Hart. Nay I will graunt rather that S. Austin erred and laide a false ground if he doo impart the priuilege of the chaire to all other Bishops as well as to the Pope Rainoldes Then you must graunt withall that Genebrard and your Rhemists haue abused S. Austin to bring him as for that which he is flat against But I will defend S. Austin in a truth and proue that the argument which I haue grounded on him is so sure and sound that you must néedes graunt it vnlesse you will be froward wilfully For what thinke you first may a Bishop erre as Bishop Hart. Who doth deny it Rainoldes There is one in Plato who saith that a magistrate cannot erre as magistrate nor a Prince as Prince Hart. Not a Prince Why Rainoldes Because a Prince is as it were a physician of the common wealth and a physician can not erre as physician For in that he erreth he misseth of his arte Wherefore by want of physicke he erreth not by physicke And so to speake exactly no artificer can erre at the least he cannot erre as an artificer For he which erreth erreth because he hath not skill enough and not because he hath skill Hart. But yet an artificer may erre in practise of his arte as a physician in curing sicke men a Prince in ruling the common wealth And therefore me thinketh that shift is but a quidditie For an artificer may be iustly saide to erre as an artificer when he doth erre in that which he dealeth with in respect of his arte At least if he erre not therein as an artificer he erreth as an euill artificer Rainoldes That is true as an euill artificer Hart. Then your man in Plato must amend his spéech and say that a Prince may erre as an euil Prince though he cannot as good and a magistrate as an euill magistrate Rainoldes And of a physician he must amend it too and say that a physician if he cure not the sicke wel doth erre as an euill physician Hart. He must so Rainoldes Likewise if an auditor doo misse in casting of accounts he erreth as an euill auditor Hart. An euill auditor Rainoldes And if a cooke doo misse in dressing of meate he erreth as an euill cooke a tayler in making garments as an euill tayler a shoomaker in making shooes as an euill shoomaker Hart. What els and all artificers after the same sorte Rainoldes Nor onely artificers as they are called commonly but all in whose functions skill and arte is néedfull for the discharge of them whether they be ciuill as lawiers iudges counseilors or ecclesiasticall as deacons pastors doctors Doo you not meane so Hart. I meane of all such except the Pope onely Rainoldes You preuent me before you néede I come not to the Pope yet Hart. No but I sée what you goe about You would fish out of me that a Pope may erre as an euill Pope Rainoldes You are too suspicious I meant to conclude that a Bishop may erre as an euill Bishop For it is a Bishops duety to diuide the word of truth aright If he erre in diuiding it he erreth in a point of the Bishops duetie Shall we say that he erreth as an euill Bishop Hart. We must so it seemeth by proportion to the rest Rainoldes But perhaps we haue dealt too hardly with the rest And now in Bishops I perceiue it For would you call S. Austin and S. Cyprian euill Bishops Hart. Euill God forbid Rainoldes Yet they haue erred sometimes in diuiding the worde of truth as you confesse of the one the other sheweth of himselfe And we doo all offend in many thinges Euen the best physician doth erre some times in curing the best Prince in ruling Through defaute I graunt because they are not good enough And to speake exactly there is none good but one euen God But if we speake as men are commonly wont we may not call the best euill Wherefore I am loth to say that a Bishop erreth as an euill Bishop if he erre in diuiding the word of truth I had rather say that he erreth as Bishop offending in a point of duetie And so would I mitigate our spéeches of the rest not to call them euill whom all account good but to note that good in men hath imperfection Hart. Doo so if you list Rainoldes Then we will bid the sophister in Plato farewell and say that a magistrate may erre as magistrate and a Prince as Prince Hart. I was of that minde at the first Rainoldes And a Doctor as Doctor a Bishop as Bishop Hart. True and likewise the like Rainoldes Is not the Pope a Bishop the Bishop of Rome I trow Hart. I thought that hether you would at last And therefore I did purposely except him by name For it is true in all Bishops saue in the Bishop of Rome Rainoldes I know you did except him but with what reason For if it be true in generall of Princes that they may erre as Princes it foloweth in speciall that any Prince may erre as Prince the Quéene of England as Quéene the King of Scotland as King the German Emperour as Emperour and so forth all the rest whose office is Princely This you graunt Doo you not Hart. Yes it is so in Princes I graunt Rainoldes Then in like sorte if it be true of Bishops that they may erre as Bishops it foloweth that any Bishop may erre as Bishop the Patriarke of Venice as Patriarke the Cardinall of Alba as Cardinall the Pope of Rome as Pope and so forth all the rest whose office is Bishoply Doth not reason teach you that you must graunt this also Hart. No. Because the state and condition of Bishops is not like to Princes in this consideration For amongst Princes there is none priuileged by vertue of his office not to erre as Prince But amongst Bishops the Pope of Rome is priuileged not to erre as Pope Rainoldes The date of this priuilege is out M. Hart it cannot serue you now For your selfe misliked Thrasymachus in Plato as shifting with a quidditie for saying that a Prince cannot erre as Prince Hart. And I mislike him still Rainoldes You confessed also that an artificer may be iustly said to erre as an artificer when he doth erre in that which hee dealeth with in respect of his arte Hart. I did so What then Rainoldes And you thought it méete that we should say a Bishop erreth as Bishop when he erreth in a peint of the Bishops dutie Hart. And this I graunt too Rainoldes How can you deny then but the Pope may iustly be saide to erre as Pope when he erreth in a point of the Popes duty And sith a point thereof is to diuide the word of truth aright belonging to him as to all Bishops by the chaire seate that is the office of teaching wherin God hath set them the Pope is not priuileged by vertue of the chaire from erring as Pope more
are not so flatt and perfite in the Latin as you doo english them For vpon the name of Damasus it foloweth qui etsi quaedam de donis Constantini dicit tamen alij insignes ecclâ—siarum doctores Rainoldes But if you reade it so the clause ensuing is vnperfit and hath no sense at all A very manifest token that somewhat is a misse through either the writers or printers or correctours faute And that is qui mistaken as I gesse for neque and put out of his place where it ought to folow vpon the name of Damasus etsi quaedam de donis Constantini dicit tamen neque alij insignes ecclesiarum doctores But howsoeuer the words are to be amended the sense must néedes be as I saide touching Damasus For the sentence is plaine so farre that neither Ierom nor Damasus haue mentioned that donation of Constantine as plaine as that which foloweth that it is not mentioned by other famous Doctors neither And who can imagin that the Centurie-writers should say that Damasus wrote of it when it is so cléere that he wrote not that your Hieronymus Paulus Cusanus do bring his autoritie for a speciall reason against the donation The right therefore of it is not proued by Damasus Now is the possession proued any better out of Ammianus Hart. Ammianus Marcellinus an heathen doth closely signifie some such thing while he complaineth and grudgeth at the Popes wealth and power in the seuen and twentieth booke of his story Rainoldes Ammianus saith Genebrard doth closely signifie some such thing In déede some such thing but so farre from that thing that better nothing were said of it For thus saith Ammianus Marcellinus an heathen of Damasus suing to be Pope Damasus and Vrâ—icinus burning with immoderate ambition of getting the Bishopricke of Rome did fall to very sharpe bickrings through partes taken in so much that the matter grew betweene them to the shedding of blood and to man-slaughter Which tumult Viuentius who was the Lord Deputie being neither able to pacify nor to redresse was forced through their outrage to withdraw himselfe out of the citie into the suburbes and Damasus through the valiant behauiour of his faction got the conquest in the fray And it is certaine that in the Church of Sicininus where Christians make their assemblie there were found a hundred thirtie and seuen carkasses of men slaine in one day and the people furiously bent a great while was afterwarde hardly asswaged Neither do I deny considering the brauerie and pompe vsed in Rome but they who aspire thereto should striue with might maine to obteine it sith when they haue gotten it they shall bee at such ease enriched with the giftes and offerings of matrones and caried abroad in wagons and going in gay apparell and folowing so riotous fare that their bankets are more then princely who might in deed be happy if they would contemne the statelinesse of the citie which cloake they vse for their vices and would liue as certaine Bishops doo in prouinces whom great moderation in vse of meat and drinke and meanenesâ—e of apparell and modestie of countenance commend as pure and shamefast to God and to the godly Behold this is the wealth and power of the Pope which Ammianus Marcellinus complayneth off and grudgeth at Some such thing it is as Constantine donation but it is not it For the wealth is the pompe and brauery that they maintained by the offrings of matrones The power is a faction of cutters so desperate that when they slew aboue a hundred in a fray the Lord Deputie could not helpe it But the verie naming of the Lord Deputie sent thither by the Emperour should haue taught Genebrard that the Emperour kept the citie still as his owne and was the soueraine Lorde of it Wherefore that which he findeth in Ammianus Marcellinus touching the Popes wealth and power is in respect of wealth the donation of matrones in respect of power the donation of cutters but in respect of neither the donation of Constantine Hart. Nay in that I thinke you are deceiued greatly that you say the Emperour kept still the citie as his owne because he sent a Deputie thither For that Deputie or Lieutenant was there to kéepe the citie not for the Emperours vse but for his safegarde onely Rainoldes Not for his vse but for his safegard Hart. I least the Pope growing dayly mightier by reason of wealth and bordering vpon him should encroch on somewhat of his vpon occasion As Princes now adayes are wont to haue their Deputies and Lieutenants resident in cities néere their territories for their owne safegard and not to keepe the cities as theirs which are not theirs Rainoldes Embassadours or Agents perhaps they may haue in realmes or cities néere them But that the French king should haue a Lieutenant or Deputie in London or that the Quéene of Englands Deputy in Ireland should kéepe it not for her vse but for her safegard onely Princes now a dayes I hope vse not that sure the Emperours did not For they had their Lieutenants in the citie of Rome not as Agents but as Regents and their Lieutenants kept it both to their safegard and their vse as Symmachus a famous Lieutenant of the citie and the Emperours who deputed him doo manifestly shew Yea euen Ammianus him selfe to go no further doth import as much in the verie place alleaged by Genebrard where both the Lieutenant is called the ruler of the citie and his gouernment is namely noted So farre off was he from dreaming any such thing as you doo imagin of Constantines donation Hart. It is no great matter though Ammianus Marcellinus a heathen doo not proue it Rainoldes Not so great as that Gilbert Genebrard a Christian doth falsly charge a heathen with the proofe of it But will you go forward to the rest of his witnesses Hart. Iustinian the Emperour confirmed that donation a hundred yeares after and then Arithpert the king of the Lombards Pâ—pine Charles the great Lewes the godly and last of all Otho the great in a publike councell of Rauenna as the Centurie-writers also do report vsing these very wordes Centur. 10. chapt 10. pag. 538. in Leo the eighth and Iohn his successour perhaps out of that Authentike as they call it or constitution of Iustinian That the Church of Rome should enioy the prescription of a hundred yeares Rainoldes A proofe of some weight if all this be true that the Centurie-writers report yea and report it vsing these verie wordes that Iustinian the Emperour confirmed that donation a hundred yeares after and Arithpert Pipine Charles Lewes and Otho But what if these be not the verie wordes in which the Centurie-writers doo report it What if the Centurie-writers doo not report it at all As in déed they doo not For these are their wordes Pope Leo the eighth to shew his thankfullnes
