respect S. Augustine said Aug. l. de pasto c. 13. as you haue heard that S. Peter receiued his authority in the person of the Church that is to say present and to come for himselfe and his successors And in the same sense he teacheth els where that all good Pastors are in one Pastor And S. Cyprian affirmed as I haue alleadged Cyp. ep 4◠55. that in the Church there is one God one Christ one Chayre founded vpon Peter one Priest one Iudge for the tyme in the place of Christ. Which is also confirmed by the words of our Sauiour where he sayth There should be one sheepfold and one Pastour Ioan. 10.16 For as we gather thereof that the fold must alwayes be one so also the Pastour thereof being One who was S. Peter must alwayes remayne One in his successors and our Sauiour would thereby signify that the vnity of the fold depended of the vnity of that one Pastor to whom he meant to giue the charge and to commend the feeding of it Which also the Fathers demonstrate to be most necessary for the auoyding and extinguishing of Schismes and Heresyes in the Church of God as you haue seene before And some of the Protestants themselues as Whitgift Protestant Apology vbi supra Melancthon Luther and others do willingly confesse it and especially Doctour Couell who affirmeth that the Church should be in far worse case then the meanest common Wealth nay almost then a den of theeues without it I cannot omit his reason which is also the common reason of the Catholikes That if this Superiority were necessary amongst the Apostles much more was it necessary among other Bishops after their decease neither will I omit that it belonged vnto the charge and Pastorall Office of S. Peter to prouide that the sheep of Christ after his death might not be scattered and deuided for the want of one common and vniuersall Pastour Wherfore by this it is euident that the Pastorall function of S. Peter was to remayne in the Church of God And therefore it descended to the Bishop of Rome his only successour which is a most strong argument in it selfe may serue vs withall for a good step or degree to the rest of the proofes that follow SECTION X. The Supremacy of the Pope and his succession to S. Peter is proued by the titles of his supreme dignity in the ancient Fathers and by the foure first generall Councells VVHEREIN we will begin with those titles appellations which haue byn giuen by the Councells and ancient Fathers to the Bishops of Rome being the same that were giuen to S. Peter alone with many others equiualēt therunto For as in the Cōmonwealth none can haue the title of Cesar but he that succedeth vnto Cesar so also in the Church if the Pope inherite the same titles that were proper to S. Peter in respect of his supreme dignity it must needs be graunted that he succedeth likewise in the place of the same dignity to S. Peter First therefore he is called the head of the Church Chalcedon act 1 which title the whole Councell of Chalcedon for example being one of the foure first and receiued in England by act of Parliament gaue to S. Leo Bishop of Rome in their Epistle to him where also the Church of Rome is called the head of all Churches Secondly Epist ad Dam. S. Hierome calleth Pope Damasus the foundation and Rock of the Church and said that he knew the Church to be buylt vpon him S. Augustine likewise tearmeth the sea of Rome the Rock of the Church Thirdly S. Ambrose intitleth Pope Siricius the Pastour of the flock of our Lord. Fourthly Epist 81. ad Cyril he is tearmed the Apostolicall man his seat the Apostolicall Seat his Office Apostleship and his dignity Apostolicall sanctity as you may easily obserue in the authorityes that follow which words without any other addition of place or person cannot be giuen to any but to him alone For the like supreame authority and Iurisdiction vnto his ouer the whole Church hauing been granted only to the Apostles and after there decease being deriued from S. Peter the Prince of the Apostles vnto the Pope alone in these two respects the excellency of his vniuersall authority descending from the Prince of the Apostles is properly called Apostolicall which tearme by it selfe alone without limitation cannot therefor be giuen to any other Fiftly in the Councell of Chalcedon he was intitled the vniuersall Archbishop and Patriarch of great Rome which stile albeit S. Gregory refused in the sense as it was vsed by Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and that to abate his pryde S. Gregory began to write himselfe neither Patriarch nor Bishop but Seruus seruorum Dei yet he admitted the Councell of Chalcedon Ioan Diac. in eius vita l. 2. cap. 1. in the particuler vse of this tearme signifying that the Pope was Bishop of the vniuersall Church as also many of S. Gregoryes Predecessours had intitled themselues before him Sixthly Greg. l. 4. epist 32. Bern. l. 2. de consid S. Bernard among others called the Pope the Vicar of Christ Stephen Archbishop of Carthage writing to Pope Damasus in the name of three Affrican Councells directeth his Epistle To the most Blessed Lord aduanced with Apostolicall dignity Apostolico culmine sublimato the holy Father of Fathers Damasus Pope and chiefe Bishop of all Prelates Lastly to be short the word Pope without any addition is giuen only to the Pope In which sense we read in the Chalcedon Councell The most blessed and Apostolicall Man the Pope giueth vs this in charge where also he is called Act. 16. Pope of the vniuersall Church And in the Breuiary of Liberatus we read that none is Pope ouer the Church of the whole world but only the Roman Bishop Thirdly the succession of the Pope to S. Peter and the supreame authority of the Roman Church in regard thereof is proued by the Councells wherof a long treatise might be made but for breuityes sake because the Protestants seeme to respect and reuerence with S Gregory the great the foure first generall Councells as the foure Euangelists and that they are also receiued by act of Parliament anno 10. of Queene Elizabeth I will alleadge no other but those and out of them so much alone as may be sufficient to establish the Popes Supremacy and to let you see That if the Catholikes might be admitted to any kind of iust and equall try all how easily it were for them to claime Toleration to iustify the Religion euen by the statutes at the cōmon Law which are now in force in England The sixt Canon therefore of the first Councell of Nice beginneth in this manner The Roman Church hath alwayes had Primacy and lot the ancient custome contynue in Aegypt or Lybia and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue power ouer them all wherof the reasō followeth quoniam
him twise to feed his lambs and the third tyme to feed his sheep whereby he made him the Pastour of his flocke And for a conclusion to keep him in Humility he gaue him warning that as he was to follow him in his place so also he should imitate him in his death signifying what death he should dye That is to say the death of the Crosse In the exposition of which place there is no diuersity of opinion amongst the Fathers neither do they make any doubt or questiō but that our Sauiours speach in this place was directed only to S. Peter that by the word Sheep the whole flocke of Christ was recommended vnto him for the rest of the Apostles themselues were not excepted And that by the word Feed he was commaunded not only to teach but also to gouerne the Church of Christ so far forth as should be necessary for the conduction of the members thereof vnto their supernaturall end which is life euerlasting And therefore albeit all the Apostles in respect of their Apostolike power which was extraordinary and dyed with them had equall Iurisdiction ouer the rest of the Church yet were they not equall amongst themselues but S. Peter in respect of his supreme Episcopall and ordinary authority was the chief and head of them all and especially as they were Bishops or capable of Bishoprickes wherein others might succeed them they were all subiect to S. Peter And for this cause albeit the Church is sayd to be built vpon the other Apostles in generall and that they are also called the Pastours therof yet you shall neuer find that any of them in particuler as for example S. Iohn or S. Iames is tearmed the foundation or the Pastour of the Church without any other limitation but that these