defect of pronouncing Shibboleth euen as the Character of a man is seene by his speach CHALLENGE IN Examination of these Premises you may finde iust matter for Challenge of your owne Proctors and Pleaders for the Popes Primacy from these Popes by reason of their fourefold Iniurie First to their Aduersaries the Protestants whom they traduce as enemies to Antiquity in not admitting the Testimonies of so holy Popes of the Primitiue age which all Christians ought to beleeue and reuerence But in this clamour they abuse their Readers by deliuering vnto them onely the names of Popes Epistles as is vsuall in false Certificates wherein a man shall reade a Catalogue of names of men whereunto the parties themselues neuer yeelded their consent or as in a Stage-play wherein are presented Personates instead of Persons themselues and to the chins of boyes are fixed the beards of old men Is not this a theatricall forgery Secondly to your Popes by vrging writings in their nameâ— which if they were theirs must proue them to haue beene foolish false and barbarous Our zeale therefore to those blessed Popes doth challenge your Obiectors of extreme iniury to their memory Thirdly to the Church of Rome as well Ancient as Successiue that when you boast so much of the truth of your Traditions as a Nuncupatiue Testament of Christ wherein your Chiefest Article is your Doctrine of Papall Monarchy yet when we are to consult with the first witnesses that should testifie this Article in tht Romane Church it selfe namely those Ancient Popes we can haue no better assurance of their Testimonies than as of such as are confessed to bee both fraught with Errors and also falsely imposed vpon those Popes Which is in effect to condemne your Romane Church of sacrilegious negligence and vnfaithfulnesse in not preseruing that sacrum Depositum as you call the Ancient Tradition of Popes from hand to hand and consequently must inferre a iust suspition of Falshood in the Chiefest ground of your Romish Faith the pretended Law of Tradition Is not this also an iniury But the greatest Iniury that we lament is the wrong which your Obiectors doe vnto their own Consciences when some will haue all those Epistles to be Authenticall and worthy of absolute Beleefe without Exception yet are condemned by the most learned among you who confesse and proue that they are mixed both with Theologicall Chronologicall falshoods Some againe especially your Cardinal obtruding Epistles in the names of Popes and yet doubting whether they be truely the Epistles of these Popes or no and some other-where also reiecting some of them as Counterfeits So foolish is his Obiection in alleaging them for Ancient who could not be ignorant that there haue beene Ancient forgeries of which stampe your owne iudicious Authors haue noted these to bee And that which exceedeth almost the highest note of to speake mildely Inconsideration to proue your Doctrine of Romish Primacy from the word Primatus mentioned sometimes by the Bishops of Rome in their Epistles which as your owne Contius teacheth is an Argument to iudge them not to be so Ancient because that that word was not of currant stampe in that age And what great iniurie can any man doe than that which he doth to his owne Conscience Finally pardon vs if we cannot impute such a degree of Impiety to those holy Popes that they who liued in the times of those bloudy Massacres wherin most of them with infinite other godly Professors in the same Church of Rome bequeathed their bodies to the sword for the Faith of Christ and their soules and spirits by Martyrdome to his armes of blessednesse should be wholly busyed in their Epistles about poynts of Ordination of Priests Inuention of Ceremonies and aduancing the Prerogatiues of the Romane Church but neuer to vtter any syllable of Exhortation and Consolation in behalfe of the Flocke of Christ dayly in the iawes of the Wooluish Persecutors of these times as those Epistles by you obiected do make appeare Your Obiections from the Testimonies of Ancient Popes of the Second Three hundred yeeres and the Vanity thereof discouered SECT 12. FOr the Second Three hundred yeeres are presented before vs a Second Iury of Twelue Popes to giue their Verdicts for proofe of the extent of their owne Papall and Monarchicall power and Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall ouer the whole Church of Christ throughout the world Manifold haue been the Answers of Many to these Testimonies which the breuity that we haue propounded to our selues in this Treatise will not suffer vs to relate our Answers shall be no lesse plaine and yet more compendious 1. Almost all of these Testimonies may be denied in that sense of absolute Monarchie for the which they are propounded As for the first man of the Inquest viz. Pope Iulius he plainely speaketh of Document Instruction receiued from Peter and not of Dominion or Iurisdiction which may be an Answer to many of the rest 2. Some speake not but their Counterfeits as the last Iurist Pope Gregory in an Epistle wherein Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople is said to haue beene Subiect vnto him when as as our Doctor Reynolds hath proued there was no Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople in the daies of Saint Gregory This tricke of corrupting the writings of Antient Popes as you haue seene in their Epistles for the first Three hundred yeeres giue vs iuster cause to suspect the Popish Scribes in the Second Three hundred yeeres 3. Some haue beene already satisfied by Parallels 4. Reuerence say some Popes is due to the Apostolike See So you know Saint Peter doth require of the Husband Honour towards his Wife and Saint Paul of a Bishop Reuerence vnto Widowes Reuerence therefore which is nothing else but a due estimation of all persons according to their Order and Degree may bee exacted without any Note of Dominion 5. Nine of these Popes call the Church of Rome and Bishop thereof either Head of all Churches or One that hath the Care of all Churches or one hauing Principality Euery of which as you know were antiently ascribed to other Churches and Bishops besides the Romane 6. Some may be checked by Retorsion as in the first and last witnesse For the first if from the words obiected out of that Epistle of Iulius you shall inferre that he had Vniuersall Monarchy throughout the Catholike Church then may wee more iustly conclude that the same Pope being challenged by the Bishops of the East whom he calleth Most dearely beloued both for writing to them Alone and from his owne Authority and also for transgressing the Canons of the Church by admitting men vnto his Communion that had beene by them deposed and answering to the one that Although he wrote alone vnto them yet that he did it by consent of his fellow Bishops and to the other standing onely vpon his iustification in not transgressing the Canons of Ancient Councels
to the true Successor of Peter or otherwise we could not know that this is a true Councell and iustly confirmed by the Pope c. But with what degree of Faith do you beleeue this With that Diuine Faith saith the Other wherewith we beleeue Iesus Christ with the same ought we to beleeue this Paul the IV. to be the true Pope and not with any humane Faith which is subiect to be deceiued Behold a Iesuiticall Faith both grosly false and also wickedly blasphemous because that there cannot be an Infallibilitie in the Election of any Pope is manifest by two confessed and vncontrollable Consequences taken from two possible defects the one in the Popes Ordination the second in his Election First for his Ordination your Councell of Florence defineth That the truth of euery Sacrament dependeth vpon the intention of the Minister But None can be sure by certaintie of Faith saith Bellarmine that any such receiued the Sacrament of Ordination because none infallibly knoweth the intention of him that Ordaineth And Vega more vehemently It is as certaine saith he that we are not infallibly certaine of the receiuing of any Sacrament as it is certaine that we now liue Thus of the Popes Ordination Alphonsus à Castro is as bold with the Pope about his Election Which because it may not be Canonicall we are not to beleeue it saith he with a Catholike Faith Whereof your Cardinall giueth some Examples In which two respects many of your Schoole Doctors haue concluded that In the knowledge of this man to be a true Pope you haue no more but a morall certitude Whereof we shall speake more hereafter CHALLENGE THat Addition the beliefe whereof is onely humane morall and fallible cannot be a Declaration of an Article of Diuine and Infallible faith such as is that of the Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed But the word ROMANE is an Addition the Beliefe whereof is onely humane morall and fallible Ergo the Addition of the word ROMANE to the Catholike Church cannot be a proper Declaration of that Article in the Creed So vaine and vniust is your appropriation of the word Catholike to your Romane Church The eight Argument to proue that the Addition of the word ROMANE can be no Declaration of the Article of The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed because it makes all periured that do professe it vpon Oath besides the heresie and blasphemie thereof SECT 11. THat in your profession of the Catholike Romane Church the word Romane is an Article of Faith challenging thereby a necessary subiection to the Bishop of Rome we haue heard already both in the Decrees of Popes and also in that Forme of an Oath which euery Ecclesiasticall person in your Church of what condition soeuer he be is enioyned to take swearing that The Romane Church is the Catholike Mother and Mistris Church vowing Obedience to the Bishop thereof and in the same Oath that this Romane Article with others is The Catholike faith without which there is none can be saued which is the proper tenor of an essentiall Article of faith Now in as much as the word CREDO in the Apostles Creed doth import A constant and infallible persuasion of the Christian Beleeuer as your owne Romane Catechisme doth truly instruct you and because to speake in the words of your owne Bozius These things which are propounded in the Creed are the Principles or foundations of all other things that are to be beleeued and ought at all times to be in themselues infallibly true in euery part otherwise they should be no Principles in as much as their truth is but doubtfull We by this your appropriating of the Article The Church without which none can be saued are constrained to pronounce you guiltie of a new Heresie in your faith Periurie in your Oath and Blasphemie in your excluding out of the state of Saluation the most vndoubted members of the mysticall body of Christ which is his Church I. CHALLENGE EVery new Article of Faith that is to say new Doctrine made necessary to saluation is an Heresie as you your selues will confesse But this Article The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no Saluation is a new Article as hath bene amply prooued because it is repugnant to the Article of The Catholike Church professed in the Apostolike Creed as hath bene made manifest in the Premisses by many Arguments Therefore your Article of The Catholike Romane Church without which there is no saluation must needs be esteemed Hereticall II. CHALLENGE EVery one bound to beleeue and to auouch vpon Oath any Doctrine as necessary to Saluation which is not of an infallible truth is thereby made guilty of Periurie But euery Romish Priest by the Bull of Pope Pius 4. is bound to beleeue vpon Oath that the Romane Church is the Catholike Church without which there is no saluation Albeit you yourselues haue confessed at large that this your doctrine standeth not vpon any infallible grounds of truth either in respect of Time past at the founding of the Church of Rome which was not instituted by any Diuine Ordinance or in respect of the Time present wherein you haue no full assurance of your Catholike Head the Pope or yet in respect of the Time to come when as you Confesse a Possibilitie that the Catholike Church may cease to be Romane because it may possibly be translated to another place Therefore are all Romish Priests necessarily inuolued in the crime of Periurie by swearing that to be a necessarie Article of Faith which is in so many respects defectiue and commeth short of all the Essentiall grounds of Faith III. CHALLENGE THat Article which excludeth from Saluation the vndoubtedly essentiall and liuely members of the Mysticall bodie of Christ which is his Church that is a doctrine vndoubtedly Blasphemous But your Article The Romane Church without which there is no saluation doth exclude from Saluation both those which before the Church of Rome was a Catholike Church suffered bonds imprisonment and Martyrdome it selfe for the profession of Christ next all Catechumenists and persons vniustly Excommunicated albeit departing this life in true faith and repentance and lastly all them who in the dayes of Antichrist when the Church as it is Romane as you say may peraduenture but as we thinke will Apostate from the Faith shall persist the constant and glorious Martyrs of Christ Iesus c. Therefore this Article cannot but be manifestly Blasphemous Thus much concerning our Proofes taken from the Consideration of the Article of Christian Faith in the Apostles Creed viz. The Catholike Church By which we haue euicted your Additiō of the word ROMANE to make an Article of Faith to be New False Scandalous Pernitious Hereticall and Blasphemous respectiuely CHAP. III. A Second generall Head of Confutation of the former Article is from the Consideration of the Iudgement of the Church by Examples of seuerall
