alijs Episcopis sunt terminandae And to proue that scandalous men of the Clargie should not be punished or examined by Lay-men this reason is often repeated in diuers Epistles that if since the Apostles times that course had beene taken to punish such then few or none should now haue beene left aliue in the Clargie which is a secret confession that all the Clargie of the Court of Rome were at this time of euill and scandalous life and conuersation Marcellus as writing to Maxentius the tyrant is produced to say thus Synodum absque huius sanctae sedis authoritate Episcoporum quanquam quosdam Episcopos possitis congr◅gare nonpotestis regulariter facere neque vllum Episcopum qui hanc appellauerit apostolicam sedem damnare autequā hinc sententia defintiua proccdat These and such like are their grounds of Iurisdiction which need no refutation for absurdities carie alwayes their owne bane in themselues this is refutation ynough for such things to make those things well knowen 9. These testimonies for Iurisdiction drawen from these forged Epistles may giue vs occasion to obserue First that the Bishops of Rome haue long greedily gaped after this Iurisdiction to obtain their purpose herein haue made no bones at forgerie As first they attempted that forgerie of a Canon of the Nicen Councellin Saint Augustines time but were then repressed so the diuell to bring them to greater shame mooued them afterward to greater forgerie in deuising so many decretall Epistles to establish this Iurisdiction by this shamelesse attempt which by other direct meanes they could not doe Seconly so greedily are they set vpon this purpose as men blinded with affection that they consider neither manner nor matter nor coherence onely the impotent loue to this Iurisdiction carrieth them through thicke and thin as in many things may be obserued I obserue onely that which toucheth our question for in these Epistles this Iurisdictiō of the Church of Rome and appellation to that Church is maintained as from the institution of Christ himselfe out of these words Tues Petrus c. Now these Epistles must be supposed to be written long before Saint Augustines time when Zoz◅mus Boniface and Caelestinus claimed the same Iurisdiction by the forged Canon of the Nicen Councell for before those times these Bishops liued who are deuised the authors of these Epistles If these Epistles had then beene extant why did not the Popes claime their Iurisdiction by these testimonies which were supposed to be written so long before the Canons of the Nicen Councell What needed they to haue forged a Canon if they had so faire euidences to shew And why did they claime it by a Canon of the Councell when they might haue laid their claime directly from the commaundement of Christ 10. But if these Epistles were not then extant as certainely they were not why should any credit bee giuen to things so manifestly forged Why should any claime be made to Iurisdiction vpon such false grounds Thirdly we obserue also the cursed obstinacie and affected blindnesse of the learned Papists Bellarmine and such who know well that these Epistles are forged and confesse it knowing that this Iurisdiction of the Pope was neuer claimed iure diuino as from Christs owne institution before these Epistles by forgerie inuented that claime are so bewitched in the seruice of the Pope and in this question of Iurisdiction that against learning iudgement conscience all they hold this Iurisdiction to be iure diuino in the grossest sort maintaine it no otherwise then these confessed forgeries haue taught them by those deprauations corruptions and detortions of Scriptures Tues Petrus and such like An indifferent man would thinke that either they should not confesse these forgeries or confessing them they should hate and abhorre these grounds of Iurisdiction which onely the forged Epistles haue deuised from Scripture Fourthly by this we may looke a little farther into the deepenesse of Satan and behold how the Popes Clarkes lie plunging for Iurisdiction 11. For the Councell of Trent being awaked at the preaching of Master Luther and other and finding that the corruptions which were brought into the doctrines of the Court of Rome could not bee mainteined by Scriptures being directly repugnant thereto deuised a very foule shift to maintaine all by vnwritten traditions And for this purpose enacted a Canon that the traditions of the Church of Rome must be honoured and imbraced with the like honour and reuerence as the holy Scriptures are honoured Therefore they deuise the word of God to be either written in Scriptures or vnwritten in Traditions which vnwritten Traditions they reuerence for Gods word no lesse then the holy Scriptures themselues And if you aske how shall men trie true Traditions they aunswere there is no better triall then the iudgement of