonne of God and him onely Also we must not onely know the originall cause of our saluation but also our need therof by knowledge of our originall and actuall sinnes which deserue damnation and the meanes to communicate this saluation vnto vs the Church the Ministery preaching sacraments and the dueties which we must do For rom 10.14 how can we know God or pray to him without beleeuing or beleeue without hearing or heare without preaching or haue preaching except Preachers be sent from God by meanes of the Church or know our duties without Gods comandments Mat. 15.9 Faith is necessary Rom. 4.14 gal 2.21 hebr 11.6 so is new birth Joh. 3.5 2. cor 5.17 Ioh. 13.8 Repentance luc 13.3 Deniall of our selues luc 9.23.24 c. §. 5. But how farre these Fundamentall principles which are absolutely necessare to saluation must extend is a Question of some difficulty The Apostles contented themselues in conuerting the Jewes to Christian Religion to teach them that Christ Iesus was the Sauiour of the world and that Saluation was to be had onely by Repentance from Dead works and Faith in him For that he was the very Messias foretold by the Patriarks and Prophets had died for our sinnes and rose againe for our Iustification They mentioned not God the Father Creator and Preseruer of the world nor the doctrine of the Trinity and other things which the hearers knew before without any new teaching being Jewes and well acquainted with the Olde Testament but presupposing they were grounded in these points before they layd the foundation of the New Testament to wit Saluation by Iesus Christ onely B. Vsher in his Sermon at Wansted 1624 And Bellarmin also lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 11. alleadge these examples to this purpose which when the people receiued and beleeued they presently baptized them and receiued them into the Congregation of Christs flocke Thus did Sant Peter Acts 2. and Acts 3. and Acts. 4.10 11 12. The like course was vsed by Phillip to
neither was there any full sufficient setling of the truth of that point in the Church before their times nor the euill consequence thereof discerned And heresie is the obstinate maintaining of such errours after the truth is plainely taught sufficient to convict them The like may be said of the Millenary errour See ibid. and many other which diuers of the ancient Fathers held as afore is mentioned §. 5. Here you may obserue First the Church of Rome is charged with errours Hock ibid. § 17. by consequence whereof the very foundation of faith is plainly ouerthrowen and the force of the blood of Iesus Christ extinguished Secondly the wilfull and obstinate maintainers thereof after wholesome admonition are guilty of vnauoydable condemnation without actuall repentance Thirdly our Fathers that liued in those errours D. Whiâ—â— Woy pag. 448. Mornâ—y church cap. 9. end and held them onely vpon ignorance as they were taught not thinking they did amisse and neuer vnderstanding the dangerous consequence of them might by their generall hatred and repentance of all sinne though vnknowne be saued through Gods mercy and by holding the foundation and nothing in their knowledge and intent contrary therevnto were to bee accounted members of the true Church of God Fourthly this ignorance in these times cannot giue any colour of excuse since by reason of Luthers opposition these things haue beene better discussed the errours discouered and the dangerous consequence of them sufficiently published to the world not onely by the Diuines of other Countries but euen by our owne English So that after so large a publication thereof we may say as Saint Paul 2 Cor. 4.3 2 Cor. 4.3 4. If our Gospel he hid it is hid to them that are lost In whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which beleeue not lest the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the Image of God should shine vnto vnto them 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And 2 Thess 2.10 In them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued for which cause God sendeth them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lie that they might all be damned who beleeue not the truth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse §. 6. Antiquus You bring forth but one man and make him great with praises as if with his great person and big words like Goliah he were sufficient to scarre and and fright the whole army of God Antiquissimus No Sir I bring him forth as humble Dauid against your Goliah of Rome and I will if you require it adioyne vnto him many other Worthies like Dauids able to quell all your Giants not with bigge words but with sound blowes D. Field appendix to the fift booke pag. vlt. Secondly Our worthy Doctor Field in his whole fiue bookes of the Church euery where sheweth your corruptions and refuteth them But for the present read onely the last page of his whole worke where hee layeth to the charge of the present Church of Rome 2 number of erroneous points wherein men liuing