are driuen to yeeld the keyes to all the Apostles as well as to Peter and yet they thinke he alone had the primacie which sheweth clearly that the keyes containe it not Fourthly they which expound the power of the keyes to shew what they containe mention therein no more but as I haue answered The Councell of Colen vnder Hermannus x Bell. de poen l. 1 c. 1. penned by Gropper y Defens of the Cens whom the Papists cal the rare man of our age proceedeth thus z Enchir. concil Colon. de sacr confess But what keyes Christ when he departed hence left the Apostles and their successors in the Church that is to be explicated And truly this is plain that he committed to them his owne keyes and no other euen the keyes of the kingdome of heauen as himselfe said to Peter Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen These keyes the Fathers deuided into the key of order and the key of iurisdiction And againe each key into the key of knowledge and of power The key of order is the power of priestly ministery which containeth power to preach the Gospell consecrate the bodie of Christ remit and retaine sinnes and to minister the sacraments The key of iurisdiction is power to restraine the faultie this is that power of excommunicating such as offend openly and absoluing them againe In which explanation of the power mentioned in the keyes we see nothing touched but onely the ministery of the word and Sacraments and the execution of discipline But Marsilius a Defens part 2 c. 6. speaketh more fully that the authoritie of the keyes according to Saint Austin and Hierom is that iudiciarie power that standeth in dispensing the word sacraments and discipline although the opinion and title of the fulnesse of power which the Bishop of Rome ascribeth to himselfe tooke his beginning from these words Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whatsoeuer you shall bind vpon earth shall be bound in heauen 20 The second text alledged is Luk. 22.32 where Christ saith to Peter I haue praid for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethrē which the Iesuit expoundeth as if our Sauiour had specially prayed for S. Peter and the Pope that their faith should not faile at least so farre as to teach the Church a false faith to the intent they might alway be able to confirme their brethren if at any time they should faile in the doctrine of faith which all Catholicke men knowing do confesse the Popes definitiue sentence to be always an infallible truth and thereupon submit themselues thereunto and so liue in vnitie But this exposition is soone confuted for first here is no mention of the Pope but of Peter onely whereby it is plaine that no certaintie can be concluded out of the words for any but for the Apostles onely or if they reach to any besides Peter then according to the opinion of the most iudicious Papists the Church is it and not the Pope So saith b Qu. Vesper d. 3. art 3. prob 1. lit G. Cameracensis That which in Scripture is promised to the whole must not be attributed to any part but alway to hold the true faith and neuer to erre against it is promised by Christ to the whole company of beleeuers alone It is plaine therefore that Christ promised Peter his faith should not faile vnderstanding it not of his personall faith but of the generall faith of Gods Church committed to his regiment And Frier Walden c Doctr. fid l. ◠c. 19. saith Peter bare the type of the Church not of the particular Romane Church but of the vniuersall Church not gathered together in a generall Councell but dispersed through the world from Christ to our times Of the same mind are d Concord l. ◠c. 11. Cusanus and e Defen part 2. c. 28. Marsilius So that in the iudgement of foure of the learnedst among our aduersaries the purpose of Christ was not by this text to indow Peter or the Pope but the whole Catholick Church and so accordingly the right of gouernment and freedome from erring should remaine not in the Pope but in the vniuersall Church cleane cōtrary to that which the Iesuit here supposeth 21 Secondly the direct and immediate purpose of Christ in these words is to forewarne Peter of the sinne whereinto he fell afterward by denying him and the meaning is that though Satan desired thereby to destroy him yet he had prayed that his faith might not by the temptation be vtterly extinguished admonishing him that as by his fall he would weaken his brethren the members of the Church so by the example of his true conuersion he should strengthen them againe vnderstanding this faith for which he prayed not of Peters teaching or directing the Church in doctrine but of the habit of faith abiding in his heart whereby he beleeued in Christ and confessed his name and f Confirmandi vocabulo authoritatem in docendo significari saith Greg. de Valen. to 3. pag 197. e. by strengthening his brethren not that he should be supreame head ouer his fellow Apostles but that g Esto a his poenitentiae exemplar ne desperent Theophyl Infirmiores fiatres exemplo tuae poenitentiae comforta ne de venia desperēt Gloss by the exāple of his repentance experience of Gods mercy to him in his infirmitie he should encourage all people against temptation This exposition is proued to be true because first there is no word in the text importing either all infalliblenesse of faith or any authoritie ouer the other Apostles See h Comment in Luc. 22. saith Caietan how Christ biddeth Peter account the Apostles not his subiects but his brethren see how he putteth him in office not to rule ouer them but to confirme them in faith hope and charitie Secondly the words going immediatly before forbid all absolute power of one ouer another The Kings of the nations beare rule and exercise authoritie ouer them but it shall not be so among you Thirdly Bellarmine acknowledgeth i Ex quibus priuilegiis primsi fortasse non manauit ad posteros De Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 3. § Alterum priuilegium Quoad prima non agit Petri successorē Boz de sign eccl tom 2. l. 18. c. vlt. pag. 594. that to persist alway in the faith without falling from it is a prerogatiue that possible is not deriued from Peter to the Pope which being so it followeth that the Iesuites exposition is false and no Papist can be certain that by vertue of this text the Pope can teach no error any more then he is assored he cannot erre himselfe but it is cleare he may erre himselfe and all Papists yeeld it therefore it is also vncertaine whether he be enabled to teach the Church so that in teaching he
