light more splendid then the Sunn whose rayes From the ethereall desert first doe springe And that the rest of the seede of the woman were those of whom our Lord said shewing his disciples See heere my mother and my bretheren For though Saint Iohn make mention of the paines of childbirth neuerthelesse those wordes may be vnderstood to be spoken accordinge to the ordinarie custome of the childbirth of wemen as it is written that the daies of the purification of the childbirth of the virgin were accomplished and that she presented our Lord in the temple to obserue the lawe that commaunded that euery male that opens the wombe shall be holy to the Lord. Now if the mention of the paines of childbirth keepe vs from expoundinge this passage of the virgin and obligeth vs to transferr it to the Church what shall hinder vs from interpretinge still the wildernesse to be heauen and from sayinge that the wildernesse whither the woman fled was heauen into which the first of the faithfull persecuted and martyred fled euery day by theire death and the Church in theire persons from before the face of the serpent and were deliuered from his Snares persecutions and temptations followeinge this exclamation of Saint IOHN Blessed are those that dye for the cause for the Lord for they shall rest from thence forward from theire labors Or if wee will not by the word Wildernesse vnderstand heauen who shall hinder vs frō sayinge that this woman was the Church who haueinge bene once amongst the Iewes after she had brought forth Christ by the preachinge of the Ghospell was persecuted by the Iewes that is to saie the people of the Gentiles which is often vnderstood by the wildernesse from whence it is that S. AVG. interpretinge these wordes of the Psalmist Whē I passed through the wildernesse the earth trēbled writes the wildernesse were the natiōs that 〈◊〉 ignorant of God the wildernesse was there where there was noe lawe giuen from God where noe Prophetes had dwelt which had foretolde that the Lord should come And who can hinder vs from Supposeinge that the relicks of the seede of the woman were the Iewes who were conuerred to the Christian Religion and whose generall reunion with the Church shall be made before the end of the world or who can forbidd vs to interpret this wildernesse to be the exclusion from ciuill and politicke charges from which the Church was soe banished vnder the pagan Emperors that the Christians were not admitted to anie parte of the administration of the Common wealth For our aduersaries will not haue that the number of three yeares and a halfe to which this flight is limitted should be taken accordinge to the ordinary and literall accompt Or finally if it permitted to the last commers to hope to finde the diuination of the passages of the Reuelation in theire coniectures as the cupp of prophecie in Beniamins Sacke Who shall hinder vs from applyinge this allegory to the Conuersion of the Countries newly discouered and to in terpret the wildernesse to be the Indias and the other hemispheare which had bene soe longe tyme left waste and desert from the knowledge of the true God and from saying that the two wings are the two nauigation of the East and west by which the Church that the diuell vnder the ensignes of Mahomet striues to driue from our hemispheare is gone to visite those regions conformable to the stile of the Grecians which call the sailes of shipps wings and say winge a shippe in steede of settinge to the sailes and who shall hinder vs from interpretinge the Eagle from whence these two winges preceede to be the westerne part of the Roman Empire whereof these two nauigations are partes and from expoundinge the relickes of the woman to be the Catholickes that remaine vnder the tiranny of Mahomet For to expound the woman to be the secret mumber of the predestinate and the wildernesse to be inuisibilitie and obscurity how can it agree with that that our Lord Cryes If they tell you heere is Christ beholde him in the desart goe not forth beholde him in the secret places belieue them not And S. AVGVSTINE after him It is not an obscure question and wherein they can deceiue you of whom our Lord foretolde that they should come and saie see heere is Christ beholde he is there see heere hee is in the wildernesse that is out of the frequency of the multitude And a while after that is then the Church that is not in anie one parte of the earth but which is well knowne ouer all And how can it be that the woman beinge retired into the wildernesse that is to saie the Societie of the predestinate beinge shadowed hidden and obscured from before the face of the Dragon shall quit the pursuite of the woman to goe make warr with the relickes of the seede of the woman for if the woman be inuisible how can the relickes of the woman be visible And if from that that is said that the woman flied into the desert it be permitted to conclude that the Church shall be inuisible wherefore shall we not by the same reason conclude that the Babylon of the Reuelation shall be inuisible seeinge Saint IOHN writes And he carried me in the spirit into the desert and I saw the woman sitt vpon the beast And this wee saie not that we pretend to warrant this interpretation more then the rest but to shew how weake foundation such allegoricall allegations are to builde a reuolt and an alteration of Religion vpon and to ouerthrowe soe manie euident and literall promises of perpetuall beinge visibilitie eminencie and purity as God hath made to his Church Of the consequence of the places alleadged by the fathers for the aucthoritie of the Catholicke Church CHAPT XVI The continuance of the Kinges answere NOw to come neerer the point the kinge denies that this exact collection of places out of Saint AVGVSTINE doth in anie sorte touch him THE REPLIE IN truth if the most excellent Kinge can proue that the Church to which he adheares hath bene perpetually visible and eminent aboue all other Christian Societies as Saint AVGVSTINE puts this condition for one of the necessary markes of the Church when he saith she hath this most certaine marke that she cannot be hidden she is then knowne to all nations the sect of Donatus is vnknowne to manie nation then that cannot be she And if he can shew that she hath bene not onely perpetuallie visible and eminent but also perpetuallie pure from all contagion of Schisme and heresie as Saint AVGVSTINE protestes that to be of the essence of the Catholicke Church when he writes noe hereticke belonges to the Catholicke Church because she loues God nor noe Schismaticke because she loues her neighbour And againe The Church of the Saintes is the Catholicke Church the Church of the Saintes is not the Church of the hereticke she was
baptized can come to the remission of originall sinne And of this kinde of necessitie the examples are in small number I call that conditionall necessitie which obligeth not but in case of possibilitie and receiues exception of place time and persons and that againe hath diuers branches For first in regard of Faith there are manie points that are necessarie to be beleeued if a man be in place where he may be instructed in them or who hath time to be informed of them which are not necessary for a man that liues in a wildernesse or so pressed with the instant of death as he hath noe leasure to receiue instruction as that Christ was borne of a virgin that he was Crucified vnder Pontius Pilate that hee rose againe the third daie And manie thinges are necessary to be beleeued and holden for pointes of Faith either by the bodie of the Church in generall or by the order of the ministers and pastors which are the eyes of the Church which are not necessary for euery particular person to knowe and hold to be points of Faith as that the persons of the Trinitie are the same in essence and distinct in subsistence that the Father hath begotten the sonn necessarily and not freely that they are the diuine persōs which produce and are produced and not the essence which doth neither produce nor is produced that the workes of the trinitie without are vndiuided that the only persō of the sonn hath been incarnate and not anie of the others that in Christ there are two substances and one subsistence that the diuinitie was not to him in the steede of a soule but that besides his Bodie and his diuinitie he had a Soule sensible and reasonable that what he once tooke in hypostaticall vnion hee hath not abandoned that the diuell was created good and made hinself euill by the freedome of his will and other such like And in regard of action there are manie things necessarie in case of possibilitie and according to the oportunity of places times and persons which are not absolutely necessarie when the commoditie to accomplish them is wanting as the assistance at Church Seruice the actuall participation of the Eucharist And manie are necessarie to some as mission and imposition of handes to the Pastors of the Church and marriage to those that will haue issue which are not necessary to others And in breefe some thinges are necessary to obtaine Saluation others some to obtaine it more easilie for ones-selfe and others to procure and mediate it for other men some for the constitution of the Church and others for the edification and more ample propagation of the Church some for the simple being of Christian Religion others for the better being that is to saie for the comlynesse dignitie and splendour of Christian Religion I call necessitie of meanes that that is in behalfe of the thinges them selues as that of Sacraments to which god hath graunted power to Conferr some grace and reall operation to saluation that of the Commandementes of the morall lawe whose necessitie is imposed vpon vs by the law of nature that of repenting sins which is a meanes necessarie to obtaine their remission I call necessitie of precept that which is only obligatorie in regard of the Commaundement as the celebration of the first daie of the weeke in memorie of that wherein our lord did rise againe which wee for that cause call our Lords daie and other such like obseruations the omission whereof could be noe hindrance to