there is no necessitie that his seate wherein hee must bee succeeded is either at Rome or Antioch But wee denie first that Peter himselfe had this vniuersall charge And in this respect wee thinke it a verie needlesse matter for vs to beate our heades about his successour in the same But I pray you what meaneth this that master Bellarmine taking in hande to write of the controuersies of these tymes and to impugne and withstande them that in these dayes doe speake agaynst his Popes supremacie doth so suddenlie turne his backe vppon them and incounter with Nilus who is much more friendlie to him in this matter chen we can bee For whereas hee hath promised to prooue that the Bishop of Rome dooth succeede Peter in the vniuersall Bishopricke by Gods lawe and by reason of succession his arguments onely intend and prooue thus much Peter had this vniuersall charge and therefore another must haue it also And that Peter had it hee saieth Nilus dooth graunt it But that is it that wee denie and master Bellarmines store will not affoorde him one argnment agaynst vs directlie except hee haue anie confidence in the two last the fifth and the sixt And for the sixt as also his other arguments that may any thing touch vs they are answered almost in the beginning of this Treatise Let vs then see what strength this argument hath that so much of the weight of the cause must rest vppon Saint Paule saith the church is one body but he head can not say to the feete I haue no neede of you therefore the Church must haue another head vpon earth besides Christ If the argument be hard fauoured and mishapen and ill tied together and agree like strings al out of tune blame him that make it so For master Bellarmine doth so reason These are his wordes The church is one body and hath her kinde of head here vppon earth besides Christ as appeareth out of 1. Corinthians and the twelfth chapter In which place after that the Apostle Saint Paule hath said that the church is one body hee addeth The head cannot say to the feet I haue no need of you Which his reason if it be drawen into a forme of argument must as I thinke be formed into such a monstrous shape as you haue seene But to omit the shape of his argument let vs see what substaunce there is in it And if it bee examined it hath as little found matter as good making For out of these wordes of Saint Paule the head can not say to the feete I haue no neede of you hee thus inferreth but Christ may say that hee standeth in neede of none of vs therefore by this head heere Christ can not be meant Is not this very clarkely handled of maister Bellarmine to apply that vnto Christ our head in the church which S. Paul speaketh of the head of a naturall bodie whereof he hath borrowed a similitude to teach how necessary the members of Christ his mysticall body are one to an other so that none may without wronging himselfe despise another which collection of M. Bellarmine is most plainely against the text it selfe and the iudgement of all good expositours Nay I suppose I neede except no expositor but maister Bellarmine himselfe And yet we haue in that very place an other argument of his For a man may see that he was sore pained in trauaile of this argument For seeeing no way how to deliuer it well he was faine to heape vp much stuffe in few lines for al this matter is contained in little more then eight short lines to make a shew as though he had much to say when as that which he said is farre worse then iust nothing Well let vs view his argument One head besides Christ there must be but there is no other then Peter therefore Peter must be the head We flatly deny that we need any head but Christ as before I haue proned Lastly Peter dying the church must not want a head therefore Peter must haue a successor But this argument supposeth that Peter is the head of the vniuersall church which they cannot prooue and vntill they can prooue it we will content our selues with Christ our head Thus we see how master Bellarmines fift argument as a plenteous spring sendeth forth three streames but there is no cleare water in any of them but bad couers of a bad messe And what is all this to the bishop of Rome if Peter must haue a successour For as we deny Peters supremacie so may wee doubt whether he might be a bishop being not an apostle only as were the rest but an apostle of the Iewes wheresoeuer they were we doubt of his resignation of the bishopricke of Antioch if he were at any time bishop there we doubt of his being bishop of Rome and lastly whether this succession must needes belong to the bishops of Rome if Peter had it for it might bee personall in Peter And master Bellarmine who in other questions is plentifull of his reasons and will make some reasonable shew of proofe in this greatest matter and which it especially behoueth him to prooue is so barren that he hath almost nothing to say no reason to alleage although by his promise he made vs looke for great matters And yet when all is done he must either haue vs to graunt him the thing that is in question which we cannot doe or else he can say nothing to it But there are many strong reasons that moue vs to denie that Peter had any such vniuersall authoritie ouer all Christs flock or that any man the bishop of Rome or any other should haue such supremacie First the greatnesse of the change which is far aboue the abilitie of many much lesse can any one performe it Secondly that our sauiour Christ doth shew a litle before his death as appeareth in Saint Iohns gospell a fatherly affection and tender care to comfort his disciples being pensiue because of his departure and yet neuer vseth this argument or giueth them this commaundement that Peter should be their head and they should obay him Although good oportunitie was offered to haue spoken of it if it had beene so when Christ told them that it was expedient that he should departe He doth not then tell them that Peter must be in his place and supply his roome or that one should haue general charge of his church But on the contrarie he appointeth his vicar and vicegerent euen his spirit to supply his want Who can be in all places at once in euery particular church yea in euery particular member of the church to comfort instruce direct defend and to do to and for the godly whatsoeuer is needefull or expedient for them Thirdly the apostles after Christ ascension and Saint Luke that writeth the acts of the apostles make no mention of such a supremacie in Peter vnlesse we could
ancient writers of their time and that maketh me thinke that they did speake for themselues and were somewhat pricked forward with a purpose to aduance their seat Therefore letting them passe as partiall in this cause let vs come to this next proofe which is out of the greeke fathers And first commeth in Ignatius who writeth to the church that ruleth for I will admit the worst that Maister Bellarmine or any other can alleadge ont of this place in the Romane region But will Maister Bellarmines logicke conclude that therefore the church of Rome hath supremacy ouer the whole church He must first bring the vniuersall church within the place of the Roman region before that can be Out of Ireny he hath these words For vnto this church for the more mighty principality speaking of the church of Rome it is necessary that the whole church doe come that is the faithful from al places in which alwaies of them that are from all places is kept that tradition which is from the Apostles The wordes as you may see are somewhat hard by reason that he who translated Ireny out of greeke did here as in many other places translate him very darkely But I haue englished them word for word His meaning is that they that come from other places of the world be it neuer so farre off yet doe not alter the tradition that the apostles left vnto them and yet many must needes come thither because that in respect that Rome is the Imperiall citty the church also hath the more mighty principality and so in deciding of causes hath the more reuerence and authority And thus doth he proue that to be true that in the beginning of that chapter he said that it is an easie matter for him that will to see the tradition of the apostles manifested through the whole world because that from whence soeuer they do come yet still they keepe one tradition By this argument doth Ireny confute the heretikes because the tradition of the apostles being kept in all places not only in the church of Rome although because it was best known or most famous he bringeth that for example yet no such doctrine as the heretikes speake of is taught among them But nowe maister Bellarmines vnseasonable collection out of this place is very farre from Irenies meaning That it is necessary saith he that all churches should hang of the church of Rome He proueth first by that which goeth before because principality is giuen to this church secondly of that which followeth because hitherto al in that church haue kept the faith that is in being vnited and cleaning to that church as the head and mother These are maister Bellarmines words But first he saith wrong of Ireny that he should indeuour to proue such necessity in comming to the church of Rome especiall taking as here he doth for a bounden duty For it is maister Bellarmines meaning to make the church of Rome the onely church that must heare all great matters decide all doubtfull questions and commande all other churches But Ireny his meaning is that all other men had occasion to seeke rather of that church then of any other for helpe and direction because that in respect of the greatnes of the citty the church there was in some greater accompt as before I haue shewed but he neuer saide that all were bound to submit themselues to that church as maister Bellarmine and his partakers would haue him be thought to speake Secondly he must speake more plainely what he meaneth by this that principality is giuen to the church of Rome For if he meane that men yeeld great reuerence to the church of Rome we yeelde that in the primitiue church they did so that iustly because the true faith was there sincerely kept but this principality will not please maister Bellarmine or proue his intent And if Ireny had meant that this principality had beene giuen by Christ a man of meane vnderstanding will easily thinke that he would haue spoken it in more plaine tearmes But what neede I to vse many words the place it selfe is plaine For the more mighty principality saith Ireny if he had thought of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome he would haue said most mighty principality For more mighty principality doth but make him better then others in some respect not aboue all others which he claimeth to be So that to proue his intent he must haue better proofe For this will not warrant that soueraigne authority of the bishop of Rome Thirdly that which maister Bellarmine would tell vs out of this place that all churches must be vnited and cleaue to this church of Rome as their head mother hath at all no ground of Irenies words And thus we see howe he doth racke and rent the wordes out of their plaine sence to serue for his purpose which being wel weied of make rather against them and their supremacy Epiphanius is his third witnes who reporteth that Vrsarius and Valens two Arrian bishops being conuerted did go to Iulius bishop of Rome to giue an accompt of their errour and fault But if that proue the supremacy of the bishop of Rome then must Athanasius also haue that supremacy as well as he for it followeth immediatly after that they vsed the selfe same proofes that they repented of their errour vnto Athanasius So that the intent and cause of their going to pope Iulius or pope Athanasius for he is there so called was not to acknowledge his supremacy but as it was known that they had erred so woulde they haue it well knowen that they reuoked their heresie Neither did they craue pardon of their offence of Iulius bishop of Rome which out of Athanasius he endeuoured to proue because he had authority ouer all persons but because they knew their offence to haue beene against the whole church they were desirous that the bishop of Rome for his parte as a principall member of the church but not a head aboue all should not impute that fault vnto them And this is the part of euery christian man or woman hauing made a generall fault whereby many godly are offeuded to make also a publike satisfaction for the same And cannot this be done to pope Iulius but we must make him head of the church Athanasius also his letter to pope Felix is alleadged wherein Athanasius being much distressed of the Arrians and wrongfully dealt withall and not hauing any hope that the greeke Church coulde helpe him the Emperour himselfe being an Arrian the rather to mooue the bishoppe of Rome to pity his case saith thus For this cause God hath placed you and your predecessours Apostolicke prelates in the towre of height and hath charged you to haue care of all churches that you should helpe vs. That God by meanes of Constantine and other good Emperours aduanced high the Bishop of Rome we deny not And we also knowe
then he caused to be taken from him his popelike garment and put vpon him lay mans clothes he cut off two of his singers Vrspergensis saith three and his head and cast them into Tyber and commaunded the rest of his bodie to be buried in the lay mens buriall All stories almost with full consent doe declare and detest this beastly crueltie The cause that hee pretended was that he was periured I would haue thought a pope might not haue made so foule a fault and yet because pope Steuen who cannot erre hath charged him with it I must beleeue it So there is one periured as is proued by substanciall witnesse and an other accounted euen barbarous almost of all histories Yea the stories that are most addicted vnto poperie and superstition doe much complaine of the diuision which this wrought in the church and of the crooked dealing of these cankered karles For Theodore the second that came next but one after this Steuen although he was pope but twentie dayes yet was loth not to make one in this skirmish for hee had no vertue in him saith the storie he approued against all that Formosus had done and so set himselfe against Steuen his faction Then came Iohn the tenth who yet tooke great parte with Formosus And when many of the Romans were displeased thereat he left Rome and went to Rauenna where he called a councill and there did not onely reuiue as it were Formosus his decrees disanulling yea casting into the fire that which Steuen had done against Formosus but he also concluded in the council that Steuen iudged amis Now you Romish catholiks whether may a pope erre or not Steuen did in a council reuoke Formosus his acts Pope Iohn saith it was wrongfully done so that by his iudgement both Steuen and his council did erre in iudgement Yea and Iohn futher ordained that they who tooke orders of Steuen should againe take orders Not long after came Sergius the third who tooke vp the dead and mangled body of Formosus and did execution thereupon as if Formolus had beene aliue and commaunded the headlesse corps as not worthie of buriall to be cast into the riuer And lastly hee made the orders that hee gaue to be of none effect Iustly therefore did Iacob Bergemensis complaine and out of him Iohn Stella of Venice Such was the euil hap of that age that all vertue through mens slothfulnesse was decayed as well in the head as in the members But why was Sergius so mortall an enemie to Formosus Formosus when he was pope could not well abide him and therefore he according to his popish charitie delt thus with his dead bodie And dare these men tell vs of diuision among some members of our churches when we see in their owne stories their heads so putting and butting one of them against another with the hornes of the beast Iohn the twelfth a wicked wretch euery way confessed to be by all stories and that euen from his youth he was defiled with all naughtinesse to let passe his other popelike qualities too bad to speake of because the cardinals complained of him to the emperour and desire his helpe hee tooke some of them and cut off one of their noses the others had with the which it was supposed he wrote letters against the pope he put out some of their eies cut out other of their tongues their members and fingers Pope Boniface the twelfth a man qualified much like his felowes stole after he was pope all the principall iewels out of Saint Peters church and left Rome for a time vntill he had sold at Constantinople all that he had filched away and then returning hoped by money whereof he had now good store to pacifie the citizens that were displeased with him for he was for his wickednes hated of them But there was one Iohn a cardinall of good account that hindred him therein some say that this Iohn was chosen pope in his roome Wherefore him he tooke and put out his eies Now where is the vnitie and good agreement that our Romish catholiks now a dayes do beare vs in hand hath bin alwayes in the church of Rome If by vnitie they meane christian charitie their sauage crueltie crieth out their shame If they meane consent in doctrine their infinit and diuers opinions whether the virgin Marie were voide of originall sinne which matter was a great while full hotly handled Againe what it is that is ment by these words this is my body what this word This hath relation vnto Thirdly what is that wherein is that which may be seene in the bread as colour and fashion or to speake as they doe what subiect hath those accidents These and many other sach points might be rehersed wherein perchance they will neuer agree hereafter as yet they haue neuer doone Well what malice they haue shewed one towards another we haue seene How they haue done towards other it may partly appeare in that which I haue said before in their proud and earnest pursuing of princes vnto whom they would neuer be reconciled vnlesse the princes would let them haue their will Iohn the fifteenth or if pope Ioan be not reckoned the fourteenth was taken of some noble men of Rome and kept in prison eleuen monethes At the length by the helpe of Otho the emperour being deliuered and the chiefe of them being sharply punished by Otho Peter the pretor or chiefe man of the citie who was in the conspiracie the emperour deliuered to the pope perchance to trie how readie he would be according to the commaundement of Christ to loue his enemies and them that hate him But pope Iohn although the emperour had sharply punished many by death other by confiscation of all their goods others by banishment and so might somewhat haue mittigated the raging furie of the pope yet I say pope Iohn deliuereth the prisoner to the tormentor with charge to shaue his beard for to disgrace him to pull off his garments to hang him by the heare of the head for a whole day together then was he set vpon an asse his face being turned to the hinder parts and his hands tied vnder the taile of the asse and so led vp and downe the citie well scorged with whips almost vntill he was dead and so banished into Germany There was one Gregorie a pope whom Henrie the fifth emperour had made pope But Calixtus the second when he came to be pope and the emperour and he were agreed pursueth this Gregorie not content to depose him onely for a reasonable reuenge cannot satisfie their mischiuous malice but let him vpon a Camell that this fine sight might the better be seene turning his face to the taile which was to him for a bridle as the author saith and so carried him in triumph to Rome But to shew his proud and insolent dealings against princes and
endangered by this subtile but false perswasion which wholly possesseth the heartes of many that if they will be saued and auoide the danger of damnation they must stedfastly beleeue that the Bishop of Rome is the vniuersall Bishop hauing authoritie ouer all that he is the head of the church and the generall shepheard of Christ his flocke For that man of sinne hauing so bewitched the hearts of his fauorites that they are once persuaded that it is good religion so to beleeue and that to defend this his pride is christian constancie what shamelesse villanies will not they thinke to be lawfull practises what cruell murders will not they account to be commendable attempts what vnnaturall deuises and drifts wil not they esteeme most godly and catholike vertues I neede not stand long in dilating this point Our natiue soile hath too much and too lamentable experience of such vnkindly slips Who when they did and do owe to their countrey wherein they were bred and brought vp the sweete fruit of loue to her and sacred obedience to her lawes bring forth almost nothing else but the sowre grapes of treasons and treacheries Which all spring out of this bad roote that they falsly perswade themselues that they owe their chiefe obedience to the Bishop of Rome whose commaundements if they obey and follow his directions and hearken to his perswasions then must they suffer no princes with qnietnesse to enioy their ancient and vndoubted inheritance and rightfull crownes but such as will be tenants at will to their lawlesse master Which the more I doe thinke of it the more I feare we haue no great hope as yet to be free from such villainous practises as may bring danger vnto her Maiestie and ruine to this realme because I see that stubburne Recusants who if they haue any conscience in religion it is very strange for many of them shew little conscience in any thing else wilfull Papists I say are not in some reasonable maner forced in this point to shew their obedient and dutiful hearts but may freely without controlment professe themselues enemies to the truth that we acknowledge For how can there be any certainety to this estate that is so pestered with a great number of false hearted subiects whose very religion is to be deuoted to him and to the maintainance of his kingdome that is grieued at nothing more than at our happinesse neither seeketh any thing so much as our destruction To plucke away therefore this visard of Religion from this their disobedient and dissolute affection I thinke it to be the duetie of euery good christian according to our calling and talents wholy to indeuour our selues And as this dutifull affection of christian obedience should effectually moue vs vnto this attempt so the very ruine of religion and the decay of all true deuotion which foloweth that perswasion should forâ—e vs to make haste to take this stumbling blocke out of the way of the simple lest at vnwares running thereupon they should make shipwracke of their faith For the Bishop of Rome by this his pretended priuiledge doeth take vpon him to make lawes to binde the conscience to adde to Gods word to dispence against the same to chop and change religion it selfe as seemeth good to him to doe and vndoe at his owne pleasure And do he neuer so much hurt in the church of Christ yet no man must say Sir why do you so And thus hauing gotten by this prowd name his fulnes of power he hath filled all christendome with horrible superstitions I speake not heere of the prophane or rather blasphemous praises which the flatterers of this vniuersall Bishop do giue to him to make the world not so much to reuerence him as a B. as to honour him rather almost as a god Which if it had bin done onely by his Canonists who liued in the dayes of darkenesse and saw not so much as men now do yet the fault and folly had bin very great But that master Bellarmine a man doubtlesse learned in so cleare light of the trueth as now shineth should so farre ouershoote himselfe as he doeth in this point in his Preface to his bookes of the bishop of Rome it maketh me not a little to wonder at his grosse folly and to detest his irreligious flattery But of this more shall be said hereafter if God permit Seeing therefore the truth of this doctrine is so necessary both for the sinceritie of religion and also for the quietnesse of common wealths my desire purpose is if God giue good successe thereunto to shew and proue that the Bishop of Rome maketh herein an vniust claime and hath possessed himselfe of an vntrue Title To come therefore to the point in controuersie The holy catholike church the spiritual house of God the mystical body of Christ comprehendeth two sortes of members Some that are triumphing in heauen others that are here trauelling vpon the earth some profiting as saint Augustine saith in this life others perfited in an other Now the question is whether this part of the catholike church that is here wandering in this vale of misery which is called militant for here is the place of striuing else-where the place of crowning must needes haue the Bishop of Rome to bee the head thereof This is it that they vntruly and without any good warrant do affirme This is it which iustly and vpon good ground as I trust it shall appeare we deny Master Bellarmine laboureth very much to prooue that the gouernement of one ouer all is the best indeuouring thereby to prooue that if it be best in ciuill regiment it should also be the best gouernment in the church as it appeareth in his Bookes of the bishop of Rome Howsoeuer the monarchicall regiment within euery kingdome or country is liked of yet that vniuersal rule of one ouer al hath not bin thought good of at any time as may appeare by those great monarchies so commended vnto vs in histories To whose subiection kingdomes and nations did not subiect themselues willingly but were subdued to them by might Neither is it necessary that that kind of gouernement which is thought best for worldly kingdomes whose Law-makers are men and whose lawes are alwayes new to be made as new inconueniences do arise in the common-wealth and to be short whose glory is here in this world should also be most conuenient for the church of God whose kingdome is not worldly whose beauty is not outward or external But to knit vp this point with one argument thus I reason That kind of gouernement is fittest for the church that bringeth most profit to them that are gouerned but master Bellarmine confesseth that the mixed gouernement is most profitable therefore it is fittest But because it pleaseth master Bellarmine so well that one should beare rule ouer the whole church let him and his fellowes submit hemselfe to Christ that King
