Schism is not properly a seperation for Heresie or Error in point of doctrin or Faith but in point of disobedience which is not a trivial matter as all common-wealths will easily conceive being that nerve upon which all order de pends and therefore the Quarta-decimans being rebellious to the mandatory decree of Nice all Catholicks had reason to decline their communion I know Theodoret in l. 1. c. 13. of his Ecclesiastical History and other learned men with St. Athanasius in his tract of Synods do esteem that the question of Easter was not defined as a point of faith but commanded to be observed as a custome derived from the Apostles and in confirmation of this they observe that the Councel varieth the form of speech in a migitatory way from the accustomary stile in declaring points of faith saying Visum est ut omnes obtemper arent in question of faith they did not write visum est But credit Ecclesia Catholica Thus the Catholick Church beleeved c. And therefore if his undervaluing the cause of this Schism grew from this gross misprison of the state of the controversie he should do well to resume his better diligence in examining it He might with greater appearance have brought that folemn word combat touching person hypostasis betwixt the eastern western Churches which great Athaenasius more clearly opened and closed up again Many contested ignorantly after the manner of those who fight with their eyes shut and beat the air Some held three hypostasis other but one in the diety from whence great contentions arose But as Athanasius relates When we asked out of what reason they speak these things or why all do use three kinde of words They made answer that they beleeved in the Trinity c. Approving therefore this interpretation and excuse we examined those who asserted that there was but one hypostasis c. Who affirmed that they understood Hypostasis that is person to be all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is essence c. To conclude all by the grace of God after this interpretation of the words did approve of the best and exactest rules of faith which the Fathers of Nice had instituted Some indeed for their material errors did deny communion but as yet there was no formal Schism betwixt the Churches but perticular persons perhaps it might have grown to a greater head had not great Athanasius interposed or rather had not Christ Jesus hindred it But among us the altar of division is erected against the altar of union with Christ out of which it is impious to celebrate Christs misteries the difference is not of words but substance not against the letter but the life and sense of the holy Soripture If these things be trifles why do you separate your selves Why do you punish Priests with death who are followers and ministers of our communion Against all meekness and clemency of the ancients To conclude Why have you built a new altar framed the stones of scandal and division At leastwise ye have broken down and demolished all the old ones insomuch that ye abhor the very name of tar as these later times in your dâ—inâ— stick yet fiery contention in pulpits and pamphlets about 12. years past sussiciently testifie to what end is all this if the difference betwixt you and us be nothing else but about a Cock and Bull And that the same Author affirmeth it to be lawful to communicate with the Arians and Eutychians Nestorians Photians Sabessians because it is not certain that these invented their heresies out of malice but it is otherwise concerning the Manichees Valentineans Macedonians and Mahometans because it is manifest to all that they taught these blasphemies against their own judgements I wonder at this assertion from a person of his eminency for abstracting from the intention of the former against whom notwithstanding there was sufficient presumption as among the ancients is clearer then the Sun no less then against the other but to grant I say what is not to be granted what is that to me whether they have vomitted out their heresie to the eternal destruction of souls with a formal or onely interpretive intention to deceive As long as I communicate with them and leave the truth taught from the beginning and delivered by the hands of the Fathers unto posterity We must look here upon the heresie not the minde or intention of the heretick that not this damneth the souls of those that communicate or pertinatiously adhere unto it as St. August often argueth in the the errors of St. Cyprian and the Donatists whom this Author also derideth But to come home to him Who knoweth not but that Luther against his own judgement began this Schism Who knoweth not that Henry the eighth framed it out of a fained and adulterate conscience Who of us doth not know that Queen Elizabeth out of no Religion but politick ends perverted the Schism into Heresie If therefore for this reason Communon with such are not lawfull as he affirmed of the last Apostates neither certainly is it lawful here Neither will it help them what the others are wont to object that England did enjoy a priviledg which they call Cyprium indeed Tomakas Câ—drenas and many were that the Bishop of Cyyprus was declared exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Antioch The consequencâ— most not be drawn to England in respect of the Sea of Rome except an express priviledge can be sheweth which hither to was never dreamed of yea besides other common titles of obedience the case of the Bulgars may and ought to be drawn unto us to wit for the title of conversion as the decision of the cause is in the law Indeed there is extant a decree in Con. Consta c. 2. That Bishops must not confound and