him alluding to his new name Ioan. 21. and shewing the reason thereof And I saye vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke vvil I build my Church and the gates of hel shal not preuaile against it And to thee I wil geue the Keies of the kingdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bind vpon the earth it shal be bound also in the heauens And vvhatsoeuer thou shalt loose vpon the earth it shal s be loosed also in the heauens By these wordes both the promise of Christ was fufilled aÌ„d the reason of the promise was also declared concerning the new name which was before spoken of Neither do our aduersaries denie these points as I suppose But the Catholiques reason farther vpon this place in this wise The name of Peter which is deriued of a rock or of a stone was no soner geuen to Simon but also a new promise was made Math. 16. that vpoÌ„ this Rocke Christ would builde his Church Now the Catholikes doe say that Peter himself is here called this rock and that Christ promised to build his Church vpoÌ„ him And because the building of Christes church varieth not after his Gospel once planted but is alwaies like it self the Catholikes beleue and teach that when S. Peter died aâ— other did succeede in his place vpon whom Christes militant Church might be still so builded as it had been once builded vpoÌ„ S. Peter And for as much as the Bishop of Rome succedeth S. Peter the Catholikes most constantly affirme that the Bishop of Rome who liueth for the time is the rocke which coÌ„fesseth euermore Christes true faith vpon which confession of the See of Rome as vpoÌ„ a most sure Rock Christes Church is built The ProtestaÌ„ts being at a point to denie this later assertion must nedes affirme that Peter himselfe is not called this Rock but rather that either Christ alone or the faith which Peter confesseth is only called this rocke This seÌ„se is imperfit but not false So that they wil haue these wordes vpon this rocke I wil build my Church to be onely thus meant vpon this faith and confession of thine wherein thou hast said to mee thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God vpon this Rocke which I am or vpon this strong faith which is confessed of me I wil build my Church and whersoeuer this faith is there say thei is the rocke vpon which Christ buildeth his Church The Catholikes replie that although the faith and confessioÌ„ of Christes Godhead be in deede a most strong rocke whereupon the Church is built yet that is not al which Christ meaneth at this time For these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church haue a respect vnto three diuers times to the time past because they are spoken to him who was promised to be called Peter to the present time because they are spoken to him who now confesseth Christes Godhead to the time to come because they are spoken to him to whom Christ saith he wil geue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and vpon whom he wil hereafter build his Church which thing he performed when he said Peter louest thou me more theÌ„ these Ioan. 21. â—eede my sheep For Christes sheepe â—re Christes Church And to be made â—he shepheard of them is to haue Christes Church built vpon him And â—o be Peter is to be this Rocke Solemus videre pastores sedere â—upra petram inde commissa â—ibi pecora custodire We are woÌ„t saith S. Augustine to see shepheards sit vpon a rocke August in Io. tract 46. and theÌ„ce to keepe the sheepe commited to their charge Thus we see how wel the Metaphore of the Rocke dooth agree with the Metaphore of feeding sheepe Therefore these wordes vpon this rocke I vvil build my Church are perfectly fulfilled when it is saide to Peter who is this Roke feede my sheepe Now wheras this PropositioÌ„ Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church is thus qualified with the person to whom it is spokeÌ„ and with the diuersitie of three seueral times The sense of the protestaÌ„ts lacketh three coÌ„ditions of fovver to take one part of these foure away from all the other conditions whereunto it belongeth and to say that the confession of Peter alone is the rocke whereupon Christ wil build his church and thereby to denie Peter him selfe who maketh that confession to be this rocke and to diuide the confession from the promise going before which first of all wrought the effect thereof and from the last fulfilling which ensued after it is in deede a truthe for so muche as is affirmed therein but in respect of that which is denied it is a maine falshood The vvhole sense But the Catholiques geuing the whole sense of Christes woordes as they ought and not diminisshing any parte thereof doe teache that this Rocke vvhere vpon Christ built his Church is S. Peter not barely and nakedly considered but with â—spect of the promise past of the preâ—nt confession and of the auctoritie â—f feeding Christes sheepe which then â—as to come And so no maÌ„ be he neuer so faithâ—ul is this rocke whereupon Christ â—ath built his Church except he be â—awfully called to succede in the authoâ—itie and pastoral office of S. Peter This thing then remaineth to be proâ—ed in his due place The Catholiques teache also Ioan. 2â— that â—t was said to Peter alone feede my sheepe And seeing no particular â—locke was named it must needes be meant that the whole flocke which for the time liued on the earth was committed to Peter euen aboue all other according as he loued Christ more then other And for as much as the order of gouerning Christes Church which himself appoiÌ„ted may not afterward be changed by mans inuention it insueth that alwayes one chief shepheard must be made who may feede the whole militant flock of Christes sheepe in earth aboue al other pastours as Peter onâ—â— did feede them aboue al concerning the principal power which he receiued of Christ Hereunto the Protestantes replie that Peter alone was not made the shephead of Christes flocke aboue alâ— others but that in him Christ spake to al the Apostles The Catholiques demaund why theâ— Peter alone is spoken vnto and willed to feed Christes sheepe in the presence of certaine other Apostles to none of whom Christ speaketh any thing therof at this time The Protestants answere that euery Apostle was made a pastour no lesse theÌ„ Peter Caluin and Beza in Ioan. cap. 21. But that he was namely spoken vnto at this time as one who had lost his office of Apostleship by denying his Master and therefore as he denied thrise so he was commauÌ„ded thrise to â—â—d Christes sheep to th' end he should â—ow that his fault is now forgeuen and â—â—t he is restored to his Apostleship â—aine so that he may feede Christes â—â—eep as wel as Andrew or Iohn and
with his own hands Exod. 28. 29. he erected an altar and offered publike sacrifice he did poure the bloud vpon the Altar and sprinckled the garment of Aaron with it And yet did he al these Priestlie offices being himself no Priest I marueile thatneither the letter of Gods word nor the reason and as it were the sowle thereof nor the authority of wise and lerned men can moue the Protestants to confesse that Moyses was in dede a priest and a sacrificer But if it be cleare that he was both a priest and a ciuil gouernour vsing the priestlie office in his own person and prescribing to others when thei shuld fight or punish malefactours much more in the tyme of the new TestameÌ„t Heb. 10. which must nedes be as perfit a state as the old law it is lawful for a bishop to haue the right of both offices in him gouerning the Ecclesiastical state by his own personal ministery aÌ„d the outward cares by the help of wise meÌ„ Gregorius l. 1. epi. 24 Quisquis regeÌ„dis fratribus praeest vacare funditus à curis exterioribus non potest sed tamen curandum magnopere est ne ab iis immoderatè deprimatur Who soeuer is set to rule his brethern he can not vtterly be uoide of â—xternal cares But it is diligently to be â—rouided that he be not ouer pressed with them But concerning the Ecclesiasticall state whereof I speake at this tyme the bishop of Rome neither condemneth any man for heresie or schisme to corporal death in his own person nor teacheth that any malefactours may be so condemned of any other ecclesiasticall person Which thing being not rightly vnderstood of the most part of meÌ„ hath made them affirme that the bishop of Rome in matters of faith persuadeth his religioÌ„ with fier and sworde 23. quaest 8. c. Sepe cuÌ„ sequeÌ„t Which to be farre otherwise both the whole body of the Canon law declareth and also experience testifieth To goe forward with our matter this is the greatest difference betwene the primacie of the Church and the dominion of wordlie princes that the teÌ„poral princes haue power only ouer the bodies whereas the rulers of the Church Math. 18. 1. Cor. 5. haue power vpon mens soules They geue the bodies of wicked men to corporal death these haue power to cleanse the soules and so to bring them to euerlasting saluation De Sacerdot lib. 3. Wherupon Saint Chrysostom saith Habent etiam terreni Principes vinculi potestatem verùm corporum solùm Id autem quod dico sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad coelos vsque peruadit The earthlie princes haue power to bind also but only of the bodies But the baÌ„d of the priests whereof I speake doth touche the very sowle and reacheth euen to the heauens And not without a cause For our Lord said to Saint Peter Math. 16. To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thow bindest vpon the earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thow loosest vpon the earth shal be loosed â—n the heauens To these words of Christ which â—re deriued to the Bisshop of Rome by â—eanes of the chaier of Saint Peter â—he said bishop referreth all his power â—nd exerciseth it vpon the soules of meÌ„â—oth in his own person and by others Leo. ep 82. who are called to susteine part of â—he Ecclesiasticall care and charge â—hat is committed chiefelie vnto