the Church of Rome Ex tcstimonio huius solius Ecclesiae sumi potest certum argumentum ad probandas Apostolicas Traditiones By these principles if they might once haue them graunted they thinke themselues able to conclude any thing to delude the holy Scriptures and to set vp prophane and Barbarous forgeries in place of holy Scriptures For if wee denie this pretended Iurisdiction they will aunswere that it is grounded vpon the word of God if we demaund what word they haue for it They tell vs Tu es Petrus c. and such like If wee say the sense and meaning of those Scriptures doe no way maintaine that Iurisdiction the auncient Fathers neuer expounded them so that that sense was neuer drawen from these Scriptures before these forged decretall Epistles deuised it To this they will say they take that sense of Scriptures which the Church of Rome taketh and the Pope who onely hath authoritie to giue the sense of Scriptures The summe and conclusion of all is this the Traditions of the Church of Rome are to be honoured and reuerenced with the same honour as the holy Scripture but these filthy forged and corrupt Epistles containe the Traditions yea are the Traditions of the Church of Rome therefore these filthy forgeries of corrupt men are to be honoured and reuerenced as the holy Scriptures 12. Now though some men vnlearned may be caried away with this vaine shew of Traditions yet wee see not how their learned men can plead ignorance or excuse who know that those expositions of these Scriptures were first forged in the decretall Epistles these be their Apostolicall Traditions these be matched with holy Scriptures I appeale to the conscience of any Papist that either is or would bee esteemed learned whether these Epistles be not forged in his iudgement And whether the ground of their Iurisdiction be not hence drawen And whether this Iurisdiction which in these Epistles is maintained concerning appellation was not repressed and vtterly denied by Saint Augustine and the rest of those auncients in the Cartheginian Affrican and Mileuitan Councels Perhaps it is not hard for a
man of a leaden heart and a brasen forehead to rush through these difficulties after the Romane Catholike maner without blushing but let a man in humility and good conscience set himselfe to seeke the truth herein and to giue God the glory and it will bee impossible for him to wrastle out of these nets but by confessing the forgerie and reiecting the Iurisdiction forged 13. Moreouer that it may it further appeare that this Iurisdiction is esteemed all in all and more then all by these men and that all other parts of their religion are not so deare to them as this we may further obserue that as the Pope ouer-ruled the Councell of Trent so the thing that swayed the Pope and forced him to resolue vpon this course which now is established by the Court of Rome in the Councell of Trent was onely the feare of loosing and care of maintaining this Iurisdiction For before the Councell of Trent which thing we shall hereafter by Gods helpe more manifest at good opportunity the Church of Rome stood so indifferently affected in the chiefe points of religion that if the respect and practise of the Pope had not misled them it may bee well iudged they would haue beene more ready to assent to the conclusions of Master Lutâ—…r and Iohn Caluin then to those that are established in the Councell of Trent so indifferent stood the world before that Councell For after that time that they had begun to challenge this Iurisdiction before the Councell of Trent the Popes were alwayes afrighted at the name of a generall Councell as Paul Iouius winesseth otherwise a flatterer of the Popes for he saith thus Id vnum concilij nomen supra caeteros insaelices humanarum rerum casus maximo terrori Pontificibus esse consueuit That is The onely name of a Councell more then all other humane incident miseries is wont to be a great terrour to Popes He giueth the reason there why the Popes were so much afraid of Councels because saith he in them questions of faith religion are interpreted the Popes IurisdictioÌ„ censured curbed Ad castigandam sacerdotum luxuriam censorias leges condunt ipsi Pontificices Pontificio iurâ—… 〈◊〉 eiâ—…rare supremaâ—… dignitatâ—… seque demum Pontificatu abdicare coguntur hoc metu armati reges Pontifices terrent That is Councels make lawes to chastise the luxuriousnesse of Priests The Popes themselues circumuented by the Popish law are compelled to resigne the Supreaâ—…e dignitie and to relinguish the Papacie 14. So that before the Councell of Trent the Soueraigne Iurisdiction was neuer held to be in the Pope seeing the Church being gathered together in a Councell did vse to exercise Iurisdiction vpon the Popes For if the Popes were wont so much to feare and flie a generall Councell in regard of censurâ—…ng