the true Catholicke Church as admit not all the things before specified so that I lay no foundation of Babell as this Babylonian is pleased to say I doe but pitying the breaches of Sion endeauour as much as in me lieth to make them vp that Hierusalem may be as a citie at vnity wit hin it selfe But the Romanistes indeede build Babell and their tongues are confounded euery one almost dissenting from other and that in most materiall and essentiall points Pighius and Catharinuâ—… haue a strange fancie touching originall sinne contrary to the Doctrine of other Papists Pighius is of Caluins opinion touching iustification Catharinus defendeth against the common tenent that men in ordinary course without speciall reuelation may be certaine by the certainty of Faith that they are in the state of grace yea M Higgons himself saith Our faith in Christ must be trustfull liuely and actiue by a speciall application of his merites vnto our selues as he was wont to preach in Saint Dunstans Church So vrging a necessity of special Faith which the Romanists condemne as hereticall in the Doctrine of our Church and innumerable like differences they haue yet all these are of one Church Faith Communion nothing it seemeth being necessary to the vnity of their Church but the acknowledging of the Supremacie of the Pope And yet which is most strange they that thinke he may erre they that thinke he cannot erre they that make him to be but Prime Bishop they that make him vniversall Bishop they that attribute to him power to depose Princes dispose of their states they that deny that hee bath any such power are of one the same Church But it is a Babylonicall Church §. 2. FRom the perpetual visibilitie vndoubted assurance the Church hath of holding the true Faith he proceedeth to shew our zeale in impugning condemning the opinion of Purgatory that yet notwithstanding the whole vniversal Church receiued it And thervpoÌ„ saith â—…he was misinformed by me others that the Greeks neuer intertained this doctrine that now he findeth that we erre not knowing or 〈◊〉 the truth assuring himselfe that howsoeuer some Greeks did not or do not admit the doctrine of Purgatory precisely vnder this name with some other circuÌ„stances yet the church of Greece generally doth retaine the thâ—…ig it selfe But whatsoeuer this goodfellow say to the coÌ„trary we know the Greek 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 thing There is extant a most excelleÌ„t learned Apollogy of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…o the couÌ„cel of Florence or Basil as it is thought In this apology first 〈◊〉 clearly 〈◊〉 that there is no purging after this life by â—…e especially materiall c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Papists imagine Secondly they insâ—…te that some a longst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that such as are of a middle condition and so depart hence are after death in a certaine obscurity without enioying the light of Gods countenance or holden as it were in a prison or in a state of sorrow till by the goodnesse of God and the prayers of the Church they be deliuered and thus much some professed in the Councell of Florence for there was a diuision amongst them Thirdly they incline to an opinion that the lesser sinnes of men dying in the state of grace are remitted after death without any punishment at all either by fire or in any other kind by the meere mercy goodnesse of God And whereas some bring proofes of remission of sinnes after this life thereby to confirme their conceit of Purgatory they say there is no agreement betweene remission and purging by fire and punishment for that eyther punishment or remission is needfull and not both and againe they confidently pronounce that neither Scripture nor the fifth Generall Councell deliuered vnto vs a double punishment or a double fire after this life This iudgment resolution they confirme proue by very excellent reasons authorities for first thus they argue It more beseemeth the goodnes of God to suffer no good though neuer so litle to passe away vnrespected vnrewarded theÌ„ to punish small sins offences but some litle good in them that haue great sins hath no reward because of the preuayling of the euil that is fouÌ„d in theÌ„ therefore smal euils in them that haue great works of vertue are not to be punished the better things ouercomming Secondly as is a little good in those that are mainely euill so is a little euill in those that are otherwise mainely good But a little good in those that are otherwise euill can procure no reward but onely causeth a difference in the degree of punishment making it the lesse therefore a little euill causeth no punishment but a difference in the degree of glory and happinesse which it maketh to bee lesse then otherwise it would bee whence it followeth that there is no Purgatory Thirdly either the wils of men departed hence are mutable or immutable if they be mutable then they that are good may become euill and they that are euill may become good whence it will follow according to Origens opinion that neyther the