of kings and Lord of lords whom God hath appointed to be the head of the church of whose kingdome there shall be no end whose dominion shall be from sea to sea and from the riuer to the ends of the land so that no continuance of time no distance of place shall hinder his gouernment An inuisible head of an inuisible body Or else in particular churches let him behold a visible pastor ouer a visible flocke which is also a kinde of Monarchy But this one head which is Christ cannot content the church of Rome although notwithstanding his absence from vs in the flesh there is no want either in his will or might but that he is able and readie at all times to direct and defend his flocke But as the children of Israel not contenting themselues with that forme of gouernment whereby God gouerned them would needes haue a king as other nations had euen so will the papists haue a visible monarche one ruler of the whole church as one King is ruler ouer a whole Kingdome And if we tell them that it is a monster in nature that the church which is but one should haue two heades that is to say Christ whome we all acknowledg to be the head thereof and the pope whom they make their visible and ministeriall head then they reply that in that Christ is head of the church it doth no more hinder the supremacie of the bishop of Rome then it taketh away the bishop and ministers out of the church For so master Bellarmine affirmeâ— as if bishops and ministers were vniuersall heads as the pope would be And can master Bellarmine see no difference betweene the calling of pastors and teachers and of the pope Is hee so blinde or bleareied in beholding the brightnesse of their glorious Bishoppe that hee can see no difference betweene these two pastors we are sure are ordained of God euen of him that apointed Christ to be head of the church But that the bishop of Rome is head of the church by Gods word master Belarmine himselfe denieth Secondly the pastor contenteth himselfe with the ministrie of the word and sacraments and such ecclesiasticall censures as the word affordeth him But the bishop of Rome despiseth all power abuseth all magistrates yea almost treadeth vnder foote the maiestie of the mightiest monarches As for the sword of the word either he thinkes it not sharp enough or else he is too proude to drawe it for preaching is too base a thing for so proude a prelate but with his temporall sword he florisheth lustily Againe the pastor hath his flock in a litle compasse so that he may in some measure discharge his dutie amongst them he may feede with the bread of life the hungrie soules he may strengthen the feeble comfort the weake seeke the lost and bring whom the wandring sheep But the bishop of Rome in chalenging authoritie ouer all places and persons and seeking to bee head ouer all churches doth both meddle with other mens charges and laieth vpon his owne shoulders an importable burthen Thus I trust it appeareth that this argument standeth still vnanswered Christ is the head of his church Christ I say whom God the father appointed to that office and who is able to vndergoe this charge because he hath the holy ghost to be his Housband man to dresse his vine his Vicar or leieutenant to looke to his charge the pope therefore who is neither appointed to it nor able to doe it is not Now for that which master Bellarmine affirmeth of the heauenly host that they haue in heauen another head besides Christ and therefore that the church vpon earth ought so to haue his proofe is more vncertaine and hard to be knowen then that he should seeke thereupon to ground any argument But the church in the old Testament had one high priest therefore saith master Bellarmine the church of Christ must haue so For that church was a figure of Christs church If master Bellarmine his argument shall goe for currant wee must also haue but one Temple for they might not haue any moe they might offer but in one place and many such things were commaunded vnto them vnto which it were absurd to tie christians Whereby we may see that in all things that church was not a figure of ours Then also the leuiticall priest was a figure not of any ministeriall head of Christs church but of Christ himselfe as the apostle to the Hebrews doth proue in sondrie chapters And here master Bellarmine sheweth rather a desire to maintain his errors then to yeld to the truth For without all reason hee affirmeth that Aaron was not onely a figure of Christ but of Peter also and his successors sauing that to auouch his vntruth hee setteth downe another namely that the leuiticall sacrifices were figurs not of Christ onely but also of that which they call the sacrifice of the masse which how vntrue it is I haue shewed elsewhere But if it were true that those sacrifices were figures of both must it needs follow that Aaron also must be the figure of Christ and Peter It hath no necessitie And moreouer to answere both this and his fifth argument The church was at that time contained within the bonds of Iewry or at the least hee was but hie priest vnto them that were circumcised As also in Christ his time the church consisted but of a few persons and therefore it cannot be necessarily concluded that if the church then was gouerned by one when it was in a small corner of the world it should now be so likewise when it is scattered in many places vpon the earth But what if I should denie to Bellarmine that this was the gouernment of the church before Christ or that they were not at that time all vnder one hie priest For more then 2500. yeares the church was not gouerned by one hie priest which master Bellarmine himselfe doth not greatly denie in this place especially limiting this hie priest vnto that time when there was some forme of gouernment established amongst them after they were come out of Egypt For vntill that time as himselfe confesseth the heads of their houses were priests And although there were many good men at one time as Seth Enosh and others yet master Bellarmine cannot shew that there was amongst them a hie priest but euery one was chiefe in his owne familie But what if it appeare that then when there was a hie priest yet al Gods people were not bound to be vnder him The widow of Sarepta as appeareth by her story had a sure faith in God so that wee may say shee might well be accounted the child of God Naaman also the syrian did belong to the church of God And no doubt but God had many people among the Niniuites who repented at the preaching of Ionah And yet none of these
were commaunded to be vnder the subiection of the hie priest Which thing being well coosidered of wee may conclude that if the gouernment of one ouer the whole church were not thought necessarie for any people before such time as Moyses had deliuered such laws to the Israelits from God after they were come out of Egypt neither yet afterward for any but only for the Iews as by the examples alleadged may appeare out of this I say wee may gather that neither then was the whole church commaunded to be vnder the gouernment of one and also that it was not a pattern of gouernment for the church nowe but onely a figure of Christ to them to whome all things almost were deliuered in figures and shadowes But master Bellarmines fourth argument hath yet lesse weight then any of the rest The church saith hee is compared to an Armie to Mans body or a beutifull woman to a kingdome a Ssheepfold a house Noahs arke but no armie without a generall no body without a head no wife without a husband no kingdome without a king no shipfold without a sheapheard no house without a steward no ship but hath a master We grant all this and as Saint Augustine saith of the head so we may say of all these similitudes for Christ can not be called a head if there be no body whereof he should be head And these names are bestowed vpon the church and belong vnto her no otherwise then as we haue respect vnto Christ that is our general head husband king sheapheard householder and shipmaster And I cannot but muse at the great ignorance or wilfulnesse that master Bellarmine sheweth in this argument who knowing the nature of relatiues to be such as that the one of them dependeth on the other so that the one cannot be without the other knowing also that the wife is so called in respect of her husband and the husbaÌ„d so called in respect that he hath a wife yet he shames not to affirme that the church here vpon earth may well be compared to a wife not hauing respect to Christ her husband It may be his meaning is to rake again out of the chenel that filthy blasphemous cannon wherein the pope maketh claime to be the husbaud of the church which title the scriptures ascribe to Christ onely To his fifth argument and his third I answered together his sixth argument is this Bishops are well set to haue authoritie ouer Ministers Archbishops ouer Bishops therefore also there must be one ouer all others But this proueth not that which fame hee would proue that by Gods word one must haue rule ouer al. Seuenthly saith master Bellarmine the church must still increase but it can not increase vnlesse one man bee aboue the rest to take this care therefore one must be chiefe aboue all other And cannot the church increase except one be among the rest to commaund all others Who commaunded Saint Paul to preach as he did in many places Not Peter But they will say he was extraordinarily called And they that are extraordinarily called must now by the popes lawes be allowed by the pope But to let this passe Parthia to Thomas Aethiopia to Matthew India to Bartholomew were appointed to preach in not at Peters commandement but by lot Not Peter but Thomas moued thereunto by God sent Thadde vnto Edessa So that we see Maister Bellarmines minor proposition to be very false For the kingdome of Christ may well be increased without the Popes supremacie As then it was so now I say it may be yea and is increased mightely although the Pope doe not onely grieue at it but also striue against it Lastly there must be vnity in faith saieth Maister Bellarmine but that cannot be vnlesse all be vnder one therefore one must haue the rule ouer all In deede it cannot be denied but that one man being of authority in the church of God may manie times doe much good either to confirme the godly or daunt the courage of the contentious But if this authority bee bestowed vppon the vngodly it doeth much hurt and it is then found true that the wiseman saieth When the wicked beare rule the people sigh Neither can we haue a better example of this then in the Bishops of Rome that haue beene these many hundred of yeares who to get the soueraignty aboue all authority omitte no practises shame not of anie treacheries spare not anie shedding of bloud but forget all dutie all nature all humaniâ—ie all christianitie so that they may haue the commaunding of all the world And for their vnitie in faith it is a kinde of vnitie but in hypocrisie not in veritie Against Gods vndoubted word against Christ and his office his merit and satisfaction euen such a vnitie as Dauid speaketh of against the Lord and against his anointed But can there be no vnity in faith but where there is supremacie in authoritie Yes if wee marke the histories wee shall finde that there was neuer so good consent in sound doctrine as when this supremacie was not hatched A question concerning circumcision fell among the christians in the Apostles time The matter was referred vnto the Apostles The Apostles and elders came together to looke to this matter After much disputation Peter gaue his iudgement of gods goodnes towardes the Gentiles To that end also Paul and Barnabas told howe wonderfullie God had wrought among the Gentiles by them And last of all Iames concluded according to whose direction the matter was defined Now what supremacie was in this counsell The Papists tell vs that Peter was chiefe here but this is but a bold assertion vow of all proofe For first the wordes doe not shew that Peter called them together but the contrary rather Which Saint Luke would not haue omitted if Peter by anie superiour authoritie that he had ouer them had called them Neither did Peter speake first For before he spake there was much disputation neither did he giue definitiue sentence in the counsell but Saint Iames as doth easily appeare to them that â—ompare the words that he did speake with the Epistle that they did write concerning the matter in controuersie So that if there were then anie chiefe it was Saint Iames and not Saint Peter The like also I might shew out of some other of the first counsels following Of which because I shall haue better occasion after to intreat I trust this may suffice to shewe that without supremacie vnitie in faith may be maintained and therefore that the minor proposition in this argument is false And thus haue I briefly râ—â—ne ouer the arguments that are alleadged by Maister Bellarmine to proue this soueraigne Monarchy which he saith must be in Gods church rather pointing to them then prosecuting anie of them Against all which I wilt oppose one onelie argument which I would desire Maister Bellarmine or some friend of
his at their good leisure to answere No inuisible body can haue a visible head for that were a monster in nature But the vniuersall or catholike church is an inuisible bodie for things that are vniuersall are not seene with the eie but conceaued in the minde and vnderstanding Therefore the catholike church must not haue a visible head But all this that Maister Bellarmine hath hitherto spoken of the necessity of hauing one supreme gouernour of the whole church is rather an inducement to make men thinke that they haue some reason for this supremacie in the church then any strong argument whereby they thinke to cary away the weight of the matter But the very strength and staie of this their doctrine is contained in this one syliogisme whatsoeuer iurisdiction Christ gaue to Peter and not to the rest of the Apostles all that belongeth to the church of Rome but Christ gaue vnto Peter iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall church and not to the rest of the Apostles therefore the Bishop or church of Rome hath iurisdiction ouer all churches or ouer the vniuersall church And in this argument is contained not onely all that Maister Bellarmine can say but all that they all can alleadge for this matter and therefore it is the more diligently to be examined And to beginne with the minor wherein is affirmed what iurisdiction or power ouer others Peter had Maister Bellarmine doth confidently and plainely affirme That Saint Peter is appointed of Christ himselfe in Christ his place the head and prince of the church or these are his verie words What is Christ wearie of his office hath hee giuen ouer his interest hath he resigned his right vnto Saint Peter If hee haue so done it is more then Saint Paul knew who after that Christ had left the world yet still he tooke Christ for the head of the church as appeareth by his epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Yea Saint Peter himselfe seemeth not to know so much For when hee calleth him the head corner stone he meaneth doubtlesse in the building of Gods spirituall house which is the church And yet master Bellarmine seemeth to tell vs 〈◊〉 when hee telleth vs that Saint Peter is head in Christs place For Christ must leaue his place before S. Peter can be in his place A meaner place would very well haue contented Saint Peter As for many of them who in our fathers dayes and ours haue bragged that they are Peters successors deserue not to bee dog-driuers out of a poore parish church wherein godly christians are assembled much lesse to be vniuersall bishops ouer the whole world Neither standeth the church of Christ now in neede of any such lieutenant seeing Christ is much more effectually with his church now then hee was with the people of the Iewes when he was conuersant vpon the earth For he that promised that hee would be with vs alwaies euen vnto the end of the world and that hee would pray the father and he should giue vs another comforter which should abide with vs for euer enen the spirit of truth he I say by the same spirit whom he hath made his vicar generall as before I aleaged out of Tertullian doth husband the earth of our hearts to make them fruitfull and is Christs vicar in all places with all persons to supply all their wants So that hee which in respect of his bodily presence could at no time be but in one place by the piercing power of his spirit is at once euery where And therefore is he much more present now in the spirit then before in the flesh because before he could be at once but with a few of the faithfull whereas now he is withal at one instant It is therefore ouermuch boldnes in master Bellarmine either to thrust Christ out of his office to lay the same vpon Peter or else to imagine that Christ is not better able by his spirit then by the pope to execute the same His iudgement is also very hard wherein he pronounceth that to say that saint Peters supremacy is not instituted by Christ it is not a simple errour but a detestable heresie This I am sure of that not onely some priuat men as Cyprian haue thought all the Apostles to be of as great honour and power as was Peter but euer some councils haue thought that the B. of Rome who thinketh by succession from Peter he hath as good right thereto as Peter had yet had not from Christ any right to the supremacy For the sixt council of Carthage where Faustinus and others were legats from the pope would not yeld that souerainty to the bishop of Rome although his legats did most earnestly seeke it not onely by their diligent indeuour but also by aleaging false canons of the Nicen councill thinking thereby to haue deceiued them And although this were a great foile to the church of Rome yet their ambitious and aspiring minds would not suffer them to be quiet but within a little time after they attempt the like in the counsell of Chalcedon Paschasinus and Lucentius being the popes legates Paschasinus alleaged a decree as if it had beene out of the Nicen councill That the the church of Rome always had the supremacie but the councell finding that there was not there anie such decree did ordaine that the bishop of Constantinople should haue as great euen such like priuiledges as the bishop of Rome had Which had beene more wickedlie ordained of them if Rome by Christ had the supremacie then wee maie imagine so manie godlie fathers assembled togither would haue done Yea that we maie knowe that at that time if bishops of Rome had anie priuiledge aboue other bishops they did not thinke it was so by Christs institution they set downe the reason why the church of Rome was more honoured then the rest Euen because it was the imperiall citie as also Ireny long before them did testifie And this made the fathers of the councell of Chalcedon the bolder to yeeld to Constantinople which they called newe Rome such priuiledges because it was now become also an imperiall citie Thus wee see these learned writers Ireny and Ciprian and all the fathers of these two councels learned and manie did not thinke nor would confesse that this supremâ—cie was Christes institution and yet master Bellarmines sharpe penne hath prickt them all with one dash as guiltie not of simple errour but of pestilent heresie Nowe wee must needes imagine that he would neuer burst out into these excessiue speeches as if hee were rauished and besides himselfe as in these two pointes mentioned it maie appeare vnlesse his opinion rested vpon a sure ground Let vs therefore examine his proofes and trie the waight of his reasons This most necessarie controuersie as the church of Rome esteemeth it hath not in all the scriptures anie good warrant euen in master Bellarmines owne opinion
