circumference of the world but restraineth it to the Confines of one City because (r) Hieronymus adversus Vigilantium Non solum unius urbis sed etiam totius orbis erant Episcopi They were the Bishops not onely of one City as Rome but of the whole world Gennadius together with the Council of Constantinople writeth thus to the Bishop of Rome (s) Curet Sanctitas tua universas tuas Custodias tibique subjectos Episcopos Gennadius Ad omnes Metropolitanos ad Papam Rom. Let Your Holyness see unto not all the world but all Your own charge and such Bishops as be subject unto You. Gent. But these were but the Speeches of private Doctours not of any general Council whose Definitions if you can produce I shall submit Minist It was the Definition of the Council of Constantinople That (t) Definimus sedi Constantinopolitanae paria jura privilegia cum sede veteris Romae Concil Constantin 2. cap. 36. The See of Constantinople 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should have the Rights and privileges equal with the See of Rome And that (u) Vt liquidiùs appareat Papam non imperare aliis omnibus Episcopis legatur sextus Canon Synodi Nicenae quo disertè praecipitur ut aliis Ecclesiis Alexandrinus aliis Romanus aliis Antiochenus praesit ut non liceat alteri alterius Provinciam invadere Nilus De Primatu Romani Pontisicu it may well and plainly appear that the Pope hath no power or government over other Bishops Nilus bids us read the sixth Canon of the Nicene Council where it is expresly commanded that the Bishop of Alexandria shall have rule over certain Churches and the Bishop of Rome over certain and the Bishop of Antioch likewise over certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that it shall not be lawful for any one of them to invade the Jurisdiction of another Whereupon it was declared by the Emperour Justinian that Ecclesia urbis Constantinopolitanae Romae veteris Praerogativa laetatur The Church of the City of Constantinople enjoyeth the Prerogative of antient Rome And that none may think this is spoken of the Churches and not of the Bishops thereof Nicephorus saith (v) Romano Constantinopolitano Episecpo ex aequo paria sunt dignitatis praemia honorum jura Nicephor lib. 12. cap. 13. The title of dignity and right of honour given to the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Constantinople are one and equal Whereupon Pope Liberius as if he were inferiour writeth in this submissive stile to Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria (x) Epistola Liberii ad Athanas Quaeso ut huic confessioni subscribas ut ego securior efficiar tua mandata inhaesitanter obeam I beseech you to subscribe to this confession that I may be out of doubt and do your Commandment without delay Gent. I perceive that the Bishop of Rome is not the universal Bishop which Gregory disclaimed in himself and reproved in John Bishop of Alexandria yet the Catholick Church was divided into those four Patriarchates of Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch with whom Jerusalem had shared were not we of this Western part of the World under the Roman Patriarchate and so subject to the Bishop of Rome Minist No for at the Council of Nice when this division of Patriarchates was made England neither was nor ever had been under the Romish jurisdiction But the Metropolitan here was accounted alterius orbis Patriarcha a Patriarch of another World This Nation received the Christian faith the second year of Claudius as you have heard the fourty fourth year after the Incarnation by the ministery of Simon Zelotes (y) Simon Zelotes peragrata Mauritania Afrorum regione praedicat Christum tandem in Britannia ubt crucifixus occisus sepultus est Dorotheus in Synopsi and others nigh an hundred and fifty years before Constantine in whose time the Council of Nice was held which distinguished the Patriarchs jurisdictions And the Romish jurisdiction was never attempted to be imposed upon the Church of Britain till three hundred years after that Augustine the Monk laboured with sword to force it upon them that as Galfridus Monumothensis (z) Mille ducenti coruns in ipso die martyrio decorati regni coelestis adepti sunt sedem Galfrid Monumothens lib. 8. cap. 4. saith a thousand two hundred Religious men or Students were in one day honoured with Martyrdom and obtained a seat in the Kingdom of Heaven and (a) Erant septem Episcopatus Archiepiscopatus religiosissimis Praesulibus muniti Abbatiae complures in quibus grex Domini rectum ordinem tenebat Galfrid ibid. seven Bishopricks and an Arch-Bishoprick possessed with many Godly Prelates and many religious houses in which the Lord's flock held the right religion were heavily persecuted and by degrees subjugated to the Roman slavery yet so as (b) Stow. Chronic. pag. 91. Augustine received from the free Charter of King Ethelbert not Pope Gregory the City of (c) Rex dedit licentiam praedicandi manisionem in Civitaete Dorovernensi id est Cantuaria quae imperii sui totius erat metropolis Beda Histor lib. 1. cap. 25. Canterbury and the ruins of a demolished Church which he repaired for his Cathedral and dedicated it to our Saviour Gent. It is confessed then that England and the associated Nations and Dominions were once subject to the Pope's jurisdiction how came he to be ejected and loose possession Minist As was said of Pope Boniface (d) Captus est Bonifacius Octavus in carcere periit atque hinc est quòd dicitur de eo Intravit ut Vulpes regnavit ut Lupus mortuus est ut Canis Carion Chron. pag. 228. that he entred as a Fox tyrannized as a Lion died as a Beast So the insinuation of Papal jurisdiction into these Nations was subtile the continuation tyrannical and the ejection disgraceful of which I will give you a glance referring you for the more exact and particular discovery hereof to our National Annals and municipal Laws First The insinuation was subtile taking advantage of the superstitious devotion of Ina King of the West-Saxons and in a manner Monarch of England who having builded the College of Wells and Abbey of Glastenbury before resignation of his royal dignity and retiring to Rome caused Peter-pence to be paid to the Pope Secondly The continuation was tyrannical as appears by the Gests of (e) Stow Chronic. pag. 204 206 207. Thomas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who with other Bishops and Barons having abjured the Pope's usurped jurisdiction at least in part appeals and repairs to the Court of Rome for an absolution creating King Henry the Second (f) Daniel History of Henry the Second many troubles at length restored to his Episcopal See by the mediation of Pope Alexander and Lewis of France and continuing his turbulency was slain by William Tracy Baron of Brayns Reignold Fitz-urse Hugh Morvilt and Richard Briton
of Rome to send him Preachers to instruct him in the Christian Faith and he as the Chronicles record sent him two Priests Damianus and Fugatianus So it should seem that Britain received the Faith from Rome Minist How can that be Seeing Britain received the Faith the fourty fourth year of our Saviour and Lucius was not inaugurated King till the hundred seventy nineth year By this Computation it appears the Britains had been Christians above an hundred thirty five years before Lucius which Baronius a Romane Cardinal confesses saying (e) Cum diu alioqui Evangelium Christi illuc perlatum fuisset ut testatur Gildas Sapiens Baron Annal. Long before Damianus and Fugatianus came here the Gospel was preached as witnesseth Gildas the Wise It is true (f) Beda Asser Flores Historiarum Record of Saint Asaph 's Church John Capgrave Marianus Scotus Lucius being already a Christian himself sent Elvanus and Meduvinus two learned men in Scriptures with his loving Letters (g) The Epistle of Eleutherius to Lucius King of Britain is extant lib. Constitut Londinens to the Bishop of Rome importuning him to send the Romane Imperial Laws for reiglement of his Kingdom but he refers him to the Laws of Christ expressed in the Old and New Testament whence he tells him by the Grace of God and the advice of his Senatours he may gather Instructions for ordering of his Subjects Where observe First that the Britains were Christians long before Secondly That Lucius himselfe was also a professed Christian Thirdly That the Messengers he sent were mighty in the Scriptures Fourthly That they were sent for a directory in the Imperial or Civil Laws Fifthly That the Bishop of Rome challenges no Power of Judicature but refers him to Scripture and his Council Gent. Well though you have driven me out of these four Holds That the Church of Rome is not the Catholick Church That it is not the Head upon which other Churches as Members depends That Communion with Rome is not necessarie to Salvation That Rome is not the Mother of all Churches nor of our British yet I hope I may communicate with Rome as with a Member of the Catholick Church and a Sister having prescription of a thousand years since Ethelbert (h) W. Malmesburiensis Marianus Florian Beda in whose time Augustine Melitus and Justus Commissioned by Gregory the First converted the Saxons and made them with the Britains conformable to the Romane Church Minist Augustine and his Companions were not the first Converters of the Saxons whose Queen Berta (i) Stow Chronicl page 90. was Christianed long before having a Bishop with her of incomparable Holiness whose Name was Letardus Neither were the Britains conformable till almost two hundred years after King Osuvius his inclination and Ecbertus his blandishments betrayed them thereto how ever it is not lawfull (k) Vbi incurritur crimen Haeresis ibi sides naufragium patitur perinde ratio verae Ecclesiae amâ—â—titur Perez Pâ—â—â—aâ—cuch sid vol. 1. cap. 14. for you to communicate with the Church of Rome being shamefully Apostated and not so much as a sound Member of the Catholick Church Gent. Your own Doctours approve the Church of Rome to be a true Church as expressly Bishop Hall in a Sermon for which when he was checked he Apologized that he had delivered the same twentie years before at Paul's Cross without controul and appears to Doctour Davenant Bishop of Salisbury Doctour Prideaâ—x and Doctour Ward Professours in the two Vniversities Doctour Primrose Preacher of the French Church in London who all accord with him as appeareth by their Determinations Minist They all accord it is true that the Church of Rome in a Metaphysical sence is a true Church for so to be (l) Veritas transcendentalis nihil positivum reale addit Enti Eustachius Metaphys pag. 42. a Church and a true Church is all one Ens Verum convertuntur nihil hoc modo falsum dici potest nisi quod fictitium impossibile est Every thing thus is True and nothing saith (m) Eustachius Metaphys pag. 43. Eustachius can be called false but that which is fained or impossible So a Leprous and Hectically diseased Body is a true body a Monstrous conception a true conception Thus the Church of Rome though she hath lost (n) Tot in Ecclesia abusus gravissimos morbos irrupisse quibus ad sanitatis desperationem ferè laboret Espenc Comment Tit. cap. 1. pag. 71. as much of her Primitive composure as Jason's Ship did and consisteth in a great part in a Patcherie of Traditions hath not lost her truth But they never acknowledged the Church of Rome was a true Church more then a Thief is a true man in a Moral sence as being notoriously depraved And to prove that the Church of Rome in this sence which is the Question is not a true Church I will demonstrate four things First That it is corrupted in Doctrine Secondly In Manners Thirdly That Rome is Apocalyptical Babylon Fourthly That the Romish Hierarchie is Anti-Christian Gent. Prove these four and conclamatum est the Controversie is at an end Minist First The Church of Rome is manifestly corrupted in Doctrine and therein fallen from the Apostolick and Primitive puritie To give some Instances Christ (o) Nec caro sine sanguine nec sanguis sine carns jure communicatur Paschas De corpore sanguine Domini cap. 9. instituted and gave the Sacrament in both kinds They rob the Laitie of the one moitie with a non obstante in the Council of Constance notwithstanding Christ appointed both Elements Sit Anathema Let him be accursed that saith one is not sufficient Christ (p) Non recedet liter Legis hujus ex ore tuo sed meditaberis die nocte ut observes facere omnia quae scripta sunt in eo Cyprian Epist 74. ad Pom peium enjoyned the reading of the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Search the Scriptures They forbid and bring under the Inquisition all Lay-men even Regulars unlicenced that in known Language read the Scriptures God saith Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image They wholly defalk the second Commandment and to make up the Decade Dichotomize the last The Scripture saith â—psum conteret The Seed of the woman Christ shall bruise the Serpent's Head so (q) See the several places as they are quoted by Doctour Raynolds Ad Anglic. Seminar Hierom Irenaeus Cyprian Leo Serapion Moses Bar-cepha Rupertus Pererius Isiodorus Clarius Lipomanus and Stâ—uchus interpret it Costerus the Jesuit Picus de Mirandula Canisius Gregorie de Valentia Guido Fabricius maugre the Original correct it and make the Vulgar speak Ipsa conteret She the Virgin Mary shall bruise c. Anacletus and Calixtus both Bishops of Rome decreed (r) Distinctio 1. Episcop 2. pacta that after Consecration all (s) Dominica coena debet omnibus esse communis Hieron 1. Cor. xi present
