par pag. 63. Reyn. in his conf c. 2. diuis 1. 1. Cor. 3. among the Apostles deserued to heare Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church worthy truly who to the people which were to be builded in the house of God might be a stone for their foundation a pillar for their stay a keye to open the gates of the kingdome of heauen M. Bilson may say as some Protestants are wont that S. Augustin reuersed these things in his booke of Retractations how beit he is so far from retracting that exposition as he there confirmeth it rather by the authority of S. Ambrose and at the length leaueth it to the Readers choise whether he will haue Peter or Christ the Rocke on which he builded his Church 9. But D. Bilson and D. Reynoldes with him alleadge out of S. Paul Another foundation can no man lay then that which is already layed which is Christ Iesus I answere another chiefe principall and independent foundation besides Christ no man can lay but an inferiour secondary or subordinate may be layed without danger of disgrace Basil in concione de paeniten to his vnmatchable priuiledge Because as S. Basil excellently teacheth God imparteth his dignityes not depriuing himself of them but enioying he bestoweth them He is the light and yet he sayth you are the light of the world he is a Priest Basil ibid. and he annoynteth Priests he is the Lambe and he sayth Behould I send you like lambes amongst the middest of woules he is a Rock and he maketh a Rocke and immediatly before resuting this Ephes 2. Apoc. 21. former obiection he sayth Though Peter be a Rocke yet he is not a Rocke as Christ is For Christ is the Rocke vnmoueable of himselfe Peter vnmoueable by Christ the Rocke 10. If you inferre that all the Apostles were thus tearmed Rockes and foundations of the Church I answer they were indeed in a certaine manner foundations all because they were all chosen to preach the Ghospell and plant the fayth in euery part of the world they were all immediatly instructed by Christ they had all most ample and vniuersal iurisdiction throughout the whole empyre of the Church In which respects Origen S. Ambrose S. Hilary S. Hierome and rest whome M. Bilson and Bils par 1. pag. 63. Reyn. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 37. Iohn 20. v. 23. Matth. 16. v. 19. Iohn 17. v. 9. Luc. 22. v. 3â— Iohn 16. v. â—3 Luc. 22. v. 32. Ephes 2. v. 20. Matt. 16. v. 18. Mar. vle v. 15. Ioan. 11. v. 17. Bern l. 2. de CoÌ„sider Pascere apud Haebreos idem nonnumquam est quod regere Psal 22. Dominus regit me in Hebraeo est Dominus pascit me M. Reynolds obiect confesse the keyes to be giuen to all the Apostles they acknowledge them al Rockes and Foundations of the Church yet as their authority was delegate S. Peterâ— ordinary as they had absolute power ouer others S. Peter ouer them so they had all the keyes but with dependency of Peter they were all foundations but Peter the first after Christ and maine foundation both to them to the whole Church with them Whereby he excelled the rest of his fellow Apostles in prehemineÌ„ce of power in preheminence of Fayth in preheminence of dignity And therfore whatsoeuer priuiledge in any of these kinds is attributed in holy Write to all the Apostles togeather with Peter the same is imparted againe to Peter alone in a more peculiar and speciall manner To them all power was graunted to remit sinnes Whose sins yee forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose yee retaine they are retained To Peter alone in more ample sort Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth shal be loosed also in the heauens For them all Christ prayed that they might be constant in fayth Not for the world do I pray but for them whome thou hast giuen me for Peter alone I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth fayle not To them all our Sauiour sayd When the spirit of truth commeth he shall teach you all truth to Peter alone Confirme strengthen thy brethren in the truth the holy Ghost shall teach Of them all it is written That we are planted vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets of Peter alone Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church To them all it was sayd Going into the whole world preach the Ghospell to euery Creature To Peter alone Feed my sheep What sheep sayth S. Bernard the people of this or that Citty Of this or that Kingdome My sheep quoth he To whome is it not manifest that he designed not some but assigned all Nothing is excepted where nothing is distinguished 11. Feede my sheep that is feed all that are within the compasse of my fold all that may be intituled myne whether they be Apostles Bishops people or Princes vnlesse Matt. 16. v. 18. â—â— Psal 2. Mich. â— Matth. 2. Apoc. 2. perchance their Apostolicall Episcopall or Imperiall soueraignty any way exclude them from the number of my sheep By these wordes that great reward which was promised to S. Peter in the 16. of S. Matthew is heer exhibited to him and his successors by these he is installed in his Pastorall dignity by these he is created head of the Apostles and chiefe Gouernor of the militant church as the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth declare which importeth not only feed but feed by gouerning and ruling as may be seene in diuers other places of Scripture Likewise Euseb Emiss serm in Naâ—iuit S. Ioan. Euang our Blessed Redeemer gaue heere vnto S. Peter commission both to feed his Lambes to feed his sheep whereupon Eusebius Emissenus aboue a thousand yeares ago proposeth this conuincing argument He committed sayth he to S. Peter his Lambes and then his sheep because he made him not only a Pastour but the Pastour of Pastours Peter therfore feedeth the lambes and also the sheep He feedeth children and their Mothers he ruleth the people and their Prelates He is therefore Ioan. â—1 v. 15. the pastour of all because besides lambes and sheep there is nothing in the Church Hitherto Eusebius Also before this power was giuen to Peter Christ demanded of him Simon of Iohn â—ouest thou me more then these What caused the Sonne of God to exact more loue of Peter then of his fellow-Disciples Had not equall loue beene sufficient to equal care Why then doth he exact more But only because Chrys l. 2. de Sacerd. Ecclesiae praefectura he bequeathed vnto him a farre higher Dignity a more perfect charge ouer his floke the headship or primacy of the Church as S. Iohn Chrysostome by the force of this argument inuincibly proueth 12. Moreouer when our Sauiour repressed the in ordinate Luc. 22. v. 26. lust and desire of raigning in his Disciples a
Apostles tyme who florished not six hundred whole years before Gregory not fiue hundred before Leo. Whereupon the worthy Authour of the fornamed Apology citeth Caluin Musculus D. Whitguift D. Couell affirming amongst the Apostles themselues there was one chiefe who had chiefe authority ouer the rest And D. Couell approueth that saying of Hierom Among the twelue one was chosen that a chiefe or head being appointed occasion of dissention might be preuented 20. Now let vs examine what M. Reynoldes and M. Bilson oppose against vs and these their Sect-mates They produce S. Hilary S. Ambrose S. Chrysostome and others interpreting the Rocke whereupon the Church is built to be the fayth which Peter confessed of Christ. I graunt they apply the Rocke to Peters fayth but therein they imply the person of Peter For they meane not it should be built on that fayth separate from Peter but vpon Peter confessing it or vpon his fayth and confession as proceeding from him which is all one in effect maketh nothing against vs. Then they obiect That Peter and Paul gaue the right handes of fellowship ech to other That the rest of the Apostles as S. Cyprian writeth were the selfe same that Peter was endued with like fellowship of honour and power I answere Foure things are to be considered in the Apostles 1. Their Apostolicall dignity 2. Their power of preaching 3. Their order of Priesthood 4. Their power of regiment or iurisdiction I confesse then the Apostles were all fellowes equall in Apostleship equall in authority of preaching equall in Priesthood for they could all equally consecrate the Body and bloud of Christ but they were not equall in regiment not equall in iurisdiction because the Iurisdiction of the rest was subiect to Peters theirs vniuersall and absolute ouer others Peters ouer others and Leo Epict. 84. ad Anastas Episc c. 11. them themselues Which S. Leo insinuated saying Among the BB. Apostles in the likenes and equality of honour there was a certaine difference of power And whereas the election of all was equall yet to one it was giuen to be preheâ—â—inent aboue the rest 21. But M. Reynoldes vrgeth The Apostles which were Reyn. c. 4. diuis 3. fol. 1â—7â— Act. 8. v. 14. Act. 11. v. 3. at Hierusalem sent Peter and Iohn to the people of Samaria The Apostles and Brethren that were in Iury called Peter to an account when he had preached to Cornelius Therefore he was not head of the rest I answere there be foure sorts of missions or sendings The one by naturall propagation as the tree sendeth forth her branches the branches their leaues or by inward procession as the Father and the Sonne sent the holy Ghost the third person in Trinity The second is by authority or command as the Lord sendeth his vassall the maister his seruant which supposeth inferiority or subiection The third is by lot suffrage or election as many fellowes of a house or parteners of an incorporation send one of their companions Iosue 22. v. 13. which argueth equality The fourth is by aduise and humble intreaty as the people of the Iewes sent Phinees the high Priest to the sonnes of Ruben and Gad. And as the Counsell may aduise the King to vndertake some heroicall enterprize for the good of the Common-wealth which importeth superiority in him that is sent 22. And thus S. Peter by intreaty was sent to the See Lorin in Act. 11. vers 2. people of Samaria and he of curtesy or charity rather did giue an account afterward why he preached to the Gentils by telling the vision he receaued of Gods diuine pleasure therein to instruct such of the Apostles as doubted whether the time were yet expedient to admit the Gentils or free them that were addmitted from the burden of the law if at least they were the Apostles as S. Chrysostom and Hugo teacheth who reasoned heereof Or he gaue Chrys Hugo in hunc loc Epiphan haeres 28. that account to free himselfe from the calumniation of his enemies and scandall of the Iewes if it were as Epiphauius thinketh Cerinthus the Arch-heretike who stirred vp the people to expostulate that matter with him both wayes he might of great humility and singular charity deliuer what he did and be sent as he was without any abasement to the Primacy of his Apostleship 23. To the other obiections that Peter was reprehended Bils par pag. 69. Calu. l. 4â— Inst c. 6. §. 