thou Isai art Peter Moreouer Thou and This doe answere one to the other Super hanc Both are Pronounes both shew a thing reallie present to the vnderstanding of the hearer As therefore Thou apperteineth most certainely to S. Peter so doth also the Pronoun this Thou art Peter and vpon this rock which thou art I wil build my Churh Petrus and Petra doe most literallie agree Petram in so much that in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which name Simon Peter is called doth signifie a Rock And in Latine Petrus is named of Petra as if a man said in English thou arte stonie or of the nature of a Rock and vpon this stone or rock I wil build my Church Who can denie but Thou and This stonie and stone â–ª be referred al to one person Hitherto I haue considered thou Conference this and rock seuerally Now let vs ioyne them altogether It is first sayed thou art Peter to the intent it might be knowen whereunto the word this rock belongeth For the nature of the Pronoun is The Pronoune most properly to declare a certainty either presently pointed vnto before the eye or next of al named and described Thou art stony and vpoÌ„ this stone Which this If not this which was last named For albeit Christ be aboue al things the rock aÌ„d corner stone 1. Cor. 10. Ephes 2. yet he was not at this time named so This rock doth refer it self to one certain rock which is poiÌ„ted vnto one way or other But no material rocke is pointed vnto naturally and in deede for no such was then present or minded therefore it is a Rocke by a Metaphore which is described He is a rock by a similitude And seing it is not only sayd I wil build vpon a rocke but also vpon this rocke that rock must be vnderstanded to be such a one as before was shewed But none was before shewed except he were named for at this time al that is shewed is shewed by words so that for as much as it was saied in wordes to S. Peter only Thou art Peter or a rocke when it foloweth vpoÌ„ this rocke it must needes be meant most literally Vpon thee vpon thee wil I build my Church Yet not absolutely vpon thee as thou art a bare maÌ„ but as thou art Peter and thou art Peter to th' end thou shouldest confesse mee to be the sonne of God And thou diddest confesse mee because I promised thee that thou shouldest be called Peter and because my father did reueale it to thee therefore vpon this rocke vvhich thou arte made by Grace I will build my Church It is said in the time to come Aedificabo In Cant. conticoruÌ„ expsello I wil build which declareth a building as yet not perfitly made but onely promised as also Theodoretus hath noted But the Church was built vpon Christ the great rocke concerning his diuine nature from the beginning and concerning his humaine nature from the first moment of his incarnation Wherfore that kind of building Gods Church vpon Christ was already past Likewise the confession of S. Peter was already made and past But the building whereof Christ speaketh is to come I will or shall build my Church vpon this Rocke Therefore this rocke is meant chiefly at this time S. Peter in such respect as he may no lesse hereafter confesse the true faith then he had done alreadie EcclesiaÌ„ meam Mark these wordes my Church It was Christes Church alreadie It was his when he spake the words and before also He therefore doth not now speak of planting or founding it vpon him self but of making one to be the Rock and Head thereof who hitherto was not the Rock and head but onely by promise and hope For whiles Christ was visible vpon the earth he gouerned al things not onely by his power but also by his visible presence by preaching and gouerning the flocke in his owne person being for the time the visible Rock and Head But when it pleased him to dedepart out of the world then he sayed to S. Peter Ioan. 21. Pasce agnos meos pasce oues meas Feede my lambes feede my sheepe At which time that power of being the head stone of Gods Militant Churche Holy scriptures are conferred nexte vnto Christe was moste perfectlye geuen which was before minded when â—t was said vpon this Rock I will â—uilo my Church For to be the Pastour and Gouernour of Christs flock and by the open confession of the faith to keepe it from straying into false doctrines and heresies that is to be the rock wherevpon Christ wil build his Church Who seeth not that so long as the chief shepherd is acknowleged and obeyed Cyp. ep 3. lib. 1. all Christendome must needes beleue and say one thing Now by beleuing and woorshipping one truth the Church is built vp from the lowest to the highâ—est from earth to heauen To shewe that this Rock is meant of S. Peter it foloweth Et tibi dabo and to thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Behold if this Rock were not meant to be S. Peter Christ should in his wordes runne in and out speaking now to S. Peter and now to him selfe He beginneth with S. Peter saying thou art Peter he endeth with him saying and to thee wil I geue the keies betwen which two sayings these wordes vpon this rocke do stand Which being so reason would that we drawe not the middle wordes from the first and the last but that we saye S. Peter concerning his office wherby he beareth the keies to be this Rock wherevpon Christ promiseth to build his Church The property of a rocke is to withstand al tempestes of fluddes and winds Math. 7. and so neither to faile it selfe and to strengthen the house built vpoÌ„ it But Christ said in an other place to S. Peter Luc. 22. Ego rogaui pro te vt non deficiat fides tua et tu aliquaÌ„do conuersus confirma fratres tuos I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being once coÌ„uerted strengthen thy brethern Behold thou art Peter because of my promise Holy scriptures are coÌ„ferred and therby thou diddest receiue the gift of the right faith which thou hast coÌ„fessed of mée I haue prayed that thy faith may not faile yea it shal be so farre from failing that I bidde thée when thou art conuerted to stablish confirme and strengthen thy brethern For of all thy Brethern thou art the chief and the stroÌ„gest Rock through my prayer Yf then it be out of all question that S. Peters faith doth not faile and that he hath power to strengthen his brethern seeing these are the properties of a Rocke not to faile it selfe Math. 7. but to strengthen the whole howse built vppon it against raines fluddes and windes it is euident by the order of Christes wordes by Grammar by
â—he one born of Sara the freewoman â—he other of Agar the handmaiden Which historie being true in very dede according as the words doe sound doth againe signifie vnto vs a more deepe mysterie The son of Sara doth betoken the new testament Galath 4. or the promise of God made to his true childern by adoption â–ª and Agar doth betoken the old testament no lesse then if it had ben so writen in expresse words Likewise wheras as Dauid saith that the sound of the heauens is gon foorth into all the earth Psal 18. meaning that al men may by the very order and course of the heauens see the glory of God S. Paul doubted not by the heauens to vnderstand the Apostles and Preachers Rom. 10. whose sound he teacheth to haue gon ouer al the earth So that the new testament was geuen and printed in the old not only according to the Prophecies there which are fulfilled here but also according to the figures there 1. Cor. 10. which are verified here And so the iustice of God is marueilouslie reuealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. from Patriarches and Prophets to the Apostles and their disciples froÌ„ the law to the Gospel Ioan. 1. from Moyses to Christ to th' end they should be inexâ—â—sable who beholding such a diuine â—nd of writing wherein things and â—eeds were ordeined to be as wordes â—nd letters vnto vs would yet remain 〈◊〉 their incredulitie If then out of one sentence diuerse â—â—ue meanings may be gathered we â—ust know farther that both those meâ—ings be not a like principal but one of â—hem is the foundation and ground of â—he other And therefore although â—oth be found as it were in one builâ—ing yet seing the one is before the oâ—her at the least in the order of place â—e must exactly know which is the first meaning of the twaine Els we can â—euer be sure of the secoÌ„d as the which â—acketh a sufficient grouÌ„d to staie vpon The first meaning is that Hieron in Amos. c. 4. which the holy Ghost vttereth according to the first sense of the woords the which is now called Literal because it ariseth of â—he writen letter rightly vnderstanded The other sense which is builded therevpon is called spiritual because it is knowen rather by the spirit of God then by the sound of the writer letter Now it skilleth so much to know which is the literal and which is the spiritual sense of holie scripture that the Literal sense is onely of force to conuince any aduersarie withal Augu. ad VincentiuÌ„ epist 48. who beleueth Gods word whereas the spiritual sense except it be reuealed by the holy Ghost is such as may be easilie denied because it hath no sufficient ground appering outwardly to man For there may be many spiritual senses geuen of some one sentence and it is euer vncertain which speciallie of them al is meant of God in that place The literal sense of holy scripture is that The literal sense which is first meant by the holie Ghost not alwaies according to the graÌ„matical sound but according to the most plaine meaning of the speaker For example when Christ saith vnto Peter To thee I wil giue the keies of â—he kingdom of heauen the literal â—eaning is not that Peter should reâ—eaue any material keyes of iron or of â—rasse Keyes Isai 22. Apoca. â— 3. But by the keyes according to the â—hrase of holy scripture is meant the â—ower authoritie aÌ„d right which Christ wil geue Peter in his Church For as â—hey who haue the keyes of a house may by right open or shut the dores of â—hat howse so Peter bath right and power to open or shutte the kingdom of heauen to vs. And as the deliuering of the keyes of a citie among men doth betokeÌ„ the geuing of the possession of that City to â—he gouerned by him who receiueth the keyes euen so Peter hath the militant Church as it were committed to his gouernment in this life by Christ So that the literal sense is I wil geue thee the power and autority to gouern my Church for the saluatioÌ„ of soules Likewise when it is said Math. 2â— thou art Peter I call not the literall sense thou art a rock or a graet stone but thou art that toward my Church which a stone is toward the house that is built vpon that stone It is farther to be considered that the literal sense being once agreed vpoÌ„ there lyeth hidden in that sense manie times an other more profouÌ„d sense also the which is not directly and plainly vttered but it is inferred and gathered by the force of argument God hath ben called of old tyme the God of Abraham Exod. 4. of Isaac and of Iacob Neither doth any man dout of the first meaning of those words which is that God acknowlegeth himself to haue chosen those three men to his seruants and doth witnesse that they did in deede serue him But that in these words there lyeth hidden a strong argument to proue the resurrectioÌ„ by that I say dependeth of the literal sense also but not such as is sene straight waies but onlie it is conceaued by discourse For God is not the God of dead things Math. 22. But he is God of Abraham therefore Abraham is not dead Abraham is a man consisting of body and sowle If Abraham then liue and yet his bodie be dead his bodie must rise againe to theÌ„d God maie iustly be called the God of whole Abraham ergo in that God is called the God of Abraham it is shewed by discourse that the bodies of men shal be reised to life againe After this sort the consubstantiality of Christ with God the Father maie be well proued out of the holie scriptures Ioan. 1. Lucae 1. Math. 26. Item the perpetual virginitie of our Ladie transubstantiation the sacrifice of the masse purgatorie and diuers other matters 1. Cor. 10. Math. 12. which be not distinctly named there At the length to come to our purpose there are found in the auncient fathers at the lest foure diuerse senses of these words vpon this rock I will build my Church of the which those onlie are of force to proue any thing by which are literal The first is that the Church is meaÌ„t to be built vpon Christ Retract lib 1. c. 21 And that S. Augustine doth follow as a probable sense but not as the only sense For that in dede but more also is meant in this place The second is that euery Disciple of Christ is the rock whervpoÌ„ the Church is built aÌ„d that being the sense of OrigeÌ„ Origenes in Math. is only spirituall and therefore of no great force to proue any thing by The third is that Peters faith or coÌ„fession is this rock whervpoÌ„ the Church is built Chrysost in Math. which is a true sense but it is not al the whole sense of those words The fourth and
