power aboue the Pope bicause that hée is called god as Antonius writeth tit 16. If no magistrate haue iurisdiction ouer him if no man may appeach him if he be god is he not worthy to be the head of the Church I graunt that he taketh vpon him all these tytles and so the deuel would haue done who moued Christ to sitte downe and worship him and hée would gyue to him the whole world Wherfore hée is the Abomination of desolation the childe of perdition Behemoth Bel Beliall a Dogge a Dragon a Traytour the Deuell a Théefe an Idoll a Wolfe a Serpent Leuiathan The 16. Obiection The place nor the Pope cannot erre but onely in that that hée is man but in that that hée is Christes Uicegerent hée cannot erre how saye you by this cracke mée this nutte And although that Peter Bembus calleth Alexander the sixte a murtherer and likewise Iulius the third yet wée protest that if Bembus had ben learned in our Canons and Gloses hée would not haue written so I maruayle what men meane to speake so ageynst our holy Father séeing hée can make of nothing something of iniurie iustice potest facere de nihilo aliquid de iniusticia iusticiam mutare quadrata rotundis Pauor post hoc in c. The Pope calleth himselfe to witnesse bycause there is none greater by whom hée may sweare Though Paule writeth and willeth that a Bishoppe should bée without faulte notwithstanding the Pope may dispence with him though he be an vnthrift a Ruffyan a lyer a théef a coniurer a periured man suche like Geminianus lib. 8. cap. 49. Iesu good Lord what and howe mightie a Prelate is our holy father the Pope hath not hée authoritie ouer the Aungelles in heauen and also ouer the damned soules in hell as Petrus Costus reporteth I aunswere that all these sayings are full of iniquitie and rather to bée punished by the Magistrate with the swoorde then answered with the pen. The 17. Obiection How say you to this golden sentence Sext. decret that the Pope maketh the place holy and therefore Rome is without spotte or wrincle I answer if he be an euil man he depraueth the place and that the Pope is euill his frutes do declare The 18. Obiection What if the Pope sayeth Busgradus carie all the worlde too hell with him or beléeue that there is no life to come as some did or be an homocide or a Sodomite or as blasphemous as Iulius the thirde or as euell as the deuill or if he blaspheme the virgin Mary as a ruffian as the said Iulius did we must beleue that wée must be saued by him or elles wée must be dampned without redemtion for whatsoeuer he dothe wée must beleue it as an article of our faith for who may or dare aske him why he dothe so What shall wée answere to these blasphemies they are not worthy to bée repeted to horrible to be mentioned to absurde to be confuted to vile to enter into any mans eares The xix Obiection How answer you this authentical sentence of the glose of the Prologe of the Clementines that the Pope is neither god nor man sed Neuter inter vtrunque If he be neither god nor man but neuter betwene them both than is he a monster or if he bée neither god nor man he is surely the deuel or else some Antechrist The xx Obiection Is not he the head of the Church that is better then the virgin Mary but the Pope is better then the virgin Mary Ergo hée is the head of the Church What if I should denye the Maior ye could not proue it but I will deny the Maior hée that can make him that is better then the virgin Marye is better then the virgin Marye But the Pope can make a priest which is better then the virgin Mary Ergo the Pope is better then the Uirgin Marye A priest is better then the virgin Mary in this poynt that she bare Christ but once but the priest euery daye I could answer this by the like absurditie of yours after this sorte You say that a priest can make god But hée that can make god is better then god Ergo the priest is better then god But the Pope can make a priest if the priest who is an inferiour can make god what can the Pope make who is superiour to a priest Surely a thing aboue god doth not the Pope in making of god exalt him selfe aboue god Therfore he is that man of sinne and child of perdition that is spoken of in the second to the Thessalonians cap. 2. ver 3. and .4 The 21. Obiection Hée is the head of the church that can gyue the names of dignitie and tytles to all Princes Kinges and Monarches and may crowne them But the Pope can doo this Ergo the Pope is the head of the church I denye the Minor. I proue it thus What King hath not his tytle gyuen of the Pope name one if you can To bée brief hée gaue this tytle to the Frenche King to bée Christianissimus most Christian King and to the King of England to bée Defensor fidei Defendour of the fayth I graunt hée did this but hée chalendged this authoritie falsely and then hée did as the scripture prophecied that hée should doo Exalte himselfe aboue all power The 22. Obiection Hée that curseth when and whom hée will is the head of the church But the Pope can both curse and blesse when and whom hée will. Ergo the Pope is the head of the church I denie the Minor. I proue it thus Was not England cursed by the Pope and our holy father Iulie the thixde of that name dyd of his meere mercie gyue one droppe of Christes bloode reserued at Rome to perdon England withall or rather of his holynesse and absolute power perdoned Englande In the yeare of Christ 1553. the 19. daye of October non obstantibus constitutionibus ordinationibus Apostolicis ▪ caeterisque contrarijs quibuscunque Notwithstanding the constitutiones and ordinances of the Apostles or any other whatsoeuer they bée to the contrarie Are you not ashamed to take the honour from God and gyue it to a man From the Creator and gyue it to the creature you saye that though the Apostles or any other in whiche woordes both God and Christ are conteyned dyd ordeyne and decrée the contrarie that the Popes blessing muste preuayle his iudgement stande and hée to bée all in all The 23. Obiection Pelagius many yeares agone ordeyned that the church of Rome had not her authoritie of men or of Synodes but of christ And Gregorie the seuenth Nicolas the third were more playne For they concluded that the Pope was the Supreme head without all controuersie I aunswere that by these it is manifest that it was 560. yeares after Christ before that any mencion was made of any supremacie for these twoo first forged supremacie that which was first is most
