of faith Now wee haue proued by your owne Witnesses as by your owne eyes that aboue 2280. Bishops in their VIII Generall Councels and euery Generall Councell you call the Catholike Church haue opposed your Article of pretended Subiection The first by proportioning aswell the limits of the Romane Dioces as of other Patriarks The second by iudging the Romane Primacie not to stand vpon any Diuine authoritie and setting vp a Patriarke of Constantinople contrary to the Popes will The third by inhibiting any Bishop whatsoeuer from Ordaining Bishops within the Isle of Cyprus The fourth by aduancing the Bishops of Constantinople and establishing them in equall Priuiledges with the Bishops of Rome notwitstanding the Popes earnest opposition against it The fift in Condemning the Sentence of Pope Vigilius albeit one extreamely vehement in that Cause The Sixt and Seauenth in condemning Pope Honorius of Heresie And the Eighth by imposing a Canon vpon the Church of Rome and challenging Obedience thereunto Any man therefore although destitute of good Conscience if but endued with common ingenuitie will iudge and confesse that this Article which thus Condemneth aboue 2280. Bishops of the first Eighth Generall Councels whereof most were as Catholike as they were ancient and learned together with all their Beleeuers for the space of aboue 540. yeares Professours of the Christian faith is iustly to be condemned as Scandalous Schismaticall Hereticall Blasphemous Respectiuely and euery way damnable CHAP. IX Our fourth Argument taken from the Examples of particular Churches Catholike which contemning the Excommunication of the Bishop of Rome were notwithstanding acknowledged to be in the state of Saluation SECT 1. THree things there are which your new Romane Article requireth as Necessary to Saluation of Christians throughout the World I. Is to haue Vnion with the Church of Rome and Head thereof II. Because there are two kindes of Vnions one in Equalitie as is betweene the Members of the same Body and another in an Inequalitie like as is betweene the Head and the Body your Article exacteth Vnion of subiection also The III. is the Necessitie of faith concerning both these as namely that euery Christian doe beleeue the truth of the Article in both to wit that they are indeede Necessary to Saluation Therefore haue wee singled out Examples of ancient Churches which you your selues note as Excommunicate by the Popo which notwithstanding all the Christian world haue held to haue beene in the state of Saluation Our first Instance is in the ancient Churches of Asia which notwithstanding the Excommunication of Pope Victor were in the state of Saluation SECT 2. YOur owne Authors boastingly relate that in the yeare 197. Pope Victor did excommunicate all the Easterne Churches for not obseruing the feast of Easter vpon the Lords day which Excommunication say they is not found to haue beene afterwards reuoked or retracted wherein notwithstanding those that were auerse continued a long time So they A storie certainly worthy your double consideration whereof you cannot be ignorant it being recorded by Eusebius at large that namely Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus in Asia pleaded the Cause of the Churches of Asia against the Excommunication of Victor in that his Epistle whereunto the other Bishops in Asia gaue their Consent Prouing that their Custome contrary to the Romane was receiued from Saint Iohn who leaned vpon our Lords brest that it was practised by Philip the Apostle who died in Asia that it was continued by Saint Polycarpus Martyr and Bishop of Smyrna by Thraseas Bishop and Martyr by Sagonius Bishop and Martyr and that then Polycrates being animated by these so worthy Examples and the vnanimous Consent of their Bishops in Asia stood in defiance with that Pope Victor and contemned his Excommunications saying I who haue now liued sixtie fiue yeares in the Lord and haue had communion in the faith with all the Brethren dispersed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 throughout the world and nothing moued with these terrors meaning of Ezcommunication which are vrged against vs. Thus farre the Ecclesiasticall Storie wherein appeareth this Conclusion as manifest as if it had beene deliuered in expresse termes viz. That a Christian may haue Communion generally with the Catholike Church else-where throughout the world notwithstanding the Excommunication of the Pope and See of Rome and therefore cannot the Romane Church be called the Catholike Church as the Head whereunto all others ought to professe Vnion and yeeld Subiection Yea but your Question will be whether these Asian Churches being thus Excommunicate by the Pope of Rome and so without the Vnion of your Church could therefore be said to be without the state of Saluation This is the maine point for satisfaction whereunto first if you will respect the faith of those Churches it is plaine that they beleeued that the Excommunication of the Bishop of Rome had no further power than to seperate them from his owne Romane Societie and Communion but extended not to the Church Catholike and Separation from it And this will appeare to bee true by better testimonies from the same knowne Storie it selfe where you may read that This Act of Victor did not well please all other Bishops who did greatly reproue him for troubling the peace of the Church And among others Father Irenaeus in the person of his Brethren in France wrote Letters to Pope Victor Dehorting him from his purpose This is enough to proue that Pope Victor was the Schismatike that troubled the peace of the Church and not the Asian Bishops whom these other holy Bishops did so far iustifie as not to deserue Excommunication But to appeale to your owne Consciences shew vnto vs in all your reading if you can that Polycrates and other Asian Bishops so Excommunicate by Pope Victor were held by any other Catholike Bishops of those times to be thereby without the state of Saluation For this you know is the very soule of your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation Nay but you full well know that Contrarily Saint Hierome in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall Writers numbred Polycrates among those who did aduance the Catholike faith And againe relating this his opposition against Victor This I therefore mention saith hee to make knowne what was his meaning Polycrates Authoritie And yet againe Reporting the behauiâ—ur of Irenaeus and other Bishops in the same Case These saith hee albeit they differed in opinion from the Asian Bishops yet did they not consent to Pope Victor in the act of Excommunication So hee Where Not Consenting to the Popes Excommunication doth plainly inferre their inward Communion with the Bishops of Asia CHALLENGE THis one Case if there were no other were enough to strangle your Romane faith in that Article viz. The Romane Church without vnion wherewith there is no Saluation Wherein we finde the Bishops and Churches of Asia Excommunicated by the Romane Bishop and so separated from the Communion of his See
that his Treatise out of the writings of Saint Augustine whereas poore man he oweth his whole worke vnto your Iesuite Hieronymus Torrensis who many yeares since set out a large volume diuided into foure Bookes containing all the particulars which Maister Breerly hath diuulged in his owne name without so much as giuing notice of any such Author But they differ in their Titles Hieronymus Torrensis styleth his booke Augustines Confessions Maister Breerly his Augustines Religion Verifying herein that saying of Tully concerning such kind of Plagiaries that as Theeues change the notes and markes of stolne stuffe so They that father other mens workes vpon themselues vse to change the names and Titles as it were the markes and property thereof Is it not sufficient that you haue dealt thus with Protestant Authors but that you must play such parts among your selues But I shall haue more occasion to put Maister Breerly in mind of himselfe else-where For at this present we haue but one Article of Saint Augustine in hand touching the Necessity of Vnion and Subiection to the Church of Rome as The Catholike Church and are to attend whether either He or your Iesuite or Cardinall can euince so Imposterous a Doctrine out of the Volumes of Saint Augustine Your Obiections out of Saint Augustine Saint Augustine one-where attributeth to the Church of Rome A Principalitie of the Apostolicall Sea Else-where he desireth of the Pope of Rome his Pastorall diligence for the repressing of the Heresie of the Pelagians in Palaestine and Africke In the third place he acknowledgeth A necessary obedience to the Popes Iurisdictions and lastly he confesseth that The Pope of Rome is set in a more high Pastorall watch-tower than others Now what of all these Ergo say you the Church of Rome is the chiefe of all Churches and the Pope thereof hath Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches all other Bishops being subiect vnto him vpon paine of Damnation But if these words Principality or Highest Pastorall watch-tower or Charge or Apostolicall Church or Power to represse Heretikes or an acknowledgment of Necessary Obedience must inforce a Iurisdiction of Popedome ouer all others then ought we to admit of many Popedomes For euery Patriarch hath a Principality and height of a Pastorall watch-tower by reason of the greatnesse dignity of his Patriarchship aboue all Metropolitans and Bishops whatsoeuer and yet