by their Acts and Deedes that Popes anciently were no Monarks at all Then will you conclude that we haue iust reason to challenge your Authors of great vnconscionablenesse in their defence and by the vanity of their proofes to perswade your selues of the Truth of our Cause Your Second kinde of Obiections are taken from Titles attributed by Ancient Fathers to the Bishop or Church of Rome The Vanitie of the Consequence hereof discouered First by Equiualences SECT 2. YOur Cardinall to proue his former Conclusion concerning the Succession of the Pope in the Ecclesiasticall Monarchie flieth againe after Titles as namely such as haue beene attributed vnto Popes long since by Ancient Fathers Wee are to discouer the falsehood of this Consequence knowing that the Foundation is too weake to carry so great a weight as is a Monarchie and sole Dominion of one Atlas the Pope ouer all the Catholike Church of Christ and to answer the most of those by like Parallels and Equiualences First The Popes Primacie is proued say you by the word Papa that is Pope Three wayes One because though it had bin giuen commonly to others yet was it attributed to the Bishop of Rome by way of Excellencie thus THE Pope Ergo Monarke False for it was bestowed as well vpon Saint Cyprian by the way of Excellencie insomuch that at the point of his Martyrdome when the Paganish Proconsull askt him Art thou he whom Christians call their Pope Saint Cyprian answered yea IAME Next because say you he is also called The Pope of the Vniuersall Church Ergò hee is a Monarke False for Athanasius also who is called Pope had his Church called by Constantine The Vniuersall Church Lastly because say you The Bishop of Rome himselfe calleth no other Bishop Pope but Sonne or Brother Ergo hee is Monarch False for Pope Cornelius likewise as is confessed called Cyprian Pope yea and Cyprian called Pope Cornelius Brother as also Epiphanius as is further confessed called Pope Hormisda Brother so little doth the name of Brother or Title of Pope auoid the Equalitie among Bishops The Second name is The Father of Fathers giuen to Damasus Ergo he was Monarch False for if Others were called Popes as you haue heard all is one because as is confessed Papa and Pater Patrum Pope and Father of Fathers is the same And also Saint Polycarpus was called The Father of Christians Thirdly Fourthly and Fifthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The high Priest of Christians yea The Chiefe Priest yea The Prince of Priests Ergo Monarch False for Basil who was no Pope was called Great Priest Athanasius also was called The Master of Priests and you haue many in the Church of Rome vnder Monarchs yea or Bishops that are called Arch Priests and whatsoeuer your phrase be it cannot be higher or chiefer than Summus or Chiefe which by your owne Confâ—ssions hath bin communicated to Non-popes Sixthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Vicar of Christ. Ergo Monarch False for Pope Eusebius alluding to that of the Apostle concerning all the Apostles Wee are the Embassadours in Christi vice in Christ his stead and applying it to Bishops saith There is one Head of the Church Christ but the Vicars of Christ are they that in Christ his stead are Embassadours for Christ. Seauenthly the Bishop of Rome say you was called The Head of the Church and his Seate or Church The Head of Churches Ergo the Pope is Monarch False for Athanasius was likewise called The topp of the Head of all and Cyril in a Councell The Head of the Assembly and Antioch is called The Head of the whole world The Eight and Ninth The Bishop of Rome is called The Foundation of the Church and Pastor of the Lords flocke Ergo Monarch False for Athanasius also is called The Foundation of the Church of God And if you speake De iure the word Pastor of the whole flocke was proper to the Apostles who receiued in their ioynt Commission a power and Authoritie of Preaching throughout the world to euery humane creature without any limitation insomuch that as Saint Augustine saith Peter was a Pastor and Paul was a Pastor and the other Apostles were also Pastors But there could not be so many Monarchs ouer the whole Church But if you vnderstand thereby Curam Studium Care Studie which by the Office of Pastorship euery one is bound vnto according to his possibility towards the good of the Vniuersall Church in this all other Bishops are Pastors as well as the Pope as hath bin confessed The Tenth The Bishop of Rome say you is called The Rector or Gouernour of the house of God Ergo Monarch False for it is not spoken Vniuersally but Indefinitely In materiâ contingenti with allusion to the words of Saint Paul to Timothie thus That thou maist know how to conuerse in the house of God which is the Church of the liuing God namely with an vniuersall care ouer All but a Particular power ouer that his Church of Ephesus which was his Bishopricke and yet Timothie was no Monarch The Eleuenth The Bishop of Rome say you is called Hee to whom the Lords Vineyard is committed Ergo hee is Monarch False for Pope Eleutherius as you know writ to the Bishops of France thus The vniuersall Church saith hee is committed vnto you yet hee ment nothing lesse than to iudge them Spirituall Monarchs The Twelfth The Bishop of Rome is called say you The Father and Doctor of all Christians Ergo Monarch False for the First of these was Attributed vnto Polycarpus a Bishop of Asia who was called The Father of Christians And because the Second concerneth your Faith and the iudgement of the Bishop of Rome as an Oracle for the full determination of Faith as being therefore worthy to bee held Monarchicall wee say that your Consequence from this Title The Doctor of Christians and the like is as false as any of the rest because of the Equiualencie of Attributes giuen to other learned and Orthodox Fathers as followeth Our second discouery of the falshood and vanity of your Papall Defence from Titles borrowed from Ancient Fathers by our like Equiualences SECT 3. IF your Consequence from Titles must needs conclude a Monarchicall Pope then marke we pray you how many Monarches must be acknowledged in the purest times of Christ his Church after the Apostles who notwithstanding neuer were lifted in the Catalogue of your Popes wherein we make bold to call your owne Authors to witnesse First then to answer you as Logicians speake in your very Termes looke into the Marginalls and you shall finde 1 Origen called by Didymus The Master of the Churches and by Saint Hierom Most excellent expounder of
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