titles and the like are giuen by the Fathers to S. Peter alone in respect of the excellency of his dignity and plenarity of ordinary power ouer the Church of Christ SECTION VII The former Expositions of the two places aforesayd togeather with S. Peters Supremacy in dignity doctrine and gouernement are proued out of the testimonyes of the ancient Fathers FOR manifestation whereof and for the more euident proofe that the expositiōs which I haue deliuered of those two places of Scripture aforesayd are conformable to the doctrine of the Fathers I will alleadge some of their authorityes as briefly and succinctly as possible I can And first the same is proued by those titles with the Fathers haue giuen to S. Peter alone By the Councell of Chalcedon (a) Act. 1. therefore he is styled the Rocke and Top of the Church By Origen (b) hom 5. in exod the most solide Rocke By Cyrill (c) Lib. 2. c. 2. in Ioā the Rocke and Stone most firme By Euthymius (d) In cap. 16. Matt. the foundation of the beleeuers By Ambrose (e) Lib. 4. de fide c. 3. the firmament of the Church By Hilary (f) In cap. 16. Matt. the happy foundation of the Church and blessed porter of heauen By Augustine (g) Ser. 15. de Sanctis the foundation of the Church which the Church doth worthily worship By Damascen (h) Orat. de Transsig the key-bearer of the kingdome of heauen By Chrysostome (i) Hom. in psal 50.1 part the basis or bearing-stone of fayth By S. Hierome (k) Lib. 1. cont Iouin the Rocke of Christ Out of which titles or appellations giuen to none of the Apostles but only to S. Peter it must needs be gathered that the words of our Sauiour in the 16. of S. Matthew are to be vnderstood of him alone and that as he was the foundation of the whole buylding so which is all one that he was also the head of the whole body which may be further declared and more expresly proued if need be out of the Fathers For therfore S. Cyril (l) Lib. 12. in Ioan. cap. 64. doth call him the Prince and head of the rest S. Hierome (m) Lib. 1. cont Iouin the head of the Apostles S. Augustine (n) Serm. 124. de tempore Verticem the Crowne Optatus (o) Lib. 2. 7. cont Parmen Apicem the top or highest perfection of the Apostles Euthymius (p) Inc. vlt. Ioan. the Maister of the whole world Epiphanius (q) Epiph. haeres 51. Ducem the Captaine or Leader of the disciples Ambrose (r) lib. 10. in Luc. sc 24. the vicar of the loue of Christ towards vs. S. Cyprian (s) Lib. de vnit Eccl. sayth that the Primacy was giuen to Peter S. Leo (t) Serm. 2. de SS Pet. Paul that he Peter who was the first in confession was the first in Apostolicall dignity S. Athanasius (u) Epist au Pelic. That vpon the foundation of Peter the Pillars of the Church that is to say the Bishops are set or confirmed S. Ambrose (w) Ser. 47. that he was the immoueable Rock contayning the whole Pyle and Iuncture of the whole Christian worke or buylding S. Basil (x) Ser. de neditio Dei that he was happy in being preferted before the rest of the Disciples to whome the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were committed S. Augustine (y) Lib 2 de Baptis hath these words Loe where Cyprian relateth that which we also haue learned in the Scriptures that the Apostle Peter in whome the Primacy of the Apostles appeared aloft with such an excellēt grace was corrected by Paul a later Apostle And againe (z) Serm. 29. de SS he alone among the Apostles deserued to heer Thou art Peter c. Truly a man worthy to be a stone for foundation a Pillar for sustentation a key of the kingdom vnto the people which were to be built vp in the house of God To which purpose S. Ambrose (a) In cap. vlt. Luc. sayd therefore because he alone professed of all the rest he alone is preferred before all the rest And why sayth S. Chrysostom (b) Hom. 87. in loā omitting the rest doth he speak of these thinges to Peter alone He was the mouth of the Apostles the prince and top of that company therfore Paul ascended to visit him before the rest Among the most blessed Apostles sayth Leo (c) Ep 85. ad An ast there was a certayne distinction of power and though the election of all was equall yet vnto one it was after giuen to excell aboue the rest S. Cyprian (d) Ep. ad Iubaia sayth that the Church is one founded vpon one who receiued the keyes thereof by the word of our Lord. The prerogatiues also of the three first Chayres that is to say of Rome Alexandria and Antioch the Bishops whereof were anciently the three first Patriarcks and are so acknowledged in the first generall Councell of Nice do euidently proue the Supremacy of S. Peter whereof S. Gregory writeth in this manner Albeit there were many Apostles Greg. l 6. epist 37.
quidem Episcopo Romano parilis mos est which Bellarmine sheweth very well that it can beare no other sense but only this That the Bishop of Alexandria ought to gouerne those prouinces because the Roman Bishop hath been so accustomed that is to say because the Roman Bishop before this tyme hath alwayes permitted the Bishop of Alexandria to gouerne those Countreyes or because he hath alwayes vsed to gouerne them by the Bishop of Alexandria And so Nicolas the first in his Epistle to Michael vnderstood the same Vpon the reading of which Canon of the Councell of Nice the Iudges in the Calcedon Councell began and sayd That they had well considered perpendimus all Primacy and chiefe honour to be consirued according to the Canons vnto the most beloued of God the Archbishop of old Rome Where you see the Primacy of the Pope acknowledged not only in the Nicen but also in the Calcedon Councells which was another of the foure first wherein this Canon was recyted and allowed as hath been sayd Also in the third booke of the Nicen Councell in the three first Canons taken out of the Epistle of Pope Iulius the first are found these words Councells ought not to be celebrated ConÌ„ Nic. l. 3. Socra l. 2. c. 13. Zozom l. 3. cap 9. Nicepho l. 9. cap. 5. Synod Alexand without the sentence of the Roman Bishop And againe Bishops in more weighty causes may freely appedle to the Apostolike Sea and sly thereunto as to their Mother And lastly While the Bishop of the Apostolike Sea doth iudge againe that is to say vpon appeale the cause of any Bishop no other may be ordayned in his place that is then vpoÌ„ his tryal And the reason is giuen because it is not permitted to end or define such causes before the Roman Bishop be consulted withall For our Lord sayd vnto Peter whatsoeuer thou shalt bynd c. By which words you see that the Pope is acknowledged to be the head of all Councells without whose sentence they cannot be celebrated or confirmed and that he is the supreame head of the Church vnto whome it is lawfull for all other Bishops to make their appeales Which last poynt of appellation is also more fully expressed and confirmed in the foruth and seauenth Canon of the generall Councell of Sardis which was celebrated a very short tyme after the Nicen Councell and is accompted to be as one therwith because the same Fathers for the most part were present in both nothing concerning Faith was added of new in the latter And therefore not only Sozimus but also Iulius Innocentius and Leo seeme to cite these Canons vnder the name of the Canons of the Nicen Councell Lastly in the 39. Canon of those of Nice translated out of Greeke Arabick it is sayd in this mannor A Patriarch is so aboue al those that are vnder his power as he that holdeth the Sea of Rome is head and Prince of all Patriarches because he is the first as Peter was to whome was giuen power ouer all Christian Princes and ouer all their people as he that is the Vicar of Christ our Lord ouer all people the vniuersall ChristiaÌ„ Church And whosoeuer shall coÌ„tradict it is excoÌ„municated by the Synod See the notes vpoÌ„ this Canon in the first Tome of the Councells especially in Binnius And so much for the Nicen CouÌ„cel The second Councell was that of Constantinople where in the 3. alias 5. Canon it is said that the Bishop of CoÌ„stantinople should haue the Primacy of honour after the RomaÌ„ Bishop wherby it is supposed as a thing most certayne and a thing out of question that the RomaÌ„ Bishop had the Primacy not only in honour but also in Gouerment and Iurisdiction wherof the Councell speaketh in that place as appeareth out of the second Canon next preceding The other part of this Canon was