are one But this one say you of whome S. Augustine here speaketh is Christ himself I confesse but Christ hath his chaire and seate at the right hand of his Father in heauen and therefore S. Augustine calleth not his chaire now the chair of vnity wherein euen euil mē are constrained to speake good things For in Christes own chaire at Gods right hand there sitteth nor euil nor good man beside himself The chair of vnity is in the earth The chair then of vnity wherein euil men speake good things must be a chair placed in earth wherein one pastour may sitte who may for the rate of his measure and ministery make other good pastors to be for the time one in hī being one euen as Christ maketh all good pastours that euer haue bē or shal be to be for euer one in him most singulary being one Is there then an other kind of vnity among pastours beside that euerlasting vnity of all good men in Christ Yea verily ād of that other kīd of vnity S. Augustine saith Ibidem Imo verò Dominus in ipso Petro vnitatem cōmendauit Multi erant Apostoli vni dicitur Pasce oues meas Absit vt desint modò boni pastores sed omnes boni pastores in vno sunt vnum sunt Yea our Lord hath also commended vnity in S. Peter himself There were many Apostoles and it is saied to one feede mie sheepe God forbid there should nowe lack good pastours but al good pastours are in one they are one thing Thus Vnity is in s. Peter beside the vnity which is in Christ we haue also found an vnitie in Saint Peter and that vnitie was not onely to tarie for his own tyme but to be preserued in the Churche for euer There is a temporall vnitie in Saint Peter and in his successours by the which vnitie we come afterward to enioye the euerlasting vnitie which is in Christ. For Saint Peter as the same S. Augustine doth witnesse bare the figure of the whole Churche Epist 165. and that In Ioan. Tract 224 propter Apostolatus sui primatum by reason of the primacy of his Apostleship Therefore as the Apostles haue continually successours in their bishoplie and pastoral ministery so hath S. Peter the prince of the Apostles a continual successour in his primacie and in his chaire of vnitie concerning the force of which succession S. Augustine iustly saith Contra epistolam fundamē In Ecclesia me tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascēdas oues suas post resurrectionem Dominus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum Among other things which stay me in the Churche the succession of priests from the very seat of Peter the Apostle to whom our Lord commended his shepe to be fed after his resurrection the successiō I say of priests from Peters seat to the present bishoprik doth stay me in the Churche Is there any man so proud or so wel liking with him self who if S. Augustine were now aliue woulde not be glad to follow his iudgement in stablishing his faith and conscience He being within litle more then fower hundres yeres of Saint Peters tyme The succession of S. Peter staied S. August yet so much wondered at the continuance of Saint Peters chaire in the right faith whereas all other successions had bene spotted with heresies and schismes that he confessed the succession of Bisshoppes in that Chair of Peter to haue stayed him from being either a Maniche or an Arrian or any other thing sauing a Catholike For he sawe the promise of Christ so fulfilled in the successours of Saint Peter he saw the doctrine of veritie so wel fortified in the Chaire of vnitie that it was no small force to strengthen him in his faith In so much that he saied in an other place Si ordo Episcoporum sibi succedentium considerandus est Epist 165. quantò certius verè salubriter ab ipso Petro numeramus cui totius Ecclesiae figuram gerenti Dominus ait super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam Et portae inferorum non vincent eam Petro enim successit Linus Lino Clemens c. If the rew of bishops one succeding to the other is to be considered how much more safely and in dede healthfully doe we number from Peter him self to whom bearing the figure of the whole Churche our Lord saieth vpon this Rock I wil buid my Churche Matth. 16 and the gates of hel shall not ouercome it For Linus succeded to Peter Clement to Linus and so he goth forward vntil he come to pope Anastasius who was bisshop of Rome in S Augustines tyme. Who after all the popes reckoned vp in order concludeth thus In hoc ordine successionis nullus Donatista Episcopus inuenitur In this order of succession no Donatist Bisshop is found If S. Augustine after four hūdred yeres proued the Donatists to be far from the doctrine of veritie because in the chair of vnity no Donatist was bishop or because no bishop A fortiore who succeded in S. Peters chair was a Donatist what shal we say after a thousand fiue hundred yeres Lette vs reckon vp all the popes from Saint Peter himselfe vntill we come to pope Pius the fifth who in our dayes sitteth in S. Peters chaire and is notable for vertue learning holinesse and the grace of working miracles and in all that order of succession we shall finde neuer a Lutheran neuer a Zuinglian neuer a Caluinist neuer an Anabaptist or a Swenkfeldian Who is then so madde as to go from S. Peters Chaire to whom our Lorde commended his sheep to be fed to the vpstart Chaire of Luther Ioan. 21. Caluin or Zuinglius to none of whome nor to anie predecessours of theirs our Lorde is readen to haue cōmended his sheep except he be more like vnto the heretical Donatists then vnto the moste wise and learned man S. Augustine who after the Apostles had scant euer his match in discerning the true faith from falsehod and heresie or hypocrisy from the Catholike religion He presseth the Donatists euerie where with the breache of vnitie And think you that when they shuld come to talk with him he would onely say generally to them Maisters you are to blame because you are gon from Christ the onely one Pastour If he should haue come no nere to the mark he shot at they would quickly haue answered The talk of the Donatists Syr we loue Christ and beleue him as wel as you We hold him for our onely one Pastour we obey his voice why burdē you vs with forsaking him It is you that haue other Pastours for you flee to the seat of Peter and to his successours whereas we content our selues with the euerlasting Pastour Iesus Christ. I trow we are not without one Pastour so long as we haue him for our Pastour But now S. Augustine talketh not only
the Latin seruice are fallen from Latin to English that is to say froÌ„ the better to the worse and that also by making a schism Ioan. 19 and by diuiding the coate of Christ which was without any seame into many partes which thing the very vnfaithfull soldiours were afeard to doe Thus touching the writen woorde and the vse thereof there are many causes why we should be in better case then the Protestants but none at all why we should be in worse If not only the writen letter but also the plaine meaning of euery proposition be to be considered The meaning of Gods vvord Math. 26. we read it literally and plainly spoken this is my body and as the woords doe sound so doe we vnderstand them Why then is this which Christ pointeth vnto denied to be his body Iacob 2. A man is iustified of works and not of faith only Why then are good workes don in a right faith denied to iustifie or why is onely faith taught to iustifie Rom. 2. The doers of the law shal be iustified Why is the law then taught not to be able to be don or kept Rom. 5. By the obedience of one which is Christ many shal be made iust that is to say Constituentur iustice shal be wrought or setled in many Why theÌ„ is it denied that we are made really iust Or why is it taught that righteousnes is onely imputed to vs whereas S. Paul saith also Rom. 5. the charity or loue of God is spread in our harts by the holy ghost which is geueÌ„ vs. This spreading aÌ„d stablishing of charity in our harts is more then a bare imputing of charity to vs. Whose synnes soeuer yee forgeue they shal be forgeuen them Ioan. 20. Why are then the bishops and priests who succede the Apostles denied to forgeue synnes Luc. 22. He that is greater among you lette him be made as the yonger Why then deny you that one was greater among the Apostles or that one stil is greater among the bishops their successours Math. 16. Thow art Peter or a Rocke and vpon this Rock I wil build my Churche Why then is the militant Church denied to be built vpon Saint Peter and vppon his successours in that chair and office 2. Thes 2. Keepe the traditions which yee haue learned either by woorde or by our epistle Chrysost Hom. 69. ad Pop. Ant. Why then are traditions yea though they be Apostolike as the vse of praying for the dead is so despised that the very name of tradition vsed in the better part can not be suffered to be in the English Bible though it be both in the Greeke and in the Latin He that ioyneth his virgin in mariage doth wel 1. Cor. 7. and he that doth not ioyne her doeth better Why then is maryage made with you as good as the state of virginity whereas S. Paule maketh the state of virginity better Vowe yee Psal 75. and render your vowes vnto God If thow wilt be perfitte Math. 10. goe and sel all things which thou hast and geue them to the poore and follow mee There are eunuches who haue gelded them selues for the kingdom of heauen Obeie your rulers Heb. 13. and be subiectes vnto them Why then are the vowes of pouerty of chastitie and of obedience to all which the word of God exhorteth vs accompted vnlaufull Or why are men exhorted yea constrained not to perfoorm them Doe yee the worthy fruits of penance saith Saint Iohn Luc. 3. Why then is satisfaction and penance despised with you The husbands aÌ„d the wiues being two in one flesh Ephes 5. is a great Sacrament or mystery or a holy and secret signe in Christ and in the Churche Why then is the mariage of faithful persons denied to be a Sacrament Philip. 2. Work your saluation saith S. Paule with feare and trembling Why then are your so presumptuouse as euen by faith to assure your selues of your saluation Or how can he feare who is assured to be saued Rom. 11. Or how can the depe secrets of Gods predestinatioÌ„ be ordinarily knowen in this life Or is not faith an ordinary gift in the Churche Thus might I goe through al the articles in controuersie and in euery one I should find your syde to be the farther of and ours to be the nere to the plain literal meaning of Gods word The circunstaÌ„ce and conference If not only the plain vnderstanding of any one sentence but also the circunstance of the place and the conference of Gods word be necessary haue we not vsed it in euery question which hath ben hitherto handeled Here I must nedes referre the reader to my treatise of the Supper of our Lord In the x. and xii chapters namelie in the fourth booke and to my booke of Images in the v. and the xi chapters Item in this booke to the second and fourth chapters For in this preface it were ouer tedious to handle so long a matter If you say The best vse of Gods vvoorde suffiseth not alone I doe not conferre the places so as I ought to doe thereof riseth a new question wherein we must haue a new iudge For we beleue and vse the scriptures as wel as you and better to as I haue declared Item we alleage â—lain words we shew the circumstance to be for vs we conferre one place with an other If now all this will not â—nd the controuersie it is cleere that the only word of God be it neuer so wel handled is no sufficient mark to shew the truthe For this is al that can be dâ— about the word it self Seing then we must go farther I say the heads of the Church Iudges Aug. cont Iulianum lib. 2. the Councels the bishops and the auncient Fathers must be the Iudges whether we do wel applie the holy scriptures or no. For example Math. 16. M. Iewel saith S. Peter is not this rock whervpon Christ said he wold build his Church 〈◊〉 saie on the other syde In the 4. chap. that S. Peter is this rock And I shew it by the circumstance of the place and by the coÌ„ference of other holy scriptures M. Ieweâ— must needes say that I do not wel coÌ„feâ— the holy scriptures I take then for my Iudges aboue sixteÌ„ of the best doctors who expreslie stand on mie syde as 〈◊〉 wil shew in this present booke In the 4. chap. So thâ— this mark of the true Church also mâ—keth clerely for vs. And surely althougâ— the protestaÌ„ts in woords preteÌ„d to haâ—â— the coÌ„sent of the auÌ„cieÌ„t fathers yet thâ—â— in truthe it is not so this one thing mâ— sufficieieÌ„tly declare because wheÌ„soeueâ— â—anie occasioÌ„ neuer so far set maie serue thei do what thei can to reiect the Fathers partly by imputing errors to theÌ„ In his Reply P. 3. 49. P. 10. as M Iewel ordereth S Hilarie partly by
