were commaunded to be vnder the subiection of the hie priest Which thing being well coosidered of wee may conclude that if the gouernment of one ouer the whole church were not thought necessarie for any people before such time as Moyses had deliuered such laws to the Israelits from God after they were come out of Egypt neither yet afterward for any but only for the Iews as by the examples alleadged may appeare out of this I say wee may gather that neither then was the whole church commaunded to be vnder the gouernment of one and also that it was not a pattern of gouernment for the church nowe but onely a figure of Christ to them to whome all things almost were deliuered in figures and shadowes But master Bellarmines fourth argument hath yet lesse weight then any of the rest The church saith hee is compared to an Armie to Mans body or a beutifull woman to a kingdome a Ssheepfold a house Noahs arke but no armie without a generall no body without a head no wife without a husband no kingdome without a king no shipfold without a sheapheard no house without a steward no ship but hath a master We grant all this and as Saint Augustine saith of the head so we may say of all these similitudes for Christ can not be called a head if there be no body whereof he should be head And these names are bestowed vpon the church and belong vnto her no otherwise then as we haue respect vnto Christ that is our general head husband king sheapheard householder and shipmaster And I cannot but muse at the great ignorance or wilfulnesse that master Bellarmine sheweth in this argument who knowing the nature of relatiues to be such as that the one of them dependeth on the other so that the one cannot be without the other knowing also that the wife is so called in respect of her husband and the husbaÌ„d so called in respect that he hath a wife yet he shames not to affirme that the church here vpon earth may well be compared to a wife not hauing respect to Christ her husband It may be his meaning is to rake again out of the chenel that filthy blasphemous cannon wherein the pope maketh claime to be the husbaud of the church which title the scriptures ascribe to Christ onely To his fifth argument and his third I answered together his sixth argument is this Bishops are well set to haue authoritie ouer Ministers Archbishops ouer Bishops therefore also there must be one ouer all others But this proueth not that which fame hee would proue that by Gods word one must haue rule ouer al. Seuenthly saith master Bellarmine the church must still increase but it can not increase vnlesse one man bee aboue the rest to take this care therefore one must be chiefe aboue all other And cannot the church increase except one be among the rest to commaund all others Who commaunded Saint Paul to preach as he did in many places Not Peter But they will say he was extraordinarily called And they that are extraordinarily called must now by the popes lawes be allowed by the pope But to let this passe Parthia to Thomas Aethiopia to Matthew India to Bartholomew were appointed to preach in not at Peters commandement but by lot Not Peter but Thomas moued thereunto by God sent Thadde vnto Edessa So that we see Maister Bellarmines minor proposition to be very false For the kingdome of Christ may well be increased without the Popes supremacie As then it was so now I say it may be yea and is increased mightely although the Pope doe not onely grieue at it but also striue against it Lastly there must be vnity in faith saieth Maister Bellarmine but that cannot be vnlesse all be vnder one therefore one must haue the rule ouer all In deede it cannot be denied but that one man being of authority in the church of God may manie times doe much good either to confirme the godly or daunt the courage of the contentious But if this authority bee bestowed vppon the vngodly it doeth much hurt and it is then found true that the wiseman saieth When the wicked beare rule the people sigh Neither can we haue a better example of this then in the Bishops of Rome that haue beene these many hundred of yeares who to get the soueraignty aboue all authority omitte no practises shame not of anie treacheries spare not anie shedding of bloud but forget all dutie all nature all humaniâ—ie all christianitie so that they may haue the commaunding of all the world And for their vnitie in faith it is a kinde of vnitie but in hypocrisie not in veritie Against Gods vndoubted word against Christ and his office his merit and satisfaction euen such a vnitie as Dauid speaketh of against the Lord and against his anointed But can there be no vnity in faith but where there is supremacie in authoritie Yes if wee marke the histories wee shall finde that there was neuer so good consent in sound doctrine as when this supremacie was not hatched A question concerning circumcision fell among the christians in the Apostles time The matter was referred vnto the Apostles The Apostles and elders came together to looke to this matter After much disputation Peter gaue his iudgement of gods goodnes towardes the Gentiles To that end also Paul and Barnabas told howe wonderfullie God had wrought among the Gentiles by them And last of all Iames concluded according to whose direction the matter was defined Now what supremacie was in this counsell The Papists tell vs that Peter was chiefe here but this is but a bold assertion vow of all proofe For first the wordes doe not shew that Peter called them together but the contrary rather Which Saint Luke would not haue omitted if Peter by anie superiour authoritie that he had ouer them had called them Neither did Peter speake first For before he spake there was much disputation neither did he giue definitiue sentence in the counsell but Saint Iames as doth easily appeare to them that â—ompare the words that he did speake with the Epistle that they did write concerning the matter in controuersie So that if there were then anie chiefe it was Saint Iames and not Saint Peter The like also I might shew out of some other of the first counsels following Of which because I shall haue better occasion after to intreat I trust this may suffice to shewe that without supremacie vnitie in faith may be maintained and therefore that the minor proposition in this argument is false And thus haue I briefly râ—â—ne ouer the arguments that are alleadged by Maister Bellarmine to proue this soueraigne Monarchy which he saith must be in Gods church rather pointing to them then prosecuting anie of them Against all which I wilt oppose one onelie argument which I would desire Maister Bellarmine or some friend of
hath established in making that sin which he calleth honourable and forbidding that which he hath commanded as appeareth in their forbidding certaine persons to marry And on the contrary wheras Christ reproued Peter for drawing his sword euen in defence of his master yet Peters successor and Christs vicar as he tearmeth himselfe commendeth it as a most acceptable sacrifice to God and meritorius of the remission of sinnes if in the defence of the pope or reuenge of his enemies and they are all his enemies that will not be his slaues they fight againgst christian princes yea and rebell against their naturall and soueraigne magistrates Of the which because I shall God willing haue better occasion to speake after I only would haue you nowe to remember that furious fellow Iulius the second of whom it is written that he gaue forgiuenes of sinnes to any that would kill a Frenchman And it seemeth that some cause of his deadly hatred against the French was this Iulius this iolly pope was sworne when he was chosen pope as many stories testifie that he should call a generall council within two yeares But he not regarding either oath or duety was so farre from calling of a councill that as much as he could he hindered the same And thereupon nine Cardinals leauing him came to Millan and appointed a councill to be kept at Pysa whither the Emperour and French king did send their Ambassadours Now when otherwise hee could not hinder the council hee purposed as a friend of his telleth vs to rule it by warres so that he made the councill to goe to Millaine for feare A great fight beeing vpon Easter day betweene the French and this woorthy warriour the French men gaue his a great ouerthrowe Whereupon he stirred vp against them all that he could the Venetians Heluetians Italians Spaniards So wel did he seeke for peace and insue it as Saint Peter commandeth him whose successour he calleth himselfe So much did he regarde that promise that our Sauiour Christ himselfe whose Vicar he would seeme to be did make Blessed are the peace makers for they shalbe called Gods children And so lightly did he set by that commaundement that Christ hath giuen against our affectionat and vnlawfull reuenges Resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheeke turne to him the other also So that this pope doth promise the reward of remission of sinnes for dooing that which Gods law doth flattely forbid and the law of nature doth vtterly condemne Is not this to take vppon him against God himselfe Is not this to commaund when he forbiddeth and to forbid when he commaundeth Againe God hath giuen vs a plaine and flat commandement that we should doe nothing but that which he biddeth Wee must not so much as turne to the left hand of our corrupt affections or superstitious seruices which our selues condemne or to the right hand of our good intentions and deuotions wherein we please our naturall man very well His word only must be our rule and square Doth not then the bishop of Rome controll this and such like commandements of God when he saith in expresse wordes ye shall haue other rules of religion other articles of faith otherwayes to worship God by traditions of the apostles and of the church vnwritten verities decrees decretalles briefes and buls councils and precepts of the church Is not this to transgresse Gods commandement by our owne traditions and to make it of none authoritie Is not this to teach as doctrines mens precepts Yea is not this to say with those lawlesse lordes wee are they that ought to speake who is Lord ouer vs Thirdly in that the pope may as hee and his fauourites falsely affirme allowe of the scriptures whether they shall be authenticall or not Doth he not thereby take vpon him to be aboue God whose word is not authentical vnlesse the pope allow of it If you doubt whether the Bishop of Rome be so shamelesse or not as so to say consider first what Siluester Prierias a frier and maister of the popes pallace writeth in his articles or foundations that he setteth downe against Luther Whosoeuer saith he resteth not vpon the doctrine of the church and bishop of Rome as vpon an iufallible rule of faith from whence euen the holy scripture doeth drawe strength and authoritie is an heretike like vnto which is that also of Eckius without the authority of the church the very scriptures are not authenticall And let not their doctrine only be examined wherein they teach that the pope is virtually the church as doth that frier Prierias in the place before alleadged in his second foundation but also yea and that especially the practise of that church so to refer al things to the pope in such things that he according to that fulnesse of knowledge which is in that sacred casket of his holy brest which pope Paule the second did first boast of must iudge of all things so that as he saith so it must be and there must no reason be asked of his doing Whereby it appeareth that the Pope being the church and as we see hauing the ful authoritie to do what he will in the church of Rome they tell vs that the scripture hath no authoritie or strength but from him And I pray you then who is greater hee that maketh the word authenticall or hee that hath his word approoued Is not he that doth approoue it so God must be vnder the pope that holy God vnder a vile sinfull man Fourthly the pope will take vpon him to dispence with or rather against the word of God and to allow that which God manifestly condemneth and is expresly against gods holy law For proofe whereof I neede not alleadge the false testimony of his flattering lawyers that giue him that power to dispense against the apostle and so against gods word but we may see his practise which doth sufficiently testifie that he thinketh he may dispense with the wicked and vnnaturall vncouering of the shame of them that are neare of kinne And he hath done contrary to this flat commaundement giuen by God against marying with vncle or aunt In which case he did dispense in the marriage of his catholike sonne Philip King of Spaine who as in his vnrighteous ambition hee hath no measure so in his vnnaturall iust he hath as it seemeth no shame but to his Lord he shall stand or fall before whome it shall be tried one day whether the popes bull can stand betweene God and him for breach of Gods lawe Yea pope Martine the fifth as is alleaged in a booke called Brutum fulmen out of Anthony of Florence and others did dispense with one to marry his owne sister whereas God saieth thou shalt not vncouer the shame of thy sister But what can not the pope do He can make wrong right say they And wee knowe that hee can
