safe among their fellow Bishops wil keepe some priuate opinions to themselues which they haue once liked of Wherein wee will not vrge nor prescribe a lawe to any man when as euery one in the Church hath free power and authoritie to gouerne as he will and euery one is set ouer the Lords flocke beeing to giue account to the Lord of his doing Here is plaine by Cyprians and Ieromes iudgments the common honour of all Bishoppes that one of them cannot enforce another And that they haue euery one of them frée power of gouernment in their seuerall charges whereof they are to giue accompt to the Lord. And of the authoritie and necessitie of Bishops he writes thus in the same booke If at the praier only of the Bishop the holy ghost descended then they are in a lamentable case who beeing baptized by priests and Deacons in villages townes far distant places haue died before euer they were visited of the Bishops The health of the Church consisteth in the dignitie reuerence of the chiefe priests to whom if a peereles chiefe authoritie be giuen of all men there will bee so manye schismes in the Church as therē are Priests c. Héere wee may plainly see first the iurisdiction of Bishops ouer manie villages and countrey townes in which onelie Priests and Deacons were placed in Ieromes daies And that euen then as some now a daies thinke euerie pastor was not a Bishop in his flocke Secondlie what the authoritie of euerie Bishop was it was Exors it was péerelesse he had none aboue him in this world in his charge noe not the Bishoppe of Rome And lastlie that whereas M. Dorman in his booke against M. Nowell doth alleage this place to proue the Bishoppe of Romes authoritie and would proue that S. Ierome in this place ment him Marianus Victorinus Reatinus Episcopus who hath corrected S. Ieromes workes and newly imprinted them being a great Papist affirmes that this place is ment of euery Bishoppe in his Diocesse Hee calles saith he the Bishoppe the chiefe priest whose authoritie also to be greater thē the other priests hee doth otherwhere plainly and manifestly auouch So the Apostles whose roome the Bishops now occupie succeede in were aboue the 72 disciples whom as blessed Damasus the Priest doth witnes the Priests do now succeede So Aaron and the other hie priests were euer aboue the Leuites So that by his iudgment by this chiefe priest is not ment the Pope but euerie Bishop And that euerie Bishops authority is péereles And this vnitie of Bishops makes Ierome to be the vnitie of the Church Augustine writes thus The scribes and Pharisees sitte vpon Moses chaire doe what they say but doe not as they doe You see that in the chaire of Moyses to which hath nowe succeeded the chaire of Christ that also euill men doe sitte and yet notwithstanding the good thinges which they are about to teach doe not hurt their hearers Wherefore doest thou for the wicked mens sake forsake the chaire Returne againe to peace returne againe to vnitie which hurt thee not If I speake well and doe well followe me But if I doe not as I say thou hearest the counsell of the Lorde Doe what I say but what I doe doe thou not But yet depart not from the catholique chaire Héere we may sée that this chaire of Christ was in euerie countrey and that euery Bishop sate in it not the Bishop of Rome onelie Austen himselfe sate in it and to the vnitie of the chaire he exhorts schismatikes that they would returne Secondly we may note howe this chaire then was called Christs chaire not Peters chaire As the Pope nowe calles his Of the strickt vnitie that is betwixt Christ the head and his Church the bodie Aug. in psal 37. he writes thus Whē as Christ speaketh somtime he speaketh in the persō of the only head because he is a sauiour borne of the Virgin Marie sometime in the person of his bodie which is the whole church dispersed through the whole world And we are in his bodie if our faith be pure our hope sure and our loue inflamed And after where hee saith The wordes of my sinnes there is no doubt but that it is the voice of Christ But how come sinnes but of his bodie which is the Church because both the bodie of Christ and the head speakes Why speakes he alone because they shal be two in one flesh This is a great mysterie saith the Apostle I meane of Christ and of his Church And a little after If he hath sayd now they are not two but one flesh what maruaile is it if one flesh and one tounge vtter the same words as of one flesh one head and of one bodie let vs heare them as one but yet the head as the heade and the bodie as the bodie The personnes are not deuided but there is a differēce of their dignities because the head doth saue the body is saued The head shewes mercie the body bewailes her miserie the head is to purge sinnes the bodie to confesse sinnes and yet one voice of them both Héere we may sée the narrowe vnion betwéene Christ and his Church They are one flesh hee is an adulterer that intrudes himselfe betwéene these The Church sinneth euen the Pope himselfe if he be a member of this body by Augustines iudgment and the head alone saueth Christ alone is the head and all the rest are members Quaest ex vtroque testā quaest 101. Augustine of the Deacons of the Church of Rome which estéemed themselues better then the order of those whome they called presbyters writes thus But because they are the ministers or deacons of the Church of Rome therefore they thinke thēselues more honorable then in other Churches for the statelines of the Citie of Rome which seemes to be the head of all other Cities Let vs marke héere what priuiledge Austen giues to the citie of Rome and whie the Deacons thereof might perchance aduance themselues aboue other Deacons because the Citie of Rome saith he Was the head of all other Cities If it had been accompted the head of all other Churches no doubt Austen would haue here giuen it that commendation but hee saith no such thinge thereof but that the magnificence thereof consisted in that it was the head of all other Cities What can be plainer then this Shall wee not beleeue Austen And in another place of the foundations and bulwarks of the Church he writes thus Epist 56. Heretiques goe about to vndermine or ouercome the most sure foundations of the Church by the shew of reasō but that mercifull Captaine of our faith hath as it were with a most stronge tower defended his Church by the solemne assemblies of all nations people by the seats of the Apostles and by certaine excellent learned godly and spirituall men also he hath fenced it with the plentifull furniture of inuincible reason These are all the visible
both the diuine nature and our nature who vnderstands what is profitable for man and also what God requires of vs both worthy of God and him also that asketh And also with what words not so much fit for God for he knoweth the meaning and force of all words as for the minde of him that speaketh that he may not be ignorant how he ought to thinke of God And of this his vnderstanding the loue of God may spring in him and be confirmed And after There is no prayer which ought so diligently and attentiuely to be said and meditated vpon of vs as this meaning the Lords prayer euerie part of it nay euerie word euerie letter euerie prick of it are to be weighed of vs. He would haue this praier especiallie of all to be vnderstood and not to be saide in Latine as they vsed in Poperie 16. Of Auricular confession De Baptis ad Io. CYprian writes thus of that place in the 20. of Iohn Whose sins ye remit c. It is manifest where and by whom remission of sinnes may be giuen which is giuen in baptisme for the Lord gaue first that power to Peter vpon whome he built his Church and from whom he ordained and shewed the originall of humanitie that that should be loosed on earth that he had loosed And after his resurrection he speaketh also to his Apostles saying As my father sent me so send I you when he had said thus He breathed vpon them and said to them receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes yet forgiue they are forgiuen to him whose yee retaine they are retained Whereby we perceiue that it is lawfull in the Church for the gouernours thereof and those that are appointed by the law of the Gospell and the Lords ordinance to baptise and to giue remission of sins and that without neither any thing can be bound or loosed seeing there is no body that can binde or loose any thing Neither doe we set downe this O brother without the authoritie of the scriptures So that we said that all things are set in order by a certaine law and by his own appointment Neither that any man may take vpon him any thing against the Bishops and priests which is not in his right and power For Chore Dathan and Abiram against Moses and Aaron tooke vpon them authoritie to sacrifice neither did they that without punishment which they attempted vnlawfully Here we maie learne first that the fathers workes either thorough malice or ignorance haue béene corrupted for what sense should this haue for God first gaue this power to Peter from whom he shewed and ordained the originall of humanitie no doubt it should be of vnanimitie or vnitie as appeares by the other place of his booke of the simplicitie of prelates So we may sée how that olde cousoner Sathan hath not kept back his fingers from the fathers workes he hath béen doing with them And therfore who dare safely build his faith vpon them Secondly that the Church was built vpon Peter to declare the vnitie that should be amongst all pastors not to declare anie superioritie of Peter in power or authoritie of binding or loosing aboue the rest for there hereafter he addes That al the rest receiued like power with him of binding and loosing And that the heretiques rebelling in the Church and breaking the vnitie thereof doe not rebell against anie one but against the Byshops and priests euen as Chore Dathan and Abiram did against