but in one place For as concerning those prerogatiues which after he speaketh off they are rather motiues to drawe vs or probable coniectures to perswade vs then strong argumentes to prooue or sufficient reasons to conuince and force vs to beleeue I saie they haue but one authority of Scripture that they rest vpon because that place out of the sixteenth of Saint Matthewes gospel is but a promise as master Bellarmine himselfe confesseth of that which was afterwardes giuen when Christ commaunded him to feede his sheepe so that one is not perfect without the other But let vs see what iurisdiction is promised in the one and then also what is giuen in the other vnto Peter Our Sauiour Christ inquiring of his disciples what opinion other men had of him they answered some saie that thou art Iohn Baptist some Elias some Ieremias or one of the Prophetes and asking of them what they thought of him Simon Peter answered thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus answered and saide vnto him happie art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen 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 preuaile against it And I will giue vnto thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen These are the wordes that must strengthen and stay this stately building of the popes supremacie or else it is like to fall Out of which master Bellarmine draweth two argumentes First that Saint Peter is the foundation secondly that hee is the key carier of the church and therefore that hee must bee the supreme head of the church The first is taken out of these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church The plaine meaning of which words I take to be this When first I tooke thee to be an Apostle I said thou shouldest bee called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone Thou shalt shew thy selfe so to be indeede and that I haue named thee so truly for in this confession that thou hast made of me thou shalt hereafter continue so cōstant that thou shalt die in it And therefore because thou shalt bee so constant thou art Peter or Cephas indeede As for this confession that thou hast made all my faithfull people shall settle and staie themselues thereupon in all conflictes of conscience so that no terrour of hell shall bee able to discourage or disamaie them But master Bellarmine out of this doth gather that the church is built vpon Peter as vpon a foundation Yet I trust hee will not deny that Christ is such a foundation as there is no other because S. Paul telleth vs that other foundation can no mā lay thē that is laid which is Iesus Christ Of this foundation God speaketh by his prophet Esay behold I wil lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a pretious corner stone a sure foundation Then this being graunted that Christ is this speciall foundation and the onely sure ground-worke in this building I trust it will be the easier to know what place belongeth to Peter but the later of these two places by mee alleaged which is onely verified of Christ and of him onely meant most prophanely doth master Bellarmine apply to saint Peter and so to the church of Rome that very particularly making it thestone tried with persecutions with heresies which the pride of the Greeke church with stiffenesse of some emperors with schismes with wicked popes The corner stone that ioyneth into one church the Iewes and the Gentils The pretious stone because she is rich in ceremonies and sacramentes in pardons in councils in interpretation of scriptures and such like And last of all the sure foundation But here master Bellarmine is forced to graunt that Peter is but a secondary foundation and not the principall foundation for that Christ onely is This discourse of his maketh me remember frier Toittis otherwise called frier Paternoster who vpon a great controuersie that arose in Scotland concerning the lords prayer whether it might be said vnto the Saints or not beeing intreated as a man belike most sufficient to deale in the matter comming into the pulpit at Saint Andrews where this controuersie was began in particular to shew how euery petition might be made vnto the saints vntil he came to the fourth petition wherein hee was faine to confesse that the saints cannot giue vs our daily bread and so with shame bewrayed his owne folly and the feeblenesse or rather the falsnes of his cause Euen so master Bellarmine robbing Christ of his ornaments that hee may decke therewith that whorish synagogue which vntrewly he callet Peters seate hauing besides all learning nay contrarie to the sinceritie of a christian diuine most blasphemously applied vnto that Romish seate that which belongeth vnto Christ onely and is one of his most especiall and peculiar markes whereby hee is set foorth as the promised sauiour that he should be the corner stone tried and precious Yet is he in the end forced to confesse that the sure foundation cannot be found but in Christ although he would seeme to apply that title to that seate also I would hardly haue thought that a man so learned as master Bellarmine in these our dayes wherein knowledge aboundeth would euer haue abused Gods sacred word in such sort That this is only true in Christ our Sauior Christ himselfe out of the Prophet Dauid teacheth S. Paul agreeth to the same not only writing to the Ronanes but also to the Ephesians shewing how he onely can be as a corner stone gathering and knitting together the Iewes and Gentiles S. Peter also himselfe maketh Christ to be this stone It is not a sufficient excuse for master Bellarmine that he acknowledgeth that the prophet Esay speaketh especially of Christ and then to apply it vnto the church of Rome For seeing the scriptures with so great consent do acknowlege Christ to be that tried and and precious corner stone and therefore doe call him the corner stone because he hath made of Iew and Gentile one breaking downe the stop of the partition wall In whom all the building coupled together groweth to a holy temple in the Lord which is a thing that not one but Christ can performe let vs knowe that to giue this title to any other is to rob Christ of his glory And yet as though master Bellarmine had not powred out already blasphemies ynow he prosecuteth wickedly that which absurdly he hath begun adding that this their Romish church is the stone of offence and stumbling blocke vpon which stone he that falleth shall be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it shall grinde him to
powder But howsoeuer it pleaseth master Bellarmine to bragge of the might and maiesty of the church of Rome we see that the hath lost many kingdomes that sometime serued her And where her power is greatest we see that many fall â—ayly from her and that such as doe so haue no cause to repent it but that God aideth them with his wonderfull and mercifull hand and prosecuteth them with many blessings But to returne vnto master Bellarmines argument againe Vpon this rocke I will build my church The foundation of a house hath two respects First it holdeth vp the whole building which being coupled together in it groweth to be an house as before I haue shewed out of saint Paules epistle to the Ephesians and thus Christ onely is the foundation of his church as hee is also the head whereof all the bodie furnished and knit together with ioints and bands increaseth with the increasing of God This foundation or head none can be but Christ Secondly the fonndation is as it were a direction and rule for the building of the rest of the house For it must be made according to the length and breadth of the foundation In which respect the Apostles are called foundations in the reuelation foundations I say in this church of God And so doth the apostle say that the church is built vpon the fonndation of the Apostles and prophets Iesus Christ himselfe beeing the chiefe corner stone And whether they be called foundations in respect of their doctrine as Saint Ambrose thinketh or because they were first layed in the building as Theophilact seemeth to affirme yet are they not such foundations as can hold vp this building but such onely as by their doctrine and fayth must be a patterne and platforme for all other builders to builde by that they goe not out of that rule and square which is most fit for Gods house And thus we confesse that Saint Peter is a foundation as also all the Apostles are And that which Chrysostome writeth vpon this place is in my iudgement a strong argument against this secondarie foundation which they say Peter is because he will haue the building so coupled witâ— tâ—e foundation as that there shalbe nothing between them But most plainely in his commentaries vpon the epistle to the Corinthians he will haue nothing betweene vs and Christ no distance betweene the head and the bodie As he proueth by examples of the head and the bodie the branch and the tree the building and the foundation For if the head be from the body but the thicknesse of a sword it dieth If the branch be cut from the tree neuer so litle it withereth If the house be not ioyned vpon the foundation it falleth Howe then can we haue any secondary foundation in the church of God without the ruine of the whole church The Apostles therefore may well bee foundations as I haue before saide either because that they are as it were the first stones that are layed vpon Christ in this building or because of their doctrine whereupon our faith is grounded but otherwise we can not admitte them all or any one of them whether Peter or any other to be a foundation in this building So that al the paines that master Bellarmine taketh to proue that this rocke must needs signifie Peter himselfe is more than needeth for we wil confesse that he and the rest of the Apostles are foundations in the church But if after some more peculiar sort he wil haue him a foundation neither hath he prooued it by that which he vrgeth out these words vpon this rocke neither yet by that vniuersall consent of the church that he braggeth of For the fathers do in sundry sorts expound these words som by this rocke vnderstand Peter as he was an apostle and teacher of the word of God And so may the fathers be vnderstoode that are in this chapter alleaged by master Bellarmine For he can not reason thus He is called a foundation therefore he is a foundation after some other manner than the other Apostles Some by this rocke vnderstand Christ whom Peter confessed So doth saint Augustine vpon this rocke which thou hast confessed saith he I will build my church now the rocke that hee confessed was Christ There are also sundry that by this rocke vnderstand the confession that Peter made as Hillarie Ambrose Chrysostome and Cyril But none of these interpretations can please our Romish rabbies but that only that makes Peter the foundation in Christs place which can not out of any of these expositions be gathered S. Augustine master Bellarmine saith was deceiued because he knew not the Hebrew tongue but yet saint Augustines words teach vs that in his time this place was not by consent of the godly so expounded as now the Papists expound it but only that there were sundry expositions of sundry men and that saint Augustine liked this of his best How happeneth it then that maister Bellarmine with a great cracke saieth hee hath the consent of the whole church Where is their catholike doctrine euen in this point that which now the church of Rome teacheth was not in saint Augustines dayes catholike But to to proue this doctrine to be catholike he saith The whole Councell of Chalcedon wherein were 630. fathers call Peter the Rocke and Bancke of the church so also saith Melchior Canus But both of them by shamelesse lies do seeke to abuse the simplicity of the ignorant Paschasinus or Paschasius he only said so who was Legat there for Leo bishop of Rome and sought by all meanes possible to aduance that seat aboue all others as may appeare in that place especially in the sixteenth action of that council and yet these men doe not shame to say that the whole council said so As for that other sence of those words receiued by Hillary Ambrose Chrysostome and Ciril which take Peters confession to be that rocke master Bellarmine would shift that off with this answere that they only speak of that faith that Peter as a pastor of the church had not of the faith without respect of Peters person And yet Hillary saith not vpon the rocke of this pastours confession but Vpon this rocke of confession And also not this mans faith but This faith is the foundation of the Church by reason of this faith the gates of hell can do nothing against it this faith hath the keies of the kingdome of heauen Saint Ambrose in the words alleadged by master Bellarmine speaketh also of faith absolutely without hauing respect to Peter as also he doth in sundry other places of that booke Yea he telleth vs there that whosoeuer ouercommeth the flesh is a foundation in the church and speaking of this rocke he would that euerie one should haue within himselfe this rocke which cannot be vnderstood of this confession as it hath respect to Peter The like also may bee said for
how happened it that they would send him if hee might commaund them all Had the Apostles authoritie to send him Then was not he aboue them Had they no authority Then did they abuse him which is not to be thought of so godly men as they were And howsoeuer maister Bellarmine would salue the matter in telling vs that sending doth not import alwaies a subiection in him that is sent yet if he had beene their superior it is to be thought they would rather haue desired him to take order for them of Samaria then haue sent him But I am sure the pope now would not take in good part that his colledge of Cardinals should send him about any such businesse Neither is that argument brought to prooue a subiection in him vnto them but that hee is not their ruler or that they owe him no subiection And therefore Maister Bellarmine his answere that sending doth not alwaies signifie subiection is nothing But I am wearie in spending time about his trifling cauils who though he cannot soundly refell the argumentes that are against their doctrine yet will hee not confesse the truth and so giue glorie vnto God Hauing thus examined I trust sufficiently the chiefest thinges alleadged by Maister Bellarmine concerning these two places of Scripture which especially they rest vpon I must also brieflie examine his second sort of proofes which hee promised to vse and that is grounded vpon the prerogatiues that are ascribed to Peter Wherein I shall bee the shorter because many of them are rather to make a shewe of proofe then worth alleadging The changing of his name from Simon to Peter when hee was first called prooueth not that hee was made head of the Church For hee had that name about three yeares and a halfe before they ascribe vnto him this headshippe Likewise that he is commonlie named first is a weake proofe For if that shoulde signifie his headship then shoulde it neuer haue beene placed otherwise then first but Saint Paule who knew well enough what place he should giue to Peter nameth Iames before him He walked on the waters It is true but what is out of that concluded Is hee therefore the head of the church Not so Fourthlie hee first of all knew the hie misteries of our faith say they if he did can that make him heade of the church It cannot Fiftlie it is saide the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it That is the church as the fathers teach almost with one consent and therefore that is the catholicke exposition But that which out of Origen hee alleadgeth because it is contrarie to the text and testimonie of the most of the godlie is iustlie reiected And for that they woulde prooue the supremacie because Christ saide to Peter pay for mee and thee is answered page thirty-sixe That hee praide for Peter it is not singular for hee praieth for all that the father hath giuen him If hee will confirme his brethen it is no maruell because hee that had more experience then others of his owne weakenesse is fittest to make others seeke for true strength and not to trust to their owne that will deceiue them But hee first of all the Apostles saw Christ after his resurrection what then If that maie giue the headship of the church Marie Magdalene shoulde bee the head for shee sawe Christ first yea although Peter and Iohn did runne to seeke for him yet hee woulde not appeare first vnto Peter to take away the very strength of this their argument If Christ washed the feete of Peter first if I say for it may iustly bee doubted of must that giue him the supremacy The like argument may be gathered out of that that Christ foretelleth Peter of his death Actes the first chapter and thirteenth verse And for the twelfth prerogatiue where he maketh Peter as the good man of the house to gather together into one place the companie of Disciples it is grounded vpon a fiction For there is not one word that hee gathered them But there is somewhat to bee gathered against Peters Supremacy For although hee mooued them to appoint one in Iudas his roome yet hee appointed not one as the Pope woulde very readily haue chalenged that priuiledge Not Peter but they appointed two They prayed They also gaue them lots not Peter If maister Bellarmine would reply that these actions yet must be performed by one and by likelihoode this one shoulde be Peter wee will not sticke to graunt him so much But if Peter had beene supreame head of the church heere had beene good occasion to haue named him as direttor in these actions which wee see is not done The thirteenth prerogatiue Peter first preached after the receiuing of the holieghost This maketh not him Supreame head And herein the Popes can not claime to bee Peters successours Hee wrought the first myracle but the text ioyneth Iohn with Peter which shoulde not haue beene doone if it had beene any argument for Peters supremacie to haue it thought that hee wrought the first miracle For the fifteenth prerogatiue commeth the destruction of Ananias and Saphira which was by that power that GOD gaue not to Peter onely but to them all Marke the sixeteenth chapter and seuenteenth and eighteenth verses yea and also vnto Saint Paul although hee were not one of the twelue For euen by the same power Paule cast out of a maide a spirite of diuination and healed the father of Publius that lay sicke of a feuer and a flixe and strooke Elymas with blindenesse healed one borne Iame at Lystra The sixteenth prerogatiue is taken out of the ninth chapter of the Actes of the Apostles where Peters diligence in preaching is commended in that hee trauelled throughout all quarters Which the Popes friends for very shame should neuer haue spoken of For if so bee that his diligence be an argument of his supremacie as they faine would make it then why is not the Popes supine negligence in that function as strong an argument against this Supremacie Wee will admit although it iustly may be doubted of that which is the ground of this seuenteenth prerogatiue that Peter first did preach vnto the Gentiles And must that needs prooue that hee is therefore head of the church I am sure that master Bellarmine himselfe will confesse that it is no necessarie argument But prayer was made without ceasing vnto God for him It is a token that the Church seeing the persecution that nowe beganne against the godly and that Peter also a woorthy minister of the worde and a great apostle was in danger was very carefull for his preseruation But this doeth not prooue him to be the head of the church no more then the care that the godly had ouer Saint Paule Actes the seuenteenth chapter and tenth verse in sending him away to Berea by night for his better safety or letting him downe by
a windowe in a basket when hee was in great danger in Damascus doth prooue Paule to hee the head of the church Of the nineteenth I haue spoken before pag. 10. The twenteenth prerogatiue Paule went to Hierusalem to see Peter What must he therefore needes be head of the church Belike then for the three yeares wherein he sawe him not but went preaching into Arabia and to Damascus he confessed him not to be head but as if he had forgoten himselfe all this while hee now at the last yeldeth him seme reuerence But if he had done it in any such respect he would and should at 〈…〉 before he had taken his office vpon him haue had Peters alowance And thus much concerning Peters priuileges or prerogatiues which they alleage out of Gods booke Which although many of them are euident arguments of excellent graces that God had bestowed vpon him and great mercies which God shewed to him yet if master Bellarmine or any other will out of them conclude Peters supremacie the weaknesse of his argument will be seene of very children But yet because before he made Peters prerogatiues his second proofe of this his supremacie I haue thought it necessarie to reckon them for other confutation of them needeth not that all may see what weak proofes they doe bring for this their chiefe point of doctrine As for the other eight prerogatiues they are not worth speaking of Both because we may iustly doubt of the truth of many of them as being proued but by fabulous writings and also because if they were true it were not matteriall for the point in question And therefore letting them alone as rotten propes which will fall in pieces of themselues if any weight be layed vpon them I hasten to his third proofe that hee promised And that is out of the fathers And herein it is needles to examine euerie particular testimony Onely I will set downe in what sense the fathers truly may and often doe ascribe vnto Saint Peter many excellent titles that thereby examining the fathers and finding them to keepe within the bounds of gods word we may with reuerēce receiue them But if they passe those lists I trust master Bellarmine and al his friends will beare with vs if we reiect the doctrine of men as himselfe in this very booke before refuseth the iudgement of Origene and Theophilact and of others in other places First therefore this word in latine primatus which wee now call Supremacie but indeede doth signifie that I may make such a word Firstnesse is ascribed vnto Peter of the fathers in respect of time as in the place alleaged here out of Ciprian neither Peter saith Ciprian whom the Lord chose first and vpon whom he did build his church whereas Paul did afterward reason of circumcision did boast himselfe or did take vpon him any thing insolently or proudly saying he had the primacy and that new ones and aftercommers shall rather obay him him This place is alleadged by master Bellarmine often to proue Peters supremacy or iurisdiction ouer others But the wordes are very plaine that Cyprian speaketh of his being first not in dignity but in tune as appeareth not onely in that he saith he was first chosen but also by the wordes of newe ones or after-commers But maister Bellarmine wil say that Andrew was chosen before him to be an apostle and therefore that Cyprian was deceiued if so he meant It may so be For men may erre But the question is not nowe whether Cyprians iudgement herein be true or not but vpon what occasion or in what respect Cyprian giueth Peter the primacy which is most plainly in this place set downe to be in respect of time And so may other of the fathers in this respect vse this word and giue him this title And sometime this title of primacy is giuen vnto him in regarde of some excellent thinges that he was indued withall by reason whereof his fellowes and brethren amongst themselues and the fathers after might giue vnto him some kinde of reuerence in name or otherwise But this wil do no good for proofe of popish supremacy For they doe hold that Peter in his owne right and by that iurisdiction which by Gods word he hath is head of the church and hath the supremacy aboue all other We say that because of his gifts of zeale knowledge constancy or boldnes he was admitted and allowed to speake and to doe many things but that in his owne right he was but equall with the rest and as he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder with them that were meaner then apostles Therefore to be a chiefe man or a head man among them is not to prooue him to haue iurisdiction ouer them In all corporations or fellowships as aldermen in citties although in regarde of that place they are alike none more or lesse an alderman then another yet among them some are better esteemed of euen of themselues because of their learning wisedome dexterity in gouernement credit power or wealth not because they can in right claime it but because other doe for such things as they see in them yeelde it vnto them not that they haue power ouer them but onely they are of good accompt among them And thus much to proue that that is not sufficient which maister Bellarmine saith will serue the turne to proue that the fathers say that Peter was head or had primacy ouer y e church For neither his estimation in respect of his gifts neither if by voluntary subiection they did submit themselues vnto him it can proue him to haue right to rule ouer them And this they must proue or els they gaiue nothing to their cause that Peter by the word of God hath authority ouer the whole church and ouer the apostles And therefore it maketh no great matter what men say of Peters authority but how truely they grounde their sayings vpon Gods word And thus I trust it appeareth to the indifferent reader that the minor proposition of that argument which I haue set downe in the end of my answere vnto maister Bellarmine ninth chapter of this booke wherein consisteth the great strength of the popish Monarchy is not agreeable vnto the truth or catholike doctrine howsoeuer that church of Rome reioiceth in that title that is none of hers thereby deceiuing the world as if all that shee taught were sound and catholike The proposition is this that Christ gane iurisdiction vnto Peter ouer the vniuersal church The chiefest profes that either they all haue or that maister Bellarmine can alleadge is out of Saint Matthew the xvi where they say this iurisdiction is promised and Saint Iohn xxi where they say it is giuen which their interpretation as I haue shewed cannot stand with the text it selfe or the interpretations of the sounder fathers His second reason which consisteth of the prerogatiues which Saint Peter had is grounded either vpon
