of those wordes but expresly of the other words which went â—fore when Peter said False conueiance Thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God And that would haue appeared plainâ— if you had not cut of the sentence For after S. Hilarie had said this is â—e only happy Rock confessed by Peters â—outh it followeth immediately Tu â—s filius Dei viui Thou art the Son â—f the liuing God And whereas the â—ronoune Haec petra this Rock was â—eferred to these wordes False diuision Thou arte Christ the Son of the liuing God â—he falsifier of al good writers diuided â—he Pronoune Demonstratiue Haec â—rom the Proposition which it should â—oint vnto and did cut of the sentence â—n the middest making the ignorante â—eleue that S. Hilarie spake of the rock wherevpon Christ promised to builde his Church whereas he speaketh of the â—onely Rock which is the Sonne of God To make the mater plaine Peter saith to Christ Thou art the Sonne of the liuing God Matth. 16 this Rocke whâ—â—â— the Son of God is Peter out of al coÌ„trâ—uersie is not Neither did euer any Catholike say that Peter was the nature Sonne of God by whom al things weâ— made But after that Peter had confessed this only blessed rock then Christ said vnto Peter Thou art Peter aÌ„d vpon this Rocke wil I builde my Church Of this later sentence oâ— disputation is And surely S. Hilarie denieth not Peter to be this kind of Rocke which we last spake of but expresly confesseth it in his CoÌ„mentaries vpoÌ„ S. Mathew as I haue shewed already In the V. chap. But now S. Hilarie speaketh only of that Rock which the Son of God is So wheras there are two rocks Christ and Peter M. Iewel would deceiue vs by conueying the one in stede of the other But God hath detected his vnhonest dealing Ievvel Again he saith vpoÌ„ this Rock of Peters coÌ„fession is the building of the Church Sander This place is abused as the â—ormer was De Trinitate lib. 6 For S. Hilarie there inâ—reateth of these wordes Thou art Christ the Son of the liuing God And sheweth that Peter both beleued and confessed Christes Godhead The confession of which Godhead is in deed the foundation of the Church but that confession is one thing and the answer to it is an other thing The confession toucheth the honor of Christ saying Thou art the Sonne of God The answere toucheth the honour of Peter saying Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock I wil build my Church Christ is the Rocke that Peter confesseth Tvvo Rocks and Peter is the Rocke which Christ maketh The confession concerning the thing confessed is a greater Rock then Peter But concerning the thing who coÌ„fessed Peter is no lesse a rock then his own act of coÌ„fession was Now when Christ saith Vppon this Rock I wil build my Church he meaneth not only nor first of al literally that he will hereafter build his Church vppon the thing confessed to wit vpon the Godhead of Christ which Petâ—â—â—onfessed for therevpon it was built already Tvvo buildings euen from the beginning of the world but he meaneth that he wil build that Church which was for euer built vpon his Godhead and was built vpon his manhood euer sith his incarnation that Church I say he wil hereafter build vpon the inward faith aÌ„d outward confessioÌ„ of S. Peter whiles he by confessing the truth shal vphold staie aÌ„d stablish al other faithful meÌ„ So that S. Hilarie includeth S. Peters person most necessarily vnder the coÌ„fession of S. Peter And so M. Iewel telleth the tale alwaies against him self as liers do Ievvel Dial. 4. de trinit S. Cyrillus The Rocke is nothing els but the strong and assured faith of the Disciple Sander This is that I would haue M. Iewel for I said before that Christ in saying Vppon this Rock I will build my Church did not now onely or most literallie meane so muche vppon the thing confessed as vppon the faith of the confessour and now M. Iewel confirmeth my saying For the Rocke is the faith of the Disciple But the Disciple is S. Peter therefore the faith which is the Rock is the faith of S. Peter Who hiered M. Iewel to bewraye his owne cause When I say that Saint Peter is this Rocke I meane S. Peter beleeuing Saint Peter confessing Saint Peter feeding his sheepe S. Peter strengthning his brethern But yet euery way S. Peter is the rocke And so it is true Dial. 4. de trinit that Cyrillus saith the rock is nothing els but S. Peters strong and assured faith But S. Peters faith is not Christ therefore Christe who is somewhat els beside the faith of the Disciple is not now said to be that Rocke wherevppon he wil build his Church And yet M. Iewel saith that and nothing els O trustie preacher to build a mans sowle vpon Thus he reasoneth not Peter but Christ is this rocke because the Rocke is nothing els but the faith of the disciple as though the faith were not in Peter who is the disciples Ievvel So likewise Chrysostom vpoÌ„ this Rock that is to saie vpoÌ„ this faith and this confession I