Moses and Aaron And lastlie he expounds plainely where this power of binding and loosing is executed which hee affirmes to be in Baptisme and not in auricular confession as our late diuines of Rome teach who attributes the verie strength and power and force of that place to auricular confession and to their priests then either forgiuing or detaining sinnes Cyrill also as hath béene alleadged before agrées herein with Cyprian and expounds this authoritie of forgiuing sinnes which the ministers haue to be executed in baptisme or in repentance of notorious sinners Austen also expoundeth that place of S. Matthews Gospell Aug. Tract in Ioh. 123. To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen thus that Peter when this was said vnto him signified the whole Church And of Christs coate which was without seame he writes thus Tract in Ioh. 118. The coate without seame least at any time it should be ript in sunder came vnto one because he gathers all into one euen as amongst his Apostles when as the number was twelue that is three times foure and they were all asked Only Peter answered Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And it was said to him To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though he alone had receiued power of binding and loosing when as he being but one answered that for all and receiued this withall as a figure of vnitie therefore one for all because vnitie is to them all And therefore this when he had said wrought about he addeth thorow out the which if we referre to that which it signifieth no man lackes it who is found to pertaine to the whole from which whole as the Greeke tongue shewes the Catholique church is called This is Austens iudgment that Peter answered for all and receiued like authoritie for all But M. Bellarmine saith There was no cause why Christ should so particularly say to Peter To thee I will giue the keies and feed my sheepe and that for his singular faith and loue if he should receiue nothing besides the rest He plainlie dissents from Austen and so their new Catholique faith from the olde Austen and Cyprian affirme that this spéech of our Sauiour was to him alone to declare the vnitie he would haue amongst all his ministers and in this he made him a mirror and not a maister Cyrill in Io. cap. 64. And Cyrill saith by his threefold commission he comforted him againe for his threefold denying this he gained by it Franciscus de Euia a Papist of auricular confession writes thus Direct confes I counsell thee also deare brother if thou wilt confesse thy sinnes often that thou get thee a proper confessor and such a one as is well experienced in that matter a wise man and of a good and commendable life to whom thou maiest safely committe thy conscience and to haue now euen in the steed of the Lord God to whom thou maiest surely reueale all thy secrets both inward and outward and all thy sinnes Herein he plainlie discouers the corruptions of their Church Should a shéepe go from his shepheard This is an absurd thing But such hath béen their doctrine and practise that the pastors of congregations neede not preach themselues but friers in their roomes and thereby were all their Frieries maintained and that the shéepe maie go from their pastors to séeke some other to reueale their sins vnto 1. Pet. 5.1 Whereas S. Peter exhorts all elders and
Euerie Church saie Ierome and Ferus hath this power which was promised to Peter in her bishops and priests and not the Church of Rome or Peters successours onely as now the Patrons of the Church of Rome teach But wherefore were they then promised specially to Peter if he alone receiued them not Ierome answers For a mystery not for any superioritie to signifie that there should be but one faith one Church from which vnitie whosoeuer did swarne should not be partaker of this remissioÌ„ Agréeing herein with Cyprian who plainly affirmes that the other Apostles were the same that Peter was Cypr. de simp praelat endewed with the same power and authorititie but to him alone this was spoken to declare the vnitie of the Church In this waightie matter if authoritie be sought for here is the authoritie of the scriptures one place expounded by another here is the consent of the ancient Fathers and euen of Ferus a friend of the Roman Church and yet in this so euident a matter of truth forced to ioine hands with these I would to God all other fauourers of the Romane Church would do the like and would not séeke by indirect meanes and fraudulent dealings to peruert and obscure the truth as is most manifest that they do euen in this very matter For whereas Ferus in his copie printed at Paris and published by Philippus Agricola the Emperours Chaplaine and dedicated to him and therefore no doubt being the verie true copie of the Originall alleaging that place of Iohn for the explication of Mathew saith that it cannot be found in any place else where thâ—s promise was performed And the ordinarie Glosse citing this place of Ierome for the explication of that plâ—ce of Iohâ— the copie printed at Rome after Aâ—no Dom. 157◠〈◊〉 out both that place of Iohn and of Ierome belike they thinke that the promise was not performed then as Ferus most euidently affirmes it was or else Ieromes exposition pleaseth them not And yet they would make the world beléeue that both Fathers and the Scriptures are on their side and do make for them If this be true whie should they then purge out as some lothsome thing this saying of the scripture and this exposition of Ierome for so they say in their copie printed at Rome Commentaries of Ferus at Rome perused and purged Do they vse to purge such things out By this we may learne what account they make of the scriptures and Fathers But this their corrupt dealing is not only in this place but followes verie often after in this matter of Peters prerogatiue as shall appeare It followes thus after in Ferus in the true originall Neither can they simply at their owne pleasure and will remit sinnes or retaine them but by certaine meanes Let vs seeke therefore what they be And truly in Matthew and Marke they are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations baptize them and in Mark Go you into the whole world and whose sins you remit they are remitted vnto theÌ„ He that beleeueth and shall be baptized c. Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing sinnes is executed that is to say the preaching of the Gospell and administration of sacraments neither do I find anie other thing else giuen to the Apostles by which they may execute their power then these two things Here are the meanes Ferus plainly set downe by which this ecclesiasticall power promised to Peter and giuen to him with the rest of the Apostles is executed that is the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the sacraments And in these two the bishop of Rome hath no more authoritie then anie other bishops or pastors of anie other church So that Ferus still kéepes his former iudgement that he cannot find but that which Ierome also auoucheth that euery church hath in her bishops and priests that which was promised to Peter and that this power is executed no otherwaies then by preaching and administration of the sacraments Then plainely by Ferus iudgement he cannot find that the bishop of Rome hath any power left him to execute this ecclesiasticall authoritie granted to Peter and to other bishops in making of pardons the which is a principall meanes by which he executeth this autthoritie Ferus can find but two means in the scripture by which this power is executed the preaching of the Gospell and the administration of the Sacraments The making of Pardons is a meane deuised to enrich the Pope not found in the scriptures Nay if this be true he makes in effect the Pope to be Antichrist for if the power of the true keies consist in preaching the gospell and in the administration of the sacraments then the Pope himselfe which neuer vseth anie of these but is altogether occupied in other matters as in making of pardons in confirming and deposing kings vseth counterfeit keyes in the house of Iesus Christ vseth not the true keies and therefore himselfe is a counterfeit seruant Luke 11.23 and euen Antichrist himselfe For our sauiour hath said Hee that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad But our Sauiour Christ when he was on earth here gathered his shéepe togther by preaching as is most apparant in the Gospell Therefore the Pope which doth not by this meanes gather with him scattereth abroad and is not a faithfull shepheard but an hireling not a â—atherer but a scatterer not a fauourer but a destroyer of Christs flocke This doctrine of Ferus is manifest and truly grounded on the scriptures But now let vs sée how the Popes Patrones haue corrupted and peruerted it Ferus as I haue before cited him hath thus plainlie declared his iudgement in the copie printed at Paris but in his copie printed at Rome thus there they haue peruerted his doctrine When as they count simply or at their owne pleasures or at their owne willes forgiue or retaine sinnes but by certaine meanes let vs search them out and they truly in Matthew and Marke are most manifestly expressed for so we read in Matthew Go teach all nations and baptize them And in Marke Goe into the whole world he that beleeueth and is baptized c Behold these are the meanes by which the Ecclesiasticall power of forgiuing of sinnes is executed that is to say the sacraments which if he receiue now the kingdome of heauen is opened vnto him now his sinnes are forgiuen him Neither find I any other thing giuen to the Apostles by which they ought to execute their power and authoritie Thus saith the Romane copie where they leaue out the principall meanes of executing this power that is preach ng the Gospell to confirme no doubt and maintaine their dumbe Pope and his Clergie and whereas Ferus can find nothing but these two they leaue out the preaching of the Gospell and these words then these two and