a great friende of theirs and at this day in great account among them doth tell them namely Caesar Baronius in his history For out of him they may learne that Eleutherius a pope himselfe in a decretall epistle of his written to the bishops of France calleth them vniuersall bishops as Ignatius calleth the bishop of Philadelphia the bishop of the common church and so Gregory Nazianzen speaketh of Athanasius bishop of Alexandria Which Baronius seemeth thus to vnderstand that they ought to haue a care as indeed euery man should haue of the good of the whole church And these names of head of the church vniuersall bishop and such like were doubtlesse at the first graunted to such as were most worthy men in the church in respect of their learning and skill that they had or their trauell and diligence that they vsed to benefit the vniuersall Church And by this meanes was it more commonly giuen to the bishops of Rome then to others because they in regard of the place or city wherein they were had moe occasions of doing good offered vnto them and moe opportunities by reason of his neerenesse to the Emperour to solicite such matters And in this sorte is it giuen for a rewarde of well deseruing and to incourage them that were able to doe their vttermost indeuour to benefit the church But now it is a name tied to one chaire in which for the most part doe sit of the vnworthiest men that are in the church So that if a man consider howe little good they doe in the church and how much hurt wee shall thinke that a ring of gold will better become a sowes snowt then they beseeme that honourable title or it them And as for that which the councill doth write vnto Leo saying that he is appointed of our Sauiour to keepe his vine they speake it not in respect of his being bishop of Rome but in consideration of his excellent giftes of learning and other good graces wherewith God hath indued him And that this is their meaning it doth plainely appeare by those things that afterwardes in that councill they did For if they had meant by those wordes that he as bishoppe of Rome had supremacy ouer the whole church then woulde they not haue giuen vnto the bishop of Constantinople equall priuiledges with Rome and so haue taken from Rome that which Christ gaue as they pretend to the bishop thereof Thus to be short in this one councill we see this supremacy had three notable checkes It was called by the Emperours and moderated by lay Iudges and the bishop of Constantinople made equall to him of Rome The fift councill that is heere alleadged is the fifth Constantinople councill But this can bring litle credite to their cause seeing it may iustly be doubted whether euer there were any such or not For besides that mistrust which the very title of that councill which is in the second tombe of Councils doth worke in them that reade it because it cannot be set downe when or in what popes dayes it was celebrated but that it was about the time of Agapetus Siluerius and Vigilius I say besides the vncertainety of it that there appeareth Functius one skilfull in histories hath noted that this is not once spoken of in the Constantinople histories And therefore it is not likely that any such councell was kept there Neither yet can the rest of the councels alleadged by maister Bellarmine stande him in any steede For we will not deny but after that once the pope had gotten into that proud chaire almost all did yeeld vnto him honour and reuerence some for feare some for flattery vntill they had made him little inferiour to God himslfe And therefore wee iustly reiect the councels that were gathered since his power was so greate and his pride so vntollerable that by some meanes or other hee would be honoured as himselfe thought good And therefore the second councell of Nice which was about the yeare seuen hundred eighty nine the lateran about the yeare one thousand two hundred and fifteene That of Lions about the yeare one thousand two hundred seuenty and foure and that of Florence about the yeare one thousand foure hundred thirty nine are no fit witnesses against vs who doe not deny but that the Pope sometime by faire meanes sometime by foule sometime by flattery sometime by threatning sometime by force sometime by craft and alwaies by euill dealing hath gotten to bee in sorte as yee see supreame head of the Church But we say that he is not so by the word of God which hee claimeth to be and maister Bellarmine promised to proue but he cannot doe it Neither was he accounted in the purer times of the Church to haue that supremacy by Gods word as before I haue spoken Neither would they in any wise permit such power vnto him although he sought it earnestly and shamefullie in the councell of Chalcedon After the councels maister Bellarmin will bring in popes to beare witnesse on his side But honester men then many of them were are not to be heard in their owne cause Yea and although many of them were good men and were profitable members in Christes church yet because they were men they might haue such infirmities as doe follow the nature of man and might especially not seeing the inconuenience and ruine of the church which the pride of that seate hath brought forth ascribe more vnto their owne seate then either in truth they could claime or in christian humility they could take vpon them And for the first popes which all they that write of this matter recken vp in great numbers I trust we shal not hereafter bee troubled with their names because maister Bellarmine hath giuen them a reasonable good discharge For he confesseth that in their writings there are some errours neither dare he affirme that they may not be doubted of and as for the rest of them because wee haue seene euen almost from the beginning of any credite that they had some sparkes of their pride now and then to glitter and burst forth in their importunate seeking or too ready accepting of that that belonged not to them as in equity we are not bound so neither in discretion should we when the cause concerneth not vs but Gods truth heare what they can say for themselues against the same Neither are their writings for the most part any such as that by them wee may iudge throughlie what they did thinke For epistles or letters such are those writings altogither almost which are alleadged against vs are vpon sundry particular occasions written whereby the writers might happely be forced to say more for the credite of that seate then themselues would haue said if that occasion had not beene offered But this I am sure of they for the most part speake far otherwise and more plainely in that point then doe the other
that those good bishops did much good with that their authority to the church of God and were a great reliefe to the oppressed a comforte to the troubled and a good stay for religion We yeeld moreouer that a care ouer the whole church a belongeth not to the bishop of Rome only but to euery christian as Baronius a papist telleth vs. And as Saint Paule saith of himselfe although hee were not an vniuersall Bishop or pope ouer all the church yt that he had a care ouer all the Churches Which care as it shoulde be in all yet it should be greatest in them whom God hath beautified with greatest graces of power wisedome knowledge credite or any other thing whereby they may doe good to others So that the effect of Athanasius his wordes vnto Felix is that as God hath inabled him so also he should apply his greatnesse to doe him good We doe not yet see the Bishop of Rome to haue iurisdiction ouer the whole church but that the greatnesse that hee hath hee should vse it to the comfort of the godly But indeede the Bishop of Rome in steed of the care that he should haue doth exercise the power that he hath And the excercising of his power beganne somewhat soone in that chaire And therefore the fathers in the sixt council of Carthage as it seemeth were moued in the canons of the Nicen council to alter one worde For hauing agreed in the ninth canon or chapter of that council of Carthage to heare the Nicen decrees read when they come to the sixt chapter where the Nicen council hath that the bishop of Alexandria should hane power ouer the churches of Lybia Egipt Pentapolis as the bishop of Rome hath within his libertie in steede of the word power they read care Which no doubt those godly fathers did because they sawe how immoderately and by what bad shifts they did then seeke to bring vnder their subiection all others And therefore by this meanes they would teach them to whome they did graunt such honorable places that they were called rather to a burden then to an honour to looke vnto their charge rather then to ouer â—ooke them So then this care that the bishop of Rome should haue ouer all churches we wish also that hee would haue And yet we doe not hereby make him the bishop of the vniuersall church And for the third place out of Athanatius it hath lesse waight then any of the rest For because some accused the bishop of Alexandria to the bishop of Rome therefore he concludeth that the bishop of Rome is chiefe iustice aboue all and may take vpon him to iudge all matters but accusations are for the most priuat And who can hinder but that any may make complaint to a man that hath nothing to doe in the matter And many such complaints wil be made to such as will be willing to heare all matters as were many of the B. of Rome to increase their owne power That which is aleaged out of Basil is a request that Basil did purpose to make to the bishop of Rome like vnto that which Athanasius made to Felix and therefore one answere doth serue them both But in that epistle Basil calleth Athanasius the Top of all christians which name they would faine should be peculiar to their pope That out of Gregorie Nazianzene was not woorth blotting of so much paper For hee saieth the Citie of Rome beareth sway ouer the whol world what is that to the church of Rome And that that is alleaged out of Chrysostom in the first place is not much material because Chrisostome maketh that request to the B. of the west church and not to Innocentius alone Yea not Chrysostom only in the same his epistle but Socrates also in his historie testifieth that Chrysostom appealed from his aduersaries not to the pope which he would doubtlesse haue done if hee had taken his authoritie to haue beene such as now the church of Rome would haue it imagined but to the generall council And not hee onely appealed to a council but the multitude also were readie to make a tumult for him and said it was meete the matter should be heard not by the pope but in a generall council Secondly out of Chrysostom he alleageth these words we alwayes thanke you for that you haue declared vnto vs your fatherly good will What will the charitable affection of the pope prooue him to be head of the whole church If it will not this will doe no good his third place is this I intreate your watchfullnesse that although they haue filled all with tumults yet if they will haue their desease healed they be neither afflicted neither put out of mens companie Must the bishop of Rome bee the supreame head or else this request be in vaine He being as it is alwaies confessed of great authoritie although not so great as they imagine might either by intreating or by authority winne many to be of his minde and so hinder the excommunication of Chrysostomes aduersaries So that none of these arguments can conclude for the popes supremacie as we see And yet they wring whatsoeuer is said or done to the church of Rome as if it were a strong proofe for supremacie Whereas the godly of the east church being thus distressed were in policie forced and not for religious causes to seeke for helpe of the West church and of the bishop of Rome for their owne quietnesse And this doth appeare most plainly in an epistle that Basil writeth vnto the bishop of the west church for their helpe and especially by the aduise that hee giueth to Athanasius to that end wherein hee sheweth that there is no way for their safetie but to cause the bishops of the West church to take good parte with them And then if they chance to seeke for this at the popes hand by and by without all doubt hee must be head of the church It maketh me weary euen but to reade their arguments They doe so force their authorities that they bring and so vnnaturally apply them that it is tediousnesse to thinke of it Such is that also that foloweth out of Ciril For Ciril did thinke that if Nestorius would not reuoke his heresies within the time limited by Celestine bishop of Rome all men ought to shunne his companie as a person excommunicat and deposed And writing to Celestinnus he doth desire to know of him whether he thinke good that men shuld yet communicat which Nestorius or they should shunne his company And what if Ciril sawe that in Celestine that he thought him worthie to be especially regarded in these matters doth it thereupon folow that he would haue him to haue soeuraigne iurisdiction ouer the whole church Or if hee thinke him meete to deale in his owne matter must he needs giue him power ouer all men in all causes Master Bellarmine must make
new logicke before he can prooue such bad conclusions But then to mend the matter he bringeth in an authoritie that is not to be found in the Author that he doth aleage for it But wee must take it vpon the credit of Thomas of Aquine They shew that they want proofe when they would faine call againe the things that are not to helpe their cause As for Thomas we know welenough his good will to the church of Rome For he would not onely raâ—e out of the earth these sentences of Ciril but also as Canus reporteth of him hee speaketh of one Maximius that saieth much for the authoritie of the bishop of Rome Yea and he findeth much out of the council of Chalcedon In which councill the Bishop of Rome had his authoritie that he sought for much abridged Yet I say Thomas hath found out euen in that council good stuffe to confirme the authoritie of the bishop of Rome that ueuer came to our hands And no meruel for Melchior Canus telleth vs that Gregorie complaineth that in his dayes they were blotted out by heretiks And I pray you howe then did Thomas of Aquine come by them who was after Gregorie almost seuen hundred yeares Thus you may see howe they seeke by forged writings that which by authorities of credit they can not maintaine Well then let fained Ciril goe and let vs see what Theodoret saith He as others before him had done craueth the Popes helpe against Dioscorus And Leo the pope did for him what he could we deny not But yet before the councell of Chalcedon would restore Theodoret to his place againe he was forced by the whole councell to shew his detestation of Nestorius Eutiches and all heretickes although the pope had receiued him to communion before And heere before I goe any further this one note I thinke necessary to be added concerning many of the former testimonies That because they are drawen from the priuate Epistles of men distressed seeking for helpe and therefore they might wel be forced to write with as great humility as they could deuise to write for to obtaine succour it is no reason that these their forced petitions and priuate requests should be accounted as rules for catholicke religion Then commeth in Sozomen in which he mistaketh both the place alleadging the seuenth chapter for the eighth an errour easily committed and the matter For although Iulius bishop of Rome did thinke well of the dignity of his seat yea and in respect of his mightinesse that hee was now growen vnto partly by the goodnesse of former Emperours but chiefly through the dissentions of the east or greeke churches hee was in duty also bound more then others to haue a great care ouer all churches yet that his supremacy was not then acknowledged that very Chapter shall sufficiently testifie For there it is reported how that the bishops of the east churches to whom Iulius had written somewhat sharpely in the behalfe of Athanasius and others that fled to him did make answere to Iulius with a letter ful of tauntes and threatnings and shewed that their churches were as great and as many as his finding fault also with Iulius for receiuing such to his communion and such other things So that wee see that they did not account the Bishop of Rome as supreame head of the church neither doth Sozomen say that Iulius his seat came to that dignity by Christes institution or by Gods law which Bellarmine tooke in hand to proue but hath not brought one testimony of the fathers that can performe that promise They plead as the Lawyers say in possessorio they say they haue it by possession so many haue come to the church of Rome for helpe when they were distressed In thus many cases popes haue intermedled in other bishops charges So they tell vs what they haue done But the question is how iustly by what right law or authority they haue done many of the things that they haue done We would haue them plead de petitorio Let them proue their right For it is true that long since the pride of this seat did beginne abusing Gods good liberality and the fauour of godly princes towarde them still increasing in that ambitious humour vntill they had set themselues aboue all Which authority when they had once gotten they did shew themselues vnsatiable and cruell despising all authority and making their wil to be in steede of law as shal God willing in the proofe of their practise which is the seconde part of this treatise be declared But it doth not followe they haue done this therefore they haue done well in so doing That which is alleadged out of Acutius that Simplician the pope had care ouer all churches is much to the commendation of Simplician that he had so due regard of his dutie but this prooueth him not to haue authority ouer all because he had or at the least should haue care ouer all But I muse what maister Bellarmine meaneth to tell vs a tale out of Liberatus of a namelesse bishop of Patara What matter is it to vs or what strength can it bring to his cause to know what he or other men not knowen in the church of God for their learning iudgement zeale or such other vertues as are necessary for them that shoulde be witnesses in matters of religion doe thinke or say Much such proofe might be had out of the legend of lies But that will neuer proue their doctrince to be catholicke Lastly the woordes of Iustitian in that hee calleth the pope Iohn the seconde head of all holy churches may well bee admitted as in former times that name head was often vsed yea and is still of vs. A man of good dexterity or countenance is called a head man among others although hee hath not authority ouer them But such a head as now the pope is become that will controll all bishops yea depose emperours dispence with Gods word make new laws in the church haue his saying in all matters Iustinian himself could not haue liked And it must be marked that we deny not but a bishop of Rome as also another maÌ„ may welbe called head of the church if they be indewed with such gifts as are to the benefit of the whole church But we deny both that the name is or ought to be peculiar to the church of Rome or the bishop thereof only and also that the authority which by that and such like names he challengeth vnto him is tolerable in him or in any other For indeede our contention is whether the bishoppe of Rome haue supremacy ouer the whole church or not Now excellent names were giuen vnto men in times past as the name of pope Baronius a great papist of our time confesseth was common to all bishops The like he also writeth of the name of vniuersall bishop And Athanasius was called Pontifex maximus
The greatest bishop and yet not he but Liberius was then bishop of Rome And for this name head as I haue shewed it is nothing strange in all societies to haue a heade man and yet he not to haue iurisdiction ouer them By all which it appeareth howe weake an argument may be drawen from these names which may be common to so many to proue the supremacy which the bishop of Rome challengeth to himselfe onely Nowe maister Bellarmine hauing wrung what he can which is not much out of the fathers of the greeke church commeth to the latin writers to try what gleanings he can get among them Whom I doubt not but we shall finde speaking very reuerently of the church of Rome as in truth it well deserued because that the bishop of Rome although he began very soone to encroche somewhat vpon other mens right and to enlarge his power yet he vsed his greatnesse and authority for a long time to the maintenance of true religion the comfort of the distressed and to withstande by himselfe and other the bishops of the West church the heresies that troubled especially the East churches In al which things we know that by their place for that they were bishops of the Imperiall city and the authority that they were come vnto by fauour of the Emperours they were as it were ringleaders vnto others so that although they were moued sometimes to these good things by a desire that they had to be medling in all matters which was one of the waies whereby they came to their greatnes yet in that they did good vnto the church the godly did both commend them and also beare with them although sometime they were too forward and stept too farre before others But when they would haue had this authority confirmed to them in councils and established as a law of the church then did the ancient fathers wisely withstand their vnlawfull desires as the vi councils of Carthage and the councill of Chalcedon doe plainly proue So that the godly learned fathers of those times partly to incourage them in their well doing did giue them due commendation when they deserued it and partly for quietnesse sake and the peace of the church did wincke at many of their inordinate proceedings and vnorderly attempts so long as they were but their priuate actions yet would not the iurisdiction of the vniuersall church And these things being well remembred I may I trust be shorter in answering to the particular places And first for the place out of Cyprian which maister Bellarmine prosecuteth in many words as he is forced to doe that he may get out of him but a shew of an argument It is answered in few words For indeede maister Bellarmine groundeth vpon a false principle which I dare not say that he could not but see his errour but it is maruell if he can be ignorant of it The wordes wherein he especially trusteth are these This commeth to passe that heresies growe in the church whilst there is no returning to the beginning of the truth neither is the head sought for neither is the doctrine of our heauenly maister kept Nowe by this word head he vnderstandeth the head of the church whom he maketh Peter Whereas it is most certaine that Cyprian doth meane nothing els here then in another place where he endeuoureth to perswade after the same maner and by that very argument where by the head he meaneth that which the apostles taught For saith he if we returne to the head and beginning of the tradition of the apostles mans errour ceaseth And there he teacheth vs by a similitude howe we should come to the heade by the similitude I say of a conduct wherein if the water faile we goe to the head of it that is to the fountaine and so from thence examine the want of the water so saith he must Gods priestes goe to the beginning when there is any question of Religion And that he meaneth that head in this place the very wordes by him alleadged do prooue because the former wordes put vs in minde of returning to the originall or beginning of the trueth and the wordes that follow leade vs to the heauenly doctrine Well then the head in this place doth signifie the spring and fountain from which our doctrine must beginne and so master Bellarmines argument is quite ouerthrowen And hauing proued that he buildeth his reason vpon a false ground I trust I neede not bestow any more labour to prosecute him in his wandering wordes Optatus is the second who speaketh nothing to helpe this desperate cause For although he commend vnto vs that one chaire in respect of the vnitie of doctrine for all the priests nowe saith Chrysostome must sit not vpon Moses chaire but vpon Christs chaire yet in the wordes alleadged by master Bellarmine he addeth and we haue proued that that is ours by Peter Optatus a bishop in Affrike not of Rome sitteth in Peters chaire Therefore Peters chaire and the popes chaire are not all one vnlesse their doctrine be one It is not tied to Rome or to that church But alluding to that place of Moses his chaire which our Sauiour Christ speaketh of because the Scribes and Pharises taught that which Moses did teach Optatus also saith that he doth sit in Peters chaire because hee taught that which Peter did confesse and teach Yea and he prooueth by this argument against the Donatists who taught that they onely were the church that the church is also where he taught because euen there is Peters chaire so that if Optatus your owne witnesse speake truly then you haue maruellously abused the world for many yeares in making them beleeue that S. Peters chaire is at Rome onely But Saint Ambrose seemeth somewhat plainer then the rest in that first place alleadged by maister Bellarmine The church is called Gods house whereof Damasus is a ruler this day But yet the words do not import any such thing as may prooue the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome For wee will not deny that the Bishop of Rome is a ruler in the church but that he is the only ruler we can not graunt But Saint Ambrose expounding those wordes of Paule wherein he teacheth Timothie how to behaue himself in Gods house takes occasion to shew both what is Gods house namely the church and who they are that are rulers in Gods house namely the bishops or pastours to whom the ministery is committed And to make this plaine by an example he setteth before vs the house of God at Rome which is the church there and the ruler of Gods house there who is Damasus their bishop If any man aske how it commeth to passe that he rather nameth Damasus then any other bishop Sundry reasons of it may be yeelded First Ambrose himselfe was a bishop in Italy for Milaine is in Italy vnder the popes wings and therefore the bishop of Rome was the most
