is coÌ„mitted do excomunicate and exclude thee and thy wife from the coÌ„munion of the immaculate and sacred misteries And do declare that what Bishop or priests soever shall presume after the knowledge had of these my letters to minister the same to you therby to fall from his dignity and function This learned and holie pope much coÌ„meÌ„ded by S. Austin doubted not but that the Bishop of Rome had sufficient authoritie not onlie to depose and restore patriarches but also to excommunicate Emperours Now to the patriarch of Antioch though Saint Iohn Chrysostomes testimony who had been thirteene yeeres preacher in that citie might suffice yet wee want not others First Flauianus patriarch of Antioch was suÌ„moned to appeare at Rome Flauianus apud Theodoret l. 5. c. 23. Cum eo agit Imperator vt Romam adiret cui respondit Si qui me O Imperator vt fidem minime sinceram ac sanam profitentes insimulent dicantve vitam me traducere indignam sacerdotio tuÌ„ illis ipsis iudicibus vtar tum pronunciatam ab eis sententiam lubens subibo there to answere vnto matters obiected against him who put not in the protestaÌ„ts plea that the Bishop of Rome had no authoritie over him being the highest Bishop in all Asia but made meanes vnto the said pope by the frindship of Theophilus patriarch of Alexandria and S. Chrysostome and so appeased that matter as the Ecclesiasticall historyes do testifie And Theodoret that renowmed Hstoriographer Theodoret Leoni Episcopo Romano Post loâ— sudores labores ne in ius quidem vocatus sum condemnatus Ego autem Apostolicae vestrae sedu expecto sententiam supplico obsecro vestram sanctitatem vt mihi opem ferat iustum vestrum rectum appâ—llanti iudicium iubeat ad vos accurrâ—re ostendere meam doctrinam vestigia Apostolica sequentem ante omnia rogo vt sâ—iam a vobis an in inâ—â—sta hac depositione me oporteat acquiâ—scere an non vestram enim expecto sententià m si iudicatis sâ—are me iusserie stabo nec vlli deinceps homini molestiam exhibebâ— being Bishop of Cirus vnder the patriarch of Antioch did neverthelesse fly by appeale to Leo the great pope of Rome for redresse Thus hee writeth vnto him I attend the sentence of the sea Apostolike and do humblie beseech your holines that you defend and protect me appealing vnto your iust and vpright iudgment seat If you comaund mee to submitt my selfe to their sentence that haue condemned mee I will yeeld to it and neuer bee troublesome to any other Let these suffice for thâ— patriarkship of Antioch There remaines only the patriarch of Ierusalem for whom Anastasius patriarch of the same sea Anastâ—sius pâ—triâ—â—cha Hieâ—osolymâ—â—â—lâ—us epist ad Foelicâ—m papam Fuit seâ—per â—postolicae sedis vâ—stre liâ—â—ntia â—â—iustâ— damnatos vel â—xcommuniâ—atos potestatis suae auctoritate restituâ—re sua omnia eu râ—dderâ— illos qui eos câ—â—demnarunt aut excommunicavâ—â—unt Apostolico punire priuilegio sicut etiam nostris anterioribus novimus factum tempâ—ribuâ— antiquis regulis sancâ—tum est â—t quicquid quamuis tâ—â—â—â—otu prouinâ—â—s super corum querduant accusationibus ageretuâ— non prâ—â—s tractandum vel accipiendum esset quam ad notitiam alma vestra sedis esset deductum vt huâ—us auctoritate iuxta quod fuisset faciendum infirmaretur aut firmaretur about the same time in his letters vnto foelix pope of Rome writeth in this manner It was alwaies the libertie of your Apostolike sea by the authoritie of your power to acquite them that were vniustly condemned and excommunicated and to restore them to all they had lost eveÌ„ as wee haue seene done in our times and haue heard in the daies of our predecessors for saith hee a litle after it is by ancient Canons decreed that whatsoever bee handled about the affaires of Bishops yea though in prouinces farre remote that the same should not bee fullie determined before it were brought to the notice of your holie sea and by the aucthority therof bee either confirmed or reiected This great and ancient Patriarch not only witnesseth such soveraigne power and authoritie to belonge vnto the Bishop of Rome but pleadeth also for the same out of the former approved Canons of the Church Among which that of the councel of Sardica I hold to bee the chiefest Ex concilio Sardicense c. 4. Quod si aliquis episcopus adiudicatus fuerit in aliqua causa putat se bonam causam habere vt iterum iudicium renouetur si vobis placet S. Petri Apostoli memoriam honoremus vt scribatur Romano Pontifici si iudicauerit renouandum esse iudicium renouetur det iudicos si autem probauerit talem causam vt ea non refriceutur quae acta sunt Quae decreuerit Romanus Pontifex confirmata erunt Si ergo omnibus placeat statuatur synodus respondit placet c. 5. Alter episcopus post talem appellationem in eadem cathedra no admittetur nisi causa fuerit in iudicio Romani Pontificis determinata where it is in expresse tearmes decred that if any Bishop of what countrie soever have his cause iudged otherwise then hee thinketh right hee may appeale vnto the Bishop of Rome who maie appoint new Iudges and send them to heare it againe and finallie determine it Now that they who haue lesse skill in ancient histories may vnderstand of what creditt that councell of Sardica is Let theÌ„ know first that it was called by Iulius Bishop of Rome Secondly there were present that famous Hosius who was one of the presidents of the Nicene councell And Athanasius with many other renowmed Bishops which had been members of the said first generall councell of Nice and above 300. Bishops came thither both out of the East and west as a Athan. Apolog 2 in medio Athanasius writeth wherfore hee tearmeth it instar Niceni such an other as the first Nicene councell was b Sulpit. l. 2. sacra histor Sulpitius Severus tearmeth it a councell called from all parts of the word c Socrat. l. 2 hist c. 16. Socrates in his history a generall councell Briefly the Centuriators of Magdeburg Centur. 4. cap. 99. do approve the same councell for Authenticall These few testimonies for the supreme power and authoritie of the Bishop and church of Rome being taken from verie eminent sincere and learned personages who in the florishing time of Christianity governed the patriarchall seas of the greeke and east churches confirmed also with the acts and sentences of the generall councell of Ephesus Chalcedon and Sardica cannot but giue full satisfaction vnto all true Christians that even in the purest antiquitie the popes coÌ„manding power and superioritie in government was beleeved practized and approved all Christendome over 14 After so many plaine demonstrations of the Bishops of Romes supremacie in causes ecclesiasticall I hope the curteous reader will
thing in this matter is that rocke vpon which Christ built his church Is not this deduction plaine enough But what will you say if the same most Autentike Doctor do in expresse tearmes affirme the church of Rome to bee that self same rocke then all the world maie see that to bee most apparantly true which I said And M. Abbot must needes confesse that hee ouershot himself verie grosly These bee S. Austins owne words come my brethren if you please August in Psalco partem donati Venite fratres si vultis vt inseramini in vite dolor est cum vos videmus praecisos ita iacere Numerate Sacerdotes ab ipsa Petri sede in ordine illo patrum quiâ— cui successit videre ipsa est petra quaÌ„ non vincunt superba inferorum porta and bee graffed in the vine It grieveth vs to behold you lying so cutt of Recken the priests even from the seate of Peter and in that rew of fathers regard to whom who succeeded that seate is the rocke which the proud gates of hell do not overcome The seat of Peter and succession of Bishopâ— of Rome is that rock in S. Austins iudgment against which hell gates shall not prevaile was not that the verie same rocke vpon which Christ built his church S. Hierom was another most learned Doctor of the ancient church Hier. Epist 57. ad Damasum Ego nullum primum nisi Christum sequens beatitudini tua id est Cathedra Petri communione consocior super illam petram aedificatain ecclesiam scio as all the learned know hee testifieth the same most plainly in these words vnto Damasus then Bishop of Rome I following none as chief but Christ am in communion associated vnto your holines that is vnto the chaire of Peter vpon this rocke I know the church of Christ to bee builded Lo S. Hierom knew and confessed S. Peters chaire in which Damasus the pope then sate to bee the same rocke vpon which Christ built his church Pope Iulius the first was yet a more ancient and a verie holie and grave father hee teacheth the same plainlie in these words Ex Iulij increpatoria ad Orientales Ipsa Romana sedes omnibus maior praelata est ecclesijs quae non solum Canonum sanctorum patrum decretis sed D. Saluatoris nostri voce singularem obtinuit principatum Tu es inquit Petrus super hanc petram adificabo ecclesiam meam The sea of Rome is preferred before all churches which not only by decrees of Canons and holie fathers hath obtained that singuler principalitie but by the voice of our lord when hee said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church If the church of Rome by these words of our Saviour vpon this rock I will build my church were preferred before all others as that graue holie prelate teacheth then must it needes follow that the church of Rome was the rock vpon which Christ built his church Damasus was also a very ancient holy Ex Epistola 4. B Damasi ad Stephanum Epist Concilia Aftiâ—ae Scitis fratres dilectiss firmamentum à deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium Episcoporum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem Ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronuntiat verbum Petrus super hanc petram adâ—ficabo Ecclesiam meam and learned Prelate he writeth in this sort you know most beloued brethren the Apostolik see of Rome to be constituted by God a fixed and vnmoueable firmament a most bright title of all byshops and topp of churches euen as the word of God doth pronunce saying thou art Peter and vpon this rock I will build my church he then also took and expounded those words of Christ to appertaine vnto the see of Rome The testimonie of these fewe ancient renowmed fathers is more then sufficient to iustifie what I said and to assure the vpright readers that some of the ancient fathers did interprete the church of Rome to bee that rock vpon which our Saviour built his church wherby they maie see how vnciuilly M. Abbot dealt with mee having no other ground for it then his owne ignorance coopled with audaciousnes Bicause M. Abbot doth in this paragraff thrust in here and there manie broken sentences out of the fathers against the supreme authoritie of the Bishop of Rome I hold it convenient to fortifie the same with some select testimonies of the best renowmed prelates of the Greeke and Easterne churches for if they whom it concerned most to stand for the dignitie and prerogatiues of their owne churches being the greatest personages in that part of the world which was farthest of from Rome do neuertheles acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to haue had in the time of pure antiquitie commanding authoritie and power over themselues and their churches then no vnpartiall and vpright mind can doubt but that the church of Rome alwaies hath had or should haue had authoritie of power and superioritie in goverment over all other churches of the world Athanasius one of the prime Doctors of the Greeke church both for holynes of life greatnes of learning soundnes of faith and by his place patriarch of Alexandria which was the highest seat in the easterne coasts This most reverend Archbishop and renowmed Champion of Christs church being grievously persecuted by the Arrian heretikes and verie iniuriously thrust out of his Bishoprike by their meanes made his recourse vnto Iulius then pope of Rome and besought him to call his aduersaries being also Easterne Bishops to Rome to answer there for those wrongs that they had done him by which fact of his he acknowledged most perspicuously the church of Rome to haue power and authoritie over Easterne Bishops to determine their ecclesiasticall causes Thus it standes of record in the Ecclesiasticall history Athanasius flying from AlexaÌ„dria went to Rome Zozomen lib. 3. histor cap. 7. Athanasius autem fugiens Alexandria Romam venit codem tempore Paulus etiam Constantinopolitanus Episcopus forte illuâ— accessit Marcellus quoque Episcopus Anciroe Azelopus Gazae c. Lucius Adrianopoli Quorum criminationes cum Episcopus Romanus intellexisset omnes fidei Concilij Nicenâ— consentientes reperisset in communionem recepit Ac cum propter sedu dignitatem cura omnium ad cum spectaret singulis suam Ecclesiam restituit scripsitque ad Episcopos Orientis cosque incusavit quod inconsulto de his viris iudicassent deditque mandatum vt quidam illorum nomine ad diem constitutum accederent qui etiam minatus est se de reliquo non passurum eos invltos nisi novis rebuâ— studere desisterent Paulus Bishop of Constantinople another great sea of the Greeke church was also fled thither for succour and diuers other Bishops of the said Easterne church whose accusations when the Bishop of Rome had heard
finding these Bishops conformable to the faith of the Nicene councell of which Athanasius had been a principall piller hee admitted them into communion of all spirituall matters And wheras by the dignitie of his sea the charge of all persons did apperteine vnto him hee restored them backe to their Bishoprickes And did write vnto the Bishops of the east blaming them for that they had vnaduisedly iudged of those personages and sent them a mandate that some of them should appeare at a certaine day in the name of the rest who also threatned that he would not afterward let them passe vnpunished if they gaue not ouer to molest others Is not heere plaine proofe of the Bishop of Rome his power and commaunding authoritie ouer the greatest Bishops in the east They appealed vnto him for iudgment hee heard their causes hee reversed the sentences given against them by the Bishops of the east hee finallie restored againe their Bishopricks vnto them cited the others to appeare before him and theatned to punish them if they continued in their ill doeing Hosius ad Imperator Constantium Citatus ab Athanas epist ad solit vitam agentes Ne te misceas Ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea à nobis disce tibi Deus imperium coÌ„misit nobis quae sunt Ecclesiae concredidit quemadmodum qui tuum imperium malignis oâ—ulis carpit contradicit ordinationi divinae Ita tu cave ne quae sunt ecclesiae ad te trahens magno crimini obnoxius fiaâ— The same is also witnessed by Athanasius himself in his epistle to them that lead a solitarie life and in his second Apologie where hee doth relate the whole busines and teacheth expresly that it did not belonge to CoÌ„stantius then Emperour to determine ecclesiasticall causes but that he ought to learne them of Bishops To Athanasius I will ioyne Cirillus bicause hee was patriarch of the same sea of Alexandria Cirillus epist 18 ad CelestinuÌ„ and as learned and valiant a maintayner of the third generall councell held at Ephesus as Athanasius had been of the first kept at Nice Extat Tomo 1. Concil Ephes cap 29. This most learned Archbishop confesseth the like commanding power to haue been in Celestinus then pope of Rome that thother did before in Iulius Quoniam vero deus hiscâ— in rebus prudentiam à nobis exigit long aque ecclesiarum consuetudo suadet vt istiusmodi sanctitati tuae communiceÌ„tur non possum equidem quod apertum est ad pietatem non perscribere post malefacta exposita subiungit Et quamvis res ita se habeat non prius tamen illius communionem