Churches Councels and Fathers SECT 1. AFter our Proofe that the now Romane Article The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation is New Imposterous Scandalous c. taken from the tenor and sence of the Apostolicall Article The Catholike Church expressed in our Catholike Creed We proceed to confirme our former Proofe by like euidence from currant Examples taken from the Catholike Church it selfe And for our more expedite Method passage herein We shall proportion our Treatise according to three Distinctions of Tyme the Tyme before the Tyme when and the Tyme after that the Church of Rome had her first foundation and being I. Of the Time before the Church of Rome was founded First setting downe the Romane Article intituling the Church of Rome The Mother Church SECT 2. WEE need not tell you that it is an Article in your Church to beleeue that the Church of Rome is The Mother and Mistris Church of all other Churches where by Mother you vnderstand her ancient Prerogatiue of spirituall Generation and by Mistris her Iurisdiction and Supreme Authority of directing all other Churches as Members of the Church Catholike seeing that the Fathers of the Councell of Trent in their Canons and Decrees haue fiue times published the same Article in expresse words calling her The Common Mother on earth which cannot forget whom shee hath begotten As if all the Faithfull on earth were her ofspring Instantly vpon this Decree of the Councell the Father of all these Trent-Fathers Pope Pius the 4. for Confirmation of that Councell enioyned euery Ecclesiasticke to professe among other points the same Romane Article vpon Oath thus I N. sweare that I acknowledge the Church of Rome to be the Mother and Mistris of all other Churches without which faith none can be saued So then this Article is become as Catholike among you as is your Church Which opinion of her Vniuersal Motherhood hath beene the greatest fascination and witcherie that of long time hath blinded the eyes of most of her Professors and which we shall prooue to bee no better than a False and Imposterous inchantment voide of all light of truth and repugnant vnto the confessed Examples of illustrious Churches more ancient than her selfe The first Confutation of that Article of Romane Mother-hood is taken from the rottennesse of the Foundation thereof SECT 3. IF there bee any sound ground of truth in the Article viz. that The Church of Rome is Mother of all other Churches sure we are that your two Cardinals for learning and deuotion towards that Church most Eminent viz. Baronius and Bellarmine will be most able and willing to expresse it especially where they professedly determine the very point Baronius teaching that Saint Peter being constituted by Christ the ordinary Pastor of the whole Church did fixe his seate at Rome doth thereupon resolue saying Hence it is that the Romane Church is called the Mother-Church of all others And lest any might deny this Consequence as being that which it is indeed fond and absurd Bellarmine addeth the reason thereof The Church of Rome saith he could not be called the Mother-Church except that all the Apostles had had their ordination of Pastorship from Saint Peter And for proofe heereof the Cardinall referreth vs to the Epistles of Pope Anacletus witnessing that The order of Priesthood had its ' beginning from Peter So he whereas notwithstanding Sacerdotall Order doth but coniecturally inferre the Episcopall Howsoeuer these testimonies from the Epistles of Anacletus which your Cardinall Cusanus beleeueth to be Apocryphall and vnworthy of beleefe Two of your most priuileged Iesuites Azorius and Suarez denie That the other Apostles receiued their Episcopall Ordination from Saint Peter Which they maintaine vpon better grounds than the Counterfeit Epistles of a Pope can be euen vpon the Oracles of God's Word where it appeareth say they that Matthias had his Ordination to the Bishopprick which Iudas lost not by the hands of Peter but by lott immediately from God and Saint Paul his not by Saint Peter but by a voice from heauen euen immediately from Christ. They adde other Reasons in the end adioyne the Consent of S. Augustine of many other Diuines Yet were it admitted that Peter as ordinarie Pastor of the Catholike Church had ordained other Apostles Byshops and by their Ministry begotten those innumerable Churches which the same Apostles as you Confesse constituted seauen yeeres before the Church of Rome was erected yet were it a mad point of Genealogizing to conclude that Rome must be Mother to those daughters of Saint Peter which were begotten seauen yeeres before shee was borne whereas shee could be to them but a Sister at the most and that but a younger Sister too CHALLENGE GIue vs leaue to dispute from your owne Confessions thus If all the other Apostles were not ordained Byshops by Saint Peter there can be no apparent reason why the Church of Rome should be called the Mother-Church Thus Bellarmine But all the other Apostles were not ordained Byshops by Saint Peter Thus your Iesuites out of direct Scriptures accompanied with the Consent of Saint Augustine and many other Diuines Ergo there is not sufficient ground to cal the Church of Rome the Mother of al other Churches Twice miserable therefore is the state of your Priests both because they are tied periuriously to sweare That to be an Article of Faith which is a manifest false-hood as also for that they and all that Sect being entangled in this error of beleeuing the Romane Church to be the Mother of all other Churches are thereby consequently entangled in all other her errors and Idolatries The second Confutation of the same Article ariseth from the Respect of many illustrious Mother-Churches more ancient than Rome SECT 4. WE furthermore endeauour to impugne your former infatuation in beleeuing the Vniuersall Mother-hood of the Church of Rome by the faith of Fathers of Primitiue times farre more Reuerend for antiquity and more credible for impartiality than were your Fathers or rather Step-Fathers of Trent Not but that we as willingly as worthily doe acknowledge the Ancient Church of Rome to haue beene in former times an happie Mother of many renouned Christian Churches in the world and we accordingly blesse the wombe of that sincere Faith and Piety which then brought forth so innumerable an of-spring of so many holy Professors which notwithstanding shee might content her selfe to haue deserued the Title of a Mother-Church as other ancient Churches were and not of THE MOTHER-CHVRCH OF ALL OTHERS For we are verily perswaded that no reasonable man can allowe any childe so to honour his Mother as that he must necessarily thereby disparage all others his honourable Progenitresses and that we may so speake his owne Grand-mother and Great-grand-mother together with others of his kindred more ancient than Shee Such was the state of the Church of Rome in
Church of Rome saith he not as a particular Dioces or Bishopricke is called the Catholike Church but as it comprehendeth and containeth all Beleeuers in Christ vnder the obedience of the Pope of Rome So they This counterfeit Glosse vpon these termes The Catholike Church as vnder the Obedience of the Pope as Catholike and Vniuersall Head wee shall bring to the Test of the Antient Faith by the witnesse of more than three Fathers I. The iudgement of Saint Augustine SECT 8. WHat was meant by the Catholike Church in the Sence of Antiquity Saint Augustine may be vnto vs herein as the mouth of the whole Church seeing that he had more occasions to discusse this Article than any Other especially because in his time the Donatists did no lesse falsly than arrogantly appropriate the name of the Whole Church vnto their Church in Africke euen as you although in a different Sence hold it proper to the Church of Rome at this day But Saint Augustine The word in Greeke saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Totum aut Vniuersale that is whole or vniuersall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not one but the whole whence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Catholike is deriued Thus by distinguishing Whole Church from One Church he sheweth that it is as vnconceiuable that the Catholike Vniuersall or Whole should bee but one One part as it is impossible for one part to be the Whole Which is your Paradoxe to call the Head the whole Body whilest as in your Article you make ROMANE as the Head The Catholike and Vniuersall Church it selfe Thus haue we heard Saint Augustine will you now see him Then behold Rem gestam For when by that busie fellow Petilian the Donatist a publike Conference was held at Carthage betweene seuen Orthodoxe Bishops on the one part and seuen Donatists on the other concerning the Catholike Church Saint Augustine was singled out by the Disputer and posed in these words Whence art thou Who is thy Father Is the Bishop Caecilian he This was the Obiection challenging Augustine to answer whence hee receiued his Religion and vpon whom he depended Heare now his answer My communion saith he began first at Hierusalem and from remote places came nearer vntill it entred into Africke and so disperst it selfe through-out all the World From this my Father God and my Mother-Church will I neuer be separated for the calumnies of any man CHALLENGE SAy now if either Petilian the Heretike could haue questioned Saint Augustine professing himselfe a Catholike whether hee had his dependance vpon CAECILIAN Bishop of Carthage as his spirituall Father if it had beene a currant profession among the Churches of those times to haue held the Bishop of Rome The Catholike Father or the Church of Rome The Catholike Mother-Church without which there is no saluation Or whether it could haue stood with the Conscience of Saint Augustine if he had beene of your now Romish Faith in a question about the Father-hood What Bishop and Mother-hood what Church he professed fo◠to passing by all mention of the B. of Rome acknowledge no Head but Christ and neglecting the Romane Church adhere to the Whole Church dispersed throughout the whole Christian World as indeed the properly called Mother-Church How should not Saint Augustine although neuer so admirable a Saint haue beene held a Schismatike and Heretike if he had liued in these daies either for his ignorance or Contempt of the now Romish resolution of Faith in all such Questions to wit that the Spirituall Father of the Church is the Pope of Rome and the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church is selfe because Head of all the rest As for the prime Mother-Church by spirituall procreation wee see that Saint Augustine acknowledgeth no other than Hierusalem which verefieth that which hath been largely prooued to wit that although the ancient Romane Church might in many respects be called A Mother Church of many other Churches in Christendome especially in respect of her admirable care for the preseruation of diuine truth and peace in the Christian world Yet now since first by vsurping an Originall Prerogatiue of the Vniuersall Mother she is become the Mother of Arrogance and Falsehood 2. By preiudicing the Birth-right of other Churches more ancient than her selfe She may be called the Mother of Schisme 3. By excluding All from hope of Saluation that beleeue her not to bee the Mother-Church shee may iustly bee iudged the Mother of damnable Heresie Of Saint Augustines iudgement more hereafter II. The Iudgement of Saint Hierome concerning the Church Catholike SECT 5. SAint Hierome was a professed and deuoute Childe of the Church of Rome when Rome was yet a true and naturall Mother and no Step-dame who notwithstanding when the Custome of Rome was obiected against him in a Case of difference betweene Deacon and Priest calling the Aduerse part An arrogant paucity he maketh an answer full of indignity As though sayth he there were more authority in Vrbe quà m in Orbe that is in one Citie the Seate of the Bishop of Rome than in the whole Catholike Church besides This is the Testimonie of Saint Hierome wherein the Fathers of the Councell of Basil did in a manner triumph in opposition to the Papall Claime saying O Hierome what meane you Is there therefore greatnes in the Pope because he gouerneth the Church His authority is great indeed but not so great as the authority of the Catholike Church which is not conteined in one Citie but comprehendeth in it selfe the whole World CHALLENGE APply you to this former sentence of Saint Hierome if you can your former distinction namely that the Church of Rome is a Particular Church in it selfe but Catholike as the Head hauing Vniuersal Dominion ouer the whole Church and see whether it will abide the test of Saint Hierome who speaking of the Customes of the Church of Rome calleth the Custome of that Church Vrbem meaning the custome but of one Particular Church whose seate is at Rome and opposeth vnto it the Custome of the Catholike Church which hee calleth Orbem the whole world Shewing thereby with whom also doth accord the iudgement of the Fathers of the Councell of Basil that the Authority of the Church Catholike and of the Church of Rome are not equiualent much lesse the same for in Identity there can be no opposition or comparison None can compare a mans head with it selfe And what furthermore Saint Hierome did conceiue heereof will afterwards appeare in due Place III. The Iudgement of Saint Gregory Bishop of Rome Concerning the Head Catholike In denying the Title of Vniuersall Bishop as did likewise Pelagius and Leo both Bishops of the same See SECT 6. ALthough it can be no sufficient Argument for concluding a Papall authority to obiect vnto vs the testimonies of Popes which is your ordinarie guize in their owne Cause yet will it be vnto vs Armour of Proofe to oppose
