to forgeue sinners afterward and to beare with the flocke Christe called Peter the stone where vpon he builded his church Peter receiued of hym y e keies of power like as Paul did the keyes of science More ouer who knoweth not saithe he that Saint Peter was the chiefe of al the appostels Seing now that thus manye holy martires and confessours of christes church receiued this doctrine one of an other as by hande euen from the beginninge and first foundacioÌ„ of the church and seinge againe that not only y â— Latine church but y e greke church also as appeareth bothe by these fornamed wryters and likewyse by many holy counceles euer receiued Peter and euery one of his successours as chief head and ruler ouer al can he then be couÌ„ted a christin man that wyl not onlye denye but that wil doubt of this receiued trueth euen from Christe Now to the obiections Here nowe folowe sundrye obiections inuented againste thautoritie of Peter his successours in citinge and answerynge to them I kepe no ordour bycause thinuentours of them did breake all faytheful and comelye order that ought to be kepte in the ecclesiasticall hierarchie misticall bodye of Iesus Christ That obiection whiche firste came in place is first answered vnto And here gentel reader by these obiections ye shal plainly perceiue that like as coper gildid ofte semeth to be gold but if it be rubbed hardlie tried it wil vtter him self to be copper and then lesse to be set by eueÌ„ so the falsitye gilded colored w t wittye and rethorical perswacioÌ„s appereth ofte to the symple to be the veritye and trueth but opened tried by the scriptures verities thereof shall appere but copper counterfete And I trust in Iesus Christ that the crafty deceite in this matter of y e primacy which in these yeares past hath killed a thousaÌ„de soules is here in fully detected and disclosed So that no man shall haue cause hereafter to set by theÌ„ onles he wil forsake golde and chose copper ¶ The first obiection The saing of Christ Math. xvi blessed art thou SimoÌ„ c. the rest that foloweth in the text is not saye they to be appropriate peculierly to Peter but to al the Apostels whome Christ generallye did aske the question and for whom Peter generallye gaue aunswere Againe christ did not builde his churche vpon Peter but vpon Peters faith and vpoÌ„ Peters confessioÌ„ yea vpon Christ him selfe For none can put anye other fundation sayth Paule but that whiche is set already whichis Iesus christ ¶ The answere It must nedes be appropriate peculierly onlye to Peter for the whyche knew no mans mynde but his owne tolde but onely his owne faith They all had not then one faith in christ as appeareth â—i Iudas which beleued not as it is in Iohn y e vi It rwas not reueled to them al as yet but suppose it had beÌ„ yet that Peter was not preuie of Euery maÌ„s herte was only knoweÌ„ to god Wherefore Peter answered but for him selfe onlye And therefore it is to be thought saithe Hilarius that at that time y e other Apostels were not as yet so firmely established in that sure senteÌ„ce and belefe now coÌ„fessed by Peter yea he made answere streight way without respect to his felowes eueÌ„ as tholy ghost moued him and so likewise y e aunswere was made to him againe alone callyng him by his fathers name saying to him in the singuler number tibi to the and not vobis to you he blessed not theÌ„ al but he gaue y e blessiÌ„g to him alone by name As before Iohn the first he sayed to hym and not to Andrewe or other thou shalt bee called a stone so now here he saithe to veryfye hys promesse before made thou art a stone not as before y u shalt be calde a stone vpon whyth I wyl builde my church That whyche I haue by nature that is to saye to be the foundacioÌ„ that do I now perticipate with y e. This was the true vnderstanding of this foresayde text Mathewe the .xvi. in the primatiue church as now shal apeare most plainlye by these testimonies folowinge ¶ Anacletus disciple and successour to S. Peter Anacletus the seruaunt of Iesus Christ by gods calling set in the see apostolike and appointed there vnto by S. Peter prynce of the Apostelles seÌ„deth greting to all Byshops and to the residue of Christes flocke c. The holye and appostlyke church of Rome receiued the primacy and power aboue all churches and vpon al faithful people he doeth exempte neither Kyng nor Emperour euen of our Lord our sauiour not of the Apostels he sainge to Peter thou arte a stone vpon this stone I wil builde my churche c. And I wyll geue to thee the keyes of heauens c. and sone after he saith amonge y e holy Apostels there was diuersitye of power for although al were apostels yet by god him self Peter was made head yea this Thappostels theÌ„ selues would haue that Peter should be the head and should haue the rule and principalitye of Thappostelshype ¶ Anacletus also in another epistel to the catholyke