A DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLICKE FAITH CONTAINED IN THE BOOKE OF THE MOST Mightie and most Gracious King IAMES the first King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the FAITH AGAINST THE ANSWERE OF N. Coeffeteau Doctour of Diuinitie and Vicar Generall of the Dominican Preaching FRIARS Written in French by PIERRE DV MOVLIN Minister of the word of God in the Church of PARIS Translated into English according to his first Coppie by himselfe reuiewed and corrected LONDON Printed by W. Stansby for Nathaniel Butter and Martin Clerke 1610. To the KINGS most Excellent MAIESTIE I Take mine Authors word and mine owne experience for warrant from beyond the Seas most Dread Soueraigne that your Maiesties excellent knowledge and learning haue wonne you admiration among forraine Nations And for home-affections it is well knowen that your Maiesties sincere loue to the truth of Religion and constant Confession of the Catholicke Faith whereof your Maiestie is worthily stiled The Defender haue knit the hearts of your people vnto you Who well perceiue by your Kingly Apology directed to the Princes of Christendome that God hath made your Maiesty such a one as was DAVID The sweet Singer of Israel euen a Propheticall King 2. â—am 23.1 and a Kingly Prophet whose bold profession it is Psal 119. I will speake of thy testimonies Psal 119.46 euen before Kings and will not be ashamed Such as the Kings also among the Heathen are said to haue beene both Princes and Prophets Rex Anius Virg. Aeneid 3. rex idem hominum Phoebique Sacerdos Concerning the Authour and Pen-man of this booke I neede not say any thing Authorem commendat opus Touching my selfe vpon whom this taske was secundarily imposed I know the Translation will blab out mine imperfections Your Maiesty is apt to pardon greater offences and therfore I hope these The ground worke is your Maiesties owne which maketh me bold to vse that saying toward your Maiesty my Soueraigne Lord wherewith Paulus Orosius dedicateth his Story to S. Austin his Master and Tutor Totum tuum sit quod ex te In initio ad te redit It is all your Maiesties owne doing which comming from you I returne it back againe vnto you And so I dedicate you to your selfe In Apologet. cap. 30. concluding with that which Tertullian reporteth to haue beene the auncient Christians Prayer for the safety of their Emperours and is now in vse also in the Church of Rome if we may beleeue Doctor Coeffeteau but I feare me not with like true affection Fol. 5. Vitam Maiestati tuae prolixam Imperium securum domum tutam exercitum fortem Senatum fiaelem populum probum regnum quietum obnixè precor Your Maiesties most humble and faithfull Subiect IOHN SANFORD To the most Mighty and Gracious King IAMES the first King of great Brittaine and of Ireland SIR AS your greatnesse no way needeth our seruice so your exquisite learning wants not any defence For your greatest enemies to whom your power is redoubtable haue your learning in admiration But were it so that you had vse of any mans pen yet should you haue litle cause to seeke further then your owne kingdomes since amongst your subiects there is so great a number of learned men to whom we are in all regards inferiour Yet notwithstanding we haue held it necessary to declare vnto the world that that religion which you defend is the same which we professe and that it befits vs to make resistance to such as in your particuler person assault the generall truth This vndertaking of mine is great and my abilities but ordinarie besides my vocation very laborious neither is a tempest a fit time to write in or a banke of an vnquiet torrent a fit place for serious meditation But SIR the perfection of your worke may supply my defect for to fight after you cannot be properly termed fighting but the pursuite of your victory for though the point of truth be euer sharpe yet it entreth and pierceth more or lesse according to the force and vigour of the arme It is not then to be maruelled if it strike cleane through errors being guided by so strong and powerfull a hand To you then SIR belongs the glory of this holy worke to vs remaines the good and benefit of following your example for the easiest way to speake well for you is to speake that which we haue learned of you neither is it possible that any one should write well in your defence that writes not in your imitation Wherein these my paines can no way merit to be compared For your Maiesty poureth out largely with a royall hand into the Threasury of the Sanctuary whilest I like the poore widow make offer of my mite the which I do with the more affection boldnesse in respect that our Kings participate with you in the cause and that we do see our crowne already foiled and our kings life endangered for want of considering those things which your Maiesty in your booke propoundeth and God grant that your Maiesties warnings be not prophesies and that our good mercifull and victorious king who flourisheth equally in peace as he is feared in warre being endued with an admired vigor both of body and mind may be long preserued amongst vs who hauing had so good experience and in so many places of our fidelity will not we hope be displeased with this our liberty in defending of our religion to which we are not drawne by the hatred of any but by our zeale to the cause of God and through compassion of the poore peopla who being carried along with the streame of custome thinke they do God good seruice to hate vs yea so farre are they transported as they are become iealous and suspitious of the holy Scriptures fearing lest by the word of God they should be misled and seduced for the saluation of whose enthralled soules we would willingly expose our liues and will not cease daily to pray to God to enlighten them in the truth whom we likewise pray that he will preserue your Maiesty from all euill and blesse your person and kingdomes and the Church that liueth vnder the shade and quiet of your gouernment with praier from my heart I recommend to God remaining From Paris the 20. of Ianuary 1610. Your Maiesties most humble and most obedient seruant P. D. M. The Translator to the Reader Gentle Reader I here present thee a worke very worthy of thy study and Meditation if eyther thou beare a loue to Gods truth or good affection towards thy Soueraigne Onely let me intreat thee out of a common feeling of humane frailty to pardon and before thou reade to amend the faults that haue herein escaped through ouersight of the Printers my sickenesse at that time and the distance of place not giuing me leaue to be alwayes present to preuent the same In the Translation I haue not nicely tyed my selfe to the wordes neyther was it requisite
receiue some lustre from his reflection But those that desire to make themselues knowne by the greatnesse of their Aduersaries are alwaies such as haue little in themselues why the world should take note of them This Doctor in his booke handleth the King of great Britaine as a Nurce doth her nurce-childe who after shee hath dandled it beates it mingling curstnesse and flattery For in humble termes hee wrongeth him and giueth him respectfull lyes flatters him with iniuries accuseth him to speake vpon trust and that he busieth himselfe with quirkes and subtleties and sayes that he makes S. Paul an Interpreter of the Apocalips This is the forme of his writing as for the matter and substance of his booke I finde that he hath ill measured his owne strength and that with the weakenesse and meanenesse of his skill he hath made the strength of his Maiesties reasons more manifest Gyants are not to be ouerthrown with a breath neyther is a Lion to be fought against with a Festue Other kind of forces are necessary to make resistance to so exquisite a doctrine that is euer abundantly sustained by the truth And indeede he clearely confesseth his weakenesse in this that hee neuer cyteth the Text of the Kings booke but only reporteth the sense thereof disguised and weakened that he may giue himselfe greater scope and liberty forming to himself Chimera's which he impugneth with other Chimera's of his owne as will sufficiently appeare by the examination of his booke to which we now will enter God herein enlighten vs since that which wee say is for his truth which is the light of our soules CHAP. II. Certaine Remonstrances of COEFFETEAV his iudgement touching the Treasons and attempts vppon the life of the King of England ARISTOTLE in the second booke of his Rhetoriques Chap. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that the Countrey people vse to haue their speeches very full of sentences but folly is more sufferable then vnseasonable wisedome Coeffeteau beginneth his booke much after such fashion making to the King of great Britaine many sententious Remonstrances interlaced and mingled with threats and commendations But whilst he representeth to Kings their duties he goeth beyond his owne for S. Ierome forbids Monkes to be teachers saying in his booke against Vigilantius Monachus non docentissed plangen tis habet officium wishing Monks rather to bewaile and be sorrowfull for their owne faults then to reprehend those of other men But chiefly his Remonstrances are ill employed to a King that is better read in the Bible then he is in his Missall and that hath carefully put in practise the commaundement of God in the seuenteenth of Deuteronomy where hee commaunds Kings to read the booke of the law all the dayes of their liues verse 19. The exhortation that Luther often vsed by his Letters to Pope Leo the tenth to renounce the papacy and to liue of his owne and to come and doe as he did had more grace with it then this of Coeffeteau for it is more probable of the two Sleidan li. 2. that the Pope was the likelier to haue followed Luthers counsell This Doctor hauing thus employed the seuen first pages of his book in these exhortations which haue no other fault but that they are ill applyed comes to those motiues which estrange and keepe the King of England from the Romane Religion supposing the conspiracies that haue beene against his person to be the causes of it thereupon protesteth Fol. 5. pag. 1. that the Romane Church no way approueth such attempts but condemnes them as parricides and wisheth to Princes secure gouernement victorious armes obedient people and faithfull Councell And after addeth That for these considerations the head of the Church which is the Pope cannot disaproue the courses that your Maiestie holaeth to secure your authority and person against the miserable enterprizes so that they bee not repugnant to that Religion which he is bound to desend To this I say Coeffeteau hath beene very ill enformed for the conspiracies against the King of Englands life haue not with-held or kept him from Popery since euen from his Infancy he hath made open profession of the true Religion and before this conspiracy had published the confession of his faith conformable to that which we professe And whereas he condemnes such attempts as are made vpon the liues of Kings we greatly commend him for it and thereby suppose that he no way approued the enterprize of Iames Clement who was domesticke with him and his companion From thence I likewise gather that when the Iesuite Mariana in the sixt Chapter of his booke De Regno prayseth the Act of Iames Clement saying that he was perswaded and enduced thereunto by Diuines with whom hee had conferr'd I gather that Coeffeteau was none of those Diuines and that when this Parricide Saint and Coeffeteau went a begging together hee made him not acquainted with his secret And further it is no small vertue in this Doctor that he feareth not in so iust a cause to condemne many Iesuites who were complices or instigators of this last conspiracy and haue been executed for it Nay more it sheweth a magnanimity in Coeffeteau that hee dares so couragiously oppose himselfe to the Pope and Bellarmine who by their letters before mentioned incite the English to rebellion which could neuer take effect so long as the Kings life should be in safety By the same meanes he likewise condemneth the Authors of the Legend of S. Iames Clement which wee haue seene with our eyes but not without much wonder and admiration The successe of things haue grudged him this honor and men haue beene nothing fauourable and propitious to this Saint otherwise doubtlesse hee had before this beene put into paradice It is likewise a cause of iust ioy vnto vs to see that a Doctor of the Sorbons dare approue the sentence of the Court of Parliament against Iohn Chastell though the Pope of late hath newly censured it By which it dooth also follow that he doth not thinke it well done that Garnet and Ouldcorne Iesuites and parties in the gunpowder treason are at Rome inserted in a roll of Martyres Whosoeuer prayseth and approueth an acte already done will questionlesse counsel and aduise the doing of it for that which is wicked in the vndertaking cannot be good in the execution But the Pope in his breue before mentioned calleth the punishment of Treason and rebellion by the name of Martyrdom which is a dangerous speech able to make Kings tremble when the people shall be taught by Murders and Treasons to seeke the Crowne of Martyrdome An abhominable and detestable doctrine can there be any so colde and frozen zeale that will not hereby be warmed and moued to a iust anger that this so sacred name of Martyr so much reuerenced in the Church should in such sort be prostituted that whereas the holy Scripture calleth them Martyrs which suffer for the testimony of the Gospell now a dayes those which haue their handes stayned and soyled with the blood of Kings should be honoured with that Title It is not the suffering but the cause that
weake in the mouth of a Iesuite who holdeth that a Pope Bellar. l. 2. de Rom. Pont. c. 29 be he neuer so wicked and a destroyer of the Church cannot be deposed no not by a general Councell and yet there is greater apparant danger in this then in the former That which Bellarmine addeth seemeth to haue beene written by him being asleepe and is nothing else but a quippe to make men laugh He proueth that a faithfull people may free themselues from the yoake of a Prince that is an Infidell that is to say may rebell against him and that by the example of the beleeuing wife which by the iudgement of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. is not bound to abide with an husband that is an Infidell when hee will not dwell with her Whereunto I answere first that Similitudes are no proofes Secondly this Similitude being rightly taken doth not hurt vs for as a beleeuing wife is not bound to follow her husband when he forsaketh her and wil no longer co-habite with her so I will freely confesse that subiects are not bound to acknowledge a King that abandoneth his subiects and will no longer be King ouer them but renounceth his Realme and this is all that may be drawne from this Comparison Thirdly this Similitude is aduantageous vnto vs for if we admit the Comparison betweene the condition of a wife and of subiects then will it definitiuely determine our Controuersie and make vs gain the cause For as while an husband that is an Infidell will abide with his beleeuing wife she may not forsake him nor shake off her yoake so while a King that is an Infidell will retayne his soueraignty ouer beleeuing subiects they may not abandone him nor rebell against him The wordes of the Apostle are directly to this purpose If any woman haue an vnbeleeuing husband and he consent to dwell with her let her not forsake him All that which Bellarmine addeth is nothing else but as his manner is suppositions without proofes We graunt him that Princes who against their promise doe warre against the true fayth deserue to be depriued of their Kingdome but wee denye that this power of depriuing them is in the Pope VVe must reserue that iudgement to God seeing it is he that hath established them and that as Tertullian sayth they are inferiour to GOD alone Tertul. ad Scapulam in Apolog. cap. 30. A quo sunt secundi post quem primi Cap. 30. Cum dixit Petro Amas me Pasce oues meas idem dixit caeteris As touching these wordes spoken to S. PETER Feed my sheepe to omit for the present that which S. AVSTIN sayth in his booke of the Christian combate that Iesus Christ saying to S. Peter Feede my lambes spake the same to the rest as all the auncients with one accord doe say that the power of binding and loosing was giuen to the Apostles and to the whole Church in the person of S. Peter to omit this because I will treat of it in his proper place I onely say that albeit this had beene spoken to the Pope yet might he not for all that chastise Princes with depriuation of their estates or by raising a commotion among his subiects or by imposing fines and amercements vpon his