not receiued for many hundred yeares after because it was not coÌ„firmed by the Bishop of Rome which also proueth his Primacy vntill at last the Roman Church consented then it began to take offect as is manifest in the CouÌ„cell of Lateran Theod. l. 5. hist c. 9. Also the same Councell in their Epistle to Pope Damasus which is extant in Theodoret do say that they met togeather at Constantinople by the commandement of the Popes letters sent vnto them by the Emperour wherein they further acknowledge the Roman Church to be the head and they the members The third generall Councell was that of Ephesus the Fathers whereof in their Epistle to Pope Celestine acknowledge the Popes care of them for fincerity in matter of Faith to be most gratefull and pleasing vnto the Sauiour of all And say that they imbrare it with all a miration and reuerence and that it was the custome of those in that high place Vobis tam eximijs in more positum to be renowned in all things and to moke their studdyes the solide stayes and grounds of Churches Wherein also they sayd that necessity required they should declare to his Holynes all things which had passed in that Councell shewing thereby their dependance of the Roman Bishop And when the whole Councell had applauded the Popes letters and followed his instructions and that the Legates comming in afterwards had vnderstood the same one of them Tomo 2. cap. 15. called Philip thanked them that with there pious voices and acclamations they had submitted themselues as holy members to their holy head For sayth he your happynes is not ignorant that the Blessed Apostle Peter was the head of the whole Fayth and of all the rest of the Apostles And further he saith that Peter was the Vicar of Christ constituted by him and that he yet liued in his successour and that his successor and holy Vicar was the Roman Bishop which speaches the sacred Synode was so far from detesting that shewing conformity in the same fayth they subscribed with them Euag. lib. 1. hist c. 4. Also the same Councell as Euagrius recordeth affirmed that it deposed Nestorius ex mandato by a commandement of the Popes letters And the Fathers thereof in their Epistle to the Pope do write that they presumed not to determine the cause of Iohn Patriarch of Antioch which was more doubtfull then the cause of Nestorius but that they reserued the same to the Pope himselfe The fourth generall Councell was that of Chalcedon which confirmed the sixth Canon of the Councell of Nice concerning the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome as you haue heard The superscriptions of the letters or petitions to the Councell all or many were in this forme To the most holy and the most Blâ—ssed the vniuersall Archbishop Patriarch of great Rome Leo whereby he was acknowledged the head of the Councell and those superscriptions were recorded by the Notaries togeather with the acts of the sayd Councell In the beginning wherof Paschasius said in this manner we haue in our hands the precepts of
so the charity of this man is no lesse to be obserued and admired in calling the Pope his most holy Father and the Bishops vnited with him his most blessed Brethren giuing them thereby his kisse of peace whom before through all his booke he had sould to the Protestants for blind guydes teaching innumerable errours for corrupters of Gods word tyrants oppressors of the Church Babylonians and the like Which termes albeit no lesse falsely then impiously they are applyed by him to the Pope and his Bishops whether you respect the former wherein he should shew his loue or the later wherein he expresseth his hatred vnto them yet because as it appeareth by his owne words he describeth therein his owne spirituall kindred it cannot be denyed but that he is ready to acknowledge if need were the author of lyes himselfe for his holy Father and his wickedest children for his most blessed Brethren Wherefore considering his zeale wherof he boasteth so much to be so large and the armes of his charity to be so far extended from East to West as to imbrace the fellowship of Babylon which is the Citty of the Diuell it is manifest that he excludeth neither Turks nor Iufidells from his Communion And therefore me thinks that as no good Protestant can be much delighted with it so euery good Christian should abhorre and detest it The second poynt to be noted in his conclusion is this that he rather ordereth commaundeth then aduiseth the Pope to restore peace and charity to all those Churches that professe to receiue the essentiall Creeds of Fayth By which he must needs meane the three Creeds of the Apostles of the Councel of Nice against Arius and of the Councell of Constantinople against Macedonius and therefore supposeth all other poynts of Cōtrouersy not contayned in those Creeds to be matters indifferent not sufficiently defyned and not to be beleeued as articles of Fayth Which is such a monstrous opinion as doth euidētly shew him to be of no Religion at all and therefore I maruell how he could be suffered to publish such wicked doctrine in England For if the Pope must haue peace and communion with all those that receiue the Creeds alone howsoeuer they please to vnderstand them thereof it will follow that all Councells which haue beene celebrated since the making of those Creeds haue beene the authors of Schisme and dissention in condemning later Heresyes and that albeit a man should deny al Sacramēts yea and al Scripture at this day yet according to this Antichristian doctrine it should be Schisme to refuse him or to accompt him no good Christian for the same And how easy a matter is it not beleeuing the Scripture to contemne the Creeds or rather how impossible contemning the one to beleeue the other This therefore may be another signe to be added vnto those which I haue touched before that the Bishop being fallen frō the Church is fallen likewise to Neutrality in Religion may be a cause of greater mischiefe and of greater dishonour to our Countrey then they that feed him haue yet discouered in him I cannot omit his incredible ignorance which he discouereth where among other poynts of idle Counsell which he pleaseth to bestow vpon the Pope and the rest of the Bishops of the Catholike Church himselfe being so wyse as to admit no Counsell at all neither from them nor any other he telleth them that he will haue them belieue for certaine that Schisme in the Church is a greater euell then Heresy it selfe Wherin it is to be admyred how he could presume to teach the whole Church such a notable falshood with such arrogant temerity as heere he doth For as he that hath no faith can haue no charity so Heresy that destroyeth Faith bringeth also schisme with it which is opposed to Charity So that albeit there may be schisme in the Church without heresy as faith may remayne without charity yet charity without faith or heresy without schisme there cannot be And therefore all Deuines haue euer held that heresy is far the greater mischiefe which bereaueth a man of all supernatural vertue and maketh him worse then an Infidell The rest of his conclusion is much of the same nature wherein no lesse insolently then ignorantly he taketh vpon him to schoole and to catechize the Pope all his Prelates prescribing vnto them what they ought to belieue and with what tearmes and conditions they may giue him satisfaction make their peace and concord with him Whereunto I thinke no better answere can be giuen in the Popes behalfe then that which S. Cyprian made to Florentius Pupianus of whom we haue spoken before for no man can be thought of so fit as S. Cyprian to rebuke his Pryde whom a little before vnder the colour of much respect he so much abused And in his arrogant and insolent behauiour towards the Pope he doth so perfectly resemble the presumptuous demenour of Pupianus towards S. Cyprian Cyp. ep 65. as that the one seemeth to haue been but the figure of the other the words therefore of S. Cyprian are these that follow What swelling Pryde is this what arrogancy of hart what inflation of mynd to call vnto the trybunall of thy Iudgment the Priests that is to say the Bishops and those that are set ouer thee that vnlesse we can purge ourselues to thee and be absolued by thy sentence now for so many yeares for more then a thousand the Fraternity must be condemned to haue had no Bishop the