intermingle their Churches but stand to the appointed rules and their certain limits are affigned to the Patriarchs In the first Councel of Ephesus also it is decreed that no Bishop invade the province of another which was not first and from the beginning under his or his ancestors jurisdiction Hence it was that the cause of the Church of Cyprus was heard which the Bishop of Antioch would have subject unto him but it was judged that that yoak should be shaken off upon another title The Country was converted unto Christ by St. Barnabe whose relicks being found there with St. Mathew's Gospel upon his brest written by St. Barnabe this gave occasion to commence a sute of exemption that they might enjoy the priviledge of a Metropolitan which was granted so that afterwards they were onely subject to Constantinople The general Councel it self in the eighth Canon speaks home of it and checks the Bishop of Antioch for having transgressed Ecclesiastical and Apostolical rules in this pretence namely because he did ordain in Cyprus which was alwayes an act of jurisdiction to which he had no just title because these Churches were never put under him
perpetual stile of the Church yea the very Councel of England convince in Spelman 'T is true those Churches which were out of the Roman Empire were subject to no Patriarch as much as can be gathered out of the Canon of the Councel of Ephesus except they put themselves under any one or I think rather that by law they ought to be subject to that Patriarch from whom by his Apostolical Missionaries they first received the feith of Christ ob similitudinem casus Bulgarorum Nam secundum Juristas similium similis est ratio As we argue of the Indies and others lately converted Japonians and those of China It is true de facto some Provinces against all Law have revolted from the Patriarch of Rome to the Patriarch of Constantinople after the division of the Empire and others from him to others as Russia to the Bishop of Moscovia but these are done against all lawes and government of the Church The shift which our Country-men fly to saying they were compelled unto it for the too much cruelty of the Pope with the same facility it is rejected for it ought to have been examined by a general Councel and parts on both sides be heard as in the Councel of Trent an excellent occasion was given but ours appeared not because if it be lawfull for subjects to withdraw themselves from the obedience of their superiours as often as they pretend tyranny or what oppression soever so that themselves be actors and judges in their own causes it is to be feared that subjects of Princes or whatsoever soeveraignties by this occasion will lay hold on easie pretences of Rebellion for if the reason be good it is every-where in force and so any province out of apprehension of tyranny c. may justly and lawfully withdraw it self from their Prince or the Soveraign Magistracy Therefore it remains firm that seeing England by the most antient and strong right was subordinate to the Bishop of Rome neither hath that subordination been hitherto abrogated by any lawful and sufficient Councel yea neither the cause heard therefore they ought to remain under obedience of the same sea until a full discussion of the matter otherwise she can be no wayes free from the crime of Schism and rebellion according to that of St Nazianzen ep 1. We desire to know what this great lust of bringing novations about the Church is that every one that will c. For if they who now make the stir had any thing that they might disprove or condemn in us about faith not so truly we not being admonished was it meet to commit such a wickedness For you ought to be willing either to perswade or be perswaded if so be also we are in any place or number that who fear God and for the defence of the faith have undergone great labours and have well deserved of the Church and then if also then we machinate new things but notwithstanding by this reason these petulant and contumelious men might peradventure have some sufficient excuse Behold how this great Saint and Doctor of the Church maketh any recess from the Church impossible and unlawful The pestilent poyson of Schism covered over with an ill plaister may be judged sound by impudent men but truly except it be purged and wiped to the very bottome of the soar with the plaister of Christian peace it will be Schism still and consequently bring death to those that are infected with it Some labour to cloak their Schism and pretence of reformation under the fact of Ezechias Reg. 4.18 The business is this The Jewes had fallen into an inveterate custome of erecting altars and offering incense upon the mountains to the brazen Serpent c. contrary to Gods command The kings his predecessors were often reprehended for their neglect herein and Ezechiah much commended for his zeal and fortitude in breaking this ill custom Hence they argue it lawful for kings to reform abuses in the Church as in England All which is nothing to the purpose For first he did it with consent of the high priest as Josias also did in compleating the work begun by Ezekias as appears c. 23. Secondly there is no doubt but Princes are obliged by their office as being nurses of Gods Church to labour especially with the Prelates of the Church to suppress all emergent insolencies or innovations Thirdly Which is the main point Ezechias did not erect any new altar of division against the mother Church Jerusalem but took away the breach or division which be found made by others In the case of England it is just contrary King Henry the eighth began the rest have increased the Schism and erected new altars