countreyes This is to enterprete the word Feede too licentiously we had neede of new Grammer for this new Diuinity for the word Feede which in times past signified to teach and to guide dooth now a dayes signifie to blast whole kingdomes with the lightning of excommunications to ouerthrow great Monarches and to sucke and draw out the very substance of the poore people Beare with our simplicity herein for so great an abuse in wordes maketh vs to feare a greater in the matter it selfe To speake barbarously were an euill somewhat tollerable were it not that Barbarismes doe sometymes passe into Heresies and incongruities in wordes into incongruity in fayth Thus the Bishop of Rome calleth himselfe the Pylot and Steer-man of S. Peters Shippe but he imployeth that barke to trafficke his owne gayne and S. Peters nets to fish for Princes Crownes and to entramell whole States and Common-weales His keyes now a dayes serue onely to open Cofers His power of loosing only to loose the bonds of fidelity through a mutinous piety and a factious Religion which maketh it self Iudge ouer the consciences of kings which euen hateth their Religion because it hateth their rule gouernment and maketh that to be a good subiect to be a good Christian are things that cannot subsist together Bellarmines reasons hauing beene very feeble the examples which he produceth in the Chapter following are lesse currant He sayeth that Osias king of Iuda was dryuen out of the Temple by the High Priest and depryued of his kingdome The text of Scripture is direct to the contrary It is said 2. King 15.2 that Osias began to raigne in the sixteenth yeare of his age and hee raigned fifty two yeates so that he liued threescore and eyght years whence it appeareth that he was King euen vntill his death In the fift verse Iotham his son during the time of his fathers separation because of his leprosie he is not called King but gouernor of his house And ver 7. the beginning of the raigne of Iotham is reckoned only from the death of Osias his father The example of Athalia driuen from the Kingdome by Iehoiada the high Priest is as little to the 2. King 11. purpose For wee speake here of lawfull Princes deposed and he brings vs an example of a woman thâ—t vsurped anothers Kingdome by force and tyranny in which case euery man is allowed to employ himselfe to expel the vsurper and to preserue the Kingdome to the lawfull King The example of S. Ambose Bishoppe of Millan who would not receiue the Emperour Theodosius to the communion by reason of that great slaughter which his souldiers at his commaundement committed at Thessalonica maketh expresly against the Bishop of Rome For would the Pope now a dayes indure that a Bishoppe of Millan or Colleyne should intrude himselfe to excommunicate Emperours and to declare them to be fallen from their Empire without his permission Did Ambrose this by the counsaile or commaundement of the Bishop of Rome And were it so that Ambrose had beene that the Pope now sayth himselfe to be where will Bellarmine finde that Ambrose did degrade the Emperour or that he dispensed with his subiects for the Oath of fidelity Let a man read his three and thirtieth Epistle and he shall see with how great humilty he submitteth himselfe to an Arrian Emperour so farre from preaching any reuolt of his subiects from him that indeede hee willingly offered to dye and to suffer persecution if such were the will of the Emperour As touching the law which Theodosius imposed vpon himselfe by the Counsell of S. Ambrose which was that from thence forward he would stay the execution of any sentence of death
themselues wormes dust and his petty-seruants as did Gregory the first writing to Mauricius CHAP. VI. Of the Clergie and of their Liberties and Exemption § Tertia Cleriâ—i non possunt a Iudice politico puniri vel vllo modo trahi ad secularis magistratus tribunal CArdinall Bellarmine cap. 28. of his booke De Clericis sayth That Clergie men may not at any hand be punished by the politique Iudge or be drawne before the iudgement seat of the Secular Magistrate He saith also that the cheife Bishop hauing deliuered Clerkes from the subiection of Princes § Respondeo summus Pontifex Clericos exemit a subiectione Principum non sunt amplius Principes clericorum superiores Kings are no longer Superiours ouer Clerkes In the same place also he maintayneth that the goods as wel of the Clergy as of secular men are and ought to be exempted from the taxe and tribute of Secular Princes § Quarta Bona Clericorum tam Ecclesiastica quam secularia libera sunt ac merito esse debent a Tributis Principum secularium Hereunto the King of great Britaine speaking to the Emperour to the Kings and Princes of Christendome sayth in this manner And when the greatest Monarches amongst you will remember that almost the third part of your Subiects and of your Territories is Church-men and Church-liuings I hope ye will then consider and weigh what a feather he puls out of your winges when he denudeth you of so many Subiects and their possessions in the Popes fauour nay what bryers and thornes are left within the heart of your Dominions when so populous and potent a party shall haue their birth education and liuelyhood in your Countries and yet owe you no Subiection nor acknowledge you for their SOVERAIGNES So as where the Church-men of old were content with their tythe of euery mans goods the Pope now will haue little lesse then the third part of euery Kings Subiects and Dominions To these words so full of weight and euidence Coeffeteau answereth very softly and sillily He saith that Catholicke Kings do not apprehend any such calamitie seeing that amongst them Ecclesiasticall Persons liue vnder their Lawes and acknowledge their authority euen the Pope himselfe beeing aware of it That in France the Cardinals and Byshops performe vnto the King the Oath of Fidelity coÌ„mendeth the Kings for hauing giueÌ„ to Clerks great immunities notwithstanding which he sayth that they doe not let to be bound to ciuill Lawes These wordes are full of timerousnesse and lurking ambiguity Answere Hee saith that Clerkes indeede liue vnder the lawes of Princes but hee doth not tell vs that in case of disobedience the King may punish them for otherwise there is no subiection He sayth that the Bishops yeeld the Oath of Fidelity but the question now is not touching fidelity but touching subiection and obedience He speaketh of immunities granted by Princes but he doth not tel vs what these immunities be for this is one as Bellarm. witnesseth and we will shew hereafter that Clerks are no longer subiects to Kings that the King is no longer their Superiour Thus can we learne nothing of this Doctor So that indeede his Maiesties complaint is so iust that if we holde our peace threin the cause wil proclaime it selfe Euery man knoweth what a Diminution to the Crowne and greatnesse of Kings these immunities of Clergy men do bring all which they couer and rabble vp vnder the Title of the liberty of the Church vnworthily transporting this sacred name of Christian liberty which signifieth in the word of God the deliuerance from the curse and malediction and from the yoake of sinne and from the heauy burthen of the ceremonies of the law to ciuill pretences and dispensations with that naturall duety which wee owe vnto our Prince vnder whom we had the happinesse first to behold the Sunne This is a thing that belongeth euen to the law of Nations and besides that is authorised by the word of God that euery person be subiect to the Soueraigne Magistrate But here now see how in one kingdome as in Fraunce there will be found aboue three hundred thousand persons who vnder the title of Clergy-men haue shaken off the yoake of the Princes authority yea euen children that are entred Nouices into that Body exempted from all obedience towards their parents This body of the Clergie hath its Iudges and officers their prisons likewise apart Their causes are not called to be answered before Royall Iudges but receiue hearing and determination in the great State chamber at Rome called La Zuota or in the consistorie There is a third parte of the Lands of this kingdome in the hands of Clergy men to the great preiudice of our kings For it often commeth to passe that the proprietarie owners and possessors of lands doe sell their inheritances whence accureth profite to the Prince by the Kings fine which ariseth of euery