that which wee vse 14. Victory in persecution is ours 15. Yea we are persecuted of the ProtestaÌ„ts our childern as of whome they were baptized aÌ„d in whose vniuersities they were brought vp aÌ„d now thei turn the weapoÌ„s which we gaue theÌ„ against vs. 16. Antiquitie aÌ„d the practise of the primatiue Church is agreable to that of our tyme. 17. The name of Catholiks by their confession is ours 18. The continuall succession a bishops we doe shew and they can noâ— so much as pretend it Rom. 3. Generally what haue they which wâ— lack haue they a faith iustifiyng so haue we but not iustifiyng alone Galat. 5. Iacob 2. but iustifying with charity which is as it were â—he life of faith Ergo their iustificatioÌ„â—f faith alone is a deade righteousnes â—urs is it which quickeneth to life eâ—erlasting Haue they two SacrameÌ„ts We haue seuen 1. Pet. 2. Haue they an inwarde â—riesthod whereby Christ is offered in â—heir harts we haue an inward and â—n †Isai 61. 66. 1. Tim. 4. Heb. 10 outward whereby he is offered â—oth in our harts and in our hands Do â—hey beleue that Christ with one Saâ—rifice paid our rauÌ„som for euer Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 10. 11. We beâ—eue it and shew to the eye vnder the foorm of bread the self body sacrificed and by offering and eating it sacramenâ—ally with our mouth we are made partakers of the redeÌ„ption which is in it Is Christ with them the head and â—astour of his Church Ioan. 10. Ephes 1. We do not onely beleue so but we shew it to be so by the real figure of one chief head aÌ„d Pastour of his particular flock in earth Heb. 10. whereby the eternall thinges are liuely represented Doe lay men with them receaue the communion vnder both kinds euen so doe they with vs by dispensation of the See Apostolike in Austria and in diuerse other parts of Germany both without schism and also without iniury of an other truth which must confesse one kind to conteine as much as both and therefore to suffise alone And both kindes were instituted of Christ Math. 26. rather to shew by an vnbloody sacrifice the nature of Christes bloody sacrifice where his sowle and blood was a part from his body and fleshe then that any more is either conteined or distributed by both Ioan. 19. then by one alone Heb. 13. Haue you Mariage in great price Not in so great as we who teache it to be a Sacrament which by the outward and visible signe of mutuall consent in faithfull persons signifieth the gratious vnity of Christ and of his Churche and whiles it signifieth such a singular grace Ephes 5. it partaketh of the grace whereof it is the signe Yea but you allow Mariage in all kind of men what Euen in those Math. 19. who haue gelded them selues for the kingdom of heauen For they onely who make the vow of chastity can iustly be said to geld them selues for the kingdom of heauen Vvho geld theÌ„selues for the Kingdom of heauen For he that absteineth from Mariage without any vowe he is not yet gelded sithens he maie lawfullie marie But whoso hath gelded himself for the kingdom of heauen is meant to be no more hable to marie by the right of Gods law and in very conscience theÌ„ he is able by the course of nature to haue a child who either is borne or by force is made an Eunuche For these three kinds of Eunuches Christ doth compare together Math. 19. expresly geuing vs to vnderstand that it is both praise worthy to vow chastity and when it is once vowed that by Gods owne law there is no more possibilitie to return to the vse of mariage then it is possible for a gelded man to be restored again to that which he lacketh By these few examples it may appere that you haue no maner of thing praise worthy which we lack whereas we haue a great nuÌ„ber of things both good and laudable VVhat thiÌ„gs the protestaÌ„ts lack and many of them very necessary all which you lacke You haue no insufflations no exorcism no holy oyle in baptism no holy Chrism in bishopping no externall priesthood no publik sacrifice no altars no censing no lights at your seruice no Images in your Churches no adoration no reseruation of Christes body no Eremits no MuÌ„kâ— no virgins vealed and consecrated no vnwriten traditions no communion with Saints or with faithfull sowles by praying to the one or for the other no Stations no pilgrimages no confession of synnes to the priest no forgeuenes by the priest no temporall satisfaction inioyned nor the same remitted by pardon no holy water no holy vestments no Reliques of Martyrs no extreme vnction no place of purgatory where their synnes may be released after this life who died in charity but yet not without the det of temporall purgation You say falsely that all these thinges are naught Galat. 1. praeterquaÌ„ quod accepistis but once we receaued theÌ„ of our auncestours and we iustifie theÌ„ by Gods word and by the bookes of the auncient Fathers If we our selues had once had other things and so had cast away those other and taken these as you haue taken Note vppon your own heads naked tables in stede of adorned altars praying toward the south in stede of praying toward the East mariage of priestes in steade of chastity vulgar tungs in stede of holy and learned the sacrifice of praysing God by bare words in stede of Masse which praised him by the consecration of Christes owne body with other like matters then in dede there had ben cause why we might haue feared our owne dedes and inuentions But seing we made no new religioÌ„ but kepe the olde Philip 2. humilitie obedience and the keeping of vnity is our fault if we haue any Of such faults I beleue noman shall geue accompt but rather of pride Rom. 1. 2. Cor 3. Galat. 5. of disobedience of breakiÌ„g vnitie of makiÌ„g schismes and of troubling the Churche Neither can it be iustlie replied of you that you doe toward vs in changing our religion Dissimile as Christ and the Apostles did toward the Iewish synagoge For Christ changed his owne Religion whereof himself was Lorde and not onely theirs But Luther is not that toward Christ which Christ was toward Moyses neither hath Caluin that power to alter the state of Christes Churche which Christ had to alter the Law It must be vnderstanded that in all Religions there is a law which prescriâ—eth in what maner God shal be serued The chief point of Gods seruice coÌ„sisteth â—n publike Sacrifice The Sacrifice deâ—endeth of the Priesthod for of whatâ—oeuer order the priest is there after he maketh his sacrifice whervpon S. Paul said Heb. 7. The priesthod being transferâ—ed or changed it must nedes be â—hat the law be transferred or chaÌ„ged also Now from Adam til Christ â—here
him alluding to his new name Ioan. 21. and shewing the reason thereof And I saye vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke vvil I build my Church and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it And to thee I wil geue the Keies of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon the earth it shal be bound also in the heauens And vvhatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon the earth it shal s be loosed also in the heauens By these wordes both the promise of Christ was fufilled aÌ„d the reason of the promise was also declared concerning the new name which was before spoken of Neither do our aduersaries denie these points as I suppose But the Catholiques reason farther vpon this place in this wise The name of Peter which is deriued of a rock or of a stone was no soner geuen to Simon but also a new promise was made Math. 16. that vpoÌ„ this Rocke Christ would builde his Church Now the Catholikes doe say that Peter himself is here called this rock and that Christ promised to build his Church vpoÌ„ him And because the building of Christes church varieth not after his Gospel once planted but is alwaies like it self the Catholikes beleue and teach that when S. Peter died aâ— other did succeede in his place vpon whom Christes militant Church might be still so builded as it had been once builded vpoÌ„ S. Peter And for as much as the Bishop of Rome succedeth S. Peter the Catholikes most constantly affirme that the Bishop of Rome who liueth for the time is the rocke which coÌ„fesseth euermore Christes true faith vpon which confession of the See of Rome as vpoÌ„ a most sure Rock Christes Church is built The ProtestaÌ„ts being at a point to denie this later assertion must nedes affirme that Peter himselfe is not called this Rock but rather that either Christ alone or the faith which Peter confesseth is only called this rocke This seÌ„se is imperfit but not false So that they wil haue these wordes vpon this rocke I wil build my Church to be onely thus meant vpon this faith and confession of thine wherein thou hast said to mee thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke which I am or vpon this strong faith which is confessed of me I wil build my Church and whersoeuer this faith is there say thei is the rocke vpon which Christ buildeth his Church The Catholikes replie that although the faith and confessioÌ„ of Christes Godhead be in deede a most strong rocke whereupon the Church is built yet that is not al which Christ meaneth at this time For these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church haue a respect vnto three diuers times to the time past because they are spoken to him who was promised to be called Peter to the present time because they are spoken to him who now confesseth Christes Godhead to the time to come because they are spoken to him to whom Christ saith he wil geue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and vpon whom he wil hereafter build his Church which thing he performed when he said Peter louest thou me more theÌ„ these Ioan. 21. â—eede my sheep For Christes sheepe â—re Christes Church And to be made â—he shepheard of them is to haue Christes Church built vpon him And â—o be Peter is to be this Rocke Solemus videre pastores sedere â—upra petram inde commissa â—ibi pecora custodire We are woÌ„t saith S. Augustine to see shepheards sit vpon a rocke August in Io. tract 46. and theÌ„ce to keepe the sheepe commited to their charge Thus we see how wel the Metaphore of the Rocke dooth agree with the Metaphore of feeding sheepe Therefore these wordes vpon this rocke I vvil build my Church are perfectly fulfilled when it is saide to Peter who is this Roke feede my sheepe Now wheras this PropositioÌ„ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church is thus qualified with the person to whom it is spokeÌ„ and with the diuersitie of three seueral times The sense of the protestaÌ„ts lacketh three coÌ„ditions of fovver to take one part of these foure away from all the other conditions whereunto it belongeth and to say that the confession of Peter alone is the rocke whereupon Christ wil build his church and thereby to denie Peter him selfe who maketh that confession to be this rocke and to diuide the confession from the promise going before which first of all wrought the effect thereof and from the last fulfilling which ensued after it is in deede a truthe for so muche as is affirmed therein but in respect of that which is denied it is a maine falshood The vvhole sense But the Catholiques geuing the whole sense of Christes woordes as they ought and not diminisshing any parte thereof doe teache that this Rocke vvhere vpon Christ built his Church is S. Peter not barely and nakedly considered but with â—spect of the promise past of the preâ—nt confession and of the auctoritie â—f feeding Christes sheepe which then â—as to come And so no maÌ„ be he neuer so faithâ—ul is this rocke whereupon Christ â—ath built his Church except he be â—awfully called to succede in the authoâ—itie and pastoral office of S. Peter This thing then remaineth to be proâ—ed in his due place The Catholiques teache also Ioan. 2â— that â—t was said to Peter alone feede my sheepe And seeing no particular â—locke was named it must needes be meant that the whole flocke which for the time liued on the earth was committed to Peter euen aboue all other according as he loued Christ more then other And for as much as the order of gouerning Christes Church which himself appoiÌ„ted may not afterward be changed by mans inuention it insueth that alwayes one chief shepheard must be made who may feede the whole militant flock of Christes sheepe in earth aboue al other pastours as Peter onâ—â— did feede them aboue al concerning the principal power which he receiued of Christ Hereunto the Protestantes replie that Peter alone was not made the shephead of Christes flocke aboue alâ— others but that in him Christ spake to al the Apostles The Catholiques demaund why theâ— Peter alone is spoken vnto and willed to feed Christes sheepe in the presence of certaine other Apostles to none of whom Christ speaketh any thing therof at this time The Protestants answere that euery Apostle was made a pastour no lesse theÌ„ Peter Caluin and Beza in Ioan. cap. 21. But that he was namely spoken vnto at this time as one who had lost his office of Apostleship by denying his Master and therefore as he denied thrise so he was commauÌ„ded thrise to â—â—d Christes sheep to th' end he should â—ow that his fault is now forgeuen and â—â—t he is restored to his Apostleship â—aine so that he may feede Christes â—â—eep as wel as Andrew or Iohn and