Saluation but in respect of disobedience and breach of the Commaundement I call necessitie of speciall beleefe that of thoses pointes which all Faithfull if they be not preuented by death are obliged to beleeue with faith expresse distinct and determinate which the Schoolemen call explicit faith as the twelue articles of the Creede I call necessitie of generall beleefe that of those thinges which euery particular man is not obliged to beleeue with a distinct ad explicite faith as the doctrine of originall sin the article or the two wills in Christ the article that the holy Ghost proceedes frō the Father and from the Sonne the beleefe that Baptisme giuē forth of the Church prouided it be in the forme of the Church is true Baptisme and that heretickes which haue receiued Baptisme must not be rebaptised when they returne to the Church and other such like when the simple sort of faithfull people are not obliged to beleeue with a distinct and explicit faith but it sufficeth that they beleeue them generallie in the Faith of the Church that is to saie that they adhere to the Church that beleeues them by whose faith they liue whiles they remaine in her Communion as Children liue by their mothers nourishmēt whilst they are in her bowells I call necessitie of act that of those thinges which euerie particular person is obliged to execute actuallie as to Confesse the name of Christ to forgiue offences done to them to restore the Goods of an other man I call necessitie of approbation that of those thinges which euerie particular man is not bound to execute actuallie but onlie not to contradict them and not to condemne those that doe them nor the church that approoues thē ad not to separate thēselues frō her vpō this occasiō vpō paine of separating themselues frō their owne saluation as the choice to liue in virginitie and single life and other the like Of all which kindes of necessitie the Fathers haue hold 〈◊〉 manie thinges euerie one according to it is degree diuerslie necessarie to saluation as wee shall make manifest in those occasions that will offer themselues wherein to examine them it is not to be conformable to the ancient beleefe and practise of the catholicke church to hold the pointes of doctrine or actiō that the Fathers haue holden to be necessary to saluation according to some of these kindes of necessitie and to reiect the others but to conforme our selues to the ancient beleefe and catholick practise we must hold for necessary to saluation all those things that the Fathers haue holden to be necessarie to saluation in that degree and according to those kindes of necessitie as they haue holden them The fowrth obseruation is vpon the word FATHERS which some when it comes to the effect of their promise to submit themselues to the iudgment of antiquitie would restraine to the first or second age after the Apostles not that they hope to finde in that space of time anie thing in their behalfe but because the Church being then oppressed with persecutions there remaines to vs so fewe writinges of that date and those against persons and about points for the most part so differing from the disputations of this present age as the face of the ancient doctrine and practise of the Church cannot euidentlie appeare to be therein represented Now equitie would that being to compare the state of the Societies of this age wich pretend to the title of
thee scatters And S. AVST In the Roman Church hath alwaies 〈◊〉 the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke And Prosper whom saint 〈◊〉 reputes his second selfe and whom Joseph Scalager calls the most learned man of his age The principalitie of the Apostolick priesthood hath made 〈◊〉 greater by the Tribunall of Religion then by that of the Empire els where changing his prose into verse Rome great Apostle Peter's sacred Seate Head of the Churches-Bodie heere below Hath by Faithes Empire made her selfe more great Then she by all her armed powres could grow And 〈◊〉 the first in the epistle to Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica It hath bene prouided by a grand order that all should not attribute all things to themselues but that in euery prouince there should be some whose sentence might holde the first place amongst their bretheren And againe that there might be others constituted in the greater citties who might vse a greater diligence by whom the care of the vniuersall Church might flow to the onely Seate of Peter And therefore 〈◊〉 the Allexandriās would accuse Dionisius Patriark of Alexandria their Bishop they went vp to Rome saith S. ATHANASIVS accused him before 〈◊〉 Bishop of Rome And when the same ATHANASIVS likewise Patriark of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constautinople and Marcellus Primat of Aneyra in Galatia had bene deposed by diuers Councells of the 〈◊〉 The Bishop of Rome saith Sozomene restored to each one his Church because to him for the dignitie of his Sea the care of all things belonged And when the cause of Iohn Patriark of Antioch had bene propounded to the Councell of Ephesus the Councell remitted the iudgment to the Pope And Iuuenall Bishop of Jerusalem said that the anoient custome and 〈◊〉 tradition bare that the Church of Antioch should be ruled by the Roman And when the Councell of Chalcedon disanulled the actes of the false Councell of Ephesus they excepted the creation of Maximus Patriark of Antioch because saith Anatolius Archbishop of Constantinople The Pope hauing receiued him into his communion hath iudged that he should rule the Church of Antioch And when Theodoret Bishop of Cyre in the borders of Persia and subiect to the patriarkhip of Antioch had bene deposed in the same Councell of Ephesus he appealed to the Pope and the Councell of Chalcedon receiued him because saith the Senat The Pope had restored him to his dignitie And when Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople had bene deposed by Dioscorus Patriark of Alexandria and by the false Councell of Ephesus he appealed likewise to the Pope and that saith the Emperor Valentinian following the custome of the Councells And when Iohn Patriark of Alexandria had bene driuen from his Sea by the plott of the 〈◊〉 Zeno he also appealed to the Pope that with the intercessiō of the Patriark of Antioch as Liberatus Archdeacon of 〈◊〉 a writer of a thousand and one hundred yeares antiquitie reportes in these wordes John saith Liberatus hauing taken Synodicall letters of intercession from Calendian Patriarke of Antioch appealed to Pope Simplicius And thus much of the comparison of the Pope with the other Patriarkes For as for the canon of the Councell of Nicea which seemes to rule the Bishops of Alexandria Antioch ouer the Bishop of Rome it shall be spoken of heereafter Of the difficulties of the Scripture concerning the tyme of S. Peters staie at Antioch and at Rome CHAPT IV. BVT against this that wee haue affirmed of the sitting of Saint PFTER at Antioch and at Rome Caluine and the other aduersaries of the Church forme twelue principall obiections eight from the Scripture and fower from the Fathers The first obiection is that S. PAVL found S. PETER in Ierusalem the two first voyages that he made thither the one three yeare after his conuersion the other when he carried the almes for the famine foretould by Agabus then that the Episcopall staie of S. PETER at Antioch which after S. Ieroms computation betweene these two voyages could not be seauen yeares as S. Gregorie affirmes it as wee suppose it for asmuch as S. Paules conuersiōhappened at the soonest three yeares after the death of IESVS CHRIST S. PETER departed from Jerusalem to goe to Rome the secōd yeare of the Empire of Claudius which was the eleauenth yeare after the death of Christ. The seconde obiection is that S. PETER still assisted at Jerusalem at the Councell holdē for the legall causes about twentie yeare saie they after the death of our Lord and was crucified as we saie the fourteenth yeare of the Empire of Nero that is the seauen thirtith yeare after the death of our Sauiour then he could not haue bene 25 yeare at Rome as wee saie The third that S. PAVL addressing the principall of his epistles to the Romans doth not there salute S. PETER whom he would not haue forgottē if he had bene there The fourth is that S. PAVL writing from Rome to the Philippians complained that euery one sought his owne not that which was of Christ. And to Timothie that all had abandoned him which he would not haue done if S. PETFR had bene there The fist that when S. PAVL came to Rome the bretheren went to meete him amongst whom there is noe mention of S. PETFR and the Iewes prayed him to declare to them his opinion of the sect of the Christians a thing they would not haue required if S. PETER had preached at Rome before him The sixt that S. LVKE who writ the history of the Actes of the Apostles maketh no mention of S. PETERS voyage to Rome The seauenth that S. PAVL who hath described the enterview betweene S. PETER and him at Jerusalem and Antioch speakes not of their enter-view at Rome which was the most famous cittie of the world And the eigth that S. Iohn made mention of the kinde of death by which S. PETER should glorifie God but makes no mention of the place of his death Now lett vs first dispatch the obiections taken out of scripture and after we will proceede to those taken out of the Fathers To the first obiection then from Scripture which is that S. PAVL still found Saint PETER in Jerusalem in the two first voyages that he made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one three yeares after his conuersion and the other when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the almes for the famine foretould by Agabus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Episcopall staie of S. PETER at Antioch which was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the two voyages could not bee of seauen yeares I answere that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Paul happened not in the third yeare after the death of our 〈◊〉 as they pretend a thing which troubles all the harmonie of the history but the first And this I proue in this manner Betweene the Councell of Ierusalem and S. 〈◊〉 departure to goe to Rome S. Paul remained