haue they not ouer all Bishops power of Iurisdiction but onely Principality of Order And looke into the Epistle of Iohn the first Bishop of Rome written to an Arch-Bishop and you shall find him grant that that Archbishop had as well The charge of the Church committed vnto him for the helpe of all in repressing of Heresies as to himselfe And that also therein there is a Necessity Rationis of Cause and Reason to performe such Admonitions namely as a Patient obeyeth the Physitian for the preuenting of imminent danger and not a Necessity Imperij of Compulsion by right of Authority as a souldier obeyeth his Captaine And if that the Title of Apostolicall Church could carry a Monarchicall Chiefedome then was Saint Augustine farre wrong when in the same Epistle where he called the Church of Rome The Apostolicall Seat he called other Churches and Seats also Apostolicall Lastly remember but what hath bene prooued out of Saint Basil and you shall not need to question why the helpe of the Pope of Rome was sometime desired in some Prouinces rather than other shewing that the Popes exercising of his Office in such Cases proceeded not from his Coactiue Authority but from the Arbitrary consent of other Bishops In a word we haue receiued from you out of Saint Augustine nothing but specious colours of words which we shall recompence with his Acts and Deeds Our Opposition of S. Augustine his no Subiection either in Discipline or in Doctrine to the Church of Rome Nothing can better illuminate our vnderstandings in this case than the light of Comparison You therefore whose Article of Faith is to belieue that although the Church of Rome be a Particular Church and so a distinct member from the other Churches Militant yet in respect of the Vniuersall gouernment which it hath throughout the Christian world it is The Catholike and Vniuersall Church as is the Head ouer all other parts of mans bodie hearken to Saint Augustine comparing the Church of Rome with another Particular Church There are two Bishops saith he of two most eminent Churches Stephen of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage being of diuerse opinions in the point of Baptisme Therefore did not Saint Augustine hold the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Head for there cannot be properly Two Most Eminents of the Catholike Church whereof you say there is but One Head One may say that there are Two Bishops of Two most Eminent Bishopricks in England George of Canterbury and Tobias of York because these are so distant that one is not Subordinate or subiect to the other But to say there are two Bishops of two most Eminent Bishopricks George of Canterbury and Lancelot of Winchester were absurd because making the Bishoprick of Winchester to be one of the Two most Eminents it doth abate and pull downe the true Eminency of Canterbury which is an Arch-Bishopricke and Metropolitan Seate and hath Iurisdiction ouer the other But Saint Augustine you know was iudicious and would not reason absurdly Now you whose Faith requireth Vnion and Subiection vnto the Sea of Rome in all Causes as well Rituall as Criminall or Doctrinall lend your attention vnto Saint Augustine in his Comparisons concerning each one In the point of Rites and Ceremonies the question was whether the Church should weekely obserue a Saturday-fast or no The one side which is brought in as for the Affirmatiue part alleaging that Saint Iames at Ierusalem Saint Iohn at Ephesus and others taught the same which Saint Peter did at Rome viz. that The Saturday-fast is to be kept but other Countries forsooke this Tradition The parties for the Negatiue are supposed to answer saying Yea rather some parts of the West Church wherein Rome is seated haue not obserued the Tradition of the Apostles Saint Peter and others who taught that a Fast ought not to be kept vpon that day Here you haue the East and West-Churches compared together and the credit of them both balanced If we should now aske you whether Church East or West deserueth more credit in this Case you would abhorre the question as men bound by Oath to belieue rather the Westerne Church of Rome than all other Churches in the world in point of Tradition But Saint Augustine what This contention saith he is endlesse and indeterminable And Saint Augustines words Aliqua loca in quibus Roma est that is Some places among which Rome is haue a sting which wounds the Papacy For can the Imperiall Ladie of all Churches be thus sleightly brought in among the Manie Surely if S. Augustine had
haue done that which I ought both in performing Obedience to the Emperour namely by publishing the Decree and also to God by reuealing vnto you his will So hee Hardly shall any finde a more expresse example of direct Subiection and Obedience from any Subiect than this is of that holy Pope vnto the Emperour Mauritius Nor are all of your side so blinde as not able to discerne this Midday-light For Gregorie called the First and the Great saith your Espencaeus doth ingenuously acknowledge that Emperours haue from God a Dominion ouer Priests Your Second Title is calling the Sea of Rome HEAD yea The Head of all Churches Must they therefore meane a Monarchicall Head according to your Conclusion ouer all other Churches by way of Dominion If so to omit your Additament of Falsehood then was Chrysostome to blame to call Antioch The Head of the whole World then was Iustinian vniust to require all to Follow Constantinople the regall Citie as the Head of all Cities And so by pressing Titles you see your Monarchie turned into a Triarchie A Third Title is the calling of the Pope The Bishop of the Vniuersall Church which though they were not the words of the Councell but of Two Deacons writing to the Councell and of Paschasius the Popes Legate in the same Councell which the Councell being content with the Popes Subscription to their Act would not question for the forme Yet may you not make of this an Argument of Monarchicall power of the Church and Bishop of Rome except you will set more Heads and Monarchs than One vpon the shoulders of the Church because the Bishops of Syria instiled Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople The Vniuersall Patriarke and the Bishop of Rome also intitled Tharasius The Vniuersall Patriarke The whole errour lurketh vnder an Equiuocation in the word Bishop of the Vniuersall Church which what it may signifie your owne Authors tell you The Bishop of the Vniuersall Church say you doth signifie one possessed with a Care and studie for the good of the Vniuersall Church So they which is common to euery Religious Bishop in the Church of Christ but in a more eminent degree and larger extent it belongeth to euery Patriarke and this sense we doe approue of Or else it may signifie One hauing All the Bishops of All other Churches vnder his Subiection which sense is here seriously and zealously obiected by your Cardinall to proue the Monarchie of the Pope of Rome and which hath bin by S. Gregorie Pope of Rome as earnestly abhorred and detested and as much as his godly heart could execrated for so he speaketh of it as a New naughtie proud prophane blasphemous and Antichristian Title which saith hee none of my Predecessors euer vsed The next Title attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome by a Generall Councell is that The Vineyard of the Lord which is his Church is said to be committed vnto him which serueth for another post to support the ruinous Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome But all in vaine For Pope Eleutherius himselfe writing to the Bishops in France The Vniuersall Church of Christ saith hee is committed vnto you that you may labour for the good of all men It were more than Monstrous that this your Monarch should create so many Monarches ouer the Church Catholike as were all the Bishops of France No these kinde of Attributes haue not other signification than the Care that euery Bishop should haue in wishing and to his power endeauouring the Vniuersall good of the whole Church In which sense Saint Nazianzene speaking in the praise of Athanasius To him is committed the Praesidencie of the people of Alexandria which is as much as to say saith hee the gouernment of the whole world So hee How should not this equall if not exceede whatsoeuer can be ascribed to the Pope of Rome and yet this is no vniuersall power of Iurisdiction but onely of Prouidence and Care namely Sic quibusdam praeesse vt prodesse possit vniuersis The last Title is that which is set downe in the First and last place That the Primacie aboue all Bishops is yeelded vnto the Bishop of the Church of Rome True and this Truth was neuer denied by any Protestant But what Primacie of Monarchie and Dominion Noe but of Order and Honour For haue you neuer heard of Two Cities in one Kingdome Two Sheriffes in one Citie Two Bayliffes in one Burrough one of them being Head and Chiefe and hauing Superioritie and Prioritie that is Primacie aboue another and yet without any right of Authoritie and Dominion one ouer one another Our next Answer shall be by Retorsion Foure Generall Councels haue bin produced by your side to proue the Church of Rome and Bishop thereof to haue Monarchicall power ouer all other Churches and Bishops in an ambiguitie of phrases Albeit not onely these Foure but also Foure more haue notably impugned your pretended Monarchie as well in the Ecclesiasticall as in the Temporall power and Prerogatiue thereof For you may remember that the First Generall Councell