against the hole land against the Preistes Kinges people and the mighty Princes of Iuda and such Tyrauntes Ieremy intreateth of in the end of his fystenth chapter If euery good man bée a lyuely stone as Peter him self writeth and all the congregation a Spirituall howse and the howse of God the piller and ground of truthe and lykewyse Christes own body and the fulnesse of him that filleth all thinges Than is not the Pope Cardinalles and Clergie the church and pillers in whom dwelleth no vertue Neyther Peter had any other keys than Adam Seth Noe Melchisedeck Abraam Iob Moses and all the faythfull had from the beginning The keys of the Kingdome of heauen are the opening and interpretacion of the Scripture What keye sayeth Tertullian in the .iiii. booke against Mar. had the Doctours of the Lawe saue interpretation Tertullian inuehing ageinst the Eustix affirmeth the keys to bée gyuen generally to all the which euery man whan hée departeth hence carieth with him Wherfore who so euer confesseth his sinnes repenteth and beléeueth in Christ hath these keyes wherwith hée openeth the locke and entereth intoo heauenly felicitie Euery man may bynde and loase him self Augustinus de doctrina lib. 1. cap. 8. sayeth Too binde is too perseuer in errour too procede in vyce too louse too repente him of his sinne beléeue that here in earth his sinnes shall bée forgiuen him And this is too bynd and louse The second Obiection Hée that giueth authoritie too the Church is supreme head But the Pope giueth authoritie to the church ergo hée is supreme head I deny your assumption called otherwyse the Minor. Wée proue it say they by S. Augustine who sayeth I wold not beléeue the Scriptures if the catholique church should not moue mée I answer This church that Augustine speaketh of is not the church of Rome and therfore the Pope giueth no authoritie to the church If Augustine had meaned the church of Rome then their argumeÌ„t myght haue semed to haue had a good ground But Augustine meaned the church of Christ as the Crede it self expoundeth it What is the Catholique Church The Crede answereth and interpreteth in these words A communion societie or companie of all Saincts and Godly men Nowe if Rome bée all the world and a communion of Saincts only then is it the only Church but it is neyther all the world neyther a communion of Saincts therfore it is not the Church Are shamefull synners Saincts horrible offenders Holy Augustine meaned by the Catholique Church Christ and his Disciples and the consent of all them which sawe Christ which heard him and his Disciples and therfore is it called in the common Crede of Nice the Apostolique church If Augustine did imagine that the Scriptures should take authoritie of the church it had bin an absurditie considering that there is no congregation so perfect no company so holy no men so pure which do not dayly desire God too forgyue them their offences as they forgyue them that offend against them If wée saye wée sinne not wée are lyers and there is no truth in vs. Let vs proue both by Reason which is the Lawe of Nature infixed in man Naturally and by Scripture that the Church doth take her authoritie of the Woord and not the Woord of the Church If Cleantes and other Philosophers as Tullie testifieth affirme partly by the Naturall motions of their myndes no doubt moued by inspiration that there is a GOD partly by the presciencie and foreknowledge of the thinges to comme partly by the commodities which proceede of the temperature of the ayer the plenty abundance of all thinges necessary for mans vse partly by tempestes thunder inundacions hayle lightening earthquakes stormes wonders miracles blasing starres eclipses of Sonne and Moone of the reuolution of the heauens of the constant and certein course of the fixed Starres and Planettes Than must wée confirme with Dauid and Paule that Gods power nature and diuinitie is knowen by visible thinges subiected to our senses If Dauid and Paule proue by the naturall courses of the heauens that there is a God neyther any people to bée so ignorant any Natiâ—n so rude any country so Barbarous which haue not heard their voyces for Dauid sayeth Their sound are gone through all the world Or as it is in the Hebrew Their rule course is knoweÌ„ through all the world By a figure the sound voyce is attributed in the .19 Psal. to the heauens bycause they declare vntoo vs with their constant course mouing and other meruelous dispositions constellations and influences that there is a god And by this meanes Paule proueth the Gentyles to bée without excuse bycause they might haue knowen God by his creatures and dyd knowe but dyd not glorifye him as god By these it is euident that the heauens and Gods woounderous workes are not the causes why there is a God but God is the cause of them and they are as witnesses and testimonies that there must néedes bée a god And bycause al the Scriptures teache nothing else but God to bée the maker defender and gouerner of all wée are assured that they are the true scriptures bycause they agrée with this lawe of Nature wyth this Heauenly description and celestiall disposition wherby there is vnderstand to bée a god If Dauid and Paule prooue the diuinitie power and prouidence of God by his creatures so must wée allowe the scriptures by the same meanes bycause they differ not from the discourse Wherefore the church taketh no authoritie of it selfe but of God nor the scriptures any power of men whiche are full of erroures Wée knowe Moses Danyels Salomons Iobs woorkes and the rest of the scriptures to bée of force bycause they agrée with the rule of nature They are witnesses but no authours If a Lawyer aunswere by the Lawe hée dooth his dutie but if hée aunswere of his own brayne it is nought neyther will any man beléeue him Hée is a wicked Iudge that attributeth more to hys owne witte and will than to the lawe This doth the Pope contrarie to all the auncient Doctours and vertuous writers who affirme no man to bée beléeued onlesse hée alleadge the scriptures If an Ambassadour goe from one Prince to an other and be commaunded neyther to adde to his commission nor diminishe hée is a traytour if hée doo How much more the Pope who by his false embassage dooth not onely adde and diminishe where hee lusteth but also chaungeth peruerteth correcteth depraueth and abolissheth the Scriptures setting vppe hys owne constitutions and braynelesse Decréees The Prince to whome this Embassadour is sent cannot tell whether his commission is true or no but by conferring of the other Princes letters out of the which he must haue the truthe So must wée runne to the scriptures and trye by them whether the Pope and other impure spirits doo well in vsurping such authoritie The Church may bée a