besides the tyme imployed in his 〈◊〉 six yeare in the East to wit a yeare and a halfe at Corinth three moneths in the Synagogue of the lewes at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two yeares in the schoole of Tyrannus three moneths againe in 〈◊〉 and two other yeares finallie in the prison at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this word and 〈◊〉 forth two yeare after hath reference to 〈◊〉 tyme of saint Paules imprisonment and not to the tyme of the institution of 〈◊〉 as it appeared by saint Paules testimonie who saith that 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 many yeares Now saint Paul departed from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come to Rome the fower and twentith yeare after the death of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he came forth of prison when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 steed and 〈◊〉 notes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being 〈◊〉 to Rome was absolued from his faultes committed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the credit that his brother Pallas had with the Emperor Nero 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tacitus quoteth that Pallas was fallen from Neros fauour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Antistius which was the second yeare after the 〈◊〉 of Christ or if we comprehend the yeare of Christs death within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the siue and twentith And to this S. IEROM agrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Paul was sent prisoner to Rome the fiue and twentith yeare after the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Lord that is the second yeare of Nero when Festus Procurator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Felix From the fower and twentith yeare then after the 〈◊〉 of Christ if you subtract the six yeares interposed betweene the Councell of 〈◊〉 and the voyage of S. Paul to Rome there will 〈◊〉 that the Councell of Jerusalem was holden at the latest the eighteenth yeare after the death of our Lord not the twentith as they suppose Now betweene the conuersion of S. Paul the Councell of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S. Paul teacheth vs that there were seauenteene yeares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 writt to the 〈◊〉 three yeares after I went to Ierusalem to see 〈◊〉 And againe and then after fourteene yeares I went vp againe into Ierusalem For where Caluin will haue it that the voyage of Ierusalem where of S. Paul speakes in the Epistle to the Galathians when he saith againe after fourteene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 went vp to Ierusalem should not be the voyage of the Councell but the voyage of the almes for the famine is a grosse ignorāce since the voyage of the almes for the famine was made before the death of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who deceased as it shall heereafter appeare twelue yeare after the death of Christ. And whereas the same Caluin saith that the fourteene yeare quoted by S. Paul should not be added to the end 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before mētioned but should be coūted frō his conuersiō 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the greeke phrase which insinuates that these fourteene years were interposed betweene the voyage for the visit of S. Peter the voyage to the councell which gaue Beza occasiō to translate it thus And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interuented I went vp againe into Ierusalem And to saint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul testifies that after seauenteene yeares 〈◊〉 conferred fullie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then let vs defalke from the foure and twentie yeares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death of Christ at the end where of saint PAVLE went to 〈◊〉 the six yeares which passed betweene the Councell of Ierusalem and the departure of saint Paule to goe to Rome and from the remainder which will bee eighteene yeares subtract the seauenteene yeare which passed betweene the Conuersion of Saint PAVL and the Councell of Jerusalem it will appeare that the conuersion of saint PAVL happened the first yeare after the death of our Lord as the Chronicon of Eusebius reckons it and then that the third yeare after the conuersion of saint PAVL which was that wherein saint PAVL transported himselfe first into Ierusalem and from Ierusalem as saith the Epistle to the Galathians into Syria and Cilicia that is to saie according to the historie of the Acts to Tharsus and Antioch was the fowrth yeare after the death of Christ and consequentlie that the staie of S. PETER at Antioch began the fourth yeare after the death of Christ. For S. LEO the first saith plainelie that the name of Christian had the originall at Antioch Saint Peter preaching there which could not haue bene so if Saint Peter had not bene come to Antioch within the compasse of the same yeare that saint Paul arriued there during the which saint Luke testifies that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch And against this it can not be said that saint LVKE toucheth nothing of this voyage of saint 〈◊〉 to Antioch for saint LVKE doth no more touch the conference of Saint PETER and saint PAVL at Antioch which neuerthelesse wee learne out of the Epistle to the Galathians nor that saint PAVLE recites in the Epistle to the Galathians the enterview betweene saint PETER and him at Antioch after the Councell of Jerusalem For besides that saint 〈◊〉 maintaines that the enterview betweene saint PETER and saint PAVL at Antioch was before the Councell of Ierusalem though it be recited after it saint PAVLE doth no where saie that saint PETER and hee neuer mett more then once at Antioch Now the voyage that saint PAVL made into Ierusalem when he carried the almes for the generall famine foretould by Agabus found S. PETER prisoner there was the cleauenth yeare after the death of our Sauiour For the Scripture saith that this famine fell out vnder Claudius and Dion reckons the beginning of the generall famine which happened in Claudius his time vnder the 795. th yeare of the foundation of Rome which was the second yeare of Claudius his Empire that is to saie the eleauenth after the Death of our Lord And Iosephus obserues that Herod called Agrippa author of saint PETERS imprisonment deceased the seauenth yeare of his Raigne which was the third yeare of the Empire of Claudius And therefore betweene the first voyage of saint PAVL to Ierusalem and the second there was seauen yeare that is to saie fiue whole yeares and two imperfect yeares which is the time that the Fathers and wee after them assigne for saint PETERS staie at Antioch For that the Latin Chronicon of Eusebius saith that he was there twenty siue yeares it is a deprauution of the copies of Bsale in which insteede of fiue they haue set in 25. as it may bee seene by the accompt of the yeares noted by retaile which are fiue to wit from the three and twentith of Tiberius to the second of Claudius or possiblie a frequent chance in chronologicall tables an intire addition as it is coniectured by the Armenian copie and diuers latine manuscripts of the same Chronicon of Eusebius which are kept in the librarie of the Vatican and by the Greeke and Latine edition of Scaliger in none of which this quotation is to be found And to this there is
no repugnācy in that that the historie of the Acts following the custome of the Scripture which is often to recite immediatly things farr from that tyme placeth the voyage of saint PAVL to Ierusalem presently after the prophecie of Agalus for saint LVKE speaking of the famine foretould by Agabus adds which also happened vnder Claudius 〈◊〉 to shew that the prophecie had bene longe before the Empire of 〈◊〉 by meanes whereof betweene the prophecie of Agapus and the tyme of the famine which began but the second yeare of the Empire of 〈◊〉 there were past many yeares nether that the same historie notes that PAVL and BARNABAS conuersed a yeare at Antioch for that should not be taken from their arriuall vntill the voyage of the 〈◊〉 which was executed manie yeares after the prophecie of Agabus but it is meant that they staide a whole yeare at Antioch without departing from it and then came againe nor that it saith that Agabus came at the same tyme to Antioch for this note of tyme is refer'd in generall to the tyme before the Empire of Claudius and it is put to discerne the tyme of the pronunciation of the prophecie which was vnder the Empire of 〈◊〉 from the tyme wherein it was accomplished which was vnder the Empire of Claudius To the second obiection which is that Saint PETER assisted at the Councell of Ierusalem which was celebrated twenty yeare after the Death of Christ and consequentlie could not bee arriued at Rome the second yeare of the Empire of Claudius which was the eleauenth after the Death of Christ neither could then haue bene Bishop there twentie fiue yeare 〈◊〉 answere there is nothing incompatible betweene these two histories For Suetonius writes that Claudius draue the Iewes out of Rome which moued 〈◊〉 said hee at the instance of Christ. Now Orosius notes and that as he saith after Iosephus that this banishment happened the ninth yeare of the Empire of Claudius which was the eighteenth yeare after the Death of our Lord that is to saie as wee haue demonstrated in the solution last past the same yeare of the Councell of Ierusalem And saint LVKE consirmes who writes that saint PAVL being come to Corinth a little after the Councell of Jerusalem found Prisca and Aquila there who were said hee new returne'd out of Italie because Claudius had commaunded all the Iewes to goe forth of Rome And therefore what wonder is it that saint PETER beiug ariued at Rome the second yeare of the Empire of Claudius and hauing bene constrained to auoid Rome with the other Iewes seauen yeare after that is to saie the ninth yeare of the Raigne