with his own hands Exod. 28. 29. he erected an altar and offered publike sacrifice he did poure the bloud vpon the Altar and sprinckled the garment of Aaron with it And yet did he al these Priestlie offices being himself no Priest I marueile thatneither the letter of Gods word nor the reason and as it were the sowle thereof nor the authority of wise and lerned men can moue the Protestants to confesse that Moyses was in dede a priest and a sacrificer But if it be cleare that he was both a priest and a ciuil gouernour vsing the priestlie office in his own person and prescribing to others when thei shuld fight or punish malefactours much more in the tyme of the new TestameÌ„t Heb. 10. which must nedes be as perfit a state as the old law it is lawful for a bishop to haue the right of both offices in him gouerning the Ecclesiastical state by his own personal ministery aÌ„d the outward cares by the help of wise meÌ„ Gregorius l. 1. epi. 24 Quisquis regeÌ„dis fratribus praeest vacare funditus à curis exterioribus non potest sed tamen curandum magnopere est ne ab iis immoderatè deprimatur Who soeuer is set to rule his brethern he can not vtterly be uoide of â—xternal cares But it is diligently to be â—rouided that he be not ouer pressed with them But concerning the Ecclesiasticall state whereof I speake at this tyme the bishop of Rome neither condemneth any man for heresie or schisme to corporal death in his own person nor teacheth that any malefactours may be so condemned of any other ecclesiasticall person Which thing being not rightly vnderstood of the most part of meÌ„ hath made them affirme that the bishop of Rome in matters of faith persuadeth his religioÌ„ with fier and sworde 23. quaest 8. c. Sepe cuÌ„ sequeÌ„t Which to be farre otherwise both the whole body of the Canon law declareth and also experience testifieth To goe forward with our matter this is the greatest difference betwene the primacie of the Church and the dominion of wordlie princes that the teÌ„poral princes haue power only ouer the bodies whereas the rulers of the Church Math. 18. 1. Cor. 5. haue power vpon mens soules They geue the bodies of wicked men to corporal death these haue power to cleanse the soules and so to bring them to euerlasting saluation De Sacerdot lib. 3. Wherupon Saint Chrysostom saith Habent etiam terreni Principes vinculi potestatem verùm corporum solùm Id autem quod dico sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad coelos vsque peruadit The earthlie princes haue power to bind also but only of the bodies But the baÌ„d of the priests whereof I speake doth touche the very sowle and reacheth euen to the heauens And not without a cause For our Lord said to Saint Peter Math. 16. To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thow bindest vpon the earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thow loosest vpon the earth shal be loosed â—n the heauens To these words of Christ which â—re deriued to the Bisshop of Rome by â—eanes of the chaier of Saint Peter â—he said bishop referreth all his power â—nd exerciseth it vpon the soules of meÌ„â—oth in his own person and by others Leo. ep 82. who are called to susteine part of â—he Ecclesiasticall care and charge â—hat is committed chiefelie vnto him whereas nothwithstanding the Princes of the world appeale not â—o the lawe of the Gospell neither â—n getting nor in gouerning nor â—n establishing their Dominion and power Last of al this is to be inquired and coÌ„sidered whether the Bishop of Rome doth rule with such pietie lenitie affection and desire to helpe others and to bring them to Christ that he may seme to minister and to serue rather then to rule And in good sooth yf he doth it not as it is certain that he synneth greuouslie so for any such respect he leeseth not his primacie because the humilitie and mercie of the gouernour doth not so much appertaine to the substance of his authoritie Ioan. 11. Caiphas Pontifex as to the true perfection and merite of the man For like as they that preached Christ through enuie and emulatioÌ„ that they might raise aduersitie to S. Paule Philip. 1. who was in Prison were notwithstanding true preachers albeit they preached with an euill intent and minde so albeit the bishop of Rome did rule like a potentate and did seeke his own glorie and not the glorie of God yet thereof it can not be brought to passe that he is not a true ruler and gouernour of the Church But it wold wel follow that he were an euil ruler Of which sort of men our Lord hath said Do those things which they say Matth. 23. but doe not those things which they doe But what arrogant presumption is â—his to thinck that the Pope doth good â—eedes with an euill minde If he geue â—â—ntle answeres to them that in matâ—ers of dout aske his counsell if he send â—orth good decrees if he reconcile such â—s are at variaunce yf he prouide careâ—â—llie for the necessarie affaires of the â—hurch whie doe we iudge euil of that â—hich is well done Or yf he doth euill â—t any tyme what malice is it to scorne â—t his nakednesse Genes 9. and with lawghter â—o discouer his shame It is euident to all that will see that â—he bishop of Rome doth shew that humilitie and zeale which Christ requiâ—eth in the ruler of his Church He calleth vs nor bondslaues nor seruaunts nor subiects but all Princes he saluteth gentlie as sonnes and bishops as brethern And as for his owne person â—he writeth not himself neither Lord neither vniuersal bishop nor head of the Church but seruaunt of the seruaunts of God That euen by his name he may geue al men to vnderstand that he is that greatest and chefe ruler Luc. 22. who is as it were a minister and seruaunt And seing he doth and saith that which becometh the primate of the Church both to say and to doe it is our parte to iudge his well doing by that which is well said rather then to synne against the holie ghost whiles we desire to wrest that to an euill sense malitiouslie which was spoken and meant by him charitablie â—f the diuerse senses which are in the holy scripture and namely about these words vpon this rock I wil build my Church and which is the most literal and proper sense of them The third Chap. AMONG manie other things wherein Gods word passeth all other sciences one is most notaâ—le in that not only the syllables and words which are writen there doe â—xpresse the meaning of the holy Ghost â—ut also the things which are told and â—eported by those words doe againe signifie and meane an other thing We â—eade that Abraham had two sonnes