limited the Dioces as well of Rome as of Alexandria The Second erected a new Patriarkship with the no good liking of the Church of Rome The Third excluded the Pope from all Iurisdiction in Cyprus The Fourth established the former Patriarkship erected by the Second Councell with priuileges equall to Rome and held the Romane Primacie not to be founded by any Diuine Law The Fifth condemned Pope Vigilius as Schismaticall The Sixt and Seauenth condemned Pope Honorius as Haereticall The Eight prescribed a Law to Rome inioyning her to Obserue it And againe these Eight Generall Councels were disposed at their Assemblies to preferre the Emperours of their Times in place and throne of dignitie aboue the Popes of Rome CHALLENGE IS then the Popedome of Rome a Monarchie why answer vs First is a Monarch limited of his Subiects Secondly doth a Monarch suffer others to create Honours within his kingdome Thirdly Will a Monarch indure Corriuals or Equals Fourthly Can a Monarch the supreme Iudge be subiect to the iudgement and condemnation of his people Fiftly Must not a Monarch challenge the possession of his chiefe Throne in his Parliament and be so acknowledged by the whole state If therefore you shall further obserue what hath bin opposed against your Titles you may easily vnderstand that not any one which hath bin obiected doth inferre your Conclusion to proue the Pope of Rome a Monarch except you shall acknowledge Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Chrysostome Bishop of Antioch Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and All the Bishops of France together with all other Bishops to whom the same Titles were ascribed to haue bin which breaketh the necke of Monarchie Monarkes as well as the Bishop of Rome And if in the Second place you consider the Testimonies which we haue alleaged out of twice Foure Generall Councels directly concluding not by any speciousnesse of Words but
What Bishop soeuer doth exercise any Authoritie ouer others to Institute them by Confirmation of their Election by Letters Communicatorie or otherwise and to Depose them he hath Ecclesiasticall power ouer them and they are vnder his Iurisdiction But Popes of Rome haue accordingly Instituted Deposed and Restored Bishops in all Prouinces in the Christian world Therefore are they to be acknowledged the Vniuersall Monarchs therein and are not subiect to Any nor are any-way to be equalled with Others So you Now apply the Examples which haue bin granted and then see how often you shall vn-Monarke your Popes and set vp many vnexpected Anti-popes First by the power exercised by Cyprian both in Confirming the Popes Election and in withstanding dis Restitution next by the power assumed by those Patriarks which Excommunicated your Popes but principally by the Testimonies of your owne Popes Pope Gregorie confessing it to haue bin an Ancient custome in your Popes to submit their Elections to the Approbation of other Patriarks by their Synodicall letters and so to be acknowledged to be in their Communion and lastly by the Claime made by Two Popes Hadrian and Nicolas for the Restoring vnto them a power of exercising their Ecclesiasticall Functions in certaine Prouinces within the Patriarkship of Constantinople If A. B. challenge absolute Royaltie in Eight Towneships onely within the Manor of C. D. that Manor consisting of 28. Towneships wherein saith A. B. my Predecessours haue long since had Fishing Fowling Waifes Strayes Deodants and such like Prerogatiues what can be the issue of this Plea but that whatsoeuer his Right hath bin to these Eight yet his power for Fishing Fowling and the like hath not of a long time bin exercised accordingly and againe that pleading but for Eight it is an acknowledgement that he renounceth all Claime to any of the Twentie besides So then your Popes Monarchicall Prerogatiue of Instituting Deposing and Restoring of all Bishops and Patriarkes throughout the Christian World is now come to be somewhat abated being confined within his owne Peculiars as well as A. B. by his Plea for Fishing and Fowling To conclude whatsoeuer example of the Popes Confirmation of Bishops of other Dioces can be brought in such Cases is not an Act essentiall or proper vnto him but accidentall and of common Congruitie rather than of Necessitie Your Fifth ground of Obiections taken from a pretended Vniuersall Right of Appeales to the Church and Pope of Rome as a Principall part of your Romane Article Our first Discouerie of the Falsehood and Vanitie of the First Pretences taken from the Councell of Sardice SECT 15. POwer of Appeale in any is indeede as your Cardinall saith A most certaine Argument of Dominion to wit if it be right and proper otherwise it is not Power but Oppression nor Right but Vsurpation There were many Causes why the Catholike Bishops in the East should yeeld great Authoritie to the Bishops of Rome in the West before others but specially because of the Distractions and Schismes among themselues by manifold Heretikes and of the Vnion which in the Romane Church had continued and beene maintained by the Bishops thereof with great wisedome and constancie besides the aduantage that the See of Rome had gotten in the time of the Imperialtie of that Citie Notwithstanding neuer shall you proue your Article of Necessitie of Subiection to the Church of Rome vpon Necessitie of Saluation by any Right of Appeale to the Bishop thereof which is the maine scope of your Cardinall in this place The First Testimonie which hee propoundeth is out of the Councell of Sardis This Councell he produceth in this place as a sound Argument which else-where hee ranketh among those Councels that are to be partly allowed and partly reiected As if Coyne partly mixed and Counterfeit ought to be taken for good paiment Againe in this hee alleageth such a Canon which another Cardinall questioneth saying Wee may lawfully doubt whether there be any such Constitution extant And this againe is vrged to proue your Article of an Absolute Monarchicall power and Diuine Right thereunto in the Pope of Rome concerning the Prerogatiue of Appeales from all Christian Churches A doctrine quite ouerthrowne by the same Witnesse whom your Proctor hath produced for this Cause euen the Synod of Sardis it selfe and that Two manner of wayes as your Cardinall Cusanus will testifie One is that the same Synod doth limit his power giuing him Authoritie to approue any thing concluded by a Particular Synod but not to disallow it without the assistance of a new Synod the Other that the Right which the Pope can claime for Appeales dependeth Greatly vpon humane Constitutions Hee might as truely haue said Altogether as wee haue already proued and the Tenor of the Councell of Sardis it selfe doth fully purport If it please you say they speaking of a new Constitution let it be Ordeined c. Would it haue become Orthodox Fathers so to haue spoken if in their iudgement they had conceiued that power of Appeales to Rome to haue beene the Ordinance of God Wee confesse that the Supreame Right of Appeales is proper to a Monarrh it being as Essentiall a part of his Monarchie to haue the Right of Appeales as it is for him to be a Monarch Wherefore bethinke your selues if the Nobles in any Kingdome should write vnto their Soueraigne concerning the Exercising of his Authoritie receiued from his Ancestors as the Pope pretendeth to haue from Saint Peter and should say Wee are pleased and contented that Appeales should be made vnto your Maiestie whether this would not imply in the eares of the Monarch as much as Laesa Maiestas as though he were now to receiue an Authoritie from their Grant and beneuolence wherein hee was inuested and established by his Primarie Right vnto the Crowne By this your Cardinals beginning you may guesse with what conscience hee is like to proceede Examine well the Marginals First If you remoue from his witnesses Parties themselues many being the Testimonies of your Popes themselues For if Adoniah say hee is King will Solomon or any wise and faithfull Counsellour of State take his word for it and yet he was a Kings Sonne whereas the Pope neuer was either Sonne or Successour to such a Monarch as hee faineth to himselfe Secondly If you except the Examples of those who Appeale to the Bishop of Rome as being within his Patriarkship and therefore rather subiect vnto him than others this is as though a Procter would say My Client had Tithe in his owne Parish therefore doe the next Parishes adioyning owe their Tithes vnto him Thirdly If you passe by Appeales that were notoriously Impious such as were made by Fortunatus Felix and Basilides in this Case you that plead so much for the Romane Bishop could not haue allowed Romulus to say thus Fugitiues and Runnagates flye vnto mee for succour in Opposition to their naturall Kings
