preserued in the auncient Churche of Rome and kept there in the Chaire of Peter Doth any man doubt but that the Pope of Rome is elder then Luther then Wiclef then Berengarius Restore your self then to the old faith to the chaire of Peter therein you maie reast without al feare Let your Pastour S. Peter answere for you if that See can deceiue you yea let Christ answere for you if it be possible either the faith of Peter which he praied for to faile in it selfe Luc. 22. or not to strengthen others It is the Rocke planted by Christ build vpon it without feare and no fluddes or windes of heresie shall at anie time ouerthrowe your house Matth. 7. Athanasius the second Patriarch in all the world and in honour next vnto the Bisshoppe of Rome Paulus the Archbisshoppe of Constantinople whiche seate afterwarde came to be preferred before the Patriache of Alexandria Marcellus the Bisshoppe of Ancyra Asclepas the Bisshoppe of Gaza and Lucyanus the Bishoppe of Hadrianople being al Grecians all of the East Churche but so farre distant one from the other that there was no part of the East Churche whiche to some of them did not belong all these I saie being expelled not by one or two but by Councels of other Bisshoppes comming from diuerse quarters met together at Rome in the daies of Pope Iulius of whome Sozomenus him selfe also a Grecian writeth in this wise Athanasius relinquens Alexandriam Romam prosectus est Tripart lib. 4. c. 15 CoÌ„tigit autem eodeÌ„ tempore etiaÌ„ Pau luÌ„ CoÌ„stantinopolitanuÌ„ PoÌ„tificem illuc vna coÌ„currere Marcellum Ancyrae AsclepaÌ„que Gazae Quasi subuertisset altare Qui duÌ„ Arrianis esset aduersus caluÌ„niam passus ab his quasi subuertisset altare daÌ„natus est Quasi subuertisset altare Pro quo GazeoruÌ„ Ecclesia Quintiano coÌ„mittitur Lucianus autem Hadrianopoliteâ— Episcopus ob aliaÌ„ accusationeÌ„ ecclesia sua priuatê° degebat in vrbe Roma Cognoscens ergo Romanus Episcopus crimina singuloruÌ„ omnes Nicaeno Concilio concordare coÌ„periens Omnium curam gerens propter sedis propriae dignitatem eos in coÌ„munionem suscepit tanquaÌ„ omniuÌ„ curaÌ„ gerens propter sedis propriae dignitateÌ„ singulisque reddidit suas Ecclesias et orieÌ„talibê° scripsit Episcopis culpans ê™ noÌ„ rectè tractassent viros inculpabiles de suis Ecclesiis eos expellentes ê™ coÌ„stitutiones Niceni Concilij minime obseruareÌ„t Adesse praecepit QuoruÌ„ paucos ad certaÌ„ dieÌ„ fibimet adesse praecepit vt coraÌ„ eis osteÌ„deret iustuÌ„ se super illis protulisse decretuÌ„ Et deiÌ„ceps noÌ„ se passuruÌ„ interminatê° est nisi ab huiusmodi turbis nouitate cessarent Et ille quideÌ„ haec scripsit Athanasius auÌ„t Paulus epistolas Iulij orientalibus Episcopis miserunt singulà eoruÌ„ suas sedes adepti suÌ„t Athanasius leauing Alexandria weÌ„t vnto Rome It chauÌ„ced him eueÌ„ at the same time to meet there Paul Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople and Marcellus of Ancyra and Asclepas of Gaza Which Asclepas being an aduersarie to the Arrians suffered iniurie of them aÌ„d vnder the preteÌ„ce It vvas a great falt in the primitiue Churche to ouerthrovv an Alter that he had ouerthroweÌ„ an Altar he was coÌ„demned In whose steed the church of Gaza is coÌ„mitted to Quintianus Also Lucianus the Bisshop of Hadrianople being depriued of his Church for an other accusation did remaine at Rome The Bisshop of Rome then discussing the crimes of euery one Note aÌ„d finding that they did al agree to the Nicene Councel The B. of Rome hath cure of al. for his ovvn seats sake did receiue them into the CoÌ„munion as one that had cure of al for the worthines of his own See aÌ„d did restore to euery of them their own Churches writing also to the bishops of the East and blaming theÌ„ for that they had not well handled men not worthy of blame in expelling them from their Churches and likewise blamed them in that they had not obserued the coÌ„stitutions of the Nicene CouÌ„cel of which Arrian bishops he commaunded a few to appere before him at a certain day to th end he might shew them that he had iustly geuen a decree or sentence vpon them And did threaten that he would not longer suffer it onlesse they would cease froÌ„ these trobles and nouelties And thus he wrote Nowe Athanasius and Paulus did send the letters to the bisshops of the East and euery of them receaued his owne See Note first that these were patriarches Archebishops and Bisshops Secondlie that they were Grecians Thirdly that the Bisshop of Rome did iudicially inquire what was laied â—gainst euery one Fourthlie that he did it tanquam omnium curam gerens as he that had the charge of all Fifthlie he had this charge not onlie by the way of loue and charity but propter sedis propriae dignitatem For the worthines of his own See Moreouer he restored to euery one his own Church aÌ„d bishoprik Yea he did it not in hucker mucker nor by bare word spoken only at his own howse or in his own citie but he wrote letters for execution thereof to the bishops of the East reprouing their sentence and iudgement concerning these vertuouse prelats Besides this he cited some of the Bisshops of the East to be present at Rome by a certain daie to see the equitie of his Decree Last of al his decree was obeyed and euery of the good Bishops sendiÌ„g Pope Iulius his letters to the other bisshops of the East receaued their bishopriks againe Note vvel If by the confession of the world the supremacy of Pope Iulius was not now acknowledged I can not tell what can make a man knowen to be the supreme head of the militant Church He iudged the highest patriarches next himself He meadled with matters as far distant in places and prouinces froÌ„ him as lightly could be He vndid the iudgement of prouincial Councels He did these things by the prerogatiue of his own See He was obeyed by the faithfull Christians and that euen whiles the Councell of Nice was yet fresh in euery mans remembrance so that no tyrannie or vsurping nede to be feared Anno D. 300. In Psalm 106. Arnobius geueth a marueilouse witnesse for the Church of Rome Petrus in deserto huius seculi perambulaÌ„s quousque perueniret ad Romam praedicauit baptismum Iesu Christi in quo vniuersa flumina benedicuntur vsque hodie à Petro. Ipse exitus aquaruÌ„ in sitim Vsque hodie Exire ab Ecclesiae Petri est perire ita vt qui exierit foras ab Ecclesia Petri siti pereat Peter wandering in the desert of this world preached the baptim of Iesus Christ vntil he came to Rome Rome in which baptism al fluds that is to say Churches are blessed of Peter euen til this day Til this daye He hiÌ„self hath made thirsty or dried vp
not of that King who is also a bishop is greater then a bishoppes power which is spiriritual and heauenly What is this to say but onlie that the bodie is aboue the sowle the ciuill pollicy aboue the Church of Christ and the temporal reigne aboue the Kingdom of heauen This is a vehement marck to betraie our new brethern by For we speake not now of workes or maners that is to say whether a man loue the world more then God or whether a pope be more gredy of his temporal iurisdistion then of his spirituall dutie We speake not I say of these abuses lette him that hath them yea though he be a pope looke well to himself in that behalf but we speake of doctrine at this tyme. The Pope teacheth that euery spiritual pastour is of a higher dignity theÌ„ any temporal officer whatsoeuer he be And that because he is instituted of Christ for to help vs toward life euerlasting The Protestantes teache Ephes 4. that a Christian Emperour or Kinge is aboue all spiritual pastours in his own realm and may depose them by his own power which is the very doctrine of Antichrist For the Emperours and Kinges though they be Christians may not yet in spiritual matters rule the bishoppes and pastours of Gods people VVhat povver the ChristiaÌ„ pricÌ„e hath but onely they may with their teÌ„poral lawes and power defend the lawes and ordinances which the bisshops haue already made as Theodosius and al other good Emperours vsed to doe But if they wil vse their princelie power to change the old lawes of the Church or to make new lawes in spiritual matters which were not before made by the priests or to depose the auÌ„cient bishops who haue cure of their sowles then they are the members of Antichrist as great Athanasius hath at large declared in describing the heinouse factes of the Arrians in his tyme In epist ad Solitar vi tam agentes who reporteth that when Constantius the Emperour called Paulinus the Bishop of Treuers Lucifer the bishop of Sardinia Eusebius the bishop of Marcels and Dionysius the bishop of Millan before him willing them to subscribe against Athanasius because it was his pleasure and his procedings those blessed bishoppes exhorted him ne ecclesiastica corrumperet neue Romanum imperium ecclesiasticis constitutionibus immisceret that he should not corrupt Church matters and that he should not mingle the Roman Empire with the Ecclesiastical ordinances Here you see that the RomaÌ„ empire is discharged froÌ„ meddling with Church matters It is not onely saied Arrians or heretiks but it is said the Roman Empire ought not to mingle it selfe with Ecclesiasticall causes Euen a Bishoppe being an heretike is remoued from Churche matters but an Emperour is not onelie remoued from them if he be an hereticke but also because he is an Emperour onelie and not a Bisshop Onely this hath bene alwaies the custom that Emperors shuld be careful to maintaine the former coÌ„stitutions of Bisshoppes and the ciuil peace of the Church For they being Christians ought to vse the sword whiche they beare by Gods appointment for the Churche But the outward and ciuil peace aÌ„d the Ecclesiastical constitutions which towche the belefe and the inward direction of the sowle are two things much different Apud Athan. ibidem in so much that Pope Liberiê° said to the messinger of the same Emperour Constantius as Athanasius also doth witnesse after this sort If the Emperour will needes interpose his care for the Ecclesiasticall peace Ecclesiastical peace lette an Ecclesiasticall synode be made longè à palatio vbi nec Imperator praesto est nec Comes se ingerit nec iudex minatur Ecclesiastical synod caet Let the Ecclesiasticall meeting be made a great way of from the palaice where neither an Emperour is at hand nor a County thrusteth in himself nor a iudge threateneth but where the only feare of God and the institution of the Apostles is sufficient Thus he said not that an Emperour might in no case be at a Councel of bishops but because he might not be there to vse his Emperial authority in iudging the bishops or in prescribing what the Church shall decree or beleue but onely in maynteining that which the bishops according to the Apostolike institution either haue or shall agree vpon That Reuerend Father Hosius who after that he had suffered persecution for Christes faith vnder Maximian liued threescore yeres in the Churche being tempted by the same Constantius to subscribe againste Athanasius In epi ad Solitar vit ageÌ„t asketh first of him by letters whether his brother Constans the good and Catholik Emperour did vse to banish bishops or no and then whether ConstaÌ„s his brother aliquando iudicijs Ecclesiasticis intersuit was at any tyme a medler with the Ecclesiasticall iudgements Ibidem Last of all he saith to him Ne te misceas Ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea à nobis disce Tibi Deus imperiuÌ„ commisit nobis quae sunt Ecclesiae coÌ„credidit quemad modum qui tuum etiam imperium malignis oculis carpit contradicit ordinationi diuinae ita tu caue ne quae sunt Ecclesiae ad te trahens magno crimini obnoxius fias Date scriptum est quae sunt Caesaris Caesari quae Dei Deo neque igitur fas est nobis in terris imperiuÌ„ tenere neque tu thymiamatum sacroruÌ„ potestateÌ„ habes Imperator Doe thou not intermedle with Ecclesiastical matters neither do thou coÌ„mauÌ„d what we shal doe in this kind of matters but rather lern theÌ„ of vs. God hath committed the Empire vnto thee aÌ„d he hath put vs in trust with â—hose things which concern the Church and like as he that malignly â—arpeth thy Empire doth gainesay the â—rdinaunce of God so doe thow take â—hede lest in takiÌ„g vnto thee those things which beloÌ„g to the Church thow be made gilty of a great crime It is writen Math. 22. geue vnto Caesar those things which are Cesars and vnto God those things that are Gods Therfore it is neither lauful for vs to haue the rule of the Empire in earth neither hast thou ô Emperour any power ouer the holy incense and sacrifices Mark that it is rehersed for a praise in the Catholike Emperour Constans not to haue medled with Ecclesiastical iudgements Also Athanasius himself saith thus for his own part In epist vt antè Si istud est iudicium Episcoporum quid commune cum eo habet Imperator caet quando iudicium Ecclesiae authoritatem suam ab Imperatore cepit caet Paulus Apostolus habebat amicos in Caesaris familia per eos in literis salutabat Philippenses Philip. 4. non tamen eos in iudidicio socios assumpsit If this be the iudgemeÌ„t of bishops what hath the Emperor to doe with it aÌ„d coÌ„trarywise if these iudgements are gathered by the
THE ROCKE OF THE CHVRCHE Wherein the Primacy of S. Peter and of his Successours the Bishops of Rome is proued out of Gods Worde By Nicolas Sander D. of diuinity The eternal Rock of the vniuersal Church Christ was the rock an other foundatiō no man is hable is put 1. Cor. 3. 10. The temporal Rock of the militant Church Thou art Peter and vppon this Rocke I wil build my Church Matth. 16. The continuance of this temporal Rocke In the Church of Rome the primacy of the Apostolike chaier hath alwaies florished August in Epist 162. Recken euen from the very seate of Peter and in that rew of Fathers consyder who succeded the other That is the rock which the proud gates of hel doe not ouercome In Psal cōt part Don. Tom. 7. LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno D. 1567. REgiae Maiestatis Priuilegio concessum est Nicolao Sandro Sacrae Theologiae Professori vt librum inscriptum The Rocke of the Church per Typographum aliquem iuratum imprimere ac impunè distrahere liceat Datum Bruxellis 27. Febr. 1566. Subsig Prats TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull M. Doctor Parker bearing the name of the Archbisshop of Canterbury and to al other protestants in the realme of England Nicolas Sander wissheth perfect faith and charity in our Lord declaring in this Preface that the Catholiks whom they cal Papists doe passe the Protestants in al manner of Signes or Marks of Christes true Church I Besech your worshippe not to mislike with me for omitting any parte of your accustomed title in this my letter sithēs I doe it not of any contempt but onely of conscience grounded vppon Gods worde as who am persuaded the religiō presently authorized in the realm and consequently your ministery therin to be so far of from Christes true religiō as it is far from Christ to haue his Church which after the publication of the Gospell ought Genes 22.26.28 Psal 2.44 75.88.144 Philip. 2. according to the prophecies to be openly spread through out the world and her Citizēs ought to shyne in the middest of the peruerse nation Isai 54.60 Math. 28. of infideles like starres and to remayn gloriouse for euer in many natiōs togeather now first after nine hūdred yeres oppression as your own brethern doe confesse to shewe it selfe abrode and openly to be professed So that although it could be shewed that your faith had bene alwaies in the world as it was not yet in that if at all it were it lay hydden Math. 5. it could not be the faith of Christes true Church which neuer ceased to be a City built vpon a hil which can not be hidden And he did sette his candel vpon a candelstick not only to geue light for a few hundred yeres but to geue light to all Luc. 8. that either should come into his house or tarie in his house And seing at al momentes men in diuerse countries came into Gods house by faith and baptisme Isai 2. 62. Math. 28. and seing likewise he is with his disciples al daies vntil the end of the world and not only liueth but reigneth for euer Luc. 1. regnabit that is to say abideth gloriously and roially in the house of Iacob which is the Church doutlesse his Church is for euer built vpon a hil and therefore it can not be hidden any one moment and his light neuer can cease to shyne to thend it may euer be true which Malachias the Prophet saied Malac. 1. From the rising of the sonne to his going downe my name is great among the gentils And yet seing Christes name is not great by them who beleue falselie for they must nedes also haue naughty woorkes and so the name of God Heb. 11. Isai 52. Rom. 2. as Saint Paule saith is rather blasphemed amonge the Gentiles then glorified by euil men it remaineth that Christes name must be great among the Gentills throughe a good faith openly geuing light by the good works of true Christians who may thereby cause Gods name to be glorified Math. 5. and by their good conuersation may cause the Infidels to be conuerted vnto Christ 1. Cor. 7. 2. Pet. 3. Now for asmuch as your faith was not openly alwaies professed in many nations together but was altogether hidden before these fifty yeres and so hidden A Church vnder a bushel that no history or Chronicle doth make mention of any congregatiō at all professing your faith from tyme to tyme in any Cities Townes Villages or priuate houses of diuerse prouinces and countries at once nothing can be iustly said or alleaged why you should not renounce this obscure religion of yours which is so slaunderouse to Gods gloriouse name and returne again to that our Churche A Church vpō a hil which stode for euer vpon the hil and whose light was neuer so dimmed or darkened but that the very Iewes Turks Saracēs Moores and Tartariās knewe where we dwelt and what we professed I chose at this tyme to intreat with al sober Protestants the rather by your person M. D. Parker because I haue heard of so much good nature in your worshippe that it was not vnlike but he woulde voutesafe to heare what so euer should be reasonably said specially touching Gods worde and the practise of the primatiue Churche of which pointes my chiefe talke shal be at this tyme. Many men haue laboured to geue diuerse Signes and Markes of the true Church to thintēt it being ones knowē al other controuersies may geue place to the pillor and sure stay of truth 1. Tim. 3. But that it may appear to them who do not willingly stop their eares against the truth what notable aduantage the Catholiks haue ouer and aboue the Protestants in this behalf I wil shew the truth of our Churche to be so safe and clere that hitherto it was not possible for the Protestants themselues to deuise any such marke or signe of a true Churche the which doth not much rather make for vs then for them Gods vvord is not a sufficient mark of the true Church They teach Gods word to be the chiefe mark whereby the true Church may be knowen which yet can not wel be so because the marke whereby an other thing is knowen ought it selfe to be most exactly knowen whereas we are not agreed what Gods woorde is For some call onely the writen letter and the meaning thereof Gods woorde others thinck many things to be Gods woorde which are not expresly writen but are reuealed from God to the Church by the tradition of the Apostles 2. Thess 2 Heb. 8. 10. 2. Cor. 3. and by the holy ghost who hath writen Gods lawes in our harts and there hath imprīted them Also we are not agreed vppon the writen woorde of God because the Protestantes doe not admitte so many bookes of the olde Testament as the Catholikes doe Thirdly the meaning of those bookes which we are agreed vppon
the Latin seruice are fallen from Latin to English that is to say froÌ„ the better to the worse and that also by making a schism Ioan. 19 and by diuiding the coate of Christ which was without any seame into many partes which thing the very vnfaithfull soldiours were afeard to doe Thus touching the writen woorde and the vse thereof there are many causes why we should be in better case then the Protestants but none at all why we should be in worse If not only the writen letter but also the plaine meaning of euery proposition be to be considered The meaning of Gods vvord Math. 26. we read it literally and plainly spoken this is my body and as the woords doe sound so doe we vnderstand them Why then is this which Christ pointeth vnto denied to be his body Iacob 2. A man is iustified of works and not of faith only Why then are good workes don in a right faith denied to iustifie or why is onely faith taught to iustifie Rom. 2. The doers of the law shal be iustified Why is the law then taught not to be able to be don or kept Rom. 5. By the obedience of one which is Christ many shal be made iust that is to say Constituentur iustice shal be wrought or setled in many Why theÌ„ is it denied that we are made really iust Or why is it taught that righteousnes is onely imputed to vs whereas S. Paul saith also Rom. 5. the charity or loue of God is spread in our harts by the holy ghost which is geueÌ„ vs. This spreading aÌ„d stablishing of charity in our harts is more then a bare imputing of charity to vs. Whose synnes soeuer yee forgeue they shal be forgeuen them Ioan. 20. Why are then the bishops and priests who succede the Apostles denied to forgeue synnes Luc. 22. He that is greater among you lette him be made as the yonger Why then deny you that one was greater among the Apostles or that one stil is greater among the bishops their successours Math. 16. Thow art Peter or a Rocke and vpon this Rock I wil build my Churche Why then is the militant Church denied to be built vpon Saint Peter and vppon his successours in that chair and office 2. Thes 2. Keepe the traditions which yee haue learned either by woorde or by our epistle Chrysost Hom. 69. ad Pop. Ant. Why then are traditions yea though they be Apostolike as the vse of praying for the dead is so despised that the very name of tradition vsed in the better part can not be suffered to be in the English Bible though it be both in the Greeke and in the Latin He that ioyneth his virgin in mariage doth wel 1. Cor. 7. and he that doth not ioyne her doeth better Why then is maryage made with you as good as the state of virginity whereas S. Paule maketh the state of virginity better Vowe yee Psal 75. and render your vowes vnto God If thow wilt be perfitte Math. 10. goe and sel all things which thou hast and geue them to the poore and follow mee There are eunuches who haue gelded them selues for the kingdom of heauen Obeie your rulers Heb. 13. and be subiectes vnto them Why then are the vowes of pouerty of chastitie and of obedience to all which the word of God exhorteth vs accompted vnlaufull Or why are men exhorted yea constrained not to perfoorm them Doe yee the worthy fruits of penance saith Saint Iohn Luc. 3. Why then is satisfaction and penance despised with you The husbands aÌ„d the wiues being two in one flesh Ephes 5. is a great Sacrament or mystery or a holy and secret signe in Christ and in the Churche Why then is the mariage of faithful persons denied to be a Sacrament Philip. 2. Work your saluation saith S. Paule with feare and trembling Why then are your so presumptuouse as euen by faith to assure your selues of your saluation Or how can he feare who is assured to be saued Rom. 11. Or how can the depe secrets of Gods predestinatioÌ„ be ordinarily knowen in this life Or is not faith an ordinary gift in the Churche Thus might I goe through al the articles in controuersie and in euery one I should find your syde to be the farther of and ours to be the nere to the plain literal meaning of Gods word The circunstaÌ„ce and conference If not only the plain vnderstanding of any one sentence but also the circunstance of the place and the conference of Gods word be necessary haue we not vsed it in euery question which hath ben hitherto handeled Here I must nedes referre the reader to my treatise of the Supper of our Lord In the x. and xii chapters namelie in the fourth booke and to my booke of Images in the v. and the xi chapters Item in this booke to the second and fourth chapters For in this preface it were ouer tedious to handle so long a matter If you say The best vse of Gods vvoorde suffiseth not alone I doe not conferre the places so as I ought to doe thereof riseth a new question wherein we must haue a new iudge For we beleue and vse the scriptures as wel as you and better to as I haue declared Item we alleage â—lain words we shew the circumstance to be for vs we conferre one place with an other If now all this will not â—nd the controuersie it is cleere that the only word of God be it neuer so wel handled is no sufficient mark to shew the truthe For this is al that can be dâ— about the word it self Seing then we must go farther I say the heads of the Church Iudges Aug. cont Iulianum lib. 2. the Councels the bishops and the auncient Fathers must be the Iudges whether we do wel applie the holy scriptures or no. For example Math. 16. M. Iewel saith S. Peter is not this rock whervpon Christ said he wold build his Church 〈◊〉 saie on the other syde In the 4. chap. that S. Peter is this rock And I shew it by the circumstance of the place and by the coÌ„ference of other holy scriptures M. Ieweâ— must needes say that I do not wel coÌ„feâ— the holy scriptures I take then for my Iudges aboue sixteÌ„ of the best doctors who expreslie stand on mie syde as 〈◊〉 wil shew in this present booke In the 4. chap. So thâ— this mark of the true Church also mâ—keth clerely for vs. And surely althougâ— the protestaÌ„ts in woords preteÌ„d to haâ—â— the coÌ„sent of the auÌ„cieÌ„t fathers yet thâ—â— in truthe it is not so this one thing mâ— sufficieieÌ„tly declare because wheÌ„soeueâ— â—anie occasioÌ„ neuer so far set maie serue thei do what thei can to reiect the Fathers partly by imputing errors to theÌ„ In his Reply P. 3. 49. P. 10. as M Iewel ordereth S Hilarie partly by
denying the work to be theirs as he saith of Dionysi the Ariopagite aÌ„d of S. ChrisostoÌ„â— Liturgy etâ—aet Another shift is â—o alleage the priuate opinion of some one agaiÌ„t the coÌ„sent of the rest or to say that the fathers liued when the tyme begaÌ„ to be corrupted and wheÌ„ al other thiÌ„gs faile their plain doctrin and assertioÌ„s of the faith are illuded with a like figuratiue speache If in dede the fathers made for theÌ„ they wold not thus shift their hands of the fathers but the moe they could haue and the better they agreed aÌ„d the plainer thei spake the better thei shuld be welcome Wel seiÌ„g the ProstestaÌ„ts although falslly yet coÌ„moÌ„ly doe alleage the old fathers The allegation of Fathers suffiseth not and we also do alleage them most plentifully hereof it wil follow that neither the only allegatioÌ„ of theÌ„ is so able to end a coÌ„trouersy that the simple and vnlerned may be sure of the truthe For which cause we must ioyne to the former marks TraditioÌ„ and practise the tradition and practise of Gods Churche which being in euery mans eyes and eares caÌ„ neuer deceaue him We thinck saith Chrysostome the tradition of the Churche to be worthy of belefe In 7. Thessalon Hom. 4. Is it a tradion Ask no farther This mark so euidently maketh for vs that the Protestants are constrayned vtterly to deny all credit vnto it for by this rule they are inexcusable who deny either the popes supremacy which euer was so vniuersally practised or the Sacrifice of the masse or any like matter which was and is generally receaued in the Church But because many questions arise in the Church TraditioÌ„ doth not suffise in cases rather depending of subtill points in diuinity then of euident custome and practise if sodainly some lerned men deny such An article of the faith which before was not commonly preached of as that the holy ghost proceedeth from the Son or any like seing here tradition faileth and the preachers are diuided Generall Councels Math. 18. Act. 15. the Church hath vsed the meane of Generall Councells wherein the bishops of many countries meeting together after sufficient debating do publish the one part to be reputed hereticall Whereby all men doe clerly know what to follow and what to auoide Such a Councel gathered together of late at TreÌ„t published that to be the true faith which we defend aÌ„d the contaary to be hereticall So that this marck is wholy ours But for as much as it is very hurtful Councels do not suffise for so many bishops to leaue their cures so oft as any such question is moued and also because their meeting is many tymes stayed by the occasion of battel or of pestilence or els for lacke of their safeconduct out of whose countries or by whose countries or into whose country thei shuld passe and specially because wheÌ„ they are come together force aÌ„d violeÌ„ce may be vsed as it was doÌ„ at the secoÌ„d Ephesine couÌ„cel Leo epist 24.25.26 and at AriminuÌ„ it is necessary to haue some other more spedy certain and profitable way in the Church wherby heresies may be soner staied and Gods people more quickly instructed in the truthe In respect of which consyderations Christ hath most notably prouided One high iudge that one chiefe pastour and high bishop S. Peter shuld be set by himself ouer the whole flock in earth to confirm his brethern Ioan. 21. Luc. 22. and to fede them Of whose faith by praying for it he hath assured vs. In S. Peters chaire the bishop of Rome sitteth who is wel knowen to haue geueÌ„ publike senteÌ„ce against the Protestants for our faith and Churche neither can the Protestants denie vs the assurance of this mark The which mark because it is of most weighty importance as being the easiest waie of al to find out the truthe and which serueth in all cases without any exception I haue made this treatise to declare that it is no lesse true euen according to Gods woorde then it is profitable and nedefull in all wise mens vnderstanding Here I might make an ende but that the Protestants affirme the lawfull preaching of Gods woorde and the lawfull administration of the SacrameÌ„ts to be the thing wherby they will be tried as though we nede not a new iudge to know what these terms doe meane For what call you lawful preaching or administring PreachiÌ„g and Sacraments That saie you which is according to Gods woorde Very well Are we not now come againe to the first beginning of our talk what call yee Gods woorde haue I not proued whatsoeuer it be that it is much more with vs then with you Adde hereunto seing those are most lawful preachers who are most like vnto the Apostles Psal 18. Rom. 10. whose sound went into al the earth and their words into the ends of the world wee are more like vnto theÌ„ who within these nine hundred yeeres by our preaching haue conuerted Bohem Saxonie Friseland Prussia Liuonia Denmark and diuerse other couÌ„tries then you who in the same tyme liued so vnder a bushel that noman aliue could heare you once pepe Again our Sacraments being moe in number by fiue then yours were administred in the face of the world euen as the Apostles did administer them in IerusaleÌ„ Corinth Rome and in such other cities and places whereas you hadde not one Church or knowen howse of praier in the whole earth Persecution The persecution say you of the Romish Antichrist oppressed vs which mark also you alleage for the truth of your congregation What masters Antichristes persecution shall dure but three yeres and a half Dan. 7. Apoc. 13. And is the Pope Antichrist whose persecution as you say hath dured these nine hundred yeres Math. 16. Hel gates shal not preuaile against the true Churche And yet is your congregation the true Churche against which you confesse Antichrist so to haue preuailed that for many huÌ„dred yeres no man could tel whether any such Church were in the earth or no Surely hel gates preuailed not against vs any one momeÌ„t Not to faile in persecution although our Church hath ben assalted with al kinds of trouble therefore this mark that is to say to stand safe and souÌ„d against hel gates is a token that ours is the true Churche For it is not persecution but the conquering and preuailing against persecution which is the true mark of Gods Churche But seing I promised to proue our Churche the more true Vve are persecuted euen by your own Marks let vs graunt that Church to be true which is persecuted yet I say that you rather haue persecuted vs theÌ„ we haue persecuted you For I pray you Syr when the child who liued in one howse with his louing mother as you did once in the same Catholik Churche with vs goeth afterward out of the house and saith his mother is a strong hoore
was in dede an increase of outward Sacraments and Cerimonies in diuerse ages But there was no change â—t all of the solemne and publike Saâ—rifice Genes 14. For albeit Melchisedech â—rought foorth his vnbloody oblation and blessed Abraham yet it was don â—o shew afore hand after what sorte Christ should make sacrifice in his supper and not to abrogate the order and kinde of bloody Sacrifices Gene. 4.8 17. for they continued still as Abel hadde begun with them Likewise the Altars remained in vse as Noe had erected theÌ„ Circuncision was kepte with the law And the law with the Temple of Salomon So that from the beginning of the world til Christ there was increasing of Ceremonies but no taking away no changing no newe making or altering of the publike sacrifice For the change thereof is of such importance that God would his owne Son to take flesh for the working of such a weighty matter to theÌ„d al meÌ„ should vnderstand that God reserueth to his owne self the appointment of the Religion wherwith he wil be serued And the Religion as I shewed before consisteth chiefly in the publike sacrifice and priesthood Heb. 7. Psal 109. Christ therefore being a priest after the order of Melchisedech when he had proued his commission froÌ„ God the Father by diuerse notable miracles Math. 26. in his last supper toke bread and wine accordingly as Melchisedech had foresheweÌ„ in a figure He blessed brake Genes 14. and gaue saying take eate this is my body which is geuen for you Luc. 22. doe or make this thing for the remeÌ„brance of me Facite By which woordes the Apostles and their successours in priesthod haue commissioÌ„ to make of bread and wine the bodie and blood of Christ euen till the worldes end Hiero. ad HeliodoruÌ„ 1. Cor. 11. This then is the publike and externall sacrifice of the new testament Ireneus li. 4. c. 32. August in Psal 33. Con. 1. De ciuit Dei li. 17. c. 20 Cont. aduers legis lib. 1. c. 18. the which Sacrifice saith S. Augustine is now spread in the whole circuit of the earth and it is come in place saith he of al the sacrifices of the old testament and is the Sacrifice of the Churche And all the world doth know that both the Greek and Latin Church hath euer vsed this blessed mystery as the Sacrifice prophecied of by Malachy and belonging peculiarly to the Christian peple gathered out of all nations Malac. 1. Now to thinck that Luter and Caluin haue power to alter and abrogate this publike sacrifice called now the Masse it is to thinck that Luther and Caluin are the same toward Christe which Christ was toward Moyses For that is it which Christ meaneth saying False Christes Math. 24 False Prophets and false Christes shal arise Verily because some shall come who wil arrogate that to them selues which no creature caÌ„ do besyde Christ the Son of God whose proper office and honour it is to be of power to change the state and order of the publike priesthood and sacrifice in Gods Church Idolatries They then are Idolatours who supposing Luther and Caluin to be able to abrogate the former sacrifice and maner of seruice and to sette vp a new foorm of publike prayer do therein make them to be fellowes with Christ himselfe But certainly they are false brethern and false Christes And whereas the Protestants pretend that Luâ—â—er and â—aluin do all things according to Gods Worde to omit now that the one of them techeth cleane contrarie doctrine to the other they are so much the more to be abhorred for as Christe in verie truthe in chaunging the Law fulfilled the old figures and the old prophecies eueÌ„ so they taking Christes power vpoÌ„ them pretend falsly by changing ReligioÌ„ Math. 5. to haue their doings figured and prophecied of in the Gospell But if there can be but one Christ and he can be but once borne and died but once be ye assured these men haue no power to abrogate the Masse or to take away the keye of our auncient Religion If any man say that our Masse is not that in deede which we saie it is I answere that as we neuer reade the Iewish Priestes to haue erred concerning the substaunce of theire publique Sacrifice because all the people Exod. 23. were bound to frequent it by Gods own commandement so it is much lesse possible that the vniuersall Churche of Christ should erre in that publike act wherein Christ himself saith S. Cyprian is the Sacrifice Li. 2. epi. 3 in Sacrificio quod Christus est Math. 28. No no masters Antichrists yee may be Christ ye can not be He is with his Apostles aÌ„d their successours the bishops al dayes vntil the worlds end This being so reason would that all nouelties layed a syde men should return to the old faith and Church again Wherevnto if I am so bolde as to exhort you M. D. Parker before al other I trust you wil not take it in euil part For as my exhortation commeth of my wel wishing to your worship so I consyder no Ecclesiasticall person in al our Country is able to doe more good in that behalf then you Consyder then for Gods loue in whose chaire you sitte consyder whence the first Bisshop came who satte there yea â—â—rther consyder what all your predeâ—ssours taught only one excepted of whome all good and zealons men must â—eedes be ashamed Cranmer as who at the enâ—ing into his bishoprike was wilfullie â—orsworn to the Pope of Rome It appereth so by his Catechism And afâ—erward changed his religion from Luâ—heranisme to the Sacramentary hereâ—ie And a little before his death for a â—ew houres of temporall life sold his â—oore faith twise a day Neither was he otherwise a witâ—esse of your doctrine then that despeâ—ation made him pretend to suffer that for religion which he must needes suffer though he had changed his religion That one desperat man then excepted who seemeth to haue ben of no religioÌ„ â—l your predecessours were of our faith What speake I of your predecessours Al â—he bishops of the realme yea al of the whole world were of the same belefe with vs as it may right wel appere for â—hat all the Catholikes in the world coÌ„municated with S. Gregorie as witâ— the best man the greatest Doctour the highest Bisshop that liued in those daies Beda in histor eccle Gentis An glorum Now S. Gregorie sent S. Augustine to our Auncestours froÌ„ whosâ— time till the chaÌ„ge which began a late all Christian men are knowen to hauâ— beleued and professed that which we doe presently defend If this holy felowship be not that Catholike and Apostolik Church which iâ— al times and couÌ„tries professed Christes Gospel then goe into the desert after Wiclef and Hus goe into the corners and priuie inmoste places of the house after the poore men of Lions
