Celestine make S. Cyrill Patriark of Alexandria his Vicar in the East to iudge the cause of Nestorius and appointed him to excommunicate Nestorius if within ten daies after the receipt of the letters from the Apostolicke Sea he did not anathematize his error The authoritie of our Sea said he being added to thee and vsing with power the representation of our place thou shalt execute exactly and seuerelie this sentence to wit that if within ten 〈◊〉 tolde aster signification made to him of this admonition Nestorius 〈◊〉 not his naughtie doctrines c. thy Holynesse prouiding without delaie for that 〈◊〉 shall declare him wholy cutt of from our bodie And Prosper touching the same history Celestine to cut of the Nestorian impietie ayded Cyrill the Bishop of Alexandria most glorious defendor of the faith with the Apostolicke sword And why then when S. Cyrill had receiued the Popes admonition did he send to signifie it to Nestorius and to the Constantinopolitans in these wordes 〈◊〉 are constrained to signifie to him by Synodic all letters that if verie speedily and within the tyme sett downe by the most holy Bishop of the Roman Church Celestine he renounce not his nouelties and anathematize them by writing c. he shall no more haue anie parte amongst the ministers of God And for what cause when Pope 〈◊〉 was come in the age following to Constantinople did the Religious men of Syria pray him to doe the same to Anthimus Archbishop of 〈◊〉 We pray you said they to doe to Anthimus as Celestine did to Nestorius assigning him a 〈◊〉 as Celestine did to Nestorius And why then when the Councell of Ephesus proceeded to the condemnation of Nestorius did they couch it in these termes Constrained necessarily by the 〈◊〉 of the Canons and by the letters of our most holie Father and fellowe minister 〈◊〉 we are come not without manie teares to pronounce this sad sentence against him And why then when the Legates of the Pope were arriued to the same Councell of Ephesus did they thanke the Bishops of the Councell for hauing shewed themselues true and holy members of the Pope We giue thankes said they to this reuerent Synod that the letters of our most holie and hlessed Pope hauing bene recited to you you haue by your holie and religious voyces shewed your-selues holie members to your holie head for your 〈◊〉 is not ignorant that saint Peter was the head of all the faith and of all the Apostles And againe none doubtes for it hath bene notorious in all ages that the holy and most blessed Peter Prince and head of the Apostles pillar of the faith foundation of the Catholicke Church did receiue from our Lord IESVS CHRIST the 〈◊〉 of the heauenly Kingdome and the power to binde and loose sinnes and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and decides causes yet vnto this daie and for all eternitie by his Successors of 〈◊〉 then the holy Successor and ordinarie Vicar and most blessed Pope and Bishop Celestine hath sent vs for him as his Lieutenant to this holie 〈◊〉 And why then when there was a question to passe from the cause of Nestorius to that of Iohn Patriark of Antioch did IVVENALL Bishop of 〈◊〉 say in presence of the whole Councell that the ancient custome and the Apostolicke tradition haue bene that the Church of 〈◊〉 was to be iudged by the Roman It is fitt said hee that the Right 〈◊〉 Bishop of Antioch Iohn honoring this great holy and 〈◊〉 all Councell should haue recourse hither to iustifie himselfe of what is obiected against him and that he should obey and honor the Apostolicke Throne of great Rome sittinge with vs and with the Apostolicke Throne of Ierusalem before which principallie it is accustomed by Apostolicke tradition and practice that the Seate of Antioch is to be ruled and iudged For that we must referr the laste clause of the period of IVVENALL to the Sea of Rome as 〈◊〉 hath done deceauing himselfe with this that the word to obey gouernes the datiue and not considering that the verbe to honor which is there added changeth the Rule it shall be shewed heereafter by seauē necessarie and vndoubted proofes And why then when the Councell proceeded indeede to the cause of IOHN Patriark of Antioch did they reserue the decision to the Pope Being moued writes the Councell to the Pope with the indignitie of the thing we would pronounce against him and the rest the same sentence that he had vnlawfullie pronounced against those which were conuinced of noe crime but to the end to conquerr his rashnesse with meekenesse although he had most iustlie deserued to suffer such a sentence yet we haue reserued him to the iudgement of thy pietie Which afterward the third oecumenicall Councell of Constantinople did imitate in the cause of Macarius Patriark of Antioch as the Emperor Constantine Pogonat reportes in these wordes Macarius Bishop of Antioch and his adherents haue bene deposed by the consent of the whole Councell and remitted to the discretion of the most holie Pope And why then when HILARIE Bishop of Arles vndertooke to ordaine Prelates in the prouince of Vienna without the Popes leaue did the Emperor Valentinian the third make a lawe which afterward the Emperor Theodosius the second inserted into his new constitutions vnder the title of the lawe of Theodosius and Valentinian by which he forbadd that anie inuocatiō should be made in the Church without the Popes licēce Whereas saith the lawe the merit of Peter who is the Prince of the Episcopall societie and the dignitie of the cittie of Rome and the authoritie of the sacred Synod haue soe establisht the primacie of the Apostolicke Sea as presumption should attempt nothing vnlawfull against the authoritie thereof for soe the peace of Churches shall be maintained by all if the vniuersalitie acknowledge her Rector And a little after Wee decree by a perpetuall ordinance that it shall not be lawfull either for the Bishops of the Gaules or those of other prouinces to attempt anie thing against the ancient custome without the authoritie of the Reuerend Pope of the eternall cittie but to them and to all those things shall be lawes which haue bene ordained or shall be ordained by the authoritie of the Apostolicke Sea in such sort as whatsoeuer Bishop being called to the iudgement of the Pope of Rome shall neglect to present himselfe he shall be constrained by the Gouernor of the prouince to appeare For to obiect that Prosper for all this attempt did call HILARIE Bishop of Arles a Saint it had bene somewhat if betweene HILARIES attempt and his death there had bene noe penance interposed but soe farr was HILARIE from persisting in this crime to the end of his daies that he went himselfe to make personall satisfaction to the Pope He vndertooke saith the author of his life reported by Cuias a iourney to ` Rome on foote and entred into the
but a simple Bishopricke subiect itselfe in the first instance to the Archbishop of Cesarea and by appeale to the Patriarck of Antioch and not bearing the title of a Patiarcke but onely as a name of honor to haue place in the Councells after the true Patriarckes but not to exercise Iurisdiction ouer anie other diocesse This appeares both by the Councell of Nicea which perserues the title of honor to the Bishop of Elia that is to the Bishop of Ierusalem alwaies sauing the dignitie of his owne Metropolitan meaning the Archbishop of Cesarea And by saint IEROM who askes John Bishop of Jerusalem why he had recourse to the Sea of Alexandria since the iudge of the Bishop of Jerusalem in the first instance was the Archbishop of Cesarea and in the second hee of Antioch Thou saith hee which searchest out Ecclesiasticall rules and makest vse of the Canons of the Councell of Nicea c. answere me wherein doth Palestina belong to the Bishop of Alexandria it is ordained if I be not deceiued that Cesarea should be metropolitan of Palestina and Antioch of all the East then either thou oughtest to haue referred they cause to the Bishop of Cesarea c. or if there were cause to seeke a iudgement farther thou shouldest rather haue writen to Antioch And a while after but thou hast rather chosen to importune eares alreadie possessed then to yeild due honor to thy Metropolitan And finallie this appeare by the Councell of Chalcedon which assignes to Iuuenall Patriarck of Ierusalem for his first Patriarchall territorie the three Palestina's For that Ierusalem in the Councell of Constantinople was called the mother of all the Churches it was mother in antiquitie and not mother in authoritie And that in the Councell of Ephesus Iuuenall Bishop of Ierusalem saith according to the Latine translation of Rome that the ancient custome and the Apostolicall tradition was that the Church of Antioch was to be directed by the Church of Ierusalem it is a mistaking of the translator of Rome who insteede of saying the Roman as Peltanus hath it hath said the Ierosolomitan For that the laste clause of the period is to haue reference to the Roman Sea as was done by Peltanus and not to that of Ierusalem as the interpreter of Rome hath done abusing himselfe with this that the word to obey gouernes the datiue and not considering that the word to honor which is there added alters the rule is verified by seauen vndoubted profes First it is verified by this that the greeke text shoud also haue no construction there being no verbe within the period to gouerne this accusatiue the throne Apostolicke of great Rome but the verbe to honor It is secondly prooued because alwaies the Bishops of Rome and not those of Ierusalem haue iudged of the Councells of Antioch as it hath bene aboue specified in the cause of Paule Samosatenus and of of saint ATHANASIVS It is thirdlie verified because the nullitie propounded against the Councell of Antioch in saint ATHANASIVS time was grounded not vpon the absence of the Bishop of Jerusalem who yet was no more there then the Bishop of Rome as Socrates notes but vpon the absence of the Pope or his legates It is verified in the fowrth place because the Bishop of Antioch was so farr from being subiect to him of Ierusalem that contrariwise the Bishop of Ierusalem as hath lately bene shewed both by the testimonie of the Councell of Nicea and by that of saint IEROM was subiect in the first instance to the Bishop of Cesarea and by appeale to him of Antioch It is verified in the fifth place because the same Councell of Ephesus and in the presence of the same Iuuenall sent backe the cause of Iohn Patriarcke of Antioch to the Pope It is verified in the sixt place because in the Councell of Chalcedon where Iuuenall was also present the sentence of Anatholius Bishop of Constantinople was that Maximus Bishop of Antioch should remaine for as much as Pope Leo hauing receiued him into his Communion had iudged that he should rule the Church of Antioch And finallie it is verified because in the general Councell of Constantinople against the Monothelites the cause of Macarius Patriarke of Antioch who had bene deposed by the Councell was sent backe not to the Bishop of Ierusalem but to the Pope Macarius and his adherents saith the Emperor Constantine Pogonat haue bene deposed by the consent of the whole Councell and remitted to the discretion of the most 〈◊〉 Pope The same may be also said of the Archbishopricke of Constantinople for as much as although that the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Nectarius had desired to erect it into a Patriarckship neuerthelesse this desire had no place till after the Councell of Chalcedon By meanes whereof the Church did not acknowledge in the tyme of saint AVSTIN anie more then the three Patriarchall Chaires which had bene acknowledged by the Councell of Nicea to witt Rome Alexandria and Antioch For whereas Socrates putts amongst the Patriarchips of the Easterne Empire the primacie of Pontus and that of Asia-minor from whence some inferr that it is an impertinent thing to goe about to restraine the number of the ancient Patriarckes to the onely Seas mentioned by the Canons of the Nicean Councell they shew their owne impertinencie not to see that Socrates there extendes by confusion of language the word Patriarkes to all kinde of Primates and imployes it not vniuocallie and in the same sence whereto we imploy it when we speake of Patriarkes properly taken no more then when Cassiodorus calls the primates and Metropolitans of Italie Patriarcks or when Gregorie of Tours calls Nicetius 〈◊〉 of Lion Patriarcke they intend not to speake of Patriarckes properly and strictly taken but of Patriarckes taken largely and generally Now these things were manifestlie distinct as Cuias hath plainelie noted in these termes the imperiall lawe separates the priuiledges Patriarchall and metropoliticke For not to touch other diuersities which were betweene the Patriarckes speciallie taken that Antiquitie otherwise calls Archbishops and Patriarkes generally taken that is betweene Patriarckes and those that were but simplie Primates and Metropolitans there was this difference betweene them that the Seate of the Patriarckes properly and especiallie taken was fixed and annexed to the dignitie of their Seas and neuer varied for anie respect of anterioritie of posterioritie of promotion In such sorte as Patriarckes properly taken neuer preceded by anie primates or Motropolitans whatsoeuer anterioritie of promotion the simple primates or metropolitans had before them nor amongst the Patriarckes properly taken the third neuer preceded the second whatsoeuer antiquitie of promotion he had aboue him but their Seates were annexed to the order of their Seas and not to that of their promotion Where Patriarckes generally and inproperlie taken that is to saie primates or metropolitans had amongst them
of our Lord. And CAIVS of one tyme with Tertulian If thou wilt gue to the Vaticane or to the waie of Hostia thou shalt finde the trophies that is the Sepulchers of those which haue founded this Church And CLEMENT Alexandrius before him Papias the hearer of S. IOHN Marke being intreated at Roman by the bretheren writt a briefe Ghospell which PETER haueing read approued And ORIGEN PETER was crucified at Rome with his head downewards And saint CYPRIAN The Rome ā Church is the Chaire of PETER and the principall Church from whence proceeded the Sacerdotall vnitie And EVSEBIVS Vnder the Empire of Claudius the prouidence of God brought the great Apostle Saint PETER to Rome And againe the histories beare that PAVL was beheaded and PETER crucified at Rome vnder Nero and the titles of PETER and PAVL preserued to this daie in their sepulchers confirme it And LACTANTIVS PETER and PAVL preached at Rome and their 〈◊〉 remained written for memorie And S. ATHANASIVS though it were declared to PETER and PAVL that they should suffer 〈◊〉 dome at Rome yet they 〈◊〉 not to trauell thither And S. CYRILL of Ierusalem PETER and PAVL presidents of the Church came to Rome And saint EPIPHANIVS At Rome were first Apostles and Bishops PETER and ` PAVL and then Linus and then Cletus and then Clement And saint AMBROSE PETER is our warrant for this custome who hath bene Bishop of the Roman Church And againe Christ haueing answered PETER I goe to Rome to be crucified againe PETER vnderstood that this answere belonged to his Crosse And the Emperors GRATIAN and VALENTINIAN and THEODOSIVS Wee will that all the people ruled by the Empire of our clemencie liue in such Religion as the Religion insinuated hither-to by the diuiue Apostle PETER declareth that he gaue to the Romans And OPTATVS Mileuitanus Thou canst not denie but that thou knowest that in the Cittie of Rome the Episcopall Chaire was first conferred to Peter wherein Peter head of the Apostles sate And saint IEROM Simon PETER Sonne of Jona of the Prouince of Galilee of the Borough of Bethsaida brother to the Apostle Andrew and Prince of the Apostles after the Episcopat of the Church of Antioch and the preaching of the dispersion of those of the Circumcision which had belieued in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and 〈◊〉 came to Rome the second yeare of the Empire of Claudius to ouerthrow Simon Magus and held the Sacerdotall Chaire twentie fiue yeares there And againe Hegesippus affirmes That he came to Rome vnder Anicetus who was tenth Bishop of Rome after PETER And else where Cyprian addressed the Councell of affrica to Steuen Bishop of the Roman Church who was the twentie sixth after the Blessed Peter And RVFFINVS Peter ruled the Roman Church for the space of twentie fower yeares And SVLPITIVS Seuerus The Christiā Religion had then taken roote in the Cittie of Rome Peter being Bishop there And S. CHRISOSTOME What spectacle shall Rome see in the daie of Iudgemeut Paul comeing forth of his graue risen againe with PETER And OROSIVS Nero 〈◊〉 PETER to death by the Crosse and PAVL by the sword And saint AVGVSTIN Wee see the most eminent height of the thrice noble Empire submitting his diadem bend his knee to the supulcher of the fisherman PETER And in an other place I thinke this part of the world ought to suffice thee wherein our Lord would crowne with a most glorious martir dome the first of his Apostles And else where What hath the chaire of the Roman Church done to thee wherein PETER hath bene set and wherein now Anastasius sitts And againe To PETER hath succeeded Linus to Linus Clemēt to Clemēt Anacletus to Anacletus Euaristus Of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea touching the gouernment of the Patriarches CHAPT V. HAuing dispatched the difficulties of the Scripture and of the Fathers cōcerning S. PETERS staie at Antioch Rome there remaines to solue the obiections that the aduersaries of the Church make against what wee haue said of the Popes superioritle ouer the other patriarkes whereof the principall is taken frō one of the Canōs of the coūcell of Nicea which ordaines that the anciēt customes obserued in Egipt Lybia and Pentapolis should goe on to witt that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue the power of all those things because it was also so accustomed to the Bishop of Rome Now the aduersaries of the Church doe more willing lie make vse of the Councell of Nicea in such like cases then of anie other because the actes of the Councell of Nicea which if wee had them might cleere the sence of the Canons of the same Councell are loste that there remaine to vs of the acts of the first fowre generall Councells no more but those of Ephesus and of Chalcedon And therefore wee must supplie what wants in the breuitie and omission of this Canon by conferring it with the acts of the other councells or by the examination of the histories of their ages To this obiection then wee bring two Answeres the first is that it hath alreadie bene aboue shewed in the Chapter of the patriarkes that the pope had two distinct qualities the one of patriarke of the West the other of head of the Church vniuersall as the Prefect of the Cittie Presecture by which the aduersaries of the Church would measure the spirituall Iurisdictiō of the Pope who had 2. distinct qualities the one of pre fect of the Cittie Prefecture in which he was equall to the prefect of the other prouinces the other of head of the senate Vicar of the Emperor in which he was superiour to the prefects of prouinces and iudged by appeale of the cause of all their Iurisdictiōs By meanes whereof although in things that concerned but the patriarchall Iurisdictiō as were the celebratiō of prouinciall or nationall coūcells the correctiōs of māners of the simple priests or deacōs the confirmatiōs either mediate or immediate of the Bishops of the Patriarkship and the subalterne iudgements of the causes euen of Bishops All the other Patriarkes were squared out by the modell and paterne of that of Rome neuerthelesse when there question of things that went beyond the limitts of Patriarchall iurisdiction that is to 〈◊〉 of Maior causes and which conuerned the vniuersall Church as were causes of Faith or generall customes of the Church or those of the finall depositions of Bishops or that of the iudgements euē of the persons of the Patriarkes the Bishop of Rome as head of the Church and superintendent of the other Patriarkes exercised Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction ouer thē and iudged of their iudgements and persons And therefore when the coūcell of Nicea ordained that in Egipt Lybia and Pentapolis the Bishop of Alexandria should remaine in possessiō of the authority he had for all the causes whereof the councell thē spake that is
to saie for the celebration of Prouinciall and nationall Synods for the correctiō of minor and particular causes for the confirmation either mediate or immediate of the Bishops of the same prouinces addeth for as much as this also is accustomed to the Bishop of Rome it is certaine that the intention of the coūcell was not by that to square the Bishop of Alexandria by him of Rome in things that wét beyond the limitts and authoritie of Patriarchall iurisdictiō and concerned the iurisdictiō of the head of the Church and the gouernment of the vniuersall societie but in those things onely that were withim the boūdes and within the facultie of Patriarchall iurisdiction No more then when they measured the power that the other Prefects of the Empire had within the cōpasse of their prouinces by the power that the prefects of the cittie of Rome had within the prouinces of his Prefecture they pretēded not by that that in matters that wen forth by appeale from the other prouinces the cittie Prefecte as head of the Senate and Vicar to the Prince was not Superior to all the others nor that whē in a nationall Councell they square out the power that the Archbishops haue ouer the Bishops of their prouinces to the modell of that which the Primate of the natiōs hath as particular Archbishop ouer the Bishops of his quarter they pretēd not by that that in things which goe beyōd the iurisdictiō of the prouinces regard the generall interest of the natiō the Primat should not be superior to the other Archbishops nor finallie whē in a regiment of men of warre they measure the power that euery particular Captaine hath to commaund his company by the paterne and modell that the Campe-Master of the Regimēt hath ouer his they intend not by that in things which are not in the particular comaund of euerie companie but haue regard to the order the disposition and gouernemēt of the Regiment in generall the Campe-Master should not be superiour to all the other captaines For both before the Councell of Nicea when the Church-men of Alexandria would accuse Dionisius the Patriarke of Alexandria their Bishop who was the first Patriarke of the Church after the Pope they transported themselues saith Athanasius to Rome accused him before Dionisius Bishop of Rome presently after the Councell of Nicea when the councell of Antioch Sea of the third Patriarkeship had bene celebrated it was argued of nullitie because saith SOCRATES the Ecclesiasticall law forbad to rule the Churches whithout the sentence of the Bishop of Rome And when the same Councell of Antioch the other councells of the East had deposed S. ATHANAS Patriarke of Alexandria and Marcellus Primate of Ancyra in Galatia and Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in Palestina a cittie of the Patriarkeship of Antioch The Bishop of Rome saith Sozomene restored them euerie one to his Church because to him for the dignitie of his Sea appertained the care of all things And when the Councell of Sardica within twentie yeare of that of Nicea and holden for the Confirmation of that of Nicea and composed of the like or a greater number of Bishops thē that of Nicea and at which assisted the same Osius Bishop of Corduba the same saint A THANASIVS then Patriarke of Alexandria the same Protogenes Bishop of Sardica which had assisted at that of Nicea proceeded to the direction of ecclesiasticall causes it did not onely authorize the appeales from the Bishops of all the Earth to the Pope but also declared that it was a very good and conuenient thing that from all the Prouinces the Bishops should referre the affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea of the Apostle PETER And whē the Councell of Capua which the third Councell of Carthage calls a generall councell deputed Theophilus Patriarke of Alexandria because of the neighbourhood of his Patriarkship to examine the cause of Flauianus Patriarke of Antioch saint AMBROSE writ to him that after he had iudged it he must get the Pope to confirme his iudgement And when the generall councell of Ephesus passed to the cause of Iohn Patriarke of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop of Ierusalē said that the ancient custome bare that the Church of Antioch was alwaies gouerned by the Roman and the councell in the Bodie of it remitted the iudgement of the Patriarke of Antioch to the Pope And when Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria had in the false Councell of Ephesus condemned and deposed Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople Flauianus appealed frō him to the Pope and that saith the Emperor Valentinian following the custome of the Councells And when the Councell of Chalcedon disanulled the false Councell of Ephesus it was voted by Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople that of all the acts of that councell none should remaine in force except the creation of Maximus Patriarke of Antioch because the Pope hauing receiued him into his cōmunion had iudged that he should gouerne the Church of Antioch whē Theodoret Bishop of Cyre neighbour to Persia and one of the Subiects of the Patriarkship of Antioch who had bene deposed by the same coūcell of Ephesus had frō it appealed to the Pope presented himselfe at the coūcell of Chalcedon the senators to cause order to be obserued there commaunded he should come in for as much as the Pope had restored him to his Bishopricke And when the Popes Legates bare the first word in the Councell not onely they intitled the Pope the head of all the Churches but also when the Fathers of the councell in their Bodie sent their Relation to the Pope they intreated him as the head of the vniuersall Church Thou hast guided vs said they by the legats as the head doth the members And againe As in this which is for the 〈◊〉 we haue brought correspondencie to our head so thy Soueraigntie may fulfill in the behalfe of thie Children that which concernes decencie and they treated Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria as ghostly vassall to the Pope 〈◊〉 said they hath extended his felonie euen against him to whom the 〈◊〉 of the Vine hath by our Sauiour bene committed that is to saie against thy Holynesse Euident and manifest arguments that the Pope had two qualities distinct the one of Patriarke of the West and the other of Soueraigne Vicar of Christ and head of the vniuersall Church and that when the other Patriarkes were compared to him it was in qualitie of Patriarke of the West and not in the quality of Soueraigne Vicar of Christ and head of the vniuersall Church The second Solution is that the Councell of Nicea speakes of the Bishop of Alexandria with restriction and of the Pope without restriction from whence it is that the Senators assisting at the Councell of Chalcedon to cause order to be obserued there after they had heard the lecture of the sixth Canon of the Councell of
Nicea and of the third Canon of the Councell of Constantinople inferred thereupon thus it appeares from hence that all primacie and principall honor hath alwaies bene 〈◊〉 to the Bishop of Rome a thing that amazes me that the Greeke Schismatickes and 〈◊〉 amongst the rest did not perceiue it For Nilus Archbishop of Thesalonica disputing against the Pope saith If the Canon of the Councell of Nicea had distributed the Climates of the earth to euerie one of the Bishops-Generall so he calls the Patriarkes and had determinately setled nothing vpon the Sea of the Pope but had contented itself with saying that he had receiued the primacie there had bene some reason to esteeme that all the earth had bene vnder him And neuerthelesse not onely the Councell of Constantinople ordaines that the Bishops should not exceede their limitts but that according to the Canons of the Councell of Nicea the Bishop of Alexandria gouerned onely the affaires of Egipt And the Bishops of the East that is of the Patriarkship of Antioch onely the affaires of the East And the Councell of Chalcedon ordaines to the Bishop of Ierusalem the three Palestina's And to him of Constantinople Asia minor Pontus and Thrasia and the Barbarous prouinces that is to say Russia and Muscouia without euer goeing about either that or anie other Councell to sett out a part to the Bishop of Rome nor prescribe limitts out of which he might not exercise his authoritie But euen the Councell of Nicea speakes of the Bishop of Alexandria with restriction assigning him the prouinces of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis and of the Pope without restriction leauing him the waie free and assigning him noe limitts nor anie determinate number of prouinces The customes said the Canon obserued from antiquitie in Egipt Libia and Pentapolis are to be maintained to wit that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the power of all those things for as much as this is also accustomed to the Bishop of Rome By meanes whereof it remaines in the libertie of the Reader to supplie the word ouer all the Church and to expresse the Canon in this sence that the customes obserued from antiquitie in Egipt Libia and Pentapolis should be maintained to wit that the Bishop of Alexandria haue the power of all those things for as much as this is also accustomed to the Bishop of Rome ouer all the Church For what was this custome practized by the Bishop of Rome but that whereof saint IRENEVS speakes when he saith to the Roman Church because of a more mightie Principalitie it is necessarie that all the Church should agree And saint AVSTIN when he writes In the Roman Church hath alwaies flourisht the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke And Socrates when he affirmes that the Ecclesiasticall lawe bare that uo decrees might be made in the Church without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome And Sozomene when he notes that to the Bishop of Rome because of the dignitie of his Seate the care of all things apportained And so who sees not that the intention of the Councell was net to compare the Bishop of Alexandria with the Pope formallie but anologically that is to saie that the intention of the Councell was not to compare the authoritie of the Bishop of Alexandria ouer the prouinces of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis with the authority of the Pope ouer anie determinate territorie but to compare the authoritie of the Bishop of Alexandria ouer the prouinces of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis with the authority of the Pope ouer the whole Church It is certaine that in this clause for as much as this is also accustomed to the Bishopof Rome there is an omission which should be supplied either by the extent of an vniuersall word of particular restriction Now that the designe of the Councell was not to compare the Sea of Alexandria as head of the particular Prefecture of Egipt with the sea of Rome as head of an other particular prefecture but to compare the Sea of Alexandria as head of the particular prefecture of Egipt with the Sea of Rome as head of all the Empire the decree of the Councell of Chalcedon which shall be spoken of hereafter shewes it when it saies designing the temporall cause of the priuiledges of the Church of Rome The fathers yeilded the priuiledges to the Sea of the ancient Rome for as much as that Cittie helde the Empire And the Confronting of these wordes of Socrates The Ecclesiasticall rule bare that no lawes should be introduced into the Church without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome with these of the Bishops of Egipt to the Councell of Chalcedon Permitt vs to attend the ordination of our Archbishop to the end that according to the ancient customes we may follow his sentence And againe It is the custome in the prouinces of the prefecture of Egipt to doe noe such ting without the sentence and ordinance of the Archbishop of Alexandria confirmeth it For to saie that there could be nothing established in the vniuersall Church without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome and to saie there could be nothing established in the prouinces of the Prefecture of Egipt without the sentence of the Bishop of Alexandria was it not to make the Bishop of Alexandria that in the prefecture of Egipt that the Bishop of Rome was ouer the whole Church And therefore the Councell saying simplie for as much as this is also accustomed to the Bishop of Rome and not specifying where nor bringing in 〈◊〉 restriction what should hinder vs from supplying ouer all the Church and from answering that the intention of the Councell was to ordaine that the Bishop of Alexandria who in Egipt Libia and Pentapolis was as Vicar bred from the Sea of saint PETER who had there established his second selfe that is to saie his sonne and welbeloued disciple the Euangelist saint MARKE should haue the superintendencie of the Ecclesiasticall affaires in all these prouinces for as much as the Bishop of Rome to whom as Sozomene saith because of the dignitie of his Seate the care of all things appertained had it generally ouer all the Church or if they will presse vs to reduce the enthymeme of the Councell into the forme of a complete sillogisme what can hinder vs from reducing it into this The same priuiledges that the Bishop of Rome hath in regard of the whole Church the other Patriarkes haue proportionablie euery one in reregard of his Patriarkship Now the Bishop of Rome hath this priuiledge that to him because of the dignitie of his Sea the care of all things pertaines and that without him nothing can be decided of things which concerne the gouernment of the vniuersall Church the Bishop of Alexādria then ought to enioy by proportion the same priuiledges in the prouinces of his Patriarkship that is to say in the prouinces of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis
gouernement is not because of his dignitie of patriarke but because of his qualitie of Bishop And secondlie who knowes not that Diodorus Siculus writes that manie placed Alexandria the first or second of all the Citties of the world and assirmes that in his tyme there were aboue three hundred thousand Freemen inhabitans in Alexandria and that Herodian saith that Geta esteemed that Alexandria and Antioch were not farr short of Rome and that 〈◊〉 calls Constantinople equall to Rome And as for the prouinces neere Constantinople and Alexandria who knowes not that they were no lesse peopled then the prouinćes neere and contiguous to Rome and principallie if we belieue Josephus wherein 〈◊〉 saith that Egipt contained Seauenty fiue hundred thousand of men without accompting the inhabitantes of Alexandria And Diodorus Siculus who saith that the ancient Egipt contained aboue eighteen thousand Citties or famous Boroughes The word Suburbicary being deriued as Grammar teacheth vs from the word vrbs the lawes of Etimology will that the varietie of the signisications should be ruled according to the difference of the acceptions of the word vrbs the primitiue Now the word vrbs preciselie taken for the 〈◊〉 of Rome had two Offices the one to distinguish her from all Cittie 's contained vnder the Empire of the same Cittie of Rome which was Called by excellencie and absolutely vrbs from whence it is that S. CYPRIAN calls the Clearks of Rome Clearkes of the Cittie and the first Councell of Arles intitles the Deacons of Rome the deatons of the Cittie And Optatus Mileuitanus calls Zepherinus Bishop of Rome Zepherinus of the Cittie And GREGORIE of Tours saith Papam Vrbis intending the Pope of Rome and that conformablie both to the eminencie of the Cittie and to the Councell that Mecenas reported by Dion gaue to Augustus to make all other people take their Citties but for Countrie howses and Villages and to beleiue that there was but one Cittie trulie a Cittie to witt Rome And the other to distinguish it from the onelie Citties subiect to the Prouostship of Rome which they called the Prefecture of the Cittie which contained the next hundred thousand paces to the Cittie of Rome And therefore as the word vrbs taken precisely for the Cittie of Rome had two vses one relatiue to the Imperiall territorie of the Cittie of Rome and the other relatiue to the prouostall territorie of the Cittie of Rome so the word suburbicary taken according to the reason of the etymology ought to haue two offices the one generall to witt to designe all the Citties situate within the emperiall territory of Rome that ancient writers called Romania from whence it is that saint ATHANASIVS said that Rome was the Sea Apostolick and Metropolitan of Romania the other particular and more proper to lawyers to witt to designe the onely Citties situate within the prouostall territorie of Rome that is to saie within a hundred thousand paces about Rome which they called suburbicary to distinguish thē from the Citties of Italie subiect to the Pretoriall prefect of Italie who held his Seate at Milan the which and principallie since the tyme of Constantine was partycularly called Italie for before Constantines tyme the pretoriall Prefecture was not yet diuided into fowre Pretoriall Prefectures of Italie of Gallia of Illiria and of the East but consisted in one onely Prefecture though it were sometymes solidarily administred by two persons Now to pretend that it were in this second sence to wit not by relation to the Imperiall territory of Rome but by relation to the Prouostall territory of Rome that Ruffinus hath translated that the Bishop of Rome should haue the care of the Churches suburbicary what were this but to finde the Readers some what to laugh at For besides that this terme was not in vse but in the authors that haue written since Constantin and the Councell of Nicea who euer heard of shutting vp the Popes authoritie within the next hundred thousand paces of the Cittie of Rome is there so simple a scholler that knowes not that the Pope setting aside his qualitie of head of the Church was Patriarcke of the West whence it is that saint BASILE considering him as Patriarke calls him the Corypheos of the westerne people And that S. IEROME speaking of him in the same qualitie cries out let them condemne me of heresie with the west let them condemne me of heresie with Egipt that is to saie with Damasus and with PETER vnderstanding by Damasus Pope Damasus and by PETER Peter Patriarke of Alexandria whom Socrates saith Pope Damasus had newly then restored And euen the Greeke Scismaticks did not they anciētly acknowledge that the Patriarkship of the Pope did anciently cōtaine all the prouinces of the Empire of the West that is to saie all the Prouinces of Italie Africa Spaine France and the Germanies England the Western Illiria vnder which was vnderstood Dalmatia Hūgaria the neighbouring prouinces Thou Seest saith Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica disputing against the Latins that the Canon of the Councell of Nicea esteemes that the rules of the Fathers ought to be confirmed which haue distributed to euery Church their priuiledges to witt that some of the Nations should be submitted to the Bishop of Alexandria others to the Bishop of Antioch as those of Syria the two Cilicia's Coelosiria Mesopotamia And to the Bishop of Rome is giuen the same to wit that he haue the superintendencie of those of the West And Zonarus a Greeke commenter and a Schismatick expounding the sixth Canō of the Coucell of Nicea long before Nilus The Councell saith 〈◊〉 ordaines that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 of Libia and Pentapolis c. as the ancient custome had giuen to the Bishop of Rome to commaunde in the prouinces of the west yea doth not the same Zonarus write that the patriarkship of Rome comprehended not onely all the prouinces of the Empire of the West but also almost all the westerne prouinces of the Empire of the East To the Roman Church saith 〈◊〉 comenting the fifth Canon of the Councell of Sardica were then 〈◊〉 almost all the westerne Churches to wit those of Macedonia those of Illiria those of 〈◊〉 those of Peloponesus those of Epirus which haue since bene attributed to the Sea of Constantinople For those prouinces that Zonarus calls westerne were all of the Empire of the East but they were called western and appertained to the Patriarkship of the west for as much as they had bene 〈◊〉 the ancient Empire of the West such as it had bene possessed by the common-Weale of Rome before the Empire of Asia holden by the Seleucides other neighbour-Princes that of Egipt were vnited to it such as it had bene limited by the Emperors Antonius and Geta when they 〈◊〉 to diuide the Roman world and set the Bosphorus for a barr betweene
to the blessednesse of the most holy Pope for as much as he is the head of all the most holy Ministers of God And by the places aboue cited of saint GREGORIE the great which witnesse that the Pope confirmed euen then that is to saie fiftie yeare after Iulian the former the election of the Bishop of the first Iustinianea and sent him the Archiepiscopall mantle and the reuocation of the Vicarship of the Sea Apostolicke and iudged by appeale of the causes of his Bishops chasticed him himselfe when he had misiudged But in summe whatsoeuer the sence of this addition of Russinus bee it imports little to knowe it For hauing bene excommunicated for his errors in saith by the Pope and the Roman Church who doubtes but if he could insert into his translation anie thing to the Popes preiudice he hath done it It 〈◊〉 before the Councell of Nicea which wills that to euery Church the prerogatiues thereof be preserued the Roman Church was she whereof S. IRENEVS cryes out to this Church because of a more mightie principalitie that is to saie because of a principalitie more mightie then the temporall it is necessary that all the Churches should agree It was she that S. CYPRIAN called the Chaire of Peter and the principall Church from whence the 〈◊〉 all vnitie proceeded It was she of whom S. IEROM writt I know the Church is built vpon this stone whosoeuer eates the lambe out of this howse is prophane It was she of whom S. AVSTIN said In the Roman Church hath alwaies 〈◊〉 the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke It sufficeth that before the Councell of Nicea which ordaineth that the ancient customes should remaine entire the law Ecclesiasticall sorbad to canonize Churches that is to 〈◊〉 to make canons touching the generalitie of Churches without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome that the Ecclesiasticall custome bare that the finall depositions of Bishops could not be proceeded to without attending the decision from Rome and that from the tyme of the Emperor Gallienus that is to saie more then sixtie yeares before the Councell of Nicea the Churchmen of Egipt desiring to accuse Dionisius Bishop of Alexandria their Patriarke went vp saith saint ATHANASIVS Patriarke of the same Sea of Alexandria to Rome and accused him before 〈◊〉 Bishop of Rome It sufficeth that presently after the same Councell of Nicea when S. ATHANASIVS Patriarke of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constantiuople Marcellus Primate of Galatia Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in Palestina had bene deposed by diuers Councells of the East Iulius Bishop of Rome restored to euery one his Church because to him saith Sozomene for the dignitie of his Sea the care of all things appertayned It sufficeth that after the death of ATHANASIVS Pope Damasus confirmed the ordination of Peter Patriarke of Alexandria successor to the same saint ATHANASIVS and restored him to his Sea of Alexandria It sufficeth that in the Councell of Sardica holden for the defence of the Councell of 〈◊〉 whereat assisted besides more then three hundred other Bishops the same Osius that was President at the Councell of Nicea the same saint ATHANASIVS which had helped to frame the acts of the Councell of Nicea the same Protogenes Bishop of Sardica which was at the Councell of Nicea the Episcopall appeales to the Pope were authorized by a written lawe and the Bishops of all the prouinces exhorted to referr the affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea of the Apostle PETER It sufficeth that in the Councell of Lampsacus in Asia the Macedonians purposing to returne to the Catholicke Church sent their Legats from Asia to Rome to protest obedience to the Pope to oblige themselues to come vp to his Tribunall or to the iudges delegated by him in all causes that should be attempted against them It sufficeth that in the Councell of Tyana in Cappadocia Eustachius Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia who had bene deposed by the Councell of Melitina the Metropolitan cittie of Armenia bringing letters of restitution from Pope Liberius was receiued without forme of processe and had place as a Bishop in the Councell It 〈◊〉 that when the Emperor Constantius had caused S. ATHANAS Patriarke of Alexandria to be deposed in a Councell of more then three hundred Bishops of the East and West he thought he had not satisfied his desire if the thing saith Amianus Marcellinus were not confirmed by the authority whereof the Bishops of the eternall cittie are superiors It sufficeth that when the same Canon of the Councell of Nicea which is now in question was renewed in the Councell of Constantinople the other Patriarkes and Primats were forbidden to meddle beyond their diuisions Let the Bishop of Alexandria said the Synod gouerne onely what belongs to Egipt and let the Bishops of the East that is to saie of the patriarkship of Antioch admister onely to the East where neuer Coūcell interdicted the Pope from medling in matters which were out of his patriarkship Cōtrariwise the Pope in importāt occasiōs hath alwaies takē notice of the ecclesiasticall affaires of the Empire of the East iudged by appeale the causes of other patriarkships the Catholicke Councells of the East thēselues yeilding to be solicitors executors of his sentences oppositely neuer anie of the other Patriarks once attempted to examine the Ecclesiasticall causes of the Empire of the West and of the patriarchall diuision of the Pope It sufficeth that in the Mileuitan Councell holden by the Bishops of Asrica and by S. AVSTIN amongst others it was affirmed that the Popes authoritie was of diuine right and drawne from the authoritie of the holy Scriptures and then not to be restrained to the simple patriarkship of Rome but vniuersall and such as the law of the Emperor Valentinian the third describes it when it calls the Pope the Rector of the vniuersalitie of Churches And the Emperor Iustinian when he writes that the Pope is the head of all the most holy ministers of God And the Bishop of Patara in Lycia one of the prouinces in Asia when he saith to the same Emperor Iustinian that there were many kings and princes in the world but there was noe one of them that was ouer all the earth as the Pope was ouer the Church of all the world It sufficeth that in the generall Councell of Ephesus when the Fathers had executed the sentence of deposition that the Pope had pronounced at Rome against Nestorius when they should haue passed to the cause of Iohn Patriark of Antioch the Councell reserued the iudgement thereof to the Pope and that according to the ancient custome and tradition Apostolicall It sufficeth that in the false Councell of Ephesus after Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria and his pretended generall Councell had deposed Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople and Theodoret Bishop of Syre Flauianus saith the Emperor Valentinian
to call generall Councells without being moued thereto or seconded by the iust ecclesiasticall authoritie those Councells haue bene declared illegitimate not onely by the finall issue of their iudgements but by the originall vice of their forme if the Popes confirmation did not come in to correct the defect For the Councell of Arimini which was compounded of fower hundred Bishops and which had bene called by the Emperor Constantius was declared inualid not onely for the issue of the iudgement but for this cause amongst others saith the Councell of those of the West reported by Theodoret That it had bene holden without the consent of the Bishop of Rome whose sentence should first of all haue bene attended And in the Councell of Chalcedon the first complaint that was made against the false Councell of Ephesus that the Emperor Theodosius the second surprized by the fraude of the Eutychians had called without the Popes authoritie although with a request to the Pope to assist at it or to send to it was That Dioscorus presumed to hold a Councell without the Bishop of Romes permission which had neuer bene lawfull or before done By meanes whereof all the question of the spirituall and ecclesiasticall authoritie necessary from the part of the conuocation to make Councells lawfull in conscience and obligatory to the internall Tribunall of the Church is betweene the Pope and the other Patriarkes and consistes in this to witt to whom either to the Pope or to the other Patriarkes it belonged to call Councells spiritually Now who doubtes but it must be to him of the Patriarkes that ought to preside there and the defect of whose presence either mediare or immediate rendred the Councells inualid And who sees not that euen if the Pope had not bene the direct Successor of saint PETER if he had not bene his Vicar in whose name all Councells ought to be called if he had not bene the center of the ecclesiasticall vnity and Communion if he had not bene the Bishop as saint CYPRIAN saith of the chaire of Peter and of the principall Church from whence the Sacerdotall vnitie proceeded and in breefe had he not bene superior in authoritie to the other Patriarkes but onely the first of them in order it belonged to him to call them as it did anciently to the Presidēt of the senate to call the Senate And therefore whē Pope Gelasius saith The Sea Apostolicke onely decreed that the Councell of Chalcedon should be holden It is not to the exclusion of the Emperor that he makes this restriction but to the exclusion of the other Patriarkes And when Pope Pelagius S. GREGORIES predecessor writes The authority to call generall Councells hath bene attributed by a singular priuiledge to the Sea Apostolicke of holie Peter It is not to the exclusion of the Emperors that he makes this limitation but to the exclusion of the other Patriarkes and particularly of the Bishop of Constantinople for the Bishop of Constantinople pretending by the creation of his cittie into the title of the second Rome to haue bene made equall to the Pope not in regard of the Pope as hath bene aboue said but in regard of the other Patriarkes had dared to presume to participate in the East in the title of vniuersall Patriark which title the Pope had receiued at the Councell of Chalcedon and in continuance of this presumption had endeuored to call a generall Councell that is to saie a generall Councell of the Empire of the East in the East To the end then to represse his arrogance the Pope put him in mynde that the power to call generall councells that is to saie the generall councells aswell of all the Empire as of the particular Empire of Constantinople as a ease exceeding the simple patriarchall authoritie belonged to the onely direct and absolute successor of S. PETER It hath bene reported to the Sea Apostolicke saith the same Pelagius writing to the Bishops of the East that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople hath intituled himselfe vniuersall and by vertue of this his presumption hath called you to a generall Councell he meanes the generall Councell of the East whereof Euagrius speakes called for the cause of Gregorie Patriarke of Antioch notwithstanding that the authoritie of calling generall Councells hath bene attributed by a singular priuiledge to the Sea Apostolicke of the holy Peter And a little after And therefore all that you haue decreed in this your not Councell but conuenticle I ordaine by the authoritie of holy PETER Prince of the Apostles c. that it be disanulled abrogated Which S. GREGORIE the great also reportes in these words Our predecessor Pelagius of happie memorie hath abrogated by a sentence intirely valid all the actes of this Synod except what concerned the affaire of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch of happie memorie Now doth not this alone suffice to decide the whole question For if the Bishop of Constantinople vnder pretence of the equalitie that he challenged to haue obtained with the Pope in superioritie ouer the other Patriarkes presumed to call the generall Councells of the East why is it not manifest that the authoritie to call generall Councells forasmuch as concernes spirituall and Ecclesiasticall power belonged to the Pope And if it were soe when the Emperors possest almost all the Regions of the Empire and when the Catholicke Church was spread almost ouer all the other patriarkships how much more nowe when that the Emperors hold but the least part of the Estates of the ancient Empire and that the Catholicke Church is almost reduced into the prouinces of the patriarkship of the Pope or to those that by the conuersion of countries newlie discouered haue drawne their mission and Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction from them But heere is enough of the calling of Councells lett vs goe forward to the other Articles CARD PERRONS REPLIE TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAINE THE THIRD BOOKE Of Appeales CHAPT I. The continuance of the Kings Answere FOr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obseruation that is to saie of a contrary obseruation to 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 had said that those which vvere excommunicate by anie of the Churches vvere presently acknovvledged to be 〈◊〉 of through all the Catholicke Church it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE REPLIE AND what doth this then signifie that Theodoret speaking of the 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 made of saint ATHANASIVS Patriarke of Alexandria at the tribunall of Pope Julius writeth Julius following the lawe of the Church commaunded them to come to Rome and cited the deuine 〈◊〉 in iudgement And what doth this then signifie that 〈◊〉 faith that after the same ATHANASIVS 〈◊〉 of Alexandria Paul Bishop of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcellus Primat of 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in 〈◊〉 And Lucius Bishop of Andrinopolis in Thrace had bene deposed by diuers Councells of the 〈◊〉 of the East The Pope restored them euerie one to his Church because to him for the dignitie
is deriued And in vertue of what power did he solicite Pope STEPHEN to write letters to the Gaules whereby he should depose Martian Bishop of Arles Thou shouldest saith he write letters into the prouince and to the people inhibiting in Arles by which Martian being deposed an other might be substituted in his place And why then when the same Saint CYPRIAN and the councell of Africa had embraced the error of rebaptising heretickes which since the Donatistes haue conuerted into an heresie did Saint VINCENTIVS 〈◊〉 say then Pope Stephen of happie memorie prelate of the Apostolicke Sea with 〈◊〉 before his other colleagues resisted it esteeming it a thing worthie of him to surpasse all others as well in deuotion of faith as he surmounted them by aucthoritie of place For as for the angrie words that Saint CYPRIAN lett slip against Pope STEPHEN which Saint AVSTIN iudges vnworthie to be reported they shall be spoken of hereafter And why then the same Pope STEPHEN had depriued of his communion Firmilianus Arch-Bishop of Cappadocia and the other Bishops of the Religions of Cappadocia Cilicia and Galatia for the same error of S. CYPRIAN but more obstinately defended did Firmilianus amongst his other wordes of fury which bare with them their owne confutation that he spued vp against the Pope reproch to him that he was soe senselesse he that boasted soe much of the place of his Bishops Sea and gloried that he had the succession of Peter vpon which the foundation of the Church had bene established as to introduce many other Peters and to cōstitute a plurality of Churches I am angrie said he not without cause with soe manifest and euident a follie in Stephen that he that glorifies himselfe soe much for the place of his Bishops Sea and maintaines that he hath the succession of Peter vpon which the foundation of the Church hath bene sett hath introduced manie other Peters and constituted new buildings of manie Churches in sustaining by his authoritie that baptisme is amongst heretickes And why then when DIONISIVS Patriarch of Alexandria had seene that Pope STEPHEN had shut the gate of his communion from Firmilianus and the other Bishops of Cappadocia Cilicia Galatia and the other neighbouring nations did he write to him letters of intercession and of intreaty vpon this subiect I writt to him said hee beseeching him for them all or praying him concerning all these things For as for that that Saint BASILL Archbishop of 〈◊〉 in Cappadocia omitted not to reckon Firmilianus amongst his Catholicke Predecessors notwithstanding his staine it was because he repented afterwardes as Saint AVGVSTINE witnesseth in these wordes Those of the East that had held the opinion of Ciprian corrected their iudgement And Saint IEROM in these Finally the Bishops themselues that had conceaued with Cyprian that heretickes should be rebaptised returning to their ancient custome published a newe decree saying what doe wee soe to them and to vs their Elders and ours haue giuen it by traditiō And why then whē the same DIONISIVS Patriark of Alexandria was fallen into suspition of heresie did the Catholickes of Alexandria in steed of hauing recourse to the Synodes of their prouinces come to accuse him at Rome before DIONISIVS Bishop of Rome They went vp said saint ATHANASIVS to Rome to accuse him before the Bishop of Rome being of his owne name And a while after And the Bishop of Rome the translator hath falsely reported the surname to that of Alexandria sent to Dionisius that he should cleere himselfe from those things whereof they had accused him and suddenly he answered and sent his bookes of defence and apologie And in an other place Some hauing accused the Bishop of Alexandria before the Bishop of Rome to holde the Sonne for a creature and not consubstantiall with the Father The Synod of Rome that is to say the consistory of Rome compounded of the Bishops neighbouring vpon the 〈◊〉 of Rome without whom the Pope iudged nothing of importance and of the principall Church men of Rome was offended with him and the Bishop of Rome writt to him the opinion of all the assistants and he iustifying himselfe addressed to him a booke of defence and apologie And why then when the councell of ANTIOCHE twice called from the prouinces of Pontus Capadocia Cyria Cilicia Lycaonia Palestina Arabia and from all the other Prouinces of the East had deposed Paulus Samosatenus Patriarke of Antioche and substituted Domnus in his steede And that Paulus would not quitt the possession of the Church did the Emperor Aurelian though a Pagan ordaine And that saith EVSEBIVS verie fitlie that it should be deliuered to him whome the Bishops of Italie and of Rome that is the Bishops of Italie assembled with the Pope should direct it to by writing For for what cause should EVSEBIVS who was one of the Bishops of the Patriarkship of Antioche and besides as an 〈◊〉 not well affected to the Roman Church and this word verie 〈◊〉 but to shewe that the Emperor had in this action followed the order of the church and that it was a thing fitt for the Ecclesiasticall lawes that the 〈◊〉 of Rome should iudge the affaires of the East euen after the 〈◊〉 of the East and synodes compounded of a farr greater mumber of Bishops and Prouinces When Paule saith EVSEBIVS would not quit the 〈◊〉 of the Church the Emperor Aurelian being called to this businesse ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it should be deliuered to him to whom the Bishops of Italie and of Rome of the same lawe should write backe And the Greeke manuscript of the 〈◊〉 of the councells kept in the priuate library of the most Christian kinge The Emperor Aurelian although a Pagan sent backe the question of Paul to the Bishop of Rome and to those that were by him that when they had examined whether he were iustlie deposed he might be dispossessed of the Church And Zonaras and after him Balsomon not onely Grecians but schismatickes The Emperor Aurelian enioyned the Bishop of Rome and the Bishops that were with him to examine those things wherewith ` Paul was charged and if he were iustly deposed to cast him out of the Church of the Christians Which alsoe since the 〈◊〉 councell of Ephesus did imitate when it reserued as shall appeare hereafter the iudgement of Iohn Patriarck of Antioche to the Pope and that Iuuenall Bishop of Ierusalem saied that the ancient custome and the 〈◊〉 tradition bare that the Church of Antioche was alwaies to be ruled by the Roman And after the councell of Ephesus the sixth oecumenicall councell of Constantinople when they sent backe the cause of Macarius Patriarck of Antioch to the Pope And why then when the Arrians held their false councell at Antioch 1270. yeares agone did Socrates an ancient Greeke author of 1200 yeares standing write IVLIVS Bishop of Great Rome was not there nor sent he anie in his steede
