would keep all the Pastours in the world in peace and vnity c. For in all societyes authority which cannot be where all are equall must procure vnity and obedience Thus Doctor Couell who goeth further and sayth If it concerne all persons and ages in the Church of Christ as surely it doth the gouernement must not cease with the Apostles but so much of that authority must remayne to them who from time to time supply that charge c. Which also is the doctrine of Melancthon who further confesseth Melanthō that as certayn Bishops are presidēt ouer many Churches so the Bishop of Rome is President ouer all Bishops Luther And Luther himselfe is inforced to acknowledge that for the vnity of the Catholike Church consisting of al Nations with infinite diuersity of māners conditions it was necessary that one should be chosen vnto whome and his Successors the whole world being made one fold might belong or pertayne Cart wright M. Cartwright likewise vrgeth the Protestāt Doctors with their owne argument saying that the peace of the whole Church requireth as well a Pope ouer all Archbishops as one Archbishop ouer all Bishops in a Realme Iacob And to conclue M. Iacob another Puritan sayth if a visible Catholike Church be once aknowledged there is no place in all the world so likely as Rome to be the visible and spring head of the gouernement thereof Protestant Apology See the Protestants Apology tract 1. sect 3. subdiu 10. And thus appeareth the force of this truth which God almighty hath caused to be iustifyed euen by the mouthes of our aduersaries themselues And now by the resolution of this first point alone hauing clearly ouer throwne and disproued whatsoeuer the Bishop can say in the fiue first books of his Commonwealth against the Monarchy Primacy and Papacy of the Church of Rome the succession therof the subiection of other Bishops therūto and in fine against all Iurisdictions of the Church of Christ I come to the explication and proofe of the second poynt concerning the succession of the Bishop of Rome to S. Peter wherein the folly and impudency of this man will be more discouered and his whole Volume of Ecclesiasticall Cōmonwealth either extant or not extant will be sufficiently answered SECTION IX The continuance of S. Peters authority is proued by Scripture and by the Fathers and by the confession of many Protestants and therof is inferred the succession of the Pope to S. Peter IN the beginning of the former point concerning S. Peters authority I shewed how the Catholiks considered and distinguished a double power in the Apostles of Christ the one extraordinary Apostolicall whereby they had equall Iurisdiction ouer the Church of Christ which is therfore called Extraordinary because it dyed with them for if others had succeeded them therin their successours also by vertue therof had beene all Apostles The other ordinary and Episcopall wherein others were to succeed them for the gouernement of the Church and which in S. Peter alone was supreme absolute and independant but in the rest it was limitted to particuler places and therefore albeit as Apostles they had all equall authority ouer the rest of the Church yet they were not equall amongst themselues but S. Peter by vertue of his supreme Episcopall authority was the chiefe Pastour and head of the rest And now likewise for your greater light in the handling of this second poynt we must distinguish in S. Peter a double Episcopall power the one in particuler proper to the diocesse of Rome wherof he was the immediate Bishop the other vniuersall ouer the whole Church of Christ whereby albeit he be not the immediate Bishop of the particuler Churches yet is he the vniuersall supreme Pastour ouer them all As the Bishop of Canterbury for example although he be the immediate Bishop of Canterbury alone yet as he is Archbishop he hath the care of those other Churches and Bishopricks of our Nation which are vnder his charge This distinction therefore being granted first there is no question to be made but that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed vnto S. Peter as he was the immediate Bishop of that Diocesse For this is euident not only by the catalogue of the Bishops of Rome and tradition of the Church but also by the testimony of all Historiographers and ancient Fathers and in particuler of S. Irenaeus Tertullian S. Hierome S. Augustine Optatus and others as we shal see anone Which being commonly granted by all the learned Protestants because if the supreme authority of S. Peter did not dye with him as the generall power of the Apostles ouer the whole Church did cease with them but remayned and continued in the Church after his death thereof it would follow that the Pope who succeeded him in the one should succeed him also in the other as he who is made Bishop of Canterbury is thereby also made Archbishop and Primate of all the kingdome For this cause diuers Protestants haue affirmed that albeit the Pope do succeed to S. Peter as he was Bishop of Rome yet they deny that he succeeded him in his vniuersall Pastorall function because they say it dyed with him And therefore on the other side if the Catholikes can shew that the Primacy of S. Peter doth still remayne in the Church that being proued there will be no difficulty but that the Pope doth succeed to S. Peter as wel in his Primacy ouer the whole Church as in his particuler authority ouer the Church of Rome especially no other Bishop hauing euer pretended or made claime to that Succession but only the Bishop of Rome Wherefore that the Primacy of S. Peter was to descend and remayne to his successors is proued by these two places of Scripture Matt. 16. Ioan. 21. alleadged for the proofe of his Supremacy For in the first place our Sauiour promised that he would make him the foundation and build his Church vpon him in such manner as the gates of Hell should not preuayle against it Whereby as he signifieth that the Church was to remayne and indure perpetually so much more he promised that the Foundation therof was likewise to remayne from whence the Church it selfe was to receiue her perpetuall strength and duration origen in 16. Matt. Which Origen considering sayd very well that it was manifest albeit not expressed that the gates of Hell cannot preuaile neither against Peter nor against the Church for if they preuailed against the Rock whereon the Church is founded they should also preuaile against the Church it selfe The like also may be easily inferred out of the second place where S. Peter was made the vniuersall Pastour of the sheep of Christ and by consequence the sheep of all ages were commended vnto him and therfore not only to him in person but also to his seat and to his successours represented and contayned in him as in theyr seed and foundation In which
respect S. Augustine said Aug. l. de pasto c. 13. as you haue heard that S. Peter receiued his authority in the person of the Church that is to say present and to come for himselfe and his successors And in the same sense he teacheth els where that all good Pastors are in one Pastor And S. Cyprian affirmed as I haue alleadged Cyp. ep 4◠55. that in the Church there is one God one Christ one Chayre founded vpon Peter one Priest one Iudge for the tyme in the place of Christ. Which is also confirmed by the words of our Sauiour where he sayth There should be one sheepfold and one Pastour Ioan. 10.16 For as we gather thereof that the fold must alwayes be one so also the Pastour thereof being One who was S. Peter must alwayes remayne One in his successors and our Sauiour would thereby signify that the vnity of the fold depended of the vnity of that one Pastor to whom he meant to giue the charge and to commend the feeding of it Which also the Fathers demonstrate to be most necessary for the auoyding and extinguishing of Schismes and Heresyes in the Church of God as you haue seene before And some of the Protestants themselues as Whitgift Protestant Apology vbi supra Melancthon Luther and others do willingly confesse it and especially Doctour Couell who affirmeth that the Church should be in far worse case then the meanest common Wealth nay almost then a den of theeues without it I cannot omit his reason which is also the common reason of the Catholikes That if this Superiority were necessary amongst the Apostles much more was it necessary among other Bishops after their decease neither will I omit that it belonged vnto the charge and Pastorall Office of S. Peter to prouide that the sheep of Christ after his death might not be scattered and deuided for the want of one common and vniuersall Pastour Wherfore by this it is euident that the Pastorall function of S. Peter was to remayne in the Church of God And therefore it descended to the Bishop of Rome his only successour which is a most strong argument in it selfe may serue vs withall for a good step or degree to the rest of the proofes that follow SECTION X. The Supremacy of the Pope and his succession to S. Peter is proued by the titles of his supreme dignity in the ancient Fathers and by the foure first generall Councells VVHEREIN we will begin with those titles appellations which haue byn giuen by the Councells and ancient Fathers to the Bishops of Rome being the same that were giuen to S. Peter alone with many others equiualēt therunto For as in the Cōmonwealth none can haue the title of Cesar but he that succedeth vnto Cesar so also in the Church if the Pope inherite the same titles that were proper to S. Peter in respect of his supreme dignity it must needs be graunted that he succedeth likewise in the place of the same dignity to S. Peter First therefore he is called the head of the Church Chalcedon act 1 which title the whole Councell of Chalcedon for example being one of the foure first and receiued in England by act of Parliament gaue to S. Leo Bishop of Rome in their Epistle to him where also the Church of Rome is called the head of all Churches Secondly Epist ad Dam. S. Hierome calleth Pope Damasus the foundation and Rock of the Church and said that he knew the Church to be buylt vpon him S. Augustine likewise tearmeth the sea of Rome the Rock of the Church Thirdly S. Ambrose intitleth Pope Siricius the Pastour of the flock of our Lord. Fourthly Epist 81. ad Cyril he is tearmed the Apostolicall man his seat the Apostolicall Seat his Office Apostleship and his dignity Apostolicall sanctity as you may easily obserue in the authorityes that follow which words without any other addition of place or person cannot be giuen to any but to him alone For the like supreame authority and Iurisdiction vnto his ouer the whole Church hauing been granted only to the Apostles and after there decease being deriued from S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles vnto the Pope alone in these two respects the excellency of his vniuersall authority descending from the Prince of the Apostles is properly called Apostolicall which tearme by it selfe alone without limitation cannot therefor be giuen to any other Fiftly in the Councell of Chalcedon he was intitled the vniuersall Archbishop and Patriarch of great Rome which stile albeit S. Gregory refused in the sense as it was vsed by Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and that to abate his pryde S. Gregory began to write himselfe neither Patriarch nor Bishop but Seruus seruorum Dei yet he admitted the Councell of Chalcedon Ioan Diac. in eius vita l. 2. cap. 1. in the particuler vse of this tearme signifying that the Pope was Bishop of the vniuersall Church as also many of S. Gregoryes Predecessours had intitled themselues before him Sixthly Greg. l. 4. epist 32. Bern. l. 2. de consid S. Bernard among others called the Pope the Vicar of Christ Stephen Archbishop of Carthage writing to Pope Damasus in the name of three Affrican Councells directeth his Epistle To the most Blessed Lord aduanced with Apostolicall dignity Apostolico culmine sublimato the holy Father of Fathers Damasus Pope and chiefe Bishop of all Prelates Lastly to be short the word Pope without any addition is giuen only to the Pope In which sense we read in the Chalcedon Councell The most blessed and Apostolicall Man the Pope giueth vs this in charge where also he is called Act. 16. Pope of the vniuersall Church And in the Breuiary of Liberatus we read that none is Pope ouer the Church of the whole world but only the Roman Bishop Thirdly the succession of the Pope to S. Peter and the supreame authority of the Roman Church in regard thereof is proued by the Councells wherof a long treatise might be made but for breuityes sake because the Protestants seeme to respect and reuerence with S Gregory the great the foure first generall Councells as the foure Euangelists and that they are also receiued by act of Parliament anno 10. of Queene Elizabeth I will alleadge no other but those and out of them so much alone as may be sufficient to establish the Popes Supremacy and to let you see That if the Catholikes might be admitted to any kind of iust and equall try all how easily it were for them to claime Toleration to iustify the Religion euen by the statutes at the cōmon Law which are now in force in England The sixt Canon therefore of the first Councell of Nice beginneth in this manner The Roman Church hath alwayes had Primacy and lot the ancient custome contynue in Aegypt or Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue power ouer them all wherof the reasō followeth quoniam
following Melchiades For these meaning Bishops our Lord reserued to his owne iudgment and this priuiledge he committed alone to the Blessed key-bearer Peter in his place which prerogatiue doth iustly accrew to his sea to hold and inherit the same in all future tymes because euen among the Apostles there was some distinction of power Bonifacius in his 2. epistle to the Bishops of France Bonifacius speaking of the iudgment of Bishops In Apol. 2. pro Athans in weighty causes concludeth thus It is necessary that they be confirmed by our authority Iulius the first in his epistle ad Orientales in the cause of Athanasius the Patriarch of Alexandria Iulius asketh them whether they were ignorant that it was the custome to write vnto his Church if any Bishop were called in question of suspition that from thence that which was iust might be defined And a little after he sayth therof Those thinges which we receiued from the blessed Peter the Apostle we fignify vnto you which I would not haue written imagining that they were known vnto you vnles the facts themselues had troubled you Gelasius in his epistle to the Bishops of Dardania sayth Gelasius That the Church of Rome hath the knowledge of all things through the world because the sea of the Blessed Peter the Apostle hath authority to dissolue whatsoeuer hath beene bound by the sentence of any other Bishops as vnto whome it belongeth to iudge of all Churches neither is it lawfull for any other to iudge of her iudgment Sixtus 2. Epist. 1. Sixtus 2. pronounceth that it is lawfull for Bishops to appeale vnto the Apostolike sea to whose disposition the ancient authority of the Apostles and their successours and of the Canons hath reserued all the greater Ecclesiasticall causes and the iudgment of Bishops because Bishops are blamed that deale otherwise with their brethren then is pleasing to the Pope of that seat Damasus Theod. lib. 5. hist c. 1 Damasus in his epistle to the Bishops of Numidia admonisheth them that they should not permit to deferre vnto him as their head all things which might be subiect to disputation or question as the custome sayth he hath alwayes beene Lastly concerning the ordination of Bishops Leo. Epist 82. Leo writing to his vicar in the East the Bishop of Thessalonia commaundeth that the Metropolitan should certify his vicar of the person of the Bishop that was to be consecrated of the consent of the clergy and of the people that with his authority the ordination which was duly celebrated might be confirmed And S. Gregory in his epistle to Constantia the Empresse Gregorius aduertising her that the Bishop of Salonae a Predecessour of this our fugitiue Bishop who is now with you was ordayned without his knowledge or the priuity of his vicar or legate Responsalis addeth concerning the same facta res est and such a thing is done as neuer hapned vnder any of our former Princes SECTION XIIII The Popes Supremacy is proued by the auncient and continuall practise thereof in the Catholike Church THVS hauing proued the Supremacy of the Pope as well in matter of fayth as in iurisdiction and gouernement by the sentences of so many Popes which according to the doctrine of the Fathers are aboue all exceptions and permit no answere from any man that would be accompted a Catholike It remayneth for the conclusion and most full and absolute proofe of this matter to confirme the same by the receiued practise therof and approued execution of this authority in the Church of God which I will do very briefly because I consider that I haue dwelt too long in this matter already Wherefore concerning Councells it shall be sufficient to say that such as haue resisted the Pope or his Legates in their definitions haue alwayes erred as the second Councell of Ephesus and the Councell of Constantinople in the tyme of Nicolaus the first and that such Councells as were reiected by the Pope haue had no authority in the Church of Christ Whereof Gelasius the Pope giueth many examples in his booke de Anathemate and in his epistle to the Bishops of Dardania And in particuler Theodoretus speaking of the Councell of Ariminum sayth That it ought not to haue any force the Bishop of Rome whose sentence before all other was to be expected not consenting thereunto And in the Councell of Chalcedon Dioscorus the Patriarch of Alexandria was commaunded not to sit amongst the Bishops because he presumed to call a Councell without the authority of the Apostolike seat Epist ad Solitar Quod numquam licuit numquam factum est which say they was neuer lawfull was neuer done And the famous Athanasius speaking of Constantius the Arian Emperour who tooke vpon him to be president in a Councell which he assembled at Millane Who sayth he seeing him to make himself Prince of Bishops in their decrees and president in their Ecclesiasticall iudgment may not worthily say that he is the same abhomination of desolation which was fortold by the Prophet Daniel And as for the sentence of the Pope allwayes receiued in matter of fayth that may suffice which Bellarmine sayth That if for the extinguishing of 7. Heresyes the first seauen generall Councells were called aboue a 100. heresyes haue been extinguished by the Apostolike sea alone with the help of particuler Councells yet I cannot omit to confirme the same by some few examples A Cōtrouersy being risen about the dignity of the holy Ghost Zozomenus recordeth That the Bishop of Rome Lib. 6. cap. 22. being aduertised therof wrote his letters to the Bishops of the East that they should belieue togeather with the Bishops and Priests of the West the Blessed Trinity to be consubstantiall and equall in glory Which being done sayth he and the matter being iudged by the Roman Church all men were quiet and so that Cōtrouersy seemed to haue an end Prosper cōt Collat. cap. 41. S. Prosper sayth that Innocentius of blessed memory stroke vpon the head of the wicked Pelagian heresy with his Apostolicall dagger and that Celestine deliuered our Countrey from that disease And a little after that by his care Scotland was made Christian In the second age or Century of the Church in the tyme of those horrible persecutions the Controuersy of rebaptizing those that were baptized by heretikes began to grow hoat and the tempest was so great that if it did not cast downe some principall bulwarkes of the Church it made the strongest Towers to shake At which tyme in hatred of Heretikes Firmilianus an excellent man with the other Bishops of the East decreed rebaptization in the case aforesayd and that those were to be punished that doubted thereof In Africa S. Cyprian and very many other Bishops ioyning with him in sundry Councells declared their opinions in fauour thereof though they would not condemne the rest of the world that practised the contrary In Aegipt also Dionisius Patriarch