famous bishop and better knowne to his people then any of the other patriarches and therefore fittest for an example Secondly there had beene a very great schisme or strife about the popedome one Vrsicinus standing for it against Damasus so that many of both sides were slaine in the very church in striuing for it But Damasus in the end obtaining the popedome Saint Ambrose to testifie his owne perswation and to assure others that Damasus and not Vrsicmus was bishop of Rome although he stood for it doth take occasion heere to name him Thirdly Damasus beeing pope was accused of whoredome whereof hauing cleared himselfe it is not vnlikely but that S. Ambrose did the rather take this occasion to pull al suspition out of other mens minds by giuing this testimony of him Another cause also may be added that as it seemeth he was as learned as any bishop of Rome before him For which S. Ambrose himself a being a learned man might then rather delight in naming him The rest of the places out of S. Ambrose haue no waight at all Satyrus did aske the bishop whether he agreed with the Catholicke bishops that is with the Church of Rome He meaneth by catholicke bishops such as held the catholicke faith that then was maintained at Rome If it be a good argument to say Rome is a catholicke church therefore it must gouerne all the churches in the world then will this also be a good argument Hippo was a catholicke church so was Millaine so are also the churches that we haue allowed in England by authority therefore they were and ours are heads ouer all others And that master Bellarmine will not allow But he asketh why the bishops are not catholickes that agree not with the church of Rome if it be not because Rome is the head of the catholike church I maruell much that maister Bellarmine whose wordes go for oracles with many will shew himselfe so ignorant of that he alleadgeth For if hee had read but the wordes that immediatly doe follow the reason is there rendered why he asked that question namely because the church there was in a schisme For one Lucifer had seperated himself from their communion Lo here M. Bellarm. he dreameth not of any headship of that church but asketh this question whether he helde the faith that then was preached at Rome And Athanasius in his creede speaketh in this sence of a catholike faith Yea the name of catholike was also as it were a note of their profession That whereas the Donatists gloried that they onely had the true church the catholikes on the contrary would be known by their name that in any place of the world they might be of the true church Yea there were Emperours that made a lawe that whosoeuer beleeued the one godhead in trinity and equal maiesty of the father the sonne and the holy ghost should be called Christians and Catholikes as their law doth testifie Yea Sozomen reporteth of a lawe made by the Emperour that all should beleeue the lawe deliuered by Peter the head of the apostles but howe he may be called head of the apostles I haue shewed before and that nowe Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter of Alexandria doe holde and that they onely that worship the trinitie with like honoure should be called the catholike church And doeth maister Bellarmine to make his bad proofe seeme better aske howe they may be called catholikes that agree with the church of Rome vnlesse it be in this respect that they take it to be the head of the catholike church heere are catholikes we see and yet not bound to beleeue that head After he alleadgeth two other places of like force The effect of them is that he woulde followe the paterne of the church of Rome So woulde I also if I had liued in those daies when they sincerely held the faith committed to them by Gods worde And he doubtlesse if he sawe the superstition and Idolatry and treasons that vnder coulour of religion are hatched there in our daies he would thinke euen the cotten ruines of Rome to bee ouer good to bee a cage for so badde birdes But to follow their example is not to yeelde vnto them power ouer vs. To go forward out of saint Ierome hee reasoneth thus Saint Ierome for pope Damasus answered the Synodicall consultations of the East and West therefore they that sought for answere from the seate of Rome in their matters acknowledged the superioritie thereof If I should tell Maister Bellarmine againe that Maister Caluine in his time and Maister Beza in his time haue answered more matters and questions that came from sundry of the reformed Churches and some particular men then many of the popes of that time yet I am sure he wil neuer confesse them to be vniuersall Bishoppes for that No more neede wee graunt to him that the Pope is a vniuersall Bishop because many questions were mooued to him Againe Saint Hierome confesseth himselfe to be Damasus his sheepe and that hee is of communion with him Alas what childish proofes are these May not Hierome confesse himselfe to depend vpon Damasus but that hee must thereby tie all others likewise to be subiect vnto him It is a shame for men so to deceiue the world aud to hasten euen their owne damnation by abusing the simple in such sort They crie it out in euery corner that there is no saluation to be hoped for vnlesse they doe acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome to bee head of their Church and yet are they not able to yeelde so much as one good reason out of the Scriptures or ancient writers of the purer age for proofe of their doctrine It must bee beleeued as an article of faith and yet they coulde shewe no ground no warrant for it Out of saint Augustine is alleadged that in the Church of Rome the principalitie of Peters chaire hath alwayes flourished Augustine and Optatus as they were in one time so were they of one minde And as before out of Optatus I shewed and that by Christes testimony that the Apostles chaire is his doctrine so here doeth it signifie And saint Augustine his meaning is that Rome hath especially kept the Apostles doctrine or faith the which in Saint Augustines dayes might truely bee verified Againe out of Saint Augustine epist 92. he desireth pope Innocent to helpe them against the Pelagians which maruellously troubled Palestine and Affrike Now out of this will he conclude the popes Supremacie But saint Augustine himselfe denyeth that hee had any such meaning in that he was one of that sixt councill of Carthage that so stiffely denied supremacie vnto the pope seeking it so earnestly and by very false practises And the Bishop of Rome was then of great abilitie to doe good as also any other may be and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them that seeke for that good at his hands I would haue them
to bring some plaine proofe and not so to stand vpon strange coniectures Againe Sozimus bishop of Rome willed hini to go to a councill at Cesarea and hee therefore saide that hee must needes goe If Sozimus did commaund and Augustine would not stand vpon his right in such a matter where perchance his going might be profitable to Gods church yet that would not make Sozimus head of the church No at that time they did not gather any such hard conclusions For although they would not refuse to do good euen being more imperiously commaunded then reason would yet supremacie as I haue shewed they would not acknowledge in the Bishop of Rome but rather were content to bee at great charges to conuince the popes falshoode In the last two places saint Augustine commendeth the bishop of Rome in that being so high as he was yet he would be friendly to them that were humble or lowe and then confesseth euery Bishoppe to be high yet him to be higher A man may be friend to them that are lower then he is and one Bishop may be higher than others and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them Higher I say in gifts credite place or many other waies In England we see differences of bishoprickes where yet the one hath not iurisdiction ouer the other Now for Prosper it were hard if his poeticall amplifications should be able to carry away the weight of so great a cause But for his words if he say that Rome is Peters seat in respect of the doctrine that there was taught and maintained as before Optatus and Augustine of whome he was a great follower haue done wee yeelde vnto him Otherwise I leaue the godly Reader to the arguments before alleadged to consider what he should think concerning this point whether Peter was Bishop there or not And where he saith that Rome is made vnto the world the head of pastorall honour wee yeelde vnto that also that at that time there was no church that either more sincerely did keepe that which the apostles taught or had more credit and authoritie amongst other churches then Rome had in respect that she was able and willing to do good vnto many other But where he saith that what by armes shee could not by religion shee hath subdued is not simply true For there are manie that neuer were nor will be by likely hood subdued to Romish religion But in some respect we also confesse that to be so in that religion subdueth the heart and winneth the affection of men to bee subiect whereas that outward force can onely preuaile against the outward man Now for Victor Vticensis who calleth the church of Rome head of all other churches I haue often shewed that it may truly so be called in respect of the authoritie which by many occasions it had goten not in respect of any inrisdiction that Christ gaue vnto it more then to other The next is Vyncentius Lirinensis who alluding vnto the name or indeede rather giuing vnto Rome that name that was commonly giuen vnto it saith that the head of the world gaue testimonie vnto it meaning the council of Ephesus You see saith master Bellarmine that the bishop of Rome is called head of the world Nay you see howe our popes catholiks incroch more and more for that vnsatiable gulfe of the church of Rome which will neuer haue honour and authoritie enough Who euer before master Bellarmine hath called the pope the head of the world He hath wont to be but head of the church But I feare that if his kingdome continue a while Acharonta mouebit hee will keepe a stir in hell also But Vincensius giueth no such name to Iulius bishop of Rome He would not be so iniurious to the ciuil authoritie he had learned better then so to giue to Caesar that that belongeth to Caeser and to God that that is Gods although the church of Rome might quite blotte out of their bookes that lesson for any regarde that they haue to keepe it As for Vincentius his meaning is plaine enough to them that will see the trueth For hauing spoken of sundry places from whence learned men came to that councill of Ephesus first out of the East then also out of the West churches he nameth Iulius bishop of the citty of Rome which citty he calleth the head of the worlde as immediately after he calleth Carthage one of the South and Millaine one of the North the sides of the world But if he had made so very great accompt of the church of Rome as in these daies men would haue vs to doe he would haue had perchance some more regard in placing that church in some other order then to make it almost the last that he mentioneth Out of Cassiodor a senatour and a great officer in Rome maister Bellarmine alleadgeth somewhat You saieth he to Iohn Bishop of Rome sit as watchmen ouer christian people as you are called father you loue all I see nothing heere that can helpe maister Bellarmine or his cause For who euer did thinke otherwise then that the Bishoppe of Rome was a watchman ouer christian people Or who will say that the Pope hath not or at the least shoulde haue a fatherly affection towardes all Well it followeth It is our part to looke to somewhat you looke to all Cassiodor liuing vnder the popes nose is content either by this praising of him to teach him what care he indeede should haue not onely to doe good to the people of Rome where he was Bishop but also as occasions should be offered to helpe others also Or els it may be that hee giueth him greater praise then he deserueth But what is this for the popes supremacy Must not the building needes fall that standeth vpon such weake propes Much like is that which followeth that the seat which is pope Iohns peculiar place is giuen generally to the whole worlde that is as I take it to doe good to all If a Romane magistrate to the bishop of Rome doe extoll more then in truth he may the power of that citty or els tell how farre their benefits doe extende must this be so strained and wrung to prooue supremacie The last testimony alleadged by maister Bellarmine doth so little helpe his cause that if he had done wisely he should neuer haue spoken of it For by that Epistle and others that are set before that councill of Chalcedon it may easily appeare that Leo Bishop of Rome did then bestirre him vsing the discention of the East church as a meane to increase his owne authoritie For it is most plaine and cannot be denied that afterwardes in that councill by his legates he sought the supremacy very earnestly and in sundry of his Epistles disanulleth that the councill did against it And in these Epistles he maketh mone to many to procure Theodosius the Emperour to stand his friend Anâ— in this Epistle
here cited by maister Bellarmine Valentinian sheweth howe Leo came vnto him told him of the diuision of the East church and great troubles there For indeede Flauianus a catholike bishop was deposed by Dioscorus and so cruelly handled that he died thereof within three daies Well Valentinian maketh petition to Theodosius That the bishop of Rome may haue place and power to iudge of the faith and of the priests Which request made by Valentinian in the letter which Valentinian confesseth that Leo requested him to write so iumping with that which afterwards Leo in the councill practised may much perswade vs to thinke that he solicited Valentinian the Emperour either plainly or couertly to moue this in his behalfe Well then this being but a request made that it may so be that cannot proue that it was so but contrary And what reason doth Valentinian the Emperour an especiall friend to the bishop of Rome vse to commend his suite Antiquity gaue him principality of priesthood ouer all Wherein I first note that not Christ but ancient custome is pretended to haue priuiledged him And here againe marke howe this agreeth with that which was afterwards in the council of Chalcedon obiected by Paschasnus legate for Leo this bishop of Rome The church of Rome saith Paschasinus alwaies had the supremacy But this his allegation was proued false But the allegations of Valentinian the popes solicitour in this cause and of Poschasimus the popes legate being so like it maketh me the bolder to coniecture that they were both forged in one shop because they haue both one stampe Thus haue I taken a view of all such testimonies as are alleadged by maister Bellarmine out of them that liued within 600. yeares of Christ for to establish the pride of that Romish seat I haue of purpose omitted iii. or iiii by him alleadged because they wrote after the time that Phocas that murthering traitor who killed Mauritius his Lorde and maister for his Empire hauing first killed before his face his wife and fiue of his children had granted vnto Boniface bishop of Rome third of that name to be supreme head ouer the whole church Wherein although I haue endeuoured to be short yet I trust it plainly enough appeareth to them that will not shut their eies against the truth that although the church of Rome had indeede in regard of her constancy in the truth and power which shee grewe vnto by many occasions being in the imperiall citty great authority amongst all other churches and although learned men were by their distressed estates forced many times in their priuat seates to yeelde to that church more interest to meddle in their matters then of right it had yet it cannot appeare by any thing that they bring out of any approued record within the compasse of those yeares that the church of Rome was either by Gods lawe appointed the head ouer others which is indeede the point that they should proue or that by common consent of the godly it was so catholickly receiued And yet if this latter could haue more apparent proofe then euer Rome or Rhemes can afforde in this cause they should gaine nothing but that good men haue either ordained or tolerated such a state Which howsoeuer it might seeme tolerable when many good men possessed that place yet that the church should be subiect to such as nowe for the most part sit in that seat no christian heart can well endure it But now this labour being taken in hand to trie the popes title vnto the supremacy or how he pleadeth or what claime he can make I must needes giue warning to the christian reader to marke how that as maister Bellarmine hath said little or rather nothing at all to prooue this authority of the bishop of to be grounded vpon Gods lawe so be hath not brought one council within the said six hundred yeres or any thing sufficiently materiall out of the fathers of that time to proue that by mans lawe he was decreed so to be but onely somtimes perchance by particular men vsed as if he had authoritie ouer all And shall this be accounted a catholike doctrine that neither God nor man for six hundred yeares after Christ commaunded to be beleeued If there come no better euidence then master Bellarmine can bring without all doubt the pope will be found to be but an intruder into other mens right a vsurper of other mens iurisdiction But master Bellarmine will helpe his former want with a new supply He affirmeth very boldly as hee doth often in other matters that we knowe neither the time wherein neither the author by whom this supremacie had beginning Yet it may be that we shall gesse shrewdly at it But first wee must vnderstand that the roote of this supremacie that is the pride and ambition of heart that was in many of the popes was lying long in the ground before it did sprowt and plainly shew it selfe and when it grew that it might be seene yet was it not perfected in a long time after But it did plainly shew it selfe in the time of Phocas of whome I spake before For he with much adoe ordained that the bishop of Rome should be called and counted the head of all churches as many of the popes frends tell vs and among other Platina A very fitt patron for so proude a prelat And after that the pope had gotten by the emperours decree this glorious title yet he could not presently get quiet possession of the same but the bishop of Constantinople did still striue for that name Vntil at the length they were both content to winke and the one to suffer the other to be be called vniuersall bishop So that both of them had that name and were so called And nowe the bishop of Rome hauing obtaiued thus much in the west church that hee in all councils and meetings was chiefe and that they should submit themselues to him Before it was long hee had taken so good roote aud begane to grow so mighty that he durst alter and chaunge giue to and take from men at his pleasure and to turne all things vpside downe yea and in the end to cheeke the greatest monarchs But of these matters I shall if God will haue better occasion to intreate in the second parte of this treatise Now I will only say that they were comme to such power as Platina writeth of Boniface the eight that they would rather put feare into the hearts of emperours kings princes nations and people then religion And thus when they had bene in increasing and growing in strength for the space of at the least eight hundred yeares at length in the council of Florence we find this their soueraigne and supreme power confirmed in these words We define that the holy apostolike seat and bispp of Rome hath the supremacie in the whole world So that although we cannot perfectly say when this poyson of pride beganne
cannot erre or be remoued but to admonish euen vs also that professe the gospell that vnlesse we repent wee shall all perish likewise We are the figtree for which the dresser of the vineyard intreateth that yet this fourth yeare we may be spared for we haue beene three long yeares yea three times twelue yeares vnfruitfull Our owner looked for figes but we yeld none for grapes but we beare none but sower ones Now is the time wherein much digging and dunging is bestowed vpon vs. If we continue still fruitfesse as we haue beene there is no hope of mercie but without sparing we must be cut downe and so shall be cast into the vuquenchable fire And this is in trueth a more christian and necessarie collection and more agreeable to Gods iustice and to the whole course of scripture which promiseth good things to them that walke in the feare of God and threatneth Gods wrath to them that are disobedient and delight in sinne then that which master Bellarmine gathereth out of the sinnes and schisms of the popes For hereby will he proue that the church of Rome is the true church because they haue had very many most grieuous schismes euen among the popes themselues now where is the vnitie that so much they bragge of And because there haue beene many wicked popes amongst whome himselfe nameth Steuen the sixt Leo the fifth Christopher the first Sergius the third Iohn the twelfth with others not a few as his owne words are And yet notwithstanding that they haue had many vices as hee saith the glorie of that seate is increased and amplified thereby greatly Indeede such pearles doe best become such swines snowts But what maketh master Bellarmine to like the better of the Romish church and the rather to be induced to imagin that it is a true church because euen the heades thereof haue beene so bad companions and so abounding in all wickednesse Forsooth because if the bishop of Rome had not beene of Gods appointment saith he and that church the true church it coulde not haue stood and continued so long being so full fraught with so many sinnes But that is it that is in question whether the church of Rome be the true church or not We deny it wee finde not in it the ancient faith the doctrine of the apostles the sincere word Wee see not there the pure administration of Gods holy Sacraments They teach vs outward hypocrisie for true holines foolish toyes for spirituall worshipping These and such like things doe strongly perswade vs that God hath done to Rome as he hath done to Silo and to Ierusalem long since and will he prooue it to be the true church because the bishops are euill Now if the name and outward shew of a church haue so blinded the eies of maister Bellarmine that hee will that it must needs be as it is called that is to say the catholicke church I would haue him looke to Ierusalem how in the time of Christ when the church was in them that followed Christ yet the name and outward glory of the church remained with the priests and that company which were the greatest enemies to Christ and his church As therefore we see not in the church of Rome when we try their doctrines any probability that they are the true church of Christ so we set this downe as the infallible course of his iudgments with whom it is counted a righteous thing to set himselfe against such as delight in sinne that he that spared not the angels that left their first estate neither delighted in his owne people whom he had brought out of Aegypt when they sinned against him will haue no pleasure in the church of Rome any longer then shee hath pleasure in his law but will remooue their candlesticke fight against them with the sword of his mouth and spew them out when they reiect his truth Thus then we see that God left the priests whom he had appointed the people whom he had brought out of Aegypt and taken to be his peculiar inheritance the place that hee had chosen the temple that hee commaunded to be made because of their sinnes Let these things make vs with indifferent iudgement and without partialitie to trie whether God be also departed from that church of Rome or not For there is no doubt but if any people whatsoeuer sinnes as they did they may also be punished as they were But that church of Rome hath sinned in as abundant measure as euer did Ierusalem as themselues and their owne stories doe shew therefore why should they flatter themselues imagining that God will not deale with her as he hath dealt with others And here wee may consider howe vntrue that popish position is that the church of Rome or the Bishoppe of Rome can not erre Can hee sinne They confesse that hee can not Yea and their owne sinnes doe record such sinnes of theirs as ascend vp before the Lord and cry vnto God for vengeance No doubt then but such may erre and fall into heresies also For it is truely said of Saint Augustine that men by their sinnes doe fall into heresies and heresies are the very punishment for sinne For he that is the iust iudge must needes poure foorth his wrath vpon such as detaine the truth in vnrighteousnesse and vpon such as knowe God by his workes but will not glorifie him as God and therefore in their excesse of folly doe turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of corruptible man yea and of things most base and vile for man to worship Thus then wee see howe sinne deserueth that God in his wrath shoulde strike with blindnesse such as do delight therein For when the loue of the trueth is not receiued God sendeth vnto such as refuse the trueth strong illusions that they should beleeue lies Thessalo 2. 10. 11. And if you would haue example thereof none is better then Salamon who was for wisedome the wonder of the world and yet when he gaue himselfe to sinne with women he was by that meanes drawen to idolatrie In somuch as Nehemiah fearing lest for the like offence the like iudgement of God should fall vpon the people of his time warneth them by the example of Salomon to take heede Did not saith he Salomon king of Israel sinne by those things And Sathan knew well enough that this was the readiest way to drawe men to idolatrie which is deede detestable heresie by moouing them to carnall and filthie adulterie Therfore also he preuaileth against Gods people by that wicked practise Shall wee then thinke that the church of Rome whose sinnes are greater then were the sinnes of Sodome and Gomorah cannot be left vnto it selfe and plunged in errour Or that the pope cannot erre whose wicked doings are as excessiue as his power is great Master Bellarmine in his booke of the bishop of Rome taketh great paine
