I return to search a little further into the Councels The sixt general Councel the Councell of Carthage in which S. Austin was present did confirm the Cannons of the former Councells No â—ppeals to Rome infra chap. 11. declaring the powers of the Patriarks to be equall and the right of appealing to Rome by such as were condemned by the Arch bishop of their own Province was declared unnecessary S. Austin after that who was Bishop of Hippo opposing three Bishops of Rome Zozimus Boniface and Celestine in this so just a cause common to all provinciall Sees as appears by the ensuing report One Apiarius an African Priest being excommunicated and flying to Rome and being absolved by Zozimus the then Bishop of Rome Aurelins the Metropolitan of Afrie with the Councell wrote to Celestine the succeeding Bishop stiling him Dominus Frater and acquainting him that by the sixth Canon of the Councell of Nice ecclesiastick persons are to be committed to the charge of their Metropolitans appealing to provincials or generall Churches but not to any forraign See and reproving the absolving of Apiarius exhorted Celestine Nè induceret fumosum typum in Ecclesiam Christi quae lucem simplicitatis humilitatis praefert iis qui Deum diligunt did afterwards proceed against Apiarius enjoyning him penance notwithstanding the Bishop of Romes former absolving of him and this was acknowledged received of all Churches as an Evangelical truth acknowledged by the succeeding Bishop of Rome Gregory I. who lived An. Chri. 590. reputing the decrees of these first Councells equall with the Evangelists as proceeding from the same holy Spirit of God which he had promised to his Church Se suscipere quatuor prima concilia sicuâ— sancti Evangelii quatuor libros venerari fatetur and thus did the Church of o me continue in brotherly fellowship with the other Patriarks not claiming any Jurisdiction over the rest till Phocas the Emperours time which change was occasioned through a vvicked murder and having by that means acquired a superintendency over the other provincialls the succeeding Bishops have since practised Navigation in the Red See her universall Ark not knovving hovv to ansvver its helm in any clear and pure vvaters the brief of vvhich history follovvs in these fevv vvords Mauritius the Emperour having made John of Constantinople universall Patriark Gregory the Great John of Constantinople universall Patriarch Bishop of Rome writ against that and maintained that whosoever took upon him that stile was the forerunner of Antichrist and did in opposition of that stile assume to himself the title of servus servorum Gregory did not oppose that title in that sense the Doctor would have us to rake it folio 293. to wit that none should be universall Bishop thereby excluding others but to be Bishop of the universall Church it was in Gregories opinion lawfull a pittifull shift to excuse the unjust usurpations of Gregories Successors by this means he will tie universality to Rome in respect of the place not as Peter was universall Bishop and this distinction has destroyed all Bellarmines Arguments who would have the Church built upon Peter and all power of governing given to him which Gregory by the Doctors own distinction confessed calls Antichristian so that I would fain know how Rome can be a Universall Church since no Bishop can be a Universall Bishop for certainly it was not the Universall See before Peters coming and if he was not Universall Bishop how could he make it a Universall See I send this riddle back to the Doctor and desire he will recommend it to the Ignatian tribe to varnish over with a new paint For if this must passe for current that the Bishop of Rome is universall in respect of his See and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against locall Rome the world knows they maintain a lie as will appeare more at large in the fourteenth chapter of this Book â—t is plain to any judgement not aleady forestalled with a preoccupated conceit of Romes sophisticall delusions that Gregory writ against John of Constantinople his being universall Patriark for that it was an injury to Alexandria Rome Antioch c. that any should take upon them that title when both by the holy Scriptures and the judgements and decrees of the reverend Fathers of the holy Church the powers and Jurisdictions of Patriarks were declared to be alike The same Gregory when he was by Eulogius Patriarch of Alâ—xandria stiled universall refused the stile as derogatory to his Brethren and writing an Epistle to the said Eulogius he calls that stile new foolish perverse wicked and prophane and whosoever shall arrogate that stile he does the work of Satan to whom it was not sufficient to be alike and equall to other Angells Phocas made the Bi hop of Rome universall and did tax John of Constantinople for the same It hapned so that not long after this affront done to Alexandria Rome and the other Provinces that Mauritius was murdered by the means of Phocas who no sooner had perpetrated so vile and hainous an offence but his guilty conscience contracted many dark jealousies upon his soul and presented to his phansie many sad and fearfull apprehensions one amongst the rest was that Italy would certainly shake off all Faith and Allegiance to such a Monster of mankind who had justly provoked their dissents to obey him who had forfeited all their loves and affections by his bloudy violation of the Bonds of Nature and Civility by this his barbarous assassination of his Liege Lord and Soveraign and thereupon he casts upon all essaies which way to preserve his Western Territories the garden of his new acquired Empire and calling to mind the respect the inhabitants thereof bore to their Metropolitans and that the affront done to him by setting the Constantinopolitan above him was thorn in his side and had bred in him a grudge towards the then murdered prince Mauritius He to engratiate with the people of those parts and to engage a pragmaticall Orator to blandish his foul murder did resolve with himself to make the then Bishop of Rome Universall Bishop which he accordingly did by vertue of which Donation and by their own strengths and policies since the present Bishop thereof claim this title and Jurisdiction which their Predecessors did condemn in another from which bloudy founder they took this Prerogative and in a full measure of tyranny and against all divine Right Ecclesiasticall and against the doctrine of that See whilest any other had that Prerogative will needs perswade the world that the present Church of Rome is the only Catholique Church Yet blessed be God the light of the Gospell having shined in several Nations of this Western world by the means of S. Paul who God ordained by his grace hereunto hath taken such root in many Churches of the same that they will not admit of this Antichristian usurpation of the Romish See according to