7. Tertul. in praescript cap. 23. by Paul that Paul was appointed the Apostle of the Gentils Peter of the Iewes therefore not superiour to Paul or in dignity aboue him I answere the thing for which Peter was reprehended and resisted by S. Paul was an errour of fact not of fayth It was as Tertullian sayth Conuersationis vitium non praedicationis a fault of conuersation not of preaching And it is lawfull for the inferiour vpon iust cause with modesty and reuerence to correct his Superiour as S. Augustine declareth by this reprehension S. Paul the later Apostle vsed to S. Peter Secondly I reply to the second branch of this obiection The diuision which was made betweene S. Peter and S. Paul of assigning the Iewes to one and Gentils to the other was no diuision or limitation of Iurisdiction but a distribution only of Prouinces for the more commodious preaching of the Ghospell And therefore as S. Paul was not restrained heereby from intermedling with the Iewes whom the acts of the Apostles report as the worthy Bellar. l. 1. de Rom. Pont. c. 16. Carninall Bellarmine diligently quoteth euery where to haue entred their Synagogues and to haue preached vnto them So S. Peter by his particuler regard and care of the Iewes was no way abridged from his generall charge and care of Gentils neither did he heereupon preach only in Iury or in the Prouinces adioyning not Baron in annal an Christ. 44. 45. in Syria Bithynia Pontus Galatia Cappadocia but as vniuersall Pastour he planted the fayth sent preachers ordayned Priestes consecrated Bishopes in the vniuersall Church So he placed S. Marke at Alexandria Euodius at Antioch Iason at Thessalonia at Rauenna Apollinaris at Capua Rufus Euprepius at Verona at Naples Aspernates Prochorus at Nicomedia So as many Ecclesiasticall histories Metaphrastes apud SuriuÌ„ die 29. â—umj record he appointed Sixtus in France Martiall and Eucherius in Germany Torquatns in Spaine Marcianus Berillus and Philippus in Sicily diuers in Italy where he raysed his seate which be as all Cosmagraphers describe the CouÌ„tryes of Gentils 24. And Innocentius concludeth that S. Peter sent ministers Inno. primus in ep 1. ad Decennium of the word and Sacramentes throughout all the west the north throughout all Asia and the Ilands that lye betweene He to whome Christ committed the charge of all his sheep tooke care to prouide food for all his pastorall solicitude reached euen to the vttermost partes of the world Enioy therefore
chastise all the members of Christs mysticall body Thirdly he subioyneth Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth it shall be bound also in the heauens Fourthly whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in the heauens that is whatsoeuer punishment thou shalt inflict either of excoÌ„munication suspension interdiction or degradation or whatsoeuer other spirituall Censure for he speaketh without restriction the same shall be ratified by Almighty God whatsoeuer of these thou shalt release the same shall be released in the heauens aboue Vpon which words Origen obserueth no small Orig. tract 6. in Math. difference betweene Peter and the rest of the Apostles because to them the Keyes of one heauen were giuen to Peter of many Whereupon he inferreth they had not authority in such perfection as Peter to bind and loose in all the heauens 5. Our Aduersaryes not doubting of the highest soueraignty M. Reyn-in his CoÌ„ference with M. Hart c. 2. diuis 1. M. Bils in his booke of Christian subiection par 1. fol. 62. 63. Reyn. ibi diuis 2. which by these singular priuiledges are betokened apply some to Christ some to all the Apostles but none peculiar to Peter alone For the first prerogatiue both M. Reynoldes and M. Bilson attribute vnto Christ affirming either him to be the Rocke vpon which the Church is built or the fayth which Peter pronounced of him and not Peter pronouncing the same The second the third and fourth Reynolds extendeth to all the Apostles because to them all the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen were giuen the power of binding and loosing and not only to Peter Silly men who see not how they crosse themselues in their owne answeres For our Sauiour speaking of one matter to one person in one and the same sentence to whomesoeuer he made the first promise to him he made the rest Therefore if he promised the Keyes to all the Apostles vpon them all he promised to build his Church and not vpon Christ Or if he promised to build his Church vpon himselfe to himselfe he promised the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen to himselfe he promised all power of binding loosing which had beene as impertinent to our Sauiours discourse as dissonant from truth For Christ had all that power before euen from the first houre he began to plante his Church he already enioyed those priuiledges not giuen by himselfe as the iurisdiction heere mentioned but imparted by his Father from whome he was sent 6. Againe as those answeres encounter one another The words of Christ import some extraordinary fauour to S Peter alone so they offer violence to the Text ech of them depriuing Peter of that soueraigne dignity which the whole passage of the place conueyeth vnto him For the wordes of Christ are purposly addressed to the person of Peter his name is only changed at this tyme and not any of the other Apostles he is called Rocke and none of the rest he only speaketh and professeth Christ to be the Sonne of the liuing God our Sauiour only nameth him and continually vseth the singular number yea he addeth the name of his Father to distinguish him not only from the Apostles in generall but also from the other Simon And shall not all these particiculer descriptions denote something in Peter more then in the rest If we appeale to the Greeke to the Hebrew especially to the Syriacke text in which Fabri in diction Syro-caldaicolero in c. 2. ad Gala â— language our Sauiour vttered this whole discourse it so euidently sheweth the very first promise to haue beene made to Peter and not to Christ as nothing can be more cleere For he speaking in Syriacke sayd vnto Peter Thou art Cephas and vpon this Cephas will I build my Church where the same word Cephas signifying as Guido Fabritius and S. Hierome testify a Rocke or Stone is vsed in both places And the Greeke wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though different in termination signify the same Wherefore as if Christ speaking in English had imposed vnto Simon the name of a Rocke therupon had sayd Thou art a Rocke and vpon this Rocke will I build my church there would haue beene no doubt but that he had builded his Church vpon Simon the Rocke so neither in this present speaking the same in Syrtacke 7. M. Reynolds not able to resist confesseth at length Rain c. 2. diuis 1. pag. 24. that Fabritius translateth Cephas a Rocke But Fabritius sayth he sheweth further that Cephas signifyeth a Stone also And in the page immediatly following he addeth Cephas in Greeke is expounded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in English signifyeth a Stone Whereupon he counteth this a fit traÌ„slation of the former Syriacke wordes Thou art a Stone and vpon this Stone will I build my Church And what is this but to graunt the substance of the thing and wrangle about wordes For whether Peter were tearmed Rocke or Stone as long as he was that stone that singular stone which after Christ vpholdeth the frame of the militant Church of which the Apostles were part he was the fundamentall Cyr. l. 2. in Ioan c. 2. Cyâ— ep ad Quintum Tertul. l. de praescript Epipha in Ancorato Amb ser 47. Nazianz orat de moder ser Basil l. 2. in Eunomium Aug. in Psal conâ— partem Donati Bils part 1. pag. 62. Stone vpon which both they and all others were built And seeing the foundation is the same to a house which a head to a body he was the head of the whole body of the Church 8. The Fathers generally fortify the same S. Cyril writeth that Christ called Peter by the name of Rocke because on him as on a stedfast rocke or stone immoueable he was to build his Church S. Cyprian sayth Christ chose Peter vpon whome he builded his Church Tertullian tearmeth him Ecclesiae Petram The Rocke or foundation of the Church Reade the like in Epiphanius S. Ambrose S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Basil and S. Augustine of whome M. Bilson most wrongfully and slaunderously writeth That Peter is the Rocke on which the Church is built S. Augustine and others do plainely deny But what if S. Augustine deny it not plainely What if he deny it not at all What if he plainely auouch it and that in diuers places Will you euer giue credit againe to M. Bilsons writings Therfore he vpon the Psalmes sayth O Church that is O Peter because vpon this Rocke wâ—ll I build my Church Read the like vpon the 69. Psalme in his Sermons Our Lord named Peter the foundation of his Church therfore the Church rightly honoured this foundation vpon which the height of the Ecclesiasticall edifice is raysed Againe Only Peter August conc 2. in Psal 30. in Psal 69. Et ser 15. de Sanct. ser 29. qui est 5. de S. Petro Paulo Aug. l. 1. Retract cap. 21. Bils â—