which thēselues haue called for And the chiefest of thē hath wisht that some of theirs might meete in scholasticall combat with any of vs before indifferent iudges trusting that their doctrine which we condemne of fansie and humane tradition should then be inuincibly proued to be most agreeable to Gods word Wherfore sith this combat hath bene vndertaken and that in such sort as lerned men haue thought to be most fit for triall of the truth not by extemporall speaking but writing with aduise the question agreed of the arguments the answeres the replies set downe and sifted of both sides till ech had fully sayd in fine the whole published that Churches and the faithfull all may iudge of it your guides cannot honestly denie you the sight of their inuincible proofes therein The autours of the worke are M. Hart and I. Of whom they haue giuē out in print to the worlde sithence we began it that I though the lernedst as the reporter saith of that sort and order yet did shew my selfe so much the more vnlerned how much the more earnestly I was dealt with but M. Hart a noble champion of Christ and a holy Priest a Bacheler of Diuinitie had taken deeper roote in the foundations of the faith and was of sounder lerning then that the reasons which I no common Minister of the English synagogue brought to ouerthrow him could remoue him from it So that I was faine to go whence I came and leaue him as I found him Now if they themselues thinke this to be true which they haue geuen out they may boldely suffer you to reade our Conference that you may see the triumphe which a noble champiō of yours a holy Priest a Bacheler of Diuinitie hath had of a Minister of the English synagogue an vnlerned Minister and yet the lernedst of that sort But if they will not giue you leaue to reade it then may you suspect that these glorious speeches of their own scholers and base wordes of vs are but sleights of policie as many vauntes lyes be in the same pamphlets wherein these are writen Nay you may suspect that there is somewhat which they are afrayde least you should espie and therefore debarre you frō the meanes of knowing it In deed my deere brethren you are circumuented by them who commend the loue and liberalitie and pietie of the Pope in erecting Seminaries to traine vp English youth vnder the Iesuites and other famous men For the loue pretended towards you therein is to haue you his seruants The liberalitie emploied in feeding and teaching you is to make you pliable and fit therevnto The Iesuites and others set to train you vp are set to noosell you in heresie and treason the pillers of his faith and State The King of Babylon Nabuchodonosor did commaund Asphenaz the Master of his Eunuches that of the Israelites he should bring children who were without blemish well fauoured wise and skilfull and had abilitie in them that he should teach them the artes and tongue of the Chaldeans And the King appointed them prouision euerie day of a portion of his meate and of the wine which he dranke that they being brought vp so for three yeares might at the end thereof stand before the King Pope Gregorie the thirteenth loueth you brethren as King Nabuchodonosor did the Israelites He hath founde the meanes that there should bee brought to the Masters of his Eunuches Iesuites others a number of the best wittes out of England that they may teach you the artes and toung of the Romans And he hath appointed prouision for you of moonthly exhibition in bountifull sort but to what ende that after certain yeres of this education you may stand before the Pope Daniel perceaued that the Kings loue liberalitie was not single but sought his own profit which his felowes also Ananias Misael and Azarias saw If you haue the spirite of Daniel and his felowes you wil see as much in the Popes double loue and liberalitie Sure hee geueth iuster cause to distrust it then the King did For the Kings drift in trayning vp them that they might stand before him was only that they should attend and waite vpon him as courtiers in his palace Or if because he chose them of the blood royall and seede of the nobilitie he had a farder drift it was but the assurance of their land of Iuda But you are trained vp by the Pope to serue him in prouinces abroade not in his palace at home to subdue for him that which hee hath lost not to assure him of that hee hath subdued nor to make him soueraine of one land but of two and them not small of territorie and state as Iuda was but greater and mightier England Ireland For which a poorer fisher then the Pope is would be content to angle with a hooke of golde although it cost him more then your two Seminaries are lykely to doo Pope Leo the tenth did spend a hundred thousand ducats in one day vpon the pompe and brauerie of his coronation and eight hundred thousand more in one warre against the Duke of Vrbin to spoile him of his State thereby to establish a nephew of his owne in it In his dayes Luther rose the Protestants had not touched the triple crowne yet His successours haue felt what danger it is in If some of their offals be spent with greater shew of almes on scholers now chiefly on such scholers as may defēd their crowne the Papacie you know is discreetely menaged this menaging doth proue not lesse ambition but more discretion The policie of Gregorie the thirteenth appeereth therin not the pietie His cost vpon captains souldiours and ships sent into Ireland discloseth the fountaine of his liberalitie and loue to our nation Whereof that is also a cleerer proofe plainer token that the Masters of his Eunuches are set to teach you the artes and toung of the Romans as Asphenaz the Master of the Kinges Eunuches was to teache the Israelites the artes and toung of the Chaldeans I meane not the Italian toung though where they will you to lerne that withal it is a special point of the kings policie but I meane the Romish tongue so to call it and language of Poperie The knowledge of the artes yee are not all taught but yee are all taught the knowledge of this toung be ye Philosophers or Diuines Philosophers in sermons in catechismes in confessions Diuines in the lectures of cases of controuersies of positiue Diuinitie and they who can of Hebrue and Schoole-diuinitie too The woman was deceued through desire of knowledge which the serpent promised her Great thinges are promised you by Seminarie-proctors of perfitter knowledge to be obtained there then with vs in England And truely for the artes and toung of the Chaldeans I
body and he alone performeth the dutie of an head vnto it by giuing it power of life of feeling of mouing and him hath God appointed to be the head to the Church and by him all the body furnished and knit togither by iointes and bandes encreaseth with the encreasing of God Hart. We graunt that Christ is properly the head of the church the principall and quickning head But this head is imperiall so to terme him and inuisible The Pope is a visible and ministeriall head yet in truth a head also For of the head there are two dueties the one to bee the fountaine out of the which there floweth life into the rest of the body the other to direct by his rule and power the outward functions of the body The former duety doth agree to God alone and Christ. The later to the seruice and ministery of men too Rainoldes This your answere of two heades doth stand with more reason then his who said that Christ and Christes vicar Peter and Peters successor the Pope are all but one head of the church Howbeit so to make a twofold head as you do by the variety of two dueties it is not to diuide but to rent a sunder the dueties of the head and to make the Pope a head imperiall rather then a ministeriall For by rule and power to direct either the inward or outward functions of the bodie is the chiefe and proper function of the head agréeing to that head alone that giueth power of life and féeling and mouing to the body Wherefore sith Christ hauing bound him selfe by his promise to be with vs vntill the end of the world doth giue this power vnto his church by the effectuall working of his holy spirite which doth quicken both the whole and euery member of his body they who do diuide the preeminence of this duety betwéene him and the Pope allotting to him the inward to the Pope the outward functions to be directed deserue to be attainted of treason against the Lord. For séeing that to exercise this rule and dominion is a prerogatiue royall and proper to the king of kings to giue it either in whole or in part to any subiect can not be a lesser offence then hie treason Hart. If you account this to be treason against the Lord and do attaint vs of it You must attaint him selfe of it who by his word hath brought vs to it For S. Paule comparing the church vnto a body to shew the sundry giftes of Christians and in their sundry giftes their seuerall dueties by the similitude of members doth mention a head amongst them The eâ—e cannot say vnto the hand I haue no neede of thee nor the head to the feete I haue no neede of you Here the name of head must by al likelyhood bee meant of the Pastor in respect of the flock But it cannot be meant of Christ. For he may say to vs I haue no neede of you and so he willeth vs also when we shal haue done all things that are coÌ„manded vs to say we are vnprofitable seruants It must be meant therefore of Peter in respect of the rest of the Apostles and by consequent of the Pope in respect of all Bishops Rainoldes If Paule had so meant it either of Peter or of the Pope he had a tongue of the learned he could easily haue so expounded it But in the applying of his similitude to his purpose he sheweth that he meant by the name of head them who had the greatest graces of Gods spirite by feete hands and eies them who not so great though greater some then other Hart. Them who had the greatest Nay the name of head doth shew it must be one and that one visible head which wée call a ministeriall head vnder Christ proportionable to the body of Christ I meane the Church Of the which visible and ministeriall head those wordes of S. Paule may bee truely verified The head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you Rainoldes Indeede if the Pope be signified by the head those words will fitte him well For Cardinall Poole discoursing on the same reason of the Popes supremacie doth make as him the head so kings to be the féete And it is true the Pope can not say to kings I haue no neede of you It would bée hard going for him if they were not But if because Saint Paule doth in that similitude mention a head therefore there must be one visible head proportionable to the body of Christ that is the Church then because S. Paule doth mention the féete there must bee néedes also two visible féete by the like proportion Now I would gladly know of you Maister Hart which you will make the two féete of your church The Emperour I trow must be the right foote The left who The king of Spaine What shall the French king do then It is well that the king of Scots is no member of it nor the king of Denmarke Marry we had newes of the king of Swethland that Iesuits had conuerted him Shal he be the left foote Or shall the king of Poleland set in a foote for it Or is the king of Boheme nearer it There is a king of Bungo too who is reported to protect your religion in his countries and likewise the Great Turke other princes of Mahomets sect they may be féete in time also But how many féete may this body haue May it haue sixe seauen eight may it haue twentie visible féete and may it not haue ten not foure not two may it haue but one visible head Hart. Cardinall Pole compareth kinges vnto féete not as though they were the lowest partes of the church for hée counteth them as speciall members though not heads but because the church in the course of her growth was last of all increased with them as with féete and so did make an end of growing Rainoldes Then in Saint Paules time the church had no féete but a head without them And what doth he meane to saye that the head could not speake to the feete when it had no féete to speake too Hart. Yes it had féete then but of an other sort For they who were of lower degrees and meaner giftes in the church of Christ are resembled to féete in comparison of others who were in those respects as hands and eies aboue them Rainoldes And do you thinke the church had but two such féete Or had it many hundreds For christians were growne long before to thousands and it is not likely the most of them were eyes and hands Hart. It had no doubt many But you must not racke the members of similitudes beyond the principall pointes whereto they are applied and meant For els you might infer too that the church must haue but two eies and two hands because a mans body to which S. Paule resembleth the church hath no more Rainoldes As you say Yet
