by and by to be confounded as one in truthe and nature the names whereof be confounded Otherwise because the Apostles are in the gospell called disciples an Apostle and a disciple are all one which is well knowen not to be so Likewise though the termes of prieste and bishop were common yeat the thinges were neuer one in so muche that S. Austen making mention of the heresie of Aerius saieth Dicebat etiam praesbiterum ab episcopo nulla differentia secerni debere He saide Ad quod vult Deum haeres 57. also that a prieste ought to be distinguished from a bishop by no difference But what meane you here M. Nowell to talcke so much of the equalitie of bishoppes and priestes being a matter in this place nothing to oure purpose Or if it were seing it might be saide that euen as the olde canons as I declared before in that equalitie which is in priestehode vsed yeat In the 6. chapitre fol. 33. b. the worde Archipraesbiter chiefe prieste and ordeined suche a dignitie in the churche so there is nothing that letteth why in the equalitie of bishoppes and priestes while no one is more bishop or prieste then an other there maie How one bishop is equall to an other not be degrees notwithstanding of superioritie allthough not in the sacrament of ordres which is common to them all yeat in the execution of that power that is conferred thereby But perhappes you be of the opinion youre selfe that there ought to be no difference betwene a bishop and a prieste and therefore are the gladder to snatche occasion by all meanes direct or indirect to vtter youre minde therin Nowe foloweth vpon this grounde laied that bishoppes and priestes be by the first institution and the lawe of God one youre conclusion whereby you will make it appeare that you haue not without cause made mention of this equalitie of bishoppes and priestes So that all bishoppes which be the successours of the Apostles Nowell b. 24. be also praesbiteri that is to saie elders or priestes Whereof it foloweth also that there is an equalitie emongest all bishoppes by goddes lawe as the equall successours of the Apostles And that this is S. Hieromes minde in that place all learned men who haue reade the saide epistle doe well knowe This was not the minde of S. Hierome but is an idle Dorman phantasy of youre owne The learned knowe and to their iudgement I appeale that his minde was here to compare together the state of a prieste and a bishop in the sacrament of holie ordres common aswell to the one as to the other that so he might refell the better the errour of those who helde that deacons ought to be equall to priestes as appeareth by these wordes of his in the beginning of the epistle In this epistle ad Euagri◠Nam quum Apostolus c. For whereas the Apostle teacheth manifestly that priestes and bishoppes be one what eyleth the seruaūt * He meaneth deacons of widowes and tables arrogātly to extoll him selfe aboue them at whose praiers the bodie and bloud of Christe is made Doth not this example put in the consecrating of the bodie and bloude off Christe the whiche the poorest prieste that is hathe as good auctoritie to doe giuen hym in the sacrament of holie ordres as the pope him selfe declare that S. Hieromes minde was no otherwise to make priestes equall to bishoppes but in the only ordre of priestehode common to bothe Yea but yow will saie that the Apostles were equall in all respectes for if you saie not so you can not conclude absolutely as yow doe that all bishoppes their successours be so equall If yow saie so that is but your bare Lib. 1. contra Iouinianum saing only not by the auctoritie of S. Hierome confirmed but most plainly by the same impugned Who in one place saieth that emongest the twelue there was a heade chosen Peter by name and in an other place that Christ made Peter In cap. Marci 14. Note the cause of appointing one heade the maister of his house THAT VNDER ONE SHEPHERD THERE MAY BE ONE FAITH Which is directly against the equalitie that you build vpō But let it be graunted vnto you that the apostles were equal yeat shall not your cōclusion folow for all that For it is to be considered that in the Apostles there is a double respect which is to be weighed nowe of vs. Either we considre them as they were all Apostles or as they were bishoppes As they were Apostles they How the Apostles were all equall were all equall they had all like power to preache and teache thorough out the whole worlde As they were bishoppes and rulers of particuler churches they were all subiect to Petre the chiefe bishop of all As they were Apostles that is to saye generall legates to plante Christes faithe thorough out all the world to founde churchs to preach the word of God finally to gouerne vniuersally in all places where their should come they trāsmitted this right none of thē to their successours but only Peter who was the generall shepherd of all Which is the cause that some of the fathers namely S. Austē saie that the power giuen to Peter was giuē to him In psalm 208. in the persone of the church because it was not giuē to him alone but to all his successours to cōtinue for euer As the Apostles were bishops of particuler places their auctoritie ended not with them but wēt further to the whole church to cōtinue for euer Now to applye this to our purpose howe doe the bishoppes that now are succede the Apostles They succede them as bishoppes not as Apostles For if they succeded them so who seeth not that as the Apostles made lawes absolued excommunicated and ruled thorough out all How bisshoppes be the successours of the Apostles the worlde where so euer they came so might the bishoppes that nowe succede thē doe the like The which thing seing we finde by no recordes sith the apostles time that euer it was practised in the church and if it should it were the nexte waie to disquiet al the worlde and to fill the churche full of schismes and heresies reason it selfe dothe conuince that the ordre taken emongest the Apostles was but by speciall priuileage not appointed to continue for euer or to derogate anie thing from the generall ordre begonne in Peter and appointed to be perpetuall as long as the church shoulde endure To conclude therfore I graunte to you M. Nowell that the Apostles were equall as they were all the generall legates of Christe but not as they had their speciall bishoprikes and charges limited vnto them In which latter sense because the bishoppes that are nowe succede the Apostles in which pointe they were not equall it foloweth against you that all bishoppes be not equall Iff yow will saye that the Apostles were also equall euen in that that
Italie or Rome it selfe for his wordes haue euidentlie that relation and that none thinke the auctoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the auctoritie an other but a few wicked and desperate men You were driuē to the wall M. Nowell when you were forced Dorman for a pore shift to say that Leo said as he did because he wolde haue bene lord and heade ouer the church S. Cipriā saith that euerie bishop hath his seuerall portion The same saieth Leo. Leo saieth that the charge of the vniuersall church must Lib. 1. ep 3 haue recourse to Peters chaire S. Ciprian saieth not the cōtrarie Yea so saieth S. Ciprian toe calling Rome matricem the mother church And whither should children I pray you haue recourse for succour but to their mother He saith not that the subiecte of one bishop may not appeale to an other Lyes that is one lie He saieth not that the cause determined by one bishop may be called before no other that is an other lie He maketh no comparison as you say he doth betwene the bishoppes of Afrike Italie and Rome behold the third lye He saieth not that none but a fewe wicked and desperate men thinke the auctoritie of one bishop to be lesse then the auctoritie of an other which if he shoulde youre selfe were like by that meanes to be of the nombre of such desperate and wicked men who before acknowledged chiefe prelates a worde that presupposeth other that be inferiour and fol. 32. 2. be cōtrarie to him selfe as I proued before by his writing to Steuen the pope wherby he required him to take ordre by his lettres for the remouing from his bishoprike Martianus the B. of Arles and by that that him selfe sent to Rome to Cornelius to trie the matter before him with those euill mē that complained vpon him there by his excepting againste the sentence giuen by the pope for the restitution of Basilides for no other cause but because it was obteined by false information All which exāples doe not only proue that he was not of the minde that no one bishop was aboue an other but this also that the B. of Rome was of greater auctoritie then the bishoppes of Fraunce Spaine or Afrike Hetherto of the disagrement betwene S. Ciprian and Leo which by this time all men I trust perceiue to be no suche as you vaunted it was yea to be none at all but suche consent rather as in diuerse wordes there can not be greater It foloweth that we examine how Hierome and Leo agree S Hierome yow saye hath that all churches worshipping one Nowell fo 51. a. 10 Borowed out of Caluin Inst. lib. 4 cap. 7. Sect. 3. Christe and obseruing one rule of truthe are equall with the churche of Rome that all bishoppes be the successours of the Apostles and of one priestehod and of the same merite and dignitie But Leo saieth contrarie that it was giuen to one to be aboue all the rest and that they who be in greater diocesses or cities haue more care and auctoritie and that the onelie see of Peter hath charge of the vniuersall churche and is heade thereof Yow belye S. Hierome He saieth not that all the churches Dorman A lye 38. in the worlde be equall If he did he shoulde saie contrarie to Irinaeus who saieth that the churche of Rome hath potentiorem principalitatem greater souereintie then other churches haue contrary to S. Cipriā who calleth Rome the Li. 1. cap. 3 Lib. 1. ep 3. mother churche the roote and principall churche and contrarie to S. Austen who calleth it the churche in the which the principalitie of the apostolicall see hath allwaies florished Epist 162. He saieth that Christes church is not diuided * Nec altera Romanae vrbis ecclesia altera totius orbis existimanda as thoghe Rome were one and the whole worlde an other As for that that he saieth that all bishoppes be the successours off the apostles those wordes make merueilously for the opinion of Leo against you For vpon that proposition of S. Hierome I reason thus All bishoppes be the successours of the Apostles but the Apostles were not all equal because as S Hierom saith Peter was their head Ergo by S. Hieromes minde all bishoppes who be their successours be not equall but haue the successour of Peter their heade Againe Peter was heade of the Apostles and made because there shoulde arise no schisme emongest them Ergo the B. off Rome who is Peters successour must be heade of his felowe bishoppes for the same cause These two propositions that there was emongest the Apostles one heade and that that was Peter be S. Hieromes owne in his first boke against Iouinian The wordes although I rehersed before yeat because they perteine not onelie to this matter but to shewe also how these thre Ciprian Hierome and Leo mete and knit as it were together in this sentence that Christ appointed ouer his church one generall heade I will recite once againe The wordes therfore of S. Hierō to Iouiniā be these At dicis super Petrum fundatur ecclesia licet idipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos fiat cuncti claues regni coelorum accipiant ex aequo super eos ecclesiae fortitudo solidetur tamen propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur vt capite constituto schismatis tollatur occasio That is to saie But thou saiest The churche is builded vpon Peter although the same in an other place be done vpon all the Apostles and all of them receiue the keyes of heauen and equallye is the strength of the churche grounded vpon them yeat for all that is there one chosen emongest the twelue that by making a heade emongest them occasion of schisme maye be taken awaye See yow not nowe by this place of S. Hierome M. Nowell howe the equalitie of power that S. Cyprian speaketh of the similitude of honour and equalitie of calling that Leo remembreth the building of the churche in one place vpon all the Apostles indifferentlie that S. Hierome mentioneth notwithstanding they all three conclude in one maner with this worde tamen notwithstanding that the churche was builded vpon one that there was one heade that there was one preferred before the reste This place of S. Hierome as it vtterly stoppeth their mouthes who reason that the Apostles were absolutely in all pointes equall so confirmeth it moste strongly the answere made before to the place of S. Ciprian that the Apostles were all of equall power and auctority that that was true at the first but Ioan. 20. that after oure Lorde last before his ascension gaue the Ioan. 21. chiefe auctoritie to one in respecte as one was chosen from the rest vpon whome the churche shoulde be builded S. Hierome saieth that al bishoppes are of one priesthode and of the same merite you plaie the falsefier and adde of youre owne and of the same dignitie The gentlewoman
