Church and inscribed his Epistle CATHOLIKE Secondly the Inscription of that Epistle standeth thus To all that are at Rome the Beloued of GOD Saints by calling c. Wherein wee cannot discerne so much as one Syllable of the word Church as wee finde in his Prefaces to the Corinthians To the Church that is at Corinth To the Galathians To the Churches of Galatia to the Thessalonians To the Church of the Thessalonians But in this Epistle hee saith onely To them at Rome Saints by calling to wit the same tenure which hee vsed in his Epistles to the Ephesiaâ—â— Philippians and Colossians Whereunto your Iesuitâ— Salmeron giues this answer There was at this time saith he Factions in Rome betweene Iewes and Gentiles both Christians when Peter the Pastor thereof was expelled out of Rome so that it had scarce the forme of a Church and therefore may it fitly bee said that Paul forbore to call the Romanes a Church If this were the meaning of Saint Paul then are wee sure that hee who would not vouchsafe to call it a Church did thinke Rome to bee as other Churches subiect to the alterations and Changes of Schismes and Factions so farre as not to deserue the name of a Church how much lesse of The Catholike Church Now bethinke your selues what the Apostle would haue called your Rome of after-times when not onely your Professors among themselues but also Popes and Antipopes were distracted into tedious and pernicious Schismes and Factions one against another so that the true Pope sometimes could not bee knowne Which thing your owne deuout Doctors haue greatly deplored One reckoning the number of these Schismes to haue beene Twenty Another accounting the Continuance of one of them to haue endured Fifty yeeres when as the Pope quitting the Citie of Rome for many yeeres together kept his residence at Auignon in France Our third Proofe of Saint Pauls indifferent estimation of the Church of Rome SECT 13. THe third point concerneth the Prerogatiue which you assume to your Romane Church before others Wee shall desire you to consult once againe with Saint Paul in the same Epistle Chap. 1. Ver. 13. saying I haue oftentimes purposed to come vnto you Romanes that I might haue some fruite among you â—lso 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as also among other Gentiles That one wor◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as also among Others must needs prooue a prick in your eye who can looke vpon nothing that can more equall the condition of other Churches with the Church of Rome than that word doth by the confession of your Cardinall Tolet and he would haue you to Marke it and we also pray you to Marke what he saith MARRKE saith he the indifferencie of the Gospel because although the Romanes were farre more eminent than other Nations and had the Primacie neuerthelesse in the preaching of the Word and soules-businesse belonging to saluation the Apostle maketh Others equall with the Romanes Among you saith the Apostle as also among other Gentiles of what Nation soeuer So he Heere your Cardinall not to dissemble maketh the Comparison to stand betweene the Romanes and the Grecians as they were before their calling vnto Christianity namely in the equality of Sinne not any one deseruing to be partaker of Grace by the Gospell more than another Neuerthelesse if you shall Marke a little better nothing can be more cleare than that the Apostle compareth these Romanes as they were Christians with other Christian Gentiles conuerted to the Faith because of the same Romanes to whom he said Ver. 6. You are called of Iesus Christ and Ver. 8. You whose Faith is spoken of through-out the World and Ver. 11. I long to see you that I may impart vnto you some spirituall gift to the end you may be established of the Same he saith here in this 13 Verse That I might haue some fruit among you these you know could not bee other than Christians whom he thus commended as already called to the Faith therefore in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as of other Gentiles he meant the Churches of the Gentiles committed vnto Christ Those saith Aquinas vnto whom he had preached So that the labour of the Apostle was vnpartiall vnto the Churches of Christ further than they should bring forth the Fruites of the Gospell of Christ CHALLENGE TWo things there are by which the estimation which Writers haue of Persons or Incorporations to whom they Dedicate their Epistles may bee discerned to wit Inscriptions and Comparisons The Apostle by the Inscription of his Epistle to the Romanes hath giuen vs iust presumption to thinke that he held not the Church of Rome then The Catholike Church which as then he had cause to forbeare to call so much as a Church and that the said Church by Comparison is subiect to alteration as well as Others And so much the rather because the Indifferencie of the Gospell is such as is not to be tied to one place or people more than to another but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall to all Churches so farre forth as they shall walke worthie of the same Gospell of Christ accordingly as we haue beene directed by the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes The Confirmation of the same Faith of Saint Paul by your owne Confessions equalling Saint Paul and Saint Peter in their diuers Relations to the Church of Rome SECT 14. WHat shall we say to your owne free grants 1. That Saint Peter and Saint Paul were both Co-founders of the Romane Church 2. That both were called Bishops of the same Church by Epiphanius 3. That the Authority of Both is cited in the Popes Breeues for Confirmation of Papall Ordinances 4. That both haue their Images ingrauen in your Popes Bulls yea and that in such sort that Paul sometime hath the right hand of Peter as well as other while Peter of Paul Thus farre your Popes and Iesuites CHALLENGE WHich being so how may it not perswade you that your Popes anciently iudged that Saint Paul did not beleeue himselfe subiect to the Iurisdiction of Saint Peter and his Roman See except you will thinke it possible to extract a Primacy of Authoritie out of Aequalitie as well of Titles as of Ordinances or else to conceiue one to be subiect vnto him of whom he hath the vpper-hand especially knowing that to be placed on the Right hand was held an Argument of greater honour among all people the Persians onely excepted If your Popes at this day should see any Bishops picture stamped ioyntly on his Seale that wee may appeale to your selues in this Case guesse wee pray you whether hee could behold any other matched in such an equipage with himselfe without high indignation and extreame Cause of Anathematization So iustly is your new Faith of your now Popes condemned by ancient Attributes Authorities and Seales Thus farre of the faith of Saint Paul your supposed Co-founder of the
Church of Rome about the time when it was first erected That Saint Iohn his Faith did not conceiue the same Article of Subiection to the Catholike Romane Church c. SECT 15. NOt long after the same Time of the foundation of the Church of Rome did Saint Iohn write his Booke of Reuelation wherein he reuealeth that the Citie of Rome is Babylon according to the generall consent of your owne Iesuites and other Diuines directed not onely by the iudgement of Ancient Fathers but especially and inuincibly by Saint Iohn in the clearenesse of that Scripture So iust Cause had the most iudicious of Kings Christian IAMES our late Soueraigne of famous memorie to auerre saying This place viz. Reuel chapp 17. 18. doth clearely and vndeniably declare that Rome is or shall be the seat of that Antichrist For no Papist now denieth that by Babylon here Rome is directly meant c. Next that it signifieth Rome not onely as it was Ethnicall Rome in the dayes of heathenish Emperours by which mist many of your Doctors a long time gulled and deceiued their Disciples lest your Papall Rome might haue come within their ken but also noteth Rome as it shall be in the later age of the World the Seat of Antichrist And not thus onely but that the same Citie shall be burnt with fire A Truth so euident that your Rhemists who otherwise of all others are most bleare-eyd at the sight of any light that may any way make against Rome doe thus farre grant as to say The great Antichrist shall haue his seat at Rome as it may well be thought but others thinke Ierusalem rather shall be his seat But your Iesuites Ribera and Viega both of â—hem Spanish Doctors and publike Professors doe confidently auerre that They dare hold him for A MOST NOTABLE FOOLE that shall denie it as being a matter without all doubt So say they nor so onely but also proue it by conuincing Arguments 1 Because that the Text saith expresly of this Babylon that It shall be burned 2 They that shall then liue shall see the smoke of her fire and lament her destruction 3 Because the spirit warneth all them that are in her to depart Come out of her my people that yee receiue not of her plagues But there were then nâ— Faithfull in the heathenish Rome or if any were yet are they commanded to Come out of her for feare of being consumed with fire And lastly they adde to the euidence of the text the Oracles of Sibyl as it were a torch vnto the Sunne viz. that The seauen-hild Rome shall be destroyed with fire Thus farre your owne Authors not once questioned for this doctrine and although professing it in the fierie Region of the Spanish Inquisition yet not so much as an heire of their beards scorched therefore yea these their bookes are publikely allowed by the iudgement of besides others the Prouinciall of the Iesuites Marry yet the foresaid Authors lest they might hereby seeme to yeeld any matter of insultation to vs Heretikes as they call vs or hereby preiudice the Church of Rome they doe againe and againe admonish their Readers that this Prophecie although it point out the destruction of the Citie of Rome for her Apostacie from the faith by her Idolatrie yet aimeth it not at the Church of Rome or the Bishop thereof because the Apostacie shall be say they from the faith of that Church and Obedience to that Bishop Who though he abandon Rome and Rome it selfe be destroid yet is hee still Bishop of Rome So they I. CHALLENGE GOD himselfe by his owne example in his first dayes worke taught vs to diuide the light from the darknesse Thus then That the people of the Citie of Rome in the later age of the world must generally depart from the faith that whatsoeuer faithfull remaining must Depart out of the Citie that the Citie her selfe for her wickednesse and Idolatry must be consumed by fire seemeth now at length euen to our Romish Aduersaries themselues a truth as cleare as the day and that iustly as hath bin shewed But that to free their Church and Pope of Rome from the preiudice of defection and reuolt from the faith wee must forsooth beleeue that The Pope when all Christian people are departed out of the Citie and the Citie it selfe vtterly extinct shall still remaine the Bishop of Rome this we take to be as darke as darknesse it selfe We shall therefore call for a Torch for so you call Baronius his writings to discouer this darknesse He sheweth that The Church of Rome was constituted first by Peter at Rome where saith he his Pontificall seat or chaire was made of wood Then hee sheweth the ancient custome of Erecting Chaires or Seats for Bishops in their Churches placing them aloft and adorning them with ornaments where they did sit c. This was the originall of Episcopall Chaires and Seats so that Patriarks and Bishops had their denominations from the Churches wherein they tooke possession and where they had their first Chaires or seats Hence came the distinct Appellations of the Patriarcal Church or seat of Antioch the Seat of Constantinople and this now specified as they say the Pontificall Seat of Rome Albeit therefore that it cannot be denied that the Bishop of Rome being excluded from his Church and Seat is notwithstanding to bâ— accounted the Bishop of that people and place yet when hee is so departed from them that they are also departed from him so as there shall be no people in Rome professing his faith nor yet that Seat which is the Citie of Rome extant at all but wholly consumed with fire then to be called the Bishop of the Church or Seat of Rome is but a man in the moone and Titulus sine re namely as it is written of Hierusalem How is that faithfull Citie become a whore The Citie is called faithfull not as being now faithfull but onely because it had bin so Saint Paul in his Inscriptions to diuers Churches taketh their denominations from the places where the faithfull Professors were thus To the Churches of Galatia To the Church of God in Corinth and elsewhere to shew that the Church rather doth consist in the Professors then in the places and omitting the name of Church he doth mention onely the Persons To the Saints at Colosse and faithfull brethren in Christ To all the Saints in Christ at Philippi and also for Rome To them at Rome beloued of God called Saints And must wee notwithstanding conceit of a Bishop of a Church of Rome wherein there is neither people professing nor place of profession As if they should call one the Shepheard of Vtopia where there is neither Sheepe in the Countrey nor Countrey for Sheepe except 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be the Shepheard and they speak the language of Babel where None shall heare Nothing of Nobody at all
said Article viz. The Catholike Church As if Romane Church and Catholike Church were vniuocall and conuertible tearmes equally betokening one and the same Vniuersall Church That the Addition of the word ROMANE vnto the Article of the Catholike Church is no true Exposition and Declaration but a notorious Alteration and deprauation thereof proued by diuers Arguments The first Argument in respect of the Church Triumphant SECT 4. CHurch Catholike or Vniuersall as it is prescribed in the Apostles Creed is a comprehension of all the members of the mysticall bodie of Christ which is his Church Now in your Romane Catechisme authorized both by the Decree of your Councell of Trent and the Bull of Pius then Pope there are acknowledged Two parts of the Catholike Church the one called Triumphant in heauen the other Militant here on earth Accordingly S. Augustine The whole Church of Christ saith he is here vnderstood to be not onely that part which is in pilgrimage here vpon earth but that part also which is in heauen Which sence of this Article is grounded vpon diuine foundation where it is written Christ loued his Church that he might present it to himselfe a glorious Church without spot or wrinckle Where by the word CHVRCH to vnderstand onely the Church militant was the heresie of the Pelagians who peruerting the meaning of this text concluded that the Church of Christ here vpon earth doth consist of them that are Perfect in this state of mortalitie that is of such who in this mortall life are not tainted with sinne To whom S. Augustine as you know replied As though saith he the Church of Christ throughout the world doth not pray and crie Forgiue vs our sinnes Therefore must this Text be vnderstood of the Triumphant part of the Church whether alone as Saint Augustine you know and Saint Hierom haue expounded it or iointly with the Militant according to the interpretation of the profoundest Doctors in your Romane schooles saying that The Catholike Church is indeed without spot or wrinkle within the Militant part thereof by grace and in the part Triumphant by glorie So vndoubted a truth it is that the Article of Catholike Church as it is prescribed in the Apostles Creed doth comprize as well the Triumphant as the Militant part thereof CHALLENGE THat then which comprehendeth not as well the Triumphant as the Militant part of the Church cannot be a Declaration of the Catholike Church as it is contained in the Apostles Creed because no one part can expresse the whole But in the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without subiection whereunto there is no saluation the word ROMANE vtterly excludeth the part Triumphant Therefore it cannot possibly be a Declaration or exposition of the word Catholike as it is vnderstood in the Apostles Creed except some of you shall be so blasphemous as to subiect Saints which are the members Triumphant and Conquerors now in blisse to the members Militant and mortall here below Saint Peter to your Pope and heauen vnto earth Wherefore euery Christian man who doth as seriously studie the Celestiall spheare of the Saints in heauen as others do the Terrestriall globe of this corruptible earth must call in this your Article The Catholike Romane Church the word ROMANE a false deprauation of the Article of our Apostolicall Creed From the Triumphant part of the Catholike Church we descend to the Militant The second Argument to prooue that the Addition of the word ROMANE cannot be any Declaration but rather a Deprauation of the Article in our Creed in respect of the Church Militant SECT 5. A Double consideration is to be had of the Catholike Church Militant one in respect of her essentiall estate as she is said to haue being the other in respect of her accidentall estate as she is said to be outwardly Visible be it in more or lesse degree of Visibilitie In the first respect when Protestants say that the Catholike Church doth essentially consist onely of persons regenerate in this life and predestinate to life euerlasting They do not as they are by Some slandered to do make two Churches but one Church in a different habitude relation and consideration For as Christ when he was on earth although he commonly appeared euidently visible vnto men yet sometimes he is said after a sort to haue vanished inuisibly out of mens sights notwithstanding in that his Inuisibilitie was he still the same Christ because vsuall Visibilitie and Inuisibilitie are but outward accidents so Christ his mysticall bodie which is his Church being considered in her Essentiall estate is Inuisible and the obiect of Faith and not of Sense According to which Consideration we affirme this Article in the Apostles Creed I beleeue the Catholike Church to be more peculiarly vnderstood And this we prooue first by the nature of Faith it selfe which as the Apostle hath defined it Is the demonstration of things not seene Next by the whole tenor of the Apostles Creed wherein the obiect of euery Article of that Symbol from beleefe in God vnto beleefe of life euerlasting is vnto vs inuisible and so farre as it is beleeued is without compasse of Sense as may be obserued in the faith of Thomas the Apostle to whom albeit Christ said Thomas because thou hast seene mee thou hast beleeued yet the sense of Thomas saw onely the Visible humanitie of Christ but his faith which was his soules sight beheld Christs God-head So that Thomas could no more properly be said to haue beleeued that which hee saw than to haue seene that which hee beleeued Lastly diuine Scripture in positiue doctrine doth manifest thus much as namely to omit many others in that speech of Christ to Saint Peter Mat. 16.19 Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Where the word CHVRCH by the iudgement of Saint Augustine and the accordance of your owne Doctors doth signifie Onely the number of Predestinate And good reason because the godlesse and gracelesse are so farre from being the true members of the Church against which the gates of hell shall not preuaile that those Infernall gates stand continually wide open as being desirous and iustly appointed to deuoure them The same may be said of the Church as it is called the flocke of Christ Iohn 10. My sheepe heare my voice where by Sheepe are onely ment The sanctified elect of God as the testimonies of your owne Iesuites the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Chrysostome doe confirme A third Scripture we finde Rom. 8.9 where the Apostle saith Hee that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is not his Which sheweth that none is truely a Christian but as hee is regenerated by â—he Spirit of Christ. And so your Diuines as well Iesuites as others both ancient and moderne haue determined that All that are not sanctified with the holy Spirit of Christ although outwardly neuer
Churches Councels and Fathers SECT 1. AFter our Proofe that the now Romane Article The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation is New Imposterous Scandalous c. taken from the tenor and sence of the Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church expressed in our Catholike Creed We proceed to confirme our former Proofe by like euidence from currant Examples taken from the Catholike Church it selfe And for our more expedite Method passage herein We shall proportion our Treatise according to three Distinctions of Tyme the Tyme before the Tyme when and the Tyme after that the Church of Rome had her first foundation and being I. Of the Time before the Church of Rome was founded First setting downe the Romane Article intituling the Church of Rome The Mother Church SECT 2. WEE need not tell you that it is an Article in your Church to beleeue that the Church of Rome is The Mother and Mistris Church of all other Churches where by Mother you vnderstand her ancient Prerogatiue of spirituall Generation and by Mistris her Iurisdiction and Supreme Authority of directing all other Churches as Members of the Church Catholike seeing that the Fathers of the Councell of Trent in their Canons and Decrees haue fiue times published the same Article in expresse words calling her The Common Mother on earth which cannot forget whom shee hath begotten As if all the Faithfull on earth were her ofspring Instantly vpon this Decree of the Councell the Father of all these Trent-Fathers Pope Pius the 4. for Confirmation of that Councell enioyned euery Ecclesiasticke to professe among other points the same Romane Article vpon Oath thus I N. sweare that I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be the Mother and Mistris of all other Churches without which faith none can be saued So then this Article is become as Catholike among you as is your Church Which opinion of her Vniuersal Motherhood hath beene the greatest fascination and witcherie that of long time hath blinded the eyes of most of her Professors and which we shall prooue to bee no better than a False and Imposterous inchantment voide of all light of truth and repugnant vnto the confessed Examples of illustrious Churches more ancient than her selfe The first Confutation of that Article of Romane Mother-hood is taken from the rottennesse of the Foundation thereof SECT 3. IF there bee any sound ground of truth in the Article viz. that The Church of Rome is Mother of all other Churches sure we are that your two Cardinals for learning and deuotion towards that Church most Eminent viz. Baronius and Bellarmine will be most able and willing to expresse it especially where they professedly determine the very point Baronius teaching that Saint Peter being constituted by Christ the ordinary Pastor of the whole Church did fixe his seate at Rome doth thereupon resolue saying Hence it is that the Romane Church is called the mother-Mother-Church of all others And lest any might deny this Consequence as being that which it is indeed fond and absurd Bellarmine addeth the reason thereof The Church of Rome saith he could not be called the mother-Mother-Church except that all the Apostles had had their ordination of Pastorship from Saint Peter And for proofe heereof the Cardinall referreth vs to the Epistles of Pope Anacletus witnessing that The order of Priesthood had its ' beginning from Peter So he whereas notwithstanding Sacerdotall Order doth but coniecturally inferre the Episcopall Howsoeuer these testimonies from the Epistles of Anacletus which your Cardinall Cusanus beleeueth to be Apocryphall and vnworthy of beleefe Two of your most priuileged Iesuites Azorius and Suarez denie That the other Apostles receiued their Episcopall Ordination from Saint Peter Which they maintaine vpon better grounds than the Counterfeit Epistles of a Pope can be euen vpon the Oracles of God's Word where it appeareth say they that Matthias had his Ordination to the Bishopprick which Iudas lost not by the hands of Peter but by lott immediately from God and Saint Paul his not by Saint Peter but by a voice from heauen euen immediately from Christ. They adde other Reasons in the end adioyne the Consent of S. Augustine of many other Diuines Yet were it admitted that Peter as ordinarie Pastor of the Catholike Church had ordained other Apostles Byshops and by their Ministry begotten those innumerable Churches which the same Apostles as you Confesse constituted seauen yeeres before the Church of Rome was erected yet were it a mad point of Genealogizing to conclude that Rome must be Mother to those daughters of Saint Peter which were begotten seauen yeeres before shee was borne whereas shee could be to them but a Sister at the most and that but a younger Sister too CHALLENGE GIue vs leaue to dispute from your owne Confessions thus If all the other Apostles were not ordained Byshops by Saint Peter there can be no apparent reason why the Church of Rome should be called the mother-Mother-Church Thus Bellarmine But all the other Apostles were not ordained Byshops by Saint Peter Thus your Iesuites out of direct Scriptures accompanied with the Consent of Saint Augustine and many other Diuines Ergo there is not sufficient ground to cal the Church of Rome the Mother of al other Churches Twice miserable therefore is the state of your Priests both because they are tied periuriously to sweare That to be an Article of Faith which is a manifest false-hood as also for that they and all that Sect being entangled in this error of beleeuing the Romane Church to be the Mother of all other Churches are thereby consequently entangled in all other her errors and Idolatries The second Confutation of the same Article ariseth from the Respect of many illustrious Mother-Churches more ancient than Rome SECT 4. WE furthermore endeauour to impugne your former infatuation in beleeuing the Vniuersall Mother-hood of the Church of Rome by the faith of Fathers of Primitiue times farre more Reuerend for antiquity and more credible for impartiality than were your Fathers or rather Step-Fathers of Trent Not but that we as willingly as worthily doe acknowledge the Ancient Church of Rome to haue beene in former times an happie Mother of many renouned Christian Churches in the world and we accordingly blesse the wombe of that sincere Faith and Piety which then brought forth so innumerable an of-spring of so many holy Professors which notwithstanding shee might content her selfe to haue deserued the Title of a Mother-Church as other ancient Churches were and not of THE MOTHER-CHVRCH OF ALL OTHERS For we are verily perswaded that no reasonable man can allowe any childe so to honour his Mother as that he must necessarily thereby disparage all others his honourable Progenitresses and that we may so speake his owne Grand-mother and Great-grand-mother together with others of his kindred more ancient than Shee Such was the state of the Church of Rome in
respect of other Churches as by seuerall Instances will clearely appeare The first Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the most ancient Church of Hierusalem SECT 5. EVe was not more truely named the Mother of all liuing than the Church of Hierusalem may be said to haue beene the Mother of all Churches beleeuing In which respect the whole Christian world hath giuen vnto her the due and honourable Title of Mother-hood For almost a thousand and 300 yeeres agoe an hundred and fiftie Orthodoxe Fathers assembled in a Councell at Constantinople acknowledged as you know that Hierusalem was the first Church which to vse the words of Saint Hierome engendred all the Churches of the world After in the daies of Saint Augustine when certaine Heretikes refused to haue Communion with Hierusalem because our Lord Christ was Crucified in that Citie that learned Father did both wisely and wittily confute them No maruell saith he if you are cut off from the Church who hate that roote Hierusalem where the Church had her originall and whither the holy Ghost was first sent Another time the same Father being opposed by Petilian a Donatist and asked Whence first he had his Communion Answereth that he had it originally from Hierusalem Could Saint Augustine in this Question about the Mother-Church against an Heretike haue so negligently passed by Rome without sacrilege if the Faith of the Church of Christ in his daies had beene to beleeue that Romane Church to haue beene then the sole Soueraigne Mother-Church ouer all Churches in the world as your Councell of Trent hath so often decreed The second Instance of Mother-hood is in the Church of Caesarea SECT 6. THe Church of Hierusalem did beare as her first daughter the Church of Caesarea the Metropolis of Palestina which afterwards was made the Patriarchall Seate within that Prouince The Motherhood of which Church S. Basil and S. Nazianzene did both proclaime and preferre before Rome as by their owne testimonies may appeare We must haue ample estimation say They of euery Church as the body of Christ but especially of this our Church of Caesarea which the Christian Common-Weale doth obserue as the Circumference doth a center From which place meaning after Hierusalem the Gospell first arose and passed through the World So they What greater Encomium would you if you could passe vpon your Church of Rome than by instiling her the Mother-Church to account her as the Center and call all other Churches as her Circumferences Which Attributes those Orthodoxe Fathers would not haue ascribed to Caesarea if in their Faith the Church of Rome had in their daies had the Prerogatiue of the Mother-Church ouer all other Churches in the world The third Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Church of Antioch SECT 7. ANtioch was a Church by your owne Confessions diuers yeeres when as yet the Church of Rome was without note or name a meere non-ens in Christianity Of which Church of Antioch Saint Chrysostome out of the Acts This our Citie of Antioch saith he is most deare to Christ for its ' Progenitors where Saint Peter did first preach which first receiued as an admirable Crowne the name of CHISTIANS So he Whether therefore you shall be pleased to call the Church of Antioch Mother or because the name of Christians was first deriued from her God-Mother to all other Churches after her sure it is that shee may iustly claime the Birth-right before Rome Which Saint Chrysostome defended now euen when the Church of Rome and that worthily was famous and renouned in the world The fourth Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Greeke Church in Generall SECT 8. THe Easterne Greeke Churches themselues challenged this Prerogatiue in their Letters to Pope Iulius to wit that They came from the East that first brought Christian Religion to Rome But none neede require a more prompt or large acknowledgement of the antiquity of the Greeke Church in respect of the Latine than that which was publikely pronounced by your owne Byshop of Bitontum in a solemne assembly of Byshops euen in your Councell of Trent briefly thus O Greece our Mother saith he to whom the Latine Church oweth all that shee hath So he We reade of the Crosse of Christ that it had an Inscription written on it in Hebrew Greeke and Latine The same order may we obserue in the principall propagation of Churches in the Christian world the Hebrew Church before the Greeke and the Greeke Church constituted before the Latine Hierusalem before Antioch and Antioch with others before Rome Wherefore that you should make Rome the Mother-Church ouer all others which oweth to the Greeke Church no lesse than All that shee hath is in true apprehension a wonderfull Imposture The fift Instance of Mother-hood before Rome is in the Britaine Church SECT 9. YOur Church is in the next place to be prouoked and conuinced by a remote Nation of Brittaine which by your owne accompts receiued the Gospell Cardinall Baronius and your Iesuite Suarez acknowledging thus much out of most ancient Records By the preaching of Ioseph of Arimathea in the 35 yeere of Christ two yeeres before Peter did found the Church of Antioch where hee was seated seuen yeeres before he founded the Church of Rome That is to say in Brittaine was planted a Church nine yeeres before Rome and is hereby so much her elder Sister CHALLENGE THus much being granted by the most zealous Aduocates for your Romane Church giue vs leaue to reason the matter with you in few words You still defend that the Church of Rome is the Mother-Church of all other Churches of Christ and that not as a Case of probability but as an Article of Faith nor this in any implicit beleefe but such without which none can be saued nor yet in the ordinarie manner of Profession but by your Priests and Ecclesiastikes vnder the Forme of an oath Ought you not therefore to haue stood vpon infallible principles for the making good of this Conclusion than which you haue not any one more vulgar pressing and binding among all the Tenents in your Romane Church And yet behold an opinion of Peter's Ordaining the other Apostles Bishops impugned by your owne most iudicious Diuines and this grounded vpon a bastard Epistle of Anacletus Next that the inference from the same opinion is a Consequence which must prooue the Sister Rome to haue begotten her Sisters or rather indeed her Mothers and Aunts namely the Churches of Hierusalem Caesarea Antioch whole Greece together with our Isle of Brittaine And all this against the confessed euidence of Scripture and the expresse testimonie of Reuerend Antiquity which attributed that Mother-hood to the forenamed Churches before Rome Wherefore we can doe no lesse than hisse at your illogicall Consequences blush at the impudence of your Aduocates abhorre the periurie of your Priests Iesuites and all Ecclesiastikes and pittie the miserable thraldome of your
