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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03760	Certaine sermons made in Oxford, anno Dom. 1616 VVherein, is proued, that Saint Peter had no monarchicall power ouer the rest of the Apostles, against Bellarmine, Sanders, Stapleton, and the rest of that companie. By Iohn Howson, Doctor in Diuinitie, and prebendarie of Christ-Church; now Bishop of Oxon. Published by commandement.	Howson, John, 1557?-1632.	1622 (1622)	STC 13879; ESTC S104261	94,968	168

Monarchie and it is to be thought that had their education beene there-after they would haue shewed themselues as prompt and ready to vphold the Monarchie as they be forward and resolute to oppugne the Hierarchie 89. For the Deuill who is praecursor viae stultitiae the chiefe guide in the by-pathes of errour and folly cuius vis potestas omnis in fallendo est whose chiefe power consists in falsehoods and fallacies as appeareth both by his discourse with our innocent parent and our innocent maker and redeemer Homines in fraudem non posset inducere Lactan. l. 6. c. 7. nisi verisimilia illis ostendando and there is as much probability at least in the defence of the Popes Monarchie as in maintaining the Puritans Democracie or oppugning our Hierarchie 90. Wherefore good counsell is not amisse in this place to take heede of these fraudes not rashly to giue credite to the Polemicall writings but to stand to the truth of our owne profession and to vse our best wit and industrie to discouer their fallacies for Inter ingenium diligentiam perpaulùm loci reliquum est arti or fraudi Vse your wits and diligence Cic. de orat l 2 and their fraudes will easily appeare 91. Neither are you to wonder or much to be moued that so sleight and weake glosses should captiuate so many with a false conceit and setled imagination of this Monarchie so that they should refuse the oath of Supremacie to their true Monarch nay euen the naturall oath of Allegiance to their Liege-Lords and Soueraignes euen in their temporalties with hazard of liberty life and liuing for you know that there is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignorantia purae negationis cum quis simpliciter alicuius rei cognitione destitutus est such as Children and meere rustickes are subject to and such as follow and maintaine a custome in errour who are vncapable of all conclusions of arts and other faculties but there is also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist ignorantia prauae dispositionis cum quis falso argumento deceptus falsam sententiam animo complectitur and so perswadeth himselfe to know that which he knowes not or not altogether as hee ought to know it 92. Now this ignorance prauae dispositionis which is common to many Students is the mother of the first of those three kindes of error which Saint Augustine mentioneth Aug. de vtil Creden c. 4. and is this Cum id quod falsum est verum putatur etiamsi aliud qui scripsit putauerit as if a man should beleeue that Radamanthus heard and determined causes in Hell which concerned the dead because Virgil saith Gnossius haec Radamantus habet durissima regna Aeneid 6. Castigatque auditque dolos which is most false and Virgil himselfe neuer beleeued it but vsed poeticall fictions to teach and delight his Readers For I assure my selfe by most euident proofes of so many sleights and shifts and falsifycations and contradictions and all manner of fallacious dealings vsed by heretickes and false teachers of the Primitiue times and imitated by Bellarmine that he beleeues no more that the Pope is the Monarch of the Church then Virgil thought that Radamanthus was the Lord chiefe-Iustice in Hell 93. I take not vpon me herein to censure his learning which I admire for vbi benè nemo doctiùs as also vbi malè nemo fallacius the former excellencie is to be found in his writings against the Anabaptists Sectaries Schismatickes of these times but especially against the Arians and Antitrinitarians in his bookes De Christo but this that I speake is to note his dishonestie symbolizing with those false Apostles in all those sleights which St. Paul notes to be vsed in his time to seduce the simple and they that through weaknesse beleeue such teachers fall into two errors Aug. Ibid. as Saint Augustine notes Quòd rem non credendam credunt neque id putandus est credidisse ille quem legunt first they beleeue that which is false and secondly they falsly