supremacie neither did saint Paul make more accoūt of Peter then of other the Apostles reprouing him because hée had brought the Iewes and Barnabas into his dissimulation And here to passe ouer the frailty of Peter in this his great offence it is to be considered because the Bishoppes of Rome haue claimed a succession from him that if there ought to haue beene such a succession as they imagine of Peter rather then of other the Apostles the Bishops of Antioche then by likelihood shold haue claimed the right of Peters successors rather then the bishops of Rome sith it doth not appeare in any place of the holy scriptures that euer Peter was at Rome but at Antioche it appeareth and in sundrie places of Asia and other the East partes of the world Howbeit I denie not Euseb lib. 2. cap. 14. but that some histories and Chronicles doe make mention that Peter was at Rome Which I will not say that they were made to say so corrupted by popish setters forth of thē I can not affirme it but this I can affirme wil boldly say that al which those histories Chronicles doe writ of Peters being at Rome is not agreable with the word of God therefore is not of vs to be credited seeing that it is contrarie to the word of truth And herein all wise mē may consider that seeing Pauls iourney from Ierusalem to Rome is most plainly set forth in the scriptures from place to place frō Iland to Iland from coūtrie to coūtry what he did either by land or by sea much more if Peter had traueiled from Antioche to Rome and that his iourney had beene of so great weight to our saluation as the papistes doe pretende by grounding therevppon the supremacie and authoritie of the Bishops of Rome it is to be thought that Peters iourney shoulde haue bene written and set foorth most expressely Yea of all likelihood it should haue bene extolled more then the iourneis of famous Emperours then Xerxes iourney into Grece with tenne hundreth thousande men then Alexander the greate his iourney to conquere the whole worlde then Iulius Cesars iourneyes in his conquest of Asia France Spaine England and many other nations But if the Papistes fansies be true belike saint Peter did flie in the skies aboue the ground and neither trauailed by sea nor by lande Certainely this is euident that the foundation of the Romish supremacie is too weake to beare such weight as they would haue it séeing that it hath no ground in all the scriptures but onely in mans corrupt deuises for worldly vaine glorie As in déede it is most vngodly extolled and aduaunced by Albertus Pighius Eckius Hosius and such other Romish clearkes and Popishe Sophisters who doe exalt the Bishop of Rome to the celestiall hierarchies and make a doubt whether he be a mere man or no whether he haue not as great power as our Sauiour Christ had with other such matters grounded on his supremacie most vaine and blasphemous to the dishonour of God and our Sauiour Iesu Christ in whose word it hath no ground For to go forward with Peters being at Rome the foundatiō of this supremacy S. Paul being at Rome in the time of Nero the Emperor did write his Epistle to the Colossiās in the fourth Chapter wherof sending gréetings salutations from his friendes that were then at Rome with him he saith to the Colossians Col. 4. Salutat vos Aristarchus Marcus consobrinus Barnabae Iesus qui dicitur iustus Hi soli sunt adiutores mei in regno Dei qui mihi fuere solatio Salutat vos Epaphras qui ex vobis est seruus Christi Salutat vos Lucas medicus charissimus Demas Aristarchus doth salute you Marcus Barnabas sisters sonne Iesus which is called Iustus These only are my workfellowes to the kingdome of God which haue bene a comfort to me Epaphras doth salute you which is one of you the seruant of Christ Luke the beloued physician and Demas doe salute you also now if Peter had bene at Rome in the time of Nero with Paul was not he worthie to haue bene named in these salutations as well as Aristarchus Marcus Iesus Epaphras Luke and Demas would not he haue ben a fellowhelper to Paul which saint Paul saith none were but onely those thrée whom he nameth to them and Peter is none of them Yes doubtlesse Whereby it appeareth he was not then at Rome Againe he writeth afterwarde from Rome vnto Timothie Festina ad me venire citò 2. Tim. 4. Demas enim me reliquit diligen◠hoc seculum abijt Thessalonicam Crescens in Galatiam Titus in Dalmatiam Lucas est mecum solus Marcum assume adduc tecum est enim vtilis mihi in ministerio Tychicum autem misi Ephesum Haste thee to come to me quickly For Demas hath forsaken me embracing this present worlde and is gone to Thessalonica Crescens into Galatia Titus to Dalmatia Luke is only with me Take Marke and bring him with thee for he is profitable to me in the ministery Tichicus I haue sent to Ephesus c. Nowe if Peter had beene at Rome with Paul when hée wrote this Epistle to Timothie then he would not haue written that there was none with him but Luke only and therfore required Timothy to bringe Marke with him then would he not haue added that which there doth follow that at his first answering no man did assist him but all did forsake him which I thinke the Papistes will not say that Peter would haue done if he at that time had béene at Rome with Paul which that hee was not at any time it may be farther coniectured by that which is written in the second to the Galathians Galat. 