desire to be vnited with the Church So they which is full enough for your fuller conuiction CHALLENGE IF without the Romane Church some may bee actually saued then the Addition of the word ROMANE caonot be a Declaration of The Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation But the Romane Church is such without which as you confesse some may be actually saued Ergo the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot bee a Declaration thereof For although All agree in this as your selues confesse that Without the Catholike Church there is no saluation yet haue you confessed two sorts of Christian Professors namely Excommunicates and Catechumenists to bee actually saued albeit no Members of your Romane Church As for being Saued only by Desire or Vâ—we of being in your Church it is but a wilde and extrauagant piece of learning in the iudgement of your owne Iesuite But we will reason the matter with you Know you not that the Church Catholike is compared by Saint Petor to the Arke of Noah that as all which were within that Arke were saued all without it were drowned although they Desired neuer so much to haue been admitted into the Arke so it is in the Church Catholike whosoeuer are essentiall members thereof cannot possibly perish and contrarily whoseuer is not a reall and vitall member therein cannot but perish The fourth Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed In respect of the Diuine Authority of the Article SECT 7. IT hath alwaies beene the Profession of the Catholike Church it selfe not to esteeme any Doctrine an Article of Faith which is not constituted and to speake with better Emphasis Created by Diuine authority This being a Truth vniuersally consented vnto you if you will make good the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Article of the Catholike Church are iustly challengable either to proue that the Romane Church as it is the Romane Church was constituted by diuine Authority to be rather than any other transcendently THE Catholike Church or else to confesse your Article of Romane Church without which there is no Saluation to be but new and consequently a Doctrine rather of fancie than of Faith The necessity of this Consequence was well foreseene of those your Popes who were the first Authors and Patrons of this Article and therefore haue published in their writings and decrees that The Romane Church was by Diuine Authority ordained to be the Catholike Church This Question dependeth vpon the reason of the Pope of Rome his succession to Saint Peter to wit whether it were allotted to the Bishop of Rome to succed Saint Peter as Head of the Catholike Church by the institution of Christ or else by the fact of Saint Peter himselfe For if it were by command and appointment of Christ then it must be allowed as a Diuine Ordinance but if it issued onely from the fact of Saint Peter then by your owne Confessions it is no doctrine of Faith This being the state of the Question as it is propounded by your selues hereunto we desire to receiue your owne Resolutions To this purpose when wee consult with your choisest Doctors as namely Bellarmine Suarez Soto Paludanus Bannes Augustinus Triumphus Cordubensis Armachanus Waldensis and Others they that speake more ingenuously doe freely grant that the pretended Pontificall Dignity Romane as it is Romane is not from diuine authority because onely from the fact of Peter They that are more affectionate to the Romane See although they attribute it to the Institution of Christ yet dare they not say that this is to be beleeued vpon certainty of Faith but onely as a matter Probable and Coniecturall Nay if you shall haue but a little patience vntill we descend to that point you shall perceiue by the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in a generall Councell of primatiue Antiquity that The Prerogatiue which the Church of Rome then had was but from Humane authority CHALLENGE AN Addition standing onely vpon Probability and Coniecture cannot be infallibly a Declaration of an Article of Faith founded vpon Diuine and Infallible authority But your Addition of the word ROMANE standeth as you confesse vpon probability and Coniecture onely Ergo it cannot be an infallible Declaration of the Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation And consequently your word ROMANE added to the Christian Creed thereby to make the Romane Church The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation must necessarily be iudged Antichristian The fift Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be a Declaration of the Article The Catholike Church as it is Visible in respect of the Time past whereunto the word CATHOLIKE hath relation euen before Rome was founded a Church SECT 8. WHo knoweth not that your Addition of the word ROMANE vnto the Apostolicall Article of The Catholike Church is to infuse an opinion into the mindes of Christians that Catholike and Romane are termes vniuocall and conuertible which is as much as to say that whensoeuer there was a Romane Church it was The Catholike Church and whensoeuer there was a Catholike Church it was Romane Scarce shall you finde any Romish Professor especially among the vulgar who haue not this conceit of that Article of Christian Faith Notwithstanding your more learned Doctors are not ignorant that this Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church was published before that in Rome was founded a Church and that the Apostolicall Church it selfe was Catholike before the Article of the Catholike Church was proclaimed Which name CATHOLIKE or vniuersall was first attributed to the Church Christian To distinguishit as you know from the Synagogue of the Iewes which was circumscribed and confined to one only nation whereas the Church Catholike is not limited to any one place but is as broad in succession of place as is the whole world Now concerning the Catholike Church in the time of the Apostles Card. Baronius whose History you honour as an heauenly Lampe or torch telleth you that The Creed of the Apostles wherein is the Article of The Catholike Church was composed by them in the yeere of Christ XLIV and that the Catholike Church was extant sometime before this Article was put into the tenor of the Creed Which he demonstrateth from the act of Saint Peter who in the yeere of our Sauiour XXXIX is found Visiting the Churches in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia c. That the same Apostle Saint Peter Constituted the Church of Antioch in the same yeere and after that he had gouerned the See of Antioch seuen yeeres hee in the yeere XLV translated his See from Antioch to Rome Your other Chronologer Genebrard yeeldeth vnto vs eleuen yeeres betweene the Composing of the Apostles Creed and the first foundation of the Church of Rome by the Apostle Saint
respect of other Churches as by seuerall Instances will clearely appeare The first Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the most ancient Church of Hierusalem SECT 5. EVe was not more truely named the Mother of all liuing than the Church of Hierusalem may be said to haue beene the Mother of all Churches beleeuing In which respect the whole Christian world hath giuen vnto her the due and honourable Title of Mother-hood For almost a thousand and 300 yeeres agoe an hundred and fiftie Orthodoxe Fathers assembled in a Councell at Constantinople acknowledged as you know that Hierusalem was the first Church which to vse the words of Saint Hierome engendred all the Churches of the world After in the daies of Saint Augustine when certaine Heretikes refused to haue Communion with Hierusalem because our Lord Christ was Crucified in that Citie that learned Father did both wisely and wittily confute them No maruell saith he if you are cut off from the Church who hate that roote Hierusalem where the Church had her originall and whither the holy Ghost was first sent Another time the same Father being opposed by Petilian a Donatist and asked Whence first he had his Communion Answereth that he had it originally from Hierusalem Could Saint Augustine in this Question about the Mother-Church against an Heretike haue so negligently passed by Rome without sacrilege if the Faith of the Church of Christ in his daies had beene to beleeue that Romane Church to haue beene then the sole Soueraigne Mother-Church ouer all Churches in the world as your Councell of Trent hath so often decreed The second Instance of Mother-hood is in the Church of Caesarea SECT 6. THe Church of Hierusalem did beare as her first daughter the Church of Caesarea the Metropolis of Palestina which afterwards was made the Patriarchall Seate within that Prouince The Motherhood of which Church S. Basil and S. Nazianzene did both proclaime and preferre before Rome as by their owne testimonies may appeare We must haue ample estimation say They of euery Church as the body of Christ but especially of this our Church of Caesarea which the Christian Common-Weale doth obserue as the Circumference doth a center From which place meaning after Hierusalem the Gospell first arose and passed through the World So they What greater Encomium would you if you could passe vpon your Church of Rome than by instiling her the Mother-Church to account her as the Center and call all other Churches as her Circumferences Which Attributes those Orthodoxe Fathers would not haue ascribed to Caesarea if in their Faith the Church of Rome had in their daies had the Prerogatiue of the Mother-Church ouer all other Churches in the world The third Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Church of Antioch SECT 7. ANtioch was a Church by your owne Confessions diuers yeeres when as yet the Church of Rome was without note or name a meere non-ens in Christianity Of which Church of Antioch Saint Chrysostome out of the Acts This our Citie of Antioch saith he is most deare to Christ for its ' Progenitors where Saint Peter did first preach which first receiued as an admirable Crowne the name of CHISTIANS So he Whether therefore you shall be pleased to call the Church of Antioch Mother or because the name of Christians was first deriued from her God-Mother to all other Churches after her