and dying can neuer be saued and wherein that Church sheweth her selfe to be the Synagogue of Sathan the faction of Antichrist and that Babylon out of which we must flie vnlesse we will be partakers of her plagues Thirdly our worthy Bishop Downam in his bookes De Antichristâ— sheweth the same His whole third booke setteth out the opposition of the Pope to Christs especially the sixt and seuenth Chapters containe a Catalogue of the errors and heresies of the present Roman Church and the eight Chapter sheweth her opposition against the offices and benefits of Christ euery where alledging your owne authors for confirmation of that the saith Fourthly The like doth D. Gabriell Powell in his two bookes De Antichristo De Ecclesia Antichristi If I should but reckon vp the names onely of Protestants which write of these points Punctually as these aboue named or otherwise other largly or briefely either purposely or occasionally and obiter by the way I should be needlesly tedious Fifthly M. Perkins vpon the Epistle of S. Jude pag. 261. I will therefore conclude with one in stead of all to wit Mr. Perkins In his Lectures vpon Iude verse 19 he saith we may not separate from the visible particular Church 1 for the corrupt manners of Men except from the priuate society of notorious offendors onely in priuate conuersation 1. cor 5.11 but onely for errors in doctrine 2 and not for all errors but onely for errors great and waighty for smaller errors cut not of saluation and therefore must not cause a seperation 1 cor 3 15 and 3 for those waighty errors euen in the substance of doctrine or in the Foundation if they beheld onely of frailty we may not seperate but if they be held and maintained with obstinacy then with good conscience we may and must seperate from the maintainers of them 1 tim 6.3 4.5 Acts 19.9.2 Chron. 11.4 16 17. Antiquus I like well of Mr. Perkins Iudgement that we may not make seperation for any other cause but onely for great and waighty errors against the foundation of Religion and for those onely when they are held with obstinacy But where doth he charge the Church of Rome with any such Antiquissimus Euen in the same Exposition of that Epistle of Saint Iude verse 3 where he speaketh of the points of Common Saluation from pag. 37 to pag 97. There he describeth 21 grounds of Faith and 11 groundes of Gods seruice and good life which the Church of Rome as there he sheweth doth very much infringe and in many things ouerthrow by the points of doctrine and practise which it maintaineth Reed and waigh them aduisedly Section 4. § 1. There is a necessity or great profit of Preaching euen to them that are well grounded in all necessary Principles § 2. As Israel needed all helpes after the giuing of the Law and all were too little § 3. The profits of Preaching in generall § 4. Some particulars for continuall spirituall food cordiall medicine and comfort memory armour c. § 5. The continuall need thereof was found in all Churches planted euen by the Apostles and in their times §. 1. Antiquus I will reade them at my better leasure But now by the way by your allowing these principall grounds of Religion to be sufficient for all men to saluation You seeme to cut off all necessity of so much preaching as is vsed amongst you For what needes so much preaching and hearing when men are already instructed in all points necessary to saluation Antiquissimus Preaching is still necessary because faith and regeneration must continually receiue increase 2 Pet. 3 1â— As S. Peter exhorteth in the last words of his later Epistle Grow in grace and in knowledge c. If knowledge and grace were so perfect in all beleeuers at the first instant that no reliques of blindnesse or
Councels Emperors yeelded much honour and reuerence as to men sitting at the principall sterne of the Ship of Christs Church to direct and guide it and men right worthy of their place as appeareth by innumerable testimonies in Histories and Fathers both Greeke and Latine Irenaeus Tertullian Optatus Ierom Ambrose Basil Chrysostome Augustine c. Thus saith your learned and moderate Cassander and now mark what he immediately addeth Georgiâ— Cassandri Censulâ—atio artic 7. §. De Pontifice Romano Neque vnquam credo c. Neither doe I thinke that euer any controuersie would haue beene amongst vs of this point if the Popes had not abused this authority to a certaine shew of Domination and stretched it beyond the bounds prescribed by Christ the Church through their ambition and couetousnesse But this abuse of that Bishops power which first his flatterers stretched out beyond measure gaue occasion to men to thinke ill of the power it selfe which that Bishop had obtained by the vniuersall consent of the whole Church yea it gaue occasion to men wholly to forsake it which yet I thinke hee might recouer saith Cassander if hee would reduce it within the limits prescribed by Christ and the ancient Church and vse it according to Christs Gospell and the tradition of his ancestors onely to the