2. how Iames Peter and Iohn made an agréement with Paul and Barnabas that they shoulde preach vnto the Gētiles as Iames Peter and Iohn vnto the circumcised which are the Iewes And vppon this agréement they did pledge their faith and gaue their right hande of fellowshippe one to the other Whereby it may be gathered that Peter did rather frequent those places where the Iewes were more dispersed ◠Peter 1. as Pōtus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia to the which he writeth also his first Epistle then the landes of Gréece and Italy with the citie of Rome replenished with the Gentiles hauing fewer Iewes amongest thē Al which things laid together it will appeare to be verie likely the Peter was neuer at Rome neither before the time of Nero nor in Neroes time with Paul Which proueth the foundation of the Romishe Bishops supremacie vppon Peters being at Rome to bée a verie weake and fickle foundation as all the other groundes of his supremacie are with the rest of his religion Chap. 6. That although Peter had beene at Rome yet could he not be the foundation of the Church which honour is proper vnto Christ onely By the way against the sacrifice of the
euident by Christes words Chap. 4. That the second commission which Christ gaue out to his Apostles was giuen in like sort as the first not with any greater authoritie to Peter then to any of the rest THe second commission whiche our sauiour gaue to all his Apostles was giuen to them after that he had suffered death vpon the crosse for al mankinde and hauing redéemed them with his precious bloude was raised vp againe from death vnto life This commission is declared by the Euāgelist saint Mark in these wordes Mark 16. Nouissimè autem recumbentibus illis vndecim apparuit et exprobrauit incredulitatem illorum duritiem cordis quia his qui viderant eum resurrexisse non crediderunt Et dixit eis euntes in mundum vniuersum praedicate euangelium omni creaturae qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit saluus erit qui verò non crediderit condemnabitur Last of all he appeared to the eleuen Apostles sitting at the table and rebuked them for their vnbeleefe and hardnes of their heartes because they did not beleeue them which had seene him being risen from death And he sayde vnto them Go you into all the world and preach the gospell to euery creature He that shal beleeue and be baptised shal be saued But who so will not beleeue shall be damned vnto which commission he added further promises what signes should followe thē who beléeued to wit that in his name they should cast out diuels they should speake new languages they shoulde take away serpentes yea if they did drinke poyson it should not hurt them they shoulde lay their hands vpon diseased persons they should recouer The meaning and manner of this commission that Christe did giue them is declared farther by the Euangelist saint Iohn in that he doth say Cùm ergo serò esset die illo Iohn 20. vna sabbatorum fores essent clausae vbi erant discipuli congregati propter metum Iudaeorum venit Iesus stetit in medio dixt eis pax vobis Et cū haec dixisset ostendit eis manus latus Gauisi sunt ergo discipuli viso domino Dixit ergo eis iterum pax vobis sicut misit me pater ego mitto vos Hoc cùm dixisset insufflauit dixit eis Accipite spiritum sanctum quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis peccata retenta sunt The same day then at nighte which was the first daye of the weeke and when the dores were shut where the disciples were assēbled for feare of the Iewes Iesus came stood in the middest of thē and said vnto thē peace be vnto you And when he had sayd that he shewed vnto them his hands and his side then were the disciples glad when they had seene the Lord. Then saide Iesus againe vnto them peace be vnto you as my father sent me so I also send you And when he had saide this he breathed vpon them and sayde vnto thē receiue you the holy ghost Whosoeuers sinnes you shall forgiue they are forgiuen them and whosoeuers ye retein they are reteined By this later commission our sauiour Christ gaue to all his Apostles like power and equal authority to go through the whole world to prech the gospell of saluation to all creatures of whome he said in general He that shal beleeue and be baptised shall be saued he that will not beleeue shall be damned He gaue them equall authority and power to remit and reteine the sinnes of all both Iewes and Gentiles which by their first commission they could not because they had not authority to preach vnto any but to the lost shéepe of the house of Israel I say this authority nowe giuen the Apostles was giuen in equall and like manner to them all and not to one more then to all the rest Wherfore vnlesse that Satan had mightily puffed vp the bishops of Rome naming them selues Peters successours whome Christe once called Satan and I know not in what they be his successours vnlesse it be in that it might séeme strange that any man pretending the name and faith of a Christian shoulde so farre abuse Christes worde and commission as to claim such authority so far greater then his worde and commission doth extend vnto But it is a true saying who is so blind as he that wil not see Verily if the Papistes woulde read and sée with an humble