did as one that had bene freed take another wife by the authority of the Church and consent of her Parents by which wife after some yeares he had children But loe his former wife vnlooked for returneth againe and requireth to haue her husband againe that had done ill in marrying another The man maruailing hereat and being loath to be diuorced from his latter wife maketh long delaies yet at length brought into Law and being cast gaue way to the Truth and taketh his first wife againe by the iudgement of the Church When now the Parents friends of the latter wife made the like wonderment as these men do against me saying vnto him thou hel-hound thou wicked couenāt-breaker c. And if a man would consider this businesse shall he not see as it were in a glasse the very image of that Husband in me For indeed I seeing I beleeued that no such Truth of obedience had bene c. I compelled my selfe in a second Couenant and thereto plighted my troth Wherefore I thought that I had kept lawfull Companie but when the TRVTH came which is euery mans first wife maried to him in publike Baptisme which wil require the first Promise at al mens hands to her I applyed to her I cleaued and from my second knot as of none effect by the iudgement of my Church I departed And shall any man thinke it indifferent that I shall be called a Liar because I obey the Truth c. I am by most graue iudgement of the Truth diuorced from the Church of Rome which it was not lawfull for me to keepe still and am compelled to take my wife TRVTH to me when she cometh againe Thus farre B. Gardiner The right and accurate Sence of this Similitude may as the beames of the Sunne dispell the foggie myst of Romish error concerning the Question we now haue in hand it being taken from the consideration of our Christian Vow made in Baptisme Wherein we are to obserue the Parties betrothed together which are the Soule of a Christian and the Truth of God in Christ and secondly the Parties and if I may so say Parents by whose consent and Authoritie this mariage is made which in the inward is our Father euen GOD in the vnity of Three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in the outward is our spirituall Mother mentioned in our Creed at the rime of our Vow in Baptisme The holy Catholike Church It especially therefore concerneth euery Votarie that hath vowed himselfe in Baptisme to learne to acknowledge his true Father his true Mother and his owne true Wife For Father he is baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinitie in the vnity of one God euerlasting not in the name of any man whatsoeuer as Saint Paul prooueth against the Schismatikes in the Church of Corinth that would seeme Some to hold of Cephas that is Peter Some of Paul as though the Gospell or Truth were Pauls or Peters he answereth them No his Reason is interrogatiuely Were you baptized in the name of Paul As much as to say He onely is essentially your spirituall Father in whose Name you are baptized Secondly the Mother is mentioned in our Vow at Baptisme to be The holy Catholike or Vniuersall Church not any particular Church though by the particular Church I am brought into the Catholike We say not any Particular Church because euery Particular Church as hath beene Confessed may possibly erre and Apostate from Truth But the Catholike is built vpon a Rocke immoueable as the earth yea or the highest heauens Lastly the Wife whereunto euery Soule is betroathed in Baptisme is onely that Truth which was first reuealed by Christ vnto his Apostles as the Apostle teacheth If any preach any other Gospell than that which you haue receiued that is to say already hold him Accursed Now giue vs leaue to trie what kind of Mariage is made by your Votaries in the Church of Rome First by beleeuing the Infallibility of the Pope in whatsoeuer Reuelations which he shall propound to be beleeued of all Christians it is to assume a new Father which is thus prooued If I saith Saint Paul or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise let him be Accursed but who in all the Church of Rome will say Though the Pope teach vs otherwise then was Apostolically and Primitiuely taught from the immediate Doctrine of Christ I shall account him Anathema Next the Partie baptized in your Church is Catechized to beleeue the Church of Rome to be The Catholike and Mother-Church of all other Churches which wee through-out this Treatise haue prooued to be an Imposterous Schismaticall and Blasphemous Article First Imposterous because The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed was extant in the dayes of the Apostles diuerse yeares before Rome was that we may so say Baptized to haue the name of a Church Secondly Schismaticall because it being as hath bene shewed but a Particular Church and vsurping the Title of The Catholike Church doth thereby peremptorily diuide her selfe from All other Churches of Christ which both for Truth and Extent make a farre more Catholike Church than she is Thirdly Blasphemous in Damning by this Article of the Catholike Romane Church all the most glorious Christian Fathers Martyrs Professors and Churches as well Primitiue as Successiue which are infinite that haue denyed Subiection to the Romane Church All which Particulars haue bene prooued at large In the last place each Christian in Baptisme being espoused to his wife Truth which can be but One euen that whereof Saint Paul spoke saying That which you haue receiued before and accordingly Saint Iude Contend for the Faith which once was deliuered to the Saints therefore euery other New Article of Faith as it were a later Consort and wife that shall bee admitted is no true loyall wife but an vnlawfull Concubine and strumpet So then so many Concubines may the Church of Rome be said to betroath her Children vnto as she hath set downe New Articles in her Romane Creed and imposed vpon all her Ecclesiastikes vnder the bond of an Oath Among which is your Article of Indulgences from which as from a supposititious wife Luther necessarily made his diuorce returning vnto the Primitiue Truth whereunto in holy Baptisme he had formerly plighted his Troth THESIS VI. Your Second and most Popular Obiection against LVTHER in his Opposition to your Romane Church vrging in him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by Naming his Teachers Before him is as fond as the other SECT 19. I. FOr the no-Necessitie of Name we reade first that our Sauiour Christ answering a question concerning Diuorce whether it were lawfull for the husband to put away his wife at his pleasure or no an Abuse which by the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts had continued among them many hundred yeares sendeth them to Gods first Institution of Marriage set downe in the beginning of Scripture saying From the beginning it
was not so But how Flat contrary Therefore shall a man leaue Father and Mother and cleaue to his wife and they shall be one flesh Willingly passing ouer all mention or meaning of any former Teacher for the space of thousands of yeares Teaching vs thereby first that there can be no truer Doctors than Gods word secondly no better Argument than Proofe that It was not so from the beginning II. Saint Cyprian being busied in a Question concerning Baptisme Wee are not to regard saith he what any hath done before vs but what he did who is before all Christ our Lord not following the Custome of men but the Truth of God III. Suarez your most celebrious Spanish Iesuite and publike Professor Sometimes saith he we know the beginning of a Tradition onely Negatiuely because it may appeare that sometime it was not so neare the beginning of the Church So he in your publike Schooles teaching you that if it may be shewed concerning any Doctrinall Tradition that there was a time neare to the beginning of the Church namely in the dayes of the Apostles when it was not taught it will bee a sufficient Confutation therof to proue it to be but an humane Inuention without any further enquirie after the Names of Persons who in succeeding ages haue gone before vs. IV. An Example we may take from your owne former Relation of a Tradition professed by Pope Innocentius the first who taught that The administration of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was necessary to Infants for their Saluation Which doctrine and practize continued about 600. yeares in the Church namely of Rome but since is reiected thereby So you Here had bene a Matter for your Obiectors to haue argued vpon if they had liued at the end of those 600. yeares when this Error was first reiected Would they haue said Shew vs that any Fathers by name for 600. yeares passed euer taught the contrary or else we must continue this custome still Thus should they condemne the Present Church of Rome which hath reiected that Custome Or would they haue said We regard not the time of the Continuance thereof for so many hundred yeeres seeing it may bee prooued that before that time there was no such Doctrine And the Institution of Christ which requireth Remembrance in them that partake of this Sacrament doth instruct vs otherwise And so must they as they ought condemne the former Romane Church in the daies of Innocentius and from henceforth silence themselues in exacting the Names of Persons who immediately before that time had taught the Contrarie because according to your Iesuites Confession it is lawfull in such a Case to proceed Persaltum Negatiuely saying It was not so neare the beginning of the Church Ergo it is not a necessarie Tradition Which was the very Apologie that Luther made against the doctrine of Indulgences in his first Opposition against your Church of Rome and the same is the defence of Protestants in their whole Profession at this day V. But supposing a Necessity of Names why aske Yov names As though the Church of Rome had beene then The Catholike Church without which there was none then or before the daies of Luther who reiected the doctrine of Romish Indulgences and of Papall Iurisdiction as well as he when as you haue heard there were euen since the Apostles times the Churches of the Grecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians Russians and indeed a world of faithfull Christians that wanted not names who Communicated not with the Church of Rome And what meaneth this Importunity or rather peruersnes to seeke for that which is by your owne Historians set before your eyes the Protesters against your Romish Nouelties before Luther whom they call Albigenses Waldenses Wiclefians Hussites c. Could these bee so called by your selues who persecuted them vnder these names without Names Yet know that this diuersity of Names may not argue the Sects and differences of their Religion no more than many names giuen vnto the same Riuer passing through diuers countries can argue a diuersity of the streames But these Professors and their Names you may vnderstand if you will reade Them who haue purposely entreated of this Subiect who are furnished with answers and can shew you out of your owne Authors their Innocent conuersation of life their Multitudes in number their Consent and Constancie in their Profession by enduring of Imprisonments