the qq of the Armenians Armachanus against the Friers Marsilius and Occham against the Popes supremacie the Iesuits and Secular priests of late among vs one against another Catharinus against Caietan of whom a Loc. l. 2. c. 11. Canus againe giueth this censure He was a little too busie in carping at others and marked not that himselfe while he reprehended Caietan did many times and fowlly erre This Caietan though he were b Reuerendiss Thomae de Vio Caie S. Ro. Eccl Card. Theol. doctoris absolu tissimi The title set before his comments vpon Tho. reputed the most absolute and profound Doctor of his time c As appeareth by his opusc ad diuersorum quaesita much sought vnto for resolution of difficult questions yet afterward d Andrad defens Trid. l. 2. they suspected him to haue bene a Lutheran e Suaâ— to 3. d. 60 s 1. And this appeareth by coÌ„paring the new print of his commentaries vpon Tho. with the old edition printed at Venice An. 1523. and Pius Quintus caused a number of things to be put out of his bookes in a new impression that a man may know they are not all of one opinion So Catharinus and Soto haue written vehemently against each other and there is not one of the elder Papists such as were Pighius Gropper Bayus Peresius Cassander Hosius Almaine and the rest who in their time some three or foure score yeares since were the best pillars in the Church of Rome and taught the doctrine thereof as it was then held but now the Iesuits scornfully cast them off and confute them Who knoweth not f De grat l. 1. c. 3. saith Bellarmine that Pighius in many points was miserably seduced by reading Caluins bookes And of Gropper and the other Diuines of Collen he g De iustif l. 3. cap. 3. saith Their bookes haue need of the Churches censure in the same manner do they that are yet liuing deale one by another For nothing is more common in the bookes of Stapleton Bellarmine Gregory of Valentia Suarez Vasquez Molina Baronius and other moderne writers then to confute one anothers opinion and to determine in the questions depending as variably as euer did the schoolemen 18 And if any thinke I wrong them by reporting these things vntruly of them I demand why haue they razed purged so many of their books which were their owne Doctors why haue they put out that which they writ and put in what they writ not and so printed their bookes new ouer that now you cannot find in the new print those things which themselues printed in the old Thus they haue serued Caietan Gratian with his glosse Ferus Polydore Ludouicus Vines h See index lib. prohib and the indices expurg of all sorts Iun. Hispan Louan Posseuin apparat sacer tomis 2. and whom not if he had written neuer so little against the streame of the present time The Diuines of the holy inquisition i Biblio l. 2. c. 8. saith Posseuinus a busie meddler in all mens writings haue commanded certaine things to be razed out of Andreas Mazius his comments which sauoured of heresie And of Iansenius his Harmonie vpon the Gospels he k Lib. 2. c. 18. saith Many things are in it not allowed by learned men which with little ado might be supplyed or taken away Therfore it is plaine that among the learned of that side there is some opposition or else they would neuer geld one anothers bookes thus 19 And it is no sufficient answer to say The difference is not in dogmaticall points of faith but onely in matters not defined by the Church for it is in all the points of their religion wherein they differ from vs and wherin Papistry properly consisteth the certaine truth wherof is determined in the Scriptures and therefore it is against vnitie to disagree therein whether the Pope and his Councels determine of them or no. Besides it is a point of Atheism to say l Dico hactenus nihil esse in hac controuersia ab Ecclesia definituÌ„ ideoque sententiam nostrum non esse de side â— Fr. Suar. to 2. d. 3. l. 6. they are not matters of faith vnlesse the Church of Rome haue defined theÌ„ m Occham tract 2. part 2. c. 10 inde Anâ—otâ—ers for what God reuealed in his word and may be knowne thereby bindeth vs of it owne nature and though the Church haue power to propound matter of faith out of the Scripture and for the ending of controuersies to giue testimony with the truth yet hath it no authoritie to change the nature of things or to put any more veritie into them then was before In which regard the contentions of our aduersaries touch the faith in that they striue about things determined by the word of God and agree in nothing wherein they dissent from vs for in the same things wherin they differ from vs they also dissent one from another This I will shew in some few examples such and so many onely as the present opportunitie will permit and is fit for this place 20 First they agree not about the Popes supremacie For Ferus n Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 72. taught against his dominion and principality in temporall things o Comment in Mat. l. 3 in c. 16. preaching that Christ gaue him the keyes not of the kingdomes of the earth but of the kingdome of heauen not any earthly power to giue take away or alienate kingdomes but authoritie to bind and loose c. And Marsilius p Defens pac part 2. c. 18. saith That vniustly yea besides and contrary to the demonstration of Diuinitie humanitie he ascribeth to himselfe fulnesse of power ouer Prince community or any singular person And Durand q De modo celeb concil queÌ„ refert Catolog test idem Gerson quem ita refert Fr. Victo relect 4. de pot Pap. Concil pag. 138. holdeth the Supremacie of the Romane Church should be declared and distinguished by the Ecclesiasticall and secular lawes neither ought the Pope to be called the Bishop of the vniuersall Church because Gregory hath forbidden it And it is a common opinion that a Councell is aboue him And Almayn r Qu. in Vesp pag. 133. saith It is not necessary we beleeue things determined by him And Cusanus Å¿ Concord l. 2. c. 12. saith that through vse and custome of his subiects obeying him he hath at this day gotten a great deale beyond the ancient sacred Canons Secondly touching prayer in an vnknowne tongue t Christ instruct pag 212. Contarenus a Cardinall saith The prayers that men vnderstand not want the fruite which they should reape if they vnderstood them for they might both specially intend their mind to God for the obtaining euen in speciall of that which with their mouth they begge and also through the pious sence of their prayer vttered they should
bungling workmen that were not their crafts masters till the Smith the Carpenter and the painter came euery one in his place and shewed his skill First the Canonists like blacksmiths blew with the bellowes of their Decrees and hammered and heat it in the coles of the Popes Constitutions these smithes were Gratian Pope Iohn Gregory and Boniface with their prentises that serued them Hostiensis Innocent Panormitane and the rest of that profession Next the Carpenters that tooke it in hand were the Friers and Schoolmen which stretched their line ouer it and brought it into better shape Thomas and Scot and Alexander fashioned it with line and leuel they stretched out the line of Method ouer it and with the thred of a Distinction they plained it where it was rough and with the compasses of their Logick and Philosophy made it in the fashion of a man After that the great Lateran Councell about the yeare 1215. had polished it and giuen it strong ioynts to stand vpon not long after the Councels of Constance Basil and another Lateran hewed it ouer again and altered the fashion in certain points touching the Popes authoritie There some Cardinals Senensis and Cusanus thought the head stood too high aboue the shoulders and would haue had it bowed downe a little lower At last they brought it to Trent into the hands of their best workmen as y Absolutissima Trident. Synod Posseuin biblioth select pag. 18. A. they say who mended it from top to toe and set it vp againe when the wormes had welnigh consumed it since which time the third sort of workmen the Painters haue taken it in hand the Iesuits and their fellowes who neuer