The rooting out of the Romishe Supremacie Wherein is declared that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doth chalenge to him selfe ouer all Christian Bishops and Churches is vnlawfully vsurped contrarie to the expresse word and institution of our Sauiour Iesu Christ who did giue equall power and authoritie to all the Apostles Bishops and Ministers of his Church whereof he is the true corner stone and only heade Set foorth by William Chauncie Esq AT LONDON Printed by H. Middleton for Iohn Perin AN. 1580. TO THE RIGHT Honourable and his singular good Lord the Lorde Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most Honourable orders of the Garter and of Saint Michell Master of the Queenes Maiesties horses and one of the Lordes of her highnes moste honourable Priuie Councell William Chauncy Esquier wisheth prosperous continuance of health long life and honour with increase of the grace and all blessings of Almightie God IT is very well knowen and very woorthy to bee considered how the transgression and breaking the commandement of Almightie God by our first parent Adam in Paradise did so vehemently displease the Lord through disobedience and so greatly infect al mankinde with sinne that Adam lost thereby not only his Angelical estate of innocencie but also the most blessed ioyes of paradise from the which he was driuen out into this worldly vale of miserie therein to get eate his foode with the sweate of his face Gen. 3.19 as God did him commaund Whereof it came to passe that his two first naturally begottē sonnes of Eua his wife the Elder named Caine the younger Abel being the two first brethren in this world who therfore should most singularly and intirely haue loued ech the other aboue al other creatures yet the infection of their Father Adams sinne wrought so that because Abels oblation to God dutifully made was of him well accepted and Cains oblation was not regarded Caine therfore did so much hate enuie his brother Abel that when they were in the fielde Gen. 4.8 he maliciously fell vpon and did wilfully murther him of whom he neuer was offended This malice and sinful enuie of Cain hath euer sith that time so cleaued to mans nature and infected all mankind that no excellent worke or deede can be lightly done by any man but some other straightways are readie through enuie to despise it and speake reprochfully of it Yea not so much as the singular and famous learned in diuinitie or in any other knowledge of commendable artes can set his penne to the booke for the deuising or setting forth of any worke to the aduancement of the glorie of God and benefite of his Churche but some there are who moued with malice enuie by writing or speaking will hinder depraue it to the vttermost of their powers as by plaine experience in all Christian kingdomes hath beene and is shewed dayly too manifestly to the whole worlde How greatly then right honorable ought I beeing not brought vp in any Vniuersitie nor instructed in the artes of Logike and Philosophie be abasshed to take vpon me to set downe in writing this my simple collection out of the Scriptures and other lawes and histories to be thereby made by some others a mocke and a gasing stocke to euil disposed persons Wherefore had not your honour so earnestly required to haue a copie of it whereof my promise beeing past I might not denie it otherwise truely it should neuer haue gone further but haue still remained in my owne handes for the onely putting of my selfe in memorie of the thinges therein gathered as it may appeare by the simple doing of it But to present it to you this also made me the bolder that I know your Lordship is of so Noble a nature courteous conditions that you wil be a patrone and defender of it against all malicious and enuious persons which hereafter shall endeuour them selues by worde or writing to defame and slaunder it I present it therefore vnto your Honour according to my promise committing it wholy to your honourable protection as vnto one moste worthy of it for your true fauoring of Gods holy word for setting forth of his glorie for mainteyning the doctrine of his onely sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ the suppressing of the Romish vaine and superstitious traditions and abuses The which your godly vertues are ioyned together with singular affabilitie iustice clemencie specially in forgiuing of iniuries Which appeareth by that you haue not sought or wrought reuengement or hinderance of any body for any wrongs don either to your own person or to your noble progenitors at any time sith you haue ben in great authority vnder our prince and right able to haue reuenged them but gently quietly haue borne al such things with great mildenes and without opprobrious rebukes and rehearsals of them made to any person as farre as euer I could heare of or learne Wherein your great modestie and magnanimitie hath so much redounded to your immortall fame and honour that I may right wel therefore compare you with the right noble Germanicus Caesar Lieutenant vnto the Emperour Tiberius ouer all Italie Who during the time of his Lieuetenantship did behaue himselfe so gently and vprightly to all men that he seldome entered into the Citie of Rome with out great peril danger of his life by reasō of the throng presse of the multitude of people which gathered about him for verie loue and desire they had to see and welcome him to the Citie These excellent giftes and qualities of that noble man Germanicus Caesar I say can no more staine or blemish your most noble vertues before touched then the burning candle is able to dimme or darken the cleare bright shining sonne at the noone day whereof I my selfe in the time of my great aduersities thorough most iniurious vexations and troubles of some enuious persons haue felt and tasted to my great comfort and reliefe as I can not but remember as long as I liue For the which I can but pray as I doe heartily to almightie God and wishe vnto your honour the same blessing that he promiseth to the iust and righteous man by his holie prophet Dauid Psal 91.16 Longitudine dierum replebo eum ostendam illi salutare meum Which blessing of long life assurance of saluation from almightie God how heartily I wish vnto your honour I haue giuen testimonie by presenting vnto you this my little worke set forth for the vtter rooting out of the vsurped Romish Supremacie out of all the Church of Christe chiefely out of this Church of England and also for the declaring of the most true perfect equal authority giuen by our Sauiour Iesus Christ to al his Apostles his Bishops and godly ministers of his word sacraments within his true Church wherof he is the only head chiefe corner stone Which thinges I my selfe haue bene ignorant of vntil it hath
