Church The other Apostles did receive an equal share of honour and power who also being dispersed in the whole world did preach the Gospel and to whom departing the Bishops did succeed who are constituted through the whole world in the Sees of the Apostles By consequence the Fathers do assert this equality when they affirm as we before did shew the Apostolical Office to be absolutely Supreme when also they affirm as afterwards we shall shew all the Apostles Successours to be equal as such and particularly that the Roman Bishop upon account of his succeeding Saint Peter hath no prâ—-eminence above his Brethren for wherever a Bishop be whether at Rome or at Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexandria or at Thanis he is of the same worth and of the same Priesthood the force of wealth and lowness of poverty doth not render a Bishop more high or more low for that all of them are Successours of the Apostles 19. Neither is it to prudential esteem a despicable consideration that the most ancient of the Fathers having occasion sometimes largely to discourse of Saint Peter do not mention any such Prerogatives belonging to him 20. The last Argument which I shall use against this Primacy shall be the insufficiency of those Arguments and Testimonies which they alledge to warrant and prove it If this Point be of so great consequence as they make it if as they would persuade us the subsistence order unity and peace of the Church together with the Salvation of Christians do depend on it if as they suppose many great points of truth do hang on this pin if it be as they declare a main Article of Faith and not onely a simple errour but a pernicious heresie to deny this primacy then it is requisite that a clear revelation from God should be producible in favour of it for upon that ground onely such points can firmly stand then it is most probable that God to prevent controversies occasions of doubt and excuses for errour about so grand a matter would not have failed to have declared it so plainly as might serve to satisfie any reasonable man and to convince any froward gainsayer but no such revelation doth appear for the places of Scripture which they alledge do not plainly express it nor pregnantly imply it nor can it by fair consequence be inferred from them No man unprepossessed with affection to their side would descry it in them without thwarting Saint Peter's Order and wresting the Scriptures they cannot deduce it from them This by examining their allegations will appear I. They alledge those words of our Saviour uttered by him upon occasion of Saint Peter's confessing him to be the Son of God Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church here say they Saint Peter is declared the Foundation that is the sole Supreme Governour of the Church To this I answer 1. Those words do not clearly signifie any thing to their purpose for they are metaphorical and thence ambiguous or capable of divers interpretations whence they cannot suffice to ground so main a point of Doctrine or to warrant so huge a Pretence these ought to stand upon down-right evident and indubitable Testimony It is pretty to observe how Bellarmine proposeth this Testimony Of which words saith he the sense is plain and obvious that it be understood that under two metaphors the principate of the whole Church was promised as if that sense could be so plain and obvious which is couched under two metaphors and those not very pat or clear in application to their sense 2. This is manifestly confirmed from that the Fathers and Divines both ancient and modern have much differed in exposition of these words Some saith Abulensis say that this rock is Peter others say and better that it is Christ others say and yet better that it is the confession which Peter maketh For some interpret this rock to be Christ himself of whom Saint Paul saith Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. St. Austin telleth us in his Retractations that he often had expounded the words to this purpose although he did not absolutely reject that interpretation which made Saint Peter the rock leaving it to the Readers choice which is the most probable Others and those most eminent Fathers do take the rock to be Saint Peter's faith or profession Vpon the Rock saith the Prince of Interpreters that is upon the faith of his profession and again Christ said that he would build his Church on Peter's confession and again he or another ancient Writer under his name upon this rock he said not upon Peter for he did not build his Church upon the man but upon his faith Our Lord saith Theodoret did permit the first of the Apostles whose confession he did fix as a prop or foundation of the Church to be shaken Whence Origen saith that every disciple of Christ is the rock in virtue of his agreement with Peter in that holy confession This sense even Popes have embraced Others say that as Saint Peter did not speak for himself but in the name of all the Apostles and of all faithfull people representing the Pastours and people of the Church so correspondently our Lord did declare that he would build his Church upon such faithfull Pastours and Confessours Others do indeed by the rock understand Saint Peter's person but do not thereby expound to be meant his being Supreme Governour of the Apostles or of the whole