cease to paint it day and night There is no colour but they haue tried it to make it beautifull Some with varnish and plaister stop vp the crackes which the Sunne shining vpon it hath made that they might not be seene Bellarmine and his associates in that kind stirre all colours together and varnish ouer the smokie and dustie places so skilfully that a man can scarce tell what the colour is Surius and Baronius with other colours ground by Legendaries cast a shadow ouer it for seeming too youthfull but they haue painted a gray beard to a greene head the rest stand by such as are Sixtus Senensis Lindan Staphylus Posseuine like Censors commending the workmanship and flattering the workmen and extolling the idoll against them they call Lutherans and Caluinists Thus at the last haue they polished their Dagon and set it vp before the Lords Arke saue that it may not be forgotten that with some of it they warme themselues and rost their meate as Pardons the Masse and Purgatorie and laugh in their sleeues at such as turne the spit Ah I am warme I haue bin at the fire 6 This is the labor and workmanship that our aduersaries haue bestowed on their religion to set it forth whereby they haue made their Church so seeming Catholicke And indeed we haue alwayes obserued that there be two principall things which draw mens conceits to Papistrie The first is the Name and report that goeth of the Church of Rome while men perswade themselues that a Church so ancient and renowmed in all ages cannot but be the true Church of God The second is the rumour and opinion of our aduersaries learning as if it were vnpossible so learned men should be deceiued and their writings could be answered Neuerthelesse it is easie enough to see the truth through all this if men will consider of things attentiuely For touching the name and shew of the ROMANE CHVRCH it is but an empty sound of words and titles this present Romane being wholly departed in the questions controuerted from the ancient and retaining nothing but the title This should deceiue no man For the true ancient and Apostolicke Church of Rome so much commended by the Fathers and sought to by the world professed another kind of faith then this doth and the same that now we defend against them whereas this is fallen from it and yet skilfully retaining still the same Seate and Title imposeth maruellously vpon the world hereby Isidorus Pelusiota b L. 3. Epist 408. hath a saying that sheweth the likelihood of this In the daies of the Apostles and afterward when the Church florished and laboured as yet of no disease the diuine graces of God went as it were in a ring round about it the holy Ghost administring all things and all the Bishops thereof inciting and turning it towards heauen afterwards it grew diseased and was troubled with faction and then all those things flew away Thus the Church is like a woman fallen from her ancient happinesse and retaining onely some signes thereof She hath the sheathes and caskets where her ornaments lay but the goods themselues she is spoiled of Not through his carelesnesse and negligence that first enriched her but through their naughtinesse that gouerned not things as they should haue done This Doctor well perceiued that a Church may lose the faith and yet retaine her name still and he saw that in his time things fell to decay and the faith of Christ began to be altered To what purpose then should any man respect the name of the Romane Church when the true faith is changed or what do the prerogatiues and royalties of the ancient Church concerne this that is turned to another religion or who regardeth a house of stately building and honorable title or anticke memory since Iohn of Gaunt when the plague hath infected it and theeues possesse it Besides when it was at the best in the Apostles time and after yet other Churches were commended as well and counted as good as it c Meditat. Respons in iute Graecoroman tom 1. p. 449. These are the words of Balsamon The fiue Patriarkes of Rome Alexandria Constantinople Ierusalem and Antioch had identitie of honour d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and obtained the roome of one head ouer the body that is the holy Churches of God And Nicephorus the Patriarke of Constantinople e Concil Ephesin pag. 307. in an Epistle to Leo the Bishop of Rome saith And we also who haue obtained the name of new Rome being built vpon one and the same foundation of faith the Prophets and Apostles where Christ our Sauiour and God is the corner stone f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the matter of faith are nothing behinde the elder Romanes For in the Church of God there is nothing to be reckoned before the rest Wherefore let Saint Paul glory and reioyce in vs also and ioyning new things with old and comparing vs in doctrines and preaching let him glory in vs both alike For we as well as they following his doctrines and institutions wherein we are rooted are confirmed in the confession of our faith wherein we stand and reioice c. So that the Greeke Churches in the East thought themselues equall with Rome and the commendations of the
Apostle to belong to them as well as to the Church of Rome whereby we may iudge how vndiscreet a part it is to be caried away with the name of a Church afore we haue enquired whether it keepe the ancient faith or so to be conceited of one Church that we will looke toward no other but it 7 The second point that deceiueth manie is the rumour and opinion that goeth of our aduersaries learning which is as weake a motiue to build on as the former when the greatest heretickes that euer were haue wanted no learning and we may be sure this of our aduersaries is not commended with the least Themselues are vnmeasurable and more then odious in extolling their owne facultie and their people as ridiculous and irkesome in reporting it It is nothing beseeming Christians to leaue the cause and to fall a boasting Let our bookes be viewed and the disputations betweene vs weighed and it will appeare they haue no such vantage no not in Art and learning and but that vnsetled braines are giuen vainly to admire nouelties our Church at home here in England to say nothing of those abroad who haue made our proudest enemies feele the edge of their learning hath brought forth and at this day yeeldeth as learned as our aduersaries euer had anie And that the Reader may haue some triall of this I will giue an example or two wherein he shall see and by that iudge of the rest how learnedly they carrie themselues now and then against vs and how great their skill is to helpe them when they are a little vrged 8 They haue a solemne tradition among them concerning the Assumption of the Virgine Marie the story whereof you may reade in the g Act. 1.14 Rhemish Testament to this effect Now at the time of her death all the Apostles then dispersed into diuerse nations to preach the Gospell were miraculously brought together sauing S. Thomas who came the third day after to Ierusalem to honour her diuine departure and funerall where before her death and after for three dayes not onely the Apostles and other holy men present but the Angels also and powers of heauen did sing most melodiously They buried her bodie in Gethsemanâ— but for S. Thomas sake who desired to see and reuerence it they opened the sepulcher the third day and finding it void of the holy bodie but exceedingly fragrant they returned assuredly deeming that her bodie was assumpted into heauen as the Church holdeth and therefore celebrateth most solemnely the day of her Assumption And h Anton. chron part 1. p. 147. Suar. tom 2. p. 200. some adde that companies of Saints and Angels and Christ himselfe for how else should he haue fulfilled the coÌ„mandement Honor thy father and thy mother met her and with great glory and ioy placed her in her throne This is the Legend and that no man should mistrust they could not defend it i Feâ—ard in Hest pag. 616. Rhem. act 1.14 Bristo mot 32. most bitterly they raile vpon all that denie it perswading men k Baron an 48. nu 17. 