imagine that their teachers beleeue it 94. I speake all this to confirme you in that truth which you professe not that I thinke any here present tainted or infected with this errour for as Saint Augustine sometimes said beholding his Auditorie Aug. in Joh. tract 39. as I doe you Quidam fortasse sunt in istâ multitudine Arriani non audeo suspicari esse Sabellianos So there may peraduenture be present in this Auditorie certaine Puritans or Precisians I doe not beleeue there is any Papist Hoeresis ista as Saint Augustine said of the Sabellians nimis antiqua est paulatìm euiscerata Poperie in this place blessed be God is antiquated by little little in processe of time euiscerated vnbowelled and the heart of it broken Arrianorum autem as he saith videtur habere aliquam motionem quasi cadaueris putrescentis aut certè vt multum quasi hominis animam agentis The Puritan error seemeth to haue but little motion in the elder sort so much as may be in a putrifying carkasse or at the most Cic. as in a man giuing vp the Ghost but Qui norunt os adolescentioris Academiae they who know the conditions of many of the younger sort qui non delectu aliquo aut sapientiâ ducitur ad iudicandum sed ●●petu nonnunquam quadâm temeritate think that this error hath taken hold fast on many of them Aug. Ibid Oportet inde reliquos liberari sicut inde multi liberati s●m It were well for the peace of the Church that the rest were deliuered from that error as others haue beene and were informed that they also hold this first kinde of error that Saint Augustine mentions and I haue obserued in the Papists Id quod fatsum est ver●m putant cum aliud qui scripserunt putauerint they hold those positions which are absurdly false and destructiue of that forme of gouernement which our Sauiour left to his Church by one extremitie of the Democracie as the Papists doe in the other extremitie of a Monarchie and yet their leaders and guides and corrupters aliud quàm scripserunt putant beleeue not as they write and instruct others but the very opposite part which they seeme to oppose as appeareth both by this their ambitious encroachment vpon the Churches honour which none affect more preposterously or abuse more corruptly as also by their fraudulent manner of writing for in some of their bookes are found mille testimonia Vincent Lirin c. 37. mille exempla mille autoritates de lege de Psalmis de Apostolis de Prophetis but yet interpreted tam nouo tam malo more that you may be assured that they were racked and strayned to this purpose euen to contradict that truth that Hierarchie which their consciences acknowledged as you may obserue to omit others in Parkers schismaticall books of the Crosse and the Church gouernement where you may obserue more Scriptures and authorities of Fathers and Councells voluntarily abused to ouerthrow that ancient Christian cer●monie of the Crosse in Baptisme and the Churches Hierarchie then can be found in Bellarmine to maintaine his false vsurped Monarchie 95. Both these extremities know the truth which they oppose and though they be daily conuinced yet pro animositate suae peruersitatis as Saint Augustine said of the Rogatians contra veritatem sibi notissimam dimicant Aug. Epist 48. An impiety saith he quae fortasse Idololatraim superat and wherein the Diuels triumph aboue measure dum errores suos humanis erroribus fraudes suas humanis fraudibus pascunt Aug. de Catechiz rudibus c. 19. 96. But let vs speake nothing but the truth in these and the like questions let vs heare nothing but that truth which our Sauiour deliuered who himselfe prescribed the true forme of gouernement in his Church Out of his mouth wee haue learned him who is the truth out of his mouth we haue knowne his Church which is partaker of his truth from his word interpreted by his Church we haue learned the true Church gouernement which hee instituted and which we entertaine and in which wee liue and if we make our selues not vnworthy of the continuance of so great a blessing shall by Gods good fauour remaine in the same to the worlds end Grant this Lord Iesus the great MASTER and sole Monarch the Author and establisher of it To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one God be ascribed all honour praise and glory for euer and euer AMEN FINIS ERRATA PAge 7. line 25. for Monarchium reade Monarchicum P. 13. l. 14. corruption r. corruption P. 25. l. 25. Dominm r. Dominum P. 32. l. 9. to makes law r. to make lawes P. 39. l. 22. not r. non P. 53. l. 19. seruus r. seruum P. 56. l. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 120. l. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 144. l. 22. imagine r. imagine