In deserto In penetralibus And then for the space of certain huÌ„dred yers together yee can not name what preachers or pastours your Churche had But thê° to flee into priui places aÌ„d to lack opeÌ„ preachers Math. 24 is directly against the word of God Prouer. 8. and expressely against the coÌ„maÌ„meÌ„t of our Sauiour Isai 62. whose wisdoÌ„ crieth in the tops of the waies and in the gates of the cities whose whatchmeÌ„â—ease not to speak both day and â—ight vpoÌ„ the wals of IerusaleÌ„ in whose house the caÌ„dle staÌ„deth vpoÌ„ the candlestick to geue light to al meÌ„ Math. 5. whose faith must be coÌ„fessed with the mouth Rom 10. 1. Philip. 2. Psal 44. whose gospel must not be blushed at whose seruants shine like stars whose spouse being most beawtiful through internal faith aÌ„d charity Circumamicta varietatibus is yet garnished about with variety of diuers tuÌ„gs which are daily heard to preache aÌ„d ceremonies which are daily sene in Gods seruice amoÌ„g the Catholiks Memor ero nominis Populi coÌ„fitebuntur in aeternuÌ„ Which spouse also hath promised to be mindful of the name of Christ from generatioÌ„ to generation in so much that many peple shall confesse and geue praise to God for euer age after age If such a gloriouse a manifest and a beautifull Churche must be beleued then must Wiclef Hus and their fellowes be avoided and our knowen manifest and in all generations most gloriouse Churche must be imbrace which neuer lacked a chiefe bishop iâ— S. Peters chaire with a number of bishops and faithful nations obeying hâ— doctrin and gouerment The truth 〈◊〉 which Catholik Church and chair thâ— I might the more effectally persuade The cause of this treatise 〈◊〉 haue taken in hand to proue the Sâ—premacy of the bishop of Rome according to the reason and meaning oâ— Gods word The which point alone if iâ— be graunted al other controuersies arâ— superfluous For all is concluded vnder one if one be appointed the chiefe shepheard by God ouer al sithens euery maÌ„ must heare aÌ„d obey the shepheards voice Ioan. 10. I request most humbly of your pacieÌ„ce to reade or to heare the whole treatise readen which is not long and not to condemne the matter before it be wel vnderstanded If my discourse be doutfull I am ready to make it plaine If it seme to faile in proof a charitable â—â—swere made vnto it shal shew by the â—ply how strong the Arguments geâ—erally be concerning the chief points Thus taking my leaue I wish as wel 〈◊〉 your worship as I do to my self beseâ—hing you not to miscontrue my doings â—ut to take them so charitably as they â—re meant For God is my witnesse the â—hing I seeke is as well the reducing of â—hem to their Mother Church who are â—on a stray as the staying of them who â—hrough mans frailty beginne to dout of their faith Which effects God grauÌ„t through Iesus Christ our Lord to his own glory Amen The Chapiters of the Treatise following 1 The state of the question fol. 1. 2 That there is a primacy of spiritual gouernment in the Church and how it differreth from secular gouerment 16. 3 Of the diuerse senses of these wordes vpon this rock I wil build my Church aÌ„d which is most literal 93. 4 These words thou art Peter and vpoÌ„ this rock I wil build my Church haue this literal meaning vppon the ô Peter being made a rock to th end thou shouldest stoutly confesse the faith I will build my Church 108. 5 The Fathers teache that S. Peter is this rock 136. 6 The reasons which the Fathers bring to declare why S. Peter was this rock 155 7 The authorities alleaged by M. Iewel to proue that S. Peter was not this rock proue against himself 171. 8 The conclusioÌ„ of the former discourse and the order of the other which followeth 189. 9 That S. Peter passeth far the other Apostles in some kinde of Ecclesiasticall dignity 194. 10 That the Apostles besyde the perogatiue of their Apostleship had also authority to be particular bishops 204. â—â— How far S. Peter did either excel or â—s equal with the Apostles in their Aâ—stolike office 2â—0 â—â— That S. Peters prerogatiue aboue the â—her Apostles is most manifestly sene by â—s chief bishoply power 232. â—â— That the Pastoral authority of S. Peâ—r was ordinary 267. â—â— That his ordinary authority belonâ—th to one bishop alone 279 â—â— That the bishop of Rome is that one â—dinary pastour who succedeth in S. â—eâ—rs chaire 305. â—â— That the good Emperours and prinâ—s did neuer think themselues supream â—eads of the Churche in spiritual causes 378. â—â— That the bishop of Rome is not Anâ—christ himself 421. â—8 That the bishop of Rome is not any â—ember of Antichrist concerning his â—octrine 464. THE STATE OF THE QVESTION CONCERning the Supremacie of S. Peter and of the Bishops of Rome after him The First Chapiter IN writing to and fro concerning the Supremacie of S. Peter and of the Bishops of Rome after him great controuersies are fallen out the which to th' end they may be the better opened I thought good to propose in order the chief points of the said question The Catholiques beleue that the Bishop of Rome sitting in S. Peters Chaier is by the appointment of Christ himself the chief Pastour of the whole militant Church whose voice euery sheepe ought to hearken vnto The Protestants on the other side denie not only the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome nor onlie the Supremacie of S. Peter but also they affirme that there is no Primacie nor any one chief gouernment in the Church at al. Therefore the first Question must be whether it be against â—he Word of God or no that there shoulde be in his Church any Primacie or chief Authoritie The second is whether S. Peter had the said Primacie or no. The third whether the Bishop of Rome had it after S. Peter Concerning S. Peter we fal againe into diuers new questioÌ„s as it shal now appeare When Simon the sonne of Iona was first brought vnto Christ by his brother Andrew Iesus loking vpon him said Thou art Simon the sonne of Iona Ioan. 1. thou shalt be called Cephas the vvhich by interpretation is Peter that is to say a stone or a rocke Here is the promise made that Simon shal be called Peter which name is deriued of a rocke or stone Verelie because he shal occupie that place in vpholding the frame of Christes militant Church the which a stone occupieth in holding vp the house which is built vpon it And when it pleased Christ to chose vnto him his twelue Apostles then he gaue the said name vnto SimoÌ„ surnaming him Peter Thirdly Mar. 3. Luc. 6. when Simon hauing the Godhead of Christ reuealed to him from heaueÌ„ had confessed the same saying Math. 16. Thou art Christ the son of the liuing God then Iesus answering said vnto
him alluding to his new name Ioan. 21. and shewing the reason thereof And I saye vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke vvil I build my Church and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it And to thee I wil geue the Keies of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon the earth it shal be bound also in the heauens And vvhatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon the earth it shal s be loosed also in the heauens By these wordes both the promise of Christ was fufilled aÌ„d the reason of the promise was also declared concerning the new name which was before spoken of Neither do our aduersaries denie these points as I suppose But the Catholiques reason farther vpon this place in this wise The name of Peter which is deriued of a rock or of a stone was no soner geuen to Simon but also a new promise was made Math. 16. that vpoÌ„ this Rocke Christ would builde his Church Now the Catholikes doe say that Peter himself is here called this rock and that Christ promised to build his Church vpoÌ„ him And because the building of Christes church varieth not after his Gospel once planted but is alwaies like it self the Catholikes beleue and teach that when S. Peter died aâ— other did succeede in his place vpon whom Christes militant Church might be still so builded as it had been once builded vpoÌ„ S. Peter And for as much as the Bishop of Rome succedeth S. Peter the Catholikes most constantly affirme that the Bishop of Rome who liueth for the time is the rocke which coÌ„fesseth euermore Christes true faith vpon which confession of the See of Rome as vpoÌ„ a most sure Rock Christes Church is built The ProtestaÌ„ts being at a point to denie this later assertion must nedes affirme that Peter himselfe is not called this Rock but rather that either Christ alone or the faith which Peter confesseth is only called this rocke This seÌ„se is imperfit but not false So that they wil haue these wordes vpon this rocke I wil build my Church to be onely thus meant vpon this faith and confession of thine wherein thou hast said to mee thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke which I am or vpon this strong faith which is confessed of me I wil build my Church and whersoeuer this faith is there say thei is the rocke vpon which Christ buildeth his Church The Catholikes replie that although the faith and confessioÌ„ of Christes Godhead be in deede a most strong rocke whereupon the Church is built yet that is not al which Christ meaneth at this time For these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church haue a respect vnto three diuers times to the time past because they are spoken to him who was promised to be called Peter to the present time because they are spoken to him who now confesseth Christes Godhead to the time to come because they are spoken to him to whom Christ saith he wil geue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and vpon whom he wil hereafter build his Church which thing he performed when he said Peter louest thou me more theÌ„ these Ioan. 21. â—eede my sheep For Christes sheepe â—re Christes Church And to be made â—he shepheard of them is to haue Christes Church built vpon him And â—o be Peter is to be this Rocke Solemus videre pastores sedere â—upra petram inde commissa â—ibi pecora custodire We are woÌ„t saith S. Augustine to see shepheards sit vpon a rocke August in Io. tract 46. and theÌ„ce to keepe the sheepe commited to their charge Thus we see how wel the Metaphore of the Rocke dooth agree with the Metaphore of feeding sheepe Therefore these wordes vpon this rocke I vvil build my Church are perfectly fulfilled when it is saide to Peter who is this Roke feede my sheepe Now wheras this PropositioÌ„ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church is thus qualified with the person to whom it is spokeÌ„ and with the diuersitie of three seueral times The sense of the protestaÌ„ts lacketh three coÌ„ditions of fovver to take one part of these foure away from all the other conditions whereunto it belongeth and to say that the confession of Peter alone is the rocke whereupon Christ wil build his church and thereby to denie Peter him selfe who maketh that confession to be this rocke and to diuide the confession from the promise going before which first of all wrought the effect thereof and from the last fulfilling which ensued after it is in deede a truthe for so muche as is affirmed therein but in respect of that which is denied it is a maine falshood The vvhole sense But the Catholiques geuing the whole sense of Christes woordes as they ought and not diminisshing any parte thereof doe teache that this Rocke vvhere vpon Christ built his Church is S. Peter not barely and nakedly considered but with â—spect of the promise past of the preâ—nt confession and of the auctoritie â—f feeding Christes sheepe which then â—as to come And so no maÌ„ be he neuer so faithâ—ul is this rocke whereupon Christ â—ath built his Church except he be â—awfully called to succede in the authoâ—itie and pastoral office of S. Peter This thing then remaineth to be proâ—ed in his due place The Catholiques teache also Ioan. 2â— that â—t was said to Peter alone feede my sheepe And seeing no particular â—locke was named it must needes be meant that the whole flocke which for the time liued on the earth was committed to Peter euen aboue all other according as he loued Christ more then other And for as much as the order of gouerning Christes Church which himself appoiÌ„ted may not afterward be changed by mans inuention it insueth that alwayes one chief shepheard must be made who may feede the whole militant flock of Christes sheepe in earth aboue al other pastours as Peter onâ—â— did feede them aboue al concerning the principal power which he receiued of Christ Hereunto the Protestantes replie that Peter alone was not made the shephead of Christes flocke aboue alâ— others but that in him Christ spake to al the Apostles The Catholiques demaund why theâ— Peter alone is spoken vnto and willed to feed Christes sheepe in the presence of certaine other Apostles to none of whom Christ speaketh any thing therof at this time The Protestants answere that euery Apostle was made a pastour no lesse theÌ„ Peter Caluin and Beza in Ioan. cap. 21. But that he was namely spoken vnto at this time as one who had lost his office of Apostleship by denying his Master and therefore as he denied thrise so he was commauÌ„ded thrise to â—â—d Christes sheep to th' end he should â—ow that his fault is now forgeuen and â—â—t he is restored to his Apostleship â—aine so that he may feede Christes â—â—eep as wel as Andrew or Iohn and
Militant Church hath a certain primacie in consideration and respect of them ouer whome he is made Primate and chief gouernour albeit when we consider the maiestie of our Maister Christ the very Primate stil continueth altogether a suppliant and an huÌ„ble seruitour to him As for other who vnder the chief ruler haue the charge of particular parishes and Churches committed vnto them they haue also in the same degree and sort a certaine Superioritie which S. Hierom calleth Exortem quandaÌ„ eminentem potestatem In Dial. coÌ„tra Luciferanos a certaine perelesse and high power If he be a Parish Priest he is aboue any other in that parish If he be a Bishop he is aboue any other in that Diocese Of such Rulers S. Paul saith Obedite Prepositis vestris Obey them who are sette ouer you Now it is to be knowen that in any one parish or in any one diocese there neuer was but one ruler at once ordinarily For thence come heresies and schismes saith S. Cyprian because one Priest in the Church for the time Ad Cornel Ep. 3. Lib. 1. and one iudge in Christes stede is not thought to be If then the whole militant Church be also one certaine particular body of a certayne particular administration and condition in respecte of the triumphant Church which is otherwise guided in heauen it must nedes follow that ouer the whole militant house of God one only master and gouernour is set whom we al ought to obey as our chief ruler in earth And so by the superioritie which experience sheweth to belong to one in euerie parish we come by the force of the same reason to acknowledge one chief Postour in the great parish of this world of which kind S. Peter was whiles he liued And that may well be perceiued by the Gospell it selfe For seeing the Euangelist S. Mathew repeting the names of the twelue Apostles saith Primus Cap. 10. Simon qui dicitur Petrus the first is SimoÌ„ who is called Peter and afterwards reckoneth none neither second nor third nor fourth vndoubtedly by calling Peter Primum first he meaneth that he was the first in dignitie and the chiefest among the Apostles and that al the rest afterwardes were to be equallie estemed For to be first where none is put as Second or Third is to be first not by order of numbring but onely by dignitie and preeminence in somuch that the Auncient Fathers expresse the force of this woorde Primus First by calling S. Peter the Prince or chief of the Apostles And certes where there is any in the Church of God first in dignitie and chief in praeeminence there must needes be some primacie Besides if the Bishop of the old law was called in those daies Exod. 22. Princeps populi The Prince of the people and if S. Paul honoured Ananias with that name euen after the death of Christ saying Actor 23. It is written Thou shalt not curse or reuile the Prince of thy people how much more ought he both to be called and to be also beleued to be the chief gouernour and Prince of al Christian people whom Christ hath appointed and sette ouer his familie Ioan. 21. saying Feede my sheepe Onely he must be circumspect that he turne not his primacie into a tyrannie as the GeÌ„tiles and Princes of the world doe How be it this also is to be considered that neither the Prophets nor the Euangelists are wont to be so carefull of woordes as of the sense and things â—hemselues Wherby it commeth to passe sometimes that they geue the name of God to such meÌ„ as haue by participation any diuine or godly thing in them as to Iudges Exod. 22. Psal 81. Ioan. 10. and to whom God vouchsafeth to speake By like meanes it may be verified that some Ecclesiastical persons haue a certaine dominioÌ„ in that respect verely that by participation they receiue a diuine and heauenly thing that is to say that power which Christ their liege Lord and natural Soueraigne indued them withal when he made them gouernours of his familie For among the holy orders of Angels in like manner there is rekened one which is called of S. Paule Dominationes Dominations Coloss 1. not because they haue any dominion or soueraintie ouer other Angels as seruants in subiection vnto them because they reciue that vertue and power of God the onelie true Lord which it pleaseth his Maiestie to haue annexed to that order thereby to geue forth some token and shew of his infinite Lordship and power Wherefore if some man not thinking peraduenture of these controuersies nor weighing rather the thing then the bare word hath at any time expressed the primacy of the Church Dominus Lord staÌ„deth somtime for Sir with this worde Dominion or if any maÌ„ do cal a Bishop by the name of Lord we ought not for any such respect to make an hurly burly as though any proper or true dominioÌ„ were challenged in the Church of one towards an other For as touching that which is properly called DominioÌ„ we defend it not But that there is a primacie in the Church that is the thing which we defend The which Ecclesiastical primacie although it may euidently appere by that which is already said yet it shal not be out of the way to consider how one of those places which are alleaged of our Aduersaries as yf it did vtterly forbid 〈◊〉 Superioritie among the disciples Luc. 22. â—â—th cleerely stablish and confirme the â—â—me For whereas often times there â—ll a strife betweene the Disciples â—ho shoulde be the greater once 〈◊〉 the way to Capharnaum Marc. â— an other â—â—me when the Mother of the sonnes â—f Zebede desired that one of her chilâ—ren might sitte at Christes right and and the other at his left hand Marc. 10. And the third time Luc. 22. after his last â—upper albeit Christ always did dehort â—hem from expectation of that heatheâ—ish kind of dominioÌ„ which was vsed â—n the worlde and alwaies inuited â—hem to humilitie yet he neuer denied â—ut that there should be one in deede â—reater among them and he oftenâ—imes signified that the same should be â— Peter and that as wel when he chose â—im to be the first Apostle as when â—e said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church and to thee I vvil geue the keiâ— of heauen Math. 16. 17. and paie for thee anâ— mee Yf then you demaund how it happened that this notwitstanding th'Apostles striued who should be greater 〈◊〉 that euen after supper wheÌ„ it had beâ— already said Vpon this rocke I vvâ—â— build my Church I answer that noâ—withstanding S. Peter was most like 〈◊〉 be preferred yet whiles Christ liued iâ— the earth it was in his free choise tâ— haue appointed it otherwise Anâ— when the Apostles saw either S. Peteâ— called Satanas Math. 16. Origen in Math. tractat 5. Ne maior noÌ„ esset
nations but also in a fâ—â— more excellent kinde then the Christian Kings are For to what Christian King did Christ euer say Ioan. 20. As my father sent me I send thee Math. 16. or vpon this rock I will build miâ— Church Ioan. 21. or doest thow loue me more then these fede my shepe â–ª feede my lambs And yet is a King aboue priests â–ª yea aboue the high pastour of Christes flock he is so in dede with them who make lesse accompt of Christes heaueÌ„ly institution and Officer then of him that was first made either by the necessitie of wordly calamities to kepe away a greater euil from the common weale or els by the wanton and proud affection of earthly men ambitiously affecting tyrannical power Let no man thinck that I despise the authoritie of Kings God forbid but thei are a good thing brought in mercifully sumwhere to staye violent iniuries and robberies and other where permitted of God for our iust punishment 2. Cor. 5. and not any like thing to that diuine order of pastours which Christ ordeined purposely for our reconciliation to God the father and for the auoiding of al iust punishment otherwise deserued It was a King as Saint Gregorie In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1 noteth who deuided the ten tribes from the Churche of God and made those by the iust punishment of God to be idolatours who so greedely preferred his gouernment before the gouerment of the priests And are not we now in the same case who for greedines to reiect the Vicar of Christ are come to preferre the secular and temporall power before the spirituall the body before the sowle and earth before heauen In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Nonnulli saith Saint Gregory in tantum dementiae malum proficiunt vt commouere ipsum etiaÌ„ statum Ecclesiastici culminis non vereantur There are some who are come to so great madnes that they are not a feard to moue and trouble euen the state it self of the Ecclesiastical toppe or highest dignitie of the Churche And a little after His autem qui viuebant sub spiritali regimine Ibidem Regem petere quid aliud est quà m eandem spiritalem praelationem in seculaâ—m dominationem transferre geâ—re For those that did liue vnder the spiâ—â—tual gouernment to require a King â—hat other thyng is it then to goe aâ—out to transfer the same spiritual preâ—teship or gouernment into a tempoâ—al dominion Yf any man would deepely weigh with himself that God chose such a â—ecret and extraordinarie way to â—â—ue mankinde that no creature â—ould worck it beside his owne Almightie Sonne and that he comming â—nto the world was so farre from working his purpose by Kings and princes that whereas it was most easie for him to haue made manie Kings and Princes at the beginning to beleue in him 1. Cor. 1. he rather chose the weakest things of the world to confound the strong things and wrought the beginning and increase of his Church by the misbeliefe and persecâ—tion of princes if he would be thinâ— himself how farre the pouerty and hâ—militie of the Kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 from the pompe and wordly distractiâ—â— of Kings Yea though thei be Christiaâ— and good also he wold much wondâ—â— what sense in holy matters thei haue who dare make that princely state sâ—preme head of the Church which of 〈◊〉 states came last to the faith and the pomp whereof is most contrary of aâ—â— other degrees to the profession of the same And yet what are they who persuade this matter The incoÌ„stancie of the protestants verely those who hauing iustly reproued some lewd and proud bishops for their wordly pompe afterward set vp Kings in the bishops places yea aboue them also as though any King had lesse wordly pompe then the bishops Yea they also doe it who protesting thei will beleue nothing but the expresse word of God yet beleue Kings to be the heads of the Church â—hich they not only can not find in â—ods word but thei rather finde there 1. Reg. â— â—at God was angrie when the â—ouernment of the highe priest â—as reiected and a kingly gouernment â—alled for Moreouer yf by this precept the â—ings of the nations haue domiâ—ion ouer them it shall not be so â—mong you not only all tyrannical or â—ordly power of life and death but also â—l spiritual primacie and superioritie be forbidden to the Apostles ouer the whole militant Church it is forbiddeÌ„â—ikewise that there should be any superiour in any one part of the Church For the parts accordiÌ„g to their degree are of the same nature whereof the whole is Therefore if the whole militant body may haue no one head much lesse any part thereof may haue a head If then no Apostle may be superiour or primate in any parte of the Church much lesse any other Christian maÌ„ wâ—â— is inferiour to an Apostle may be sâ—preme gouernour in any one part of thâ— same Church But euery King in thâ— behalf as he is a Christian is inferioâ—â— to the Apostles for he is both tawgâ—â— his faith of them Matth. 28 and baptized by them and in spiritual matters he must be guided by them therefore seing the King may not be supreame gouernour of any parte of Christes Church in that respect as he is a Christian maÌ„ if yet he shal be supreame head of his own Christian realme by any meane at all it must be by that power which he either had before his Christianity or beside it For by his christianity it is not possible that he shold haue any greater power then the Apostles had Ioan. 20 who were sent into the world with Christes authority If then a King be supreme gouernour of the Church where he is a King besides his christianity he is no otherwise supreame gouernour thereof then any Ethnik prince might haue beÌ„ And so it 〈◊〉 brought to passe by the doctrine of the â—rotestaÌ„ts that an infidel King hah suâ—reme power to visite to reforme to â—orrect and to depose any bishop â—ithin his own realm The which arâ—umeÌ„t wheÌ„ Antichrist or the great Turk shal make vnto the ProtestaÌ„ts â—hey must nedes yeld vnto it and grauÌ„t â—iÌ„ to be supreame head of their Church Be it so of their Church but the Caâ—holikes shal stil keepe them vnder the â—piritual gouernmeÌ„t of the bisshops and â—astours which Christ hath instituted To enter one degree farther in this matter let vs graunt that some King were so ê‘fit so poore in spirit so chast so liberal as euer any bishop or priest was required to be in Gods law VVhat things a King caÌ„ not doe caÌ„ he yet baptize caÌ„ he coÌ„secrate Christes body can he forgeue synnes can he preache can he excommunicate can he blesse the people can he iudge of doctrine by his kingly authority If he can not doe these things how can he be aboue theâ— coÌ„cerning these causes who haue receaued
coÌ„mission of God to doe all thesâ— things The Suprem gouernour may practise any thing properly belonging to his gouernmeÌ„t It is not possible for a man 〈◊〉 haue the supreame gouernment in 〈◊〉 Ecclesiastical causes by lawful power aâ—â— right but that he should thereby haâ—â— also power and right to execute any 〈◊〉 those things which belong to such Ecclesiastical causes as are vnder his gâ—uernment Marck the point I say not he is bound to executâ— euery such matter as falleth vnder hâ—â— gouernment or that it is decent for hiâ— to doe it but that he may doe it anâ— hath right and power to doe it if he bâ— rightly the supream gouernour in thâ— behalf An exaÌ„ple in ciuil Matters For example the King who 〈◊〉 supream gouernour in the ciuil and teÌ„poral causes hath vnder him Iudges shriues maiors Capitains and constables If his maiesty will plaie the iudgâ— in Westminster hal or the shriue in any sessions or the Capitain in warre he surelie may doe it concerning the right â—f his Kingdome Yea he lacketh no â—ight nor lawfull power to play the Solâ—iour the Tailour the Mason Carâ—enter or Tanner albeit he perhappes doe lacke the cunning or experience â—o exercise or practise those Artes so as they ought to be practised Likewise an Archbisshoppe or Priuate who hath Bisshoppes An exaÌ„ple in Ecclesiastical matters Archedeacons Officials Priests and Clerks vnder him may by right of his Suâ—eriorie baptize anie childe blesse or geue benediction burie the dead approue their last wils by his own fact helpe a Priest to Masse cary the crosse in procession digge the graue and to be shorte he maie doe anie thing which anie man may doe who is vnder his iurisdiction If then the king haue the right and power of Supreme gouernement in al Ecclesiastical causes The applying of the rule to our purpose seing it belongeth to the right and power of Ecclesiastical causes that a man may preache baptize blesse or geue benedictioÌ„ to the people and administer the sacrament of Christes body and blood and binde or loose synnes it must needes be that the King euen by that his supreamicy should also haue power and right to preache to baptise to geue benediction to administer the sacrament of Christes supper and to binde or loose synnes A farther declaration I say not that he by his supremacie hath cunning either to preache or to baptize or to geue benediction or to administer the sacrament of Christes supper or to play the tailer or the mason but that no law right and power doth or can forbid him to doe these things if in these things he be the supreme gouernour so that if he otherwise had cunning he might with praise no lesse preache and baptise and geue benediction or administer the sacrament of Christes supper then he might build a howse with his own haÌ„ds or cutte a garment yf he were cuÌ„ning â—herein But now if all the world confesse 2. Para. 20 non est tui officij ô Rex sed sacerdotuÌ„ domini â—hat à King by his kinglie office doth â—ot only lack knowlege but also hath no â—ight or power at al to preache to bapâ—â—ze to geue benediction or to conseâ—rate the sacrament of Christes supper 〈◊〉 a although otherwise he be most cunâ—ing and excellently lerned except â—e haue the office of a priest also geuen â—im and be lawfullie sent and authoriâ—d by the imposition of the hand of â—riesthood doutlesse it ought to be conâ—essed 1. Tim. 4. that a King by his kinglie office â—ath no right or supreme power at all in â—cclesiastical causes vnlesse it be comâ—itted to him from the bisshop And â—hat as wel because he of him self can â—ot practise those causes though he wold as euen our aduersaries coÌ„fesse â—s also because his power be it neuer 〈◊〉 roial reacheth not so high as the â—ower of spiritual gouernmeÌ„t appointed by Christ doth And surely no man by the commission which he onely hath to rest or to prison men maie also hang them or burn them For the lesser authority doth not coÌ„prehend the greater Say now M. Horn whether to celebrate our Lords supper and to preache Gods word and to absolue or bind sins it be a lesser or a greater ministery theÌ„ the Kings authoritie If it be lesser you haue reason on your side For then a greater power may comprehend it being the lesser But if it be incomparablie greater to minister vnto men the heauenly Sacraments then to minister iustice in temporal things if that be a higher power which toucheth the soule then that which only toucheth the body then by what meanes extend you the commission of a King which hath to do with lesse maters not only to the commission of a Priest In the booke agâ—inst M. Feenâ—Ì„ but also aboue it You bring many examples euil applied to make an apparance of somewhat But they al concerne matters of fact which are for many circumstances subiect to much wrangling But either it was no good Prince who medled of his own authority with disposing holy matters Or if he were otherwise good that deed was not good Or if he did it wel he did it by coÌ„mission from a Prophet or froÌ„ a high Priest Or he was deceiued by flatterers Or els being forced by necessity which is vnder no law he only sought the publike peace in that his deed and not to set himself ordinarily aboue the spiritual gouernmeÌ„t For howsoeuer the deeds of men be vncertaine deceitful aÌ„d vnknowen in al their particular circuÌ„stances the word of God can not fail which saith to Peter and to other Bishops after him Feed my sheep Ioan. 21. Here I aske whether the King or Emperour who is christened be Peters sheep or no If he be not he is not only not aboue the Church but he is not at all of the Churche If he be his sheepe then I say boldly that as it is against the law of nature which neuer can be wholie changed for a shepe to rule his shepheard in anie manner of such sort wherein he is the shepheard euen so it is vtterly impossible for anie King or Prince to be in anie respect of Ecclesiastical gouernment aboue his own pastour who soeuer he be for the time And yet farther to make this matter more plaine be it that a Christian King doth take vpoÌ„ him the supreame gouernment in Ecclesiastical matters What if a bishop being called before him Epist 32. sequeÌ„t say boldlie as S. Ambrose in a like case did may it please your maiestie to coÌ„maund my goods my laÌ„ds my body my life it shal be at your coÌ„mandemeÌ„t But as for the ordering and gouerning of my bishoprike I will not yeld it to you because Christ and not your maiestie committed the same to me what could that Christian King doe to that bishop more theÌ„ Nero or Traian might haue done Could he excommunicate him by his roial power M.