and inhibiting their Iurisdiction then must these conclusions follow That the Councell of Trent was not a generall Councell because the Pope was not afraid of it that the Popes themselues did acknowledge that the Iurisdiction of a Councell was aboue their Iurisdiction for otherwise why should the Pope be afraid of a free Councell So that if the Councell of Trent had beene like to those Councels which the Popes did so much feare it might haue giuen as good satisfaction to true Christians as now it doth to the followers and flatterers of the Court of Rome And before that Councell there was great hope that it might haue bin so For the minds of al good men were marueilously prepared to peace and to a mutuall consent And for the points of doctrine if the Friars and such as were by them infected had not troubled all the truth might haue preuailed For Cardinall Contaren made a good preparation to the doctrine of iustification which being the greatest point in controuersie is handled by him conformable to the doctrine of Luther Caluin and directly against that which was concluded in the Councell of Trent this he wrote in the yeere one thousand fiue hundred fourtie and one a little before that Councell The Cardinall therein teacheth nothing but that which was before him the knowen doctrine of the Church of Rome from which because the Councell of Trent swarued therefore they made the separation and not we This wisdome and moderation of Cardinall Contaren and others of that side gaue great hope to Master Bucer and some other of this side to labour for an agreement and mutuall consent and assuredly there was great reason to hope it For if the rest had beene of that spirit and moderation which Cardinall Contaren Georgius Cassander Iohn Ferus Master Antonius Flaminius Espencaeus and many others a mutuall consent would haue beene obtained But will yee haue the truth the points of faith and doctrine were not the things which most hindered this concord for in these things many of that side were very conformable and moe might haue beene drawen but there was another thing which crossed all peaceable purposes this was the Popes Iurisdiction If it had not bene for this Iurisdiction the doctrine of Luther might haue beene easily granted for what taught he which was not before him taught in the Church of Rome I graunt that the contrary was also taught by Friars for in the Church of Rome before the Councell of Trent some taught after the manner of the new deuised doctrines which Friars brought in others taught the truth preseruing the auncient doctrines in most points till that time as by their writings extant appeareth So that if the Councell of Trent had beene indifferently chosen of learned men then liuing and if their voyces had not bene forced and forestalled by an oath of obedience to the Pope and to satisfie his lust a desperate practise declaring a desperate cause things might haue beene aswell concluded againstâ—… the Iurisdiction of the Pope and faction of Friars as now all is for them 15. And because wee haue so often mentioned and are so often to mention the Councell of Trent seeing we wholly reiect it and our aduersaries wholly rest vpon it it may bee expected that wee should giue some reasons why we disable it so much I may answere the reasons are in the doctrines and conclusions themselues which are throughly and worthily examined by Master Chemnifius and others But ouer and besides the falshood of doctrines which are concluded there directly against the manifest truth of holy Scriptures we haue also these iust exceptions that that Councell was neither a generall nor a free nor a lawfull Councell Generall it was not because if we consider these Westerne parts of Christendome for the benefite whereof that Councell is pretended to be gathered the greatest part was excluded from that Councell For all England Scotland Ireland all France and all Germanie that are Protestants will make a farre greater part then all the rest that consented to that Councell so that it was a Councell held of a small part
enacted by Emperours to be a law that all of the Clergie that offended might know their punishment for that Constantine by whose authority the sixt Synode at Constantinople was held in a Decree inserted in that Councell saith Si quidem Episcopusest vel Clericus vel monachico circundatus habitu deportationis paenam exsoluet Carâ—…omannus in a French Synode decreeth imprisonment Si ordinat us presbyter fuerit duos annos in carcere permaneat These punishments were inflicted vpon such Clerkes as would not be ordered by Ecclesiasticall censures of their Bishoppes for so Guntranus doth testifie a French King by whose authority the Councel of Matiscan was held Quicunque Sacerdctum saith he in a Writ added to that councell aut saecularium in intentione mortifera