fecimus not id est non propter merita nostra quae nulla fuerunt sed secundùm suam misericordiam salvos nos fecit à potestate Diaboli reatu aeterni tormenti merito suae conversationis passionis Dionys Carthus in Tit. iii. Not of the works of righteousness which we have done that is not for our merits which were none at all because we were subject to the fore-named sins but according to his mercy hath he saved us from the power of the Devil and guilt of eternal torment by the merit of his holy Conversation and Passion Andreas Vega saith (p) Vega Opusc Quaest 4. that many other Schole-men to wit (q) Gregor Arimin 1. d. 17. q. 1. Art 2. Gregory Arimine Marsilius (r) Burgens supra Psal xxxv Paulus Burgensis (s) Eckius Centur. De Praedest Eckius (t) Dionys Cister lib 3. Sent. d. 1. q. 2. Art 3. Dionysius Cisteriensis Pighius Ferus and in a manner Vasques do all with one consent reject the Romish Doctrine of merit of condignity and why may not I say all besides seeing they daily pray in the Litany of their Mass In sanctorum nos consortium non aestimator meriti sed veniae quaesumus largitor admitte Admit us into the fellowship of Saints not weighing our merits but for thy mercie 's sake The Elixar extracted is this That which is derogatory to the all-sufficient merit of Christ and is contrary to Scriptures Fathers and for the very horridness thereof to the Popish Scholemen themselves ought to be abjured But such is the merit of salvation by works Therefore it ought to be abjured Gent. I abjure them willingly in the Language of St. Bernard (u) Bernard in Psalm Qui habitat totum est meritum meum si totam spem meam ponam in Domino This is all my merit to put all my hope in the Lord. Now if you think fit proceed to that which in order is The Seventh Article And I do sincerely testifie and declare that the Pope neither of himself nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath power or authority to (a) In sacra Historia nunquam deprehendimus Pontifices aut Sacerdotes dejicisse Reges at Reges è diverso Pontifices Sacerdotes in ordinem redegisse videmus Quin in orbe Christiano Justinianus Imperator per Bellisarimum priùs removit Silvestrum deinde Vigilium Romanos Episcopos Petrus Martyr in lib. 1. Reg. cap. 2. depose the chief Magistrate of these Nations or to dispose of any the Countries or Territories thereunto belonging or to authorize any foreign Prince or State to invade or anoy him or them Minist THis is consonant to the (b) The Apologie cap. 6. Division 7. 8. Apologie of the Church of England the thirty seventh Article and the Oath of Supremacy which all (c) Romanus Pontifex nullam habet jurisdictionem in Anglia Artic. 37. excluded the Pope's usurped power justly out of these Nations And in this Article we may observe three things at least implied First That the chief Magistrate of these Nations is supreme Secondly That the Pope hath no power over him Thirdly That he can neither lawfully excite foreign Princes against him nor depose him from his Dominions nor collate them upon others either by his own or any borrowed power Gent. Before you condescend to these particulars tell me what is the reason why it is inserted in this Article (d) Papa nec per seipsum nec per authoritatem aliquam Ecclesiae sedisve Romanae nec per ulla alia media cum quibuscunque alits aliquam potestatem habeat aliqua dominia in alium transferendi aut alicui Principi ex raneo authoritatem concedendi ut ipsum ejúsve dominia molestet Juramentum fidelitatis That the Pope neither of himself nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath power or authority to depose had not the first been sufficient Minist You must call to memory that distinction of (e) Bellarmin De Ecclesiae lib. 3. cap. 2. Bellarmine concerning a fourfold Church The first Essential which saith he is a Company of men professing the same faith and acknowledging the Bishop of Rome to be Vicar of Christ upon Earth The second Representative an Assembly of Bishops in a general Council representing the whole body of the Church The third Consistorial made up of the Pope his Cardinals termed by the Sorbonists Curia Romana the Court of Rome The fourth virtual the Pope himself who is pretended eminently and virtually to comprise the power of all the rest The (f) Glossa supra Gratian causa 24 q. 1. c. arrecta Gloss upon Gratian ascribes this transcendent superlative authority to the essential Church or Congregation of the Faithful (g) Bellarm. De Concil Ecclesia lib. 1. cap. 18. Bellarmine to the Representative Church or a general Council lawfully called (h) Defensio pacis part 2. cap. 2. Matsil Patavinus Marsilius Patavinus to the Consistorial Church or the Pope and his Conclave (i) Per Ecclesiam intelligimus Pontificem Romanum qui pro tempore Ecclesiae naviculam moderatur Ecclesiam Papam interpretari non abnuo Gretzerus cap 10. lib. 3. De verbo Dei Gretzerus the Jesuite to the virtual Church which is the Pope onely This Roman Vertumnus turns himself into all these shapes sometimes urging the deposition of Princes in his own name sometimes of his Consistorie sometimes of a general Council sometimes of the Catholick Church these words are used to exclude all the pretences Gent. All these pretences will vanish and come to nothing if you can make it good that Princes and chief Secular Magistrates are supreme and independent within their Territories Minist This Proposition that Princes and chief secular Magistrates are supreme and independent within their Territories and consequently which is the second Thesis that The Pope hath no power over them I shall make good first by Scripture secondly by Fathers thirdly as applicable to us by the Annals and Gests of this Nation First By Scriptures that Papal jurisdiction is not supreme by Divine Institution but that Princes are invested with it by divine civil and natural right which Gregory the Great a Roman Pope confesses saying (k) Nullus pradecessorum meorum Pontificum Romanorum Vniversalis Episcopi nomen sibi assumpsit quòd si assumpserit typhus esse dico arrogantia vocabulum superbum novum pompaticum perversum ssultum temerarium superstitiosum profanum impium sceleratum nomen singularitatis nomen erroris nomen hypocriseos nomen vanitatis nomen blasphemiae eúmque qui se appellaverit aut appellari desideraverit illo arrogantissimo vocabulo in clatione sua Antichristum praecurrere illiusque quietam gratam usurpationem fidei universalis Ecclesiae calamitatem esse Gregor lib. 4. Epistol
administrated but government cannot be duely administrated unless Princes have a power in reformation of the Church to be exercised even over the Clergy which was wholly obstructed while the Pope dispenced his exorbitant and apocryphal jurisdiction till the Supreme Magistrates by the consent of the three orders of the Kingdom were necessitated to reassume that s (t) Cajetanus De potestate Papae cap. 27. tyrannidi resistendi potestatem quam jure naturali gentium habent etiam in rebus Ecclesiasticis power of resisting Tyranny which Cajetan confesseth they have even in Ecclesiastical affairs both by the Law of Nature and Law of Nations Gent. Seeing then in your sense the Bishop of Rome is an Vsurper tell me what you conceive he holds by divine right what canonically or by humane indulgence lawfully conferred what by tyranny and usurpation for this discussion will give great light to the point in hand Minist I will digest this into Propositions which are all or the most of them demonstrated in the foregoing discourse First That all the Apostles were equal according to that saying of Saint Cyprian (u) Hoc erant caetari Apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti bonoris potestatis Cyprian De simplicitate Praelatorum The rest of the Apostles were the same that Saint Peter was all endowed with the same fellowship and power Secondly It cannot be proved by Scripture that Peter was ever at Rome Thirdly The Bishop of Rome succeeded neither Peter nor any of the Twelve in the Apostolick Charge Fourthly The Bishop of Rome was primatively but equal with other Bishops Fifthly Bishops are essentially distinguished from Presbyters but at the most in original power to ordain and exercise of spiritual Jurisdiction indeterminately which is Saint Hierom's determination (x) In divinis instituendis quid potest Episcopus facere quod non Presbyter excepta ordinatione Hieron What can a Bishop do in divinis instituendis in instituting or executing of divine things which a Presbyter may not do except (y) Otherwise in distinction of order and Jurisdiction Irenaeus justly calls Episcopacy Traditionem Apostolicam toti mundo manifestam Ordination Sixthly The Bishop of Rome's Jurisdiction at the first was indefinitely over Christians in or about Rome Seventhly It was by the Indulgence of Constantine that the Romane Diocess was further extended which St. Hierom at the least meant in that Curb (z) Noverint Episcopi se magis consuetudine quà m dispositionis Dominicae veritate Presbyteris esse majores Hieron in Epist ad Titum Let Bishops understand that they be greater then Presbyters more by Custom and prescription then by verity of divine Ordinance Eightly (a) More by custom extensivè not denying Superiority of order and jurisdiction intensivé It was humane Councils not any divine Authority that distinguished the Church into Patriarchates conferring that of the West upon the Bishop of Rome which Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope confesseth (b) Ante Concilium Nicenum quisque sibi vivebat parvus respectus habebatur ad Ecclesiam Romanam Aeneas Sylvius Epist 188. little respect was had to Rome before the Council of Nice Ninthly It was by humane Institution that for Vnity and Peace sake the Bishop of Rome had Priority of Order in General Councils Tenthly His claim of universal Jurisdiction was usurped and unlawful So St. Hierom (c) Si authoritas quaeritur orbis major est urbe ubicunque fuerit Episcopus sive Romae sive Eugubii sive Constantinopoli sive Rhegii ejusdem est meriti ejusdem Sacerdotii Hieron ad Euagrium If we seek for authority the world is bigger then the City of Rome wheresoever there is a Bishop whether he be at Rome or at Eugubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium he is of like worth of like Priesthood Gregory the First disclaimed the Title of Vniversal Bishop in himself saying (d) Nemo praedecessorum meorum hoc profano vocabulo usus est Greg. lib. 4. Epist 38. None of his Predecessours used such a profane Term and checks the Bishop of Constantinople for it saying (e) Quid tu Christo universalis Ecclesiae capiti in extremi judicii dicturus es examine qui cuncta ejus membra tibimet conaris Vniversalis appellatione supponere Gregor lib. 4. Epist 38. What answer wilt thou make unto Christ who is indeed the Head of the Vniversal Church at the trial of the last judgment that thou goest about under the Name of Vniversal Bishop to subdue all his Members unto thee Eleventhly The Pope had no jurisdiction in this Nation for the first six Centuries Twelfthly Austin and his fellow-Monks were the first Seminaries of it who introduced it by blood and superstition Lastly (f) Bonifacius Tertius magna contentione obtinuit à Phaca Caesare ut sanciretur Romanus Pontifex Oecumenicus summus Episcopus totius Ecclesiae Christinae Ab eo tempore nunquam desierunt Romani Pontifices conari pro dignitate potentia sua augenda Carion Chron. pag. 161. It is justly excluded out of these Nations as inconsistent with civil Government and destructive to the peace of Church and State Gent. All this seems to be probable and you have given such evident Demonstration of the particulars that I know not what to reply Minist Then I may safely conclude That which hath no ground in Scriptures Fathers or antient Councils was not known for six hundred years after the Incarnation was introduced with blood and superstition and maintained with Tyranny and is inconsistent with civil Government and destructive to peace of Church and State ought to be abjured But such is the Pope's pretended jurisdiction in these Nations Therefore it ought to be abjured The Eleventh Article And all Doctrines in affirmation of the said Points I do abjure and renounce without Equivocation mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever taking the words by me spoken according to the common and usual meaning of them Gent. WHat new matter presents it self to be abjured in this Article all Doctrines in affirmation of the Points in question were renounced before Minist The ten former Articles as was premised in the beginning comprised the rem or matter to be sworn or abjured The two last contain the modum or manner of abjuration being undistinguishably the same with that of the Oath of Supremacy which concluded thus (a) Haec omnia planè ac sincerè agnosco juro juxta expressa verba pera me hic prolata juxta planum communem sensum intellectum eorundem verborum absque ulla aequivocatione aut mentali evasione aut tacita reservatione quacunque Andreros I acknowledge and swear all these things plainly and sincerely according to the express words by me here uttered and according to the plain and common meaning and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental reservation or secret evasion whatsoever Gent. I beseech you therefore give me