of Claudius because of the Edict publisht by him against the Iewes were in the East at the Councell of Jerusalem which was celebrated that same yeare and afterward the heate of the Edict being cooled returned to Rome To the third obiection which is that saint PAVL writing to the Romans saluted not saint PETER which he could not haue forgotten to doe if he had bene there wee answere that the Epistle to the Romans was written in the time of the Iewes exile from Rome and during saint PETERS being in the East to wit betweene the Councell of Ierusalem and the death of Claudius for it was written at Corinth when saint PAVL passed by there to make his last iourney to Jerusalem And therefore although 〈◊〉 and Aquila and some other lesse notable Iewes were alreadie returned to Rome neuerthelesse it followes not that saint PETER who was the principall author of the Iewes conuersion for which their nation was banisht should so soone returne Iointlie that if this argumēt were of weight we must withall conclude that Timothie was not Bishop of Ephesus for S. PAVL writing to the Ephesians makes no mention of him and that saint James was not Bishop of Ierusalem for in the Epistle to the Hebrewes written in saint Iames his life tyme as appeares by these 〈◊〉 know that the brother Timothie hath bene licenced with whom if he returne 〈◊〉 I will visit you there is no mention made of saint James And therefore so farr is Theodoret an author of the same tyme with the Councells of Ephesus and Chalcedon and one of the most famous writers of the Ecclesiasticall historie from takeing one argument from the Epistle to the Romans as the Popes aduersaries doe to call in question S. PETERS staie at Rome as contrariwise commenting the Epistle to the Romans he saith that saint PAVL there vseth the word to confirme for as much as S. Peter had alreadie founded the Ghospell amongst them Because saith Theodoret that the great Peter had alreadie declared to them the euangelicall doctrine therefore saint Paul necessarilie adds to confirme you To the fourth obiection which is that S. PAVL writing from Rome not onely toucheth no word of S. PETER but also in the epistle written to the Philippians from Rome saith that all sought that which was of themselues and none sought which was of Christ And in the second to Timothie written from the same place that all had forsaken him Wee answere that in the one he speakes of those that he might haue sent to the Philippians and that in the other he speakes either of his familiars as S. CHRYSOST saith and of those which were accustomed to follow him or of those that had power to defend him at the Emperiall Tribunall of which number S. PETER was like to be none And besides wee maintaine that S. PAVL speakes by Synecdoche saying all insteede of saying many as S. IEROM acknowledgeth in these words For as much as saint Paul had bene forsaken by manie hee therefore writes that all had forsaken him And Bullinger minister of Zurich In these I doubt not but the Apostle vsed a Synecdoche in this passage saying he had bene forsaken of all when as onely some had sorsaken him And finally wee will adde that if from the silence of S. PAVL it be permitted to inferre that saint PETER was not at Rome when saint PAVL writt these epistles wee must then also conclude by the same argument that saint PAVL was not there For in anie one of the epistles that S. PAVL hath written from Rome he neither makes mention of the cittie nor Church of Rome and wee onely know that he writt them from Rome because in the epistle to the Philippians hee speakes of Cesars howse and because in the epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians and in the second to Timothie he speakes of his prison To the sift obiection which is that when saint PAVL arriued at Rome the bretheren went to meete him amongst whom there is no mention of S. PETER Wee answere that all the Roman Church went not to meete S. PAVL but some particular Christians the Church then not being so free and quiet at Rome as they could make those publicke demonstratiōs but contrarily so
oppressed inclosed as the most part of the faithfull were constrained to hide themselues in caues and places vnder ground to auoid the persecutions tyrannies of the infidells Iointlie that wee say not that S. PETER remained alwaies fixed and tied to Rome while he was Bishop thereof but that he went from tyme to tyme planting the Ghospell in the lesser citties and placing Bishops ouer them and that during these voyages he administred the Roman Church by the ministrie of Linus and Cletus whom he had there establisheth for his Coadiutors which is the cause for which if wee belieue Russinus they are sometimes reckoned in the order of the Bishops of Rome before S. CLEMENT and sometymes after him And whereas the Iewes prayed S. PAVL when he came to Rome to informe them of the sect of the Christians which they obiect to vs they would not haue done if saint PETER had already bene Bishop there Wee answere that they prayed S. PAVL to informe them not of the sect of the Christiās but of the opiniō that he whom they reputed to be greatly versed in the Iewish doctrine had of them Otherwise how could S. PAVL say in his epistle to the Romans aboue fower yeare before his arriuall at Rome your faith is declared through the whole world To the sixt obiection which is that S. LVKE who hath written the historie of the Apostles speaketh not of the voyage of S. PETER to Rome we answere S. LVKE purposed to write particularlie the actes of saint PAVL his master and not these of the other Apostles For except that which past betweene the death of our Lord and the conuersion of saint PAVL where he treates the historie of the Apostles in cōmon to make it serue for a foundation to the particular relation of the actes of S. PAVL and except the discourse of the conuersion of Cornelius which hee adds there for as much as this conuersion was the ouerture of the Ghospell to the Gentiles for whose vocatiō S. PAVL had bene called S. LVKE doth not after that to the end of his booke make mention of anie other Apostle vnlesse in as much as hee was in the place where S. PAVL was and yet he omitts the voyage of S PAVL to Ierusalem to visit S. PETER S. PETER S. PAVLES meeting at Antioch and the right hand of association giuen by S. PETER S. IAMES S. IOHN to S. PAVL the voyage of the same S PAVL into Galatia which caused Beza to saie Luke hath omitted manie thinges and principallie S. PAVLES voyage to the Galathians And therefore so farr is S. IEROM from making vse of S. LVKES silence to weaken the credit of S. PETERS staie at Rome as contrariwise he argues the staie of S. PETER at Antioch and at Rome to shew how S. LVKE hath passed manie thinges vnder silence and takes this foundation for a certaine and vndoubted principle of historie Finallie saith S. IEROM we haue learnt that Peter was the first Bishop of the Church of Antioch and that from thence be was transferred to Tome which Luke hath vtterly omitted To the seauenth obiection which is that S. PAVL speakes of the enterview betweene S. PETER and himselfe both at Ierusalem and Antioch but speaks of no meeting betweene S. PETER and him at Rome which was the famousest cittie of the world wee answere that the epistle to the Galatiās which is the onely place where S. PAVL speaks of the enterviews betweene S. PETER and him to dissipate the reproaches that they that would seduce the 〈◊〉 laid vpon him that he had not bene instituted Apostle by Christ but by S. PETER by the other Apostles who gaue him their right hands for associatiō was written if wee belieue S. CHRYSOSTOME before the epistle to the Romans and then we must not thinke it strange that S. PAVL touched nothing there of the enterview of S. PETER him at Rome since it was written before the voyage of S. PAVL to Rome To the eighth obiection which is that S. IOHN makes mention of the kinde of death of S. PETER but makes noe mention of the place of his death we answere two things the one that S. IOHN makes mentiō of the kinde of S. PETERS death not of of the place where because the kinde and not the place of the death of S. PETER belonges to the explication of this prophecie of our Lord When thou shall be olde thou shalt stretch forth thy hands And the other that so farre is this clause of S. IOHN from weakning the beliefe of S. PETERS death at Rome that it fullie confirmes and authoriseth it For S. IOHN hauing writt his Ghospell manie yeares after the martyrdome of S. PEEER and hauing explained and proued this 〈◊〉 os our Lord thou shalt stretch forth thy hāds by the kinde of S. PETERS death without specifying it particularly it must be that when S. IOHN 〈◊〉 his Ghospell the kinde of S. PETERS death was knowne and euidēt to all partes of the Church Now the kinde of S. PETERS death could not be knowne to all partes of the Church but the place of his death must likewise be knowne to them nor could the place of S. PETERS death be knowne to all the Church bee anie other then Rome For how could it háppen that not onely all the ancient authors yea those that writt in the next age after S. IOHN as S. DIONISIVS of Corinth S. IRENEVS Caius Tertullian infinite others but the very stones also the inscriptions of the sepulchres of S. PETER S. PAVL which were yet preserued and publickly shewed at Rome in the tyme of Caius should witnesse with a cōmon voice that S PETER had bene martired at Rome that noe other Church but the Roman did euer glorie in his Relicks and his martirdome if frō the time wherein S. Iohn writt his Ghospell the place of S. PFTERS death had bene knowne to all the partes of the Church had bene anie other then Rome And therefore what remaines in all the texts obiected to vs from scripture which agrees not perfectly with the Chronology of the Church concerning the history of S. PETER Saint PAVL affirmes that three yeare after his conuersion he trauelled to Ieru salem to visit S. PETER consents not that exactly with our computatiō which reckons the conuersion of S. PAVL the first yeare after the death of our Lord the voyage of S. PETER to Antioch the fifth S. LVKE reportes that S. PAVL being come to Ierusalem for the distributiō of the almes during the famine which began the eleauenth yeare after the death of Christ found S. PETER there prisoner doth not that wholie agree with our Chronologie which supposes that the Episcopall Seate of saint PETER at Antioch was seauen yeare fiue compleate two imperfect The same S. LVKE writes that S. PETER withdrawing himselfe