heauens IESVS the Sonne of God But Bellarmine in this proposition tells vs that we haue the Pope Pontificem maximum two degrees of comparison aboue our Sauiour which is in English our Highest high Priest 33. What not enough to be Summus Pontifex with certaine additions of reference to our Sauiour but it must be absolutè not comparatè but simpliciter not in vniuersâ Ecclesiâ which words though they be high may carry a moderate sense of Primacie among many who are Episcopi in vniuersâ Ecclesiâ but he must be Pontifex summus simpliciter absolutè supra vniuersam Ecclesiam an highest high Priest ouer all the Church and vsurpe a Monarchie 34. But I will not farther exaggerate this Luciferian proposition I speake this by the way ex abundantiâ cordis and conclude with S. Bernard Ser. 69. super Cant. Audet quis peruadere locum vnigeniti tui O good God doth any man dare to challenge the place and prerogatiue of thy Sonne thy onely Sonne c. Praecipitetur O cast him downe headlong as Lucifer from heauen Ponit sibi sedem in excelso Doth hee make himselfe a Monarch in thy Church Subuertatur cathedra pestilentiae and let all that behold it say Numquid iste vir est Es 14.16 qui conturbauit gentes concussit regna Is this he that so troubled the world and the kingdomes thereof to establish his Monarchy 35. But let vs consider how Bellarmine proues this proposition for thereupon depends my note What by Scripture no it contradicteth the very phrase of the Scripture How then by Fathers no Tertullian scoffed at the title St. Gregorie detested it What by bare reason no he knew well enough St. Augustines rule Aug. Epist 56. Quasi regularis est omnium haereticorum temeritas conari stabilissimam authoritatem fundatissimae Ecclesiae quafi rationis nomine pollicitatione euertere It is the vsuall rashnesse of all heretickes to striue to ouerthrow the most firme authority of the most established Church by the name and promise as it were of reason How then will hee proue it Ratione in scripturis fundatâ and founded vpon this Scripture my very Text. 36. We can aske no better for Bellarmine maintaining a good cause against the Anabaptists and Arians of Transiluania viz. Licere Christianis gerere magistratus ciuiles That it is lawfull for Christians to exercise ciuill power and authority hee proues it happily ratione in scripturâ fundatâ by reason founded on this Scripture Bellar. de Laicis lib. 3. after this manner Non repugnat libertati Christianae praefectura vel subiectio Ecclesiastica Ecclesiasticall gouernment or subiection is not repugnant to Christian libertie as appeares saith he Math. 24. Quis est fidelis seruus c. Who is a faithfull and wise seruant whom the Master shall make ruler ouer the houshold Ergo saith Bellarmine non repugnat praefectura vel subiectio Politica therefore Politicall gouernment or subiection is not repugnant to Christianity You see how in a good cause he can dispute well Ratione in hac scripturâ fundatâ If now it be as lawfull to haue one spiritual Monarch the Pope ouer the whole Church as to haue temporall Kings and Monarchs in their seuerall Kingdomes and that the reason be also in hâc scripturâ fundatâ it will force as farre as the other doth But if you examine it you will finde that he doth super alienum fundamentum aedificare build vpon reason altogether auerse from this Scripture 37. His proofe or reason is this Omnia nomina quae in scripturis tribuuntur Christo vnde constat eum esse supra Ecclesiam eadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici All the names which are giuen in Scripture to Christ whereby it is manifest that he is ouer all the Church all those are giuen the Pope he might haue added and greater names too for Christ is called Pontifex magnus and he calls the Pope Pontificem maximum or summum He proues that reason by an Induction and takes one instance or example out of my Text First saith he Christus est pater-familias in domo suâ quae est Ecclesia Pontifex in eâdem est summus aeconomus Christ is the Master of the family in his owne house which is the Church and the Pope is the chiefe Steward in that house If this reason had beene founded vpon this Scripture hee should not haue said Summus aeconomus but