therefore to the prevention of Schism t is meet they should have an Authority to bound them But now for a Metropolitan he hath no jurisdiction over Bishops he can do nothing out of his own Diocess in which he is a Bishop without the concurrence of the Major part of the Bishops of the province though he be in order and honour the first so in like sort the Patriarch may do nothing without the advice and consent of the Metropolitans and Bishops subject to him seeing therefore these have no power of Jurisdiction but only a Primacy of Order and Honour there needs none over them especially with a power of Jurisdiction to prevent their Schisms so then saith Cham. De Oecum Pontis l 9. c. 14. s 12. here is a ridiculous comparison of things dislike as if one should say T is convenient that there should be one Primate over Bishops but so as to be able to do nothing without their sentence therefore there ought to to be one over these Primates endued with full power of jurisdiction 3. The Fathers which are for one Bishop over Presbyters upon the account that Schism might be prevented yet never resorted to this one Universal Bishop for the same end but redressed all Schism by calling Synods neither is there any Unity implyed in the whole Church or Churches of divers Provinces which may not be preserved by the multitude of divers Pastors conspiring and consenting together as well as by the Unity of one chief Pastour And in this sort we shall find the Church of God to have stood in perfect Unity in the first and best ages thereof without finding any want of the help of one chief Pastour Oh but Oecumenical Synods cannot be had alwayes Answ Nor is it needful for the most part Provincal ones will serve the turn But if the Schism be very dangerous and betwixt Province and Province Apud Cham. ibid. c. 13. s 10. then will Pope Innocent tell us not that we must run to him but that we wust necessarily have recourse to a Synod quam quidem donec consequamur expedit medelam Calamitatis hujus committere voluntati Magni Dei ac Christi ejus Domini nostri who will be sure to provide sufficiently for his Church And indeed to what purpose should they go to one man till it can be proved and not Begged that God hath set him over the persons that are to be reconciled will his Verdict put an end to their Schism that think him as fallible as themselves And can we think that God appointed such a Mediator whom all the world in case of Trial would undoubtedly refuse till they had evidence of his infallibility or the Delegacy of his power from Christ and yet not give us one Iota to perswade us of his will in this matter What he hath in the third section of the sixth Chapter are but the presumptuous Dictates of a bold Romanist in despite of truth as our Answers to the Fathers alledged by him will evidence Thus having answered his reasons for the supream jurisdiction of the Pope we come now to consider what he hath to return upon the Doctor And first Sect. 4 the Doctor saith he accuseth it of opposition to the precept of Christ Mark 10.42 43 44. S. 5. p. 33. They that rule over the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them but so shall it not be among you Now 1. he will tell us Pag. 34. that not the affecting but lawful exercising of supremacy of power and jurisdiction is so far from being an impudent opposition to the precept that it is established by the Text for as much as it makes mention of some that are Chief To this stale argument it hath been Answered that to argue from this Mark 10.44 Whosoever will be chief that there was one appointed to be chief among the Apostles is as ridiculous as from Luk. 9.48 He that is least among you the same shall be greatest to argue that there was some one Apostle of less power and dignity then any of the rest or from Luk. 22.26 He that is Chief as he that doth serve that some of the Apostles waited upon the rest 2. He tells us that this is so evident in the next verse Ibid. that had the Doctor but rehearsed it he would have published to his meanest reader his abuse of Scripture It seems the Doctor is very much to blame but let us hear the Objection which Bellarmine will lend him which is this that our Saviour gives them his example to confirm his Exhortation who surely had Authority yea Supremacy of Jurisdiction over the Church How then are they to imitate Christ in renouncing their Superiority did he himself do so No. Well then they are to do it in keeping their humility with that supremacy of Jurisdiction Answ This Argument hath been answered several times by telling Bellarmine that t is true in Christ there was supream Authority as well as humility but the latter only was the thing propounded to their imitation thence therefore to infer that this supremacy of power is not inconsistent with that Command of his is as vain a Fancy as because he that Commanded them his humility thought it no roberry to be equal with God thence to infer that therefore this humility was not inconsistent with the pride of Lucifer 2 Christ though he had this power yet never exercised it upon Earth but was in the form of a servant and this he propounds to their imitation 3. Ibid. Whereas he tels us The Apostles were Church rulers what inference can he make For can he think that the Doctor esteemed himself and all our Hierarchy impudent opposers of the letter and sense of this precept If so he is more impudent then this opposition if not then is that spoken besides the purpose and without any Contradiction to the Doctor Well then What is it that is forbidden viz. Pag. 35. quoth he The exercising it with such an arrogant pride as Heathen Princes usually do Ambitious seeking of Authority and after a secular manner Lording it over Gods Heritage Now here he jumps with the Doctor whose words are For any Bishop to affect over his Brethren a supremacy of Power is a most impudent opposition both to the sence and letter of our Saviours precepts Now that the Pope affects this may be aâ—gued in that without any tolerable pretence from Scripture with manifest opposition to the primitive Fathers and invading the rights of others he bandies for it and albeit he knows t is one great occasion of Schism and of the breach of the Churches peace yet would he force all upon pain of Damnation to acknowledge it and excommunicates all who do not then which greater Tyranny and Ambition cannot well be found But yet there may be an Argument framed out of the text from this Abalens in Math. quaest 83. that the Apostles even to the last contended who should be greatest which
Oratory Would he after two or three sights of him be moved against his Rebellions Yea when he goes to the Booksellers and sees many gilt Bibles on the one hand Playes and Romances on the other is he troubled with a diversity of Passions in his breast But we suffer him to proceed well then He infers Sect. 4 If then unavoidably he must think reverently of the objects or contemptuously he may as well speak or behave himself externally after the same manner to them respectively Answer True will any body say he should not reverence his Majesty Or may not behave himself contemptuously towards Bradshaw or any other Rebel now alive But Secondly If thence he would infer a reverence due to that which represents these objects albeit we grant the thing of a civil reverence yet his deduction he infers it from will as well prove that his Majesties name in print should be reverenced and men should do obeysance to his Proclamations especially if his Picture be there also Yea seeing the Ladies carry him upon their breasts we should do well to bow to them upon this account yea seeing Cromwell and Bradshaw and the greatest Rebels may represent unto us his Majesties Clemency Hell and the Devil Christs exceeding love in induring these torments and delivering us from the roaring Lyon we should therefore do reverence to the pictures of these Rebels yea of Hell and the Devil or at least on the same score we should reverence a Lamb as putting us in mind of the Lamb of God a Dove as putting us in mind of the Spirit of God an old man as being the Emblem of the ancient of dayes and such like things In his fifth Section he proves that we have affections not onely to the person but picture representing him Sect. 5 for we would not place the Kings Picture in an unclean or dishonest place if any should defile it we should be ready to strike him Not so if the like usage were given to Judas and Bradshaw's picture Moreover the Bible we would not put to an unclean use as haply we might deal with Aesops Fables A. I should not scruple to tear his Majesties pictures which sometime may be found in smoky Ale-houses so strangely deformed that it is no way apt to create a reverence and were the greatest Rebel pictured by the hand of an Apelles I should be loath to have it defiled Yea had I Ogilbies Aesops Fables I should be very unwilling to condemn it to such an office But had I a a piece of the Popish Mass in which happily an Episte or Gospel may be extant I should without remorse permit it to this use for let me ask him a few questions 1. Should he meet with a Postiller that had stuft both pages with Citations from Scrip. or any such like Authour would he think it a sin to condemn that page with the rest to such an use 2. Suppose the Printer of a Bible had a sheet superfluous must it be laid up as an holy Relique or may it be put to a prophane use should a shop keeper send him Tobacco in a part of it whether he would think it meet to reprove him for it When a Church Bible is grown old and worm-eaten whether the good women would sin in putting it under their â—ies Or should they meet with one of the Old Translation with the Gelding baptized by Philip which yet in its literal sence is not more ridiculous then the Bells baptized by that Papists and the knave of Jesus Christ whether it might not be lawful thus to use it Whether I might not change my Bible for an Aesop's Fables of far greater worth When his Casuistical faculty hath been exercised on these Question he shall have some more In the interim we pass on to Sect. 6. In which he tells us that we look on Saint Peter Sect. 6 as one that by his writings and examples had been a great instrument of promoting our eternal happiness and therefore we place his Picture in our Oratory Ans He proves it from Lactantius who lived An. Dom. 330. 