from Ierusalem at his deliuery which was the second yeare of the Raigne of Claudius went into an other place that is to saie into an other place proper to goe out of Iudea from the iurisdiction of Herod such as was Ioppa where those vsed to imbarke that would saile to Rome into the west doth not that excellently agree with S. IEROMS computatiō who reports that S. PETER came to Rome the second yeare of the Empire of Claudius For that S. LVKE saith onely that he went into an other place expresses not whither but leaues him seauen yeare after without mention it is not to abandon the historie of S. PAVL his master The same S. LVKE testifies that S. PETER was againe at the Councell at Ierusalem holden for legall causes Fitts not that iust with that that Suetonius saith that Claudius draue the Iewes from Rome which raisd tumults for Christs cause to that that Orosius notes that this banishment was in the ninth yeare of Claudius that is the eighteenth yeare after the death of Christ which was the verie yeare of the Councell S. IOHN expounds this prophecie of our Lord to S. PETER Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and aen other shall girde thee by the kinde of S. PETERS death and adds that our Lord foretelling enigmaticallie the martirdome of S. PETER said to him follow mee doth not this agree with that Tertullian saith speaking of the Roman Church Happie Church in which the Apostles haue shedd all their doctrine with their bloud in which Peter is equalled to the passion of our Lord And with what S. AMBROSE writes that S. Peter being come forth of Rome to flie persecution our Lord appeared to him and said I goe to Rome to be crucified againe S. PETER insinuates in his first epistle that he writt it from Babylon many greeke copies contrarily date it from Rome Is not this solued by that that Eusebius and S. IEROM saie that S. PETER calls Rome allegorically Babylon for as much as Rome was then in regard of the Iewes the same as the Asian Babylon had bene in the tyme of the Prophets He adds the salutation of MARKE The Church said hee which is in Babylon and Marke my sonne salute you doth not that agree both with the vse of the word Marcus which was a Roman name and not a Babylonian and with these wordes of Papias auditor of S. IOHN reported by Clemens Alexandrinus Marke being requested at Rome by the bretheren writ a short Ghospell which Peter hauing read approued For whereas Erasmus saith that S. IEROM attributes the name of ` Babylon to Roms in choller for as much as hee had bene euill intreated there and will haue that Babylon whereof S. PETER speakes to be the Asirian-Babylon These are two childish ignorances the one not to know that S. IEROM had alreadie interpreted that Babylon whereof S. PETER speakes to be Rome both in his commentarie vpon Esay and in his catalogue of the Ecclesiasticall Authors written long before the euill intreaty that he receiued at Rome which happened vnder Syricius And the other not to know that when S. PETER writ this epistle Iosephus witnesseth there were then no Iewes in Babylon But this is enough of the instances of scripture lett vs proceede to those of the Fathers which consist in fower principall obiections The first that Clemens Comanus writes to IAMES brother of our Lord Bishop of Ierusalem the death of S. PETER at Rome a thing repugnant saie the obiectors to scripture which witnesseth that IAMES was martired longe before the death of PETER The second that S. IEROM writes that S. PETER was crucified in Iudea The third that S. AVST affirmes that the history of the battle of S. PETER and Simon Magus at Rome proceeded from an opinion or as they saie from a fabulous narration And the fowrth that in the order of PETERS successors some place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before Clement some after to which they farther add for the banquet and confectes after the Feast that Eusebius and the Legend vpon which they charge vs that we found the Papacy contradict one another for as much as Eusebius saith that S. PETER was crucified and the Legend saith he was beheaded To the first of these obiectiōs which is that Clement writing to IAMES brother to our Lord declares to him the martirdome of S. PETER Wee answere three things first that that epistle is apocripha and supposed for though it was translated frō Greeke into latine by Ruffinus that it is cited by the first Councell of Vaison which was holden vnder the Emperor 〈◊〉 the third contayning manie good doctrines neuerthelesse it is certaine thar the Greeke originall of the recognitions of Clement to which it was annexed relatiue was apocripha had bene either supposed or corrupted by the Hebionites The second that the Bishop of Ierusalem to whom this epistle is addressed was not IAMES the Apostle brother to our Lord but Simon brother successor in the Bishoprick to IAMES the Apostle intitled the brother of our Lord whom this epistle calls IAMES brother of our Lord according to the custome the Hebrewes had to beare manie names sometimes to inherit names one from an other as it appeares both by the repugnancie of the tyme of the death of the Apostle IAMES brother of our Lord which Ruffinus interpretor aduocate for his epistle who had translated the Ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius could not be ignorāt of by the inscription in the which the author of the epistle intitles him to whom he addresses it IAMES brother of our Lord and Bishop of Ierusalem intitles him not Apostle which he could not haue forgottē to doe in that place if it had bene the Apostle IAMES brother to our Lord. And the third that those that obiect this strayning forth a gnat swallow a Camell that is in thinking to taxe the ignorance of others in the matter of the Chronologie of the Fathers discouer their owne in the historie of the Scripture for the Apostle S. IAMES whose martirdome they saie the Scripture reportes was the Apostle IAMES brother of IOHN martir'd by Herod in the twelfth of the Actes not the Apostle IAMES brother of our Lord who was ten yeares after still in Jerusalem and of whose death the Scripture neuer speakes in anie part of it the Church hauing learnt what she knowes of it not from the Scripture but from Josephus and from Hegesippus and from Clement Alexādrinus from Eusebius from S. IEROM who testifie that IAMES the Apostle brother of our Lord dyed vnder the Pontificate of Ananus the young and in the seauenth yeare of the Empire of Nero. To the second obiection which is that S. IEROM writes that S PETER was crucified in Iudea we answere that S. IEROM doth no where write that S. PETER was crucified in
of our Lord. And CAIVS of one tyme with Tertulian If thou wilt gue to the Vaticane or to the waie of Hostia thou shalt finde the trophies that is the Sepulchers of those which haue founded this Church And CLEMENT Alexandrius before him Papias the hearer of S. IOHN Marke being intreated at Roman by the bretheren writt a briefe Ghospell which PETER haueing read approued And ORIGEN PETER was crucified at Rome with his head downewards And saint CYPRIAN The Rome ā Church is the Chaire of PETER and the principall Church from whence proceeded the Sacerdotall vnitie And EVSEBIVS Vnder the Empire of Claudius the prouidence of God brought the great Apostle Saint PETER to Rome And againe the histories beare that PAVL was beheaded and PETER crucified at Rome vnder Nero and the titles of PETER and PAVL preserued to this daie in their sepulchers confirme it And LACTANTIVS PETER and PAVL preached at Rome and their 〈◊〉 remained written for memorie And S. ATHANASIVS though it were declared to PETER and PAVL that they should suffer 〈◊〉 dome at Rome yet they 〈◊〉 not to trauell thither And S. CYRILL of Ierusalem PETER and PAVL presidents of the Church came to Rome And saint EPIPHANIVS At Rome were first Apostles and Bishops PETER and ` PAVL and then Linus and then Cletus and then Clement And saint AMBROSE PETER is our warrant for this custome who hath bene Bishop of the Roman Church And againe Christ haueing answered PETER I goe to Rome to be crucified againe PETER vnderstood that this answere belonged to his Crosse And the Emperors GRATIAN and VALENTINIAN and THEODOSIVS Wee will that all the people ruled by the Empire of our clemencie liue in such Religion as the Religion insinuated hither-to by the diuiue Apostle PETER declareth that he gaue to the Romans And OPTATVS Mileuitanus Thou canst not denie but that thou knowest that in the Cittie of Rome the Episcopall Chaire was first conferred to Peter wherein Peter head of the Apostles sate And saint IEROM Simon PETER Sonne of Jona of the Prouince of Galilee of the Borough of Bethsaida brother to the Apostle Andrew and Prince of the Apostles after the Episcopat of the Church of Antioch and the preaching of the dispersion of those of the Circumcision which had belieued in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and 〈◊〉 came to Rome the second yeare of the Empire of Claudius to ouerthrow Simon Magus and held the Sacerdotall Chaire twentie fiue yeares there And againe Hegesippus affirmes That he came to Rome vnder Anicetus who was tenth Bishop of Rome after PETER And else where Cyprian addressed the Councell of affrica to Steuen Bishop of the Roman Church who was the twentie sixth after the Blessed Peter And RVFFINVS Peter ruled the Roman Church for the space of twentie fower yeares And SVLPITIVS Seuerus The Christiā Religion had then taken roote in the Cittie of Rome Peter being Bishop there And S. CHRISOSTOME What spectacle shall Rome see in the daie of Iudgemeut Paul comeing forth of his graue risen againe with PETER And OROSIVS Nero 〈◊〉 PETER to death by the Crosse and PAVL by the sword And saint AVGVSTIN Wee see the most eminent height of the thrice noble