Church The Divines Schoolmen and Canonists of the Roman Communion do not also agree in exposition of the words and divers of the most learned among them do approve the interpretation of St. Chrysostome Now then how can so great a Point of Doctrine be firmly grounded on a place of so doubtfull interpretation how can any one be obliged to understand the words according to their interpretation which Persons of so good sense and so great Authority do understand otherwise with what modesty can they pretend that meaning to be clear which so perspicacious eyes could not discern therein why may not I excusably agree with St. Chrysostome or St. Austin in understanding the place may I not reasonably oppose their judgment to the Opinion of any Modern Doctours deeming Bellarmine as fallible in his conceptions as one of them why consequently may I not without blame refuse their Doctrine as built upon this place or disavow the goodness of this proof 3. It is very evident that the Apostles themselves did not understand those words of our Lord to signify any grant or promise to Saint Peter of Supremacy over them for would they have contended for the chief place if they had understood whose it of right was by our Lord 's own positive determination would they have disputed about a question which to their knowledge by their Master was
already stated would they have troubled our Lord to inquire of him who should be the greatest in his Kingdom when they knew that our Lord had declared his will to make Saint Peter Viceroy would the Sons of Zebedee have been so foolish and presumptuous as to beg the place which they knew by our Lord's word and promise fixed on Saint Peter would Saint Peter among the rest have fretted at that idle overture whenas he knew the place by our Lord 's immutable purpose and infallible declaration assured to him And if none of the Apostles did understand the words to imply this Roman sense who can be obliged so to understand them yea who can wisely who can safely so understand them for surely they had common sense as well as any man living now they had as much advantage as we can have to know our Lord's meaning their ignorance therefore of this sense being so apparent is not onely a just excuse for not admitting this interpretation but a strong bar against it 4. This interpretation also doth not well consist with our Lord's answers to the contests inquiries and petitions of his Disciples concerning the point of Superiority for doth he not if the Roman expositions be good seem upon those occasions not onely to dissemble his own word and promise but to disavow them or thwart them can we conceive that he would in such a case of doubt forbear to resolve them clearly to instruct them and admonish them of their duty 5. Taking the Rock as they would have it to be the Person of Saint Peter and that on him the Church should be built yet do not the words being a Rock probably denote government for what resemblance is there between being a Rock and a Governour at least what assurance can there be that this metaphor precisely doth import that sense seeing in other respects upon as fair similitudes he might be called so St. Austin saith the Apostles were Foundations because their Authority doth support our weakness St. Hierome saith that they were Foundations because the Faith of the Church was first laid in them St. Basil saith that Saint Peter's Soul was called the Rock because it was firmly rooted in the Faith and did hold stiff without giving way against the blows of temptation Chrysologus saith that Peter had his name from a Rock because he first merited to found the Church by firmness of Faith These are fair explications of the metaphor without any reference to Saint Peter's Government But however also admitting this that being such a Rock doth imply Government and Pastoral Charge yet do they notwithstanding these grants and suppositions effect nothing for they cannot prove the words spoken exclusively in regard to other Apostles or to import any thing singular to him above or beside them He might be a governing Rock so might others be the Church might be built on him so it might be on other Apostles he might be designed a Governour a great Governour a principal Governour so might they also be this might be without any violence done to those words And this indeed was for all the other Apostles in Holy Scripture are called Foundations and the Church is said to be built on them If saith Origen the Father of Interpreters you think the whole Church to be onely built on Peter alone what will you say of John the Son of thunder and of each of the Apostles c. largely to this purpose Christ as St. Hierome saith was the Rock and he bestowed on the Apostles that they should be called Rocks And You say saith he again that the Church is founded on Peter but the same in another place is done upon all the Apostles The twelve Apostles saith another ancient Authour were the immutable Pillars of orthodoxie the Rock of the Church The Church saith St. Basil is built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Peter also was one of the Mountains upon which Rock the Lord did promise to build his Church St. Cyprian in his disputes with Pope Stephen did more than once alledge this place yet could he not take them in their sense to signify exclusively for he did