thirtéenth a most louing father of the Churches children Rainoldes Whether that these Popes or other haue béene good and their elections lawfull it is not the question Perhaps you praise them for affection perhaps they haue béene good as Popes For Popes in our daies are praysed for their goodnes when they surpasse not the wickednes of other men as a good historian who knew and loued them well doth note in Clemens the seuenth Marcellus the second dyed the two and twentéeth day of his Popedome not without suspicion of poyson saith your Genebrard because some men thought that he would be to good Pius the fourth Pius the fifth and Gregorie the thirtéenth haue held the Popedome longer If they were good Popes I trust they were not too good As for their electious the daies are yet too young to sée the faithfull stories of them But if they were chosen as their predecessours according to the custome of the Church of Rome then by the elections of Pius the third Iulius the second Leo the tenth Clemens the seuenth and Cardinall Woolseis letters suing to succéede Clemens wise men may coniecture how lawfully they were chosen You say that there were many tumultes and schismes chiefly through the Emperours meanes before the Popes election could bee wrested from them and brought to the Cardinals but after that time thinges began to mende In déede they haue mended as sower ale doth in summer For of thirtie schismes in the Church of Rome so many as no Church can boast of besides the worst and the longest hath béene sith that time euen the nine and twentieth which lasted by the space of fiftie yeares together first with two Popes at once then with three And if the Emperour Sigismund had not béene through whose meanes the Councell of Constance was assembled and the three remoued by this time your Church might haue had as many Popes as in the Reuelation the scarlet coloured beast hath heads But to leaue the Emperours and proue the point in question that since the Popes were chosen onely by the Cardinals there haue béene as monstrous Popes as were before and haue come in as vnlawfully there are so many examples that it is hard to make choise or know where to beginne amongst them Let him be the first who compiled part of the canon law and that lusty decretall of the Popes supremacy euen Boniface the eighth Who being inflamed with desire of the Popedome induced Pope Caelestin a simple man to resigne it whether by perswading him that hee was not able to wéelde a charge so weighty or by procuring some to sound vnto him in the night a voice as it were from heauen that if he would be saued he must resigne the Popedom or by both these practises but he induced him to resigne it and not looking to be called by God as was Aaron he got it to him selfe by vnorderly meanes all that ambition could deuise Neither did he gouerne it better then he got it For being a man of intolerable pride and thirsting after gold vnspeakeably he bore himselfe as Lorde of spirituall thinges and temporall throughout the whole world He tooke vpon him at his lust to giue and take away kingdomes to banish men and to restore them and sought to bréede terrour rather then religion in the mindes of Emperours of Kinges of Princes of peoples and of nations He was the first autour of your yeare of Iubilee proclaiming full remission ofsinnes to all them who came in pilgrimage to Rome a great gaine to him and his and at that Iubilee he shewed himselfe in his solemnities one day attired like a Pope an other like an Emperour and hauing a naked sworde before him he sate and saide with loude voyce Beholde the two swordes here He cast his predecessour Caelestine into prison and brought him there vnto his graue He vexed the countrie of Italie with warres and nourished discords amongst them He saide that both the land and persons of the Scottes belonged to his Chappell that vnder that pretense hée might trouble England and cite king Edward to his iudgement He refused to accept of Albert chosen Emperour by the Princes of Germany because they made choise without his authoritie who had he said him selfe the right ofboth swordes Hee depriued the French king of his kingdome vpon displeasure and moued the king of England to make warre against him and graunted to Albert that he should be Emperour on condition that he would take the realme of Fraunce also and thrust the lawfull king out of it And more he would haue done of such Papall affaires vnlesse the French king to tame his pride had tooke him prisoner whereupon he dyed within a few dayes for griefe This is that Boniface ofwhom the saying goeth He entred like a foxe he raigned like a lyon hee dyed like a dogge An other like to him but in an other kinde is Iohn the three and twentéeth Who got while he was Cardinall a great deale of mony and finding the Cardinals somewhat poore and néedy gaue them gentle rewardes Whereupon they seing him to be a liberall man made him Pope for it But that liberalitie was his chiefest vertue For he was fitter for the campe then for the Church for profane thinges then for the seruice of god as knowing no faith nor religion at all an oppressour of the poore a persecuter of iustice a mainteiner of the wicked a sanctuarie of Simonie an ofscouring of vices giuen wholy to sleepe to fleshly lustes wholy contrarie to the life and maners of Christ a mirror of vnhonest and infamous behauiour a deuiser a profound deuiser of all vilanies in a worde so lewde and wretched a caitife that amongst them who knew his conuersation he was called commonly a diuell incarnate Yet these most holie Lordes Boniface and Iohn are nothing in comparison of Alexander the sixth For although they both did get the triple crowne corruptly yet they conueyed it closely Alexander the sixth did buy the voyces of many Cardinals openly partly with money partly with promises of his offices and liuinges chiefely the voyce of Cardinall Ascanio for which hee did couenant to giue the chiefest office of the Court of Rome and Churches and castles and a palace full of moueable goods of marueilous great value According vnto which beginning he went forwarde and proued as it was thought he would most pernicious to Italie and all Christendome For though hee excelled in sharpenes of wit in iudgement in eloquence and was verie carefull and quicke in matters of importance yet hee passed farre these vertues with his vices maners most beastly not sinceritie not modestie not truth not faith not religion couetousnes vnsatiable vnmeasurable ambition
England did not amount The king though misliking the disorder greatly yet being loth to medle with the redresse of it for feare of the Pope the stripes of whose wrath against his father king Iohn against his coosen Otho the Emperour and Othos successour Fridericke the second were bleeding fresh before his eyes the Nobles and Commons sent a supplication to Pope Innocentius and the generall Councell assembled then at Lyons Wherein vpon complaint that an infinite number of Italians in England had the charge of flockes who neither fedde nor knew nor cared for their sheepe but receiued onely the fruites reuenues and caried them out of the realme that the yearely rents of Italians in England amounted to three score thousand markes and vpward besides diuers other auailes which they reaped where they sowed not that England hoped for some reliefe of these grieuances when Innocentius was made Pope but now it is oppressed more out of measure by the Popes legat who entring late into the land with larger power and commission then euer legate had doth exceede excessiuely he giueth to Italians some benefices alreadie voide worth thirtie markes or more yearely some that fall voide by the decease of Italians he thrusteth new Italians into some he doth prouide when they shall be voide to be reserued for Italians moreouer he wresteth out immoderate pensions from religious persons and vseth to excommunicate interdict of Church-seruice of sacraments of Christian buriall them who gainesay him and resist him vpon this complaint the Nobles and Commons of the realme of England made humble sute vnto his fatherhood that he wold extend the hand of mercy to his children ease them of those burdens of grieuances and oppressions detestable to God and men The messengers by whom this supplication was sent presented it before the Pope vnto the generall Councell To whom they made complaint withall of a clause in the Popes bulles called Non obstante by which hee brake all lawes and orders of the church to serue these his purposes For whatsoeuer made against the tenor of his bull he vsed to remoue it with a Non obstante As for example the Churches law and order confirmed by a Councell was that one man should haue but one benefice and none should haue any but he who could himselfe discharge the duetie personally The Pope sendeth forth his bulles for fiue Romans the sonne of Rumfrede and such and such that they shall be prouided for of so many benefices as may be worth to each of them a hundred pounde yearely Non obstante that law Pope Innocent was grieued at this supplication and complaint of England which touched his supremacie so néere to the quicke Howbeit for the present hee made them faire promises and sent them sundry priuileges from the Councell of Lyons that Patrones thenceforth should freely presente and Bishops should admitte fit persons to benefices who would and could well serue the charge that the Clerke of his Escheker that was his legate should prouide but for twelue moe without consent of the Patrones that if English men would be studious honest and thankeful chiefely the sonnes of Noble men he would prouide for them also and dispense honorably with the worthiest of them for pluralitie of benefices finally that no Italian should immediately succeede an Italian which was obtained for their treacheries who when one that had a benefice was dead would foyst an other into his roome And these thinges were promised but they were promised onely For after that the Councell was dissolued once the Pope played the Pope and brake them all with Non obstante And as Pharao hardened his hart against Israel and laied more worke vpon them when they desired ease of bondage so did Innocent against England In so much that after sixe or seuen yeares when a vew was taken againe of the bricke made of our English Israel for the Italian Pharao the summe of those reuenues which before amounted to three score thousand marks was growne to three score thousand and ten with the aduantage Now if the outrage of this abominatâ—on were so monstrous in one realme what was it in all throughout the rest of Christendome If Popes did so exceede aboue three hundred yeares ago in the prime of their Papacie when the iointes of it were yet scarsely knit what is it likely they did after If by one policy they brought so great wealth vnto their Court and state yea by part of one applyed to furnish their Italians what may bee thought of the same applied to furnish the home-borne