Protestants Eusebius indeed saith so in his Chronicle and withall that he sate 7. yeare before hee came to Rome at Antioch both which cannot possibly be true and is evidently contradicted by the history of the Acts and S. Pauls Epistle to the Galath as Onuph a learned Papist proueth in his Annot. vpon Platina de vit Pont. Rom. I will not enter into that discours but desire you to read what others haue written I thinke there bee few learned Papists now but thinke that Eusebius was deceiued in that point of his Chronicle or else they must thinke that Saint Luke and Saint Paul were deceiued But it is generally agreed that hee was first Bishop of Antioch before hee was Bishop of Rome Now desire your friend to giue you some reason why the prerogatiue of Peters Supremacy if there were any such thing in rerum naturâ why it should not belong vnto the Patriarch of Antioch as well as to the Pope of Rome both being his successors alike in their severall places Perhaps he will say because Peter was put to death in Rome and not in Antioch and to that purpose it is likely that he cited Tertullian statu foelix Ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostolicum sanguine suo profuderunt vbi Petrus passioni ' Dominicae adaequatur vbi Paulus Iohannis exitu coronatur Tert. de praescrip c. 36. For else I know not what those words doe there but if that be his meaning he might well haue spared that quotation for if S. Peters Martyrdome at Rome be a good plea for the supremacie of that Sea aboue Antioch why should not Ierusalem claime it from them both seeing Christ the Son of God and Saviour of the world was put to death there St Peters successors That S. Peters Successors Bishops of Rome haue exercised chiefe authority in the Church militant ever since to this day And how doth hee proue this 1. Because that after the Martyrdome of S. Peter 32. of the succeeding Bishops were likewise Martyred This piece of his reading in old history might serue for some vse in another place but I cannot see how it helpes to proue that Popes haue ever exercised chiefe authority in the Church to which end it is brought here in this place I am sure that Popes in these latter ages haue neither succeeded Peter in his Martyrdome nor desire to be his successors that way All the world sees they haue beene more busy in makeing of Martyrs then in suffering of Martyrdome and in that respect may better bee called the Successors of Nero Decius and Dioclesian then of S. Peter and those 32. holy Bishops that succeeded him It is certaine that by the cruelty of Popes and their Popish instruments there hath beene more Christian blood shed in the world then ever was shed by those heathen tyrants in the greatest heat of their persecuting What though the Pope succeeded in place to those 32. holy Bishops and Martyrs It is no otherwise then as corruption succeedeth generation vinegar succeedeth wine as the Turke succeedeth Iames in Ierusalem and other of the Apostles in other places Pope Victor in the 200 yeere excommunicated the Asian Bishops about the observation or keeping Easter day So they say but doe you speake this to his credit or to disgrace his person Certainely it was a foule fact that he did commit therein and so it was censured by most learned and godly Bishops of that age and namely by S. Ireneus who wrote vnto him purposely about the matter and reproved him sharpely for it as he well deserued Jreneus in Victorem per Epistolam graviter invectus est saith Socrates Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 21. And that it displeased other Christian Bishops besides Jraeneus you shall finde in Euseb l. 5. Hist Eccl. c. 23.24 The foure first gener all Councells not called by Popes Pope Silvester in the 314 yeare called the first generall councell of Nice against the Arian Heresy Baronius then is out in his reckoning of anno 325. Eusebius who liued in that time and was well acquainted with the businesse affirmeth that it was called by Constantine the Emperour l. 3. de vit Constant c. 6. and 7. And I thinke it were hard to name any auncient writer that denies it The Councell it selfe acknowledgeth so much in a Synodicall Epistle to the Church of Alexandria Aegypt Libia and Pentapolis Quoniam Dei gratiâ mandato Sanctissimi Jmperatoris Constantini qui nos ex variis civitatibus provinciis in vnum congregavit magnum sanctum Concilium Nicenum coactum est apud Socrat. l. 1. Hist Eccles c. 6. This case is so plaine that Pigh Eccles hier l. 6. c. 1. calls generall Councells Inventum Constantinum though Bellarm chid him for it l. 1. de Concil c. 13. To. 2. Pope Damascus in the 367 yeare called the second gener all Councell at Constantinople against Macedonius the Heretique As true as Silvester called the first Sozomen Hist Ecles l. 7. c. 7. saith directly that Theodosius the Emperour called it the Councell it selfe in a letter writen to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth acknowledge that it was assembled together by vertue of a writ directed from his Imperiall Piety Pope Caelestine 414 called the third generall Councell at Ephesus against Nestorius the Heretique It seemes that Pope Caelestine himselfe was not present at this Councell But for the Councell it selfe it was called Authoritate nutu Theodosii junioris qui tum oririent ale administravit