treason Especially charging the Pope as he doth with false doctrine which he would haue you belieue to be the cause of his schisme For the Pope being the immouable Rock and the foundation of true Fayth which Christ himselfe hath layd the Bishop in this case fitly resembleth one that launching from the shore whereupon he fixeth his eye should sweare and contest that the land departed from the boat and that the boat it selfe stood still or remayned imoueable In which case I cannot tell whether he in the boat should shew himselfe more ridiculous to the beholders then the Bishop doth manifest himselfe by this occasion to his iudicious Readers And thus much may suffice for the Bishops schisme Heresy is defined by S. Augustine August de vera Rel. c. 5. 6. 7. to be a peruerse doctrine contrary to the rule of truth which himselfe doth better expound where he sayth That it is an opinion declyning from the rule and turning men away from the cōmunion of the Catholike Church where he vnderstandeth the rule of truth to be no other then the doctrine of the Catholike Church for without this ground all other rules are insufficient as hath been shewed and the same if it were necessary might easily be confirmed out of the rest of the Fathers Wherefore the doctrine of the Catholike Church being made knowne and manifested vnto vs either by the common beliefe of all the faithfull or by the vniforme consent and common doctrine of all the Fathers or by a generall Councell or by the definition of the Pope as before I noted hauing conuinced the Bishop of schisme though much against his will let vs see how he can cleare and shift himselfe from the imputation of heresy For first it cannot be denied That whatsoeuer the Catholikes at this day do maintaine to be the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles against the Protestants was the generall beliefe of the vniuersall Church when Luther began to broach his new doctrine And therefore the Bishop condemning the Pope of many errours in poynts of Controuersy betweene him and the Protestants Vbi supra condemneth likewise the vniuersall Church of that tyme which as S. Augustine sayth is most insolent madnes extreme impiety and hayre-braynd or furious ignorance Secondly you haue heard how the auncient Fathers of the primitiue Church haue condemned for heresyes aboue twenty seuerall opinions of the Protestants And therefore the Bishop being now a Protestant is likewise aboue twenty tymes condemned by them And to omit that other seuerall sects of Protestants do all condemne him in like manner the generall Councell of Trent hath defined the doctrine of the Pope against the Protestants to be Orthodoxall and the contrary opinions to be likewise hereticall And the Bishop seeming to belieue that a generall Councell lawfully called and confirmed cannot erre in matter of fayth as hauing the speciall assistance of the holy Ghost leading vnto all truth according to the promise of our Sauiour hath no more reason to contemne the Councel of Trent then to reiect the Councell of Nyce or any other generall Councell Lastly hauing proued by the common doctrine of all the Fathers that the Bishop of Rome being successour of S. Peter cannot erre in defyning of Controuersyes that belong to fayth and that the Fathers put no difference betweene the Catholike and the Roman Church but that the same Church which is surmaned Catholike because it is vniuersall is also called the Roman Church because the Roman Church being founded in the Seat of Peter is alwayes conioyned and vnyted with the Catholike Church it followeth thereof that the Bishop being condemned for an Heretike by the Bishop of Rome successour vnto S. Peter and by the Church of Rome founded in the Seat of Peter according to the iudgment of the auncient Fathers standeth likewise condemned in this respect also by the whole Church And therefore hauing so many dreadfull sentences lying heauily vpon him vnlesse he amend and make peace with his aduersary Mat. 5.25 while he is yet vpon the way what can he expect at the day of iudgement but that Christ himselfe withall his Saints and Angells togeather with the whole world should condemne him And with this we will proceed to his second defence which is the authority and example of S. Cyprian wherein he seemeth to set vp his rest SECTION XXXI VVherein is shewed that the authority and example of S. Cyprian alleadged by the Bishop against the Pope ouerthroweth the principall grounds of the Protestant Religion THE words therfore of S. Cyprian in the Councell of Carthage to the Bishops there assembled alleadged by him are these that follow Iudging no man sayth S. Cyprian or depryning no man of our communion though he shal be of a contrary opinion For none of vs doth make himselfe Bishop of Bishops or compelleth his followers with tyrannicall terror to the necessary of yeilding to him whereas euery Bishop is to haue his owne proper iudgement in respect of the liberty and power which is giuen vnto him so that he cannot be iudged of another as he himselfe cannot iudge another But let vs all expect the iudgment of our Lord Iesus Christ who only and alone hath power to place vs in the gouernement of his Church and to iudge of our actions The example of S. Cyprian he propoundeth in such manner as that accusing S. Stephen of indiscretion and that with his excommunications he was falling headlong into the mischiefe of schisme he sayth That S. Cyprian dissenting from the Roman and almost from the vniuersal Church about the Baptisme of Heretikes and being strong in his owne opinion and esteeming Stephen the Pope to erre vehemently and all the rest to be in manifest errour yet notwithstanding he neuer suffered the band of vnion and Christian charity to be broken betweene them but chose to communicate not only with Stephen being of a contrary opinion and indeauour against him but also with those whome he reputed to be altogeather impure being moued thereunto because Stephen had receiued them into communion with him rather then by schisme to make a diuision in the Church of God By which authority and example of S. Cyprian he thinketh to haue clearely discouered where the fault lyeth and to whom the crime of Schisme is to be imputed and so thinke I too And here to curry a little fauour with him or rather to curry him with some fauour because he hath so well deserued it in this allegation of S. Cyprian albeit I cannot learne that euer he read or heard Rhetorike among the Iesuits as he himselfe affirmeth yet I will not deny it but rather I will acknowledge that he hath not been altogeather a Truant in the Schoole of Eloquence For though his booke be very small yet he hath been able to deliuer little or no matter at all in very many words And he seemeth to couer many vntruths vnder the colour of Rhetoricall Hyperboles And in this
was publiquely professed because a great part of the Gentills were not then conuerted not only their bookes and writings were tolerated but their religion it selfe although it were most grosse Idolatry was permitted Besides in England the Catholikes being many wise and learned do not cease by alledging most pregnant proofes important reasons and authenticall testimonyes to mayntaine the truth of their cause and to draw others to imbrace their doctrine In which regard it standeth the Protestants vpon and especially the Ministers to read their bookes thereby to defend themselues and others as well as they can from the force of the Catholike arguments brought against them And for the same cause in France and in Germany and in all other Countreyes where many religions are allowed the Catholike Students and other secular men are vsually permitted to read all kind of bookes the better therby to refute their errours Which this good Bishop thought good to conceale for his owne aduantage But in those other Catholike Countreys which were neuer yet infected with Heresy and where there is no occasion to impugne it there it importeth that the Pastours be very vigilant to keep it out For Heresy being once gotten in it crepeth like a canker and at last breaketh out like a raging fire and burneth so dreadfully that whole Cittyes and Kingdomes and Nations haue been consumed with it in a very short space as may appeare in Greece in Asia in Africa other Countreys And therfore in all ages not only the Fathers Doctours and Prelates but also Men Women and Children of the Catholike Church haue euer concurred with all speed and with might and mayne to quench and ex inguish the least sparke therof By which meanes it is wonderfull to consider in how short a tyme the bookes and writings of all the ancient Heretikes in former ages haue been consumed and abolished by the zeale of Catholikes In so much as of so many millions of their Volumes there is not at this day one left remayning But this good man the Bishop is of another mynd who if it were possible would dig those authours out of hell againe to see whether they were truely cited by chose that wrote against them And for the present he would permit without any occasion such mens workes to be familiarly read whom the Apostle forbiddeth to be saluted Our mother Eue out of a vayne curiosity conferring with the serpent whome she might thinke to be an Angell Gen. 3.2 fell into Heresy but this man out of a curiosity more then monstrous Ioan. 10.3.5 would perswade the sheep of Christ to heare the voyce of a stranger and to conferre with that serpent whome they know and confesse to be the Diuell Wherfore this spirit of his being so contrary to the spirit of the Church to the spirit of the Apostle to the spirit of Christ himselfe and in fine contrary to the light of reason in the Gouernement both of Church and Common Wealth you may easily indge from whence it commeth and to what end it tendeth Whereby you will also coniecture what vnion and coniunction may be of the East and of the West of the North and South with the desire whereof this good Bishop is so much tormented For it can be nothing els but a horrible confusion of them all and the vtter ouerthrow of Christian Religion as we shall see hereafter In the meane tyme that you may the better perceiue his naturall and inborne desire of vnity wherewith his poore hart is so much tormented he wil make it knowne himselfe you vnto by the effects thereof For presently after he tells you that he deuided himself from the vnion of that Society wherunto he was vowed and separated himselfe from the body of that order whereof he was a member like a branch from his vyne from the which being once cut of it was likely he could be good for nothing but to be cast into the fire The great comendations he giueth of his owne learned laborious life whiles he was in Religion I can hardly belieue For writing this booke as he doth to no other end but only to blaze his owne prayses you need not doubt but that euery where he speaketh the most of himselfe or more then the most And supposing it to be true it amounteth God he knoweth but to a very small matter especially being done for humane prayse wherewith he payeth himselfe insteed of others that should reward him for it It may be that in respect of his proud and vnquiet spirit his Superiours were inforced to proue him in many things to see what good they might make of him But in the end it should seeme by his going forth which was like to be vpon some discontentment that they found him fit for nothing The Order of the Society of Iesus may fittly be compared to the sea that casteth forth the dead bodyes or to a vessell of new wine which purgeth all the trash and corrupt matter that is mingled with it and therefore they easily permit such as be not fit for them to depart from them least by staying amongst them being stopt vp close like corruption togeather with the pure wine they should breake the vessell it selfe wherein they are inclosed And albeit for this cause it be more easy for such as are ill disposed to quit themselues of the Society then for any other Religious men to be freed frō other Orders yet the dreadfull iudgments of God haue beene so many and so wonderfull vpon those that haue wrought themselues out of their Company that an honest and a pious mind should be more terrified therewith then with the prisons and fetters of other Orders Whereby also God himselfe hath made manifest to the world that the dispensation which is somtime giuen to those that are dismissed the Society doth acquit them of their vowes according to the cause of their departure which if it be good and sufficient it taketh away the whole obligation but if it be not as I feare me this mans was not they are not discharged before God and their conscience but they remayne still in the laps and in the state of Apostasy from their Religion But you will say he wanted not sufficient cause to depart for he that desireth to be made a Bishop desireth a good worke and this man went forth to be made a Bishop To which I answere that the worke of a Bishop is good but not the desire to be made a Bishop Chry. hom 3. in oper imperf hō 3. in Matt. To desire Primacy in the Church according to S. Chrysostome is neither iust nor profitable And Primacy sayth he desireth those that desire it not and abhorreth those that desire it And the reason is because the worke of a Bishop is a calling of such perfection and such dignity also danger ioyned with it that whosoeuer he be that thinketh himselfe so sufficient for it and so worthy of it as to sue and
haue to say into one argument alone which I frame in this manner S. Peter the Apostle had Supremacy ouer the whole Church of Christ but the Pope of Rome is only the true Successour of S. Peter therefore the Pope of Rome in the place of S. Peter hath also Supremacy ouer the whole Church of Christ Out of which argument you may obserue that the state of this Controuersy consisteth in the proofe of two points The first of S. Peters Supremacy and the second of the Popes succession to S. Peter For probation of the first point out of almost twenty places of Scripture alleadged by Bellarmine togeather with the exposition of the holy Fathers thereupon acknowledging therein the Primacy or Principality of S. Peter in the gouernement of the Church of God I will produce but two places alone The first out of the sixten of S. Matth. Matt. 10.17 where the same was promised in these words And Iesus answering sayd vnto him Blessed art thou Symon Bariona because flesh and bioud hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And I say to thee that thou art Peter that is to say a Rock and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuatle against it And I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth it shall be bound also in the heauens And whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in the Heauens Concerning which words there are three thinges which I find to be questionable The first what our Sauiour promised vnder those tearmes of a Rocke or Foundation of the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen and of binding and loosing in earth and heauen Which because the foundation is the rule and strength of the whole buylding and that the keyes commaund the whole Citty opening and shutting the gates therof and that the sentence of a Supreme iudge doth bind and loose vpon earth It seemeth to be manifest that nothing els can be meant thereby but only the rule the commaund and the gouernement of the Church as it is compared to a building or to a Citty and as it is called the kingdome of God in Scripture In which sense our Sauiour himselfe who of himselfe is the supreme King Head and gouernour of the whole Church is many tymes called a Rocke therein And he is also sayd to beare the key of Dauid and to haue the key of Hell And he himselfe affirmeth Da. 2.34 1. Cor. 10.4 1. Pet. 28 Esa 22.22 Apoc. 1.18.3.7 Matt. 11.30 the yoake which he imposeth to be sweet and the burthen which he byndeth vpon vs to easy And in the same sense all the ancient Fathers haue euer vnderstood this text of Scripture without any difference or variation betweene them The second thing which may be questionable herein is the person to whome these thinges were promised which being described to be S. Peter with so many circumstances of his Name and Syrname and the Name of his Father of the prayse of his former speach and Christs answere thereunto and so many particles applyable only to S. Peter as Iesus answering sayd to Him blessed art Thou flesh and bloud hath not reuealed to Thee and I say to Thee Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke which according to the originall is this in English Thou art Peter and vpon this Peter or thou art Rocke and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church And againe vnto Thee will I giue the keyes c. Whatsoeuer Thou shalt bind c. whatsoeuer Thou shalt loose c. I say if all these things considered the person of S. Peter being thus particulerly described doubt may be made vnto whom the Gouernemēt was promised then we may well say that nothing is plaine but that all thinges are most ambiguous in holy Scripture Wherefore in this also the Fathers do all agree and all of them do gather out of this place that the gouernement of Gods Church was giuen to S. Peter Only S. Augustine who maketh no question to whome the keyes and the authority of binding and loosing was giuen in this place expoundeth sometymes the word Rocke to be meant of Christ whome S. Peter confessed Because saith he our Sauiour sayd not tu es Petra but tu es Petrus wherein he was deceiued as all men acknowledg not vnderstanding the Syriack tongue which maketh no more difference betweene the Masculine and Feminine then doth our English Aug. lib. 1. Retract cap. 21. And S. Augustine himselfe also hauing oftentymes expounded the word Rocke to be meant of S. Peter leaueth both these expositiōs to the choyce of the Reader without condemning either of them The rest of the Fathers out of this place do all affirme the Church to be built both vpon Peter and vpon the Faith of Peter or vpon Peter in respect of his faith which is al one For which faith our Sauiour promised to reward him by building his Church vpon him and by giuing such solidity and stability thereunto that the gates of Hell should not prenayle against it Lastly because the Fathers do oftentymes affirme that S. Peter receiued this power and authority in the person of the Church for the benefit of the Church the last thing questionable cōcerning these words is this Whether he receiued the same as a Procter or substitute alone or as the head and chief of all the Apostles For in both of these respects one man may represent the persons of many as in it selfe it is manifest But it seemeth also that this is a question of that wherof no question can be made For al the Apostles being present there was no necessity nor apparence neither why nor how they should make S. Peter their atturney And our Sauiour naming S. Peter in particuler Symon Bariona commending him in particuler Blessed art thou and confirming vnto him the name of Rocke in particuler it must needs be vnderstood that to him in particuler these promises were made of the regiment of Gods Church and of founding the same vpon him in such manner as that the gates of Hell should not preuayle against it And in this also the Fathers do generally agree as you will perceiue by those testimonyes which shall be produced thereby The second place of Scripture which I will alleadge for the proofe of S. Peters supreme authority is in the second of S. Iohn Ioan. 21.15 for what was promised in the 16. of S. Matthew was there performed For calling him by the name of Symon by the name of Peter and by the name of Symon the sonne of Iona to signify that he applyed his speach to himselfe alone and asking him first whether he loued our Sauiour more then the rest and twice more whether he loued him whereby our Sauiour would signify that he commended to his loue the thing that was most deare vnto him he commaunded
him twise to feed his lambs and the third tyme to feed his sheep whereby he made him the Pastour of his flocke And for a conclusion to keep him in Humility he gaue him warning that as he was to follow him in his place so also he should imitate him in his death signifying what death he should dye That is to say the death of the Crosse In the exposition of which place there is no diuersity of opinion amongst the Fathers neither do they make any doubt or questiō but that our Sauiours speach in this place was directed only to S. Peter that by the word Sheep the whole flocke of Christ was recommended vnto him for the rest of the Apostles themselues were not excepted And that by the word Feed he was commaunded not only to teach but also to gouerne the Church of Christ so far forth as should be necessary for the conduction of the members thereof vnto their supernaturall end which is life euerlasting And therefore albeit all the Apostles in respect of their Apostolike power which was extraordinary and dyed with them had equall Iurisdiction ouer the rest of the Church yet were they not equall amongst themselues but S. Peter in respect of his supreme Episcopall and ordinary authority was the chief and head of them all and especially as they were Bishops or capable of Bishoprickes wherein others might succeed them they were all subiect to S. Peter And for this cause albeit the Church is sayd to be built vpon the other Apostles in generall and that they are also called the Pastours therof yet you shall neuer find that any of them in particuler as for example S. Iohn or S. Iames is tearmed the foundation or the Pastour of the Church without any other limitation but that these titles and the like are giuen by the Fathers to S. Peter alone in respect of the excellency of his dignity and plenarity of ordinary power ouer the Church of Christ SECTION VII The former Expositions of the two places aforesayd togeather with S. Peters Supremacy in dignity doctrine and gouernement are proued out of the testimonyes of the ancient Fathers FOR manifestation whereof and for the more euident proofe that the expositiōs which I haue deliuered of those two places of Scripture aforesayd are conformable to the doctrine of the Fathers I will alleadge some of their authorityes as briefly and succinctly as possible I can And first the same is proued by those titles with the Fathers haue giuen to S. Peter alone By the Councell of Chalcedon (a) Act. 1. therefore he is styled the Rocke and Top of the Church By Origen (b) hom 5. in exod the most solide Rocke By Cyrill (c) Lib. 2. c. 2. in Ioā the Rocke and Stone most firme By Euthymius (d) In cap. 16. Matt. the foundation of the beleeuers By Ambrose (e) Lib. 4. de fide c. 3. the firmament of the Church By Hilary (f) In cap. 16. Matt. the happy foundation of the Church and blessed porter of heauen By Augustine (g) Ser. 15. de Sanctis the foundation of the Church which the Church doth worthily worship By Damascen (h) Orat. de Transsig the key-bearer of the kingdome of heauen By Chrysostome (i) Hom. in psal 50.1 part the basis or bearing-stone of fayth By S. Hierome (k) Lib. 1. cont Iouin the Rocke of Christ Out of which titles or appellations giuen to none of the Apostles but only to S. Peter it must needs be gathered that the words of our Sauiour in the 16. of S. Matthew are to be vnderstood of him alone and that as he was the foundation of the whole buylding so which is all one that he was also the head of the whole body which may be further declared and more expresly proued if need be out of the Fathers For therfore S. Cyril (l) Lib. 12. in Ioan. cap. 64. doth call him the Prince and head of the rest S. Hierome (m) Lib. 1. cont Iouin the head of the Apostles S. Augustine (n) Serm. 124. de tempore Verticem the Crowne Optatus (o) Lib. 2. 7. cont Parmen Apicem the top or highest perfection of the Apostles Euthymius (p) Inc. vlt. Ioan. the Maister of the whole world Epiphanius (q) Epiph. haeres 51. Ducem the Captaine or Leader of the disciples Ambrose (r) lib. 10. in Luc. sc 24. the vicar of the loue of Christ towards vs. S. Cyprian (s) Lib. de vnit Eccl. sayth that the Primacy was giuen to Peter S. Leo (t) Serm. 2. de SS Pet. Paul that he Peter who was the first in confession was the first in Apostolicall dignity S. Athanasius (u) Epist au Pelic. That vpon the foundation of Peter the Pillars of the Church that is to say the Bishops are set or confirmed S. Ambrose (w) Ser. 47. that he was the immoueable Rock contayning the whole Pyle and Iuncture of the whole Christian worke or buylding S. Basil (x) Ser. de neditio Dei that he was happy in being preferted before the rest of the Disciples to whome the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were committed S. Augustine (y) Lib 2 de Baptis hath these words Loe where Cyprian relateth that which we also haue learned in the Scriptures that the Apostle Peter in whome the Primacy of the Apostles appeared aloft with such an excellēt grace was corrected by Paul a later Apostle And againe (z) Serm. 29. de SS he alone among the Apostles deserued to heer Thou art Peter c. Truly a man worthy to be a stone for foundation a Pillar for sustentation a key of the kingdom vnto the people which were to be built vp in the house of God To which purpose S. Ambrose (a) In cap. vlt. Luc. sayd therefore because he alone professed of all the rest he alone is preferred before all the rest And why sayth S. Chrysostom (b) Hom. 87. in loā omitting the rest doth he speak of these thinges to Peter alone He was the mouth of the Apostles the prince and top of that company therfore Paul ascended to visit him before the rest Among the most blessed Apostles sayth Leo (c) Ep 85. ad An ast there was a certayne distinction of power and though the election of all was equall yet vnto one it was after giuen to excell aboue the rest S. Cyprian (d) Ep. ad Iubaia sayth that the Church is one founded vpon one who receiued the keyes thereof by the word of our Lord. The prerogatiues also of the three first Chayres that is to say of Rome Alexandria and Antioch the Bishops whereof were anciently the three first Patriarcks and are so acknowledged in the first generall Councell of Nice do euidently proue the Supremacy of S. Peter whereof S. Gregory writeth in this manner Albeit there were many Apostles Greg. l 6. epist 37.