edification of the Church Therefore at the first Luther thought and wrote modestly enough of the power of the Pope though afterwards being offended and enraged at the most absurd writing of some of his flatterers he inueighed more bitterly against it c. And in the next page before this Cassander saith Non negarim c. I cannot deny but many men were compelled at first by a godly care sharpely to reproue some manifest abuses and the principall cause of this calamity and distraction of the Church is to be imputed to them that being puffed vp with a vaine pride of Ecclesiasticall power did proudly and disdainfully contemne and reiect those that iustly and modestly admonished them Wherefore I thinke there is no firme peace of the Church to be hoped for except it take beginning from them who gaue the first cause of the distraction that is that those that sit at the sterne of Ecclesiasticall gouernment remit something of their too much rigor and yeeld something to the peace of the Church and harkening to the earnest enertaties and admonitions of many godly men correct manifest abuses according to the rule of holy Scriptures and the ancient Church from which they haue swarued Thus writes your Cassander D. Field Of the Church book 5. cap. 50. §. These are all Our D. Field saith much like to Cassander that if the Bishop of Rome would disclaim his claime of vniuersall Iurisdiction of infallible Iudgement and power to dispose at his pleasure the kingdomes of the world and would content himselfe with that all Antiquity gaue him which is to be in order and honour the first among Bishops we would easily grant him to bee in such sort President of generall Counsels as to sit and speake first in such meetings but to bee an absolute Commander we cannot yeeld vnto him Thus writes D. Field Idem Appendix to the fifth booke pag. 78. and more fully in another place If the Pope would onely clayme to be a Bishop in his Precinct a Metropolitan in a Prouince a Patriarch of the West and of Patriarchs the first and most honourable to whom the rest are to resort in cases of greatest moment as to the head and chiefe of their company to whom it especially pertaineth to haue an eye to the preseruation of the Church in the vnity of Faith and Religion and the acts and exercises of the same and with the assistance and concurrence of the other by all due courses to effect that which pertaineth thereunto without claiming absolute and vncontroulable power infallibility of Iudgement and right to dispose the Kingdomes of the world and to intermeddle in the administration of the temporalities of particular Churches and the immediate swaying of the iurisdiction thereof Luther in libro contra PapatuÌ„ Luther himselfe professeth he would neuer open his mouth against him King Iames in his Praemonition to all Christian Monarchs § Of Bishops pag. 46 Our late most learned and iudicious King Iames of happy memory writes the like Patriarchs I know were in the Primitiue Church and I likewise reuerence that institution for Order-sake and amongst them was a contention for the first place And for my selfe if that were yet the question I would with all my heart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first seat I being a Westerne King would goe with the Patriarch of the West And for his temporall Principality ouer the Signory of Rome I doe not quarrell it neither let him in God his name be primus Episcopus inter omnes Episcopos and Princeps Episcoporum so it be no otherwise but as Peter was Princeps Apostolorum But as I well allow of the Hierarchy of the Church for distinction of orders for so I vnderstand it so I vtterly deny that there is an earthly Monarch thereof whose word must bee a Law and who cannot erre in his sentence Thus ye see if the Bishop of Rome enioy not the honours and priuiledges which the ancient Church gaue vnto his predecessors the fault is not in vs but in him who vnworthily abusing his power to vntollerable tyranny hath worthily lost it Iude vers 6. Mat. 24.45 as the Angels not content with their first estate and the euill seruant that instead of well guiding his Masters house intrusted to him misused and beat his fellow seruants and therfore was cut off and had his portion with hypocrites §. 6. Antiquus I am ioyfull that such iudicious moderate Princes as King Iames and such great learned men as Cassander Luther D. Field c. yeeld so much honor to the Pope but I doubt the greatest part of Protestants doe not so yet all that they are content to yeeld comes farre short of that which the Scriptures and Fathers doe attribute to Saint Peter and his successors Antiquissimus Scriptures and Fathers neuer yeeld more For the Scriptures will you stand to the examination and iudgement of the most famous Iesuite Bellarmine Antiq. That most Reuerend Learned Iudicious and laborious Reader of controuersies at Rome Bellarmine the most eminent man in the most eminent City of the world handling all points so exactly and excellently that he was therfore made an honourable Cardinall of Rome and his bookes printed with the priuiledges of the vnerring Pope the Emperour and the State of Venice c. he I say shall ouer-rule my iudgement in all points Antiquis Yet take heed your implicit faith doe not deceiue you when it is vnfolded Bellar. praesatio ante libros de Romano Pontifice But in this cause you need seeke no further then to see what hee saith for first This