was in dede an increase of outward Sacraments and Cerimonies in diuerse ages But there was no change â—t all of the solemne and publike Saâ—rifice Genes 14. For albeit Melchisedech â—rought foorth his vnbloody oblation and blessed Abraham yet it was don â—o shew afore hand after what sorte Christ should make sacrifice in his supper and not to abrogate the order and kinde of bloody Sacrifices Gene. 4.8 17. for they continued still as Abel hadde begun with them Likewise the Altars remained in vse as Noe had erected theÌ„ Circuncision was kepte with the law And the law with the Temple of Salomon So that from the beginning of the world til Christ there was increasing of Ceremonies but no taking away no changing no newe making or altering of the publike sacrifice For the change thereof is of such importance that God would his owne Son to take flesh for the working of such a weighty matter to theÌ„d al meÌ„ should vnderstand that God reserueth to his owne self the appointment of the Religion wherwith he wil be serued And the Religion as I shewed before consisteth chiefly in the publike sacrifice and priesthood Heb. 7. Psal 109. Christ therefore being a priest after the order of Melchisedech when he had proued his commission froÌ„ God the Father by diuerse notable miracles Math. 26. in his last supper toke bread and wine accordingly as Melchisedech had foresheweÌ„ in a figure He blessed brake Genes 14. and gaue saying take eate this is my body which is geuen for you Luc. 22. doe or make this thing for the remeÌ„brance of me Facite By which woordes the Apostles and their successours in priesthod haue commissioÌ„ to make of bread and wine the bodie and blood of Christ euen till the worldes end Hiero. ad HeliodoruÌ„ 1. Cor. 11. This then is the publike and externall sacrifice of the new testament Ireneus li. 4. c. 32. August in Psal 33. Con. 1. De ciuit Dei li. 17. c. 20 Cont. aduers legis lib. 1. c. 18. the which Sacrifice saith S. Augustine is now spread in the whole circuit of the earth and it is come in place saith he of al the sacrifices of the old testament and is the Sacrifice of the Churche And all the world doth know that both the Greek and Latin Church hath euer vsed this blessed mystery as the Sacrifice prophecied of by Malachy and belonging peculiarly to the Christian peple gathered out of all nations Malac. 1. Now to thinck that Luter and Caluin haue power to alter and abrogate this publike sacrifice called now the Masse it is to thinck that Luther and Caluin are the same toward Christe which Christ was toward Moyses For that is it which Christ meaneth saying False Christes Math. 24 False Prophets and false Christes shal arise Verily because some shall come who wil arrogate that to them selues which no creature caÌ„ do besyde Christ the Son of God whose proper office and honour it is to be of power to change the state and order of the publike priesthood and sacrifice in Gods Church Idolatries They then are Idolatours who supposing Luther and Caluin to be able to abrogate the former sacrifice and maner of seruice and to sette vp a new foorm of publike prayer do therein make them to be fellowes with Christ himselfe But certainly they are false brethern and false Christes And whereas the Protestants pretend that Luâ—â—er and â—aluin do all things according to Gods Worde to omit now that the one of them techeth cleane contrarie doctrine to the other they are so much the more to be abhorred for as Christe in verie truthe in chaunging the Law fulfilled the old figures and the old prophecies eueÌ„ so they taking Christes power vpoÌ„ them pretend falsly by changing ReligioÌ„ Math. 5. to haue their doings figured and prophecied of in the Gospell But if there can be but one Christ and he can be but once borne and died but once be ye assured these men haue no power to abrogate the Masse or to take away the keye of our auncient Religion If any man say that our Masse is not that in deede which we saie it is I answere that as we neuer reade the Iewish Priestes to haue erred concerning the substaunce of theire publique Sacrifice because all the people Exod. 23. were bound to frequent it by Gods own commandement so it is much lesse possible that the vniuersall Churche of Christ should erre in that publike act wherein Christ himself saith S. Cyprian is the Sacrifice Li. 2. epi. 3 in Sacrificio quod Christus est Math. 28. No no masters Antichrists yee may be Christ ye can not be He is with his Apostles aÌ„d their successours the bishops al dayes vntil the worlds end This being so reason would that all nouelties layed a syde men should return to the old faith and Church again Wherevnto if I am so bolde as to exhort you M. D. Parker before al other I trust you wil not take it in euil part For as my exhortation commeth of my wel wishing to your worship so I consyder no Ecclesiasticall person in al our Country is able to doe more good in that behalf then you Consyder then for Gods loue in whose chaire you sitte consyder whence the first Bisshop came who satte there yea â—â—rther consyder what all your predeâ—ssours taught only one excepted of whome all good and zealons men must â—eedes be ashamed Cranmer as who at the enâ—ing into his bishoprike was wilfullie â—orsworn to the Pope of Rome It appereth so by his Catechism And afâ—erward changed his religion from Luâ—heranisme to the Sacramentary hereâ—ie And a little before his death for a â—ew houres of temporall life sold his â—oore faith twise a day Neither was he otherwise a witâ—esse of your doctrine then that despeâ—ation made him pretend to suffer that for religion which he must needes suffer though he had changed his religion That one desperat man then excepted who seemeth to haue ben of no religioÌ„ â—l your predecessours were of our faith What speake I of your predecessours Al â—he bishops of the realme yea al of the whole world were of the same belefe with vs as it may right wel appere for â—hat all the Catholikes in the world coÌ„municated with S. Gregorie as witâ— the best man the greatest Doctour the highest Bisshop that liued in those daies Beda in histor eccle Gentis An glorum Now S. Gregorie sent S. Augustine to our Auncestours froÌ„ whosâ— time till the chaÌ„ge which began a late all Christian men are knowen to hauâ— beleued and professed that which we doe presently defend If this holy felowship be not that Catholike and Apostolik Church which iâ— al times and couÌ„tries professed Christes Gospel then goe into the desert after Wiclef and Hus goe into the corners and priuie inmoste places of the house after the poore men of Lions