not Peter confessing III. ROCKE is that Confession whereupon Christ saith he will build his Church and members thereof but whosoeuer shall truly beleeue that which S. Peter confessed to wit Christ the Sonne of the liuing God is accordingly built vpon the Rocke albeit he should neuer haue heard so much as the name of Peter Ergo the Confession rightly vnderstood had Relation to Christ and not to the person of Saint Peter IV. The thing which Christ spake of was called the ROCKE as Fathers Authors and Professors on all sides do witnesse to signifie that which is Immoueable Impreinable and Eternall such as is Christ and his Truth But Peter found his Confession as it proceeded from himselfe to be moueable and shaken at one time thrice denying this Confession of his Lord when as also he knew himselfe to be mortall Ergo he did not thinke this Confession which Christ calleth the Rocke to haue Relation to himselfe but onely to Christ. So impossible it is that Saint Peter in his Confession should apprehend the ground of your now Romane Faith Whence you cannot but obserue with what modestie your forecited Aduocates Baronius Bellarmine and Roffensis could obiect vnto Protestants Impudencie Singularitie and Blindnesse for defending an Exposition of the word ROCKE so copiously and euidently warranted by all sorts of Witnesses euen within the Romish Church it selfe II. CHALLENGE From the iudgement of the ancient Fathers IN venerable Antiquitie we find some Fathers distinguishing betweene Petra the Rocke and Peter as plainly as between Christ and a Christian Some as directly noting Christ to be the Rocke as Saint Iohn did euer point him out to be The Lambe of God where they say This Rocke was Christ Some that Peter made his Confession As the mouth of the other Disciples And that The Faith confessed was the Rocke Some by way of Diminution Not Peter alone more than others Some exclusiuely Not Peter And though Some for we may not dissemble thus much do expound by Rocke Peter yet do they meane either a Primacie of Order or Honour in Peter not of authoritie and dominion or else a priority of Confession because he vttered the words first And so all the Apostles and Prophets are called Foundations by which is not meant their persons or dominions but their doctrines Else shew vs where euer any Prophet had any Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction in the Church of the Iewes And whereas you are vrgent in obiecting the Testimonie of Saint Augustine as though he would make the Case indifferent yet are you taught by your owne Bishop that Augustine in that place rather held that by Rocke was meant Christ. Albeit that to make this Exposition indifferent which you lay downe as a ground of your Faith would be the vtter destruction of your owne Cause For Faith must stand vpon Infallibilitie and not vpon an Indifferencie of Choosing whether So inconsiderate and precipitant was that your Author in his Obiection Now whatsoeuer may seeme to be wanting in this second Challenge it is plentifully supplied by One whose iudgement ought to be as acceptable as his learning was admirable Cast your eye on the Margent where you shall perceiue how many Fathers Interpreted the ROCKE to signifie either Christ confessed by Peter or else the Confession of Peter so that your Cardinall censuring the interpretation of Protestants not to be the Exposition of Catholikes doth in effect thereby wipe out of the number of Catholikes Ambrose Chrysostome Augustine and diuers other ancient Fathers Next that the Expounding by Rocke Peter doth nothing aduantage the Romish Conclusion which is from Rocke to inferre Saint Peters Monarchie and absolute Iurisdiction ouer all other Apostles because Rocke can be but a Symbol or signe of such properties as are belonging to a Rocke as Soliditie and Vnmouablenesse in the faith but not of Dominion Finally he noteth in your Cardinall a bold licentiousnesse who being a Romanist to make Saint Peter the Rocke durst correct the Vulgar Translation which hath beene pronounced Authenticall by the Councell of Trent III. CHALLENGE BY this time you see that your faith of Peters Monarchie which you beare the world in hand to be infallibly built vpon the word ROCKE mentioned by Christ vnto Peter is according to the iudgement of the Fathers Confessions of your owne Diuines and irresistable demonstrations of truth it selfe meerely built vpon the sands How then shall any conscience of man beleeue you in your Expositions of Scripture seeing you to be so egregiously ouertaken in that which you in all your disputes concerning this Cause obiect as if not the sole yet the most solid Rocke of your beleefe As for any other place of Scripture which can be alleaged in this Cause it were altogether superfluous to discusse in this place both because the euidence which you haue receiued from this one Text may sufficiently warne you not to presume of the learning and iudgement whereof your grand-Leadears make such boasts as also because all other Obiections haue beene fully satisfied elsewhere Where the acknowledgement of Cardinall Cusanus sometimes the Popes Legate excellently studied in the Fathers and primarily exercised in the Councell of Basil is made good who in debating the question of the Popes Iurisdiction with the assent of that Councell did publikely auerre that Peter receiued from Christ no greater authoritie than did the other Apostles nothing was said to him which was not spoken to them Hee proceedeth further particularly insisting vpon the obiected Scriptures and concludeth that the other Apostles were equally called Stones had equally the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen deliuered vnto them equally receiued the charge of teaching that is Feeding of the whole flocke of Christ. As yet then you haue no foundation for your pretended Monarchie of Peter by any promise of Christ made vnto him In the next place we are to examine whether any ground appeare thereof by any Monarchicall or Iuridicall Act of Saint Peter through out the whole course of his Apostleship ouer all or any one of the other Apostles II. That Saint Peter neuer exercised any Act of Iurisdiction as properly belonging to himselfe ouer the other Apostles whereby to testifie that hee had any Dominion ouer them as the Monarch and Head of the Catholike Church SECT 5. TOuching Saint Peters practise and conuersation among the other Apostles wee suppose that the testimony of your Salmeron one of the first in the foundation of the Societie of Iesuites and throughout all his Volumes which are sixteene vpon all occasions every-where a zealous Proctor for the prouing and promoting of Saint Peters Monarchie may as well satisfie your selues as it doth vs. Hee therefore in answer to the Question why the pretended Monarchie of Saint Peter is not demonstrable by any publike Act of Peter telleth vs and his words are worthy of obseruation that Peter although he were Head and Iudge ouer the other Apostles yet he
his owne Accompt of the Romane Church Our first Proofe SECT 11. GReat was the estimation doubtles which Saint Paul had of the Christian Professors of his time in the Church of Rome yet not so great by farre as you would make the world beleeue For first we haue heard your vaunting of the Preheheminence of Rome because It was founded both by Peter and Paul the two most renouned among the Apostles which boast is as easily blowne away by propounding a confessed Parallell out of your Bozius from Ecclesiasticall Records shewing that Peter and Paul both founded the Church of Corinth Yet was Corinth neuer knowne to haue preheminence aboue Alexandria or other Churches of Asia or elsewhere Oh! but there is a second place which will stop all mouthes of Contradiction in the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes Chap. 1. ver 8. I thanke my God through Iesus Christ for you all that your Faith is published through-out the World Vpon this Commendation of the Faith of those Romanes the Professors of the now Romane Faith vse in a manner to triumph as though that Encomium with the same Faith were hereditary to that Church or as if at that day CATHOLIKE and ROMANE had beene all one An Obiction now-adaies breathed into the mouth of euery Vulgar Papist Whereas first if you will permit your owne Cardinall Tolet and your Iesuit SÃ to be our Expositors both will say that These words through-out the world are to be taken as Hyperbolically spoken and by way of excesse Yea One of them resolueth that by the words Your Faith is not meant What the Romanes beleeued but onely That they beleeued their Faith being now published through-out the World So that it appeareth not by this that the Faith then was held Catholike because the Romanes beleeued it but that it was now a common fame thorow out the whole World that the Romanes had receiued the Christian Faith And no maruell seeing that Rome was then the publike stage of the World by reason of the Imperiall Seate there whither all sorts of people vnder that vast Empire had recourse for the discharge of Tributes and Accounts for their Offices and the like So that it was not possible that things done publikely in Rome should not be knowne to the whole visible World as your owne Iesuite Pererius doth obserue Easily therefore might that newes be spread abroad through-out all quarters that the Romanes had receiued the Faith This is all Secondly your former Insultation is easily checked with a Parallel of the like if not of a larger Commendation of the same Apostle vnto the Church of Thessalonica 1 Thess. 1.2 We giue thankes alwaies to God for you all making mention of you in our prayers Remembring without ceasing your worke of Faith And againe ver 8. From you saith he sounded out the Word of the Lord not onely in Macedonia and Achaia but also in euery place your Faith to God-ward is spread abroade c. And least you may peraduenture thinke that Rome hauing had the preheminence of Commendation before Thessalonica therefore the Church of Thessalonica receiued their Faith from the Romanes this Obiection will rebound vpon the Authors themselues for although the Epistle to the Romanes haue the first place by the Ordinance of the Church it is not because of the Dignity of the Church of Rome but for the excellencie and necessity of the matter and Argument of the Epistle it selfe which is the Doctrine of Iustification For if we consider the order of times wherein the Apostle Saint Paul Writ his Epistles your owne Authors willingly consent to the iudgement of Theodoret that According to the order obserued by Saint Paul first were published the I. and II. Epistles to the Thessalonians after them the I. and II. Epistles to the Corinthians c. and the Epistle to the Romanes come not in till your seuenth place or rather according to your Onuphrius his computation not vntill the last CHALLENGE SEeing that the Commendation of the Faith of the Thessalolonians and the Encomium of the Faith of the Romanes are both almost in words and in sence fully the same as your owne Cardinall and Iesuite Tolet doth tell you this sheweth the vanity of your obiections from point to point For first to argue Ergo the Faith of the Romanes was first it is crossed by the Church of Thessalonica which had priority in Saint Pauls Commendation Secondly to argue Ergo Romane Faith and the Catholike or Vniuersall Faith in respect of Vniuersality of Place was then conuertible and al one this is likewise Conttadicted by the like Commendations of the Thessalonians because by the same Argument you must grant that before that the Thessalonike Faith and Catholike Faith in the like respect was also all one Thirdly to argue that therefore the Faith of Rome shall perpetually continue in that Citie this in like manner is confuted by the former Instance in Thessalonica which hauing long since lost her Faith doth warne Rome not to presume of any priuilege of Time or Place But we are to Consult further with Saint Paul to know what account he had of Rome at this time when he wrote this Epistle Our second Proofe of Saint Paul's Account of the then Romane Church SECT 12. AS oft as we heare of your Article The Romane Catholike Church without which there is no saluation We if we should beleeue this to be true should expect that S. Paul writing to the Romanes especially now when with so diuine Oratorie he insinuateth himselfe into their affections by commending of their Faith so published through the World should yeeld some such albeit but implicit Note of the eminence of that Church ouer others which you your-selues doe vsually attribute vnto it But if it shall appeare that he doth not call it The Catholike Church aboue others nor a Church hauing any Prerogatiue before others no nor yet at all so much as a Church as he doth others but rather the Contrarie then may we haue more reason to suspect your Cause and you lesse to ostentate First then your Rhemists to this Question why the Epistles of Saint Paul are not enstiled Catholike Epistles as well as the Epistles of Saint Iames Peter Iude and Iohn are doe answer Because Saint Paul say they writeth not any Epistle at all howbeit euery one of them is for all the Church but to some particular Churches as to the Galathians Romanes c. So they Which Reason is insufficient because the first Catholike Epistle of Peter is directed expressely to the Churches in Pontus Galatia c. and two of the Catholike Epistles of Saint Iohn are inscribed to particular persons The Elect Ladie and Gaius Howbeit in this Answer of the Rhemists we finde Rome to bee but a Particular Church when surely if the Apostle had beene possessed with the spirit of the now Bishop of Rome hee would haue instiled it The Catholike
That which we now contend for in the Popes of Rome may be cleared by an example of him that is called Emperour of Rome who because hee hath neither a foot of possession in Rome nor in the Territories thereof nor yet any professed Subiect inhabiting therein but the whole Princedome is belonging to the Pope your owne Diuines hold it a kinde of Soloecisme to name any at this day The Romane Emperour Therefore to alleadge a few of many that may be produced Lyra The Empire of Rome saith he hath for a long time beene without an Emperour Faber What obedience I pray you saith he doth Rome yeeld to her Monarch meaning the Emperour So to Now saith he is that temporall Dominion of the Citie of Rome ceased and your Iesuite Salmeron The Romane Emperour saith hee was ouerthrowne long agoe II. CHALLENGE THe Romish Babylon then by the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is that Citie of Rome whose place and people must be destroyed No people can be called Romane without they haue relation to Rome nor any people called The Church of Rome except they be Professors of the faith in Rome Therefore Saint Iohn prophecying of these things could not but beleeue that before the end of the world that Church which is now called The Church of Rome shall depart from the faith euen because this Departure must be from the sincere doctrine and worship of God vnto errour and Idolatrie Oh! that this were not at this day a iust Cause to challenge euery one to Come out of Babylon Both which we shall be ready in due time to proue by as true grounds as any haue hitherto beene deliuered That Saint Iohn's faith did not conceiue the now pretended Monarchie of the Pope aboue all other Bishops and Pastors in the Catholike Church SECT 16. WHat that Papall Monarchie is in your faith and how it is deriued we haue heard namely that because Saint Peter was the Vicar of Christ vpon earth as his ordinary Pastor ouer all the other Apostles therefore the Successors of Saint Peter in the same See are of the same authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer the whole Church of Christ and euery member thereof Hence issueth the Article of your now Romane faith that Without obedience and subiection to the Pope as the Catholike Bishop of the Catholike Church None can be saued The meditation vpon this Article begetteth a Probleme viz. whether Saint Iohn the Euangelist who liued 20. yeares after Saint Peter were indeede subordinate and subiect to the Iurisdiction of Linus or Cletus the immediate Successours of Saint Peter Either Saint Iohn was subiect to the Pope or he was not What say you It seemeth vnto mee saith your Iesuite that the Apostles who suruiued Peter were subiect to the Pope because the power of the Pope was alwayes ordinary and to continue in the Church Haue you any ground for this I cannot remember saith hee that I haue read in any Author any thing of this point So he CHALLENGE SAint Paul as hath beene proued reckoned these Three Peter Iames and Iohn equally Columnas that is The Pillars and as it were equally the three Chiefe Worthies among the Disciples who concerning the offices of their Apostleship receiued from Christ as your Cardinall Cusanus hath taught you Euery way an equall charge And without Controuersie the faith of Iohn and Paul was both the same Is it then possible for a Christian man to thinke that Iohn being that Apostle who was immediately chosen by Christ and equall to Peter should thinke himselfe subiect to Linus the Successour of Peter that he who for his sublimitie of knowledge in the mysteries of Christ was called The Diuine who was made the Pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing the Gospell and one for whose infallibility in the truth Christ offered vp praiers to his Father ought hee now to submit his iudgement vnto Linus one of the line of those Popes whereof Some haue beene by Generall Councels and by Popes themselues iudged for Heretikes And againe that Iohn who at the time of the Supper of our Lord leaned vpon the brest of our Sauiour when Peter you know was but next after Iohn should now prostrate himselfe before Linus the Successor of Peter and if this Ceremonie had beene so old to doe him the honour as to Kisse his feet And not this onely but to beleeue this Article of due Subiection to the Pope Without which none can be saued which indeede is more than to Kisse the feet or to licke the dust of the feet of Saint Peter's Successor Sure we are that the Disciples of Saint Iohn to wit the Christians of the Easterne Church were not of your beliefe who to adhere to the orders of Saint Iohn refused to obserue the Easter of the Latine Church which they would not haue done if they had beleeued Saint Iohn to haue beene subiect to those Romane Bishops or yet to Peter himselfe Before we can conclude you are to be exhorted to obserue the Iesuiticall front of Suarez who in a matter of this nature concerning Saluation durst make this Conclusion of the Apostles Subiection and subordination vnder a Pope namely as you haue heard him confesse without any Author besides himselfe Whereby you may discerne with what vntempered morter these men daube vp the Consciences of their Followers CHAP. V. That the Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ it selfe at or about the Time of the foundation of the Church of Rome had no such Article of faith viz. The Catholike Romane Church without vnion wherewith there is no Saluation SECT 1. THe Churches vnto which Saint Paul writ for we name not the Romanes of whom wee haue intreated before were the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Thessalonians and the dispersed Hebrewes As for the other Apostles Iames Peter Iohn Iude each one writ to Diuers those their Epistles which are intitled Catholike Epistles And the seauen Churches of Asia were they to whom the booke of the Apoealips or Reuelation was directed Among these the Apostles are instant and vrgent in inueying 1 against the Heresies of Iudaisme Saducisme of worshipping Angels 2 Against Apostasie and Antichristianitie 3 Against Diuisions and Schismes in the Church and abuse of Ecclesiasticall Orders therein And yet in all these there appeareth not any one Syllable or Iota to proue your Article of The Catholike Romane Church without vnion and subiection whereunto and to the Head thereof there is no saluation No nor yet so much as to intimate any one of the particles of this Article as first not to signifie that the Church of Rome was a Catholike much lesse THE Catholike Church as being in right which you say The Mother and Mistris of all others Not to note that in the conuincing of Heretikes Christians ought to looke as to their Cynosura to the Faith of the Romane Church nor that for the discouering
and auoiding of Antichrist Christians ought to subiect themselues to the Pope of Rome as the Vicar of Christ. Finally nor yet that for the preuenting of dissentions and Schismes in the Church Christians ought to adhere and to be vnited to the same Monarchicall Head of the same Romane Church All which those holy Apostles the faithfull Embassadours of our Lord Christ without Controuersie ought and would haue done if according to the now Romane Faith either the name CATHOLIKE had bene then Antonomastically to be appropriated to Rome or the Infallibilitie of Faith to be ascribed to the iudgement of her Bishop or that the Necessitie of Vnion and Subiection to the authoritie of the same Head had bene so necessarie as without which no Christian could be saued To begin at the word CATHOLIKE We desire to vnderstand why the Epistles of Iames and Iohn and Iude were called Catholike or Vniuersall as well as the two Epistles of Peter if the word Catholike were so proper to the Romane Chaire Seeing that the Epistle of Saint Iames and so of the rest was no more sent to or from Rome nor had any relation to Peter there than the Epistles of Peter had to Iames at Hierusalem Secondly why Paul was so sole as of himselfe to Anathemize the false Apostles saying If wee or an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell vnto you let him be accursed or in admonishing the Irresolute saying Behold I Paul tell you and I testifie againe vnto you And that no otherwise than he did in absoluing the penitent Incestuous saying I haue pardoned him in the person of Christ that is to say As the Vicar of Christ as your Rhemists obserue in their Annotations vpon this place If so as you pretend The name of Vicar of Christ be wholly belonging to the Pope as an argument of his Succession from Saint Peter in the Monarchie ouer the whole Church But principally doth Saint Paul shew himselfe in preuenting and repressing of Schismes once among the people whom he will not haue to adhere to any one man no more to Cephas that is Peter than to Paul or Apollos Whereas your Roman Cephas would haue taught Saint Paul a contrarie lesson saying that They who adhere vnto Cephas cannot be called Schismatikes as those who hold of Apollos because Cephas was that ROCKE whereupon the Church was built and such a Visible Head is now as necessary on earth to auoide Schisme as to beleeue on Christ the inuisible Head now glorious in heauen Againe among the Ecclesiasticall Orders twice first to the Corinthians where he alleageth them thus First Apostles then Prophets after Doctors and accordingly to the Ephesians He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists c. Here wee should haue had good reason to haue expected the mention of Saint Peter as the visible Head among the Apostles if we had bene of your Faith to beleeue that the Pope of Rome as Successor of Saint Peter is the Head of the visible Church and that therefore The vnion with the Bishop of Rome as the Head thereof is a true Note of the Church Whereby it may be infallibly discerned whether or no a Christian man be a member of the Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation Which what were it but to call into question the iudgement of Saint Paul the most profoundest Disputant that euer writ as though he had bene ignorant of the maine and onely Argument for the confuting of Schismatikes and auoyding of Schisme by keeping forsooth the Vnion with the Pope and Church of Rome As for the Seauen Churches in Asia vnto whom Saint Iohn writ concerning the dayes of Antichrist when the great Departure from the sincere Faith of Christ must be herein notwithstanding you could neuer yet find one particle to prooue either the Right of Monarchie in the Pope or Infallibilitie of his iudgement or Necessitie that the Faithfull be Vnited and Subiected vnto him But many Characters may you find at least of an Antichrist as well of his person in the Pope as you haue done of his particular Seate confessing ingenuously that it must be at Rome Saint Peter in his Catholike Epistle To the dispersed Christians in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia exhorting the Presbyters whom he after calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superintendents or Byshops saith The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder Feede the flocke of God not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domineiring ouer Gods heritage that when our chiefe Shepheard shall appeare c. What may be inferred from hence you may vnderstand in the third Challenge I. CHALLENGE NOne will make doubt but that the Churches to whom the Apostles haue written were of the same faith with their Teachers the holy Apostles and that therefore in the point of Heresie it was not more requisite that the Church of Thessalonîca should subscribe to the Faith of the Church of Rome than that the Romanes should be guided by the Faith of the Thessalonians or that in the point of Schisme the Church of Corinth should be compelled to keepe Vnion with the Church Romane more than the Romane with the Colossian or yet that among the Churches to whom the Catholike Epistles of Peter Iude Iohn and Iames were directed some should be thought to owe more Subiection to the Letters of Peter than to the other of Iames or Iohn Else would some Items haue bene giuen out to signifie your pretended respects due to the Romane Church especially euery one of them being required in your Faith vpon Necessitie of saluation All men would wonder for example sake that the Bishops of Italy being al within the Romane Iurisdiction should write letters farre and neare vpon all occasion of Heresie and Schisme to diuerse Churches within the same Romane Dioces and yet neuer make mention nay nor so much as giue intimation of the necessary dependance they haue and ought to acknowledge themselues to haue of the Pope and Sea of Rome II. CHALLENGE IF it had bene as manifestly reuealed by Saint Iohn that England was Prophesied off to be the Seate of Antichrist in the latter times as according to your Iesuites Expositions and Demonstrations he did of Rome in the word Babylon from whence all the faithfull are commanded to depart except they will be Partakers of her plagues sure we are that your Iesuites and Professors would neede no seueritie of Lawes to quit England and to abhorre it especially now when the Controuersie whether Antichrist be alreadie come is so daily and duly debated III. CHALLENGE SAint Peter albeit an Apostle of Iesus Christ yet in the exercise of his Iurisdiction in the ordaining the Bishops of Pontus Cappadocia and other Churches doth intitle himselfe A Fellow-Priest or Bishop a stile not to be found in your Popes Breues For we speake not now of termes of Humiliation as that of SERVVS SERVORVM but of Office and
Church of Rome saith he not as a particular Dioces or Bishopricke is called the Catholike Church but as it comprehendeth and containeth all Beleeuers in Christ vnder the obedience of the Pope of Rome So they This counterfeit Glosse vpon these termes The Catholike Church as vnder the Obedience of the Pope as Catholike and Vniuersall Head wee shall bring to the Test of the Antient Faith by the witnesse of more than three Fathers I. The iudgement of Saint Augustine SECT 8. WHat was meant by the Catholike Church in the Sence of Antiquity Saint Augustine may be vnto vs herein as the mouth of the whole Church seeing that he had more occasions to discusse this Article than any Other especially because in his time the Donatists did no lesse falsly than arrogantly appropriate the name of the Whole Church vnto their Church in Africke euen as you although in a different Sence hold it proper to the Church of Rome at this day But Saint Augustine The word in Greeke saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Totum aut Vniuersale that is whole or vniuersall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not one but the whole whence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Catholike is deriued Thus by distinguishing Whole Church from One Church he sheweth that it is as vnconceiuable that the Catholike Vniuersall or Whole should bee but one One part as it is impossible for one part to be the Whole Which is your Paradoxe to call the Head the whole Body whilest as in your Article you make ROMANE as the Head The Catholike and Vniuersall Church it selfe Thus haue we heard Saint Augustine will you now see him Then behold Rem gestam For when by that busie fellow Petilian the Donatist a publike Conference was held at Carthage betweene seuen Orthodoxe Bishops on the one part and seuen Donatists on the other concerning the Catholike Church Saint Augustine was singled out by the Disputer and posed in these words Whence art thou Who is thy Father Is the Bishop Caecilian he This was the Obiection challenging Augustine to answer whence hee receiued his Religion and vpon whom he depended Heare now his answer My communion saith he began first at Hierusalem and from remote places came nearer vntill it entred into Africke and so disperst it selfe through-out all the World From this my Father God and my Mother-Church will I neuer be separated for the calumnies of any man CHALLENGE SAy now if either Petilian the Heretike could haue questioned Saint Augustine professing himselfe a Catholike whether hee had his dependance vpon CAECILIAN Bishop of Carthage as his spirituall Father if it had beene a currant profession among the Churches of those times to haue held the Bishop of Rome The Catholike Father or the Church of Rome The Catholike Mother-Church without which there is no saluation Or whether it could haue stood with the Conscience of Saint Augustine if he had beene of your now Romish Faith in a question about the Father-hood What Bishop and Mother-hood what Church he professed fo◠to passing by all mention of the B. of Rome acknowledge no Head but Christ and neglecting the Romane Church adhere to the Whole Church dispersed throughout the whole Christian World as indeed the properly called mother-Mother-Church How should not Saint Augustine although neuer so admirable a Saint haue beene held a Schismatike and Heretike if he had liued in these daies either for his ignorance or Contempt of the now Romish resolution of Faith in all such Questions to wit that the Spirituall Father of the Church is the Pope of Rome and the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church is selfe because Head of all the rest As for the prime Mother-Church by spirituall procreation wee see that Saint Augustine acknowledgeth no other than Hierusalem which verefieth that which hath been largely prooued to wit that although the ancient Romane Church might in many respects be called A Mother Church of many other Churches in Christendome especially in respect of her admirable care for the preseruation of diuine truth and peace in the Christian world Yet now since first by vsurping an Originall Prerogatiue of the Vniuersall Mother she is become the Mother of Arrogance and Falsehood 2. By preiudicing the Birth-right of other Churches more ancient than her selfe She may be called the Mother of Schisme 3. By excluding All from hope of Saluation that beleeue her not to bee the mother-Mother-Church shee may iustly bee iudged the Mother of damnable Heresie Of Saint Augustines iudgement more hereafter II. The Iudgement of Saint Hierome concerning the Church Catholike SECT 5. SAint Hierome was a professed and deuoute Childe of the Church of Rome when Rome was yet a true and naturall Mother and no Step-dame who notwithstanding when the Custome of Rome was obiected against him in a Case of difference betweene Deacon and Priest calling the Aduerse part An arrogant paucity he maketh an answer full of indignity As though sayth he there were more authority in Vrbe quà m in Orbe that is in one Citie the Seate of the Bishop of Rome than in the whole Catholike Church besides This is the Testimonie of Saint Hierome wherein the Fathers of the Councell of Basil did in a manner triumph in opposition to the Papall Claime saying O Hierome what meane you Is there therefore greatnes in the Pope because he gouerneth the Church His authority is great indeed but not so great as the authority of the Catholike Church which is not conteined in one Citie but comprehendeth in it selfe the whole World CHALLENGE APply you to this former sentence of Saint Hierome if you can your former distinction namely that the Church of Rome is a Particular Church in it selfe but Catholike as the Head hauing Vniuersal Dominion ouer the whole Church and see whether it will abide the test of Saint Hierome who speaking of the Customes of the Church of Rome calleth the Custome of that Church Vrbem meaning the custome but of one Particular Church whose seate is at Rome and opposeth vnto it the Custome of the Catholike Church which hee calleth Orbem the whole world Shewing thereby with whom also doth accord the iudgement of the Fathers of the Councell of Basil that the Authority of the Church Catholike and of the Church of Rome are not equiualent much lesse the same for in Identity there can be no opposition or comparison None can compare a mans head with it selfe And what furthermore Saint Hierome did conceiue heereof will afterwards appeare in due Place III. The Iudgement of Saint Gregory Bishop of Rome Concerning the Head Catholike In denying the Title of Vniuersall Bishop as did likewise Pelagius and Leo both Bishops of the same See SECT 6. ALthough it can be no sufficient Argument for concluding a Papall authority to obiect vnto vs the testimonies of Popes which is your ordinarie guize in their owne Cause yet will it be vnto vs Armour of Proofe to oppose