40. a. 1. were bothe of one minde Therefore saie I they bothe proue the necessitie of one heade Neither care I whether S. Hierome speake in this dialogue of the B. of Rome by name or no. It suffiseth to proue my entent that as by youre owne confession S. Cypriah is of the minde that in euerye diocesse there must be one prieste and iudge in the stede of Christe whome all the rest must obeye so S. Hierome also is of the same The which being once graunted it foloweth verie well that seing for one litle diocesse a heade ouer so meane men as parishe priestes be is precisely necessarie muche more is a heade in earthe ouer all the bishoppes which haue euerie one of them so greate power ouer their owne flocke lest theye abuse the same of greter and more forcible necessitie And therefore you take greate paines to no purpose to proue that S. Hierome speaketh not of the B. of Rome but of euery other bishop the which thinge I woulde hier you to proue for me For whereas if he had spoken of the B. of Rome by name it had bene a reason grounded vpon the auctoritie of S. Hierome alone now being spoken of euerie bishop it confirmeth by reconing the necessitie of one heade particulerly in euerye diocesse the greate necessitie of the same one heade in the whole bodie of the churche by naturall reason also which proueth my purpose better then any priuate mānes auctoritie can doe If cancred malice and desire to be reuenged had not caried yow so far and fast awaye that it gaue you no leisor to loke backe to the title of the argument that is here handled youre selfe woulde sone haue perceiued howe litle it were necessarie to haue in this place anie speciall mention made of the B. of Rome Which if yow had once marcked then woulde you neuer haue gathered so foolilishely and vnlearnedly out of the argument of the dialogue fol. 40. a. 6 writen by Erasmus Liber est c. The booke is very worthye to be reade as the whiche doth conceine manie ▪ wholesom preceptes M. Nowell a weake reasoner concerning the life of bishoppes that there was nothing in the same dialogue not asmuche as one worde that is special to the B. of Rome onelye For all thoughe there be no one worde there speciall to the B. of Rome as it is not necessary that there be how shoulde yeat this auctoritie presse him that woulde maintaine the contrary and saye to you what M. Nowell I thinke your wittes faile you Maye there not be some one worde speciall to the B. of Rome in that dialogue because it conteineth manie wholesome preceptes concerning the life of bishoppes Is not the B of Rome a bishop Muche like or more foolishe then this are youre other notes gathered here and there out of this dialogue to proue that which you saie of euerye bishoppes auctoritie and to reproue my wresting as you terme it of this place to the auctority of one bishop ouer the whole church For who sence reason was first poured in to mannes heade harde euer of one that occupieth the place of a wise man a more folishe or brainesicke kinde of reasoning then is this S. Hierome speaketh in diuerse places of this dialogue of manye bishoppes because the question was whether bishoppes returning from their heresies shoulde be vnbishopped or no before they were reconciled Ergo He meant not in the place alleaged that there shoulder be one chiefe bisshoppe in the churche This semed to your self to be farre from the marke I doubte not when you promise to come nearer to the place by fol. 40. b. 22. fol. 41. b. me alleaged And therefore you bring in certeine sentences going next before to proue that which I denie not that S. Hierome speaketh of euery bishop in his owne diocesse And thereupon you conclude And therefore this whole matter is altogether impertinent to Nowell fol. 42. b. 9 D. Harding and M. Dormans purpose of one onelye heade ouer the whole churche Vnlesse M. Dorman woulde frame vs thereof this lewde argument S. Hierome saieth that euery bishop ought to haue auctoritie aboue all other priestes of his owne diocesse Ergo the B. of Rome ought to haue a preeminence peerelesse aboue all bishoppes of all diocesses and ouer the whole church thorough out the whole worlde No M. Nowell I will not reason so in this place because Dorman the argument whiche I handle forceth me not so to doe But if I had so reasoned or woulde so reason as yow thinke no man being awake wil yeat am I he that euē in my slepe M. Nowell were able to defende that argument againste yow staring with bothe youre eyes wide open vpon me And that youre selfe perceiued well inough and therefore like a tendre harted mā as lothe to breake my sweete slepe you stolle from it as softlye as you might For this being I praye you first graunted that euery bishop ought to haue auctoritie aboue all other priestes of his owne diocesse and the reason being as S. Hierome hathe here and you in making the argument guilefully left out for the auoiding of schismes I woulde infer for the minor or seconde proposition but the same reason for the auoiding of schismes dothe no lesse yea more enforce that one haue perelesse auctoritie ouer the bishops and priestes of the whole world Ergo there must be one suche heade and that by a consequent the B. of Rome who hathe euer so bene reputed and taken except you by youre deanely auctoritie haue power to appoint some other But I brought not S. Hieromes auctoritie VVhy S. Hierome was first alleaged M. Nowell to conclude so particulerly or to force it to the B. of Romes supremacy but only to proue the necessitie of one generall heade ouer Christes vniuersal churche the which no reasonable man can denie but that most effectually it dooth So that nowe youre greate musing at any man that shall to this sense alleage this place of S. Hierome maye appeare rather to procede off some dumpish melancolike vapours occupieng youre fonde and idle heade or lacke of other matter to thinke vpon then vpon any iust cause or good grounde and that also yow haue vntruly saide of me that I haue wrested this place In answering the place of S. Hierom to Euagrius you saie Nowell fo 4◠b. 18 first that he sheweth that praesbiter and episcopus a prieste and a bishop be all one by the first institution and by the lawe of God If it had pleased yow so to haue taken S. Hierome he Dorman might haue ment that the name of a prieste and the name of a bishop was all one in the vse of speche in the holie scriptures and in the sacrament of ordres but not in dignitie preeminence and auctoritie For a bishop is preferred before a prieste in iurisdiction allthough their names were once confounded Neither are all those thinges
nombre of priestes there ought to be one chiefe ruler chosen as though only Petre had bene a bishop and the other apostles pore priestes and no more Where is nowe the equalitie that you are wont to obiect to vs of the Apostles with Petre Who maketh the Apostles more inferiour to Peter you or we We saie the Apostles all of them were bishoppes in one place or other you make youre count that they were only inferiour priestes Now being all of them bishoppes and Peter by youre confession their heade Who seeth not that the ordre planted by Christe in his church is that there be one bishop for the pacifieng of schismes ouer the rest Againe if 12. persones so well instructed by the spirite of God as the Apostles were had a heade appointed ouer them for remedie against schismes what reason leadeth yow to thinke that emongest so manye â—ades as be in the vniuersall churche gouernours of particuler churches not so priuileaged with grace there maye not be the like yea greater cause to feare schismes and so consequently that there ought not to be the same remedie that is to saye one heade So that if you counte youre selfe hurt when it is proued that there ought to be one chiefe heade of Christes churche you are by graunting of this prerogatiue to S. Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles verie daungerously hurte Yea but you were prouided for all suche after clappes before I doubte not Other wise so circumspect a man as you are woulde neuer haue yealded so farre And therfore you adde And if M. Dorman vpon this graunte woulde inferre suche a Nowell supremacie of one ouer the rest of the Apostles as the pope claimeth ouer the churche S. Paule reprouing Peter more sharpely Galat. 2. to his face then is laufull nowe for any bishop to deale with the pope dothe proue that Peter had no suche supremacy One thing I must here tell you by the waie M. Nowell Dorman that in debating this matter of the auctoritie of S. Peter aboue the rest of the Apostles except you forsake S. Hierome you must forgo this example of S. Paule his reprouing of S. Peter which S. Hierome holdeth against S. Austen how truly I dispute not in this place to haue bene but a made matter betwene them that Paule shoulde reprehende and Peter suffer him selfe to be reprehendid for vsing the legall ceremonies as appeareth in the epistles written to and fro betwene them And therfore if you will be tried by S. Hierome he shoulde rather holde with this supremacie as the man who if he erred in striuing with S. Austen about this reprehending of Peter erred onely because he thought it a thing vnsemely and vnlikely that S. Paule woulde so reprehende the prince of the Apostles Which was he saieth the cause why Origen and other to stoppe the mouthe of Porphirius the heretike who laied to S. Paules charge that he was ouerbolde to reprehende Peter the chiefe of the Apostles expounded this place as he did But leauing S. Hierome and graunting that Peter was truly and in deede reprehended by S. Paule let vs examine whether suche a supremacie as is here spoken of maie not by the iudgement of the learned fathers of Christes churche stande wel inough for all this reprouing of S. Peter vsed by S. Paule I will emongest other alleage to this purpose two only S. Cyprian and S. Austen Epist ad Quintum The wordes S. Cyprian are these Naâ— nec Petrus quem primum dominus elegit super quem aedificauit ecclesiam suam c. For neither Pure whome oure lorde chose to be the chiefe and vpon whome he builded his church when he contended after with Paule about circuÌ„cision reuenged him selfe or chalenged anie thing insolently or arrogaÌ„tly in saing that he had the primacy and that he ought rather to be obeied of those that were nouices and came after Thus farre S. Cyprian With whome agreeth S. Austen as he that alleageth this verie place to proue that S. Cyprian to whose auctoritie the Donatistes leaned Lib. 2. de baptis contra Donatist ea for the baptising againe of suche as were Christened by heretikes woulde easely suffer him selfe for his humilitie being but one bishop or the doinges of his owne prouince either to be corrected by the statutes of the whole churche seing that he praised S. Peter in whome was the primacie of the Apostles for the same vertue of humilitie in suffering him selfe to be reproued of S. Paule Thus it appeareth that S. Paules resisting of S. Peter was no derogatioÌ„ to S. Peters auctoritie as the which by the confessioÌ„ of both these learned fathers remained saufe and whole notwithstanding the reprehension of S. Paule and withall that you and your fellowes M. Nowell who vse so often to the derogation of S. Peters auctoritie to cite this place of the epistle Galat. 2. to the Galathians doe shamefully abuse the same with no small iniurie to the blessed apostles bothe But yeat you fare that I haue saide nothing all this while to this that Peters supremacie was no suche as is the popes whome no man may blame what so euer he doe Yes sir the pope maie be blamed Neither doe the texte nor the glose by you here alleaged saye the contrarie And so haue diuerse good men freelie reprehended diuerse popes S. Bernard a moÌ„ke reprehended Eugenius the third more sharpely iwisse as youre selues can full well tel and therfore make much of him in that respect then euer did S. Paule reproue S. Petre. Paulus 4. was admonished by lettres writteÌ„ by one in Rome of the vnhonest behauiour of his nephues the two Caraffas He toke the aduertisemeÌ„t in good parte and banished them the courte immediatly What should I remembre the lettres written by Petrus a So to a frier also to Pius the pope that nowe is wherin he admonished him freely to take ordre that bishoppes and other inferiour pastours might be compelled Dat. Tridenti 17. Aprilis Anno Do. 1563. Nowell fol. 44. b. 24. to kepe resideÌ„ce with their charges and threatened to him vtter daÌ„nation in the iudgemeÌ„t of God vnlesse he did It foloweth not you saye that one being chosen to beruler emongest twelue that therefore one maie be also chosen to be ruler ouer all the cleargie of the worlde No more do the it that because there was one chosen of euerye one churche or diocesse to rule the reste that therefore there shoulde be one chosen to rule all bishoppes of all diocesses namely at Rome and the saide ruler to be called pope or heade of the vniuersall churche The first answere touching that one heade emongest Dorman Institut li. 4. cap. 6. Sect. 8. fol. 53. a. b the Apostles you learned of youre Maister Caluin against whome I haue proued that the consequent holdeth verye well in my first booke The argument I haue showed oftentimes howe it holdeth and last of all in the