ad Eulogium Alexan. yet the only seat of the prince of the Apostles preuayled in authority of principality which was of one man in three places For he aduanced the seat wherein he was pleased to rest and to end this present life that is to say Rome He honored the seat to the which he sent his disciple the Euangelist that is to say the seat of Alexandria whither he sent S. Marke He confirmed the seat wherein he sate six years before he left it that is to say wherein he left Euodius to succeed him Thus S. Gregory And as S. Peter S. Marke and Euodius were in Order one aboue another so also the seat wherin S. Peter dyed was the first that of S. Marke was the second and the other of Euodius was the third And each of the three hauing been some wayes the seat of Peter was in respect thereof preferred in honour authority before all the other seats of the rest of the Apostles Epist 3. Epist 53 ad Anatholiū Of this also do make mention S. Anacletus and S. Leo. And in particuler in the honour of the seat of Rome the Church did anciently celebrate a feastiual day called the Feast of the Chayre of Peter which also hath beene euer since obserued August serm 15. de SS Whereof S. Augustine sayth in one of his sermons the institution of this dayes solemnity by our Elders tooke the name of the Chayre c. Worthily therefore do the Churches celebrate the originall day of that Chayre which the Apostles vnder tooke for the welfare or safty of the Churches Vnto these testimonyes which are more then sufficient I will adde some other authorityes which make mention of gouernement to declare what manner of superiority it was that was conferred to S. Peter Eusebius (a) Euseb serm de S. Ioan. Euā Emissenus calleth him the Pastour of Pastours S. Augustine (b) In cap. 21. Ioan. sayth he committed to Peter his sheep to be fed that is to be taught gouerned S. Chrysostome (c) In cap. 21. Ioan. Others omitted he speaketh to Peter alone to whome he committed the care of his brethren c. and the care of the world S. Ambrose (d) Serm. 48. detem pore He Peter was assumed to be the Pastour and receiued the others to be gouerned And againe (e) ad Gallatas 1. vnto him among the Apostles our Sauiour delegated the care of Churches And againe (f) Lib. 4. de fide c. 3. Could he not confirme his fayth Peters to whome with proper authority he gaue a kingdome S. Cyprian (g) De vnitat Eccl. vpon him alone he built his Church and commaunded him to feed his sheep and although he gaue all his Apostles c. equall power yet that he might shew vnity he appointed one Chayre alone where also he calleth him the head the well and the root of the Church S. Chrysostome (h) Ho. 11. in Matt. he made Peter the Pastour of the Church to come and after God only can grant that among so many and so great flowds breaking in with fury the Church to come may remaine immoueable whose Pastour and head is but a poore fisher ignoble And againe God the Father did set Hieremy ouer one Nation alone but him Peter Christ hath set ouer the whole world Theophilact (i) In cap. vlt. Ioan. dinner being ended he commended to Peter the Prefectship of the sheep of all the world not vnto another but vnto him he gaue it And againe (k) In cap. 22. Luc. S. Peter after his denyall was to receiue the Primacy of all men and the Prefectship of the world Damascene (l) Orat. de transfig as Prclate he receiued the stern or gouernemeut of the whole Church S. Maximus (m) Ser. 3. de Apost of how great merit was S. Peter with our Lord that vnto him after the Oare or guidance of a little boat the sterne or gouernement of the whole Church should be deliuered Leo (n) Ser. 3. de an assū out of the whole world Peter alone was chosen who was set ouer the vocation of al Natiōs ouer all the Apostles and all the Fathers of the Church that there being in the people of God many Priests and many Pastors Peter might properly gouerne all whome Christ also doth principally gouerne Eusebius Emissenus (o) vbi supra He Peter gouerneth subiects and Prelates therfore he is the Pastour of all because besides lambs and sheep there is nothing in the Church Bernardus (p) Lib. 2. de confid Thou alone art the Pastour of all not only of the sheep alone but also of the Pastours You will aske me how I proue it out of the words of our Lord to which I do not say of the Bishops alone but also of the Apostles were all the sheep committed so absolutly and without distinction feed my sheep sayth he to whome is it not plaine that he designed not some but assigned all Nothing is excepted where nothing is distinguished And not to cloy you with ouer many testimonyes in a matter so euident I will conclude with our Countrey man S. Bede (q) Hom. in vigil 3. Andreae Therefore sayth he did S. Peter specially receiue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the principality of Iudiciall power that all the faithfull through the world might vnderstand that no such as separate themselues any kind of way from the vnity of his fayth and society can be absolued from the bands of their sinnes nor enter into the gate of the kingdome of Heauen Out of that which hath beene so copiously alleadged if you please to reflect a little thereupon you may gather the reason and ground of this institution of one Supreme herd in the Church of God Which also because it doth more confirme the truth of that which hath beene sayd I will open a little briefly declare vnto you First then there is no question to be made but that our Sauiour Christ whose workes are perfect did therfore ordayne his Spouse the Church to be gouerned by one alone in his owne place vpon earth because this is the most excellent and most perfect kind of Gouernement as Bellarmine proueth at large out of all the ancient Fathers and Philosophers And therefore the gouernement of the Church and Commonwealth of the Iewes in the old Testament being ordayned by God himself was Monarchicall or of one in chief Which was also a Type and figure of the same kind of gouernement of the Church of Christ to be established in the new Testament The originall cause therfore and formall reason of this kind of gouernement and institution in the Church of Christ was the perfect vnity of the members therof which our Sauiour specially intended For the which also he prayed Ioan. 17.21.22 Ioan. 13.35 Lib. 1. ep 8. and would that his Disciples might be knowne thereby from the rest of the
world God is one sayth S. Cyprian and Christ is one and the Church is but one and the Chayre therof but one founded vpon Peter by the voice of our Lord. Where he sheweth that as Christ is one with God so the Church being founded vpon S. Peter is one with Christ and according to the prayer of our Sauiour to his Father saying That they may be one as we are one And then followeth in S. Cyprian No other Altar or Priesthood can be established whosoeuer gathereth els where scattereth Lib. de past c. 13. To which purpose S. Augustine also hath these words For Peter himselfe to whome he commended his sheep as one man should do to another he our Sauiour made one with himselfe that so he might commend his sheep vnto him that is to say as to the other part of himselfe that as one was the head the other might beare the figure of the body to wit of the Church and that like the Brydegrome and the Bryde they might be two in one flesh Whereby he meaneth that S. Peter representing the whole Church as the head vnder Christ was made one with Christ the Supreme head thereof according to his owne words in other places saying That Peter the Apostle in respect of the Primacy of his Apostleship did beare the person of the Church by a figuratiue generality And againe Tract vlt. in Ioan. he is acknowledged to beare the person of the Church in respect of his Primacy and as holding the principality of the Apostleship More expresly In psal 108. Ser de verbis Dom. Ser. 2. de an assum S. Leo declareth this vnity saying For so he Peter was ordinated before the rest as while he is called a Rocke whil he is pronoūced to be the foundation while he is constituted the Porter of the kingdome of Heauen we might vnderstand by the misteryes of these appellations the society which he had with Christ. And yet more fully els where Serm. 3. de an assump As my Father manifested vnto thee my diuinity so also I make known vnto thee thy excellency for thou art Peter that is though I be the Rocke inuiolable the stone of the corner which maketh both to be one I the foundation besides which no man can lay another yet thou also art the Rock because by my vertue thou art made solide to the end that those thinges which by my power are proper to me by participation with thee might be made cōmon with thee and me By which wordes these holy Fathers labour to declare the vnspeakable vnity of Christ and his Church teaching how the head thereof in earth is made one by Gods diuine grace in name in place and dignity with the head in heauen For the further explicatiō wherof you shall vnderstād that the vnity which the Church possesseth by this means doth especially consist in 3. thinges the first is vnity of Iurisdiction or Iudiciall power which that it dependeth wholy of one head vpon earth and of the authority giuen to S. Peter is manifestly proued out of those places of the Fathers wherein he is acknowledged to haue the Primacy to be the head Pastour and gouernour of the vniuersall world which also shal be further cōfirmed when we come to speake of the Popes succession to S. Peter The second is vnity and consent in fayth for the mantainance whereof that solidity and strength was giuen to the fayth of Peter vpon which the Fathers according to the Scripture do aknowledg the Church of Christ to be built so strongly as that the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it And therfore S. Cyprian in his booke de vaitate Ecclesiae hauing declared that the Diuell to diminish the great mulutude of the beleeuers increasing so fast had denised Schismes and Heresyes wherby many were blinded and carryed away discouereth the cause therof in these words This is done sayth he beloued brethren because men haue not recourse to the origine of the truth neither seeking the head nor following the doctrine of their celestiall maister And then expounding himselfe he addeth Our Lord speaketh vnto Peter I say vnto thee Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. And againe after his resurrection he sayd vnto him Feed my sheep In which words this glorious Martyr sheweth that according to the doctrine of Christ our maister for the finding out of the truth we must haue recourse to Peter the foundation of the Church and the Pastour therof And thereof he concludeth that albeit the Apostles were all equall in honour and power that is to say of Apostleship yet the Primacy was giuen to Peter that there might be one Church and one Chayre one flock fed by many Pastors with one mynd and consent The like words he also vseth in his epistle to Pope Cornelius where he sayth Lib. 1. ep 3. ad Cornel. For neither from any other cause do Heresyes come vp or Schismes do arise but only from this that obedience is not giuen to the Priest of God and that one Priest for the tyme or one Iudge for the tyme is not acknowlelged in the Church in the place of Christ. Whome if according to the diuine documents of their Maister the whole fraternity obeyed no man would or could moue any thing at all against the colledge of Priests that is to say collected vnited vnder one Priest one Iudge vpon earth in the place of Christ Epist 46. inter epist Cypriani And Pope Cornelius himselfe writing to S. Cyprian signifieth that some being repentant of their Schisme which ignorantly they had made against him confessed their errours in these words We know that Cornelius was elected by God almighty and by Christ our Lord to be the Bishop of the holy Catholike Church c. Our mind was alwayes in the Catholike Church For we are not ignorant that there is one God one Christ one holy Ghost and that in the Catholike Church there ought to be one Bishop so they which is the same in effect with the doctrine related out of S. Cyprian himselfe with which confession of theirs Cornelius sayth that he was much moued willed S. Cyprian to send his letters of the relation thereof to other Churches And to conclude this poynt the saying of S. Hierome is common in euery booke of Controuersy Among the twelue one was chosē that an head being established the occasion of schism might be taken away Thirdly therefore the vnity of the Church is increased and perfected by the vnity in power of Ecclesiasticall Order which as it dependeth of one alone to be rightly conferred so it is more then probable that our Sauiour ordayned it should descend from onealone Epist 1. so I vnderstand with Bellarmine those words of Anacletus that in the new Testament after Christ the Sacerdotall Order came from Peter by which he must meane not the order of Priests who were ordayned by our Sauiour himselfe in
his last supper but of Bishops who according to Anacletus receiued their Episcopal ordination from Peter as Peter receiued the same from Christ Which Innocentius doth signify more expresly saying Innocent epist 91. ep 93. inter epist August From whome Peter ipse Episcopatus the Episcopall power it selfe and all the authority of this name proceeded And againe whensoeuer any matter of fayth is called in question I thinke all our brethren and fellow-Bishops should defer the same to none but to Peter that is to the authour of their name and honour The like words hath Iulius the first in his first epist to the Bishops of the East Which fault you should not haue incurred if from whence you receiued the honour of consecration from thence you had taken the law of all obseruance And the seate of the blessed Apostle S. Peter which is the mother vnto vs of sacerdotall dignity was also the Mistresse of Ecclesiastical discipline Which is further confirmed by S. Leo Leo ser 3. de assump saying If his will were that any thing should be common with Peter and the rest of the Princes meaning the Apostles he neuer gaue but by him whatsoeuer he denyed not to others And againe Epist 89. Our Lord would that the sacrament of this function should so appertayne to the office of all the Apostles that in the most blessed Peter Hom. vlt. in illud sequere me the chief of all the Apostles it should be principally placed to the end that his gifts might be diffused froÌ„ him as it were from the head to all the body With these also notably agreeth S. Cyprian saying (a) Ep. 27. Our Lord disposing the manner or forme of his Church speaketh in the Ghospell and sayth to Peter I say vnto thee that thou art Peter c. And a little after from thence with the changes of tymes and successions the ordination of Bishops the state or forme of the Church doth follow If any body aske me sayth S. Chrysostome how Iames got the seat of Hierusalem I answere that Peter the Maister of the whole world did set him therein These three poynts of vnity in gouernment in faith and in the ordination of Bishops are further confirmed out of S. Cyprian (b) Lib. de vnit Eccle. by his comparisons of the Church to many sunne beams many bowes and many brookes proceeding from the same sunne the same tree and the same fountaine For so sayth he that albeit the Church haue many beames and many branches and many riulets diffused through the world yet there is but one head one origen one mother of all this fecundity Likewise out of the authour of the question of the old and new Testament amongst the workes of S. Apud S. Thomam opusc 1. cont err Grec c. 23. §. Habetur Augustine saying As in our Sauiour were all the causes of maistership so also after our Sauiour they were all conteyned in Peter Also out of S. Cyrill who doubted not to say that as Christ receiued most full power from his Father so also most fully he committed the same to Peter and his Successours And againe vnto no other then vnto Peter but to him alone he gaue quod suum est plenum fully that which was his And briefly the same is gathered out of the vnspeakable vnion which the Fathers acknowledge in the Church of Christ with their head on earth and of her head on earth with her head in Heauen SECTION VIII The conclusion of the first poynt of this Controuersy which is also further confirmed by the Confession of the Protestants themselues AND thus much may suffice for the first poynt of this Controuersy wherein I haue shewed how the Catholikes demonstrate the Primacy of S. Peter by two especiall places of holy Scripture and by the vniforme consent and exposition of the holy Fathers who thereupon do giue such titles and appellations to Peter as are giuen to no other Apostle in particuler but were only communicated by Christ to S. Peter alone who do also expresly teach out of the former places that he was the head the Prince and the supreme gouernour of the Church of Christ and that to him alone in particuler manner was committed the care of his brethen of the Churches and of all the faythfull throughout the world And lastly they agree that the cause of the institution of this kind of gouernement in the Church of Christ was for the mantainance and preseruation of perfect vnity therein as well among the members as also of all the members with the head thereof from whence it deriueth that vniformity of Fayth and that singular vnity both of Iudiciall power and Episcopall order wherewith it shyneth like the Sunne throughout the world A thing so euident that albeit the Bishop could not find it in the Fathers because he looked another way and neuer sawe them or neuer vnderstood them yet the greatest part of the Protestant writers being ashamed to deny a matter so manifest haue thought it better to accuse them then to bely them And namely they reprehend S. Hierome Conturiatores S. Hilary S. Gregory Nozianzâ—n S. Cyprian Origen and in one word many Fathers for affirming the Church to be built vpon Peter reprouing also others for calling him the head of the Apostles M. Fulk and affirming that in these poynts the Church then in those pure tymes was corrupted bewitched and made blynde with errour That many of the ancient Fathers were deceiued and in particuler S. Leo and S. Gregory of whome the last liued about the yeare 590. with the long contynuance of this errour And that the mistery of iniquity wrought in the seat of Rome neer 500. or 600. yeares before them And many Protestants proceed so far as that they do not only confesse but also defend the same as doth M. Doctor Whitegift saying Whitegift Among the Apostles there was one chiefe c. that had chiefe authority ouer the rest that Schisms might be compounded Caluin Who also citeth Caluin affirming that the twelue Apostles had one among them to gouerne the rest Musculus and Musculus in these words the celestiall Spirits are not equall the Apostles themselues were not equall Peter is found in many places to haue beene chief among the rest which we deny not Maister Doctour Couell likewise Couel doth not only defend it but also layeth downe the generall receiued reason therof If this sayth he were the prin ipall meanes to preuent Schismes and dissentions in the Primitiue Church when the graces of God were far more abundant and eminent then now they are Nay if the twelue were not like to agree except there had beene one chiefe among them For sayth Hyerome among the twelue one was therefore chosen that a chief being appoynted occasion of dissention might be preuented c. So he And againe how can they thinke sayth he of the Puritans that equality
the most Blessed and most Apostolike man the Pope of Rome who is head of all Churches whereby his Apostleship hath pleased to cōmaund that Dioscorus the Archbishop of the Alexandrians should not sit in the Councell all the Councell obayed And afterwards the letters of Pope Leo being read Act. 2. all the Fathers of the Councell sayd so we belieue Peter hath spoken so by Leo. And in the third action Leo is often called vniuersall Patriarch and vniuersall Archbishop And Iutianus one of the Bishops sayd vnto one of the Popes Legates that they held the Primacy of the most holy Leo and desired them as holding his place to giue sentence against Dioscorus wherunto the Councell consented and sentence was giuen accordingly in the Popes name against him In which Councell also Theodoretus who was deposed by a Synod of Ephesus being restored by the Pope was admitted to enter with these words Let the most reuerend B. Theodoret come in and be made partaker of the Councell because the most holy Archbishop Leo hath restored his Bishoprick vnto him S. Thomas of Aquin recitoth out of the same Councell the confirmation of appeales of all Bishops accused of any great cryme to the Pope of Rome and that other things defined by him should be held or receiued as from the Vicar of the Apostolike Throne and that the whole Councel made this acclamation to Pope Leo Let the most holy Apostolike and vniuersall Patriarch liue many yeares Lastly the same Coūcell in their Epistle to Leo confesse him to be their head and they the members speaking of the wickednes of Eutiches after all this say they ouer and aboue he extended his madnes euen against him to whom the custody of the vineyard was committed by our Sauiour that is against thy Apostolicall Holynes and he thought to excommunicate thee that doest hasten to vnite the body of the Church And in cōclusion with many faire words they desire him to grant vnto them that the Church of Constantinople might haue the second place after the Apostolike Sea which notwithstanding he would not grant them nor was it granted by his successours for a long tyme after And thus much of the foure first generall Coūcells which they that receiue them according to the Statute must needs grant that the Pope hath always had Primacy that he is the successor to S. Peter the head of the whole fayth of all the rest of the Apostles and the vicar of Christ the like That his care and study is the ground and foundation of the Church that he is the vniuersall Archbishop head of the Church that no Councells ought to be celebrated without his sentence that it is necessary the Councells should declare vnto him what passed in them that whatsoeuer he defined should be receiued as from the vicar of Christ That causes of great difficulty must be referred vnto him that all Bishops may appeale vnto him to the Church of Rome as to their Mother that he commaundeth in Councells that he may depose Patriarches restore them that be deposed And lastly that the decrees of Councells take no effect without his confent and confirmation SECTION XI The Popes Supremacy is proued out of the point of the infallibility of his doctrine by the Authorityes of the ancient Fathers FOVRTHLY therefore the Catholikes in defence of this doctrine of the Popes Supremacy produce the authorityes of all the ancient Fathers nubem testium a bright and great cloud of witnesses to inlighten the obscurity of fayth in this vale of darknes Which if I should go about to set downe at large I should be infinite Wherefore to contract this copious matter I will alleadg some of those who teach that the authority of the Pope of Rome and the Church of Rome as vnited with the Pope ought to be receiued in matters of Faith whereof it must needs follow that the Pope succeedeth S. Peter and that as vpon S. Peter in respect of his faith so also in his place vpon the Pope the Church is so built in such manner as that the gates of Hell shall not preuayle against it But before I begin I would haue you obserue that it is all one to affirme the sea of Rome to be the Rocke of the Church or the Pope to succeed S. Peter in his Pastorall Office or to giue vnto the Pope any of those titles which are proper to S. Peter as to say expresly that neither the one nor the other can fayle in teaching the true faith because these former assertions and the like do imply that the promise made vnto S. Peter doth belong also to the Pope his seat and that the fayth or doctrine which the Pope teacheth can suffer no defect because according to the words of our Sauiour the stability and duration of the Church dependeth of it And therefore it is manifest that the Fathers do signify thereby that the Church of Rome was not only the true Church in their dayes or that the Pope did not teach any false doctrine in their times as some Protestants seeme to vnderstand them but also that the truth was alwayes to continue therein and that the Pope could neuer erre in matter of Fayth grounding themselues as I haue sayd vpon the promise of Christ to S. Peter and that you may not doubt of this I thought good to proue the supremacy of the Pope out of the infalibility of doctrine which the Fathers acknowledge to be inseparable from the Pope and sea of Rome The first that I thinke fit to produce in this matter is the great Athanasius who withstood himselfe alone the force and fury of foure Emperours and sustained the persecution of all the Arian heretikes and a man may say of all the Easterne world against him He was Patriarch of Alexandria at that tyme the second seat after Rome was a principall man both in the Councell of Nice and also in that of Sardis In which sacred Schooles in respect of his excellent vertues it might perchance be truly sayd that he deserued the place of a maister But it is prayse sufficient that he shewed himselfe a most renowned scholer of those renowned maisters He therfore that had receiued the spirit of the Nicen Councell and wrote according to the sense and doctrine of the Fathers therof saluted Marke the Bishop of Rome in this manner Athan. ep ad Marc. To our most holy Lord venerable with Apostolicall dignity Marke the Father of the holy Roman and Apostolicall seat and of the vniuersall Church Athanasius the Bishops of East health and afterwards in his letters he acknowledgeth the Roman Church to be the Mother of all Churches and vseth also these words We are yours and vnto you with all those committed to our charge we are obedient and euer will be And in his epistle to Felix the second he with the other Bishops of Aegipt do say In tom 1. Concil that they suggest