24. that it is the iudgement of the vniuersall Church l Cathar opusc dè concept yea a point of faith The ground whereupon they stand is the Testimonie of many authors a certaine writing of Iohn the Euangelist Dionysius Areopagita Melito Athanasius Ierome Austine Damascene Bernard Andreas Cretensis Nicephorus Metaphrastes Glycas c. Who would not thinke but here were a learned defence of that they say But marke the issue First we haue shewed them and it is the truth that whatsoeuer the later writers Damascene Bernard Andreas Metaphrastes Nicephorus Glycas and others of those times haue written touching this matter is borrowed from the former authours Dionysius Melito the writing of S. Iohn Athanasius Ierome and Austin and can haue no more credite then the said authours haue from whom it is borrowed Now these authors we proue to be all forged and our aduersaries in the pursuite of the matter confesse it m D. 15. sancta Romana Sixt. Senens p. 104. The booke going vnder the name of S. Iohn is bored through the eare by the Pope himselfe in a Councell and so is Melito as n An. 48. n. 12. Baronius acknowledgeth who calleth him an idle companion full of dotages and fooleries vnworthie of Christian audience The same censure he giueth o Nu. 13. inde of Sophronius and Ierome to Paul Eustoch and p Nu. 20. inde of Athanasius confessing them to be forged in their names and full of lies and impostures And q Nu. 17. of that which goeth vnder the name of Austine as the Diuines of Louan haue done before him Dionysius is he that when all is done must beare the burden But he also is acknowledged by r Erasm declar ad Censur Parisiens theol p. 180. Caietan Valla annot in Act. 17. right skilfull Papists to be a counterfet And if the Rhemists Å¿ In Act. 1.14 say true that the blessed Virgine liued but 63. yeares then by t She bare Christ at 15. yeares Christ died at 33 then she was 48. whereto if you adde 15. more it maketh them 63 and that yeare falleth into the yeare of Christ 48. computation of times she died in the eight and fortieth yeare after Christs birth what time Dionysius could not as the booke going vnder his name pretendeth be present For the same Rhemists u Table of Sainâ— Paul p. 375. say he was not conuerted till an 51 and Baronius x An. 52. nu 1. not till an 52 which was three or foure yeares after her death Besides Baronius y Nu. 19. is driuen to confesse her sepulcher was not found or knowne in Ieromes time but when at the length not much before the dayes of Iuuenalis the Bishop of Ierusalem it was found and that without the body by occasion hereof the argument of writing concerning the assuming of her body into heauen was exhibited for before that time none had writ so Let this be noted If her sepulcher was not knowne nor her body missed out of it nor no man writ of her assumption till Iuuenalis time how can Dionysius that liued so long afore mention it Againe let the booke be Dionysius his owne and legitimate yet the words thereof conuince not this Assumption He saith no more but thus z De Diuin nomin p. 281. graec When we also as you know and your selfe and many of our holy brethren came together to behold the body which the Prince of life was in and which receiued God where Iames the brother of our Lord also was present and Peter the highest and ancientest top of the Diuines then after we had beheld it pleased all the Bishops as euerie one was able to praise the almightie goodnesse of his infirmitie that was the beginning of life vnto vs Where Ierotheus as you know excelled all the other holy
the Church and those latter also are certaine to vs else could they not make the other so and why is the Churches authority so absolutely vrged here by the Iesuit when yet in so many cases it may be spared That is not the sole thing that must assure vs without which we may otherwise be secured Digression 13. Shewing against the Iesuits assumption that all substantiall points of our faith are sufficiently determined in the Scripture and the reason why the Papists call for the Churches authoritie 9 Whereas the Iesuite obiecteth against the Scripture that many substantiall points of faith are not expresly contained in the Scriptures this is true of his Popish faith which is in them neither expresly nor by analogie saue that they haue an answer ready t Hosius de express Dei verb. pag. 38. That which pleaseth the Church of Rome is Gods expresse word But of the true faith of Christ u De doctrin Christ l. 2. c. 42. Austin saith Whatsoeuer a man learneth from without the Bible if it be hurtfull there it is condemned if it be profitable there it is found all things which may be learned elsewhere are found there more abundantly x Regul contract q. 95. Basil saith It is necessary and consonant to reason that euery man learne that which is needfull out of the holy Scripture both for the fulnesse of godlinesse and lest they inure themselues to humane traditions which words saith y Non videtur author harum quaestionum admittere traditiones non scriptas Bellar. de amiss grat lib. 1. c. 13 a Iesuite seeme to debarre traditions and the Church of Rome authorizeth the scripture but by traditioÌ„ z In Mat. hom 41. Chrysostome saith Whatsoeuer is required to saluation is all accomplished in the Scripture neither is there any thing wanting there that is needfull for mans saluation Isidorus Pelusiota his scholler a Lib. 1. epi. 369. biddeth we should refuse whatsoeuer is taught vnlesse it be contained in the volume of the Bible b Lib. 12. in Ioh. in illud â—â—ec auteÌ„ scripta sunt vt credatis Cyril Such things as the Apostles saw sufficient for our faith and manners are written that shining in true faith and good manners we might come to heauen by Christ c Comment in Hagg. c. 2. Hierome Whatsoeuer things man find and faine without the authoritie and testimonie of the Scripture as if they were from Apostolicall tradition are smitten by the sword of God d Lib. 3. c. 1. Irenaeus We haue not knowne the order of our saluation by meanes of any but those through whom the Gospell is come to vs the which Gospell they then preached and afterwards by the will of God deliuered to vs in the Scripture to be the foundation and pillar of our faith These places of the Fathers e Bellarm. de verb. Dei lib. 4. cap. 11. Gregor de Valent. anal fid by the confession of the Iesuits themselues shew that all things are written which be necessary for the saluation of all men And so you see the Iesuites rashnesse For if many substantiall points of faith be not set downe then some things necessary are