by holy water the autority of e Basil de Spi. sancto c. 27. vnwriten traditions the vse of f Hom. in 40. Mart. praying to Saints the g Ambros de poenit lib. 1. c. 7. Sacrament of penance the h Epist 33. name sacrifice and i de Sacra lib. 4. c. 5. 6. Canon of the Masse the forgeuing of synnes by the priestes when they k Chryso lib. 3. de Sacerd. oynt the sick with oile in our Lords name the l Hieron contra Vigilantium lights burning whiles the Gospel was readen that a bishop can not m Lib. 1. contra Iouin begette childern in his bishoply vocation that a fixe or a certain n Ad Furiam nuÌ„ber of praiers is praiers is prescribed which serueth to coÌ„firm the vse of our beads that he can not be a priest who hath had o Ad Gerontiam two wiues that the p Ibidem bishop of Rome vsed to answer the consultations or relations directed to him from the Councels both of the East and of the West that the q Augusti in Psal 37 fyre of purgatorie is more greuouse then whatsoeuer a man may suffer in this life All these things were in the auncient Churche the same are in our Churche the same are not in the Protestants Churche How then can it be that Antiquity should either help the ProtestaÌ„ts or hiÌ„der vs As therfore we are assured of the mark of Antiquity so let vs go forward with certain other markes which are no lesse peculiar to vs. Among other things which staied S. Augustine in the right faith this was one The name of a Catholik Cont. epis fundae c. 4 because no heresie could obtein the name of the Catholike Churche although euery heresie did much desier to obtein it The reason is for that heresies be but parts and peculiar sects of some one country August de vnit eccles c. 1. or the doctrin of a smal tyme whereas the word Catholike doth betoken a certain vniuersall professioÌ„ during froÌ„ the beginniÌ„g to the ending and spread throughout Those therfore who begaÌ„ their doctrine after the Apostles tyme Heretiks were either named of their master as the ArriaÌ„s of Arrius the PelagiaÌ„s of Pelagius the Lutherans of Luther the Caluinists of Caluin or of some place where they liued as the heresy of the Phrygians or of the falsehod which they taught as Quartadecimani Anabaptistes Aquarij or of some like particular circumstance But they were only called Catholiks who kepte the vniuersall faith which the Apostles had first taught Catholike and which was continued alwaies in the whole Churche To our purpose I saie the Protestantes neuer hadde the name of Catholikes nor neuer shall haue it because they beganne after the Apostles tyme to wit within these fiftie yeres But we so had once the name of Catholiks that we shall neuer leese it I doe not onely report me to al kind of histories and writers who accompted for euer the flock and society of the RomaÌ„ church for Catholiks a De obitu fratris as S. Ambrose b In Apol. cont Ruffinum S. Hierome and all maner of other Fathers do witnesse but also I say our ennemies confesse this Marke to haue beÌ„ ours Reade the very title of M. Iewels Reply reade it I say aÌ„d see what God to his euerlasting damnatioÌ„ if he repent not caused him to write there The Title of M. Ievvels Reply A Reply saith he vnto M. Hardings answere by perusing wherof the discrete and diligent reader may easily see the weake and vnstable grounds of the RomaÌ„ religioÌ„ which of late hath ben accoÌ„pted Catholik By I. Iewelbishop of Sarisburie Heare you not what he saith The Romain religion of late hath ben accompted Catholike As men accompt a thing to bee so doe they name it those therefore who accompted the Romain Religion to be Catholike named it also the Catholike Religion But S. Augustine saith Cont. epis Manichai cap. 4. Tenet me in ecclesia Catholicae nomen quod noÌ„ sine causa inter tam multas haereses sic ista Ecclesia sola obtinuit cet The very name of the Catholik Church holdeth me in the Churche the which name this Church alone hath not without a cause so obteyned among so many heresies that whereas all heretiks couet to be called Catholiks yet yf any stranger ask where the Catholik communion is kept no heretike dare shew his own Churche or palace or house Behold the true Church alone hath obteined the name of the Catholike Church and no heresy could obtein the same But we that are nowe called Papists by Maister Iewels confession were of late accompted Catholikes therefore we are the true Churche and we are not heretikes at all This Mark then standeth also on our syde Beside the name of Catholikes we also haue the continuall succession of bishops and priests SuccessioÌ„ or vniuersality Ibidem ab ipsa sede Petri as S. Augustine speaketh vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum euen from the very See of Peter to the bisshoply office which now is Such a continual succession we shew from S. Peter himself vntil Pius the fifth who presently fitteth at Rome in Saint Peters chaire The same Marke as being one of the most euident of all others is approued by S. a li. 3. c. 3 Ireneus by b de praescript TertulliaÌ„ by c Lib. 2. de schism Optatus and d Contra Luciferia by S. Hierome The Protestantes on the other syde neither haue continual successioÌ„ of bishops nor yet of any preachers nor of â—ny peple that are knowen to haue professed their faith So that either no such â—ongregation was Math. 10. Rom. 1. 10. 1. Pet. 3. or they were al damâ—ed because they were ashamed to coÌ„fesse the Gospel of Christ by their word and conuersation before men Marke wel this point I can not see what caÌ„ be reasonably answered vnto it Consyder now good Reader the riches and preeminence of our cause aboue the Protestants 1. Al these Marks Thevv our Churche to be true We haue Gods woorde before them 2. We haue and beleue more of it then they 3. We haue moe authentike copies euen of those bookes which they together with vs doe receaue for Gods woorde 4. We haue a more certain commission to vse it in preaching or otherwise 5. We reade it in more holy and profitable tungs 6. We vse it also in vulgar tungs without breache of vnity 7. The plain meaning thereof maketh for vs 8. The circumstance and conference thereof sheweth our faith to be the truer 9. The auncieÌ„t Fathers verait agreeth with our doctrin 10 The tradition and practise aâ— only with vs. 11. Generall Councels are only with vs. 12. the vnity of one chiefâ— iudge is onely with vs. 13. The lawfulâ— preaching of Gods worde and the lawfull administration of the Sacraments is
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
preaching of his own sensible doctrine according to his manhod euen after the same rate Deut. 18. as Moyses did whiles he liued Now in consyderation that Christ would forsake this world concerning his visible conuersation and that he would goe in his manhood to raigne in heauen gloriously ouer the glorious part of his Church he instituted an other particular Rock and shepheard Ioan. 21. who by the outward preaching and confessing of his faith might for his life tyme stay the militant Church of God in a right belefe as Abraham or Moyses had don whiles they liued Matth. 16 This particular militant Rocke was S. Peter for the tyme. But when he died he left behind him still a particular militant Church I call it particular in respect of the vniuersall Church which for euer was and shal be therfore some mortal man ought still to be in the earth who may so vphold the militant Church by the assurance of his faith and confessioÌ„ as S. Peter did once vphold the same who likewise may stil so confirm his brethern as S. Peter was once willed to confirm them Matth. 23. Al Christians are brethern among themselues but al bishops are brethern in a nigher degree of holy gouernment The Rocke therefore which shall strengthen both al the Christians and namely al the bishops must continew so long as there are either bishoppes or ChristiaÌ„s in the earth The same reason is also fouÌ„d in the name of a pastor For as the flocke of shepe continueth after S. Peters death euen so must such an other pastour as S. Peter was be made who may stil fede and rule the flock of Christ wherevpon S. Chrysostom saith Lib. 2. de Sacerdot Christus sanguinem fudit vt pecudes eas acquireret quarum curam tum Petro tum Petri Successoribus committebat Christ hath shed his blood to gette vnto him those shepe the cure of whome he did committe both to Peter Peters successours and to the successours of Peter In that verie place it was were S. Chrysostom said that Peter being indowed LoÌ„gè praecellere with authority passed the other Apostles a great waie As therefore Peter in the authoritie of feeding passed the other Apostles so must the successours of Peter passe a great way the successors of the other Apostles which are al Bisshops For now Chrysostome confesseth that the same care is committed to the successours of Peter which was committed to Peter himself Serm 2 in aniuers assumpt With S. Chrysostom Pope Leo agreeeth saying Soliditas illius fidei quae in ApostoloruÌ„ priÌ„cipe est laudata perpetua est Et sicut permanet ê™ in Christo Petrus credidit ita permanet quod in Petro Christus instituit The streÌ„gth of that faith which was praised in the prince of th' Apostles is euerlasting And as that remaineth which Peter beleued in Christ that is to say the Godhed of Christ so doth that remain which Christ instituted in Peter that is to say a sure rock which may alwaies coÌ„fesse the true faith of Christ. And Leo shewing afterward how that remaineth which was ordeined in S. Peter Ibidem he saith In sede Petri sua viuit potestas excellit authoritas In the seat of Peter his power liueth his authoritie exelleth Therefore the authoritie of S. Peter is an ordinarie power which hath an ordinary succession in Christes Church These reasons are so plaine so stroÌ„g so true so forceable that I muse what vnderstanding what wit or sense they haue who graunting Peter to haue ben the rock wherevpon the Churche was built for the time which thing they must needs graunt vnlesse they will denie the expresse word of God aÌ„d the perpetual consent of all the Fathers yet will not graunt that an other like Rocke shoulde be substituted after S. Peter Verely seing the reason of S. Peters confession Vbi eadem ratio ideÌ„ iuâ— and of his power is such as agreeth to an ordinary office of the Churche the office also of S. Peters being a rock of streÌ„gthning his brethren and of feediÌ„g Christes sheep is an ordinary office which hath aÌ„d must coÌ„tinue so loÌ„g as there is a Militant house of God in earth and so long as either any brethern are who may be confirmed or any shepe who nede to be fed And verily if S. Peter haue no successours in his pastorall office what meane a li. 3. c. 3. Irenaeus b lib. 2. de schismate Optatus and c Ep. 165. S. Augustine by name to reckon vp such successours of S. Peter as had liued til euery of their age and tyme. Moreouer whereas noman exceptiÌ„g the cases of necessity may rightly preache to them to whom he is not sent Rom. 10. if as euerie particular pastour hath as S. Cyprian teacheth a portion of the flocke assigned to his gouerment lib. 1. ep 3 for which he shal be accoÌ„ptable vnto our Lord so there be not some general pastour alwaies in the Churche who beside his particular charge may send others to preache vnto them which are not yet conuerted and who when they are conuerted may erect new Churches and plant new bishoprikes in those parties as S. Gregorie did in England if there be not some Beda li. 1. c. 23. 27. Tit. 1. who maie as Paule saieth correct the things which lack and also controll other Bisshoppes when they are negligent and who may excommunicate euen those Christians which liue in no particular diocese but being conuersant among the Iewes or painims do there teache false doctrine and thence do write hereticall bookes or treatises if I say there be not some general pastours who may sommon all other Bisshoppes to Generall or prouinciall Councels and maie change the former positiue lawes of the Churche when either necessititie or charitie requireth it and who maie either make two Bisshoppes where one was before or vnite two into one Greg. li. 2. epist 31. 35. or commit the cure of any See or chaire vacant to the next bishop and so in all cases may prouide for the benefite of Christes flock it will come to passe that the house of God shall not be so well prouided for as other meane States and coÌ„mon weales are But if there be a power in Gods Churche whereby all the former cases maie be well prouided for seing it is clere that the Apostolike power is ended it must nedes be the high pastoral power of S. Peter which shall procure these affaires And consequently the high pastoral office of S. Peter is an ordinary office which ceased not with his own death but is tranferred to his Successours as it shal farther appere in the next chapiter sauing one That the ordinarie authority of S. Peters primacy belongeâ—h to one Bisshop alone The XIIII Chap. SAint Peter had not only the same power of binding and loosing committed to him alone which was geuen in common to all the Apostles but also
Peter should rule any one peece of the Militant flocke and S. Iames an other and S. Iohn the third but rather by his appointment S. Peter might rule the self same flock whiche S. Iohn or S. Paule or S. Iames might and contrariwise they might rule the same flock which S. Peter did For all were sente aequallie into the whole world Matth. 28 Therefore except beside this cōmon commending of the flock indifferentlie to al S. Peter alone had bene made the chiefe Pastour and head of the whole flock as in deed he was and that not onely as an Apostle Ioan. 21. but as a Bisshoppe and as one ordinarie officer the like wherof should for euer cōtinue in the Church we might boldlie saie that the exāple of hauing any one ordinary Curate Bisshop or Metropolitane in anie one parrissh or Diocese or Prouince were vtterly without anie example of Christes institution in the Apostles themselues And therefore that aequall institution of many pastours ouer on◠flock only standing which thīg the protestants doe maintein it should inuincibly folow that seing no deuise of man is able to controll the institution o◠Christ it were at this day much better to haue twelue or thirten curates in one parish and so many bishoppes in one diocese then to haue one alone For Christ if Peter alone were not aboue the Apostles in the chiefe pastoral dignitie made thirteen Apostles to be equal pastours and gouerners of the self same flock Math. 18. 2◠and that foorm of gouernment which Christ ordeined ought stil to continue in euery particular Church for who dare change our Lords institution Cypri lib. 1. epi. 3. li. 4. epi. 2 Hieron in 1. c. epist ad Titum But on the other side if all the world confesse that now in one Church there ought to be at one time but one bishop or one pastour in so much that S. Hierom saith in vna ciuitate plures vt nun cupantur Episcopi esse non poterant In one city there could not be manie bishops according as a bishop is now taken to signifie one that is aboue common priests If whereas once manie priests according to S. Hieroms minde ruled one Church for a tyme equally In. 1. epist ad Titum vt dissensicnū plantaria euelletentur yet for the better auoiding of schismes that gouernment was chāged and one bishop was set ouer them al seing S. Hierom alloweth well the change as being made for the better and yet it could not haue ben for the better if it had wholy lacked a foorm and patern in that gouernment which Christ hīself appointed to the Churche seing the same S. Hierom saith Lib. 1. aduersus Iouianum that among twelue one was chosen ād that by the good master Christ to thend the occasion of schisme might be taken away al these thīgs I say well weighed and conferred togeather I may most certainly conclude that Christ did not only institute S. Peter to be as one chiefe pastour in the whole militant Church according to S. Hieroms expresse meaning but that also he did institute him alone as an ordinarie officer according to whose vnity euery other Church should be at the lēgth ruled by one curate or bishop For as the twelue Apostles gouerned the flock for a tyme togeather with S. Peter extraordinarily AEqualiter inter piures Ecclesiae cura diuiditur and S. Peter alone gouerned the whole flock ordinarily so whiles the Apostles yet liued some few parishes were gouerned extraordinarily by many pastours at once as S. Hierom thinketh But as we see most clerely that the equall gouernment of many pastours in any one parish or diocese in the whole world lōg before S. Hieroms tyme was wholy expired so we may as euidently perceaue if we be not geuen ouer to a blind hart that the extraordinarie gouernment of the twelue Apostles or of any other prelates with equal power was fiften hundred yeres past expired And that now the onely ordinarie meane to gouerne Gods Churche as well in the whole as in the parts is to haue one pastour alone in euery parish and one chefe pastour alone ouer the whole militant Church the which one chiefe pastour is the bisshop of Rome as now it shal be proued by Gods grace That the Bishop of Rome is that one ordinarie pastour who succedeth in S. Peters chaire and is aboue al bishops according to the meaning of Gods word The XV. Chap. AS Sina being a mountaine in in Arabia Galat. 