Horn will not say so What is it theÌ„ which he could doe might he putte him in prison so might Nero and also the great Turk By this meane it appeareth that the King be he neuer so much christened hath yet no power ouer the Bisshops soule And yet al spiritual and ecclesiastical power towcheth the sowle Therefore the King hath no spiritual power ouer the bishop at all Epist 32. Si vel scripturarum seriem diuinarum vel vetera tempora retractemus quis est qui abnuat in causa in causa inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus non Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare If we call to mind either the processe of holy scriptures or the auncient tymes who can denie but that in a cause of faith in a cause I say of faith bishops are woÌ„t to iudge of Christian Emperours and not Emperours of Bisshops If then the King haue no Spirituall power ouer the Bisshop how shal he corect or depose the Bisshop according to any spiritual or ecclesiastical processe of iudgement Shall he cause a Synod of Bisshops to be gathered that therin he may depose the said disobedieÌ„t Bishop Put case the Synod find him not worthy to be deposed or els wil not depose the said Bisshop How caÌ„ the King come to exercise yet any spiritual power vpoÌ„ the Bisshop You wil say he shal constrain the Synod to depose him Wherewith I pray you By the spiritual sword or by the temporal Not by the spiritual for it was neuer committed to the king that whose sinnes he should retaine they should be retained If then he shal obteine his purpose by the temporal sword who seeth not that the last resolution of the kings power is vpon his temporal and secular iurisdictioÌ„ which he should haue had though he had not ben a Christian Therefore S. Augustine finding many â—imes great fault with the Donatists Homil. de pastor in Psalm cont part Donatist â—ecause they appealed froÌ„ the iudgement of Bishops to the Emperor â—alleth euen Constantin who was then 〈◊〉 christian Prince terraenuÌ„ regem an earthly king In epist 48 Datos sibi Episcopos â—udices apud terrenuÌ„ regeÌ„ accusaueruÌ„t They accused the Bisshops who were assigned to be their iudges before an earthly King For albeit he was a Christian yet his Kinglie power was earthlie in respect of that heauenly power which Christ brought with him and gaue to his Disciples What doe I stande about the woordes of menne A most plaine demonstration of the dignity of high priests aboue the dignitie of faithful princes euen in the sight of God is to be sene in the olde Testament Where God who is no parcial Iudge assigneth a sacrifice for the syn of euerie degree of men according to their dignitie euen at his own altar And first he beginneth with the highe priest Leuitici 4 Sacerdos saying Si Sacerdos qui vnctus est peccauerit delinquere faciens populum offeret pro peccato suo vitulum If the priest which is anoynted shall synne causing the people to synne he shall offer a calf for his synne The second degree is not the prince Turba oiÌ„s but the whole people Quôd si omnis turba filiorum Israel ignorauerint offeret pro peccato suo vitulum Yf the multitude of the childern of Israel do amisse by ignorance it shal offer a calf for his synne After these two degrees cometh in the Princes place Princeps Leuitic 4 si peccauerit princeps offeret hostiam coram Domino hircum etc. If the prince shall synne he shal offer a hee gote in sacrifice before the Lord. Behold the prince is not only in the third place both behind the highe priest and behinde the whole multitude but also his sacrifice is of lesse valew and of a baser conditioÌ„ theÌ„ theirs For a hee gote was not so honourable a sacrifice as a yong oxe or a calfe The fourth degree is Anima that if one of the common people synne he shal offer a shee gote Of this matter Philo writeth thus Decebat principem priuato homini praeferri vel in sacrificio De victimis sicut principi populuÌ„ quandoquidem totum est sua parte maius Pontificem verò aequiparari populo in expiatione impetrandáque peccatoruÌ„ venia Habetur tnÌ„ is honor pontifici non propter ipsum sed quia minister est populi publicè vota faciens soluenda totius gentis nomine It became the prince to be preferred before a priuate man euen in the sacrifice as also the people to be preferred before the prince because the whole is greater then the part But it became the bishop to be made equal with the people in purging and in obteyning pardon of his synnes Howbeit that honor is geueÌ„ to the bishop not for his own sake but because he is the minister of the people making his praiers or vowes publikely to be performed in the name of the whole nation Marke the comparison the prince is a minister of the people as wel as the bishop But because the bishop is a minister in holy matters he is preferred before the prince In Leuit. quaest 1. Theodoretus also writeth thereof Docet quanta fit sacerdotij dignitas quam vniuerso populo parem facit Principem autem qui praetergressus fuerit legem aliquam non vitulum sed hircum aut capruÌ„ anniculum offerre iubet tam procul abest à sacerdotali dignitate is cui corporeuÌ„ imperiuÌ„ coÌ„missum est God doth teach how great the dignity of priesthod is which dignity he made equal with the whole people But he coÌ„maundeth the prince that shall transgresse any lawe not to offer a calf but a he gote of one yeres age so farre is he to whom corporal power is committed behind the priestly dignitie If then the whole people be aboue the Prince as who are hable to chose and to make a Prince when one lacketh and yet the bishop be equal with the whole people and also be set before it in the order of the law as being made by God himself and not hable to be made by the people because they can not consecrate a bishop or geue him spiritual power what impudency is this to teache that a prince by his own right and power maie visit iudge correct and depose a bishop who is now well sene to be farre greater in the sight of God then the King himself Let this much suffise to shew that the Bishoplie or pastor all authoritie of the Church is not only distincted froÌ„ the tyrannical kingdome of the vnfaithful natioÌ„s but also from the moderate reigne of what so euer Kings though they be christened One thing now is brieflie to be touched that notwithstanding many Bishops be euil and vse not their Office wel yet they loose it not thereby but stil we are bound by Christes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to do the things Math. 23 not which they doe but which they say
and teach to be done For as S. Augustine teacheth they that sitte in the chaire of vnitie which I wil proue hereafter to be the chaire of S. Peter are constrained to teach the doctrine of veritie And in deed whereas the office or power is one thing and the vse therof an other thing seing the office is geuen before it be vsed the euil vse of it which insueth afterward caÌ„ not make void the former power And so without al question the substance of the â—rimacie remaineth safe and sure in â—he Apostles and their successours alâ—hough thei practise not their Primacie â—n such sort as they ought to doe Whereupon it foloweth that it is â—arke false and vngodly that these meÌ„â—each saying not only that al primacie 〈◊〉 forbidden in the Church of Christe â—ut also that they leese their Primacie who ceasing to preach doe abuse their â—ffice For they in deed leese the merite of their Primacie but not the self Primacie so long as the Church doth â—olerate and permit them in their places Otherwise Caiphas being so euil a man as he was Ioan 1â— Pontifex anni illius had not been the Bishop of that yeare which yet the Gospel sheweth to haue ben otherwise As concerning which some are wont to obiect that the Bishoppe of Rome doth not gouerne as a Pastor but doth beare a soueraintie as Princes of the world it hath no colour of truth whether thei respect the manner of coming by this primacy or the order iâ— practising the iurisdiction of it First of al no man succedeth into that Chaire by any right of inhearitance which is a common mean to get Domition among worldly princes Secondarilie that Chaire is not obteined by any right of battaile or lawe of Armes neither when it is voide it is permitted to him that can first possesse it but it is geuen onely by election Besides neither childd nor woman nor infidel nor catechumen or learner of the faih can be chosen to be bisshop of Rome or of any other citie which is farre otherwise in wordlie Kingdomes Distinct 62. 63. Actor 1. Againe although the faithfull people and the princes also may craue desire and require a pastoure or Bisshop and may geue their coÌ„sent to the choise of him yet the right to choose as well â—he bishop of Rome as al other pastours Act. 14. 20. Tit. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Greg. lib. 1 ep 55. 56. 77. Concil 8. c. 28. â—pperteineth only to ecclesiastical perâ—ons as whose dutie it is by Gods law to â—lace and make priests in the cities and Churches where nede is to fede to rule â—o confirm or to displace or traÌ„sfer and generally to prouide for the flock as Paulus Barnabas Titus and other bishops haue doÌ„ whereas the right of choosing 〈◊〉 Prince where he is made by election may as well or much more apperteine to the common people being the body of the realme then to the clergie or to the nobilitie alone When the bishop of Rome is thus chosen that I may omitte his temporal dominion which is but an accessorie to his bishoprike doutlesse in his Ecclesiasticall gouernment he vseth not that force and power which worldlie Princes doe Greg lib. 1 ep 45. distiÌ„ct 45. c. De Iudaeis Hee compelleth no man by violence no not so much as the Iewes that liue in Rome to baptisme or to embrace the catholike faith of Christ whereas worldly princes may iustly enforce the people whom they haue vnder them both to obey their lawes and to liue after their custome and manner Moreouer the bishop of Rome as bishop neuer punisheth any of them with the material sword who after baptisme forsake the Church but onlie with ecclesiastical censures And to them also he cometh very slowlie and teacheth that men must haue recourse vnto them none otherwise 2. quaest 1. multi then to a medicine For albeit he both plainlie affirmeth that hereticks are worthy of all punishment yea of violent death it self and that according to Gods word yea although he permitteth Deut. 13. and also where he hath any temporal dominion procureth schismatikes and heretikes to be punished with death partlie because they are themselues vnworthie to liue for their own heinous fault partly also because they shuld not infect others with their words 2. Tim. 2. which creepe and fret like a cancre â—et notwithstanding he doth it not by himselfe nor by others as a bishop and pastour of Christes flock but he doth it by the ministerie of others as a temporal prince and lord Psal 98. euen as Moyses being one of the Priests of our Lord was also master of the ciuil gouernment and a disposer of warre and peace Exod. 17. Deut. 31. as who commaunded Iosue to fight against Amalech and to be his successour in the ciuil gouernment Now whereas the Protestants deny Moyses to haue ben a priest and that by pretense of the Hebrew text they spaek therein against the expresse word of God and against the most auncient and best lerned Fathers The word of God saith Psal â—8 Moyses Aaron in sacerdotibus eius Moyses and Aaron are among the priests of the Lord the Hebrew word is cohaniÌ„ the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin sacerdotibus which is to say those who make sacrifice In coÌ„mentarijs psal 98. S. Augustine reasoneth that he was Sacerdos a Sacrificer because whereas he was in al authoritie and power the very greatest among the Iewes yet he could not be Maior sacerdote greater then he that hath power to sacrifice S. Hierom being I am sure as good an Hebrician as M. Nowel in his booke against Iouinian Lib. 1. aduersus Iouinian groundeth the Priesthood of Moyses vpon the same text of the Psalme making a differeÌ„ce betwen Samuel the Leuite and Moyses and Aaron who were Bisshops or high Priests In oratione de Moyse Aar S. Gregorie Nazianzene is of the same minde yea Dionysius Areopagita confesseth Moyses to haue ben Primum legalium sacerdotum mystem ac ducem De Eccles Hierar c. 5. The first cunning master and guid of the Priest of the law qui fratrem Aaron ad sacerdotale munus inuÌ„gens sub Deo principe sacerdotalem consecrationem poÌ„â—ificabiliter consummauit Who â—nointing his brother Aaron to the Priestlie office vnder God the chief of al finished the Priestly consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bisshoplike or as Bisshops are wont to doe Philo Iudeus writing three bokes of Moyses life De vita Mosis and hauing spoken before of his authoritie in ciuil matters speaketh in the third of his Priesthod which he could not iustly doe except he had ben a Priest But what neede many woordes What thing doth in al the world belong to a Priests office which Moyses did not Exod. 20. He toke the law of God aÌ„d taught it the people he preached to them he consecrated the high Bishop
with his own hands Exod. 28. 29. he erected an altar and offered publike sacrifice he did poure the bloud vpon the Altar and sprinckled the garment of Aaron with it And yet did he al these Priestlie offices being himself no Priest I marueile thatneither the letter of Gods word nor the reason and as it were the sowle thereof nor the authority of wise and lerned men can moue the Protestants to confesse that Moyses was in dede a priest and a sacrificer But if it be cleare that he was both a priest and a ciuil gouernour vsing the priestlie office in his own person and prescribing to others when thei shuld fight or punish malefactours much more in the tyme of the new TestameÌ„t Heb. 10. which must nedes be as perfit a state as the old law it is lawful for a bishop to haue the right of both offices in him gouerning the Ecclesiastical state by his own personal ministery aÌ„d the outward cares by the help of wise meÌ„ Gregorius l. 1. epi. 24 Quisquis regeÌ„dis fratribus praeest vacare funditus à curis exterioribus non potest sed tamen curandum magnopere est ne ab iis immoderatè deprimatur Who soeuer is set to rule his brethern he can not vtterly be uoide of â—xternal cares But it is diligently to be â—rouided that he be not ouer pressed with them But concerning the Ecclesiasticall state whereof I speake at this tyme the bishop of Rome neither condemneth any man for heresie or schisme to corporal death in his own person nor teacheth that any malefactours may be so condemned of any other ecclesiasticall person Which thing being not rightly vnderstood of the most part of meÌ„ hath made them affirme that the bishop of Rome in matters of faith persuadeth his religioÌ„ with fier and sworde 23. quaest 8. c. Sepe cuÌ„ sequeÌ„t Which to be farre otherwise both the whole body of the Canon law declareth and also experience testifieth To goe forward with our matter this is the greatest difference betwene the primacie of the Church and the dominion of wordlie princes that the teÌ„poral princes haue power only ouer the bodies whereas the rulers of the Church Math. 18. 1. Cor. 5. haue power vpon mens soules They geue the bodies of wicked men to corporal death these haue power to cleanse the soules and so to bring them to euerlasting saluation De Sacerdot lib. 3. Wherupon Saint Chrysostom saith Habent etiam terreni Principes vinculi potestatem verùm corporum solùm Id autem quod dico sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad coelos vsque peruadit The earthlie princes haue power to bind also but only of the bodies But the baÌ„d of the priests whereof I speake doth touche the very sowle and reacheth euen to the heauens And not without a cause For our Lord said to Saint Peter Math. 16. To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thow bindest vpon the earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thow loosest vpon the earth shal be loosed â—n the heauens To these words of Christ which â—re deriued to the Bisshop of Rome by â—eanes of the chaier of Saint Peter â—he said bishop referreth all his power â—nd exerciseth it vpon the soules of meÌ„â—oth in his own person and by others Leo. ep 82. who are called to susteine part of â—he Ecclesiasticall care and charge â—hat is committed chiefelie vnto him whereas nothwithstanding the Princes of the world appeale not â—o the lawe of the Gospell neither â—n getting nor in gouerning nor â—n establishing their Dominion and power Last of al this is to be inquired and coÌ„sidered whether the Bishop of Rome doth rule with such pietie lenitie affection and desire to helpe others and to bring them to Christ that he may seme to minister and to serue rather then to rule And in good sooth yf he doth it not as it is certain that he synneth greuouslie so for any such respect he leeseth not his primacie because the humilitie and mercie of the gouernour doth not so much appertaine to the substance of his authoritie Ioan. 11. Caiphas Pontifex as to the true perfection and merite of the man For like as they that preached Christ through enuie and emulatioÌ„ that they might raise aduersitie to S. Paule Philip. 1. who was in Prison were notwithstanding true preachers albeit they preached with an euill intent and minde so albeit the bishop of Rome did rule like a potentate and did seeke his own glorie and not the glorie of God yet thereof it can not be brought to passe that he is not a true ruler and gouernour of the Church But it wold wel follow that he were an euil ruler Of which sort of men our Lord hath said Do those things which they say Matth. 23. but doe not those things which they doe But what arrogant presumption is â—his to thinck that the Pope doth good â—eedes with an euill minde If he geue â—â—ntle answeres to them that in matâ—ers of dout aske his counsell if he send â—orth good decrees if he reconcile such â—s are at variaunce yf he prouide careâ—â—llie for the necessarie affaires of the â—hurch whie doe we iudge euil of that â—hich is well done Or yf he doth euill â—t any tyme what malice is it to scorne â—t his nakednesse Genes 9. and with lawghter â—o discouer his shame It is euident to all that will see that â—he bishop of Rome doth shew that humilitie and zeale which Christ requiâ—eth in the ruler of his Church He calleth vs nor bondslaues nor seruaunts nor subiects but all Princes he saluteth gentlie as sonnes and bishops as brethern And as for his owne person â—he writeth not himself neither Lord neither vniuersal bishop nor head of the Church but seruaunt of the seruaunts of God That euen by his name he may geue al men to vnderstand that he is that greatest and chefe ruler Luc. 22. who is as it were a minister and seruaunt And seing he doth and saith that which becometh the primate of the Church both to say and to doe it is our parte to iudge his well doing by that which is well said rather then to synne against the holie ghost whiles we desire to wrest that to an euill sense malitiouslie which was spoken and meant by him charitablie â—f the diuerse senses which are in the holy scripture and namely about these words vpon this rock I wil build my Church and which is the most literal and proper sense of them The third Chap. AMONG manie other things wherein Gods word passeth all other sciences one is most notaâ—le in that not only the syllables and words which are writen there doe â—xpresse the meaning of the holy Ghost â—ut also the things which are told and â—eported by those words doe againe signifie and meane an other thing We â—eade that Abraham had two sonnes
rock not in dede without the grace of coÌ„fessing but yet not any rather by the force of the confession then of the promise Ioan. 1. For S. Iohn Baptist coÌ„fessed also but because he confessed not as one that was ê“mised to be this rock the Church was not built vpoÌ„ him but to Peter the ê“mise was made before the coÌ„fessioÌ„ and it was the first cause of the coÌ„fessioÌ„ therfore the promise was the chief and first cause of buildiÌ„g the church vpoÌ„ this role If it were so then the whole meaning of these words The vvhole sense of Christes vvords vpon this Rock I will build my Church is this vpoÌ„ him who therefore stronglie and firmly confesseth my true faith because he was before promised to be called this Rocke or which is more vpon him who in part is alreadie this rock and promised to be called this rocke so confesseth my Godhead like a most sure Rocke vpon him I will build mie Church The which most true and certein sense standing the only confessioÌ„ of the faith maketh no man to be this Rocke whervpoÌ„ Christ will build his Church except it be a confession which is wrought by the force of a promise to be called and made a rock going before it The which promise of being assured to be called Peter for as much as it belonged literally to no Prophet to no disciple to no Apostle but only to Simon the son of Iona for that cause Ioan. 1. the whole militant Church is at this tyme promised to be built vpon none other mans faith or confession beside only vpon the confessioÌ„ of S. Peter himself and of those who succede in Peters chaire For as God willing I shal proue hereafter euery bishop of Rome is that for his time vnto the militant Church of Christ which Peter once was Christ then intending to confirme and to make perfit his promise wherein he had said thou shalt be called Peter asked his Apostles whom they thought or rather said and coÌ„fessed him to be S. Peter hauing a reuelation from God the father to thend Christes former promise might be throughly and perfitly verified saith thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God that is to say thou art not only a prophet or a SoÌ„ by adoption but thou art the natural Son of the only true God Here it is principally to be noted that when S. Peter coÌ„fessed Christ to be the Son of God Peter coÌ„fessed the rocke that then he coÌ„fessed the rock of rocks which only Christ is Neither doth any man deny but that these words thou art the Son of the liuing God appertein only to Iesus Christ But our questioÌ„ is not of these words but coÌ„cerning the words which Christ spake afterward vnto Peter For when Peter had confessed the chefe rock then that chefe rock shewed that Peter had played also the rock saying to him after this sort Hilarius de Trinit lib. 6. Simon the Son of Iona thou art happy as S. Peter said Christ to be the Son of God so Christ calleth S. Peter the Son of Iona therby declariÌ„g that as Peter was naturally the Son of Iohn his father so Christ is the natural son of God his father and as Peter speaketh oÌ„ly to Christ at this tyme and to none other person so doth Christ only speake to Peter and to none other person Christ after this meaniÌ„g is alone the son of God aÌ„d SimoÌ„ alone after this meaniÌ„g is Peter Christ goeth forward calliÌ„g Peter happy because flesh aÌ„d blud did not reueale Christes godhead vnto him but Christes father who is in heueÌ„ So that S. Peter oÌ„ly at this time had this high reuelatioÌ„ aÌ„d to hiÌ„ oÌ„ly Christ directeth his words And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter What was S. Iohn or S. Mathew the son of Iona no truly or had any other man in the earth this reuelatioÌ„ at this time beside SimoÌ„ the son of Iona no verely yf we consider the first and most literal sense Thou oÌ„ly art Peter Peter alone is this rock because thou alone both hadst this name ê“mised to the when Christ first sawe thee thou alone haddest it geueÌ„ thee when thou wast chosen an Apostle and thou alone hast now coÌ„fessed me to be God by nature aÌ„d to thee alone I say Thou art Peter It is otherwise most true that Christ is the rock incoÌ„parably aboue Peter Christ the rock and that the whole vniuersal church is built vpoÌ„ Christ far more excelleÌ„tly then any part thereof is built vpoÌ„ any mortal maÌ„ For yf we did not beleue so much of Christ we could not now beleue that he were able by his only word and promise to make Peter also to be a Rock in his kind The confession is a rock It is also true that the confessioÌ„ of S. Peter is a rock aÌ„d in respect also of that confession SimoÌ„ is called Peter And in respect of the same coÌ„fessioÌ„ the Church is built vpon Simon But as vpon one who confesseth because he had before the promise to be called Peter made to him and the name it self geuen him Al things which are true are not euery where principally meant or intended alone of the holy ghost We now seeke the literal and first maening of these words vpoÌ„ this rock I wil build my Church and not of these thou art Christ the son of the liuing God In his Reply fol. 221. And yet M. Iewel professing to dispute of these words vpoÌ„ this rock I wil build my Church priuily conueieth the disputation from them vnto those other Thou arte Christ the Sonne of God But I beseech the good Reader to marke the point and not to suffer him selfe to be deceiued in so weightie a mater At the length to gather al my reasons togeather I saie that the most literal sense of these wordes vpoÌ„ this rocke is to signifie that vpon S. Peter as vpon a man called by office to coÌ„fesse the true faith Christ wil build his Church First Vocaberis 1. because he alone is promised to be called Peter Secondly Imposuit nomen 2. because he alone at the choise of the twelue is named Peter Thirdly because Christ speaketh to Simon the sonne of Iona alone Tibi saying Et ego dico tibi and I say to thee Therby shewing that the words which follow belong to S. Peter alone Fourthly because Christ speaketh againe to him and of him alone saying Tu es Petrus Thou art Peter Tu es I suppose there is a difference betwene I am Peter and thou art Peter Most true it is that Christ is Peter that is to say a rocke And most true it is that Simon in confessing Christ to be the sonne of God confessed the principal and only natural rocke But now that truth is not first of al and chieflie vttered by Christ although it were before vttered by SimoÌ„ but of Christ it is now said most literally thou art
reason and by conference of holie scriptures that S. Peter is called This Rocke when it is sayed to him Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock I wil build my Church It followeth And hel gates shal not preuaile against it Epiphan in Anchoratu Origenes in Matth. That is to say the power and strength of heresies shal preuaile neither against thée who art the Rock nor against my Church Not against thée being the Rock because I haue prayed for Peters faith not against my Church because so loÌ„g as the Rocke whervpon it is built is sure the Church it self which standeth vpoÌ„ the same Rock is sure also These words can not be wel referred to Christ only the chief Rock For it is Christ the chief Rocke who warranteth the assurance of the vnder Rocke And so it is Peter who is assured that hel gates shall not preuail against him nor against the Militant Church which is built vppon him Ioyne to these considerations the authoritie of Tertullian of Hippolytus of Origenes S. Cyprian S. Hilarie S. Basil S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Gregorie S. Hierom S. Leo S. Chrysostom S. Cyrillus Theodoretus Prosper Theophilact with a greate number of the Fathers of the fourth General CouÌ„cel who teach S. Peter to be this Rock as I wil shew anon Neither doe they onely speak it but they bring such reasons for S. Peters being the Rocke as can agree to no man els but to him and to his successours in the same office Ioyne the practise of fiftene huÌ„dred yeres in which the seat of S. Peter standeth in Rome aÌ„d florisheth like a most immoueable Rocke among so many tyraÌ„s heretikes and naughty Christians Ioyne so many General Councels as haue ben in Christendome which all haue so acknowleged this Rock Tripart lib. 4. c. 9. which S. Peter is that they were all either aucthorised by his Successours or els for lacke thereof disanulled as vnlawfull Adde to the former reasons that if the Churche were built onely or chiefllie vpon the confession alone it must needs haue been built vppon the confession of S. Iohn Baptist before it was built vppon the confession of Peter Ioan. 1. For Iohn Baptist confessed Christ to be the Lambe of God who tooke awaye the synnes of the worlde before S. Peter and in moe woordes then S. Peter did But the ground of Christes building is the Rocke which Peter is and S. Iohn Baptist is not that kinde of Rock And the Churche is now promised to be builte vppon his confession who is first made the Rock and who being the Rock doth strongly confesse Remember also that I shewed in the former Chapiter how al the foure senses which the Fathers geue of the foresaid wordes vpon this Rock I wil build my Church are perfitely conteined in this one sense wherein the church is promised to be built vppon Peter For so it is proued to be built vppon Christ because he is so vniuersall a Rocke of the whole Churche that he maketh Peter a particular Rocke of the Militant Church In Peter is the faith which he confessed in him are all faithful Disciples comprehended But in none other sense al the auncient Fathers interpretation can be saued vpright Moreouer seeing it is cleere that to be the Rock is to be a certain foundation of the Churche for Christe buildeth his house vppon a Rocke sith al the Apostles are certaine foundacions of Gods beautifull Citie Matth. 7. Apocalip 21. and thereby they are also certeine Rockes vppon whiche the Churche is built how can Peter be denyed to be a Rock and foundation of the Churche for his part Now that his parte doth passe all other mennes partes I proue it moste euidentlie because the names of things are tokens of the things them selues and that moste speciallie when God himselfe geueth the name as now he hath done For yf the thing were not so before as he nameth it at the least his naming it so maketh it to be that which he nameth it Therefore seing onely Peter after Christ beareth the name of a rocke it is out of all question that the said name is a signe of his being the rock in some such sort as none other Apostle is the rocke But the faithfull are built vpon the foundation of all the Apostles and Prophets as S. Paul saith and thei are the Church of Christ Ephes 1. therefore the Church of Christ is much more notably built vpon S. Peter aboue all others because he is the rocke and foundation aboue al others And whereas by the power Apostolike al the Apostles were equal certainly S. Peter is this rock Leo serm 2. de anniuers assumpt not only as an Apostle wherein he had manie fellowes but also as a chefe bishop and as the primate of all Bisshops and Priests wherin he was perelesse being the head and top of all others in that sense as I shal declare hereafter In the which highe priesthod only Peter hath a successour who sitteth in the See of Rome to continue a Rock for euer sith Christes militant Church needeth to be alwaies built vp by visible preaching and gouernment This my interpretation is not a litle fortified by the preuarication of our aduersaries For they being at a point to deny that Peter and his successours are this rock whereupoÌ„ the militaÌ„t Church is built are yet by no meanes agreed what chiefe sense these words vpon this rocke I wil build my Church ought to haue Ievvel in his Reply fol. â—21 But sometime they make Christ to be this rocke sometyme the confession of the faith sometyme euerie disciple not regarding what they graunt or hold so that the truth be denied But it were reason they told vs some one chefe literal sense wherevnto they wold stand Which if they did all the world should perceaue their vanitie For if all our reasons were not diuided to answere diuerse senses as now they are but were driuen al to one purpose that opinion of theirs should haue ben much more easily destroyed and vtterly vanquished which neuer the lesse is now sufficiently disproued by the circuÌ„stance and coÌ„ference of holy scripture It is proued out of the aunciene Fathers that S. Peter is this rock whereupon the Church was promised to be built otherwise then M. Iewel affirmeth The V. Chap. THE chiefe ground of our disputation are the words of Christ spoken to Simon his Apostle Matth. 16 wherin he said Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build mie Church By the force of which words the Catholicks beleue and teache that S. Peter was made a rock wherevpon Christ would build his Church And because it appereth afterward that the building of Christes Churche vppon Saint Peter was the making of him to be the chiefe shepheard of Christes whole flock the Catholicks teache that who soeuer succedeth S. Peter in the office of the cheefe shepherd as the bisshop of Rome doth that he is also the rock
aboue al others is coÌ„fessed of al sides to haue ben the first aÌ„d chief in al assembles and meetings to whome by M. Iewels confession the prerogatiue of the first place did belong to directe and order Bisshops in their doings In his Replie 241. 242. Secondly because he onely sitteth in Saint Peters chaier and is his lawful successour Thirdly because the consent of the world hath taken it so aÌ„d so hath practised in deed for euer but euen by our Aduersaries confession froÌ„ the tyme of Pope Zosimus and Leo and so aboue a thousand yeares And although if I had no farther proufe this alone were neuer able to be auoided yet I haue so many other proufes that I am more troubled what to leaue vnsayed then I am to seeke what may be said I haue chosen to speak of that point speciallie whiche is of all other the moste hard For there is no greater obiection against Saint Peters Supremacie then to saye The obiection that all the Apostles vvere the same thinge which he vvas The same Rocke the same Pastour the same Confirmour of their brethern Whereby he may seeme to haue had no more then they had and consequentlie that all Bisshoppes are as good as the successour of S. Peter To which obiection if I should only answere The ansvvere by demaunding of the Protestantes in what Gospel or holy scripture it were writen that euery other Apostle was the same rock which S. Mathew testifieth S. Peter to haue bene seeing they haue bound themselues to beleue nothing which is not expreslie writen in the holy Scriptures Matth. 10 16. they were not able so to replie that their owne conscience might iustlie be quiet For if they brought me foorth S. Cyprian De vnit Eccles or S. Hierom it were sufficient for me to say that they were no Euangelists I shew it writen thou shalt be called Cephas and thou art Peter that is to say a rocke or of the qualitie of a rocke For as S. Hierom witnesseth Lib. 1. ad Gal. c. 2. that which the Greeks and Latins cal Petra the Hebrewes and Syrians cal Cephan Let them shew it writen where S. Mathew or S. Iohn is called such a Rock or is said to be of such a condition and qualitie that the Church shal be built vpon him How vnhappy are men now a daies that whereas they haue moste plaine scriptures in al pointes for the Catholike faith and none at al againste the same yet they pretend by the very scriptures to ouercomme the Catholikes And by the bare naming of Gods worde whiche they neither vnderstand nor loue they haue among pedlers won the spurs and amonge the ignorant haue gotteÌ„ the opinion of knouledge But seing there is an infinit treasure in Gods word to proue those things whereby the Catholike faith is fortified I wil take vpon me this one point for this time to shew by what meanes S. Peter exelled the other Apostles wherein I wil procede in this order It is certaine that S. Peter excelled the Apostles in some kind of honor and dignitie The Apostles had two kinds of dignitie The one proper to their Apostleship the other coÌ„mon with al Bishops How far S. Peter was aboue or equal with them in the Apostolike functioÌ„ That S. Peters great prerogatiue aboue the Apostles is most manifestlie knowen by his supremacie in the bishoplie power of gouerning the Churche of Christ That S. Peters bishoplie authoritie was an ordinarie power That it must continue in some one bisshop That it is the Bishop of Rome in whom S. Peters ordinarie power and supremacie resteth That S. Peter passeth far the other Apostles in some kinde of Ecclesiasticall dignitie The IX Chap. IF what soeuer authoritie any Apostle had concerning the gouernment of the Church S. Peter had the same and yet if besides he had verie manie things of greatest importance promised and geuen to him alone which no man els had it is out of all controuersie that S. Peter passed a great way the other Apostles in some kind of Ecclesiasticall dignitie Otherwise if he had no more authoritie then they or if his priuileges had bene only personal as the loue was which our Sauiour bore toward S. Iohn who laie vpon his brest at his last supper certeinlie S. Peter should either haue had nothing at all committed to him aboue and beside the reast of the Apostles Ioan. 13. or it should haue ben onlie some temporall priuilege and not any such function as had apperteined to the perpetual stablishment of Christes Church But now Matth. 10 for so much as he is not onelie first among the twelue but also he had the promise to be called Cephas or a Rocke Ioan 1. before the twelue were chosen and was really named Peter at the tyme of the choise Marc. 3. And for so much as although both S. Iohn Baptist had confessed Christes godhead before Ioan. 1. and Nathanael had said thou art the Son of God thou art the KiÌ„g of Israel yet only Peters confessioÌ„ being made long after was so highlie rewarded that Christ said to him alone thou art Peter Matth 16. and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church For so much as the keyes of the Kingdom of heauen are namely promised to Peter alone Matth. 16 And whereas the tribute of didrachma was due for the first begotten of euery familie Num. 3. Iosephus antiquit li. 13. c. 12 Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 59. Matth. 17 Yet Christ paid both for himself and for S. Peter also as being the vnderhead and first begotteÌ„ of his familie the Church And for so much as Christ although an other bote also were at hand yet he taught the people out of S. Peters bote to shew that in Peters chaire his doctrine shuld alwaies be stedily professed Luc. 5. Ambro. in 5. ca. Luc. And wheras al the Apostles were sure to be sifted of Sathan Lucae 22. yet the faith of Peter alone is praied for Leo serm 2. de â—at Petri Pauli that he being once conuerted might strenhgten his brethern And when word of Christes resurrectioÌ„ was sent to al the disciples for so much as Peter both entred first into the Sepulchre Luc. 24. and was not comprehended with the rest but was seuerallie named by himself Marci 16. whiles the Angel said tel his disciples and Peter In 24. ca. Lucae that he wil goe before you into Galilee and as S. Ambrose thincketh of men he was the first who saw Christ after his resurrection abeit some wemen had sene him before And whereas the other Apostles sailed in the sea within the cumpasse of a bote Ioan. 21. Bernard de consid lib. 2. yet S. Peter alone walked vpon the whole Sea without any particular bote betokenning that the whole world which is meant by the Sea was ordinarilie subiect vnto his iurisdictioÌ„ Farthermore for so much as some