manifest then this Therefore all Catholiques as M. Bellarmine affirmeth do not affirme Peter to be the rocke whereupon the Church was built or if they do they do erre as here Ferus forced with truth doth very manifestly proue and confesse And here I cannot let passe a sleight which some Catholikes haue vsed to salue this matter whereas in a copie printed at Paris 1594. after Ferus death we read thus as I haue alleaged It belongeth onely to Christ that he should be the rocke In a copie printed at Rome 1597 it is thus read It belongs to Christ that he should be the first chiefe rocke where the word Onely is quite left out and the word first or chiefe is put in or added What dealing is this to adde or put out at their pleasures and that to maintaine the Popes supremacie Ferus in his first copie saith that It belongs only to Christ to be a rocke And the Catholikes in their copie printed at Rome say It belongs to Christ to be the chief rocke and put out onely and adde chiefe because they would haue the Pope ioined with him And Ferus himselfe did not alter this during his life for both the copies were printed after his death That at Paris by Philippus Agricola preacher at Moguntia and as it should séeme Ferus successour But howsoeuer they would salue the matter with the word chiefe or first Ferus hath so plainely put downe his iudgement heerein as all the world may sée and perceiue their iuggling for he said before It belongs not to any man to be a rocke Therefore hee takes awaie plainly all secondarie rockes of Peters successors which they would establish But to declare plainly what Ferus meant by the chiefe Rocke which perchance sometime he vseth he addeth after vpon these words And vpon this rock I wil build my church What the Church is saith he we haue declared else where but now we must search out what is the rocke vpon which the Church is built The scripture sometime takes a rocke for strength firmity and securitie as in the Psalm He hath brought me out of the lake of miserie and hath set my feet vpon the rocke By which words he meanes nothing else then that he was placed in a safe and sure place that is in safetie So also in another place he saith Set me vpon a rocke When as Christ therfore saith I will build my Church vpon this rocke hee meanes nothing else then he will build his Church vpon a sure and vnmoueable foundation against which all the assaults of his enemies can bee able to do nothing By this it is manifest that Christ built not his Church vpon Peter as a chiefe foundation For we are built vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone or vpon any other man for no man is so firme or constant that he cannot be moued as we may also see in Peter Therefore another rocke is to be sought for And truly in the Scriptures Christ himselfe is often called a rocke or stone as in Esay I will put in Sion a corner stone approued and chosen whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not be confounded And in the Psalme The same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner And Peter comming to Christ as to a liuing stone is to be built vpon him Thou hearest what Peter saith that Christ is that stone then he wils that we all should be stones which then is done when wee are built vpon Christ And he is built vpon Christ that beleeues in Christ and trusts vpon those things which Christ hath and is able to do Christ therefore is principally the rocke vpon whom the whole Church is built according to that Another foundation can no man lay besides that which is laid Iesus Christ Then because by a true faith we are ioined to Christ we also after a maner if wee may so speake as it were become rockes All Christians are secundarie rockes And therefore the Christian faith it selfe and the truth of the Gospell is that firme and vnmoueable rocke on which Christ hath built his Church Thus far Ferus And héere we may note first that the rock whereon Christ will build his Church must be firme sure and vnmoueable against which the assaults of no enemies can preuaile Secondly he saith that Peter was not such a rock as we may manifestly perceiue Againe whereas he saith that he built it not vpon Peter as on a chiefe foundation he addeth For we are builded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Amongst whom he reckons Peter And lastlie he concludes that principally or chiefly Christ is the rocke vpon which the whole Church is built And secondly the Christian faith or truth of the Gospell is that firme and vnmoueable rocke vpon which Christ built his Church So that where Ferus doth say that Christ is the chiefe rock he meanes not to make Peter or his successours the second as the Papists doe conceiue but Christian faith and the truth of the Gospell But afterward hee also declares most euidently what was giuen to Peter To thee saith he I wil giue c. he promiseth that he wil giue him the keyes he gaue them not in this place therefore let vs seeke where he gaue him the keyes indeed And we shall find in no other place but that which is in Iohn Receiue yee the holy Ghost whose sinnes you forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes you shall retaine they shall be retained The keyes therefore of the kingdome of heauen are power to forgiue or retaine sinnes The which also is proued out of this place For Christ forthwith added Whatsoeuer thou shalt bind on earth c. But what means this here to Peter only the keyes are promised yet they are also giuen to the other Apostles Here I will alleage the sentence of S. Ierome For the ordinary Glosse alleageth him The other Apostles haue saith he power of Iurisdiction to whom it was said after the resurrection Receiue Euery Church also hath this power in her Bishops and Priests but therefore they are promised specially to Peter that all men may vnderstand that whosoeuer shall separate himselfe from the vnitie of the faith and from the fellowship of the Church which is but one neither to be loosed from his sins nor can enter into heauen Thou hast heard what be the keyes and what is the ecclesiasticall power let vs marke the vse of the keyes and the execution of this power Thus far Ferus Here we may note most manifestly both by Ferus and Ieromes iudgement that the power and authoritie here promised to Peter alone was afterward giuen indéede to all the Apostles and that euerie Church in her Bishops and Priests hath now the same power what then can the Bishop of Rome Peters successour or the Church of Rome brag of more then any other bishops or Church
they say neither can I find any thing els giuen to the Apostles to execute their authoritie meaning the sacraments What dealing is this thus to mangle his words what truth to take away the principall meanes of the power of forgiuing sinnes from the pastors of Christs Church And whereas Christ hath giuen them as it were two keyes to steale one from them what is this else but to throwe Gods people into hell and this dealing to bee at Rome which calles her selfe the mother Church the mistresse of all pietie and religion what a sinne is this But as Ferus goeth on further in setting forth the truth so do they also in their corrupt dealing The execution therefore saith Ferus of the Ecclesiasticall power consisteth in these two that is to say in preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments Neither do we read that the Apostles did any other things To which Ierome agrees vpon the 14. of Esay The Apostles saith he loose by the word of God the testimonies of the Scriptures and exhortations of vertues and as they loose by the word of God so also they loose by the sacraments which are adherents and appendants to the word Here the Roman copie leaues out Ferus drift The execution saith Ferus of Ecclesiasticall power consists in these two that is in preaching the Gospell and administration of the sacraments Neither do we reade that the Apostles did any thing else This sentence they leaue out which is the summe of all They after alleage Ierom as Ferus doth That they loose by preaching But that the execution of the power Ecclesiasticall consists only in these two points that they leaue out which ouerthrowes all their Popish pardons And after Ferus saith These things therefore I alleaged in this place that thou mightest see that my opinion wherein I said that the execution of the power ecclesiasticall did consist in the preaching of the word and administration of the Sacraments to differ nothing from the saying of the saints This sentence in the Roman copie is quite left out That conclusion of Ferus they do not like Of these things which haue beene spoken saith he is that question dissolued easily which troubles some how Priests can forgiue sinnes when as that only belongs to God according to that I am he that doth blot out thine iniquities And also that Christ alone hath the keyes of death and hell To which thus it may be answered That onely God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellency but the Apostles and their sucessours like seruants apply these things by which God forgiues sinnes and giues grace as are the word of God and Sacraments Here we may learne plainely by Ferus iudgement the power and authoritie of forgiuing of sinnes remaines only in God the pastors and ministers like poore and humble seruants to this great cure doe but applie those medicines and remedies by which God cures There is no power nor authoritie in them that is in God alone Here the Romane copie leaues out that only God forgiues sinnes by power of dignitie and excellencie It is likely they woulde haue that power in their priests They saye that God alone remitteth sinnes but they leaue out these wordes by the power of dignitie and excellencie To conclude saith Ferus these keyes of the