to his holy Apostleship that it would please him according to his custome to haue care of them that they and theirancestors had receiued help from his holy Apostolike seat that according to the decrees of the Canons they beseech the sayd Apostolike highest seat to giue them help from whence their Predecessours had receiued ordinations rules of doctrine and other helpes that they haue recourse vnto the Roman Church as to their Mother that he was Peter and vpon his foundation the pillars of the Church that is the Bishops say they are set and confirmed that they presume not without his counsell to define any matter of fayth the Canons commaunding that without the Roman Bishop in the more weighty causes nothing ought to be determyned that the iudgment of all Bishops is committed to his seat And they expound the place of Matthew 16. of the Primacy thereof and confirme all that they say with the authority of the Nicen Councell whereupon you must needs grant that none can write a better cōment then those excellent men that were present at it After Athanasius shall follow those other Fathers who haue recorded the succession of the Popes of Rome to S. Peter thereupon compare the fayth of the one with the faith of other the fayth of the Catholike Church with that of Rome in regard of the Popes person in whome the immediate gouernement of that sea the supremacy of S. Peter are both vnited Ireneaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Ancient Irenaeus scholler to Policarp the disciple of S. Iohn teacheth that the Church of Rome is the greatest and the most ancient that it is knowne to all men founded and established by the two glorious Apostles Peter and Paul and that the Catholikes shewing the tradition which it receiued from the Apostles and that faith which was deliuered to all comming downe by succession of the Bishops thereof euen vnto their tyme they did thereby confound all those that gathered otherwise then they ought by selfe conceit or vayne glory or blindnes or false knowledge Wherein you see he supposeth the true fayth to be preserued in the Roman seat by meanes of the succession of the Bishop therof to S. Peter and S. Paul and that all those are confounded thereby that do hold any contrary doctrine whereof immediatly after he giueth the reason saying For necessarily euery Church must haue recourse and accord with the Church of Rome in respect of her more powerfull principality So that all those that do not accord therewith hauing their principality from the Apostles are vtterly confounded by it And a little after The blessed Apostles sayth he founding and instructing the Church deliuered the Episcopall care of the gouernment therof to Linus setting downe successiuely the names of all the Popes vntill his tyme. Where I would haue you note that he maketh no difference betweene the Roman Church and the Church in generall which he sayth the Apostles instructed and left to Linus Epiphanius also relating exactly the same succession of the Popes to S. Peter Epiphan har 27. addeth that no man should meruaile why the same is so particulerly recounted For sayth he by those thinges that is to say In ancorat circaprinc by this particuler succession clarity is alwayes shewed meaning that the knowledge of this succession was necessary for the clarity and knowledge of the Catholike doctrine And therefore els where he sayth that his succession is the firme Rocke vpon the which the Church is built and that the gates of hell which are Heretikes and Arch-heretikes shall not preuayle against it For absolutely the fayth is firmed in him that receiued the keyes and looseth in earth and bindeth in Heauen So Epiphanius who teacheth plainly as you see that the true Fayth cannot be separated from the Seat of S. Peter S. Hierome likewise (a) Lib. de praescript Eccles in Clemen briefly declareth this succession and notably (b) Epist. ad Dam. deliuereth his sentencè concerning his doctrine Although sayth he to Pope Damasus thy greatnes doth feare me yet thy humanity doth inuite me being a sheep I craue the help of my Sheepheard I speake with the successour of the Fisher and with the disciple of the Crosse I following no chiefe but Christ do associate my selfe with the communion of thy Beatitude that is of the Chayre of Peter Vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be buylt whosoeuer out of this house shall eate the lamb he is prophane whosoeuer is not found in the Arke of Noë shall perish with the floud And a little after he that gathereth not with thee scattereth that is he that is not of Christ is of Antichrist Where most euidently he calleth the Chayre of the Pope the Chayre of Peter and the Rocke of that Church out of which there is no saluation and that he who gathereth not with the Pope is not of Christ but of Antichrist Yea so much he grounded him selfe vpon the authority of the Pope that he affirmed he would not be affrayd to say that there were three hypostases in the Trinity if the Pope should bid him And againe in the end of his exposition of the Creed to Pope Damasus This is the Catholike fayth sayth he most blessed Pope which we haue learned of the Catholike Church wherein if any thing be lesse skillfully or lesse warily set downe we desire that it may be corrected by thee that dost hold the fayth and the seat of Peter But if this our confession shall be approued by thy Apostleship whosoeuer will accuse me shall shew himselfe either to be ignorant or maleuolous or perchance no Catholike but me to be an heretike he shall not proue Where he fignifyeth that none can be heretikes Lib. 1. appol cont Ruff. who suffer themselues to be corrected by the Popes authority And concerning the Roman Church speaking against Ruffinus he sayth What fayth is that which he calleth his If he answere the Roman fayth ergo Catholici sumus then are we both Catholikes where he teacheth plainly the Catholike and the Roman fayth to be the same Lib. 3. appol cont Ruff. And in the same treatise know sayth he that the Roman fayth praysed by the voyce of the Apostles doth not receiue any such illusions although an Angell should teach otherwise then hath beene once preached With S. Hierome must go accompanyed S. Augustine who in his answere to the letters of a certaine Donatist vrging the perpetuall duration of the Catholike Church built vpon Peter according to the promisse of our Sauiour recounteth aboue fourty Popes deducing them successiuely from S. Peter to Anastasius who was Pope at that tyme and then concludeth that in all that order of succession Epist 165. no Donatist Bishop could be found by which discourse he would proue that the Donatists were not the true Church because no Pope or head of the Church was euer Donatist Which in the same place he further confirmeth by
answering a secret obiection that the Pope might erre because a wicked man might be Pope For sayth he though some traytor or Iudas should haue entred into that rancke or order yet this could nothing preiudice the Church nor the innocent Christians or beleeuers for whom our Lord had prouided by saying of euill gouernours do what they say but do not what they do for they say and do not to the end that the assured hope of the faythfull relying it selfe not vpon mā but vpon God or vpon the word of our Sauiour they might neuer be deuyded by tempest of sacrilegious Schism Where he proueth that no euill Pope can erre because if that could be the innocent Christians following our Sauiours commaundment should be thereby deceiued Cont. ep Fundamēti cap. 4. and deuyded in Schisme And therfore he also professeth that the succession of Priests from the seat of Peter vnto the Bishop liuing in his time held him in the Catholike Church making that an argument of the true doctrine therof And comparing the communion of the Apostolike head with the members to the vnion of the mystical vine with the branches In psal cont part Donat. he exhorteth the Donatists thereunto in these words Come brethren if you please that you may be grafted in the vyne It is a grief vnto vs when we see you to lye thus cut off Number the Priests euen from the very seat of Peter and in that order of Fathers see who and to whome each one succeeded That seat is the Rocke which the proude gates of Hell do not ouercome vnder standing thereby that they who were cut off from the communion of that seat and succession were also cut off from the Church of Christ and that according to the promise of our Sauiour neither they nor their errours should be able to prouayle against it Lib. 2. cōt duas epist Pelag. Lib. 1. cont lūli cap. 4. And affirming against the Pelagians that the antiquity of the Catholike fayth was cleerly knowne by the letters of venerable Innocentius the Pope he inferreth that to departe from his sentence was to straggle from the Roman Church making it by this inferrence a certaine signe of departure from the Church of Christ And rebuking a certaine Pelagian Me thinkes sayth he that part of the world should suffice thee meaning for his beliefe in matters of fayth wherein our Lord would that the chiefe of his Apostles should be crowned with a most glorious Martyrdome vnto the President of which Church being the blessed Innocentius if thou wouldest haue giuen care long since in the dangerous tyme of thy youth thou hadst freed thy selfe from the snares of Pelagians For what could that holy man answeare to the Affrican Countells but that which the Apostolike seat and the Roman Church doth anciently hold with other Wherein he teacheth that the definition of the Pope ought to suffice vs and that he cannot determine otherwise then according to the ancient Fayth Optatus likewise recounteth the lyneall succession of the Popes and beginneth the same in this manner Therefore the Chayre is vnited which is the first of her gists therein Peter sate the first to whome succeeded Linus c. numbring the rest vnto Siricius who liued in his tyme. And a little before he sayth it ought to be seene who sate first in the Chayre where he sate And afterwards tho◠canst not deny but thou knowest that the Episcopall Chayre was giuen first to S. Peter in the Citty of Rome wherin Peter the head of all the Apostles sate in which one Chayre vnity ought to be kept of all men Signifying therby that Peter the head of all the Apostles sate first therin to shew that all those that are members of the Church are bound to vnite themselues vnto it Tertullian is also one of those that describeth the Catalogue of the Roman Bishops which he composeth in verse beginning with S. Peter and ending with Higinius Pius Anicetus And in his booke of Prescriptions he sayth thou hast Rome whose authority vnto vs also is ready at hand so giuing his reader to vnderstand that the authority of Rome was an argument euer ready to confute an heretike And thē followeth A Church happy in her state to whō the Apostles powred forth or gaue abundantly their whole doctrine togeather with their bloud meaning no doubt that they powred forth their whole doctrine into it to be preserued therin for euer in respect wherof he tearmeth it happy per excellentiam which Irenaeus doth more fully expresse when he sayth that we must not go to others to seeke the truth which we may easily haue from the Church Irenaeus l. 3. cap 3. wherein the Apostles as it were in a most rich treasure haue layd togeather all those things which are of truth that from thence euery one who will may receiue the same And thus much of those Fathers that do not only set downe the Popes succession to S. Peter Tom. 1. Cōcil ante Concil Calced but also plainly teach that his fayth cannot fayle because he holdeth the place of Peter wherein none of the other Fathers disagree or dissent from thē Petrus Chrysologus in his epistle to Euthiches the Heretike condemned afterward in the Calcedon Councel exhorteth him in this māner We exhort thēe venerable brother to attend attentiuely vnto those things which are written from the most blessed Pope of the Citty of Rome For blessed Peter liuing and gouerning in that his proper seat gaue the truth of fayth to all those that secke it which may serue for a cleere exposition of the words of Tertullian and Irenaeus afore sayd Prosper S. Augustines Scholler inferreth as most absurd Prosp cōt Collit cap. 20. that according to the cēsure of his aduersary Pope Innocentius should haue erred a man sayth he most worthy of the Seat of Peter And likewise that the holy Seat of Blessed Peter should haue erred which spake vnto the whole world by the mouth of Pope Sozimus Cap. 41. And againe that Pope Innocentius strock the heads of wicked errour with the Apostolicall dagger And that Pope Sozimus with his sentence gaue force to the Affrican Councells and armed the hands of all the Fathers with the sword of Peter to the cutting off of the wicked And that Rome by the principality of Apostolicall Preisthood De vocat gentium lib. 2. was made greater by the Arke of Religion then by the Throne of secular power S. Ambrose sayth Ambros cap. 3 1. ad Tim. that though all the world be of God yet his house is sayd to be the Church wherof at this day Damasus is the Rector And els where He demaunded the Bishop sayth he whether he agreed with the Catholike Bishops that is whether he agreed with the Roman Church Orat. in Satyrum In which words he maketh it all one to agree with the Church of Rome and with the Catholike Church And againe he saith
Lib. 1. ep 4. ad Imperatores that the clemency of the Pope should be intreated not to suffer the head of the whole Reman world the Romā Church and that inuiolable Fayth of the Apostles to be disquieted because from thence did flow the Lawes of venerable communion vnto all Saint Cyprian besides that he teacheth as you haue heard the cause of an Heresy Schisme to be Epist 55. ad Cornel. Epist 40. Ib. lib. 4. epist 8. for that one Priest and one Iudge for the tyme is not acknowledged in the Church of God And that there is one chayre buylt by the voyce of our Lord vpon S. Peter that whosoeuer gathereth els where scattereth which S. Hierome expoundeth as you haue heard not to be with Christ but with Antichrist being to signify vnto the Pope that one to whome he wrote did communicate with the Pope expounding himselfe he sayth Epist 52. that is with the Catholike Church Where he also maketh it all one to communicate with the Pope and to accord with the Catholike Church And complayning of certayne Heretikes he vseth these words Epist 55. ad Cornelium They are so bold as to sayle vnto the chayre of Peter to the principall Church from whence Priestly vnity doth proceed not considering that they are Romanes whose Faith is praysed by the preaching of the Apostle vnto whome no falshood can haue accesse Giuing thereby to vnderstand that it was in vayne for Heretikes to imagine that the Sea of Peter or the Roman Church could be deceiued by them S. Cyril desired to know of Pope Celestine Cyril ep 18. tom 1. Concil Ephes cap. 10. cap. 14. whether he would communicate any longer with Nestorius the Heretike for that he presumed not to separate himselfe frō him without the Popes knowledge vnto whome Pope Celessine answered that with the authority of his Sea the Popes and with the power of his place as his Vicar he should with all diligence execute the sentence of excommunication c. Whereunto S. Cyril obayed Who also in his booke called the booke of Treasury as S. Thomas doth alledge him hath these words as Christ receiued most full power from his Father Opusc 1. cont err Graec. cap. 32. §. Habetur so also most fully he committed the same to S. Peter and his Successours Againe vnto no other then vnto Peter but vnto him alone he gaue quod suum est plenum the fulnes of his power And againe D. Thom. in catena Matt. 16. according to this promise of our Lord meaning that of the 16. of S. Matthew the Apostolike Church of Peter doth remayne immaculate from all seduction and Hereticall circumuention in the Bishops thereof in the most full Faith and authority of Peter ouer all the Primates of the Churches and their people Againe D. Tho. op cōt Graec. all according to the diuine law bow downe their heads to Peter and the Primates of the world obayed him as our Lord Iesus Christ himselfe And S. Thomas sayth further that it is necessary to saluation to be vnder the Roman Bishop prouing the same out of other words of S. Cyril in the same booke saying Therefore brethren if we follow Christ let vs heare his voyce as his sheep remayning in the Church of Peter which testimonyes albeit now they are not found in that volume of S. Cyrils because as it is knowne many bookes thereof haue perished yet in respect of the authority of S. Thomas no question can be made of the true allegation of them Lastly not to be ouer tedious I will conclude with the testimony of S. Bernard who imploring the Popes authority against a new Heresy then arising saith All dangers and scandalls arising in the Kingdome of God especially which concerne Faith ought to be referred to your Apostleship For I thinke it conuenient that the domages of the Faith should there especially be amended where Faith can feele no defect For this is the prerogatiue of that sea c. SECTION XII The Popes Supremacy is proued by his being priuiledged from errour in doctrine of Faith out of the Authorityes of the Popes themselues HAVING thus proued the Popes Supremacy by the foure first general Councells and by the testimonyes of the Fathers not only in generall but also in the particuler poynt of their infallible doctrine which is most in Controuersy betwene you and vs according as your patience and the straitnes of a letter will permit It is now expedient in this place to shew how the Catholikes demonstrate the same by the authorityes of the Popes themselues For how much lesse the protestants esteem of them so much the more the holy Fathers as you haue seen do magnify and extoll them submitting themselues no lesse to their decrees then to the sentences and definitions of generall Councells Suarez in his answere to the Kings booke alleadgeth the authorityes of more then fourty Popes within the first 600. yeares for the power dignity and succession of their Supremacy Who being men chosen by the spirit of God and of the primitiue Church in respect of their wisedome and excellent gifts for the gouerment thereof and the most of them being declared and acknowledged for Saints and Martyrs by the whole Christian world I cannot tell with what face any man that beareth but the name of a Christian can deny their authority For breuities sake omitting the most and greatest part I will first produce some of those Popes that challenge to themselues the like stability in Faith and doctrine as the Fathers grant vnto them according to the word and promise of our Sauiour made to S. Peter their predecessour and afterwards I will likewise proue their Supremacy in gouernment and Iudiciall power ouer the Church of Christ Fabianus acknowledgeth that he was bound by the diuine precepts and Apostolicall ordinations to watch ouer the state of all Churches Epist 1. That others were bound to know the sacred rites of the Roman Church which was called their Mother Epist 3. ad Hilarium And that he was aduanced to that Priestly height to forbid those things which were vnlawfull and to teach those things that were to be followed Lucius the first in his Epistle to the Bishops of Spayne and France saith Epist 1. that the Roman Church is Apostolike and the Mother of all Churches which was proued neuer to haue erred from the path of the Apostolike tradition nor to haue byn depraued with Hereticall nouelty according to the promise of our Lord saying I haue prayed for thee c. which promise you know can neuer fayle and therefore the Roman Church can neuer erre as being vnited to S. Peter and his successours to whome the promise was made Felix the first likewise sayth that as the Roman Church receiued in the beginning Epist ad Benignū the rule of Christian Faith from her authours or founders the Princes of Christs Apostles so it remayneth vntouched