first part or first prime of such fales and other rights belonging to the cheefe Lord which Rights are lost when once immoueable goods enter into the possession of the Clergy The king doth also lose his right of Aubaine which is an escheate to the king of all such goods as any stranger dying in Fraunce is possessed of also the right of confiscation and in case of desertion when a man doth quit his owne estate The Clergy being a body that neuer dyeth that neuer confiscateth and in which body inheritances dye by Mortmaine Vpon whom the secular persons conferre euery day new Donations but we neuer see the sharing of Ecclesiasticall goods made to the profite and behoofe of any Lay-man for goods finde many gates open to enter into the Clergy but neuer a one to get our from thence like those footings of the wilde beasts which all turned inward towards the Lyons denne but there appeared no trace of any that euer returned from thence And hence it commeth to passe that as in mans body the thighs and armes grow lesse and lesse by how much the bigger the belly swelleth through excesse so in the body of a Common wealth The Nobility and the Commonalty who are as the armes and legges of that State they are brought low by the increase of the Clergy To this end also they haue obtained that the Church shal alwayes be held in non-age and in her minority that if she shall at any time haue made promise or contract that may turne to her disaduantage she may vnder that pretence be releeued And whereas in common course of law thirtie yeeres are sufficient to keepe possession by way of Prescription De Praescript Cap. 2. in Serto. Contra ipsam Romanam Ecclesiam Centenaria vel contra alias Ecclesias quadragenaria prescriptro Legitima sit completa Against the Church of Rome and against the Templaries no Prescription can be of force vnder one hundred yeares which is in effect as much as that against them there is no Prescription The other
tanquam discipulos immitatores Domini diligimus which thing was done without any precise necessity of making it holy-day Secondly he doth malitiously dissemble the excellent words which goe before where the Church of Smyrnaspeaketh in this manner They are ignorant that we neuer leaue Christ who died for the saluation of them of the world who are to be saued and that we can yeelde seruice to none other but to him For him we adore as the sonne of God but we loue the Martyrs as his Disciples and imitators Wordes which shew to what end and in what manner the Smyrnians honoured the memory of Polycarpe So is it also falfe that S. Basill recommendeth the Feasts of S. Iulitta and the forty Martyrs for in those two Homilies there is no speech at all of Feasts But the falfest peece that hee produceth is the Oration of Gregory Nyssene in praise of the Martyr Theodore which was ridiculously framed by some Greeke Monke in the time that the Scythians otherwise called the Huns and Tartars ouer-ran Galatia Cappadocia and Armenia which In Rhodes began in the yeare 520 as both Cedrenus and Zonaras teach Cedrenus in Anastasio Ann. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For about the ende of this Oration the Authour entreateth this Martyr to defend his Countrey against he incursions of the Scythians of which there was neuer word spoken in the time of Gregory Nyssene for they fell out about one hundred and twenty yeares after The whole story also of this Martyr is euedently fabulous The Authour saith that he was of Iobs Country and consequently an Arabian whereas Theodorus is a Greeke name Within a little while after contradicting himselfe he saith that he suffered at Amasia a Cittie of Cappadocia and that the place of his death was also his Countrey He saith that he was a Souldier in the Romane bandes But at that time to wit vnder Dioclesian and Maximinian the Romanes did not entertaine the Arabians in seruice Moreouer the Story of his Martyrdome is plainely fabulous Being interrogated and examined by his Paynim Iudges with all gentlenesse and mildenes he answered at the first day with iniurious speeches comparing the Godddesse whom they serued to an hare or to a sow All this notwithstanding the Iudges sent him away and gaue him time to bethinke himselfe aduisedly he in stead of retracting any thing set fire on the great Temple of the mother of the Gods and being called for againe by the Iudges confessed the fact thereupon the Iudges flatter him euen so far as to promise to this simple souldier which was a ridiculous thing to make him Bishoppe But this Theodore burst out a laughing for a long time together mocking for that the Emperours tooke vpon them the title and purple of Bishops The Angels singe melodiously with him in prison and lighten all the Towne ouer with Torches But he that knoweth how vnder Dioclesian they burnt whole Christian Townes without any forme of processe and that this monster made a butchery a slaughter and channell-house of the whole Empire will acknowledge the falshood of this Story which hath beene forged by some worshipper of Images and Reliques about the time of the second Councell of Nice I put not in among his falsifications that Coeffeteau hath put in the margent the eighteenth Oration of Nazianzene for the fifteenth hee that borroweth his Allegations and writeth vpon trust is easily deceiued Now to his falshoods let vs adde the vnprofitablenesse of his impertinent quotations which surely doe not touch the Question For if the Church of Smyrna did celebrate the feast of Polycarpe or the Church of Caesaria that of S. Iulitta what is that to England who did no more then then nowadayes it doth celebrate those Feasts no more then doe the Churches of Spaine or of Fraunce And why should England be more bound therevnto now at this day Secondly to what purpose is it to speake of the Feasts of the auncient Christians and of the solemnity of the Martyrs to establish the Feasts of the Church of Rome which are cleane different and haue no community with them See here the differences 1 This commemoration of the Martyrs in the auncient Church was done in the Church-yards and vpon the Tombes Vpon which the Christians did often celebrate * Thence commeth the custome of the Church of Rome to haue bones hid vnder the Altar Nonne vides ad memorias Martyrum CristianuÌ„ a Christiano cogi ad ebrietatem the Eucharist and then fell to banquet vpon the same Tombes where oftentimes the Christians committed many abuses and excesses euen so farre as to drinke drunke and to bury their reason vpon those Sepulchres as witnesseth the Authour of the booke of Double Martyrdome attributed to S. Cyprian and S. Austin in his first booke of the manners of the Catholicke Church cap. 34. And against * Qui in memorijs Martyrum inebriantur c. Faustus Manicheus in his twentieth booke chap. 1. where namely he saith that he was constrained to tolerate this custome The Church of Rome hath left this abuse of the auncient Feasts 2 The commemoration of the Martyrs was done in times past in euery Church according to the ordinance and appointment of the Bishoppes and Pastors of the place without attending the commandement or aduise of the Bishop of Rome thereupon In the booke of the holy Ceremonies lib. 1. Sect. 6. who at that time did not Canonize Saints For now-adayes to be held a Saint a man must haue the Pope to bee fauourable vnto him and his cause must be pleaded in the Consistorie If it be iudged that he ought to be acknowledged for a Saint then his Holinesse doth ordaine a Feast or Holy-day to this new Saint 3 Then this solemnity carried with it an Anniuersary commemoration but did not bring with it any necessity of keeping Holy-day whereas now-adayes there be many Saints Feasts which they keepe Holy-day with more scruple and are celebrated with more solemnity then the Sunday it selfe 4 Againe then these dayes of commemoration of Martyrs were few in number in stead that now there is scarcely any day in the Calender which doth not carry the name of some Saint And there is such a number of Feasts to be kept holy that many poore people crie out they are famished They make them deuout whether they will or noe for they be kept and hindered by this superstition from working to get bread for their children hauing their handes bound with a scrupulous slothfulnesse and a forced idlenesse Epist 174. Nouam inducendo Celebritatem quam ritus Ecclesiae nescit non probat ratâ—o non commeâ—dat antiqua Traditio c. 5 Then also men were ignorant of so many new-made holy-dayes as the feast of the conception of the Virgine Mary which S. Bernard saith to haue beene instituted against reason and the auncient Tradition the Feast of the Assumption the Feast of S Peters Chaire the Gods feast otherwise