Church are nothing else then power of binding and loosing of forgiuing sinnes and retaining them But the Roman copie leaues out are nothing else To conclude say they the keyes of the Church are power of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining of sinnes Ferus procéedeth To thee will I giue the keyes Some labour to proue that this was said only to Peter because hee said To thee I will giue Others say the contrarie But lest I should determine anie thing rashly I will shewe not mine owne but Augustines opinion Aug. in Io tract 120. who in the 120. Tract vpon Iohn saith thus Peter saith he bare a figure of the Church For properly as much as belongeth to himselfe by nature he was but one man and by grace one Christian and by his more aboundant grace but one and the same first or chiefe Apostle But when it was said to him To thee I will giue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen he signified the whole Church Also in his booke of Christiā doctrine the first boke and eight chap. he teacheth plainly that the keyes were giuen to the Church Here we may plainly see by Austines Ferus iudgement what Peter was in his greatest excellencie but one the first Apostle giuing him no more prerogatiue then the Gospell yéelds vnto him who in the numbring of the twelue Apostles saith the first Simon Peter He was as it should séeme most ancient therefore in order to be preferred before the rest Thus much concerning his owne person Austine and Ferus attribute to him but the keyes were giuen to him in another person that is in the person of the Church and therefore in her name he receiued them not in his owne name or for himselfe and his successours So that by Austines iudgement these keyes were not giuen to Peter alone but as Ierome before also professed that euerie Church in her Bishops and priests receiues that which was giuen to Peter This is Ferus opinion in his true originall but the Romane copie hath thus mangled him Some say they labour to proue that this was spoken to Peter alone because he said To thee I will giue c. to whom others are contrarie Thus far they go in the Roman copie but they leaue out Ferus opinion concerning this matter and that grounded vpon Saint Austine Here we may sée againe how little they doe estéeme the fathers and how little in truth they do make for them In this waightie matter of the Popes authoritie they haue reiected both Augustine and Ierome If they had liked their sayings why should they haue purged them out And after where Ferus declareth how the Church and also how Peter receiued the keies I answere saith he that both is true that the keies are giuen to the Church as to the mystris or spouse but to Peter not as a Lord or maister but as to a minister And to this belongs that which St. Paule saith Let a man so esteeme vs as the ministers of Christ And the same sayeth againe I am a debter both to the wise and foolish And hereunto belongeth the names of the Apostles who in the scriptures are called pastours watchmen laborers To conclude saith Ferus heare what Bernard writes to Pope Eugenius in his second booke of Consideration Thy predecessors sayth he the Apostles heard that the haruest is great and the labourers few challenge therefore the Fathers inheritance be watchfull in this and be not idle least it bee saide vnto thee why standest thou all the day idle much lesse it becommeth thee to bee either found dissolute through pleasures or effeminated with pompe and state The will
of the testator giues thee none of these But what If thou bee contented with that which is conteined in them haue a more care of the inheritance and of the worke then of glorie and riches For what did the holie Apostle leaue thee that which I haue sayth he I giue thee And what is that not gold nor siluer when as he had none of that but what care ouer the Church But what did he leaue thee a Lordshippe Heare what hee sayeth not ruling as Lords ouer the Lords inheritance but being made a paterne of the flocke And that thou mayst know that these things are so in deede Christ sayth in the Gospell The kings raigne ouer the nations but you shall not do so Of these it is plaine that Lordships are forbidden the Apostles the which whosoeuer doe challenge to themselues are of the number of them of whom God complaines thus They haue raigned but not by me And after they are the ministers of Christ and so am I and hee addeth I speake as vnwise I more being in many labours O excellent ministerie if thou must glorie let the patterne of the holy Apostles be set before thine eies acknowledge thine inheritance in Christs crosse in many labours happie is hee that can saye I haue laboured more then they all Thus farre Bernard let them marke well this saith Ferus that glorie in their authoritie To Peter therefore were the keies giuen but as to a minister This Ferus alledgeth out of Bernard to beate downe the Popes idle pompe and pride and to extoll the excellencie of the ministerie of the gospell The name whereof nowe to be called a minister the catholikes cannot abide All this sentence of Bernard and Ferus haue they of Rome in their edition left quite out they like not that Peter should receiue the keies as a minister that he should be matched with other pastors as he both ioineth himselfe 1 Pet. 1. Gal. 2 9. and Paule ioineth him They like not that Bernard giueth him not a Lordshippe or dominion ouer Christs Church which Christ onelie challengeth to himselfe Iohn 23.3 I am sayth he your Lord and maister but a ministerie or seruice and therefore impaires his authoritie that he should not be Christs vicegerent here on earth Ferus repeates that twise that to Peter were the keies giuen but as to a minister This they leaue out in both places It pleaseth them not that Peter should be a minister Thirdly that is also to be marked sayth Ferus that it is expresly sayd I will giue thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen hee doth not say of the kingdome of the earth These wordes belong nothing to earthlie iurisdiction which notwithstanding they goe about to establish on these words affirming that Peter not onely in spirituall but also in externall and worldly affaires to haue receiued fulnesse of authoritie The which thing Bernard to Engenius doth manifestly reproue Ber. lib. Io. d◠consid your authoritie saith he is in trespasses not in possessiōs because for those and not for these you haue receiued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen It followeth whether power seemes greater to thee to forgiue sinnes or to deuide landes These earthly and base things haue their Iudges the kings and princes of the world neyther doe you enter into another mans bounds why doe you thrust your sickle into another mans haruest why will you be greater then your maister who being requested of one saying speake to my brother that he may deuide the inheritance with me Answered who hath ordained me a Iudge betweene you Thus far Barnard Héere most manifestly both Bernard and Ferus take one of the Popes swords from him that he hath nothing to do in worldlie matters that he cannot translate kingdoms at his pleasure which hath béen a gainefull sword to the Pope which sword gat him both his Peter pence his popes power while by this sword he made all Christian Kinges to be at his commaundement This third note of Ferus and assertion of Bernard is thus peruerted in the Roman addition Thirdly say they that is to bee marked that it is expresly sayde And I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen as though hee should say the keies are mine therefore vse them according to my pleasure They quite leaue out that it is expresly sayd that to thee I will giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen and not of the kingdome of the earth as also all the sentence of Bernard which confirmes the same Ferus also alleadgeth Ierome To conclude saith he that is to be marked which he saith I will giue thee the keies Thus saith he Ierome writes on this place in the 16 Chapter of Matthew Bishops saith he and Priests not vnderstanding this place take some thing vnto them of the pride of the Pharisees that they thinke they maye eyther condemne the innocent or loose the guiltie when as with God not the sentence of the priests but the liues of the offenders are required Christ therefore willing to reproue this presumptiō sayth I will giue the keies as though he should say The keies are mine therfore vse thē according to my pleasure and not acccording to thine owne pleasure This saying of Ierome also is omitted in the Roman editions It séemes to giue to Bishops and priests interest in that saying of our Sauiour and I will giue to thee the keies of the kingdom of heauen which they would haue belong to Peter It quite ouerthrowes the Popes pardons The Pope cannot pardon whom he list nor sell his pardons to those whose liues he knowes not as he vseth commonly to do For with God saith Ierome not the sentence of the priests but the life of the penitent sinner is respected All the pardons in the world without true and heartie repentance are nothing auaileable to any man And true and hartie repentaunce with a liuely faith saueth without all popes pardons If all men knew this it would make the Popes pardons lesse saleable To conclude Peter saith Ferus receiued power but not any earthly power that hee might giue or take away or alienate kingdomes and gouernments nor such power that it might be lawfull for him to do what he list that which many dreame he did but he receiued power of binding and loosing of remitting and detayning sinnes of openning and shutting neyther that according to his owne pleasure but as a seruant or minister doing his maisters will This sentence also in the Roman edition is quite left out And héere all men may sée that will not wilfully shut their eies whose kingdome they maintaine that deale thus deceitfully Euen Sathans that prince of darknes who was a lier and a deceiuer from the beginning Truth needes no such shiftes And here also euerie faithfull christian may obserue another sleight which the Papists vse to maintaine their Popes authoritie Hect. Piu◠in Dan. Ca. 1. Hector Pintus a verse learned