it temporally executory they testified that it was by the Popes authority that it had iudged the cause of Flauianus The synod of Chalcedon said the lawe by the authoritie of the most blessed Bishop of the Citty eternall in glorie Rome examining exactly matters of Faith aud strengthning the foundation of Religion attributed to Flauianus the reward of his past life and the palme of a Glorious death Now how is this anie other thing but to saie that which Pope Gelasius writt forty yeares after in these wordes The sea Apostolicke delegated the Councell of Chalcedon to be made for the common faith and the Catholicke and Apostolicke truth And againe Flauianus hauing bene condemned by the Congregation of the Greeke Bishops the sea Apostolicke alone because he had not consented thereunto absolued him and contrary wise by his authoritie condemned Dioscorus Prelate of the second sea who had there bene approued and alone annulled the wicked synod in not consenting to it and alone by his authoritie ordained that the Councell of Chalcedon should be kept But things incident carry vs away lett vs againe returne to our careere And why then when the Councell of Chalcedon was open was the first cōplaint that was made against Dioscorus patriark of Alexandria that he had presumed to vndertake to keepe a generall Councell and to be President there without commission from the Pope Vpon which complaint also Dioscorus came downe from this Patriarkall seate wherein he was first sett and stood in the middest of the place as an accused party and not as iudge Wee haue in our handes said Paschasinus Bishop of Lylibea in Sicilia and Legat from the Pope speaking to the Councell the commaundments of the blessed and Apostolicke Prelate of the Cittie of Rome who is the head of all Churches whereby he vouchsaffed to ordaine prouisionallie that Dioscorus sit not in the councell and that if he attempt it that he should be cast out And Lucentius Bishop of 〈◊〉 also the Popes Legate Dioscorus said he must yeild an account of iudgement for as much as hauing noe right to doe the office of a iudge be attempted it and presumed to holde a Synod without the authoritie of the sea Apostolicke which neuer hath bene lawfull nor neuer was done And Euagrius in the narration of the history of the Councell The senat saith he hauing 〈◊〉 of the legates from Leo what charge there was against Dioscorus they 〈◊〉 that he must yeild an account of his owne iudgement because against might 〈◊〉 had vsurped the person of a Iudge without the Bishop of Romes permission After which answere ` Dioscorus by the senats iudgment stood in the 〈◊〉 of the place And why then when Theodoret Bishop of Cyre a cittie as hath bene said in the confines of Persia had bene restored by Pope Leo from the Deposition of the Councell of Ephesus from whence he had appealed to him did the Emperors Officers who assisted in the Councell of Chalcedon to cause order to be obserued proclayme Lett the Right Reuerend Bishop 〈◊〉 come in that he may haue part in the Synod because the most holy Archbishop 〈◊〉 bath 〈◊〉 him to his ` Bishopricke and that supplied vpon this restitution the most sacred and religious Emperor hath ordained that he shall assist in the holy 〈◊〉 For that the Emperor had made himselfe the Executor of the Popes authority in this Councell it appeares by the protestations he had made of it a little before in these wordes Wee conceiued that we ought first to addresse ourselues to thy Holynesse who hast the superintendance and principalitie of Faith And againe Our desire is that peace should be restored to the Churches by this Councell celebrated vnder thy authoritie And why then when the Priests and deacons of Alexandria presented their Petitions against Dioscorus in the Councell of Chalcedon did they couch them in these termes all the Councell seeing and approuing it and ordayning that they should be registred in the Actes To the most holy and most blessed Archbishop and Vniuersall Patriarcke Leo and to the most holy and 〈◊〉 Councell For as for the instance that the Bishop of Constantinople made afterward to participate in this title vnder the Pope and in second place after the Pope as Constantinople being a second Rome it shall be spoken of hereafter And why then when Paschasinus the Popes Legate gaue his voice vpon the deposition of Dioscorus did he saie That the Pope had pardoned all those who in the false Councell of Ephesus had by force consented to Dioscorus that is to 〈◊〉 to almost all the Metropolitans and Patriarkes of the Easterne Empire The 〈◊〉 Apostolicke saith he graunts them pardon for those things that they committed there against their wills for asmuch as they haue remained vnto this time adhering to the most holie Archbishop Leo and to the holy and vniuersall Councell And why then when the actes of the false Councell of Ephesus were in the Councell of Chalcedon annulled did Anatolius Bishop of Constātinople pronounce that of all that had bene done in the Councell of Ephesus nothing ought to remaine entire but the election of Maximus Bishop of Antioch for as much as that had bene cōfirmed by the Pope My voice said he is that none of the things ordained by the pretended Councell of Ephesus shall remaine firme concept that which was done for Maximus Bishop of great Antioch for as much as the most holy Archbishop of Rome Leo receiuing him into his communion hath iudged that he ought to rule the Church of Antioch From whence it is also that the same 〈◊〉 who had bene created Archbishop of Constantinople in the false Councell of Ephesus held not his Archbishopricke from the false Councell of Ephesus but from the confirmation of the sea 〈◊〉 as Pope Leo writing to the Emperor Marcian puts him in mynde in these Wordes It should haue sufficed him that by the consent of my fauour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Bishopricke of soe great a Cittie And why then when the Fathers of the Councell of Chalcedon framed that famous relation to Pope Leo which is not only inserted in all the 〈◊〉 and latine Actes of the Westerne and Easterne libraries but also is cited by the Greeke Schismatickes and amongst others by Nilus Arch bishop of Tessalonica in his Booke against the Pope did they write to him that he had ruled in the Councell as the head to the members and that the Emperors had presided there to cause order to be obserued that is to auoide such murthers and tumultes as happened in the false Councell of Ephesus And put a like difference betwene the Popes Presidencie and the Emperors as betweene the Presidencie of Iesus the high priest of the Sinagogue and that of Zorobabel prince of the Iewish people in the building of the Temple You presided the Councell writt to the Pope in ' this assemblie as the head
their mouthes that think to call it in question And yet lesse will I stand to solue this that Iustinian in the lawe Constautinopolitana writes that the Church of Constantinople is the head of all the other Churches For it shall be shewed heereafter that he speakes of the other Churches of the iurisdiction of Constantinople which are treaetd of in the lawe and not of the other Patriarkall Churches amongst which Iustinian neuer attributed but the second ranke to the Church of Constantinople as it appeares by the Nouel 〈◊〉 where he saieth We ordaine following the definitions of the fower first Councells that the holy Pope of the ancient Rome is to be first of all Prelates and that the most Blessed Archbishop of Constantinople or new Rome shall haue the second place after the holy Sea Apostolicke of old Rome and shall be preferred before all the other Seas And why then when Epiphanius was dead and that Anthymus Bishop of Trebisond had bene made Patriark of Constantinople in his steede did Anthymus oblige himselfe by protestation written to all the other Patriarkes to obey the Pope Anthymus saith the Councell of Constantinople held vnder Menas promiseth to doe all that the Archbishop of the great Sea Apostolick should ordaine and writt to the most holy Patriarkes that hee would in all things followe the Sea Apostolike And why thē whē Pope Agapet was a while after arriued at Cōstantinople did he depose the same Anthymus Patriark of Constantinople and then euen in Constantinople and in the sight of the Emperor Iustinian that fauour'd him and excommunicated the Empresse Theodora his wife who did obstinately maintaine him and ordained Menas priest of Constantinople Patriarke in his steede Agapet saith Marcellinus Comes an author of the same tyme being come from Rome to Constantinople draue away Anthymus soone after his arriuall from the Church saying that according to the 〈◊〉 rule he was an adulterer because hee had left his Church and had vnlawfully procured another and ordained the priest Menas Bishop in his roome And Liberatus one likewise of the same tyme with Marcellinus Comes saith The Empresse in secret promising great presents to the Pope if he would leaue Anthymus in his 〈◊〉 and on the other side proouing him with threates the Pope persisted not to 〈◊〉 to her demaund And Anthymus seing he was cast out of his Seate gaue vp his Mantle to the Emperor and retired himselfe where the Empresse tooke him into her protection and then the Pope for the Emperors sake ordained Menas Bishop in his steede consecrating him with his owne hands And Victor of Tunes of the same tyme with Liberatus published by Ioseph Scaliger Agapet saith he Archbishop of Rome came to Constantinople and deposed Anthymus ` Bishop of Constantinople vsurper of the Church for it must be read peruasorem and not 〈◊〉 uersorem and enemy to the Councell of Chalcedon and excommunicated the Empresse Theodora his Patronesse and made at the same time Menas Bishop of the Church of Constantinople And the Emperor Iustinian himselfe We knowe saith hee that the like thing hath bene done in the case of Anthymus who was deposed from the Seate of this royall cittie by the most holy Bishop of the Ancient Rome Agapet of sacred and glorious memorie For those that from these insuing words of Iustinians but he hath bene also deposed and condemned first by the sentence of this Prelate of holy memorie and after of the sacred Synod heere celebrated doe inserre that the finall deposition of Anthymus was not made by the Pope but by the Councell of Constantinople doe not consider that the first clause of Iustinian speakes as shall appeare heereafter of the deposition of Anthymus from the Patriarkall Seate of Constantinople which was done and perfected by the Pope And the second speakes of the deposition of Anthymus from the Archbishopricke of Trebisond which was begun by the Pope but hauing bene tyed to certaine conditions which the continuance of the Popes life did not permitt him to cleere it was finished after his death by the Synod of Constantinople But tyme presseth vs lett vs hasten And why then when Menas Patriark of Constantinople gaue his voyce in the Councell of Constantinople vpon the second deposition of Anthymus that is to say vpon his deposition from the archbishopricke of Trebisond did he say we followe as you knowe the Sea Apostolicke and obey him and haue his communicants for ours and condemne those that are condemned by him And why then when the body of the Councell formed a sentence against the same Anthymus is it couched in these termes We ordaine following things well examined by the holy and blessed Pope c. that he shall be cutt of from the bodie of the holy Churches of God and cast out of the Archbishops Seate of Trebisond and depriued from all dignitie and Sacerdotall action and according to the sentence of the same holy Father stript from the title of Catholicke And why then when the Emperor Iustinian would at the instance of the Empresse Theodora his wise who was an Eutychian persecute Pope Siluerius Agapits Successor doth Liberatus Archdeacō of Carthage an Africā author and of the same tyme and that Hinemarus an ancient Archbishop of Rhemes cites vnder the title of a Saint say that the Bishop of Patara in 〈◊〉 one of the prouinces of Asia disswaded him from it by the remonstrance that he made him that there was noe temporall monarchie which was equall in extent to the spirituall authoritie of the Pope He represented to him said Liberatus the iudgement of God vppon the expulsion of the Bishop of soe great a Sea admonishing him that there were manie kings in the world but there was not one of them as the Pope who was ouer the Church of the whole world who had bene dispossessed of his seate And why then when the same Emperor Iustinian would erect the first Justinianea of Bulgaria the cittie where he was borne into the forme of a supernumerarie Patriarkship did he ground his ordinance vpon the Vicarship and concession of the Pope Wee ordaine said hee that the Bishop of the first Justinianea shall alwaies haue vnder his iurisdiction the Bishops of the Prouinces of the Mediterranean Dacia of Dacia Ripensis of Triballea of 〈◊〉 of the vpper Misia and of Pannonia c. and that in all prouinces subiect to him he shall holde the place of the sea Apostolicke of Rome according as things were defined by the most holy Pope Vigilius And why then when Rusticus deacon of Rome of the same tyme with Justinian writt his booke against the Ascephales did he make this graue exhortation to himselfe Remember that thou art a Christian and a Deacon and that of the most soueraigne Church of all the world And why then when the Bishops of France celebrated the second Councell of Tours 1048. yeares agoe did they say our Fathers
Councell of Sardica excommunicated Pope Julius because he had admitted saint ATHANASIVS into his communion The second that saint HILARY proclaymed anathema against Pope Liberius because he had receiued the Arians into his communion And the third Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria in the false Councell of Ephesus excommunicated the Pope saint Leo the first because he had condemned the heresie of Eutyches And from hence they conclude that the Pope was not then the center and originall of Ecclesiasticall communion since that as the Pope excommunicated the other Patriarkes Archbishops and Bishops soe the others reciprocally excommunicated him And therefore it is best to blocke vp their obiections before we passe further To the first then of these obiections which is that Stephen Patriarke of Antioch excommunicated Pope Iulius because he had receiued saint ATHANASIVS into his communication we bring three answeres The first answere is that it was not Stephen Patriarke of Antioch that made this excommunication but it was all the Bishops assembled at the false Councell of Sardica which pretended to be the true and whole oecumenicall Councell of Sardica forasmuch as they said the three hundred Catholicke Bishops which constituted the true Councell of Sardica were fallen into the communion of Marcellus whom they held an hereticke of the heresies of Sabellius and of Paulus Samosatenus and thefore imagined that the true and intier authoritie of the oecumenicall Councell of Sardica was deuolued to them Nowe there is greatdifference betweene saying that a Councell that pretendes to be oecumenicall and conceaues it selfe to represent the vniuersall Body of ihe Church should vndertake to excommunicate a Pope that they suppose to haue fallen into heresie and that a particular Bishop Archbishop or Patriarke should vndertake it The second that the false Councell of Sardica which committed this presumption was an Arian Councell and whose entreprise consequently cannot be drawne into example nor make any president against the discipline of the Church For what meruaile is it that the Arians who trode vnder foote the diuinitie of Christ who is the inuisible head of the Church should likewise tread vnder foote the authority of his principall lieuetenant that is to say the Pope who is the visible head of the Church And the third that in the same tyme that the false Councell of Sardica spitt in the face of heauen and excommunicated not only the Pope but 〈◊〉 SVS-CHRIST himselfe and all his Church in reiecting the communion of them that held him to be consubstantiall with the Father the true Councell of Sardica compounded of more then three hundred Catholicke Bishops acknowledged the Pope for head of the Church and writt to him It seemes verie good and conuenient that the Prelates of all the Prouinces should referre the affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea Apostolicke of Peter To the second obiection which is that after that Liberius being cast out from the Sea of Rome by the Arians and ouercome with the induring a farr banishment and manie corporall persecutions vexations sorgott himselfe so farr as to subscribe the condemnation of saint ATHANASIVS and to receiue the Arrians into his communion saint HILLARIE reciting the Epistles of the same Liberius insertes these clauses This is the Arrian treacherie this I haue noted I that am noe Apostata And againe Anathema for my parte to thee ô Liberius to thy Complices And a while after Anathema to thee the secōd third tyme ô wicked Liberius we bring fower answeres The first answere is that though it be certaine and not to be doubted that this is written by an ancient author and of saint HILLARIES tyme as besides the antiquitie of the manuscriptes which are to be sound in sundrie libraries it appeares both by the manner of that stile which fullie agrees with that of saint HILLARIES age and by manie things which are there recited which could not haue bene knowne but by the authors of saint HILLARIES age neuerthelesse it is not equally certaine that it is S HILLARIES Contrariwise there are fower cōiectures which seeme to intimate that either it should be Hillaries the Luciserian deacon of the same tyme with saint HILLARIE or some other authors of the same Sect and age which haue supposed it and made it passe vnder the name of saint HILLARIE or that the Parentheses which are inserted into Liberius his Epistles that he cites which also are inserted in forme of notes and marked with signes of a crosse at the head and enuirond with semye-circles and written in an other character are not saint HILLARIES but some exemplaristes of that age The first coniecture is that these Parentheses condemne the Faith of the Councell of Sirmium which Demophilus caused Liberius to signe that is the Faith of the first Councell of Sirmium which did not err but in the omission of the word Homousion for Demophilus as the Illustrious Cardinall Baronius hath obserued abhorred the Faith of the Second which denied both Homousion and Homoeusion and calls it an Arrians treachery where saint HILLARY contrariwise to spare and husband the demy Arrians which held the first confession and to oblige them to bandie against the compleate Arrians which held the second stiled in his workes of the Synodes The faith of the first Councell of Sirmium or rather the first faith of the Councell of Sirmium orthodoxall and Catholicke And saith speaking of the Bishop Eleusius Bishop of Cyrica and of the other demy Arrians which embraced it except the Bishop Eleusius and a few others with him the ten Asian prouinces wherein I dwell for the more parte doe not know God truly And it will not serue for an antidote for this that Monsieur de Feure who published that worke saith that the Arrians yet made another profession of Faith composed at Sirmium in the presence of the Emperor in the yeare of the Councell of Arimini where they abolished the word Substance For this last confession of Faith was made after Liberius his falle and not before as some haue thought not considering that Liberius suffered two banishements confounded by Socrates but distinguished by Sozomene The one when hee was confined into Beroe in Thrace which began according to Amianus Marcellinus account and that of Sulpitius Seuerus the yeare wherein Arbitio and Lollianus were consulls that is fower yeare before the Consulate of Eusebius and Hypatius vnder which the Councell of 〈◊〉 was held and lasted according to saint ATHANASIVS and 〈◊〉 two yeares And the other by which he was simplie cast out of Rome which sell out after the Councell of Arimini because Liberius refused to consent to it They report saith Sozomene speaking of those who described more truly the history of the Councell of Arimini that the Arrians constained the Bishops to signe their confession and cast out of the Church manie which resisted it and in the first place Liberius Bishop
condemned the orthodoxall doctrine and had excommunicated and not onely excommunicated but put to death Flauianus Archbishop of Cōstantinople who maintayned the true faith Neuerthelesse these things were not set amongst the principall causes of his deposition but the presumption that he had committed in vndertaking He and his false Councell to excommunicate the Pope and the contempt that he had added to it in not comeing to yeild reason for this presumption to the Councell of 〈◊〉 Dioscorus saith Anatolius Arch-bishop of Constantinople speaking to the Councell of Chalcedon hath not bene deposed for the faith but because he had excommunicated my Lord the Arch-bishop Leo and that hauing bene thrice cited he would not appeare And the Councell of Chalcedon in the epistle to Pope Leo saith After all these things he hath extended his 〈◊〉 euen against him to whom the guarde of the Vine is committed by your Sauiour that is to saie against thy Holynesse and hath mediated an excommunication against him that striues to vnite the bodie of the Church or according to the other 〈◊〉 against thee who makest haste to vnite the bodie of the Church that is to saie against thee that holdest the bodie of the Church in vnitie For with the Greeks it is a common phrase to saie to haste themselues to doe some thing in steede of saying to doe some thinge As when the Emperor IVSTINIAN writt to Pope Iohn surnamed Mercury We haue made haste to submitt and 〈◊〉 all the Prelates of the east countries to your Sea insteede of saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Prelates of the East to your Sea And as when the Councell of 〈◊〉 said Anthymus made haste to cast vs into a worse tempest insteede of saying Anthymus hath cast vs into a worse tempest CARD PERRONS REPLIE TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITANIE THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. Of Councells The continuance of the Kinges answere TO this were added alwaies and as often as they were needefull Councells truly Oecumenicall and not as vve see they haue bene often since Oecumenicall by name but indeede assembled onely out of some prouinces of Europe THE REPLIE AND euen this also very often when there was noe neede of thē as the Councell of Arimini compounded of more then 400. Bishops the second Councell of Ephefus called from all the Regions of the world but assembled by hereticall Emperors or gouerned by the abettors of heretickes and from the vnlawfull celebration whereof the one held without the Popes authority and the other against it the successe teacheth vs that as much as Councells are profitable whē the temporall authority seconds the Ecclesiasticall as much are they pernicious when temporall authority vndertakes to performe the office of Ecclesiasticall authority Iointlie that as in human bodies the multitude of medicines is not a signe of health soe in the Ecclesiasticall bodie the multitude of Councells is not a signe of well being witnesse the complaintes of S. Gregorie Nazianz. vpon the multitude of Councells holden after that of Nicea of which he saith that he neuer sawe good come of them that is to witt as much because when the hereticall Emperors medled with the affaires of the Church the ambition to please them which was crept in among the Bishops thwarted the iudgments of the Synod as because the holding subsequent Councells vpon the same matter of those preceding them was to wound and to weaken the authority of the preceding Councells And then howe could the celebration of Councells haue bene a meanes to make men assured of the communion of the true Church if generall Coūcells lawfully assembled that is according to the externall solemne and vsuall waies might erre in faith as the Protestants pretend and had not the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost but that a particular man esteeming his opinion agreeable to the sense of Scripture and that of the Councell differing from it might yea ought to preferr his iudgement before that of the Councell For whereas his Maiestie saith that the Councells holden in the last ages haue bene Oecumenicall in name but in effect assembled onely from some prouinces of Europe he may obserue if he please that there are two sortes of Oecumenicall Councells the one Oecumenicall indeede the other Oecumenicall in right I call those Councells Oecumenicall in deede which haue bene assembled from all partes wherein the succession of the Episcopall character is preserued whether those parts haue remayned within the Body of the Church or whether they haue bene cutt of from it I call those Councells Oecumenicall in right which are compounded onely of those partes which haue remayned within the body and Societie of the Church and to whom onely as such belongs the right to iudge in matters of Faith as the Councell of Sardica at the which there assisted not the Bishops of the Patriarkeshipp of Antioch because they were Arrians And the second Councell of Nicea at which the Cophtes that is the naturall Egiptians and Ethiopians assisted not because they were Eutychians Now both these kindes of Councells are of equall authority as concerning certainty in decisions of Religion for all the bodie of the true Church being there representatively both in the one and the other the assistance of the holy Ghost is there equally infallible But in regarde of euidence the authoritie of Oecumenicall Councells in deede is more powerfull and eminent in the behalfe of those men which are deuided from the Church then that of Oecumenicall Councells in right For in Councells Oecumenicall in right there are none but Catholicks that are assured that all the body of the Church is there assembled whereas in Councells Oecumenicall in deede each of the parties cōtesting is of agreemēt that all the Body of the Church is there represented And the medley of hereticall or Schismaticall Bishops that is prouided with the onely succession of the Episcopall character but cut of from the communion of the Bodie of the Church hinders not but that in such councells the holy Ghost may worke by the common note of the Assemblie because the true Church receiuing those Bishops there for the effect then present into her charitie and into her communion while they are ioyned with her to the end to seeke meanes to assemblish vnitie she re-enables and restores to them for the tyme of the assemblie the authoritie of the exercise and of the Iurisdiction of their order whereof before there remayned to them nothing but the character To say then that some of the Councells of the latter age haue not bene Oecumenicall because the Greekes or Ethiopians did not assist there is not a valuable exception vnlesse it first appeare that the Greekes or Ethiopians are true and lawfull partes of the Church and haue not bene iustly cutt off and deuided from the Catholicke communion For it sufficeth to make a Coūcell generall and vniuersall in right that all the partes that remaine actuall within the Body
and their Bishop to the Sea of Constantinople are these the Archbishop of Thessalonica the Archbishop of Syracusa the Archbishop of Corinth the Archbishop of Rhegium the Archbishop of Nicopolis the Archbishop of Athens the 〈◊〉 of Patros And finally it appeares by the testimonie of Zonarus the most famous Canonist of the Greekes who interpreting the words of the Councell of Chalcedon that the Bishop of Constantinople should ordaine but onely the metropolitans of Pontus Asia and Thracia adds for the Diocesses to witt those of Macedonia Thessalia Hellada Peloponesus Epirus and Illyria were at that tymestill subiect to the Bishop of Rome And then if the lawe Omni innouatione cessante had bene executed and that the Prouinces of the Easterne Illyria should haue remayned after that disposed to the Bishop of Constantinople would not the consequence haue bene yet worse for the Popes aduersaries for that Pope Leo the first who was made Pope eighteen yeare after this lawe reproues the Archbishop of Thessalonica his vicar in Illyria because hauing called Atticus Metropolitan of the ancient Epirus and he excusing himself vpon his sicknes and vpon the winters colde he had employed the arme of the Easterne Empire to make him come by force and writt to him Wee haue in such sort committed our Vicarship to thy charitie as thou art called to a part of the care and not to the fulnesse of power And that the Emperor Iustinian being willing to exalt the Bishop of the first Iustinianea of Bulgaria ouer diuers Prouinces of the Easterne Illyria alleadgeth for a reason of his ordinance the definition of Pope Vigilius and not that of the Patriark of Constantinople and constitutes him vicar of the Apostolicke Sea of Rome in these very Prouinces doth it not necessarilie shew that either the lawe of the Emperor Theodosius the second had remained without effect or that the Pope had iurisdiction out of his Patriarship and that before the Councell of Nicea saint CYPRIAN solicited Pope Steuen to write to the Gaules that Marcian Bishop of Arles might be discharged and reproued the same Steuen for that he had vpon a false reporte restored Basilides and Martial Bishop of Spaine deposed for hauing abiured in the persecution time And that a while after the Councell of Nicea Valens Bishop of Murses in Pannonia and Vrsatius Bishop of Singidon in Mysia asked the Popes pardon for the slaunders they had published against saint ATHANASIVS and that Socrates saith that Perigenes Bishop of Patros in Achaya was by the Popes commaundement made Bishop of Corinth And that saint PROSPER writes that Pope Celestine sent Germanus Bishop of Auxera his vicar into Scotland and that the Bishop of Thessalonica had bene from time to time till Pope Leo the first and from Pope Leo the first to the time of Pope GREGORIE the great vicars of the Sea Apostolicke in Macedonian Achaya Epirus and other Greeke Prouinces and not vicars of simple negotiation as Balsamon pretends but Vicars of iurisdiction as Zonarus and the Greeke Emperor Leo more learned and more ancient then hee and the very Epistle of Pope Leo beare witnes shew they not plainely either that the Pope had iurisdiction out of his Patriarkship or that his Patriarkship extended further then the Prouostship of Rome For as for the new Critickes that obiect that the Emperor Valentinian the third commaunded by one of his lawes the prefect of the Cittie that he should banish those which were not in the Popes Communion from the space of an hund red thousand paces about the Cittie of Rome and inferr from thence that the Popes authoritie did then extend but an hundred thousand paces about Rome they shew themselues blinde with two more then Tiresian blindnesses the one not to see that there was difference betweene this that the Emperor Valentinian the third did which was to beare so great a respect to the Popes as not to permit to those that were out of their Communion the very temporall dwelling within the Prouostships of the Cittie of Rome and the consequence that they inferr from it which is to saie that the Popes had not power to exclude those which were not in their communion from the spirituall communion of all the Church And the other not to perceiue that the bound of an hundred thousand paces is fitted to the lawe not because the Popes iurisdiction extended no further but because the ordinarie iurisdiction of the Prouost of the Cittie of Rome to whom the lawe was directed extended no further then ouer the next hundred thousand paces to the Cittie of Rome Otherwise how could saint PROSPER haue said speaking of Pope Celestins proceedinges against Coelestius he commaunded Coelestius should be driuen from the vtmost endes of Italie and how could saint AVSTIN haue written that Pope Innocent and Pope Zosimus condemned Pelagius and Coelestius through all the Christian world and how should the same Emperor Valentinian the third haue said in an other lawe Wee ordaine by a perpetuall sanction that neither to the Bishops of the Gaules nor to those of other prouinces it shall be lawfull against the ancient custome to attempt anie thing without the authoritie of the Reuerend Pope of the eternall Cittie but that to them and to all that be for a lawe that the authoritie of the Sea Apostolick shall haue ordained But why should wee haue recourse to reason to confute that which ruins and destroies it selfe by the proper hippothesis thereof for had not the Cittie of Constantinople bene formed and made by the patterne of the ancient Rome had she not the same offices priuiledges and politicke orders with the ancient Rome from whencet he ancient Rome saith by the mouth of Claudian Cum subito par Roma mihi diuisaque sumpsit Aequales aurora togas Had she not a Senat as Rome had had she not one of the Consulls as Rome had had she not a Prouost of the Cittie whose ordinarie iurisdiction was inclosed within the next hundred thousand paces to the Cittie of Constantinople as Rome had and when they would honor her with spirituall priuiledges and erect her into the title of a Patriarkship did they not rule her by the square and by the modell of the Patriarkship of Rome alleadging that as she was honored with like temporall priuiledges as Rome was so it was reasonable to honor her that is to saie in a Patriarchall degree with like Ecclesiasticall priuiledges If then the Patriarkship of Constantinople were squared by that of Rome and Constantinople had her Prouost of the Cittie whose ordinary iurisdiction was contained within the next hundred thousand paces to the Cittie of Constantinople as well as that of Rome who sees not that either the Patriarchall iurisdiction of the Pope must not be restrained within the ordinary territory of the Prouostship of the Cittie of Rome that is to
saie within an hundred thousand paces next the Cittie of Rome or that the Patriarchall iurisdiction of the Bishop of Constantinople must likewise bee restrained within the ordinarie territorie of the prouost of the Cittie of Constantinople that is to saie within an hundred thousand paces next the Cittie of Constantinople for that Constantius Sonne of Constantine attributed to the Prouost of the Cittie of Constantinople the appeales from the diuisions of Thrace of Pontus and Asia it was not of the ordinary iurisdiction of the Prouostship of the Cittie of Constantinople noe more then the appeales of all the Prouinces of the Empire that the ancient Emperors had attributed to the Prouost of Rome were of the simple and precise ordinary iurisdiction of the Prouostship of the Cittie of Rome By meanes whereof to forme and mould the spirituall authoritie of the Bishop of Constantinople by the patterne and modell of that of the Bishop of Rome it was necessarie either that the spirituall authoritie of the Pope should be extended ouer all that which was of the extraordinarie iurisdiction of the Prouost of the Cittie of Rome or that the spirituall authoritie of the Bishop of Constantinople should be inclosed within the onely boundes of the ordinarie iurisdiction of the Prouost of the Cittie of Constantinople that is to saie within the next hundred thousand paces of the Cittie of Constantinople Now so farr was this from being so that the patriarchall territory of the Bishop of Constantinople was confined within an hundred thousand paces next the Cittie as contrary wise the Patriarckship of Constantinople had for diuision the prouinces of Pontus Thracia Asia minor and the barbarous Prouinces that is to say Russia and Muscouia which contained more ground then all Europe And against this it is not to be said that Constans sonne of Constantine and brother to Constantius had depriued the Prouost of the Cittie of Rome from the right of examining by appeale the causes of all the prouinces and had attributed it to the pretoriall Prouosts For if the Pope had bene squared by the patterne of the prouost of the Cittie of Rome it had bene by the patterne of the prouost of the Cittie of Rome not such as he was since the Empire of Constantine but such as he had bene vnder the Empire of the Predecessors of Constantine Otherwise how had the Councell of Nicea confirmed the ancient prerogatiues of the Bishop of Alexandria in Egipt Lybia and Pentapolis for asmuch rs they were grounded vpon the custome of the Bishop of Rome Moreouer the same lawe of Constans sonne of Constantine which tooke awaie the appeales of the prouinces of Italie from the prouost of the cittie and attributed them to the pretoriall prouost of Italie cōprehended by names Sicilia Sardinia Campania Calabria and Brusse And neuerthelesse it is certaine that these prouinces and particularly Sicilia remained alwaies in the Popes patriarkship as longe as the Latine and Greeke Churches were vnited For those that saie that Sicilia was added to the patriarkship of Constantinople when Iustinian attributed the Secular appeales of Sicilia to the pretor of Constantinople committ two grosse ignorances the one not to knowe that the spirituall iurisdiction of Sycilia was not transferred to the Patriarkship of Constantinople till after the Greeke Emperors infected with the heresie of the Iconoclasts had bene driuen from Rome and in reuenge had depriued the Pope not onely of the exercise of spirituall authoritie but also from the temporall reuenew that he had in Sicilia which remained to them and the other not to perceiue that seeing Sicilia which was out of the ordinary territorie of the Prouost of the Cittie and belonged before the vsurpation of the Vandalls to the Pretoriall Prouost of Italie and since the expulsion of the Vandalls to the Pretor of Constantinople to whom Iustinian had attributed it for as much as when hee re-conquered Sicilia the Gothes still held Italie was of the Popes Patriarkship the Popes authoritie was not then restrained to the onely territory of the Prouostship of the Cittie of Rome for that Sicilia both before and after Iustinian had bene and remayned vnder the Patriarkship of Rome till the tyme of the Iconoclast Emperors wee learne both from the Epistles of saint LEO the first written neere a hundred yeares bofore Iustinian which ordained the Bishops of Sicilia to send euery yeare three Bishops of their prouinciall Synod to Rome the third of the Calends of October and from the Epistles of saint GREGORIE the Great written fiftie yeares after Iustinian whereby he made Maximian Bishop of Syracusa his Vicar ouer all the Churches of Sycilia and from the sixth generall Councell where the Bishops of Sicilia signed amongst the Bishops of the Popes Patriarkship and from the Councell Trullian celebrated vnder Iustinian the second where the description of the Patriarkship of Constantinople was repeated without anie mention of Sicilia and finallie from the very confession of the Greeke Emperor Leo surnamed the Learned who placeth amongst the Churches subtracted from the Sea of Rome and attributed to the Sea of Constantinople the metropolitan Church of Syracusa and all her subalterne Churches And so what remaines but that Ruffinus an author that saint IEROM saith is full of impietie of language and that Ioseph Scalager calls a slanderous and ignorant interpretor and who was so little curious in the stile of the lawyers as hee employed with Lampridius and the other authors of the declination of the latine tongue yea as saint IEROM reproacheth it to him with the vulgar the word parentes to signifie Kinsmen setts therein the adiectiue Suburbicary not according to the speciall vse of the lawyers but according to the etymologie of the word and then that as the generall office of the word vrbs absolutely taken and by excellencie for the Cittie of Rome was to distinguish her from all the Citties subiect to the Roman Empire from whence it is that they called the Bishop of Rome for distinction from all other Bishops the Bishop of the Cittie so Ruffinus by the Churches Suburbicary intends not the Churches within an hundred thousand paces of the Cittie of Rome but the Churches of all the Citties subiect to the Empire of the Cittie of Rome which saint ATHANASIVS calls the Sea Apostolick and Metropolitan of Romania And indeede that Ruffinus in translating or rather in epilogizing the Canon of the Nicean Councell omitts the clause of the Patriarkship of Antioch and translates onely that the Bishop of Alexandria shall haue the care of the Churches of Egipt and 〈◊〉 of Rome that of the Churches Suburbicary is it not a manifest proofe that he vseth these words not in forme of diuision but in forme of Subordination and that this which he saith that the Bishop of Rome should haue the care of the Suburbicary Churches and that which Socrates and Sozomene saie that to the
more then the twenty ninth and thirtith and that it is manifest to haue bene transferred from the history of the acts into the rolle of the Canons which possible is the subiect that hath giuen saint GREGORIE occasion to complaine that the Councell of Chalcedon had bene altered by the Greekes Afterward when Rome was fallen into the seruitude of the northerne nations a people barbarous and hereticall the Patriarkes of Constantinople makeing vse of the oportunitie or rather importunitie of the tyme againe sett forward the instance of this Canon and obtained from the Emperor Zeno who raigned in the East a lawe whereby he confirmed the precedency to the Bishop of Constantinople before the other Patriarkes that is to saie before the other Patriarkes of the East And one from the Emperor Justinian after the recouery of Rome by which he ordained that the Bishop of Constantinople should hold the second place in the Church Wee ordaine said the Emperor Iustinian that the blessed Archbishop of Constantinople new Rome shall haue the second place after the holie Sea Apostolicke of the ancient Rome and shall be preferred before all other Seas From whence it is that Liberatus time-fellowe with Iustinian speaking of the Councell of Chalcedon adds And although the Sea Apostolicke to this daie contradicts this decree neuerthelesse the decree of the Synod doth in some sort remaine by the Emperors protection Now Anatolius had procured that the Clerkes of the Councell of Chalcedon in renewing the Canon of the Councell of Constantinople should insert a word therein For whereas the Councell of Constantinople had simplie ordained that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue the prerogatiues of honor after the Pope those that renewed is added thereto Equall and couched the reuocation of the Canon in these words that the Chaire of Constantinople should haue the prerogatiues equall to that of the ancient Rome and shall haue the same aduantages in Ecclesiasticall causes as she hath being the second after her that is to saie ordained that the same prerogatiues as the Pope had absolutely ouer all Patriarkes the Bishop of Constantinople should haue them after the Pope ouer the other Patriarkes The Bishops of Constantinople then seeing that this Canon not onely granted them to hold the second place after the Bishop of Rome but also to enioy the same priuiledges with him as Constantinople being a diuision of Rome and a second Rome went so farr as to desire to participate in the same titles of honor which had bene yeilded to the Bishop of Rome to possesse them in a second place and in forme of adiunctes and colleagues with him and finding that in the Councell of Chalcedon the title 〈◊〉 or vniuersall had bene offerd to the Bishop of Rome they insisted as second Popes and Bishops of the second Rome to participate therein not in intention to exercise it in regard of the Pope but vnder the Pope and in regard of the other Patriarkes and were openly fauor'd therein by the Emperors For not onely the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder the Emperor Justin predecessor to Iustinian yeilded the title of vniuersall Patriarke to Iohn the third Patriarke of Constantinople but also the Emperor Justinian in the lawe to Epiphanius Patriarke of Constantinople exhibited to him the title of vniuersall Patriarke and after vnder the same Justinian the Councell of Constantinople holden against 〈◊〉 attributed the name of vniuerfall to Menas still after vnder Mauritius Iohn Bishop of Constantinople surnamed the Faster held a kinde of Councell at Constantinople where he began to intitle and inscribe himself Vniuersall Bishop and then the Popes displaied their censures against this title for although the Synods of the East had before this time yeilded the title of vniuersall Bishop to the Bishop of Constantinople neuerthelesse the Bishop of Constantinople had neuer yet presumed to inscribe and subscribe himself Vniuersall Patriarke vntill the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Mauricius the Emperor And therefore the Pope Pelagius the second predecesson to saint GREGORIE abrogated and annulled all the decrees of that Councell except what had bene decided concerning the cause of Gregorie 〈◊〉 of Antioch It hath bene reported to the holy Sea Apostolicke faith Pope Pelagius the second that John Bishop of Constantinople intitles himself Vniuersall and that vpon this presumption of his he hath called you to a generall Councell notwithstanding that the authoritie of calling generall Synods hath bene consigned by a singular priuiledge to the Sea Apostolicke of the blessed Peter And a little after And therefore all that you haue decreed in that noe Synod of yours for Synod so attempted it could not be but a conuenticle I ordaine by the authoritie of the blessed PETER that it be annulled and abrogated And saint GREGORIE successor of the same Pelagius Our predecessor Pelagius of blessed memorie hath disannulled by a sentence intirely valid all the acts of that Synod except what concerned the cause of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch of reuerend memorie When Pope Pelagius was dead and saint GREGORIE his successor establisht in the Popedome the same John Bishop of Constantinople assisted by the fauour of the Emperor Mauricius still continued his challenge and perseuered to attribute to himselfe the qualitie of vniuersall Bishop not to exercise it in the Popes behalfe but to exercise it in the Popes absence and as colleague and adiunct to the Pope in the vniuersalitie ouer the Empire of the East and toward the other Patriarkes For it shall be shewed heereafter that he alwaies acknowledged the Pope for head and stock of the vniuersalitie and for absolutely vniuersall ouer all the Church and did protest himself to be his subiect and inferior and did not pretend to enioy the title of vniuersall but vnder the Pope and by association subalterne and subordinate to the Popes authoritie which was soone after interdicted him by the Emperor Phocas immediate Successor to Mauricius who declared that the title of vniuersall Bishop appertained but to the Bishop of Rome onely and could not be communicated to him of Constantinople And so much of the truth of the history Now let vs come to the obiections which are drawne from it To the first then of these obiections which is that in the Councell of Chalcedon Anatolius packed to be declared equall to the Pope after the Pope wee bring three Answeres The first answere is that he pretended not to be declared equall to the Pope in regard of the Pope but vnder the Pope and in regard of the other Patriarkes that is to saie that he did not pretend to haue like aduantage ouer the Pope as the Pope had ouer him but to haue the same priuiledges ouer the other patriarkes as the Pope had ouer him and them and by this meanes to be equall to the Pope not in regard of the Pope but in regard of the other patriarks And this is testified by the vniuersall historie of
cittie of Constantinople that the Emperor had deputed to maintaine order in the Councell considered so much their owne interest in the challenge of Anatolius esteemeing they might by this meanes still augment the dignitie of their cittie and in such sort imprinted into the spirits of the assistants that it was the desire and passion of the Emperor that the Bishops of the Councell belieued they could not resiste this decree without offending the Emperor and the Senat of Constantinople and all the Imperiall Court of the East as it appeares by the relation of the Bishops of the Councell to the Pope in these words Wee gratifieing the most religious and Christian Emperors who take pleasure in this decree and all the illustrious Senat and in a word all the royall citty haue esteemed it to purpose that this honor should be confirmed by the generall Councell And a little after Wee pray you then to honor our iudgement with your decrees and that as in what concerned the weale we haue brought 〈◊〉 to our head so your soueraigntie may accomplish toward your children what concernes decency for in so doeing the religious Emperors shall be gratified The seauenth nullitie is that Eusebius Bishop of Dorylaus and abettor to Anatolius his Claime vsed a manifest surprise to cause this decree to be approued by the Councell which was to testifie to the Councell that it was agreable to the Pope I haue said Eusebius of Dorylaus voluntarily signed this canon because I haue read it at Rome to the most holie Pope in the presence of the clerkes of Constantinople and he approued it From whence it is that the Bishops of the Councell writt to the Pope in the relation that they addressed to him that it was vpon this foundation that they had proceeded to the confirmation of the decree Wee haue said they taken the 〈◊〉 to confirme it as a thing begun by your Holynesse in fauour of those that you 〈◊〉 alwaies desired to cherish knowing that in whasoeuer children doe well it is referred to their Fathers And neuerthelesse this testimony was a testimonie sull of falsehood and imposture as it appeares both by the instruction that the Pope had consigned to the Legates which bare Suffer not the canon of the holie Fathers to be violated by anie rashnes And a little after And if anie perchance trusting in the power of their owne citties shall attempt to vsurpe anie thinge represse them as agreeth with 〈◊〉 And by the words of the same Leo who writt in the epistle to Maximus If they saie that the bretheren which I haue sent in my steede to the Synod haue done anie thing 〈◊〉 what concernes Faith it shall be no force for as much as they haue bene sent by the Sea Apostolicke to this end onely to roote out heresies and to defend 〈◊〉 And in his epistle to Anatolius Neuer maie my conscience consent that so 〈◊〉 a couetousnesse shall be helped by my fauor but rather that it be suppressed by me and by those that allow not the prowde but consent with the humble The eight nullitie is that when they would proceede to the approbation of the canon the Popes Legates protested a nullitie against it and made their protestation to be registred within the acts of the Councell This appeares first by the verball processe of the Councell where their opposition is couched in these words Wee require your excellence to commaund that the things which were yesterdaie done against the canons in our absence may be cutt of or if not that our contradiction may be inserted into the acts that we may know what wee haue to reporte to the Apostolicke Bishop and to the President of the whole Churches that hee may pronounce the iniurie done to his Sea and to the subuersion of the canons This they added not that this decree gaue anie authority to the Patriarke of Constantinople but after the Pope and in regard of the other Patriarkes but forasmuch as to propound it without the Popes consente who was the protector of the rightes of the other Patriarkes and preseruer of the canons and to make it passe against the opposition of his Legates it was to wound the dignitie of the Sea Apostolicke and to infringe the ancient discipline which annulled the rules of the Church made without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome And secondly it appeares by these words of the Pope to Anatolius Our bretheren sent in behalfe of the Sea Apostolicke which presided in my steede at the Councell resisted pertinently and constantlie to those vnlawfull attempts crying out with a lowd voice that the presumption of a pernicious noueltie might not be exalted against the canons of the Councell of Nicea And their contradiction cannot be doubted since thou thy-self complainest in thy letters that they haue desired to crosse thy enterprise wherein thou dost greatelie recommend them to me but thou accusest thy-selfe for not obeying them And thirdly it appeares by the relation of the Councell itselfe to the Pope which containes these words Daigne most holy and blessed Father to embrace these things for the most holy Bishops Paschasinus and 〈◊〉 and the most religious Priest Boniface holding the place of your Holynesse haue greatlie striued to contradict this rule desiring that such a good might take the intire originall from your prouidence to the end that as the rule of Faith so that of good order might be attributed to you The ninth nullitie is that the Pope insteede of consenting to the request that the Councell solicited by Anatolius and by the Emperor and the Senate had made to him to confirme this canon disannulled abolished it Ioyninge with vs said the Pope in his epistle to the Empresse 〈◊〉 the pietie of your faith wee annull the plotts of the Bishops repugnant to the rules of the holy canons establisht at Nicea and by vertue of the authoritie of the blessed Apostle Peter doe wholie abrogate them by a generall sentence And Pope Gelasius fortie yeares after repeating the same historie That which the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke hath confirmed in the Councell of Chalcedon hath remained in force and what she hath refused could obtaine noe stedfastnesse And onely she hath disannulled that which the Synodicall congregation had adiudged against order should be vsurped And it is not to be said that the Pope abrogated this canon for passion or out of desire to contradict and not in zeale to preserue the right of the other Seas and to maintaine the canons of the Councell of Nicea for the Pope did not abrogate it of his owne motion but hauing bene already prayed before by saint CYRILL Patriarke of Alexandria and since by Maximus Patriarke of Antioch not to permitt that such attempts should take place and that the rights of the Churches setled by the Councell of Nicea should be violated Thy charitie saith Pope Leo in his epistle to Maximus Patriarke