and teach to be done For as S. Augustine teacheth they that sitte in the chaire of vnitie which I wil proue hereafter to be the chaire of S. Peter are constrained to teach the doctrine of veritie And in deed whereas the office or power is one thing and the vse therof an other thing seing the office is geuen before it be vsed the euil vse of it which insueth afterward caÌ„ not make void the former power And so without al question the substance of the â—rimacie remaineth safe and sure in â—he Apostles and their successours alâ—hough thei practise not their Primacie â—n such sort as they ought to doe Whereupon it foloweth that it is â—arke false and vngodly that these meÌ„â—each saying not only that al primacie 〈◊〉 forbidden in the Church of Christe â—ut also that they leese their Primacie who ceasing to preach doe abuse their â—ffice For they in deed leese the merite of their Primacie but not the self Primacie so long as the Church doth â—olerate and permit them in their places Otherwise Caiphas being so euil a man as he was Ioan 1â— Pontifex anni illius had not been the Bishop of that yeare which yet the Gospel sheweth to haue ben otherwise As concerning which some are wont to obiect that the Bishoppe of Rome doth not gouerne as a Pastor but doth beare a soueraintie as Princes of the world it hath no colour of truth whether thei respect the manner of coming by this primacy or the order iâ— practising the iurisdiction of it First of al no man succedeth into that Chaire by any right of inhearitance which is a common mean to get Domition among worldly princes Secondarilie that Chaire is not obteined by any right of battaile or lawe of Armes neither when it is voide it is permitted to him that can first possesse it but it is geuen onely by election Besides neither childd nor woman nor infidel nor catechumen or learner of the faih can be chosen to be bisshop of Rome or of any other citie which is farre otherwise in wordlie Kingdomes Distinct 62. 63. Actor 1. Againe although the faithfull people and the princes also may craue desire and require a pastoure or Bisshop and may geue their coÌ„sent to the choise of him yet the right to choose as well â—he bishop of Rome as al other pastours Act. 14. 20. Tit. 1. 1. Pet. 5. Greg. lib. 1 ep 55. 56. 77. Concil 8. c. 28. â—pperteineth only to ecclesiastical perâ—ons as whose dutie it is by Gods law to â—lace and make priests in the cities and Churches where nede is to fede to rule â—o confirm or to displace or traÌ„sfer and generally to prouide for the flock as Paulus Barnabas Titus and other bishops haue doÌ„ whereas the right of choosing 〈◊〉 Prince where he is made by election may as well or much more apperteine to the common people being the body of the realme then to the clergie or to the nobilitie alone When the bishop of Rome is thus chosen that I may omitte his temporal dominion which is but an accessorie to his bishoprike doutlesse in his Ecclesiasticall gouernment he vseth not that force and power which worldlie Princes doe Greg lib. 1 ep 45. distiÌ„ct 45. c. De Iudaeis Hee compelleth no man by violence no not so much as the Iewes that liue in Rome to baptisme or to embrace the catholike faith of Christ whereas worldly princes may iustly enforce the people whom they haue vnder them both to obey their lawes and to liue after their custome and manner Moreouer the bishop of Rome as bishop neuer punisheth any of them with the material sword who after baptisme forsake the Church but onlie with ecclesiastical censures And to them also he cometh very slowlie and teacheth that men must haue recourse vnto them none otherwise 2. quaest 1. multi then to a medicine For albeit he both plainlie affirmeth that hereticks are worthy of all punishment yea of violent death it self and that according to Gods word yea although he permitteth Deut. 13. and also where he hath any temporal dominion procureth schismatikes and heretikes to be punished with death partlie because they are themselues vnworthie to liue for their own heinous fault partly also because they shuld not infect others with their words 2. Tim. 2. which creepe and fret like a cancre â—et notwithstanding he doth it not by himselfe nor by others as a bishop and pastour of Christes flock but he doth it by the ministerie of others as a temporal prince and lord Psal 98. euen as Moyses being one of the Priests of our Lord was also master of the ciuil gouernment and a disposer of warre and peace Exod. 17. Deut. 31. as who commaunded Iosue to fight against Amalech and to be his successour in the ciuil gouernment Now whereas the Protestants deny Moyses to haue ben a priest and that by pretense of the Hebrew text they spaek therein against the expresse word of God and against the most auncient and best lerned Fathers The word of God saith Psal â—8 Moyses Aaron in sacerdotibus eius Moyses and Aaron are among the priests of the Lord the Hebrew word is cohaniÌ„ the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin sacerdotibus which is to say those who make sacrifice In coÌ„mentarijs psal 98. S. Augustine reasoneth that he was Sacerdos a Sacrificer because whereas he was in al authoritie and power the very greatest among the Iewes yet he could not be Maior sacerdote greater then he that hath power to sacrifice S. Hierom being I am sure as good an Hebrician as M. Nowel in his booke against Iouinian Lib. 1. aduersus Iouinian groundeth the Priesthood of Moyses vpon the same text of the Psalme making a differeÌ„ce betwen Samuel the Leuite and Moyses and Aaron who were Bisshops or high Priests In oratione de Moyse Aar S. Gregorie Nazianzene is of the same minde yea Dionysius Areopagita confesseth Moyses to haue ben Primum legalium sacerdotum mystem ac ducem De Eccles Hierar c. 5. The first cunning master and guid of the Priest of the law qui fratrem Aaron ad sacerdotale munus inuÌ„gens sub Deo principe sacerdotalem consecrationem poÌ„â—ificabiliter consummauit Who â—nointing his brother Aaron to the Priestlie office vnder God the chief of al finished the Priestly consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bisshoplike or as Bisshops are wont to doe Philo Iudeus writing three bokes of Moyses life De vita Mosis and hauing spoken before of his authoritie in ciuil matters speaketh in the third of his Priesthod which he could not iustly doe except he had ben a Priest But what neede many woordes What thing doth in al the world belong to a Priests office which Moyses did not Exod. 20. He toke the law of God aÌ„d taught it the people he preached to them he consecrated the high Bishop