sure it is that shee may iustly claime the Birth-right before Rome Which Saint Chrysostome defended now euen when the Church of Rome and that worthily was famous and renouned in the world The fourth Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Greeke Church in Generall SECT 8. THe Easterne Greeke Churches themselues challenged this Prerogatiue in their Letters to Pope Iulius to wit that They came from the East that first brought Christian Religion to Rome But none neede require a more prompt or large acknowledgement of the antiquity of the Greeke Church in respect of the Latine than that which was publikely pronounced by your owne Byshop of Bitontum in a solemne assembly of Byshops euen in your Councell of Trent briefly thus O Greece our Mother saith he to whom the Latine Church oweth all that shee hath So he We reade of the Crosse of Christ that it had an Inscription written on it in Hebrew Greeke and Latine The same order may we obserue in the principall propagation of Churches in the Christian world the Hebrew Church before the Greeke and the Greeke Church constituted before the Latine Hierusalem before Antioch and Antioch with others before Rome Wherefore that you should make Rome the Mother-Church ouer all others which oweth to the Greeke Church no lesse than All that shee hath is in true apprehension a wonderfull Imposture The fift Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Britaine Church SECT 9. YOur Church is in the next place to be prouoked and conuinced by a remote Nation of Brittaine which by your owne accompts receiued the Gospell Cardinall Baronius and your Iesuite Suarez acknowledging thus much out of most ancient Records By the preaching of Ioseph of Arimathea in the 35 yeere of Christ two yeeres before Peter did found the Church of Antioch where hee was seated seuen yeeres before he founded the Church of Rome That is to say in Brittaine was planted a Church nine yeeres before Rome and is hereby so much her elder Sister CHALLENGE THus much being granted by the most zealous Aduocates for your Romane Church giue vs leaue to reason the matter with you in few words You still defend that the Church of Rome is the Mother-Church of all other Churches of Christ and that not as a Case of probability but as an Article of Faith nor this in any implicit beleefe but such without which none can be saued nor yet in the ordinarie manner of Profession but by your Priests and Ecclesiastikes vnder the Forme of an oath Ought you not therefore to haue stood vpon infallible principles for the making good of this Conclusion than which you haue not any one more vulgar pressing and binding among all the Tenents in your Romane Church And yet behold an opinion of Peter's Ordaining the other Apostles Bishops impugned by your owne most iudicious Diuines and this grounded vpon a bastard Epistle of Anacletus Next that the inference from the same opinion is a Consequence which must prooue the Sister Rome to haue begotten her Sisters or rather indeed her Mothers and Aunts namely the Churches of Hierusalem Caesarea Antioch whole Greece together with our Isle of Brittaine And all this against the confessed euidence of Scripture and the expresse testimonie of Reuerend Antiquity which attributed that Mother-hood to the forenamed Churches before Rome Wherefore we can doe no lesse than hisse at your illogicall Consequences blush at the impudence of your Aduocates abhorre the periurie of your Priests Iesuites and all Ecclesiastikes and pittie the miserable thraldome of your
not Peter confessing III. ROCKE is that Confession whereupon Christ saith he will build his Church and members thereof but whosoeuer shall truly beleeue that which S. Peter confessed to wit Christ the Sonne of the liuing God is accordingly built vpon the Rocke albeit he should neuer haue heard so much as the name of Peter Ergo the Confession rightly vnderstood had Relation to Christ and not to the person of Saint Peter IV. The thing which Christ spake of was called the ROCKE as Fathers Authors and Professors on all sides do witnesse to signifie that which is Immoueable Impreinable and Eternall such as is Christ and his Truth But Peter found his Confession as it proceeded from himselfe to be moueable and shaken at one time thrice denying this Confession of his Lord when as also he knew himselfe to be mortall Ergo he did not thinke this Confession which Christ calleth the Rocke to haue Relation to himselfe but onely to Christ. So impossible it is that Saint Peter in his Confession should apprehend the ground of your now Romane Faith Whence you cannot but obserue with what modestie your forecited Aduocates Baronius Bellarmine and Roffensis could obiect vnto Protestants Impudencie Singularitie and Blindnesse for defending an Exposition of the word ROCKE so copiously and euidently warranted by all sorts of Witnesses euen within the Romish Church it selfe II. CHALLENGE From the iudgement of the ancient Fathers IN venerable Antiquitie we find some Fathers distinguishing betweene Petra the Rocke and Peter as plainly as between Christ and a Christian Some as directly noting Christ to be the Rocke as Saint Iohn did euer point him out to be The Lambe of God where they say This Rocke was Christ Some that Peter made his Confession As the mouth of the other Disciples And that The Faith confessed was the Rocke Some by way of Diminution Not Peter alone more than others Some exclusiuely Not Peter And though Some for we may not dissemble thus much do expound by Rocke Peter yet do they meane either a Primacie of Order or Honour in Peter not of authoritie and dominion or else a priority of Confession because he vttered the words first And so all the Apostles and Prophets are called Foundations by which is not meant their persons or dominions but their doctrines Else shew vs where euer any Prophet had any Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in the Church of the Iewes And whereas you are vrgent in obiecting the Testimonie of Saint Augustine as though he would make the Case indifferent yet are you taught by your owne Bishop that Augustine in that place rather held that by Rocke was meant Christ. Albeit that to make this Exposition indifferent which you lay downe as a ground of your Faith would be the vtter destruction of your owne Cause For Faith must stand vpon Infallibilitie and not vpon an Indifferencie of Choosing whether So inconsiderate and precipitant was that your Author in his Obiection Now whatsoeuer may seeme to be wanting in this second Challenge it is plentifully supplied by One whose iudgement ought to be as acceptable as his learning was admirable Cast your eye on the Margent where you shall perceiue how many Fathers Interpreted the ROCKE to signifie either Christ confessed by Peter or else the Confession of Peter so that your Cardinall censuring the interpretation of Protestants not to be the Exposition of Catholikes doth in effect thereby wipe out of the number of Catholikes Ambrose Chrysostome Augustine and diuers other ancient Fathers Next that the Expounding by Rocke Peter doth nothing aduantage the Romish Conclusion which is from Rocke to inferre Saint Peters Monarchie and absolute Iurisdiction ouer all other Apostles because Rocke can be but a Symbol or signe of such properties as are belonging to a Rocke as Soliditie and Vnmouablenesse in the faith but not of Dominion Finally he noteth in your Cardinall a bold licentiousnesse who being a Romanist to make Saint Peter the Rocke durst correct the Vulgar Translation which hath beene pronounced Authenticall by the Councell of Trent III. CHALLENGE BY this time you see that your faith of Peters Monarchie which you beare the world in hand to be infallibly built vpon the word ROCKE mentioned by Christ vnto Peter is according to the iudgement of the Fathers Confessions of your owne Diuines and irresistable demonstrations of truth it selfe meerely built vpon the sands How then shall any conscience of man beleeue you in your Expositions of Scripture seeing you to be so egregiously ouertaken in that which you in all your disputes concerning this Cause obiect as if not the sole yet the most solid Rocke of your beleefe As for any other place of Scripture which can be alleaged in this Cause it were altogether superfluous to discusse in this place both because the euidence which you haue receiued from this one Text may sufficiently warne you not to presume of the learning and iudgement whereof your grand-Leadears make such boasts as also because all other Obiections haue beene fully satisfied elsewhere Where the acknowledgement of Cardinall Cusanus sometimes the Popes Legate excellently studied in the Fathers and primarily exercised in the Councell of Basil is made good who in debating the question of the Popes Iurisdiction with the assent of that Councell did publikely auerre that Peter receiued from Christ no greater authoritie than did the other Apostles nothing was said to him which was not spoken to them Hee proceedeth further particularly insisting vpon the obiected Scriptures and concludeth that the other Apostles were equally called Stones had equally the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen deliuered vnto them equally receiued the charge of teaching that is Feeding of the whole flocke of Christ. As yet then you haue no foundation for your pretended Monarchie of Peter by any promise of Christ made vnto him In the next place we are to examine whether any ground appeare thereof by any Monarchicall or Iuridicall Act of Saint Peter through out the whole course of his Apostleship ouer all or any one of the other Apostles II. That Saint Peter neuer exercised any Act of Iurisdiction as properly belonging to himselfe ouer the other Apostles whereby to testifie that hee had any Dominion ouer them as the Monarch and Head of the Catholike Church SECT 5. TOuching Saint Peters practise and conuersation among the other Apostles wee suppose that the testimony of your Salmeron one of the first in the foundation of the Societie of Iesuites and throughout all his Volumes which are sixteene vpon all occasions every-where a zealous Proctor for the prouing and promoting of Saint Peters Monarchie may as well satisfie your selues as it doth vs. Hee therefore in answer to the Question why the pretended Monarchie of Saint Peter is not demonstrable by any publike Act of Peter telleth vs and his words are worthy of obseruation that Peter although he were Head and Iudge ouer the other Apostles yet he