banishment deaths and whatsoeuer Cruelties your Inquisitors could inflict on them And were these then Namelesse trowe you VI. And if this may not content you what then if we shall name them Romanes for such were Luther Melancthon and other Protestants at the beginning of their Opposition as sound Members of an vnfound Particular Church from whence it was lawfull and necessary for them to depart as hath beene proued Thus much in confutation of your Vulgar Obiection by Six Answers which deserueth onely this briefe Answer It is friuolous and superfluous THESIS VII Your Obiection That all Changes of Doctrines haue beene Notorious in the Persons and Places of their first Beginnings is false SECT 20. A principall Obiection wherewith your Cardinall doth colourably delude his Disciples is this In al Changes of doctrines in any Church the tokens there are visible in the Author Time Place and Person oppugning the same So he that so hee may iustifie many Errors which must therefore seeme Truths because there is none of these visible Notes of Changes to discouer them We answer that this your Obiection conctradicteth the ordinarie growth of Heresie the experience of former Heretikes the Changes of Doctrine in the Romish Church and the Confession of your owne Schooles I. The nature of Heresie as Saint Paul describeth it 2. Tim. 2.17 is like a Cancer or Gangraena By which as you know both the Greeke and Latines vnderstand that vlcer which is bredd in womans papps which if it be not preuented doth putrifie by by little and little vntill it possesse all the parts of the Body Therefore an insensible groweth at the beginning II. The experience of an hundred Heresies whose Authors haue not beene notorious might bee propounded vnto you but that taste may suffice which your owne Prateolus doth offer vnto you by an Instance in the Abstinents of which Heretikes it is not remembred saith he what time they liued In the Acephali of which kinde saith he the first Author is not found In the Aquarij whose Author saith he is not mentioned by any And in the Predestinati whose first leader saith he is not knowne Wee migh reckon vp the Alogiani Anthropomorphitae Aphthratodocitae Collyridiani Gnostici Concerning all whom and many others as the Angelici Apostolici Cainani Catharistae Ophitae Passionistae because you your selues cannot tell vs from whom they first arose or By whom they were impugned it appeareth that you obiect you know not what III. And as though forsooth no such Gangrene or disease could be found in the
the Councell desiring of the Popes Legates to haue liberty to dispute according to the former Decree When One of them Exhibiting their ioynt Confession to the whole Councell assembled published the same whereat saith your Historian the Fathers of the Councell were greatly offended then after it was made knowne that the Protestants were ready to defend their Confession But they could haue no answer to it and therefore desired leaue to be gone which assuredly obtained they commended their Cause to the Emperours Oratour and departed from the Councell Where are now our great Disputers of Rome who can teach Protestants Logicke and all manner learning as you vse to boast if euer they ought to appeare then doubtlesse in their generall Synod when the most selected Schollers were assembled for the discussion of al Questions Iohn Husse in the Councell of Constance had safe-Conduct to come and Dispute for himselfe but that was all for that Conduct was but a trap to catch him in and so to burne him as they did In the Councell of Trent the Protestants are promised with their safe-Conduct a libertie of Disputation but are not allowed it when they offer themselues yet no sooner almost are they come but they are saluted by your Tridentines as Christ was by the Gadarenes when they wished him to depart out of their coasts What greater argument can there be of a perfidious promise then to grant a Disputation vnder a solemne Instrument in the name of the Pope and the whole Councell in pretence of Satisfaction to all Consciences and not to performe it or of Impotencie in your Cause than not to indure to haue it discussed or yet of Obstinacy in your Errours than to reiect the ordinary meanes of Detecting them allowed vnto all Aduersaries in all ancient Councels This directly confirmeth the Censure which that Phoenix of learning Master Isaac Casaubon gaue of your Church Hee is fouly deceiued saith hee whosoeuer hee be that will be a Medijst thinking that there can be any Reconciliation with the Church of Rome a thing to be vtterly despaired of To all the former Crimes your Church addeth Tyrannie your Positions are Excommunications to all that denie Subiection to the man of Rome After Excommunications come Eradications against States Lawes and Kingdomes by Conspiracies Rebellions and all hostile Machinations yea and against whatsoeuer inferiour Persons whensoeuer there is abilitie either by generall Massacres or by particular torments Nor are your hands shorter than your tongues for As wee haue heard so haue wee seene KINGS wallowing in their gore-blood shed by your desperate Assassines Rebellions Seditions and Combustions in all Christian Kingdomes haue beene raysed by the fierie spirits of the Disloyall Ignatians a Massacre in France for Crueltie as witnesseth your owne Historian not to be parallelled by any example in all the antiquitie of former times But you would not that England should be lesse noble than France in the excellencie of your mischiefe witnesse your Acheronticall POVVDER-PLOTT for the destruction of the three Estates of this whole Kingdome an Example beyond all examples of ages past and for the hainousnesse thereof hardly credible in the generations to come Adde hereunto your Inquisition now established in the most parts of the Romish Iurisdiction by Pope Paul the Fourth as The onely fortresse of Popedome and esteemed the chiefest meanes to preserue the Romish Profession what is it but that Lion's Denne to all them that are caught except they shall abiure the Doctrine of Protestants Vestigia nulla retrorsùm THESIS III. In the Continuance of this Separation Papists are rather Schismatikes than Protestants and consequently in the Heresie of the Donatists SECT 25. GLadly would your Cardinall make an alliance betweene the Schismaticall Donatists and Protestants be you so good as heare his Charge The Donatists saith hee held that the Church Catholike consisted onely of iust persons whence they concluded that the whole visible Church was perished vpon earth and that it was onely in Africa where they were Well but what is this to the Tenent of Protestants Caluinists likewise saith hee hold the whole visible Church of Christ to haue perished for diuers ages and that now it is onely in the Northerne parts among themselues So hee But how truely and conscionably Caluin himselfe will proue in reprouing your Romane Church for Magnifying her selfe as being the onely Church on earth and for not acknowledging the Churches of Africke of Aegypt of Asia and other Christian Churches And dare you say saith Caluin that the Church is wholly perished which was among the Graecians Thus plainly sheweth Caluin that his opinion was not to denie the African Aegyptian Asian and Graecian Churches to haue continued visible parts of the Catholike Church Trie wee in the next place what affinitie the Church of Rome may seeme to haue with the Schismaticall Donatists Saint Augustine as your Cardinall confesseth did iustly deride the Donatists for that they from the mysticall speech in the Canticles concerning the Church the Spouse of Christ saying Tell mee where my beloued lieth at noone day gathered that the Catholike Church remained onely in Africke And is not this your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without vnion and subiection whereunto there is no Saluation a manifest appropriation of a Priuiledge proper to Rome as remaining alwayes a Catholike Church The Differences are They challenged this Prerogatiue as due to Africke in the South you to the Romane Church in the West They erred by a false Interpretation of a Text of Scripture which was of mysticall Signification In meridie you from another of figuratiue Sence Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram as though it were ment necessarily of Peter or if so did Consequently authorize the Pope Both which haue beene confuted as egregiously false As for the Reason of the Donatists Separation from the other constituted Churches in Africa that which was the true marke of a Schismatike it was without iust Cause when they neither did nor could obiect either errour in Doctrine or Superstition in worshipping or tyranny constraining men to oppose the ancient truth but especially That which Cannot be a iust Cause the mixture of godly and wicked Professours in one Communion If you shall require any further iustification of this our Separation and euidence that herein your Romanists are the Schismatikes recall to minde that which hath beene said hereof in a former Section THESIS IV. In the Continuance of this Separation the Vnion of Protestants with the Catholike Church is both more True and more Vniuersall than is the Vnion of the Romanists SECT 26. TRue vnion We call only that which is only in Gods truth and for Truths sake otherwise as S. Hilarie saith It is not vnion of faith but of perfidiousnesse nor Christian communion but Antichristian conspiracie and coniuration Vniust Vnities there are many among men the first of compulsion and terror which may
words of Tert. your owne Beatus Rhenanus hath published as much as we can require Tertullian saith hee doth not confine the Catholike and Apostolike Church to one place and although hee giue an honourable testimonie to the Church of Rome yet did he not esteeme her so highly as we see her accounted of at this day He reckoneth her with other Churches yet doth not make her the onely Church but admonisheth his Readers as well to enquire what milke the Church of Corinth gaue as Rome So Rhenanus who addeth that If Tertullian were now aliue and should say so much hee could not escape without punishment Thus your Rhenanus whiles that hee had the vse of his tongue but since you haue Gagged him by your Index Ezpurgatorius a Booke which we may call the Martyrologe of many innocent bookes But no maruaile for this testimonie of Rhenanus was as a poyniard sticking fast in the very bowels of this Cause Notwithstanding Tertullian will be Tertullian still whom whosoeuer shall reade he will be able to auouch as much as Rhenanus hath obserued namely that Tertullian euen whilest hee was a true childe of the Church neuer allowed the Apostolike which we commonly call the Catholike Church to be appropriated vnto any one place nor had he further respect to Rome than he had to Corinth and other Apostolicall Churches which hee calleth Original Mother-Churches for directing of Christians in the Apostolike faith 4 Athanasius reckoneth vp to the Emperour Constantine the Churches that consented to the Councell of Nice thus The Churches of Spain of Britaine of France of whole Italie of Dalmatia without any precise mention of Rome otherwise than it was comprized in whole Italie A great Contempt doubtlesse if your Article had beene then hatch't because the Consent of Rome onely had been more perswasiue to the Emperour than all the rest 5 Vincentius Lirinensis likewise an ancient Father and greatly approued on all sides in his booke written in defence of the Catholike Truth against all prophane Nouelties aduiseth Christians to trie the Truth equally by the ioynt consent as well of the East as of the West-Church and to consult as well with Petrus Alexandrinus and Athanasius in the one Church as with Felix and Iulius Bishops of Rome in the other Concerning whom more hereafter 6 Saint Augustine against Iulian the Pelagian in the question of Baptisme speaking of Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople saith Farre be it from him that hee should dissent from his fellow-Bishops Innocentius Bishop of Rome Cyprian Bishop of Carthage Basil Bishop of Cappadocia Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum Hilary a French Bishop and Ambrose Bishop of Milan Is it possible that these orthodoxe Fathers should in this manner and vpon such occasions haue giuen the Bishop of Rome so many Mates in equalizing others with him if your Article of Monarchicall Dominion had entred into their breasts or braines The same comparisons proued by ancient Churches SECT 2. THe generall Councell of Constantinople in the East to make known their Consent in the Faith with the Church in the West doe endite an Epistle and inscribe it thus To their Reuerend brethren and fellowes as well to Damasus of Rome as to Ambrose of Milan and others The Church of Egypt gathered in Councell in their letters vnto the Emperour Leo professe Their