or if the Popes genius cannot see far enough to advance the Papal Throne they will in his name and by his authority make Scriptures Infra 12 Chap. Councils and Fathers noses of wax make the dead Fathers speak things they never thought or uttered and put new faces upon the old Fathers and Councils As for example S. Fathers Councils a bused by the Popes Parasites Austin de civitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 23. speaking of Canonical Scripture says Those Scriptures are to be taken for Canonical which the most part of the Christian churches so take amongst which those Churches be that deserve to have Apostolike Sees and to receive Epistles from the Apostles the word Sees is turned into See as I have already alleadged Ante Ch. 2 The sixth canon of the first Council of Nice which made Rome equal with Alexandria is corrupted and fifty false canons are added to the twenty canons of the same Council and the Jesuites would hereby perswade the world that his Holiness supremacie which was shortened by the Fathers of the Nicene Council being alive is enlarged by his Holiness they being dead and contrary that Council his Holiness gives leave to Abbots to consecrate Bishops which Abbots are not quatenus Abbots infra sacros ordines and contrary to the fifth canon he absolveth those that are excommunicated by other Bishops Contrary to the sixth canon he invades the Diocesses of other Patriarchs which Eutiches condemned in the Council of Chalcedon He believeth that Christ hath a body neither solid nor palpable nor like to ours for such is that transubstantiated body he maintains to be in the Sacrament He has further abused the Fathers of the Chalcedon Council who being alive said Let the See of Constantinople be as well advanced as the See of Rome being the next unto it which words are filthily corrupted by a negative added to the last words Let her not be advanced in matters Ecclesiastical as she let her be the next unto it So in like manner he hath abused the eight and twentieth canon of the Council of Carthage speaking how the Churches of Africa should not appeal beyond seas he has added this clause Vnless it be to the See of Rome I might instance a thousand more of the like nature but these particulars may serve to give a light unto their dark proceedings Hercules is known by his foot and by this brief epitome of the Church of Rome's tricks and juglings for note Reader where thorowout the Book I name the Pope I thereby generally understand the Church of Rome with Fathers and Councils you may ghess what multitudes of errours and wrongs she daily commits not making conscience to abuse the dead Fathers which were they alive could not think much at it because the dictates of the holy Ghost the Scripture it self is not free from his abuses in points that contradict his new profitable tenents and to make the Rules of Councels stand upon new pantables which his Holiness has shod them with to make them tread Papal measures in To this pass are general Councels come those of old speak new language those of later times teach things contrary to the old nor are these modern Councels free in their Constitutions every member thereof must be engaged by Oath to maintain the Pope in his new-usurped priviledges and should they freely debate and decree any thing yet it is to no purpose being subject to alteration controlment or denial of his Holiness and therefore since they are brought to this pass who will give ear to their Edicts or honour them as a Representative of several Churches united in that body sith thus by the practice of the Church of Rome general Councels are brought into this servile condition and made subordito the Pope it behoves Provincials to reform themselves and to call Provincial councils to that purpose and no longer to expect the decision of Controversies from a General Council which is thus made servile to the Pope to decree to please the people but in no ways to displease the Pope Sith then General Councils are brought to this pass I say it behoves Provincials as they tender the purity of doctrine delivered by Christ and the dictates of the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Apostles to be preserved in the several Churches of Christ without being perverted to please the humours of men To cast off these wicked designers of the Churches slavery and introducers of errour and innovation and to desire the assistance of the holy Spirit of God to direct them in their own respective Provincial Councils which they may by the example of the Primitive Churches and by authority of the first Councils lawfully convene without any Rule or Order from the See of Rome for their so doing and no longer unless those things may be amended and that they have sufficient assurance thereof from the See of Rome to appeal to any General Councels called by the Pope CHAP. XI That there may be Provincial Councils called without the Popes approbation which councils have power to reform Schisms and Heresies and may enjoyn Rules of Faith which the people by the consent of the civil Magistrate are bound to obey and especially that the church of England hath this power THat the Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces have power to call Councils for reformation of any Schisms or decision of any Questions or Doubts in Religion it was the practice of the Primitive Churches and if the Pope of Rome have any preeminence of Jurisdiction in order to Councils it was but derived from the power of Councels as I have proved before and therefore the same power giving authority to other Provincials to call Councils they are not debarred of this priviledge by any Order or Decree of the Church of Rome they not being under her jurisdiction or power especially those Provincials which were not by Suffragans represented in the late Laterane and Trent-Councils which gave this supremacy over Councils to the Pope And that this was granted to all Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces may appear by these ensuing presidents and warrants so to do By the General Councils of Chalcedon the 19 Canon it is decreed Quod oporteat per Provinciales bis in anno Concilia celebrare and this is likewise agreed by the Council of Antioch can 20. and by the first Council of Nice and by the the 18 Canon of the Council of Antioch that one Bishop should not meddle in the Diocess of another and herewith agrees the first Council of Constantinople Can. 2. Provincial Councils and several Provincials to meet in one with out the Popes approbation By the Council of Carthage Can. 19. if any difference arose it was to be referred to the Metropolitan of the Province who should call the Bishops of his Province together and if they could not resolve the doubt it was to be transmitted to a General Council and if any party thought himself agrieved at
the Decrees of the Provincial he was to appeal to the General Council within a yeer And by the Council of Antioch can 13. if any thing of controversie did arise in any Province and the Metropolitane could not in his Provincial Synod decide the matter the Metropolitane might call upon his neighbour-Provinces for assistance in Council a shame therefore for the Church of Rome to affirm that no Council is of validity without the Pope which canon of the Popes to that purpose is contrary to the practice and doctrine of the Primitive Church Ante Chap. 10. and therefore to be rejected By the ninth canon of the Councel of Antioch the Metropolitane of every Province has the Government of that Province assigned to him By all and every of which canons it is plain that one Bishop should not intermeddle in the Diocess of another Ante Ch. 2 nor one Metropolitane in the Province of another for that every Metropolitane has the government of his own distinct Province committed to him that he may call a council within his own Province and if there the matter in question cannot be determined may desire the assistance of his neighbour-Provincials which makes by that means a general Council by calling in the neighbour-Provincials as the cause shall require and this is declared by these Councils for to be lawful so to do without any reservation to the See of Rome as if without her Provincial this might not be done who by the sixth canon of the first