wanting for euery substantiall point is necessary for all men 10 But yeeld the Iesuite that the Church shall be the rule we speake of to assure our conscience and then aske him who shall be this Church whereto he wil answer none but the Pope and his crew of Cardinals nay none but the Pope himself as I haue shewed alreadie and shall declare hereafter who if he leade thousands of people by troupes to hell eternally to be damned with himselfe there yet no man might presume to reproue him because he is iudged of no man f Dist 40. c. Si Papa saith the Canon law which the Iesuit will kindly take too if ye put him to it 11 And how will this Church expound the Scripture when you haue yeelded your self vnto her for no doubt she will discharge the office faithfully which she laboureth for so eagerly Let Cusanus the Cardinall tell you how for I hope he neuer recanted this point as g Stapl. counterbl l. 3. c. 36. pag. 358. they say he did another of greater truth thus he writeth h Epist 2 pag. 833. The Scripture is fitted to the time and variably vnderstood so that at one time it is expounded according to the fashion of the Church and when that fashioÌ„ is changed the sence of the Scripture is also changed i Epist 3 pag. 838. Againe when the Church changeth her iudgement God also changeth his k Epist 7. pag. 857. And no maruell seeing the letter of the Scripture is not of the essence of the Church if the practise of the Church at one time interprete the Scripture of this fashion and another time on that And let the Popes lawyers tell you that say l De translat episcopi c. Quanto in Gloss § Puâ—i The Pope hath a heauenly iudgement and maketh that to be the meaning which is none because in those things that he pleaseth to haue go forward his will is a law neither may any man say why do you so for he may dispense aboue all law So that this is the plaine English wherinto all the Iesuites doctrine concerning the authoritie of the Church is resolued and whatsoeuer any of them say yet their halting in the end cometh all to it and good reason for the Pope is a fast friend to the Romane Church c. § 10. Fourthly this rule of faith which we seeke for must be such that whosoeuer do find it and hauing found it will diligently attend vnto it obediently in all that it teacheth yeeld assent vnto it shall sufficiently in all points be instructed as touching matters of faith in such sort that none that yeeldeth this obedient assent in all points to the teaching thereof can fall into errour of faith But there be many that hauing found the Scripture do with an obedient mind diligently reade it and yeeld assent to euery sentence and word written in it acknowledging whatsoeuer it saith to be the word of God and yet are not sufficiently instructed but may and do sometimes grosly and obstinately erre in matters of faith as it is most euident since men of contrarie minds in religion do in maner aforesaid reade the Scriptures acknowledging them to be the word of God and yet continue opposite in opinion and so one of them in errour Therefore the Scripture alone is not that rule sufficient of it selfe to instruct euerie one in all points of faith The Answer 1 This is the Iesuites third argument against the scriptures and it is thus framed That which doth not instruct such as find it and obey it in all points of faith and preserue them from error is not the rule But the Scripture doth not instruct such as find it and obey it in all points of faith and
it is agreed between vs u Bell. vbi sup c. 12. §. Thomas Caietanus that the whole power of the keyes is contained in binding and loosing x Alexand. 4. q. 79. p. 316. 317. Mag. 4. d. 18. Dura 4. d. 18 q. 1. Ouand breuilo qu. in 4. d. 18 pro 16. Sylu. verbo clauis nu 1. Rosell verbo clauis nu 1. and defined thereby so that to be the rocke or to haue the keyes supposeth or includeth no more then to haue authoritie to bind and loose which authoritie is expresly giuen in the 18. of Math. verse 18. to all the Apostles and the selfe same words touching binding and loosing are there vsed that Christ vsed before to Peter yea y Iansen concord c. 72. RheÌ„ vpon Mat. 18.18 the Papists themselues confesse that all the fathers of the Church thinke that as before to Peter so in these words to the other Apostles and their successours our Lord gaue the power of Binding and loosing Again in Ioh 20.21 our Sauiour after his resurrection breathed vpon his disciples and said to them all As my Father sent me so I send you receiue the holy Ghost whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained where the ceremony of breathing vpon them seemeth to giue them all a like portion and power of the spirit and his words As my Father sent me so I send you to imply that he sent all with equall authoritie no mans iurisdiction flowing from Peter to him but euery mans coming immediatly and alike from Christ that sent them But the last words whose sinnes ye remit or retaine they are remitted and retained signifie the same that he had said before of binding and loosing and so consequently giue them all the power included in the rocke or keyes for z Ema Sa. Iansen vpon Io. 20.21 Bella. de Ro. Pont. l. 1. c. 12. §. Dices si non in this place is giuen what Mat. 18 was promised Thus all the power of the rocke and keyes is included in binding loosing remitting and retaining and authoritie to do this is giuen to all the Apostles as much as to Peter and yet the Iesuite by meanes of the rocke and keyes thinketh Peter is made chiefe aboue them all Let him and his partakers vntie this knot say directly what they thinke at the argument Peter had no more power giuen him a Planus sensus illorum verborum tibi dabo claues quodcunque solueris c. iste est vt primò promittatur authoritas seu potestas de signata per claues deinde actiones siue officiuÌ„ explicetur per illa vocabula Soluere Ligare ita vt omnino sit idem Soluere aperire ligare claudere Bell. vbi supra §. verùm haec then that which is contained in the keyes mentioned Mat. 16. But all the Apostles had this power giuen them for binding and loosing remitting and retaining include the whole function of the keyes therefore Peter had no more then the rest of the Apostles And if they answer that Peters iurisdiction ouer them was giuen Iohn 20. when Christ bad him feed his sheepe let the zealousest Papist that is lay aside wrangling and say bona fide why is the text of Matthew 16. touching the keyes and rocke vsed then to proue his Primacy if it giue him nothing beyond his fellowes and why go they not directly to worke vrging the 20. of Iohn and letting the rocke and keyes alone as making nothing for them 13 This that I haue answered is also the iudgement of ancient Doctors in that with one consent they all expound the rocke whereupon Christ said he would build his Church b August de verb. Dom. Ser. 13. in Ioan. tract 120. Hilar de trin l. 2. 