4. is said of the Apostle to be ioyned or to be nighe vnto the earthly city of Ierusalem not so much for the nighnes or affinity of the place as for the likenes of conditiō because the self same Law of Moyses which had ben geuen in Sina was afterward continued and preserued in Ierusalem And as by that meane the Iewes who at the tyme of the Lawe first receaued were not bound to Ierusalem at all as the which was then full of Idolatrie were afterward boūd to come thyther thrise euery yeare Exod. 23. because the highe priesthood and temple was setled there Deut. 17. as in the place which God chose euen so fareth it betwene the chiefe power which Christ gaue to S. Peter and the Church or bisshop of Rome Ioan. 21. For albeit when the Church was built vpon Peter and when he was made chiefe pastour of the same he were in Palestina and not in Rome ād for that tyme was rather accompted the highe bishop of the Circūcision Galat. 2. that is to say of the faithfull Iewes then of the Gentils who were not then cōuerted frō their Idolatrie yet for asmuch as the same S. Peter whose primacie is plentifully set foorth in Gods worde at the length setled himselfe at Rome by Gods appointment Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. Tertul. de praescript and left a successour there for this respect I may wel affirm that the Bishop of Romes Primacy is cōmended and warranted by Gods own worde And seing it hath ben already declared that S. Peter alone according to the first litteral sense was both the rock Matth. 16 wherevpon Christ promised to build his Church and also the pastour Ioan. 21. who as he loued Christ more then other so he had authoritie to feede Christes flocke more then anie other Bisshop Item that the power of Peter was ordinarie and must continue still in the Church of God Item that it must continue in one chiefe shepheard onlie Now if I shew that the Bisshop of Rome is that one ordinarie chiefe Shepheard who succedeth in the said Authoritie of Saint Peter how can it be auoided but that the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome is auouched and taught by Gods owne word Egesippus lib. 3 c. 2. Iren. lib. 3 cap. 3. Euseb histor lib. 2. c. 14. First not only al the histories all holy writers and the general tradition of all ages haue testified
the time of the flud he shal perish I doe not know Vitalis I despise Miletius I haue no acquaintance with Paulinus Who so euer doth not gather with thée he doth scatter abrode that is he that is not of Christ is of Antichrist Who can denie but that when he faith he wil aske councel of S. Peters Chaire he meaneth that he wil aske Councel of Pope Damasus who sitteth in his Chaire Euerie Pope of Rome is Peters sucessour The which Pope he calleth the successor of the fissher and the Disciple of the Crosse that is to say the successour of S. Peter who was a fissher and who died vppon the Crosse When he saith he followeth none as first or chiefe but Christ he wel declareth Christ absolutely first what an infinite distāce is betwen Christ who is absolutelie first and chief and any other Pope or Bishop who is not absolutely firste but onely so first and chiefe as S. Peter was For we aske no more at anie time but that the Pope of Rome be confessed to be so great a Bisshoppe as Saint Peter was And as Peter was first after Christe so after the same Christe Saint Hierome placeth Damasus and ioyneth him selfe in Communion with Damasus That is to say as himself expoundeth it with the Chaire of Peter Note I pray you that Damasus the Pope and the chaire of Peter is alone And the Chaier of Peter is the Rocke saith S. Hierō whervpon the Church is built Cathedrae Petri cōiungor Super illam petrā aedificatā Ecclesiā scio I am ioyned with the Chair of Peter Scio. to wit of the Rock Vppō that Rock I knowe the Church to be built There was no doubt of the matter it was a knowledge Peters Chair is the Rock To what point are we now come Not only Peter but the Chair of Peter is taught to be the Rock whervpon the Church is built And by the Chaire the Bisshop of Rome is vnderstanded who sitteth in the Chaire as Damasus then did He is prophane saith S. Hierom who eateth the lamb without this house Exod. 12. That is to saie there is but one house in al Christendō and that house is there where this Churche is acknowleged Who so eateth the Paschal lambe that is to saie who so receiueth the Sacraments or is fedde by preaching without that house where the Pope is gouernour he is prophane he is an Heretike and a schismatike as Vitalis Meletius and Paulinus were The Chaire of Peter that is to saie the Church of Rome is the same to vs which the Ark of Noë was to him ād to his childern He that is not in this fellowship of Rome shall as surely perish at the daie of iudgement as they did perish in the flud who were without the Ark of Noë Gen 7. By these means S. Hierō sheweth what a necessary thing to saluation it is that a man should tarie in that fellowshippe of Christians who beleue and professe their belief as the Bishops of Rome doe It is not I that say it but S. Hierom. Who generally geueth this rule Whoso euer doth not gather with Damasus who was Pope of Rome he scatereth What is it to gather with Damasus He expoundeth that it is to be of Christe What is it to scatter To be of Antichriste What is Damasus The Chaire of Peter and the succession of the fissher Who is with that succession at this daie The Catholikes The Catholikes are vvith Peter called now Papistes who are all and continue still one flock vnder one chiefe shepheard They then are of Christe Who scatter from the succession of Peter The Protestantes scatter frō Peter The Protestants as who make moe heads and moe shepheards all of equall authoirtie without anie one visible chiefe shepheard and moe houses without anie one master They then are of Antichrist Epist 166. Saint Augustine geueth vs this rule Coelestis magister c. The heauenly maister maketh the people secure concerning euil ouerseers The Chaire of healthful doctrine lest for their sakes the chair of helthful doctrine should be forsaken in the whiche Chaire euill men are euen constrained-to saie good things For the thinges which they speake are not their owne but they are the things of God We haue then in the Church a chair of healthful doctrine Happy were they who finding that Chaire might at the lest be sure of the true doctrin of Christ You wil say perhaps it is euery Bishops Chaire If that were so euery Bishop should be cōstreined to speak good things How could then so many Bishops haue ben the inuentours of heresies as haue ben sith Christes time If euerie Bisshops Chaire haue not this priuilege to be constrained to speake the truthe and yet there be suche a healhful Chaire in the earth as really as euer the Chaire of Moyses was at Ierusalem the which example S. Augustine vseth oftētimes to proue Matth. 23 De Verb. Dom. serm 49. Ep. 166. Et homil de Pastor that such another Chair is in the Church S. Augustine might haue eased vs of muche paine if he would haue named vs the said Chaire But lette vs see whether we can not find it named in him It followeth Deus in Cathedra vnitatis Epist 166. doctrinā posuit veritatis God in the chaire of vnity hath placed the doctrine of verity This much then we haue won toward the finding out of that chaire whiche is constrained to teache the things of God Cathedra vnitatis it is the chair of vnity What is that to say Verily not only that it is one certain chaire which it selfe tarieth in vnity but also that it kepeth vnity in all the states of the Churche For if God hath made vs secure as S. Augustine signified before that we should not nede to forsake the chaire of the healthfull doctrine for the faults which are in the gouernours or teachers doutlesse he meaneth that to be the chaire of vnity which must not be forsaken but be followed and embraced So that the chaire of vnity is that chaire which causeth vnity not to be forsaken For when all other Chaires agree with one principall chaire and confoorm themselues to it that must nedes be the chaire of vnity and cōsequently therein is the doctrine of veritie Then the chaire of vnity is that wherin one pastour sitteth in whome all other pastours in the earth are one Inuenio omnes pastores bonos in vno pastore Homil. de pastoribus Non enim verè pastores boni desunt sed in vno sunt Multi sunt qui diuisi sunt hîc vnus praedicatur quia vnitas commendatur I find saith S. Augustine al good pastours in one pastour For truly good pastours do not lacke but they are in one Those are many who are diuided here one is praised because vnitie is commended Behold the one pastour is to be sought for in whom al other good pastours
Iam cùm ista scriberem Epist 94. cognoueramus in Ecclesia Carthaginensi aduersus eos Episcopalis Concilij conditum fuisse Decretum per epistolam sancto venerabili Papae Innocentio dirigendum nos de Concilio Numidiae ad eandem Apostolicam sedem iam similiter scripseramus Now whiles I wrote these things we vnderstode a Decree to haue bē made in the Church of Carthage by a Councel of bishops which was to be directed by an epistle vnto the holy and reuerend Pope Innocentius And we likewise had writen from the Councel of Numidia to the same Apostolike See It is then euident that these two Councels sent their Decrees to the See Apostolike as also all other Councels were wont to doe according to the most auncient tradition and that as wel because the See Apostolike was assured not to erre as being the Rocke of the faith which was prayed for by Christ himselfe as also to th' intent all Churches might receaue the soner that Decree which were deriued to them from the authority of their own head vnder Christ and of their chiefe shepheard and again because the heretiks and theier followers might the soner be either reconciled or kept downe when it were once knowen that the highest court in earth had condemned their opinions Wherupon the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councel say Epist 92. Arbitramus adiuuante misericordia Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi qui te regere consulentem orantem exaudire dignatur auctoritati sanctitatis tuae de sanctarum scripturarū authoritate depromptae facilius eos qui tā peruersa perniciosa sentiunt esse cessuros We thinck these men who haue so euil and froward opinions the popes autority is taken out of the holy scriptures wil the soner yeld to the authority of your holinesse being takē out of the authority of the holy scriptures by the help of the mercy of our Lord Iesus Christ who voutsafeth both to rule you whiles you consulte and to heare you when you pray Two things are specially to be noted in these words one that the authority of Pope Innocentius is taken out of the authoritie of the holy scriptures verily because it maie be proued by the woorde of God that the bishop of Rome who succedeth S. Peter is the highe shepheard whose voice al the faithful are boūd to heare The other point is in that these Fathers affirm that Christ ruleth the Pope at his consultatiō alluding therein to the faith of S. Peter which was praied for Luc. 22. to thend al his successours might not erre in consulting about matters of Religion To which epistle pope Innocentius made answer praising them because in doutfull matters they asked him what sentence or iudgement was to be followed Ep. 93. antiquae scilicet regulae formā secuti quam toto semper ab orbe mecum nostis esse seruatam Yee followed saith Innocentius the paterne of the auncient rule which ye know as wel as I Note vvel to haue ben alwaies kept of the whole world Marke that Innocentius douteth not to affirme that the Fathers of the Councell of Miliuite among whome Saint Augustine was did know that the whole worlde alwayes vsed to referre doutfull matters to the See Apostolike and that as it followeth praesertim quoties fidei ratio ventilatur specially so oft as the matter of faith is discussed If anie man saie that the Pope in dede wrote so but that he said not true lette him consyder that Saint Augustine doth also acknowledge and praise the Popes answer in these words Epist 106. Scripsimus ad B. memoriae Papam Innocentium c. We wrote to Pope Innocentius of blessed memorie Ad omnia ille nobis rescripsit eodem modo quo fas erat atque oportebat Apostolicae sedis Antistitem He wrote again to vs to euery point in such sort as it was right and as it became the Bisshop of the Apostolike See What can be now required more Saint Augustine acknowlegdeth the answere to haue ben mete for Saint Peters successour and yet shal the Protestants now a dayes be suffered to raile at that epistle which Saint Augustine estemed so much that he maketh mention thereof with great commendation Saint Augustine then doth confesse that from all quarters of the worlde the Pope of Rome was wont euē in the old tyme to be consulted as being the general pastour whose duty it was to prouide for the whole militant