these words Who is it saith hee that doubts but that the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Lord the Emperor and our brother Bishop of the same cittie continuallie protest For as for the illusion of those who to weaken the credit of this passage cauill vpon the word Eusebius which is in the printed copies before these words Bishop of the same cittié and obiect that the Bishop of Constantinople then being was not called Eusebius but Cyriacus I will not stand vpon it to say that there was noe inconuenience in it that Cyriacus might haue had two names and be called Eusebius Cyriacus as Sainct IEROME was called EVSEBIVS IEROME And besides that the word Eusebius might there be taken adiectiuely and signifie pious and religious as when Arrius writt to Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Farewell Eusebius trulie Eusebius that is to saie farewell Eusebius truly Religious It will be a shorte cutt to answere at the first that it is an error of the Exemplarists who of an 〈◊〉 euill written and for that occasion blotted out and written againe haue made Eusebius for the copies of this epistle which had bene currant two hundred yeare after saint GREGORIE read simplie and our brother Bishop of the same cittie without makeing anie mention of 〈◊〉 as is seene by the relation of Amalarius Bishop of Treuers who liued eight hundred yeares agone who inserting into his Booke of the Ecclesiasticall offices this epistle of saint GREGORIE whole and intire from the beginning to the endinge reports the period now in question in these onely words without anie mention of Eusebius for as for that which is spoken of the Church of Constantinople who doubts but it is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Lord the Emperor and our brother the Bishop of the same Towne continually protest And therefore alsoe when the Patriarkes of Constantinople were in anie Synodicall action with the Popes Legates yea within Constantinople it selfe they abstayned from the title of Vniuersall and left it to the Popes Legates alone for their master to the end to shew that they held the Pope for head and stocke of the Vniuersalitie and did repute themselues Vniuersall but in the absence of him or of those that represented him as appeares by the signatures of the third generall Councell of Constantinople which was celebrated vnder Constantine Pogonat in the next age after Sainct GREGORIE wherein the Popes Legates signed in the qualitie of Legats to the vniuersall Pope and the Patriarke of Constantinople in the qualitie of onely Bishop of Constantinople for though the epistle of the Emperor to the Patriark of Constantinople written before the holding of the Councell attributes to him the title of Vniuersall neuerthelesse in the signatures of the Councell the onely Legats of the Pope take the title of Vniuersall for their master and signe in this forme Theodorus humble Priest of the holy Church of Rome and holding the place of the blessed and vniuersall Pope of the cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed George humble Priest of the holy Church of Rome and holdinge the place of the blessed and Vniuersall Pope of the Cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed Iohn humble ` Deacon of the holy Church of Rome and holding the place of the blessed and vniuersall Pope of the Cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed And the Patriarke of Constantinople forbare it and signed thus George by the mercie of God Bishop of Constantinople new Rome I haue voted and subscribed The third Answere is that whatsoeuer was the intention of the Patriarke of Constantinople so farr was hee from doeing anie thinge against the Popes authoritie as contrarywise he confirmed and 〈◊〉 it altogether And that it is so how from this that the Bishop of Constantinople pretended to be vniuersall Bishop because Constantinople had bene associated to the Rights of Rome can it chose but followe that the Bishop of Rome was so primitiuely and originallie For as for those that saie that the Patriarke of Constantinople was called Oecumenicall Bishop in the same sence wherein the other Patriarkes were so called not knowing that there is great difference betweene the word Catholicke Bishop which Nilus attributes to the Patriarkes which signifies generall Bishop of a Region and the word 〈◊〉 Bishop which signifies vniuersall Bishop either of all the Imperiall Orbe or of the particular Orbe of the Empire of Constantinople I will not stand to confute them it shall suffice me to aske them why then the Patriarke of Constantinople neuer gaue the name of vniuersall Patriarke to the other Patriarkes of the East And why the other Patriarkes of the East neuer gaue it one to another but haue yeilded it onely to the Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople And why the Bishops of Constantinople haue stirred vp so many tragedies to participate therein and haue alleadged that Constantinople was the second Rome and ought after her to enioy the same Rights and priuiledges And in briefe it shall sussice me to aske them why then both anciently and euen to this day the Patriarke of Constantinople doth attribute to himself by vertue of his vniuersalitie this aduantage aboue the other Patriarkes of the East to call the generall Councells of the East and to preside in them and to iudge by appeale of the sentences of the other Patriarkes It hath bene reported saith Pope Pelagius in the epistle before alleadged to those of the East to the Sea Apostolicke that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople inscribes himselfe Vniuersall and by vertue of that his presumption hath called you to a generall Councell And the Emperors Constantine and Leo The care and the iudgement of all the Metropolitanships and Bishopricks and of all the Monasteries and Churches appertaine to their proper Patriarke but the Patriarke ol Constantinople may in the territorie of the other Seas when there hath bene noe precedent consecration plant the Crosse and not onelie soe but also may decide and determine the controuersies bredd ' in the other Seas And Nilus The twentie eight canon of the Councell of Chalcedon and the thirtith six of the sixth Councell honoring the Sea of Constantinople with like priuiledges to that of Rome graunt also manifestly the appeales to that of Constantinople And Balsamon This priuiledge is not giuen to the Pope alone to witt that euerie condemned Bishop should haue recourse to the Sea of Rome but it ought also to be vnderstood of the Patriarke of Constantinople And elsewhere that which neuerthelesse is but a claime bredd amongst the Greekes since the schisme The fifteenth canon of the councell of Antioch was abolished by the fourth Canon of the councell of Sardica or at least is to be vnderstood of the Synods which are subiect to noe appeale as those of the Pope and of the Patriarke of Constantinople For as for the place of Photius from whence they
was not Pope Siluester that sent him to the Emperor into the East to prouide for the trouble of Arrius whereof the Bishop of Alexandria had written to the same Siluester and to 〈◊〉 the Emperor to interpose his authoritie and that what remaines to vs from the 〈◊〉 of the Ecclesiasticall history more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first 〈◊〉 of the Emperors to note their actions then those of the Popes to the end to strengthen the Church with the temporall authoritie of the Empire hath not past it ouer in 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who can 〈◊〉 vs that the same Eusebius with an 〈◊〉 malice as being an Arrian and for that cause an Enemie to the Roman Church hath not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as he dissembled that Alexander 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the relation of the trouble of the Church of 〈◊〉 to Pope 〈◊〉 and an other relatiō 〈◊〉 the circular letters addressed to the 〈◊〉 Bishops of the East as it appeares from the number and the degrees of those that were excommunicated where of there is mention 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee learne euidently 〈◊〉 Pope 〈◊〉 who writes to the Emperor Constantius Wee haue 〈◊〉 in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Siluester of holy memory and 〈◊〉 from saint 〈◊〉 Patriarke of the same place of 〈◊〉 who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pope CELESTINE The longe 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me to communicate those things to your 〈◊〉 The Fathers of the third 〈◊〉 Councell of Constantinople which was the 〈◊〉 generall Councell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which liued neere a thousand yeare agoe and had read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ecclesiasticall histories that the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 robbed from vs and in whose cares there sounded yet the memory of the acts of the Councell of Nicea doe not 〈◊〉 throughly 〈◊〉 that not onely the Emperor Constantine but also Pope 〈◊〉 wrought for the 〈◊〉 of this Councell when they 〈◊〉 The most sacred 〈◊〉 and the famous 〈◊〉 called the great and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Councell at Nicea And doth not the analogie of the historie informe vs that the Pope before the celebration of the Coūcell of Nicea must 〈◊〉 haue holden a 〈◊〉 Councell of the westerne Church that is to 〈◊〉 a Councell compounded of the deputies from the particular 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 Prouinces to send by delegates carrying the 〈◊〉 of that Councell the sence of all the westerne Church to the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 as it was done when there was question of holding the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Otherwise how had the Councell of 〈◊〉 which was compounded but onely of the Easterne Prouinces and where there were but 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Bishops of all the west bene originallie 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 I say originally and not by accession as that of 〈◊〉 if some one of them had not bene deputed to 〈◊〉 the voice of all the westerne Church And which of those Bishops 〈◊〉 it 〈◊〉 except Osius who onely had his 〈◊〉 with the Popes 〈◊〉 before the heads of all the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if the authors of the 〈◊〉 all historie for the most part 〈◊〉 which remaine to vs haue spoken of noe Councell of the West preambulary to that of 〈◊〉 what 〈◊〉 is it 〈◊〉 that of the Councell of Capua that the Councell of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generall Coucell and that saint AMBROSE describes as assembled from all the partes of the world and for the affaires of the East there is found noe author of the ancient Ecclesiasticall historie that speakes a word And if Eusebius aud those that haue followed him haue made noe memorie of the Councell of the West holden for the preparation of the Councell of Nicea what meruaile is it if they haue made noe mention of the deputation of the Bishop sent from the Pope and the Councell of the West to represent their person at the Councell of Nicea Wee finde indeede that Eusebius Bishop of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Italie and Lucifer Bishop of 〈◊〉 in Sardinia two Bishops of the Popes Patriarkship where 〈◊〉 into the East and that at the issue of their banishment one of them to wit Lucifer created in Syria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and assisted by one of his deacons at the Councell of Alexandria holden for the restitution of the Churches And the other to witt Eusebius assisted there in person but that they bare the qualitie of the Popes Legates when they were banisht into the East or since wee finde nothing in all the Grecian antiquitie And neuerthelesse saint IEROM describing the life of Lucifer saith Lucifer Bishop of Calaris sent Legat for the faith with Pancratius and Hyllarius Clerkes of the Roman Church by the Bishop Liberius to Constantius because he would not vnder the name of Athanasius condemne the Faith of Nicea was banisht into Palestina And describing that of Eusebius Eusebius saith hee made from a Lecturer in the Roman Church Bishop of Vercelles was for the confession of his faith 〈◊〉 by the Emperor Constantius to Scythopolis and from thence to Cappadocia And saint HILLARIE describing the Councell of Millan from whence they where both sent into the East by Constantius Eusebius Bishop of 〈◊〉 saith hee is there with the clerks of Rome and Lucifer Bishop of Sardinia And Liberius himself in an Epistle to the Emperor Constantius which remaines to vs in the workes of Lucifer I haue said hee sent to you my holie Brother and fellow-bishop Lucifer with Pancratius my fellow-Priest and Hillary Deacon And Nicetas a graue Greeke Author and who had seene manie Ecclesiasticall histories that tyme hath enuied to vs expounding these words of saint GREGORIE Nazianzene There were at Cesarea in Coppadocia Bishops of the west which drew all that were orthodoxall to them add's These Bishops were Lucifer and Eusebius who had bene sent from Rome And why then as all the ancient Greekes cōcealed the deputation of 〈◊〉 and Eusebius Bishops of Uercelles from the Pope to the Emperor Constantius so could not Eusebius and those that haue followed him conceale the deputation of Osius from the Pope be it to the Emperor Constantine or be it to the Church of Alexandria And if from this that Eusebius notes not that Osius whom in hate to Catholicke doctrine he vouchsafes not so much as to name in all the historie of the life of Constantine was sent by the Emperor into Egipt as the Popes legate or from this that hee doth not relate that Osius assisted at the Councell of Nicea as the Popes Legat 〈◊〉 doe ensue that it was not in the qualitie of the Popes legate that Osius presided at the Councell of Nicea must wee not conclude by the same meanes that he presided not there at all for Eusebius saith not that Osius presided at the Councell of Nicea he onely saith that he sate there with manie others From Spaine itselfe said hee there was one verie famous Bishop sett with manie others Two onely historians doe informe vs
of it the one is Socrates who saith after saint ATHANASIVS At this Councell assisted Osius Bishop of Cordula Uito and Uincentius Priests The other Dalmatius of the same tyme with Socrates who writes and Galatius of Cyzica fiftie yeares after him At this Councell assisted Osius Legat of the Bishop of Great Rome Siluester with the Priests Uito and Uincentius but as for Eusebius hee saith thereof nothing at all contrariwise hee affirmes cleerelie that the Priests of the Bishop of Rome whom he reserues to name last as the seale and the Crowne of the Councell held there the ranke of their Bishop The Bishop of the cittie regnant saith hee assisted not there because of his age but his priests kept his ranke there Now by what arithmeticke could the priests of the Roman Church keepe there the ranke of the Bishop of Rome if Osius possessed the first place otherwise then in the qualitie of their Colleague and filling vp one selfesame place with them Moreouer howe had not the Patriarkes of Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem lost at the Councell of Nicea their rightes of the second third and fowrth Seates in the Councells against the expresse protestation that the Councell of Nicea made to preserue their priuiledges if Osius Uito and Uincentius had held diuers places there and not one and the same place And how had the Councell of Constantinople celebrated in the same age that the Grecians call the second generall Councell when they would erect Constantinople into a Patriarkship ordained that the Patriarke of Constantinople should hold the second place after the Bishop of Rome if in the first generall Councell the Bishop of Rome had not held the first place And how could the legates of the Pope in the Councell of Chalcedon haue complained that Dioscorus had presumed to vndertake to preside in a pretended generall Councell without the Popes authoritie which had neuer bene lawfull nor euer had bene done if Osius had presided in the Councell of Nicea without the Popes authoritie And how could the Emperor Iustinian haue said Wee decree following all the sower holie Concells that the most holy Pope of olde Rome be the first of all the Prelates if in the first of all the generall Councells a simple Bishop of Spaine had bene the first otherwise then in the qualitie of delegate by the Pope And finallie how came it that an Action so irregular as that by which a man who was neither Metropolitan nor Patriarke had preceded all the Patriarkes of the East and euen in the East was not noted amongst the extraordinary examples of antiquitie And how came it not to speake of the interest of the Patriarkes that Theognis Bishop of Nicea the Cittie wherein the Councell was celebrated and Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia head of the Arrian faction and Metropolitan of the Prouince of Bithinia wherein the Councell was holden and Bishop of the Seate of the Emperors in the East did not oppose it as well as when Fortunius Archbishop of Carthage was at Constantinople the Metropolitans subiect to the Patriarkship of Constantinople opposed this that the Archbishop of Carthage should haue caused the acts of the second generall Councell of Constantinople to be searched to see what place the legate of Primosus Archbishop of Carthage had there And how chanced it that they and the other Arrians who after the death of Constantine and Constans the Catholicke brothers to Constantius the hereticall Emperor stirred heauen and earth to reuerse the auctoritie of the Conncells of Nicea and Sardica could not alleage for a meanes of nullitie that Osius had presided irregularly in the one and the other if he had presided otherwise then as representing the person of him to whom the right to preside did appertaine But the question in the matter that Caluin propounds is not betweene the Pope and Osius who at least was one of the Suffragans or reare Suffragans of the Pope that is to saie one of the Bishops of the Popes Patriarchall diuision And by consequence what ranke soeuer he held it could not tend to the Popes preiudice For were it that the Pope sent him from the West into the East with the title of legat or were it that being alreadie there the Pope had chosen and designed him by letters to represent his person or were it that neither the one nor the other had chanced but that being at the Councell he had bene intreated as the most ancient Bishop there present of the Popes Patriarkship to ioyne himselfo with his deputies to helpe them to present him it could be noe waie to the disaduantage of his Patriarke It is betweene the Pope and the other patriarks and consists in this whether at the Councell of Nicea the Popes deputies were sett after the other three patriarks or before them Now of this ATHANASIVS and Socrates put vs out of doubt when they saie that the order of the Councell was Osius Bishop of Corduba Vito and Uincentius priests Alexander of Egipt Eustachius Patriarke of great Antioch and Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem For to this that Eustachius Patriarke of Anthioch or as others saie Eusebius Archbishop of Cesarea made the oration of the Councell to the Em peror and was sett at the head of the Bishops on the rigth hand in respect of the Emperor to whom his speeche was directed it sufficeth to answere two things the one that the highest qualified were not chosen to preach the oration but the most eloquent amongst whom Eustachius that Sozomene calls admirable in eloquence held the first ranke And the other that the right hand at the coming in and reckoning from the place where Constantine was who had his backe turned towards the doore and his face to the Fathers at the first incounter of whom in coming from the doore he staied was not the most honorable place in the Councell but the right hand at goeing forth and to reckon from the place where the Ghospell was sett as appeares by the order of the Councell of Chabcedon and of the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas where the Presidents were sett at the left hand from the side where they came in which was the right hand from the side of the Ghospell and the others at the right hand Of the order of the sittings in the first Councell of Epehsus CHAPT IX THE second obiection of Caluin is taken from the first Councell of Ephesus and couched by him in these wordes Att the first Councell of Ephesus saith Caluin Pope Celestin vsed an oblique practise praying saint CYLILL Bishop of Alexandria who otherwise was to preside there to hold his place And the Popes Ambassadors were there in an inferior place But with what oblique faith was this done For first Pope Celestine had made saint CYRILL Patriarke of ALEXANDRIA his Vicar in the East before anie Councell was spoken of to be kept at Ephesus and had giuen him commission to
them by sight would not so much as admitt into his presence Anthymus transgressor of the canons but iustly deposed him from the Episcopall Sea of this cittie And a little after After the Bishops of Palestina assembled in this cittie and the other Easterne Bishops that is to saie of the Patriarkships of Antioch and Ierusalem and the deputies of the others Bishops and we did againe present petitions touching Anthymus and the other hereticks and demaunded that Anthymus should certifie his belieue by libell to the Sea Apostolicke and should purge himself from all hereticall errors and in this case should returne to the Church of Trebisonde or if he would not doe it that he should be finallie condemned and deposed from all sacerdot all dignitie and action And a little beneath These our iust requests the same most holy personage to witt Agapet preuenting them and seeing Anthymus had failed to appeare he condemned him with the foresaid hereticks and despoyled him of all office and dignitie sacerdot all and of all title orthodoxall euen till the pennance of his errors And the Fathers of the Councell itself in the sentence of the Synod The blessed Pope Agapet of most holie aud happie memorie settinge with God his hand to the sacred canons deposed Anthymus from the Sea which appartained not to him pardonning those which had participated or communicated in this act that is to saie Peter Patriarke of Jerusalem and other of the East And a little after But because that euen in doctrine Anthymus was burdened with infinite accusations and that manie petitions and supplications were presented against him and by diuers reuerend personages to a most religious Emperor and to the most blessed Pope the same most blessed Pope after much paine taken with a fatherly care to call backe his soule c. pronounced a sentence by writinge against him full of clemencie and seemely holynesse grauntinge him time of repentance and ordaining that till he had changed his opinion and satisfied the doctrines canonically defined by the Fathers hee should neither haue the title of a Catholicke nor a Prelate From whence it appeares that the Pope had made two diuers depositions of Anthymus and in two differinge tymes one from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and that grounded vpon discipline because against the canons Anthymus was exalted from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond to the Patriarkship of Constantinople And the other from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond which had bene reserued to him by the deposition from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and that grounded vpon doctrine because Anthymus was accused and defamed for heresie But the difference that was betweene these two depositions was that the first I meane that from the Patriarkship of Constantinople was absolute and definitiue and made and perfected by the Pope without the helping hand of anie Councell For whereas within the petition of the Bishops of the Patriarkships of Antioch and Jerusalem to the Pope the latine interpreter hath vnaptly translated Exossauimus Anthymum you must saie you haue cast forth Anthymus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it appeares by this that follows And our Emperor hath participated in your good worke And the second to wit that from the Bishopricke of Trebisond was by prouision and conditionall and tempered with this clause vntill pennance which left the sentence depending and subiect to reuocation in case that Anthymus should appeare and purge himselfe of heresie Now the Pope died before he had leasure to attend whether Anthimus would come to repentance and purge himself both of the contempt and of the heresie which was imputed to him For this cause then the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas takinge it vp where the Pope left it and making an end to fulfill all the formalities required to cleere the doubt of the condition cited Anthymus againe and seeing he appeared not executed the second sentence of the Pope against him and deposed him from the Bishopricke of Trebizond and from all Sacerdotall and Catholicke title but without touching in anie sorte the deposition alreadie made and perfected from the Patriarkship of Constantinople Weé saie the Fathers of the Councell followinge those thinges well examined by the blessed Pope ordaine that he shall be cast out of the bodie of the holy Church of God and despoyled of the Bishopricke of Trebizond and depriued of all Sacerdotall dignitie and action and according to the sentence of the most holy Pope of the appellation of Catholicke For whereas the narration of the sentence of the Councell the lawe of Iustinian reporting the historie of the same sentence places amongst the causes of Anthymus deposition the transgression that he had made of the Canons in vsurping the Sea of Constantinople that makes nothinge toward inferringe that the deposition that the Councell decreed against him should be the deposition of the Patriarkship of Constantinople forasmuch as the Councell reported the memory of this vsurpation not to depose him then from the Patriarkship of Constantinople from which the same Councell testifies that he had already bene entirely excluded but to aggrauate the crime for which it would depose him from the Archbishoprike of Trebizond to witt heresie by a commemoration of his fore goeing crimes as it appeares both from the disposition of the sentence of the same Councell and from that of the sentence of Menas who presided there and from the repetition which was made of it in the Councell of Ierusalem holden vnder Peter Patriarke of Ierusalem In all which places there is nothing spoken of but the deposition of Anthymus from the Archbishopricke of Trebizond and not from that of the Patriarkship of Constantinople And indeede how could the Councell of Constantinople where Menas presided touch the deposition of Anthymus from the Patriarkship of Constantinople and Menas vote there in qualitie of Patriarke of Constantinople since Menas had bene promoted to the Patriarkship of Constantinople by the deposition of Anthymus For of this all the ancient monuments are of agreement Agapet saie the Syrians to the Emperor hath iustly deposed Anthymus from the Episcopall Sea of the cittie of Constantinople and with the helpe of your Imperiall authoritie cooperatinge and lendinge a hand to the diuine canons haue proposed the holy Menas to the same Church And Marcellinus Comes of the same time with Menas Agapet beinge come from Rome to Constantinople draue awaie soone after his arriuall Anthymus from the Church sayinge that accordinge to the Ecclesiasticall rule he was an adulterer because he had left his Church and had packt for another and ordained the Priest Menas Bishop in his place And Liberatus of the same time with Marcellinus The Empresse promisinge in secrett great presents to the Pope if he would suffer Anthymus in his Sea and on the other side tempting him with threates the Pope persisted in not harkninge to her request and Anthymus seeinge hee was
of Tunes time-fellowe of them both recites the same historie but after Siluerius being dead and Vigilius hauing bene for the good of peace accepted by the election of the clergie of Rome he became true Pope and then so farr was he from communicating with Anthymus that contrarywise he rather chose to suffer all kinde of disgraces then to consent to it yea he went so farr as to condemne the same Empresse who had exalted him to the Papacy as S. GREGORIE testifies in these words The Pope Uigilius constituted in the royall cittie that is to saie at Constantinople published a sentence of condémnaiion against Theodor a then 〈◊〉 and against the Acephales This then was the cause why Uigilius assisted not at the fift Councell but if he had assisted there who doubtes but he had presided since the letters that Eutychius Patriarke of Constantinople writt to him to obtaine the celebration of the Councell imported thus much Wee require that your Blessednesse presiding ouer vs vnder the Sacerdotall tranquilitie and meekenes the holie Ghospell being sett in the middle which was a forme of obligation by oath to vote according to conscience the three chapters which are in question may bee examined Well doe I knowe that the minister Iunius would correct these words presidente nobis vestrâ be atitudine and change them into these 〈◊〉 nobiscum vestrâ be atitudine But who seeth not this is a corruption and noe correction For besides that this clause vnder the Sacerdotall quiet and peace presuppose presidency and not simple residency doth not the Pope repeate the request of Eutychius in these words Your brotherhood hath required that we presiding vobis praesidentibus the three chapters might be examined And after when the Councell deputed all the Patriarkes who were there in person Eutychius Patriarke of Constantinople Apollinarius Patriarke of Alexandria Domnus Patriarke of Antioch and seauenteene of the principall Metropolitans with them to the Pope to beseeche him to assist at the Councell is it not enough to testifie that they acknowledged the Pope for the Chiefe of the Patriarkes and that if he had assisted at the Councell he had presided there And when the Emperor 〈◊〉 writes to the Bishops of the Councell of Mopsuestia that they should informe what had past about the 〈◊〉 of the name of 〈◊〉 of Mopsuestia from the recordes of his Church and adds And sendes two 〈◊〉 thereof one to vs and the other to the most holy Pope Is not this enough to testifie that if the Pope had bène at the Councell he had presided there And when the fift Councell itselfe inserts within the acts thereof the relation of the Councell of Mopsuestia to the Pope and inrolles it in thesé words They made also a relation to the most holie Pope Vigilius which 〈◊〉 these words It is verie conuenient ô most holies so called they the Pope in the plurall number to giue him the more respect since you holde the first 〈◊〉 of the priesthood that those things which concerne the state of the holy 〈◊〉 should be represented to your diuinely honored Blessednesse Is it not enough to testifie that the Pope had primacie ouer all the other Bishops and that if he had 〈◊〉 at the 〈◊〉 he had presided there And when Marcellinus Comes an author of the same age saith that within the cathedrall Church of Constantinople where the Patriarke of Constantinople should principallie keepe his ranke Pope Iohn predecessor to Agapet was sett at the right hand that is to saie at the right hand in regard of the 〈◊〉 and within the right Tribunall of the Church dexter dextro insedit Ecclesia solio And if wee belieue Nicephorus in a 〈◊〉 eminent and exalted Is not this enough to shewe that if the Pope had assisted at the councell of Constantinople he had presided there And when the Greeke historians reporte that Macedonius Patriark of Constantinople who liued forty yeares 〈◊〉 the fift generall Councell findinge himself pressed by the Emperor Anastasius to blott out of the recordes of his Church the name of the coūcell of Chalcedon answered That he could not doe it without a generall 〈◊〉 wherein the Bishop of great Rome should 〈◊〉 Is not this enough to testifie that if the Pope Vigilius had assisted at the Councell he had presided there And when the Emperor Iustinian himself who caused the Councell to be celebrated saith Wee ordaine according to the definitions of the fower holie Councells that the most holie Pope of old Rome should be first of all the Prelates and that the 〈◊〉 Archbishop of Constantinople should be the second after the holy Sea Apostolicke of old Rome and should precede all the other Seas And elsewhere The Pope is the head of all the holie 〈◊〉 of God Is it not enough to shew that if the Pope had bene at the Councell he had presided there But the Councell 〈◊〉 the Popes aduersaries was celebrated notwithstanding the Pope was neither at it by himselfe nor by his deputies It is true forasmuch as the Fathers of the Councell had alreadie drawne a writing from the Pope whereby he had promised them to consent to the holding of a regular Councell that is to saie compleate and to assist at it Wee agree said hee that assembling a regular Councell equitie being obserued and the sacred holy Ghospells being sett in the middle we vnited with our bretheren will conferr of the three chapters But those that make this obseruation add yet fiue more to it the first that it was not held for generall but since the Pope confirmed it that while it was celebrated although all the other Patriarkes assisted at it either personally or representatiuely in anie of the acts it neuer tooke the title of Generall Uigilius saie the Fathers of the sixth generall Councell consented to 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 Councell was established The second that howsoeuer Pope Vigilius refused to be there although he was in Constantinople itselfe and vnder Iustinians halberds the Councell neuer past to proceede against him The third that the great African light Primasius Bishop of Adrumeta whose writinges doe to this day illustrate the Catholicke Church being within Constantinople and being cited by the Councell to assist at it preferred the Popes authoritie before the citations of the Councell answered those that summond him from the Councell The Pope not being there present I will not goe The fourth that the strongest and last persuasion that the Emperor vsed to the councell to dispose them to the condemnation of the three chapters was to send them particular writinges of Pope Uigilius whereby he had condemned them And the fifth that till three or fower Popes after Vigilius whose intention was a long while called in question Pelagius S. GREGORIE and Sergius had confirmed this councell there were both in the West and East so many schismes and oppositions against it and so manie
called by him or at his instance but for 〈◊〉 much as that Councell which was a particular Councell had vndertaken as compounded of Arrian Bishops who violated all order and discipline to decide things that concerned the vniuersall Church ordayning in hate to saint ATHANASIVS That euery Bishop that after he had bene deposed by a Synod should continue still to performe episcopall functions without hauing bene first reestablisht by an other greater Synod should be incapable of restitution and that the lawes of the Church bore that there could noe decrees be made in the Churches that is to saie as Caluin himself interprets it for things regarding the vniuersall Church without the Sentence of the Bishop of Rome he reproacheth it to them that they had exceeded the power of a particular Councell That is to saie had decided the affaires which concerned the generall gouernement of the Church without hauing inuited him to assiste at it either by himself or by his Legats A thing that if we were stript of all other argumentes would sufficiently shewe the Popes authoritie for if the absence of the Pope alone and not of anie other Patriarke or Metropolitan were an impediment to the makeing of decrees to oblige the vniuersall Church how can it bee but the Pope must be head of the Church and Superior of the other Patriarkes To the third obiection which is that saint IEROM speaking of a certaine Councell holden amongst the Gaules cryes What Emperor hath commaunded this Synod to he assembled From whence they inferre that the Emperors onely called the generall Councells Wee answere it is a very Sophisme for the Councell whereof saint IEROM spake was not a generall Councell but a particular that Ruffinus pretends to haue bene holden in Gaule against saint HILLARY Nowe wee agree of all sides and Caluin himselfe confesses it that the Metropolitans Primates and Patriarkes called particular Councells And the Councells of the westerne Church holden at Rome by Pope DAMASVS in the tyme of the heresie of the Macedonians by Pope Celestine against the heresie of the Nestorians by Pope LEO against the heresie of the Eutychians by Pope Agatho against the heresie of the Monothelites inforced the most obstinate to confesse that the Pope if not as head of the vniuersall Church yet at least as Patriarke of the West called the Patriarchall Councells of the westerne Church and not onely called the Patriarchall Councells of the Westerne Church but alsoe when there was neede caused to be called extraordinarily the nationall or prouinciall Coūcells of such a Natiō or Prouince of the West as he thought to be necessarie as it appeares for Africa frō these wordos S. AVGVSTINE The Ecclesiasticall necessitie enioyned vs by the Reuerēd Pope Zosime Bishop of the Sea Apostolicke had drawne vs to Caesaria And for Macedonia Achaia and Thessalia from these of Pope LEO to Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica his Legat in those prouinces If There be anie maior cause moued for which it shal be necessarie to cause an Episcopall assemblie to be called let it suffice thee to call two Bishops of euery Prouince such as the Metropolitans shall choose And for Spaine from these of the same LEO Wee haue sent letters to our bretheren and fellow Bishops of Arragon of Carthagena of Portugall and of Galitia and baue declared to them the assemblie of a generall Councell that is to saie generall for Spaine In which place they must not cauill vpon the word Councell and conuert it into Counsell For the first Councell of Bracara reporting the same historie saith By the commaundement of Leo the Bishops of Arragon Carthagena Portugall and Andaluzia held a Councell amongst them But besides the spirituall authoritie were it of Metropolitans Primates and Patriarkes for the calling of particular Councells be it of the Popes as wee pretend for the calling of generall Councells the temporall authoritie of the Emperors was alsoe requisite aswell to auoid state iealousies and hinder suspitions of conspiracies against the Empire as to take order for the Charge of transportations Staples and prouisions and to furnish the costes of the voyages which the Churches then newlie out of the persecution of the Pagans could yet hardlie beare And therefore when there was question of calling not onely generall Councells of all the Earth but alsoe the generall Councell of the Westerne Church the temporall authoritie of the Emperors concurred with the Spirituall authoritie of Popes for the execution of the conuocation The Emperor Valentinian saith Pope Sixtus the third tymefellowe to saint CYRILL hath commaunded by our authority that the Synod should be called And when there was question of calling Nationall Synods if it were within the countries of the Empire the authoritie of Emperors or of their lieuetenans was allso required and if it were within the ecclipsed countries or not depending from the Empire that of the Kings of the nations where it was to be celebrated must be ioyned thereto as when the first Councell of Bracara in Spaine was called it is said it was called by the commaundement of the glorious King Ariamira or according to others Theodomina And when the second Councell of Tours speakes of the first Councell of Orleans holden vnder Clouis it is said it was done at the request of the most inuincible king Clouis And when the second Councell of Mascon was holden vnder King Gontran it was ordained that the ordinarie Nationall Councells should be celebrated from three yeare to three yeare and that the care to cause them to be assembled appertained to the Bishop of Lion and the disposition to the most magnificent Prince Now if the temporall conuocation of Nationall Councells made by the Emperors or by the Princes of the Nations were 〈◊〉 impediment but that the spirituall conuocation of the same Councells might be due to the Primats of the Nations Why should the temporall conuocation of generall Councells made by the Emperor be an impediment why the authoritie to call them spiritually that is to saie in behalfe of spirituall and ecclesiasticall power might not belong to the Pope For that then as we haue newlie said the authoritie of Emperors was necessary and 〈◊〉 to make the decisions of Councells executorie by the Secular arme and by the ministers and officers of temporall iustice who otherwise would not haue labored to punish corporallie those that should contradict And that is the cause wherefore the Fathers of the Councells were soe carefull to sett this title in the forefront of their acts The most holie and generall Councell called by the authoritie of the most religious Emperor to the end to make their decrees executorie temporallie and by the ministrie of the Secular Tribunall but not to make them obligatorie in conscience and spirituallie For when was it saith saint ATHANASIVS that the iudgement of the Church hath euer taken authoritie from the Emperor And indeede who can doubt but that
if there had bene any generall Councell holden vnder the Pagan Emperors the Christians had bene obliged in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church though it had not bene called by them And that if the Turke should euer make himselfe vniuersall monarch of the world and that there should be a generall Councell holden vnder 〈◊〉 Empire the Christians should be obliged in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church though it were not called by him And then if the authoritie necessarie to make generall Councells obligatorie in conscience ought to be perpetuall and alwaies to haue place how can that be by imperiall authoritie which hath bene deuided into soe manie parcells as at this daie in a manner the least part of it belonges to the Empire For the conuocation of the pluralitie dispersed must depend from an vnitie and from an vnitie that hath authoritie ouer euerie indiuiduall of the pluralitie as the ancient Emperors themselues acknowledged that of the Pope to be when they ordayned That euery Bishop that being called to the Popes iudgment should 〈◊〉 to come should be constrained by the Gouernor of the Prouince to appeare And therefore as often as our aduersaries crie out such an Emperor called such or such a Councell so often they loose their tyme and their labour For wee are agreed that whilst the Emperors were Monarchs of the world or of the greater part of the world they called them all in regard of temporall authoritie but we saie besides the secular authoritie of the Emperor which was necessarie to make the conuocations of Councells authenticall temporally must an other authoritie interuene to witt a spirituall and ecclesiasticall authoritie to make it lawfull and authenticall spirituallle and to make that the Councells may be said to be called from God and obligatorie in conscience and to the Spirituall Tribunall of the Church Now that we maintaine to haue bene the authoritie of him who was the principle center of ecclesiasticall vnitie and the head of all the Bishops and without whose sentence it was vnlawfull to make definitiue lawes in the Church to witt the Pope whose authoritie for this regard ought to concurr with the authoritie of the Emperors either actuallie or virtuallie I said either actuallie or virtuallie for as much as it sufficed for the spirituall validitie of the conuocation of Councells that the Popes did either call them or cause them to be called or approued their conuocation For when the Emperors called them either at the Popes instance or with the consent and approbation of the Pope the spirituall conuocation of the Pope was alwaies reputed to interuene as also the Catholicke Emperors and which abstained from tyranizing ouer the Church neuer called them but whē the Pope required it of them or they required it of the Pope And when they were required by the Pope they were alwaies readie to call them although that for the places where they should be celebrated the Emperors because of the commodities or incommodities of the State reserued the election to themselues For whereas the Emperor Constantius refused Pope Liberius who demaunded of him that a generall Councell might be holden for saint ATHANASIVS cause it was the refusall of an Arrian Emperor noe lesse an enemie to the Sonn of God then to saint ATHANASIVS And whereas the Emperor Arcadius refused Pope Innocent who sent saith Sozomene fiue Bishops and two priests of the Roman Church to the Emperors to demaund of them a Councell for the cause of saint Chrisostome and sent saint CHRISOSTOME into a more remote banishment it wasatyrannicall act of an Emperor possest by the Enemies of this holy man For this then the temporall conuocation of the Emperors was necessary to wit that the ministers of the Empire who were obliged by the politicke and imperiall lawes not to suffer anie assemblies without the Emperors permission should not hinder them that the Estate should haue noe colour of iealousies and that the officers of the cittie should furnish the charges Staples and transportations of the Bishops and that the Councells should be kept at the expences of the imperiall Exchequer and that finallie the decrees of Councells might be obligatorie to the secular Tribunall and executory temporallie and by the Ministrie of the politicke Magistrate but not that the conuocation of the Emperors was of the essence of the Councell as that of the Popes was nor serued to make them obligatorie in conscience and to the spirituall Tribunall of the Church noe more then the Presidency of the same Emperors at the Councells either by themselues or their Officers was of the essence of the Councells as that of the Pope was but onely for comelynes and ornament and for keepeing order and temporall policie witnes this language of the Councell of 〈◊〉 to Pope LEO the first Thou didst preside by thy legates in the Councell as the head to the members and the Emperors presided there for seemelynesse and ornament striuing with thee as Zorobabel with Iesus to renew in doctrine the building the Ierusalem of the Church For what meanes this comparison of Pope LEO with Iesus high Priest of the Iewish lawe and of the Emperor Marcian with Zorobabel Prince of the Iewish people but that there was like analogie in Christian Religions betweene the Pope and the Emperor for the holding of Councells as there was in the Iewish Church betweene the high Priest which was Iesus and the Prince of the people which was Zorobabel for the building of the Temple that is to saie that the one to witt the Pope should concurr there as head of the Priesthood and spirituall iurisdiction and the other to witt the Emperor should concurr there as head of the politicke and temporall iurisdiction and therefore when there is question of the calling of Councells there must be a distinction betweene the spirituall calling of Councells and the temporall calling of Councells that is to saie betweene the conuocation necessarie to make their assemblie authenticall temporallie and the conuocation necessarie to make their assemblie authenticall in conscience and spirituallie In the first case there was nothing to be determined betweene the Popes and the Emperors for none doubtes but the authoritie necessarie to call generall Councells temporallie and to make them executory by the secular arme was the authoritie of the Emperors noe more then at this daye anie doubtes but the authority necessary to make the conuocation of Nationall Councells authenticall temporally must be that of the Kings or Princes within whose estates they are to be holden In the second case there was yet lesse for as much as it is euident that the authoritie necessarie to legitimate in conscience the conuocation of Councells and to make them obligatorie spirituallie must be a spirituall and ecclesiasticall authoritie a temporall Magistrate not being able to conferr anie spirituall authoritie to Councells And indeede when the Emperors haue pretended
it is a comparitiue of positiue signification which hath noe other meaning but lesse then it should be that is to saie little or not great enough as when the same S. CYPRIAN writeh in the Epistle to Antonius If the number of Bishops resident in Africa seemed lesse sufficiēt that is to saie not enough sufficient And the other that if it were a comparison of the comparatiue signification it should noe more haue reference to the Roman Church but to these wordes paucis desperatis perditis interpreting them in the ablatiue and not in the datiue and translating the period in this sence If it be not peraduenture that the authoritie of the Bishops constituted in Asrica who had alreadie iudged of them be esteemed lesse then a small number of desperate and lost men it seemes that the continuance of the period doth afterward declare which compares the number of the Bishops of Africa who had iudged of Fortunatus with those that tooke part with Fortunatus and not with the Roman Church in these wordes If the number of those that iudged of them the yeare past comprehending the Priests and deacons be reckoned it will be found there were more assistants present at the iudgement and at the examination of the cause then of those that tooke Fortunatus part And indeede if saint CYPRIAN had intended this word in a comparatiue signification and in regard of the Roman Church how could he haue said three lines aboue they presumed to saile to the Roman Church which is the Chaire of Peter and the principall Church from whence the Sacerdot all vnitie hath proceeded And how coul Optatus Mileuitanus an African as well as hee saie At Rome hath bene constituted to Peter the chiefe the Episcopall Chaire that in this onely Chaire the vnitie of all might be preserued And howe could saint AVGVSTINE an 〈◊〉 as well as either of them say That Cecilianus might despise the conspiring multitude of his Enemies that is to saie of seauentie Bishops of Africa assembled in the Councell of Numidia with him For as much as he sawe himself vnited by letters communicatorie with the Roman Church in which had alwaies flourisht the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke and with the other Countries from whence the Ghospell came into Africa And againe That he doubted not but that Pelagius and Celestius who had bene iudged by two Councells of Africa whould more easilie yeild to the Popes authoritie drawne out of the authoritie of the holie Scriptures To the fifth head which is that the same S. CYPRIAN saith That there is but one Bishopricke whence euerie one holds his portion vndiuidedlie Wee answere hee vseth this language to insinuate that the Bishopricke cannot be possessed separatelie out of the vnitie and societie of the Episcopall Bodie but not to denie but that in the vnitie of this Episcopall Bodie the functions of Episcopall power are exercised in a more principall and eminent manner in the Roman Church then in the other Churches noe more then when wee saie that the soule is possessed by all the partes of the bodie inseparablie and vndiuidedly wee intend not to saie that for the exercise of her functions she resides not in a more principall and eminent fashion in the head then in the other partes otherwise why should hee call the Roman Church the Chaire of PETER and the principall Church and the originall of Sacerdot all vnitie To the sixth head which is that S. CYPRIAN saith in the Councell holden for the rebaptization of heretickes None of vs constitutes himself Bishop of Bishops Wee answere he speakes there onelie of the Bishops of Africa to whom hee directs his speach and whom hee exhorts to tell their opinion freelie in the Councell without being held backe by the respect of the authoritie that as Primate of Africa hee had ouer them And wee will add that if hee had holden this language euen to taxe and preuēt the Pope obliquely who afterward condemned him the matter would be of noe weight for as much as this Coūcell was an erroneous Coūcell where S. CYPRIAN cast the foundations of the Donatists heresie and that as such it was not onelie condemned by the Pope and by all the rest of the Church but euen by those that had adhered to saint CYPRIAN witnes these wordes of saint 〈◊〉 The Blessed Cyprian stroue to auoide the myrie lakes and not to drinke of the strainge waters and vpon this subiect addressed the Synod of Africa to Steuen Bishop of Rome who was the twentie sixth after saint PETER but his strife was in vaine And finallie those that had bene of the same opinion with Cyprian sett forth a newe decree saying What shall wee doe Soe hath it 〈◊〉 deliuered to them by their Ancestors and ours To the seauenth head which is of the inuectiues that S. CYP. suffered to slipp out of his mouth after the contention that hee had with Pope Steuen for the rebaptizatiō of hereticks taxing him of ignorance and presumption Wee answere it is impietie in Caluin to alleadge them since S. AVSTINE holds them vnworthy to be reported and couereth them with this excuse The things which Cyprian in anger hath spread against Steuen I will not fuffer them to passe vnder my penn And we adde the resistance that Pope Steuen made to the error of S. CYPRIAN was the safetie of the church as saint Uincent Lerin witnesseth in these wordes Then the Blessed Steuen resisted with but before his Colleagues iudginge it as I conceaue a thing worthie of him that he should surmount them as much in Faith as he did in the authoritie of his place Of the Commission of the Emperor Constantine the Great for the iudgement of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage CHAPT IV. THe third instance of Caluin is taken from Optatus Mileuitanus and from saint AVGVSTINE who saie that the Donatists hauing accused Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage and Felix Bishop of Aptunge his Ordinator and besought the Emperor Constantine who thē was resident amongst the Gaules to giue them Iudges of the Gaules the Emperor gaue them three Bishops of the Gaules whom he sent to Rome to iudge the affaire with Pope Melchiades But whom doth this Instance combate against but those that alleadge it For the Emperor being constrained by the importunitie of the Donatists and that as himselfe protested against all Ecclesiasticall order to giue them Iudges and hauing giuen them according to their demaund Iudges of the Gaules what could he more expressely doe to testifie the Popes authoritie then to remitt them to Rome and to ordaine that the same Iudges of the Gaules that hee had giuen them should transporte themselues from the Gaules to Rome to the end the cause might be 〈◊〉 at the Popes Tribunall and vnder the presidencie and direction of the Pope Was there a Stronger meanes to proue what wee reade in S. ATHANASIVS That antient custome of the Church was that the
Lord alleadgeth for his testimonie c. But it hath bene receiued by the Church not vnprofitable if it be read or heard soberlie In which passage that saint AVGVSTINE saith that the Iewes hold not the Scripture of the Machabees in the same ranke as the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets is not to weaken the authoritie of the Scripture of the Machabees for the Jewes doe no more hold the booke of Wisdome in the same degree of the Lawe the Psalmes and the Prophets and our Lord hath noe more alleadged it amongst the Testimonies then that of the Machabees And neuerthelesse S. AVGVSTINE saith The booke of WISDOME hath merited after so long a continuance of yeares to be read in the Church of Christ by the Readers of the Church of Christ and to be heard by all Christians euen from the Bishops to the lowest laymen faithfull penitents and catechumens with the reuerence of diuine authoritie And againe All the Doctors neere the tyme of the Apostles making vse of the testimonie of the Bookes of WISDOME haue beleeued that they made vse of none but a diuine Testimonie but the reason why saint AVGVSTINE said that the Jewes held not the Scripure of the Machaebees in the ranke of the lawe the Prophetts and the Psalmes was to shew the Donatists who were seperated from the Church and yet made vse of her owne weapons to oppose her that this Scripture hauing bene receiued into the Canon not by the Jewes but by the Church they could not imploy it against the sence and Doctrine of the Church And that he adds that it was receiued by the Church not vnprofitablie prouided it be read soberly it is not to the end to diminishe the credit which ought to be giuen to it but to represse the furious consequences that the Donatists inferred vpon it and signifies no other thing but prouided it be read with setled sences and not with madnesse and frensie as the Donatists read it who tooke occasion from the example of Sampson in the history of the Judges and from the example of Razias in the historie of the Machabees whose zeale and not his act is commended to kill and precipitate themselues which he confirmes a while after in these words Wee ought not then to approue by our consent all things which wee reade in the Scriptures to haue bene done by men euen adorned with prayses by Gods owne testimonie but to mingle our consideration with discretion bringing with vs iudgment not of our authoritie but of the authoritie of the holie and diuine Scriptures which permitt not vs to praise or imitate all the actions euen of those of whom the Scripture giues good and glorious testimonie if they haue done anie thing that hath not bene well done or that agreeth not with the custome of the present time It appeares sifthly by the Catalogue of the Canonicall bookes that Pope Innocēt the first tyme fellowe with S. AVSTINE sēt to Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa where the two Bookes of the Machabees are expressely contained For whereas Pope Gelasius in renewing the decree of the Canonicall bookes makes vse of the history of the Machabees but for one only booke it is because he speakes according to the Stile of S AMBROSE who reckons the first and second of the Machabees for one and the same Booke And whereas saint GREGORIE the great in his commentary vpon Iob compounded neere two hundred yeares after the Canon of the African Fathers cyting the Bookes of the Machabees adds although not canonicall yet written for the edification of the Church that is because the first draught of this comentary was made in the East For saint 〈◊〉 was not yet Pope when he first composed the comentarie vp on Job but a simple deacon exercising the 〈◊〉 of Nuntio at Constantinople amongst the Greekes For this occasion then speaking in the East of the Bookes of the Machabees he added in the forme of a case put and not granted If not canonicall yet written for the edification of the Church that is to 〈◊〉 the which if they were not canonicall neuertheles had bene writtē for the edification of the Church It appeares finally by the very continuance of the African canon inserted into the Greeke Rapsody which is Wee haue learnt from our Fathers that those are the bookes that ought to bee read 〈◊〉 the Church For not only all the ancient African Church but also all the ancient Westerne Church had holden from age to age the Bookes of the Machabees to be canonicall as it appeares in regard of the ancient 〈◊〉 church by the testimonie of saint Cyprian who calls the Machabees 〈◊〉 scriptures and in regard of the other partes of the westerne church by the testimonie of saint AMBROSE who cryes out Moyses saith as it is written in the bookes of the Machabees And by that of the great defender of the Catholick Faith Lucifer Bishop of 〈◊〉 who writt to the emperor 〈◊〉 The holie scripture speakes in the first booke of the 〈◊〉 And by an infinite number of others whose names I will not 〈◊〉 particularly to report Only I will saie in generall that there was 〈◊〉 anie latine Author which tooke liberty to remoue the authoritie of the Booke of the Machabees before saint HIEROME and Ruffinus 〈◊〉 him while he was his disciple Whereupon there are three 〈◊〉 to be made The first obseruation is that as saint HIEROME before the perfect maturitie of is studies for afterward he changed his opinion ecclipsed from the canon of the old testament the historie of the Machabees so did he also shake in the canon of the new testament the epistle to the 〈◊〉 The latine custome saith hee receiues not the Epistle 〈◊〉 Hebrewes amongst the canonicall scriptures And againe If anie one will 〈◊〉 the Epistle which vnder Paules name hath bene written to the Hebrewes And 〈◊〉 where Paule in his Epistle which is written to the Hebrewes though 〈◊〉 of the latines doubt of it By which meanes if the authoritie of saint HIEROME not yet fullie instructed in the sence of the Church be 〈◊〉 for the exclusion of one of these pieces it is also auaileable for the 〈◊〉 of the other The second obseruation is that saint HIEROME 〈◊〉 induced to remoue this stone by the commerce that he had with 〈◊〉 Iewes of Palestina amongst whom hee inhabited and from whom he 〈◊〉 the Hebrew letters For Istdore Bishop of Seuilla who writt a 〈◊〉 yeares agoe reportes that the Iewes in hate of our Lord reiected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Booke of Wisedome The Hebrewes said Isidore as some of 〈◊〉 sages haue noted it receiued the Booke of Wisdome amongst the canonicall 〈◊〉 but after they had taken Christ and putt him to deach remembring that 〈◊〉 were in the same Booke so manie euident testimonies of Christ c. they made 〈◊〉 together and least ours should conuince them of so manifest a 〈◊〉 they