and yet notwithstanding were reputed still in the Church of Christ Catholike Bishops and so farre in the Communion of the Church Catholike that many godly Bishops in the Latine Church would not seuer themselues from their Communion Yet Bishop Christopherson that you might beleeue the Excommunication of Pope Victor to be of an vniuersall power extent translateth the Greeke sentence of Eusebius thus Irenaeus exhorted Pope Victor not vtterly to cut off so many Churches from the body of the vniuersall Church of Christ. Which Interpretation if true might seeme to make the Church of Rome the Catholike Church But as it became a sworne Scribe for the Pope he peruerts the Text which is to be rendred thus Irenaeus exhorted Pope Victor not to cut off whole Churches of God without any mention of the Bodie of the Church Ergò it cannot import an Excommunication from the Vniuersall bodie of the Church but onely from the Church of Rome as from a particular member of that vniuersall as hath beene proued What then may be thought of your new Article but as of a barbarous and Antichristian Paradox which separateth from all hope of life all the Christians of the Easterly parts of Asia who In multitude exceeded the Christians of the Greeke and Latine Churches But God be thanked that by the doctrine of those Primitiue times the Excommunication of the Romane Church made no mortall wound for the Asian Bishops esteemed no better of it than of a Brutum Fulmen And if you will suffer vs to bee somewhat more equally minded to Victor Bishop of Rome than you your selues can be we may perswade our selues that hee did not by this his Excommunication intend to shew or arrogate any Iurisdiction ouer the Greeke Churches as Pastor ouer his flocke but onely to denie participation of brotherly Communion with them as they might if they had beene so forward haue dealt with him this being an Act of Diuision Inter Pares which likewise doth conclude the no-absolute Necessitie of Vnion with the Romane Church Our Second Instance is in the Churches of Africke Numidia and Mauritania in the dayes of Saint Cyprian by 87. Bishops in the Councell of Carthage Anno 256. Who notwithstanding the Excommunication of the Pope of Rome were euer held by the Catholike Church the Essentiall members thereof and in state of Saluation SECT 3. WHen the Case of Basilides and Martial was on foot concerning Appeales from the Church of Carthage to Rome and the Quaestion of Rebaptization of those persons that had renounced their Haeresies was in agitation betweene Stephen Bishop of Rome and Cyprian Bishop of Carthage The Church of Africke and others of that Primitiue age gaue so infallible testimonies of denying the Popes Catholike Iurisdiction ouer other Churches and of despising his now pretended Catholike power of Excommunication as may sâ—ffice for the full determination of this whole Cause in confutation of your new Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no saluation This Case therefore being so pertinent and pregnant wee will proceede therein methodically I. The full Opposition of Saint Cyprian and other Bishops against Stephen then Bishop of Rome SECT 4. SVch was the Opposition of Saint Cyprian and others against Stephen Bishop of Rome that euen by your owne Confessions Cyprian gathered a Councell of 87. Bishops out of Africke Numidia and Mauritania which concluded contrary to the Pope and his Councell celebrated in Italy Secondly such that Cyprian iudged the same Pope to erre proudly ignorantly and blindly Thirdly such that he impugned the Popes pretended power of Appeales to Rome accompting the Appellants to wit Basilides and Martial Renegados and desperate Delinquents challenging his right of Iudicature for the proceeding against those notoriously wicked Companions who therefore ought to be sent backe againe saith he to be censured by their owne Bishop Fourthly such that this Councell of Carthage did deny to any whomsoeuer the Title of Bishop of Bishops Fiftly such that Cyprian would not acknowledge the name of POPE per Antonomasiam that is By way of Excellency to be proper to the Bishop of Rome as you teach Insomuch that at the instant when as Cyprian was to lay downe his life to Martyrdome for the profession of the holy Faith Being demanded of the Pro-Consull who then had charge to put him to death saying Art thou Hee who shewed thy selfe POPE among the Christians He answered I am Which may be enough to dash that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which you appropriate vnto the Bishop of Rome by the name of Pope Great therefore was the Opposition of Cyprian against Stephen namely Bishop against Bishop Chaire against Chaire Councell against Councell as flat Diameter as possibly might be II. That Saint Cyprian and Others were Excommunicated by Pope Stephen SECT 5. IT were friuolous to stand vpon presumptions when we haue your owne Confessions You grant that at the same time when Saint Cyprian did contend with Stephen Bishop of Rome the same Pope Excommunicated the Easterne Bishops of Cappadocia Cilicia and Galatia for the same cause of Rebaptization Secondly that th' aforesaid Pope Stephen did also as much as lay in him cast off Cyprian insomuch that Hee would not admit vnto his speach them that were sent from Cyprian vnto him Nor this onely but also commanded them that were of his owne profession not to haue any peace or communion with them nor yet to allow them so much as house-roome or lodging Yea and Pope Stephen signified by writing that no Communion was to be held with them that did rebaptize Not to insist vpon the Popes lauish and reproachfull speach in calling Cyprian a Counterfait Christ and a deceitfull worker All which are prooued out of the Epistle of Firmilianus Bishop of Caesara in Cappadocea which almost in euery point doth manifest the Excommunication of Saint Cyprian CHALLENGE FOR what better proofe of the Excommunication of Saint Cyprian and other Bishops of his Fraternity than denying by writing All communion with them that were of the same Opinion with Cyprian and after in Act Forbidding all communion First by speach and conference Secondly by conuersation and company Thirdly by eating or hospitality Each one of these being according to your owne positiue Conclusions a proper Character of that which is called The Greater Excommunication and consequently in your sense a Separation from the Body of the Romane Church III. That Saint Cyprian held not the Excommunication of the Pope to be anâ— valid Separation from the Catholike Church or hazardous to the state of Saluation SECT 6. NOne euer was more Christianly affected to the Catholike Church than was Saint Cyprian nor more firmly belieued that the Vnion with the Catholike Church is necessary to saluation whose profession was this Although a man saith he were slaine for the name of Christ yet if he be without the Vnion of the Church he cannot
those dayes was not esteemed to be The Catholike or Vniuersall Pope not The Catholike Bishop of Bishops his Iurisdiction not to haue any Catholike or Vniuersall Right for Appeales his Iudgement not to be a Catholike Rule of Faith his Church not to be The Catholike Mother-Church his Excommunication not to be a Separation from the properly called Catholike Church and much lesse a Catholike and Vniuersall Separation from the state of life So damnable is your Article of The Catholike Roman mother-Mother-Church without subiection whereunto as you say there is no Saluation whereby with one breath you damne not onely Cyprian that glorious Saint of Christ but also all other his Associates and Colleagues Bishops in Africa Numidia and Mauritania of whom some were Martyrs some Confessors all Professors of the true Faith of Christ against the persecuting Infidels of those times It would nothing now auaile you to obiect that Cyprian in his Contention against Pope Stephen was in an Error in the Question of Rebaptization because euery error is not eradicant to roote out or cut off a Member from the Bodie of the Church Catholike else what shall we think of Pope Stephen himselfe who was in an error in the other Question concerning the vsurpation of the Right of Appeales to Rome which not onely Cyprian in his Councell of Carthage but Augustine also in the Councell of Africke resolutely withstood But what need many words Cyprian say you was alwaies held a Catholike Wee adde that if this Obiection were of force it would much more fortifie the Cause of Protestants For if Cyprian being Excommunicated by the Pope for an error was notwithstanding still held for a Catholike as hath beene confessed and hath euer since bene Registred for a Saint then doubtlesse Protestants stand much more secure who are excommunicate for withstanding not onely the grosse Idolatry but also as many Heresies of that Church of Rome as she hath new Articles of Faith among which this to wit The Catholike Roman Church without Vnion whereunto there is no Saluation 〈◊〉 not be held the least being as you see so Imposterous Schismaticall and Execrable as euery Instance yet giuen doth manifestly conuince Our third Instance in the Churches of Africke in the dayes of Saint Augustine in two Councels fully preiudiciall to this now Article viz. The Romane Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation SECT 8. THE first Councell was that of Mileuis Anno 402. concluding against the pretended Prerogatiue of Appeales to Rome This Case is handled at large afterwards The summe of all is This Councell wherein Saint Augustine was present consisted of threescore Bishops which had beene esteemed alwaies Orthodoxe in the Catholike Church albeit that their conclusion of denying any Right of Appeales from Africke to the Church of Rome which Iurisdiction of Appeales is held to be a principall part of the Article viz. The Romane Catholike Church in the Church of Rome at this day Which one Article consisting of foure points of Necessitie first Necessity of Vnion with the Church of Rome secondly Necessity of Subiection vnto it thirdly Necessity of Beleefe of both the former fourthly Necessitie of Saluation in them All is now rent in pieces by that one Prohibition of that Councell which denying any Right of Appeales from Africke to Rome did thereby deny the pretended Catholike Subiection to the Romane Chaire Secondly decreeing Excommunication against those African Priests that should dare to Appeale to Rome thereby they deny an absolute Necessity of Vnion with Rome Thirdly this Excommunication being to be extended against them that should Thinke it necessary to Appeale to Rome they thereby deny Necessity of Beliefe of the Prerogatiue of Rome And lastly condemning this Beliefe among themselues they thereby deny it to be an Vniuersall Right necessary to be belieued of all Others All this is euidently prooued in the place alleaged The second Instance in the Churches of Africke in the daies of Saint Augustine was the African Councell by name against the Church of Rome in the Case of Appeales concerning which for methods sake we are to lay open first the Occasion of Opposition betweene the Churches of Africke and Rome secondly the Discussion thereof thirdly the Separation of the Church of Afrike from Rome fourthly the honorable estimation had of the African Bishops as of the Saints of God notwithstanding their not acknowledging of Subiection to the Romane Church I. The Occasion of the Opposition by Saint Augustine and the Africans against the Iurisdiction of the Church of Rome in the supreme Case of Appeales SECT 9. COnsult you with your owne Chronologers in the body of the Councels of old and you shall find that the Case standeth thus One Apiarius a leud Priest and as you know of a scandalous flagitious and abhominable life being Excommunicated by the Bishops of Africke fleeth to Rome and as it were taketh Sanctuary there by Appealing to Pope Boniface then Bishop of that Sea The Pope sought by his owne Authority to haue this infamous Priest restored againe auouching for the ground of his Authority the Canon of the Councell of Nice which as he pretended declared the power due to the Bishop of Rome to take hold of all Appeales made vnto the Pope from all other Christian Churches and Prouinces and to order matters according to his owne wisedome II. The Discussion of the Cause SECT 10. THE Bishops of Africke and among them Saint Augustine hauing read the Popes Claime of Appeale by virtue as was alleaged of a Canon of the Councell of Nice fell first to demurre with themselues suspecting that the Pope had suggested a false pretence and therefore sought first to satisfie themselues by sight of the Copies of the Councell of Nice before they would returne the Pope any full answer and after diligent search into all the ancient Copies which they could finde they yeelded this Answer to the Bishop of Rome We haue read say they manie Copies of the Canons of Nice both Greeke and Latine and yet finde we among them no such Canon for Appeales to Rome as you alleage In this case of doubt it was agreed on both sides that messengers should be sent vnto Cyrill Patriarch of Alexandria and vnto Atticus Patriarch of Constantinople to the end that vpon search of their Records they might bee certified of the Truth of this matter These two Patriarchs send them faithfull Transcripts which they themselues did auouch to be The most true and authenticall Copies wherein that Canon which Three Popes to wit Boniface Zozimus and Caelestinus successiuely had alleaged as their onely euidence for their right of Appeales could not be found nor any syllable therof Vpon this Answer of those graue Patriarchs these Africane Bishops in number 217 perceiuing the falshood of the Popes Allegation and finding that no such Canon appeared in those ancient Copies of the Councell of Nice which could aduantage that their pretence of Appeales to
the Martyr of Christ. You may not forget the Councell of Mileuis and the Threescore vniuersally reputed Orthodox Bishops therein denouncing Excommunication against all African Priests which should so much as hold it lawfull for them to Appeale to Rome They that were thus bold to Excommunicate them that should beleeue any such Roman Iurisdiction did plainly professe their contempt of the Papall Excommunication against themselues in such a case and consequently their no beliefe of necessary Subiection or Vnion to the Romane Chaire Except therefore all these so many so learned and Orthodox so godly and constant professors of Christ Iesus were damned this Article The Romane Catholike Church without subiection whereunto there is no Saluation is iustly to be condemned as most false and pernicious Our Fourth Instance is in the Ancient Church of Britaine SECT 14. MVch adoe haue you made about this your Article viz. The Catholike Roman Mother-Church as though the Church of Rome had this prerogatiue aboue and before all others which we haue proued to be a meere delusion by many Examples out of the Catholike and Apostolike Churches more ancient than Rome and among others we gaue Instance in this Isle of the Church of Britaine and now we proceed to the libertie of the Britane Churches That the Britaines and Scots although separated anciently from the Church of Rome were notwithstanding accounted truely Religious and holy men First of their Separation SECT 15. CArdinall Baronius commeth on roundly saying Both Britaines and Scots were schismatically and obstinately separated from the Church of Rome You say Schismatically not Haeretically for you cannot impute vnto them any errour in Faith who as One of your selues hath written Did not differ from the Church of Rome in those dayes but onely in matters of smaller importance For how could they be called Haeretikes for following the Iewish Rite in the obseruation of Easter without the Iewish opinion more than the Romanists themselues who together with vs obserue the Feast of Pentecost yet not Iewishly for as your Genebrard answereth Iudaei Pentecostam typicè nos mysticè verè celebramus How much more Orthodoxally the Britaine Church which followed the steps of Saint Iohns Disciples and kept the Pasche of the Easterne Churches whence it is as One saith that the name of our Easter is probably deriued rather vpon custome than vpon any conceit of Mysterie much lesse in an opinion of Iewish seruitude Yet as your Cardinall Baronius hath truely said they were separated from the Subiection of the Church of Rome the necessitie of which Subiection you haue since made an Article of faith The right Estimation that ought to be had of the aforesaid Britaine Scottish yea and Irish Churches notwithstanding their Separation from Rome SECT 16. BE it that these Scottish and Brittish Churches were Schismatikes as you call them because not subiect to the Romane Church will you therefore haue no better estimation of them than of soules separated from the Catholike and Vniuersall Church and consequently depriued of Saluation So charitable indeede is your Baronius in his censure against the Britanes But Galfridus giueth vs better hopes of them calling the Praelates then in Wales in the time of Augustine the Monke Most religious Bishops telling vs of Two thousand Monkes vnder the Abbot Dinoth who getting their liuing with their owne hands stood out with others and denied subiection to the Church of Rome of which number A thousand two hundred died vnder the bloudy hands of Pagans and were thereby saith he crowned with Martyrdome and made inhabitants of the kingdome of heauen As for the Scots your Baronius will plead for them because saith hee Although they did not celebrate the Feast of Easter at the time obserued by the Church of Rome yet did they not keepe that Feast at the time vsed by the Iewes and therefore were not separated from the communion of the Church of Rome With as good reason might hee haue iustified the Britaines who though they did celebrate Easter after the manner of the Iewes in respect of the day yet did they it not with the same minde and Faith of the Iewes as thinking it necessary But the Cardinall regardeth not what hee saith being herein contradicted by Beda who witnesseth that the Scots were in Opposition against Rome herein and also contradicting himselfe in that he hath already called the Scots Schismatikes As for Bede hee reckoneth among other Scots the Bishop Aidanus and although Condemning and detesting his Opposition against the Church of Rome in the point of Celebration of Easter yet notwithstanding he testifieth of him that Hee was a mercifull Bishop indued with the spirit of Prophecie and famous for his miracles done after his death So he You may read of the like Opposition of the Irish Bishops against the See of Rome about the same time in the very same Question of Easter in a late Treatise set out by a learned Seruant of God excellently verst and professed in the Mysteries of Antiquitie CHALLENGE IVstly therefore may we conclude that no Doctrin or Article can be more Scandalous than this to taxe so infinite soules truely professing the Faith of Christ nor more Schismaticall than to hold them Schismatikes who being vnited to the Church Catholike were onely not subiect to the Church of Rome nor more Damnable than to condemne them whom all Christians are to honour in their memories as the holy and blessed Saints of God CHAP. X. Our Fifth Argument is because that the Beliefe of this Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation damneth the soules of the most ancient and godly Emperours whom Christianitie hath alwaies honoured SECT 1. LET vs in the next place ioyne the First Generall Councels together with those ancient Christian Emperours by whose command the said Councels were gathered so shall we fight with Two weapons Spirituall and Temporall yet both Christian. These in respect of the Analogie of times are set downe by your selues For concerning the Approued Generall Councels you obserue that the First Generall Councell of Nice was vnder the Emperour Constantine The Second called the First Generall Constantinople Councell was vnder the Emperrur Theodosius the Elder The Third Generall Councell at Ephesus was vnder the Emperour Theodosius the Yonger The Fourth Generall Councell of Chalcedon was vnder the said Emperour Theodosius and Martianus The Fifth Generall Councell called the Second of Constantinople was vnder the Emperour Iustinian From these few wee shall easily vnderstand what value your Article can be of in all the rest after that we haue discussed these three points First what Subiection it is that you would hold due from Emperours to your Popes and Church Secondly whether the same godly Emperors haue held themselues bound to performe such dueties Thirdly whether notwithstanding their Opposition against your Tenure of Subiection they haue not deserued the estimation of Catholike Emperors
for wee may iustly adde thus much no Father no Epistle no Sentence more egregiously abused and peruerted For first he speaketh not of Perfidiousnesse in Doctrine but onely in Discipline by the false and perfidious reports of Schismaticall fellowes who being Excommunicated by Cyprian had notwithstanding their extrauagant recourse to Rome seeking there before Cornelius to defame and traduce all the proceedings which Cyprian had iudiciously against them Secondly wee shall earnestly desire you to ponder seriously the Circumstances of the whole frame of that Epistle and then tell vs whether that Sentence were not rather spoken Rhetorically to perswade and moue Cornelius what he should doe than absolutely and asseuerantly to proue what he could not but doe For the whole endeauor of Cyprian in that same place is to admonish incourage and fortifie the faint languishing heart of that Pope and to arme him least he should be vndermined by the cunning and Perfidiousnesse of those irregular companions as his owne words doe plainly manifest by exhorting Cornelius Not to be moued with the threats and terrors that they could suggest reasoning the point Because saith he it connot consist with the power and vigor of any Christian Bishop to be affraid of the craftie dealings of impious men whereas a Bishop ought to be fore-armed with confidence against the assault and force of all floods of violence whatsoeuer So hee No otherwise than if any of you writing to a Captain of some Fort and standing in danger of being surprised by some Stratagem of the enemie and reported to be somewhat amated by apprehension of feare should reason from the experience of his former good circumspection and valour of his men saying Bee you of good courage your care and resolution is knowne to all men that no treacherie can haue accesse to your Fort. Who knoweth not that this is that peece of Oratory which is called of Rhetoricians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Admonition by way of praising insinuated when we admonish him whom we seeme to praise which is by praise of his former worthinesse to premonish him to maintaine with constancie so good a Resolution But if you will needes haue it Prophetically spoken of the Infallabilitie of the Pope of Rome then must you as necessarily make Saint Cyprian a False Prophet who in this Epistle commended Pope Cornelius but in another Epistle doth as much condemne Pope Stephen a Successor to Cornelius euen for his rashnesse in entertaining these forenamed Perfidious out-lopers who by gadding to Rome abused his credulitie and occasioned dissention betweene him and Pope Stephen as hath bin largely declared And we wish that Thousands of Examples of like Perfidiousnesse could not be showne which for these last Thousand yeares haue possessed the Romane Chaire Yet not knowing the appetite of euery Reader whether he may haue a desire to know if there were any the like Example in Antiquitie wee instance in that which your Cardinall Baronius hath related Saint Basil saith hee writing to Damasus Bishop of Rome doth wish him to take heede least he bring that mischiefe vpon the Easterne Church which Pope Liberius had done by admitting of Eustathius and his fellowes being Heretikes but craftily pretending themselues to beleeue the Nicene Faith Thus haue you a fourefold satisfaction Pope Liberius was deceiued by the Perfidiousnesse of Heretikes Pope Damasus was fore-warned by that Example lest he should be likewise deceiued Pope Stephen was circumuented by like craft and accordingly Pope Cornelius was instantly by many Arguments perswaded by Cyprian to beware of the like delusion by persidious Schismatikes Ergo the Romane Sea is no more priuiledged from the accesse of Impostors than the Mediterranean Sea is from false Pirats You haue posed vs with the straine of the words of Saint Cyprian and we shall reply vpon you with his visible Acts and Deeds Our Opposition from the practise and profession of Saint Cyprian If Saint Cyprian his reuiling of the person of Pope Stephen if his Contradicting in his Councell the Popes Decrees enacted in his Councell if gain-saying the Popes pretended supreme Title viz. Bishop of Bishops if Interdicting the greatest Prerogatiue of Papall Monarchy which is Appeales to Rome be sufficient Arguments of disclaime of Subiection to the Pope all which haue bene proued from point to point then are we sure that Saint Cyprian did not belieue the Article of Necessary Subiection to the Sea of Rome If the Excommunication of others who were of Saint Cyprian his opinion if not admitting the Legats of Cyprian to his speach if forbidding all Communication with them and hospitality vnto them if despightfull words against Cyprian as against an intollerable Aduersary may be held proofes of the Excommunication of Cyprian by the Pope all which likewise haue bene expresly declared than are we assured that Cyprian was so much as lay in the Popes power separated from the Church of Rome If that Cyprian had this Faith that None hath God for his Father which hath not the Church for his Mother if he notwithstanding the same Faith was contented to be Excommunicated by the Pope and persisted in that his Opposition for ought that euer could appeare euen to the giuing vp of his spirit to God by Martyrdome all which haue accordingly bene confessed then may we be bold to assume that Saint Cyprian was not of your Faith to belieue that Subiection or visible Vnion with the Pope of Rome is necessary to saluation If lastly Saint Cyprian as you haue said were alwaies held to be Catholike in Faith godly in life glorious in his death and euen since his death reckoned in the Calendar of Saints then stand we secure that the Beleefe of your Article of Necessary Vnion and Subiection to the Romane Sea is not necessary to Saluation So that the more blessed a Saint Cyprian is the more cursed and damnable this your Romane Article must needs be III. Saint Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria beleeued not the Necessity of this Romane Article concerning Vnion and Subiection to the Sea of Rome SECT 3. SAint Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria must be thought to haue bene a Saint as to all Christian Churches so to the Church of Rome it selfe who as you know in his greatest extremities and persecutions by Arian Heretikes found support and refuge at Rome by the godly Pope Iulius the Bishop of that Sea whose Symbol or Creed the monument of his Faith called the ATHANASIAN CREED not onely Rome but the whole Catholike Church doth professe vnto whose honour Gregory the thirteenth say you built a goodly Church being desirous to draw the east-East-Church vnto his Vnion and whose name is Calendred for a Saint in your Romane Missall at this day This is the Saint whom we propound vnto you as one who hath taught vs by his example not to regard the Papall Vnion in our iust Cause But whether and why did the Pope of Rome Excommunicate such a
depart from you Your Cardinall who vrged the former words leapt ouer these it may be because they were not so much for his purpose as they are for ours to proue that if Saint Hierome had beleeued the pretended Monarchie of Popedome in your after Popes hee would not thus haue twitted and taunted Damasus otherwise an excellent godly Pope not so much for his owne pride as for the pride of the Romane Top or height namely the ambition of his Seat In which reprehension of Papall pride the Councell of Carthage vnder Cyprian the Councell of Africke in the time of Saint Augustine Saint Basil yea and other holy Fathers haue bin most frequent when as yet the Top thereof was not so high as hath bin the after-ambition of Popedome by the one halfe Wee in the next place desire to know what you beleeue concerning the iudgement of the Pope of Rome in matter of Faith and we haue heard you call it Infallible yet did Saint Hierome note Liberius once Pope of Rome that Hee was perswaded to subscribe vnto Haeresie Your Cardinall answereth that Liberius indeede consented vnto Haeresie but Hee consented thereunto saith he not Expresly but Interpretatiuely because in Fact he subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius whom he knew to be persecuted for his Catholike Faith As though this poore ragge were sufficient to couer that nakednesse No for you looke still vpon the Pope as vpon the Visible Head of the Visible Church If therefore hee Visibly communicated with Haeretikes as hath beene confessed and so Visibly subscribed vnto Haeresie Interpretatiuely that is so that none could Interpret his Fact otherwise than as to thinke it a plaine approbation of Haeresie then wee are perswaded that that holy Father who was so zealous of Gods truth as not to indure an ambiguous word which might any way relish of Haeresie and condemned that Pope Liberius of an Interpretatiue Haeresie would not if hee were aliue at this day suffer such a Deluge of Innouations by your 20. new Articles of the Romane Faith neuer so much as fancied of in his dayes In the next place the same Father expresseth his dislike of the Clergie of Rome crying out vpon them in the words following When I was in Babylon and liued an inhabitant of that purple Whore something I desired to chirpe concerning the holy Ghost and to dedicate the Worke vnto the Bishop of the same Citie And behold the assembly of Pharisees exclaimed vpon mee among whom there was not any learned Scribe but the whole faction of ignorance conspired against mee as if I had proclaimed some Doctrinall warre and strife against them Damasus who first moued me to this worke is asleepe in the Lord so that the song that I could not sing in a strange Countrey I now must murmure and noyse among you here in Iudaea So S. Hierome What one of you is there if not acquainted with the Bookes of Saint Hierome who will not iudge these words to haue beene the Exclamation and Inuectiue of some Protestant in your opinion Schismaticall and a professed Aduersary to the Church of Rome to call Rome in indignation and despight Babylon and Land of Captiuitie to tearme it a Purple whore and strange land wherein it was not lawfull To sing the Lords Song concerning the Holy Ghost yea to bespot the whole Clergie of that Citie with the note of Ignorance and at last after the death of Damasus to quit ROME as a Land of Bondage that he might inioy his libertie in Iudaea among the Christian Iewes Could this be said of a Citie priuiledged with a perpetuall Residence of the Holy Ghost and deseruing the Title of Motherhood ouer the whole Catholique Church of the Citie of the Popes Holinesse and of the Oracle of Truth Passe we from the Clergie of that Citie and come wee to the Romane Church it selfe there we finde a Custome of preferring Deacons before Priests Which Saint Hierome condemneth and aduanceth the dignitie of a Presbyter vpon which occasion he falleth into a Comparison of the Church of Rome with the whole CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and with other Parts thereof And comparing it with the whole Church he saith The Authoritie of the whole world is greater than of one Citie Meaning that the Authoritie of the Church Catholike is more than the Authoritie of the Church of ROME Which as hath bin proued from the iudgement of the Fathers in the Councell of Basil is a perfect demonstration that the Church of ROME cannot be called The Catholike Church And least any by that Example and Custome of the Church of ROME should prescribe vnto other Churches as though ROME being as you call her the Mistresse of all others All others should subscribe to her Saint Hierome immediately addeth Why doe you obiect vnto mee saith hee the Custome of one Citie and challenge that for a Law which is done of so few in respect whence haughtinesse hath sprung A plaine proofe that your now Doctrine of making one Particular Church to be in Iurisdiction Vniuersall is an Argument of a Sacrilegious Pride and no sound Article of Faith The next Comparison is betweene the Church of Rome other particular Churches in respect of the Iurisdictions of Bishops in their seuerall diocesses according to Diuine Law Wheresoeuer there shall be a Bishop saith hee whether it be at Rome or at Eugubium whether at Constantinople or at Rhegium whether at Alexandria or at Tanais hee is of the same worthinesse and Priesthood What may bee collected from hence you may know from him who being most conuersant in the writings of Saint Hierome is best able to diue into his meaning namely that Saint Hierome hereby seemeth to equall all Bishops among themselues as being equally the Successours of the Apostles who are therefore not to be measured by the amplitude of their Diocesse but by the worthinesse of their deseruings In which comparison Saint Hierome hath vsed singular art to expresse his meaning more Emphatically For whereas there are Three most famous Patriarchships viz. Rome Constantinople and Alexandria hee parallelleth the little Bishopricks vnder the same Patriarchships with the Patriarchall Seats as Eugubium in Italy with Rome Rhegium in Brutia with Constantinople in Thrace and Tanais in Aegypt with Alexandria in the same Prouince So that whatsoeuer Iurisdiction any Metropolitane Primate or Patriarke hath ouer other Bishops it is from Humane Constitution and not from Diuine Law So farre then was Saint Hierome from making Rome the Catholike Bishoprick that he accounted it as distinct from Eugubium as is Constantinople from Rhegium and Alexandria from Tanais After our Comparison of the Church of Rome with others in the Question of Iurisdiction we proceede with Saint Hierome to compare her in matter of Necessary and Catholike Doctrine But tell you vs First what is that Prerogatiue which is included in your Article of The Catholike Romane Church as properly belonging to the Church of