the Tyrians and Sydonians Wherefore Herode Agrippa returned after Easter to Cesarea where he died miserably After the death of Herode Peter was out of daunger for Iudea was ruled by the Lieuetenantes of the Romaynes as Festus Lysias and Felix which did rather presse the Iewes than the Christians as the historie of Iosephus declareth wherefore those seuen yeares that Paule and Bernabas departed from Antioche of Syria vnto the Gentyles Peter was in Iudea yea hée was at Hierusalem the 16. yeare after Christes passion and the 15. of Paule his conuersion as is manifest ‡ for there maketh Peter an Oration to the brethren and this was the sixte yeare of Claudius as is proued by the historie of the Actes written by S. Luke What authoritie haue the Papistes which affirme and sweare that Peter went to Rome the second yeare of Claudius But let vs procéede in the historie of their errours in this matter I will discourse a little after Peter was appointed at that same tyme a teacher of the Iewes and Paule of the Gentyles For sayeth Paule Barnabas and I were charged to preache to the Gentyles and Peter Iames and Iohn to the Iewes Were not the Romaynes Gentyles Was not Paule and Barnabas charged with them Notwithstanding after that Peter and Iohn had sufficiently instructed the Iewes they also taught the Gentyles Wherefore vnto the sixt yeare of Claudius which was the 16. yeare from Christe his passion And the 15. from Paules conuersion Peter neuer departed out of Iury sauing only to Antioche of Syria as I haue noted before Nowe I will declare the reste of Peters peregrination partly by suche testimonies as cannot bée refelled partely by probable argumentes necessarie coniectures and sufficient reasons As Peter did write to the dispersed Brethren in Pontus Galatia Bithinia Capadocia and Asia so did hée preache in them all * Nicephorus writeth that Peter preached in Palestina Syria Phenice Pontus Galatia Capadocia Bithinia and to bée bréefe in all the quarters of Asia and Europe Wherefore after this councell which is in the 15. of the Actes hée went out of Iury into Pontus Galatia Capadocia Asia and Bithinia Them hée instructed them hée visited them hée furnished with the Gospell them hée exhorted to faith to good woorkes to obedience to temperancie to doo their deuties with them hée taried and was conuersant so longe vntill that they had layde a foundacion buylded substantially vpon it What a long tyme hée taryed in Pontus and what Cities and Townes hée did instructe and brought from superstition to Religion from idolatrie to the Truthe from errour too the right waye from crueltie too lenitie and from all iniquitie to all patience iustice and humanitie Hée maye easely coniecture who readeth and knoweth the descriptions of Countries What a number of goodly Cities farre distant one from an other were in Pontus howe many in Bithinia In them stoode Chalcedon Nicomedia Apamia Heraclea and the great cittie Nicea where that famous councell was holden called The Counâ—ell of Nice What shall I speake of Asia in it standeth Troia Assum Autandros Addramitium Ephesus where Dianas Temple was had in suche honour Arogilium â–ª Milet Guidus Troas with many other mencioned in the Actes of the Apostles Who dooth not knowe but that Galatia is as great as any of the others Unto this S. Paule did write in his epistle to the Galathians in this Countrie stoode Antioche of Pisidia where Paule made an eloquent Oration Some parte of Galatia differeth in longitude from other some of it twoo or thrée degrees in latitude fiue or sixe And Ephesus which standeth in Ionia â–ª a Region of litle Asia differeth from Antioche of Pisidia which is in Galatia in longitude seuen degrées in latitude twoo For Ephesus in longitude is 57.20 minutes in latitude 37. and 40. minutes And Antioche in longitude 62.30 in latitude 39.15 And there is no lesse distance in the Cities of Capadocia Wherefore to passe ouer and through them leauing any monumentes and foundacions of Religion hée must néedes haue taried there a long tyme Consider the long iorney the vntowardnesse of the people the hard harted paynime Priests olde rooted superstitions their Forefathers customes and yée shall and maye bée easely persuaded that hée must néedes continewe in these Countries a very longe tyme Thus writeth Mantuan The Cities of Assyria Peter conuerted to the fayth There 14. yeares he dyd bestowe As Mantuan proueth and sayth And after this did passe the sea Capadoces Bithine Pontus Galace and lesser Asia Preaching the Gospell gracious Let it bée that hée was not aboue seuen or eight yeares in all these countries notwithstanding wée must bringe the historie to the 24. yeare after the passion of Christe and to the 23. of the conuersion of S. Paule and this was the 14. yeare of the Emperour Claudius Wherefore by this description and order of tyme and place â–ª neyther could hée bée at Rome the second yeare of Claudius neyther in his time And if Peter should haue ben put to death at Rome the 14. of Nero as the papistes affirme then could not hée haue ben Pope at Rome 2â— yeares and 7 â–ª monethes but onely 14. yeares But now I will procéede and declare that hée could not bée at Rome none of these 14 â–ª yeares of Nero â–ª whiche when I haue proâ—ed what can the Romishe Catholiques or the Romish church haue wherewith to proue their Romishe Peter After Peter had watered the drye barren countries of â—onâ—â—s Galâ—tia Capadocia Bâ—thinâ—a and Asia with the streames of the Gospell hée departed from thence into Egyptâ— â–ª there to doo the like â–ª for hée was at Alexandria as Nicephorus reporteth there ordeyned S. Marke bishop or rather an Ouerséeeâ— and Teacher to the resâ—e And this agreeth with Dorotheus in the lyfe of S. Marke who off riueth that hée was cast downe vpon the grounde by the â—dolaters â–ª and trailed by a rope put about his necke from a streat of Alexandria called Boâ—kolou the hogge heard vnto the places called aggelon of Aungelles or messengers When Peter had visited this Alexandria in Egypt whose longitude is 60.30 and latitude 31. and had planted the Gospell hée went to Babylon a citie in Egypt also where the longitude is 62.15 and latitude â—0 â–ª from whence hée wrote his first Epistle by Syluanus â–ª declaring that the same doctrine and grace which they sâ—oode in and hée hâ—d preached vnto them was true infallible and immortall True ageynst the enemie infallible to their expectation immortall in contineuance comfortable for the Soule necessary to saluation And this Babylon is meaned to â—ée that famous Citie of Egypt nowe called in the Hebrewe tounge Câ—â—rum where the Sultane lieth the circuite about is 13. or 14. Geâ—mane myles From this Peter wrote this firste Epistle whiche is manifest by the 15. verse of the fifth chapter where hee sayeth