where you have any Power it truly may be said to be writ in Oyl for the gentleness thereof If I may have leave to parallel What think you of your Pope Innocent the Third (t) Ex Hermanno Mutio Innocentius 111. Anno 1212. who made but one Bonefire of an hundred Nobles and others in the Country of Alsatia in one day (u) See these Stories at large in the Book of Martyrs page 868. Of Minerius one of the Pope's Captains who destroyed two and twenty Towns of the Merindolians barbarously murdered the Inhabitants whether they resisted or not ravishing Virgins and Matrons butchering Women with Childe and when their Men had deserted their Cities leaving their Females and Infants behind in hope of Commiseration the bloody Assasinat practised such inhumane Barbarity upon five hundred Women at once besides innocent Babes as hath been unheard off In the Town of Cabriers he culled out thirty choice Men carrying them into a Meadow caused them to be hewed in pieces by his Souldiers he shut up forty silly Women whereof some with Childe in a Barn full of Straw and Hay and caused it to be set on fire at the four Corners and when a Souldier pitying the out-Cry let them out the Tyrant (x) Doctour Taylor in his Romish Furnace commanded them to be cut in pieces exenterating their Bowels that their Children fell out whom they trod under feet And Dioclesian-like he sent a Band of Ruffians into the Church where a numerous Company of Women Children and Sucklings had taken Sanctuary and without respect of Age or Sex slew all they found In this one Town the Catalogue of murdered Protestants was above a Thousand In the year 1560. under Pope Pius the Fourth (y) Acts and Monuments pag. 859. were in two Towns of Calabria condemned at one time six hundred Protestants whereof fourscore and eight were executed at once in this manner having enclosed them in one house the Executioner singles one out after another and blindfolding them with a Muffler causes them to kneel down and cuts their throats till all were dispatched (z) Virgil. Aenead 2. Quis talia fando Myrmidonum Doloptimque aut duri Miles Ulyssis Temperet a lacrymis A direful and lamentable Spectacle insomuch that a Romist writing to his Friend at Rome and one Simon Florellus writing to an Italian Doctour of Physick in the Vniversity of Basil profess both they cannot express themselves without weeping But the Turkish Histories the Stories of Nero Decius and Dioclesian veils to the Barbarity of that French Massacre at Paris (a) Gathered out of Janus Augustus Thuanus President of the Parliament at Paris where in the Space of three days ten thousand and in the space of thirty days thirty thousand Protestants were perfidiously murdered I need not instance in the Martyrologies of Queen Marie's days nor revive the Tragick Stories of the Albigenses Waldenses Wicklifists Taborites and Lollards in former times The Sufferings of them of Piedmont under the Duke of Lorrain is fresh in our Memory Gent. You have said too much though I do not approve of this Cruelty in the extent and Dimensions of it yet it may seem pardonable in comparison of yours in a twofold respect First This was acted by Catholicks against Hereticks yours by Hereticks against Catholicks Secondly This you mention respects the punishment onely of the Persons offending and hath no influence on Posterity yours tends to the ruin of Posterity although they should conform to your Profession leaving the Parents scarce a Shroud nor the Children any Livelyhood Minist Whether ye or we be true Catholicks I shall demonstrate anon as impartially as Solomon decided whether the living Childe was the true Mother's or the Strumpet's For the present Have your punishments no influence on Posterity when the former Records discover so many harmless Babes destroyed so many Infants perishing in the Womb you are able to name the Inquisitor who when the Childe sprang out of the womb of the Mother bound to the Stake caused it to be thrown into the Fire and burned with her because it was a young Heretick Your Fore-Fathers rage was not appeased with the death of Protestants for (b) Acts and Monuments page 816. Bucer and Fagius were cited out of their Graves to appear or any that would for them and that at Cambridge four years after their Burial which when the silly Ashes could not do they were digged out (c) Page 1780. and burned on the Market-Hill Wickliff (d) Page 739. was condemned after his Death and his Bones burned one and forty years after his Burial Richard Hâ—â—n (e) Stow's Chronic. was first apparently hanged and murdered in Prison by wicked hands and afterwards burned after his Death Peter Martyr's Wife (f) Page 1785. the Divinity-Reader of Oxford was two years after her Death digged out of her Grave John Glover (g) Page 1556. was not only excommunicate but struck with the great Sentence of Maranatha after his Death John Tooly was cited by Bishop Bonner after he was dead and buryed to appear before him on such a day and the time of Citation limited being expired and he not appearing he was excommunicated and streight Charge was given that none should eat or drink with him or salute him and if he came to Church tempore Divinorum he must be thrust out after this Excommunication he was condemned and committed to the Secular Power to be burned for an Heretick and so by the Sheriffs the poor man was the second time executed Gent. I love not to hear of these things neither do I think they were justifiable moderate Catholicks disclaim them Prove me two things and I shall be satisfied First That ever such an Oath was approved by any General or Provincial Council Secondly That the matter of this Oath is just and lawful Minist If I prove not both these I 'le loose the Gantlet Gent. If you prove them I 'le yield up mine Arms and abjure my former Profession Minist I am contented let us joyn issue in these For the former the (h) Concil Tolet. 4. Can. 74. Spaniards imposed an Oath upon all those Subjects of whose Disloyalty they were jealous and that above a thousand years ago which was ratified by several famous Toletan Councils which one of the latter expresses in these Words (i) Quicunque ex ipsis vel totius Hispaniae populis quâlibet conjuratione vel studio Sacramentum fidei suae quod pro patriâ gentisque statu vel conservatione Regis salutis poâ—licitus est temeraret aut regem necare attrectaret aut potestate regni exueret aut praesumptione Tyrannicâ regium fastigum usurparet Anathema esset in conspectu Dei Patris Angelorum atque ab Ecclesia Catholicâ quam profanaverat haberetur extraneus Conc. Tolet. 5 6 10. Whosoever of them meaning discontented persons or of the people throughout all Spain by any pretense or endeavour shall violate the
one Head to be constituted over the Catholick Church if you mean militant Christ the triumphant Head is sufficient for all your Canonists blaspheamy who say (s) Non videretur Dominus discretus fuisse ut cuÌ„ reverentia ejus loquar nisi unicum post se talem Vicarium reliquisset qui haec omnia posset De majoritate obedientia unam sanctam in Glossa Christ our Lord should not have seemed to have dealt discreetly to speak it with reverence unless he had left one such Vicar behind him that could do all these things that is regulate the whole Church For neither is it possible for one man to take cognizance of the whole Church unless he were omniscient as of all Europe Asia Africk China and Prester John's Dominions Peru Mexico with Magellanica and the rest of the Americans no Civil Prince had ever the fourth part of it under his Scepter much less an Ecclesiastick neither could the Church possibly if this were granted be preserved from ruin A Pope himself hath delivered it e Cathedra and that is Gregory the Great who said of John Bishop of Constantinople who first claymed to himself this universal power (t) Si hanc causam aequanimiter portamus totius Ecclesiae fidem corrumpimus corruit universa Ecclesia de statu suo si is qui Vniversalis dicitur cadit Gregor lib. 4. Epist 34. 38. Epist 78. If we patiently suffer this matter thus to proceed that one man shall be universal Bishop we seek not waies to preserve unitie but we overthrow the faith of the whole Church if he that is said to be Universal Bishop happen to fall the whole Church falleth from her state And relating to this Question Saint Augustine saith (u) Augustinus De veâ—ae religione cap 45. Habet superbia appetitum quendam unitatis omnipotentiae Pride it self hath a certain desire of Vnitie and universal power though the tendence thereof be to ruine In conformitie to this Saint Paul expresseth the lasting Politie Christ setled in his Church who (x) Ephes iv 12 13. when he ascended far above any heavens gave not one Vniversal Pope to rule the whole but some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the working of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Whereupon Saint Cyprian descanting saith (y) Vnus est Episcopatus cujus à singulis in solidum pars tenetur Cyprianus De simplicitate Praelaâ—oâ—uÌ„ Vnus est Episcopatus c. There is but one Bishoprick part whereof is holden of several Bishops in whole And again (z) Ideo plures sunt in Ecclesia Sacerdotes ut uno Haeresin faciente caeteri subveniant Cypr. lib. 3. Epist 13. Therefore there are many Priests or Bishops in the Church not one over all the Church that if one fall into Heresie the rest may help As Paul reproved Peter and Irenaeus Pope Victor Upon that place of Hosea The children of Israel and the children of Judea shall be gathered together and appoint them one Head Saint Hierom Paraphrases thus (a) Haec omnia fient quia magnus est dies sâ—minis Dei qui interpretatur Christus Hierom. in Hoseae cap 1. vers 12. All these things shall come to pass because it is the great day of the seed of God which seed is interpreted not an Vniversal Bishop but Christ Lyra harps upon the same string (b) Congregabuntur filiae Judae id est Apostoli filii Israel id est Gentiles conversi pariter id est una Ecclesia ponent sibi caput unum id est Christum Nicol. Lyra in Hoseae cap. 1. There shall assemble together saith he the children of Judah that is the Apostles and Children of Israel that is the Gentiles converted together that is in one Church and shall appoint unto themselves one Head that is not one Vniversal Bishop but one Christ Saint Augustine is of the same consort saying (c) Recolatur lapis ille angularis duo illi parietes unus ex Judaeis alter ex Gentibus Augustin De Civitate Dei lib. 18. cap. 28. Let us remember that Corner-stone Christ not any Prelate and the Walls the one of the Jews the other of the Gentiles Dionysius (d) In Opere Tripartito lib. 2. cap. 5. deciphering purposely the Politie of the Church and comparing the same with the glorious Hierarchie of the Angels and Powers in Heaven yet never dropped one word of the universal government by one Prelate So that we may safely conclude with that Appendage of the Council of Lateran In caelesti Hierarchia tota congregatio Angelorum non habet caput unum praeter solum Deum ergo a simili in Ecclesiastica Hierarchia hominum non debet esse unum caput praeter solum Deum That is In the Celestial Hierarchie the whole Chore of Angels hath no other head but onely God therefore by like proportion in the Ecclesiastical Hierarchie of men there ought not to be any one Head but God That is Christ God-man Gent. I should easily grant by virtue of those Premises that there is no apparent necessitie of a visible Head over the whole Church Christ and his Spirit can easilie supply that defect And it is congruous enough to reason that no one Prelate Atlas-like can bear the axle-tree of the whole Church upon his Shoulders yet methinks there are clear Evidences in Scriptures and Fathers that Saint Peter had supremacie over the rest of the Apostles and the whole flock of Christ Minist This is your Second Position which for all your confidence will vanish into Ashes like Sodom's Apples But I beseech you tell me these Evidences out of Scriptures and Fathers Gent. Of Scriptures these two places are pregnant the one (e) Matth. xvi 18 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church (f) Hart against Rainolds Though in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may seem in the Greek to be a difference in termination and an Enallage of Genders the Hebrew or Syriak Word Cephas which our Saviour used signifies both Peter and a Rock whence I gather that Peter was that rock upon which Christ builded his universal Church as appears by his further promise that he would give unto him the keys of the Kingdom of heaven c. The other place is (g) John xxi 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feed my Sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies as well to rule and govern as to feed Out of thee shall come saith Micah (h) Micah v. 2. Matth. ii 6. of Beth-lehem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Governour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that shall rule my people Israel Homer stiles Agamemnon the Grecian General 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of the people Hence I gather that Christ appointed Peter the Ruler or Governour of the
Christ said to Peter thrice Feed my Flock in relation to his threefold Denyal that he that abjured him thrice might be adjured to Fidelity in his Pastoral Charge by this Advice repeated thrice He said it in the Presence of the Apostles that they that were scandalized with his fall might be confirmed by his Establishment and make use of the Instruction which also concerned themselves (b) Haec velut ad Petrū dicta sunt omnium communia Orig. in Matthaeum Tract 1. These words being spoken as it were unto Peter are common to all the Apostles saith Origen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely in St. Matthew and Homer but in Plato (c) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato lib. 1. De Legibus who also useth the same words signifieth to rule but is as Budeus saith Pastorum more gubernare curare gregem To rule and take care of the Flock Pastour-like As the Father of Hippo emblazons it (d) Non te pascere cogita sed oves meas sicut meas pasce non sicut tuas gloriam meam in illis quaere non tuam Dominium meum non tuum lucra mea non tua August in Johannem Tract 123. Think not to feed thy self feed my Sheep feed them as my Sheep not as thine own seek mine Honour in them seek not thine seek my Dominion and not thine seek my Gains and not thine own No man ever denyed this Feeding this ruling of the Flock to St. Peter nor did Peter himself ever deny it to any other Pastour but said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Feed or if you will for it is the same word rule the Flock of God which is among you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (e) 1. Pet. v. 2 3. taking the Oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready mind neither as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 over-ruling or being Popes over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock Where you see St. Peter yields that to every Pastor which Christ yields to him But says Boniface Christ said to St. Peter Feed my Sheep Therefore he committed all his Flock to him What sequel more then in this Peter said to all Pastours Feed the Flock Therefore he committed the whole Flock to all Pastours Bishop Jewel (f) Defence of the Apologic of the Church of England page 92. Bishop Jewel challenges the Romanists to produce the Authority of one antient learned Father that ever made this Collection but ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem yet we deny not but St. Peter had Commission to feed and rule the whole Church but it was a joint Commission with the rest of the Apostles upon whom Christ breathed alike saying (g) John xx 22. 