churche In al difficulties questioÌ„s of greate importaunce let the censure be referred vnto y e see apostolyke For y t Christe him self willed wheÌ„ he said to peter thou arte a stone vpon this stone I wil builde my churche c. Hereby appereth not onlye Anacletus owne iudgement in this matter but also what was then the commen takinge of it by the commen censure of the vniuersal churche Whyche thing also appereth by Saint Clemens testimonie others euen then at the same time in the primatiue church ¶ S. Clement in the first epistel to S. Iames. By Christes owne mouthe saith he Peter was y e chiefe of thapostels vnto whom god y e father had reueled his sonne Iesus Christes vnto whome Christe gaue thee blessynge Math. the .xvi. This was the iudgemeÌ„t then yea and if you loke further ye shall see howe thie toke this truth as it wer by hande one of another ¶ Tertulian which was shortlye after Was anye thinge hid from Peter as it is in the .xxiii. probation whiche was called the stone whereupoÌ„ Christes churche was builded to whom the keyes of heauens were geueÌ„ and whyche had power to lose and bynde in heauens and in earthe Now ye here the commen faithe hereof at that time in the vniuersal church ¶ Here also what OrigeÌ„ saith yea heare the censure and iudgement of the vniuersal church herein in Origens time and that in the Greke church Peter saith he vpon whom christ builded his church wrote but onely .ii. epistels Also he saith wheÌ„ christ committed the charge of fedinge his shepe to Peter and that vpoÌ„ him euen as vpon the earthe he woulde buylde his churche he moued him to no other vertue but only to loue and charity
muche more large power conteyned For therein is comprehended the fulnesse of all ecclesiasticall power and dignitye whiche euen then in the xvi of Mathue Christe gaue onlye to Peter sayinge tibi to thee and through hym to all his successours He promissed theym onelye to him but his promissinge or his sayinge as I saide was his doinge Eius dixisse est fecisse that it is so by goddes helpe I shall nowe trye by sufficient testimonye But first note that when christ had spoken of the churche and that the gates of hell shoulde not preuayle agaynste it he no further continued hys promisse to the church but turned then his speache to Peter sayinge I wil giue to thee the keyes so that the churche receyueth them throughe Peter to whom in his own person then they were geuen as to the heade and foundacion of the churche vnder Christe But now let vs heare testimonies hereof ¶ Tertulian libro de prest haer Was there anye thinge hid from peter as ye haue it twise before whiche was called the stone of the foundacion of the church Which had the keyes of heauens geuen him and power to lose and binde both in heauens and in earthes Tertulian here speaketh of that Christ sayde to Peter after he had geuen him the blessynge Mathue the .xvi. that which I do nowe thou knowest not and yet he graunteth there that Peter had receiued the keyes before which can be no time els but euen when the promisse of geuinge them was made as wil appere by conferrynge the textes the places and the times together ¶ S. Ambrose also in the xx of Luke Peter which came later first entred into the sepulchre as he which had receyued the keyes of the kingdome to open vnto other Marke here Sayncte Ambrose saythe likewise that the keyes were geuen to Peter before the passion whyche must nedes be euen at the promisse Math .16 or els neuer as shal appeare by reding the processe of the ghospell S. Ambrose also in libro de Isaac c. Christ sayd to Peter thou canst not folowe me nowe c. but he had before geuē to him the keyes of the kingdome of heauens c. Loe all this was before the passion Therefore we must nedes graunt that he gaue the keyes when he promyssed them seinge none can shew any other time of geuing them ¶ S. Aug. con 124. de tempore In declaringe the geuinge of the keyes Mathew the .xvi. he saith Christ gaue the keyes then to Peter and therfore he saith tibi dedi claues regni celorum I haue geuen to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauens the like S. Aug. hathe tract 50. in Ioa. et li. 2. contra gau dentii epistolam S. Hilari in psa lii S. Hilari saith that christ toke not away the keyes from Peter whē he denied him here we see S. Hilari iudgeth that the keyes were geuen before the passion but that must be when he promyssed them Mathew the .xvi. c. S. Hilari in psal .cxxxi. Christ saide to Peter come after me sathā or aduersarye to whome he had geuen the keyes before But that must nedes be when he promyssed them seing this foloweth euen streight after in the same chapiter the .xvi. of Mathew Chrisostome in explicando propitius esto tibi c. Math .xvi. He saith O Peter what is this thou which haddest a heuenlye reuelacion and the keyes geuen to thee of the heauens arte thou so sone fallen