yeare If he came to Rome after that hée had bene at Antioche and in these other countries as Hierome reporteth then came not hée to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius as the same Hierome contrudeth For this yeare was the sixt yeare of Nero which was after the second yeare of Claudius 17. yeare as I proue in this booke and as it foloweth necessarely by the computation of yeares and order of the historiographers As concerning Eusebius hée was an Arrian and gathered his historie out of those bookes that were condemned in codice Sancta Romana 15 â–ª dist 11. And when hée was an Arrian hée wrote this historie Tripart lib. 2. cap. 7. Read lib. 2. cap. 11. of the sayd Tripartit Hée is contrarie to himselfe for hée sayeth lib. 3. cap. 2. that Peter came not to Rome tyll the last yeare of Claudius read Molineus Rhenanus you shal find many mo reasons wherby ye may coÌ„fute Eusebius If ther bée any other authours in this errour they may be as easely reiected as these And if we are forbiddeÌ„ to ad any thing or take any thing away if the old authors may cause Peter to be at Rome without authoritie we may affirme that he was not at Rome with authoritie if they of their own heades hold that Peter was at Rome we may by euident demoÌ„strations assured arguments infallible reasons proue that hée was not at Rome If they say and not proue and wée booth saye and proue whether is of more Authoritie They saye that hée was at Rome 25. yeares and came eyther in the tyme of Claudius or Nero wée proue that all that tyme hée was eyther in Iurie Antioche Asia or Egypte They saye that Eusebius an Arian or counterfeyt Damasus sayeth so wée saye that Christian Luke and true Paule prooue the contrarie They write contraries wée concordances they obsurdities wée sensible argumentes they alleadge fables and wée truths They say that Peter was at Rome both quicke dead wée denie both They saye that Peter when hée died willed ClemeÌ„t then being at Rome to write to Iames of his death But Iames was dead by their owne authorities before Peter suffered seuen yeares for Iames was cast downe of the pynacle of the temple at Hierusalem the 30. yeare after Christes passion and Peter as they reported suffered 37. yeare after christes passion could Clement being alyue write to Iames being dead who should carry the letters If hée went to purgatorie who knewe where purgatorie was for than it was not inuented If hée were in Heauen thither ascendeth none with letters Perhaps Clement should sende the letters and laye them vpon Iames graue that he might rise on the night and reade them as in the councell of Nyce they say that Chasantus and Musonius two Bishops of the councell of Nice dyd subscribe to those matters that were concluded in the councel desired bythe rest who layd the actes vpon their graues requiring them to subscribe for a better assertion the next morning they resorted to their graues found both their handes subscribed They write that Eusebius reporteth that Peter was requesâ—ed of his brethren fellowes to departe out of Rome least Nero should persecute him to death Peter went out at their request when he came to the gate he met Christ and saide thus God saue you Syr whether goe you you were best to returne here is to hotte béeing for you and mée Then sayd Chryste doost thou not know mée Peter O Peter Peter returne hither I am come to suffer ageyne Naye sayeth Peter God forbidde I will goe and so Peter returned and suffered at Rome This doctrine taught Doctor Smith I heard him in Whitengton colledge in London in Quéene Maries dayes Hée moued manye affections and tolde the tale on this wyse Maysters sayeth hée you are in a great errour as concerning the blessed Sacrament and all your trust was in Cranmer Rydley Latymer As for Latymer hée sayd in open disputation in Oxforde that hée had no learninge in that matter but out of Cranmers booke Besydes this I disputed with Latymer 20. yeares agone and then hée hadde no learning As for Cranmer hée sayde that his learninge came from Rydley And as for Rydley I disputed with him my selfe now at Oxeford the other day and I proued my Argument thus Ille cui Christus obuiauit Romae fuit Romae At Christus obuiauit Petro Romae Ergo Petrus fuit Romae Hée whom Christ met at Rome was at Rome But Christ met Peter at Rome Ergo Peter was at Rome By this Argument I proue twoo thinges and singuler mysteries of our fayth First that Peter was at Rome ageynst them that clatter that Peter was neuer at Rome Secondly that if Peter met Christ bodely as Abdias reporteth and whiche I am sure is true or else suche an auncient and holy Father would neuer haue written it Then consequently hée maye bée aswell bodely in the blessed Sacrament as hée was met bodely To this Rydley stoode lyke a block and féelinge hym selfe conuicted aunswered nothing Then sayde I Cur non respondes haeretice haereticorum haereticissime Dyd not I handle hym well Then denyed hée the minor which I proued thus Christ met Peter goeing out of Rome and sayed good morrowe Peter whether goest thou Peter aunswered good morrowe good man whether goest thou Then sayde Chryste I goe to Rome too suffer what sayeth Peter I trowe onlesse I take my markes amisse you are Ihesus Christe good Lorde howe doo you I am glad I haue met you here Then sayd hée to Peter goe backe and suffer or else I must et pro te me When Rydley had heard this my profe and Abdias authoritie a Doctoure auncient and irrefragable hée aunswered neuer a woorde And thus I cenfuted Rydley in the audience of a thousand that hée hadde not one woorde to saye yet you sayâ— that Christ was neuer in earth since the Ascension bodely beléeue with mée that hée is vnder fourme of bread and wyne Let this argumente of myne confounde you as it did Ridley your chief champion Thus mucth Doctoure Smith and more in Whitengton colledge churche in London standing in the streat called towre Ryall a little aboue the thrée Cranes in the Uynetrée If saye the papistes wée holde not and defende ageynst these heretiques that Peter was at Rome than our churches estimation is doone our prerogatiue perisheth our preeminence no better then others our glorie diminished our holinesse empayred our authorities annihilated our honors negnected our dissimulation detected our customes waâ—e colde our perdones peruerted our Iubilees iested at our Religion rayled vppon and all our pompe fall to nothing I aunswere Peter sought no such vanities Christ willeth him that would presume aboue the rest to bée inferiour to the rest Paule gaue no place to Peter Chrysostome sayeth that hée that in earth séeketh supremacie shall finde in