these that made vse of the Hebrew tongue in their Synagogues set twentie two Bookes into their canō according to the nūber of the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet And the others to witt the Hellenist Iewes that is to saie those that vsed the Greeke tōgue in their Synagogues sett in twentie fower according to the nūber of the Greeke Alphabet which cōtaines twentie fower letters But at the least will some man saie there are amongst the monuments of the Greeke Church catalogues wherein the six postume Bookes of the old Testament are omitted Now this is a case apart for the dispute which now is treated of is not of the custome of the Greeke Church but of the the oustome of the Latine Church and particularly of the African in the times of the Councells of Carthage Neuerthelesse for as much as this chance may be mett in our waie wee will furnish it with fower aduertisments The first aduertisement shal be that of the Greeke canons where these bookes are omitted there are manie which haue bene supposed by the later Greekes as amongst others the Synopsis which beares the title of S. ATHANASIVS the which also Beda and the copies of Basile cast into the Tome of the Bookes falsely imputed to S. ATHANASIVS For the Synopsis intitled from saint ATHANASIVS defalketh Wisedome from the number of the Canonicall Bookes and setts it into the 〈◊〉 of the Bookes that were read by the Catechumens only directly against saint AVGVSTINE who saith That the bookes of Wisedome had merited by so long a continuance of yeares to be read in the Church of Christ by the Readers of the Church of Christ and to be heard by all the Christians from the Bishops to the lowest laymen faithfull penitents and 〈◊〉 with reuerence of diuine authoritie And against saint ATHANASIVS himselfe who cryes out They feare not what is written in the holy letters the false witnes shall not be vnpunished and the lying mouth slayes the soule The second aduertissement shall be that although the neighbourhood and the confusion of dwelling with the Iewes hath sometimes hindred the Greeks principally the Asians from setting the posthume bookes of the old Testament into their Canons neuerthelesse there are none of those bookes but haue bene imployed by diuers Greeke Authors in the qualitie of a sacred and canonicall booke as the booke of wisedome by Melito Bishop of Sardes by S. ATHANASIVS and all the Synod of Alexandria which saith speaking of the Arrians They feare not that which is written in the holy scriptures the false witnes shall not remaine vnpunished and the lying mouth slayes the soule The booke of Tobias by the same Sainct ATHANASIVS and the same Synod which saith It is written that the misterie of the King must be concealed The booke of Iudith by the Councell of Nicea which is read saith S. HIEROME to haue reckoned the volume of Iudith amongst the holy Scriptures The bookes of Wisedome and of Ecclesiasticus by S. EPIPHANIVS who writes against Aetius Thou must turne ouer the two Wisdomes that of Salomon and that of the sonne of Syrach and in summe all the diuine Scriptures And finallie the booke of the Machabees by the three first and greatest Antiquaries of the Greeke Christendome Clemens Alexandr Origen and Eusebius For Clemens Alexandr reporting the historie of the Scriptures saith In the captiuitie were 〈◊〉 and Mardocheus whose historie is currant as that of the Machabees And Origen in the second booke of the worke of Principles disputing against the here tickes of the sect of Marcion who placed matter as coeternall to God willing to proue to them that God had created the world of nothing cryes out And that we may proue it to be so by authority of Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the booke of Machabees to the mother of the seauen martyrs And in his commentarie vpon the Epistle to the Romans expounding this verse of S. PAVL None dyes for the iust and disputing against the same Marcionites who interpreted it of the God of the old lawe he askes But what will they doe For we finde in the 〈◊〉 manie martyrs lett them reade the bookes of the Machābees And Eusebius in the worke of Euangelicall preparation comparing the points of the doctrine of Plato with the diuine Oracles of the Hebrewes setts downe among the examples of cōformitie the place where Plato writes that the soules of the iust after their death helpe the liuing with the place where the booke of the Machabees quots that Jeremy was seene after his death praying for the people The twelfth booke of the Euangelicall preparation saith Euselius shall containe the rest of the conformitie of the doctrine of Plato with the oracles of the Hebrewes And a little after reporting the articles of this conformitie Plato saith hee writes that the soules of the deceased are endued with a certaine vertue and haue a care of the affaires of men c. And in the booke of the Machabees it is written that the Prophet Ieremy after his departure out of this life was seene praying for the people And from this it doth not derogate that Origen alleadged also in the second booke of his worke of principles the volume of Pastor which manie of the auncient held for canonicall for he adds in the fourth booke of the same worke that some despised it which he noe were notes of the booke of Machabees Contrariwise in his apologie against Celsus he cryes out that the historie sf the Machabees is testified by the witnesse of two whole nations that is to say of the Iewes and the Christians Frō whence it is also that the Greeke doctors hold it for so au thēticall 〈◊〉 as they affirme that the things therein described the holy Ghost had long before foretolde by the mouth of Dauid the other Prophets The Prophet saith S. CHRISOS hath indited the 43 th psal not in his person but in the person of the Machabees describing and prophecying the things that 〈◊〉 happe in their times And S. ISIDORE of Egipt time fellow with the same S. CHRYSOS saith The Angell that discoursed with 〈◊〉 spake of Antiochus Epiphanes that he should be manifestlie conquered and dispossessed by the Machabes And Theodoret contiguous in tyme to both of thē The holie Ghost saith hee hath writtēn by the diuine Dauid the fortie third psalme of the 〈◊〉 The third aduetisment shal be that not only diuers Greeke authors 〈◊〉 often the same Greeke authors in speaking of the Bookes of the old testament follow according to the occasion of their speeche sometimes the primitiue computation of the Iewes the Rabbinicall tradition of the canon of Esdras of the bookes inclosed in the Arke answerable to the number of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in which the posthumall bookes of the old testament were not cōprehended somtymes the accessory cōputation of the
the first Protestants haue caused to bee published and republished manie tymes this sixth Councell of Carthage as a Storehowse reputed by them very powerfull to resist the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke but also haue vomited disgorged with so much impudence the venome of their inuectiues against the Popes vnder the which this matter hath bene treated of as the heauens abhorre it calling Pope Boniface whom S AVGVS calls Reuerend Pope Boniface to whō he dedicated one of his principall Bookes and whom Prosper qualifies Pope of holy memory insteed of Boniface Maleface And Pope Celestine whom the Generall Councell of Ephesus calls new S. Peter in the steede of Celestine Infernall And yet since these two last yeares their Successors dissembling the learned answers of the Illustrious Cardinalls Bellarmine and Barronius haue caused the same Councell to be twice new printed once in France an other time in Germanie as an insoluble piece against the Popes authotity And therefore since the affairedeserues to be treated with much diligence and read with much attention it belongs to me to contribute the one and to the readers to the lend the other To this instance then before I vndertake to search this history to the bottomb I will bring eight obseruations in forme of preseruatiues and antidotes The first obseruation shall be that whatsoeuer the aime and successe of this Councell were nothing could be inferred from it to trouble shake the Popes authoritie in regard of Appeales For in the Coūcell of Chalcedon which was holden by six hundred thirtie six Bishops thirtie yeares after the sixth Councell of Carthage which was more famous authenticall then the sixth Coūcell of Carthage as being a generall Coūcell one of the first four Generall Coūcells whereas the sixth Coūcell of Carthage wat but a Nationall Coūcell the Appeales of causes which cōcerned either faith or the persons of Bishops cōtinued to goe to the Pope according to the forme that had bene ordayned by the rule of the Coūcell of Sardica The Epistle of the Emperor Valentiniā the third annexed to the head of all the copies of the Coūcell of Chalcedon as well Greeke as latine is a testimonie of this which saith Wee onght to preserue 〈◊〉 in our daies the dignitie of particular reuerēce to the blessed Apoctle Péter 〈◊〉 that the holie Bishop of Rome to whō antiquitie hath grāted the priesthood 〈◊〉 all may haue place to iudge of faith and of Bishops c. For for this cause 〈◊〉 to the custome of the Councells Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople hath 〈◊〉 to him in the cōtrouersie which is mooued concerning faith The law of the Emperor Marcian annexed to the end of the Acts of the same Councell is a testimonie of this which cryes out The Synod of Chalcedon by the authority of the blessed Bishop of the cittie eternall in glorie Rome examining matters of faith exactly and establishing the foundations of Religion giues to Flauianus the reward of his past life and the palme of a glorious death A testimonie of this is the petition of appeale sent to the Pope by Theodoret Bishop of 〈◊〉 a cittie confining vpon Persia and subiect to the Patriark of Antioch which saith I attend sentence of your Apostolicke Throne and beseeche your Holynesse to succour me appealing to your right and iust iudgement A testimonie of this is the ordinance of the directors of the policie of the Councell which was Let the most reuerend Bishop Theodoret come in that he may partake of the Councell because the most holy Archbishop Leo hath restored his Bishopricke to him and that the most sacred and religious Emperor hath ordained that he be present at the Councell And finallie the relation of the same Councell is a testimonie of this which writes to the Pope approuing the iudgement of appeale that he had giuen in the cause of Eutyches Abbot of Constantinople and condemning Dioscorus and the false Councell of Ephesus for presuming to meddle with it He hath restored to Eutyches the dignitie whereof he was depriued by your Holinesse c And after all this He hath 〈◊〉 his felony euen against him to whom the keeping of the vine had bene committed by our Sauiour that is to saie against your Apostolicke Holynesse The second obseruation shall be that the controuersie of appeales which was handled in the sixth Councell of Carthage was not of appeales in maior and Ecclesiasticall causes that is to saie in causes of Faith or of the Sacraments or of discipline or of the customes and ceremonies of the Church but of appeales in minor and personall causes that is to saie in the secular and temporall causes of persons constituted in orders as causes of adultery drunkenes battery theft debt and others causes as well morall as pecuniary and as well ciuill as criminall of Ecclesiasticall persons which the decrees of Councells and the lawes of Emperors submitted to the Tribunall of the Church This appeareth both by the qualitie of Apiarius his cause for which this question was moued which was a morall cause and wherein there were 〈◊〉 and infamous crimes handled and not an Ecclesiasticall cause And by the remonstrance which the Africans made to Pope 〈◊〉 That the beyond-sea iudgments could not be assured for the difficultie of causing witnesses to passe out of Africa into Europe which often because of the weakenes either of age or sexe could not indure sea voyages And by the Epistle of Pope Innocent the first which S. AVGVSTINE calls worthie of the Sea 〈◊〉 wherein these words were contained And principally whensoeuer 〈◊〉 of faith are handled I conceiue that all our brethren and colleagues ought not 〈◊〉 them but to Peter that is to saie to the authour of their name and dignitie And finally by the very proceedings of the Mileuitan Councell and of the Councell of Carthge holden vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius For not only the Fathers of the Mileuitan Councell where the prohibition was made to inferior Clerkes not to appeale beyond sea 〈◊〉 the finall iudgment of Celestius alreadie heard and iudged for a cause of Faith in Africa to Pope Innocent the first with this acknowledgment that the Popes authority was of diuine right or to vse their owne owne termes drawne from the authority of the holy Scriptures but euen Pope Innocent the first being dead before he could heare Celestius in person and hauing only condemned him in generall vpon the reporte of the Councells of Africa the African Bishops reassembled in the Councell of Carthage holden vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius wherein the question of Apiarius and the controuersie of Episcopall appeales began caused their acts concerning Celestius to be carried to Rome and procured them to be confirmed by Pope Zosimus successor to Innocent The reuerend Bope Zosimus saith S. AVGVSTINE pressed Celestius to condemne those things that the Deacon Paulinus
execute the iudgements of the Sea Apostolike Secular typhe for this is that which the marriage of these two words Typhe of the age signifies to witt the furious and violent manner with which the worldly and secular powers were accustomed to cause themselues to be obeyed as when the author of the life of Fulgentius saith That Fulgentius commaunded nothing with the Typhe of secular dominion And as when the Councell of Ephesus calls the vse that Iohn Patriarke of Antioche had made of the letters of Dionisius Gouernor of Syria to the Captaine of the Garrison and of the souldiers of Cyprus to hinder the Bishops of Cyprus from electing to themselues an Archbishop without the permission of the Patriarke of Antioch Secular Typhse and drawing from this particular case a generall lawe ordaines That noe Bishop vsurpe the Prouinces which haue not bene from all antiquitie vnder his predecessors c And vnder pretence of the execution of sacred thinges introduce not the Typhe of secular power And a little after And that all letters obtained to the contrarie may remaine disannulled and of no effect And finallie the third and last request but expressed in termes of Confidence and assurance is that the Pope will not suffer that Apiarius to whom by the first Iudgement it had bene permitted to remaine in Africa and exercise his Priesthood where he would prouided it were not at Sicca should remaine anie longer in Africa and that he would not cause him to be assisted with Secular authoritie to this effect Behold the words of the clause which containe also the end and conclusion of the Epistle which I haue translated from the Greeke text because the Greek edition of the Epistles as hath bene aboue shewed is more correct then the latine For as for the wretched Apiarius hauing alreadie bene condemned for his infamous crimes by our Brother Faustinus wee are no more in care for it as much as by the meanes of the approbation and moderation of your Holynesse for the preseruation of brotherly charitie Africa will no longer indure him Now vpon this what answere the Pope made them wee haue it not but that it is easie to be iudged by the successe that he satisfied them of the mistaking of the Councell of Nicea for that of Sardica and made it appeare to them that what they found not in the Councell of Nicea had bene ordained yea euen by their predecessors in the Councell of Sardica For the Appeales of the African Bishops to the Pope continued as before as it appeares both by the Rule that Pope LEO onely eight yeare later then CELESTINE made vpon the appeale that Lucifrinus a Bishop of Africa had cast into the Sea Apostolike and by the care that the Africans had afterward to insert into their Canon law the Canons of the Councell of Sardica vpon the matter of Appeales to the Pope For Fulgentius Ferandus deacō of Carthage a little later then S. AVGVSTINE and tyme-fellow with S. FVLGENTIVS registers into the collection that he made of the Canons these decrees vnder the title of the fixth and sifth Canon of the Councell of Sardica That a condemned Bishop may appeale if he will to the sea Apostolike and that during the appeals an other cannot be ordained in his Chaire By meanes whereof this question brought no interruption to the possession wherein the Pope was of appeales euen in minor causes and by consequent much lesse in maior causes as those of Faith were for which Theodoret Bishop of Cyre a Cittie neere vpon Persia appealed in the same tyme to pope 〈◊〉 and was iudged and restored by him all the Generall Coūcell of Chalcedon holden a while after the Councell of Carthage approuing and confirming it For I will not alleadge the Epistle of S. AVGVSTINE to Celestine which is in the supplie of S. AVGVSTINS Epistles imprinted by Plantine where the same S. AVGVSTINE pursues in the behalfe of Celestine the iudgment of the appeale made by Anthony Bishop of 〈◊〉 to Pope Boniface and represents to him to iustifie the sentence of the bishops of Africa who had left him his title and depriued him of this Bishops Sea That there had bene manie like 〈◊〉 in Africa euē the Sea 〈◊〉 iudgeing it or confirming the iudgement of others as particularly of 〈◊〉 Uictor and Laurence Bishop of the Cesarian 〈◊〉 because it seemes that this Epistle was written before that of the Councell of Africa to Celestine It sufficeth that neither the possession of the appeales from Africa to Rome were interrupted by this question neither did the Bishops of Africa cease to remaine in the same Communion and reuerence of the Sea Apostolike as they were before as the words of S AVGVSTINE to Pope Boniface written in the current of the difference testifies Thou disdainest not thou which presumest not 〈◊〉 though thou presidest highlie to be a friend to the 〈◊〉 And these of Pope Celestine after the death of S. AVGVSTINE Wee haue alwaies had Augustine of holie 〈◊〉 in our cōmunion which Prosper citeth to iustifie to the Bishops of the Gaules S. Augustins doctrine against the Pelagiās And these of Capreolus Archbishop of Carthage immediate successor to Aurelius vnder whom the sixth Councell of Carthage was holden writing to the fathers of the Councell of Ephesus 〈◊〉 praie you to resist 〈◊〉 with such constancie at the authoritie of the sea Apostolicke and the seuerltie of the Prelates assembled in 〈◊〉 seeme not to permitt that the doctrine of those that the Church hath long since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 come to be borne againe And these of Eugenius one of the other successors to the same Aurelius to the Lieutenant of Hunnericus Lord of Africa The Roman Church is the head of all the Churches And these of Fulgentius and of the Bishops of Africas the Roman Church which is the head of the world Of the Councell of Sardica CHAPT XI I Remember that I promised in the former chapter to handle in this the truth and authoritie of the Canons of the Councell of Sardica the time summons me now to performe my promise and with so much the more neede because the Popes aduersaries haue a while agoe caused a Greeke Code of Canōs to be imprinted which they haue intituled A Code of the 〈◊〉 of the Vniuersall Church from whence they haue ecclipsed and cutt off the Canons of the Councell of Sardica against the credit of all the Greeke Canonists Photius Zonara Balsamon Harmonopolus and against the Greeke impressions euen of Basle Wittenbourg and other Protestant Citties and in summe against the truth of all the Greeke codes as well printed as manuscript of all the westerne and Easterne libraries Then to compasse this designe with some method I will aduertise the readers that there past two things in the Councell of Nicea which gaue an occasion soone after for the holding of the Councell of Sardica the one was
king answeres to the first obseruation that it can not be applied to the Hipothesis proposed without manie defects For so farr is this English Church from hauing departed from the faith of the ancient Catholicke Church which she honours and reuerences as she is not so much as departed from the Faith of the Roman Church in as much as she consents with the Catholicke Church THE REPLIE I Appeale from Phillip to Phillip that is to saie from the most excellent King to himselfe for what doth my first obseruation import yea according to the abridgement that this maiestie hath made of it but that the name of Catholicke doth not only denote faith but also communion with the Catholick Church and therefore that the antient writers would not suffer those to be called Catholickes who had separated themselues from the communion of the Church although they retained the Faith thereof Now how then is it that the most excellent King alleadgeth to shewe that this obseruation cannot be applied to his Hypothesis without manie errors that he is not departed neither hee nor his Church from the faith of the antient Church For the obseruation wherein it is handled being that to be Catholicke it is not sufficient not to be separate from the Church of the Catholicke faith but also not to be separated from the communion of the Catholicke Church is it not fussicient to applie it to the Hipothesis and to except the most excellent Kinge from the title of Catholicke that his Maiestie hath separated himselfe not from the Faith if soe be he had not done soe but frō the onlie cōmunion of the Catholicke Church And if the most excellent King saith that she from whom he hath separated himself is not the same Catholicke Church as she was in the time of the Fathers and of whom the Fathers said that out of her communiō the title of Catholicke nor the reward of saluation could not be obtained must he not shew that there is an alteration happened in thinges which are of the essence of the Church and without which the verie being of the Church cannot be preserued and besides this that he must finde out and cause to appeare an other societie wherein the succession of the doctrine and of the ministrie both of the communion and of the prerogatiues of the antient Catholieke Church hath continued and whereto he hath ranged himselfe to the end that adhering thereto he may saie that he hath not separated himselfe from the communion of the antient Catholicke Church but is returned into it Of the personall suceession of the Bishops CHAP. XXII The Continuance of the Kings Answere IF wee seeke for the succession of persons wee haue in being the name of Bishops and the succession vninterrupted from the first THE REPLIE IT sufficeth not to constitute the personall successiō of Bishops that some are entred in the steede of others but they must bee entred with the same forme and with the same conditions essentiall to a Bishopricke that their predecessors entred withall Noe more then it sufficeth to make the Priests of Ieroboa Successors to the true Leuiticall Priests that he had driuen awaie that they came into their places not being come in with cōditions necessarie to succeede thē And therefore whether the mission of the Bishops which are at this daie in England be a true ecclesiasticall mission made by ecclesiasticall authoritie and with the iust ecclesiasticall formes or rather a politick mission I forbeare to dispute Onlie I will saie that there are two kindes of successions in the personall continuance of a Bishops Sea the one the succession of authoritie and the other the succession of the character Whereof it is 〈◊〉 that the English according to the principles commō to them and vs haue not the one and it is euidēt that according to their owne particular principles they cannot haue the other For there doe meete together or concurr according to vs two conditions in Episcopall mission the one concerning the collation of authoritie the other concerning the impression of the character which comes from the part of the sacrament of order which wee conceaue to imprint a Seale which cannot be blotted out Now the condition which concernes the character which we will heere call sacramentall mission may well be preserued out of the Church for as much as the character cannot be blotted out and consequently may be giuen though vnlawfullie yet reallie out of the Church by them that haue carried it out of the Church But that which cōcernes authoritie which wee will call notwithstanding the barbarisme of the word authoritatiue missiō although it cānot be giuen in the Church without the other yet it cannot be carried awaie nor giuen with the other out of the Church and may be taken awaie by the Church from them to whom she hath giuen it when she shall iudge it necessarie to depose or degrade them As the Councell of Sardica deposed Narcissus Menophantus and others who notwithstanding left not to preserue the character of the sacrament euen as the officers of a prince when they ioyne themselues with a faction of rebells may carry with them the Seale and the character of the Patent of their offices and preserue it out of the state and out of the common wealth but they cannot carrie 〈◊〉 the authoritie of their office with them And therefore when they that haue bene degraded by the Church or ordained out of the Church returne to the Church the lawfull authoritie to exercise their function must be restored to them either by a particular rehabilitation or by a publicke declaration that the Churches makes to receaue them into her communiō with the exercise of their charges which serues them for a generall rehabilitation As when the Arrians returned to the Catholicke faith the Church restored to their Bishops the lawfull authoritie to administer the Bishop ricks whereof the ecclesiasticall lawes had depriued them and rehabilitated them all at once by the publicke declaration that she made to admitt them with the function of their charges From whence it appeares that they that are ordained out of the Church and by an other societie then by the true Church although they be indeede Bishops as for the Character of the Sacrament neuerthelesse they are not Bishops as for the function of authoritie and as manie times as they shall pretend to vse their authoritie without being rehabilitated by the Church soe often they commit sinn and sacriledge Let vs consider saith S. HILARY speaking of the Fathers of the Coūcell of Nicea what wee doe doe wee that anathematize them c For if they haue not bene Bishops we cā be none And S. ATHANASIVS It is impossible that the ordination of Secūdus as made by the Arriās should haue anie force in the Catholicke Church And S. HIEROME There are at this daie noe Bishops in the world sauing those that were ordained by the Synod And the lawe of the Emperors
speaking of the Bishops of the hereticks ' It is vnlawfull that they should make ministers who are none themselues Whereby they doe not intend that the Bishops of hereticks who haue drawne their character from the Church be not Bishops as for the impression of the character but that they are none as for the imposition of the authoritie By meanes whereof the English Bishops can pretend noe Episcopall succession from the Church of the antient Fathers as for the succession of authoritie for as much as if the Catholicke Church which was in England and in other places when king Henry the eigth came to the crowne were not the true Catholicke Church the Bishops of the Catholicke communion were not true and lawfull Bishops as concerning authoritie but only as concerning the character and by consequence neither had themselues the succession of Episcopall authoritie nor could transmitt it to those that haue taken it from them By what right saith sainct ATHANASIVS speaking of the Arrians can they be Bishops if they haue bene ordained by those men which themselues doe slander with heresie And contrariwise if the Church that was at the beginning of King Henry the eigth throughout Europe and in manie other partes of the world were the true Church this selfe-same Church hauing disannulled the episcopall authoritie in those from whom the English at this daie pretend to haue had their mission and hauing deposed and anathematized them they had no more lawfull episcopall authoritie by consequēce could not cōferr it to others And besides if that Church were the true Church the English Church at this daie which is gone out from her communion can not be so nor preserue in her the succession of Episcopall authoritie which cannot be transferred out of the Church And for the succession of the character the English according to their doctrine can in noe secte pretend to it for they hold not if they would hold they cannot doe it for as much as they make profession to agree in the faith in the sacraments with the Protestants of France that order conferrs anie other thing then authoritie nor that it imprints anie sacramentall character which is that only which in mission can be transferred giuen out of the Church And so if by their doctrine they could haue the succession of the character they are fallen frō the right of making vse thereof For they communicate with the Puritans of France hold their sheepe for true sheepe and so their pastors for true pastors and for their colleagues and fellowe bretheren Now the ministers of France are not ordained by anie Bishops and so are noe Bishops For hee saith sainct CYPRIAN cannot be a Bishop who succeeding no bodie hath bene ordained of himselfe And not being Bishops haue noe Church since as saith the same sainct CYPRIAN The Church is in the Bishop and the Bishop in the Church and who is not with the Bishop is not in the Church By meanes whereof the English which communicate with them and hold them for their colleagues and fellowe bretheren inuolue themselues into the crime and contagion of all their ecclesiasticall defects and consequentlie fall from all the rightes whereof those with whom they communicate are depriued I add to that that to shew a Church to be successiuelie and representatiuely the antient Catholicke Church it sufficeth not to shew that a part of that Church deriueth the personall successiō of her Bishops from the missiō of the antien Catholicke Church but all the Church that will pretēd the inheritāce successiō of the tittle of catholike must haue the successio of her Bishops deriued frō the 〈◊〉 of the antiēt catholick Church For the Bishops Sea is one as saith S CYPRIAN whereof euerie one holdes his portiō vndiuidedly And elsewhere The Church is one bound togeather by the cement of Bishops adhering the one to the other Now the English doe not pretend alone to cōstitute all the cōmunion of their Church nor to be all the true and pure visible Catholicke Church but doe comprehend into their communion the Protestantes of France as partes of the Bodie of their Church And therefore they canot saie that the Catholicke Church to which they adhere and wherewith they communicate to bee by succession and personall representation the same visible Catholicke Church which was in the time of the fowre first Coūcells Cōtrariwise from this that the other partes of the communion to which the English Church adheres communicate not by succession of persons with the mission of the antient Catholicke Church and consequently are at the least schismatikes it issues that the English which communicate with them cannot cōmunicate with the antient Catholicke Church for none except in error of fact can communicate with the Catholicke Church and with Schismatickes together And finallie I saie that since in all questions of Schismes wee must mount vp to the originall following these wordes of saint AVGVSTINE to the Donatists The question betweene you and vs is where the Church of God should be wee must then begin at the originall why haue you made a schisme The accompt that the English Church will yeeld of the succession of her Bishops ought to be brought to the originall of the Schisme Now therevpon I will aske his Maiestie where the first after the rising vp of Luther and Caluin began in England to separate themselues from the Catholicke Church to imbrace other forme of Religion which they now hold where was this Societie wherein there was together to be found both the succession of Bishops vninterrupted from the first and the succession of doctrine For to goe out from the Church then intituled Catholicke they must range themselues to an other Church which must haue true doctrine and true ministrie by adherence ad communion to the which they might preserue the title of Catholicke and transmitt it to those that should come after them Now where was then this Societie indued with the true doctrine and the true succession of Bishops when the English first separated themselues from the Church intituled Catholike For I will not inquire who is the first from whom she saith that the English Bishops can shew their vninterrupted succession if it be not S AVGVSTIN Bishop of Canterburie whom S. GREGORIE sent thither Nor will I demaund for the preaching of what doctrine S. GREGORIE sent him thither if it were not for the preaching of the same doctrine that was there before the last separation Of the succession of doctrine CHAP. XXIII The continuance of the Kings answere IF the succession of doctrine bee demaunded lett vs mako triall of it THE REPLIE THERE is great difference betweene similitude of doctrine and succession of doctrine Similitude of doctrine is a simple reporte of agreement betweene one doctrine an other but the succession of doctrine properly takē is a deriuation of doctrine continued by a perpetuall vnintermitted chine of teachers and persons taught And
the Catholick Church with the state of the ancient Church wee should looke to take such a time wherein not only our competitors might agree with vs that the Church of the Fathers was still the true Church the true Spouse of Christ she in whom resided the lawfull authoritie to iudge questions in Religion but also those monuments doe sufficiently remaine to vs to manifest throughly all her doctrines and all her obseruations Which can neuer be better chosen for both partes then in the time wherein the fower first Councells were holden that is to saie from the Emperour Constantine who was the first Emperour that was publicklie a Christian to the Emperour Marcian And it seemes to me that his Maiestie hath yielded to this and also more liberallie in some of his writinges hauing extended this space to the first fiue ages For besides that the deliuerie from the yoake and subiection of the Pagans then gaue the Church meanes to speake lowder and to haue more communication with all her partes situated in so manie different regions of the earth and to flourish in a greater multitude of learned and excellent writers which is the cause that there remaine to vs without comparison more monuments of those ages wherein to view the entire forme of the ancient Christian Religion then of the former ages Besides this I saie our aduersaries cannot denie but that church which nursed vp the first Christian Emperours which rooted out the Temples and seruices of the false Gods which exercised the Soue raigne Tribunall of Spirituall authoritie vpon earth by the condemnation which she denounced vpon the fowre most famous heresies in the fowre first generall Councells which were the fowre first Parliaments and Estates generall of Christs Kingdome must bee she of whom it hath bene foretold that Kinges should be her nursing Fathers that the nations should walke in her light and Kings in the brightnes of her rising that euery engine sett vp against her should be destroyed that she should iudge euery tongue that should resist her in iudgment that God had sett watchmen vpon her walles which neuer should be silent by daie or night that the gates of hell should not preuaile against her that whosoeuer should not obey her should be holden for a heathen and a publican and in breefe that she was the Pillar and foundation of truth Shall we loubt Sayth S. Augustin who liued in the betweene-times of these first fowre Councells to sett our-selnes in the lapp of that Church which by succession of Bishops from the seate of the Apostles euen to the confession of all mankinde the hereticks in vaine barking about her and being condemned partlie by the iudgment of the people themselues part lie by the grauitie of Councells and partlie by the maiestie of Miracles hath obtained full authoritie to whom not to giue the preheminence must be an act of extreame impietie or of a headie arrogancie And againe The Catholick Church fighting against all heresies may be opposed but she cannot be ouerthrowne all heresies are come forth from her as vnprofitable branches cutt From their vine but she remains in her roote in her vine in her charitie Let that then bee holden for trulie anciēt and marked with the character of the primitiue Church which shall be found to haue bene beleeued and practised vniuersallie by the Fathers which liued in the time of the first fowre Councells and principallie when it shall appeare to vs that the things testified to vs by the authors of those ages were not holden by them for doctrines or obseruations sprung vp in their time but for doctrines or obseruations which had bene perpetuallie practised in the Church from the age of the Apostles although perchance there can not be found for euerie of them in particular so expresse testimonies in the former ages as in those of the first fowre Councells because of the fewe writinges which the persecution of those times haue suffered to come to our handes For it sufficeth to assure vs of the perpetuall vse of such thinges that the Fathers of the first fower Councells who had more knowledge of the ages before them then wee can haue doe testifie to vs to haue beleeued and practised them not as thinges instituted in their age but as thinges that haue alwaies had place in the Church and had come to them by a succession of obseruation from the Apostles downe to their time and that there is not to be found in former authors anie testimony against them but contrariwise in all places where there is occasion to mention them agreable and fauorable testimonies that is to saie in breefe that is to be holden ancient by vs which those whom we account ancient haue themselues holden to be ancient The fifth obseruation is vpon the consent of the beleefe of the Fathers which some contentious spirits would haue to be when one selfesame thing is actuallie found in the writings of all the Fathers which is an vniust and impertinent pretence For to haue a doctrine or obseruation to bee trulie holden by the Fathers for vniuersall and Catholicke it is not necessarie it should be in the writinges of all the Fathers who haue not all written of the same matters and of whose writinges all haue not come to our handes but there are two other lawfull waies to secure our selues of them The one is when the most eminent Fathers of euery country agree in the affirmation of the same doctrine or practise and that none of the others that haue bene without note of dissention from the Church haue opposed it As when S. Augustin hath cited against the Pelagians the testimonie of eleuen eminent Fathers all consenting in one and the same doctrine he supposeth hee hath sufficientlie produced against them the Common beleefe of the Catholicke Church and when the Councell of Ephesus had produced tenn Fathers of former ages they conceiued they had sufficiently expressed the consent of the former Church against Nestorius his doctrine Because none saith Vincentius Lerinensis doubtetb but that those tenn did trulie hold the same with al their other bretheren The other is when the Fathers speake not as Doctors but as witnesses of the Customes and practise of the Curch of their times and doe not saie I beleeue this should be soe holden or so vnderstood or so obserued but that the Church from one end of the earth to the other beleeues it so or obserues it soe For then we noe longer hold what they saie for a thing said by them but as a thing said by the whole Church and principallie when it is in pointes whereof they could not be ignorant either because of the Condition of the thinges as in matters of fact or because of the sufficiencie of the persons and in this case wee argue noe more vpon their wordes probablie as wee doe when they speake in the qualitie of particular Doctors but we argue therevpon demonstratiuelie That then
Palestina These were all complaintes which still remain'd within the limites of theire manners and neither touched the faith of the Roman Church nor the succession of saint Peter nor the communion of the Apostolicall Sea nor the very person of the Pope And indeede how could saint IEROME applie these wordes of the Reuelation Goe out of Babylon to the Cittie of Rome for anie thinge concerninge faith and Religion He that cryes out in his apologie against RVFFINVS Which faith is it that he calls his that that the Roman Church holdes or that that is contained in Origens bookes if he answere that that the Roman Church holdes then we are Catholickes And in the Epistle to THEOPHILVS Patriarche of Alexandria Know that we haue nothinge in greater recommendation then to conserue the statutes of Christ and not to transgresse the bounds of our fathers and alwaies to remember the Roman faith praysed by the mouth of the Apostle whereof the Alexandrian Church doth glorie to partake And in the Epistle to DEMETRIAS When thou wert little and that the Bishop Anastasius of 〈◊〉 aud happie memorie gouuerned the Roman Church a cruell tempest of 〈◊〉 risen out of the Easterne partes attempted to pollute and corrupt the 〈◊〉 of that faith which had bene commended by the mouth of the Apostle but this 〈◊〉 Pope Anastasius riche in a most plentifull pouertie and iu an Apostolicall care brake the pestilent head and stopped the hissinge mouthes of 〈◊〉 Hydra And because I feare yea I haue heard saie that the budds of this venimous plante doe still liue and springe vp in some I thought it my 〈◊〉 to admonish thee in a deuout zeale of charitie that thou keepe fast the faith of Saint INNOCENT his sonne and Successor in the Apostolicall Chaire And in the Epistle to Pope DAMASVS I am chayned in communion with thy blessednesse that is with Peters Chaire I know the Church is built vpon that rocke if anie eate the lambe out of that howse he is prophane And a little after I know not Vitalis I reiect Meletius I am ignorant of Paulinus whosoeuer gathers not with thee scatters that is to saie whosoeuer is not of Christ is of Antichrist Far then was hee from holdinge the Church of Rome for Babylon and the Pope for Antichrist since he held whosoeuer did not communicate with the Pope for Antichrist The third exposition is of them who interpret the allegoricall Babylon to be the Monarchy of the Turkes who with its false Prophet Mahomet haue possessed all the citties and particularly those of the seuen Churches of Asia to which S. Iohn addressed his reuelatioÌ„ and which hath giuen vp her soule to the perished beast that is to saie hath againe takeÌ„ the office and ranke of the pagan Emperors blasphmers and persecutors of the name of Christ and hath vsurped the Seate whither theire succession had bene transferd to witt Constantinople and who is clothed with purple that is hath the Emperiall power and authority whose simbole in Saint Iohns tyme was purple and which is seated be it literally vpon seuen Mountaines for Constantinople hath seuen Mountaines as old Rome had for moderne Rome hath nyne Or be it accordinge to the allegoricall interpretation of Saint Iohn vpon seuen kings that is to say vpon the seuen Empires that followe the impietie of Mahomett And in briefe which hath soe many other affinities with the Babylon in the ReuelatioÌ„ as OECOLAMP and BVLLINGER are constrayned to giue her two seates and conâ—â—â—â—uâ—e two Antichrists one in the weste and an other in the East Now which of these expositioÌ„s answeres the precise inteÌ„tion of the Author or whether the perfect accoÌ„plishment of these thinges be yet to come and should be vnderstood of a Societie which shall not arise till after the Ghospell haue bene actually preached to all the nations of the world as all ancient writers are agreed that the Monarchie of Antichrist which the ProtestaÌ„ts esteene to be one thinge with the Babylon of the Reuelation shall not come till after that tyme it is not heere our purpose to examine But in summe that that Babylon where of the reuelation speaketh can be seriouslie taken for the cittie of Rome the antithesis that saint IOHN makes of Babylon and Ierusalem which teacheth vs that as the Ierusalem described by the same Reuelation is not a locall cittie soe Babylon described by the same Reuelation is not a locall and corporall cittie takes from vs all colour to belieue it And therefore ARETHAS who beinge a grecian and a schismaticke as he is held to bee had had more interest to interpret this passage of Rome resolues in the end that it cannot be vnderstood neither of Rome nor of Constantinople but of the state of this corruptible world It appeares saies he vndoubtlie by this place that the thinges which are heere foretolde should neither be vnderstood of Babylon nor of olde nor newe Rome that is Constantinople nor of any other cittie but of all this corruptible world And that she may be taken for a Church which in the beginninge was a true Church of Christ and since growne false and adulterate bearinge neuerthelesse still the title of a Church the figure of Babylon which was from the beginninge founded by Nimrod a pagan and infidell and after alwaies perseuered in paganisme and in the open profession of infidelitie till the fall of her Empire cannot beare it Contrarywise that which saint IOHN saith that all those whose names are not written in the booke of life haue worshipped the beast vpon which the harlott sitts seemes to insinuate that he speaks of the societie of all the reprobate of what soeuer Secte Religion and profession they haue bene as well Iewes Gentiles Heretickes Schismatickes as euill Catholickes and not of any determinate Communion Yet we avowe neuerthelesse that the Fathers haue some-tymes turned the wordes of Isay and Ieremy from whence those wordes of the Reuelation are takeÌ„ to make vse of them against the particular Sect of the Arrians As when OSIVS and after him S. ATHANAS say the Scripture cryes out depart depart goe out from her and touch not her vncleanesse Withdrawe you from the midst of them separate your-selues froÌ„ theÌ„ you that carrie the vessells of our Lord. But besides that they haue neuer preteÌ„ded that this precept should be exteÌ„ded to all the multitude of ChristiaÌ„s and that there might come a tyme wherein there were noe externall CoÌ„munion visible and eminent out of which it should be vnlawfull to goe forth which is that which is in question There is great difference betweene the conceites allusions that the Fathers made vpon the allegoricall expositions of the passages of the Scripture and the proper and direct vnderstandinge of the same passages which is that onely from whence we may argue seriouslie And therefore when the Donatists in the conference of Carthage would haue made vse of the same wordes against the
and the moderne CHAP. XXII The continuance of the Kinges answere Flourishinge vnder the Emperors vvhose dominion vvas extended from the East to the VVest and 〈◊〉 the Northe to the South THE REPLIE THE Church was spread much beyond the boundes of the Roman Empire for it was extended in Africa besides the Roman prouinces vnder many barbarous Kinges to the 〈◊〉 of Arabia vnder Mauuia Queene of the 〈◊〉 in Persia vnder the Kinge of Persia in Gothland vnder the Kinges of the Gothes where she was cruelly 〈◊〉 in saint AVGVST 〈◊〉 and the vnitie of the Empire was not alwaies an 〈◊〉 on to make her more flourishinge and distinct but oftentymes caused her to be the more oppressed For vnder the Emperors that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as was Julian all kinde of heresies tooke hart to assaile her and vnder the hereticall Emperors that heresie which they professed 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 her as Arrianisme vnder Constantius whose Sectaries did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Catholicke Church was reduced into narrower 〈◊〉 then she was when the separation of these last ages began And to proue that it was soe Socrates and Sozomenus doe note that the Catholike prosession remained almost shutt vp within the boundes of the Patriarckshipp of the Latine Church and on this side the mountaine of Tusc is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Illyria the greater parte of the Bishops of the Easterne Empire beinge either Arrians or banisht from theire Seates In such sorte as the Catholicke Communion was then farr from beeinge soe 〈◊〉 as she was when the last diuisions were raised For besides that at 〈◊〉 comeinge all the RegioÌ„s of Europe except some partes of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Catholicke coÌ„munion and that in Asia not onely since the expulsion of the Successors of Godfry kinge of Palestina and of Boemond prince of Antioch the guarde of the holy Sepulcher of Ierusalem did alwaies remaine to the Latines and that yet to this day the Patriark of the Maronites which is one of the branches of the diuision of the Patriarkeshipp of Antioch with all the Bishops of his iurisdiction hath alwaies liued and perseuered to liue in the Communion of the Latine Church and that in Armenia the greater vnder the Kinge of Persia before he was driuen thence by the Turkes there were and yet are manie Christians of that communion which is Called the Latine and manie Monasteries of Saint Dominicke And that in the Isles of Cypres Candia Zante Chios Naxos And other grecian and Asian Islandes the Roman communion had place and hath yet at this day for the most part and that in Africa the Kingdome of Congo whose Embassador came and dyed a fewe yeares agone in Rome made profession of the Catholicke Religion from before Luthers tyme Besides that I saie the ChristiaÌ„s that inhabited in all the borders of Africa vnder the conquest of the kinge of Portugale and in those of Asia at â—rmus at Calicut at Goa at Cochin and in all the east Indias and those which liue at this day vnder the king of Spaine in whose Estate all is reunited in the Acores in the fortunate Islandes in the Islandes of Hispaniola and Cuba in the Continent of America in the Phillippinas in the Molucas and in other places suffice to supplie the fall of the Roman Communion in the East Together with this that all that the ancient Emperors possessed was not peopled onely with the Catholicke communion but there were infinite other Sectes which although euery one taken aparte none of them did equall her neuerthelesse all ioyned together would haue surmounted her witnes the Donatistes wordes aboue recited by Saint AVGVSTINE how can you saie that the whole world is replenished with your communion wherein there are soe manie heresies whereof noe one communicates with you Soe as it may bee seene that the Church in Saint AVGVSTINS tyme for beinge vnder the Roman Emperors was noe more distinct nor easier to be discerned from hereticall Sectes by externall notes then she was when the last diuisions were formed but contrarywise much lesse principally in the west for as much as the watch fullnes of the westerne princes in publishinge teÌ„porall lawes against heretickes hath caused the Catholicke Church to remaine alonge tyme alone in Europe without the concurrence of anie other Sect whereas before there was scarce anie cittie that was not infected with diuers kindes of heresies and of which we might not saie with Saint PACIAN Entringe in these daies into a populous cittie and findinge there Marcionites Valentinians Appllecians and other such like plagues which call themselue Christians how should J know the Societie of my people if she were not intitled Catholick Of the communion that the Bishops of the East had by letters with those of the west CHAPT XXIII The continuance of the kinges answere THen there might be seene the Bishops of the East and the VVest communicatinge by theire letters and by theire Messengers euery daie and when neede required lendinge helpe the one to the others THE REPLIE IT is true but of those letters the principall were the consultations of the Synodes with the Popes and the answeres of the Popes to the Synodes whereof Saint IEROM speaketh when he saith that he had serued Pope 〈◊〉 for a Secretary to answere the Synodicall consultations of the East and the West And whereof Pope INNOCENT writes to Saint AVGVSTIN and to the other Bishops of the Mileuitan Councell Through all the prouinces there run alwais the answeres from the Apostolicall springe to those that 〈◊〉 them And Saint AVGVSTINE himselfe in his Epistle to SIXTVS Of this there was also sent the relation of the two Councells of Carthage and Mileuis to the Apostolicall Sea And in the Epistle to OPTATVS Wee haue bad care to conuay to you the letters which haue bene sent from the Apostolicall Sea vpon this subiect either especially to the Africans or vniuersallie to all the Bishops for feare least 〈◊〉 they be not yet come to your Holynesse And Pope IVLIVS recited by Saint ATHANASIVS Are you ignorant said hee to the Arrians that the custome is first to write to vs and so from hence may proceede the iust decision of thinges Of these wordes of the constitutions of Saint Clemen the vniuersall Episcopat is Committed to Bishops CHAP. XXIII The continuance of the Kinges answere FOR that that is read in the Constitntions of 〈◊〉 that the vniuersall 〈◊〉 is committed to Bishops and by consequence that they are all in some sort 〈◊〉 now amazed wee read it and beleiue it not THE REPLIE NEither is the booke that beares the title of ClemeÌ„ts Constitutions of such creditt as it can haue aucthority to decide in matters of Religion For be it that it was from the beginninge supposed vnder Clements name or that it were since alter'd and falsified by heretickes it is certaine that the authority thereof is suspected Saint EPIPHANIVS makes mention of a booke soe intitled and saith that
