Christ himselfe as man onely for he was taught of his father what to doe and what to say much lesse then would his vicar of Rome if he had but one sparke of christian humilitie claime such absolute power ouer the whole earth Seeing therefore by this name head hee chalengeth greater power then either any good man would haue in Gods church for the godly can be content to speake of God as God teacheth them and to doe as hee woulde haue them or is fit for any man to haue as his vnruly doings do sufficiently declare we iustly denie that euer any bishop of Rome was of the godly called the head of the church in that sence that it is now vsed as their doings doe plainly teach vs. As for the name Papa or pope it was a common name to all bishops as is confessed by Baronius yea and graunted also in this place by master Bellarmine himselfe And it signifieth as much as father or grandfather so that it seemeth that it was first giuen vnto bishops by godly christians who did honour and reuerence them for their calling And why may not this name be aptly giuen to any diligent bishoppe or pastour in the church of god No master Bellarmine wil haue this name after a more particular maner to be giuen to the bishop of Rome then to any other Then we must learne of Christ not to call any man our father vpon earth For there is but one our father which is in heauen And therefore if he wil otherwise be our father then man may be our father let him seeke for other children for to such a father we owe no obedience The name of vniuersal bishop was giuen in the councill of Chalcedon to the bishop of Rome maister Bellarmine telleth vs. We deny it not But without a fauourable and good vnderstanding that title may be very odious For euen Gregory himselfe a bishop of Rome and no man more vehemently inueieth against that proud title in many plaids His places are so commonly alleadged that I neede not come to any particular But Bellarmine going about to deliuer this title from all suspition of antichristian ambition telleth vs that this name vniuersall bishop may be taken in two sorts One way that a vniuersall bishop should signifie an only bishop that is such a one as woulde haue none to be bishop but himfelfe onely And such a vniuersall bishop saith master Bellarmine Saint Gregory condemneth And doth he not otherwise condemne Iohn of Constantinople his pride but because he would haue no bishop but himselfe No master Bellarmine the stories are more plaine then that such shifts may go for currant The controuersie was whether the bishop of Constantinople should be as now the bishop of Rome is in his owne account a bishop aboue al bishops Read all the histories and it wil easily appeare his indeuour was only to haue the commanding of other bishops Neither could he be called vniuersal if he were the only bishop but rather the singular bishop But master Bellarmine bringeth two or three testimonies out of Gregory wherein he complaineth that Iohn patriarch of Constantinople would be bishop alone Gregories meaning is plaine enough that he saith he would only be bishop because he only would haue the commanding of all that others should indeede be his suffraganes and at his commandement which reason of Gregory against that title of vniuersall bishop if it be wel marked giueth I thinke a wound vncurable to the church of Rome A soueraigne authoritie in one to commaund all saith he is to take away all bishops but that one onely but such soueraigne authoritie ouer bishops the pope doth chalenge in this name of vniuersall bishop as experience teacheth therefore he maketh him selfe the onely bishop And this is the thing that Gregorie so mislyketh in Iohn bishop of Constantinople therefore I cannot see how it can be tolerable in him of Rome But one may be called a vniuersall bishop saith he in another sence as he hath a care of the whole church and so the Pope may be called a vniuersall Bishop But herein master Bellarmine giueth very litle authoritie to the bishop of Rome For this generall care belongeth not onely to euery Bishop but also to euery Christian as Caesar Paronius doeth plainly confesse of whom master Bellarmine doth write that he is a singular good man and without all doubt most learned And therefore I trust hee will by him be perswaded to let this name of vniuersall bishop be a name that may belong to mo then to him of Rome and so not to make it his peculiar title A fourth name of his is that hee is called most holy And here master Bellarmine doth maruelously insult ouer master Luther for insinuating that the names of most high and most holy had not beene hard of in the dayes of Gregorie Master Luther said not so master Bellarmine onely feared that he ment some such matter and therefore quareleth with him and telleth him that he lieth Well Leo the pope is called most holy in three seuerall titles that three Graecians wrote to him It is true master Bellarmine and in the same action in a great number of places besids the bishops yelding their consent do call him most holy He is there also called holy and why would not that name holy which is there also giuen to him as well content the bishop of Rome now as to be called most holy Or why should that be a peculiare name to him alone that was giuen in that place as well to others as to him For Anatolius the patriarch of Constantinople is often called most holy Yea and the council writeth vnto Dioscorus patriarch of Alexandria whome they depriued of his dignitie because he was a manitainer of Futiches that notable heretick yet I say the conncill writing vnto him doe call him also most holy And whosoeuer marketh that councill shall see no titles more common then most holy most blessed or happie mow beloued of God and such like Neither were these things giuen vnto them as names to continue to them and their seate but onely such titles as they thought well bestowed vpon such persons as they vsed them to As Leo bishop of Rome who although he were not without his infirmiries yet sure he was a man of great gifts And they in aboundance of affection towardes him called him most holy Must it therefore be a name hereditary to that sinfull and shamelesse broode that since hath sprong vp in that place It were absurd to thinke that coniurers inchaunters poyseners adulterers and such ruffians and rakehelles should be called by right of their seat most holy And yet now nothing more common then this title His fauourites must not speake of him but with this tearme of most holy Looke all his bulles and writings and you shall see that hee that is most vnholy before God and men yet by a lying
endangered by this subtile but false perswasion which wholly possesseth the heartes of many that if they will be saued and auoide the danger of damnation they must stedfastly beleeue that the Bishop of Rome is the vniuersall Bishop hauing authoritie ouer all that he is the head of the church and the generall shepheard of Christ his flocke For that man of sinne hauing so bewitched the hearts of his fauorites that they are once persuaded that it is good religion so to beleeue and that to defend this his pride is christian constancie what shamelesse villanies will not they thinke to be lawfull practises what cruell murders will not they account to be commendable attempts what vnnaturall deuises and drifts wil not they esteeme most godly and catholike vertues I neede not stand long in dilating this point Our natiue soile hath too much and too lamentable experience of such vnkindly slips Who when they did and do owe to their countrey wherein they were bred and brought vp the sweete fruit of loue to her and sacred obedience to her lawes bring forth almost nothing else but the sowre grapes of treasons and treacheries Which all spring out of this bad roote that they falsly perswade themselues that they owe their chiefe obedience to the Bishop of Rome whose commaundements if they obey and follow his directions and hearken to his perswasions then must they suffer no princes with qnietnesse to enioy their ancient and vndoubted inheritance and rightfull crownes but such as will be tenants at will to their lawlesse master Which the more I doe thinke of it the more I feare we haue no great hope as yet to be free from such villainous practises as may bring danger vnto her Maiestie and ruine to this realme because I see that stubburne Recusants who if they haue any conscience in religion it is very strange for many of them shew little conscience in any thing else wilfull Papists I say are not in some reasonable maner forced in this point to shew their obedient and dutiful hearts but may freely without controlment professe themselues enemies to the truth that we acknowledge For how can there be any certainety to this estate that is so pestered with a great number of false hearted subiects whose very religion is to be deuoted to him and to the maintainance of his kingdome that is grieued at nothing more than at our happinesse neither seeketh any thing so much as our destruction To plucke away therefore this visard of Religion from this their disobedient and dissolute affection I thinke it to be the duetie of euery good christian according to our calling and talents wholy to indeuour our selues And as this dutifull affection of christian obedience should effectually moue vs vnto this attempt so the very ruine of religion and the decay of all true deuotion which foloweth that perswasion should forâ—e vs to make haste to take this stumbling blocke out of the way of the simple lest at vnwares running thereupon they should make shipwracke of their faith For the Bishop of Rome by this his pretended priuiledge doeth take vpon him to make lawes to binde the conscience to adde to Gods word to dispence against the same to chop and change religion it selfe as seemeth good to him to doe and vndoe at his owne pleasure And do he neuer so much hurt in the church of Christ yet no man must say Sir why do you so And thus hauing gotten by this prowd name his fulnes of power he hath filled all christendome with horrible superstitions I speake not heere of the prophane or rather blasphemous praises which the flatterers of this vniuersall Bishop do giue to him to make the world not so much to reuerence him as a B. as to honour him rather almost as a god Which if it had bin done onely by his Canonists who liued in the dayes of darkenesse and saw not so much as men now do yet the fault and folly had bin very great But that master Bellarmine a man doubtlesse learned in so cleare light of the trueth as now shineth should so farre ouershoote himselfe as he doeth in this point in his Preface to his bookes of the bishop of Rome it maketh me not a little to wonder at his grosse folly and to detest his irreligious flattery But of this more shall be said hereafter if God permit Seeing therefore the truth of this doctrine is so necessary both for the sinceritie of religion and also for the quietnesse of common wealths my desire purpose is if God giue good successe thereunto to shew and proue that the Bishop of Rome maketh herein an vniust claime and hath possessed himselfe of an vntrue Title To come therefore to the point in controuersie The holy catholike church the spiritual house of God the mystical body of Christ comprehendeth two sortes of members Some that are triumphing in heauen others that are here trauelling vpon the earth some profiting as saint Augustine saith in this life others perfited in an other Now the question is whether this part of the catholike church that is here wandering in this vale of misery which is called militant for here is the place of striuing else-where the place of crowning must needes haue the Bishop of Rome to bee the head thereof This is it that they vntruly and without any good warrant do affirme This is it which iustly and vpon good ground as I trust it shall appeare we deny Master Bellarmine laboureth very much to prooue that the gouernement of one ouer all is the best indeuouring thereby to prooue that if it be best in ciuill regiment it should also be the best gouernment in the church as it appeareth in his Bookes of the bishop of Rome Howsoeuer the monarchicall regiment within euery kingdome or country is liked of yet that vniuersal rule of one ouer al hath not bin thought good of at any time as may appeare by those great monarchies so commended vnto vs in histories To whose subiection kingdomes and nations did not subiect themselues willingly but were subdued to them by might Neither is it necessary that that kind of gouernement which is thought best for worldly kingdomes whose Law-makers are men and whose lawes are alwayes new to be made as new inconueniences do arise in the common-wealth and to be short whose glory is here in this world should also be most conuenient for the church of God whose kingdome is not worldly whose beauty is not outward or external But to knit vp this point with one argument thus I reason That kind of gouernement is fittest for the church that bringeth most profit to them that are gouerned but master Bellarmine confesseth that the mixed gouernement is most profitable therefore it is fittest But because it pleaseth master Bellarmine so well that one should beare rule ouer the whole church let him and his fellowes submit hemselfe to Christ that King