Apostles where was his swoord than where was his courageous stomacke Did not little Paule dryue great Peter awaye Wherfore yee see that the Pope founding his authoritie ambition vayne glory Supremacie dignitie and superioritie vppon Peter must needes fall it must needes bee grounded vppon errours and iniquitie That which hath twoo heades is monstruous but if Christ bée head as hée is the only head and the Pope also than is it a monstruous body But more monstruous is that body that hath thrée or foure heades for at once there were thrée or foure Popes together euery one called him self head Which of them was the head let them answer if they can if they can not let the head fall with the body If Rome make the Pope holy if the seate where the Pope is can not erre if his church bée catholique and vniuersall how chaunced it that at one time in the yeare of Christ 1411. Clement was Pope at Auenion in Fraunce Pope Vrbane at Roome Benedict the .xiii. succeded Clement at Auenion in Fraunce Gregorie the .xii. was the Pope at Rome Iohn Pope at Bononia and all deposed in the Councell of Constance One of these reuiled an other blasphemed an other cursed excommunicated calling one an other Antechrist Traytor Murtherer Sonnes of Beliall Seruantes of Satan Heretiques Scismatiques and Cruell Tyrauntes If the presence of Peter make the place too bée the best and of most authoritie why was not Hierusalem the chief Cittie the highe See and the Metropolitane of the whole worlde For there Peter preached first and conuerted many thousandes And ye can noâ— reade of one that hée conuerted at Roome when hée was neuer there as the former discours proueth Where gaue Christ and at what tyme the authoritie and prerogatiue of â—osinge and â—ynding Hée gaue it before his death and in Iurye than by good reason that tyme should bée better than this Iury holyer than Roome for many hundreth yeares after was Roome established Now bycause neyther tyme nor place is estemed among Christians but fayth in Iesu Christ there is the Church where Christians woorshippe him in veritie Then Rome is not too bée preferred before the whole world neyther a Cittie before Citties a Towne before Shyâ—es a small parte of Europe before Asia Africa and America Besides this why is not Antioche Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia Asia Egypte and Babylon too bee preferred seeing that there hée preached there hée planted there hée grafted there hee did sowe there hée watered there hée taught and instructed and brought the people from errour to truthe from Superstition to Religion from Tyrannie to Clemencie from Fraude too Synceritie from Dissimulacion and Hypocrisye too Ueritie from Auarice too Frankenesse from Wickednesse too Uertue from Earthly thinges too Heauenly thinges from the admiration of worldly pompe too the contemplation of heauenly thinges from Hell too Heauen from misery too felicitie and from earthly possession too the inheritaunce of Iacob too the bosome of Abraham too the possession of Isaac too the let of Danyell and too the Paradise of the blessed thief NOWE I haste too the confutacion of their Argumentes whereby they go about too proue that Peter and the Pope is the head of the Church But first I will declare a true history from tyme too tyme and that breifly what they were that were afore the Pope and howe the Churche of Rome came too such a prerogatiue and dignitie Christ him self disputed and reasoned with the Doctoures opposing aunswering and conâ—uting them So did Iohn the Baptiste so did the Apostles so did Stephan so Aquila Apollo and all other that had any of theise giftes which are repeted in sainct Paule And this order of euery man too vtter his gifte continued vntoo the tyme of Theodoret and vntoo the tyme of Gregorie the ninth Pope of that name as appereth by his lawe for hée made lawes that no Laye man should preache of whatsoeuer degrée hée were Noble man Gentle man and other An Elder and a Bishoppe were both one at the beginning Act. 20. vers 17.28 which two verses conferred will shewe you that there is no difference betweene an Elder and a Bishoppe The which Paule proueth and Hierom and Theodoret vpon the same chapter Paule in that place calleth Bishoppes Elders such as taughte the people and instructed them and Deacons such as prouided for the poore lyke too our Church Wardens Afterward they began too alter this order for Eusebius libro .4 .5 affirmeth that the Church was a virgin immaculate vntill the death of Iohn the Euangeliste and than errours to haue creeped in who dyed from the birth of Christ .xxv. yeares And about â— yeares after his death or before the Church began to haue one as cheef whom they called a President or one as an Ouersoâ—er of the people and here sayeth Beza the Deuill began to practise his peruersitie and laye the foundacion of his Tyrannye Euery Citie and Towne had a Bishoppe that taught them but emong them there was no Supremacie The Emperoures afterward which had certeyne principall Cities in euery Shyre one or more whereto all the countrie about resorted to the Law and to decide other matters gaue greater authoritie to the Bisshoppes of the Moother cities for so they were called then too the Bishoppes of other Uillages in the countrie And as they called the mother cities Metrapoleis or matrikous kathedras â–ª or meizonas poleis so dyd they call the Bishop or Minister thereof or Pastor protonton protenonta proestota or patriarchin or Metropolitin â–ª As they call the great Cities Moother Cities Moother Seates The first seates or greater Cities so did they call the priest therof or mynister or Byshop or pastour the first the chiefe the president a Patriarche or Metropolitane Wée reade in the councell of Nyce that Alexandria was chiefe ouer Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis and Antioche was chiefe ouer the countries about as Rome was in Italie Where was there any superioritie more at Rome then at Alexandria or at Antioche In the second councell holden at Constantinople it was decréed that the Bishop of Alexandria should gouerne the Cast countries that Antioche might haue that dignitie that was appointed in Nycene councell the Bishop of Thrace his countrie the Bishop of Pontus his the Bisshop of Rome Italie and so of all the rest Socrates in his historie repeteth seuerall Metropolitanes which are called Patriarches for they were booth of one Authoritie As Nectarius ouer Megapolis meaning Constantinople and Thrace Helladius ouer Pontus Basile ouer Cesarea of Cappadocia Otrius ouer Miletene in Armenia Amphilochius in Asia at Iconiam Optimus at Antioche of Pisidia Timothe to Alexandria of Egypt Pelagius to Laodicia Diodorus to Tharsus Meletius to Antioche The Bishoppe of Hierusalem to Hierusalem These same Metropolitanes they called also Archebishoppes They say the false framed Epistles ascribed to Clemens and