â—â—th no greater power then they This answere is vtterly false for three â—ses First because Simon Peter had â—t lost his Apostleship by denying his Master For although the fault seeâ—eth to some men who are cruel Iudâ—â—s ouer the Apostles worthy of deâ—adation yet for somuch as the same â—as neither externally proued nor conâ—â—ssed in iudgement nor stubbornely â—â—fended but rather was gratiouslie â—rged by teares it was verely forgeâ—â—n through mercy before it came to 〈◊〉 punished by iustice In so much that â—tatus writeth thus Lib. 7. de schis Petrus ter soâ—s negauit tamen bono vnitaâ—s de numero Apostolorum sepaâ—ri non meruit Peter alone denied thrise and yet for the beneâ— of vnitie he deserued not to be sâ—perated from the number of tâ—â— Apostles Moreouer if S. Peter bâ— once lost his Apostleship yet before thâ— time he had ben restored againe theâ—â— vnto For Christ after his resurrectiâ—â— entred into the place where his discâ—ples were the doores being shut aâ— stood in the middest and said Peaâ—â— vnto you As my father hath seâ— me Ioan. 20. and I send you WheÌ„ he had sâ— these things he breathed and said theÌ„ take ye the holy Ghost who sinnes soeuer ye shal forgeue thâ— are forgeuen them and whose 〈◊〉 euer ye shal retaine they are retained Now seing it can not be dâ—nied but that S. Peter was theÌ„ presenâ— for only Thomas is noted to haue beâ—â— absent from the disciples at that timeâ— surely though Peter had lost once hâ— Apostleship he had ben restored beforâ— this time and had ben sent with Chrâ—steâ— â—anctoritie no lesse then any other â—â—â—stle So that it was not nedeful for 〈◊〉 restoring of him to his Apostleship â—t Christ shuld now say to him alone â—â—d my lambs feed my sheep But raâ—â—â—r he being before equall with any â—â—er of the Apostles by the coÌ„missioÌ„ of â—â—ding and loosing syns of praeching or â—ny like authoritie geueÌ„ before was 〈◊〉 alone priÌ„cipally willed to feed Chriâ—â—s sheep and Christes lambs in such â—t as no other Apostle was Last of al â—â—mit Peter had not ben restored to 〈◊〉 Apostleship before this time yet he â—â—d ben now restored to a greater auâ—â—oritie than any other Apostle had reâ—iued at any time So that euery way â—eter in th' end remaineth with the â—â—eatest power Against this my assertioÌ„â—â—e Protestants cry that al th' Apostles â—â—ere equal and that Iohn was the same â—hing which Peter was Cyprian de vnit Ecclesia which thing S. HieroÌ„ and S. CypriaÌ„ say they do witnes â—nd the very practise of the Apostles in so much that Paule who was 〈◊〉 of the twelue yet with stood S. Petâ—â— and reproued him Our answer to this matter is that Peter was not onely an Apostle 〈◊〉 which office of Apostleship during â—ly for their liues al the other were 〈◊〉 equalles but also both chief of the Aâ—â—stles and also an ordinarie chief shâ—â—heard or high byshop wherein tâ—â— were al inferiors to him as being 〈◊〉 Apostles and Bishops vnder S. Peâ—â—â— their chief Apostle and chief Bishâ—â— their Primate and their head Tâ—â— which my destinction shal be exacâ—â— proued by Gods grace hereafter 〈◊〉 therto concerning S. Peter More ouer some men are so wâ—ful that although they are driuen 〈◊〉 confesse that S. Peter him selfe wâ— this rocke and chief pastour vpoÌ„ whoâ—â— assured faith the militant Church wâ— once buylt yet they will haue no 〈◊〉 Bishop to be the same after him Wheâ—fore I haue to proue that both one Biâ—â—op for the time should haue continuâ— the same pastoral power which S. â—â—ter once had and that the same is â—ne other beside the Bishop of Rome 〈◊〉 Which point being once declared it â—ill the better appere what a blaspheâ—â— it is vnto Christ to burden his Viâ—â—e in earth with the name and tyranâ—â—cal power of that foule beast Antiâ—â—rist Vho iâ— neere to antichrist Whereas it shal be right wel proâ—â—d that the Protestants of our time â—ome much nere to the nature and condition of Antichrist then any Pope of Rome euer did or can doe That there is a certaine Primacie of â—â—â—ritual gouernement in the Church 〈◊〉 Christ though not properly a lordâ—nes or heathenish dominion Anâ— what sort this Ecclesiastical Primâ—â—â— differeth from the lordly gouernâ—â—â—â— of secular Princes and how it is prâ—â—sed by the Bishop of Rome The II. Chap. NO man properly can be Loâ—â— emong the Christians whereâ— are seruants indifferently vâ—der the obedience of one true Lord 〈◊〉 Master Iesus Christ Math. 23. â— Pet. 1. who hath creaâ—â— them of nothing and hath redemâ— them with his owne bloud Wheâ—â— vpon our Sauiour Christ said Luce. 22. Tâ—â— Kings of the Nations haue domâ—nion ouer them but you not so Againe he saith Math. 20. The Princes 〈◊〉 the nations haue dominion ouâ— them It shal not be so amonâ— you 1. Pet. 5. And S. Peter did forbid 〈◊〉 fellow Priestes to vsurpe any dominiâ—â— ouer the Clergie but he coÌ„maundâ— â—hem to be an example and paterne of â—he flocke Vpon which places we â—ay conclude that Lordly dominion 〈◊〉 forbidden in the Church of Christ â—ut not likewise all Ecclesiastical Priâ—acie For Dominion is properly the power â—f life and death vpon slaues or bondâ—en DominioÌ„ Math. 23. wheras we in this spiritual goâ—ernment and kingdom of Christ are â—ot seruants one to the other but â—rethreÌ„ But a kind of primacie is fouÌ„d â—uen among brethreÌ„ For whereas Ruâ—en had eleuen brethren Gen. 49. yet notwithstanding his Father said of him Ruben my first begotten Thou â—rt my strength and the beginâ—ing of my grief The more exâ—ellent in giftes and greater in â—ovver For Ruben should haue â—ad receiued both the Priesthood and â—he Superioritie ouer his brethren yf â—e had not wickedly demeaned himselfe toward his owne Father Neither onely among brethren but euen among fellow seruaunts there is found a certaine Superioritie which is nothing els but that power which it pleaseth the chief Lord to geue to some one of his seruaunts ouer al the rest For the Lord of the house as the Scripture witnesseth by a parable appointeth aÌ„d setteth a wise and faithful seruauÌ„t ouer his familie Math. 24. that he may geue them meat in due time To be appointed and sette ouer a familie is to be chief in the familie And to be chief in the familie is to haue the chiefdom superioritie and primacie in the familie Wherefore seing our Sauiour Christ so farforth as concerneth his visible presence taking a iorney into a farre Countrie which is heauen hath like a wise Lord appointed and set one of his seruants ouer his familie that is to say ouer his Church Luc. 12. saying to him Feed my sheepe meaning that he should geue euery man his due portioÌ„ Ioan. 21. and iust measure of wheat or of other victuals in conuenient time that seruaunt so appointed and made ruler ouer this
nations but also in a fâ—â— more excellent kinde then the Christian Kings are For to what Christian King did Christ euer say Ioan. 20. As my father sent me I send thee Math. 16. or vpon this rock I will build miâ— Church Ioan. 21. or doest thow loue me more then these fede my shepe â–ª feede my lambs And yet is a King aboue priests â–ª yea aboue the high pastour of Christes flock he is so in dede with them who make lesse accompt of Christes heaueÌ„ly institution and Officer then of him that was first made either by the necessitie of wordly calamities to kepe away a greater euil from the common weale or els by the wanton and proud affection of earthly men ambitiously affecting tyrannical power Let no man thinck that I despise the authoritie of Kings God forbid but thei are a good thing brought in mercifully sumwhere to staye violent iniuries and robberies and other where permitted of God for our iust punishment 2. Cor. 5. and not any like thing to that diuine order of pastours which Christ ordeined purposely for our reconciliation to God the father and for the auoiding of al iust punishment otherwise deserued It was a King as Saint Gregorie In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1 noteth who deuided the ten tribes from the Churche of God and made those by the iust punishment of God to be idolatours who so greedely preferred his gouernment before the gouerment of the priests And are not we now in the same case who for greedines to reiect the Vicar of Christ are come to preferre the secular and temporall power before the spirituall the body before the sowle and earth before heauen In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Nonnulli saith Saint Gregory in tantum dementiae malum proficiunt vt commouere ipsum etiaÌ„ statum Ecclesiastici culminis non vereantur There are some who are come to so great madnes that they are not a feard to moue and trouble euen the state it self of the Ecclesiastical toppe or highest dignitie of the Churche And a little after His autem qui viuebant sub spiritali regimine Ibidem Regem petere quid aliud est quà m eandem spiritalem praelationem in seculaâ—m dominationem transferre geâ—re For those that did liue vnder the spiâ—â—tual gouernment to require a King â—hat other thyng is it then to goe aâ—out to transfer the same spiritual preâ—teship or gouernment into a tempoâ—al dominion Yf any man would deepely weigh with himself that God chose such a â—ecret and extraordinarie way to â—â—ue mankinde that no creature â—ould worck it beside his owne Almightie Sonne and that he comming â—nto the world was so farre from working his purpose by Kings and princes that whereas it was most easie for him to haue made manie Kings and Princes at the beginning to beleue in him 1. Cor. 1. he rather chose the weakest things of the world to confound the strong things and wrought the beginning and increase of his Church by the misbeliefe and persecâ—tion of princes if he would be thinâ— himself how farre the pouerty and hâ—militie of the Kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 from the pompe and wordly distractiâ—â— of Kings Yea though thei be Christiaâ— and good also he wold much wondâ—â— what sense in holy matters thei haue who dare make that princely state sâ—preme head of the Church which of 〈◊〉 states came last to the faith and the pomp whereof is most contrary of aâ—â— other degrees to the profession of the same And yet what are they who persuade this matter The incoÌ„stancie of the protestants verely those who hauing iustly reproued some lewd and proud bishops for their wordly pompe afterward set vp Kings in the bishops places yea aboue them also as though any King had lesse wordly pompe then the bishops Yea they also doe it who protesting thei will beleue nothing but the expresse word of God yet beleue Kings to be the heads of the Church â—hich they not only can not find in â—ods word but thei rather finde there 1. Reg. â— â—at God was angrie when the â—ouernment of the highe priest â—as reiected and a kingly gouernment â—alled for Moreouer yf by this precept the â—ings of the nations haue domiâ—ion ouer them it shall not be so â—mong you not only all tyrannical or â—ordly power of life and death but also â—l spiritual primacie and superioritie be forbidden to the Apostles ouer the whole militant Church it is forbiddeÌ„â—ikewise that there should be any superiour in any one part of the Church For the parts accordiÌ„g to their degree are of the same nature whereof the whole is Therefore if the whole militant body may haue no one head much lesse any part thereof may haue a head If then no Apostle may be superiour or primate in any parte of the Church much lesse any other Christian maÌ„ wâ—â— is inferiour to an Apostle may be sâ—preme gouernour in any one part of thâ— same Church But euery King in thâ— behalf as he is a Christian is inferioâ—â— to the Apostles for he is both tawgâ—â— his faith of them Matth. 28 and baptized by them and in spiritual matters he must be guided by them therefore seing the King may not be supreame gouernour of any parte of Christes Church in that respect as he is a Christian maÌ„ if yet he shal be supreame head of his own Christian realme by any meane at all it must be by that power which he either had before his Christianity or beside it For by his christianity it is not possible that he shold haue any greater power then the Apostles had Ioan. 20 who were sent into the world with Christes authority If then a King be supreme gouernour of the Church where he is a King besides his christianity he is no otherwise supreame gouernour thereof then any Ethnik prince might haue beÌ„ And so it 〈◊〉 brought to passe by the doctrine of the â—rotestaÌ„ts that an infidel King hah suâ—reme power to visite to reforme to â—orrect and to depose any bishop â—ithin his own realm The which arâ—umeÌ„t wheÌ„ Antichrist or the great Turk shal make vnto the ProtestaÌ„ts â—hey must nedes yeld vnto it and grauÌ„t â—iÌ„ to be supreame head of their Church Be it so of their Church but the Caâ—holikes shal stil keepe them vnder the â—piritual gouernmeÌ„t of the bisshops and â—astours which Christ hath instituted To enter one degree farther in this matter let vs graunt that some King were so ê‘fit so poore in spirit so chast so liberal as euer any bishop or priest was required to be in Gods law VVhat things a King caÌ„ not doe caÌ„ he yet baptize caÌ„ he coÌ„secrate Christes body can he forgeue synnes can he preache can he excommunicate can he blesse the people can he iudge of doctrine by his kingly authority If he can not doe these things how can he be aboue theâ— coÌ„cerning these causes who haue receaued