of division against Gods ordinances in the old and new law as Jeroboam did Reg. 11.29 which God so severely punished So that I cannot see at all with what modestie this fact of Ezechias or Josias could be alledged to warrant the dissection of our Country from the Church since it plainly inferreth the contrary namely that abuses though never so much authorized by wicked Princes or long customs are to be abolished by succeeding Princes to redintegrate the primary union and conformity with the mother Church which is the case of England A main Objection which they use for their Schism is because as they say we forbid a discussion of our tenents by the light of reason which they esteem to be against reason which should be our guide in all things and especially in matters of religion CHAP. 5. Of what use Reason is in disoussing of Faith PHilosophy and Faith go upon contrary principles and hence peradventure they lay hold of occasion of error the antiquity of opinion in Philosophy if it be any thing it must be fortified with new reasons otherwise in process of time it vanisheth but in Christian faith reason it self that it may be efficatious springeth from antiquity otherwise in that it is new it vanisheth away according to that of St. Augustine against two Epistles of the Pelagiuns c. 6. The antiquity of our doctrine declares the truth of it as the novelty of the other shews it to be Heresie In Philosophy reason raigneth here it serveth and consequently is captivated according to the Apostle It is not quite rejected neither is it admitted out of the bounds of a servant for as Roger Bacon excellently speaketh in his fourth part of his greater work We do not seek reason before faith but after it Here was Chillingworth's error in objecting that Catholicks as well as they recur to reason in faith we do indeed use reason as a servant not as a mistris We put it as Frier Bacon notes after faith not before it but these new pretenders to divinity prefer their reason before faith Turn the cat in the pan and make faith subservient to their reason as Teriullian against Hermogenes They descend from the Church to the School of Aristotle they appeal as to the supremest court to the seat of common
of all Colledges ours And yet beyond Julian ye debar us of our own Schools The truth is the laws are made against religion and against the propagation of it against the professing of it in frequenting Sacraments onely administred by Priests When a town or castle is besieged convoys stopped all hanged who attempt to bring ammunition viures hath any intercourse with them are not these in this case persecuted for their allegiance if they expose themselves to all these dangers out of duty to their Prince or whatsoever is Supreme Soveraignty This is our case ye hang and quarter all who would bring unto us spiritual ammunition and Sacramental vivers by death ye obstruct all convoys and why all this Is it not to extirpate our religion is it not to force us to render the small holds we have wherewith God almighty hath intrusted us of his holy religion in our Souls There are some who would seem to abolish all persecution from Catholicks in blood and fortunes pretending it to be injustice to persecute for religion and upon this glorious title of Christian liberty and neighbourly tenderness do cover malice beyond all proceedings of Christians even against Jews or of the Turks even against Christians subject to their civil empire and truly what human nature abhors namely to take their children from them and educate them in their own aiery and uncertain wayes The Church of God in her most flourishing times as under Constantine and Theodosius when all Insidels and Jewes were under their power never attempted such a cruelty against the law of nature Nay the Turks never do it except upon faile of their ordinary exactions which truly are nothing to the burthens of Catholicks here If it be unlawful to persecute as they hold in their fortunes for religion its most in consequent to hold it more lawful to persecute in children Lands and goods are appropriated onely jure gentium children jure naturae wherein no power except God himself can dispense To take away goods or land is theft or rapine This must be reduced to Homicide Nature is so little acquainted with it that there is not a proper appellative yet appointed for it Christian Divines out of this principle have judged it unlawful even to baptise Infidels or Jewes children against their parents wills by reason of the high title of the natural law of parents to children hence some have taught that baptism so attempted would not be valid But to let that pass here is a fortiori as Logitians speak concluded That to dispossess parents of their children in all schools of Christ of law of reason is abominable and therefore I cannot beleeve that our laws will admit such acts to be lawful especially since by precedent Sanctions its already felony to take away children upon any pretences There are yet another sort who seem more tender then all the rest and pretend to reduce all to an Henoticon or Unitive namely that we may all in offensively retain our own faith referring the examine of all differences to Gods court to whom alone as the gift of faith so the animadversion or punishment of transgressions in it proportionably and consequently is to belong as they say what real effect will this produce time will discover if they proceed consequently to their principles it must needs take away many unchristian-like animosities which hitherto have been nourished Michael Balbut as Zonaras in his Annals witnesseth promised in the beginning of his Empire that he