flocke the particular bishops them selues being comprised therein I haue ben somewhat long about S. Augustines doctrine partlie for the worthines of the man partly because I perceaue that our Aduersaries pretend to geue more credit to him then to any other Father But if S. Augustine be not cleere for the Supremacy of the bisshops of Rome ther was neuer nothing cleere in him Let this one place be added for a surpluse to the rest The bisshop of Carthage saith he needed not to care for the multitude of his ennemies for so much as he saw hīselfe to be ioyned in communion as wel with other countries whence the Gospel came to Afrike it self as also with the Church of Rome in qua semper Apostolicae Cathedrae viguit prīcipatus Epist 162. in the which Roman Church the principate or primacy of the Apostolike chaire hath alwaies florished not only the chair of the Apostle S. Peter but also the principal power of the Apostolik chaire did not only stand in the Roman Church but it florished there and that not only during S. Peters life or a litle after but semper alwaies Happy then are we who til this day cōmunicate in faith with that Apostolike chaire And wo to them that cal the Apostolik chaire the Seat of Antichrist To goe forward with some other holy Fathers In Lib. de ingratis Prosper the Bishop of Regium being of the same tyme though sumwhat yoūger then S. Augustine and speaking of the condemnation of the heretike Pelagius writeth thus touching the See of Rome Pestem subeuntem prima recidit Sedes Roma Petri quae pastoralis honoris facta caput mundo quicquid non possicet armis Religione tenet Rome the See of Peter did first cut of Pelagius being a pestilence which then began to crepe into the Churche The which Rome being made the head of pastoral honour vnto the world holdeth al that by religion what so euer it doth not possesse by the sword Rome then is the Seate of Peter the head of Bisshoplie honour or of Pastoral power the which reacheth farther and hath moe Christians subiect to it because the Vicare of Christe sitteth there then euer it had through the mightie Empire thereof The selfe same thing Prosper saith in an other place De vocat gentium lib. 2. c. 16 Roma per Apostolici sacerdotij principatum amplior facta est arce religionis quā solio potestatis Rome through the chiefedome or primacie of the
the old histories what prosperity these realmes haue alwaies had which keping them selues in the obediēce of the See of Rome kept also the faith which that Church professeth In so much that Afrike was inuincible vntil the Donatists and the Pelagians had withdrawen the obedience therof frō the See of Rome Neither was the Turke able to cōquer the Greciās either of Asia or of Thracia vntil after the coūcel of Florence against their consent there geuē they had again diuided themselues frō the society of the Pope I wil come nere home The English Saxons conquered the Britons for no cause rather then because the Britons began to forsake the old faith wherein Fugatius Damianus and Germanus all coming as Legates and preachers from the Pope had instructed them Beda hist Anglor li. 2. cap. 2. For as S. Bede testifieth the Britons now had left the keping and profession of Easter after the vse of the Church of Rome with whome the Catholike Church agreed therein and began to keepe it as the Iewes did Yea also they ministred the sacrament of Baptism otherwise then the Church of Rome did If then we continue again in this diuision and schism against the Church of Rome we haue to feare the like spoil and conquest or some worse and euen of temporal calamity beside the euerlasting damnatiō of those who die without the society of S. Peters See who was made of Christ and in his successours continueth stil the shepheard of the whole militāt flocke Their doctrine who teache the bishop of Rome to be Antichrist himself is confuted by the authority of Gods word and by the consent of the auncient Fathers The XVII Chap. ANtichrist doth signifie the aduersary or ennemy of Christ our Sauiour Aug. in c. 2. episto 1. Ioan. In which kinde of malice as Lucifer the capitaine of all cursed rebels was the first and chiefe so he was first named Satan which is to say an aduersary Satan For as the goodnes of God not being content to send his prophets and priests to guide men to life euerlasting at the last sent his owne sonne in mans flesh thereby to worke most effectuallie our saluation so on the other side Satan hauing procured as much as laie in him that men should not belieue in Christ nor follow his prophets shal at the lgenth attempt to possesse a certain accursed mā by whome he may worke his feates against Christ so muche the more hurtfullie how much the priuier he shal ly being couered ād hiddē both with mās flesh ād with the very name of Christ. As therefore the Deuil shall geue his strength and power most specially to that cursed man so the Deuils name is most speciallie geuen him also in the holie scripture Where he is called of S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Thess 2 the Aduersary and S. Iohn sheweth whose aduersarie he is 1. Ioan. 2. by naming him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to saie that Antichrist who is most spitfully set against Christ and is most certeinely foretold to come and ought moste carefullie to be eschewed of all Christians For albeit euerie false teacher be a certaine Antichriste or ennemie of Christ and therefore as S. Iohn saith there are manie Antichristes 1. Ioan. 2. yet as there is one aboue other so he saith of hī 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you haue heard that the Antichrist cōmeth you haue heard not only that an Antichrist but that the same one most notable Antichrist cometh Now this singular Antichrist shal be suffered to come vvhy Antichrist is permited partlie for the trial and reuealing of the inuincible strēgth which God hath geuē to the elect partlie to shew howe inexcusable the stubborn Iewes are who pretending to beleue the old Prophets and to looke for the true Messias yet hauing repelled Iesus Christ who most euidently was described in the Lawe and Prophetes shal in the end imbrace the Diuel him selfe of whome all the Prophetes hath willed them to beware For S. Paule saith 2. Thess 2. Because they haue not receued the loue of truth that they might be saued therfore God shal send them the working of erroure that they may beleue lying To the end al men may be iudged who haue not beleued the truthe but haue consented to iniquitie Thus wheras there are three kinds of Antichrists first the Deuil who is only a spirit next false teachers thirdlie he that being possessed of the Deuil shal in the end oppugne Christes glory most of al in apparent shew and in outward working The question the question is not now of the two first kinds but ōly of the last to wit whether the Pope of Rome be this main and chief Antichrist vvho vvas prophecied of to appere so singularlie toward the end of the worlde For some Protestants are growen to that excessiue malice against the Churche of Christe that they doubt not to affirme to preache yea to sette foorth in print that the chiefe pastour of the whole Churche to whom Christ commended his sheep and Lambes is not onely an arme or hand of Antichriste but the verie head and capitaine Antichrist himselfe who shal be destroyed with the spirit of Christes mouth Isay 12. Among others Bullinger one Henrie Bullinger and an other as wise as he Gualter called Rodulph Gaulter ech of them Ministers of Zurich haue set this doctrine abrode in bookes whom I name the soner because their books are trāslated into the English tongue as a speciall treasure to enriche fooles withall where as in deed that blaspemouse doctrin is directly against the expresse word of God as I wil shew hereafter And verilie if God said generallie of all his elect people yea if it be said of the hard harted Iewes zacha 2. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye if he said more speciallie concerning his Prophets and Priests Psal 104. touche not mine anointed if his Apostles were nere to him then any other Luc. 22 because they taried with him in his tentations if among all the Apostles S. Peter loued him best Ioan. 21. and was best beloued of him concerning the loue which belongeth to the chief shepherd and pastour of his flock if Christ prouided by singular prouidēce that S. Peter should glorifie him by suffering death vpon the Crosse in the Citie of Rome if Saint Peters Chaire and the succession in the chiefe Bisshoprike hath bene acknouledged in Rome with greate reuerence of a lib. 3. c. 3 S. Irenaeus of b lib. 1. ep 3 S. Cyprian of c De Antichristo Hippolytus the Martyr of d Tripart lib. 4. c. 15 in ep ad Solitar Athanasius the Patriarch of Alexandria ād likewise of Paulus the Archebisshoppe of Constantinople both being holy Cō essours if e In Psal 106. et 138 Arnobius f lib. 2. de schismat Optatus S. g ad
with his own hands Exod. 28. 29. he erected an altar and offered publike sacrifice he did poure the bloud vpon the Altar and sprinckled the garment of Aaron with it And yet did he al these Priestlie offices being himself no Priest I marueile thatneither the letter of Gods word nor the reason and as it were the sowle thereof nor the authority of wise and lerned men can moue the Protestants to confesse that Moyses was in dede a priest and a sacrificer But if it be cleare that he was both a priest and a ciuil gouernour vsing the priestlie office in his own person and prescribing to others when thei shuld fight or punish malefactours much more in the tyme of the new TestameÌ„t Heb. 10. which must nedes be as perfit a state as the old law it is lawful for a bishop to haue the right of both offices in him gouerning the Ecclesiastical state by his own personal ministery aÌ„d the outward cares by the help of wise meÌ„ Gregorius l. 1. epi. 24 Quisquis regeÌ„dis fratribus praeest vacare funditus à curis exterioribus non potest sed tamen curandum magnopere est ne ab iis immoderatè deprimatur Who soeuer is set to rule his brethern he can not vtterly be uoide of â—xternal cares But it is diligently to be â—rouided that he be not ouer pressed with them But concerning the Ecclesiasticall state whereof I speake at this tyme the bishop of Rome neither condemneth any man for heresie or schisme to corporal death in his own person nor teacheth that any malefactours may be so condemned of any other ecclesiasticall person Which thing being not rightly vnderstood of the most part of meÌ„ hath made them affirme that the bishop of Rome in matters of faith persuadeth his religioÌ„ with fier and sworde 23. quaest 8. c. Sepe cuÌ„ sequeÌ„t Which to be farre otherwise both the whole body of the Canon law declareth and also experience testifieth To goe forward with our matter this is the greatest difference betwene the primacie of the Church and the dominion of wordlie princes that the teÌ„poral princes haue power only ouer the bodies whereas the rulers of the Church Math. 18. 1. Cor. 5. haue power vpon mens soules They geue the bodies of wicked men to corporal death these haue power to cleanse the soules and so to bring them to euerlasting saluation De Sacerdot lib. 3. Wherupon Saint Chrysostom saith Habent etiam terreni Principes vinculi potestatem verùm corporum solùm Id autem quod dico sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad coelos vsque peruadit The earthlie princes haue power to bind also but only of the bodies But the baÌ„d of the priests whereof I speake doth touche the very sowle and reacheth euen to the heauens And not without a cause For our Lord said to Saint Peter Math. 16. To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thow bindest vpon the earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thow loosest vpon the earth shal be loosed â—n the heauens To these words of Christ which â—re deriued to the Bisshop of Rome by â—eanes of the chaier of Saint Peter â—he said bishop referreth all his power â—nd exerciseth it vpon the soules of meÌ„â—oth in his own person and by others Leo. ep 82. who are called to susteine part of â—he Ecclesiasticall care and charge â—hat is committed chiefelie vnto him whereas nothwithstanding the Princes of the world appeale not â—o the lawe of the Gospell neither â—n getting nor in gouerning nor â—n establishing their Dominion and power Last of al this is to be inquired and coÌ„sidered whether the Bishop of Rome doth rule with such pietie lenitie affection and desire to helpe others and to bring them to Christ that he may seme to minister and to serue rather then to rule And in good sooth yf he doth it not as it is certain that he synneth greuouslie so for any such respect he leeseth not his primacie because the humilitie and mercie of the gouernour doth not so much appertaine to the substance of his authoritie Ioan. 11. Caiphas Pontifex as to the true perfection and merite of the man For like as they that preached Christ through enuie and emulatioÌ„ that they might raise aduersitie to S. Paule Philip. 1. who was in Prison were notwithstanding true preachers albeit they preached with an euill intent and minde so albeit the bishop of Rome did rule like a potentate and did seeke his own glorie and not the glorie of God yet thereof it can not be brought to passe that he is not a true ruler and gouernour of the Church But it wold wel follow that he were an euil ruler Of which sort of men our Lord hath said Do those things which they say Matth. 23. but doe not those things which they doe But what arrogant presumption is â—his to thinck that the Pope doth good â—eedes with an euill minde If he geue â—â—ntle answeres to them that in matâ—ers of dout aske his counsell if he send â—orth good decrees if he reconcile such â—s are at variaunce yf he prouide careâ—â—llie for the necessarie affaires of the â—hurch whie doe we iudge euil of that â—hich is well done Or yf he doth euill â—t any tyme what malice is it to scorne â—t his nakednesse Genes 9. and with lawghter â—o discouer his shame It is euident to all that will see that â—he bishop of Rome doth shew that humilitie and zeale which Christ requiâ—eth in the ruler of his Church He calleth vs nor bondslaues nor seruaunts nor subiects but all Princes he saluteth gentlie as sonnes and bishops as brethern And as for his owne person â—he writeth not himself neither Lord neither vniuersal bishop nor head of the Church but seruaunt of the seruaunts of God That euen by his name he may geue al men to vnderstand that he is that greatest and chefe ruler Luc. 22. who is as it were a minister and seruaunt And seing he doth and saith that which becometh the primate of the Church both to say and to doe it is our parte to iudge his well doing by that which is well said rather then to synne against the holie ghost whiles we desire to wrest that to an euill sense malitiouslie which was spoken and meant by him charitablie â—f the diuerse senses which are in the holy scripture and namely about these words vpon this rock I wil build my Church and which is the most literal and proper sense of them The third Chap. AMONG manie other things wherein Gods word passeth all other sciences one is most notaâ—le in that not only the syllables and words which are writen there doe â—xpresse the meaning of the holy Ghost â—ut also the things which are told and â—eported by those words doe againe signifie and meane an other thing We â—eade that Abraham had two sonnes
