of the Papistes I demaunde if Peter was made the first priest al other froÌ„ him how s. Iames could say the first masse that was said was Peter made Priest without singing or saying his first masse or any masse at al then belike Peter was no masse 〈◊〉 priest 〈◊〉 pope hath not hâ—… principalitie of priesthood froÌ„ Peter nor any priesthod at all from him for Peters was no massing Priesthoode suche as the Popes is and pretendeth to be the principall of that order But at your leysure answere this onely nowe I note that there is a great difference betwéene the principalitie of Priesthoode and the supremacie of all the Churche of Christe which is your conclusion and that that your Pope chalengeth But the Emperours words héere do nothing proue it And yet suche principalitie or excellencie of Priesthoode as it was it neither came from God nor from Peter for any thing that either is playnely alleaged or proued héere but rather the playne wordes are to the contrarie that this principalitie was yéelded and giuen to the Bishop of the Citie of Rome by men for so sayth the Emperour antiquit as contulit antiquitie gaue it Béeing partly moued with the opinion that Peter was bishop there and partly for that Rome was the auncient and moste famous Citie of the Empire as appeareth in the nexte Epistle of Placidia by you mentioned who calleth it Ciuitatem antiquam the auncient Citie and the Citie that is the Lady of all the Emperours Cities And therefore it became them to conserue the reuerence therof For which considerations that antiquitie gaue to it the principalitie and to the bishop therof Which principalitie of priesthoode or bishophâ—… was not aboue but vnder the principalitie of the Emperours estate as appeareth euen by these Epistles cited by you For first in the Epistle whereout ye take your allegation Ualentinianus telleth howe when he came to Rome I was sayth he bothe of the Romane Bishop and also of other that were with him gathered togither out of diuers prouinces entreated to write to your mildnesse saith Ualentinian to Theodosius of the fayth which beeing the preseruer of all faythfull soules is sayd to be troubled which fayth beeing deliuered vs froÌ„ our Elders we ought to defend with al coÌ„peteÌ„t deuotioÌ„ in our times to coÌ„serue vnblemished the dignitie of the reuerence proper to the blessed Apostle Peter so that the most blessed B. of the citie of Rome to whom antiquitie hath giuen a principalitie of Priesthood aboue all others may O most blessed Lorde Father and honorable Emperour haue place and facultie to iudge of the faith of the Priests and for this cause according to the solemnitie of Councels the Bishop of Constantinople hath appealed to him by his Libels for the contention that is sprong vp of the faith to him therefore requesting and adiuring me by our common sauing health I denied not to grauÌ„t thus much as to moue my petition to your mildenesse that the foresaid Priest meaning the Bishop of Rome all the other Priestes being also gathered togither through all the worlde within Italy all other former iudgement set aside may with diligent triall searching all the matter that is in controuersie from the beginning giue such sentence thereon as the faith and the reason of the true diuinitie shall require For in our times the frowardnesse of multitudes ought not to preuayle against religion since hitherto the faith hath bene conserued stedfast And to the more perfect instruction of your worthinesse we haue also directed the gestes whereby your godlinesse may know the desires and outcries of them all Thus farre the Epistle Which if ye had withall sette downe it wold haue dashed your Marginall note and conclusion of the Popes supremacie It would haue shewed that this principalitie of priesthoode was so vnder the Princes principalitie that the Pope was faine to labour to Ualeâ—…tinian and the Empresses also to write to Theodosius that he might haue place leaue to iudge the matter And that the place of iudging it might be in Italie and the Bishop of Rome might giue sentence not as he him selfe should please but conditionally as the truth should require and that thus he would admit the Bishop of Constantinoples appeale to take place and so he sendeth all the gestes of the matter for the Emperour to peruse and know them and to graunt their petitions and desires In all whiche things though there were a principalitie of the Priestes and Bishops and chiefly of the Bishop of the chiefe emperiall Citie olde Rome so farre as appertayneth to the debating discussing and iudging the doubtes in controuersie yet so farre as appertayneth to the licencing thereto the commaunding directing ordering setting out and maintayning euen of the same Synodicall iudgements of the Bishop of Rome or any other the supreme principalitie belonged to the Emperours And this appeareth yet furder by the other Epistles that ye mention In the next Epistle of the Empresse Placidia to Theodosius the Emperour hir Sonne for the Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople after she hath shewed with what teares the Bishop of Rome moued hir to write she sheweth how all thinges were done vnorderly at Ephesus against Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople bicause sayeth she he sent a libell to the Apostolicall seate and to all the Bishops of these parties by those which were in the Councell directed from the moste Reuerende Bishop of Rome VVho are accustomed O moste holy Lorde my Sonne and Reuerent Emperour to be put according to the Decrees of Nicene Councell and for this cause let your mildenesse withstanding so great troubles commaunde the truth of the Religion of the Catholike faith to be kepte vndefiled And so ascribing a principall prerogatiue to the Bishop of Rome she desireth the Emperor that the iudgement of the matter may be sent ouer to him Which sheweth that the Bishop of Romes principalitie was vnderneath the Emperours Likewise in the next Epistle of Eudoxia to Theodosius after she hath praysed the Emperour saying It is knowne vnto all men that your mildenesse hath a care and earnest heedefulnesse of Christians and of the Catholike faith in so much that you would commaunde nothing at all to be done to the iniurie of it And after she hath shewed how the Bishop of Rome besought hir in the foresaide matter to derect hir letters to the Emperour saluting you sayth she I desire right that your tranquilitie would vouchsafe to haue care to the letters and those things that are ill done ye would commaunde them to be amended vntill that all things that also already are determined be altogither reuoked the cause of the faith and Christian religion that is moued in a Councell gathered togither in the partes of Italy may be fetched out For it is written that all this contention raysed commeth from hence that the Bishop Flauianus might be remoued from the Ecclesiasticall dealings Thus do these
