A GODLYE SERMON Preached before the Queens most excellent Maiestie vpon the 17. 18. 19. verses of the 16. Chapter of S. Mathew VVherein is contained the conclusion of a Dialogue betweene Christ and his Disciples Shewing breefely that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doth challenge to himselfe is vnlawfully vsurped Very necessarie for these perilous times wherein the simple may perceiue their intollerable impietie vsurping that office and action which euer appertayned vnto Christ only Published at the request of sundry godly and well disposed persons ¶ Imprinted at London by Iohn Windet for Iohn Perin and are to be sold at his shop in Paules churchyard at the sign of the Angel A godly Sermon preached before the Queenes most excellent Maiestie vpon the 17. 18. 19. verses of the 16. Chapter of S. Matthewe Matth. Chap. 16. vers 17. 17 And Iesus answered and said to him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my Father which is in heauē 18 And I say also vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not euercome it 19 And I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen THese words which I haue read right honourable beloued in our Sauioure Christ containe the conclusion of a Dialogue betwéene Christ and his disciples For we read immediatly before in the thirtéenth verse of this sixtéenth Chapter that when Iesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi our Sauiour Christ partly to make tryall of the faith knowledge and profiting of his disciples hauing bene now so long taught by him and séene so great wonderfull miracles and partly to learn whether they conceiued any better of him than the common multitude as also to cause them to make a confession of their faith and beliefe in him in which he might strengthen and confirme them against al troubles and persecutions that were after to ensue he demaunded of them all this question whome do men say that I the sonne of man am Answere was made by them that some said he was Iohn Baptist Matth. 14.2 for so surmised the Herodians as apeareth in the 14. of this Gospel Where it is sayde that when Herod the Tetrarch who had beheaded Iohn Baptist heard of the fame of Iesus he said vnto his seruaunts this is Iohn Baptist that is risen againe from the dead and therefore great workes are wrought by him Some said he was Elias being deceiued partly by the Prophecie of Malachie misvnderstoode who had prophcied that Eliah the Prophet should be sent before the comming of the great and fearfull day of the Malach. 4.5 Lord partly by the like spirite they perceiued in Christ that was in Elias as the frée libertie of rebuking vices in the scribes and Pharisées the power of working miracles raising vp the dead to life againe as Elias did Some other thought him to be Hieremias because he bare a figure of Christ and for that it was saide of him Beholde this day haue I set thee ouer the nations and ouer the kingdomes Ierem. 1.9 to plucke vp and to roote out and to destroye and throw downe to build and to plant which was in verie déede truely to be perfourmed in Christ And they that thought him none of these yet because of his doctrine for he taught them as hauing authoritie Matth. 7.29 not as the Scribes and for his life and miracles they accounted him as one of the Prophets Christ hearing this to drawe out a more certaine and excellent confessiō out of his disciples than this was he further demaunded of them all but whome say ye that I am as though he should haue said whatsoeuer other men do thinke of mée or howsoeuer they be distract in opinions you who ought to haue better knewledge of mée whome do ye thinke me to be Then aunswered Simon Peter in the name of al the rest thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Christ reioycing at this true perfect and constant confession that Peter had made as it were in recompence and commendation therof he burst out into these words Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reueiled it vnto thee but my father which is in heauen c. Which wordes are euen the conclusion of that Dialogue betwéene Christ and his disciples and do containe the approbation and commendation of Peters confession In the which many things do offer them selues to our considerations but for this present time and occasion in these thrée verses thrée especiall pointes may be here obserued by vs. The first from whence Peter had this knowledge faith of Christ that he was the sonne of the liuing God Secondarily what is the foundation and rocke whereupon the Church of God was built Thirdly what the power authoritie commission was that is giuen vnto Peter in this place The first point is declared in the first verse of this text by two meanes first by remouing and denying those things which might séeme to be the cause yet are not as flesh and bloud Secondarily by expressing the true and perfect cause which was the reuelation of Almightie GOD. For the first by flesh and bloud is meant here