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
dubble power of gouerning the Church one particular in the Citie of Rome an other general ouer al Bisshoppes Now such a primate of al Bisshoppes S. Iames was not albeit he was a Bishop of some Bishops To end this mater let vs heare the iudgement of S. Gregorie Certè Petrus Apostolus primum membrū sanctae Lib 4. ep 38. vniuersalis Ecclesiae est Paulus Andreas Ioannes quid aliud quâm singularum sunt plebium capita Surely Peter the Apostle is the chiefe member of the holy and vniuersal Churche Paule Andrew Iohn what other thing are they then eche one the heades of particular Churches Here S. Gregory meaneth not to saie that Saint Paul or S. Andrew coulde not preache in all the worlde God forbid but onely that as Bisshoppes they coulde haue but this or that flocke vnder them In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 4. totius Ecclesiae principatū obtinuit whereas otherwise Sainte Gregorie him selfe confesseth that S. Paule obteined the chiefe gouernmēt of the whol Church And the like all the other Apostles obteined by their Apostleshippe without anye diuision of flockes or Churches assigned by Christe But Peter hadde the charge of the whole Churche not onely as an Apostle but also as a high Bisshop And therein onlie S. Gregorie meaneth that he passed Paule Andrew or Iohn This much I trust may suffise them who will be satisfied for proufe that whereas euery Apostle had in him the whole right of the Apostleshippe and also the right of being a particular Bissshoppe Saint Peter had not only those two Authorities but also he had the right of the highest Bisshoppe in respect of all other Bisshoppes He as a Bisshoppe vvas the chiefe member of the whole militant Church that is to saie to the head thereof as S. Gregorie teacheth a Lib. 4. ep 38. He was the bisshop of bisshops saith Arnobius b in Psal 138. and the Primate of al prelates saith Leo. c. serm 2. in aniuers d lib. 2. ad Eugen. the pastor of al pastors saith S. Bernard He alone by the iudgement of Arnobius was called of Christ a Pastor because there was none other aduaunced to that power of feedinge which he receiued He was preferred a greate way before the Apostles in authoritie lib. 2. de Sacerdotio saith d lib. 2. ad Eugen. S. Chrysostome In him being one Pastour vnitie was signified saith S. e in Psal 138. e Homil. de pastor Augustine He was the vicare of Christes loue in feeding vs as S. f in Lucae 24. Ambrose affirmed Cōcerning this primacie of his Bisshoply power in that sense he was much more properly the guide toppe mouth chief and head of the Apostles then in the Apostolike function For whereas they were chosen Apostles aequally with him he alone was chosen high Pastour aboue them Al these things haue ben proued out of Gods word and out of the holy Fathers Order now requireth that I should shew S. Peters prerogatiue also by the continuance of his authoritie That the pastoral or chiefe Bisshops authoritie of s Peter was an ordinary authoritie and therefore it must goe for euer vnto his successours whereas the Apostolike authoritie being extraordinarie hath no successours in it The Xiij THe Apostles were instituted for a certain purpose Matth. 23 Act. 1. verilie to publish the Gospel and to plant the faith of Christe in al nations with a most absolute power and with an autoritie which neuer should be controlled For seing S. Peter being one man alone was not able to preach the Gospel at once in al places nor by and by to gouern diuerse nations newly conuerted as whose commission from Christ was not as then sufficientlie knowen Christ gaue him twelue Companions with as full authoritie ouer the sheepe for the time as he had who hauing conuerted manie countries to the faith might commend them all as sheep to be fedde of many pastours vnder one perpetuall chiefe shepheard S. Peter Who knoweth not that it is muche easier for one mā to gouern al the faith full being once conuerted and wel instructed by the helpe of many inferiour officers then it is for him to subdue al those vnto the faith which being as yet infidels are also dispersed into diuerse quarters But when the Apostles had spread the faith into all partes of the world with the death of them the Apostolike authoritie likewise was at an end And that being confessed by our Aduersaries euen this last yere in a Confession printed at Zurich needeth no farther proufe An. 1566. tit 18. For they saie when the Churches wer now stablished the Apostles ceased to be But that S. Peter must haue successours not in his Apostleship but in his supremacie of being chiefe Bisshop aboue al Bisshops that now is to be declared Who so marketh the peculiar names of a Rock of a Pastour Matth. 16. Ioan. 21. Luc. 22. and of a Cōfirmer of his brethern whiche are geuen by Christ to S. Peter alone may wel perceiue that S. Peters supremacie being meant by those names must necessarilie continue for euer If a rock be laid in the foundation of the house to staie it vp out of al question the rock must not be taken awaie if we will haue the house to stand The Rocke wherevpon the whole Church is built from the beginning of the world to the end 1. Cor. 3. 10. Dan. 7. is Christ himself but not onlie the whole Churche but also that part which liueth in the earth for the tyme wherin vessels both of honour and of cōtumelie are which vessels of contumelie are not in heauē that part I 2. Tim. 2. 1. Tim. 3. say liuing on the earth is called the house of God as S. Paule teacheth Therefore it also must haue a rock of his own sort and nature to leane vnto For as Christ alone is the vniuersal Rocke of that vniuersal howse and the vniuersal shepheard of that great flocke so besyde him God alwaies erected some certain particular stones ād certain smal Rockes in the earth which might stay vp that part of his house which for the time wandered in this worlde Such were Adam Enos Henoch Noe Abraham Isaac Iacob Math. 23. Moyses Aaron and his successours who sate in the chaire of Moyses vntil the cōming of Christ For alwaies there was some visible Rocke of the Churche in this life Deut. 17. who might be so strongly fastened in the faith of Christ the great Rocke that he though not for his own yet for the Churches sake might be able to staie vp other small stones which leaned vnto him Christ at the length hauing taken flesh and walkīg visibly in this world ād preachīg in the lād of Iewrie did not only stay his vniuersal house vpon his Godhead as he had euer done before but nowe also he staied the militant Church vpon the visible example of his own life and vpon the
Christ committed anie particular companie of the faithfull men who then liued to any one apostle or disciple who might be resideÌ„t with theÌ„ alone as their only Pastor The partes and meÌ„bers of Christes whol militaÌ„t flock which are now made here aÌ„d there were instituted by th'Apostolike and Ecclesiastical authoritie not surely without the special prouidence and inspiration of the holy Ghost Tit. 1. Act. 14. Leo. ep 87 but yet not immediately by Christ but through his wil by mans authoritie And therefore the bounds of any parrissh or diocese may for probable causes be changed againe by an other man Greg. li. 2 ep 31. who hath such like authoritie to change the bounds of parisshes as they had who first made them Particular flocks then are voluntarie and likewise particular pastours But one flock and one pastour is of absolute necessitie in the earth aÌ„d so doth S. Cyprian witnesse Deus vnus est Christus vnus L. ep 8. vna Ecclesia Cathedra vna super PetruÌ„ Domini voce fundata There is one God and one Christ and one Church aÌ„d one chaire fouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ Peter by our Lords voice Behold One Chaire this one chair which is fouÌ„ded vpon Peter must nedes be ment of the one pastoral preeminence which Christ him self did institute in the militant Church This mater standing so shal we say that the Church of Christ continueth in the earth or no If it doe continue shal Christes owne absolute institution continue aboue the vertuouse but yet voluntarie institution of men or shal the good and voluntarie institution of maÌ„ preuail more theÌ„ the most perfit institutioÌ„ of Christ Men made many particular flocks according as they thought most conuenient for this or that place and they did set ouer them many particular pastours somwhere a Priest and somewhere a Bishop Christe made in al but one militant flock which should consist both of Iewes and Gentils and did set ouer it Saint Peter one general shepheard And there was made euen in earth after Christes ascension one sheepcote Ioan. 21. Ioan 10. and one shepheard Shall now these many flocks and manie shepheards which men appointed coÌ„tinue stil aÌ„d shal not the one flock and the one shepherd which Christ assigned much more continue Forasmuch as a flock of sheep is one by the force of one pastor if the pastor in earth be not one the flock in earth is not one Credo vnam Ecclesiam But al meÌ„ beleue one militaÌ„t church which is the flock of Christ in earth therfore al men ought to coÌ„fesse one militaÌ„t shepheard of the same flock in earth also For although the Churche be one moe wayes then by one shepherd yet if Christ had not meant that his Churche should be one flock not only for hauing one faith one baptisme Ephes 4. or one spirit but also for hauing one shepheard he would neuer haue said There shal be made one sheepcote and one shepheard Ioan. 10. But now seing he faith I haue other sheepe which are not of this fold to wit of the Iewes synagog and I must bring those and they shal heare my voice and there shal be made one fold or flocke and one shepheard it is euident that as the Iewes and the Gentils beside the vnitie to come in heauen are one fold and one flock in this world euen so that they haue one temporal shepheard in this world beside Christe the euerlasting shepheard Which thing sith it is so is it possible that any Protestant wil be so iniuriouse to Christ as to preferre the good institution of S. Paule who planted one Church at Corinth Rom. 16. Act. 14. an other at Ephesus and the third at Athens before the absolute and perelesse institution of Christ who in the whole earth plaÌ„ted one great Church wherof he made one great shepheard vnder himself the vniuersal shepheard I see that the Protestantes talke much of Gods word but the word they speak of is writen in no Gospel They will haue many flockes and many shepheards to continue stil neither doe we denie it because it was so instituted by the Apostles but the Catholikes wil much more haue all these flocks to be only one church in earth because thei are al to be reduced vnto the obedience of one chiefe shepheard in earth which was the institution of Christ Either let the text be named where Christe did institute many parishes aÌ„d many dioceses or seing there is none such and on the other side seing we bring a plain text where it is said to one pastour Ioan. 21. feed my sheep let not the order vertuouslie taken afterward by the Apostles be so mainteined that the former appointment of the Sonne of God be thereby made voide Either let both orders take place as with the Catholikes they doe or if one of the two shal needs be disapointed let vs rather haue in al but one chiefe shepheard as Christ immediatly left the mater then to haue many and not to haue one Moreuer to what other thing doth al the whole order of the Church tend in earth but only to an vnity The vvhol gouernmeÌ„t of the militant Churche teÌ„deth to vnitie Why is one Curate in a parish set ouer many families and houses Why is one Bishop in a diocese set ouer many parishes Why is one Primate or Metropolitane in a prouince set ouer many Bishops Why are al the primates of one quarter of the world reduced vnder one Patriarch but only euermore to shew that the gouernmeÌ„t of the Church teÌ„deth by many midle vnities Ep 82. ad AnastasiuÌ„ Thessal to one supream pastoral vnity in this life WhervpoÌ„ Leo saith Magna dispositione ê“uisuÌ„ est vt esseÌ„t in singulis prouincijs singuli quoruÌ„ inter fratres haberetur prima senteÌ„tia rursus quidaÌ„ in maâ—oribus vrbibus coÌ„stituti sollicitudineÌ„ suscipereÌ„t amplioreÌ„ per quos ad vnaÌ„ Petri sedeÌ„ vniuersalis Ecclesiae cura conflueret nihil vnquam a suo capite dissideret It was ordeined with great prouidence that there should be in euery prouince one whose iudgemeÌ„t or senteÌ„ce might be chief among the brethern And again that certain being apoiÌ„ted in the greater Cities See M. Ievvel vvho hath the cure of the vniuersal Church should take greater charge by whom the cure of the vniuersal Churche might flow togeather to the one seat of Peter and that nothing might at any time dissent froÌ„ his head Lo by may primates the cure of the whole cometh to him who sitteth in S. Peters See which is at Rome Again seing al Ecclesiastical inâ—â—itutioÌ„ and gouernmeÌ„t of the Church came from Christ one way or other it must needs be Cyp. lâ—b 1. epist 3. that euery bishop hath the portioÌ„ of the flock which he gouerneth assigned to him by some order or other takeÌ„ by Christ himself But Christ by his own expres worâ— assigned not that S.