spirit and obedient hart to the almighty God that which is written in his worde as I beséeche the Lorde they may then out of doubt they shoulde finde that Peter had no greater or larger authority then other the Apostles had Neither did he euer chalenge such authority aboue other the Apostles as the Byshops of Rome haue done aboue all other bishops vnder the false pretence that they are Peters successours because for sooth they are Byshops of Rome therein as they say doe succéede Saint Peter Chap. 5. That Peter was neuer at Rome as farre as may be gatherd by the scriptures Therefore the Popes supremacie may not be laide on that foundation BVT to touch this by the way for so much as they make so much a do about it by the scriptures they can not proue that Peter was euer at Rome much lesse that he was Byshop of Rome But this we can proue that he was at Ierusalem and in many other places gouerning and instructinge the congregation of Christe Yea aboue three yeares after saint Paules conuersion Galat. 1. we read that he went to Ierusalem to see Peter and hauing bene in sundry countries after other fouretéene yeares he went vp to Ierusalem againe talked with him Peter afterward came to Antioche where saint Paul also mette with him as his words doe witnes to the Galatians Galat. 2. Cùm autem venisset Petrus Antiochiam in faciem ei restui quia reprehensibilis erat Prius enim quà m venirent quidā 〈◊〉 Iacobo cū gentibus edebat quū autē venissent subtrahebat segregabat se c sed cū vidissem quòd non rectè ambularent ad veritatē euangelij dixi Cephae corā omnibus si tu cū Iudaeus sis gentiliter viuis non Iudaicè quomodo gentes cogis Iudaizare Therefore when Peter did come to Antioche saith saint Paul I withstood him to his face because he was to bee rebuked For before that some came from Iames he did eate with the gentiles when they were come he did withdrawe him selfe c. But when I sawe that they went not the right way to the truth of the Gospel I saide to Cephas that is Peter before them all if thou being a Iewe liuest as a gentile and not like a Iewe why doest thou cause the gentiles to liue after the manner of Iewes Nowe this rebuke of Paul for that is worth the notinge also Peter did patiently beare and suffer at Paules handes Whereby it is manifest that Peter did not claime the Popish
subiect and obedient to all ordinaunce of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto the gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euil doers and for the praise of them that doe well Rom. 13. As saint Paul did warne the Romanes and in the Romanes all Christians Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God Who so euer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement These lessons of Christe of Peter of Paul the ancient bishops of Rome did shewe by their example they thought them to pertaine not only to the laitie but also to the cleargie not only to the poorest but also to the richest Bishops They thought the same which Chrysostome doth write vpon Saint Paul that obedience to Princes is commanded to all estates Omnis anima potestatibus supereminentibus sit subdita Chrisostom in Epist ad Roma homilia 23. etiamsi Apostolus sis si Euangelista si propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris Neque enim pietatē subuertit ista subiectio Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers though thou be an Apostle saith Chrisostome though an Euangelist though a prophet for godlines is not empaired by this obedience and subiection They thought that Constantine did the duetie of a godly Emperour who when a councel of Bishops assembled at Tyrus had wrongfully and vniustly condemned Athanasius he commanded them all to come to him spéedily at Constantinople that you may proue saith he Historia tripartit lib. 3. Cap. 7. the soundnesse and vprightnes of your sentence and iudgement Coram me quem proprium esse Dei ministrum neque vos negabitis Before me whome your selues can not denie to be the true and right seruant of God But after that the successors of Boniface had felt the sauour of the supremacie neither our sauiour Christes example nor his Apostles authoritie nor the iudgement of the fathers nor the practise of the godly bishops coulde kepe the Pope within his boundes in subiection to the Emperour but he exempted first himself from his power afterward al the cleargie and lastly brought the Emperour in subiection to him self taking the two swordes vpon him the spirituall and the temporall Then ceased the Popes to call the Emperours their Lords Greg. Episto lib. 4. cap. 76. passim as Gregorie the first did call them after his godly predecessors and they beganne to call them their sonnes and their children as nowe they vse to write vnto them Then did they make decrees that the ciuil magistrate should haue nought to deale with any of the cleargie Nouell constitut Iustinian where as before Iustinian the Emperour did gouerne and rule the highest of them as his lawes do shew the which are yet extant Then did they count them selues the onely Vicars of God on earth not acknowledging that in Princes which Eleutherius did in Lucius the auncient kinge of Englande whome he willed as Gods Vicar within his own kingdome to drawe him lawes out of the scriptures there by to rule his owne subiectes Then did they