of kings and Lord of lords whom God hath appointed to be the head of the church of whose kingdome there shall be no end whose dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the riuer to the ends of the land so that no continuance of time no distance of place shall hinder his gouernment An inuisible head of an inuisible body Or else in particular churches let him behold a visible pastor ouer a visible flocke which is also a kinde of Monarchy But this one head which is Christ cannot content the church of Rome although notwithstanding his absence from vs in the flesh there is no want either in his will or might but that he is able and readie at all times to direct and defend his flocke But as the children of Israel not contenting themselues with that forme of gouernment whereby God gouerned them would needes haue a king as other nations had euen so will the papists haue a visible monarche one ruler of the whole church as one King is ruler ouer a whole Kingdome And if we tell them that it is a monster in nature that the church which is but one should haue two heades that is to say Christ whome we all acknowledg to be the head thereof and the pope whom they make their visible and ministeriall head then they reply that in that Christ is head of the church it doth no more hinder the supremacie of the bishop of Rome then it taketh away the bishop and ministers out of the church For so master Bellarmine affirmeâ— as if bishops and ministers were vniuersall heads as the pope would be And can master Bellarmine see no difference betweene the calling of pastors and teachers and of the pope Is hee so blinde or bleareied in beholding the brightnesse of their glorious Bishoppe that hee can see no difference betweene these two pastors we are sure are ordained of God euen of him that apointed Christ to be head of the church But that the bishop of Rome is head of the church by Gods word master Belarmine himselfe denieth Secondly the pastor contenteth himselfe with the ministrie of the word and sacraments and such ecclesiasticall censures as the word affordeth him But the bishop of Rome despiseth all power abuseth all magistrates yea almost treadeth vnder foote the maiestie of the mightiest monarches As for the sword of the word either he thinkes it not sharp enough or else he is too proude to drawe it for preaching is too base a thing for so proude a prelate but with his temporall sword he florisheth lustily Againe the pastor hath his flock in a litle compasse so that he may in some measure discharge his dutie amongst them he may feede with the bread of life the hungrie soules he may strengthen the feeble comfort the weake seeke the lost and bring whom the wandring sheep But the bishop of Rome in chalenging authoritie ouer all places and persons and seeking to bee head ouer all churches doth both meddle with other mens charges and laieth vpon his owne shoulders an importable burthen Thus I trust it appeareth that this argument standeth still vnanswered Christ is the head of his church Christ I say whom God the father appointed to that office and who is able to vndergoe this charge because he hath the holy ghost to be his Housband man to dresse his vine his Vicar or leieutenant to looke to his charge the pope therefore who is neither appointed to it nor able to doe it is not Now for that which master Bellarmine affirmeth of the heauenly host that they haue in heauen another head besides Christ and therefore that the church vpon earth ought so to haue his proofe is more vncertaine and hard to be knowen then that he should seeke thereupon to ground any argument But the church in the old Testament had one high priest therefore saith master Bellarmine the church of Christ must haue so For that church was a figure of Christs church If master Bellarmine his argument shall goe for currant wee must also haue but one Temple for they might not haue any moe they might offer but in one place and many such things were commaunded vnto them vnto which it were absurd to tie christians Whereby we may see that in all things that church was not a figure of ours Then also the leuiticall priest was a figure not of any ministeriall head of Christs church but of Christ himselfe as the apostle to the Hebrews doth proue in sondrie chapters And here master Bellarmine sheweth rather a desire to maintain his errors then to yeld to the truth For without all reason hee affirmeth that Aaron was not onely a figure of Christ but of Peter also and his successors sauing that to auouch his vntruth hee setteth downe another namely that the leuiticall sacrifices were figurs not of Christ onely but also of that which they call the sacrifice of the masse which how vntrue it is I haue shewed elsewhere But if it were true that those sacrifices were figures of both must it needs follow that Aaron also must be the figure of Christ and Peter It hath no necessitie And moreouer to answere both this and his fifth argument The church was at that time contained within the bonds of Iewry or at the least hee was but hie priest vnto them that were circumcised As also in Christ his time the church consisted but of a few persons and therefore it cannot be necessarily concluded that if the church then was gouerned by one when it was in a small corner of the world it should now be so likewise when it is scattered in many places vpon the earth But what if I should denie to Bellarmine that this was the gouernment of the church before Christ or that they were not at that time all vnder one hie priest For more then 2500. yeares the church was not gouerned by one hie priest which master Bellarmine himselfe doth not greatly denie in this place especially limiting this hie priest vnto that time when there was some forme of gouernment established amongst them after they were come out of Egypt For vntill that time as himselfe confesseth the heads of their houses were priests And although there were many good men at one time as Seth Enosh and others yet master Bellarmine cannot shew that there was amongst them a hie priest but euery one was chiefe in his owne familie But what if it appeare that then when there was a hie priest yet al Gods people were not bound to be vnder him The widow of Sarepta as appeareth by her story had a sure faith in God so that wee may say shee might well be accounted the child of God Naaman also the syrian did belong to the church of God And no doubt but God had many people among the Niniuites who repented at the preaching of Ionah And yet none of these
his at their good leisure to answere No inuisible body can haue a visible head for that were a monster in nature But the vniuersall or catholike church is an inuisible bodie for things that are vniuersall are not seene with the eie but conceaued in the minde and vnderstanding Therefore the catholike church must not haue a visible head But all this that Maister Bellarmine hath hitherto spoken of the necessity of hauing one supreme gouernour of the whole church is rather an inducement to make men thinke that they haue some reason for this supremacie in the church then any strong argument whereby they thinke to cary away the weight of the matter But the very strength and staie of this their doctrine is contained in this one syliogisme whatsoeuer iurisdiction Christ gaue to Peter and not to the rest of the Apostles all that belongeth to the church of Rome but Christ gaue vnto Peter iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall church and not to the rest of the Apostles therefore the Bishop or church of Rome hath iurisdiction ouer all churches or ouer the vniuersall church And in this argument is contained not onely all that Maister Bellarmine can say but all that they all can alleadge for this matter and therefore it is the more diligently to be examined And to beginne with the minor wherein is affirmed what iurisdiction or power ouer others Peter had Maister Bellarmine doth confidently and plainely affirme That Saint Peter is appointed of Christ himselfe in Christ his place the head and prince of the church or these are his verie words What is Christ wearie of his office hath hee giuen ouer his interest hath he resigned his right vnto Saint Peter If hee haue so done it is more then Saint Paul knew who after that Christ had left the world yet still he tooke Christ for the head of the church as appeareth by his epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Yea Saint Peter himselfe seemeth not to know so much For when hee calleth him the head corner stone he meaneth doubtlesse in the building of Gods spirituall house which is the church And yet master Bellarmine seemeth to tell vs 〈◊〉 when hee telleth vs that Saint Peter is head in Christs place For Christ must leaue his place before S. Peter can be in his place A meaner place would very well haue contented Saint Peter As for many of them who in our fathers dayes and ours haue bragged that they are Peters successors deserue not to bee dog-driuers out of a poore parish church wherein godly christians are assembled much lesse to be vniuersall bishops ouer the whole world Neither standeth the church of Christ now in neede of any such lieutenant seeing Christ is much more effectually with his church now then hee was with the people of the Iewes when he was conuersant vpon the earth For he that promised that hee would be with vs alwaies euen vnto the end of the world and that hee would pray the father and he should giue vs another comforter which should abide with vs for euer enen the spirit of truth he I say by the same spirit whom he hath made his vicar generall as before I aleaged out of Tertullian doth husband the earth of our hearts to make them fruitfull and is Christs vicar in all places with all persons to supply all their wants So that hee which in respect of his bodily presence could at no time be but in one place by the piercing power of his spirit is at once euery where And therefore is he much more present now in the spirit then before in the flesh because before he could be at once but with a few of the faithfull whereas now he is withal at one instant It is therefore ouermuch boldnes in master Bellarmine either to thrust Christ out of his office to lay the same vpon Peter or else to imagine that Christ is not better able by his spirit then by the pope to execute the same His iudgement is also very hard wherein he pronounceth that to say that saint Peters supremacy is not instituted by Christ it is not a simple errour but a detestable heresie This I am sure of that not onely some priuat men as Cyprian haue thought all the Apostles to be of as great honour and power as was Peter but euer some councils haue thought that the B. of Rome who thinketh by succession from Peter he hath as good right thereto as Peter had yet had not from Christ any right to the supremacy For the sixt council of Carthage where Faustinus and others were legats from the pope would not yeld that souerainty to the bishop of Rome although his legats did most earnestly seeke it not onely by their diligent indeuour but also by aleaging false canons of the Nicen councill thinking thereby to haue deceiued them And although this were a great foile to the church of Rome yet their ambitious and aspiring minds would not suffer them to be quiet but within a little time after they attempt the like in the counsell of Chalcedon Paschasinus and Lucentius being the popes legates Paschasinus alleaged a decree as if it had beene out of the Nicen councill That the the church of Rome always had the supremacie but the councell finding that there was not there anie such decree did ordaine that the bishop of Constantinople should haue as great euen such like priuiledges as the bishop of Rome had Which had beene more wickedlie ordained of them if Rome by Christ had the supremacie then wee maie imagine so manie godlie fathers assembled togither would haue done Yea that we maie knowe that at that time if bishops of Rome had anie priuiledge aboue other bishops they did not thinke it was so by Christs institution they set downe the reason why the church of Rome was more honoured then the rest Euen because it was the imperiall citie as also Ireny long before them did testifie And this made the fathers of the councell of Chalcedon the bolder to yeeld to Constantinople which they called newe Rome such priuiledges because it was now become also an imperiall citie Thus wee see these learned writers Ireny and Ciprian and all the fathers of these two councels learned and manie did not thinke nor would confesse that this supremâ—cie was Christes institution and yet master Bellarmines sharpe penne hath prickt them all with one dash as guiltie not of simple errour but of pestilent heresie Nowe wee must needes imagine that he would neuer burst out into these excessiue speeches as if hee were rauished and besides himselfe as in these two pointes mentioned it maie appeare vnlesse his opinion rested vpon a sure ground Let vs therefore examine his proofes and trie the waight of his reasons This most necessarie controuersie as the church of Rome esteemeth it hath not in all the scriptures anie good warrant euen in master Bellarmines owne opinion