cause of the Popes primacy and power is the greatest of all other as himselfe saith it is De summa rei Christianae the summe totall of Christianity depends vpon it In it the question is whether the Church shall stand any longer or bee dissolued and fall to nothing for what is it else to demand whether wee may not take the foundation from the building the Sheephard from the Flocke the Generall from the Army the Sunne from the Starres the head from the body but to aske whether we may not let the building fall the Flocke be scattered the Army dispersed the Stars obscured the body lye dead Bellarm. ibid. Therefore secondly to make this piece of the stately height wealth and magnificence of the Papacy which is forsooth the foundation of Religion most strong the choycest men for wit learning and all other habilities haue beene set on worke to doe their vttermost to maintaine it of which Bellarmine reckoneth the chiefest of sundry Countries In Polonia one in France two in Germany fiue in Low Germany six in England six in Spaine six in Italy eight in Graecia two And thirdly if there be any strength in any of their writings Bellarmine hath it and sets it out to the vttermost therefore if thou finde him weake know for certainty there is no strength in the cause He musters indeed Scriptures and Fathers and rangeth them into goodly rankes but all ad Pompam rather than ad pugnam For neuer a one of them strikes a sufficient blow for him nor against vs. Against his vrging of the place of Math. 16. when he hath with all his wit stretched it as farre as he can he is faine to admit three exceptions of the Protestantâ— which ouerthrow all that he would proue First that as Christ asked not of Peter onely but of all Whâ—m say yee that I am Peter answered for all Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God for all could not speake at once neither was it decent one must be the speaker So also Christ replyed vpon him as vpon all and therefore what was spoken vnto him belonged to them all And thus the ancient Fathers interpret it Chrysostome vpon the place and Ierome and Austine as Bellarmine himselfe h Be lar de pont lib. 1. cap. 12 §. Secunda obâ— citeth them and reciteth their words neither saith he any thing to auoid their testimonies but addeth this onely Peter answered for all as the Prince and Head of all which in the true sence wee deny not neither makes it any thing for them Secondly the Protestants say It was not vpon Peters person but vpon Peters faith which was the saith of all the Apostles whereupon Christ would build his Church to wit That Christ was the Sonne of the liuing God that is the great Messias promised from the beginning the Sauiour of the world Thus the Fathers also teach as Bellarmine i ib cap 10. §. quarta senten confesseth Hilarius k lib 6. de Trin. Ambrose l lib 6 cap. 9. in Luk Chrysostome m Hom. 55 in Mat 83. iâ— Mat. Cyrill n ib. 1. de Trin. Hee might haue added also Augustine o De â—erbâ—s â— om serm â—â— who saith The Rocke is Christ not Peter vpon this Rocke which thou hast confessed vpon this Rocke which thou hast knowne saying Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God will I build my Church I will build thee vpon mee not mee vpon thee c. but this your Doctor Stapleton o De â—erbâ—s â— om serm â—â— p Princip doctr lâ—b â— cap â— See 〈…〉 Hâ—â—t pag â—0 â—â— calleth humanus lapsus in Saint Austin To all this Bellarmine saith they meant not Peters faith without some relation to his person What is this to the purpose This wee admit both in him and in all the Apostles their persons may bee said to bee foundations in some sort as in Ephes 2.20 Reuel 21.14 yet that is in regard of the Faith and Doctrine which they taught the subiect and substance whereof was Iesus Christ Thirdly the Protestants alleadge that whatsoeuer was promised to Saint Peter in the 16. of Matthew was certainly performed to all in Ioh. 20.23 where Christ said to all the Apostles Whose-soeuer sinnes yee remit they are remitted and whose-soeuer sinnes ye retaine they are retained And this the Fathers also plentifully teach q Cypr. de simplicitate praelatorum siue de vnitate Eccl. Cyprian r Hilari lib. 6. de Trinit Hilary Å¿ Hieron lib. 1. ad Iouinianum At inquit dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesià licet id ipsum in alio loco superomnes Apo â—olos siat cuâ—cti accipâ—ant c. Ierome and Saint Augustine in many places hath the like All which t Ib. lib. 1 c. 12. § Obiâ—â—tio vltima Bellarmine confesseth adding still lest he say nothing that yet Peter was a chiefe man among the rest which is not the