good are vnchangeably happy nor the the euill vnchangeably miserable but that men may fall from happinesse to misery and rise from misery to the heighth of all happinesse And soe wee shall make the punishments of all cast-awaies euen of the diuels themselues to be temporary as endeed supposing the mutability of the Will to continue after death iustly they may for the reason why in Iustice the punishment of sinne in the damned is to be eternall is because they are immutably vnchangeably and etâ—…nally euill if they bee immutable then are they not capable of any correction for he who is corrected is sette right by being brought to iust dislike and forsaking of that he formerly affected ill which chaunge from loue to hate froÌ„ liking to disliking from pursuing and following to forsaking and flying from cannot be found in a Will that is immutable Bonauentura disputeth the matter how afflicting fire purgeth the soule and answereth that some thinke that this fire besides the punishing vertue and power it hath hath also a spirttuall purging vertue such as sacraments haue which hee thinketh to be absurd especially seeing Gregory out of visions and apparitions of the dead sheweth that soules are purged in diuerse places and by diuerse other meanes as well as by fire and therefore there are other who thinke that what this purging fire worketh it worketh by punishing and afflicting which helpeth and strengtheneth grace that it may be able to purge out sinne Now punishment and affliction canne noe way helpe grace or strengthen it to the expulsion of sinne but in that by the bitternesse of it it maketh vs know how much it offendeth GOD and hurteth vs and thereby causeth a dislike of it or at least an increase of the dislike of it which dislike the Will cannot newly
loosing the Church was equally builded on them all These things I will particularly confirme and proue and first that all the Apostles had the same commission of feeding the flocke of Christ that Peter had it is euident For whereas there are but foure kindes of feeding Vitâ exemplari subsidio corporali doctrinâ salutari disciplinâ regulari that is By exemplary conversation by ministring things necessary for the entertainment of this present life by wholesome doctrine and by regular discipline and gouernement all these waies the rest of the Apostles stood bound to feede the flocke of Christ as well as Peter For they were all the Lights of the world and their Light was so to shine before men that they seeing their good workes might glorifie their Father in Heauen they were all to take care of the poore and needie they had all power to preach and minister Sacraments by Christs owne warrant saying vnto them all Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost and to gouerne and guide the Church and people of God as well as Peter Christ sending them as his Father sent him and assuring them that whose sinnes they remit they are remitted and whose sinnes they retaine they are retained Neither can this bee doubted of seeing Bellarmine himselfe confesseth in the place before alleadged that in the Apostolique power all power and Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall as well inward as outward was contained so that that which Bellarmine and other Papistes insist vpon that Christ commended all his Sheepe vnto Peters care and charge in that hee saide vnto him Feed my sheepe without any limitation or distinction as if in this respect they would shew vs some singular thing in Peters feeding of the flocke of Christ not found in others is too silly For who knoweth not that euery Apostle had generall commission and that howsoeuer for the better dispatch of the worke they had in hand they diuided amongst them the seuerall prouinces of the world yet this was as Bellarâ—… himselfe confesseth Prouinciarum non iurisdictionis diuisio that is a diuision of prouinces not of Iurisdiction for there was not any of them but had power to preach minister Sacraments and exercise discipline wheresoeuer they would one of them no way hindering the employment of another but all with joynt care seeking to set forward the worke they had in hand Yea this is so cleare that the Cardinall ingenuously confesseth it to be so saying in expresse words that the rest of the Apostles were heads Rulers and Pastours of the vniuersall Church Touching the power of the Keyes promised to Peter and the power of binding and loosing it will easily appeare that no singular thing was either promised or giuen vnto him but that which was common to him with the rest Thomas Aquinis fitly obserueth that in corporall things the Key is an instrument that openeth the doore and giueth entrance to him that formerly was excluded Now the doore of the kingdome of heauen is shut against vs by sinne both in respect of the staine of it and the guilt of punishment whence it commeth as hee aptly noteth that the power by which this stoppe impediment is taken away is named the Key This power is in the diuine Trinity principally and by way of authority in that God onely taketh away sinne dimittendo quae facta sunt