Consent in the Catholike faith with the chiefe Priests in the Christian world naming as well Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Basil Bishop of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem as Leo Bishop of Rome The Decree of the Church of Carthage in her third Councell standeth thus It is decreed that we consult hereupon with our brethren Syricius viz. Bishop of Rome and Simplician viz. Bishop of Milane Not to omit how you confesse that The Bishops of Constantinople did sometime enioy the title of Vniuersall Bishops equally with the Bishops of Rome but this they did say you by permission of the Bishops of Rome and vpon conniuence Tell you this to them who know not that Maiestie brooking no Corriuall the Monarchie of Popes would neuer dispense or continue at any One vsurping equall Title of Monarchicall Iurisdiction which is as much as to snatch their Papall Miters from of their heads CHALLENGE THe distinction of East and West is not more familiarly knowne to euery vulgar man than is the distinction of East and West-Church by euery babe in Historicall learning vnderstanding thereby that they were anciently held as two generall parts of the Catholike Church and not as one subordinate to another as will afterwards more plainly appeare Againe vnlesse you shall except against the most ancient and vniuersally approued Instructors and guides of the Catholike Church we must conclude that the East part of the world is not more opposite vnto the West than is your now Romane Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church contrary to Catholike Antiquitie Insomuch that as when Protestants are controlled condemned tormented or put to death for renouncing this your Article Ignatius Ireneus to omit the authoritie of Councels and Others Tertullian Athanasius Vinc. Lirinensis and Augustine may seeme to suffer in them because it may be said of the rest which your Rhenanus spake of one saying Tertullian if he were aliue should not escape vnpunished for such his Praescriptions So False and Imposterous is your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church as hauing Dominion ouer all Others CHAP. VIII Our third Argument taken from the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in the first Six Generall Councels after the Apostles Besides a Seuenth and Eight Councell in Your estimation Generall SECT 1. EVery true Generall Councell you will esteeme to be the Representatiue Church Catholike than which after the euidence of diuine Scriptures the Oracles of God no better proofe can be required by the Professors of the Christian faith For this cause we hold it our duetie for your better satisfaction to giue you Instances in the first Six Generall Councels beginning at the first Generall Councell of Nice I. That the Beliefe of the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which c. damneth all the Catholike Fathers of the Councell of Nice and their Beleeuers SECT 2. THe first Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous first Councell of Nice consisting of CCCXVIII Bishops by whom were made two Decrees vtterly preiudiciall to the now Article of the Dominion of the Romane Church and Pope aboue all other Churches and their Bishops One is against the Appeales of persons Excommunicate in any Dioces vnto remote Churches which the Bishops of the Church of Africke in their Councell wherein Saint Augustine was an Actor did absolutely denie by virtue of the Canon of the Councell of Nice The second Instance in the sixt Canon of the same Nicene Synod decreeing thus That the Bishops of Alexandria should haue the Gouernment ouer Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis
shall wee denie the truth of Their Martyrdome namely of those ancient Bishops of Rome who wee are assured dyed for the same Truth which we professe as in other points of Religion and diuine worship so also most apparantly for this our particular defence of not exacting Temporall Subiection of Kings and Emperours wherein we finde a vast gulfe of difference betwixt This your and That their Romane Faith For they as you haue heard would rather bee killed than trouble States and violate Temporall Powers and Authorities but your Popes in their Bulls proclaime that their Professors and Beleeuers ought rather to kill and be killed than not resist The determination of this point will bee according to the sense of your Romane Article a requiring vpon losse of saluation a beleefe of Temporall Subiection from all Kings and Emperours to your Popes whereby all these 27. godly Popes the faithfull Martyrs of Christ are damned who as is testified professed Obedience and Subiection vnto them euen to death Whom therefore we contrarily produce as so many Martyrs that is Witnesses by their blood that your now Article of Subiection in the Popish sense thereof is iustly to be condemned and those whom you call Martyrs for dying in defence thereof may bee your Popes Martyrs but nothing lesse than the Martyrs of Christ. A Memoriall concerning all Christian Emperours which haue receiued Baptisme the badge and Character of Christianitie SECT 3. PAsse we from gazing vpon the flagge with the Red-Crosse dyed in the blood of Martyrs to the Ensigne with the Crosse partly bloody Red as before as in the daies of Iulian the Apostate partly Blacke through the ignominies which Popes and other holy Professors sustained by Emperours whether Hereticall or Orthodoxe and partly white through the peace of Emperours euery way Catholike What will your Article concerning Subiection determine against all these You distinguish them either into Woolues such you call all Emperors which of Catholikes turne either Apostates or Heretikes of these you conclude that your Pope hath power to driue them away by all meanes possible Or else into Rammes signifying such Kings and Emperours who notwithstanding they be in profession true Catholikes yet doe any way oppresse or destroy the Church of whom you determine that your Pope As Shepheard by his power ought to compell these as furious Rammes by all meanes conuenient And what you hold Conuenient meanes we haue learned already by your obiected practises in dispossessing of Kings Emperors by force of Armes as namely these Childericke King of France the Emperour Henry the Third the Emperour Otho the Fourth and the Emperour Lodowicke the Fourth not for any note of Heresie but onely for not Subiecting themselues to the Popes Dignity and Dominion For we are now to confute the double presumption of your now Popes the one is their Violence agaist Emperours the other their not Reuerence vnto them as vnto their Superiours and that by the Examples of godly Popâ—â— of former Ages I. Examples of no-Violence vsed by Ancient Popes a-against Kings and Emperours SECT 4. WE are to speake of those times when their raigned among Christians not onely Tygers such as were Heathenish Tyrants but Woolues as Constantius and Valens both persecuting Hertikes and Iulian the Apostate who raised the Twelfth persecution besides Iustinian who as you haue heard dealt so hardly with your Two Popes Syluerius and Vigilius to omit others of the like boldnesse whom you may reckon among your Rammes In which cases Pope Boniface the Eighth requireth Both swords viz. Temporall and Spirituall Authority to be in his owne power so that the Temporall be subiect to the Spirituall As though the Churh could not possibly subsist without such a predominant power Ecclesiasticall ouer whatsoeuer Temporall Ordinance that shall any way afflict her or any of her members We are now in a Question of Fact and finde that as then in particular Syluerius and Vigilius both Popes being sent into Banishment by the Emperour Iustinian did not make resistance but petitioned for fauour and peace so now generally that as is confessed No Pope in all the Succession of Peter did Depose any Emperour before Pope Gregory the Seuenth that is not vntill a Thousand and Sixty yeeres after Christ. Wee faine would know what Answer you can make to this to quit your latter Popes from an inexcusable Innouation and intollerable Vsurpation and Inuasion vpon the Iurisdiction of Princes whether Ethnickes or Christians and of these whether Heretikes or Catholikes and of these whether Peaceable or Turbulent and obnoxious and the onely satisfaction your Cardinall will affoord vs is this If Christians saith he in antient times did not depose Dioclesian an Heathen Emperour Iulian an Apostate Valens an Heretike and others meaning Disturbers of the Church which were otherwise Catholikes the reason was because they wanted force and power So hâ—â—han which Answer for we must thinke your Cardinall was greatly learned none could be more vnconscionable all Antiquity prouing it to be agregiously false Tertullian and Cyprian two ancient Fathers being vnder the persecution of Heathen Emperours doe make their Apologies in the behalfe of the Christian and Catholike Church Tertullian thus God forbid that our Christian Profession should bee reuenged by humane power or should grieue to suffer that whereby we are tried albeit if we would become either secret or else open Reuengers of our owne wrongs could we want either number or power What Warre is there that we are not fit for yea and ready also to vndertake if that our Religion taught vs not rather to bee killed than to kill for the profession thereof Accordingly Saint Cyprian Our Professors saith he doe not take reuenge against vniust violence albeit our people be more in number Saint Ambrose was vexed vnder the hand of an Heretike and slyeth to his weapons but wot you what My prayers and teares saith he are my weapons I neither may nor can make any other resistance Not as you confesse that Ambrose had not power to resist with whom the people and greatest part of the Souldiers tooke part but because hee would not defend himselfe by Armes A Case so euident vniuersall and indeed honorable that your owne Authors do record it for the credit and glory of the Catholike Church in those ages saying that Christians neuer plotted against the secular gouernement no not when they were equall in strength They neuer conspired against Tyrants although for multitude they might easily haue made resistance because they were commanded namely in Scripture to performe Obedience And which is as much as can be said Not one ancient Father saith Another nor any one Writer albeit otherwise Orthodoxe and Catholike for more than a thousand yeeres space whilest yet the Church abounded in power of Armes was euer read to teach the contrarie So they II. CHALLENGE A Thousand yeeres space from Christ in the whole Church
Saint Saint Athanasius was Excommunicated by Pope Liberius and notwithstanding remained a Saint The very names of Baronius and Bellarmine we know carry such Authority with you that they will preponderate whatsoeuer can be said against them who ioyntly consent in this that followeth Pope Liberius say they through the faction of Arian Heretikes is by the Authority of Constantius the Emperour sent into banishment By the same Hereticall Arian Bishops is Felix made Bishop and placed in the Romane Sea When Liberius perceiued Felix to be intruded into his Chaire he after two yeares Banishment enuying and grieuing hereat doth ioyne communion with those Heretikes and gaue consent to the condemnation of Athanasius So they Our Assumption will be this that Athanasius neither before nor after the death of Felix did regard this Excommunication of Liberius Immediatly after this you esteeme Felix to be the Legitimate Pope but pronounce Liberius a Schismatike and one remooued from the societie of Catholikes and from his Papall function Which your Conclusions do notably fight against your owne Principles First this that There cannot be two Popes together in one Sea because this were as horrible a monster as a body with two heads One Pope then must be acknowledged Your next Principle is that No Pope can be deposed except he appeare to be a manifest Heretike whereby he ceasseth ipso facto to be a Pope without any other iudgement at all Yet grant you concerning Liberius that He was a Catholike in his inward iudgement notwithstanding his outward communion with Heretikes Your last Principle is that The Pope cannot be iudged of any on earth because he is Prince and therefore superior vnto the whole Church Catholike throughout the earth All these Premises being reduced into a Logicall forme will make vp our Conclusion thus No Catholike Bishop of Rome can be iudged or deposed But Liberius notwithstanding his consenting to the Condemnation of Athanasius and Communicating with Heretikes was a Catholike Bishop Ergo He could not be iudged or deposed from his Popedome If therefore Athanasius being Excommunicated by Liberius neuer sought as you all know any Vnion either with him or yet with Felix in his stead it must follow that he all that time contemned