these hauty speaches in Leo and I thinke that the Mistery of iniquity so wrought through his ambitious adaduancing Peter that of the Egges which he cherished two of the most venemous Cockatrices were bred that euer poysoned the Church of Christ The one the Popes Supremacy c. The other the worshiping of Saints 31. What sayth he of Saint Hierome Hierome to Reyn. c. 4. diuis 3. fol. 134. Hieron ad Aug. ep 11. inter ep Aug. Reyn. c. 4. diuis 1. fol. 133. Rein. c. 4. diuis 1. fol. 116. 117. mayntaine his quarrell agaynst Augustine wrote of affection more what he fancied then of discretion what be thought And when we Catholikes alleadge that sentence of his Paul not had security of preaching the Ghospell vnlesse it had beene approued by the sentence of Peter c. Mayster Reynolds answereth That we discouer the nakednesse of the Fathers c. And prayse the beauty of their blemishes and thinke them best clad when they are naked most Thus of Saint Hierome What of Saint Chrysostome That which Peter might haue done as Chrysostome supposeth would infer a greater Primacy then Peter had if it were true but the Scripture sayth it not The Fathers write some thinges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of prayse and commendation c. Wherein if their words should be rigorously sifted Reyn. c. 4. diuis 3. fol. 132. cap. 4. diuis 2. fol. 123. Ibid. c. 7. diuis 9. fo 285. Bern. l. 2. de Conside the truth is somtymes ouerlashed Of Maximus of Isidore of Theodoret what Father Maximus did dote Isidore ouershot himselfe by slip of memory Theodoret serued his owne cause 32. Is Saint Gregory then Is Saint Bernard of more credit with him Gregory quoth he was somewhat troubled Gregory had a louing affection to Rome Will you giue me leaue to thinke of him as Christ of Peter That he knew not what he sayd That worthy passage is cited out of Saint Bernard vvriting of Eugenius Thou art the Prince of Bishops thou the Heyre of the Apostles Thou art for Primacy Reyn. c. 6. Diuis 4. fol. 226. Abel for gouernement Noe for Patriarch-ship Abraham for order Melchisedech for dignity Aaron for authority Moyses for Iudgement Samuel for power Peter for vnction Christ. Mayster Reynoldes answereth Your men esteeme this place of Bernard very highly and make a feast of it I maruell they are not ashamed to alleadge it For to call the Pope heyre of Saint Peter it were a great excesse of speach much greater to call him heyre of the Apostles But to call him Christ that is so great that any modest man who were Bernardes friend would rather lay his cloake vpon it then discouer it much lesse make boast of it Was euer heard a more audacious fellow who durst open his mouth agaynst heauen it it selfe and disgrace the vvritinges of so many Saints 33. And who art thou O Reynoldes that I should belieue thee before those Cyprians those Chrysostomes those Gregoryes those Bernardes whome thou reprouest Who art thou that I shold rather iudge the greatest faults in them then the least spot or blemish in thee Shall I deeme Leo ambitious Hierome naked Gregory troubled Cyprian to haue varyed from the word of God and only Reynoldes to haue vnderstood it aright Can any man be perswaded that Chrysostome ouerlashed Maximus doted Isidore ouershot himselfe Theodoret serued his own cause and Iohn Reynoldes spake sincerly that Bernards shame deserued a cloake and Reynoldes beauty was worthy to be displayed Can a man thinke so many godly Popes miscaryed with affection all Ecclesiasticall Hystories wide and only Reynoldes to hit the marke Truly he were eyther sottishly peruerse or frowardly blind whosoeuer would seeme so partiall on his side whosoeuer I say vpon the slanderous deposition of such a faythlesse witnesse should depriue the Pope of his soueraygne dignity ouer the whole Church which God and his Saintes haue imparted vnto him The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE THE TWELVTH CONTROVERSY FREETH The true worshippe of Saints of their Shrines and Reliques from Idolatry Agaynst D. Bilson D. Reynoldes and D. Fulke CHAP. 1. THE Prince of darknesse our professed enemy as he alwayes enuyed the glory of God and repined at the felicity and happynesse of man so he euer sought to impayre the honour of the one deface the dignity preheminence of the other To this end he leuied See Irae l. 1. c. 22. ler. in Catal Epip baer 68. his infernall forces first agaynst the Diuine Maiesty it selfe agaynst the first person in Trinity stying vp Simon Magus Basilides and others to deny the first article of our Creed That God the Father created beauen and earth Then agaynst the second person he banded Ebion Chrinthus Arius who robbed our Sauiour Christ of his Diuinity and Equality with his Father Agaynst the third he armed Concil 2. Constant cont Mac. Ambr. l. 1. de fide c. 1. 2. c. Macedonius who impiously impugned the Diuinity of the holy Ghost Agaynst them all iointly Sebellius who wickedly gainsayed the distinction of the Persons But when this diabolicall battery could no way preuayle he mounted his Ordinance agaynst the blessed Angels and Saintes of God He suggested Eustachius in the yeare of Basil in orat con Sabellium our Lord 300. Eunomius and Vigilantius about the same tyme to fight agaynst the honour the vniuersall Church exibited vnto the happy soules which raygne in heauen whose poyson Wicklisse after swallowed vp and is now disgorged by M. Caluin M. Bilson M. Reynoldes M. Fulke Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 11. §. 11. Bils 4. p. pag. 157. 561. 571. Rey. de ldol Rom. Eccl. 1. l. c. 8. Fulke in c. 14. Act. sect 2. in c. 19. Apoc. sect 4. Rey. ibid. c. 6. 8. and all moderne Protestants chiefly vpon this fond perswasion That there be only two sorts of honours Ciuill and Dixine the one proper to God the other peculiar to mortall men And seeing the seruants of God already departed cannot be reuerenced with Ciuill honour because they are absent nor with Diuine for feare of Idolatry no true worship but only as M. Reynoldes yieldeth an honest commemoration or decem burialt can belong vnto them This is the maine ground of M. Caluin of M. Fulke of whosoeuer which being once razed the Rampier of their defence and Fortresse of their folly is wholy ouerthrowne 2. First then I will deduce out of the cause it selfe and off-spring from whence honour ariseth out of Scriptures reasons vndeniable another kind of worship besides Ciuill and Godly which without danger of Idolatry may be allotted to Saintes Albeit Aristotle sayth Adoration and honour is in him that honoureth yet it hath for Etb 9. c. 2. his marke and obiect the excellency of the person worshipped in testimony whereof this signe of reuerence is submissiuely exhibited And therefore as there be three sortes of
vtter Haeb. 5. 22. Ioan. 16. v. 12. And heerein they traced the footsteps of their Lord and Maister Iesus Christ who sayd to his Disciples Many thinges I haue to say to you but you cannot beare them now Whereupon S. Gregory Nazianzen affirmeth the Diuinity of the holy Ghost to be one of the misteryes Christ reuealed Greg. de theol orat â— not to his Disciples at that tyme. Which moued the Eunomians to tearme him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The vnwritten God Yea S. Paul himselfe referreth exhorteth recommendeth vnto vs besides his written word many vnwritten 1. ad Tim. c. vltimo 1. Cor. 11. 2. 2 Thes c. 2. 14. Bâ—sil de Spir. Sancto c. 29. Basil ibid. cap. 27. verityes To Timothy O Timothy keep the Depositum To the Corinthians I praise you brethren that in all thinges you be mindfull of me and as I haue deliuered vnto you keep my precepts or Traditions according to the Greeke To the Tessalonians Hold the Traditions which you haue learned whether it be by word or epistle Vpon which wordes S. Basil accounteth it Apostolike to perseuere firmely euen in vnwritten Traditions And a little before Of such articles of Religion as are kept and preached in the Church some were taught by the written word other some we haue receaued by the tradition of the Apostles deliuered vnto vs as it were from hand to hand in misteryes both which be of one force to godlines and these things no man wil deny S. Epiphanius cyting the forenamed place of S. Epiphan har 61. Chrysost in 2. ad Thess â—om 4. Hieron aduers Lucifer Orig. in proem l. â— de Prin. Aug ep 86. ad Casulan Paul sayth We must vse traditions for the Scripture conteyneth not all thinges and therefore the Apostles deliuered certaine things by writing certaine by Tradition S. Chrysostome vpon the same text The Apostles did not deliuer all thinges by writing but many thinges without and these be as worthy of credit as the other S. Hierome Although there were no authority oâ— proofe out of Scripture the consent of the whole world in this behalfe should stand in lieu of a precept For many other thinges also which by tradition are obserued in the Church haue gotten the force and strength of a written law Origen That truth is only to be belieued which in nothing swarueth from Ecclesiasticall tradition S. Augustine Concerning those thinges of which the Scripture maketh no mention the custome of Gods people or the constitutions of our Ancestours are to be held in place of a law 6. Some of these Fathers M. Reynoldes faythfully Reyn. conclus 1. p. 689. Reyn. ibid. pag. 620. cyteth yet for that they vtterly exclude his fond and fayned glosse of the Apostles wordes aboue mentioned he one while answereth I tooke not vpon me to controle them but let the Church iudge if they considered with aduice inough c. And some few leaues before of S. Basil and S. Epiphanins he malepartly protesteth They were deceaued But if they were deceaued S. Cyprian Tertullian S. Chrysostome S. Fulke against purgatory p. 362. 303. c. Vvhâ—tak de sacra Scriptura p. 678. 68â— 683. 685. Tertul. l. de cor mil. Chrys ho. 1. in Acta Hier l. coÌ„â— Lucif c. 4. ep 28. ad Licâ— Aug. de Ge ad lit l 20. cap. 23 â— Cor. 3. 20 lere 31. 33. Euseb l. r. de demâ—n cap. 8. Tull. l. de lâ—g Isocra ep ad Philip. Maced Hierome S. Augustine S. Leo whome M. Fulke and Whitaker reproue for affirming the like were likewise deceaued S. Paul himselfe was deceaued who for this cause tearmeth the Corinthians the Epistleof Christ written not with inke but with the Spirit of the liuing God not in tables of stone but in the tables carnall of the hart The holy Ghost also was deceaued who prophesing of the new Testament by the mouth of Ieremy sayth I will put my law into their bowels and in their harts will I write it The reasons are manifest because our harts are farre surer Registers of Gods word farre lesse subiect to destruction then leaues of paper Because it is not meet that the perfect documents of the new law of the law of spirit life and truth should be wholy figured in dead and senseles Characters Because the infinite knowledge of the holy Ghost daily teaching instructing his Church was not to be restrained to any limited volumes Because as new doubtes new cloudes of diffiâ—â—ltyes arise amongst vs so new beames of light new instructions or explications are needfull to cleare those mists Because precepts of manners as Tully obserueth are more sweetly sowed and engrafted in a Commonwealth by obseruation and custome then by restraint of Iawes Because as Isocrates teacheth the liuely voice oracles of the mind are more forcible to perswade of greater account and estimation then the records of writing 7. And therfore as the Romans locked vp in the Capitoll the Oracles of the Sybils and permitted them not Fenestella l. 1. cap 13. de magist Clemens Alex. strom 5. Dion Bas Eus vs infra 1. Cor. cap. 2. 6. Bils 2. part pag. 265. Reyn. conclus 1. Dyon Eccles hier cap. 1. Basil locis citatis Leo. ep 8. ad Flauia Euseb l. 1. de demonst euang c. 8. 1. Cor. 11. v. 2. 2. Thess 2. 14. 1. Tim. vlt. v. 20. 1. Cor. 2. 6. 1. Cor. 11. v. 34. Ad Tit. 1. v. 5. Haeb. 5. v. 11. Aug. l. â—onâ— epist Fund c. 4 5. to the view of any but only their Priests as the Aegyptians according to Clemens Alexandrinus report did not publish the knowledge of their diuine secretes but only to them as were to be aduanced either to Royall or Priestly dignity so S. Dionyse S. Basil and Eusebius witnesse that the Apostles thought meete to couer some hidden misteryes of our fayth from the contempt of the vulgar and by secret Tradition to deliuer them onely to such as were more fit and capable Of whome S. Paul sayd We speake wisedome among the perfect Notwithstanding M. Bilson cauelleth That albeit the Church had some Rites and Ceremonyes yet no matter of fayth sayth he Nothing necessary to saluation sayth M. Reynolds vnwritten Meere cauils For S. Dionyse calleth the concealed misteryes Chiefe and supersubstantiall S. Basil Principall parts of our Faith S. Leo Constitutions which appertaine to the pith and substance of fayth Eusebius All the precepts which Christ gaue as it were to the wiser and most spirituall sort of men which the testimonyes themselues seeme to pronounce For can we thinke the Traditions which S. Paul equally ballanced with his own Epistle the Depositum he so earnestly recommended to Timothy the wisedome he vttered among the perfect only and among such as were fit to teach others can we thinke the thinges he had to prescribe concerning the vse and administration of the Blessed Sacrament the forme he appointed about the ordering of Priests the speach