wil build mie Church Sander But he that beleued and confessed was Peter and not Christ and Peters faith and confession was in himselfe as being reuealed to him by God the Father ergo S. Peter is the rocke in that God gaue him grace to confesse Christ to be the Sonne of God You confound your self M. Iewel not caring how your words agree so that a shew of sumwhat be made In the v. Chap. I shewed also before that S. Chrysostom nameth S. Peter himself a strong confession so â—hat the name of confession doth neâ—essarily include S. Peter within the meaning thereof Ievvel S. Augustine De verbis Domini Christ was the â—ock vpon which foundation Peter himself vvas also built Sander Did you neuer know M. Iewel that one Rocke might be built vpoÌ„ an other 1. Pet. 2. the lesser vpon the greater is not the house of God built of many stones Christ is the chiefe Rocke 1. Cor. 10. the corner stone vpoÌ„ him lieth S. Peter a rock in comparison of Christ verie smal in comparison of vs verie great Vpon Saint Peter the rest of the Church which liued vnder him was built which also is a Rocke aswel through Christ the Rocke of Rocks as through Peter the second Rocke and through it self sith euery man is according to his degree a liuelie stone concurring to the building vp of the whole Church which stones being ioyned together and fastened by faith and charitie make also a Rocke of themselues Ephes 2. besyde that they are built vpon the foundations of the Prophets and of the Apostles One of these verities doth not imbarre the other Ievvel S. Augustine addeth in Christes person I wil not build my self vpoÌ„ the but I wil build thee vpon me
is an Apostle but as he is the primate of the Apostles propter Apostolatus sui primatum for the primacie of his Apostleship If he be not Primate in deede he doth not signifie that which S. Augustine teacheth For all mystical significatioÌ„s in Gods word be built vpon a real truthe Gen. 8. Noë by offering cleane beasts vpon the altar did signifie the death of Christ Therefore in deede Noë did offer vppon the altar Let it be taught to be a feined thing that Noë did offer those beasts and that dede of his can not be a figure of Christes death For that which is not reallie true is the figure of nothing Therefore seing the primacie of Peter is the cause why he beareth the person of the Church and why he hath the Church built vpon him it is not only true that Peter is the primate of the Apostles and therby of the whole Church Note but also he is at the least in the order of nature first the primate before he doth beare the figure of the Church For as if a man do beare the person of Glocester in the Parleament because he is Burges of that Citie it is most necessarilie true that he is first Burges before he doe so beare that person euen so if Peter beare the figure of the Church because he is the primate he is surelie the primate before he beare the general person of the Church WheÌ„ I say he is primate before I meane not in time but in course and order of nature For first Peter is considered as made primate and then we afterward consider that vpoÌ„ his primacy the person of the Church is layed although both things be done at once Seing then Peter could not beare this general person but only for those whose officer and primate he was it is euident In Ioan. Tract 12â— that by this reason of S. Augustine Peter was the general officer of the whole militant Church euen of S. Iohn and of S. Iames also in such respect as he toke the keies for them Not yet the keies of their Apostleshippe which they tooke for them selues but the keies of the chiefe pastoral office Ion. 21. within which the Apostles also were coÌ„teined in that respect as they were shepe aÌ„d of that one flock in earth which was wholy committed to Peter Thus haue we many reasons whie S. Peter aboue al others was the rocke 1. the excellency of his faith 2 the excellency of his glorie 3. the vnity of the Church built vppon him being one 4. the signifying of Christ to be the one euerlasting shepherd 5. the eschuing of schismes 6. the receauing of Ecclesiastical power for the whole Church Which reasons if they be deepeâ— pondered 7. they proue not only that he was once the Rocke but that also an other like him must still be the Rocke whose excellent faith may direct the faithfull whose glorie maie cause the Churche to be gloriouse whose vnitie maie kepe the flocke one and kepe away schismes and signifie stil the vnitie of one euerlasting head and one mysticall bodie whose generall office may receaue power to be distributed to euerie other member in the outward ministerie of the Church as euery one hath neede thereof for the building vp of the Church of God Ephes 4. For the building of the Church vpoÌ„ this rock which S. Peter is goeth still â—â—rward as it once began sithens al the â—uilding is not yet ended but is euerie â—ay a working Endeuour once M. Ieâ—el to answer these reasons of