each in their owne countrie What of so many others some of them as fruitfull as this some more fruitfull What of their whole gouernment wherein they haue claimed a fulnes of power to doo what they list and they haue put their claime in practise What wordes may serue to vtter the spoiles which they haue made of the Church of Christ first by ordeining of the Church-officers in creating Bishops Archbishops Patriarkes and weauing palls for them in disanulling the elections of some who lawfully were chosen in graunting some who could not be chosen lawfully to haue the roomes by postulations in chopping and changing their persons from one Sée to an other by translations and their dioceses by diuisions in giuing pastours liuings away â—uer their heads by reuersions or aduowsons in shaping newe creatures Preaching Friers and Minorites and giuing them the power of pastours in dispensations with boyes dispensations with bastards dispensations with idiotes that they may haue the charge of soules dispensations with murderers with adulterers with Simoniaks that they may kepe their benefices dispensations for pluralities that one may haue twentie dispensations for non-residence that they néede neuer come vnto them to be short in reseruaes accesâ—es regresses coadiutories vnions preuentions permutations and a thousand such deuises belonging to the market of benefices and bishoprickes Secondly by dealing with the Church causes wherein they haue receyued appeales from all quarters that they might fish in troubled water they haue fetched persons a thousand miles off by citations to their consistorie they haue disturbed the peace and discipline of the Church by sending legates a latere by putting matters to their delegates by priuileging men from lawes and exempting inferiours from their superiours regiment they haue multiplied humaine decrees and made them snares to catch foules lawes that none shall mary in this or that degrée of carnall kinred or spirituall canons that men whose persons haue such or such a blemish shall not ascend to priestly orders vowes of pilgrimage of chastitie of pouertie of obedience of Nunrie Moonkry Fryery which all they haue released for money yea they haue released othes solemne othes and haue giuen licences to commit periurie they haue made sale of forgiuenes of sinnes and marchandize of mens soules they haue turned repentance
into paines of penance and penance into mines of siluer and golde they haue proclaimed Iubilees of pardons plenarie as they call them to all who came to Rome euery hundreth yeare and visited Churches there deuoutly these Iubilees they haue abridged from an hundred yeares to fiftie from fiftie to thirtie thrée from thirtie thrée to twentie fiue because all Christians came to not Rome for them they haue sent their pedlers abroad with pâ—ckes of pardons that all might buye them at their doores they haue reserued cases and crimes of greatest value as Simonie Sodomie offense of Church-liberty from which none might absolue but they and to absolue men vpon doing of penance they haue built at Rome a Papall exchange called the Penitentiarie where these absolutions are sold at certaine rates neither being satisfied by this exchaunge with the liuing they haue sold their wares vnto the dead also but the liuing must pay for them so many crownes so many soules to be forgiuen all their sinnes and rid out of the paines of purgatorie Thirdly by disposing of the Church-goods which they haue conueyed as the vniust but wise steward from the Lord to serue them selues they haue charged the liuinges of Churches and Churchmen with pensions tributes subsidies they haue exacted of them fifteenes tenthes fiftes thirdes moyities of their substance to the maintenance of warres which they haue waged with the Emperours they haue robbed benefices to enrich Abbeies by appropriations that afterwarde themselues might gleane the greater fruit of Abbeyes they haue made Prelates and such as would be Prelates to compound with them selues for palls for crosier-staues for miters for ringes for signing of billes and to compound with their seruants for writing perusing subscribing allowing conferring registring taxing receyuing keeping deliuering and for the coarde and lead wherewith their bulles are tyed and sealed they haue deuised new officers yea new heardes and companies of officers in their chauncery purposely to this intent that they might sell those roomes the which being sold for many thousand crownes they forced poore suters who came to Rome for grace or iustice to pay it by enhauncing the charges of their bulles the armie of their Registers Notaries Protonotaries Enditers Writers Abridgers Dataries Rescribendaries Accounters Soliciters Plummers Regarders Regentes Poursuiuants Clerkes of their Ceremonies Clerkes of their chamber Clerkes of their eschequer and infinite other peasantes they haue kept in wages with the price of Christians bloud they haue raised an yearely and ordinarie reuenue of first fruites of tithes of the goods of Abbats Bishops and Cardinals deceased which they haue seazed vpon as exectors and when they haue licensed them to make testaments yet haue they kept them selues a share as of euery Cardinall beside fiue hundred ducates which he payeth for his ring all his chappell-iewels ornaments and vessels whether of gold or siluer crosses candlestickes chalices Images and other such eschetes and in a word their ginnes hookes haue béene so many to get the goods of men out of al coastes into their coffers that a Roman Courtier saith the Popes eschequer is like vnto the Sea whereinto all riuers doo runne and yet it ouerfloweth not Fourthly by abusing of the Church-censures for what els should I call it when they haue vsed them as instruments of violence to compasse all that they did couet If any eyther Patrone or Bishop or Archbishop refused to commit the charge of English flockes to Roman pastors or rather woolues if any reproued the wicked sale and godlesse chaffer of their dispensations absolutions pardons if any would not yeelde to pay them such taxes as they required by their legats their marchants their collectors their nuntios spies poursuiuaÌ„ts straight as the person was so came a censure out against him either suspension from administring his office or interditement from vse of Church-seruice or excommunication from the felowship of Christians or citing him to Rome to chastise him by correption or denouncing him an heretike if he continued rebellious and then the secular power must burne him A practise so common that ordinarily the Auditour of the Popes Eschequer is autorized to excommunicate and execute other censures if the Courtisans who pay tribute for license to bee common whoores other farmers of holy rents kepe not touch in bringing in And because these censures haue not preuailed alwayes to atchieue their purposes therefore as they enlarged them against ciuill powers to purchase somewhat thence as from the king of England beside his Peter-pence a thousand markes yearely which yet was but a pety-larceny so they strengthned them against ecclesiasticall by the othe of fealty which they haue woon of Prelats to maintaine the Papacie and royalties of S. Peter Chiefly by winding in autoritie withal that they may depriue them and none may depriue Bishops but they That if Bishops will not agrée to them in all thinges when they are commanded in vertue of obedience yet for feare of léesing their liuinges and promotions yea their libertie yea their life if they be in the Popes subiection they may learne to serue their Lord. But the head of all whereby those wilde boares haue made the chiefest wast of the Lordes vineyarde is the fifth and last point their making and establishing of the Church-lawes For if they had doon and onely doon these vilanies they might séeme to haue doon them as men not as Popes and it might be hoped when one tyrant were gone the next would gouerne well But they haue confirmed the dooing of them by their lawes and procured those lawes to be receiued as canons rules of the Church-gouernment their Decretals their Clementines their Extrauagants in déed extrauagant their constitutions Apostolike and their vnruly rules of the Apostolike chauncerie The grosse intent and practise whereof is so palpable that Budaeus a learned lawier the French kinges secretarie making a complaint of the great disorder of the Popes and clergie doth lay the blame thereof vpon their lawes and iurisdiction It is growne saith he so much out of kinde from the auncient loue that where there was wont to be a motherly lappe of equitie and goodnes there seemeth now to be a shoppe of law-quarels and lewder meanes to gaine by Thence come those snares of processes and cautions of the Popes ordinances deuised to deceiue the houshold of the Lord. Thence come the punishments of sinne by the purse to the encrease of Prelates profits Thence the sacrilegious cursed sales of those things which cannot be brought into mens traffike without abomination I omit their dispensations which giue leaue for money to sinne without punishment and licence the breach of sacred lawes for filthie lucre So the holy canons and rules of church discipline made in better times to guide the life of cleâ—gie men are now become leaden rules such as Aristotle saith the rules of Lesbian building were For
it Beside that if Constantine had made this pretensed donation in déed yet cometh it short of that for proofe whereof you cite it to wéet that the temporall dominion of the Popes is much lesse now then it was almost thirteene hundred yeares since For the citie of Rome which in this donation is saide to haue béene giuen them is but a litle corner of their dominion now Hart. But if you ioyne thereto that which I added of S. Peters patrimonie belonging vnto them within two or thrée hundred yeares after Constantine it cometh home to the proofe of that which I purposed at least to the disproofe of that which your men auouch in their Centuries For although they say that this encrease of wealth in the Church of Rome began after S. Gregories time yet are they notably disproued by S. Gregorie himselfe in whose reigne as it may probably be thought the Churches possessions were more then they bée now at this present And this appeareth by sundrie of his epistles where hee maketh expresse mention of S. Peters patrimonie in Africke in Naples in Campania in Dalmatia in Fraunce in Italie in Sicilia in Sardinia and in many other countries Rainoldes You haue heard M. Hart of sir Thomas More and perhaps you haue read the historie writen by him of king Richard the third Hart. A worthie worke of a worthieman Who if he had gone through in like sorte with all our English historie we might compare with Greekes or Romans But what of that historie Rainoldes In it he reporteth that Richard was a tyrant and did vsurpe the regall dignitie vpon him selfe defrauding Prince Edward whose it was by right Doth sir Thomas More say true in this of Richard or doth he misreport him Hart. True out of question as it is apparant by all our historians who consent therein Rainoldes Yet there is a writer who saith that king Richard did not vsurpe the crowne And for proofe thereof hee bringeth forth sundrie old recordes and euidences of the house of Yorke by which it is shewed that Richard had landes in Calice in Canterburie in Kent in Northumberland in Ireland in England in Garnsey and in Iersey before Prince Edwardes time wherein â—ir Thomas More reporteth him to haue vsurped Hart. He might haue those landes while he was Duke of Glocester and not king of England Wherefore the writer who bringeth this to proue that he vsurped not the crowne disproueth not the historie of Sir Thomas More but bewrayeth his owne frowardnesse or follie Rainoldes You are the writer M. Hart. I shewed by the historie of Sigonius and others most worthie of credit that the Popes vsurped Rome and the dominion of the Roman Dukedom defrauding the Emperour of his right by treason You affirme the contrarie And for proofe thereof you alleage sundrie epistles of S. Gregorie whereby it appeareth that they had possessions in Afrike in Naples in Campania in Dalmatia in Fraunce in Italie in Sicilia and in Sardinia before the time wherein Sigonius declareth them to haue