question and none of vs denies it Thus he granteth first that what was there spoken to Peter belonged to all the rest secondly that the Church was built vpon Peters Faith which was the common faith of all the Apostles and not vpon Peters person either wholly or principally and thirdly that which there was promised to Peter was afterward performed to them all and so this place of Mat. 16. makes nothing to the end for which your men so often and so gloriously alleadge it Antiq. Were it not that I see it with mine eyes and read the whole tract aduisedly I should neuer haue beleeued that Bellarmine had yeelded thus much but yet he doth it with modifications Antiquis Hee must needs make some flourishes to satisfie his owne side but you see the substance of the matter is flat against him But note what he grants further u Bellar de Pont Rom li. â— cap. 11. §. Alterum arg Peter was made the foundation of the Church by those words of Christ Mat. 16.18 vpon this Rock will I build my Church so all the Apostles were foundations and all the three wayes that Peter was First as efficient causes by founding and planting Churches some in one Country and some in another for x Rom. 15.20 Paul would not build vpon another mans foundation and y 1 Cor 3.10 he layd the foundation in Corinth and another built thereon And thus were all the Apostles equally the foundations of the Catholike Church Reuel 21.14 Secondly as materiall causes by their Doctrine first reueiled vnto them by the Lord and then taught by them in all Churches which was pure without mixture of error infallible being inspired by the holy Ghost and sufficient both for true faith and holy life whereupon the Church for euer was to rest without need of any addition And thus is the Church built equally vpon all the Apostles z Ephes 2.20 And in this Saint Peter was no greater then the rest nor
infallibility of iudgement for teaching and gouerning the Church should be giuen to any one ranke of men it is very vnlikely the Popes should be the men Is it reasonable to thinke that children in yeeres and vnderstanding or men of corrupt and filthy liues monsters of men such as many of your Popes were should be Gods chiefe infallible gouernours of his Church Benedict the 9. was made Pope at 12. or 10. yeeres old as Baronius confesseth a Baronius anno and ruled that Church 20. yeeres A likely Sheephards boy in Saint Peters place to feed his sheepe the flocks they say of all Christendome by doctrine and example more likely to be a plague to the flocke as God threatning a plague to the Common wealth b Esay 3.4 said Children should reigne ouer them Aristotle iudged a Youth not a fit hearer of Morall Philosophy and yet must this childe bee thought a fit teacher of heauenly doctrine yea to be the Vniuersall Oracle of the world that hath neither possibility to erre himselfe nor misleade others Such a vertue hath the Popes Chayre to infuse learning and all habilities into a Schoole-boy that knowes not his Grammar to serue the Roman turn well enough to interpret the Scriptures assoyle all questions resolue all doubts sit at the sterue and guide the shippe of the Church call Councels and iudge of all their decrees ratifie some nullifie others as one of farre greater iudgement than all the learned of the world yea to determine all causes depose Kings command Angels open and shut both heauen and hell and doe euery thing as well as Saint Peter himselfe How thinke you is it reason for any man to thinke so Antiq. Many defects may bee supplied by learned Cardinals graue and wise Counsellors Antiquis A miserable head that hath his wit to seeke in another mans brains but you c Greg Val. Anlys fidei l. 8. c. 10. §. Ex quo This were to giue infallibility not to the Pope but to the Pope with his Cardinals place not infallibility in the Counsellors but onely in the Pope himselfe his faylings are not to be amended by theirs but theirs by him and indeed if he be infallible they are superfluous and so are all Councels and learned men See another Pope somewhat elder but a great deale worse Iohn 12. d Banonius anno 955. He was made Pope at 18. yeeres of age the Romish Church thought it a lesse euill to endure one head though monstrous Monstruosum quantum libet caput ferre saith Baronius d Banonius anno 955. than to be infamed with two heads and one body to be cut in two Vpon Saint Dunstans comming to him to receiue his Pall to bee Archbishop of Canterbury at last Baronius addes Vidisti extrema duo Episcopum sanctissimum pontificem vero moribus perditissimum Thou hast seene two extreme contraries A most holy Bishop Dunstan and a most wicked liuing Pope Iohn the twelfth e Baron anno 963 n. 17. Baronius saith this Iohn was accused of many most notorious crimes of adultery with Rainerius his widdow and with Stephana â—is Fathers concubine and the widdow Anna and with his or her neece and that he made the holy pallace a stewes and brothell house that hee put out the eyes of his ghostly Father Bened who died vpon it that hee