and yet notwithstanding were reputed still in the Church of Christ Catholike Bishops and so farre in the Communion of the Church Catholike that many godly Bishops in the Latine Church would not seuer themselues from their Communion Yet Bishop Christopherson that you might beleeue the Excommunication of Pope Victor to be of an vniuersall power extent translateth the Greeke sentence of Eusebius thus Irenaeus exhorted Pope Victor not vtterly to cut off so many Churches from the body of the vniuersall Church of Christ. Which Interpretation if true might seeme to make the Church of Rome the Catholike Church But as it became a sworne Scribe for the Pope he peruerts the Text which is to be rendred thus Irenaeus exhorted Pope Victor not to cut off whole Churches of God without any mention of the Bodie of the Church Ergò it cannot import an Excommunication from the Vniuersall bodie of the Church but onely from the Church of Rome as from a particular member of that vniuersall as hath beene proued What then may be thought of your new Article but as of a barbarous and Antichristian Paradox which separateth from all hope of life all the Christians of the Easterly parts of Asia who In multitude exceeded the Christians of the Greeke and Latine Churches But God be thanked that by the doctrine of those Primitiue times the Excommunication of the Romane Church made no mortall wound for the Asian Bishops esteemed no better of it than of a Brutum Fulmen And if you will suffer vs to bee somewhat more equally minded to Victor Bishop of Rome than you your selues can be we may perswade our selues that hee did not by this his Excommunication intend to shew or arrogate any Iurisdiction ouer the Greeke Churches as Pastor ouer his flocke but onely to denie participation of brotherly Communion with them as they might if they had beene so forward haue dealt with him this being an Act of Diuision Inter Pares which likewise doth conclude the no-absolute Necessitie of Vnion with the Romane Church Our Second Instance is in the Churches of Africke Numidia and Mauritania in the dayes of Saint Cyprian by 87. Bishops in the Councell of Carthage Anno 256. Who notwithstanding the Excommunication of the Pope of Rome were euer held by the Catholike Church the Essentiall members thereof and in state of Saluation SECT 3. WHen the Case of Basilides and Martial was on foot concerning Appeales from the Church of Carthage to Rome and the Quaestion of Rebaptization of those persons that had renounced their Haeresies was in agitation betweene Stephen Bishop of Rome and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage The Church of Africke and others of that Primitiue age gaue so infallible testimonies of denying the Popes Catholike Iurisdiction ouer other Churches and of despising his now pretended Catholike power of Excommunication as may sâ—ffice for the full determination of this whole Cause in confutation of your new Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no saluation This Case therefore being so pertinent and pregnant wee will proceede therein methodically I. The full Opposition of Saint Cyprian and other Bishops against Stephen then Bishop of Rome SECT 4. SVch was the Opposition of Saint Cyprian and others against Stephen Bishop of Rome that euen by your owne Confessions Cyprian gathered a Councell of 87. Bishops out of Africke Numidia and Mauritania which concluded contrary to the Pope and his Councell celebrated in Italy Secondly such that Cyprian iudged the same Pope to erre proudly ignorantly and blindly Thirdly such that he impugned the Popes pretended power of Appeales to Rome accompting the Appellants to wit Basilides and Martial Renegados and desperate Delinquents challenging his right of Iudicature for the proceeding against those notoriously wicked Companions who therefore ought to be sent backe againe saith he to be censured by their owne Bishop Fourthly such that this Councell of Carthage did deny to any whomsoeuer the Title of Bishop of Bishops Fiftly such that Cyprian would not acknowledge the name of POPE per Antonomasiam that is By way of Excellency to be proper to the Bishop of Rome as you teach Insomuch that at the instant when as Cyprian was to lay downe his life to Martyrdome for the profession of the holy Faith Being demanded of the Pro-Consull who then had charge to put him to death saying Art thou Hee who shewed thy selfe POPE among the Christians He answered I am Which may be enough to dash that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you appropriate vnto the Bishop of Rome by the name of Pope Great therefore was the Opposition of Cyprian against Stephen namely Bishop against Bishop Chaire against Chaire Councell against Councell as flat Diameter as possibly might be II. That Saint Cyprian and Others were Excommunicated by Pope Stephen SECT 5. IT were friuolous to stand vpon presumptions when we haue your owne Confessions You grant that at the same time when Saint Cyprian did contend with Stephen Bishop of Rome the same Pope Excommunicated the Easterne Bishops of Cappadocia Cilicia and Galatia for the same cause of Rebaptization Secondly that th' aforesaid Pope Stephen did also as much as lay in him cast off Cyprian insomuch that Hee would not admit vnto his speach them that were sent from Cyprian vnto him Nor this onely but also commanded them that were of his owne profession not to haue any peace or communion with them nor yet to allow them so much as house-roome or lodging Yea and Pope Stephen signified by writing that no Communion was to be held with them that did rebaptize Not to insist vpon the Popes lauish and reproachfull speach in calling Cyprian a Counterfait Christ and a deceitfull worker All which are prooued out of the Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Caesara in Cappadocea which almost in euery point doth manifest the Excommunication of Saint Cyprian CHALLENGE FOR what better proofe of the Excommunication of Saint Cyprian and other Bishops of his Fraternity than denying by writing All communion with them that were of the same Opinion with Cyprian and after in Act Forbidding all communion First by speach and conference Secondly by conuersation and company Thirdly by eating or hospitality Each one of these being according to your owne positiue Conclusions a proper Character of that which is called The Greater Excommunication and consequently in your sense a Separation from the Body of the Romane Church III. That Saint Cyprian held not the Excommunication of the Pope to be anâ— valid Separation from the Catholike Church or hazardous to the state of Saluation SECT 6. NOne euer was more Christianly affected to the Catholike Church than was Saint Cyprian nor more firmly belieued that the Vnion with the Catholike Church is necessary to saluation whose profession was this Although a man saith he were slaine for the name of Christ yet if he be without the Vnion of the Church he cannot
depart from you Your Cardinall who vrged the former words leapt ouer these it may be because they were not so much for his purpose as they are for ours to proue that if Saint Hierome had beleeued the pretended Monarchie of Popedome in your after Popes hee would not thus haue twitted and taunted Damasus otherwise an excellent godly Pope not so much for his owne pride as for the pride of the Romane Top or height namely the ambition of his Seat In which reprehension of Papall pride the Councell of Carthage vnder Cyprian the Councell of Africke in the time of Saint Augustine Saint Basil yea and other holy Fathers haue bin most frequent when as yet the Top thereof was not so high as hath bin the after-ambition of Popedome by the one halfe Wee in the next place desire to know what you beleeue concerning the iudgement of the Pope of Rome in matter of Faith and we haue heard you call it Infallible yet did Saint Hierome note Liberius once Pope of Rome that Hee was perswaded to subscribe vnto Haeresie Your Cardinall answereth that Liberius indeede consented vnto Haeresie but Hee consented thereunto saith he not Expresly but Interpretatiuely because in Fact he subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius whom he knew to be persecuted for his Catholike Faith As though this poore ragge were sufficient to couer that nakednesse No for you looke still vpon the Pope as vpon the Visible Head of the Visible Church If therefore hee Visibly communicated with Haeretikes as hath beene confessed and so Visibly subscribed vnto Haeresie Interpretatiuely