imperirium saith Evag. lib. 1. cap. 6. And Literae Jmperatoris erant ad Cyrillum ad alios omnes vbique sanctarum Ecclesiarum Praesides missae Ibid. and the Canons of the Councell in the very beginning doe testify so much Pope Leo 440 called the Fourth genera all Councell at Calcedon against the Heretique Eutiches Let the acts of the Councell speake which begin thus In civitate Calcedonensi Metropoli Provinciae Bythiniae facta est Synodus ex decreto piissimorum Imperat. Valentiniani Marciani and hee that reades the Epistles of Leo shall finde in what humble and submissiue manner hee wrote divers times to the Emperour to call a Councell not challenging any authority therein to himselfe but intreating it as a favour from his Lord the Emperour Vide Epistolam 9. ad Theodos Epist 12. Epist 23. ad Clerum Plebem Constantinop Epist 24. 26. And thus you see how the foure Popes did call the first foure generall Councels For when your friend begins to speake of the Councell of Trent he begins to draw vpon the lees And here Bellarmine who thinkes generall Councells profitable and convenient but not absolutely necessary for the Church l. 1 de concil c. 10. when he comes to the Councell of Trent he pleades for the necessity thereof vt pro aris focis as Demetrius for Diana Act. 19. Our trade is like to decay and be vndone if that be toucht Si tollamus autoritatem
to haue named the Pope rather then to vse such a circumlocution of words for you must not doubt but that he is that Visible head whom he meanes Now it deserues a Quare why the Church being but one body should need two Heads Why being but one Monarchy it cannot consist without two Monarchs To say that one is a visible the other an invisible the one a principall the other a ministeriall head it is all one in effect as if they told vs of two Christs a visible and an invisible perhaps in time to come the world may heare of some such matter if this doctrine goe on In reason they ought to make two Churches because the body must bee multiplied according to the multiplication of the heads we are sure that Christ now in heauen is every way as able to governe his Church by himselfe as he was while he lived vpon earth if in regard of his bodily absence they thinke it necessary that he should leaue some deputie behind him Neither doth this hang well together with some other popish Positions for by their doctrine Christ is not so ascended into heauen but that they haue his body as they say remaining still among them vpon earth and that not only in a spirituall manner but most really and carnally They haue freer recourse to Christ now by the helpe of Transubstantiation Transubstantiation then they could possibly haue with him while he conversed here in the flesh Nay they haue not so free accesse to the Pope I am sure as they haue to him with whom they may speake when they list vpon every Altar and in every Pixe And what folly is it to seeke to the foote when we may goe to the head To set vp a ministeriall head in the Church where the principall himselfe is alwaies at hand Dulciùs ex ipso fonte bibuntur aquae Besides No visible head necessary if this visible Head were such a necessary implement in the Church of God as they would make vs beleeue it seemes strange to mee why his name should be forgotten and that in those very Scriptures where the Governors and the government of the Church is purposely treated of or how was it possible for Saint Paul speaking of Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists of Pastors and teachers ordained by Christ for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry c. Eph. 4 11. and 1. Cor. 12.28 to forget the name of this Pastour Paramont who now takes vpon him to be Dominus fac totum and to rule the rost throughout all Christendome There is another thing that makes mee doubt much of this matter namely that whereas the Church hath still bin known by the name of a Monarchy yet the Pope among all other his titles hath not ordinarily taken vpon him the name of a Monarch till of late I know some such thing hath beene muttering a pretty while in the Schooles but it never past for currant Doctrine in the Church till within these few yeares nay it is not so farre past yet but that the Sorbonists of Paris generally the whole Church of France oppose strongly against it In like sort whereas the Church hath ever beene called the body of Christ Ephes 1.23 yet I never heard of a Pope so desperate that durst call the Church his body which yet in some sort hee might be allowed to doe if it bee lawfull for him in any sort to call himselfe the Head of the Church by the Doctrine of Relatiues Moreover I finde the maintainers of this Doctrine much puzzelled in seeking to expresse what authority it is that the Pope may challenge in right of his headship and Monarchie what power is appendant to that name whether it bee a meere spirituall power or a temporall or both or some third mixt power compounded of temporall and spirituall Difference betweene the Papists touching the temporall and the spirituall power of the Pope Here I see them at such deadly strife among themselues as I hold it no safe trusting either of them vntill I shall first finde that they trust one another better Card. Bellarmine himselfe within these few yeares knew not what to make of that matter as