that S. Peter came to Rome notwithstanding some brainesick men woulde now persuade the contrarie but also the selfe same thing is witnessed by the expresse word of God when S. Peter saith in the end of his own epistle Petrus in epist 1. c. 5 salutat vos Ecclesia quae est in Babylone collecta The Church which is gathered together in Babylon saluteth you For there he called Rome Babylon Because as Babylon was named of the cōfusion of tongs and had in it whiles it was the seat of the monarchy al maner of nations and consequētly al maner of vices euen so had Rome being now the seat of the Romane Empire when S. Peter wrote thence al maner of tonges of nations and of vices in it And of this mind was that Auncient Father Papias Euseb histor lib. 2. c. 15. Graecae scholia and diuerse other holie writers concerning the same place of S. Peters epistle Neither did S. Peter only come to Rome and preache at Rome for a tyme but he also died there ād so died there that it appered euidently God would haue him die no where els For whereas according to the duty of the chiefe pastour he came to Rome chiefely to saue his flocke there from the raging furie of Simon Magus the capitaine of al heretiks who began to be worshipped for a God in Rome whē by his praier he had caused the deuils who caryed Simon Magus a long in the ayer Euseb li. 2 c. 13. 14. 15. Egesippus lib. 3. c. 2. to let him fall whereupon his death insued shortlie after the Emperour Nero who toke no small delight in the sorcerie of Simon Magus being sore offended with S. Peters dede sought straight waies his apprehension and destruction At that tyme the Christians being verie loth to be depriued of so good a pastour as S. Peter was Amhros post epist 32. lib. 5 with much intreating and many teares praied him to goe out of the way and to saue himselfe At whose requeste Saint Peter otherwise vnwilling therevnto beganne to take his iourney out of the citie But when he was come to the gate he seeth Christ comming toward him whome he adoring said Domine quo vadis Ambos episto lib. 5. post epi. 32 O Lord whether goest thow Christ said vnto him venio Romam iterum crucifigi I come to Rome to be crucified againe Peter vnderstoode thereby that Christ would suffer in him at Rome who suffereth in euery of his members not by paine of bodie but by compassion of pitie or rather by the greatenes of glorie which is gotten to him by the victoriouse death which his Saints are put vnto Vpon this vision Peter returned againe into the Citie of Rome and being taken he was putte to death vppon the crosse with his head downward so that Christ himselfe appointed Rome to be the place where S. Peter should rest This matter is witnessed Lib. 5. post epist. 32. Egesip lib. 3. cap. 2. not onelie by Saint Ambrose but also by Egesippus who was a very auncient writer euen straight vpon the tyme of the Apostles albeit his worcke being translated into Latin seemeth to haue certain names of Cities added by him who did translate it about the tyme of S. Ambrose and of Ruffinus Neither is it to be douted but S. Luke would haue writen the same appearing of Christ vnto S. Peter as wel as he wrote the appearing of Christ vnto S. Paule if he had gon so farre forward in his storie of the Acts of the Apostles Actor 9. But seing he did not continue his narration vntill the death of S. Peter and of Saint Paule we must needes credit those faithfull auncient witnesses who reporte the same By which historie we learne that Christe who might easilie haue graunted the the glory of Martyrdom to his Apostle in any other place had a special regard that both hee Vvhy S. Peter shuld die in Rome and his fellow Apostle S. Paul might die in Rome Whereof I find diuerse causes alleaged in the Fathers Augustini de sanctis serm 27. One is for the glory of the Apostles ne alteri Roma deesset that Rome might not lacke to either of them or that they might not lacke the glory of the chiefe Citie Rome concerning the place of their Martyrdom An other is for the destruction of superstition Augustin ibidem Vt vbi caput superstitionis erat illic caput quiesceret sanctitatis Et vbi gentiliū principes habitabant illic Ecclesiarum morerentur That where the head of superstition was there might be the head of holines And where the Princes of the Gentils dwelt there the Princes of the Church might die The third cause is for the honour of the west Church Ibidem Cum Dominus orientis regionem propria illustra uerit passione occidentis plagam ne quid minus esset vice sui Apostolorum sanguine illuminare dignatus est Et licet illius passio nobis sufficiat ad salutem tamen etiam horum Martyrium nobis contulit ad exemplū Whereas our Lord hath made the East part lightsom with his owne passion he voutsafed in his steed that it might be no lesse to geue light vnto the west quarters by the bloud of his Apostles And albeit our Lords passion suffiseth vs for saluation yet their Martyrdome also hath done vs good for example The fourth cause is Leo serm 1. in natali Petri Pauli for the spreading of the Gospel Vt lux veritatis quae in omnium gentium reuelabatur salutem efficacius se ab ipso capite per totum mundi corpus effunderet That the light of the truthe which was reuealed for the saluation of al nations might spread it self more effectuouslie frō the very head through out the whole bodie Now forasmuch as God vsed the Citie of Rome as a most special meane wherby to enlarge and spread his faith through al the world which obeied that one citie it came also to passe that the same citie per sacrā B. Petri sedē caput orbis affecta Leo ibidē latius praesideret religione diuina quà m dominatione terrena Being made the head of the worlde through the holy See of S. Peter shuld rule more largely by Gods religion then by earthly dominion Lib. 6. epist 37. Petrus enī saith S. Gregorie subli mauit sedē in qua etiā quiescere praesentē vitā finire dignatus est For Peter hath lifted vp a high the See wherin he also voutsafed to reast and to end this present life Marke that the glory and prerogatiue of the Romaine Church is most speciallye imputed to S. Peter For although two Apostles died in one Citie at one time for one truthe of Christes Gospel yet they left not two Chaiers or successions there Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. August ep 162. 165. Neither is the Bisshop of Rome called the successour of