both the Scripture S. Hierome maketh no differeÌ„ce but only the custome institution of the Church The Apostle saith he writing to the Philippenses cap. 1. saith With the Bishops and the Deacons by them vnderstanding the Elders sith in one citie as in Philippos many Bishops ought not to be Agayne Act. 2. he saith Looke to your selues and to all the flocke in which the holy ghost hath placed you to be Bishops And he spoke vnto them of the onely citie of Ephesus But this appeareth more expresly to Titus the. 1. Where he saith for this cause I haue left thee at Crete that thou shouldest correct those things that want ordeine Elders through out the cities eueÌ„ as I haue apointed to thee if any be blamelesse the husbaÌ„d of one wife And streight he setteth vnder it a B. must be blamelesse And whoÌ„ before he named an Elder he calleth now a Bishop And in the. 4. of the. 1. to Timothie Dispise not saith he the grace of God which is giuen to thee through the imposition of the handes of an Elder that is to say of a Bishop S. Paule called him selfe an Elder when he was the Bishop that ordeined him Thus far more at large DuraÌ„dus concluding at leÌ„gth Sic ergo Thus therfore saith S. Hierome that a Bishop and an Elder Olim fueruÌ„t nominâ—… synonymâ—… c. were in the old time diuerse names betokening one thing indiffereÌ„tly and also of one administration â–ª bicause the Churches were ruled by the commune Counsell of the Priestes But for the remedie of a scisme least each one drawing the Churche after him should breake hir it was ordeyned that one should be aboue the rest et quâ—…ad nomeÌ„ c. And so far forth as stretcheth to the name that he onely should be called Bishop and that so farre as stretcheth to the administration of some Sacraments and Sacramentals they should be reserued to him by the custome coÌ„stitutioÌ„ of the Church And this would Hierome expresly 93. Dist. cap. legimuâ—… in Esa. super epistolam ad Tit. recitatur Dist. 93. cap. Olim presbyterâ—… c. Consuetudo aut institutio Ecclesiae potest dare Iurisdictiâ—…nem sed non potestatem ordinis aut consecrationis quare c. He therefore that counteth this erroneouse or perilous let him impute this to Hierome out of whose saying in the fore alleaged chapter Legimus in Esa. the foresaide authorities are takeÌ„ VVhere also he putteth an exaÌ„ple That it is of a Bishop in respect of priests as of an Archdeacon in respect of Deacons vnlesse the Deacons choose one among them selues whom they call Archdeacon c. In the end DuraÌ„dus recoÌ„ciling Hierome saith and the authorities alleaged by Hierome withstande it not bicause according the name and the truth of the thing euery Bishop is an Elder and on the other parte so farre as stretcheth to the name euery Elder hauing cure may be called a Bishop as superattendent on other although the consecratioÌ„ of a Bishop or of the chiefe Priest be larger than of a simple Priest or Elder but peraduenture in the pâ—…imitiue Churche they made not such force in the difference of names as they do now And therfore they called a Bishop euery one that had a cure Thus writeth Durandus of the auncient Fathers opinions And will ye compt him or them Aerians too And this also doth your institution in Coâ—…aine Councell confesse N on est tamen putandum VVe must not for all this thinke that he ordeined Bishops another order from Priests for in the Primitiue church Bishops and Priests were all one The which the Epistles of Peter and Paule the Apostles S. Hierome alâ—…o and almost all the auÌ„cient ecclesiastical writers do witnesse And chiefly that place of the first Epistle of S. Peter the â—…ist chapter is euident to declare this For when Peter had said The Elders that are amoÌ„g you I also an Elder with you beseech which am also a witnesse of the passions of Christ and paâ—…taker of the glory to come that shal be reuealed He ioyned vnder it Feede or guide the slocke of Christ that is among you and ouersee it not by compulsion but willingly according to god VVherein it is spokeÌ„ more expresly in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Superattendent from whence also the name of Bishop is drawne VVherefore Priesthood is esteemed the highest order in the Churche In the meane time no bodie is ignorant that this order is distinguished againe by a certayne order of offices and dignities Thus do your Schoolemen and Diuines witnesse First that in the Substance Order or Character as they terme it there is no difference betweene a Priest and a Bishop Secondly that the difference is but of Accidents and circumstances as degrées of dignitie Iurisdiction Honour c. Thirdly that in the Primitiue Church this difference was not knowne but they were méerely all one and the same Fourthly that this difference was taken vp by custome consent and ordinance of the Uniuersall Church when it once began to be dispersed in al the world Fiftly that it was done for the auayding of factions and sectes that grewe in the time of the ministers equalitie euen anon after the Primitiue Churche and some of them in the Apostles time But quite contrary to this Iudgement of your Diuines are all your Canonistes your Diuines make seuen orders Et in hoc saith Angelus de clauisio concordant coÌ„muniter theologs On this the diuines agree commonly but the Canonists holde that there are nine orders according to nine Hierarchies that is to wite the first notch or psalmist and the order of a Bishop and that the first notch is an order the text is in C. cum contingit ibi do Anto. canonistâ—… de 〈◊〉 quali or similiter quod Episcopatus est ordo quod imprimatur Caracter indiâ—…io meo facit inconuincibiliter tex in C. 1. de ordinatis ab Episcopo c. sic secundum Canonist as erunt nouem ordines And so according to the canonistes there shal be nine orders Great ado your Scoolemen and Canonistes make about this in so much that Aerius heresie will draw verie néere to one of you light on which side it shall But your selfe may holde on both sides M. Stapleton being both a Bachelour in the one and a student in the other As for vs ye do falsly burden vs Our doing is apparant therein acknowleging all due obedience and reuerence to our Bishops But as for your Popishe Clergie there is in déede litle differeÌ„ce in this point or none which barrell is better herring B. or Priest both starke nought or rather neither of them eyther true Priest or B. by S. Paules description Secondly you obiect that Aerius said there was no difference betwene him that fasted and him that did not fast wherein also as in the other your conscience haue ye any knoweth that ye
nâ—…n at Louaine that ye would be thought no hedgeâ—…réeper â–ª nor â—…uedropper as sâ—… of your broode are peaking here in lusâ—…y lanes and lurking in corners and yet they court theÌ„ selues no more Donatistes than you NotwithstaÌ„ding it appeareth for all your crakes bragges ye haue not that stout courage fâ—…r your raâ—…se but that ye like Louaine better than M. 〈◊〉 â—…ging and had rather blow your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like 〈◊〉 lâ—…ytorer in a lusky lane or hide your head 〈◊〉 the corner of an old â—…otten barne rather than warme your selfe with a â—…aggot aâ—… a â—…ake in Smithfielde suche as was the crueltie of your Popish tyrannie to those that constantly abode the terrible brunt therof And although other giuing place to your furie either of their owne infirmitie or that God preserued them to a better oportunitie did then flée or hide them selues what dyd they héerein that Chryst gaue them not licence example and commaundement so to do Ye might aswell obiect this to those Saincts of God of whome S. Paule telleth that they wente about in the wildernesse of whome the worlde was vnworthy Why say ye not Elias lurked in lusky lanes when he sted the face of Iesabell Why say ye not that Athanasius crepte into corners when he hidde him selfe seueÌ„ yeres in a Cesterne an harder harborough than a rotten barne For shame M. Stap. learne to make a difference betwéene the perfecution and the cause of it or else this were an easie argument to make all Donatistes yea your selues also And would to God all corners rotten barnes and luskie lanes were wel ransacked some luskes I think would appeare in their likenesse whom ye would be loth should be founde out M. Stapleton Thirdly ye say The donatistes when they