the Fathers and the lack of reason in your syde shal straight appere Words you can â—atch together as other hereticks haue â—lon before you but the examining of â—n authority with the reason thereof doth straight confound you The Authorities alleaged by M. Iewel to proue that S. Peter was not this Rock proue against himself that S. Peter was this rock although they proue that there was an other kind of rock also besyde him which thing we deny not The VII Chap. Ievvel The old Catholike Fathers haue writen and pronounced not any mortal man as Peter was but Christ himself the Sonne of God to be this Rocke Sander There are two parts of this proposition the one that Christ is this Rock Which we graunt to be most true and how it is true we shall see hereafter The other part of M. Iewels assertion is that no mortal maÌ„ as Peter was is this rock This part I say he neither proueth nor is able to proue For I shewed before that aboue twenty auncient Fathers haue taught and haue confirmed it by reason that Peter was this rock But let vs heare M. Iewel speake for him self Ievvel In locis veteris Testam Gregorius Nyssenus saith Thou art Peter And vpon rhis Rock I wil build my Church He meaneth the confession of Christ For he had said before thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Sander It is not here said that Peter was not this Rocke which was the chiefe thing that M. Iewel ought to haue proued Yea I say farther it is not here said that Christ was this Rocke which was the other part of â— Iewels assertion But only Nysseâ—us saith that Christ meaneth to build â—is church vpoÌ„ the coÌ„fessioÌ„ which Peter â—ade of hiÌ„ And verely I beleue so to But Christ meaneth not to build his Church vpon the confession without al â—espect of S. Peter but vpon the conâ—ession which Peter had and alwaies should make whiles in feeding Christes flock he should alwaies teache theÌ„â—he true faith of Iesus Christ So that â—f the confession of S. Peter be this rock then S. Peter who maketh it is much more this rock For no mans act of confessing can be greater then himself is sithens it cometh from his soule aÌ„d hart as froÌ„ a certein spring or fouÌ„taine where God hath planted the grace thereof Such Arguments then M. Iewel bringeth to proue his fond assertion as if he should say there commeth Eloquence from the man but the man is not eloquent For he woulde proue that S. Peter who maketh the confession is not the Rock because his confession which commeth from him is the Rock Whereas it is no lesse true thâ— if Peters confession be the Rock Peter himselfe is also much more the Rocke then it is true that if a mans Oratiâ—â— be eloquent himself also is eloquent For the vertue which either the oration or the confession hath was before in the man himself and proceded from him Ievvel lib. 2. de Trinit So saith S. Hilarie Haec eâ— vna foelix fidei petra quam Petrus ore suo confessus est This is that only blessed Rock of faith that Peter confessed vvith his mouth Sander When shal we haue honest dealing in you M. Iewel Did you not promise to proue that the Rock spoken of in these words Vpon this Rock wil I build my Church was Christ and not Peter But S. Hilarie speaketh not
and tHeir successours but also al kinde of primacie For â—he clergy must be altogether vnlike to â—he temporal gouernours To answere this obiection The ansvvere in very deede I doubt not but the end of that dominion which is practised among the gentils ought to be such that it should haue a special eye to thepreseruation of â—he common weale Gene. 10. NeÌ„roth But because at the first beginning Kings and Princes of â—he earth had not that end either only or specially before their eys but desired that dominion and practised it also because it was a pleasaunt and lordlike pleasure to be a prince and because the most part of Princes are prone to the worst therefore our sauiour Christ considering that which was first and which happeneth most oftentimes forbiddeth his Apostles and bisshops such a dominion and superiority as is vsed among the Princes of the earth and not altogeather such as ought to be among them Therefore it is not lawful for vs to desire any primacie for the primacies sake but for the traiuaile labour and end for which the primacie is ordeyned of Christ 1. Tim. 3. For he that desireth the office of a bishop desireth a good worck and not a vaine honour Againe albeit it be true that some wordly princes take the dominion and soueraintie vpon them for the profite of the common weale yet it is more that Christ requireth of his Apostles and Bisshops who are bound noâ— onely to see vnto the common weale but to the Christian common weale of which end no wordly princes could thincke when Christ spake those words because no Princes of the earth had receaued the faith of Christ at that time Wherefore that commaundement was specially geuen to the Apostles that they should direct their primacie and