ghost teach Peter this lesson Thirdly In ca. Act. 10. Whom God bindes doe thou not loose and whome hee looseth do not thou binde for thou hast not power at thy pleasure to place soules in heauen or hell but according to the worde of God For all soules are mine saith the Lord. Fourthly whome I haue serued let it not grieue thee to serue them also for the disciple is not aboue his maister I haue been a seruant to all do thou so also Fiftly whome I haue not as yet condemned doe not thou iudge rashly or condemne least thou be condemned thy selfe He glaunceth at the Popes authoritie in pardoning and condemning whomsoeuer he pleaseth And he is no changling as in his Commentaries vpon Mathew In ca. Act. 10. so here also he quite writhes the Popes temporall sword out of his hand vpon these words Arise Peter By an excellent metaphor saith he the office of the Apostles is described whose office is to rise not to take their ease and to watch take care for their flocke and then to kill not with the materiall sword for that was forbidden Peter but with the sword of the spirite which is the word of God which sword the Apostles are commanded to buye if they sold their coate for it And they kill when they preach the lawe and shew men their sinnes and doe teach that our strēght and righteousnes is nothing yea that wee are nothing but euen damned and miserable sinners And after also hee makes Peter subiect to the Church In ca. 11. Act. Peter saith he an Apostle the first and chiefe of the Apostles is forced to yeeld an account to the Church neither doth hee take this grieuously as a thing not agreeing to his authoritie For hee knewe wel enough that he exercised the office not of a Lord or maister but of a seruant of the Church The Church is the spouse of Christ and she is the Ladie of the house Peter is but a seruant and minister The Church therefore hath authoritie not onely to aske accompt of her seruants but also if they bee not fitte quite to put them away So heretofore it hath been often done in generall councels But nowe wicked Bishoppes will not be reproued nor rulde by the Church as though they were Lordes and not seruantes Therefore by the iust iudgment of God they are despised of all men Ferus agrées here with Austen and the auncient Fathers that the Church rules she is Christs vicegerent shee calles to accompt and deposeth whome it pleaseth her The fathers called this the Colledge of priests and hereof Cyprian called Cornelius Colleague This holy Colledge of priests ruled through the world not anie one prelate as now the Papists teach Euerie one seuerallie euen Peter the Bishop of Rome are but a seruant the Church is the Lady as Ferus termes her They are wicked Bishops sonnes o◠perdition that wil not be ruled by the Church this is Ferus iudgment And againe he writes thus vpon these words In cap. 9. Act. Hee went thorowe euery Citie confirming and stablishing that which the other had taught or adding to that which they had not done sufficiently he caried that scrole imprinted in his heart which Christ last of all commanded Peter saying Feede my sheepe if thou louest me In Peter thou seest the office of B shops that is to visite all according to that saying Heale that which is weake and binde vppe that which is broken c. They which are Bishoppes and doe sleepe and are idle doe not know in what a dangerous estate they are nor doe not thinke that the bloud of all that perish shall be required at their hands Heere hee makes Peter a patterne for all bishops to followe and not a type of the Pope and his successors And after vpon these words Behold three men c Marke saith hee that these wordes spoken to Peter doe belong to all pastours For so it is sayde to euerie one of them Behold men as though hee should saye These sheepe committed to thy charge doe require care and help the sinner succour the weake strength those which go astraie doctrine the vnrulie correctiō those which are tormented through afflictions comforte the whole church now dispersed peace Secondly Arise thou art not a Lord but a seruant this is not a time of ease but of labour hitherto thou hast done nothing through thy negligence the Wolfe hath entred in that is the Diuell For he is a Wolfe howe greatly soeuer he shewe the face of a friend c. Peters lessons Ferus attributes to all pastours And againe In ca. 10. Act. In Peter thou seest expressed what becomes Bishoppes that is to goe vp aloft to fast to praie Thou seest the contrarie in wicked and euill Bishoppes they onely take care of temporall thinges themselues they committe spirituall things to others They liue like Princes not like shepheards they neuer praie they giue themselues to pleasures And after hee writes thus In this Chapter Luke dooth prosecute the historie of Paul and Barnabas pilgrimage and hee names certaine countries which in their preaching they passed through Fer. in Act. ca. 14. that here al men may see how couragiously these two Apostles preached to al men the word of saluatiō to the great shame of those which brag themselues to be the successors of the Apostles whē as they are nothing else but slothfull vnfaithfull seruāts sharply to be reproued of the Lord nay iustly to be condemned No doubt he condemnes here the Popes proud and idle state And after he writes thus of the first generall councell of the authoritie of Iames Iames confirmes the sayings of the three Apostles pronounceth sentence as Bishop of Ierusalem If Peter had been dead of the vniuersall Church he should now haue pronounced sentence and ratified the councell as the Pope doth now But then this one thing verie euidentlie proues that there was no such authoritie acknowledged of Peter seeing that in the first generall councell in his presence Iames pronounceth sentence and as it were confirmes the councell And after Marke that he saith not that thou shalt haue much people but I haue much people in this citie As though he should saie the people is not thine but mine So he sayd to Peter Fer. in Act. cap. 18. Feede not thy sheepe but my sheepe As though he should say they are mine I haue redeemed them with my bloud I loue them I take care of thē therefore thou shalt not rule ouer them at thy pleasure thou shalt plaie the part of a shepheard and not of a Lord. If Peter had Christs authoritie committed to him and were his vicegerent then he had a kinde of Lordship ouer his sheepe But this Ferus denies And writing of Apollo he saies thus Mention of him is made in this place very fitly for he was such a great man the Corinthiās made him equall with Peter and Paul I
bulwarks and towers of defence of the Church which S. Austen knewe in his daies First generall councells then the apostolicall seas no one apostolicall sea more then the rest no not Rome and lastly some especiall godly learned men with their inuincible arguments and forces of reason Where also we maie note that as he preferreth no one apostolicall sea before all the rest so that he doth preferre generall councels before them all So that by Augustines iudgment a generall councell is to be preferred before the Church of Rome And here Augustine declaring the bulwarks of Gods Church against heretiques had shewed himselfe to be a verie vnskilfull Captain of the Lords armie if so be that he had quite forgotten the chiefe bulwarke aboue all the rest against them that is that the Pope cannot erre This had been the forciblest bulwarke that the Church could haue had against all heretiques But Austen in his daies knewe no such and therefore no doubt hee makes no mention of it And also in another place of Peters prerogatiue he writes thus As some things are sayd which seeme properly to belong to Peter himselfe and yet they are not rightly expounded In psal 108. vnlesse they be referred to the Church of which hee is acknowledged in a type to haue borne the figure for the primacie that hee had among the Apostles As this To thee I will giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen and other speeches of our sauiour to him like to this so Iudas likewise as it were sustaineth the person of the Iewes that bee enemies vnto Christ which then hated Christ and now also their wickednes continuing as it were by a succession doe hate him still Here Austen acknowledgeth a primacie of Peter amongst the Apostles But for all that by this his primacie by Austens iudgement hee gaineth nothing to his successor or to the Bishop of Rome but to the whole Church whose Image he sustained because he was the chiefe among the Apostles He plainly affirmes that Peter was a type of the whole Church to it conueyed that priuiledge giuen to him and not to his successor the Bishop of Rome as that papists now would haue him And to expound that saying of our Sauiour To thée will I giue the keies of the kingdom of heauen as the papists doe nowe to Peter himselfe is not rightlie to expound them what can be plainer then As Iudas sustaineth the persons of all the wicked Iewes so doth Peter not of the bishop of Rome but of the whole Church This is Austens iudgment concerning this matter and he ouerthrowes the papists exposition of these words To thee will I giue the keies which referre them to Peter himselfe and his successors And to Austen agrées Chrysostome both concerning the authoritie of Rome and of Peter he manifestlie preferres Antioch before Roome Ho. 17. ad pop Ant. What saith he is the dignitie of our Citie it chanced first saith he that the disciples at Antioch were called Christiās this dignitie hath no citie else that is in the world no not Romulus his citie And therefore she that