him whereas nothwithstanding the Princes of the world appeale not â—o the lawe of the Gospell neither â—n getting nor in gouerning nor â—n establishing their Dominion and power Last of al this is to be inquired and coÌ„sidered whether the Bishop of Rome doth rule with such pietie lenitie affection and desire to helpe others and to bring them to Christ that he may seme to minister and to serue rather then to rule And in good sooth yf he doth it not as it is certain that he synneth greuouslie so for any such respect he leeseth not his primacie because the humilitie and mercie of the gouernour doth not so much appertaine to the substance of his authoritie Ioan. 11. Caiphas Pontifex as to the true perfection and merite of the man For like as they that preached Christ through enuie and emulatioÌ„ that they might raise aduersitie to S. Paule Philip. 1. who was in Prison were notwithstanding true preachers albeit they preached with an euill intent and minde so albeit the bishop of Rome did rule like a potentate and did seeke his own glorie and not the glorie of God yet thereof it can not be brought to passe that he is not a true ruler and gouernour of the Church But it wold wel follow that he were an euil ruler Of which sort of men our Lord hath said Do those things which they say Matth. 23. but doe not those things which they doe But what arrogant presumption is â—his to thinck that the Pope doth good â—eedes with an euill minde If he geue â—â—ntle answeres to them that in matâ—ers of dout aske his counsell if he send â—orth good decrees if he reconcile such â—s are at variaunce yf he prouide careâ—â—llie for the necessarie affaires of the â—hurch whie doe we iudge euil of that â—hich is well done Or yf he doth euill â—t any tyme what malice is it to scorne â—t his nakednesse Genes 9. and with lawghter â—o discouer his shame It is euident to all that will see that â—he bishop of Rome doth shew that humilitie and zeale which Christ requiâ—eth in the ruler of his Church He calleth vs nor bondslaues nor seruaunts nor subiects but all Princes he saluteth gentlie as sonnes and bishops as brethern And as for his owne person â—he writeth not himself neither Lord neither vniuersal bishop nor head of the Church but seruaunt of the seruaunts of God That euen by his name he may geue al men to vnderstand that he is that greatest and chefe ruler Luc. 22. who is as it were a minister and seruaunt And seing he doth and saith that which becometh the primate of the Church both to say and to doe it is our parte to iudge his well doing by that which is well said rather then to synne against the holie ghost whiles we desire to wrest that to an euill sense malitiouslie which was spoken and meant by him charitablie â—f the diuerse senses which are in the holy scripture and namely about these words vpon this rock I wil build my Church and which is the most literal and proper sense of them The third Chap. AMONG manie other things wherein Gods word passeth all other sciences one is most notaâ—le in that not only the syllables and words which are writen there doe â—xpresse the meaning of the holy Ghost â—ut also the things which are told and â—eported by those words doe againe signifie and meane an other thing We â—eade that Abraham had two sonnes
and tHeir successours but also al kinde of primacie For â—he clergy must be altogether vnlike to â—he temporal gouernours To answere this obiection The ansvvere in very deede I doubt not but the end of that dominion which is practised among the gentils ought to be such that it should haue a special eye to thepreseruation of â—he common weale Gene. 10. NeÌ„roth But because at the first beginning Kings and Princes of â—he earth had not that end either only or specially before their eys but desired that dominion and practised it also because it was a pleasaunt and lordlike pleasure to be a prince and because the most part of Princes are prone to the worst therefore our sauiour Christ considering that which was first and which happeneth most oftentimes forbiddeth his Apostles and bisshops such a dominion and superiority as is vsed among the Princes of the earth and not altogeather such as ought to be among them Therefore it is not lawful for vs to desire any primacie for the primacies sake but for the traiuaile labour and end for which the primacie is ordeyned of Christ 1. Tim. 3. For he that desireth the office of a bishop desireth a good worck and not a vaine honour Againe albeit it be true that some wordly princes take the dominion and soueraintie vpon them for the profite of the common weale yet it is more that Christ requireth of his Apostles and Bisshops who are bound noâ— onely to see vnto the common weale but to the Christian common weale of which end no wordly princes could thincke when Christ spake those words because no Princes of the earth had receaued the faith of Christ at that time Wherefore that commaundement was specially geuen to the Apostles that they