23. Receive the Holy Ghost whose Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose Sins ye retain they are retained gave them mission and commission alike in the same extent and latitude (h) Matthew xxviii 19. Go teach all Nations c. Whereupon St. Hierom (i) Hierom. Contra Jovinianum lib. 1. saith All the Apostles received the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and the Stability of the Church was built equally upon them all Gent. But though I should be forced to relinquish my hold from these Texts and the antient Commentaries and Glosses thereupon yet it is undeniable that the Fathers give St. Peter Primacy over the rest of the Apostles for St. Chrysostom (k) Chrysost in Matthaeum Homil. 83. Homil 87. Homil. 55. calls him Verticem Apostolorum the Head of the Apostles the Head and Pastour of the Church the Master of the World Ruler over all the World Minist So doth the same St. Chrysostom (l) Chrysost ad Rom. Homil. 18. call Elias Caput Prophetarum the Head of the Prophets yet had not Elias Primacy over Moses and all his Collegues He gives Paul (m) Nullus Paulum antecedit de ea re nemo omnium dubitat Chrysost de laudibus Pauli Chrysost in Genesin Homil. 7. in Genesin Homil. 11. Preheminence over all the rest over the World Paulus Magister Orbis Paul the Master of the World And from Generalities condescends to induction of particulars (n) Paulo tribuitur cura omnium Ecclesiarum non unius vel duarum vel trium sed omnium quae sunt in toto orbe Chrysost in Johan Homil. 11. in Act. 53. Paulo tribuitur cura omnium Ecclesiarum non unius vel duarum vel trium Vnto Paul the charge of all Churches is given not of one or two or three Churches but of all the Churches that be in the world Gregory (o) Gregor 1 Reg. lib. 1. cap. 4. a Roman Prelate himself stiles Paul caput Nationum the Head of Nations Eleutherius (p) Epistola Eleutherii ad Episcopos Galliae Stow Chronic. another Bishop of Rome writing to the Bishops of France says Vniversalis a Christo vobis commissa est Ecclesia The Vniversal Church is committed to you by Christ Chrysostom (q) Chrysost in Epist ad Phil. Homil. 13. calls the Women of Philippi caput Ecclesiae the Head of the Church and salutes Theodosius the Emperour (r) Chrysost ad populum Antiochen Homil. 2. with this Encomium Summitas caput omnium supra terram hominum the Height and Head of all men upon Earth Yet neither had St. Paul nor the Gaulish Bishops nor the Women of Philippi nor Theodosius the Emperour Primacy over the Apostles or Superintendency over the whole Church Gent. But St. Ambrose saith (s) Ambros in locum cap. 24. Christus Petrum amoris sui veluti Vicarium reliquit Christ left St. Peter as the Vicar of his love which Attribute and Elogy is not given to any of the Apostles Minist He saith not expressly his Vicar but as his Vicar which Tertullian being Judge is the Holy Ghost's peculiar who speaking of Christ saith (t) Misit vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti qui credentes agat Tertull. De praescriptione adversùs Haereticos He sitting at the Right Hand of God the Father instead of himself sent the power of the Holy Ghost as his Vicar to direct them that believe But if St. Peter in a borrowed Sence may be termed Christ's Vicar the Stile is but the same Eleutherius of Rome gave Lucius first King of Britain And that Eusebius gives not onely the Apostles but all Ministers saying (u) Eusebius Episcopus Romanus Epist 3. 2. Cor. 5. Caput Ecclesiae Christus est Christi autem Vicarii Sacerdotes sunt qui vice Christi legatione funguntur in Ecclesia Christ is the Head of the Church and his Vicars are the Priests that do their Embassage in the Church in place of Christ Now the Collection would be wilde Eleutherius stiles King Lucius and Eusebius calls all Priests Christ's Vicars Therefore Lucius had and all Priests have Supremacy over the whole Church But I beseech you if it should be granted that Peter was Christ's Vicar in some peculiar
Sense supposito sed non dato what makes it for the Pope's Supremacy and Authority over the Catholick Church in general which is the Question Gent. It makes in this That Peter fixed his See at Rome and delegated his Plenipotentiary Power to the Bishops his Successours there that what Power he had he left it in Fee and hereditary to them Minist You speak much in little for this is (x) 2 Thess ii 7 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystery of that wicked one wherein is touched (y) Doctour Sclater upon Thessal pag. 94. First Temerarium a rash avouchment that Peter fixed his Episcopal See at Rome Secondly Erroneum a palpable mistake that he could delegate his Apostolick Power to Successours Thirdly Haereticum a notorious falsity little less then Fundamental that he actually invested the Bishop of Rome with his Apostolick Power derivative to all Posterity Gent. Will you deny that Peter fixed his Episcopal See at Rome when the Fathers so frequently call Rome the Seat of St. Peter Minist (z) Gildas pag. 2. Epist De excidio Britanniae So Gildas the Wise calls Britain St. Peter's Seat telling the British Priests Quod sedem Petri Apostoli inverecundis pedibus usurpassent that They had usurped the Apostle St. Peter 's Seat with unreverent Feet I hope you will not conclude hence that St. Peter fixed his Episcopal See in Britain which is as genuine Logick as the former That Peter was ever so much as at Rome you have neither Scripture Proof nor Presumption (a) Vellenus printed by Illyricus Vellenus with many others proves the contrary Consider but these Reasons impartially Whereas Peter is said to come to Rome the (b) Secundo anno Claudii Petrus Apostolus Romā venit qui annos aliquot anteà Antiochiae praedicaverat hic initium sumit Romana Ecclesia Carion Chronic. lib. 3. pag. 122. second year of Claudius and to reside there twenty five years which is till the last of Nero why doth St. Paul writing his Epistle to the Romans the last year of Claudius or first of Nero make no mention of Peter saying Rom. 1. 5 6. that They were called of Jesus by his Apostleship amongst all Nations Secondly In the last Chapter he greets and salutes near thirty eminent Saints at Rome with their Families and names not Peter which had been an irreverent oversight if he had been resident as Primate there Thirdly Claudius banished all Jews from Rome Peter was a (c) Galat. ii 7 8. Jew Fourthly (d) August in Epist ad Galat. cap. ii The Gospel of Circumcision that is to preach to the Jews wheresoever scattered was committed unto Peter but the Romans were Gentiles Vncircumcised Lastly The Antients that averr Peter's residence so many years at Rome contradict the Stories of the Acts of the Apostles and amongst themselves vary speaking the confused Language of Babel But admit Peter was at Rome will it follow he was fixed as Bishop there Gent. Doth not St. Augustine give a lineal Succession from Damasus who was Bishop at Rome in his time till St. Peter And Doctour Pocklington (e) Pocklington Sunday no Sabbath one of your own glories that he can derive his Pedigree from Augustine the Monk Bishop of Canterbury and from thence ascend the Scale of Primitive Succession till St. Peter Minist Not from Saint Peter as Bishop of Rome but as an Apostle who with his Collegues or Fellow-Apostles ordained Elders and Bishops of their times they succeeding Pastours and Teachers to the world's end Thus the Apostles divided the earth amongst them Saint Paul ordained Timothy at Ephesus Titus at Crete Saint John Polycarp at Smyrna and other Bishops of Asia Saint Bartholomew had his Successours in India Saint James in Spain yet Paul was no Bishop of Ephesus or Crete John of Asia Bartholomew of India or James of Spain The Apostleship was an Extraordinary Office which expired in the Twelve and was incommunicable to Posterity and would have been disparaged by Confinement to a particular Charge Thus Irenaeus (f) Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. Contra Haereses It is easie saith He for all men to see that will see the Truth the antient Traditions of the Apostles in the Church through the whole World and we can reckon those that were ordained Bishops of the Apostles themselves and their Successours also even until our selves Gent. (g) Confutation of the Apology of the Church of England Harding against Jewel page 95. Apostolick Power was twofold either extraordinary common to Saint Peter with the rest of the Apostles this expired in them and was incommunicable to Successours or ordinary which was Saint Peter's peculiar Privilege and this he bequeathed to his Successours Bishops of Rome Minist This is that Erroneum palpable Mistake maintained by Petrus de Palude who said (h) Nullus Apostolorum praeter Petrum factus est à Christo Episcopus alii Apostoli nullam potestatem jurisdictionis à Christo receperunt specialiter post Christi Ascensum fuit collata eis à Petro. Petrus de Palude De potestato Apostolorum Art 2. That None of all the Apostles save onely Peter was Bishop by Christ and that The rest of the Apostles received no Power of Jurisdiction at Christ 's hand but that specially after Christ 's Ascension it was given unto them by Peter Blasphemy worthy of tearing of Garments as highly prejudicial to Christ's Prerogative and contradictory to Scripture as Paul declares Gal. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle not of men neither by man but by Jesus Christ and God the Father Whereupon Saint Chrysostom (i) Paulus nihil opus habebat Petro nec illius egebat voce sed honore par erat illi nihil hic enim dicam ampliùs Chrysoft in Epist ad Galat. cap. 1. Comments thus Paul had no want of Peter nor had any need of his Suffrage or Allowance but in honour was his equal here I will say no more meaning he was in some Sense his Superiour And Saint Augustine (k) August in Epist ad Gal. cap. 2. makes Peter without any distinction Fellow and equal with the other Apostles avouching that Christus sine Personarum acceptione hoc dedit Paulo ut ministraret Gentibus quod etiam Petro dederat ut ministraret Judaeis Christ without any respect of Persons gave the same Authority to Paul to minister among the Gentiles that he gave to Peter to minister among the Jews Whence is gatherable that rather Saint Paul who writ to the Romans preached at Rome lived and dyed there should have had this ordinary Delegation if any then Saint Peter who was designed the Minister of Circumcision which he himself knew well when he said (l) Galat. ii 9. James Cephas that is Peter and John who seemed to be Pillars gave to me and Barnabas the right Hand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Fellowship that is aequalitatis of equality saith the Gloss and further (m) Non didici
ab aliis tanquam à majoribus sed contuli cum illis tanquam cum amicis paribus Glossa Ordinaria ad Galat. 2. I learned not of Peter and others as of my betters but I had Conference with them as with my equals and Friends So that this Distinction of extraordinary and ordinary Jurisdiction which gives Saint Peter a special Legislative Power is Scriptureless and a mere Popish Chimera Gent. Though there be no ground for it in Scripture yet it may be demonstrated from Tradition of the Church as the Cause from the Effect that St. Peter had this Power and delegated it to his Successours who without interruption have enjoyed it since Nil dat quod non habet as our Gerson once Chancellour of Paris avers saying (n) Sicut Christo collata est omnis potestas in coelo in terra sic eam Christus omnem Petro suisque Sucessoribus dereliquit Gerson De potestate Ecclesiae Consid 12. part 3. As all Power in Heaven and in Earth is collated upon Christ so Christ hath delegated it to Peter and his Successours Minist This is that third thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haereticum a notorious falsitie which Franciscus a Victoria a Friar of your own and once Professour of Divinity in the Vniversitie of Salmantica confesses saying (o) Victor De potestate Ecclesiae Relect. 1. Sect. 1. 