there neadeth no other heade then Christe which is in heauen Whiche if it had bene so what nede was there that Christe shoulde appointe a mortall man to that office as here it appeareth he did Peter To this moste shamelesse mangling and mutilating of this and other lyke places of the fathers vsed by you and youre fellowes I saye as S. Cyprian in this verie place saieth to such like craftes men that vsed so to alleage thinges to their vauntage in his tyme. Corruptores euangelij atque interpretes falsi extrema ponunt superiora praetereunt partim memores partim subdole corrumpentes Vt ipsi ab ecclesia scissi sunt ita capituli vnius sententiam scindunt That is to saie The corrupters of the ghospell and false interpretours take that which commeth behinde and leaue out that which goeth before partly mindefull partly craftely corrupting As they are them selues cut from the churche so deuide they the meaning The answere to the place of S. Cyprian of one sentence Thus muche of youre falsehode in alleaging this place Nowe to the place I answere that S. Cyprian sayeth not that Christe gaue like power to his Apostles in all respectes absolutely but determineth particulerly wherein this equalitie dothe consist as in being sent to preache thorough out all the worlde as Christ was sent by his Father in power of forgiuing sinnes Which power being giuen to them streight vpon Christes resurrection and being common to them as they were all the generall legates of Christe thorough out the worlde derogateth nothing by S. Cyprians minde from that speciall auctoritie that Christe departing out of this worlde gaue to Peter to continue And therefore to shewe that this was his meaning euen as before S. Hierome after the like equalitie mētioned Cap. 13. in the Apostles concludeth that notwithstanding that Peter was chosen to be the heade emongest them so dothe here S. Cyprian after the generall rule that they had all like power adde as an exception from the rule the same that S. Hierome hath in other wordes Tamen vt vnitatem c. yeat to make vnitie manifeste he disposed the beginning thereof by his auctoritie to begin of one Thus much maye suffice to satisfie youre wondring M. Nowell with what face I haue bene so boulde and busye with S. Cyprian To the place of S. Hierome which you bring also to fol. 50. a. 9. b. 6. proue that the dignitie of a bishop is not estemed by the greatnesse of his diocesse or citie and that all be equall in office I saie that it is true that the dignitie of a bishop dependeth not vpon the greatnesse of his diocesse but it is false that there be no degrees in the office of a bishop That yow bring Erasmus to proue it it forceth not For he is with Catholikes of no more auctoritie thē Pighius is with yow That betwene S. Cyprian Hierome and Leo there is no disagrement The 15. chapiter Yow are now come to the comparing of the sainges of S. Cyprian and S. Hierome with the testimonie of Leo bearing witnesse yow saye to him selfe The which you compare firste after this sorte Leo saieth In the holie Apostles them selues there was a difference Nowell b. 8. of power and that it was geuen to one to be aboue all the rest On the contrarie parte S. Cyprian saieth the Lorde gaue like and equall auctoritie to all his apostles all the Apostles be indewed with like felowship both of honour and power Neither are Leo his wordes trulie alleaged neither yeat Dorman S. Cyprians Leo sayeth that inter beatissimos Apostolos False dealing in alleaging the wordes of Cyprian and Leo. in similitudine honoris fuit quaedam discretio potestatis emongest the blessed Apostles in likenesse of honour there was a certeine difference of power quum omnium par esset electio vni tamen datum est vt coeteris praeemineret And whereas they had all one calling yeat it was giuen to one to be aboue the rest S. Cyprians wordes are that although oure Lorde after his resurrection gaue all his Apostles like power behold the likenesse of honour that Leo speaketh of c. yeat to make vnitie knowen he disposed by his auctoritie that it should begin of one Lo here quaedā discretio potestatis that certeine difference of power acknowledged by S. Cyprian that Leo mentioneth What iarring is there here M. Nowell their wordes being trulie alleaged Naie what swete consent is there betwene these two learned fathers Leo saieth there was emongest the Apostles a likenes of honour but yeat a certeine difference of power he saieth their calling or election was like but yeat giuen to one to be aboue the rest Doth not S. Cyprian saie the same when first in their election to be sent into all the worlde to preache then in the power of remitting sinnes he maketh them equall and yeat in adding afterwarde this particle tamen but yeat he noted a certeine difference of power this forsoth that vpon one of them the beginning and verie fundation of vnitie should be laied notwithstanding all the equalitie otherwise Is this true dealing M. Nowell thus to bring in M. Nowell mangleth the wordes of Leo and S. Cypriā to make them disagree mangled at youre pleasure the sainges of the fathers to deface them to the worlde as here yow doe by taking from the wordes of Leo this particle quaedam making him to seme the more to differ from S. Cyprian and cutting from S. Cyprian those wordes that vnitie should begin of one conteining that certeine difference in likenes of honour that Leo speaketh of Yow saie that S. Cyprian hath this in his boke De simplicitate praelatorum noting them as double faced prelates that teache or attēpt to make one bishop aboue an other The true title of the boke is De vnitate ecelesiae of the vnitie of the churche as to him that shall reade it maie easly by the contentes thereof appeare Yow are therefore a double faced or manie headed prelate that for one chiefe heade giue vs so manie You procede in youre cōparison and saie that Leo hathe out of this fourme is taken oure difference of bishops that in euerie prouince one be Dorman chiefe and of most auctoritie and the bishop of greter cities to haue greater care and consequētly that he that sitteth in Peters chaire should haue charge and be head of the vniuersal church Thus you say Leo saieth because he him selfe wold be Lord and head ouer all the church wheras S. Cyprian on the other side saieth Euerie bishop hath his seuerall portion of Christes flock to rule and gouern c. that those who are vnder the charge of the B. of one coūtrie may not appeale to a bishop of an other for that the auctoritie of one bishop is not inferiour to an other nor the auctorite of the B. of Afrike is lesse then the auctoritie of the bishopps of
folowe that euerie diocesse hath not now one chiefe ruler but manie If you will not so saye then muste you yealde to this that Rogatianus complaining to the Archebishop graunted that notwithstanding that superioritie whiche he had ouer all that were of his diocesse there was yeat the archebishop aboue him And if these two maie stande together Euerie bishop is the heade and chiefe priest of his owne diocesse and yeat there is one archebishop aboue all then why may not these propositions stande together Euerie Archebishop is chiefe of the prouince where he is Archebishop and yeat there is one pope chiefe of thē all Rogatianus did here more then he neded who denieth that If the B. of London haue in his diocesse a stubborne and vnruly prieste who doubteth but he maie first punishe him by his owne auctoritie if he list And yeat if he refer the matter to the Archebishop of Cauntorburie he dothe the Archebishop more honour and sheweth him selfe to be the more humble The Archebishop is an eye to ouersee the bishop that he doe his dutie as the pope is to ouersee all So long as the bishop is hable to take sufficiēt ordre for all occurrētes in his diocesse him selfe if he vse not this power but referre it to the Archebishop he dothe more then he nedeth but yeat honorablie for the Archebishoppes parte and humbly for his owne Where you saye that suche by S. Cyprian transgresse the Nowell fo 61. a. 1. lawe of God in the Deuteronomie that make them selues bishoppes ouer other bishoppes c. It is true in S. Cyprians meaning that is in suche as Pupianus Dorman was who being an inferiour membre no primate no patriarche no pope woulde take vpon him to iudge S. Cyprian the archebishoppe and iudge appointed of God This place includeth no more the pope who is heade bisshop ouer all other bishops and heade iudge ouer al iudges then it dothe note the bishoppes of euery diocesse for taking vppon them to be the iudges of the curates that be vnder them who in their seuerall cures be iudges in Christes steede it can not be denied For they haue power giuen them of God to loose and binde to iudge inter lepram lepram betwene syn and syn It perteineth I saye no more to the pope then it dothe to the Archebishop who iudging and ouerloking the bishoppes doinges falleth not I trust by youre owne iudgement into this faulte that S. Cyprian noted in Pupianus If then the bishop maye iudge ouer suche priestes as be vnder him Goddes iudges in their particuler cures and the Archebishoppes againe ouer the bishoppes without anye offence why may no◠I praye you the pope be iudge of the doinges of the Archebishops and all other Youre argument which is this Pupianus the bisshoppe might not be iudge ouer the doinges off Saint Cyprian An absurde reason who was an Archebishoppe Ergo the pope maye not be the iudge off all other bisshoppes is like to this M. Nowell maye not make him selfe iudge ouer the bishop of London ergo the Archeb of Cauntorbury dothe not well and is a false vsurper in making him selfe heade bishop ouer all the bisshoppes and chiefe iudge ouer all the iudges in his prouince For such a one as is M. Nowell was Pupianus that proude arrogant man a priuate persone for anye thinge that appeareth to the contrarye as he is This propertie whiche you falselye note to be in the pope is the propertie of your good Lorde M. Grindall with his felowes who occupye the places of other laufull bishoppes yeat liuing and therefore make themselues as S. Cyprian noteth of Pupianus bishoppes ouer bishoppes and iudges ouer the iudges off God for the time appointed That the place of Gregorie Nazianzen was applyed aptly and to the purpose The 19. Chapitre BECAVSE I saye that I remembre a sayng off Gregorye Nowell fol. 61. b. 3. Nazianzene yow infer thereuppon M. Nowell that men maye note that I haue a good memorie c which notwithstanding had I yow saie enlarged to a fewe wordes going before it had appeared that these wordes being spoken of one god gouerning the whole worlde had bene impertinent to proue that there ought to be one pope to gouerne the whole churche You maye note good readers that M. Nowell hath more Dorman wit then honestie that can cauill at a phrase of speache pleasantly when the matter it selfe he can not reproue trulye For yow saye M. Nowell full clerckely that this place b. 29 is alltogether impertinent to the purpose Yeat in the verye nexte wordes folowing youre shrewde wit put yow in remembraunce that there was a waie how I might bring it to make yeat at the least some shewe to the purpose And therefore you saye Nowe if M. Dorman list to transfer the sentence from God gouerning Nowell b. 29. all the worlde to men ruling in the worlde after this sorte Nazianzene saieth there is one onely God who gouerneth all Ergo there must be one onely pope or heade bishoppe to gouerne all the churche I denie the argument and affirme that it foloweth no more then that there must be one only Emperour to gouerne all the worlde I reason not M. Nowell altogether so barelye as yow Dorman surmise that there is but one God and that therefore there must be but one heade to gouerne the churche The force of my conclusion dependeth vpon the reason why there is but one God which is this where many rule there is sedition This argument of myne I so little repent me of that I will here presse you with one other comming from the same moulde S. Austen labouring to proue the certeintie of one God emongest other reasons vseth this for one Sicut enim in ipsa rerum naturamaior est auctoritas vnius ad vnum omnia Lib. de vera religio cap. 25. redigentis c. For euen as in naturall thinges the auctoritye off one bringing all thinges to one is greater neither hath any multitude in the kinde of man any power but such as consentith that is thinketh one thing so in religion the auctority of them ought to be greater and of more credite who call vs to one Of the place of Gregorie Nazianzene as before I reasoned that as there was but one god in the worlde to auoide confusion so there must be in the churche but one heade for the same cause Euen so from this faing of S. Augustine I reason in lyke maner that as the auctoritye of them is greater in religion who call vs to one God because their opinion maketh moste for the conseruation of vnitye so ought their auctoritye and credite to accounted greatest who call vs in the churche to one heade Now what haue yow to saie against this maner of reasoning M. Nowell Yow denie the argument and saie that it foloweth no more then that there must fo 62. a. 3. be one onely Emperour to