could not iustifie their owne doctrine nor disproue the Catholikes doctrine leauing the doctrine fell to rayling agaynst the vitious life of the Catholikes In this poynt who be Donatistes I referre me to Luthers and Caluines bookes especially to M. Iewell and to your owne Apologie Ye nâ—…ede not M. Stap. referre your selfe so farre referre your selfe to your selfe a Gods name yea go no further than this your Counterblast I warrant ye you blow such a blast héerein that ye maye well encounter master D. Harding master D. Saâ—…ders M. Dorman M. Marshall or any other of your writers thoughe they haue all godly giftes in this poynt yet this your Rhel horicall grace of rayling goeth so farre beyonde them all that they are scarse worthy to cary the wispe after you M. Stap. Onely at this I maruell that like the wiseman when he tolde how many were in the companie he neuer reckoned him selfe that you hauing so pregnant a vayne héerein do still forget your selfe But belike it is for this cause that as ye surmount all your companie so ye goe beyonde the Donatistes also who as ye saye rayled onely agaynst the vitious lyues But you where ye finde no vitious life to rayle agaynst the Protestantes fall to slaundering and reuiling euen their godly and vertuous liues Fourthly ye say The Donatistes refused the opeÌ„ knowne catholike Churche and sayde the Church remayned onely in those that were of their side in certaine corners of Afrike And sing not you the like song preferring your Geneua VVittenberge before the whole Churche beside The Donatistes as you say M. St. tied the Churche to Affrike and wrested the scripture for it forsaking the open knowne catholike Church in déede But you shoulde haue proued your popish Church to be that open knowne catholike Church now which they refused then If ye saye you proue that bicause they refused the church of Rome then your church is the church of Rome now if ye vnderstaÌ„d the church for the coÌ„gregation of the faythful ye vtter a double vntruth For they-refused not only the coÌ„gregation then at Rome but of al the world besides and agayne your church or congregation of Rome now is nothing the same or lyke the same in religion that it was then If ye meane by the church of Rome the Citie of Rome and the Popes chayre there then ye proue your selues to be Donatistes that tye the churche of Christ dispersed euery where to the seate of Rome as they did vnto Aphrike And if ye meane by the open knowne catholike Churche the multitude of people acknowledging your Popes sâ—…ate at Rome then agayne are ye Donatists by your second poynt in craking of multitude depending on Rome a corner in Italie as ye saye the Donatistes craked of their multitude depeÌ„ding on their corners in Affrike As for vs we depende neither vpon Geneua nor VVittenberge nor tye the Church of Christ vnto them nor preferre them either before the whole catholike church or any parte thereof nor referre men vnto them for the triall of the Church or to any other place else but allow them and all and singuler other places where the worde of God is sincerely set fooâ—…th where Idolatrie errours superstition are abolished We 〈◊〉 to the mountaynes as Chrysostome expoundeth it Quâ—… sunt Christiani conferant se ad scripturaâ—… They that are ChristiaÌ„s let them get them to the scriptures And why not to Rome Ierusalem and suche other mountaynes but onely to the scriptures Bicause saith he since that heresie hath possessed the Churches there caÌ„ be no triall of true christianitie nor refuge of Christians that would trie out the truthe of fayth but the deuine scriptures Before it coulde haue bene knowne diuers wayes whiche was the Church which was Gentilitie But nowe there is none other wayes to know which is in deede the very church of Christ but all onely by the Scriptures If they therefore set foorthe the Scriptures we acknowledge them to be of the Church of christ Let Rome doe this and we will as gladly acknowledge Rome to be of the Churche of Chryst as either Wittenberge or Genâ—…ua â–ª Yea as S Hierome sayth which is also put in the Popes owne decrées Eugâ—…bium Constantinople Rhegium Alexandrie Thebes Guarmatia or any other place if it professe the truthe with Geneua and Wittenberge For on this consideration sayth S. Augustine the Churche is holy and catholike not bicause it dependeth on Rome or any other place nor of any multitude obedient to Rome bothe whiche are Donatisticall but quia recte credit in DeuÌ„ bicause it beleeueth rightly on God. This is our song M. Stap. of Geneua VVittenberge Affrica yea and of Rome too And if you can sing any better note I giue you good leaue for me onely I would wish you howsoeuer ye sing to leaue your flat lying tune in saying Fifthly say you The Donatistes corrupted the fathers bookes wonderfully and were so impudent in alleaging them that in their publique conference at Carthage they pressed muche vpon Optatus wordes and layde him foorth as an author making for theÌ„ who yet wrote expresly against them and in all
his Legates â–ª Forsoothe when he dothe it then it is a principall matter it argueth his supremacie and therefore none can do it but he But nowe when examples are founde and alleaged that Christian Princes had wonte to doe it Ergo They were supreme then belike therein Nay then it argueth no supremacie then it is no principal matter nor any eccl. matter at al. Thus you play mockhalliday with vs and boe péepe as though we were children it is and is not When the Pope dothe it then it argueth a supremacie when the Prince dothe it then it argueth none And why so for sooth then the case is altered Thus do you dally out the matter and when any substantiall proufe is brought agaynst you either ye giue it suche a mocke as this or leape cleane ouer it as though ye sawe it not or in stéede of answere to that that is propounded propounde your selfe an other allegation which is clauâ—…m clauo pellere to driue out one nayle by another For to the allegation out of the Emperours Theodosius and Ualentinianus Epistle ye answere nothing but set a péece of another letter of Ualentinian to Theodosius in the téethe of it VVe sayth Valentinian to the Emperour Theodosius say you ought to defende the fayth which we receyued of our auncestors with all competent deuotion and in this our tyme preserue vnblemished the worthy reuerence due to the blessed Apostle sainct Peter so that the moste blessed Bishop of the Citie of Rome to whome antiquitie hath giuen the principalitie of Priesthoode aboue all other may O moste blessed father and honorable Emperour haue place and libertie to giue iudgement in suche matters as concerne fayth and Priestes And for this cause the bishop of CoÌ„stantinople hathe according to solemne order of Councels by his Libel appealed vnto him And this is writteÌ„ M. Horne to Theodosius him selfe by a coÌ„mon letter of Valentinian And the Empresses Placidia Eudoxia which Placidia writeth also a particular letter to hir said sonne Theodosius and altogither in the same sense Héere ye clap vp a marginall note The Popes supremacie Proued by the Emperour Valentinian alleaged by M. Horne And héere agayne full triumphantly ye crie out HerkeÌ„ good M. Horne giue good aduertisemeÌ„t I walk not and wander as ye do here alleaging this Emperour in an obscure generalitie wherof cannot be enforced any particularitie of the principall question I go to worke with you playnly truely and particularly I shewe you by your owne Emperour by playne words the Popes supremacie the practise withall of appeales froÌ„ Constantinople to Rome Héere is a ioly face of this matter M. St. But yet héere