according to that I haue prayed for thee c. Agatho likewise in his Epistle to the Emperour Constantine which was read and and approued in the 6 generall Councell sayth This is the rule of the true Faith which the Apostolike Church of Christ both in prosperity and aduersity hath liuely held c. because it was sayd to Peter I haue prayed c. here our Lord promised that the Faith of Peter should not fayle and admonished him to confirme his brethren which the Apostolike Bishops the predecessours of my littlenesse as all men know haue alwayes fulfilled Simplicius Epist 1. in his Epistle to Zeno the Emperour calling him sonne and exhorting him to defend the Faith he sayth for the same rule of Apostolicall doctrine doth abyde fast in his successours speaking of Pope Leo to whome our Lord inloyned the care of his whole flock where you see he acknowledgeth tho doctrine of the Pope to be a rule of Faith which was to remayne according to the institution of our Sauiour And els where he saith notably as followeth The doctrine of the holy memory of our Predecessors being extant against the which it is not lawfull to dispute whosoeuer doth seeme to be rightly wise hath no need of new instructions Eusebius in his Epistle to the Bishops of Tuscany and Campania sayth Epist 3. that the sentence of our Lord Iesus Christ cannot be pretermitted which sayth thou art Peter c. And those words which were then spoken are proued true by the effects of things because in the Apostolike sea the Catholike religion hath alwayes byn kept without spot Gelasius likewise sayth That the Apostolicall sea is very carefull not to be stained with any contagion of prauity or false doctrine because the glorious confession of the Apostle Peter is the roote For sayth he If any such thing should happen Epist ad Anastas August which we assure our selues can neuer be how should we presume to resist any errour c. Where you see he proueth that the Apostolike seat is priuiledged from errour being grounded vpon the confession of S. Peter whereunto our Sauiour promised that stability which is fit for the roote and rocke of truth Felix the 2. in his answere to Athanasius and to the Aegyptian Bishops vnderstandeth likewise the words of Christ Matthew 16.23 to be meant of the Roman Sea Lib. 4. ep 32. cont Ioan. Ep. Constant Gregory the Great sayth That it is manifest to all that know the Ghospell that vnto S. Peter the prince of the Apostles the care of the whole Church was committed to whome it was sayd Feed my sheep Lib. 6. indict 15. c. 37. alias 201. I haue prayed for thee c. thou art Peter c. And els where he relate than epistle of Enlogius the Patriarch of Alexandria acknowledging the Chayre of Peter to be the sea of Rome and then he addeth Who is it Lib. 7. ep 125. that knoweth not the holy Church to be founded on the solidity of the prince of the Apostles For the which cause he teacheth also that those things Lib. 3. ep 41. which haue beene once decreed by the authority of the Apostolike sea do need no other confirmation And he admonisheth Bonifacius in one of his epistles to take heed that his soule be not found deuyded from the Church 〈◊〉 Blessed Peter least he being despised heere in this worth should shut the gate of life against him in the next And to adde one or two more of some what latter tymes Nicolaus 1. in his epistle to Michael the Emperour sayth The priuiledges of that 〈◊〉 the Roman are perpetually rooted and planned by God they may be thrust at they cannot be transferred they may be pulled they cannot be placked vp The same which were before your raigne remaine God be thanked hither to vntouched and shall remaine after you and as long as the name of Christ is preached they shall not leaue to subsist To conclude Leo the 9. auoucheth That by the sea of the Prince of the Apostles the Roman Church and as well by S. Peter himselfe as by his successours the deuices of all Heretikes haue beene reproued conuicted beaten downe and the harts of the brethren haue beene confirmed in the fayth of Peter which hitherto hath not fayled nor shall euer sayle hereafter SECTION XIII The Popes supremacy in Iudiciall authority is proued out of the testimonies of the Popes themselues THVS far we haue alleadged the authority of the Popes themselues for their supremacy in matters of Fayth and for the infallibility of their doctrine It followeth now to produce the like restimonyes of Popes for their Supremacy in some speciall poynts of Iurisdiction and gouernement ouer the Church of God â—â—rst therfore concerning their authority in calling and confirming of Councells besides that which hath beene sayd already out of the first foure generall Councells Marcel Marcellus who dyed about the yeare of Christ 310. in his epistle to the Bishops of the prouince of Antioch affirmeth that â—o Synod or Councell can be lawfully made without authority of the Roman sea Iulius Iulius the first in his epistle ad Orientales calling the Roman sea the first sayth That vnto it belongeth the right of assembling Synodes of iudging Bishops and of reseruing the greater causes vnto it selfe because it is preferred before the rest not only by the decrees of Canons and holy Fathers but also by the voice of our Lord and Saniour Leo. Epist 47. Leo the first in his epistle to the Calcedon Councell signifyed that it was the will of the Emperour that the Councell should be assembled sauing the right and honour of the most blessed Peter the Apostle And further he sayth That by his vicar he was the President therof And in his epistle to Putcheria the Empresse speaking of the decrees of that Synod concerning the honour of the second seat to be giuen to the Church of Constantinople he sayth that by the authority of Blessed Peter the Apostle with a generall definition he did vtterly disanull them and make them voyd Gelasius likewise Gelasius in his epistle ad Dardanos doth auouch that the Apostolicall seat confirmed all Synods and that no Bishop can auoyd his iudgment More in particuler concerning the Iurisdiction of the Roman sea ouer Bishops and in greater causes Anicetus in his Epistle doth say Anicetus That it belongeth to him to determine the iudgments of all Bishops The like hath Elcutherius in his epist cap. 2. Eleutherius Victor And Victor in his epistle to Theophilus sayth that to do the contrary is nothing els but to transgresse the bounds of the Apostles and their successours to violate their decrees Felix likewise sayd Felix ep 1. that the greater causes of the whole Church were reserued vnto him Melchiades in his epistle to the Bishops of Spaine saying that it appertayned vnto him to iudg of Bishops addeth these wordes
of Alexandria any other singuler ornament of that age inclyned to the opinion of S. Cyprian But then the authority of S. Peter in his successor Pope Steuen did well appeare who with no other armes but with the tradition of his Predecessors sustavned the brunt of so many most famous both Orientall and Occidentall Bishops who excommunicating those that had made a decree against the ancient custome of the Church threatning the rest that taught rebaptization to be lawfull preuailed so much that all the Orientall Churches conspyring togeather mone mind as Dionysius sayd Euseb l. 7. and changing their opinions were reunited againe with the band of peace And Dionysius himselfe changing also his opiniō became so scrupulous that he refused to baptize one that had not beene sufficiently baptized of the Heretiks retourning to the Catholike Church before he had made the Pope acquainted with it And the Bishops of Africa likewise that had followed S. Cypriā made a new decree to the contrary as witnesseth S. Hierome And S. Augustine sayth Hier. cōt Luciferiā August epist 48. that it is very probable that S. Cypriā also corrected himselfe and that his change in opinion was suppressed by the Heretikes And truly who can imagine that such a man as he tendring so much the peace of the Church as he did should remayne obstinate alone in his owne opinion See this more at large in Baronius Vin. cont Lyrin c. 9. in the yeare of our Lord 158. and 159. And Vincentius Lirinensis who notably descrybeth the successe of this victory Lastly Pope Pius the first hauing made a decree that the Feast of Easter should be celebrated only vpon Sunday against those Euseb l. 5. cap. 24. that pretended the example and tradition of S. Iohn to the contrary and 3. of his successors forbearing to cōpell them for quietnes sake Tertul. de praescrip cap. 53. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 14. by Ecclesiasticall censure therunto Pope Victor succeding and perceyuing them to be much confirmed in their opinion called a Councell in Italy and caused others to be assembled in France and also in other Countreys And Theophilus Bishop of Cesarea and Palestina Beda de equinoctiali in verno receiuing his command as Bede our Countreyman recordeth assembled Bishops not only out of his owne Prouince but also out of diuers other countreys and shewed the authority that Pope Victor had sent him and declared quid sibi operis fuit iniunctum and in all the Easterne Councells it being determined that the Feast of Easter should be kept vpon Sunday according to the custome of the Roman Church Euseb l. 5. cap. 24. Niceph. l. 4. c. 38.39 Pope Victor denounced excommunication against all the Churches of Asia that would not conforme themselues thereunto Whereupon though some did thinke it rigourously done not only the greatest part of the Churches of Asia did yield therein but also as Nicephorus testifyeth it was decreed throughout the world that the Feast of Easter should be kept vpon Sunday and they that refused so to do were holden for Heretakes and called Quartadecimani The same Controuersy being growne very great in Britany August haeres 29. Beda lib. 3. hist cap. 2. betwen the English that mantayned the custome of Rome and the Scottish that stood out in schisme and the matter being debated in the presence of King Oswy Colomannus with the Scottish Clergy relyed vpon the authority of Anatolins and Columba his predecessours Wilfrid on the other side answered That Columba albeit a holy man could not be preferred before Peter to whome our Lord sayd thou art Peter and vpon this Rock c. King Oswy that had beene infected with the Scottish schisme asked Colomannus whether he could proue the like authority to haue been giuen to Columba as was giuen to Peter who answering no Nay then quoth the King merily I assure you I will not in any thing contradict that Porter but to my knowledge and power I will obay his comaundements Whereupon all that were present sayth S. Bede allowed therof and yielded to receiue the Catholike custome of keping Easter on the Sunday And now to go forward with the receiued practise and execution of the Popes authority in other Iudiciall matters Leo. Ep. 89. Pope Leo writing vnto the Bishops of France biddeth them remember and acknowledge with him that the Priests of their Prouince had consulted with the Apostolike sea in innumerable matters and according to the diuersity of their causes and appeales their former Iudgments had been retracted or confirmed As touching deposition of Bishops you haue already hard of the deposition of Dioscorus in the fourth generall Councell by the Popes Legates which was done in these formall words Conc. Chal. act 3. Leo the most holy and Blessed Pope and head of the vniuersall Church indued with the dignity of Peter the Apostle who is intituled the foundation of the Church the Rock of Faith and the doore-keper of the Kingdome of Heauen By vs his Legates the holy Synode consenting hath depryued Dioscorus of Episcopall dignity and excluded him from all Priestly function Cypr. lib. 5. epist 13. S. Cyprian wrote to Pope Stephen to excommunicate and depose Marcian the Bishop of Arles in France and to aduertise him who should succeed him that he the Bishops of Affrick might know to whome to direct their letters Peter the Patriarch of Alexandria Soc. lib. 4. hist. cap. 3. as Socrates relateth returning with the letters of Damasus the Roman Bishop the people confiding in them Nicol. ep ad Micha expelled Lucius and receaued Peter into his place Nicolaus the first writing to Michael the Emperour reckoneth vp 8. Patriarches of that Church deposed by the Bishops of Rome before his tyme. Theod. l. 5. hist c. 23. Soc. lib. 5. hist c. 15. Sozom. l. 8. cap. 3. Flauianus Patriarch of Antioch was deposed by Pope Damasus and both S. Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople and Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria were intercessors for him to the Pope And to conclude Polichronius Patriarch of Hierusalem was deposed by Sixtus the 3. Tom. 2. Concil in actis 60. So that you see the exercise of the Popes authority in the deposition of many of the foure principall Patriarchs of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Hierusalem And as for those that appealed to the Sea Apostolike and were restored by the same the examples are infinit Let it suffice that Athanasius the great Patriarch of Alexandria Paulus Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra Asclepas Bishop of Gaza and Lucianus Bishop of Adrianopolis Sozom. l. 3. hist c. 8. Tripart hist l. 4. cap 15. were all at Rome at one tyme iniustly deposed and expelled by the Orientall Synode And that Pope Iulius as Sozomeus hath recorded vnderstanding whereof they were accused receiued them into his communion that the care of all belonging vnto him in respect of the dignity of his sea he restored
tymes their own bloud their friends and nearest kynred to whome in vertue piety they were not comparable against whome no other cryme could be proued but the ancient religion of Christendome commonly either iustified or not condemned euen in the consciences of those that apprehended them prosecuted and executed the former lawes vpon them and if we might shew vnto them how by this means they haue crucifyed our Sauiour not once or twise but againe and againe for so many yeares togeather in his holy members I cannot but thinke that representing these things vnto them in vertue of that Word which deuideth betweene the soule the spirit the ioints and the marrow awaking in them the guilt of their owne consciences and the feare of Gods iugments we should inforce them to knock their breasts with the Iewes conuerted at the Sermon of S. Peter and to cry out vnto vs with teares of repentance Act. 2.17 Quid faciemus viri fratres men and brethren what shal we do SECTION XVI The absurd and pernicious grounds of the Bishops 10. Bookes and his Christian Commonwealth are further discouered and confuted AND now to returne to our Bishop I thinke by this tyme you perceiue that albeit this little booke of his be great bellyed like the Father yet his other ten bookes conceaued therin are but like so many bladders full of wind which if euer they come forth are like to shame not only himselfe but you also Not only because the former proofes of the Popes Supremacy are in themselues vnanswerable especially admitting as he doth the authority of the Councells Canons and Fathers of the Church but also in respect of that most absurd and most pernicious Position which he maketh the argument of his fifth booke and is indeed the very foundation of his Christian Commonwealth and the mayne ground of his Diuinity wherein he professeth to hold that there is no Iurisdiction in the Church of Christ Iurisdictionem omnem ab Ecclesia procul reijcio all Iurisdiction sayth he I cast far away from the Church that is to say all power and authority to commaund or to make spiritual lawes or to impose any punishment for the transgression of them A miserable deuise no lesse furious then dangerous and no more repugnant to the Popes Supremacy then directly contrary to the Councells Fathers and to the practise of the Primitiue Church in making lawes Canons and imposing censures vpon transgressours directly contrary as well to the institution of Christ in the authority which he gaue to S. Peter as you haue seene as also to the doctrine and proceeding of the Apostles themselues wherof no man that can read the Scriptures should be ignorant Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers sayth S. Paul for there is no power Rom. 13.1 but of God c. Therefore he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist purchase to themselues damnation Rom. 13.5 And a little after Therefore be yee subiect of necessity not only for auoyding wrath but also for Conscience sake Out of which place we may argue thus The Church hath receiued power and authority from God and therefore they that resist the same resist and disobey the ordinance of God and purchast to themselues damnation That the Church hath receiued power and authority to gouerne from Almighty God is to too manifest for so all the Fathers expound the words of our Sauiour to S. Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. and to the Apostles Matt. 16.19 Matt. 18.18 whatsoeuer you shall bind c. And that binding signifieth the imposing of some law or commaundment we find in the 23. Matt. 23.4 of S. Matthew They bind sayth our Sauiour burdens heauy and importable vpon the shoulders of men but they with their finger will not moue them and in the same manner the Fathers expound those other words Ioan. 21.11.16.17 feed my sheep of the gouernment of Christs sheep as you haue heard And our Sauiour signifying how much we are bound in conscience to obey our Prelates sayd vnto them Luc. 1◠16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe as my Father sent me Ioā 20.21 so send I you and he that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and Publican Act. 16.4 According whereunto it is sayd of S. Paul S. Timothy that passing through the Gittyes they deliuered vnto them to keep the precept of the Apostles and of the Elders 1. Thes 2.23 And to the Thessalonians he sayth You know what commaundments I haue giuen vnto you he that despiseth them despiseth not man but God that gaue his holy spirit vnto vs and if any do not obey our word note him by an epistle 1. Tim. 5. and do not accompany with him that he may be confounded So he writeth to Timothy not to receiue my accusation against a Priest vnder 2. or 3. witnesses And to the Corinthians the weapons of our warrefare sayth he are not carnall but mighty to God 1. Cor. 10.7 vnto the destruction of munitions destroying Councells and all loftynes extolling it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity all vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ Act. 15.20 and hauing in a readynesse to reuenge all disobedience c. And in the first Coūcell the Church of Hierusalem made this Decree It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs not to impose any other burthen vpon you but only these necessary things to abstayne from meats offered to Idolls from strangled meats from bloud Can. Apost Can. 62. and fornication And the punishment of those that did eate bloud or strangled meat afterward was so great in the Primitiue Church as that Clarks were deposed and lay men were excommunicated for the same Neither is this most pestilent assertion of the Bishop contrary to Scripture alone and to the Fathers and Councells as hath been shewed but also to the practise and doctrine of the Church of England For I would aske this wild Bishop whether the authority the English Bishops in their spirituall Courts be from God or no If it be then according to S. Paul all men are bound to obey them in that which is iust vpon paine of damnation If it be not then it is no small vsurpation in them to take vpon them such authority whereof the Bishop should do well to admonish them as his friends before he go about to reforme the Catholike Bishops whome he supposeth to be his enemyes In conclusion the necessity of Iurisdiction is so euident in it selfe and the institution thereof so palpable in Scripture that the Puritans themselues who deny the same to Bishops are inforced notwithstanding to challenge so much to themselues as may suffice to excommunicate all those who are obstinatly disobedient in their Congregations And therefore I thinke there is
the Pelagian they condeÌ„ned the denyall of exercisme and exsufflation vsed in Baptisme In Proclus they condemned the affirming that the sioue of Comupiscence was not taken away by Baptisme but only cast a sleep by Faith In the Donatiste they condemned the euer throwing of Altars and the easting away of sacred Chrisme for what is so sacrilegiaus sayth Optatus as to breake raze Optatus l. 6. cont Donatist and remoue the Altars of God wheren on you your selues haue some tyms offered c. For what is the Altar but the seat of the body and bleud of Christ All these your fury hath razed or broken or remoued c. what had Christ offended you whese body and bloud as tertayne ordinary tymes did dwell opens 〈◊〉 What haue you offended your serues also that you should breake these Altars c Epiphan haer 64. 70. In the Origenists they condeÌ„ned the affirming that Adam had lost the image of God according wherunto he was oreated In the Nouations the deniall of Chrisme or CoÌ„firmation to the baptized by a Bishop And lastely Euseb hist lib. 6. c. 35. Theod. l. 4. haer Pab Aug. in psal 〈◊〉 â—oâ—e 2. not to be ouer tedious with this discourse In the Donatists and Luciferians they coÌ„demned the denyall of the Churches continuing visible wherupon S. Augustine cryeth out and sayth O impudentem vocem o impudent voyce I omit that vnion and communion with the Pope and his sea which the Fathers do teach to be necessary for saluation because I haue treated thereof in sundry places before whereunto I will adde one testimony more in this place out of S. Cyprian the Bishops great friend Cypr. de vnitate Eccles as he pretendeth who teaching as you haue heard that in the Church of God there is one Priest one Priesthood one Altar one Iudge one Chayre built vpon Peter that whosoeuer gathereth els where scattreth which S. Hierome expoundeth not to be of Christ but of Antichrist in his booke de vnitate Ecclesiae he maketh this interrogation He who keepeth not the vnity of the Church doth he thinke that he keepeth his fayth He that resisteth and striueth against the Church he that forsaketh the Chayre of Peter vpon the which the Church is founded doth he presume that he is in the Church Sâ—nce the blessed Apostle S. Paul doth teach and shew this Sacrament of vnity sayings one body one spirit one hope of our vocation one Lord one Fayth one 〈◊〉 one God Where S. Cyprian teacheth notably all these vnityes to be one and the same with the unity of the Church and with the Commâ—â—…on of the Chayre of Peter Thus the Fathers of the first 500. yeares wherein it is also to be noted that none of them was impugned or contradicted by the other wherby it appeareth that it was the generall verdict and sentence of them all and therefore you must needs grant that he is in a very miserable and most fearefull case who standeth so generally cast and deeply condemned by them For of the Fathers of the Catholike Church the words of our Sauiour must needs be specially vnderstood where he sayth He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you Lue. 10.16 despiseth me Wherfore if the sentence of the Fathers be as the iudgment of Christ himselfe Rom. 8.33 then as S. Paul asketh who shall be able to condemne those whome God doth iustify so giue vs leaue to aske you who shall iustify those whome God condemneth They therefore that tell you all is well and that your Religion dissereth little or nothing from the doctrine of the primitiue Church albeit they may haue the name of Bishops yet are they no better theÌ„ wolues in sheeps clothing and so many false Prophets sent out to sow pillowes vnder your elbowes and to lull you so fast a sleep in sinne and heresy that nothing but the fire of hell when it wil be too late shal be able to awake you SECTION XVIII The dissent of the Protestants from the Fathers is proued out of the Protestants themselues condemning the Fathers THIS Condemnation and Censure of the Protestant doctrine by the voyce of the Fathers being of such great force as well for the gayning of any well meaning soule who is not will fully obstinate but of the nuber of those that shal be laued as also for the eternal confusion of others who with intollerable pride of mind and presumption of spirit condemne the vniforme consent of Fathers to iustify their owne opinions it hath pleased God that it should be so confirmed by the testimonyes and confessions of the Protestants themselues that neither the brasen face of this Bishop nor of any other though more shamelesse and impudent then the Diuell himselfe should be able to make doubt of it or to call it againe into question Attend therfore and admire the Luciferian arrogancy of your owne Doctours in condemning the Ancient Fathers on the one side and the obdurate impudency of this out-cast Bishop in affirming that the Fathers dissent not from them on the other And to beginne with the most ancient S. Dionysius Arcopagita is coÌ„demned to haue (a) Luther in Com. ad 1â— 14. Deut. incap Bab. written bookes most like to dreames and most pernicions and for (b) Caus dial 5. 11. a doting old man S. Ignatius to haue (c) Caluin inst l. 1. c. 13. nuÌ„ 29. deformed moales and filthy gigs in his epistles S. Irenaeus that (d) Cent. 2. cap. 5. he set forth a phanaticall or a furious frantick thing and the Fathers of that age (e) Cent. 1. l. cap. 10. sequen to haue left blasphemys and monsters to posterity Tertullian (f) Perkins probl pag. 184. and Cyprian for Montanist Heretikes or at least for hauing erred filthily in making Confirmation a Sacrament S. Irenaeus (g) Middleton Papistom p. 179. 180. Hilary and Epiphanius for Pelagian heretikes in defending Free-will S. Siluester (h) Luther in Colloq mensal wotton in defence of Perkins p. 402. Beza in c. 3. ad Roman that baptized Constantine accused to be Antichrist Origen (i) Caus dial 2. Cartwright in M. Whitgifes deféce pag. 352. for accursed and generally condemned a chosen instrument of the Diuell S. Augustine (k) Middleton Papistom p. 136. 618. numbred for one among other Fathers that were doting foolish men deuoyd of the spirit of God and therefore vnworthy that any man should giue them credit And that to allow S. Augustines rules is to bring in all Popery S. Cyprian (l) Caus dial 8. 11. Cent. 3. cap. 5. to be stupide destitute of God and a deprauer of pennance Nazianzen (m) Caus dial 6.7.8 to be a prating fellow and that he knew not what he sayd S. Ambrose that he had the Diuell dwelling within him and that for teaching Transubstantiation he was guilty of presumtuous and desperate blasphemy S. Hierom (n)