if he had wel weighed the wordes of the Gospell and of the Apostles he should haue found that Iesus Christ tooke bread and brake it But the Church of Rome saith that the Priest doth not breake bread 2 Hee should haue found that Iesus Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his Disciples But the Church of Rome holdeth that the Priest doth not giue bread 3 He should haue found that Iesus Christ giuing this bread said that that which hee gaue was his body But the Church of Rome doth not beleeue that the bread is the body of Christ but doth thus expound these wordes This is my body that is that which is vnder these formes shall be transubstantiated into my body For it is certaine that when Iesus Christ said This is my body by the word This he vnderstood that which he gaue Now the Gospell doth witnesse that he gaue bread therefore these wordes This is my body doe signifie as much as This bread is my body And so all the auncients doe expound them Now in that the bread cannot be the body of our Lord in substance it remaineth therefore that it be such by way of Sacrament and in the same sense as in the line following the Cup is called the new Couenant or the new Testament 4 He should also haue found that this Sacrament is a commemoration of Iesus Christ It is not then Iesus Christ himselfe For the remembrance of a thing and that wherof it is the memoriall are diuers things 5 He should haue found that S. Matthew and S. Marke say that Iesus dranke with his Disciples of the fruite of the Vine that is of wine it was then yet wine whilst he dranke of it For albeit there were two Cups as appeareth by S. Luke notwithstanding S. Matthew and S. Marke cannot call the wine of a Cup of which they doe not speake at all Fruit of the Vine 6 Hee should further haue seene that Iesus Christ maketh no eleuation of the Host neyther doe the Apostles adore it but continue sitting at the Table 7 Hee might haue seene that 1. Cor. 10. S. Paul doth giue vs a Paraphrase of the wordes This is my body In these words the bread which we breake is the Communion of the body of Christ But the Church of Rome waxing wroth and angrie against the Apostle bites and snarles at euery word of this clause First the Apostle saith that it is bread The Church of Rome denieth that it is bread Secondly he saith that we breake bread on the other side the Church of Rome saith that there is no bread broken Thirdly our aduersaries being demaunded what that bread is that is broken they say it is the body of Christ and yet the body of Christ cannot bee broken Fourthly S. Paul saith that this bread which wee breake is the Communion of the body of Christ whence it followeth against the Church of Rome that the bread which is broken is not the body of Christ for the participation or communicating of meate is not the meate it selfe Fiftly it by this word Bread we must vnderstand the body of Christ as our aduersaries will haue it it will follow not onely that the body of Christ is broken in the Sacrament but also that S. Paul shold haue mocked vs in saying that the bodie of Christ is the Communion of the body of Christ words very ridiculous and which our aduersaries beleeue not Sixty The worst is that the Church of Rome holdeth that there is nothing broken in the Sacrament but the accidents that is the roundnesse colour taste and length of the bread and so shee blaspemeth horribly making the Apostle to say that the breaking of colours roundnesse and taste of the bread is the Communion of the body of Christ 8 He should haue found also 1. Cor. 11. that the Apostle saith thrice that we eate bread and in the second and the twentieth of the Acts the Apostles came together to breake bread where our aduersaries are enforced to haue recourse to strange figures and to make which is contrary to the Order of time S. Iohn interpreter of S Paul Shifts and euasions which we haue refuted in another place and haue boulted this Dispute to the very branne I suppose also that if Coeffeteau had any good opinion of Iesus Christ he would haue presumed of him that being souerainly good he wold not haue taken pleasure to deliuer the Institution of this Sacrament in ambiguous terms who wil beleeue that he that is the light of the world should be the cause of darkenes whence commeth it then that our aduersaries bring in a kind of Mascarado into this holy banquet when they introduce a douzen of figures perplexed termes in the words of this Institution Figures which we haue handled and discussed in his place In my Apology for the Lords Supper ch 12. And they who cannot endure that the bread should be called the body of Christ because it is the Sacrament of the body of Christ Epist ad Bonifacium 3. according as S. Austin saith that the Sacraments take ordinarily the name of that which they signifie yet themselues in the wordes following which is broken for you admit a like figure saying that it is not the body that is broken but the accidents and outward signes and that that which agreeth to the signe is attributed to the thing signified VVhosoeuer shall weigh these things without passion will not suffer himselfe to be infolded in this grosse error which doth greatly abase the glory of our Sauiour which maketh him to be swallowed vp of his enemies which maketh Iesus Christ to haue drunken his owne flesh and bones which saith that he may bee eaten of Mice and other vermine which incloseth him in filthy vomitings which maketh the Priest sometimes to complaine that they haue robbed him of his God which giueth to a Priest be hee neuer so vitious more power then to the Virgine Mary and all the Saints and Angels who being all put together in one cannot make Iesus Christ seeing that he is already made and cannot be produced a new much lesse in murmuring certaine words ouer the bread VVhich doth ouerthrow and abolish the humanity of our Sauiour and by consequent all our faith giuing him a body without length a body which being in diuers places farre a part is by consequent farre separated from it selfe A body without position or situation of partes seeing that they are all together vnder one onely point and in euery little crumme of the Host Yea many contrary bodies of which one is at the Table with his Disciples the other in the stomackes of his Disciples For the one body is infirme and weake the other without infirmity the one spreading his handes the other not able to stirre them the one speaking and breathing the other not able to speake or to breath the one sweating in the Garden drops of blood the other newly receiued into the stomacks of the Apostles
say that he can doe that which hee cannot doe Iesus Christ himselfe neuer loued his Father more then with al his strength And here the truth is so strong that Bellarmine in the thirteenth Chapter of his booke of Monkes § Quod autem after that he had a long time labored and sweated therupon is constrained to correct this commaundement of God affirming that when God will be loued with All our heart and with all our strength by this word ALL we must vnderstand a part as if I should say that the right side signifie h the left or that white signifieth blacke Though this Prelate made no conscience to iest in this manner in the explication of so holy a sentence and the most important of all the worde of God and such as is an abridgement of the whole law at least he should haue beene affraid to bring in the diuell into partage with God for if God be content with one part of our heart it followeth that a man may giue the other parte to the diuell 7 Adde hereunto the Commandement of the Apostle S. Paul Philip. 