aeconomus onely that Summitie of his is not in this Scripture nor founded here in this Text his ministery or seruice is founded But as some Philosophers said Cicero In cerebro animi esse sedem So Pontificis summi sedes whom they make the very soule of the Church is not found in my text but in laborante cerebro in some braine that is greatly distemper'd 38. Here now you see is corruptor stylus the word or style of the Scripture corrupted and Summus put in stead of Fidelis but let vs goe on and we shall find also Tortul that there is adulter sensus the sense of the Scripture strangely adulterated for saith he Christus est Pater-familias in domo suâ quae est Ecclesiâ Pontifex in eâdem domo est summus aeconomus id est Pater-familias loco Christi Christ is Master in his owne house which is the Church the Pope is the chiefe Steward in that house that is the Master in stead of Christ Obserue I pray you Oeconomus id est Pater-familias loco Christi a Seruant that is a Master Cic. de diuin li. 1. 39. Tullie saith Vbi sunt multa ambigua multa obscura explanationes adhibendae sunt interpretum Where there are many things doubtfull many obscure the expositions of Interpreters must be added If there be any obscurity any equiuocation in the word aeconomus the Euangelist explaines it and makes it vniuocall in the next verse we need not Bellarmines interpretation aeconomus id est Pater-familias for the Euangelist saith aeconomus id est seruus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a seruant as if the holy Ghost would preuent this interpretation so preiudiciall to our Sauiour and to his Church speaking of the same man he calls him once onely and that in this Text aeconomum but he calls him seruum Mat. 24. foure times in the fiue next verses And S. Matt. deliuering the same Parable neuer calls him aeconomum but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen foure sundry times in the same Parable And yet Bellarmine dares say aeconomus id est Pater-familias loco Christi Vtricroditis Giue you credit to the holy Ghost by the pen of two Euangelists who say eight times aeconomus id est seruus or to Bellar who reads aeconomus id est Pater-familias or dominus as it is in the Text 40. O fratres Censore opus est an Aruspice nobis Juuen Whether haue we more need of an Index or Ignis expurgatorius to quit the

Rochester D. Andrewes D. Buckerige of whom I may say as Tullie did of Carneades Tul. 2. de Orat. Nullam rem defenderunt quam not probarint nullam oppugnauerunt quam non euerterint But although all former doubts haue beene sufficiently cleared and determined yet some new proofes may euer be added and withall vsus inuentorum ab alijs scientia dispositio the vse Sen. and knowledge and disposing of those things wh●ch are found out by others As there are medicines enough set downe by Antiquitie to cure sore eyes so that our Physitians neede not labour for more but yet there is somewhat left wherein they may exercise their best endeauours and studies because as Seneca saith Sen. Epist 65. Haec morbis temporibus aptanda sunt hoc asperitas oculorum conleuatur hoc palpebrarum crassitudo tenuitur hoc vis subita humor auertitur hoc acuitur visus 6. And as St. Bernard said to Eugenius of doctrinall or morall matters and the reformation of the Church Non planè totum quiuere emundare prophetae aliquid filijs suis Apostolis Bernard de Consid ad Eugen. l. 2. c. 6. quod agerent reliquerunt aliquid ipsi parentes nostri nobis sed nec nos ad omne sufficiemus aliquid profectò nostris relicturi sumus successoribus illi alijs alij alijs vsque in finem so in our ordinary controuersies and polemicall questions Multum egerunt qui ante nos fuerunt sed non omnino peregerunt because there are daily some fresh replies and assaults which yeelde some occasions to other mens labours But to the matter proposed 7. It is confessed on all hands that the spirituall power as we truely call it or spirituall Iurisdiction of the Church as the Papists tearme it improperly is that onely which it hath receiued from our Sauiour himselfe the first founder of it Manifestum est saith Franciscus Syluestris in his commentaries vpon Thomas Contra Gentiles quod Christus ipse regimen Ecclesiae suae instituit Fran. Syl. l. 4. c. 76. non autem ipsa Ecclesia aut populus Christianus neither Popes nor Emperours nor other Christian Kings appointed the spirituall regiment of the Church but our Sauiour onely and Sanders saith