it had byn long before sweetly song in the East and in all the Prouinces Concil Cart. 2. c. 3. Conc. Agath cap. 47 Conc. Calc act 3. S. Cyril cat myst 5. S. Amb. l. 5. epist 33. Greg. l. 7. Ep. 63. l. 12. Ep. 15. Bed l. 1. hist â—â—cles cap. 19. Aug l. 10. confâ—ss c. 1â— â—o l. 22. de Ciui Dei cap. 8. Chrys l. 6. de Sacer. Bils 4. par pag. 993. Caluin de coen â—ni the like he hath lib de vâ—ra Eccles refor in cap. 7. ad Heb. Magdeb. Câ—nt 2. c. Io. col 107 Cent. â— c. 4 col 63. Cent. 3. c. 4. 5. Mâ—lanct l. 4 Chroâ—iâ— Henr. 4. of Italy Was it not there further enacted that the thrice sacred Anthymne Holy Holy should be repeated in morning Masses in the Masses of Lent or in such as were offered for the dead as it was accustomed to be in solemue Masses Is not our Sacrifice of the Masse or vnbloudly Host mentioned also in the second Councell of Carthage of Agatho of Chalcedon and in many others Did not S. Cyril Patriarch of Ierusalem S. Ambrose Bishop of Millan S. Gregory the great Pope of Rome did they not say Masse 19. And the same S. Gregory did he not send all Priestly ornaments to S. Austen our Apostle Did not S. Augustine likewise the Doctour say Masse Did he not in treat others to doe the same for his fathers and mothers soule And which is more doth he not write of a Priest of his who sacrificed the Body of our Lord in a house infected with euill Spirits and the infestation ceased Doth not S. Chrysostome teach That the Angells themselues with reuerence assist our sacrificing Priest in honour of him that is offered on the Altar Which maketh me wonder how M. Bilson should ouershoot himselfe so farre as to auouch That for twelue hundred yeares after Christ our Sacrifice was not knowen to the world Was he so litle conuersant I will not say in these learned Fathers but in the Century-writers his Companions in Caluin his Coronell in Melancthon and other his Protestant Peeres as not to know what they had written in this behalfe Or was he so bold as against vs against them all to broach this stander Caluin sayth It is well knowen the olf Fathers called the Supper a Sacrifice c. Neyther can I excuse the custome of the ancient Church for that with gesture and outward rite they did set forth a certaine forme of Sacrifice with the same ceremonies in a manner that were practised in the old law saue that they vsed the Host of bread in lieu of a beast 20. The Century-writers blame Ignatius the scholler of the Apostles Irenaeus S. Cyprian Tertullian and diuers others in all ages within the compasse M. Bilson speciâ—yeth for the like Melancthon writeth of S. Gregory the First who liued about the 600. yeare of our Lord He allowed sayth he by publike authority the sacrifice of Christs body and bloud not only for the living but also for the dead M. Bale Bale in his Pageans sal 27. Fulk in his confut of Purgat p. 264. 265. c. Beacon in his Treat intituled The reliques of Rome sol 344. Luth. l. de cap. Baby l. de abrog Missae auerreth of S. Leo the first who florished about 440. years after Christ He allowed the sacrifice of the Masse not without great blasphemy to God M. Fulke reprehendeth Tertullian for the same M. Beacon concludeth The Masse was begotten conceaâ—ed borne auone after the Apostles tyme if all be true that Historiographers write So as it was the badnes only I suppose of M. Bilsons cause which made him bolster that foule report 21. Yet I will examine what he and his associates pretend against vs The Eucharist say they is a Sacrament which we receaue from God therfore it cannot be likewise a Sacrifice we offer to God because it implyeth the same thing should be both offered and receaued I answere that one and the self same thing diuersly considered may be both offered and receaued proceed from vs and be giuen to vs be a sacrament and a sacrifice And so the holy Eucharist is a Sacrament imparted vnto vs in that it is a signe of inisible grace ordained by God to nourish our soules with heaueÌ„ly food It is a sacrifice offered vnto God in that this signe or gift consecrated with sacred Ceremony is surrendred vnto him in acknowledgment of his highest Maiesty in protestation of our lowest duety and allegiance In this sense Cyp. ser de â—â—n Dom. it is called by S. Cyprian Medicamentum simul HolocaustuÌ„ Both a medicine and a sacrifice A medicine to heale our spirituall infirmityes A sacrifice to appease the wrath of God A medicine composed by him for the behoofe of vs A 1. Para. 29. v. 14. sacrifice offered and consumed by vs in honour of him This the Prophet Dauid rightly obserued when he sayd All thinges O Lord are thyne and the things we haue receaued from thy hand we haue restored vnto thee Thus we offer our spiritual Hosts as S. Peter exhorteth we offer vnto God â— Pet. 2. â—ers 5. Iac. 1. v. â—7 the Sacrifice of prayer of prayse of thankefulnes c. yet they are all mercifull guifts Descending from aboue from the Father of Lights from whom euery good motion and thoght proceedeth 22. The second and chiefest bulwarke which M. â—eynolds M. Bilson M. Sparks raise to batter the Forr of our Reyn. c. 8. diuis 4. p. 474. Bils 4. par pag. 695. Spark pa. 7. 23. sequen Haeb 10 v. 12. 14. v. 18. ad Heb. c. 9. v. 28. blessed Sacrifice is that S. Paul often inculcateth to the Hebrewes How Christ by one Host one Oblation once offered redeemed vs all How Christ was once offered to exhaust the sinnes of many I graunt that he was only once bloudily sacrifyced in his proper forme and shape yet vnbloudily sacramentally couered vnder the veiles of his creatures he is dayly offered vpon the Altar of his Church Which S. Paul impugneth not but only the iteration of the former bloudy as may be gathered out of the drift and scope of his discourse in that epistle to the Hebrewes 23. Secondly I answere that S. Paul speaketh of the chiefe generall ransoming Host of the full redeeming Heb. 10. v. 14. sacrifice Which once perfected on the Crosse consumated for euer them that are sanctifyed Yet it is nothing repugnant but altogeather correspondent heereunto that we should likewise haue our particuler Oblation to communicate the priuiledges of that vniuersall For so all generall Melchior Canus l. 12. de lo. Theo. c. 12. 1. Tim. 2. v. 4. causes as Melchior Canus noteth are determined and restrained by their particulers The Sunne is the generall cause of light yet we receaue the benefite thereof by many seuerall and particuler illuminations The will of God
of colours but only white the most true natiue colour so our Reformers admit all manner of Doctrine and in this present all sorts of Confession but that which is most important and beneficiall for their soules 1. They allow the Confession of sinnes to God in generall 2. The Confession of some sinnes in particuler to a learned Minister to receaue comfort and direction from him 3. The Confession of certaine enormo us crimes publikely made in the sight of the congregation for their satisfaction and terrour of others 4. The Confession of priuate iniuries to the party offended to be reconciled to him But the Confession of all particuler faults to a lawfull Priest to receaue pardon and absolution they vtterly disauow Wherein to proceed more perspicuously they chiefly deny three principall points First the power in Priests to absolue from sinnes Secondly the necessity of sinners to confesse Thirdly the necessity of numbring euery particuler offence All which notwithstanding I will clearly deduce out of that soueraigne Commission Christ gaue to his Apostles when breathing vpon them he sayd 2. Receaue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes yee forgiue they Iohn 20. v. 23. are forgiuen and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retayned For by this passage it is euident that authority is giuen to the Priests of Gods Church not only to preach the Ghospell and denounce retention to the impenitent remission to the Sparkes P. 323. Fulke in c. 20. Ioan. sect 4. 5 Math 28 Mar. 16. Ioan. 20. penitent belieuer as D. Sparkes D. Fulke with their adherents perfidiously wrest the words but absolute power is granted vnto them as the Vicars and Vicegerents of Christ truly to remit and pardon sinnes 1. Because commission to preach was giuen before in S. Matthew S. Marke 2. That was extended to all Teach all nations this is restrayned to some alone who submit their faults to the keyes and censure of the Church Whose sinnes yee remit c. 3. Forgiuenes of sinnes in heauen is not alwayes annexed to the Preachers exhortation it is to the absolution of the Priest if no obstacle hinder it in the party absolued 4. The Preachers voyce declareth on earth what God hath already persormed in heauen but heere quite contrary God ratifieth in heauen what the Priest by his mynisteriall power pronounceth vpon earth The Iudgment Hila. Can 26. in Mat. Chrâ— hom 5. de verbis Isa Vidi Dominum or sentence on earth sayth S. Hilary goeth before that which is giuen in heauen Heauen sayth S. Chrysostome borroweth principall authority of iudging from the Earth So as it cannot be the meere vocation to preach but some other extraordinary and singular Iurisdiction which our Sauiour here bequeathed to his Apostles 3. A Iurisdiction signified before by the power of keys which are chiefly giuen to magistrates and rulers of Cittyes not to betoken thinges already locked or vnlockt but to open and shut as occasion requireth A Iurisdiction for the due exercise whereof the Sacrament so a Aug. l. 2. cont Parm. c. 13. Greg. l. 4. Com. in l. ReguÌ„ c. 5. Calu. l. 4. Instit c. 19. S. Augustine and others tearme it of Ordination was instituted b Chrys hom 85. in Ioan. Greg. Niss ora de lap Isa 44. v. 12. Cyr. lib. 12. c. 56. in 10. Atha ser in illaverba Profecti in pagum Hier ep ad Hedibi Bafil quaest breuib inter 288. Leo ep 91 ad Thâ—oâ— Pacian ep 1. ad Sym. pro. Ambr. de poenic l. x. c. 2. 