now within these three yeares pleased God to giue me his grace to read his holy scriptures and other good authours and Doctours of his Church to my great comfort and consolation Whereby I was stirred vppe to gather in this little treatise these thinges which moued me to see and know the trueth that if it were Gods will they might doe some good to the instruction of others also to the only glorie of his sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who haue your honour alwayes in his gratious protection May. 1580. Your good Lordships most humble at Commaundement William Chauncy To the Christian Reader THe moste excellent thing that Almightie God hath giuen to mankinde is the knowledge of the trueth the treasure of his wisdom expressed in his holy scriptures For without it we can neither know God nor Iesus Christ his sonne our Sauiour and Redeemer who saith of him selfe Ego sum via Iohn 14. veritas Vita I am the way the trueth and the life and no man commeth to my father but by me and he that knoweth me knoweth also my father But the knowledge of this truth which lightneth our mindes with the faith of God and of his sonne Iesus Christ by his holy word deliuered in the Scriptures hath bene many hundred yeres couered and hidden from the most part of all temporall men as they are called yea from mightie Emperours Kings Princes and Magistrates of this world through the craftie practises of the Bishoppes of Rome Who to extoll themselues and their Cleargie aboue all Emperours and princes haue by wicked pollicie hidden and withdrawen from them and from all Christians the sacred Scriptures conteined in the old and in the newe Testamentes that thereby the detestable pride of the Bishops of Rome and their Cleargie might not be knowen to men least they should perceiue how farre they did varie frō the example of Christ and the humble godly liues of his Apostles and disciples of Bishops and ministers for the space of vj. hundred yeares after the church was planted by our sauiour Christ So that it came to passe that the Bishops of Rome raged and raigned like Gods vpon the earth and no temporal prince durst as much as looke vpon the worde of God nor haue any bookes of the holie scriptures least they should haue bene excommunicated for heretikes An vngodly pollicie deuised of them to the intent that their deuelish pride intollerable ambition might not be reformed by the doctrine of Christ which is most cōtrarie to their vsurped authoritie supremacie which they haue chalenged and vsed sith the time that the Emperour Phocas more then sixe hundred yeres after Christ did grant vnto Boniface the third of that name the title and authoritie of vniuersal Bishop ouer all other Bishoppes a thing most contrarie to our Sauiour Christes institution and commandements Wherefore gentle Reader to the intent that good Christian people should be no longer abused deceiued through the crafty practises of the Bishop of Romes decrees and counterfet gloses whereby he hath vsurped his most vniust authoritie and title of supremacy with which he hath almost blinded all Christian people kingdoms I haue in this treatise briefely declared the truth of our Sauiour Christs two cōmissiōs giuen ioyntly to all his Apostles in suche manner that they should be in like authoritie and power not one aboue the other in any degree I haue also shewed how earnestly and straightly Christe did forbid all superioritie and dominion to be amongest thē which I haue approued both by the holie Scriptures and by Godly auncient writers I haue noted farther what account was made of the Bishop of Rome in the foure first generall Councels euen the same which was made of other Bishops of the chiefe Sees in Aegypt in Asia in Greece and other prouinces I haue declared when this vsurped supremacie did first begin and by whome moreouer how greatly the Bishops of Rome did fall from true Godlinesse from the faith of Christe after they had obtained of the Emperours that proude vngodly title of vniuersall Bishoppe Wherein I haue touched the wicked behauiour of a fewe of them to giue as it were a taste of the fruites of their supremacie Lastly I haue opened the dealinges of good princes againste their wickednesse and tyrannie in our owne countrie making thereby manifest that King Henrie the eight was not the first king of this realme who did expell that vsurped authoritie but that almost ful two hundreth yeares before King Henrie the eight it was spurned at and diuers lawes and statutes were made by diuers Kinges of this Realme against it So that by reading ouer of this little worke they that desire to see the truth of this matter shal wander I trust no longer in the doubtes of darkenesse for lacke of knowledge of the trueth whiche is reuealed to vs by the worde of God that CHRISTE our Sauiour teacheth vs euen hee who doeth say Ioh. 8.12 Ego sum lux mundi I am the light of the werlde Doubtlesse he that walketh in this light shall knowe the trueth and shall not wander in darkenesse of any Popish traditions and superstitions which is the most daungerous and deadly kinde of darkenesse Now it is saide of Christe Ioh. 12.35 Qui ambulat in tenebris nescit quò vadit He that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whether hee goeth Let vs therefore heare our Sauiour Iesus Christe Ambulate dum lucem habetis ne vos tenebrae comprehendant Whilest ye haue the light of Gods worde walke in it least the darkenesse come vpon you and you returne againe vnto it 2. Pet. 2.22 Pro. 26.11 ut canis ad vomitum sus ad volutabrum As a dogge to his vomit as a sow to her wallowing in the filthie mire of Popishe superstitions To the which entent my trust is in God that this little booke shall somewhat helpe you forward by satisfying the consciences of good people who will reade it with desire to learne the trueth GOD graunt that we may all both learne it and followe it that we neuer flie from it vnto errours of vaine deuises of men but onely put our whole hope our confidence and trust in the death and passion of our sauiour Iesus Christ and leade a holie life according to his worde to the glorie of God to whome be all honour Dominion and Maiestie for euer and euer Amen ¶ The rooting out of the Romishe supremacie wherein is declared that the authoritie which the Pope of Rome doeth challenge to himselfe ouer all Christian Bishops and Churches is vnlawfully vsurped Chap. 1. That in controuersies of religion the truth must be tried by the holy Scriptures That by the Scriptures no apostle nor Bishop hath a supremacie ouer others IN al maner of doubts controuersies which may arise in our Christian religion the trueth therof must be tried with the touche of Gods word as well in matters that concerne godly instruction as