Horn will not say so What is it theÌ„ which he could doe might he putte him in prison so might Nero and also the great Turk By this meane it appeareth that the King be he neuer so much christened hath yet no power ouer the Bisshops soule And yet al spiritual and ecclesiastical power towcheth the sowle Therefore the King hath no spiritual power ouer the bishop at all Epist 32. Si vel scripturarum seriem diuinarum vel vetera tempora retractemus quis est qui abnuat in causa in causa inquam fidei Episcopos solere de Imperatoribus non Imperatores de Episcopis iudicare If we call to mind either the processe of holy scriptures or the auncient tymes who can denie but that in a cause of faith in a cause I say of faith bishops are woÌ„t to iudge of Christian Emperours and not Emperours of Bisshops If then the King haue no Spirituall power ouer the Bisshop how shal he corect or depose the Bisshop according to any spiritual or ecclesiastical processe of iudgement Shall he cause a Synod of Bisshops to be gathered that therin he may depose the said disobedieÌ„t Bishop Put case the Synod find him not worthy to be deposed or els wil not depose the said Bisshop How caÌ„ the King come to exercise yet any spiritual power vpoÌ„ the Bisshop You wil say he shal constrain the Synod to depose him Wherewith I pray you By the spiritual sword or by the temporal Not by the spiritual for it was neuer committed to the king that whose sinnes he should retaine they should be retained If then he shal obteine his purpose by the temporal sword who seeth not that the last resolution of the kings power is vpon his temporal and secular iurisdictioÌ„ which he should haue had though he had not ben a Christian Therefore S. Augustine finding many â—imes great fault with the Donatists Homil. de pastor in Psalm cont part Donatist â—ecause they appealed froÌ„ the iudgement of Bishops to the Emperor â—alleth euen Constantin who was then 〈◊〉 christian Prince terraenuÌ„ regem an earthly king In epist 48 Datos sibi Episcopos â—udices apud terrenuÌ„ regeÌ„ accusaueruÌ„t They accused the Bisshops who were assigned to be their iudges before an earthly King For albeit he was a Christian yet his Kinglie power was earthlie in respect of that heauenly power which Christ brought with him and gaue to his Disciples What doe I stande about the woordes of menne A most plaine demonstration of the dignity of high priests aboue the dignitie of faithful princes euen in the sight of God is to be sene in the olde Testament Where God who is no parcial Iudge assigneth a sacrifice for the syn of euerie degree of men according to their dignitie euen at his own altar And first he beginneth with the highe priest Leuitici 4 Sacerdos saying Si Sacerdos qui vnctus est peccauerit delinquere faciens populum offeret pro peccato suo vitulum If the priest which is anoynted shall synne causing the people to synne he shall offer a calf for his synne The second degree is not the prince Turba oiÌ„s but the whole people Quôd si omnis turba filiorum Israel ignorauerint offeret pro peccato suo vitulum Yf the multitude of the childern of Israel do amisse by ignorance it shal offer a calf for his synne After these two degrees cometh in the Princes place Princeps Leuitic 4 si peccauerit princeps offeret hostiam coram Domino hircum etc. If the prince shall synne he shal offer a hee gote in sacrifice before the Lord. Behold the prince is not only in the third place both behind the highe priest and behinde the whole multitude but also his sacrifice is of lesse valew and of a baser conditioÌ„ theÌ„ theirs For a hee gote was not so honourable a sacrifice as a yong oxe or a calfe The fourth degree is Anima that if one of the common people synne he shal offer a shee gote Of this matter Philo writeth thus Decebat principem priuato homini praeferri vel in sacrificio De victimis sicut principi populuÌ„ quandoquidem totum est sua parte maius Pontificem verò aequiparari populo in expiatione impetrandáque peccatoruÌ„ venia Habetur tnÌ„ is honor pontifici non propter ipsum sed quia minister est populi publicè vota faciens soluenda totius gentis nomine It became the prince to be preferred before a priuate man euen in the sacrifice as also the people to be preferred before the prince because the whole is greater then the part But it became the bishop to be made equal with the people in purging and in obteyning pardon of his synnes Howbeit that honor is geueÌ„ to the bishop not for his own sake but because he is the minister of the people making his praiers or vowes publikely to be performed in the name of the whole nation Marke the comparison the prince is a minister of the people as wel as the bishop But because the bishop is a minister in holy matters he is preferred before the prince In Leuit. quaest 1. Theodoretus also writeth thereof Docet quanta fit sacerdotij dignitas quam vniuerso populo parem facit Principem autem qui praetergressus fuerit legem aliquam non vitulum sed hircum aut capruÌ„ anniculum offerre iubet tam procul abest à sacerdotali dignitate is cui corporeuÌ„ imperiuÌ„ coÌ„missum est God doth teach how great the dignity of priesthod is which dignity he made equal with the whole people But he coÌ„maundeth the prince that shall transgresse any lawe not to offer a calf but a he gote of one yeres age so farre is he to whom corporal power is committed behind the priestly dignitie If then the whole people be aboue the Prince as who are hable to chose and to make a Prince when one lacketh and yet the bishop be equal with the whole people and also be set before it in the order of the law as being made by God himself and not hable to be made by the people because they can not consecrate a bishop or geue him spiritual power what impudency is this to teache that a prince by his own right and power maie visit iudge correct and depose a bishop who is now well sene to be farre greater in the sight of God then the King himself Let this much suffise to shew that the Bishoplie or pastor all authoritie of the Church is not only distincted froÌ„ the tyrannical kingdome of the vnfaithful natioÌ„s but also from the moderate reigne of what so euer Kings though they be christened One thing now is brieflie to be touched that notwithstanding many Bishops be euil and vse not their Office wel yet they loose it not thereby but stil we are bound by Christes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t to do the things Math. 23 not which they doe but which they say
Sander It is but reason trulie that Peter be builded vpon Christ and that we also beleue But for asmuch as we are in the metaphore of building doth not reason teache vs that when we haue layed in the foundation of a house a mightie great stone that the next which we laye vpon it should be also a verie great one yea after the lowest the very greatest of all Doth any wise man hauing laid in the foundation a stone of twentie cubittes place next vpon it a stone of one or two ynches If not so by all proportion the second stone shal be the greatest that can be gotten next vnto the first Dan. 7. Christ is so great a stone that he hath filled the whole earth I ask of M. Iewel who shal be next vnto Christ Mie verdit is that in respect of the militant Church which is dayly a building on the earth S. Peter is the next stone Because God who geueth his benefits most freelie voutsafed first of all men to graunt S. Peter this grace Ioan. 21. to be the Pastour of his flocke Matth. 10 and the porter of his kingdom next vnto himself Saint Peter being the next stone in building of the Church vnto Christ is therefore a Rocke because he is built immediatlie vppon the Rocke For in a bodie compacted together euerie thing partaketh most intierlie the nature of that wherevnto it is next ioyned Note good Reader that we speake 〈◊〉 the whole Church which hath 〈◊〉 the beginning of the worlde but onely of that portion which liueth on the earth for the time For thereof onely Peter and his successours are the Rocks whereas Christ is the Rocke of Rockes which vphouldeth the whole Church and al the rocks that euer haue ben or shal be in the Church from the beginning of the worlde to the ende thereof Ievvel Al these Fathers be plaine Sander Against you for as none of them denie Peter to be this Rocke which thing you haue denied so many affirme that the confession of S. Peter and his faith is the Rock whereof Christ spake And yet seeng the faith of S. Peter is no greater then himselfe is if his faith be the Rock him selfe is also the Rock Ievvel In 16. Matth. None is so plaine as Origen he is the Rock vvhosoeuer is the disciple of Christ Sander In the 3. Chap. This kind of sense is not literal as I shewed before But admit it were literal yet seeng S. Peter is the disciple yea the chef disciple of Christ as S. Mathew saith Primus SimoÌ„ qui dicitur Petrus Simon is the first Matth. 10 who is called Peter surely M. Iewel by your confession Peter next vnto Christ is the chief Rock A man would thinke you were frantike when you denying a mortal man as Peter was to be this Rock yet afterward proued that euery mortal man who is Christes Disciple is the Rocke Ievvel Vppon such a Rock al Ecclesiastical learning is built as Origen saith Sander But S. Peter is such a rock therefore vppon S. Peter al Ecclesiastical learning is built Who could wissh such an aduersarie as M. Iewel is who proueth altogether against himself Ievvel If thou think that the vvhol Church is built only vpoÌ„ Peter vvhat then vvilt thou say of Iohn the sonne of the thunder Metth. 1â— and of euery of the Apostles saith origen Sander Maister Iewel left out in his English this woorde illum Petrum A vvord left out If thou thincke the whole Churche to be onelie built vppon that Peter to witte that Rocke of stone what wilt thou saie of Iohn and of euerie of the Apostles Origen saith Peter is a Rocke which thing Maister Iewel denieth But he is not only a Rocke and that we graunt But Maister Iewel saith no mortal man but Christ himself is this rocke therefore I aske him what he saith of S. Iohn and of al the Apostles Was not Saint Iohn a mortal man wo to this cause M. Iewel whereof you are become the patrone God kepe me from such an aduocate who shall nede none other euidence against him to lese my cause withal besides his owne words You saie the old Fathers haue writen not anie mortal man but Christ himselfe the Sonne of God to be this Rock Ex ore tuo te iudico serue nequam But S. Iohn and S. Peter and euerie one of the Apostles is called here this rock whereof being named in the sixtenth of S. Matthew we dispute and yet no Apostle is Christ the Son of God therefore some mortal man is this Rocke besyde Christ the Sonne of God Ievvel Shall we dare to saie that the gates of hell shall not preuaile onlie against Peter or are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen geuen only vnto Peter saith Origen Sander It is inowgh that the gates of hell shall least of all preuaile against Peter And he hath chefelie the keyes of heauen For as S. Peter of all the Apostles first confessed in the name of the whole Churche August in Ioan. tractat 124. so al that confesse after him and by him for all were in him as in their primate and chiefe pastour enioye both his confession and his reward That as he was sette ouer al the Church for euer so others for their parte were called into parte of the care To conclude this matter M. Iewel should haue proued that S. Peter is not the Rocke wherevpon Christ promised to build his Churche But he hath not done it neither was he able to bring any one syllable out of the holie scriptures nor anie one saying out of the Doctours which denied Peter to be this Rocke But he only hath ministred matter to me for the prouf of the contrarie assertion The conclusion of the former discourse and the order of the other which followeth The VIII Chap. HItherto it hath bene proued by moste euident reasons of Gods promise of the circumstance and of the conference of the holy scriptures of the authoritie of the Fathers and of the special reasons which moued them to thinck and write so and last of all by the refutation of M. Iewels own words that Saint Peter with such qualities and conditions as Christ indued him withal is this rock wherevpon the Church was built And because looke what kinde of building the Churche was once ê“mised to haue that must still continue seing the Churche doth still tarie the same howse of God there must be alwaies some one mortal man like vnto Peter who being first made a rock by election may afterward by Gods reuelation stil confesse the faith for the whol Church when so euer he is demaunded or consulted what is to be thought and beleued in maters belonging to Christian religion If then there must be some one such Rock vpon whose authoritie the faithfull menne may grounde them selues it is not possible that it should be any other manne besides the Bisshoppe of Rome First because he
aboue al others is coÌ„fessed of al sides to haue ben the first aÌ„d chief in al assembles and meetings to whome by M. Iewels confession the prerogatiue of the first place did belong to directe and order Bisshops in their doings In his Replie 241. 242. Secondly because he onely sitteth in Saint Peters chaier and is his lawful successour Thirdly because the consent of the world hath taken it so aÌ„d so hath practised in deed for euer but euen by our Aduersaries confession froÌ„ the tyme of Pope Zosimus and Leo and so aboue a thousand yeares And although if I had no farther proufe this alone were neuer able to be auoided yet I haue so many other proufes that I am more troubled what to leaue vnsayed then I am to seeke what may be said I haue chosen to speak of that point speciallie whiche is of all other the moste hard For there is no greater obiection against Saint Peters Supremacie then to saye The obiection that all the Apostles vvere the same thinge which he vvas The same Rocke the same Pastour the same Confirmour of their brethern Whereby he may seeme to haue had no more then they had and consequentlie that all Bisshoppes are as good as the successour of S. Peter To which obiection if I should only answere The ansvvere by demaunding of the Protestantes in what Gospel or holy scripture it were writen that euery other Apostle was the same rock which S. Mathew testifieth S. Peter to haue bene seeing they haue bound themselues to beleue nothing which is not expreslie writen in the holy Scriptures Matth. 10 16. they were not able so to replie that their owne conscience might iustlie be quiet For if they brought me foorth S. Cyprian De vnit Eccles or S. Hierom it were sufficient for me to say that they were no Euangelists I shew it writen thou shalt be called Cephas and thou art Peter that is to say a rocke or of the qualitie of a rocke For as S. Hierom witnesseth Lib. 1. ad Gal. c. 2. that which the Greeks and Latins cal Petra the Hebrewes and Syrians cal Cephan Let them shew it writen where S. Mathew or S. Iohn is called such a Rock or is said to be of such a condition and qualitie that the Church shal be built vpon him How vnhappy are men now a daies that whereas they haue moste plaine scriptures in al pointes for the Catholike faith and none at al againste the same yet they pretend by the very scriptures to ouercomme the Catholikes And by the bare naming of Gods worde whiche they neither vnderstand nor loue they haue among pedlers won the spurs and amonge the ignorant haue gotteÌ„ the opinion of knouledge But seing there is an infinit treasure in Gods word to proue those things whereby the Catholike faith is fortified I wil take vpon me this one point for this time to shew by what meanes S. Peter exelled the other Apostles wherein I wil procede in this order It is certaine that S. Peter excelled the Apostles in some kind of honor and dignitie The Apostles had two kinds of dignitie The one proper to their Apostleship the other coÌ„mon with al Bishops How far S. Peter was aboue or equal with them in the Apostolike functioÌ„ That S. Peters great prerogatiue aboue the Apostles is most manifestlie knowen by his supremacie in the bishoplie power of gouerning the Churche of Christ That S. Peters bishoplie authoritie was an ordinarie power That it must continue in some one bisshop That it is the Bishop of Rome in whom S. Peters ordinarie power and supremacie resteth That S. Peter passeth far the other Apostles in some kinde of Ecclesiasticall dignitie The IX Chap. IF what soeuer authoritie any Apostle had concerning the gouernment of the Church S. Peter had the same and yet if besides he had verie manie things of greatest importance promised and geuen to him alone which no man els had it is out of all controuersie that S. Peter passed a great way the other Apostles in some kind of Ecclesiasticall dignitie Otherwise if he had no more authoritie then they or if his priuileges had bene only personal as the loue was which our Sauiour bore toward S. Iohn who laie vpon his brest at his last supper certeinlie S. Peter should either haue had nothing at all committed to him aboue and beside the reast of the Apostles Ioan. 13. or it should haue ben onlie some temporall priuilege and not any such function as had apperteined to the perpetual stablishment of Christes Church But now Matth. 