now within these three yeares pleased God to giue me his grace to read his holy scriptures and other good authours and Doctours of his Church to my great comfort and consolation Whereby I was stirred vppe to gather in this little treatise these thinges which moued me to see and know the trueth that if it were Gods will they might doe some good to the instruction of others also to the only glorie of his sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who haue your honour alwayes in his gratious protection May. 1580. Your good Lordships most humble at Commaundement William Chauncy To the Christian Reader THe moste excellent thing that Almightie God hath giuen to mankinde is the knowledge of the trueth the treasure of his wisdom expressed in his holy scriptures For without it we can neither know God nor Iesus Christ his sonne our Sauiour and Redeemer who saith of him selfe Ego sum via Iohn 14. veritas Vita I am the way the trueth and the life and no man commeth to my father but by me and he that knoweth me knoweth also my father But the knowledge of this truth which lightneth our mindes with the faith of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ by his holy word deliuered in the Scriptures hath bene many hundred yeres couered and hidden from the most part of all temporall men as they are called yea from mightie Emperours Kings Princes and Magistrates of this world through the craftie practises of the Bishoppes of Rome Who to extoll themselues and their Cleargie aboue all Emperours and princes haue by wicked pollicie hidden and withdrawen from them and from all Christians the sacred Scriptures conteined in the old and in the newe Testamentes that thereby the detestable pride of the Bishops of Rome and their Cleargie might not be knowen to men least they should perceiue how farre they did varie frō the example of Christ and the humble godly liues of his Apostles and disciples of Bishops and ministers for the space of vj. hundred yeares after the church was planted by our sauiour Christ So that it came to passe that the Bishops of Rome raged and raigned like Gods vpon the earth and no temporal prince durst as much as looke vpon the worde of God nor haue any bookes of the holie scriptures least they should haue bene excommunicated for heretikes An vngodly pollicie deuised of them to the intent that their deuelish pride intollerable ambition might not be reformed by the doctrine of Christ which is most cōtrarie to their vsurped authoritie supremacie which they haue chalenged and vsed sith the time that the Emperour Phocas more then sixe hundred yeres after Christ did grant vnto Boniface the third of that name the title and authoritie of vniuersal Bishop ouer all other Bishoppes a thing most contrarie to our Sauiour Christes institution and commandements Wherefore gentle Reader to the intent that good Christian people should be no longer abused deceiued through the crafty practises of the Bishop of Romes decrees and counterfet gloses whereby he hath vsurped his most vniust authoritie and title of supremacy with which he hath almost blinded all Christian people kingdoms I haue in this treatise briefely declared the truth of our Sauiour Christs two cōmissiōs giuen ioyntly to all his Apostles in suche manner that they should be in like authoritie and power not one aboue the other in any degree I haue also shewed how earnestly and straightly Christe did forbid all superioritie and dominion to be amongest thē which I haue approued both by the holie Scriptures and by Godly auncient writers I haue noted farther what account was made of the Bishop of Rome in the foure first generall Councels euen the same which was made of other Bishops of the chiefe Sees in Aegypt in Asia in Greece and other prouinces I haue declared when this vsurped supremacie did first begin and by whome moreouer how greatly the Bishops of Rome did fall from true Godlinesse from the faith of Christe after they had obtained of the Emperours that proude vngodly title of vniuersall Bishoppe Wherein I haue touched the wicked behauiour of a fewe of them to giue as it were a taste of the fruites of their supremacie Lastly I haue opened the dealinges of good princes againste their wickednesse and tyrannie in our owne countrie making thereby manifest that King Henrie the eight was not the first king of this realme who did expell that vsurped authoritie but that almost ful two hundreth yeares before King Henrie the eight it was spurned at and diuers lawes and statutes were made by diuers Kinges of this Realme against it So that by reading ouer of this little worke they that desire to see the truth of this matter shal wander I trust no longer in the doubtes of darkenesse for lacke of knowledge of the trueth whiche is reuealed to vs by the worde of God that CHRISTE our Sauiour teacheth vs euen hee who doeth say Ioh. 8.12 Ego sum lux mundi I am the light of the werlde Doubtlesse he that walketh in this light shall knowe the trueth