Rome as it is tearmed Catholike Your answer is that Among the Causes which by Diuine Law are referred vnto the Pope one is to decree what Scriptures are Canonicall Well then let this bee our First Question whether the Church of Rome in the dayes of Saint Hierome decreed the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrewes to be Canonicall And Saint Hierome saith that Although formerly all other Churches in the East did account it Canonicall yet it was not receiued as Canonicall in the Latine or Romane Church In the Second place it is inquirable whether vpon this difference Saint Hierome will yeelde to the iudgement of the East and Greeke Church rather than of the West and Latine Church in a Cause of so great moment And Saint Hierome resolueth saying Although the Latine Church doth not admit of this Epistle as Canonicall wee notwithstanding saith hee doe receiue it Say now was Saint Hierome herein a Catholike or not you must needs grant he was a Catholike seeing that since his dayes your Church hath decreed that Epistle to the Hebrewes to be held Canonicall whence it will irresistibly follow that Saint Hierome who held herein with the rest of the Catholike Church against the Church of Rome in discerning of a part of Canonicall Scripture did thereby iudge the Church of Rome not to bee The Catholike Church Wee may see the same concerning the Canon of Scriptures of the Old Testament whereof your Church of Rome hath decreed in the last Councell of Trent as followeth If any doe not receiue as Canonicall the booke of Hester Daniell Baruch Ecclesiasticus Wisdome Iudith Tobias and the Two Bookes of Maccabees with all their parts as they are in the Vulgar edition let him be Anathema and accursed But say now was Saint Hierome of this Faith did he beleeue all those Bookes and their parts now mentioned to be Canonicall Nay did he not abandon them as Apocrypha and not properly Diuine Scriptures Yes saith your Cardinall Saint Hierome said of these that they were not within the Canon of Scriptures where he speaketh not of the Canon of the Iewes onely So he meaning that hee spake of the Canon of Christians If therefore the Church of Rome at that time were of the opinion of Saint Hierome then doth That ancient Church of Rome in reiecting those Bookes as Apocrypha condemne This now Romane Church which hath Canonized them for true Scriptures And if Saint Hierome in iudging these Apocrypha Bookes worthy to be excluded out of the Canon of Christians did herein dissent from the Church Rome in his dayes then did he againe beleeue that the Church of Rome was not The Catholike and Vniuersall Christian Church CHALLENGE WHereas your Obiectors haue dealt like a sort of Trades-men who shew not their wares but in darke lights whereby their Chapmen are often mistaken in their Trafficke we contrarily haue set before you the best kinde of Illustration namely the Comparison of things ioyntly one with another As for Example 1. Comparing Pope with Pope as Damasus a true Catholike with Liberius in apparance an Heretike Wee inferre Saint Hierome his no-beliefe of Gods perpetuall Assistance by Diuine Direction of the Pope 2. Comparing Pope with Bishop as Damasus with Petrus Bishop of Alexandria in Aegypt vpon whom Saint Hierome ioyntly relied in his Opposition against Heretikes Wee inferre that Saint Hierome beleeued not a Necessity of a singular Communion with the Pope 3. Comparing the Pope with Saint Hierome himselfe who although hee had beene a Scribe to the Pope and therefore so neere to the supposed fountaine of Oracles yet was glad to take long iournies and spend much time to Learne the Interpretation of Scriptures from Gregorie of Nazianzum and Didymus of Antioch and not so onely but did also instruct Pope Damasus in the knowledge of Scriptures Wee inferre that Saint Hierome did not beleeue your now Romane Principle which is to referre the last and safest Resolution for vnderstanding of the Sense of Scriptures to the iudgement of the Pope 4 Comparing the Citie of Rome and his Clergie with Palestine and hirs and Hierome not doubting to call Rome Babylon purple Whore strange Land and her Clergie Factious Ignorants and shewing his great contentment which hee found else-where We inferre that Rome is not alwayes to containe that Schoole of learning that Theatre of Sanctitie that Temple of perfit Worship which you vsually boast off 5 Comparing Bishopricke with Bishopricke Saint Hierome equalling the greatest as Rome with the least as Eugubium In honore Sacerdotij In honour of Priesthood And what Saint Hierome meaneth by Sacerdotium who knoweth not Wee inferre that Saint Hierome neuer beleeued the Prae-potency of the Bishop of Rome ouer other Bishops which you call Popedome to be founded vpon Diuine Ordinance 6 Comparing Church with Church as the Westerne or Latine Church whereof Rome is a chiefest member with the East or Greeke Church and all other Churches besides and Saint Hierome forsaking the Custome and iudgement of the West and Latine Church and yeelding to the East and Greeke Churches in a Doctrine which is the Foundation of all Fundamentall Articles to wit the true Canon of Scriptures both in the New Testament and in the Old We inferre that Saint Hierome did not beleeue either a Necessitie of all Vnion with the Romane Church in Doctrine or yet an absolute Dominion of the Romane Church aboue all others Whatsoeuer your reply be you must either expunge your now Romane Article out of the Canon of Faith or else raze the name of Saint Hierome out of your Calendar of Saints VII Saint Ambrose beleeued not the now Romane Article of Necessitie of Vnion and Subiection to the Romane Church SECT 7. SAint Ambrose Bishop of Milane is honored by your Memoriall of him in your Romane Calendar but much more in his owne Bookes and in the mindes of all Orthodox Christians in all ages since he liued for Confessor and Doctor of the Church of whom Saint Augustine could say I haue had experience of his graue constancie labours and perils for the Catholike Cause which the whole Romane world doth commend and report as well as I. This Saint the more excellent hee is the more forcible his Testimony ought to be whether it be on your side or on ours We are willing first to vnderstand what you can obiect Your Obiection out of Saint Ambrose answered Your Cardinall his Argument is this Ambrose calleth Pope Damasus the Rector of the whole Church and his Brother Satyrus would not admit of a Bishop to heare him before he vnderstood that he consented with Catholike Bishops That is saith he with the Church of Rome Ergo the Church of Rome is the Head of the Church Catholike Wherein your Cardinall laboureth of the same Elench whiles hee mistakes the words respectiuely spoken to one person Pope Damasus and circumstantially for one time as if they were absolutely so ment
for the persons of al Popes at all times Againe if the bare Title of Rector of the Catholike Church ascribed to Damasus must needs argue your Pope to be Head of the Church then must you inlarge the Catalogue of your Popes and inrolle among them as many other Bishops as haue receiued Titles equiualent if not more excellent than that For as you your-selues well know Athanasius was intitled the Propp and Foundation of the Church Saint Basil the Mouth of the Church Saint Nazianzene the golden Pillar and Foundation of the whole Church and Saint Ambrose himselfe was commended by the Emperour Theodosius as THE ONELY BISHOP VVHOME HE KNEVV VVORTHY THE NAME OF A BISHOP These few Parallells may serue to allay your appetite vntill we shall be occasioned to satisfie you in this sort to the full In which kinde of Ascriptions there is not any acknowledgement of Authority but a commendation of their care and diligence iudgement and directions in behalfe of the whole Catholike Church Concerning the Second Saint Ambrose addeth a reason of his speach wisely dissembled by your Cardinall to wit The Bishopricke of that Bishop was in a Region diuided into diuers Schismes by Hereticall Spirits whereas the Church of Rome professed constantly the Catholike Faith No maruell therefore though Satyrus aske of a Bishop whose Faith hee suspected whether hee beleeued as that Church did whose Faith was knowne to be truely Catholike As it sometimes cometh to passe in the Common-Wealth in cases of violent ruptures into many Factions repugnant each to other and all to the Loyall and faithfull Subiects of the King among whom some one City as for Example YORK shall bee knowne more generall than any others to professe loyaltie to their Soueraigne if thereupon an honest man aske of a Souldier liuing in one of the factious Countries whether he were a true Subiect and consented with the Citizens of Yorke would you iudge it a Politicke Inference to say that therefore Yorke is the Head ouer all other Cities in the Kigdome And that you may know the due proportion of this Comparison remember we pray you that euen in the same age of Pope Damasus and in the time of the same Schismes many Greeke Bishops were as truly Catholike as was Pope Damasus and yet were not subiect vnto his Iurisdiction as hath beene manifestly proued out of Saint Basil and is heereafter to bee more copiously yea and Confessedly declared Our Opposition from the Example of Saint Ambrose his Opposing against the Church of Rome Sixe hundred and seuenty yeares after the death of Saint Ambrose his Church of Milan was visited by Petrus Damianus Legat vnto Pope Leo the ninth assuming Iurisdiction ouer them when the Clergie of Milan withstood the Legat alleaging that The Church of Ambrose had bene alwaies free in it selfe and neuer was subiect to the lawes of the Pope of Rome The veines of those Clergie-men must haue bene voyd of all tincture of bloud in making a most shamelesse Answer if that it had bene a knowne Catholike Article then that all Churches Christian are necessarily Subordinate vnto the Authority of the Papall and Romane Iurisdiction And why did they in challenging their libertie call their Bishopricke of Milan Ambrose his Church but onely that they knew that Saint Ambrose did preserue the liberty thereof neuer acknowledging Subiection vnto the Bishop of Rome Whereof we haue more than a presumption in the writings of Ambrose himselfe in the Question touching Washing of the feet of Infants baptized which the Church of Rome iudged to be superfluous but contrariwise Ambrose and the Church of Milan held to be necessary The same Father lest the Authority of that Church might preiudice their custome pre-occupateth in this manner I wish in all things saith Ambrose to follow the Church of Rome but yet be it knowne that we being Men haue sense also in continuing this Custome which is likewise more rightly obserued else-where CHALLENGE THis one short sentence is as a Canon full charged to batter downe your great Bulwarke that we may to call your Article of Papall Monarchy For first Ambrose speaking of his owne Church of Milan in opposition vnto the Church of Rome and saying Sed tamen Nos c. BVT YET VVEE c. Ergò he held not his Church of Milan to be a member subordinate to the Romane Church as to the Head thereof But wherein is he opposite Tamen nos homines sensum habemus But we men haue sense As if he had said We in Milan hold this Ceremony necessary They of Rome iudge it superfluous and ridiculous as though we were Asses or Blocks but neither so for we are men nor so for we haue sense and hold that which is more rightly obserued Ergò Ambrose held no Necessity of inthralling his iudgment to the Pope of Rome which is a part of your Article of Faith And in that he saith Cupio I wish to follow the Church of Rome in all things yet this TAMEN or Non obstante doth againe confirme both our former Collections because by calling it The Church of Rome he maketh it no Vniuersall Church in essence and in refusing to follow it where he thinketh hee hath iust cause so to do prooueth that he belieued not her iudgement to be Vniuersally and Necessarily Catholike nor her power and Iurisdiction absolute The Prouerbe is A Lyon is knowne by his claw As well may we discerne Saint Ambrose his Faith by this Clause who in this one Resolution teacheth all Christian Churches to follow the Church of Rome in nothing wherein they are perswaded as Saint Ambrose was in this Case that the Church of Rome hath denyed to follow the Church of Christ. Now for you to answer that his meaning was To follow the Church of Rome in all things necessary though not in a Rite This Answer as it is false for Saint Ambrose held this Rite Necessary so it is also friuolous because if it be iust to withstand the Church of Rome in a Rite and Ceremony as it were in a Mite then how much more may it be lawfull not to follow or belieue her in her many new Articles of Faith whereof among other this is a Principall to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation which can neuer be credible as long as Saint Ambrose is belieued to haue bene a Saint VIII Saint Augustine belieued not the now Romane Article of Necessary Subiection to the Church of Rome and Pope thereof SECT 8. SAint Augustine as All will confesse deserued to haue his memory Registred not onely as it is in your Romane Calendar in paper monuments but in the minds and hearts of all Christians so excellent a Saint was He. It is not long since one of your Priests published a booke entituled Saint Augustines Religion wherein he will needs be thought to haue himselfe collected all the materials of
that his Treatise out of the writings of Saint Augustine whereas poore man he oweth his whole worke vnto your Iesuite Hieronymus Torrensis who many yeares since set out a large volume diuided into foure Bookes containing all the particulars which Maister Breerly hath diuulged in his owne name without so much as giuing notice of any such Author But they differ in their Titles Hieronymus Torrensis styleth his booke Augustines Confessions Maister Breerly his Augustines Religion Verifying herein that saying of Tully concerning such kind of Plagiaries that as Theeues change the notes and markes of stolne stuffe so They that father other mens workes vpon themselues vse to change the names and Titles as it were the markes and property thereof Is it not sufficient that you haue dealt thus with Protestant Authors but that you must play such parts among your selues But I shall haue more occasion to put Maister Breerly in mind of himselfe else-where For at this present we haue but one Article of Saint Augustine in hand touching the Necessity of Vnion and Subiection to the Church of Rome as The Catholike Church and are to attend whether either He or your Iesuite or Cardinall can euince so Imposterous a Doctrine out of the Volumes of Saint Augustine Your Obiections out of Saint Augustine Saint Augustine one-where attributeth to the Church of Rome A Principalitie of the Apostolicall Sea Else-where he desireth of the Pope of Rome his Pastorall diligence for the repressing of the Heresie of the Pelagians in Palaestine and Africke In the third place he acknowledgeth A necessary obedience to the Popes Iurisdictions and lastly he confesseth that The Pope of Rome is set in a more high Pastorall watch-tower than others Now what of all these Ergo say you the Church of Rome is the chiefe of all Churches and the Pope thereof hath Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches all other Bishops being subiect vnto him vpon paine of Damnation But if these words Principality or Highest Pastorall watch-tower or Charge or Apostolicall Church or Power to represse Heretikes or an acknowledgment of Necessary Obedience must inforce a Iurisdiction of Popedome ouer all others then ought we to admit of many Popedomes For euery Patriarch hath a Principality and height of a Pastorall watch-tower by reason of the greatnesse dignity of his Patriarchship aboue all Metropolitans and Bishops whatsoeuer and yet haue they not ouer all Bishops power of Iurisdiction but onely Principality of Order And looke into the Epistle of Iohn the first Bishop of Rome written to an Arch-Bishop and you shall find him grant that that Archbishop had as well The charge of the Church committed vnto him for the helpe of all in repressing of Heresies as to himselfe And that also therein there is a Necessity Rationis of Cause and Reason to performe such Admonitions namely as a Patient obeyeth the Physitian for the preuenting of imminent danger and not a Necessity Imperij of Compulsion by right of Authority as a souldier obeyeth his Captaine And if that the Title of Apostolicall Church could carry a Monarchicall Chiefedome then was Saint Augustine farre wrong when in the same Epistle where he called the Church of Rome The Apostolicall Seat he called other Churches and Seats also Apostolicall Lastly remember but what hath bene prooued out of Saint Basil and you shall not need to question why the helpe of the Pope of Rome was sometime desired in some Prouinces rather than other shewing that the Popes exercising of his Office in such Cases proceeded not from his Coactiue Authority but from the Arbitrary consent of other Bishops In a word we haue receiued from you out of Saint Augustine nothing but specious colours of words which we shall recompence with his Acts and Deeds Our Opposition of S. Augustine his no Subiection either in Discipline or in Doctrine to the Church of Rome Nothing can better illuminate our vnderstandings in this case than the light of Comparison You therefore whose Article of Faith is to belieue that although the Church of Rome be a Particular Church and so a distinct member from the other Churches Militant yet in respect of the Vniuersall gouernment which it hath throughout the Christian world it is The Catholike and Vniuersall Church as is the Head ouer all other parts of mans bodie hearken to Saint Augustine comparing the Church of Rome with another Particular Church There are two Bishops saith he of two most eminent Churches Stephen of Rome and Cyprian of Carthage being of diuerse opinions in the point of Baptisme Therefore did not Saint Augustine hold the Church of Rome to be the Catholike Head for there cannot be properly Two Most Eminents of the Catholike Church whereof you say there is but One Head One may say that there are Two Bishops of Two most Eminent Bishopricks in England George of Canterbury and Tobias of York because these are so distant that one is not Subordinate or subiect to the other But to say there are two Bishops of two most Eminent Bishopricks George of Canterbury and Lancelot of Winchester were absurd because making the Bishoprick of Winchester to be one of the Two most Eminents it doth abate and pull downe the true Eminency of Canterbury which is an Arch-Bishopricke and Metropolitan Seate and hath Iurisdiction ouer the other But Saint Augustine you know was iudicious and would not reason absurdly Now you whose Faith requireth Vnion and Subiection vnto the Sea of Rome in all Causes as well Rituall as Criminall or Doctrinall lend your attention vnto Saint Augustine in his Comparisons concerning each one In the point of Rites and Ceremonies the question was whether the Church should weekely obserue a Saturday-fast or no The one side which is brought in as for the Affirmatiue part alleaging that Saint Iames at Ierusalem Saint Iohn at Ephesus and others taught the same which Saint Peter did at Rome viz. that The Saturday-fast is to be kept but other Countries forsooke this Tradition The parties for the Negatiue are supposed to answer saying Yea rather some parts of the West Church wherein Rome is seated haue not obserued the Tradition of the Apostles Saint Peter and others who taught that a Fast ought not to be kept vpon that day Here you haue the East and West-Churches compared together and the credit of them both balanced If we should now aske you whether Church East or West deserueth more credit in this Case you would abhorre the question as men bound by Oath to belieue rather the Westerne Church of Rome than all other Churches in the world in point of Tradition But Saint Augustine what This contention saith he is endlesse and indeterminable And Saint Augustines words Aliqua loca in quibus Roma est that is Some places among which Rome is haue a sting which wounds the Papacy For can the Imperiall Ladie of all Churches be thus sleightly brought in among the Manie Surely if S. Augustine had
by their Acts and Deedes that Popes anciently were no Monarks at all Then will you conclude that we haue iust reason to challenge your Authors of great vnconscionablenesse in their defence and by the vanity of their proofes to perswade your selues of the Truth of our Cause Your Second kinde of Obiections are taken from Titles attributed by Ancient Fathers to the Bishop or Church of Rome The Vanitie of the Consequence hereof discouered First by Equiualences SECT 2. YOur Cardinall to proue his former Conclusion concerning the Succession of the Pope in the Ecclesiasticall Monarchie flieth againe after Titles as namely such as haue beene attributed vnto Popes long since by Ancient Fathers Wee are to discouer the falsehood of this Consequence knowing that the Foundation is too weake to carry so great a weight as is a Monarchie and sole Dominion of one Atlas the Pope ouer all the Catholike Church of Christ and to answer the most of those by like Parallels and Equiualences First The Popes Primacie is proued say you by the word Papa that is Pope Three wayes One because though it had bin giuen commonly to others yet was it attributed to the Bishop of Rome by way of Excellencie thus THE Pope Ergo Monarke False for it was bestowed as well vpon Saint Cyprian by the way of Excellencie insomuch that at the point of his Martyrdome when the Paganish Proconsull askt him Art thou he whom Christians call their Pope Saint Cyprian answered yea IAME Next because say you he is also called The Pope of the Vniuersall Church Ergò hee is a Monarke False for Athanasius also who is called Pope had his Church called by Constantine The Vniuersall Church Lastly because say you The Bishop of Rome himselfe calleth no other Bishop Pope but Sonne or Brother Ergo hee is Monarch False for Pope Cornelius likewise as is confessed called Cyprian Pope yea and Cyprian called Pope Cornelius Brother as also Epiphanius as is further confessed called Pope Hormisda Brother so little doth the name of Brother or Title of Pope auoid the Equalitie among Bishops The Second name is The Father of Fathers giuen to Damasus Ergo he was Monarch False for if Others were called Popes as you haue heard all is one because as is confessed Papa and Pater Patrum Pope and Father of Fathers is the same And also Saint Polycarpus was called The Father of Christians Thirdly Fourthly and Fifthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The high Priest of Christians yea The Chiefe Priest yea The Prince of Priests Ergo Monarch False for Basil who was no Pope was called Great Priest Athanasius also was called The Master of Priests and you haue many in the Church of Rome vnder Monarchs yea or Bishops that are called Arch Priests and whatsoeuer your phrase be it cannot be higher or chiefer than Summus or Chiefe which by your owne Confâ—ssions hath bin communicated to Non-popes Sixthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Vicar of Christ. Ergo Monarch False for Pope Eusebius alluding to that of the Apostle concerning all the Apostles Wee are the Embassadours in Christi vice in Christ his stead and applying it to Bishops saith There is one Head of the Church Christ but the Vicars of Christ are they that in Christ his stead are Embassadours for Christ. Seauenthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Head of the Church and his Seate or Church The Head of Churches Ergo the Pope is Monarch False for Athanasius was likewise called The topp of the Head of all and Cyril in a Councell The Head of the Assembly and Antioch is called The Head of the whole world The Eight and Ninth The Bishop of Rome is called The Foundation of the Church and Pastor of the Lords flocke Ergo Monarch False for Athanasius also is called The Foundation of the Church of God And if you speake De iure the word Pastor of the whole flocke was proper to the Apostles who receiued in their ioynt Commission a power and Authoritie of Preaching throughout the world to euery humane creature without any limitation insomuch that as Saint Augustine saith Peter was a Pastor and Paul was a Pastor and the other Apostles were also Pastors But there could not be so many Monarchs ouer the whole Church But if you vnderstand thereby Curam Studium Care Studie which by the Office of Pastorship euery one is bound vnto according to his possibility towards the good of the Vniuersall Church in this all other Bishops are Pastors as well as the Pope as hath bin confessed The Tenth The Bishop of Rome say you is called The Rector or Gouernour of the house of God Ergo Monarch False for it is not spoken Vniuersally but Indefinitely In materiâ contingenti with allusion to the words of Saint Paul to Timothie thus That thou maist know how to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God namely with an vniuersall care ouer All but a Particular power ouer that his Church of Ephesus which was his Bishopricke and yet Timothie was no Monarch The Eleuenth The Bishop of Rome say you is called Hee to whom the Lords Vineyard is committed Ergo hee is Monarch False for Pope Eleutherius as you know writ to the Bishops of France thus The vniuersall Church saith hee is committed vnto you yet hee ment nothing lesse than to iudge them Spirituall Monarchs The Twelfth The Bishop of Rome is called say you The Father and Doctor of all Christians Ergo Monarch False for the First of these was Attributed vnto Polycarpus a Bishop of Asia who was called The Father of Christians And because the Second concerneth your Faith and the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome as an Oracle for the full determination of Faith as being therefore worthy to bee held Monarchicall wee say that your Consequence from this Title The Doctor of Christians and the like is as false as any of the rest because of the Equiualencie of Attributes giuen to other learned and Orthodox Fathers as followeth Our second discouery of the falshood and vanity of your Papall Defence from Titles borrowed from Ancient Fathers by our like Equiualences SECT 3. IF your Consequence from Titles must needs conclude a Monarchicall Pope then marke we pray you how many Monarches must be acknowledged in the purest times of Christ his Church after the Apostles who notwithstanding neuer were lifted in the Catalogue of your Popes wherein we make bold to call your owne Authors to witnesse First then to answer you as Logicians speake in your very Termes looke into the Marginalls and you shall finde 1 Origen called by Didymus The Master of the Churches and by Saint Hierom Most excellent expounder of