perdurantes crebrius admoniti si se emendare neglexerint c. alios canonica seueritas corrigat alios ligatâ—…s paena percellat And a little after he saith Conuenit vt iustitâ—…ae â—…quitatis in omnibus vigore seruato distringat legalis vltio iudicum quos non corrigit canonica praedicatio Sacer dotum 70. Then the ancient practise was that the temporall Magistrate should punish such as offended of the Clergy as well as of the Laity Concerning the antiquity of this exemption of Clerkes from temporall Courts wee finde no president for it all the while that the Emperours had any gouernement and commaund in Italy But when the Pope was able to meet the Emperour in battell and giue him the worse then began the authority of the ciuill Magistrate to decay in Rome and fell at the last into contempt And the Pope hauing cast off the yoak of obedience which before he held to the Emperour as to his Soueraigne began to take an authority to himself which neither God nor man had giuen him Hence proceeded that vsurpation of power to giue Lawes to other Pope Nicholas the first in the eight hundred and threescore yeare of Christ writeth in his Epistle to the Emperour Michael in another stile then his predecessours had vsed to write to Emperours before Among other things contained in th Epistle whereas the Emperour had written for a Clarke that had offended him and was fled to the Pope whom the Emperour required to be sent back again to Constantinople Pope Nicholas to this maketh this answere Wee haue from the great power of Peter and Paul right and power to call Clerkes from any other Diocesse if wee thinke good and to inuite them to vs. This is our right but Christian Emperours haue no right at all to make any inquisition for Monks vnlesse it be in fauour to pity them 71. Here we obserue the difference betweene the spirits of Popes in this time and the spirits of auncient Popes who held the doctrine of obedience as the Fathers then did drawing the doctrine from the Scripture and examples of Christ and his Apostles Christ when he was vniustly condemned exempted not himselfe from the punishment of the ciuill Magistrate and yet he wanted no power to haue done so if hee would These late Romane counterfait Catholiques when by their rebellious doctrine and bloudy practises they haue iustly 〈◊〉 the Magistrate against them yet forsooth will denie him authority to punish them Saint Paul teacheth Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers S. Peter teacheth the same doctrine Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man The Fathers receiued this doctrine from the Scriptures and preserued it faithfully in the Church Chrysostome and after him Oecumenius expounding that place of ' Paul say thus Omnem animam instruens siue Sacerdos sit quispiam siue monachus siue Apostolus vt Magistratibus subdatur nam haec subiectio non euertit pietâ—…tem A learned man of late which also was Pope speaking of these words Omnis anima subdita sic c. saith Nec animam Papaeexcipit So doth God sometimes draw testimonies for the truth out of the mouthes of them that oppugne it The auncients helde this truth vp in great sincerity Gregory Nazianzen saith Homines cuncti c. All men are ordered in subiection vnder the higher powers Hee that saith all men includeth the Pope and his Clarkes Augustine saith Generale pactum est societatis humanae obedire gregibus suis. Leo the first saith Ad imperialem pertinet potestatem vâ—… perturbatores Ecclesiae pacis reipub quae Christianis principibus merito gloriatur inimici sollicitius comprimantur These troublers of the peace of the Church and state of whom he speaketh were Clergy men For in that Epistle Leo writeth against certaine of the Clergy who embraced the errour of Eutyches Then in the time of Pope Leo this was not the doctrine of the Church of Rome which now these Romane Libertines haue brought in Gregory the first writeth to the same purpose Potestas super omnes homines dominorum meorum pietaticaelitus data est vt qui bona appetâ—…nt adiâ—…uentur vt caelorum via largius pateat vt terrestre Regnum coelesti Regnofamuletur In the same Epistle he induceth Christ thus speaking to the Emperour Sacerdotes meos tuae manui commisi Then Gregory knew no other doctrine but that Priests were subiect by Christ subiected to the Magistrate And whereas the Emperour commanded a law to be executed which Gregory misliked hee writeth thus to the Emperor Ego quideÌ„ iussioni tuae subiectus eandem legem per diuersas terrarum partes transmitti feci That is I being subiect to your coÌ„mand haue caused that law to be sent to diuers Prouinces but because the law consenteth not with the law of Almighty God behold I haue signified the same by my letters to your most excellent Lordship so that on both parts I haue payed what I ought for I haue yeelded obedience to the