diseases Matth. 18. and to cast out diuels And he said to them Whatsoeuer thiÌ„gs ye shall bind vpoÌ„ the earth they shal be bound in heaueÌ„ also And whatsoeuer things ye shall loose vpon the earth they shal be loosed in heauen also And again after his resurrectioÌ„ he said Ioan. 20. As my Father hath sent me and I send you â–ª take ye the holy ghost And going into the whole worlde Marc. 16. preach the Gospel to al creatures teaching all nations Matth. 28 and baptiziÌ„g them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost And after Christes ascension S. Mathias Actor 1. and after the coming of the holy Ghost S. Paule was taken into that holy office and vocatioÌ„ Galat. 1. So that by their Commissions it is euident that the Apostles were all sent into the whole world with singular auctority Now that beside this Apostolike function Eusebius hist lib. 2. c. 1. lib. 3. c. 22. 32. they had also power to be resident vpoÌ„ some one particular cure and flock the example of S. Iames the Apostle doth declare who is confessed by all maner of writers to haue ben Bisshop of IerusaleÌ„ Yea Simon also an other of the Apostles is readen to haue succeded after S. Iames in the same Chaire and Church S. Peter likewise hauing sitten at Antioche seueÌ„ yeres Hieron in Catalo afterward traÌ„sferred his seat vnto Rome Euseb li. 3 c. 22. More ouer S. Peter made Euodius Bishop of Antioche after his departure thence and sent his disciple S. Marck to gouern the Church at Alexandria Greg li. 6. epist 37. Tit. 1. S. Paul appointed Titus Bishop in CaÌ„dia and Timotheus Bishop of Ephesus and the like was don by other Apostles in other countries 1. Tim. 4. Therfore the Apostles had also the power to be and to make Bishops Actor 1. in so much that when S. Peter depriued Iudas of his Chaire he shewed the prophecy to be fulfilled Psal 108. Ennodius in 2. Tom. Concil EpiscopatuÌ„ eius accipiat alter Let an other man take his Bishoprike or his office of a Bisshop For although euery Bishop be not an Apostle yet euery of Christes Apostles was or might be a Bishop And because the bishoply power was most certainly conteined within the compasse of the Apostolike office the verie name of an Apostle came also to signifie a bishop in the primatiue Church as Theodoretus hath wel declared In cap. 3.1 ad Tim. EosdeÌ„ olim vocabaÌ„t presbyteros Episcopos Eos auÌ„t qui nuÌ„c vocantur Episcopi nominabaÌ„t Apostolos ê“cedeÌ„te auteÌ„ teÌ„pore nomen quideÌ„ Apostolatus reliqueruÌ„t ijs qui verè eraÌ„t Apostoli Episcopatus auteÌ„ appellationeÌ„ imposueruÌ„t ijs qui olim appellabaÌ„tur Apostoli Philip. â— Ita PhilippeÌ„siuÌ„ Apostolus erat Epaphroditus vestruÌ„ inquit ApostoluÌ„ adiutoreÌ„ necessitatis meae Ita CreteÌ„siuÌ„ Titê° AsianoruÌ„ Timotheê° Actor 15 Ita ab Hierosolymis ijs ê— eraÌ„t Antiochiae scripseruÌ„t Apost Presbyteri In the old time they called the same men both priests and bishops But those which are now called bishops they did cal Apostoles And in processe of tyme they left the name of Apostleship to those that were truely and in deed Apostles and called them Bisshops which in the primitiue Church were called Apostles so was Epaphroditus the Apostle of the Philippians Philip. 2. Your Apostle saith S. Paul and the helper of my necessitie So was Titus the Apostle of those of Candie and Timotheus of those of Asia Act. 15. So did the Apostles and priestes write from Hierusalem to those that were at Antioche Seing then the name of an Apostle did conteine both properly that extraordinarie honour which the true Apostles only had and also that ordinary power which al Bisshops then had and alwaies should haue it is easie to vnderstand that when S. Hierome writeth concerning Bisshops Ad Euagrium Omnes Apostolorum successores sunt All are the successours of the Apostles and when In Psal 44. Augustine saith Pro Apostolis constituti sunt Episcopi Bishops are made in steed of the Apostles that they both and al the other Fathers saying the like do mean that Bisshops doe succede the Apostles not in the Apostleship but in their Bisshoplie authority which also S. Ireneus calleth Lib. 3. c. 3. suum ipsoruÌ„ magisterij locum their owne place of teaching or of gouerning If any man aske why the Bisshoplie authority is so namely distincted hy me from the Apostleship sithens it was conteined therein as the lesser dignity within the greater I answere The putting avvay of an obiection that it is nedeful so to doe because when the Apostleship ceased the other Bisshoply authoritie continued stil And yet yf the Bisshoplie authoritie had onely depended vpoÌ„ th' Apostolik functioÌ„ it must nedes haue seased with it also For wheÌ„ the whole Apostleship is ended no part therof caÌ„ remain in his force except it haue an other grouÌ„d to stand in beside thapostleship as the bishoply power had Cyril lib. 12. c. 64. This being so when we reade that Peter was head prince chief first and capitain of the Apostles it may according to the former distinction either be meant that he was both their head according to their excellent Apostolike dignitie and also according to their inferiour authoritie of being particular Bisshops or els according to the onely one consideration of the twaine How farre S. Peter did either excell or was equall with the Apostles in their Apostolik office Wherin diuers obiections are answered which seeme to make against S. Peters Supremacie The XI Chap. WERE it not that the Aduersaries of the Catholicke faith do force me to intreat of this mater I would think it a sinne to enter into so curiouse a question For what haue wee to doe nowe with the Apostles aequalitie or inequalitie wheras it should haue suffised vs to follow the present state of the vniuersal churche which we finde practised in our time not searching out other things which are perhaps aboue our capacitie But seing the aequalitie of the Apostles vvhy this question is treated of is now pretended against the vniuersal faith which hath alwaies geueÌ„ the primacie to Peters Seate it behoueth to answere therevnto trusting that God wil beare with the humble defendaÌ„ts how so euer the wantonnesse of the other side stand in great daunger to be punished for their schism troublesomnesse and pride I take it for a thing agreed vpoÌ„ that S. Peter was the first of the Apostles accordingly as S. Mathew reciting the name of the twelue Apostles saith Primus SimoÌ„ qui dicitur Petrus Matt. 10. The first is SimoÌ„ who is called Peter If then none other Apostle be first beside Peter and al that which is not first must nedes be somewhat bebinde that which is firste doubtlesse none other Apostle could be
reproued Neither dooth he call to mind that he first was called to the Apostleship Consider good Reader how far these Fathers were from this minde of the Protestants to witte that the reprouing of S. Peter by S. Paule did anie thing withstand his primacie whereas thereby they neuer doubting of his supremacie in power rather shew him to haue ben chiefe euery way as well in grace as in authoritie S. Peter is reproued of S. Paule and S. Peter praiseth the verye same Epistles of S. Paule 2. Pet. 3. in which he is reproued Didde euer Martin Luther Zuinglius or Iohn Caluin shewe any such lowlinesse towarde their Superiour as S. Peter shewed to his inferiour Zuinglius reproued Luther concerning his doctrine of the real presence But did Luther trow you praise Zuinglius for it Except he praise a man who doth excommunicate him and pronounce him a Sacramentarie and an heretike And yet they were both brethern and both apostles of this new Gospell But ô Lorde how farre of are they from the true Apostles Their primacie was liker to that of Diotrephes Epistola Ioan. 3. then to S. Peters humble gouernment There is in these men no humility but intollerable arrogancie no yelding of the one to the other but extrem defending of euery mans own phantasie And yet the Protestants bring this example of S. Peter and S. Paul to defend their heathenish and heretical debate Whereas the reproufe of S. Peter neither consisted in any false doctrine of his as theirs doth nor was defended stubbornly by him as these men defend their errours euen to death and so they make them neuer able to be recoÌ„ciled The dissensions of the Caholikes Matth. 5. In via On the other side although dissentions happen oftentimes among the Catholikes whiles they are in the waie yet they are like vnto the Apostles in prosecuting them For that alwaies they are ready to yelde one to the other euen in this life at the farthest when the high Iudge shall geue sentence for the one part Deut. 17. And they all confesse that there is a mean aÌ„d power in earth able to determine al controuersies in Religion But the dissentions of the Protestants are like to the dissentions of the life to come which are immortal nor neuer shal be reconciled because there can be no Iudge acknowleged in the way to bring them at one sithens they are at their waies end after which time there is no place of reconciliation left but the iudge deliuereth either the one partie Matth. 5. or both to be tormented for euer if the greatnesse of the faulte be such as betwen Luther and Zuinglius it is It is farther laid against the supremacy of S. Peter that the Apostles sent him to lay handes vppon those whome Philippus the Deacon had Baptized Act. 8. for by sending they wil conclude him to be onely equal with the Apostles as though the Canons of a Cathedrall Church may not choose their Deane or Bisshop to go about certaine busines of the Chapter whom therein they sende to doe those things not as their inferiour but when the common good is to be procured and no fault is to be punisshed euery man ought to yeld vp his superiority and to condescend to charity Lib. 7. epist 64. as S. Peter did For as Gregorie most wisely saith wheÌ„ no fault requireth the coÌ„trarie all bishops according to the respect of humblenes are equal Briefly th' Apostles were sent euery of them equally into the whole world but Peter beside that was made chiefe to th' end the vnitie of the Church might appeare in one chief Apostle and schismes might be auoided not so much among the Apostles where none could chance as among others afterwarde Leo epist â—2 who should haue lesse grace to kepe vnitie then the Apostles had But in case th' Apostles had ben so destitute of grace that any one might haue taught false doctrine and stubbornly haue defended the same doubtlesse S. Peter might no lesse haue deposed him Actor 1. then he did separate Iudas from the College of the Apostles euen after his death And that had bene alwaies the true Catholike Church which had followed S. Peters doctrine But now the priuilege of the other Apostles did nothing hinder S. Peters chiefe power who had sufficient autoritie to haue controlled them if they hadde lacked sufficient grace to haue taught onely true doctrine And although they had grace not to erre yet his power was not in deed the lesse therby but it had the lesse occasion to shew it selfe vpon the Apostles 1. Tim. 1. Lex iusto non est posita euen as the Law is not therefore the weaker because it can not be practised vppon the iust men That S. Peters prerogatiue aboue the other Apostles is most manifestly sene by his chief bishoplie power The XII Chap. IT is al ready shewed first that S. Peter passed the Apostles a great way in some kinde or other of Ecclesiastical power Secondlie that the Apostles had two kinds of power one proper to their Apostleship an other common to al Bisshops Thirdlie that in the Apostolike office all the Apostles were in all points equal with S. Peter sauing onlie that aboue and beside his office he was made by Christ the first and the chiefe of theÌ„ all to th end vnitie might be alwaies shewed and kept by one capitain Apostle being also able to haue strengthned theÌ„ but that they preuented with grace needed not his help Now theÌ„ it remainth to see how far S. Peter passed the other Apostles in the state and degree of their bishoply power Herein I say that whereas we may consider in a prelate either his order and office or els the authoritie and Iurisdiction of the same the order and office of bishoply power was equally coÌ„mon not only to all the Apostles but likewise to al other bishops For it is generally true which S. Hierom saith Ad Euagrium Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Eugubij eiusdem meriti eiusdem est Sacerdotij Whersoeuer a bishop be whether at Rome which is the head citie of the world or at Eugubium which is a small town he is of the same merit and of the same priesthod That is to say euerie Bisshop may as wel preache and minister the sacrament of confirmatioÌ„ or of priesthod and much more all the other Sacraments to his owne Citisens or doe any like matter belonging to his order as the highest bishop in the world may For the order is equallie common to them al. And that is it which S. Cyprian saith De vnitate Eccles Episcopatus vnus est cuius à singulis in soliduÌ„ pars tenetur The bishoplie office is one whereof euerie man holdeth a part for the whole that is to say euery maÌ„ doth partake the bishoplie office wholy and without diminution For as euery man hath for his part the whole nature of a
preaching of his own sensible doctrine according to his manhod euen after the same rate Deut. 18. as Moyses did whiles he liued Now in consyderation that Christ would forsake this world concerning his visible conuersation and that he would goe in his manhood to raigne in heauen gloriously ouer the glorious part of his Church he instituted an other particular Rock and shepheard Ioan. 21. who by the outward preaching and confessing of his faith might for his life tyme stay the militant Church of God in a right belefe as Abraham or Moyses had don whiles they liued Matth. 16 This particular militant Rocke was S. Peter for the tyme. But when he died he left behind him still a particular militant Church I call it particular in respect of the vniuersall Church which for euer was and shal be therfore some mortal man ought still to be in the earth who may so vphold the militant Church by the assurance of his faith and confessioÌ„ as S. Peter did once vphold the same who likewise may stil so confirm his brethern as S. Peter was once willed to confirm them Matth. 23. Al Christians are brethern among themselues but al bishops are brethern in a nigher degree of holy gouernment The Rocke therefore which shall strengthen both al the Christians and namely al the bishops must continew so long as there are either bishoppes or ChristiaÌ„s in the earth The same reason is also fouÌ„d in the name of a pastor For as the flocke of shepe continueth after S. Peters death euen so must such an other pastour as S. Peter was be made who may stil fede and rule the flock of Christ wherevpon S. Chrysostom saith Lib. 2. de Sacerdot Christus sanguinem fudit vt pecudes eas acquireret quarum curam tum Petro tum Petri Successoribus committebat Christ hath shed his blood to gette vnto him those shepe the cure of whome he did committe both to Peter Peters successours and to the successours of Peter In that verie place it was were S. Chrysostom said that Peter being indowed LoÌ„gè praecellere with authority passed the other Apostles a great waie As therefore Peter in the authoritie of feeding passed the other Apostles so must the successours of Peter passe a great way the successors of the other Apostles which are al Bisshops For now Chrysostome confesseth that the same care is committed to the successours of Peter which was committed to Peter himself Serm 2 in aniuers assumpt With S. Chrysostom Pope Leo agreeeth saying Soliditas illius fidei quae in ApostoloruÌ„ priÌ„cipe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet ê™ in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit The streÌ„gth of that faith which was praised in the prince of th' Apostles is euerlasting And as that remaineth which Peter beleued in Christ that is to say the Godhed of Christ so doth that remain which Christ instituted in Peter that is to say a sure rock which may alwaies coÌ„fesse the true faith of Christ. And Leo shewing afterward how that remaineth which was ordeined in S. Peter Ibidem he saith In sede Petri sua viuit potestas excellit authoritas In the seat of Peter his power liueth his authoritie exelleth Therefore the authoritie of S. Peter is an ordinarie power which hath an ordinary succession in Christes Church These reasons are so plaine so stroÌ„g so true so forceable that I muse what vnderstanding what wit or sense they haue who graunting Peter to haue ben the rock wherevpon the Churche was built for the time which thing they must needs graunt vnlesse they will denie the expresse word of God aÌ„d the perpetual consent of all the Fathers yet will not graunt that an other like Rocke shoulde be substituted after S. Peter Verely seing the reason of S. Peters confession Vbi eadem ratio ideÌ„ iuâ— and of his power is such as agreeth to an ordinary office of the Churche the office also of S. Peters being a rock of streÌ„gthning his brethren and of feediÌ„g Christes sheep is an ordinary office which hath aÌ„d must coÌ„tinue so loÌ„g as there is a Militant house of God in earth and so long as either any brethern are who may be confirmed or any shepe who nede to be fed And verily if S. Peter haue no successours in his pastorall office what meane a li. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus b lib. 2. de schismate Optatus and c Ep. 165. S. Augustine by name to reckon vp such successours of S. Peter as had liued til euery of their age and tyme. Moreouer whereas noman exceptiÌ„g the cases of necessity may rightly preache to them to whom he is not sent Rom. 10. if as euerie particular pastour hath as S. Cyprian teacheth a portion of the flocke assigned to his gouerment lib. 1. ep 3 for which he shal be accoÌ„ptable vnto our Lord so there be not some general pastour alwaies in the Churche who beside his particular charge may send others to preache vnto them which are not yet conuerted and who when they are conuerted may erect new Churches and plant new bishoprikes in those parties as S. Gregorie did in England if there be not some Beda li. 1. c. 23. 27. Tit. 1. who maie as Paule saieth correct the things which lack and also controll other Bisshoppes when they are negligent and who may excommunicate euen those Christians which liue in no particular diocese but being conuersant among the Iewes or painims do there teache false doctrine and thence do write hereticall bookes or treatises if I say there be not some general pastours who may sommon all other Bisshoppes to Generall or prouinciall Councels and maie change the former positiue lawes of the Churche when either necessititie or charitie requireth it and who maie either make two Bisshoppes where one was before or vnite two into one Greg. li. 2. epist 31. 35. or commit the cure of any See or chaire vacant to the next bishop and so in all cases may prouide for the benefite of Christes flock it will come to passe that the house of God shall not be so well prouided for as other meane States and coÌ„mon weales are But if there be a power in Gods Churche whereby all the former cases maie be well prouided for seing it is clere that the Apostolike power is ended it must nedes be the high pastoral power of S. Peter which shall procure these affaires And consequently the high pastoral office of S. Peter is an ordinary office which ceased not with his own death but is tranferred to his Successours as it shal farther appere in the next chapiter sauing one That the ordinarie authority of S. Peters primacy belongeâ—h to one Bisshop alone The XIIII Chap. SAint Peter had not only the same power of binding and loosing committed to him alone which was geuen in common to all the Apostles but also
he as the head of all Bishops had it specified to him before they had it For whereas their authority is shewed to haue ben geuen in the eighteÌ„th chapiter of S. Matthew Matth. 18. and in the twenteth of S. Ihon Ioan. 20. the authority of S. Peter is described and promised in the sixtenth of S. Matthew Matth. 16 and it depended of the promise of Christ wherin he said thou shalt be called Peter or the rock the which promise was made as it appereth in S. Ihon not only before the Apostles were chosen Ioan. 1. but also before they were called to be the Disciples of Christ Ad iubaianum In consideration whereof S. Cyprian might boldly say Petro primus Dominus super quem aedificauit Ecclesiam vnde vnitatis originem instituit ostendit potestatem istam dedit vt id solueretur in terris quod ille soluisset Our Lord did first geue vnto Peter vpon whome he built his Church and from whome he did institute and shew the original or beginning of vnity this power that what soeuer he did loose it should be loosed in the earth Notevvel When one hath first that right and power alone which afterward others haue if there be any ordinary power of that thing at al it must nedes be in him who hath it first Ordinary Order For whereas all ordinary power dependeth chefelie of order and whereas in order nothing can be before that which is first First one seing S. Peter had first of all the right of the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ in himself alone Matth. 16. and seing the power of the keyes that is to saie of forgeuing and of reteining synnes is ordinarily in the Church it caÌ„not be otherwise but that ordinary power was first in S. Peter alone Augustin in Ioan Tract 124. If the pordinary power of binding aÌ„d loosing be once in one pastour alone it must stil coÌ„tinue coÌ„cerniÌ„g that degree in one alone if it shal at the least remaine stil the same power For if it be geuen to many and be equal in them al it is not now the same which was promised and geuen first to Peter alone Monarchie aristocratie democratie but an other kinde of power euen as the gouernment of one prince differreth in kind froÌ„ the gouernment which is equally common either to manie or to the whole people Seing it is cleere that the Apostles had the same power ouer the sheep which S. Peter had coÌ„cerning the exercise of all manner of binding loosing Ioan. 20. preaching and baptising and yet their autoritie could not be the ordinarie power which is in the Church because they were manie wheras the ordinary power was ê“mised before to one alone it doth insue Mat. 16. that they had their authority delegated aÌ„d specially appointed to them extraordinarily The Apostles povver vvas delegated for their liues only Therefore although they fed the flock of Christ as wel as S. Peter yet they did it by delegatioÌ„ and by special coÌ„missioÌ„ wheras S. Peter alone was the ordinarie chiefe shepheard according to whose patern there must still be some one appointed to feed Christes whole flock No man is at this day that which the Apostles were No man is able to write vs an other Gospel or to increase the Canonical Epistles or to warrant that he receiued the first fruits of the holy Ghost Rom. 8. as the Apostles did That authority died with them and came to none other after them aÌ„d consequentlie it was not ordinarie but onely was committed to a few during their owne liues But the ordinary authoritie of this highe administration beganne in one alone and therefore it must continew still in one alone There must be still one Rock Matth. 16 beside and aboue all petite Rockes There must be still one shepheard Ioan. 21. besyde and aboue many petite shepheards There must be still one greater then other Luc. 22. who may be made as the yonger and for whose faith Christ hath prayed to the end he may strengthen his brethern And verily seing as S. Bernard saith there is most perfection in vnitie De consid lib. 2. and in al diuision some imperfection is included shal we thinck that Christ hath chosen to gouern his Churche in earth rather in an vnperfit then in a perfit sort Again sitheÌ„s the state of the new testament must needs be more perfit then the state of the Lawe which brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. and yet seing in the Law the ordinary Pastour was one high Priest aÌ„d Bishop as Aaron and his sede after him hauing manie synagoges and Leuits vnder his supreme gouernmeÌ„t Num. 3. what reason can beare that the state of our visible Church should lacke also in earth one highe priest and bishop ouer manie particular parishes and dioceses Thus haue we both natural reason the exaÌ„ple of the Law and the institution of Christ for one cheefe Bishop And that this was the mind of all the auncient Fathers also it appeareth most euidentlie because they geue such a reason whie the Church was built vpon S. Peter the which reason without an extraordinarie appointement of God caÌ„ neuer agree but onlie to one shepheard who may be aboue the rest I say without an extraordinarie appointment of God for that the Apostles being manie vvhy tvvelue Apostles gouerned equally and being all equal did gouern the church in a maruelouse vnitie and concord as if thei had ben al but one man The which spirit of vnity Christ gaue them that his institution of twelue equall gouernours for the time might wel appere not to be slaunderouse or hurtful vnto his Churche For he would neuer haue sent manie with equal authoritie into the whole world except he had ben able to make them gouern with one minde spirit aÌ„d hart But seing it were stil a miraculouse thing to see twelue and much more to see manie thousand bisshops and rulers being al equal stil to gouern the whole Church in their equal authoritie without schisme as the Apostles did that Apostolike authority being only instituted for the better publishing of the faith doth now cease and one shepherd is ordinarily alone set ouer al by whose general power it may appere that Christes Churche is but one For that is the reason which S. Cyprian bringeth why Christ built his Churche vppon S. Peter Ecclesia quae vna est super vnuÌ„ qui claues eius accepit Ad Iubaianum voce DnÌ„i fundata est The church which is one was fouÌ„ded by our Lords voice vpon one who toke the keies therof De simplicitate praelatorum And againe QuaÌ„uis Apostolis omnibus c. tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret vnitatis eiusdem origineÌ„ ab vno incipienteÌ„ sua authoritate disposuit Although Christ after his resurrection geueth to al the Apostles like power and saith As my Father sent
mee Ioan. 20. and I send you take ye the holy Ghoste iâ— you doe remitte to anie man his sinnes they shal be remitted and to whom you shall retaine them they shal be reteined yet to the end he myght make vnitie manifest he disposed by his authority the original of the same Vnitie beginning froÌ„ one Note good Reader that the Church was built vpon one both that it might be one by the institution and ordinaÌ„ce of Christ and also that it might appere â—ne That it might be one Vnitatem disposuit vt vnitateÌ„ manifestae ret that is to say that all the faithful might be in this â—ife one visible flocke because they haue â—n this life one visible chief shepheard â—o whome if al obey Cyprian lib. 1. ep 3. no schismes can â—e in the Churche that it might apâ—eare one because this externall vâ—itie of one flocke vnder one shepâ—eard in this world is a signe that the â—niuersall Churche whiche was is â—nd shall be is in deed for euer one â—hrough the one shepheard Iesus Christ â—ho is alone the vniuersal shepheard whereas Peter had no more but that â—eece of the flocke coÌ„mitted vnto him whiche was in the earth whiles he liâ—ed But if Peters chiefe authoritie â—hall be now diuided into manie Bishoppes of aequall power then the Militante Churche neither is one â—isible flocke vnder one visible shepâ—eard nor it dooth not signifie that the vniuersal Church was and is and shal be one by Iesus Christ but rather it most falselie signifieth that as in earth there are thowsands of flocks all equal and al seueral Note so there are as manie Christs and as manie shepheards ouer the vniuersal Church Which significatioÌ„ seing it is impiouse aÌ„d meete for hereticks only Matt. 24. who being many and comming al in Christes name do make so many Christs as they are meÌ„ I exhorte all men who fauour the only one vniuersal head Iesus Christ to beleue and professe only one general head of thiâ— flock of his which is in earth For 〈◊〉 this militant flock is one by one militaÌ„t shepheard so is the vniuersal Church one flock and one body through Iesuâ— Christ alone the vniuersal shepheard and head Lib. 2. de schism Optatus sheweth likewise that S. Peters chaire was singularis that is to say such a one as had no fellow and why so vt in vna cathedra in qua sedit Petrus vnitas ab omnibus seruaretur ne caeteri Apostoli singulas sibi quisque defenderent vt iaÌ„ schismaticus peccator esset qui contra singularem cathedram alteram collocaret Ergo cathedra vnica quae est prima de dotibê° sedit prior Petrus Peters chaire was singularlie one to th end vnity might be kept of all men in that one chaire Vnitie kept in one chair wherin Peter sat And that the other Apostles might not chalenge euery man a chaire to himself so that he should now be a schismatik and a synner who shuld place an other chaire against the chaire which hath no fellowes Peter then satte in the onely chaire which is the chiefe dourie of those that belong to the Church Could any thing be deuised more plaine the Chaire of Peter is one singularis vnae vnica and onely and singular wherein he being formost satte to thend none other Apostle might erect a contrarie chaire to Peters chaire Whereby he meaneth not that any Apostle would so much as indeauour any such thing but it was don to thend no successour of the Apostles might take any occasion to say Mie chaire is as good as Peters For an Apostle also did sitte in my chaire For this cause I say Peter alone had the first chaire and the singular chaire which had no fellow at all S. Hierom also bringeth the selfe same reason why S. Peter alone was the head and chief of all Aduersus Iouinian lib. 1. saying Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio Therefore among twelue one is chosen that a head being made the occasion of schism might be taken away But who was that one Aetati delatum est quia Petrus senior erat ne magister bonus in Ioannem adolescentem causam praebere videretur inuidiae The age was preferred because Peter was the elder lest the good master Christ should seme to geue occasion of enuie if he had chosen the yong man Saint Iohn If then Peter was the one who was chosen and if he was chosen of Christ to take away the occasion of schisme one chiefe pastour must still continew stil to take away the occasion of schism for S. Peter was not made the Apostles head as though the Apostles themselues had ben in daunger to make a schisme it were a madnes to thinck so of those blessed vessels of God but his primacie as Leo doth record was a plat foorme for other bisshoppes Serm. 3. in anniuers assump cuÌ„ctis rectoribus Petri forma proponitur who should haue lesse grace and would haue more pride that they might vnderstand how themselues ought not to disdaine to haue one head sette ouer theÌ„ if the very Apostles had a head among them For their dedes are our instruction If then a head was set ouer the Apostles for their sakes who should be pastours afterward what extreamitie of follie is it to make S. Peter alone a head ouer them A fortiore who least of al needed a head and to leaue our weake prelats al without a head Who many of them neede not only a head but also a diligeÌ„t and a seuere head Here might I worthely fall into a commoÌ„ place and shew that according to the saying of S. Cyprian heresies haue sprong of none other cause so much Lib. 1. epistol 3. as for that one iudge hath not bene acknowledged in the steede of Christ for the tyme to whoÌ„ the whole brotherhod might obey The which saying if it be verified euen by M. Iewels and M. Nowels confession in euery particular diocese how much more is it true that the whole Churche conteining certaine thowsands of dioceses must haue one iudge for the tyme to whome the whole brotherhod should obeie to thend heresies and schismes may be auoided For if one iudge be so necessarie that one litle shere and diocese can not lack him but that whiles one parish priest disdaineth an other the diocese falleth straight into a schism â–ª can the whole Church being spread throughout the world lack the same one iudge A fortiore and yet not fall into schismes Or shall the part be prouided for and shall the whole remain without so good a prouision But this argument is begon alredie betwene M. Dorman and M. Nowel And we haue manie a day looked what M. Nowel wil answere to it Farthermore we neuer found nor shall finde one woorde or syllable in the whole new testament where it maie appeare that euer
Christ committed anie particular companie of the faithfull men who then liued to any one apostle or disciple who might be resideÌ„t with theÌ„ alone as their only Pastor The partes and meÌ„bers of Christes whol militaÌ„t flock which are now made here aÌ„d there were instituted by th'Apostolike and Ecclesiastical authoritie not surely without the special prouidence and inspiration of the holy Ghost Tit. 1. Act. 14. Leo. ep 87 but yet not immediately by Christ but through his wil by mans authoritie And therefore the bounds of any parrissh or diocese may for probable causes be changed againe by an other man Greg. li. 2 ep 31. who hath such like authoritie to change the bounds of parisshes as they had who first made them Particular flocks then are voluntarie and likewise particular pastours But one flock and one pastour is of absolute necessitie in the earth aÌ„d so doth S. Cyprian witnesse Deus vnus est Christus vnus L. ep 8. vna Ecclesia Cathedra vna super PetruÌ„ Domini voce fundata There is one God and one Christ and one Church aÌ„d one chaire fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ Peter by our Lords voice Behold One Chaire this one chair which is fouÌ„ded vpon Peter must nedes be ment of the one pastoral preeminence which Christ him self did institute in the militant Church This mater standing so shal we say that the Church of Christ continueth in the earth or no If it doe continue shal Christes owne absolute institution continue aboue the vertuouse but yet voluntarie institution of men or shal the good and voluntarie institution of maÌ„ preuail more theÌ„ the most perfit institutioÌ„ of Christ Men made many particular flocks according as they thought most conuenient for this or that place and they did set ouer them many particular pastours somwhere a Priest and somewhere a Bishop Christe made in al but one militant flock which should consist both of Iewes and Gentils and did set ouer it Saint Peter one general shepheard And there was made euen in earth after Christes ascension one sheepcote Ioan. 21. Ioan 10. and one shepheard Shall now these many flocks and manie shepheards which men appointed coÌ„tinue stil aÌ„d shal not the one flock and the one shepherd which Christ assigned much more continue Forasmuch as a flock of sheep is one by the force of one pastor if the pastor in earth be not one the flock in earth is not one Credo vnam Ecclesiam But al meÌ„ beleue one militaÌ„t church which is the flock of Christ in earth therfore al men ought to coÌ„fesse one militaÌ„t shepheard of the same flock in earth also For although the Churche be one moe wayes then by one shepherd yet if Christ had not meant that his Churche should be one flock not only for hauing one faith one baptisme Ephes 4. or one spirit but also for hauing one shepheard he would neuer haue said There shal be made one sheepcote and one shepheard Ioan. 10. But now seing he faith I haue other sheepe which are not of this fold to wit of the Iewes synagog and I must bring those and they shal heare my voice and there shal be made one fold or flocke and one shepheard it is euident that as the Iewes and the Gentils beside the vnitie to come in heauen are one fold and one flock in this world euen so that they haue one temporal shepheard in this world beside Christe the euerlasting shepheard Which thing sith it is so is it possible that any Protestant wil be so iniuriouse to Christ as to preferre the good institution of S. Paule who planted one Church at Corinth Rom. 16. Act. 14. an other at Ephesus and the third at Athens before the absolute and perelesse institution of Christ who in the whole earth plaÌ„ted one great Church wherof he made one great shepheard vnder himself the vniuersal shepheard I see that the Protestantes talke much of Gods word but the word they speak of is writen in no Gospel They will haue many flockes and many shepheards to continue stil neither doe we denie it because it was so instituted by the Apostles but the Catholikes wil much more haue all these flocks to be only one church in earth because thei are al to be reduced vnto the obedience of one chiefe shepheard in earth which was the institution of Christ Either let the text be named where Christe did institute many parishes aÌ„d many dioceses or seing there is none such and on the other side seing we bring a plain text where it is said to one pastour Ioan. 21. feed my sheep let not the order vertuouslie taken afterward by the Apostles be so mainteined that the former appointment of the Sonne of God be thereby made voide Either let both orders take place as with the Catholikes they doe or if one of the two shal needs be disapointed let vs rather haue in al but one chiefe shepheard as Christ immediatly left the mater then to haue many and not to haue one Moreuer to what other thing doth al the whole order of the Church tend in earth but only to an vnity The vvhol gouernmeÌ„t of the militant Churche teÌ„deth to vnitie Why is one Curate in a parish set ouer many families and houses Why is one Bishop in a diocese set ouer many parishes Why is one Primate or Metropolitane in a prouince set ouer many Bishops Why are al the primates of one quarter of the world reduced vnder one Patriarch but only euermore to shew that the gouernmeÌ„t of the Church teÌ„deth by many midle vnities Ep 82. ad AnastasiuÌ„ Thessal to one supream pastoral vnity in this life WhervpoÌ„ Leo saith Magna dispositione ê“uisuÌ„ est vt esseÌ„t in singulis prouincijs singuli quoruÌ„ inter fratres haberetur prima senteÌ„tia rursus quidaÌ„ in maâ—oribus vrbibus coÌ„stituti sollicitudineÌ„ suscipereÌ„t amplioreÌ„ per quos ad vnaÌ„ Petri sedeÌ„ vniuersalis Ecclesiae cura conflueret nihil vnquam a suo capite dissideret It was ordeined with great prouidence that there should be in euery prouince one whose iudgemeÌ„t or senteÌ„ce might be chief among the brethern And again that certain being apoiÌ„ted in the greater Cities See M. Ievvel vvho hath the cure of the vniuersal Church should take greater charge by whom the cure of the vniuersal Churche might flow togeather to the one seat of Peter and that nothing might at any time dissent froÌ„ his head Lo by may primates the cure of the whole cometh to him who sitteth in S. Peters See which is at Rome Again seing al Ecclesiastical inâ—â—itutioÌ„ and gouernmeÌ„t of the Church came from Christ one way or other it must needs be Cyp. lâ—b 1. epist 3. that euery bishop hath the portioÌ„ of the flock which he gouerneth assigned to him by some order or other takeÌ„ by Christ himself But Christ by his own expres worâ— assigned not that S.