confidenter deserere ausi fuimus quam haec ipsa pâ—etati tuae indicaremus Digneris proinde quid hic sentias declâ—rare quo liquido nobis constet communicare ne nos cum illo oporteat an vero libere eidem denunciare neminem cum eo communicarâ— qui eiusmodi Erroneam doctrinam fovet praedicat Porro tâ—a integritatis mens ac super hac re sententia non modo pijssimis Macedoniae Epistopis sed totius quoque Orientis Antistibus perspicue per literas exponi debet Thus hee writeth to him Bicause in busines of this nature God requireth of vs wisdome and the long continued custome of the church doth admonish vs to communicate them with your holines I cannot but giue your pietie to vnderstand what is here discouered of Nestorius Bishop then of Constantinople whose foule crimes and pestilent errours when hee had laid open and certified how hee had done his endevour to move him to repentance but all in vaine hee afterward addeth Albeit these things bee soe yet wee durst not forbeare communicating with him before wee had related these things to your pietie Vouchsafe therfore to declare what you deeme to bee done therin that wee may assuredly know whether wee ought to communicate with Nestorius or els boldlâ—e denounce that no man ought to communicate with him that doth dâ—fend such erronious doctrine your holines good pleasure and sentence in this matter is to bee notified not onlie to the Bishops of Macedonia but vnto all the prelates of the east Behold the maÌ„ner of proceeding in these pure times of the church S. Cirill who for learning was perhaps better able then Celestinus to iudge of the errour of Nestorius and being patriarch of Alexandria by his place held the highest court of Iudgment in the east church Celestin Papa Cyrillo Archiepiscopo habetureodem Tomo 1. Concil Ephes cap. 16. yet would hee not take vpon himself to determine of Nestorius heresies or to excommunicate him but referred both vnto the Bishop of Rome whose sentence therin both hee and all the Bishops of the east did require and embrace In this manner did the same pope Celestinus returne answere vnto S. Cirill Most Reverend brother do you take vnto you our authoritie Quamobrem nostra autoritate ascita nostráque vice loco cum potestate vsus eiusmodi non absque exquisita severitate sententiam exequeru nempe vt nisi à decem dierum intervallo ab huius nostrae admonâ—tionis die numerandorum nefariam doctrinam suam conceptis verbis anathematizeâ— eamque de Christi dei nostri â—eneratione fidem in posterum confessurum se spondeat quam Romana tuae sanctitatu ecclesia vniuersa denique religio Christiana praedicat illico sanctitas tua illi ecclesiae prospiciat and vsing our power and place do you execute against Nestorius the sentence of excommunication with exquisite severitie vnles within ten daies after hee hath been admonished from vs hee do recant and recall his errours and let your holines provide a more worthy person for that Bishoprike which mandate of his Cirillus with the whole couÌ„cell following proceeded to the deposition of Nestorius in this maÌ„ner No man doth doubt Tomo secundo eiusdem Concil Ephes cap. 16. Nulli dubium imo seculis omnibus nâ—tum est sanctum beatissimumque Petrum Apostolorum principem caput fideâ—que columnam ecclesiae Catholicae fundamentum à Domino nostro Iesu Christo caelestis regni claues accepisse solvendique atque ligandi potestate quam acceperat vsum fuisse necnon per successores suos huc vsque semper vivere causas decernere semperque victurum esse Huius itaque ordinarius successor vicarius sanctus beatissimusque papa Episcopus noster Celestinus nos suos pro se quasi vicarios misit c. Et hac est praefatio sententia Nos canonum vi sanctissimi que patris comministri nostri Celestini ecclesia Romanae Antistitis epistola compulsi hanc tristem in illam sententiaÌ„ tulimus naie it hath been in all ages notorious that the most blessed S. Peter priÌ„ce head of the Apostles the pillar of faith and foundation of the Catholike church did receive of our Saviour Iesus Christ
other reuerend Bishops not acquainting you with that matter wheras the iudgment of Bishops and finall determinatioÌ„ of their principall causes by the decrees of our fathers doth in honor of blessed S. Peter belong vnto your sea Is not this a most plaine aknowledgment of the Bishop of Romes commanding authoritie ouer the churches of Afrike And because no exception can be iustly taken either against pope Damasus learning and integritie or against his writings whose secretary somtimes was S. Hierome I will set downe his answer vnto the said African Bishop These bee his words Ex Epistola 4. damasi ad eundem Stephanum ad concilia Africae Nos qui supra domum eius hoc est vniuersalem ecclesiam Catholicam Episcopale suscepimus ministerium solicite vigilare de bemus etc scitis fatres dilectissimi firmamentum a deo fixum immobile atque titulum lucidissimum suorum sacerdotum id est omnium episcorum Apostolicam sedem esse constitutam verticem ecclesiarum Tu es enim sicut diuinum pronunciat verbum veraciter Petrus c cuius vice dei gratia hodie fungimur ideo omnia quae innotuistis non licere mandarem nisi vos tam plene instructos scirem quod cuncta super quibus consuluistis illicita esse non dubitetis discutere namque episcopos summas ecclesiasticorum negotiorum causas metrapolitano vna cum comprouincialibus licet sed definire ecclesiasticarum summas querelas causarum vel damnare episcopos absque huius sanctae sedis auctoritate minime licet ad quam omnes appellare si necesse fuerit eius fulcire auxilio oportet It behoveth vs that haue receiued Episcopall charge ouer the house of our lord that is the vniuersall church to watch carfully that nothing which belonges to that function be wanting c. you most beloued brother do know the sea Apostolike constituted of God an vnmoueable fortresse and the head of all churches which he proues by our Saviours words Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church averring the Bishops of Rome to be S. Peters successors and Christs vicars and at length saith That it is lawfull for Metropolitans to heare and discuss the causes of Bishops their suffragans but vnlawfull to determin them finallie without the authoritie of the sea of Rome vnto which it was lawfull for all Bishops to appeale when need required and there to find reliefe I come now to some other councells that were held in Africk immediatly before that African in which were present most of the same prelates The councell holden at Mileuitan writeth to Innocentius the first who was pope next before Zozimus to whom succeeded Bonifacius and Celestinus in this manner Bicause our lord of his speciall grace hath placed you in the sea Apostolike and hath afforded you such a one in our times Ex Epist 92. inter ep D. Aug. Quia te Dominus gratiae suae precipuo munere in sede Apostolica collocauit talemque nostris teÌ„poribus praestitit vt nobis potius ad culpam negligentia valeat si apud tuam venerationem quae pro Ecclesia suggerenda sunt tacâ—erimus quam ea tu pos is vel fastidiose vel negligenter accipere magnis periculis infirmorum membrorum Christi pastoralem diligentiam quaesvmus aâ—hibere digneris c. Multo plures qui eius sensuo diligentius indagare potuerunt aduersus euÌ„ progratia Christi et Catholicae fidei veritate confliguÌ„t praecipue sanctus filius tuus frater compresbiter noster Hieronimus Sed arbitramur adiuuante misericordia Domini Dei nostri Iesu Christi qui te regere consulentem orantem exaudire dignatur autoritati sanctitatis tuae de sanctorum scripturarum autoritate de promptae facilius eos qui tam peruersa perniciosa sentiunt esse cessuros that it may be rather imputed to the blame of our negligence if we conceale from your holines those things that are to be referred to the church then that you can either disdainfully or carlesly heare vs. wee therfore beseech you that you will vouchsafe to applie your pastorall diligence vnto the weake members of Christ c. Many others that could trace out the errors of Pelagius haue entred the combat with him in defence of the grace of Christ of the truth of the Catholike faith namely your holie sonne our brother fellow priest Hierome but through the mercies of Christ who will vouchsafe to heare you praying direct you giuing counsell wee bee of opinioÌ„ that they will sooner yeeld vnto the authoritie of your holines being deriued from the authoritie of holie scriptures This epistle is recorded amoÌ„g S. Austins so is another of that councell held at Carthage about the same time wherin the Bishop of Africa wrote thus to the same pope Holy Lord and brother we haue thought good to relate to you what we haue done Ex epist xc inter D. Aug. epistolas Hoc itaque gestum Domine frater sancte charitati tuae intimandum duximus vt statutis nostra mediocritatis etiam Apostolicae sedis adhibeatur autoritas pro tuenda salute multorum quorundam peruersitate etiam corrigenda that vnto the decrees of our mediocrity may be adioyned the authoritie of the sea Apostolike aswell for the preserving of manie mens saluation as for the correcting of some persons deprauation By both which Epistles we may easily perceiue how the African Bishops esteemed the church of Rome to bee the sea Apostolike to be that head church vnto which the affaires of higher nature are to bee referred That it had pastorall charge ouer the Churches of Africke that it had authority warranted by the word of God for the defining of matter of faith vnto which even heretikes would yeeld sooner then vnto any other though esteemed never so learned And therfore they sent the decrees of their councell vp to Rome to be confirmed by the pope All this being of record in approved African councels holden about the same time and by the same persons that were at that other African councell what reason hath anie man to thinke that therin the Bishop of Rome was forbidden to intermeddle in their affaires of Afrike Ex Epist D. Aug. IOB Missae sunt itaque de hac re ex duobus conciliis Carthaginensi et Mileuitano relationes ad Apostolicam sedem c. scripsimus etiam ad beatae memoria papam Innocentium c. Ad omnia nobis ipse rescripsit eodem modo quofas erat atque oportebat Apostolica sedis Antistitem S. Austin himself relateth both that these two councells to witt of Carthage and of Mileuitane had written vnto pope Innocentius and further doth assure vs that the popes answer to them was sound such as did well beseeme the sea Apostolike I will therfore be bold to acquaint the Reader with the same his answer These be his words You do
diligently Ex epistola 93. Diligenter ergo congrue Apostolico consulitis honori honori inquam illius quem praeter illa quae sunt extrinsecus solicitudo manet omnium Ecclesiarum super anxijs rebus quae sit tenenda sententia antiqua scilicet regulae formam sequuti quam toto semper ab orbe mecum nostis esse seruatam verum haec missa facio neque enim hoc vestram credo latere prudentiam Qui id etiam actione firmastis scientes quod per omnes prouincias ab Apostolico fonte potentibus responsa semper emanant praesertim quoties fidei ratio ventilatur arbitror omnes fratres coepiscopos nostros non nisi ad Petrum id est sui nominis honoris autorem referre debere velut nunc retulit vestra dilectio quod per totum mundum possit omnibus Ecclesiis in commune prodesse and as it becometh you respect the honor of the sea Apostolik the honor I say of it that besides her owne particuler hath a great care of all churches to declare vnto them what is to be holden of cōtroversies that do arise wherin you do follow the forme of the old Canōs which as you know haue been observed all the world ouer This I let passe bicause your wisdomes be not ignorāt of it but haue by your owne deed confirmed it knowing that answers do flow from the sea Apostolike as from a fountaine into all coūtries that demaūd the same and specially where the substance of faith is sifted out then I thinke that all our brethren and fellow bishops ought to referr the decision and determination therof vnto no other then vnto S. Peter the author of their owne name and order as your charity hath now done This I hope is plaine enough to demonstrate that in pure antiquitie the Bishops of Africk and other countries for the decision of controuersies in matters of doctrine specially were bound to seeke vnto the Bishop of Rome S. Austin as all men know was one of the greatest lights not only of the Africā church but of the whole world since his daies Hee was also present att the same African councell let vs heare whether hee thought that the Bishop of Rome had nothing to doe with the affaires of Africk or that the African Bishops might not appeale to Rome First hee with the other Bishops present at the councels of Carthage and Mileuitan did send the decrees of the same councell to bee confirmed of the pope of which I haue alreadie spoken Ex epistola D. August 261. ad papam Celestinum Collabora obsecro nobiscum pietate venerabilis domine beatissime papa iube tibi qua directa sunt omnia recitari vide Episcopatum qualiter gesserit c. existat exemplo ipsa sede Apostolica iudicata firmante subueni hominibus opem tuam in Christi misericordia multo auidius quam ille poscentibus 2 Hee writeth vnto pope Celestinus about the cause of an African Bishop requesting him to pervse all that had passed about him in Africk and to confirme their former iudgments wherin he acknowledgeth the court of Rome to bee aboue the highest courts in Africk 3 He testifieth that pope Zozimus had authoritie to establish Bishops in Africk and to call a councell there shewing how hee himself was by him sommoned to assist at the same councell in these words Aug. epistola 157. Litera quas ad Mantoniam Caesariensem misisti me apud Caesaream presente venerunt quo nos iniuncta nobis a venerabili papa Zozimo Apostolica sedis Episcopo Ecclesiastica Necessitas traxerat Ecclesiasticall necessitie being enioyned vs by the venerable pope Zozimus bishop of the sea Apostolike we were drawen vnto Cesarea in Mauritania 4 In the same Epistle he declareth how two notable heretikes Pelagius his disciple Celestius were cōdemned vnles they did repent all the world over Ibidem Cuius haeresis vel auctores vel certi acerrimi suasores cum Pelagius Calestinus extitissent conciliorum Episcopalium vigilantia in adiutorio saluatoris qui suam tuetur Ecclesiam etiam a duobus venerabilibus Antistitibus Apostolicae sedis papa Innocentio papa Zozimo nisi correcti etiam egerint paenitentiam toto Christiano Orbe damnati sunt by two renowmed popes Innocentiu and Zozimus wherfore he tooke their power to stretch all the world over where also having cited the decree of Zozimus in his owne words adioyneth this high commendation to it in these words of the sea Apostolike is comprehended so authentike so well grounded so certaine and cleere a definitiō of the Catholike faith that it were an impietie for anie christian man to doubt of it 5 So doth he commend the sentence of Melchiades pope of Rome giuen for Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage against Donatus in these wordes The finall sentence pronounced by Melchiadis Qualis ipsius beati Melchiadis vltima est probata sententia quam innocens quam integra quam prouida atque pacifica paulo post O virum optimum o filium Christianae pacis patrem Christianae plebis how innocent was it how sound how prouident peaceable and a litle after O most excellent mā the sonne of Christian peace and the father of Christian people And of the same good Archbishop Cecilianus Ibidem Episcopus Carthaginis Cecilianus potuit non curare conspirantem multitudinem inimicorum cum se videret Romana Ecclesiae in qua semper Apostolica cathedrae viguit principatus cateris vnde Euangelium ad Africam venit per communicatorias literas esse coniunctum S. Austin saith in the same place that hee needed not care for the multitude of his enemies conspiring against him so long as he saw himself by comunicatory letters ioyned with the church of Rome in which alwaies the principalitie of the Apostolike chaire did florish c. Saint Austin then directing with others the decrees of their councell to be confirmed by the pope teaching also that it were an impiety to doubt of his sentence further affirming that he could condemne heretikes all the world over doth plainly signifie that he held the definition of the sea of Rome for matter of faith to be inviolable Againe walking himself with other Bishops of Africk to a councell at the popes commandement and holding the popes sentence for a finall determination of the African bishops Ecclesiasticall affaires yea avouching in plaine words that the primacy of the Apostolike sea had alwaies florished at Rome All these specialties considered who can doubt but that Saint Austin both in that African councell and ever after was of opinion that the pope of Rome might intermeddle with the Ecclesiasticall causes of Africk and that the African Bishops and their causes and councels might be verie well and ought in some cases to be referred vnto the iudgment of the Bishop of Rome 23 Not long after Saint Augustin liued pope Leo the great who