Emperor haue not coÌ„cealed what I thought for God Then Gregory knew no exemption he accounteth himselfe among them that owe subiection and obedience to Emperors 72. Concerning the punishment of Heretiques Schismatiques that were criminous there was no other means knowne in S. Augustines time then the coactiue power of the ciuil Magistrate For thus he saith Si nec hoc volunt Donatistae c. If the Donatists will not grant this power to the Emperour why doe they acknowledge the force of the Lawes to be iustly executed against other malefactors and deny the same to be done against hereticks and Schismaticks seeing by the Apostolicall authority they are all alike numbred with the same fruits of iniquity Must not these humane ordinaÌ„ces regard such things Why then doth he beare the sword c. Thus saith Augustine And in the same place he declareth that there is one law imperial general against all that professe theÌ„selues Christians but are not true Catholicks but keep priuate conuenticles that either he that ordaineth such a Clerke or the Clerke so ordained should loose
great learning and iudgement I will record heere some obseâ—…uations of his for it seemeth that he had a purpose to reâ—…ute that former worke of Triumpâ—…us though the truth is hee nameth not Triumphâ—…s throughout all his booke concerning this point of Iurisdiction one especiall ground which hee layeth is this Ab â—…fficio principatâ—…s siâ—…e 〈◊〉 iurisdiction is 〈◊〉 soâ—… coactiuâ—… 〈◊〉 cuiuslibet in hoc sâ—…lo Christâ—…s seipsum Apostâ—…los exclusit 〈◊〉 vâ—…luit That is Christ hath excluded and purposed to exclude hiâ—…selfe and his Apostles from principalitie or contentious iurisdiction or regiment or any coactiue iudgment in this world Which thing he prouâ—…th at large both by Scriptures Fathers because Christ â—…aith his kingdome is not of this world by which words coactiue Iurisdiction is excluded as was the doctrine of Christ such was his example of obedience for he was alwayes subiect to the coactiue power of the Magistrate Thus by the â—…ound and cleere Scriptures with the expositions and iudgement of the ancient Fathers he resuâ—…eth that noueltiâ—… which had no other ground then the Popes decretals 8. Therefore he examineth the authority of the Popes deâ—…retals and giueth a learned and iuditious distinction declaring thereby how the Pope may bee obeyed or not obeyed commaunding against the Emperour for saith he if the Emperour commaund any thing against the law of God and the Pope commaund things agreeable to that law thou must ouâ—… of doubt obey the Pope and not the Emperour But if the Emperour commaund something according to his imperial law the Pope command somthing according to his decretals against the imperiall lawes no man subiect to the Emperour ought in such things to obey the Pope Which thing he proueth at large because the ciuill Magistrate beareth the sword because he is the Minister of God the reuenger of disobedience because euery soule is subiect to him Which things saith hee are not spoken of any spiritual Gouernour but of the Temporall Magistrate For the Goueâ—…nours to whom in coactiue Iuâ—…isdiction we must obey are such as by armed power defend their Countries and people which in no case can agree to a Bishop or Priest 9. By such reasons he proceedeth and proueth infallibly his purpose and conclusion that no spirituall Gouernour hath from Christ any Iurisdiction coactiue but this power is left wholly in the hands of the ciuill Magistrate And thus doth cut in sunder the sinewes of their disputations who plead for the Popes Iurisdiction which Iurisdiction they make to consist in power coactiue Of the Popes decretals which then were lately deuised Lawes against the auncient Iurisdiction of the Church as also against the Iurisdiction of Princes he saith Vt ipsi fabulantur in sâ—…is decretalibus quâ—… secundum veritatem nihil aliud sunt quà m ordinationes quaedam Oligarchicae quibus in nullo obedire tenentur Chrsti fideles in quuntum hâ—…smodi That is As they bable in their decretals which in truth are nothing but certaine Oligarchicall ordinations to which Christians are in no case bound to obey as they proceed from the Pope Wherein he deliuereth thus much that these Canon lawes or decretals ought to haue no force among Christians vnlesse they be confirmed by the lawes of the land and by Princes in their Dominions so many as Princes shall thinke fit for the gouernment of the Church in their proper Dominions may be established being established ought to be obeyed but not as the Popes laws vse but as the laws of those Princes for that is it which Marsilius saith the decretals are not to be obeyed in quaÌ„tuÌ„huiusmodi Now that all coactiue power is by God deliuered to the Temporall Magistrate hee prooueth solidly from these words he is the Minister of God