4. Furthermore Brethren whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things pertaine to loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be any vertue and any praise thinke on those things I demaund then of these our Masters whether the workes of Supererogation be things iust or whether they be vertuous or things worthy of praise if they be not we must not employ our selues about them if they be iust and praise-worthy then are they demaunded by the Apostle They be not then workes not commaunded or ouer and aboue the commaundement of God For he doth not say doe nothing which is not iust as Bellarmine speaketh lewdly corrupting the wordes of the Apostle but he commaundeth vs to giue and apply our selues to whatsoeuer is iust and vertuous 8 Now if we cannot accomplish the law how much lesse shall wee be able to doe more then it commaundeth If Saint Paul Rom. 7 confesse that sinne dwelleth in him and that hee doth the euill which he would not doe and therefore calleth himselfe miserable man If S. Iames acknowledge that in many things we offend All. Iam. 3 â— 1. Ioh. 2. If Saint Iohn saith thâ—t If we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues If Iesus Christ haue commaunded all the faithfull to say euery day forgiue vs our trespasses If Dauid a man after Gods owne heart say Psalme 143. That in Gods sight no man liuing shall be iustified How can we doe any thing ouer and aboue seeing that we faile in that which is necessary That man is very ill aduised who being not able to pay his debts doth yet offer great gifts 9 But I would willingly aske of these Monks who doe more then God requireth and workes more then due whence they haue receiued the strength and ability to doe them They answere from God Then say I that if God hath giuen them this power it is not that it should remaine idle and vnprofitable but to the end to employ it Then are they bound to doe more then the law seeing that God giueth them strength thereunto otherwise they should bury the graces of God and should frustrate him of his end Now if they be bound it is no longer a Counsell they are no longer workes of Supererogation For indeede how could they do more good then they owe to God seeing that they owe themselues vnto him and haue nothing but of his liberality and that the good which they doe doth not profite God any thing Luc. 17.10 For if he who should doe all that God hath commaunded him is notwithstanding called by Iesus Christ an vnprofitable seruant let some man tell me wherein and how those men are more profitable vnto God who do many workes of Supererogation 10 For this cause also we shall neuer finde that the Apostles or their Disciples euer made any reckoning of their workes of Supererogation and not commaunded this is that Pharisaicall Leauen which puffeth vp the hearts and sowreth the spirites of men with hypocrisie and presumption For see here the wordes of the Pharisie Luk. 18. I am not like other men I fast twise in the weeke I giue tithe of al that I possesse Workes not commaunded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 voluntarie deuotions traditions counsels of perfections 11 And indeede that we may not remooue all this meniall trash of workes of supererogation as it were to make a longer Lent then other men doe or to turne ouer our Pater-noster beads oftner or to haue more graines then ordinarie or to carrie great beads like Tennis balls after the manner of Hermites or to liue by going from dore to dore and in the day time to haue the street for his house or to carrie the wallet vpon the shoulder full of slices and gobbets halfe gnawen iust after the auncient manner of the Priests of the Syrian goddesse described by Apuleius in his 8. Booke of the golden Asse let vs speake onely of those workes which seeme the most specious They place in this ranke single life or perpetuall virginitie But they mistake themselues greatly Stipes aereas immo vere argenteas multis certatim offerentibus finu recepere patulo nec non vini cadum lactem caseos-auidis animis corradent es omnia in sacculos huic quaestui de industria praeparatos farcientes for there be two sorts of single life one which is with continencie and without being tickled with any vnchaste desire which hath no necessity of marrying The other which boyleth inwardly with heate hauing much adoe to containe This so farre is it from being meritorious that contrariwise it is a demerite to condemnation So farre is it that such a Virginity should be ouer and aboue the commaundement that it is indeed against the commandement for the Apostle S. Paul 1. Cor. 7 commaundeth such to marry Epistola ad Eustochium It is better to marry then to burne And S. Ierome who confesseth that amidds his Abstinencies did yet feele within himselfe the fewell of lust as an incentiue to whoredome was doubtlesse bound to marry But as touching continent Virginity the Apostle S. Paul doth counsell vs to continue in that estate as being more free and hauing lesse trouble and fitter for the seruice of God and to study to please him But for all that hee doth not recommend Virginity as a worke of Supererogation but as a condition of life more commodious to a beleeuing man for the time present So if I should counsell some one man in a corrupt age and in a place wherein vices are contagious and vertue is become odious to liue apart and not to entermeddle with the publique affaires to the end that he may serue God with more facility and to adde liberty to his innocency should it follow thereupon that I should esteeme a priuate life were a worke of
through the instigation of the Diuell In the 20. chapter of my Apologie for the Supper of the Lord. An Epistle which witnesseth that S. Austen died excommunicated out of the Church of Rome which also wee haue elsewhere defended against Coeffeteaus accusations Neither was this the first ordinance by which these Bishops sought to stifle the growing tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome wherby he laboured to draw the appeales of the causes of Affrica to himselfe his purpose being that they who were condemned in Affrica by the Councels might make their appeale ouer the Sea that is into Italy For these same Bishops in another Councell assembled at Mileuitum in the two and twentieth Canon say If they who are condemned by the neighbour Bishops thinke that they may appeale from their iudgement Quod si ab cis prouocandum putauerint non prouocent nisi ad Affricana Concilia vel ad Primates prouinciarum suarum ad Transmarina autem qui putauerit appellandum à nullo intra Affricam in communione suscipiatur let them not appeale any whither else then to the Councels of Affrica or to the Primates of their Prouinces But whosoeuer shall appeale beyond the Sea let him not be admitted to the Communion by any in all Affrica These men feared neuer a whit least there might come from Rome a lapse vpon their Benefices or a deuolution to the Pope they did not expect from him the Archbishops Pall nor the Cardinals Hat nor any liberality of consecrated grains nor feared they his excommunication whose power in those dayes passed little further then mount Apennine And here out of this Discourse the Reader shall further learne that this very Canon is found in the Romane Decrees in the second Cause in the Canon Placuit but wholly corrupted and miserably falsified for after these wordes Whosoeuer shall appeale beyond the Sea let him not be receiued by any to the Communion there is a peece of another stuffe and another coulour vnhandsomely patched on vnlesse he appeale to the Sea of Rome Nisi forte Romanam sedem appellancrit how could this exception be allowable seeing that this Canon of the Councell was expresly made against the Sea of Rome So is it also against the truth and euidence of all the Coppies Yea so farre are the auncient customes and ordinances from giuing any Iurisdiction to the Bishop of Rome ouer other Patriarches that here is a flat Canon of the Councell of Nice recyted by Ruffinus to the contrary in his first booke and fift chapter They ordaine also that in Alexandria and in the Citie of Rome the auncient custome be kept to wit Et vt apud Aleandriam in vrbe Roma vetusta consuetudo seruetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic suburbicarum Ecclesiarum solicitudinem gerat that he of Alexandria haue the care of Egypt the Bishop of Rome of all suburbicary Churches that is of all the Cities that were vnder the authoritie and ciuill iurisdiction of the citie of Rome These Fathers did liberally cut him out a large share as the times then were but scant enough according to his ambition as now it is S. Cyprian Bishop of Carthage wrote many Epistles to Cornelius Bishop of Rome al which beare this inscription Cyprian to Cornelius his brother sendeth greeting which had bin a great vnreuerence if Cornelius had bin head of the Vniuersall Church or if he had had power of Iurisdiction ouer S. Cyprian So likewise in the fourth booke of Socrates cap. 11. the Eastern Bishops who write to Liberius Bishop of Rome Socrates lib. 4. cap. 9. Domino fratri collegae nostro call him nothing but Brother and Companion yea they speake like Masters for qualifying themselues the Catholike and Apostolike Church they denounce Anathema against the Councel of Ariminum without expecting the iudgement or the will and pleasure of Liberius Thereupon Leo the first This is the Title of the three first Epistles albeit he speake bigge in his Epistles neuerthelesse he commonly taketh no other Title to him but onely this Leo Bishop of the Citie of Rome to such and such sendeth greeting See here a notable Example The auncient custome of the Church was that the penitents should confesse their faults aloude in the face of the Church But the Church being growne into wealth and riches many men refused to vndergoe this shame Sozom. l. 7. c. 16. Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 19. and iudged it intollerable To giue them content herein an order was established that euery Church should haue a Penetenciary Priest who should receiue their confessions in secret This order hauing beene euery where receiued Neuerthelesse Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople abolished this custome throughout all the East without asking the Bishop of Romes counsel who also did not reprehend him for it and this hath euer since so remained Thereupon I say that if Nectarius had beene subiect to the Bishop of Rome he would neuer haue vndertaken so great a matter without his aduise and contrary to his example Should a Bishop of Paris or Lyons bee borne withall now adaies if of his owne authority without aduise from the Pope he should put away auricular confession out of his Bishopricke Here are other examples It appeareth by S. Austens 118. Epistle to Ianuarius This Epistle is found in the 1. Tome of the Councels in the page 461. of the Collen Edition that in Rome they fasted on the Satterday but at Millan they did not so Damasus Bishop of Rome writing to S. Ierome complayneth that the seruice and the singing in the Church of Rome was performed with ill grace and vnseemly and with too great simplicity and requesteth Ierome to teach him the custome of the singing and seruice of the Greeke Church that he might bring it into the Church of Rome Is it credible that the Church of Rome would haue dayned to be the Disciple of other Churches and to correct her faults by the example of her neyghbour Churches if she had ruled and gouerned all other Churches as she doth to this day S. Ierome in an Epistle to Euagrius sheweth that the custome of other Churches touching Deacons was better then that of Rome which he saith was but a City from whence pride first sprunge So the Canon Aliter in the 31. Distinction saith That the Tradition of the Easterne Churches is one and that of the Church of Rome another for there the Priests and Deacons doe marry but here not And this Canon is attributed to Pope Steuen to whom Cyprian writeth Socrates lib. 5. cap. 21. maketh a long Bed-roule of diuers Church-customs and sheweth how different the Churches were in the obseruation of Fastes of the marriage of Churchmen and of the dayes of publique Assemblies which diuersity is an euident proofe that they were not all gouerned by one onely vniuersall head otherwise they should all haue beene conformed to the Ordinanances of the Church of Rome
non pertinentia vel sibi ipsi contraria quae imperite atque improuidè scripsit and that hee had written many things idle and contradictory very ignorantly and vnwisely It is not materiall to enquire whether Cyprian were in an errour or no it is sufficient that Cyprian thought that the Bishop of Rome was subiect to erre and to mistake Our Doctor addeth S. Ierome who in his third Apology against Ruffinus saith That the Romane faith Romanam fidem Apostolica voce baudatam istiusmodi praestigias non recipere commended by the voyce of the Apostle doth not admit any such iuglings For so is it read and not as Coeffeteau doth falsly alleadge it The Trickes of which he speaketh were to put the title of a good Authour to an euill booke so that this place is neyther to the purpose nor yet faithfully alleadged and if it were to the purpose yet doth hee not say that the Church of Rome or her Bishop cannot erre in faith but sayth that the Faith which S. Paul commended in the Romans could not subsist together with such impostures for the faith which S. Paul prayseth in them was the true faith which doth not approue of any seducing The same may be said of the fayth of the Ephesians and Thessalonians to whom the same Apostle giueth the same testimony as well as to the Romanes to wit that their faith was spread abroad in all quarters 1. Thes 18. Now that S. Ierome did not beleeue that the Bishop of Rome could not erre in the faith in hoc habetur detestabilis quod Liberium Romanae vrbis Episcopum pro fide ad exilium pergentem primus sollicitauit ac fregit ad subscripti onem haereseos compulit it appeareth by this that in the Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall writers he thus speaketh of Fortunatianus In this he is accounted detestable that he was the first that solicited Liberius Bishop of Rome who went into banishment for the faith and made him to yeelde hauing induced him to subscribe to Heresie And in the same Catalogue he calleth Felix Bishop of Rome Arrian as doth also Socrates lib. 2. cap. 2. S. Hilary in his fragments lately published by Monsieur le Feure doth often excommunicate Liberius in these termes Anathema tibi a me Liberi For hauing subscribed to the Confession of the Arrians framed at Sirmium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Athanasius an inward friend to Liberius in his Epistle to them that liued in the Desert after that he had greatly commended Liberius he saith that after two yeares banishment he yeelded and subscribed As also the Arrians would neuer haue giuen him Letters to restore him to his Bishopricke Tomo 1. Concil p. 431. Ingressus Liberius in vibeÌ„ 6. Nonas Augusti consensit Constantio haeretico perseâ—â— utio magna fuit in vrbe Roma if he had still persisted in the true faith Damasus in the Pontificall alleadged in ther. Tome of the Councels saith that Liberius being re-entred into the Citie consented to the Emperour Constantius an Hereticke and that vpon his arriuall there happened a great persecution at Rome Liberatus a great flatterer of the Bishoppes of Rome hath written a booke which is found in the second Tome of the Councels where in the two and twentieth Chapter is produced an Epistle of Vigilius Bishop of Rome written to the Eutychian Heretickes in which he declareth himselfe an Eutychian and denyeth two natures in Christ euen so farre as to excommunicate those that say the contrary Honori the first is condemned for a Monothelite hereticke by three Councels which our aduersaries call Generall to wit by the sixth seuenth and eighth that is to say by a thousand witnesses the Deputies of Rome then and there present neuer gainsaying it On the contrary his Successors Agatho and Leo the second doe there accurse and detest him for hauing polluted the Sea of Rome through his heresie Who will beleeue that these Popes would haue defamed their owne Sea with a false accusation Or that so many witnesses had beene ill informed seeing that euen in these Councels the Epistles of Honorius in which he defendeth heresie are produced and alleadged And although they should haue condemned him vniustly yet it appeareth hereby that they held it in those times for a thing certaine that the Bishop of Rome might erre Bellarmine in his fourth booke de Pontifice Romano maketh no difficulty to say Potest dici Pontificem ex ignorantia lapsum esse that Pope Gregory the third who taught that a man whose wife was through sickenesse become vnfit for the dueties of marriage might take another woman had erred and failed through ignorance Iohn the two and twentieth beleeued and taught that the soules of the faithfull did not see God be fore the resurrection as wee haue proued heretofore by many witnesses Iohn the three and twentieth out-stripped and exceeded them all for he denyed the immortality of the soule and maintained that there was neither Heauen nor hell For which cause besides many other crimes laid downe in the eleuenth Session of the