that I will do that for him which hee blinded with self loue imagined impossible for any man to do to wit I will put downe his argument more cleerly and formerly then he hath done himself as every scholler that can Iudge of the forme of an argument may easily perceaue in this manner No part can be the whole but the church of Rome is but a part to wit the head of the church Ergo it cannot be the whole This his so often repeated argument without any new fortificatiō needs no other refutatiō than that which hath been once or twice giuen before Thus at length we come to the end of M. Abbots first chapter which was diuided into fower sections or parts and haue by the helpe of Gods good grace both defended and proued that supreme commanding power of Iurisdiction which consisteth in the chief government of Christs church vpon earth to haue been by our blessed Saviour first established and placed vpon the person of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles that there should be perfect vnity in his Ecclesiasticall kingdome then that the same might endure not for tearme of S. Peters life only but alwaies continue vnto the worlds end He ordained that S. Peters successors the Bishops of Rome should enioy the same soveraigne authority ouer the whole Catholike church vntill the worlds end which I made good specially by the confession and acknowledgment of the greatest Patriarks most learned and best approued Prelats of the East churches because the better learned Protestants do after a manner grant vnto the Bishop and pope of Rome Of this read more in the note at the end of this chapter as patriarch of the west supreme authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer all the west churches Moreouer because the protestants do all and some obiect that fact of the African Bishops wherin they seemed to deny appeales of all vnder the degree of Bishops vnto the court of Rome as an argument of great moment against the said supreme commanding power of the sea of Rome I haue produced testimonies of the most ancient and best learned Bishops and Doctors of the African church averring the Iurisdiction of the church of Rome ouer themselues and their countrie So that there can remaine no scruple in the vpright and iudicious Readers vnderstanding but that the Bishop of Romes supremacy hath been acknowledged witnessed and obeyed all the world ouer even in the pure times of most florishing Christianity And consequently that all they who desire to bee sound and perfect Catholiks must imbrace and professe the faith and religion of the same Roman church or els be content to bee reckened in the rew of hereticall or schismaticall Congregations And as in this life they willingly take part with them in their schisme and errors so they may assure themselues vnles God giue them grace to repent to bee against their wils sorted with them in the finall separation at the last day and to haue their vnlucky lott with them in the lake euer burning with fire and brimstone from which our most mercifull Lord and sweet Saviour Christ Iesus deliuer all them that professe his truth and holy name Amen M. Richard field Doctour of diuinity in his fift book of the church printed at london 1610. of the bishop and church of Rome hath these positions FIrst in the 32. chapter that the Bishop of Rome doth succeed S. Peter in the Bishoprique of the City and in the honour of being one of the prime Bishops of the world Secondly in the 34. chapter that the church of Rome was head of all churches that is first in order and honour among them but not in absolute supreme commaunding power 3 That the same church was in more speciall sort head of such churches as were within the Patriarchship of Rome as was all the west church To which effect his maiesty of England our soueraigne lord writeth to all Christian Monarches Pag 46. If there were yet question among the Patriarches for the first place I would with all my hart giue my consent that the Bishop of Rome should haue the first seat I being a westerne king would go for the patriarch of the west 4 That the Bishop of Rome had the care of all churches not as absolute supreme commaunder but as most honorable among the Bishops who were first to be sought vnto in matters requiring a common deliberation and from whom all things generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or at the least to seek confirmation before they were generally imposed and prescribed The same Doctour in his preface to the reader teacheth that to compose variances rising between Patriarches and their Bishops or among themselues he that was in order and honour before the rest might lawfully interpose himself and in his synode iudg of such differences And in such cases as could not be so ended or that concerned the faith and the state of the whole vniuersall church there remained the iudgment and resolution of a generall councell wherin the Bishop of the first sea that is the Bishop of Rome was to sitt as President and moderatour Obserue how easily that which we teach of popes the supremacy may be gathered out of these principles for if it appertaine vnto the Bishop of Rome as prime Patriarch to compose the differences rising betwixt other Patriarches and their Bishops if he must be principally sought vnto for finall resolutions in matter of faith if care of all churches belong to him and from him all thinges generally concerning the state of the whole church were either to take beginning or els to seek confirmation let any vnderstanding man exercised in gouernment tell me how Patriarches and Bishops may be conuented to appeare without commaunding authority and how without compelling power the popes finall determinations would be of all parties obeied THE SECOND CHAPTER M. ABBOT The comparisons betweene the Donatists and Papists iustified and enlarged page 51. R. AB IT is a meere vsurpation wherby the Papists call the Roman church the Catholike church and the same that the Donatists of old did They held the Catholike church to be art Cartenna in Africk and the Papists hold it to be at Rome in Italy W. B. THis cōparison is a fond new deuise of M. Abbot wherin there is skarce one spark either of wit or learning wherfore it deserued rather to be abridged or wholy cāceld then to haue been enlarged Iustified it can never bee because it hath not many true words in it Take a tast of this first branch which is false on both sides for neither was Cartenna in Africa but in Mauritania nor did the Donatists hold their pretended Catholike church to bee at Cartenna but esteemed the Rogatists who so much magnified Cartenna to be wicked Schismatiks altogether vnworthy the name or communion of their supposed Catholik church as S. Austin M. Abbots owne author doth testifie Aug. Epist 48. in the place
Nunnes kings princes and Lords with all the world and all the deuils must approue this article that faith alone without any worke doth iustifie before god and they shall haue over and aboue the fire of hell on their heads and no thanks for their labour This is Martin Luthers inspiration by the holie spirit the true and holy Gospell behold the superlatiue pride of this pelting Apostate he and his spirit are to be preferd before all the world How scornfully and contumeliously he esteemed of kings and Emperors and how contemptuously they were to be dealt withall in his iudgement any man that will read his answere vnto king Henry the eight may see I say saith hee openly without a vizard that this Harry king of England doth plainly lie and with his lies resembleth rather a most light scoffer then a king c. this for a tast of his vnciuill and spitefull demeanor towards Monarches conformable to his doctrine of kings deliuered in these tearmes A wise king is a rare bird and more rare yet is an honest king they are cmmonlie the greatest fooles and the most wicked knaues on the earth wherfore the worst that can be is to be expected at their haÌ„ds litlâ— good specially in matters that beloÌ„g to god for they are gods Catchpoles and hangmen Luther de potesta te secui ad Ioh duâ—em saâ—o Our god is a great Lord and therfore will haue noble illustrious and rich catchpoles and hangmen It is gods pleasure that we should call his hangmen our clement Lords c. This and a tumbrell more of like scurrility may be raked out of that rude renegats writings against the Maiesty of kings and Emperors with more contempt scorne and contumely out of him alone than out of all Catholike authors that haue writen this five hundred yeres sett togither so that none may bee compared to Protestants if they wil be sibbe to their sire for abusing kings and Emperors and for exalting themselues aboue them But let vs leaue Luthers pride and descend to the particulars of Donats presumption and see how it may bee applied to the pope Donate would not acknowledge a Carthagini se principatum â—enere credidit donatus the Emperors Soveraigne temporall power Optatus l. 3. co Parm. but out of his owne pride sought to withstand even the Emperors pious gifts of holy vestments to the church and of almes to the poore charging his party not to receiue any such gifts from the Emperors officers what like to this is there to bee found in any pope They acknowledg themselues to haue receiued of the Emperors courtesies most of all their b Miserat Imperator ornamenta domibus dei mâ—serat eleemosinam pauperibus dâ—natus literu praemisit ne id quod allatum â—ueraâ— pauperibus dâ—spensaretâ—â— temporalties and never yet was any one of them found that did not acknowledg the Emperor to bee supreme governor of his Empire in all temporall affaires although there haue been among them that thought Emperors might for some enormious faults deserue to be punished even by depriuation from that dignity Ibidem Donatus tooke himself to good to c Dat donatus solus secreto nescio quid agebat pray in company with others The pope daily not only praieth with others but also humbly confesseth his sins to others Donatus tooke himself to bee better then all other bishops yea did scarse vouch safe to bee called a Bishop d Raro est appellatus episcopus sed donatus cartha ginis The popes albeit higher in dignity then other Bishops yet in true humility esteeme themselues farr inferior to many of the common people The popes may iustly terrifie men with gods Iudgments and indignation if they presume to transgresse Gods or their superiors comaundements For god hath promised to blesse them whom his priests principally such as be in authoritie do blesse to hold theÌ„ for accursed whoÌ„ they do deseruedly accurse Mary so to deliuer the matter as though the popes were coÌ„mauÌ„ders ouer Gods sentences is as malicious as that which M. Abbot ioyneth with it is slanderous to wit that the popes take vpon them to dispence against the law of God and to disamill the institution of Christ But vntil M. Abbot do bring in some better proofe heerof then his owne bare words these points may bee scored vp in the rew of his former slanderous vntruthes And I would gladly know how M. Abbot can proue that the pope doth suffer himself to bee called by the name of God right worthily I warrant you and like himself a gloser forsooth vpon the Canon law neither speaking to the pope nor writing to him but in a by-treatise saith Our Lord God the pope Marke I pray you how haÌ„dsomly this hangeth togither One and he parhaps none of the wisest writeth such a thing in the latter end of a long glosse that many a pope neuer saw and some perhaps neuer heard of how then can that bee in any reasonable construction imputed to all popes It stands saies M. Abbot vncorrected in a glosse of his canon law in the edition of Paris printed 1601 with the priuiledg of Gregory the thirteene He should haue added thervnto who died fifteene yeeres before the date therof for Gregory the 13. died the tenth of Aprill 1585. Let that passe as a light ouersight this that foloweth is worse for if it stand still in that edition vncorrected why is not that the fault of the corrector rather then the popes who be not at leasure theÌ„selues to survey ouer newe impressions But what if that word God be not to bee found at all in those copies of the canon law which are in the popes library as some right honest men who haue caused diligent search to bee made in the vaticane copies haue related and certifyed then no marvell though the popes did never correct that which never was to bee found in the true originals Sure I am that I my self haue seen three severall copies printed at Paris one of Anno 1517. another of 1536. the third of 1550 or therabout that had not that word God in them So that all M. Abbots great outcry so often repeated hangs vpon the ouersight of a poore corrector or at most depends vpon a diuerse reading which euery wiseman knowes to be a very sandy and weake foundation And who is ignorant that the word God may be attributed vnto creatures Exod. 7.1 though in a farre different sense Doth not God himself say to Moises I haue made thee the God of Pharao Our blessed Saviour out of that text of the old Testament Psal 81 6 Ioh. 10.35 I sayd you are gods doth proue that many others beside God may bee called Gods namelie princes and chiefe governors either ecclesiasticall or temporall hauing for this the testimony of God himself I need add none other Now to Donatus that so behaued himself in some things as if hee