people no Prelate the flock no Pastour the Church no Gouernour Christ no Antistes and God no Priest Let Pupianus or Marcus Antonius be pleased to help vs let him giue his sentence and be contented to make good the iudgment of God of Christ that so great a number of faythfull people ranged vnder vs may not be thought to haue departed without hope of saluation and that so many Nations of new beleeuers be not accompted to haue receiued from vs no grace at all of the spirit of God that the Communion and reconcilement giuen by vs to so many that haue repented be not dissolued and taken from them by the authority of thy decree vouchsafe at length to grant our request giue vs thy fauourable sentence confirme vs in our place by thy iudiciall authority that God and his Christ may giue thee thanks that by thee their Prelate is restored to their Alter againe and their Rector to the gouernement of their people Truly me thinks these words of S. Cyprian being so applyable to your Bishop as they are should make any man that seemeth to respect him euen to blush and to be ashamed for him And as concerning his Vertue of peace and concord S. Cyprian in the same place doth answer him so fitly as if he had penned the same directly for Marcus Antonius vnder the name of Florentius Pupianus For the which cause it being no way seemly for me to adde any thing
seek after it sheweth to haue so much pride and selfe-conceit as is sufficient to make him vnworthy Besides that it is a thing expresly directly against the institute of the Society wherein this man liued to seeke and hunt for preferment Euery man in the vocation whereunto he is called let him remaine sayth S. Paul 1. Cor. 7.20 And our Sauiour He that putteth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is not fit for the Kingdome of God Luc. 9.61 according whereunto such as are professed in any Religious Order being afterward made Bishops are bound to the obseruation of their vowes so farre forth as the exercise of their digdity and function will permit But this man though forsaking Gods plough wherunto his hand was consecrated though breaking his first vowes for the which according to S. Paul he should feare to be damned doth thereby thinke to haue made himselfe fit to be made a gouernour in Gods kingdome which is the Church of Christ truly suspecting as he did the Catholike doctrine to be false and fraudulent he might better haue suspected that being in this case he was no fit man to be made a Bishop whose office it is to maintayne and defend it And I meruaile knowing himselfe to be a dog Pag. 24. that began to take part with the wolues more then with the sheep not thinking it fit that they should trust their shepheards but rather desiring that they might heare what the wolues could say for themselues and hand to hand debate their reasons with them I maruaile I say with what good conscience such a dog could thinke himselfe fit to be made a sheepheard To that which he sayeth of printed Sermons and his Maisters dictates I answere first that although it were true yet because they be no rules of faith and that the Catholikes are not bound to defend in all thinges either the one or the other as himselfe knoweth well inough therfore such scandalls as these should not haue moued him to depart from the vnity of the Church of God Secondly I say that if it were not altogeather false it should haue beene proued by him one way or other something would had beene alleadged out of those Sermonaries whome he so much reuyleth and some one point or other would haue beene vrged for an instance wherein his Maisters did contradict the Fathers Vnles he thought his Readers to be so many Pots without couers that should receiue any thing by infusion which he pleaseth to powre or let fall into them Or vnlesse you will excuse him by saying that as when he was conuerted to your Religion he disdayned to heare reason so now intending to conuert others he scorneth as much to affoard any reason for that he sayth Wherin he doth wisely in one respect for bringing no proofe in partiduler he saw that albeit no man could in reason beleeue him yet it should be hard for any man to disproue him But notwithstanding all his policy to put something more in the ballance of your iudgment besides his yea and my no for the deciding of this matter betwixt vs I will giue you the testimony of Syr Edwyn Sands Syr Edwin Sands relation of relig Sect. 6. a man as I heare much esteemed in England in his owne words which are these In their Sermons much matter of faith and piety is eloquently deliuered by men surely of wonderfull zeale and spirit And for your better information herein I pray you do but inquyre of others that haue been in those parts and are men of vnderstanding what kind of preachers there are and inquire likewise of your Schollers at home what they thinke of those Schoole-deuines whose bookes are brought from thence and are commonly sould and much read in England For it is very probable that neuer in any age since Christian Religion began to flourish in the world there haue beene so many I say so many the like excellent Preachers and profound Deuines in the Catholike Church as we haue seen and heard in this age of ours And thus much may suffice to haue obserued in the first kind of those his proofes which I called Affirmatiue alleadged by him as vndoubted signes to shew that God was the author of his comming thither Wherein notwithstanding you see how the serpent hauing found him to haue but a weake head of his owne with a giddy spirit and a shallow vnconstant brayne first deluded him with vayne surmyses and false suspitions that the truth was errour and afterward thrust him out of his Order which protected him that thereby he might haue the more force vpon him And lastly set him vp to be seen aloft as it were vpon the pinacle of the Temple where he knew that in respect of his giddynes and Pride he was not able to stand to the end that his owne victory might be the more glorious and the Bishops fall more famous SECTION V. The Bishops Motiues to change his Religion are discussed and the arguments of the ten books he promised are all reduced to one question alone of the Popes Supremacy HITHERTO you haue heard of those things that did somewhat prepare him to change Religion and hitherto as he sayth he resisted in himselfe more or lesse these motions or suggestions that were contrary to his former faith It followeth now to consider what moued him directly to this strange mutation which must needs be very wel worth the consideration For you may easily imagine that being a man of his quality learning experience he will say what may be sayd and lay downe such prudent motiues sound reasons and well grounded proofes if any such may be found as the truth of them shal be so apparant and conuincing that no indifferent or well disposed mynd shal be able to resist them He beginneth therfore and sayth that of a Bishop being made an Archbishop two accidents fell out that compelled him to study these matters more earnestly and more eagerly then before he did and made him to ouerthrow or to ouerturne or turne ouer as you please to expound him more then once or twice the Fathers the Canons the Councells and ancient Records of the Catholike Church The first occasion was that the Court of Rome his Suffragan Bishops that were vnder him began to perturbe his Metropolitan rights The second that a little after the Interdict of Venice there came bookes from Rome taxing the Bishops of the Venetian State who did not obey to be but sheepish rude and ignorant men without courage or conscience in which second passage he discouereth not only his pride and contentious spirit in seeking to supprese his owne Suffragans and in resisting the publique authority of the Court of Rome in the Interdict and in maintayning the sheep against the sheepheard which is far against the vnity which he pretendeth but also he doth manifest so much hatred malice and enuy against the Pope because he opposed himselfe to his vniust pretences and