10 for so much as he is not onelie first among the twelue but also he had the promise to be called Cephas or a Rocke Ioan 1. before the twelue were chosen and was really named Peter at the tyme of the choise Marc. 3. And for so much as although both S. Iohn Baptist had confessed Christes godhead before Ioan. 1. and Nathanael had said thou art the Son of God thou art the KiÌ„g of Israel yet only Peters confessioÌ„ being made long after was so highlie rewarded that Christ said to him alone thou art Peter Matth 16. and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church For so much as the keyes of the Kingdom of heauen are namely promised to Peter alone Matth. 16 And whereas the tribute of didrachma was due for the first begotten of euery familie Num. 3. Iosephus antiquit li. 13. c. 12 Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 59. Matth. 17 Yet Christ paid both for himself and for S. Peter also as being the vnderhead and first begotteÌ„ of his familie the Church And for so much as Christ although an other bote also were at hand yet he taught the people out of S. Peters bote to shew that in Peters chaire his doctrine shuld alwaies be stedily professed Luc. 5. Ambro. in 5. ca. Luc. And wheras al the Apostles were sure to be sifted of Sathan Lucae 22. yet the faith of Peter alone is praied for Leo serm 2. de â—at Petri Pauli that he being once conuerted might strenhgten his brethern And when word of Christes resurrectioÌ„ was sent to al the disciples for so much as Peter both entred first into the Sepulchre Luc. 24. and was not comprehended with the rest but was seuerallie named by himself Marci 16. whiles the Angel said tel his disciples and Peter In 24. ca. Lucae that he wil goe before you into Galilee and as S. Ambrose thincketh of men he was the first who saw Christ after his resurrection abeit some wemen had sene him before And whereas the other Apostles sailed in the sea within the cumpasse of a bote Ioan. 21. Bernard de consid lib. 2. yet S. Peter alone walked vpon the whole Sea without any particular bote betokenning that the whole world which is meant by the Sea was ordinarilie subiect vnto his iurisdictioÌ„ Farthermore for so much as some
other Apostles standing by S. Peter alone is both shewed to haue loued Christ more then they and he is alone cōmaūded to feed Christes shepe Ioan. 21. August ibidem and to rule his lābs yea for somuch as it is said to Peter alone not ablie Extendes manus tuas and again tu me sequere Ioan. 21. thou shalt stretch foorth thy hands and follow thou mee so that his particular kind of death by stretching foorth his hands vpon the crosse was principally prophecied of by Christ himself Seing Peter answered alwaies for the Apostles Ioan. 6. Matth 16. as being the mouth of them al and seing after Christes ascension Act 1. Chrysost in Acta Hom. 3. Peter alone gaue sentēce vpon Iudas and pronounced him deposed from his Bisshoprike and that an other must be chosen in his place seing when the holy Ghost came downe Peter aboue al the rest first of al Act. 2. taught the faith Act. 2. ād the multitude being cōuerted said to Peter and to the other Apostles but to Peter by name what shal we doe Act. 2. Seing Peter made answere for al that they should repent and be baptized Act. 3. seing Peter did the first miracle after the comming of the holy Ghost Ambros serm 68. and first healed the feete of the lame because he being the Rocke shewed mysticallie that he stablissheth the feet of others seing Peter confessed Christ first Act. 4. not only before priuate men but olso at the seat of Iudgement seing Peter saw the secretes of hartes and whereas menne laied their goods at the other Apostles feet also Act. 5. yet Peter alone gaue with fulnesse of power sentence vppon Ananias and Saphyra cutting of their life with a word Gregor lib. 1. ep 24. and thereby shewing as S. Gregorie noteth Quanta potentia super caeteros excreuisset With how great power he had encreased aboue the rest seeing Act. 5. although al the Apostles did also miracles yet Feter was so famouse aboue the reast that men did putte the sicke and the weake in the streats to the end at the least the shadow of Peter might come ouer them which was the greatest miracle that euer is thought to haue bene done of man seeing Peter did excommunicate and enioyne penance to Simon Magus the first heretike Act. 8. Seeing he was the first after Christes Ascension who reised a dead person to life as he did Tabitha Seeing he had first by vision Act. 9. Act. 10. that the Gentils also were called to beleue in Christ and God chose that the Gentils shoulde first of al heare the vvorde of the Gospell by Peters mouth and should beleue Actor 15. Seeing when Peter was in the prison Act. 14. prayer was made in the Church for him with out intermission which thing we read to haue ben so earnestly done for none other Apostle albeit many were also in prison Seing when a sedition was among the Disciples Act. 15. Theod. in ep ad leonem in so much that Paul and Barnabas not for their own learning but to signifie what other Bishops should do afterward came to the Apostles to Ierusalē to set a solutiō frō Peter as Theodoretus noteth and told the controuersie in the Councell then Peter did not only speake first but also he gaue a determinate sentence Galat. 1. In cōment c. 1. ad gal that the Gentils should not be burthened with the law and the whole multitude held their peace for a time Chrysost in acta homil 21. Seing S. Paul himself came to Ierusalem to see Peter and that as S. Ambrose saith because he was Primus first or chiefe among the Apostles ad Solitar vit agent August de Sà nctis serm 27. Leo Serm. 1. in Natt Pet. Pau. to whom the Lord had committed the care of Churches seing Peter was either alone or first and chief in the greatest affaires as S. Chrysostom noteth most singularly seing he was sent to occupie with his chaire Rome the mother Church of the Romaine prouince as Athanasius calleth it and the head Citie of all the world Concil Chalced. act 3. and there to conquere all hereticks by vāquisshing Simon Magus the head of al Heretikes whom with his prayer he destroyed seing his Chayer and succession hath ben acknowleged of al the Aūcient Fathers Bernard epist 190. and hath florished there till this hower without interruption of that faith whiche S. Peter confessed and taught as the verie experience doth beare witnesse so many things so singularlie belonging to the gouernement of the whole Churche could neuer aboue al the other Apostles haue bene so speciallie done or spoken about Saint Peter alone if he bare not some other more excellent person then euerie of the other Apostles did For as Christ is proued by S. Paule to excell the Angels because God neuer saied to anye Angell as he saied to Christ Heb. 1. Thou art my Sonne this daie I haue begotten thee euen so seeing Christ neuer saied to anie other Apostle as he saied to Peter Thou shalt be called Peter or vpon this rock wil I build my church or Matth. 16 to thée I will geue the keies of the kingdome of heauen or paie for thee and me or I haue desiered for thee that thy faith faile not Luc. 22. Ioan. 21. or seed my sheepe and rule my lambes doubtlesse we may boldelie conclude therevppon that S. Peter in these praeeminences farre excelled any other Apostle For what so euer any other Apostle had whether it were by vocation Ioan. 1. Matth 10 18. 28 Ioan. 20. or election or authoritie to preache to binde to loose to baptise to be a Bisshoppe to make a Bisshoppe or to doe any thing els Serm. 3. in aniuers assumpt multa solus accepit Peter had al that as wel as any of them as also Leo the Great hath noted Seing then beside al that he had many things which none other had may they not seme to haue lost their cōmon senses who wil haue S. Peter to be no greater a prelate then any other Apostle was If any wrāgler not ioyning al these priuileges together but separating som one or two of thē frō the rest do scoffe at these proufs let hī know aforehād that albe it some few alone would not haue made a perfit proufe yet as they now are ioyned together they proue exactly that S. Peter had som greater dignity then any other Apostle had That the Apostles besyde the prerogatiue of their Apostleship had also the authoritie to be particular bishops which thing their name also did signifie in the old tyme. The X. Chap. FOR the better opening of that which followeth I must declare the double office which the first prelates had Marci 3. Lucae 9. Christ called twelue vnto him whome he made Apostles and he sent them to preache and gaue them power te heale
in al pointes equal with Peter If you say the word Primus first serueth only to kepe the order of nūbring and not any whit to prefer Peter before the rest I answere that whē Primus the first doth only stande to kepe the order of numbring sith the number at this time is twelue S. Mathew should haue gon forward with the second the third and the fourth vntil he had come to twelue But nowe seing he doth not so Primus is rather meant the first in dignitie then in order onely And surely it is worth the noting that where as S. Andrewe came to Christ before S. Peter Ioan. 1. and brought afterwarde his brother Simon to Christe yet S. Peter is set alwaies not onely before S. Andrew but before al the reast In so much that wheras the other Apostles are neuer named orderly but after diuerse sortes yet S. Peter keepeth alwaies the first place After Peter sometime Andrewe is placed next as in S. Matthew Math. 10. Marc. 3. Act. 1. sometime Iames as in S. Mark sometime Iohn as in the Actes of the Apostles And the Church as well in the Canon of the Masse as in the Litanies ād processions placeth S. Paule nexte vnto S. Peter But euermore in al these varieties howsoeuer the order of the other Apostles be changed seing S. Peter is without exception euery where preferred before them al certainely that his primacie cometh neither by chance nor by the choise of the writer but by the very councel and will of the holy Ghost who thereby sheweth S. Peter to haue bene absolutely the first and chiefe euen by the appointment of Christ himselfe which no Euangelist might alter or change Which to true the authoritie also of the auncient Fathers doth euidentlie conuince First because out of primus the first they haue deriued Primatus which signifieth the chiefe authoritie and not onlie the first place in order accordinglie as S. Augustine teacheth In Ioan. Tract 124 S. Peter to haue represented the whole Churche propter primatum Apostolatus for the primacie or chiefedom that I may so speake of the Apostleship Dionys c. 5. de Eccles Hierarc Cyrill lib. 12. in Ioan c. 64. Chrysost in Ioan. Hom. 87. Hierom. in lib. 1. ad Gal. ca. 2. Math. 10. And consequentlie therevnto they call S. Peter commonlie Principem Corypheū caput verticem ducē os Apostolorum the prince or chiefe of the Apostles the head the top the guide and the mouth By which words they declare themselues to take primus the first for princeps the chiefe and for maximus the greatest which word S. Hierom also vseth so that the meaning of S. Matthew is The chiefe is Simon who is called Peter Thus it is euident by the word of God that Peter being chefest al the Apostles be not equal with him except perhaps anie mā who is not chiefe can be equal with him who is chiefe If you aske The question wherein Peter was chiefe or what he could doe more then his followes I say that question also is curiouse It becometh him who will obey the Gospel to belieue that S. Peter is the first or chiefe as he readeth in the Gospel without demaunding why or how he should be chiefe But yf the questiō were demaunded humbly thus I would thincke it might be answered In the nature and order of the Apostleship The ansvvere euery Apostle was wholy equal with all the followes of his owne order The which is not only true in the Apostles but also in Bishops in priests in Kings in Dukes in Knightes or in any other state of men For there is a certain reason why a man is either an Apostle or a King or a duke the which reason must nedes be common to all that be of that degree and state But there may be an other thing coincident to some degree of men the which although it be not necessarie for their being yet it is necessarie for their well being And so whereas of twelue Apostles euery one is equal in that office with the other yet it was necessary for their good cōtinuance in peace and vnity Optatus lib. 2. de schis Donatist that one should be chiefe among them lest whiles euery one shuld draw a diuerse way the whole Church which ought to be but one body should be torne in pieces and be diuided into manie companies or bodies Thus whereas al the Apostles were equal by the nature of their vocation one was set ouer the rest by the prouidēce of God Matth. 