one seuerall churche it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But one seuerall ruler in one seuerall dominion one seueral bishop in one seuerall diocesse doe resemble one God ruling one whole worlde I take you at youre worde M. Nowell that if many magistrates Dorman haue equall rule in one common wealthe it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde But the churche of Christe saye I is but one An argument against M. Nowell vpon his owne graunte christian common wealthe therefore it foloweth by youre owne confessiō that if manie doe equally rule without relation to one head it is like to their fantasie who woulde haue manie equall goddes to rule the worlde One seuerall bishop in one seuerall diocesse dothe not fo 62. b. 4. resemble one God ruling one worlde as you dreame but one chiefe bishop in the catholike churche whiche in your crede you professe to be but one he M. Nowell resembleth trulie one God without anie presumption at all seing goddes pleasure is it shal be so It was no presumption in the apostles to sit still and suffer Christe to washe their Ioan. 3. feete You knowe what Peter had saide vnto him for streining curtosye as he did That you saie it is a thing vnheard of but in the pope of Rome there you made your bargaine somewhat wiselie We graunt the same and adde beside that it were intollerable presumption for anie other to lay claime to that auctoritie And yeat we trust because S. Peter Homil. vlt. in Ioan. was pope and as Chrisostome saieth maister of the whole worlde and thereto out of the compasse of the last nine hundred yeares and had this auctoritie by Christe and not from Phocas you wil be the better for his sake to all the rest Now foloweth youre conclusion VVherefore M. Dorman and D. Harding maie as well saye that Nowell b. 19. the worlde is seditiously gouerned by diuerse Princes as the churche by seuerall bishoppes But as Nazianzene neuer dreamed of one Emperour ouer all the worlde to auoide sedition though he teacheth there is one God no more did he though he teache one Christe yeat euer dreame of one only heade bishop or pope c. I haue oftentimes shewed here before that the regiment Dorman of the churche is farre different from that of the worlde It shal be nedelesse to repeate it here againe Yow can not therefore reason from the one to the other Whereof Nazianzene dreamed I knowe not of this I am suer that to applye by drift of reasoning the sentence of an Auctor to that which he neuer ment or intēded so that to his meaning and intent it be in no wise repugnant or contrarye is not onely no dreame but the vsage also and practise off learned men And therefore in the lawe manye a case is decided by wordes which the lawier neuer dreamed peraduenture that they euer shoulde be so applyed The better and more excellent the Author is the more ample sense maye be gathered in his writinges As in the Scripture especially the infinite variety of commentaries doth declare Wherefore I doe the more meruell that you a man traded and brought vp in good lettres and a professour off the same shoulde raue rather waking then talke after suche a sorte in yowre slepe dreaming But I knowe the cause youre parte is here altogether to reproue not to proue as by the title of youre boke you warned vs before He speaketh further in his sleape and sayeth Howe shall we Nowell fol. 63 a. 1. Psalm 86 then saie oure lord loueth Syon aboue al the tabernacles of Iacob What this dothe meane or to what purpose it is I knowe not Nor I beleue M. Dorman when he waketh if euer he wake can tel him selfe I am glad that my name ministreth you so muche Dorman matter of scoffing mirthe and sorie that so excellent inuention shoulde be more then halfe loste for that that the gretest parte of youre ministres thorough lacke off the Latine tongue can not perceiue that swete allusion that is betwene dormire in Latin and Dorman in Englishe But thinke you thus to passe ouer the scripture with a sleepish scoffe Thinketh youre noddis nowlle I might saye M. Nowell if I listed to contende with you in this kinde of eloquence so to delude the worde of God that yow maye call it a dreame and so let it slepe No M. Nowell truthe will ouercome when it shal be with you as it was in the beginning And therefore I repeate againe if the Sinagoge of the Iues had one heade to rule them and the churche more ample and therefore in more daunger of schisme and consequently standing in more nede of one heade haue yeat no suche heade then I saye M. Nowell howe dothe God tendre Syon the churche of Christe aboue the Synagoge of the Iues By Syon is ment therefore in this place the churche which oure Lorde loueth more then the Synagoge as Saint Augustine vpon this place dothe in these wordes well declare Diligit illam spiritualem ciuitatem super In. psalm 86. omnia figurata quibus intimabatur illa ciuitas semper manens He loueth that spirituall citie aboue all the figuratiue thinges by the which that citie which euer shall continue was signified This being therefore true it foloweth that he hathe left to vs aswell one heade to rule vs and directe vs in one vniforme faithe as he gaue to the Synagoge Nowe am I awake M. Nowell yow see and can tell you and haue tolde yow what I meane by these wordes Iff yow coulde as well tell what you meant by that musicall twang of youre harpe you should take out of many mennes heades manie odde crachettes You nede not now to be carefull for Pighius waking or to make any combate with his spirite for the matter who slepeth not excepte you will defende the heresie of them that beleue so of all soules but is in perfect rest I trust or in assured hope to be Howe God hathe prouided better for the churche then for the Synagoge and of the strength of my reason drawen from the Synagoge to the churche The 20. Chapter God hath prouided for the churche you saye as well as he Nowell fol. 63. a. 24. did for the Iues and better too Here you graunte all that I saied and more too But let Dorman vs marcke youre mightie reasoning howe you proue it I praye you For whereas they had but one chiefe bisshop for their whole Nowell nation he hath prouided for the churche in euery diocesse one that they may be the better gouerned and lesse pained to trauaile far for the decision of their doubtes and controuersies To this saye we if God had done no otherwise he had Dorman done lesse for the church then for the Iues. For better it is to haue one heade
run to morowe nexte with the bloude of heretikes as God of his tendre mercie forbid suche hardenes of harte in those that professe them selues to be Christians yeat ought not therefore the cause to be iudged anie whit the better seing that we see the cursed secte of Anabaptistes and haue heard of the wicked Donatistes and knowe beside that the diuell hathe aswell his false witnesses readie to suffer gladlie moste bitter deathe for their conceaued opinions as Christe hathe his true martirs to doe the like for the true catholike faithe Thus muche be saide to M. Nowelles impertinent discourse of copes vestimentes gilted crosses candelstickes c. and to his other idle talcke of the persecution forsothe and martirdome sauing youre reuerences of his deare brethern Nowe at the length he commeth to that whiche he shoulde chiefely haue answered in this place that is of thetrieng of all controuersies by the only scripture To proue that of controuersies rising about the true vnderstandinge of the scripture the scripture it selfe should be the iudge he vseth a similitude wherin he compareth vs to the phariseis and him selfe and his companions to the Apostles And vpon that comparison reasoneth in effecte as foloweth As in the controuersie betwene the Apostles and the Phariseis Nowell fol. 69. a. 1 the question being whether Christe were the true Messias the Apostles affirming the Phariseis denieng if the matter had bene referred to the interpretation and determination of the high prieste and his consistorie we mighte yeat haue loked withe the Iues for Messias to come and as it was no reason that in the controuersie betwene the saide highe priestes and the Apostles whether they had put Christe iustlie or vniustlie to death they shoulde be them selues the iudges who were not onelie accessaries but the principall partes to the murther so must we nowe with the Apostles make the scripture the iudge of oure controuersies and the pope by all reason must be excluded as he that is the sinke of all the abhominations wherewith he that hath but halfe an eye maie see how shamefully the lawe of God is as it was by the Phariseis corrupted Youre similitude M. Nowell halteth and is not able Dorman therefore to go so far as it should For the better declaration whereof it is to be knowen that as sone as Iohn the Baptist Matth. 11. began to preache the Synagoge which had no promise to continue for euer began to languishe and so was at the length weakened that after Christes deathe it came to nothing Christe hauing then established a newe church and made his Apostles the doctours and iudges thereof and Peter the gouernour of all Now see I praye you how this similitude of youres holdeth The Apostles being the true church of Christe referred not their controuersies to the Phariseis which perteined not to the church yea were enemies and persecutours thereof but referred the same to the scriptures and iudged by the scriptures them selues ergo the church of Christe that is nowe maye not be the iudge of controuersies but we must refer the same to the scriptures I denie that consequent M. Nowell You proue it because the Apostles did not referre their controuersies to the high priestes and Phariseis I graunte you for their priestehode and auctoritie was expired When you shal be hable to proue vs Phariseis and your selues the true churche then maie you by this similitude reason that as the Apostles referred not the iudgement of the meaning of the scriptures to the Phariseis which were not the church nor of the church so you will not being the church refer the matter to vs but iudge of the scripture your selues as the Apostles The Apostles being the true churche of Christe iudged of the scriptures did In the meane season as the Apostles alleaged for thē selues the scripture and saied it made for thē wherein they gaue iudgement of the scripture so foloweth it that Christes church which is now the same that was then iudgeth in al controuersies which is the right and true sense Neither can it serue you to saie to the contrarie as you doe sclaunderouslie that the worde of God hauing bene moste shamefully by vs corrupted as he that hath but halfe an eye maie well see it is no reason being parties that we shoulde be iudges therein Seing that thus might the Phariseis haue saide euen of the Apostles them selues and laied to their charges partialitie because they were Christes scholers and disciples and so parties to the cause whiche they mainteined and also for that you haue not as yeat proued nor euer shal be hable to proue that Christes church hath euer erred in the faith or the heade thereof at anie time deliuered to the church any tradition or erroniouse opinion whereby the worde of God hath bene corrupted Which assertion of youres being moste directly against the scriptures bearing witnes so manifestly Math. 14. 16. Ioan. 14. alibi of the continuance of the churche incorrupted so often auouched by you and being the only fundation of this plea of youres that we be the Phariseis and you Christes true Apostles me thinketh you should haue done well once in so often affirming it to haue proued by one sentence of scripture or some approued auctor and not facingly to saye that he that hathe but halfe an eye maie see that it is so or elles till you coulde haue proued it it had bene more for your honestie to haue absteined from suche vnmercifull and vnchristianlike demeanure as you vse towardes bothe the church of Christe and the head thereof Where you saye that I will haue the scripture reiected there you reporte vntrulie of me This I saie that scripture not thorough anie imperfection or insufficiencie that is in it but onelie by occasiō of stubborne wrangling and contentiouse natures who neuer will giue ouer the opinion that they haue once conceiued euerie one being at apoint to receiue no other interpretation thereof thē to them shal seme good is not hable to ende and determine al cōtrouersies moued vpō the lettre thereof and that therfore euen as in the lawes of the realme whiche were to decide all controuersies sufficient so that the lawe being broughte euerie man woulde furthewithe yealde to it because they will not there be iudges by the prince appointed to cut of all altercations and to preserue the realme in quiet who when the councellours bothe of the one parte and the other haue contentiouslie disputed the matter eache of them affirming that the lawe is on his side shall by opening the meaning thereof ende the strife So is it not to be thought but that God forseing the innumerable sectes of heretikes that shoulde trouble his churche of whome there shoulde be no one no not of them that directlie blush not to teache Suencfeldius that there ought to be no scripture at all that woulde not colourablie defende the same by scripture it is not I saie to be