Luther in Coloq c. de Past Eccl. Beza ad cap. 13. act Apost Caus dial 6.7.8 that in his writings he had not one word of Faith true ReligioÌ„ that he was manifestly blasphemous impious and intollerable bold in the detorting of Scriptures that if he perseuered in his opinions he was no lesse damned then Lucifer That (a) Cartwrigh in his Reply pag. 562. Damasus spake in the Dragons voyce That (b) Perkin Probl. p. 93.94 Paulinus Fortunatus Fulgentius Petrus Damianus were stayned with sinne and guilty of Sacriledge That (c) Whitaker de Cone coÌ„t Bell. p. 37. Beza in confes Geneuen c. 7. sect 11. Perkins vbi supra S. Leo was a great Archeretike of the antichristian kingdome that he breatheth out the arrogancy of the Antichristian Roman sea That (d) Luther in Colloq mens c. de patr Eccl. S. Basil was of no worth and was wholy a Monke (e) Luther in Colloq Germ. p. 499. Melauth in cap. 14. ad Rom. That S Gregory was grossly deceiuedly the Diuell and he that fell into open impiety tyranny And of the Fathers in general Schastianus Franeus (b) In epist de abrogandis in vniuersuÌ„ omnibus statis Ecclesiasticis concludeth that presently after the Apostles tyme all things were turned vp side downe c. and that for certayne through the worke of Antichrist the externall Church togeather with the faith and Sacraments vanished cleane away preâ—eÌ„tly after the Apostles departure D. Downham (c) Down treatise of Antichrist 〈◊〉 2. c. 2. affirmeth that the generall defection of the visible Church foretold 2. Thessal 2. began to worke in the Apostles tyme. M. Fulke (d) Fulk answere to a Counterfait Catholike pag. 35. auerreth that the true Church decayed immediatly after the Apostles tyme. Luther (e) Luther l. de seruo arbitrio VVitemb pag. 434. presumed to say that vnlesse the Fathers repented and amended they were neither Saints nor Members of the Church Caluin (f) Lib. 3. inst cap. 3. num 10. saith that the Fathers were carried away with errour Peter Martyr (g) De votis pag. 476. refrained not to say as long as we do insist vpon the Councells and Fathers we shall alwayes be conuersant in the same errours Beza (h) In his preface to the new testameÌ„t dedicated to the Pr. of Condy. affirmeth that in the best tymes Sathan was president euen in their assemblyes and Councells Cartwright (i) Cartwright l. 1. p. 5.13 154. affirmeth that seeking in the Fathers writings is a raking in ditches a mouing and sommoning of hell a mensuring of truth by the crooked yard of tyme. Whitaker (k) Cont. Duraeum l. 6. p. 423. auoucheth the Popish religion to be apatched couerlet of the Fathers errours sowed togeather Doctor (l) HuÌ„ph in vita lewel p. 212. Humfrey did grieuously reprehend M. Iewell for his so bould appealing to the Fathers affirming that M. Iewell herein gaue the Papists too large a scope was iniurious to himselfe and after a manner spoyled himself and the Church And M. Fulk (m) Pulk Reioynder pag. 4. Aug. coÌ„t Iul. l. 1. c. 2. De verbis Apostol serm 14. lib. 2. cout Iul. 6.10 being charged with M. Iewells confession in his reioynder to M. Bristowes reply sayth I answere if he charge me with the contynuing of the Church in incorruption for 600. yeares next after Christ he lieth in his throate Thus as S. Augustine saith they persecute those with hostility whom they should follow with fidelity which we cannot impute to their ignorance but to their impudency Alas they kick against they prick and as he sayth againe they push against that wall which will break them to peeces what the Father 's deliuered that they receiued and therfore as Tertullian noteth very well Tert de praesc c. 28. to condemne them is nothing els but to condemne the Apostles and Christ himselfe that taught them SECTION XIX That the Protestants dissent very much from the doctrine of the pure Church is proued out of the Protestants themselues condemning one another LIKE as a peece of earth deuyding it selfe from a high Mountayne and falling downe is againe deuyded into many peeces wherunto it breaketh or as the Kingdome of this world which was giuen by God to our Father Adam being separated by him from the obedience and from the Kingdome of God fell preent thereupon into many factions and was afflicted with many contrarietyes of Angells and men and beasts and Elements and the foure humours of the body and of sense and reason one against the other so it fareth with those that deuide themselues from the vnity of the Citty set vpon the mountayne and from the Kingdome of God which is the Church of Christ For now being destitute of that publick and inuincible authority which Christ hath ordayned to keep the members of his body in which they must needs deuyde themselues one from another euery man abounding in his owne sense and in the self pleasing loue of his owne iudgement The examples whereof haue been such in this miserable age as nothing is more to be admyred or lamented then to see so many Sects and diuersityes of opinions in these tymes as perchance do surmount the number of all the heresyes of former ages put togeather The most notorious heere with vs are the Lutherans the Protestants the Puritans and the Brownists Protest Apology pag. 502.503 504.684 The Lutherans differ from other Protestants in 33. seuerall articles whereof in particuler haue written Schlusselburg Osiander and Samuel Haberus The Lutherans are againe subdeuided into very many sects and the Protestants into more then seauenty seuerall opinions of most important matters the most of them set downe by M. Doctor Willet in his meditation vpon the 122. Psal printed anno 1603. pag. 91. Wherefore as sinne is punished with it selfe so it is the nature of falshood to ouerthrow and confound it selfe Which as it appeareth to be true in the infinite contrariety and confusion of doctrine among the Protestants themselues so alse it wil be manifest in the bold assertion of this vayne man which we haue now in hand And therefore hauing shewed already that to be most contrary to the Fathers which he sayth he hath found in the Fathers and that both by the testimony of the Fathers condemning the Protestants doctrine for heresy and also by the Protestants themselues who spare not to reuyle and blaspheme the Fathers before I conclude this whole matter you shall also heare both him and them condemned out of their owne mouthes Wherfore supposing that our Bishop is now a perfect English Protestant and that he belieueth his owne words to be true affirming those Charches which Rome hath made her aduersaryes to differ little or nothing from the ancient pure and true doctrine of the Church of Christ I argue in this manner The Church which followeth Luthers doctrine Luth. tom Witemb f. 381.382
is not able to comprehend it yet is it not coÌ„trary vnto reason but so agreable thereunto that it maketh vs euidently to see and confesse how much we are bound in conscience to imbrace it and to captiuate our vnderstanding vnto the obedience of it And therfore it is further to be considered that the ponderations and inducements which make men Catholiks are commonly the same with those that make men Christians In which respect as all Christians are bound to know them more or lesse according to their capacity so none can reâ—ect or coÌ„demne them without contempt of Christianity being of such importance therunto as that ChristiaÌ„ Religion caÌ„not stand without them Wherfore that you may the better conceiue what difference there is betweene shewes and substance truth errour light and darknes hauing examined the Bishops grounds published in fauour of your Religion I will heere propound and declare vnto you some generall motiues in the befalfe of our Catholike doctrine The first thing therfore that we will consider shal be the holynes and sanctity of the Catholike Church which laying a sound foundation of obedience and Humility in the harts of her children teaching them before all thinges to captiuate their vnderstanding and to subiect their will in matters concerning their soule to their spirituall Pastours goeth forward with them prescribing them other lessons first of Contrition which consisteth in the loue of God aboue all things that are to be beloued and in the hatred of their owne sinnes with sorrow for them aboue all things that are to be hated Secondly of confession calling themselues to a strict accompt for all their sinnes past in the bitternes of their soule remembring euery sinne in particuler accusing themselues intierly of them to their spirituall Father Thirdly of satisfaction in doing pennance for their offences against the Maiesty of God in making amends for iniuryes done to others and in restitution of other mens good name whom they may haue defamed or goods which they haue wrongfully taken or detayned By which meanes hauing reobtayned the fauour and loue and grace of God and thereby being inabled and strengthned to do his will and to keep his Commaundements they are afterward exercised in all kind of vertue And lastly such as wil be perfect the Catholike faith leadeth further on and giueth them yet a higher lesson teaching them to renouÌ„ce the riches the pleasures and the vayne glory of this world and to offer themselues vp a perfect Holocaust or Sacrifice to Almighty God by consecrating themselues wholy to his seruice in the state of Chastity voluntary Pouerty and perpetuall Obedience vnder the will of their Superiour From which heauenly doctrine deliuered vnto them by Christ himselfe haue proceded those excellent effects of Godly life which the Protestants themselues haue commended in them Centur. 7. cap. 7. colum 181. As the bestowing of almost the whole day inprayer their obedience to the Magistrate their amity and concord easily remitting iniuryes carefull to spend their tyme in honest vocation and labour curteous and liberall to the poore and to strangers and in their iudgments and contracts most true and faithfull Vpon the same foundations also haue been raised all those notable and famous workes of mercy which some Protestants otherwise no friends of ours haue obserued in our Countrey and propounded them to their Protestant brethren for example of Imitation their memorable buildings and ancient Monuments Churches Chappell 's and other Religious houses numbers of goodly Bridges Almes-houses Hospitalls and Spittles High wayes Pauements and Cawseys Famous Colledges Halls Vniuersityes Scholes and Free-scholes Thus M. Stubs who was such an enemy to Catholikes that rayling against them in very many places among other opprobrious speaches he tearmeth them Blasphemers and sacrilegious Papists From this doctrine also hath proceded the in finite number of those that forsake all they haue abandoning the world and entring into religion and many amongst them haue left their large possessions offices and dignityes Crownes and Septers to take vp their Crosse and follow Christ Hence hath proceded that austerity of life aboue the course of nature which the world admyreth in many of them and could not be otherwise supported but only by the vnspeakable consolations and infinite ioyes wherwith it pleaseth God to 〈◊〉 and require them for there extraordinary seruice And to omit their excellent bookes of piety and deuotion and perfect kynd of knowledge in all kynd of learning hence also procedeth that great zeale of the saluation of others forsaking their Countreys induring great labours and exposing themselues to all kind of imminent daungers in the conuersion of other Countreys though neuer so far remote neuer so cruell fierce on barbarous To conclude out of this Schoole haue proceded those infinit nuÌ„bers of Saints and Martyrs among whom we reckon aboue fourscore of the bloud Royall of England besides infinit numbers of our owne Nation And this age of ours hath not fayled to bring forth great plenty of the same fruites in our owne and in forrayne Countreys whose imminent vertues it hath pleased God to recoÌ„mend to the world with his Letters Pattents and broad Seale of supernaturall effects and the ostension of many myracles These vertues therefore of Humility Obedience Pennance Prayer Amity Liberality Iustice Chastity Pouerty Patience Holinshed last Edit part 1. pag. 100. Austerity vpon there owne bodyes Charity and Zeale in the conuersion of others were the arguments wherewith S. Augustine the Monke conuerred our an cestours and wherewith as the Apostles in the Primitiue Church so now the Iesuits and other Religious men of this tyme do ouercome the ignorance of the barbarous the fallacies of Hereticks the pollicyes pryde and ostentation of worldly wisedome in the conuersion of sundry Nations to the Faith of Christ For being sent by the ordinary meanes which God himselfe hath appoynted in his Church and out of obedience to their superiours to preach the Ghospel which in effect is nothing els but this good news that all men of what state or condition soeuer rich or poore whole or sick at liberty or in thraldome may easily attaine vnto perfect felicity hauing grace abound antly offered vnto them through the Fayth meries of Iesus Christ to become the sons of God in this life by louing him and keping his Commaundements and to enioy him in the next by seing him eternally as he is the absolute perfection of infinit vertue in himselfe and the indeficient fountay no of infynit goodnes to those that behold him all men that heare and see such Preachers may easily know them to be sent from God and as the Propher sayd of them to be the seed whome God hath blessed by the workes of God which they do and by that most diuine doctrine of theirs and most Angelicall perfection of life which they teach and practise And now to turne ouer the leafe and to consider the manners of the Protestants they on the
them the more because of our corrupted nature they find themselues subiect vnto them and especially heretikes in whome God punisheth one sinne with another by with-drawing from them more and more the assistance of his holy grace to the end that their Pryde may either be humbled thereby or els confirmed And thus much for the first Catholike motiue expressed in the Creed vnder the signification of the word Holy which as I thinke you will graunt is most sufficient to persuade any well disposed mynd to imbrace the Catholike Faith by means whereof all men are inabled to resist sinne to obserue the Law and to preserue their loue and friendship with God And as all Christians belieue that very many in former ages haue attayned thereby to wonderfull sanctity holynes and perfection of life so none can deny but that this age of ours hath affoarded sundry the like examples Whereas on the other side experience teacheth that through the want therof many Christian Countreys and ours among the rest haue lost their ancient practise of good workes their former exercises of piety and deuotion and their exemplar disciplyne of Christian conuersation and insteed of these things changing the liberty of the spirit into the liberty of the flesh they are fallen into such corruption dissolution and prophanes of life manners that their owne Maisters and Doctours are ashamed of them SECTION XXII The force of the second Motiue signifyed by the word Catholike in the Creed of the Apostles is declared IT followeth to declare the second Catholike motiue comprehended vnder the name Catholike and contayned in the Apostles Creed which signifyeth the vniuersality of the Church in tyme and place and that the Catholike Faith was to be spred ouer all the world and to contynue in all ages vntill the day of iudgment which as in it selfe it is sufficient to moue any man of iudgement to follow this vniuersall and eternall Truth so is it set downe so clerely and aboundantly in the Scriptures themselues which prophesy thereof that a man would wonder if any blyndenes were to be wondered at in those that are obstynate how it is possible that such as professe to be much coÌ„uersant in the reading of them should not see and discerne them A stone (b) Dan. 2.34 cut without hands from the Mountayne was made a great Mountayne and filled the whole earth All (c) Esa 2.2.60.5 nations shall flow into it Thou (d) Esa 60.10.11 shalt see and abound thy hart shaÌ„lbe astonied and inlarged because the multitude of the sea shal be conuerted vnto thee The Iles expect thee their Kings shall minister vnto thee thy gates shall be continually open neither day nor night shall they be shut that men may bring to thee the riches of the Gentiles (g) Esa 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queenes thy Mothers (h) Esa 54.2.3 The place is strait for me giue roome that I may inhabit Inlarge the place of thy tents spread out the Curtaynes of thy habitation for thou shalt increase on the right hand and on the left thy seed shall possesse the Gentiles These and infinit others like to these are the Prophesies of the extension of Christs Church vniuersally to all Kingdomes and Nations according whereunto our Sauiour compared his Church to a little Mustard-seed Matt. â—3 31 Mar. 16.15.16 Acts. 1.8 which after should come to be a great tree bidding his disciples to preach to euery creature to go forth into all the world to teach all Nations from Hierusalem to Samaria and so forward euen to the ends of the earth The continuance therof was likewise foretold that their watchmen or Pastors should not be silent (k) Esa 62.6 That their Priests should not want to offer Sacrifice all the dayes That Gods (l) Ierem. 33.18.20.22 couenant with them should be like his couenant with the day and night that is to say to contynue foreuer That they should be multiplied like the starres of heauen and the sand of the sea which you know can neuer fayle Ministring (m) Esa 66.21.23 to him euen from moneth to moneth and from Sabbaoth to Sabbaoth that is to say allwayes In (n) Dan 2.44 the dayes of those Kingdomes God shall rayse the Kingdome of heauen which shall neuer be dispersed and his Kingdome shall not be giuen to any other people and it shall consume all those other Kingdomes and it shall stand for euer from generation to generation (o) Psal 85.30.31.32.3 Gods Couenant therewith shall not be broken for any offence committed by her children but shall contynue like the Sunne and the Moone for euer According whereunto our Sauouir also sayd that the Gates of hell should not preuaile against it and that he himselfe would be with it to preserue it all the dayes vnto the consummation of the world From the which as you see no tyme nor any one day can be excepted From these two propertyes is euidently deduced the visibility of the Church for it being so great as that morally it may be sayd to fill the earth and also of such emynent glory as to haue so many Kingdomes Nations subiect vnto it according to the former prophesies thereof no man can be ignorant where it is nor what people they are who are members of it Also the Priests therof being compared by the Prophets for their number and quality to the starres of heauen their Sacrifices their Lawes and executions of them their Sacraments and the administration of them their preachings and teachings and to let passe many other things their continuall and glorious fight against heretiks and Infidelles and wicked Christians must needs be so well knowne that no man dwelling neere the most inhabited and best part of the world possessed by them can be ignorant therof For as the Assyrians Persians Grecians and Romans in respect of the greatnes force and fame of their dominions were morrally sayd to haue conquered the world and to haue possessed the Empyre therof in which respect it can be no lesse then madnes to affirme that they were inuisible so also the Kingdome of Christ in respect of the extension inuincibility eminent apparence and great fame which it hath euer enioyed aboue any other sects of Religion whatsoeuer may be said more properly to fill the earth and to be the only Catholike or vniuersall Religion diffused through the world as you shal heare anone out of S. Augustine And for this cause God himselfe sayd Esa 61.9 that he would make an euerlasting Couenant with them that their seed should be knowne among the Nations And that all who did see them shall know them to be the seed which our Lord hath blessed And the prophets hauing fortold that it should be a mountayne Matt 5.14 prepared in the top of Mountaines exalted aboue other hills our Sauiour accordingly sayd of it That being a Citty placed vpon a Mountayne it could not be