should direct their primacie and superioritie to the publick commoditie of faithfull men and to the saluation of their sowles to edifie withal 2. Cor. â— and not to destroye Farthermore albeit the King be faithfull and also vertuouse for his own person yet it is not the kinglie but the priestlie power which God chose from the beginning to rule his people withall Rom. 13. For although by his almightie goodnes he ordeined the Royal power and made the state of Kings to serue both his eternal purpose and also the coÌ„mon weale 1. Pet. 2. and willed euen the faithfull to obey them as being sent of God yet we reade not that the making of Kings ouer Gods owne people at the first came of God by the way of his mercifull grace and election but by the way of his angrie permission and iust iudgement Gen. 10. Hieron in quaest Hebrai in suffering thereby the paines of their great synnes to fall vpon them So NeÌ„rod that strong hunter the first King that we reade of either vsurped his kingdom by force or was auaunced to it by euil men without the graciouse appointement of God And when the people of Israël reiecting the gouernment of Samuel the priest 1. Reg. 8. wold nedes haue a King ouer them God accompted himself to be reiected of them doutlesse not because it was a synneful thing to haue a King but because it was a great dishonour to God who had appointed priests to gouern to haue his gouernment changed And it was lesse profit for their sowles to be ruled by a King then by a priest â— Reg. 8. For albeit a priest may be also naught as the sonnes of Samuel were yet he can neuer be so hurtful and slaunderouse to eternal saluation as the King may be partly because the state and as the world hath euer misiudged it the right and law of a King is to be secular and wordly In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 2. in so much that S. Gregorie said ea quae in iure regio continentur â—itanda potius quà m imitaÌ„da praedicuntur the things which are conâ—eined in the law that concerneth the Kings are foretold rather that they â—ay be auoided then folowed whereas â—he law and state of a priest is to be spirituall and godly and therefore it is â—lwaies a more perfit state and profession partly also because the making â—f a King had his beginning from the fact and consent of men working only according to the law of nations allowed in dede by God whereas the instiâ—uting of priestes came directly from God him self And who douteth but that it may be soner abused which men by good reason ordeined then that which God aboue al course of reason instituted by grace only In so much that the Iewes being prouided for by God himfelf of a spiritual gouernment did synne greuously and were forsaken of God concerning their act of choosing afterward a temporal King who shuld be aboue their high priest wherevpon Saint Gregorie saith In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Meritò se abiectum Dominus conqueritur meritò regiam dignitatem concedit indignatus Tanta quidem erat iniquitas postulaÌ„tium vt cum illud peterent per quod à Deo recederent ex Dei iudicio permitti posset prohiberi non posset Our Lord did worthely lament himself to be abiected He being offended did iustly graunt the Royall dignitie â–ª so great was the iniquitie of the desirers that when they desired that whereby they should goe from God by the iudgement of God it might be permitted but prohibited it could not be But on the other side the first institution of Priests came not to Gods people by their own inuention but directly from God himself Genes 4. â— 22 to whome Abel Noë Abraham Aaron and his successours serued in that office by â—â—e gratiouse election of God vntill â—hrist fulfilling the figure of Melchiâ—â—dech instituted in his last supper â—â—e order of priesthood Lucae 22. according to â—he state of the new testament geâ—ing power to his Apostles to make â—nd by that meane to offer mystically â—is own body and blood witnessing â—hereby how much more he gaue them â—ll manner of necessarie or profitable â—ower ouer the Church his mystical â—odie For yf his priests be so great that â—hey haue taken power to make his â—wne body with their holy mowth as Saint Hierom speaketh shall â—ow any man disdaine Ad Euagrium to be vnder â—hat order which God hath so excelâ—ently honoured This much may be said for the whole order of priesthood But after that the Apostles were made Priests he ordeyned Saint Peter the general pastour anâ— high bishop of his whole flock and he did it with such protestation of loâ—â— and charitie that it must needes be coÌ„fessed euen by the despisers of Christe institutioÌ„ that there was neuer lightly any act don in this world by the sâ—â— of God with shewing of greater loâ—â— toward mankind then at what tyme hâ— himfelf in his own person appointed vâ— a pastour and shepheard Now this pastour being thus greater then the rest is not only primate iâ— a far other sort then the Kings of the vnfaithfull