in those thinges which doe belong to a Christian conuersation Doctrine And first there must be brought in nothing into the Church of God but that which God commaundeth Moses therefore in giuing of lawes to the Israelites Doctrine diuerse sundrie times hath this saying Dominus locutus est Exo. 20.1 The Lord spake these wordes And in the dayes of Ahas when the seruice of God was polluted and they sacrificed their sonnes daughters vnto diuels by causing them to passe through the fire 8. Isay 20. the Prophet willeth them to repaire to the law to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And therefore the fearce wrath of the Lorde was powred vpon Nadab and Abihu Leui. 10.1 sonnes vnto Aaron the high Priest because contrary to the lawe of God they offered strange fire And this was the cause that Vzzah was stroken slayne because contrary to Gods commandement he would haue stayed vp the Arke of the Lord. And albeit the man had a good intention an honest meaning yet the spirite of God reproueth the fact and saith God smot him in the place for his Fault 2. Sam. 6.7 there he died by the Arke of God And in the new Testament our Sauiour doth acknowledge that the doctrine was not his but his fathers and speaking of the spirit he saith that it shall call vnto minde those things which he hath spoken and the Apostle did deliuer nothing else vnto the Corrinthians but that which he had receiued of the Lorde Iesus And therefore Christ in the Gospell saith Iohn 10. My sheepe heare my voyce and as for a stranger they will not heare And this therefore moued the men of Berea to proue Pauls preaching by the writinges of the law and the Prophets Act. 17.11 and this moued Paul to denunce an accurse against those which went about to preach an other Gospell yea if it were himselfe or an Angel from heauen Gal. 1.8 And therfore Augustine hath this worthy saiing Audi dicit Dominus Epist 48. non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincētius aut Hilarius aut Ambrosius aut Augustinus sed dicit dominus Heare the Lord saith it not Donatus saith it or Rogatus or Vincentius or Hilarius or Ambrose or Augustine but the Lord affirmeth aduoucheth And the same in an other place Aug. de nuptiis concupiscentia lib. 2. cap. 33. Ista controuersia iudicē quaerit iudicet ergo Christus cui rei mors eius profecerit ipse dicat This cōtrouersie seketh a iudge let Christ then iudge and let him tell what thing his death hath profited And this did that good most Christian Constantine in the councel of Nice for the appeasing of Sectes which were crept in to the Church referred the Bishoppes the councel to the scriptures of God Trip. lib. 2. cap. 5. But heretikes cannot away with the word of God as it may appeare in the Pharisees which did greatly regarde the doctrines of men Mat. 15. contemning despising the commandements of almighty God In Montanus 1. Tim. 4.3 who being delighted in the doctrine of Deuils forbidding meates mariage did leaue the word and did flee to reuelations in madde Manicheus who for the establishing of his errours did shroud him selfe in the harbour of his hellish inspiratiōs Chrisost de sancto adorando spiritu in Adimantus his disciple infected with the poyson of his master who did bend him selfe fully and wholy to dispraise the scriptures of God Aug. contra Adimantum cap. 3. but moste manifestly in the papistes which for the maintenaunce of their most vile and abominable superstition haue called the worde of God a nose of waxe or a shippmans hoose as of late did that fleshly carnall Cardinall Cusanus or a blacke or an inckie gospell as did of late time Eckius Pighius two princiall pillers of the popish Sinagogue or Semen Turcicū a turkish seede whereas it is the seede of the immortall and euerliuing God 1. Pet. 1.23 as some time did that pestilent prelate I meane poysoned Poole Therefore leauing these mē in their errours let vs remember that are the Children of God if there be any errour in doctrine to referre our selues to the written word of God And as in doctrine Conuersation so in like manner for the ordering of our conuersation and for the amendement of our leude liues And therefore by Moses Deu. 12.8 Num. 15.39.40 almightie God saith Let not euery one doe that which is right in his owne eyes but that which I commaund you shall obserue Yea god calleth the following of a mans owne fācie and the seeking for to accomplish the desire of his owne heart whoring And whereas the Iewes had a great opinion of their fathers doinges being drawen thereto by a natuall affection God reclameth them and by his prophet he saith You shall not goe in the wayes of your fathers I am the Lorde your GOD Ezech. 20.18 walke in my preceptes Psal 109. And therefore Dauid woulde haue a yong man to rule himselfe according to Gods worde and this would the graundmother of Timothie 2. Tim. 1.5 and therefore she trained him in the scriptures from his verie youth Verily verily the wayes of the Lord are righteous and the iust will walke therein but as for the vngodly which haue solde them selues vnto sinne do break in sunder the cordes of Gods lawe because they hate and abhorre to be reformed And therfore hauing committed the workes of darkenes doe enuie and mallice at nothing so much Iohn 3. as at the light for Qui malè agit odit lucem He that doth euill hateth the light As it may appeare in the Popes of Rome who will not haue their doinges to be called in questiō as it may appeare by that speach of Paul the second Platina in vita Pauli secundi Pontifex sum mihique licet pro arbitrio c. I am Pope I may do as I list And therfore this is decreed in their decretals Sacrilegij esset instar Distinct 40. si Papa in glossa disputare de facto Papae It should be accounted sacriledge for any man to reason of the Popes doing And the rest of the popish cleargie are sicke of a disease called Noli me tāgere But cleane contrary is it in the Church of God where the mēbers do committe themselues fully wholy to be censured by the worde of God neither going vnto the right hande or to the left and whereas they are called Gods building are gladd to be squared by the rule of the scripture and therfore no doubt but peace euen that peace which passeth all vnderstanding shall come vnto them which so walke Gal. 6.16 and mercy to the Israel which doth appertaine to God And therefore both in thinges which doe concerne doctrine or