cut off the stones of Iohn the Cardinall subdeacon and so killed him that he dranke to the loue of the Diuell in wine that in playing at dice he would inuocate the ayde of Iupiter Venus and other heathen gods that the whole Councell of the Bishops of Italy wrote vnto him that he was accused of murder periury sacriledge yea and incest with his own kindred and his two sisters c. they required him to come and answere for himselfe promising him to doe nothing but according to the Canons He wrote againe thus ridiculously and childishly Ionnes episcopus seruus seruorum Dei omnibus episcopis Nos audiuimus dicere quod vos vultis alium papam facere si haec feceritis excommunico vos de Deo omnipotenti vt non habeatis licentiam vllum ordinare missam celebrare f Platina in Ioan. 13. Platina in his life reckoning him Iohn 13. cals him sceleratissimum hominem vel monstrum potius a most wicked man or rather a monster and againe Virum omnium qui vnquam ante se in pontificatu fere perniciosissimum sceleratissimum A man of all that euer were before him in the Popedome the most pernicious and wicked When this Iohn fled the Emperor Otho made Leo Pope in his roome but assoone as the Emperour was gone Iohn by the helpe of his kindred and clients put downe Leo and reygned againe shortly after committing adultery with another mans wife he was thrust thorow and slayne or as g Baron anno 964. n. 17. Baronius thinkes he was in his adultery strucken in the Temples by the diuels and so dyed Was this a man likely to be the infallible mouth and organ of the holy Ghost If Baronius and Platina be not witnesses sufficient reade â—he same story in your owne h Sigonius l. 7. de regno Italioe Sigonius the Popes hyred reader in one of his Vniuersities who writes it somewhat fully following Luitprandus Martinus Polanus Tritâ—mius Platina Krantzius all your owne Catholike Historians I omit a number of wicked Popes fellowes and equals to these for I should both weary and stinke you out if I should rake long in the dunghill of these Popes liues whereof there were fifty in one plumpe as your owne i Genebrard l. 4. Chronologiae seâ—ulo 10 anno 90 pag. 546. Genebrard writeth rather Apostaticall than Apostolicall in the space of an 150. yeeres I will onely shew you a briefe of the story of a few Popes in a short time and their strange Vnity Infallibility and Holinesse k These things yee may reade in Platina Luit prandus and Bellarmine also lib. 4. de Rom. pont cap. 12. §. vigesimus septimus and in Baronius anno 897. Who onely differeth in attributing to Stephanus that which others doe to Sergius Formosus a Cardinall and Bishop was cursed deposed and degraded by Pope Iohn the 8 whom Platina reckons Iohn the ninth who driuing him out of Rome caused him to sweare neuer to returne either to the City or to his Bishopricke But Iohn being dead his successor Martin 2 absolued Formosus from his oath and restored him to his former dignity Not long after the same Formosus obtained the Popedome wherein hee liued fiue yeeres After him succeeded Bonifacius 6 liuing Pope but twenty six dayes then Stephanus 6. Who abrogated Formosus his decrees disanulled his acts in a Councell tooke vp his body dispoyled it of the pontificall habite as vniustly made Pope after periury cut off two of his fingers wherewith hee had consecrated cast them into Tyber and buried him in lay-mens garments This Steuen reygned
more infallible Thirdly as formall causes by their gouenment for all the Apostles were Capita Rectores Pastores Ecclesiae Vniuersae Heads Gouernors and Pastors of the Church Vniuersall Antiq. This Bellarmine saith indeed but he addes a difference in this third point the other were onely heads as Apostles and Legats but Peter as the ordinary Pastor they had fulnesse of power yet so as Peter was their head and they depended vpon him not hee on them Antiquiss What Bellarmine yeelds and proues against his owne side wee may well take as true and wrested from him by the euidence of the truth This last which hee addes in fauour of his side hee onely saith but proues not as behoued him For how depended the Apostles more on Peter then hee on them where doe we reade that euer hee appointed enioyned limited or reâ—â—rained any of them or shewed any authority ouer them but contrarily a Acts 11. Wee reade that he was censured by them and caused to giue an account of his actions Act. 11. b Gal â— And that hee was reproued to his face and openly by St. Paul who protested also that hee was not inferiour to St. Peter neither receiued they ought from him And further euen c lib. 4 depoâ—t Rom. cap. 23. Bellarmine himselfe saith they were all equall in the Apostleship which they râ—ceiued equally of Christ immediately and none of them of Peter as he proueth against many d Cardinalis Turrecremata Dominicus Iacobatius c. great men of his owne side in a whole chapter of set purpose e ibid. For the better to make all the Clergy depend vpon Peter though many succeed the other Apostles many great Catholikes