his frends who hee hopeth wil not examine that he writeth whether it haue weight or not but will take all for gold that hee giueth if it looke yelow Thus against all truth to affirme Eliachim to be hie priest is too bad And to offer by such proofe as could not but be vncertain euen to himselfe to proue so waighty a matter whereupon so great controuersie in religion hangeth doth not onely proclaime that all may heare it the weaknesse of his cause but also that his indeuour is to keepe vnder the truth that it appeare not And thus much to lay open his falshood in his first reason Now let vs see the weakenesse of his second To binde and loose saieth hee is to commaunde and to punish and to dispence and to remitte But Peter coulde binde and loose What nowe will Maister Bellarmine conclude Therefore saith hee hee is iudge and prince of all that are in the church we will not much stand with him in his maior although it might haue beene vttered in plainer termes For this authoritie of binding and loosing is so committed vnto the church that the power to do it is tied not to the man but to the ministerie not to the materiall church but to the word And therefore wee cannot simply say that to bind and loose is to commaund or punish but to commaund according to the word and to punish according to the direction of it For wee must not imagine that God must be the executioner of our owne decrees or tyed to allowe of our iudgements but that wee are the proclaimers of his iudgements and must pronounce what God in his reueiled word hath already set downe And also the word of dispensing though it may perchaunce haue a good vnderstanding as if thereby we meane the meane the ordering and bestowing of the word in respect whereof the ministers are called stewards or disposers of the secrets of God so must we take heede that thereby we giue not to any man saint Peter or any other libertie to dispense at their pleasure and to order as they will the people of God For as magistrates if they do not gouerne according to law abuse their authoritie and doe degenerate into tyrants so ministers of the word if they swarue from the word are but seducers The maior I say beeing rightly vnderstood wee doe yeld vnto and the minor is also true that Peter could binde and loose But master Bellarmines conclusion doth not agree with these propositions neither can it folow if they be graunted It hangeth no better together then Daniels image of sundrie mettalles that could not long hold together But this must be master Bellarmines conclusion to bind and loose is to commannd punish dispense and remit in such sort as I haue alreadie shewed but saint Peter could binde and loose therefore saint Peter might commaund punish dispense and remit as hath beene shewed This must be master Bellarmines conclusion but this will not serue master Bellarmines turne For euery minister should so doe and not Peter onely And all this is doone by the ministery of the word in euery pastours seuerall charge if the minister be faithfull in his office Seeing his second argument concludeth nothing against vs what doth his third and last argument He promiseth by the fathers to proue that these keis are a soueraigne and chiefe authoritie ouer the whole church What will he bring vs a catholike erposition receaued by all or most of the godly learned at all times in all places agreed vpon with one consent For otherwise it is not catholike No. But hee telleth vs of two of the fathers onely And the one of them being himselfe a pope and in such times as that before his dayes this superioritie ouer all had bin sundrie wayes sought for by the Bishop of Rome his credit is in this point not much worth against vs. As for Chrisostom who is the other witnes that must prooue that by the keies Christ meaneth this vinuersal iurisdiction First he reasoneth in that very place where these words are against the Arrians or some such heretikes as made Christ not equall to the father aud insulteth against them by occasion of this place The father saith hee gaue vnto Peter the reuelation of the sonne But the sonne gaue vnto him partly that hee might sowe through the whole earth this reuelation both of the father and of the sonne partly that he being a mortall man should be indued with heauenly power and haue the keis of the kingdome of heauen And it foloweth there in Chrisostom how then is he lesse that wrought this in Peter So then to proue Christ to be equall vnto the father in power he sheweth that he wrought if not more mightely yet as powerfull in Peter as the father did And vpon this occasion he thus amplifieth this excellency of Peter as also he doth a litle before in respect of that vniuersall church that Christ committed to him which charge the rest also had For all the apostles were generall Preachers wheresoeuer God called them And therefore Chrisostom doth say of them all not of Peter only that they were the teachers of the world And in another place that there were two paires of the apostles that held this headship And yet Peter might better then any of the rest be called the pastour or head of the church that were of the twelue because the charge of the Iewes wheresoeuer they were in any place were cōmitted to him without any limitation of nation or countrie wherein they liued Seeing therefore his proofes whereby he indeuoureth to proue these keis to signifie that vniuersall and soueraigne authoritie ouer the whole church are either so false or faultie that they are not worth alleaging as are his two reasons taken out of scripture or so feeble that they can haue no strength as this out of Chrisostome I see no reason why we should yeld either to scripturs so falsly or foolishly applyed or much lesse to the sayings of men so hardly construed For as before I haue admonished it is one thing to haue an excellency or superioritie among others in some respects of other mens yeldings another thing to haue iurisdiction of his owne right and interest ouer all other The first we confesse was in Peter but that wil nothing at all helpe the Pope or the iurisdiction of the church of Rome Against the interpretation of the popish church thus I reason If these keis belong to all them that haue ovtained that grace of God to be called to the function of a bishop I speake not of the hononr but of the office then is no chiefe authoritie signifieth thereby for where many are equall there is no man chiefe But these keies belong vnto all such as Theaphilact doth testifie therefore no such chiefe authoritie is signified thereby For my minor proposition that euery bishop or pastour hath such authoritie or such
a windowe in a basket when hee was in great danger in Damascus doth prooue Paule to hee the head of the church Of the nineteenth I haue spoken before pag. 10. The twenteenth prerogatiue Paule went to Hierusalem to see Peter What must he therefore needes be head of the church Belike then for the three yeares wherein he sawe him not but went preaching into Arabia and to Damascus he confessed him not to be head but as if he had forgoten himselfe all this while hee now at the last yeldeth him seme reuerence But if he had done it in any such respect he would and should at 〈…〉 before he had taken his office vpon him haue had Peters alowance And thus much concerning Peters priuileges or prerogatiues which they alleage out of Gods booke Which although many of them are euident arguments of excellent graces that God had bestowed vpon him and great mercies which God shewed to him yet if master Bellarmine or any other will out of them conclude Peters supremacie the weaknesse of his argument will be seene of very children But yet because before he made Peters prerogatiues his second proofe of this his supremacie I haue thought it necessarie to reckon them for other confutation of them needeth not that all may see what weak proofes they doe bring for this their chiefe point of doctrine As for the other eight prerogatiues they are not worth speaking of Both because we may iustly doubt of the truth of many of them as being proued but by fabulous writings and also because if they were true it were not matteriall for the point in question And therefore letting them alone as rotten propes which will fall in pieces of themselues if any weight be layed vpon them I hasten to his third proofe that hee promised And that is out of the fathers And herein it is needles to examine euerie particular testimony Onely I will set downe in what sense the fathers truly may and often doe ascribe vnto Saint Peter many excellent titles that thereby examining the fathers and finding them to keepe within the bounds of gods word we may with reuerēce receiue them But if they passe those lists I trust master Bellarmine and al his friends will beare with vs if we reiect the doctrine of men as himselfe in this very booke before refuseth the iudgement of Origene and Theophilact and of others in other places First therefore this word in latine primatus which wee now call Supremacie but indeede doth signifie that I may make such a word Firstnesse is ascribed vnto Peter of the fathers in respect of time as in the place alleaged here out of Ciprian neither Peter saith Ciprian whom the Lord chose first and vpon whom he did build his church whereas Paul did afterward reason of circumcision did boast himselfe or did take vpon him any thing insolently or proudly saying he had the primacy and that new ones and aftercommers shall rather obay him him This place is alleadged by master Bellarmine often to proue Peters supremacy or iurisdiction ouer others But the wordes are very plaine that Cyprian speaketh of his being first not in dignity but in tune as appeareth not onely in that he saith he was first chosen but also by the wordes of newe ones or after-commers But maister Bellarmine wil say that Andrew was chosen before him to be an apostle and therefore that Cyprian was deceiued if so he meant It may so be For men may erre But the question is not nowe whether Cyprians iudgement herein be true or not but vpon what occasion or in what respect Cyprian giueth Peter the primacy which is most plainly in this place set downe to be in respect of time And so may other of the fathers in this respect vse this word and giue him this title And sometime this title of primacy is giuen vnto him in regarde of some excellent thinges that he was indued withall by reason whereof his fellowes and brethren amongst themselues and the fathers after might giue vnto him some kinde of reuerence in name or otherwise But this wil do no good for proofe of popish supremacy For they doe hold that Peter in his owne right and by that iurisdiction which by Gods word he hath is head of the church and hath the supremacy aboue all other We say that because of his gifts of zeale knowledge constancy or boldnes he was admitted and allowed to speake and to doe many things but that in his owne right he was but equall with the rest and as he calleth himselfe a fellowe elder with them that were meaner then apostles Therefore to be a chiefe man or a head man among them is not to prooue him to haue iurisdiction ouer them In all corporations or fellowships as aldermen in citties although in regarde of that place they are alike none more or lesse an alderman then another yet among them some are better esteemed of euen of themselues because of their learning wisedome dexterity in gouernement credit power or wealth not because they can in right claime it but because other doe for such things as they see in them yeelde it vnto them not that they haue power ouer them but onely they are of good accompt among them And thus much to proue that that is not sufficient which maister Bellarmine saith will serue the turne to proue that the fathers say that Peter was head or had primacy ouer y e church For neither his estimation in respect of his gifts neither if by voluntary subiection they did submit themselues vnto him it can proue him to haue right to rule ouer them And this they must proue or els they gaiue nothing to their cause that Peter by the word of God hath authority ouer the whole church and ouer the apostles And therefore it maketh no great matter what men say of Peters authority but how truely they grounde their sayings vpon Gods word And thus I trust it appeareth to the indifferent reader that the minor proposition of that argument which I haue set downe in the end of my answere vnto maister Bellarmine ninth chapter of this booke wherein consisteth the great strength of the popish Monarchy is not agreeable vnto the truth or catholike doctrine howsoeuer that church of Rome reioiceth in that title that is none of hers thereby deceiuing the world as if all that shee taught were sound and catholike The proposition is this that Christ gane iurisdiction vnto Peter ouer the vniuersal church The chiefest profes that either they all haue or that maister Bellarmine can alleadge is out of Saint Matthew the xvi where they say this iurisdiction is promised and Saint Iohn xxi where they say it is giuen which their interpretation as I haue shewed cannot stand with the text it selfe or the interpretations of the sounder fathers His second reason which consisteth of the prerogatiues which Saint Peter had is grounded either vpon