6. Ambr coÌ„ment in Eph 2. v. 20. Chrys hom 55. in Mat. Basil homil de poenit Emissen hom in natal Pet. Andotâ—ers either of Christ himselfe or of the faith and confession that Peter held whereupon it followeth that they could not thinke those words gaue Peter any more then the rest c De vnit Eccl. Cyprian saith Verily the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was indued with equall fellowship both of honour and authoritie but the beginning proceedeth from vnity that the Church might be shewed to be one d Aduers Iouin l. 1. Hierome saith All the Apostles receiued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and the strength of the Church was stablished equally vpon them all e In Math. 16. Theophylact saith Although it was said to Peter onely I will giue the keyes to thee yet were they also granted all the Apostles When Where he said whose sins ye remit they are remitted f In Math. 16. Anselm saith It is to be noted that this power was not giuen alone to Peter but as Peter answered one for all so in Peter be gaue this power to all My purpose is not to heape much together out of the fathers but by a few places to shew the reader how and in what maner they vsed to speak concerning this matter There are diuers great Papists also who confesse the same whose names I haue set downe in g Digress 30. nu 41. another place 14 The next place of Luc. 22. I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not therfore when thou art conuerted strengthen thy brethren I confes was spoken to Peter in regard of the sin whereinto more weake then all his brethren he fell shortly after yet notwithstanding it coÌ„taineth nothing which our Sauior meant not to the rest For as he prayed for him so he prayed for all Iohn 17.11.15.17.20 and the contents of his prayer was that their faith should not faile and the very office of Apostleship whereto he called them bound them to strengthen their brethren as h Gal. 2.11 Paul did Peter by reprouing him and made them i Gal. 2.9 pillars and k Eph. 2.20 Apoc. 21.14 foundations wherupon the world being built should recouer strength in which regard our Sauior telleth them they must be l Mat. 5.13.14 the salt and light of the earth m Mat. 28.19 and biddeth them go teach all nations which is as much as he saith to Peter in this place touching the strengthening of his brethren Besides n Plerique patres rectè intelliguÌ„t hanc Christi orationeÌ„ etiam pertinere ad totam Ecclesiam Iansen coÌ„cord c. 133. the Papists cannot deny but this prayer of Christ belongeth to all the Church which it could not if it had bene meant for the making of Peter Prince and head of his brethren whose prerogatiues I hope they vse not so liberally to impart to the whole Church and indeed the ancient writers vse this text indifferently to proue the perseuerance of the elect in faith which were no good kind of reasoning if Christ therein had meant none but Peter 15 The
the rocke of Christ and his faith c In Mat. 16. Lyra of whom d L. 4. Biblioth sanct they say that for expounding the Scriptures he had not his match and e In Mat. 16. the interlineary Glosse and f Ibid. Burgensis do all thus g Concord l. 2. c. 18. 13. Cusanus followeth Saint Austins exposition set downe immediatly before h In d. 19 ita Dom. § â—t super hanc petram The Glosse vpon Gratian saith He cannot thinke that by the rocke our Lord pointed at any other thing then the words which Peter answered him when he said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God because vpon that article of faith the Church is built therfore God founded the Church vpon himselfe Marsilius i Defens pacis part 2. ca. 28. saith Vpon this rocke that is vpon Christ in whom thou beleeuest for Peter as long as he liued might erre and sinne by the libertie of his will and such a one could not be the foundation of the Church Petrus de Alliaco Chancellour of Paris and a Cardinall k RecoÌ„mendat sacrâ—â— Scripturae pag 269. writeth thus We must enquire what is the rocke whereupon the Church of Christ was to be built notwithstanding it seemeth not that by the rocke Peter should be vnderstood but Christ for who may establish the firmitie of the Church in Peters infirmitie whereof aske the maide that kept the doore and let her answer at whose speech as Gregorie saith while he feared death he denied the life Therefore seeing Peter had wauered and his Vicar is not firmely grounded l Cumque iam discrepent de summo Petri sacerdotio Pontifices litigeÌ„t de summo Pontificio sacerdotes seeing the Popes differ about Peters high priesthood and the Priests agree not about the Popes high bishopricke who dareth presume to say that any man of what holinesse or worthinesse soeuer whether Priest or high Bishop whether Peter or Peters Vicar or any other but Christ himselfe is the foundation of the Christian Church Christ therefore vpon himselfe as vpon a most steadie foundation established his Church against the Church of the diuell and vpon this firme rock he steadily confirmed Peter himselfe saying of him the sentence premised Vpon this rocke will I build 17 Thus it appeareth that our Sauiour saying Vpon this rock I will build my Church meant thereby no more but that he would ground it vpon the true faith of Christ that whosoeuer would desire to be ioyned to this Church should beleeue the same things that Peter then professed or else perish for euer And the words are thus to be expounded Thou art Peter thy name is Stone and thou hast professed a profession like thy name answering the nature of that whereby thou art called and therefore thy name is stone or rocke and the profession thou hast made is like it for thereupon I will build my Church and they which hold it shall neuer be moued This is farre from giuing Peter and the Pope any primacie and yet this is all the fathers obserued and as much we see as the discreeter sort of Papists haue collected And it is no matter though in the language that Christ spake the same word be vsed for Peter and the Rocke thus Thou art Cephah and vpon this Cephah I will build or if in the Greeke vsed by the Euangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie one thing to wit a rocke or stone as if Christ should say thou art rocke and vpon this rocke I will build for in the first place the word is vsed properly to signifie Peters name in the second appellatiuely to lay downe the nature of his profession which the Papists might haue obserued from m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phauor Lexic Phauorinus Camers their owne Bishop out of whose Lexicon they borrowed their speculation concerning the synonymie of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 18 To the other part of the text concerning the keyes I answer that neither do they proue Saint Peter or the Pope to be chiefe Pastor to whose definitiue sentence all the Church must be subiect but that he had the ministery of the Gospell committed to him with the other Apostles which ministery is signified by the keyes in this respect because mankind through the fall of our first parents lay plunged in the miserable bondage of sinne and Satan vtterly shut out of heauen vntill it pleased our merciful God to reueale the Gospel by preaching whereof the mind of man being enlightned the fetters of spiritual darknesse begin to fall from him and he riseth into the knowledge of Gods will so that by beleeuing in Christ he is set at libertie from the prison of sinne and condemnation and the doore of grace and life is opened to him This is done by the ministerie of the Gospell n Esa 49.9 whose nature is to say to the prisoners go forth and to them that sit in darknesse shew your selues and as o Esa 61.1 a key to open the prison doore to them that are bound