adiuvando ne fiant perducendo ad vitam vbi omnino fieri non possunt that is By forgiuing the sinne that is past by helping the sinner that he doth not the like againe and by bringing him to that life where hee can sinne no more And therefore the blessed Trinity is said to haue the Key of Authority Christ had power to remoue this stoppe and hinderance by the merite of his passion by instituting Sacraments and making them effectuall instruments of the communication of his grace for the taking away of sinne and therefore he is said to haue the Key of Excellency In men there is a ministeriall Power to remoue the impediment of sinne that hindereth from entring into Heauen and therefore they are rightly said to haue a key of Ministery which is two-fold of Science and of Iurisdiction Of Science remouendo ignorantiam inducendo ad conuersionem that is by remouing the blindnesse of heart that is found in men and inducing them to conuert and turne to God Of Iurisdiction in receiuing men into the society of holy ones and in admitting those that they thinke meete worthy to the participation of the holy Sacraments in which the efficacy of Christs passion communicateth it selfe as also in reiectâ—…ng the vnholy and vncleane The Iurisdiction of the Church is rightly signified Metaphorically by the name of a Key because the chiefe command in a house or Citty is in him to whom the keyes of that house or Citty are committed hee that hath the keyes hath thereby power to admit and receiue into the house or Citty whom he will to exclude and shut out whoÌ„ he pleaseth And therefore when Princes enter into their Cities Towns the Citizens are wont to offer vnto theÌ„ the keyes thereof thereby acknowledging that the chiefe power command of those places doth rest in them Wherevpon when the Lord promised to Eliacim sonne of Hilkiah servant of King Hezekiah chiefe authority in the Kings Court and in the Citty of Ierusalem he said by his Prophet I will giue the keye of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulders Hee shall open and no man shall shut hee shall shut and no man shall open In which sense also it is said in the Reuelation of Christ that He hath the key of Dauid that he openeth and no man shutteth that hee shutteth and no man openeth that is hath all fulnesse of power in his Fathers house and kingdome Thus then the key of Ministery being onely the power of teaching instructing admonishing comforting gouerning and yeelding sacramentall assurances of Gods mercy grace by dispensing the Sacraments Christ hath instituted and this power being the same in Peter the rest it is cleare that the keyes of the kingdome of Heauen were equally committed vnto them all The force of these keyes is not onely expressed by the acts of opening shutting but of binding loosing also thereby to shew that they are no materiall keyes but Metaphorically vnderstood and spirituall and that heauen is then opened vnto men that they may enter into it when they are loosed from their sins that hindered them from entring in thither and hereupon it is that Christ hauing promised the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to blessed Peter telleth him likewise that what hee shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and what he shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heauen The bonds wherewith men are bound on earth are of foure sorts First of Lawes obliging
nothing of the dependance of all other Churches on the Church of Rome in their faith and profession nor that all Churches haue kept the faith in that Church that is in cleauing to it as to their Head and Mother as Bellarmine vntruly fansieth But all that is heere saide is nothing else but that vndoubtedly the same faith was giuen and deliuered to all other Churches that was deliuered by blessed Peter and Paul to the Church of Rome the chiefest of all The two next Greeke Fathers that are produced to testifie for the supremacie are Epiphanius and Athanasius who report that Vrsacius and Valens sworne enemies of Athanasius repenting them of their former errours came to Iulius Bishop of Rome to giue an account and to seeke fauour and reconciliation Surely the producing of such testimonies as these are is nothing else but meere trifling and they that bring them know right well that they no way proue the thing questioned the circumstances of this narration touching Vrsacius and Valens are these The cause of Athanasius as himselfe testifieth was first heard in his own Province by an hundred Bishops and he there acquitted Secondly at Rome by more then fiftie Bishops at the desire of Eusebius his Adversary and lastly at Sardica by three hundred Bishops where he was likewise acquitted To the decrees of this Synode Vrsacius and Valens his enemies making shew of repentance subscribed confessing they had played the Sycophants neither rested they there but they wrote to Iulius Bishop of Rome to testifie their repentance and to desire reconciliation and likewise to Athanasius himselfe It were strange if any man could proue the absolute supreme power cōmanding authority of the