1. pag. 39. Glossatores Juris hoc Dominium dederunt Papae cum ipsi essent pauperes rebus doctrina The Glossers of the Canon-Law not Saint Peter gave the Pope this Dominion when they themselves were poor in estate and Petits in Learning Which Pope Zosimus (p) Zosimus in Concili Africano himself was conscious of when in that long contention with the Bishops of Africa touching his Supremacie he alleged not one word out of the Scriptures but only the Council of Nice which he himself had falsified And Meltiades (q) Meltiades in Epistola Ad Episcopos Hispaniae writing hereof to the Bishops of Spain claims it only by Custom not by Donation of Peter or Divine Right The Spring and Rise whereof Philip Mornay (r) Historia Papatus quibus gradibus ad id Fastigii enisus sit Philippus Mornaius Plessiacus in his Mystery of Iniquity or History of the Popedom discovers and is a Truth so clear that it extorts this Confession from Bellarmine (s) Bellarmin lib. 5. De Romano Pontifice cap. 9. Etiamsi nihil horum extaret abunde sufficeret praescriptio 800. Annorum nam etiam regna imperia per latrocinium acquisita tandem longo tempore fiunt legitima Though the Prescription of eight hundred years be sufficient for even Kingdoms and Empires gotten by robbery through continuance of time become lawfull Gent. This is a shrewd confession of so Learned a Cardinal and gives our cause a deadly blow There are four things wherein Supremacie consists First Reformation of the Church Secondly Calling of Councils and Synods Thirdly Promulgation of Church-Laws and Edicts Fourthly Receiving of Appeals and giving Decisions Have not Bishops of Rome exercised all these since the Apostles times According to Gerson (t) Sicut non est potestas nisi à Deo sic nec aliqua temporalis vel Ecclesiastica Imperialis vel Regalis nisi à Papa in cujus femore scripsit Christus REX REGUM DOMINUS DOMINANTIUM Gerson De potestate Ecclesiae Consider 12. part 3. As there is no Power but of God so neither any Temporal or Ecclesiastical Imperial or Regal Jurisdiction but of the Pope in whose Thigh Christ hath writ KING OF KINGS LORD OF LORDS Minist You shall finde upon Examination for all Gerson's Blasphemy that not one of these was exercised by the Bishops of Rome in the Primitive Times First Reformation of the Church by abolishing Idolatry Superstition and Heresie and placing of true Religion was practised by Constantine and all the godly Emperours his Successours The Emperour saith Eusebius (u) Tanquam communù Episcopus à Deo constitutus Eusebius De vita Constantini lil 1. cap 37. put down Idolatry established Christian Religion composed differences of Bishops suppressed Heresies and Schisms heard Causes of Religion and judged them in his own Person made Laws Decrees Edicts and Orders for Religion and all this as a common Bishop or Over-seer ordained of God This in special Constantine engaged to perform against the Fomenters of Arrianism and Fautours of Arrian Bishops saying (x) Pestium illarum audacia ministri Dei hoc est meá executione coercebitur Theodoret. lib. 1. cap. 19. The Boldness of such Bishops and others shall be brought in order by the execution of God's Minister that is my self And the sixth Toletan Council speaking of Chintillanus the King saith (y) Concil Toletan vi cap. 14. Nefas est in dubium deducere ejus potestatem cui omnium gubernatio superno constat delegata judicio It is an heinous Offence to call his Power not the Pope's into Question to whom it is apparent that the Government of all is delegated by the Divine Decree Secondly Calling of Councils and Synods was by the Authority of Emperours not Bishops of Rome As the four first General Councils were called by four Emperours The Nicene Council against Arrius by Constantine The Council of Constantinople against Macedonius by Theodosius the Elder The Council of Ephesus against Nestorius by Theodosius the Younger The Council of Chalcedon against Eutyches by Martian The Council of Sardis by Constans and Constantine And many more for many Centuries after Christ and that not as Bellarmine (z) Bellarm. De Cenciliis lib. 1. cap. 13. saith Authoritate Rapae By the Pope 's Authority which appears in that Leo Bishop of Rome made Supplication (a) Supplicationi nostrae dignetur Imperator annuâ—â—c Leo. Epist 9. to Theodosius that he would call a Council in Italy but the Emperour called it at Ephesus and the Bishops of Italy could not come in time so that Eutyches his Heresie was there countenanced by means of Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria Then Leo made a second Supplication (b) Leo Epist 24. and alledged the Tears of all the Clergy for to obtain a Council it Italy Then he solicited the Emperess Pulcheria (c) Leo Epist 26. to further his Supplicaon to the Emperour he wrote (d) Leo Epist 23. to the Nobles Clergy and People of Constantinople to join with him in Supplication to the Emperour yet could not obtain it in the time of Theodosius When Martian succeeded by the favour of Pulcheria a Council was called not in Italy but at Chalcedon Then Leo made a fresh Suit (e) Leo Epist 43. that the Emperour would command the Bishops of the Council that the Faith of the Nicene Council might stand in full force unaltered which the Emperour did at his Request and the Emperour's Oration (f) Oratio Martiani in Concilio Chalcedoneusi to that purpose is extant Now if Supplication
the Trinity and commended and approved that Faith of the Consubstantiality of the Father and the Son Gent. You have satisfied me sufficiently in these onely one Scruple remains behinde how the Bishop of Rome came to this height that he is the Head of Councils (a) Papa sit qui posset transferre Reges regna Gerson De potestate Ecclesiastica Consider 12. dethrones Princes and disposes Kingdoms Minist Not at once but by several Steps for Popish Primacy is a Mystery of Iniquity and insinuated by Degrees The first Step was the Departure of the Emperour Constantinus from Rome to Constantinople at which time Gratian saith he gave his whole Power Dominion and Territories both in Rome and Italy and the West to the Bishop of Rome Constantinus Imperator Coronam omnem Regiam dignitatem in urbe Romana in Italia in partibus Occidentalibus Apostolico concessit The Emperour gave the Pope his Crown and all his Royal Dignity in Rome Italy and the West And in the next Canon (b) Decrevimus itaque hoc ut ipse Successores ejus Diademate viz. coronâ quam ex capite nostro illi concessimus ex auro purissimo gemmis pretiosis uti debeat pro honore Beati Petri. Gratian Distinct 96. Can. Const We have made this Decree that the Pope and his Successours shall for the honour of Saint Peter wear the Crown of pure Gold and precious Stones which We have given him from our own Head Thus the Decree though Laurentius Valla Raphael Volaterranus Paulus Catthalanus Nicolaus Cusanus and other Popish Writers repute it but fabulous and even Bellarmine (c) Regna Imperia per latrocinium acquisita tandem longo tempore fiunt legitima Bellarm. lib. 5. De Romano Pontifice cap. 9. himself seems to make a Doubt implyedly ascribing the Original of Popish Claim to Vsurpation and Prescription The Second Step was the Fall of the Empire in the West for after the Division of the Empire it began dayly to decline and was utterly dissolved in Augustulus (d) Anno Domini 471. of whom was made this Epigram (e) Ad Pontac Burdeg pag. 93. Augustus Romanum Imperium condidit Augustulus labefactavit Augustus set up the Empire but Augustulus pulled it down And the lower Ebb the Imperial Throne had the Episcopal See had the higher Tide The third Step was the Donation of Phocas who having murdered all the (f) Mauricium ipse persequi assequi in oculis ipsius liberos omnes intersicere pendentem inter alios ab uberibus infantem ac postremò ipsum tot doloribus transverberatum jugulare Philippus Mornaius Mysterii Iniquitatis pag. 112. Emperour Mauricius his Children in his Sight amongst the rest a tender Infant hanging upon the Nurse's Breast and lastly him granted to Boniface the Third that he this Parricide might be confirmed in the Empire Vt sanciretur Romanus Pontifex Oecumenicus Summus Episcopus totius Ecclesiae Christianae That the Bishop of Rome should be established the Oecumenical Patriarch and Bishop of the whole Church of Christ From that time saith Carion the Romane Prelates never ceased to labour for the encrease of their Dignity and Power The fourth Step was the Voluntary Charter which Constantine the Emperour of Constantinople made (g) Anno Domini 684. Platina in vita Benedicti Secundi to Pope Benedict the Second that whomsoever the Clergy People and the Romane Souldiers should chuse to be Bishop all men should believe him to be the true Vicar of Christ without tarrying for the Authority of the Emperour of Constantinople or the Deputy of Italy as the Custom and manner was ever before that Day The fifth Step was the Amity (h) Anno Domini 751. between Zachary Bishop of Rome and Pipin Governour of France under Childerick the King which Bishop assoiled Pipin and the other Frenchmen of their Oath of Allegiance and Fealty made to Childerick and confirmed Pipin the Traitor in his Master's Kingdom Which Bellarmine (i) Childericum deposuit Zacharias in ejus locum Pipinum Caroli Magni Patrem creari jussit Bellarmin lib. 5. De Romano Pontif. cap. 8. confesses saying Pope Zachary deposed Childerick and commanded to place and invest Pipin Father to Charles the Great in his Throne For this Kindness the Popes were gratified by both the Father and the Son and all the Caroline Line for Pipin having besieged Aistulphus King of the Lumbards at Pavie forced (k) Anno Domini 756. him to yield up the Exarchate of Ravenna and Pentapolis into his Hands who conferred it upon the Bishop of Rome (l) Ità Roma Romanús que Ducatus à Graecis ad Romanū Pontificem propter nefandam corum Haeresin impietatémque pervenit Sigon lib. 3. De Regno Italiae So now the Liev-tenants of Constantinople ended their whole Power in Italy who formerly had their Seats at Ravenna and now was he taken out of the way who as the Apostle tells us did hinder the coming of Anti-Christ 2 Thes ii 7. The sixth Step was the (m) Vide Philip. Bergomatem pag. 277 Constitution of the Electours of the future Emperours for Gregory the Fifth being a German born and Kinsman to Otho the Emperour did appoint (n) Antoninus part 3. tit 22. cap. 5. Sect. 13. Seven Electours of the Empire for ever viz. the Arch-Bishop of Mentz the Arch-Bishop of Trevirs the Arch-Bishop of Colen all his own Creatures the Marquess of Brandenburgh the Count Palatine the Duke of Saxonie and the King of Bohemia that the Empire might be established in their Posterity and their Blood thereby advanced for ever Thus I have emblazoned you in brief how that Beast that obscurely sprung out of the Earth was nascent crescent regnant and triumphant Gent. But how came he to have Power here in Britain for I do not see that any of these Donations expresly reaches that Minist (o) Centur. 6. lib. 5. cap. 17. Anno Dom. 600. By Augustine the Monk whom Gregory the First sent to convert the Saxons which being effected he occasioned them to be forced by the Sword to submit to the Romane Slavery which they knew not before murdering twelve hundred Students at Bangor laying the Foundation of Popery here in Blood as I shall have Opportunity further to discover Gent. Well you have almost staggered me in this but I beseech you proceed to the Second Article The Second Article And I do believe the Church of Rome is not the true Church Gent. This Proposition is contradictory to that which was riveted into me when a Childe The Holy Catholick Church is the true Church The Church of Rome is the Holy Catholick Church Therefore the Church of Rome is the true Church (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. This was the first Syllogism I learned and probably will be the last unless I see sufficient Reason to the contrary that I shall forget Minist Sir your Assumption is
palpably false The Church of Rome neither is nor ever was the Catholick Church once it was a sound Member thereof now not so much as a sound Member Dr. Rainolds (b) Rainolds in his Six Positions and others have unanswerably proved it Gent. What not the Romane the Catholick Church whose Faith (c) Rom. i. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is spoken of throughout the whole World and hath taken Possession thereof according to the Divine Poet Sedes summa Petri quae Pastoralis honoris Facta caput mundi quicquid non possidet Armis Relligione te net Minist The Romane Church at the best was but a particular Church not the Catholick or whole which Saint Paul clears saying Rom. i. 5 6. They had received Grace for Obedience to the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among all the Gentiles or all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among whom are ye also But a Church which is but one amongst the rest cannot be the whole or Vniversal Church It is as absurd to say that the Romane is the Vniversal or Catholick Church as to affirm that England is the Vniversal World Therefore Saint Chrysostome descanting upon those Words saith (d) Romanis scribens qui velnt in totius orbis vertice constituti erant nihil prae reliquis Gentibus illis praecipuè adscribit Neque enim ideo quòd tum potentes erant regnabant plus rerum spiritualium eos habere dieit sed QuemadmoduÌ„ inquit omnibus Gentibus praedicamus ità vobis connumerans eos Scythis Thracibus Nisi enim hoc significare voluisset superfluum erat dicere In quibus estis vos Chrysost ad Rom. Homil. 1. Paul writing to the Romanes who were placed as it were in a sublime Turret of the whole world ascribes no special prerogative to them above other Nations for neither then because they were potent and bore rule did he say they had more of spiritual things but he saith As we Preach to all Nations so to you reckoning them with the Scythians and Thracians And unless this had been his meaning it had been superfluous to say Among whom are ye also Theodoret saith (e) Theodoret. super Rom. cap. i. He distinguished not them the Romanes as having Dominion over the world from other Nations but joyned them with them Eos non ut qui totius orbis terrarum Dominium obtinerent aliis Gentibus secrevit sed aliis commiscuit Gent. Though the Romane Church be not the Catholick or whole Church as the Head is not the whole Body yet as all the Members depend upon the Head and receive Animal Spirits thence so all the Members of the Catholick depend upon the Romane and communicate with it Hence Saint Cyprian (f) Cyptian lib. 4. Epist 8. calleth the agreement with the Bishop of Rome and communicating with him Catholicae Ecclesiae unitatem the firm holding the unity of the Catholick Church And writing to Antonianus in the same Book he accounteth it for one thing to communicate with Cornelius the Bishop of Rome and to communicate with the Catholick Church Minist The Antients were of another Judgement amongst whom Oecumenius (g) Oecumenius in Rom. cap. 1. pulls down the Romane Crest in his Commentary upon Rom. 1. 6. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad modestiam revocat so Budaeus renders it He humbles or brings down their Wisdom the Romanes as if he had said Do not think that the Imperial City Rome hath more Prerogative then others but ye are called together with other Gentiles With whom accords Theophylact saying (h) Hic tollit eorum cogitationem de Primatu non enim inquit Alias antecellitis gentes tametsi imperium vobis usurpetis verum enim Perinde ac caeteris sic vobis praedicamus nè igitur turgeatis fastu Theophyl in Rom. cap. i. He takes away their Imagination of Primacy for Paul saith not Ye excell other Nations or the rest of the Gentiles although ye should usurp Rule to your selves but We preach even unto you as we do unto others lest therefore ye should swell with Pride There is not that dependance of other Churches with Rome as is of the Members with the Head The Members cannot live without the Head The Church was Catholick before Rome was a Member thereof and might continue so still though the Romane Church and the Hierarchie thereof were wholy extinct Your Paralogism taken from Saint Cyprian's Advice is Complicatio fallaciarum a Fardle of Fallacies First Non Causae ut Causae for the Essence of Catholick Vnion did not consist in Communion with the Roman Church Saint Steven with many thousand lived and dyed in the Unity of the Catholick Faith and never knew Romish Communion Secondly Fallacia accidentis for it is a thing Contingent and not necessary that to communicate with the Romish Church is to communicate with the Catholick Church Christ enjoins the Jews to hear the Scribes and (i) Pharisees were but Novel Intruders for Antigonus Sochaeus was the first who succeeded Simeon the Just being Coëtanean with Alexander the Great Godwin Hebrew Antiquities lib. 1. page 37. Pharisees which is more then to communicate with them and yet they were not Heads but unsound Members of the Jewish Church as appears by our Saviour's Caution Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees The same Saint Cyprian that calls Agreement with the Bishop of Rome (k) Catholicae Ecclesia unitatem â—â—prian lib. 4. Epist Vnity of the Catholick Church reproves Cornelius and Stephanus both Bishops of Rome and told them that they were both deceived and would not therefore agree with them Gent. But we have been taught that There is no Salvation out of the Romane Church that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. iii. 15. Whose Doctrine is spread over the Earth Minist There is Salvation to them that are baptized believe and repent Mark xvi 16. Act. ii 38. and which have all the ordinary means of Salvation 1 Tim. ii 4. but without Dependance upon the Church of Rome people may be Baptised Beleeve Repent and have all the ordinarie means of Salvation as appears by the Jews Acts ii 41. the Evnuch Acts viii 37. Lydia Acts xvi 14. many Gentiles Acts xiii 48. the Elect Lady and her children 2 John i. 2 4. the seven Churches of Asia Apocal. ii 3. all these Independents of that Church This is confirmed by Occham (l) Extrae ecclesiam auteÌ„ Romanam potest esse salus quemadmodum post Ascensionem Christi fuit salus antequam Romana Ecclesia inchoaretur Occham Dialog part i. lib. 5. cap. 23. one of your own Schole-men who proclaims that Out of the Romane Church may be Salvation as after our Saviour's Ascension there was Salvation before the Romane Church had any being And Aeneas Sylvius (m) Ante Concilium Nicenum quisque sibi vivebat parvus respectus habebatur ad Ecclesiam Romanam Aeneas Sylvius Epist 288. who was
afterwards Pope Pius the Second affirmeth that the first three hundred Years Before the Nicene Council small regard was had of the Romane Church Johanes Major (n) Indi Christiani in aliis locis separati si reliqua ad fidem necessaria crederent nescii quod Romanus Pontifex caput sit Ecclesiae durum est dicere quòd sint in statu Damnationis Major d. 24. q. 3. saith It were over hard to affirm that the Indians and other Christians which live in remote Countries should be in the State of Damnation for not knowing that the Bishop of Rome is the Head of the Church if they believe other necessarie Articles to Salvation And Alchasar (o) Alchasar Comment in Apocalyp cap. xx v. 1. 2. 3. saith Antequam nuptiae cum Romana Ecclesia per receptam publicae Christianae Fidei consuetudinem celebrarentur minus frequens cum Romana communio satis fuit Before such times as the publick Nuptials between the Romane Church and other Churches were celebrated by a common-received Custom a less frequent communion with that Church was sufficient Neither the Romane nor any other particular Church was ever simply the Ground and Pillar of Truth but onely the Primitive (p) Generale Concilium Papae Cardinalium Episcoporum Doctorum in Scripturis Propheticis intelligendis non est nunc tantae authoritatis quamae fuerit olim Apostolorum collegium Dried De dogmat Eccles lib. 2. part 58. comprising the Apostles the succeeding Vniversal Church and the Members thereof onely by Office and secundum quid it was not spoken to the Church of Rome but of Ephesus which was never the Head of the Church and is now no Member thereof Caveat Roma And if the Romane Church be spread over sundrie Parts of the World because some people professing the Romane Faith travail or reside in many Countries and exercise their Religion where they travail or live yet this will not demonstrate that it is the Church universal for both Jews and also sundrie other Christians which are no Romists as the Syrians or Melchites Georgians Russians Nestorians of Saint Thomas in India Jacobites Copthi Habassines Armenians Maronites are largely diffused over the world and exercise their Religion in places where they make their aboad And there is nothing more presumptuous (q) Gregor Nazianzen Oratione De seipso contra Arrian Vbi illi sunt quae Ecclesiam multitudine definiunt Chryost Ad popul Antiochenum Homil 40. August supra Psal 39. then to make external Fame and Amplitude which are things common and separable proper Notes of the true Church and upon this ground to reject smaller Churches which have less Fame in the world but more veritie Gent. Well admit Salvation be not confined to the Church of Rome and that it be not the peculiar Ground and Pillar of Truth yet it is the Mother-Church all or most have received their Christianity from her Minist Rome when she was the most superlative standing upon her highest tiptoes was not a Mother but a Sister or a Daughter Church juniour to many If we look into the original Jerusalem is the Mother of us all De Sione exibit Lex verbum Domini de Jerusalem Isai ii 3. there Christ was Crucified there the Apostles were commissioned there they received the Holy Ghost there Stephen first sealed the Truth with his Blood one of the eldest Sisters was Antioch where men were first called Christians not at Rome whereupon Saint Chrysostom (r) Antiochia caput totius orbis Chrysost Ad populum Antiochenum Homil. 3. calleth that Citie The Head of the whole world The Apostles divided this Earthly known Globe amongst them which in few years after the Passion they compassed Whereas it is but pretended by (s) Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 3 1. Irenaeus that Saint Peter came to Rome when Saint Matthew wrote his Gospel which was in third year of Caius Caligula and one and fourty after our Saviour's Nativitie eight after his Passion during which time the Foundation of Christianitie was laid by the Apostles through the world who received not their Faith from Rome but were rather more antient Titus was sent to Dalmatia Crescens to Galathia 2 Timoth. iiii 10. or Gallia so Eusebius (t) Eusebius lib. 3. calls it (u) Aventinus in Annalibus Boiorum Sabell Enncad 7. lib. 4. Trophimus to Orleance Photinus to Lyons Lucius of Cyrene to Germanie Barnabas to Millain Apollinaris to Ravenna all the Countries and many more were converted by these and others without Commission from Rome Gent. But if not others yet we of this Nation must acknowledg Rome for our Mother-Church as receiving our Faith and Conversion thence Minist No for Britain received the Christian Faith in a manner as soon as Rome in the second year of Claudius and fourtie fourth year after the Nativitie Simon Zelotes an Apostle came hither to Preach the Gospel as Dorotheus witnesseth (x) Simon Zelotes peragratâ Mauritaniâ Afrorum regione Christum praedicavit tandem in Britannia ubi crucifixus occisus sepultus est Dorotheus in Synopsi Simon Zelotes having passed through Mauritania and the Regions of Africk at the last Preached Christ in Britain where he was Crucified Slain and Buried Nicephorus (y) Evangelii DoctrinaÌ„ ad Occidentalem Oceanum Insulásque Britannicas profert Nicephor lib. 2. cap. 40. also avouches that Simon having Preached to many Countries conveighed at last the Doctrine of the Gospel to the Western Ocean and British Islands With these Baronius (z) Baron ad diem 28. Octobr. and the Magdeburgenses (a) Magdeburg Centur. 1. lib 2. cap. 2. agree which Gildas the Wise summs up saying Interea glaciali frigore rigente Insula c. In the mean time while Claudius was raging with bloody War there imparted it self to this cold Iland removed off from the visible Sun further then other Countries that true and invisible Sun Christ which in the time of Tiberius Caesar had shewed himself to the whole World Theodoret Sophronius and Arnoldus Mirmannus (b) Arnoldus Mirmannus in Theatro quarto Neronis Anno Dom. 59. affirm Saint Paul to have passed to Britain the fourth year of Nero and there to have sâ—wn the Seed of Life To these I might add Aristobulus whom Saint Paul nameth in his Epistle to the Romanes recorded (c) Mirmannus in Theatro De conversione Gentium pag. 43. Doroth in Synops. Baron out of the Greek Martyrol ad diem 25. Matrii by Mirmannus Dorotheus and Baronius to have propagated the Gospel in Britain As also Joseph of Arimathea with his ten Companions who pitched in the Iland Avallonia where Glastenbury after was builded thence called in our ancient Records (d) Capgravius Polydore Virgil Cambden Harpesfiend Balâ—us Flemingus Scropus the Burial-place of the Saints none of these were sent from Rome nor had any dependence on it Gent. But the first Christian King of Britain Lucius required Eleutherius Bishop
should communicate or else be thrust out of the Church They enjoyn and practise the celebration of Private Masses onely by the Priests while the people are Spectatours In private Masses saith (t) In Missis privatis sufficit si unus sit praesens scilicet Minister qui populi totius vicem gerit Aquinas part 3. Quaest 83. Art 5. Aqninas it is sufficient if there be one present that is the Minister that representeth the whole people Saint Augustine (u) August De side operibus with all the Primitive Fathers interpret those words 1. Cor. iii. 13. The fire shall trie every man's work of what sort it is of the Fire of Tribulation Bellarmine (x) Bellarmin De Purgat lib. 1. cap. 5. rejects that and with his Romane Complices interprets it of Purgatory Saint Augustine saith Christ spake these words This is my Body when he gave a sign of his body Romists say It is Christ's very body Anathematizing all that deny Transubstantiation Saint Augustine saith with Scripture Sine fide etiam quae videntur bona opera in peccatum vertuntur The works which are done without Faith though they seem good are turned into sin Maldonate (y) Non sequendum illam opinionem quam Tridentinum Concilium nuper merito damnavit Omnia infidelium opera esse peccata Maldonat Comment in Matth. vii 18. with the Council of Trent saith They are not sins Saint Augustine (z) Augustin De meritis Eccles lib. 1. cap. 34. saith I know certain worshippers of Tombs and Pictures whom the Church condemneth this the present Church of Rome approveth whose Mouth Bellarmine is saying (a) Bellarmin De Imag. cap. 6. This Book was witten in the begining of Augustin 's first conversion to the Catholick faith And as Rome is apostated from the Apostolick and Primitive Veritie so even from of the ancient Doctrine of their former Bishops Gregory the First who lived six hundred years after the Nativitie saith (b) Greg. Moral lib. 19. cap. 13. Art 6. We do not amiss if we produce a testimony out of the Books of Maccabees which though they are not Canonical yet are they set forth for the edification and instruction of the Church The Council of Trent saith (c) Concil Trident. Sess 6. If any shall refuse the Books of Maccabees for Canonical Scripture let him be accursed Gregory saith (d) Gregor in Ezek. lib. 1. Hom. 9. In hoc volumine omnia quae erudiunt cuncta quae aedificant scripta continentur whatsoever serveth for edification and instruction is contained in the Volumes of the Scriptures Romists say e Scripturae sine Traditionibus nec fuerunt simpliciter necessariae nec sufficientes Bellarmin De verbo Domini script Et f Concil Trident. Sess 4. Decret 1. Scripture without Traditions are neither simply necessarie nor sufficient Gregory saith (g) Gregor in sex Psal poenâ—â—ent Christ giveth unto his Members the most holy Mysteries of his quickening Body and Bloody making a plain difference between the body of Christ offered on the Cross and the Mysterie of that body offered in the Sacrament The Church of Rome saith (h) Concil Trident. Sess 13. cap. 1. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist after Consecration our Lord Jesus Christ true God and man is truly really and substantially contained under the form of sensible things that the Jesuit Holcot (i) Holcot in 4. Sentent Quaest 3. professeth If there had been a thousand Hosts in a thousand places at that very time when Christ hung upon the Cross then had Christ been crucified in a thousand places Gregory saith (k) Gregor in lib. Capitulari capit 7. apud Cassand Liturg. 33. pag. 83. Sacerdos Missam solus ne celebret Let not the Priest alone celebrate Mass The Trident Conventicle saith (l) Concil Trident. Can. 8. Sess 22. If any affirm that Private Masses in which the Priest alone doth sacramentally communicate are unlawfull and therefore ought to be abrogated let him be accursed Gregory faith (m) Gregor in xxviii 1. Job lib. 18. cap. 32. There are some that glory that they are saved by their own strength and brag that they are redeemed by their own precedent merits but herein they contradict themselves for whilest they affirm that they are innocent and yet redeemed they frustrate the name of redemption in themselves The Roman Proselytes say (n) Rhem. Annot. â—â— Hebr. vi 10. Good works are meritorious and the very cause of Salvation so far that God should be unjust if he rendered not heaven for the same Gregory saith (o) Gregor lib. 7. Epist 109. to Serenus Bishop of Massilia Your Brotherhood seeing certain Worshippers of Images broke the Images and cast them out of the Church the Zeal which you had that nothing made with hands should be worshipped we praise The Church of Rome saith (p) Concil Trident. Sess 15. We teach That the Images of Christ the Virgin Mother of God and other Saints are chiefly in Churches to be had and retained and that due Honour and Worship is to be given to them Gregory saith (q) Gregor lib. 6. Epist. 30. Mauritio August lib. 6. Epist 24. Ego confidenter dico c. I confidently say whosoever calls himself or desires to be called the Universal Bishop in the Pride of his heart is the fore-runner of Anti-Christ Romane Extravagants say (r) Subesse Romano Pontifici omni humanae creaturae definimus omnino esse de necessitate salutis Bonifac. viii in Extrag We define that every humane Creature upon necessity of Salvation must be subject to the Romane Bishop I could bring you more of the same Bran as of their depraving of Scriptures Fathers Councils their Indices Expurgatorii and forged Authours if you will have the Patience to hear Gent. No This is sufficient and more then I could have believed but that the Authours you produce are so pregnant I beseech you proceed to the Second Position that The Church of Rome is manifestly corrupted in Manners Minist Your own Friends and Followers testifie that your Church hath been for many Ages notoriously defiled with the Enormity of Vices Gerson saith (s) Gerson Tomo 4. Epistol Brugis script pag. 71. in general Terms that from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot the ulcerous matter of enormous sin hath defiled and deformed the whole body and state of Christianitie living under your profession In the Council of Basil (t) Concil Basil respons Synodal pag. 139. Surius it was affirmed that all Ecclesiastical and Christian Discipline was in a manner extinguished in every place In the Lateran Council that Oppression Rapine Adulterie Incest and all pestilent Vice did confound all Sacred and Profane things and that (u) Ita in fanctaÌ„ Naviculam impetum facere ut penè scelerum fluctibus illa latus dederit propè mersa pessundata sit Oratio Aegidii Concil Lateran sub Julio ii