that is so that none could Interpret his Fact otherwise than as to thinke it a plaine approbation of Haeresie then wee are perswaded that that holy Father who was so zealous of Gods truth as not to indure an ambiguous word which might any way relish of Haeresie and condemned that Pope Liberius of an Interpretatiue Haeresie would not if hee were aliue at this day suffer such a Deluge of Innouations by your 20. new Articles of the Romane Faith neuer so much as fancied of in his dayes In the next place the same Father expresseth his dislike of the Clergie of Rome crying out vpon them in the words following When I was in Babylon and liued an inhabitant of that purple Whore something I desired to chirpe concerning the holy Ghost and to dedicate the Worke vnto the Bishop of the same Citie And behold the assembly of Pharisees exclaimed vpon mee among whom there was not any learned Scribe but the whole faction of ignorance conspired against mee as if I had proclaimed some Doctrinall warre and strife against them Damasus who first moued me to this worke is asleepe in the Lord so that the song that I could not sing in a strange Countrey I now must murmure and noyse among you here in Iudaea So S. Hierome What one of you is there if not acquainted with the Bookes of Saint Hierome who will not iudge these words to haue beene the Exclamation and Inuectiue of some Protestant in your opinion Schismaticall and a professed Aduersary to the Church of Rome to call Rome in indignation and despight Babylon and Land of Captiuitie to tearme it a Purple whore and strange land wherein it was not lawfull To sing the Lords Song concerning the Holy Ghost yea to bespot the whole Clergie of that Citie with the note of Ignorance and at last after the death of Damasus to quit ROME as a Land of Bondage that he might inioy his libertie in Iudaea among the Christian Iewes Could this be said of a Citie priuiledged with a perpetuall Residence of the Holy Ghost and deseruing the Title of Motherhood ouer the whole Catholique Church of the Citie of the Popes Holinesse and of the Oracle of Truth Passe we from the Clergie of that Citie and come wee to the Romane Church it selfe there we finde a Custome of preferring Deacons before Priests Which Saint Hierome condemneth and aduanceth the dignitie of a Presbyter vpon which occasion he falleth into a Comparison of the Church of Rome with the whole CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and with other Parts thereof And comparing it with the whole Church he saith The Authoritie of the whole world is greater than of one Citie Meaning that the Authoritie of the Church Catholike is more than the Authoritie of the Church of ROME Which as hath bin proued from the iudgement of the Fathers in the Councell of Basil is a perfect demonstration that the Church of ROME cannot be called The Catholike Church And least any by that Example and Custome of the Church of ROME should prescribe vnto other Churches as though ROME being as you call her the Mistresse of all others All others should subscribe to her Saint Hierome immediately addeth Why doe you obiect vnto mee saith hee the Custome of one Citie and challenge that for a Law which is done of so few in respect whence haughtinesse hath sprung A plaine proofe that your now Doctrine of making one Particular Church to be in Iurisdiction Vniuersall is an Argument of a Sacrilegious Pride and no sound Article of Faith The next Comparison is betweene the Church of Rome other particular Churches in respect of the Iurisdictions of Bishops in their seuerall diocesses according to Diuine Law Wheresoeuer there shall be a Bishop saith hee whether it be at Rome or at Eugubium whether at Constantinople or at Rhegium whether at Alexandria or at Tanais hee is of the same worthinesse and Priesthood What may bee collected from hence you may know from him who being most conuersant in the writings of Saint Hierome is best able to diue into his meaning namely that Saint Hierome hereby seemeth to equall all Bishops among themselues as being equally the Successours of the Apostles who are therefore not to be measured by the amplitude of their Diocesse but by the worthinesse of their deseruings In which comparison Saint Hierome hath vsed singular art to expresse his meaning more Emphatically For whereas there are Three most famous Patriarchships viz. Rome Constantinople and Alexandria hee parallelleth the little Bishopricks vnder the same Patriarchships with the Patriarchall Seats as Eugubium in Italy with Rome Rhegium in Brutia with Constantinople in Thrace and Tanais in Aegypt with Alexandria in the same Prouince So that whatsoeuer Iurisdiction any Metropolitane Primate or Patriarke hath ouer other Bishops it is from Humane Constitution and not from Diuine Law So farre then was Saint Hierome from making Rome the Catholike Bishoprick that he accounted it as distinct from Eugubium as is Constantinople from Rhegium and Alexandria from Tanais After our Comparison of the Church of Rome with others in the Question of Iurisdiction we proceede with Saint Hierome to compare her in matter of Necessary and Catholike Doctrine But tell you vs First what is that Prerogatiue which is included in your Article of The Catholike Romane Church as properly belonging to the Church of
you haue heard And in the same Book entituled Against all profane Innouations he doth throughout condemne all your new Articles of the now Romane Church by one infallible and inuiolable Rule which is this that No Article as of Faith should be admitted into the Church which was not taught and professed in the dayes of the Apostles Your last Father for due Antiquity is Cassidore who because he saith no more than hath bene formerly said we forbeare to answer more than hath bene answered that from Particular Answers we may now speedily addresse our selues to the more Generall Our Generall Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the former Obiections out of the Ancient Fathers SECT 10. DIstingue tempora is a necessary Aphorisme and Caution especially in historicall Obseruations Right glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God saith Dauid of Ierusalem but when when the Inhabitants professed the true worship of God But assoone as they reuolted from God then Bethel became Bethauen and the Virgin Sion an Adulterous whore So say wee Right admirable commendations haue bene often Anciently attributed to the Church and Bishops of Rome for their Integritie of life Constancie in the Faith Care and Conscience for the preseruation of all Churches in the Christian profession But not to distinguish in both these the differences of Times by Was from Is were to confound Chastity with Adultery God with Belial Christ with Antichrist Apply we this to the point in Question Take vnto you this Position When the Fathers say that the Church of Rome cannot erre the word Cannot is not to be taken absolutely and simply How like you this Thesis Do you approue of it Then do all your proofes from Testimonies of Ancient Fathers concerning the power dignity and integrity of the Ancient Church of Rome vanish with their times because the Church of Rome is long since farre degenerated from her first integrity But do you not allow it why it is the Confession of Bellarmine the greatest Champion that your Church hath had in these later Ages He onely addeth to the Thesis this Caution So long as the Apostolicall Sea continueth at Rome he should haue said with vs according to the Generall Doctrine of the Fathers So long as the ancient and sincere Faith and diuine worship is preserued at Rome for it is not Sedes but Fides that defineth a Church And for your further knowledge that the Commendations giuen vnto Rome and other Churches in the dayes of Antiquity were not absolutly and simply vnderstood call but to mind how often Tertullian Irenaeus Augustine Optatus and other Fathers for the proofe of Orthodox Doctrines did instance in the Churches of Corinth Thessaly Antioch Asia and other Churches as well as in Rome To giue you one Example for all in the last of Asia because it commeth first to hand it is that which you receiued but euen now out of Optatus who speaking of the Churches of Asia Whosoeuer saith he is without these Churches namely concerning the Faith professed is an Alien and without Saluation This was then as iustly said of Asia as now it cannot be said thereof and what one Encomium of Presidence onely that of Order excepted or Iudgment or Sanctity hath bene euer exhibited to Ancient Popes by any Excellency of Titles which as you haue heard by iust Parallells haue not bene communicated vnto Athanasius Basil Augustine and some other Fathers Yet are we not contented with this Answer although otherwise most true but add for clearer Demonstration of this Truth and auerre that the glorious Phrases which were anciently ascribed to the Church of Rome and her Bishops were not giuen as absolutely and simply belonging to her no not in those very times of Antiquity when they were more proper vnto her For Cyprian that said in his Epistle to Pope Cornelius that No perfidiousnesse could haue accesse to Rome meant not that this his Commendation should continue in Succession with their Popes who himselfe in his Epistle to Pope Stephen one who a yeare after the death of Cornelius succeeded in the same Popedome did vehemently reproue yea and reproach him for admitting the very same kind of Perfidiousnesse before mentioned euen by his allowing of False and