to haue a limitation And first this worde my sheepe which maister Bellarmine maketh the chiefe strength of his argument doth make much for that interpretation which I take to be the true and natui all sence of the place When the meaning of our sauiour Christ is to speake of that generall charge ouer all then he vttereth it in other wordes Go teach all nations and againe going into the whole world preach the gospell vnto euery creature But here is no such generall charge but onely feede my sheepe What are these sheepe that Christ calleth my sheepe We knowe that Christ after a speciall meaning calleth the Iewes his people and his sheepe He saieth he is not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell And as though in comparison of the Iewes he made no account of the gentiles he saith it is not meete to take the childrens bread meaning the saluation that was sent to the Israelites and cast it to the dogges Therefore Christ by this worde my sheepe meaneth as it should seeme the people to whome he especially was sent amongst whom he was borne to whom hee preached as also Maister Bellarmine for that preferreth Poters ministerie among the Iewes and amongst whom hee died that is the Iewes And besides the manner of sending of his Apostles vnto their generall charge whereof I haue already spoken which is farre differing from this the very office that we know was laide vpon Peter doeth much confirme this interpretation For Saint Paule saith that the gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to him as the gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to Peter Wee see therefore that Peter had a peculiar charge and calling to bee the apostle of the Iewes Which is proofe strong enough to prooue that Christ neuer meant to commit anie such generall charge ouer all the world vnto him vnlesse we will imagine that Christ did first he knew not what and afterwardes reuoked his former commission I saie this limitation of Peter especiallie although not onlie to one peculiar people is as it were a reuocation of his former vniuersall calling if any such had beene or rather because indeed none such was it is insteede of a commentarie vpon these wordes feede my sheepe to teach vs how to vnderstand them Feed my sheep that is the Iewes whom I haue especially committed to thee as I also tooke paines almost wholy and only among them Furthermore also when Saint Paule telleth vs that the gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to him as vnto Peter the gospell was committed ouer the circumcision his meaning is to tell vs that Christ hath as well placed him ouer the Gentiles as Peter ouer the Iewes And therefore of himselfe he saith that he was seperated vnto the gospell of Iesus Christ because God commanded them to seperate vnto him Paule and Barnabas to the worke whereunto hee had called them And what this worke is is another place declared depart for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles Which his calling to the Gentiles hee also speaketh of vnto the Galathians assuring himselfe that God called him to that office But now for Peter we must not doubt but that hee also was called of God For they are not to be heard that woulde make vs beleeue that it was but a couenant among themselues that Peter should preach to the Iewes Paule to the Gentiles but Paule doth assure himselfe of his calling in that he that was mightie in Peter was mightie in him also Saint Hierom on the Galathians lib. 1. cap. 2. very well writeth One and the selfesame Christ committed to mee the gospell of the vncircumcision speaking in the person of Paule who committed to Peter the gospell of the circumcision If then Peter was by Christ called to this apostleshippe where was it when in what woordes In all the Scripture there is not auie one place but this wherein he is called by Christ to this ministerie ouer the Iewes And therefore Christes sheepe are rather that peculiar people that were as no man denieth committed to Peter then the whole world whereof in Scripture they haue no probable coniecture And this interpretation I maruell that Maister Bellarmine hath not sought to confute seeing it is about two hundreth and seuentie yeare olde Perchaunce hee thought it rested vppon stronger reason then hee was able to conuince or confute and therefore hee let it alone Other argumentes are also alleadged to disprooue this supremacie of Peter ouer all and to shew that these words feede my sheepe cannot giue vnto him anie such soueraignty Saint Paule acknowledged no such subiection to him when hee doth not only pronounce that hee learned nothing of them that seemed to be chiefe but also withstoode Peter in the face because he was worthy to be reproued Out of which wordes howe lightlie so euer Maister Bellarmine woulde cast them off with this distinction that they were fellowes in preaching but not in gouerning as though the preaching of the woorde and the practise or gouernement according to the same were then seperated yet Saint Ambrose and Theophilact vpon this place doe teach that there was no inequality betweene them and that Paule was nothing inferiour to Peter And marke howe absurdly he woulde daube vppe the matter it is nothing to me saith S. Paule to the Galath 2. 6. what ones they were once that seemed to be somewhat Which he expoūdeth as if he had saide howe vile soeuer they were in time past what was that to mee I conferred with them for now they are great apostles If Saint Paule had so meant he woulde not haue said that they seeme to be somewhat but that they indeede are somewhat And thus master Bellarmine rather than he will say nothing will peruert the very sense of scripture for these wordes no doubt are expounded by those that followe in that verse they that seemed to bee somewhat gaue nothing to me Saint Paule also without asking leaue of Peter did exercise iurisdiction among the Corinthians against an incestuous person he giueth counsell concerning virgins he did set order among them concerning prayer and the eucharist And hee called to Miletum the elders of Ephesus to giue them commaundement or aduise concerning the church there And yet master Bellarmine would make vs beleeue that the iurisdiction was in Peter onely authoritie to preach in the rest together with him Againe the apostles I say the twelue not Peter did call together the christians to appoint deacons We must beleeue saith master Bellarmine that Peter deuised this or agreed to it And why must we beleeue that Peter was author of that act seeing there is not one word to warrant it Why should we imagine that rather of him then of another As for consenting we are sure he consented for it was done by a generall consent Peter and Iohn were sent by the rest to Samaria to instruct them
a great friende of theirs and at this day in great account among them doth tell them namely Caesar Baronius in his history For out of him they may learne that Eleutherius a pope himselfe in a decretall epistle of his written to the bishops of France calleth them vniuersall bishops as Ignatius calleth the bishop of Philadelphia the bishop of the common church and so Gregory Nazianzen speaketh of Athanasius bishop of Alexandria Which Baronius seemeth thus to vnderstand that they ought to haue a care as indeed euery man should haue of the good of the whole church And these names of head of the church vniuersall bishop and such like were doubtlesse at the first graunted to such as were most worthy men in the church in respect of their learning and skill that they had or their trauell and diligence that they vsed to benefit the vniuersall Church And by this meanes was it more commonly giuen to the bishops of Rome then to others because they in regard of the place or city wherein they were had moe occasions of doing good offered vnto them and moe opportunities by reason of his neerenesse to the Emperour to solicite such matters And in this sorte is it giuen for a rewarde of well deseruing and to incourage them that were able to doe their vttermost indeuour to benefit the church But now it is a name tied to one chaire in which for the most part doe sit of the vnworthiest men that are in the church So that if a man consider howe little good they doe in the church and how much hurt wee shall thinke that a ring of gold will better become a sowes snowt then they beseeme that honourable title or it them And as for that which the councill doth write vnto Leo saying that he is appointed of our Sauiour to keepe his vine they speake it not in respect of his being bishop of Rome but in consideration of his excellent giftes of learning and other good graces wherewith God hath indued him And that this is their meaning it doth plainely appeare by those things that afterwardes in that councill they did For if they had meant by those wordes that he as bishoppe of Rome had supremacy ouer the whole church then woulde they not haue giuen vnto the bishop of Constantinople equall priuiledges with Rome and so haue taken from Rome that which Christ gaue as they pretend to the bishop thereof Thus to be short in this one councill we see this supremacy had three notable checkes It was called by the Emperours and moderated by lay Iudges and the bishop of Constantinople made equall to him of Rome The fift councill that is heere alleadged is the fifth Constantinople councill But this can bring litle credite to their cause seeing it may iustly be doubted whether euer there were any such or not For besides that mistrust which the very title of that councill which is in the second tombe of Councils doth worke in them that reade it because it cannot be set downe when or in what popes dayes it was celebrated but that it was about the time of Agapetus Siluerius and Vigilius I say besides the vncertainety of it that there appeareth Functius one skilfull in histories hath noted that this is not once spoken of in the Constantinople histories And therefore it is not likely that any such councell was kept there Neither yet can the rest of the councels alleadged by maister Bellarmine stande him in any steede For we will not deny but after that once the pope had gotten into that proud chaire almost all did yeeld vnto him honour and reuerence some for feare some for flattery vntill they had made him little inferiour to God himslfe And therefore wee iustly reiect the councels that were gathered since his power was so greate and his pride so vntollerable that by some meanes or other hee would be honoured as himselfe thought good And therefore the second councell of Nice which was about the yeare seuen hundred eighty nine the lateran about the yeare one thousand two hundred and fifteene That of Lions about the yeare one thousand two hundred seuenty and foure and that of Florence about the yeare one thousand foure hundred thirty nine are no fit witnesses against vs who doe not deny but that the Pope sometime by faire meanes sometime by foule sometime by flattery sometime by threatning sometime by force sometime by craft and alwaies by euill dealing hath gotten to bee in sorte as yee see supreame head of the Church But we say that he is not so by the word of God which hee claimeth to be and maister Bellarmine promised to proue but he cannot doe it Neither was he accounted in the purer times of the Church to haue that supremacy by Gods word as before I haue spoken Neither would they in any wise permit such power vnto him although he sought it earnestly and shamefullie in the councell of Chalcedon After the councels maister Bellarmin will bring in popes to beare witnesse on his side But honester men then many of them were are not to be heard in their owne cause Yea and although many of them were good men and were profitable members in Christes church yet because they were men they might haue such infirmities as doe follow the nature of man and might especially not seeing the inconuenience and ruine of the church which the pride of that seate hath brought forth ascribe more vnto their owne seate then either in truth they could claime or in christian humility they could take vpon them And for the first popes which all they that write of this matter recken vp in great numbers I trust we shal not hereafter bee troubled with their names because maister Bellarmine hath giuen them a reasonable good discharge For he confesseth that in their writings there are some errours neither dare he affirme that they may not be doubted of and as for the rest of them because wee haue seene euen almost from the beginning of any credite that they had some sparkes of their pride now and then to glitter and burst forth in their importunate seeking or too ready accepting of that that belonged not to them as in equity we are not bound so neither in discretion should we when the cause concerneth not vs but Gods truth heare what they can say for themselues against the same Neither are their writings for the most part any such as that by them wee may iudge throughlie what they did thinke For epistles or letters such are those writings altogither almost which are alleadged against vs are vpon sundry particular occasions written whereby the writers might happely be forced to say more for the credite of that seate then themselues would haue said if that occasion had not beene offered But this I am sure of they for the most part speake far otherwise and more plainely in that point then doe the other