10 and he was so set ouer thē that he was euen at the first choise though that wer not throughly percaeued vntil Christs resurrectiō made first of al and appointed for most of all that there might be no momēt in the which vnity should be missed in the Church This reason is allowed of S. Cyprian who hauing said cōcerning the nature of the Apostleship De vnitat Ecclesiae The rest of the Apostles wer the same thīg which Peter also was being all indued with equal fellowship of honour and power addeth immediatlie sed exordiū ab vnitate proficiscitur vt ecclesia vna mōstretur But the beginning procedeth from vnity to thēd the Church may be shewed one S. Hierom likewise hauing said Aduersus Iouin li. 1 albeit al the Apostles toke the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and the strēgth of the Church be fastened equally vpō thē al addeth īmediatly tamen propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio Yet therfore amōg the twelue one is chosen that a head being made the occasiō of schism may be taken away Lib. 2. de schism Donatist Optatus ys of the same iudgemēt affirming that there is one singular chair wherein Peter did sit that in it vnitie might be kept of al men lest the other Apostles might euerie man chalenge a Chaier to himself Epi. 82. ad Anastasiū Leo the great confesseth the same truthe saying that whereas the choise of al the Apostles was like yet is was geuen to one that he might be aboue the rest If then all were equal in office and yet one was set ouer them to kepe vnity he was not thereby an Apostle more then they but he was greater then they Not greater in his office or in his Apostolike power but greater in his prerogatiue of being head and of making all thē to be as one whiles they were all content to obey him alone rather then to make a schism But now let vs ad to their doctrine an other truthe which is that all the Apostles were so confirmed and stablished in grace by taking the first fruits of the holy Ghost Rom. 8. that it was not possible for them to erre in faith or to seduce others For Christ said vnto them Ye know the spirit of truthe Ioan. 14. because he shall tarie with you and he shal be in you Hereupon
it will follow that the Apostles in their owne persons needed no head but that S. Peter was set ouer them to geue thereby a forme and a paterne that afterward when the personal priuilege of the Apostles shuld cease yet the rest who should be the successours of the Apostles might al obey one who shuld succede in Peters place Luc. 22. By whose assured faith because Christ prayed for it al they might be sure not to erre in the faith By this meanes it is easie to answere the obiections which are made against the supremacie of S. Peter For if S. Paul did aswel preache to the Gentils Galat. ◠as S. Peter did to the Iewes he did it by the office and nature of his Apostleship which was to goe into the whole worlde Matth. 28 and to preache to euery creature 2. Cor. 11. and to haue the care of al Churches lying vpon him And therfore S. Peter did also as wel before as afterward preache vnto the Gentils with no lesse power then S. Paule Act. 15. And S. Paule to the Iewes no lesse then S. Peter For the order power and grace of their Apostleship was equal as the degree and line of brethern is equall But as God preferred in old time the eldest sonne to the priesthood Genes 49 and to a greater power in gouernment not by the force of the brotherhed but by his own ordinance euen so whereas Peter and Paule were equal Apostles yet Peter by the appointment of Christ was the head not by force of the Apostleship but by the will of God to shew that his Church was one by hauing one pastour in it aboue the reast as a Kingdom is one by hauing one King in it or as a house is one by hauing one master in it Again if S. Paule did reproue S. Peter cōcerning circūcision as one that walked not accordīg to the truth of the Gospel in his behauior S. Paul might do it Galat. 2. both because they were fellowes and brethern in the Apostolike office and also for that he had the same holie Ghost which Peter had But we must consyder as Tertullian in his booke of prescriptions doth witnesse that no doctrine of S. Peters was then reproued as false Conuersationis fuit vitium nō praedicationis but onlie his behauiour concerning an outward fact of his in that he hauing freelie eaten before with the Gentills without respect of keeping the Law of Moyses wherein his deede was right good and did witnesse that he belieued the obseruances of the olde Lawe to bind noman yet at the comming of Iewes he did abstein and withdraw himselfe as perswaded that he should do more good to the Iewes if he forbare certain meats to winne his weake brethern Likewise S. Augustine writeth Neque enim negamus in hac sententia suisse iā Petrum Epist 19. ad Hieron in qua Paulus fuit Non itaque tunc eū quid in ea re verum esset docebat sed eius simulationem qua gentes iudaizare cogebantur arguebat Neither truly we do deny but that Peter was now in the same mind that Paul was Therefore he did not then teach Peter what was true in that cause but he reproued his dissembling whereby the Gentils were compelled to plaie the Iewes So that wheras S. Peter was no lesse perswaded then S. Paul that Circumcision ād the ceremonies of the Law must cease as S. Peter himself pronounced at Hierusalē And wheras S. Paul no lesse then hé Act. 15. had tolerated the obseruāces of the law for a time in circūciding Timotheus the question is not Act. 16. whether Circumcision ought to be abrogated nor yet whether it might be at al for a time permitted but whether it might be now any more winked at as hitherto it had bene For S. Paul beleuing the time to be now com that euery man ought to professe his faith openly concerning the abrogation of the old ceremonies did reproue S. Peters outward simulation as by his fact yelding lōger time to the Iewes then was profitable And herein surely S. Peter proued himself to be in deed the head of al the Apostles For whereas Christ had said he that is greater among you Luc. 22. let him be made as the yonger or lesser he in deed accomplisshed that precept and yelded vnto S. Pauls aduise as S. Cyprian S. Augustine and S. Gregorie doe testifie Nam nec Petrus Cyprian quem primum Dn̄s elegit in Epist ad Quintum supet quē aedificauit Ecclesiam suam cum secum Paulus de circumcisione disceptaret postmodum vendicauit sibi aliquid insolenter aut arroganter assumpsit vt diceret se primatū tenere obtemperari a nouellis posteris sibi potius debere nec de spexit Paulum quòd Ecclesiae prius persecutor fuisset sed consiliū veritatis admisit For Peter whom our Lord chose to be firste and vppon whom he did build his Church did not when Paul did striue with him about Circumcisiō afterward chalenge or attribute any thing to him self insolently or proudlie and saye that he had the primacy ād that he ought rather to be obeyed of Nouices and after commers neither did he despise Paul for that he was before a persecuter of the church but he did admit the counsail of truth By which wordes we perceiue that S. Cyprian did not iudge this reprouing of S. Peter to be any argument against his supremacie but only to be a witnesse of S. Peters humilitie and mekenesse But as it was in deed true that S. Paul had once persecuted the Church so was it also true that S. Peter held the Primacie although as S. Cyprian hath noted he did not then allege it S. Augustine likewise confesseth De baptis cont Donat lib. 2. cap. 1. In scripturis sanctis didicimus Apostolum Petrū in quo primatus Apostolorum tam excellenti gratia praeeminet aliter quam veritas postulabat de Circumcisione agere solitum à posteriore Apostolo Paulo esse correctum We haue learned in the holy scriptures that the Apostle Peter in whom the Primacie of the Apostles appeareth aboue the rest by so excellent and gratiouse fauour that he accustoming to doe otherwise concerning Circumcision then the truth did require was corrected of Paule who was admitted after him to be an Apostle S. Gregorie stablisheth S. Peters supremacy the more by the very same example of his humilitie in bearing gently the correction of his fellow Apostle Quatenus qui primus erat in Apostolatus culmine Gregorius in Ezech. Hom. 18. esset primus in humilitate That he who was chief in the top of th' Apostleship might also be chief in lowlinesse Ecce à minore suo reprehenditur reprehendi non dedignatur non ad memoriam reuocat quòd primus in Apostolatum vocatus sit Behold Peter is reproued of his inferiour and he disdaineth not to be
verbo Domini Vnde probem quaeris Ex verbo Domini Cui enim noÌ„ dico Episcoporum sed etiaÌ„ ApostoloruÌ„ sic absolute indiscrete totae commissae sunt oues Si me amas Petre pasce oues meas Quas Illius aut illius populos ciuitatis aut regionis aut certi regni Oues meas inquit Cui non planuÌ„ non designasse aliquas sed assignasse omnes nihil excipitur vbi distinguitur nihil Other pastours haue flocks assigned to them euery pastour one flock to thee all are committed one flock to one shepheard And not only of the sheepe but also of the pastours thou alone art the pastour Doest thow aske how I proue it By the word of our Lord. Gods vvoord For to whome I say not onely of the Bisshops but also of the Apostles so absolutelie and without distinction are all the shepe committed If thou louest me Peter feede mie shepe Which shepe whether the people of this or of that citie or countrie or of a certaine kingdom He saieth mie shepe To whom is it not euident that Christ did not appoint out some but assigned all Nothing is excepted where nothing is distincted This place needeth no declaration it is so full in al points Wherefore I suppose it is by this time sufficiently proued that S. Peter did excell a great way euen his fellow Apostles in the pastoral authoritie of feeding Christes flock By which power S. Iames otherwise S. Peters equal yet after he was once bishop of Ierusalem was thereby of necessitie subiect vnto Peter as who could not feede a parte of that flocke which was wholie committed vnto Peter but by the acknowleging of Peter his general shepheard In signe whereof S. Peter being not readen himselfe to haue ben ordeined bishop of any other then of Christ did yet with two other Apostles orde in S. Iames Bishop of Ierusalem Euseb li. 2 cap. 1. as the Ecclesiastical historie doth witnesse In consideration of which S. Peters Bishoplie power Arnobius who would neuer haue called Peter the Apostle of the Apostles yet douted not to name him the Bisshop of Bishops and to confirme the same by this place of the Gospel where Peter alone is made the pastour whiles it is said to him feede my shepe And because his other woordes were alleaged before it maie suffise now to heare him saie this much onelie of S. Peter Arnobius in Psalm 138. Ecce Apostolo poenitenti succurritur qui est Episcoporum Episcopus Behold the Apostle who is the Bisshop of Bisshoppes being penitent findeth succour Could anie thing be spoken more plainlie But you will say In epist. â— ad IacobuÌ„ fra Dom. that S. Clement geueth the verie same title to S. Iames also As though Saint Iames being the Archbishop of IerusaleÌ„ had not diuers other bishops vnder hiÌ„ of which bishops he might wel be called the bishop But S. Peter being alone called the pastour as Arnobiê° shewed before aÌ„d so being a bishop as he was a pastour must be vnderstanded not onely to be a bishop of some bishops as euery Archebishop is but also a bishop of all bishops as noman at al is beside S. Peter and his successours But Peter being alone the pastour is alone the bishop of the very Apostles also in that behalf as they were bishops and not in that respect as they were Apostles Yea but here an other may bring forth S. Cyprian Ad Quintum de haeret baptizand who saith Neque quisquam nostrûm EpiscopuÌ„ episcoporum se esse constituit Neither doth any of vs make himself a bisshop of bishops I pray you sir what is this to the purpose Because no man maketh himself a bishop of bishops shall therefore Christ make no man a bishop of bishops S. Cyprian speaketh of his own dede and Arnobius speaketh of Christes dede But if Christ himself make noman a Bishop of bisshops how is then S. Iames called a bisshop of bishops Or was S. Iames that which S. Peter could not be Again Saint Cyprian meaneth that in matters which are yet in controuersie no man may plaie the bisshop of bisshoppes in iudging an other bishoppe Or in prescribing to him what he shall beleue in doutfull cases But S. Augustine expounding this verie place of S. Cyprian De baptis cont Donanist lib. 3. cap. 3. sheweth it to be otherwise in matters which are alreadie well knowen and throughly discussed in the Church Moreouer Ibidem Se in omnibus humilians Saint Cyprian in that place sheweth his humilitie and his loue of vnitie as Saint Augustine hath well noted in that he being in deede a Bishop of some Bisshoppes because he was an Archebisshop yet doth renounce to vse his authoritie whereas notwithstanding if he had not ben aboue other Bisshoppes he should not haue alwaies both sitten and spoken first in the prouincial CouÌ„cel as both he and his Auncestours also had done Last of al S. Cyprian doth most euidentlie confesse the Supremacie of S. Peter by that which he writeth of his principal Chaier and succession lib. i. ep 3. et de vnit Eccles as it shal appeare afterward At this time it suffiseth that S. Peter is taught by Arnobius to haue ben a Bishop of Bishops which thing no Catholike Father did at any time denie Lib. 7. de Schis Yea on the other side Optatus feared not to write thus of S. Peter Preferri apostolis omnibus meruit claues regni coelorum communicandas coeteris solus accepit Peter deserued to be preferred before al the Apostles and he alone toke the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to be communicated vnto others hovv the keies are coÌ„municated This preferment in taking the keies to be communicated with others is to be meante concerning that whiles S. Peter alone was made the high Pastor and Bisshop therby the keyes were coÌ„municated to the other Apostles in such sorte as they all were Bisshops and not so as though he communicated the keies to them in respecte that they were Apostles for the Apostles toke the keies belonging to their Apostolike office immediately of Christ and not by the mediation of S. Peter Accordingly as S. Paul teacheth him selfe to be an Apostle neither of men Galat. 1. nor by a man but by Iesus Christ Therefore when Peter alone is said to haue taken the keies it is meante that he alone as high Priest and chiefe Bisshop took the keies of his pastorall office to be coÌ„municated by him to particular Bisshops his inferiours For as Leo writeth of his christian brethern Petrum non solum Romanae sedis praesulem Leo. Ser. 2. in aniuers assumpt sed omnium Episcoporum nouerunt esse primatem They know Peter to be not only the Bishop of the See of Rome but also to be the Primate of al Bisshops This most plaine sentence I suppose nedeth no declaration But it sheweth S. Peter beside his Apostolike office to haue a