Romes supremacy Ergo there is no such matter in all the scripture M. Abbot blushing at the vglie shape of this ilfavoured argument to botch it out doth adde that by those seaven churches are figured the whole church of Christ and yet there is not a word in thē of the supremacie of the church of Rome I thinke well nor of thundreth matters moe that belonge to the christian religiō for these seaven short letters which S. Iohn writes to the seaven churches are contained within the compasse of three pages of one little leafe in octauo in their owne bible and can anie man bee so simple as to dreame that all the points of our faith are comprehended within them S. Iohn com̄ends the vertues reprehends the vices of those churches but doth treat of verie few points of doctrine and therfore no strange case if hee spake not of the supremacie of the church of Rome M. Abbots third argument the church of Rome hath a speciall caution given her not to presume vpon her stabilitie in the faith lest she fall Rom. 11.20 S. Paul saying to her Be not high minded but feare for if God spared not the naturall branches take heed also lest hee spare not thee Behold the bountifulnes of God towards thee if thou continue in his boūtifulnes or els also thou shalt bee cut of Ergo what hee had neede to bee a cūning fletcher that could make either a bolt or a shaft of this fit for the purpose First here is nothing at all against the church of Romes supremacie nor yet anie certaine assertion against her stability in the received faith For here is aswell a promise of Gods bountifulnes towards them if they will do well as a threat against them if they do evill Againe all this is besides the cushion for though that Epistle bee to the Romanes yet S. Paul there doth expresly direct that discourse not to the Romanes in particuler but in generall to all the Gentiles beginning it thus for to you Gentils I say c. Ibid. v. 13 and goes on with a comparison betweene the Iewes and the Gentils so that nothing is more perspicuous then that the warning there given is not speciall to the Romans but generall to all Gentiles These loe bee the foregallāts shal I saie or rather the forlorne hope of M. Abbots terrible argumēts marshalled by himself in the forefrōt of his batlle to daūt the Enemy are wee not like thinke you to haue a hott skirmish of it where such drosse and refuse of arguments are thought worthie the first and best place but it were pittie that such a bad cause should bee burnished sett out with anie better M. Abbot having given such a mighty pushe at our position cometh to confute that I said to witt that it is deduced out of Gods word rightly vnderstood according to the interpretation of the ancient fathers that the church of Rome is that rock vpon which Christ built his church against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile To which M. Abbot as though he went about to choke dawes saies that I giue him chalke for cheese bicause I promised a deduction out of the word of God and in steed therof bring an exposition of the ancient fathers Marke gentle reader my words and then thou canst not but find M. Abbot to be an egregious wrangler for I performed that deduction which I promised out of Gods word naming the verie place out of which it is deduced but because I ioyned with it according vnto the exposition of ancient fathers hee like a man scarse well in his wits cries out that in steed of scriptures I bring in an exposition of the fathers when I do make mention of the fathers exposition not as the ground of my deduction but onlie for the true sense of those words of holy scripture out of which I do make the said collection The deduction in my former booke was verie briefe bicause I did there point onlie at the places of holie scriptures out of which it might bee gathered the question of the supremacy being there but touched by the way wherof M. Abbot takes advantage and saies that I am dumbe and can say no more because I will not bee like to him and out of season thrust forth long discourses of by questions I hauing also before written a whole chapter of the supremacy in my second part against M. Perkins where M. Abbot saw well enough that I could haue said here much more of the same matter if need had so required but such is his impudencie that he cares not what hee saie so hee maie make a shewe to his simple reader that hee hath canvased his aduersarie seeing that M. Abbot hath here hudled together verie much of that matter I will more at large sett downe these deductions and orderlie confirme each member therof The first fountaine out of which all the rest do flow as riuers is this The chief superiority in governmēt and authoritie of power over all the church was by our blessed Saviour given to S. Peter and to his successors vnto the end of the world but the Bishops of Rome are S. Peters successors therfore the Bishops of Rome have from our saviours grant and gift authority of power and superiority of goverment over all the church The maior of this argument is to bee deduced out of the word of God the minor being a matter of fact and that which hapned after S. Peters death to wit who was his successor shall haue sound proofe out of the most approved testimony of the best witnesses since that age All which being performed the conclusion that the Bishop of Rome hath supreme commaunding power over all the church must needs stand most assured That our blessed saviour gaue superiority of government to S. Peter vnder the metaphore of a rocke or foundation in building when he said Thou art Peter Math. 16 and vpon this rocke I will build my church Thus I proue Christ made Peter the rock or foundation of his church therfore he gaue to him the chiefest place of government in it for as the foundation is first placed and doth vphold all the rest of the building so he that is the foundation in the spirituall building of Christes church hath the chiefest place therin is to com̄and over all the rest To make this more perspicuous we must call to mind that amongest other titles and names of the church of God one is a house as the Apostle sheweth that thou maist knowe how to converse in the house of God 2. Tim. 3.15 which is the church and the faithfull are called by the same Apostle 1. Cor. 3.9 Ephes 4.12 the building of God Dei aedificatio estis Againe God gaue some Apostles some Doctors c. to the building vp of the bodie of Christ S. Paul as a wise Architect laid the foundation and others builded thervpon Now in that supernaturall and
church vpon him when he said to him Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my church these wordes would haue marred M. Abbots market therefore he did wisely to ouerskip them now that which followeth may serve rather to confirme our opinion then make anie whit for theirs for thus it may bee vnderstood Saint Peter for that his confession of faith received power and vertue from Christ to confirme others in the faith thereby to establish them to life And so by that confession of faith made by Saint Peter the faithfull are established to life Againe Saint Ambrose who elswhere often and in that verie place teacheth S. Peter to bee that rocke vpon which the church was built might make a secondarie good morall construction of those wordes teaching every man to believe as Saint Peter did and to make the like confession of their faith that they might be setled in the right way to life everlasting which moralization of Christs words doth not crosse but suppose the true litterall sence to bee as before you haue heard out of Saint Ambrose with the vniforme consent of other fathers To that which followeth in the same Author these words of the Apostle in him all the building is coopled together c. are the sense and meaning of that which our lord said vpon this rocke I will build my church I answer there is a cunning tricke vsed in cutting of the Apostles wordes in the middest with an c and making that to be the exposition of the first part of the sentence which Sainct Ambrose makes the interpretation of the last as may appeare vnto him that will see the place for his reason is fideles enim sunt superficies templi dei c. for the faithfull of holy conversation bee the walls or over parts of that temple of God which suteth well with the latter end of Saint Pauls sentence which is in whom you also are built togither into an habitation of God in the holy Ghost in brief S. Ambrose meaning in that place is no other then that the Apostle vsed the same Metaphore of building which our Saviour did when he said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church Of which spirituall building the faithfull are the over partes the Apostles the foundations amoÌ„g whom S. Peter is the rocke and Christ the head corner stone that closeth all togeather and beareth vp both peoples aswell those that went afore as those that came after his incarnation M. Abbots fourth obiection Epla Iuuenalis â—t Epist pal in Apendice Concil Cholced the whole number of the Bishops of Palaestina in the councell of Chalcedon vnderstood Christs words so vpon this confession the church of God is confirmed and strengthened ANSWERE THat whole number I find to bee but two or three and they not in the councell neither nor during the time of that councell but after they came home from the councel and their meaning is plaine for vs. They having been att the councell of Chalcedon and there heard and saw how Discorus patriarch of Alexandria was for his heresie and obstinacie censured and condemned by the sentence of Leo the great Bishop of Rome did certifie all them that were vnder their charge that the church of God was confirmed and strengthned by the confession and declaration of the Bishop of Rome S. Peters successor and how in him was verified that sentence of our Saviour vpon this rocke I will build my church and that other also Thou being conuerted confirme and strengthen thy brethren which is all as direct for vs as can bee besides what other pregnant proofe there is in that generall councell for S. Peters supremacy and that the Bishop of Rome is his successor in the same supreme authoritie shal bee heerafter declared more at large Out of these former arguments M. Abbot maketh this inference that by the exposition of the ancient fathers it maie appeare that Christ eueÌ„ the true faith of Christ for Christ is nothing to vâ— but by faith is the true rocke whervpon the church is builded to which S. Iohn accordeth This is the victorie that over cometh the world even our faith for who is hee that overcometh the world but hee that believeth that Iesus is the sonne of God what is this good Sir to the preseÌ„t purpose of the popes supremacie though faith in some good sense may bee called a rocke bicause it is the foundation and ground worke of all other Christian vertues yet how doth it follow therof that S. Peter is not that rocke vpon which it pleased Christ to build his church what because ther is an order in the frame of a vertuous life must it needes ther vpon ensue that there is no order in the government of Christs Church is not this a very strange inference For the clearer explication of this doubt â—â—t this distinction bee observed the building of Christs church as it is like to a kingdome differeth much from the building of a spirituall temple vnto the holie Ghost in our soules to the first kind of building beloÌ„g subiects and magistrates Bishops Archbishops and so forth the highest wherof vnder Christ was S. Peter To the other inward building concurre all such divine graces and qualities that serue for the reformation of our soule as faith hope Charitie humilitie and such like among which vertues faith in Christ Iesus is at it were the fundamentall stone to the argument then this is the answere that albeit faith in Christ be as it were the rocke and foundation of all Christian vertues yet that is no let but that in the order of Christian magistrates S. Peter may be the rock and haue the chief commaunding power giuen to him and to his successors the Bishops of Rome purity of faith boldnes of confession fervour of Charitie rare gifts of God bestowed on S. Peter were the principall dispositions in him to that other high dignitie and authoritie but the authoritie it self of government was not bestowed on those vertues but vpon the person of Saint Peter though in regard of the same divine qualities After these arguments M. Abbot inferreth that if Christ bee the rocke properly and truly Saint Peter cannot bee the rocke but accidently and vnproperly in respect of his doctrine and example of saith vttered in his confession As Abraham is the rocke from whâ—nce wee are hewed so is Peter the rock wheron wee are built not that either of them conferreth any thing to vs but only for that they staÌ„d before vs for patterns of imitation I answer that he should rather haue made this inference bicause Christ is the rocke of the Church most properly therfore S. Peter is the rocke therof also properly both for that Christ made him the rocke who maketh all things well and properly and also because the properties of a rocke do fitlie agree to S. Peter that is to bee constant and firme in the faith to strengthen and vphold
the redeemer of mankind the keies of the kingdome of heaven and the power of loosing and binding And that also even vnto these daies hee doth in his successors liue and determine causes and shall alwaies liue To him doth Celestinus now Bishop of Rome in right order succede finally by vertue of power receiued from the said Celestinus they proceede to pronounce senteÌ„ce against Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople All which set togither standing of record in the third generall councell doth demonstrate that the Easterne church did acknowledge both the Bishop of Rome to bee S. Peters lawfull successor And that it also did appertaine to him to excommunicate and depose principall Bishops of the Greeke and Easterne church which no man can doubt to bee principall and most proper actes of supreme power in government with this I will linke another like example practised and recorded in the fourth generall councell held at Chalcedon Dioscorus patriarch of Alexandria being for his erronious opinions and enormious actions called in question was convented to answere in that generall councell first all the actions that are entered against Dioscorus are stiled thus Concil Chalced. actio 3. Libellus Theodoridiaconi ad Leonem PapaÌ„ ad Chalced coÌ„cilium Libellus Iscyronis ad Leonem nem PapaÌ„ Chalcedon conciliuÌ„ Vnto the most holy and most happie Archbishop of the great and old Rome Leo and to the generall councell assembled at Chalcedon Setting the Bishop of Rome as head before the generall couÌ„cell as his bodie which in expresse tearmes the whole couÌ„cel acknowledgeth writing vnto the said pope Leo the great That hee was President over them Quibus tu quidem sicut membris caput praeâ—ras quam velut auro textam seriem ex veste Christi praecepto legislatoris venientem vsque ad nos ipse servasti vocis beati Petri omnibus constitutus interpres eius si lei beatificationem super omnes adducâ—ns even as the head is to the rest of the members that the custodie of our lords vineyard was coÌ„mitted to him that hee was the interpreter of Saint Peters sentence Observe secondlie the forme of their definitiue sentence which is thus set downe The most holie and most blessed Archbishop of great and old Rome Leo Ibidem in exemplari epist Paschacini Vnde sanctissimus ac beatissimus Papa caput vniuersalis ecclesiae Leo per nos vt lâ—gatos suos sancta synodo consentiente Petri Apostoli praeditus dignitate qui ecclesiae fundamentum et petra fidei calestis regni lanitor nuncupatur Episcopali eum Dioscorum dignitate nudavit ab omni sacerdotali opere facit exortem by vs and this present holy councell together with the most happie most worthy Apostle S. Peter who is the rock and topp of the Catholike church hee who is the foundation of the Orthodox and true faith hath deposed Dioscorus from all Episcopall dignitie and deprived him of all priestlie function and ministery First let it bee well obserued and borne in mind that all the parts of this my discourse be verified in the sentences of these two generall councells First that S. Peter was that rocke vpon which Christ built his church Secondlie that the Bishop of Rome succeeded him therin Thirdlie that in the vertue therof is comprehended power and authoritie to vphold the Orthodox saith and to punish and depose the highest patriarches in the church aswell of the east as of the west if they do obstinatlie trouble the peace of Christs church This having been by the verdict and practise of the pure Church in ancieÌ„t time so cleerly testified in two of those prime