Apostoke Priesthood or Bisshoplie power is made greater by the chiefe Castell or Fortresse of Religion then by the Throne of Imperiall power In anuiuersa assumpt serm 2. Leo the Greate hauing saied that in Saint Peters Seat his own power liueth his authoritie excelleth in an other place sheweth himselfe to haue bene the successour of S. Peter and therefore to be the president of the Churche For thus he writeth to Iulianus the Bisshop epist 30. Memor sum me sub illius nomine Ecclesiae praesidere cuius à Domino Iesu Christo est glorificata confessio cuius fides omnes haereses destruit I am mindfull that I am Praesident of the Churche vnder his name Matth. 16 whose confession was made gloriouse of our Lorde Iesus Christe in epist 82. 87. and whose faith destroieth al heresies It were infinite to bring all that Leo saith in this behalfe Eulogius the Patriarche of Alexandria wrote to S. Gregorie after this sense Lib. 6. ep 37. as S. Gregory himself doth report it Suauissima mihi sanctitas vestra multa in epistolis suis de sancti Petri Apostolorum principis Cathedra locuta est dicens quòd ipse in ea nunc vsque in suis successoribus sedeat Your most swete Holinesse hath said manie things in his letters concerning the chair of S. Peter the prince of the Apostles saying that S. Peter himself sitteth it it euen til this present tyme in his successours And S. Gregory with great humility acknowlegeth it to be true affirming in an other place that Lib. 11. Ep. 54. the Apostolike See is head of all Churches For the honour of our country I wil not omit the testimony of S. Bede who in a sermon made vpon the Feast of a certain Abbate of England named Benedictus In Natali Benedicti inter homilias hyemales de Sanctis affirmeth him to haue gon to Rome vt ibi potius perfectā viuendi formam sumeret vbi per summos Christi Apostolos totius Ecclesiae caput eminet eximium That he might there rather take the perfit example of liuing where the excellēt head of the whole Churche doth appere aboue the reast through the highest Apostles of Christ Whereas much more may be alleaged yet these few testimonies may suffise to proue that the bishop of Rome is the Successour of S. Peter in his most principal and chiefe pastoral office And surely if we may be deceaued in any point of the faith which is so wel groūded in Gods word so vniformly cōfessed by the holy Fathers and so notoriously practised in the Catholike Churche as the Supremacy of S. Peter and of his successours in the See of Rome is I can not deuise when a man may be sure of any article of his faith But if there be a meane whereby a man may be sure of his belefe surely that meane whatsoeuer it be shall wel appeare to be found in the prouf of the supremacy of S. Peter and of his successours That the good Christian Emperours and Princes did neuer thinke them selues to be the Suprem Heads of the Churh in Spiritual causes but gaue that honour to Bisshops and Priests and most speciallie to the See of Rome for S. Peters sake as wel before as after the time of Phocas The XVI chap. An D. 246 PHilippus who was the first Christian Emperour did so litle think him selfe to haue bene the Heade of the Bisshoppes in Spirituall causes throughout his Dominion that wheras on Easter daie he would haue bene at the Vigils and holy watches and would haue communicated of the holy Mysteries the Bisshope of the place would not lette him doe it Nisi consiteretur peccata sua except he hadde first confessed his sinnes and stood amōg them that did penance and so by penance had washed awaie the faults which were reported of him Ferunt igitur libenter eum saith Eusebius quod à sacerdote imperatum fuerat suscepisse eccles histor lib. 6. c. 25. apud Ruffinum diuinum sibi inesse metum fidem religionis plenissimam rebus atque operibus comprobando They saie therefore that he toke gladly that whiche was inioyned to him of the Priest Imperatū making faith by the things and workes that the feare of God and most full persuasion of Religion was in him Is he chief in al causes who in some must obey the Priest the priest vvas aboue the Emperor in Ecclesiastical causes Or can he that is supreme gouernour in all things and causes Ecclesiastical haue an other aboue him in puttng him back from the mysteries and in enioyning him publik penaunce and in constreining him to confesse his sinnes Or is the comming to the Mysteries no cause Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Or is not the Bisshoppe or Priest who in this cause gouerneth the Emperour the Superiour and gouernour of the Emperour in the same cause Or is it not a kind of gouerning to command him to stand back to threaten him if he repine to punish him if he be stubborne Yea how to punish him to come to him in a rod as S. Paule speaketh that is to say 1. Cor. 4. in power and authoritie to beate or to correct And is not he a gouernour who may iustly beate the child If then in prescribing confessiō satisfaction and abstinence from communion the priest be the gouernour of the king I ask whether al other Ecclesiastical causes be greater or lesse then these are Note an infallible argument against your Antichristian supremacy The one parte of the Dilēma M. Nowel If other Ecclesiasticall causes be greater then these were surely the Emperour or king who is gouerned by a priest in the lesser Ecclesiasticall causes and therefore can not be supreme head in them is much more to be gouerned by a priest in the greater causes of the same kind And therefore he is much lesse supreme head in them For if when one thing standeth aboue an other I am to low to reache the lower much more I am to low to reache a higher then the other was But if other Ecclesiastical causes be lesser then the suspending from communion the other part or the inioyning of publike penance then the bishop or priest who is the gouernour of the Emperour or King in the greatest Ecclesiastical causes is much more his gouernour in the lesser Ecclesiasticall causes Because the lesser are of the same order kind and kinred whereof the greater are As therefore he that is supreme head in the greatest temporall causes as in iudging ouer life and death A similitude is much more supreme head in the lesser temporall causes as in iudging ouer lands or goods and as he that is not of sufficient authority to be supreme ruler in sitting iudge vppon mens lands or goods can much lesse sitte iudge ouer their liues by anie his former authoritie euen so neither the King who can gouern in the lesser causes