Council of Nice is but equal with Alexandria and Alexandria Antioch Rome and other Provinces have like priviledges reserved to them by the express words of that canon This was the practice of the primitive Churches England equal with Rome and when those constitutions were made and long before was England a province and had her Metropolitane who after King Lucius conversion did publikely exercise the Jurisdiction of a Metropolitane which was 120 yeers before that Council of Nice and by the words of that canon the several Provincials then in being having equal Jurisdiction reserved to them England may by vertue hereof claim equality with the Church of Rome the same Authority making them equal in power and jurisdiction nor had she so much as primacie of Order till the ensuing Council of Constantinople can 2. gave it her onely for honour to the city of Rome and no other respect Nor doth it appear that England had any Suffragan in that Council so that had it not in after-times been confirmed by other Councils England had not been hereunto bound Which council of Constantinople was not called till 26 yeers after the council of Nice So that for the Doctor to alleadge against us as he doth positively in his book fol. 221. that we cannot call a Council seems something strange to me to proceed from a Doctor for it is an argument that he is ignorant of those canons or else if he have read them those copies he has perused are of Rhemish print and much vary from the Originals However I must needs wonder at his harsh censure against his native country and his quondam-mother-quondam-mother-Church that he should deny her that priviledge and jurisdiction which is not due to her alone but common to all Provincials which by the authority of Councels and by the practice of the Primitive and by the ensamples of later ages have and do call Provincial Councils within their respective territories and precincts and do there decree Rules of faith to be observed of all within the Province as may appear by these ensuing presidents There was a Provincial Council called at Ancyra in Galitia of eighteen Bishops Provincials called of old and that other of Neocaesaria of fourteen Bishops before any General Council and after the General Council of Nice were held several Provincial Councils in the East as that Council of Grangene of sixteen Bishops that of Antioch of thirty Bishops of several Provinces in the East in which respect it rather deserves the name of a General Council then a Provincial Synod Likewise the Council of Laodicea of several Provinces of Asia Councils held without the Bishop of Rome and this without the Bishop of Rome for he was not to govern the Asian churches but the Bishops of Asia and Alexandria the Churches in Egypt and the Bishop of Pontus them in Pontus according to the Council of Constant can 2. Hereupon likewise the African Province held several Councils under Theodosius the third without any dependencie upon Rome which upon the authority of the Primitive Churches and Councils hath been continued down to these days not onely in those of the Eastern Asian and African Provinces but in other of the Western European Provinces it being a Right equally due to every Province and therefore I need not travel so far for Presidents I might have saved labour and answered the Doctor with presidents neerer home and have instanced in France those of Arles Tours Tholouse c. which Genebrard in his Chronicle lib. 4. anno 814. calls Concilia reformatoria and in Germany those of Worms Mentz Brixia Frankfort Noremberg and Ratisbone And in Spain those of Toledo and one of Sardis called by Osius Bishop of Corduba a little afore the Council of Nice And in England the Councils of London Winchester Gloucester and many and several even to this day the Pope never intermedling in any of them but in most of the afore-mentioned Provincial Councils was opposed and declared upon several questions started that he ought not to intermeddle Provincial Councels not to appeal to the Bishop of Rome nor any Appeals ought from those Provincials to be made unto him it being against the priviledges of the several Provincials to allow of Appeals to him And as it was their ancient Right Ante Ch. 2. so was it maintained by the Princes of later times who like careful nursing fathers would not suffer their Provincial Rights to be invaded by the ambitious and covetous incroaching Popes of Rome Hereupon Ludovicus Pius the Emperour did by publike Edict prohibit all exactions of the Popes which Ludovicus perceiving they began to grow proud upon the freedom and donation his predecessor Charles the Great had bestowed upon them did hereby shew unto the world that the clemencie and indulgencie of the Imperial Crown should not be an occasion to make other Princes suffer in their Ecclesiastical Rights by the Popes of Rome under colour of shelter from the Emperour to invade them in their said Ecclesiastical priviledges belonging to any Provinces within their proper dominions and therefore by publike Edict did the said Emperour prohibit all exactions of the Popes Court within his Realm The like was done in France by Philip the fair prohibiting all Appeals to Rome 1246. and that was confirmed by Charles the 5 and 6. punishing some as traitors for appealing And in the Reign of Charles the 7. was set forth a Decree against the annates reservations
that of S. Paul Galat. 2.8 He that was mighty by Peter in the Apostleship over the Circumcision was also mighty by me towards the Gentiles but do and hope still to hold out the truth they have received against any innovation of the Romish See whatsoever and particularly the Church of England When the first Councell of Nice was called England not subject to Rome we had a Church planted here and publike profession of the Faith of Christ 120. years before that Councell and had Bishops and Metropolitans of London and York and although it might tacitly be inferred from the sixth Canon of that Councell that we were within the Jurisdiction of Rome as being within the West yet in the second Canon thereof is mention made of many Provinces and power of Jurisdiction reserved to every Metropolitan which by the next generall Councell 2. Can. is further enlarged Ecclesias in longinquis Gentibus constiâ—utas gubernari convenijtuxta consuetudinem quae est à patribus observata By which Canon we may justly claim provincial Jurisdiction to the Church of England having at that time a Metropolitan of our own however it is confirmed to us in the Chalcedon Councell 19. Can. Episcopos in unaquaque Provincia bis in anno Metrapolitano istius provinciae provinciales Episcopos admonente convenire licet which was afterwards confirmed and declared in a Councell at Antioch 20. Can. Provincial Councels that it was lawfull for Metropolitans of Provinces to call Counsells propter utilitates ecclesiasticas absolutiones earum rerum quae dubitationem controversiamque recipiunt and by the said Councell of Antioch the nineth Can. and the Councell of Carthage the seventeenth Can. it is decreed that in every Province there be a Metropolitan so that had we had none before we might by these two Canons claime one but having one it is confirmed to us to be distinct of our selves and for one Metropolitan to govern and call Councells without any appeal to Rome having the authority of Councells to confirm this unto us nor is this to arrogate to our selves any more then what of right belongs to us and what other Provincials may justly challenge to themselves and what has beeh practised of old both by the French Germans Spaniards