forbid that bishoprickes and spirituall liuinges shoulde be taken at the handes of lay mē no not of Emperours they made them selues Lords of them and therefore did condemne both such as gaue them otherwise and such as receiued them To be short they grewe to such outrage of presumption of rebelliō of ryot of tyrannie of extortiō of lust and all enormities that a man might knowe the trée by the fruites and the wise must néede abhorre that supremacie out of the which such villanies and abhominations did springe into the worlde Chap. 13. What fruites did springe out of the supremacie wherein the wicked mischiefes and abominatiōs of the Popes liues and dealinges are touched by their owne writers THese fruites of the supremacy of the Romane Byshoppes woulde be considered further in their liues and doings which if I shoulde endeuor to runne them ouer all such as pertaine vnto this purpose I shoulde neuer make an ende Wherefore I will touch but onely certaine of the chiefest as it were for a tast noting out of them as neere as I can the very naturall fruites of the Romish supremacie Amongest the which first there commeth in place their contention and ambition in procuring of the Popedome for the which there hath ben cōmonly such corruption such bribery such debate such imprisoning murthering poysoning all euill meanes vsed betwixt them that in Platina their owne secretarie and writer of their liues it is a common note in verie many of them that they were made Popes some by Mars some by monie some by fauour of friendes some by power of noble men some by sorcerie and magike some by like pollicies of the Deuill Platina in Iohanne 10. Pontifices ipsi a Petri vestigijs discesserant saith Platina The Byshoppes of Rome were now departed from Peters steppes Which complainte he doth make vppon occasion of their hatred conceyued by one of them against another through their ambition For Iohn the ix was vexed by Martine the seconde so that being imprisoned he was faine to escape by flight Martine the seconde made Pope through euill meanes did restore Formosus whome Iohn had depryued Afterwarde Formosus getting the rome by bryberie came in by periurie vnto it and liued in it accordingly Steuen the sixt that succéeded him did abrogate and repeale al the actes of Formosus whose body he digged also out of his graue cut off his two fingers wherewith he hallowed Priestes and cast them into the riuer After Steuen came Romanus Theodorus and Iohn the tenth who did repeale the actes of Steuen and restored Formosus actes to full authoritie againe Which villanous dealing of them one against an other enforceth Platina him selfe Platina in Formos 1. Stephan 6. Romano 1. Benedicto 4. Christophero 1. c. though otherwise fauouring the Popes to breake out into these complaintes that the vertue and honestie of the Bishops of Rome nowe was decayed that they did aspire and attaine vnto the office by ambition and briberie that hereof did spring their hatred one against an other when they were put beside it that of this hatred there a rose a cōmon custome which was almost kept alwayes afterward that what the former Bishops had done decréed their successors would either wholy or in part take away that these petie Popes for so he doeth call them did thinke of nothinge else but how they mighte deface the name and dignitie of their predecessors by repealing of their actes that when the Church did waxe wanton with honor and wealth there being no prince in Rome to represse mens wickednesse the loose licentiousnesse of sinne did bring foorth these beasts who through ambition and briberie did inuade the sée of
Masse and the Popish transubstantiation BVT whether that saint Peter were at Rome or no it makes no gret matter It is sufficient that it can not be proued by the scriptures But if it were graunted vnto the papistes it maketh nothing for the Popes supremacie For saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 3. Fundamentum aliud nemo potest ponere praeter id quod positū est quod est Christus Iesus No man can lay any other foundation then that which is laide which is Christ Iesus And saint Peter himselfe saith in the seconde Chapter of his firste epistle Deponentes igitur omnem malitiam omnem dolum simulationes 1. Pet. 2. inuidias omnes detractiones sicut modò geniti infantes lac sermonis sine dolo concupiscite vt in eo crescatis in salutem si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est dominus Ad quem accedentes lapidē viuum ab hominibus quidē reprobatum a deo autem electum ac honorificatū ipsi tanquā lapides viui superaedificamini domus spiritualis sacerdotiū sanctū offerre hostias spirituales acceptabiles deo per Iesum Christum Laying away therefore all malice al guile dissemblings enuies and all bacbitinges as newe borne babes desire the sincere milke of Gods worde that thereby you may growe vnto saluation if so be that you haue tasted that the Lorde is swete Vnto whome comming as to a liuing stone disallowed of men but chosen of God and pretious vppon him be ye builded as liuing stones a spirituall house a holy Priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable vnto God through Iesus Christ Out of the which wordes of S. Paul and saint Peter we haue to learne two notable thinges one that Christe our sauiour is the foundation and the