But they submitted their order and rule vnto the chiefe bishop who allowed it for good and vertuouse so that now their followers be named of their rule and obedience and not of their doctrine which in all points was Catholike as the very writen rule doth testifie It is then the property of hereticks to goe out of the Church And the Protestāts are gon out It is the property of Capitaine hereticks to leaue their own names to their scholars Hereof some protestants are called Lutherans other Zuingliās other Caluinists other Hosiandrines and so foorth from both which conditions the popes of Rome and their adherents are free as it hath ben declared The third marck of an Antichristian THirdly when heretickes are once without the Church they can not possibly agree partly because the grace of God and the spirit of vnity is not amōg them partly because they are without one visible iudge and head and are al so proud and puffed vp that euery man wil be a master so that no one of them wil yeld to the other So the old hereticks were diuided as S. a Lib. 1. c. 30. Ireneus witnesseth So the Arriās wēt straight into three diuerse sects as b heres 73. Epiphanius declareth And the like chaunced to the Donatists as S. c heres 69. Augustine hath testified But are the popes or the Catholiks in this case concerning their faith Who can shew a pope vnlike his predecessours or a Catholike disobedient to the pope from the first to the last their faith is one their professiō stil the same their gouernment is al after one rate Which thing could not possiblie come to passe except they were all directed by the God of peace and by the spirit of vnity But on the otherside how many sects are sprong in Germany alone within these forty yers How doe the Lutherās daily write and preache against the Caluinists in so much that they were in armes of late in Antwerp the one against the other How doe the Anabaptists dissent from them both How cruellie doe the ciuil Lutherās of Wittemberg persecute euen with filthy and slaunderouse Images Flaccus Illyricus a stout and straight Lutheran Neitheir can this matter be iustly coloured as it is to them who perish by the example of the Apostles and disciples hovv the Catholiks end their strife Act. 15. For if any small disagreing did fall out betwen them it was first rather about some temporal fact then any doctrine of the Gospel As when Paule and Barnabas dissented in this point whether Marck should goe with them or no. Againe if the fact did towche in any point the doctrine of the Gospel the one straight waies yelded to the other Galat. 2. as S. Peter did yeld vnto S. Paule who reproued him for a dissembling deede concerning the law of Moyses Or if the doctrine it selfe was called in doubt straight waies a visible iudge was chosen who might end the strife Act. 15. as when S. Paule and Barnabas came to Ierusalem to haue the Apostles decree concerning the law of Moyses not to binde any more Thus the Catholiks also dissent somtime either vpon a fact as whether it be best to reduce the keeping of Christmasse to the shortest day in the yere or no which is of no great importaunce or els the one yeldeth to the other who reproueth him if the matter be plaine or if it be intricat they both must vnder pain of damnation be content to referre them selues to a visible iudge in the earth after whose determination their strife is at an end as it was euidently sene in the matter of Clandestine Mariages at Trent For among vs he that obeyeth not the sentence of the highe priest is excommunicated Deut. 17. and separated from our societie But Luther being reproued of his brethern at many meetings did euermore stand in this matter of faith against thē that the body of Christ was really present with the substāce of braed Zuinglius on the otherside being reproued often tymes yet died stubbornly in this opinion that the body of Christ was present not in truth but in a signe and figure As it is certaine to vs that neither of those two is saued so their faith must needes be monstrouse Note vvel who beleue that they both are saued The contentiō was not of a matter which as yet was hiddē or vnreuealed For what in all the world ought to haue ben or was more knowē then the supper of Christ Which these fiften hundred yeres hath ben in daily practise and therefore the whole doctrine cōcerning the substance of it may not be vnknowen no not to weomē and to yong men Moreouer eche of thē said he was sure of the truth and beleued his opinion most constantly And shal now both he be saued who teacheth stubbornly euen to death that in this sacramental bread the substāce of Christes body is present and he also who teacheth stubbornly euen to death that in this sacramental bread the substance of Christes body is not present If both these preachers defended the truthe what kinde of religion is this where contradictory articles are true at once If the one was a false teacher euen with stubburnes he was therein a member of Antichrist And seing it must needes be that the one did auouche false doctrine and yet did warrant it for the true Gospel we are sure that one of the two must nedes be a mēber of Antichrist And yet seing the Popes Catholike doctrine doth dissent from them both which soeuer of two be an Antichrist the Pope shall not be thereby in any daunger to be an Antichrist together with any of them Mark the reason wel It goeth not to this opiniō or to that wherin there is no end of contention But it concludeth a necessary sequele vpon a confessed truthe If any man for false doctrine may be an enemy of Christ as doutlesse he may he is that enemy who teacheth most presumptuously his false doctrine But of these two doctrines it is the body of Christ and it is not the bodie of Christ the one must needes be false Therefore seing Luther tawght stoutlie the one and Zuinglius stoutly the other either Luther or Zuinglius is an aduersarie of Christ. This poīt vvuld be ansvvered But all the whole number of Protestants a verie few Illyricans excepted accompt them both saued and consequentlie they iustifie the stubborn preachers of clean contrarie doctrines therefore the whole number of Protestantes doth iustifie one who is an Antichrist And therefore the whole number of Protestants is condemned of God for iustifying a false prophet and for defending an euident member of Antichrist as who teache euil to be good VVo to them Isai 5. and good to be euil To you I speake M. Iewel did not Luther teache false doctrine when he said that the bodie of Christ was really and substantially present with the substance of bread in the Sacrament