c. as shall be shewed more at large in the chapter of Councells If I should argue like the Doctor Possession infra chap. 4. I must plead possession of this priviledge as he doth for Universality and say it were jus Gentis but I dare not in cases of this nature stand to that humane Plea possession for hold and prescription for time is no good Plea in cases of Religion though in civill matters for peace sake and avoiding contentions it be admitted in bar of after too busie Inquisitors for the first may be a claim by intrusion which is the point in question and the other antiquity of error malus usus est abolendus let custome yeeld to truth is a sound axiom of Divinity I will not therefore stand so much upon possession of this immunity as upon the right of that possession though whilest I prove a possession from these Councells I destroy Romes prescription to Universality in that these records are above her Donor Phocas and so annihilate her puisne title It was the Decree of the Councell of Carthage 28. Can. that Priests if they thought themselves agrieved at the censures of their Diocesans to appeal to the primate of their own Province and not to Rome or any other See over Sees and if they did they stood excommunicate from the rest of the Churches in Africa and shall we being as free and having as good right to this priviledge subject our selves to a forraign See at Rome sith we may call a Councell of our own which may upon serious debate judge of things maintained and done by other Churches and resolve whether to admit of them into their own provinciall Churches without being branded for Heretikes and Schismatikes upon which score the Church of England did in her full and lawfull assembles heretofore cast off some usurpations of the See of Rome and did retain what she conceived Apostolical what she cast off we offer to the world to maintain the action by authority of Scripture Fathers and Councells and what we retain Rome cannot blame for we being provinciall and having a Metropolitan of our own and a lawfull Succession of Bishops as I shall shew anon even from Apostolicall Ordination to this day we might well reform propter utilitates ecclesiasticas absolu iones controversiae infra provinciam without either appealing to Rome or she questioning what we do herein yet in those things we differ we would willingly submit them to the sentence of a generall Councell might it be free and rightly constituted of which in the chapter of Councells In the mean time we may with confidence affirm that Rome is not the only Catholique Church and for the better satisfaction of the Reader of the justnesse of this our claim and to acquit us of all presumption in this point I will crave pardon though it do not much conduce to the subject matter of this chapter any further then what is already spoke to give him a brief relation of the planting of the Christian Faith in this Island of Britain It is recorded by the ancient Writers and preservers of antiquity in this Isle England converted to the Faith that the Gospell was planted here by Joseph of Arimathea who was sent hither out of France by Philip who was sent thither by Paul some affirm it was Philip the Apostle upon dispersion of the Jews to have come to France but for my part I rather encline to think it was Philip the Deacon who was ordained by Paul Acts 6. and that Paul sent him into France and that he planted the Gospell here and it is agreed by all that Joseph of Arimathea was here and did preach the Gospell to the Britains about the year of our Lord 63. and here remained in this land all this time and died here and was buried at Glassenbury and was the first that preached to the Britains but whether he was sent of Paul from Rome or came from Philip out of France who came thither directly from the East and not from Rome as some suopose the histories do not plainly declare nor is it much materiall for whether Philip came from the East or from Rome and sent Joseph hither it is certain Joseph had his Mission from Apostolicall order besides presently after Simon Zelotes was sent out of France hither as Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40. reporteth and here the Gospell was received and nourished though not publikely professed before Lucius time which was Anno 169. after Christ for as a City upon a hill cannot be hid so the Gospell having been preached here though but in some obscure corners of the Isle did so spread by Gods blessing upon the labours of them that
incorporeal and infinite Isai 40.18 To whom shall we liken God or what similitude shall we set up unto him It is true that God of old represented himself in mans shape but we must not therefore think to make semblances of him it is lawful for him to do as he pleases but not for us to make such representations of him as are not commanded Besides those visible shapes by which he vouchsafed to appear had God after a special manner with them and in them present to command and hear them to whom he so manifested himself which cannot be ascribed to mens representations of him which are against Gods order he forbidding us to turn the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man Rom. 1.13 And though some urge that such semblances serve as Lay-mens books to teach them to know Christ yet that is no excuse for the use of such sith God hath ordained his Church to be taught by his Word and Sacraments and not by these And whereas the Doctor urges that they serve to stir up men to give honour to the thing signified by the signe that must be understood of a true signe ordained by him who hath authority to ordain it and the will of him that is honoured prescribing the honour to be given to the signe which neither he nor any else can prove that Christ should be honoured by such signes And as it is not lawful to make such representations of Him so neither of any creature to the end to give worship to the signes as significations of what they represent And yet I allow that the curious Draughts and Paintings of Ecclesiastical Stories and of other Portraictures set forth with art and skill may be used to adorn our Churches so that no adoration be given to any such signes Wisely therefore did the Council of Constantinople called by Constantinus Images are dangerous to the people in forbidding the use of Images in the Church and pernicious was the Decree of the second Council of Nice declaring the contrary which hereby gives occasion of idolatry to the weak And there being no ground for them in the Scriptures but rather against them it were more safe although to the more learned they be no occasion of offence to abolish them then to retain the use of them in the Church But I doubt his Holiness will not easily be induced hereunto in respect they are much instrumental by Oblations made to them to increase his book for he with the people of Zachan in China feeds the Idols onely with the smoak of the Offering himself faring deliciously by such libations And although these golden pieces which those wooden gods procure him be the offerings of sins and sacrificed to Idols yet by vertue of his holiness he can easily wash that iniquity from them and teach it for a truth that when once they are laid up in his Holiness Chests the squallid nature of their inquination is changed and by a wonderful metamorphosis they become pure Peter-pence and therefore he will not willingly part with such gainful and profitable instruments They are of double use to him for they do not onely serve for the ends of gain but likewise to win the people to obedience by the seeming-miraculous