in iudgement Liberius a pope did not only consent to the condemnation of Athanasius that great learned and catholike father as many ancient histories doe report and our aduersaries deny not but also did communicate with two notable Atrian heretikes which was a great offence to the godly and an incouraging of those heretikes But maister Bellarmine answereth that neither he taught any heresy or was an heretike The question is whether the pope may er or not Now our aduersaries draw vs from the questiō not answering whether Liberius did erre or not but they tell vs that he was no heretike and that he taught no heresie And admit he did neither of these two I meane that he neither became an heretike neither yet taught heresie yet he may erre Yea Liberius did fouly erre in that externall action whereby our aduersaries confesse that he consented to the banishment of Athanasius and in communicating with those two Arrians Valence Visacius and by help of Arrians get again to be bishop of Rome deposing Felix For to er is to wander or go out of the right way whether it be for ignorance or feare or through any other affection he that steppeth aside doth erre And because this giueth great light to al that is to be said of this question it shal not be amisse somewhat more throughly to consider of the same First you see that whereas their doctrine is briefly deliuered that the pope cannot erre they wil haue it thus to be vnderstooed the pope cannot be an heretike that is he cannot continue obstinatly in heresie nor he cannot teach heresie when he giueth generall precepts that should belong to the whole church For that is the meaning both of Melchior Canus in his Theological places and of maister Bellarmine in this place before alleadged The intent also of their doctrine is to commend vnto vs that their Italian head as a fit head for to guide the vniuersal church and able to be ahead to the whole body Nowe therefore let vs see how well their doctrine and their meaning agree together For the head of the church should be such as should in nothing no not for a time leade the body of the church awry But the church may be led into many foolish opinions strange conceites and dangerous doctrines euen by such as cannot be called heretikes For an heretike is he as Saint Augustine telleth vs that being of any euill and corrupt opinion in the church and being reproued or monished to amend resisteth stubbornly and will not reforme his contagious and perilous doctrines but defendeth the same and is drawen to deuise or follow such opinions for his own profit especially for his own glory and to aduance himselfe Now who seeth not that a man in place of credite and authoritie as the bishop of Rome hath beene by such bad means as he hath vsed these many yeares may wonderfully indamage and indanger the church of God before any body wil or dare reprooue him for any opinions that he will holde And when he is found fault withall as he must be before they can count him an heretike how many subtile shifts can euil men haue to continue a long time in their wicked opinions without reuoking the same or reforming themselues and yet to auoide the danger of being accounted stubborne or obstinate The Pelagians against whom saint Augustine writeth many bookes did turne many waies their lewd opinions changed often in some shewe of words their positions and did adde as by reason they were forced and by arguments compelled some such wordes vnto their errours as that thereby they might auoide the note of contumacy and deceiue the more vnder a shew of truth as may appeare by saint Augustine who confesseth plainly that if their meaning were not knowen to be euill their wordes could well enough haue beene borne withall Admit then that a bishop of Rome being of such absolute authority as now they are could as cunningly as did the Pelagians couer and cloake an heresie Might not he be an heretike many yeares before he would be driuen to recant And might not he then by such meanes bring irreparable hurt to the church of God Thus we see that as by this doctrine that the pope cannot erre they goe about to assure vs that the head which they haue set ouer the church cānot deceiue vs if we wil be lead by him so their interpretation of that their position argueth in them great doubtfulnes y t they dare not defend their own fayings vnlesse they may expound their words after this manner that the pope cannot erre that is he cannot obstinately or stubbornly teach as a doctrine to be receiued of the whole church any heresie And I pray you what safety can the godly finde in following such a head as when he hath guided them into many errours yet he will not stubbornly stand in defence of them Such may wel be compared to souldiers that by the rash leading of an vnskilfull captaine are brought into the hands of their enemies and when the captaine seeth his folly he would faine mend it if he coulde and is sory for that he hath done But what helpeth this his late repentance the distressed souldiers nothing at all Euen so that the bishop of Rome cannot continue in his errour if it were true that he had some such priuiledge it might be good for himselfe But such a head is for others very dangerous because y ◠not all they who are seduced by such mens instruction or example are also reduced by their recantation or amendment as appeareth by multitudes of examples And so we see that this their interpretation standeth not with either their common receiued doctrine or with their intent and meaning which is to promise safety from errour vnto them that receiue that head Whereas in truth their meaning is to tell vs that the pope may be of a wrong iudgement but if he be much vrged he cannot be obstinate he wil not stand to it And whereas they defend that the pope cannot teach heresie as a doctrine publikely to be receiued in some respect I thinke it to be most true For seldome or neuer are there any popes that can teach either truth or heresie They cannot preach they cannot with wholesome doctrine feede their flocke they cannot deuide the foode of life and breake the bread of the word vnto Gods houshold seruants For want of knowledge they cannot of themselues doe much either in defence of truth or to maintaine errour But this exposition will not please them They haue another meaning For when they tell vs that the pope cannot be an heretike when he teacheth the whole church their meaning is plaine enough that in particular iudgements they may erre but not in their generall decrees or preachings or instructions Which they are forced to say for the auoiding of such inconueniences as might growe by defending the doing of many
fathers Thus we see that in as plaine termes as they can deuise this Councill doeth oppose themselues to that which the Bishop of Rome did seeke to obtaine And thus it appeareth how vntruely the church of Rome hath delt very long since to exalt her selfe aboue others and to maintaine her owne pride And how shee hath in the times of those learned fathers beene bridled in their councils Wherein they haue set downe lawes to mitigate and keepe vnder their immoderate affections how soeuer they would sometimes write or speake of them or to them that were bishops of Rome for the peace of the church and the reuerence of the persons being men often times indued with very good gifts and such as by their acquaintance and credit being in the imperiall citie did helpe many that were distressed Now therefore let vs yeld that honour to him onely whome God hath sealed that he be acknowledged the head of his church the lawe maker to his people the sheapheard to his flocke Let vs receaue no other vicar to snpply his roome but that spirit of truth which God our gracious father shall giue and which shall abide with vs for euer But as for them that without any good warrant of Gods word or sufficient calling from God claime to be as kings and loue to liue as lords ouer Gods heritage detest them as the proud off-spring of Corah Dathan and Abiram or rather as the wicked sonnes of Ely that did as themselues would yea as men that are enemies to Gods lawes vsurpers of Christs office despisers of all authoritie abusers of all maiestie and therefore most perillous plagnes to christian princes And thus much to examine how iust a title the pope hath or how iust a claime he may make to be supreame head of the Church The second part of the Suruey of the Popes Supremacie which is a proofe of his Practises NOw that it plainly appeareth in the first part of this Treatise to them that doe not wincke with their eyes against the trueth that this Supremacie that the Bishop of Rome most prowdely abuseth hath not any ground in the worde of God as is seene partely by the weakenesse of their owne arguments and partly because the fathers being assembled together in their generall councils some of them more then foure hundred and fiftie yeares after Christ haue taught vs the contrarie it is necessary for the better vnderstanding of this matter yea for the more detestation of their vniust authoritie that something bee said of the second part of this Treatise which is a proofe or examination of the popes practises But herein I must consider of two pointes First how and by what meanes they got vnto that high estate wherein nowe they are Secondly after what manner they haue vsed themselues in the same In fewe wordes how they haue ruled And because the church of Rome was not sodainely or in one instant aduanced to this place of excessiue pride and insatiable ambition wherein she now challengeth rule and dominion ouer al that professe christianitie it wil not be amisse but a thing very pertinent to this my purpose to see by what steps the pope hath come to such height by what practises he hath attained to such honour Whereas therefore the godly fathers of the primitiue church did many times stand in neede of the help or counsel or comfort of the good Bishops of Rome that were in their times and as occasions fell out were forced somtimes to flee to them for succor who also found reliefe at their hands very often the ages succeeding did interpret this charitable affection and performance of christian duety in these godly Bishops of Rome to be not so much tokens of the loue towards all as of their power ouer all And yet a man may be as good as he will to them ouer whom he hath no power at al. Although therefore we neither can nor will deny that which the Author of the Apologie for the English Seminaries doth so confidently pronounce that the famous fathers called for aide comfort and counsell in their distresses of the bishop of Rome yet iustly we may and for the trueâ—hs sake we must affirme that this seeking for these causes to the bishop of Rome doth not prooue him to haue authoritie ouer all but onely that at such times he had better meanes to helpe the distressed then they that sought vnto him had to releeue themselues But many times the godly are forced to flie for aide as these men did whom the Apology nameth as Cypr. Atha Chrys Aug. Basil Ierom Miletius Theod. to men worse theÌ„ themselues as Iacob to Laban from the wrath of Esau and Dauid to the Philistins to auoide Saâ—â—s rage and Ioseph with Christ to escape the bloudy hands of Herod went into Egypt But if any man desire more particularly to be informed in y e special causes that moued these godly men to make sute to the B. of Rome let him reade that learned answer that Bilson hath made vnto the said apologie he is too wilfull if he be not satisfied for this point Now some B. of Rome though otherwise good men were pufe vp with some prowd conceit of their authoritie when they saw such famous and godly men were driuen to seeke for their help as it may appeare by their owne words if they be their words which go abroad in their name for their Epistles and decrees As Damasus in his fourth epistle writing vnto prosper the B. of the first seat in Numidia and other bishops commendeth theÌ„ that in all matters that may be doubtfull they refer themselues to him as to the head to giue them answere And it is no great maruell though Damasus woulde write or speake much for the dignity of his place for comming to the which he did striue euen to the death of a great number of christians Siricius then commeth next after him who taketh vpon him to threaten to pronounce sentence against such as wil do otherwise then he would haue them And Innocentius writing to the bishops of macedony findeth himselfe grieued and thinketh that that church of Rome to which he telleth them they shoulde haue regard as to their head is wronged because they did not at the first yeelde to his iudgement The like might be said of many other of them Whereby appeareth that they who at the first were intreated by some godly men by such means as God had giuen them to help them in their need at the length tooke vpon them to commaund others to stand to their orders and decrees Insomuch as they also gaue out their decrees which they would binde al to obserue as partly appeareth in Siricius and Innocentius and partly also in others it will be more plaine It sauoureth of too great an arrogaâ—â—y that Zosimus another pope threatneth seuerity if any despise the apostolike authority So did Leo so did pope a afterward
What should I seeke to speak of euery one their own decrees and decrxtals do sufficently beare witnes that within a short time they were become so imperious ouer others that they would not leaue men farre better and more holy then themselues and better able to direct those bishops of Rome then the B. were to aduise them such I say they would not leaue to their own liberty in any thing but for euery thing euen the least matters that were they must follow the direction of that church of Rome must haue a decree for it Which bondage greater then that of Egypt howe miserable a slauery it was let the worlde iudge whē a man might iustly doubt of euery thing that he did haue some scruple of cōscience in al things For by this means it came to passe that the number of their ordinaunces being almost infinite men should alwaies be in danger to breake some of them Which was then a means to get them authority afterwards occasion of great gaine And thus we see two steppes laide to help them vp to this their desired honour The one is a voluntary submitting to them for aide councill and comfort The second a forcible subiecting of others to them by decrees and commandements But yet they could not get so high by far as they did looke or at the least so farre as now they haue climed For as in more then 300. yeares whilest they were in persecution they had no such proud hearts for any thing that we can read in any credible authors so for almost 300. yeares more they did but feede themselues in their own honour and got what credit and authority they coulde by their own deuises and pollicies Howbeit they could not get any vniuersal or general consent of other bishops to giue them that authoritie But contrary wise not onely some councils as that which is called Mileuitanum and that sixt of Carthage and that other of Chalcedon did stiffely withstand him therein but also the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople who in y e council of Chalcedon was made of equal authority with the bishop of Rome did earnestly striue to get the supremacy ouer Rome and all others And by al likelihood he had preuailed if Mauritius the the Emperour who as some stories report tooke part with the patriarch of Constantinople had not beene cut of cruelly by Phocas that did succeede him in the empire So that hereby the pride of the bishops of Rome was somewhat hindered and this authority which nowe he claimeth was almost taken from him And he that soone after did write himselfe vniuersall bishop or rather bishop of the vniuersal church and head of the church had almost beene subiect to the patriarch of Constantinople So that in good time did the popes thinke that that vnnaturall and sauage bloud sheader Phocas did cut his maisters throate seeing that by Phocas his meanes they got that supremacy decreed on their side that the bishops of Rome should be called and counted supreme heads of the church So now this proud decree of this cruel Emperour is the third step vnto their intollerable pride The bishop of Rome hauing thus gotten some sure footing in this proud chaire controlleth bishops calleth councils which before the Emperour had wont to doe and in all othe such things doth shewe his authority in his writings and letters for the most part calling himselfe the head of the vniuersal church stil creeping thus higher and higher yet not openly but couertly and by little and little vntill at the length he got him a fourth step For hauing as much authority as he could yet ouer bishops and that by the Emperours decree he sought to pull his necke out of the coller wherein the Emperour did hold him For he thought it was a burden to bee in such subiection to the Emperour that vnlesse he would confirme the election he could not be pope Therefore whereas Constantine the fourth Emperour of that name being moued as the stories report by the godlinesse of Benedict the second bishop of Rome so called did ordaine that he that was chosen pope by the cleargy people and army of Romans without any confirmation of the emperour or his lieutenant should be accompted pope whereas before it might not be without the emperours leaue who had as also the kings of France especially a chusing voice in the electing of the pope if we wil beleeue a story written by a Frier a fast friend to the church of Rome called Rioche who wrote in our times afterwards the Emperours would haue resumed their own right againe perchance because that after Benedict they found none such but some successours of his that behaued themselues too arrogantly and insolently against their Lorde and maister but they coulde by no meanes get it into their handes to keepe it though Leo the viii and some other yeelded vnto him For the succeeding popes many of them did stil incroche more and more debarring the Emperour of his right in their election vntill about 400. yeares after that the bishops of Rome had gotten this from the Emperour Alexander the 2. pope not willing to striue against his maister did publikely protest in the pulpit that he would not be pope vnlesse the Emperour woulde confirme him whereof he said he would write vnto the Emperour When Hildebrand who was after pope and called Gregory the seuenth heard this hardly being able to hold his hands whilest masse was in doing immediatly masse being ended before the pope could put of his massing garments he taketh him into a secret place and buffeteth him well fauouredly and tooke such order that within a while Alexander the second died and made roome for Hildebrand to sit in his chaire And this reward did pope Gregory the seuenth bestow vpon his predecessour Alexander the second because he would restore to the emperour that which wrongfully they kept from him and performe vnto him some piece of duty And yet they thought they were not high enough neither yet that this their authority was sure enough vnto them And therefore they thought good to deuise some means how this authority which already they had might be confirmed to them minding yet to mount higher as God willing shall after be declared But to make sure that they had done sometimes they would seeme to haue this authority from Christ But their proofe is nothing plaine although they alleadge some words of Christ for proofe yet the apostles did neuer make any mention of anie supremacy the fathers of the first times did neuer commende it vnto vs in the councils they seeme rather to fetch their authority from the ordinance of man then from Gods word For what meaneth it els that the legates to the B. of Rome both in the councill of Carthage and Chalcedon doe so earnestly vrge the decrees of the Nicen councill if that which now they bring out of Gods booke