is not one worde to answere the bishops allegation but to coÌ„mend your owne that ye set against it and so thinke ye answere it bicause it is of the same Emperour Ualentinian whom the bishop alleaged But such answere as it is sithe ye can make no other we muste take it or none at your handes Neuerthelesse since ye so crake that ye walke not and wander not in obscure generalities but go playnly and particulerly to worke if ye ment as ye say how chaunce ye open not any of the necessary particuler circumstances of the matter whervpon the Emperour wrote whiche might haue made this matter plaine would haue shewed what and wherin they coÌ„mended the B. of Rome and what authoritie belonged to the Emperour Yea if you had but set downe a little more largely the selfe same Epistles that ye cite the matter had beene a great deale more cleare Ye say also ye go truely to worke and yet you falsly translate euen those very words that ye cyte and so cutte them off ere ye come to the periode that that which shoulde haue shewed the matter to haue béene about a particular controuersie of the fayth then risâ—…n might séeme to be generally spoken of all controuersies And therfore ye leaue out these wordes For the controuersie of the faith that is sprong vp And where the wordes of your allegation are Locum habeat ac facultatâ—…m de fide sacerdotibus iudicare that he may haue place and leaue or facultie to iudge of the fayth and of the Priests you captiously and falsly translate it that he may haue place and libertie to giue iudgement in suche matters as concerne fayth and Priestes This subtile translation in generall ye vse to make it appeare that the Bishop of Rome hath a generall authoritie to be the chiefe Iudge to decide all doubtes in matters of fayth and to be the chiefe Iudge of all Priestes where your texte inferreth no suche thing Likewise where the Emperour sayth of the Bishop of the Citie of Rome to whome antiquitie hath yeelded the principalitie of Priesthoode aboue all others ye conclude that by playne wordes is shewed the Popes supremacie and so sette vp your Marginall note The Popes supremacie proued by the Emperour Valentinian Where in your letter are no suche playne wordes of supremacie nor any proufe thereof at all Do you thinke that the Emperour acknowledged that supremacie which your Pope nowe chalengeth and vsurpeth not onely ouer all Priestes but ouer all Kinges and Emperours also No master Stapleton it is euident by the dealing of these Emperours and that euen in this matter that the Pope â—…ad no suche supremacie but the Emperour dyd those thinges then that your Pope dothe clayme nowe as further shall appeare in the proper treatise therof Your Pope nowe woulde be lothe to be suche an humble Lâ—… and fall downe to the Egles féete as the Pope dyd then to the Emperour whiche nowe ye make the Emperour doe to the Popes féete For why ye may â—…ay â—…empora mutantur nos mutamur in illis the tymes are changed and we are changed in them All the playne wordes and proues ye crake of for this supremacie are these that the Emperour sayth antiquitie gaue hym the principalitie of Priesthoode But there is a greate difference betwéene the principalitie of Priesthoode and supreme head or chiefe gouernour of Priesthoode or that all Priesthoode is deriued out of the Popes Priesthoode as diuers of your wryters affirme that Christe made Peter onely a Priest and all the other Apostles had their Priesthoode from him and so all other from the Bishop of Rome whome they call hys Successoure But as they erre in the office of Priesthoode wherof God willing we shall speake hereafter so whatsoeuer the office of their Priesthood was their saying is manyfest â—…alse For if Peter were a man as he confessed hym selfe to be S. Paule sayth he had not hys authoritie of men but immediatly of God and Peter gaue him nothing neither yet Iames nor Iohn And here if I might spurre you a question bicause master Heskins setteth oute his Parliament so solemnelie before his boke in pictures for the nonce making s. Iames the first that sayde Masse wherin he followeth the coÌ„mon opinion
Empresses write for Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople and for the Bishop of Rome Wherein though they ascribe the dealings to the Councell and to the Bishop of Rome yet the licence and authoritie to do any thing or to stay any thing they al ascribe to the Emperour And as they ascribe this in these Epistles vnto him which argueth his supreme gouernement in all these matters so the Emperour in the answeres to these Epistles that are immediatly set downe to those by you cited acknowledgeth and claymes his supreme authoritie therein In the answere to the first from whence ye bring your allegation for the Popes primacie he saith The Emperour Theodosius to my Lord Valentinian Emperour In the beginning of your letters it is signified by your Maiestie both that your mildenesse came to Rome and that a petition was offered vp to you by Leo the most reuerende Patriarche As concerning your safe returne to the Citie of Rome O my Lorde my moste holy Sonne and honorable Emperour we render thankes accordingly to the diuine Maiestie but as concerning those things which the foresaide most reuerende man hath spoken it is already declared vnto him more plainly and fully as we suppose and he knoweth that we swarue in no parte from the Religion of our fathers and the tradition of our auncetours We will no other thing than the fathers sacraments deliuered as by succession to keepe them inuiolably For this cause therefore hauing knowledge that certaine persons with hurtfull noueltie trouble the most holy Churches we haue decreed a Synod to be holden at Ephesus VVhereas in the presence of the most reuerend Bishops with much libertie and with sounde truth both the vnworthie were remoued from their Priesthood and those that were iudged to be worthy were receyued VVe therefore know nothing committed of them contrary to the rules of faith or iustice Therefore all the contention was examined of the holy Councell Flauianus which was founde giltie of hurtfull newfanglednesse hath receiued his dew and he being remoued all peace and concorde remaineth in the Churches and nothing but truth doth florish Thus the dealing and determining of the controuersie remayning Synodically to the Priests and Bishops the decreing of the Councell the assigning of the time and place thereto the giuing them in charge to boulte out the truth the receyuing intelligence from them of their iudgements the allowing and ratifying their determination belonged to Theodosius And in respect of this his supreme doing though at other times he extoll the Bishop of Rome yet here he onely calleth him but most reuerende Patriarche and most reuerend man as he calleth other Bishops The answere to the second Epistle hath the like Theodosius to my Ladie Placidia the honorable Empresse our highnesse vnderstandeth by the letters of your mildenesse what the most reuerende patriarch Leo hath desired of your highnesse To these your letters we declare that concerning those things whiche are spoken of the most reuerende Bishop we haue written often times alreadie more fully and more at large by which writing it is without doubt manifest that we haue defined or decreed or vnderstoode nothing besides the fayth of the fathers or the diuine opinions or the definitions of the most reuerende Bishops which were gathered togither in the Citie of Nice vnder Constantine of godly memorie or of late were gathered togither at Ephesus by our precept But this onely we commaunded to be ordeyned that all persons which by noisome