liuing stone which the builders refused but God accepted it honoured it the other that the faithfull must be laide on this foundation as liuing stones be builded vppon that head and principall corner stone euen Iesus Christ which the more effectually to declare vnto vs saint Peter telleth all the faithfull that they who are so builded are made a spirituall house and a holy priesthoode to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christe spirituall sacrifices and not carnall or transubstantiated sacrifices as the Bishoppe of Rome and his prelates doe falsely faine themselues to doe For to goe a little from my chiefe purpose to sift this horrible heresie of popery I coulde neuer finde in all the holy sciptures or any hystorie of the primitiue Church the euer this kind of transubstantiated sacrifice was ment or spoken of by Christ but that his Church did alwayes receaue and allow the sacrament of Christes body and bloode in such spirituall manner as Saint Paul declareth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 the eleuenth Chapter No in all the heresies that trobled the primitiue Church which were ouerthrown by the fower first general coūcels there is not one word or question moued of it but it was continually vsed as the mysterie and sacrament of Christes body and bloode In which sort it continued in the best parts of Christendome in the best times still vntill at the length the Bishop of Rome called a councell at Laterane within his owne prouince of Italie in the which this decree was made Con. Later anno domini 1215. Christi corpus sanguis in sacramento altaris sub speciebus panis viniveraciter continentur transubstantiatis pane in Corpus vino in sanguinem potestate diuina These are the wordes of the firste Canon of the councel holden at Rome in Laterane vnder Pope Innocent the third and called the great Lateran councell kept the yeare of our Lord .1215 Of the which Canon the wordes doe sounde in English That the bodie and bloud of Christe are verily contained in the Sacrament of the altar vnder the formes of bread and wine the bread beeing transubstantiated that is to say the substance of it turned into his bodie and the wine into his bloud by the power of God This notable deuise of transubstantiation coulde not be found out for the space of twelue hundred and fourtéene yeres after Christ his Apostles Euangelistes Disciples Doctours generall councels knew it not They thought the wordes of the sacrament to be spiritually meant and to be spoken by way of a figure as S. Augustine to cite one for many doth say expressely that in these wordes Nisi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis Augusti de doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 16. sanguinem eius biberitis non habebitis vitam in vobis Figura est praecipiens passioni Domini esse communicandum suauiter atque vtiliter recondendum in memoria quòd pro nobis caro eius crucifixa vulnerata sit Whereas Christ doth say Vnlesse you eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud you shall haue no life in you this is a figure saith S. Augustine or a manner of speech commanding vs to be partakers of the passion of Christ comfortably to lay vp in our mindes that his flesh was crucified and wounded for our sakes Moreouer speaking farther vpon the same wordes on the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospell he sheweth what it is to eate Christes flesh and drinke his bloud Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam August in Iohan. tract 26. illum bibere potum in Christo manere illum manentem in se habere This is therefore to eate that meate and drinke that drinke to dwell in Christe and to haue Christ dwelling in him Ac per hoc qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus procul dubio nec manducat spiritualiter carnem eius nec bibit eius sanguinem licèt carnaliter visibiliter premat dentibus sacramentum corporis sanguinis Christi sed magis tantae rei sacramentum ad iudicium sibi manducat bibit quia immundus praesumpsit accedere ad Christi sacramenta quae aliquis non dignè sumpsit nisi qui mundus est And therfore saith Augustine he that doeth not dwel in Christ in whom Christ doeth not dwell doubtles he neither eateth spiritually the flesh of Christ nor drinketh his bloud although he do carnally and visibly presse with his teeth the sacrament of Christes bodie and bloud but rather he doth eate and drinke the sacrament of so worthy a thing to his iudgement and condemnation because he doth presume being vncleane to come to Christes sacramentes which no man can worthely receiue but he only that is pure and cleane By Christes words therefore béeing wel weighed as it may appeare by S. Augustines words vpon them it may well be gathered that Christ did not meane any transubstantiation or changing the substance of the sacramentall bread into his natural bodie of the sacramentall wine into his naturall bloud but a mystical