1. Did not the Primitive Christians know this as well as we of whom yet I may say with Cassander that it is certain that in the beginning of the Gospel aliquanto tempore for 300. years there was no use of Images in the Church of God 2. May you not procure the picture of some good man living that hath been instrumental these wayes and will you give it sacred veneration will you bow and cringe before it Well but why is that placing it in my Oratory a sacred veneration of it Ans Ibid. Because all things that are appointed on purpose to mind us of God and Heaven and the salvation of our souls we call sacred Now sure the Picture of Hell the Devil the great enemy of their souls may put them in mind of securing their salvation and then I hope he must into their Oratory to have sacred veneration from them yea they must give sacred veneration to the whole Universe seeing God made it to this end that these visible things might shew unto us him that is invisible yea seeing praesentem refert quaelibet herba Deum they must afford a Bow to every one of them Well Sect. 7 but our Authour presently jumps into a Consideration of bowing and kneeling to Images Mr. C. p. 156. as if no reverence could be paid but this or at least if it be lawful to reverence them then to kneel to and bow with an c. at the end of it We reverence the Bible and so do they but do we bow and kneel to it We reverence the Names and Writings of good men but do we bow and kneel to them or do they so Well but they give outward reverence only to to the picture And this veneration common Reason and humane Naeure cannot but allow A. I pray Sir what were the Primitive Fathers Were they not men of common Reason and had they not humane Natures whilest they lived L. 2. c. 17. Though now you have Deified some of them Let us then hear their Verdict Lactantius having told us that these images which vain men worship are Earth he infers Now who is there that understandeth not that it is unfit for an upright Creature to be â—oâ—ed down that he may worship the Earth which for this cause is put under our feet that it may be trodden upon not worshipped by us Orat. Adhors ad Gentes So Clemens Alexandr Are they not prodigious creatures who worship stones these Images made of stone are more vile then any the most despicable creatures then Worms Earwigs Moles Annon terra ex terra Ego autem terram calcare didici in Ps 113. part 2d Mice ' c. These are all better then Images But haply their Images are made of Gold and Silver if so let the same Father tell you that Gold Silver Brass and Iron and preciousstones
yet is it a more cogent Argument they being men so notorious for the abuse of the Scripture as never were the like What brought up their Phylacteries but an abuse of the place fore-cited What caused their obstinacy against the Gospel but the mis-interpretation of the Law And a supposition falsely deduced from Texts that it was eternal How much of this may any body see in Buxtorf Selden Lightfoot and others that concern themselves in these matters Our Saviour pardon the expression was either not so wise as to know this was the way to make them worse or else so malicious as to set them in that way which would be so pernicious to them Origen as great a Scholar as he was Hom. 2. in Esai knew not the danger we are now acquainted with when he so vehemently cries out De Baptismo l. 2. cap. 4. In cap. tertium ad Colos I would to God we could all do what is written viz. search the Scriptures Nor Saint Basil when he requires the same duty from us Nor did Saint Chrysostome consider this when he so passionately called upon the people O all ye secular men get you Bibles the physick of the Souls else sure he would have bid them throw them away as the poyson of the Soul but the good Father had not learn'd to blaspheme the Scripture Yea even Saint Paul himself was ignorant of this Divinity so necessary to prevent the murther of Kings the dissolution of Governments the Schismes and Ruptures of the Church the swarmes of Heresies that fly about if we may believe this Advocate of the Church of Rome For this is the Encomium that he gives to Timoth 2.3 That from a youth he had learned the Scriptures and makes it a part of nobility in the Beâ—eans that they compared his Doctrine with the Word of God brought it to