that euery one of them had he saide licence to vse the iudgement of his libertie and power Which worde pro licentia M. Nowel mangleth S. Cipriā yow guilefully lefte oute of youre translation showing youre selfe thereby to be no simple translatour but a crafty falsefier Now if they had licence in that councell of theirs euery man to saie frelye his minde if S. Cyprian saide that notwithstanding he was their archebishop and bishop off them all yeat for the present time he did renounce that auctoritie as in this sense his wordes are to be taken what maketh that against the auctoritie of the B. of Rome Dothe not the B. of Rome saye asmuch to all his fellow bishoppes in all general councelles Had not you the same offer made vnto you in the laste councell of Trent to haue bene quietly harde and no man by tirannie to haue bene compelled In saluo cōductu cōcilij Trident. to the necessitie of obeing If this answere satisfie you not let S. Augustine teache you the true vnderstanding of this place Who expounding August li. 3. ca. 3. cōtra Donat. these wordes of S. Cyprian Seing euery bishop hath according to the licence c. against the Donatistes writeth thus Opinor vtique in his quaestionibus quae nondum eliquatissima perspectione S. Cypriā expoūded by S. Austen discussae sunt Nouerat enim quantam sacramenti profunditatem tunc omnis ecclesia varia disputatione versabat liberum que faciebat quaerendi arbitrium vt examinata veritas panderetur I thinke verilie that is to saie that S. Cyprian meaneth in those questions which be not yeat by manifest examination discussed For he knewe what a depe misterie it was that was then tossed in the whole churche with ambiguouse disputations and made it free for euery one to searche and enquire that the truthe being examined might be reuealed Thus you see M. Nowell that youre falsehoode in leauing out in youre translation the worde pro licentia wil not helpe you S. Augustine by this worde liberum faciebat VVherein one bisshop cannot be iudged of another he gaue them licence expounding the meaning of S. Ciprian and telling vs beside that this place of bishoppes libertie whereby euerie one maye thinke what he will and can be iudged of no other is while thinges be not decided but remaine in doubte And therefore if you haue no other doctours or councelles to present to the pope but these yow did like a wise man to tarie at home That you saie that neither the texte of the scriptures nor the fol. 27. b. 7. interpretation of doctours nor iudgementes of councelles can haue any credite against the pope and bring Pighius to proue it that is a manifest lye For when Pighius saieth that for the A lye 22. moste parte there is nothing done in generall councelles but that the bishoppes comming together giue their consent to that which the Apostolike See decreed before he saieth not that it is so allwaies that it can be no otherwise As though the time of deliberation during the Apostolike See vpon the reasons of the councell might not be moued to decree that which otherwise it hath not determined he saieth not that against the pope neither the texte of the scriptures nor the interpretation of doctours nor iudgementes of councelles b. 24. can haue any credite And therefore moste impudently againe I tell yow yow haue belyed Pighius The councell is no councell if it lacke the auctoritie of the heade No generall councell without a head the B. of Rome And therefore you haue Pighius at no such aduantage because he saieth that the onely iudgement of the See of Rome is more sure then the iudgement of an vniuersall councell of the whole worlde which if it be true VVhy councelles be called then were it you saye for bishoppes to come to councelles a vaine thing Not so M. Nowell For although before God and with good men the iudgement arrested vpon by the see of Rome be certeinly true and can not deceiue yeat because men ignorant in the scriptures and lawes of the churche some of thē sometimes because heretikes for the repressing of whome councelles be most cōmonly called for the moste parte be not thus persuaded the pope vseth to communicate with the generall councell concerning decrees to be made The which being with generall consent approued and confirmed by the pope bothe the weake or vnlearned catholike maie be fully persuaded and the stubborne heretike with his owne weightes quite ouer weighed while bothe to the one and the other suche vniforme consent can not but argue the merueilouse grace and assistence off the holie gost An other cause maie be for that the pope by this meanes will be certified by the bishoppes off euery countrie what circumstances what maners of people in eache place maie require the decrees according to the nature of diuerse diseases to be losed slacker or streined harder For although he be so priuileaged that in making lawes for the churche he can not erre yeat hath he not the spirit of prophecie to knowe being absent all the offenses and imperfections in the churche Beside this where as otherwise it might euer be doubted whether the pope made any suche decrees or no in places farre distant from Rome hereby all suche occasion is taken awaie the bishoppes off euery countrie being present who be able to make faithe hereof to their subiectes Last of all this calling together of councelles is not in vaine while Christian princes being present and hearing all thinges debated promise the rather their assistance for the execution of suche thinges as shal be concluded And thus is this pelting obiection of youres answered Now to the next Pighius yow saye teacheth that to the see of Rome the ordering Nowell fo 28. a. 7. defining and determining of all questions and controuersies is giuen by Christe c. And the same dothe M. Dorman to teache in the 62. leafe b. out off pope Innocentius epistle That which I haue there affirmed I haue by the auctoritie Dorman not of Innocentius alone which yeat to anie reasonable Apud August epist. 90. 91. 92 93. man might seme inough considering that they were no babes to whome he wrote but euen by the auctoritie also of those fathers of the two councelles of Carthage and Mileuite especially of S. Austen expressely affirming that he answered them to all their questions euen as was right and for the bishop of the apostolicall See mete sufficiently proued Answere yow to it when yow shall be hable In the meane season it is true that I saide that the auctoritie of the B. of Rome is the fundation of all true religion the comfort and staye of the catholikes c. Against the whiche fewe wordes couched in lesse roome then fiue lynes yow haue not in fower leaues and more brought truly so muche as one worde but in the whole
the lacke of his visible presence by appointing as in well one in his steede to the behooffe of the whole churche as of particuler churches For this one heade lest any man might cauill that he might erre and drawe all after Lucae 22. him Christ him selfe prayed saieng in the gospell to Peter whome he left in his place to be that heade I haue praied for the that thy faithe maye not faile We may not doubte therfore but that he obteined his petition We haue no cause to doubte considering that hetherto all other apostolicall seates and moste famouse churches of the worlde as Antioche Alexandria Hierusalem Constantinople hauing perniciously erred in the faithe and being quite ouerthrowen this onley seate of the chiefe heade of Christes churche the churche of Rome I meane against so manie wicked Emperours openly assaulting it so many De vtilit credendi ad Hoaorat Cap. 17. subtile heretikes craftily vndermining it and barcking rounde about it as S. Austen saieth so manie meanes inuented to bring it to defende euill and perniciouse doctrine hathe in all these difficulties continued allwaies and by goddes grace euer shall continue pure and vnspotted Beside this to stoppe all youre starting holes at once nowe for hereafter yow can not saye that by this reason of mine whereby I go about vpon the necessitie of one heade in euerie diocesse to proue the like ouer the whole churche it shoulde folowe aswell that there ought to be ouer all the kingdomes of the worlde one chiefe king or emperour because as I saide once before all the kingdomes in the worlde meete not together by goddes ordinaunce in one kingdome as all the churches doe in one churche Which if they did off necessitie they shoulde being one bodye haue one heade And therfore in this case I Lib. de vnitate eccles Cap. 12 maie saye with S. Austen Nèque enim quia in orbem terarrum plerunque regna diuiduntur ideo Christiana vnitas diuiditur Neither because kingdomes for the moste parte be diuided through the worlde therefore is Christian vnitie diuided also And yeat this is the thing that M. Nowell laboureth to bring to passe that because there be many kingdomes and consequently many kinges there shoulde be many churches and so many rulers of the churche or goddes apointment of gouerning the worlde by many kinges made frustrate and so no mo kingdomes then there be churches Thus I haue showed yow M. Nowell howe this place of S. Cyprian maketh for my purpose referring those wordes Neque vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex c. Neither that there is one prieste and one iudge acknowledged in the churche in the steede of Christe for the time to the proufe of the necessitie of one heade ouer the whole churche by an ineuitable consequent taken from S. Cyprians wordes not as directly ment of the pope as you laboure to make men beleue spending manie wordes here in vaine to proue that these wordes shoulde be spoken of S. Cyprian him selfe To all the which long processe of youres I will then make answere when I shall vse the place to suche purpose as you imagine I doe Although this I will aduertise you of by the way that the case is not altogether so clere as you take it to be that this place of S. Cyprian is only to be taken as spoken of him selfe and not of Cornelius as to him that shall considre that no particuler bishop is able to staye schismes so conueniently whereas the bishoppes of diuerse prouinces be of equall auctoritie as that one bishop that hathe auctoritie ouer the whole nombre of bishoppes it can not but be manifest And yeat maie euerie man see in this place that the one bishopp of whome S. Cyprian speaketh should be suche as being obeied there shoulde be no schismes in Christes church Which can be vnderstande of no one particuler bishop but of some such one as because his auctoritie is vniuersal it will folowe that the obeing of him shall procure to the whole churche to the colleage of priestes quietnes and vnitie Againe when S. Cyprian handling of purpose this argument of the vnitie off the church telleth vs how the the diuel haleth men to heresies and schismes because they go not to the beginning of the truthe seeke not out the heade obserue not the heauenly maisters teaching and addeth immediatly that our lorde saide to Peter Thow arte Peter c. as though he woulde teache * Not as M. Iuell iuglgeth with this place in 3. his printed sermoÌ„ vs therby Matth. 18. to come to the beginning of the truthe to finde out the heade to kepe the teaching of Christ that he disposed by his auctoritie that vnitie shoulde begin of one Last of all that he holdeth not the faithe that holdeth not the vnitie of this churche that began of Petre ought not these wordes vttred to teache vs to auoide schismes be a rule to directe vs to S. Cyprians meaning in this place where he saieth that heresies and schismes rise because one iudge in the church in the stede of Christe is not obeied But leauing the defence of this interpretation to those that haue so alleaged and vnderstode the place who are able it is not to be doubted to giue good reason of their doinges I will procede to that which foloweth Concerning the Apologie wherewith I founde faulte for saing that Christe in the gouernement of his churche â—ol 38. b. 7 vseth not the ministerye off anye one generall heade c which you labour here to defende I saie that it hathe not onely committed this faulte in denieng this maner off gouernement in Christes churche the contrarie whereof S. Cyprians wordes by a necessary consequent importe but is blasphemouse also against Christe whose ordonaunce it is to haue one heade to gouerne in his steade the churche by affirming so peremptorily that it is not possible for anye man alone to be hable to susteine that office To the which two if I shoulde adde this beside that it was moste foolishely vttred first of the Apologie and nowe moste impudently defended by yow it might perhappes moue Not impossible for one man alone to gouerne the churche vnder Christe youre cholere a litle but yeat M. Nowell it is true For what man that had but a cromme of witt in his heade woulde call that a thing impossible to be done which him selfe for the space of 900. yeares can not denie to haue bene done Denye if you can that thus manie yeares the whole worlde hathe not in spirituall matters obeyed one heade the B. of Rome I presse you not nowe with the first six hundred yeares before in the which the ecclesiasticall histories and writinges of the fathers make moste euident mention that this auctoritie of one generall heade was thorough out the whole worlde acknowledged of all men To this one heade appellations were made from all partes of