ancient writers of their time and that maketh me thinke that they did speake for themselues and were somewhat pricked forward with a purpose to aduance their seat Therefore letting them passe as partiall in this cause let vs come to this next proofe which is out of the greeke fathers And first commeth in Ignatius who writeth to the church that ruleth for I will admit the worst that Maister Bellarmine or any other can alleadge ont of this place in the Romane region But will Maister Bellarmines logicke conclude that therefore the church of Rome hath supremacy ouer the whole church He must first bring the vniuersall church within the place of the Roman region before that can be Out of Ireny he hath these words For vnto this church for the more mighty principality speaking of the church of Rome it is necessary that the whole church doe come that is the faithful from al places in which alwaies of them that are from all places is kept that tradition which is from the Apostles The wordes as you may see are somewhat hard by reason that he who translated Ireny out of greeke did here as in many other places translate him very darkely But I haue englished them word for word His meaning is that they that come from other places of the world be it neuer so farre off yet doe not alter the tradition that the apostles left vnto them and yet many must needes come thither because that in respect that Rome is the Imperiall citty the church also hath the more mighty principality and so in deciding of causes hath the more reuerence and authority And thus doth he proue that to be true that in the beginning of that chapter he said that it is an easie matter for him that will to see the tradition of the apostles manifested through the whole world because that from whence soeuer they do come yet still they keepe one tradition By this argument doth Ireny confute the heretikes because the tradition of the apostles being kept in all places not only in the church of Rome although because it was best known or most famous he bringeth that for example yet no such doctrine as the heretikes speake of is taught among them But nowe maister Bellarmines vnseasonable collection out of this place is very farre from Irenies meaning That it is necessary saith he that all churches should hang of the church of Rome He proueth first by that which goeth before because principality is giuen to this church secondly of that which followeth because hitherto al in that church haue kept the faith that is in being vnited and cleaning to that church as the head and mother These are maister Bellarmines words But first he saith wrong of Ireny that he should indeuour to proue such necessity in comming to the church of Rome especiall taking as here he doth for a bounden duty For it is maister Bellarmines meaning to make the church of Rome the onely church that must heare all great matters decide all doubtfull questions and commande all other churches But Ireny his meaning is that all other men had occasion to seeke rather of that church then of any other for helpe and direction because that in respect of the greatnes of the citty the church there was in some greater accompt as before I haue shewed but he neuer saide that all were bound to submit themselues to that church as maister Bellarmine and his partakers would haue him be thought to speake Secondly he must speake more plainely what he meaneth by this that principality is giuen to the church of Rome For if he meane that men yeeld great reuerence to the church of Rome we yeelde that in the primitiue church they did so that iustly because the true faith was there sincerely kept but this principality will not please maister Bellarmine or proue his intent And if Ireny had meant that this principality had beene giuen by Christ a man of meane vnderstanding will easily thinke that he would haue spoken it in more plaine tearmes But what neede I to vse many words the place it selfe is plaine For the more mighty principality saith Ireny if he had thought of the supremacy of the bishop of Rome he would haue said most mighty principality For more mighty principality doth but make him better then others in some respect not aboue all others which he claimeth to be So that to proue his intent he must haue better proofe For this will not warrant that soueraigne authority of the bishop of Rome Thirdly that which maister Bellarmine would tell vs out of this place that all churches must be vnited and cleaue to this church of Rome as their head mother hath at all no ground of Irenies words And thus we see howe he doth racke and rent the wordes out of their plaine sence to serue for his purpose which being wel weied of make rather against them and their supremacy Epiphanius is his third witnes who reporteth that Vrsarius and Valens two Arrian bishops being conuerted did go to Iulius bishop of Rome to giue an accompt of their errour and fault But if that proue the supremacy of the bishop of Rome then must Athanasius also haue that supremacy as well as he for it followeth immediatly after that they vsed the selfe same proofes that they repented of their errour vnto Athanasius So that the intent and cause of their going to pope Iulius or pope Athanasius for he is there so called was not to acknowledge his supremacy but as it was known that they had erred so woulde they haue it well knowen that they reuoked their heresie Neither did they craue pardon of their offence of Iulius bishop of Rome which out of Athanasius he endeuoured to proue because he had authority ouer all persons but because they knew their offence to haue beene against the whole church they were desirous that the bishop of Rome for his parte as a principall member of the church but not a head aboue all should not impute that fault vnto them And this is the part of euery christian man or woman hauing made a generall fault whereby many godly are offeuded to make also a publike satisfaction for the same And cannot this be done to pope Iulius but we must make him head of the church Athanasius also his letter to pope Felix is alleadged wherein Athanasius being much distressed of the Arrians and wrongfully dealt withall and not hauing any hope that the greeke Church coulde helpe him the Emperour himselfe being an Arrian the rather to mooue the bishoppe of Rome to pity his case saith thus For this cause God hath placed you and your predecessours Apostolicke prelates in the towre of height and hath charged you to haue care of all churches that you should helpe vs. That God by meanes of Constantine and other good Emperours aduanced high the Bishop of Rome we deny not And we also knowe
new logicke before he can prooue such bad conclusions But then to mend the matter he bringeth in an authoritie that is not to be found in the Author that he doth aleage for it But wee must take it vpon the credit of Thomas of Aquine They shew that they want proofe when they would faine call againe the things that are not to helpe their cause As for Thomas we know welenough his good will to the church of Rome For he would not onely raâ—e out of the earth these sentences of Ciril but also as Canus reporteth of him hee speaketh of one Maximius that saieth much for the authoritie of the bishop of Rome Yea and he findeth much out of the council of Chalcedon In which councill the Bishop of Rome had his authoritie that he sought for much abridged Yet I say Thomas hath found out euen in that council good stuffe to confirme the authoritie of the bishop of Rome that ueuer came to our hands And no meruel for Melchior Canus telleth vs that Gregorie complaineth that in his dayes they were blotted out by heretiks And I pray you howe then did Thomas of Aquine come by them who was after Gregorie almost seuen hundred yeares Thus you may see howe they seeke by forged writings that which by authorities of credit they can not maintaine Well then let fained Ciril goe and let vs see what Theodoret saith He as others before him had done craueth the Popes helpe against Dioscorus And Leo the pope did for him what he could we deny not But yet before the councell of Chalcedon would restore Theodoret to his place againe he was forced by the whole councell to shew his detestation of Nestorius Eutiches and all heretickes although the pope had receiued him to communion before And heere before I goe any further this one note I thinke necessary to be added concerning many of the former testimonies That because they are drawen from the priuate Epistles of men distressed seeking for helpe and therefore they might wel be forced to write with as great humility as they could deuise to write for to obtaine succour it is no reason that these their forced petitions and priuate requests should be accounted as rules for catholicke religion Then commeth in Sozomen in which he mistaketh both the place alleadging the seuenth chapter for the eighth an errour easily committed and the matter For although Iulius bishop of Rome did thinke well of the dignity of his seat yea and in respect of his mightinesse that hee was now growen vnto partly by the goodnesse of former Emperours but chiefly through the dissentions of the east or greeke churches hee was in duty also bound more then others to haue a great care ouer all churches yet that his supremacy was not then acknowledged that very Chapter shall sufficiently testifie For there it is reported how that the bishops of the east churches to whom Iulius had written somewhat sharpely in the behalfe of Athanasius and others that fled to him did make answere to Iulius with a letter ful of tauntes and threatnings and shewed that their churches were as great and as many as his finding fault also with Iulius for receiuing such to his communion and such other things So that wee see that they did not account the Bishop of Rome as supreame head of the church neither doth Sozomen say that Iulius his seat came to that dignity by Christes institution or by Gods law which Bellarmine tooke in hand to proue but hath not brought one testimony of the fathers that can performe that promise They plead as the Lawyers say in possessorio they say they haue it by possession so many haue come to the church of Rome for helpe when they were distressed In thus many cases popes haue intermedled in other bishops charges So they tell vs what they haue done But the question is how iustly by what right law or authority they haue done many of the things that they haue done We would haue them plead de petitorio Let them proue their right For it is true that long since the pride of this seat did beginne abusing Gods good liberality and the fauour of godly princes towarde them still increasing in that ambitious humour vntill they had set themselues aboue all Which authority when they had once gotten they did shew themselues vnsatiable and cruell despising all authority and making their wil to be in steede of law as shal God willing in the proofe of their practise which is the seconde part of this treatise be declared But it doth not followe they haue done this therefore they haue done well in so doing That which is alleadged out of Acutius that Simplician the pope had care ouer all churches is much to the commendation of Simplician that he had so due regard of his dutie but this prooueth him not to haue authority ouer all because he had or at the least should haue care ouer all But I muse what maister Bellarmine meaneth to tell vs a tale out of Liberatus of a namelesse bishop of Patara What matter is it to vs or what strength can it bring to his cause to know what he or other men not knowen in the church of God for their learning iudgement zeale or such other vertues as are necessary for them that shoulde be witnesses in matters of religion doe thinke or say Much such proofe might be had out of the legend of lies But that will neuer proue their doctrince to be catholicke Lastly the woordes of Iustitian in that hee calleth the pope Iohn the seconde head of all holy churches may well bee admitted as in former times that name head was often vsed yea and is still of vs. A man of good dexterity or countenance is called a head man among others although hee hath not authority ouer them But such a head as now the pope is become that will controll all bishops yea depose emperours dispence with Gods word make new laws in the church haue his saying in all matters Iustinian himself could not haue liked And it must be marked that we deny not but a bishop of Rome as also another maÌ„ may welbe called head of the church if they be indewed with such gifts as are to the benefit of the whole church But we deny both that the name is or ought to be peculiar to the church of Rome or the bishop thereof only and also that the authority which by that and such like names he challengeth vnto him is tolerable in him or in any other For indeede our contention is whether the bishoppe of Rome haue supremacy ouer the whole church or not Now excellent names were giuen vnto men in times past as the name of pope Baronius a great papist of our time confesseth was common to all bishops The like he also writeth of the name of vniuersall bishop And Athanasius was called Pontifex maximus