Scriptures Chrysostome called by Pope Innocentius The Great Doctor of the whole world Augustine called The most singular Doctor of all Churches And Hilarius by your Cardinall worthily accompted The greatest Doctor and Pillar of the Catholike Church Next if you would haue Metaphoricall phrases of like efficacy and Emphasis you may obserue Athanasius anciently called The stay and foundation of the Church Basil the mouth of the Church the eye of the world the light of the world and the Sunne among the Starres Lastly if you require a further expression and commendation of the credit and Authority of the forenamed Fathers in the Truth of their Doctrines then may you happen vpon some which will more Emphatically and significantly giue your Papall Monarches the mate as namely that the Doctrines of Athanasius were of that credit that they were held for A Rule of the Orthodoxe Faith Nazianzene to haue bene of so great estimation for his Doctrine that he obtained the surname of Diuine primitiuely ascribed to the Euangelist Saint Iohn insomuch that whosoeuer dissented from him in any point of Doctrine was thereupon so much rather iudged an Heretike euery one being deemed not to be sound in the Faith that accorded not to him in beliefe Ambrose to haue receiued and gouerned the helme of the Faith in the ship of Christ which is his Church Augustine to haue bene honoured of all as the builder againe of the ancient Faith and Cyril of Alexandria to haue bene called The Iudge of the whole world Thus much of the twelfth Title The Thirteenth The Bishop of Rome say you was called by Saint Augustine The Bishop of the Apostolike Sea meaning the Romane without addition of the word Romane Ergò by way of Excellency it argueth him to be Monarch False for so the Bishop of Alexandria was in like manner called by Saint Hierome The Bishop of the Apostolicall Sea without any addition of the word Alexandrian Yea but you say the Bishop of Rome is further said to hold the Principality or Chiefedome of the Apostolicall Sea Ergò Monarch False for the Bishop of Antioch also was said to possesse The Primacy of the Apostolike Sea yea and Others also Oh but further say you the office of the Bishop of Rome is called an Apostleship Ergò Monarch False for if this Consequence be extended to the times of the Apostles then must Iudas Iscariot haue bene a Monarch who had an Apostleship Act. 1.25 And Matthias after him should haue bene another Monarch who was chosen into the same Apostleship from which Iudas fell And if you restraine it to after-times then can no Bishop properly arrogate an Apostleship which was an Office as your selues confesse Proper vnto the immediate Apostles of Christ. Lastly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Vniuersall Bishop Ergò Monarch False for as is confessed the Popes of Rome by conniuency yeelded to the Bishop of Constantinople that the Bishop of that Sea should vse the same Title of Vniuersall Bishop as well as the Bishop of Rome and yet was he no more Monarch than Cyril the now Patriarch of Alexandria who is instiled Pope and Vniuersall Iudge at this day Our third Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the Papall Defence from bare Titles is by your owne Contradictions SECT 4. HItherto haue we examined your Titles giuen to the Popes of Rome in the equall scales of Comparison with other Bishops and find them all too light neither scale being able to carry the weight of a Monarch We now proceed to a further Confutation of your Arguments Consequences in many of them from your owne Confessions and Reasons You haue first obiected the Title of Pope of Rome as The most ancient name of the Bishop of Rome yet you confesse that there was a time so Ancient when Neither the name of Papa or Pontifex were attributed to the Bishop of Rome but onely the bare Title of Bishop of Rome Againe of this name you haue affirmed that it was Anciently giuen to the Bishop of Rome Per Antonomasiam by way of Excellence as proper vnto him and yet you grant that The name of Pope was appropriated onely to the Bishop of Rome by the Decree of Pope Gregory the seauenth in a Councell at Rome about the yeare 1073. Againe you noted the Bishop of Rome to be called Papa Ecclesiae Father of the Church as if he were altogether Father and could not by any Relation be Filius Ecclesiae the Child of the Church or Subiect to a Councell Which bladder of pride was pricked by the Fathers of the Councell of Basil arguing thus If the Church Catholike be the Mother of all the faithfull then the Bishop of Rome ought to be Child vnto her else according to that saying of blessed Augustine he cannot haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother So they Haue you not now by your propriety of the name Papa spunne a faire threed whereby you strangle your Popes and Popedome it selfe As for the fourth Title of Summus Pontifex or Chiefe Priest you haue auouched from thence that the Pope of Rome is the onely Monareh And yet yeeld that there may be Two Chiefes in euery kind namely Negatiuely as that which hath none aboue it although not Affirmatiuely chiefe as that which is aboue all others So then it is not necessary that the word Chiefe should inferre a Supremacy else Pope Leo was farre ouershot when speaking of Bishops in Generall he called them Summi Pontifices Chiefe Priests and so making All other Popes made himselfe none at all because still the Monarchy can be but of One. Nor thus onely but further you who by one Cardinall haue made these words Pontifex Maximus and Sacerdos Summus to be Notes of Monarchie in the Popes do by another Cardinall contradict it saying that The name of Pontifex Maximus may admit of Equality with others except there be ioyned with this another Title of Bishop of Bishops Which also as you know is insufficient because Pope Clemens in the Epistle which you call his called the Apostle Saint Iames The Bishop of Bishops euen in the dayes of Saint Peter The ninth Title you contended for as proper to the Pope was the name of Pastor or Sheapheard of the flocke of Christ Notwithstanding of all other Bishops in the Christian Church the Pope hath least right to be called Pastor except it be Per Antiphrasim à non pascendo because you cannot reckon for some hundreds of yeares scarce any One Pope that professedly discharged his Function of Preaching albeit Preaching be acknowledged more than once by your Fathers of the Councell of Trent to be The Chiefe office of a Bishop If therefore as your Cardinall himselfe preached He deserueth not the name of
a Pastòr who doth not personally attend his flocke and if as the same Cardinall proceedeth Euery Bishop ought to preach except he haue lawfull impediments nor is it sufficient to performe this by others because saith he Christ said not to Peter haue a care that others feed but feed Thou my sheepe This then your Cardinals one Reason alone of it selfe doth most iustly vntitle your Bishop of Rome of the most proper Attribute of a Bishop and if no Bishop then no Bishop of Bishops or Chiefe Bishop because there cannot be a greater Soloecisme than to call one a Chiefe in any calling the Chiefe duty whereof he chiefly and specially neglecteth You will say the Exception Except he be lawfully hindered will excuse him Nay but it doth accuse him rather because we must not imagine that there was not almost any one Pope for the space of many hundred yeares who could not in his whole life time find iust leasure to studie and preach one Sermon The thirteenth which onely hath bene hitherto omitted is Sponsus Ecclesiae The Bride-groome of the Church This likewise you contend for as for a Pearle proper to the Crowne of a Papall Monarch Albeit you know that this was not put into the Popes Miter vntill the yeare 1â—00 And what more the Pope with you must be forsooth The Vicar of Christ who is the High Pastor of the Church and he must be also the Spouse of the same Church which is called by Saint Iohn The Spouse of Christ. How did Saint Bernard like of this Diuinity He writing to Pope Eugenius admonisheth him not to call himselfe The Bridegroome of the Church which is the Spouse of Christ For No man saith he will commit his Spouse to his Vicar Let your Cardinall Glosse hereupon as he doth by distinguishing betweene Principall and Inferior Bridegroome and of Intrinsecall and Extrinsecall generation all will not satisfie Saint Bernard his Reprehension of the Popes abuse of the word For we demand did the Pope vse the Title aright why then needed he this Admonition of Saint Bernard but did he need this Admonition then did he in the iudgement of Saint Bernard falsly arrogate the Title We belieue your Iesuite who saith There is but one Bridegroome of the Church but more S. Bernard yet neither of both in respect of Saint Iohn who saith He that hath the Bride is the Bride-groome but the friend of the Bride is he that standeth by and heareth Which dissolueth your former distinction for Bride and Bride-groome are Relatiues the Bride therfore which is the Church is affianced vnto the Bride-groome Christ how onely in Soule Is she not betrothed in Body also Else what meaneth that saying Yee are bought with a price glorifie therefore God in your bodies and in your soules Ergo the Relation is both Outward and Inward euery other were he the best of Christians is but a Paranymph and a friend of the Bride at the most as Theophylact and Bede do both teach In the foureteenth of the name Apostleship you seeme to glory and boast notwithstanding you are not ignorant that it could not be properly ascribed vnto him knowing that there is as much difference betweene Apostleship and Bishopricke as there is betweene one that hath a Generall Commission to go where he will and him that hath a Particular Charge fixed to a certaine place As for the last Title of Vniuersall Bishop which you say was giuen to the Pope by a Councell as implying a Monarchie we answer that there is a falshood in the Antecedent For it was not the Synod but the Popes owne Legats that vented out that Vanity And for the Consequence and sense of the word betokening a Monarchie ouer All Others as Subiects this hath bene proued from Pope Gregory to be a detestable and Antichristian falshood And your Gratian hath it in expresse words as the direct sense of the Councell of Africke wherein Saint Augustine had his voyce saying Neither may the Pope of Rome be called Vniuersall Our fourth Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the Papall Defence taken from ancient Titles by the Blasphemousnesse of some Titles which haue bene newly conferred vpon Popes SECT 5. IF your Popes had thought these former Titles sufficient then questionlesse would they not haue affected other Attributes farre more transcendent which of later times are giuen vnto them by their Parasites and swallowed vp of themselues as their spirit and vitall breath which you may find in the Marginals as I. Pope Innocentius the eight to be called in Royaltie and Vnction CHRIST aboue his fellowes an Attribute proper vnto Iesus Christ himselfe Heb. 1.9 II. Pope Paulus the second to be called a Coelestiall Maiestie which all know to be proper to God III. Pope Pius the fourth to be called The voyce and Oracle of Truth proper also to Christ who saith I am the truth Ioh 14.6 IV. Againe Pope Innocent the eight to be called One aboue all Principalities and powers and whatsoeuer is named in this or in the other world plainly proper to Christ Ephes. 1. V. Pope Sixtus Quintus called The corner-stone in Sion prooued pretious and chiefe foundation proper to Christ Isa. 28.14 and 1. Pet. 2. as is confessed by your owne Expositors VI. Pope Gregory the thirteenth stop your eares called Power Might or Maiesty of God vpon earth and againe Our Lord God the Pope Wee pretermit many the like Blasphemies Yea but will you say Others gaue vnto them those Titles they required them not Then let Herod excuse himselfe that the people cryed aloud in magnifying his wisedome and saying The voyce of God and not of man yet became hee in the end but a lowzie god Moreouer Simon Magus is not read to haue required that estimation as to be called The mighty power of God Nor can you deny that these Titles were vsed of Authors in their Dedicatory Epistles and in their personall Orations vnto Popes and this last authorized by Pope Gregory the thirteenth in the Papall Glosse it selfe A fifth answer remaineth which we shall referre to the Section next following the Challenge CHALLENGE THE Fable of the Chough or Daw is not vnknowne vnto you which plumed himselfe with the stolne feathers of other Birds of all sorts in the end when all the other Birds had challenged each one her owne feather and pulled it from her she poore and naked Cornicula became a matter of scorne and laughter vnto them all Semblably this your strange and monstrous creature Papall Monarch haue you adorned and bedecked with fifteene Titles as it were so many Feathers which vpon due Examination by iust Parallels your owne Confessions and Reasons are found some of them very new most of them common to other Bishops as well as to the Pope and almost all in your Papall sense very vniustifiable besides your later additament of other Epithets Transcendent and as you
see notably Blasphemous Then which what better manifestation can there be of the vanity and impiety of your Papisticall Defence Hauing spoken of the Attributes wee now come to the Sentences of Ancient Fathers Your Obiection from Ancient Fathers is taken from their Sentences both Greeke and Latine First of the Greeke Fathers by discouering the Falshood and Vanity of your Papall Defence SECT 6. POpes of Rome in Primitiue Times by their constancy in the Faith by their integrity of life by the Primacy of their place in their priority of Order and by the Generall estimation which was held of them in each of these respects obtained an Authority of credit to helpe all Bishops and Patriarchs in their extremities onely they had no Vniuersall Iurisdiction or Dominion ouer them Hence are the Sentences of Fathers Obiected in the Margent which doe appeare so notably abused by your Obiections The absurdities of whose Consequence we choose in this place to discouer by Similitudes as the Prophet Nathan dealt with Dauid The Case then standeth thus as if they would haue taught those holy Fathers to haue argued Absurdly As from the First namely Ignatius thus The Church of York hath a Seat of Primacy in the Prouince of York therefore that Church is the Head of all Churches within this Kingdome From the Second to wit Iraeneus as if thus It is now necessary for all sorts of Tradesmen to haue recourse to London for their wares for the abundant store which is in that City therefore this Necessity is absolute no-where but at London and perpetuall neuer any where else can it be but at London From the Third viz. Epiphanius and the Fourth viz. Athanasius as if thus A.R. in the County of Suffolke craued pardon of the Shiriffe of Middlesex for a notorious offence done vnto him Ergo he accounted that Shiriffe to haue Authority of a Shiriffe in the County of Suffolke From the Fifth that is Dionysius Alexandrinus as if thus Two Gentlemen one being Iustice of Peace agreed to haue their difference to be ordered by another Iustice of Peace Ergo one of these Iustices of Peace hath Dominion ouer the other Of the Sixt which is Basil much hath beene said already somewhat more presently after From the Seuenth which is Gregory Nazianzene and the Eight namely Zozomene as if thus The Parish within the Tower of London liueth in peace as becommeth that place which commandeth the whole City As though the word Command in this place did note the Ecclesiasticall part that is the Parish to be Commander and not the Tower it selfe Politickely vnderstood From the Ninth to wit Crysostome as if a King of Poland vniustly deposed by his people and flying to the King of Hungary for helpe to preserue the Law of Nations for rhe Regality of Kings and thanking him for his Fatherly loue and care did thereby acknowledge the King of Hungary to bee a King ouer the King of Poland Of the Tenth to wit Cyrill of Alexandria presently after From the Eleuenth that is Theodoret some-what differing from the former thus As if the Bishop of Arles in France being deposed by a Synod of his fellow Bishops for Heresie desiring helpe for his Restitution from the Bishop of Paris and also from other Bishops within his owne Prouince by auouching vnto him and them his Orthodoxe Faith and being thereupon restored by the same Synod by which hee was repulsed did therefore iudge the Bishop of Paris the Supreme Iudge of all the other Bishops From the Twelfth who was Acacius as if one should argue thus The King of Great Brittaine might haue beene surnamed Pacificus because hee had a Care of the Peace of all Christendome therefore he ought to bee held Supreme aboue the Emperour Or thus that Saint Paul who vsed the same speech now Obiected of hauing the care of all Churches must therefore be esteemed to haue had a Gouernement aboue Peter and all the other Apostles From the Thirteenth viz. Liberatus as if thus Although Liberatus who was an Author that had beene deceiued by Heretikes in giuing credit to their false and forged writings doth thus report yet we must not distrust him when he reporteth for the Pope Or else thus We must beleeue that of the Bishop of Patara which he himselfe could not beleeue The last who is Iustinian hath beene already answered by a Parallel of other Bishops and Bishoprickes which haue beene called Heads of all Churches without any colour of a Crowne of Monarchie Our Second discouery of the falshood and Vanity of your former Consequence taken from the Testimonies of some of the Ancient Fathers aboue mentioned SECT 7. THe Fathers that haue beene alleadged were of the Easterne Church and therefore doubtlesse were of the Faith of those Generall Councels in the East which haue beene knowne to oppose themselues to the pretended Papall Iurisdiction as oft as they had iust Cause so to doe Which one Consideration ought to be your full satisfaction in this point Notwithstanding for a clearer conuiction of that falshood which we haue beene constrained so often to complaine of in your Obiectors We proceed to a Second Answer which is by Retorsion in auouching your owne witnesses against you Saint Basil is the Sixth Witnesse which your Cardinall produced one so aduerse to your Cause as that hee you know fell into an extreme distrust of the Church of Rome which be iustly condemned of Pride and Ignorance and also accompted Athanasius Bishop of Antioch to be in his time in respect of his sound and sincere iudgement The Chiefe Head of all others If now Saint Basil cannot be called a Subiect to your Monarch the Pope of Rome then ought you to haue patience with Protestants who haue tenne-fold more iust cause aginst the Church of Rome than he at that time possibly could haue Saint Cyrill Patriarch of Alexandria hath beene cited for the Ninth witnesse whom because his Testimonie requireth a larger discussion we haue reserued to this place The Story concerning him as you may collect out of your Baronius consisteth of Three parts 1. In behalfe of Theophilus Predecessor to Cyrill the 2. Touching Atticus Patriarch of Constantinople an Admonisher of Cyrill the 3. Is acted by Cyrill himselfe Theophilus Patriarch of Alexandria and Predecessor to Cyrill was Excommunicated by Pope Innocentius for not admitting of the name of Chrysostome now dead into the Dyptickes or Tables of publike Commemorations in which Excommunication the same Theophilus continued vntill the last houre of his death And how little support you can haue for that which your Cardinall addeth touching his altering of his opinion at the very point of death will appeare in handling the Second and Third part Secondly therefore Atticus Patriarch of Constantinople who had runne the same course of Opposition with Theophilus against the Restoring of the Name of Chrysostome now after the
death of Theophilus inclineth to the other side and vnderstanding that Cyrill was chosen Patriarch of Alexandria in succession of Theophilus he writeth to Cyril an Epistle wherein he recompteth Theophilus in the number of Saints and seeketh to perswade Cyrill to the Restoring of Chrysostomes name into the publike Records But will you know by what Reasons euen by the Conference had with the Emperour Theodosius and signifying that he was Vrged vnto it by the necessity of the present distraction and tumultuousnesse of the people but not so much as in one syllable to haue any consideration of the Popes will and Command or of the danger of his Excommunication belike the stinch of that his Thunderbolt was not so rancke and noysome in his daies Nay contrarily as Baronius will haue vs to obserue Atticus euen at this time of his yeelding to the restoring of the name of Chrysostome being extremely displeased with the Church of Rome by which he himselfe had beene excommunicated called other two Easterne Bishops Schismatickes euen because they had ioyned in Communion with her What call men Schismatickes for ioyning Communion with the Church of Rome Then it is plaine that he yeeldeth not to the Restoring of Chrysostome's Name by compulsion of the Pope as hath beene fained And it is as cleare that Theophilus did not recant his former iudgement at the point of death else would Atticus haue vsed this as an Argument to perswade Cyrill in behalfe of Chrysostome especially making mention of Theophilus in the same Epistle and whether rather Atticus that liued in the same Time with Theophilus know better the manner thereof or a Relator that came many hundred yeeres after iudge you But which is most euident of all Atticus although hee did now That which was desired of the Pope of Rome concerning Chrysostome notwithstanding calling those Bishops Schismatickes who for their respect to Chrysostome ioyned Communion with that Excommunicating Church of Rome and yet naming Theophilus a Saint doth proue sufficiently that Theophilus whom the Pope had Excommunicated neuer sought to haue Vnion with him before his death Neuerthelesse this Atticus Eighteene yeeres after his death was acknowledged by Pope Celestinus to haue beene A most strong Champion for the Catholike Faith Now entereth Cyrill himselfe to act his owne part Hee after hee had professed his defence of the Canon of Nice against Chrysostome returneth this Answer to Atticus Since the time that you Atticus saith he haue beene Bishop in the Sea of Constantinople no man resisted your meetings or Synods in the Church or if any wilfully separated themselues yet by the grace of Christ they were recalled And who was there among the Magistrates that was not obedient vnto you Or what one man for this cause is now without the Church Surely none But you tell me that since your relenting much peace hath insued in the Churches be it so yet there being so many Churches with vs which stand out against the restoring of the name of Chrysostome we may not dissent from them Thus Saint Cyrill in his Epistle as your Cardinall hath related Where hee speaketh of the Churches of Constantinople and Antioch of Constantinople hee affirmeth that at all times therefore in the time when Atticus himselfe the Bishop of Constantinople was Excommunicated by the Church of Rome as hath beene confessed both Clergie Magistrates and people within those Churches did notwithstanding the Papall dis-vnion and Separation Communicate with Atticus And now concerning his owne Patriarchall Church of Alexandria Cyril himselfe professeth that hee must not dissent from it and many other Churches in Greece that yeelded not to the Decree of the Church of Rome which againe ouerthroweth your Article of absolute Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Church Cyrill proceedeth in his Answer to Atticus But wee condemne them saith he that obey not the power of God vsing that saying of the Prophet we haue cured Babylon and shee is not healed let vs forsake her For we may not because of the speaches of some if any such speaches be suffer the Canons of the Church to be abolished So he By which words he laboureth to perswade Atticus againe to gaine-say the Commemoration of Chrysostome which the Pope by all his meanes of threats of Excommunications and perswasions sought to effect But what of all this will you say What hearken to your Cardinall Reader I would haue thee Consider saith he that in this bitternesse of contention which Cyrill now had against the Restitution of the name of Chrysostome against whom he inueigheth in this Epistle yet for Reuerence sake hee durst not say any thing openly and expressely against Pope Innocentius who was the Author and chiefe cause of restoring Chrysostomes name into the Dyptickes and reuenged himselfe vpon those that withstood it as did Theophilus Predecessor to Cyril whom for that cause the Pope depriued of his Communion Thus farre reacheth your Cardinals Consideration From whence you may be pleased to consider with vs how slily and smoothly your Cardinall slydeth ouer this piece of ice for feare breaking it and of falling in Cyrill forsooth for Reuerence durst not say any thing openly against Pope Innocentius who authorized the restoring of Chrysostome c. As though it might not be said Quid verba audiam cùm facta videam words are but shadowes deeds are substantialls And Cyrill did more and that openly than your Cardinall saith he durst say For knowing that Theophilus had beene Excommunicate for Opposing the Decree of the Pope yet doth Cyrill persist in the same Opposition which may be a second Argument vnto vs that Theophilus had not recanted before his death Secondly knowing that Atticus Patriarch of Constantinople had beene likewise depriued of the Popes Communion notwithstanding doth Cyrill perswade Atticus by his letters to stand in the defence of the same Cause Thirdly knowing that Pope Innocentius did still vrge the aduancing of the Memory of Chrysostome neuerthelesse doth Cyrill actually resist it Can a man interpret it a point of Reuerence toward a Monarch to say nothing and yet openly to withstand his Monarchy So false in those daies was your Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Church of Rome in the iudgement of Saint Cyrill who indeed deserued of the Church of Christ the Title of a Saint and is so acknowledged by your selues Gladly would your Baronius if it might bee support your Cause by the Testimony of Nicephorus who sheweth that Cyrill reformed his iudgement before his death But if were it reasonable to beleeue a Tale of Nicephorus an Author often reprooued by your selues for his Fabulousnesse being made more than Eight hundred yeere after the party is dead yet can it not any whit serue your turne because hee telleth that Cyrill corrected his errour concerning his dis-estimation of Chrysostome moued thereunto by a Vision that hee had wherein He thought he saw Chrysostome expelling him
not also for Eighty yea and Eighty times Eighty if shee would so Decree II. That the Church of Rome hath sometimes a False Head SECT 14. WHich false Head may bee easily seene thorrow many holes as First to make him as you do Vniuersall Head ouer the Whole Church of Christ throughout the world is to erect a False Head as Saint Gregory once Head of the Particular Church of Rome did often teach by calling the Title and Doctrine of Vniuersall Bishop Prophane Sacrilegious Blasphemous and Antichristian 2. God neuer ordained an Head no bigger then of a wren to stand vpon the shoulders of a man and so little in respect is One Bishop of One City of Rome to bee set ouer the Church Vniâ—ersally dispersed throughout the whole world as you may guesse by the exceptions which Saint Cyprian and after him S. Augustine and the Churches wherein they liued tooke against the Bishops of Rome accompting them Incompetent Iudges in Cases of Appeale from Remote Nations by reason of the distance of places and yet their Churches in Africke might be said to be neare neighbours to Rome in respect of many farre more distant from thence therefore an Head extreamely disproportionate is a False Head 3. None call that a Necessary and liuing Head which was not created by God no more can that Ecclesiasticall Head be iudged Necessary for the Church of Christ which was not instituted by Diuine Ordinance But that the Head of the Church of Rome was not ordained by Diuinâ— Authority you haue for proofe not onely the Church Catholike in the Councell of Chalcedon but also the Romane Church it selfe in the Councell of Constance Therefore an Humane Head in pretence of a Diuine one is a False Head 4. An Head subiect to Heresie cannot be truely adequate and proper to a Body which dependeth vpon Infallibility in matters of Faith But he that will be called Vniuersall Head is obnoxious to Heresie as Pope Gregory excellently taught when he denied that either He or any Bishop in the Church ought to be called Vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church lest that the same Vniuersall Bishop falling into error the whole Church saith he might erre with him An Example of an Hereticall Pope you haue had Confessed in Honorius from the Testimonies of Romish Doctors of Ancient Fathers of Councells and of Popes themselues And certainely that cannot be but a False Head which cannot be a True Member of the Body of the Church Catholike which no Heretike as you haue confessed can be 5. You your selues admit of no Head on earth of the Visible Body of Christ that is his Church which is not also so Visible that a man may point at it vndoubtedly and Indiuidually saying of it This is the Bishop of Rome But you can haue no such Certainty of any Bishop of Rome both because his Ordination without which he cannot be truely Pope dependeth vpon the Intention of the Ordeinour than which what can be more vncertaine vnto you as also because you are often constrained to doubt of the truth of his Election For you cannot be ignorant how plentifull a matter wee haue now in hand if we intended to prosecuâ—e the manifold Examples that are extant in your owne Bookes of Popes who haue taken possession of the Romane Chaire by Intrusion One you may receiue from the Relation of your Baronius viz. of Iohn the Twelfth who was no manner of way saith he to be termed a legitimate and lawfull Pope because no law was obserued in his Election but all things carryed with terror and Violence who although by reason of his young yeeres he could not be made so much as Deacon yet did the Church honour him for her Pope accompting it a Lesse euill to tolerate one although a Monstrous Head than to be diuided into many Heads So he This is plaine dealing openly confessing what kinde of Heads your Romane Church is sometimes vnited vnto One for his life Monstrous and therefore a braine-sicke Head One for his yeeres not fit to be so much as a Deacon that is as wee may so say an Elbow of the Church is made Head Chiefe Pastor thereof therefore a braine-lesse Head One that is an Intruder and No-way a lawfull Pope and therefore nothing lesse than a true Head because an Example differing from your Rule which your Iesuite Salmeron confesseth to be this To beleeue with a Diuine or Infallible Faith THIS singular and Indiuidual man to bee our Pope who is defined by the Electors yet so that it doth not appeare that there was any defect or fault in his Election But behold heere is one with a Constat that there was nothing but Defects in his entrance because no law of iust Election was obserued therein and yet notwithstanding acknowledged and honoured as true Pope of your Romane Church 6. As the Body cannot boast of Vnion with a Head that is Headlesse no more can an Head be truely so called which is Bodilesse But we haue proued that that which you call Principally the Church of Rome as resident at Rome shall haue no being and therefore be no Bodie in Rome namely when-as the City of Rome shall be the Seate of Antichrist CHALLENGE ALas my Masters what meane you will you needs condemne your selues and your whole Romane Church by your owne Faith Your Article is to Beleeue with an Infallible Faith One singular man to be the True Pope of Rome and Vniuersall Pastor hauing Monarchicall power in the Church wherein by the word Vniuersall you condemne the Romane Church as it was in the daies of Pope Pelagius the Second and Pope Gregory the First both which held the Title of Vniuersall as execrable and Anti-christian By Monarchicall and absolute power you condemne the Romane Church in the daies of Pope Damasus who held himselfe no Competent Iudge in Cases fore-iudged by a Prouinciall Councell By True you condemne the Romane Church in the daies of Pope Iohn the Twelfth which acknowledged for her Pope Him whom shee knew to bee euery way Vnlawfully possessed of the Popedome and therefore no True Pope Yet what maruell if they doubt not to obey false Pastors who daily Worship false Saints By Romane you condemne that Christian Church which shall be in the daies of Antichrist when-as the City of Rome from whence the Denomination of Romane is deriued shall be the Seate of Antichrist And by beleeuing Hunc This Indiuiduall Pope to bee verily the Pope with that Infallible Faith wherewith you beleeue any thing necessary to Saluation you condemne here-in the Romane Church throughout the whole Succession thereof from Saint Peter to this day and therein also your owne soules in professing that to bee Infallible which by reason of many defects both in the Ordination and Election of any Pope is knowne to be full of Fallibilities and vncertainties as all your owne Historians doe proue and as will bee further euident