haue done that which I ought both in performing Obedience to the Emperour namely by publishing the Decree and also to God by reuealing vnto you his will So hee Hardly shall any finde a more expresse example of direct Subiection and Obedience from any Subiect than this is of that holy Pope vnto the Emperour Mauritius Nor are all of your side so blinde as not able to discerne this Midday-light For Gregorie called the First and the Great saith your Espencaeus doth ingenuously acknowledge that Emperours haue from God a Dominion ouer Priests Your Second Title is calling the Sea of Rome HEAD yea The Head of all Churches Must they therefore meane a Monarchicall Head according to your Conclusion ouer all other Churches by way of Dominion If so to omit your Additament of Falsehood then was Chrysostome to blame to call Antioch The Head of the whole World then was Iustinian vniust to require all to Follow Constantinople the regall Citie as the Head of all Cities And so by pressing Titles you see your Monarchie turned into a Triarchie A Third Title is the calling of the Pope The Bishop of the Vniuersall Church which though they were not the words of the Councell but of Two Deacons writing to the Councell and of Paschasius the Popes Legate in the same Councell which the Councell being content with the Popes Subscription to their Act would not question for the forme Yet may you not make of this an Argument of Monarchicall power of the Church and Bishop of Rome except you will set more Heads and Monarchs than One vpon the shoulders of the Church because the Bishops of Syria instiled Iohn the Bishop of Constantinople The Vniuersall Patriarke and the Bishop of Rome also intitled Tharasius The Vniuersall Patriarke The whole errour lurketh vnder an Equiuocation in the word Bishop of the Vniuersall Church which what it may signifie your owne Authors tell you The Bishop of the Vniuersall Church say you doth signifie one possessed with a Care and studie for the good of the Vniuersall Church So they which is common to euery Religious Bishop in the Church of Christ but in a more eminent degree and larger extent it belongeth to euery Patriarke and this sense we doe approue of Or else it may signifie One hauing All the Bishops of All other Churches vnder his Subiection which sense is here seriously and zealously obiected by your Cardinall to proue the Monarchie of the Pope of Rome and which hath bin by S. Gregorie Pope of Rome as earnestly abhorred and detested and as much as his godly heart could execrated for so he speaketh of it as a New naughtie proud prophane blasphemous and Antichristian Title which saith hee none of my Predecessors euer vsed The next Title attributed vnto the Bishop of Rome by a Generall Councell is that The Vineyard of the Lord which is his Church is said to be committed vnto him which serueth for another post to support the ruinous Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome But all in vaine For Pope Eleutherius himselfe writing to the Bishops in France The Vniuersall Church of Christ saith hee is committed vnto you that you may labour for the good of all men It were more than Monstrous that this your Monarch should create so many Monarches ouer the Church Catholike as were all the Bishops of France No these kinde of Attributes haue not other signification than the Care that euery Bishop should haue in wishing and to his power endeauouring the Vniuersall good of the whole Church In which sense Saint Nazianzene speaking in the praise of Athanasius To him is committed the Praesidencie of the people of Alexandria which is as much as to say saith hee the gouernment of the whole world So hee How should not this equall if not exceede whatsoeuer can be ascribed to the Pope of Rome and yet this is no vniuersall power of Iurisdiction but onely of Prouidence and Care namely Sic quibusdam praeesse vt prodesse possit vniuersis The last Title is that which is set downe in the First and last place That the Primacie aboue all Bishops is yeelded vnto the Bishop of the Church of Rome True and this Truth was neuer denied by any Protestant But what Primacie of Monarchie and Dominion Noe but of Order and Honour For haue you neuer heard of Two Cities in one Kingdome Two Sheriffes in one Citie Two Bayliffes in one Burrough one of them being Head and Chiefe and hauing Superioritie and Prioritie that is Primacie aboue another and yet without any right of Authoritie and Dominion one ouer one another Our next Answer shall be by Retorsion Foure Generall Councels haue bin produced by your side to proue the Church of Rome and Bishop thereof to haue Monarchicall power ouer all other Churches and Bishops in an ambiguitie of phrases Albeit not onely these Foure but also Foure more haue notably impugned your pretended Monarchie as well in the Ecclesiasticall as in the Temporall power and Prerogatiue thereof For you may remember that the First Generall Councell limited the Dioces as well of Rome as of Alexandria The Second erected a new Patriarkship with the no good liking of the Church of Rome The Third excluded the Pope from all Iurisdiction in Cyprus The Fourth established the former Patriarkship erected by the Second Councell with priuileges equall to Rome and held the Romane Primacie not to be founded by any Diuine Law The Fifth condemned Pope Vigilius as Schismaticall The Sixt and Seauenth condemned Pope Honorius as Haereticall The Eight prescribed a Law to Rome inioyning her to Obserue it And againe these Eight Generall Councels were disposed at their Assemblies to preferre the Emperours of their Times in place and throne of dignitie aboue the Popes of Rome CHALLENGE IS then the Popedome of Rome a Monarchie why answer vs First is a Monarch limited of his Subiects Secondly doth a Monarch suffer others to create Honours within his kingdome Thirdly Will a Monarch indure Corriuals or Equals Fourthly Can a Monarch the supreme Iudge be subiect to the iudgement and condemnation of his people Fiftly Must not a Monarch challenge the possession of his chiefe Throne in his Parliament and be so acknowledged by the whole state If therefore you shall further obserue what hath bin opposed against your Titles you may easily vnderstand that not any one which hath bin obiected doth inferre your Conclusion to proue the Pope of Rome a Monarch except you shall acknowledge Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Chrysostome Bishop of Antioch Iohn Bishop of Constantinople and All the Bishops of France together with all other Bishops to whom the same Titles were ascribed to haue bin which breaketh the necke of Monarchie Monarkes as well as the Bishop of Rome And if in the Second place you consider the Testimonies which we haue alleaged out of twice Foure Generall Councels directly concluding not by any speciousnesse of Words but
yet hee might allow that power vnto other Patriarkes and Primates as it seemeth hee did some-where Marke Hee might that is to say peraduenture hee did and As it seemeth which is as if hee had said It is but probable Doe you not see with what rotten Timber this your Master-builder frameth the Arch-pillar of your Romane Faith and with what vntempered morter hee daubeth it when hee hath done Notwithstanding it be without all Peraduenture that if wee must beleeue Pope Agapet There was not from the Ascention of Christ vntill the yeare 535. any one Bishop in all the East ordained by the hands of any Bishop of Rome before Mennas who was now so ordained by Agapetus Secondly know that your Cardinall to proue that the Bishop of Rome exercised his Authoritie of Instituting Deposing and Restoring of Bishops within the Bishopricks of other Patriarkes giueth instance in some Bishops which the Popes themselues haue challenged to be within their owne Romane Dioces as namely the Bishops of Thessaly of France of Spaine of Africke of Salonia and some others If any should take vpon him to proue the Bishop of Durham to be Primate of the Prouince of Yorke and to haue authoritie ouer the Bishop of Chester because he exerciseth his Episcopall Iurisdiction of Instituting Admonishing Suspending and Restoring Ministers within his owne Bishopricke of Durham were this tolerable arguing trow you Thirdly there is not a greater degree of futilitie saith Tullie than for any man to obiect that to which when it shall be retorted vpon himselfe he shall not tell what to say We shall therefore deale with you herein by the Art of Retorsion Cyprian as Primate of the Primates within Africke did as Pamelius witnesseth of him Institute whom he would within the Prouinces of the other Primates The same Cyprian Constituted Sabinus Bishop instead of Basilides whom hee had deposed without the consent of Stephen the Pope of Rome and after professed to hold the same Sabinus in his Bishopricke