What should I seeke to speak of euery one their own decrees and decrxtals do sufficently beare witnes that within a short time they were become so imperious ouer others that they would not leaue men farre better and more holy then themselues and better able to direct those bishops of Rome then the B. were to aduise them such I say they would not leaue to their own liberty in any thing but for euery thing euen the least matters that were they must follow the direction of that church of Rome must haue a decree for it Which bondage greater then that of Egypt howe miserable a slauery it was let the worlde iudge whē a man might iustly doubt of euery thing that he did haue some scruple of cōscience in al things For by this means it came to passe that the number of their ordinaunces being almost infinite men should alwaies be in danger to breake some of them Which was then a means to get them authority afterwards occasion of great gaine And thus we see two steppes laide to help them vp to this their desired honour The one is a voluntary submitting to them for aide councill and comfort The second a forcible subiecting of others to them by decrees and commandements But yet they could not get so high by far as they did looke or at the least so farre as now they haue climed For as in more then 300. yeares whilest they were in persecution they had no such proud hearts for any thing that we can read in any credible authors so for almost 300. yeares more they did but feede themselues in their own honour and got what credit and authority they coulde by their own deuises and pollicies Howbeit they could not get any vniuersal or general consent of other bishops to giue them that authoritie But contrary wise not onely some councils as that which is called Mileuitanum and that sixt of Carthage and that other of Chalcedon did stiffely withstand him therein but also the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople who in y e council of Chalcedon was made of equal authority with the bishop of Rome did earnestly striue to get the supremacy ouer Rome and all others And by al likelihood he had preuailed if Mauritius the the Emperour who as some stories report tooke part with the patriarch of Constantinople had not beene cut of cruelly by Phocas that did succeede him in the empire So that hereby the pride of the bishops of Rome was somewhat hindered and this authority which nowe he claimeth was almost taken from him And he that soone after did write himselfe vniuersall bishop or rather bishop of the vniuersal church and head of the church had almost beene subiect to the patriarch of Constantinople So that in good time did the popes thinke that that vnnaturall and sauage bloud sheader Phocas did cut his maisters throate seeing that by Phocas his meanes they got that supremacy decreed on their side that the bishops of Rome should be called and counted supreme heads of the church So now this proud decree of this cruel Emperour is the third step vnto their intollerable pride The bishop of Rome hauing thus gotten some sure footing in this proud chaire controlleth bishops calleth councils which before the Emperour had wont to doe and in all othe such things doth shewe his authority in his writings and letters for the most part calling himselfe the head of the vniuersal church stil creeping thus higher and higher yet not openly but couertly and by little and little vntill at the length he got him a fourth step For hauing as much authority as he could yet ouer bishops and that by the Emperours decree he sought to pull his necke out of the coller wherein the Emperour did hold him For he thought it was a burden to bee in such subiection to the Emperour that vnlesse he would confirme the election he could not be pope Therefore whereas Constantine the fourth Emperour of that name being moued as the stories report by the godlinesse of Benedict the second bishop of Rome so called did ordaine that he that was chosen pope by the cleargy people and army of Romans without any confirmation of the emperour or his lieutenant should be accompted pope whereas before it might not be without the emperours leaue who had as also the kings of France especially a chusing voice in the electing of the pope if we wil beleeue a story written by a Frier a fast friend to the church of Rome called Rioche who wrote in our times afterwards the Emperours would haue resumed their own right againe perchance because that after Benedict they found none such but some successours of his that behaued themselues too arrogantly and insolently against their Lorde and maister but they coulde by no meanes get it into their handes to keepe it though Leo the viii and some other yeelded vnto him For the succeeding popes many of them did stil incroche more and more debarring the Emperour of his right in their election vntill about 400. yeares after that the bishops of Rome had gotten this from the Emperour Alexander the 2. pope not willing to striue against his maister did publikely protest in the pulpit that he would not be pope vnlesse the Emperour woulde confirme him whereof he said he would write vnto the Emperour When Hildebrand who was after pope and called Gregory the seuenth heard this hardly being able to hold his hands whilest masse was in doing immediatly masse being ended before the pope could put of his massing garments he taketh him into a secret place and buffeteth him well fauouredly and tooke such order that within a while Alexander the second died and made roome for Hildebrand to sit in his chaire And this reward did pope Gregory the seuenth bestow vpon his predecessour Alexander the second because he would restore to the emperour that which wrongfully they kept from him and performe vnto him some piece of duty And yet they thought they were not high enough neither yet that this their authority was sure enough vnto them And therefore they thought good to deuise some means how this authority which already they had might be confirmed to them minding yet to mount higher as God willing shall after be declared But to make sure that they had done sometimes they would seeme to haue this authority from Christ But their proofe is nothing plaine although they alleadge some words of Christ for proofe yet the apostles did neuer make any mention of anie supremacy the fathers of the first times did neuer commende it vnto vs in the councils they seeme rather to fetch their authority from the ordinance of man then from Gods word For what meaneth it els that the legates to the B. of Rome both in the councill of Carthage and Chalcedon doe so earnestly vrge the decrees of the Nicen councill if that which now they bring out of Gods booke
his at their good leisure to answere No inuisible body can haue a visible head for that were a monster in nature But the vniuersall or catholike church is an inuisible bodie for things that are vniuersall are not seene with the eie but conceaued in the minde and vnderstanding Therefore the catholike church must not haue a visible head But all this that Maister Bellarmine hath hitherto spoken of the necessity of hauing one supreme gouernour of the whole church is rather an inducement to make men thinke that they haue some reason for this supremacie in the church then any strong argument whereby they thinke to cary away the weight of the matter But the very strength and staie of this their doctrine is contained in this one syliogisme whatsoeuer iurisdiction Christ gaue to Peter and not to the rest of the Apostles all that belongeth to the church of Rome but Christ gaue vnto Peter iurisdiction ouer the vniuersall church and not to the rest of the Apostles therefore the Bishop or church of Rome hath iurisdiction ouer all churches or ouer the vniuersall church And in this argument is contained not onely all that Maister Bellarmine can say but all that they all can alleadge for this matter and therefore it is the more diligently to be examined And to beginne with the minor wherein is affirmed what iurisdiction or power ouer others Peter had Maister Bellarmine doth confidently and plainely affirme That Saint Peter is appointed of Christ himselfe in Christ his place the head and prince of the church or these are his verie words What is Christ wearie of his office hath hee giuen ouer his interest hath he resigned his right vnto Saint Peter If hee haue so done it is more then Saint Paul knew who after that Christ had left the world yet still he tooke Christ for the head of the church as appeareth by his epistle to the Ephesians and to the Colossians Yea Saint Peter himselfe seemeth not to know so much For when hee calleth him the head corner stone he meaneth doubtlesse in the building of Gods spirituall house which is the church And yet master Bellarmine seemeth to tell vs 〈◊〉 when hee telleth vs that Saint Peter is head in Christs place For Christ must leaue his place before S. Peter can be in his place A meaner place would very well haue contented Saint Peter As for many of them who in our fathers dayes and ours haue bragged that they are Peters successors deserue not to bee dog-driuers out of a poore parish church wherein godly christians are assembled much lesse to be vniuersall bishops ouer the whole world Neither standeth the church of Christ now in neede of any such lieutenant seeing Christ is much more effectually with his church now then hee was with the people of the Iewes when he was conuersant vpon the earth For he that promised that hee would be with vs alwaies euen vnto the end of the world and that hee would pray the father and he should giue vs another comforter which should abide with vs for euer enen the spirit of truth he I say by the same spirit whom he hath made his vicar generall as before I aleaged out of Tertullian doth husband the earth of our hearts to make them fruitfull and is Christs vicar in all places with all persons to supply all their wants So that hee which in respect of his bodily presence could at no time be but in one place by the piercing power of his spirit is at once euery where And therefore is he much more present now in the spirit then before in the flesh because before he could be at once but with a few of the faithfull whereas now he is withal at one instant It is therefore ouermuch boldnes in master Bellarmine either to thrust Christ out of his office to lay the same vpon Peter or else to imagine that Christ is not better able by his spirit then by the pope to execute the same His iudgement is also very hard wherein he pronounceth that to say that saint Peters supremacy is not instituted by Christ it is not a simple errour but a detestable heresie This I am sure of that not onely some priuat men as Cyprian haue thought all the Apostles to be of as great honour and power as was Peter but euer some councils haue thought that the B. of Rome who thinketh by succession from Peter he hath as good right thereto as Peter had yet had not from Christ any right to the supremacy For the sixt council of Carthage where Faustinus and others were legats from the pope would not yeld that souerainty to the bishop of Rome although his legats did most earnestly seeke it not onely by their diligent indeuour but also by aleaging false canons of the Nicen councill thinking thereby to haue deceiued them And although this were a great foile to the church of Rome yet their ambitious and aspiring minds would not suffer them to be quiet but within a little time after they attempt the like in the counsell of Chalcedon Paschasinus and Lucentius being the popes legates Paschasinus alleaged a decree as if it had beene out of the Nicen councill That the the church of Rome always had the supremacie but the councell finding that there was not there anie such decree did ordaine that the bishop of Constantinople should haue as great euen such like priuiledges as the bishop of Rome had Which had beene more wickedlie ordained of them if Rome by Christ had the supremacie then wee maie imagine so manie godlie fathers assembled togither would haue done Yea that we maie knowe that at that time if bishops of Rome had anie priuiledge aboue other bishops they did not thinke it was so by Christs institution they set downe the reason why the church of Rome was more honoured then the rest Euen because it was the imperiall citie as also Ireny long before them did testifie And this made the fathers of the councell of Chalcedon the bolder to yeeld to Constantinople which they called newe Rome such priuiledges because it was now become also an imperiall citie Thus wee see these learned writers Ireny and Ciprian and all the fathers of these two councels learned and manie did not thinke nor would confesse that this supremâ—cie was Christes institution and yet master Bellarmines sharpe penne hath prickt them all with one dash as guiltie not of simple errour but of pestilent heresie Nowe wee must needes imagine that he would neuer burst out into these excessiue speeches as if hee were rauished and besides himselfe as in these two pointes mentioned it maie appeare vnlesse his opinion rested vpon a sure ground Let vs therefore examine his proofes and trie the waight of his reasons This most necessarie controuersie as the church of Rome esteemeth it hath not in all the scriptures anie good warrant euen in master Bellarmines owne opinion