although the Ecclesiasticall Canon forbidds to rule the Churches without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome And likewise Zozomenus a greeke author alsoe and of the same tyme with Socrates IVLIVS saied he reprehended them that they had secretly and priuily altered the faith of the Councell of Nicea and for that against the lawes of the Church they had not called him to the Synod for there was a Sacerdot all lawe which imported that all things which were done without the aduice of the Bishop of Rome should be inualid And why then when Eusebius of Nicomedia vsurper of the Bishopricke of Constantinople and firebrand of the Arrian faction and the other Arrians his complices sawe that the deposition of Saint ATHANASIVS that they had packed in the councell of Antioche was argued of nullitie because the Popes authoritie did not appeare therin Did they aduise themselues to repaire this defect to preuent the Pope and to pray him to calle the cause to his tribunall EVSEBIVS saith Socrates haueing done in the councell of Antioche what he listed sent an Embassador to JVLIVS Bishop of Rome requiring him to be iudge in the affaire of ATHANAS and to call the cause before him And this not after the voyage of S. ATHANAS to Rome as Socrates and Sozomene and the Protestants with them pretend but before as IVLIVS recited by S. ATHANASIVS saint ATHANASIVS himselfe and THEODORET doe writness ATHANASIVS said IVLIVS is not come to Rome of his owne motion but haueing bene called and hauing receiued 〈◊〉 from vs. And saint ATHANASIVS EVSEBIVS and his partie writt to Rome that is to 〈◊〉 to the Pope they writt alsoe to the Emperors CONSTANTINE and CONSTANT C. that is to saie to CONSTANTINE Emperor of the Gaules whose residence was at Treuers and to CONSTANT Emperor of Itali and Africa whose residence was at Millen but the Emperors reiected them and as for the Bishop of Rome he answered that we should keepe a Councell where we would And in an other place The Eusebians writt to IVLIVS and thinkinge to terrifie vs demaunded of him that he would call a Councell and that himselfe if he would should be the iudge thereof That is to say they demaunded either that the Pope would keepe a Councell out of Rome in which the cause might be iudged in the presence of his Legates or that he should iudge it himselfe at Rome if he pleased And a while after But when they heard the newes of our arriuvll at Rome they were troubled not expecting our comeing thither And THEODORET Assoone as ATHANASIVS receiued the citatior from IVLIVS he transported himselfe in diligence to Rome And why then when the same IVLIVS obiected to the Arrians the enterprise of the Councell of Antioch did he reproch them that against the custome of the Church they had deposed saint ATHANASIVS in the Councell of Antioch without attending first for a decision from Rome Are you ignorant said Pope IVLIVS in the second answere to the Arrians recited by saint ATHANASIVS that the custome is that we should be first written to and that from hence the iust decisions of things should proceede And therefore if there were anie suspicion conceiued against your Bishop there you must haue written to this Church A manifest argument that the request that the Arrians a while after the Councell of Antioch had made to the Pope to call the cause of ATHANASIVS before him and to call a Councell to iudge it or to iudge it himselfe if hee would was noe newe attribution of iurisdiction to the Pope as the aduersaries of the Church imagine but a truce of their rebellion to the Popes iurisdiction For how could the Pope haue reproached to the Arrians that the Councell of Antioch against the ancient custome of the Church had deposed saint Athanasius without stayinge for a decision from Rome if the Pope had not had right to iudge the cause of saint Athanasius but since the Councell of Antioch And how could the Arrians themselues haue inserted 15. yeares after these wordes in the false letter that they inforced Pope Liberius to write against saint Athanasius I haue following the traditions of the ancients sent on my behalfe Lucius Paule and Aehanus Priests of the Roman Church into Alexandria to Athanasius to cause him to come to Rome that we might ordaine himselfe beeing present vpon his person what the discipline of the Church exactes if this right had bene from the newe attribution of the Arrians and not from the ancient tradition of the Church and euen from that that IVLIVS newly came from speaking of For the things which wee haue receiued from the blessed Peeter I doe signifie them to you But let vs againe goe forward with our interrogatories And why then when the articles of the Eusebians against S. Athanasius were brought to Rome did the Pope vpon the accusation of one of the parties as the common iudge adiourne or giue them both a day and that following the Ecclesiasticall Canon Julius saith Theodoret following the Ecclesiasticall lawe commannded the Eusebians to present themselues at Rome and gaue assignation to the diuine Athanasius to appeare in iudgement And why then when those greate Prelates Athanasius Patriarke of Alexandria Paule Bishop of Constātinople MARCELLVS primate of 〈◊〉 in Galatia ASCLEPAS Bishop of Gaza in Palestina LVCIVS Bishop of Andrinopolis in Thrace who had bene accused of diuers crymes some Secular As Athanasius of the crymes of manslanghter and Rape and other Ecclesiasticall as the same Athanasius to haue caused a Chalice to be brokē And Asclepas to haue ouerthrowne an Altar and had bene deposed from their seates by diuers councells of Thrace and of Asia and had bene heard at Rome did the authors of the Ecclesiasticall histories say that the bishop of Rome restored them forasmuch as to him because of the dignitie of his sea the care of all thinges appartained IVLIVS Bishop of Rome said Socrates because of the priuiledge of his Church armed them with couragious letters and sent them backe into the East and restored to eache of them his place rebukeinge those that had 〈◊〉 deposed them And Sozomene the Bishop of Rome haueing examined their complaints and found that they agreed touchinge the decree of the Councell of 〈◊〉 receiued them into his communion as conformable and of the same beliefe And because that to him for the dignity of his Sea the care of all things belonged he restered to euery one of them his Church For as for the out ragious letters that those of the East that is to say as it shall appeare heereafter the Bishops of the Patriarckship of Antioch and their complices who were Arrians writt against IVLIVS in hate because he had broken their Councell and restored saint Athanasius I meane to confute them particularly in an other place It shall suffice nowe that I say two thinges one
that these letters hauing bene written by hereticall authors to witt the Arrians and reported by an hereticall historian from whom Socrates and Sozoment tooke them to witt by Sabinus a macedonian hereticke who tooke part with the Councell of Antioch against the Pope and against the Counceil of Nicea and was a sworne Enemie to the Trinitie to saint Athanasius and to the Councell of Nicea they carryed their confutation on their foreheade and are of as little weight as those that the Lutherans or other Protestantes should nowe write against the Pope For who knowes not that the Pope hath alwaies proued that concerning Religion that Cicero said of himselfe concerning the common wealth to witt that none euer declared himselfe Enemie to the Church but he tooke him the Pope for his aduerse 〈◊〉 at the same tyme And the other that notwithstanding the boldnes or to speake with Sozomene the impudencie of these hereticall and Arrian letters the restitution that the Pope had made of these great persons and amongst others Athanasius Patriarcke of Alexandria and of Paule Archbishop of Constantinople was neuerthelesse executed and imbraced as iust both in forme and matter by the vniuersall consent of all the Catholickes in the world Athanasius and Paule saith Sozomene recouered each one his seate And in an other place speaking of the 300. Orthodoxall Bishops of the Councell of Sardica who represented all the Catholicke Bishops vpon the Earth They answered said he that they could not separate themselues from the communion of Athanasius and Paule and principally for as much as Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause had not condemned them And why then when the same Councell of Sardica where assisted according to the calculation of saint Athanasius Socrates and Sozomene more then 300. Bishops and which IVSTINIAN calls an Oecumenicall Councell And which Vigilius the ancient Bishop of Trent saith to haue bene assembled from all the prouinces of the Earth And where saint Athanasius and the greater parte of the same Fathers that had bene at the Councell of Nicea assisted proceeded not to institute the appeales as it shall appeare hereafter but to rule or to reduce into writinge the customes of the appeales did they ordaine that when a Bishop should appeale to the Pope it should be in the Popes choyse either to giue him iudges out of the neighbour prouinces or to graunt him legates which should be transported into those places If a Bishop said the Councell hauing bene deposed by the assemblie of Bishops of his prouince hath recourse in forme of an appeale to the most blessed Bishop of Rome and desires to be heard a new and that the Bishop of Rome holdes it iust that his cause should be re-examined lett him vouchsafe to write to the Bishops neighbbours to that prouince And a little after and if 〈◊〉 thinke it fitt to send priests from about his person which may together with the Bishops decide the businesse hauinge his authoritie from whom they are sent that alsoe ought to be allowed For as for what past afterward in Africa about the matter of Appeales in lesser causes that shall be spoken of hereafter in a chapter by it selfe And why then when the Fathérs of the same councell of Sardica yeilded an accompt of their Actes to the Pope did they write to him according to the copy which is inserted in the fragment of saint HILARIE and cited tacitly by Pope INNOCENT the first and expressely by Pope NICHOLAS the first It were very Good ad conuenient if from all the princes the Prelates of God would send relations to their Head that is to saie to the Sea of the Apostle Peter And why then when Valens Bishop of Murses in Mysia and Vrsatius Bishop of Singidon in Hungaria two of the chiese Whirle-windes in the Arrian tempest would departe from the heresy of Arius and from the slaunders that they had inuented against saint ATHANASIVS did they come to Rome to aske the Popes pardon and to protest obedience to him To the absolution of Athanasius said Sulpitius Seuerns there was yet added that Vrsatius and Valens chiefe of the Arrians after the councell of sardica seeing themselues excluded from the communion came in person to craue pardon of Iulius Bishop of Rome for haueing condemned an innocent And saint ATHANASIVS Vrsatius and Valens seeing these things were touched with remorse and goeing vp to Rome confest their fault and repenting craued pardon And themselues in the acte of their penāce giuē by writing to the Pope and inserted in the Relations of saint ATHANASIVS and Sozomene Wee confesse said they to your blessednesse in presence of all your priests our bretheren that all those things that are come hither to your eares against ATHANASIVS are false and fained and farr from being his actions and for this cause we earnestly desire to haue communion with him and principallie because your pictie out of your naturall goodnes hath vouchsaffed to pardon our Error And we farther promise that if for this occasion either those of the East or Athanasius himselfe doe maliciouslie call vs to iudgement wee will not departe from what you shall ordaine And why then when the Emperor constantius would set the last hand to the persecutiō of saint Athanasius did Amianus Marcellinus though a Pagan author reporte that he solicited Pope Liberius to condemne him not contenting himself that he had bene deposed by a councell cmpounded of 300. Bishops of the East and West vnlesse the Pope himselfe confirmed this deposition Although said hee that the Emperor know this was done neuerthelesse he procured with an earnest desire that it might be comfirmed by the authoritie where of the Bishops of the eternall Cittie are superiors For whereas afterward Pope LIBERIVS ouercome by the persecutions of Constantius the Arrian Emperor gaue himselfe vp to signe the condemnation of saint Athanasius it was after he had bene cast out of his seate by the Emperor at the instance of the Arrians and confined into Thracia And after he had suffered an exile of two yeares and a longe continuance of imprisonments threates of death and corporall afflictions and vexatiōs Nowe we make a great differēce betwene those sentēces that Popes pronounce de Cathedra that is to saie sett in their Ecclesiasticall Tribunall in the forme of publicke and iudiciary actes and with solemne and canonicall preparation and those things that they doe in the forme of particular and personall actes and not as constituted in the state and liberty of ludges but as reduced into the condition of captiues and prisoners and constrayned by the violence of humane feare such as may Be in a spirit morally constant And yet heere meete three miraculous circumstances and worthy of Gods prouidence toward the Apostolicks Sea in this historie The first that as in the solemnitie of the Pythian games wherein the Grecians celebrated the Feast of Apollo when one
of the strings of Eunomius lire was broken the greeke fables saie that a grashopper came and set herselfe vpon the lire and supplied with her songe the defect of the string that wanted so when LIBERIVS banisht and cast out of his seate by the Arrians began to be wanting to the consorte and 〈◊〉 of the Church Felix one of the Deacons of Rome that the Arrians had caused to be substituted in his place supplied against their expectation the defect of LIBERIVS and soe lifted vp his voice sor the innocencie of ATHANASIVS and the faith of the Councell of 〈◊〉 that he was for this cause driuen out of Rome by the Arrians and if we will beleiue the ancient inscriptions martyred The second that when the Emperor had drawne by force frō LIBERIVS what he would he sent him backe to Rome to exercise ioinctly with FELIX the gouuerment of the Church LIBERIVS in steede of persistinge in the conditions that the Arrians had wrested from him tooke vp againe such a zeale for the protection of the cause of saint ATHANASIVS and for the defence of the faith that he despised from thence forwarde all the threatninges and persecutions of the Emperor and did noe lesse imitate saint Peter in repairing the offence of his fall then he did before in committinge it And the third that when LIBERIVS was arriued at Rome 〈◊〉 if we will belieue Sozomene dyed which was saith the same Sozomene a notable care of the diuine prouidence in the behalfe of S. Peeters Sea A while after saith Sozomene FELIX deceased and Liberius alone ruled the Church which was disposed by the prouidence of God least the seate of Peeter should be dishonored being gouerned by two Rulers But lett vs returne to our interrogatories And why then when the Arriars had caused LIBERIVS to be remoued from Rome doth saint AIHANASIVS crye they haue not had a reuerent memorie that Rome was the Apostolicke Sea and Metropolitan of Romania that is to saie of the Roman Empire For first that saint ATHANASIVS by the word Romania meant all the Roman Empire we learne from saint EPIPHANIVS who saith Manes passed out of Persia into Romania And in an other place The fire of Arius tooke possession of almost all Romania And againe Constantine sent letters against Arius throughout all Romania And from POSSIDIVS who calleth the Vandalls that sacked Africa the destroyers of Romania And secondly that by the word Metropolitā he meanes a spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Metropolitan and not simplie a secular and temporall Metropolitan a Metropolitan of Religion and not simplie a Metropolitan of state and policie we learne it from the allusion to the Epistle to the Arrians that he cues in the same place in which the Arrians though scornefully and ironically had called the Catholicke Church the Schoole of the Apostles and Metropolitan of Religion And from the Epistle of saint IEROM against Iohn Bi hop of Jerusalem in which he said that the Councell of Nicea ordayned that 〈◊〉 should be the Metropolitan of all the East that is to say the spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Metropolitan of all the East And why then when the Macedonians in the Councell of Lampsacus in 〈◊〉 resolued to revnite themselues to the Catholicke Church did they send EVSTATHIVS Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia THEOPHIL and 〈◊〉 and other Asian Bishops to Rome who after their confession of faith subscribed with their handes added these wordes to Pope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 anie one after this confession of faith expounded by vs will attempt anie accusation against vs or against these that sent vs lett him come with letters from thy Holynesse before such orthodoxall Bishops as thy Holinesse shall please to appoint and contest with vs in iudgement and if there doe a crime appeare lett the authors thereof be punished And why then when the same Eustathius who had bin deposed from the Bishopricke of Sebaste in Armenia by the Councell of Militine in Armenia and shewed to the Councell of Tyana in Cappadocia the letters of restitution that he obtained from Pope Liberius was restablished in his Bishopricke Eustathius writes S. Basile to those of the West 〈◊〉 bene cast out of his Bishopricke because he had bene deposed in the synod of Militiue aduised himselfe to finde meanes to be restored to trauaile to you Now of the things that where propounded to him by the most blessed Bishop LIBERIVS and to what he submitted himselfe we are ignorant onely he brought a letter which restored him which being shewed to the Councell of Tyana he was reestablished in his Bishops seate And why then when the abrogation of the Councell of Arimini was in question did saint BASILE write to S. ATHANASIVS It seemed to vs to be to good purpose to write to the Bishop of Rome to be watchfull ouer these partes and giue his iudgement to the end that since there is difficultie in sending from thence persons in behalfe of a common and synodicall decree he may vse his authoritie in the businesse and choose men capable of the labour of the waie c. and hauinge with them the actes of Arimini that they may disannull those things that haue bene done by force For whereas in an other place the same saint BASILE stunge with the intermission that the Bishops of the west had made in communicatinge by Ecclesiasticall letters with him vpon an aduertisment that had bene giuen at Rome that he communicated with heretickes cryes against the pride of those of the west and saith that they knew not the truth that is to say the truth of the Easterne affaires neither had prtience to learne it And againe that they should not by affliction add paine to those that were oppressed and humbled nor esteeme that dignity consisted in disdaine It was not to taxe those of the west that they stretched their iurisdiction to farr that hee spake this langage but contrariwise to taxe them that they tooke not sufficient notice of the Asian affaires as it appeares by the letter he writt to them in the name of himselfe and all the Bishops of Cappadocia whose Metropolitan he was which contained these wordes Wee are readie to be iudged by you prouided that those which slaunder vs may appeare face to face with vs in the presence of your Reuerence And againe Comfort vs with your peaceable letters and with your charitable communications easinge as by a sweete somentation the wound which your former negligence hath made in our heartes And that which he adds to the first complaint that those of the west preuented with false suspicions did the same thinges in his behalfe as they had done in the cause of Marcellus to wit that they tooke them for aduersaries that reported the truth to them and established heresie in trustinge too much in their owne opinions not that he pretended the Pope had euer approued the heresie of Marcellus Only he meant
Towne without a horse or anie beast of carriage and presented himselfe to Pope Leo reuerentlie offering him obedience and requiring with humilitie that he might ordaine of the estate of the 〈◊〉 after the accustomed manner c. neuerthelesse if it were not his will he would not importune him And againe He applied himselfe wholie to appease the spiritt of Leo with a prostrate humilitie And why then when Eutyches who liued in the tyme of the same Emperors pretended that he had appealed from Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople to Pope Leo did not Flauianus dispute that he could not appeale but that he had not appealed Eutyches saith Pope Leo writing to 〈◊〉 affirmes that in full iudgement he pretended you a request of appeale and it was not receiued by which meanes he was constrained to make acts of protestation in the cittie of Constantinople And Flauianus answering Leo Eutyches said he hath informed you that in the time of iudgement he pretended to vs and to the holy Councell heere assembled libells of appeale and that he appealed to your 〈◊〉 which was neuer done by him And againe Moued then most holie Father with all these attempts of his and with those which haue bene done and are done against vs and against the holy Church doe you worke confidently according to your wonted courage as it belongs to the priesthood and making the common cause and the discipline of the holy Churches your owne vouchsafe to confirme by your writings the condemnation which hath bene regularlie made against him And for what cause did the Councell of Chalcedon embrace the iudgement that the Pope had giuen against Eutyches after the sentence of Flauianus his owne Bishop as giuen by a competent iudge and attributed the finall deposition of Eutyches to the Popes iudgement By the decrees of his tyranny saied the Councell of Chalcedon writing to the Pope and speaking pf the attemptes that Dioscorus had made in the false Councell of Ephesus he hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innocent and bath restored to him the dignitie whereof he was depriued by your Holynesse And why then when Peter Chrissologus Bishop of 〈◊〉 writt to the same Eutyches the Epistle which is annext to the front of all the Greeke and Latine actes of the Councell of Chalcedon did he saie We exhort thee in these things Reuerend Brother to lend an obedient attention to the letters of the most holy Pope of the cittie of Rome for asmuch as the blessed Peter who liues and rules in his owne Seate exhibits the true faith to those that seeke it for we for the desire we haue of peace and faith cannot heare matters of faith without the consent of the Bishop of Rome And why then when Theodoret Bishop of Tire a towne neere Persia and subiect to the Patriark of Antioch had bene deposed in the false Councell of Ephesus did he appeale to the Pope I attend said Theodoret in his letter to Pope Leo the sentence of your Apostolicke Throne and beseeche your Holynesse to succor me appealing to your right and iust iudgement and commaund that I transport myselfe to you and verifie that my doctrine followes the Apostolicke stepps And for what cause did Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople hauing bene deposed by the same Councell appeale to the same Pope We ought said the Emperor Valentinian the third writing to Theodosius the second Emperor of the East to preserue inuiolable in our daies the dignitie of particular Reuerence to the blessed Apostle Peter that the holy Bishop of Rome to whom antiquitie hath attributed the priesthood aboue all may haue place to iudge in matters of saith and of the Bishops c. for therefore according to the custome of Councells the Bishop of Constantinople had appealed to him in the contention which is risers about points of Faith and Liberatus Archdeacon of Carthage Flauianus saith he the sentence hauing bene pronounced against him appealed to the Apostolicke Sea by petition presented to his Legates For to saie as the Popes aduersaries doe that the actes of the falfe Councell of Ephesus which were read againe in the Councell of Chalcedon onely bare that Flauianus said to Dioscorus I appeale from thee without saying I appeale from thee to the Pope Who knowes not that those actes as it was represented to the Councell of Chalcedon had bene all falsified by Dioscorus who had put in and put out what he listed making the Bishops signe by force to blanckes They haue 〈◊〉 vs violence with woundes said the Bishops of the East to the Councell of Chalcedon we haue signed blanckes And Eusebius Bishop of Dorilaus reporting the same history to the councell of Cbalcedon Dioscorus said hee inserted in the actes things that were neuer spoken and constrained the Bishops to signe to blanckes And besides the exhibition that Flauianus made of his Petition of apppeale to the Popes Legates and the opposition that the Popes Legates made for him against Dioscorus and againste all the Councell as soone as he had appealed and the appeale that Theodoret the neighboring bishop to Persia and companion in Flauianus condemnation putin from the same councell to the Pope resisting and makeing his appeale be iudged of before the Pope doth it not sufficiently manifest that it was to the Pope that Flauianus appealed Moreoner how had Flauianus in saying simplie I appeale from thee made it vnderstood that it was to an oecumenicall councell that he apealed since the councell wherein Dioscorus condemned him tooke alsoe in condemning him the litle of oecumenicall and had bene assembled by the Emperor THEODOSIVS the second in the qualitie of oecumenicall and after confirmed as oecumenicall and that to be truly oecumenicall there wanted nothing of the number and plenitude of Bishops but the only authority of the Pope which was distracted from it by the seperation of his Legats whereof some were fledd and the rest remayned out of their ranke and amongst the presse Contrarywise that all the Patriarkes of the earth and all the principall metropolitans and Bishops of their Patriarkshipps were there and that there wanted of the Patriarkes none but the Pope alone is it not a sufficient proofe that Flauianus saying I appeale and presenting his libell of appeale to the Popes Legates and the Popes Legates protesting at the same tymt an opposition against the sentence from which he appealed that it was to the Pope that he appealed though the Emperor VALENTINIAN had not also said these expresse wordes The Bishop of Constantinople according to the custome of councells hath appealed to the Pope and Liberatus these Flauianus sentence hauing bene pronounced against him appealed to the Sea Apostolick For to obiect that the Pope did not retaine the iudgement of the cause intirely but desired it might be iudged in a generall councell haue wee not already said that the Popes custome after appeales was to doe two things one to iudge of
the validity or inualidity of the appeale and in case of validity to annull the first iudgement and restore by prouision the Appellant to his former Estate The other after he had annulled the first sentence to ordaine to proceede to a second iudgement and in case that the Pope would not take the paines to examin it himselfe then not to vexe parties to giue them iudges either sent from Rome or taken by commission from Rome out of those partes or in case of danger of schisme betwene the two Empires to decree that the cause should be iudged his legates being present in an oecumenicall councell Now did not Pope Leo doe this in the cause of Flauianus for first did he not declare the appeale to be lawfull abrogating and annulling the iudgement of Dioscorus and the false councell of Ephesus against Flauianus and setting things in the same estate they where before that is to saie restoring Flauianus euen after his title of Bishop of Constantinople and excommunicating all those that did not communicate to his memory and that without staying till the Councell of Chalcedon was holden And secondly did he not ordaine that to passe to a newe iudgement where all the proceedings of Dioscorus and of the false councell of Ephesus against Flauianus might againe be put to the triall and when Dioscorus if he persisted in his contumacy might be vsed according to his deserte the holding a generall councell should be procured that the matter might be iudged vnder the eye of the Legates with the knowledge and satisfaction of all the world for that the Pope and the Councell of Rome prayed the Emperor of the East to commaund that all things might be sett in the same state wherein they were before iudgement till a greater number of Bishops might be called together from all partes of the world was in regard of the temporall lawes for as much as a little while before the Emperor of the East a Prince that signed as shall appeare heereafter Dispatches without reading them and whose fauour Chrisaphius the Eutychian abused had made a lawe in his Empire by which he confirmed the false councell of Ephesus which he belieued to be oecumenicke and the deposition of Flauianus and ordained that all those that in the Easte should holde the doctrine of Flauianus that is to say doctrine contrary to Eutyches heresie should be either excluded or dispossessed from their Bishoprickes and their bookes publickly burnt and their adherents punisht with confiscation of goods and perpetuall banishment For these causes then the Pope and the councell of Rome prayed the Emperor of the East to reuoke this lawe and to commaund that all things in regard of temporall iurisdiction might be set in the same state as they were before but not that in regarde of spirituall and Ecclesiasticall authority the false councell of Ephesus was alreadie disannulled by the decree of the Councell of Rome and soe disannulled as Anatolius that had bene made Bishop of Constantinople in the false Councell of Ephesus was faine to renounce the Doctrine of Eutyches and of the same Councell of Ephesus and the communion of Dioscorus and to restore the memory of Flauiannus into the recordes of his Church and the rest of the East that would returne to the communion of the Pope were faine to doe the same and this before the Councell of Chalcedon Anatolius saith the Emperesse Pulcheria writing to Pope Leo longe before the Councell of Chalcedon hath embraced the Apostolicke confession of your letters reiecting the error that was lately aduanced by some as your Holynesse may see by his answere And Pope LEO himselfe in the first Epistle to Anatholius Bishop of Constantinople written six monthes before the Councell of Chalcedon Your charitie must said he obserue in regard of silencing the names of Dioscorus Iuuenall and â—â—â—â—athius at the holie altar that which our Legates in those places tould you ought to be done and which shall not be repugnant to the honorable memorie of saint Flauianus And in the second Epistle to the same Anatolius written fower monthes before the Councell of Chalcedon Remember said he to keepe this rule that all those that in the Synod of Ephesus which neither could obtaine nor deserue the name of a Synod and wherein Dioscorus shewed his corrupted will and Iuuâ—nall his ignorance c are grieued for hauing bene ouercome with feare and for suffering themselues to be forced to consent to that most abhominable iudgement and desire to be receiued to the Catholique communion let brotherly peace be restored to them after competent satisfaction prouided that they condemne and anathematize by an vndoubted able Eutiches with his doctrine and his Sect. But as for those that haue more grieuously offended in this case c. he meanes Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria and Juuenall Bishop of Jerusalem and their complices if they perchance come to an acknowledgment and abandonning their owne defence conuert themselues to condemne theire owne error and that their satisfaction shal be such as it shall not seeme fitt to be reiected let that be reserued to the more mature deliberation of the 〈◊〉 Apostolicke And indeed that it was not by vertue of any appeale of Flauianus to the Councell that the Councell of Chalcedon which likewise had neuer bene held but for the Pope iudged of Flauianus cause but in vertue of Flauianus appeale to the Pope and the Popes commission to the councell for the compleate reuiew of the cause three things shewe it First the Canon vpon which Pope Leo grounded his procuring a Councell after an appeale was a Canon of the Councell of Sardica concerning appeales to the Pope The decrees said he writing to the Emperor Theodosius of the canons made at Nicea which haue bene decreed by the Prolates of the vniuersall world and whose copies are heereunto annexed witnesse that after the putting in of an appeale the seeking a Synod is necessarie For the Canon annexed to that letter in the greeke actes of the Councell of Chalcedon is a Canon of the Councell of Sardica though incorrectly transcribed by those that copied it which Canon Pope Leo calls a Canon of the CouÌ„cell of Nicea for asmuch as the Councell of Sardica had bene as a Seale and an Appendix to the Councell of Nicea The second that when the Popes legates in the Councell of Chalcedon pronounced their iudgement vpon the punishement that Dioscorus should incurr they pronounced it in these wordes And therefore the most holy and blessed Archbishop of the great and ancient Rome Leo hath by vs and by this present synod together with the thrice blessed and worthie of all praise the Apostle Peter who is the rocke and pillar of the Catholicke Church and the foundation of the right faith deposed Dioscorus from all dignitie as well Episcopall as Sacerdotall And the third that when the Emperors confirmed in the secular tribunall the same Councell of Chalcedon to make
doth to the members contributing your good pleasure by those that 〈◊〉 your place and the faithfull Emperor presided to cause order to be obserued striuing ioyntly with you as Zorobabel with Iesus to renew in the doctrine the building of the Ecclesiasticall Jerusalem And why then when they came to touch in their relation the fact of Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria did they call the Presidencie which he had vsurped in the false Councell of Ephesus without the Popes commission TYRANNY and accused him to haue attempted euen against him to whom the guard of the vine had bene committed that is against the Pope By the decrees of his tyranny saith the relation of the Councell to the Pope he hath declared Eutiches innocent and that dignity which had bene taken from him by your Holynesse as from a man vnworthy of such grace he hath restored it to him And againe And after all these things he hath extended his felonie euen against him to whom the guard of the vine hath bene committed by our Sauiour to witt against your Holynesse And why then when they prayed the Pope to approue the decree by which they gaue the second ranke to the Archbishop of Constantinople did they beseech him that as they had corresponded with him that was their head when there was question of Faith soe his soueraigntie would gratifie them in what concerned discipline vsing to expresse the spirituall soueraignty of the Pope by the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which had bene vsed to expresse the temporall soueraignty of the Emperors Wee haue alsoe said they confirmed the canon of the 150. Fathers assembled at Constantinople vnder the great Theodosius of Religious memorie which ordaines that after your most holy and Apostolicall Throne that of Constantinople should haue the order of honor moued with this that the Apostolicke beame raigning amongst you you according to your ordinarie gouernment doe often spread it toward the Church of Constantinople because you haue accustomed to inrich without enuie your posteritie that is to saie the Church of Constantinople which was extracted from the blood and linage of that of Rome with the participation of your goods And againe Wee beseeche you then to honor our iudgement with your decrees and that as in what concernes the weale we haue brought correspondencie to our head soe your Soueraignty will performe in the behalfe of your children that which concerneth comelinesse And why then when Pope Leo refused to approue this decree were the Emperor Marcian and Anatolius Patriarke Constantinople in whose fauour it had bene propounded constrained to forbeare it and to leaue the businesse then without effect as it appeares by these words of Pope Leo to Anatolius This thy fault which to augment thy power thou hast committed as thou saist by the exhortation of others thy charitie had blotted out better and more sincerely if thou 〈◊〉 not imputed to the only Councell of thy Clergie that which could not be attempted without thy goodwill c. But I am gladd deare brother that thy charitie protesteth thou art now displeased with that which euen then ought not to haue pleased thee It sufficeth to re-enter into common grace the profession of thy loue and the testimonie of the Christian Prince and lett not his correctiō seeme slowe that hath gotten soe reuerent a suretie And why then when Anastasius Bishop of Thessalonica and the Popes Vicar in Macedanico Achaia and other Greeke Prouinces neere Constantinople had abused the authority of his Vicarship against Atticus Bishop of Nicopolis and Metropolitan of the aunciét Fpirus did Pope Leo write to him Wee haue in such sort committed our vicarship to thy charitie as thou art called to a parte of the care and not to the fulnesse of the power And toward the end It hath bene `prouided by a grand Order that all should not attribute to themselues all things but that in euery prouince there should be some whose sentence might hold first ranke and againe that some others constituted in the greater Cities might vse the more diligence that by them the care of the vniuersall Church might flowe to the onely seate of Peter And why then when Ceretius and the other French-Bishops congratulated Pope Leo for the instruction of the Faith that he had sent into the East did they write to him By good right the principalitie of the sea Apostolicke hath bene constituted in the place from whence there springe forth still the oracles of the Apostolicall Spiritt And why then when the Emperors Leo and Maioranus had succeeded the Emperor Marcian vnder whom the Councell of Chalcedon was kept did the Emperor Maioranus residing amongst the Gaules decree by an expresse lawe that euery Bishop that should ordaine a clerke against his will should be called before the Pope If anie Bishop saith the lawe 〈◊〉 dispence with himselfe in this respect let him be called before the Prelate of the Sea Apostolicke that in that reuerent Seate he may incurre the note of his lawlesse presumption And why then when the Emperor Zeno Leo's successor had caused Iohn surnamed Talaia to be cast out from the Alexandrian Sea and set Peter surnamed Mongus in his place did Iohn appeale to the Pope who deposed Peter his aduersary and Acacius Patriarke of Cōstantinople that adhered to him Iohn saith Liberatus an Affrican author and of neere eleuen hundred yeares antiquity addressed bimselfe to Calandion Patriarke of Antioch and hauing taken from him Synodicall letters of intercession appealed to the Pope of Rome Simplicius And Victor of Tunes an author of the same tyme and Country after the consulship of the moste noble Longinus 〈◊〉 Bishop of Constantinople Peter Bishop of Alexandria and Peter Bishop of Antioch enemies to the Councell of Chalcedon were condemned by Felix Prelate of the Roman Church and by a Synod held in Italie and the condemnation sent to Constantinople to Acacius And Euagrius a greeke author somewhat later Iohn hauing taken his flight and being come to Rome represented to Felix the successor of Simplicius the things that Peter had done and perswaded Felix to send a sentence of deposition to Acacius for the Communion he had with Peter For though Zacharie an Eutychian author write that Acacius who was supported by the Emperor Zeno a complice of his heresie despised this deposition From whence it is that Victor of Tunes saith that Peter and Acacius died in condemnation neuerthelesse the Popes Sentence had in the end such effect as both their names to wit Peter Patriark of Alexandria and Acacius Bishop of Constantinople they being alreadie dead were raced out of the Recordes of their Churches and out of the catalogue of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Constantinople and excluded from recitall in the misteries And why then when Hunericus King of the Vandalls would needes presse Eugenius Archbishop of Carthage to enter into conference with the Arrians did Eugenius reported by
the cittie of Rome besides that she was head of the Empire of the West a thinge which was common to her with the two other citties of Alexandria and Antioch each in the behalfe of their ancient territorie had yet this condition more aboue the rest that she was also the head of the vniuersall Bodie of the Empire soe the finall and absolute Sea of S. PETER which he constituted at Rome besides the Patriarchall iurisdiction and as correspondent to the Empire of the West in which it agreed with the other Patriarchall Chaires had yet more the degree of head of the Church and Prince of the Patriarkes in which he was superior to the other patriarchall Thrones And when there was question of things that went beyond the Patriarchall iurisdiction that is of greater causes and which concerned the vniuersall Churches as were causes of Faith or of the generall customes of the Church or those of the finall deposition of Bishops or those of iudging the verie persons of the Patriarkes exercised Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction ouer them iudged both of their iudgements of their persons For S. PETER hauing purposed to followe in the distributiō of spirituall iurisdictions the order alreadie established in the distribution of temporall iurisdiction it must followe that the same proportion that was betweene the seate of Rome the seates of the other two Empires in case of politicke secular iurisdictiō must likewise be maintained betweene the Sea of the Bishop of Rome and those of the other Patriarkes in case of Ecclesiasticall spirituall iurisdiction that for two causes the one occasionall remote to witt the secular dignity of the cittie of Rome which had moued S. PETER to sett the spirituall soueraigntie of the Church in that place where alreadie the temporall soueraigntie of the common-wealth was setled the other neere formall immediate to witt the spirituall dignitie of S. PETER for the eminencie whereof it was fitt that he that was the head of the episcopall societie should establish his finall absolute Throne plant the stock of his direct succession in that place where the stocke principall Seate of the human temporall iurisdiction was alreadie planted As the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian note in these wordes The primacie of the Sea Apostolicke hath bene established both by the merit of Peter who is the Prince of the Episcopall societie and by the dignitie of the cittie and by the sacred authoritie of the Synod Now there was this difference betweene the seate of the cittie of Rome and the seates of the other prefectures in matter of secular temporall iurisdiction that not only the Emperor of the Roman common-wealth commaunded the Prefects and Presidentes of the other Seates but also that the cittie prefect of Rome besides the iurisdiction of his ordinary territorie which was limitted in regarde of iudgement in the first instance to a certaine number of prouinces had yet as head of the Senate and vicar to the Emperor the right of examining by appeale the causes of all the prouinces of the Fmpire For when Augustus and the Emperors following establisht or re-establisht the office of Prefect of the cittie of Rome they gaue him power to iudge of the appeales of all the prouinces of the Roman circle as the interpreter of the notice of the Empire and euen the aduersaries of the Roman Church doe acknowledge alleadging be it well be it euill these words of Mecenas reported in Dion that the Prefect of the cittie shall iudge of the appeales and prouocations of all the Magistrates aboue mentioned And those of Statius addressed to the cittie prefect vnder Domitian Jnque sinum quae saepe tuumfora turbida quaestu Confugiunt legesque vrbesque vbicunque togatae 〈◊〉 longinquis implorant iura querelis And those of an epistle from the Senat to the iudges of Carthage reported by Vopiscus in the tyme of the Emperor Tacitus All appeales shall belong to the cittie Prefect which shall yet proceede from the 〈◊〉 and ordinarie Iudges And these of an other epistle of the Senat to the Iudges of Treues and to the Antiochians Aquileyans Milaneses Alexandrians Thessalonians Corinthians and Athenians The right of appeale hath bene vniuersallie decreed to the Prefecture of the cittie And these of an epistle of Tiberianus The appeales from all the powers and from all the dignities are returned to the cittie Prefect And these from a lawe of Constantine to Iulian the cittie Prefect Wee will not that the iudges from whom the appeale shall remitt the causes to our clemencie but they shall haue recourse to the sacred auditorie of thy grauitie to whom we haue committed our Vicarship which was after abolished by the translation of the appeales to the Pretoriall Prefects from whence wee haue a lawe of Constantius in the Theodosian-Code which ordaines the Prefect of the Pretory of Italie to examine the appeales from Sicily from Sardinia from Calabria from Prussia and from the prouinces now called Lombardy and adds for the cittie Prefect informed by our answere hath bene aduertised to depart from it By meanes whereof as the cittie of Rome besides that she is head of the Empire of the West leaues not to haue dominion ouer the heades of the two other Empires or to reduce the matter into more strict termes as the Prefect of Rome in the first ages of the Empire besides the ordinary iurisdiction that he had ouer the prouinces of his territory yet left not as Vicar to the Emperor and head of the Senat to iudge of the appeales os all other prouinces so the Pope beside the iurisdiction he had in qualitie of Patriark of the West ouer the prouinces of the patriarkship os the West yet lest not as head os the Church and successor of saint PFTFR and principall Vicar of Christ to haue the supereminence and generall superintendence ouer all the other prouinces To the Roman Church saith saint IRENEVS because of a more mightie principalitie that is to saie as hath aboue appeared because of a principalitien ore mightie then the temporall it is necessarie that all Churches should agree And saint CYPRIAN The Roman Church is the Chaire os PEPER and the principall and originall of the Socerdotall vnitie And Sainct Athanasius They haue had noe reuerent esteeme that Rome was the Sea Apostolick and metropolitan of Romania And saint GREGORIE Nazianzene The ancient Rome treads rightlie in the faith houlding all the West bound by the healthfull word as it is conuenient for her to doe that ruleth all the world And sainct IEROM a priest of the Church of Antioch and disciple of S. Gregorie Nazianzene writing to Pope Damasus I know the Church is founded vpon that stone whosoeuer eateth the lambe out of that howse is profane And a little after I know not Vitalis I am ignorant of Miletius I reiect Paulinus whosoeuer gathers not with
Iudea but contrarily he plainely affirmes that he was crucified at Rome PETER said he held the Sacerdotall Chaire at Rome till the fourteenth yeare of Nero by whom he was crucified And againe He was buried at Rome in the Vatican neere the triumpball Streete where he is celebrated by the veneration of all the Cittie Onely after he hath reported the wordes of our Lord Behould I send you prophets and wise men and Scribes and you will kill them and crucifie them and whip them in your Synagogues hee adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that there are diuers Guifts in the disciples of Christ according to the Apostle to the Corinthians Some are Prophets who foretell things to come some are wise men who know when they should pronounce the word others Scribes well learned in the law whereof Steuen hath bene stoned Paule beheaded Peter crucified But that S. PETER was crucified in Iudea he hath no where said and if he had bene crucified by the Iewes hee had intēded it in the same sence wherein S. PAVL cryes that the Jewes crucified the Lord of Glorie that is to saie the lewes caused him to be crucified but not that hee had bene crucified in Iudea otherwise they must also haue concluded that S. PAVL was not beheaded at Rome but in Iudea for S. IEROM saith it equallie of the one and of the other whereof PAVLE hath bene heheaded and PETER Crucified To the third obiection which is that S. AVGVSTINE writ that the historie of the combatt of S. PETER and Simon the Magitian at Rome had taken ground from an opinion Wee answere that S. AVGVSTINE saith no such thing And indeede how should he saie it that had for suertie and forerunners in this historie not onely S. IVSTIN Martir an author of the next age after Simon Magus who writt thus to the Pagan Emperors from and in the name of all the Christians One Simon a Samaritan hauing by the Diuells art done workes by enchantment vnder the Emperor Claudius in your imperiall Cittie of Rome was accoūted a God and honored by you with a Statue as a God And S. Ireneus and Tertullian which writ the like but also Arnobius Eusebius S. CYRILL of Ierusalem S. EPIPHANIVS 〈◊〉 S. JEROM Sulpitius seuerus who all affirme that Simon hauing vndertakē by art magicke to flie at Rome was hindred from it and caused to fall by S. PETER he saith only that whereas some held that the particular custome obserued by the Roman Church to forbeare dinner on Saturdaies proceeded from a fast celebrated by S. PETER the Satturdaie before this act was an opinion Behold his words It is said hee the opinion of manie although manie Romans hould it to be false that the apostle Peter being on the Sundaie to combat against Simon the magitian for the perill of so great a temptation fasted the daie before both he and the Church of the same Cittie and that hauing obtained so prosperous and glorious a successe he continued the same custome and that some Churches of the west imitated him But that the historie of the conflict of S. PETER and Simon Magus at Rome was grounded vpon an opinion he saith nothing neere it cōtrariwise he setts it downe for the first principle in his booke of heresies in these words Simon would haue made it belieued that he was Jupiter ad that a common woman whose names was Helen with whom he had ioyned himself for a complice of his crimes was Minerua and gaue the images of himself and his Copesmate to be adored to his desciples and had obtained that they might be constituted by publicke authoritie amongst the images of the Gods at Rome in which Cittie the blessed Apostle Peter extinguished him by the power of God Almightie Which it seemes the prophane authors themselues though curious to bury the memorie of all the miracles of Christianitie haue obliquely pointed at when 〈◊〉 saith that there was a spectacle exhibited in a full theater in Nero's time whereby they should haue made the 〈◊〉 flight appeare but the Icarus fell against Nero's chamber and watred it with blood and when Dion Chrisostome saith that Nero had a long time neere him in his pallace a certaine man who promised to flie To the fowrth obiection which is that amongst the Successors of S. PETER some place Linus and Cletus before Clement and some after wee answer that S. EPIPHANIVS hath preuented and solued it 1250. yeares agone in these worde At Rome were first Apostles and Bishops Peter and Paul and then Linus then Cletus and then Clement c. and lett none wonder that others receiued the Bishopricke before Clement And a little after whether that the Apostles being still aliue Clement had receiued the ordination of the Bishopricke from Peter and hauing resused it abstained from it for hee saith in one of his Epistles I goe my waies and withdraw myselfe till the people of God be erected c. or whether after the decease of the Apostles he haue bene instituted by Cletus wee doe not euidently know but it may be that hauing bene promoted to the Bishopricke hauing refused it c. he was againe cōstrained after the death of Linus and of Cletus to accept of it For that which the obiectors add for the banquet and to make vp their mouthes that Eusebius saith that S. PETER was crucified and that the Legend where vpon wee ground the Papacie saith he was beheaded there are two ridiculous ingredients in this last Seruice the one to impute to vs that we ground the historie of S. PETERS seate at Rome which is testified by all the first ages of the Church vpon the Legend which is a booke written in the last ages by a Jacobin called Jacobus de voragine And the other not to discerne that that S. PETER that the Legēd said was beheaded is S. PETER the Iacobin Martir who was beheaded for the Catholick faith in the time of the Albigeses about 400. yeare agone and not S. PETER the Apostle whom it assirmes to haue bene crucified But now let vs leaue the obiections of the Popes aduersaries and let vs heare the testimonies of the Fathers S. DIONISIVS Bishop of Corinth writing to be Church of Rome in the next age after the Apostles you haue said hee mingled the plant of the Roman Corinthian Church made by PETER and PAVL And a little after for hauing taught together in Italie they were both martired at one and the same time And S. IRENEVS We represent the tradition apostolick of the greatest and most ancient Church founded at Rome by the two glorious Apostles PETER and PAVL And againe The blessed Apostles then founding and instructing the Church consigned the Episcopat of the administration of the Church to Linus And TERTVLLIAN Happie Church wherein the Apostles haue shed all their doctrin with their bloud in which PETER is equalled to the passion
that were instituted in the Churches without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome And the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian Wee decree that accoding to the ancient custome nothing shall be innouated in the Churches without that sentence of the reuerend Pope of the Cittie of Rome Now how was this anie other thing but to make the Pope what the same lawe of Theodosius and Valectinian calls him to witt the Rector of the vniuer salitie of Churches and what the Councell of Chalcedō intitles him to witt the Guardian of the Lords Vine and what the Councell of Sardica the Councell of Chalcedon and the Emperor Iustinian qualifie him to wit the head of Bishops For if as the Prouinciall Nationall or Patriarchall Councells could not be reputed perfect nor decide the affaires of the 〈◊〉 or of the nation or of the Prouince without the Metropolitan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the generall Councells could not be generall nor decide 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which concerned the vniuersall Church without the assistance and 〈◊〉 of the Bishop of Rome And if as S. IEROM saith that the Councell of 〈◊〉 had ordained that Antioch should be the metropolitan 〈◊〉 spirituall of all the East so not only saint ATHANASIVS calls Rome the Sea 〈◊〉 and metropolitan of Romania that is of all the Roman Empire beates the Arrians with the epistle which they had writen to the Pope in the which though fainedly irronically they had called the Roman Church the Schoole of the Apostles and the Metropolitan of religion but also S. GREGORIE Nazianzene cries out the ancient Rome marcheth right in the saith 〈◊〉 all the west tied by the healthfull word as it is conuenient that 〈◊〉 should doe which rules all the world And if as the Bishops of Egipt protested at the Councell of Chalcedon that it was the custome in the prouinces of the 〈◊〉 of Egipt to doe nothing without the sentence ordinance of the Archbishop of Alexandria So Socrates saith that the Coucell of Antioch was argued of nullitie for as much as the ancient Ecclesiasticall law bare that the Churches could not bee ruled without the 〈◊〉 of the Bishop of Rome how is it that the Bishop of Rome was not metropolita of the vniuersall Church such in regard of the whole Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriark Metropolitan was in regard of his diuision And if the Pope reciprocallie as heire to the principall Sea of S. PETER Metropolitan of the vniuersall Church was Rector of the vniuersality of Churches how could it be that the originall Patriarks which were heires of the 〈◊〉 Chaires of S. PETER the Metropolitans of the secōd 〈◊〉 of the Empire were not by proportion in the behalfe of their diuisions that which the Pope was ouer the whole extent of the Church It appeares thirdlie by the proceeding of the same Councell of Nicea and in the same Canon For what cause had the Councell of Nicea to represse the rebellion of Meletius Bishop of Sycopolis in Egipt who refused to obey the Bishop of Alexandria his Patriarke alledged the custome of the Pope not that of the Patriark of Antioch The Patriark of Antioch was in person at the Councell which the Pope was not hee was neerer both to the cittie of Nicea wherein the Councell wae holden to the Sea of Alexandria in whose fauour this Canō was made then the Pope he had the 〈◊〉 ouer fifteene great prouinces where of the least conteined more countries then the Protestants attribute to the Patriarkship of the Pope For what cause doth the Councell to suppresse Meletius alledge the custome of the Bishop of Rome and not that of the Bishop of Antioch but because the Bishop of Antioch his authoritie was of positiue right as well as that of the Bishop of Alexandria by which meanes the same 〈◊〉 that carried Meletius to denie the one might likewise haue carried him to denie the other where the Popes authoritie was of diuine right that is to saie as S. AVSTIN the Mileu Councell speake drawne 〈◊〉 the authoritie of the holie scriptures Moreouer for what cause did the Coūcell of Nicea confirme the custome of the Patriark of Alexandria that of the Patriark of Antioch not confirme that of the Pope but because the Popes authoritie depends not of the authoritie of Councells but proceeded from the verie mouth of our Lord as Pope Gelasius whō S. 〈◊〉 the secōd S. AVS or rather the second Oracle of the African Church calleth the Reuerēd Prelat of the Sea Apostolicke hath since expressed it in there words The holie Romā Catholicke Apostolick Church hath not bene preferred before other Churches by anie synodicall constitutions but hath obtained the primacie Euāgelicall voice of our Lord and Sauiour when he said Thou art Peter and vpō this rocke I will builde my Church Now this being so how is it not manifest that the intention of the Councell was not to restraine the authoritie of the Pope to the limits of a simple particular Patriarkship as that of the other Patriarkes but to propound the authoritie that the Pope had in regard of the vniuersall Church for a type and patterne of the authoritie of the other Patriarkes in regard of their patriarkships for either the law diuine gaue nothing to the Pope ouer the other Bishops or if it gaue him anie thinge it was giuen him ouer all the Earth although for the cōmoditie of the vniuersall gouernement of the Church the Pope abstained from the immediate administratiō of the other Patriarkships cōtented himselfe with the onely immediate gouernement of the patriarkship of the West and with the mediate generall superintendencie ouer the rest It appeares fowthly by the possession wherein the Pope remained after the Canon of the Councell of Nicea of iudging the persons and iudgements of the other Patriarkes and that in the view with the applause euen of those that had made the canon of their successors without that anie euer murmured that this practise contradicted it for how had Pope Iulius the first who was created Pope fiue yeares after the Coúcell of Nicea restored those great Champions of the Councell of Nicea saint ATHANASIVS Patriark of Alexandria Marcellus Primat of Ancyra in Galatia Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in Palestina because to him saith Sozomen for the dignitie of his Sea the care of all things apperteyned if the intentiō of the Councell of Nicea had bene to restraine the authoritie of the Pope into the onely limitts of a particular Patriarkship as well as that of the other Patriarkes And how had those great Chāpions defendors of the Coūcell of Nicea made vse of the Popes restitution to re-enter their Seas if it had bene contrary to the canon of the Councell of Nicea the which themselues had helped to compose S. ATHANASIVS amongst the rest who had bene the soule and pen thereof was then heire