superioritie to the publick commoditie of faithfull men and to the saluation of their sowles to edifie withal 2. Cor. â— and not to destroye Farthermore albeit the King be faithfull and also vertuouse for his own person yet it is not the kinglie but the priestlie power which God chose from the beginning to rule his people withall Rom. 13. For although by his almightie goodnes he ordeined the Royal power and made the state of Kings to serue both his eternal purpose and also the coÌ„mon weale 1. Pet. 2. and willed euen the faithfull to obey them as being sent of God yet we reade not that the making of Kings ouer Gods owne people at the first came of God by the way of his mercifull grace and election but by the way of his angrie permission and iust iudgement Gen. 10. Hieron in quaest Hebrai in suffering thereby the paines of their great synnes to fall vpon them So NeÌ„rod that strong hunter the first King that we reade of either vsurped his kingdom by force or was auaunced to it by euil men without the graciouse appointement of God And when the people of Israël reiecting the gouernment of Samuel the priest 1. Reg. 8. wold nedes haue a King ouer them God accompted himself to be reiected of them doutlesse not because it was a synneful thing to haue a King but because it was a great dishonour to God who had appointed priests to gouern to haue his gouernment changed And it was lesse profit for their sowles to be ruled by a King then by a priest â— Reg. 8. For albeit a priest may be also naught as the sonnes of Samuel were yet he can neuer be so hurtful and slaunderouse to eternal saluation as the King may be partly because the state and as the world hath euer misiudged it the right and law of a King is to be secular and wordly In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 2. in so much that S. Gregorie said ea quae in iure regio continentur â—itanda potius quà m imitaÌ„da praedicuntur the things which are conâ—eined in the law that concerneth the Kings are foretold rather that they â—ay be auoided then folowed whereas â—he law and state of a priest is to be spirituall and godly and therefore it is â—lwaies a more perfit state and profession partly also because the making â—f a King had his beginning from the fact and consent of men working only according to the law of nations allowed in dede by God whereas the instiâ—uting of priestes came directly from God him self And who douteth but that it may be soner abused which men by good reason ordeined then that which God aboue al course of reason instituted by grace only In so much that the Iewes being prouided for by God himfelf of a spiritual gouernment did synne greuously and were forsaken of God concerning their act of choosing afterward a temporal King who shuld be aboue their high priest wherevpon Saint Gregorie saith In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Meritò se abiectum Dominus conqueritur meritò regiam dignitatem concedit indignatus Tanta quidem erat iniquitas postulaÌ„tium vt cum illud peterent per quod à Deo recederent ex Dei iudicio permitti posset prohiberi non posset Our Lord did worthely lament himself to be abiected He being offended did iustly graunt the Royall dignitie â–ª so great was the iniquitie of the desirers that when they desired that whereby they should goe from God by the iudgement of God it might be permitted but prohibited it could not be But on the other side the first institution of Priests came not to Gods people by their own inuention but directly from God himself Genes 4. â— 22 to whome Abel Noë Abraham Aaron and his successours serued in that office by â—â—e gratiouse election of God vntill â—hrist fulfilling the figure of Melchiâ—â—dech instituted in his last supper â—â—e order of priesthood Lucae 22. according to â—he state of the new testament geâ—ing power to his Apostles to make â—nd by that meane to offer mystically â—is own body and blood witnessing â—hereby how much more he gaue them â—ll manner of necessarie or profitable â—ower ouer the Church his mystical â—odie For yf his priests be so great that â—hey haue taken power to make his â—wne body with their holy mowth as Saint Hierom speaketh shall â—ow any man disdaine Ad Euagrium to be vnder â—hat order which God hath so excelâ—ently honoured This much may be said for the whole order of priesthood But after that the Apostles were made Priests he ordeyned Saint Peter the general pastour anâ— high bishop of his whole flock and he did it with such protestation of loâ—â— and charitie that it must needes be coÌ„fessed euen by the despisers of Christe institutioÌ„ that there was neuer lightly any act don in this world by the sâ—â— of God with shewing of greater loâ—â— toward mankind then at what tyme hâ— himfelf in his own person appointed vâ— a pastour and shepheard Now this pastour being thus greater then the rest is not only primate iâ— a far other sort then the Kings of the vnfaithfull