hurtfulnesse troubled the holy Churches should worthily be remoued c. Thus doth the Emperour commaunde the Councell to be holden He giueth a generall charge to the Bishops to ordeyne that that they ordeyned to wete the expulsion or deposition of perturbers of the Church whatsoeuer they were and in what matter ecclesiasticall soeuer they were And when the Bishops had according to the Emperours commaundement ordeynes this decrée and in their synodicall discussing of the matter found out Flauianus though therein they did him wrong to be culpable hereof then the Emperor peruseth ratifieth and confirmeth the same their synodicall iudgement and sayth he defined and decreed it himselfe bicause he approued and confirmed their definition and decrée Which is a manifest argument of Thodosius supreme authoritie ouer all the Bishops debatings and determinings of their ecclesiasticall constitutions To the same effect is the other Epistle to Eudoxia Wherin he telleth the Empresse flatly that since these things were alreadie decreed it was not possible to determine of the matter any more In which deniall of suffring the matter to be tryed any further he sheweth also his supreme authoritie of debarring and frustrating any appeales to Rome that you make so great accompt vpon The Emperour will not onely not suffer it to take place and to infringe the Councels and his owne doing but sayth it is impossible to procéede on the matter alreadie determined And thus he reiecteth Flauianus appeale from the Epheâ—…ine Councell to the Bishop of Rome Which Councell notwithstanding should also haue bene held by the Emperours leaue and appoyntment But he would not allow it although Pope Lee laboured to him and to Ualentinian Emperors to Eudoria and Placidia Empresses neuer so much therefore Lo M. St. here are the generalities and the particularities also Wherein ye may sée what belongeth to eyther partie Hearken good M. Stap. and giue good aduertisement therto since ye will not vtter it your selfe and yet woulde haue vs listen to you You say ye wander not in obscure generalities but ye go to worke plainly truly and particularly And yet of all this ye speake not one word Ye would neither answerâ—… the Bishops allegation but set another agaynst it which is no plaine nor true kinde of aunswering neither yet for that you alleage ye alleage it either plainely or truely or particularly as ye pretende But cull out a piece of that that séemeth to set forth your cause by extolling the Bishop of Rome and when the matter is plainly truly and particularly sifted out it neither proueth any supremacie for him and in all poynts sheweth the Princes supremacie against you But ye are the more to be borne withall for I thinke ye read not the whole particulars but either as your commoÌ„ places led you or the title prefixed tickled you that saith In qua quoque Romani Pontificiâ—… authoritas comâ—…ndatur VVherein also the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome is commended And so gréedily ye snatched at that sentence and let go all the residue But call ye this plainly truly and particularly going to worke master Stapleton The. 26. Diuision THe Bishop hauing hitherto as master Feck required in his issue proued by the Scriptures both by the olde testament and the newe and by some such Doctours as haue written thereon and also which was more than M. Feck requested by the ecclesiasticall writers Nicephorus and by some of those Emperors whom they commend for most godly proued the like
certayne woman that was solitarie and a recluse which desiring to know the number of the woundes of Chryst prayed God to reueale it to hir At the length beeing heard God sayde vnto hir â–ª The woundes of my body were so many as if thou wouldest honor theÌ„ with worship thou must say euery day throughout the yeare xv Pater nosters xv Aue Maries and so thou shalt salute worshipfully euery one of my woundes And he that shall say this prayer one yeare shall deliuer xv soules of his kinne out of Purgatorie and. xv lyuing shall be confirmed iust and in goodstate and he himselfe shall obtaine grace and knowledge of perfection c. And he shall see my most holy bodie xv dayes before his death c. And I with my welbeloued mother Marie will come to him before his death c. Another Rubricke To all that say this prayer betweene the Eleuation and the third Agnus dei are giuen by Pope Boniface two thousande yeares of pardon at the intreatie of Philip the French king An infinite number of lesser pardons prefixed to your prayers I omitte howe Pope Iohn 22. giues a hundreth dayes of Pardon to him that sayth Salue plaga lateris c. And howe Pope Leo added fortie more Howe Pope Iohn the. 23 gaue to another a yeare and fortie dayes and. 22. Cardinals added euery one fortie dayes more a piece and howe by Bull they were confirmed These were but paltrie pardons in respect of those in your Primer wherein among other is this more frankly giuen VVhosoeuer being in the state of grace shall say these seuen prayers following deuoutly with seuen Pater nosters and seuen Aue Maries before the Image of pitie Hee shall deserue seuen and fiftie thousand yeares of pardon The which were graunted of three Popes that is to weâ—…e of Saint Gregorie fourtene thousand yeares Secondly of Pope Nicholas the fift fourtene thousand yeres in the yere of the Lorde 1459 Thirdly of Pope Sixtus the fourth who composed the fourth and the fift little prayers of these Suffrages following 1400. yeres and hath dubled these pardons in the yeare of our Lorde 1478. Whether was this more wicked Idolatrie or foolish lies M. Stap what say you here euen to your owne Popes doth not your Primar make them very Heretikes teaching a doctrine of so manie thousande yeares pardon after the day of Dome Howe muche differeth this from the fowle errour of Origen Or did they thinke the worlde should continue so long or euer the day of Dome shall come which Christe and his Apostles then sayde was so néere at hande and your Popes since that tyme haue stretched it out so many thousande yeres to come or to what torment shoulde the soule goe when his pardon shoulde be expired For be the day neuer so long at the lengthe ye saye commeth Euensong Shoulde the soule at the ende of those seuen and fiftie thousand yeares of pardon go from heauen to hell For Purgatorie lasteth ye saye but tyll Domes day Or vsed your Primer Numero finâ—…to pro infinâ—…o a determinate number for an vndeterminate number â–ª But whye then dyd your Popes one after an other encrease the number and so straightly limitte it and yet by your leaue your Primer missed one thousande years in the accompte For promising seuen and fiftie thousande it reckoneth vp but stre and fiftie thousande And thoughe one in a thousande breake no square as they saye yet a thousande yeares is somewhat master Stapleton it is little more ye wotte than one thousande and a halfe since Chryst was borne But goe to man since your Popes are so liberall to pardon for so many thousandes ye shall not say we will sticke to pardon them for one thousande backe agayne I woulde counte this but one of your Arithmeticall scapes as ye obiecte to the Byshoppe but that your Primer is full if not of suche misreckoninges yet of suche lauishe summes I mentioned one before of fourtie thousande yeares Pope Iohn the twelf the say the one of your Rubrikes hathe graunted to all that saye this prayer for the dead Auete omnes 〈◊〉 fideles c passing throughe the Churche yarde so many yeares of Pardon as bodies be buried therein since is was a Churchyarde By whiche rule in Paules Churchyarde a man might easily get a nemâ—…scu