Anacletus were chiefe citties Metropoles where were Archiflamines and Protoflamines and therfore Pontianus in Atheneus calleth vinum omnium malorum Metropolin and so say these forged Archiflamines were turned into Archibishoppes Because that the first Emperours were at Rome therefore it was called ta presbeia t is timis that is the chief honour was gyuen to Rome It was the first and Constantinople was the second Of this equalitie or Superioritie or inferioritie read the Councell holden at Chalcedon in the yeare of Christe .453 And Vielerius where it was concluded that Constantinople was of the same authoritie with Rome though it be the second after and Alexandria the third and Hierusalem the fourthe In the yeare of Christ 590. Ihon Bishope of Constantinople ambitiously desired to be Supreme head oikoumenikon pasis t is oikoumenis the Uniuersall Bishoppe of the whole world that was habitable And therefore Gregorie the firste Bishop at Rome of that name called the same Iohn the forerunner of Antichriste Epist. lib. 2. cap. 194. Halfe a score yeare after or little more Boniface the Thirde of that name was made Bishop at Rome and the firste that was ordeined or named Pope or Summus Pontifex the Highe Bishop and this dyd the Emperoure Phocas to haue ayde of the Pope which killed the Emperour Mauritius his wyfe his brother and his sonne with many other and made himselfe Emperour The Pope had this beginning After him euery Pope encreased his authoritie with priuiledges statutes decrées and preceptes tyll that they grewe to such dignitie that they created Emperoures who were wont to create them they deposed them they fought with them they trode on their neckes they rebelled ageynst thē they cursed them with booke bell and candell lighted they pardoned them all that would fight ageinst the Emperour The first Obiection They alledge Scripture for their purpose as the deuill dyd to christ They obiect this place of the Gospell written by Saint Matthew Thou art Peter and vpon this Peter I will buyld my Church Peter saye they is the foundacion of the Church of him it dependeth in him it resteth and hée is the head thereof Let vs aunswere this Obiection with the true Interpretation and Exposition of Chrystes mynde Thou art Peter c. Thy name sayeth Christ is Symon but hencefoorth it shal be Peter a Rocke or stone or rather one depending of the rocke as I promised in the first of Iohn ver 42. that thou shouldest bée called Cephas a stone but I alter it into Peter bycause thy name shal be deryued of mée For I am Petra and thou Peter I Chryst and thou a christian I a Rocke and thou rockye or buylded vpon the rocke The Allusion and affinetie of the Gréeke woord proueth this sense sy ei petros c. Thou arte Peter bicause thou beléeuest in Petra that is in mée the Rocke vpon the which I will buylde my congregation whom I will to bée called Peters as thou arte deriuing their name of mée the rocke bycause who soeuer shal beléeue in mée as thou doest I will gyue him the same name that thou hast Wherefore who so confesseth mée as thou doest shal be called Peter of mée Petra that is a christian of my name Christ. Hierom vpon the 8. of Mathew affirmeth that Peter had his name of Petra which is christ All are Peters which beléeue in this Rocke I will buylde my famelie and congregation vpon it wherfore al my famelie and people are Peters Peter in this place is put for all christians and is a generall woorde signifying all beléeuers and confessoures of Christe Therefore Hierome vppon the sixte of Amose termeth all christes Apostles Peters And the Christ founded not his church vpō Peter as our Romish catholiques cōtend but vpon this rocke which was Peters confession yée shal vnderstand by the text it self What was his cōfession that Iesus christ was the sonne of god Than this fayth of peters is the foundaciō of the church cleauing to Christ which foundacion Paul defineth to be Christ 1. Cor. 3. ver 11. This church congregation bycause it confessed the same Christ that Peter did is very well termed described by Paule to be the establishmēt and piller of truth and by good reason considering it is defined to bée Christes body out of whose head is deriued whatsoeuer nourisheth the body Who soeuer hath this fayth and is a member of Christes body is a Peter As Christ is called a stone so are his people and seruauntes named lyuely stones by participacion as they are the light of the world and salte of the earth bycause the light and salte that they haue is deriued and procéedeth from him as of Petra Peters of Chryst christians That this is the true meaning of this place it is euident hy the 18. chapter of Matthew ver 15. where the same doctrine is applied to all Christians whan hée sayeth If thy brother trespasse ageynst thée tell him his faulte betwéene thée and him If he heare thée thou hast wonne thy brother What is it too winne a mans brother but to loose him from his sinne wherwith hée was bound By the which if hée will not bée corrected lette him bée as an Heathen and a Publicane And thus hée is bound bycause hée wil not repent For sayeth Christ speaking to all christians what soeuer yée binde or loose vpon earth shalbée bound and loosed in heauen Adam and Eue in Paradise were the true church who when they heard the promise how that the séede of the wooman Iesus Christ should burst the Serpentes head beléeued it vpon y which beléefe Christ buylded his congregation and this is the Rocke They did binde themselues in eating of the frute in not obeinge the cōmaundement in offending the lawe They loused themselues in confessing their faulte obeying chrystes voyce lamentinge their facte and beléeuing in him who should bée borne of the séede of a wooman their faith confession of their offence with amendment of lyfe were the keyes of heauen By them they repossessed their felicitie which was lost and reentred into heauen Christ graunted to twoo or thrée gathered togyther in his name their requestes and hée to bée among them If this power and prerogatiue bée equall and particularly gyuen to euery christian and generally to all than is it not onely proper to the Pope If all the congregation may binde and loose then is the Popes authoritie nothing and hée himselfe to be excluded as a reprobate abhorred as a dissembler defaced as an hipocrite reiected as Psichicus in Tertullian was who bragged as the Pope dooth that he had authoritie to forgyue sinnes deposed as an vsurper and condemned as an Antichrist ▪ The congregation is buylded vpon the rock Who is the Rocke Christ not the Pope faith in Iesu Christe not execrable pardones hope in the Lorde not in man. If the Churche