it appeareth by his latter writings compared with the former When he first set forth his bookes of controuersies he was of one opinion concerning this point which afterward hee changed became of another as you shall finde by his recognitions wherein hee did not mend that which was amisse as Augustine did in his Retractations but proficiens in peius like those of whom the Apostle speakes 2. Tim. 3.13 hee made that worse which was too bad before euen in the iudgement of his owne good friends In his former writings of this argument though hee had pleaded for the Papall authority Quantum honestè potuit Barclay Sixtus Quintus plus etiam quà m debuit saith William Barclay a Papist yet was Sixtus Quintus the Pope so discontented with his booke that he was once of the mind to haue damned all his writings because he did not speake home to his Holinesse contentment I meane because hee did not attribute such an vnlimited and transcendent power vnto him as that proud imperious Praelate did challenge in right of his pretended Monarchie because hee did not affirme him to haue as direct a temporall power over Kings as a spirituall over Bishops making all Kingdomes as well as all Churches subiect to his disposition See Barclay de potestate Papae in Principes christianos cap. 13. They that contract the power of the Pope within the confines of a meere Spirituall iurisdiction though they speake more modestly then other of their fellowes yet in as much as they extend this iurisdiction over the whole world which in respect of him they make to bee but as one Diocesse even this Paradox of theirs is as false as the others though not so impudent as iniurious to Christ and his Church though it be not so pragmatically dangerous to secular states and Princes Crownes for if the Spirituall Kingdome of Christ bee of no greater extent then the Popes iurisdiction it followeth that none are Christians but Papists which though some Popish Puritane in his fiery zeale will make no bones perhaps to affirme yet all of them are not so desperate and hee that speakes so in his heat must recall it againe in cold blood or else hee will leaue Christ but a poore Kingdome and a few subiects in respect of that multitude which God promised vnto him Psal 2.8 and Psal 72. v. 8.9 c. Nay how shall that Prophecy of Malachy bee verified of the Church spreading it selfe from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe thereof if there bee no more Christians in the world then there be Papists All the world knowes that the Popes Kingdome never extended it selfe so farre as that Prophecy speakes of by many degrees when it was at
and J will giue to thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth it shall bee bound also in the heavens and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth it shall be loosed also in the Heavens Math. 16. v. 18.19 And our Saviour said Simon Simon behold Satan hath required to haue thee for to sift as wheat But I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and thou being converted confirme thy Brothren Luk. 22. v. 31.32 Our Saviour Christ asking Peter if he loued him more then these said yea Lord thou knowest I loue thee whereupon Christ said to him twice feed my Lambes and the third time feede my Sheepe Ioh. 21. v. 15.16.17 That Saint Peter was chiefe of the Apostles and the first Bishop of Rome When all the holy Apostles are named S. Peter is the first Math. 10. vers 2. After the Apostles had visibly receiued the Holy Ghost S. Peter made the first Sermon thereof whereat 3000. persons were converted Act. 2. v. 41. With his word and power he killed Ananias and Saphira for their Sacriledge Act. 5. v. 5. Saiut Peter called the first Councell of the Apostles held at Ierusalem and first spake therein Act. 15. v. 7. Jt is affirmed by old writers and some moderne learned Protestants that S. Peter was 15. yeares Bishop of Rome and by the auncient Ecclesiasticall wryters that S. Peter and S. Paul were both of them martyred together in Rome vnder the Emperour Nero. Orig. apud Euseb Lib. 3. cap. 1. Eus Cap. 24. Lib. 2. Hist Eccliastic Tertul. de praesc c. 26. Aug. tract 123 in Ioh. Chrysost Beda in hunc locum S. Ambr. Serm. 66.68 St Maximus Statu faelix Ecclesia cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum suo fanguine pro funderunt vbi Petrus passioni Dominicae adaequatur vbi Paulus Iohannis exitu Coronatur Tertul. de Praescrip cap. 36. That St Peters Successors Bishops of Rome haue exercised chiefe authority in the Church Militant ever since to this day After the Martyrdome of St Peter first Bishop of Rome 32. of the succeeding Bishops there were martyred for the faith of Christ Eusebius Pope Victor in the first 200. yeares excommunicated the Asian Bishops about the observation or keeping Easter day Pope Silvester 314. yeeres called the first Councell of Nice against the Arian hereste Pope Damasus 367. called the second generall Councell at Constantinople against Macedonius the heretique Pope Caelestine 414. called the third generall Councell at Ephesus against Nestorius the heretique Pope Leo 440. called the fourth generall Councell at Calcedon against the heretique Eutiches And likewise euer since to the last generall Councell of Trent the Bishops of Rome haue called them all as heresies and false Prophets did arise