hidden What shall I say more sayth S. Augustine vpon these words of our Sauiour but that they are blynd who cannot see so great a mountayne From hence also it doth necessarily follow that the doctrine of the Church is infallible and priuiledged from errour For according to the Protestants themselus that only is the true Church wherein the word of God is truly preached and the Sacraments truely administred And therefore if the Church should erre it should cease to be the true Church and should not contynue but the Gates of hell should haue preuayled against it Matt. 16.18 which is directly against the Scriptures And in particuler this priuiledge from errour is expresly promised in the old Testament Esa 59.21 in many places as where the Prophet Esay speaketh therof in these wordes This is my couenant with them sayth our Lord My spirit which is in thee and my wordes which I haue put in thy mouth shall not depart from thy mouth nor from the mouth of thy seed Oze 2.19.20 nor from the mouth of thy seeds seed from this tyme forth for euermore And where in Oze God sayth of his Church I will espouse thee for euer and I will espouse thee to me in iustice and iudgment in mercy and commiseration and I will espouse thee vnto me in sayth for euer Ephes 4.11 Epipha in Aâ—corato circa princ Matt. 16.18 Matt. 17.18 1. Tim. 3.5 IoaÌ„ 14.26 according whereunto it is also sayd in the new Testament That there should be Pastours and Doctours in the Church for euer that we be not carryed about nor deceiued with new doctrine that the Gates of hell by which is meant Heresy shall not preuayle against it that he who did not beleeue the Church should be compted as a Heathen or Publican that it is the Piller and foundation of truth that the holy Ghost should teach all things and suggest all things to the Pastours therof that God would giue them the spirit of truth IoaÌ„ 14.16 to remayne with them for euer In conclusion if you list to see more of the largenesse of these induments and of the flourishing greatnes of the Church of Christ you may read 4. whole Chapters of the Prophesyes therof in Esay 60.61 and 62. and Micheas the 4. which I thinke no man can read without the acknowledgement and admiration of them SECTION XXIII The force of the former Motiue is further declared out of the authorityes of S. Augustine and out of the effects of the contrary Doctrine AMONG all the ancient Fathers as there is none more opposite to the Protestant Ministers then S. Augustine so there is none more respected in outward shew and more esteemed by them which is vnto vs on the other side a notable argument of the excellency of the one and of the impudency of the other Now therfore if the word of S. Augustine be of force with you whome in regard of his antiquity learning wit vertue his aduersaryes themselues do so much respect read but the 6. Chapter of the first booke of that worke which is called Confessio Augustiniana for it cannot be that relying vpon the sayth of S. Augustine which could be no other then the sayth of the whole Church but that your vnderstanding should be wholy conuinced by it In regard wherof considering that it would be to long to alleadge the testimonyes of the rest of the Fathers and that men now a dayes are loath to seeke after that which they are affrayd to find with some temporall preiudice although it be the means of their saluation I thinke good to shew vnto you before I go any further the weight and force of this motiue out of the iudgment sayth and perswasion of S. Augustine For this was that which oueruled him so much as that he spared not to say I (a) Aug. cont epist Fundam c. 5. would not beliue the Ghospell vnles the authority of the Catholike Church did mooue me thereunto I (b) cont Faustum lib. 15. c. 3. must needs beleeue the acts of the Apostles if I beleeue the Ghospell because both those Scriptures the Catholike authority doth equally commend vnto me It being of necessity that one of those bookes must be fals speaking of the acts of the Apostles and of some other Apocriphy booke to which do you thinke we should rather giue credit either vnto it which the Church began by Christ himselfe continued by the Apostles with a constant course of succession euen vnto those tymes dilated ouer all the world doth acknowledge approue to haue beene deliuered and conserued or vnto that which the same Church doth reiect as vnknowne Those whom I beleeued saying vnto me Beleeue the Ghospell why should I not obey saying vnto me beleeue not Manichaeus Choose which thou wilt If thou sayst Beleeue the Catholikes they admonish me not to beleeue you Wherfore beleeuing them it is of necessity that I beleeue not you If thou say Beleeue not the Catholiks thou canst not with any reason compell me to beleeue Manichaeus because I beleeued the Ghospel it selfe by the preaching of the Catholikes If thou say thou didst well to beleeue them preaching the Ghospell but thou didest not well to beleeue them discommending Manichaeus dost thou thinke me such a foole as without any reason giuen to beleeue what thou wilt haue me and what thou wilt not not to beleeue Be not deceiued with the name of truth speaking as to the person of the Catholike Church the truth thou only hast in thy milke and in thy bread but in this Church of the Manichies or any other which is not Catholike there is the name of truth but the truth it selfe is not And of thy great ones thou art secure I frame my speach to thy little ones I call to thy tender issue that with garrulous curiosity they be not seduced from thee but rather let him be accursed of them who shall preach otherwise then that which they haue receiued in thee Know (c) Conc. ad Cathecum cap. 20. beloued that true sayth true peace and eternall saluation is only in the Catholike Faith For it is not in a Corner but it is euery where if any man depart from it and deliuer himselfe ouer to the errour of Heretikes he shall be iudged 〈◊〉 fugitiue seruant and no adopted sonne neither shall he rise to eternall life but rather to eternall damnation By (d) cort Faust l. 13. cap. 13. what manifest signe therefore I being yet a little one or a yong scholler and not able to discerne the pure truth from so many errours by what manifest token shall I know the Church of Christ in whome with so great manifestation of things fortold I am compelled to belieue the Prophet followeth on and hauing as it were orderly heard the difficulty or doubt of mynd of this new beginner Hier. 17. he sheweth him the Church of Christ fortold to be the same which is more apparant and
as long as they could they haue run themselues out theyr brookes are dry their memory is scarce to be found or that they haue been (y) In psal 203. con 1. Thou shalt alwayes be firme if thou departest not from this foundation for she is the predestinated piller and foundation of truth (z) In psal 110. con 1. It shall not be inclyned from age to age because it is predestinated the foundation and piller of truth Tyconius (a) cōt ep Parm. l. 1. cap. 1. all the voyces of the sacred Leaues beating about him awaked and he saw tho Church diffused ouer all the world as it was foreseene and foretold by the harts and mouths of the holy Prophets Which hauing perceiued he began to auouch and to make manifest to his fellows that no foule sinne or wicked cryme of any man whatsoeuer could preuaile against the promises of God nor effect that Gods word of the Church to come to be diffused euen to the ends of the earth which was promised to the Fathers and is now exhibited or performed should come to nothing (b) De vnitat Eccl. Why do you make voyde the testament of God saying that it is not fullfilled in all Nations and that the seed of Abraham hath fay led in all those Nations where it was (c) In psal 47. But perchance that Citty which hath possessed all the world shall one day be ouerthrowne God forbid God hath founded it for euer If therfore God hath founded it for euer what doest thou feare least the foundation should fayle (d) In psal 101. conc 2. But that Church which was the Church of all Nations is now no more it is perished So say they that are not in her Oh impudent voyce Is not she because thou art not in her Take heed least for the same cause thou thy selfe be not for she shall be though thou art not This abhominable speach detestable full of presumption and falshood not supported by any truth not inlightned by any wisedome not seasoned with any salt vayne temerarious head-strong pernicious the spirit of God foresaw c. Thus S. Augustine whome perchance you neuer imagined to haue spoken so much so playnly and so vehemently for the infallible authority and vniuersall extension with equall visibility and perpetuall continuance of the Church of Christ as you see he hath and yet this is the least part of that which might be alleadged out of S. Augustine alone to the same purpose Whereunto if you add those former testimonyes for the proofe of the Popes Supremacy which I haue cited in the 11. Section of this Treatise thereby you may easily iudge if S. Augustine had been an English man and were now aliue whether he deserued not to be hanged at Tyborne as well as other Priests and Iesuits that haue been martyred there That is to say whether hearing your Ministers teach that the Pope with the whole Catholike Church haue erred and deceiued the world or that the Church hath fayled or remayned inuisible for more then a thousand yeares togeather he would not haue admyred as much as we do now at their deafnes to the voyce of the Prophets at their blyndnes in reading the Scriptures at their impudency temerity and madnes of their abhominable and detestable doctrine and whether he would not pronounce them many tymes accursed as he did the Donatists and other Heretikes of his tyme for the same opinions And now that you may the better perceiue with what great reason S. Augustine was so vehement against this their pernicious doctrine Let vs consider a little I pray you the consequence and effects therof in many of the greatest Maisters and Apostles of the Protestant religion For this made Sebastian Castalio in his Preface to the great Latin Bible dedicated to King Edward the 6. to doubt of those promises of God to his Church set downe in Scripture See Prot. Apology p. 106. sequent For if any man sayth he will affirme that they haue been performed I will demaund of him when If he say in the Apostles tymes I will demaund how it chaunceth that neither then the knowledge of God was altogeather perfect and afterward how in so short a tyme it vanished away which was promissed that at should be eternall and more aboundant then the flouds in the sea The more I do peruse the Scriptures the lesse do I find the same performed howsoeuer you vnderstand the foresayd Prophesies And Dauid George vpon the same grounds came to deny Iesus our Sauiour to be Christ For if that he had beene the true Christ the Church erected by him should haue continued for euer Whereupon also he fell to that madnes that he tooke to himselfe the name and office of Christ and secretly drew many to his opinion for the which he was taken vp burned three yeares after his death by the Protestants of Basil vnto whom he fled before being expelled from the low Countrys for holding the opinion of the Sacramentaries against the doctrine of Luther then there professed His story was written by them of Basil about the yeare 1559. In like manner Bernardinus Ochinus a man so renowned amongst the Protestants as Caluin demaundeth whom Italy it selfe could oppose against him and Iohn Bale sayth of him That he made England happy with his presence and miserable in his absence This renowned man as he confesseth in the preface of his dialogues began to wonder how it was possible that the Church which was founded by the power wisedome and goodnes of Christ washed with his bloud and enriched with his spirit should be vtterly ouerthrowne wherof he sayth the Popes were the cause and afterwards began to teach Circumcision and wrote a booke of Poligamy which Beza sayth that the aforsayd Sebastian Castalio translated out of Italian into Latin and finally became as Beza sayth an impure Apostata against the diuinity of Christ Alinianus a learned Swynglian for the same cause came to be of opinion that the Messias was not yet come so renouncing Christianity became a blasphemous Iew. And to omit Adam Neuserus a learned Caluinist chiefe Pastour at Heidelberg who in the end turned Turke and was circumcised at Constantinople and diuers other Protestants as well of forraine Countreyes as of our owne Nation who haue at length denyed the diuinity of Christ Caluin himselfe was greatly suspected therof in so much as Doctor Hunnius publick Professor in the Vniuersity of Wittemberge wrote a booke called Caluinus Indaizans and since that tyme there is another booke published by a Protestant Lutheran with this title A demonstratiō out of Gods word that the Caluinists are not Christians but only Baptized Iewes and Mahomets which was also reprinted And of this argumēt you may see sufficient matter in that learned booke of M. William Reynolds intituled Caluino-Turcismus which euidence also that according to the Protestants opinion God hath fayled of his promise in aduancing and defending his
vnder it if they contemne it This is that great benefit which S. Augustine in his booke de vtilitate Credends acknowledgeth that the world in these latter tymes hath receiued of Almighty God who of his infinit goodnes hath prouided that the Catholike Faith being so austere to the eye of flesh and bloud so much aboue reason and so contrary as it is to our corrupted nature should be recommended vnto vs as it were by the generall consent and common beliefe of all people This saith S. Augustine the diuine prouydence hath brought to passe by the predictions of the Prophets by the humanity and doctrine of Christ by the trauells of the Apostles Aug. de vtil Cred. cap. 7. by the contumelyes crosses bloud and death of Martyrs by the laudable life of Saints and in all these things by such myracles as were fit for matters and vertues so great as these according as the oportunity of times required Wherefore seing the assistance of God to be so great and so great the fruite and benefit thereof shall we doubt to cast our selues into the lap of his Church Considering that now euen by the confession of mankind it selfe she hath receaued the prohemynence of all authority from the Apostolike seat by succession of Bishops the Heretikes in the meane tyme hauing barked about her all in vayne partly by the iudgment of the people themselues partly by the grauity of Councells and partly by the Maiesty of miracles hauing been all condemned To which Church not to grant the highest degree of authority is either extreme impiety or precipitate arrogancy For if our soules haue no certayne way to attayne true wisedome and saluation but where fayth beliefe prepareth and adorneth our reason what is it els to resist authority indued or est abbshed with so great labour but to be vngratefull to this help and assistance of Almighty God Thus far S. Augustine of the notable benefit that our faith hath receiued from the Common consent of so many Nations therein which he calleth the confession of mankind and of the wonderfull meanes which God hath vsed for the procurement of this vniuersall testimony vnto the truth thereof For albeit when the Apostles began first to preach all rules and principles of humayne wisedome were inforced to giue place vnto that diuine authority wherewith they were sent to their gifts of Tongues to the myracles they wrought to the power of that spirit which spake by them and to the splendour of those celestiall vertues which proceded from them yet since that time the sweetnes of Gods prouidence hath so ordayned that both these authorityes Humayne and Diuine the wisedome of God and the wisedome that naturally directeth worldly men should be ioyned togeather to the end that all mens wills might be drawne more easily gently and connaturally to imbrace the doctrine of Christ And that all vnderstandings great or small might either be conuinced or conuicted by it The voice of the most the testimony of those that are true and honest and the iudgment example and practise of the wisest being the best part of that light of nature which God hath lent vs for the direction of our liues his infinit goodnes and perfect iustice could neuer haue permitted this authority of the Catholike Church to haue grownâ— to this vnmeasurable greatnes nor could haue made it so inuincibly victorious against all those that haue opposed themselues vnto it confirming the same with so many Prophesies of Scripture and promises of his owne and not only with the ostension of miracles and heroycall constancy of innumerable Martyrs but also with the glory and splendour of so many other benedictions of excellent learning diuine wisedome admirable vnity piety and perfection of vertue as hath been shewed vnlesse it had been so ordayned by him for the recommendation and preseruation of that Truth which himselfe descended from heauen to teach the world and to dye the death of the Crosse for the eternall memory and fructification of it For if in any thing we should be deceiued by the power and greatnes of his authority we might well say it was no fault of ours but rather as S. Augustine affirmeth it were either extreme impiety or precipitate arrogancy Not to be so deceiued what need there any other reuelations or miracles as S. Augustine also obserueth in a case so cleere as this If so many Nations haue been conuerted to the obedience of this supernaturall faith and for so many ages haue been preserued in vnity therby without signes and miracles this it selfe is a most sufficient apparent and perpetuall miracle for the testimony of the truth thereof SECTION XXVI The same Authority and the grounds of Christian Fayth are further declared AS the obiect of reason doth farre exceed the knowledge of our senses so the truth of things supernaturall and diuine do no lesse surmount the light of reason And therfore the end of man and the meanes to attaine vnto it being both of them supernaturall diuine as it was necessary that God should reueale and deliuer the knowledge thereof to his Prophets and Apostles obliging all men to beleeue them so it was also expedient that there should be some certayne meanes ordained and established by Almighty God wherby we might infallibly know what it was that was so reuealed vnto them For otherwise if there be not such supernaturall and certaine help to attaine the knowledge of those Diuine Misteryes which do so much exceed the power and faculty of human vnderstanding to perswade our selues that we shall be able to arriue to any certaine knowledge of them by any human diligence or naturall endeauour alone were as wise a matter as for a man to go about to read in the darke or for him that hath no eyes to iudge of colours Nay it were much more ridiculous For such a kind of darke reading or blind iudgment might be practised or aduentured for some little wager or to make men pastyme but Christians that make their beliefe the rule of their life and death laying not only their fortunes but also their soules vpon it vnles they haue some Diuine help and infallible assistance of the spirit of God to know those things which they beleeue to haue beene reuealed to the Apostles and can no way be discerned by human reason they can neuer be excused from meer madnes and ridiculous folly Vpon what grounds the Catholiks beleeue the doctrine and preaching of the Apostles which is the Ghospell and the obiect of their fayth to haue beene reuealed from the mouth of God and that the Church is perpetually infallibly assisted by God himself in the preseruation of the foresayd doctrine from all stayne or touch of errours hath beene shewed already Almighty God hauing so magnified and fortifyed the authority of his Church as if the will of man be not too much peruerted it is impossible for his vnderstanding to resist it And therefore as S. Augustine sayd
Sacrament that the (b) Matt. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Ioan. 6.51 Blessed Sacrament of the Altar is not Christs Body that men are (c) 1. Cor. 13.2.3 Iacoh 2.14 c. iustifyed by Faith alone that (d) Iac. 2.21 c. Eccles 18. Rom. 6.19 no good workes do merit that the (e) Matt. 11.30.1 Ioan. 5.3.3 Reg. 14.4 Reg. 23. keping of Gods Commaundements is impossible that we haue (f) 3. Rag. 3.5 Eccl. 31.10 Gen. 4.6.7 1. Cor. 7.37 no Freewill to do well that Christ (g) Act. 2.24.2.7 1. Pet. 3.18 descended not into Hell And to be short that the Church of God is (h) See before Sect. 21. inuisible that it hath erred and that many true Prophets or preachers haue been sent to reforme it whereas the Scripture only tells of false Prophets to come and saith expressy that the gates of hell shall not preuayle against it Lastly if you will but barre the Protestants their owne expositions and argumentations vpon the Scripture which they confesse themselues to be no part of the written word they cannot produce so much as one expresse place of Scripture for any of those opinions so peremptorily defended and stifly obiected against vs which me thinkes considering how much they vaunt of Scripture is sufficient of it selfe to make such as are good amongst them ashamed of their errours and sheweth most euidently that the first authours of this new Ghospell haue founded the same vpon nothing els but only vpon their owne impudency the malice of the tyme and the weaknes of their hearers By all which considerations it is more then manifest that the Protestants denying the authority of the Church they ouerthrow the authority of the Scripture and that refusing to receiue the same from the Church they haue no Scripture at all but that diuers wayes contradicting their owne grounds insteed of Scripture they miserably abuse themselues with their owne translations and their owne imaginations and haue nothing els but only the bare name and outward shew of Scripture And now to come to the second Stone of their foundation which is the point of their pryuate spirit First they can produce no place of Scripture to proue either that the Scripture alone is a sufficient ruie of Faith or that God hath promised his holy spirit to euery particuler man in expounding the Scripture And therefore belieuing either the one or the other they ouerthrow their owne grounds and belieue something more then Scripture which is not expresly contayned therein Secondly this manner of interpreting the Scripture according to the priuate spirit of euery particuler man is not only warranted by the Scripture but also expresly contrary thereunto For the Scripture commaundeth vs for the deciding of controuersyes about the same to ascend to the high Priest for the tyme Deu. 17.9.12 Matth. 2.7 Mat. 18.17 Mat. 23.2 and to obay him vpon payne of death to require the Law from the lips of the Priests to heare the Church and that such as will not heare it shal be accompted as Heathens and Infidells to do as they say who shall sit in the Chayre of Moyses and the like Which places are contrary to that infallible assistance of euery mans priuate spirit which the Protestants pretend and are further confirmed by the practise and execution of them in the primitiue Church recorded also by the Scripture For all the Apostles were not commaunded to write but to preach Mar. 16.15 and the world was obliged not to belieue any particuler spirit but the words and writings proceding from the spirit of the Apostles Act. 15.28 And the question of the obseruation of the Legall Cerimonyes was not left to the arbitrement of euery mans priuate spirit but was reserued to the common spirit of the Church And therfore as the Church was founded not only by Scripture but also by the vnwritten word of God so also it must be preserued And as the world at that tyme belieued the words and wrytings of the Apostles deliuered by themselues so now it must giue credit therunto being likewise deliuered by their Successors We haue a more firme Propheticall speach whereunto you do well to attend sayth S. Peter 2. Petr. 1.20.21 and after adioyneth first vnderstanding this that no Prophesy of Scripture is made by priuate interpretation for not by mans will was Prophesy brought at any tyme but the holy men of God spake inspired with the holy Ghost Whereof you see it followeth that the Scripture must be interpreted by the same spirit wherewith it was written being communicated by the spirit of God for the publike benefit of the Church with the publike authority of those that wrote it it must also be expounded by the same spirit for the publike weale of the Church with the like publike authority of those that haue the keeping of it so vnderstanding this that no Prophesy of Scripture is made with priuate interpretation The spirit sayth S. Paul deuideth vnto all in particuler according as he will 1. Cor. 12.17 All the members of the body haue not the same act for if the whole body be ancye where is the hearing Where also he denyeth that all haue the gift of Prophesy Matt. 18.17 Hebr. 13.17 2. Thes 2.23 Phil. 4.9 Gal. 1.8 Marc. 7.15.24 Marc. 13.22 2. Pet. 2.1 1. Ioā 4.1 2. Thes 2.2 the interpretation of Tongues discretion to discerne of spirit which is expresly against the Protestants c. In conclusion as the Scripture exhorteth vs to heare the Church to obay our Pastours and spirituall Superiours to remayne in those thinges which we haue heard of them not to beleeue an Angell from heauen but rather to hold him accursed that should preach contrary thereunto and the like which do signify the great authority giuen to the publike spirit of the Church promised to be sent vnto it and to remaine with it for euer so all those places of Scripture which aduise vs to beware of false Prophets that is to say of Heretikes to try the spirit not to be terrifyed neither by spirit or speach and the like must needs be vnderstood of those who out of a priuate spirit should oppose themselues against the common doctrine of the Church or publique authority of the gouernour thereof wherein also consisteth the very essence of heresy Aug. ep 162. deciuit l 18. c. 51. de Bapt. cont Don. l. 4. c. 16. and in this sense S. Paul affirmeth (a) Tit. 3.11 that an hereticke is subuerted and sinneth being condemned by his owne iudgment That is to say opposing his priuate iudgment against the Church and so giuing sentence against his owne soule to his eternall damnation And as this Protestant ground is most opposite to Scripture so also it is no lesse contrary to reason it selfe For as in a Commonwealth or Kingdome the law being publique and common to all the interpretation of the law and the finall sentence