and to bring liberty to captiues or if men loue darknesse better then light then hath God put p Ioh. 15.22 2. Cor. 2.16 Apoc. 11.6 an effectuall power into it to shut vp against them the kingdome of heauen and to straine them harder q Pro. 5.22 with the cords of their sinnes that they might perish This ministery being executed partly by preaching and sacraments partly by Church censures is called the keyes by reason of the likenesse thereunto and described by binding and loosing in regard of the effect 19 This exposition must needs be granted first because it sufficiently expresseth the vse and effect of keyes which is onely to let in and out or at the least that is the proper vse thereof Next r Shewed before nu 12. this is all that is meant by binding and loosing and binding and loosing containeth whatsoeuer is signified by the keyes Thirdly the Papists that most stifly defend the primacie yet confesse that all the Apostles receiued the keyes equally with Peter The promise of Christ concerning the keyes appertained not onely to Peter but was transmitted to all the Apostles Å¿ Concil ColoÌ„ sub Adulph an 1549. § Sextum medium saith Adolfus the Archbishop of Colen and his Councell t Surius comment an 1547. a man so addicted to the popish religion and carefull to restore it that he was thought meet to succeed Hermannus whom the Pope thrust out Cusanus u Concord li. 2. c. 13. saith Nothing was spoken to Peter but that which was said to the rest for as it was said to Peter whatsouer thou shalt bind so was it said to the rest whatsoeuer ye shall bind and though it were said to Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build yet by the rocke we vnderstand Christ whom he confessed Thus they
no word in the Scripture that saith the Bishop of Rome shall succeed Peter but also for that we no where find that euer Peter made choise of him or any other I say we find neither of these in the Scripture but the most resolute Papists and such as eagerliest handle this matter f Caiet de diuin instit Pontific c. 13 § Ad huius Bellar. de Pont. l. 2. c. 12. say The Popes succeeding Peter in as much as he is Bishop of Rome had the beginning from Peters fact and not from Christs institutioÌ„ which fact was that he made his seate at Rome and thâ—re died and so it cometh about that the Romane Bishop succeedeth him and Caietan addeth that not his death simply gaue the succession to Rome but because he died there by Christs special appointment which last point he and g Qu. Vesper art 3. Cameracensis proue by a story that telleth how Pâ—ter by reason of persecution being minded to forsake Rome as he was goiâ—g Christ met him to whom Peter said Lord whither goest thou and Câ—rist answered I go to Rome there to be crucified thereby admâ—nishing Peter to returne backe againe and die at Rome So the Popes succession dependeth vpon the fact of Peter and cometh from it and this fact containeth his being at Rome his being Bishop of Rome his dying at Rome his dying by Christs appointment but what certainty is there of all this except a few humane stories which are all subiect to error especially for that which Caâ—etane saith gaue the Pope his succession his returning to Rome by occasion of the vision The first author whereof is h Act. Petri Pauli Linus a foolish booke censured by i â—â—â—o an 69. n. 6. an 44. n. 45. the Papists themselues for a counterfet or allowing all the story to be true yet how doth it appeare that it was Christs and Peters minde by this their fact to warrant the succession that the Church of God should be bound for euer after to beleeue and accept it For seeing they will haue vs all damned vnlesse we obey their Pope as Saint Peters successor and by vertue of this succession authorize him ouer all the world in matters touching soule and conscience this life and the life to come it is but reason that they make it plaine to vs that he hath such a succession which this conceit cannot do being indeed a very ieast which I am perswaded themselues beleeue nor For Cameracensis k Qu. Vesper art 3. pag. 380. writeth that the Papacie and Bishoprick of Rome are two distinct things and not so necessarily conioyned together but they may be separated as for example if the Pope and a Councell thinke it conuenient he may leaue the Church of Rome and couple himselfe to another Church in which case the Church of Rome should no longer be head nor haue any soueraigntie ouer Christians And touching the chusing of the Pope l Fr. Victor râ—lect 2. de potes eccle nu 24. they hold the manner thereof to be a humane ordinance which may be changed the which were absurd if Christ by S. Peters deede appropriated the succession to Rome to alter it againe or change the forme It is a safe way therefore that Alphonsus m De haeres l. 1. c. 9 pag. 19. holdeth Though our faith bind vs to beleâ—ue the true successor of Peter is the chiefe Pastor of the vniuersall Church yet are we not by the same faith tyed to beleeue that Leo or Clemens this or that Pope for example is the true successor of Peter For thus a man may shake off the Pope when he will by picking a quarell to the succession But the Popes best course were seeing the succession is so doubtfull to stile himselfe no longer Peters successor but Peter himself and in his name to send out his Buls and decrees as Pope Stephen did when he sent to Pipin for aide against Astulphus and the Lombards besieging Rome n Caes Baron an 755. nu â—17 thus he writeth Peter called an Apostle of Iesu Christ to you most excellent men Pipin Charles and Charlemaine three Kings and to all Bishops Abbots Priests Monks Dukes Earles and Generals c. I Peter the Apostle called by Christ and ordained to be the enlightener of all the world to whom he committed his sheepe saying Feed my sheepe I the Apostle Peter whose adopted sonnes you are admonish you that you presently come and defend this citie from the hands of aduersaries because the naughtie Lombards afflict and oppresse it And doubt ye not beleued but trust assuredly that I my selfe as if I stood quicke before you do thus exhort you yea and with me our Ladie the mother of God the virgine Marie commandeth you and also the thrones dominions and heauenly hoast with Christs martyrs and confessors that ye haue compassion on the Romane citie and Church committed to me and deliuer it lest my body and my house where it resteth be defiled by the Lombards that I Peter the Apostle of God at the last day may yeeld you mutual defence again and prepare for you tabernacles in heauen Thus writ the Pope 800. yeares since stiling himselfe Saint Peter which custome * Anâ— poâ—â—ible he hath not Paulus iâ—â—eut idemque Petrus vicem Christi ageus iâ— terris saâ—th Baronius speaking of Paul the present Pope his excomunicating the Venetians Paraen ad rempub Veneâ— if he had not giuen ouer for I know not what foolish bashfulnesse possible by this time the world would haue giuen ouer questioning about his succession and haue taken him for Peter himself And why not the world beleeue him to be Saint Peter as well as Papists thinke him Saint Peters successor Digression 30. Wherin it is shewed that the Papists are not agreed among themselues to this day how Peters supposed Primacy is proued or what it containeth but they are vncertaine in expounding the maine texts of Scripture whereupon they build it 39 I was desirous a litle to diuert into this matter because the common sort of Papists hauing greater fancy to the conceit then other knowledge of it or skill to discerne it thinke their learned men proue it more then authentically the rumour and common impression whereunto the vulgar was alway subiect hauing indeede preuailed with them and carried them away into this conceit according to p Hierom. ad Nepot the saying of Nazianzen the rude vulgar wonder at that they vnderstand not Whereas I dare be bold to say there is nothing in all the Scripture more vncertainly expounded then the ordinary texts alledged for Peters supremacy all the learned Papists both old and new so staggering and varying one from another that it is strange to see and worth the noting 40 First we bid them point out the place where Christ gaue it him whereto Card. Cont. q De Sacram. chr leg l. 3. p. 103. answereth That in his iudgmeÌ„t it was chiefly