in the Church Jt is confessed by divers learned Protestants that the Roman Church was the true Mother Church which Christ our Saviour planted some for 300. yeares some for 400. yeares some for 600. yeares and some for 800 yeares after Christ which being true that it was once the true Church and also true that our Saviour Christ promised to bee with it to the consummation of the world and to send the spirit of Truth to abide with it for ever and that Hell gates should not preuaile against it and Christ saith Heaven and Earth shall passe but my words shall not passe How then can it be true that the Roman Church being once the true mother Church should fall so fouly from her first puritie as is by some too too boldly affirmed Jt is so necessary for every one to know and beliene the holy Catholique Church Militant that whosoever is not a sound member of that society either in act or desire cannot be saved as all those which were out of Noahs Arke were drowned And to end with a demonstration all the Patriarchall Episcopall Seas of the Apostles be extinguished and worne out many hundred yeares since by Heretiques and Jnfidels onely the Church of Rome the Seate of Saint Peter stands at this day most conspicuous according to the prayer and promise of Christ that his faith should not faile and that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against it Thus briefly is proued the beginning encreasing and continuing of the holy Christian Catholique Apostolique and Romane Church as also the promised continuall assistance of the Holy Ghost the Spirit of truth to remaine therewith alwaies to the Consummation of the World that is for ever Of which Vine all Christians that shall be saued must be vnited liuely branches and members THE ANSWERE to the Priests Motiues GOod Brother Whosoever he was that sent you these lines as motiues to make you a Romish Catholique I must needs thinke him your friend and by that name I meane to call him hereafter because I thinke hee did it out of a desire to saue your soule although I am sure he goes the wrong way to worke And if you should follow him which God forbid hee will certainly leade you into the ditch Though his proofes bee simple ones as I hope you will see by the answere yet it seemes hee thought better of them and they were the best he knew and therefore if hee faile in his purpose as I hope he shall yet you haue some cause to thanke him in that hee vsed the same arguments to perswade you wherewith hee himselfe was perswaded But for the validity of his reasons doe you judge your selfe when you haue heard vs both speake or if not let it bee tried by God and the country And who soever he was he hath placed a sentence in the foot of his discourse which for the importancie thereof deserved to bee set in a higher roome therefore I will begin with that first The true Catholique Church Jt is so necessary saith hee for every one to know and beleeue the holy Catholique Church militant that whosoever is not a sound member of that society either in act or desire cannot bee saved All this is true and there is great reason for it for if it were once agreed among Christians which were the true Church of Christ other differences in Religion would more easily be composed by the authority thereof But so long as the doubt remaines concerning the Church it selfe as in these daies that is the capitall controversie betweene Protestants Papists there is small hope of any good accord vnlesse both sides could agree vpon some third party to be vmpire Who must be such a one as is of sufficient vnderstanding to discerne where the truth resteth and withall of that indifferency in affection that he encline no way to one side more then to another For that either the Romish or reformed Church being themselues the parties litigant that they should require to be made Iudges in their own cause though some of our adver saries be not ashamed to make such a proposition yet I thinke there is no man that hath his fiue wits about him
did not Christ pray for them all it is evident that to touch Peter more deepely and to shew his fault to bee more grievous then any of the rest Christ turned his speech to him in particular in Math. Hom. 83. All this proues no greater Monarchy but rather a greater infirmity in Peter then in any of the rest and greater mercy in Christ towards him whose sinne did deserue à greater iudgement As S. Paul inferres the like of himsele 1. Tim. 1.16 I am sure the Pope will not bee thought to succeed Peter in the sinne of his deniall why then doth hee claime the benefit of Christs prayer Ego pro te oravi which was made purposely for Peter in regard of that sinne For as Peters deniall was his personall fault and is not derived per traducem to his Successors for then not only many Popes should Apostatare as Lyra in Math. 16. saith but all Popes should be Renegates which I beleeue not As therefore it was a personall sinne in Peter to deny Christ so the prayer of Christ for Peter was a personall favour bestowed vpon him and the Pope hath no more right to the one then the other besides let it bee considered that the faith which Saint Peter obtained by Christs prayer was not only fides notitiae such as Divels haue and tremble but it was fides fiduciae vera salvifica sides such a faith as worketh with charity and