â–ª of yeares of pardon Phie M. St. this is too grosse and shamefull deceyuing of the people Whether it he your Popes faulte as they can not be excused sith it is decréed sealed confirmed by them and their full Chapters of Cardinals which ye say in such authenticall doings can not erre or whose faultes so euer they were in your Primers and prayer bookes they are solemnly set out in redde letters to egge the people to pray vnto your Images But ye will say I swarue froÌ„ my purpose some of these prayers were not vnto Images Well what was this M. Stapl. Subsequens scriptum est scriptum Româ—… c. This writing that followeth was written at Rome in the Chappell of S. Marie at Hierusalem in the Temple VVhilom S. Gregorie the Pope did celebrate Masse in the citie of Rome and when he came to the consecration the Lorde appeared to him in this Figure that is here painted VVherevpon he being moued of compassion graunted to all that did beholde such a picture and with making curtesie and deuoutly saying fiue Pater Nosters and fiue Aue Maries fouretene thousand yeares of pardon And besides this xij Popes his successours haue graunted euery one of them fiue hundred yeeres of pardon the summe of the whole pardon is twenty thousand yeeres And this is registred in Rome And as ye gaue these liberall pardons for the beholding of the picture of Christ so for looking on the Crosse yea the Nayles whippes roddes ropes and other instraments where with he was put to death and for the saluting worshipping of them ye offer no smal pardons also of the which in one booke I haue two Rubrikes The one to this noble prayer Crucem coronam spâ—…neam claâ—…osque diramque lanceam deuote veneremur Acetum fel 〈◊〉 virgamque spum spoÌ„giam iâ—…giter veneremur Ueleâ—… laternam nobilens pellicanum calâ—…cem Arundines pungenteâ—… tunicam inconsuâ—…ilem sortes columnaÌ„ stabilem fâ—…nes vigentes flagella fustes innumerabiles enses latronum horribles denarios ter denos manus câ—…dentes dissimiles cultellos duros forcipes vrâ—…eos â—…menos serpentes scalam malleum sepulchrum lumen candelabrum corde recolamus To sturre vs vp to say this foolishe and wicked prayer to worship all these things is prefixed this Rubrike Quicunque hac armâ—… c. Who soeuer shall beholde these armes of our Lord Iesus Christ and say deuoutly this prayer sixe thousand yeeres of pardon are graunted him of S. Peter the Apostle and of thirtie Popes after him if he be with out deadly sinne and in charitie The second Rubrike in the
neede not name be too too liuely and pregnant examples of this your true but needelesse and impertinent admonition How needelesse or impertinent the Bishops admonition was is séene already euen by your owne graunt thereto But how needelesse in déede impertinent altogither are these your vaine admonitions which ye cal a returne euery body may sée And how fitly they returne with a recumbeÌ„tibus vpon your owne side and how you controll your self for running to farre and yet ye runne at randon furder about the Countries to Boheme FrauÌ„ce Scotland Germanie and other namelesse countries to make them examples of your marginall note Heresies the destruction of common weales But thanks be to God none of their coÌ„mon weales are destroyed it is but your maliciouse slaunder on them And if they haue bene troubled or weakened the Papistes practises haue euer bene the chiefe originals thereof what soeuer ye pretende to deface the Gospell by calling all doctrine Heresie be it neuer so pure and holy if it be not by your popish Church allowed calling all countries and coÌ„mon weales destroyed how soeuer they florish in prosperitie peace and godlinesse if they refuse the Egiptian bondage of your spirituall Pharao the Pope But why mention you not all that parte of Hungarie that acknowledging obedience to your Pope neuerthelesse were ouercome and conquered of the Turkes why forget ye your mightie bulwarke and holy knights of the Rhodes I wisse they were the Popes champions and yet his blessing could not saue them froÌ„ the Turkish bondage You say there is some other place that ye néede not name what meane ye thereby Rome it selfe that so many times hath bene sacked destroyed and lefte waste and at this day the olde Citie for the most parte not inhabited except of owles and vermine in the ruines thereof and the new Citie deftled besides Idolatrie and superstition with most notorious filthy fornication and stewes of courtizans your Pope him selfe beyng the vicar of bawdes in maintayning his estate by such filthy lucre And this is counted among you the most holy common weale yea such a mirrour to all other that those Cities whiche conforme them selues to this common weale of Rome can neyther erre nor be in daunger of destruction But euen so sayde Sodom and Gomor till their destruction came sodaynly vpon them M. Stapl. hauing thus puffed vp his counterblast with these discourses in both his foresaide parts descendeth now to the thirde And now might I here breake of sayeth he from this and go further forth sauing that I cannot suffer you to bleare the readers eyes as though the Emperours Theodosius or Valentinianus sayings or doings should serue any thing for your pretensed primacie In déede M. Stapleton it is more than highe time that you had broken off long or this except you would or could haue answered â–ª better to the purpose and not to haue driuen your counterblast furder forth with such heapes of digressions needelesse to the matter but not needelesse to your purpose to bleare the readers eyes when otherwise â–ª you néeded a materiall answers But here such is your zeale ye can not suffer the Bishop to bleare the readers eyes This zeale M. Stapleton were coÌ„mendable in you if you ment good soothe or the Bishop had bleared the readers eyes and not simply and plainly set downe the truth that euen the bleared eyes if they were not cleane blinded with ouermuch affection might well beholde it But it is rather to be feared that as ye played before pretending to dissipate and discusse mistes where in déede none was ye raysed mistes and caste cloudes least the reader should haue espied the matter as it was so here though the readers eyes were cleere ye would bleare and dimme them and if he were bleare eyed any whit before ye would soone mende the matter and make him starke blinde For euen as ye there did so eftsones do you here The Bishops alleaging of these Emperours stayeth you froÌ„ breaking off and from going further foorth â–ª ye can not suffer the Bishop to bleare the readers eyes And yet to any thing that the Bishop out of these Emperours alleageth what soeuer the matter meane ye answere not one worde Except this be an answere as they say to sette the Hares head against the Goose iublettes to set one allegation against another If the Bishop hath bleared the readers eyes he cited as long an allegation as yours shewe then where he bleared them If he cited any thing false name the place But false or true say something to it or to some piece of it and not thus slinke away without any answere at all to the whole or any parte thereof What shall the reader iudge if he can see any thing but that the Bishop goeth plainely to worke and it is you that would bleare his eyes and put them out if ye could to kéepe the reader still in ignorance and wilfull blindenesse If the Bishops allegation be such as deserueth no answere at the least ye might haue sayde so Howbeit that you should not so bleare the readers eyes and that the reader should sée both the Bishops plaine dealing and the playne truth of the matter and how fully it proueth the Bishops purpose and the Princes