Empire submitting his diadem bend his knee to the supulcher of the fisherman PETER And in an other place I thinke this part of the world ought to suffice thee wherein our Lord would crowne with a most glorious martir dome the first of his Apostles And else where What hath the chaire of the Roman Church done to thee wherein PETER hath bene set and wherein now Anastasius sitts And againe To PETER hath succeeded Linus to Linus Clemēt to Clemēt Anacletus to Anacletus Euaristus Of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea touching the gouernment of the Patriarches CHAPT V. HAuing dispatched the difficulties of the Scripture and of the Fathers cōcerning S. PETERS staie at Antioch Rome there remaines to solue the obiections that the aduersaries of the Church make against what wee haue said of the Popes superioritle ouer the other patriarkes whereof the principall is taken frō one of the Canōs of the coūcell of Nicea which ordaines that the anciēt customes obserued in Egipt Lybia and Pentapolis should goe on to witt that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue the power of all those things because it was also so accustomed to the Bishop of Rome Now the aduersaries of the Church doe more willing lie make vse of the Councell of Nicea in such like cases then of anie other because the actes of the Councell of Nicea which if wee had them might cleere the sence of the Canons of the same Councell are loste that there remaine to vs of the acts of the first fowre generall Councells no more but those of Ephesus and of Chalcedon And therefore wee must supplie what wants in the breuitie and omission of this Canon by conferring it with the acts of the other councells or by the examination of the histories of their ages To this obiection then wee bring two Answeres the first is that it hath alreadie bene aboue shewed in the Chapter of the patriarkes that the pope had two distinct qualities the one of patriarke of the West the other of head of the Church vniuersall as the Prefect of the Cittie Presecture by which the aduersaries of the Church would measure the spirituall Iurisdictiō of the Pope who had 2. distinct qualities the one of pre fect of the Cittie Prefecture in which he was equall to the prefect of the other prouinces the other of head of the senate Vicar of the Emperor in which he was superiour to the prefects of prouinces and iudged by appeale of the cause of all their Iurisdictiōs By meanes whereof although in things that concerned but the patriarchall Iurisdictiō as were the celebratiō of prouinciall or nationall coūcells the correctiōs of māners of the simple priests or deacōs the confirmatiōs either mediate or immediate of the Bishops of the Patriarkship and the subalterne iudgements of the causes euen of Bishops All the other Patriarkes were squared out by the modell and paterne of that of Rome neuerthelesse when there question of things that went beyond the limitts of Patriarchall iurisdiction that is to 〈◊〉 of Maior causes and which conuerned the vniuersall Church as were causes of Faith or generall customes of the Church or those of the finall depositions of Bishops or that of the iudgements euē of the persons of the Patriarkes the Bishop of Rome as head of the Church and superintendent of the other Patriarkes exercised Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction ouer thē and iudged of their iudgements and persons And therefore when the coūcell of Nicea ordained that in Egipt Lybia and Pentapolis the Bishop of Alexandria should remaine in possessiō of the authority he had for all the causes whereof the councell thē spake that is
to the Church CHAPT V The continuance of the Kings answere AND also which is principallie to be lamented it is happened by this dissipation that there is lesse force in the seperate parts then there was in the whole to resist the enemie of mankinde who as Christ teacheth vs is a wake and attentiue vpon 〈◊〉 occasion to mingle the good seede with darnell and tares THE REPLIE AFTER the deuision of the externall communion all the soule the forme and essence of the Church rests in one onlie of the societies which remaine after the diuision and not in the others which are no more trulie partes of the Church but only equiuocallie euen as when a member is separated from a liuing and sensible Bodie all the essence the Soule and forme of the creature remaines in the Bodie from whence that separation hath bene made and not in the part that hath bene separated from it which is noe more a part of the Bodie but equiuocallie and inproperlie And therefore after the separation of hereticks all the same strength vigor and vertue which was in the Bodie of the Church before the separation remaines in the part from whence the separation is made as she that inherits the condition of all and not in the others in such sort as she hath noe lesse force to resist the corruption that the enemie of mankinde would bring in but contrariwise oftentimes more for as much as the constancie of the Charitie of those which remaine in the Church is made the more vnited and the more eminent by the separation of the rest according to this sentence of saint PAVLE There must be heresies that the Good may be manifested And therefore saint AVGVSTINE writes That the Church makes vse of 〈◊〉 for the approbation of her doctrine and of schismaticks for the demonstration of her stedfastnes And elsewhere That those that goe forth from the Bodie of the Church are as euili humors by whose purgation the Bodie is eased By meanes whereof his Maiestie ought not to pretend that the alienations of the partes which are seperate from the Bodie of the Church haue left in her from whom they are seperated the lesse vigor to resist the enemie of mankinde and to maintaine her self vncorrupted then there was in the whole Bodie before but contrariwise to presuppose that the same vertue which resided in the whole Bodie is reunited in the part that succeedes it As when one of our eyes hath lost his former light His splendors faire effect shines in the other sight And th'extinguisht beame adds to the cleere-eyes store Who sees alone as much as both could see before Also it cannot be found that since the separation of the Roman Church and the Greeke faction quoted by his Maiestie which is the greatest seperation that euer was made the Roman Church receaued anie doctrine which was not holden by all the Bodie of the Catholike Church when this diuision happened and noe more till then since the separation of the Egiptians and Ethiopian Prouinces Of the pretended corruption of the Church CHAPT VI The continuance of the Kings answere AND what wee now see with our eyes to be happened yea and handle it with our handes it is a ridiculous thing and more then absurd to dispute if heretofore it could be or now can be done THE REPLIE THere was neuer anie age wherein those that seperated themselues from the Church haue not beleeued that they saw cleerly and euidently that she was corrupted and full of palpable and Cymerian darknes otherwise they had not seperated themselues from her The figure of this preiudication preceded in the rashnes of Oza who beleeued that the Arke was about to fall and vpon that beleefe put out his hand to lifte it vp for which he was punisht with death And followed in the incredulitie of the Apostles who while our Lord slept thought that the Barke wherein they were with him was about to perishe in indignation whereof he chidd them for their little faith and taught them that he that keepes Israell doth neither slumber nor sleepe and the historie since hath cōtinued in all the pretended Reformers of the Church For as Pentheus in seeing his children thought hee had seene Beares Tigers Serpents and other wild beastes and did not perceiue that the euill was not in them but in his sight Soe the heretickes in all ages in seeing their mother that is to saie the Church thought they had seene a troope of Dragons Lyons and wild-beasts and vpon that occasion haue put themselues to flight not discerning that the euill was not in the Church but in their eyes And that it is soe did not the Luciferians saie That the Catholicke Church had bene conuerted into a brothell and was become the whore of Antichrist And did not the Donatists call the Apostolicke chaire the chaire of Pestilence And did they not crie out that the Catholicke Church was become the shield of Romulus And saith not saint AVGVSTINE of them I iustly persecute him that detracts from his neighbour wherefore shall I not more iustlie persecute him that publickly blasphemes the Church c. when he saith she is a whore And the Pelagians when there was alleadged to them the number and the multitude of the Catholicks did they not answere that to finde anie thing a multitude of blinde men auailed nothing And neuerthelesse who knowes not at this daie that they were the blinde men and not the Church And then this pretended corruptiō of the Church being the theame of the question debated by vs to cause that to passe as a thing graunted it is to put for a principle that which his maiestie ought if it please him to reserue to be iudged at the end not presuppose at the beginning of the disputation For to saie that there is no thing but is altered and corrupted by age this argument is good for those thinges that are preserued by ordinarie and naturall faculties but not for those that are assisted by extraordinary and supernaturall helpe and to whom these words of Dauid may be applied Thy youth shall he renewed as the youth of an Eagle Now the Church is of this number for our Lord saith of her without exception of time Thou art wholly faire and there is noe spott in thee and shee sings and will sing to the end of the world I am black but I am faire that is to saie I am black in manners but faire in doctrine And therefore S. AVGVSTINE compares her to Sara who when she was old left not to be faire And for this same cause sainct HIEROME citing these wordes of Salomon that the eye that mockes his Father or despiseth the age of his mother the Crowes of the valley shall pull it out interprets them of hereticks who despise the age of the Church Assoone saith hee as the eye of the hereticks mocks the creator his father or despiseth the age