his Excommunication After the death of Felix who was Pope one yeare and some few moneths Liberius obtaineth againe your good reputation for presenly he was accompted the Legitimate Pope Why It is euident saith your Cardinall that Felix being dead Liberius vnited the Church of Rome which was then rent and diuided into a Schisme and became one Sheapheard of one sheepefold So they Where it will be as euident that during the time of Felix Athanasius if hee would haue sought Vnion with the Church of Rome could not know where to find it because the Catholike Church being but One Body One Spouse One Sheepfold how could now the Romane Church be called the Catholike which was as is confessed rent by a Schisme from it selfe But why stand wee wrestling with you for that which of your owne accord you are ready to grant willingly vnto vs It is a matter worthy consideration saith your Cardinall and so indeed it is to know what Liberius did after the death of Felix about the time of the Councell of Arimine which happened to be some two yeares after the departure of Felix And what this is he will haue vs vnderstand from the Epistle of Liberius vnto Athanasius principally thus This is our Confession most wished Athanasius wherein if you consent with me I pray you euen before our Iudge God and Christ to subscribe thereunto that I may be made the more secure thereby and readily performe your Command So the Pope to Athanasius Which Profession of Liberius saith your Cardinall was a solliciter for the repayring of the rent of that Communion which had bene formerly betweene them So he CHALLENGE IF therefore you will not regard our Inferences yet Liberius his owne Epistle and your Cardinall his Comment must giue light to any that shall not wilfully stupifie and blindfold himselfe namely to discerne That there was a breach of Communion betweene Pope Liberius and Athanasius That this continued two yeares for so long it was betweene the death of Felix and that Councell of Arimine whilest that Liberius was throughout the Church of Rome vniuersally acknowledged the Ligitimate Pope That the Seeker for this Communion was not Athanasius who had bene Excommunicate but Liberius who was the Excommunicator euen now being the true Pope That the tenor of the same Epistle is written in all submission both of his vnderstanding to the iudgment of Athanasius if he should happily consent also in the same behalfe to his will whatsoeuer he should Command If the like Epistle had bene written by Athanasius to Liberius we know how diligently and exactly and with what boldnesse you would haue pressed euery syllable thereof scarce could you examine any one word which should not haue seemed to weigh the weight of a Pope We conclude Athanasius being diuided from the Communion of the Pope so long time and not seeking to be reconciled before he was sought vnto by the Pope himselfe doth euidently shew that he belieued not at all your Article of Vnion with the Pope of Rome as with the Head of the Catholike Church vpon Necessity of Saluation Must we therefore iudge Athanasius therein damned nay rather damned be this your Article as Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and Hereticall whereby such a Saint should be damned who as your Author confesseth was so excellent an Organ of Truth that If all the commendations of ancient Fathers should be gathered together yet were they not sufficient to set forth the conflicts which this one hath had for defence of the Faith because no one I speake confidently sayth your Lippelous hath after the Apostles vndergone more continuall and grieuous conflicts for the patronage of Truth than he whom Gregory Nazianzene therefore calleth the Eie of the world the chiefe Captaine and Master of Priests and the stay and pillar of Faith So he So admirable was his Faith and Constancy in impugning their Obiections and induring their infinite Calumniations and persecutions IV. Saint Basil Bishop of Caesarea belieued not the Article of necessary Subiection to Rome SECT 4. LOoke againe into your Romane Calendar and you shall reade thus Saint Basil Bishop and Confessor A Saint then he was without exception in whom you will seeme to haue some Interest as though he would beare witnesse to the Antiquity of your Article of Vniuersall Romish Iurisdiction ouer all other Churches of Christ. Your Obiection SAint Basil writ an Epistle to Saint Athanasius whence if we belieue your Cardinall you may conclude that Saint Basil attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome authority of visiting the Churches in the East by whom he pleased and of making Decrees by his Authority and disanulling Generall Councels such as
was the Councell of Arimine So he And why must not this be true if you will allow your Cardinall Bellarmine to make this Greeke Father to speake what Papall Romane Language he shall impose by his Sophisticall translation But your Cardinall Baronius one otherwise as partiall as any Writer euer was and catching at euery shadow of proofe for the aduancement of Papall Monarchy hath made another interpretation of the words of Saint Basil which may be a iust confutation of your other Cardinall from point to point For Bellarmine talketh of the Popes Seeing the Easterne Bishops by a Visitation of Iurisdiction But Baronius alloweth no more than a Seeing by Consideration of their estate but euery Care and Consideration of other mens estate doth not inferre a Iurisdiction ouer them Secondly Bellarmine will needs haue Saint Basil to desire the Popes Decree another tenure of Papall Authority Baronius readeth the word Councell or Aduise which may agree with a Co-equall Thirdly Bellarmine interpreteth Basil as though he yeelded to the Pope a peremptory power of Cutting off and disanulling the Acts of Generall Councels such as was that of Arimine Baronius saith that the motion of Basil was they should Bring with them such things as had bene done namely by some Orthodox at Arimine which might make for the necessary solution of that Councell which all Catholikes haue iudged Hereticall But this argueth not an Authoritatiue power proper to the Pope of dissoluing of Decrees of any Generall Councell which for the space of sixe hundred yeares he neuer had but an Arbitrary Authority granted vnto him by consent of the Easterne Bishops to exercise his fatherly and graue iudgement for the better establishing of the East-Churches which were now rent into sixe seuerall Schismes through the difference of sixe diuerse Heresies Howsoeuer what Authority this was we may best know from Saint Basill himselfe who deploring the State of the East-Churches now pestered with diuers pernitious Heretikes desireth helpe from the Bishops of the West how To comfort the afflicted and to set right and restore those that are broken Helpe then of Confortation it was not of Dominion Secondly shewing that he desireth no more helpe from the Westerne Bishops than the Bishops of the East both ought and would requite in the like case he calleth it A mutuall helpe of louing and brotherly Visitation or Consideration Thirdly his reason why he is so importunate to haue the helpe of the Westerne Bishops he expresseth to be this Because that priuate grudges among the Bishops of the East hindered the fruit of their doctrine and therefore the Westerne Bishops the farther distant they were so much the more Authority would they haue with the people and he addeth that Accustomed speach is not so preualent as that which proceedeth from Strangers chiefly if they were such as were more specially indued with Gods grace as you are euery where knowne to be saith Saint Basil speaking of the Westerne Bishops because you haue preserued the Faith in all sincerity among you So Saint Basil who would neuer haue vsed so often so great and sometimes indeed so crosse and thwarting reasons to moue the Westerne Bishops to compassionate their case and helping them for composing of such and so pernicious distractions by reasons taken onely from Brotherly loue Mutuall duty and Facility of effectuating that great good because of the Remotenesse of their dwelling and therefore to be esteemed persons more indifferent because of their Constancie in preseruation of sincere Faith and consequently beetter witnesses for the ancient Truth without any mention at all of the Prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome as their Pope or of their Church of Rome as their Mother and Mistresse as you haue pretended if he had any beleefe of this Article Because this one reason taken from the Papall Romane Iurisdiction and dominion if it had bene a matter of Faith had bene more perswasiue and would haue bene more preualent than whatsoeuer hath hitherto bene mentioned by S. Basil. Besides which will be worthy your remarking after fowre seuerall Legations and Messages from the Greeke Church deliuered vnto the Bishops of the Latine Church for their help the Greekes as Baronius is perswaded neuer receiued any Answer Now therefore consult with your best iudgments whether the Church of Rome and her Chiefe Bishop whom Saint Basil more than once condemneth of Pride which Pride was also condemned by a Councellin Africke vnder Saint Cyprian and another wherein Saint Augustine was present for intruding craftily and iniustly vpon the Iurisdiction of other Churches would in humility refuse the offer of Subiection of the whole Greeke Church or he not haue exercised his Visitation ouer them if any such authority had beene intended by Saint Basil. For so should Rome haue beene marked with a greater note of infamy than was her Pride euen her deserting of the flocke of Christ committed vnto her and in a manner betraying the Cause of Catholikes vnto their many and most mischieuous Aduersaries the Sects of Heretikes But wee shall shew that Saint Basil was of a flat contrarie Faith Our Opposition shewing that Saint Basil did not beleeue your Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Pope or Church Baronius would you should know that Saint Basil hauing written diuers letters and sent many Messages vnto Pope Damasus and to other Westerne Bishops yet receiuing no Answer from them in so vexatious and perilous times when the Greeke Church seemed as a ship almost split asunder by the continuall billowes of most pestilent Heresies He thereupon fell into distrust and if he might so say hatred with the Church of Rome So he We had rather you should heare Saint Basil expressing his owne Cordolium and hearts-griefe What helpe can we expect saith he from the supercilious Pride and haughtinesse of the Westerne Bishops who neither know the truth themselues nor yet will Baronius negligently rendereth it Tell learne it Againe I meant to write vnto the Chiefe of them meanig Pope Damasus to signifie by letters that Pride ought not to be accompted a Dignity And againe the same holy Father Saint Basil speaking of the Church of Rome as you know said I hate the Pride and arrogancie of that Church Yea but wee heare him call the Bishop of Rome CHIEFE True but with this limitation their Chiefe And yet if it had beene Chiefe of all others could this inferre a Popedome and Dominion aboue others Then must you confesse that Athanasius was more Pope than Damasus For Basill that calleth Damasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying The Crowne of the Head The chiefe of all Wee are saith he to flie vnto thy integrity as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Top or Crowne of All others CHALLENGE SAint Basil Bishop of Caesarea speaking of the Bishops of the West saith distinctly I meant to write