but in one place For as concerning those prerogatiues which after he speaketh off they are rather motiues to drawe vs or probable coniectures to perswade vs then strong argumentes to prooue or sufficient reasons to conuince and force vs to beleeue I saie they haue but one authority of Scripture that they rest vpon because that place out of the sixteenth of Saint Matthewes gospel is but a promise as master Bellarmine himselfe confesseth of that which was afterwardes giuen when Christ commaunded him to feede his sheepe so that one is not perfect without the other But let vs see what iurisdiction is promised in the one and then also what is giuen in the other vnto Peter Our Sauiour Christ inquiring of his disciples what opinion other men had of him they answered some saie that thou art Iohn Baptist some Elias some Ieremias or one of the Prophetes and asking of them what they thought of him Simon Peter answered thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God And Iesus answered and saide vnto him happie art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for flesh and bloud hath not opened that vnto thee but my father which is in heauen And I say also vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it And I will giue vnto thee the keies of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt bind in earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose in earth shall bee loosed in heauen These are the wordes that must strengthen and stay this stately building of the popes supremacie or else it is like to fall Out of which master Bellarmine draweth two argumentes First that Saint Peter is the foundation secondly that hee is the key carier of the church and therefore that hee must bee the supreme head of the church The first is taken out of these wordes Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my church The plaine meaning of which words I take to be this When first I tooke thee to be an Apostle I said thou shouldest bee called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone Thou shalt shew thy selfe so to be indeede and that I haue named thee so truly for in this confession that thou hast made of me thou shalt hereafter continue so cōstant that thou shalt die in it And therefore because thou shalt bee so constant thou art Peter or Cephas indeede As for this confession that thou hast made all my faithfull people shall settle and staie themselues thereupon in all conflictes of conscience so that no terrour of hell shall bee able to discourage or disamaie them But master Bellarmine out of this doth gather that the church is built vpon Peter as vpon a foundation Yet I trust hee will not deny that Christ is such a foundation as there is no other because S. Paul telleth vs that other foundation can no mā lay thē that is laid which is Iesus Christ Of this foundation God speaketh by his prophet Esay behold I wil lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a pretious corner stone a sure foundation Then this being graunted that Christ is this speciall foundation and the onely sure ground-worke in this building I trust it will be the easier to know what place belongeth to Peter but the later of these two places by mee alleaged which is onely verified of Christ and of him onely meant most prophanely doth master Bellarmine apply to saint Peter and so to the church of Rome that very particularly making it thestone tried with persecutions with heresies which the pride of the Greeke church with stiffenesse of some emperors with schismes with wicked popes The corner stone that ioyneth into one church the Iewes and the Gentils The pretious stone because she is rich in ceremonies and sacramentes in pardons in councils in interpretation of scriptures and such like And last of all the sure foundation But here master Bellarmine is forced to graunt that Peter is but a secondary foundation and not the principall foundation for that Christ onely is This discourse of his maketh me remember frier Toittis otherwise called frier Paternoster who vpon a great controuersie that arose in Scotland concerning the lords prayer whether it might be said vnto the Saints or not beeing intreated as a man belike most sufficient to deale in the matter comming into the pulpit at Saint Andrews where this controuersie was began in particular to shew how euery petition might be made vnto the saints vntil he came to the fourth petition wherein hee was faine to confesse that the saints cannot giue vs our daily bread and so with shame bewrayed his owne folly and the feeblenesse or rather the falsnes of his cause Euen so master Bellarmine robbing Christ of his ornaments that hee may decke therewith that whorish synagogue which vntrewly he callet Peters seate hauing besides all learning nay contrarie to the sinceritie of a christian diuine most blasphemously applied vnto that Romish seate that which belongeth vnto Christ onely and is one of his most especiall and peculiar markes whereby hee is set foorth as the promised sauiour that he should be the corner stone tried and precious Yet is he in the end forced to confesse that the sure foundation cannot be found but in Christ although he would seeme to apply that title to that seate also I would hardly haue thought that a man so learned as master Bellarmine in these our dayes wherein knowledge aboundeth would euer haue abused Gods sacred word in such sort That this is only true in Christ our Sauior Christ himselfe out of the Prophet Dauid teacheth S. Paul agreeth to the same not only writing to the Ronanes but also to the Ephesians shewing how he onely can be as a corner stone gathering and knitting together the Iewes and Gentiles S. Peter also himselfe maketh Christ to be this stone It is not a sufficient excuse for master Bellarmine that he acknowledgeth that the prophet Esay speaketh especially of Christ and then to apply it vnto the church of Rome For seeing the scriptures with so great consent do acknowlege Christ to be that tried and and precious corner stone and therefore doe call him the corner stone because he hath made of Iew and Gentile one breaking downe the stop of the partition wall In whom all the building coupled together groweth to a holy temple in the Lord which is a thing that not one but Christ can performe let vs knowe that to giue this title to any other is to rob Christ of his glory And yet as though master Bellarmine had not powred out already blasphemies ynow he prosecuteth wickedly that which absurdly he hath begun adding that this their Romish church is the stone of offence and stumbling blocke vpon which stone he that falleth shall be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it shall grinde him to
to Peter but that we deny not But it is Maister Bellarmines bad hap many times to take great paines fortify where y â— enimy assaulteth him not to prooue that which no body denieth That we may ioine in some issue we will easily confesse that the keies were deliuered to Peter What then Were they deliuered to him alone No Maister Bellarmine himselfe confesseth and that oftentimes neither can he deny it if he would the fathers doe so generally affirme it that this great authority was committed to all the Apostles Wherein then do we dissent Forsooth Maister Bellarmine telleth vs that the other Apostles had this authority but as Christes legates or by especiall commission but to be vnder Peter Whereas Peter had it as his ordinary iurisdiction Now this he should proue but he leaueth it with a bare affirmation so that you are not bound to beleeue him But we see that which here is promised vnto Peter alone whether because he alone tooke vpon him to answere Christes question or that Christ therein would signifie the vnity of the church as some of the fathers affirme or because he was a figure of the church as Saint Augustine saith that I say which is here promised to him alone is in Matthewe xviii promised to all and that Maister Bellarmine himselfe cannot deny although he affirme it to be in all but Peter a legantine in him an ordinary power And this promise is perfourmed to all Iohn the xx in these words receiue the holy ghost whose sinnes soeuer ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained And Theophilact doth expound these wordes of Matthew the sixteenth which here I haue in hand by this place of saint Iohn saying that in that place of saint Mathew that is promised that is here giuen and that this power belongeth vnto all What can be more plaine to prooue that although Christ spake vnto Peter onely in that first place to thee will I giue the keies yet they were giuen to all Why should we then trust the bare assertions of maister Bellarmine or any other that the keies are not in like maner giuen to all when wee see that Gods worde maketh no difference betweene them But master Bellarmine because we goe about trewly with Theophilact to expound this promise to thee I wil giue the keies by that of Iohn whose sinnes so euer ye remit they are remitted c. would faine make vs beleeue if we will trust him of his bare word that Theophilact and we are deceiued and that Christ in these words of saint Iohn doth onely giue power of order whereas in Mathew he promiseth power of Iurisdiction And the better to perswade vs he telleth vs that to keepe a mans sinnes is not a matter of so great power as to bind a mans sinnes And yet saint Ambrose whose credit is far aboue maister Belarmines doth vse the words of remitting loosing retaining and binding indifferently the one for the other And therefore this is but a blinde cauill to keepe the light of the truth vnder a bushell If we prooue out of Cyprian that all the Apostles were of like honour and power They were saith he alike in their apostleship and had all one authoritie ouer christian people but were not alike among themselues The wordes of Cyprian haue no limitation but maketh all of like power and of like honour But maister Bellarmine like false mates that doe wash and clippe the coyne whereby they make it of lesse value so doeth hee by such sâ—eights seeke to diminish the force of such authorities as are brought against him But what reason hath hee so to expound Saint Cyprian Because hee saieth in that Booke that beginning proceedeth from a vnity to shew that the church is one Thus then doeth hee reason The Church proceedeth from one or from vnitie Therefore Peter is aboue all the Apostles Let other iudge of his argument I see not out of this how he can prooue that Peter hath such superioritie ouer the Apostles as that hee may exercise iurisdiction ouer them which is that the church of Rome must prooue if Peters supremacie shal do them good Seeing therefore it appeareth by that which hath beene spoken that not Peter onely but all the apostles in like manner receiued the keies as Saint Hierome testifieth that is power to retaine or remit to binde and loose although it were saide to Peter To thee I will giue the keies yet it is manifest that for his sake onely it was not spoken or the vse of the keies to him onlie was not promised but in and by him Christ spake to all without giuing lesse power to them or more to him And thus much concerning this question to whom the keies were giuen Nowe must we see what these keies are that so we may examine what that is which they say is giuen to Peter in this promise Maister Bellarmine affirmeth that they all vnderstande by the keies the soueraigne or chiefe pnwer ouer the whole church And that it must so be he proueth thus In the Prophet Esay is described the deposing of one high priest and placing of an other by the deliuering of the keies And the keies of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder and hee shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and no man shall open Sincere dealing would become all men especially in Gods cause which is farre from maister Bellarmine as in many other places so heere also For Eliachim of whom the promise was made in this place was not hie priest Indeede Azariah was high priest in the dayes of Ezechiah Neither yet was there euer any such high priest as Shebnah whome God threateneth in that place Whosoeuer marketh either the pedigree of priests in the scriptures or in Iosephus hee shall finde it to bee most false and vntrue that heere maister Bellarmine so boldly affirmeth But this Eliachim was one of the princes whome Ezechiah sent to Rabsache whome in that place the Septuagint do call the Ruler of the house as also in the seuen and thirtieth verse of that chapter And the prophet Esay in the six and thirtie chapter and two and twentieth verse they call him the Maister of the housholde And indeede the Hebrew words do teach him to be one that was ouer the house as also Saint Hierome yea and their owne old translation doe translate those words of Esay And Saint Hierome in his commentaries vppon that place calleth him maister or ouerseer of the house And so Iosephus also doth witnes that he was one of Ezechias especially frends as it may also appeare in that he sent him to Rabsache and his lieutenant or vicegerent or doer for him let the indifferent reader now iudge whether this be good dealing in master Bellarmine thus to abuse the simplicitie of his reader and the credulitie of