ancient writers of their time and that maketh me thinke that they did speake for themselues and were somewhat pricked forward with a purpose to aduance their seat Therefore letting them passe as partiall in this cause let vs come to this next proofe which is out of the greeke fathers And first commeth in Ignatius who writeth to the church that ruleth for I will admit the worst that Maister Bellarmine or any other can alleadge ont of this place in the Romane region But will Maister Bellarmines logicke conclude that therefore the church of Rome hath supremacy ouer the whole church He must first bring the vniuersall church within the place of the Roman region before that can be Out of Ireny he hath these words For vnto this church for the more mighty principality speaking of the church of Rome it is necessary that the whole church doe come that is the faithful from al places in which alwaies of them that are from all places is kept that tradition which is from the Apostles The wordes as you may see are somewhat hard by reason that he who translated Ireny out of greeke did here as in many other places translate him very darkely But I haue englished them word for word His meaning is that they that come from other places of the world be it neuer so farre off yet doe not alter the tradition that the apostles left vnto them and yet many must needes come thither because that in respect that Rome is the Imperiall citty the church also hath the more mighty principality and so in deciding of causes hath the more reuerence and authority And thus doth he proue that to be true that in the beginning of that chapter he said that it is an easie matter for him that will to see the tradition of the apostles manifested through the whole world because that from whence soeuer they do come yet still they keepe one tradition By this argument doth Ireny confute the heretikes because the tradition of the apostles being kept in all places not only in the church of Rome although because it was best known or most famous he bringeth that for example yet no such doctrine as the heretikes speake of is taught among them But nowe maister Bellarmines vnseasonable collection out of this place is very farre from Irenies meaning That it is necessary saith he that all churches should hang of the church of Rome He proueth first by that which goeth before because principality is giuen to this church secondly of that which followeth because hitherto al in that church haue kept the faith that is in being vnited and cleaning to that church as the head and mother These are maister Bellarmines words But first he saith wrong of Ireny that he should indeuour to proue such necessity in comming to the church of Rome especiall taking as here he doth for a bounden duty For it is maister Bellarmines meaning to make the church of Rome the onely church that must heare all great matters decide all doubtfull questions and commande all other churches But Ireny his meaning is that all other men had occasion to seeke rather of that church then of any other for helpe and direction because that in respect of the greatnes of the citty the church there was in some greater accompt as before I haue shewed but he neuer saide that all were bound to submit themselues to that church as maister Bellarmine and his partakers would haue him be thought to speake Secondly he must speake more plainely what he meaneth by this that principality is giuen to the church of Rome For if he meane that men yeeld great reuerence to the church of Rome we yeelde that in the primitiue church they did so that iustly because the true faith was there sincerely kept but this principality will not please maister Bellarmine or proue his intent And if Ireny had meant that this principality had beene giuen by Christ a man of meane vnderstanding will easily thinke that he would haue spoken it in more plaine tearmes But what neede I to vse many words the place it selfe is plaine For the more mighty principality saith Ireny if he had thought of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome he would haue said most mighty principality For more mighty principality doth but make him better then others in some respect not aboue all others which he claimeth to be So that to proue his intent he must haue better proofe For this will not warrant that soueraigne authority of the bishop of Rome Thirdly that which maister Bellarmine would tell vs out of this place that all churches must be vnited and cleaue to this church of Rome as their head mother hath at all no ground of Irenies words And thus we see howe he doth racke and rent the wordes out of their plaine sence to serue for his purpose which being wel weied of make rather against them and their supremacy Epiphanius is his third witnes who reporteth that Vrsarius and Valens two Arrian bishops being conuerted did go to Iulius bishop of Rome to giue an accompt of their errour and fault But if that proue the supremacy of the bishop of Rome then must Athanasius also haue that supremacy as well as he for it followeth immediatly after that they vsed the selfe same proofes that they repented of their errour vnto Athanasius So that the intent and cause of their going to pope Iulius or pope Athanasius for he is there so called was not to acknowledge his supremacy but as it was known that they had erred so woulde they haue it well knowen that they reuoked their heresie Neither did they craue pardon of their offence of Iulius bishop of Rome which out of Athanasius he endeuoured to proue because he had authority ouer all persons but because they knew their offence to haue beene against the whole church they were desirous that the bishop of Rome for his parte as a principall member of the church but not a head aboue all should not impute that fault vnto them And this is the part of euery christian man or woman hauing made a generall fault whereby many godly are offeuded to make also a publike satisfaction for the same And cannot this be done to pope Iulius but we must make him head of the church Athanasius also his letter to pope Felix is alleadged wherein Athanasius being much distressed of the Arrians and wrongfully dealt withall and not hauing any hope that the greeke Church coulde helpe him the Emperour himselfe being an Arrian the rather to mooue the bishoppe of Rome to pity his case saith thus For this cause God hath placed you and your predecessours Apostolicke prelates in the towre of height and hath charged you to haue care of all churches that you should helpe vs. That God by meanes of Constantine and other good Emperours aduanced high the Bishop of Rome we deny not And we also knowe
that those good bishops did much good with that their authority to the church of God and were a great reliefe to the oppressed a comforte to the troubled and a good stay for religion We yeeld moreouer that a care ouer the whole church a belongeth not to the bishop of Rome only but to euery christian as Baronius a papist telleth vs. And as Saint Paule saith of himselfe although hee were not an vniuersall Bishop or pope ouer all the church yt that he had a care ouer all the Churches Which care as it shoulde be in all yet it should be greatest in them whom God hath beautified with greatest graces of power wisedome knowledge credite or any other thing whereby they may doe good to others So that the effect of Athanasius his wordes vnto Felix is that as God hath inabled him so also he should apply his greatnesse to doe him good We doe not yet see the Bishop of Rome to haue iurisdiction ouer the whole church but that the greatnesse that hee hath hee should vse it to the comfort of the godly But indeede the Bishop of Rome in steed of the care that he should haue doth exercise the power that he hath And the excercising of his power beganne somewhat soone in that chaire And therefore the fathers in the sixt council of Carthage as it seemeth were moued in the canons of the Nicen council to alter one worde For hauing agreed in the ninth canon or chapter of that council of Carthage to heare the Nicen decrees read when they come to the sixt chapter where the Nicen council hath that the bishop of Alexandria should hane power ouer the churches of Lybia Egipt Pentapolis as the bishop of Rome hath within his libertie in steede of the word power they read care Which no doubt those godly fathers did because they sawe how immoderately and by what bad shifts they did then seeke to bring vnder their subiection all others And therefore by this meanes they would teach them to whome they did graunt such honorable places that they were called rather to a burden then to an honour to looke vnto their charge rather then to ouer â—ooke them So then this care that the bishop of Rome should haue ouer all churches we wish also that hee would haue And yet we doe not hereby make him the bishop of the vniuersall church And for the third place out of Athanatius it hath lesse waight then any of the rest For because some accused the bishop of Alexandria to the bishop of Rome therefore he concludeth that the bishop of Rome is chiefe iustice aboue all and may take vpon him to iudge all matters but accusations are for the most priuat And who can hinder but that any may make complaint to a man that hath nothing to doe in the matter And many such complaints wil be made to such as will be willing to heare all matters as were many of the B. of Rome to increase their owne power That which is aleaged out of Basil is a request that Basil did purpose to make to the bishop of Rome like vnto that which Athanasius made to Felix and therefore one answere doth serue them both But in that epistle Basil calleth Athanasius the Top of all christians which name they would faine should be peculiar to their pope That out of Gregorie Nazianzene was not woorth blotting of so much paper For hee saieth the Citie of Rome beareth sway ouer the whol world what is that to the church of Rome And that that is alleaged out of Chrysostom in the first place is not much material because Chrisostome maketh that request to the B. of the west church and not to Innocentius alone Yea not Chrysostom only in the same his epistle but Socrates also in his historie testifieth that Chrysostom appealed from his aduersaries not to the pope which he would doubtlesse haue done if hee had taken his authoritie to haue beene such as now the church of Rome would haue it imagined but to the generall council And not hee onely appealed to a council but the multitude also were readie to make a tumult for him and said it was meete the matter should be heard not by the pope but in a generall council Secondly out of Chrysostom he alleageth these words we alwayes thanke you for that you haue declared vnto vs your fatherly good will What will the charitable affection of the pope prooue him to be head of the whole church If it will not this will doe no good his third place is this I intreate your watchfullnesse that although they haue filled all with tumults yet if they will haue their desease healed they be neither afflicted neither put out of mens companie Must the bishop of Rome bee the supreame head or else this request be in vaine He being as it is alwaies confessed of great authoritie although not so great as they imagine might either by intreating or by authority winne many to be of his minde and so hinder the excommunication of Chrysostomes aduersaries So that none of these arguments can conclude for the popes supremacie as we see And yet they wring whatsoeuer is said or done to the church of Rome as if it were a strong proofe for supremacie Whereas the godly of the east church being thus distressed were in policie forced and not for religious causes to seeke for helpe of the West church and of the bishop of Rome for their owne quietnesse And this doth appeare most plainly in an epistle that Basil writeth vnto the bishop of the west church for their helpe and especially by the aduise that hee giueth to Athanasius to that end wherein hee sheweth that there is no way for their safetie but to cause the bishops of the West church to take good parte with them And then if they chance to seeke for this at the popes hand by and by without all doubt hee must be head of the church It maketh me weary euen but to reade their arguments They doe so force their authorities that they bring and so vnnaturally apply them that it is tediousnesse to thinke of it Such is that also that foloweth out of Ciril For Ciril did thinke that if Nestorius would not reuoke his heresies within the time limited by Celestine bishop of Rome all men ought to shunne his companie as a person excommunicat and deposed And writing to Celestinnus he doth desire to know of him whether he thinke good that men shuld yet communicat which Nestorius or they should shunne his company And what if Ciril sawe that in Celestine that he thought him worthie to be especially regarded in these matters doth it thereupon folow that he would haue him to haue soeuraigne iurisdiction ouer the whole church Or if hee thinke him meete to deale in his owne matter must he needs giue him power ouer all men in all causes Master Bellarmine must make