the worlde This one heade executed the censures of the churche vpon See M. Doctor Hardinges booke the seconde edition fol. 111. b. malefactours and transgressours of the ecclesiasticall canons confirmed the ordinations and elections off bishoppes approued or disalowed councelles restored bishoppes wrongfully condemned and depriued receiued into the church such as had erred and gone a straie and all this thorough out the whole worlde But with all this I saye I will not presse you because youre Apologie and you be it neuer so easy to be proued will yeat for your honour sake perhappes denie it Only this I aske of yow how yow be not ashamed to saie that it is impossible for one man to gouerne the whole churche seing by youre owne confession for 900. yeares it hathe bene so If yow will saie that the churche hathe bene euill gouerned these latter 900. yeares allthough that yow coulde right well proue as you shal neuer be hable what maketh that for this assertion off youres that one man can not possybly gouerne the whole churche conteining to vse yowre owne wordes so manie nations so diuerse Languages and natures of men Howe proueth it that one generall heade can not so ouersee his charge that he shall be able to kepe all churches from schismes and troubles and pacifie them when they are risen If one man alone coulde for the space of 900. yeares so rule all churches dispersed thorough out all the worlde that he Note was able to plant emongest so manie nations so diuerse languages and natures of men one naughty and corrupte faithe as yow saie might not the same or maye not an other with as muche facilitie haue planted or plant if it were to be planted a truthe thorough out the whole worlde If the churche haue bene so gouerned during this terme of 900. yeares that all the affaires of the churche haue by one heade bene so ordered that no membre hath had iust cause to complaine that all membres haue agreed in perfecte quietnesse one with an other and all with their heade as youre selfe hereafter confesse allthough yow labour to qualifye the matter in this wise In deede we must nedes confesse a truthe M. Nowels confession cōcerning the quiet agrement vnder the gouernement off the Pope fol. 56. b. 25. that whilest we all remained vnder the quiet obedience off youre Romishe heade in doctrine of his traditiōs there was a coloured hinde of quietnesse concorde and loue emongest all the membres of that heade the subiectes of that one gouernour and ruler and specially emongest the cleargie of that one churche if I saye by youre confession there was suche a quiete agreing thorough out all the worlde in false doctrine will you still abide by it that the same one heade that gouerned in this peasable maner all the worlde whome he fedde with euill doctrine might not haue gouerned them as quietly if he had deliuerd to them sounde and wholesome doctrine Or will you saye that God can doe lesse in procuring good thinges then the diuell in promoting euill that God can make one man hable alone to gouerne all the worlde without schismes or to appease them being moued as great as it is in euill gouernement but not in good If you will not saye thus you must nedes saie that it is nothing impossible for one man assisted by goddes grace to gouerne the churche of the whole worlde were it greater then it is and so to confesse with all that the Apologie in saing the contrary and yow in defending the Apologie haue bothe off yow falsely blasphemously and foolishely erred As for the reason whereunto the Apologie and yow leane that as God hathe giuen to no one king to be aboue all so to no one bishop to rule the whole churche that is as I tolde you before to appoint God because he hathe made manie kingdomes to make many heades of the churche which is but one and so consequently to multiply religions and make many faithes But because you repeate verie often this comparison and thinke it so absurde that there shoulde be any more one heade ouer the whole churche thē one chiefe king aboue all the kingdomes in the worlde I will here proue that within the first six hundred yeares it was taken for no absurditie There is no man I thinke that hathe bestowed anie time in the ecclesiasticall histories ignorant what a doe Theodora the Empresse wife to Iustinian the Emperour made to haue Siluerius the pope depriue Menna the good archebishop of Constantinople and to restore Anthimius the heretike laufully before by Agapetus the pope depriued To the which wicked attempt when by no meanes the good pope coulde be brought to consent false accusations were brought in against him and so he was by tirannie remoued and cōstreined to flee to a towne called Patara of the prouince of Lycia Whither the emperour Liberatus in Breuiario cap. 22. on a time comming the bishopp there as Liberatus the Archedeacon of Carthage writeth complaining to him and calling to witnesse the iust and terrible iudgemēt of God for the vniust expulsion of the bishop of so greate a seate addeth at the last these wordes Multos esse in hoc Many Kinges to gouerne the worlde one pope to gouerne the churche mundo reges non esse vnum sicut ille papa est super ecclesiam mundi totius a sua sede expulsus that there are manie kinges in this worlde and that there is no one only kinge as that pope is ouer all the whole churche of the worlde expelled from his seate Doe you not here see M. Nowell that within the first 600. yeares the whole worlde was gouerned by one heade in spirituall matters without anie necessitie to haue it so gouerned in temporall Woulde this good bishop is it credible being a suter to the Emperour if the churche had not bene gouerned by one heade at that time or if it had bene an absurditie that there shoulde be one chiefe bishop and manie equall kinges haue dasshed the Emperour in the mouthe with suche an absurde and flatte lye Or woulde the Emperour vpon this talcke immediatly haue caused Siluerius to be called backe againe into Italie and not rather haue checked the bishop for abusing him with a lye if he had not acknowledged his wordes to be true Thus muche I trust maye serue to make the indifferent reader vnderstande that I reprehended not the Apologie without iust cause You re railing against me because it is as youre selfe cōfesse fol. 39. a. beside the matter I passe ouer But so can I this by no meanes that yow take it for no reproche yow saye to haue Nowell b. 1. youre congregation secrete scattred and vnknowen to all the worlde because this is common to yow with the primitiue churche of oure Sauiour Christe and his holie Apostles Considre I beseche the good Reader whether these newe Dorman vpstart heretikes of oure age be not brought
disposuit Hoc erant vtique caeteri apostoli quod fuit Petrus pari consortio praediti honoris potestatis SED EXORDIVM AB VNITATE PROFICISCITVR VT ECCLESIA VNA MONSTRETVR That is to saye And although oure Lorde gaue like power to all his apostles after his resurrection and saide As my father sent me so sende I you Take you the holie ghost whose synnes you forgiue they are forgiuen whose sinnes you reteine they are reteined yeat to set furthe vnitie he disposed by his auctoritie the same vnitie to beginne of one That were trulie the other apostles also that Peter was indued with like felowship of honour and power but the beginning commeth from vnitie that the churche maie be declared to be one These be the wordes of S. Ciprian faithfullie alleaged and trulie englished I will now repeate the matter euen from the beginning and doe you good Readers to vnderstande the cause why S. Cypriā mentioneth here at all S. Peter and why he entreth in to this comparison betwene him and the other apostles and then after make you priuey to the misteries of M. Nowelles sleight in alleaging this place which he perhappes thinketh that no man knoweth but him selfe and woulde I dare saie be lothe that anie mo shoulde For the first it is to be vnderstande that not manie lines before this place that I haue nowe in hande S. Cyprian complaining of the fraude and subtilite of oure enemie the diuel saith that now that idolles be euerie where destroied he hath bethought him of a newe waie to deceiue mankinde and that is by heresies and schismes to carie them oute of the churche And this commeth to passe saieth he while men come not to the beginning of truthe the heade is not sought out neither the doctrine off oure heauenly maister kepte which thinges if a man woulde considre and examine there woulde nede no long discourse nor greate argumentes The truthe hath made the way to proue the faithe easy Oure Lorde saieth to Peter and vpon this rocke will I builde Math. 18. my churche c. And after his resurrection he saieth to him feede my shepe And although after his resurrection he gaue all his apostles like power and so furthe as I rehersed before After all this he addeth Hanc ecclesiae vnitatem qui non tenet tenere se fidem credit This vnitie of the churche he that holdeth not thinketh he that he holdeth the faith Thus farre S. Cipriā The occasion you see that moued him to mention Peter Note and to compare him with the other apostles was because to auoide schismes we must he said seke out vnitie by the scripture where we shoulde finde that our lord woulde haue his churche to begin of one of him to whome he saide thow art Petre and vpon this rocke will I builde my churche Well then must this be reteined as a truthe in the meane season if we will be within the vnitie of the churche we must kepe vs in that churche which beginning and springing out of one roote or flowing out of one heade founteine for these be also in this place S. Cyprians similitudes is one Now let vs applye the place as it is alleaged by you M. Nowell and see whether you haue vsed S. Cyprian wel or no. You alleage the place to proue such an equalitie emongest th' apostles as that there should be no difference emongest thē and so ouerthrowe all S. Cyprians drift whereby he woulde proue the churche to be one because it taketh beginninge of one For if they be all equall and no difference betwene them then either the churche hathe no one beginning or 12. beginninges If no one beginning howe can the vnitie procede of that which is not if 12 how can the churche be therefore one because as S. Cyprian saieth the vnitie thereof beginneth of one or what beginning call yow that of vnitie that commeth from suche an equall multiplicitie If therefore it be builded vpon one alone as by S. Cyprian it appeareth that it must then is that one aboue the rest Nowe to haue the churche builded vpon one is thus muche to saye that as in a materiall building there is one foundation whereupon all the rest thereof stone tymbre Iron and what so euer elles leaneth so there is in the churche one to whome after Christe the great rocke and firste grounde all the rest that be membres thereof muste as it were leane he him selfe bearing the burdē of the whole building Is not this to be the chiefe stone in Gods building If you shoulde here perhappes wrangle and saye that although it appeare by this place that Christe disposed the beginning of vnitie to procede from one and from Peter toe that yeat here is no mention that the churche shoulde be builded vpon him notwistanding that Christe speaking off Peter saide he woulde builde it vpon that rocke then I remit you for the proufe that S. Cipriāmeaneth so here to those places of his lib. 1. epist 3. epist 8. 12. lib. 4. epist 9. lib. de habit Virgin lib. de bono pati epist ad I ubaianum And last of all to the epistle ad Quintum where he hath in expresse wordes against this equalitie that you dreame of Petrus quem Dominus primum elegit super quē aedificauit ecclesiā suam Peter whome oure Lord chose to be the chiefe and vpon whom he builded his churche This because yow sawe M. Nowell M. Nowell shamefully misuseth S. Cypriā that the verie wordes of S. Cyprian in this place did purport and that alleaged wholly they were to vnequall to serue your fantasied equalitie you first hewed of this knot Et quamuis and although Then you shaued cleane awaye tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret yeat that he might make vnitie manifest vnto this place Hoc erant vtique And yeat that sentence escaped not youre fingers for the last parte thereof Sed exordium but the beginning procedeth from vnitie you pared cleane awaye First the worde Quamuis althoughe is of suche a nature that where so euer it be put it is a messenger that signifieth some diuersitie like to followe as when S. Cyprian saide here although the Apostles were equall that which foloweth yeat he disposed the beginning off vnitie to begin of one argueth in that point some inequalitye Againe the wordes that folowe tamen vt vnitatem manifestaret yeat that he might make vnitie knowen and vt ecclesia vna monstretur that the churche may be shewed to be one These you passed ouer because in them lyeth the very cause why oure Sauioure hath appointed one to be aboue the rest for vnities sake because otherwise it coulde not haue bene chosen but so manie rulers so manie faithes and then where had vnitie bene Beside this the worde ab vno incipientem beginning of one lefte also quite oute ouerthroweth that false proposition of youres that to vnite the churche and make it one in earthe