hold that the Apostles receiued not their authority and iurisdiction of Christ immediately but Saint Peter only and all the rest of Saint Peter which f ib. Bellarmine soundly confutes both by Scriptures and Fathers shewing that Christ himselfe gaue them all parem potestatem equall power that not Peter but Christ himselfe did chuse Matthias by Lot at the instant prayer of the Apostles that Paul was an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father Gal. 1.1 c. All which makes for the equality of Peter with the rest and not for his superiority ouer them Antiq. Yet surely he holdeth the same Supremacy which other Catholikes hold though he think it cannot be grounded so firmely vpon these places Antiquis You may well imagine he giues not ouer without much compulsion and reluctation these castles and holds which other great Captaines with all their power and policy held and maintained §. 7. But there is one poore castle more which hee laboureth to hold though very weakely that is in Iohn 21.15 Bellar. de Rom. pontif l. 1. c. 12 â— vt autem See D. Field Church book â— chap 22. where it appeareth saith hee that Christ gaue more to Saint Peter then to the other Apostles for hee said vnto him Louest thou mee more then these and then addes Feed my sheepe To him that loued more he gaue more to wit the care of his whole Flocke euen the care ouer his brethren Apostles making him generall Pastor ouer them also for there can no cause or reason be imagined saith Bellarmine why vpon Peters answere of his singular loue aboue the rest Christ should singularly say to him Pasce oues meas if he gaue him not something aboue the rest To which we say the Fathers shew another cause or reason Peter had denied Christ more then the rest and being forgiuen was to loue more then the rest Luk. 7.43.47 and therefore Christ vrged him singularly by thrice asking Louest thou mee Cyril super Ioan. lib. 12. cap. 64. Augustin tract in Ioan. 123. See this largely handled betwixt Raynolds Hart. p. 135. seq answerable to his three denials to performe the office enioyned in generall to all the Apostles So saith Cyril Because he denyed him thrice at his Passion therefore there is a threefold confession of loue required of him and so the glosse and Saint Augustine saith A threefold confession answereth to a threefold negation that the tongue may expresse as much in loue as it did in feare And so in very truth Christs words were rather a stay of Peters weakenesse then a marke of his worthinesse or a proofe of his supremacy Thus we haue the onely place of Scripture whereupon Bellarmine insisteth of performance and bestowing supremacy particularly vpon Peter Bellarmin saith De iustifâ—t 3. c. 8. initio Non potest aliquid certum esse certitudine fidei nisi aut immediate contineatur in verho Dei aut ex verbo Dei per euidentem consequentiam deducatur c. and that not a plaine and euident place of Scripture or by deduction of euident reason such as necessary points of diuinity should haue but onely their owne infirme and vnsound interpretation a poore and weake ground of so great a building The transcendent supremacy of the Pope of Rome ouer the whole Church of Christ and the many Doctrines and practises that depend thereupon haue no other ground in Scripture but this their owne conceited and forced interpretation of this place Peter louest thou mee more then these Feed my sheepe that is Take thou authority more then these to make thy successors aboue all theirs heads of the vniuersall Church with such power as themselues shall list to take or exercise Antiq. I cannot but ingenuously confesse this inference to be weake indeed and it doth much amaze me and makes me quake and stagger to consider how confidently I haue beene perswaded that the Scripture is most plaine and euident for the Popes supremacy and now to see that nothing of any moment can thence be alleadged for it §. 8. Isa chus Casaubonus excrcitatio ad Baronium Epist dedic pag. 19. Luk. 22.25 26. Gasper Scioppius in Ecclesiastico suo ex pos cap. 47 Is not this quidlibet e quolibet or rather Contrarium é contrario Antiquis By such alleadging of Scriptures they may make quidlibet è quolibet make any substance of any shadow The learned Frenchman Casaubon wonders at them Pasce oues meaâ— that is as Baronius interprets it Supremum in ecclesia dominium tibi assere Feed my sheepe that is Take to thy selfe the highest dominion in the Church or as Bellarmine Regis more impera Rule and command after the manner of Kings as if he would of set purpose contradict Christs words The kings of Nations exercise dominion ouer them but yee shall not doe so Nay further and more strangely Gaspen Scioppius saith that Christ by those words hath taken away Kings power and dominion ouer the Nations and forbidden it to be exercised among Christians and hath established that infinite power in the Pope ouer Princes by this and such like places of Scripture The pious world wonders at the Popes challenge to be the highest Iudge