Peter should rule any one peece of the Militant flocke and S. Iames an other and S. Iohn the third but rather by his appointment S. Peter might rule the self same flock whiche S. Iohn or S. Paule or S. Iames might and contrariwise they might rule the same flock which S. Peter did For all were sente aequallie into the whole world Matth. 28 Therefore except beside this cōmon commending of the flock indifferentlie to al S. Peter alone had bene made the chiefe Pastour and head of the whole flock as in deed he was and that not onely as an Apostle Ioan. 21. but as a Bisshoppe and as one ordinarie officer the like wherof should for euer cōtinue in the Church we might boldlie saie that the exāple of hauing any one ordinary Curate Bisshop or Metropolitane in anie one parrissh or Diocese or Prouince were vtterly without anie example of Christes institution in the Apostles themselues And therefore that aequall institution of many pastours ouer on◠flock only standing which thīg the protestants doe maintein it should inuincibly folow that seing no deuise of man is able to controll the institution o◠Christ it were at this day much better to haue twelue or thirten curates in one parish and so many bishoppes in one diocese then to haue one alone For Christ if Peter alone were not aboue the Apostles in the chiefe pastoral dignitie made thirteen Apostles to be equal pastours and gouerners of the self same flock Math. 18. 2◠and that foorm of gouernment which Christ ordeined ought stil to continue in euery particular Church for who dare change our Lords institution Cypri lib. 1. epi. 3. li. 4. epi. 2 Hieron in 1. c. epist ad Titum But on the other side if all the world confesse that now in one Church there ought to be at one time but one bishop or one pastour in so much that S. Hierom saith in vna ciuitate plures vt nun cupantur Episcopi esse non poterant In one city there could not be manie bishops according as a bishop is now taken to signifie one that is aboue common priests If whereas once manie priests according to S. Hieroms minde ruled one Church for a tyme equally In. 1. epist ad Titum vt dissensicnū plantaria euelletentur yet for the better auoiding of schismes that gouernment was chāged and one bishop was set ouer them al seing S. Hierom alloweth well the change as being made for the better and yet it could not haue ben for the better if it had wholy lacked a foorm and patern in that gouernment which Christ hīself appointed to the Churche seing the same S. Hierom saith Lib. 1. aduersus Iouianum that among twelue one was chosen ād that by the good master Christ to thend the occasion of schisme might be taken away al these thīgs I say well weighed and conferred togeather I may most certainly conclude that Christ did not only institute S. Peter to be as one chiefe pastour in the whole militant Church according to S. Hieroms expresse meaning but that also he did institute him alone as an ordinarie officer according to whose vnity euery other Church should be at the lēgth ruled by one curate or bishop For as the twelue Apostles gouerned the flock for a tyme togeather with S. Peter extraordinarily AEqualiter inter piures Ecclesiae cura diuiditur and S. Peter alone gouerned the whole flock ordinarily so whiles the Apostles yet liued some few parishes were gouerned extraordinarily by many pastours at once as S. Hierom thinketh But as we see most clerely that the equall gouernment of many pastours in any one parish or diocese in the whole world lōg before S. Hieroms tyme was wholy expired so we may as euidently perceaue if we be not geuen ouer to a blind hart that the extraordinarie gouernment of the twelue Apostles or of any other prelates with equal power was fiften hundred yeres past expired And that now the onely ordinarie meane to gouerne Gods Churche as well in the whole as in the parts is to haue one pastour alone in euery parish and one chefe pastour alone ouer the whole militant Church the which one chiefe pastour is the bisshop of Rome as now it shal be proued by Gods grace That the Bishop of Rome is that one ordinarie pastour who succedeth in S. Peters chaire and is aboue al bishops according to the meaning of Gods word The XV. Chap. AS Sina being a mountaine in in Arabia Galat. 4. is said of the Apostle to be ioyned or to be nighe vnto the earthly city of Ierusalem not so much for the nighnes or affinity of the place as for the likenes of conditiō because the self same Law of Moyses which had ben geuen in Sina was afterward continued and preserued in Ierusalem And as by that meane the Iewes who at the tyme of the Lawe first receaued were not bound to Ierusalem at all as the which was then full of Idolatrie were afterward boūd to come thyther thrise euery yeare Exod. 23. because the highe priesthood and temple was setled there Deut. 17. as in the place which God chose euen so fareth it betwene the chiefe power which Christ gaue to S. Peter and the Church or bisshop of Rome Ioan. 21. For albeit when the Church was built vpon Peter and when he was made chiefe pastour of the same he were in Palestina and not in Rome ād for that tyme was rather accompted the highe bishop of the Circūcision Galat. 2. that is to say of the faithfull Iewes then of the Gentils who were not then cōuerted frō their Idolatrie yet for asmuch as the same S. Peter whose primacie is plentifully set foorth in Gods worde at the length setled himselfe at Rome by Gods appointment Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. Tertul. de praescript and left a successour there for this respect I may wel affirm that the Bishop of Romes Primacy is cōmended and warranted by Gods own worde And seing it hath ben already declared that S. Peter alone according to the first litteral sense was both the rock Matth. 16 wherevpon Christ promised to build his Church and also the pastour Ioan. 21. who as he loued Christ more then other so he had authoritie to feede Christes flocke more then anie other Bisshop Item that the power of Peter was ordinarie and must continue still in the Church of God Item that it must continue in one chiefe shepheard onlie Now if I shew that the Bisshop of Rome is that one ordinarie chiefe Shepheard who succedeth in the said Authoritie of Saint Peter how can it be auoided but that the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome is auouched and taught by Gods owne word Egesippus lib. 3 c. 2. Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. Euseb histor lib. 2. c. 14. First not only al the histories all holy writers and the general tradition of all ages haue testified
S. Paul or said to sit in his chair but onely in the Chaire of Peter as the whole practise of the Church and all the writings of the Fathers doe witnesse Whereby we are infourmed that Rome is the place chosen by Christ him selfe where S. Peters Chaire shoulde reast Ambros lib. 5. post ep 32. In Pontificali For S. Peter retourninge to Rome vppon the former vision didde before his death consecrate S. Clement Bisshoppe cui Cathedram saieth Damasus vel Ecclesiam omnem commisit dicens To whome he committed also his chaire or al the Churche sayinge Sicut mihi gubernandi tradita est à Domino meo Iesu Christo potestas ligandi soluendique ita ego tibi committo c. As the power of gouerning of binding and loosing is committed to mée of my Lord Iesus Christ euen so I commit to thée also that thou maist ordein others by whom diuerse causes maie be disposed and such acts as be not meet for the Church may be repelled and thou must not be found geuen to the cares of this world but onely endeuour to geue most leisure to prayer and to preaching vnto the people Clemens in epist 1. The like report S. Clement himselfe maketh of this commission whiche S. Peter gaue to him whose Epistle Ruffinus turned into Latine aboue eleuen hundred yeres past Ruffinus in Praefatione Recognit and in the preface whiche he maketh to the Recognitions of S. Clement he so wel declareth that Epistle of S. Clement to haue bene of ful credit in his time and before that he answereth such obiections as might seme to make against that which is said in it Tertullian also coÌ„fesseth De praescript aduersus haeret that the Church of Rome doth shew euidence that S. Clement was ordeined of Peter And S. Hierom namely saith In Catalogo Plerique LatinoruÌ„ secunduÌ„ post PetruÌ„ ApostoluÌ„ putant fuisse ClemeÌ„tem The most part of the Latins think Clement to haue ben second or next after Peter the Apostle And in an other place he saith Aduersus Iouin Clemens successor Apostoli Petri scribit epistolas Clemens the successour of Peter the Apostle writeth Epistles Leo the second Marianus Scotus and diuers other are of the same iudgement Now wheras Linus and Cletus by the life time of S. Peter as Damasus and Ruffinus do witnesse did administer many things belonging to the Bisshoprike as being in the exterior matters coadiutours of S. Peter the Grecians who were farther absent Vbi supra and were lesse expert in the Romaine affaires supposed Linus to haue bene chosen next after S. Peter Whereas Clement was onely chosen but Clement as other think yelded to Linus for a time as to his elder Howsoeuer that be whether Linus or Clement practised that high autoritie once S. Peters Chaire was setled at Rome not without the special prouidence of Christ In so much that Athanasius writeth that S. Peter and Paule audieruÌ„t In Apologia de fuga sua oportere se Romae Martyrium subire heard that they must suffer martyrdom at Rome And what so euer hearing he meaneth surely he meaneth it of a hearing which came from God either by their owne vision or by some prophetical reuelation such as both they did wel beleue and we also ought to credite But to come neare to our present purpose S. Irenaeus speaking of the successions of Bisshoppes in those Churches whiche the Apostles had first instituted calleth the Church of Rome Maximam antiquissimam Lib. 3. aduersus hereses c. 3. omnibus cognitam à gloriosissimis duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo fundatam constitutam The greatest Churche and most aunciente and knowen to all menne being planted and setteled by twoo moste gloriouse Apostles Peter and Paule Ibidem Ad hanc Ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem conuenire Ecclesiam hoc est eos qui sunt vndique fideles To this Church for the mightier principalitie or authoritie of gouernement euery Churche that is to saie the faithful which are round about must needes come or agree Whereas then euerie Churche hath a certaine principalitie or authoritie of gouernemente committed to it by Christe throughe whiche principalitie it maie preache the faith Tit. 3. ouercom synnes and heresies and excommunicat open synners and hereticks The Church of Rome being founded and planted by the most gloriouse Apostles hath potentiorem principalitatem a mightier principalitie then any other Church For it is a wilfull ignorance whereas Ireneus speaketh only of the successours and traditions of faithfull Churches In his Reply 244. for M. Iewel to say as he hath don that the mightier principalty here mentioned is meant of the Ciuil DominioÌ„ and of the Roman Empire as though Ireneus had spoken any syllable in that place of the Roman Empire He spake of the Churches which the Apostles had founded and instituted The Churche of Rome is the greatest among which he calleth the Church of Rome maximaÌ„ the graetest Why so but because it was founded of the greatest Apostle aÌ„d how fouÌ„ded For if S. Peter had only made a bishop thereof as he did of diuerse other Churches surely therby it had not ben greater then the other But because he being the graetest of th' Apostles as a Hist lib. 2. cap. 14. Eusebiê° aÌ„d S. b In epist ad Galat. cap. 2. HieroÌ„ speake left in Rome a Successour in his own primacy that is to say a rock aÌ„d a chief shepherd as great as hiÌ„self had beÌ„ therfore it was the greatest Church in the worlde And thence cometh the priÌ„pality wherof this auÌ„cieÌ„t father speaketh Rome is the most auncient Churche S. Ireneus calleth the same Churche of Rome aÌ„tiquissimaÌ„ the most auÌ„cient Church how so was not IerusaleÌ„ and Antioche before it Yeas verily in time of hauiÌ„g a bishop aÌ„d of ê“fessing the faith but not in the ê‘petual honor aÌ„d resideÌ„ce of the chief bishop For Peter was the first aÌ„d chief bishop of the new testameÌ„t In him was the roote the fountain the head of al bishoply power De simplicitate praelatorum aÌ„d froÌ„ hiÌ„ as S Cyprian witnesseth priestly vnity toke his beginning touching the ministery of the new testament and for that cause his successors being reckoned as in deede they are one with him concerning his office of feeding Christes sheepe cause the Church of Rome stil to be the most auncient and the mother Church of the Romaine circuit Metropolis ad Solitariam vitam agent as also Athanasius doth name it For this cause the mightier principalitie is in the Church of Rome And for as much as the same succession of Peter is now at Rome which was in the tyme of Ireneus the same Church is still the greatest and the most auncient Church wherunto all other faithful meÌ„ ought to resort by reson of the mightier principality or preemineÌ„ce therof S.
Cyprian confesseth the chaire that is to say the authority of S. Peter to be at Rome For whereas certain factiouse hereticks sailed from Carthage to Rome as intending to complaine vpon S. Cyprian and the other bishops of Afrik to Pope Cornelius S. Cyprian writeth thus of that matter Audent ad Petri CathedraÌ„ atque Ecclesiam principalem Li. 1. epi. 3. vnde vnitas sacerdotalis exorta est à schismaticis prophanis literas ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est Rom. 1. ad quos perfidia habere non possit accessum They dare carie letters from scismatical and prophane meÌ„ to the chair of Peter Principal Church and principal Church whence the priestly vnity began Neither do they consider them to be Romans whose faith is praised by the report of the Apostle to whome infidelitie can not haue accesse In this sentence al the priuileges of S. Peters supremacy are acknowleged to be at Rome First there is S. Peters chaire to wit his ordinary power of teaching and of iudging ecclesiastical matters Again there is the priÌ„cipal church or flock of ChristiaÌ„s verily because they are gouerned by Cornelius the Bisshop of Rome who succedeth in the pastoral office of the prince of the Apostles For otherwise Ierusalem might haue seemed the mother Church to all Christians were it not that S. Peter committing IerusaleÌ„ to the gouernment of S. Iames caried his own autoritie with him and left it all at Rome Thirdly how is it said that the vnity of priests or of bishops for sacerdos coÌ„teineth both dignities begaÌ„ at the Church of Rome but because it hath the whol pastoral autority of Peter in whoÌ„ the beginniÌ„g of al ecclesiasticall pÌ„emineÌ„ce was Ioan. 1. Matth. 16 because he first was ê“mised to be called Peter that is to say the rock aÌ„d to haue the keies of the kiÌ„gdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ geueÌ„ to hiÌ„ but take away S. Peters prerogatiue aÌ„d the Church of Rome is not the beginniÌ„g of priesthod but rather Ierusalem or Antioche Fourthly this word vnity doth import that as Peter alone had in him the whole power of the chief shepheard in earth which can be but one so Cornelius the successour of Peter hath in him the same power and so vnity coÌ„tinueth stil in the succession of Peter not euery vnity but priestly vnity because he sitteth in Rome by whom and in whoÌ„ al priestes aÌ„d bishops are one whiles they al concerning their gouernment and iurisdiction are ouerseen are coÌ„firmed and fed of him who is without fellowes in his supremacy Farthermore when S. Cyprian saith infidelity caÌ„ haue no accesse to the RomaÌ„s what other thing is that then to say Lucae 22 that in the church of Rome he ruleth for whose faith Christ praied For what flock caÌ„ be sure to be alwaies safe froÌ„ infidelity except it be warraÌ„ted by Iesus Christ the only safegard of his Church Adde hereunto that the same S. Cyprian calleth Rome Ecclesiae catholicae matriceÌ„ radiceÌ„ Lib. 4. epist 8. the mother and roote of the Catholik Church Verily because theÌ„ce al bishoply autority of feediÌ„g Christes flock did spriÌ„g first aÌ„d is coÌ„tinually nourished aÌ„d mainteined Did not S. Cyprian confesse Cornelius to haue receiued the appellation of Basilides lawfully out of Spaine Lib. 1. ep 4 albeit he shew also that Basilides for his part did vniustly appeal and did deceiue the Pope by false suggestion and euil report Last of al S. Cyprian requireth Stephanus the Pope lib. 3. ep 13 to depose Marcianus the Bisshop of Arles in Fraunce Whiche surely to doe in an other prouince is a signe that the Pope of Rome is aboue other Bisshops Thus did that holy Martyr defend both the right and the practise of the Church of Rome The which thing is the more notable in S. Cyprian Cyprianus contra epist Stephani because he otherwise dissenting from the opinioÌ„ of Pope Stephanus concerning the baptizing of such in the Catholike Churche as had ben baptized before of the heretiques did not yet for the gredy defense of his own opinion denie the prerogatiue of the Bisshop of Rome but therein shewed that not withstanding his priuate error he kept stil the vnitie of the Militant Church in acknowleging the visible head therof Nouatus taught falsely that those who had once denied Christe or had committed greate and mortall sinnes might not be admitted afterwarde by Christian Priestes or Bisshops to do penaunce nor to their old state of grace With which heresie a Christian Priest who was named Hippolytus Hyppolitus because he was torne in peeces with wild horses was for the time deceiued But for asmuch as the said Hippolytus did otherwise loue Christ so hartelie that he was coÌ„tent to die for his name that the said death might not be vnprofitable to him God of his great mercie reuealed to him the true Catholike faith and religion before his death The whiche true faith he did not keepe to him self but as wel for the recompense of his own euil example which he had geuen whiles he followed that heresie as also for the instruction of others he had grace to confesse the same For when he was now leaden to the place of his Martyrdom the Christian people came about him aÌ„d asked which was the better religioÌ„ whether the Catholike or els that of Nouatus to whom he answered thus as Prudentius doth recite Periste phanoÌ„ in passione Hippoliti Respondit fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis reddite vos populis Vna fides vigeat prisco quae condita templo est Quam Paulus retinet quamque Cathedra Petri His answere was O flee the schismes of cursed Nouats lore And to the Cath'like folk and flock Your selues againe restore Let only one faith rule and raine Kept in the Church of old Which faith both Paul doth stil retaine And Peters Chaire doth holde Marke these degrees auoid schismes and diuisions Before the time of Nouatus there was but one faith after him there began to be two faiths He then diuided the former faith Auoid ye the diuisioÌ„ aÌ„d restore your selues to the Catholik peple whiche were spread euery where before Nouatus was borne Let one faith preuail Which one That which is in the most auÌ„cient Church Which is that The which Paul aÌ„d the Chair of Peter kepeth What is the Chaire of Peter The Bisshop of Rome who sitteth in that Chaire So that he goeth from Schism to the Catholikes and he sheweth where the Catholikes are by one faith without diuision That one faith is sene in the auncient Churche And is kept by the Bisshops of Rome May we not now say according to the exaÌ„ple of Hippolitus to our Country meÌ„ auoid the Schismes May we not say restore your selues to the Catholike people Follow not the two faiths whiche are now stirring but let that one faith preuaile which is
the foorthruÌ„nings of the waters so that who so goeth foorth from the Church of Peter he perisheth for thirst This auncient writer in his CoÌ„meÌ„ts vpon the psalmes vnderstanding baptism by the name of fluds and of waters doth accompt those only to be baptised vnto saluation who are baptized in the fluds which are blessed of Peter That is to say in the founts of those bishops aÌ„d priests who tary in the vnity of the successors of Peter For except he spake of Peters successors he could not say vsque hodie euen til this daie For wheras Arnobius liued about three hundred yeres after Peter in saying al fluds are blessed of Peter vntil this day He calleth euery biâ—â—op of Rome Peter he maeneth that al the ministeries of baptism in the Church are still profitable to saluation through that they are don in the vnity and obedience of Peters Church But wher is that Church of Peter for soth in Rome For Peter waÌ„dered preaching Christes baptism vntil he came to Rome Rome But at Rome he rested thence the fluds are blessed euen til this day But if any man of discreation be baptized in those fluds which are without the Church of Rome he is without healthfull water because the grace of vnity and the participation of of Christes mysticall body the Church is not geuen to him For that grace is deriued from Christ the chief head by Peter the vnder head vnto all those who are made meÌ„bers of Christes militaÌ„t Church Ita vt qui exierit foras ab ecclesia Petri fiti pereat so that he who goeth from the Church of Peter doth perish for thirst Verily because he lacketh the grace of the Catholik vnity which is oÌ„ly preserued in Peters Church as in the head Church where it is first planted and whence it is deriued to all other Churches which tarie in the vnity thereof Negare noÌ„ potes saith Optatus scire te in vrbe Roma Petro primo cathedram Episcopalem esse collatam Contra Parmenia nuÌ„ Dona. lib. 2. in qua sederit omnium ApostoloruÌ„ caput Petrus vnde Cephas appellatus est In qua vna cathedra vnitas ab omnibus seruaretur Thou canst not deny but that thou knowest the bishoply chair to haue bene first geuen in the Citie of Rome vnto Peter Rome wherein Peter the head of al the Apostles hath sitten Whereof he was also called Cephas in the which one chaire vnity might be kept of all men Optatus writing against Parmenianus a Donatist saith vnto him thou canst not deny Thou caÌ„nest not deny but that thou knowest Peter to haue had first the chair at Rome That heretick could not deny it but now other hereticks haue profited so well in their facultie that they are become doctours in warraÌ„tiÌ„g that S. Peter was neuer at Rome But in the old tyme it was a most famouse and a most confessed truth Wel the chair theÌ„ was at Rome But whose chair wherin Peter satte what was Peter the head of al the Apostles How proue you that because Christ named him Cephas Ioan. 1. that is to say a rock or stone For the foundation is the head of the howse and the rock is the most sure and strong foundation What is then the end Note why this chaire is at Rome to the end vnity might be kept of al men in that one chaire It suffised not to say that vnitie might be instituted or begun it must be kept and preserued still Vnity must be kept But wherein Whether only in faith hope and charitie So in dede but not onelie so but in the Chaire also Yea but in what soeuer Chaire Nay in one Chaire Which one In one chaire At Rome in that one wherein Peter sate at Rome Be they not blind who can not see what Optatus thought of the bisshops of Rome Yet it followeth vt iam schismaticus esset so that now he should be a schismatike qui contra singularem Cathedram alteram collocaret Who should sette an other Chaire against the singular Chaire which hath no fellow not that there are no more Chaires but that there are no more such Chaires as that of Rome is After that Optatus had writeÌ„ this much he goeth forward shewing that the said singuler and one Chair wherin Peter satte did not onelie continew for Peters tyme but saieth he Petro successit Linus The B. of Romr successors in Peters one chair Lino successit Clemens Linus succeded to Peter and Clement succeded to Linus and so he nameth the Bisshops of Rome in order vntil the time of Pope Siricius who sate in the said Chaire of S. Peter in the daies of Optatus And because Siricius was fellow of the same Communion and faith whereof Optatus was qui noster est socius he therby concludeth himself to be a Catholike as in whose side the singular Chaire of Peter is found which is the chiefe gift and dourie which the Militant Churche hath Contrariwise seing Parmenianus had no fellowship with the Chaire of Peter nor with his successours Optatus concludeth him and his fellowes CoÌ„tra Cathedram Petri militatis to be schismatikes Hearken to this M. Iewel if any spiritual eares be at al vnto you He is a schismatike who doth not communicate in Religion and faith with the Bisshop of Rome you doe not coÌ„municate with him therfore you are a schismatike and consequentlie your part except you repent is in hel fyre with Core Dathan and Abyron Num. â—0 God saue vs al thence whiche must be obteined by returning to the vnitie of S. Peters Chaire at Rome S. Hierom writing to Damasus concerning the faith in the Trinitie saith thus in certain places of his Epistle In Epist ad Damasum Mihi Cathedram Petri fideÌ„ Apostolico ore laudatam censui coÌ„sulendam Successor Petri. Cum successore Piscatoris discipulo crucis loquor Ego nullum primum nisi ChristuÌ„ sequens beatitudini tuae id est Super Cathedram Petri aedificata est ad ecclesia Cathedrae Petri coÌ„munione coÌ„socior Super illam Petram aedificataÌ„ Ecclesiam scio Quicunque extra haÌ„c domum agnum comederit profanus est Si quis in arca Noë noÌ„ fuerit peribit regnante diluuio NoÌ„ noui Vitalem Meletium respuo ignoro Paulinum Quicunque tecum non colligit spargit hoc est qui Christi non est Antichristi est I thought best to aske councell of the Chaire of Peter and of the faith praised by the mouth of the Apostle Rom. 1. I speake with the Successour of the Fissher aÌ„d with the disciple of the Crosse I folowing none first but Christe am ioyned in Communion with thy holynesse that is to say with the Chaire of Peter I do know that the Church is built vpon that Rock Whosoeuer shal eate the Lambe out of this house he is prophane If any man be out of the Ark of Noë during
are one But this one say you of whome S. Augustine here speaketh is Christ himself I confesse but Christ hath his chaire and seate at the right hand of his Father in heauen and therefore S. Augustine calleth not his chaire now the chair of vnity wherein euen euil mē are constrained to speake good things For in Christes own chaire at Gods right hand there sitteth nor euil nor good man beside himself The chair of vnity is in the earth The chair then of vnity wherein euil men speake good things must be a chair placed in earth wherein one pastour may sitte who may for the rate of his measure and ministery make other good pastors to be for the time one in hī being one euen as Christ maketh all good pastours that euer haue bē or shal be to be for euer one in him most singulary being one Is there then an other kind of vnity among pastours beside that euerlasting vnity of all good men in Christ Yea verily ād of that other kīd of vnity S. Augustine saith Ibidem Imo verò Dominus in ipso Petro vnitatem cōmendauit Multi erant Apostoli vni dicitur Pasce oues meas Absit vt desint modò boni pastores sed omnes boni pastores in vno sunt vnum sunt Yea our Lord hath also commended vnity in S. Peter himself There were many Apostoles and it is saied to one feede mie sheepe God forbid there should nowe lack good pastours but al good pastours are in one they are one thing Thus Vnity is in s. Peter beside the vnity which is in Christ we haue also found an vnitie in Saint Peter and that vnitie was not onely to tarie for his own tyme but to be preserued in the Churche for euer There is a temporall vnitie in Saint Peter and in his successours by the which vnitie we come afterward to enioye the euerlasting vnitie which is in Christ. For Saint Peter as the same S. Augustine doth witnesse bare the figure of the whole Churche Epist 165. and that In Ioan. Tract 224 propter Apostolatus sui primatum by reason of the primacy of his Apostleship Therefore as the Apostles haue continually successours in their bishoplie and pastoral ministery so hath S. Peter the prince of the Apostles a continual successour in his primacie and in his chaire of vnitie concerning the force of which succession S. Augustine iustly saith Contra epistolam fundamē In Ecclesia me tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascēdas oues suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum Among other things which stay me in the Churche the succession of priests from the very seat of Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended his shepe to be fed after his resurrection the successiō I say of priests from Peters seat to the present bishoprik doth stay me in the Churche Is there any man so proud or so wel liking with him self who if S. Augustine were now aliue woulde not be glad to follow his iudgement in stablishing his faith and conscience He being within litle more then fower hundres yeres of Saint Peters tyme The succession of S. Peter staied S. August yet so much wondered at the continuance of Saint Peters chaire in the right faith whereas all other successions had bene spotted with heresies and schismes that he confessed the succession of Bisshoppes in that Chair of Peter to haue stayed him from being either a Maniche or an Arrian or any other thing sauing a Catholike For he sawe the promise of Christ so fulfilled in the successours of Saint Peter he saw the doctrine of veritie so wel fortified in the Chaire of vnitie that it was no small force to strengthen him in his faith In so much that he saied in an other place Si ordo Episcoporum sibi succedentium considerandus est Epist 165. quantò certius verè salubriter ab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Et portae inferorum non vincent eam Petro enim successit Linus Lino Clemens c. If the rew of bishops one succeding to the other is to be considered how much more safely and in dede healthfully doe we number from Peter him self to whom bearing the figure of the whole Churche our Lord saieth vpon this Rock I wil buid my Churche Matth. 16 and the gates of hel shall not ouercome it For Linus succeded to Peter Clement to Linus and so he goth forward vntil he come to pope Anastasius who was bisshop of Rome in S Augustines tyme. Who after all the popes reckoned vp in order concludeth thus In hoc ordine successionis nullus Donatista Episcopus inuenitur In this order of succession no Donatist Bisshop is found If S. Augustine after four hūdred yeres proued the Donatists to be far from the doctrine of veritie because in the chair of vnity no Donatist was bishop or because no bishop A fortiore who succeded in S. Peters chair was a Donatist what shal we say after a thousand fiue hundred yeres Lette vs reckon vp all the popes from Saint Peter himselfe vntill we come to pope Pius the fifth who in our dayes sitteth in S. Peters chaire and is notable for vertue learning holinesse and the grace of working miracles and in all that order of succession we shall finde neuer a Lutheran neuer a Zuinglian neuer a Caluinist neuer an Anabaptist or a Swenkfeldian Who is then so madde as to go from S. Peters Chaire to whom our Lorde commended his sheep to be fed to the vpstart Chaire of Luther Ioan. 21. Caluin or Zuinglius to none of whome nor to anie predecessours of theirs our Lorde is readen to haue cōmended his sheep except he be more like vnto the heretical Donatists then vnto the moste wise and learned man S. Augustine who after the Apostles had scant euer his match in discerning the true faith from falsehod and heresie or hypocrisy from the Catholike religion He presseth the Donatists euerie where with the breache of vnitie And think you that when they shuld come to talk with him he would onely say generally to them Maisters you are to blame because you are gon from Christ the onely one Pastour If he should haue come no nere to the mark he shot at they would quickly haue answered The talk of the Donatists Syr we loue Christ and beleue him as wel as you We hold him for our onely one Pastour we obey his voice why burdē you vs with forsaking him It is you that haue other Pastours for you flee to the seat of Peter and to his successours whereas we content our selues with the euerlasting Pastour Iesus Christ. I trow we are not without one Pastour so long as we haue him for our Pastour But now S. Augustine talketh not only