to take vengeance by vengeance all coactiue power is vnderstood Neither doth he denie but that the Church gouernours may execute coactiue power but then they must haue it from Princes and from such Temporall powers which haue the same Which being expresly and distinctly written by him three hundred yeres agoe is no other thing then that which we now maintaine at which our aduersaries seeme to wonder as at some new doctrine neuer heard before when the same truth after the saâ—… manner beene maintained by the learned men that haue handled this question before vs. Nec in quenquam presbyterum saith he aut non pres byterum conâ—…enit coactiâ—…am in hoc saeculo Iurisdictionem habere quenquam Episcopum siâ—…e Papam â—…isi eadem siâ—…i per humanum legisâ—…atorem concessa fuerit in cuiâ—…s potestate semper est hanc ab ipsis reuocare That is No man Priest or not Priest can haue Iurisdiction coactiue in this world Bishop or Pope vnlesse it be granted to them by the humane law-maker in whose power it is at his pleasure to recall it from them 10. Concerning the right of calling Councels his determination is this If a cause of religion rise in question the Pope saith he may signifie the same to the chiefe Temporall Gouernour but the authority of gathering and calling the Councell belongeth to him that hath coactiue Iurisdiction and ought to bee gathered by his coactiue precept When it is gathered he leaueth the first and chiefe seat therein to the Bishop of Rome hee giâ—…eth him the honour to propose the matter to collect all together that is spoken to communicate the things determined to others and to excommunicate the transgressors And all this to doe not at his owne pleasure or vpon his owne head sed ex concilij sententia onely by the direction of the Councell This principality he yeeldeth to the Bishop of Rome and to that Church so long as thus it standeth and so long as it doth nothing to the contrary whereby this honour may be iustly withdrawen Secundum quâ—…m modum saith hee Romanae vrbis quamdiâ—… extiterit obicemque ad hoc non apposuerit populus ille c. poterit licitè ac debebit iâ—…m â—…ict a principalitas in Episcopo Eccleâ—…a continue reseruari That is According to which maner this principality may lawfully and ought to be reserued alwayes for that Bishop and that Church as long as it thus standeth and doth nothing to the contrary This honour if the Pope would haue held himselfe contented therewith might long time enough beene reserued vnto him But when this could not content him but he must haue all Iurisdiction ouer the Church and ouer secular Princes if he finde not that honour yeelded to him which hee expecteth he may thanke himselfe because he hath procured his owne contempt and by vsurpation of vndue honour he hath lost that which though it was not due to him yet from some custome was giuen might haue beene continued to this day if himselfe had not caused the Church to withdraw it For saith mine Author Licet circa 〈◊〉 Ecclâ—…sia 〈◊〉 Episcopi Ecclesiae fidelium neque diuina neque
Iurisdion And was hee trow you a Lutheran verily so was the Church in his time for he doth deliuer not so much his owne priuate iudgement as the iudgement of the Church in his time and in the times before him For he saith it was the iudgement of all that liued and died in the Church before him 〈◊〉 mortuoruâ—… that the Pope is to be iudged by the Church by a Councell and that therefore the Councell is aboue the Pope This faith he is the opinion of all that liued and died in the Church And yet hee knew well that Friars and flatterers had before his time maintained the contrary but these he regarded not because the Church then regarded them not they were but of base and vile accompt in respect of the Church and so much the more vile because against the iudgement of the auncient Church against the rules of interpretation against honestie and conscience they had drawen some textes of Scripture to maintaine this Papal Iurisdiction These are they whom these learned men call 〈◊〉 miserable and wretched soules who will not vnderstand that all this which they bring for the Popes Iurisdiction is nothing but the vain words of the Popes themselues or of their flatterers 67. Now seeing the Pope with his flatterers hath much preuailed since this time against the expectation of these learned men must we not conclude that they haue herein made a departure from the Church that they are but flatterers who now follow the Pope that they were neuer accompted otherwise by the grauer sorâ—… of the Church of Rome that their opiâ—…ions are new and strange Thâ—…n with what countenance can the successours of Aenâ—… 〈◊〉 pâ—…t vpon vâ—… the imputation of heresie who follow the ingenuous free and sincere iudgement of the same Siluiuâ—… leauing these opinions whiâ—…h are confessed by him to be new