generall councells which the Protestants themselues do confesse to bee Orthodox and authenticall what reasonable Christian can take anie exception against it yet for more full confirmation of this most important point of our faith I will passe through all the patriarchall seas and out of each of them choose some sufficient proofe for the popes supremacie in gouernment Athanasius patriarch of Alexandria was absolued and restored by Iulius pope of Rome Dioscorus of the same sea was excomunicated and deposed by Leo the great Nestorius patriarch of Constantinople was in like manner censured and depriued by Celestinus pope of Rome of whom wee haue alreadie treated Now to S. Iohn Chrysostom Bishop of the same city of Constantinople who was absolued and restored to his Bishopricke by Innocentius the first pope of Rome This verie learned zealous and godly prelate and most eloquent preacher was through the malice of the Empresse Eudoxia assisted by her husbaÌ„d the emperour Archadius deposed hoised out of his seate euen by the verdict of many Easterne Bishops assembled in a councell wherof Theophilus patriarch of Alexandria was the head wher vpon hee treading in the noble stepps of Athanasius and diuerse other good Bishops made his appeale to InnoceÌ„tius pope of Rome craving of him to reuerse that vniust sentence which had been given against him Innocentio Papae Ioannes Chrisost ex palladio in vita eius Quapropter ne confusio haec omnem quae sub coelo est nationem enuadat obsecro vt scribatis quod baec tam inique facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur sicut nec sua natura habent Illi autem qui inique egerunt poena â—cclesiasticarum legum subâ—aceant nobis vero qui nec conuicti nec redarguti nec habiti vt rei literis vestris charitate vestra aliorumque omnium quorum scilicet anâ—ea societate fruâ—bamur fâ—ui concâ—dite these bee his words I beseech thee holie father that their sentence so vniustly giuen in my absence I not refusing iudgement maie bee of no validity furthermore that they who haue done mee that wrong may according to the lawes of the church bee punished And commaund that I being innocent and not to bee convicted of any crime may bee restored to my church againe See most evident acknowledgment of the Bishop of Romes power to repeale the sentence of a councell holden in the greeke church by the greatest patriarch of those coasts yea and to inflict punishment vpon them Item to restore Saint Iohn Chrisostome to his Bishopricke againe which Innocentius effected Ex epist 30. Innocent ad Archadium ex Nicepho 10 l. 13. c. 34. Itaque ego minimus peccator cui thronus magni Apostoli Petri creditus est segrego to illam a perceptione immaculatorum mysterioruÌ„ Christi dei nostri Episcopum etiam omnem aut clericum ordinis sancta dei ecclesiae qui administrare aut exhibere â—a vobis ausuâ— fuerit ab ea hora qua presenteâ— vinculi meilegeritis literas dignitate sua excidisse decerne thundering out a most terrible sentence of excomunication against the Emperour Archadius in these tearmes I the least of Gods seruaÌ„ts and a sinner vnto whom the throne of the great Apostle S. Peter
giue mee leaue to imploy one probable presumption that in my poore opinion doth much fortifie the same It is collected out of those letters which in ancient time were called literae formatae and granted either vnto Bishops at their first creation or vnto priests that were dismissed by licence from their ordinary This kind of letters was in great vse in the primitiue church for no stranger was admitted into communion among the Catholiks without them The invention of these leters is referred to the first generall councell holden at Nice and the forme of them is recorded authentically in the end of the Chalcedon councell immediatlie before the letters of the Illustrious persons that wrote in or about that councell vnder this title Atticus Episcopus qualiter formata Epistola fiat In this epistle fower letters principally were set for an assured token that hee in whose favour they were granted was a sound Catholike The three former letters were the first letters of the father of the sonne and of the holy Ghost to testifie that hee believed aright in the blessed Trinitie and therfore was no Arrian Sabellian Macedonian or such like heretike the fourth letter in that formall Epistle was a the first letter of S. Peters name therby to signifie that the bearer was receiued into the vnitie of that church of which S. Peter as chief governor kept the keies the other letters of his name that graÌ„ted that Epistle Distinct 73. ca. 1. to whom it was granted I omitt as not necessary to this purpose hee that will may see a copiâ— of such an Epistle sett downe at large in Gratian where the misterie also of these letters is deciphered to bee such as I haue declared namely that the fourth letter was put for S. Peters name to make knowen that the bearer therof was a true member of that church in qua Petro datum est ius ligandi atque absoluendi in which to S. Peter was giuen the right of binding and loosing Out of which notable monument of antiquitie I draw this argument so well assured it was and a thing so notoriously knowne and approved in those purer daies of the primitiue church that S. Peter and the popes of Rome his successors were the chief governors of Christs church and the insoluble band of the vnitie therof that the first letter of S. Peters name was chosen for an vndoubted badge and token of being a sound member receiued into the vnity of the said Catholike church for why should the first letter of S. Peters name rather then any other of the Apostles bee taken for such an infallible marke of society with the catholike church had it not been a cleere overuled case that hee who like an even squared stone lay vpon that rocke and did adhere vnto the head of the church was vndoubtedly a true member therof This argument as it shall serue for a coÌ„clusion of that which goeth before so it will make a conuenient passage to that which followeth in M. Abbots text 15 There was saith hee a church when there was no Roman church at all how then could that church bee builded vpon the Roman church This is a verie poore obiection for speaking as wee now do of the church which was since our Saviours time if hee take that season next to Christs ascension S. Peter was head of that church during his owne life and after him the Bishops of Rome his lawfull successors No man ever said that the church or Bishop of Rome was head of the church before S. Peter had placed his seate there If M. Abbot will accord vs that ever since that time the church of Rome hath been head of the rest as in truth it hath been wee will easily grant him that before it had no such priviledg Another like slugg M. Abbot thrusteth forth thus If the church of Rome bee that rock and other churches bee builded thervpon then it would follow that the gates of hell should never haue prevailed against any other of those churches but it hath prevayled against them Ergo. True good Sir if those other churches had stuck close to the said rocke the gates of hell had never prevailed against them but they foolishly flitting from that firme rocke were sowsed in the surging seas and swallowed vp by the gulfe of hell M. Abbot saw this to bee so full an answere that hee could not tell what to saie to it but that wee haue no assurance that the church of Rome shall continue alwaies builded vpon Christ Iesus this is M. Abbots last refuge and to it as to a safe anchor he doth twenty times fly in this book wherfore it shall haue a full answer in its due place but let vs first see whether the Bishops of Rome be S. Peters lawfull successors because that comes next M. Abbot doth either graunt it to bee true or at least hee supposeth it for true for hee disproues it not wherfore I need not staÌ„d loÌ„g about it so much the rather because it is recorded by S. Iraeneus Iren. l. 3. v. 3. Tertull. de prescr 36. Euseb l. 2. hist c. 2. Epiphar heres 27. Optat. mi leuit l. 2. perm Hieron de viris ill 1. August Epistola 1â—5 Tertullian Eusebius Optatus mileuitanus S. Hierom S. Austin and briefly by the full consent of all that haue made anie Catalogue of S. Peters successors It is evident and confessed by both sides that our Saviour established such a forme of government in his church that hee would haue to continew as long as the same church continued that is alwaies to the worlds end which was according to our doctrine that one should bee head and supreme gouernor over all the rest to preserue vnity in faith and conformity in rites of religion And by name that one was S. Peter for his life time All which I haue before proved out of holy scriptures and the ancient fathers S. Peter finally making choise of Rome for the seat of his Bishoprick liued there many yeres and in the end died Bishop of Rome wherfore they that were choseÌ„ Bishops of Rome were to succede him as in that seate so in that supreme governmeÌ„t of Christs church which daily experience teacheth vs. for wee see that whosoever is chosen bishop of any place for example of Canterburie hee presentlie vpon his installing entreth vpon all the priuiledges of honour and government which the former Bishops his predecessors died possessed of so that no sooner any man is created Archbishop of Canterbury but that imÌ„ediatly hee is therby Metropolitane of England and hath comanding authority ouer all the Bishops of that prouince with law full Iurisdiction to heare and determyne all such causes that by appeale do come to his courts In like maÌ„ner Linus being chosen Bishop of Rome after the death of S. Peter entred into possession of full power authoritie not onlie ouer the Diocese of Rome but also over all the Bishops of Christs church
called into question by vntowardlie and degenerous Children that either wilfullie run out of her house to follow their owne pleasure and fancies or are for pure feare falne away from her and forsaken her ordinances M. Abbot admitting as it were that other churches should according to S. Irenaeus rule conforme themselues in matter of doctrine to the church of Rome yet to giue vs a tast of the subtility of his shifting witt addeth that ther is in that place of Irenaeus nothing for her superiority in goverment well that being once granted that all other churches should for matter of doctrine accord with the church of Rome it would theron necessarily follow that the church of England and consequently his maiestie ought to do the same which was all that I sued for yet over and besides Irenaeus words being well weighed do import also a superiority in goverment to be resident in that church which I proue bicause he saies that other churches must of necessity accord with the church of Rome for her more poteÌ„t principality Now if the church of Rome haue power and principality over other churches And do impose a necessitie vpon them of according vnto it it must needes haue superiority in goverment over them or els the other could not be bound of necessitie to follow it M. Abbot doth grammatically descant first vpon this word principalitie and saies that it may signâ—fie eminencie in estimation though not superioritie in goverment And that it maie bee potent also to move by example and perswasion only not by commaundement Be it so that these words maie be wrested into some such signification as what words be there that may not be diuerslie construed yet everie reasonable man will soone see that power and principalitie do properly import a commaunding superiority And will as easily graunt that the fathers words are rather to be fairly taken according to the more vsuall signification then in anie such forced sense and construction Againe seing that power and superioritie did even as S. Irenaeus expresseth impose a necessitie vpon others of conforming themselues to the church of Rome it could not bee that imagined superioritie of M. Abbots which imposeth no such necessitie wherfore it remaines evident that M. Abbot is driuen to flie from the vsuall signification true meaning of S. Irenaeus words In like manner M. Abbot to cast some better colour vpon his new devised principalitie or rather to shift over into another matter that seemes more plausible writeth thus 20 That M. Bishop may vnderstand I do not answere him by a deuise of mine Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. but according to the truth hee shall find that Ciprian calleth the chuâ—ch of Rome the princ pall church and yet in the same place he denieth the authority of the Bishops in Africa to be inferiour vnto the Bishops of Rome M. Abbot and other Protestants cannot choose but stand in bodily feare so often as they appeale vnto the ancient fathers for support of their novelties for you shall scarse find any one of them that doth not in the verie place alledged by the Protestants giue them such a bob that everie beholder maie plainly see they do not favour their cause nor are content to be called in for their witnesses Let S. Cyprian now cited by M. Abbot serve for an example This is the sentence out of which M. Abbot picked the former words Cypr. l. 1. Epist 3. iuxta pamel Epist 55. Post ista adhuc insuper pseudo-Episcopo sibi ab haereticis constituto nauigare audent ad Petri cathedram atque ad EcclesiaÌ„ principalem vnde vnitas sacerdotalis â—rta est a schismaticis profanis litteras ferre nec cogitare eos esse Romanos quorum fides Apostolo praedicante laudata est ad quos perfidia habere non posset accessum After those things and more also after a false Bishop appointed them by Heretiks they dare saile to the chaire of Peter and vnto the principall church whence priestlie vnity hath its beginning and carrie letters from schismatikes and prophane fellowes not remembring that such are the Romanes whose faith is praised by the Apostles voice vnto whom perfidie can haue no accesse I set downe the whole passage because by and by we must treate of the later part therof as well as now of the former where is sufficientlie declared that S. Ciprian tooke the church of Rome to be principall not onlie in estimation but in order of goverment which I proue First because hee affirmes the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire and consequently to be endued with like authoritie that S. Peter enioyed vpon whom as S. Ciprian in twentie places avoucheth the church of Christ was builded Secondly he describes it to be that principall church which is the fountaine of priestly and ecclesiasticall vnitie which could not be vnles it had power and authoritie to compell all other churches to stand to her order and therby to hold all in vnitie of faith and vniformity of religioÌ„ For as all the world now seeth there neither is nor can bee in mans iudgment any vnitie in faith or religious rites among Protestants bicause there is no one soveraigne coÌ„mauÌ„der over them all indued with authoritie to coÌ„pell the rest to agree in one And in the self same Epistle S. Cip. coÌ„firmeth this verie poiÌ„t in these memorable words Heresies haue not risen Cyprian ibidem Neque enim aliunde haereses orta sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod sacerdoti dei non obtemperatur nec vnus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos ad tempus iudex vico Christi cogitatur nor schismes sprong from any other roote then for that obedience is not yeelded to one priest and for that one priest for the time and one Iugde is not accepted of in Christs steed Do you see by S. Cyprians sentence that the only way to root out heresies and to accord schismes is to acknowledg one priest for soveraigne Iudge in ecclesiasticall cases and to obey him as Christs vicegerent on earth Such a soveraigne Iudge is hee that sits in S. Peters chaire and that principall church of Rome by S. Ciprians owne assertion in the former period or els Ecclesiasticall Discipline could not draw its originall vnitie thence Thus much here to prove that the principall church in that place of S. Ciprian is to be taken for the principall in authoritie and goverment Now to the other part S. CipriaÌ„ denieth not the Bishops in Africa to be inferior vnto the Bishop of Rome but blameth such troublesome fellowes that would not rest quiet and content with their owne Bishops iudgment but flie abroad to molest others with their brawles as though their owne Bishops had not sufficient authority or witt to compose and end their quarrells at home S. Ciprian supposeth that their churches in Afrike had no less authority then others churches to order such matters but neither names the