Iam cùm ista scriberem Epist 94. cognoueramus in Ecclesia Carthaginensi aduersus eos Episcopalis Concilij conditum fuisse Decretum per epistolam sancto venerabili Papae Innocentio dirigendum nos de Concilio Numidiae ad eandem Apostolicam sedem iam similiter scripseramus Now whiles I wrote these things we vnderstode a Decree to haue bē made in the Church of Carthage by a Councel of bishops which was to be directed by an epistle vnto the holy and reuerend Pope Innocentius And we likewise had writen from the Councel of Numidia to the same Apostolike See It is then euident that these two Councels sent their Decrees to the See Apostolike as also all other Councels were wont to doe according to the most auncient tradition and that as wel because the See Apostolike was assured not to erre as being the Rocke of the faith which was prayed for by Christ himselfe as also to th' intent all Churches might receaue the soner that Decree which were deriued to them from the authority of their own head vnder Christ and of their chiefe shepheard and again because the heretiks and theier followers might the soner be either reconciled or kept downe when it were once knowen that the highest court in earth had condemned their opinions Wherupon the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councel say Epist 92. Arbitramus adiuuante misericordia Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi qui te regere consulentem orantem exaudire dignatur auctoritati sanctitatis tuae de sanctarum scripturarū authoritate depromptae facilius eos qui tā peruersa perniciosa sentiunt esse cessuros We thinck these men who haue so euil and froward opinions the popes autority is taken out of the holy scriptures wil the soner yeld to the authority of your holinesse being takē out of the authority of the holy scriptures by the help of the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ who voutsafeth both to rule you whiles you consulte and to heare you when you pray Two things are specially to be noted in these words one that the authority of Pope Innocentius is taken out of the authoritie of the holy scriptures verily because it maie be proued by the woorde of God that the bishop of Rome who succedeth S. Peter is the highe shepheard whose voice al the faithful are boūd to heare The other point is in that these Fathers affirm that Christ ruleth the Pope at his consultatiō alluding therein to the faith of S. Peter which was praied for Luc. 22. to thend al his successours might not erre in consulting about matters of Religion To which epistle pope Innocentius made answer praising them because in doutfull matters they asked him what sentence or iudgement was to be followed Ep. 93. antiquae scilicet regulae formā secuti quam toto semper ab orbe mecum nostis esse seruatam Yee followed saith Innocentius the paterne of the auncient rule which ye know as wel as I Note vvel to haue ben alwaies kept of the whole world Marke that Innocentius douteth not to affirme that the Fathers of the Councell of Miliuite among whome Saint Augustine was did know that the whole worlde alwayes vsed to referre doutfull matters to the See Apostolike and that as it followeth praesertim quoties fidei ratio ventilatur specially so oft as the matter of faith is discussed If anie man saie that the Pope in dede wrote so but that he said not true lette him consyder that Saint Augustine doth also acknowledge and praise the Popes answer in these words Epist 106. Scripsimus ad B. memoriae Papam Innocentium c. We wrote to Pope Innocentius of blessed memorie Ad omnia ille nobis rescripsit eodem modo quo fas erat atque oportebat Apostolicae sedis Antistitem He wrote again to vs to euery point in such sort as it was right and as it became the Bisshop of the Apostolike See What can be now required more Saint Augustine acknowlegdeth the answere to haue ben mete for Saint Peters successour and yet shal the Protestants now a dayes be suffered to raile at that epistle which Saint Augustine estemed so much that he maketh mention thereof with great commendation Saint Augustine then doth confesse that from all quarters of the worlde the Pope of Rome was wont euē in the old tyme to be consulted as being the general pastour whose duty it was to prouide for the whole militant flocke the particular bishops them selues being comprised therein I haue ben somewhat long about S. Augustines doctrine partlie for the worthines of the man partly because I perceaue that our Aduersaries pretend to geue more credit to him then to any other Father But if S. Augustine be not cleere for the Supremacy of the bisshops of Rome ther was neuer nothing cleere in him Let this one place be added for a surpluse to the rest The bisshop of Carthage saith he needed not to care for the multitude of his ennemies for so much as he saw hīselfe to be ioyned in communion as wel with other countries whence the Gospel came to Afrike it self as also with the Church of Rome in qua semper Apostolicae Cathedrae viguit prīcipatus Epist 162. in the which Roman Church the principate or primacy of the Apostolike chaire hath alwaies florished not only the chair of the Apostle S. Peter but also the principal power of the Apostolik chaire did not only stand in the Roman Church but it florished there and that not only during S. Peters life or a litle after but semper alwaies Happy then are we who til this day cōmunicate in faith with that Apostolike chaire And wo to them that cal the Apostolik chaire the Seat of Antichrist To goe forward with some other holy Fathers In Lib. de ingratis Prosper the Bishop of Regium being of the same tyme though sumwhat yoūger then S. Augustine and speaking of the condemnation of the heretike Pelagius writeth thus touching the See of Rome Pestem subeuntem prima recidit Sedes Roma Petri quae pastoralis honoris facta caput mundo quicquid non possicet armis Religione tenet Rome the See of Peter did first cut of Pelagius being a pestilence which then began to crepe into the Churche The which Rome being made the head of pastoral honour vnto the world holdeth al that by religion what so euer it doth not possesse by the sword Rome then is the Seate of Peter the head of Bisshoplie honour or of Pastoral power the which reacheth farther and hath moe Christians subiect to it because the Vicare of Christe sitteth there then euer it had through the mightie Empire thereof The selfe same thing Prosper saith in an other place De vocat gentium lib. 2. c. 16 Roma per Apostolici sacerdotij principatum amplior facta est arce religionis quā solio potestatis Rome through the chiefedome or primacie of the
can by his Kingly power iudge in the greater nor the priest who is the Kings superiour in the lesser can possibly but much more be his superiour in the greater The remouing of the obiection Or haue we diuerse Kinds of Ecclesiastical and of spiritual causes Be there neuer so manie the Act of parliament geueth the highest and the supreme gouernment of them all In al causes vnto the King And yet the King lacketh not onelie practise experience or cunning but also he lacketh spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power to heare confessions to absolue men from their synnes to inioyne penance to consecrate the Sacrament of the altar to Ordre bishops and priestes by the Imposition of hādes or to excommunicate open synners Here Master Iewel wolde say that he neuer meant the prince should be supreme gouernour either in administring or in frequenting or in directing others to frequent the holy mysteries or in any like sacramental functions Why then doth he and his fellowes sweare men The othe of the supremacy generally to acknowledge the secular Christian prince Supreme gouernour in all things and causes Why doth he not rather declame and speake with all his force against that most impiouse and blasphemouse othe Yea so impiouse that those Protestants who most earnestly pressed the setting foorth therof dare not now iustifie the foorm of it Shall men in a Christian realme be sworen vpon the holy Euangelistes to keepe beleue or acknowledge that which noman at all no not they who procured it dare mainteine See good Countrie men see the discretiō of your parlaments in matters of Religion A men aliue abhorre from that act which the Laity made and enacted as a form so warely drawen wherevnto men might commit their euerlasting saluation or damnation Mark I say that M. Nowel M. Horn M. Iewel dare not warrant the King to be suprem gouernour in al Ecclesiastical causes But rather they confesse that a Bisshop or Priest may and ought to gouerne the King concerning his comming to the Mysteries and in such like matters This much being said cōcerning Philippus the first Christian Emperour who obeyed but gouerned not the Bisshop in Ecclesiastical matters let vs now goe forward An. Dom. 324. Constantinus the Great perceiuing the Bisshops which came to the Synod at Nice to haue many quarels and sutes among them selues appoynted a day wherein euery man should offer his complaint in writing and when he had takē al their libels without disclosing the contents of them Ruffinus lib. 10. Eccles histor cap. 2. he said vnto the bishops Deus vos constituit Sacerdotes potestatē vobis dedit de nobis quoque iudicandi ideo nos a vobis rectè iudicamur vos autē nō potestis ab hominibus iudicari propter quod Dei solius inter vos expectate iudicium God hath made you priests or Sacrificers and hath geuen you power to iudge of vs also And therefore we are rightly iudged of you But yee can not be iudged of men For which cause expect yee or tary for the iudgemēt of God alone among you This discourse of Constantine conteineth three thinges worthie to be noted First he saith the bishoppes are Sacerdotes Priestes or men that haue publik authority to make externall sacrifice vnto God for the whole Heb. 5. peples synnes Secondly he saieth that they haue power to iudge euen of the Emperour himself And this their power of iudging dependeth of their power of priesthod For the highest power may iudge the lower But no power can be higher then the power of a priest because he is the minister of God in that office which most directly toucheth Gods honour and seruice Malac. 1. Wherupon S. Augustin hauing said what was Moyses if he were not a priest In Psal 98 geueth this reason of his words Nūquid maior Sacerdote esse poterat Whether could he be greater then a priest as who should say seing Moyses was the greatest officer amōg the Israelits and yet he could not be greater then a priest it must nedes be that he was a priest The priestes then of God being the greatest officers in earth haue power to iudge euen of an Emperour if any be in their parishes or Dioceses Thirdly of these former points Cōstātine deduceth an other conclusion that priestes can not be iudged of mē How then can they be iudged of the Emperour Neither doth it skill that Constantine seemeth to haue iudged certaine priests or Ecclesiastical causes when the Donatists appealed vnto hī for he did it as S. Augustine saieth à sanctis antistitibus postea veniam petiturus In epistol 162. as one that would afterward aske leaue or pardon of the holy bisshops Who asketh leaue or pardon for that which he may doe by his owne power He did it then through the importunat sute of heretickes for the peace of the Church otherwise detesting them that demaunded his iudgement after that the bishoppes had iudged Optat. li 2 August in epist 162. and finding great fault therewith himself as Optatus and S. Augustine also doe witnesse But take away importunity of heretikes and the commission leaue or pardon of the right bishoppes who may for diuerse respectes either committe certain Ecclesiasticall causes to lay mē or winck for a tyme at such iudgemēts take away I say heresie and permission and ordinarily it is against the law of God that any secular Prince who needeth the office of a priest for his reconciliation vnto God should sitte iudge vpon him in causes of the Churche 2. Cor. 5. at whose handes he must receaue the Sacramentes of the Churche and by whose ministery his soule must be purged Now if one priest doe iudge an other that is Gods iudgement Deut. 17. Num. 3 and not the iudgement of men For God hath sette one priest ouer an other as the high priestes was aboue the Leuites in Moyses lawe and as the Apostles wereof a higher degree then the seuenty Disciples or then the seuen Deacons These woordes then of Constantine vos non potestis ab hominibus iudicari Ruffin li. 1. cap. 2. yee ô priestes of God can not be iudged of men are thus meant the order of priesthood is such as is not subiect to anie secular or earthly iurisdiction And seing all the power of iudgement which euen Christian Emperours or Kinges haue by their own state is earthly and secular it wil follow that no King or Emperour can by his owne power iudge a priest in priestlie causes and in Ecclesiasticall matters That all the power of Emperours though they be Christians is secular Constantine himself pronounceth saying to the Donatists as Optatus recordeth Petitis á me in seculo iudicium De schism Donatist lib. 1. cùm ego ipse Christi iudiciū expectem Yee aske of me iudgement in the world whereas I my self looke for Christes iudgement There are then two iudgements one in the world an other
of Christ That is worldly or secular Secular iudgemēt this is heauenly or spiritual Constantine had none other iudgement but secular because his sentence could binde no farther then in this life But Christes iudgement which he excerciseth as wel presently by his Priestes and Ministers Ioan. 20. as at the later day in his own person is spirituall Spirital iudgemēt Matth. 16. In Coelis and rather apperteineth to heauen and to the life to come then to this world Againe that Constantines iudgement was earthlye S. Augustine in diuers places declareth saing of the very same Donatists In ep 162. Terrenum Regem suae causae iudicem esse voluerunt They would an earthly King to be the iudge of their cause He meaneth there Constantine the Christian Emperour by the name of an earthly King Hitherto I haue shewed that Constantine beleued and professed that Bishops or Priestes are not ordinarilie and where aequitie or conscience maie take place to be iudged by secular Princes Now it onely remaineth to consider specially the great honour which he gaue to the See of S. Peter and to his Successour the Bisshop of Rome First I take it for moste certaine that Constantinus the Great Constātin baptized at Rome was instructed and baptized of Syluester the Pope of Rome as not onely most auncient witnesses but euē the very stones ād pillers of marble doe witnesse which being erected in the Emperors owne house named Constantiniana beare the name of his baptisterie to witte of the verie place wherein Constantinus was baptised 1 in vita Syluestri in Pontificali 2 De sex aetatibus 3 in Chrō 4 lib. 2. Histor Whiche thing also Pope Damasus who liued not long after and consequēt lie 2. S. Bede 3. Ado and Marianus Scotus affirme the same Yea 4 Gregorius Turonensis who liued long before alludeth to the same storie in describing the baptism of King Chlodoueus Neither only the Latines haue thus auouched the truth 5 In vita Cōstant 6. Lib. 7. c. 35. 7 In Anna libus but the Greciās also as 5 Zonaras 6 Nicephorus 7 Cedrenus not esteming what Eusebius and some other moued by him reporte in that behalfe as whom for his affection to the Arrian heresie they had suspected Constantine then being baptized at Rome and thereby instructed that S. Peter had died there to whome he built a faire Church in the hil named Vaticane and that he had left a successour in that See Damasus in Pontif. who beside his Bisshoprike of Rome should haue the chiefe pastoral cure ouer al the faithfull gaue such reuerence to the saied Chaire and See of S. Peter that he thought it not conuenient for him to keep his ordinarie courte and Residence anie more in that Citie where the chiefe causes of all Christendome should be daily examined In so muche that he did not onely protest his faith in Christ and the honour due to S. Peter in expresse words which are before the first Nicene Coūcel some of whiche wordes are likewise alleged at the second general Coūcel kept at Nice but also he in deede went out of the Citie of Rome with this intent in Praefat. Concilij Niceni to keep no more his Imperiall residence in the same Which thīg is farther proued in that he gaue away his owne Palaice dedicating it a Temple vnto our Sauiour which temple standeth till this daie wherein also the Pope had aftetward a dwelling place And who doth not perceiue that he departeth with the mind to returne no more who at his going geueth his own house away Adde herevnto In vitae Constantini that Constantine went to seeke a newe dwelling place as Zonaras reporteth and at the last reasted in Bizance calling it of his owne name Constantinople or new Rome Why should Constantine thus aduisedly deparete from the head Citie of al the world the glorie of his Empire and the chiefe roialtie of his inheritance except he had bene fullie perswaded that S. Peter and his successours the Bisshops of Rome had bene placed at Rome by the wil of God Serm 1. de Natiuit Pet. Pauli thēce to publish the faith of Christ into al Countries as Pope Leo saieth wherevnto he would that his Imperial court should be no hinderance For otherwise if he had yelded to a simple Bisshop there was a Bisshop in Constātinople also as in euery other great Citie But it was not euery Bisshoppe to whome Constantine yealded but the chiefe Bissbop of all and the heade of the whole Militāt Church Which Exāple of his al good Emperours following neuer kept afterward their courte and ordinarie residence in Rome Zonaras in vita Constantis Nepotis Heraclij al be it Constance perceiuing more honour to be geuen to the Mother which was Rome then to the daughter whiche was Constantinople woulde haue returned to Rome but as Zonaras declareth without successe Which thing who so thinketh to haue chanced with out the singular prouidence of God may seme to think that the world is gouerned by chance To this fact of the Emperors in their absteining to keepe their residence in Rome let vs ioyn the expresse wordes also of diuers good successours of Constantine the Greate For if anie euil came betwene it is no marueil if thei did hate so good a thing as the Primacie of the Church was Concerning Constantius the heretike who was the sonne of great Constantine Athanasius complaineth An. D. 360 that he and his adherents the Arrians had no reuerence toward the Bisshop of Rome In Epist ad Solitar vitam agentes not consideringe vel quòd sedes illa apostolica esset vel quôd Roma Metropolis esset ditionis Romanae either that it was the Apostolike See or els that Rome was the Mother citie of the Roman circuit So that we may see euen from the beginning that as the most faithful Emperours did alwaies honour the Apostolike See of Rome euen so the heretikes and worste men did alwaies hate it and despise it For on the other side in the midst of the Arrian heresie the noble and vertuouse Emperors Gratianus Valentinianus and Theodosius doubted not to sette foorth a Lawe in these woordes An. D. 386 leg 1 Cod. de summa Trinitat Cunctos populos quos Clementiae nostrae regit imperium in tali volumus religione versari quam D. Petrum Apostolū tradidisse Romanis religio vsque ad huc ab ipso insinuata declarat quà mque Pontificē Damasū sequi claret Petrū Alexādriae Episcopū virum Apostolicae sanctitatis We wil al nations which are gouerned by our Clemēcy to liue in such a religiō as the religiō which is vsed from S. Peter til this day doth declare him to haue deliuered to the Romans ād which religiō it is euidēt that Pope Damasus ād Peter the Bishop of Alexandria a mā of an Apostolik holines doe follow By this Law it is witnessed first that S. Peter
deliuered a certain religioÌ„ to the Romans as wel concerning the Trinitie as other things Secondly that the said religion coÌ„ming from S. Peter was kept stil in the Church of Rome Thirdly that it was kept speciallie by the perpetual succession of Bishops For which cause Damasus the Bisshop of Rome is named in the Law After Damasus a blessed Bisshop of Alexandria called Peter is also named not with the intent to shewe also that the Bisshops of Alexandria kept alwayes the true faith for at that momeÌ„t Lucius a raging wolf occupied the seat in Alexandria but because this Peter of Alexandria who is now named was in deede the true bishop of Alexandria albeit he was now kept out of his Church by violence Nicep lib. 11. cap. 26 Whereas then there were two bisshops of Alexandria one who agreed with the bishop of Rome an other who disagreed â–ª because the said Peter did agree with Damasus and fled out of prison to him he is named with Damasus and therby the other bishop is insinuated to be an vsurper So that the whole force of the Decree resteth vpon the tradition and succession of S. Peter at Rome and of those who agree with him If Peter of Alexandria had not followed that succession of S. Peter he had no more ben esteemed then Lucius Georgius Gregorius or Dioscorus An. Do. 4â—4 Tom. 1. CoÌ„cil distinct 97. who being bishops of Alexandria wree al heretiks Pope Bonifacius the first wrote to the Christian Emperour Honorius in this wise Mihi Deus noster meuÌ„ Sacerdotium vobis res humanas regentibus deputauit Our God hath appointed mie priesthood to me wheras you doe gouern woordlie matters And in the same epistle he requireth the Emperours help not I warrant you for the disposing of his own priesthod but for the conseruation of the peace of the Churche To whome the Emperour promiseth his help confessing that he receaued the writings of his blessednes with dew gratulation of reuerence Apostolatus tuus desiring his Apostoleshippe to pray for the safegard of his Empire Honorius faith then was that the Emperours were heads of the ciuill gouernment for the defense of Ecclesiastical peace and not supreme heads in all Ecclesiasticall things and causes to defend I say the lawes of the Churche made by bishops and not to make new Ecclesiastical lawes wheruÌ„to to bishoppes should be subiect against their wils An. Dom. 450. Let vs adde hereunto that which an Empresse also writeth of the same matter for we may wel beleue that she wrote according to the faith of Church in her tyme. In epistol Gallae Placidiae ante synodum Chalcedonens Thus then Galla Placidia saith concerning the Churche of Rome In Apostolica sede primus ille ê“ coelestes claues dignus fuit accipere principatum Episcopatus ordinauit He that was worthy to receaue first the heauenly keyes that is S. Peter hath ordeined the primacy of the Bishoply office in the Apostolik See If this be so Peter was not only first and prince himself but he also ordeined the bishop of Rome to be the first and chief of bishops after him Ad synoduÌ„ Chalcedo Domino meo Theodosio c. When I say Peter ordeined it I meane that Christ by Peter ordeined it Valentinian is of the same belefe and iudgement saying Fidem à nostris maioribus traditam debemus cum omni competenti deuotione defendere dignitatem propriae venerationis B. Apostolo Petro intemeratam in nostris temporibus conseruare quatenus beatissimê° Romanae ciuitatis episcopus cui principatum Sacerdotij super omnes antiquitas contulit locum habeat ac facultatem de fide sacerdotibus iudicare We ought to defend with all competent deuotion the faith deliuered from our elders And to conserue and keepe in our tymes to the blessed Apostle S. Peter the dignity of his proper and owne worship vncontrolled so that the most blessed bishop of the City of Rome to whome â—ntiquity hath geuen aboue al me the cheefty of priesthood may haue place and power to iudge of faith and of priests Lo the honour that is geuen to the bishop of Rome is geuen to Saint Peter verily because the bishop of Rome sitteth in his chaire And when the bishop of Rome is despised the worship of S. Peter is stained If the old tyme gaue the primacy of priestod vnto the bishop of Rome for S. Peters sake and that super omnes ouer al men if eleuen hundred yeres agoe it was true to say that Antiquity gaue the chiefty of priestly power to the bishop of Rome are not they new teachers who after fiften hundred yeres goe about to pluck the primacy of priesthod from the bishop of Rome An. Dom. 4.57 Act. 3. In Concil Chalceâ—o Autoritate Ro. Episcopi Martianus likewise with Valentinian confesseth of the General Councel which came togeather at Chalcedon in â—â—â—â—wise Quae Synodus dum fidem diligenter inquirit authoritate beatissimi Leonis Episcopi aeternae vrbis Romae religionis fundamenta constituit sanctae ciuitati Flauiano palmam mortis tribuit gloriosae The which councel whiles it maketh diligent inquisition concerning the faith it both appointed the foundations of religion to the holy city the Church by the authoritie of most blessed Leo bishop of the euerlasting City of Rome By the authority of Pope Leo. and also gaue to Flauianus the crown of a gloriouse death Al this was done by the autority of the bishop of Rome And why by his autority the same Martianus gaue the cause therof before in an oratioÌ„ which he made in the fourth general councel Act. 1. Fol. 740. where he said of Leo the Pope qui ApostolicuÌ„ gubernat thronuÌ„ who gouerneth the See Apostolike And it is well knowen he ment only the Apostolike see of S. Peter An. D. 534 In Codicadâ— summa Trinit For the honour of that See IustiniaÌ„ writeth thus to Iohn the secoÌ„d pope of Rome Nos reddeÌ„tes honoreÌ„ Apostolicae sedi vestrae sanctitati qdsemê‘ nobis in voto fuit est vt decet patreÌ„ honoraÌ„tes vestraÌ„ beati tudineÌ„ oiÌ„a quae ad ecclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertineÌ„t festinauimus ad notitiam deferre vestrae sanctitatis We rendering honour to the See Apostolike and to your Holines the whiche thing euer was and is our desire and we honouring your blessednes as it becommeth vs to honour our Father haue hastened to bring to the knowledge of your Holines all things which doe appertein to the state of Churches If the Pope be as a Father to the Emperour and be so to be honoured it is vtterly impossible for the Emperour who is as it were a Sonne to be the supreme head or gouernour in spiritual causes of his spiritual Father Againe he saith Nec enim patimur quicquaÌ„ quod ad EcclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertinet quamuis manifestuÌ„ indubitatum sit quod mouetur vt noÌ„
etiam vestrae innotescat sanctitati Caput quae caput est omnium sanctarum EcclesiaruÌ„ Neither doe we suffer anie thing that doth apperteine to the state of the Churches how manifest aÌ„d vndoubted so euer it be which is called in question but the same is also notified to your holines The Pope is head of all holie Churches who is the head of al holy Churches If the Pope be head of al holy Churches and therfore be made priuie to all ordinances aÌ„d lawes which apperteine to the state of Churches it must needes follow that the Church wherof a King or Emperour shal be suprem head is no holy Church but a profane Synagog aÌ„d a malignaÌ„t congregation such as those of the Arrians Donatists and Pelagians were who obeyed not the Bisshop of Rome nor suche bisshops as were of his fellowship Vvho vvas the supreme head of the Heretikes but either Iulianus the Renegate or Valens or the Kings of the Gothes and of the Vandals as the Histories of the Church doe witnesse Here the order and place requireth that I should declare also how Phocas the Emperour An. Dom. 609. in the time of Pope Bonifacius the third pronounced the See of Rome head of al churches but the Protestants not able to deny the storie sai that now first the See of Rome began to be accoÌ„pted the head of al Churches A false assertion Which thiÌ„g shal appere as true as the rest of their doctrine is For S. Gregorie being before Bonifacius An. Dom. 607. Lib. 11. epist 54. saith of the See of Rome Apostolica sedes omnium ecclesiarum caput est The Apostolike See is Head of all Churches Before him also the Bishop of Patara An. 538. being a Grecian said of Syluerius the Pope Ille Papa est super Ecclesiam muÌ„di totius He is Pope ouer the Church of the whole world An. 534. IustiniaÌ„ writing to Ioannes the Pope as I alleged before calleth his holines caput omnium Ecclesiarum Head of al Churches An. 486. Eugenius the Bishop of Carthage being an African had said before Iustinians time as Victor writeth Romana ecclesia caput eÌ„ omniuÌ„ ecclesiaruÌ„ Lib. 2. de persecut Vandal The Roman Churche is the head of all Churches Yea Prosper had writeÌ„ before Eugenius Sedes Roma Petri An. 460. De ingratis quae pastoralis honoris facta caput muÌ„do Rome the See of Peter which is made vnto the world An. 446. In natiuit Petri Paull the head of pastoral honour Leo the great being elder theÌ„ Prosper preached thus Roma per sacraÌ„ B. Petri sedeÌ„ caput orbis effecta Rome by the holy seat of Peter is made the head of the world â–ª and again ê‘quos vniuersalis ecclesiae cura ad vnaÌ„ b. Petri sedeÌ„ coÌ„fluit Ad Anastas ep 82 By whoÌ„ the cure of the vniuersal church floweth to the one See of Peter that nothiÌ„g might at any time dissent from his head Now the fourth general CouÌ„cel An. 456. albeit it was not elder in yeres then Leo yet coÌ„sisting of 630. Bisshops gathered out of the whol world it is worthy to be harkened vnto of al the ChristiaÌ„ flock as of most auÌ„cient and perelesse authoritie This great Councel making relatioÌ„ to Pope Leo of such things as had bene done there Act. 3. Sancta magna c. writeth to him Tu quidem sicut membris caput praeeras Thou wast ouer vs as the head is ouer his meÌ„bers And wheras the Church is coÌ„pared to a vineyard Isai 5. they there coÌ„fesse that vnto Pope Leo vineae custodia à Saluatore commissa est The keping of the vineyeard is committed of our Sauiour Note here gentle Readers that this famouse great and learned Councell referreth the matter to our Sauiour and not vnto Phocas or to any mortal man The keeping of the vineyard is committed to the Pope of Rome by our Sauiour himself An. D. 426 Lib. 12. in Ioan. c. 64 If we shal goe yet higher when Cyrillus confesseth S. Peter to haue ben caput Apostolorum the head of the Apostles doth he not confesse the successors of S. Peter who are the Bishops of Rome to be much more the heads of the successours of the Apostles which al bishops are Shall we goe from Cyrillus to S. Ambrose An. D. 308 who writing vpon S. Pauls epistle to Timothe In c. 3. 1. epistol ad Timoth. calleth Damasus the bisshop of Rome the ruler or gouernour of that Church in his tyme which Church is named of S. Paul the howse of God the pillour of truthe meaning that Pope Damasus was gouernour of the whole Militant Church and not only of any one parish or Diocese And what other thing is it to be a teÌ„poral ruler of Gods whole Church Tripar li. 4. c. 15. but to be the temporal head thereof Saith not Sozomenus that pope Iulius curaÌ„ gessit omniuÌ„ propter sedis propriae dignitatem He toke the cure of all for the worthinesse of his own See where al is comprised what can be excepted Optatus An. D 370 Lib. 2. de schism Donatist who proueth S. Peter to haue beÌ„ head because he was called of Christ Cephas a rock for the rock or foundation is that vnto the house which the head is to the body doth thereby refer the primacie of S. Peter and of his successours to Christ him selfe An. 300. If I shal goe now to the Councel of 300. Bisshops held at Sinuessa where although Marcellinus had confessed him selfe to haue done Idolatrie yet all the Bisshops answered Prima sedes non iudicabitur à quoquam Tom. 1. Concil the first See shal be iudged of no man wil it not therby appere that the See of Rome beig the first See was not preferred to that honor by any mortal maÌ„ otherwise he that had pÌ„ferred it might also haue iudged it but was made head of al churches by him who said to S. Peter vpon this rock I wil build my Churche Matt. 16. It is not therefore Phocas but Iesus Christ who making S. Peter the temporal fouÌ„dation and head Pastor of the church made the Bisshop of Rome his successour as I haue declared before Let vs now goe forward with other good Emperours aÌ„d KiÌ„gs shewing that not Phocas alone but others also after hiÌ„ honoured the See Apostolike as the highest power in the church of God ConstaÌ„tinus the fourth being a most Catholike Prince Beda de sex aetat mundi procured the sixth general Councel to be called aÌ„d therin coÌ„fessed himself to haue woÌ„dred at the relation of Pope Agatho as if it had beÌ„ the voice of Peter Act. 18. Synod 6. The same Emperor in the time of Benedictus the second Pope of that name decreed An 688. Platina in vita Benedict 2 vt deinceps queÌ„ clerus populus exercitusque Romanus in PontificeÌ„ delegisset