lesse pouerty of meanes and matter in buylding without a foundation as much want of proofe to persuade in giuing you nothing but wordes insteed of other substance But you will reply whatsoeuer he sayth here he promiseth to proue and pursue hereafter in his Booke of Ecclesiasticall Common Wealth I pray you were it fit that when a souldier cometh into the feild to fight he should come without weapons and should thinke either to ouercome his aduersary or to satisfy the beholders of his prowesse by saying that he hath an excellent sword a making Were it not absurd that a Scholler comming to dispute of any Probleme should thinke to satisfy the arguments of his aduersary or to perswade his auditours that the truth were of his side by affirming that he would or that he had composed a great volume of that matter This booke being made by the Bishop to proue his spirit to disproue his aduersaryes and to approue his change of Religion to all those that should here thereof now was the tyme to vse his Weapons to shew his Wisedome and to bring forth his euidence And therefore if he sayle of his proofes it is an euident signe that he is altogeather destitute and vnprouided of them Neither is it true which he sayth That when his worke cometh forth whatsoeuer he hath heere affirmed shal be there proued For how will he proue that Rome hath coyned not a 100. or a 1000. new articles of Fayth in one day but as he sayth innumerable and that euery day How will he proue that the Church of Rome suppresseth the Councells Doth it not make them a rule of Fayth hath it not alwayes preserued them doth it not mayntayne and defend them from the calumniations and contradictions which the Heretikes of these dayes oppose against them How will he proue that we belieue the whole spirit of Christ to remayne in the Pope alone and that all which hath been sayd heretofore in the honour of the vniuersall Church must be applyed to the Court and Pallace of the Pope alone Do we belieue that to be Catholike one holy visible to haue conuerted Nations and Kingdomes which are some of the supernaturall prayses and excellencyes of the Catholike Church whereby she shyneth like the sunne in the Firmament aboue all other Congregations or assemblyes Do we belieue I say as an article of our Fayth that these things agree to the Pope and his Pallace alone That the Pope or his Court is extended ouer al the world That the Vnity Holynes Visibility and Miracles of the Church and of the Pastors and Saints thereof are only to be found in the Pope and his Pallace and that all other Catholike Nations and Kingdomes are excluded from the participation of these graces can this be proued thinke you And can it stand with the grauity and reuerent authority of a Bishop to affirme these things with promise to confirme them making them also the ground of his conuersion Could any ignorant shamelesse Minister whose learning were nothing els but lying Could any Zani or Counterfait that had been hyred to rayle against the Pope haue spoken more fondly more intemperatly or more absurdly The innumerable new articles whereof he speaketh and the whole doctrine of so many Churches impugned by the Church of Rome which he vndertaketh to defend can surely contayne no lesse then all the points in Controuersy betwene you and vs which are so farre from being decided in his Ecclesiasticall cōmon Wealth that for the greater part of them they cannot be so much as mentioned therin For as it appeareth by his owne description therof the 4. first bookes proue only in effect that all Bishops and their Churches by the Law of God are equall And that neither S. Peter nor the Pope nor the Roman Clergy should haue any Primacy or Papacy or Prehemynence aboue the rest In his 5. and 6. Booke he taketh away all kind of iurisdiction from the whole Church not only in temporall but also in Ecclesiasticall matters In his 7. booke he disputeth of the rule of Fayth In the rest that follow he speaketh of nothing els but only of the temporalityes and immunityes of the Church In the 8. he considereth the external gouernemēt of the Church by Lawes and Canons which if he affirme to be lawfull it is directly contrary to his 5. and 6. booke wherein he reiecteth all kind of Iurisdiction from the Church of Christ So that this great booke wherof he braggeth so much contayneth in effect but one Controuersy alone And he that should proue the Popes Primacy and Supreme Iurisdiction ouer the Church of God should ouerthrow the substance of this whole Volume For thereof it would follow directly that the gouernement of Christs church vpon earth is Monarchicall against his first and second booke that the gouernours of the Church are not equall in authority by the Law of God against his third booke That the Pope and Church of Rome hath preheminence ouer other Churches against his fourth booke That the Church of God hath Iurisdiction both Ecclesiasticall directly and temporall indirectly the latter being necessary for the maintaynance of the former against his 5. and 6. booke That the decree of the Pope as Head of the Church in a generall Councell is a sufficient rule of Fayth against his 7. booke The resolution also of the matters contayned in his 3. other bookes is of no great importance and may easily be deduced from the former conclusion Wherefore if he thinke to discharge himselfe of all other poynts in Controuesy by handling the titles of these bookes alone he shall behaue himselfe like a Banquerupt who insteed of the whole debt should scarce make payment of one in the hundred SECTION VI. Concerning the Popes Supremacy The state of the question is proposed and S. Peters Supremacy is proued by Scripture BVT now as oftentymes it falleth out that vnder the fayre shewes of Banquerupt Merchants vnder their goodly inscriptions of many rich commodityes and dissembling text letters vpon pots packs and boxes there is nothing to be found except perhaps some poore refused brockage that is not salable so to make it manifest that vnder these glorious titles of the ten Bookes which the Bishop promiseth there is nothing contayned but false wares and idle tryfles lapt vp in so many bundles of wast paper And to giue you withall some satisfaction in this one point of Controuersy of the Popes Supremacy the occasion being so fit the labour not great the way so well beaten by others I will briefly set you downe some of those euident proofes wherewith the Catholikes are wont to demonstrate the Popes Supremacy in spiritual matters Whereby also it will appeare how well the Bishop hath spent his 10. yeares in reading of the Fathers whether he haue more attended to his study or to his belly For the greater breuity and more perspicuity in handling this ample and copious matter I will reduce all that I
to his holy Apostleship that it would please him according to his custome to haue care of them that they and theirancestors had receiued help from his holy Apostolike seat that according to the decrees of the Canons they beseech the sayd Apostolike highest seat to giue them help from whence their Predecessours had receiued ordinations rules of doctrine and other helpes that they haue recourse vnto the Roman Church as to their Mother that he was Peter and vpon his foundation the pillars of the Church that is the Bishops say they are set and confirmed that they presume not without his counsell to define any matter of fayth the Canons commaunding that without the Roman Bishop in the more weighty causes nothing ought to be determyned that the iudgment of all Bishops is committed to his seat And they expound the place of Matthew 16. of the Primacy thereof and confirme all that they say with the authority of the Nicen Councell whereupon you must needs grant that none can write a better cōment then those excellent men that were present at it After Athanasius shall follow those other Fathers who haue recorded the succession of the Popes of Rome to S. Peter thereupon compare the fayth of the one with the faith of other the fayth of the Catholike Church with that of Rome in regard of the Popes person in whome the immediate gouernement of that sea the supremacy of S. Peter are both vnited Ireneaeus lib. 3. cap. 3. Ancient Irenaeus scholler to Policarp the disciple of S. Iohn teacheth that the Church of Rome is the greatest and the most ancient that it is knowne to all men founded and established by the two glorious Apostles Peter and Paul and that the Catholikes shewing the tradition which it receiued from the Apostles and that faith which was deliuered to all comming downe by succession of the Bishops thereof euen vnto their tyme they did thereby confound all