apparitions of them and therefore by no means must the use of them be laid aside Though of themselves they are but manimate blocks yet as Toys and Rattles please Babies these delude the ignorant vulgar striking them into admiration of them which is none of the least occasions of the Papists being trained up in ignorance And whilst his Holiness can by their means be enriched who can blame him for retaining them in the Church of Rome But I return to the other Point concerning Miracles and will shut up this Chapter touching both with this advertisement to those that believe the Miracles of Romes Church as done by the power of God Not to give themselves to such delusion The Doctor confesses fol. 253. that by the power of Antichrist wonders may be done and most of Romes Miracles are known to be Mountebank-juglings and the Doctor confesses some may not be true and yet she proclaims all for true Miracles as proceeding from the Spirit of God She doth not declare out of her Legends which are true and which are false But her Legends being filled with several bundles of them she delivers all for true miracles and therefore is credit to be given to none of them as done by the power of the Spirit of God for did they work by that Spirit they would not lye in any one of them CHAP. VIII That the Church of Rome is not the true Church because of her pretended marks of conversion of Kingdomes and Monarchs or because of her not having been separate from any Societies of Christians more ancient then her self IF the church of Rome have converted any Church since her declining the Apostles doctrine it is no more then what the Arrians did unto the Goths and so by the Doctors own rule fol. 256. she hath not whereof to boast and if other Nations have the Apostles doctrine the pure and primitive faith they now differing in material points from Rome it serves rather to condemn her Apostacie then to record her charity towards them in that if she gave them faith it was but such an one as she her self condemnes or if they have the pure faith the present Church of Rome having faln away from the the faith of those first plants may not properly be called their mother-Church But however I will argue de facto that this mark is not only proper to Rome Conversion of kingdoms may as well be applyed to the Church of England which hath planted the Gospel in several Northern parts of the late discovered world and although not in so large a measure as the Spaniards Westward and the Portugals Eastward yet it manifests that other Churches have a title to that mark and that Rome must not soley monopolize that to her self Besides I do not think that many of the Plantations in the West were by immediate Mission from Rome but that the Bishops of Spaine and Portugal sent Priests thither to Preach Christ unto them and they and not the Bishops which his holiness sent to rule and govern the Churches so planted are to be called the converters of the Nations and People and â—bough the Priests so sent by the Spaniards and Portugals be of the same faith with the Church of Rome yet they coming from distinct provinces and not from the peculiar See of Rome and those Bishops having power to ordaine those Ministers and they by the command of their Prince being recommended to his new Plantations I wonder why Rome should for this bragg and vainely arrogate to her self that she is the sole converter of these Nations and Monarchs The Spaniard and Portugal had the faith of Christ first preached to them by Saint Paul who was himself amonst
Council at Ravenna and sentenced the Acts of Pope Steph. which were in a Synod by him decreed to be burned The Council of Constantinople took away the cup which another Council restored and which decree of the Council of Constantinople and the now present practice of Rom's Church in that point is utterly against the doctrine of Christ and the practice of the Apostles and the Primitive Church as I shall shew in the sixteenth Chap. The Council of Nice declared Angels to be circumscriptible and the souls of men and that they have bodies and are visible and circumscriptible which is against the rules of our faith for we believe that God is the Creator of all things visible and invisible and if Angels and Spirits be visible then are there no invisible things as one argues upon this point But I do not much urge this in regard some hold that spirits may assume visible shapes nor doth my argument much rely upon this mistake in that Council I need not rifle much into Councels to pick out contradictory Canons sith the Councils themselves declare they are not infallible insomuch that the whole Council prayeth at the end of every Council in a set form of prayer that God would pardon their ignorance and errors quia conscientia remordente fabescimus c. and because our own conscience accusing us we do faint lest either ignorance hath drawn us into error and hasty will driven us to decline from thy will and pleasure of heavenly Father c. In which it appears that they confess the frailty of that Assembly that it may not onely err in matter of fact through ignorance but in faith also by declining from justice Lame and frivolous therefore are those distinctions Alledged that the contrary decrees of later are but the explications of former Councils by which the Papists would deceive the world that Councils do but declare and explain the meaning of former Councils but do never gainesay any by a contrary decree for the contrary is absolutely proved to you already in that they are diametrically opposite one to another and besides the four first Councils were reputed and taken to be so holy that Gregor the Gr. in regist primo libr. 24. and Masilius def pac dict 2. fol. 229. affirm they are to be believed sacred tanquam quatuor Evangelia and if a later council shall decree any thing contrary to them it shall not be received into the Church How then can the Church of Rome for shame claim universality to her self and supream jurisdiction the Church of Rome being but equal with Alexandria and declared to those Councils sicut Alexandria as I have proved in the second chapter But the Church of Rome by vertue of her new-acquired attributes of universality infallibility and supremacy may declare as she please and none to question her for it and she has her champions with Sophistry to make good whatsoever she proposes and therefore whereas those first councils were accounted sacred by the ancient Fathers even as the four Evangelists and therefore none might add to or diminish from them notwithstanding Rome may by her new prerogatives being declared above Councils do what she please and so upon the matter all Religion is by her made arbitrary we having neither Scripture Fathers nor Councels but must be interpreted by her after her own fancy and no other sence to be received of any thing though never so plaine but what she gives and whatsoever interpretation she makes through never so repugnant to the plaine text words and sense of Scripture Councils and Fathers must not be denyed but understood to be growings and explanations of the first faith spun out of the stock or depositum Ecclesiae with which delusive pretences of her strange contexture drawn from her own Spiders womb she entangles the lesser and small flies but the more sollid break the net of her artificial cunning and leave her in the snare she prepares for others and hereupon she has in the Council of Milan added a new Symbole of faith to the Nicene Creed which she cals new rules of faith which indeed are new articles of faith Explanations of Councils as