the nature of man and all his giftes that he hath naturally as his wit vnderstanding and wil for so it is taken in sundrie other places of the holie Scriptures as in the first of Saint Iohns Gospell Ioan. 1.12 where he saith that such as receiued Christ they were borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man but of God And in the first to the Galathians Galath 1 1◠where he testifieth that when it pleased God to reueale his sonne in him that he shoulde preach him among the Gentiles he communicated not with flesh and bloud and in like manner in the sixth to the Ephesians Ephes 6.12 exhorting vs to put on all the armour of God that we might be able to stande against the assaultes of the diuell because we wrestle not against flesh bloud but against principalities and powers c. In which places as in diuerse others also by flesh and bloud is meant nothing but the nature of man and whatsoeuer is in him by his naturall birth and procreation so that this phrase and manner of spéech vsed of our Sauiour Christ here in this place doth signifie and declare vnto vs that this knowledge of Christ confession of faith which Peter made he had it not of himself neither by any meanes of man but from aboue by the manifestation and reuelatiō of God who had opened this great mysterie and giuen him this faith This doctrin ouerthroweth the iudgement and opinion of the
are not possible for man to vtter yet did he not therefore broche anye new reuelations or dreames but confirmed his doctrine by the testimonie of the law and the Prophets He exhorteth his scholer Timothie 1. Tim. 4.13 to giue attendance vnto reading to exhortation to doctrine to learning and to continue therein to saue himselfe and them that should heare him God reuealed vnto Peter and the rest of the Apostles that he was the sonne of the liuing God but by preaching so vnto Cleophas and the other Disciple going to Emaus Luc. 24.45 expounding the Law and the Prophets hée opened the doctrine of his passion God opened the heart of Lidia conuerted her vnto Christianitie but by Paules ministerie Wherefore although God reuealeth all thinges Act. 16.14 yet is not the spirite to be seuered from the word neither yet the word from the spirite God doth vse both these instruments ioyntly And thus much for the first part The second point I sayd we had to consider was what the foundation and rocke is wherevpon the Church of God is builte for that is expressed in the 18 verse Thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will builde my Church and the gates of hel shal not ouercome it Concerning the true meaning and sence of these wordes what it is that Christ appointeth to be that rock wherevpon he will build his Church there is no small variance betwéen vs and the church of Rome We according to the tenor of the rest of the scriptures and circumstance of the place affirme that Christ by this word Petra a Rocke meaneth that whiche Peter confessed whiche was Christe himselfe But the Popishe Cleargie to establishe the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome and his superioritie power and dominion ouer all other churches hath applied this saying of our Sauioure Christ vnto Peter alone making him that Rocke whereof Christ here speaketh against which the gates of Hell cannot preuaile affyrming that Christ in this place hath giuen by these wordes a certayne chiefetie and preheminence to Peter aboue all other Apostles and made him the foundation and heade of his church here in earth and his vicar generall for the gouernmente thereof enduing him with especiall power and authoritie aboue all others Whiche exposition as also Article of Religion to bee most vntrue being the mayne poste of their religion and suche an Article of fayth the whiche who beléeueth not as they saye cannot bée saued and this place being vsed of them all especiallye aboue all others as the cheefest for the confirmation of the Supremacye and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome it shall not bee amisse being apparante sithens this Progresse that howsoeuer this Doctrine hath bene heretofore beaten downe that notwithstanding it remayneth rooted in many mens mindes it shall be expedient to shew and declare this their interpretation to be erroneous and their collection vaine and friuolous Which I will doe first by the very words and circumstaunce of the place Secondly by that this their exposition is contrarye to the expresse wordes of the Scripture and rules of Fayth Thirdely by the opinion and practise of the Apostles And last of all by the iudgement and interpretation of the antient and learned Fathers and practise of their age Firste that euen the verye wordes of the Texte do argue that when Christ sayth vppon this Rocke I will builde my Church by this worde Petra a Rocke hée meaneth not the person of Peter the Apostle but that which Peter confessed which was Christe it maye appeare by this in that it pleased the holye Ghoste the Euangelist shoulde