church of Rome nor makes any comparison in matter of higher nature but all this is deuised and thrust in out of the fecundity of M. Abbots vnderstanding yet let vs grant that S. Ciprian might meane that the Bishops in Africk had no loss authoritie to Iudg of their own subiects faults then any other Bishops yea then the Bishop of Rome himself hath It doth not thervpon ensue that he thought the Bishops in Africke not inferiour vnto the Bishop of Rome For in times past in our owne countrey when it was Catholike and now in France men cannot appeale to Rome from the ordinarie courts of their owne countrie without speciall licence and yet in farr greater matters they acknowledg the pope to be their supreme governor in causes Ecclesiasticall But of this point we shall speake more in the next obiection which is thus propounded by M. Abbot R. AB 21 The African councell acknowledged the church of Rome for the first and principall sea Concil Afric cap. 6. and the Bishop therof they tearme the Bishop of the first and principall sea and yet they deny the Bishop of Rome to haue anie authority over them yea when zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus chalenged the same by a forged Canon of the councell of Nice Ibid. can 101. Those African Bishops for the disproving therof sent to the patriarches of Alexandria and Constantinople for autenticall copies of the same councell wherin they found no such matter And thervpon wrote to Celestinus that he should forbeare to send his legates to intermeddle in their matters Ibid can 105. And forbad all appeales saving to their owne councells excommunicating them that presumed to appeale to Rome Ibid. can 92. And in this recusancy of subiection they continued afterward for the space of an hundreth yeeres vntill Eulalius the Bishop of Carthage submitted the same to Pope Boniface w. B. This councell of Africk and fact of the African Bishops there assembled is very often in all protestants mouthes and writings therfore I will more particulerly examin it and make somwhat a longer staie vpon it M. Abbot coÌ„mitts two faults in his first allegation out of the sixt canon of that councell the former of ignorance in that he doth applie that to the Bishop of Rome which the councell speaketh of the Archbishop of Carthage their owne primate and Metropolitane whom though they would haue to be obeyed as primats are in all other countries yet they desired that hee should forbeare that statlie stile and title of primacie and be contented to be called Bishop of the first sea his other fault is an audacious averring them to deny that Bishop to haue any authoritie ouer them of which in that canon there is never a word But the plaine contrarie is therin implied For they there speaking of their owne Metropolitane they must needs bee vnderstood being no Puritanes to acknowledg him to haue authoritie over all other Bishops in the same province In the 101 Canon which M. Abbot doth alleage in the second place he over reacheth also not a little For wheras those Bishops do humbly request his holines not to grant deputies to everie one that shall come to Rome to demaund them he saies they willed the pope not to intermeddle at all in their matters And in the third place cited by them to witt Canon 92 there is a notorious falsification for wheras that councell doth forbid onlie priests and deacons other inferiour persons to appeale to Rome M. Abbot saies they forbid all appeales wheras they speake not of Bishops of whom principally the question was but leaue that in the state wherin it was before This by the waie to shew how corruptly M. Abbot cites his authors and how litle coÌ„science hee makes to deceiue his seely reader that is so simple as to believe what he saith Now to the maine matter of the 101 Canon which hee cites in the secoÌ„d place which well considered doth rather confirme the popes authoritie over those Africane Bishopes then infirme it For albeit the Bishops of Africk did not acknowledg any such canon to be in the councell of Nice which by the popes legat was alledged to prove that appellations might be made out of Africk or anie other countrie vnto Rome in some cases yet they did so behaue themselues therin that anie reasonable man may perceiue their great affectioÌ„ and humble obedience vnto the same sea of Rome For they not finding in their owne copies of the Nicene counsell that which was put into the Legats instructions desired respite to make enquiry after the best copies and in the meane season promised obedience These be their words These things that out of the said instructioÌ„s are alleaged vnto vs concerning the appeales of Bishops Concilium Carthag nomine sextum ordine 5. n. 4. Ista nos tamen tantisper seruatioros vt anteaâ— dixi donec integra exemplaria veniant profitemâ—r Petendus est autem litteris nostris venerabilis Ecclesia Romanae Episcopus Bonifacius vt ipse quoque dignetur ad memoratas ecclesias alâ—quos mittere qui eadem exemplaria praedicti Niceni Concilij secundum eius possint scripta proferre In Epistola Concilij ad Bonifacium cap. 101. Quod donec fiant hac quae in commonitorio supradicto nobis allegata sunt de appellationibus Episcoporum ad Romanae sedis Sacerdotem nos vsque ad probationem seruaturos esse profitemur beatitu inem tuam ad hoc nos adiuturam in dei voluntate confidimus vnto the Bishop of Rome c of priests causes to bee determined by the Bishops of their owne provinces wee do professe and promise to obserue vntill due triall of those canons be made trust in the will of God that your holines will helpe vs thervnto If those Reuerend and holy Bishops of Africa had been infected with the leauen of the protestants they would haue soone answered as M. Abbot here vntrulie reporteth they did that the Bishop of Rome had no authority ouer them and haue willed him to keepe himself within his owne bounds and not to intermeddle with the matters of Africk But they contrariwise promised obedience vntill true triall were made which argueth that the custome before was for bishops to appeale to Rome and therfore that to be continued vntill proofe could bee made to the contrarie according to that axiome of the law Let him that is in possessioÌ„ keepe his possession vntill good proofe bee brought against him Quia melior est conditio possidentis Secondly when those reverend fathers had receiued copies from Alexandria and Constantinople wherin were not contained any Canons for appealing to Rome they certified the same in these submissiue words Praefato debito salutationis officio impendio deprecamur c Cap. 105. Prafato it aque debita salutationis officio impendio deprecamur vt deinceps ad vestras aures hinc venientes non facilius admit tatis The
dutie of our bounden salutations premised wee do earnestly request and pray you that you will not too easilie admitt to your audience them that come from hence And before their letters they sett this title Dilectissimo Domino to their best beloued Lord and most honorable brother Do not these humble words of bounden dutie vnto their Lord notifie what esteeme they made of the Bishop of Rome They saie indeed that they found neither in the Canons of the Nicene councell nor in anie other of their fathers that the Bishop of Rome should send anie legats into their country to heare and determine their causes wherin by the leaue of such worthy personages be it spoken they shew that they had not read or well considered the Canons of the councell holden at Sardica which was both verie generall and most autenticall as I haue proved before for in that councell it is expresly decred that any Bishop of what coast or countrie soever may appeale vnto the Bishop of Rome Concil Sard. ca. 4. 7. And that the said Bishop of Rome maie depute and send others to the place where the Bishops appellants do dwell to heare and determine all such causes And most probable it is that those holy popes Zozimus Bonifacius and Celestinus meant the same canons of the councell of Sardica which they called the Canons of the Nicene councell because that councell of Sardica was both holden by some of the same principall persons that were at the Nicene councell as Hosius Athanasius and such like and did also treat much about the same matters wherfore it is said to be ioyned in the Roman copy with the councell of Nice and reputed as an appendix or parcell of it And therin perhaps was the errour cōmitted that the popes having both these councells compact into one named the canons of both after the more principall and more renowmed councell of Nice calling them the canons of the Nicene councell which in rigour were but the canons of the councell of Sardica yet that councell of Sardica being of the same authoritie and binding power they in alleaging them vnder the name of the Nicene did not offer any wrong vnto those Bishops of Africk exacting onely that that their right might bee preserved entire among them which by the approued canons of the church was due vnto their seat And these reverend prelates of the African church were the more excusable for that they had not seen perhaps any true copie of the approued councell of Sardica at that time the place being verie remote from them and the litle space of time which was betweene the two councels of Sardica and Afrike having been also most troblesome by reason of the Arrians manifold violent persecutions this much in brief of that great busines wherby it appeareth cleerly that although these reuerend prelates of Africk held it much more expediēt that all perticuler cōtroversies about meū tuum concerning misdemeanors and crimes should be handled in the place where the parties and witnesses were knowen where all particulers might bee more narowly sifted and with more speed and less charges tried then a far of in a forrain countrie yet for matter of faith and rites of religion they never denyed the explicatiō or determinatiō therof to appertaine to the Bishop of Rome Appeales to Rome in matters of law haue been in our owne countrie when it was Catholike forbidden without the expresse leaue of the prince and at this daie are in the Christiā countrie of France without any deniall of the popes supreme cōmanding power in cases Ecclesiasticall which is all and more too then the African councell did Conc. Afri c. 92. Item placuit vt presbyteri diaconi vel caeteri inferiores clerici si de iudiciis episcoporū suorum questi fuerint c. for that doth only forbid priests and inferior persons to appeale thither leaving all Bishops art their libertie so that in fine if all were grāted which M. Abbot goeth about to prove yet it is not sufficient to infringe the supremacy of the pope for albeit appeales to Rome in matter of law were prohibited yet recourse thither for matter of faith and religiō being approued stāding good the supremacy is sufficiently maintained 21 Notwitstanding because the fact of the African councell is holdē by the Protestāts who for wāt of greater proofe are faine to make much of a little to be very preiudiciall vnto the supremacy of the sea of Rome I will heere produce some testimonies of the best learned most approued Africā Doctors in favor of the pope church of Romes supreme power over Afrike it self The first shal be S. Ciprian who as in dignitie was primate of Afrike so for his great wisedome and learning was inferior to few and in his glorious martirdome over went the rest This right worthy Archbishope declareth plainly that they were not accustomed to end all their controversies at home Ciprian Epistola 45. ed Pam. Sed cum statuissemus collegae complures qui in vnum conueneramus vt legatis ad vos Episcopis nostris Caldonio fortunato omnia interim integra suspenderentur donec ad nos ijdem collegae a nostri venirent But he himself with the assent of other Bishops did send two Bishops the one called Calidonius the other Fortunatus vnto Cornelius then pope of Rome recomēding their causes vnto him And sheweth how in the meane season whiles their causes were before him the Bishops of Africa would liue in suspence expecting his iudgment Is not this an evidēt demonstration that the Bishops of Africk in S. Ciprians times which was within 200. yeres of Christ held the court of Rome to be ouer and aboue their owne which yet S. Ciprian in the same epistle doth more expresly declare Ibidem Nos etiam singulis nauigantibus ne cum scandalo vllo nauigarent rationem reddentes scimus nos hortatos eos esse vt ecclesiae Catholicae radicem matricem agnoscerent actenerent when he doth exhort and councell the appellants that went to Rome to cary themselues there without scādall and to aknowledg and obserue the church of Rome as the roote or foundation and mother of the Catholike church Ex Epistola Stephani Archiep concil Africae ad Damasum Papam habetur Tomo 1. Concil inter Epistolas damasi Notum vestrae facimus beatitudini quod quidam fratres in confinio nobis positi quosdam fatres nostros venerabiles videlicet Episcopos vobis inconsultis a proprio deijciunt gradu vel deiicere moliuntur cum vestrae sedi Episcoporum iudicia summorum finem ecclesiasticorum negotiorum in honore beatissimi Petri patrum decreta omnium cunctam reseruauere sententiam c. Stephen a reuerend Bishop of Mauritania in Afrike who liued before that African councell thus writeth to pope Damasus wee make knowē vnto your holines that some Bishops our neighbors haue gone about to depose