Christe the redéemer of all men hath purchased vnto vs with his own pretious bloud Whiche discourse at length is shut vp in the councell with these verie wordes Placuit igitur sanctae aecumenicae Synodo vt singulis prouincijs pura inuiolata quae iam inde ab initio habent sua iura seruentur vt vnusquisque metropolita secundum priscum solitum morem rerum faciendarum aequabiliter facultatem obtineat propriumqueius firmum possideat Quòd si quis superbia contumaci definitis obuiam ierit hunc abrogatum iri placuit toti sanctae oecumenicae Synodo It hath therefore seemed good to all this general councell that euerie prouince should keepe wholy without any breache or empairing at all their auncient rightes liberties which they haue had from the beginning that euerie Metropolitane according to the olde and accustomed manner doe freely enioy the like and equall power of doing thinges belonging to them and eache keepe surely and safely his owne right If any puffed vp with pride doe go against these determinations it hath pleased all this holie and general councel that he shal be depriued By the which decrée of the councel of Ephesus it is most manifest that the Bishop of Rome may not meddle within the prouince of any other whiche yet the Bishoppes of Rome did endeuouring still to clyme vp by little and little ouer other Bishops till they might ouerlooke them all Concil Carthagin 6. As it doth appeare by the councel of Carthage whereat Saint Augustine was present and by sundrie others But this ambition was repressed both by those prouincial councels and by the general of Ephesus which but now I spake of according to the iudgement whereof the Bishop of Rome should be depriued because he doth meddle with the prouinces of others Euagrius lib. 2. Hist Ecclesiast Summa conciliorum The fourth generall councell was holden of Chalcedon a Citie of Bithinia where there met sixe hundred and thirtie bishops béeing called together by the Emperour Marcianus against the heresie of Eutyches And here although there be more great and manifest printes and tokens of an aspiring minde in the Bishop of Romes deputies whome he did send vnto that councell notwithstanding the fathers of the councell did allowe no lesser priuiledge and preeminence of honour to the Bishop of Constantinople then to the Bishop of Rome Concilium Chalcedon Can. 28. Howbeit this decrée which I haue heard say and the learned doe know it is in the Gréeke copies of the councell of Chalcedon the eight and twentieth Canon in the latine Booke called Summa conciliorum An abridgement of councels is wholy left out for what cause a wise man may easily coniecture Yet the Frier who did set forth this abridgement of councels setting forth againe the councell of Chalcedon after the Canons of it in an other sorte out of a new translation Concilium Chalced. actione 16. as he doth say doth shew in this second copie of the councel in the sixtéenth action howe the Bishop of Romes deputies hearing of that decrée wherein the father 's allowed the like authoritie and dignitie to the Bishop of Constantinople as to the Bishop of Rome did whine and mutter at it In so muche that one of them stoode foorth and saide that the Sée of Rome the Sée apostolike as he calleth it must not in their presence be so humbled and oppressed Notwithstanding for all the mislyking and grudging of the Bishoppe of Romes deputies who would not consent vnto it the councell did alter no word of their determination but did conclude the point as they before agréed of it Thus I haue shewed that in the fower principall and first generall councells the supremacie of the byshoppe of Rome which hee doeth claime ouer all Byshoppes was neuer allowed nay by those councels he was restrayned though not so straitly as he deserued yet within his own Prouince no lesse then other Metropolitanes and patriarks as they called them Wherby it may appeare how falsely Master Fecknam did auouch and affirme in the Parliament house at the beginning of the raigne of our Soueraigne Lady gratious Quéene Elizabeth Anno primo Reg. Elizabethae when the Popes supremacie was entreted of that to renounce the authoritie of the sée of Rome was to condemne the iudgement of these fower notable councels the councell of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus of Chalcedon for asmuch as they acknowledged saide M. Feckenam the Bishoppe of Rome to be their chiefe heades and iudges and were obedient vnto them The whiche his report howe notably it is vntrue the indifferent reader I truste may perceiue in part by that which I haue saide and shall perceiue a great deale better if hee peruse the councels them selues and the stories ecclesiasticall which doe entreate of them Chap. 11. Howe Boniface the thirde aboue Six hundred yeares after Christ did first gett the title of vniuersall Bishop and the preeminence of supremacie by the graunt of Phocas a wicked Emperour WHen as the Church was planted by our sauiour Christ after his ascentiō all the Apostles after the Apostles all Bishops were equall At the first generall councell some Byshoppes of the chiefe Cities did lift their heades aboue their brethren yet were they stil equall amongest thēselues At the councels which followed the Bishoppes of Rome and of Constantinople Rome that had beene Constantinople that was the seat of the Emperour by reason of their princely and Emperiall Cities were counted chiefe among the rest Yet equall one with an other chiefly at the councell of Chalcedon as I haue shewed But ambition neuer resteth till it doe clime aboue all The Bishoppe of Rome gotte the supremacie at the last but the Patriarke of Constantinople was busie first with it For in the time