Ecclesia neque agnos quidem Sand. de visio Monar l. 1. c. 6. et oues per autoritatem suam absque Dominica institutione per Sacramentum Baptismi operante creare potest quanto minùs per se potest creare pastores Doctores c. The Church of her owne authoritie can neither make Lambes nor Sheepe without the institution of Christ working by the Sacrament of Baptisme by how much lesse then of her selfe can the Church create Pastors and Doctors The Spirituall regiment therefore is to be sought for in the Scriptures onely The temporall power and truely so called Iurisdiction of the Church some deriue from our Sauiour onely some from Christian Emperors and Kings and some from both 8. Of the first kinde who deriue the temporall power from our Sauiour onely are the Canonists and Bartholus the Ciuilian and Bozius and those other ordinis oratorij who holde that our Sauiour was the temporall Monarch of the world and left his Monarchie to St. Peter c. as appeareth in the Canonists and Canon Law Cap. 10. § 32. Quae iura valdè bona sunt ad hoc as Aluarez tells vs in speculo summorum Pontif Regum and no maruell for they were made by the Popes themselues and glossed by their flatterers This opinion is refelled by Bellarmine and he needs no helpe of vs vallatus auxilio pugnatorum Jos 8.16 being assisted with that whole societie who fight ioyntly with him 9. They who deriue the temporall power which the Church possesseth from the bountie and liberality of Christian Monarchs are the Protestants supportantes sibi inuicem in veritate ioyntly maintaining this truth by plaine euidence of vncorrupt Antiquitie acknowledging by whom euery great priuiledge was giuen as in place shall be proued 10. Now the Iesuites and that crew vigilantes animi domini necessitatibus seruientes being very vigilant and carefull to serue their Masters turne chalenge this temporall power to their Lord the Pope both from our Sauiour and from Christian Monarchs a part onely from Kings and Emperors and that directly but another part whereby they chalenge power and authoritie to excommunicate Kings and depriue them of their Kingdomes which cannot be done but by temporall power from our Sauiour ex consequente in ordine ad bonum spirituale but that is indirectè Distinctio necessitati debita a most necessary distinction for it is the onely supporter of the Popes temporall Monarchie for the Canonists opinion as too grosse is exploded by them 11. But this reedie and arundineous supporter is so shattered and torne by our reuerend Prelates fustibus argumentorum as St. Augustine calls them that we may daily expect the downe-fall and ruine of that Monarchie and of this distinction also we shall speake hereafter 12. But the spirituall power of the Church is acknowledged by Canonists Iesuites and Protestants to be deriued from our Sauiour onely for the Church had spirituall power before it had Kings to be Patrons and Nurses of it and a certaine gouernement and Gouernours to exercise that power nec auxilia à Regibus terrae religionis Christianae propagandae aut defendendae gratiâ petijt neither did it entreate ayde of the Kings of the earth either for the propagation or defence of Christian religion and of this spirituall power is our question 13. Not that our aduersaries or wee make any doubt whether there be a set or constant regiment of the Church or no for as Suarez notes well Cum Dominus Apostolicum munus creabat Suarez de Leg. l. 4. c. 4. n. 19. necessariò supponendum est illud munus cum omnibus necessarijs ad conuenientem vsum eius ordinatum fuisse when the Lord instituted the Apostolicall office or function we must needes suppose that he ordained all necessaries that were conuentent and vse-full for that office wee confesse both that this Church is Castrorum acies ordinata an armie well ordered Cant. 6. Acts 20.28 Et spiritus sanctus posuit Episcopos regere Ecclesiam the holy Ghost hath set Bishops to gouerne the Church 14. Nor secondly doe we dispute whether the Ecclesiasticall gouernement be spirituall and distinct from the Politicall for we both confesse that the Church had no seuerall gouernement of it or in it for a long time but spirituall gouernours onely Rom. 12.8 who did not Proeesse in dominio but in solicitudine excell in power but in diligence 15. Nor thirdly doe we question the absolute and free Monarch of the whole Church triumphant and militant for both of vs acknowledge him to be our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus Ps 2.6 Luc. 1.33 Qui constitutus est Rex super montem