successor to Alexander Patriark of Alexandria in whose fauour and vpon whose particular the article had bene sett downe And how could Pope Julius haue reproched the Arrians that they had altered the decrees of the CouÌ„cell of Nicea if himself in restoring S. ATHANASIVS Patriark of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Primat of Ancyra in Galatia Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in Palestina Lucius Bishop of Andrinopolis in Thrace in disannulling the Councells of Tyre Antioch Constantinople which had bene holden against them had violated the canoÌ„ of the councell of Nicea And why did not the Arrians replie to him that it was himself that infringed the decrees of the Councell of Nicea if the intention of the Councell of Nicea had bene to restraine the Popes authoritie to the only limits of a particular Patriarkship as well as that of the other Patriarks And how had the Councell of Sardica wherein the Councell of Nicea was againe put to the triall which was holden twenty two yeares after the Councell of Nicea to defend the authoritie of the Councell of Nicea by many of the same Fathers that had assisted at the CouÌ„cell of Nicea reduced into a written lawe that Bishops deposed by the Councells of their prouinces might appeale from theÌ„ to the Pope declared that it was a very good fitt thing that froÌ„ all the prouinces the Bishops should referr the affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea Apostlick of S. PETER if the intentioÌ„ of the CouÌ„cell of Nicea had bene to restraine the Popes authoritie into the onely limits of a particular Patriarkship as well as that of the other Patriarkes And how had the generall Councell of Ephesus reserued the cause of John Patriark of Antioch to the iudgmeÌ„t of the Pope And how had Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople after he had beeÌ„ deposed by Dioscorus Patriark of Alexandria by the second Councell of Ephesus appealed from them to the Pope and that saith the Emperor Valentinian the third according to the custome of the Councells And how finally had Theodoret one of the Bishops of the Patriarkship of Antioch hauing bene deposed in the same second Councell of Ephesus and hauing thence appealed to the Pope bene receiued into the Councell of Chalcedon because the Pope had restored him to his Bishopricke if the intention of the Councell of Nicea had bene not to propose the authoritie of the Pope in regard of the vniuersall Church for type and patterne of the authoritie of the other Patriarkes in regard of their Patriarkships but to restraine the Popes authority into the onely limits of a particular Patriarkship as well as that of the other Patriarkes It appeares in the fifth place by the title of vniuersall Patriarke and vniuersall Pope that the Churchmen of the other Patriarkships and particularly those of Alexandria who had more interest in the obseruation of the sixt Canon of the Councell of Nicea then anie other as hauing bene made in fauour of their Church yeilded to the Pope For when the Priests and deacons of the Patriarchall Church of Alexandria presented their requests to the Councell of Chalcedon from which the person of the Pope was as farre distant as it is betweene Rome and Asia they couched them in these termes To the most holie and most blessed vniuersall Patriark of great Rome 〈◊〉 and to the holie and vniuersall Councell And this they did all the Councell seeing and approuing it and ordayning that they should be inserted into the Acts and consequently not holding them for strange new and vnwonted things And when the Religious men of Antioch presented in Constantinople their requests to Pope Agapet they couched them and made them to be inserted into the Actes of the Councell of Constantinople holden against Anthymus and celebrated vnder the Emperor Iustinian in these wordes To our most holie and blessed Lord Agapet Archbishop of the ancient Rome and vniuersall Pairiark And when the great scourge of the Nouatians Eulogius Patriark of Alexandria and heire of the Rights conferred vpon the patriarkship of Alexandria by the Councell of Nicea sett hand to penn he did not onely saie disputing against the Nouaâ—ians that PETER onely had receiued the keys that is to saie originally but also writing to the Pope S. GREGORIE he called him vniuersall Pope Now how is this anie other thing then to protest that what the other Patriarkes were euerie one in the behalfe of his owne Patriarkship the Pope was the same in the behalfe of the world For as for the part that the Bishop of Constantinople challenged in this title afterward it shall be heereafter shewed that it was by vertue of the right of the Bishop of Rome that he pretended it to be communicated to him by the erection of Constantinople into the title of the second Rome And as for the refusall that the Pope S. GREGORIE made of the vse thereof it shall be answered in the same chapter It appeares in the sixth place by the proceeding of Theodosius the second Emperor of the East who resoluing at the instance of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople to make the cittie of Constantinople enioy the title of Patriarkship which he pretended had bene attributed to him in the Councell of Constantinople published a law which hath alwaies as shall heereafter appeare remained without effect by which he alleadged that Constantinople had the priuiledges of the ancient Rome and ordained that she should exercise them not only in all the prouinces of Pontus Asia minor and Thracia but also in all the prouinces of Illiria The one of the heades of this lawe we learne from Socrates who said the Bishop of Cyzica being dead Sisinnius Archbishop of Constantinople ordained Proclus Bishop of Cyzica but the Cyzicenians that is to saie the Bishop of the diuision of Cyzica seeing he went about it preuented him and ordained a religious mancalled Dalmatius and this they executed despising the law which forbad to ordaine Bishops without the sentence of the Bishop of Constantinople alleadging it had bene made onely for the person of 〈◊〉 And the other we learne from the lawe omni 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a fragment of that where of Socrates makes mention which forbids that euen in all the prouinces of the Easterne Illyria any thing should 〈◊〉 but with the knowledg of the Bishop of Constantinople 〈◊〉 saith the lawe that all innouation ceasing so speakes the Emperor because 〈◊〉 abusing the simplicitie of his youth had ginen him to vnderstand falsely that the refusall that the Bishops of Illeria made to acknowledg him for Patriarke had begun but since the schisme of Arsacius his 〈◊〉 the antiquitie and the precedent Ecclesiasticall Canons which haue bene obserued hitherto he meanes the Canons of the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Nectarius which had attributed to the Sea of Constantinople euen in spirituall causes the title of the second Rome and
Iustinianea was not by co-ordination with the Pope but by subordination to the Pope that is to saie it was not by forme of exemption from the authoritie of the Pope but by forme of submission and substitution to the authoritie of the Pope Wee learne from the epistles of S. GREGORIE the Great which testifie as it shall appeare in the chapter following that the same S. GREGORIE cōfirmed yet fiftie yeare after this law the electiō of the Bishop of the first Iustinianea sent him the Archiepiscopall mantle renewed to him the Vicarship of the Sea Apostolicke iudged by appeale of the Bishops of his diuision chasticed himselfe when he had iudged amisse It appeares in the ninth place by the proceeding of the Bishop of Constantinople who hauing obtained in the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Theodosius the Great a decree which ordained that his Sea should bee the second after Rome because Constantinople was the second Rome and hauing made this decree to be explained by a surreptitious Canon in the Councell of Chalcedon in such sort as he was permitted to enioy the same priuiledges with the Pope after the Pope attempted to participate with the Pope the title of vniuersall Patriarke and to inscribe himselfe vniuersall Patriarke not in regard of the Pope but vnder the pope and in regard of the other patriarkes and to this the other patriarkes the Emperors themselues and the Councells of the East consented communicated to him this nomination For in the Councell of Constantinople holden against Anthimus not onely the title of vniuersall Patriarke was attributed to the Pope but also to the Bishop of Constantinople And in the seauenth law of the Code the Emperor Iustinian called Epiphanius Patriarke of Constantinople Oecumenic all Patriark but vnder the Pope whom he calls in the same lawe the head of all the holie ministers of God And in the sixth generall Councell not onely the Emperor Constantine Pogonat intitles the Pope Generall Arch-pastor and the Protothrone of all Patriarkes but also the epistle of Cyrus Patriarke of Alexandria read in the same Councell qualifies Sergius Patriarke of Constantinople with the title of Oecumenic all Patriarke Now how was this anie other then to presuppose that the Pope had alwaies bene vniuersall Oecumenic all Patriarke For if the Patriarke of Constantinople by vertue of the erection of Constantinople into the title of second Rome made as he pretended for spirituall Rights in the first Councell of Constantinople attributed to himself ioyntly with the Pope though vnder the Pope the title of vniuersall Patriarke that all the other Patriarkes the Emperors themselues the Councell of the East consented to it cōmunicated to him this nomination how doth it not appeare manifestly that they then acknowledged that before the holding of the first Councell of Constantinople the Bishop of Rome was vniuersall and Oecumenic all Patriarke and by consequent that the intention of the Councell of Nicea had not bene to restraine the Popes authoritie to the onely limits of a particular patriarkship as that of the other patriarkships but to propound the Popes authoritie in regard of the vniuersall Church for a type and patterne of the authoritie of the other Patriarkes in regard of their patriarkships It appeares in the tenth place by the epistle of Innocent the first whom S. AVSTIN calleth Pope of happie memorie to Alexander Patriarke of Antioch wherein he writes to him that the Councell of Nicea had established the Patriarkship of Antioch not ouer a Prouince but ouer a Bodie and a masse of Prouinces and adds that Antioch had not yeilded to Rome but that what Antioch had trāsitorilie to wit S. PETERS Sea Rome had it finallie and absolutely and by the testimonie of S. IEROM priest of the Patriarkship of Antioch who saith that the Councell of Nicea had ordained that Antioch should be the metropolitan of all the East and neuerthelesse cries that the Church is built vpon the Popes cōmunión and vpon the chaire of S. PETER and that he will not acknowledge the Patriarks of Antioch but whiles they communicate with the Pope from whence it ariseth that the intentiō of the Councell of Nicea had not bene to make the Popes authoritie and that of the Patriarke of Antioch equall And finally it appeares by the difference that the Councell of Chalcedon where this very decree of the Councell of Nicea was read put betweene Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria who possest the Sea in whose fauour the Canon had bene made and the Pope accounting the Pope for Guardian of our Lords Vine the Patriarke of Alexandria for one of his subguardians For not onely the Coucell of Chalcedon writing to the Pope calls him the head of Bishops We beseech thee saith the Councell to 〈◊〉 our iudgement with thy decrees that as wee haue brought consent in matters of weale to our head so thy Soueraigntie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or according to the other copies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Soueraigntie maie fulfill in the behalfe of thy children that which is for decencie But also speaking of the presūptions of Dioscorus Patriarke of 〈◊〉 adds for the last to make his insolence cōpleat that he 〈◊〉 sett vpon the proper person of him to whom our Lord had committed the guard of the Vine hee hath said they extended his felonie euen against him to whom the guard of the vine was committed by our Sauiour that is to saie added they against thy Holynesse Now was not this to protest that what Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria was ouer the Churches of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis the Pope was the same ouer all the Churches of the world and to authorize what the Emperor Valentinian the third had said but a while before that the Pope was Rector of the vniuersalitie of Churches And what the Bishop of Patara in Lycia one of the Prouinces of Asia said afterward to the Emperor Iustinian that there was noe kinge in the world which was ouer all the world as the Pope was ouer the Church of all the earth For this occasion then to witt that the Patriarkships and namely those of Alexandria and Antioch which had bene founded from the tyme of S. PETER and by S. PETER himselfe were as Vicarships I meane Vicarships borne and perpetuall and not Vicarships delegate and arbitrary of the Sea of S. PETER or rather to repeate S. GREGORIES words one same Sea of S. PETER with that of Rome whē the Fathers of the Councell of Nicea confirmed the priuiledges of the Bishop of Alexādria troubled by Meletius head of the Schismaticks of Egipt they decreed that the Bishop of Alexandria in the Prouinces of his Patriarkship should euioy the Rights of the Bishop of Rome as the Sea of Alexandria in Egipt Libia and Pentapolis being an originarie and perpetuall Vicarship of S. PETERS sea but not that they thereby pretended in things
the two Empires and such as it remained in the portion of the Emperors of the West when the heires of Constantine shared the bodie of the State and assigned the mountaine of Thuscis in Trace for a bound be tweene both Empires From whence it is that saint ATHANASIVS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop of Thessalonica amongst the Bishops of the West And that Socrates saith that Paul Bishop of Constantinople was banished from the Empire of the East and confined to Thessalonica And therefore when in the last diuision of the Empire they added the eleauen prouinces of the Esterne Illyria to the fortie nine prouinces of the Pretoriall Prefecture of the East to make thereof the Empire of the East they remained within the Popes patriarkship though they were become parts of the Empire of the East and were called the Westerne prouinces of the Empire of the East to distinguist them from those of the same Empire which were vnder the pretoriall prefecture of the East And it is not to be obiected that the law Omni innouatione cessante made by Theodosius the second at the instance as it hath bene abouesaid of Atti cus Bishop of Constantinople attributes to the patriarkship of Constantinople not onely the prouinces of Thracia Asia minor and Pontus but also those of the Easterne Illyria For it appeares by a thousand testimonies that this law remained without effect and had no place after the death of Atticus It appeares first by the testimonie of Socrates who saith first that the inhabitants of Cyzica a Cittie of Hellespont would not receiue Proclus that the Bishop of Constantinople had ordained Bishop of Cyzica alleadging that the lawe of the Emperor Theodosius the second where of the law Omni 〈◊〉 cessante is but a paragraph inserted into the Code by the heedlesnes of Triboniam had bene made but for Atticus his life tyme. They ordained saith Socrates Dalmatius despising the law which commaunded that the ordinatiō of Bishops should not be made without the sentence of the Bishop of Constantinople and slighted this lawe as hauing bene graunted to Atticus onely for his life It appeares secondly by the testimony of the Pope sainr LEO who was created Pope eighteene yeares after this lawe who teacheth vs that the causes of the Easterne Illyria went euen then to the Archbishop of 〈◊〉 Vicar of the Sea Apostolicke in the Easterne Illyria and that with the good likeing and the strong hand of the ministers of the Empire of the East and reprehends Anastasius Archbishop of 〈◊〉 his Vicar in Illyria because hauing sent for Atticus the Metropolitan of the old Epirus Atticus hauing excused himselfe vpon his sicknes and vpon the extreamitie of the winter he had imployed the armes of the Empire of the East to bring him by force Thou hast said hee had recourse to the Tribunall of the Prefecture of Illyria and hast moued the Soueraigne power amongst all worldlie powers to make an innocent Bishop appeare and to pull him from the sacred grates of his Church and neither for the indisposition of his person nor for the sharpnesse of the winter could he obtaine anie 〈◊〉 but hath bene constrained to put himself into waies full of perills and through impenitrable snowes And againe Wee haue in such sort committed our Vicarship to thy Charitie as thou art called to a part of the care but not to the fulnesse of power It appeares thirdly by the testimonie of the Councell of Chalcedon holden thirtie yeares after this lawe which decrees that the Bishop of Constantinople shall ordaine but onely the Metropolitans of Pontus Asia minor and Thracia that is to saie declares that the law of Theodosius the second and particularlie the Paragraph Omni innouatione cessante should haue no place and that the prouinces of the Easterne Illyria thould remaine to the Patriarkship of Rome and not to that of Constantinople It appeares fowrthlie by the testimonie of the Emperor Justinian the first who erecting the Bishoprike of the first Iustinianea into the forme of a Primacie or supernumerary Patriarkship and attributing to him manie of the Prouinces of the Easterne Illyria yields for a reason of this attribution the definition of Pope Vigilius and not that of the Patriarke of Constantinople and ordaines that the Bishop of the first Iustinianea shall there hold the place of the Sea Apostolicke of Rome and not of the Sea of Constantinople Wee ordaine said hee that he shall haue vnder his iurisdiction the Bishops of the Mediterranian Dacia Dacia Dypensis Triballea Dardania vpper Mysia Pannonia c. and that in the prouinces subiect to him he shall holde the place of the Sea Apostolicke of Rome following the definition of the holy Pope Vigilius It appeares fifthy by the testimony of saint GREGORIE the great who writes to the Bishops of Illyria Following the desires of your demaund we confirme by the consent of our authoritie our brother John in the Bishopricke of the first Justinianea And in the Epistle to himselfe The relation of our bretheren and fellow-Bishops hath declared to vs that thou art called to the Episcopall dignitie by the vnanimous consent of all the Councell and by the will of the most Excellent Prince that is to saie of the Emperor Mauricius third Successor to Justinian whereto wee also giue our consent in the person of thy fraternitie c and send thee the Pall according to custome and decree by a reiterated innouation that thou exercise the Vicarship of the Sea Apostolicke And elsewhere iudging the appeale from the sentence of the same Iohn Bishop of the first Iustinianea against Adrian Bishop of Thebes one of the Bishops of his primacie because said he that wee see that vnder the shadow of our Vicarship thou presumest to doe vniust things wee reserue with the helpe of Christ to determine againe of this qualitie c and the while abrogating and disannulling the decrees of thy sentence we ordaine by the authoritie of the blessed Prince of the Apostles that thou remaine depriued of the sacred Communion for the space of thirtie daies It appeares in the sixt place by the testimonie of John Bishop of Thessalonica who in the third generall Coūcell of Constantinople which we call the sixt generall Coūcell signed with the title of Vicar of the sea Apostolick of 〈◊〉 in these words Iohn by the mercie of God Bishop of Thessalonica and vicar and natiue Legat of the Sea Apostolicke of Rome haue subscribed It appeares in the seauenth place by the testimony of Leo the Learned the Greeke Emperor who reckons amongst the Churches ecclipsed a little while before him from the Sea of Rome and submitted to the Sea of Constantinople that of Thessalonica Metropolitan of Macedonia that of Nicopolis metropolitan of the ancient Epirus that of Patros that of Corinth and that of Athens The Metropolitans said hee which haue bene subtracted from the Patriarkship of Rome and which are now subiest they
Bishop of Rome because of the dignitie of his Seate 〈◊〉 care of all thinges belonge is one and the same language or rather that this that Ruffinus saith here that the Bishop of Rome is to haue the care of the Suburbicary Churches and this that he saith elsewhere Rome by the grace of God is the head of all the Christrians is one and the same thing But graunt that Ruffinus by the word Churches Suburbicarie doth intend in generalll all the Churches of the prouinces subiect to the Empire of Rome nor in particular the onely Churches of the Cittie subiect to the Prouostship of Rome but intends the Churches of the Prouinces or Nations where the Metropolitans or Primats acknowledge the Pope immediatly without the intermedling of anie the Patriarks to wit the Churches of the Patriarkship of the west would that hinder that besides the immediate superintendencie that the Pope hath ouer the prouinces of his Patriarkship hee might not haue a mediate superintendencie ouer all the prouinces of the others Hemer if it be lawfull to compare thinges sacred to prophane doth not he teach vs that besides the Commaund Agamemnon had as a particular King ouer the compaines of his owne subiects and the other kings like him euerie one ouer their owne hee had yet beyond that as head and Captaine generall ouer the Armie of the Greekes the vniuersall authority and superintendencie ouer the other kinges and ouer their Companies And will not the aduersaries of the Pope haue it that the Prouost of the Cittie of Rome to whose temporall proportion they pretend to square the Popes spirituall authority besides the ordinarie iurisdiction of his Prouostship wherein they equall him to other Prouosts had besides in the first ages an other extraordinary iurisdiction by which as head of the Senate and Vicar of the Emperor he was superior to other Prouosts and iudged of the appeales of all the Prouinces And saint BASILL that great Archbishop of Cappadocia did not hee consider the Pope some tymes as Patriarch of the west where hee calls him the Corypheos of those of the west and sometymes as head of the vniuersall Church when he writes to those of the west Be it that you repute yourselfe head of the vniuersall Church the head cannot say to the feete you are not necessarie to me be it that you place yourselues in the ranke of the other members of the Church you cannot say to vs that are constituted in one same bodie with you you are not necessarie to me for that he vseth this disiunctiue particle be it it is not there to cast anie doubt but to distinguish the addresse of his speache into two branches whereof the one to witt be it that you repute yourself head of the vniuersail Church had regard to the Pope and the other to witt be it that you place yourselues in the ranke of the other members had regard to the other Bishops of the west And doth not hee himself reporte that Eustathius Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia hauing bene deposed by the Councell of Melitina in Armenia a Catholicke and orthodoxall Councell and hauing brought letters of restitution from Pope Liberius was receiued without forme of processe into the Councell of 〈◊〉 in Cappadocia And doth not saint IEROM who was priest of Antioch and creature to Paulinus the Bishop of Antioch and resident within the diuision of the Patriarkship of 〈◊〉 say What should the Churches of the East doe and those of Egipt and that of the Sea Apostolicke designing by the Churches of the Sea Apostolicke those which were subiect immediatly without acknowledging anie other Patriarke betweene to the Patriarkship of the Pope And by the Churches of Egipt those which answered to the Patriarkship of Alexandria by the Churches of the East those which were submitted to the Patriarkship of Antioch And yet for all that doth he not write to Pope Damasus about the contention of Vitalis Meletius and Paulinus Competitors in the Patriarkship of Antioch I am ioyned in communion with thy blessednesse that is to say with the Chaire of PETER I know the Church is built vpon that rocke And a little after I know not Vitalis I reiest Meletius I am ignorant of Paulinus whosoeuer gathers not with thee scatters That is to saie doth he not teach vs that the distinction of the Popes patriarkship from the other patriarkships hindred not the Popes superioritie ouer the others And did not Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople write to Pope Leo Wee haue giuen aduertisment to your Holynesse of the excommunication of Eutyches that you may make his 〈◊〉 knowne to all the Bishops resident vnder your pietie And yet for all this did he not when Eutyches pretended to haue appealed to the Pope submitt his iudgemēt to that of the Pope And did not himselfe in the second Councell of Ephesus appeale to the Pope And Iohn the second and Anthimus and Menas and Iohn the fourth his successors did they not acknowledge and protest that they were subiect to the Pope And the Popes that came after Leo did not they depose Acacius and Anthimus Patriarkes of Constantinople and iudge by appeale the causes of John Athanasius subiects to the Patriarkes of Constantinople And did not the Pope S. GREGORIE the great call the Bishops of the West his Bishops If the causes said hee of the Bishops which are committed to me are treated by the religious Emperors by the intercessions of strangers miserable man that I am what doe I in this Church but that my Bishops dispise me and haue recourse to secular iudges against me I thāke God almightie for it and I impute it to my sinnes Yet did not he saie of all the Bishops in generall If there be anie fault in the Bishops I know noe Bishop but is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke And Iulian the former who liued 1050. yeares past did he not turne the hundred thirtith one new cōstitution into these words yet more rawe thē those of Ruffinus That the Bishop of the first Iustinianea should haue the same right ouer the Bishops subiect to him as the Bishop of Rome had ouer the Bishops submitted to him And yet by this doth he pretend to equall the Bishop of the first Iustinianea to the Pope or to exempt him and his Bishops from the Popes iurisdiction Nothing lesse but by the Bishops submitted to the Pope he intended the Bishops submitted immediately to the Pope without the interposition of other Patriarks as it appeares both by the originall greeke of the law which beares this We ordaine that in all prouinces subiect to him he holde the place of the Sea Apostolicle of Rome following the things defined by the most holie Pope Vigilius And by the lawe of the same Iustinian to Epiphanius which saith We will suffer nothing to passe concerning the state of the holy Churches which shall not be also referred
it to be renewed in the Councell of Chalcedon the Popes Legates answered that is was not to bee found in the Code of the Synodicall Canons of the vniuersall Church and added that is was neuer put in practise If the Bishops of Constantinople said they haue enioyed it what would they haue more and if they haue not enioyed it why doe they demaund it and for this very cause Pope Leo writt backe to Anatolius The signatures of certaine Bishops made as thou pretendest more then threescore yeares agone cannot vphold thy intention to which being tardie and longe agoe fallen thou hast sought weake and feeble proppes for neuer hauing bene transmitted to the knowledge of the Sea Apostolicke it could obtaine noe force And saint GREGORIE to the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Antioch The Roman Church hath neuer hitherto neither now doth receiue the Canons or acts of the Councell of Constantinople but she hath admitted that Synod in what it hath defined against Macedonius Anatolius then seeing this Canon had remained without effect for want of hauing bene confirmed by the Pope and by the westerne Church resolued to take the occasion of the Councell of Chalcedon celebrated at the gates of Constantinople and of the deposition of ` Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria and second Patriarke of the Church which ranke he desired to possesse to attempt to cause it to be renewed And therefore spying out at the Euening of the twelfth daie the time that the assemblie of the Councell was seperated and that the legates of the Pope and the Senate were retired and that there were none remayning but the Bishops that he thought he could easily bring to his Bowe makeing vse of the absence of the Prelates of Egipt and of Libia who assisted not at the last Sessions of the Councell for as muche as there was yet noe 〈◊〉 of Alexandria established in Dioscorus his steede and preuailing with the fearefulnes of Maximus Bishop of Antioch created in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Ephesus who for the sence he had of the vice of his 〈◊〉 durst not open his mouth against Anatolius who had ordained 〈◊〉 he 〈◊〉 a decree be particulariz'd which renewed the pretended Canon of the Councell of Constantinople and made it be signed by certaine Bishops of the prouinces neere Constantinople There was that 〈◊〉 saith 〈◊〉 an other Session when after the departure of the Iudges and the 〈◊〉 and the Legates of the Sea Apostolicke certaine priuiledges were 〈◊〉 to the Church of Constantinople by Anatolius his vsurpation takeing aduantage of 〈◊〉 condemnation The next day the Popes Legates stood vpon the forme of this surprise to the Councell and represented that the Bishops themselues that had signed this decree had signed it by constraint But the plott was so well laid for Anatolius borne out by the Emperor and by the Senat of Constantinople and by the Prelats of his diuision that their resistance was in vaine For part of the Bishops being absent as those of the Patriarkship of Alexandria who had the principall interest in it and part dissembling their opposition as Maximus Patriarke of 〈◊〉 who afterward complained to the Pope of the preiudices that the priuiledgs of his Church had receiued in the Councell of 〈◊〉 and part confessing against their will that they had signed it with their will as the Bishops of Asia minor who had already protested in the sowrth action that they had as lieue dye as permitt that the Bishop of Constantinople should ordaine their metropolitans And besides that Eusebius Bishop of Dorylaus one of the Bishops of the diuision of Constantinople assuring falsely that the Pope was of agreement with the Article the Councell passed forward to the approbation of the Canon and when the legates of the Pope opposed it they writt to the Pope to pray him to confirme it in these termes We praie thee to honor our decree with thy iudgement and as wee haue brought correspondence to our head for matters of weale so thy souer aigntie may fulfill to thy children in matters of decencie for in so doeing the religious Emperors shall be gratified Now the Pope had bene allreadie desired not to giue consent to such enterprizes for vpon this that in the Councell of Ephesus Juuenall Bishop of Jerusalem abusing the absence and contumacie of Iohn Patriarke of Antioch and assaying to vsurpe the iurisdiction of Palestina against the Canon of the Councell of Nicea which attributed the superintendencie of Palestina and of the Bishop of Ierusalem himselfe to the Archbishop of Cesarea one of the metropolitans of the Patriarkship of Antioch saint CYRILL Patriarke of Alexandria praied the Pope to consent that such attempts should take place In the Councell of Ephesus saith Pope LEO the first in his Epistle to Maximus Patriarke of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop thought to haue found out a sufficient occasion to obtaine the principalitie of Palestina and to cause his audacious insolence to be confirmed by surreptitious writings which saint Cyrill of holy memorie iustly haueing in honor represented to me and declared to me by his letters what Iuuenalls ambition had attempted and requested me with great 〈◊〉 and care that no consent might be giuen to such vnlawfull attempts For those causes then and allso that Maximus Patriarke of Antioch had renewed the same request vnto him the Pope insteede of confirming the decree of the Councell of Chalcedon seeing it inviolated the order of the Councell of Nicea which had giuen the second place to the Bishop of Alexandria and the third place to the Patriarke of Antioch annulled and abrogated it by these words addressed to the Empresse Pulcheria The pietie of your Faith ioyned with vs wee annull the plotts of the Bishops repugnant to the rules of the holy canons established at Nicea and by vertue of the authority of the blessed Apostle PETER wee wholy abrogate them by a generall sentence And that with such effect as the Emperor and the Bishop of Constantinople were constrained for the tyme to depart from their pursuite as it appeares by these words of the same Pope to Anatolius This thy fault which thou hast committed to augment thy power as thou saist by the exhortations of others thy tharitie had better and more sincerely blotted out if that which could not be attempted against thy will thou hadst not imputed it onely to the Councell of thy Clergie c. but it is an agreable thing to me most deare brother that thou dost now protest to be displeased with what should not euen then haue pleased thee but the profession of thy loue and the testimonie of the Christian Prince shall suffice to cause thee to re-enter into common grace and let not his correction seeme tardie that hath gotten so reuerent a suertie And from hence it comes that in manie greeke and latine copies this canon is onely in the historie of the acts but not in the Catalogue of the Canons noe
that he would haue brought vnder the Patriarkships of Alexandria and of Antioch from whence it is that the same Pope Leo reproached it to him that he had packed this decree not simplie to exalte his ranke but to increase his power This thy fault said hee which to augment thy power thou 〈◊〉 committed as thou saist by the exhortation of others thy charitie had better and more sincerely blotted out if thou hadst not imputed that which could not be attempted without thy will to the onely Councells of thy Clergie And elsewhere After the vicious beginnings of thy promotion after the ordination of the Bishop of Antioch which against the rules of the Canons thou hast attributed to thy self I am greeued that thy dilection hath fallen so farre as to insringe the holy Constitutions of the canons of Nicea as if thou hadst watched a time for thy purpose wherein the Sea of Alexandria was fallen from the priuiledge of the second honor and wherein the Church of Antioch had lost the proprietie of the third dignitie to the end that those places being subiected to thy iurisdiction all the Metropolitans might be depriued of their proper honor And was it not vnder this pretence that the Patriarkes of Constantinople attributed to themselues the appeales from other Patriarkes That which was defined saith Balsamon in the Councell of Sardica for the Pope concerning appeales ought also to be extended to the Patriarke of Constantinople for asmuch as hee hath bene by diuers canons meaning the canon of the Councell of Chalcedon and that of the Councell Trullian honored in the same sort as the Pope And againe This priuiledge belonges not to the Pope alone that euerie Bishop being condemned should haue recourse to the Sea of Rome but it ought also to be vnderstood of the Patriarke of Constantinople And Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonica the twentie eight canon of the Councell of Chalcedon and the thirtie sixth of the sixth Councell honoring the Sea of Constantinople with the same priuiledges with that of Rome grant also manifestly the appeales to that of Constantinople And in briefe was it not vnder this very pretence that when Gregorie Patriarke of Antioch had appealed to the Emperor and to the Councell from the persecutions of the Gouernors of Syria John Patriarke of Constantinople presumed to call a generali Councell of the Church of the East and to assigne the other Patriarkes and Metropolitans of the Empire of the East to be there and there to iudge with them the cause of Gregorie and there to intitle himself vniuersall Bishop Now is not this to protest that before that Constantinople was erected into the title of second Rome and that the Councells of Constantinople and Chalcedon had made this pretended extension of the priuiledges of the Bishop of Rome to him of Constantinople the vniuersall primacie and superintendencie of the Church belonged to the Pope For to say that at least it appeares from these words of the Councell of Chalcedon The Fathers did iustlie exhibit the priuiledges to the Sea of the ancient Rome for asmuch as that cittie had the Empire and the hundred and fiftie Religious Fathers moued with the same consideration 〈◊〉 attributed equall priuiledges to the holy Sea of the Cittie of 〈◊〉 That the cause wherefore the Fathers which had preceded the first Councell of 〈◊〉 had giuen the primacie to the Pope was not the Succession of saint PETER but the dignitie of the cittie of Rome besides that heere the question is not of right but of possession nor of 〈◊〉 the cause wherefore the Fathers which liued before the first Councell of 〈◊〉 had granted the primacie to the Pope but to knowe whether indeede they had graunted it him when the Bishop of the Councell of Chalcedon said that the primacie had bene exhibited to the Church of Rome because the cittie of Rome was the Seat of the Empire they intended not that the dignitie of the cittie of Rome had bene the next conioyned and immediate cause of the primacie of the Bishop of Rome but the cause antecedent obiectiue and remote contrarywise the next and conioyned cause of the primacie of the Church of Rome they acknowledged to be the Succession of saint PETER as it appeares both by the title that they gaue to the Popes Epistle calling it the sermon of the Sea of saint PETER and by the protestation that they made that the Popes primacie was of diuine right and instituted by the proper mouth of our Lord when they said speaking of Dioscorus He hath extended his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against him to whom the guarde of the vine was committed by our 〈◊〉 But the cause of the cause that is to saie the cause that moued saint PETER head of the Apostles to place and settle his Sea at Rome rather then in an other place they pretended to haue bene the dignitie of the Cittie By meanes whereof these two causes were not exclusiue but inclusiue one to the other As also the lawe of the Emperors 〈◊〉 Valentinian made six yeare before the Coūcell of Chalcedon comoynes them in these wordes Three things haue established the primacie of the Sea Apostolicke the Merit of saint Peter who is the Prince of the Episcopall 〈◊〉 the dignitie of the Cittie and the Synodicall authoritie And to this there is no repugnancie in that which the Fathers of the same Councell argued also of the dignitie of the cittie of Constantinople and they alleadged that it was second Rome to inferr from thence the second place to the Bishop of Constantinople for they grounded not their instance simplie vpon the temporall dignitie of the cittie of Constantinople which was saith saint AVSTINE daughter to the cittie of Rome but also vpon the spirituall dignitie of the Church of Constantinople which was daughter to the Church of Rome forasmuch as a part of the Clergie of Rome were transferr'd to Constantinople with the other Roman inhabi tants when one of the halues of the Empire was transported thither that is to saie they did not leane onely vpon this that the Cittie of Constantinople was an other Seate of the Empire but vpon this that the Church of Constantinople was a Swarme and a collonie of the Church of Rome and the Episcopall Sea of Constantinople a member and part of the Sea Episcopall of Rome or rather one and the same Sea Episcopall and one and the same Throne of saint PETER with that of Rome as Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople protesteth to Pope Hormisdas in these words I esteeme the Church of your ancient and this new Rome to be one self-same Church and I make account that that Sea of saint Peter and this of this Imperiall cittie is one selfe same 〈◊〉 And as it seemes the title of the lawe of the Emperor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it when he calls the Sea of Constantinople the Sea 〈◊〉 and Zonarus when he saith that in the tyme
inferr that the Patriarkes were as the Prefects of the Pretorie from whence there was noe appeale that shall be satisfied heereafter and shewed that it is a vice in the transcription of the copies And the fourth and last Answere is that this claime was not longe suffered in the Bishop of Constantinople for the Emperor Mauricius who fauored it hauing bene extinguished by the conspiracie of Phocas the same Phocas interposed his temporall authoritie and forbadd him anie more to call himselfe Vniuersall Bishop reseruing that title onely to the Pope alone It is true that afterward the Empire being againe fallen into the hands of two hereticall Emperors Heraclius and Constans successors to Phocas the Greekes againe sett abroache this custome and not onelie sett it abroache but haue since continued it euen to the last ages as it appeares by the inscriptions of 〈◊〉 Germanus Constantius Alexius and other Patriarkes of Constantinople reported in the Canon lawe of the Greekes where they inscribe and signe Vniuersall Patriarks Onely they vse this distinction that they call the Pope Vniuersall Pope and the Patriarke of Constantinople Vniuersall Patriarke And that if it be lawfull to giue way to coniectures for two reasons the one because the antiquitie of the title of Vniuersall Patriarke was euidently restrained by this distinction to the superiority onely ouer the simple Patriarkes wherein the Pope was not comprehended as it appeare when saint GREGORIE saith that if one of the 〈◊〉 Patriarkes had done that against the Popes letters that was done by the Bishop of Salona such a disobedience could not haue past without a most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the other forasmuch as the Constantinopolitans 〈◊〉 the word POPE except amongst the monkes to be a title more exalted then that of PATRIARK because the name of Pope was more reuerend amongst the Bythinians a people neere Constantinople who had accustomed in the time of Paganisme to call Jupiter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that of Patriarke from whence it is that the latter Greekes haue 〈◊〉 although ignorantlie that the reason why the Patriarkes of 〈◊〉 bare the title of Pope came from this that sainct CYRILLVS Patriarke of Alexandria had bene legat to the Pope in the Councell of 〈◊〉 as Balsamon noteth in these termes The Bishop of Alexandria hath bene called Pope for asmuch as saint CYRILLVS in the third Councell receiued the priuiledges of the Pope of Rome Celestinus And Nicephorus in these Celestinus Bishop of Rome refused to assist at the Councell of Ephesus for the danger of nauigation but he writt to Cyrillus that he should hold his place there and since that time the fame goes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tyara and the name of Pope and of iudge of the world For whereas Beda Paul the Deacon Theophanes and Anastasius the 〈◊〉 and after Anastasius the Bibliothecary all the latine 〈◊〉 say that Phocas iudged that the Sea of the Roman and Apostolicke Church was the head of all the Churches forasmuch as the Church of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 herself the first of all the Churches It is a mistake that Beda an English author and later by an hundred yeare then Phocas hath made of the question which was about the word Vniuersall and not about the word 〈◊〉 And of this wee haue two certaine and vndoubted proofes the one that saint GREGORIE who is he onely of all the authors of the age that hath spoken of this contestation and who was himself one of the parties contesting testifies that the dispute was about the word Vniuersall and not about the word First And the other that the Patriarkes of Constantinople haue alwaies remained within the termes of the second Sea and haue perpetually yeilded the first to the Bishop of Rome For neuer can it be found in anie monumēt of antiquitie that the Church of Constantinople hath at anie tyme taken the title of the first of all the Churches contrarywise all the pens of antiquitie haue witnessed that the Church of Constantinople neuer affected more then the second in the Church and hath alwaies giuen the first to the Church of Rome for in the Councell of Constātinople which was the source of all those pretēces it was 〈◊〉 that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue the prerogatiues of honor after the Pope because Constantinople was a second Rome They 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrates that the Bishop of Constantinople should haue the 〈◊〉 of honor after the Bishop of Rome because Constantinople was a second Rome And in the Councell of Chalcedon it was ordained she should be honored as the Church of Rome being the second after her It was esteemed fitt saith 〈◊〉 that the Sea of new Rome because of the second ranke it held after that of 〈◊〉 Rome should be preferred before the others And in the third generall councell of Constantinople which was the sixth generall councell the councell called the Pope the Protothrone of the vniuersall Church the Emperor 〈◊〉 Pogonat called the Patriarks Synthrones of the Pope after the Pope that is to 〈◊〉 sett in one same throne with the Pope after the Pope And in the councell intituled Trullian the canon of the councell of Chalcedon was renewed in these words Wee decree that the Sea of Constantinople shall haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Sea of ancient Rome and shall be honored in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being the second after it And when Nicephorus Patriarke of 〈◊〉 writes against the Iconoclasts he calls the Sea of Rome the 〈◊〉 and Apostolicke Sea The diuine Patriarke Nicephorus saith Zonarus speaking of the Icconomaks writes thus their being cutt of from the Catholik Church appeares clearely amonst other things by the letters of the blessed Archbishop of Rome that is to saie of the first and apostolicke Sea And against this it is not to be obiected that the Emperor Zeno calls Constantinople the mother of all the Orthodoxall For he speakes of the orthodoxall of his Empire that is to say of the Empire of the East within the which there remained the yeare before noe Patriarchall Sea except that of Constantinople but was possessed by hereticall Patriarkes As little is it to be obiected that Iustinian saith that the Church of Constantinople is the head of all the other Churches For he speakes not of the Church of Constantinople in regard of the Churches of the whole world but of the Cathedrall Churche of the Cittie of Constantinople that is to saie of the Church of saint Sophia that he calls the great Church of Constantinople in regard of the other Churches of the Patriarkship of Constantinople as it appeares both by the next following discourse of the Chartularies and by the Seauenth lawe of the foregoeing title where he writes to the Bishop of Constantinople That the Pope is head of all the holie Prelats of Gods And by the 131. Nouel where the same Iustinian ordaineth that the Sea of Constantinople should be the second after Rome Wee
the troupe of the Councell was not he there S. NICHOLAS Bishop of Myra in Lycia a man for manners and for miracles Apostolicall was not he there And if wee speake of credit and estimation with the Emperor euen he whose credit wee learne from Osius to witt Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea in Palestina whō the Emperor from his childhood had knowne in the East and whom he testified in his conceit to be worthie of the Bishopricke of the whole earth and to whom besides so manie other letters and markes of familiaritie he directed the first commission for the re-establishment of the Churches in the East and the charge of the transcription of the sacred bookes for the Churches of Constantinople was not he there Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia who afterward baptized the Emperor and who was Metropolitan of the prouinces where the Councell was held and Bishop of the Seate of the Empire in the East and of the cittie where the Emperor resided a man say Socrates and Sozomene indued with great authoritie and very prudent and honored in the pallace of the Emperor for the ecclipse of his fauour with the Emperor happened not till after the Councell and lasted but a moment was not he there Alexander Bishop of the future Imperiall cittie of Byzantium conuerted by exchange of name into Constantinople was not he there Paphnutius of whom Socrates saith the Emperor honored him extraordinarily and kept him ordinarily in his Court was not he there Protogenes Bishop of Sardica to whom the Emperor had addressed his first lawe for the manumission in Churches and to Osius the second lawe was not he there And if wee speake of learninge the same Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea of whom the Emperor said that he more then admired his knowledge and his studies was not he there Alexander Patriarke of Alexandria whom Theodoret calls the admirable Bishop was not he there Eustachius Patriarke of Antioch who made the oration of the Councell and whom Sozomene intitles the miracle of eloquence was not he there And if wee speake of reuerence for age the same Alexander of Alexandria whom the histories of the Councell call the old man and whom the epistle of the Councell exalts for hauing at that age sustained so manie labours was not he there Alexander Bishop of Constantinople of threescore and three yeares of age whether he were then Bishop in cheife or as the Patriarkes of the Church of Constantinople will haue it Coadiutor and Legate of Metrophanes yet elder then himself was not he there And if we must speake of the antiquitie of promotion Zeno whom saint EPIPHANIVS calls antique Bishop of Phenicia euill qualified by the lists of the signatures of the Councell Bishop of Tyre was not he there Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia before Bishop of Berith whom saint EPIPHANIVS calls the ancient old-man of Nicomedia was not he there And in briefe an infinite number of other Bishops that Eusebius for the antiquitie aswell of their age as of their promotion comprehends in the first clause of this passage some where honored because of their length of tyme others flourished in the rigor of their age and spirits others were newly entred into the course of their charges were not they there For that in the Councell of Sardica the age of Osius was accompted amongst those things that purchased him Reuerence that was more then twentie yeare after the Councell of Nicea And that saint ATHANASIVS calls him the Father of Bishops and saith he died a centenarie it was neere fortie yeare after the Councell of Nicea But if none of these what personall qualitie soeuer he had noe not Alexander Patriarke of Alexandria whom the Epistle of the Councell calls the master of the Councell that is to saie Master for sufficiencie did aduance himselfe a finger breadth beyond the degree of his dignity for what cause should Osius for his particular cōditiōs haue bene President of all the Assemblie For to saie Osius presided there as the Emperors deputie the Emperor was in person at the Councell and so could haue noe deputy and besides that he presided not there but was sett there beneath the Bishops and in a lower Seate and after he had attended and desired the leaue of the Bishops to shew that in matter of Religion he was of the number not of the Iudges but of those that were to be iudged And in the sirst Councell of Arles where the Emperor Constantine assisted also in person and Osius with him as it appeares by the reproches of the Donatists against the Iudges of that Councell wherein Osius was inwrapped not onely Osius who was alreadie then in as great Credit with that Emperor witnesse the Epistle of the iudowing the Churches of Africa did not preside there but euen in the letter of the Councell was not placed amongst the first Bishops but comprehended vnder the curtaine of silence with the troupe and multitude of the Bishops And in the Councell of Sardica where Osius presided aswell as at the Councell of Nicea he was so euill willed by Constantius the Lord of the Empire who was an Arrian that he could not be said there to preside in qualitie neither of a fauorite or of a Deputie to the Emperor contrarywise the care he had to make himself Procurator and Promoter of the Popes Rights and the instance he made for the appeales to the Pope and for the honor of saint PETERS memory and the iustificatiue relation of the Councells which Protogenes Bishop of Sardica and he dedicated to the Pope and the protestation that he and the other Bishops inserted into the Epistle of the Councell to the Pope to hold him for head of the Church and to acknowledge That it was a conuenient thing that from all Prouinces of the earth the Prelats of God should referr all affaires to their head that is to saie to the Sea of the Apostle Peter shew sufficiently that it was from the part of the Pope and not of the Emperors that he presided there And from this it derogates not that saint ATHANASIVS makeing the recitall of the signatures of the Councell of Sardica puts the signatures of Osius without a title of Legation and before that of the Pope in those words Osius of Spaine Iulius of Rome by Archidamas and Philoxemus For besides that this recitall followes not the rankes of the dignities as it appeares by Nessus an African Bishop who is placed there before Gratus Archbishop of Carthage And moreouer that hee vseth this order for as much as Osius signed the Epistle of the Councell immediately and by himselfe and the Pope mediatelie and by another the legates of the Pope who were Bishops had a vote of their owne in the Councell and the Priests not From whence it is that when the legations of the Pope and of the Councell of Rome were
execute at Constantinople the rudgement pronounced at Rome against Nestorius Archbishop of Constantinople Adding to thee said Pope Celestine in his Epistle to saint CYRILL the authoritie of our Sea and vsing with power the representation of our place thou shalt execute exactlie and constantly this Sentence to witt that if within ten daies reckoned since the day of this monitory Nestorius doe not anathematise by writing his wicked doctrines c. thy holynes should prouide for that Church without delaie and declare him to be wholie cutt of from our Bodie And in the Epistle to Nestorius read and inserted into the Acts of the Councell Wee haue sent the forme of this iudgement with all the verball processe to our holy fellow-Bishop of Alexandria to the end that he being made our Uicar may execute these things And in the Epistle to the Clergie of Constantinople Wee haue conferred our Uicarship because of the farr distance of places to our holie brother Cyrillus And the Councell of Ephesus in the relation to the Emperor The sentence of him and his before there was anie Synod assembled at Ephesus the most holy Celestine Bishop of great 〈◊〉 had testified by his letters and had committed to the most holy and most beloued of God Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria to be his Uicar And saint CYRILL himselfe in the Epistle against Nestorius addressed to the Constantinopolitans Wee are constrained said hee to signifie to him by Synodicall letters that if 〈◊〉 speedilie that is to saie within the time defined by the most holy Bishop of the Roman Church hee renounce not the nouelties of his doctrine he shall haue noe more communion with vs nor place amongst the Ministers of God And secondly Celestine making saint CYRILL his vicar it was by forme of commission and not by forme of intreaty Hee committed to him saith the Councell of Ephésus to be his Uicar And Marcellinus Comes of the same tyme with Iustinian Nestorius was condemned at Ephesus in a Synod of two hundred holie Fathers Celestine declaring to the Councell Cyrill Bishop of Alexandria his Uicar for the time And Liberatus the African author of the same age Celestine signified to Nestorius that he had giuen his Uicarship to CYRILLVS And Theophanes the Greeke-historian Celestine of Rome writt to Cyrill of Alexandria to holde his place in the Synod And Balsamon not onely a Grecian but a Scismaticke Celestine when he could not assist at Ephesus and iudge Nestorius in person thought good to permitt saint CYRILL to preside in his place at this Councell And Nicephorus Celestine Bishop of Rome refused to assist at the Councell of Ephesus for the perill of the nauigation but he writt to CYRILL to holde his place there and after that time the fame goes that Cyrill receaued the Tyara and the name of Pope of iudge of the whole world And thirdly who reuealed to Caluin that it was not in the qualitie of the Popes Legats but in his owne name that saint CYRILL presided in the Councell For did not Prosper an author of the same tyme say To the heresie of Nestorius CYRILLS industrie and Celestines authoritie principallie resisted And againe Celestine cutt of the Nestorian impietie aided CYRILL with the Apostolicke sword And the letters of the Bishops writing from Constantinople to the Councell Doe they not beare this superscription To the most holie and beloued of God Bishops and Fathers who by Gods grace are assembled in the Metropolitan Cittie of Ephesus Celestine Cyrillus Iuuenall and others to shew that the Pope though absent preceded saint CYRILL euen in the person of saint CYRILL And did not the Popes legates thanke the Fathers of the Synod because they had shewed themselues holie members to their holie head that is to saie to the Pope And saint CYCILL writing to Pope Celestine Doth he not call him his Father though himselfe were an ancienter Patriark by tenn yeare then Celestine And did not the Councell in the Bodie of it make themselues executioners of the Popes Indgements against the same Nestorius when they said Wee are come not without teares to pronounce this sadd sentence constrained by the force of the Canons and by the letters of our holy Father and fellow-Minister Celestine And then if Alexander Bishop of Alexandria had not presided at the Councell of Nicea but was there preceeded by two simple priests of the Roman Church Vito and Vincentius why should saint CYRILL one of his successors and Patriarke of Alexandria as he was and noe lesse enemie to Nestorius then Alexander was to Arrius haue presided at that of Ephesus a cittie that was in Asia and out of the Patriarkship of Alexandria as well as Nicea was And if that appertained by right to saint CYRILL for what cause did Dioscorus his Successor obtaine surteptitious letters from the Emperor vnder pretence of the refusall that Eutyches made of the Popes legates forasmuch as they had bene intertained feasted and gratified with presents by his aduersarie that is to saie by Flauianus Archbishop of Constantinople to preside at the false Councell of Ephesus And for what cause notwithstanding the said letter was hee accused for this attempt at the Councell of Chalcedon as for a newe and vnheard of enterprize He must said Lucentius Bishop of Ascoli giue vp an 〈◊〉 of his iudgement for asmuch as hauing noe right to doe the Office of a Iudge he hath vsurped it and hath presumed to hold a Synod without the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke which hath neuer bene lawfull neither was euer done And for what cause did the Councell of Chalcedon call his presidencie Tyrannie and Uictor of Tunes author of the following age vsurped principalitie for whereas Caluin adds that at the Councell of Ephesus the other legates of the Pope sate after saint CYRILL that was because saint CYRILL had bene first deputed and before the Councell and that the others came thither but at the end thereof and besides that amongst colleagues of one same legation he that of himselfe was alreadie in greatest dignitie was to precede Of the order of the sittings of the second Councell of Ephesus CHAPT X. THE third obiection of Caluin is That in the second Councell of Ephesus Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria presided and that although the issue of this Councell was vnlawfull neuerthelesse at the beginning when order was yet obserued the Popes deputies did not question him 〈◊〉 the first place An obiection that containes as manie falshoods as wordes For first the second Councell of Ephesus that the Greekes call the Councell of robbery was all disordered from the beginning to the ending Those things shall cease said the lawe which haue taken their originall from iniustice And indeede how could it be otherwise hauing begunn by practises by Steele and weapons for Chrysaphius Master of the imperiall pallace who was an Eutychian and Eutyches his