right hand and the other on his left hand was cause of their strife And indeed the euangelist concerning this saith that the other tenne disdained at them for it But the other contention that was among the apostles is not saide to be against Peter as this is said to be against Iames and Iohn But it seemeth that euery one would be aboue other and no suspition then that Peter shoulde be aboue all And whereas they that wrote those Bookes called the Centuries alleadge that if there had beene in Peter any such Supremacy Christ woulde haue saide to them when they did striue contend no more for I haue made Peter chiefe amongst you but say they hee spake no such wordes Now master Bellarmine will prooue that Christ tolde them that Peter was appointed to bee chiefe And howe He that is greatest among you saieth Christ let him bee as the least and the chiefe as he that serueth Therefore saieth Maister Bellarmine it is plaine that one is called chiefe If hee had meant that the trueth should appeare hee woulde by comparing this place with others where the same thing or storie is reported haue sette downe the true meaning of the wordes and not take aduantage to peruert the true meaning and deceiue the simple Reader For Matthew in his twentieth chapter and twentie sixe and twentie seuen verses and Marke in his tenth chapter and fortie three and fortie foure verses reporting this storie doe plainely teach that Christ doeth not speake of any chiefenesse that was among them but that they woulde haue or desired For they say not if any be but if any would be chiefe so reproouing their ambitious affection and teacheth them rather to indeuour to be humble Because as Chroysostome saieth hee that seeketh Supremacie shameth himselfe And therefore neuer any I suppose before Maister Bellarmine out of these wordes of Christ hath gathered this proclaiming of Peters superioritie Hitherto wee haue seene howe little hee can prooue by the first of his two places of scripture Now let vs trie what weight the other testimonie hath And this is drawen also out of the wordes of our sauiour Christ to Peter who when he had thrice asked of him whether hee loued Christ and stil he answered that hee did loue him hee willeth him to feede his sheepe Now these wordes saieth maister Bellarmine are spoken to Peter onely It is true But that Lesson is not giuen to Peter onely For to all the apostles it belongeth to feede Christs sheepe and therefore are all Pastours and Sheepeheards Yea it is confessed by maister Bellarmine in his answere to an authoritie alleadged out of Cyprian that all the apostles were like in apostolike power and had euen the same authoritie ouer christian people If they had the selfe same authoritie ouer christians that Peter had which here he confesseth then to the rest as well as to Peter was this charge of feeding Christs sheepe committed And therefore Saint Augustine will haue Christ to be the onely good sheepheard and that all other are good in him and are equall in this their worke for he maketh no difference But Christ feedeth they also feede yea enen when they feede hee feedeth and Christ saith that then he feedeth in them because his voice is in them and his loue is in them But what should I stand vpon this point It is more plaine then that maister Bellarmine himselfe can deny it although he would blinde the eies of the simple with this distinction that it is principallie spoken to Peter but in some sort to all What was Peter bound to feede more diligently then the rest of the Apostles Christes sheepe None may be negligent in this office And he that doth the worke of the Lord especially this worke negligently is accursed by Gods owne mouth We must all doe it to the vttermost of our power And Saint Paul was not afraid to saie that he laboured more aboundantly then all the Apostles meaning in the preaching of the word So that it seemeth that this office was not especially committed to Peter but that I may say with Theophilact vpon these wordes Let Bishops and preachers heare what is commended vnto them Feede saith Christ my sheepe bring with thee thy ministerie if thou wile set foorth thy loue to the great sheepehearde Then also maister Bellarmine will proue out of these wordes and that easilie as he saieth that Peter hereby hath the chiefe power But indeede he onely prooueth that to feede is to rule whereas he promiseth to proue with ease that to feed is to haue the chiefe rule But you must heare with him the brightnesse of Peters chaire at Rome hath so daseled his eies that he cannot espie so small a misse But the weight of all consisteth in the last point that he handleth concevning this place and therefore about it he bestoweth some more labour And first he affirmeth that he is sure and certaine that euen all christians yea euen the Apostles themselues are as sheepe committed to Peter For his trifling coniectures of the difference betweene lambes and sheep they are not worth speaking of But let vs see what force is in his notable reason for himselfe so calleth it he so well liketh of it Christ most manifestly saieth he committeth to Peter all those sheepe of which he may say they are mine but he may saie so of all christians therefore all christians are Peters sheep If maister Bellarmine had good store of strong reasons to proue his assertion he would neuer make so much of so blunt a weapon For he can neuer proue his maior Christ saide not feede all my sheepe for he knewe that he could not doe but onely feede my sheepe Now this is as the Logicians doe tearme it an Indestuite proposition Which hath no limitation but may be vnderstoode as occasion serueth so that to make it more particular or generall we must haue regarde to the circumstances of the place And is it not verie strange that he which here will make a vniuersall proposition of that that is not so to force out of it an argument where in truth there is none will be as bolde at another time to make of a vniuersall proposition a particular No man saith Saint Paul assisted mee all men forsooke mee that is saieth he none of them that should haue helped me with the Emperour And so he applieth perchance to one or two that the apostle speaketh doubtlesse of all that professed religion then at Rome as though he were euen the creatour of Lodgicke and would haue it as his creature to frame it selfe to serue his turne But to come to the point As he affirmeth all euen the apostles by these wordes to be committed to Peter so I doe confidently pronounce that out of these wordes and some other circumstances great reasons may be gathered to shewe Peters authority in these wordes
to haue a limitation And first this worde my sheepe which maister Bellarmine maketh the chiefe strength of his argument doth make much for that interpretation which I take to be the true and natui all sence of the place When the meaning of our sauiour Christ is to speake of that generall charge ouer all then he vttereth it in other wordes Go teach all nations and againe going into the whole world preach the gospell vnto euery creature But here is no such generall charge but onely feede my sheepe What are these sheepe that Christ calleth my sheepe We knowe that Christ after a speciall meaning calleth the Iewes his people and his sheepe He saieth he is not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell And as though in comparison of the Iewes he made no account of the gentiles he saith it is not meete to take the childrens bread meaning the saluation that was sent to the Israelites and cast it to the dogges Therefore Christ by this worde my sheepe meaneth as it should seeme the people to whome he especially was sent amongst whom he was borne to whom hee preached as also Maister Bellarmine for that preferreth Poters ministerie among the Iewes and amongst whom hee died that is the Iewes And besides the manner of sending of his Apostles vnto their generall charge whereof I haue already spoken which is farre differing from this the very office that we know was laide vpon Peter doeth much confirme this interpretation For Saint Paule saith that the gospell ouer the circumcision was committed to him as the gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to Peter Wee see therefore that Peter had a peculiar charge and calling to bee the apostle of the Iewes Which is proofe strong enough to prooue that Christ neuer meant to commit anie such generall charge ouer all the world vnto him vnlesse we will imagine that Christ did first he knew not what and afterwardes reuoked his former commission I saie this limitation of Peter especiallie although not onlie to one peculiar people is as it were a reuocation of his former vniuersall calling if any such had beene or rather because indeed none such was it is insteede of a commentarie vpon these wordes feede my sheepe to teach vs how to vnderstand them Feed my sheep that is the Iewes whom I haue especially committed to thee as I also tooke paines almost wholy and only among them Furthermore also when Saint Paule telleth vs that the gospell ouer the vncircumcision was committed to him as vnto Peter the gospell was committed ouer the circumcision his meaning is to tell vs that Christ hath as well placed him ouer the Gentiles as Peter ouer the Iewes And therefore of himselfe he saith that he was seperated vnto the gospell of Iesus Christ because God commanded them to seperate vnto him Paule and Barnabas to the worke whereunto hee had called them And what this worke is is another place declared depart for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles Which his calling to the Gentiles hee also speaketh of vnto the Galathians assuring himselfe that God called him to that office But now for Peter we must not doubt but that hee also was called of God For they are not to be heard that woulde make vs beleeue that it was but a couenant among themselues that Peter should preach to the Iewes Paule to the Gentiles but Paule doth assure himselfe of his calling in that he that was mightie in Peter was mightie in him also Saint Hierom on the Galathians lib. 1. cap. 2. very well writeth One and the selfesame Christ committed to mee the gospell of the vncircumcision speaking in the person of Paule who committed to Peter the gospell of the circumcision If then Peter was by Christ called to this apostleshippe where was it when in what woordes In all the Scripture there is not auie one place but this wherein he is called by Christ to this ministerie ouer the Iewes And therefore Christes sheepe are rather that peculiar people that were as no man denieth committed to Peter then the whole world whereof in Scripture they haue no probable coniecture And this interpretation I maruell that Maister Bellarmine hath not sought to confute seeing it is about two hundreth and seuentie yeare olde Perchaunce hee thought it rested vppon stronger reason then hee was able to conuince or confute and therefore hee let it alone Other argumentes are also alleadged to disprooue this supremacie of Peter ouer all and to shew that these words feede my sheepe cannot giue vnto him anie such soueraignty Saint Paule acknowledged no such subiection to him when hee doth not only pronounce that hee learned nothing of them that seemed to be chiefe but also withstoode Peter in the face because he was worthy to be reproued Out of which wordes howe lightlie so euer Maister Bellarmine woulde cast them off with this distinction that they were fellowes in preaching but not in gouerning as though the preaching of the woorde and the practise or gouernement according to the same were then seperated yet Saint Ambrose and Theophilact vpon this place doe teach that there was no inequality betweene them and that Paule was nothing inferiour to Peter And marke howe absurdly he woulde daube vppe the matter it is nothing to me saith S. Paule to the Galath 2. 6. what ones they were once that seemed to be somewhat Which he expoūdeth as if he had saide howe vile soeuer they were in time past what was that to mee I conferred with them for now they are great apostles If Saint Paule had so meant he woulde not haue said that they seeme to be somewhat but that they indeede are somewhat And thus master Bellarmine rather than he will say nothing will peruert the very sense of scripture for these wordes no doubt are expounded by those that followe in that verse they that seemed to bee somewhat gaue nothing to me Saint Paule also without asking leaue of Peter did exercise iurisdiction among the Corinthians against an incestuous person he giueth counsell concerning virgins he did set order among them concerning prayer and the eucharist And hee called to Miletum the elders of Ephesus to giue them commaundement or aduise concerning the church there And yet master Bellarmine would make vs beleeue that the iurisdiction was in Peter onely authoritie to preach in the rest together with him Againe the apostles I say the twelue not Peter did call together the christians to appoint deacons We must beleeue saith master Bellarmine that Peter deuised this or agreed to it And why must we beleeue that Peter was author of that act seeing there is not one word to warrant it Why should we imagine that rather of him then of another As for consenting we are sure he consented for it was done by a generall consent Peter and Iohn were sent by the rest to Samaria to instruct them