dutie care charge and supreme gouernment ouer matters Ecclesiasticall I will set downe not onely so much as the Bishop alleaged but the whole Epistle Firste hauing shewed that the suretie of the common weale dependeth vppon Gods religion and what a great kindred and societie is betwixt these twayne true Religion and Iustice â—…ith therfore we sayeth the Emperour are constituted of God to be the Kinges and are the knitting togither or ioynture of godlinesse and prosperitie in the subiects we keepe the societie of these twayne neuer to be sundred and so farre forth as by our foresight we procure peace vnto our subiectes we minister vnto the augmenting of the common weale but as we might say being seruaunts to our subiects in all things that they may liue godly and be of a religiouse conuersation as it becommeth godly ones VVe garnish the common weale with honor hauing care as it is conuenient of them both that is peace and true religion for it cannot be that diligently prouiding for the one we should not care in like sorte also for the other But we trauaile earnestly in this thing aboue the rest that the Ecclesiasticall state may remayne sure both in such sort as is seemely for Gods honor and fitte for our times that it may continue in tranquillitie by common consent without variance that it may be quiet through agreement in Ecclesiasticall matters that the godly religion may be preserued vnreproueable and that the life of such as are chosen into the Clergie and the great Priesthode may be cleere from all faulte Thus doth the Emperour protest of the guidance care charge that he thought belonged to his hie office not onely in prouiding
ordering directing publike peace and iustice but also as much or rather much more most of all godlinesse true religioÌ„ Ecclesiastical matters and Ecclesiastical persons to liue blamelesse in their spirituall vocations so well as the laytie to liue in peace and iustice And that in al these points the Prince is the knitting togither iointurâ—… of the one so well as of the other Which flatly argueth that the direction and preseruing of both causes persons next vnder God doth appertaine to his gouernment being both knit alike to his authoritie What false dealing what blearing of eyes hath the Bishop here vsed hauing faithfully set downe the Emperours owne wordes which as they fully shew Theodosius his minde so they fully proue the present question conclude the Princes supreme authoritie so well in Ecclesiasticall matters as in temporall To all this master Stap. thought best to answere not one worde but to let it goe telling vs that the Emperours sayings or doings serue nothing for our pretensed primacie and that this is wandring in an ob scure generalitie This may well be called a Counterblast M. Stap. If this be sufficient answere to the bishops allegation let others iudge Ye complayne it is obscure it may perchaunce so appeare to your eyes bleared with affection or rather blinded with wilfulnesse So is the Gospell obscure to those that would not sée and the sauour of death to those that perish Cleare light is noysome to dimme sights Euery body saue you and suche as are bleared by you may easily sée a farre off the playnnesse of these proues Nowe where ye say he wandreth in an obscure generalitie wherof can not be enforced any certayne particularitie of the principall question Otherwhiles M. St. ye coÌ„playne of particularities require the B. to proue generalities or else ye crie it commeth shorte Héere the Bishop hauing proued this generalitie by your owne confession nowe you quarell at generalities I perceiue nothing will content a froward brabbler but any other that liste not to quarell will soone perceiue that this generalitie that ye complayne of bothe comprehendeth the particulars also satisfieth that that ye call so often for to proue a supreme gouernemeÌ„t ouer all ecclesiastical matters in general which fully answereth euen to the othe likewise Neuerthelesse sith you would slip away by wandring about particulars This Epistle of the Emperour sheweth his supreme direction and gouernment euen in particulars and that principall particulars also This Epistle béeing directed from the foresaide Emperours to Cyrillus a chiefe ecclesiasticall Prelate and Patriarche of Alexandria after the Emperours as is before sayde haue declared this their generall care and gouernment â–ª so well ouer ecclesiasticall matters as temporall But when say they to Cyril we vnderstoode both by our loue to God and our mynd louing hys truthe that these thinges mighte bee obteyned in those that are godly wee haue nowe often thought it very necessarie by reason of those thinges that haue happened luckyly to haue a Synode moste deare vnto God of those moste holy Bishoppes whiche bee euery where c. And so shewing the cause of their delaye and the necessitie of the Ecclesiasticall matters they commaunde Cyrill with other Bishoppes not to fayle buâ—… be readie at Ephesus at Whytsontide nexte following For saye they the Copies of the same Synode are already sente out from oure Maiesties to the bishoppes beloued in GOD throughout all the Metropolitane Cities that thys beeing doone bothe the trouble whiche hathe happened on these controuersies be dislolued according to the ecclesiasticall rules and those thinges corrected that are vnseemely committed And that godlynesse maye be towardes God and profitable establishement to publique matters Neither let any thyng be seuerally innouate in any matter of any person before the holy Synode and the common sentence of it to come And we are fully persuaded that euery one of the Priestes moste deare to God both forbicause of the ecclesiasticall and publique matters beeing throughly moued by this our sanction or Edict will spedyly make haste towardes this councell with diligent endeuour and to their habilities consulte vpon these matters being so necessarie and apperteining to the good pleasure of god As for vs we hauing muche care of these things wil suffer no man lightly to be wanting neither shall he haue any excuse before God or before vs if any out of hande do not diligently appeare at the foresayde tyme in the place determined c. Thus euen in thys Epistle in particularities also doth Theodosius shewe his supreme authoritie But you will say these are not principall particulars the principall particulars are to dispute vpon the questions to resolue the doubtes to debate the matter and to indge and determine which parte is the truthe thereof These partes say you are the principall these partes belong not to the Prince but to the Priestes That these thinges master Sta belong to those that for their function haue the knowledge and profession of them no man denieth no more than that lawyers shoulde haue the lyke debating trying and determining the truthe of any doubte in the lawe But this nothing hindreth the Princes supreme authoritie and gouernement in his lawes no more dothe it in the debating trying and determining doubtes in any ecclesiasticall matters in the discussing wherof the Prince is ignoraunt debarre his supreme authoritie and gouernment in all suche cases debated or defined These doings therfore though they be the principall in respect of the examining of suche doubtes yet in respects of the ordering directing disposing setting them out and maynteyning them the Princes dooinges are farre more principall particulars As when a doubte in the lawe aryseth to call all the Lawyers togither highe and lowe what estate soeuer they bee off to appoynte them the place and tyme of meeting where and when to directe and order their assemblie and what they haue iudged to be the lawe therein to ratifie and allowe it to sette it foorthe and maynteyne it this dooing theweth the Prince to be the supreme gouernour in all Laive matters thoughe he neyther debate nor determine the truthe thereof Sithe therefore Theodosius dyd thus muche as this that is héere shewed and as that héereafter to whiche ye referre your selfe shall further declare this is inoughe to argue hys supreme gouernement in all Ecclesiasticall matters euen by these particulars If all this proue no supremacie why graunt ye not thus muche to Princes nowe that ye sée these Emperours had then howe chaunce your Pope wyll neither suffer the Emperours nowe to summon a Councell to cite and call the Bishops togither to assigne them a place whereto they shal resort and kéepe their Councell to appoynte the time to méete and begin their Councell in Howe chaunce your Pope will not suffer Princes in their seuerall dominions to haue the like synodes but will do all either generall or Prouinciall by him selfe or by