of our Lords supper I know you beleue his doctrine to be starck false in that behalfe Wel was he not warned thereof not onlie by his owne Catholike bisshop but also by Zuinglius a man of God as you saie Did he not after a sharppe warning or two yet still defend his false doctrine manie yeeres togeather most stubburnlie Tit. 3. Therefore by Saint Paules doctrine Luther was an heretike and was to be auoided as a man condemned by his own iudgement How do you auoid him when in your Apologie of the Church of of Englād you iustifie him as a man whome God reised after long darknes to geue fresh light vnto the world Cal you then an errour in religion the light of the Gospel What was there I pray you whie the old false Prophets of the primitiue Churche were accompted heretiques the which is not also founde in Martin Luther Luther had al the properties of the old Heretikes Did they teache erronious doctrine So did he euen by your confession Did they stand in it being warned So did he Did they die in it So did he Made they a schism for it So did he Left they scholars behind them who bare their names As though the Martinists and Lutherans be not named of Martin Luther Did their Schism hurt the peace of the Church So doth this Was their heresie condemned by General or Prouincial Councels So was the doctrine of the Lutherans condemned at Trent at Rome at Magunce at Colon at Cambray and where not To be short define an heretique for your life how euer you can and Luther shal be within the cūpasse of your definition And yet shal you that iustifie him be saued No surely no more thē they that iustifie the Nicolaits or Monothelits It wil not now serue to saie that S. Cyprian died in his opinion of rebaptising those who were baptized of heretikes For then partly the Catholique faith in that point was not fully and vniuersally reuealed in any General Coūcel partly S. Cypriā did not die wtih such a stubbornes in this behalf that he was ready to iudge or to excōmunicate the contrary teachers as his own a ad Quītum ad Iubaianū Epistles and S. b lib. 2. 3. de baptismo cōt Donat. Augustin doth wel proue at large Neither would he haue refused a iudge euen in earth if occasion had ben geuen to haue come to the tryall of the mater But the questiō of our Lords supper was vniuersally knowē and fiue hundred yeres past it was defined in iudgement at certain Councels euen to the recantation of Berengarius the first publike mainteinour therof And when the great general Councel of Lateran had ended it the whole Church was confirmed in their former belefe Now the definitiō of that great Coūcel doth cōdēne both Luther ād Zuīglius Moreouer Luther and Zuinglius died with suche a presumptuouse stubbornes that eche of them refused anie Iudge in the whole earth because eche of them said him selfe to be sure of the word of God beside the which eche of them refused any iudge at al. So that now no excuse in the world remaineth but that either Luther or Zuinglius must be an Antichrist And that who so iustifieth them both as the Protestants and Sacramentaries doe is vtterlie damned for allowing one Antichrist at the least The fourth marck of an Antichristian The Fourth mark of an Antichrist is in that God suffereth as not Antichrist himself in his own person so neither his ministers ād false Prophets to continue or tarie long For as Christe said Matth. 24. where he intreated of these matters Except those daies had ben shortened 2. Pet. 2. no flesh should be saued And S. Peter saith The perdition of false teachers sleepeth not For in deed except God prouided that heresies might haue a short reign the whole faith would be in danger to be corrupted by them And I pray you The short reigne of Luther see how short a reigne Luther had who was the first false Prophet of our age His heresie and doctrine is in maner nowe come to remaine onely in two or three persons For whereas his sect is onelie that whiche he him selfe taught he was no soner dead but Philip Melancthon beganne to change his doctrine The which thing so displeased Flaccus Illyricus with a few others that they toke vpō them the defense of their Master Luther and thereby they are so hated in al the states and Cities of the Ciuile Lutherans who are spread through moste parts of Germanie that now it is not lawful for the said Illyricus so muche as to appere in those quarters nor his bookes may not be openly sold at Lipsia or Wittenberge except some fewe of them which are by name permitted The short reigne of Hosiander Hosiander a Protestant taught in Prussia at Coninsperg That God iustifieth man onely by his diuine nature And that the man iustified must be iust with the very same iustice wherewith God is iust in his owne nature and substance And whiles this Hosiander liued Duke Albertus was altogether of his opinion and fauoured him aboue measure But now at my being in Prussia I learned there were scant three men left who openlie mainteined this sect And the Duke was saied to care now no more for it And good reason why for their heresies die with the inuentours of them As for Zuinglius opinion The short reigne of zuinglius it is vtterlie extinguisshed by the Caluinists For Zuinglius and Oecolampadius thought these woordes This is my bodie directlie to concerne and to appertaine to the bread and onlie to make it a figure of Christes bodie Whereby he that should receiue the same bread might be put in minde of Christes death But Caluin hath affirmed the said words of Christ not to be directed to the bread but onlie to be a sermon and a preaching made to the audience which is present Whereby the bodie of Christe is consecrated not now in the bread as in a signe whiche Zuinglius beleued but in euery mans hart by faith and by the remembrance of Christes death And in the hart Christ is present saith Caluin not onlie by faith as Zuinglius had taught but reallie and in very deed whiles certaine beames come from the flesh of Christ in heauen into his hart who eateth with Caluins phantastical faith The short reigne of Caluin Now as for Caluins own doctrine it shal decay euery hower sithens he is once dead Euen alreadie in Polonia it is ouerwhelmed with Trinitaries Iosephits and with those who circumcide them selues and with diuerse other blasphemies wherevnto those are nowe fallen who were once Caluins Scholars In England it is forsaken by his own scholers who allow defend and both doe sweare themselues and make other men to sweare vnto the supreame gouernement of temporall Princes ouer the spirituall Pastours in all things and causes by Act of parliamēt In Amos.