perfidious Excommunicates and Incorrigible persons Appealing to his See And Hierom who accompted euery one Prophane and execrable that did not Communicate with Pope Damasus would not haue so farre honoured Pope Liberius whom hee himselfe brandeth with a blacke marke of Subscribing to Arian Heresie Lastly Saint Augustine that magnified Rome in this style saying The Principality of the Romane Chaire did alwaies flourish extended not this to an Absolute Monarchy who himselfe was one of them that in the Councell of Africke clipped the wings thereof by decreeing that Transmarine Appeales should not be made meaning to Rome The speed we make to new matter will not suffer vs to multiply Instances from other former Examples I. CHALLENGE AS often therefore as you haue obiected vnto vs the Encomiasticall speaches of Ancient Fathers we may challenge you to obserue the difference betweene your Obiections and our Retorsions You vrge onely the Phrase and we the Reason of the speach Againe you haue obtruded the sound of Words of the Fathers we haue opposed their euident Acts and Deeds the best Interpreters of their sayings From their Acts therefore we take confidence to argue that to omit the great and weightier matters if S. Polycarpus would not yeeld to the Church and Pope of Rome no not so much as in a Feast-day Saint Augustine not so much as in a Fast Saint Basil not so much as in exception against onely the word Hypostasis Saint Ambrose not so much as in a Ceremony of Washing of feet which are you will thinke in respect but matters of Mint annise and cummin how shall not our Opposition stand iustifiable who refuse Vnion and Subiection vnto her for the great matter of the Law word of God If vilification of the Sufficiency of his written Testaments if Mutilation of a true Sacrament and which is worse the Addition of fiue false ones if babling in vnknowne prayer if forging of new Faiths and not to speake of the daily tyrannie vpon mens Consciences by her strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or New Constitutions if in some respects as absurd as Heathenish Idolatrie may seeme vnto you iust cause of exception against her wherein our Profession is iustified from point to point by the same Fathers So damnable is your now Romane Article of Absolute Necessity of Vnion and Subiection vnto the Church and Bishop of Rome as without which there is no Saluation by which together with your Aduersaries you damne those whom euery where you assume to haue bene your owne Ancient Fathers on earth and now acknowledge them Saints in heauen II. CHALLENGE A Second Consideration which is to be had in this point is to obserue the list
from the Head the Pope as the Successor of Peter and not the Pope from the Church Your Article of beleeuing The Catholike Church of Rome c. consisteth of many other Articles and ioynts which ought to bee obserued because euery one containeth in it according to your Faith a Necessity of Beleefe As 1. The Necessity of Beleeuing that there ought to bee An Vniuersall Iudge vpon earth as the distinct Vicar of Christ 2. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this Iudge ought to be but One Alone because Two Heads vpon One Body would make it Monstrous 3. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this One Head is Aboue a Councell and you may haue as good Reason for that if as you fondly conclude there be the same Reason of the Ecclesiasticall Body as there is of the Naturall because it is Necessary that the Head be predominant ouer the Body 4. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this predominant Head must be Romane so farre as to hold that by virtue of this Head Not onely the Romane Church taken at large but euen the Partiâ—ular Romane Church as it is in the City of Rome ouer-ruleth throughout the world 5. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this Romane Head must bee Visible because it is the Head of a Visible Church 6. The Necessity of Beleeuing this Visible Head to be so Visible in one Indiuidual person that It is as necessary for euery one to beleeue THIS man as if you should say This Clement or this Vrban to be the Head as it was necessary for the Iewes to beleeue THIS IESVS when he was reuealed vnto them because if there be not infallible beleefe of his person there can be no certainty in his Decrees And therefore it is requisite that you beleeue This man to bee the true Head with an infallible Faith 7. The Necessity of Beleeuing the Iudgement of this Visible Head to bee Infalliby true 8. The Necessity of Beleeuing that the Vnion of this Infallibly-true Head and the Body thereof as also the Vnion of the Members one with another are A true and proper note of the true and Catholike Church That so many Necessities of Beeleefe doe inforce as many Necessities oâ— Damnation partly vpon your pretended Head partly vpon your Body and Members thereof All that can bee said to this purpose may bee reduced to these Obseruations concerning the Head and Body and Members of your Church viz. as it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Body without an Head or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hauing a False Head or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Multitudes of Heads or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Head repugnant vnto the whole Body or to the Essentiall Members thereof or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doubtfully Headed I. The Church of Rome sometimes a Body Head-lesse SECT 13. THis happeneth as often and as long as there is a Vacancy in that See by reason of the death of the former Pope which hath beene often for One or Two and sometimes for Eight yeeres space Where then is your Tibi dabo claues what becommeth of the Keyes of your Romane Catholike Church These saith your Cardinall the Pope being dead continue not formally in the Church will you see a iugler except as they are committed vnto the Inferior Ministers but are in the hands of Christ and after that a new Pope is Chosen the Keyes are deliuered vnto him not by the Church but by the hands of Christ. CHALLENGE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the Depth of Delusion Doe then indeed Saint Peters Keyes flie into heauen at the death of euery Pope If so we demand what you vnderstand by those Keys which were promised by Christ to Peter Mat. 16. saying To thee will I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen Keyes in this place saith hee signifie principalitie of Ecclesiasticall power ouer all the Church and not remission of sinnes because Christ addeth saying Whatsoeuer thou bindest vpon earth c. Where by Binding is ment power of Praecept and of punishment by Excommunication So hee What power then is that which remaineth formally in the Inferior Ministers of the Church at the death of the Pope if it be the Keyes of Principality then is euery Inferior Priest a Pope if it be the Keyes onely of Order and Absolution then shall it not be lawfull for any Bishop to exercise any power of Iurisdiction by Praecept or punishing by Excommunication during all the time of the Vacancie be this for the space of Two Three Foure or as it is said to haue hapned Eight yeares together You will easily guesse what it was that drew your Answerer into this most vncouth and extreme corner wherein neuer any ancient Father before him set so much as the least print of his shooe for your owne Binius will tell you a story to some good purpose In the Interregnum or Vacancy betweene the death of Pope Agapetus and his Successor was celebrated saith he the Councell of Constantinople wherein there were present Two Legates of the Church of Rome together with Menna the Bishop of Constantinople and Vicar of meaning Romane the Apostolicall See So he Heere you see the Pope is dead notwithstanding you obserue a Generall Councell gathered which is an act that you haue called Proper to the Papall Primacy and Principality and in Councells are commonly Acts both of Generall Decrees and Precepts as also of punishments by Excommunication in the name of the Catholike Church Besides you may behold heere Legates yet not of the dead Pope but of the Romane Church liuing If then your Article take place in that sense as to denie any Formall power of Keys vnto Inferior Bishops then is heereby condemned the whole Romane Church not onely ancient in the Councell of Constantinople but also at all times of Interim betweene the death of one Pope and Election of another whensoeuer they execute any Act of Iurisdiction Answer then we pray you doe you vpon this conceit of Bellarmine iudge all these condemned then may and must we most iustly renounce your Article as execrable Or doe you beleeue that in the Church there remaineth Formally the power of the Keyes for the execution of all functions belonging to the necessary preseruation of the Church and Members thereof then must it follow which your Cardinall fore-saw right well that the Pope receiueth his Authority from the Church and not immediately from Christ and that therefore the Church hath no absolute necessity of a Pope And so may you bury your Article of Necessary Obedience to the Papall Monarchy in the graue of euery dead Pope and instead of that Article you may frame another De Anferibilitate Papae ab Ecclesiâ out of Gersons Instructions which may serue you for a Catechisme Because if the Church may consist sufficiently in that which you call her Widow-hood destitute of her Monarchical Head for Six or Eight yeeres why