and Congregation bée a buyldyng as Paule declareth and an hasbandrie and vyneyarde as the prophetes testifie and if Christ bée the buylder as is manifest and the HusbandmaÌ„ than hath the Pope no authoritie That euery man is Peter that confesseth Christ with the same fayth that Peter dyd Heare Origen his interpretation discoursing vpoÌ„ this place who was within 235. yeares after christ If wée affirme and confesse sayeth Origene that Christ is the sonne of the immortall God as Peter did then are wée Peters and shall obteyne the same felicitie that hée hath obteyned because our confession and his is all one If wée confesse Christ to bée the sonne of God the father reuealing it too vs it shalbée sayd to eche one of vs Thou art Peter and vpon thée I will buylde my congregation Euery man is Petra a Rocke and lyuely stone that is a follower of Christe of whom they dranke which dronke of the spirituall Rocke following them Upon euery such rocke is the congregation of God buylded If a man ymagine the whole congregation and church to bée buylded vpon Peter only what will yée saye of Iames and Iohn the thundering children and other of the Apostles In déed it was spoken to Peter thou art Peter and vppon this rocke I will buylde my Congregation Notwithstanding it is spoken in lyke manner to all the Apostles and to all perfect and faythfull men because they are all Peters and Rockes and vppon all them and the prophetes is Christes church buylded And the Gates of Hell shall not preuayle ageynst any of them These gates of hell are vyces sinnes and other corruption of mans nature which shall neyther reigne in their mortall bodyes neyther preuayle Doest thou think that the keyes of the Kingdome were onely gyuen to Peter and to â—one other neyther any other should receyue theÌ„ If these wordes were not common to all men as they are I will gyue vntoo thée the Keyes of the kingdome of Heauen how can all those sayings and thinges which are applyed to Peter before bée commune to all men For Christ thus spake in commune to them all whom doo you saye that I am And Peter answered in the name of them all Doth hée not vtter the same in playner woordes In the 20. of Iohn ver 22.23 saying to all the Apostles brething vpon them Receyue the holy ghost whose sinnes yée forgiue they shalbée forgyuen and whose yée retayne shalbée reteyned They were all of lyke authoritie with Peter All they that are imitators of Christ are likewyse called Peters and rockes as Christ and his faythefull of whom spirituall men drinke spirituall drinke Of Christe all his are called Christes or christians according to the Prophet who sayeth hée would saue his Christes As Christe is called rightuousnes and wysdome â–ª so are wée called rightuous because Christ is our rightuousnes and wisdome So are christians named by other properties of god Thus farre Origen with much more Tertullian in his booke of Chastitie who was but 210. yeare after Christ writing ageynst Phisicus the highe Bishop of Bisshoppes who tooke vppon him to forgiue sinne adulterie fornication and other vices sayeth thus Shewe mée examples of the Prophetes and of the Apostles and I will acknowledge thy holynesse diuinitie and godhead If thou canst doo so I will graunt thou canst forgiue sinne If thy office bée onely to teache and mynister then is it not to forgiue sinne How hast thou this authoritie thou presumest of this place But Peter was commaunded to forgyue his brother so oft as hée offendeth which sentence perteyneth to all men The church is not the nomber and rable of Bishoppes This authoritie is of the Lord and not of his seruaunts of God not of any priest Who is without sinne no man Than no man can forgyue sinne Who dare attribute to man that which is proper to God who can loose an other man from death saue onely the sonne of God Hée in his passion delyuered the théefe from death Wherefore if thou followest him in forgyuing sinnes and canst saye thou hast not offended I praye thée suffer for mée If thou bee a sinner how can thy oyle serue both for thée and mée for thy lyght and myne It is in Mat. 9. ver 2. that Christ had power to forgiue sinnes and know mens hartes but thou canst doo neyther If thou presumest proue by scriptures or by miracles as Christe did Thus farre Tertullian with much more Augustine writeth thus vpon this place Uppon this Rocke which thou confessed Peter vpon this rocke which thou acknowledgest saying thou art Christ the sonne of the immortall god Upon this Rocke I will buylde my Congregation that is vppon my selfe the sonne of the immortall GOD vppon mée I will buylde it and not vppon â—hée Men béeing disposed to buylde vpon men sayd I holde of Apollo an other of Paule an other of Cephas which is Peter The same Augustine vpon the .xxi. of Iohn sayeth this congregation can not fall bycause it is founded vpon the Rocke of the which Rocke or Petra Peter hath his name for Petra which is the Rocke hath not his name of Peter but Peter of Petra the Rocke As Christ hath not his name of a Christian but a Christian of Christ. Thus farre Augustine with many mo reasons Christ is the end of my fayth sayeth Ambrose vpon the ninth of Luke the end of my fayth is the Sonne of god Wherfore beléeue as Peter did that thou maist bée blessed The grace of Christ is great which hath communicate almost all his names with his Disciples Christ is the light of the world the lyuely bread and the Rocke and yet his Disciples are the light of world Wée are all one bread 1. Cor. 10. ver 17. Neyther did Christ deny his Disciple the strenght and sowndnes of this word bycause hée had the constancy of his fayth of Petra The Rocke is the fayth in Iesu and fayth is the foundation of the church If thou beest a Rocke thou shalt bée in the church bycause the church is buylded vpon the Rocke Thus farre Ambrose And after this sense doo all the Gréekes and Latines interprete this place Hell gates shall not preuayl against this fayth this rocke and against such as confesse Christ with as good a fayth as Peter did The Metaphor is taken of the Gates wherein the Iewes Gentiles exercised their Iudgementes as appereth in Moses and Iob. And bycause wicked Iudges did there gyue false sentences absolued the offenders and condemned the innocentes therfore false Iudgement and Tyrannicall Iudges and iniurious Magistrats are called Hell gates that is the Gates of death the Iudgement seates of death Origen and Ambrose vnderstand by Hell gates all vices Such a strong rocke such a valiant membre of Christ and such a lyuely stone of Christes congregation was Ieremy whom God sayd hée woold make a strong defenced Towne an yron Piller a Walle of stéele