is Antioch may lift vp her eyes and ouerlooke all the world beside for this fire of her loue toward Christ for this her great confidence and boldnes for this her valiantes He cals Rome but Romulus his citie if she had béen then accounted the catholique mother church as the papists nowe affirme that she is he would not haue béen too bould with her he would haue giuen her some more honorable stile then to call her Romulus his citie nay he would not haue preferred Antioch before her yea and not onlie Chrisostome but the Emperor himselfe yéelds that same priuiledge to Antioch Ho. 21. ad pop Ant aeditione Harma 21. And haue I not saith hee alwaies preferred that citie before all other and haue I not accompted it dearer to me then mine owne natiue countrie The Emperor preferred Antioch before all other cities in the world and therefore before Rome and it is not likelie that he erred in iudgment And after of the Emperors authoritie in the same homilie Chrysostome writes thus Oh howe great is the force of Christian religion It restrained and bridled a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on earth had none to be compared with him that Lord that can ouerthrowe and destroy all things and taught him such heauenly philosophie as a meane man would neuer haue embraced c. He plainly here affirmes that the Emperor is the chiefe man here vpon earth And that there is none equall to be compared with him no not the Pope Victorinus an auncient father vppon the Reuelation concerning the church writes thus These seuen starres are seuen churches Victor in 1. cap. Ap. which he calls by their names and to whom also he writes his Epistles Not that they were the principall Churches of all other but that which hee speakes to one hee speakes to all for there is no difference as when one doth preferre the standerd of a fewe souldiers to a greater number Paul taught first that all the churches of the world were but seuen and those seuen which he named to be that one catholique Church The which thing that he might obserue him selfe he exceeded not the nūber of seuen Churches but he wrote to the Romanes Corinthians Galathians Ephesians Philippians Collossiās and to the Thessaloniās And afterward he wrote to particular persons least he should exceede the nūber of seauen Churches And briefly knitting vp togither the whole summe of his preaching he saith to Timothie That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the Church of the liuing God We read also that this type was declared by the holy Ghost by the prophet Esay of seuen women that should lay hould of one man Christ is that one man which was not borne of mans seede the seuen women are the churches taking their bread and with them that is their garments they are couered who desire that their reproch may bee taken from them and that the name of the Lord may be called vppon them They take their bread which is the holy Ghost which nourisheth into his eternal life promised them by faith and their garments also which are promised thē which desire that they may be clothed Of which S. Paul speaketh this mortalitie must be clothed with incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie And they desire that their reproch may be taken away their reproch is their old accustomed sinne which is taken away in baptisme and a man then beginnes to be called a Christian which is as much to say as let thy name be called vpon Therefore in these seuen churches it may be that of one Church is made seuen c. Victorinus here plainly makes but one catholique Church and the Romane church being one of the seuen whereunto S. Paul wrote his Epistles a member thereof In psal 99. in praelat Austine writes thus Eyther
our Lord Iesus doth hee not now euer gouerne the worlde with his Father and whether to this matter doth he call any man making him his imitator or follower that with him he should gouerne heauen and earth and all Christ by S. Austines iudgement calles no man to bee partaker with him in his gouernement of heauen and earth therefore not the Pope Primasius also S. Austines scholler writes thus Let no man glorie in men in false Apostles no nor in any eyther king or priest for all thinges are yours In 1. ep ad Cor. cap. 3. eyther Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death we are yours you are not ours c. Nowe if Peter had béen Christs vicar then the saints had béene his as they were Christs whose place he sustained But Primasius saith plainly that the Corinthians were Christs they were not Peters Therefore Peter was not in any respect their head but their seruant or minister That Christ alone is the head of the Church Theodoret writes thus Theod. in 2 ca. ad Col. Againe saith he he cals Christ the head and the congregation of the faithfull the bodie And he hath put downe all this place metaphorically for euen as in the bodie the braine is the root of the sinewes and by the sinewes the bodie hath feeling so the bodie of the Church by Christ our Lord receiues both fountaines of Doctrine and matter of saluation And that thing which sinewes are in the bodie that are Apostles prophets and teachers in the assemblie of the Church Thus much Theodoret the Apostles are but ligaments or sinewes by his iudgement nowe it is monstrous and against all reason to make a sinew a head In 1 ep Co. 10 And in another place he writes thus This is required of Stewards that they bee founde faithfull not that hee should take vnto him the honour o◠dignitie of his maister but that he should keepe his maisters good will In 1 ep ad Cor. cap. 9. And in another place of S. Paul hee writes thus Am I not free that is as much to say I am vnder no mans iurisdiction I am not in the place of a disciple But to whose credite the whole world was committed because he was called after Christs assumption And the same prerogatiue he yeelds also to S. Paul in another place vpon these words whereof I am made a minister The saluation of the Church was committed to me meaning S. Paul to me was committed the office of preaching that I should fill you all with heauenly doctrine And that word you doth not onely meane them but also the faithfull that are in the world Gregorie also writes thus In 5. psal penit Christ is one person with his whole Church which either now is conuersant here on earth or is in heauen now with him And as there is one soule which quickens the diuers members of the bodie so one onely holie spirit quickens and lightens the whole Church And as Christ which is the head of the church was conceiued by the holy Ghost so the holy Church which is his bodie is filled with the same holy spirit that it may liue and by his power is strengthned that it may stand in the ioining or coupling togither of one faith and charitie By which the whole bodie being ministred vnto built by ioints and couplings growes to the increase of God Gregorie here makes plainly Christ his Church whether in heauen or in earth to be but one bodie And that by the holie spirite he quickens strengthens and gouernes the same euen as our soule quickens and gouernes our bodies And that by ioints couplings not by any ministeriall head as the papists do imagine nay he saith that his triumphant and his militant Church is but one bodie So that then if they will make Peter the head of the militant Church he must also be the head of the triumphant which I thinke they will not graunt Lastlie to conclude to make the matter more plaine and to shew how farre Gregorie was from imagining Peter to bee the head of the whole Church he writes thus in another place In psal penit 3. 5. The Apostles were called feet because that as feet carrie the bodie so the Apostles carried Christ into the knowledge of al nations which were moued when they doubted that he whom they saw did suffer was the sonne of God In the bodie of the Church he compares Apostles to féete not to heades and that verie fitlie alledging that place of the Apostle Ro. 10.15 How beautifull are the feete of thē which bring glad tydings of peace And of the gouernment of his Church by his holie spirit our sauiour most manifestly speaketh himselfe And I will praie the Father and hee shall giue you another comforter that he may abide with you for euer Io. 14.15 euen the spirite of truth As though he should say you are discomforted because I goe from you but I in my stead will send you a comforter which shall neuer forsake you but shall abide with you for euer And after I wil not leaue you like Orphans without a guide or gouernour but I will come vnto you meaning by his holie spirite The holie spirit then is the gouernour and guardian of Christs Church here on earth wee are not orphanes And the same lesson he taught al his Apostles again immediatlie before his ascension It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Act. 1.7.8 But you shall receiue the power of the holy ghost when he shall come on you Héere is the authoritie heere is the power and the gouernment of the Church And you shall be witnesses vnto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost part of the earth Héere also is the estate and condition of all the Apostles put downe no one of them is made better then an other They are all appointed witnesses of him no one of them Lord or Iudge And this authoritie and office of gouernment in the Church to declare that it was of God giuen to the spirit of God the spirit of God expresly oftentimes executed As when Peter doubted what the vision ment Act. 10.19 the spirit sayd vnto him Behold three men seeke thee Arise therfore and get thee downe and goe with them doubt nothing For I haue sent them What can be more plaine then this The holie ghost sent those thrée men from Caesarea to Ioppe and also sent Peter with them Is not this to gouerne If Peter had béen head appointed by Christ vnder him he might haue gone by his owne authoritie but here he is namelie sent of another to declare that the authoritie was not in himselfe And when Peter came again to Ierusalem Act. 11.3 They of the Circumcision contended with him about this matter And he alleadgeth this