of Mauricius the Emperour Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople did chalenge to himselfe the title of vniuersall Bishoppe calling for that purpose a councell of the Grecians Platina de vitis Pontific Rom. in Gregorio primo and maintayning himselfe in it by the authoritie of the Emperour who as he willed other Byshoppes to make that account of him accordingly to obey him so namely he required it at the handes of Gregorie the first Bishoppe of Rome to whom he wrote purposely touching this matter Gregorius lib episto 4. cap. 76. lib. 6. cap. 194. But Gregorie hauing receiued the Emperours letters wrot backe again vnto him that the name and title of vniuersall Byshop which Iohn did take vppon him is a newe proud vaine foolishe presumptuous and blasphemous name that whosoeuer doth either call him selfe so or desire to be called he in this his pride is a forerunner of Antichrist Wherefore he maketh this humble request vnto the Emperour that hee will represse this proude attempt of Iohn who by the swelling puffe of vaine glorie doth lift vp his necke against the Lorde almightie and the ordinaunces of
swarued frō their stepes For as they did followe Christe and his Apostles in preachinge and teaching the holy word of God in ministring the sacramentes in plaine and humble māner in ordering well the flocke of Christe by good and wholesome discipline so these of the other side after that they had obteined the supremacy of the Emperour they encreased the séedes of errour and superstition which before were cast and fell away more more from Christs example doctrine making them selues a newe priesthoode framing it after the manner of the priesthoode amongest the Iewes both by chaunging the ministration of the Lordes supper into a sacrifice propitiatorie and an oblation for the sinnes of the liuing and of the deade though they were not partakers of it and also by deuising to themselues such gaye and disguised vestures of cloth of golde and siluer of veluet such other stuffe so that not Aaron was apparailed more gorgeously thē they But this was the least faulte yet out of doubt a fault For our sauiour Christ did not abrogate the ceremonies of the lawe of Moses to bring in others like vnto them But other thinges were greater and most of all to be condemned in these Byshopps of the supremacie that they deuised new wayes and meanes for mē to obtaine forgiuenes of their sinnes and euerlasting life such as neither Christ our sauiour did ordeine neither did they aduaunce the glory of Christ our onely sauiour For they deuised that men might bee saued by their owne workes and by praying to images and by going a pilgrimage and by setting vp of candles before the pictures of saintes and by purchasing of Pardons from the Bishop of Rome specially if they were pardons called a Poena culpa and by trentals and diriges and by Masses of Requiem of Scala coeli and by their tapers of waxe and by their sacring belles and clackes and by their pascall and by their pax by their sensinges and solemnities by their deuout créeping to crosses and wearing of cowles of Moonkes and such other a thousande trumperies holy creame holy oyle holy bowes holy ashes holy breade holy water to keepe them from euill spirites and I know not what Thus they ledde the people from their faith and trust in the bloode and death of our sauiour Iesus Christ to put their faith and trust in the Popes indulgēces and in such other blinde illusions to the great daunger of their soules the dishonour of the Lorde Neither contented with this corruption of doctrine they brought in a greater cōfusion of discipline calling away the elections of Bishoppes and handling of Church matters vnto the courte of Rome where the Market was for spirituall promotions for deciding of controuersies for bying out of sins for keeping of concubines for cleansing of purgatorie for engrosing of liuings for non residence vpon them for what not All was at Rome and might be had from Rome for money The Lordes vineyeard did lie waste The Church was become a denne of theeues Wherefore good Christian brethren and countrimen syth the light of the Gospell hath opened these thinges vnto vs let no man deceiue vs vnder colour of antiquitie or by saying thus and thus our forefathers haue thought many hundred yeares past and therefore it is good For if you wil haue respect to antiquitie thē doe I beseech you as I haue here done beginne at our sauiour Christs time and so come downe to ours as it were by steppes and you shall sée that there is as great differēce betwixt the primitiue Church of Christ for fiue or sixe hundred yeares and these latter times of darkenes which followed the light as is almost betwixt white and black in colour or God and the deuill in goodnesse For the Bishoppes of Rome in these latter ages haue ben so cleane contrarie in all respectes to Christ that the Prophecie of saint Paul to the Thessaloniās doth séeme to be fulfilled in them 2. Thess 2. in that he doth say there should be a departing first from the faith and then the man of sinne shoulde be disclosed euen the child of perdition which is an aduersarie to God and exalteth him selfe against the most highest Which words what Antichrist can they describe more liuely then the Pope of Rome For to passeouer his falling from the faith and