none but Ignorants For your fuller Satisfaction herein We thought good vpon Contemplation of the Premisses to descend vnto this DETERMINATION of the Cause which wee shall performe punctually by certaine Theses or Positions by which are repelled those Popular Obiections which you vsually cast as Impediments in our way This Tractate then we diuide into foure parts I. Concerning All Churches in generall II. Particularly comparing the Romane Church with other now Remote Churches III. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at the time of LVTHERS departure from her IV. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at this day The first part of Comparison which is by Generall Theses I. THESIS An Absolute Decay of the Catholike Church was neuer defended by any Protestants SECT 2. MAny Papists in their aduersnesse to Protestants whom they seeke to traduce do impute vnto them this faithlesse Paradox as to say that the Catholike Church is sometime extinguished whereas Caluine and other Protestants grant saith your Cardinall that the Catholike Church cannot perish And therefore he telleth those MANY that they do but Loose their time in proouing the perpetuall existence of the Catholike Church Hee might as well haue noted in them a Losse of good Conscience by their falsly imposing vpon Protestants a false Doctrine which they neuer taught as you may more perfectly see afterwards by a Sentence of Caluin himselfe II. THESIS The Church Symbolicall and properly called Catholike cannot erre in Faith SECT 3. THat wee call the Symbolicall and properly Catholike Church as it is Militant which is set downe in the Apostles Symbol or Creed beleeued of all Christians viz. The multitude of all Christian Beleeuers whensoeuer and wheresoeuer dispersed through-out the world vnto which belong all those Royall Promises made by Christ vnto her of being Led into all truth Ioh. 16. Of hauing his residence with it Vnto the ends of the world Matth. 28. Of Hell-gates not preuailing against it Matth. 16. Neuer shall you find any Protestant gain-saying this Truth III. THESIS How the Church Representatiue improperly called the Catholike Church may bee said to be subiect to Errour SECT 4. THe Church improperly called Catholike is the Congregation of Christians assembled in a Generall Synod as being the Representatiue body of the Church in the Symbol properly called Catholike whereof wee say no more than Saint Augustine spake to wit that Sometimes former Generall Councels may be corrected by the latter Vnto which sentence of Augustine you could not hitherto giue any Answer but that which Saint Augustine if he were aliue would say is directly contradictory to his meaning For Augustine saith your Cardinall spake not of matter of Faith but of Fact nor of a point of Doctrine but of Manners Whereas the whole dispute of Augustine in that place is about a Doctrine of Faith Whether there can be true Baptisme in a false Church And what hath Saint Augustine said herein which Some of your owne Romish Schoole haue not thorowly auouched viz. that Generall Councels rightly gathered haue erred and that A Generall Councell so erring doth not preiudice the Catholike Church Because A Generall Councell is not the Catholike Church but onely a part thereof Which erring yet notwithstanding Some of the Church shall be still assisted to vphold the truth So they Nor doth this any whit impeach the Promise of Christ to wit * Whensoeuer two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there I will be in the middest of them For Christ promising his presence to all Christians Assembled in his Name did not thereby promise that all Christian Assemblies should be gathered in his Name duly that is with sincere hearts to inuocate him and to subscribe to his reuealed Truth It was an Academicall and Scepticall Paradox to say that because one Sense might be deceiued therefore no Sense was to be belieued Whereunto the Answer was that euery Sense as it might be deceiued so might it also be not deceiued if requisite Circumstances were duely obserued as namely if the Organ and Instrument were sound the Medium rightly disposed the Obiect proper the Distance due and proportionable Accordingly in Councels if the persons assembled as it were the Organs be sincerely affected to Gods glorie with desire of Truth as their proper Obiect and in the maior part thereof not led with the spirit of Contention and Faction which is the Cause of vnequall difference and Distance and if their Diaphanum and Medium be illuminated with the true light as Saint Peter calleth the holy Scripture Then is it not possible for such an Assembly to erre in any principle of Faith So then the difference betweene the Romane Church and the Church of the Protestants is no more but this that the Romanists say that all Generall Councels may erre except they bee confirmed and authorized by the Pope but Protestants say that all Generall Councels may erre except they be directed by the Spirit of Gods word as our Church of England hath truly defined In which difference we seeke no other moderation than the iudgement of the first fiue Generall Councels which in points of Faith propounded to themselues the holy Scripture as the onely Rule of their Doctrines esteemed of the Popes iudgement no otherwise than of a particular suffrage and in it selfe but equall excepting the Dignitie of Order vnto the voices of other Patriarches and Bishops as hath bene prooued IV. THESIS Protestants hold not any greater Inuisibilitie or rather Obscuritie of the Church Catholike than that which the Romanists themselues are forced to confesse SECT 5. NOt but that many of you pretend and boast of a Catholike Church not onely Visible but also Conspicuously and notoriously Visible alwaies both in the Amplitude of compasse and in the Multitude of Beleeuers as the Perpetuall note of the Church which our Sauiour Christ compareth to a Citie set vpon a hill And you are not ignorant of the Epistle which Mr. Fisher a Iesuite presented not long agoe vnto our late Soueraigne King Iames of blessed memorie wherein he professeth a Catholike Church to be alwaies so conspicuous that The whole knowne world may take notice of her yea euen in the dayes of Antichrist shall she be visibly vniuersall for she shall be then euery-where persecuted which she could not bee except she were euery where Visible So He Who neuer regarded that the Church of Christ as it is sometime in lustre glorious as the Sunne so againe it is according to the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose sometime as the Moone which hath her encreases and decreases In which respect we are to obserue two Seasons of the Church the one long since past in the dayes of that Deluge of the Arian Heresie the other prophesied to happen in the dayes of Antichrist Of both which as well Fathers as your owne Authors say as much concerning the Ecclipse and obscurity of
hath beene prooued by the Testimonies of Catholike and General Councels Fathers and Martyrs to be an Errour in it selfe The other Principle is that whereon the former dependeth to wit that the Bishop or Pope of Rome is the Vniuersall Head of the Catholike Church which in the iudgement of a most ancient and holy Pope is not onely a Prophane and Antichristian errour in it selfe but also the high-way of erring vniuersally Because saith hee if that One Vniuersall Bishop erre then must the whole and Vniuersall Church erre with him Where the same Saint Gregorie vpon a particular occasion taken at Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople who ambitiously sought the Title of Vniuersall Bishop gaue this his foresaid generall Doctrine concerning any Bishop whatsouer whether in the See of Constantinople or Rome or wheresoeuer Euen as the Apostle vpon occasion of confuting of one new error among the Galatians giueth them a generall lesson against all other the like Nouelties of Doctrin If we or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise than hath been preached vnto you let him be Anathema or Accursed And that diuerse Popes haue beene Heretikes your owne Histories doe sufficiently proclaime especially in the example of Pope Honorius whom two Generall Councels three Romane Popes his Successours and diuers others your owne zealous Popish Writers haue reckoned among the Monothelites But you will say albeit that Pope were a Monothelite yet did not the whole Catholike Church fall into that Heresie with him True which manifesteth the falshood of your now Romane Article in as much as in those ancient times neither did the Church truely called Catholike hold the Pope to be the Catholike or Vniuersall Head of the Church neither yet did that which you abusiuely absurdly and falsely call the Catholike Church to wit the Church of Rome it selfe beleeue your Article of Infallibilitie of iudgement in your Popes A memorable example wee haue in your Pope Liberius who professing himselfe an Arian and seeking by his Arian faction to returne to his See found a bloudy resistance by both the Clergie and people of the Church of Rome as your selues well know But now when as the falsly-vsurped Title of Vniuersall Head carrieth in the beliefe of the new Church of Rome a confidence of an Vniuersall truth in whatsoeuer new Doctrine of faith in this Case that saying of Christ is verified If the blinde such is hee that in the opinion of his Vniversall Headship presumeth vpon an Infallibilitie of iudgement leade the blinde such are all they who by an Implicit and blind beliefe adhere vnto him as to an Oracle of Diuine truth Both shall fall into the ditch THESIS III. There is not in all Scripture any Prophecie of the fall of any Church Christian from the faith but onely of the Church of Rome from which it may sometime be Necessary to depart SECT 11. FOr where can you finde in all Scripture tell vs that the Spirit of God brandeth any Citie Christian with the note of certaine Apostasie from the truth but onely the Citie of Rome Your owne Iesuites haue confessed Themselues being compelled thereunto by the light of the Reuelation of the holy Ghost in the booke of Reuelation Apoc. 12. to acknowledge saying The Citie of Rome is Babylon there prophesied of to become before the end of the world The Seat of Antichrist and after to be suddenly and visibly Destroyed by the vengeance of God And although they are not more ingenuous in this Confession concerning the Citie of Rome in the dayes of Antichrist to come than they are not to dissemble with you zealous and indeede obstinate in denying that it can be ment of the Church of Rome yet would we faine know what you would thinke of the Church of England if the like Prophecie were extant in God's booke pointing out the Citie of London to be in times to come The Seat of Antichrist Would you desire a more Popular argument especially in these times wherein the ends of the world are come vpon vs to perswade your people to abhorre and detest the Church of England euen for that Citie sake But you are further to remember that which hath beene already prooued that your Church cannot be called The Church of Rome but by reason of the Seate thereof which is in the Citie of Rome Which wee now moreouer Confirme by the Apostle Saint Paul who writing to the Romanes maketh this the Inscription of his Epistle Chap. 1.7 To all you that are at Rome And againe ver 15. I am ready to preach vnto you that are at Rome Signifying that it cannot hereby be called the Church of Rome without relation to a company of Professours in the Citie of Rome Whensoeuer therefore Rome as is confessed shall become that Babylon and Seate of Antichrist whereof the Spirit saith to the faithfull Come out of Babylon my people Apoc. 18.4 then the necessitie of Departure must needes follow THESIS IV. The Church of Rome hath long beene and still is the most Schismaticall Church of all other Churches Christian that carry in them a Visible face of a Church SECT 12. OH that this could be iustly doubted of your owne supreame Article doth abundantly proue it to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation By which one Article as you haue heard doe stand Excommunicate as much as lyeth in your Romane Church and depriued of all hope of Saluation the most renoumed godly Emperors the most ancient and Reuerend Popes the most graue and Orthodoxe Patriarkes and Fathers of the first Eight in your owne estimation Generall Councels the most famous Christian Churches the most constant Martyrs Confessours and Saints of God that the primitiue times of Christ his Church haue knowne and recorded to posteritie many whereof are at this day registred in the Romane Martyrologe and Calendar of Saints All which hath beene fully proued than which what Doctrine of Schismatikes can be more Schismaticall And what shall wee say of the After-ages of the Church wherein wee haue obserued the Church of the Graecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians not to mention as yet the Churches of Protestants Armenians Russians and others for extent more large than Rome for worship more pure for faith more sound and for profession thereof more constant by sustaining daily iniuries and thraldomes vnder the Mahumetans and other Pagan Enemies all which Churches amount to innumerable numbers of Christian soules who being by your Article of The Catholike Romane Church excluded from your Communion must accordingly be held to perish euerlastingly But pardon vs if wee from the Example of these so many Churches Christian of so large extent and long Continuance make bold to vse a little Logicke with you in this manner That Church which onely diuideth it selfe from the Communion of all other truely professed Christian Churches in the world the same is the most Schismaticall Church in the Christian
did as one that had bene freed take another wife by the authority of the Church and consent of her Parents by which wife after some yeares he had children But loe his former wife vnlooked for returneth againe and requireth to haue her husband againe that had done ill in marrying another The man maruailing hereat and being loath to be diuorced from his latter wife maketh long delaies yet at length brought into Law and being cast gaue way to the Truth and taketh his first wife againe by the iudgement of the Church When now the Parents friends of the latter wife made the like wonderment as these men do against me saying vnto him thou hel-hound thou wicked couenāt-breaker c. And if a man would consider this businesse shall he not see as it were in a glasse the very image of that Husband in me For indeed I seeing I beleeued that no such Truth of obedience had bene c. I compelled my selfe in a second Couenant and thereto plighted my troth Wherefore I thought that I had kept lawfull Companie but when the TRVTH came which is euery mans first wife maried to him in publike Baptisme which wil require the first Promise at al mens hands to her I applyed to her I cleaued and from my second knot as of none effect by the iudgement of my Church I departed And shall any man thinke it indifferent that I shall be called a Liar because I obey the Truth c. I am by most graue iudgement of the Truth diuorced from the Church of Rome which it was not lawfull for me to keepe still and am compelled to take my wife TRVTH to me when she cometh againe Thus farre B. Gardiner The right and accurate Sence of this Similitude may as the beames of the Sunne dispell the foggie myst of Romish error concerning the Question we now haue in hand it being taken from the consideration of our Christian Vow made in Baptisme Wherein we are to obserue the Parties betrothed together which are the Soule of a Christian and the Truth of God in Christ and secondly the Parties and if I may so say Parents by whose consent and Authoritie this mariage is made which in the inward is our Father euen GOD in the vnity of Three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in the outward is our spirituall Mother mentioned in our Creed at the rime of our Vow in Baptisme The holy Catholike Church It especially therefore concerneth euery Votarie that hath vowed himselfe in Baptisme to learne to acknowledge his true Father his true Mother and his owne true Wife For Father he is baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinitie in the vnity of one God euerlasting not in the name of any man whatsoeuer as Saint Paul prooueth against the Schismatikes in the Church of Corinth that would seeme Some to hold of Cephas that is Peter Some of Paul as though the Gospell or Truth were Pauls or Peters he answereth them No his Reason is interrogatiuely Were you baptized in the name of Paul As much as to say He onely is essentially your spirituall Father in whose Name you are baptized Secondly the Mother is mentioned in our Vow at Baptisme to be The holy Catholike or Vniuersall Church not any particular Church though by the particular Church I am brought into the Catholike We say not any Particular Church because euery Particular Church as hath beene Confessed may possibly erre and Apostate from Truth But the Catholike is built vpon a Rocke immoueable as the earth yea or the highest heauens Lastly the Wife whereunto euery Soule is betroathed in Baptisme is onely that Truth which was first reuealed by Christ vnto his Apostles as the Apostle teacheth If any preach any other Gospell than that which you haue receiued that is to say already hold him Accursed Now giue vs leaue to trie what kind of Mariage is made by your Votaries in the Church of Rome First by beleeuing the Infallibility of the Pope in whatsoeuer Reuelations which he shall propound to be beleeued of all Christians it is to assume a new Father which is thus prooued If I saith Saint Paul or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise let him be Accursed but who in all the Church of Rome will say Though the Pope teach vs otherwise then was Apostolically and Primitiuely taught from the immediate Doctrine of Christ I shall account him Anathema Next the Partie baptized in your Church is Catechized to beleeue the Church of Rome to be The Catholike and Mother-Church of all other Churches which wee through-out this Treatise haue prooued to be an Imposterous Schismaticall and Blasphemous Article First Imposterous because The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed was extant in the dayes of the Apostles diuerse yeares before Rome was that we may so say Baptized to haue the name of a Church Secondly Schismaticall because it being as hath bene shewed but a Particular Church and vsurping the Title of The Catholike Church doth thereby peremptorily diuide her selfe from All other Churches of Christ which both for Truth and Extent make a farre more Catholike Church than she is Thirdly Blasphemous in Damning by this Article of the Catholike Romane Church all the most glorious Christian Fathers Martyrs Professors and Churches as well Primitiue as Successiue which are infinite that haue denyed Subiection to the Romane Church All which Particulars haue bene prooued at large In the last place each Christian in Baptisme being espoused to his wife Truth which can be but One euen that whereof Saint Paul spoke saying That which you haue receiued before and accordingly Saint Iude Contend for the Faith which once was deliuered to the Saints therefore euery other New Article of Faith as it were a later Consort and wife that shall bee admitted is no true loyall wife but an vnlawfull Concubine and strumpet So then so many Concubines may the Church of Rome be said to betroath her Children vnto as she hath set downe New Articles in her Romane Creed and imposed vpon all her Ecclesiastikes vnder the bond of an Oath Among which is your Article of Indulgences from which as from a supposititious wife Luther necessarily made his diuorce returning vnto the Primitiue Truth whereunto in holy Baptisme he had formerly plighted his Troth THESIS VI. Your Second and most Popular Obiection against LVTHER in his Opposition to your Romane Church vrging in him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by Naming his Teachers Before him is as fond as the other SECT 19. I. FOr the no-Necessitie of Name we reade first that our Sauiour Christ answering a question concerning Diuorce whether it were lawfull for the husband to put away his wife at his pleasure or no an Abuse which by the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts had continued among them many hundred yeares sendeth them to Gods first Institution of Marriage set downe in the beginning of Scripture saying From the beginning it
call Papisticall Faith Take vnto you an Answer which may reciprocally satisfie both you and vs accordingly as we are both directed by Saint Augustine and Saint Cyprian two ancient and godly Fathers They saith Saint Augustine concerning the Donatists who were knowne to be notorious Schismatikes that do defend their false opinion without pertinacie especially if it be such as they are no Authors of themselues but which they haue receiued from their seduced Ancestors yet cautelously seeking after the Truth and prepared to embrace the same so soone as it shall be reuealed Such saith he will not I account Heretikes Accordingly Saint Cyprian If any of our Elders saith he haue not obserued thus much either through their ignorance or simplicity not holding that which Christ hath taught and commanded vs such may through the mercie of God find pardon whereas we stand without pardon if against our knowledge we shall reiect the admonitions of Christ. This agreeth with that of holy writ spoken of them who were ignorantly plunged in rebellion and therefore as being excusable are said to haue gone in Simplicitie If hereuponn we shall enter into Comparison with you by supposing an error in both Churches yet cannot the ignorancee of the Protestants be called Affected because they are willing as the Apostle directeth To trie all things and ready to keepe that which is good Nor are they stupidly and wilfully ignorant led by the nose hood-winked through an Implicit Faith as your Profession teacheth Which one point maketh the state of Protestants far more iustifiable than yours can be Come we now seeing that you will needs to the Censuring of fore-Fathers wherein three points will be very considerable for our Iustification in comparison of you I. Is by examining whether side is more peremptorie in damning of any other Christian Churches II. Whether are guiltie in condemning the more sincere ancient and Orthodoxe Fathers III. Whether do by their Profession iudge and deliuer ouer to Sathan greater multitudes of fore-fathers and professed Christians The first point is more than euident for the Article of your Creed is absolutely to iudge as damned without all possibility of Absolution all Christians whatsoeuer that are not professedly Papists We farre more Christianly display Christ opening his armes of mercy vnto all that beleeue in him without wilfull blindnesse in erring and obstinacie in transgressing and also we beleeue that All such as seeke the knowledge of the Truth with a simple heart are not secluded from life which issueth from Christ to all who shall by Faith Touch but the hemme of his garment Secondly well it were you would vnderstand what fore-Fathers ye or we condemne for some may be more condemnable than others as may be discerned by that Testamentarie Exhortation which Ioshuah gaue to Gods people immediatly before his death Feare ye the Lord saith Ioshuah and serue him in sincerity and Truth and put away the gods which your Fathers serued on the other side of the flood and in Egypt and serue you the LORD The people to whom he spake had three kind of Fore-fathers some immediate and those were of the same profession with Ioshuah Some rather mediate and as it were once remoued namely they that had Apostated from Gods worship to Idolatry in seruing strange Gods And some Primitiue such as were Abraham and the other Patriarchs in the direct line of the Messiah The first and last ranke of Fathers they were taught to heare and imitate onely from the middle sort that had declined from God the people were commanded to depart as from Fathers of a damnable condition Will you bee tried by this Example Your Proselites are taught to condemne their Protestant Parents and Progenitors being of the Reformed Religion and the Articles of your New Creede haue condemned the ancient Fathers of Primitiue times as hath bene prooued to the full We honouring the memorie of all Fathers of the Primitiue ages yea of the Popes of the Church of Rome for more than 600. yeares space do onely condemne them although not absolutely who were the fore-Fathers of the middle order who degenerated from their first integritie and were drowned in Superstition Thirdly as for the numbers of fore-Fathers damned by your new Romane Creed they are innumerable For what millions of millions of the truly ancient Fathers were not as hath bene prooued Subiect to your Romane Church and therefore haue incurred your sentence of Damnation What myriads of myriads of soules of Grecians Assyrians Aegyptians and others professing the same Christian Faith do not your cursing and cursed Romish Mount Ebal daily damne to the pit of hell And yet you blush not to obiect vnto Protestants their Damning of their fore-Fathers God grant that this make not to your greater Damnation THESIS VII The Protestants at this day stand more Iustifiable in their Separation from Rome than did either the Ancient Primitiue Churches in her Excommunicating of Them or yet LVTHER and his FOLLOVVERS in their Departure from Her SECT 29. IT is high time Wee end this Taske which We conclude in this Thesis for Proofe whereof be you pleased to call to mind the Romish Excommunications denounced first against the Asian Churches and that onely for a matter of Ceremonie next against Saint Cyprian and the Africane and Numidian Byshops and Churches in a Question of Rebaptization which was but One and that no fundamentall Error then against Theophilus and Cyrill both Bishops of Alexandria together with Acacius and Atticus both Bishops of Constantinople onely about Admitting or not Admitting of the Name of Chrysostome into the Diptikes or Tables of Commemoration then against the Opposition of the Churches of Africke in the dayes of Saint Augustine onely against the pretended Iurisdiction of Rome in the Case of Appeales All which with many other Catholike Churches and Fathers as well Greeke as Latine haue contemned the Pride of the Church of Rome in Primitiue Ages when-as other wise the Bishops of Rome were Godly and Orthodox But LVTHER contented with Rome not about Ceremonies or Iurisdictions but about the Soule 's life both in the point of the Iustification of a Sinner before God and of the religious and spirituall Worship properly due to our Iealous God which Contention was begun before the Councell of Trent Secondly after that was a Generall free Councell desired as a Remedie for all Diseases in the Church but alas whiles Rome would needs be that Catholike Church the Remedie was turned presently into a Poison so desperate is her Case 1. By enthralling All to the pleasure of the Pope which is a depriuing of the Church of Christ of her Liberty 2. By authorizing her Idolatrie 3. By giuing Safe-Conduct to Protestants for the discussion of their Opinions and yet not suffering Them to Dispute in their Councell an Argument of their Obstinacie 4. By Decreeing and Creating a CREED consisting of aboue XX. new Articles of Faith as Necessary to
THE GRAND IMPOSTVRE OF THE now CHVRCH OF ROME Manifested in this one Article of the new Romane Creede viz The Holy Catholike and Apostolike Romane Church Mother and Mistresse of all other Churches without which there is no Saluation Proued to be a New False Sacrilegious Scandalous Schismaticall Hereticall and Blasphemous Article respectiuely and euerie way Damnable The Last Chapter containeth a Determination of the whole Question concerning the Separation of Protestants from the present Church of Rome whereby may be discerned whether Side is to be accounted Schismaticall or may more iustly pleade SOVLES SALVATION By the B. of Couentrie Lichfield LONDON Printed by George Miller for ROBERT MYLBOVRNE TO THE HIGH And Mighty PRINCE CHARLES By the Grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the FAITH c. YOur Maiesty may bee pleased most gratious Soueraigne to call to minde the Dedicatory Preface of Saint Luke by him prefixed before the Gospell of Christ and directed to a Lay-Magistrate in these words I thought good to write vnto thee most excellent Theophilus Where the name THEOPHILVS signifying a Louer of God manifesteth the interest that euery Deuout Christian as well Laick as Ecclesiastick hath in the Gospell of Christ to reade and enioy the comfort therof as the foundation of his Faith and diuine Charter of his Saluation And the Attribute of MOST EXCELLENT being ascribed to Temporall Gouernors pointeth out his Magistracie to note the Obligation that bindeth euery Christian Gouernor to professe the same Gospel and according to his power to promote and protect it As soone therefore as I thought to finde a Parallell to this so honourable an Example no-one appeared in this age of Christianity either more Worthie for religious Deuotion of the name of THEOPILVS or for Protecting the Gospell of Christ more deseruing the Attribute of MOST EXCELLENT than your Sacred Maiesty For I could not conceiue where to finde a more faithfull Professor among I say not onely Princes but euen Persons Christians than Him who in a time of Iealouzie and greatest extremity resolued to resigne his dearest Choice his inheritance of a Regall Scepter yea and life it selfe rather than to inthrall his precious Soule to Romish Superstition And as for the protection of the same Gospell of Faith to none can this be more proper than to Him who not to question the first beginning thereof most iustly possesseth the Royall Title of DEFENDER OF THE FAITH Now hauing said thus much of this Right I beseech your Maiestie gratiously to vouchsafe a briefe yet cleare Representation thereof The same THE FAITH so called by the Apostle is taken by way of Excellencie to signifie onely that Profession of Christianity which containeth all things Necessary to Saluation euen as he calleth it The Gospell of Faith And this Faith which is called but One Saint Iude in his Catholike Epistle will haue knowne to be onely that which was when he writ but Once deliuered vnto the Saints Which one particle Once must necessarily condemne euery diuers After Faith for euer For Saint Paul against all other Gospels Besides that which then had been Preached is peremptory pronouncing Euery one be he Man or Angel that should suggest or teach it Anathema and Accursed To which Apostolicall Censure Antient Fathers against the Heretikes of their times haue All subscribed according to that Comment made by one of them vpon the same words of the Apostle thus To deliuer any thing among Christians BESIDES that which was once receiued neither was nor is lawfull nor yet euer wil be This one speculation may be as good as a thousand to discerne which kinde of Professors at this day may most properly be said to professe THE FAITH The now Church of Rome hath composed a new Romane Creed Faith consisting by exact disquisition of moe than twenty Articles each one of which is prescribed to be beeleeued vpon Necessity of Saluation Among which are mentioned Transubstantiation Worship of Images Indulgences the like notwithstanding they be as newly-old as were the Gibeonites pretences of torne-shooes and mouldy-bread by which they feined themselues to haue come from farre For Some of these doctrines were not Deliuered vntill fiue or sixe hundred and some not till more than a Thousand yeeres after that Once-prescribed Time of the holy Apostles as diuers Doctors of the same Church are ready to confesse from point to point And although Some few of Them had obtained an opinion of Probability in the daies of antiquity yet can it not be shewed that any one of them had stamped on it the opinion of Necessity of Beleefe vpon losse of Saluation Which is a Character as proper to the Gospell of Christ as was to Caesar's coyne the Image of Caesar. Wherfore euery new Article of Faith by S. Pauls Anathema being no better than a new Heresie although the Romish Opposites dart against our Professors as they did in the Councel of Trent their many Anathema's and Curses yet stand we secure knowing that as the Serpent of Aaron deuoured the Serpents of the Magitians in Aegypt euen so That one Anathema of S. Paul must needs cōdemne all the Anathema's which they denounce in Defence of That which is not THE FAITH once deliuered to the Saints in the dayes of the Apostles But because as the first mooueable Sphere aboue turneth by it's rapture all the inferior Orbes daily about the world so one Romish Article to wit The Catholike ROMANE Mother and Mistresse Church without which there is no Saluation carrieth and maketh current by the violence thereof all other Romish Articles albeit otherwise neuer so New False Idolatrous or Pernicious and for that this One is found by Experience to bee in that Profession their strongest Enchantment This this ARTICLE therefore haue I selected to be the Subiect of this Treatise Proouing her Addition of the word ROMANE to the CATHOLIKE or Vniuersall CHVRCH to be by many confessed Propositions the Deprauation of that our Christian Article in the Apostles Creed viz. THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Her pretence of an Vniuersall Motherhood to all Catholike Churches to be a manifest Derogation to diuerse ancient Churches among others the Church of Britaine which are confessed to haue bene before that euer Rome had so much as any face or name of a Church and her Challenge of Vniuersall Mistris-ship and Dominion thorow-out all Christendome to bee in effect a blasphemous Condemnation of most godly Generall Councels Churches and Bishops of Primitiue ages diuers whereof are by name Registred for Saints and Martyrs in the Calendar of the now Church of Rome it selfe who as is Confessed haue consented Some to impose Lawes vpon the Romane Church Some to contemne her Excommunications and All to haue denyed absolute Subiection vnto Her euen in the times of her purest Integrity And because all Temporall Estates at this day are included in the same Romish Article of Vniuersall