particular part a singulis tenetur in solidum by the first institution and euery one hath power in the whole as it is vndeuided indiuisus and continues for euer Episcopus vniuersalis Ecclesiae a Bishop of the Church vniuersall 45. Now as that one Monarchie in heauen hath not the denomination in respect of any superioritie which is found among the Persons in the Trinitie the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who are that one Monarch of the same power and essence c. but is so called in regard of the world and coelestiall and terrestriall creatures which are subiect to them so this one Bishopricke is not Monarchicall in respect of any superioritie among those persons or Bishops which are all equall in power and degree and make all but one Bishop and supreame gouernour vnder Christ of his Church but in regard of inferiors Priests and people which are subiect to them 46. And yet as in the equalitie of persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost which are all one God there is found primatus ordinis in the Father which is Aristocraticall so in pari consortio honoris dignitatis of all the Bishops of the Church which make all but one Bishop of that one Bishopricke for as Saint Cyprian saith Cypr. Non ignoramus vnum Episcopum in Ecclesiâ catholicâ esse debere there is found of necessitie primatus ordinis as in euery Aristocracie because ordo or as Saint Cyprian saith Cypr. de vnit Eccles Exordium ab vnitate proficiscitur which exordium the Fathers affirme to haue beene in Saint Peter 47. If this my breuitie in this maine point breede any obscuritie and so doth not satisfie some intelligent Auditor by reason of the diuersitie of opinions concerning the first institution of Bishops I will enlarge it in the proper place when I speake of the Primacie thus much was said by Anticipation and by occasion of that philosophicall argument proposed by Thomas and pursued by the Iesuites for the Popes spirituall Monarchie 48. Which argument resembleth that of some Ciuilians and Canonists to proue the like absurditie in the temporall state Barthol in Extrau ad Reprimen Glos in cap. per venerab viz. That the Emperour is the Monarch of the whole world as Bartholus hath it and the glosse who alledge these reasons which Sanders and Bellarmine haue borrowed from them for Illorum sunt omnia quae delirant Iesuitae as thus Non est credendum quin Deus instituerit in orbe optimum genus gubernationis because it is said Psal 103. Omnia in sapientiâ fecisti sed illud est Monarchia which resembleth the coelestiall gouernement ergo Imperator est orbis Monarcha 49. Againe quae sunt praeter naturam debent imitari naturalia at in naturalibus semper vnus Rector in corpore cor in animâ vna ratio ergo in orbe vnus Imperator sicut vnus Deus and other the like reasons which are applied to the Pope in the selfe-same termes mutatis mutandis changing the Emperour for the Pope and the world for the Church 50. But I conclude briefly of the Popes spirituall Monarchie ouer all the Church as Franciscus a Victoriâ doth of the Emperours temporall Monarchie ouer the whole world notwithstanding all those reasons acknowledged by him Fran. Victor relec 5. de Indis Haec opinio est sine aliquo fundamento and therefore we may safely contemne the one of the Pope as Victoria the great Master of the Spanish writers doth the other of the Emperour without danger of Marcionisme Lucianisme Porphyrianisme and Heathenisme and such terrours and monsters of heresie as they pretend to vs. 51. And thus much of the second diuerticle or by-path to error which Bellarmine vseth to seduce his Readers Colos 2.8 which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would adde more if I might not offend your patience Bern. but Breuis dies cogit breuiorem sermonem this being one of the shortest dayes of the yeere requires a short Sermon I will therefore conclude beseeching him Aug. sine cuius luce non est veritas without whose illumination we cannot walke forward in the way of truth nor returne from the way of error that it would please him to leade into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceiued and so to direct our footsteps that we seeing what is light and truth may by his light finde out also what is not truth and so eschew it to the edifying of his Church the discharge of our duties and the saluation of our soules which God grant for Christ Iesus sake to whom with the holy Ghost three Persons and one God be ascribed all honour praise c. Amen FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON 1. YOu haue heard of two sleights that Bellarmine and his fellowes vse to deceiue their Readers tertium fraudis diuerticulū his third by-way is 2 Cor. 11.