doth also shew that it was not deuised in the daies of the humble popes the proud cardinalles who are these their stately officers were not yet found Many other exceptions might be made to that pretended donation and many moe reasons might haue beene brought against it but this that is said had beene more then enough in so plaine a matter had it not beene that many of the popish writers haue pleased themselues so well in their forged follie Hetherto we haue seene howe the popes haue made of the voluntarie suites that the godly made to the bishops of Rome beeing forced thereto by some extremities necessarie subiection and out of their requests they gather a profession of obedience Then also how they gote the decree of Phocas one their side And lastly howe they got the right of confirming the bishops of Rome out of the emperours hands pretending for these and all other their fulnesse of power sometimes the words of our Sauiour Christ But to supply the want of helpe which there they find for in trueth they make not for that excessiue pride of the Bishop of Rome they pretend although without any colour of truth a gift of these and other their priuiledges from Constantine the great But nowe let vs looke further into their practises Did they now content themselues when they had the commaunding of all bishops and had gotten this name that is vnfitte for any man to be called Head of the vniuersall Churches Could they content themselues with this excessiue honour No. They must yet goe one steppe higher For hitherto the Bishoppes of Rome were subiect to the Emperours as may very well bee prooued by their owne epistles Gregory who did so bitterly inueigh against the proude name of vniuersall bishop that Iohn patriarch of Constantinople tooke vpon him him selfe being a bishop of Rome giueth many euident testimonies of this subiection which the popes did acknowledge to the emperors As most notably in an Epistle to Mauritius the emperour hee calleth the emperour his lord very often yea he abaseth himselfe as vnworthie to speake to his lord he being but dust and a very worme He acknowledgeth himselfe subiect to the emperours commanndement that he oweth him duetie and obedience his vnworthie suppliant and seruant I omit many other that were afore him And out of an infinite number of testimonies that hee doth afforde I haue taken but one and yet that such a one as doeth sufficiently prooue what reckoning the bishops of Rome at that time made of the emperours And yet now we see some pride beganne to shew it selfe in the church For euen now was that a great strife for the name of vniuersall Bishop And that yet euen then did this learned father and Bishoppe of Rome acknowledge himselfe to bee an vnderling to the Emperours yea and after that Phocas had giuen the Bishop of Rome that priuiledge to bee head of the Church almost a hundreth yeeres Agatho a Bishop of Rome doeth write two godly Letters vnto Constantine the fourth Heraclius and Tyberius Emperours wherein very often hee calleth them his Lordes professeth his obedience excuseth their not sending some from the Councill to them as they had commaunded yea and themselues to bee vnto the Emperours seely or simple seruants But in the end this seemed a grieuous yoke and a heavy burden They said within themselues we will not haue this Emperour to rule ouer vs we are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs. But this because it was a very hard attempt it must needes be long in working As in deede it was many hundred yeares The first that I remember that did disgrace in any respect the Emperour was pope Constantine who was not ashamed to suffer Iustinian the Emperour to kisse his feete which after grewe to be the greatest office of curtesie that the pope woulde shew to the greatest monarchs to admit them to that base intertainment which also continueth to this day Of him writeth Onuphrius in his annotations vpon Platina Constantine first of any bishop of Rome durst withstand Philippicus the greeke Emperour to his face openly Perchance because Iustinian that was Emperour next before Philippicus had kissed his feete it made him the bolder with his successour The pretence that Constantine tooke holde vpon to withstand the emperour was this Philippicus vpon good warrant out of Gods word did forbid images and commande them to be abolished in which the idolatrous bishop Constantine did withstand him Afterward Leo the third being Emperour and maintaining that good cause against images Gregory the second that was successour vnto Constantine tooke greater matters in hand against the emperour For he tooke from Leo whatsoeuer belonging to the empire the Longobards had left in all Italy An. 729. I report these stories out of Onuphrius a great friend to the pope and Romish church He also in the same place speaking of another pope Gregory the third who was next after the second telleth how he sought for aide of the French against those Longobards For indeede he reiecting his natural prince to whom in duty he was bound the Emperour did seeke as already he had gotten to be aboue al bishops so in the end to be aboue al princes and potentates in the earth Whereof Gregory the third in this place layeth a good foundation in reiecting an old maister for a new friend Yea he doth excommunicat Leo the Emperour and depriue him to his empire as Platina reporteth Thus we see how the pope hath by little and little gotten to master the Emperour himselfe For as in these popes the beginning hereof was laid so afterwards it grewe more and more vntil at the length the emperours were but their vassals and at their commandement But how they vsed this their immoderat power must be afterwards declared if God wil. Now as this vnsatiable ambition must needs be odious vnto and hated of that mightiest monarch King of Kings and Lorde of Lordes to whom al power in heauen and earth is giuen for if he could not abide that his apostles should so much as reason among thēselues who should be chiefe howe much lesse can he abide that they should despise his lieutenants to aduance themselus so did they assure themselues that it would be enuied at and spited of men And here therefore they want not their practises to keepe them in this highest estate to controll and command euen whom they wil at their pleasures First because none should be so bold as to speake any thing against their pride it was made by pope Pius the second periury or against the oath of a bishop to speake and thing against the pope be it neuer so true It may be also that his meaning was to make the pope to be esteemed as neere of kinne to God himselfe as might be For the expounder of the creede in Ciprians works saith the like of God
might attaine to these benefites who would not sell the whole earth to winne heauen Who would not loose his life to saue his soule But the sunne-shine of knowledge would easily driue away all such mists And they who in their blindenesse do esteeme that man of sinne that sitteth at Rome to be more then halfe a god and see nothing but greatnesse in him as the blinde man of Bethsaida who before he saw perfectly saw men walking like trees so great they seemed in his eies yet when God shall take away that veile of blindnesse and heale that infirmitie in them they shall then see the bishop of Rome as he is indeede to be an enemy to God and man a subuerter of estates a foe to princes a snare to subiects and a very corrupter of true christianitie and godlines And thus much of the shifts and sleights that the Bishop of Rome vsed to come to his greatnesse by little and little growing to that that now we see Sometime vsing flattery falshood and forgery yea and afterwards bringing the emperour vnder by plaine force and feare alwaies taking aduantages and oportunities when emperors were either otherwise imployed in affaires or hated for their life or some way so distressed that they could not withstand him and his partakers then would hee most earnestly pursue and persecute them vntill he had his wil which I trust will appeare plainely in the discourse that now I am to enter into which is as it were a trial and search of the doings of the bishop of Rome and of his behauiour after that he beganne to be so mightie Now to take a good and sufficient suruey of the popes Supremacie it is not inough to trie his Title to see his euidence and consider of his proof neither yet to acquaint our selues with his shifts and practises wherby he hath gotten himself into that very high seate and fulnes of power as Sixtus Quintus speaketh which they would seeeme to claime by right and wherein now they play more than rex of which two points I haue spoken before but it is also in my iudgement very necessary that we looke somewhat into his doings and examine how hee hath ruled and raigned what good he hath done to the church what profit he hath brought to the christian common-wealth When God did see the continuall rebellion of his people that they would by no meanes be reclaimed from sinne and howe little good it had wrought in them that they had beene very lately in a grieuous captiuitie he then by his prophet Zachary chapter 11. verse 16. threatneth vnto them this great and grieuous plague that he will raise vp a sheepeheard in the land which shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that that is hurt nor feede that that standeth vp but he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in peeces And that there were such sheepeheardes amongst the people of Israel and that wo and destruction belonges to them God by his prophet Ezechiel chapter 34. verses 2 3 4. doeth testifie pronouncing wo to the shepheards that feed themselues eate the fat cloth thēselues with the wooll kil them that are fed but feed them not they strengthen not the weake they heale not the sicke binde not vp the broken bring not againe that which was driuen away seeke not the lost but rule them with crueltie and rigor I neuer reade or thinke of this description of an euill shepheard but I see me thinkes therein a right paterne of popish gouernment Neither doe I at any time earnestly enter into scanning of that regiment that is vnder that most holy father but I remember how the holy ghost painteth out these proude cruel and idoll shepeheards The one seemeth to bee so right a paterne of the other as if they were all one thing and no difference at all betweene them or as if the Spirite of God did both foresee and foreshew the most holy father in that glasse of the most vnholy shepheard But that it may the better appeare that he that would be accounted the herd of Christs flocke doth but seek for to satisfie his own pride profit and pleasure not hauing any due regard either to Gods glorie or the good of them whom he calleth his sheepe let vs consider how violently and impotently his immoderat affection doth carry him to say do as himself liketh best both against God and man and how insolently he beareth sway in Christ his church And first to beginne with his names and titles out of the which M. Bellarmine wil prooue that the Bishop of Rome is Peters successour in the whole or vniuersall church For that he tooke in hand to proue But I on the contrary by those names shall by Gods grace plainely prooue that he robbeth Christ of his ornaments and taketh from him his titles that belong to him onely And first he calleth himselfe head of the vniuersall church which name so properly belongeth vnto Christ that we cannot giue it to any other without great wrong both to the head and the body of the church To the head in that the office which God the father laid vpon Christ in appointing him ouer all things the head to the church shuld be bestowed vpon a sinful man to the body which is Christs church because by that meanes it should haue but an idle head euery way vnable to performe the dueties of a head I deny not but the church of Rome for 4 or 5 hundred yeres after Christ might iustly be called the head of the church that is a ring leader to other churches in respect of religion which remained more sincere there then elsewhere for many yeares neither was that church so troubled with heresies as were others I confes also that som of the bishops of Rome for their forwardnesse learning and paines imployed to the benefit of the church might worthely be called in some sence heads of the church as in the first parte of this treatise I haue shewed Then will some man say what is then the fault which you charge the bishop of Rome withall in calling himselfe the head of the vniuersall church First that he maketh that name proper to him and his seate which many times more iustly belonged vnto others who for their learning and trauel for the church of God deserued much better of Gods church then any pope of them al. Further also that it is not that signification of the name head that will satisfie the popes ambitious humour thereby to be counted a man onely able or fit to guide and direct others but he will so be a head that hee must commaund forbid bind loose retaine remit dispence denie doe and vndoe as his vnbridled affection should carie him Which soueraigne power ouer the church or any parte of the church we cannot find that God gaue vnto any man either Peter or Paul yea or to
stile must be called most holy Yea to doubt whether it be a fit name for his holinesse forsooth or not is a sinne more to be punished then the breach of Gods lawe if it be true that Gentiletus writing against the council of Trent reporteth of a bishop that was put out of his bishopricke because in that council he misliked that the pope should be called most holy and God in the scriptures is called but holie And indeede he might iustly mislike it if he duely considered that in God hee could not see any thing like vnto sinne in the pope almost no sparke of goodnesse in these latter ages And this I take to be the reason why master Bellarmine doth not place among the fifteene names that he hath found out for the pope this name most holy because in respect of his vnholinesse he thinketh it pitie to bestow that name vpon him And therefore he should the rather haue borne with master Luther if hee did maruell that the popes flatterers would so prophane that holy title in bestowing it vpon so vnholy men as for the most parte they haue all beene which these many hundred of yeares haue sit in that seate Or at the least hee would not haue giuen the lie to master Luther for signifying that Saint Gregorie would haue misliked the abuse of that name in these dayes As for the name of Christs vicar which is also one of his common title wee would not much sticke to bestow it vpon him our selues if he would content himselfe with that place wherein he is or else should be if he were as he ought to be the vicar of Christ For euerie pastor is in his owne charge Christs vicar and must in Christs steede be a messenger from God and pray the people to be reconciled to God But this is too small a benefice for this prowd prelate too litle a compasse for his ambitious minde He will be vicar generall All the world must be his diocesse all people are his flocke But wee cannot yeeld him that title we cannot displace him whome Christ hath assigned to that Rome euen whilest he was vpon earth and promised to send in his place euen the spirit of truth that euer abiding comforter His eies see our wants his eares heare all our cries yea our sighes and groanes are not hidden from him He is worthie to be Christs vicar generall because hee is with the church in all places yea if it bee in prisons and dungeons But this vicar of Rome as he can not be euery where if he would so in such places he will not be if he could His predecessors indeede that neuer sought so proud titles suffered much for Christes sake But now the case is altered All men must suffer his wrongs and violence His name of father how it can be bestowed vpon him I cannot see vnlesse it be for getting of bastards and so their own stories will report vnto vs that many of them haue beene fathers as Iohn 12. Alexander the sixt and many other But seeing spirituall fathers must beget children to God by the word of truth and by the seede not mortall but by the immortall seede of the worde of God which seede they loue not to sowe for a preaching pope in our dayes is as a blacke swan they cannot therefore get spirituall children vnto God therefore as I said before I cannot see that they can be spirituall fathers If they be called fathers in respect of their age and so it be vsed as a name of reuernce wee enuie then not that name in such sort so that they take it not from other to make it proper to them And these are the names which are commonly giuen in our days to the B. of Rome As for the rest of his titles because we hear them not attributed to popes now I omit Sauing that I must put you in remembrance of one blasphemous name which although it be not a name by which he is commonly called yet it is giuen to him as his due and master Bellarmine because he would not haue him to leese it doth tel vs it is his name He is therefore called the bridegroome of the church Which name master Bellarmine saith was giuen to him by a generall council holden at Lyons it was Anno. 1215. more then twelue hundreth yeares after Christ But as it seemeth it was neuer worthy to be reckoned among the councils For we haue it not in the tomes of councils Yea and the pope Boniface the eight doth challenge to himselfe that proud name we not minding to neglect our iustice and the iustice of our spouse or wife the church saith he what shall this holy church which is likened to a body because it can haue but one head to a house because it can haue but one foundation to an army because it can haue but one captaine or generall to a turtle doue because it can haue but one mate to a kingdoem because it can haue but one king to a sheepfold because it can haue but one sheepheard to a wife because it can haue but one husbād shall shee I say now forsake the husband of her youth or at the least keepe him and another too Who euer heard that an honest woman could at one time haue two husbands or an honest husband haue together two wiues since Christ his time Or how can the holy church that chast virgine who is coupled to Christ be the wife of that vicar of Rome God is a ielous God Christ is a ielous husband his wife must loue none but him Shee therfore can haue no other husband Saint Bernard telleth pope Eugenius that the church is his masters wife It is for him enough to be the friend of the bridegroome he must not call his masters bestebloued his own prince but a prince Yea saith he thou must challenge in her nothing to be thine But master Bellarmine telleth vs that saint Bernard did let Eugenius to vnderstand that he is not the true and chiefe husband of the church We confesse it neither he is nor any man excepting Christ can be the churches true husband And this is also as true that the church because she is chast can haue but Christ her one only husband And this is it that Iohn the baptist meaneth when he saith that he that hath the bride is the bridegroome I haue her not saith he what am I then The friend of the bridegroome Thus doth S. Augustin bring Iohn the Baptist acknowledging that he hath no right in the bridegoomes wife but is only a friend to the bridegroome As also he maketh the bridegroome him only that is lord ouer the whole earth And he maketh his argument strong against Donatus because the church hath but one husband which is Christ therefore Donatus is not that husband nor can be But if master Bellarmines distinction might serue that Christ is chiefe
scarlet they shalbe as wooll But either to thinke or say that any man can giue any pardon is too absurd I cannot therefore but maruel at the church of Rome and the bishops thereof tha they shame not as it were to thrust themselues into Gods place and to take vpon them to doe that which none can doe but God only They appoâ—â—t their Iâ—â—ylies and proclaime pardon of all their sins to suth as come to Rome in the time of that solemne feast In like manner to such as deuoutly say so many praiers before such an image or goe in pilgrimage to such a place They send abroad into all places their pardons and indulgences making of them plaine marchandies So that men or women may for a litle mony buie a pardon for their greatest sinnes as they imagine Is not this an easie way for rich men to get to heauen Is not this the very fountaine of all licentious liuing to teach that men for mony may make their peace with God and satisfie for their sinnes And yet the church of Rome that shamelesse harlot dare charge our doctrine of iustification by fayth taught first by Christ himselfe afterwards by his apostles especially Saint Paul in plaine words to be a doctrine of libertie What shall we then say of this wicked doctine or rather of this blasphemous marchandies whereby leaue to sinne is sold as commonly for mony as old boots and shoes are sold in London streets for beesoms or broome The first I suppose that opened this shop of these popish wares was Boniface the eight who gaue full pardon of all sinnes marke not of some sinnes but of all to them that visited the place where the apostles were And after the world was filled with such trash pardons were promised to them that would fight against the Turke yea pardons for them that would fight against the popes enemies But my meaning is not to stand vpon these points in particular but rather to point vnto them Yet I can not omit how that Clement the sixth pope of that name did perswade himselfe so well of his power and authoritie in this behalfe that he gaue commaundement and charge vnto the Angels that if any died comming to Rome to the Iubilie which he had appointed to be kept euery fifteth yeare whereas Boniface had appointed it to be kept but euery hundred yeare the Angels I say should carry the soules of such straight way to heauen What durst not these men presume to doe that durst like Gods take vpon them to commaund euen the Angels to be at their becke Well against these their blasphemies which haue no warrant no colour in the word I only aske of them who can forgiue sinne but God onely Let them proue it by scripture let them point vnto him out of Gods worde If man could doe it what neede so precious a price so great a ransom as not gold nor siluer but the blood of that vnspotted Lambe Christ Iesus An other great abuse there is in this there wicked doctrine They promise their indulgesnce generall to al that die in the defence of christians against the Turke Yea they often sell their pardons to any that will buie them as Bale out of Crantzius reportes that some did in Saxonie in the time of pope Martine the first What excuse can they make or what pretence can they vse to make this haue any shew of lawfulnesse God in the scripture still criieth turne vnto me and promiseth forgiuenesse to the penitent hee threatneth the vngodly that they shall haue no peace But not one testimonie not one example cannot be alleaged to proue that any man or woman receaue forgiuenesse of sins vnlesse they first be sorie for the same which commonly cannot be in sodaine death in the wars and the pardoners rather require money then amending for the same The sinful woman had pardon for her sins but shee hated them Zache likewise but he was become a new man Peters denying of Christ was forgiuen him but by weeping hee testified his sorow for the same The like may be said of many other whome I for shortnesse omit Wickedly therefore doeth the Pope giue his pardon of sinnes not seeing sorrow for sinnes or purpose of amendment in them that buy or inioy those their pardons So Alexander the fifth did wickedly abuse the words of Christ being at point of death my peace I giue to you my peace I leaue with you as though he could giue that peace But if he haue beeue so sawcie with God how shall he behaue himselfe thinke you towards men For that is another point which is neeessarie to be considered Whereby it will appeare that as by subtilty he entred so with much pride and more then barbarous cruelty he hath raigned I told you before how that when he had first by the emperors means got the bishops vnder him he neuer rested vntil he had not onely thrust the emeperour from hauing any thing to doe in this election but also brought them vnder his yoke that they could not be confirmed in the empire but by him Now what folowed of this must be declared First he did striue earnestly to keepe all that he had gotten and if any emperour hauing indeede in him any noble heart would seeke to recouer his ancient libertie in some part and to free himselfe from that Romish Egypt and slauish seruitude wherein that proud Pharo vnmindfull of Gods graces to him or his duetie to others did seeke to detaine him then would the proud pope viis modis by al meanes that possible he could deuise so persecute and afflict such as if he were set vp of God to be a pledge to all christian princes and as were the Cananits vnto the Israelites pricks in their eies and continuall thornes and whips in their sides And this may euidently appeare out of innumerable examples The church of Rauenna did not vpon Phoeas his decree submit it selfe to the church of Rome or acknowledge it to be her head The patriarch thereof thought himselfe to vne as great at Rauenna as the pope was at Rome But Theodorus although he willingly would haue kept that ancient priuiledge yet for feare submited himselfe to Donus then bishop of Rome about the yeare of the Lord six hundred seuentie and seuen But Felix beeing after patriarch of Rauenna and desirous to stand in his auncient priuiledges mouen the people to the same So that by all meanes they sought to shake off the bishop of Rome his heauie yoke Leo then bishop of Rome stirred vp Iustinian the second Emperour of that name by slaughter siege spoile and such violent meanes to subiect that patriarch to his seate And Felix who sought to recouer his liberties had his eies thrust out with a hot burning Iron as out of Sabelicus and Nauclerus it is reported But the pope is not more earnest to maintaine his