7. Chris l. 3. de Sacer. Spirituall grace infused the Holy Ghost purposely imparted and imparted after a speciall manner of insufflation or breathing on them to denote that the breath of his Priests pronouncing the words of absolution should disperse and dissolue the mists of sinne according to that of the Prophet Esay I haue disolued like a cloud thy sins This ceremony then was vsed to declare the effect of extinguishing sinne the Holy Ghost was giuen to manifest the cause by whom it is abolished For as S. Cyril sayth It is neyther absurd nor yet inconuenient that they forgiue sinnes who haue the Holy Ghost For when they pardon or retaine sinns the Holy Ghost pardoneth or retayneth sinnes by them and that they doe two wayes by Baptisme first afterwards by Penance 4. Lastly that this rare prerogatiue graunted to Priests was not only by the mystery of the word to declare but by the authority of the keyes to forgiue sinnes many other of the Fathers directly teach S. Athanasius tearming it Power giuen by our Sauiour to Paiests to loose sinnes S. Hierome S. Basil S. Leo Pacianus haue the like S. Ambrose expresly proueth this authority in Priests of remitting sins against the Nouatians cuen ouer them to whom they denyed the ministery of absolution albeit they graunted the benefit of preaching S. Chrysostome extolling the dignity of Priests aboue Kings and Angels amplifyeth the same after his fashion with this goulden streame of wordes They that inhabite the earth and conuerse thereon to them comission is giuen to dispense those thinges that are in heauen To them that power is giuen which Almighty God would not communicate either to Angell or Archangell For to â—hem it is not sayd whatsoeuer yee shall bind in earth shal be bound in heauen c. Earthly Princes indeed haue also authority to bind but the bodyes only but that * Sacerdotum vinculum ipsam eâ—i im animam contingit atque ad caelos vsque peruadit c. binding of Priests which I treate of toucheth the very soule it selfe and reacheth euen to the Heauens In so much as whatsoeuer the Priestes performe beneath the very same Almighty God doth aboue and the sentence * SeruoruÌ„ sententiam Dominus confirmat of the seruant our Lord doth confirme And what is this truly elso but that the power of heauenly things is graunted by God vnto them Whose sinnes soeuer sayth he yee shall retaine they are retained What power I beseech you can be greater then this The Father gaue all power to the Sonne but I see the same power deliuered altogeather by the Sonne vnto them Wherefore as Christ had a speciall power of pardoning sinnes distinct from his power of preaching so had the Apostles to whome he gaue al power committed vnto him as S. Chrysostome auoucheth and our Sauiour himselfe witnesseth when before he imparted this authority he mentioneth his owne commission Ioan. 20. v. 22. saying As my Father sent me I also send you 5. The power of Priests to remit sinnes being thus established it remaineth I declare how Confession to a Priest the second point which our Aduersaryes deny is heerein implyed M. Fulke sayth Neither doth it follow of M. Fulke in c. 20. Io. sect 5. any necessity that men are bound to submit themselues to the Iudgment of Priests if they haue authority to forgiue sinnes But S. Augustine more ancient more holy more
In 6. Syn. gen act 4. 9. â—6 with Sergius with the Monothelites their wills and operations who for this cause are enrolled in the rancke of heretikes and aboue 1000. yeares ago condemned by Pope Agatho in the sixt generall Councell 23. Wherefore to draw to an end I intreate you all who peruse this Treatise if the filth sucked out these miry puddles haue not dammed vp the passage of truth if these dregges of heresyes haue not quenched in you all sparkes of grace renounce the Patrons of such iniquity beware the infection of their folly the fury of them who proclaime Christ a Priest Christ a Mediatour according to his Deity and acknowledge with vs how he dischargeth these dutyes only as man notwithstanding how his actions his Sacrifice his prayers and teares were all of infinite and incomparable merit through the excellency of his diuine person Which I would to God his Royall Maiesty would also vnderstand for whose worthy satisfaction I haue diligently laboured to decide this question THE TENTH CONTROVERSY DEMONSTRATETH The Primacy of S. Peter against D. Bilson and D. Reynoldes CHAP. I. ARISTOTLE the chiefe and Prince Arist â— 3. polit â— 5. 6. 7 of Philosophers assigneth three seuerall manners of gouerning a Common-Wealth For eyther many of the meaner sort beare sway or some few of the Nobility or only one as absolute Soueraigne If many it is called Democracy if few Aristocracy if one a Monarchy The first is often ruined with the tumults and garboyles of the vnconstant and diuersly-headed multitude The second commonly deuided with the strifes and factions of the ambitious Peeres The third as it is lesse subiect S. Thom. de regim principum l. 1. cap. 1. 23. â— to diuision so most conuenient as S. Thomas learnedly noteth to order guide and keepe many in peace and vnity the finall scope to which all gouernments should be directed and all rulers ayme 2. Whereupon Plato Aristotle Isocrates and diuers other affirme in peace in warre in managing al affaires Plato in polit Arist l. 3. polit c. 11. 12. l. 4. cap. 2. Isocrates oratione 3. this to be the most diuine forme of a Common-Wealth where one most singular man hath the supreme power and administration of things which both God and Nature confirmeth For in the mystery of the most holy Trinity there is the Father from whom the Sonne and the Holy Ghost who from the Father and the Sonne as from one only origen or beginning proceedeth They euery way equall in properties distinct in Persons three are only one in ouer-ruling and disposing all things Amongst the immortall spirits and quires of Angels there is one illuminated by God who giueth light to the rest In the Heauens there is one first moueable by which the inferiour orbes and planets are moued One Sunne from whence the light of the Stars is borrowed and influence of the signes in the Zodiacke determined In earthly thinges in this little world of man there is one hart from which the arteryes and vitall spirits one braine from whence the sinewes one lyuer from which the veines channels of bloud haue their head or of-spring in euery element there is one predominate quality Amongst the birdes the Eagle among the beasts the Lyon among the fishes the Whale doth also dominier In Trees Cyprian tract do Idolorum â—anitate Hearbes and Plants in Townes Villages Families priuate Houses the like head-ship or Monarchy might be shewed if it were not too long for my professed breuity in so much as S. Cyprian writeth The very Bees haue their guide and captaine whome they follow Apo. 2â— 2. Cant. 6. 3. Mat. 13. v. 38. 41. Ioan. 10. 16. Luc. 10. 34. 1. Tim. 3. â—â— 3. Now sith the Church of Christ militant vpon earth is a perfect yet spirituall Common-wealth sith it is An holy Citty A campe well ordered and established by the wisest Captaine Gouernour and Law-maker that euer was Who doubteth but that he placed in it the most worthy Regiment of all others that Monarchicall preheminence which in all his other creatures so perfectly raigneth especially for that he resembleth it to A kingdome to A sheepefold to An Inne to An House in which one King one Pastour one Host one Maister beareth sway For that it ought to be correspondent to the ancient Mat. 16. 18. 19. Synagogue in which one High-priest answerable to the celestiall hierarchies and orders of Angels among whom one Seraphim is chief And who was this visible Monarch this Ministeriall head of the Church vnder Christ but S. Peter To whom our Sauiour said Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue to thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth it shall be bound also in the Heauens and whatsoeuer thou shall loose in Earth it shall be loosed also in the Heauens In which seÌ„tence foure rare prerogatiues are promised vnto Peter and by euery one of them his supereminent dignity aboue the rest of the Apostles manifestly declared 4. For first he calleth him Rocke by which Metaphore he doth insinuate that he as a Rocke or Stone vnmoueable Amb. ser 47. Orig. hom 5. in Exod. saith S. Ambrose vpholdeth the whole weight and fabrike of Christian worke That he saith Origen is the great foundation or most solide stone vpon which Christ builded his Church Secondly he addeth To thee I will giue the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen by which words is signified all power to enact or repeale Lawes sommon or confirme Councels appoint or displace offices consecrate or degrade Bishops all power and authority which is requisite for the rule gouernment or instruction of the Church For euen as when the keyes of a Citty are giuen vp to the Magistrate the administration and rule of the State is surrendred into Greg. l. 4. epi. 32. Luc. 11. 52. Apoc. 1. v. 18. his hands so now when the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen are imparted to Peter The whole charge and principality of the Church as S. Gregory writeth is committed vnto him And whereas there be two sorts of Keyes the Key of knowledge to teach and instruct of which S. Luke You haue taken away the Key of knowledge and the Key of authority and iurisdiction to guide and gouerne whereof S. Iohn speaketh I haue the Keyes of death and of Hell and Esay I will giue the Key of the house of Dauid vpon his shoulder Both these Keyes were here delegated vnto Peter by Isa 21. v. 22. It was vsuall amongst the Hebrewes to giue power and authority by the Keyes vid. Azor. Insti mor. p. 2. c. 9. the one he had the Chaire of infallible doctrine to decide all controuersies and define all matters of faith by the other the scepter of Ecclesiasticall gouernment to rule order correct and