famous bishop and better knowne to his people then any of the other patriarches and therefore fittest for an example Secondly there had beene a very great schisme or strife about the popedome one Vrsicinus standing for it against Damasus so that many of both sides were slaine in the very church in striuing for it But Damasus in the end obtaining the popedome Saint Ambrose to testifie his owne perswation and to assure others that Damasus and not Vrsicmus was bishop of Rome although he stood for it doth take occasion heere to name him Thirdly Damasus beeing pope was accused of whoredome whereof hauing cleared himselfe it is not vnlikely but that S. Ambrose did the rather take this occasion to pull al suspition out of other mens minds by giuing this testimony of him Another cause also may be added that as it seemeth he was as learned as any bishop of Rome before him For which S. Ambrose himself a being a learned man might then rather delight in naming him The rest of the places out of S. Ambrose haue no waight at all Satyrus did aske the bishop whether he agreed with the Catholicke bishops that is with the Church of Rome He meaneth by catholicke bishops such as held the catholicke faith that then was maintained at Rome If it be a good argument to say Rome is a catholicke church therefore it must gouerne all the churches in the world then will this also be a good argument Hippo was a catholicke church so was Millaine so are also the churches that we haue allowed in England by authority therefore they were and ours are heads ouer all others And that master Bellarmine will not allow But he asketh why the bishops are not catholickes that agree not with the church of Rome if it be not because Rome is the head of the catholike church I maruell much that maister Bellarmine whose wordes go for oracles with many will shew himselfe so ignorant of that he alleadgeth For if hee had read but the wordes that immediatly doe follow the reason is there rendered why he asked that question namely because the church there was in a schisme For one Lucifer had seperated himself from their communion Lo here M. Bellarm. he dreameth not of any headship of that church but asketh this question whether he helde the faith that then was preached at Rome And Athanasius in his creede speaketh in this sence of a catholike faith Yea the name of catholike was also as it were a note of their profession That whereas the Donatists gloried that they onely had the true church the catholikes on the contrary would be known by their name that in any place of the world they might be of the true church Yea there were Emperours that made a lawe that whosoeuer beleeued the one godhead in trinity and equal maiesty of the father the sonne and the holy ghost should be called Christians and Catholikes as their law doth testifie Yea Sozomen reporteth of a lawe made by the Emperour that all should beleeue the lawe deliuered by Peter the head of the apostles but howe he may be called head of the apostles I haue shewed before and that nowe Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter of Alexandria doe holde and that they onely that worship the trinitie with like honoure should be called the catholike church And doeth maister Bellarmine to make his bad proofe seeme better aske howe they may be called catholikes that agree with the church of Rome vnlesse it be in this respect that they take it to be the head of the catholike church heere are catholikes we see and yet not bound to beleeue that head After he alleadgeth two other places of like force The effect of them is that he woulde followe the paterne of the church of Rome So woulde I also if I had liued in those daies when they sincerely held the faith committed to them by Gods worde And he doubtlesse if he sawe the superstition and Idolatry and treasons that vnder coulour of religion are hatched there in our daies he would thinke euen the cotten ruines of Rome to bee ouer good to bee a cage for so badde birdes But to follow their example is not to yeelde vnto them power ouer vs. To go forward out of saint Ierome hee reasoneth thus Saint Ierome for pope Damasus answered the Synodicall consultations of the East and West therefore they that sought for answere from the seate of Rome in their matters acknowledged the superioritie thereof If I should tell Maister Bellarmine againe that Maister Caluine in his time and Maister Beza in his time haue answered more matters and questions that came from sundry of the reformed Churches and some particular men then many of the popes of that time yet I am sure he wil neuer confesse them to be vniuersall Bishoppes for that No more neede wee graunt to him that the Pope is a vniuersall Bishop because many questions were mooued to him Againe Saint Hierome confesseth himselfe to be Damasus his sheepe and that hee is of communion with him Alas what childish proofes are these May not Hierome confesse himselfe to depend vpon Damasus but that hee must thereby tie all others likewise to be subiect vnto him It is a shame for men so to deceiue the world aud to hasten euen their owne damnation by abusing the simple in such sort They crie it out in euery corner that there is no saluation to be hoped for vnlesse they doe acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome to bee head of their Church and yet are they not able to yeelde so much as one good reason out of the Scriptures or ancient writers of the purer age for proofe of their doctrine It must bee beleeued as an article of faith and yet they coulde shewe no ground no warrant for it Out of saint Augustine is alleadged that in the Church of Rome the principalitie of Peters chaire hath alwayes flourished Augustine and Optatus as they were in one time so were they of one minde And as before out of Optatus I shewed and that by Christes testimony that the Apostles chaire is his doctrine so here doeth it signifie And saint Augustine his meaning is that Rome hath especially kept the Apostles doctrine or faith the which in Saint Augustines dayes might truely bee verified Againe out of Saint Augustine epist 92. he desireth pope Innocent to helpe them against the Pelagians which maruellously troubled Palestine and Affrike Now out of this will he conclude the popes Supremacie But saint Augustine himselfe denyeth that hee had any such meaning in that he was one of that sixt councill of Carthage that so stiffely denied supremacie vnto the pope seeking it so earnestly and by very false practises And the Bishop of Rome was then of great abilitie to doe good as also any other may be and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them that seeke for that good at his hands I would haue them
to bring some plaine proofe and not so to stand vpon strange coniectures Againe Sozimus bishop of Rome willed hini to go to a councill at Cesarea and hee therefore saide that hee must needes goe If Sozimus did commaund and Augustine would not stand vpon his right in such a matter where perchance his going might be profitable to Gods church yet that would not make Sozimus head of the church No at that time they did not gather any such hard conclusions For although they would not refuse to do good euen being more imperiously commaunded then reason would yet supremacie as I haue shewed they would not acknowledge in the Bishop of Rome but rather were content to bee at great charges to conuince the popes falshoode In the last two places saint Augustine commendeth the bishop of Rome in that being so high as he was yet he would be friendly to them that were humble or lowe and then confesseth euery Bishoppe to be high yet him to be higher A man may be friend to them that are lower then he is and one Bishop may be higher than others and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them Higher I say in gifts credite place or many other waies In England we see differences of bishoprickes where yet the one hath not iurisdiction ouer the other Now for Prosper it were hard if his poeticall amplifications should be able to carry away the weight of so great a cause But for his words if he say that Rome is Peters seat in respect of the doctrine that there was taught and maintained as before Optatus and Augustine of whome he was a great follower haue done wee yeelde vnto him Otherwise I leaue the godly Reader to the arguments before alleadged to consider what he should think concerning this point whether Peter was Bishop there or not And where he saith that Rome is made vnto the world the head of pastorall honour wee yeelde vnto that also that at that time there was no church that either more sincerely did keepe that which the apostles taught or had more credit and authoritie amongst other churches then Rome had in respect that she was able and willing to do good vnto many other But where he saith that what by armes shee could not by religion shee hath subdued is not simply true For there are manie that neuer were nor will be by likely hood subdued to Romish religion But in some respect we also confesse that to be so in that religion subdueth the heart and winneth the affection of men to bee subiect whereas that outward force can onely preuaile against the outward man Now for Victor Vticensis who calleth the church of Rome head of all other churches I haue often shewed that it may truly so be called in respect of the authoritie which by many occasions it had goten not in respect of any inrisdiction that Christ gaue vnto it more then to other The next is Vyncentius Lirinensis who alluding vnto the name or indeede rather giuing vnto Rome that name that was commonly giuen vnto it saith that the head of the world gaue testimonie vnto it meaning the council of Ephesus You see saith master Bellarmine that the bishop of Rome is called head of the world Nay you see howe our popes catholiks incroch more and more for that vnsatiable gulfe of the church of Rome which will neuer haue honour and authoritie enough Who euer before master Bellarmine hath called the pope the head of the world He hath wont to be but head of the church But I feare that if his kingdome continue a while Acharonta mouebit hee will keepe a stir in hell also But Vincensius giueth no such name to Iulius bishop of Rome He would not be so iniurious to the ciuil authoritie he had learned better then so to giue to Caesar that that belongeth to Caeser and to God that that is Gods although the church of Rome might quite blotte out of their bookes that lesson for any regarde that they haue to keepe it As for Vincentius his meaning is plaine enough to them that will see the trueth For hauing spoken of sundry places from whence learned men came to that councill of Ephesus first out of the East then also out of the West churches he nameth Iulius bishop of the citty of Rome which citty he calleth the head of the worlde as immediately after he calleth Carthage one of the South and Millaine one of the North the sides of the world But if he had made so very great accompt of the church of Rome as in these daies men would haue vs to doe he would haue had perchance some more regard in placing that church in some other order then to make it almost the last that he mentioneth Out of Cassiodor a senatour and a great officer in Rome maister Bellarmine alleadgeth somewhat You saieth he to Iohn Bishop of Rome sit as watchmen ouer christian people as you are called father you loue all I see nothing heere that can helpe maister Bellarmine or his cause For who euer did thinke otherwise then that the Bishoppe of Rome was a watchman ouer christian people Or who will say that the Pope hath not or at the least shoulde haue a fatherly affection towardes all Well it followeth It is our part to looke to somewhat you looke to all Cassiodor liuing vnder the popes nose is content either by this praising of him to teach him what care he indeede should haue not onely to doe good to the people of Rome where he was Bishop but also as occasions should be offered to helpe others also Or els it may be that hee giueth him greater praise then he deserueth But what is this for the popes supremacy Must not the building needes fall that standeth vpon such weake propes Much like is that which followeth that the seat which is pope Iohns peculiar place is giuen generally to the whole worlde that is as I take it to doe good to all If a Romane magistrate to the bishop of Rome doe extoll more then in truth he may the power of that citty or els tell how farre their benefits doe extende must this be so strained and wrung to prooue supremacie The last testimony alleadged by maister Bellarmine doth so little helpe his cause that if he had done wisely he should neuer haue spoken of it For by that Epistle and others that are set before that councill of Chalcedon it may easily appeare that Leo Bishop of Rome did then bestirre him vsing the discention of the East church as a meane to increase his owne authoritie For it is most plaine and cannot be denied that afterwardes in that councill by his legates he sought the supremacy very earnestly and in sundry of his Epistles disanulleth that the councill did against it And in these Epistles he maketh mone to many to procure Theodosius the Emperour to stand his friend Anâ— in this Epistle