those that gathered otherwise then they ought by selfe conceit or vayne glory or blindnes or false knowledge Wherein you see he supposeth the true fayth to be preserued in the Roman seat by meanes of the succession of the Bishop therof to S. Peter and S. Paul and that all those are confounded thereby that do hold any contrary doctrine whereof immediatly after he giueth the reason saying For necessarily euery Church must haue recourse and accord with the Church of Rome in respect of her more powerfull principality So that all those that do not accord therewith hauing their principality from the Apostles are vtterly confounded by it And a little after The blessed Apostles sayth he founding and instructing the Church deliuered the Episcopall care of the gouernment therof to Linus setting downe successiuely the names of all the Popes vntill his tyme. Where I would haue you note that he maketh no difference betweene the Roman Church and the Church in generall which he sayth the Apostles instructed and left to Linus Epiphanius also relating exactly the same succession of the Popes to S. Peter Epiphan har 27. addeth that no man should meruaile why the same is so particulerly recounted For sayth he by those thinges that is to say In ancorat circaprinc by this particuler succession clarity is alwayes shewed meaning that the knowledge of this succession was necessary for the clarity and knowledge of the Catholike doctrine And therefore els where he sayth that his succession is the firme Rocke vpon the which the Church is built and that the gates of hell which are Heretikes and Arch-heretikes shall not preuayle against it For absolutely the fayth is firmed in him that receiued the keyes and looseth in earth and bindeth in Heauen So Epiphanius who teacheth plainly as you see that the true Fayth cannot be separated from the Seat of S. Peter S. Hierome likewise (a) Lib. de praescript Eccles in Clemen briefly declareth this succession and notably (b) Epist. ad Dam. deliuereth his sentencè concerning his doctrine Although sayth he to Pope Damasus thy greatnes doth feare me yet thy humanity doth inuite me being a sheep I craue the help of my Sheepheard I speake with the successour of the Fisher and with the disciple of the Crosse I following no chiefe but Christ do associate my selfe with the communion of thy Beatitude that is of the Chayre of Peter Vpon that Rocke I know the Church to be buylt whosoeuer out of this house shall eate the lamb he is prophane whosoeuer is not found in the Arke of Noë shall perish with the floud And a little after he that gathereth not with thee scattereth that is he that is not of Christ is of Antichrist Where most euidently he calleth the Chayre of the Pope the Chayre of Peter and the Rocke of that Church out of which there is no saluation and that he who gathereth not with the Pope is not of Christ but of Antichrist Yea so much he grounded him selfe vpon the authority of the Pope that he affirmed he would not be affrayd to say that there were three hypostases in the Trinity if the Pope should bid him And againe in the end of his exposition of the Creed to Pope Damasus This is the Catholike fayth sayth he most blessed Pope which we haue learned of the Catholike Church wherein if any thing be lesse skillfully or lesse warily set downe we desire that it may be corrected by thee that dost hold the fayth and the seat of Peter But if this our confession shall be approued by thy Apostleship whosoeuer will accuse me shall shew himselfe either to be ignorant or maleuolous or perchance no Catholike but me to be an heretike he shall not proue Where he fignifyeth that none can be heretikes Lib. 1. appol cont Ruff. who suffer themselues to be corrected by the Popes authority And concerning the Roman Church speaking against Ruffinus he sayth What fayth is that which he calleth his If he answere the Roman fayth ergo Catholici sumus then are we both Catholikes where he teacheth plainly the Catholike and the Roman fayth to be the same Lib. 3. appol cont Ruff. And in the same treatise know sayth he that the Roman fayth praysed by the voyce of the Apostles doth not receiue any such illusions although an Angell should teach otherwise then hath beene once preached With S. Hierome must go accompanyed S. Augustine who in his answere to the letters of a certaine Donatist vrging the perpetuall duration of the Catholike Church built vpon Peter according to the promisse of our Sauiour recounteth aboue fourty Popes deducing them successiuely from S. Peter to Anastasius who was Pope at that tyme and then concludeth that in all that order of succession Epist 165. no Donatist Bishop could be found by which discourse he would proue that the Donatists were not the true Church because no Pope or head of the Church was euer Donatist Which in the same place he further confirmeth by
tymes their own bloud their friends and nearest kynred to whome in vertue piety they were not comparable against whome no other cryme could be proued but the ancient religion of Christendome commonly either iustified or not condemned euen in the consciences of those that apprehended them prosecuted and executed the former lawes vpon them and if we might shew vnto them how by this means they haue crucifyed our Sauiour not once or twise but againe and againe for so many yeares togeather in his holy members I cannot but thinke that representing these things vnto them in vertue of that Word which deuideth betweene the soule the spirit the ioints and the marrow awaking in them the guilt of their owne consciences and the feare of Gods iugments we should inforce them to knock their breasts with the Iewes conuerted at the Sermon of S. Peter and to cry out vnto vs with teares of repentance Act. 2.17 Quid faciemus viri fratres men and brethren what shal we do SECTION XVI The absurd and pernicious grounds of the Bishops 10. Bookes and his Christian Commonwealth are further discouered and confuted AND now to returne to our Bishop I thinke by this tyme you perceiue that albeit this little booke of his be great bellyed like the Father yet his other ten bookes conceaued therin are but like so many bladders full of wind which if euer they come forth are like to shame not only himselfe but you also Not only because the former proofes of the Popes Supremacy are in themselues vnanswerable especially admitting as he doth the authority of the Councells Canons and Fathers of the Church but also in respect of that most absurd and most pernicious Position which he maketh the argument of his fifth booke and is indeed the very foundation of his Christian Commonwealth and the mayne ground of his Diuinity wherein he professeth to hold that there is no Iurisdiction in the Church of Christ Iurisdictionem omnem ab Ecclesia procul reijcio all Iurisdiction sayth he I cast far away from the Church that is to say all power and authority to commaund or to make spiritual lawes or to impose any punishment for the transgression of them A miserable deuise no lesse furious then dangerous and no more repugnant to the Popes Supremacy then directly contrary to the Councells Fathers and to the practise of the Primitiue Church in making lawes Canons and imposing censures vpon transgressours directly contrary as well to the institution of Christ in the authority which he gaue to S. Peter as you haue seene as also to the doctrine and proceeding of the Apostles themselues wherof no man that can read the Scriptures should be ignorant Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers sayth S. Paul for there is no power Rom. 13.1 but of God c. Therefore he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist purchase to themselues damnation Rom. 13.5 And a little after Therefore be yee subiect of necessity not only for auoyding wrath but also for Conscience sake Out of which place we may argue thus The Church hath receiued power and authority from God and therefore they that resist the same resist and disobey the ordinance of God and purchast to themselues damnation That the Church hath receiued power and authority to gouerne from Almighty God is to too manifest for so all the Fathers expound the words of our Sauiour to S. Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind c. and to the Apostles Matt. 16.19 Matt. 18.18 whatsoeuer you shall bind c. And that binding signifieth the imposing of some law or commaundment we find in the 23. Matt. 23.4 of S. Matthew They bind sayth our Sauiour burdens heauy and importable vpon the shoulders of men but they with their finger will not moue them and in the same manner the Fathers expound those other words Ioan. 21.11.16.17 feed my sheep of the gouernment of Christs sheep as you haue heard And our Sauiour signifying how much we are bound in conscience to obey our Prelates sayd vnto them Luc. 1◠16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me And againe as my Father sent me Ioā 20.21 so send I you and he that will not heare the Church let him be to thee as an heathen and Publican Act. 16.4 According whereunto it is sayd of S. Paul S. Timothy that passing through the Gittyes they deliuered vnto them to keep the precept of the Apostles and of the Elders 1. Thes 2.23 And to the Thessalonians he sayth You know what commaundments I haue giuen vnto you he that despiseth them despiseth not man but God that gaue his holy spirit vnto vs and if any do not obey our word note him by an epistle 1. Tim. 5. and do not accompany with him that he may be confounded So he writeth to Timothy not to receiue my accusation against a Priest vnder 2. or 3. witnesses And to the Corinthians the weapons of our warrefare sayth he are not carnall but mighty to God 1. Cor. 10.7 vnto the destruction of munitions destroying Councells and all loftynes extolling it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuity all vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ Act. 15.20 and hauing in a readynesse to reuenge all disobedience c. And in the first Coūcell the Church of Hierusalem made this Decree It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to vs not to impose any other burthen vpon you but only these necessary things to abstayne from meats offered to Idolls from strangled meats from bloud Can. Apost Can. 62. and fornication And the punishment of those that did eate bloud or strangled meat afterward was so great in the Primitiue Church as that Clarks were deposed and lay men were excommunicated for the same Neither is this most pestilent assertion of the Bishop contrary to Scripture alone and to the Fathers and Councells as hath been shewed but also to the practise and doctrine of the Church of England For I would aske this wild Bishop whether the authority the English Bishops in their spirituall Courts be from God or no If it be then according to S. Paul all men are bound to obey them in that which is iust vpon paine of damnation If it be not then it is no small vsurpation in them to take vpon them such authority whereof the Bishop should do well to admonish them as his friends before he go about to reforme the Catholike Bishops whome he supposeth to be his enemyes In conclusion the necessity of Iurisdiction is so euident in it selfe and the institution thereof so palpable in Scripture that the Puritans themselues who deny the same to Bishops are inforced notwithstanding to challenge so much to themselues as may suffice to excommunicate all those who are obstinatly disobedient in their Congregations And therefore I thinke there is
none but himselfe so drunke at this day with heresy in Christendome as to deny the lawfullnes of all Iurisdiction in the Church of God And as this position is most pernicious to all kind of Churches or spirituall Cōgregations whatsoeuer they be in taking away al obligation of obedience from them so also it is most dangerous to kingdomes and commonwealthes for such as in our tyme haue opposed themselues to the Iurisdiction of the Church haue likewise for the most part denyed their band of obedience to all temporall gouernement And their principall ground or reason is the same in both For no man say they that seeth not another mans conscience can bind the conscience of his brother And that all being made free by Baptisme ought to enioy the liberty of the Ghospell Whereof it followeth that neither sonnes nor seruants nor wyues nor subiects are bound to obay their Superiours for conscience sake but only and at the most either for feare or els for the auoyding of some publike scandall which doctrine if it were once receiued would in short space make Christians worse then Heathens And therefore I marueile how your English Bishops could let such doctrine passe being no lesse contrary to their authority then to the Popes Supremacy and no lesse perillous to themselues then to the gouernement of the whole kingdome vnles perhaps finding their case to be desperate they desire more to offend their enemy then to defend themselues would be cōtent their heresy should sinke so the Catholike Religion might be drowned with it But the Bishop being reputed to haue gotten some learning when he was yong and not being yet so old as to dote for age aboue all it is to be marueiled how he could suster himself to be so much deceiued by the Diuell as to ground his 10. yeares studyes the 10. books of his Christian commonwealth and in a word his whole religion and the saluation of his soule vpon an absurdity so grosse so fowle enormous dangerous to Church and Common-wealth as this is and the strangenes of his illusion is so much the greater because he was so blinded therewith that he saw not how manifestly he was inforced to contradict himselfe not only in other places of this his booke where he grāteth that Christian Princes haue power to do many thinges in the Church and challengeth vnto himselfe I know not what authority ouer Bishops in some cases which should make the Bishop of Canterbury to looke about him but also in the very title of his Booke which he calleth his Ecclesiasticall Cōmonwealth because it doth inuolue a manifest contradiction to this his strange position For vnles it be meerly a dreame and much more fantasticall then Platoes Idaea no man can imagine how any Cōmonwealth should be framed or est ablished without some Iurisdiction or power of gouernement giuen thereunto If he had contayned himselfe within any reasonable bounds and relyed his proofes vpon the Scripture alone interpreting the same according to his own sense how strang soeuer he might perhaps haue made some shift therewith for a while as his fellowes haue done before him But to pretend and contend as he doth that according to the Fathers Councells and Canons there is neither superiority of gouernment in the head nor power of Iurisdiction in the body of Christs Church is an euident signe that as he hath forsaken God so also God in his iustice hath not only forsaken him but also in great part hath taken his wits and reason from him For as S. Augustine sayth of the Prophesyes of the Church that they are more cleere in Scripture then the prophesyes of Christ himselfe because the tryall of all other Controuersyes dependeth vpon the knowledge of the Church so also for the same reason God Almighty in his prouidence hath so ordayned that the Iurisdiction of the Church and the authority of the head therof should be more expresly taught and aboundantly proued by the Doctours Pastours and ancient Fathers then any other point in Controuersy So that he might better haue gone about to proue and maintayne out of the Fathers Canons or Councells that the Sonne is not equall with the Father or the holy Ghost not equall to the Sonne or not proceeding from the Father and the Sonne or that our Blessed Lady ought not to be called the Mother of God or some other of those anciently condemned and rotten heresyes then to proue that there is no Iurisdiction in the Church nor any inequality of gouernment amongst the Pastours thereof And therefore as most impudently he denyeth the latter so it is much to be feared that he faltereth also in the former whereof he giueth many shrewd signes and apparant tokens in this little booke and much more is it likely he will bewray himself in the greater whē it cometh forth For being borne vpon the confines of Turky and Greece in which Countrey those ancient heresyes haue tirannized heeretofore and worse succeeded them in latter ages the suspitions wherewith as he professeth he was troubled when he was yong by all reason were more in fauour of the Easterne heresyes which he knew then of these of the West which he knew not And the bookes of the Arian Greciin heresyes being no lesse forbidden in Italy then the hereticall writers of these