primitiue church of Christe the Bishop of Romes supremacie was not acknowledged as it is proued by the foure principal and first generall councels which tooke order against it THat the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome hath not any ground in the holy Scriptures neyther in the commissions of our sauiour Iesus Christe neyther in the practises of his holy Apostles I hope it is manifest to such as are desirous to search out the truth by that which hitherto hath bene saide Nowe if we goe forward from Christ and his Apostles to the ages which ensued we shall easily perceiue that it was not receiued of the primitiue Church nay it was repressed when it beganne to take roote and spread abroad amongst them The which doth appeare by the foure principall first generall councels wherein the Christian Bishops did assemble them selues together to the rooting out of heresies and ouerthrowing of disorders which began to bud in the Church of Christe The first of these councels Histor tripa lib. 2. was the councel of Nice at the which there were present thrée hundred and eightéene Bishops beside a great number of other learned men called together by the good Emperour Constantine the great in the yeare of our Lorde thrée hundred twentie seuen or there about against the heresie of Arrius But to passe ouer other things handled in the councel touching the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome this decrée was made Con. Nicen. can 6. in the sixt Canon Mos antiquus perduret in Aegypto Libya Pentapoli vt Alexandrinus Episcopus horū omnium habeat potestatem quoniam quidem Episcopo Romano parilis mos est Similiter autem apud Antiochiam caeterasque prouincias honor suus vnicuique seruetur Ecclesiae Let the ancient customes continue in Egypt and Libya and Pentapolis that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the gouernement ouer them all For the Bishop of Rome hath the like order Likewise at Antioch and in other Prouinces let the due preeminence and honour be reserued vnto euery Church Which wordes doe not giue any supremacie to the Bishop of Rome aboue all other Churches but they doe limit him the bounds of his owne iurisdiction no lesse then they doe others As it is more plainely declared by Ruffinus who writing in his storie the thinges that were done at the councel of Nice doth say that it was decréed in this Canon Ruff. hist ecclesiast lib. 1. cap. 6. Vt apud Alexandriam in vrbe Romana vetusta consuetudo seruetur vt vel ille Aegypti vel hic suburbicariarum ecclesiarum sollicitudinem gerat That at Alexandria and the citie of Rome the auncient custome be kept that the Bishop of the one haue care ouer Egypt the other ouer the Churches that are about the citie of Rome And thus much of the councel of Nice which was the first The second generall councel was holden at Constantinople Histor tripertit lib. 9. where there were assembled a hundred and fiftie Bishops called together by the Emperour Theodosius about the yeare of the Lord thrée hundred foure score and fiue for the suppressing of the heresie of Macedonius In the which councel touching the preeminence and authority of the Bishops Concil Constantinop Canon 2. this decrée was made Episcopi qui super dioecesin sunt and ecclesias quae extra terminos eorum sunt non accedant neque confundant permisceant ecclesias Sed secundum regulas constitutas Alexandriae quidem Episcopi gubernent ea solùm quae sunt Aegypti Episcopi orientis solius orientis curam gerant seruatis honoribus primatus ecclesiae Antiochenae qui in regulis Nicenae Synodi continentur sed Asianae dioecesis Episcopi ea quae sunt in Asia tantūmodo gubernent Ponti autem episcopi Ponticae tantùm dioecesis habeant curam Thraciae verò ipsius tantummodo Thraciae Bishops that haue the charge of a diocesse let them not com vnto the Churches which are without their bounds neither let them confound or mingle the Churches But accordinge to the Canons and orders appoynted let the Bishops of Alexandria deale with the gouernement of Aegypt onely the Bishops of the East only with the East reseruing the priuilege and preeminence of honor to the Churche of Antioche accordinge to the rules of the councell of Nice In like sort the Bishops of diocesse in Asia let them gouerne onely Asia and the Bishops of Pontus the diocesse of Pontus and the Bishops of Thracia the diocesse of Thracia Nowe as this decrée was made by them in generall touching al Churches for the gouernment and rule of them howsoeuer in places and order of dignitie they set one aboue another as Rome firste Histor tripertit lib. 9. Cap. 13. Constantinople next so in the Epistle written from the most of them to the Bishops of the West neither do they submitte all their doinges to Damasus Bishoppe of Rome neither giue they greater titles vnto him then to the rest but onely name him first neither come they to the councel of Rome at his request whereof they giue this reason one among others that they haue not the consent of their fellowe-bishops in their prouinces so to doe Whereby it is manifest that at the time of this councel of Constantinople the prouinces were gouerned by their owne Bishops the Bishops in generall by their councels and assemblies neither was there any one Patriarch set ouer them as the Bishop of Rome would be who therfore claymeth this supremacie though there were many patriarches appointed in that councell vnto sundrie prouinces as it is declared in the Tripartit storie Historia tripartit lib. 12. The third generall councell was celebrated at Ephesus about the yere of our Lorde foure hundred thirty thrée by the commaundement of the Emperour Theodosius the younger who called together two hundred Bishops into that Citie to quenche the heresies of Nestorius And in this assembly by occasion that was giuen them to speake of the authoritie of certain Bishops ouer others through complaint made by the Bishoppes of Cyprus against the Bishop of Antioch Concil Ephesin Can. 8. as vsurping ouer them first they do forbidde the Bishop of Antioche to ordeine Bishops in Cyprus giuing the Bishops of Cyprus full authority to ordeine their owne Bishops themselues Then do they decrée the same point in generall of all other diocesses and prouinces wheresoeuer that no Bishop doe vsurpe and take vpon him the gouernment of another prouince whiche was not before and from the beginning vnder him or his predecessors that if any haue done so and by force haue brought a prouince in subiection to him selfe he shall restore it least the Canons and orders of the fathers be broken and vnder colour of holy function in the gouernement of the Church Potentiae tumor The swelling ambition of bearing rule of dignitie doe priuily créepe in and so at vnwares by little and little we lose that libertie which our Lorde Iesus