been so much ashamed thereof as to conceale it if he had knowne in what playne termes some of his ancestours whose course he followeth domaunded the like sauour And that you may the lesse maruell thereat if such a thing should happen I will set you downe part of an Epistle to the Bishop of Constance written and subscribed vnto by Swinglius Leo Iude Erasmus and 8. other Ministers who all of them cry out for wyues therein and after some intimation made of the heauenly doctrine so long hydden Prot Apol. fol 572. sequent and in their tyme restored confesse and say Hitherto we haue tryed that this gift of Chastity hath been denyed vnto vs we haue burned O for shame so greatly that we haue committed many things vnseemely To speake freely without boasting we are not otherwise of such vnciuill manners that we should be euill spoken of among the people to vs committed this one poynt only excepted Thus they Which if you please to see in the Protestāts Apology when you are at leasure you shall find also another longer petition to the purpose that will either make you laugh or lament at the weaknes of your first Apostles But thus the Bishop recommending his good name vnto you concludeth his 2. first Motiues of change of place and saith That being admonished by these dangers drawne by this vocation and thus animated therein he toke himselfe to flight then most nimbly SECTION XXVIII VVherein the Bishop his zeale and desire to try which is the last Motiue that induced him to forsake his Countrey is discussed HIS third Motiue which he seemeth all this while to haue forgotten he beginneth in this manner pag. 28. Charuas tamen Christi super omnia vrget me but yet the Charity of Christ vrgeth me aboue all things Which when I read I could not chuse but smyle remēbring how one that was troubled with vermyne in Italy went shrugging vp and downe and singing that verse of Petrarch S'amor non è che dunque è quel ch'to sento If loue it be not what is that I feele For it is very probable that pouerty and famine began to pinch him as not hauing sufficient to feed his maw after he had resigned his poore Bishoprike to his Nephew as I haue shewed And the Italian might better compare his life to naughty loue then the Bishop his counterfeit charity to the diuine loue of Iesus Christ so that the one if he had thought his life to be loue should haue been no lesse mistaken then the other This charity sayth he did vrge him to cry And to get him vp to some high place that his cry might be heard the further if you had euer been in Venice you would imagine him to be possest with the spirit of some Montebanck not only in respect of his mounting and crying but also in respect of his discourse For with a great many arrogant tearmes and boasting words cōfusedly vttered you would thinke he meant to sell the wares of his new booke as Montebancks sell boxes But for orders sake I will reduce all that he sayth to three heads For either he sheweth what it is that he intendeth to cry or what authority he hath to cry or answereth certayne obiections that might be made against his crying I expected iudgement Isa 5. 7. and behold iniquity and iustice and behold a cry Me thinkes as S. Augustine said to a Donatist that part of the world should suffice him wherein our Lord would that the chiefe of his Apostles should be crowned with a most glorious Martyrdome For what could the President of that Church answere but that which the Apostolike Seat and the Roman Church doth anciently hold with others or at least that the authority of Christendome which S. Augustine calleth the Confession of mankind might haue suffised to haue kept this man in quietnesse and obedience but insteed of iudgment behold iniquity and insteed of iustice behold a cry For this man is so farre from hearing and obaying the Church which our Sauiour hath appointed to teach him that being worse then an Infidell he cryeth against the Church and with extreme arrogancy would inforce the Church to belieue him and to be obedient vnto him That which he intendeth to cry is the matter of his booke of Christian Common Wealth whereof he vaunteth as if therby the world should know Pag. 28.33 what a champion the Protestants haue gotten for them For by meanes thereof the errours of Rome must be made manifest and the purity of the Protestant doctrine shal be no longer hidden and a number of their Churches reiected by that of Rome shal be declared Catholike and the way of making peace and vnion ouer all the world shal be cleerly manifested And all this he pretendeth with such confidence and presumption as if with him the Catholike verity were turned Protestant or as if he had gotten a Monopoly of the doctrine of Christ and that no part thereof were warrantable without his marke or licence and with his approbation that any Religion might passe for currant Of this booke of his he speaketh euery where with such admiration as a man may easily perceiue it is the Idol that he adoreth and was doubtlesse the principall cause of his fall and for the loue of it more then any thing els he was content to renounce both his Faith and Countrey But as Idolls are nothing so I haue shewed sufficiently that this Idoll of his contayneth nothing And though it were neuer so strong and substantiall yet cōming once forth and falling vpon the stone of Peter which is the Rock of the Church wherat it aymeth it must needs be broken all to peeces And considering with my selfe what the cause might be that all this while it is not published I am perswaded that the Protestants themselues perceiuing the deformity thereof and especially the clouen foot of the Diuell I meane the deniall of all Iurisdiction in the Church of God which is the crutch wheron it standeth were either affrayed or ashamed to prynt it which if it be true we shall shortly heare that either he will take the course that Achitophel did when his Counsell was contemned or els that before it be long forsaking Kent and Christendome he will turne himselfe towards the Turkes and Gentiles And indeed intending as he doth to take away the occasion of Schisme not by establishing one head vpon earth as our Sauiour did but by beating downe the same not by order of Iurisdiction but by the disorder of licentious liberty any man may perceiue it is a Diuellish deuice not to bring forth vnion but to breed confusion nor to gather with Christ but to scatter with Antichrist And therefore the Cryer himselfe considering the matter a little better and being ashamed to discouer in playne tearmes his wicked meaning correcteth himselfe afterward and instead of demonstrating the way of this vnion which he promised before he saith afterward that
place by way of a friendly exhortation to peace and amendement he accuseth the Pope of many foule crymes and addresseth his speach vnto him in this manner Let vs obserue the famous saying of S. Cyprian iudging no man excōmunicating no man let vs imitate Cyprian c. as if he being free from all fault himselfe he had great compassion of the Popes vniust proceeding perswading him with all charity to reforme himselfe only he hath one trick which I know not how it can stand with the art of Rhetorick and it is this that commonly through all his booke he speaketh against himselfe or produceth such matter as most easily and most strongly may be vrged against him Whether it be his ill luck or a fault in Nature or the iudgment of God vpon those that falling from the Catholike Religion attempt to write against it I know not But this I dare say that he neuer learned this poynt of Rhetorike among the Iesuits First therefore as in other passages of his booke you haue seene all that he hath sayd to haue been retorted against him so in the same manner we will examyne in this place how much this allegatiō of S. Cyprian doth make for his purpose For the Cōtrouersy betweene S Stephen and S. Cyprian being about the baptizing of those that were before baptized by heretikes which could not be determyned by Scripture alone the decision thereof by the tradition of the Church and the condemnation of S. Cyprians opinion by the Nicen Coūcell doth euidently proue the necessity of tradition against the Protestants of whome the Bishop hath made himselfe one and that the Scripture alone cannot be in all matters a sufficient Iudge of Cōtrouersyes For as S. Augustine sayth that custome which was opposed to Cyprian Aug. de bapt cont Donat. l. 5. c. 23. ought to be belieued to haue taken his beginning from the tradition of the Apostles as there are many things which the vniuersall Church doth hold and for this cause are rightly belieued to haue been commaunded by the Apostles albeit they be not found to be written Thus S. Augustine Secondly I would know the reason of this great change and strang conuersion of things why as Vincentius sayth the authors of the selfe same opinion should be acknowledged for Catholikes and the followers therfore should be iudged Heretikes the Maisters should be acquitted the disciples condemned The writers of the same bookes should be receiued into heauen and the mayntainers of them shut vp in hell For the latter did no more oppose themselues against the Scripture then the former and both of them seeme to haue alleadged more Scripture in the defence of their opinions then the Catholikes that opposed themselues against them Wherfore no other reason can be giuen thereof but only this That in the time of S. Cyprian and his predecessors who were the authors of this opinion of rebaptizing Hereticks the controuersie was no way defined which being afterwards determined the Donatists that reuiued the same against the beleife of the whole Church were iustly condemned and this kind of condemnation being once admitted the Protestants that haue broached and retayned so many opinions against the generall beleife of the vniuersall Church since the time of Luther and haue been most authentically condemned by the generall Councell of Trent can neuer be secured from the infamy of Heresie which followed the Donatists in this life nor from the same eternall punishment which they receiued in the other Thirdly wheras S. Cyprian sayd to the rest of the Councell that none amongst them did make himselfe the Bishop of Bishops because Marke Anthony would haue it seeme that he taxed Pope Stephen therin who subscribed his letters with that title it must needs be graūted that those words were improuidently alleadged by this Protestant Apologer For as to haue vsurped so great a title had bene as great a crime as could be imagined and such as that all the Bishops in the world had bene bound in conscience to haue opposed themselues against S. Stephen for it more then against any heresie which those times produced so S. Stephen liuing in the 2. age and being a man so renowned for sanctity and martyrdome as he is by the vse of this title affordeth vs a most forcible and inuincible argument of the Popes Supremacy For writing himselfe the Bishop of Bishops he could intend no lesse nor be no otherwise vnderstood then that he professed himselfe the head and the chiefe of all other Bishops Which also may be further confirmed because he inuented not this title of himself but receiued it from his predecessors Wherof his zeale in preseruing the tradition of antiquity against all kind of nouelty may serue for a sufficient argument and Baronius proueth out of Tertullian that it was an ancient custome before the time of S. Stephen which is also confirmed by other titles giuen to the Pope by S. Athanasius and other Bishops in the foure first generall Councels as hath byn shewed SECTION XXXII VVherein is declared how the Bishop in alleadging the example of S. Cyprian and S. Stephen falsfieth the truth of the story against himselfe HAVING shewed how much the authority and example of S. Cyprian alleadged by the Bishop doth make against his owne cause ouerthroweth the principall grounds of all Protestant Religion that you may the better perceiue what a notable Champion he is like to proue of the Protestant faith I may not omit to shew you with what falshood he relateth the story of S. Cyprian and S. Stephen and how much to his owne disgrace For first in my opinion he wrongeth S. Cyprian not a little whom he semeth so much to extoll For he maketh him so stiffe in his owne opinion his words are propria opinione firmatus as to oppose himselfe not onely against the Roman but also against almost the vniuersall Church and so voyd of conscience as both to dissent almost from all others in matter of faith and yet to communicate with them For with what conscience could he eyther perseuere in his owne opinion wherein he condemned almost the whole Church of errour or condemning allmost all the members therof in such manner as this man sayth he did with what conscience could he communicate with them These things therefore as they redound very much to the dishonour of S. Cyprian so in themselues they are not true Cyp. ep 2. but are most vniustly layd vpon him by this back friend of his as may easily be proued For S. Cyprian was not the first that began to defend the baptisme of heretikes to be of no force but he receiued this custome from his predecessour Agrippinus as himselfe declareth in these words But with vs it is no now or sodayne matter that we should thinke that they ought to be baptized which come vnto the Church from heretikes there hauing passed now many years a long age sithence that vnder Agrippinus very many Bishops agreeing
the Bishop is euidently conuinced both of Schisme and Heresy IN the tyme of S. Cyprian as the Nouatian Heretikes on the one side denyed that such as were once fallen Cyp. ep 55 ad Cornel. were to be receiued into the Church againe vpon any tearmes whatsoeuer so there were other heretikes who affirmed that all were to be receiued without any pennance or satisfaction for their former sinne For the which cause S. Cyprian sayth of them that they endeauored that sinnes might not be redeemed by iust satisfaction lamentation that wounds might not be washed by teares That weeping and wayling might not be heard to proceed from the brest and from the mouth of such as were fallen that such as were inuolued in defrauding and deceyuing or defyled with adultery or polluted with the cōtagion of sacryfiee to Idols might not make confession of their crymes in the Church whereby all hope of satisfaction and pennance being taken away they lost both the sense and the fruit thereof Which heresy whether it be reuiued by the Bishop or by those congregations wherunto he hath vnited himselfe I shall leaue to your iudgment to consider But one of those heretikes called Florentius Pupianus writing vnto S. Cyprian in the same māner as heere the Bishop in the latter end of his booke addresseth his speach to thē Pope to giue them satisfaction and to purge himselfe of his proceeding against them S. Cyprian to abate his Pryde to make him acknowledge that it was the cause of the schisme and heresy wherinto he was fallen vseth these words among others and sayth From hence Schismes and Heresyes haue risen and do arise because the Bishop which is one and gouerneth the Church is cōdemned by the proud presumption of some and the man whome God hath vouchsafed to honour is iudged of men to be vnworthy And after a while he sayth There speaketh Peter vpon whom the Church was buylt shewing and teaching in the name of the Church That albeit the proud stifnecked multitude of those that would not obay departed from Christ yet the Church departeth not wherefore thou oughtest to know sayth he that the Bishop is in the Church and the Church in the Bishop And so he who is not with the Bishop is not in the Church wherof he concludeth that such do flatter themselues in vayne who not hauing peace with the Priests of God thinke it sufficient to communicate with others The like words S. Cyprian vseth in his epistle to Pope Cornelius where he sayth Cyp. lib. 1. epist 3. That there is no other cause of Heresyes and Schismes but that the Priest of God is not obayed and that one Priest and one Iudge is not acknowledged in the place of Christ in the Church for the tyme. Where also hauing sayd as before that the Church was built vpon Peter at length speaking of the former Heretikes that presumed to go and complaine of him to Pope Cornelius he sayth That they were so audacious as to sayle vnto the Chayre of Peter and to the principall Church from whence the vnity of Priesthood did proceed not considering that they were Romans whose fayth was praysed by the mouth of the Apostle and vnto whome perfidiousnes or error in fayth can haue no accesse The like words againe he wrote in his Treatise of the vnity of the Church where he sayth That men are transported by the Diuell into Heresy and Schisme out of the Church of God because they do not returne to the origen of truth nor seeke the head nor follow the doctrine of their heauenly Maister Which if they considered there were no need of any long treatise or argument but that the tryall of Fayth would be very easy And then shewing what was this heauenly doctrine and what the head and origen of truth which is taught vnto vs he addeth immediatly Our Lord sayd vnto Peter I say vnto thee thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. and vnto the same man after his resurrection he sayd Feed my sheep and so concludeth that our Sauiour built his Church vpon him alone and committed vnto him his sheep to be fed and gaue him the Primacy that there might be one Church c. And a little after he addeth This vnity of the Church he that doth not keep doth he beleeue that he keepeth the Fayth He that resisteth the Church and striueth against the same he that forsaketh the Chayre of Peter doth he confide that he is in the Church And to the same purpose els where he sayth Epist 8. ad plevē vniuersam God is one Christ one and the Church one and the Chayre one built vpon Enter by the voyce of our Lord any other Altar or new Priesthood beside one Altar and one Priesthood cannot be erected and made Whosoeuer gathereth els where scattereth Out of which places because it is euident that our fugitiue Bishop with proud presumption cōtemneth that one Bishop who hath the chiefe place in the gouernement of Gods Church and likewise that he contemneth the Successor of him vpon whom the Church was built and who is in the Church and the Church in him because the Chuych is nothing els but the people vnited to the Priest and the flocke adhering to the Pastour And againe because it is euident that he disobeyeth the Priest of God and doth not acknowledge one Priest and one iudge for the tyme in the place of Christ and forsaketh the Chayre of Peter and the principall Church from whence the vnity of Priesthood proceedeth and wherunto no falshood in Fayth can haue accesse that he obserueth not the dostrine of our heauēly Maister neither returning to the origen of truth nor seeking the head which is S. Peter vpon whome alone our Sauiour built his Church and committed the feeding of his sheep vnto him which course according to S. Cyprian is the only cause and occasion and only meanes whereby the Diuel transporteth men out of the Church into Schism and Heresy it cannot be denyed but that your Bishop forsaking the successor of S. Peter the Chayr of Peter who holdeth the place of Christ in the Church forsaketh the Church and in vayne beleeueth to be therein and gathereth not with Christ but scattereth with Antichrist And thus much cōcerning the obiections which he pleased to frame against himselfe SECTION XXXV The conclusion of the Bishops booke togeather with a short Conclusion of this whole Treatise THERE remayneth only the conclusion of his booke wherein because I haue wearied my selfe too much already with sweeping a way the cobwebs of his idle discourse whereunto in respect of the sleightnes and vnprofitablenes and foulnes of the matter the substance thereof may fitly be compared I will only note two or three things vnto you very briefly First therefore as Iudas saluted Christ and sayd Marc. 14.45 hayle Maister and kissed him whom a little before be had sould to the Iewes as a false Prophet