cōtribute our presence at the reuerēd Synod which the necessitie of time and Custome will not permitt neuerthelesse your brotherhoods may make account that in these brothers of mine Paschasinus and Lucentius Bishops and Boniface and Basilius priests sent from the Sea Apostolick I doe preside in your Councell For the letter the Pope writt to the Emperor was dated the sixth of the calends of Iulie and that he writt to the Councell was dated the fifth And why should he haue praied him since in the secular confirmation of the Actes of the Councell the same Emperor saith The Councell of Chalcedon hath examined matters of faith by the authoritie of the Blessed Leo Bishop of the Cittie eternall in glorie Rome And why since the Fathers of the Councell writt to the Pope Thou didst preside in the Councell as the head to the members exhibiting there thy good will by those that held thy place And the faithsull Emperors presided there for policie and ornament And why since the Emperor Anastasius a while after pressing Macedonius Patriark of Constantinople to race out of the Rolle of his Church the name of the same Councell of Chalcedon Macedonius answered him That he could not doe it without a generall Councell wherein the Bishop of great Rome did preside Of the order of the sittings of the fifth Councell of Constantinople CHAPT XII CAluins fifth obiection is That Menas presided at the fifth Councell of Constantinople And that the Pope being called thither debated not the first place but without anie difficultie suffercd Menas Patriarke of the place to preside Which is an obiection wherein ignorances march by troupes For first Menas was dead fiue yeares before the fifth Councell of Constantinople was holden as appeares by the Acts of the fixth Councell of Constantinople which say Menas dyed the one and wēntith yeare of the Empire of Iustinian but the fisth Councell of Constantinople was holden the twentie seuenth And by Uictor of Tunes an author of the same age who saith That the fifth Councell of Constantinople was holden vnder Eutychius Successor to Menas And by the very Acts of the fifth generall Councell in all the Sessions whereof Eutychius is named and not Menas For what we haue from the Councell of Constantinople vnder Menas are but particular acts and preambulatory to the Generall Councell which was after holden vnder Eutychius which hath giuen occasion to Euagrius and to Nicephorus to mistake and to thinke that the fifth Councell of Constantinople had bene begun vnder Menas and finisht vnder Eutychius as impertinently as the same Euagrius placeth Epiphanius betweene Anthymus and Menas and maketh Epiphanius succeede Anthymus whereas contrariwise he was his predecessor And secondly Pope Agapet who went to Constantinople not to assist at anie Councell but to treate a peace betweene the Emperor Iustinian and Theodat king of the Gothes was dead when the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas was celebrated And by conseuqent had noe occasion to debate for the first place and Siluerius his Successor in whose tyme this Councell was holden neuer was at Constantinople And suppose Agapet had bene liuing and present at the Councell how could Menas haue presumed to preside in his presence hee that said in the same Councell Wee followe the Sea Apostolicke obey it And who had bene made Patriarke of Constantinople and his Predecessor Anthymus deposed from the Patriarkship of Constantinople by Pope Agapet And who calls Pope Agapet his Father of most holy memory And how would the Emperor Jusiinian haue permitted it he that said Wee will not suffer that anie thing shall passe concerning the estate of Churches but what should be referred to the blessednesse of the holy Pope of old Rome for asmuch as he is the head of the holie Prelates of God And againe Wee decree according to the definitions of the fower Councells that the holie Pope of old Rome be the first of all the Prelates and wee ordaine that the blessed Archbishop of Constantinople new Rome shall haue the second place after the holie Sea Apostolicke of old Rome and shall preceede all the other Seas Also how would hee haue permitted it hee that forsooke his great friend Anthymus whom he had exalted from the Bishops Sea of Trebysond to the Patriarkship of Constantinople and suffered him to be deposed in his presence from the Patriarkship of Constantinople by Pope Agapet Wee know saith he lawe of the Emperor Justinian that the same hath bene done to Anthymus who hath bene deposed from the Sea of this Royall cittie by the most holy Bishop of old-Rome Agapet of holy and glorious memorie because that against all the sacred canons he had intruded himself into a Sea that appartained not to him For what hee adds presently after but he hath also bene deposed and condemned by the common sentence first of that person of holy memorie and then of the holie Synod heere celebrated because he had straied from the right doctrine hath reference not to the deposition of Anthimus of the Patriarkship of Constantinople as the Patriarke Nicephorus and Cedrenus supposed authors farr from the age of Justinian but to the deposition of Anthimus from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond For the vnderstanding whereof you must knowe that there were two depositions of Anthymus one from the Patriarkship of Constantinople which was made and perfected by the Popes onely action and wherein the Councell of Constantinople whereof Iustinian speaketh had noe hand and the other from the Bishops Sea of Trebyzond which was indeede begun by the Pope who ordained that if Anthymus did not purge himself of the heresie which was imputed to him he should be deposed also from the Bishops Sea of Trebisond which had bene reserued to him by the first deposition and should be withall excommunicated and depriued of all Sacerdotall title and of all Catholicke nomination But because the Pope could not finish this second deposition by reason death preuented him before he had the leasure to be fully cleered from the condition that was therevnto apposed it was finished and executed in the Councell This appeares by the Acts of the same Councell whereof Iustinian speaketh to witt of the Councell of Constantinople holden by Menas for the confirmation whereof was published two moneths after this lawe which is annexed to the end of the Councell For the action that precedeth it is the last although it be first recited God saie the Regulars of Syria in their petition to the Emperor reported by the same Actes sent into this cittie Agapet truly Agapet that is to saie beloued of God and man Pope of old Rome for the deposition of Anthymus and of the foresaid hereticks as 〈◊〉 he sent great Peter to the Romans for the destruction of the witcheraft of Simon This reuerend person then knowinge by the requests of many of ours the thinges iniustly attempted vpon the Churches and knowinge
Bishops and councells that supposed that it was to gaine the crowne of martirdome to dye for resisting it some belieuing Pope Vigilius neuer confirmed it and others belieuing that Pope Vigilius who was said to confirme it was not true Pope forasmuch as he had intruded into the Papacy his predecessor being yet liuing that whatsoeuer threatnings banishments and punishment the Emperor Iustinian employed vpon it hee could neuer compasse it neither hee nor his next successors but this is enough for this obiection of Caluin let vs goe on to the rest Of the order of the sittings in the sixth Councell of Carthage CHAPT XIII CAluins sixt obiection is taken from thé sixth Councell of Carthage In the sixth Councell of Carthage saith Caluin Aurelius Archbishop of the cittie presided and not the Ambassadors of the Sea of Rome Now wee might send him to dispute this matter with Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheims of almost eight hundred yeares antiquitie who said contrarywise speaking of the sixth Councell of Carthage The Councell of Carthage where the Sea Apostolicke presided by his Uicars Neuerthelesse least it should seeme to be a delaie the best will be to trie it out in the field To this obiection then wee will bring three answeres the first that there is nothing more vncertaine then the Rolles of the sittings and signatures of Councells where the copies varie and mistake at euery turne sometymes following the order of the persons sending somtymes the order of the persons sent somtymes the order of the tyme of their arriuall somtymes the errors in the writing which slipp in in the transcription of listes and Catalogues as it appeares besides an hundred other proofes by the repetition of one of the Sessions of the first Councell of Ephesus inserted into the latine copie of the Councell of Chalcedon in which Arcadius Proiectus and Phillippus the Popes legates are named not onely after all the Bishops but euen after Bessula Deacon and legate of Carthage which was the order of the tyme of their arriuall and neuerthelesse the greeke originall of the same Councell of Ephesus placeth them in all the Sessions whereat they assisted immediately after saint CYRILL first legate of the Pope and as it appeares by the thing itselfe which is presented by the testimony of Hincmarus for Hincmarns affirmes particularly that the Sea Apostolicke presided by legates at the Councell of Carthage in these words The Councell of Carthage where the Sea 〈◊〉 presided by Uicars The second that there where diuers kindes of legates some which represented the negotiating person of the Pope as 〈◊〉 Agents Nuntios Apocrisaries and Ambassadors and others which represented the iudiciary person of the Pope as Cathedraticall Vicars and legates a kinde onely necessary for generall Councells where the Bodie of the Church speakes with her head and not for particular Councells as this of Carthage was Now amongst these deputies some held the ranke of those that sent them and others not for in the Councell of Chalcedon Iustinian Bishop of Cos legat or rather Nuntio and Ambassador from the Pope to Constantinople although he bore the 〈◊〉 of the Pope legate at the Councell neuerthelesse sate not with the other legates of the Pope but after the Patriarkes and among the 〈◊〉 and at the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas the Ambassadors of the Patriarkes of Antioch and Ierusalem were not sett in the ranke of their Patriarkes but in the ranke of their simple personall dignitie and after the Archbishops and Bishops And the third Answere finally is that in the sixth Councell of Carthage the legation of the Popes deputies was finished by the death of Sozimus who had sent them the yeare before and had not bene renewed by Boniface his Successor whose creation they knewe well for they procured and charged themselues to carry him the Councells letters but they had not yet receiued anie commission from him and treated onely vpon the memories that they had brought from his predecessor By meanes whereof they were noe more the Popes legates but Exlegates continuing neuertheles in office to solicite for the rights of the Roman Church that they had begun in the former Councell and for this cause bearing for honor sake in the signatures the title of the Legates of the Roman Church but not the title of legates or Vicars of Pope Boniface then sitting And indeede if they had bene then in the actuall qualitie of the Popes Vicars and Cathedraticall Vicars that is to saie representing the iudiciary person of the Pope they had bene sett one with an other and had all signed in the ranke of Bishops Now this was not soe for Faustinus Archbishop of Potentia assisted but in his simple ranke of Archbishop belowe Aurelius Archbishop of Carthage and Ualentine Archbishop of Numidia and Phillippus and Asellus were not there in the ranke of Bishops but sate and signed as simple priests after all the Bishops where as in the Councell of Ephesus which was generall the same Phillip priest as Vicar deputed to represent the iudiciarie person of the Pope was set with saint CYRILL and Arcadius likewise the Popes legates before all the other Primates Archbishop s and Bishops It it true that Faustinus Phillippus and Asellus had bene either nuntios or legates to Pope Sozimus in a Councell holden the yeare before at Carthage vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius and the eigth of Theodosius as it appeares from the discourse and from the Epistle of the sixth Councell of Carthage but of this Councell for that which is inserted vnder the date of the same consulls in the Rapsodie of the Councells of Africa speakes not of the Popes legates there remaines to vs noe piece whereby wee may iudge whether the Popes agents presided or presided not onely it appeares that the authority of the Pope was very eminent there for it was sent to Rome and confirmed by the Pope as Prosper an author of the same age testifies in these words Under the 12 th Consulship of Honorius and the eigth of Theodosius a Councell of two hundred and fourteen Bishops hauing bene holden at Carthage the Synodicall decrees were carried to Pope Sozimus Which hauing bene approued by him the heresie of Pelagius was condemned throughout the world And againe Pope Zosimus annexed to the decrees of the African Councells the force of his sentence and for the extirpation of the wicked armed the right hand of all the Prelates with the sworde of Peter Of the order of the sittings in the Councell of Aquilea CHAPT XIV THE seauenth obiection of Caluin is That there was a generall Councell kept euen in Italie to witt adds hee the Councell of Aquilea wherein saint AMBROSE presided for the credit that he had with the Emperor Now this obiection is the crowne master-piece of all Caluins obiections for matter of impertinency For first S. AMBROSE did not preside there but Valerianus Bishop of Aquilea
the Bishop of Milan and the Bishop of Aquilea hauing bene in such sorte equalls paralells vntill the tyme of 〈◊〉 as when the Bishopricke of Milan was vacant as Pope Pelagius the first tyme-fellowe to Iustinian notes it the Bishop of Aquilea ordained him of Milan And when the Bishopricke of Aquilea was vacant the Bishop of Milan ordained him of Aquilea by meanes whereof each of them in his Diocesse had his ranke before the other and in anie third place the ancienter of the two preceded as at the Councell of Rome S. AMBROSE preceded Valerian and at the Councell of Aquilea Ualerian preceded S. AMBROSE It is true S. AMBROSE disputed there more then the rest because of his learning And Aurelius Bishop of Bologna after him which deceiued the author of Synodica publisht by the Minister Pappus a greeke author meanely instructed in latine affaires many others with him But he presided not there if we giue credit to the actes of the Councell which are couched in these termes Under the consulship of Eucherius and Euagrius in the nones of September there were sett in the Church of Aquilea Ualerian Ambrose Eusebius Limenius and others And then if he had presided there to what purpose was it to interpret that it was for the fauour the Emperor bore him Was not S. AMBROSE an Archbishop Archbishop of Milan a cittie saith S. ATHANASIVS metropolitan of Italie that is to saie not of all Italie but of that part of Italie which was subiect to the pretoriall Prefect of Italie and which was particularly called Italie to distinguish it frō the prouinces subiect to the Prouost or Vicar of Rome and therefore what meruaile had it bene that the Councell of Aquilea being celebrated in the metropolitan cittie of Istria which was one of the prouinces of Italie and subiect to the Vicar of Italie that is to saie to the Vicar of the Prouost of the Pretory of Italie in Italie and the Pope not being there neither by himselfe nor his Legates if S. AMBROSE who was both the most ancient Archbishop the Archbishop of Milan metropolitā of Italie had presided there And secondly the councell of Aquilea which lasted but halfe a day was not a generall councell but a particular Councell compounded onely of the Bishops of Lombardie of Prouence of one Bishop of Illiria and of some deputies of Africa of the Gaules for there were in all but thirtie Bishops amongst which there was but one onely Legat neither of the Pope nor of the other Patriarks Now how could it be generall if there were noe Bishop of the East nor any Patriark nor Patriarkes Legat Nay how could it be generall since the onely reason that Palladius the hereticke made that he would not answere there was that it was not a generall Councell Wee haue promised said hee that wee will proue that we are Christians but in a generall Councell wee answere you not least wee should preiudice a future Councell Nay how could it haue bene vniuersall since the Fathers of the Councell themselues confessed in their Epistle to the Emperor That is was not reasonable that for two wretched hereticks the Churches of the whole world should be abandoned by their Bishops Nay how could it haue bene generall since the same yeare the generall Councell of Constantinople was celebrated for the Councel of Aquilea was held in September vnder the consulship of Euagrius and Eucherius and the Councell of Constantinople was assembled the same yeare not in the month of May as Socrates and those that haue followed him haue conceiued but vpon the end of Autumne as it appeares by the words lately cited from 〈◊〉 and by the verie epistle of the Councell of Constantinople to the Pope where the Fathers testified that the Councell of Constantinople had bene called after the holding of that of Aquilea It is true it had bene proiected at the beginning to haue holden a larger Councell at Aquilea but because the aduersaries were not iudged worthie that for them there should be called a quantitie of Bishops necessarie neither for a generall Councell not for a Patriarchall Councell the Pope not onely abstained from sending but also presently after the celebration of the Councell of Aquilea as being nothing lesse then vniuersall set himselfe to cause a generall Councell to be celebrated and to this effect called by his letters addressed to the Emperor Theodosius the Bishops of the East to the Councell of Constantinople Witnesse these wordes of the same Bishops to Pope Damasus Wee were come to Constantinople at the arriuall of the letters from your Reuerence sent after the Councell of Aquilea to the most religious Emperor And held himselfe a Councell of the Bishops of the West at Rome where assisted the chiefe of those that had bene at Aquilea And amongst others saint AMBROSE Archbishop of Milan and Valerianus Archbishop of Aquilea and in the which presiding he approued what had bene done at Constantinople and by this approbatron made the Councell of Constantinople 〈◊〉 For whereas it is 〈◊〉 that in this concourse of Councells it was not the Councell of Rome whereat the Pope was present that obteyned the title of a Generall Councell but the Councell of Constantinople It sufficeth to saie that it was because the Simbole of faith which was published there against Macedonius was composed in the Councell of Constantinople whereat there assisted the Bishops of the Prouinces where the question was disputed and was but confirmed and not composed at the Councell of Rome and that the Councells oecumenicall by concourse tooke their name from the place where the Simbole of the Faith was composed and not from the place where it was onely confirmed Of the calling of Councells CHAPT XV. THere followeth the calling of Councells that Caluin affirmes to haue bene onely done by the Emperors The Generall Councell saith Caluin was neuer declared but by the Emperor and the Bishops were called by his authoritie Now from whence doth he inferre this Vpon this that the Councells bare on their brow the conuocations of the Emperors Fine and subtile logiquel as if it had bene an incompatible thinge that the Emperors should call the councells in regard of temporall authoritie to make them obligatorie to the secular Tribunall and executory by the ministrie of the officers of the Emperor and to take away the crime of treason and the hinderance of politicke lawes which forbad them to make anie assemblies but with permission of the Emperors And that the Popes without whom said Socrates the Churches cannot be ruled or according to the translation of Epiphanius followed by Cassiodorus the councells cannot be celebrated should call them in regard of spirituall and Ecclesiasticall authority But rather as if it had not bene a thing perpetually vsed and practised that the spirituall authoritie of the Popes should be required with the temporall authoritie of the Emperors that
is to saie that there were two conuocations of Councells the one Ecclesiasticall to make them obligatorie in conscience and spirituallie and the other Politicke to make them executory by the secular arme and temporally For first as for the ensigne bearer and forerunner of all the generall Councells which is that of Nicea the Fathers of the third generall Councell of Constantinople otherwise called the sixth generall Councell Greeke Fathers as hath bene alreadie often noted of neere a thousand yeares antiquitie and inlightned by manie histories that tyme hath subtracted from vs did they not saie The most sacred Constantine and the praise worthie Siluester called the famous councell of Nicea And as for the Councell of Sardica which was the appendix and supplie of that of Nicea the demaund that Eusebius of Nicomedia head of the Arrian faction made after the Councell of Antioch to Pope Julius of a Councell which since it could not be generall at Rome was afterward appointed at Sardica and the complaint of those that blamed the same Julius for the little tyme that was giuen them to assemble at Sardica doth it not teach vs that the Pope had cooperated with the Emperors in the calling the Councell of Sardica Eusebius saith S. ATHANA SIVS and his writt to Iulius and to amaze vs required that he would calle a Councell For you must reade there with the greeke text that he would call a Councell and not with the latine translation that a Councell might be called And againe Iulius writt backe that there should be a councell held where we would And the same Iulius reported by S. ATHANASIVS Your deputies said he answering the Eusebians haue solicited me to call a Councell and to write to Athanasius into Alexandria and to those of the Eusebian partie to the end that in the presence of all the cause might be defined in iust iudgement And Socrates There was a generall Councell published at Sardica a cittie of Illyria by the ordinance of the two Emperors And a little after Others complained of the breuitie of the tyme and laide the blame vpon Iulius Bishop of Rome Which Harmenopolus himselfe though a late greeke and a schismaticke acknowledgeth in these words By the aduise of the Emperors and of the Bishops of Rome there assembled a Councell of three hundred forty one holy Fathers at Sardica which confirmed the Councell of Nicea For that he accounts not the Councell of Sardica for vniuersall because the Arrians separated themselues from it makes nothing to the purpose of the conuocation which at least was vniuersall There was said Socrates a generall Councell published And as for the Councell of Constantinople these words of the epistle of the Bishops of Constantinople to Pope Damasus and to the Synod of Rome celebrating by the will of God the Synod of Rome You haue called vs with a brotherlie Charitie as your owne members by the letters of the most Religious Emperor And a little after But the execution of this desire was impossible to manie for we were gone to Constantinople vpon your Dignities letters sent the yeare last past after the councell of Aquilea to the most religious Emperor Theodosius Doe they not sufficiently demonstrate that Pope Damasus by his letters written the yeare before that is to saie before the Synod of Rome and when he was yet alone had concurred with the Emperor or rather the Emperor with him for the calling the Councell of Constantinople and for the first councell of Ephesus which onely of the name deserues the title of councell for the second was excluded from the ranke of councells Doe not those wordes of Liberatus Archdeacon of Carthage an African Author and of neere a thosand one hundred yeares antiquitie Cyrill with his prouided with the Uicarship of the Sea Apostolicke hauing called a Councell of two hundred Bishops cited Nestorius Doe they not testifie that it had bene called at the instance and with the cooperation of S. CYRILL Patriarke of Alexandria alreadie before made Vicar and executor of the Popes authoritie in the East And as for the councell of Chalcedon these declarations of the Emperor Martian to Pope LEO whén there was a question of holding the councell afterward transferred to Chalcedon Our desire is that all impietie being banisht by this councell celebrated vnder your authoritie an entire peace may be restored to the Bishops of the Catholicke faith And againe There rests if it please your Holynesse that you come into these partes and heere celebrate the Synod that you will daigne to doe it for the zeale of Religion And a little after Or if it be burdensome to you to come hither that you will signifie it to vs by your letters that we maie dispatch our sacred Patents into the East and into Thracia and Illiria that all the most holie Bishops may assemble in some such place as shall seeme good to vs and decree by their sentences things profitable to Christian Religion and Catholicke faith as your Holinesse according to Ecclesiasticall rules hath defined it And these of the same LEO It hath pleased both to the ordinance of the most Religious Emperors and to the consent of the Sea Apostolicke that the generall councell of Chalcedon should be called And these of the Bishops of the second Moesia to the Emperor Leo translated from greeke into latine by Epiphanius at the instance of Cassiodorus The faith of the incarnation of our Sauiour hath bene confirmed by manie Bishops assembled by the commaundement of the Roman Pope Leo who is trulie head of Bishops and of Anatolius Patriarke of Constantinople in a councell celebrated vnder the two Emperors Doe they not euidentlie proue that Pope LEO cooperated with the Emperors for the calling of the councell of Chalcedon And for the second generall councell of Constantinople which we call the fifth generall councell this answere of the Pope Vigilius to the letters of the Patriarke of Constantinople Hauing knowne your desire by your demaunds wee agree that for the three chapters in question there shall be made a regular councell where preseruing equitie the holie Ghospell being set in the middest wee vnited with our bretheren may conferr Doth it not make plaine that the holding this Councell had bene preceded by the Popes consent and permission For the Councell was assembled in the month of May the twelfth yeare after the Consulship of Basilius and the Popes answere had bene made in the moneth of Ianuary before And these words of the sixth Councell Vigilius consented to Iustinian and the fifth Councell was established Doe they not conuince either that the conuocation or the confirmation of the Councell was taken from the Pope And that a while after Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople hauing gone about as Bishop of the second Rome to participate with the Pope in the title of Uniuersall Bishop would attribute to himselfe the authority of calling
Generall Councells in the East is it not a manifest proofe that the authoritie of the spirituall calling of Councells appertained to the Popes It hath bene saith Pope Pelagius the second in his Epistle to those of the East cited by saint GREGORIE reported to the Sea Apostolicke that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople hath intitled himselfe Uniuersall Bishop and by vertue of this his presumption hath called you to agenerall Councell although the authoritie of calling Generall Councells be attributed by a singular priuiledge to the Sea Apostolitk of saint PETER And for the sixth generall Councell which was holden vnder the Emperor Constantine Pogonat and in the same cittie of Constantinople that the Emperor would not call the Bishops of the Easterne part of the Empire which was seperated for the Monothelite heresie from the obedience of the Sea Apostolicke till first the Pope had called the Bishops of the westerne part to Rome and till the legates from the Pope and from the Councell of Rome were come to him doth it not presuppose that the spirituall authoritie of the Pope did flowe together with the temporall authoritie of the Emperor or rather preceded it for the celebration of Councells And that the same Councell speaking to the Emperor alleadgeth to him for the image and paralell of his Actes as well as of his name the example of the great Constantine in these wordes Constantine Augustus and Pope Siluester of Reuerend memorie called the famous Councell of Nicea Doth it not confirme it And for the second Councell of Nicea which is the seauenth generall Councell what Pope Gregory the second had answered a while before to the Emperor Leo the Iconolast who desired to cause a Councell to be holden for the busines Thou hast written that a generall Councell might be holden but it seemeth not fitt to vs. And againe Put case we had harkened to thee and the Prelates had bene gathered from all the earth and that the Senat and the Councell had bene sett where had the religious Emperor the louer of Christ bene to sitt there according to custome And that which the Fathers of the Councell alleadge amongst the nullities of the Synod of the Iconoclasts It had not for cooperator as that 〈◊〉 which now is celebrated the Pope of Rome nor his Prelates neither by his Legates nor by circular letters that is to saie addressed to all the prouinces as is the lawe of Councells doth it not insinuate that the Popes authoritie was required with that of the Emperors for the lawfull celebration of Councells Now these are all the generall Councells which haue bene celebrated from the age of the Apostles till the seperation that Photius made of the Greeke church from the latine For as for the Councell of Constantinople surnamed Trullian that the Greekes call the supplie of the sixth Couucell For asmuch as the sixth Councell which was holden vnder Constantine Pogonat hauing made noe canons some of those Bishops that had bene present reassembled themselues ten yeares after vnder Iustinian the second his Sonne and made some certaine canons which they published with the title of canons of the sixth Councell I meddle not with it because none of the Bishops of the West assisted there and consequently it was not generall It is true that Balsamon and after him Nilus Archbishop of 〈◊〉 saith that he had seene in one of the copies of the same Councell Trullian a catalogue of signatures which also is at Rome and which hath bene printed with the Greeke Texts of the Councell from whence it is collected that Basilius Bishop of Gortina Metropolitan of the Isle of Creete and legate of the Councell of Rome and a certaine Bishop of Rauenna assisted there But he forgetts like a Greeke Schismaticke as he is to tell two other things the one that the title of legate of the Councell of Rome that this Basilius bore had noe reference to what he was then for there was noe Councell holden in the west for the preparation of the Councell surnamed Trullan but to what hee had bene in the sixth Councell whereto he had signed with this title Basilius vnworthie Bishop of Gortina Metropolitan of the Isle of Creete and Legate of all the holie Synod of the Sea Apostolicke of olde Rome And the other that euen in the sixth Councell he bore this title but as a title of honor and not as actuall Legate either of the Pope or of the Councell of Rome I said neither of the Pope nor of the Councell of Rome because the Pope and the Councell of Rome at the expresse request of the Emperor sent two distinct legations a thinge neuer before heard of to the sixt Councell whereof the one to witt that of the Pope was of two Priests a Deacon and a subdeacon who sate before all the Patriarkes of the sixth Councell And the other to witt that of the Councell of Rome was of three Bishops who sate after the Patriarkes to shew that they were two distinct legations Nowe neither in the one nor other of these two legations had Basilius Bishop of Gortyna who was neither of the Bodie of the Clergie of Rome nor of the bodie of the Councell holden at Rome bene named as it appeares aswell by the Popes letters as by those of the Councell of Rome Onelie it happened that this Basilius being the Popes ordinary legate in the Isle of Creete for those things which concerned the iurisdiction of the Sea Apostolicke in his Prouince as he of Thessalonica in the prouince of Macedonia and he of Corinth in the Prouince of Achaia The legates of the Councell of Rome finding him in those partes for honors sake associated him and him of Corinth not with the legates of the Pope but with them For he subscribes with the legates of the Councell of Rome who signed after all the Patriarkes and not with the Popes Legates who signed before all the Patriarkes But this association was onely for the sixth generall Councell And that afterward in the Councell surnamed Trullian he continued to attribute to himselfe the name of legate of the Councell of Rome it was as a memoriall of the honor he had receiued in the sixth Councell following the custome of the Greekes who when they haue borne a title in anie solemne action preserue it many yeares after in memory of the honor they haue once receiued And it will nothing auaile to saie that at least he was the Popes legate in the Isle of Creete when he assisted at the Councell surnamed Trullian for there was greate difference betweene the Metropolitans honored with the Title of the Popes legates in their Prouinces and whose legation was attributed to their Seas As the Archbishop of Arles amongst the Gaules The Archbishop of Thessalonica in Macedonia The Archbishop of Corinth in Peloponesus And the Synodicall Legates deputed from the Pope or the westerne Church to the generall Councells
after the death of Siluerius after which the Clergie of Rome for the benefit of peace had accepted him had bene persecuted and vnworthily vsed at Constantinople by the Emperor with whom he was constrained to spend his life in exile because the Gothes vnder the conduct of their new King Totilas had againe taken Rome whereto would this turne but to the glorie of Uigilius and to the shame of the Emperor For saith not Nicephorus that the Emperor repented it and doe not the same actes shew that he sent the principall ministers of his Empire to Uigilius to praie him to returne And that Uigilius during this persecution remained so constant that he would neuer giue anie waie to the Emperors violences but deposed in Constantinople it self Theodorus Archbishop of Cesarea the principall Gouernor of the Emperor and excommunicated Menas Patriarke of Constantinople and all that adhered to him Did it not throughlie shew the confidence he had in the dignitie of his Sea Wee decree thee saith hee ô Theodorus late Bishop of Cesarea by the publication of this sentence depriued aswell of Sacerdot all honor and of the Catholicke communion as of all Episcopall power and function and wee ordaine that thou shalt heereafter applie thy-self to nothing but to the teares of pennance by which hauing obtained remission of thy crimes thou maist recouer if thou deseruest it the place of 〈◊〉 and of communion with me or after my death with my successor And thou Menas Bishop of the cittie of Constantinople which art inwrapt with the same crime with all the Bishops Metropolitans and Micropolitans c wee suspend you from the sacred communion till eache of you acknowledging the error os his preuarication haue blotted out before vs his proper fault with a competent satisfaction And this that he cries out numbring Theodorus his crimes Thou art come in despising the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke which had pronounced interdiction by vs into the Church where there hung the Emperors Edicte 〈◊〉 there hast celebrated the solemnity of Masse And this that he adds Wee haue charged the Ministers of the most clement Emperor to signifie to him from vs that he ought not to communicate with those which haue by vs bene excommunicated least he thereby runne which God forbid into a grieuous sinne Doth it not shew that the Pope in excommunicating the other Bishops Archbishops and Patriarks did not onelie pretend to separate himselfe from their communion but to separate them and cutt them of from the communion of the Church And as for the persecution of the Empresse which happened long before and for an other cause to witt forasmuch as Vigilius after his predecessor Siluerius was dead and that he was become true Pope would not keepe the promise that he had made and secretlie accomplisht to her during his Antipapacy to admitt Anthymus and the other Eutychians into his communion What greater glorie could Uigilius receiue then that whereof S. GREGORIE speakes when he writes Pope Uigilius constituted in the Royall cittie that is to saie at Constantinople publisht a sentence of condemnation against Theodora then Empresse and against the Acephales And what more visible punishment could the Empresse receiue then that whereof Victor Tunonensis writes The ninth yeare after the Consulship of Basilius the Empresse Theodora enemie to the Councell of Chalcedon strucken her whole bodie ouer with the wound of an vniuersall canker that is to saie with leprosie prodigiouslie ended her life For whereas the same Uictor who was a Schismaticke and tooke part with Rusticus the Deacon and other Roman Clerkes reuolted against Pope Vigilius and against the fifth generall Councell writeth that the Bishops of Africa that is to saie the schismaticall Bishops of Africa for the Catholicke Bishops of Africa tooke the other part excommunicated Vigilius there hath alreadie bene two things spoken of concerning this the one that they held not Uigilius for true Pope but for an intrusiue Pope because he had vsurped the Papacie his predecessor Siluerius being yet aliue as it appeares by this that the same Victor placeth a little after amongst the nullities of the fifth generall Councell the vice of the creation of Uigilius who had said he 〈◊〉 ordained Bishop of Rome Siluerius being still aliue And the other that Pope Siluerius had alreadie long before excommunicated Uigilius for hauing intruded himselfe into the Papacie in these termes Doe thou then receiue and those that consent whith thee the sentence of paine of condemnation and know that being condemned by vs by the iudgement of the holy Ghost and by the Apostolicke authoritie that the name and office of Sacerdotall ministery is taken from thee And againe 〈◊〉 Siluerius Pope of the cittie of Rome giuing consent to all the statutes I haue signed this decree of Anathema against the vsurper Uigilius By meanes whereof the act of the Schismaticall Bishops of Asrica against Uigilius was rather a renouation and an application of the excommunication of Pope Silutrius then a primitiue and originall excommunication To the third example which is that Sigebert writes that Pope Innocent the first and the Bishops of the West suspended themselues from the communion of those of the East for the quarrell of Saint CHRYSOSTOME from whence the Protestants inferr that when the Pope excommunicated the other Bishops Archbishops or Patriarks he separated himselfe from their communion and did not separate them from the communion of the Church Wee haue three answeres the first that it is a ridiculous thing to alleadge for the testimonie of the historie of Pope Innocent and of S. CHRYSOSTOME Sigebert who writt seauen hundred yeares after them and who was an open enemie to the Sea Apostolicke and partaker with the Emperor Henry the fourth against Pope Gregorie the seauenth and his successors The second that Pope Innocent the first did not suspend himselfe from the communion of those of the East but suspended those of the East from the Ecclesiasticall communion the which although they still continued in fact with some of their Diocesans according to the custome of Schismatickes this hindred them not from being suspended by right and that they should send to demaund restitution of the Pope as it appeares by these words of the same Innocent in the epistle to Boniface Knowe saith he speaking of those of Antioch that we haue receiued them into our bowells least the members which had a long while required health should be excluded from the vnitie of the bodie And in the epistle to Maximianus What we haue done in the behalf of those of Antioch we will doe it in the behalfe of others if they will accomplish the same treaties and conditions and send as those did to beseeche by a solemne legation that the communion might be restored to them And in the Epistle to Alexander Patriarke of Antioch I haue diligentlie inquired whether the cause of the blessed
that were admitted into her communion were admitted into the Communion of the whole Catholicke Church and that those that were seperated from her communion were seperated from the communion of the whole Bodie of the Catholick Church Of the oppositions of saint Cyprian CHAPT III. THE second instance of Caluin is taken from saint CYPRIAN and consistes in seauen heades produced by him or by his disciples The first that saint CYPRIAN calls Pope Steuen Brother The second that he complaines because Basilides a Bishop of Spaine hauing bene deposed by a Synod of his Prouince for hauing bowed vnder persecution and an other hauing bene ordained in his place Pope Steuen restored him The third that he saith there were but a small number of lost and desperate persons who beleeued that the authoritie of the Bishops of Africa was lesser The fowrth that he saith that the ecclesiasticall causes ought to be determined where they were bredd The fift that hee affirmes that the Episcopall power is one thing whereof euerie one holdes his portion vndiuidedly The sixth that hee cries none of vs constitutes himselfe Bishopp of Bishopps And the seauenth finallie that he vseth rude wordes against Pope Steuen and accuses him of ignorance and of presumption To the first then of these heades which is that saint CYPRIAN calls Pope Cornelius brother Wee answere he calls him Brother not to denie to him the superintendencie of the Ecclesiasticall gouernement but for two other causes The one to insinuate that the Popes superintendencie ouer other Bishops was not a Lordly Monarchie as that of temporall princes ouer their subiects but a gentle and brotherly Monarchie as that of an elder brother ouer his younger Bretheren which is the title that our Lord himselfe would beare when he made himselfe be called the first borne amongst manie bretheren and which is the memoriall of humilitie that God had giuen to the Kings of his people when he had pronounced Thou shalt take a king from amongst thy bretheren And againe that the kings heart may not be exalted aboue his bretheren From whence it is that the Scripture to represent this brotherly Monarchie as well in the Sacerdotall as in the politicke order saith in the first booke of Esdras And Iosua sonne of Iosedeck 〈◊〉 vp and the priests his bretheren and built vp the Altar of God And the other to signifie the vnitie of the communion that Tertullian calls the nomination of brotherhood and to shew that he spake not of the Antipope Nouatianus to whom the Schismatickes adhered but of the true Pope Cornelius and of Steuen his successor with whom the Catholicke Bishops communicated as Erasmus hath acknowledged vpon the same place of saint CYPRIAN in these termes The word BROTHER doth not there signifie equalitie but societie of Religion For that it was a familiar thing for ancient authors to vse the word Brother not to exclude the superioritie 〈◊〉 but to expresse the vnitie of communion it appeares by a thousand testimonies It appeares first by the testimonie of saint AMBROSE who calls the Bishop of Rome his holy Brother and neuerthelesse ' in the same place aduertiseth Theophilus Patriarke of Alexandria who was a committee from the Councell of Capua to iudge the cause of Flauianus Patriarke of Antioch to procure his iudgement to be confirmed by the Pope Wee conceaue said hee that you ought to reserr the affaire to our holy brother Bishop of the Roman Church for wee presume you will iudge soe as can not displease him And a little after that Wee hauing receaued the tenor of your acts when wee shall see that you haue iudged things soe as the Roman Church shall vndoubtedlie approue we will receiue with ioy the fruite of your examination It appeares secondly by the testimonie of the Catholicke Bishops of Africa who answered the Donatists in the conference of Carthage that Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage had bene their brother Hee was saith saint AVSTIN our brother because of the communion of the Sacraments And neuertheles the Archbishop of Carthage was head and Superintendent of all the Bishops of Africa It appeares thirdly by the testimonie of saint AVGVSTINE who calls Aurelius Archbishop of Carthage his brother and neuerthesse saint AVGVSTINE was the spirituall subiect to Aurtlius and had bene made Bishop of Hippo by meanes of the dispensation that Aurelius had giuen to Ualerius to take him for coadiutor and himselfe acknowledged that he was obliged to execute his commaundemēts I haue said hee obeied thy commaundements my holie brother 〈◊〉 It appeares fowrthlie by the testimonie of Epigonius one of the Bishops of the third Councell of Carthage who calls the same Aurelius his brother and neuerthelesse acknowledgeth in the same place that Aurelius had superintendencie ouer all Africa It appeares in the fifth place by the testimonie of John Patriarke of Constantinople who writing to Pope Hormisdas intituleth him his Brother and neuertheles protests wee doe in all things followe the Sea Apostolicke and preach all that hath bene thereby decided And promise in the tyme to come not to recite amidst the sacred misteries the names of those that are seperated from the communion of the Catholicke Church that is to saie addeth hee that doe not altogether agree with the Sea Apostolicke And finallie it appeares by the testimonie of the Emperor Justinian who 〈◊〉 to Pope John surnamed Mercurius Wee demaund that your Fatherlie 〈◊〉 may declare to vs your intention by your letters directed to vs and to the most holie Bishop and Patriarke of this famous cittie your brother And neuertheles in the same Epistle and in the Epistle to the Patriarke of Constantinople he affirmeth that the Pope is the head of all the holie Prelates of God And the same may be said of the words Colleague or Fellow-Minister that the ancient Catholique Bishops sometimes attribute to the Pope not to weaken the Superioritie of the Gouernment but to designe the societie of the Ministrie and to shew that the faithfull and wise seruant that the Master hath substituted ouer the companie of his seruants to giue them their nourishment in due season is not Lord but fellowe Seruant to his fellowe Seruants For that the Fathers doe so vnderstand it it appeares by manie Examples It appeares first by the Epistle of the Synod of Alexandria where the Bishops of Egipt call saint ATHANASIVS Patriarke of Alexandria their Colleague who neuerthelesse was their head and had iurisdiction ouer all the Bishops of Egipt and Libia as it appeares both from the sixth Canon of the Councell which giues perfect authoritie to the Bishop of Alexandria ouer all the Bishops of Egipt Libia and Pentapolis And from the Remonstrance that the Metropolitans of Egipt made to the Councell of Chalcedon that they could enterprise nothing without the authoritie of the Bishop of Alexandria It appeareth secondlie by the Epistle of Proclus Archbishop
of Constantinople who intreateth Domnus Patriarke of Antioch that he would beare with the infirmities of Athanasius Bishop of Perhes his fellowe Minister and to graunt him for his iudges other Bishops then his Metropolitan who was suspected by him It appeares thirdly by the sentence of the Bishops of the Councell of Ephesus who called Pope Celestin their most holy Father and fellowe Minister and nenerthelesse made themselues the executioners of his Decrees Constrained Necessarilie said they by the force of the Canons and by the letters of our most holie father and fellow-minister Celestin wee are come not without teares to pronounce this heauie sentence against Nestorius And finallie it appeares by the writings of Optatus Bishop of Mileuis in Africa who calls the Pope Siricius companion of Societie with the Catholicke Bishops and neuertheles acknowledgeth him in the same place for the heire of saint PETERS Chaire and for center and principle of Ecclesiasticall vnitie To the second head which is that saint CYPRIAN complaines that Basilides a Bishops of Spaine hauing bene deposed by the Councell of the Prouince for hauing yeilded vnder the persecution and an other hauing bene ordained in his place Pope Steuen had restored him Wee answere that this complaint insteede of wounding the Popes authoritie wholie confirmes it For saint CYPRIAN complaines not of the enterprize made by the Pope but of the surprize made vpon the Pope by Basilides who had misinformed him concerning that affaire Behold his 〈◊〉 That Basilides said hee after the discouerie of his crimes and the ignominie of his conscience made naked by his owne confession trauailing to Rome hath deceiued our brother Steuen remote by a farr distance of place and ignorant of the historie in fact and the truth of the matter which hath bene concealed from him to procure that he might be vniustly restored to his Bishopricke from which he had bene iustlie deposed cannot annull an ordination lawfully made c. Neither is he so worthie of blame who hath by negligence suffred himselfe to be misinformed as he is worthie of execration that hath fraudulently imposed it vpon him Now who sees not that this manner of speeche is not to reproue the interprize made by the Pope but the surprize made vpon the Pope And indeede how could saint CYPRIAN reproue the enterprize made by the Pope he that writes to him 〈◊〉 there be letters directed from thee into the prouince and to the people that inhabite Arles whereby Marcian being deposed an other may be substituted in his place To the third head that is that saint CYPRIAN writes Since it hath 〈◊〉 or dained to vs all or by vs all and that it is iust and equitable that euerie cause should be heard where the crime hath bene committed and that to euerie pastor there should be assigned a part of the flocke which he may rule and gouerne besore he come to yield an accompt of his actions to God those that we rule must not runne heere and there and cause the well vnited concord of the Bishops to knocke one against an other by a fraudulent and deceiptfull rashnes but pleade their cause where there may be accusers and wittnesses of their crimes Wee answere that he speakes heere of minor and particular causes whereof it was afterward ordained in the Councell of Carthage That particular causes should be determined within their prouinces that is to saie causes os manners and which concerned nothing but the liues of Clerkes and of inferior Clerkes onely that is to saie of Priests deacons subdeacons and other ecclesiasticall persons constituted to the lesser orders as it appeares both by these wordes Those whom we rule and by the qualitie of Fortunatus person of whom the question was who was a priest of the Church of Carthage who had bene excommunicated for his crimes by saint CYPRIAN and had made a Schisme against him at Carthage And not of Maior causes as those of faith or of the Sacraments or of the generall customes of the Church or of the depositions of the persons of Bishops the definition of which causes might be reserued for the iudgements beyond the Seas For that there was euer this difference in Africa betweene the inferior Clerkes that is to saie Priests deacons subdeacons and other ecclesiasticall persons constituted to the lesser orders and the superior Clerkes that is saie Bishops that the causes of the inferior Clerkes of Africa ought to be determined in Africa and not passe beyond the Seas but that the causes of the superior Clerkes that is to saie of Bishops might be transferred to the iudgement beyond the Seas wee learne it from saint AVGVSTINE who cries out that Cecilianus one of saint CYPRIANS Successors in the Archbishoprike of Carthage and within fortie yeares of S. CYPRIANS tyme who had bene condemned in Africa by a Councell of seuentie Bishops might reserue his cause beyond the Seas for as much as he was of the order of Bishops and not of that of Priests deacons and other inferior Clerkes There was noe question then saith saint AVGVSTINE of Priests or Deacons or other Clerkes of the inferior order but of the Colleagues that is to saie of Bishops who might reserue their cause intire to the iudgement of the other Colleagues and principallie of the Churches Apostolicke For whereas saint AVGVSTINE vseth the word Churches Apostolicke in the plurall number wee answere that in the Chapter following and shew that it is not to exclude the eminencie of the Roman Church ouer the rest 〈◊〉 of contrarywise he said but three lynes before In the Roman Church hath alwaies flourisht the principalitie Apostolicke But to preuent the malice of the Donatists who refused the iudgement that Pope Melchiades had giuen of the cause of Cecilianus for as much as they said that Melchiades had sacrificed to Idolls and consequenrlie could not iudge of the cause of Cecilianus who was accused of a crime of the like nature or equiualent to it It sufficeth at this tyme to inferr from the wordes of saint AVGVSTINE that there was this difference betweene the superior and inferior Clerkes of Africa that the causes of the superior Clerkes might be iudged beyond the Seas and not those of the inferior Clerkes And therefore where saint CYPRIAN saith that euery cause should be iudged where the crime had bene committed he spake of the causes of inferior Clerkes that is to saie of Priests Deacons subdeacons and other Ecclesiasticall persons constituted to the lesser order and not of the causes of superior Clerkes that is to saie of Bishops To the fowrth head which is that saint CYPRIAN complaines That the authoritie of the Bishops of Africa seemed lesse to some lost and desperate persons who had alreadie the yeare before bene iudged by them Wee answere two things the one that the word lesser hath noe reference heere to the Roman Church and is not a Comparatiue of relatiue signification but