Innocent the fourth and also after the death of Clement the fourth they dissented almost two full yeares at either time before they coulde agree of one And this latter time doubtlesse they had staied longer but that for shame they were forced to choose one because Philip the French king and Charles were they present So likewise before Nicholas the 3. could he chosen the cardinals were diuided 6. months he being dead the 2. families of y e Vrsins Annibals did for 5. mōths space make such a breach among them as that they could not agree of any And before Celestine the fift could be chosen pope the cardinals disagreed two yeeres and three moneths or as other say two yeeres and six moneths And when he was chosen Bergomates saith it was in scorne disdaine of Nicholas that was next before him And indeed his simplicitie is said to be such by al y t write of him that themselues could not be ignorant that he was not likely to be the fittest for that place After the death of Benedict the eleuenth the cardinalles were more then a whole yeere before they could chuse an other For they did not seeke to chuse the fittest but som desired to haue an Italian y t would be friendly to Boniface his friends Other would haue one that should be friendly to the French King Thus we see how in their election they maintained a faction And at the last by fauour of the French king and at his request was Clement the fift Next after Clement the fift commeth Iohn the two and twentieth The cardinalles hauing beene diuided two yeeres and three moneths when they could not agree of any they gaue power to him to name him that should be pope But he contrary to their expectation did name or chuse himselfe and so was made pope How canonically he was chosen let the Reader iudge Because others would not he set himselfe in that seate And so did Iohn the three and twentieth for lying at Bononia more like a lord then a legate and hauing with him a great army he threatned the cardinals to be euen with them vnlesse they chose such a one as hee liked of They naming sundry he would like of none Then they desired him to tell them whom he would haue Bring mee saith he Peters cloake and I will giue it to him that shall be pope They did so He cast it vpon his own shoulders and said I am pope I omit to speake of the great schisme and contention that was for the papacie that beganne betweene Clement the seuenth and Vrban the sixt which continued 39. yeeres Fasciculus temporum saith 40. which also was occasiō of great bloodshed among christians Wherein christendome was so diuided that the most godly and learned did not knowe which was that pope whom they might acknowledge for the head of the church In what a distressed case was the church at that time when it imagined it must needes haue a pope for a head and could not tell where to haue him for a doubtfull pope is no pope saith master Bellarmine As also before I haue shewed that many times there was no pope for many moneths yea sometimes for some yeres because the cardinals could not agree among themselues Yea after Nicholas the first there was no pope as some say for eight yeeres and almost eight months how then did the church for want of a head Thus haue I briefly runne ouer many of them whome in ancient histories I find by fighting or force or other hard means to haue intruded themselues or else by contention and strife to haue beene placed by other in the popedome And not one that so climeth vp by the window can be saide lawfully to be chosen to the same But as these by force so by falshoode other came to the same Vigilius was made pope at the earnest suite of Theodora the empresse with this promise that when hee was made pope hee woulde reuoke Anthemius making him againe the patriarch of Constantinople and displace Menas a godly bishop Now Anthemiu was an Eutychian and so did defend that there was in Christ but one nature True it is that he being made pope would not performe that promise wherein he did well But if hee had not by such subtile shifts sought to be pope he had done better But it seemeth howsoeuer he afterwardes constantly refused to do that euill perchance being put in minde of his offence by Siluerius yet hee had a very ambitious minde and sought long before to haue beene pope as appeareth by a letter that Siluerius the pope his next predecessour wrote vnto him Wherein he chargeth him that contrary to the Canons he sought to be successour vnto Boniface Martine also the second a proude pope and ambitious by moouing trouble to Iohn his predecessour and getting him cast in prison thought perchance the sooner to get into that place But howsoeuer it was it is written of him that by euill and indirect meanes he came to that place and by craft or deceit as Bale writeth As for Honorius the second Platina telleth vs how he came to that seate For Leo Breake-bread a great man in Rome Calixtus the second being dead gaue charge vnto the Cardinals not to be too hastie to chuse a pope but that they should tarie three daies to consider more deliberately of the matter and to peruse the Canons He indeuoured in the meane time to procure the place to one Lambert bishop of Ostia The Cardinals perceiuing his subtiltie did chuse one whom they called Celestine The people were verie desirous to haue a Saxon the cardinal of S. Steuen and also the said Break-bread seemed willing to haue the same the rather to get the people to bee fauourable to him whom he would haue seeing the Cardinals had chosen one against their minde And by this subtiltie of Breake-bread was Honorius made pope Frier Rioche saieth perchaunce Honorius was not consenting to this canuasing to make him pope Whether he were or not it maketh no great matter I looke not nowe what the parties are but whether the election were lawfull the choise free and with willing consent and how he entered But Platina himselfe misliketh the election I had almost forgotten Boniface the eight a man as well worthie to be remembred for his subtill dealing to get Rome for him to sit in the popes seat as any other For he caused a man secretly to hide himselfe in the chamber of elestine the fifth who was a verie seellie simple man who in the night time should as if he were an Angell sent from God to instruct him admonish pope Celestine if he would be saued to giue ouer the papacie Celestine not mistrusting any falshoode but thinking it was a voice from God himselfe gaue ouer the papacy Vrban the sixt likewise was thus chosen The people required an Italian pope The
Cardinals to please the people promised to do what they could and asking aduise of one Bartholomew bishop of Bar he gaue counsel that they should choose one for the present to pacifie them that they might haue the name And then going to another place they should chuse another that should be pope in deede Whereupon they chose him to be pope in name Which when they had done hee kept it in deed And therefore Stella and others call him craftie But in craft Paul the third was not inferiour to any who as is reported by Francis Guicciardine a papist too in his historie of Italie that the Cardinals might be the more willing to chuse him to be pope in hope that he would soone be dead did by art iucrease the opinion of weaknesse which by reason of his age for he was lxvii yeares olde they had conceiued of him But for all his feigned weakenesse he liued pope more then xv yeares A longer time then commonly the popes of these latter times are suffered to liue An other kind of cunning also there is when by bribery and gifts they will buy that which their desert can neuer procure vnto them And this symonicall subtiltie was sometime their ladder whereby they must climbe vp into that chaire which is set higher then they otherwise would be able to get into Platina writeth that Formosus gâ—t to be pope by bribery rather then vertue But what speake I of Formosus Bergomates and Stella writing vpon Romanus that was pope soone after Formosus doe shew the practise of popes of those times to get the popedome For of Romanus they say that he came not to it by ambition and briberie as did many of the popes of those dayes I haue spoken before of Boniface the seuenth who stole the treasure and most precious iewels out of S. Peters church that he might be the better able to bride as all stories report As for Benedict the ninth if he solde the popedome Gregorie the sixth bought it In deed Platina and other doe say that he sold it or gaue it ouer let the indifferent reader iudge whether is more likely that he did But Sigebert doeth psaiulie say that this Benedict was a Symoniacke or got the popedome by simonie And in Eusebius his Chronicle it is written that Theophylact belike that was Benedicts name did sell the Papacie to Iohn a Priest And this bargaining and badde dealing made plentie of Popes at this good time For some write that Henrie the Emperour deposed at this time fiue Popes and made a sixth And that the world may see howe good choise they made It is written that one of them Sigebert saith Benedict but Fasciculus temporuÌ„ saith Gregorie the sixt was so vnlearned that hee was faine to get one chosen to say Masse and play the Pope in the church while himselfe might play the pope abroad Now I pray you which of these popes was the heade of the church the praying pope or the playing pope The church that hath so bad heades must needes be sicke of the headach and troubled with a phrensie or gidiâ—es as indeede the Romish church is For it would not otherwise so manifestly oppose it selfe against Christ as it doth By what meanes Clement the third came to be pope I cannot tell But Richard the first king of England made a great complaint of the pope and his court for their symonie And Mathew of Paris reporteth how he emptied the bags and lightned the cariages of Iohn the bishop of Norwich who sought to him to be dispensed withall for a vowe as it seemeth that he had made to go to the holy land But of that kinde of symonie that author complaineth bitterly in many places against many popes I might also speake of the euil entrance of Iulius the second who by his great power which men feared and his bribes that he gaue and promises of bishopricks and such other promotions which he made got to be pope although otherwise a man for sturdie and surly nature loued of none misliked of all But let vs see what other meanes they haue when violence craft and simonie will not serue They haue an Italian figge to hasten them that are popes to giue place to them that would be It is reported by the writers of histories that Damasus the second sent such a hastie messenger to call away Clement the second his predecessour For he thought he taried too long and yet he stayed in that seat scarse nine monthes A litle before Clement was Iohn the ninteenth sommoned in such sort when he had beene pope litle more then three monethes But for Clement Benno the cardinall writeth that hee was rather poysoned by Brazutus that godlesse wretch and that Heldebrand that firebrand of much mischiefe procured to doe many such feats For within thirteene yeares he poisoned six popes Clement the second Damasus the second Leo the ninth Victor the second Steuen the tenth and Nicolas the second So that if any but Gregorie were chosen this Gerard Brazutus was readie straight way to giue him a drinke that did them litle good So â—hat poysoning seemeth at that time to be but a popelike practise if wee will beleeue Cardinall Benno But master Bellarmine endeuoureth as much as hee can to impaire the credit of that history And to that end he gathereth all that he can find out of other histories either in disprayse of Henry the fourth the emperour against whom pope Gregory the seuenth did vndutifully and vnchristianly oppose himselfe And also picketh out all the prayses of Gregory the seuenth to make him seeme another manner of man then Benno reporteth him to be But Benno liued in the time of Gregorie and therefore he could be an eye-witnes of many things He was a cardinall and therefore by likelihood howsoeuer he misliked of the doings of the man yet he would not vntrewly report any thing that might be a staine to that church But if he had written any thing falsly it is not to be thought but that some or other historiographer of those times would haue proued that cardinall Benno had but slaundered and would haue written against him Which master Bellarmine hath not shewed there And therefore that which he hath said doth onely prooue that the emperour had his faults and that the writers of those times would rather lay the cause of Gregories immoderate pride and tyrannie vpon the wicked doings of the emperour then vpon the proud and vnruly affections of the pope Pope Alexander the sixth a sea and sincke of sinne and as it were nothing but a masse of wickednesse was belike very skilfull in this tricke And yet I neuer heard that euer he poysoned any popes but one onely and that was himselfe He came to be pope as other in those dayes by indirect and euill meanes For he bought with mony and obtained by promising the
if they cannot prooue it to be a doctrine generally receiued at all times euen in the dayes of the apostles and so by continuall succession constantly taught in the ages next folowing and so deliuered vs they do but too much abuse the simple to tel them that is catholike auncient that is but the dreame or late deuise of some later teachers Now I call them whatsoeuer antiquity they seeme to haue that swarue any thing from that which the auncient of daies hath taught or Christ who is our true antiquitie hath deliuered It behooueth therfore al christians to take heede of such as vnder pretence of being popish catholicks and vnder or colour of this glorious name which belongeth neither to them neither yet to their religion creepe into corners deceiue the ignorant seeke to make many of their profession by hauing onely in their mouths this worde catholike faith catholike religion catholike church whereas in truth as it seemeth that they being neither thought worthy of preferment at home neither yet finding that they looked for abroad euen as the cormorants gather where the carkas is to get their prey so these seeke their meate and maintenance by seducing such simple and sillie soules Neither doe I affirme that all are moued by these causes either to leaue their natiue countrie either to returne to sowe amongst her maiesties subiects this seede of seduction and sedition but they that doe trouble this Realme are for the most part such and moued by such reasons But as they can not proue by an catholike grounds their title to the supremacie to bee good so their practise is too bad and farre from that christian modestie and meekenesse which should be in Gods children For if saint Peter said truly that such as himselfe was should not as Lords beare rule ouer the Lords hereâ—age but be as examples to the flocke then howe can the pope claime that soueraigne authoritie ouer all kings and whom saint Peter calleth chiefe If none can enter into anie calling especiallie to haue the charge ouer the flocke of Christ vnlesse he be called therevnto as it is confessed by all men what reason can the bishops of Rome pretend why either they should without any warrant nay contrarie to the worde so exalt themselues aboue all other or so vnlawfully or rather by so vile practises and shifts as by violence and strife by buing and selling by falshood and craft by poisoning and murders by sorcerie and the diuels helpe get to be popes Or being placed in that proude place howe commeth it to passe that with so great boldnesse without feare without shame they prophane the maiestie of God and despise yea tread vnder foote the excellencie of man be he neuer so high Is this the fruit of their catholike doctrine Doe such lewde dealings become Christs vicar or Peters successour But to conclude seeing the popes title vnto the supremacie hath no shew of truth and seeing his exercise of the same is almost nothing else but a blaspheming of God and a defacing of all authoritie ordained by God raise and rouse vp your selues after your long sluggishnes O ye christian princes and magistrates shake off from your neckes this yoke of bondage wherein you serue that Italian priest Ioine your powers and strength togither Gather and call a free Councill in deed where the pope as a partie may plead his cause not sit as iudge Force him to content himselfe with that place which the worde of God will aâ—foord him If any more be giuen vnto him or any other yet let not the godly potentats giue vnto any as they haue done such reines of libertie but that they may knowe that authoritie to be but from man and that their power is not full or absolute but onely limited and that if they abuse the same they may and shall answere for their boldnesse according to the qualitie of their offence So shall you deliuer christendome from a heauie bondage your owne realmes from a most daungerous enemie and the church of God from a most manifest Antichrist So shall you vse your authoritie to the comfort of the godly as you should doe and as in dutie you are bound to Gods glorie and establishing of the Kingdome of Christ Now vnto the king euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onelie wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen FINIS Iohn 10. 1 10. Mat. 22. 21 Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Esa 1. 12. Rom. 2. 16. Matâ— 23. Answere to the English Iustice cap. 1. Among the letters taken with Car the Hispauiolised Scot. William Allen his letter Cap. 4. Matth. 25. 26. Philip 3. 16 2. Cor. 11. 13. De praescript 1. Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 9. 22. Heb. 9. 12. 10. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 20. Ad Pompeium contra epistolam Stephan Least necessary to saluation Most necessary in some other respects The popes supremacie an enemie to all princes The religion of Papists The popes suprâ—macie the decay of true religiòn Dist 40. cap. 51. Papa The Popes flattâ—reâ—s Praefat. in lib. dâ— Rom. pontif The Popes claim vniust The Church Triumphant Militant The question Whether monarchicall gouernement be best M. Bellarmines first argument to proue there must be one visible head Lib. de pontif Rom. 1. cap. 5. That is not of necessitie be â— gouernment for the Church that is best for other kingdomes De pontif Rom. liâ— 1. cap. 3. Christ king in his Church Reuel 19. 16. Ephes 1. 22. Dan. 7. 14. Psal 72. 8. A pastour in particular churches a particular head â— Sâ—m 8. 7 10. Two heades Bellar. lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 9. Pastors appointed of God The pope not of God De pontif Rom. lib. 2. cap. 12. The Popes pride His contempt of the sword of Gods word The Popes charge infinit Tertull. de praescientia haeretic M. Bellar. his second argument Argument 3. Answere Hebr. 8. 9 10. Aaron no figure of Peter The church not subiect to one hie priest De missa li. 1. c. 2 1. Kin. 17. Ionah 3. Arg. 4. Bellarm. Answere Praefat. in ps 139 De Immunit m. 6. e Quoniam Bell. arg 6. Answere Bell. arg 7. Answer Ruffin hist eccl lib. 1. cap. 9. Bellar. arg 8. Answere Prouer. 29. 2. Popish vnitie Psal 2. 2. Vnitie without supremacie Act. 15. â— De Rom pontif lib. 1. cap. 9. An argument against the visible head ouer the whole church The Papists argument for the supremacie De pontif Rom. lib. 1. cap 10. Whether Christ haue resigned his place Ephes 1. 22 and 4. 15. and 5. 23. Coloss 1. 18. Acts 4. 11. â—ad Popes Mat. 28. 25. Ioh 14. 16 17. De praescript haeretie De simplie prel Concil Carth. 6. Galced Concil Act. 16. Lib. â— cap. 3. Barenes of proofe for the supremacie De pontif Rom. li. 1. cap. 12. Mat. 16. 13. Iohn 1. 42. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esy 28. 16. Bellarm maketh the Popethis stone or Peter
the 2. pag. 6. 12 13. bellarm his 3. and last argum bellarm barren of reasons Peter had not charge ouer the whole church Chap. 13. 14 15 16. Iohn 16. 7. Iohn 14. 16. The spirit is Christs vicar Ephes 4 4. De pontif Rom. li. 1. cap. 9. Verse 11. 1. Cor. 12. 28. Bellarm not so good as his word Stella Iacob Bergom Li. 1. cap. 12. Tom. 2. Luth. fol. 45. A cardinal counteth the Popes supremacie but a toy Lib. 1. cap 13. Bellar. arg out of the Nicen counsel Canon 6. Action 16 The bishop of Rome a forgerer Canon 6. Hist li. 1. cap. 6. Other maner of Popes in those dayes then now we haue Bellar. changeth the words of the canon Concil Constan Histor li. 5. ca. 9. Bellarm. a falfifiâ—â— of antiquitie Concil tom â— The emperour had all the commaunding in that councill Hist li. 5. ca. 6. Yet more falshoode in Bellar. Pag. 588. Pag. 588. The fourth Councill alleadged by Bellarmine Act. 1. Pag. 740. The councell of Chalcedon against the supremacy Bellarm his reasons out of this councill Lib. 1. cap. 12. Act. 3. pag. 858. Act. 16. Vniuersall bishop not only the popes name Annal. An. 187. Epist ad Philad To whom these names belong How these names are now vsed Act. 16. The fift councell alleadged by Bellarm. Concil tom 2. Anno. 552. Later councels are not in this cause indifferent Pag. 14. Act. 16. Popes are suspected witnesses Lib. 2. cap. 14. What maner of writings of popes are alleadged against vs. Bellarm. proofe out of Greeke fathers Lib. 2. cap. 15. Inscript Epist ad Rom. Ignatius answered Lib. 3. cap. 3. Ireny examined Bellarm. arg out of Ireny examined Dog 83. Principality in Ireny how to bee vnderstood Heres 68. Epiphanius examined Athan. Apolog. 2. Athanas epist to Felix pope Bellarm. argu out of Athan. examined Annal. Ann. 187. 2. Cor. 11. 28. Care for power De sententia Dionys Alex. episc Accusations prooue no iurisdiction Epist 52. Bellarm. argum out of Basil Carmine de vita sua Nazianzen examined Epist 2. ad Innocent Ibidem Why the East churches sought to the West Epist 61. Epist 48. Epist 10. Cyril exan â— Epist 18. Locorum Theol. li. 6. cap. 5. Cap. 6. Li. 5. ep 14. ad Nais Forged writings Epist ad Leonem papam Act. 8. Marke what writings the church of Rome alleadgeth for her supremacy Lib. 3. cap. 8. Sozomen examined The church of Rome pleadeth possession not by right Concil tom 2. Liberatus in brâ—uiatio Epist ad Ioh. Codice primo titulo How we deny the pope to be head of the church Tom. 2 pag. 162. Pag. 263 Russin Hist lib. 2. cap. 28. Bellar. arg out of latine writers Why and howe although the latine fathers did reuerence the bishop of Rome Lib 2. cap. 16. Dè Vnit Eccl. alias simp prelat Cyprian examined Contrr Parmenion li. 2. Hom. 85. in Iob. 20. Matth. 23. 2. Optatus against Peters chaire at Rome onely Amb. in epist 1. Timoth. 3. Ambrose answered Platina in the life of Damasus Platina Orat. in Satyrum Bellarmines ignorance or falsehood Athanasius The name of Catholike Lib. 7. cap. 4. De Sacram li. 3. cap. 1. Epist ad Alg. de Monogam Ad Damas ep de nomine hypostas Epist 162. Epist 157. Ad Bonis l. 1. c. 1. Prosper de ingr Prosper examined De persecutionâ— Wandalica Vincent Lyrinens in commonit Vincent wrung to a wrong sense Lib. 11. Epist 2. ad Ioh. papam If he commende his cure how proueth that his power Valentinianus Theodos in praeamb Concil Chalcedonens Leo earnestly seeketh supremacy Supremacy claimed by custome not by gods law Act. 16. Li. 1. cap. 17. Obiect of Bellar. Answere Plat. in Bonif. 3. Omph. annot in Bonif. 3. Plat. in Bonif. Concil Florent Lib. 7. epist 63. Pag. 98. Pag. 112. Bellarmine addeth to Valentinians words or changeth them Bellar. lib. 2. de pontif Rom. c. 17 In Bonif. 3. Cron. Euseb If iurisdiction were had yet it might be lost Exod. 28. 1. Leuit. 10. 1. Priests for their sinnes punished â—um 25. 13. 1. 〈◊〉 2. 30. 31 35 2. Kings 2. 27 35 1. Sam. 2. 35. God left Silo. 1. Sam. 4. Psal 78. 60. Ier. 7. 12. 14 Ierem. 26. 6. Psal 78. 60. Ierem. 7. 12. Ierusalem for sin forsaken and the temple A similitude Leuiticall priests for sin disgraded Ezech. 44. 12. Hos 4. 6. The popes calling is many times by wicked meanes Luke 13. 3. Luke 13. 6. 7. An admonitionâ— to the professors of the gospel Esay 5. Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. 2 Thessa 1. 5 6 7 Praesâ—t in lib. pontif Rom. Bad Popes are as pearles to beautifie the church of Rome The name of the church is often where the church is not Iude. 5. 6. Reuel 2. 5 16. Reuel 3. 16. Rom. 1. 18. Verse 21. 23. 1. Kinb 12. 4. Nehem 13. 26 Num. 25. 1. De pontif Roâ— li. 4. cap. 2. Li. 4. de Rom. pontif cap. 3 cap. 5 That the pope may erre Arg. 1. The spirit that teacheth truth doth also sanctifie Theo. in Luc. 22. Ioh. 17. 17. Ioh. 14. 16 17. Psal 25. 9. 2. Cor. 3. 5. Act. 15. 9. 2. Cor. 3. 18. August de tempore serm 237. Arg 2. to proue the pope may erre De pontif Rom. li 4. cap. 2. Arg. 3. To prooue that the pope may erre Marcellinus Damasus in pontificali Liberius Hieron in cron Lib. 4. de Pontif. Rom. cap. 9. The papists answere not directly to the question whether the pope may erre Bellar. de Rom. Pontif li. 4. ca. 9. Lib. 6. cap. 8. The difference betweene errour and heresie De ciuit dei Li. 18. cap. 51. Contra 2 Epist Pelag. l. 4. 5. 6. A similitude Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. li. 4. c. 3. Popes no teachers Popes doings or sayings may be hurtful to many Luke 22. 31. 32. Peter after this prayer erred Matth. 26 74. De Rom. pontif li. 4. cap. 3. Whether Peters faith failed Matth. 14. 31. Lib. 4. cap. 3. Many popes haue erred Honorius Lib. 6. cap. 8. Lib. 4. cap. 11. The errour of Steuen and other Popes Sigebere chron Plat. in Iohn 10. Lib. 4. cap. 14. What is heresâ—â— in the church of Rome Canus lib. 6. c 8. Arg. 4. that the pope may erre Lib. 4. cap. 11. Lib. 4. cap. 6. Bellar answere again â—his owne doctrine Bellar. chargeth the fathers with vniust dealing Arg. 5. that the pope may erre Si papa dist 40. The difference in opinion amongst papiss Bellar. de Rom. pontif lib. 4. ca. 2. The conclusion of this point whether the pope may erre Iohn 3. 34. Concil Carthaginens 6. Cap. 4 Cap. 6 Cap. 4 Epist concil 〈◊〉 ad Bonif. De Rom. Pontif. Lib. 2 cap. 25. The council of Sardis cannot be alleadged for the Nicen. Lib. 3. cap. 10. Contra Cresco lib. 3. cap. 34. Whether that booke at Rome may by likelihoode be truer than the bookes of the Greeke church Conc. Nicen. c. 6. Act.