notwithstanding the dislike and as it were in despight of the same Pope Nor thus onely but Cyprian againe will bee knowne to haue Confirmed the Election of Pope Cornelius whose Communion both hee as himselfe speaketh and his Collegues and Fellow-Bishops gaue approbation vnto Besides Pope Gregorie the First vpon his Election sent his Synodicall and Communicatorie Letters vnto the Foure Patriarks viz. Iohn of Constantinople Eulogius of Alexandria Gregorie of Antioch and Iohn of Hierusalem with testification of his Orthodox Faith in beleeuing the Foure First Generall Councels And lest that you may thinke hee was the First Pope that sought this kinde of Approbation by such Synodicall and Circular Epistles you are to obserue with your Baronious how hee in expresse words confesseth that hee did this According to the ancient Custome of his Predecessours as was also obserued by the Bishop of Segouia in the Councell of Trent As for Excommunicating of Others this being but a denying to haue Communion with them other Patriarks and Churches thought it as proper to themselues to denie their Communion to the Pope as the Pope could by dis-uniting himselfe from them Else could not the Easterne Bishops among whom there were many Orthodoxe Capitulate with Pope Iulius to haue Communion with him but vpon this Condition that he should haue Communion with those Bishops whom they had ordeined otherwise they professed Contrarily to haue no Communion with him Not to tell you that Dioscorus did Excommunicate Pope Leo. Yea will you say an Heretike an Orâ—hodoxe It is true yet did hee this vpon the knowne iudgement of the East-Church vpon a Common right and abilitie in all Churches to denie their Communion to what other Churches soeuer that they were perswaded to deserue their dis-union Vpon which ground Mennas Patriarch of Constantinople Excommunicated Vigilius Bishop of Rome which though it were in an vniust Cause such as in the Papall Excommunications often happen to be yet doth it inferre this Truth that vpon a iust cause it was lawfull so to doe We leaue other Examples of Retorsion and come to the last Answer by Opposition of your owne Popes against you and such as were most zealous Exactors of all Rights belonging to the Papall Sea The matter standeth thus After the period of iust Antiquitie which we prefix about the yeare Six hundred after Christ Pope Hadrian the First about the yeare 777. writing to the Emperour Constantine and to his Empresse Irene layeth Claime to Two things First to the Temporall Patrimonie of Saint Peter Secondly to an Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction within some part of the Patriarkship of Constantinople which hee desireth them to restore to the See of Rome and he expresseth in his Petition the Consecration of Bishops Archbishops Fourescore yeeres after him succeedeth Pope Nicolas the First who reneweth the same Claime in his Epistle vnto Michael the Emperour propounding vnto him the Challenge formerly made by his Predecessour Hadrian and specially and by name hee setteth downe the particular Prouinces and Dioces which were with-held or as your Iesuite out of Leo Sapiens saith had bin pulled away from the Bishopricke of Rome to wit the Bishopricke of Thessalonica the Bishop whereof had bin but the Popes Vicar therein together with the Regions of Achaia Mysia Dardania c. wherein were the Metropolitanes of Thessalie Corinth Athens Nicopolis and Patarae But to what end maketh all this his Plea namely that hee might exercise therein as from his owne Authoritie the Consecration of Bishops and Arch-Bishops and to vse the words of your Iesuite moderate all things throughout all those Regions according to his owne Institutions and Ordinances And for further Confirmation of his Right hee pleadeth the Ancient possession which his Ancestours had held from the time of Pope Damasus vnto Pope Hormisda that is to say for the tearme of 154. yeares so that now they had bin aboue Three hundred yeares depriued of these Bishopricks Wee now hereupon demand Doe your Popes after so long processe of time require a Restitution of Right and power of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction in certaine Prouinces Christian then doubtlesse all this time was not their power Vniuersall in All others wheresoeuer And furthermore the Patriarcke of Constantinople hauing Iurisdiction ouer the Metropolitanes of Pontus Asia and Thracia consisting of 28. Prouinces and your Popes making claime onely vnto Eight of those for the execution of their Ecclesiasticall and Papall power is it not euident that they outted themselues from all such Iurisdiction in any of the rest And what shall be further said of the other Patriarkships of Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem Some of them hauing Seauen and some Ten Metropolitanes vnder them and were as exempt from the Iurisdiction of the Pope of Rome as any within the Patriarkship of Constantinople could be CHALLENGE NOW from your former Argument according to the lawes of a Syllogisme It must be thus
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
Professors who are kept hood-winck't in the beleefe of so Imposterous Schismaticall and Damnable an Article by which all the Churches begot by the preaching of Saint Peter and all the other Apostles in the compasse of seauen yeers before the begetting of Rome must be iudged Damned for not beleeuing the Romane Church as you teach to haue beene the Catholike Mother-Church without which Faith there is no saluation Thus much in respect of the Time BEFORE Rome was a Church CHAP. IV. Of the Time about when the Church of Rome had her Foundation Arguing from the Faith of three Apostles Saint Peter S. Paul and S. Iohn and of the Apostolicall Churches in their daies SECT I. THese three Apostles than whom what witnesses can be more competent in this case Wee appeale to your selues The Popes of Rome say you acknowledge both Peter and Paul for their Predecessors because both of them did found and gouerne the Romane Church And as for Saint Iohn his long continuance in the Church Militant will Minister some matter of resolution heerein I. That Saint Peter the conceiued founder of the Church of Rome was not of the now Romane Faith concerning the Article of the Catholike Romane Church SECT 2. WE not to interrupt you by questioning the truth of Saint Peter's residence in that See as Bishop thereof doe punctually inquire whether it entred into his Faith to Beleeue the same Roman Church to be The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation nothing doubting but that you will thinke that He of all others would haue plainely vnfolded thus much whom your Popes assume to haue bene the Founder of that Church together with Saint Paul And because all the pretended Soueraigntie of the Romane Mother-Church is according to your faith deriued from the supreme Father-hood of your Romane Pope and this is as originally descended from the transcendent ordinarie Pastorship of S. Peter ouer all the other Apostles we begin to enquire into the faith of S. Peter Whatsoeuer Prerogatiue Saint Peter might challenge ouer all the other Apostles must appeare either by some promise made singularly to him by Christ or else by some practise of Saint Peter himselfe in the exercise and execution of such his Iurisdiction The due examination of both these would easily cleare the Cause That the Faith of Saint Peter did not conceiue any Monarchicall or supreme Iurisdiction promised vnto himselfe by Christ in the most pretended speech of Christ saying Matth. 16. Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church SECT 3. THis this Scripture in it the word ROCK you haue still obiected as the rocke and fortresse of your now Romane Faith concerning the Article of your Romane Catholike Church because From hence say your Iesuites is proued that Monarchie of S. Peter Insomuch as that whē Luther Caluine and others aduentured to expound this of Christ and Faith in him as the Sonne of God your two grand Cardinals oppose the One his owne passion calling it an Impudent madnesse in Protestants to expound the Rocke to signifie Christ The other obtrudeth the Consent of your owne Schoole saying That by Rocke is meant Peter it is the Common opinion of all Catholikes An Exposition approoued by your Bishop and that not without some insultation saying In this Truth triumpheth as if it were as cleare as the Sunne which Sunne-shine as some call it we Protestants alas our blindnesse cannot discerne but rather iudge that it hath bene and is mistaken by you for Moone-shine through some defect in your faculties or instruments of sight A large Librarie I suppose would scarce containe the bookes that haue bene written vpon this Text whereas the briefe of all that need be said may farre more easily than Homers Iliads be comprized within the shell of a wallnut The Protestants Exposition vpon this Scripture auouched by many excellent Witnesses in the Romane Church yea euen by the Popes themselues SECT 4. OVr Exposition hath euer bene to vnderstand that by ROCK is meant the Confession of Peter when he said of the Godhead of Christ Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God and consequently signified by a metonymie Christ himselfe Where we meane not the Confession of Peter in Concreto as you would haue it vnderstood With relation vnto Peter but as the said Confession of the Godhead of Christ may be the Confession of euery Christian to which truth many of your owne Authors will beare witnesse To which purpose we alleage among your Preachers Ferus saying Vpon this Rocke That is the Confession of Peter and not vpon Peter Among your Glossers the Romane Glosse it selfe saying That is vpon the Article then Confessed concerning Christ and so our Lord Christ built it vpon himselfe Among your Friers Lyranus Vpon the Rock Christ. Among your Iesuites Pererius Christ is the Rock vpon which the Church is builded Among your Bishops Abulensis Not vpon Peter but vpon his Confession and he speaketh absolutely of the Confession it selfe in Abstracto without relation to Peter and giueth this reason because after this Confession thus made Peter himselfe failed in his faith by denying his Lord. Among your Cardinals Hugo and Cusanus By the Rocke is signified Christ. Among your Councels the last Councell of Trent speaking of the Nicene Christian Creed and pointing in the margent at this Text it saith that It is the foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile Therefore faith in Christ in Abstracto is the foundation for there is in that Creed no mention of Peter Lastly and chiefly among your Popes for now we are clymed vp to the pinnacle of your Temple no fewer than Foure Leo the first Agatho the first Nicolaüs the first and Adrian the first all of them Firsts and therefore more ancient than all others of their names haue as your selues witnesse expounded the Rock to meane the Confession of Saint Peter in acknowledging Christ to be the Sonne of God I. CHALLENGE from the iudgements of the fore-cited Authors IN these former Allegations although most of the Testimonies themselues do sufficiently shew that by ROCK is meant the Confession deliuered by Saint Peter really in it selfe and not personally as it had Relation to him yet for the better clearing of your iudgements you may take these Confirmations I. None will denie but that there was meant in Peters Confession that matter which he confessed but Peter confessed not himselfe but Christ saying Thou art the Sonne of the liuing God Ergo his Confession had Relation to Christ and not to himselfe II. You grant that Saint Peter confessed no more than that which he knew The other Disciples to haue beleeued before he spake because Christs question being generall What say yee He answered as the mouth of the rest True as may fully appeare in our Margent But the Apostles before he spake beleeued Christ confessed and
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
Rome and Bishâ—p thereof without subiection whereunto according to your Faith there is no saluation nor can any be saued that doth not beleeue the truth of this Article If therefore those ancient Popes beliefe had bin of a Subiection due vnto them from Emperours in such Causes wherein they by their practise of Humilitie Reuerence and Obedience denyed all such Right then should their Fact haue betrayed their Faith a faithlesnesse which wee you will pardon vs dare not impute vnto those holy ancient Popes In all these Instances you may obserue that wee haue alleaged onely such Popes who were the FIRST of their owne name because we would not be found superfluous yet these First because they must be so much the more aduantagious to warrant our Conclusion to wit that either must your Article of beleeuing such a Necessitie of Subiection damne so many and in your owne iudgements excellently godly and learned Popes of Ancient times or else must their profession condemne your Article of Noueltie and you consequently of Haeresie in beleeuing a Doctrine so Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and so manifoldly Blasphemous against so holy Emperours and Popes CHAP. XII Our Seauenth Argument is because this Article The Catholike Romane Church without beliefe whereof there is no Saluation damneth the most learned Saints and Martyrs that are placed in the Romane Calendar for Saints or Martyrs of Christs Church First from Saint Polycarpus SECT 1. POlycarpus Bishop of Smyrna is Registred a Saint in your Roman Calendar and indeede he was an excellent Saint of whom Ecclesiasticall Historie you know giueth so notable a Testimonie as shewing that hee was the Disciple of Iohn the Euangelist who being now brought to Martyrdome by the Proconsull his persecutor and being moued to sweare Heathenishly By Caesar answered saying I AM A CHRISTIAN being then threatned to be cast into the fire said This fire now flameth and will shortly be extinguished but there is an eternall fire prepared for the torment of the wicked which thou artignorant of being burnt in the fire he yeelded a smell as fragrant as the sweetest spices whom when the Iewes and Gentiles heard professing himselfe a Christian they cried out in their wrath saying This is the Doctor of Asia this is the Father of Christians c. Lastly this Polycarpus is hee by whose authoritie Polycrates in the fury of Pope Victor then Excommunicating all the Bishops of Asia that would not celebrate Easter according to the Romane Custome defended and iustified himselfe saying When Polycarpus came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus Bishop of that See and fell into dispute about the time of Obseruation of the Feast of Easter yet could not Anicetus perswade Polycarpus to alter his Custome which he had kept with Saint Iohn and with other Apostles with whom he himselfe had beene conuersant and in the end both Anicetus and Polycarpus notwithstanding their dispute about these Rites did mutually communicate with each other Thus farre the Ecclesiasticall Storie CHALLENGE BY this it appeareth that Polycarpus and Polycrates were both of the same spirit to maintaine their old Custome of Easter notwithstanding whatsoeuer Opposition of the Bishop of Rome because they both tooke their Resolution from the same ground to wit an Apostolicall Custome of their Church so that Pope Anicetus could no more preuaile with Polycarpus