in these wordes following vnto Pilate after he had denied his kingdome to be of this world when Pilate replyed Arte thou then a King he answered thou saist that I am a king Ne tamen c. vvhiche notvvithstanding saithe Ferus least Pilate should be more offended vvith the name of a King Christe proceedeth to declare his kingdome more plainely as thoughe he shoulde say Pilate vnderstande thou this for troth and cast out of thy mynde all suspition of a vvorldly kingdome or of tyrannie This is the case I vvill not at al denie my spiritual kingdome vvhether it be before thee or before Caesar. Onely knovve thou this thing that it is not my purpose to inuade any man vvith Armes or after the manner of other Kings to raigne pompously but to erecte and establishe in earth the Diuine truth To this purpose vvas I born â–ª and to this purpose came I into the vvorlde that I might beare vvitnesse to the truth Therfore I say came I therfore was I borne not to fight with the svvorde but that I might teach and declare the truth and the Gospell vvhiche is the povver of God to saluation to all that beleeue And as I declare the Gospell so I rule by the Gospell in the heartes of the beleeuers ouer sinne death and the Deuill and for sinne vvill I giue righteousnesse for death life for the Crosse ioye for hell I vvill giue heauen these are feofments of my kingdome Of these things none can be pertaker excepte he heare my voyce and beleeue in his heart I enrich not mine vvith ryches vvith cities and other feofmeÌ„ts but by my vvords I communicate vnto them ioye life peace and to conclude heauen it selfe The Gospell therefore is the Scepter of my kingdome But what are these things against the Emperor of Rome Thus againe we sée that Christe is not such a King nor his kingdome suche as you dreame of Whiche in the ende your selfe contrarie to your selfe confesse that his kingdome is not suche an one that he euer mingled himselfe in earthly things Then Master Saunders those thinges belonged not to his Kingly office nor to his kingdome For in suche things euery King ought not onely to mingle but chiefly to occupie himselfe But strait you haue an exception at hand that he mingled not himself in earthly things except whereas they might be profitable to a spirituall ende and this your selfe before confessed was the finall ende of all the ciuill power and that all faythfull Kings ought to directe all those thinges in their kingdomes vnto spirituall endes bicause they themselues are spirituall And so what letteth but that Christe should haue raigned as a worldly King and gouerned an earthly kingdome But say you This kingdome of Christ therfore both came from heauen tendeth vnto heauen For both al povver is giueÌ„ vnto â–ª him as he vvas man and died and rose againe that he shoulde rule ouer the lyuing and the deade and that he should be set ouer the vvorkes of the handes of God and that all things should be cast vnder his feete sheepe and Oxen and moreouer the beastes of the fielde And also Saint Cyrill saith that euen the wicked in the laste daye shall arise to their punishement for Christe vvho rose firste and contained as man al men in him self Sith therefore earthly Kings administer those things that pertain to sheepe and Oxen and beasts of the fielde although they remaine Eâ—…hnikes and Infidels yet are they truely vnder Christe the King as the most vvorthy man â–ª that hath receiued the principalitie ouer all thinges of this vvorlde not from the earth but from heauen and for the same shall giue an accouÌ„t to him of their common vveale euil ordered bycause they referred not their kingdomes to a spirituall ende that is to the glorie of one god But Christ so far as appertineth to his humaine â—…atuÌ„re being lesse than Angels seemeth to me to haue receiued that kingdome that Adam first should haue administred among all creatures to the glorie of one God if he had not falne from grace and to haue renued it in himselfe and to haue directed it to a spiritual end that vvhen all things should be subiect to the Sonne of man then should the Sonne also be subiecte vnto him that hath subdued all thinges to him that God might be all in all Sith therefore Christ by his humaine nature is the King of all he truely directeth al things to a spiritual end that is to the glorie of God for God deserueâ—…h glorie yea euen in those that are damned bothe for his povver and for his iustice The effecte hereof is this that God hath giuen to the humain nature of Christ as to the principal of al his creatures al povver iudgement to direct them to a spiritual end that is to his glorie But what is this to the purpose that Christes kingdome is after the fashion of a vvorldly kingdome he gouerneth all creatures we graunt with his power and prouidence yea the sheepe Oxen and cattail that he speaketh on But dothe the kingdome of Christe consiste in these things Numquid Deo cura de bobus hath God saith Sainte Paule care of Oxen in the coÌ„sideration of his heauenly kingdome He telleth vs howe all Kings shall answere for the â—…busing of their kingdomes vnto Christ at the day of dome bycause they referre them not to a spirituall ende But he telleth not howe muche more the Pope shall aunswere for â—…surping kingdomes and abusing the spirituall kingdome of Christe to vvorldly endes But shall this iudgemente of Christ be in a vvorldly coÌ„sistorie He telleth vs how he thinketh that Christe receiued that kingdome that Adam should haue had had he not falne But thinketh he that Christe should haue ruled in an earthly Paradise or that Christ came to restore vs to no better kingdome than Adam was in before he sinned He telleth vs Al things shal be made subiect to Christe and Christe to God and God shall be all in all But thinketh he this kingdome shall be in this worlde and militant Church while the euimies striue and are not yet al subdued he telleth vs the glorie and iustice of Christ shineth in the condemnation of them that are damned But dothe he thinke this is a vvorldly glorie and humaine iustice it is true that the glorie and iustice of Christe shal shine ouer theÌ„ And so shal it in the righteouse condemnation of the Popish Church that séeketh such a vvorldly kingdome and calleth it the spiritual kingdome of Christe to cloake their pryde withall But what can Master Saunders conclude hereon for Byshops to possesse kingdoms to rule Kings to sette vp or to depose them Neither say I these thinges saithe he to shevve herevpon that povver is ouer the vniuersal vvorld giuen to the Bishops of the Chnrch as though they in all things are the Ministers and Vicars