that those good bishops did much good with that their authority to the church of God and were a great reliefe to the oppressed a comforte to the troubled and a good stay for religion We yeeld moreouer that a care ouer the whole church a belongeth not to the bishop of Rome only but to euery christian as Baronius a papist telleth vs. And as Saint Paule saith of himselfe although hee were not an vniuersall Bishop or pope ouer all the church yt that he had a care ouer all the Churches Which care as it shoulde be in all yet it should be greatest in them whom God hath beautified with greatest graces of power wisedome knowledge credite or any other thing whereby they may doe good to others So that the effect of Athanasius his wordes vnto Felix is that as God hath inabled him so also he should apply his greatnesse to doe him good We doe not yet see the Bishop of Rome to haue iurisdiction ouer the whole church but that the greatnesse that hee hath hee should vse it to the comfort of the godly But indeede the Bishop of Rome in steed of the care that he should haue doth exercise the power that he hath And the excercising of his power beganne somewhat soone in that chaire And therefore the fathers in the sixt council of Carthage as it seemeth were moued in the canons of the Nicen council to alter one worde For hauing agreed in the ninth canon or chapter of that council of Carthage to heare the Nicen decrees read when they come to the sixt chapter where the Nicen council hath that the bishop of Alexandria should hane power ouer the churches of Lybia Egipt Pentapolis as the bishop of Rome hath within his libertie in steede of the word power they read care Which no doubt those godly fathers did because they sawe how immoderately and by what bad shifts they did then seeke to bring vnder their subiection all others And therefore by this meanes they would teach them to whome they did graunt such honorable places that they were called rather to a burden then to an honour to looke vnto their charge rather then to ouer â—ooke them So then this care that the bishop of Rome should haue ouer all churches we wish also that hee would haue And yet we doe not hereby make him the bishop of the vniuersall church And for the third place out of Athanatius it hath lesse waight then any of the rest For because some accused the bishop of Alexandria to the bishop of Rome therefore he concludeth that the bishop of Rome is chiefe iustice aboue all and may take vpon him to iudge all matters but accusations are for the most priuat And who can hinder but that any may make complaint to a man that hath nothing to doe in the matter And many such complaints wil be made to such as will be willing to heare all matters as were many of the B. of Rome to increase their owne power That which is aleaged out of Basil is a request that Basil did purpose to make to the bishop of Rome like vnto that which Athanasius made to Felix and therefore one answere doth serue them both But in that epistle Basil calleth Athanasius the Top of all christians which name they would faine should be peculiar to their pope That out of Gregorie Nazianzene was not woorth blotting of so much paper For hee saieth the Citie of Rome beareth sway ouer the whol world what is that to the church of Rome And that that is alleaged out of Chrysostom in the first place is not much material because Chrisostome maketh that request to the B. of the west church and not to Innocentius alone Yea not Chrysostom only in the same his epistle but Socrates also in his historie testifieth that Chrysostom appealed from his aduersaries not to the pope which he would doubtlesse haue done if hee had taken his authoritie to haue beene such as now the church of Rome would haue it imagined but to the generall council And not hee onely appealed to a council but the multitude also were readie to make a tumult for him and said it was meete the matter should be heard not by the pope but in a generall council Secondly out of Chrysostom he alleageth these words we alwayes thanke you for that you haue declared vnto vs your fatherly good will What will the charitable affection of the pope prooue him to be head of the whole church If it will not this will doe no good his third place is this I intreate your watchfullnesse that although they haue filled all with tumults yet if they will haue their desease healed they be neither afflicted neither put out of mens companie Must the bishop of Rome bee the supreame head or else this request be in vaine He being as it is alwaies confessed of great authoritie although not so great as they imagine might either by intreating or by authority winne many to be of his minde and so hinder the excommunication of Chrysostomes aduersaries So that none of these arguments can conclude for the popes supremacie as we see And yet they wring whatsoeuer is said or done to the church of Rome as if it were a strong proofe for supremacie Whereas the godly of the east church being thus distressed were in policie forced and not for religious causes to seeke for helpe of the West church and of the bishop of Rome for their owne quietnesse And this doth appeare most plainly in an epistle that Basil writeth vnto the bishop of the west church for their helpe and especially by the aduise that hee giueth to Athanasius to that end wherein hee sheweth that there is no way for their safetie but to cause the bishops of the West church to take good parte with them And then if they chance to seeke for this at the popes hand by and by without all doubt hee must be head of the church It maketh me weary euen but to reade their arguments They doe so force their authorities that they bring and so vnnaturally apply them that it is tediousnesse to thinke of it Such is that also that foloweth out of Ciril For Ciril did thinke that if Nestorius would not reuoke his heresies within the time limited by Celestine bishop of Rome all men ought to shunne his companie as a person excommunicat and deposed And writing to Celestinnus he doth desire to know of him whether he thinke good that men shuld yet communicat which Nestorius or they should shunne his company And what if Ciril sawe that in Celestine that he thought him worthie to be especially regarded in these matters doth it thereupon folow that he would haue him to haue soeuraigne iurisdiction ouer the whole church Or if hee thinke him meete to deale in his owne matter must he needs giue him power ouer all men in all causes Master Bellarmine must make
The greatest bishop and yet not he but Liberius was then bishop of Rome And for this name head as I haue shewed it is nothing strange in all societies to haue a heade man and yet he not to haue iurisdiction ouer them By all which it appeareth howe weake an argument may be drawen from these names which may be common to so many to proue the supremacy which the bishop of Rome challengeth to himselfe onely Nowe maister Bellarmine hauing wrung what he can which is not much out of the fathers of the greeke church commeth to the latin writers to try what gleanings he can get among them Whom I doubt not but we shall finde speaking very reuerently of the church of Rome as in truth it well deserued because that the bishop of Rome although he began very soone to encroche somewhat vpon other mens right and to enlarge his power yet he vsed his greatnesse and authority for a long time to the maintenance of true religion the comfort of the distressed and to withstande by himselfe and other the bishops of the West church the heresies that troubled especially the East churches In al which things we know that by their place for that they were bishops of the Imperiall city and the authority that they were come vnto by fauour of the Emperours they were as it were ringleaders vnto others so that although they were moued sometimes to these good things by a desire that they had to be medling in all matters which was one of the waies whereby they came to their greatnes yet in that they did good vnto the church the godly did both commend them and also beare with them although sometime they were too forward and stept too farre before others But when they would haue had this authority confirmed to them in councils and established as a law of the church then did the ancient fathers wisely withstand their vnlawfull desires as the vi councils of Carthage and the councill of Chalcedon doe plainly proue So that the godly learned fathers of those times partly to incourage them in their well doing did giue them due commendation when they deserued it and partly for quietnesse sake and the peace of the church did wincke at many of their inordinate proceedings and vnorderly attempts so long as they were but their priuate actions yet would not the iurisdiction of the vniuersall church And these things being well remembred I may I trust be shorter in answering to the particular places And first for the place out of Cyprian which maister Bellarmine prosecuteth in many words as he is forced to doe that he may get out of him but a shew of an argument It is answered in few words For indeede maister Bellarmine groundeth vpon a false principle which I dare not say that he could not but see his errour but it is maruell if he can be ignorant of it The wordes wherein he especially trusteth are these This commeth to passe that heresies growe in the church whilst there is no returning to the beginning of the truth neither is the head sought for neither is the doctrine of our heauenly maister kept Nowe by this word head he vnderstandeth the head of the church whom he maketh Peter Whereas it is most certaine that Cyprian doth meane nothing els here then in another place where he endeuoureth to perswade after the same maner and by that very argument where by the head he meaneth that which the apostles taught For saith he if we returne to the head and beginning of the tradition of the apostles mans errour ceaseth And there he teacheth vs by a similitude howe we should come to the heade by the similitude I say of a conduct wherein if the water faile we goe to the head of it that is to the fountaine and so from thence examine the want of the water so saith he must Gods priestes goe to the beginning when there is any question of Religion And that he meaneth that head in this place the very wordes by him alleadged do prooue because the former wordes put vs in minde of returning to the originall or beginning of the trueth and the wordes that follow leade vs to the heauenly doctrine Well then the head in this place doth signifie the spring and fountain from which our doctrine must beginne and so master Bellarmines argument is quite ouerthrowen And hauing proued that he buildeth his reason vpon a false ground I trust I neede not bestow any more labour to prosecute him in his wandering wordes Optatus is the second who speaketh nothing to helpe this desperate cause For although he commend vnto vs that one chaire in respect of the vnitie of doctrine for all the priests nowe saith Chrysostome must sit not vpon Moses chaire but vpon Christs chaire yet in the wordes alleadged by master Bellarmine he addeth and we haue proued that that is ours by Peter Optatus a bishop in Affrike not of Rome sitteth in Peters chaire Therefore Peters chaire and the popes chaire are not all one vnlesse their doctrine be one It is not tied to Rome or to that church But alluding to that place of Moses his chaire which our Sauiour Christ speaketh of because the Scribes and Pharises taught that which Moses did teach Optatus also saith that he doth sit in Peters chaire because hee taught that which Peter did confesse and teach Yea and he prooueth by this argument against the Donatists who taught that they onely were the church that the church is also where he taught because euen there is Peters chaire so that if Optatus your owne witnesse speake truly then you haue maruellously abused the world for many yeares in making them beleeue that S. Peters chaire is at Rome onely But Saint Ambrose seemeth somewhat plainer then the rest in that first place alleadged by maister Bellarmine The church is called Gods house whereof Damasus is a ruler this day But yet the words do not import any such thing as may prooue the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome For wee will not deny that the Bishop of Rome is a ruler in the church but that he is the only ruler we can not graunt But Saint Ambrose expounding those wordes of Paule wherein he teacheth Timothie how to behaue himself in Gods house takes occasion to shew both what is Gods house namely the church and who they are that are rulers in Gods house namely the bishops or pastours to whom the ministery is committed And to make this plaine by an example he setteth before vs the house of God at Rome which is the church there and the ruler of Gods house there who is Damasus their bishop If any man aske how it commeth to passe that he rather nameth Damasus then any other bishop Sundry reasons of it may be yeelded First Ambrose himselfe was a bishop in Italy for Milaine is in Italy vnder the popes wings and therefore the bishop of Rome was the most
famous bishop and better knowne to his people then any of the other patriarches and therefore fittest for an example Secondly there had beene a very great schisme or strife about the popedome one Vrsicinus standing for it against Damasus so that many of both sides were slaine in the very church in striuing for it But Damasus in the end obtaining the popedome Saint Ambrose to testifie his owne perswation and to assure others that Damasus and not Vrsicmus was bishop of Rome although he stood for it doth take occasion heere to name him Thirdly Damasus beeing pope was accused of whoredome whereof hauing cleared himselfe it is not vnlikely but that S. Ambrose did the rather take this occasion to pull al suspition out of other mens minds by giuing this testimony of him Another cause also may be added that as it seemeth he was as learned as any bishop of Rome before him For which S. Ambrose himself a being a learned man might then rather delight in naming him The rest of the places out of S. Ambrose haue no waight at all Satyrus did aske the bishop whether he agreed with the Catholicke bishops that is with the Church of Rome He meaneth by catholicke bishops such as held the catholicke faith that then was maintained at Rome If it be a good argument to say Rome is a catholicke church therefore it must gouerne all the churches in the world then will this also be a good argument Hippo was a catholicke church so was Millaine so are also the churches that we haue allowed in England by authority therefore they were and ours are heads ouer all others And that master Bellarmine will not allow But he asketh why the bishops are not catholickes that agree not with the church of Rome if it be not because Rome is the head of the catholike church I maruell much that maister Bellarmine whose wordes go for oracles with many will shew himselfe so ignorant of that he alleadgeth For if hee had read but the wordes that immediatly doe follow the reason is there rendered why he asked that question namely because the church there was in a schisme For one Lucifer had seperated himself from their communion Lo here M. Bellarm. he dreameth not of any headship of that church but asketh this question whether he helde the faith