had he thus tartly to inveigh against introduction of Images Minist He might and we have sufficient reason First The Canon of the Old Testament is diametrically opposite to Image-Worship Exod. xx 5. Levit. xxvi 1. Deut. v. 9. Psal cvi 9. Isai xxviii Micha v. 13. that the best-learned among your Romish Rabbies are forced to confess it was prohibited to the Jews The Angelical Doctour saith (u) Prohibitum est in veteri Lege nè Imagines flerent ad adorandum Aquin 3. Sent. Dist 9. q. 2. The making of Images to be worshipped was interdicted in the Old Law The same is affirmed by (x) Alexand. Hales pa. 3. q. 30. m. 3. Art 3. Alexander Hales (y) Albert. 3. Dist 9. Art 4. Albertus (z) Bonavent 3. Dist 9. Bonaventure Marsilius Gerson Abulensis and vouched by the modern Schole-men to wit Soto Corduba Cabrera Palacius Tapia Oleaster amongst whom the Jesuit Vasques shall bring up the Rear who declares That (a) Lege veteri non fuisse vetitam omnem similitudinem aut effigiem quomodocunque sed omnem cultum adorationem ipsius atque adeo quoque omnem Imagmem seu effigiem modo accommodato adorationi erectam aut constitutam Vasques De Ador. lib. 2. Dis 4. cap. 6. In the Old Law every Image and Portraicture was not forbidden but every Worship and Adoration of Images and therefore every similitude or representation erected or constituted by way of application to Adoration was prohibited Secondly The Brazen Serpent was a figure of Christ John iii. 14. was formed by God's Commandment Numb xxi 9. yet the worship thereof being as Vasques (b) Vasques De Ador. lib. 2. Dis 4. cap. 5. saith cultus qualem etiam imaginibus deferre nos consuevimus no other then such as Romists use towards their Images was unlawful 2 Kings xviii 4. Thirdly The Scriptures of the New Testament neither expresly nor by consequence maintain the worship of Images neither is there in all the Apostles Doctrine any abrogation of the negative Precept delivered to the Jews concerning the worship of Images and therefore the same Law is (c) Morale simpliciter quod omni tempore ab omnibus servandum est Alexand. Hales 4. q. Art 1. moral and obligeth Christians as it did the Jews Fourthly The worshipping of Images was not practised or held lawful by the Primitive Fathers as Cassander (d) Quantum veteres initio Ecclesiae ab omni veneratione Imaginum abhorruerunt declarat unus Origenes adversus Celsum Cassand Consult De Imag. Simulachr gathers out of Origen against Celsus and Gregory the Great six hundred years after Christ condemned the same for writing to a Bishop he useth this Suasive (e) Gregor lib. 7. Epist 109. lib. 9. Epist 9. Tua fraternitas ab earum adoratu populum prohibere debuit Your Brother-hood ought to hinder the people from worshipping of them and adorare imagines omnibus modis devita avoid the worshipping of Images by all means The Council of Frankford seven hundred ninety and fourscore years after Christ opposed the Definition of the second Nicene Synod concerning worshipping of Images as Ado saith (f) Ado Chron. atatis 6. fol. 181. Pseudo-Synodus quam septimam Graeci appellant pro Imaginibus adorandis abdicata penitus The false Synod which the Greeks call the seventh for worshipping of Images was wholly disclaimed And our Historian (g) Carolus Rex Francorum misit librum Synodalem ad Britanniam in quo libro multa inconvenientia verae fidei contraria maximè imagines debere adorari quod omnino Ecclesia Dei execratur Roger Hoveden Annal. part 1. pag. 232. col 2. Roger Hoveden though a Papist informs us that Charles the French King sent a Book of the Synod to Britain in which Book many Inconveniences and contrary to the true faith were asserted especially that Images ought to be adored which saith he the Church of God altogether execrates And this was done even with the authority of the Pope for saith Cassander (h) Cassander Consult De Imagin Cum Legati Romani Pontificis interfuerunt c. When the Legates of the Bishop of Rome were present by uniform consent of Fathers that Synod the second Nicene so far as it judged Images to be adored was condemned as contrariant not onely to Scriptures and the antient tradition of Fathers but also to the custom of the Roman Church Agobardus the Bishop of Lyons who lived as Ado saith about the year 815 in his Book De Picturis Imaginibus avers that (i) Nullus antiquorum Catholicorum unquam eas colendas vel adorandas existimavit nemo se fallat quicunque aliquam picturam vel fusilem adorat statuam non exhibet cultum Deo c. Agobard Bibliothec Patr. edit Colon Tom. 19. p. 598. None of the antient Catholicks thought that Images were to be worshipped or adored and delivering his own judgement he saith Nemo se fallat c. Let no man beguil himself whosoever worshippeth any Picture or carved Statue neither honoureth God himself nor Angels or Saints but Idols Fifthly Many modern Pontificians have condemned the worship of Images according as the same was practised by the vulgar and maintained by Aquinas and other prime Scholemen Holcoth saith (k) Holcoth in dibr Sap. cap. 13. pag. 524. Nulla adoratio debetur Imagini nec licet aliquam Imaginem adorare No adoration is due to an Image neither is it lawful to worship any Image Cassander writeth in this manner (l) Sanioribus Scholasticis displicet sententia Thomae qui censeat imaginem eadem adoratione colendam qua res ipsa colitur c. Cassand Consult De Pictur The Opinion of Thomas Aquinas who holdeth that Images are to be worshipped as their samplers is disliked by sounder Scholemen and they affirm that it is not very safe unless it be qualified with favourable interpretation among these is Durand and Holcoth Gabriel Biel reports the Opinion of them to be more sound which say that an Image neither as considered in it self materially nor yet according to the nature of a sign or Image is to be worshipped Peresius Ajala saith m All Scholemen n Omnes ferè Scholastici in hoc sunt quôd imago Christi Sanctorum adorari debent c. neque Scripturam neque traditionem Ecclesia neque communem sensum Sanctorum neque Concilii generalis determinationem aliquam adducunt Peres De Trad. part 3. De Imag. in a manner hold that the Images of Christ and the Images of Saints are to be worshipped with the same adoration that their samplers but they produce so far as I have seen no sound proof of this Doctrine to wit neither Scripture nor Tradition of the Church nor consent of Fathers nor the determination of a general Council nor any other effectual reason sufficient to perswade believers Gent. But we finde that the Crucifix or the sign of the Cross was in great
is this That Doctrine which is contrary to Scriptures Primitive Fathers ancient Councils and is disclaimed by all moderate Papists themselves ought to be abjured But such is that Jesuitical Doctrine that Princes Rulers or Governours which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may by virtue of such Excommunication or Deprivation be killed murdered or deposed from their rule or government or any outrage or violence may be done unto them by the people that are under them or by any other whatsoever upon such pretense Therefore it ought to be abjured Which you will more chearfully do if you consider the next Article The tenth Article And I do further swear That I do believe that the Pope or Bishop of Rome hath no authority power or jurisdiction whatsoever within England Scotland and Ireland or any or either of them or the Dominions or Territories belonging to them or any or either of them Minist YOu are here enjoyned to abjure no more then what all Ecclesiasticks or Clergie were enforced formerly to subscribe unto for it is expressed in the thirty seventh Article of our English Confession that The Supreme Magistrate in this Kingdom of England and the rest of his Dominions hath the chiefest power to whom the supreme Government of all States of this Kingdom whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes pertains and neither is nor ought to be subject to any foreign Jurisdiction (a) Romanus Pontifex nullam habet jurisdictionem in hoc regno Angliae Confessionis Anglicanae Aâ—â—â—â— 37. Anglia non est Feudatoria Papae Harpsfield The Pope or Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Kingdom Gent. The Canonists or Pope's Pages of Honour say otherwise enfeoffâ—ng their Master with the (b) Extravagant De appellat Ut debitus in Glossa possession of all the World One saith thus (c) Extravagant De staetu Regularium periculos in Glossa Dominus Papa est Ordinarius omnium hominum Our Lord the Pope is the Ordinary or Bishop of all men Another saith (d) Extravagant De poena Felicis in Glossa Papa totius mundi obtinet principatum The Pope hath the Principality of all the World Another saith (e) Extravagant De concessione Praebendae Ecclesiae non vacantis Quia diversitatem ab Papa etiam cessante negligentia Praelatorum potest conferre Beneficia totius orbis quia ipse est Ordinarius totius mundi Though there be no default or negligence in any Bishop yet may the Pope bestow the Benefices of all the World for that he is the Bishop of all the World Therefore when the chief Deacon investeth and enrobeth the Pope at his Consecration he saith unto him Ego te investio Papatu ut praesis urbi orbi I invest thee with the Popedom that thou mayst rule both the City and the World if the World then England which presupposeth he hath jurisdiction in these Nations Minist It is true that Sycophants have given and modern Popes have taken such jurisdiction to themselves resembling Antiochus King of Syria who stiled himself a (f) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieronymus in Daniel cap. iii. God and the Emperour Domitian who used to assign his Proclamations with this Elogie (g) Dominus Deus vester Domitianus Suetonius in Domitiano Your Lord God Domitian the Emperour Caligula who called himself the (h) Deum Optimum Maximum Jovem Latialem Pomponius Laetus best and most mighty God and the great God Jupiter of Italy Sapores the King of Persia who entitled himself the Brother of the Sun and Moon Manichaeus the Heretick who called himself the Holy Ghost as did that Arabian Impostour Mahomet Simon Magus who obtained that esteem with the antient Romanes that they erected him a Statue with this Inscription * Eusebius lib. 2. cap. 13. SIMONI SANCTO DEO In the honour of Simon the Holy God So (i) Potestas Papae est major omni alia potestate creata aliquo modo se extendens ad coelestia terrestria infernalia ut de ea verificari possit quod dictum est Omnia subjecisti sub pedibus ejus Antonin in Sum. part 3. tit 22. cap. 5. Antoninus Arch-Bishop of Florence gives the Pope greater power then any other power that ever God made which after a sort even stretcheth it self to things in heaven things in earth and things in Hell so that of him that saying of the Prophet David may be verified Thou hast made all things subject to his Feet But of this Luciferian Ambition and inordinate Vsurpation many Pontificians themselves have complained amongst whom Franciscus Zabarella Cardinal of Rome avers that (k) Ex hoc infiniti secuti sunt errores quia Papa occupavit omnia jura infertorum Ecclesiarum nisi Deus succurrat statui Ecclesiarum universa Ecclesia periclitabitur Franciscus Zabarella Thereupon have ensued infinite Errours for that the Pope hath invaded the Rights of all inferiour Churches and unless God help the state of the Churches the universal Church is injeopardy The learned Lady Anna Daughter to the Emperour Alexius and Irene in her Greek Story writeth thus (l) Anna in Historia Graeca The Pope is Lord of the whole world as the Latines think and speak of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this is a piece of their ambition Gent. What then was the Pope confined to a peculiar Diocess beyond which without Vsurpation he could not extend his Phylacteries Minist The antient learned Fathers evermore bounded and limited the Pope within his own particular Jurisdiction Ruffinus saith (m) Romanus Pontifex suburbicavarum Ecclesiarum solicitudinem great Ruffinus Historiae Ecclesiast lib. 1. cap. 9. The Fathers in the Council of Nice appointed the Pope to oversee the Churches of his own Suburbs these our Nations are not within his Suburbs Athanasius saith (n) Roma est Metropolis Romanae ditionis Athanasius Ad solitariam vitam agentes Rome is the Mother-Church not of England or the whole world but of her own particular Romish jurisdiction The Bishops in the Council of Rome writ thus to the Bishops of Illyricum (o) Sozomen lib. 6. cap 23. It is convenient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that all the Bishops which be within the jurisdiction of Rome accord together Flavianus Patriarch of Constantinople writeth thus to Leo Bishop of Rome (p) Dignetur Sanctitas vestra indicare impietatem Eutychetis omnibus Episcopis sub Beatitudine vestra degentibus Inter Epistolas Leonis Epist 9. Let Your Holyness vouchsafe to make known the wickedness of Eutyches to all Bishops that live under you not to all the Bishops through the world Saint Hierom speaking of the use and order of the Church of Rome objected against him saith (q) Quid mihi profers unius urbis consuetadinem Hieronymus ad Euagrium What alledgest thou against me the Custom of one City So much he abridgeth the Pope's Jurisdiction that he extendeth it not to the