of grace is called the fulnes of time And for this cause the sonne of God is called the hand of the father because as by the hand things are wont to be distributed So the eternall father by the sonne hath giuen his heauenly gifts This hand Dauid praied so earnestly for send out thy hand from aboue c. If we lacke anie thing we are wont to receiue it at mens hands and not at their féet So here let vs receiue all things at the hands of God Almightie let vs not seeke anie thing at Saints or Angels which may resemble Gods féet In ca. 19. Esa Ierome writes thus vpon these words And they shall not remember the former things Although this may be said that in the new heauen and the new earth all the remeÌ„brance of our conuersation shall be quite blotted out least this should be some peece of euill to remember our former griefes and necessities As the saints shall not remember their former anguishes or griefes to impaire in anie respect their ioy so no doubt much more not the griefes of others And againe In all their trouble there shall be no trouble And the Angell of his face shall saue them that is Iesus Christ who is the Image of God and appeares before God now for vs or else who is like to vs and is perfect man Psal 118. v. 27. In times past as Dauid witnesseth The sacrifices were bound to the hornes of the Altar not to the postes of the house of God though they were neuer so holy and gilded So now we must binde our sacrifices that is our prayers to the Altar Iesus Christ not to the postes of the house that is to the Saints In cap. 3. Io. Ferus also writes thus Afterward Iohn expresseth the conditions of those that be Christes friends he standeth saith he as readie to doe whatsoeuer is to be done he heareth what the bride groome talketh with the bride and he reioyceth in the glorie of the bridegroome These are those thrée conditions of all the friends of Iesus Christ which were bidden to the marriage by Ferus his iudgement and of all Gods Saintes And no doubt as they performed the two former while they were here in this life that is they stood all readie to doe his commandements and they gladlie heard his words so likewise in heauen they reioice in his glorie his glorie is their glorie They all with Saint Iohn here doe put awaie all glory yéelded vnto them and attribute it vnto him And after he must increase I must decrease we are taught by this sentence that all the authorities dignities offices righteousnesses wisedomes powers of all men are to be made no account of that only Christs authoritie dignitie office righteousnesse wisedome power may be established To conclude it belongs to him to be exalted it belongs to vs to be humbled If this be true what meanes all those hymnes and songs and prayers to the glorie of Saints which the Church of Rome vseth In the councell of Rhemes cap. 2. celebrated vnder Charles the great An. dom 913. we are taught that it is not lawful for a christian not to know without booke the Lords prayer or not to vnderstand it or not too often vse it If this be true how many thousand Christians in the time of Poperie were transgressors of this lawe who vnderstood not the Lords prayer Theodoret against prayers to be made to Angels writes thus They which defended the law In 3. ca. ad Col. perswaded them to worship Angels saying that the lawe was giuen by them And this fault remained long in Phrygia and Pisidia wherefore also the synode which met at Laodicea which is the chiefe Citie of Phrygia did forbid by law that they pray to Angels And euen vnto this day we may see amongst them and amongst their borderers houses of prayer of S. Michael They gaue men counsell to doe this vsing humilitie saying the God of all things could not be seene nor comprehended nor that any man could come vnto him and that they must get them the good will of God by the means of the angels Is not this plainly the papists doctrine at this day they build Churches to Angels they teach that by the meanes of Angels we must procure the fauour of God And after vpon these words Doe all things in the name of our Lords Iesus Christ because saith Theodoret they commanded to worship Angels he commaunds the contrarie that they should make glorious or acceptable to God both their wordes and deedes by the remembrance of our Lord Christ And saith he send forth your thankesgiuing to God your father by him and not by Angels The councell of Laodicea following this law and hauing a minde to cure this olde disease decréed Conc. Lâ—od cap. 32. that they should not make any prayers vnto angels that they should not leaue out the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Here we may note that we should not make anie prayers vnto Angels and that we should neuer leaue out of our prayers the name of our Lord Iesus Christ but that we should doe all things in his name and that he alone makes our prayers glorious in the sight of God and procures vs Gods fauour Stella also of the great mercie of our Sauiour writes thus Secondly he touched the leaper In 5. ca. Luc. that he might mooue vs boldly to come to him and that he might take away all occasion of feare let no man be affraid let all come to him Christ doth not loathe our Leprosie nor filthy corruption but he pities vs more then any father doth his children because he knowes whereof we be made If a leprous sinner maie come boldly to Christ what sinner shall be affraid to come Also vpon the first of Luke he askes a question why God sent an Angell to the virgin could not God himselfe haue reuealed this mysterie to the virgin he could truely but he would send an Angell first that he might declare the loue and charitie he beares vnto vs so that he procures our redemption euen by the ministerie of Angels So Paul saith Are they not all ministring spirits for those which shall receiue the inheritance of saluation Out of which place man may drawe an argument that he may magnifie or thinke well of his owne estate because Angels are sent to minister and serue vnto him And after If any prince or noble man should prostrate himselfe on the ground that he might gather vp the crums which fell from thee were he not despised and no account made of So thou which art a noble and excellent creature of God when as thou hast Angels to be thy seruants oughtst not to bow thy selfe to these earthly things which are vile and of no reputation Thus farre Stella The same reason we make against praying to Angels If God haue so exalted vs that Angels are our seruants why should we abase our selues to knéele downe to
Else when thou blessest with the spirit how shall he which occupieth the roome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy giuing of thanks seeing he knoweth not what thou sayest Thou verily giuest thanks wel but the other is not edified S. Paul here speakes manifestly of common prayer in the Church both of praying singing of Psalmes and not only of priuate hymnes or some particular songs which some Christians made to their owne comforts and to praise God as Master Bellarmine expounds this place Saint Pauls doctrine agrées with the promise of our sauiour Lib. 2. de verb. dei cap. 16. and with the practise of the Church before recited The same doctrine he deliuereth to Timothie a Bishop to be deliuered to the whole Church I will therefore saith he first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thanks be made for all men for kings 1. Tim. 2.1 and all that are in authoritie that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlines and honestie No doubt he meanes here common praiers And he puts downe the benefits which are reaped thereby which being knowen and vnderstood of the Church should as it were whet on this their desire of praying These benefits they should know assuredlie they did reape by their prayers and that they were to obtaine them by no other meanes but by prayer And therefore séeing they are such things as no man can be without all men greatliest desire it behooueth them especially to praie for these and as they know and vnderstand the price of them to be so much the more earnest by their prayers in begging them of God The like doctrine he teacheth all men after in their priuate prayers I will saith he that men pray in all places lifting vp pure hands without doubtfulnes They must haue faith ioined with their prayers and beleeue verilie they doe receiue that which they praie for according to our sauiours doctrine or else they shall obteine nothing at Gods hands But this faith of receiuing the things they praie for argues a knowledge They cannot beléeue they receiue the things they praie for vnlesse they know what they praie for so that by saint Pauls doctrine both common priuate prayers must be made with our vnderstanding The same teacheth saint Iames Is anie sicke amongst you Let him call for the elders of the Church let them pray for him Ia. 5.14 And annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Here are common praiers set downe but they must be done in faith and in the name of the Lord Iesus S. Iames agrees with the gospell Our common praiers must haue these two conditions which the gospel teacheth they must be made in faith and with knowledge as is before repeated And they must be made in the name of the Lord Iesus They must not be barbarous prayers without vnderstanding as saint Paul tearmes them but Christian prayers framed according to the doctrine of Iesus Christ The same doctrine saint Iohn teacheth 1. Io. 5.14.15 And this is the assurance which we haue in him that if we aske anie thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that we haue desired of him Saint Iohn ioines the same two conditions to common prayers which saint Iames did that is