not acknowledge any imparity of Power among the Apostles or their Successours He indeed plainly took these words to respect all the Apostles and their Successours our Lord taking occasion to promise that to one which he intended to impart to all for themselves and their Successours Our Lord saith he ordering the honour of a Bishop and the order of his Church saith to Peter I say to thee c. hence through the turns of times and successions the ordination of Bishops and the manner of the Church doth run on that the Church should be setled upon the Bishops and every Act of the Church should be governed by the same Prelates as therefore he did conceive the Church to be built not on the Pope singularly but on all the Bishops so he thought our Lord did intend to build his Church not upon Saint Peter onely but on all his Apostles 6. It is not said that the Apostles or the Apostolical Office should be built on him for that could not be seeing the Apostles were constituted and the Apostolical Office was founded before that promise the words onely therefore can import that according to some meaning he was a Rock upon which the Church afterward to be collected should be built he was A Rock of the Church to be built as Tertullian speaketh the words therefore cannot signify any thing available to their purpose in relation to the Apostles 7. If we take Saint Peter himself for the Rock then as I take it the best meaning of the words doth import that our Lord designed Saint Peter for a prime Instrument the first mover the most diligent and active at the beginning the most constant stiff and firm in the support of his Truth and propagation of his Doctrine or conversion of men to the belief of the Gospel the which is called building of the Church according to that of St. Ambrose or some ancient Homilist under his name He is called the Rock because he first did lay in the Nations the Foundations of Faith In which regard as the other Apostles are called Foundations of the Church the Church being founded on their labours so might Saint Peter signally be so called who as Saint Basil saith allusively interpreting our Saviour's words for the excellency of his Faith did take on him the edifying of the Church Both he and they also might be so termed for that upon their testimonies concerning the Life Death and Resurrection of Christ the Faith of Christians was grounded as also it stands upon their convincing discourses their holy practice their miraculous performances in all which Saint Peter was most eminent and in the beginning of Christianity displayed them to the edification of the Church This interpretation plainly doth agree with matter
14. From the Premisses to conclude the Pope's Title to Saint Peter's Authority it is requisite to shew the Power demised by him to be according to God's institution and intent immutable and indefectible for Power built upon the like but far more certain principles hath in course of times and by worldly changes been quite lost or conveyed into other Chanels than those wherein it was first put and that irrecoverably so that it cannot any-wise be retrieved or reduced into the first order For instance Adam was by God constituted Universal Sovereign of mankind and into that Power his eldest Son of right did succeed and so it of right should have been continually propagated Yet soon did that Power fail or was diverted into other courses the world being cantonized into several Dominions so that the Heir at Law among all the descendents of Adam cannot so easily be found as a Needle in a bottle of Hay he probably is a Subject and perhaps is a Peasant So might Saint Peter be Monarch of the Church and the Pope might succeed him yet by revolutions of things by several defaults and incapacities in himself by divers obstructions incident by forfeiture upon encroaching on other mens rights according to that Maxime of a great Pope He loseth his own who coveteth more than his due his Power might be clipped might be transplanted might utterly decay and fail to such fatalities other Powers are subject nor can that of the Pope be exempt from them as otherwhere we shall more largely declare 15. Indeed that God did intend his Church should perpetually subsist united in any one political frame of Government is a principle which they do assume and build upon but can no-wise prove Nor indeed is it true For If the Unity of the Church designed and instituted by God were onely an Unity of Faith of Charity of Peace of fraternal Communion and Correspondence between particular Societies and Pastours then in vain it is to seek for the Subject and Seat of Universal Jurisdiction now that God did not intend any other Unity than such as those specified we have good reason to judge and shall we hope otherwhere sufficiently prove 16. We may consider that really the Sovereign Power such as it is pretended hath often failed there having been for long spaces of time no Roman Bishops at all upon several accounts which is a sign that the Church may subsist without it As 1. When Rome was desolated by the Goths Vandals and Lombards 2. In times when the Romans would not suffer Popes to live with them 3. In case of discontinuance from Rome when the Popes so calling themselves did for above seventy years abide in France when they indeed not being chosen by the Roman People