and shall not wander in darkenesse of any Popish traditions and superstitions which is the most daungerous and deadly kinde of darkenesse Now it is saide of Christe Ioh. 12.35 Qui ambulat in tenebris nescit quò vadit He that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whether hee goeth Let vs therefore heare our Sauiour Iesus Christe Ambulate dum lucem habetis ne vos tenebrae comprehendant Whilest ye haue the light of Gods worde walke in it least the darkenesse come vpon you and you returne againe vnto it 2. Pet. 2.22 Pro. 26.11 ut canis ad vomitum sus ad volutabrum As a dogge to his vomit as a sow to her wallowing in the filthie mire of Popishe superstitions To the which entent my trust is in God that this little booke shall somewhat helpe you forward by satisfying the consciences of good people who will reade it with desire to learne the trueth GOD graunt that we may all both learne it and followe it that we neuer flie from it vnto errours of vaine deuises of men but onely put our whole hope our confidence and trust in the death and passion of our sauiour Iesus Christ and leade a holie life according to his worde to the glorie of God to whome be all honour Dominion and Maiestie for euer and euer Amen ¶ The rooting out of the Romishe supremacie wherein is declared that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doeth challenge to himselfe ouer all Christian Bishops and Churches is vnlawfully vsurped Chap. 1. That in controuersies of religion the truth must be tried by the holy Scriptures That by the Scriptures no apostle nor Bishop hath a supremacie ouer others IN al maner of doubts controuersies which may arise in our Christian religion the trueth therof must be tried with the touche of Gods word as well in matters that concerne godly instruction as
religion as it doth from reason And therefore not to be suffered in the Church of Christ but vtterly to be rooted out for the manifolde absurdities and grosse errors that spring of it Thus much by the way againste the Popish heresy of transubstantiatiō wherof though not so greatly perteining to the matter that I haue in hād yet I thought good to say somewhat because I do know that the Pope of Rome hath lefte this errour behind him in the hearts of many simple men whome God of his mercy lightē that they may féele the knowledge and comfort of the truth Chap. 7. That Christes wordes to Peter after the seconde commission when hee saide thrise vnto him Feede my sheepe proue not any supremacie of him aboue his brethren TO returne therefore to my purpose to the supremacie of the Pope which I haue shewed alreadie how little ground it hath either on Christes commissions or on Peters being at Rome or on the foundation of the Church which is Christe Iesus I come to that which the Papistes haue so much in their mouthes that Christ when hee appeared last to his Apostles did aske of Peter thrise whether hee did loue him more then the other Apostles did Dixit Simoni Petro Iesus Iohn 21. Simon Iohannis diligis me plus his Ait ille etiam domine tu scis quia amo te dixit ei pasce agnos meos c. Iesus saide to Simon Peter Simon the sonne of Iona doest thou loue me more then these meaning the rest of his disciples there present Peter aunswered said Lord thou knowest that I do loue thee Christe saide vnto him feede my lambes He saide to him againe the seconde time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou mee Peter aunswered yea Lord thou knowest I loue thee Christe saide vnto him feede my sheepe And when he asked him the thirde time the same question Peter beeing sorie he asked him so often and therefore answering him Lorde thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus said vnto him feede my sheepe Vpon the which words so often repeated the Bishoppes of Rome faine would ground their authoritie that they haue the vniuersall cure and charge of all Christes flocke so much the more because Christ demaunded of Peter whether he loued him more then the other did But they must be giuen to vnderstand that Christe did aske Peter that question in respecte that he had iust cause to loue him more then all the other because he had sinned more grieuously against Christ in denying him thrise and he had forgiuen him Now reason doth require Luke 7. that he should loue more to whom more is forgiuen as as our sauiour doth teache And vpon this place Saint Cyril doeth note Who doeth adde also touching the thrée demaundes made by Christe to Peter whether he loued him that as he had openly denied thrée times that he did know Christ so he must openly confesse thrée times that he did loue Christ to the intent that he might recouer the honour of his Apostleship which he had forsaken as it were by denying him Cyril in Euangelium Iohan lib. 12. Cap. 64. Quia cum alijs apostolatus nomine Petrus ab ipso Christo decoratus ter in tempore passionis negauit iure nunc ab eo terna dilectionis confessio petitur vt terna negatio aequali dilectionis numero