deliuered a certain religioÌ„ to the Romans as wel concerning the Trinitie as other things Secondly that the said religion coÌ„ming from S. Peter was kept stil in the Church of Rome Thirdly that it was kept speciallie by the perpetual succession of Bishops For which cause Damasus the Bisshop of Rome is named in the Law After Damasus a blessed Bisshop of Alexandria called Peter is also named not with the intent to shewe also that the Bisshops of Alexandria kept alwayes the true faith for at that momeÌ„t Lucius a raging wolf occupied the seat in Alexandria but because this Peter of Alexandria who is now named was in deede the true bishop of Alexandria albeit he was now kept out of his Church by violence Nicep lib. 11. cap. 26 Whereas then there were two bisshops of Alexandria one who agreed with the bishop of Rome an other who disagreed â–ª because the said Peter did agree with Damasus and fled out of prison to him he is named with Damasus and therby the other bishop is insinuated to be an vsurper So that the whole force of the Decree resteth vpon the tradition and succession of S. Peter at Rome and of those who agree with him If Peter of Alexandria had not followed that succession of S. Peter he had no more ben esteemed then Lucius Georgius Gregorius or Dioscorus An. Do. 4â—4 Tom. 1. CoÌ„cil distinct 97. who being bishops of Alexandria wree al heretiks Pope Bonifacius the first wrote to the Christian Emperour Honorius in this wise Mihi Deus noster meuÌ„ Sacerdotium vobis res humanas regentibus deputauit Our God hath appointed mie priesthood to me wheras you doe gouern woordlie matters And in the same epistle he requireth the Emperours help not I warrant you for the disposing of his own priesthod but for the conseruation of the peace of the Churche To whome the Emperour promiseth his help confessing that he receaued the writings of his blessednes with dew gratulation of reuerence Apostolatus tuus desiring his Apostoleshippe to pray for the safegard of his Empire Honorius faith then was that the Emperours were heads of the ciuill gouernment for the defense of Ecclesiastical peace and not supreme heads in all Ecclesiasticall things and causes to defend I say the lawes of the Churche made by bishops and not to make new Ecclesiastical lawes wheruÌ„to to bishoppes should be subiect against their wils An. Dom. 450. Let vs adde hereunto that which an Empresse also writeth of the same matter for we may wel beleue that she wrote according to the faith of Church in her tyme. In epistol Gallae Placidiae ante synodum Chalcedonens Thus then Galla Placidia saith concerning the Churche of Rome In Apostolica sede primus ille ê“ coelestes claues dignus fuit accipere principatum Episcopatus ordinauit He that was worthy to receaue first the heauenly keyes that is S. Peter hath ordeined the primacy of the Bishoply office in the Apostolik See If this be so Peter was not only first and prince himself but he also ordeined the bishop of Rome to be the first and chief of bishops after him Ad synoduÌ„ Chalcedo Domino meo Theodosio c. When I say Peter ordeined it I meane that Christ by Peter ordeined it Valentinian is of the same belefe and iudgement saying Fidem à nostris maioribus traditam debemus cum omni competenti deuotione defendere dignitatem propriae venerationis B. Apostolo Petro intemeratam in nostris temporibus conseruare quatenus beatissimê° Romanae ciuitatis episcopus cui principatum Sacerdotij super omnes antiquitas contulit locum habeat ac facultatem de fide sacerdotibus iudicare We ought to defend with all competent deuotion the faith deliuered from our elders And to conserue and keepe in our tymes to the blessed Apostle S. Peter the dignity of his proper and owne worship vncontrolled so that the most blessed bishop of the City of Rome to whome â—ntiquity hath geuen aboue al me the cheefty of priesthood may haue place and power to iudge of faith and of priests Lo the honour that is geuen to the bishop of Rome is geuen to Saint Peter verily because the bishop of Rome sitteth in his chaire And when the bishop of Rome is despised the worship of S. Peter is stained If the old tyme gaue the primacy of priestod vnto the bishop of Rome for S. Peters sake and that super omnes ouer al men if eleuen hundred yeres agoe it was true to say that Antiquity gaue the chiefty of priestly power to the bishop of Rome are not they new teachers who after fiften hundred yeres goe about to pluck the primacy of priesthod from the bishop of Rome An. Dom. 4.57 Act. 3. In Concil Chalceâ—o Autoritate Ro. Episcopi Martianus likewise with Valentinian confesseth of the General Councel which came togeather at Chalcedon in â—â—â—â—wise Quae Synodus dum fidem diligenter inquirit authoritate beatissimi Leonis Episcopi aeternae vrbis Romae religionis fundamenta constituit sanctae ciuitati Flauiano palmam mortis tribuit gloriosae The which councel whiles it maketh diligent inquisition concerning the faith it both appointed the foundations of religion to the holy city the Church by the authoritie of most blessed Leo bishop of the euerlasting City of Rome By the authority of Pope Leo. and also gaue to Flauianus the crown of a gloriouse death Al this was done by the autority of the bishop of Rome And why by his autority the same Martianus gaue the cause therof before in an oratioÌ„ which he made in the fourth general councel Act. 1. Fol. 740. where he said of Leo the Pope qui ApostolicuÌ„ gubernat thronuÌ„ who gouerneth the See Apostolike And it is well knowen he ment only the Apostolike see of S. Peter An. D. 534 In Codicadâ— summa Trinit For the honour of that See IustiniaÌ„ writeth thus to Iohn the secoÌ„d pope of Rome Nos reddeÌ„tes honoreÌ„ Apostolicae sedi vestrae sanctitati qdsemê‘ nobis in voto fuit est vt decet patreÌ„ honoraÌ„tes vestraÌ„ beati tudineÌ„ oiÌ„a quae ad ecclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertineÌ„t festinauimus ad notitiam deferre vestrae sanctitatis We rendering honour to the See Apostolike and to your Holines the whiche thing euer was and is our desire and we honouring your blessednes as it becommeth vs to honour our Father haue hastened to bring to the knowledge of your Holines all things which doe appertein to the state of Churches If the Pope be as a Father to the Emperour and be so to be honoured it is vtterly impossible for the Emperour who is as it were a Sonne to be the supreme head or gouernour in spiritual causes of his spiritual Father Againe he saith Nec enim patimur quicquaÌ„ quod ad EcclesiaruÌ„ statuÌ„ pertinet quamuis manifestuÌ„ indubitatum sit quod mouetur vt noÌ„
euÌ„deÌ„ statim verum Christi vicariuÌ„ esse omnes credereÌ„t That froÌ„ thence forward whom the Clergy people and the Roman armie should chose to be bishop all men should straight beleue him to be the true vicare of Christ The true VicareÌ„ of Christ He saith not the Vicare of Phocas or the Lieutenant of the Emperor but the Vicar and LieutenaÌ„t of Christ It was then the publicke faith not onlie in the Latine but also in the Greeke church that who so was duely chosen Bisshop of Rome was Christes own Vicare An. Dom. 749. Yf the whole nobilitie and people of Fraunce had not beleued the Pope of Rome to be of such authorie for what purpose would they haue sent to Rome to know the mind of Pope Zacharias who should be King of Fraunce whether Chilpericus Paenè nullius potestatis who hadde the bare name thereof without exercising any kingly power in maner or the greate Stuard Maior domus who exercised the publik office and power of the King without the name In Chron. The Pope answered as Ado testifieth Regem potius illum debere vocari qui rempublicam regeret That he rather should be called the King who ruled the common weal. VpoÌ„ which answere Pipinus was anointed King autoritate Apostolica FraÌ„ corum electione saith Sigebertus by the Apostolike authoritie In Chron. An. Dom. 750. and by the election of the Frenche men Neither may this so great credite whiche the whole people and Nobilitie of France reposed in the See Apostolike be righly imputed to the sentence of Phocas who before that had declared the See of Rome to be head of al Churches For euen after this election of King Pipinus the first Emperour of the French men or rather of the Germans for the French men came out of Germanie Carolus Magnus protesting his reuerence to the See Apostolike sheweth the cause why he honoureth it to be the Chaire of S. Peter and not the iudgement of Phocas His wordes are these In memoriam beati Petri Apostoli honoremus sanctam Romanam ecclesiaÌ„ ApostolicaÌ„ sedeÌ„ An. Dom. 806. 19. distiÌ„ct vt quae nobis sacerdotalis mater est dignitatis ecclesiasticae esse debeat magistra rationis Quare seruaÌ„da est cuÌ„ mansuetudine humilitas et licet vix fereÌ„duÌ„ ab illa sancta sede imponatur iugum tamen feramê° pia deuotione toleremus Let vs honor the holy Church of Rome and the See Apostolike for the remeÌ„brance of blessed Peter the Apostle The see of Rome is the mother of priestly Vvorship that as the same See is to vs the mother of priestlie dignitie so it may be the teacher of the Ecclesiasticall trade Wherefore humility is to be kept with meekenes And although a yoke be putte vppon vs from the same holy See which is scant to be born yet lette vs beare and suffer it with godly deuotion Thus we see that Carolus honoured the See of Rome not for Phocas but for S. Peters sake Ludouicus who for his singular vertue and godlines was surnamed Pius hauing ben triatorouslie ordered by Adalgisus the Duke of Beneuentum Regino in Chron. An. 872. who went about to kill him in his palaice and being afterward forced to sweare that he wold not reuenge that iniury was so far from taking himselfe to be the supreme head ouer the Bisshop of Rome that rather he was content to take absolution from his oth of Iohn the pope Authoritate Dei Sancti Petri by the authority not of Phocas but of God and of Saint Peter I woulde goe forward to shew at large the obedience of all good Emperours and Kings to the See Apostolik euen till this day but that it shoulde be accompted a superfluouse labour sith as I suppose no man doth doubt of it And verilie concerning our own countrie as aboue fourtene hundred yeres past An. D. 188 Lucius the first Christian King of the Britans did send to Eleutherius the Bisshop of Rome to receaue from thence by his authority the ordinary meane of administring the Sacraments for him and his realm eueÌ„ so Ethelbert the first Christian King of the English Saxons toke his faith and the gouernment of the Church from the See of Rome S. Gregorie being theÌ„ Pope by our Apostle S. Augustine An. D. 630 And the good King Osui of NorthumberluÌ„d Bedae lib. histo Angli 3. c. 29 and Ecbert the King of Kent vnderstaÌ„ding that the RomaÌ„ Church esset catholica Apostolica Ecclesia was the Catholik and the Apostolike Church sent Wichardus with the consent of al the faithfull of England to Rome that hauing ther takeÌ„ the degré of an Archbishop he might ordein bisshops to all the Catholike Churches through Britannie From that day forward it is euident by al our Chronicles which at the least were made before that schism and heresie began that as euery King not only of EnglaÌ„d but of all Christian CouÌ„tries was best aÌ„d most geueÌ„ to godlines and to vertue so was he most obedient and frindful to the bishop of Rome And coÌ„trariewise as euery of them was most licentious most geuen to extorsion to tyrannie or to robling of Churches so was he most disobedient to the See of Rome So that as all the heathen Emperours froÌ„ Nero to the Renegat Iulianus did alwaies persecute the Apostolike See of Rome and as afterward al the heretical Emperours did the same as wel those of CoÌ„stantinople as of the West so contrarywise all the good Constantines the Theodosians the MartiaÌ„s Carolus Ludouicus Otho and their good successours did so little thiÌ„ck themselues the supream heads ouer the bishops of Rome and of the other Christians in spiritual causes that contrarie wise they obeied them as their chiefe pastours and as the Vicars of Christ aÌ„d the successours of S. Peter And that they did not only being a part euery man in his own Realm but also when that most famouse battell against the Turkes and Saracens was by the inspiration of the holy Ghost begun at one tyme by the Spaniards Sigebertus in Chron. Anno Do. 1096. Gascons Britans Normans English Scotish and Frenchmen by the Burgundions Almains Lumbards and Italians when diuerse Dukes as Godfrid of Lorrain and Baiamund of Apulia wheÌ„ diuerse Erles as Baldwin of MoÌ„s one Robert of Flanders and an other of Normandy StepheÌ„ of Blese and Raimund when Hugh the brother of Philip the King of Fraunce toke that most holy warfare in hand when I say they were stirred vppe with one spirit and hart to recouer the holy land did not they shew as wel their own belief as the vniuersal faith of al their countries and nations in that they had Hamarus the bishop of Podium sette ouer them Apostolica authoritate by the Apostolike authoritie And how marueilouse successe of victory had they conquering as well Antioche as Hierusalem It can be vnknowen to no man who readeth