vsurped But as your selfe answered they might haue these possessions while they were Bishops and not Princes Wherefore in bringing this to proue that they vsurped not the Princedome so to terme it and temporall dominion of the Papall State you disproue not the historie of Sigonius and the rest but bewray your owne frowardnesse or follie Nay you bewray greater fautes of euil guilful dealing as you hâ—ndle it For whereas Sigonius the rest whom I cited to pâ—oue the Popes vsurping are of yâ— Popes religion therefore of greater credit against the Popes you say nought to them but name in their steed our autors of the Centuries Euen as if the writer whom I told you of being vrged with the credit of sir Thomas More and English historians should answere that although Funccius a German report in his Chronicle that Richard did vsurpe yet is he notably disproued by the euidences of the house of Yorke Againe where your conclusion ought to be resolute that the Churches possâ—ssions were more in S. Gregories time then they be now you say they were more as it may probably be thought To ouerbeare veritie with probabilitie the truth with likelihood of truth and leaue your selfe a lurking hole that although the thing be found to be false yet you may escape who vouch it not as true but probable Moreouer the time of Gregories being Bishop you terme it his reigne thereby to bréede opinion that he had the temporall dominion as they haue now Wherein that worde is vsed so much the more deceitfully because it prepareth a way to the mistaking of that which you alleage out of Gregories epistles touching S. Peters patrimonie For. S. Peters patrimonie doth signifie the temporall dominion of the Popes in that of Clemangis which you began your answere with And so by this reigne a man would take it here Whereas Gregorie meaneth the landes of the Church and Bishopricke of Rome by S. Peters patrimonie not the dominion temporall which they had not then But in these fautes you are the more excusable because you doo folow the footsteps of Genebrard whose Centurie-writers and perhaps and kingdome and sophistrie might bring you to them vnawares In the next your shame can no way be couered For whereas your lodesman hauing searched Gregories epistles of purpose for S. Peters patrimonie could finde it in no more places but in those which you rehearsed by name you thinking such flyes too small for the Pope doo adde with flat vntruth and many other countries beside that other countries is brought in so too as if Campania Naples and Italie were sundry countâ—ies where Naples is a towne Campania a shire of Italie And yet as though your dealing were sincere and sound you knit it vp thus that seeing for this which is the greatest part so good proofes may be made no doubt but the Popes can shew verie good euidence when neede shal require for sundry other verie great and large giftes which were bestowed vpon their See by diuers Princes many Nobles men and women The question is of the temporall dominion of the Popes The proofe you bring thereof from Constantine is forged from Gregorie is fond So that no part is proued yet much lesse the greatest The chiefest of the rest that Popes can shew for it is Pipines donation and the successours of Pipine In it I haue conuinced them also of vsurping who first did begge and take the territories and ditions which should haue béene restored to their old Lord the Emperour and afterwarde did vse their nâ—w Lord as a vasall and made themselues soueraines of that which was giuen them to hold in fée To be short the vanitie of this vaunt of euidence which the Popes can shew when neede shall require may be perceyued by Eugubinus their atturney generall and principall proctor in this cause Who being enflamed with a Popish deuotion to say the best that
hath ether mo Bishops or as many as al other nations haue For euery baggage-towne hath a Bishop there And these buggage-Bishops of whom there were more at the Councell of Trent then of all other nations did allow that doctrine Though neyther they perhaps allowed it in hart but were induced by Papall meanes to yéeld vnto it For the answere of Vargas touching the Popes supremacie made at Rome and published for instruction of the Councell assembled then at Trent doth shew that there was some sticking at the matter And your stories note that the Pope is fowly afraide of general Councels leaft they should hurt his State and commeth like a beare to the stake as they say when he is drawne to summon them What a doo was made before he could be brought to grant that the Councell of Trent should goe forward And while the Councell lasted he kept good rule at Rome but brake loose whē it was ended Besides it being ended twentie yeares ago there hath bene none since nether I beléeue is like to be in hast Where yet there should be one euery ten yeres by their own decrée All euident tokens that the Pope himselfe doth thinke that Bishops vnder him like not his supremacie and would cut it shorter if they might haue power and autoritie to do it Which if they would do though being sworne to maintaine it yea and to maintaine the reseruations the prouisions other excesses of it is it not manifest that they disallow it or detest it rather Hart. Our ancestours allowed it euer since the time that by S. Gregories meanes they were first conuerted to the fayth of Christ till King Harries dayes when heresie did roote it out Rainoldes Our ancestours had a reuerent opinion of the Pope long after S. Gregorie for S. Gregories sake and honoured him aboue all Bishops But when he began to reach out the pawes of his supremacie ouer thē in giuing Church-liuings and handling Church-causes and executing Church-censures they were so farre frō liking it that they made lawes against it two hundred yeres ago Euen in Queene Maries time when they restored that stoompe of his vsurped power which they had rooted out vnder King Henrie the eigth they prouided that hée should haue no more but that stoompe kept the former lawes in force against him still Wherefore though our auncestours gaue him great preeminence of honour some of power too yet the most they gaue him was but a Venice-Dukedome his Monarchie they neuer allowed to this day Which may bée sayd likewise of other Christian Churches that honoured him on like occcasiō as our neighbours of Fraunce Germanie For ech of them shewed their mislike and hatred of the Popes supremacie by supplications complaints offered to their Princes Yea Fraunce made lawes against it which might haue continued had not the Gentiles raged broken the bands a sunder And these of whose iudgements I haue spoken hitherto are such as your selues doe holde for Catholike Christians The rest Christians also though you cal them heretikes and schismatikes yet Christians the Churches of Greece and Asia in the East in the North of Moscouie in the South of Aethiopia in the West of Boheme Prouince Piemont heretofore the reformed Churches that are at this day in England Scotland Fraunce Germanie Flaunders Suitzerland and so foorth throughout Europe set lesse by the Pope then the former did That I might say iustly that except the crew of the Italian factiō wherein I comprehend the Iesuites and their complices men Italianate al Christian Churches haue condemned the Popes supremacie do till this day Wherefore if the matter were to be tried by the will of men so many thousandes of them Pastours and Doctours Synodes and Coūcels Uniuersities and Churches through all ages in all countries of al sorts and states might suffice to put the Pope from his supremacie At least they might make you to blush M. Hart who haue sayd in writing that all men did grant it him without resistance it was neuer denied him But sith it must be tried by the word of God and it is not writen in the booke of life I conclude that it is not a citizen of Ierusalem but a child of Babylon which they shall be blessed who dash against the stones And thus haue I shewed that the former point on which you refuse to communicate with vs in prayers and religion ought to bring you rather to vs then draw you from vs. It remaineth now that we sift the later of the faith professed in the Church of England Which if it be found to be the Catholike faith as in truth it will then is there no cause but you must néedes yéeld that we may go together into the house of the Lord. The tenth Chapter 1 Princes are supreme gouernours of their subiects in things spirituall and temporall and so is the othe of their supremacie lawfull 2 The breaking of the conference off M. Hart refusing to proceede farther in it HART Nay first why doe you take the supremacie from the Pope and giue it to the Prince who is lesse capable of it Rainoldes The supremacie which we take from the Pope M. Hart we giue to no mortall creature Prince nor other But the Pope hauing seazed on part of Christs right part of Princes part of Bishops part of peoples Churches as the chough in Aesope did trick vp himselfe with the feathers of other birdes the feather which the Romish chough had of our Princes we haue taken from him and geuen it to her Maiestie to whom it belonged according to the lesson of our heauenly Master Geue to Caesar the thinges which are Caesars and to God the things which are Gods Hart. It is not Caesars right to be the supreme gouernour of all his dominions in things spirituall and temporall But this is the supremacie which you giue our soueraine Lady Quéene Elisabeth Therfore you giue the Prince more thē i◠the Princes Rainoldes To haue the preeminence ouer all rulers in gouernment of matters touching God and man within his owne dominions is to be supreme gouernour of all his dominions in thinges spirituall and temporall But it is Caesars right to haue the preeminence ouer all rulers in gouernment of matters touching God and man within his owne dominions Therefore that is the Princes which we giue the Prince Hart. The Prince hath preeminence ouer al rulers within his owne dominions in gouernment of matters touching man not God For nether he nor any of the rulers vnder him may deale in them both Rainoldes They may For the ciuil magistrate is ordeined to punish them that doe euill and praise them that doe well But the euill to be punished and the good to be praised compriseth all duties not only towardes man but towards
as our ancestours vnder the Pope as Ionathan Nor was it such turpitude for the nation of the Iewes to haue had religion reformed by two Kings though in a few yeares it caused sundrie alterations as for the nation of the Romans to haue kept idolatrie without alteration vnder high Priests for a thousand yeares together Hart. Well Whatsoeuer opinion you haue of the Princes supremacie your own Centurie-writers coÌ„trol it in generall Caluin in particular the grant thereof to King Harrie For they both reproue the title of head And it is al one to be head of the Church to be chiefe gouernour of causes ecclesiasticall Rainoldes Caluin reproueth not the title of head as the Protestants graunted it but that sense thereof which Popish Prelates gaue namely Steuen Gardiner who did vrge it so as if they had meant thereby that the king might do thinges in religion according to his owne will and not â—ée theÌ„ dâ—on according to Gods wil. In like sort is the headship of the Church controlled by the Centurie-writers For they say that Princes ought not to be heads to coine formes of religioÌ„ frame new points of faith as Ieroboam did his calues So what they mislike yâ— we grant not to Princes What we grant to Princes that they mislike not Nay the Centurie-writers do giue the same supremacie to our Prince that we do nor only to ours but to al in general Which Caluin also doth Nor only hée or they but the reformed Churches whole with one consent I might say euen your owne men too Yea euen your selfe too M. Hart. For when vpon occasion of spéech that I had with you touching this poynt before we did enter into conference by writing I brought you M. Nowels answere to Dorman wherin he hath confuted pithily and plainly the cauils which your Maister blancheth out of Caluin and the ancient Fathers against the Quéenes supremacie requesting you to reade it ouer you told me hauing read it that you had mistaken our doctrinâ— of that point and that if we gaue the