this cause soe abhor Achaz as being dead although his owne sonn succeeded him they did not 〈◊〉 him in the sepulcher of his Fathers THE fifth obiection is taken from the foure hundred Prophetts that Achab caused to come and prophecie before Josaphat who were all found false prophetts and Micheas alone a true Prophet But neither did this fall out in the kingdome of Iuda where was the seate of the Church but in the kingdome of Israel neither were those Prophets of the colledge of the Prophetts of Baal and of the qualitie of those of whom before Elias had said Take all the Prophetts of Baal and let not one man escape And of whom afterward Elias said to Ioram sonn of the same Achab What is there betweene me and thee Goe to the Prophets of thy Father and of thy mother And therefore when Iosaphat would cause Micheas to come hee asked him is there not heere one Prophet of the Lord to distinguish him from the Prophetts of Baal by this word of the Lord which is the same difference which Iehu afterwards vsed when being desirous to put Baal's Priests to death he said Take beede least there be anie of the seruantes of the Lord amongst you but lett the seruant of Baal be only heere The sixth obiection is taken from the historie of Manasses an Idolatrous Prince and who caused all manner of abominations and false worshipp to be practised in Hierusalem and Iuda But besides this that hee came afterward to repentance and then draue awaie all the Idolls and all the false Gods from Hierusalem and commaunded the people of Iuda to serue God euen then when he exercised his greatest impieties the church and the multitude of Gods true seruants were not for all that inuisible Contrariwise the scripture saith that he shedd so much innocent blood as Hierusalem was filled there with euen vp to the throate By meanes whereof although there had then bene no solemne assemblies in the Synagogues of Iuda and that all publicke exercise had bene suspended there yet the slaughter of the faithfull yet warme still breathing and the voyce of their blood which smoaked and cryed for vengeance as that of Abel before heauen and earth permitied not that the true Religion should be vnknowne and inuisible there For as manie executions and martirdomes as there were so manie sacrifices of praise and sweete smell were they soe manie professions of Faith soe manie sermons so manie seales and sacraments of the true beleefe which refresht and confirmed the memorie of the doctrine of saluation euen in the spiritts of those that persecuted it for as much as all men knew and themselues protested the cause wherefore they were banisht pursued and martyred For the Church is not only illustrated by her Lillies but also by her roses that is to saie she is not only euident by her quiet and peaceable exercises which are the congregations to heare and adore the word of God and to communicate in the sacramentes but also by her militarie exercises dyed in blood which are the martyrdomes and the executions suffered for the defence of the Faith which doe often no lesse increase her fame and renowne in the times wherein she is oppressed then in the seasons wherein she enioyes more calme quiet and fulfills without hindrance her ordinarie and accustomed workes Soe as S. AVGVSTINE saith she is then eminent in her most stedfast champions THE seauenth obiection is taken from the transmigration of Babilon during with time they pretend that the visible communion of the Iewish Church was interrupted But who knowes not that the Iewes during this exile had the true externall exercise of their religion wherein they wrought their Saluation performed the visible obseruation of all their worships seruices and ceremonies except of the Sacrifice alone which could not be offered but in the Temple and were euidently distinguished from other nations witnes these wordes of Aman to Assuerus There is a people 〈◊〉 ouer all the Prouinces of thy Kingdome and diuided into manie partes that practises new lawes and ceremonies And these of the historian Manie other nations and sects ioyned themselues to their religion and to their ceremonies For that this historie fell out in the time of the transmigration it appeares by this that it is said that Mardocheus was one of those that had bene transported from Hierusalem in the time of Nabuchodonosor and of Iechonias And it is not cōtradictorie to this that Assuerus writes that Amā was a Macedonian and would haue betraied the Empire to the Macedonians For the copie of the same epistle reported by Iosephus sixteene hundred yeares a gone hath it Allophilus that is to saie a stranger And that the Greeke Latine Edition saith a Macedonian it proceedes from the Syriacke translation of the same Epistle made after the death of Alexander after which all strangers in Asia were called Macedonians as at this daie all those of the west are called Frankes there From whence it is that the Syriacke edition saith that Assicerus was cloathed in a Macedonian habit that is to saie in the habit of a stranger THE eight obiection is taken from the writings of the Prophetts who often deplored the dessolation of the seruice of God in their people But either they spake of the portion of the Kingdome of Israel diuided from that of Iuda and of the faction of the schismaticall Israelites who were no more the Church and to whom God protested by the mouth of Ieremie that he had giuen the libell of diuorce Or if they spake of that of the Kingdome of Iuda S. AVGVSTINE teacheth vs that they spake prophetically and by an analogie of time of the future Estate of the Iewish people such as they should be after the death of our Lord Or if they spake by Synecdoche and according to the stile of preachers who censure the vices of particular persons in generall termes to the end to reproue as S. AVGVSTINE saith of S. HILARY the more seuerelie that which they reproue more vniuersallie that is to saie that they spake of certaine particular persons who either abandoned the Religion of their Fathers some to followe that of the Pagans that sacrificed to Idolls some to followe that of the Schismatickes who sacrificed in the high places or if they remained in the true religion and communion liued wickedlie there as concerning manners They collect saith S. AVGVSTINE speaking of the Donatists he might haue added the Caluinists to them either ignor antlie or fraudulentlie the places of Scripture which are spoken either of the wicked which are nimgled with the good vntill the end or of the destruction of the first people of the Iewes and would wrest them against the Church of God that she may seeme to haue failed and to be perisht from the whole earth The ninth and finall obiection is taken from the comdemnation that the Iewish Church made of the Sauiour of
same Sacraments If we be in vnitie saith S. AVGVSTINE what haue two altars to doe in this Citty Neither can the office of mutuall prayers that is to saie prayers made one for an other constitute an Ecclesiasticall vnitie and Communion For Catholickes namely vpon good friday pray for heretickes and heretickes for Catholickes although indeede the exercise of prayers either made ioyntly or exacted one from the other be an office of communion though an vnperfect one And therefore the Councell of Laodicea forbiddes Catholickes to pray with heretickes And the first Councell of Nicea ordaines that those penitentes that had in perill of death receiued the Eucharist theire health beinge recouered should remaine with those that communicate by prayer onely And the Councell of Ancyra admittes a Communion without Obligation And the religious of Egipt driuen away by Theophilius being come to Constantinople were not depriued by Saint CHRISOSTOM of the Communion of prayer He thurst them not saith Socrates out of the participation of prayer but he iudged it not conuenient to admitt them to the Communion of the Sacraments before the knowledge of the cause Neither is true Charitie to be found out of the Church but only an humane affection which can noe otherwise be called charitie but equiuocally None saith saint AVGVST can transport charitie forth of the Catholicke Church And againe Thou hast proued to me that thou hast faith proue to me like wise that thou hast charitie Keepe vnitie Neither can the simple coniunction of hope constitute anie Ecclesiasticall communiō for all heretickes and Schismatickes agree in this pointe that they hope eternall life and the promised inheritance Wee saith Petilian the Donatist hauing nothinge yet possessinge all thinges beleeue that our soules are our reuenewe and with out labour and bloud we purohasse the eternall riches of heauen Neither finally can the coniunction in one iust hope haue anie place but amongst those that are called and inserted into the bodie of the Catholicke Church followinge this sentence of saint Paule One bodie and one spirit as you are called in one hope of your vocation Of the knowledge that the predestinate haue of their predestination CHAP. XII The continuance of the Kings answere KNowing I speake of the elect that they are predestinate from before the foundation of the vvorld to be coheires vnited in bodie and copartners of the promises of God in the Ghospell a the diuine Apostle saith THE REPLIE HEere the most excellent Kinge behaues himself like Hippomanes who runninge with Atalanta for masterie cast out golden apples in her way to delaie her with takinge them vp soe his Maiestie putts rubbes in this discourse to staie the course of my pen and to stoppe me to examine them But I hope to remoue them so quickly that I shall be time enough at the end of my carrere To this then I will succinctly saie fower thinges The first that philosophers teach vs that the morall passion which wee call hope from whence theologicall hope hath by analogy borowed her name is alwaies mingled and tempred with feare By meanes whereof those thinges that fall vnder the obiect of hope as are the goods of future life in respect of euery particular man cannot be apprehended with a certaintie of Theologicall