westerne parts whereby his suspitions were much more increased it is very probable that they swayed his mind more to that side then to this His maisters also do commonly dispute more against them then against these whome they are content to pretermit in these parts there being no vse of the knowledge of them And therefore by al likelihood his suspitions increased most in fauour of those opinions whereunto he was naturally most affected and wherewith he had more to do and which did more belong vnto him to know then the other did And besides all this that which he maketh his chiefe quarrell against the Pope is only the excommunication and condemnation of those opinions for heresyes which he sayth are not sufficiently condemned by the Church although it be manifest and he denyeth it not that they haue byn condemned by generall Councells And that inborne desire of peace Pag. 35. and vnity which he pretendeth of the East and West seemeth to consist in nothing els but only in permitting euery Bishop at the least to abound in his owne sense and to hold what he list as long as he doth not separate himselfe from the rest nor condemne their opinions And lastly to returne to the matter which we haue in hand by taking away all Iurisdiction from the Church of God he maketh voyd and repealeth the Anathema and excommunication of all former heretikes and by condemning the Fathers and Councells for condemning them without iudiciall authority he restoreth them all to their first pretended pleas and old forged titles And the renewing of these ancient censures condemnations of Heretikes by the Churche of Rome at this
you may know this man to be one of those of whom S. Paul speaketh who taking vpon them to be Doctours of the Law do not vnderstand neither what they speake nor of what they affirme Let vs suppose it were true that his eyes were opened as he saith and that he saw manifestly and clerely in the Fathers Canons and Councells those so many Churches whome Rome hath made her aduersaryes do differ little or nothing from the ancient and pare doctrine of the pure Church What other thing I pray you did he see with his eyes broad open so plainly but only this that he is alienated from the Church of God a deceiuer and a killer of the sheep of Christs a blasphemous defender of many horrible Heresyes a disposer to Arianisme and Turcisme insathanized and 〈…〉 c. according to the purity of the Lutheran Ghospell That he is amalepert wicked furious herecike and a slane of the Diuell in defenthing Luther according to the purity of Caluins doctrine That he putteth no difference betwene truth and falshould Christ and Antichrist God and the Diuell but it one of the Antichristian Swyntsh rabble according to the purity of the Puritants themselues And lastly that he is excommunicated and guilty of a wicked errour according to the purity of the Protestants for defending most impurely that all these Sects togeather do differ little or nothing from the purity of the Ghospell SECTION XX. The conclusion of this Tract cōcerning the Bishops motiues by occasion wherof the nature of a motiue is declared and the first Catholike motiue of the holynes and sanctity of Catholike doctrine is propounded AND this much concerning the Bishops Motiues and the formall Reasons of his conuersion which I haue shewed that being in themselues not only strang but also incredible he neither goeth about to proue in this place nor can possibly proue them in his other bookes hereafter because in them he doth not descend to those particuler points which are in Controuersy betwene vs as is manifest by the titles of his bookes themselues And this one Controuersy alone of the Popes Supremacy according to the doctrine of the ancient Church I which is the substance of all the bookes he promiseth is found as I haue shewed to he most extreme against him and that which he maketh the ground thereof hath been also discouered to be a most absurd and most pernicious position as much contrary to the authority of your Bishops and to the Puritan Eldership and to the title of his owne booke as to the Popes Supremacy and if all were true which he pretendeth to proue in his Common wealth it might shew perhaps the Catholike Religion to be false but yours to be the right it could not proue I haue also made it euident vnto you that the Bishops motiues as they are heere set downe in his little booke are as monstrous vntruths as can be deuised and albeit he may saue them from broad lyes perchance vnder the title of some rhetoricall figure whereof he hath been a Maister yet too much of one thing is good for nothing and he cannot deny but that it is a great disgrace euen to the Art of lying to vse this one figure of manifest vntruth so often By this also that hath beene sayd concerning this matter you will further perceiue the Bishop being a man so deeply learned and after ten yeares study hauing produced such reasons as these for the proofe of your Religion how hard or rather how impossible it is for any man whatsoeuer to giue any sound or good reason for it Wherin also by the way it wil be worthy your knowledge to consider that such reasons as may induce a man to be of any Religion are of two sorts For either they proue euery point of Religion in particuler to be true or els they open and declare the euidence of certaine generall principles which being once receiued draw after them the consent of the mind to all those thinges in speciall which are taught or practised in that Religion Vnto the first kind do belong all those books which treat of particuler Controuersyes as of the Masse of prayer for the dead of prayer to Saints Purgatory and the like which indeed to a man that hath but little will or little leasure to read is a wearisome course and tedious way to tryall Vnto the other doth belong those shorter discourses which some haue tearmed motiues and for the Catholike party may be seen in such as haue handled the notes of the Church in Canipian his ten Reasons in the booke of the Three Conuersions of England in Bristow and others Whereunto besides that they must be generall reasons as I haue shewed two things againe are necessary The one that the truth of them be more euident then the truth of other particulers which depend vpon them The other that they induce almen Heathens or Christiās of what belief soeuer they be to change opinion and to submit their iugdments to the obedience of that Religion for which they are produced This being seene if you please but to examine a little all those Protestants books which haue been published in this kind you shall not find any one argument in them which may be called a generall reason or an vniuersall motiue for the truth of your Religion but either they are no lesse obscure then the Religion it selfe as that the word of God is truly preached and the Sacraments rightly administred amongst you or most improbable as that the Protestants haue beene alwayes the most visible Congregation of all other Christian Churches or that your religion accordeth with the doctrine of the ancient Fathers as here the Bishop pretendeth or el they concerne some particuler point in Controuersy and commonly are not only most improbable as that the Masse is Idolatry that the Pope is Antichrist and the like but also most palbably false as that we hope to be saued without the merits of Christ that we worship stockes and stones that for nication is a veniall sinne such other iniuries of like nature as it pleaseth your vnlearned Ministers for want of knowledge or of better matter to lay vpon vs. Whereas on the other side euery Catholike whether learned or vnlearned wise or simple is able to giue you such a reason of his fayth as may be sufficient to moue any indifferent mind of what belief soeuer to like and imbrace it For Almighty God not inforcing man against his wil but drawing him according to his Nature and demaunding a reasonable obedience of him hath ordayned in the sweetnes of his prouidence that all Christians should make profession of some principall motiues of their fayth wherein many others are vertually conrayned saying in their Creed I beleeue the holy Church Catholike Not only to moue others therby but also more and more to confirme themselues in their beliefe For albeit matter of diuine fayth be infinitly aboue the knowledge of naturall reason which