would not compel any to follow any other opinions of God then what each man would himself but soon after he persecuted Catholicks cruelly permitting all others to do what they listed he was a man indeed full of all wickedness But Josephus l. 2. against Apion saith that it was honorable in the Romans that they would not compel their subjects to violate their ancient lawes and neligion but content themselves with such honors and duties as the giver may with piety and equity give them for they account not of forced honors or duties which come of compulsion A course certainly worth all Princes observing in order to their subjects and the onely way to be secure of their loyalties as the liberty of France in order to Protestants and Holland to Catholicks manifestly shew However it is evident out of these premises that there is a great Schism betwixt us in England Protestants are wont to say that they are not separated from Catholicks or the Catholick Church no not from the Roman but that they do communicate with all the members thereof fearing and worshiping God truly and make one Church with them they onely separate themselves from Papistry which is not say they the Church but an Imposture adhering to the Church or an heap of errors brought into the Church by the tyranny and fraud of the Bishops of Rome That they and Catholicks are not two fields sepatated the one from the other but one whereof one part is covered with nettles and darnel over-sowed by the Pope but the other part is purged by the labour and industry of the Protestants but this if it were true doth not infringe but rather confirm what we have said before for when we see with our eyes Catholicks and Protestants to abhor from mutual communion who in his wits will deny that there is Schism and division betwixt them or who will affirm there is any unity among them requisite to make one Church And that they add that they are separated from Papistry and the errors of the Pope that they are as it were the one part of the field purged and cleansed Catholicks the other part covered with errors Although all this were granted which yet is never to be granted it makes nothing at all to the diminishing but adds much to the augmenting of Schism because according to this Protestants are not onely separated from the communion of Catholicks which is sufficient for Schism but likewise from the doctrin which as I said before maketh heresie So whilest they strive to take away or patch up Schismatical division they bring in heretical confusion which is much more pernitious and more difficultly consistent with Catholicks Therefore it remains for certain that there is a true Schism betwixt Catholicks and Protestants the question will be onely to see which of these made first the breach The other main Achilles which they use that they withdraw themselves from the obedience of the Bishop of Rome without Schism is because he had onely Patriarchall power over them introduced onely by human right and custom is frivolous for to omit that right that he hath from Christ over the whole Church which is Papal I will onely give this touch We indeed are principally accused for adhering to the Popes supremacy as being a novelty But how clearly it was acknowledged in the 4 first councels needs no other proofs then themselves Nay Tertullian St. Cyprian Ireneus the first writers acknowledge it though in some perticulars they were
rather of Luther the whole Catholick Church consisting of divers Kingdoms in which England is comprised did obey divers Princes were governed by divers civil Lawes and Statutes yet they worshiped God but in one faith and in one sacrifice were sanctified with the same Sacraments did acknowledge the same spiritual Rector the Bishop of Rome Then arose Luther Henry the eighth Queen Elizabeth c. Who brake Communion with the whole world to take away the sacrifice of the whole Church and the greater part of the Sacraments and the holy rites to revolt from the Bishop of Rome all the Church besides persevering in the same unity worship and obedience which before it did profess Who therefore doth not see that they have revolted from the Church and erected altar against altar if they have any and have been the sole Authors of the divided unity of the Church I add that Schism is alwayes a dividing of an united body or a separation of a part from the whole preexistent or fore being now the Catholick Church was an united body existent before Luther from which the Protestants might go out and divide themselves but the Protesants seeing they were no where could make no body from whence the Catholicks could recede therefore the Protestants could onely first make the division and blow up the Rebellion The other often heard phantastick refuge wherewith when these are branded with novelty like men in a desperate naufrage they catch at any broken reed namely that they always were of us and amongst us and so continued till they were cast out of us To the first part I answer That till Henry the eighth they were indeed amongst us that is all their progenitors were Catholicks this every man in the testaments and records of each family can witness for the world till then knew no other all publick profession of Religion was that To fly to interiours that is to say that they were in their hearts Protestants were to recur to divination which were more then childish in things of this nature when all exteriour acts contradict any such dreams and yet to this clear non-sense they are put being compelled to assert their Church for above a Thousand yeers to have been invisible as it is understood under the notion of a body separated from