nor exercising Pastoral care over them were onely titular not real Bishops of Rome They were Popes of Avignion not of Rome and Successours of God knows who not of Saint Peter no more than one continually living in England can be Bishop of Jerusalem 4. In times of many long Schisms 22 Schisms when either there was no true Pope or which in effect was the same no one certain one 5. When Popes were intruded by violence whom Baronius himself positively affirmeth to have been no Popes how then could a Succession of true Popes be continued from them by the Clergy which they in virtue of their Papal Authority did pretend to create 6. When Elections had a flaw in them were uncanonical and so null 7. When Popes were Simoniacally chosen who by their own Rules and Laws are no true Popes being Hereticks Heresiarchs The which was done for long courses of time very commonly and in a manner constantly 8. When Popes have been deposed as some by the Emperours others by General Councils in which case according to Papal Principles the Successours were illegal for the Pope being Sovereign he could not be judged or deposed and his Successour is an Usurper 9. When Popes were Heretical that is say they no Popes 10. When Atheists Sorcerers Elections in some of these cases being null and therefore the Acts consequent to them invalid there is probably a defailance of right continued to posterity And probably therefore there is now no true Pope For upon violent intrusion or Simoniacal choice or any usurpation the Cardinals Bishops c. which the Pope createth are not truly such and consequently their Votes not good in the choice of another Pope and so successively These Considerations may suffice to declare the inconsequence of their Discourses even admitting their Assertions which yet are so false or so apparently uncertain I shall in the next place level some Arguments directly against their main Conclusion it self I. My First Argument against this pretence shall be that it is destitute of any good warrant either from Divine or Humane testimony and so is groundless As will appear by the following Considerations I. If God had designed the Bishop of Rome to be for the perpetual course of times Sovereign Monarch of his Church it may reasonably be supposed that he would expresly have declared his mind in the case it being a point of greatest importance of all that concern the administration of his Kingdom in the World Princes do not use to send their Vice Roys unfurnished with Patents clearly signifying their Commission that no man out of ignorance or doubt concerning that point excusably may refuse compliance And in all equity promulgation is requisite to the establishment of any Law or exacting obedience But in all the Pandects of Divine Revelation the Bishop of Rome is not so much as once mentioned either by name or by character or by probable intimation they cannot hook him in otherwise than by streining hard and framing a long Chain of Consequences each of which is too subtile for to constrain any man's persuasion They have indeed found the Pope in the first Chapter of Genesis for if we believe Pope Innocent III. he is one of the two great Luminaries there and he is as plainly there as any where else in the Bible Wherefore if upon this account we should reject this pretence we might doe it justly and for so doing we have the allowance of the ancient Fathers for they did not hold any man obliged to admit any point of Doctrine or rule of Manners which is not in express words or in terms equivalent contained in Holy Scripture or which at least might not thence be deduced by clear and certain inference this their manner of disputing with Hereticks and heterodox People doth shew this appeareth by their way of defining and setling Doctrines of Faith this they often do avow in plain words applicable to our case for If saith St. Austin about Christ or about his Church or about any other thing which concerneth our Faith and Life I will not say We who are no-wise comparable to him who said Although we but even as he going on did
Pont. 1.10 Tostat. in Matth. 16. qu. 67. 1 Cor. 3.11 Scio me postea saepissimè exposuisse ut super hanc Petram intelligeretur quem confessus est Petrus harum autem duarum sententiarum quae sit probabilior eligat Lector Aug. Retr 1.21 Vide Aug. in Joh. tr 124. de verb. Dom. in Matt. Serm. 13. Super hanc inquit Petram quam confessus es aedificabe Ecclesiam meam Aug. in Joh. tr 124. de Verb. Dom. in Matt. Serm. 13. Tom. 10. Super hanc Petram id est super me aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Ans. in Matt. 16.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Matt. 16.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in Joh. 1.50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. Tom. 5. Or. 163. Super hanc igitur confessionis Petram Ecclesiae aedificatio est Hil. de Trin. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theod. Ep. 77. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orig. in Matt. 16. p. 275. In vera fide persistite vitam vestram in Petra Ecclesiae hoc est in confessione B. Petri Apostolorum Principis solidate Greg. M. Ep. 3.33 Persist in the true Faith and establish and fix your life upon the rock of the Church that is upon the confession of Blessed Peter the Prince of the Apostles Super ista confessione aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Felix III. Ep. 5. Vide Nic. I. Ep. 2 6. Joh. VIII Ep. 76. Vnus pro omnibus loquens Ecclesiae voce respondens Cypr. Ep. 55. One speaking for all and answering in the name of the Church Cui Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait Super hanc Aug. Ep. 165. To whom representing the whole Church our Lord saith Vpon this rock c. Petrus ex persona omnium Apostolorum profitetur Hier. in loc Peter professes in the person of all the Apostles Vide Rigalt in Cypr. Ep. 27.40.70.71.73.69 Luke 22.14 Mark 9.34 Matth. 18.1 Matth. 20.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And when the ten heard it they were moved with indignation Quare sunt fundamenta Apostoli Prophetae quia eorum auctoritas portat infirmitatem nostram Aug. in Ps. 86. In illis erant fundamenta ibi primùm posita est fides Ecclesiae Hier. in Ps. 86. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. in If. 2. p. 86â— Petrus à Petra nomen adeptus est quia primus meruit Eâ—clesiam fidei firmitate fundare Chrysol Serm. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Orig. in Matth. 16. p. 275. Eph. 2.20 Petra Christus est qui donavit Apostolis ut ipsi quoque Petrae vocentur Hier. in Amos. 9.12 Dicis super Petrum sundatur Ecclesia licèt id ipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat Hier. in Jovin 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. in Isa. 2. p. 869. Cypr. Ep. 71 73. Dominus noster Episcopi honorem Ecclesiae suae rationem disponens dicit Petro Ego tibi dico Inde per temporum successionum vices Episcoporum ordinatio Ecclesiae ratio decurrit ut Ecclesia super Episcopos constituatur omnis actus Ecclesiae per eosdem praepositos gubernetur Cypr. Ep. 27. de Vnit. Eccl. Latuit aliquid Petrum aedificandae Ecclesiae Petram dictum Tertull. de Praescr cap. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. Peter first of all the Apostles preached Christ. Petra dicitâ—r eâ— quòd primus in natiorâ—bus fidei fundamenta posuerit Ambr. de Sanctis Serm. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas. contra Eunom lib. 2. Petra aedificandae Ecclesiae Tertull. de praes c. 22. Sic enim exitus docet in ipso Ecclesia extructa est id est per ipsum c. Tert. de pudic cap. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Chrys. Tom. 5. Or. 59. Matth. 10.2 John 6.69 Loci non immeâ—or sui primatum egit primatum Confessionis non honoris Fidei non ordinis Ambr. de Incarn cap. 4. Per claves datos Petro intelligimus summam potestatem in omnem Ecclesiam Bell. de Pont. 1.3 Dixit Petro dabo tibi claves at non dixit dabo tibi soli Rigalt in Epist. Firmil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. in Matt. 16. p. 275. Quod Petro dicitur Apostolis dicitur Ambr. in Psal. 38. What is said to Peter is said to the Apostles Licè◠id ipsum in alio loco super omnes Apostolos fiat cuncti claves regni coelorum accipiant Hier. in Jov. 1.14 Though the same thing in another place is done upon all the Apostles and all receive the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Claves regni coelorum communicandas caeteris solus accepit Opt. lib. 7. Communicandas caeteris dixit quâ—s ipse Christus communicaturus erat caeteris Rigalt in Cypr. de Vn. Eccl. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. in praef Evang. Joh. Claves intelligit verbum Dei Evangelium Christi Rigalt in Cyp. Ep. 73. Episcopi quos constat esse vicarioâ— Christi clavigeros regni coelorum Conc. Compend apud Bin. Tom. 6. p. 361. Transivit quidem in Apostolos alios vis istius potestatis sed non frustra â—ni commendatur quod omnibus intimetur Petro ergò singulariter hoc creditur quia cunctis Ecclesiae rectoribus Petri forma proponitur Leo I. in Nat. Petri Pauli Serm. 2. The efficacy of this Power passed indeed upon all the Apostles yet was it not in vain that what was intimated to all was commended to one Therefore this is committed singly to Peter because Peter's pattern and example is propounded to all the Governours of the Church In B. Petro claves regni coelorum cuncti suscepimus sacerdotes Ambr. de dign Sac. 1. Ecclesia quae fundatur in Christo claves ab eo regni coelorum accepit id est potestatem ligandi solvendique peccata Aug. tract 124. in Joh. vide tract 50. The Church which is founded upon Christ received from him the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven i. e. the power of binding and loosing Sins In typo unitatis Petro Dominus dedit potestatem Aug. de Bap. 3.17 Our Lord gave the power to Peter as a type of Unity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phot. Cod. 280. Such Authority was given to the rest of the Apostles in the person of him who was the chief Non sine causa inter omnes Apostolos Ecclesiae Catholicae personas sustinet Petrus huic enim Ecclesiae claves regni coelorum datae sunt cùm Petro datae sunt Aug. de Ag. Chr. cap. 30. in Ps. 108. Not without cause does Peter among the rest of the Apostles sustain the Person of the Catholick Church for to this Church are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven given when they are given unto Peter * August supr Matt. 18.18 John 20.23 Sic enim exitus docet in ipso Ecclesia extructâ— est id est per ipsum ipse clavem imbuit vide quam Viri Israelitae auribus mandate quae dico Jesum Nazerenum virum à Deo vobis destinatum