Gregor epistolarum Lib. 4. Epist 32. 38. For he would not suffer this decrée to be receiued within his prouince of Italy but vtterly reiected it and wrote not only to the emperour how greatly he did offend almighty God in admitting this new prophane blasphemous name and authoritie into the Church of Christ empairing the authority which he hath giuen to the rest of his byshops and ministers but also to Iohn the patriarke that he by taking and vsurping that authority did shewe him self in pride and presūption to be the very forerunner of Antichrist Wherby it came to passe that Mauricius the Emperour was so greatly offended with this good Gregory Platina de vitis pontificum Romanorū in Gregorio primo Volaterranus Centuria 6. fol. 872. that as Platina doth report he exhorted the Lūbardes to set vppon the city of Rome which Agilulfus the king of Lumbardy did beséeging it a whole yeare Howbeit in the end he was faine to go away without any hurt done to the city that was saued by the mighty prouidence of God Chap. 3. That Christ in the promise of his second commission saying vnto Peter To thee will I giue the keyes of heauen doth giue him no supremacie Neither by these wordes I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith faile not NOwe to returne to the commissions of Christe because that betwixt the first whiche was giuen before his passion to his Apostles as I haue declared and the second which he gaue them after his death and resurrection Christ did open to them in the meane time his purpose and intent both for giuing them further authoritie then before he gaue them and for instructing of them what they should doe with it he therefore demaunded of his disciples what men did talke of him and whom they saide him to be To whome when they aunswered some that Thou art Iohn Baptist and some Elias others Ieremias or one of the prophets Matt. 16. then Iesus said vnto them Vos autem quem me esse dicitis Respondens Simon Petrus dixit tu es Christus filius Dei viui Respondens autem Christus dixit ei beatus es Simon Bar-iona quia caro sanguis non reuelauit tibi hoc sed pater meus qui est in coelis Et ego dico tibi tu es Petrus super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferni non praeualebunt aduersus eam Et tibi dabo claues regni coelorum quidcunque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum in coelis quidcunque solueris super terram erit solutum in coelis But whom saith Christ do you say that I am He said not Peter who dost thou say that I am but in the plurall nomber to all his Apostles who doe you say that I am Then Peter as the mouth and speaker of them al said Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God To whom our sauiour Christ aunswered and saide blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it to thee but my father which is in heauen And I say to thee Tu es Petrus alluding to the name of Peter for his perfect faith on the head corner stone the is to say on Christ wherevpon Peter him selfe was builded and not Christ vpon Peter therefore Christ said Vpon this rocke or stone of thy confession of me to be the sonne of the liuing God will I builde my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Christ did not say against thée Peter but against it that is his true Church builded vpon that faith that Peter then confessed and not vpon Peters person I doe beléeue there is no man so ignoraunt or voide of knowledge that will iudge our Sauiour Christ would build his Church vpon so weake and fraile a foundation as Peter was if we regard not his profession but his person who shewed himselfe more wauering and vnstable then any other of the twelue Apostles as one that vtterly denied his Maister Christe thrée times in one day Matt. 26. and also before that did speake such carnall and worldly wordes vnto him that Christe was faine to answere him Thou art an offence vnto me and added moreouer Matt. 16. Get thee be hinde me Sathan Wherefore I do leaue it to the iudgement of euerie good Christian man whether it be more agréeable to our faith and safe for the Church of God to be founded vpon Christ or vpon Peter vppon the sonne of the liuing God whō Peter confessed or vpon a man who vttterly denied the sonne of the liuing God saying Non noui hominē istum and that cum iuramento Matt. 26. I do not knowe this man and bound it with an othe as the Gospel doth testifie It is certaine that Christ builded his Church vpon that rocke or stone Iuellus in replicatione ad responsum Hardingi fol. 221. 222. 246. 262. which was sure stedfast euen vpon the faith confessed by Peter and not vpon Peter And that by the iudgement of the olde fathers as Hillarie affirmeth in his second booke De Trinitate Haec est vna foelix fidei Petra quam Petrus ore suo est confessus This is the onely blessed rocke of faith whiche Peter confessed by mouth And Chrysost in Matth. Hom. 51. Super hanc petram in hac fide confessione aedificabo Ecclesiam Vpon this rocke vpon this faith and confession will I builde my Church And Saint Augustine in his 13. sermon vpon Matthew saith Non me aedificabo super te sed aedificabo te super me I wil not builde my selfe of thee but I will build thee vpon me And this was the meaning of Christ For after Peter had saide Tu es Christus filius dei viui Christ said not Super te Petrum vpon thee Peter but super hanc petram vpon this rocke or stable stone euen thy confession of me to be the sonne of the liuing God I will build my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it He saide not against Peter but against his Church which he builded vpon that rocke of faith that Peter helde For Christes words are Matt. 16. Portae inferni non praeualebunt aduersus eam in the feminine gender against it which must needes haue relation to Ecclesiam His Church not to Peter for then he would haue said Non preualebit aduersus eum Likewise he saide immediately Tibi dabo claues regni coelorum To thee will I giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Now it is plain that he gaue those keies vnto his Church and not to Peters onely person though he saide to him but as to his Apostle the charge pertayning to al his Apostles and all the ministers of his Churche by like right Quodcunque ligaueris super terram erit ligatum in coelis quodcunque solueris super terram erit solutum in coelis Whatsoeuer thou shalt