place with which our Aduersaryes vrge vs and we easily retorte vpon them turning the points of their weapons against their owne breasts two thinges he obserued he reprehended the imperious haughty manner of ruling ordinarily practised by worldly Princes he instructed them in another course of gouerning which he purposed to plant among them In the former he vseth generall Qui maior est invobis Reyn. in his Confer c. 2. diuis 2. pag. 105. Reyn. ibid. Vos autem non sic or non ita erit inter vos as S. Matthew readeth Matth. â—0 v. 26. Luc. 22. v. 26. tearmes and speaketh to them in common Vos au em c. but you in the latter particuler wordes directing his speach to one he that is greater In the former he teacheth them all to humble themselues and not to thirst after earthly preferments in the latter he doth not only teach humility to all as Reynolds would likewise slip away but he also deliuereth an instruction to one how to behaue himselfe in gouernment In the former I accord with him that he debarreth them all from being such Lords from such proud dominion as he there rebuketh and therefore purposely sayth But you not so in the latter he approueth a distinct manner but directly establisheth a superiority amongst them saying He that is the greater among you let him become as the younger He doth not say he that would be as in S. Mathews Ghospell but he that is nor he that is the greaterouer others but he that is the greater among you Among you my Apostles among you in the midst of whome I the Leader haue bin like him that wayteth so he whom I shall leaue as chiefe among you let him follow my example and be as the waiter 13. Shall I heere pose M. Bilson shall I pose M. Reynolds what this instruction meant was it addressed to some one amongst the Apostles designed to be head or not if they answer it was as maugre all violent constructions or coloured glosses the Text it selfe doth speake Then there was one to be a Greater a Leader a Captaine or Prince amongst them as the Greeke * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word †Dirosh that is Princeps a Prince in Syriack in which language our Sauiour spak Luc. 22. 31. 32. Syriacke openeth if not if it appertayned to none how will they free the wisdome of God from letting fall those superflouous words from teaching a lesson proposing an example giuing an instruction which no way belonged to any of his audience how followeth that sudden digression immediatly hereupon Simon behold Sathan hath required to haue you for to sift as Wheat but I haue praied for thee that thy faith faile not and thou once conuerted confirme thy brethren How is this saying connected with the former discourse this conuersion of our Sauiours speach at the same time to Peter this redoubling of his name this mention of the praier he made for him of the authority of strengthning his brethren giuen to him vnlesse he he were the man appointed to be head and Amb. lib. 10. in c. 22. Luc. posteaquam inquit fleuisti erectus es vt alios regeres qui te ipse non rexeras Arnobius in Psal 138. Rein. c. 5. diuis 3. Mat. 10. 2. Beza in Annot. Noui Test Anâ—o Domini 1556. Mat. 16. Act. 2. Act. 10. Act. 3. Act. 4. Act. 21 Act. 1. chiefe of them all Which S. Ambrose flatly auoucheth speaking thus vnto Peter After thou hast wept thou art raised vp that thou maiest rule and gouerne others who didest not gouerne thy selfe And Arnobius Help it affoarded to the Apostle penitent who is the Bishop of Bishops and a greater degree is restored to him weeping then was taken from him denying c. that he might not only be assured to haue recouered that which he had lost but also to haue gotteÌ„ more by repeÌ„ting then euer he lost by denying 14. Further whensoeuer the Euangelists rehearse the Catalogue of the Apostles S. Peter is named first which M. Reynolds basely conceiting surmiseth to be for that he was like the fore-man of the quest in Iuries But S. Matthew expresseth it to be because he was indeed in the number of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primus that is The first a word so significant in Latin and Greeke as Beza suspecteth it to haue beene foisted into the text by some fauourer of Peters Primacie Not only in naming in sundry others extraordinary graces he is priuiledged as the first or chief of the Apostles He was the first who acknowledged and openly confessed the Diuinity of Christ the first who preached vnto the Iewes the first who conuerted the Gentiles the first who confirmed his doctrine with a famous miracle the first who resisted the Synagogue the first who increased the Church with three thousand at one time the first who riseth the first who propoundeth the first who concludeth in the middest of his brethren 15. Finally the Scripture teacheth that only Peter Mat. 17. Mat. 14. Luc. 5. was matched with Christ in the paiment of tribute Only Peter walketh with him vpon the waters Only Peter recei ueth Christ into his barge Only out of Peters boat doth our Sauiour teach and instruct the people Only Ioa. 21. Act. 12. Luc. 22. Leo serm 3. de assump sua ad Pontif. Luc. 5. v. 4. Amb. l. 5. in c. 5. Luc. Gal. 1. 18. Oecum in eum loc Chrysost hom 87. in IoaÌ„ Amb. in huÌ„c loc Peters death and Passion was foretold by Christ For Peter alone praier is made by the Church without intermission To Peter alone infallible assurance was giuen to strengthen others in faith To Peter alone our Sauiour said Duc in altum Launch forth into the deepe that is as S. Ambrose interpreteth In profundum disputationum Into the maine depth of all disputations of all hidden mysteries of our beliefe To see Peter alone S. Paul came to Hierusalem He came as to his greater saith Oecumenius As to the mouth and chiefe of the Apostles S. Iohn Chrysostome As to the first amongst the Apostles to whome our Sauiour committed the charge of the Church S. Ambrose Few Iuries I ween will performe the like office or yield such dignity to the Foreman of their Quest 16. But if you will see the Primacy of Peter more liuely expressed consider the actions he accomplished after the ascension of Christ and you shall euery where behold him practising his soueraigne authority To publish the deposition of one Bishop and election of another in the Colledge of the Apostles is proper to the chiefe Act. 2. and highest Apostle S. Peter pronounced Iudas to haue lost his Bishopricke and proposed another to be chosen in his roome To condemne vnto death without checke or controlment belongeth to the chiefe and highest Iudge S. Peter condemned Ananias and Saphira for their sacriledge Act. 5. Act. 8. Aug. l. de
O Peter enioy thy primacy and rare preheminence glory in thy dignity graunted thee by Christ and be alwayes vigilant ouer his flocke Raigne O supreme Pastour raigne thou still as head vnder him as leader of his campe as Prince of his people and that which now thou canst not performe by thy self discharge at least by thy successor the Pope of Rome in whose care and vigilancy the exercise of thy function still continueth as the subsequent Treatise shall declare THE ELEVENTH CONTROVERSY VPHOLDETH The Popes Supremay against D. Bilson and D. Reynoldes CHAP. I. MASTER BILSON treading the sleps of his fore-father Caluin requireth Bils par 1. p. 10 4. of vs to proue three things before we install the Pope in his Pontificall Sea First You must shew saith he That Peter was Supreme Gouernour of all the Church Next that this dignity was not proper to Peters Person but common to Peters Successour c. Lastly you must shew which of Peters Chaires must haue Bilson ibi Peters Priuiledge that is why Rome rather then Antioch or as Caluin vrgeth rather then Ierusalem where Christ died Caluin l. 4. â—nst c. 6. § 21. and yielded vp as it were the visible head-ship of his Church I am content to obserue this method and satisfie him in these three points The first I haue already demonstrated in the precedent Treatise the second and third I am now to declare 2. Touching the second the wordes which Christ spake the reasons which moued him to impart a Supremacy to Peter do consequently conuince it be deuolued to his Successour The words of Christ are these Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke will I build my Church c. My Church Mat. 16. saith he not a patt or portion of his Church not that part only which florished in Peters daies but all his whole Church which euer was since Christ his time or euer shall be vntill the end of the world But this could not be Chrysost Demonstr quod Christus fit Deus Ioan 21. built vpon Peter in his owne person he being deceased so many yeares agoe therefore it must be builded vpon some other insteed of Peter and so as Iohn Chrysostome eloquently discourseth still continue In like manner when our Sauiour said to Peter Pasce oues meas Feede my Sheepe did he not command him to feed all his Sheepe did he not lay a charge vpon him which he should neuer forgoe Chiefly seeing the office of a Pastour is an ordinary and perpetuall office and as long as there are any Sheepe to be fed so long there ought to be some Pastour to feed them which because Peter performed not in his owne person these many hundred yeares there must needes be some other to execute it in his roome in respect of whom S. Peter may be still said to accomplish his duty and feed the Sheepe entrusted to his charge Whereupon Ieo sâ—r 2. de sua assumpt S. Leo writeth of Peter In whom the care of all Pastours with the custody of the Sheepe committed vnto him still perseuereth and whose worthy dignity in his vnworthy Successour faileth not In the Councell of Calcedon when an Epistle of Leo the Pope Concil Calcedon act 2. act 3. was read all the Fathers cried out that Peter spake by the mouth of Leo. And when sentence was pronounced against Dioscorus the Patriarch of Alexandria the whole Councell deliuered that Leo endued with the authority of Peter the Apostle deposed Dioscorus 3. Whereby it is euident that the Pastorall priuiledge granted to Peter was not restrayned to him but extended to others not giuen him as a priuate but as a publike person and therefore still to continue to them that succeed I presume you are not ignorant that a King being a publike person still continueth that he is said in the Law neuer to dy and the dignities granted to him are common to all the heyres and inheritours of Stow in his Chronicle in the yeare of our Lord 1521. pag. 865. his crowne As the thrice worthy Title of Defender of the Faith giuen to King Henry the eight by Leo the tenth Pope of that name for writing against Luther descended to king Edward passed to Queene Mary and Queene Elizabeth and now perseuereth in our most potent and dreadfull Soueraigne King Iames. The honour likewise M. Bilson enioyeth of being Prelate of the Garter is annexed to his Sea and deriued to him from his Predecessors The same is seene not only in Titles and Prerogatiues of honour but in priuiledges also of power imparted to Citties Dukedoms Common-wealths or publike Magistrates both Ecclesiasticall and Temporall who as they neuer faile so neither the honours dignities and prerogatiues they once enioy Such was the Primacy communicated vnto Peter not personall but publike Chrysolog in epist aâ— Eutyâ—h Read S. Aug. in Psal 44. vpon those words For thy Fathers Sonnes are born to thee that is For Apostls Bishops succeding in their roome not proper to him but common to his Successours in whom he euen now suruiueth speaketh and feedeth the Sheepe of Christ with the food of heauenly doctrine as S. Peter Chrysologus Bishop of Rauenna declareth writing thus in his daies Blessed