here cited by maister Bellarmine Valentinian sheweth howe Leo came vnto him told him of the diuision of the East church and great troubles there For indeede Flauianus a catholike bishop was deposed by Dioscorus and so cruelly handled that he died thereof within three daies Well Valentinian maketh petition to Theodosius That the bishop of Rome may haue place and power to iudge of the faith and of the priests Which request made by Valentinian in the letter which Valentinian confesseth that Leo requested him to write so iumping with that which afterwards Leo in the councill practised may much perswade vs to thinke that he solicited Valentinian the Emperour either plainly or couertly to moue this in his behalfe Well then this being but a request made that it may so be that cannot proue that it was so but contrary And what reason doth Valentinian the Emperour an especiall friend to the bishop of Rome vse to commend his suite Antiquity gaue him principality of priesthood ouer all Wherein I first note that not Christ but ancient custome is pretended to haue priuiledged him And here againe marke howe this agreeth with that which was afterwards in the council of Chalcedon obiected by Paschasnus legate for Leo this bishop of Rome The church of Rome saith Paschasinus alwaies had the supremacy But this his allegation was proued false But the allegations of Valentinian the popes solicitour in this cause and of Poschasimus the popes legate being so like it maketh me the bolder to coniecture that they were both forged in one shop because they haue both one stampe Thus haue I taken a view of all such testimonies as are alleadged by maister Bellarmine out of them that liued within 600. yeares of Christ for to establish the pride of that Romish seat I haue of purpose omitted iii. or iiii by him alleadged because they wrote after the time that Phocas that murthering traitor who killed Mauritius his Lorde and maister for his Empire hauing first killed before his face his wife and fiue of his children had granted vnto Boniface bishop of Rome third of that name to be supreme head ouer the whole church Wherein although I haue endeuoured to be short yet I trust it plainly enough appeareth to them that will not shut their eies against the truth that although the church of Rome had indeede in regard of her constancy in the truth and power which shee grewe vnto by many occasions being in the imperiall citty great authority amongst all other churches and although learned men were by their distressed estates forced many times in their priuat seates to yeelde to that church more interest to meddle in their matters then of right it had yet it cannot appeare by any thing that they bring out of any approued record within the compasse of those yeares that the church of Rome was either by Gods lawe appointed the head ouer others which is indeede the point that they should proue or that by common consent of the godly it was so catholickly receiued And yet if this latter could haue more apparent proofe then euer Rome or Rhemes can afforde in this cause they should gaine nothing but that good men haue either ordained or tolerated such a state Which howsoeuer it might seeme tolerable when many good men possessed that place yet that the church should be subiect to such as nowe for the most part sit in that seat no christian heart can well endure it But now this labour being taken in hand to trie the popes title vnto the supremacy or how he pleadeth or what claime he can make I must needes giue warning to the christian reader to marke how that as maister Bellarmine hath said little or rather nothing at all to prooue this authority of the bishop of to be grounded vpon Gods lawe so be hath not brought one council within the said six hundred yeres or any thing sufficiently materiall out of the fathers of that time to proue that by mans lawe he was decreed so to be but onely somtimes perchance by particular men vsed as if he had authoritie ouer all And shall this be accounted a catholike doctrine that neither God nor man for six hundred yeares after Christ commaunded to be beleeued If there come no better euidence then master Bellarmine can bring without all doubt the pope will be found to be but an intruder into other mens right a vsurper of other mens iurisdiction But master Bellarmine will helpe his former want with a new supply He affirmeth very boldly as hee doth often in other matters that we knowe neither the time wherein neither the author by whom this supremacie had beginning Yet it may be that we shall gesse shrewdly at it But first wee must vnderstand that the roote of this supremacie that is the pride and ambition of heart that was in many of the popes was lying long in the ground before it did sprowt and plainly shew it selfe and when it grew that it might be seene yet was it not perfected in a long time after But it did plainly shew it selfe in the time of Phocas of whome I spake before For he with much adoe ordained that the bishop of Rome should be called and counted the head of all churches as many of the popes frends tell vs and among other Platina A very fitt patron for so proude a prelat And after that the pope had gotten by the emperours decree this glorious title yet he could not presently get quiet possession of the same but the bishop of Constantinople did still striue for that name Vntil at the length they were both content to winke and the one to suffer the other to be be called vniuersall bishop So that both of them had that name and were so called And nowe the bishop of Rome hauing obtaiued thus much in the west church that hee in all councils and meetings was chiefe and that they should submit themselues to him Before it was long hee had taken so good roote aud begane to grow so mighty that he durst alter and chaunge giue to and take from men at his pleasure and to turne all things vpside downe yea and in the end to cheeke the greatest monarchs But of these matters I shall if God will haue better occasion to intreate in the second parte of this treatise Now I will only say that they were comme to such power as Platina writeth of Boniface the eight that they would rather put feare into the hearts of emperours kings princes nations and people then religion And thus when they had bene in increasing and growing in strength for the space of at the least eight hundred yeares at length in the council of Florence we find this their soueraigne and supreme power confirmed in these words We define that the holy apostolike seat and bispp of Rome hath the supremacie in the whole world So that although we cannot perfectly say when this poyson of pride beganne
had beene knowen to be sufficient proofe of the supremacy What needed they so notoriously to falsifie the council What needed the fathers to take such paines and to be at such cost as to send for true copies of that council to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioche to trie whether the fathers in that council of Nice had giuen such power to the bishop of Rome if in these words To thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen Christ had promised or in these feed my sheepe Christ had giuen such fulnes of power ouer all others to the bishop of Rome Seeing therefore that proofe seemed not strong enough in those times the graunt which they had from Phocas did them no great good to shewe what right they had to that supremacy although thereby they got possession thereof For if by his gift they claimed then they confessed this their authority to be from man and that from too wickes and bloudy a murdering man to doe any great good in Christ his church or for setting downe of any order whereby all should be ruled Then also it might haue beene called in question whether he by his authoritie could subiect all men for euer to that church of Rome or not To make their title therefore as good as they could they deuised another helpe They fained this gift to be from Constantine the first emperour that publickly allowed of christian profession And they make him to giue not onely his palace of Lateran and many other temporallties to the bishop of Rome as master Bellarmine would haue it thought but they bring him in speaking these words We decreeing doe ordaine that he the bishop of Rome shall haue the supremacie as well ouer the foure principall seates of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople and Ierusalem as also ouer all churches in the whole earth And that the pope for the time being of that holy church of Rome shall be hier and Prince of all princes in the world Is this onely to giue temporalties But the falshood of the donation of Constantine doth shine more bright then the noone day although the papists make great account of the same Yea Melchior Canus altogether a papist yet he did either see more or dealt plaiulier in this matter then did master Bellarmine For although he be loth to denie it or to diminish the credit of it yet he bringeth moe reasons against it then hee with all his felowes can be able to answere So that we neede not seeke for arguments out of Laurentius Valla or others to confute it For euen hee hath giuen it a more deadly wound then can be healed againe He confesseth that the lawyers take it to be but a fained matter and therfore cal it chaffe for it is indeed so called in their owne distinctions He acknowledgeth that Eusebius Ruffinus Theodoret Socrates Sozomenus Eutropius Victor and other authors of credit who most diligently wrote all that Constantine did haue not onely made no mention of that donation but also doe affirme that he so deuided his empire among his three sonnes as that the one of them had Italie And that Ammianus Marcellinus in his fifteenth booke writeth that Constantius Constantines sonne had the rule of the citie of Rome and made Leontius his liuetenant there And lastly that all Histories record that many Emperours after that time ruled in Italie yea and in Rome What can be more plaine Their owne Lawyeares confesse it to be fained no good story recordeth it but y e contrary Rome after this gift was the imperial citty and seat Therefore either Constantine gaue no such thing from him and his heires or his gift was nothing worth Melchâ— or Canus also doubteth of the very foundation of this fable which is the leprosie whereof they faine that Constantine was healed plainly affirming that in any good author he readeth no such thing But not he only doubteth hereof but long before him it hath beene spied by Anthonius B. of Florence in his history by Volateran writing of Constantine by the cardinal Nicolas Cusam a fast friend and faithful to that Romish church that this donation was not in the old coppies of Grecians decrees And therfore when it was added themselues accompted it but chaffe and no good corne And these and such reasons made Pius the second pope of that name to maruell in a certaine dialogue written by him being a Cardinall that the Lawyers were so mad as to make any question of that matter which neuer was And that wee may see how all things in this donation of Constantine are but fained whereas the donation maketh Siluester the Pope to whome this gift was giuen yet in another place the same thing is said to be giuen vnto Melchiades that was bishop before Siluester And he is made to speake as though it had beene done before his time also And yet this Melchiades was pope about two or three yeares before Constantine was Emperour and died long before he gaue peace and quietnes to Christians as in the Cronicle of Eusebius who lined in those daies it may appeare What needeth this point of their doctrine any aduersary Themselues doe fully confute one another And the prouerb is in this found true when theeues fal out true men come by their goods For these decrees if they be well considered it is not hard to spie falshood in them both And therefore we may take heede how we trust them seeing that in these two we see plainly how the one is contrarie to the other and both contrary to the truth There are also some impossibilities in the said donation which doe sufficiently prooue it to be but a fraudulent deede For the occasion of this gift is there set downe Namely that Constantine beeing baptised is healed of his leprosie and thereupon giueth these things to Siluester of whome he was baptised And yet besids many other ancient histories of good credit Saint Hierom doth plainly write that he was baptised at the latter end of his life and that not of Siluester bishop of Rome for hee was dead and also Marke that succeded him but of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia some six or seauen yeares after Siluester was dead How then could these things be giuen to Siluester at the baptisme of Constantine Siluester being dead so long before Or howe at his baptisme in Rome when he was baptised in Nicomedia the chiefe citie of Bithinia many hundred miles distant from Rome But it is strange that they are so impudent as to name Constantinople at this time for one of the principall seats of bishops as in this donation they do which was called not by that name before Constantine in the tenth yeare of his raigne did build it but while Siluester and Marke his successor liued it was called Bizance And about twentie or thirty yeares after the death of Constantine was there a councill at Constantinople wherein y t sea of