binde vpon the earth it shall be bound in heaueÌ„ whatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon the earth it shal be loosed in heauen For otherwise those keyes of loosing binding had ben lost cleane and the authority of Christes church had bene ouerthrowen for euer if Peter onely shoulde haue possessed those keyes as parteining to himselfe alone and not to Christes Church For it followeth in the same chapter how Christ telling his Apostles that he must go to Ierusalem and there suffer many things by the elders scribes and princes of the priestes and beâ—lains and the third day rise againe from death Peter tooke him aside and rebuked him saying Let this be farre from thee let not this happen to thee Wherevpon Christe turning him selfe to Peter sayd vade post me Satana scandalum es mihi quia noâ— sapis ea quae dei sunt sed ea quaâ— sunt hominum Get thee behinde me thou Satan or Diuell thou art an offence vnto me for thou doest not sauour of the thinges that are of God but the thinges that are of men So that whatsoeuer Christ said to him before if the same had not concerned the authority of his whole church but onely Peters person theÌ„ al the vertue of those sayinges had bene clearely quenched and taken from Peter when Christ called him Sathan and bad him come behinde him But that the right of these wordes doth belong vnto the whole Church it is euident by the wordes of Christe that do follow in the eightéene Chapter spoken to the Church Matt. 18. Quaecunque ligaueritis in terra erunt ligata in coelo Et quaecunque solueritis in terra erunt soluta in coelo What soeuer ye binde in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer ye loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Yea to regarde the substance of Christes wordes touching that authority of binding and loosing mentioned to Peter Christ said not tibi do claues regni coelorum Matt. 16. I doe giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to thee but tibi dabo I will giue to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to loose and to binde So that Christes wordes were spoken of the time to come not of the time present to be giuen afterward not as giuen presently Whereof it doeth follow that none of the Apostles had authoritie of binding and loosing of retaining and remitting the sinnes of all estates of men through all nations vntill our sauiour Christ had suffered his death and had washed away our sinnes with his bloud and had conquered death by rising from death At the which time they receaued the holie Ghost as it shall appeare in the second commission and had that perfourmed whiche was promised when Christ saide Iohn 20. I wil giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen But in the mean season before that was performed Christ perceiuing by his diuine prescience and foreknowledge that Peter should denie him thrise in one day he saide vnto him Simon Luke 22. Ecce Satanas expetiuit vos vt cribraret sicut triticum ego autem oraui pro te vt non deficiat fides tua tu aliquando conuersus confirma fratres tuos Ipse verò dixit ei Domine tecum paratus sum in carcerem in mortem ire At ille dixit dico tibi Petre non cantabit hodie gallus donec ter abneges nosse me Simon saith the Lord to Peter Behold Sathan hath desired you to syfte you like wheat but I haue praied for thee that thy faith fayle not therefore when thou at length art conuerted confirme stablish thy brethren Then Peter saide vnto him Lorde I am ready to go with thee into prison vnto death But Christ saide Peter I tell thee the cocke shall not crowe this day vntill thou hast thrice denied that thou knowest me Whiche wordes of Christ were fulfilled the same night as soone as he was brought before the high priest For Peter being amongst them that stoode by the fire when he was reported of by a maide that he was one of those which were with Christ he aunswered I doe not knowe him When againe he was tolde by another man who stoode by the maide that he was of them he answered I do not know him Anone after the thirde time when another man said verily this man was with him for he is also a Galilean then Peter cursed and did sweare as S. Matthew doth witnes that he knew not Christ And immediately the cocke did crowe Matt. 26. And Christe looked back vpon Peter and Peter went forth and did wéepe bitterly This I haue recited so muche the more at large because there be some who would proue authoritie giuen to Peter by the former wordes of Christ which if they be well considered are but a manifestation partly of Christs Godhead in that he did foreknow Peter would denie him partely of his mercie shewed gratiously to Peter whose faith he did establish with his praier that he should not dispaire as Iudas Iscariot did who after he had sold Christ went and hanged himselfe So vpon this verie sentence of Christ Ego rogaui pro te Petre vt not deficiat fides tua Chrisostomus in Mat. Cap. 26. Hom. 83. Saint Chrisostome doth say that Christe the more sharpely to reproue Peters pride who did presume more of him selfe then any other of the Apostles doeth signifie before vnto him that his fall shal be worse then the fall of the rest and therefore néedeth greater helpe to raise him vppe againe Wherefore that he might sée and féele his owne weakenes Christe suffered him to fal told him of it before it happened yet he preserued him wtall through his great care fauour that he should not fall from him though he did denie him wherwith he coÌ„forted him in saying I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faith fail not Now as saint Chrisostome doth shewe that Christ did thus manifest his diuine knowledge and fauour vnto Peter by foreshewing him his fall and promising that he would rayse him so likewise holie Beda writing on the same wordes saith that he who onely knoweth what is in man Beda in EuangeliuÌ„ Lucae cap. 22. lib. 6. both as God did foretell in what sorte at what time how often Peter should denie him and as merciful did promise him the help of his defence least that any of the faithful either vnaduisedly should presume of his owne standing or more vnaduisedly should dispaire for his owne falling Wherefore to passe ouer other thinges that might be saide hereby it is manifest that the words of Christ spoken to Peter of his prayer for him haue no force at all to proue any preeminence or superioritie in Peter but they are rather of greate force against him and those that chalenge to be his successors sith they doe shewe a notable fall of Peter by occasion that he had too greate a confidence in himselfe as it is