the Roman you will see it in Whittaker in his 2. and 3. Controversie p. 479. Field seeing how destructive this Tenent would be in his 10. C. Accounts it foolish to say that a Church should not have always known professors and White in his defence of the way c. 4. p. 790. Saith positively that Religion is false if it cannot shew a continual descent yet p. 520. he is not ashamed to say that their Church hath had indeed always succession but not visible so that being pressed to shew the real svccession he is constrained to recur to this ridiculous divination of mens interiour Protestancie though they professed otherwise Which contradictory shist of their's were enough to destroy their pretended Church Prideaux in his ninth Lesson of the invisibility of the Church after many braggs comes to this poor refuge and beats about like a man desperate to save his case upon a broken reed or distracted sentence in any obsolute or forlorn Author But sa I noted They will say that they divided not the Church neither did they recede from it but were cast out of it by excommunication of the Pope and therefore not they but the Pope was the Author of this division but this helpeth them nothing For to omit that excommunication is a punishment which is inflicted upon such as go out of the Church not so much casting them out of the Church as depriving them of the participation of common benefits thereof to omit this it is notoriously known to all that Henry the eighth Luther and Queen Elizabeth went out of the Church before they were excommunicated as being condemned by their own proper judgments and so they separated themselves and before any excommunication made the Schism in punishment whereof they were excommunicated touching Henry the eighth it is manifest that he was excommunicated for his disobedience and contumacy in grievous crimes and Queen Elizabeth by and by when she had gotten the Crown upon her she seeing the Pope difficult in declaring her lawful title unto it not for her religion for then she had not changed it but for illegitemacy even according to Acts of our Parliaments under her Father broke off all Communion with the Church of God So Camden in Elizabeth The English also compiled a book of Canons wherein they also confess they went out of the Church of Rome therefore it is a frivolous thing that they pretend they went not out but were driven out of the Church They may perchance reply that they were as amongst us so of us before this division and so are yet because it is sufficient to incorporate any body into the true Church of Christ if he beleeveth the Creed of the Apostles as here Protestants do To this I answer First that in some cases this may be enough yes even to beleeve Jesus Christ to be the Son of God is sufficient as in the case of the Eunuch and such like that is an implicite faith may suffice till other necessary truths are sufficiently propounded For the Gospel had and hath a time of growth in every new Christian In these and such like cases it is sufficient not to mis beleeve formerly other truths to constitute a man a member of Chirst's Church I answer Secondly That the same God who trusted his Church with this hath as well entrusted her with all other necessary truths The Holy Ghost hath taught her omnem veritatem all and every necessary truth as our blessed Saviour promised which she pro re nata as heresies pullulate declares to her children that they may be able to avoid the danger of swallowing stones insteed of bread These truths thus by supreme power propounded to the faithful they are obliged to receive by obeying their Prelats who have a charge over their souls according to that of the Apostle obedite praepesitis vestris c. Hence the Nicene Fathers declared as a most fundamental truth Christ Jesus to be Deum de Deo et consubstantialem Patri c. to be God of God consubstantial to the Father c. which is not in the Apostles Creed neither is it there that the Holy Ghost is God nor the Fathers of Nice did declare that great truth because yet heresies touched not that point as St. Basile and St. Gregory Nariane teach yet I beleeve that every true Christian will esteem it necessary to beleeve these truths it is easie to descend to many more particulars which all Christians admit to be necessary though not expressed in the Apostles Creed as concerning the Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist c. The Church hath therefore always from the beginning to this day beleeved and practised
offended with the Popes Tertullian though persecuted for Montanism by that sea yet acknowledges the power 1. de pudicitia Audio edictum esse propositum et quidem peremptorium Pontifer scilicet maximus c. I understand that the Pope hath made a peremptory decree c. where he is angry at it because against his heresie but doubteth not of his power St. Cyprian as Erasmus in his notes confesseth everywhere acknowledgeth it even St. Stephen and Cornelius his adversaries Usher who boggles at all things because St. Cyprian calls Cornclius brother would seem to doubt but Erasmus less squintsighted will teach him that it is in respect of his conjunction in faith not equality of person St. Ireneus is so vulgarly known that all confess it Nay even Usher who seems to have sworn to corrupt the clearest passages of antiquity yet confesseth in the business of Easter that St. Victor Pope did then pretend his supremacy over the rest of the Churches as appears in his Catologue as he calls it in the second Century So that it is no new title of the Popes even according to Usher The full sway of this great Bugbear in every age according to the enlargment of Christian