hoggos fleshe saying putano de Dio dispetto de Dio bring mée my hogges fleshe And likewyse for his Peacock when one asked why hys holynesse was so mooued hée aunswered If God caste Adam out of Paradise for eating of an Aple what would you haue mée too doo for my Peacock Is not my peacock better then an Aple And thus they aunswer such blasphemies that in that the Pope was a man hée offended but in that hée was Christes Uicegerent hée could not sinne For saye they though hee were a desperate man yet the seate and place maketh him holye Now I come to their Obiections which they alleage out of their Canons and Doctours The first Obiection HE is saye they the head of the Church that ruleth the whole world But the Pope ruleth the whole world â–ª Ergo hée is the head of the Church I denye the Minor. They proue it by Thomas the irrefragable Doctour in these woordes The Pope sayeth hée is chiefe Bishoppe For as a King ruleth his realme so doth hée the whole world and Bishoppes for his helpe and ease are ioyned in euery citie as Iudges Thom. secund secund 4.98 art 9. 4.20 art 4. What an argument is this of Thomas of Aquine Is it a good comparison to compare a subiect with a King or rather preferre him before the kinge of the Romanes 1 Where was his authoritie when Nero persecuted as they saye Peter 2 Was not Linus as they reporte the second Pope at Rome in the yeare of Christ 82 Where was his vniuersall power where was his might when hée was put to death of Saturninus the Consul of Rome who was inferiour to Vespasian being Emperour at that tyme 3 Did not Domitian kill Anacletus an 84. 4 Did not Trayane fasten an anker aboue Clementes necke and cause him to be cast into the sea anno 102. 5 Was not Euarestus murthered by the same Emperour 6 Did not Aurelianus the Liuetenant the like to Alexander an 121. 7 And was not Pius killed in the tyme of Antonius verus an 121 8 And likewise Anicete an 159. And Sother an 169. 9 And Eleutherius beheaded an 177.191 10 And Zepherinus in the tyme of the Empe. Aurelius an 220. 11 And Caâ—ixtus in the time of Seuerus apprehended beaten with clubbes cast in prison throwen out of a window headlonge and his body cast into a pitte an â—26 12 And Vrbanus at the same tyme banished and at length killed an 233. 13 And Pontianus at the same tyme was banished into Sardinia tormented afflicted and suffered death ano 239. 14 And Autherius in the tyme of the Emperour Maximinus an 243. 15 And Fabianus vnder Decius An. 250. 16 And Cornelius also anno 253. 17 and Lucius vnder Valerianus ann 255. 18 and Stephan vnder Galienus beheaded an 257. 19. Sixtus the second of that name was likewyse martyred An. 267. 20. So was Dionysius An. 277. 21. So Felix an 282. 22. So Eutichianus an 283. 23. So Caius anno 295. 24. So Marcellinus an 303. 25. So Marcellus anno 308. 26. So Eusebius an 309. 27. So Melchiades an 314. The Papistes say that all these were Popes I praye you how ruled they all the world as Thomas sayeth the Popes doo where was their auctoritie aboue all Kinges Princes Emperours and Monarches If of God or of Peter or of them selues why did they not resist why were they put too death If they had none as none they had in deede than of whom had the Popes following their power tyrannie to kill innocentes to depose Emperours to disgrade Bishoppes to rule in hell heauen earth and purgatorie to absolue à poena culpa to do what they lust to oppresse banish and murther The second Obiection Well say what you will the Pope is meruelous for hée hath his name of merueling And hée is to be wondered at bycause hée is Peters vycegerent in the earth for hee hath his name of Papae an Interiection of merueling And without doubt hée occupieth not the place of a pure man but of the true god Textus est in Codice in t corpor de transl Episcopi I answer You say that hée hath his name of Papae an Interiection of merueiling in deede the Reuelation and Paule sayeth that Antechrist when hée shall come which is the Pope shall woorke meruailes and do false myracles by Necromancie and iniquitie The third Obiection Hath he not a great preeminence when as no man neyther may nor dare aske him in any matter why he doth so De poen dist ex perso The fourth Obiection Neyther is the Pope Peters vicegerent but hee occupieth the roome that Peter occupied Gloss. in Clement vna de iure iur in verb. vicar The fifth Obiection Doo you not knowe that the Popes name is chaunged in hys Creation Consecration and enstalling that by the chaunging of the name the man may likewise bee chaunged For where hée was a pure man before now is hée become the Uicegerent of the true God as in example Who was a cruell tyraunt before is nowe chaunged and called Clemens Hée that was hurtfull is now Innocent Hée that was a maleface Boniface and so foorth of the rest Hath not the Pope both the swoordes Is not hée an heretique that breaketh the constitution of the Pope or that holdeth that the Pope is not able to make a constitution hée is a paynim that wil not obey the Pope The Pope may depose the Emperoure without a Councell yea with a cause or without a cause Stat pro ratione voluntas These Obiections are thus to bée aunswered that as none of these are conteyned in the scriptures no more are they to bée credited than fables of Homer or Ouide In chaunging their names they detect their hypocrisie who will beléeue that the chaunginge of a mans name will make an euill man a good man of a dishonest an honest Besydes this is not the Pope a man still though hée bée anoynted consecrated enstalled and entromyzed Is not an Axe an Axe though hée haue a Childes coat vppon his backe ought hée to rule the Empernur Is not hée bounde too gyue too Caesar that which is Caesars Notwithstanding one cursed Iames de Terano Chamberlayne to Vrbane the sixt Pope of that name in the yeare of Christ 1385. interpreteth this place of Luke of the Emperours before Christes passion but after that Chryste was ascendeth into heauen as victor and conquerour hée writeth thus When I shalbée lifted vp from the ground I will drawe all too my selfe that is sayeth the sayd Iames I will take away all Empire Kingdomes Iurisdictions and Dominions of the worlde from the Emperours and Kinges and gyue them too the Pope who when hée hath subdued them and brought them in subiection hée may vse the Royaltie riches gorgeous apparell and all other thinges as subiect too him This cursed Iames as Molineus termeth him is too bée condemned of treason for forging a false coyn