by perswasion for Alteration thereof than Pope Victor could ouercome Polycrates by his Excommunication The difference then is not betweene the Two Asian Bishops Polycarpus and Palycrates for both had the same Resolution the onely difference is betweene the Two Popes viz. Anicetus notwithstanding this Contrarietie will hold Communion with Polycarpus but Victor will needs breake out into Excommunication against Polycrates and was freely reproued for his presumption by godly Fathers of those times You will say this was but a Question of Rites and a matter of small importance be it so But the meaner the matter is they contended about the mainer and more forcible is our Consequence by good Law of Logicke as for example your whole claime is that the Pope is the Bishop of Bishops and Spirituall Monarch in the whole Christian world and ouer Kings and Monarchs You know that in them Impetrare est Imperare their Couetings and desires are Commands If therefore Saint Polycarpus would not yeeld his consent at the much instancing of Pope Anicetus in as wee may so call it a trifle in respect it plainly argueth that hee ought the same Pope no Canonicall Obedience by Law of Discipline much lesse by Doctrine of Faith if any of the now new Romane Articles had beene imposed vpon him seeing that for all the perswasion which the Pope could vse he kept his owne Conclusion still Nor is it altogether nothing which you may obserue that when both Iewes and Heathen cryed out vpon him calling him in despight The Father of Christians as though there were no Bishop in Christianitie as Monarch aboue him he did not vtter one word in behalfe of the Pope and his Supreme Dignity aboue All other Bishops which doubtlesse hee ought to haue acknowledged if that this kinde of Appellation were as you teach so proper to the Pope as to be an Argument of his Primacie aboue all other Christian Bishops II. Saint Cyprian was Exoommunicated by Stephen Bishop of Rome for not beleeuing the Necessitie of Vnion with him SECT 2. SAint Cyprian is also one of the Saints inrolled in your Romane Calendar vnder the title of Confessor and Martyr This witnesse you doe as vehemently Obiect for defence of your former Romane Article as wee doe to impugne and confute it Your Obiection answered It is an horrour to any man of iudgement to see the violence which is offered by your Doctors vnto Saint Cyprian by racking his sentences and inforcing him to say in defence of Papall Primacy that which he neuer ment nor yet dreamed of For that which hee spake of his owne onely Authority against Schismatikes who troubled his Iurisdiction That soundeth in the preoccupation of your iudgements as though it concerned onely the Pope of Rome and where hee maketh One Vniuersall Bishopricke consisting of All Bishops equally one with another without any respect to Rome more than to any other Church That also ringeth in your eares the onely Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome All which your futilily is exactly confuted by an Author who will surely satisfie any confcionable Reader But Saint Cyprian writing to Pope Cornelius doubtlesse a godly Bishop among other allurements hee inserteth this Perfidiousnesse saith he cannot haue accesse to Rome the chaire of Peter Ergo saith your Cardinall Cyprian affirmed that neither the Pope nor the Church of Rome could possibly erre No Father of the Primitiue times is more vrged by you for proofe of this Conclusion than Saint Cyprian no Epistle more insisted vpon than this now cited no words more inculcated than these which we haue alleaged and
Iurisdiction and a Necessity of Subordination to his Sea as whereunto All other Churches are subiect But all this by a meere fallacy in taking the words of Saint Hierom simply and absolutely which he meant in a respectiue and restrained sense whether you consider Damasus Bishop of Rome or the Church of Rome it selfe For first You Obiect concerning Pope Damasus that Saint Hierom calleth himselfe his Sheepe being notwithstanding vnder the Iurisdiction of Paulinus Patriarch of Antioch As though that he might not be held a Sheepe of the Bishop of Rome in respect of his Baptisme the signe and as it were eare-marke of Christianity being as you know Baptized at Rome in his full age Or as though when the Faith of Paulinus his Bishop was questionable it were not lawfull to submit to the iudgement of another Bishop of knowne constancie in the Truth Secondly That Hierom calleth Damasus The Successor of Peter As though euery Successor in Peters Seat had an hereditary Right to be Successor in Peters Faith which contradicteth the iudgement of Saint Hierom who condemned Pope Liberius who was as lawfull a Successor in the Seate of Peter as was Damasus for Consenting vnto Heresie Thirdly That Saint Hierom addresseth himselfe to Pope Damasus alone As though Damasus were the onely man to resolue him in all the Mysteries of Faith whereas in other Doctrines Saint Hierom ingenuously confesseth that he trauelled to remote Countries as Greece to Gregory Nazianzene whom he calleth his Master Of whom saith he I learned to interpret the Scriptures After that he iourneyed to Alexandria in Aegypt To see Didymus that I might saith he consult with him touching the doubts that I had in all Scriptures This needed not Saint Hierom to haue done if the Oracle of all Truth had resided at Rome and had beene personated in Damasus the Bishop of that See Fourthly Yet that Saint Hierom in this question concerning the vse of the word Hypostasis sought satisfaction onely from Pope Damasus and relyed onely vpon his iudgement for the sense of the word As though Saint Hierom did not for his Resolution ioyne vnto Damasus Bishop of Rome Peter the Bishop of Alexandria as depending vpon Both and professing either to be absolued or else condemned with both Or as though Pope Damasus in points of Diuinity had not more need to be instructed by Hierom than this Saint by Pope Damasus This were to giue Pope Damasus himselfe the lie who desired to haue conference with Saint Hierom that so I may aske questions saith Damasus and Thou mayst answer that is as Baronius confesseth that Hierom might teach and the Pope learne yea and as though if you require the sense of this word Hypostasis Saint Hierom did not teach Damasus yes he did So doth your Espensaeus confesse Hieronymus consuluit Damasum imò consuluit Damaso That is He rather instructed Pope Damasus than was instructed by him For he told Damasus that the word Hypostasis might haue a double sense the one was Catholike to signifie Persons the other Hereticall to signifie Essentiall nature The not vnderstanding of which word Hypostasis was the reason that Basil imputed Ignorance to the Church of Rome as hath beene said You will aske what then was the Resolution which Saint Hierom sought from Pope Damasus concerning the vse of that word seeing that S. Hierom could not be ignorant of the true sence This you may know by the Answer of Pope Damasus which was as your Baronius collecteth to let Hierom vnderstand that He might lawfully communicate with Paulinus the Bishop of Antioch So that your last error is as though you would conclude that he that could determine what person was most like to vse the word Hypostasis in the Catholike sense must therefore bee accompted the onely Competent Iudge of the Catholike sense Concerning the Second Subiect in this Obiection which is the Church of Rome we complaine of your Authors for the like Sophistry For you obiect for the Prerogatiue of your Church First these words of S. Hierom I am vnited to the Beatitude that is to the Chaire of Peter As though by Chaire he meant the See and Bishopricke of Rome and not the true