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be transfigured into the Apostles of CHRIST And how is that done Vincent Lirin tells vs Vin. Lirin c. 37. Proferebant Apostoli diuinae legis exempla proferunt isti the Apostles alledged the Scriptures to prooue their true doctrine and so doe they to establish their false Monarchie which hath euer beene the practise of false Teachers whom the Apostle calls operarios subdolos scripturis malè interpretatis errores suos astruere 2 Cor. 11.13 to fortifie their errours by Scriptures misse-interpreted by which sleight Satan did transfigure himselfe into an Angel of light both when he deceiued our first parents and when he assaulted our Sauior Christ For both he and his Ministers know full well by their long practise and good successe in it Nullam esse ad fallendum faciliorem viam quam vt vbi nefarij erroris subinducitur fraudulentia ibi diuinorum verborum praetendatur autoritas that there is no such ready way to deceiue the simple as to pretend the authority of Scripture fraudulently to vnderlay a nefarious errour 2. This therefore is the third sleight to abuse many Scriptures for confirmation of this Monarchie so long vsurped and of late yeares as it seemes by common errour established as iust but such is the nature of truth Greg. Naz. Quae vt Esdrae sic mihi potentissima videtur which seemes to mee as heretofore to Esdras to be most powerfull that they euer fayle in their conclusions and instead of a Monarchie which they affirme they proue a Primacie which we deny not 3. To this purpose and with this euent or to little or no purpose are two twenty Scriptures alledged by number Cic. and yet in tanto conuentu nulla est quae rationem numerumque habeat amongst so many there is none that hath either weight or reason for though the Bookes are De Romani Pontificis Monarchia Petri yet he confesseth his proofes to reach but to a Primacie and he cannot be so ignorant or with any

in Saint Peter onely of whom we discourse Valentinus accused him of ignorance in the businesse betweene him and Saint Paul Tertul. de Praescrip c. 23. Cont. Marc. l. 4. c. 3. Cyril cont Julian l. 9. infine Galat. 2. but Tertullian defends him Marcion layes to his charge preuarication and simulation which accusation the same Tertullian remoues also Iulian the Apostata condemnes him of hypocrisie whom Saint Cyril confutes to say nothing of Porphyrie Hieron ad Aug. Ep. 39. who vilified Saint Paul as Saint Ierome testifies nor of the Maniches who slandered the Patriarches of the old Testament whom Saint Augustine defends in his bookes against Faustus 11. On the other extremitie the Papists ouer-extoll the fauours and dilate and enlarge the Prerogatiues Cic. which are giuen to Saint Peter in omni genere amplificationis exardent they transforme the Primacie which the Fathers afford him into a Monarchie Bellarmine holds that he was Primus Ecclesiae vniuersalis Monarcha as I haue shewed before and Gretzer he will proue it Gretz defen Bellar. l. 1. c. 8. de Rom. Pontif. and giues him Monarchicall independent fulnesse of power whereupon followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potestas legislatiua for the whole Church and so consequently coerciua as Suarez proueth They call him The Head of the whole Church The Type of the Church The Lord and Master ouer the Apostles and so acknowledged by them The Vicar of Christ They say that Christ and Peter and the Pope pro vno tantùm Ecclesiae capite reputantur That the Apostles receiued no power of iurisdiction immediately from Christ but mediante Petro. That the other Apostles receiued the power and authority to preach from Saint Peter That potestas clauium was giuen to Peter as to the Head to the rest as to the members That Saint Peter was called in plenitudinem potestatis the other Apostles in plenitudinem solicitudinis That Saint Peter onely among the Apostles was made a Bishop by our Sauiour Christ and the others receiued ordination from Saint Peter That the Pontificalitie of the Priest-hood in the New Testament was originally from