he as the head of all Bishops had it specified to him before they had it For whereas their authority is shewed to haue ben geuen in the eighteÌ„th chapiter of S. Matthew Matth. 18. and in the twenteth of S. Ihon Ioan. 20. the authority of S. Peter is described and promised in the sixtenth of S. Matthew Matth. 16 and it depended of the promise of Christ wherin he said thou shalt be called Peter or the rock the which promise was made as it appereth in S. Ihon not only before the Apostles were chosen Ioan. 1. but also before they were called to be the Disciples of Christ Ad iubaianum In consideration whereof S. Cyprian might boldly say Petro primus Dominus super quem aedificauit Ecclesiam vnde vnitatis originem instituit ostendit potestatem istam dedit vt id solueretur in terris quod ille soluisset Our Lord did first geue vnto Peter vpon whome he built his Church and from whome he did institute and shew the original or beginning of vnity this power that what soeuer he did loose it should be loosed in the earth Notevvel When one hath first that right and power alone which afterward others haue if there be any ordinary power of that thing at al it must nedes be in him who hath it first Ordinary Order For whereas all ordinary power dependeth chefelie of order and whereas in order nothing can be before that which is first First one seing S. Peter had first of all the right of the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ in himself alone Matth. 16. and seing the power of the keyes that is to saie of forgeuing and of reteining synnes is ordinarily in the Church it caÌ„not be otherwise but that ordinary power was first in S. Peter alone Augustin in Ioan Tract 124. If the pordinary power of binding aÌ„d loosing be once in one pastour alone it must stil coÌ„tinue coÌ„cerniÌ„g that degree in one alone if it shal at the least remaine stil the same power For if it be geuen to many and be equal in them al it is not now the same which was promised and geuen first to Peter alone Monarchie aristocratie democratie but an other kinde of power euen as the gouernment of one prince differreth in kind froÌ„ the gouernment which is equally common either to manie or to the whole people Seing it is cleere that the Apostles had the same power ouer the sheep which S. Peter had coÌ„cerning the exercise of all manner of binding loosing Ioan. 20. preaching and baptising and yet their autoritie could not be the ordinarie power which is in the Church because they were manie wheras the ordinary power was ê“mised before to one alone it doth insue Mat. 16. that they had their authority delegated aÌ„d specially appointed to them extraordinarily The Apostles povver vvas delegated for their liues only Therefore although they fed the flock of Christ as wel as S. Peter yet they did it by delegatioÌ„ and by special coÌ„missioÌ„ wheras S. Peter alone was the ordinarie chiefe shepheard according to whose patern there must still be some one appointed to feed Christes whole flock No man is at this day that which the Apostles were No man is able to write vs an other Gospel or to increase the Canonical Epistles or to warrant that he receiued the first fruits of the holy Ghost Rom. 8. as the Apostles did That authority died with them and came to none other after them aÌ„d consequentlie it was not ordinarie but onely was committed to a few during their owne liues But the ordinary authoritie of this highe administration beganne in one alone and therefore it must continew still in one alone There must be still one Rock Matth. 16 beside and aboue all petite Rockes There must be still one shepheard Ioan. 21. besyde and aboue many petite shepheards There must be still one greater then other Luc. 22. who may be made as the yonger and for whose faith Christ hath prayed to the end he may strengthen his brethern And verily seing as S. Bernard saith there is most perfection in vnitie De consid lib. 2. and in al diuision some imperfection is included shal we thinck that Christ hath chosen to gouern his Churche in earth rather in an vnperfit then in a perfit sort Again sitheÌ„s the state of the new testament must needs be more perfit then the state of the Lawe which brought nothing to perfection Heb. 7. and yet seing in the Law the ordinary Pastour was one high Priest aÌ„d Bishop as Aaron and his sede after him hauing manie synagoges and Leuits vnder his supreme gouernmeÌ„t Num. 3. what reason can beare that the state of our visible Church should lacke also in earth one highe priest and bishop ouer manie particular parishes and dioceses Thus haue we both natural reason the exaÌ„ple of the Law and the institution of Christ for one cheefe Bishop And that this was the mind of all the auncient Fathers also it appeareth most euidentlie because they geue such a reason whie the Church was built vpon S. Peter the which reason without an extraordinarie appointement of God caÌ„ neuer agree but onlie to one shepheard who may be aboue the rest I say without an extraordinarie appointment of God for that the Apostles being manie vvhy tvvelue Apostles gouerned equally and being all equal did gouern the church in a maruelouse vnitie and concord as if thei had ben al but one man The which spirit of vnity Christ gaue them that his institution of twelue equall gouernours for the time might wel appere not to be slaunderouse or hurtful vnto his Churche For he would neuer haue sent manie with equal authoritie into the whole world except he had ben able to make them gouern with one minde spirit aÌ„d hart But seing it were stil a miraculouse thing to see twelue and much more to see manie thousand bisshops and rulers being al equal stil to gouern the whole Church in their equal authoritie without schisme as the Apostles did that Apostolike authority being only instituted for the better publishing of the faith doth now cease and one shepherd is ordinarily alone set ouer al by whose general power it may appere that Christes Churche is but one For that is the reason which S. Cyprian bringeth why Christ built his Churche vppon S. Peter Ecclesia quae vna est super vnuÌ„ qui claues eius accepit Ad Iubaianum voce DnÌ„i fundata est The church which is one was fouÌ„ded by our Lords voice vpon one who toke the keies therof De simplicitate praelatorum And againe QuaÌ„uis Apostolis omnibus c. tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret vnitatis eiusdem origineÌ„ ab vno incipienteÌ„ sua authoritate disposuit Although Christ after his resurrection geueth to al the Apostles like power and saith As my Father sent
Cyprian confesseth the chaire that is to say the authority of S. Peter to be at Rome For whereas certain factiouse hereticks sailed from Carthage to Rome as intending to complaine vpon S. Cyprian and the other bishops of Afrik to Pope Cornelius S. Cyprian writeth thus of that matter Audent ad Petri CathedraÌ„ atque Ecclesiam principalem Li. 1. epi. 3. vnde vnitas sacerdotalis exorta est à schismaticis prophanis literas ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est Rom. 1. ad quos perfidia habere non possit accessum They dare carie letters from scismatical and prophane meÌ„ to the chair of Peter Principal Church and principal Church whence the priestly vnity began Neither do they consider them to be Romans whose faith is praised by the report of the Apostle to whome infidelitie can not haue accesse In this sentence al the priuileges of S. Peters supremacy are acknowleged to be at Rome First there is S. Peters chaire to wit his ordinary power of teaching and of iudging ecclesiastical matters Again there is the priÌ„cipal church or flock of ChristiaÌ„s verily because they are gouerned by Cornelius the Bisshop of Rome who succedeth in the pastoral office of the prince of the Apostles For otherwise Ierusalem might haue seemed the mother Church to all Christians were it not that S. Peter committing IerusaleÌ„ to the gouernment of S. Iames caried his own autoritie with him and left it all at Rome Thirdly how is it said that the vnity of priests or of bishops for sacerdos coÌ„teineth both dignities begaÌ„ at the Church of Rome but because it hath the whol pastoral autority of Peter in whoÌ„ the beginniÌ„g of al ecclesiasticall pÌ„emineÌ„ce was Ioan. 1. Matth. 16 because he first was ê“mised to be called Peter that is to say the rock aÌ„d to haue the keies of the kiÌ„gdoÌ„ of heaueÌ„ geueÌ„ to hiÌ„ but take away S. Peters prerogatiue aÌ„d the Church of Rome is not the beginniÌ„g of priesthod but rather Ierusalem or Antioche Fourthly this word vnity doth import that as Peter alone had in him the whole power of the chief shepheard in earth which can be but one so Cornelius the successour of Peter hath in him the same power and so vnity coÌ„tinueth stil in the succession of Peter not euery vnity but priestly vnity because he sitteth in Rome by whom and in whoÌ„ al priestes aÌ„d bishops are one whiles they al concerning their gouernment and iurisdiction are ouerseen are coÌ„firmed and fed of him who is without fellowes in his supremacy Farthermore when S. Cyprian saith infidelity caÌ„ haue no accesse to the RomaÌ„s what other thing is that then to say Lucae 22 that in the church of Rome he ruleth for whose faith Christ praied For what flock caÌ„ be sure to be alwaies safe froÌ„ infidelity except it be warraÌ„ted by Iesus Christ the only safegard of his Church Adde hereunto that the same S. Cyprian calleth Rome Ecclesiae catholicae matriceÌ„ radiceÌ„ Lib. 4. epist 8. the mother and roote of the Catholik Church Verily because theÌ„ce al bishoply autority of feediÌ„g Christes flock did spriÌ„g first aÌ„d is coÌ„tinually nourished aÌ„d mainteined Did not S. Cyprian confesse Cornelius to haue receiued the appellation of Basilides lawfully out of Spaine Lib. 1. ep 4 albeit he shew also that Basilides for his part did vniustly appeal and did deceiue the Pope by false suggestion and euil report Last of al S. Cyprian requireth Stephanus the Pope lib. 3. ep 13 to depose Marcianus the Bisshop of Arles in Fraunce Whiche surely to doe in an other prouince is a signe that the Pope of Rome is aboue other Bisshops Thus did that holy Martyr defend both the right and the practise of the Church of Rome The which thing is the more notable in S. Cyprian Cyprianus contra epist Stephani because he otherwise dissenting from the opinioÌ„ of Pope Stephanus concerning the baptizing of such in the Catholike Churche as had ben baptized before of the heretiques did not yet for the gredy defense of his own opinion denie the prerogatiue of the Bisshop of Rome but therein shewed that not withstanding his priuate error he kept stil the vnitie of the Militant Church in acknowleging the visible head therof Nouatus taught falsely that those who had once denied Christe or had committed greate and mortall sinnes might not be admitted afterwarde by Christian Priestes or Bisshops to do penaunce nor to their old state of grace With which heresie a Christian Priest who was named Hippolytus Hyppolitus because he was torne in peeces with wild horses was for the time deceiued But for asmuch as the said Hippolytus did otherwise loue Christ so hartelie that he was coÌ„tent to die for his name that the said death might not be vnprofitable to him God of his great mercie reuealed to him the true Catholike faith and religion before his death The whiche true faith he did not keepe to him self but as wel for the recompense of his own euil example which he had geuen whiles he followed that heresie as also for the instruction of others he had grace to confesse the same For when he was now leaden to the place of his Martyrdom the Christian people came about him aÌ„d asked which was the better religioÌ„ whether the Catholike or els that of Nouatus to whom he answered thus as Prudentius doth recite Periste phanoÌ„ in passione Hippoliti Respondit fugite o miseri execranda Nouati Schismata Catholicis reddite vos populis Vna fides vigeat prisco quae condita templo est Quam Paulus retinet quamque Cathedra Petri His answere was O flee the schismes of cursed Nouats lore And to the Cath'like folk and flock Your selues againe restore Let only one faith rule and raine Kept in the Church of old Which faith both Paul doth stil retaine And Peters Chaire doth holde Marke these degrees auoid schismes and diuisions Before the time of Nouatus there was but one faith after him there began to be two faiths He then diuided the former faith Auoid ye the diuisioÌ„ aÌ„d restore your selues to the Catholik peple whiche were spread euery where before Nouatus was borne Let one faith preuail Which one That which is in the most auÌ„cient Church Which is that The which Paul aÌ„d the Chair of Peter kepeth What is the Chaire of Peter The Bisshop of Rome who sitteth in that Chaire So that he goeth from Schism to the Catholikes and he sheweth where the Catholikes are by one faith without diuision That one faith is sene in the auncient Churche And is kept by the Bisshops of Rome May we not now say according to the exaÌ„ple of Hippolitus to our Country meÌ„ auoid the Schismes May we not say restore your selues to the Catholike people Follow not the two faiths whiche are now stirring but let that one faith preuaile which is