his corruption of doctrine which I haue already noted as Christ was moste humble and méeke so the Popes are moste hautie and proude As Christ was most simple and poore so the Popes are moste subtil and ful of treasures Iohn 18. As Christe saide his kingdom was not of this world so the Popes doe lift them selues aboue the Princes of this worlde As Christe went lowly vpon the ground so the Popes must be carried aloft on mens shoulders for feare of touching the ground As Christe in apparell behauiour and conuersation applyed himselfe to common men so the Popes in these thinges doe resemble rather the maiestie of Emperours They may be wel compared to the Pharisées whom Christe did liken to painted tumbes Matt. 23. which appeare beautiful in the vttersides but are within ful of dead mens bones and all filthinesse Such are the Bishops of Rome most rich in robes of cloth of Golde their very shooes set with pretious stones but within their soules moste filthie with riot couetousnesse ambition and other worldly vices as their liues do shew which are set forth vnto the world by Platina and others men that knewe them well and were conuersant about them Wherefore sith it is manifest that vnder colour of holines pretending to be Christes Vicars they are Christes aduersaries euen his greatest aduersaries with drawing his people from their speciall trust in him to their own errours and wicked superstitions therefore nowe good Christian brethren let vs followe the counsel of the Scriptures Iohn 12. Dum lucem habemus ambulemus in ea While we haue the light let vs walk in the light euen in the light of the Prophetes and Apostles Whereby Christ doth teach vs the falsehode of Antichrist that we may flye from him and from all his workes of darkenesse that we may detest his vniust supremacie and erronious doctrine and fantasticall ceremonies and all the dregges of Babylon Matt. 11. Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis onerati estis ego reficiam vos saith our Sauiour Christ Come vnto me all ye that are wearie and laden and I will refreshe you I will refreshe you saith our Sauiour he calleth moste comfortably vnto him selfe all which are trouble and afflicted in mind thorough the consideration of the grieuousnesse of their sinnes whiche deserue eternall death and are ready to cast them into desperation and he doeth promise them that hee will ease them without suing to Rome for pardons or hauing Masses or trentals or diriges or other such foolish fansies of men But he willeth them to come vnto himselfe Matt. 1. who was called Iesus that is to say a Sauiour by the commaundement of God because that he should saue his people from their sins of whom saint Iohn doth say 1. Iohn 2. Si quis peccauerit aduocatum habemus apud patrem Iesum Christum iustum ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris non pro nostris autem tantùm sed etiam pro totius mundi If any man sinne saith Iohn the Euangelist we haue an aduocate or Mediatour with God the Father Iesus Christ the iust and he is the propitiation the pacifier of God obteining mercy for our sins yet not for ours only but also for the sinnes of the whole world Wherefore sith the Pope doth teach vs to haue other mediatours aduocates to the Father euen the saints whom himselfe and his Cardinals haue canonized and doth leade men so many wayes as though they might be saued by them where as our Sauiour Christ is the onely way Iohn 8. the trueth and the life let vs leaue this false priest and his buls and his pardons and the rest of his trumperies and let vs thinke well of our godly princes who haue cut out the rootes of his supremacie whence all the poyson doth flowe For the staying of the whiche least it shoulde bee receyued into the bowels of the Realm and corrupte the whole bodie manye godly Princes heretofore beganne that worke by making sundry lawes and statutes which in our dayes King Henrie the eight King Edward the sixt and our gratious Quéene Elizabeth haue brought to good end through the great mercy of God That which our Sauiour saide is fulfilled herein Math. 15. Omnis plantatio quam pater meus coelestis non plantauit eradicabitur Euery plant which is not planted by my heauenly father shall be pulled vp by the roote The light of Christes Gospell hath openly disclosed to vs that man of sinne and childe of perdition which taketh on him to sit in the temple of GOD as God It is manifest that his supremacie with all his errours builded on it are plantes which were not planted by God our heauenly father God wil therefore roote them out according to his promise vpon the which promise in part fulfilled already we are to make our daily prayers that he will more and more fulfill it that he will roote out all spéedily and throughly not onely out of our Church of England but out of all peoples consciences that the seruants of God may be ioyned altogether in one Christian faith setting their whole confidence in Iesus Christe alone the sonne of the liuing GOD who suffered cruell death and shed his pretious bloud for the raunsome of all our sinnes as many as beléeue in him that he might ioyne vs to him selfe and present vs to his father making vs partakers of his owne glory with him Which the Lord graunt vs of his infinite mercy through our mediatour and sauiour Iesus Christ Amen FINIS