compensetur Because that Peter being aduanced with others by Christ to the Apostleshippe did thrise denie him at the time of his passion therfore he is iustly nowe required to confesse thrise that he doth loue him that his three denials may be recompensed with equall number of loue Ita quod verbis commissum fuit verbis curatur So the offence committed by wordes is cured by wordes Which iudgement of S. Cyril is in the same maner confirmed by saint Augustine So that this saying of Christ to Peter did not giue any further Augustinus in Euangel Iohan. Tract 123. or greater authority to him then the rest of the Apostles before had Which beside the iudgements of Cyril and Augustine might be proued farther by sundrie other reasons if it were not néedelesse to spend more wordes about it Especially sith that I haue already proued sufficiently I trust the equal authoritie giuen by our sauiour to all the Apostles Howbeit that it may be farther declared that one of them should not chalenge or desire authoritie aboue the other I will shewe in the next Chapter how Christ did forbidde them vtterly to claime or take vnto them any such supremacie commanding them to followe his ensample of humblenesse in ministring as seruants one to another and not in mastership or dominion one to clime aboue another Chap. 8. That Christ did not giue a supremacie to one of them aboue another but did expressely forbid them all dominion and superioritie IN the Gospel of the holy Euāgelist saint Mathew the twentie chapter it is written that our Sauiour by occasiō of the ambitious request that was made vnto him for the Zebedies Mat. 20. Iames and Iohn did call his disciples vnto him and saide vnto them Scitis quod principes gentium dominantur illis qui maiores sunt potestatem exercent in eas non ita erit inter vos sed quicunque voluerit inter vos maior fieri sit vester minister qui voluerit inter vos primus esse erit vester seruus sicut filius hominis non venit ministrari sed ministrare You know saith Christe that the princes of nations haue dominion ouer them and they that be great exercise power and authoritie vppon them It shall not be so among you but whosoeuer will be great among you let him be your minister and hee that will be chiefe among you let him be your seruaunt euen as the sonne of man came not to be serued but to serue others Thus our Sauiour wee see hath expressely forbidden his Apostles to haue superioritie and dominion ouer their fellowseruants Which as it is witnessed by the Euangelist Sainte Mathewe Marke 22. so is it also by the rest of the Euangelistes Saint Marke in the tenth Chapter Saint Luke in in the two and twentie our Sauiour in each of them vsing his owne examples who was in the middest of them and did behaue him selfe as a seruaunt vnto them not like a Lorde or king aboue them that they by him might learne modesty to humble thēselues one to an other To the which intent in the Euangelist Saint Iohn we haue a notable storie of Christes exāple in this point howe he did washe the feete of his Apostles and gaue them the like instruction vpon it Iohn 13. Postquā lauit ergo pedes eorum accepit vestimenta sua cùm recubuisset iterum dixit eis scitis quid fecerim vobis vos vocatis me Magister Domine bene dicitis sum etenim si ergo ego laui pedes vestros Dominus Magister
Romani pontificis Which maketh me to thinke that he had no supremacie sith that he did not exercise any part of it as his behauiour in the Acts of the Apostles doth shew And this albéeit I haue proued it by other of his déedes already yet it may be séene more clearely by that which is written in the 15. of the Actes where the councel is set forth that was helde by the Apostles and Disciples at Ierusalem In the which councel although the bookes of councels set forth by the Papistes doe report that Peter was heade and as it were the Iudge and chiefe ruler of it yet if a man do reade the wordes of saint Luke in the Actes of the Apostles Actes 15. Peter shuld séeme rather in that councell to be one of the meanest out of doubt not the chiefest For it is the common and auncient order that wheras matter doth come in question to be argued the meanest vseth to begin and so as they are of greater authoritie for age or degrée or knowledge or such respect they doe follow orderly vntill that the chiefest speake last and take vp the matter Wherefore those bookes of councels Summa conciliorum Fr. Barth Carranzae and the abridgement of them which doe make Peter to be head of the coūcell holden at Ierusalem which was holden vnder him being the first Pope as they fondly speake of him they doe say more of him than they can proue out of the actes of the Apostles out of the which they must proue whatsoeuer they report of this councell or else they forge it For there it is written that when Paul and Barnabas had proposed the matter whereof the controuersie was Peter did first begin to declare his minde of it after great disputation And when Peter had saide then