directed a most graue and learned letter vnto the Bishops of Africa wherin he decreed some Bishops there to be deposed Leo episcopus vniuersis Episcopis per Caesariensem Mauritaniam in Africa constitutis Epistola 87. Cum de ordinationibus sacerdotum quaedam apud vos illicite vsurpata crebrior ad nos sermo perferret ratio pietatis exegit vt pro solicitudine quam vniuersae ecclesiae exdiuina institutione dependimus rerum fidem studeremus agnoscere c. Ibidem c 2. Causam quoque Lupicini episcopi illic iubemus audiri cui multum ac saepe postulenti coÌ„munioneÌ„ hac raiâ—one reddâ—mus quoniam ad nostrum iudicium prouocassâ— immerito cum pendente negotio a comunionâ— videbamus fuisse suspensum others to be continued in their office and restored one Lupicinus by name to his Bishoprick who being deposed by the Bishops of that prouince of Africa had appealed from their sentence vnto the same Leo Bishop of Rome which is a manifest evidence that the Bishops of Africk did aclwaies aknowledg the Bishop of Rome his superiority and coÌ„manding power over the Bishops of their countrie victor vticensis liued also verie shortlie after S. Austin and before Eulalius he writing in that interim in which M. Abbot doth beare vs in haÌ„d that the church of Africa was fallen out with the Church of Rome he I saie a verie godlie Bishop a grave and learned Historiographer rehearseth How Eugenius Archbishop of Carthage for conferring with the vandale Honoricus then by inuasion king of the greatest part of Africk and an Arrian heretike said vnto his deputie If the kingly power desire to know our faith Victor vticens de persecut vand l 2. Si nostram fidem quae vna vera est potestas Regis cognoscere desiderat mittat ad amicos suos scribam ego fatribus meis vt veniant coepiscopi qui coÌ„muneÌ„ fidem nostram valeant demonstrare praecipue Romana ecclesia quae caput est omnium ecclesiarum c. which is the only true faith you may consult with your councell And I will write vnto my brethren and especially vnto the church of Rome which is the head of all churches and we togeather will declare vnto your Maiestie that faith which is common to vs all Behold how even immediatly after that councell of Africk when M. Abbot dreamed the Bishops of Africa to be fallen awaie from the sea of Rome The primate of Carthage the chief citie in all Africk acknowledged the church of Rome to be the head of all the churches and that for the resolution of matter of faith that sea of Rome was principallie to bee consulted I need not descend anie Lower bicause M. Abbot himself doth relate how Eulalius Archbishop of Carthage who liued the next age after acknowledged the popes supremacie and made that countrie of Africk subiect vnto it Seing then that cleaven hundreth yeres agoe when Eulalius liued by M. Abbots owne confession the popes had soueraign commaund over the churches of Africk and before even vp to Saint Cyprian and Tertullians time which was within 200. yeeres after Christ the same church of Rome was by the principall pillars and lights of Africk esteemed the mother church of the world and roote of Christian vnity vnto which some of their Bishops in all ages did appeale for succour some others did referr the decrees of their councels to be confirmed acknowledging the Bishop of Rome to haue power to assemble councels in Africk and to condemne heretikes all the world over was not M. Abbot fowly over seen and did he not ouer-reach most grieuously when he said that the Bishops of Africke denied the Bishop of Rome to haue anie authority over them and forbad him to intermeddle with matters of their country I haue staid the longer vpon this fact of the African Bishops bicause the Protestants make such reckening of it I will with more speede dispatch that which followeth M. Abbot obiâ—cteth that Anicetus the pope could not perswade Policarpus to keepe the feast of Easter after the manner of Rome therby intimating that Policarpus was not acquainted with that potent principality of the church of Rome I answer that not withstanding the confessed acknowledgment of the popes supremacy no man is bound to follow all his opinions or to imbrace his aduises or perswasions onlie he is of dutie to obey his expresse commaundements wherfore Anicetus not binding Policarpus by anie mandate to alter his opinion thence cannot bee gathered anie disobedience of Policarpus though it be most certain that Anicetus was in the truth and thother in errour for that the feast of Easter should haue been kept of all churches according vnto the manner of Rome And so it was afterward defined in the first generall councell of Nice As do witnes a Athanas epistola de Ariminensi concilio Athanasius Eusebius b Euseb de vita constant l. 3. v. 17. Epiphanius heres 69. Socrates histor lib. 1. cap. 6. Theodoret. histor 1. cap. 10. Nicephorus histor lib. 8. cap. 19. Nevertheles Anicetus out of the spirit of lenity was content to beare with Policarpus being a holy reverend and Apostolicall man Pope victor afterward seing the same errour creeping further abroad and beginning to infect euen the westerne church thought it fitter to vse his authoritie to driue the churches of Asia from the custome of the Iewes vnto conformity with the church of Rome Neither is it apparent nor so certaine as M. Abbot would haue it seeme that Policrates did disobey his sentence of excommunication for those his words cited by M. Abbot are set downe in Eusebius Euseb l. 5. histor c. 22. 23. when the question was yet in examination and before the sentence pronounced So that he might verie well as his duty required after he saw the popes definitiue sentence conforme himself thervnto though before hee was of another mind And he being otherwise a verie godly and a learned prelate is to be presumed and taken to haue done that which he ought to do the contrary not being able to be prooued S. Ciprian whom M. Abbot citeth next as all the learned know erred in that point of rebaptizing them that were before baptized by heretikes and therin out of humane frailtie offended by not conforming his opinion vnto Stephen Bishop of Rome forgetting his owne iudgment giuen and often repeted when he was out of that distempered moode to witt that heresies and schismes do Cypr. Epistola 55. Neque alâ—unde haereses ortae sunt aut nata sunt schismata quam inde quod Sacerdoti Dei non obtemperatur c. grow out of no other roote then that the voice of one priest and iudge for the time in Christs steed is not harkened vnto and many such like M. Abbot to testify to the world that he is a blind guid and williÌ„g to lead his feollowers into the ditch is not ashamed to propound vnto them
tenet ab ipsa sede Petri Apostoli cui pascendas ones suas dontinus commendauit vsque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum The successioÌ„ of Bishops from the seat of S. Peter even to this present Bishop doth hold mee in the bosome of the Catholike church Are not these words plaine enough to expound the other Let vs repose our selues in the bosom of that church which by succession of Bishops from the Apostolike sea to wit of S. Peter hath obtayned the top of authoritie Compare the bosome with the bosome the succession of Bishops of the one with the other and they will easily lead vs to take the chaire of S. Peter to be the exposition of the Apostolike sea This is so sensible that M. Abbot himself after hee had a litle wrangled against it comes to admitt of it how litle care then had he of his owne honesty that before charged mee with dishonest falsifying of those words of S. Austin and yet in the end is forced to take them euen so as I did And that you may in him behold the picture of one that will neuer yeeld to any truth that wee say be it neuer so apparant He admitting that wee ought to repose our selues in the bosome of that sea Apostolike wherin S. Peter sate yet hee saies that it doth not heerby follow that we ought rather to repose our selues in the bosome of the church of Rome theÌ„ in the church of Antioch where Peter sate aswell as hee did at Rome and where there had been Bishops succeediÌ„g him vntill that time how now good sir had you leifer send your reader to Antioch to relie on some schismatik vnder the Turk then to Rome But this is a meere cavill for though S. Peter was for a season Bishop of Antioch and of some other cities also which he first converted to the Christian faith vntill he had provided them of some others Yet he finally making choice of the city of Rome for his residence and dying there coÌ„secrating that place to God by the shedding of his blood for the Christian faith The Bishops of Rome and not of Antioch haue by consent of all antiquity been ever taken for S. Peters successors I haue before produced sufficient testimonie for this matter so that it were needles heere againe to repeat the same when it will serve for this turne to proue that S. Austin of whose words wee now treat tooke the Bishops of Rome for S. Peters successors and never the Bishop of Antioch Let M. Abbot if hee can giue meâ— therof one instance but because I know hee cannot doe that I will giue him some to the contrary S. Austin taught the church of Rome to be S. Peters chaire Aug. co literas Peril l. 2. ca. 51. and the Bishops of Rome his successors in these words what hath the church of Rome done to thee in which S. Peter sate and now sitteth Anastasius who was then Bishop of Rome Againe Idem epist 1â—5 where he expresly enquireth after S. Peters Successors and by name affirmeth Linus Bishop of Rome to haue been his successor and consequently all other Bishops of Rome to his owne time He doth in like manner declare Rome to bee S. Peters chaire and the Bishops of Rome his successors In the Psalme hee made against the part of Donate In Psal co partem don and writing against the Donatists fundamentall Epistle Finally in the tenth question of the old and new testament Con. Epist fundamenti cap. 4. to omit many other places of his workes out of the which the same may bee evidently deduced well it being manifest by the verdict of S. Austin that wee must repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike and further that the same sea is the church of Rome M. Abbot will now surely at the length to his owne eternall rest repose himself in the same holy bosome of the church of Rome beware of that in any case He hath yet bethought himself of another sorie shift Let saies hee M. Bishop take those words as he will yet there is nothing therin concerning the church of Rome but that as the principall church and specially in the westerne parts it serued most conveniently for instance of the succession But as for the height and top of authoritie there spoken of it belongeth to the Catholike or vniuersall church And meere impudency it is by those or any other words of Austin to chalenge to that church any superiority in goverment ouer other churches when as wee see both Austin and the rest of the Bishops of Africa did with one consent vtterly disclaime the same Turtull co ValeÌ„t c. 2. vinci possunt suaderi non possunt O how true is that ancient saying of Turtullian heretikes may be overcome but they will neuer be perswaded to yeeld and acknowledge it M. Abbot granting that S. Austin hauing first resolued vs to repose our selues in the bosome of the sea Apostolike that is to embrace what that church should teach vs and wholy rely vpon her definitions Secondly that the church of Rome was that sea Apostolike which had obtayned the top of authority heretikes in vaine barking round about it yet presently as if he had wholy forgotten that which stood before his eies ot els not caring what hee said to avoid a dumbe blanck he falleth to his old byas and flieth back to that which he said in the beginning albeit it had been so often before confuted That forsooth the church of Rome is only the principall church and fittest to bee taken for instance in succession in westerne churches but it hath not saith hee any superiority in goverment when as S. Austin plainly teacheth that wee must repose our selues in that churches bosome and set vp our rest vpon her decrees that is be sure to ioyne in faith and religion with the Bishops of the same and that bicause that church hath obtayned the top of Authority and highest degree in goverment M. Abbot confessing the former part of the sentence to belong to the church of Rome hath left himself no shadow of reason to dismember from it that which S. Austin doth so expresly ioyne and linke with it Heare once againe his words shall we doubt to repose our selues in the bosome of that church which ever by the confession of mankind c hath obtayned the top of authority heretikes barking round about it Do you not see even by the cleere words of S. Austin that he must confesse himself not to be a member of mankind that will deny that church which he there spoke of to haue the top of authority what then shall become of M. Abbot that granteth the church there spoken of to be the church of Rome yet will not confesse it to haue that top of authoritie Either he must be rased out of the number of men or at the least be ranked in the rew of those hereticall men that did so vainly
barke against that so apparant truth which the sound corps of all true beleeving men do most constantly and gloriously confesse I hauing before shewed at large how neither S. Austin nor the African Bishops did deny anie one branch of the Bishop of Romes primacy no not so much as forbid their owne Bishops to appeale vnto the court of Rome And did otherwise in sundry sorts declare their dutifull obedience vnto the same sea of Rome M. Abbots inference out of his owne mistaking and error is wholy disappointed To conclude then this paragraff it doth remaine most assured and cleere that our blessed Saviour made S. Peter and his successors that rock vpon which he built his church therby giving them supreme power and authority to govern his whole church not for any limited nunber of yeares but for so long as his church should continue a church that is to the worlds end for against it the gats of hell shall never prevaile Secondly it is as certen that the Bishops of Rome be in that charge of government ouer all the church S. Peters lawfull successors with whom therfore whosoeuer ioyneth in matter of faith and religion shall never be deceiued nor fall in to schisme and against whoÌ„ whosoeuer barketh and opposeth himself hee not only barketh and laboreth in vaine as S. Austin speaketh but if he do obstinatly persever therin he therby to vse Optatus words before rehearsed becometh both a sinner and a schismatike From which most hainous crimes our sweet Saviour of his infinit mercie and goodnes deliuer all my most deere frinds and best beloued countrymen THE SVMME OF THE third paragraff or section W. B. ALBEIT the church of Rome strictly taken doth comprehend those Christians only that dwell within the citie and Diocese of Rome yet it is vsed by men of both sides to designe the faithfull of all countries that in religion do fully agree with the same and that specially because they do acknowledg the Bishop of Rome to bee vnder Christ the supreme governor therof As in times past the Roman Empire did not containe the territory of Rome alone or countrie of Italy but all lands and nations that professed obedience to the Emperor of Rome And like as in the primitiue church the title Catholike was added to Christian to distinguish true Christians from heretikes Even so now a daies when heretiks are growne so audacious as to arrogate vnto themselues the name of Catholiks though their religion bee nothing lesse theÌ„ Catholike the word RomaÌ„ is ioyned to Catholike to separate true Catholikes from counterfeit the Roman Catholike signifying those Catholiks that in faith and religion do perfectly agree with the church of Rome R. AB I Do confesse my self to bee one of those Doctors that know not this new found distinction of the Roman church to witt that it may bee taken either for the Diocesse of Rome or for all churches that in faith fully agree with the Roman M. Bishop can bring neither scripture nor any ancient writer for the warrant of it Secondly it being admitted that the churche of Rome may be taken for all churches agreing in faith with it yet it remaineth still a particular church bicause there be many other churches in Europe and Asia that do not agree with it in faith nor acknowledg her chiefty ouer their churches For example the churches of Luther Caluin and such like in Europe and certain other schismaticall churches in other parts of the world And as in the time of the Roman Empire there were many other kingdomes in the world so now besids the Roman church there be many other churches Moreouer the fathers haue told vs of the Latin and Greeke of the East and west churches Pighius Eccl. Hier. l 6. c. 3. but neuer specifie the Roman to signifie the whole church And Pighius asketh who did euer by the Roman church vnderstand the vniuersall church Albeit the Bishops of Rome wrote themselues Bishops of the Catholike church Yet they meant of that part of the Catholike church which was in Rome when the Catholike french man doth say we bee of the Catholike Roman church wee vnderstand them therby to take part with the church of Rome but the church of Rome is that of Rome only and