not of that King who is also a bishop is greater then a bishoppes power which is spiriritual and heauenly What is this to say but onlie that the bodie is aboue the sowle the ciuill pollicy aboue the Church of Christ and the temporal reigne aboue the Kingdom of heauen This is a vehement marck to betraie our new brethern by For we speake not now of workes or maners that is to say whether a man loue the world more then God or whether a pope be more gredy of his temporal iurisdistion then of his spirituall dutie We speake not I say of these abuses lette him that hath them yea though he be a pope looke well to himself in that behalf but we speake of doctrine at this tyme. The Pope teacheth that euery spiritual pastour is of a higher dignity theÌ„ any temporal officer whatsoeuer he be And that because he is instituted of Christ for to help vs toward life euerlasting The Protestantes teache Ephes 4. that a Christian Emperour or Kinge is aboue all spiritual pastours in his own realm and may depose them by his own power which is the very doctrine of Antichrist For the Emperours and Kinges though they be Christians may not yet in spiritual matters rule the bishoppes and pastours of Gods people VVhat povver the ChristiaÌ„ pricÌ„e hath but onely they may with their teÌ„poral lawes and power defend the lawes and ordinances which the bisshops haue already made as Theodosius and al other good Emperours vsed to doe But if they wil vse their princelie power to change the old lawes of the Church or to make new lawes in spiritual matters which were not before made by the priests or to depose the auÌ„cient bishops who haue cure of their sowles then they are the members of Antichrist as great Athanasius hath at large declared in describing the heinouse factes of the Arrians in his tyme In epist ad Solitar vi tam agentes who reporteth that when Constantius the Emperour called Paulinus the Bishop of Treuers Lucifer the bishop of Sardinia Eusebius the bishop of Marcels and Dionysius the bishop of Millan before him willing them to subscribe against Athanasius because it was his pleasure and his procedings those blessed bishoppes exhorted him ne ecclesiastica corrumperet neue Romanum imperium ecclesiasticis constitutionibus immisceret that he should not corrupt Church matters and that he should not mingle the Roman Empire with the Ecclesiastical ordinances Here you see that the RomaÌ„ empire is discharged froÌ„ meddling with Church matters It is not onely saied Arrians or heretiks but it is said the Roman Empire ought not to mingle it selfe with Ecclesiasticall causes Euen a Bishoppe being an heretike is remoued from Churche matters but an Emperour is not onelie remoued from them if he be an hereticke but also because he is an Emperour onelie and not a Bisshop Onely this hath bene alwaies the custom that Emperors shuld be careful to maintaine the former coÌ„stitutions of Bisshoppes and the ciuil peace of the Church For they being Christians ought to vse the sword whiche they beare by Gods appointment for the Churche But the outward and ciuil peace aÌ„d the Ecclesiastical constitutions which towche the belefe and the inward direction of the sowle are two things much different Apud Athan. ibidem in so much that Pope Liberiê° said to the messinger of the same Emperour Constantius as Athanasius also doth witnesse after this sort If the Emperour will needes interpose his care for the Ecclesiasticall peace Ecclesiastical peace lette an Ecclesiasticall synode be made longè à palatio vbi nec Imperator praesto est nec Comes se ingerit nec iudex minatur Ecclesiastical synod caet Let the Ecclesiasticall meeting be made a great way of from the palaice where neither an Emperour is at hand nor a County thrusteth in himself nor a iudge threateneth but where the only feare of God and the institution of the Apostles is sufficient Thus he said not that an Emperour might in no case be at a Councel of bishops but because he might not be there to vse his Emperial authority in iudging the bishops or in prescribing what the Church shall decree or beleue but onely in maynteining that which the bishops according to the Apostolike institution either haue or shall agree vpon That Reuerend Father Hosius who after that he had suffered persecution for Christes faith vnder Maximian liued threescore yeres in the Churche being tempted by the same Constantius to subscribe againste Athanasius In epi ad Solitar vit ageÌ„t asketh first of him by letters whether his brother Constans the good and Catholik Emperour did vse to banish bishops or no and then whether ConstaÌ„s his brother aliquando iudicijs Ecclesiasticis intersuit was at any tyme a medler with the Ecclesiasticall iudgements Ibidem Last of all he saith to him Ne te misceas Ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea à nobis disce Tibi Deus imperiuÌ„ commisit nobis quae sunt Ecclesiae coÌ„credidit quemad modum qui tuum etiam imperium malignis oculis carpit contradicit ordinationi diuinae ita tu caue ne quae sunt Ecclesiae ad te trahens magno crimini obnoxius fias Date scriptum est quae sunt Caesaris Caesari quae Dei Deo neque igitur fas est nobis in terris imperiuÌ„ tenere neque tu thymiamatum sacroruÌ„ potestateÌ„ habes Imperator Doe thou not intermedle with Ecclesiastical matters neither do thou coÌ„mauÌ„d what we shal doe in this kind of matters but rather lern theÌ„ of vs. God hath committed the Empire vnto thee aÌ„d he hath put vs in trust with â—hose things which concern the Church and like as he that malignly â—arpeth thy Empire doth gainesay the â—rdinaunce of God so doe thow take â—hede lest in takiÌ„g vnto thee those things which beloÌ„g to the Church thow be made gilty of a great crime It is writen Math. 22. geue vnto Caesar those things which are Cesars and vnto God those things that are Gods Therfore it is neither lauful for vs to haue the rule of the Empire in earth neither hast thou ô Emperour any power ouer the holy incense and sacrifices Mark that it is rehersed for a praise in the Catholike Emperour Constans not to haue medled with Ecclesiastical iudgements Also Athanasius himself saith thus for his own part In epist vt antè Si istud est iudicium Episcoporum quid commune cum eo habet Imperator caet quando iudicium Ecclesiae authoritatem suam ab Imperatore cepit caet Paulus Apostolus habebat amicos in Caesaris familia per eos in literis salutabat Philippenses Philip. 4. non tamen eos in iudidicio socios assumpsit If this be the iudgemeÌ„t of bishops what hath the Emperor to doe with it aÌ„d coÌ„trarywise if these iudgements are gathered by the
The woorde of God which saith this is my body is the fire which deuoureth the earthlie substance of bread and wine brought vnto the altar the which word worketh that which it souÌ„deth aÌ„d is honorable 16 They are cursed who hauing a beast of the male kind doe not offer it but rather doe offer a spotted or weake one as the reiected Iewes did 16 We shuld likewise be cursed it hauiÌ„g Christes bodiwe shuld not offer it but rather should saâ— our own righteousnes 〈◊〉 be most principally thâ— cleane oblation wherâ— of the prophet speakeâ— â–ª Which yet the member of Antichrist doe say â–ª Read the prophet Malachie witâ— diligence and see whether the conference of the holy scripture doth not necessarily import this sense which 〈◊〉 haue now geuen And I haue geueÌ„ it according to the vniforme interpretatiâ— of the auncient fathers of whome noâ— one denyeth the body aÌ„d blood of Christ to be here meant albeit some of them expound some part of this chapiter of praiers and of inward righteousnes the which inward sacrifice is alwaies to be ioyned with the vnblodie outward sacrifice or consecration and oblation of Christes body and blood which is the new oblation of the new testament with a Lib. 4. cap. â— Ireneus with whome b DemoÌ„st euange li. 1. c. 10. Eusebiâ— c In Malach 1. S. Hierom d Orat. 2. aduersus Iudaeos S. Chrysostom e Lib. 4. c. 14. Daâ—ascene agree Neither doth this our vnbloody sacrifice derogate any iote to that one â—loody sacrifice of Christes crosse For we â—onour that one sacrifice so much that through the power of it we beleue the daily remembraunce thereof being made by the outward consecration of bread and wine into the same bodie and blood which was once offered vppon the crosse to be necessarily a publike sacrifice because it is not possible Note but that euery publicke and external fact which is made by Gods authority to put vs in minde of that great sacrifice once fulfilled on the crosse must also partake the nature of that sacrifice whereof it is the remembraunce For if euen the killing and burning of a calf was an external aÌ„d publike sacrifice because it signified that Christ should die for vs how infinitely more shal the body and blood of Christ being made of bread and wine to signifie his owne death be a publick and an external sacrifice And because in the saied body of Christ the whole merit of his priesthod and crosse is stil really conteined for he is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech whensoeuer that body is made present by consecration as it is alwaies at Masse then Heb. 7. seing that substance is made present which euen till this day whersoeuer it be 2. Ioan. 2. or in earth maketh God merciful to vs a propitiatory sacrifice in his kind is made hable to be applied to the vse of the liue and of the dead Which doctrine who so denieth vpoÌ„ pretence of a zeale to Christes death let him be wel assured he dishonoureth his death aboue measure if whereas euery signe externally made in calues or gotes which went before his death was therfore a publik external sacrifice he will now deny the same honour to a signe of the same deathe appointed to be made euen by Christes owne mouth and exaÌ„ple in the self same body which died for vs. I can not tarie any longer vpon this matter because it is not my principal purpose The eight mark of an Antichristian THE viij mark of the false prophets of Antichrist is to spoile Christ of his inheritaunce which God gaue him in all nations For so a Psal 2. Dauid b 60. 61 Isaias yea the c Luc. 14. Gospell doth teache Neither is it only meant that in diuerse natioÌ„s some or other shal some at one aÌ„d other at an other tyme priuily beleue in Christ but it is meant Isai 2. Psal 44. Malac. 1. that many nations together shal professe Christes religioÌ„ and name outwardly and openly for his name is great among the Gentils not in one nation only but among many nor surely by those who lie priuie but by those who are not ashamed to be knowen for Christians and for Catholikes For such only doe honour the name of God as be knowen to be of his Churche Math. 5. Isai 2. Hereof it is called a city which can not be hidden a hil built in the toppe of hils Psal 18. Matth. 5. a tabernacle sette in the son a candle being light and sette vppon the candlesticke the children of light Luc. 16. Matth. 13. the kingdom of Christ who reigneth in the house of the spiritual Iacob for euer Yea it is called the croune of glory in the hand of God Isai 62. and the pride or magnificent ioy of all ages from generation to generation Al which texts notwithstanding the protestants will make vs beleue that they are Christes Church whereas fifty yeres a goe there were not onlie not many nations of them which professed their faith openly so that Gods name might therby be great among the Gentils but there was not one nation no not one city not one towne not one whole village in al the wyde world where it may be shewed that they had one Church or chappel or howse of publike praier vnder the son And yet though they shewed half a dosen such it could not serue Is this the gloriouse kingdome and common weale which Christ doth inherit O vnspeakeable blasphemy vnto his gloriouse name Isai 54. Gal. 4. The Iewish synagoge was neuer half so base wheras Christes Churche among the Gentils was prophecied to passe it in nuÌ„ber and greatnes And yet this misery of the Church say they dured eight or nine huÌ„dred yeres Math. 16. Ergo so long hel gates preuailed against the Church of Christ But on the other side there can no moment of an hower be named in the which we are not ready to shew that many Note the true Churche yea very many natioÌ„s professed openly and outwardly practised Christes true religion together with the pope of Rome from S. Peters tyme to this hower O gloriouse City of God and a kingdoÌ„ prophecied of in all ages before Christ worthy of his Son Iesus ageinst which hel gates neuer did nor neuer shall preuaile To this City and kingdom yee must all resort who looke to inherit the kingdom of heauen The ninth Mark of an Antichristian THE ninth marke of Antichristes brotherhod is the intolerable pride whereby they make themselues onelie the supreame iudges of the right vnderstanding of Gods woorde yea of the text also and of the letter thereof For whereas it is not possible for any resonable man to cite with good conscience any one text of holy scripture for his purpose vnlesse he iudge first the same text to be conuenient and agreable to his intent and therefore whereas nothing