alter and chaunge the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when as hee mighte haue vsed the selfe same worde to expresse that their meaning to make Peter the Rock wherevpon he would build his church for although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe agrée in significatiō in that both of them by interpretatiō doth signifi a stone or rock yet the alteration chāge of the word in propriety of spéech termination in gender in construction of persō doth import that the holy ghost by these diuerse words would mean a diuers thing For the one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nomen atticum after the proprietie of the Attike tongue the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is nomen communis linguae after the propriety of the vulgar tōgue the one word is the masculine gender the other the feminine the persō in cōtruction differeth for from the second person he goeth to the third he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpō thée Peter but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon this rock By this varietie and change it is plain the Euangelist ment to expresse some diuerse thing otherwise it néeded not to haue made any alteration at all there is no doubte therefore but the holye ghost vpon purpose did alter and chaunge the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen to auoyde that erroure that mighte bée gathered thereof if Christe woulde haue taughte vs in this place so weightye an Article of oure Fayth as that is as they make it that Peter muste bée the Heade of the Churche vppon whome excepte wée bée builte we cannot bée saued hée woulde not in declaration thereof so haue varied from his ordinarie name hée gaue him séeing it mighte so well haue serued the turne and by whiche hée mighte playnely haue declared this grounde of Fayth Wherefore by the worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is meante not the Person of Peter but Christe whome Peter confessed and beléeued on For whiche cause Peter immediatelye before in the former verse was pronounced blessed by our sauioure Christe for that GOD had opened and reuealed vnto him that Christe was the sonne of the liuing GOD and further for the knowledge and beleefe hereof hée did not onely terme him blessed but hée also gaue him another name that whereas before hée was called Simon Bar Iona hée shoulde nowe bée named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a Rocke according as hée had promised in the firste of Iohn because hée knewe and beléeued in the Rocke vpon whiche not onlye hée but the whole Churche of GOD shoulde bee builte For hée was so named of Christ not because hée shoulde bée Petra the rock wherevppon the Congregation of God shoulde bée builded but hée was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because hee was builte vpon that Rocke whereon the Churche should be founded Petra whiche is the Rocke as Augustine August serm 21. de verbo domini sayth hath not his name of Peter but Peter of Petra the Rocke as Christ hath not his name of a Christian but a Christian of Christe Ierom in 8. Math. and Sainte Ierome affirmeth that Peter had his name of Petra whiche is Christ whiche name agréeth not onely to the person of Peter but vnto all Christians and faythfull people which beléeue
the same Epistle of his flesh his bones for saith he Christ nourisheth and cherisheth his Church Ephe. 5.30 because we are members of his bodie flesh and bones wherefore if the Church be the bodie of Christ and God hath appointed Christ to be the head thereof and that head be of the same nature and substance of the same flesh and bone the rest of the bodie is what cause is there to make any other head except we should thinke either that one head not to be sufficient to giue life and to rule the bodie or to be too mightie and of too great rule and authoritie and therefore do adioyne another thereunto as when two Consuls or Caesares be created of one place the one to abridge the others power and might But neither of these inconueniences can be feared in Christ and therfore we néede not to assigne another head to his bodie Besides the head of the Church is that part of the bodie which giueth life nourisheth and augmenteth the whole bodie of the faithfull vnto eternall life but who doth or can performe this but onely Christ euen as a man cherisheth his own flesh so nourisheth he the Church which consisteth of his own flesh and bone as the Apostle Paul testifieth he therefore is the onely head There is the same reason betweene Christ and his church that is betwéene man and wife as the same Apostle testifieth for as the husbande is the wiues head so Christ is the head of the church as the church is in subiection to Christ so the wiues to their husbands As Christ loued his church so wiues their husbands As wiues are their husbandes flesh so is the church the flesh of Christ So that then he that is the head of the church is the husband and