bounds appears still more gloriously in the Oeconomy of the Church before in after the four Councels to St. Gregory Therefore I touch this no more every Abodary controvertist forceth them to confess it to be truth Mr. Hobbs indeed c. 17. in the end of n. 26. denieth that there is or can be a Rector of the universal Church by whose authority the whole Church may be convocated He ventures also to prove it thus because to be a rector in that sense over the Church is to be rector and lord of all Christians in the whole world which is not granted to any but God If he had been a stranger in Christian principles it had been no wonder to have misunderstood so solemn and publick a Tenet The Supreme Pastor of the Church hath an acknowledged power for preservation of the Church in integrity of faith to convocate Bishops to a general deliberation and determination of things necessary to salvation and to this end he hath coactive power in the exercise of his spititual sword and no otherwise What connexion this hath with a Dominion over the world I know not which by God himself is denied him in holy Scripture and in this his power is distinguished from temporal principality His power is spiritual his weapons are spiritual the objects to which he tends are spiritual in this confinement he commands without prejudice to temporal rights wherein Princes are simply supreme and onely have the coactive sword of justice independently in respect of him and this onely is dominion He thinks this too much and therefore will not acknowledge that there is any subordination in Christianity out of each city or county but every city is supreme to it self in Spiritual and Ecclesastical matters and therefore no Prince or city or particular Church can be excommunicated or interdicted Supposing the antecedent the consequence would without much difficulty be proved for if the Prince is supreme in all things he cannot be excommunicated which is an act of superiority neither the common-wealth by it self for it were to dissolve it self into no city if it should deprive it self of mutual commerce which he acknowledgeth to be an effect of excommunication But he leapes over the proof of the Antecedent which had been indeed worth his doing by Topicks fit for him taken out of Scripture antiquity or reason subordinate to these principles At least he should have shewed an inconsistency of the publick welfare of a common-wealth with the spiritual subordination of particular Churches to a supreame seated out of the temporal confines Surely if there were not a most ordinate subordination all religion would turn to a Hidraes confusion which were to destroy Christs acquired spiritual kingdom on earth and is evidenlty against the light of reason and one main article of the Creed which he accepteth of communion of Saints The excellency of Christs kingdom is that though universal yet it troubleth not but much conserveth each kingdom in their particular Oeconomy though much different betwixt themselves St. Augustine in his city of God Orostus in his History and many others against the Gentiles demonstratively shew the benefits all places receive by this spiritual subjection to Christian principles Amongst which this was alwayes judged one of the most capital as St. Denise St. Ignatius and the rest shew of this Hierarchy instituted by God He would tell us not perswade us c. 17. n. 22. that all power which anciently the Church of Rome exercised over particular Churches or Cities was derived from the Soveraignty of the Emperors and was shaken off when their Empire was abdicated and in pursuit of this he saith that the Roman Church was indeed very large anciently but always confined within the limits of the Empire How false this is no man can be ignorant that hath perused antiquity Prosper assures us that Rome is made greater by the faith of Christ then by the civil Empire and so the rest of the Fathers but especially he de vacatione Gentium l. 2. c. 16. Roma per Apostolici Sacerdotij Principatum amplior facta est arce religionis quam solen Potestatis St. Ireneus indeed tells us that the reason why Rome was chosen for the head was because it had been the head of the Empire but none will say that it was confined by it or measured her spiritual territories by it Who knows not that even in the Apostles time and ever since vast Empires were reduced to this spiritual Empire of Rome which never had to do with the Romane Empire Our own countries ever acknowledged subjection to the Church of Rome under this title Scotland also and Ireland were most oxthodoxly subject to the mitre though not to the Scepter This is onely by the by to Mr. Hobbs But besides this the Patriarchal right which he hath over this our nation cannot be deposited by them for by the same causes authority should be destroyed by which it was set up as the Jurists agree seeing therefore that the Bishop of Rome hath had his Patriarchal power granted unto him by general Councels to wit by those four first which St. Gregory received as four Gospels and especially here by the Parlimentary lawes are esteemed sacred it followeth manifestly that by less power then a general Councel it cannot be abolished for our Britany is one of the seven provinces of the western Church which are the ancient bounds of the Roman Patriarchate as all know In times past I grant that the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury was called Patriarch by Pope Urbane the second with Anselme and Malmes and the Glosse c. Clero d. 21. as also the Bishop of Algar in the districts of Venice but this was for honors sake not for exemption as the thing it self speaketh and the