Prince no greater soueraintie then M. Nowell doth you did agrée with vs. Hart. Indéed I had thought so do many take it that you meant to giue as much to the Prince by the title of the supremacie as we do to the Pope Where you giue no more me thinkes by M. Nowel theÌ„ S. Austin doth who saith that Kings do serue God in this as Kings if in their own realme they coÌ„mauÌ„nd good things forbid euil not only coÌ„cerniÌ„g the ciuil state of meÌ„ but the religion of God also And thus much I subscribe too Rainoldes Wil you procéede then to the later point wherein you would proue you sayd that the faith which we proâ—esse in England is not the Catholike faith Hart. I haue proued it alredy in part For the Catholike faith is the which we professe in the Church of Rome You professe not ye. As the points that you haue touched by the way of scriptures of traditioÌ„s of merits of sacrameÌ„ts of Priesthoode of the Masse the real preseÌ„ce the worship of Saints suÌ„dry others shew But I wil coÌ„fer no farder herof vnles I haue greter assuraÌ„ce of my life Rainoldes Assurance of your life to procéede in coÌ„fereÌ„ce by Gods grace you haue At least as great assurance as hetherto you haue had But you should rather say you wil conferre no farder vnlesse you had better assurance of your cause For that is the catholike faith which the Apostles did preach to al nations The Apostles preached that which is writen in the holy scriptures Therefore that which is writen is the catholike faith But the faith which we professe is all writen The faith which we professe then is the Catholike faith And this should appéerâ— as well in other pointes as in those alreadie touched if you would sift them The Lord grant you grace to consider of it that whatsoeuer become of your life temporall you may haue assurance of eternall life through knowledge of his holy truth SIX CONCLVSIONS touching THE HOLY SCRIPTVRE AND THE CHVRCH Proposed expounded and defended in publike disputations at Oxford by Iohn Rainoldes 1 The holy scripture teacheth the Church all things necessarie to saluation 2 The militant Church may erre both in maners and in doctrine 3 The authoritie of the holy scripture is greater then the authoritie of the Church 4 The holy Catholike Church which wee beleeue is the whole company of Gods elect and chosen 5 The Church of Rome is not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the Catholike Church 6 The reformed Churches in England Scotland Fraunce Germanie and other kingdomes and common-weales haue seuered themselues lawfully from the Church of Rome Ierem. 51.9 We would haue healed Babylon but she is not healed forsake her ô children of God and let vs goe euerie one into his owne countrey TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL and reuerend in Christ the heads of Colleges and companie of students of the Vniuersitie of Oxford Iohn Rainoldes wisheth grace and peace from God the father and from our Lord Iesus Christ. WHen Anna the mother of Samuel had brought vp her child whom she had obtained of God with earnest prayers to put from her selfe the reproch of barennesse she consecrated him to God before Eli the Priest that he might liue and serue in the temple of the Lord. In like maner I desiring to consecrate to the temple of the Lord my Samuel as it were the first child of trauaile that God hath geuen to my barrennes haue thought good to present him to God before you fathers and brethren welbeloued in Christ who either are already or shall be put in trust with the charge of the temple to serue if it may any way the temple of the liuing God Perhaps a rash enterprise vndertaken somewhat more boldly then aduisedly chiefly séeing that it is so far inferior to the ripenes of Samuel And truely I haue hetherto béene stil of the minde that I had leiffer the things which I had brought foorth rather as vntimely fruites then perfit children should be kept within then come abroad into the light stay in the court of the temple then presse into the temple For I haue béen dealt with both oft and earnestly by my very frends that I would suffer to be printed and published as other sclender exercises made rather for the fence-schoole as you would say then for the field so chiefly my Orations which when I read the Gréeke lecture in our College I made to mine audience coÌ„cerning the studies of humanitie and philosophie Which yet I haue refrained to doo not of enuie for I haue addicted my selfe to wish well vnto the Church common wealth neither of vnkindnes as though I were not willing to gratifâ—e them whom I was greatly bound too but partly
opinion and sound in points of faith yea so sound and right that they think no pestilent disease may attache her no contagion infect her no spot of vnfaithfulnes any way defile her Of the which assertion they alleage the Fathers to omitte the residue men of baser credit for principall patrones And therein Andradius dealeth somewhat wisely For he dooth heape together witnesses without testimonies the geuers of euidence without euidence Austins Ieroms Basils Athanases and Chrysostoms But Sanders much more gloriously For he hath laide on such a lâ—ade of testimonies that if the sayings should be numbred and not weighed we must léese our suite no remedy But all the Fathers whom this pety-lawier produceth as speakers for the Popes monarchie doo either deny that the Church of Rome did erre or that it may erre did erre as Irenaeus In the Church of Rome that doctrine hath beene kept still which was deliuered by the Apostles may erre as Cyprian that the Romanes are they whose faith is commended and praysed by the Apostle vnto whom vnfaithfulnes can not haue accesse The former who deny that the Church of Rome did erre speake not against vs. For we doo not say that it did erre in Irenaeus time but that it dooth erre now He denyeth that it did erre we say that it dooth erre doo we gainesay one another Ierusalem is called the citie of God by the Psalmist and he is said there to be serued Esay termeth it an harlot The temple of the Lord is named the house of God the house of prayer by Salomon by Christ it is reported to be a denne of theeues Dooth Esay speake against the Psalmist or Christ against Salomon No but the Psalmist sheweth what Ierusalem was in his time Esay what in his The faithfull citie is become an harlot it was a faithfull citie but it is become an harlot Salomon teacheth what the house of God ought to be Christ what it is made You haue made it a denne of theues it was not to Salomon but you haue made it So Rome was likewise sound in the time of the Fathers but the faithfull citie is become an harlot the soundnes it hath lost it hath got a leprousie it was the house of God it is a denne of théeues it held the faith of Christ but it is fallen from it It had kept the doctrine still which was deliuered by the Apostles vntill the time of Irenaeus but that it hath kept still vntil our time the doctrin which was deliuered by the Apostles doth it thereof folow Unlesse perhaps the Popes Courtiers will proue that the whoores the Courtisans which keepe their stewes are virgins because they were virgins when they were litle babes The former Fathers then who deny that the church of Rome did erre doo not gainsay vs. The later who deny that it may erre gainsay vs in deed but they gainesay the holy Ghost too By whose inspiration the blessed Apostle exhorting the Roman church not to lift vp it selfe against the Iewes Be not high minded saith he but feare For if God spared not the natural branches take heed least he also spare not thee Behold there fore the bountifulnes and seueritie of God seueritie toward theÌ„ which haue fallen but toward thee bountifulnes if thou continue in his bountifulnes or els thou shalt also be cut off The church of Rome therefore may be cut of if cut of then erre if erre then vnfaithfulnes may haue accesse vnto it What and was Cyprian of an other minde Pardon me O Cyprian I would beléeue thée gladly but that beléeuing thee I should not beléeue the word of God But whether we should rather beléeue God or man let the Papists iudge At least if they beléeue rather man then God let them beléeue the reason and iudgement of their owne men For Sotus Alfonsus Hosius Verratus the lightes of the Papists doo witnesse that any particular church may erre But that the church of Rome is a particular church the same Verratus affirmeth nor can the rest deny it Wherefore if Cyprian did thinke that the church of Rome can not erre in that he must him selfe be condemned of errour by the Papists iudgement And so whereas all the testimonies of the Fathers are of two sortes the one of them true but cleane beside the purpose the other to the purpose enough but vntrue it foloweth that the sicknes of the Church of Rome can finde no helpe in any medicines of the Fathers What haue we then to doo with them by whom olde Rome is praysed and reported to gather together Christians to peace and repaire their faith to minister reliefe vnto the brethren the Churches to be a schoole of the Apostles a mother-citie of godlinesse a sanctified Church and such like things a number We haue to doo with new Rome whom her owne stories actes and monuments doo conuince to be a nurse of wars a parent of vnfaithfulnesse a spoyler of the brethren a worshipper of idols a seate of couetousnesse a ladie of pride a cherisher inflamer of lustes of outrages of abominations whose most louing sonne complaineth of his mother that her old fame continueth but her goodnesse is gone that her Pastours are turned into the shape of woolues the neerer you come the filthier all thinges be that trifles are giuen gold is receyued and onely money raigneth there that the Church-goods are made to serue for scoffers the altars for wantons the temples for boyes abused by vnnaturall monsters that the lawes diuine and humane are denyed men and God deceiued holinesse put to flight godlinesse despised renounced and afflicted Yet that a holy life would leade from Rome see that ye flee Though al things els be lawful there yet good ye may not be And these may séeme I hope both weightie causes and iust why the reformed Churches to come to the last Conclusion in England Scotland Fraunce Germany other kingdomes commoÌ„ wealthes haue seuered them selues from the corruption of Rome Though if this were al that it were not lawful to lead a holy life at Rome that we might not be good as Mantuan affirmeth we would haue departed from the citie of Rome as Mantuan aduiseth vs but we would not haue gone froÌ„ the Church of Rome If onely smal infirmities had craâ—ed the health of Rome in pointes of faith such as certaine did in the time of the Fathers we would haue lamented but tolerated it taking compassion of men being vnwarily fallen into a faute we would haue born their burdens But sith in the felowship of the Church of Rome it was not lawful for vs either to serue God with a holy worship or to beléeue God with a holy faith as God hath commanded sith the Church of Rome being taken with contagious diseases a frensy did put her counsellers to