common under one kind worshiping images supremacy c. which cannot be as they would have them understood explanations for explanations are declarative illustrations of a truth involved in some former article and not additions of a doctrine newly conceived for truth I allow that out of the depositum Ecclesiae Depositum Ecclesiae as the Doctor says fol. 123. there may be growings in faith and knowledge and new articles imposed upon the people by representatives in collective or Provincial Councels which upon new questions and disputes may resolve being the proper interpreter and reconciler of differences and by the authority of Scriptures frame new articles which before were not thought of as occasion to that purpose may be administred and having framed such articles by authority of the Church may deliver them to be received as matters of faith by which the people by the approbation of the civil magistrate of the respective jurisdictions are bound But if those be contrary to what former Councils have resolved it proves their decrees peccant as Romes supremacy by the Laterne and Trent Councils as against the first Councils of Nice and Constontinople or if those new rules or articles of faith be not warranted by Scripture they are not binding to absent provincials as I shall shew in the twelfth Chapter for it is cleer and evident that the Scripture is above the authority of any Council that ever was since the Apostles Council at Jerusalem and it self doth in matters of points necessary judge it self Infra 102.112 as is in that Chapter plainly proved though all those points were not at first digested into a Symbole of faith Scriptures above Councils For if by authority of explanation the Church represented in ordinary councils shall not be bound by Scripture so that she shall not frame new rules contrary to the plaine letter of those points of our salvation the Holy Ghost has set down in the Scriptures we do then submit the whole matter of our salvation unto the power of humane judgements and so make void the dictates of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures at the wils and discretions of mortal men which though they were Angels sent from heaven in that case are not to be believed shall they teach contrary to that the Apostles here delivered therefore I say because all points of salvation may not be methodized into a certaine Symbole and rule of faith the Church as occasion may require may out of the treasure of the Scriptures take new rules but those rules must not impugne the plain letter of Scripture which because such a Council is fallible must be made the square and rule to judge that Council by Now because God has promised his Spirit to his Church and Councils are the representation of
Churches and for that it is more probable that they shall decree according to the rule of Scripture which every private man in charity ought to think and therefore to incline himself to follow the rules she shall prepose I will shew how far a Council is Binding It doth not destroy the Church of Christ universally to say that a General Council may err For concerning the true faith of Christ it is already made known by the preaching of the Apostles to most parts of the known world which faith God will have in some part of the world till the dissolution thereof for as I have already said at one instant of time Christs Church shall not be universally invisible The Councils of Laterane By the erring of the General Councils the universal Church doth not err Trent Milan and Nice may err from the faith they had formerly received But this doth not prove a universal falling away and any other Councel that of latter times hath been cannot assure it self upon the promise of Christ's Spirit that it is infallible because not collective of all parts where the faith of Christ is preached which if it were so collective it argued infidelity of any private Church to distrust their rules For in such a condion as they are representive of the universal Church they have the same Spirit with them the Apostles had and though but men yet by vertue of that Spirit became infallible in their judicial decrees of Articles and Rules of faith But such a Council was never gathered since the Council of Jerusalem therefore the later Councils being but representive of particular Churches as those particular Churches may err so these Councils may err For as much as since the Apostles Councils Who shall tax the Councils of errors there was never any Council which was collective of the universal Church and so had the assurance of Christs Spirit It is requisite that every provincial who by suffragan vote is not represented there shall examine within his own jurisdiction how the rules of such Council agree to the Scriptures which he is already assured are of the Holy Ghost and in themselves prime verities and to walk according as Gods Spirit shal give him to understand those Scriptures he being within his own charge and territory made a dispensor of those sacred oracles and as for any private man he is to be guided by the rules of the particular Church of which he is a member without openly taxing his mother-Church of error I do not infer hereby that because there has not lately been How provincials are bound by a collective Councel or because that it is very difficult if not impossible to have a general Council collective of all Christian Churches that therefore every provincial Council has the same efficacy of decreeing that a General Council collective of many provinces hath For according to the Council of Antioch 14. Can. and Carthage 19. Can. I approve of provincials appealing one to another to decide controversies and to bring the the neighbor provinces into unity of faith that they may support one another by keeping the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of peace Ephes 4. and that it is convenient that such provincicals as are represented in such a Council should acquiesce in the result of that council so convened but not to conclude that such councils are infallible for that because they proceed upon humane judgements not being assured of the Holy Ghost by Christs promise to his Church in respect they are not a perfect representation of that Catholique Church and as the Scripture is to be the guide to any Council so more especially shall it be a rule to others by which the absent provincials are to examine the rules of that Council As for the several provincials and Sees then by suffragan vote represented I hold it fit for them to acquiesce in the result of such a collective Council wherefore for the further illustration of this point I hold it necessary to add a Chapter of the constitutions of Councils thereby the better to lay open this point of Romes errors in her ascribing to her See infallibility CHAP. X. Wherefore general Councils are called of their power that they are above the Pope and how they are of later times by the abuses of the Pope made of none effect I Look upon a general Council with that respect and reverence The conveniency of Ceneral Councils that I account her the Bulwark of Christian Churches the Tower of defence against the enemies thereof the hill whereon Christs City is built in whose heavenly top ariseth a fountain of unity which sends forth such irresistible streams that with the advantage of that Rise from whence they descend they beat back any muddy inundations of error which Satan the prince of the aire sends down to trouble her channels and notwithstanding any rubbish which by his industry shall be cast in their ways to dam and straiten their