doctrine of Faith then preached in Rome euen as Christ spake of the Chaire of Moses that is saith Saint Hierom the Law of Moses Secondly But Hierom saith of this Chaire that Christ hath built his Church vpon this Rocke As though by Rocke is not meant the same doctrine of Faith which was confessed by Saint Peter as hath beene proued and which was at that time truly and faithfully professed by Damasus and the whole Church of Rome or as though because that Rome was then faithfull shee therefore had a priuilege neuer to turne Apostate which is a pernicious Paradoxe voide of all ground of Faith as hath beene also largely declared and which can haue no support by this sentence of Hierom where by Rocke he meaneth not Rome saith Erasmus because Rome may degenerate but he vnderstandeth the Faith which Peter professed Bring vs now this Faith of Saint Peter and then challenge our Faith to beleeue you This is the Rocke vpon which Christ saith Hierom built his Church He saith not Built the Church of Rome but the whole Vniuersall Church This we confesse with Saint Hierom to bee The House of God without which whosoeuer eateth the Paschall Lambe is profane This is the Arke of Noah within which whosoeuer is not perisheth as well Romane as Grecian as well Bishop of Rome as Bishop of Thessaly Thus many waies haue you depraued the Orthodoxe meaning of Saint Hierome by expounding that which was spoken particularly of Damasus and of the Church of Rome then sound in the Faith and applying it vnto Rome and all the Bishops of Rome from time to time as though Virgine Ierusalem might not at length become an Whore Secondly by peruerting his speach concerning the Rocke and Building that is Faith and Church generally taken and appropriating it vnto the Faith and Church of Rome at all times and in all Causes Which in the next place we are to shew to be diametrally opposite to the iudgement of Saint Hierom. Saint Hierom his Opposition to the pretended Soueraignty and Infallibility of the Church and Pope of Rome What Saint Hierom hath taught vs to conceiue of the Pope Clergie and Church of Rome we shall shew from S. Hierom himselfe not sophistically but plainely and truly For when we aske you of what stature euery Pope ought to bee for his dignity and Authority You answer that hee can bee no lesse than a Monarch and sole Head of the Catholike Church But Saint Hierom in the same Epistle that was obiected speaking to Pope Damasus saith I desire of you my Pastor that you would preserue your sheepe and addeth immediately as followeth Put away enuie and let the ambition of the Romane height
Councell of Africke to haue admitted of the Appeale of Apiarius a Priest but not without a shamefull repulse giuen him by the same Councell for his bold vsurpation Which your other Cardinall could not dissemble For It is euident saith he that Zozimus did not allow that Decree concerning Priests not Appealing vnto places beyond the Sea So triumphant is Truth The Second point that your Cardinall insisteth vpon is to giue vs to weet that the Decree forbad onely the Priests and Inferior sort of the Clergie to Appeale to Rome but not the Bishops this he saith is proued by Saint Augustine who was present in this Councell and yet saith in one of his Epistles that it is lawfull for the Bishops of Africke to Appeale beyond the Sea So he yet so still as though hee were scarce able to report a Truth For Augustine in the place alleged doth not iustifie Appeales beyond the Sea to Rome but onely speaketh of one Case of Cecilian which was not a Case of Appeale but of Delegation by the Authority of the Emperour to the Pope and after to other Bishops as our next Discouery will proue As for Saint Augustine who was present in this Synod he was also present in the African Councell at Carthage assenting to that which was there concluded by the Fathers of that Councell in their Epistle to Pope Celestine wherein grounding their Caution vpon the Councell of Nice Your Reuerence knoweth right well say they that if they haue so cautelously prouided decreed concerning Clerkes of Inferior Orders how much more would they haue this obserued in respect of Bishops By this you may discerne the Logique taught them at Carthage by those Fathers arguing thus The Bishops of Africke prouided for the conueniencie of their Priests and Inferior Clergie to hinder them from vexatious courses and wastfull expences in the point of Appeale by sauing them from vnnecessary trauels beyond the Sea therefore they intended much more that they themselues should be freed Euen as an householder that doth compound with a Captaine in behalfe of his seruant to free him from being pressed for a Souldier doth much more intend thereby his owne freedome although hee make no expresse mention thereof CHALLENGE THe same Decree that forbiddeth that No Priest or Deacon shall Appeale to Rome out of Africke awardeth also a penalty of Excommunication vpon euery Priest or Deacon that shall transgresse heerein saying Let none within Africk ioyne in Communion with him Now then that we may close with you those holy Fathers who Excommunicated them that should Appeale to Rome would not haue regarded the Excommunication of the Pope if he should haue Excommunicated them for denying such Appeales vnto Rome This woundeth your Cause to the very heart For if those godly Fathers of that Councell of Mileuis did denie that which you accompt to be the Principall Character of your Article of Subiection to the Pope euen his pretended Right of Appeale as being Supreme Iudge if also by their Decree of the Excommunication of them that should but Thinke of the contrary they therefore doubtlesse would haue contemned the Excommunication of the Pope if peraduenture he had returned the Dint of his Excommunication against them Then reuiew againe your now Romane Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church and the foure pillars of Necessity whereupon it standeth to wit 1. Necessity of Vnion with it 2. Necessity of Subiection vnto it 3. Necessity of Faith to beleeue both these and 4. All these to be Necessary to Saluation and trie then whether this Councell of Mileuis haue not vnder-mined and ouerthrowne each one For 1. They forbid Appeales to Rome therefore they acknowledged no absolute Subiection vnto it 2. They Excommunicate all African Priests Appealing to Rome Ergò they held no absolute Necessity of Vnion with it 3. They Excommunicate all such Qui put auerint as should but Thinke it lawfull to Appeale to Rome Therefore they had no Necessity of Beleefe either of Subiection or Vnion with that Church 4. That which they thought iust in themselues to oppose the same they could not think Necessary for others to beleeue Except therefore we shall condemne at once Threescore Antient Godly Orthodoxe Bishops and euery way without exception among whom Saint Augustine was one to be depriued of spirituall life wee must conclude that your Romane Article is most Schismaticall and Damnable Our Sixt Discouery of the Falshood of the pretended Vniuersall Right of Appeales to Rome by opposing Two other Cases out of Saint Augustine SECT 20. NE quid nimis is an Aphorisme which ought to take place in euery kinde of discourse for enough is enough and Noli actum agere not to doe one thing twice is as necessary as the former You will therefore excuse vs if to preuent tediousnesse we referre you to that which hath beene already as exactly argued from both as the Cases themselues did require The first was the Case of the Bishop Cecilian The Second Case is betweene the Church of Africke in a Prouinciall Councell and Three Popes successiuely in the Cause of Apiarius The summe of both is this that because Appealing as