that translated a. 24. S. Hierom falsefied by adding the word dignitie whiche is not in him the Apologie hath preeminence whiche maketh me to thinke that you borowed this patche of her as liking better to be a folower of her falsehoode then of his simplicitie that translating Caluins institutions translated the place truly Nowe for further answere to this place of S. Hierome it is to be vnderstande that he speaketh here of the custome which was in Rome that at the testimonie off deacons priestes were promoted to ordres The whiche when he saieth he speaketh not of the B. of Rome him selfe and his auctoritie but of the vse and custome of that one citie Nowe is this a thing moste certeine that neither dothe the pope requier nor euer did that all churches shoulde folowe the priuate customes of his churche And therefore saieth S. Hierome that the custome of the citie of Rome is not the custome of the worlde Yea in suche a case if the custome came to be tried the pope him selfe woulde saie Si auctoritas quaeritur orbis est maior vrbe If you seke to mainteine this custome by auctoritie the worlde is greater then is a citie Againe where as you woulde persuade men that all bishoppes be equall because S. Hierome saieth that they be of equall merite and priesthode So were the Apostles toe yeat was one aboue the reste for all that as Hierome him selfe confesseth calling Peter the heade appointed by Christe You haue hearde good readers and I trust in parte vnderstode what shamefull shiftes M. Nowell hathe made howe busilie the man hathe bestirred him selfe with false additions wrong translations hacking hewing and dismembring of sentences howe he hath spared no vilanouse wordes or impudent lies to deface this vertuouse and learned father Leo. To shewe him selfe no changling he concludeth with a conclusion lyke to his premisses that he thinketh that fier and water are not of a more contrarie nature then are S. Nowell a. 31. b. 13. Cyprian and S. Hierome contrarie to this epistle alleaged as Leo the popes epistle beside S. Augustine and 200. and mo bishoppes agreing with them against this Leo. He repeteth againe his exceptions that Leo in his owne cause is to be suspected that it is to be doubted whether it be Leo his epistle in dede or an others vnder his name that the wordes of his testimonie be eather manifestly falsefied or at the least in diuerse copies not onelye diuerse but cleane contrarie And here his tendre harte coulde not suffer him anie longer to refreine him selfe but needes he fol. 52. a. 2. must burst oute and lament as it were the case off the pope and poperie that is brought nowe to suche miserie as that being forsaken of all men almoste learned and graue it coulde finde no other patrones but suche as I am Allthoughe for that he confesseth that all suche as are godly and loue the truthe haue cause to thanke almightie God Howe contrarie Leo is to S. Cyprian and S. Hierome Dorman let the learned iudge how S. Augustine and the other bisshoppes make for you the next chapitre because it dependeth vpon the historie of Zozimus shall make euident To the being witnes in his owne cawse to the doubte of the worcke whether it be Leo his or no hathe bene answered before Allthough to certifie yow further in the last point albeit reason woulde yow shoulde haue showed some better cause of youre doubte then yow haue lest by that meanes euerie auctoritie brought against yow maie be called in to controuersie if it please yow to doubte therof I doe note to yow here in the margent other places out of the same Sermon 1. 2. 3. In die Aniuers assumpt suae ad Pontificat Leo his worckes no epistles but certeine sermons of his where yow shall finde that Peter into whose place he saieth that he vnworthily succeded had the same right ouer the vniuersall churche that here in this epistle he chalengeth For the wordes that they be not falsified in this epistle I alleaged before a copie printed at Coleine which readeth as I doe But then you saie that the wordes be cleane contrarie and so that it is impossible that bothe shoulde be true Nowell B. 22. I am content M. Nowell to yow that yow take the Dorman place of Leo how yow will and reade either as some copies haue without non or as other haue with non and when yow haue done all shall come to one sense For allthough non being but a little sillable be notwithstanding of greate importaunce generallie yeat here by reason of the worde ordo which is ambiguouse and signifieth either a corporation and bodie as we vse to saie the honorable knightes off the ordre or proportiō in aray as when the herauld telleth euerie Lord what ordre he shall kepe in their solēne processions or other assemblies where this word is taken in an other significatiō and also of the word dignitas which being in like manner ambiguouse signifieth either the dignitie of the state of bishoppes or superioritie in that state it maketh no diuersitie at all When we reade thus Quibus etsi dignitas non sit communisest tamen ordo generalis To whome all though there be not one dignitie common yeat is there one ordre generall we vnderstande by this worde order the whole order of bishoppes emongest whome allthough there be diuersitie of dignities yeat because bishoppes archebishoppes primates patriarches popes be all bishoppes we saie that that order of being bishop is common to them all Likewise in this reading we take dignitas for superioritie in that ordre As contrariewise in the other reading Quibus etsi dignitas sit communis non est tamen ordo generalis we vnderstand that dignitas dothe signifie that whiche ordo did before and ordo signifieth that which dignitas did that is superioritie and preeminence in that vocation We were not blinde you see M. Nowell and I trust will beare vs witnes I thinke we sawe more then yow woulde we shoulde haue done As for my parte by whose taking this cawse in hande yow iudge that the matter shoulde be brought to greate extremitie I confesse God is my witnes that had I knowen that he had minded to haue written therein who dyd that I thinke I shoulde neuer haue taken pen in hande to haue written nor when I had done and ended my laboure and knewe howe muche how learnedlye had bene sayde for the defence thereof should euer haue suffered the same to goe in to the knowleadge off men had I not folowed the iudgement off my betters therein To which good meaning of myne at the firste and readie obedience to my superiours at the last seing that it hath pleased almightie God to giue suche successe as that M. Nowell hauing vttred all his eloquence and spent all his other store in awnswering of 143. leaues to onelye 15. hathe not yeat answered trulye
we of England be neuer the nearer for oure lot being to be still vnder the bishop of Rome all youre laboure were lost And againe one chiefe rule of youres ouerthrowen that all bishoppes be equall Which I desire the learned reader to note diligētly Because yow kepte before M. Nowell suche a stirre to haue all bisshoppes M. Nowell cast in his owne tune equall Whereas euen this verye councell that youre selfe bring by making only three of all the world equall if that were the meaning of the councell do the euidently ouerthrowe you Wel whether be liker of these two senses to be the sense and meaning of the councell I will leaue to the indifferent and learned to iudge who I doubte not when they shall easelie perceiue that the councell attributed so much to the auctoritie of the B. of Rome that his custome was alleaged to proue the iurisdiction of the B. of Alexandria to be as a directiō not onelie for that but also for the conseruing of the priuileges to other churches thorougheout Antiochia and other prouinces he will with as like facilitie espie how this sixt and seuenth canon doe not onelie not disagree with that alleaged by Zozimus but also peaseably agreing together the one confirme the other Thus muche touching these canons that you woulde so faine haue made cōtrarie without shewing the pointes wherein the patriarkes shoulde be equal with the B. of Rome to the other alleaged by Athanasius and after him by Zozimus Hauing allreadie sufficientlie declared that Zozimus is not guiltie of the crime laide to his charge I wil adde this as for a more confirmation that Zozimus if there had bene No cause way Zozimus shoulde forge a canon no suche canon in the councell of Nice had yeat no cause to forge one which he was not so simple but he wel knewe woulde not if he did long be vnespied and then the shame woulde light vpon him seing that he had for him the councell of Sardica not long after that of Nice for Osius the B. of Corduba in Spaine was present at them bothe nor of muche lesse auctoritie neither as in the which were 300. bishoppes not of one prouince but gathered together out of all the worlde out of Rome Spaine Fraunce Italie Campania Calabria Aphrica Sardinia Panonia Misia Dacia Dardania an other Dacia Macedonia Thessalia Achaia Epiros Thracia Rhodope Asia Caria Bithinia Helespontus Phrigia Pisidia Capadocia Pōtus Cilicia Phrygia againe Pamphilia Lidia the Ilandes called Cyclades Aegipt Thebais Libia Galatia Palestina and Arabia Seing I saye that he had for his purpose the canons namelie the fourthe and seuenth of so generall a councell as this was in which were also the bishoppes of Africa them selues whome he might haue obiected 300. if you goe to nombring Athanasius that strong piller of Christes churche being one of them against 217 witnesses all if I would reason as you doe in their owne cause I am not ignorant that Caluin being not so impudent as you saieth that Zozimus alleaged this decree of Sardica as a decree of the councell of Nice But as you in that point more wily thē he saw that he Distitut li. 4. cap. 7. Sect. 9. coulde neuer be hable to proue that so perceiued you also that he had farre ouershot him selfe in making of the councell holden at Sardica anie mention at all and therfore you thought it wisedome slyly to slippe it ouer and to inuolue it vtterly in silence lest thereby you might giue occasion to some to searche that councell that otherwise woulde neuer haue thought of it It foloweth And the saide 217. bishoppes made a decree in that African Nowell Fol. 47. a 15. Concil African cap. 105. councell that no sailing ouer the sea with controuersies nor appellations to the B. of Rome nor sending of his legates Laterall in to their countries as iudges shoulde be vsed according as by the epistle of the saide whole councell sent to pope Celestin it appeareth Beholde good Reader a moste impudent man who is Dorman not ashamed to name an epistle for the proufe of that whiche is not there Reade ouer the epistle here mentioned if there appeare to be anie suche decre made there as he saieth there is neuer let me be credite more The bishoppes of Africa in those lettres of theirs desire Bonifacius the Pope in this wise Vt deinceps ad aures vestras hinc veniētes non facilius admittatis that you will not hereafter ouer easely admit to be hearde suche as come to you from vs. Againe they applie the canon of the councell of Nice forbidding to receiue Can. 5. to communion suche as be excommunicat of other to this that the pope receiue not suche vel festinatò vel praepropere vel indebite either with to much haste or to rashly or not duly they desire hys holinesse to repell improba refugia wicked refuges Finally they praie him to call home his legate from thēce with these wordes probitate ac moderatione tuae sanctitatis salua the goodnes and moderatiō of youre holynesse excepted Where be nowe the wordes M. Nowell that yow grounde youre decree vpon Dothe not the contrarye rather appeare by this epistle that he might receiue suche appeales but not commonly and rashely not but vpō greate aduise Otherwise to what end were those wordes of not receiuing complaintes facilius to lightly or these praepropere indebite c. to rashely vniustly Why sayde they not rather boldely and freely oure auctoritie is as greate as youres Why inuade you other mennes iurisdiction Why vsurpe you where you haue no right Why bad they him not call home his legate telling him if they had made suche a decree as you saie they had that they had made a lawe emongest them selues that neither they shoulde sue to him nor he sende his legates to them What meaneth all this humble submissiō of theirs but the contrarie to this which you affirme that there was yeat no decree made or if there were which notwithstanding appeareth not by this epistle by this humble demeanure of theirs towardes the pope to moue him the rather to beare with and to confirme their doinges But there appeareth no suche decree to be made emongest them by the epistle here alleaged Excepte of that particuler narration of theirs of the incommodiouse calling of witnesses to Rome by sea of that they founde not they saide ordeined by anie councell of fathers that his holinesse I will vse their owne wordes shoulde sende anielegates laterall thither all the which was written to moue the pope as is maie seeme to consent to their petition excepte I saie of this particuler narration youre witte will serue you to make a generall decree Which is like enough to be youre meaning by the wise reason that foloweth taken from the superscription of the lettres sent to Celestinus Belike you remembred the maxime of the lawiers that those thinges which helpe not alone maye yeat gathered