Barnabas and Paul spake their mindes also When they helde their peace Iames ended the matter giuing his sentence and iudgement of the controuersie The truth of al the which that it may be the more manifest I will set downe the very wordes of Saint Luke as they are writen in the Actes so farre foorth as they pertaine to the declaring of this matter Then came downe certaine from Iudea and taught the brethren saying except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses Actes 15. ye can not be saued And when there was great dissention and disputation by Paul and Barnabas against them they ordeined that Paul and Barnabas and certaine other of them should go vp to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles and Elders about this question And when they were come to Ierusalem they were receiued of the Church and of the Apostles and Elders and they declared what things God had done by them But said they certaine of the sect of the Pharisees which did beleeue rose vp saying that it was needful to circumcise them and commaund them to keepe the lawe of Moses Then the Apostles and Elders came together to look to this matter And when there had bene great disputation Peter rose vp and said vnto them Ye men and brethren ye knowe that a good while agoe among vs God chose out me that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the worde of the Gospell and beleeue And God which knoweth the hearts bare them witnesse in giuing vnto them the holy Ghost euen as he did to vs and he put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts Nowe therefore why tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare But we beleue through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ to be saued euen as they doe Then all the multitude kept silence and heard Barnabas and Paul which tolde what signes and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by thē And when they helde their peace Iames answered saying Men and brethren hearken vnto me Simeon hath declared howe God did first visit the Gentiles to take of them a people vnto his name And to this agree the words of the Prophets Which words Iames hauing rehearsed doth in this sorte conclude and end the matter Wherefore my sentence is that we trouble not them of the Gentiles that are turned to God but that we write vnto them that they abstaine them selues from filthinesse of idols and fornication and that that is strangled and from bloud Vpon this sentence and iudgement of Iames it séemed good to the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men of their owne companie to Antiochia with Paul and Barnabas to wit Iudas whose syrname was Barsabas and Silas which were chefe men among the brethren and they wrote letters by them after this manner The Apostles and Elders and the brethren vnto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antiochia and in Syria and in Cilicia send greeting For as much as we haue heard that certaine which departed from vs haue troubled you with wordes and cumbred your mindes saying ye must be circumcised and keepe the lawe to whom we gaue no such commaundement it seemed therefore good to vs when we were come together with one accord to send chosen men vnto you with our beloued Barnabas and Paul men that haue giuen vp their liues for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ We haue therefore sent Iudas and Silas which shall also tell you the same things by mouth For it seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs to lay no more burthen vppon you then these necessarie thinges that is that ye abstaine from things offered to idols and bloud and that that is strangled and from fornication from which if ye keepe your selues ye shall doe well Fare ye well This Epistle containing the decrée of the councel agréeth fully with that which Iames before did speak when he gaue his iudgement of the matter that was in question Sauing that in the Epistle it is said Visum est spiritui sancto nobis It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to vs. It is not saide Visum est spiritui sancto Petro It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to Peter but to the holy Ghost and to vs meaning the Apostles the Elders and the brethren the whole congregation of Christe at Ierusalem Wherfore in the councel where Peters supremacie should appeare chiefly there appeareth none at all and sith that neither he claimed any neyther the rest did giue him any it is to be thought he had not any If any man thinke otherwise he beléeueth not S. Peter 1. Pet. 5. who calleth himselfe compresbyterum a companion and fellowe of the Elders of the Church and forbiddeth them to play the Lordes ouer Gods heritage Which ouerthroweth his Supremacie whom the Papistes do call Sanctissimum dominum nostrum Papam Our most holy lord the Pope God giue them grace to acknowledge with vs him that is in déede our most holy Lord our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Chap. 10. That in the