hath beene said is a Remouing of a Cause from an Inferiour Court to an Higher the first Case Transferring a Cause iudged by Pope Iulius vnto another Iudge by way of Delegation proueth that the Pope was not by his owne place the Supreme Iudge The Second Inhibiting Appeales to Rome proueth that concerning the Right of Appeales in Africke the Pope was no Iudge at all Wherefore willingly pretermitting many other your Answers in these kindes of Disputes farre more friuolous and vaine than any of the former we proceed to that which followeth Our Generall CHALLENGE concerning your Romish Answers to the Testimonies obiected against your pretended Right of Appeales to Rome VNiuersall Right of Appeales is indeed as you haue said A most strong Argument for proofe of an Vniuersall Iurisdiction in any one that is truely inuested there in And as truely is the No-Vniuersall Right as strong an Argument of false Vsurpation to proue the No-Vniuersall Iurisdiction of Any that shall falsely pretend such a Right For as it is true that the Sunne is the Vniuersall light of the World because it giueth light vnto all other Starres and Planets so is it as true that neither Moone nor Mercurie nor any Planet or Starre besides can be called such an Vniuersall light because it hath not that Vniuersall power of giuing light to all others This Vniuersall Right of Appeale you haue appropriated vnto your Bishop of Rome and his See which all Churches Christian now not subiect to the same See doe as absolutely gaine-say Now commeth in your choice Champion furnished with the Panoply of learning and subtilitie as well offensiue to obiect as defensiue to answer whatsoeuer force of Argument made against all pretence of that Right But you cannot but discerne in his Obiections that he could
not also for Eighty yea and Eighty times Eighty if shee would so Decree II. That the Church of Rome hath sometimes a False Head SECT 14. WHich false Head may bee easily seene thorrow many holes as First to make him as you do Vniuersall Head ouer the Whole Church of Christ throughout the world is to erect a False Head as Saint Gregory once Head of the Particular Church of Rome did often teach by calling the Title and Doctrine of Vniuersall Bishop Prophane Sacrilegious Blasphemous and Antichristian 2. God neuer ordained an Head no bigger then of a wren to stand vpon the shoulders of a man and so little in respect is One Bishop of One City of Rome to bee set ouer the Church Vniâ—ersally dispersed throughout the whole world as you may guesse by the exceptions which Saint Cyprian and after him S. Augustine and the Churches wherein they liued tooke against the Bishops of Rome accompting them Incompetent Iudges in Cases of Appeale from Remote Nations by reason of the distance of places and yet their Churches in Africke might be said to be neare neighbours to Rome in respect of many farre more distant from thence therefore an Head extreamely disproportionate is a False Head 3. None call that a Necessary and liuing Head which was not created by God no more can that Ecclesiasticall Head be iudged Necessary for the Church of Christ which was not instituted by Diuine Ordinance But that the Head of the Church of Rome was not ordained by Diuinâ— Authority you haue for proofe not onely the Church Catholike in the Councell of Chalcedon but also the Romane Church it selfe in the Councell of Constance Therefore an Humane Head in pretence of a Diuine one is a False Head 4. An Head subiect to Heresie cannot be truely adequate and proper to a Body which dependeth vpon Infallibility in matters of Faith But he that will be called Vniuersall Head is obnoxious to Heresie as Pope Gregory excellently taught when he denied that either He or any Bishop in the Church ought to be called Vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church lest that the same Vniuersall Bishop falling into error the whole Church saith he might erre with him An Example of an Hereticall Pope you haue had Confessed in Honorius from the Testimonies of Romish Doctors of Ancient Fathers of Councells and of Popes themselues And certainely that cannot be but a False Head which cannot be a True Member of the Body of the Church Catholike which no Heretike as you haue confessed can be 5. You your selues admit of no Head on earth of the Visible Body of Christ that is his Church which is not also so Visible that a man may point at it vndoubtedly and Indiuidually saying of it This is the Bishop of Rome But you can haue no such Certainty of any Bishop of Rome both because his Ordination without which he cannot be truely Pope dependeth vpon the Intention of the Ordeinour than which what can be more vncertaine vnto you as also because you are often constrained to doubt of the truth of his Election For you cannot be ignorant how plentifull a matter wee haue now in hand if we intended to prosecuâ—e the manifold Examples that are extant in your owne Bookes of Popes who haue taken possession of the Romane Chaire by Intrusion One you may receiue from the Relation of your Baronius viz. of Iohn the Twelfth who was no manner of way saith he to be termed a legitimate and lawfull Pope because no law was obserued in his Election but all things carryed with terror and Violence who although by reason of his young yeeres he could not be made so much as Deacon yet did the Church honour him for her Pope accompting it a Lesse euill to tolerate one although a Monstrous Head than to be diuided into many Heads So he This is plaine dealing openly confessing what kinde of Heads your Romane Church is sometimes vnited vnto One for his life Monstrous and therefore a braine-sicke Head One for his yeeres not fit to be so much as a Deacon that is as wee may so say an Elbow of the Church is made Head Chiefe Pastor thereof therefore a braine-lesse Head One that is an Intruder and No-way a lawfull Pope and therefore nothing lesse than a true Head because an Example differing from your Rule which your Iesuite Salmeron confesseth to be this To beleeue with a Diuine or Infallible Faith THIS singular and Indiuidual man to bee our Pope who is defined by the Electors yet so that it doth not appeare that there was any defect or fault in his Election But behold heere is one with a Constat that there was nothing but Defects in his entrance because no law of iust Election was obserued therein and yet notwithstanding acknowledged and honoured as true Pope of your Romane Church 6. As the Body cannot boast of Vnion with a Head that is Headlesse no more can an Head be truely so called which is Bodilesse But we haue proued that that which you call Principally the Church of Rome as resident at Rome shall haue no being and therefore be no Bodie in Rome namely when-as the City of Rome shall be the Seate of Antichrist CHALLENGE ALas my Masters what meane you will you needs condemne your selues and your whole Romane Church by your owne Faith Your Article is to Beleeue with an Infallible Faith One singular man to be the True Pope of Rome and Vniuersall Pastor hauing Monarchicall power in the Church wherein by the word Vniuersall you condemne the Romane Church as it was in the daies of Pope Pelagius the Second and Pope Gregory the First both which held the Title of Vniuersall as execrable and Anti-christian By Monarchicall and absolute power you condemne the Romane Church in the daies of Pope Damasus who held himselfe no Competent Iudge in Cases fore-iudged by a Prouinciall Councell By True you condemne the Romane Church in the daies of Pope Iohn the Twelfth which acknowledged for her Pope Him whom shee knew to bee euery way Vnlawfully possessed of the Popedome and therefore no True Pope Yet what maruell if they doubt not to obey false Pastors who daily Worship false Saints By Romane you condemne that Christian Church which shall be in the daies of Antichrist when-as the City of Rome from whence the Denomination of Romane is deriued shall be the Seate of Antichrist And by beleeuing Hunc This Indiuiduall Pope to bee verily the Pope with that Infallible Faith wherewith you beleeue any thing necessary to Saluation you condemne here-in the Romane Church throughout the whole Succession thereof from Saint Peter to this day and therein also your owne soules in professing that to bee Infallible which by reason of many defects both in the Ordination and Election of any Pope is knowne to be full of Fallibilities and vncertainties as all your owne Historians doe proue and as will bee further euident