Saint Peter and consequently all Orders That Saint Peter had ordinariam potestatem which hee left to his successor the other Apostles delegatam which ceased with them That after his last Supper and before his Passion our Sauiour deliuered the gouernement of his Church into the hands of Saint Peter ne quàm diu Christus esset in sepulchro desolata maneret orbata capite Pastore To conclude all in briefe They say that the power of Saint Peter differed from the power of the other Apostles in fiue things First in modo dandi accipiendi because power was giuen to Peter ordinariè to the other Apostles ex speciali gratiâ and to themselues onely Secondly in officio for Peter was made Christs Vicar the other Apostles had but power legantine Thirdly In the obiect of their power because Peter had power ouer all the Apostles but the other Apostles had not power one ouer another but ouer the people who were subject to them Fourthly in the perpetuity of the power for the power of the other Apostles was personall to themselues only but Peters was perpetuall to him and his successors Fiftly In the very essence of their power for the authoritie committed to the Apostles was potestas executiua or as Thomas calls it authoritas gubernandi according to the Lawes prescribed to them such as our Iudges power is but the authoritie giuen to Saint Peter was potestas praeceptiua as Thomas saith authoritas regiminis which is proper to a King onely 12. These false and imaginarie prerogatiues which the Schoole-men and Iesuites ascribe to Saint Peter Aluarez Guerrero calls aurea Thesaur Christ Relig c. 1. n. 60. and gemmea the gold and jewels in Saint Peters Myter fundamentum totius sacrae paginae totius sacrtiuris Pontificij the foundation of the Popes Canon Lawes and of the holy Scriptures For indeede the Scriptures are not the foundation of them but to these propositions the Scriptures are wrested but the true foundation of them is the Popes Canon Law concerning his Monarchie 13. Thus wee see that the one extremitie hath one qualitie of the Beast which is blasphemare Tabernaculum Dei Apoc. 13.6 eos qui in coelis habitant To blaspheme Saint Peter and the Saints which are blessed in heauen The other extremitie is a qualitie or condition of the horne of the Goate which is Magnificare Petrum vsque ad fortitudinem coeli Dan. 8.10 11. deijcere de fortitudine de stellis conculcare eas vsque ad Principem fortitudinis magnificare To magnifie Peter aboue all the Apostles and his successors aboue all Bishops to conculcate and trample vpon all the lights or starres of the Church and to magnifie Peter with the honour of his Master our blessed Sauiour 15. I affect rather a quality of the Sea which doth medium terrae locum expetere that is Cic. I will runne a middle course betweene both Ne vera laus Petro detracta oratione nostra vel falsa affectata esse videatur And first with the Fathers I will either excuse any infirmitie of his which shall be tolerabile erratum and say with Saint Cyrill Cyril com Iulian. l. 9. that the controuersie betweene Saint Peter and Saint Paul which is mentioned in the Acts and gaue occasion of offence to such as would quarrell was but artificiocissima in illis dispensatio for Non mihi tam bene est Tertul. de Praescrip c. 4. Jbid. c. 23. immo non mihi tam malè est vt Apostolos committam Or with Tertullian Si reprehensus est Petrus conuersationis fuit vitium non praedicationis Or with Saint Augustine Aug. Ep. 9. ad Hieron Jbid. that Saint Peter did Iudaizare Gal. 2. compassione misericordiae non simulatione fallaciae or as hee saith afterward Non mentientis astu sed compatientis affectu as the Fathers mollifie with good reason his other infirmities or else I will make vse of them as Saint Augustine did when hee spake of that great weaknesse of denying his Master saying Hunc intuendo admoneri nos oportet ne homo quispiam de humanis viribus fidat Or say with Saint Basil Basil homil de Poeniten Tertio Dominum Petrus negauit non hoc fine vt Petrus caderet sed vt tu quoque consolationem habeas which moderation the Fathers obserue in all his infirmities but especially Epiphanius in his Booke called Ancoratus Jn argumen Anchor Quia instar anchorae ducit mentem de vitâ salute perscrutantem where it seemeth to be as it were a necessary poynt of the Christian Faith to speake honourably of Saint Peter and to extenuate or excuse his imbecillity and weakenesse 15. Secondly I will grant any