Constantinople obtained to be next in account to Rome which before y t time was no patriarchal church And it is plaine by stories that at Constantinople ther was either no church at all or else very secret vntill about the latter end of Constantines time For that very yeare that he was baptised many of Constantinople were baptised in somuch as Nicephorus maketh mention of aboue twelue thousand men besides women and children that were baptised there at once And Constantine himselfe doth much reioyce in a letter that he writeth to Eusebius that in that citie which himselfe did build and did beare his name a very great mumber were become christians and for that cause hee taketh care that they might haue churches built for them So that as yet wee see they had not their churches much lesse can wee imagine that then they had any Bishops that would looke for so high a place among others And therefore euen hereby appeareth the falshood and folly of this forged donation There are also in the same donation some things that sauor of the pride that afterwardes appeareth in the bishop of Rome but was not then in them For that donation falsely attributed to Constantine doth giue vnto the bishop of Rome greater principality of power then this kingly or roial maiesty had and an Imperiall authority Nowe howe manifestly false this is wee may very easily marke if we doe consider either the stile that the Bishoppes of Rome that then were did vse when they wrote vnto their bretheren or their maner of behauionr when they came amongst them or the authoritie which the Nicen council that was in the time of Constantine gaue vnto them but equall with the patriarches of Alexandria and Antioch and euery one of them to looke to their owne charge among whome if there were any inequalitie the priuiledges of the bishop of Rome had not so large a compasse by far as the other patriarches or the soueraignty which Constantine the emperour did still keepe and exerccise in and ouer not Rome onely but the whole church not in ciuil matters onely but in calling of councils commanding the bishops comforting the godly reprouing the hereticks and in directing how and after what maner they would debate and determine matters in the council To be short if we remember how some of the councils of which I haue often spoken alreadie did stifly denie to the bishop of Rome for lesse superioritie then by this graunt they might challenge it will easily appeare that they knewe not then of any such priuiledges that Constantine had graunted vnto that seat For if then any such superioritie or supremacie had beene due vnto them the fatheres of those times who often stoode in neede of their helpe would neuer so flatly haue withstoode their indeuours And themselues also would haue beene as readie by themselues or their legats to haue pleaded the donation of Constantine if then it had beene thought vpon as they were to coine new canons of the Nicen council They pride therefore that in this grant appeareth doth proclaime to the world that it sauoureth not of that christian modestie that was for the most part in the bishops of those times but it is some bastard of a later breede And of that spirit of ambition doth that also sauour that is said that the pope should be prince of al priests and aboue al churches in the world But this is confuted in that which before hath vin spoken For long after this the bishop of Rome yea and that by vnlawful meanes sometime did seeke for that preheminence but it would not be graunted vnto them how beit one thing in this donation I cannot but remember you of because it sheweth in my iudgement that this forgery was committed but of late yeares in comparison euen after that they had brought the emperours vnder their subiection and did beare all the sway in the citie of Rome And that is this that they bring in the emperour yelding the imperiall citie into the popes hands and that as though it were not fitt or seemely that the earthly emperour should dwell there where the heauenly emperour saith he hath placed the head of christian religion Can there be any greater disgrace to worldly princes then to make them vnworthie to be neighbours to that proud priest of Rome Can they lift vp themselues by any meanes hier in pride against man then so to aduaunce and esteeme of themselues aboue the greatest monarches in the world Did Constantine vse to speake or write so Did he thinke himselfe vnworthie to be neere them They that are but indifferently acquainted with the stories of Constantine doe know that he loued ful wel to be not only neere to bishops but euen among them also But they that forged this fable would haue the world to thinke that either they are more holy then euer were the leuiticall priests or else that that good emperour his scepter sworde and crowne were more vnholy and prophane then those ensignes of gouernment that belonged to the kings ouer the Iewes And what else doe all those imperiall ornaments crownes scepters miter coller clocke cote banners and such like signifie which there they say are giuen to them but that this forgerie was committed after that the proud popes did so ouercrow the emperours that they became but as it were their seruants For it was far from Constantines minde to make him selfe their seruant as afterwards the emperours were And the popes that then were had other matters to doe and other thoughts possessed their hearts then that they could be caried away to such vaine deuises They were scarsly out of one persecution being freed from it by Constantine but that they fell into another that troubled the church maruelously namely the Arrian heresie against which the good bishops did then oppose themselues with might and maine And as these things doe sauour of the pride of latter times so some things also sauour of superstition more then as yet was crept into the church For Constantine in this his donation which they impudently ascribe vnto him doth giue for the maintenance of lights in the church of saint Peter and Paul his possessions in the east west north and south and by name he reckoneth vp many countries where he had giuen his possessions for the maintenaunce of those lights But in deed it appeareth that he did bestow his reuenues vpon more necessary things as in the building of churches whereunto christians might resorte to serue God and in calling the Nicen council for the determining of some questions in religion As for lights if then they vsed any yet such large deuotion in such toies and trifles is a plaine fruit of latter daies of ignorance Thus there is almost no kinde of thing granted vnto them in that dotation but is a good argument to conuince their falshoode The apish imitation of the emperours court for officers and attendants that is there graunted
might attaine to these benefites who would not sell the whole earth to winne heauen Who would not loose his life to saue his soule But the sunne-shine of knowledge would easily driue away all such mists And they who in their blindenesse do esteeme that man of sinne that sitteth at Rome to be more then halfe a god and see nothing but greatnesse in him as the blinde man of Bethsaida who before he saw perfectly saw men walking like trees so great they seemed in his eies yet when God shall take away that veile of blindnesse and heale that infirmitie in them they shall then see the bishop of Rome as he is indeede to be an enemy to God and man a subuerter of estates a foe to princes a snare to subiects and a very corrupter of true christianitie and godlines And thus much of the shifts and sleights that the Bishop of Rome vsed to come to his greatnesse by little and little growing to that that now we see Sometime vsing flattery falshood and forgery yea and afterwards bringing the emperour vnder by plaine force and feare alwaies taking aduantages and oportunities when emperors were either otherwise imployed in affaires or hated for their life or some way so distressed that they could not withstand him and his partakers then would hee most earnestly pursue and persecute them vntill he had his wil which I trust will appeare plainely in the discourse that now I am to enter into which is as it were a trial and search of the doings of the bishop of Rome and of his behauiour after that he beganne to be so mightie Now to take a good and sufficient suruey of the popes Supremacie it is not inough to trie his Title to see his euidence and consider of his proof neither yet to acquaint our selues with his shifts and practises wherby he hath gotten himself into that very high seate and fulnes of power as Sixtus Quintus speaketh which they would seeeme to claime by right and wherein now they play more than rex of which two points I haue spoken before but it is also in my iudgement very necessary that we looke somewhat into his doings and examine how hee hath ruled and raigned what good he hath done to the church what profit he hath brought to the christian common-wealth When God did see the continuall rebellion of his people that they would by no meanes be reclaimed from sinne and howe little good it had wrought in them that they had beene very lately in a grieuous captiuitie he then by his prophet Zachary chapter 11. verse 16. threatneth vnto them this great and grieuous plague that he will raise vp a sheepeheard in the land which shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that that is hurt nor feede that that standeth vp but he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in peeces And that there were such sheepeheardes amongst the people of Israel and that wo and destruction belonges to them God by his prophet Ezechiel chapter 34. verses 2 3 4. doeth testifie pronouncing wo to the shepheards that feed themselues eate the fat cloth thēselues with the wooll kil them that are fed but feed them not they strengthen not the weake they heale not the sicke binde not vp the broken bring not againe that which was driuen away seeke not the lost but rule them with crueltie and rigor I neuer reade or thinke of this description of an euill shepheard but I see me thinkes therein a right paterne of popish gouernment Neither doe I at any time earnestly enter into scanning of that regiment that is vnder that most holy father but I remember how the holy ghost painteth out these proude cruel and idoll shepeheards The one seemeth to bee so right a paterne of the other as if they were all one thing and no difference at all betweene them or as if the Spirite of God did both foresee and foreshew the most holy father in that glasse of the most vnholy shepheard But that it may the better appeare that he that would be accounted the herd of Christs flocke doth but seek for to satisfie his own pride profit and pleasure not hauing any due regard either to Gods glorie or the good of them whom he calleth his sheepe let vs consider how violently and impotently his immoderat affection doth carry him to say do as himself liketh best both against God and man and how insolently he beareth sway in Christ his church And first to beginne with his names and titles out of the which M. Bellarmine wil prooue that the Bishop of Rome is Peters successour in the whole or vniuersall church For that he tooke in hand to proue But I on the contrary by those names shall by Gods grace plainely prooue that he robbeth Christ of his ornaments and taketh from him his titles that belong to him onely And first he calleth himselfe head of the vniuersall church which name so properly belongeth vnto Christ that we cannot giue it to any other without great wrong both to the head and the body of the church To the head in that the office which God the father laid vpon Christ in appointing him ouer all things the head to the church shuld be bestowed vpon a sinful man to the body which is Christs church because by that meanes it should haue but an idle head euery way vnable to performe the dueties of a head I deny not but the church of Rome for 4 or 5 hundred yeres after Christ might iustly be called the head of the church that is a ring leader to other churches in respect of religion which remained more sincere there then elsewhere for many yeares neither was that church so troubled with heresies as were others I confes also that som of the bishops of Rome for their forwardnesse learning and paines imployed to the benefit of the church might worthely be called in some sence heads of the church as in the first parte of this treatise I haue shewed Then will some man say what is then the fault which you charge the bishop of Rome withall in calling himselfe the head of the vniuersall church First that he maketh that name proper to him and his seate which many times more iustly belonged vnto others who for their learning and trauel for the church of God deserued much better of Gods church then any pope of them al. Further also that it is not that signification of the name head that will satisfie the popes ambitious humour thereby to be counted a man onely able or fit to guide and direct others but he will so be a head that hee must commaund forbid bind loose retaine remit dispence denie doe and vndoe as his vnbridled affection should carie him Which soueraigne power ouer the church or any parte of the church we cannot find that God gaue vnto any man either Peter or Paul yea or to