which ancient Fathers haue collected from thence yet so as in alleaging their names Iames Peter and Iohn he preferreth Iames before Peter Do you aske why You can answer your selues Because say you Iames was Bishop of Hierusalem where the Apostles were at this time when S. Paul writ Be it so It must then follow that Iames was in that respect superior to Peter Lastly whiles Paul is earnest in vindicating the dignitie of his Pastorship euen then when he would stop the mouthes of false Apostles who obiected that he had no sufficient Commission to preach as not hauing bene authorized by the other Apostles hee answereth that hee had receiued his Calling Not of men neither by man but immediatly from and by Iesus Christ. And for proofe hereof he addeth a reason saying of the time when he was at Ierusalem I indeed saw Peter but other of the Apostles saw I none saue Iames the Lords brother His Consequent is Ergo he receiued not any authoritie of his Ministration from the Apostles Which had bene a seelie and indeed a sencelesse Reason if the spirit of Papistry had reigned in those dayes because his Aduersaries might readily haue replyed What is that you say Saw you none but Peter as though Peter were not sufficient in himselfe to authorize you seeing that Peter being the Vicar of Christ and the Ordinarie and Vniuersall Pastor of his Church is All in all because the Gouernor of all others without exception But Saint Paul we know spake by the Spirit of God the Author and Fountaine of Diuine reason and could not therefore argue absurdly yet notwithstanding he answered saying I saw none but Peter except Iames. Plainly signifying that Peter at that time could not challenge Iurisdiction ouer the College of all the other Apostles I. CHALLENGE SEt before your eyes any Bishop as for example the Bishop of Toledo who should defend that he was a Bishop extraordinarie and needed not at all to be authorized from Rome and when it should thereupon be obiected that he had bene at Rome with the Pope and other Bishops and Cardinals there and therefore it must needs be thought that he was established in his Calling by them then the Bishop of Toledo should answer semblably as did Saint Paul saying I confesse indeed that I went to Rome to visite the Pope and aboad with him certaine daies but other of the Bishops or Cardinals there I saw none except the Bishop of Cullen and therefore you may not obiect vnto me that I receiued any authoritie from the Conclaue and College at Rome Can you conceiue that any answer could more derogate from the now Popedome than to BVT and except against his authoritie in ordaining or establishing that Bishop of Cullen Yet such like was the Answer and Apologie of Saint Paul for himselfe II. CHALLENGE THe Cause is waightie and may require a further application as thus whiles you giue to the Pope an absolute Iurisdiction cum plenitudine potestatis ouer all other Bishops how can you suffer him to be mated or equalled with other Bishops as Paul did Peter by ioyning in societie with him Iames Iohn Much lesse would you permit that the name of the Bishop of Cullen should be preferred before the name of the Bishop of Rome whose Dioces you extend To the ends of the world as to marshall them thus viz. The Bishop of Cullen the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Millan as Saint Paul did in alleaging the name of Iames before Peter For for you to say that this was done In respect that Iames was Bishop of Ierusalem and the Cause had relation to his Dioces is as much as to feigne that the Arch-bishop of Auignon whilest the Pope resided there had beene put in Catalogue before the Pope himselfe or that the name of some King must bee placed before the name of the Emperour euen within his owne Empire Next to talke that the Bishop of Toledo or any other Bishop came to visit the Pope and was dismissed by receiuing from him The right hand of fellowship as Paul did of Peter how if perhaps the phrase had such a literall sence would you thinke this good manners in a Bishop since you do tutor and instruct your Kings and Emperours to do homage to the Pope In kissing his foote But especially to heare any Bishop with a BVT to intimate the No-authoritie of the Pope in his Creation and Ordination as S. Paul did of Peter might this seeme tolerable vnto you who still honour him with the supreme Titles of n The Vniuersall Father The Catholike Bishop and Pastor ouer the whole Christian world III. CHALLENGE WIllingly shall we passe by other Obiections taken from the comparison of Paul or other Apostles with Saint Peter although we know that if Saint Peter had giuen sentence in the Apostolicall Synod at Hierusalem as Iames did in his presence If Peter had beene a Sender of any of the Apostles as he was himselfe one that was Sent by others If Peter had leaned on Christ his brest as Iohn did and had therefore beene solicited by Iohn to aske a question of secrecie as Iohn was by Peter If Peter had beene called by a voice from heauen as Saint Paul was If Peter had made as bold with Paul as Paul did with Peter by Reprouing him publikely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before them all which farre differs from the Papall Prerogatiue set downe in the Canon Law saying If the Pope be negligent c. So as thereby innumerable are led to Hell yet is there none that may say Why doe you soe If Peter alone as did Saint Paul had written To the Romanes If it had beene said of Peter's ship as it was of that wherein S. Paul was God hath giuen vnto thee all them that Saile with thee And Except those remaine in the ship you cannot be saued Finally and principally if Saint Peter had written of himselfe as Saint Paul did saying I haue the care of all the Churches This one to omit the rest would haue seemed to you a firmer Foundation than the word ROCKE and haue caused you to lay downe your former iô paean and insultation raised from the depraued sence of those Scriptures Blessed art thou Simon or I haue prayed for thee or Feede thou my Flocke or any other the like whereby you labour to erect a Monarch of Peter and by your Consequence vpon the Pope ouer all Churches in the world Wherein we challenge you of preiudice and rashnes Hitherto we haue spoken of the Faith of Saint Paul concerning the authority of Saint Peter and but consequently of the Romane Bishop We are in the next place to trie S. Paul's Faith directly concerning the Romane Church it selfe That Saint Paul was not of the now Romane Faith concerning the former Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church c. as may appeare by
Rome from Carthage but rather that there was a Canon to controll it they descended in the end to a flat and peremptory resolution Yet before wee set downe their Conclusion faine would we know how your Aduocates can quit and free your three Popes from forgery of a Canon of Nice They tell vs first that the Two Greeke Patriarchs were deceiued by giuing credit vnto their Greeke Copies which were Corrupted by Heretikes Next that the Popes themselues were deceiued in alleaging the Councell of Nice instead of the Councell of Sardis wherein saith your Cardinall The Canon was extant And lastly that the Bishops of Africke were deceiued in not acknowleging any Generall and Catholike Councell of Sardis by name S. Augustine affirming that He knew no Sardican Councell which was not Hereticall I. CHALLENGE WHich Answer of your Cardinalls importeth thus much to wit that we are to belieue that two hundred and seuenteene Bishops two Reuerend Patriarchs and three ancient Popes erred in their ignorance of a Generall Councell of Sardis in those daies wherein the matter was aduisedly and exactly discussed rather than these Two Cardinals which are but of yesterdaies birth in their coniecturall presumptions which is in effect as much as to tell vs that those Archers canot discerne so well of a true aime who are an hundred and fifty paces distant from the marke as they who are of a thousand and two hundred for such was the difference betwâ—ene the yeeres of those ancient Fathers and of these Cardinalls from the time of the Councell of Nice Which Answer wee haue else-where proued to be no solution but a fiction rather and meere Illusion Yet that we may deale liberally with you so as not onely to suppose but if you will to confesse also that there was a Generall Councell called Sardican as such your Testimonies delare and therefore to yeeld so farre to Baronius and Binius as to thinke that Augustine and the Africane Bishops could not be ignorant of the Sardican Councell which Saint Augustine himselfe calleth Plenarium vniuersae Ecclesiae Concilium An Vniuersall Councell Neuerthelesse heereupon must we likewise make bold to tell you that the Canons which you cite for your Appeales must bee iudged fictions because else the African Bishops with Saint Augustine could not haue answered your Pope that No Synod had ordained that any might come from his Holinesse to order these matters Nor could those Popes haue omitted the mention of such a Canon if any such had been when now it so much stood them vpon both for keeping themselues free from crime of forging a false Canon of the Councell of Nice and also for aduantaging their pretended Claime of Appeales by virtue of a Canon of Sardis Howsoeuer let vs proceed to that which followeth III. The decision and peremptory resolution of the Africans in Opposition against the Papall Claime of Appeales SECT II. FIrst 217 Bishops Saint Augustine being a principall one doe addresse their letters to the Pope of Rome shewing the false-hood of the Claime of Appeales made by your Three Popes Zozimus Boniface and Celestinus that it had no Patronage from the Councell of Nice but rather that there was in that Councell another Canon making much against such Appeales by determining that Popes being so farre remote from Africk could not be so competent Iudges in such Causes l Except say the Africans Some will thinke that God will inspire some One singular man with Iustice and denie that grace to innumerable persons assembled together in one Synod And therefore in plaine termes they desire the Pope not to admit heereafter of any such Appeale and in conclusion they call that Papall presumption a Smoakie secular arrogancy which say they we will not indure Furthermore the same Councell of Africk made Two Canons by the one as it were taking the Crowne of Pope-dome from the Head of your Bishop of Rome by the other piercing and wounding the Papall Primacie to the very heart For what fairer Crowne can you put vpon that Head than the Supreme title of Monarch ouer the whole Church or of Chiefe Priest and Bishop of Bishops wherewith you professedly adorne and in a manner adore your Romane Pope But these African Fathers vpon occasion of this contention with your Popes decreed That the Bishop of the Primary Sea should not bee called the Head of Bishops or chiefe Priest but onely the Bishop of the Primary Sea Secondly what greater Prerogatiue or higher token of Monarchie could your Popes couet than that which you challeng as A matter knowne to the Catholike Church which is that Appeales are to bee made to Rome from all the coasts of the world against which the same holy Bishops made this peremptory decree viz. If any Priest shall thinke that hee ought to Appeale beyond the Sea meaning to Rome let him not bee receiued any longer into the Communion of the Church of Africk So they All that your Cardinals can say to helpe your Popes at a dead lift is that the former pretended Canon of Nice insisted vpon was to be found in the Councell of Sardis which Antiquity hath denied And yet if that were granted your Monarchy standeth still vpon humane Authority For that Synod of Sardis sheweth plainely that their grant of Appeales to Iulius Pope of Rome was but vpon fauour and not vpon duty being not an old Custome but a new Constitution If it please you say they so much to honour the memory of Peter let vs write to Iulius Bishop of Rome c. And againe If you all bee pleased whence nothing can be gathered but that the same pretended Grant was no more than Ad placitum and might by the same Authority be as easily repealed We add that albeit you challenge a right that All causes of great moment among which these of Appeales is a principall one should bee Reserued to the Bishop of Rome you notwithstanding confesse that In the dayes of Saint Cyprian there was no Reseruation of any such Cases in vse II. CHALLENGE HEre haue we a faire and cleare glasse wherein any one that doth not wilfully close his eyes may see the full face of the vsurped and conunterfeit Monarchie of the Church of Rome For in your Romane profession your latter Popes proclaimed the Papall Monarchie to bee founded vpon Diuine Authority Whereas your ancient Romane Popes at the time of the African Councell when if euer they were to make good Appeales from all the parts of Christendome to Rome their principall part of Supreme power they themselues notwithstanding argued not from any diuine Law but onely from the humane decree of the Canon of Nice which the Fathers of that Councell discouered to be notoriously false For if the then Popes had thought that they could for this Papall pretension draw a sharpe two-edged sword ex iure diuino what needed they to haue fought with this wooden
Saint Saint Athanasius was Excommunicated by Pope Liberius and notwithstanding remained a Saint The very names of Baronius and Bellarmine we know carry such Authority with you that they will preponderate whatsoeuer can be said against them who ioyntly consent in this that followeth Pope Liberius say they through the faction of Arian Heretikes is by the Authority of Constantius the Emperour sent into banishment By the same Hereticall Arian Bishops is Felix made Bishop and placed in the Romane Sea When Liberius perceiued Felix to be intruded into his Chaire he after two yeares Banishment enuying and grieuing hereat doth ioyne communion with those Heretikes and gaue consent to the condemnation of Athanasius So they Our Assumption will be this that Athanasius neither before nor after the death of Felix did regard this Excommunication of Liberius Immediatly after this you esteeme Felix to be the Legitimate Pope but pronounce Liberius a Schismatike and one remooued from the societie of Catholikes and from his Papall function Which your Conclusions do notably fight against your owne Principles First this that There cannot be two Popes together in one Sea because this were as horrible a monster as a body with two heads One Pope then must be acknowledged Your next Principle is that No Pope can be deposed except he appeare to be a manifest Heretike whereby he ceasseth ipso facto to be a Pope without any other iudgement at all Yet grant you concerning Liberius that He was a Catholike in his inward iudgement notwithstanding his outward communion with Heretikes Your last Principle is that The Pope cannot be iudged of any on earth because he is Prince and therefore superior vnto the whole Church Catholike throughout the earth All these Premises being reduced into a Logicall forme will make vp our Conclusion thus No Catholike Bishop of Rome can be iudged or deposed But Liberius notwithstanding his consenting to the Condemnation of Athanasius and Communicating with Heretikes was a Catholike Bishop Ergo He could not be iudged or deposed from his Popedome If therefore Athanasius being Excommunicated by Liberius neuer sought as you all know any Vnion either with him or yet with Felix in his stead it must follow that he all that time contemned his Excommunication After the death of Felix who was Pope one yeare and some few moneths Liberius obtaineth againe your good reputation for presenly he was accompted the Legitimate Pope Why It is euident saith your Cardinall that Felix being dead Liberius vnited the Church of Rome which was then rent and diuided into a Schisme and became one Sheapheard of one sheepefold So they Where it will be as euident that during the time of Felix Athanasius if hee would haue sought Vnion with the Church of Rome could not know where to find it because the Catholike Church being but One Body One Spouse One Sheepfold how could now the Romane Church be called the Catholike which was as is confessed rent by a Schisme from it selfe But why stand wee wrestling with you for that which of your owne accord you are ready to grant willingly vnto vs It is a matter worthy consideration saith your Cardinall and so indeed it is to know what Liberius did after the death of Felix about the time of the Councell of Arimine which happened to be some two yeares after the departure of Felix And what this is he will haue vs vnderstand from the Epistle of Liberius vnto Athanasius principally thus This is our Confession most wished Athanasius wherein if you consent with me I pray you euen before our Iudge God and Christ to subscribe thereunto that I may be made the more secure thereby and readily performe your Command So the Pope to Athanasius Which Profession of Liberius saith your Cardinall was a solliciter for the repayring of the rent of that Communion which had bene formerly betweene them So he CHALLENGE IF therefore you will not regard our Inferences yet Liberius his owne Epistle and your Cardinall his Comment must giue light to any that shall not wilfully stupifie and blindfold himselfe namely to discerne That there was a breach of Communion betweene Pope Liberius and Athanasius That this continued two yeares for so long it was betweene the death of Felix and that Councell of Arimine whilest that Liberius was throughout the Church of Rome vniuersally acknowledged the Ligitimate Pope That the Seeker for this Communion was not Athanasius who had bene Excommunicate but Liberius who was the Excommunicator euen now being the true Pope That the tenor of the same Epistle is written in all submission both of his vnderstanding to the iudgment of Athanasius if he should happily consent also in the same behalfe to his will whatsoeuer he should Command If the like Epistle had bene written by Athanasius to Liberius we know how diligently and exactly and with what boldnesse you would haue pressed euery syllable thereof scarce could you examine any one word which should not haue seemed to weigh the weight of a Pope We conclude Athanasius being diuided from the Communion of the Pope so long time and not seeking to be reconciled before he was sought vnto by the Pope himselfe doth euidently shew that he belieued not at all your Article of Vnion with the Pope of Rome as with the Head of the Catholike Church vpon Necessity of Saluation Must we therefore iudge Athanasius therein damned nay rather damned be this your Article as Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and Hereticall whereby such a Saint should be damned who as your Author confesseth was so excellent an Organ of Truth that If all the commendations of ancient Fathers should be gathered together yet were they not sufficient to set forth the conflicts which this one hath had for defence of the Faith because no one I speake confidently sayth your Lippelous hath after the Apostles vndergone more continuall and grieuous conflicts for the patronage of Truth than he whom Gregory Nazianzene therefore calleth the Eie of the world the chiefe Captaine and Master of Priests and the stay and pillar of Faith So he So admirable was his Faith and Constancy in impugning their Obiections and induring their infinite Calumniations and persecutions IV. Saint Basil Bishop of Caesarea belieued not the Article of necessary Subiection to Rome SECT 4. LOoke againe into your Romane Calendar and you shall reade thus Saint Basil Bishop and Confessor A Saint then he was without exception in whom you will seeme to haue some Interest as though he would beare witnesse to the Antiquity of your Article of Vniuersall Romish Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches of Christ. Your Obiection SAint Basil writ an Epistle to Saint Athanasius whence if we belieue your Cardinall you may conclude that Saint Basil attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome authority of visiting the Churches in the East by whom he pleased and of making Decrees by his Authority and disanulling Generall Councels such as
was the Councell of Arimine So he And why must not this be true if you will allow your Cardinall Bellarmine to make this Greeke Father to speake what Papall Romane Language he shall impose by his Sophisticall translation But your Cardinall Baronius one otherwise as partiall as any Writer euer was and catching at euery shadow of proofe for the aduancement of Papall Monarchy hath made another interpretation of the words of Saint Basil which may be a iust confutation of your other Cardinall from point to point For Bellarmine talketh of the Popes Seeing the Easterne Bishops by a Visitation of Iurisdiction But Baronius alloweth no more than a Seeing by Consideration of their estate but euery Care and Consideration of other mens estate doth not inferre a Iurisdiction ouer them Secondly Bellarmine will needs haue Saint Basil to desire the Popes Decree another tenure of Papall Authority Baronius readeth the word Councell or Aduise which may agree with a Co-equall Thirdly Bellarmine interpreteth Basil as though he yeelded to the Pope a peremptory power of Cutting off and disanulling the Acts of Generall Councels such as was that of Arimine Baronius saith that the motion of Basil was they should Bring with them such things as had bene done namely by some Orthodox at Arimine which might make for the necessary solution of that Councell which all Catholikes haue iudged Hereticall But this argueth not an Authoritatiue power proper to the Pope of dissoluing of Decrees of any Generall Councell which for the space of sixe hundred yeares he neuer had but an Arbitrary Authority granted vnto him by consent of the Easterne Bishops to exercise his fatherly and graue iudgement for the better establishing of the East-Churches which were now rent into sixe seuerall Schismes through the difference of sixe diuerse Heresies Howsoeuer what Authority this was we may best know from Saint Basill himselfe who deploring the State of the East-Churches now pestered with diuers pernitious Heretikes desireth helpe from the Bishops of the West how To comfort the afflicted and to set right and restore those that are broken Helpe then of Confortation it was not of Dominion Secondly shewing that he desireth no more helpe from the Westerne Bishops than the Bishops of the East both ought and would requite in the like case he calleth it A mutuall helpe of louing and brotherly Visitation or Consideration Thirdly his reason why he is so importunate to haue the helpe of the Westerne Bishops he expresseth to be this Because that priuate grudges among the Bishops of the East hindered the fruit of their doctrine and therefore the Westerne Bishops the farther distant they were so much the more Authority would they haue with the people and he addeth that Accustomed speach is not so preualent as that which proceedeth from Strangers chiefly if they were such as were more specially indued with Gods grace as you are euery where knowne to be saith Saint Basil speaking of the Westerne Bishops because you haue preserued the Faith in all sincerity among you So Saint Basil who would neuer haue vsed so often so great and sometimes indeed so crosse and thwarting reasons to moue the Westerne Bishops to compassionate their case and helping them for composing of such and so pernicious distractions by reasons taken onely from Brotherly loue Mutuall duty and Facility of effectuating that great good because of the Remotenesse of their dwelling and therefore to be esteemed persons more indifferent because of their Constancie in preseruation of sincere Faith and consequently beetter witnesses for the ancient Truth without any mention at all of the Prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome as their Pope or of their Church of Rome as their Mother and Mistresse as you haue pretended if he had any beleefe of this Article Because this one reason taken from the Papall Romane Iurisdiction and dominion if it had bene a matter of Faith had bene more perswasiue and would haue bene more preualent than whatsoeuer hath hitherto bene mentioned by S. Basil. Besides which will be worthy your remarking after fowre seuerall Legations and Messages from the Greeke Church deliuered vnto the Bishops of the Latine Church for their help the Greekes as Baronius is perswaded neuer receiued any Answer Now therefore consult with your best iudgments whether the Church of Rome and her Chiefe Bishop whom Saint Basil more than once condemneth of Pride which Pride was also condemned by a Councellin Africke vnder Saint Cyprian and another wherein Saint Augustine was present for intruding craftily and iniustly vpon the Iurisdiction of other Churches would in humility refuse the offer of Subiection of the whole Greeke Church or he not haue exercised his Visitation ouer them if any such authority had beene intended by Saint Basil. For so should Rome haue beene marked with a greater note of infamy than was her Pride euen her deserting of the flocke of Christ committed vnto her and in a manner betraying the Cause of Catholikes vnto their many and most mischieuous Aduersaries the Sects of Heretikes But wee shall shew that Saint Basil was of a flat contrarie Faith Our Opposition shewing that Saint Basil did not beleeue your Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Pope or Church Baronius would you should know that Saint Basil hauing written diuers letters and sent many Messages vnto Pope Damasus and to other Westerne Bishops yet receiuing no Answer from them in so vexatious and perilous times when the Greeke Church seemed as a ship almost split asunder by the continuall billowes of most pestilent Heresies He thereupon fell into distrust and if he might so say hatred with the Church of Rome So he We had rather you should heare Saint Basil expressing his owne Cordolium and hearts-griefe What helpe can we expect saith he from the supercilious Pride and haughtinesse of the Westerne Bishops who neither know the truth themselues nor yet will Baronius negligently rendereth it Tell learne it Againe I meant to write vnto the Chiefe of them meanig Pope Damasus to signifie by letters that Pride ought not to be accompted a Dignity And againe the same holy Father Saint Basil speaking of the Church of Rome as you know said I hate the Pride and arrogancie of that Church Yea but wee heare him call the Bishop of Rome CHIEFE True but with this limitation their Chiefe And yet if it had beene Chiefe of all others could this inferre a Popedome and Dominion aboue others Then must you confesse that Athanasius was more Pope than Damasus For Basill that calleth Damasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying The Crowne of the Head The chiefe of all Wee are saith he to flie vnto thy integrity as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Top or Crowne of All others CHALLENGE SAint Basil Bishop of Caesarea speaking of the Bishops of the West saith distinctly I meant to write
vnto Their Chiefe meaning the Pope of Rome and addeth saying I hate the Pride of That Church meaning the Church of Rome Marke wee pray you Their Chiefe and That Church are these notes of his Subiection to the Pope or Church of Rome Nay are they not direct demonstrations of his no Subiection or Subordination to either of both can you conceiue any to bee a true and loyall Subiect who writing to others concerning his owne King and Soueraigne and his Soueraignty should say I writ to their King and I hate the pride of that Kingdome Yet you heare what Saint Basil writ concerning the Pope and his Church and notwithstanding was he â—hen a reall Member of the Catholike Church Nor is this all but he hath furthermore imputed besides the vice of Pride Ignorance vnto them Notwithstanding all which Saint Basil was euen then a Saint Militant and hath beene euer since held in God's Church a Saint Triumphant who for his excellent learning iudgement piety and industrie in protecting and propagating the Catholike Truth obtained in the Church of Christ the attribute of THE GREAT and in the Elegie of Ephrem to be called Chiefe Priest of the Lord. Which may serue as an instrument to launce the Papall Impostume of your Romane Pope who neuer heareth of any such Adiunct ascribed vnto himselfe but he presently swelleth with Pride and taketh it as Appropriate to his person as he is Successor to Saint Peter Although therefore we denie not but that notwithstanding this Opposition made by Saint Basil against the Romane Church hee held Communion with the Church of Rome both in Faith and Charity because at that time Rome was in her integrity Yet that Necessity of Subiection and the Beleefe thereof which your Article requireth of All that shall be saued is a doctrine as you see abandoned by Saint Basil. We therefore choose rather to abhorre your new Article as Imposterous and Impious than to suffer that blessed Father to be razed out of the number of Saints V. Saint Hilary of Poictou did not beleeue the Romane Article of Necessity of Vnion with the Pope of Rome SECT 5. WHat and how great a Saint this Hilary Bishop of Poictou was your Romane Church doth shew in her Kalendar as it were in her Church-Booke wherein is Registred his name as a Prime Saint and that worthily For as your Lippelous truely saith he for his learning and Sanctity was Admirable both in the Greeke and Latine Churches liuing in the yeere 356 in the daies of the Emperour Constantius and of Pope Liberius So he Well then wee are to enquire what was his iudgement concerning this Pope Liberius and the necessity of Communion with him This being a part of that your Article concerning The Catholike Romane Church to beleeue that In matters of Faith the iudgement of the Pope is infallible Saint Hilary no sooner vnderstood that Pope Liberius as your Cardinall hath confessed had subscribed to haue communion with the Arian Heretikes but hee made bold to Excommunicate the Pope out of his Communion and fellowship saying I Anathematize thee Liberius and thy fellowes This you will thinke was too liberally spoken and will iudge it rather not spoken at all But why I pray you was it not alwaies lawfull for any Catholike Bishop to Excommunicate any Hereticall Bishop that is abandon his fellowship and Communion or had not Hilarius iust cause so to vse Liberius at this time This is that Liberius who two yeeres after Banishment for his Catholike Faith became an Heretike Interpretatiuè saith your Cardinall that is in the vnderstanding of men iudging of him by his outward Act of Subscribing to the Condemnation of Saint Athanasius and communicating with knowne Heretikes nor so onely but euen expressely an Heretike If to bee of opinion with Heretikes If to bee made an Heretike If to be ouercome and to consent vnto Arian Heresie may be Testimonies of an expresse Heretike as your owne Platina Alphonsus de Castro Cardinall Turrecremata and out of the words of Saint Hierome Cardinall Cusanus haue confessed Which was the very cause that moued Saint Hilary also to bid the same Pope Auant else could hee not haue complained of the Hereticall Emperour Constantius for releasing of the same Liberius out of Banishment namely vpon such conditions as that Emperour inioyned the said Pope saying I know not O Emperour whether thou hast shewed more impiety in Banishing of Liberius or in releasing him from his Banishment What other sense could this haue than that Liberius was now as full an Heretike in his Releasement as he had beene before a Catholike in his Banishment CHALLENGE SCanne you this matter a right and then you must confesse that the Faith of Saint Hilary was to beleeue that a Pope might become an Heretike in his Publike person as for example Pope Liberius did by his publike Subscribing vnto Heresie and that therefore no Christian is bound to haue further Vnion of Faith with any Pope than a Pope doth stand in the Vnion of the true and Catholike Faith Which beeing the beleefe of all Protestants and the Cause of dis Vnion from the Pope of Rome at this day is therefore censured by you as a note of Heresie in it selfe and as you thinke a sufficient cause of Separation from all hope of Saluation As though Saint Hilary a Father of the same profession were no more to be esteemed a Saint But a Saint you acknowledge him to be know then that he who abandoned the Popes Vnion would neuer haue submitted to his Dominion VI. Saint Hierome beleeued not the now Romane Article concerning the Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Church and Bishop thereof SECT 6. SAint Hierom whom the Church of Rome hath dignified and honoured with the place of a Saint in her Calendar vnder the Title of Confessor and Doctor of the Church liued about the yeere of our Lord 390 and was aboue all the Fathers that we can name of those times the most deuout childe of the Church of Rome Neuerthelesse dare we in the examination of this Fundamentall Article of the same or rather the foundation it selfe referre our selues vnto the iudgement of this Saint And we proceed in this disquisition according to our former Method of your Obiections and our Answer and Reply from the same Father Your Obiection SAint Hierom writing vnto the Pope Damasus acknowledgeth himselfe his Sheepe although hee was vnder the Patriarch of Antioch nameth the same Pope Successor of Peter professeth himselfe to haue Communion with the Chaire of Peter mentioneth as a reason the Rocke whereupon the Church of Christ is built the House without which none may eate the Lambe that is Offer Sacrifice and the Arke of Noah without which whosoeuer is must needs perish So Saint Hierom. Vpon this Foundation some of your Master-Builders would erect an Infallibility of the Popes Iudgement an Vniuersality of his