faith and assurance that we shall obtaine our petitions and knowledge And this is that which our sauiour himselfe also teacheth all his Io. 16.24 Hitherto haue ye asked nothing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may be full What can be greater ioy to a man then to haue his suit granted of a mortall man euen of a king but to haue it granted at the handes of God is the cause of the greatest ioy in the world Prou. 13.12 The hope that is deferred saith Salomon is the fainting of the heart bu◠when the desire commeth it is a tree of life But how shall w◠know that our suits and prayers be granted vs or not vnlesse we know what we pray for Therefore they take from vs this tree of life which teach vs to praie in Latin and not to vnderstand our prayers They take from vs the greatest ioie we haue in the world And what kind of enemies are they 1. Iohn 5.16 The same doctrine saint Iohn giues of priuate prayers If anie man saith he see his brother sinne a sinne not vnto death let him aske and he shall giue life for them which sinne not vnto death All Christians ought to praie for their brethren when they sée them offend They should praie God to amend them And should they not then vnderstand their prayers I would to God all Christians would attentiuelie marke this forcible effect of prayer they shall by their praiers giue life to their brethren offending To restore a dead man in bodie to life againe what a great commendation would we account it but it is a farre greater matter to restore a dead man in soule to life againe And this most assuredly doth faithfull praier Oh that all Christians would remember this and practise it and cease in their brothers sinnes as most men do now a daies either to backbite them or slaunder them but rather as saint Iohn here counselleth pray for them Neither were the common prayers onelie in the Gospell but in the law also in a knowne tongue Before the captiuitie Dauid saith O come let vs sing vnto the Lord Let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation This exhortation had béene in vaine if the people then had not vnderstood what had beene said And in another Psalme he concludes thus Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for euer and euer Psal 106.48 And let all the people say Amen prase ye the Lord. And againe speaking of the Church of Christ Psal 47.7 he saith God is king ouer all the earth sing ye praises with vnderstanding All Christs subiectes must be children to maliciousnes but not in wit they must be men in vnderstanding And they must praise God with their vnderstandings He requires only the heart He will be worshipped in spirit and truth Iohn 4.23 Esay 29.13 as our sauiour teacheth And againe We must not now worship him as the wicked did in Esaias daies This people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee This kinde of worship God condemned in the Iewes and do we thinke that he wil allow of such like amongst christians Of the common praiers also of the Iewes after the captiuity Neh. 8.6 we read thus in the booke of Nehemiah And Esdrah praised the Lord the great God and all the people answered Amen c. No doubt if they had not vnderstood his praises they could not haue answered Amen So that contrarie to M. Hardings and Mast Stapletons assertions
day of iudgement shall be purged with that fire because they shall not go into purgatory as M. Bellarmine séemes to affirme And so these authorities of the olde Testament of scriptures Fathers which M. Bellarmine alledgeth in that place with this his shift prooue nothing Master Bellarmine also would confirme purgatorie out of that place of saint Paul De Purg. lib. 1. ca. 4. What do they which are baptized for the dead if the deadrise not againe why are they baptized for them This place saith he plainely prooues that which we would desire if it be rightly vnderstood And he saith that there are sixe expositions of this place And he concludes thus That the sixt exposition is true the natural meaning of the place that the Apostle speaks of the baptisme of teares repentance which is a accomplished by praying fasting and giuing of almes c. That this may be the meaning what do they which are baptized ouer the dead if the dead rise not againe that is what do they which pray fast sigh and afflict themselues for the dead if the dead rise not againe And so do Ephrem in his testament and Petrus Cluniacensis in lib. contra Petrobrusianos Dionysius Hugo Gagneius and others expound this place But Gagneius of this place writes thus Gag in 1. Cor. cap. 15. Diuers men of this place bring diuers iudgements I thinke that there may be two meanings of this place The first whereunto Chrysostome agrees If the dead rise not againe what do they which are baptized for the dead that is for the hope of the dead For as Chrysostome saith in the primitiue Church they which were to be baptized repeated the whole Creed wherein is this place I beleeue the resurrection of the dead In which hope of rising againe from the dead they were baptized which otherwise would neuer haue bin baptized and haue changed their olde life vnlesse they hoped that they should arise to an immortall life And this is that which Paul cals to be baptized for the dead Or else because that Paul taught the faithfull that to be baptized was nothing else then through the spirit and water to die with Christ and to be buried with him that being buried with him they might also rise againe with him if after the maner of his death they were grafted into him as he teacheth in the sixt to the Romās And therfore he saith what do they which are baptized that is which die in Christ to the olde man and their accustomed delights are buried with him for dead that is for the hope which they haue of rising again from the dead Me thinkes also there may be another sense of this place that baptisme may be taken for affliction punishment As Christ saith to the sonnes of Zebedee the 10. of Marke Can you be baptized with the baptisme that I am baptized withall that is suffer the punishment which I shall suffer By this meanes then this should be the meaning what do they which are baptized that is which are afflicted for the dead that is either for the hope of the dead and of rising againe to a life immortall or for the dead that is for the testifying of the resurrection of the dead for the which the martyrs did not doubt to suffer death This is all that Gagneius saith And in neither of his two latter expositions he affirmes that which M. Bellarmine would haue him that they afflicted themselues to do the dead good in purgatorie but rather to do themselues good in hope that there should be a resurrection or else to suffer death for the trueth of the doctrine of the resurrection as the martyrs did Master Bellarmines exposition also séemes to be against the words of the text For the text saith what do they which are baptized for the dead again why are they baptized for them He speaketh in both places passiuely as though they should suffer this baptisme of others If baptisme here were taken for the works of repentance done for the saluation of them which are in purgatorie it should haue béene vsed rather actiuely And S. Paul should haue said what do they which baptize themselues which pray and fast for the dead and not what do they which are baptized of others This cannot properly be applied to praiers and fastings as he would haue it Lyra also refutes their exposition which thinke that some were baptized for them which were alreadie dead In 15. ca. ad Cor. and saith that it is not likelie that the Apostle would confirme his doctrine of the errors of others And he expounds to be baptized for the dead that is for mortall sinnes which are dead works for the washing away of which baptisme is receiued which were to no purpose if there were no resurrection Glos ord in cap. 15. Cor. And the ordinarie Glosse expounds it after the same manner they are baptized for the dead that is for to blot out their sins or else to mortifie themselues according to the similitude of Christs death what meane they doing this if they shall not then liue Neither Lyra nor the Glosse nor Gagneius agrée with Master Bellarmine in this his exposition But that exposition which some of the Fathers Phil. Mor. lib. 3. de sacrif Missae ca. 7. Aegid Niemus in 1. ep Cor. ca. 15. Eus Eccl. hist lib. 7. ca. 11. and some also of our latter writers haue made of this place séemes to mée most probable That to bee baptized ouer the dead is to haue baptisme and other ecclesiasticall prayers ministred and executed at the Toombes of the martyrs And so had the first Christians as appeareth by Eusebius who writes thus of Galienus There is reported also another decree of Galienus which he granted to other Bishops by which he granted them full authoritie of going to and possessing those places which were called Churchyards And againe of Maximinus he writes thus Lib. 9. ca. 2. Hee left nothing vnattempted that hee might quite ouerthrow our peace And first of all vnder a certaine pretence he goeth about to take from vs our freedome and libertie in assembling our selues togither in our Churchyards c. By this it appeares that the first Christians made their common prayers at the toombes of martyrs And it is likelie that as they celebrated there their praiers so also their sacraments And that by occasion of the place they made all the baptized to make a solemne profession of the resurrection 18. Of Jdolatrie STella speaking of the abuse which some vse in their Churches In 21. Euang. Luc. who respect more the outward decking and adorning of the Church then the spirituall and inward declares after their opinion of Images I doe not say this saith he a Vt honorem adorationem damnem imaginum that I might condemne the honour and adoration or worship of Images but I reprooue those that doe so greatly make account of those outward