then he caused to be taken from him his popelike garment and put vpon him lay mans clothes he cut off two of his singers Vrspergensis saith three and his head and cast them into Tyber and commaunded the rest of his bodie to be buried in the lay mens buriall All stories almost with full consent doe declare and detest this beastly crueltie The cause that hee pretended was that he was periured I would haue thought a pope might not haue made so foule a fault and yet because pope Steuen who cannot erre hath charged him with it I must beleeue it So there is one periured as is proued by substanciall witnesse and an other accounted euen barbarous almost of all histories Yea the stories that are most addicted vnto poperie and superstition doe much complaine of the diuision which this wrought in the church and of the crooked dealing of these cankered karles For Theodore the second that came next but one after this Steuen although he was pope but twentie dayes yet was loth not to make one in this skirmish for hee had no vertue in him saith the storie he approued against all that Formosus had done and so set himselfe against Steuen his faction Then came Iohn the tenth who yet tooke great parte with Formosus And when many of the Romans were displeased thereat he left Rome and went to Rauenna where he called a councill and there did not onely reuiue as it were Formosus his decrees disanulling yea casting into the fire that which Steuen had done against Formosus but he also concluded in the council that Steuen iudged amis Now you Romish catholiks whether may a pope erre or not Steuen did in a council reuoke Formosus his acts Pope Iohn saith it was wrongfully done so that by his iudgement both Steuen and his council did erre in iudgement Yea and Iohn futher ordained that they who tooke orders of Steuen should againe take orders Not long after came Sergius the third who tooke vp the dead and mangled body of Formosus and did execution thereupon as if Formolus had beene aliue and commaunded the headlesse corps as not worthie of buriall to be cast into the riuer And lastly hee made the orders that hee gaue to be of none effect Iustly therefore did Iacob Bergemensis complaine and out of him Iohn Stella of Venice Such was the euil hap of that age that all vertue through mens slothfulnesse was decayed as well in the head as in the members But why was Sergius so mortall an enemie to Formosus Formosus when he was pope could not well abide him and therefore he according to his popish charitie delt thus with his dead bodie And dare these men tell vs of diuision among some members of our churches when we see in their owne stories their heads so putting and butting one of them against another with the hornes of the beast Iohn the twelfth a wicked wretch euery way confessed to be by all stories and that euen from his youth he was defiled with all naughtinesse to let passe his other popelike qualities too bad to speake of because the cardinals complained of him to the emperour and desire his helpe hee tooke some of them and cut off one of their noses the others had with the which it was supposed he wrote letters against the pope he put out some of their eies cut out other of their tongues their members and fingers Pope Boniface the twelfth a man qualified much like his felowes stole after he was pope all the principall iewels out of Saint Peters church and left Rome for a time vntill he had sold at Constantinople all that he had filched away and then returning hoped by money whereof he had now good store to pacifie the citizens that were displeased with him for he was for his wickednes hated of them But there was one Iohn a cardinall of good account that hindred him therein some say that this Iohn was chosen pope in his roome Wherefore him he tooke and put out his eies Now where is the vnitie and good agreement that our Romish catholiks now a dayes do beare vs in hand hath bin alwayes in the church of Rome If by vnitie they meane christian charitie their sauage crueltie crieth out their shame If they meane consent in doctrine their infinit and diuers opinions whether the virgin Marie were voide of originall sinne which matter was a great while full hotly handled Againe what it is that is ment by these words this is my body what this word This hath relation vnto Thirdly what is that wherein is that which may be seene in the bread as colour and fashion or to speake as they doe what subiect hath those accidents These and many other sach points might be rehersed wherein perchance they will neuer agree hereafter as yet they haue neuer doone Well what malice they haue shewed one towards another we haue seene How they haue done towards other it may partly appeare in that which I haue said before in their proud and earnest pursuing of princes vnto whom they would neuer be reconciled vnlesse the princes would let them haue their will Iohn the fifteenth or if pope Ioan be not reckoned the fourteenth was taken of some noble men of Rome and kept in prison eleuen monethes At the length by the helpe of Otho the emperour being deliuered and the chiefe of them being sharply punished by Otho Peter the pretor or chiefe man of the citie who was in the conspiracie the emperour deliuered to the pope perchance to trie how readie he would be according to the commaundement of Christ to loue his enemies and them that hate him But pope Iohn although the emperour had sharply punished many by death other by confiscation of all their goods others by banishment and so might somewhat haue mittigated the raging furie of the pope yet I say pope Iohn deliuereth the prisoner to the tormentor with charge to shaue his beard for to disgrace him to pull off his garments to hang him by the heare of the head for a whole day together then was he set vpon an asse his face being turned to the hinder parts and his hands tied vnder the taile of the asse and so led vp and downe the citie well scorged with whips almost vntill he was dead and so banished into Germany There was one Gregorie a pope whom Henrie the fifth emperour had made pope But Calixtus the second when he came to be pope and the emperour and he were agreed pursueth this Gregorie not content to depose him onely for a reasonable reuenge cannot satisfie their mischiuous malice but let him vpon a Camell that this fine sight might the better be seene turning his face to the taile which was to him for a bridle as the author saith and so carried him in triumph to Rome But to shew his proud and insolent dealings against princes and
these priuileges Which being so many in number as they were the common welth did not onely find a want of such as should help to beare the burthens that were to be laied vpon the same but also they by their multitude were able to make a great party to attempt any thing that they would take in hand And by the large possessions which many of these had they could draw many folowers to be on their side And this I take to be the reason that Boniface the eight as Marcilius Patiuinus writeth was so desirousto inlarge and increase the number of his clergy that he would haue all such as had married a maide and contented themselues but with one wife should be of his clergie Now their exemptions streching to all the clergie I pray you what subiects should be left vnto the king for him to commaund and rule for his owne safetie and the gard of his common wealth It was therefore a great post and piller of poperie to bring these immunities to the clergie and a meane to maintaine it the better Both because it imboldned themselues to doe much mischiefe and also it drew many to be of their societies And so as it was a double dammage to the ciuil estate So was it a double prop to vphold the kingdome of the pope and therefore dangerous moe wayes then one Well thus far we are nowe come in this proofe of popish practises that wee see their subâ—â— shiftes to bring themselues to this high estate It is not vnknowen to vs how wickedly they haue abused their authoritiÌ„e in pride intollerable couecousnesse insaâ—iable and malice vnmeasurable And lastly their gouernment being so very deuilish and detested almost of al yet how and by what means they haue maintained the same That is to say I haue opened their subtil shifts wherby they became so great and secondly their practises and proceedings in this their greatnesse thirdly their cunning and compasses to keepe themselues great the meanes which for the most part they haue vsed to get into this nest which they haue built so high and to â—eepe themselues in the same My meaning is not so lay open their wickednesse of life so long as it is but their priuate fault let them stand or â—all to their owne Lord he against whom they offend shall call them to account But that onely that belongeth to the question of the popes supremacie which now I haue taken in hand to suruey and to the abuse either in getting or in vsing of it that onelie did I purpose to intreate of And hereunto am I forced by double necessitie First because it is one part of the popiâ—h practises But especially to stoppe the mouthes of them whose sight is so quicke towards others as that they can espie a small mote in their eie In our church they can find no ministerie no succession no sacraments all is wrong they see nothing but faults The great beame that troubleth their owne eye they cannot see But as men sightlesse and sencelesse they imagine all is well with them all is catholike Catholike church catholike faith catholike religion catholike doctrine And yet if the matter be well examined neither their church neither yet their faith haue any shew of catholike in them As I trust it is euident to see in this Suruey of the Popes Supremacie that their doctrine is not catholike their doings are not christian like Let vs examine whether that which they teach vs concerning this point haue bene taught likewise of al the godly learned or at the least of the most of them at all times in all places constantly and of set purpose not by the way as we terme it in handling some other matter often and plainely For these are the properties that Viucentius Lyrinensis an old father requireth in that doctrine that is catholike and true That Peter was otherwise a foundation in the building of the church of Christ then were other of the Apostles it is not a catholike doctrine That Christ gaue to Peter onely the keies of the kingdome of heauen it is not by these rules a catholike faith That the feeding of Christs sheep in the whole world or the gouernment of the whole church was commited to Peter onely or especially is most catholikely taught so that not one of all these points of their religion which are indeede the ground-worke whereupon they raise this their stately building of the popes supremacie can be called catholike as is before shewed But if they could prooue these things to be catholike as they will neuer be able to doe yet haue they not obtained their purpose For how is this conueyed to the bishop of Rome if it were in Peter It is not catholikely beleeued that he was bishop of Rome neither yet that he conueyed his estate or interest ouer the whole church if any such had beene in him to the bishop of Rome Or if all this could be proued yet remaineth one point that were able to ouerthrow all For it is not receiued as a catholike doctrine that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre or that for sinne and errour the priuileges which the church of Rome claimes if they had any such could not be forfeited as well in them as in other churches In all which pointes if I haue nor sufficiently prooued that the church of Rome teacheth false doctrine and repugnant to the Scriptures wherein I submit my selfe to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader yet I trust that the aduersaries them selues must needes confesse that these cannot be prooued to be catholike doctrines But on the contrary a man may easily see if hee marke the storie of times that these things which are the only pillers to vphold this popish kingdom were neuer thought vpon in the Apostles times or the ages next to them that is to say in the purer times of the primitiue church But when heresies began to trouble the church and men began to separat them selues from the vnity of faith more boldly and more openly then at the first they did And it pleased God to continue in some reasonable sort sinceritie and trueth of religion in the church of Rome then beganne that seate to be called Peters chaire not because Peter sate there but because that notable confession that Peter made and the faith that he preached was there established and soundly kept and maintained as before I haue shewed out of Optaâ—us and others that Peters chaire signifieth his doctrine And as after the sunne is once set darkenesse groweth still more and more so that the furder from sunne set vntill it be readie to rise againe the greater is the darknesse euen so the farder men were from those purer times the furder did they wander from the wayes of truth and the grosser was the ignorance that they were in So as that which at the first was not once thought vpon yet was it at the last affirmed of some very constantly and boldly But