faith that is to saie infaillible not to be doubted of otherwise hope should noe more be a vertue distinct frō faith against this oracle of sainct PAVL now remaines faith hope and Charitie and these things are three but ought to be embraced with an expectatiō mingled tempered with feare as Dauid exhortes vs in these wordes ferue the Lordin feare and reioyce in him with tremblinge And S. PAVL in these Thou subsistest by faith be not pussed vp but feare He that thinkes he stands let him take heede least he 〈◊〉 And againe worke your saluation with feare and tremblinge And speaking of himselfe I chastize my bodie and bring it vnder least when I haue preached to others myselfe become a reprobate The second that faith cannot bee but of things reuealed by the word of God for faith saith saint PAVL is by hearing and hearing by the word of God Now it is not reuealed to anie one in the word which God hath consigned to his Church either by writinge or tradition that he is absolutelie of the number of the predestinate and therefore if hee haue not expresse and particular reuelation from God as Saint Paule had who vpon this occasion speakes somtimes of himselfe according to his common condition as simply one of the faithfull and sometymes according to his extraordinary reuelatiō of a predestinate person he can not haue anie certaintie of Faith in this respect For to saie that it is reuealed to vs in scripture that whosoeuer trustes in our Lord shall not be cōfounded And that our Lord himselfe saith who beleeues in me hath life eternall all these pro mises not to speake of other modifications which the scripture puts to them ought to be vnderstood with the condition wherewith our Lord will haue them vnderstood when hee saith who perseuers to the end shall be saued And Saint Paule when he writes See the goodnesse of God in thee if thou perseuere in goodnes otherwise thou shalt be also cutt of Now where is it that this finall perseuerance is particularly promised to anie one in the word of God for if you answere that our Lord saith all that you aske for when you pray beleeue you shall receiue it and it shall be done to you And consequentlie if we demaunde perseuerance we shall obtaine it I answere that he meanes all that you demaunde as you should demaunde it Now the principall condition required to demaunde perseuerance as you should demaunde it is to perseuere in demaundinge it and not to content our selues with demaundinge it once but to demaunde it petpetually followinge this preeept os Saint Paule Pray without ceasinge And againe watch and pray with all perseuerance Far Salomon demaunded wisedome and begged it in faith without staggeringe which is the condition wherewith saint IAMES saith we should begge it but because he did not perseuere to aske it he lost it Now this perseuerance to aske perseuerance where is it promised to anie one in the scripture The third that this beliefe is pernicious both to religion as an enemie to humilitie and good workes and to States and common-wealthes as an enemie to good manners For imprinting in the spirit of euery particular man yea which is worse as well of those that are wicked and reprobate as of others because what is proposed in a Religion for a doctrine necessarie to saluation all doe thinke themselues obliged to holde it that he is assuredly predestinate and that whatsoeuer sinnes he commit he shall infallibly haue leasure and grace to repent him before his death this I say doth puffe vp men with arrogance and
presumption aboue their fellowes of whose predestination they haue not the like certaintie and makes them lesse diligent to stand vpon theire guarde and to practise this commaundement of our Lord watch and pray for feare least you enter into temptation And therefore as the prince of the Roman harpe sings God by his wisdome from wans nature frayle The whole successe of future thinges doth vaile The fowrth that S. AVGVST the greatest doctor in the point of predestinatiō that hath bene since the Apostles yea the organ and the voice of the primitiue Church in this questiom teacheth vs that this beliefe is full of presumption and preiudiciall to saluation Although saith he that the iust are assured of thereward os 〈◊〉 perseuerance yet they are incertaine of their perseuerance for who is he 〈◊〉 men that knowes he shall perseuere in the workes and progresse of iustice to the end if he be not made certaine thereof by some reuelation from him who by a iust and secret iudgement instructs not all but deceiues none And in an other place Who is he among the faithfull that will presume during this mortall life to be of the number of the predestinate for it is needefull that that be concealed in this world And a little after Many like things are said for the profit of this secret least peraduenture some might be puft vp and that euen those that runn well might feare while it is vncertaine whither they shall arriue And againe Such presumption is not profitable in this place of temptations where the infirmitie is soe great as assurance might begett pride And thus much is said in regarde of 〈◊〉 It restes nowe to solue the obiections of the places of Scripture that the aduersaryes of the Church alleage against this doctrine They saie thē that Saint Paule writes the spirit of God giues testimonie to our Spirit or accordinge to the greekes helpes our Spirit to testifie to vs that we are the children of God and if children heires It is true but they tell vs not that he addes presently after this conditionall clause if we goe forwarde in our sufferings They saie he writes I am certaine or accordinge to the greeke I am persuaded that neither death nor life etc. can seperate vs from the charitie of Christ. It is true but they tell vs not that he speakes there of all the predestinate in generall into whose number he putts himselfe and those to whome he writes by a figure which the grāmarians call syllepsis and accordinge to the rule not of Faith but of Charitie which wills that in all thinges concealed from vs we should iudge in the better parte They saie he writes The vocation and the guiftes of God are without repentance It is true but there he speakes of the generall calling of the people of the Iewes made in the olde Testament were of he saith God hath not 〈◊〉 because yet one daie he will recall their nation into the bosome of the Church And euen those that stretch this passage by analogy to the callinge of particular persons either explicate it of vocation accordinge to predestination which is as much vnknowne as predestination it selfe or they intend that the guifts and vocation of god are without tepentance on his parte that is to saie that God neuer withdrawes himselfe from vs vnlesse wee withdrawe ourselues from him And therefore as Saint Paule saith the vocation and the guists of god are without repentance soe Saint Peter saith take paines to secure your vocation and election by good workes They saie he writes we haue the pledge of the holie Ghost in our hartes It is true but it is not sufficient for our assurance to obtaine the inheritance of life eternall that we haue this pledge if we be not as well assured not to loose it a thinge that Saint Paul is soe farr from assuringe vs that contrarily he cryes out quenche not the spirit They saie Saint Iohn writes perfect charitie driues awaieseare It is true but besides that Saint Iohn speakes there of perfect Charitie which euery particular man ought to desire but not presume he hath it for feare of loosinge it in loosinge humilitie the feare that saint Iohn pretendes to be excluded by this excellent Charity is as Sanit AVGVSTINE saith 〈◊〉 feare that is the feare of loosinge the grace of God for feare of the paine of eternall fire and not the filiall feare which is the feare of looseinge the grace of God for the loue of God himselfe and for feare of being depriued and seperated from his presence And therefore as S. Iohn saith in the place cited by them perfect charitie castes out feare Soe he saith in an other place Thou hast lost thy first charitie remember from whence 〈◊〉 art salien and doe thy first workes And againe Holde that thou hast least thy 〈◊〉 be taken from thee And from this is nothinge derogatory that which they obiect that the 〈◊〉 of this certaintie makes men despaire of theire saluation For betweene the certaintie of saluation and despaire there is a middle way which is hope that while it lastes as it ought alwaies to laste in a Christian man is incompatible with dispaire and sussizeth to comforte vs and hinder vs if we perseuer in it from being confounded And although it imprint not in vs an infallible certainty of our saluation for then it were theologicall saith and noe more hope yet it causeth in vs morall faith which we call confidence by the meanes of likelyhoodes coniectures that the good motions wherewith god inspires vs giue vs of our predestination Learne in part saith Saint AVGVSTINE condiscite as S. PAVL 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the goodnesse and straightnes of your course that you belonge to the predestination of diuine grace And againe you thē alsoe ought to hope from the father of lightes from whom descendes euerie excellent guift and euerie perfect present the perseuerance to obaie and aske it of him with dailie prayers and doeing so confide not to be excluded from the predestination of his people since it is himselfe that giues vs grace to doe it And a little after Of life eternall saith he which God who is noe lyer hath 〈◊〉 before all times to the Children of promise none can be assured till this life be finished but he will make vs perseuer in him to whom we saie euerie daie leade vs not into temptation that is to saie as it ariseth from the protestation of the preceding period but we ought to hope that he will make vs perseuer in him to whom we saie euerie daie leade vs not into temptation Of the inequalitie of these two phrases to communicate with the Catholicke Church and to communicate with some member of the Church departing from the rule of faith CHAP. XIII The continuance of the Kinges answere BVT the king adds that this very Church