Scriptures Chrysostome called by Pope Innocentius The Great Doctor of the whole world Augustine called The most singular Doctor of all Churches And Hilarius by your Cardinall worthily accompted The greatest Doctor and Pillar of the Catholike Church Next if you would haue Metaphoricall phrases of like efficacy and Emphasis you may obserue Athanasius anciently called The stay and foundation of the Church Basil the mouth of the Church the eye of the world the light of the world and the Sunne among the Starres Lastly if you require a further expression and commendation of the credit and Authority of the forenamed Fathers in the Truth of their Doctrines then may you happen vpon some which will more Emphatically and significantly giue your Papall Monarches the mate as namely that the Doctrines of Athanasius were of that credit that they were held for A Rule of the Orthodoxe Faith Nazianzene to haue bene of so great estimation for his Doctrine that he obtained the surname of Diuine primitiuely ascribed to the Euangelist Saint Iohn insomuch that whosoeuer dissented from him in any point of Doctrine was thereupon so much rather iudged an Heretike euery one being deemed not to be sound in the Faith that accorded not to him in beliefe Ambrose to haue receiued and gouerned the helme of the Faith in the ship of Christ which is his Church Augustine to haue bene honoured of all as the builder againe of the ancient Faith and Cyril of Alexandria to haue bene called The Iudge of the whole world Thus much of the twelfth Title The Thirteenth The Bishop of Rome say you was called by Saint Augustine The Bishop of the Apostolike Sea meaning the Romane without addition of the word Romane Ergò by way of Excellency it argueth him to be Monarch False for so the Bishop of Alexandria was in like manner called by Saint Hierome The Bishop of the Apostolicall Sea without any addition of the word Alexandrian Yea but you say the Bishop of Rome is further said to hold the Principality or Chiefedome of the Apostolicall Sea Ergò Monarch False for the Bishop of Antioch also was said to possesse The Primacy of the Apostolike Sea yea and Others also Oh but further say you the office of the Bishop of Rome is called an Apostleship Ergò Monarch False for if this Consequence be extended to the times of the Apostles then must Iudas Iscariot haue bene a Monarch who had an Apostleship Act. 1.25 And Matthias after him should haue bene another Monarch who was chosen into the same Apostleship from which Iudas fell And if you restraine it to after-times then can no Bishop properly arrogate an Apostleship which was an Office as your selues confesse Proper vnto the immediate Apostles of Christ. Lastly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Vniuersall Bishop Ergò Monarch False for as is confessed the Popes of Rome by conniuency yeelded to the Bishop of Constantinople that the Bishop of that Sea should vse the same Title of Vniuersall Bishop as well as the Bishop of Rome and yet was he no more Monarch than Cyril the now Patriarch of Alexandria who is instiled Pope and Vniuersall Iudge at this day Our third Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the Papall Defence from bare Titles is by your owne Contradictions SECT 4. HItherto haue we examined your Titles giuen to the Popes of Rome in the equall scales of Comparison with other Bishops and find them all too light neither scale being able to carry the weight of a Monarch We now proceed to a further Confutation of your Arguments Consequences in many of them from your owne Confessions and Reasons You haue first obiected the Title of Pope of Rome as The most ancient name of the Bishop of Rome yet you confesse that there was a time so Ancient when Neither the name of Papa or Pontifex were attributed to the Bishop of Rome but onely the bare Title of Bishop of Rome Againe of this name you haue affirmed that it was Anciently giuen to the Bishop of Rome Per Antonomasiam by way of Excellence as proper vnto him and yet you grant that The name of Pope was appropriated onely to the Bishop of Rome by the Decree of Pope Gregory the seauenth in a Councell at Rome about the yeare 1073. Againe you noted the Bishop of Rome to be called Papa Ecclesiae Father of the Church as if he were altogether Father and could not by any Relation be Filius Ecclesiae the Child of the Church or Subiect to a Councell Which bladder of pride was pricked by the Fathers of the Councell of Basil arguing thus If the Church Catholike be the Mother of all the faithfull then the Bishop of Rome ought to be Child vnto her else according to that saying of blessed Augustine he cannot haue God for his Father that hath not the Church for his Mother So they Haue you not now by your propriety of the name Papa spunne a faire threed whereby you strangle your Popes and Popedome it selfe As for the fourth Title of Summus Pontifex or Chiefe Priest you haue auouched from thence that the Pope of Rome is the onely Monareh And yet yeeld that there may be Two Chiefes in euery kind namely Negatiuely as that which hath none aboue it although not Affirmatiuely chiefe as that which is aboue all others So then it is not necessary that the word Chiefe should inferre a Supremacy else Pope Leo was farre ouershot when speaking of Bishops in Generall he called them Summi Pontifices Chiefe Priests and so making All other Popes made himselfe none at all because still the Monarchy can be but of One. Nor thus onely but further you who by one Cardinall haue made these words Pontifex Maximus and Sacerdos Summus to be Notes of Monarchie in the Popes do by another Cardinall contradict it saying that The name of Pontifex Maximus may admit of Equality with others except there be ioyned with this another Title of Bishop of Bishops Which also as you know is insufficient because Pope Clemens in the Epistle which you call his called the Apostle Saint Iames The Bishop of Bishops euen in the dayes of Saint Peter The ninth Title you contended for as proper to the Pope was the name of Pastor or Sheapheard of the flocke of Christ Notwithstanding of all other Bishops in the Christian Church the Pope hath least right to be called Pastor except it be Per Antiphrasim à non pascendo because you cannot reckon for some hundreds of yeares scarce any One Pope that professedly discharged his Function of Preaching albeit Preaching be acknowledged more than once by your Fathers of the Councell of Trent to be The Chiefe office of a Bishop If therefore as your Cardinall himselfe preached He deserueth not the name of
you haue heard And in the same Book entituled Against all profane Innouations he doth throughout condemne all your new Articles of the now Romane Church by one infallible and inuiolable Rule which is this that No Article as of Faith should be admitted into the Church which was not taught and professed in the dayes of the Apostles Your last Father for due Antiquity is Cassidore who because he saith no more than hath bene formerly said we forbeare to answer more than hath bene answered that from Particular Answers we may now speedily addresse our selues to the more Generall Our Generall Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the former Obiections out of the Ancient Fathers SECT 10. DIstingue tempora is a necessary Aphorisme and Caution especially in historicall Obseruations Right glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God saith Dauid of Ierusalem but when when the Inhabitants professed the true worship of God But assoone as they reuolted from God then Bethel became Bethauen and the Virgin Sion an Adulterous whore So say wee Right admirable commendations haue bene often Anciently attributed to the Church and Bishops of Rome for their Integritie of life Constancie in the Faith Care and Conscience for the preseruation of all Churches in the Christian profession But not to distinguish in both these the differences of Times by Was from Is were to confound Chastity with Adultery God with Belial Christ with Antichrist Apply we this to the point in Question Take vnto you this Position When the Fathers say that the Church of Rome cannot erre the word Cannot is not to be taken absolutely and simply How like you this Thesis Do you approue of it Then do all your proofes from Testimonies of Ancient Fathers concerning the power dignity and integrity of the Ancient Church of Rome vanish with their times because the Church of Rome is long since farre degenerated from her first integrity But do you not allow it why it is the Confession of Bellarmine the greatest Champion that your Church hath had in these later Ages He onely addeth to the Thesis this Caution So long as the Apostolicall Sea continueth at Rome he should haue said with vs according to the Generall Doctrine of the Fathers So long as the ancient and sincere Faith and diuine worship is preserued at Rome for it is not Sedes but Fides that defineth a Church And for your further knowledge that the Commendations giuen vnto Rome and other Churches in the dayes of Antiquity were not absolutly and simply vnderstood call but to mind how often Tertullian Irenaeus Augustine Optatus and other Fathers for the proofe of Orthodox Doctrines did instance in the Churches of Corinth Thessaly Antioch Asia and other Churches as well as in Rome To giue you one Example for all in the last of Asia because it commeth first to hand it is that which you receiued but euen now out of Optatus who speaking of the Churches of Asia Whosoeuer saith he is without these Churches namely concerning the Faith professed is an Alien and without Saluation This was then as iustly said of Asia as now it cannot be said thereof and what one Encomium of Presidence onely that of Order excepted or Iudgment or Sanctity hath bene euer exhibited to Ancient Popes by any Excellency of Titles which as you haue heard by iust Parallells haue not bene communicated vnto Athanasius Basil Augustine and some other Fathers Yet are we not contented with this Answer although otherwise most true but add for clearer Demonstration of this Truth and auerre that the glorious Phrases which were anciently ascribed to the Church of Rome and her Bishops were not giuen as absolutely and simply belonging to her no not in those very times of Antiquity when they were more proper vnto her For Cyprian that said in his Epistle to Pope Cornelius that No perfidiousnesse could haue accesse to Rome meant not that this his Commendation should continue in Succession with their Popes who himselfe in his Epistle to Pope Stephen one who a yeare after the death of Cornelius succeeded in the same Popedome did vehemently reproue yea and reproach him for admitting the very same kind of Perfidiousnesse before mentioned euen by his allowing of False and perfidious Excommunicates and Incorrigible persons Appealing to his See And Hierom who accompted euery one Prophane and execrable that did not Communicate with Pope Damasus would not haue so farre honoured Pope Liberius whom hee himselfe brandeth with a blacke marke of Subscribing to Arian Heresie Lastly Saint Augustine that magnified Rome in this style saying The Principality of the Romane Chaire did alwaies flourish extended not this to an Absolute Monarchy who himselfe was one of them that in the Councell of Africke clipped the wings thereof by decreeing that Transmarine Appeales should not be made meaning to Rome The speed we make to new matter will not suffer vs to multiply Instances from other former Examples I. CHALLENGE AS often therefore as you haue obiected vnto vs the Encomiasticall speaches of Ancient Fathers we may challenge you to obserue the difference betweene your Obiections and our Retorsions You vrge onely the Phrase and we the Reason of the speach Againe you haue obtruded the sound of Words of the Fathers we haue opposed their euident Acts and Deeds the best Interpreters of their sayings From their Acts therefore we take confidence to argue that to omit the great and weightier matters if S. Polycarpus would not yeeld to the Church and Pope of Rome no not so much as in a Feast-day Saint Augustine not so much as in a Fast Saint Basil not so much as in exception against onely the word Hypostasis Saint Ambrose not so much as in a Ceremony of Washing of feet which are you will thinke in respect but matters of Mint annise and cummin how shall not our Opposition stand iustifiable who refuse Vnion and Subiection vnto her for the great matter of the Law word of God If vilification of the Sufficiency of his written Testaments if Mutilation of a true Sacrament and which is worse the Addition of fiue false ones if babling in vnknowne prayer if forging of new Faiths and not to speake of the daily tyrannie vpon mens Consciences by her strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or New Constitutions if in some respects as absurd as Heathenish Idolatrie may seeme vnto you iust cause of exception against her wherein our Profession is iustified from point to point by the same Fathers So damnable is your now Romane Article of Absolute Necessity of Vnion and Subiection vnto the Church and Bishop of Rome as without which there is no Saluation by which together with your Aduersaries you damne those whom euery where you assume to haue bene your owne Ancient Fathers on earth and now acknowledge them Saints in heauen II. CHALLENGE A Second Consideration which is to be had in this point is to obserue the list