there is any faute in the diall I meane in the Church for that can not be as Pighius proueth pretily but because perhaps either Christ him selfe hath tooke an other course and is altered I know not by what changeablenes of God or els the whole scripture is slipt from the point in the which it stood But let vs right woorshipfull who know that the dials and clockes doo mysse often but the course of the sunne is certaine and constant let vs make more account of the sunne then of a diall of heauen then of Plinie of the Zodiake circle then of the field of Flora of God then of men of Christ then of Pighius of the holy scripture then of the church For God forbid there should be any amongst vs so beastly a monster in the shape of man as to set vp Antichrist in the temple of God aboue God and to attribute more to any either man or multitude of men then to the Lord of maiestie But so doo they no dout who haue the Church in greater regard then the scripture For the voice of the scripture is the voice of God the voice of the Church is the voice of men Then if it be impious to set vp men aboue God doubtlesse to set vp the Church aboue the scripture it is Antichristian Nor yet doo I deny that the Churches voice is sometimes the voice of God For in appeasing the offenses and reprouing the sinnes of brethren if thy brother saith Christ refuse to heare the church let him be to thee as a heathen man and a Publican But the holy spirit that is the spirit of truth doth speake both alone and alwaies in the scripture An humaine spirit that is a spirit of errour hath a part sometimes in the spéech of the Church Both which pointes I haue proued by the word of God the euidence of the thing and the confessions of our aduersaries Why doo we not then acknowledge that the royall prerogatiue of this priuilege to bee altogither exempt from all errour is due to scripture onely and confesse as Austin doth against the Donatistes that it is peculiar and proper to the holy canonicall scripture that all things which are writen therein be true and right but the letters and writings of Bishops as of Cyprian yea the very Councels not prouinciall onely but also full and generall haue often times somewhat that may be amended I for my part doo gladly both allow this sentence of Austin and iudge it woorthy to be allowed as agréeable to the trueth And therefore I conclude the point which I proposed that the holy scripture is of greater credit and autoritie then the church Thus you haue my iudgement right learned Inceptors touching the Conclusions which are to be disputed of opened in more wordes perhaps then your wisedome in fewer then the weight of the things required But I haue waded so farre in the opening of them as I thought the Proctors might wel giue me leaue by the straitnes of time As for that which néedeth to be discussed farther I will assay to open it as well as I can if occasion serue when the aduersarie arguments shall bée proposed in disputation CONCLVSIONS HANDLED IN DIVINITIE SCHOOLE THE III. OF NOVEMBER 1579. 1 The holy Catholike Church which we beleeue is the whole company of Gods elect and chosen HE who the sea the earth the skyes made by his worde of nought Who by eternall power doth guide and rule all things he wrought Did choose from out the sonnes of men before the world was pight Such as with blessed angels aye should ioy his blisfull sight The Iewes are not the onely men that make this holy band But they are souldiers chosen out of euery toung and land Where on the south the mightie prince of Abissines doth raigne Where on the north the coasts do lye that looke to Charles waine Where Phaebus with his glistring beames doth raise the dawning light And sinking in the westerne seas doth bring the darksome night The fleâ—h can not by natures light such hidden truthes pursue But Christian faith by light of grace this Catholike Church doth vew 2 The Church of Rome is not the Catholike Church nor a sound member of the catholike Church THey do not well who shut the world within the Roman boundes Christs Church is spred through al the earth without restraint of mounds Rome was I grant a faithfull branch of this renowned vine Rome was a myrrour that in grace in zeale in loue did shine Rome was commended farre and wide for faith in Christ his name For Peters doctrine taught and kept Rome was of worthy fame But where Rome was now ruines are The Capitoll is sâ—ooried The grouÌ„d is bathde in Christians blood whoÌ„ Romish woolues haue wooried Her Churches are with idoles stained her guides with maners vile Whom lustfull traines and wicked hearts and beds vnchast defile O thrise vnhappie Babylon that Sions spoyle doost woorke Under the noble name and hue of Sion wouldest thou lurke 3 The reformed churches in England Scotland France Germany and other kingdomes common wealthes haue seuered them selues lawfully from the church of Rome A Place of haunt for deuils and sprits is Babylon waxt saith Iohn Art thou desirous to be saued from Babylon be gon The names and trickes of Babylon Rome on it selfe doth take Then if ye séeke eternall life sée that ye Rome forsake This haue the noble Germanes done bidding the Pope a dieu England hath followed Germany Romes thraldome to eschew Beholde the Lord hath called on the Flemish French and Dane And Scotland hath escaped eke the Papall deadly bane O that the remnant of the world by faith to Christ were knit And Princes to the Prince of all their scepters would submit Build vp O Lord O father deare the church and Sions for t That vnto thée from Babylon thy people may resort AMongst many singular benefits of God bestowed vpon our Vniuersitie fathers and brethren which may be very fruitfull to the aduancing of Gods glory and saluation of the Church if they be well husbanded there is scarse any more excellent in my iudgement then that it is ordered that the truth giuen by inspiration of God and registred in the Scripture should be not expounded onely by publike lectures but also proued by disputations A woorthy and profitable ordinance no doubt and most méete for schooles which serue to traine vp Christians that is for schooles of God For what can there be more pretious then the truth which teacheth vs the knowledge of God the way to life And what more conuenient to strengthen the truth then to haue it proued by discussing the reasons brought of both partes For as golde being digged out of the veines of the earth is seuered from earthy substance mixt therewith by the mettall-workemen knocking it together and as husbandmen are wont to sift wheat from the chaffe by winowing that it may be fit to nourish the body
fruites and other policies of the Popes to the end that he and his Courtly traine may be more rich in wealth more galant in brauery more high in Princely state Hath not all Christendome borne to their griefe the yoke of the ambition and couetousnes of Rome which crieth out like Iudas what wil ye geue me There is extant in print the defense and Apologie of the Church of England shewing fresh markes of the Roman tyranny wherewith our countrie hath béen seared as with a hote burning yron There is extant a supplication of the parlament of Paris wherein the Frenchmen request their king to ease them of the cursed extortions iniuries and guiles of the Court of Rome There are extant the hundred greeuances of Germany whose complaints writen as it were with their own blood doo shew with what outrage the Sée of Rome hath throwen down oppressed brused and spoyled that most noble nation There are extant infinite bookes of lamentations writen by lerned men of al coastes quarters in the middest of the Papacy confessing all with one consent that the discipline of the church is greatly decayed The Papistes themselues in the Councell of Trent doo not confesse it onely but also witnesse it by publike writing to the world There was gathered together a Councell at Constance about an eight score yéeres since that the church might be reformed both in the head and in the members The matter not being accomplished at Constance was enterprised againe at Basill But Eugenius the fourth who was Pope then could not abide the reformation and therefore reuoked the Councell of Basill by messages and bulles which sith they disobeied he brake it vp by force of armes And whereas there was made an act by the French king with his States that sundry decrees and ordinances of that Councel should be of force in France the Popes who succéeded Eugenius neuer rested till they had gotten that act repealed The last hope remained in the Councell of Trent and truely many things were decréed there for points of reformation wisely and worthily But thrée spots of mischiefes touched by Heruetus a Papist of so much the greater weight his testimonie is against Papists doo renue the old corruptions one that the decrees although they were made were not obserued yet another that although they should be obserued yet they are not such as might restore fully the ancient good orders the last that although they restored the ancient orders yet doo they litle good because the Pope is not bound to lawes him selfe and he dispenseth with whom he list so that medicines heale not the wounds but make them woorse as long as the Pope may repeale alter peruert and breake through the decrees of the Councell with his dispensations And out of all dout that detestable clause annexed to decrees of reformation in the Councell prouided alwaies that the Popes autoritie be safe and no way preiudiced dooth shew the Roman Church to be not onely sick but also past hope of recouering her health For as in mens bodies the greater the spleene waxeth the lesser waxe the rest of the members they say so the more safe the Popes autoritie is the lesse safe will all parts of the Church be The Court of Rome with poyson strōg infected to destroy With the contagion of her sores dooth countries all anoy Wherfore to knitte vp the summe of my reason séeing it is manifest by the very euidence of the things themselues that nether the faith of Christ is taught purely nor the sacraments rightly ministred nor prayers made religiously nor discipline duely practised in the Church of Rome if the former reason of causes séeme too weake yet is it fully proued I hope by the effects that the Church of Rome is no sound member of the Catholike church How much more absurde were it to count her the Catholike Church The Church of Rome therefore is neither the Catholike nor a sound member of the Catholike Church I haue stayed longer in opening this Conclusion then I had purposed but I may runne ouer the last so much the more speedily For knowing how the Church of Rome is infected with pestilent diseases the contagion whereof as the lepers sore because it is daungerous to them who dwell neere it must therefore be remoued out of the campe of the faithfull we may be assured that the reformed Churches in England Scotland Fraunce Germanie and other kingdomes common weales haue seuered themselues lawfully from the Church of Rome For that is done lawfully which is done by the warrant of the word of God all whose commaundements are righteousnesse saith the Prophet But the reformed Churches obeyed his commandement in seuering themselues from the Church of Rome Therefore they seuered themselues from the Church of Rome lawfully For as ecclesiasticall societies and Church-assemblies were ordained by God that his elect and chosen should seeke him and praise him that is learne to know him and worship him being known so where his right faith and knowledge is not taught or he is not serued and worshipped aright thence doth he commaund his seruants to depart To depart first from that Church-assemblie where his right faith and knowlege is not taught the charge is giuen to Timothee Whom S. Paul aduertising of such as taught other doctrine then he did and not the wholesome words of Christ and godly doctrine declareth the qualities and fruites of those woolues and biddeth him depart from them from such sayth Paul depart thou depart thou frō their assembly and Church For so must such teachers be departed from as himselfe declared by his example at Ephesus Where he frequented the synagogue of the Iewes for the space of three moneths But when certaine obstinate disobedient persons spake euill of the way of God before the multitude he departed from them and separated the disciples So that hée seuered not himselfe onely but others also from that Church wherein the way of God was euill spoken of and men were not taught to know and beléeue in him aright Now that we must likewise depart from that Church wherein God is not serued and worshipped aright it is writen to the Corinthians Who being admonished to flee from idolatrie and from al communion with idolatrous worship are charged not to yoke thēselues with idolaters in their assemblies méetinges For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse light with darkenesse Christ with Belial the faithful with the infidell the temple of God with idols Wherfore come out from among them and separate your selues sayth the Lord. Separate your selues from them sayth the Lord the Lord sayth not I. The Lord sayth to the Iewes go ye not vp to Beth-auen not Hosea but the Lord sayth It is called Beth-el but it is