so sore By al these auncient writers it appeareth y t the keyes were geuen whē they were promessed and that Christ gaue them presentlye in saing I wil geue thee the keyes And this hath caused that euer since y e keyes iustlye haue bene put vnto all Peters successours to none other As for the power to minister the sacramēt of penaūce and to forgeue sinne was geuen after the resurreccion both to the Apostels and to the .27 Disciples as a parte of the keyes and yet as vnder Peter he beynge the head But who I praye you is so foonde to saye that the .27 Disciples receiued the keyes equallye with Peter ¶ The .xi. obiection Christ said to al indifferentlye what so euer ye shal bynde vpon earth shal be bounde in heauen and what so euer ye lose vpon earthe shalbe losed in heauen ¶ The answere That power geuen Math .xviii. was as appereth by the processe but to excommunicate the wicked and to lose thē from it againe if they were trulye penitent whyche power Paule caused the Corinthians to execute vpon y e fornicatour And here note wel that it was not without great cause that Christe vsed here the plurel number saynge what so euer you bynde c. For one dyd neuer thys at that tyme onelye Peter the heade excepte but it was geuen to the churche and rulers of the congregation beyng for that cause gathered together as ye rede .i. cor .v. It is in no place of the gospel wherby any one may excōmunicate onely Peter for him and hys successours except which beīg head had it geuē to him alone with the keyes and therefore he alone put it in executiō vpō Anani vpon Saphire vpō Simō Magus c. How be it if a man should graunt that y e power of losing and bindinge Mat. xviii was spokē to the apostels as before Mat. xvi to Peter yet must we nedes confesse as appeareth in the answers to y e .iii. last obiectiōs that to Peter as to y E head the power was geuen to other but as vnder him stil kepinge obseruing a due order which order is broken if Peter the other Apostels and the .72 disciples or the successours of euerye of these had like power geuen in al thinges ¶ The .xii. obiection The .viii. of thactes Peter and Iohn were sent by thother apostels to Samaria but y e senders seme to be greater then they whiche be sent c. ¶ The anwere When by Philip the dracon the people of Samaria were cōuerted to y e faith by y e cōsēt of all y e apostles the holye ghoste being y e chief author Peter as whose authoritie was greatest was chosen as beinge thought moste mete to goe to confirme them with tholye spyrite the matter and case then requirynge the chiefe power What did this againste Peters authoritye or to the derogation of his high power and preeminece It semeth rather to sette fourth his excellent priuelege bycause none was thoughte yea euē to the holy gost which was the chiefe sender so mete as Peter he being the head of al to goe to destroye the great member of the deuil Simon Magus a thinge of passinge difficultie which required Peters presēce This was an argument of tharians the father sent the sonne ergo the sonne was lesse then the father How be it Herode sent y e .iii. Kinges to Christ yet he was not greater then they May not y e King and the Counsel of a Realme
vertuous neuer so good and holy and sit neuer so lowe But what saieth the spirite of God He that is proude and will not obey the highe pristes commaundemeÌ„t for it is onelye one that is to saye the chief priest whom he speaketh of there let him die And be ye sure the death in hell is prepared for all suche at the ende ¶ The fifte probation Not onely Ireneus S. Ciprian and S. Augustine declaclare the preeminence of sainte Peter and his successors how the establyshement of our hole fayth doeth depende thereupon and all heresies do springe of the coÌ„trarie but also all and euerye one of Peter his successours in that seate haue confirmed and established y t hyghe Authoritie which thinge they would neuer haue done being so holy men many of them eueÌ„ martirs of Christ withoute anye spotte of ambition no nor could haue ben suffred to haue done if they had not had that verye preeminence by Christe hym selfe But now let vs here some of their testimonies ¶ Anacletus the Martyr disciple and successor to S. Peter in hys sea Let all harde causes which be of greate importaunce be brought before the apostolical sea of Rome as vnto the head there to be determined and defyned For so Christe hym selfe dyd ordeyne it and so woulde haue it For onelye he dyd appointe that the Apostolical sea of Rome shoulde be the chiefe and heade and euen the verye henge of all For as by the henge the doore is gouerned and ruled so by Christes appointment all churches muste be gouerned and ruled by the authoritie of the Apostolicall sea of Rome ¶ Euaristus hys successor in in the sea of Rome also a holy martyr Your wysedomes desyryng of vs to be instructed folowiÌ„g the ecclesiasticall