Catholike wherein no such Subiection was exacted by Popes from Emperours is a faire time we thinke and a strong Argument to Challenge your Church of Heresie in prescribing to Christians a new Article of Faith as necessary to Saluation by which you againe condemne the Faith of all the Members of the Catholike Church as well Popes as other Bishops and Christian Doctors and People who with vniuersall consent beleeued and taught Obedience to Ciuill Magistracie whereas you now proclaime Armes and open resistance And what can you now suggest for the modesty of your Cardinall who blushed not to say that Christians anciently wanted force to resist all vnbeleeuing tyrannous and turbulent Emperors Being so euidently confuted as well concerning the open force which latter Popes haue maintained as also concerning all secret violence whereof you haue giuen vs many Examples For as wee haue heard touching Emperours of midle age so haue we lately seene in our daies your secret practises of Mischiefe against Kings and Queenes without any open warre by armies or troupes of enemies If â—he practice of Assassines and Traytors by Dagges Daggers Poysons POVVDER-PLOTS or your Cardinalls Quacunque ratione that is by what meanes soeuer may make any proofe Who if they can doe it we haue little reason to doubt of their wills so long as the Rescript of Pope Vrban the Second is in force concerning them that shall kill Schismatikes Excommunicate For although he command Penance to be inioyned them because of the doubt that may be had of the sincerity of their Intentions whether they did but double and onely seeme to slay them vpon zeale for the Catholike Cause when-as peraduenture they did it to satisfie their selfe-malice which Penance it may bee shall amount to no more than comming to Rome in the daies of Iubile or else to visit such a next Shrine and to say a few Aue-Marie's and Pater-noster's in honour of such a Saint Yet notwithstanding doth he acquit the conscience of euery such zealous Killer saying If any shall chance to kill Schismatikes whomsoeuer that are Excommunicate vpon an ardent zeale to their Catholike Mother meaning the Church of Rome wee doe not iudge them to be Murtherers Goe you now and complaine that you are vniustly persecuted or abandoned by Protestants out of seuerall Kingdomes seeing that they are all yearely Excommunicate at Rome for Heretikes and Schismatiks by the Bull of MAVNDY-THVRSDAY and consequently made Obnoxious vnto the blinde deuotion of euery Romish bloudy Assassine who may bee perswaded that he shal mâ—rit of God by the slaying of those supposed Schismatikes Thus much of the No-Resistance of Ancient Popes against Temporall gouernment II. Of the Reuerence acknowledged by holy Popes vnto Kings and Emperours as to their Superiors SECT 5. SVbiection challenged by Popes from Emperors as their Inferiors is the maine Subiect your later Popes haue insisted vpon as a Materiall Article of Faith euen in the point of Outward Reuerence as necessarily due vnto them by acknowledgment of a personall Subordination and Subiection vnto them But when we looke beyond this midle Region of After-times vnto the vpper spheare of Antiquitie we finde as great a difference betweene your later Popes and those Ancients as there is betweene Vp and Downe Then and Now Deposing of Emperours and yeelding Reuerence vnto them We seeke no other witnesses than your Binius and Baronius against whom we are sure you will take no exception In whom we finde Pope Liberius the First professing Patience in suffering indignities from the Emperour and intreating for mercie Pope Simplicius the First promising Continuall Reuerence to Christian Princes and supplicating the Emperour for fauour by this Legat Pope Leo the First making by the Empresse a supplication to the Emperour To command a Synod to be celebrated in Italy and yet he could not obtaine it Pope Gelasius the First confessing that Bishops are to obey the Lawes of Emperours Pope Hormisda the First taking notice of the Emperors Command of gathering a Councell as a motion from God and further acknowledging that hee had receiued warning and that he ought to be present thereat Pope Vigilius the First banished by the Emperour and suing for peace and fauour Pope Pelagius the First confessing and saying Holy Scripture commandeth vs to be subiect vnto Kings Pope Gregorie the First auowing himselfe to the Emperour in these words As for mee I performe obedience vnto your Commands whereunto I am subiect Pope Martyn the First praying the Emperour to Vouchsafe to read his letters Pope Agatho the First talking of the bending of the knees of his minde vnto the Emperour by Supplicating his Clemencie for Others Finally Pope Adrian the First Deuoting himselfe to the Emperour by Letters as one in supplication Fallen downe prostrate at the soles of his feet So your First Popes When we earnestly sought for some though but shadow of excuse of these Popes for betraying their right of Dominion and Soueraigntie ouer Kings and Emperours if any had bin due vnto themselues as is now challenged by your Popes at length wee light vpon your Bozius who would gladly say something but alas yeeldeth not so much as we haue sought for a shadow of excuse and yet whatsoeuer it is hee after his manner cannot deliuer it without much insultation If any Obiect saith hee that excellent honours haue sometimes beene yeelded of Popes vnto Kings and Emperours hee speaketh absurdly because these might and ought then to be performed in those dayes when Heathens were ignorant of the dignitie of the Church and were then by honour and dishonour to be won by Bishops to the Faith So he III. CHALLENGE IS it then absurd to obiect the Reuerence performed by ancient Popes vnto Emperours of their times is not rather the Answer now made fraught with many absurdities First because we haue not insisted onely vpon Examples of Heathenish times but of the times of Christian Emperors also Secondly because the Times whereof wee haue alleaged examples were not such wherein the dignitie of the Church of Rome was so ecclipsed obscured that it could not appeare to Infidels but contained the Ages from the persecuting Emperours for the space of 420. yeares down-ward within which time the Church of Rome was in her perfectest luster concerning which time the same Bozius propoundeth such is his modestie the Reuerence giuen by Emperours vnto the Bishops of the Church of Rome to be a note of the true Church Thirdly humility of Popes and Subiecting themselues to the Emperours was then a Motiue and Argument of drawing soules to the Romane Church how then shall not their after-Pride bee a meanes to alienate the hearts of Christians from it Doth the same Tree bring forth Figges and Thistles But lastly and principally because your Bozius hath altogether forgotten his Catechisme and the Article whereunto hee and you are both sworne namely The Church of