The woorde of God which saith this is my body is the fire which deuoureth the earthlie substance of bread and wine brought vnto the altar the which word worketh that which it souÌ„deth aÌ„d is honorable 16 They are cursed who hauing a beast of the male kind doe not offer it but rather doe offer a spotted or weake one as the reiected Iewes did 16 We shuld likewise be cursed it hauiÌ„g Christes bodiwe shuld not offer it but rather should saâ— our own righteousnes 〈◊〉 be most principally thâ— cleane oblation wherâ— of the prophet speakeâ— â–ª Which yet the member of Antichrist doe say â–ª Read the prophet Malachie witâ— diligence and see whether the conference of the holy scripture doth not necessarily import this sense which 〈◊〉 haue now geuen And I haue geueÌ„ it according to the vniforme interpretatiâ— of the auncient fathers of whome noâ— one denyeth the body aÌ„d blood of Christ to be here meant albeit some of them expound some part of this chapiter of praiers and of inward righteousnes the which inward sacrifice is alwaies to be ioyned with the vnblodie outward sacrifice or consecration and oblation of Christes body and blood which is the new oblation of the new testament with a Lib. 4. cap. â— Ireneus with whome b DemoÌ„st euange li. 1. c. 10. Eusebiâ— c In Malach 1. S. Hierom d Orat. 2. aduersus Iudaeos S. Chrysostom e Lib. 4. c. 14. Daâ—ascene agree Neither doth this our vnbloody sacrifice derogate any iote to that one â—loody sacrifice of Christes crosse For we â—onour that one sacrifice so much that through the power of it we beleue the daily remembraunce thereof being made by the outward consecration of bread and wine into the same bodie and blood which was once offered vppon the crosse to be necessarily a publike sacrifice because it is not possible Note but that euery publicke and external fact which is made by Gods authority to put vs in minde of that great sacrifice once fulfilled on the crosse must also partake the nature of that sacrifice whereof it is the remembraunce For if euen the killing and burning of a calf was an external aÌ„d publike sacrifice because it signified that Christ should die for vs how infinitely more shal the body and blood of Christ being made of bread and wine to signifie his owne death be a publick and an external sacrifice And because in the saied body of Christ the whole merit of his priesthod and crosse is stil really conteined for he is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech whensoeuer that body is made present by consecration as it is alwaies at Masse then Heb. 7. seing that substance is made present which euen till this day whersoeuer it be 2. Ioan. 2. or in earth maketh God merciful to vs a propitiatory sacrifice in his kind is made hable to be applied to the vse of the liue and of the dead Which doctrine who so denieth vpoÌ„ pretence of a zeale to Christes death let him be wel assured he dishonoureth his death aboue measure if whereas euery signe externally made in calues or gotes which went before his death was therfore a publik external sacrifice he will now deny the same honour to a signe of the same deathe appointed to be made euen by Christes owne mouth and exaÌ„ple in the self same body which died for vs. I can not tarie any longer vpon this matter because it is not my principal purpose The eight mark of an Antichristian THE viij mark of the false prophets of Antichrist is to spoile Christ of his inheritaunce which God gaue him in all nations For so a Psal 2. Dauid b 60. 61 Isaias yea the c Luc. 14. Gospell doth teache Neither is it only meant that in diuerse natioÌ„s some or other shal some at one aÌ„d other at an other tyme priuily beleue in Christ but it is meant Isai 2. Psal 44. Malac. 1. that many nations together shal professe Christes religioÌ„ and name outwardly and openly for his name is great among the Gentils not in one nation only but among many nor surely by those who lie priuie but by those who are not ashamed to be knowen for Christians and for Catholikes For such only doe honour the name of God as be knowen to be of his Churche Math. 5. Isai 2. Hereof it is called a city which can not be hidden a hil built in the toppe of hils Psal 18. Matth. 5. a tabernacle sette in the son a candle being light and sette vppon the candlesticke the children of light Luc. 16. Matth. 13. the kingdom of Christ who reigneth in the house of the spiritual Iacob for euer Yea it is called the croune of glory in the hand of God Isai 62. and the pride or magnificent ioy of all ages from generation to generation Al which texts notwithstanding the protestants will make vs beleue that they are Christes Church whereas fifty yeres a goe there were not onlie not many nations of them which professed their faith openly so that Gods name might therby be great among the Gentils but there was not one nation no not one city not one towne not one whole village in al the wyde world where it may be shewed that they had one Church or chappel or howse of publike praier vnder the son And yet though they shewed half a dosen such it could not serue Is this the gloriouse kingdome and common weale which Christ doth inherit O vnspeakeable blasphemy vnto his gloriouse name Isai 54. Gal. 4. The Iewish synagoge was neuer half so base wheras Christes Churche among the Gentils was prophecied to passe it in nuÌ„ber and greatnes And yet this misery of the Church say they dured eight or nine huÌ„dred yeres Math. 16. Ergo so long hel gates preuailed against the Church of Christ But on the other side there can no moment of an hower be named in the which we are not ready to shew that many Note the true Churche yea very many natioÌ„s professed openly and outwardly practised Christes true religion together with the pope of Rome from S. Peters tyme to this hower O gloriouse City of God and a kingdoÌ„ prophecied of in all ages before Christ worthy of his Son Iesus ageinst which hel gates neuer did nor neuer shall preuaile To this City and kingdom yee must all resort who looke to inherit the kingdom of heauen The ninth Mark of an Antichristian THE ninth marke of Antichristes brotherhod is the intolerable pride whereby they make themselues onelie the supreame iudges of the right vnderstanding of Gods woorde yea of the text also and of the letter thereof For whereas it is not possible for any resonable man to cite with good conscience any one text of holy scripture for his purpose vnlesse he iudge first the same text to be conuenient and agreable to his intent and therefore whereas nothing