Peter who liueth and gouerneth in his owne proper seat deliuereth the verity of faith to them that seeke it 4. The reasons which caused our blessed Redeemer to aduance Peter to this soueraigne dignity were all for the behoofe and benefit of the Church First to preuent schismes Secondly to appease dissensions Thirdly to settle it in peace Fourthly to endow it with a most perfect forme of a Common-wealth All which enforce that it was not a priuate grace annexed to Peters person but a publike priuiledge conueyed to his Successours For if these things be now as behoofull and necessary to the Church as then why should she not still enioy them Is Christ become lesse carefull of his Church then heretofore Or hath this faultlesse Virgin the pure Spouse of our Lord committed any fault by which she should be depriued of the benefit he bestowed vpon her If she be the same well ordered Campe how is she disappointed of her guide and Captaine If the same Ship how sayleth she without a Pilot If the same body how is she separated from her Head How is she become so prodigious a monster as to haue a visible body with an inuisible head because if none succeeded Peter the visible body of the Church hath had this long time no other then Christ Titus Liuius The Protestants will haue the church first gouerned by Christ alone next by the Apostles then by al Bishops after by Kings and Free stats wheÌ„ they were conuerted to the faith by Queen Elizabeth a woman by King Edward a Child Dan. 2. Luc. 1. her inuisible head 5. If none succeeded Peter the whole state of the Church is altered and changed changed from a Monarchy to Aristocracy from the administration of one
hier cap. 4. Concil Agâ—â—hens can 14. Aug. ser 19. de Sanctis Optatus lib. cont Parm. Peter Mart. in his com places in English pag. 227. Cartwrig in his 2. reply p. 264. Centurist Centur. 4. col 409. Centur. 3. cap. 4. colum 83. Greg. Nazi in ep 8. ad Simplician Fulke in his reioynder to Bristowes reply p. 28. Calu. in Haeb. c. 7. v. 9. pag. 9. 4. in tract theolog pag. 389. Neither M. Higgons nor any Catholike writer euer maintained any such intention of helping all The Patriarches Prophets and Martyrs are remembred and not desired to be holpen the damned who dye in mortall sin are neither holpen nor remeÌ„bred as you may often read in S. Augustine and generally in all the rest howbeit you guilfully misconstrue some of their sayings to be meant of the mitigation of their paines But there are some of a middle sort who depart this life neither deadlywounded nor perfectly recouered of the infirmityes of sinne these only they intended to relieue as M. Higgons proueth and you without iugling should haue laboured to disproue 15. Your answeres to his former two differences are as full fraught with vntruth as this with fraudulency and deceit For you reply to the first We haue Altars in the same sort the Fathers had c. To the second We admit the Eucharist to be rightly named a Sacrifice Both cunning escheats You haue spirituall Altars only they had corporall and externall By nature common stones by blessing Holy and immaculate S. Gregory Nissen On which we Sacrifice vnto one God which were consecrated with Chrisme and the signe of the Crosse S. Augustine S. Dionyse and the Councell of Agatho Which were seats and receptacles of the body bloud of Christ Optatus Sayings disliked by Peter Martyr M. Cartwright and the Centurists who also affirme That the Altars erected within the first 400. yeares after Christ from Iewish obseruation crept into the Church 16. Secondly they had true and proper Sacrifices vnbloudy victimes propitiatory Hosts as I haue largely demonstrated in the Controuersy of the Masse They had A Sacrifice offered to God the Father wherin the Priest supplyeth as S. Cyprian according to the Centurists superstitiously writeth the roome of Christ. They had a Sacrifice The name whereof as M. Fulke affirmeth they tooke of Iewes and Gentils and not from Scripture They as Caluin sayth forged a Sacrifice in the Lords supper without his Commandment and so adulterated the supper with adding of Sacrifice And in another treatise The ancients quoth he are not to be excused for it is apparent they haue heerein swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ. 17. Now M. Field haue you I pray such Altars such Sacrifices as these Such Altars as Crept into your Church from the Iewish custome Such Sacrifices as were forged without our Lords Commandment Such as adulterated his supper Such as swarued from the pure and proper institution of Christ If you haue let your hart abhorre these villanous inuectlues pronounced against them by the principal Captaines of your sect If not let your Pen retract your former asseueratioÌ„ Let it disclaime from the Altars and Sacrifices of the Fathers and be content to haue no society with them in these as your men account Superstitious abuses 18. In fine the chiefe Ring-leaders of the Protestants Centu. loc citat profession do not only reiect the Altars condemne the Sacrifices but they controle also the very manner of prayer the Fathers vsed for the Dead Therefore they practised some other kind then those foure which M. Calu. l. 3. Inst c. 5. §. 10. Bulling Decad. 4. serm 10. Field his consortes allow Caluin sayth About one thousand three hundred years ago it was receaued as a coÌ„mon custom to vse Prayers for the dead c. But they were all I confesse beguiled with errour Bullinger writeth I know â—he Ancients prayed for the dead I know the excellent Doctour S. Augustine the eloquent S. Chrysostome and many other old and renowned men what they haue left written of this matter I know the Fathers affirme prayer for the dead to be a TraditioÌ„ of the Apostls And S. Augustine Aug. ser 32. de verb. Aposto Centu. 3. c. 5. col 138. Osiand Cent. 3. l. 1. c. 5. p. 10 Hosp in hist Sacr. pag. 167. Spark p. 371. 372. Fulke in c. 10. 1. ep ad Cor. sect 8. prope finem Fulke in his Confutation of Purgatory pag. 262. writeth It is obserued in the vniuersal Church that Sacrifice be offered for the dead I know Aerius was condemned because he disauowed these Prayers But I aske whether the Fathers did well heerin or no The Centurists and Osiander blame Tertullian because he approued Oblations for the Dead and Anniuersary-prayers in their Obite-dayes Hospinian affirmeth of S. Cyril He sayd indeed according to the preuailing custome of his tyme that the Sacrifice of the Altar is a great help to soules Of S. Augustine D. Sparkes He was both greatly carryed by the sway and opinions of the multitude in determining the auaylablenes of prayers for the dead Whereupon in the very next page he sayth I may lawfully discent from him in that case M. Fulke auerreth Prayer for the dead was the drosse of Augustine and Chrysostome Tertullian sayth he S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome and a great many more do witnesse That Sacrifice for the dead is the Tradition of the Apostles 19. Another where he sayth But of memories of the Dead and prayers for the dead also we will not striue but that they were vsed before the tyme of Bede Ephrem Ambrose but without warrant of Gods word or authorityes of Scripture Indeed Is this the cause you reproue a custome so general supported by the greatest Pillers both of the Greeke Latine Church because they want the testimonyes of holy Writ for such is your common excuse repeated in another place We must not belieue Chrysostome without Scripture affirming that mention of the dead in the celebration of the Lords supper was ordained by the Apostles Would not a man thinke this Ghospeller meant to imbrace S. Chrysostome and admit those ancient Writers if they countenanced their assertions with the authority of the Ghospell Would not a man thinke he would then submit his iudgement vnto theirs No other sense I wis can be picked from his wordes notwithstanding farre other is his meaning this is a veile to couer his shame a disguised glosse of speach to pretend the awe and reuerence of Gods word when as neither God nor man neither humane writing nor heauenly Oracles doth he regard vnles they sound very tuneable to his straine Which that you may not condemne as a forgery deuised by me read the sayings of these Fathers and confront with them his answeres 20. S. Augustine first proueth that prayer for the dead disagreeth not from Scripture Not from that of S. Paul We ought all to be summoned before the tribunall
contrary As quoth he a man vpon the top of a high tower is afraid to fall and trembleth to thinke therof when notwithstanding being inuironed with the battlements he is without danger of falling not afrayd that he shal fall so the true beleeuer trembleth with the horrour of the conceit of falling away from God knowing the end of them to be most vnhappy that so do when yet he reposeth assured trust in God that being compassed about with his protection and dwelling vnder his defence he himselfe shall be preserued for â—uer What miserable stuffe is heere Will men otherwise prudent otherwise wary iudicious hazard their soules with such palpable iuglers Vpon such open and manifest cheating trickes For if the battlements be so high strongly layd that one cannot ouerturne if he would the feare proceedeth meerly from the deceaueable fancy and imagination of the mind such as often surpriseth vs in our sleep without any cause or ground at all But heere in our case the feare ariseth not from the meere conceit or troubled phantasy but from the perill and danger of the thing it selfe from the danger we are in of Psal 2. v. 12. Apoc. 3. v. 11. Rom. 11. v. 20. 21. loosing our saluation if we do not worke and liue as we ought Heer God doth not warne vs to apprehend discipline least the imagined horrour or thought of perishing afflict our harts but least our Lord be wrath and we perish out of the iust way least another take and bereaue vs of our crowne least we be cut off as the naturall boughes the nation of the Iews who were not abandoned by meere apprehension but truly and really cut off from Christ therefore he putteth vs in feare of the like separation otherwise these graue and earnest admonitions should be rather foolish iests or idle scoffes then heauenly counsayles and aduises from God For as it were a foolery to warne him who securely sleepeth in his bed and feareth the skirmish of warre the dangerous swimming or flying in the ayre of which he dreameth to beware he be not killed by his enemyes be not drowned in the sea or dash not his head against a wall And that I may insist in his owne example as it were a meere vanity seriously to bid him take heed he fall not who by reason of the battlements could not expose himselfe to any danger of falling so a vanity it were and foolery also in these diuine watchmen or seÌ„tinells of God to put vs in feare of loosing that which according to Protestants we cannot loose Away then with this base trumpery away with these ridiculous examples more agreable to the bench of Montebankes to beguile the simple then befitting the chayre of Doctours the seat of Abbot in his defence c. 3. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum fol. 620. Rom. 11 v. 33. 2. ad Tim. 2. v. 10. Aug. l. 6. hypogn c. 7. 2. Tim. 2. v. 9 August tract 12. in Ioan. Aug. l. â— hypog c. 8 August l. de corrept gra c. 13. Bernard serm 1. in Septuag Professours and professours of Diuinity to instruct the vnlearned I keep on my course 4. Another Argument which we propose is that no man can be certaine of his saluation according to Protestants vnles he be certayne also of his eternall election and predestination But this the Apostle recounteth among the most hidden misteryes and secrets of God Odepth of the riches of the wisedome and of the knowledge of God how incomprehensible are his iudgments and his wayes vnsearcable For who hath knowne the mind of our Lord or who hath beene his Counsailour Againe The sure foundation of God standeth hauing this seale Our Lord knoweth who be his By the sure foundation the best Interpreters vnderstand the decree of God the predestination of his elect which he hath sealed vp as a hidden secret reserued only to himselfe Our Lord saith S. Augustine knoweth who remaine to the crowne who remaine for the fire he knoweth in his flowre the wheate he knoweth the chaffe he knoweth the seed he knoweth the cockle And none but he Therfore he writeth in another place Let no man glory let no man despaire for our Lord only knoweth who be is And againe Who among the multitude of the faithful as long as he is conuersant in this mortality may presume that he is in the number of his predestinate Who saith S. Bernard can affirme I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am one of the number of the children Certainty truely we haue not the confidence of hope solaceth vs. S. Prosper and S. Prosper ad 12. obiect Vincent Greg hom 38. in Euang Gregory affirme the like If these men if S. Bernard had no certainty if S. Augustine were ignorant of his election how do Protestants arrogate the knowledge heerof If it seemed so vnsearchable to that heauen-rapt Apostle S. Paul how do earth-creeping Ministers attaine vnto it If God hath sealed it with his owne signet how do they enter his secrets how breake they vp his seale without his particuler warrant 5. Our Aduersaryes answere to this argument and to the authority of the Fathers That no man by any appreheÌ„sion or light of flesh and bloud can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate no man by iudgment of reason or humane Abbot cap. 3. sect 11. f. 331. sect 12 fol. 337. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum knowledge can conceaue it yet by ordinary fayth God doth ordinarily in some measure or other reueale the secret of his election vnto the faythfull Lesse fayth then had S. Paul lesse S. Augustine lesse S. Bernard lesse Iob and King Dauid then euery ordinary Protestant to whome this secret was not at the least by ordinary fayth euer opened or disclosed Againe no article of our beliefe not Christ crucifyed not his Incarnation Passion and Resurrection are knowne vnto vs Matt. 16. v. 17. 1. Tim. 3 v. 16. Coloss 1. v. â—3 6. â—7 â—8 August vbi supra by any other meanes then by the light of Fayth Flesh and bloud as Christ sayd vnto S. Peter hath not reuealed this vnto vs. And yet S. Paul writeth of them That they are preached manifested and made knowne to vs that the secret decree of predestination is hidden and vnknowne Therefore he auerreth it to be hidden and vnknowne by the ordinary illustration of fayth by which the former mysteryes are only manifested and knowne and of which S. Augustine must needs be expouÌ„ded who doth not say Who among the carnall or fleshly men guided by sense or reason but who among the faythfull that is by the ordinary beames of Fayth may presume that he is predestinate neither can it euer sincke into the brayne of any but some brainsicke Minister that either he or S. Bernard or any other Father should so earnestly inculcate the vnknowne certainty of our election to sense reason or
haeres â—ares 1. Act. 15. Ier. c. 3. epi. ad Aug. quae est 11. inter epist August in detaining that they had vowed vnto God To vanquish the first Peere and Patron of falshood appertained to the first Peere and pillar of truth S. Peter conquered and killed Simon Magus the first Progenitour of Heretickes as S. Augustine auerreth To call and assemble Councels is the office and function of the supreme Pastour S. Peter assembled the Councell of the Apostles And notwithstanding this Councell was held in Ierusalem in the presence of S. Iames Bishop of that Citry euen in his owne Cathedral seat yet S. Peter as S. Hierome noteth first deliuered his mind and S. Iames with the rest ratified his sentence So although S. Paul were the Apostle of the Dionys l de Diui nomi c. 3. Epiph. haer â—â— Bern. l. 2. de consider Cyr. Hieros Cateches â— Cyr. Alex. l. 12. in IoaÌ„ cap. 64. Aug ser 124. de temp quaest nou vet test q. 75. Opta l. 2. cont Par. Ier. l. 1. in Iouin Chrys hom 55. in Mat. Euseb in Chronic. Aug. l. 2. ca. 1. de Baptis Reyn. c. 5. diuis 3. Gentiles and Preacher vnto nations yet S. Peter was the first by whose mouth the Gentils were called the first to whom notice was giuen of their admission vnto the Church Two euident tokens of his supremacy 17. For this cause S. Peter is tearmed The stay pillar and chiefe of Deuines by S. Dionyse The Captaine of the Disciples by Ephiphanius The only Vicar of Christ by S. Bernard The most excellent Prince of the Apostles by S. Cyril of Hierusalem The Prince and head of therest by S. Cyril of Alexandria Which title of head of the Apostles is giuen him also by S. Augustine Optatus S. Hierome S. Chrysostome and others Eusebius also maketh a great difference betweene Peter and other Bishops speaking of S. Iames he calleth him The first Bishop of the Church of Hierusalem Writing of Enodius he tearmeth him the first Bishop of the Church of Antioch Speaking of S. Peter he intituleth not him by any particuler Church but calleth him Christianorum Pontifex Primus The first Bishop of Christians Which S. Augustine confirmeth attributing to him The principality of Apostle-ship and a little before The Primacy of the Apostles is conspicuous and preeminent with excellent grace in Peter Both which passages M. Reynolds sticketh not to expound of Primacy in calling or preeminence in grace wheras S. Augustine directly writeth of his principality of power by reason of the dignity of his Sea aboue all others and aboue S. Cyprians the Primate of Affricke whome notwithstanding he equalleth with him in the Crowne of Martyrdome saying of Peter Who knoweth not his principality of Apostle-ship to be preferred before euery Bishopricke But although the grace or preeminence of Chaires be different yet one and the same is their Aug. vbi supra Reyn. loco citato glory of Martyrdome These wordes M. Reynolds who maketh M. Hart neuer speake more then he was prouided in some shew to refute and sometyme such things as he neuer dreamed cunningly cut off and wresteth that to a prerogatiue of grace to a Primacy of calling which S. Augustine auoucheth to be a priuiledge of S. Peters Sea a preeminence of his Chaire and Pontificall dignity aboue all other Bishops and Primates too Aug. in Psal 130. 18. Secondly S. Augustine affirmeth S. Paul the chief to haue excelled Peter in prerogatiues of grace he witnesseth him to haue receaued more aboundant grace in euery Apostolical worke then the rest of the Apostles because he laboured more then they and therfore is called The a Aug. cont duaâ— ep Pela l. 3 Apostles by an De Bap. cont Don. l. 2. c. 1. excellency In so much as where he giueth to S. Peter the preeminence of b excellent grace he giueth to S. Paul the preeminence of c In Psa 130. Ieron l. 1. aduersus Iouinian Reyn. c. 5. diuis 3. fol. 179. Sap. 4. 8. Tract 1. sect 3. subd 1. most excellent grace And S. Hierome reporteth that S. Iohn excelled Peter in many gifts of grace M. Reynolds foresaw these obiections and will you heare what answere he maketh But Peter sayth he on the other side excelled Paul in Primacy for that he was chosen first and Iohn in age because he was elder Surely an excellent grace an extraordinary preheminence a principality worthy of such high and honourable titles to be before in calling and behind in working elder in yeares and yonger in merits Iudge you and your fellowes of this priuiledge as yee list they who are endued with the spirit of God will giue iudgment with the Holy Ghost Old age is venerable not prolonged not lengthened with the number of yeares for the vnderstanding of man are the gray haires the ripenesse of yeares is life vndefiled 19. Other Protestants more sincere although as saucy as Reynoldes rather reprehend the Fathers for their vnfitting speaches then make of their words such impertinent constructions For as we read in the Protestants Apology The Centurists reproue a Cent. 4. col 554. col 1074 Arnobius for calling S. Peter the Bishop of Bishops b Cent. 4. Col. 556 Optatus for intituling him The head of the Apostles They write of c Centu. 3. col 84. Tertullian he did erroneously thinke the keyes to be committed to Peter alone and the Church to be builded on him The like errour they reprehend in S. d Col 84. Cyprian e Centur. 3. Col. 85. Origen f Cent. 4. Col. 1215. Hierome g Cent. 4. Col. 555. Hilary h Cent. 4. Col. 558. Fulke in his Retentiue pag. 248. Nazianzen Fulke chargeth Optatus with absurdity for saying of Peter He deserued to be preferred before all the Apostles and he alone receaued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen to be communicated to the rest And speaking in the same place of Leo and Gregory Bishops of Rome he sayth Gregory liued about the yeare of our Lord 590. Leo 440. Tract 1. sect 3. subdiu 10. Calu. Musâ—ulns alledged by Whitgift in his Defence p. 173. 66. VVhitgift ibid. pag. Couel in his Exa against the Plea of the Innocent â—eroÌ„ â— 1. in Iouin Bils 1. par p. 62. 63. Reyn. cap. 2. diuis 1. pag 27. Rem c. 3. diuis 1. fol. 95. Bils part 1 pag. 63. 66. 67. The mistery of iniquity hauing wrought in that seate neere fiue or six hundred yeares before them and then greatly increased they were so deceaued with long continuance of errour that they thought the dignity of Peter was much more ouer the rest of his fellow Apostles then the holy Scriptures of God doe allow But if this errour of the Roman Papacy and Peters Supremacy began neere fiue or six hundred yeares before Leo and Gregory it began according to M. Fulke in the Primitiue Church it began in the