Councell of Constance he was deposed from the Papacy by the same Councell whose wordes are these IOHN the three and twentieth hath often and many a time in the presence of diuers Prelates and other honest men of worth said held determined and obstinately maintained by the instigation of the diuell that there is no life eternall nor any other after this life yea and hath obstinately said and beleeued that the soule of man dieth together with the body and is extinguished as that of brute beasts and hath said that a man once dead shall not rise againe the last day And to the end that no man may doubt of the truth of the Accusation it is a little after added that it is publiquely and notoriously knowne Note also that the Councell before that it deposed him acknowledged him for lawfull Pope and all the Church of Rome doth reckon him among the number of Popes Furthermore that prodigious Canon which beginneth Si Papa in the fortieth Distinction after it hath said Si Papa suae â— fraternae salut s negligens innumerabiles popules secum ducit primo mancip io gehennae cum ipso plagis multis in aeternum vapulaturos huius cu pas istic reprehendere praesumit mortalium nullus c. that though the Pope should draw with him an innumerable multitude of soules into hell there to be euerlastingly tormented yet no man should presume to reproue him because he that iudgeth all men ought to be iudged of no man Addeth this exception Nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius vnlesse he be found to haue swarued from the faith Passages of Scripture touching this matter THe King of great Britain alleadged against the Ecclesiasticall Monarchy these wordes of our Sauiour Luc. 22. The Kings of the Nations rule ouer them but it shall not be so among you Coeffeteau answereth that hereby Christ sought
booke against Iouinian The Church saith he is founded vpon S. Peter albeit in an other place the same is also built vpon the other Apostles and the strength thereof is equally grounded vpon them all Vnica est faelix fidei pâ—tra Petri ore confessa Hilary in his second booke of the Trinity It is the only blessed stone of the faith confessed by the mouth of S. Peter And in his sixth booke Vpon this Rocke of the Confession the Church is founded S. Ambrose vpon the nine and thirtieth Psalme Quod Petro dicitur caeteris Apostolis dicitur That which was said vnto S. Peter was said vnto the rest of the Apostles also Cyril in his fourth booke of the Trinity expounding the same place saith Opinor per Petram nihil aliud quam inconcussam fir misâ—mam discipuli fidem voluit I thinke that by the Rocke was nothing else meant but the firme and constant faith of the Disciple S. Augustine in his 124. Treatise vpon S. Iohn expounding these wordes Super hanc ergo petram quam confessus es aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Petra enim erat Christus Quid est supra hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Super hanc fidem Super id quod dictum est Tues Christus filiê° Dei viui Bellar. lib. 1. cap. 10. § Addo Augustinum ex sola ignorantia Hebreae linguae deceptum esse faith Vpon this Rocke that thou hast canfessed will I found my Church And vpon the Epistle of S. Iohn his 10. Treatise and 60. Sermon vpon the wordes of our Lord What meaneth this Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Surely thus much is meant Vpon this faith vpon this that hath beene said Thou art that Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And forasmuch as he had said in other places that the Church was founded vpon Peter he recalleth himself in his first book of retractations cap. 21. Because saith he that Iesus Christ said not vnto him Tu es petra Thou art the Rocke But Tu es Petrus Thou art Peter Now this Rocke saith he is Christ Which Bellarmine vnable to denie thought it better to affirme that Augustine erred for want of knowledge in the Hebrew tongue Chrysostome vpon Matth. 16 Vpon this Rocke that is vpon the faith of this confession And in this Sermon vpon the Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said vpon this Rock and not vpon Peter for he hath not founded his Church vpon men but vpon faith and what faith was this Thou art Christ c. Eusebius Emissenus in his homily vpon the Natiuity of S. Peter expoundeth these wordes in this manner I will build my Church vpon that stone which thou beginnest to lay in the Foundation of faith vpon that faith which thou teachest saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God For the Apostle agreeing with this opinion saith That none can lay any other Foundation then that that is laid Iesus Christ What say the Councels hereunto In the Councell of Calcedon Super hanc confessionem robora ta est Ecclesia Dei fidem pag. 223. of the Edition of Collen vpon this Confession which Peter hath made and vpon that faith is the Church grounded Super hanc petraÌ„ id est super meipsuÌ„ qui significor per petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Nay the Glosse of the Canon-Doctors themselues vpon the goodly extrauagant Vnam sanctam saith Super hanc petram id est super meipsum qui significor per petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Vpon this Rocke that is to say vpon my selfe that am the Rocke and am signified by the Rocke will I found my Church Reade the exposition of Lyranus vpon Matth. 16. for it agreeth fully with this and setteth it downe in expresse termes But it may be Coeffeteau alleadgeth this passage or sentence because it saith I will giue thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt lose on earth shall be losed in heauen By the Kingdome of God the Gospell ordinarily doth vnderstand the Church of God vpon earth and consequently the Keyes of the Kingdome of God signifie the Church to bring men into the Church or exclude them from it This is cheefly done by preaching the word of God which our Lord for that cause Luc. 11. calleth the key of knowledge vnto which Preaching is annexed the power of admitting sinners to repentance and to the peace of the Church when they are come to receiue the word and submit themselues vnto it or if they are impenitent to shut them out from the communion of the faithfull This same power is signified by the wordes of binding and losing for wee are naturally in the bondes of Sathan but the preaching of the Gospel freeth and deliuereth vs when by faith we apprehend it by which the children of Abraham are vnbound whom Sathan hath fettered Luc. 13. ver 16. And if any man oppose himselfe against this word either by vnbeleefe or of a prophane humor by the same preaching first generally propounded and after particularly applied to the impenitent sinner by Ecclesiasticall censure the iudgements of God and his curse are denounced vnto him the which holdeth the sinner bound and are vnto him as chaines by which Sathan leadeth him captiue and draweth him with an insensible violence into perdition vnlesse by his earnest repentance hee free himselfe of those bonds and returne to God Here then Iesus Christ sheweth that God ratifieth in heauen both the reception of a repenting sinner and the reiecting of him that is impenitent and willeth that during his obstinacy by which he dispiseth the Church he be held as a Publican and an heathen Matth. 18.17.18 We are then to learne whether this power was giuen to S. Peter alone or to all the Apostles I say that that which was promised to S. Peter Matth. 16. was also promised to all the Apostles the eighteenth of the same Euangelist ver 18. Verily I say vnto you that whatsoeuer you shall binde vpon earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer you shall lose vpon earth the same shall be losed in heauen 2 Assuredly it is a most ridiculous presumption to thinke that any man now adayes doth better vnderstand the wordes of Iesus Christ then the Apostles did But it is more then euident that the Apostles did neuer suppose that by these wordes of Christ any superiority was giuen to S. Peter for had they so beleeued they would neuer after that haue contended amongst themselues for preheminence as they did Luke 22. but one day before the death of our Lord. 3 Aboue all things this is to be noted that Iesus Christ doth not here giue vnto Peter the power of binding and losing but only promiseth to giue it him which he performed after his resurrection Iohn 20. in which place he giueth like power to all his Disciples saying Receiue yee