Knights whereupon the Nation was Interdicted the King excommunicated and not absolved without corporal penance And though Pope's Bulls were rampant in times of weak Princes or those that were embroyled with civil Wars as King John and Henry the Third yet those that were magnanimous and victoriously successful shaked them off with contempt as Edward the Third who in the fourtieth year of his reign (g) The King commanded that Peter's pence should no more be gathered or paid to Rome Saint Peter's pence is the King's alms observe not the Pope's due and all that had twenty penyworth of goods should pay that peny at Lammas Stow Chron. pag. 461. commanded that Peter Pence should be no more collected or paid to Rome Lastly The ejection of Papal jurisdiction out of England was disgraceful for (h) Stow Chron. pag. 1003. in the twenty sixth year of the reign of Henry the Eight it was enacted by Parliament at Westminster that the Pope with all his authority should be clean banished out of this Realm and that he should be no more called Pope which title he i Gesta Abbat Sancti Albini Regist. Monast Sancti Albini John Bale Onuphrius Giraldus Cambrensis borrowed of Jupiter but Bishop of Rome and that the King should be reputed and taken as supreme moderatour of the Church of England having full authority to reforme all errours heresies and abuses thereof with the appendage of First-fruits Tenths all spiritual Dignities and Promotions annexed to his Royal Dignity Gent. Can you vindicate this from extraordinary rigour That the Pope's jurisdiction confessedly possessed and enjoyed so many Centuries should be wholly ejected in one day out of all these Nations especially Ireland the regiment whereof was conferred upon (k) Sanderus in Secta Anglicana Henry the Second by Pope Adrian the Fourth conditionally to hold it of him Minist That the Pope could give that which he never had is a Paradox both in Logick and Politicks Lunatick Thrasilaus (l) Athenaeus claimed all the Athenian Ships The Cham of Tartary challenges to be Master both of substance and ceremonies to the whole Universe Therefore haing dined himself he causeth a Trumpet to be sounded that all other Princes through the World may dine Henry Plantagenet (m) The Kings c. with other Princes and Bishop submitting themselves and theirs to the King of England and his successours building him a great Palace at Dublin where he held his Christmas Stow Chron. pag. 207. compleated that conquest over Ireland which was begun by Strongbow Earl of Strigule not holding it of the Pope as the Jesuit Sanders pretends but of God and his sword for (n) Giraldus Cambrensis Radulph Cogshall Gervasius Dorob the King of Conach Devuntius King of Cork Morice King of Meâ—thâ— he King of Vriel Duvenald King of Ossery Duvenald King of Limerick with other Princes and Bishops submitted themselves unto him and his Successours not by virtue of the Pope's Charter but his prevailing army Gent. But I am not yet satisfied how the Pope could be lawfully dispossessed of that which he had so long possessed Minist The Pope's pretended jurisdiction is claimed either by Divine right or humane according to both claims even by the Principles of your own Scholemen and Canonists he was lawfully dispossessed Gent. How was he lawfully dispossessed if his jurisdiction was claimed by divine right that seems improbable Minist Supposing but not granting that Anti-Christian Principle that the Pope's universal jurisdiction was by divine right your own Sancta Clara confesses (o) Substractio ab obedientia non sedis Apostolicae seu authoritatis annexae illi sedi quantum est ad actum primum seu signatum sed solum quantum ad actum exercitum id est in quantum exercetur à tali persona cui pro tempore commissa est sedes illa Franciscus De Sancta Clara. pag. 335. that Substraction or withdrawing from obedience annex'd to the Apostolick See according to the actus exercitus as it is so qualified or is exercised by such a power to wit Heretical or Tyrannical is lawful And for proof of this he quotes Gerson once Chancellour of Paris who affirms (p) Hoc etiam practicum est per quoscunque Reges Principes qui sese substraxerunt abobedientia eorum quos isti vel illi judicabant esse Summos Pontifices quae tamen substractiones approbatae sunt per sacrum Constantiense Concilium quaedam expresse quaedam implicitè vel aequivalenter Gerson that It was practised by all Kings and Princes who withdrew themselves from the obedience of those whom they acknowledged to be Popes which withdrawings nevertheless were approved by the holy Council of Constance some expresly some impliedly and equivalently (q) Conclusum est per Concilium Turonense Principem posse ab obedientia Papae sese subducere ac subtrahere pro tuitione tantum ac defensione jurium suorum temporalium Concilium Turonense as also a Synod of Turon in France wherein it was concluded that a Prince may withdraw himself from obedience of the Pope for safeguard and defence of his temporal rights And if a Prince may withdraw from obedience for defence of his temporal rights how authentick a commission had our Princes when both temporal and spiritual rights were at the Stake The Church notoriously corrupted both in Doctrine and Manners Rome that Apocalyptical Babylon and the Romish Hierarchy Anti-Christian as is formerly evidenced Gent. You have made this clearer then I imagined if Princes and Nations may withdraw themselves from Papal obedience even supposing their jurisdiction were by divine right much more if the claim be but from humane grounds conquest consent pact prescription or the like Minist You say right for it will follow a majore ad minus from the greater to the less but the Pope's claim of jurisdiction in England was from none of these but was insinuated by subtilty continued by usurpation and enforced by tyranny For Harpsfield doth unanswerably demonstrate (r) Legibus autem nostruÌ„ fuisse concessum jus nominandi providendi de Beneficiis testatur post alios Harpsfield Saculo 14. fuisse etiam aliam consuetudinem immemorialem ex privilegio ortam causas Clericorum cognoscendi patet ex decisione Rotae 304. Sancta Clara pag. 330. Supreme Magistrates of this nation in all Ages to have enjoyed the right of nomination and provision of Benefices and taking cognisance of the causes of the Clergy Which even Suarez proves to be their just interest by divine and natural right seeing (s) Cui conceditur regnum necessariò omnia censentur concessa sine quibus regnum gubernari non potest regnum vero gubernari non posset nisi Principes hac potestate potirentur etiam in Clericos Suarez lib. 3. De primatu Summi Pontisicis Wheresover God collates a Kingdom he collates also all things necessary for the managerie thereof and without which government cannot be duely
Oath of his fidelity which he hath engaged for the State of his Country and Nation or preservation of the safety of his Prince or shall attempt the death of his Sovereign or devest him of his Regal Power or by Tyrannical power usurp the Supremacy let him be Anathematized in the Sight of God the Father and Angels and be excommunicated from the Catholick Church which he hath prophaned Gent. What gather you from hence Minist I gather four things First That there hath been such an Oath exacted in former times Secondly That Oath very much resembles this of Abjuration Thirdly That that Oath was approved off and confirmed by several Councils Fourthly That the Violaters of that Oath were anathematized by the Ecclesiastical and otherwise severely handled by the Secular Power as the Stories of those times relate more at large Gent. But the Contents of that Oath was legal this illegal which ought not to be taken and being taken obliges not Our Canonists teach us that (k) Isiodore Can. 74. Votum non debet esse iniquitatis vinculum Vnjust Vows are not binding Minist That is the second thing I engaged to prove that The matter of this Oath is just and lawful which I will make good in every Circumstance if you will be pleased to recite it Gent. I have not the Copy of the Oath by me neither can I repeat it verbatim though my memory as I have too signal an occasion is retentive of the whole Substance of it Minist I shall repeat it for you having for mine own and others Satisfaction digested it into twelve Articles which in order run thus Article I. I A. B. do abjure and renounce the Pope 's Supremacy and authority over the Catholick Church in general and over my self in particular II. And I do believe the Church of Rome is not the true Church III. And that there is not any Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper or in the Elements of Bread and Wine after Consecration thereof by any Person whatsoever IV. And I do also believe that there is not any Purgatory V. And that the Consecrated Hoast Crucifixes or Images ought not to be worshipped neither that any Worship is due to any of them VI. And I also believe that Salvation cannot be merited by Works VII And I do sincerely testifie and declare that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath Power or Authority to depose the chief Magistrate of these Nations or to dispose of any the Countries or Territories thereunto belonging or to authorize any foreign Prince or State to invade or annoy him or them VIII I do sincerely testifie and declare that the Pope hath not any authority to discharge any of the people of these Nations from their obedience to the chief Magistrate or to give licence or leave to any of the said people to bear Arms raise tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to the Persons of the said chief Magistrates or to the State or government of these Nations or to any of the people thereof IX And I do further swear that I do from my hear abhorr detest and abjure their damnable Doctrine and Position that Princes Rulers or Governours which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may by virtue of such excommunion or deprivation be killed murdered or deposed from their Rule or Government or any outrage or violence done unto them by the people that are under them or by any other whatsoever upon such pretense X. And I do further swear that I do believe that the Pope or Bishop of Rome hath no authority power or Jurisdiction whatsoever within England Scotland and Ireland or any or either of them or the Dominion or Territories belonging to them or any or either of them XI And all Doctrines in affirmation of the said Points I do abjure and renounce without equivocation mental reservation or secret Evasion whatsoever taking the words by me spoken according to the common and usual meaning of them XII And I do believe no power derived from the Pope or Church of Rome or any other person can absolve me from this my Oath and I do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the contrary SO HELP ME GOD. (l) Duo sunt in unoquoque Juramento praecipâ—è advertenda alterum materia sive res illa in quae juratur alterum forma sive modus jurandi Dr. Andrews There are two things especially considerable in this as in every Oath First The res or matter that is sworn or abjured Secondly The modus or manner of abjuration The former is comprised in the ten first Articles the latter in the close or two last I shall God willing give you Satisfaction in order beginning with the first which is this The First Article I A. B. do abjure and renounce the Pope 's Supremacy and Authority over the Catholick Church in general and over my self in particular Gent. How can I or any Catholick abjure the Pope's Supremacy over the Church in general or my self in particular Seing 't is an Article of our Creed (m) Symboli Tridentini Articulus primus and my Conscience tells me that which it did Sir Thomas More (n) Surius Commentar at his Tryal that having studied the point at least seven years I finde that the Truth thereof is sounded upon Fathers Councils Scriptures and Traditions with Prescription since the Apostles which demonstrates it to be of Divine Institution Minist You will fall short in all these and upon impartial Survey finde the Rise and Spring of it to be from novel Usurpation The Pythagoreans were so accustomed to Numbers that they fancyed the Ingredience of them in every Composure Your seven years study with Doway and Lovain's Education hath so moulded your imaginations that it hears no Melody but like that of Sappho's (o) Herodotus in the Woods (p) Clemens in Prooemio in Glossa Dominus Deus Papa your Pope's Supremacy Whence you make Scriptures and Fathers like Procrustes (q) Plutarch in vita Thesei his Bed what comes short you rack and stretch it to your meaning what is too large you curtail it by amputation Gent. I read Scriptures and Fathers with that Traveller's indifferency that Epictetus (r) Aulus Gellius Noct. Attiâ— requires in all that would finde the Truth and therein I discover First The Necessity of one Head to be constituted over the Catholick Church Secondly That St. Peter was that Visible Head and had Supremacy over the whole Flock of Christ and the rest of the Apostles Thirdly That he fixed his Seat at Rome and delegated his plenitudinem potestatis fullness of power to the Bishops his Successours there Fourthly That all Bishops of Rome have enjoyed it since Minist Not one of these Positions is true but comes from that spirit of lyes as shall appear in order First there is no necessitie of