this touch stone to see if it could abide the proof And lastly writing to the Corinthians assures them 2 Ep. 1.13 that the matter of his Epistle was no other then what they read and did acknowledge But let our Confuter proceed p. 167. he tells us Sect. 9 That Catholicks knowing how impossible it is for ignorant persons to understand it and for passionate minds to make good use of it think it more conducing to Edification that such easily misled Souls should be taught their duties rather by plain Catechismes and inst ructions prudently and with all clearness gathered out of Scripture Answ Be it so but let them not perswade us to think that the one must exclude the other when we protest against them still for doing so let them not be angry if we with our blessed Saviour and his Apostles think both expedient and very much conducing to Edification if we adhere in this to the Primitive Church and among other instructions exhort them diligently to read the Scripture Nor do we think any person so ignorant that can read as not to know the Essentials of his Christianity and to find things plain and easie which will suffice for his Salvation Nor is it therefore fit to be restrain'd because we have some of passionate minds which whilest such are not like to make good use of the Word of God no more then they are to be hindred from a good Sermon Catechisme or other means of instruction because whilst such they are not like to make good use of them or to be deprived of their goods because they are apt to abuse the creature But rather they are to read the Scripture that they may learn thereby to lay aside their passion 'T is true Sect. 10 what he tells us Sect. 6. That the abuse of Scripture by ignorant and passionate Laicks is not so certain and probable to follow in the Catholick Church where men are bred up in a belief of that most necessary duty of submission even of their minds to her authority for the delivery of the onely true sence of Scripture whereas in our Church no person can be perswaded that the sence of Scripture given by us can challenge an internal assent or that it may not with sin be contradicted But then we say First If this be so how can you plead the danger of your peoples erring as a pretence to restrain Scripture when as this would more confirm them they being bred up in a belief that what sence you put upon Scripture is the mind of God What an evident contradiction therefore is there in these two pretences Secondly We dare not thus Lord it over the Consciences of men as not thinking we have any such assistance of the Scripture as will guide us infallibly into the true sence of Scripture and therefore supposing our selves fallible we do not bind our people to an internal assent unto our interpretations upon our sole authority lest we should bind them to believe an Errour Glad would we be to find the Roman Church indued with this infallibility how fast would we nestle into her bosome were it so But we know that challenge is vain and idle Yet seeing they pretend thus much is it not a wonder that this Church which hath authority given her to deliver the true sence of the Scripture should never do it To what end I pray you hath God given it but that your people should have the benefit thereof Why then are parties at so great a variance among you about the true sence of Scripture and your Church still neglects the exercise of its authority in putting an end to those strifes by her declaration of it But speak your Conscience do you not know or fear that this would be a most convincing Argument against that infallibility you so much boast of When we should make it appear as no doubt we could that some of your interpretations were false and contrray to the infallible Rule of Scripture Thirdly Therefore albeit we do not require of our people that they should assent to such an interpretation of Scripture because that we who interpret it are guided by an infallible Spirit yet do we say that the people ought to receive the interpretation of doubtful places from the Pastors God hath placed over them not contradicting them without evident reason but submiting to them that when they are by some passage of Scripture induced to think otherwise they ought not presently to condemn the Church of Errours but reflect upon their own weakness and seek for better information from men of Learning and Judgement and acquiesce in it unlesse they can evidently shew that they err in their interpretation And indeed I could never perswade my self that the vulgar Jews were bound to accept all those false and corrupt interpretations which the Scribes and Pharisees put upon Scripture And indeed had they been so obliged then might they have refused to give maintenance either to Father or Mother by telling them that it was Corban by which they should be relieved yea then they were bound to believe that our Saviour Christ was not