Bishop of Rome ouer all the world by this testimony wherin nothing is foūd of submissiō to Iulius or of seeking his fauor cōmuniō more then the fauour and communion of Athanasius and all other Catholique Bishops adhering to him The Epistle of Athanasius to Felix Bishop of Rome is a meere counterfeit as that worthy and renowned Iuel hath proued at large by vnanswerable demonstrations and therefore it needeth no answere The allegation of the accusation of Dionysius of Alexandria to Dionysius of Rome joyned with it by Bellarmine is of the very same stampe and yet if it were not proueth nothing against vs. For there is no question but that in matter of faith men may accuse any erring Bishop to the Bishop of Rome and his Westerne Bishops and that they may iudge and condemne such a one though the Pope be not supreme head of the Church The fifth Greeke Father that they alledge is Basil who as they say in an Epistle to Athanasius attributeth to the Bishop of Rome authority to visit the Churches of the East to make decrees and to reuerse the decrees of generall Councels such as that of Ariminum was Truly to say no more the alledging of this testimony sheweth they haue very little conscience that alledge it For these are the circumstances of Basils Epistle whereof let the Reader iudge Basil writing to Athanasius whom hee highly commendeth for that whereas other thinke it well if they take care of their owne particular churches his care was no lesse for the whole church then for that which was specially committed to him aduiseth him that the onely way to settle things put out of order in the Easterne churches by the Arrians were the procuring of the consent of the Westerne Bishops if it were possible to intreat them to interpose themselues for that vndoubtedly the rulers would greatly regard and much reuerence the credit of their multitude and people euery where would follow them without gainesaying But seeing this which was rather to be desired would not in likelihood easily be obtained he wisheth that the Bishop of Rome might be induced to send some of good discretion and moderation who by gentle admonitions might pacifie the mindes of men and might haue all things in readinesse that concerned the Arimine Councell necessary for the dissoluing and shewing the inualidity of the acts of that Councell I doubt not but the Reader vpon the bare view of these circumstances will easily perceiue that this Epistle of Basill maketh very much against their opinion that alledge it For hee preferreth and rather wisheth a Councell then the Popes owne interposing of himselfe if there had beene any hope of a Councell Besides these whom the Pope was to send were not to proceed iudicially and by way of authority but by intreaty and gentle admonitions to pacifie the mindes of men therefore here is nothing of visiting the Churches of the East or voiding the acts of the Councell of Ariminum by way of sentence and formall proceeding as Bellarmine vntruly reporteth but onely a reaching forth of the hand of helpe to the distressed parts of the Church by them that were in better state and a manifesting or declaring of the inualidity of that Councell the vnlawfull proceedings of it and the reasons why it neither was nor euer ought to be admitted The sixth Greeke Father brought to be a witnesse of the Popes supremacie is Gregorie Nazianzen who saith that the Romane Church did euer hold the right profession as it becommeth the citty which is ouer all the world This testimony is no lesse abused then the former as it will easily appeare to him that will take the paines to view the place alledged Nature saith Nazianzene doth not affoord two Suns yet are there two Romes the lights of the whole world the old and the new seate of the Empire The one of these lights appeareth at the rising and the other at the setting of the Sunne and both iointly send forth a most excellent glittering brightnesse The faith of the one was a long time and now is right knitting and ioyning the West to the sauing word of Life as it is fitte the Mistresse and Lady of the world should be In which words it is euident that hee speaketh of the greatnesse of the cittie of Rome in respect of her ciuill and temporall soueraignty and not in respect of the spirituall power of the Church and therefore it is strange that Bellarmine should deny the same For though in the time of Nazianzen the Emperour made his abode for the most part at Constantinople and not at Rome yet he calleth Rome the Mistresse of the world in respect of the ciuill state thereof as appeareth in that he speaketh of two famous cities two lights of the world and nameth the one the old Seate and the other the new Seate of the Empire The seuenth Greeke Father is Chrysostome who if we may beleeue Bellarmine being deposed by Theophilus Bishoppe of Alexandria and put from the Bishopricke of Constantinople in a Councell of Bishops writeth to the Bishop of Rome by his authority to voyde the sentence of Theophilus and to punish him whence it will follow that Chrysostome acknowledged the Romane Bishop to bee supreme Iudge of