spouse thereof For therefore he is the head because he is the husband but there is but one husband therefore whosoeuer shall make any other head of the church then Christ must also make another husbande if another husband then an adulterer and the church an harlot for one wife cannot haue two bridegromes or husbandes Paul sayth of the Corinthians I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure virgin to Christ Iohn Baptist in the Euangelist Iohn sayeth he is the bridegrome his Apostles be the only ministers frinds of the bridegrome they are only the makers of the mariage betwéen Christ his church How can Peter then be accounted as the head of Gods church Christ himselfe being the head and the husband thereof Let him therefore be estéemed as a minister frinde of the spouse as Christ himselfe hath termed him and all the rest of the Apostles and no further And surely it is not lightly to be regarded that after Christ had said to Peter thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church whereby they would establish a chiefetie preheminence giuen him ouer all other the Apostles and congregation of God arising this controuersie among them which of them should be the greatest and that euen then when he was readie to go to suffer depart from them supposing as it shoulde séeme after the departure of Christ some one of them should be chief and beare rule ouer the rest euen then our Sauiour Christ beateth downe vtterly that conceite and imagination of theirs shewing that rule and soueraintie belongeth vnto Kings and Princes The Kings of the Gentiles they reigne they beare rule they are called gratious Lordes But ye shal not be so it shal not be so among you whosoeuer wil be the chiefe among you let him be your seruaunt and he setteth himselfe an example before them that he came not to haue seruice done vnto him but to serue and to giue his life for the redemption of many Hereby although it were the especiall purpose of our Sauiour Christ to take away that ambition which reigned in his disciples by reason they dreamed to obtaine by him an earthly and terrestriall kingdome notwithstanding being so often occasioned to declare thorough their desire of soueraintie and rule and especially before his death passion whome after his death he would leaue his deputie and vicegerent of whome they should depende and be gouerned it may giue iust occasion to thinke that as when he was conuersant with them in flesh he would not giue any supremacie or preheminence to any one more than to another but made them all equall so also after his ascension he would haue them so continue especially the reason of Christ being such as is appliable to the whole course of this life This strife and contention would not haue risen if they had knowne at any time Christ had appointed Peter their chiefe gouernour or else might easily haue béene ended if aunswere had béene made by Christ that Peter was he who shoulde be in his stead after his death But what if this doctrine of theirs be contrary to the groundes of our faith shall we think then their interpretation to be true if Peter be the rocke wheron the church is to be built then must the church also beléeue in Peter for the church cannot be built but by faith and beliefe but to beléeue in Peter is to ascribe that to the creature which onely is to be yelded vnto the creatour and therefore it cannot want great impietie to giue this vnto Peter which they doe Besides the church of God containeth the whole companie of the faithful euen from the beginning of the worlde vnto the ende why then if Peter be the rocke of the whole and vniuersall church of Christ then must the faithfull that were before Peter was born be founded vpon Peter and depend on him as their head but to affirme that I think cannot want absurditie therefore except you will make euen the visible church of God to haue had many visible heads this their assertion must prooue but a vaine imagination If we further call to minde that which Paul writeth of Peter that hee was the Apostle of the Iewes onely and Paul himselfe the Apostle of the Gentiles can Peter be accounted the foundation and head of the vniuersall church when as to preach vnto the Gentiles belonged not to him this reason driueth Cardinall Poole into such streightes that whereas other of his adherents saye Peter was appointed head of the church here other immediatly after his resurrection he is compelled to saye that Peters supremacie tooke no place before Paules conuersion for that before that Peter could not represent the person of Christ and leaue twelue Apostles to figure vnto vs the twelue tribes of Israell Wherefore these things being well weyghed together first that the Apostle flatly setteth downe that no man can or ought to laye any other foundation then Christ himselfe the Corinthians seeking especially to depende vppon some one principally as their cheife teacher I denying it to bee lawfull for them to depende vppon Cephas himselfe who was Peter Secondly