giuen in the 16. of Mat. when the keyes were giuen But r De Pontif. l. 1. c. 12. Bellar. Å¿ Rhem. annot Ioh 21.17 Iansen concordâ—c 148. Eman. Sa. annot in Ioh. 21.17 others with him deny this and say the keyes were not then giuen but onely promised and with the keyes the supremacy the gift was in the 21. of Ioh where Christ saith feed my sheepe But t Vbi supra p. 104. Contarenus answereth againe Let not the subtlety of some moue ye that say thus for they speake more subtlely then truly If this man say true that al the iurisdiction Peter had was giuen him with the keyes Mat 16. then it is false that others commonly assume that the 21 of Ioh. Feed my sheepe maketh him the chiefe Pastour but if Bellarmine say true it followeth thereof that the keyes and rocke containe no lesse then the seeding of Christs sheepe and lambes it being folly to thinke the promise should containe any lesse then the performance 41 But because the place of Mat. 16. touching the rocke and keyes is vsed to proue Peters supremacy u Locus valde illustris est vbi Christus eam authoritatem verbis amplissimis D. Petâ—o promisit Greg. de Valent tom 3. p. 185. and boasted to be exceedingly euident for that purpose we obiect that therein Peter hath no more giuen him then his fellow Apostles but they are all made equall with him and we conclude it thus All that Peter had was to be the rocke and to receiue the keyes but this was common to the other Apostles the Apostles therfore receiued as much as Peter The second proposition wherof the question is is thus proued x Bellarm. de Pont. RoÌ„ l 1. c. 12. §. VeruÌ„ haec Communiter enim sequenti senteÌ„tia Quod cunque ligaueris c Intelligitur explicari quid per promissâ—s claâ—es sit accipiendum ideoque per claues intelligitur potestas remittendi vel retinendi peccata Iansen Harm cap 66. All the power of the rocke and keyes is included in binding and loosing retaining and remitting sinnes but this was giuen all the Apostles in Mat. 18.18 and Ioh. 20.21 All the power of the rocke and keyes therfore was coÌ„mon to the other Apostles Here our aduersaries againe varie among themselues y Caâ—et tract de instit Pont. c. 5 〈◊〉 Ad primuÌ„ Greg Valent tom 3. p 190 §. Itaque intelligedum Bann 22. pag 218. F. One sort of them denying the first proposition hold that the keyes containe more then binding and loosing and that Christ thereupon in the 18. of Mat. and 20. of Iohn gaue not the Apostles the whole power of the keyes For Caietan saith that speaking formally and properly the keyes promised to Peter are aboue the keyes of order and iurisdiction and containe more But Bellarmine confuteth this z Vbi supra and saith It is not true for is was neuer heard that there were more keyes in the Church then two of order and iurisdiction and so graÌ„teth that all the Apostles had as much iurisdiction as Peter which is our conclusion With him also consent a Marsil def part 2. c. 16 Couatâ—uâ— relect tom 1. part 2. § 9 F. Victo reâ—e 2. de potest eccl Cusan conc l. 2. c. 13. Conci Colon. sub Adulf c. Sextum medium diuers others whereupon it followeth inuincibly that albeit it were granted a thousand times that Peter had the Supremacy yet were it not proued by the text of Mat. 16. because euery tittle contained therein belongeth to all the Apostles indifferently whereupon it followeth secondly that neither can it be proued by any other text whatsoeuer because b Per claues in tellexerimus meâ—aphorice significatam pâ—enatiam ac supremam potestatem gubernandi EcclesiaÌ„ Christi Iansen concord cap. 66. jdem Eman. Sa. annot Mat. 16.19 Baron an 34. n. 205. Ouand 4. d. 18. pro. 16. Rhem. on Mat. 16.19 Fr. Suar tom 4. pag. 257. nu 1. 2. the highest authoritie that can be assigned is contained in the keyes and the keyes were giuen the other Apostles as well as Peter whereupon it followeth thirdly that the Papists by their owne expositions are debarred this text in the question of the Supremacie And when they vse it themselues know they beguile the ignorant 42 The common answer is that albeit the Apostles had the same keyes and power that Peter had yet was it with a difference that Peter had it before them and as their ordinary but they after him as his Legats and subiects The which if it be all the difference they can assigne betweene them let theÌ„ deale plainly and tell vs why they alledge Matth. 16. touching the rocke and keyes where by their owne confession this difference is not fouÌ„d for they all grant it is proued by the 21. of Io. where Christ saith to Peter Feed my sheep But let vs take the answer as it is and examine it The parts of it are two First that all the Apostles had the same keyes and power that Peter had the which is true but some Papists foreseeing it would disaduantage the primacy deny it as I touched before out of Caietan He neither gaue nor promised c Tom. 3. disp 1. qu 1. punc 7 p. 190. â—â—em Baron tom 1. an 34. nu 2â—5 saith Valentianus the keyes themselues to the other Apostles though he gaue them a certaine power to vse them that they might shut or open heauen by remitting or retaining or which is the same by loosing binding sinnes but the keyes themselues that is to say the full and chiefest power to do this euery way were promised and giuen to Peter alone The second part is that they had their power after and vnder Peter as his Legates This is vntrue for in d V. 21. He breathed on them saying Receiue the holy Ghost As my Father sent me so I send you the 20. of Iohn it is plain they all had their commission from Christs owne mouth and Paul e Gal. 1.1 saith he is an Apostle not of men nor by man but by Iesus Christ f 2. Cor. 11.5 and that he is not inferior to the very chiefe Apostles g Fr. Victo relect 2. concl 3. And al the Apostles might say the same for h Marc. 16.15 he said to all Go preach the Gospel to euery creature Therefore in asmuch as they had their commission immediatly from Gods owne mouth it implyeth a contradiction to say they had it vnder and from Peter Here it is worth the marking to see what answers they make and how sweetly they agree i Soto 4. d. 20. q. 1. ar 2. concl 4. Caiet de authorit Pap. Concil c. 3. Dominic Bannes in 22. Tho. q. 1. art 10. p. 234. §. Alia est sententia Caiet The first sort say they receiued all their authoritie from Christ immediatly but this was because it pleased him by