was called campus Martius And so by the changing of the place the Protestants haue lost their argument The pope also doth sitte for the most part on the other side of the riuer vppon the hilnamed Vatican hard by S. Peters Churche The seueÌ„ hils by whom he holdeth his chaire not at all deriuing his power from the seuen hils whereupon the seuen Kings dwelt or from the Roman Empire But in dede the seuen hils are well meant the fulnes of pride and vaine glorie which is in all the worlde and specially in secular princes Herof I shal speak in the next chapiter to whom yet the protestants committ the supreame gouernment of the Church being therby nere to the state of Antichrist then they are ware of But lette all our new brethern bring but one holy Father or auncient doctour who hath ben alwaies accompted Catholike who euer said that the bishop of Rome should be Antichrist or if none can be alleaged let this doctrine of theirs be accompted a ê“phane nouelty of words 1. Tim. 6. which S. Paule would haue to be auoided among good Christians Not the Pope of Rome but the Protestants themselues are the members of Antichrist by forsaking the Catholike Church by setting vp a new Church and by teaching false doctrine against the Gospel of Iesus Christ The XVIII chap. THis being once cleered that the Pope of Rome can not be that notable Antichrist who was so loÌ„g before prophecied of the next shift of the Protestants must be to say that the Pope is at the lest a forerunner of that principal Antichrist 1. Ioan. 2 Of which sort all such are as by teaching false doctrine do promote his kingdoÌ„ who is the head and capitaine of all errour and heresie I am not ignorant that if I should exactly handle this argument I should runne ouer all the articles which are at this day in controuersie For in euery of them he that holdeth the false part is a meÌ„ber of Antichrist aÌ„d he that defendeth the truthe is of Christ But for so much as that were an infinite labour it shall suffise by a few generall reasons to shew the way vnto him who list to prosecute the said argumeÌ„t more fully The first mark of an Antichristian SEing we now speak not of Panims or Iewes who are without the Church but of heretikes who were once of the Church the first way to know this kind of Antichristes is if we can shew that any man departed from the Catholike Churche For when Christ intreated of false Prophetes and erroneouse teachers he said to his faithfull Disciples nolite exire Matth. 24 goe ye not out As who should say you are at this tyme within If ye can tarrie where you are no daunger can come to you But al the peril is in going out after them who preache otherwise then the Church beleueth 1. Ioan. 2. Of them S. Iohn said exierunt ex nobis they went forth from vs. Act. 15. Likewise the Apostles coÌ„plain of them who went out from theÌ„ and preached the necessity of circumcision Homil. de Pastor And S. Augustine saith generally exire haereticorum est It is the point of heretiks to goe out Who then went from the Churche of these two Did the Pope go out of the true Church or did the Protestants If the Pope weÌ„t forth whoÌ„ did he leaue behind him where dwelt they whoÌ„ he forsoke Let the country the City the town the village the Church the chappel the cumpany of neuer so fewe men be named from whom being members of the true Churche the Pope went For he that goeth out goeth from some and leaueth some behiÌ„d him But it can neuer be named whom the pope left behind him in the true Church when he went out of the said Church because in deed he neuer went forth but dwelt in the middest of all faithfull Nations being their guide and Pastour Neither did he depart froÌ„ the Grecians but some of the GreciaÌ„s for a tyme departed from him vpon the quarel of the proceding of the holy Ghost from God the son Which truthe the Grecians vniustlie denied And therfore after a tyme vppon better aduise and confereÌ„ce some of them came into that Church againe An. Dom. 1440. where the Pope remained head as at the Councel of FloreÌ„ce And some other taried without stil and died in the schism But al this while the pope went not out of the Church On the otherside we can al tell wheÌ„ a An. Do. 1044. Berengarius b 1350. Wiclef c 1410. Hus d 1517. Luther e 1522. Zuinglius f 1540. Caluin and such others professed to goe out the Roman Church We know whom they left behind them within the Church verily they left all Italy al Fraunce al Spaine al Polonia all Hungary all England all Sicily and so much of Germany in the Church as went not out after them If now it be the point of an hereticall Antichrist to goe out of the faithfull company of Christ who is liker to be Antichrist the Pope who departed from no company of Christ or the Protestants who departed from so many Christian natioÌ„s as now I named and most of al the Sacramentaries who departed also both from the Pope and from the verie Lutherans themselues An obiection As for that vaine bragge wherein they are wont to say the pope departed froÌ„ the Apostles and prophets is it not as easie for vs to say the selfe same thing vnto them The anâ—vver when we speak of departing we speake of the departing from the vnity of such as once liued together with vs in one house of God For then some goe out and some tarrie within As Arrius and Eusebius of Nicomedia departed out and his bishop Alexander with good Athanasius taried stil in the Church Nouatus went out Cornelius taried within Pelagius wente out Saint Augustine and Saint Hierom followed him not but taried within Euen so Luther went out from the company with whom he once liued peaceably aÌ„d the pope taried stil within Therefore Luther and his adhearents are hereticks and the members of Antichrist If it be said here An other obiection ansvvered that the Apostles and disciples departed from the Chaire of Moyses and yet were not heretiks I answere that such examples make nothing for the departing of the Protestantes from vs except they can bring such prophecies and such euident miracles for their departing from vs as the Apostles brought aÌ„d wrought for their departing from the Iewes There should be but one suche change of Religion in all the world aÌ„d because it was so hard a matter to make men forsake their former trade of seruing God it was not done without the comming doune of the Sonne of God from heauen into the earth Luc. 24. who shewed by the Prophets and by his very workes that the same one change of the whole religion
of our Lords supper I know you beleue his doctrine to be starck false in that behalfe Wel was he not warned thereof not onlie by his owne Catholike bisshop but also by Zuinglius a man of God as you saie Did he not after a sharppe warning or two yet still defend his false doctrine manie yeeres togeather most stubburnlie Tit. 3. Therefore by Saint Paules doctrine Luther was an heretike and was to be auoided as a man condemned by his own iudgement How do you auoid him when in your Apologie of the Church of of Englād you iustifie him as a man whome God reised after long darknes to geue fresh light vnto the world Cal you then an errour in religion the light of the Gospel What was there I pray you whie the old false Prophets of the primitiue Churche were accompted heretiques the which is not also founde in Martin Luther Luther had al the properties of the old Heretikes Did they teache erronious doctrine So did he euen by your confession Did they stand in it being warned So did he Did they die in it So did he Made they a schism for it So did he Left they scholars behind them who bare their names As though the Martinists and Lutherans be not named of Martin Luther Did their Schism hurt the peace of the Church So doth this Was their heresie condemned by General or Prouincial Councels So was the doctrine of the Lutherans condemned at Trent at Rome at Magunce at Colon at Cambray and where not To be short define an heretique for your life how euer you can and Luther shal be within the cūpasse of your definition And yet shal you that iustifie him be saued No surely no more thē they that iustifie the Nicolaits or Monothelits It wil not now serue to saie that S. Cyprian died in his opinion of rebaptising those who were baptized of heretikes For then partly the Catholique faith in that point was not fully and vniuersally reuealed in any General Coūcel partly S. Cypriā did not die wtih such a stubbornes in this behalf that he was ready to iudge or to excōmunicate the contrary teachers as his own a ad Quītum ad Iubaianū Epistles and S. b lib. 2. 3. de baptismo cōt Donat. Augustin doth wel proue at large Neither would he haue refused a iudge euen in earth if occasion had ben geuen to haue come to the tryall of the mater But the questiō of our Lords supper was vniuersally knowē and fiue hundred yeres past it was defined in iudgement at certain Councels euen to the recantation of Berengarius the first publike mainteinour therof And when the great general Councel of Lateran had ended it the whole Church was confirmed in their former belefe Now the definitiō of that great Coūcel doth cōdēne both Luther ād Zuīglius Moreouer Luther and Zuinglius died with suche a presumptuouse stubbornes that eche of them refused anie Iudge in the whole earth because eche of them said him selfe to be sure of the word of God beside the which eche of them refused any iudge at al. So that now no excuse in the world remaineth but that either Luther or Zuinglius must be an Antichrist And that who so iustifieth them both as the Protestants and Sacramentaries doe is vtterlie damned for allowing one Antichrist at the least The fourth marck of an Antichristian The Fourth mark of an Antichrist is in that God suffereth as not Antichrist himself in his own person so neither his ministers ād false Prophets to continue or tarie long For as Christe said Matth. 24. where he intreated of these matters Except those daies had ben shortened 2. Pet. 2. no flesh should be saued And S. Peter saith The perdition of false teachers sleepeth not For in deed except God prouided that heresies might haue a short reign the whole faith would be in danger to be corrupted by them And I pray you The short reigne of Luther see how short a reigne Luther had who was the first false Prophet of our age His heresie and doctrine is in maner nowe come to remaine onely in two or three persons For whereas his sect is onelie that whiche he him selfe taught he was no soner dead but Philip Melancthon beganne to change his doctrine The which thing so displeased Flaccus Illyricus with a few others that they toke vpō them the defense of their Master Luther and thereby they are so hated in al the states and Cities of the Ciuile Lutherans who are spread through moste parts of Germanie that now it is not lawful for the said Illyricus so muche as to appere in those quarters nor his bookes may not be openly sold at Lipsia or Wittenberge except some fewe of them which are by name permitted The short reigne of Hosiander Hosiander a Protestant taught in Prussia at Coninsperg That God iustifieth man onely by his diuine nature And that the man iustified must be iust with the very same iustice wherewith God is iust in his owne nature and substance And whiles this Hosiander liued Duke Albertus was altogether of his opinion and fauoured him aboue measure But now at my being in Prussia I learned there were scant three men left who openlie mainteined this sect And the Duke was saied to care now no more for it And good reason why for their heresies die with the inuentours of them As for Zuinglius opinion The short reigne of zuinglius it is vtterlie extinguisshed by the Caluinists For Zuinglius and Oecolampadius thought these woordes This is my bodie directlie to concerne and to appertaine to the bread and onlie to make it a figure of Christes bodie Whereby he that should receiue the same bread might be put in minde of Christes death But Caluin hath affirmed the said words of Christ not to be directed to the bread but onlie to be a sermon and a preaching made to the audience which is present Whereby the bodie of Christe is consecrated not now in the bread as in a signe whiche Zuinglius beleued but in euery mans hart by faith and by the remembrance of Christes death And in the hart Christ is present saith Caluin not onlie by faith as Zuinglius had taught but reallie and in very deed whiles certaine beames come from the flesh of Christ in heauen into his hart who eateth with Caluins phantastical faith The short reigne of Caluin Now as for Caluins own doctrine it shal decay euery hower sithens he is once dead Euen alreadie in Polonia it is ouerwhelmed with Trinitaries Iosephits and with those who circumcide them selues and with diuerse other blasphemies wherevnto those are nowe fallen who were once Caluins Scholars In England it is forsaken by his own scholers who allow defend and both doe sweare themselues and make other men to sweare vnto the supreame gouernement of temporall Princes ouer the spirituall Pastours in all things and causes by Act of parliamēt In Amos.