of his head or chiefe of the Church naming Iames and Iohn pillers of the Church as well as hee and not yelding to him any thing aboue him selfe In the seconde to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11.5 Paul declareth that he thinketh himselfe nothing inferiour vnto the chiefest Apostles Peter in his Epistles he neuer challengeth any superioritie neither by title nor by doctrine he maketh Christ the electe precious and chiefe corner stone and all the faithfull liuing stones of the spirituall house a like hee claymeth not ciuill gouernement or that Kinges and Princes ought to bee subiect vnto him as the Pope doeth but commaundeth all Subiectes to bee obedient vnto their Princes and gouernours he termeth him selfe but compresbyterum a fellowe elder with the rest and exhorteth his fellow ministers not to be as Lordes ouer Gods heritage in his whole writing he doth not imperiously commaund but humbly exhorteth not to be ouerlong in this it cannot be thought that Paul and Peter and the rest of the Apostles hauing so fully and plentifully taught all thinges appertaining to the Church of God yea euen the least functions that they would in all their writings haue concealed so great weightie and necessarie point as this of Peters supremacie and one general head vnder Christ for the gouernment of his Church being suche as it is made of thē that whosoeuer acknowledgeth it not cannot be saued Now if this which I haue taughte by the opinion and iudgement of the Apostles shall appeare also by their practise and dealing towarde Peter what can be required further for the ouerthrow of their interpretation And for a perfect view hereof let vs but consider the whole order and manner of the firste councell holden of the Apostles in the 15. Actor 15.5 of the actes there it is mentioned that certaine variance and dissention falling oute by reason some of the sect of the Phariseis vrged the obseruation of circumcision and other ceremonies of the law as necessarye to saluation it was determined that Paule and Barnabas should go vp to the Apostles Elders at Ierusalem about this question At their cōming the matter being declared the Apostles Elders assēbled together to reason of the matter after much debating Peter arose and declared what God had reuealed vnto him cōcerning this point meaning at Cornelius conuersion After him arose Paul Barnabas who also tolde their opinion what God had opened vnto thē Thirdly ariseth Iames hee approueth the former iudgemēt confirmeth it by the scriptures and hauing done so giueth aduise to send their determination in writing concerning the questiō it was taken approued the Apostles and elders the whole congregatiō sent chosen men namely Barnabas paul with their letters First here is to be obserued that it is not mentioned that Peter sūmoned this Councel by his authoritie but it is done by the consent of the Apostles and elders contrary to that prerogatiue the Pope chalēgeth to himselfe Peter although he spake first alone yet followeth it not that he was therefore accounted the chéefest for neither spake he only and often times in great Councels the lowest and yongest begin first the eldest head of all speaketh last Secondly in the assemblye after Peter had opened his mind and al the rest had don last of al not Peter but Iames pronounced the sentence whiche belonged to the head and President of the Councell Thirdly the Legats embassadors which were sent were not appointed by Peter nor sent by his authoritie after the maner of the Pope but they were chosen by all the Apostles and Elders the whole congregation and sent by them Fourthly the stile of the letter doth argue they gaue no preheminence to Peter aboue other in this assemblie for thus it runneth The Apostles Elders and Brethren send greeting c. For as much as we haue heard c. It séemed good to vs when we were come together to send chosen men to you c. it séemed good to the holy ghost vnto vs to lay no more burthen c. Thus we sée how the whole action is made common to them all equallye none named or preferred before another in anye respecte farre diuerse from the Popes determination and stile of his letters the tenour of which runneth much otherwise Act. 8.24 Besides in the eight of the Acts when the Apostles heard that Samaria had receiued the Gospell the Apostles sent Peter and Iohn to confirme them whiche sending declareth plainelye that they did not acknowledge him as a superiour and in that he obeieth and followeth he declareth himselfe to bee but their fellow For be it that Eckius sayth true that oftentimes the chéefest of the company be sent in matters yet there is no Senate nor councell that will send their chéefe and gouernour And the same Apostle in the 11 Acts Act. 11.3 being reproued for going to Cornelius he excuseth and cleareth himself giuing a reason of that his doing And of Paul in the second to the Galathians Gal. 2.11 he was reprooued to his face for that he was