course they with the supplies they receive from this inexhaustible source beat down those malicious obstructions and in spight of all opposition of evil angels smoothly glide away unto the pacifick sea I look upon her as a bundle of arrows not easily broke from whose quiver the particular Churches are compleatly armed to resist the fiery darts of Satan In brief I honor respect love and in all humility reverence her and when I consider her in her right constitution I hold my self obliged in a tye of indispensible obedience to conform and submit to whatsoever rules of faith she shall constitute and appoint I account her the mother of the particular Churches there represented betwixt whom there is an harmonious intercourse of reciprocal love and duty she to acquit her obligations provides for her daughters their portions food raiment Heavenly Manna Christ's seamless coate and her daughters to discharge their duty return her a tribute of honor and obedience Thus and no otherwise do I look upon her These are her just and proper attributes and who without regret can consider that this beauteous Lady the mistris and mother of us all should through adulteries and her late Apostacies have dethroned her self from this her so glorious and Celestial estate she to forsake her husband Christ and to go a whoring after her own inventions by which she has contracted such black spots of lepresie upon her ruddy cheeks that she is no more white and ruddy the fairest of ten thousand she is no more the beloved of Christ and the fairest amongst women she with the Jews has chosen Barabbas and cast off her husband Christ her inner roomes are the chambers of death into which Solomon enters and commits fornication with her She has taken the divels counsel and thrown her self from off the Pinacles of the Temple and forsaking the house of the Lord she has erected a house which is the way unto the Grave her house tendeth to death and her paths unto
Basil which was raised against his crown and dignity and dismounting those Canons to proclaim in a loud volley of their own artillery his holiness the Pope not only above Councels which was the former dispute but above Scripture too and that from henceforth none shall have voices in the General Councel An Oath to be enjoyned those that sit in Council but such as shall first swear obedience to the Pope and promise to defend his Canon Law which oath put Bellarmine to hunt about for an evasion and lib. 1. de concil cap. ult he would have it understood that this oath is only intended of obedience to the Pope whilst he is Pope but not against the deposing of an heretical Pope which is a mist the Cardinal would throw before the eyes of the people that a man should not see the gross violation of priviledges and grand abuse offered and henceforth to be exercised upon the liberty freedome and preheminence of so sacred and reverend a Lady as a General Councel is and of right ought to be whenas whosoever knows the Popes Canons Popes Canons which teach that the Pope cannot err in his judicial decrees of faith and mannors that no Councels are of force without the Popes confirmation that all Councels confirmed by him are approved by the holy Ghost That he can excommunicate and depose all Emperors and princet and many such like strange and horrible positions plainly understands that he is bound by this oath to maintaine those Cannons of the Popes which are in themselves another powder plot to blow up the General Councels For if they were but to obey him whilst he taught and ruled according to God and the holy Canons none would be averse from it for by that rule every one might have liberty to examine him which I believe Bellarmine would not grant wherefore it was but a meer evasion of the oath for that time whenas he knew well enough the oath was positive enjoyning obedience to the then known Canons of the Pope which in themselves are destructive to Councels had not the late Laterane and Trent Councels decreed already his holiness to be above any Councel so that since these decrees of those two Councels since this oath to be enjoyned to them that shall come to sit in Councels and since these Canons made and forced upon the consciences of them that shall be members of that Councel it may no longer be properly called a Councel but rather a conventicle of Pope Parasites who came thither forestalled in Judgement and pre-obliged by oath to maintaine the Pope in his present Canonical power whenas by this means nothing that shall reflect upon his unjust usurpations can or may there receive a free debate or if it should and be there decreed against the Pope yet he being above that decree may alter it in his closet at Rome at pleasure and till this be rectified we may all bid farewell to General Councels nay such is their impudence and vaine glory now that they have attained to this pitch of height that they may teach what they please no power being to question them that they stick not boldly to affirme that the first Councels of Nice Constant c. had not been of force had not the Pope been there and had he not been there they had erred For he is the onely head and infallible legislator of rules pertaining to faith he is the onely interpreter of the Scriptures the Sphynx that can lay one all former decrees and the holy Writ it self be it never so plaine to be a riddle to expound it according to his own sense and best a vaile He may call all Bishops of the Christian world to decide and determine controversies in Religion Abuse of General Councils but yet salvo jure they must decree nothing against what he please to decree in his chaire at Rome For as for himself he never comes at a General Councel for if he should the Emperor must sit above him and that stands not with his princely highness and magnificence besides the Easterne Churches do not acknowledge his primacy and should he come there it might give an occasion to have that questioned which the old Fox would not have brought into dispute because that thereby the unjustness of his claim to others as much transcendent prerogatives would be laid open to the world The Bishops as I said may meet at his beck fast long pray long consult gravely deliberate maturely decree soberly command strictly and accurse severely But neither they nor any other shall tell what shall be of force for all shall be as please his holiness sitting in state in his only-infallible chaire at Rome wherefore a Romane Bishop Melchior Canus lib. de locis 5. cap. 5. non itaque quod in humanis concessionibus fit plurimum apud nos sententia prevalet c. It is not saith he with us as it is with other humane assemblies where plurality of voices prevaile for lo here matters are not to be judged by number but by weight and the Councels saith he receive their weight from the gravity and sole authority of the Pope and the Papists of Rhemes upon the 15. of the Acts alledge that the determination of Councels is needless because his holiness the Pope alone is infallible and therefore say they they are but called for the contentation of the weak not for necessity sake which if this was the Religion of the primitive Church let their own Councels the fathers of the primitive times and their own consciences in the presence of God witness First Councils abused they deeree Canons in Councels under paine of Anathema and yet the Pope may withstand them salva conscientia whereupon their Angelical Doctor Thomas Aquinas 4. con pag. 422. touching that Canon of the Ephesine Councel that none under pain of damnation should frame any other Symbole or adde any other thing to that of the Nicene Council answers to excuse the new Symbole set forth in the Millain Council that that Anathema is onely to private men and doth not binde the Pope Is not this a strange exposition of a learned Doctor As if the Councils of Nice and Ephesus prefumed that private men should make new Articles of Faith and enjoyn them as canons of the Church or as if they had allowed the Bishop of Rome any Legislative power to frame new Rules without a Council I blush to see how the Popes parasites to help a lame dog over the stile will bolster up his Holiness in whatsoever he propounds and shall either receive a cloak to blinde its contradictions from former principles and practices or if they cannot easily dissemble the grosness of the Tenent will enforce it upon his Holiness score of infallibility or else by vertue of an Index expurgatorius alter the Rules and Canons of the first Councils and make them speak new doctrines sutable to the humour and present tenents of the Church of Rome