spiritual food to the soule wher of the wicked are not partakers who are yet partakers of the sacramental bread wine which do signifie the body bloud of Christ for our sauiour doth say Iohn 6. that Whosoeuer doth eate his flesh drink his bloud hath euerlasting life Wherfore it cannot be that the sacramental bread wine should be the verie natural bodie bloud of Christ for as much as the wicked who shal not liue for euer are partakers of them I mean of the bread wine in the sacrament as wel as the godly For as Paul doeth write to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. Brethren I wold not haue you ignorant how al our forefathers were vnder the cloud al passed through the sea were baptised vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea Et omnes eandem escam spiritualē manducarunt omnes eundē potū spiritualem biberunt bibebant autem de spirituali consequente eos Petrâ Petra autem erat Christus And they did al eat the same spirituall meate and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they did drink of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ Wherein we sée first that the wicked among the Iewes with whome God was not pleased did enioye the same sacramentes of Christe the cloude the sea the meate the drinke which the godly did yet did they not enioy the same life by Christ which the godly did for it followeth in Saint Paul that God was not pleased with many of them Which wordes are meant of the wicked Secondly we sée that the godly amongest the Iewes did eate the same meate and drinke the same drinke that the godly amongest the Corinthians did to whome S. Paul doeth write yea that Paul him selfe the Apostles did Now the Iewes did it In spefuturi Christi In the hope of Christ to come for their redemption deliuerance from their sinnes and from death whereof it ensueth that our eating drinking in certa fiducia praeteriti Christi in true beliefe that Christ is come and hath redéemed vs and shed his blood for vs must bée the partaking of a meate spirituall and a spirituall drinke no lesse then that which Paul saith that their fathers did eate and drinke For he saith plainely They did eate the same meat and drunke the same drink that flowed out of the rocke and the rocke is Christ For as the Iewes did it in a figure of Christe by faith in whom to come they were saued as Christ doth say of Abraham Abraham desired to see my day Iohn 8. he saw it and reioiced so are we taught to doe it in remembrance of Christ by faith in whom being come we are saued wherevpon our sauiour said to his disciples Luke 22. Doe this in remēbrance of me Which Paul declareth farther in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 the eleuenth chapter where after that he had declared the maner of the Lords supper he addeth to both the parts of it Hoc facite ad mei re cordationem Quotie scunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortē domini annuntiabitis donec veniat Do this in remembrance of me saith Christe For as often saith Paul expounding the wordes of Christ as ye shall eat this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shewe the death of the Lord vntil he come So then if these thinges be well considered which I haue briefly touched out of the wordes of Christ declared by his holy euangelists and Apostles the godly I trust shal easily perceiue that Pope Innocent the thirde could by no autority of scriptures proue any transubstantiation in the sacramēt although it were confirmed by neuer so greate a councel of men assembled at Rome hauing in it as they say Archbyshops 70. Byshops 400. Abbats 12. Priors conuentual 800. besides the Orators and Ambassadours of Gréece of the Romaine Empire of the kinges of Ierusalem France Spaine England Cyprus and other kingdomes Many but all to little to take vppon them to alter and change the ordinance and institution which our Sauiour Christ had with his owne wordes established and set in his church for the space of aboue twelue hundred yeares together before the contrary was decréed though some did dreame of it But Pope Innocent was sure to enact there what he wold for that he had aboue the number of twelue hundred shauen crounes in his councel with him so that neither Princes nor Orators of Princes might hinder his pretēses The lesse it is to be meruelled at that the byshop of Rome would take vppon him so proudly to be aboue al other byshops yea the Emperours themselues and kings of this world séeing that he tooke vpon him to do more then euer Christ did that is to make Christ our creator and redéemer of a péece of bread whensoeuer he list and to make that euery one of his priests and chaplens might do the same also as them selues haue a saying Sacerdos est creator creatoris sui The priest doth make his maker And all by the authority of this Lateran Councel not by Christs scriptures And all for the aduancing of his worldly glory extolling of his clergie throughout all Christian kingdomes which after came to passe to the taking away of the goods and liues of a great number of good true Christians who would not beleeue such a new deuised faith of the sacrament of Christ set forth so lately so fondly so vngodly neuer before allowed as any point of our christiā faith for the space of so many hundred yeres after Christ as I haue shewed For in the former ages the godly had bene taughte that Christe according to the presence of his naturall bodye was ascended into heauen but by the benefites of his spirite and by the fruite of his passion he is alwayes present with thē who doe beléeue in him Wherof he gaue them a most liuely moniment and pledge in the blessed sacrament of his body and bloud a moniment for vs to remember his death a pledge to vs of euerlasting life with out transubstantion of the breade and wine or any alteration thereof at all otherwise then of common bread and wine to make it by the words of Christ the sacramental bread wine the signes of Christes body and bloud he being by those creatures of bread wine represented to vs that we may therby with the mouth of our faith that I may so speak receiue spiritually the very selfe same Christ god and man that was borne of the virgin Mary suffered death for our sinnes ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty thence shall he come at the last day to iudge the quick the dead And this most heauenly maner of the spiritual receiuing of Christe is more agréeable to our christian religion then is the Romish dream of transubstantiation which doth as much abhorre from