quod iudicio iungit laude non diuidit That is to saie Let these wranglers knowe that they obiect superfluously that there is no speciall nor seuerall testimonie giuen to these bookes the rule and doctrine whereof is praised in all bookes * Note For the Apostolicall See alloweth with those bookes that it knewe before those that differ not from theÌ„ and those which it ioyneth together in iudgement it seperateth not in praise Nowe to conclude M. Nowell are you no otherwise a schismatike thinke yow then S. Augustine and Prosper I woulde to God ye were not Then woulde you acknowledge with S. Augustine a preeminence in the B. of Rome aboue other bishoppes the seate of Rome to be suche as hell gates shall not preuaile against it Then woulde you submit to the pope your doinges to be alowed as bothe S. Augustine and the whole councell of Afrike did then woulde you extende the iurisdiction of that See to England Scotland Fraunce and to the Easte churches Then woulde you confesse that the B. of Rome for the time being is the mouthe to speake to all the worlde and beareth the sworde of Peter to cut of wicked men to helpe and arme the good For all these thinges doe S. Austen as hathe bene declared and Prosper acknowledge Whereby appeareth howe shamefully you haue sclaundered them with the maintenauÌ„ce of your schismaticall and erroniouse opinions concerning the See of Rome To S. Augustine Orosius and Prosper you ioyne the patriarkes of Alexandria and Constantinople Cirillus and Atticus But why them I praie you M. Nowell Because in those canons that they sent there was no mentioÌ„ of that which the B. of Rome alleaged I graunte you for they were burned by the Arrians as by the reporte of Athanasius yowe hearde before And must they nedes be schismatikes with yowe because the Arrians burned the true copies of the councell of Nice and they sent suche as they had Howe holdeth that argument I praie yow Well yow thought euerie thing woulde helpe and therefore yow iumbled all together let it speede as it might * The answere to the obiection made of the African councell Nowe to returne to the African councell and to conclude in fewe wordes all that hathe bene or maie hereafter by me be saide therein I first saie that the African councell made no suche decree as yow saie it did nexte that at this time when S. Austen and the other bishoppes of Africa were assembled about the time of Bonifacius the pope the firste the controuersie was not about the vniuersall auctoritie of the B. of Rome but touching the moderation and limiting thereof in certeine causes of appellation The like whereunto as it hathe bene attempted and done in this realme of England in the daies of that noble prince Edward E. 3. anno 25. 27. the thirde by restreining the popes power in conferring of ecclesiasticall promotions and barring the triall of certeine sutes out of the realme without breache of vnitie or renouncing due obedience to that See so was it at the beginning in Afrike although after it brake out in to an open schisme Thirdly I answere that if there had bene suche a decree made as is pretended yeat this considered that it had but the auctoritie of one prouince it ought to giue place to that councell at the which there were present bishoppes not of Africa only who were also there but off all the partes of the worlde beside I meane the councell of Sardica in the third and 7. canon whereof the bishoppes of Africa consenting thereto 300. if you go to nombring M. Nowell for your 217. and chosen men all of purpose to matche with the Arrians agreed vpon this which the Africanes denied to wit that it should be laufull for any bishop condemned to appeale to the bishop of Rome Last of all iff you thinke M. Nowell that it maie be laufull for you to obiect against vs the facte of the Africanes who vpon suche beginning as hathe bene declared came at the last to open rebellion against their laufull heade I doubte not but to all that be learned or wise it will seme as reasonable that we obiect to yow againe the perfecte reconciliation and humble submission of the saide Africanes made after a hundred Epistol Bonifacij 2. ad Eulalium Alexand Tom. 2. Concil yeares wandring a straie after greate plagues by loÌ„gue captiuitie vnder the moste barbarouse and cruell Wandales by Eulalius the Archebishop of Carthage in the name of that whole prouince to Bonifacius then pope the seconde off that name Thus muche touching the African councell It foloweth After this Zozimus his successour Bonifacius the firste Celestine the first with all others allmoste folowing Zozimus steppes and Nowell b. â—4 ambition haue with toothe and naile striuen for this supremacie and for that purpose did sticke still to the falsified Nicene canon and haue likewise falsified other councelles in sundrie places and haue forged a greate many of the epistles nowe abrode in the names of the olde popes Clement Anacletus Euaristus Telesphorus and other their predecessours Suerlye M. Nowell if there had bene that sinceritie in Dorman yow and vprightnes that shoulde be in a diuine yff that grauitie and poise that shoulde be in a writer yff that common honestie that shoulde be in euerie Christian man yow woulde either for the one respect or the other haue so tempered youre stile that there shoulde neuer haue slipped from youre pen into the viewe of the worlde suche cancred and rancorouse slaunders against suche learned and vertuouse fathers so sclendrelie yea by no meanes at all proued Bring furthe the canons therefore that yow saye haue bene falsified name the popes that haue forged these epistles Name them not onelie but proue it otherwise yow wil be taken for a maliciouse Lier Thinke yow that it maye be sufficient for yow to borowe this oute off Caluins Institutions and without anie farder proufe bid Lib. 4. Inst. cap. 8. Sect. 11. all the worlde beleue you Yow be not Caluin M. Nowell nor England is not Geneua God be praised therefore But yow proue it thus Whereas euer those godlye olde fathers euer subiect to persecution Nowell fo 48. a. 3. and deathe neuer thought of anie suche matters neither had lust or leisour to occupie their heades and pennes aboute such ambitiouse matters You are foulie deceauid M. Nowel for the greater the Dorman persecution was the more necessarie must it nedes be to teache that ordre which Christe left in his churche of the necessitie of one heade that so the membres acknowleging the same might be out of the feare of all schismaticall discorde Neither made they so often mention thereof for ambition sake as youre spiders nature sucketh out hauing learned at their Maisters handes before that the greatest emongest them shoulde belike the least Who seeth not that Lucae 22. by suche foolishe collections as
gouerne all the worlde This fonde reason of youres hath bene sufficiently answered The 11. and 12. chap. It is in dede the effect of youre whole answere in this youre Reprouse as yow call it Yeat haue yow not so greate a clercke yow are in youre whole boke brought so muche as one pore sely reason for the confirmation of it But yow as if yow were in the pulpite tanquam auctoritatem habens affirme manie thinges stoutely and wil be beleued at youre worde without reason or proufe at all Where yow saie There is no confusion in the worlde nor disordre Nowell a. 13. for that sundry partes of it haue sundry ciuile gouernours Surelie youre wittes failed yow muche and yow nodded Dorman a little M. Nowell For what wise man seeth not what learned man readeth not of yearelie and almost daily batailes quarelles contentions bloudeshead conspiracies and of infinite suche disordre to be in the worlde at this present and to haue allwaies bene by the reason of sundrie ciuile gouernours Oure Sauiour when it pleased him to take fleshe and redeme man chose that state wherein moste quiete and rest shoulde be that men might so the better attende to the preaching of goddes word which by warres and tumultuouse hurly burlies can not but be hindred He chose to come at that time when but 15. yeares before the whole knowen worlde of Europe Asia and Afrike was vnder the obedience of one Romaine emperour Octauius Augustus In that state the worlde was ruled certeine hundred yeares after vntill the Christian faithe was published and dilated vnto all the partes of the worlde Doe we not reade M. Nowell that the same emperour August bis clausit Ianum as muche to saie had twise in his daies a perfecte Alexander ab Alexandro lib. 1. Gema dier cap. 14. peace thorough out all the partes of the worlde yea thrise as some write Before that state of one vniuersall Emperour was and sence that state hath decaied how manie warres haue bene to the disquieting of all Christendome stirred vp How manie battailes cruelly fought How muche innocent bloude vnmercifully spilt What one yeare in one place of the worlde or other hath not plentifully brought furthe suche fruites as these are Are not all histories full Haue we not daily experience Haue we not hearde of the Turkes warres scarse yeat colde against vs at the Isle off Malta of the late warres in Fraunce and Scotland of allmoste the continuall warres in the daies of Charles the fifthe now with Fraunce nowe against the Mores nowe in Germanie now in Italie it selfe All this is but in one parte of Europa If we had before oure eyes the actes of other countries how muche might be saide thereof And yeat M. Nowell as though all the worlde were shutt vpp in the house where he dwelleth at Poules saieth there is no confusion in the worlde nor disordre for that sundrie partes of the same haue sundrie ciuile gouernours This is I confesse a matter more mete for some practised Counselour to debate then for scholers suche as I am professing no such policie to entreate of It reacheth I wote well beyonde the compasse of my discourse to saie herein but some small parte of that which might be saied Yeat this small note shall I trust be sufficient to instructe the ignorant and hable to moue the learned to farder consideration Yow saie the scriptures declare it to be so appointed by Nowell a. 16. God that sundrie partes of the worlde shoulde haue sundrie ciuile gouernours Eccles 17 So hathe the churche toe sundrie seuerall gouernours Dorman in sundrie seuerall diocesses and yeat one chiefe heade ouer all notwithstanding And therefore that texte might be verified well inough allthough there were one generall Emperour or other ruler ouer all the worlde And suerlie if this place of Ecclesiasticus were so to be vnderstande as that it did forbid the hauing of one generall ruler ouer the whole neuer woulde yowe maie be suer oure Sauiour haue chosen that time to be borne in and that for a speciall liking as al writers agree that he had in that state of gouernement that then was But if it were so that God had appointed the ordre of the worlde to be suche as that there should be of necessitie in euerie particuler countrie a particuler heade and no one ouer the whole which negatiue wordes the scripture hathe not yeat might there be a secrete cause of goddes prouidence why this ordre shoulde be rather in worldly gouernement then in spirituall whiche we be not worthy to knowe Perhappes to be a punishement for sinne this ordre was taken that one off vs might be a whippe and scourge to the other whiche allthough God by his iustice doe to oure bodies thorough battaile and warre punishing them yeat woulde he not of his mercie so punishe by schismes and heresies oure soules You note to the Reader after the Hagiographa in the English The booke of Ecclesiasticus reiected by the protâ—stants alleaged Bibles that this boke of Ecclesiasticus is of the noÌ„bre of theÌ„ that are not to be alleaged for the proufe of doctrine Nowe what double dealing is this I praye you M. Nowell there to reproue it and here to alleage it and grounde a doctrine vpon it neuer hearde of before to witte that of necessitie euerie countrie must haue a seuerall supreme gouernour If you shoulde preache openly this doctrine in pulpite M. Nowell how soone woulde you either proue a traitour your selfe or make other traitours For were it not thinke you a faulte to the crowne of EnglaÌ„d in the nature of high treason to saie that Ireland being a seuerall countrie diuided from England by the maine Ocean ought to haue a seuerall gouernour other then Englishe Were it not treason for youre brethren protestantes of these lowe countries to preache by this texte as you write that because Spaine and Flaundres be farre diuerse and seuerall countries for this cause they ought not to be vnder one heade prince and kinge as they are Therefore if you loue the quiet of the realme and esteme youre dutie to youre souereigne and oures twange no more vpon that stringe I warne you like a frende You prosecute youre fonde argument and saye So is their no disordre that seuerall churches haue seueral bisshoppes to their heades Nowell a. 17. No disordre at all but moste conuenient ordre if those Dorman seuerall bishoppes obeye the one heade placed by Christe ouer them But to make those seuerall bishoppes to rule the seuerall churches without recourse when occasion shall requier to a higher as you doe we saye it is a greate disordre To returne to Nazianzene his saing where is no rule there Nowell a. 27. b. 1. is no ordre where many rule there is sedition you saye that if manie magistrates haue equall auctoritie in one common wealthe or if manie ecclesiasticall persones haue equall auctoritie in