iudgement should be obligatorie to the secular Tribunall and executory by the officers of the Empire and vnder the imposition of paines and temporall punishments but hee could not giue them Iudges in right whose Iudgements should bee obligatorie in conscience and to the Tribunall of the Church and should make those that contradicted culpable of spirituall censures and punishments And secondly the Donatists hauing specified in their request that they demaunded Iudges of the Gaules and that of purpose to exclude particularlie the iudges of Italie the Emperor harkening to their request and giuing them Iudges of the Gaules how had he sent them to Rome to iudge the cause with the Pope and vnder his Presidencie and direction who was hee against whom if wee giue creditt to the Donatists in the conference of Carthage their petition was principallie presented if hee had not acknowledged that the Pope was naturall and ineuitable Iudge of the cause Is there any likelyhood that the Emperor beeing resident amongst the Gaules and the Iudges whom he nominated for the Donatists being risident there that hee would haue sent them from about his person where they were to the Popes person from whom they were seperated by so large a distance of Sea and land to serue him for assistants if hee had belieued that it was himselfe and not the Pope that was the Naturall Iudge of the affaire To what purpose should he haue made the Donatists take so much paines who came to him out of Africa into Gallia and the three Iudges that hee graunted them who were also in Gallia to trauaile from thence to Rome if hee had not acknowledged that which wee read latelie in saint ATHANASIVS That the causes of the Bishops could not be determined till de decision had bene made at Rome And in Sozomene That those things that were constituted without the sentence of the Bishop of Rome were nullities And in saint AVGVSTINE vpon the same place that in the Roman Church had alwaies flourisht the principallitie of the Sea Apostolicke But let vs kintt vp our historie To these three Bishops nominated by the Emperor the Pope yet added fifteene more whose names Optatus reportes Merocles Bishop of Milan Florian Bishop of Cesena Zoticus Bishop of Quintian Stemnius Bishop of Arimini Felix Bishop of Florence Gaudensius Bishop of Pisa Constantius Bishop of Faensa Proterius Bishop of Capua Theophilus Bishop of Beneuentum Sauinus Bishop of Terracina Secundus Bishop of Preneste Felix Bishop of the three lodges Maximus Bishop of Hostia Euander Bishop of Ursin and Donatian Bishop of Foro-Clodi Now if the Pope had not bene iudge of this case but by deputation and that the Emperors addresse to him had bene but a simple commission and not a remittment how could he haue taken fifteene others Bishops for his assistants besides those that had bene nominated by the Emperor and Bishops of Italie also which was the prouince that the Donatists had principallie pretended to refufe by their petition And why did not the Donatists reproach to him that hee had exceeded the boundes of his commission For as for Caluins saying that the Emperor nominated Iudges out of Gallia Spaine and Italie it is an ignorance disproued by Optatus who affirmes that the Councell of Rome was compounded but of ninteen Bishops in all towitt of the Pope three Bishops of Gaules and fifteen Bishops of Italie and that there were noe Bishops of Spaine and teacheth vs that the Emperor nominated but onely three Bishops of the Gaules Iudges saith Optatus were giuen Maternus of Cologna Rheticius of Autun and Marinus of Arles And indeede how could the Donatists haue desired Iudges out of Spaine where the persecution had bene soe cruell Wherefore although S. AVGVSTINE extendes as farr as he can the Emperors commission to the iudges of the Councell of Rome of purpose to make that Councell not capable of refusall by the Donatists who hauing taken the Emperor for their arbiter it seemed they could not decline a iudgement wherein his authority had interuened yet he extends it noe farther then to saie that the Emperor sent Bishops to Rome to iudge the cause with Melchiades and neuer goes so farr as to say that he gaue commission to Melchiades or gaue him for a iudge Contrarywise speaking of the iudges giuen by the Emperor he restraines them as hath bene 〈◊〉 aboue noted to the Bishops of the Gaules onelie Iudges saith hee were giuen to the Donatists those that they had demaunded that is to saie the Bishops of the Gaules Insinuating thereby that the Pope was none of the iudges that were giuen and that the Emperors delegation extended it selfe noe farther then onely to the iudges of the Gaules which he had deputed to the end they might bee witnesses and colleagues of the Popes iudgement and did not comprehended the Pope From whence it appeares that when he said that the Emperor delegated the examination of Cecilianus his cause to the Bishops or that the Councell of Rome absolued Cecilianus by the Emperors commaundement he speakes by Synecdoche that is to saie by extending the part to the whole for as much as the Bishops delegated by the Emperor and enabled by the Emperors commission which was valid in respect of the Donatists that had sought it made a part of the Councell of Rome where Cecilianus his cause was examined a part so conformable to the opinion of the whole as the iudgement of the Emperors Commissioners and that of the whole Councell was one selfe same thing Otherwise we must conclude by the same reason that Donatus had demaunded for iudges all those that assisted at the Councell of Rome that is to saie both the Pope and the fifteene iudges of Italie for S. AVGVSTIN saith in the like wordes that Donatus was heard at Rome by the iudges that he had demaunded And yet it is certaine that Donatus had demaunded none but the three iudges of the Gaules yea with the exclusion of the others But S. AVSTIN saith that he had bene heard by the iudges that he had demaunded for as much as amongst the iudges that heard him were those that he had demaunded who being conformable in their opinions with the rest it was as much as if he had demaunded them all Let vs finishe our historie The Pope assisted by these eighteen Bishops three nominated by the Emperor and fifteen chosen by him iudged the cause of Cecilianus and iudged it soe soundlie as saint AVSTIN takes occasion from thence to call him the FATHER of the Christian People How innocent saith saint AVSTIN was the last sentence pronounced by the blessed Melchiades how intire how prudent how peaceable And a while after O blessed man ô Sonn of Christian peace and Father of Christian people From this iudgement of the Popes notwithstanding the Donatists appealed to the Emperor and that was the second irregularitie and so great and enormious an irregularitie that
of Africa forbad the clerkes of their Prouinces the appeales beyond Seas In the Mileuitan Couueell saith Caluin where saint AVGVSTINE assisted those that should appeale beyond Sea were excommunicated It is true but to this instance we bring two sharpe and decisiue answeres the first that the canon is meant but of appeales in minor and personall causes as were causes as well pecuniarie as morall that is to saie as well ciuill as criminall of clerkes and not in maior causes that is to saie in common and Eclesiasticall causes as were causes of Faith and Sacraments or of the vniuersall customes of the church And the second that he speakes but of the Appeales of Priests deacons and other clerkes of the inferior order and not of the Appeales of the Clerkes of Superior orders that is to sale of Bishops For the cleering then of the first of these doubtes which is that the Canon is meant but of Appeales in minor causes it must be knowne that the ecelesiasticall Tribunalls did then examine not onely the spirituall and religious causes of the Church but also all the temporall and secular causes of ecclesiasticall persons as well ciuill as criminall This appeares both by the first Councell of Constantinople which ordaines That if anie one doe begin a particular processe against a Bishop as hauing receiued losse or iniurie from him the person and Religion of the accuser shall not be examined but if it be an ecclesiasticall crime the accusers person shall be examined and first it shall not be lawfull for heretickes to accuse orthodox Bishops for ecclesiasticall causes And by the third Councell of Carthage celebrated ninteen yeares before the Mileuitan Councell which decrees That 〈◊〉 Clerke that leauing the Ecclesiasticall gouernment would purge himselfe in the publicke iudgements although the sentence be to his aduantage if it be in a criminall iudgement he shall loose his degree and if it be in ciuill iudgement he shall loose that which hath bene adiudged to him And by the Epistle to the Emperor Theodosius the second who to aduance the iudgement of the controuersie of Nestorius imposed truce to the Councell of Ephesus of all pecuniarie and criminall causes and ordained that they should handle noe cause neyther ecclesiasticall nor other till that of Faith were determined Now these different sortes of causes were not reputed to be all of a weight but the one to witt those that regard Faith or the generall customes of the Church were called maior causes maior businesses maior affaires And the others to witt those that regard the particular persons of clergy men and consisted in accusation of manners or pursuite of pecuniarie interests were called minor causes minor businesses and minor affaires And that by a distinction taken from the analogie of the Scripture which 〈◊〉 that Iethro aduised Moyses to suffer the minor causes of the Israelites to be iudged by the inferior iudges and to reserue to himselfe onely the maior causes Those that shall be maior causes said hee lett them bring to thee but let themselues iudge the minor causes The vse of this distinction may be seene in a thousand places of antiquities It appeares in these wordes of the Epistle of the same Pope Innocent vnder whom the Mileuitan Councell was holden to Uictricius If they be maior causes that are in question after the Episcopall iudgement lett them be referred to the Sea Apostolicke as the Synod and ancient customes vetus and not beata ordaine Which Epistle I the rather alleage because it was cited by the Bishops of France in the second Councell of Tours a thousand and seauen hundred yeares agone It appeares in these wordes of the Epistle of the Pope saint LEO the first to 〈◊〉 Bishop of Thesalonica his Vicar in Macedonia and other prouinces 〈◊〉 Constantinople If anie maior cause be moued for which it maie be reasonable and necessarie to call an Episcopall assemblie lett it suffice thee to cause two Bishops to come to thee out of euerie prouince such as the Metropolitans would choose And a litle after And if their iudgement be found differing from thy opinion let the acts be sent to vs with authenticall testimonie that all dissentions taken awaie a sentence pleasing to God may be decreed It appeares in these wordes of the Epistle of saint GREGORIE the Great to Iohn Bishop of the first Iustinianea If anie cause of faith or of crime or of pecuniary matter be obiected against our Colleague Adrian Bishop of Thebes lett it be iudged if it be a matter of light importance by our Nuncios which are or shall be in the royall Cittie that is to saie at Constantinople and if it be a matter of weight let it be referred hither to the Sea Apostolicke And finally it appeares in the capitularie of our great Emperor Charlemaine where the wordes of Pope Innocent the first are repeated by forme of lawe in these wordes If they be maior the Sea Apostolicke as the Synod and the blessed or to reade better the ancient custome ordaines And from thence it is that Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheims writing a little after that is to saie vnder Charles the Balde to Pope Nicholas the first maketh him this protestation Let it not please God that we should soe despise the priuiledge of the first and soueraigne sea of the Pope of the holie Roman Church as to wearie your soueraigne aucthoritie with all the Controuersies and with all the quarrells of the Clergie as well of the Superior as inferior order which the canons of the Councell of Nicea and the decrees of Innocent and of the other Popes of the holy sea of Rome commaund to be determined in their prouinces And againe Wee Metropolitans trauailinge in our prouinciall Councells decide carnall controuersies and haue care after iudgement to referr the maior causes and of maior persons to the examination of the Pope of the Soueraigne Sea And from hence it is alsoe that Gerson declaming longe tyme after against the disorders in the court of Rome during the schisme of Iohn the twentie three cryes out If the iudgement of minor causes be reproued in Moyses by Iethro how would it be in the Pope and in his Court of soe manie continuall and importune imployments of most prophane and vnworthie processes The first solution then that wee bring to the prohibition that the Bishops of the Mileuitan Councell made to their clerkes from appealing beyond Sea is that the wordes of the Councell were intended not of appeales in maior causes that is to saie in causes that concerne faith or the vniuersall customes of the church but of appeales in minor causes that is to saie in causes morall or pecuniarie of Ecclesiasticall persons And this solution besides the places alreadie alleadged wee drawe first from the text of the canon which saith preciselie In the cause that they shall haue to shewe that he speakes of their particular causes
and not of the causes of the church And secondly from the argument that hath bene sett before one of the places of the Greeke translation of this canon neere thousand yeares agoe which saith in their proper causes to distinguish them from Ecclesiasticall causes for the first councell of Constantinople that the Greekes held for the Palladium of their discipline And the third Councell of Carthage oppose proper causes to ecclesiasticall causes not that proper and temporall causes of ecclesiasticall persons were not sometimes called ecclesiasticall causes but because when the word ecclesiasticall cause was speciallie taken it was restrained onely to ecclesiasticall matter And thirdlie wee collect it from the practise and proceedinges of the same Mileuitan Councell For after that Pelagius whose cause was a maior cause and belonging to the Faith had bene iudged in the East by the Bishops of Palestina and that Celestius his disciple had bene heard and excommunicated for the same cause in Africa by the African Bishops the Mileuitan Councell remitted the finall iudgement thereof to the Pope in these words Because God by the guift of his principall grace hath placed thee in the Sea Apostolicke and in our daies giuen thee for such as wee ought rather to feare that it should be imputed to vs for a crime of negligence if wee chould conceale from they Reuerence those things that ought to be represented for the good of the Church then to apprehend that they would seeme troublesome or contemptible to thee Wee beseech the to applie thy pastorall diligence to the great perills of the sick members of Christ And a little after Iusinuating these things into they Apostolicall breast wee neede not extend our-selues in language and to amplifie so great an impietie with words being assured that they will so moue thee as thou canst not delaie their correction least they should spread farther And againe But we hope with the helpe of the mercie of our Lord Iesus Christ who vouchsafe to gouerne thee consulting with him and to heare thee praying to him that those that holde these doctrins so peruerse and pernicious will more easilie yeeld to the authoritie of thy Holynesse drawne out of the authoritie of the holie scriptures in such sort as we may haue more cause to reioyce in their correction then to afflict ourselues in their ruine A meruailous encounter of the effects of Gods prouidence which willed that the same Mileuitan Councell which the Lutherans and Caluinists abuse to ouerthrowe the Popes authoritie not onely puts it in practise but also witnesseth that it is of diuine right and grounded vpon the authoritie of the holie scriptures For to thinke to shift off this Epithete drawne from the authoritie of the holie scriptures by saying that the Councell speakes not of the cathedrall and Iudiciary authoritie of the Pope but of the authoritie of the passages of the scripture alleadged by the Pope against Pelagius it is a childish and ridiculous shifte aswell because the Pope had not then alleadged anie thing against the Pelagians as because it had bene a singular impertinencie that the Pelagians would rather yeild to the Popes authoritie then to that of the other Bishops doctors and Catholicke Councells and amongst the rest of saint IEROM saint AVGVSTINE and of the two Councells of Africa whereof bookes are full saith saint PROSPER Of Channells that wee bring From the eternall Spring Because the Popes authoritie was drawne from the authoritie of the holy scriptures If by the Popes authoritie they had intended the passages alleadged by the Pope and not the authoritie of the Popes chaire Iointly that the fiue Bishops of Africa who accompained the relation of the Mileuitan Councell with their letters did sufficientlie explicatē of what authoritie the Mileuitan Councell intended to speake when they writt to the Pope If the abettors of 〈◊〉 knew that the booke which they belieue or knowe to be his hath bene anathematized and condemned by the authoritie of the Catholicke Bishops and principallie by that of thy Holynesse which wee doubt not but it is of greater weight in his behalfe wee will imagine that they will noe more dare to disturbe the soules of the faithfull which are simplie Christian. And fowerthlie wee collect it from the words of the same saint INNOCENT the first to whom the Mileuitan Councell addresse their relation who not onely in the Epistle alreadie cited to Victricius saith That the ancient custome bare that the maior causes after the Episcopall iudgement were referred to the Sea Apostolicke but also in the verie answere of the Mileuitan Councell witnesseth that causes of Faith were wont to haue recourse to the Sea Apostolicke As manie tymes said hee as there is question of anie matter of faith I make accounte that all my bretheren and fellowe Bishops cannot chuse but referr it to Peter that is to saie to the 〈◊〉 of their name and dignitie Which wordes are not to be argued of ambition since saint AVSTIN commendes them as iust and lawfull in these wordes Vpon this the relations of the two Councells of Carthage and Mileuis were sent to the Sea Apostolicke And a little after Wee writt also to Pope Innocent of blessed memorie familiar letters wherein wee treated the affaire somewhat more amplie To all these things he answered vs in the same manner as was conuenient and fitt that the Prelate of the Sea Apostolicke should answere vs. And finallie we drawe it from the issue of Celestius his cause which was that Pope Innocent hauing bene preuented by death before he could bring it to effect Pope Zosimus his Successor and that euen at the instance of the Councells of Africa who sent to Rome the verball processe of that that past betweene them and Celestius finisht it And after he had heard Celestius in person and deliberated whether hee would absolue him or not absolue him from the excommunication that the Bishops of Africa had pronounced against him he finallie confirmed the sentence of the Councells of Africa and declared him condemned and excommunicated through the whole earth Celestius saith saint AVGVSTINE speaking of the answeres that Celestius made to the Interrogatories of Pope Zosimus would not condemne the things that had bene obiected to him by the Deacon Paulinus in the Councell of Carthage but he durst not resist the letters of the blessed Pope Innocent but promist to comdemne all what that Sea would comdemne And therefore hauing bene gentlie fomented like a franticke person to the end to giue him a little rest it was not yet thought fitt that he ought to be absolued from the bondes of excommunication but for the space of two moneths attending an answere from Africa leasure for repentance was giuen him vnder a certaine medecinall sweetenes of iudgement And againe Of this newe heresie Pelagius and Celestius hauing bene the authors or the most famous and violent promoters they themselues by the meanes
Africans to Pope Celestine I haue said the mocke-Councell of Rhemes for as much as the very Centuriators that caused it to be printed confesse it to haue bene a tyrannicall Councell holden at the instance of Hugh Capet to oppresse Arnulphus bastard Brother to the king Lotharius Legitimate and innocēt Bishop of Orleans And besides that it was disannulled three yeares after by the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke and of Seguin Archbishop of Sens and with the consent of Hugh Capet himself Then whether the Latine text of these Epistles be a translatiō of the Greeke edition or whether the ancient latine originall being come to our hands hath bene corrupted be it by the ignorance of the Book-binders or by the malice of the 〈◊〉 is the thing in question And the causes of this doubt are that whereas in the copie of the African Canons the latine edition is much more correct then the Greeke in the copie of the Epistles contrarywise the Greeke edition is very correct and the latine most depraued and corrupt and the corruptions are such as seeme to proceede from the ambiguitie and misunderstanding of the Greeke wordes I will alleadge fiue patterns The first patterne shall be taken from the Epistle to Pope Boniface where the Greeke text speaking of the canons that Pope Zozimus had sent into Africa vnder the title of the Canons of the Councell of Nicea saith These things haue bene rigistred in the Acts till the more certaine Copies of the Councell of Nicea shall come in which if they be couched in the same forme as they are contained in the instruction that our Bretheren haue shewed vs sent by the Sea Apostolicke and that they be obserued in the same fashion by you in Italie we will make no more mention thereof nor further contest of the not suffering them which is the true sence of the African Bishops who had newly before be sought the Pope that he would cause them to obserue in the like case what should be found in the copies of the Coūcell of Nicea which should be brought out of the Eact And which is the sence also that hath bene followed by the Protestants of Germanie in the last impression that they haue made of the Councells of Africa And the latine text contrarywise saith These things haue bene inserted into the Acts vntill the coming of the more certaine copies of the Councell of Nicea which if they be there contained so as they are 〈◊〉 in the instruction as our Bretheren sent by the Sea Apostolicke haue alleaged and were kept in the same forme amongst you in Italie we shall be no waie constrained to tollerate things such as we will not now call to memory or to suffer them intollerable Wordes that besides the impertinencie of the construction in the alternatiue whereof there is no antithesis are directly repugnant to the sence and intention of the Epistle which is contrarywise to saie that if the clauses intended by the Popes instruction were to be found in the copies of the Councell of Nicea which should come out of the East they would not so much as open their mouthes to speake of it and would not contest of the not suffring them and whereof the corruption seemes to proceede from the ambiguitie of the two Greeke verbes whereof the one signifies to make mention or to commemorate and the other to bee constrained and to contest The second patterne shall be taken from the exordium of the Epistle to Pope Celestine where the Greeke text speaking of Apiarius saith For first he hath mainely resisted all the Councell charging it with diuers contumelies vnder pretence of pursuing the priuiledges of the Roman Church and willing to cause himselfe to be receiued into our communion because your Holynesse beleeuing that he had appealed to you which he could not proue had restored him to the communion Yet this did not succeede with him as you shall more at large vnderstand by reading the Acts Which is the true sence of the wordes of the Epistle and which also the Protestants of Germanie haue followed in the last impression that they haue made of the Councell of Africa And the latine text contrarywise importes referring these wordes to Faustinus the Popes Legate For 〈◊〉 how much he hath resisted all the Assemblie Charging it with manie 〈◊〉 vnder colour of pursuing the priuiledges of the Roman Church and willing to 〈◊〉 him to be receiued into our communion because your Holynesse beleeuing he had appealed to you which could not be proued had restored him to the commnnion which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not lawfull as you shall better discerne by reading the Acts which are three deprauations one in the neck of an other the first in this that the latine text referrs to Faustinus that which the Councell saith of 〈◊〉 as it appeares by these words For first which shew that it speakes of him of whom it had begun and continued to speake of in the following periods and by this subsequent clause when we examine the crimes that haue bene obiected to him which could not be vnderstood but of Apiarius And this seemes to proceede from the ambiguitie of the Greeke pronowne which being taken in a reciprocall signification signifies himselfe and obligeth the Readers to translate willing to make himselfe be receiued which is the sence that the new editions of the Prote stants of Germanie haue embraced and being taken in a direct signification signifies him and obligeth the Readers to translate willing to cause him to be receiued The second in this that insteede of these words of the Greeke text Notwithstanding this hath not succeeded to him which are spoken of the Action of Apiarius the latine text setts downe which yet was not lawfull and referrs it to the action of the Pope against the credit of this remitment as you shall better discerne by the reading of the Acts which shewes that the Councell speakes of the issue of Apiarius his cause and not of the Popes action and this seemes to haue proceeded from the Ambiguitie of the Greeke verbe which signifies to succeede and to be lawfull And the third in this that insteede of the aduerbe greatlie which is in the greeke text the latine edition reades how much a thing which depriues the construction both of sence and verbe and makes the speeche suspence and defectiue The third paterne shall be taken from the beginning of the request of the same Epistle where after these words Premising then the office of a due salutation we beseech you affectionatly that henceforward you will no more so easily admitt to your eares those that come from these partes nor restore to the communion those that haue bene excommunicated by vs for as much as your Reuerence will easily discerne that this hath bene defined by the Councell of Nicea the 〈◊〉 text adds for although it seeme that there should only mention bee made of Clerkes and laymen by how much stronger reason should
so was he called that had accused Celestius in Africa had obiected against him and to giue cousent to the letters of the Sea Apostolicke 〈◊〉 by his predecessor of holy memorie But he would not condemne the articles that Paulinus had obiected against him true it is that he durst not resist Pope Innocents letters Contrarywise be promised to condemne all that which that Sea should condemne And therefore after hauing bene gentlie fomented as a franticke person to make him rest it was neuerthelesse not thought fitt to vnbinde him from the Bondes of excommunication but for the space of two moneths attending till they writt out of Africa time for repentance was giuen him vnder a certaine medicinall sweetenes of iudgement And againe By the watchfulnesse of the Episcopall Councells the Reuerent Prelates of the Sea Apostolicke euen to the number of two Pope Innocent and Pope Zosimus haue condemned Pelagius and Celestius through the whole Christian world if they doe not correct themselues and besides that doe penāce And Prosper timefellow scholler to S. AVGVST vnder the twelfth consulship of Honorius and the eigth of Theodosius The decrees of the Councell of Carthage of two hundred and fourteen Bishops were carried to Pope Zostmus which hauing bene approued the Pelagian heresie was condemned ouer all the world And againe Pope Zosimus of blessed memorie added the forces of his sentence to the decrees of the Councells of Africke and to cutt off impious persons armed the right hand of all the Bishops with the sword of Sainct Pcter And the Deacon Paulinus him selfe in his epistle to Pope Zosimus publisht by the illustrious Cardinall Baronius I had promist saith he not to faile to appeare at Rome if the iudgement had bene giuen against me and not for me but then I could pursue nothing since he that had appealed to the Sea Apostolicke he meanes Celestius who as saith S AVGVSTINE vpon the end of the triall at Rome tooke his flight absented him self he that ought to haue maintained the validitie of his appeale The third cautiō shal be that the Africans did not in this question contest the euocations that came from the meere motion of the Pope but the appeales that came from the simple motion of the particular men For that the custom of euocations proceeding from the Pope hath bene knowne in antiquitie and hath had place both before and after the sixth Councell of Carthage it appeares both by the request that Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and his partakers made to the Pope to call the cause of Athanasius which had bene iudged in the Councell of Antioch and in many others Councells of the East and to drawe it to Rome He writt saith Socrates to Iulius Bishop of Rome and besought him to call the cause to him selfe And Theodoret Julius following the Ecclesiasticall lawe commaunded them to present themselues at Rome and summoned the diuine Athanasius in iudgement and by the constitution of the Emperors Theodosius and Valentinian published a while after the sixth Councell of Carthage which ordaines That euerie Bishop that hauing bene called by the Pope shall refuse to appeare shall be constrayned thereunto by the Gouernor of the Prouince And by the euocation that the Pope S. GREGORIE the Great made of all the causes that Adrian Bishop of Thebes in Macedonia had or might afterward haue before John Bishop of Larissa his Metropolitan which he ordayned to be iudged either at Constantinople by the Popes Nuncio if the causes were Minor or at Rome by the Pope himselfe if they were maior causes And that the Africans contested none but the Appeales that proceeded from the simple motion of particular persons and not the euocations that came of the Popes meere motion it appeares by this that the Pope hauing put four Articles into the instruction that hee had giuen to his Legates to treate with the Bishops of Africa amongst which there was one that imported thus much To call Urbanus Bishop of Sicca to Rome or euen to excommunicate him if he corrected not such things as ought to bee corrected The Africans stucke only vpon the Articles of Appeale and as for the Article of euocation they brought neither scruple nor resistance against it Contrarywise they answered that Vrbanus had corrected those things that ought to be corrected without anie difficultie And indeede how could the Africans haue contested the euocation proceeding from the Popes proper motion they that but euen before had solicited Pope Innocent the first to call Pelagius out of Palestina where he had bene absolued by Eulogius Archbishop of 〈◊〉 and by John Bishop of Hierusalem and by all the Councell of the prouince to be heard and adiudged by him at Rome It is necessarie then said they either that Pelagius should be called to Rome by they Reuerence c. or that he may haue Interrogatories by letter And elsewhere Wee are assured that when your Reuerence shall haue seene the Episcopall Acts which are said to haue bene made vpon this occasion in the East thou wilt iudge of it in such sort as we shall all reioyce in the mercie of God For that Pope Innocent answers that Pelagius might be more commodiously heard by the Bishops heere Palestina he intends with commission from the Sea Apostolicke as hee shewes by these words Hee ought not to attend to be called by vs but ought to come to vs that he may be absolued And againe But care shall not be wanting if he will giue waie to remedies for he may condemne those things that he hath holden and aske pardon for his errors by letter as is conuenient for one that returnes to vs. Now this exception was more then sufficient to preserue the marke of Superioritie though the minor Appeales should haue no place For euen in secular Iurisdictions there is great difference betweene making difficultie that a particular man of his owne Motion should appeale from anie Tribunall to the Prince or that the Prince of his owne motion should call the cause of a particular man to him And our ancient French haue often debated Appeales from France to Rome in minor and personall causes without pretending for all that to debate either euocations or Superioritie And to proue this when Rothaldus Bishop of Soissons appealed to Rome vnder the second race of our Kings Hincmarus Archbishop of Rheims and tyme-fellow with Charles the Bald writt to the Pope God forbid that wee should so despise that 〈◊〉 of the Prime and Soueraigne Sea of the Pope of the holy Roman Church as to wearie your Soueraigne authoritie with all the Processes and all the differences of the Clergie aswell of the inferior as superior order which the Canons of the Councell of Nicea and of the other Sacred Councells and the 〈◊〉 of Innocent and of the other Bishops of the holie Sea of Rome 〈◊〉 to be determined
please your charitie that we should honor the memorie of the Apostle Peter lett it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome by the same Bishops that haue giuen the iudgemēt to the end that if it be needefull it may be renewed by the next Bishops and lett the Bishop of Rome giue the Judges but if the affaire be such as there is no neede of a new iudgement lett not the things once iudged be disabled but remaine firme The second was propounded by Gaudentius and authorized by all the Councell in these wordes If it seeme to you necessarie to add to this sentence full of sincere charitie that you haue propounded That if anie Bishop be deposed by the next Bishops and saie that his affaire ought to be iudged a new lett no other be installed in his sea till the Bishop of Rome haue pronounced vpon it with examinatiōs of the cause Which Canō was made as Balsamon notes to disanull the Canō that the Arriās had published in the Councell of Antioch against S. ATHAN which ordained that it should not be lawfull for a Bishop after he had bene deposed by all the votes of a Synod to exercise anie Episcopall functiō nor to hope for restitutiō and to condēne the intrusiō the Arians had made of Gregorie in steede of S. ATHAN without attending the reuiew of the processe And the third was againe propounded by Osius and confirmed by all the councell in these words It hath pleased that if a Bishop haue bene accused and that he haue recourse by waie of Appeale to the Blessed Bishop of the Roman Church and that he will heare him and doē esteeme it iust that the examinatiō of the affaire should be renewed let him vouchsafe to write to the Bishops neighbouring that prouince that they should carefullie and with diligence examine all things and iudge the affaire according to the creditt of the truth and if anie one demaund that his cause should be heard againe and seeme to moue the Bishop of Rome by his prayer that he should send Priests from his owne side it shall be in the power of the Bishops of Rome to doe what he shall think fit and if he conceiue that he should send to iudge with the Bishops persons hauing the authoritie of him that sends them lett it be so done and if he thinke it will suffice that those that are alreadie vpon the place should examine the affaire and the iudgment of the Bishop lett him doe what shall seeme best in his most wise iudgment Now these words do so dazle the eyes of the Popes aduersaries as they cannot supporte their light and therefore they attempt to resist and weaken them with seauen obiections The first that the Councell of Sardica propounds the ouerture of Appeales to the Pope not as a thing before practised but as put to deliberation and instituted at that present tyme and in words of the future tense from whence they inferr that the Right of Episcopall appeales was not from all Antiquitie yielded to the Pope but only since the Councell of Sardica and add that the Councell specifying the name of Pope Julius and say ing let it be written to Iulius Bishop of Rome shewes that this institūtion began only in the Papacie of Julius and had no place in his predecessors tymes To this obiection then wee saie that it is ordinary to antient Councells when they renew vnwritten customes yea euen the verie written lawes of the Church to propound them as if they did new institute them and to take the notes of the assistants to conclude them and to declare them by words of the future tense As in the same Councell of Sardica the prohibition to passe from one Cittie to an other renewed because of Eusebius of Nicomedia head of the Arrian faction who was past from the Bishoprik of Nicomedia to that of Constantinople and the prohibition to a Bishop to receaiue a Clerke from an other Bishop excommunicated by him and others the like were propounded in future words and with receauing the votes of the assistants although the custome were tyme out of mynde in the Church and that they had bene euen sett downe in writinge in the Councell of Nicea And Pope Julius after he had cited the Canon of the Councell of Nicea for the reuiew of the iudgements of Synods adds that this Canon had bene formerly practised by custome in the Church and after reduced into writing at the Councell of Nicea And the Councell of Constantinople writing to Pope Damasus Doth it not saie of the ordination of Bishops by the metropolitans It is as you know both 〈◊〉 grounded vpon ancient custome and decision of the Councell of Nicea For as for the name of Pope Iulius which is specified in the first of the three canons of the Councell of Sardica besides that it is not found in the ancient latine Editions which were produced in the Councell of Africa in saint AVGVSTINES tyme where the text saith simplie as in the other following canons The Bishop of Rome and not Iulius Bishop of Rome By meanes whereof there is a Ground for suspition that it is a quotation of the exemplifiers which is slipt out of the margent into the Text there can be nothing inferred from it but this that the Fathers of the Councell of Sardica inserted the name of Iulius there to shew that the Councell by this canon ratified not only in generall Appeales to the Pope but iustified and ratified in particular the restitution that Pope Iulius had made of saint ATHANASIVS Paule of Constantinople Marcellus of 〈◊〉 Asclepas of Gaza and other Bishops that the Arrians had deposed in their false Councells agreeably to the Answere that they had made to the Arrians that they could not reiect the comunion of Athanasius and the other Bishops deposed by the Councells of Tyre Antioch and Constantinople because Iulius Bishop of Rome hauing examined their cause had not condemned them And indeede if the Councell of Sardica had giuen beginning to the Right of Appeales how could Pope Iulius manie yeares before haue written to the Arrians Are you ignorant that it is the custome that wee be first written to that from hence may proceede the iust decision of things and therefore if there were anie suspition conceiued against the Bishop there that is to saie against the Bishop of Alexādria you should haue written to the church heere that is to saie to the church of Rome how could Socrates Sozomene haue said that Pope Iulius many yeares before the Coūcell of Sardica restored 〈◊〉 Patriarke of Alexandria Paule Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Primat of Galatia and other Bishops deposed by the Councells of the East because to him for the diginty of his Sea the care of all things belonged The second obiectiō is that the Councell of Sardica grounds the canon of appeales to the Pope not vpō diuine right but vpon the
the Gentils by Peter and Iames and Iohn And therefore when it is found written in anie place Iames Cephas and Iohn as in the poeme of Theodoret vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians and in that of the Epistle to the Hebrewes wee saie that this order is to haue reference to the prioritie of the knowledge that Iames receiued of the fruites of the grace of saint PAVLE for as much as when Paule and Barnabas came the first tyme from Antioch into Hierusalem they found but only saint IAMES because saint PETER was in prison And indeede not only throughout the scripture where saint PETER is named with the other Apostles he is first named or if he be last named it is in increasing and rising by degrees As when saint PAVLE saith The other Apostles and the bretheren of our Lord and Cephas But also when there is question of making the Generall catalogue of the Apostles saint PETER is alwaies first placed and Iudas last and all the rest without order or at least without the title of second or third to shew that there was not only handled simplie primacie of order but of dignitie and he is not only set downe first but he is sett first with the expression of the word first The first saith S. MATTHEW is Peter which Beza findes so to presse him as he chargeth falshood vpon this place of the Ghospell I suspect saith Beza that this word FIRST hath bene added by some one that would establish the primacie of Peter for that saint ANDREW was called before saint PETER because saint ANDREW as saint EPIPHANIVS saith was the eldest From whence it is that Bethsaida is called the cittie of Andrew and of Peter This was in the first vocation described by saint IOHN and before our Lord had said to saint PETER Thou shalt be called Peter in which word contained implicitly the promise to make him VICAR of the true Rock and to constitute him ministeriall head of the Church and not in the second vocation described by saint MATHEW and made after the imposition of the name of Peter in the which as S. EPIPHANIVS saith Peter preceded his brother To the seauenth which is that saint PAVL writes That the Ghospell of the circumcisiō had bene committed to PETER and the Ghospell of the vncircumcision to him Wee answere this clause is not a diuision of the authoritie of ministrie but a more especiall testimony of the blèssing of God vpon S. PETER to persuade the Iewes and vpon saint PAVLE to perswade the Gentills otherwise S. PAVLE had bene excluded from preaching the Ghospell to the Iewes and neuerthelesse wheresoeuer he came addressed himself first to the Iewes and saint PETER from declaring the Ghospell to the Gentiles yet neuerthelesse it was by his ministrie that God first opened the gate of the Church to the Gentiles as appeares both by the historie of the conuersion of Cornelius and by the protestation that he made to the Councell of Hierusalem in these wordes You know that God from the daies of old hath willed to call the Gentiles by my mouth To the eighth which is that the same S. PAVLE saith that saint PETER abstayning to eate with the Gentiles vpon the coming of the Iewes walked not with right stepps in the Ghospell Wee answere that it was as Tertullian saith a vice not of doctrine but of conuersation and which consisted more in the occasion then in the thing since saint PAVLE himself made himself after ward a Iewe to the Iewes and a Gentile to the Gentiles that hee might gaine all and circumcised Timothie and purified himself in the temple To the ninth which is that he adds that hee resisted S. PETER to his face or in his presence which is a phrase which we are accustomed to vse to expresse a resistance to anie more eminent person because he was reprouable or according to the Greeke and S. HIEROME reproued Wee answere this resistance was not a reprehension of authoritie but a reprehension of charitie as those of Iethro to Moyses or of S. BERNARD to Pope Eugenius that is to saie a reprehension that excluded not the superioritie of the reproued ouer the reprouer Witnes these wordes of saint Aug. you see what saint Cyprian saith that the holie Apostle Peter in whom there shined soe great a grace of the Primacie being reproued by saint Paule did not answere that hee had the Primacie and would not be reproued by new men later then himself And againe The Apostle PETER hath left a more rare example of humilitie to posteritie in teaching men not to disdaine reproofe from their inferiors then Paule in teaching the meaner to resist the greater sauiug charitie for the defence of the truth And these of saint CHRISOSTOME giuing the reason of the humilitie that S. PETER shewed in this action And from hence it coms saith hee that Paule reproues and Peter beares it to the end that while the Master reproued holdes his peace schollers may change their opinion TO the tenth obiection which is that S. CYPRIAN saith that the other Apostles were the same that Peter was indued with like authoritie and power It is true but saint CYPRIAN speakes there of the internall and essentiall power of the Apostleship and of the externall and accidentall power to the Apostleship that is to saie that they were equall as concerning power but not concerning the order of the exercise of the power for the vnderstanding whereof it must be knowne that there are two things requisite to exercise the Apostleship lawfullie the one to exercise it with authoritie for those that exercise it without power as the false Apostles were vsurpers and sacrilegious persons witnes this sentence of saint PAVL None attributes honor to himself but he that is called like Aaron the other to exercise it in vnitie For those that had exercised it out of vnitie had bene schismaticks although they had true commission and authoritie to exercise it At Rome saith Optatus Mileuitanus there hath bene placed a Chaire for Peter that vnitie might bee preserued by all least the other Apostles should attribut to euery one his owne And againe he repeateth the knowledge that sainct PETER had of the diuinitie of the Sonn of God the promise that hee had made him to die with him and how he had thrice denied him And adds yet neuerthelesse for the good of vnitie he had not merited to be separated from the number of the Apostles And a little after They remained all innocent and a Fisherman receiued the keyes that the negotiation of vnitie might be formed c. without which thing vnitie which is soe necessarie could not bee Now to preserue that vnitie in which the internall and essetinall authoritie of the Apostleship ought to be exercised it was necessarie first to haue a subiect which should be as the center the head
haue alwaies obserued what the authority of the Prelates of the sea Apostolicke hath commaunded And why then when saint GREGORIE the Great to whom I haue brought downe this information as well because the English men deriue from him the originall of their Mission Ecclesiasticall as because Calume propoundes him for true and lawfull modell of the iurisdiction of Popes reprehended 1027. yeares agone Natalis Bishop of Salona in Dalmatia for the fault that he had committed for which he after did penance in deposing Honoratus Archdeacon of Salona notwithstanding Pope Pelagius letters did he write to him that such a disobedience had bene intollerable euen in one of the fower Patriarkes If one of the fower Patriarkes said hee had committed such an act soe great disobedience could not haue escaped without a greeuous scandall And why then when Clementius Primat of Bysacia in Africa had bene accused before the Emperor and sent backe by the Emperor to the Sea Apostolicke doth the same S. GREGORY saie If there be anie faulte in the Bishops I knowe not what Bishop is not subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if a faulte require it not according to the reason of humilitie we are all equall And why then when John Archbishop of Larissa in Thessalia had vniustly and vnworthily condemned Adrian Bishop of Thebes one of the Bishops of his iurisdiction and that the Bishop of Thebes had appealed to Rome from him did S. Gregorie ecclipse the Bishop and Bishopricke of Thebes from the iurisdiction of the Archbishop of Larissa his Metropolitan and declared the Archbishop of Larissa if euer he attempted more to exercise anie act of Metropolitan ouer him interdicted from the sacraments soe as they could not be restored to him except at the howre of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome Wee ordaine said hee that thy brotherhood abstaine from all the iurisdiction which you haue formerly had ouer him and ouer his Church And a while after that if in anie time or for 〈◊〉 occasion whatsoeuer thou shalt attempt to contradict this our statute knowe that we declare thee depriued from the sacred communion soe as it may not be restored to thee except in the article of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome And why then finally when the Patriarke of Constantinople had gotten the vpper hand of the other Patriarkes did he continue to suffer appeals of causes from his iurisdiction to the Popes tribunall and to acknowledge himselfe subiect and inferior to the Pope Iohn priest of Chalcedon saith S. GREGORIE in the cause that he had against our Brother colleague Iohn Bishop of Constantinople hath had recourse according to the Canons to the Sea Apostolicke and the cause hath bene determined by our sentence and againe pronouncing the restitution of Athanasius a priest and a Religious man of Lycaonia who had bene deposed and cast out of his monastery by the same John Patriarke of Constantinople and had appeald to him Wee declare thee said hee to be free from all spott of heresie and a Catholick c. and giue thee free leaue to returne into thy Monasterie and to holde there the same ranke as thou didst before And againe who doubts but the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Emperor and our brother Bishop of the same towne doe continually protest For as for the word vniuersall Bishop wherein the Bishop of Constantinople desired to participate with the Pope but vnder the Pope and in the Empire of the East forasmuch as Constantinople had bene erected into the title of the second Rome it shall be answered in a chapter by it selfe for the resusall that S. GREGORIE made to vse the title of vniuersall Bishop though it had bene giuen to his Predecessors in the Councell of Chalcedon it shal be satisfied in the same place and shewed that it was because of the euill sence the word vniuersall Bishop might receiue which was to signifie only Bishop and soe exclude the other Prelates from the title of Bishops in chiefe and of ministers and officers of God and to hold them but for committees and deputies of the vniuersall Bishop as the same S. GREGORIE protestes when he faith If there be one that is vniuersall Bishop all the rest are noe more Bishops and not to depriue himselfe from the superintendencie and iurisdictiō ouer all other Bishops of which he cryes cleane contrary If there be anie crime in the Bishops I knowe noe Bishop but is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if noe crime require it according to the reason of bumilitie we are all equall Of formed letters CHAPT XXVI The continuance of the Kinges answere THEN were alsoe in frequent vse formed letters by the commerce and contexture where of the communion was admirably exercised amongst all the members of the Church how farr soeuer they were distant one from an other in place THE REPLIE IT is true but the center of this communion and of this Ecclesiasticall vnitie which was exercised and entertained by the commerce of formed letters was the Sea Apostolicke and the Roman Church This appeares by S. Ireneus who cryes to the Romā Church because of a principality that is to say as it hath bene aboue manifested because of the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke it is necessary that euery Church should agree This appeares by S. Cyprian who calls the Roman Church the chaire of PETER and the principall Church and the originall of Sacerdotall vnitie This appeares by the lawe of the Emperor Gratian which ordained that the Churches should be deliuered to those that were in the Popes communion Hee ordained saith Theodoret that the sacred howses should be restored to those that cōmunicated with Damasus And a while after and this lawe was indefinitely executed in all nations This appeares by S. Ambrose who writes speaking of his Brothers comeing into one of the citties of the Isle of Sardinia He asked the Bishop of that place whether he agreed with the Catholicke Bishops that is to saie added he with the Roman Church This appeares by S. IEROME who writes to Pope Damasus I am ioyned in communion with thy Blessednesse that is to saie with Peters chaire I knowe the Church is built vpon that Rocke whosoeuer is not in the Arke he shall perish at the coming of the floud he that eates the lambe out os this howse is profane And a while after Whosoeuer gathers not with thee scatters that is to saie whosoeuer is not of Christ is of Antichrist And againe Send me word with whom I ought to communicate in Antioch for the heretickes of Campes with those of Tharses haue noe other ambition but that they might vnder the authoritie of your communion preache the three hypostosies according to the ancient vnderstanding And in an other place The while I cry if anie of you be ioyned to Peters chaire he
that exceeded Patriarchall authoritie either to equall him with the Pope or to exempt him frō the Popes iurisdiction Otherwise how could Pope 〈◊〉 the first in the view of the Fathers of the same coūcell of Nicea who were still for the most part liuing breatihng haue re-established S. ATHANAS Patriarke of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constantinople Marcellus Primat of Galatia and Asclepas Bishop of Gaza in Palestina Prelats who had all assisted at the Councell of Nicea could not bee ignorant of the Canons thereof since they helped to compose them for that saith Sozomene to him because of the dignitie of his Sea the care of all thinges appertained And how could S. ATHANASIVS haue alleadged for his 〈◊〉 these words of the same Iulius Are you ignorant that the custome is that you first write to vs and so from hence must proceede the iust decision of all things and therefore if there were anie suspition raised against the Bishop there that is to saie of Alexandria you must haue written of it to the Church heere that is to saie the Church of Rome And how could Peter Patriark of Alexandria and S. ATHANASIVS successor hauing bene driuen from his Sea haue bene restored vpon the letters that he brought from Pope DAMASVS which confirmed saith Socrates the saith of Moyses and the ordination of PETER And how when Flauianus Bishop of Constantinople hauing bene deposed in the false Councell of Ephesus by Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria could the Emperor Valentinian haue said Antiquitie hath yeilded to the most holie Bishop of Rome the Priesthood ouer all c. For this cause the Bishop of Constantinople according to the custome of the Councells hath appealed to him And how could Pope Leo the first haue written to Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople that if Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria and Iuuenall Bishop of Ierusalem should come to repentance and accompanie their conuersion with such satisfaction as it should seeme ought not to bee despised the thing should be reserued to the more mature deliberation of the Sea Apostolicke And how could the Fathers of the Councell of Chalcedon addressing their relation to the Pope and speaking of Dioscorus Patriarke of Alexandria and of the false Councell of Ephesus haue said He hath extended his frensie euen against him to whom the guard of the vine was committed by our Sauiour that is to saie against thy Holynesse And when a little after the celebration of the same Councell Peter surnamed Mongus and Iohn surnamed Talaia hauing bene created by diuers factions Patriarkes of Alexandria how could the Pope haue committed the care of the prouinces of Egipt to Acasius Patriarke of Constantinople And how could Iohn hauing bene deposed from the Patriarkship of Alexandria by the Synod of Egipt and by the complot of the Emperor Zeno and appealed to the Pope and taken with him Synodicall letters of intercession from Calendion Patriarke of Antioch to fauour his appeale And the same Iohn Patriarke of Alexandria hauing appealed to the Pope how could the Pope haue deposed Peter his aduersary and with him Acacius Bishop of Constantinople who adhered to him that with such effect that euen after their death they were raced in Constantinople in Alexandria out of the Catalogue of the Patriarkes of Alexandria and Constantinople and their names blotted out of the records of their Churches and excluded from the recitall of the misteries Of the addition of the word Churches suburbicary made by Ruffinus in the latine translation of the Canons of the Councell of Nicea CHAP. VI. Against these thinges neuerthelesse the Popes aduersaries obiect the translation of Ruffinus priest of Aquilea who adds to the Epilogue that he hath made of the latine translation of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea the word Churches suburbicary which is neither in the Greeke text nor in the ancient compleate and formall latine editions turnes the article in these termes that the Bishop of Alexandria should haue the care of the Churches of Egipt and he of Rome of the Churches 〈◊〉 from whence they drawe this impertinent conclusion that the Pope had there no iurisdiction but ouer the Churches neighbouring to this 〈◊〉 and they triumph so vpon it as after a thousand writings which they haue published vpō this subiect they haue euen this last yeare caused to be imprinted a topographicall mapp of the ancient 〈◊〉 of the Pope haue accompanied it with a discourse 〈◊〉 Of the 〈◊〉 suburbicarie where they haue assigned him for all iurisdictiō a 〈◊〉 thousand paces about the cittie of Rome that is to saie about as much Ground as is betweene Paris and Orleans But I hope soone to sett a Catastrophe to their Tragedie and to turne their triumph into obsequies Superbos Vertere funeribus triumphos For who sees not that it is a wilfull blindnesse hauing the greeke text and the ancient latine editions compleate and in forme of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea in their handes to tye themselues to the Epilogized translation of a man that S. IEROM auoucheth to haue bene a verie euill translator and whoe bsides for his errors had bene excommunicated and noted saith the same S. IEROM with the brand of heresie by Pope Anastasius and by the Roman Church There are three things which principallie make a Translator vnfitt to be credited passion ignorance and rashnes Now as for passion who hath euer better deserued to be reproched in this regard in matters that concerne the Roman Church then Ruffinus who had bene excommunicated for his errors in faith by Pope Anastasius and by the Roman Church and that before he writt his historie which was written after Alaricus comming into Italie that is to saie vnder the Popedome of Innocent successor of Anastasius Russinus saith Pope Anastasius is soe excluded from our 〈◊〉 as wee are not curious to knowe neither what he doth nor where he is let him looke to himselfe where he can be absolued And S. IEROM Pope Anastasius in the epistle he writt against thee to Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem hath taxed this desault iustifying me me that did it and condemning thee thee I saie that wouldest not doe it And againe speaking of the confession of Russinus faith which he salslie assirmed to haue bene approued by the Bishops of Italie How should Italie said hee haue approued that which Rome hath reiected how should the Bishops receiue that which the Sea Apostolicke hath condemned And a little after Thou doest soe auoid the iudgment of the cittie of Rome that thou chosest rather to support a siege of Barbarians this he spake because of the coming of Alaricus to Aquilea whither Ruffinus had retired himselfe then the sen tence of a peaceable cittie For whereas Gennadius placeth Ruffinus amongst the Orchodoxall Authors it was because Gennadius was of the Sect of one of the branches of Pelagius beresie whereof Ruffinus had cast the