laid before the holy Fathers Est firmamentum columna Ecclesiae Evangelium It onely is infallible in it self all other Councils and Traditions may erre saith Tom. lib. 2. contra Donatistos cap. 3. And though an Angel from heaven teach another doctrine no faith is to be given thereunto Tertullian contra Hermogen pag. 373. I reverence saith he the fulness plenitude and perfection of Scriptures as that which shews to me both the Maker and the things which are made Austin confesseth the authority of Scripture to be above the authority of the Church in his Epistles contra Manich. tom 6. cap. 4. The consent of people and nations the authority of the Church begun by miracles nourished with hope increased with charity established with antiquity succession of Priests and the name of Catholike saith he are great motives to keep me in the unity of the Church but above these he prefers the truth of Scripture in regard whereof he promiseth Manicheus to give more credit to his doctrine then to the Church if he be able to prove it out of Scripture These and many more authorities in this point might be produced to manifest what credit and reverence the Fathers of the Primitive Church did attribute to the sacred Oracles of God Now what may we think of those that count them a bare letter Inkie Divinity a matter of strife and ground of Heresies And by the Doctor fol. 255 the light of the Gospel is termed Ignis fatuus because not borrowed from Rome's dark lanthorn Others affirming that if any contemn the authority of the Romane Church that he shall not be able to assure himself of Scripture any more then of a Robinhood-tale To which I answer The Council of Laodicea can 59. which Council was held long before ever Rome's Bishop claimed a Supremacie over other Churches hath declared which shall be taken and accepted for Canonical Scripture and hath decreed that none else should be read in the Churches besides them we according to that Canon accept and embrace them and according to the ancient copies doth our Clergie retain them in the Church nor are we altogether beholding to Rome for the Translations 'T is true she hath a glorious Library as many witness the onely ornament of her Vatican Hill And in some competent measure is our Oxford replenished with the ancient Manuscripts of the Primitive Fathers and of old approved Translations of the Scriptures both after the Hebrew Syriack Rome not the onely dispenser of the Scripture Chaldee Greek and Latine Translations which the Fathers and the Reverend Governours of the Primitive Churches have permitted to be transmitted to other parts and in these later days we have been beholding to Rome for some Translations But she was not the first that sent the Gospel hither as may appear by Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius You have heretofore saith he received the law and faith of Christ ye have within your Realm both the parts of Scripture out of which by the counsel of your Realm take a law and by that law rule your kingdom for you be Gods Vicar within your own kingdom c. And in this particular I think Rome as well as we is beholding to other Churches why then should she boast that we know not what is Scripture but that which she has delivered Had not the Apostles equal authority to teach all nations Doth not Peter direct his Epistle to the Saints which are dwelling about Cappadocia Galatia Asia and Bithynia and S. James to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad and S. Jude to all which are sanctified and called of God And S. Paul writes as well to the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians and Thessalonians as to the Romans wherefore how comes it that the Church of Rome should be the onely Monopolizer of Scripture Was not the holy Ghost given to them which Philip Paul and Barnabas did ordain as well as those Peter did ordain And admit that Peter was Bishop of Rome had not the rest of the Apostles received the holy Ghost as well as Peter did it not sit upon each of them like cloven tongues of fire And why should the Church of Rome boast her self to be onely and alone endowed with an onely spirit of interpretation Let none understand more then is meet to understand was S. Paul's instructions to the Romanes But such is the uncharitableness and presumption of the present Church of Rome that she accounts her self the onely wise interpreter and no other Church to have the spirit of discerning the Truth unless she have received that spirit mediately from her I must needs tell her that she has no warrant to arrogate this transcendency and super-excellencie in this point of wisdom from any divine precept it is but her own humane institution no other Church approving of it and so it is but the wisdom of this world which as S. Paul says 1 Cor. 1.20 is found foolishness before God and according to that saying of Solomon Prov. 12.15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes The treasure of the holy Writ is no common or ordinary bank That the Scripture contains things necessary to salvation but a precious store of eternal happiness in them is laid up life everlasting according to that of S. Paul Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek and 2 Tim. 3.14 Timothy had known the Scriptures from a childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation It is profitable to teach to improve to correct to instruct in righteousness that a man of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good works Therefore are we bidden Joh. 4.39 to search the Scriptures for in them is eternal life and they are they which testifie of Christ It is true All things that Jesus did are not written saith S. John but saith he these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through his Name Joh. 20.31 Cyril lib. 2. upon that place of S. John saith Non omnia quae Dominus facit transcripta sunt sed quae Scriptores tam ad mores quam ad dogmata sufficere putarunt ut recta fide operibus ad regnum coelorum perveniamus And Saint Austin likewise says that all things were not written but onely so much was written as was thought to be sufficient to the salvation of the faithful And whereas in the 20 of the Acts ver 27. it is said I have not spared to shew unto you the whole counsel of God Lyranus and Carthusianus expound it onely to be understood of things pertaining to our salvation which S. Austin lib. de doctr Christian 2. cap. 6. plainly affirms that all things necessary to our salvation are plainly contained in the written Word And Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. We know saith he