euÌ„deÌ„ statim verum Christi vicariuÌ„ esse omnes credereÌ„t That froÌ„ thence forward whom the Clergy people and the Roman armie should chose to be bishop all men should straight beleue him to be the true vicare of Christ The true VicareÌ„ of Christ He saith not the Vicare of Phocas or the Lieutenant of the Emperor but the Vicar and LieutenaÌ„t of Christ It was then the publicke faith not onlie in the Latine but also in the Greeke church that who so was duely chosen Bisshop of Rome was Christes own Vicare An. Dom. 749. Yf the whole nobilitie and people of Fraunce had not beleued the Pope of Rome to be of such authorie for what purpose would they haue sent to Rome to know the mind of Pope Zacharias who should be King of Fraunce whether Chilpericus Paenè nullius potestatis who hadde the bare name thereof without exercising any kingly power in maner or the greate Stuard Maior domus who exercised the publik office and power of the King without the name In Chron. The Pope answered as Ado testifieth Regem potius illum debere vocari qui rempublicam regeret That he rather should be called the King who ruled the common weal. VpoÌ„ which answere Pipinus was anointed King autoritate Apostolica FraÌ„ corum electione saith Sigebertus by the Apostolike authoritie In Chron. An. Dom. 750. and by the election of the Frenche men Neither may this so great credite whiche the whole people and Nobilitie of France reposed in the See Apostolike be righly imputed to the sentence of Phocas who before that had declared the See of Rome to be head of al Churches For euen after this election of King Pipinus the first Emperour of the French men or rather of the Germans for the French men came out of Germanie Carolus Magnus protesting his reuerence to the See Apostolike sheweth the cause why he honoureth it to be the Chaire of S. Peter and not the iudgement of Phocas His wordes are these In memoriam beati Petri Apostoli honoremus sanctam Romanam ecclesiaÌ„ ApostolicaÌ„ sedeÌ„ An. Dom. 806. 19. distiÌ„ct vt quae nobis sacerdotalis mater est dignitatis ecclesiasticae esse debeat magistra rationis Quare seruaÌ„da est cuÌ„ mansuetudine humilitas et licet vix fereÌ„duÌ„ ab illa sancta sede imponatur iugum tamen feramê° pia deuotione toleremus Let vs honor the holy Church of Rome and the See Apostolike for the remeÌ„brance of blessed Peter the Apostle The see of Rome is the mother of priestly Vvorship that as the same See is to vs the mother of priestlie dignitie so it may be the teacher of the Ecclesiasticall trade Wherefore humility is to be kept with meekenes And although a yoke be putte vppon vs from the same holy See which is scant to be born yet lette vs beare and suffer it with godly deuotion Thus we see that Carolus honoured the See of Rome not for Phocas but for S. Peters sake Ludouicus who for his singular vertue and godlines was surnamed Pius hauing ben triatorouslie ordered by Adalgisus the Duke of Beneuentum Regino in Chron. An. 872. who went about to kill him in his palaice and being afterward forced to sweare that he wold not reuenge that iniury was so far from taking himselfe to be the supreme head ouer the Bisshop of Rome that rather he was content to take absolution from his oth of Iohn the pope Authoritate Dei Sancti Petri by the authority not of Phocas but of God and of Saint Peter I woulde goe forward to shew at large the obedience of all good Emperours and Kings to the See Apostolik euen till this day but that it shoulde be accompted a superfluouse labour sith as I suppose no man doth doubt of it And verilie concerning our own countrie as aboue fourtene hundred yeres past An. D. 188 Lucius the first Christian King of the Britans did send to Eleutherius the Bisshop of Rome to receaue from thence by his authority the ordinary meane of administring the Sacraments for him and his realm eueÌ„ so Ethelbert the first Christian King of the English Saxons toke his faith and the gouernment of the Church from the See of Rome S. Gregorie being theÌ„ Pope by our Apostle S. Augustine An. D. 630 And the good King Osui of NorthumberluÌ„d Bedae lib. histo Angli 3. c. 29 and Ecbert the King of Kent vnderstaÌ„ding that the RomaÌ„ Church esset catholica Apostolica Ecclesia was the Catholik and the Apostolike Church sent Wichardus with the consent of al the faithfull of England to Rome that hauing ther takeÌ„ the degré of an Archbishop he might ordein bisshops to all the Catholike Churches through Britannie From that day forward it is euident by al our Chronicles which at the least were made before that schism and heresie began that as euery King not only of EnglaÌ„d but of all Christian CouÌ„tries was best aÌ„d most geueÌ„ to godlines and to vertue so was he most obedient and frindful to the bishop of Rome And coÌ„trariewise as euery of them was most licentious most geuen to extorsion to tyrannie or to robling of Churches so was he most disobedient to the See of Rome So that as all the heathen Emperours froÌ„ Nero to the Renegat Iulianus did alwaies persecute the Apostolike See of Rome and as afterward al the heretical Emperours did the same as wel those of CoÌ„stantinople as of the West so contrarywise all the good Constantines the Theodosians the MartiaÌ„s Carolus Ludouicus Otho and their good successours did so little thiÌ„ck themselues the supream heads ouer the bishops of Rome and of the other Christians in spiritual causes that contrarie wise they obeied them as their chiefe pastours and as the Vicars of Christ aÌ„d the successours of S. Peter And that they did not only being a part euery man in his own Realm but also when that most famouse battell against the Turkes and Saracens was by the inspiration of the holy Ghost begun at one tyme by the Spaniards Sigebertus in Chron. Anno Do. 1096. Gascons Britans Normans English Scotish and Frenchmen by the Burgundions Almains Lumbards and Italians when diuerse Dukes as Godfrid of Lorrain and Baiamund of Apulia wheÌ„ diuerse Erles as Baldwin of MoÌ„s one Robert of Flanders and an other of Normandy StepheÌ„ of Blese and Raimund when Hugh the brother of Philip the King of Fraunce toke that most holy warfare in hand when I say they were stirred vppe with one spirit and hart to recouer the holy land did not they shew as wel their own belief as the vniuersal faith of al their countries and nations in that they had Hamarus the bishop of Podium sette ouer them Apostolica authoritate by the Apostolike authoritie And how marueilouse successe of victory had they conquering as well Antioche as Hierusalem It can be vnknowen to no man who readeth
was called campus Martius And so by the changing of the place the Protestants haue lost their argument The pope also doth sitte for the most part on the other side of the riuer vppon the hilnamed Vatican hard by S. Peters Churche The seueÌ„ hils by whom he holdeth his chaire not at all deriuing his power from the seuen hils whereupon the seuen Kings dwelt or from the Roman Empire But in dede the seuen hils are well meant the fulnes of pride and vaine glorie which is in all the worlde and specially in secular princes Herof I shal speak in the next chapiter to whom yet the protestants committ the supreame gouernment of the Church being therby nere to the state of Antichrist then they are ware of But lette all our new brethern bring but one holy Father or auncient doctour who hath ben alwaies accompted Catholike who euer said that the bishop of Rome should be Antichrist or if none can be alleaged let this doctrine of theirs be accompted a ê“phane nouelty of words 1. Tim. 6. which S. Paule would haue to be auoided among good Christians Not the Pope of Rome but the Protestants themselues are the members of Antichrist by forsaking the Catholike Church by setting vp a new Church and by teaching false doctrine against the Gospel of Iesus Christ The XVIII chap. THis being once cleered that the Pope of Rome can not be that notable Antichrist who was so loÌ„g before prophecied of the next shift of the Protestants must be to say that the Pope is at the lest a forerunner of that principal Antichrist 1. Ioan. 2 Of which sort all such are as by teaching false doctrine do promote his kingdoÌ„ who is the head and capitaine of all errour and heresie I am not ignorant that if I should exactly handle this argument I should runne ouer all the articles which are at this day in controuersie For in euery of them he that holdeth the false part is a meÌ„ber of Antichrist aÌ„d he that defendeth the truthe is of Christ But for so much as that were an infinite labour it shall suffise by a few generall reasons to shew the way vnto him who list to prosecute the said argumeÌ„t more fully The first mark of an Antichristian SEing we now speak not of Panims or Iewes who are without the Church but of heretikes who were once of the Church the first way to know this kind of Antichristes is if we can shew that any man departed from the Catholike Churche For when Christ intreated of false Prophetes and erroneouse teachers he said to his faithfull Disciples nolite exire Matth. 24 goe ye not out As who should say you are at this tyme within If ye can tarrie where you are no daunger can come to you But al the peril is in going out after them who preache otherwise then the Church beleueth 1. Ioan. 2. Of them S. Iohn said exierunt ex nobis they went forth from vs. Act. 15. Likewise the Apostles coÌ„plain of them who went out from theÌ„ and preached the necessity of circumcision Homil. de Pastor And S. Augustine saith generally exire haereticorum est It is the point of heretiks to goe out Who then went from the Churche of these two Did the Pope go out of the true Church or did the Protestants If the Pope weÌ„t forth whoÌ„ did he leaue behind him where dwelt they whoÌ„ he forsoke Let the country the City the town the village the Church the chappel the cumpany of neuer so fewe men be named from whom being members of the true Churche the Pope went For he that goeth out goeth from some and leaueth some behiÌ„d him But it can neuer be named whom the pope left behind him in the true Church when he went out of the said Church because in deed he neuer went forth but dwelt in the middest of all faithfull Nations being their guide and Pastour Neither did he depart froÌ„ the Grecians but some of the GreciaÌ„s for a tyme departed from him vpon the quarel of the proceding of the holy Ghost from God the son Which truthe the Grecians vniustlie denied And therfore after a tyme vppon better aduise and confereÌ„ce some of them came into that Church againe An. Dom. 1440. where the Pope remained head as at the Councel of FloreÌ„ce And some other taried without stil and died in the schism But al this while the pope went not out of the Church On the otherside we can al tell wheÌ„ a An. Do. 1044. Berengarius b 1350. Wiclef c 1410. Hus d 1517. Luther e 1522. Zuinglius f 1540. Caluin and such others professed to goe out the Roman Church We know whom they left behind them within the Church verily they left all Italy al Fraunce al Spaine al Polonia all Hungary all England all Sicily and so much of Germany in the Church as went not out after them If now it be the point of an hereticall Antichrist to goe out of the faithfull company of Christ who is liker to be Antichrist the Pope who departed from no company of Christ or the Protestants who departed from so many Christian natioÌ„s as now I named and most of al the Sacramentaries who departed also both from the Pope and from the verie Lutherans themselues An obiection As for that vaine bragge wherein they are wont to say the pope departed froÌ„ the Apostles and prophets is it not as easie for vs to say the selfe same thing vnto them The anâ—vver when we speak of departing we speake of the departing from the vnity of such as once liued together with vs in one house of God For then some goe out and some tarrie within As Arrius and Eusebius of Nicomedia departed out and his bishop Alexander with good Athanasius taried stil in the Church Nouatus went out Cornelius taried within Pelagius wente out Saint Augustine and Saint Hierom followed him not but taried within Euen so Luther went out from the company with whom he once liued peaceably aÌ„d the pope taried stil within Therefore Luther and his adhearents are hereticks and the members of Antichrist If it be said here An other obiection ansvvered that the Apostles and disciples departed from the Chaire of Moyses and yet were not heretiks I answere that such examples make nothing for the departing of the Protestantes from vs except they can bring such prophecies and such euident miracles for their departing from vs as the Apostles brought aÌ„d wrought for their departing from the Iewes There should be but one suche change of Religion in all the world aÌ„d because it was so hard a matter to make men forsake their former trade of seruing God it was not done without the comming doune of the Sonne of God from heauen into the earth Luc. 24. who shewed by the Prophets and by his very workes that the same one change of the whole religion
But they submitted their order and rule vnto the chiefe bishop who allowed it for good and vertuouse so that now their followers be named of their rule and obedience and not of their doctrine which in all points was Catholike as the very writen rule doth testifie It is then the property of hereticks to goe out of the Church And the Protestāts are gon out It is the property of Capitaine hereticks to leaue their own names to their scholars Hereof some protestants are called Lutherans other Zuingliās other Caluinists other Hosiandrines and so foorth from both which conditions the popes of Rome and their adherents are free as it hath ben declared The third marck of an Antichristian THirdly when heretickes are once without the Church they can not possibly agree partly because the grace of God and the spirit of vnity is not amōg them partly because they are without one visible iudge and head and are al so proud and puffed vp that euery man wil be a master so that no one of them wil yeld to the other So the old hereticks were diuided as S. a Lib. 1. c. 30. Ireneus witnesseth So the Arriās wēt straight into three diuerse sects as b heres 73. Epiphanius declareth And the like chaunced to the Donatists as S. c heres 69. Augustine hath testified But are the popes or the Catholiks in this case concerning their faith Who can shew a pope vnlike his predecessours or a Catholike disobedient to the pope from the first to the last their faith is one their professiō stil the same their gouernment is al after one rate Which thing could not possiblie come to passe except they were all directed by the God of peace and by the spirit of vnity But on the otherside how many sects are sprong in Germany alone within these forty yers How doe the Lutherās daily write and preache against the Caluinists in so much that they were in armes of late in Antwerp the one against the other How doe the Anabaptists dissent from them both How cruellie doe the ciuil Lutherās of Wittemberg persecute euen with filthy and slaunderouse Images Flaccus Illyricus a stout and straight Lutheran Neitheir can this matter be iustly coloured as it is to them who perish by the example of the Apostles and disciples hovv the Catholiks end their strife Act. 15. For if any small disagreing did fall out betwen them it was first rather about some temporal fact then any doctrine of the Gospel As when Paule and Barnabas dissented in this point whether Marck should goe with them or no. Againe if the fact did towche in any point the doctrine of the Gospel the one straight waies yelded to the other Galat. 2. as S. Peter did yeld vnto S. Paule who reproued him for a dissembling deede concerning the law of Moyses Or if the doctrine it selfe was called in doubt straight waies a visible iudge was chosen who might end the strife Act. 15. as when S. Paule and Barnabas came to Ierusalem to haue the Apostles decree concerning the law of Moyses not to binde any more Thus the Catholiks also dissent somtime either vpon a fact as whether it be best to reduce the keeping of Christmasse to the shortest day in the yere or no which is of no great importaunce or els the one yeldeth to the other who reproueth him if the matter be plaine or if it be intricat they both must vnder pain of damnation be content to referre them selues to a visible iudge in the earth after whose determination their strife is at an end as it was euidently sene in the matter of Clandestine Mariages at Trent For among vs he that obeyeth not the sentence of the highe priest is excommunicated Deut. 17. and separated from our societie But Luther being reproued of his brethern at many meetings did euermore stand in this matter of faith against thē that the body of Christ was really present with the substāce of braed Zuinglius on the otherside being reproued often tymes yet died stubbornly in this opinion that the body of Christ was present not in truth but in a signe and figure As it is certaine to vs that neither of those two is saued so their faith must needes be monstrouse Note vvel who beleue that they both are saued The contentiō was not of a matter which as yet was hiddē or vnreuealed For what in all the world ought to haue ben or was more knowē then the supper of Christ Which these fiften hundred yeres hath ben in daily practise and therefore the whole doctrine cōcerning the substance of it may not be vnknowen no not to weomē and to yong men Moreouer eche of thē said he was sure of the truth and beleued his opinion most constantly And shal now both he be saued who teacheth stubbornly euen to death that in this sacramental bread the substāce of Christes body is present and he also who teacheth stubbornly euen to death that in this sacramental bread the substance of Christes body is not present If both these preachers defended the truthe what kinde of religion is this where contradictory articles are true at once If the one was a false teacher euen with stubburnes he was therein a member of Antichrist And seing it must needes be that the one did auouche false doctrine and yet did warrant it for the true Gospel we are sure that one of the two must nedes be a mēber of Antichrist And yet seing the Popes Catholike doctrine doth dissent from them both which soeuer of two be an Antichrist the Pope shall not be thereby in any daunger to be an Antichrist together with any of them Mark the reason wel It goeth not to this opiniō or to that wherin there is no end of contention But it concludeth a necessary sequele vpon a confessed truthe If any man for false doctrine may be an enemy of Christ as doutlesse he may he is that enemy who teacheth most presumptuously his false doctrine But of these two doctrines it is the body of Christ and it is not the bodie of Christ the one must needes be false Therefore seing Luther tawght stoutlie the one and Zuinglius stoutly the other either Luther or Zuinglius is an aduersarie of Christ. This poīt vvuld be ansvvered But all the whole number of Protestants a verie few Illyricans excepted accompt them both saued and consequentlie they iustifie the stubborn preachers of clean contrarie doctrines therefore the whole number of Protestantes doth iustifie one who is an Antichrist And therefore the whole number of Protestants is condemned of God for iustifying a false prophet and for defending an euident member of Antichrist as who teache euil to be good VVo to them Isai 5. and good to be euil To you I speake M. Iewel did not Luther teache false doctrine when he said that the bodie of Christ was really and substantially present with the substance of bread in the Sacrament
cap. 7. which thing Caluin accompted a beastlie matter Againe at Geneua his doctrine is decaied For wheras he beleued that Christes soule went downe into hell euen to the place where the soules are tormented in euerlasting fire In 2. Act. Apostol Beza so much misliketh him therein that he wil haue Christes soule to goe no lower then into the graue The which opinion the Englishe translation of the Actes of the Apostles made at Geneua doth embrace And concerning his opinion of the Sacramēt that I may omit how vehementlie Flacius Illyricus hath shaken it already in his bokes against Beza it can not long stande because the common sorte can not vnderstande it And worthelie for that whiche is not true is not able to be vnderstanded and his doctrine is altogeather grounded vppon imagination without any assurāce of God words To be short if the Anabaptists shall not by a worse heresie oppresse the glory of Caluins doctrine or if all other meanes to destroy it should faile at the lest by this one way it is sure to perish For as the Marcionists the Manichees the Arrians the Nestoriās the Eutychians the Monothelites the Pelagians the Donatists the Imagebreakers were at the last all wrapped in Apostasie and infidelity and were swalowed vppe by the Moores the Saracens and the Turcks euen so is it most certaine that if the Caluinists do scape other destructions they shal perish in the end either being made infidels or being conquered of others But in the meane tyme how safe stādeth the See Apostolik How many hundred yeres hath it dured alwaies like to it selfe How vnremoueable is that rock How doth the doctrine therof florish more and more euery daie Truth which is the dawghter of tyme hath now made many hereticks to confesse that they thought so much could neuer haue ben said for the Apostolike See of Rome as now they finde In so much that if al these things which are now reuealed had ben knowen before thowsands of them would neuer haue gonne that way But now either shame or slewth or couetousnes or feare of wordly princes or the hard profession of the Catholikes or desperation causeth them to stoppe their eyes and their eares lest perhaps they might see the truthe and be conuerted Ioan. 1◠Yet God to shew his almighty power doth daily reuoke some to his true Church both in Germannie and Fraunce and I beseche him to doe the like in our countrie of England also The fifth marck of an Antichristian THe fifth marck wherby to know the forerūners of Antichrist is if any man preache Gods Word without commission rom his superiours For such a one runneth before he be sent and cometh of himself as Antichrist shall doe Rom. 10. For how shall they preach saith S. Paul except they be sent Now as Christ the head preacher of all was sent of his Father visiblie in flesh so he visiblie sent his Apostles Ioan. 20. 2. Tim. 4. and they by imposition of hands sent others to preache And their successours frō age to age haue sent others in the Catholike Churche euen till this day So that all Catholike preachers are hable to reduce their commlssion from step to step vntil they come to Christ himself But seing Luther Zuinglius and Caluin rebelled against their own bisshops who are the successours of the Apostles and seing they were not sent of any in all the world who had a knowen and publike authority from the Apostles of Christ it must nedes follow that they came of themselues and were not lawfully sent at all As for temporall magistrates who are onely sheepe and which can not preache themselues can much lesse send others to preache For no man can send an other to doe that which him self is not able to do Ioan. 13. sith no Apostle or Legat is greater then he that sent him And yet it was not possible for any temporal magistrate or any common weale to send Luther to preache because they who should haue sent him were by his iudgement misbeleuers vntil he had conuerted them to a new faith And so when he had first preached his doctrine he was sent of no mā in all the world but came of himself ād therefore was an Antichrist Ioan. 5. who cōmeth in his own name as Christ hath tawght It is well knowen also that Luther would not send Zuinglius to preache against himself Neither would Zuinglius send Caluin to deface his own doctrine And consequently euery one of these is a false preacher who cometh not from Christ nor from his Apostles or their successours as the Pope doth who succedeth lineally S. Peter as it is knowen The sixth marck of an Antichristian THe sixth marke whereby to know this broode of Antichrist may be in that Antichrist himself being alltogether carnal shall prefer the temporal reign or sword before the spiritual A certaine signe wherof this is because he shall constraine men with force of armes not only to kepe their former faith for that were lawful for hī who is a true officer of God but also to take a new faith which thing no mā would doe except he were of this minde that mens consciences ought to yeld to his violent force And in dede when his master the diuel said to Christ Math. 4. If thou fal down and adore me I wil geue thee all these things shewing al the kingdōs of the world he declared himself to be of this minde to pluck the seruice dew to God to himself and to make vs prefer the kingdoms of the world before the faith of Christ And therefore Antichrist who is ruled by the deuill shall putte confidence also in an earthlie Kingdome And as Saint Paule saieth he shall come in virtute that is to say 2. Thess 2 in power and strength Whereunto it is very agreable that his preachers also doe preferre the iurisdiction of temporall princes Note In Horn against M. Fecknam aboue the iurisdiction of the spirituall ministers of Christ teaching that Kings are the supreame gouernours of Christes Churche And that secular princes may visite correct reforme and depose any bishop in their owne realmes Which is directly to say that the power of the Kinge is a higher and a greater power in Gods Church then the power of a bishop or of a pastour For as the lawiers know and natural reason teacheth Lege 3. 4. de Arbitris nec par in parem potestatē habet nec inferior in superiorem Neither any aequal hath power vpon his equal nor any inferiour hath power vpon his superiour But say the Protestants the temporal King may depose a bishop and yet that he can not doe iustly except he may first sitte iudge vppon a bishop euen as he is a bishop and sitte iudge ouer him as he is a bishop he can not except he he be his superiour therefore it is the protestants doctrine that a Kings temporal power for we speake
threatenings of the Emperour what neede is there of men who haue the title of bishoppes When hath it bene heard of since the beginning of the world Note when did the iudgement of the church take his autority frō the Emperor or whē at any time was this acknouleged for a iudgemēt There haue ben very many synods hertofore many iudgements of the Church haue ben kept But neither the Fathers went about to persuade these things to the prince nor the Prince did shew himselfe curiouse in the matters of the Churche Paule the Apostle hadde frinds in Cesars howse and did salute the Philippians in their name in his letters yet did he not take them as his fellowes in iudgement By this ye may perceaue that no Emperours at al were they neuer so good no County Palatines or secular Lords be they neuer so much faithful as Constās was ād those of th' Emperors house of whome S. Paule speaketh haue yet any right or power Philip. 4. to sitte presidents in Ecclesiastical matters otherwise then to kepe ciuil order and peace but onlie those to whom God hath committed the cure of sowles In so much that Athanasius douteth not by name to call Constantius the foreruner of Antichrist because he being a secular prīce intermedled with the spiritual gouernment of the Churche Quid igitur Constantius quod Antichristi non sit In epist vbi antè omisit aut quomodo ille in aduentu suo non repererit sibi expeditam viam ad dolos ab isto praeparatam Siquidem in locum ecclesiasticae cognitionis suum palatium tribunal earum caufarum constituit séque earum litium summum principem authorem facit What hath Constantius then omitted that doth not appertain to Antichrist Or how shal not Antichrist when he cometh finde a fitte way for him to all deceits prepared by this mā ▪ For in steede of the Ecclesiasticall iudgement The part of Antichrist he appointeth his palace to be the place of iudgement for their causes and maketh himselfe the chiefest prince and bearer out of those controuersies Ibidē vbi antè And againe Grauia sunt ista plusquam grauia sed tamen istiusmodi quae congruant in eum qui Antichristi imaginem induerit Quis enim videns eum in decernendo principem se facere Episcoporū praesidere iudicijs Ecclesiasticis non meritò dicat illū eam ipsam abominationem desolationis esse quae à Daniele praedicta est nam cùm circumamictus sit Christianismo caet These things are greuous and more then greuous but yet they are such as doe well agree to him who hath put on the the Image of Antichrist For who seing him in making a decree to take vpon him to be prince of the bishops and to be president in Ecclesiastical iudgemēts may not worthely say that he is the abomination of the desolation which was foretold by Daniel The property of antichrist For when he being clothed with Christianitie doth both enter into the holie places and also being there doth spoile Churches abrogate the Canons vsing force to make men obserue and keepe his commaundements who will at anie tyme dare say that this is a quiet tyme to the Christians and not rather a persecution and such a persecution as neither hath ben before nor perchance no man will at any tyme make again but that sonne of iniquity which is Antichrist Thus haue we the determinate sentence of Athanasius of Athanasius I say the most notable bishop that euer was for vertue and lerning since the Apostles time And his sentence is that the Christiā Emperor and the like is of any Christian Prince who taketh vpō him to be prince of the bishops in making a decree and to be president in Ecclesiasticall iudgements is a mēber of that abominable desolatiō wherof Daniel prophecied Can any plainer sentence be wished for to conclude my present purpose Neither was this doctrine only meant of an heretical Emperour for the Catholike Emperour Constans is praised for not medling with Church matters Philip. 4. Yea S. Paule is alleaged not to haue communicated the Church matters with those good Christians of Cesars howse I know with what wranglers I haue to doe They wil bring examples to shew that some Emperours haue sitten in general Coūcels as Constantine the great Martianus ād some others But I answere that they satte to kepe good order and to preserue peace and quietnes among the bishops speciallie because the Archeheretikes were commonly themselues great Prelates as being the patriarches of Antioche or of Alexandria or of Constantinople Who yf the Emperour were not present would vse force in the stede of holy scriptures as Dioscorus did In the schismatical Ephesine Coūcel and Eusebius of Nicomedia in the tyme of the Arrians For the preseruing thē of ciuil and ecclesiastical peace the Emperour was present ād not as supreme iudge in Ecclesiasticall causes S. Ambrose noteth and thincketh that euen an heretical Emperour comming to yeres of discreatiō wil be hable to consider In epi. 32. VVhat maner of bishop M. Horn i◠qualis ille Episcopus sit qui Laicis ius Sacerdotale substernit what manner of bishop he is who layeth the priestly right vnder the laye mens seete And yet by geuing of the most proud and most intolerable title of supreame Head or gouernor in al ecclesiastical causes to lay princes al the religiō vsed now in England wholy standeth What bishoppes then are those of England who making the secular prince their head putte the priestly right vnder his feete S. Augustine being fully persuaded that nothing could be greater then a priest in the house of God therevpon concludeth that Moyses must nedes haue ben a priest for saieth he nunquid maior sacerdote esse poterat August in Psalm 98. Could he be greater then a priest Yea Marie saith M. Horn he might haue ben a King or a secular Prince But S. Augustine knew no such diuinity And yet the worlde toward the comming of Antichrist is growne so wise that these men haue found now that euery Emperor King Prince or Duke who hath any temporall state of his owne is greater euen in Ecclesiasticall causes then the lawfull successour of S. Peter This I say is the diuinity of England For therein our countrie maketh a peculiar Secte of his owne wherein they disagree euen from their fellow Caluinistes But lette them loke to it as well as they will they shal finde it a badge of Antichrist as Athanasius hath plainlie affirmed And when the daie of triall commeth it shall euidentlie appeere that those are most faithfull subiects to the prince who geue him his due place of honour in Gods Churche without derogation to that heauēly power of bishops which Christ himself came down from hauen to plant and whom he hath set euen ouer the Kings themselues Ioan. 21. as being the sheepe of their foldes Theod. lib.