worthye of rebuke wherefore to conclude if neither in planting of the church of God neither in deciding of controuersies in matters of religion neither in enioyning commaunding thinges to be done neither yet by any title dutie seruice or signification of dealing Peter either bare himselfe or the rest receiued him as their head and vniuersall Bishop but contrariwise both he vsed him selfe and they made themselues equall in all their doings vnto him I maye iustlye conclude that euen the opinion and practise of the Apostles and primitiue churche doth manifestly conuict the interpretation of the Papists in this place making Peter the rock foundation and heade of Gods Churche to bée most vntrue This point notwithstanding by this I haue already said it be sufficiently proued yet for diuers mens further contentation let vs sée howe the auntiente and learned Fathers haue expounded this place whether by this worde Petra they haue vnderstoode the person of Peter or him whom Peter confessed whiche was Christ Chrysostom in the 55 Chrys hom 55. in Mat. Homily vpon Mathew expoundeth Petra to be the faith and confession Super hanc Petram .i. in hac fide confessione aedificabo ecclesiam that is vppon this Fayth and Confession I will build my Church and vpon the 32 Psalm Statuit pedes nostros super petram id est super fidem c that is he hath set our féete vpon the rocke that is vpon Faith Chrys super Psal 52. for Fayth in Christ may well be called a Rocke which cannot be broken wherefore when Peter had declared and sayd thou art the sonne of the liuing God Christ immediatelye added thou art peter and vpon this rock I wil build my church Thus it is apparāt Chrysostom toke not the person of Peter to be that rock here mentioned but that which Peter reposed his beléefe in
Augustine Aug. 21. de verbis Dom. in this place writeth thus Super hanc Petram quaÌ„ confessus es c. that is vpon this rock which thou hast confessed vpoÌ„ this Rock which thou hast acknowledged saying thou art the son of the liuing God I will build my congregation vpon my selfe I will build my church vpon my self I will build the not my self vpon thee for they that would haue meÌ„ build vpon meÌ„ said I hold of Paul another I hold of Apollo another I of Cephas which is Peter but other which would not be built vpon Peter but vpoÌ„ the rock said I hold of Christ Againe in another place Super hanc Petram quam confessus est aedificabo ecclesiam Idem in Ioan. tract 124. c that is vpon this rock which thou hast confessed I wil build my church for the rocke was Christ vpoÌ„ which fouÌ„datioÌ„ Peter himselfe was built for other foundation then that which is laid caÌ„ no maÌ„ lay which is Christ Iesus the church therfore that is founded on Christ hath takeÌ„ the keyes of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ of him I omit that which he writeth also in his booke against the Iewes Pagans Idem contra Iud. Pag. Arti. and Adrians where he also expoundeth this place after this maner By this it appeareth how he expouÌ„ded this rock here meÌ„tioned not to bee Peter but Christ himselfe Gregor missenus saith Tu es Petrus Greg. Misse in tesiimâ—nijs delectis ex veteri testamento c. Thou art Peter vpon this Rock I will build my Church he meaneth saith he the confession of Christ for he had sayd before thou art the sonne of the liuing God And Hilarius Hilar. lib. 4. de Trini Petra nihil aliud est quaÌ„ firma et inconcussa discipuli fides The rock is nothing else but the strong and assured faith of the Disciple What can be plainer then that which Origen writeth vpon this place If wée confesse sayth he Christe to bee the sonne of God the Father reuealing it vnto vs it shall be sayd to ech one of vs thou art Peter Orig. tract in Math. and vppon this Rocke will I build my Congregation euery maÌ„ is Petra that is a disciple of Christ vpoÌ„ such a rock all ecclesiastical learning is builte if thou thinke that the whole church is only builte vpon Peter what wilt thou saye of Iohn the sonne of thunder and of the other Apostles And further indéede it was spoken to Peter vpon this Rocke I will builde my Congregation Notwithstanding it is spoken in like maner of all the other Apostles and to all faithfull and perfite because they are all Peters and Rockes and vpon al them and the Prophets is Christs Church built and the gates of hell shal not preuayle agaynst any of them Wherefore if they will giue credit to Origen who was within 235 yeres after Christ that that which was sayd to Peter shall be sayde to euery Faithfull man making the like confession and that this which was spoken to Peter here was spoken to all the Apostles and to all Faithfull and perfite men in like maner Then is here nothing attributed more vnto Peter then vnto any of the other Apostles Gregorie Greg. lib. 4.33 Epist was himselfe Bishop of Rome and whome our Romish Cleargie woulde haue to chalenge this dignitie and prerogatiue they giue vnto Peter hée of this place and diuerse others