hath beene prooued by the Testimonies of Catholike and General Councels Fathers and Martyrs to be an Errour in it selfe The other Principle is that whereon the former dependeth to wit that the Bishop or Pope of Rome is the Vniuersall Head of the Catholike Church which in the iudgement of a most ancient and holy Pope is not onely a Prophane and Antichristian errour in it selfe but also the high-way of erring vniuersally Because saith hee if that One Vniuersall Bishop erre then must the whole and Vniuersall Church erre with him Where the same Saint Gregorie vpon a particular occasion taken at Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople who ambitiously sought the Title of Vniuersall Bishop gaue this his foresaid generall Doctrine concerning any Bishop whatsouer whether in the See of Constantinople or Rome or wheresoeuer Euen as the Apostle vpon occasion of confuting of one new error among the Galatians giueth them a generall lesson against all other the like Nouelties of Doctrin If we or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise than hath been preached vnto you let him be Anathema or Accursed And that diuerse Popes haue beene Heretikes your owne Histories doe sufficiently proclaime especially in the example of Pope Honorius whom two Generall Councels three Romane Popes his Successours and diuers others your owne zealous Popish Writers haue reckoned among the Monothelites But you will say albeit that Pope were a Monothelite yet did not the whole Catholike Church fall into that Heresie with him True which manifesteth the falshood of your now Romane Article in as much as in those ancient times neither did the Church truely called Catholike hold the Pope to be the Catholike or Vniuersall Head of the Church neither yet did that which you abusiuely absurdly and falsely call the Catholike Church to wit the Church of Rome it selfe beleeue your Article of Infallibilitie of iudgement in your Popes A memorable example wee haue in your Pope Liberius who professing himselfe an Arian and seeking by his Arian faction to returne to his See found a bloudy resistance by both the Clergie and people of the Church of Rome as your selues well know But now when as the falsly-vsurped Title of Vniuersall Head carrieth in the beliefe of the new Church of Rome a confidence of an Vniuersall truth in whatsoeuer new Doctrine of faith in this Case that saying of Christ is verified If the blinde such is hee that in the opinion of his Vniversall Headship presumeth vpon an Infallibilitie of iudgement leade the blinde such are all they who by an Implicit and blind beliefe adhere vnto him as to an Oracle of Diuine truth Both shall fall into the ditch THESIS III. There is not in all Scripture any Prophecie of the fall of any Church Christian from the faith but onely of the Church of Rome from which it may sometime be Necessary to depart SECT 11. FOr where can you finde in all Scripture tell vs that the Spirit of God brandeth any Citie Christian with the note of certaine Apostasie from the truth but onely the Citie of Rome Your owne Iesuites haue confessed Themselues being compelled thereunto by the light of the Reuelation of the holy Ghost in the booke of Reuelation Apoc. 12. to acknowledge saying The Citie of Rome is Babylon there prophesied of to become before the end of the world The Seat of Antichrist and after to be suddenly and visibly Destroyed by the vengeance of God And although they are not more ingenuous in this Confession concerning the Citie of Rome in the dayes of Antichrist to come than they are not to dissemble with you zealous and indeede obstinate in denying that it can be ment of the Church of Rome yet would we faine know what you would thinke of the Church of England if the like Prophecie were extant in God's booke pointing out the Citie of London to be in times to come The Seat of Antichrist Would you desire a more Popular argument especially in these times wherein the ends of the world are come vpon vs to perswade your people to abhorre and detest the Church of England euen for that Citie sake But you are further to remember that which hath beene already prooued that your Church cannot be called The Church of Rome but by reason of the Seate thereof which is in the Citie of Rome Which wee now moreouer Confirme by the Apostle Saint Paul who writing to the Romanes maketh this the Inscription of his Epistle Chap. 1.7 To all you that are at Rome And againe ver 15. I am ready to preach vnto you that are at Rome Signifying that it cannot hereby be called the Church of Rome without relation to a company of Professours in the Citie of Rome Whensoeuer therefore Rome as is confessed shall become that Babylon and Seate of Antichrist whereof the Spirit saith to the faithfull Come out of Babylon my people Apoc. 18.4 then the necessitie of Departure must needes follow THESIS IV. The Church of Rome hath long beene and still is the most Schismaticall Church of all other Churches Christian that carry in them a Visible face of a Church SECT 12. OH that this could be iustly doubted of your owne supreame Article doth abundantly proue it to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation By which one Article as you haue heard doe stand Excommunicate as much as lyeth in your Romane Church and depriued of all hope of Saluation the most renoumed godly Emperors the most ancient and Reuerend Popes the most graue and Orthodoxe Patriarkes and Fathers of the first Eight in your owne estimation Generall Councels the most famous Christian Churches the most constant Martyrs Confessours and Saints of God that the primitiue times of Christ his Church haue knowne and recorded to posteritie many whereof are at this day registred in the Romane Martyrologe and Calendar of Saints All which hath beene fully proued than which what Doctrine of Schismatikes can be more Schismaticall And what shall wee say of the After-ages of the Church wherein wee haue obserued the Church of the Graecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians not to mention as yet the Churches of Protestants Armenians Russians and others for extent more large than Rome for worship more pure for faith more sound and for profession thereof more constant by sustaining daily iniuries and thraldomes vnder the Mahumetans and other Pagan Enemies all which Churches amount to innumerable numbers of Christian soules who being by your Article of The Catholike Romane Church excluded from your Communion must accordingly be held to perish euerlastingly But pardon vs if wee from the Example of these so many Churches Christian of so large extent and long Continuance make bold to vse a little Logicke with you in this manner That Church which onely diuideth it selfe from the Communion of all other truely professed Christian Churches in the world the same is the most Schismaticall Church in the Christian
very Baud of all Impietie Whence to vse your owne words Adulteries Incests Periuries Homicides and the spawne of all euils did arise THESIS II. LVTHER had necessary Cause to Depart from the Church of Rome SECT 15. IT is not as you haue heard the corruption of a Doctrine which can alwaies driue a man out of the Church except other properties of necessary Remoouing do concurre What these are you may call to your remembrance Which may be obserued in this Case of Luther and iustifie him before God and Man As first the generall Obstinacie of contrary Teachers such as were the Romish of whom Luther complained saying They Alto fastu with high disdaine contemned my Preaching against Indulgences Secondly Luthers hearing if he had stayed the way of Truth often blasphemed Thirdly Luthers complaining of violent forcing of men to subscribe vnto New Articles this is Tyrannie And lastly he further chargeth them with Compelling him to submit to Satanicall Doctrines speaking both of the vilenesse of Indulgences and the Idolatrie of and in the Romish Masse Albeit any One of all these had bene a sufficient cause for him to warrant his Departure out of Romish Babylon THESIS III. LVTHER and his Followers were farre more safe for their Soules state in that Separation from the Church of Rome and lesse Schismatikes than They whom he forsooke SECT 16. ALL sound knowledge is by vnderstanding of the true Causes of things It is the Cause that distinguisheth a Martyr from an Heretike and the same iust Cause also truely and essentially vniteth one with the true Catholike Church discerneth him both from an Excommunicate properly so called and from a Schismatike Attend then to that which your Cardinall would haue you to MARKE Marke saith he that an vniust sentence of Excommunication is of no force at all Accordingly Saint Augustine Iniusta vincula iustitia disrumpit Vniust bonds are more iustly broken then kept Of this somewhat more hath bene said in a former Thesis This knowne it wil be no hard matter to find out the true Schismatike For as it is the vnlawfull Agent and not the Innocent Patient that maketh the Fray so in Excommunication Whosoeuer Excommunicateth another vniustly condemneth not that other but himselfe Accordingly in Separation from any Church the Actiue if vniust and not the partie Passiue is the Schismatike vpon which Suppositition Firmilianus Concluded against Stephen Pope of Rome that the said Stephen was the Schismatike by his Excommunicating and separating S. Cyprian with many Others in the Africane Chuches and else-where from his Communion In like Case well said once your Cardinall Benno that Eusebius did binde Liberius by forsaking his Communion Euen as did also the Africane Bishops in their Synod by Excluding Pope Vigilius out of their Communion in the dayes of Iustinian Now that Luther was vniustly Excommunicate by your Pope the first Thesis hath fully prooued And that Luther was a Passiue in this Separation appeareth not onely by his owne Complaints saying I was Compelled Constrained c. but also by the Proceedings of Pope Leo against him Else why is it that your owne Thuanus speaking of this Separation said that Some in those dayes layd the fault vpon Pope Leo More fully your Cassander an Author selected in those dayes by the King of the Romanes as the chiefest Diuine of his time and one most fit to be Consulted with concerning the same Separation of Protestants I cannot saith he denie many of them in the beginning to haue bene mooued and prouoked with a pious zeale to a sharpe reprehension of manifest Abuses and that the principall cause of this calamity and Disunion is to be imputed to them who superciliously and disdainefully contemned such godly Admonitions Neither yet euer had there bene as I am perswaded any Contention about the externall Vnitie of the Church except the Popes had abused their authority to an ambitious and Domineiring manner of Rule aboue the limits which Christ prescribed to his Church So He. But it will be said Why did not Luther seeke remedie and redresse of his wrong somewhere where we pray you should he haue sought it can you tell By Appealing to a Generall Councell why that meanes was barred by the Popes Extrauagant denouncing him to be Anathema whosoeuer shall so much as consult or deliberate to Appeale from the Pope to a future Generall Councell Albeit this preferring the Popes iudgement before a Councel's is by the sentence of two Romish Councels as namely Constance and Basil held a Doctrine of all others most Schismaticall Oh! but he being but a Sheepe cited to Rome should haue appeared before Leo his Pastor notwithstanding the Popes high indignation against him As though you could be ignorant of the Apologue of the Sheepe and the Lion at their meeting the end whereof could be no other then this Ora Leonis habes for the sheepe to run head-long into the Lions mouth A Fable which of later times the Venetian Fulgentius the French Abbot of Boys and after them the Dalmatian Spalatensis verified seelie Sheepe with the losse of their liues THESIS IV. The Romish Obiections vrged against this Separation of LVTHER are notably friuolous SECT 17. STill we say that an ill Cause oftentimes bewrayeth it selfe as much by the friuolous Obiections of an Opponent as it is discouered by the iust Euidences of a Defendant There are but foure kinde of Obiections besides such as haue bene alreadie answered which you do usually vrge against Luther THESIS V. The I. Obiection in respect of LVTHER'S former Vow to the Pope or Church of Rome is vaine and idle SECT 18. IT is true Luther had bene a Vowed and if you will a sworne Vassall to the Pope and to the Romane Church And so was once your owne Stephen Gardiner sometimes Bishop of Winchester whose answer in like case may satisfie your Curiositie and controlle your scurrilitie in this point Hee in his booke of True Obedience to the King notwithstanding the Popes Breeues to the contrary enlargeth himselfe in his Answer after this manner following Some saith he pull me backward asking why I enterprize so to teach Obedience as that I do disclose my owne Disobedience to the authority and power meaning of the Pope for whose Defence I was bound by my Oath to defend his authority to my possible Power Where is his keeping of Oaths become say they where is his fidelitie He was sworne to defend the Rights of the Church of Rome and now professeth himselfe an open enemie ther-unto But this their talke no more mooueth me than the bumbling sound of an old barrell because where vnlawfull Oathes there also vnlawfull Vowes are not to be kept for none are to sweare to any wickednesse Thus your owne Bishop and after illustrateth this by an elegant Similitude A certaine married man saith he when he thought by iust likely-hoods his first wife was dead