is factiously called the Catholike church which is the whole and the Roman put to it is a tearme of diminution and abridgeth the whole to a part To them therfoee may be applied that of Optatus against the Donatists you would haue your selues Optat. l. 2. con Po rin only to be the whole who are not in all the whole And if in ancient times when there were so manie heresies it was thought a sufficient distinction to ioyne Catholike to Christian why is it not sufficient now a â—â—ies It is the Inuention of Antichrist and his badge to chalenge to himself and his only to bee the whole Catholike church That name Roman is a name of sect and schisme This is the summe of all which M. Abbot saith in this paragraff or section W. B. IN this section is discouered a second falacy of that false argument which they so often vse No particuler church can be the Catholike church but the Roman is a particuler church Ergo it cannot bee the Catholike church In the precedent section I haue laid open the manifold faults of this their argument shewing first the conclusion if it were granted not to bee to the purpose for the point in question was not whether the Roman church were the whole Catholike church or no but whether the word Roman in stile might bee couched with the Catholike church that is whether one might sensybly and trulie saie and write The Catholike Roman church they say yea we say no to make good their assertion they a vouch the church of Rome not to be the whole church we answere that the proof is not to the purpose albeit that were true for though it were not the whole church yet it might be called by the name of the whole not onely because euery part of that kind may be called by the name of the whole but also for that it is such a part as shall neuer be seperated from the whole and consequently as in existence it is alwaies close coupled with the whole so may it very well in stile be interlaced with it Secondly I affirmed that taking the church of Rome for a part yet it being the most eminent part it might very iustly giue name to the whole according to that axiome approued by all the learned A parte principaliore denominatur totum the whole is named after some principall part the whole land of Israël was called Iury of the principall tribe therof Iuda And our own country wherin dwelt both Saxons and Vites aswell as English men was named England when one of the English attained to the monarchy in like maner the church of Rome being the head of the rest as before I haue prooued though
ours Now it is to be cōsidered in whether they did well in whether ill To decide this cōtrouersie let vs heare the cēsure of the best Catholike Authors of those times Optatus a most worthy prelate that liued amōg the Donatists Lib 1. con Parm. blamed them greatly for appealing frō the iudgment of Bishops vnto the Emperor constantine the great relateth how the same good Emperor detesteth that their appeale breaking out into these words O furious and mad boldnes they Ad quam appellatio nem constantinus Imperator sic respondit O rabida furoris auda cia sicut in causis gentilium fieri solet appellatio nem inter posuerunt Aug. Ep. 166. Quia constantinus non est ausus de causa episcopi iudicare eam finiendam Episcopis delegauit Idem Epistola 162. Neque est ansus Christianus imperator sic eorum fallaces querelas suscipere vt de iudicio episcorum ipse iudicaret sed alios episcopos dedit a quibus ipsi rursum ad ipsum imperatorem prouocarent quam re illos quemadmodum detestetur audistis eorum peruersitatibus tandem cessit vt de illa causa post episcopos iudicaret a sanctis antitistibus postea veniam petiturus c. like the pagans haue put in an appeale which was from the Bishops to the Emperor S. Austin an other Antagonist of the Donatists in rehearsing the demeanor of the said Emperor towards the same appeale sheweth his owne opinion therabout He first recordeth that the Emperor would not take vpon him to iudge of the iudgments of the Bishops till hee was pressed thervnto by the Donatists impudencie which to represse hee finallie gaue them the hearing yet vnder the correction of the Bishops meaning afterward to craue pardon of them therfore all this that great doctor hath set downe in expresse tearmes further S. Athanasius of this matter vseth these words If the iudgmēt of this cause belōg to Bishops what hath the Emperor to do therwith if contrarywise these thinges be forged by the threates of Emperors what need is there of Bishops when was it euer heard that the iudgmēt of the church took its authority from the Emperour he relateth there this sentēcee of the great Hosius to the Emperor Athanasius epist ad solitar vitam agentes Si istud est iudicium episcoporum quid commune cum eo habet imperator sin contra ista minis Caesaris constantur quid opus est hominibus titulo episcopis quando a condito aeuo auditum est quod iudicium Ecclesiae authoritatē suā ab imperatore accepit ibidem in epistola Hosii ad Imperatorem Ne te misceas ecclesiasticis neque nobis in hoc genere praecipe sed potius ea a nobis disce tibi Deus imperium commisit nobis qua sunt ecclesiae concredidit intermedle not with ecclesiasticall causes nor cōmaund vs in that kind but rather learne those matters of vs God hath giuē you the Empire but hath cōmitted to vs the charge of the church To whō I will ioyne S. Ambrose who to the Emperor Valētinian addresseth this discourse whē haue you heard most gratious Emperor that laymē did iudge ouer Bishops in causes of faith Surely if your sacred maiesty please to pervse the course of holy scriptures or practise of former times you shall find none that deny bishops in matter of faith Ambros l. 2 epist 13. ad Aug. valentin Quando audisti clemētissime imperator in causa fidei laicos de episcopis iudicasse c. At si certe vel scripturarum seriem diuinarum vel vetera tempora retractemus qui◠est qui abnuat in causa fidei in causa inquam fidei Episcopos solere de imperatoribus Christianis non imperatores de episcopis iudicare c. Pater tuus deo fauente vir maturioris atatis qui dicebat non est meu◠iudicare inter Episcopos c. in matter I say of faith to haue been Iudges over Emperors not Emperors ouer Bishops your father being by the fauour of God a man of riper yeres did say it belongeth not to me to iudg ouer Bishops It being then most certain and evident by the verdit of S. Athanasius Hosius S. Ambrose S. Austin and Optatus that the Catholike church in that her natiue purity did mainteyne that opinion that temporall Princes had no authoritie to determyne ecclesiasticall causes The Donatists therin agreed with the true Catholike church and when they did fly from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall princes as supreme iudges in causes ecclesiasticall then they traced out the pathway vnto the protestants misbelief and therin were condemned and the protestants in them by the verdict of the most approued Prelats and best learned doctors of the primitiue church Let this then bee scored vp for a principall resemblance betweene the protestants and the Donatists R. AB 4. THe Donatists by false rumors discouraged men from coming to church and gaue out of the Catholike Bishops that some of them at the time of celebration of the sacraments Optatus l. 3. 7. did set an image vpon the aultar or communion table wherat the minds of men were greatly moued and euery one said hee that tasteth therof tasteth of a prophane thing so contrary was it holden to religion then which M. Bishop approueth now to set images vpon the Aultar But in this also the Papists are their followers who in the like sort devise rumors and tales of our divine service to make men abhorre to haue communion with vs. W. B. THis resemblance is more common then the high way For men of what religion soever they bee do seeke out reasons to disswade others from participation in holy rites with all other religions and specially from that which is most contrarie to their owne And neuer were any sectaries that deuised more lewd and vile slanders of any religion then the protestants haue done of the Roman And among others they do vse the verie same motiue of the Donatists to discourage men from going to masse To wit that there are Images in the churches set vpon the high aultars So that M. Abbot in multiplying his resemblances doth but multiply and increase the protestants conformity with the Donatists to the shame of their owne religion what kind of Image that was which the Donatists rumored should bee set vpon the Aultar for of the communion table or of Ministers there was no newes in the old daies of Optatus but of Aultars sacrifice and priests it is not certaine whether it were of Dragons and Leopards such as the protestants set vp in their churches or rather of some false God I cannot find in that Author Only I am assured it could not bee of any holy picture of Christ or of anie of his Saints such as Catholiks place in their churches because long before that in Tertullians daies there was engraven vpon the chalice wherin they offred vp the sacrifice of Christs
they saie that all their additions ioyned and sowdered to the rest bee inspired by the holie Ghost Or can that trulie bee called a psalme of Dauid that hath one sentence in it not dictated by the holy Ghost But in their meeters manie such sentences bee added which are not assured to bee of the holie Ghost wherfore they may well marre but cannot make vp any psalmes of Dauid Besids they haue some very hereticall sentences interlarded among the rest As for example this in the inuocation of the holy Ghost before the Sermon Keepe vs from all papistry Finally there bee some whole psalmes made by by Robin woodcocke I trow or some of his fellowes no lesse Dunsticall then hereticall Take for a tast therof the first staffe of the last song in their psalter composed by R. W. which I thought good to record here that the reader may see how elegant and pleasant they bee both for meeter and matter Preserve vs Lord by thy deere word From Turke and Pope defend vs Lord Which both would thrust out of his throne Our Lord Iesus Christ thy deare sonne These must needes bee verie noble verses that haue thrice Lord in them And as for word and Lord Throne and sonne though the words do end in the like syllables yet they agree not in sound If M. Abbot would haue the simple reader beleeve that S. Austin and S. Leo when they speake in the praise of singing of Psalmes did meane Davids psalmes in meeter let him produce but one good Author to testify that they were so turned within 900. yeares of those Doctors deathes and then hardely beleeue him If hee cannot then every man may see what credit is to bee given to his allegations That S. Austins words which I alleaged are to bee vnderstood of Psalmes which the Donatists sung in their churches rather then of songs in their drunken bankets may bee gathered out of the comparison that hee makes betweene them and the psalmes that were sung in the Catholike church And S. Austin might well by a Metaphore vsuall in the holy scripture call the Donatists new mad devises against the ancient custome of grave singing in the quire their drunkennes As for the worshipfull testimony of Cornelius Agrippa of our mingling holie things with prophane it being recorded in a booke of condemned memorie I hold it not worth the answering Sure I am that M. Abbot by producing of such Authors cracketh his owne credit for hee promised in his Epistle to the reader that hee would only vse the testimonie either of some learned Bishops of Rome or of some other famously approued author and commended in that church And this booke of Agrippa de vanitate scientiarum is by name condemned by the same church in the Cataloge of forbidden books wherfore M. Abbot is no man of his word Finally like to a tatling tennis plaier that comes well beaten out of the tennis court yet to comfort himself and to saue his poore credit with his friends brags that those mates with whom he plaid were no matches for him yea that no man that daie was able to stand in his hands Even so M. Abbot having behaued himself as simply as a man of either wit or learning could doe either for defending of his owne or for offendīg his aduerse party yet cōcludeth as though hee had gotten the field and cleane foiled his adversary saying that I did vnfortunatly enter into retorting of that comparison nothing serving my turne but that hee like a nimble tēnis player had returned my owne bals vpon mee that with very great advantage well bragge is a Iolly dog and leesers must sometimes bee suffred to haue their words Let the iudicious and indifferent reader but weigh well first what kind of resemblance M. Abbot endevored to make betweene the Donatists and the Papists to wit to chalenge to themselues to bee the Catholike church To bee or rather to desire to bee dilated all the world over that out of their church there was no salvation To spred ill rumors of their adversaries To discourage men from ioyning with them with a Ragmans roll of such rotten riff raffe common to all sects and to none more vsuall then to the protestantes themselues So triviall I say that any man of ordinarie discretiō would haue been ashamed to haue put them downe in print to the view of the world Afterward on the other side let him but call to mind what resemblances I haue proposed betweene the Protestants and the Donatists and weigh how substantiall they bee in themselues and how properly they fitt the protestants The first was that the spirit and soule of Donatisme cōsisted in affirming the church of Christ not to appeare in any other part of the world visibly but to haue cleā perished saving in some few places where men of their religion liued Of the same mind were the chief protestants for many yeares Secondly the Donatists were the first among Christians that appealed from the iudgment of Bishops vnto temporall Princes though they afterwards repented themselues thereof when they saw that the said princes would not helpe them Is not this one of the chiefe heads of the protestants Gospell yea doth not the whole frame of their new religion hang vpon the supreme ecclesiasticall authority of kings Thirdly they beate downe Altars abused the blessed Sacramēt of Christs body defiled holy oiles confiscated sacred chalices and sold them togither with the vestments and other holie ornaments of the church All which are so proper to the Protestants that they blush not daily to practise it and make open profession of the same 4. The protestāts like vnto the Donatists by putting innocēt priests to death make martirs whom we may worship Finally they pulled of the veiles of religious women which were signes of their professed virginity exposing them to the hazard of the wild world In which vngodlie and irreligious practise the protestāts haue gone farre beyond the Donatists But that they maie not take too great pride therin let them heare the vpright censure of the holy prelate Optatus passed 1200. yeares agone against them in the name of their deere brethren the Donatists In this kind you haue done as great damage to god Optat. l. 6. co Parm. In hoc genere tanta damna fecistis Deo quanta lucra diabolo procurastu Conflastis impie calices crudeliter fregistis inconsulte rasistis altaria Nudastis denuo capita iam velata de quibus professionis detraxistis indicia qua contra raptores aut petitores videntur inuenta Spiritale hoc nubendi genus est in nuptias Sponsi iam venerant voluntate professione sua vt secularibus nuptiijs se renuntiasse monstrarent spiritali sponso soluerant crinem iam caelestes celebrauerant nuptias as you haue procured gaine to the devill you haue impiously melted Chalices you haue barbarously broken downe Altars c. and a litle before you haue vncouered the