which they vse as moste weightie to confirme Peters and the Popes Supremacie inferreth the quite contrary For he reasoneth thus to Peter it was sayde Louest thou me féede my shéepe Satan hath desired to sifte thée but I prayed that thy Faith may not faile thou being conuerted strengthen thy Brethren thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my church to thée I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heaueÌ„ whatsoeuer c. and he concludeth in the ende notwithstanding Peter is not called Vniuersall Bishop This one man hath lefte sufficient witnesse behind him to condemn in Peter and in all Bishops of Rome both the name of that dignitie and superioritie and also the authoritie and iurisdiction which the Pope doth claime vnto himselfe by vertu of this place For first how sharply and bitterly writeth he against this that eyther Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople or any other Bishop shoulde clayme or tearm himself to be the vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church in his Epistles First in his fourth booke he tearmeth this Title and name a new a proude Greg. lib 4. Epist 32. Ep. 38. Ep. 39. a pompous name In his 38 Epistle of the same booke a rash foolish peruerse name a name of errour In the Epistle following a wicked name a name of vanitie a name of Hypocrisie a name of blasphemie Lib. 6. epi. 2. In his sixte booke and 2 Epistle a puffe of arrogancie and in the 24 Epistle of the same Booke a superstitious and vngodly name So farre then in his iudgement is it from being agréeable to Gods will for any Bishop to claime this name that he accounteth it a most vngodly and impious thing and not only the name of modesty and humility is thus disalowed of him as some woulde beare vs in hande but the very office authority iurisdiction that is claimed thereby for otherwise the reasons he vseth were of no force Lib. 4.38 for in the 38 Epistle of his 40 Booke hée reasoneth thus What answere wilt thou make vnto Christ at the trial of the last iudgement that goest about vnder the name of an Vniuersall Bishop to subdue all his members vnto thée Here he condemneth the name for that hee whiche desireth it goeth aboute to subdue all the members of Christe vnto him Whiche in verye déede is broughte to passe not by the verye name but by the power signifyed by the name His Comparison in the thirtith Epistle of the same Booke Li. 4.30 Epi. where he resembleth him to Lucifer that affecteth the name cannot condemne the name onlye but the thing also because it was not Lucifers desyre onelye to bee named God but also to sitte in his seate and execute his Dominion When as in that place hee sayeth that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople challenging that Title doeth Contra Euangelicam Doctrinam against the meaning of the Gospell against Saint Peter the Apostle agaynste the Ordinaunce of the Canons agaynst the faith agaynste all the Churches of GOD agaynst GOD himselfe and many other thinges more in anye mans iudgement that maye bée sufficiente by his authoritie to disallow the name and the office not onely in Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople but also in any other Bishop that shall clayme it For that some séeke to auoyde it in posting ouer this whole writing to bée against Iohn the B. of Constantinople as though Gregorie had misliked this name of vniuersal Bishop in him so ambitiously gréedily séeking for it not if it had ben
in this Rocke and hold the same fayth and confession Peter did Whosoeuer confesseth and beléeueth that Christ is the sonne of the liuing God as he did is a Peter Therfore Ierome vpon the sixt of Amos Ierom in 6. Amos Origen tract 1. in Math. termeth al Christs Apostles Peters And Origen plainly testifieth that if we affirme and confesse that Christ is the sonne of the liuing God as Peter did then are we Peters and shall obtaine the same felicitie that he hath obtayned because our confession and beléefe is al one and againe in the same place if wee confesse Christ to be the sonne of the liuing god the father reuealing it vnto vs it shal bee sayd of eche one of vs thou art Peter and vpon thee will I build my congregation euery man is Petra a Rock that is a follower of Christ Thus muche Origen By whome it is playne that Peter was so named because of the Rock he beléeued in not for that hée was to be the foundation of the church and that also that name to be tearmed a rocke is not agréeable to Peter alone but vnto all the faithfull and no maruaile for it is an vsuall thing for the properties of Christe to be attributed to all his children as christe is called a stone so are his people and seruauntes named lyuelye stones by participation as they are the lighte of the worlde and salte of the earth because the salt and lighte that they haue is deriued and procéedeth from him And as wée are called righteous because christe is our righteousnesse and wisedome so are wée tearmed Rockes because by him