Iurisdiction and a Necessity of Subordination to his Sea as whereunto All other Churches are subiect But all this by a meere fallacy in taking the words of Saint Hierom simply and absolutely which he meant in a respectiue and restrained sense whether you consider Damasus Bishop of Rome or the Church of Rome it selfe For first You Obiect concerning Pope Damasus that Saint Hierom calleth himselfe his Sheepe being notwithstanding vnder the Iurisdiction of Paulinus Patriarch of Antioch As though that he might not be held a Sheepe of the Bishop of Rome in respect of his Baptisme the signe and as it were eare-marke of Christianity being as you know Baptized at Rome in his full age Or as though when the Faith of Paulinus his Bishop was questionable it were not lawfull to submit to the iudgement of another Bishop of knowne constancie in the Truth Secondly That Hierom calleth Damasus The Successor of Peter As though euery Successor in Peters Seat had an hereditary Right to be Successor in Peters Faith which contradicteth the iudgement of Saint Hierom who condemned Pope Liberius who was as lawfull a Successor in the Seate of Peter as was Damasus for Consenting vnto Heresie Thirdly That Saint Hierom addresseth himselfe to Pope Damasus alone As though Damasus were the onely man to resolue him in all the Mysteries of Faith whereas in other Doctrines Saint Hierom ingenuously confesseth that he trauelled to remote Countries as Greece to Gregory Nazianzene whom he calleth his Master Of whom saith he I learned to interpret the Scriptures After that he iourneyed to Alexandria in Aegypt To see Didymus that I might saith he consult with him touching the doubts that I had in all Scriptures This needed not Saint Hierom to haue done if the Oracle of all Truth had resided at Rome and had beene personated in Damasus the Bishop of that See Fourthly Yet that Saint Hierom in this question concerning the vse of the word Hypostasis sought satisfaction onely from Pope Damasus and relyed onely vpon his iudgement for the sense of the word As though Saint Hierom did not for his Resolution ioyne vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome Peter the Bishop of Alexandria as depending vpon Both and professing either to be absolued or else condemned with both Or as though Pope Damasus in points of Diuinity had not more need to be instructed by Hierom than this Saint by Pope Damasus This were to giue Pope Damasus himselfe the lie who desired to haue conference with Saint Hierom that so I may aske questions saith Damasus and Thou mayst answer that is as Baronius confesseth that Hierom might teach and the Pope learne yea and as though if you require the sense of this word Hypostasis Saint Hierom did not teach Damasus yes he did So doth your Espensaeus confesse Hieronymus consuluit Damasum imò consuluit Damaso That is He rather instructed Pope Damasus than was instructed by him For he told Damasus that the word Hypostasis might haue a double sense the one was Catholike to signifie Persons the other Hereticall to signifie Essentiall nature The not vnderstanding of which word Hypostasis was the reason that Basil imputed Ignorance to the Church of Rome as hath beene said You will aske what then was the Resolution which Saint Hierom sought from Pope Damasus concerning the vse of that word seeing that S. Hierom could not be ignorant of the true sence This you may know by the Answer of Pope Damasus which was as your Baronius collecteth to let Hierom vnderstand that He might lawfully communicate with Paulinus the Bishop of Antioch So that your last error is as though you would conclude that he that could determine what person was most like to vse the word Hypostasis in the Catholike sense must therefore bee accompted the onely Competent Iudge of the Catholike sense Concerning the Second Subiect in this Obiection which is the Church of Rome we complaine of your Authors for the like Sophistry For you obiect for the Prerogatiue of your Church First these words of S. Hierom I am vnited to the Beatitude that is to the Chaire of Peter As though by Chaire he meant the See and Bishopricke of Rome and not the true doctrine of Faith then preached in Rome euen as Christ spake of the Chaire of Moses that is saith Saint Hierom the Law of Moses Secondly But Hierom saith of this Chaire that Christ hath built his Church vpon this Rocke As though by Rocke is not meant the same doctrine of Faith which was confessed by Saint Peter as hath beene proued and which was at that time truly and faithfully professed by Damasus and the whole Church of Rome or as though because that Rome was then faithfull shee therefore had a priuilege neuer to turne Apostate which is a pernicious Paradoxe voide of all ground of Faith as hath beene also largely declared and which can haue no support by this sentence of Hierom where by Rocke he meaneth not Rome saith Erasmus because Rome may degenerate but he vnderstandeth the Faith which Peter professed Bring vs now this Faith of Saint Peter and then challenge our Faith to beleeue you This is the Rocke vpon which Christ saith Hierom built his Church He saith not Built the Church of Rome but the whole Vniuersall Church This we confesse with Saint Hierom to bee The House of God without which whosoeuer eateth the Paschall Lambe is profane This is the Arke of Noah within which whosoeuer is not perisheth as well Romane as Grecian as well Bishop of Rome as Bishop of Thessaly Thus many waies haue you depraued the Orthodoxe meaning of Saint Hierome by expounding that which was spoken particularly of Damasus and of the Church of Rome then sound in the Faith and applying it vnto Rome and all the Bishops of Rome from time to time as though Virgine Ierusalem might not at length become an Whore Secondly by peruerting his speach concerning the Rocke and Building that is Faith and Church generally taken and appropriating it vnto the Faith and Church of Rome at all times and in all Causes Which in the next place we are to shew to be diametrally opposite to the iudgement of Saint Hierom. Saint Hierom his Opposition to the pretended Soueraignty and Infallibility of the Church and Pope of Rome What Saint Hierom hath taught vs to conceiue of the Pope Clergie and Church of Rome we shall shew from S. Hierom himselfe not sophistically but plainely and truly For when we aske you of what stature euery Pope ought to bee for his dignity and Authority You answer that hee can bee no lesse than a Monarch and sole Head of the Catholike Church But Saint Hierom in the same Epistle that was obiected speaking to Pope Damasus saith I desire of you my Pastor that you would preserue your sheepe and addeth immediately as followeth Put away enuie and let the ambition of the Romane height
not subiect to Rome SECT 9. WHen Protestants in Confutation of a Sacrilegious abuse in the Church of Rome by allowing of Publike Seruice in an vnknowne tongue thereby depriuing God of a principall part of his Worship euen the vnderstanding of the Worshipper and Gods people of their comfort do obiect vnto you the Examples of the Churches of the Aegyptians and the like they can receiue no better Answer than that which the yellow choler of your Cardinall would vouchsafe them We are no more mooued saith he with the Examples of these Aethiopians Aegyptians c. than we are with the Customes of the Lutherans because they were either Heretitkes or Schismatickes So he plainly notifying vnto you that were they onely Schismatickes by denying Subiection to the Church of Rome yet that alone without any suspition of Heresie might be held sufficient in his opinion to conclude them in the state of Damnation and indeed there are scarce Any among these challengeable for any Fundamentall Heresie Whom therefore Protestants embrace as Partakers of that which Saint Iude calleth The common Saluation CHALLENGE AS often as we reade how gratiously Christ the Sonne of God entertained the woman diseased with a Bloudy issue by affoording the Operation of a Diuine virtue to cure her maladie at the very Touching of but the hemme of his garment so often are we to acknowledge that Super-abundant grace of God in Christ euen to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of Small Faith nay once to one bringing with him a beleeuing vnbeliefe and saying Lord I belieue helpe my vnbeliefe But here behold infinite soules of professed Christians whom you dare not directly charge with Heresie and yet O the cursed maliciousnesse of the pride of Rome must they all be Damned and by one Romane Article of Necessitie of Subiection to the Church of Rome are excluded from all possibility of Saluation The like must be said of multitudes of other Christians in Africke and Asia besides Iaponia wherein not long since hath bene reckoned to be Two hundred thousand Christians To omit other Countries Christian too many to bee recited Our second kind of Instance in respect of Churches nearer to the Territories of Rome yet not Subiect to the Romane Church which are the Churches of Protestants SECT 10. WHole volumes would not suffice to containe the Exceptions which we may iustly take against the Church of Rome not onely in respect of her Professors and their differences in Doctrine but euen in your Profession and Religion it selfe as well Morall as Theologicall but you had rather that we should giue Answer to your Calumniations Know therefore First that the number of Protestant Professors is not in comparison of yours that will be the onely Catholikes so very a Pusillus Grex that you can haue any Reason to contemne it For if so then would not your Cardinall so greatly enuie and maligne the Extent and latitude thereof who speaking of Protestants saith that They at this day possesse so many and ample Prouinces as England Scotland Denmarke Norway Sweuia and no small part of Germania Polonia Bohemia and Hungaria Yet he pretermitteth France Heluetia Ireland and many other places where these Professors are visible I. CHALLENGE in Particular ALL these Churches of Protestants may seeme to containe in them one Moity of the Christian world in the Westerne parts thereof whose greatest Error which you can impute vnto them is that They for their Faith immediatly depend vpon Christ Iesus as the Head of the Catholike Church and their greatest vice that they impugne the Popes Indulgences the nourceries of all vices and their greatest Schisme that they will be diuided from that Church of Rome which proudly and impiously diuideth her selfe from all other Churches of the world And must all These that are willing to sacrifice their liues for Christ and his Ancient Faith contained in the Catholike Creeds be necessarily Damned for denying of one new Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Catholike Romane Church which Article as hath beene plentifully proued doth manifoldly contradict the sense of the Article in the Apostles Creed concerning The Catholike Church II. CHALLENGE in Generall OVR Question still is concerning the Church Catholike which is the whole Church of Christ consisting of all Particular Churches as the members and parts thereof You haue heard of the multitudes of Remote Churches Christian in Greece Assyria Aegypt Aethiopia c. The like instance haue you heard of the Churches of Protestants in Denmarke Saxonia Bohemia c. Try now whether that Obiection made by Optatus against the Donatists may not some-way checke you You saith he will haue the Church to be onely where you are but in Dacia Misia Thracia Achaia c. Where you are not you will not haue it to be nor will you haue it to be in Graecia Cappadocia Aegypt c. And innumerable other Isles and Prouinces where you are not His Reason For you will haue your selues onely to be the Whole who are not in euery Whole So he Tell vs now when euer any Church could more professe it selfe to be Whole in respect of other Churches than that which will haue it selfe onely to be called The Catholike or Vniuersall Romane Church or else to be more Alone than she that excludeth from hope of Saluation all other Churches which are not subiect vnto her Our third kind of Instance is in the Church of Rome herselfe proouing that this Article The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation becometh pernicious to them that will be called the Body or Members thereof SECT 11. BY this time we are drawing neare to the Gates of Rome to try what peace there is within her walls and what security can be had in Apocalypticall Babylon for so is Rome called by Saint Iohn according to the common Interpretation of your owne Doctors And in as much as we are now to fight within her owne Territories in this conflict wee shall endeuour to make good vpon you Two most Obseruable Positions The first concerneth the almost desperate estate of your Church of Rome the Next is the Safety and security of the Churches of Protestants The danger of the Church of Rome and some Members thereof is that it is made twice Damnable Once by the Article which it professeth viz. The Catholike Mother and Mistris Church of Rome without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation Next and more especially by the Apostolicall Article as it is vnderstood in our Christian Creed of beleeuing THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH The State of the Question by Comparison of the Head and Body of the Romane Church together according to the sense of your now Article The Catholike Romane Church without which c. SECT 12. THe Church of Rome consisteth of a Pope and his Subordinates as of an Head and a Body yet so as the Body your Church taketh the Denomination to be called Catholike
the Church Catholike as commonly doe the Professed Protestants The words of your owne Authors amount to no lesse than a plaine Confession that The Arian Heresie trauelled almost ouer the whole Romane Orbe Euen From the rising of the Sun to the noone-point and after passing by the North at length it infected almost the whole Westerne part of Christendome That the same Heresie polluted almost all Christian Churches and the Patriarchall Seates of Antioch Alexandria and Hierusalem and at length passing into the Westerne parts meaning the Romane Iuâ—isdiction substituted Felix into the Romane Chaire instead of Liberius and so ran his Course through-out the whole world in a trice When the Church was brought to that lowe ebbe that the same Pope Liberius hearing the Arian Emperour to obiect the Paucity of Orthodoxe Fathers doubted not to make his Answer It mattereth not saith he whether the true Professors be moe or fewer for the Church of the Iewes was once reduced to the number of Three So accordingly Saint Hilaery bewailed the state of the Church saying that it had forsaken Temples and buildings and was more safe in Mountaines Lakes and Prisons And Greg. Nazianzene speaking of his own Church at that time It was proper to our Fold saith he that it could not be broken insomuch that we were often termed the Arke of Noah as those who onely escaped drowning in the flood So he Would it not pose you to tell what was the face and appearance of the Romane Church when onely the Church of Nazianzum was said to escape the Deluge of that Arrian Heresie But how much greater is the Cloude of Obscurity of the Church prophecied of in the daies of Antichrist Let your Rhemists shout as loud as they can that the Catholike Church is alwaies Notably visible in her visible Pastors Sacraments and names of her Professors yet at length as it were with shouting they waxing hoarse tell you of an Externall cessation of all outward Communion from the Catholike Church excepting the Communion in the hearts of her Professors And falling into a Meditation of these words of the Apoc. Chap. 12. ver 6. The Woman fledd into the Wildernesse whereby is ment the Church Catholike seeking resuge from the violance of Antichrist They giue you this Note At which time for all that say they the Church shall not want our Lord's protection nor Pastors nor be so secret but that all faithfull men shall know and follow her much lesse shall she decay and erre from the Faith as Heretikes wickedly feine but be as the Catholike Church now in England in the time of Persecution because it hath no publike Seate of Regiment nor open free exercise of holy function And although it may be said to be fledd into the Desert yet is it neither Vnknowne vnto the Faithfull that followe it nor to the Enemies that persecute it So They. In which one testimonie we haue an hotch-potch of Truth Folly and Falshood together Truth in acknowledging such an Obscurity of the Church as that whereby shee is depriued of publike gouernement and free exercise of Ecclesiasticall Function Falshood in obiecting vnto Protestants whom they as falsly call Heretikes an opinion of Decay and errour from Faith in the whole Catholike Church which vnto your own Bellarmine seemed in effect to be a lewd Slander And thirdly what greater Folly and absurdity can there bee than to dreame as Master Fisher likewise hath done of a Church Flying into the Desert vnder God's protection that it should not be knowne and yet in his opinion not vnknowne to her Persecutors With like reason might they assure you that the Hare is still knowne to the Hunter when shee flieth into a thicket and place by God's prouidence of such safety that neither man nor dogg can hunt her out We had rather you should heare the more iudicious and ingenuous Acknowledgements of your other Iesuites Ribera Pererius Acosta Viegaâ— from whom you may heare of the Church flying into the Wildernesse to a place prepared for her of God So that Shee can either not be enquired of where shee is by the Ministers of Antichrist or at least not be found out When the Churches seruice and worship shall be in secret the Sacrifice of the Masse shall cease the Liturgie and forme of prayer shall be abolished and all shall adore Antichrist except the Predestinate whose names are written in the Booke of Life So they Did you euer heare from any Protestant a signification of any greater Obscurity of the Church than this is Which differeth not from the iudgement of ancient Fathers who speaking of the Catholike Church say that This Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light Not appearing to her Persecutors And this Mother shall be vnable to bring forth the Children of her wombe Of Departure from some particular Churches THESIS V. All particular Churches are not to bee forsaken for euery Vnsoundnesse in either Manners Worship or Doctrine SECT 6. WEe haue Christ his Warrant in the Case of Vnsoundnesse in Manners Mat. 23.3 Whatsoeuer they bid you doe that obserue and doe but after their workes doe not Shall the Iniquity of the Minister make the promises of God of none effect God forbid Or because they haue foule hands must I haue deafe yeeres Abel and Cain might offer Sacrifice at one Altar Peter and Iudas present themselues together at one sacred Supper The Publican and Pharisee pray in one Temple Peruse but the Booke of God the holy Scripture from the beginning of Genesis vnto the end of the Apocalypse and you shall scarce finde one example of any particular Church consisting onely of sanctified Professors without mixture as in the barne of both Chaffe and Wheate or without as the net good and badd fishes or without as the fold sheepe and goats still diuers in dissimilitude of manners not in diuision of Sacraments no not in the family of Noah within the Arke Which we speake to the iust Condemnation of all such Separatists who as of old the Donatists for onely scandall taken at the wicked liues of the Professors doe breake the barne burst the net ouerthrowe the fold and rend the vn-seamed Coat of Christ by diuiding themselues from the Church of their owne Profession Next euery corrupt Custome in the publike Worship of God is no sufficient Warrant or cause of Separation from the particular Church wherein we haue beene baptized or haue made profession of our Faith except the forme thereof bee some-way Idolatrous For we reade how the High places and Groues were forbidden of God Deut. 12. yet in the time of their Iudges God suffred their Sacrifice Iud. 6. and as Saint Augustine you know saith God accepted their Offerings As for errour in Doctrine your Cardinall will haue you vnderstand that Particular Churches may erre in some points of Faith and yet be accounted true Churches and hee
giueth instance in the Churches of Corinth and Galatia both which Saint Paul stileth Churches of the Saints albeit the one is reprehended by the Apostle for denying the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. the other for teaching a necessary Obseruation of the Law of Moses with the Gospell of Christ. Gal. 1. So he Yet lest you may erre in terming that a True Church which is wilfuliy intangled in any Heresie he giueth this Condition that The same that erre be ready to be reformed and to obey the truth as were the Corinthians and Galatians Otherwise to bee vnwilling either to learne or to yeeld vnto a manifest truth is proper saith your Author vnto a Satanicall Synagogue and to the Churches of the Malignant So your Cardinall and that most truely THESIS VI. Some Vnsound Churches are necessarily to bee auoided and the iust Causes why SECT 7. AS Leprousie Plague and whatsoeuer contagious Diseases are necessarie causes of separation from vnsound houses so Obstinacie of error in Teachers affected Ignorance and obduration of people Idolatry in Gods Worship Tyrannie and Persecution against the true and sincere Professors may be iudged necessary Causes of Separation from any particular Churches Against a generall Obstinacie of false-Teachers opposing to the wholesome doctrine We haue a Caueat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Depart from such 1 Tim. 6.5 Against the generall Obdurancie of hearts our Caueat is both Christ's Shake off the dust of your feet in departing and Saint Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When certaine obstinate persons speake euill of the Word of God before the people he departed from them and separated the Disciples Act. 19.9 because else they should heare nothing but blasphemies against the truth of God Against the Corruption of Gods Worship Idolatrously the Command is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Flie from Idolatry 1 Cor. 10.4 euen as vnto the people vnder the Law when Bethel that is the House of God was turned into Bethauen that is the House of Vanity the Epithet of Idolatry then the Watch-word to the Faithfull was Separate your selues from among them Hos. 10. Against Tyrannie in Persecuting of Preachers or Professors in any one City the warning is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise Flie vnto another Mat. 10.23 And lastly in the time of Antichristian Tyrannie and Idolatry in Romish Babylon the Spiâ—it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come out of her my people Apoc. 18.4 THESIS VII No vniust Excommunication out of a true Church can preiudice the Saluation of the Excommunicate SECT 8. YOur Romance Glosse authorized by Pope Gregory the XIII will speake as much as need be said to wit The Keyes of the Church erring in her binding and loosing the partie so bound is not then bound with God for it happeneth many times that he who is excommunicated out of the Church Militant is notwithstandeng in the Church Triumphant So your owne Glosse According as it hath beene obserued by you in the Blinde-man cured by Christ and professing the power of Christ whom therefore the Church of the Iewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cast out of their Synagogues Ioh. 9.34 That is saith your Cardinall they excommunicated and separated him from the communion of Them who at that time were accounted faithful but yet happie was that Blinde-man who was Excommunicated for the name of Christ. So he And so may we say of Luther who was as one borne Blinde whilst hee continued in your Church according to your Assumption true vntill that Christ opened his eyes and he for acknowledging the diuine light was Excommunicate by your High Priest Yet happie man he who was taken into the protection of Christ whom he professed and worshipped Something more of Excommunication you may reade in the XV. Section Following The Second Part is concerning Departure from Rome more particularly comparing the Church of Rome with other Churches We are approached to the Walls of Rome and behold wee discouer in her iust iust Causes of Separation from her which we shall represent vnto you in that due place whereunto we now proceed by certaine Theses as it were by iust pases Comparing her first with other Remote Christian Churâ—hes THESIS I. The Church of Rome is as subiect to Errors as any other Church SECT 9. WHat Prerogatiue had the Church-of your Romanes aboue the Church of the Ephesians or Thessalonians in respect of any possibilitie of not Erring or of Contemning other Churches in respect of her selfe to which that may be obiected which the Apostle writ to the Corinthians to wit Came the Word of God first from you nay came it not First from Hierusalem to Antioch and many other places before Rome and at length from Greece to Rome And after that Rome is established a Church was it freed from Erring more than other through the Primacie which it challengeth ouer Others By what Law Humane that could not Diuine that did not authorize any such Primacy Which you are compellable to Confesse except you will say that the Catholike Church hath erred in the Generall Councell of Chalcedon which as hath beene confessed denied that Rome had her Primacie from diuine Ordinance except you will also Grant that the Church of Rome it selfe hath erred in her Councell of Constance which maintained the same Axiome to wit that the Church of Rome held not her Primacie from diuine authority Lastly except you will impeach the Apostle Saint Paul of error who by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught an indifferencie of all spirituall respect to Rome with other Churches as hath beene proued Take vnto you one infallible Argument that the Church of Rome may erre in matter of Faith It hath erred Ergo It may possibly erre That it hath one confessed instance may sufficiently resolue you if it bee pregnant Such is the doctrine of the Administration of the Eucharist vnto Infants vpâ—n Necessity of Saluation A doctrine by your owne Confession at this day false and yet at that day as is likewise Confessed taugh and continued in the Church of Rome for the space of 600 yeeres together THESIS II. That the Church of Rome is more subiect to Erring than any other Church Christian. SECT 10. WHy is it that Christ said The whole need not the Physitian but those that be sicke but onely to shew that the state of one in an health falsly-conceited is farre more desperate than the state of the most extreme disease sensibly â—elt in as much as that man is more incapable of remedie that feeleth not his owne maladie than hee that is sensible of his griefe Such is the Case of the Romane Church which is so much more obnoxious to Error as shee is flalsly perswaded shee cannot possibly erre and that vpon two notoriously-erroneous Articles which are fancied and fained onely by her selfe One is that shee beleeueth as an Article of her Faith that shee the Romane Church is that The Catholike Church which cannot erre Which
from the Head the Pope as the Successor of Peter and not the Pope from the Church Your Article of beleeuing The Catholike Church of Rome c. consisteth of many other Articles and ioynts which ought to bee obserued because euery one containeth in it according to your Faith a Necessity of Beleefe As 1. The Necessity of Beleeuing that there ought to bee An Vniuersall Iudge vpon earth as the distinct Vicar of Christ 2. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this Iudge ought to be but One Alone because Two Heads vpon One Body would make it Monstrous 3. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this One Head is Aboue a Councell and you may haue as good Reason for that if as you fondly conclude there be the same Reason of the Ecclesiasticall Body as there is of the Naturall because it is Necessary that the Head be predominant ouer the Body 4. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this predominant Head must be Romane so farre as to hold that by virtue of this Head Not onely the Romane Church taken at large but euen the Partiâ—ular Romane Church as it is in the City of Rome ouer-ruleth throughout the world 5. The Necessity of Beleeuing that this Romane Head must bee Visible because it is the Head of a Visible Church 6. The Necessity of Beleeuing this Visible Head to be so Visible in one Indiuidual person that It is as necessary for euery one to beleeue THIS man as if you should say This Clement or this Vrban to be the Head as it was necessary for the Iewes to beleeue THIS IESVS when he was reuealed vnto them because if there be not infallible beleefe of his person there can be no certainty in his Decrees And therefore it is requisite that you beleeue This man to bee the true Head with an infallible Faith 7. The Necessity of Beleeuing the Iudgement of this Visible Head to bee Infalliby true 8. The Necessity of Beleeuing that the Vnion of this Infallibly-true Head and the Body thereof as also the Vnion of the Members one with another are A true and proper note of the true and Catholike Church That so many Necessities of Beeleefe doe inforce as many Necessities oâ— Damnation partly vpon your pretended Head partly vpon your Body and Members thereof All that can bee said to this purpose may bee reduced to these Obseruations concerning the Head and Body and Members of your Church viz. as it may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Body without an Head or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as hauing a False Head or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Multitudes of Heads or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One Head repugnant vnto the whole Body or to the Essentiall Members thereof or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doubtfully Headed I. The Church of Rome sometimes a Body Head-lesse SECT 13. THis happeneth as often and as long as there is a Vacancy in that See by reason of the death of the former Pope which hath beene often for One or Two and sometimes for Eight yeeres space Where then is your Tibi dabo claues what becommeth of the Keyes of your Romane Catholike Church These saith your Cardinall the Pope being dead continue not formally in the Church will you see a iugler except as they are committed vnto the Inferior Ministers but are in the hands of Christ and after that a new Pope is Chosen the Keyes are deliuered vnto him not by the Church but by the hands of Christ. CHALLENGE 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O the Depth of Delusion Doe then indeed Saint Peters Keyes flie into heauen at the death of euery Pope If so we demand what you vnderstand by those Keys which were promised by Christ to Peter Mat. 16. saying To thee will I giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen Keyes in this place saith hee signifie principalitie of Ecclesiasticall power ouer all the Church and not remission of sinnes because Christ addeth saying Whatsoeuer thou bindest vpon earth c. Where by Binding is ment power of Praecept and of punishment by Excommunication So hee What power then is that which remaineth formally in the Inferior Ministers of the Church at the death of the Pope if it be the Keyes of Principality then is euery Inferior Priest a Pope if it be the Keyes onely of Order and Absolution then shall it not be lawfull for any Bishop to exercise any power of Iurisdiction by Praecept or punishing by Excommunication during all the time of the Vacancie be this for the space of Two Three Foure or as it is said to haue hapned Eight yeares together You will easily guesse what it was that drew your Answerer into this most vncouth and extreme corner wherein neuer any ancient Father before him set so much as the least print of his shooe for your owne Binius will tell you a story to some good purpose In the Interregnum or Vacancy betweene the death of Pope Agapetus and his Successor was celebrated saith he the Councell of Constantinople wherein there were present Two Legates of the Church of Rome together with Menna the Bishop of Constantinople and Vicar of meaning Romane the Apostolicall See So he Heere you see the Pope is dead notwithstanding you obserue a Generall Councell gathered which is an act that you haue called Proper to the Papall Primacy and Principality and in Councells are commonly Acts both of Generall Decrees and Precepts as also of punishments by Excommunication in the name of the Catholike Church Besides you may behold heere Legates yet not of the dead Pope but of the Romane Church liuing If then your Article take place in that sense as to denie any Formall power of Keys vnto Inferior Bishops then is heereby condemned the whole Romane Church not onely ancient in the Councell of Constantinople but also at all times of Interim betweene the death of one Pope and Election of another whensoeuer they execute any Act of Iurisdiction Answer then we pray you doe you vpon this conceit of Bellarmine iudge all these condemned then may and must we most iustly renounce your Article as execrable Or doe you beleeue that in the Church there remaineth Formally the power of the Keyes for the execution of all functions belonging to the necessary preseruation of the Church and Members thereof then must it follow which your Cardinall fore-saw right well that the Pope receiueth his Authority from the Church and not immediately from Christ and that therefore the Church hath no absolute necessity of a Pope And so may you bury your Article of Necessary Obedience to the Papall Monarchy in the graue of euery dead Pope and instead of that Article you may frame another De Anferibilitate Papae ab Ecclesiâ out of Gersons Instructions which may serue you for a Catechisme Because if the Church may consist sufficiently in that which you call her Widow-hood destitute of her Monarchical Head for Six or Eight yeeres why