â— Deut. 14.3 u Dan 5.4 Rom. 14.21 1. Cor. 10.20 Leu. 1â— 43 x Dan. 1.10 y Leu. 11.44 z Dan. 1. â—â— a Iohan. Lud. â—â—uis commenâ—ar in Aâ—gâ—stinum de ciuitate Deâ— b Epist. ad Regem Henricum octaâ—um c lib. â—8 cap. 43. d lâ—b 12. cap. 1◠〈◊〉 16. cap. 3â— lib. 18. c. 44. e lib. 8. cap. 27. f lib. 18. cap. 31. g lib. 15. cap. 13. h lib. 16. cap. 37. i lib. 17. cap. 5. k lib. 8. cap. 27. l lib. 18. cap. 2â— m lib. 3. cap. 31· n lib. 2. cap. 13. lib. 19. c. 12 o lib. 1â— cap. 11. 24. lib. 13. caâ— 1. lib. 18. cap. 18. lib. â—0 cap. 16. 〈◊〉 21. â—ap 7. p Of Plantineâ— print at Anwerpe in the yeare of Christ 1576. q Iudg. 16.19 r Printed at Louan by Wellaeus in the yeare 1568. s Annot. in 24. August 27. Decembr t In 30. Iun. u In 5. Mai. x In Censura D. Hessels y In praefat ad Vsuaâ—d Martyrolog cap. 20. z In 25. NoueÌ„b a In praefat poâ—ster edit Vsuard ad lectoreÌ„ b In Vsuarde printed lately at Anwerpe by Nutius c Sixt. Senensis biblioth sanct lib. 2. Claud. Espencaeus de continent lib. 5. cap. 5. d In the yeare of Christ. 1559. e De occident Imper. l. 3. 4. f lib. 3. g lib. 4. * Nescis ab perdita necdum Laomedouteae sentis periuria gentiâ— h 2. Thes. 2.4 i Psal. 82.1 k Rom. â—3 1 l The Iesuit Robert Bellarmin in his Roman lectures Controuer 4. part 2. quaestion 3. Wherein the rest folowe hâ—m after their common doctrine of the Popeâ— supremacie 1 As Pope Innocentius the third dooth c. solâ—tae de maioritaâ—e obedientia 2 As the Rheâ—mists doo in their Annot. on Heb. 5. â— 3 As Sanders Bristow Surius and all the Papists doo in maintenance of the Popes Bulls against Princes m Sigebertus Monachus Genâ—blacenâ—is n Sander de visib monarch eccles lib. 8. demonstrat 3. quód Papa noÌ„ sit Antichrist o Campian Ration 7. p In Chronico ad annuÌ„ Christi 1088. * Haec sola nouitas non dicam haeresis q Dan. 3.12 r Psal. 2.11 s 2. King 23.13 t Psal. 5.7 The first Diuision a Morton into EnglaÌ„d Sanders into Ireland Sander viâ—ib Monarc lib. 7. Sâ—nders lâ—tters to D. Allen â—lâ—ick Burke Geneb â—â—d Chronogr lib. 4. b Bristow Demaund 41. â—otiâ—â— 31. d Deman 4â— The narration of the 〈…〉 â—oome â—ulla Piâ— Quint. anno 156â— as Bristow saith Dem. 41. g Narrat of the Englâ—sh Semin in Roâ—â—e h Ecclesiaâ—â— 1â— vers 12. * ver 10. 11. i 1. Pet. 1.11 12. k Ephes. 4.8 11. l Ioh. 3. â—4 m Rom. 12.3 Epheâ— 4 â— Principior fidei doctrinaliuÌ„ demonstrat method o De Sacramentis in gen de sacram sacrific â—â—charist p Dialog sex contr summi Pontificat c. oppugnatores ab Alâ—no Copo editi q In the end of the booke after the last dialogue A. H. L. N. H. E. V. E. A. C. that is to say Autor huius libri Nicolaus Harpsfieldâ—eum vero edidit Alanus Copus r Summ. Theolog in Magistr Sent. s â—â—ctata Robâ—râ— Politan in Summ. Theolog â—hom Aqu. Conâ—ess Auguâ—tin Hieroâ—â—â— Toâ—â—en 〈◊〉 Paâ—is 1â—80 u 〈◊〉 Conâ—â—ss Augusti ad Lector Opus catechisticum Pet. Canii Iesuit The second Diuision y Ephes 1 2â— z Colos. 2.19 * Staplet principior doctr lib. 6. cap. 16. * Suo imperio a Pope Boniface the 8. c. vnam sanctam extra De maioâ—it obedient b Mat. 28.20 c 1. Cor. 12.21 d Luc. 17.10 e Reginald Pol. Card. pro ecclesiast vnitat defens ad Henric. octau lib. 1. f Iesuit in epist. Iapon lib. 2. 4. g The epistle to the Councell see before the epistle of the persecution of Catholicks in England Acâ— 4.4 i 1. Cor. 12. veâ—s 14. 20. k ver 21. 25. l ver 27. and 28. m vers 31 the 13. 1â— chapters n ver 21. o ver 27. p ver 28. first Apostleâ— e Esai 9 1â— * Suo 〈◊〉 f Ephes. 4.12 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 g c. Ita Domiâ—us Distinct. 19. * Cited out of Leo in the Rhemish traÌ„slatioÌ„ of the new Testament to proue Peters primacie in the annot on Mat. 16. ver 18. h Leo Epist. 87. * About the yere of Christ 440. i Rom. 7 18. k 1. Cor. 8.1 l Mat. 20.22 * Marc. 3.17 m Socrat. histor eccle lib. 7. cap. 11. Ammian Marcell histor lib. 27. * About the yeare of Christ 370. n 3. Iohn ver 9. o Cic. in Hortens p Leo sermon 1. in anniuers die assumpt suae q Epist. 87. r Epist. 61. s Epist. 50. t Epist. 62. u Epist. 87. x Ser. 2. in anniuer die assumpt suae y Serm. 3. in aniuer die assumpt suae z Epist. 45. a Ibid. b Epist 87. Sermon 1. in ann die assump suae c Epist. 87. d Epist. 24. e Epist. 4. f Platina de vit Pont. in Iohan. sept g Helmoid in Chronic. Slauerâ— lib. 1. cap. 81. h Pope Innocent the third Extra c. per venerabilem qui filij sintlegitimi * Bernard de consid ad Eug. lib. 2. i Abb. Vrsperg in Chron. Hen. quint. Onuphr de septem vrb eccles in Palat. Lateranensi k Greg. Regist. lib. 4. Epist. 34. l lib. 7. Epist. 69. m Platina de vitis Pont. in Greg. Sept. n Popes in their letters sub anulo piscatoris As Gregory the 13. in approbat sodalit B. Mari. o Pope Innocent the fourth extra cap. Maiores de baptism eius effect p Onuphr de sept vrbis ecclesi cap. 1. q Denarius Beati Petri. Eccles. Anglican in concil Lugdun apud Mat. Paris in Henr. 3. r Francisc. Vargas de episcopor iurisdict Pont. Max. autori proposit 4. confirmat 4. s Campian Rat. 4. * Summum honorem primae sedis episcopo id 〈◊〉 Petro deferes De autoritate pontificis ad Stanislaum Oâ—â—cho * Petrus Romanus * Ioh. 1.44 u Ioh. 17.11 x Ioh. 20.15 * Domine as Leo Domini mei * c. Ego Ludoâ—icus distinct 63. c. non qualâ—â— â— q. 1. y Beda ecclesiast histor gen Anglor lib. 3. cap. 25. * Ego vobis dico quia hic est ostiarius ille cui ego contradicere no lo. z Brist motiu 24. Staplet in his English Bede Note saith he the conclusion of the king a Do for vs that S. Peter may forgiue your sins Gregory to the Empresse Regist. lib. 4. ep 34. b S. Peters successor c S. Peters Keyes d S. Peters banner Genebrard Chronograph lib. 4. append e Representing the keyes as giuen onely to Peter f c. Sic omnes Distinct. 19. g Pope Agatho in epist. Sext. Synod ConstaÌ„t act 4. h c. in memoriam distiâ—ct 19. i c. Constantinuâ— Distinct. 96. k Sacraâ— ceremon
of S. Cecilies parish and perpetuall administrator of the Archbishopricke of Yorke And Aeneas Siluius Bishop of Siena when he was made Cardinall Deacon must be called not Bishop but Cardinall Siluius Deacon of S. Eustaces and elect Bishop of Siena A shift somewhat straunge and such as a while the Popes themselues were ashamed off at least they vsed it sparingly vntill the time of Clemens the fifth He when the yse was broken did wade more boldly through And after him his successours who staide in France as he did and set the Sée of Rome in the citie of Auinion did bring it to a common practise in so much that none almost was made Cardinal who had not a Bishopricke either in title or in commenda or in perpetuall administration So by these deuises which all were inuented by the Popes at Auinion they had now disfurnished many Churches of Bishops to furnish in word the Church of Rome with Priestes and Deacons in déede the Court of Rome with rich and mightie Cardinals Yet this is the least parte of that abomination of desolation which they haue set in the holy places For vnder pretense that it is their duetie to sée that all Churches be prouided of fitte pastors they haue reserued Church-liuings when and which they listed to their own bestowing and them haue they seazed on to maintaine the port of their Cardinals too This was not onely done but also professed to be done to that ende by Clemens the sixth Who hauing made new Cardinals reserued the benefices in England that were void and should be void next besides Bishoprickes Abbeies to the summe of two thousand markes and for them he prouided two Cardinalls to be their pastours Whereof when stay was made by king Edward the third who seeing how the Church and realme were both decayed by thoâ—e prouisions for aliens did inhibit them to bee seâ—uâ—d Pope Clemens wrote vnto him that hauing lately made newe Cardinalls of the Church of Rome he could not with reason but prouide for them as it was seemely for their state this he had doon by prouiding benefices which either were presently voide or should be after vnto a certaine summe for two of them in England for the rest in other kingdomes and coastes of Christendome through all the which almost hee had made the like prouision for new Cardinalls neither amongst them all had found any rebellion so he termed it saue this in England onely The Cardinals which Clemens had then made were twelue Two of them he furnished with so many benefices as should be woorth two thousand markes I cannot say precisely what number that might be But it must be noted that as the rate of money and price of thinges hath growen a benefice worth thrée hundred markes or better now was then not worth a hundred neither did the Pope choose the fattest benefices but such as next came to the net and hee meant his Cardinals should haue that pension cléere besides their farmers shares and vicars or curates So that the two Cardinals by probable coniecture might haue an hundred benefices before they had their yearely two thowsand marke pension But let it be eightie seuentie sixtie let it be fiftie or if that séeme too much let it be fortie The Pope did prouide as for them so for the rest who being ten mo must haue two hundred by proportion Which proportion if it be drawne to all nay to halfe nay to a quarter of the Cardinals whom Clemens and his successours haue made sith that time for these twelue score yeares the number of parishes will rise to many thousandes which they haue laide waste as flockes without pastors to maintaine the state of their Cardinals onely Yet this is but a part of that abomination of desolation which they haue set in the holy places For as though the profits of so many Churches were too small a liuing for the Priestes and Deacons of the Court of Rome they haue gone forwarde from pluralities of benefices to pluralities of bishopricks And vnder the colour of commending as they name it that is commiting them to some of trust for a time till good and godly Bishops might bee prouided for them they haue put two Bishoprickes vnto one Cardinall yea sometimes three yea foure yea fiue yea some times sixe Cardinall Hippolytus who plucked out the eyes of the Lord Iulius his owne naturall brother because a damsell whom hee loued did loue his brother more then him and confessed to him that it was the beautie of his brothers eyes wherewith she was so rauished this Cardinall being deacon of S. Lucies in Rome Archpriest of S. Peters had the Bishoprickes of Milan Capua Strigonium Agria Mutina and Ferrara Of the which sixe three be Archbishoprickes of sundrie kingdomes and dominions Milan of Lombardie Capua of Naples Strigonium of Hungarie distant ech from other some hundreds of miles the other three are somewhat neerer to their felowes one in Hungarie two in Italie But if the Popes haue taken sixe dioceses and prouinces lying so farre a sunder and made them all desolate of Bishops and Archbishops to maintaine one Cardinals pompe and him a Deacon what hath the desolation béene which they haue brought on dioceses and prouinces that might bee ioyned more fitly to maintaine the rest and them of higher calling as Cardinall Priestes and Bishops Yet behold a greater abomination of desolation then this nay then al these which I haue touched hitherto For the liuinges of the Cardinals with auailes thereto belonging were great of themselues and did perhaps content some or if they did not yet the number of those caterpillers was small in comparison But the Popes had other hungrie knightes about them kinsmen officers seruants retainers vasals hangers on and all the rable of their Court whose liuingâ—s were not crummes of the Cardinals tables whose number was as the grashoppers which couered the face of Egipt And they were also made pastors of Churches not to féede them but to sléese them by the same conueyances of Papall reseruations commendaes prouisions and other such Egyptian tâ—ickes An example of it in our English Chronicles of Henry the third in whose dayes the Pope enioyned by one mandate to the Bishops of Canterburie Lincolne and Sarisburie that they should prouide for thrée hundred Romans in benefices next â—â—cant and they should giue no benefice vntill they had pâ—ouided for so many competently But what speake I of thrée hundred The Romans and Italians were multiplyed so within a fewe yeares in English church liuings by Gregorie the ninth much but more by Innocentius the fourth thâ—t when the king caused a vewe thereof to bee taken throughout the whole realme the summe of their reuenues was found to be yearely thrée score thousand markes to the which summe the yearely reuenues of the crowne of