whosoever hath it shall vndoubtedly be saued and so Chrysostome vnderstands it Oraui proute ne deficeret fides tua hoc est ne in fine pereas Hom. 72. in Ioh. Now it is confessed by all Papists that all Popes are not furnished with this kinde of faith Pope Adrian 6. is said to haue doubted of the salvation of many of his predecessors and Bellarmine if the Seminary Priest bely him not hath passed a peremptory iudgement vpon Pope Sixtus Quintus Quia sine poenitentiâ vixit sine poenitentiâ mortuus est quantum sapio quantum capio descendit ad inferos Watson in his Quodlibets Now if this be true that Popes may bee damned it must needs follow that either Christs prayer did not prevaile with God which were impiety to thinke or that the Pope was never thought vpon by Christ when this prayer was a making Now to his third proofe 3. Our Saviour Christ asking Peter îf he loved him more then these said yea Lord thou knowst J loue thee wherevpon Christ said to him twice feed my Lambes and the third time feed my sheepe Ioh. 21. vers 16.17 Here is some mistaking of the Text againe for Christ did not say twice to Peter feed my Lambs once feede my sheep but twice feed my Sheepe and once feed my Lambs But let this passe for a peccadillo I say farther that in the words there is nothing spoken more to Peter then is elsewhere spoken to all the Apostles When they are commanded to goe and teach all Nations baptizing them Mat. 28.19.20 And if hee thinke that there lies any speciall mystery in these words because there is such distinct mention of lambs and sheepe both committed to Peters charge the like whereof we doe not find in the mission of the other Apostles Let him not be too hasty to say so till hee haue considered the words of their generall commission Mark 16.15 Goe into all the world Saint Peter could not haue a larger Dioces and preach the Gospell to every creature Therefore whether they be Lambes or sheepe they belong to the charge of euery other Apostle as well as to Saint Peters But they will say that Peter is commanded not only Pascere but regere and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies more then a Pastorall duty even a kinde of Regall authority to bee given by Christ vnto him Bellarmine stands much vpon the word though there bee little cause Lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. c. 15. I know that Kings are sometimes called Shepheards as Homer calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nay God himselfe cals Cyrus so Jsa 44.28 But I thinke it were harsh because Kings are sometimes called shepheards to infer that Shepheards therefore are Kings whether wee speake of rustike or Ecclesiastick Shepheards But if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee such a mysticall word and doth imply such a soveraigne authority what meant Saint Paul to vse that word speaking to the ordinary Presbyters of Ephesus whom he willed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Act. 20.28 You haue heard his three texts of Scriptures which if they be so cleere for the supremacy as hee would haue you thinke let him giue you some reason why Pope Zozimus Bonifacius Caelestinus did not alledge any of these Scriptures in the 6. Councell of Carthage when their supremacy lay a bleeding but only made their claime by the Councell of Nice it is not likely that ever such learned and wise Prelates as they would haue sought for humane proofes to iustify their cause if they had knowne how to doe it by divine authority which is to mee an vndoubted argument that these fore-alleadged places Mat. 16.18 Luk. 22.31 Ioh. 21.16 either were not thought on in those daies to imply any such Supremacie in Peter or that Peters supremacy whatsoever it bee was not thought to belong any whit to the Pope Else why did they not stand vpon the Scriptures Why did the Popes Legates vrge the Nicene Canon Or rather why did they forge it to serue their turnes for so it is certaine that they did and the forgery remaines vpon record in the Acts of the Councell And though Cardinall Baron Tom. 5. Annal haue strained his wits hard to salue the matter yet it will not be Haeret lateri lethalis arundo But as I was about to say if these Scriptures make any good proofe for the Popes Supremacy why were not they brought forth in that Councell of Carthage either by the Pope or his Legates rather then the Nicene Canon Saint Augustine was one of the Fathers present in that Carthagenian Councell when this cause was debated and is it likely that either the Pope would haue stood then vpon Canons if he had known any Canonicall scripture for it or that Saint Augustine and the rest would haue denied him any authority that was due to him by Gods word I conclude that either the Church in those daies did not vnderstand these places of Scripture or the Romish doth not vnderstand them now But see whether these proofes that follow doe helpe his cause any better 1. When all the holy Apostles are named S. Peter is the first Mat. 10.2 That is not so for Saint Andrew is named before him Ioh. 1.44 James is named before him Gal. 2.9 Paul and Apollos were both named before him 1. Cor. 3.22 Nay see 1. Cor. 9.5 and Mark 16.7 and you shall finde him named last of them all 2. If it were so that Peter were still first named yet what a weake foundation is that for so great