we are so made being the true perfecte and sounde Rocke Wherefore if Peter be pronounced blessed onely because of the confession hée made and that his name was chaunged from Simon vnto Peter for that cause alone and that his name agreeth to all christians who holde and make the same confession hée did as well as vnto him then is it apparante by the order and Sequel of the Texte and truth of the matter that the Rocke whereon christe will builde his churche is not the person of Peter no more then it is the person of anye other Apostle but that whereby both Peter and other faythfull shall be come both blessed and Peters For if wee marke the order and course of the Dialogue betweene Christ and his Disciples first wee may obserue that the Question is propounded not to Peter alone but generallye vnto all whome doe ye saye that I am And agayne Christ demaunded not what they thought of Peter but what they thoughte of him so that in the respect we cannot imagine any especiall thing ment and intended toward Peter more thē any other For in that he made aunswere alone that was in the person of them all to auoide confusion and declare vnitie Cyprianus de simpli praelat August serm 21. de verbo domini as Ciprian sayth he was but their mouth So also Austin saith Petrus saepe vnus respondit pro omnibus c. Peter oftentimes made aunswere for all the Lord asking and saying whome say ye that I am Peter answered Thou art the sonne of the liuing god he only gaue answere for many to declare vnity in many And what was the cōfessiō of Peter it was that Christ was the son of the liuing God this confessiō was approued commended of Christ not the person of Peter but in respect of the confession herewithall if wee marke what happened immediatly after the conclusion of the dialogue vnto Peter nothing can be more plaine than that Peter cannot be that rocke whereupon God will build his Church for that rocke must be such against which the gates of hell can not preuaile how can Peter then be that foundation who immediatly after this confession fell so grieuously that he was termed of our Sauiour Christ Satan For Peter diswading him from going vp to Ierusalem to accomplish the worke of our redemption he saide vnto him away from mée Satan thou sauourest not the things that are of God but the things that are of men And afterwarde he denyed abiured his Master he was farre therefore from being that vnmouable rocke which could not be shaken such an one against which the gates of hell could not preuaile so then to conclude this pointe if the change and alteration of the word and construction may argue the meaning of a diuerse thing when otherwise the selfe same worde might haue better and plainlyer declared that so weightie and necessarie an article of our faith as they make that is of Peters supremacie if the blessednesse of Peter and the name be obtained of Christ and that the same be not only proper to Peter but vnto all who shal in like manner lay holde vpon that rocke and professe the same faith if the whole course of the dialogue be directed not to know Peters opinion alone but of them all what they thought not of Peter but of our Sauiour Christ and to confirme them in that firme and stedfast faith they had in him against all troubles and persecutions that should after ensue and with all to haue a publike testimonie of them all that they had a better and truer opinion of him then the common multitude if the rocke wheron Gods Church must be founded must be such an one as cannot be shaken by any force and subtiltie of Satan and Peter as hath appeared was so weakened at diuerse times that he was ouercome almost for euer I may well saye that euen the wordes and circumstance of the place doth euict that Peter is not made that petra the rocke vpon the which the Church is to be built But yet that this may be further out of doubt if we well weigh the assertion of our Romish Catholikes we shal finde it to be contrarie to the expresse wordes of the Scripture and the doctrine of the holie Ghost in other places yea and to the analogie and rules of faith Saint Paul in the 1. to the Corinthians 1. Cor. finding fault with the Corinthians who were deuided by choosing to themselues sundrie doctors and teachers whome they would heare and followe Some saying I am Paules another I am Apollos another I am Cephas the fourth I am Christes he flatly setteth downe 1. Cor. 3.11 that fundamentum aliud nemo ponere potest preter id quod positum est Iesum Christum Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ If onely Christ be the foundation and no other If neither Paul nor Apollo nor Cephas ought to be so accompted how can they challenge this prerogatiue vnto Peter being denyed so expressely vnto him or vnto any other Paul affirmeth Eph. 1.22 that GOD had made all things subiect vnder Christes feete and appointed him aboue all things the head of the Churche which is his bodie and of what kinde of bodie that he declareth also in the fifth of