fond straunge vnreasonable deuises of base flatterers and maintaining the 〈◊〉 truth which by the testimonie of these men alwayes continued in the Church This man with many moâ—… will be raised vp in the day of iudgement against this present generation consisting onely euen by the confession of their own Bishops Cardinals and Popes of the Pope and his flatterers forsaking the fellowship of the Church 〈◊〉 is the ground of their conscience For let me speake onely of this part of their religion which now I handle that is Iurisdiction and what ground can any man finde here whereupon he may rest his conscience Let them not bring vs an idle and impertinent discourse of their three conuersionâ—… which in good time by the grace of God will be reuâ—…rsed but let them come to the point and let them shewe in this particular what ground of conscience any man may haue to rest on for the Popes Iurisdiction which was crossed contradicted and inhibited by the auncient Fathers confuted by the learned men of the Church of Rome condemned by the Councell of the Church of Rome maintained by none â—…ut such as are thus notoriously branded with the ignominious titles of flatterers 68. And because the Pope and his flatterers for spâ—…aking of them I must vse this name and stile which so many writerâ—… of the Church of Rome haue vsed before me let â—…hem not blame me or thinke that I 〈◊〉 them I vse but the words of these other writers whom I haue cited These men I say being driuen in argument from all helpes hauing no meanes to answere the learned that disputed against them did vse to flie for helpe to these words of the Gospell Thou art Peter and to thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not and such like the same Author declareth that they did altogether abuse and peruert these places of Scripture against the sense of the wordes and against the expositions of the auncient doctors For thus hee saith Eâ—… quia huiusmodi dicta solutionem habent recurrunt statim ad Euangelium tu es Petrus tibi dabo claues regnicâ—…lorum rogaui pro te Petre ne deficiat fides tua duc in altum rete c. Quâ—… omâ—…ia hi homines miro modo sublimant expositionibus sanctorum doctorum omninò posthabuis That is And because these words conteining their reasons aâ—…e all answered they flie presently to the Gospell thou art Peter and to thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not and cast thy net into the deepe c. All which these men after a marueilous maner raise vp to extoll the Pope reiecting altogether casting behind theÌ„ the expositions of anâ—…ient doctors Then we haue one Pope full of our side for he assureth vs that this new strange wresting of these textes to aduance the Popes Iurisdiction standeth wholly against the expositions of the auncient Fathers Aenaeas Siluiuâ—… in the same booke speaketh much in the honour of the French Cardinall of Arles as an especiall admirer of his vertues Lodouicus Cardinalis Arelatensis saith he Uir omnium conâ—…tantissimus ad gubernationem generalium conciliorâ—…m natus That is A man of all other moâ—…t constant and one that was borne for the gouernment of general Councels One testimonie I would produce of this Cardinall and then wee haue three Cardinals for vs Cameracensis Cusanus Arelatensis This Cardinall in the mids of the Councell of Basil professed that the doctrine of the Popes Iurisdiction ouer generall Councels was a new doctrine and strange at that time in the Church â—…ardinalis Arelatensiâ—… saith he aiâ—… Eugenianos nuntios implesse Galliam qui 〈◊〉 doctrinam praedicantes authoritatem Romani Pontificis supra generalia concilia magnifacerent 69. After all this when we finde that Cardinall Bellarmine and the rest of the Friars and flatterers haue nothing to say for the Popes Iurisdiction but that which is condemned by these learned men as a newe and straunge doctrine in the Church haue no other reasons to maintaine this their new doctrine then the peruerting of these texts of Scriptures which distorting of Scriptures is expresly censured by the said learned men as standing against the naturall sense of the words and against the expositions of the ancient Fathers writing of those Scriptures when we find not one or two or a few but the cry of the whole Church against them who is able by any shew of learning to auoid our conclusion that they who thus maintain this Papall Iurisdiction are the followers of their forefathers that is onely Friars and flatterers And that we who denie this Papall Iurisdiction giuing to the Church on the one side and to Soueraigne Princes on the other side their proper distinct auncient rights respectiuely belonging to each of them are the followers and the children of our forefathers that is the true ancient vnchaunged Catholicke Church FINIS Iob. 7. 1. Uitruuius lib. 9. cap. 3. Caluin in Amos