praescript It hath ben alwaies the fashion of all heretikes as Tertullian saith to destroye other mens buildings as to vndoe that which other men doe Ipsum opus eorum non de suo proprio aedificio venit sed de veritatis destructione nostra suffodiuÌ„t vt sua aedificent Their very worck riseth not of their own building but from the destroying of the truthe They vndermine our things that they may build vp their owne And Hippolytus thinketh the seale of Antichrist to be nego In Homi. de consum mat sec I deny For as saith he the deuil did exhort the Martyrs to deny their God who was crucified so at the last day the seale of Antichrist and of his members shal be Nego creatorem coeli terrae nego baptisma nego adorationem à me Deo praestarisoliatam I deny the maker of heauen and of earth I denie baptisme I deny the adoration which I was wont to doe vnto God Thus in the old tyme whereas the Apostles preached Christ to be true God and man VVHat the old hereticke deny Arrius denied his true Godhead Marcion and Valentinus and Manicheus denied his true manhood Apollinaris is denied his true sowle the Monothelits denied his doble will the Donatists the Continuance of the vniuersality of his Church the Pelagians the necessity of Gods grace and the like may be said of all other heretiks whose opinions alwaies detracted some perfection from Christ or from his Church Now I will shew that the Protestants doe the like in our tyme. For whereas the vniuersal Church as wel by the preaching of the Apostles as by the witnesse of Gods writen word was in possession of a publike sacrifice of priesthood of seuen Sacramentes as of most vndoubted instrumentes of grace and of diuerse other godly and diuine orders and Canons haue they any other Gospell any other Churche or any other doctrine then that which consisteth in deniyng Hovv many things the Protestants take avvay froÌ„ the Churche Ioan. 1. and in taking away that which was before The holy scriptures and Churche tawght that a man being iustified is both really deliuered from his synnes and really receaueth faith hoape and charity Thei deny our synnes to be taken away by the lamb of God who came for that purpose saying they tary still but onely that they are not imputed They teache also that no iustice is at all made in vs by spreading charity in our harts Rom. 5. whereas S. Paul saith iusti coÌ„stituentur multi many shal be made iust But they only say iustice is imputed to vs. Again they fiue Sacraments of the seuen They deny that baptism remitteth our synnes or that baptisme is necessarie to children which are born of Ghristian parents Augustin epist 106. Which was the heresie of the Pelagians They deny the vse of holy oyle and of chrism They deny the reall presence of Christes body the adoration and reseruation thereof the transubstantiation of the bread into his body the vnblody sacrifice of Christes supper the communion of one kinde to be sufficient and consequently they deny that whole Christ in vnder eche kinde and the mingling of water with the wine And that one may receaue alone that Aultars are lawfull that there are Priestes of the newe Testament that Bishops are of any higher degree then Priestes that there is any one bisshoppe chief of all other that Priests can forgeue synnes but onelie may preache that they are forgeuen that it is lawfull to appoint certaine daies of fasting or the abstinence from certain meates for obedience although God both willed Adam to absteine from a certain frute Genes 2. and the Iewes to absteine from certain meates They deny that it is lawfull to pray to the Saints in heaueÌ„ or to pray for the faithful which died in Christ wherein they deny any communioÌ„ of praier betwene the faithful which are aliue and their brethern who liue out of this worlde with Christ They deny the infallible authority of generall CouÌ„cels the visible succession of bishoppes the place of purgation after this life the remaining of paine after the synne is forgeuen the chaÌ„ging or pardoming of the said paine by the high bisshop the vse and moderate honour of Images the signe of the healthfull crosse the making of a vowe to liue chaste or to renounce all propriety of goods or to liue in obedience the reuerence don the reliques of the blessed Martyrs the vse of praier in the holy tungs the vniuersall tradition of vnwriten verities and to be short theiÌ„ deny the bookes of the old Bible such as are not in the Canon of the Iewes These things and many other like whiles they deny what other thing do thei theÌ„ pul down the religioÌ„ of Christ which hath ben a building these fiften hundred yeeres And therein they prepare a way to Antichrist who in the end must deny all that they as yet leaue vndenied For if they should openly deny euery whit 2 Thes â— then the mystery of iniquity should not be a working and many simple men should not haue bene deceaued by them who now are deceaued because they pretend to refoorme and not to take away Christes religion But when the tyme is ripe then the iniquity which is now begun must be fulfilled and so is the whole religioÌ„ destroied I would this were not true And yet it is possible that euery Protestant knoweth not so much because Satan the great capitaine of their army keepeth his Counsel to himselfe knowing that how much the closer he worketh the more hurt he is like to doe But God through mercy detecteth his snares aÌ„d warneth them Genes 1â— 6. who wil be saued to flee into the hil with Loth and to the ship of the Churche with Noe there to prouide for their eternal saluatioÌ„ which our Lord graunt through his bitter passion Amen Finis Librum istum de primatu Romani Pontificis Petra Ecclesiae vniuersalis legerunt viri sacrae Theologiae Auglici idiomatis peritissimi quibus iudico meritò tutò credendum esse vt fine periculo imo summa cum vtilitate euul gari possit Cunerus Petri P.S. Petri Louanij 25. Februa Anno. 1566. A BRIEF SOME OF THE chief points of this treatise THE preface conteineth the marks of the true Church The difference betwen a dominion and a primacy 17. The Apostles strife coÌ„cerning superiority is declared 25. 26. 27. That there was one greater among the Apostles 20. vsque 37. To be a ruler and as a minister do not repugne 46. 47. The preeminence of priests aboue Kings 51. 52. caet A King can not be supreme gouernor in all ecclesiasticall causes because by right and Law he can not practise al ecclesiastical causes 61. 64. 67. The highe priest is preferred before the King by Gods lawe 72. 74. 76. The euil life of a bishop taketh not away his authority 78. 79. The differences betweÌ„ the bisshop of Rome and temporal princes 80. vsque 88. That Moises was a priest 83. 84. 85. The literal sense of holy scripture 96. The promise to be called Peter was the first cause why the church was built vpon him 110. The Protestants can not tell which is the first literal sense of these words vpon this rock I will build my Churche 135. How Peter beareth the person of the Church 165. The obiections against S. Peters supremacy are answered 219. vsque 230. How Christ loued Peter aboue others 237. The Church neuer lacked a visible rock 270. 271. The whole gouernment of the Church tendeth to vnity 299. Why S. Peter died at Rome 313. 313. S. Augustins minde touching the supremacy of the Pope of Rome 348. vsque 372. A priest aboue the Emperour in Eeclesiasticall causes 378. The oth of the roial supremacy is intolerable 383. CoÌ„staÌ„tine baptized at Rome 391 Phocas did not first make the See of Rome head of al Churches 405. vsque 410. Why Antichrist is permitted to come 423. Hereticks depart from the Catholik Church 469. Hereticks being once departed out of the Churche haue newe names 471. Why amoÌ„g the Catholiks some are called Franciscans Dominicans caet 477. Heretiks can neuer agree 479. The short reigne of heretickes 489 caet Hereticks preache without coÌ„mission 496. Heretiks doe prefer the temporal reign or sword before the spiritual 499. They are the members of Antichrist who withstand the external and publike sacrifice of Christes Church 518. Hereticks depriue Christ of his glorious inheritaunce in many nations together 517. The intolerable pride of heretikes in making themselues onely iudges of the right sense of Gods word 530. The ProtestaÌ„ts teache the same doctrine which the old hereticks did 553. The Protestantes are the right meÌ„bers of Antichrist in that they spoile Gods Church of very many gifts and graces and articles of the faith 560. FINIS Faultes escaped in the printing Page Line Faultes Corrections 10. 10. shephead shepheard 23. 22. them because them but because 98. 22. resurrection by resurrection by 103. 24. confession Being confession being 106. 13. stedfastnes of stedfastnes or of â—16 9. and promised aÌ„d being promised 145. 8. and in that and that 177. 21. the thing the man 186. 6. rocke of rock or 195. 14. sbme some 208. 23. vvhen Augustine vvhen Augustine 209. 11. hy me by me 214. 1. to true to be true 2â—9 17. in omnibus in ouibus 26â— 1. to the the 273. 15. vvas vvere vvas vvhere 281. 6. the pordinary the ordinary 382. 7. can gouern can not gouern 426. 14. CoÌ„essours Confessours 430. 13. teache teache 432. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 408. 1. out the out of the 496. 2. rom from 516. â— hauen heauen 539. 22. S. Saule S. Paul 553. 21. bishops bishop I F RESPâ—â—ITE VOLATILIA COELI ET PVLLOS CORVORVM