rule haue referred al to the Apostolical sea as vnto the heade rather willyng in doutful thynges to be taught what to kepe theÌ„ rashlye by vsurpation to presume after your owne phancies ¶ Alexander martir and next successor to Euaristus in the sea of Rome Relation is made saith he vnto this holy sea whereunto the decisinge of all great ecclesiastical coÌ„trouersies by christe him selfe was geuen he saying to Peter the prince of the Apostels thou art Peter c. That certen enemies of christ do presume to accuse the Priestes of God before the publyke and comen iudges ¶ Sixtus martir and next successor in the sea of rome Sixtus Bushop of the vniuersall and apostolicall church vnto al bishoppes sendeth gretinge c. If any of you be iniured or wronged it shalbe lawfull for him to appeale to thys holy sea apostolyke to haue refuge here vnto as vnto the head For the holye aposteles willed bade that all Bishoppes should be defeÌ„ded and holpen in their right by the authoritye of this holy sea ¶ Thelespherus Igenius holy martires in the same sea apostolike next successoures vnto Sixtus the one after the other These .ii. holy martires iÌ„ their epistels haue euen the same 〈◊〉 effecte that their predecessour Sixtus did publishe Pius the next successouâ— This moste holye father about the obseruing the feast of Ester thus doth wryte vnto al places of christendome We by oure apostolike authoritie do institute decree that ye kepe the feaste of Ester as we receued of oure elders haue appointed vnto you RemeÌ„ber y t you the meÌ„bers by no meanes must disseÌ„t froÌ„ vs beyng youre head seynge Christe commanded thys oure Apostolicall sea to be the head of all seas c. ¶ Victor a holy Martyr and after successor in the same Thys holy martyr and Bisshoppe of Rome concernynge the breakers of the ordour taken for the sayd feast of Easter sendeth a sharpe excomunication agaynste all the transgressours ¶ The same Victor in a certen epistel vnto Theophilus and to all other in Alexandria The Ecclesiastical decree receyued eueÌ„ froÌ„ Peters tune coÌ„cerniÌ„g appellatioÌ„s to be made vnto y e appostolical sea of rome oughte to be obserued so that we wyll that you defyne nothynge therin wythout our authoritie seyng that Christ sayd only to Peter whose place we nowe kepe what so euer thou losest in earth c. Marke here now I besech you All these holy mens testimonyes and iudgementes concernynge thys oure matter of the primacy These meÌ„ sought not their own as Paule hath to the Philippians but that whiche was Iesus Christes These men receyued it by succession as ye haue hearde one euer of another goynge before euen receyued it as it were by hande And euer synce these holy fathers thus dyd beleue and thus dyd teache all christendoÌ„ hath and stil doeth beleue and teache the same doctrine As I coulde proue and trye froÌ„ thys holy martir Victors tyme eueÌ„ tyll this daye But no man I thynke will denye that for all y e difficultie as heretikes take the matter is to proue it in the begynnyng But that I trust in God is here now sufficiently proued And yet beside all these testimonies S. Clement saieth that S. Peter hymselfe with his owne mouth gaue hiÌ„ that highe authoritie aboue al other Symon Peter saieth he before his death toke me by the hande sayinge these wordes to all the people then present This man I leaue to be Bishoppe of this city of Rome I geue to hym the power that christ gaue to me to lose bind that whatsoeuer he decreth in earth the same shalbe decreed and approued in the heauens Nicen councel also in the .xviii. Canon commaundith all appellations to bee made to the sea of Rome Therefore here now I would wish y t the SwiÌ„glians Ecolampadians Lutherans withal y e whole rable which counte all equal would trye their doctrine w t this se howe they stande together in fygure They saye the Popes Authoritie was but a thynge inueÌ„ted of late daies that only by man but this proffe here trieth y t it was fouÌ„ded euen froÌ„ the beginning that by christ Se nowe who here in is to be beleued y e truth or falsed right or wrong God or the deuyl ¶ The sixt probation All which professe christ truly are membres of Christes ecclesiastical body vnder hym as head whether they be priestes or lay men Emperours kinges or byshoppes this no maÌ„ denieth I am sure but they caÌ„ not be couÌ„ted to be vnder christ as their cheif head which wilfully do breake the order that he toke when he was here in earth whiche order was that Peter should be lafte as head vnder him ouer all hys flocke as I haue and shall proue it sufficieÌ„tly in this smal boke by gods mercyful assistance whether they be of y e laitie or of the clergie If thou wilt be one of christes shepe whether thou be kiÌ„g or eÌ„peror y â— must be vnder his shepeherde It were a moÌ„struous â—yghte to se the shepe rule the shepherd Nowe yf ye say thautoritie of Emperours