praescript It hath ben alwaies the fashion of all heretikes as Tertullian saith to destroye other mens buildings as to vndoe that which other men doe Ipsum opus eorum non de suo proprio aedificio venit sed de veritatis destructione nostra suffodiuÌ„t vt sua aedificent Their very worck riseth not of their own building but from the destroying of the truthe They vndermine our things that they may build vp their owne And Hippolytus thinketh the seale of Antichrist to be nego In Homi. de consum mat sec I deny For as saith he the deuil did exhort the Martyrs to deny their God who was crucified so at the last day the seale of Antichrist and of his members shal be Nego creatorem coeli terrae nego baptisma nego adorationem à me Deo praestarisoliatam I deny the maker of heauen and of earth I denie baptisme I deny the adoration which I was wont to doe vnto God Thus in the old tyme whereas the Apostles preached Christ to be true God and man VVHat the old hereticke deny Arrius denied his true Godhead Marcion and Valentinus and Manicheus denied his true manhood Apollinaris is denied his true sowle the Monothelits denied his doble will the Donatists the Continuance of the vniuersality of his Church the Pelagians the necessity of Gods grace and the like may be said of all other heretiks whose opinions alwaies detracted some perfection from Christ or from his Church Now I will shew that the Protestants doe the like in our tyme. For whereas the vniuersal Church as wel by the preaching of the Apostles as by the witnesse of Gods writen word was in possession of a publike sacrifice of priesthood of seuen Sacramentes as of most vndoubted instrumentes of grace and of diuerse other godly and diuine orders and Canons haue they any other Gospell any other Churche or any other doctrine then that which consisteth in deniyng Hovv many things the Protestants take avvay froÌ„ the Churche Ioan. 1. and in taking away that which was before The holy scriptures and Churche tawght that a man being iustified is both really deliuered from his synnes and really receaueth faith hoape and charity Thei deny our synnes to be taken away by the lamb of God who came for that purpose saying they tary still but onely that they are not imputed They teache also that no iustice is at all made in vs by spreading charity in our harts Rom. 5. whereas S. Paul saith iusti coÌ„stituentur multi many shal be made iust But they only say iustice is imputed to vs. Again they fiue Sacraments of the seuen They deny that baptism remitteth our synnes or that baptisme is necessarie to children which are born of Ghristian parents Augustin epist 106. Which was the heresie of the Pelagians They deny the vse of holy oyle and of chrism They deny the reall presence of Christes body the adoration and reseruation thereof the transubstantiation of the bread into his body the vnblody sacrifice of Christes supper the communion of one kinde to be sufficient and consequently they deny that whole Christ in vnder eche kinde and the mingling of water with the wine And that one may receaue alone that Aultars are lawfull that there are Priestes of the newe Testament that Bishops are of any higher degree then Priestes that there is any one bisshoppe chief of all other that Priests can forgeue synnes but onelie may preache that they are forgeuen that it is lawfull to appoint certaine daies of fasting or the abstinence from certain meates for obedience although God both willed Adam to absteine from a certain frute Genes 2. and the Iewes to absteine from certain meates They deny that it is lawfull to pray to the Saints in heaueÌ„ or to pray for the faithful which died in Christ wherein they deny any communioÌ„ of praier betwene the faithful which are aliue and their brethern who liue out of this worlde with Christ They deny the infallible authority of generall CouÌ„cels the visible succession of bishoppes the place of purgation after this life the remaining of paine after the synne is forgeuen the chaÌ„ging or pardoming of the said paine by the high bisshop the vse and moderate honour of Images the signe of the healthfull crosse the making of a vowe to liue chaste or to renounce all propriety of goods or to liue in obedience the reuerence don the reliques of the blessed Martyrs the vse of praier in the holy tungs the vniuersall tradition of vnwriten verities and to be short theiÌ„ deny the bookes of the old Bible such as are not in the Canon of the Iewes These things and many other like whiles they deny what other thing do thei theÌ„ pul down the religioÌ„ of Christ which hath ben a building these fiften hundred yeeres And therein they prepare a way to Antichrist who in the end must deny all that they as yet leaue vndenied For if they should openly deny euery whit 2 Thes â— then the mystery of iniquity should not be a working and many simple men should not haue bene deceaued by them who now are deceaued because they pretend to refoorme and not to take away Christes religion But when the tyme is ripe then the iniquity which is now begun must be fulfilled and so is the whole religioÌ„ destroied I would this were not true And yet it is possible that euery Protestant knoweth not so much because Satan the great capitaine of their army keepeth his Counsel to himselfe knowing that how much the closer he worketh the more hurt he is like to doe But God through mercy detecteth his snares aÌ„d warneth them Genes 1â— 6. who wil be saued to flee into the hil with Loth and to the ship of the Churche with Noe there to prouide for their eternal saluatioÌ„ which our Lord graunt through his bitter passion Amen Finis Librum istum de primatu Romani Pontificis Petra Ecclesiae vniuersalis legerunt viri sacrae Theologiae Auglici idiomatis peritissimi quibus iudico meritò tutò credendum esse vt fine periculo imo summa cum vtilitate euul gari possit Cunerus Petri P.S. Petri Louanij 25. Februa Anno. 1566. A BRIEF SOME OF THE chief points of this treatise THE preface conteineth the marks of the true Church The difference betwen a dominion and a primacy 17. The Apostles strife coÌ„cerning superiority is declared 25. 26. 27. That there was one greater among the Apostles 20. vsque 37. To be a ruler and as a minister do not repugne 46. 47. The preeminence of priests aboue Kings 51. 52. caet A King can not be supreme gouernor in all ecclesiasticall causes because by right and Law he can not practise al ecclesiastical causes 61. 64. 67. The highe priest is preferred before the King by Gods lawe 72. 74. 76. The euil life of a bishop taketh not away his authority 78. 79. The differences betweÌ„ the bisshop of Rome and temporal princes 80. vsque 88. That Moises was a priest 83. 84. 85. The literal sense of holy scripture 96. The promise to be called Peter was the first cause why the church was built vpon him 110. The Protestants can not tell which is the first literal sense of these words vpon this rock I will build my Churche 135. How Peter beareth the person of the Church 165. The obiections against S. Peters supremacy are answered 219. vsque 230. How Christ loued Peter aboue others 237. The Church neuer lacked a visible rock 270. 271. The whole gouernment of the Church tendeth to vnity 299. Why S. Peter died at Rome 313. 313. S. Augustins minde touching the supremacy of the Pope of Rome 348. vsque 372. A priest aboue the Emperour in Eeclesiasticall causes 378. The oth of the roial supremacy is intolerable 383. CoÌ„staÌ„tine baptized at Rome 391 Phocas did not first make the See of Rome head of al Churches 405. vsque 410. Why Antichrist is permitted to come 423. Hereticks depart from the Catholik Church 469. Hereticks being once departed out of the Churche haue newe names 471. Why amoÌ„g the Catholiks some are called Franciscans Dominicans caet 477. Heretiks can neuer agree 479. The short reigne of heretickes 489 caet Hereticks preache without coÌ„mission 496. Heretiks doe prefer the temporal reign or sword before the spiritual 499. They are the members of Antichrist who withstand the external and publike sacrifice of Christes Church 518. Hereticks depriue Christ of his glorious inheritaunce in many nations together 517. The intolerable pride of heretikes in making themselues onely iudges of the right sense of Gods word 530. The ProtestaÌ„ts teache the same doctrine which the old hereticks did 553. The Protestantes are the right meÌ„bers of Antichrist in that they spoile Gods Church of very many gifts and graces and articles of the faith 560. FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing Page Line Faultes Corrections 10. 10. shephead shepheard 23. 22. them because them but because 98. 22. resurrection by resurrection by 103. 24. confession Being confession being 106. 13. stedfastnes of stedfastnes or of â—16 9. and promised aÌ„d being promised 145. 8. and in that and that 177. 21. the thing the man 186. 6. rocke of rock or 195. 14. sbme some 208. 23. vvhen Augustine vvhen Augustine 209. 11. hy me by me 214. 1. to true to be true 2â—9 17. in omnibus in ouibus 26â— 1. to the the 273. 15. vvas vvere vvas vvhere 281. 6. the pordinary the ordinary 382. 7. can gouern can not gouern 426. 14. CoÌ„essours Confessours 430. 13. teache teache 432. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 408. 1. out the out of the 496. 2. rom from 516. â— hauen heauen 539. 22. S. Saule S. Paul 553. 21. bishops bishop I F RESPâ—â—ITE VOLATILIA COELI ET PVLLOS CORVORVM
whereupoÌ„ Christes Church is builded for the tyme. Against which doctrine M. Iewel writeth after this sort Ievvel In the 4. Article Pag. 221. For asmuch as they seme to make greatest accoÌ„pt of those words of Christ thou art Peter and vpon this rock I wil build my Church therefore for answere hereunto vnderstand thou good Reader that the old Catholike Fathers haue writen and pronounced not any mortal man as Peter was but Christ himself the Son of God to be this rock Sander Note good Reader that we dispute not at this tyme whether Christ be absolutely the chiefest and most principal rock 1. Cor. 10. or no for both sydes confesse that thing but whether S. Peter for his part also be not this Rocke whereof Christ at this tyme saith vpoÌ„ this rock I wil build my Church M. Iewel denieth S. Peter to be this rock I wil proue God willing directlie against M. Iewels words that the old Catholike fathers haue writen and pronounced not only Christ the son of God but also euen such a mortal man as S. Peter was to be this rock whereof Christ at that time spake And that as well by their plaine words as by the reason of their owne words Yea also by the places which M. Iewel alleageth for the contrarie opinion In Decre epist Tomo 1. CoÌ„cilior First omitting to speake of Anacletus of Pius of Fabianus and of other holie bishops of Rome whose testimonies are yet most vniustly reiected of â—he ProtestaÌ„ts seing thei suffred death and not onlie with their word but also with their blud bare witnesse to Christes name I wil only bring forth such â—uthorities as they themselues doe not â—eiect Tertullian saith De praescriptioni aduersus haret Latuit aliquid Petrum aedificandae Ecclesiae Petram â—dictuÌ„ was any thing priuie from Peter being called the Rocke of the Church which was to be builded Here is Peter affirmed to haue ben called Petra the rocke The rock of the Church Yea the rocke of the Church and of the Church which Christ intended to build so that the building by Tertullians iudgement was yet to come verilie because it was perfitly built vpon S. Peter when Christ said vnto him aboue al others Ioan. 21. Plus his fede my shepe Now good Reader confer this place of Tertullian with that which M. Iewel affirmed and see â–ª what shal I call it I say no more but see that M. Iewel wâ—â— ouerseen and trust him no more De consummat mundi Hippolitus the martyr saith Princeps Petrus fidei petra Peter is the chiefe the rock of faith Homil. 5. in Exod. Origenes calleth S. Peter Magnum illud Ecclesiae fundamentum petram solidissimam super quam Christus fundauit Ecclesiam that great foundation and most Massy and sound rock wherevpon Christ hath builded the Church Lib. 1. epi. 3. lib. 4 epist 9. S. Cyprian agreeth with them saying Super Petrum aedificata à Domino fuerat ecclesia the Church was built of our Lord vppon Peter Christ our Lord said vpon this rock will I build my Church Saint Cyprian saieth our Lord hath built his Church vpon Peter Therefore S. Cyprian vnderstoode Peter to be this rock And consequently some excelleÌ„t old Catholique Fathers vnderstode a mortal man as S. Peter was to be this Rocke whereof Christ speaketh S. Hilarie writeth Libr. 6. de Trinit Petrus aediâ—cationi Ecclesiae subiacet Peter â—eth vnder the building of the Churâ—he To lie vnder the building is to â—e the foundation which foundation â—ither is a Rocke or in the steed of 〈◊〉 Rock to the house which is built vpâ—on it Likewise in an other place he crieth In cap. Math. 1◠〈◊〉 in nuncupatione noui nomiâ—is soelix Ecclesiae fundamentum dignáque aedificatione illius peâ—ra quae infernas leges dissolueâ—et O happy foundation of the Church in hauing the new name pronounced of thee and o Rocke worthie of the building of that Church which should vndoe the lawes of hel The new name is the name of Peter which was newlie geuen to Simon that he might be thereby the happie foundation and worthie Rock wherevpon the Church should be built Sermone 68. S. Ambrose reciting the authority of these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke wil I builde my Church therevpon saith Si ergo Petrus petra est super quam aedificatur Ecclesia recte prius pedes sanat vt sicut in Ecclesia fidei fundamentuÌ„ continet ita in homine membroruÌ„ fundamenta coÌ„firmet Seing then Peter is the rock wherevpoÌ„ the Church is built he doth wel to heale first the feete that euen as he doth conteine the foundacion of faith in the Church so likewise in the man he may confirme the foundacions of his members In Concio de poenit S. Basil speaking of this very coÌ„fession of S. Peter writeth thus Petrus petra est propter Christum petraÌ„ Largitur enim Iesus suas dignitates petra est petram facit Peter is a Rock through Christ the Rocke For Iesus geueth to Peter his own dignities He is the Rocke and maketh an other to be the Rock What can be said more plainly against M. Iewel Not onely Christ is the Rocke but he maketh Peter also a Rock S. Hierom sheweth by an example Hieron in Matt. 16. Ioan. 1. that as Christ being the light gaue to the Apostles that they should be called the light of the world Matt. 5. aÌ„d as they had of our Lord other names euen so to Simon who beleeued in Christe the Rock he gaue the name of Peter and consequently he saith that according to the Metaphore of a Rock it is wel said to him Super te VpoÌ„ thée Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam super te I will builde my Church vpon thée Behold the Church was promised to be built vpon a mortal man as Peter was S. Chrysostom writeth thus Ex Var. in Math. locis hom 27. Princeps Apostolorum Petrus super quem Christus fundauit EcclesiaÌ„ verè immobilis petra firma coÌ„fessio Peter the Prince of the Apostles vpon whom Christ hath fouÌ„ded the Church a very immouable Rocke and a strong confession Note It is much to be noted that S. Chrysostome calleth S. Peter the confession whereby we may vnderstande when S. Chrysostome saith in an other place that the Church is builte vppon the faith of confession he meaneth vpon the faith of Peter confessing or making the confession So that not euerie mans but Peters confession is this rock wherevpon the Church is promised to be built Epiphanius doubted not to write of S. Peter in this wise In Anchoratu Ipse Dominus coÌ„stituit euÌ„ primuÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ petram firmaÌ„ super quaÌ„ Ecclesia Del aedificata est portae inferoruÌ„ non valebunt aduersus illaÌ„ portae auteÌ„ inferoruÌ„ sunt haereses haeresiarchae Iuxta oeÌ„m enim moduÌ„
verbo Domini Vnde probem quaeris Ex verbo Domini Cui enim noÌ„ dico Episcoporum sed etiaÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ sic absolute indiscrete totae commissae sunt oues Si me amas Petre pasce oues meas Quas Illius aut illius populos ciuitatis aut regionis aut certi regni Oues meas inquit Cui non planuÌ„ non designasse aliquas sed assignasse omnes nihil excipitur vbi distinguitur nihil Other pastours haue flocks assigned to them euery pastour one flock to thee all are committed one flock to one shepheard And not only of the sheepe but also of the pastours thou alone art the pastour Doest thow aske how I proue it By the word of our Lord. Gods vvoord For to whome I say not onely of the Bisshops but also of the Apostles so absolutelie and without distinction are all the shepe committed If thou louest me Peter feede mie shepe Which shepe whether the people of this or of that citie or countrie or of a certaine kingdom He saieth mie shepe To whom is it not euident that Christ did not appoint out some but assigned all Nothing is excepted where nothing is distincted This place needeth no declaration it is so full in al points Wherefore I suppose it is by this time sufficiently proued that S. Peter did excell a great way euen his fellow Apostles in the pastoral authoritie of feeding Christes flock By which power S. Iames otherwise S. Peters equal yet after he was once bishop of Ierusalem was thereby of necessitie subiect vnto Peter as who could not feede a parte of that flocke which was wholie committed vnto Peter but by the acknowleging of Peter his general shepheard In signe whereof S. Peter being not readen himselfe to haue ben ordeined bishop of any other then of Christ did yet with two other Apostles orde in S. Iames Bishop of Ierusalem Euseb li. 2 cap. 1. as the Ecclesiastical historie doth witnesse In consideration of which S. Peters Bishoplie power Arnobius who would neuer haue called Peter the Apostle of the Apostles yet douted not to name him the Bisshop of Bishops and to confirme the same by this place of the Gospel where Peter alone is made the pastour whiles it is said to him feede my shepe And because his other woordes were alleaged before it maie suffise now to heare him saie this much onelie of S. Peter Arnobius in Psalm 138. Ecce Apostolo poenitenti succurritur qui est Episcoporum Episcopus Behold the Apostle who is the Bisshop of Bisshoppes being penitent findeth succour Could anie thing be spoken more plainlie But you will say In epist. â— ad IacobuÌ„ fra Dom. that S. Clement geueth the verie same title to S. Iames also As though Saint Iames being the Archbishop of IerusaleÌ„ had not diuers other bishops vnder hiÌ„ of which bishops he might wel be called the bishop But S. Peter being alone called the pastour as Arnobiê° shewed before aÌ„d so being a bishop as he was a pastour must be vnderstanded not onely to be a bishop of some bishops as euery Archebishop is but also a bishop of all bishops as noman at al is beside S. Peter and his successours But Peter being alone the pastour is alone the bishop of the very Apostles also in that behalf as they were bishops and not in that respect as they were Apostles Yea but here an other may bring forth S. Cyprian Ad Quintum de haeret baptizand who saith Neque quisquam nostrûm EpiscopuÌ„ episcoporum se esse constituit Neither doth any of vs make himself a bisshop of bishops I pray you sir what is this to the purpose Because no man maketh himself a bishop of bishops shall therefore Christ make no man a bishop of bishops S. Cyprian speaketh of his own dede and Arnobius speaketh of Christes dede But if Christ himself make noman a Bishop of bisshops how is then S. Iames called a bisshop of bishops Or was S. Iames that which S. Peter could not be Again Saint Cyprian meaneth that in matters which are yet in controuersie no man may plaie the bisshop of bisshoppes in iudging an other bishoppe Or in prescribing to him what he shall beleue in doutfull cases But S. Augustine expounding this verie place of S. Cyprian De baptis cont Donanist lib. 3. cap. 3. sheweth it to be otherwise in matters which are alreadie well knowen and throughly discussed in the Church Moreouer Ibidem Se in omnibus humilians Saint Cyprian in that place sheweth his humilitie and his loue of vnitie as Saint Augustine hath well noted in that he being in deede a Bishop of some Bisshoppes because he was an Archebisshop yet doth renounce to vse his authoritie whereas notwithstanding if he had not ben aboue other Bisshoppes he should not haue alwaies both sitten and spoken first in the prouincial CouÌ„cel as both he and his Auncestours also had done Last of al S. Cyprian doth most euidentlie confesse the Supremacie of S. Peter by that which he writeth of his principal Chaier and succession lib. i. ep 3. et de vnit Eccles as it shal appeare afterward At this time it suffiseth that S. Peter is taught by Arnobius to haue ben a Bishop of Bishops which thing no Catholike Father did at any time denie Lib. 7. de Schis Yea on the other side Optatus feared not to write thus of S. Peter Preferri apostolis omnibus meruit claues regni coelorum communicandas coeteris solus accepit Peter deserued to be preferred before al the Apostles and he alone toke the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to be communicated vnto others hovv the keies are coÌ„municated This preferment in taking the keies to be communicated with others is to be meante concerning that whiles S. Peter alone was made the high Pastor and Bisshop therby the keyes were coÌ„municated to the other Apostles in such sorte as they all were Bisshops and not so as though he communicated the keies to them in respecte that they were Apostles for the Apostles toke the keies belonging to their Apostolike office immediately of Christ and not by the mediation of S. Peter Accordingly as S. Paul teacheth him selfe to be an Apostle neither of men Galat. 1. nor by a man but by Iesus Christ Therefore when Peter alone is said to haue taken the keies it is meante that he alone as high Priest and chiefe Bisshop took the keies of his pastorall office to be coÌ„municated by him to particular Bisshops his inferiours For as Leo writeth of his christian brethern Petrum non solum Romanae sedis praesulem Leo. Ser. 2. in aniuers assumpt sed omnium Episcoporum nouerunt esse primatem They know Peter to be not only the Bishop of the See of Rome but also to be the Primate of al Bisshops This most plaine sentence I suppose nedeth no declaration But it sheweth S. Peter beside his Apostolike office to haue a
dubble power of gouerning the Church one particular in the Citie of Rome an other general ouer al Bisshoppes Now such a primate of al Bisshoppes S. Iames was not albeit he was a Bishop of some Bishops To end this mater let vs heare the iudgement of S. Gregorie Certè Petrus Apostolus primum membrū sanctae Lib 4. ep 38. vniuersalis Ecclesiae est Paulus Andreas Ioannes quid aliud quâm singularum sunt plebium capita Surely Peter the Apostle is the chiefe member of the holy and vniuersal Churche Paule Andrew Iohn what other thing are they then eche one the heades of particular Churches Here S. Gregory meaneth not to saie that Saint Paul or S. Andrew coulde not preache in all the worlde God forbid but onely that as Bisshoppes they coulde haue but this or that flocke vnder them In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 4. totius Ecclesiae principatū obtinuit whereas otherwise Sainte Gregorie him selfe confesseth that S. Paule obteined the chiefe gouernmēt of the whol Church And the like all the other Apostles obteined by their Apostleshippe without anye diuision of flockes or Churches assigned by Christe But Peter hadde the charge of the whole Churche not onely as an Apostle but also as a high Bisshop And therein onlie S. Gregorie meaneth that he passed Paule Andrew or Iohn This much I trust may suffise them who will be satisfied for proufe that whereas euery Apostle had in him the whole right of the Apostleshippe and also the right of being a particular Bissshoppe Saint Peter had not only those two Authorities but also he had the right of the highest Bisshoppe in respect of all other Bisshoppes He as a Bisshoppe vvas the chiefe member of the whole militant Church that is to saie to the head thereof as S. Gregorie teacheth a Lib. 4. ep 38. He was the bisshop of bisshops saith Arnobius b in Psal 138. and the Primate of al prelates saith Leo. c. serm 2. in aniuers d lib. 2. ad Eugen. the pastor of al pastors saith S. Bernard He alone by the iudgement of Arnobius was called of Christ a Pastor because there was none other aduaunced to that power of feedinge which he receiued He was preferred a greate way before the Apostles in authoritie lib. 2. de Sacerdotio saith d lib. 2. ad Eugen. S. Chrysostome In him being one Pastour vnitie was signified saith S. e in Psal 138. e Homil. de pastor Augustine He was the vicare of Christes loue in feeding vs as S. f in Lucae 24. Ambrose affirmed Cōcerning this primacie of his Bisshoply power in that sense he was much more properly the guide toppe mouth chief and head of the Apostles then in the Apostolike function For whereas they were chosen Apostles aequally with him he alone was chosen high Pastour aboue them Al these things haue ben proued out of Gods word and out of the holy Fathers Order now requireth that I should shew S. Peters prerogatiue also by the continuance of his authoritie That the pastoral or chiefe Bisshops authoritie of s Peter was an ordinary authoritie and therefore it must goe for euer vnto his successours whereas the Apostolike authoritie being extraordinarie hath no successours in it The Xiij THe Apostles were instituted for a certain purpose Matth. 23 Act. 1. verilie to publish the Gospel and to plant the faith of Christe in al nations with a most absolute power and with an autoritie which neuer should be controlled For seing S. Peter being one man alone was not able to preach the Gospel at once in al places nor by and by to gouern diuerse nations newly conuerted as whose commission from Christ was not as then sufficientlie knowen Christ gaue him twelue Companions with as full authoritie ouer the sheepe for the time as he had who hauing conuerted manie countries to the faith might commend them all as sheep to be fedde of many pastours vnder one perpetuall chiefe shepheard S. Peter Who knoweth not that it is muche easier for one mā to gouern al the faith full being once conuerted and wel instructed by the helpe of many inferiour officers then it is for him to subdue al those vnto the faith which being as yet infidels are also dispersed into diuerse quarters But when the Apostles had spread the faith into all partes of the world with the death of them the Apostolike authoritie likewise was at an end And that being confessed by our Aduersaries euen this last yere in a Confession printed at Zurich needeth no farther proufe An. 1566. tit 18. For they saie when the Churches wer now stablished the Apostles ceased to be But that S. Peter must haue successours not in his Apostleship but in his supremacie of being chiefe Bisshop aboue al Bisshops that now is to be declared Who so marketh the peculiar names of a Rock of a Pastour Matth. 16. Ioan. 21. Luc. 22. and of a Cōfirmer of his brethern whiche are geuen by Christ to S. Peter alone may wel perceiue that S. Peters supremacie being meant by those names must necessarilie continue for euer If a rock be laid in the foundation of the house to staie it vp out of al question the rock must not be taken awaie if we will haue the house to stand The Rocke wherevpon the whole Church is built from the beginning of the world to the end 1. Cor. 3. 10. Dan. 7. is Christ himself but not onlie the whole Churche but also that part which liueth in the earth for the tyme wherin vessels both of honour and of cōtumelie are which vessels of contumelie are not in heauē that part I 2. Tim. 2. 1. Tim. 3. say liuing on the earth is called the house of God as S. Paule teacheth Therefore it also must haue a rock of his own sort and nature to leane vnto For as Christ alone is the vniuersal Rocke of that vniuersal howse and the vniuersal shepheard of that great flocke so besyde him God alwaies erected some certain particular stones ād certain smal Rockes in the earth which might stay vp that part of his house which for the time wandered in this worlde Such were Adam Enos Henoch Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Math. 23. Moyses Aaron and his successours who sate in the chaire of Moyses vntil the cōming of Christ For alwaies there was some visible Rocke of the Churche in this life Deut. 17. who might be so strongly fastened in the faith of Christ the great Rocke that he though not for his own yet for the Churches sake might be able to staie vp other small stones which leaned vnto him Christ at the length hauing taken flesh and walkīg visibly in this world ād preachīg in the lād of Iewrie did not only stay his vniuersal house vpon his Godhead as he had euer done before but nowe also he staied the militant Church vpon the visible example of his own life and vpon the
that S. Peter came to Rome notwithstanding some brainesick men woulde now persuade the contrarie but also the selfe same thing is witnessed by the expresse word of God when S. Peter saith in the end of his own epistle Petrus in epist 1. c. 5 salutat vos Ecclesia quae est in Babylone collecta The Church which is gathered together in Babylon saluteth you For there he called Rome Babylon Because as Babylon was named of the cōfusion of tongs and had in it whiles it was the seat of the monarchy al maner of nations and consequētly al maner of vices euen so had Rome being now the seat of the Romane Empire when S. Peter wrote thence al maner of tonges of nations and of vices in it And of this mind was that Auncient Father Papias Euseb histor lib. 2. c. 15. Graecae scholia and diuerse other holie writers concerning the same place of S. Peters epistle Neither did S. Peter only come to Rome and preache at Rome for a tyme but he also died there ād so died there that it appered euidently God would haue him die no where els For whereas according to the duty of the chiefe pastour he came to Rome chiefely to saue his flocke there from the raging furie of Simon Magus the capitaine of al heretiks who began to be worshipped for a God in Rome whē by his praier he had caused the deuils who caryed Simon Magus a long in the ayer Euseb li. 2 c. 13. 14. 15. Egesippus lib. 3. c. 2. to let him fall whereupon his death insued shortlie after the Emperour Nero who toke no small delight in the sorcerie of Simon Magus being sore offended with S. Peters dede sought straight waies his apprehension and destruction At that tyme the Christians being verie loth to be depriued of so good a pastour as S. Peter was Amhros post epist 32. lib. 5 with much intreating and many teares praied him to goe out of the way and to saue himselfe At whose requeste Saint Peter otherwise vnwilling therevnto beganne to take his iourney out of the citie But when he was come to the gate he seeth Christ comming toward him whome he adoring said Domine quo vadis Ambos episto lib. 5. post epi. 32 O Lord whether goest thow Christ said vnto him venio Romam iterum crucifigi I come to Rome to be crucified againe Peter vnderstoode thereby that Christ would suffer in him at Rome who suffereth in euery of his members not by paine of bodie but by compassion of pitie or rather by the greatenes of glorie which is gotten to him by the victoriouse death which his Saints are put vnto Vpon this vision Peter returned againe into the Citie of Rome and being taken he was putte to death vppon the crosse with his head downward so that Christ himselfe appointed Rome to be the place where S. Peter should rest This matter is witnessed Lib. 5. post epist. 32. Egesip lib. 3. cap. 2. not onelie by Saint Ambrose but also by Egesippus who was a very auncient writer euen straight vpon the tyme of the Apostles albeit his worcke being translated into Latin seemeth to haue certain names of Cities added by him who did translate it about the tyme of S. Ambrose and of Ruffinus Neither is it to be douted but S. Luke would haue writen the same appearing of Christ vnto S. Peter as wel as he wrote the appearing of Christ vnto S. Paule if he had gon so farre forward in his storie of the Acts of the Apostles Actor 9. But seing he did not continue his narration vntill the death of S. Peter and of Saint Paule we must needes credit those faithfull auncient witnesses who reporte the same By which historie we learne that Christe who might easilie haue graunted the the glory of Martyrdom to his Apostle in any other place had a special regard that both hee Vvhy S. Peter shuld die in Rome and his fellow Apostle S. Paul might die in Rome Whereof I find diuerse causes alleaged in the Fathers Augustini de sanctis serm 27. One is for the glory of the Apostles ne alteri Roma deesset that Rome might not lacke to either of them or that they might not lacke the glory of the chiefe Citie Rome concerning the place of their Martyrdom An other is for the destruction of superstition Augustin ibidem Vt vbi caput superstitionis erat illic caput quiesceret sanctitatis Et vbi gentiliū principes habitabant illic Ecclesiarum morerentur That where the head of superstition was there might be the head of holines And where the Princes of the Gentils dwelt there the Princes of the Church might die The third cause is for the honour of the west Church Ibidem Cum Dominus orientis regionem propria illustra uerit passione occidentis plagam ne quid minus esset vice sui Apostolorum sanguine illuminare dignatus est Et licet illius passio nobis sufficiat ad salutem tamen etiam horum Martyrium nobis contulit ad exemplū Whereas our Lord hath made the East part lightsom with his owne passion he voutsafed in his steed that it might be no lesse to geue light vnto the west quarters by the bloud of his Apostles And albeit our Lords passion suffiseth vs for saluation yet their Martyrdome also hath done vs good for example The fourth cause is Leo serm 1. in natali Petri Pauli for the spreading of the Gospel Vt lux veritatis quae in omnium gentium reuelabatur salutem efficacius se ab ipso capite per totum mundi corpus effunderet That the light of the truthe which was reuealed for the saluation of al nations might spread it self more effectuouslie frō the very head through out the whole bodie Now forasmuch as God vsed the Citie of Rome as a most special meane wherby to enlarge and spread his faith through al the world which obeied that one citie it came also to passe that the same citie per sacrā B. Petri sedē caput orbis affecta Leo ibidē latius praesideret religione diuina quà m dominatione terrena Being made the head of the worlde through the holy See of S. Peter shuld rule more largely by Gods religion then by earthly dominion Lib. 6. epist 37. Petrus enī saith S. Gregorie subli mauit sedē in qua etiā quiescere praesentē vitā finire dignatus est For Peter hath lifted vp a high the See wherin he also voutsafed to reast and to end this present life Marke that the glory and prerogatiue of the Romaine Church is most speciallye imputed to S. Peter For although two Apostles died in one Citie at one time for one truthe of Christes Gospel yet they left not two Chaiers or successions there Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. August ep 162. 165. Neither is the Bisshop of Rome called the successour of