vos debetis alter alterius lauare pedes Exemplum enim dedi vobis vt quemadmodum ego feci vobis ita vos faciatis AmeÌ„ Amen dico vobis noÌ„ est servus maior domino suo neque Apostolus maior est eo qui misit â—llum Si haec scitis beati eritis sifeceritis ea So after that he had washed their feete and had taken his clothes wheÌ„ he was set down againe he saide vnto them know you what I haue done vnto you you call me maister and Lord and ye say well for so I am If I then your Lorde and maister haue washed your feete you also ought to wash one an others feet For I haue giuen you an example that you should doe euen as I haue done vnto you Verily verily I say vnto you the seruaunt is not greater then his maister nor the Ambassadour greater then he that sent him If you know these thinges happie shall you be if you doe them Thus we sée that Christ did giue expresse commaundement to all his Apostles that they shoulde flie ambition of hauing rule one ouer an other that none of them should chalenge superioritie dominion ouer their brethren whereto hee did giue them a moste notable example of his owne humilitie whch he willed them to followe acounting them happie if they did as hee willed them And these wordes of Christ a man would thinke were to be heard credited and obeyed if they were recited but by some one of the Euangelistes but now to the intent they might the better bée obserued and kept most carefully of al the Apostles so of all the ministers of the Church of Christ the holy ghost hath prouided that all the fower Euangelistes should recite and repeate them in diuerse wordes and sundrie times all to one effect to beate in hatred of ambition into the mindes of his disciples and keepe them at vnity in that equall authoritie which hee had giuen to theÌ„ Which the auncient Doctours also of the Church do teach in like sort to the same intent as Saint Cyprian saying of the Apostles Cyprian de simplicitate praelatorum Hoc erant vtique caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus Pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis The rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was all endued with like felowshippe both of honour and power And why shoulde not Paul be chiefe as well as Peter for Ambrose vpoÌ„ 2. Cor. 12. hath this saying Inter Petrum Paulum quis cui praeponatur incertum est Betwene Peter and Paul whether ought to be preferred before other it is vncertaine Hieronymus in epistola ad Euagrium As saint Ierom saying of all Bishoppes Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus siue Romae siue Eugubij siue CoÌ„stantinopoli siue Rhegij siue Alexandriae siue Tanis eiusdem est meriti ejusdem sacerdotij Wheresoeuer there is a Bishoppe at Rome or at Eugubium at Constantinople or at Rhegium at Alexandria or at Tanis he is of the same worthines of the same office and function in the ministerie As many others to be shorte speaking against such ambition do say the same in substance that one of them in words hath vttered Chrysost in opere imperfecto in Mat. Homil. 36. Quicunque desiderat primatuÌ„ in terra inueniet confusionem in Coelo Whosoeuer desireth primacy in earth he shall finde confusion in heauen But howsoeuer the fathers haue spoken it the Pope of Rome is not moued with it What merueile sith the wordes of Christ doe not moue him Nay verily I thinke that if Christe him selfe shoulde haue come downe from heauen and haue shewed him selfe to some that haue beene Bishops of Rome within these certaine hundred yeares they woulde haue vsed him I feare me as euill as euer the Iewes did so far are they froÌ„ yelding vnto any thing that makes againste their ambition Chap. 9. That after Christes ascention Peter did not exercise a supremacie ouer his brethren neither did the Apostles yeeld any such vnto him I Haue shewed hitherto that Peter the Apostle on whom the Popes of Rome do grouÌ„d their supremacie had not by Christs commission any greater power and authority giuen him then had the rest of his Apostles Nay he was forbidden as were the rest also to exercise dominion and supremacie ouer others Now I will go forwarde and shewe that as Peter had no suche authoritie committed to him of Christ so he neuer chalenged nor vsed any such as may appéere by those things which the Apostles did after Christes ascension set down in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles Wherin we do reade that the Apostles and Disciples gathered together Actes 1. first they did choose Matthias an Apostle in the place of Iudas Iscarioth not by saint Peters appointment but by lot Afterward the multitude of the Disciples chose seuen deacons whom they set before the Apostles Actes 6. and they prayed and laide their handes vpon them When the Gospel of Christ was receiued in Samaria Actes 8. the Apostles who heard of it at Ierusalem sent Peter and Iohn vnto hem to instructe them farther confirme them in the faith with the giftes of the holie Ghost When Peter had preached the Gospell to the Gentiles and was accused of the brethren because he went in to men vncircumcised and did eate with them he giueth an account of his fact vnto the brethren Actes 11. and so is acquited as it were of them All the which thinges done by Peter and the Apostles doe shewe that Peter vsed not any supremacy ouer them but did behaue himselfe as their equal rather taking no more vpon him in elections then they did going wheÌ„ they sent him to preach where they thought good content to giue to them an account of his doeinges Nowe we must remember it appeareth by the scriptures that Peter was of greater boldenesse and audacitie then any of the twelue Apostles When Christ asked of them Matth. 16. who do you say that I am Peter answered for them all When Christe did shewe vnto them that he must go to Ierusalem there be put to death Matth. 26. Peter tooke him aside and did rebuke him for it When there came a great company with clubbes and swordes in the night to take Christ and carrie him to the high priests Peter nothing fearing the number of the men did stretche out his hand and drawe his sworde and stroke the seruaunt of the highe prieste and cut off his eare By whiche and many suche tokens saint Peter shewed himselfe to haue suche stoutnes and courage that we may well coniecture if he had had any supremacie and authoritie aboue the rest of the Apostles such as the Papistes giue vnto him his stomache was better then that hee woulde haue lost it and neuer haue taken any part of it vpoÌ„ him Haec ratio reperitur in quaestionibus tubingensibus in titulo de primatu