that then was preached at Rome And Athanasius in his creede speaketh in this sence of a catholike faith Yea the name of catholike was also as it were a note of their profession That whereas the Donatists gloried that they onely had the true church the catholikes on the contrary would be known by their name that in any place of the world they might be of the true church Yea there were Emperours that made a lawe that whosoeuer beleeued the one godhead in trinity and equal maiesty of the father the sonne and the holy ghost should be called Christians and Catholikes as their law doth testifie Yea Sozomen reporteth of a lawe made by the Emperour that all should beleeue the lawe deliuered by Peter the head of the apostles but howe he may be called head of the apostles I haue shewed before and that nowe Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter of Alexandria doe holde and that they onely that worship the trinitie with like honoure should be called the catholike church And doeth maister Bellarmine to make his bad proofe seeme better aske howe they may be called catholikes that agree with the church of Rome vnlesse it be in this respect that they take it to be the head of the catholike church heere are catholikes we see and yet not bound to beleeue that head After he alleadgeth two other places of like force The effect of them is that he woulde followe the paterne of the church of Rome So woulde I also if I had liued in those daies when they sincerely held the faith committed to them by Gods worde And he doubtlesse if he sawe the superstition and Idolatry and treasons that vnder coulour of religion are hatched there in our daies he would thinke euen the cotten ruines of Rome to bee ouer good to bee a cage for so badde birdes But to follow their example is not to yeelde vnto them power ouer vs. To go forward out of saint Ierome hee reasoneth thus Saint Ierome for pope Damasus answered the Synodicall consultations of the East and West therefore they that sought for answere from the seate of Rome in their matters acknowledged the superioritie thereof If I should tell Maister Bellarmine againe that Maister Caluine in his time and Maister Beza in his time haue answered more matters and questions that came from sundry of the reformed Churches and some particular men then many of the popes of that time yet I am sure he wil neuer confesse them to be vniuersall Bishoppes for that No more neede wee graunt to him that the Pope is a vniuersall Bishop because many questions were mooued to him Againe Saint Hierome confesseth himselfe to be Damasus his sheepe and that hee is of communion with him Alas what childish proofes are these May not Hierome confesse himselfe to depend vpon Damasus but that hee must thereby tie all others likewise to be subiect vnto him It is a shame for men so to deceiue the world aud to hasten euen their owne damnation by abusing the simple in such sort They crie it out in euery corner that there is no saluation to be hoped for vnlesse they doe acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome to bee head of their Church and yet are they not able to yeelde so much as one good reason out of the Scriptures or ancient writers of the purer age for proofe of their doctrine It must bee beleeued as an article of faith and yet they coulde shewe no ground no warrant for it Out of saint Augustine is alleadged that in the Church of Rome the principalitie of Peters chaire hath alwayes flourished Augustine and Optatus as they were in one time so were they of one minde And as before out of Optatus I shewed and that by Christes testimony that the Apostles chaire is his doctrine so here doeth it signifie And saint Augustine his meaning is that Rome hath especially kept the Apostles doctrine or faith the which in Saint Augustines dayes might truely bee verified Againe out of Saint Augustine epist 92. he desireth pope Innocent to helpe them against the Pelagians which maruellously troubled Palestine and Affrike Now out of this will he conclude the popes Supremacie But saint Augustine himselfe denyeth that hee had any such meaning in that he was one of that sixt councill of Carthage that so stiffely denied supremacie vnto the pope seeking it so earnestly and by very false practises And the Bishop of Rome was then of great abilitie to doe good as also any other may be and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them that seeke for that good at his hands I would haue them
to bring some plaine proofe and not so to stand vpon strange coniectures Againe Sozimus bishop of Rome willed hini to go to a councill at Cesarea and hee therefore saide that hee must needes goe If Sozimus did commaund and Augustine would not stand vpon his right in such a matter where perchance his going might be profitable to Gods church yet that would not make Sozimus head of the church No at that time they did not gather any such hard conclusions For although they would not refuse to do good euen being more imperiously commaunded then reason would yet supremacie as I haue shewed they would not acknowledge in the Bishop of Rome but rather were content to bee at great charges to conuince the popes falshoode In the last two places saint Augustine commendeth the bishop of Rome in that being so high as he was yet he would be friendly to them that were humble or lowe and then confesseth euery Bishoppe to be high yet him to be higher A man may be friend to them that are lower then he is and one Bishop may be higher than others and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them Higher I say in gifts credite place or many other waies In England we see differences of bishoprickes where yet the one hath not iurisdiction ouer the other Now for Prosper it were hard if his poeticall amplifications should be able to carry away the weight of so great a cause But for his words if he say that Rome is Peters seat in respect of the doctrine that there was taught and maintained as before Optatus and Augustine of whome he was a great follower haue done wee yeelde vnto him Otherwise I leaue the godly Reader to the arguments before alleadged to consider what he should think concerning this point whether Peter was Bishop there or not And where he saith that Rome is made vnto the world the head of pastorall honour wee yeelde vnto that also that at that time there was no church that either more sincerely did keepe that which the apostles taught or had more credit and authoritie amongst other churches then Rome had in respect that she was able and willing to do good vnto many other But where he saith that what by armes shee could not by religion shee hath subdued is not simply true For there are manie that neuer were nor will be by likely hood subdued to Romish religion But in some respect we also confesse that to be so in that religion subdueth the heart and winneth the affection of men to bee subiect whereas that outward force can onely preuaile against the outward man Now for Victor Vticensis who calleth the church of Rome head of all other churches I haue often shewed that it may truly so be called in respect of the authoritie which by many occasions it had goten not in respect of any inrisdiction that Christ gaue vnto it more then to other The next is Vyncentius Lirinensis who alluding vnto the name or indeede rather giuing vnto Rome that name that was commonly giuen vnto it saith that the head of the world gaue testimonie vnto it meaning the council of Ephesus You see saith master Bellarmine that the bishop of Rome is called head of the world Nay you see howe our popes catholiks incroch more and more for that vnsatiable gulfe of the church of Rome which will neuer haue honour and authoritie enough Who euer before master Bellarmine hath called the pope the head of the world He hath wont to be but head of the church But I feare that if his kingdome continue a while Acharonta mouebit hee will keepe a stir in hell also But Vincensius giueth no such name to Iulius bishop of Rome He would not be so iniurious to the ciuil authoritie he had learned better then so to giue to Caesar that that belongeth to Caeser and to God that that is Gods although the church of Rome might quite blotte out of their bookes that lesson for any regarde that they haue to keepe it As for Vincentius his meaning is plaine enough to them that will see the trueth For hauing spoken of sundry places from whence learned men came to that councill of Ephesus first out of the East then also out of the West churches he nameth Iulius bishop of the citty of Rome which citty he calleth the head of the worlde as immediately after he calleth Carthage one of the South and Millaine one of the North the sides of the world But if he had made so very great accompt of the church of Rome as in these daies men would haue vs to doe he would haue had perchance some more regard in placing that church in some other order then to make it almost the last that he mentioneth Out of Cassiodor a senatour and a great officer in Rome maister Bellarmine alleadgeth somewhat You saieth he to Iohn Bishop of Rome sit as watchmen ouer christian people as you are called father you loue all I see nothing heere that can helpe maister Bellarmine or his cause For who euer did thinke otherwise then that the Bishoppe of Rome was a watchman ouer christian people Or who will say that the Pope hath not or at the least shoulde haue a fatherly affection towardes all Well it followeth It is our part to looke to somewhat you looke to all Cassiodor liuing vnder the popes nose is content either by this praising of him to teach him what care he indeede should haue not onely to doe good to the people of Rome where he was Bishop but also as occasions should be offered to helpe others also Or els it may be that hee giueth him greater praise then he deserueth But what is this for the popes supremacy Must not the building needes fall that standeth vpon such weake propes Much like is that which followeth that the seat which is pope Iohns peculiar place is giuen generally to the whole worlde that is as I take it to doe good to all If a Romane magistrate to the bishop of Rome doe extoll more then in truth he may the power of that citty or els tell how farre their benefits doe extende must this be so strained and wrung to prooue supremacie The last testimony alleadged by maister Bellarmine doth so little helpe his cause that if he had done wisely he should neuer haue spoken of it For by that Epistle and others that are set before that councill of Chalcedon it may easily appeare that Leo Bishop of Rome did then bestirre him vsing the discention of the East church as a meane to increase his owne authoritie For it is most plaine and cannot be denied that afterwardes in that councill by his legates he sought the supremacy very earnestly and in sundry of his Epistles disanulleth that the councill did against it And in these Epistles he maketh mone to many to procure Theodosius the Emperour to stand his friend Anâ— in this Epistle
here cited by maister Bellarmine Valentinian sheweth howe Leo came vnto him told him of the diuision of the East church and great troubles there For indeede Flauianus a catholike bishop was deposed by Dioscorus and so cruelly handled that he died thereof within three daies Well Valentinian maketh petition to Theodosius That the bishop of Rome may haue place and power to iudge of the faith and of the priests Which request made by Valentinian in the letter which Valentinian confesseth that Leo requested him to write so iumping with that which afterwards Leo in the councill practised may much perswade vs to thinke that he solicited Valentinian the Emperour either plainly or couertly to moue this in his behalfe Well then this being but a request made that it may so be that cannot proue that it was so but contrary And what reason doth Valentinian the Emperour an especiall friend to the bishop of Rome vse to commend his suite Antiquity gaue him principality of priesthood ouer all Wherein I first note that not Christ but ancient custome is pretended to haue priuiledged him And here againe marke howe this agreeth with that which was afterwards in the council of Chalcedon obiected by Paschasnus legate for Leo this bishop of Rome The church of Rome saith Paschasinus alwaies had the supremacy But this his allegation was proued false But the allegations of Valentinian the popes solicitour in this cause and of Poschasimus the popes legate being so like it maketh me the bolder to coniecture that they were both forged in one shop because they haue both one stampe Thus haue I taken a view of all such testimonies as are alleadged by maister Bellarmine out of them that liued within 600. yeares of Christ for to establish the pride of that Romish seat I haue of purpose omitted iii. or iiii by him alleadged because they wrote after the time that Phocas that murthering traitor who killed Mauritius his Lorde and maister for his Empire hauing first killed before his face his wife and fiue of his children had granted vnto Boniface bishop of Rome third of that name to be supreme head ouer the whole church Wherein although I haue endeuoured to be short yet I trust it plainly enough appeareth to them that will not shut their eies against the truth that although the church of Rome had indeede in regard of her constancy in the truth and power which shee grewe vnto by many occasions being in the imperiall citty great authority amongst all other churches and although learned men were by their distressed estates forced many times in their priuat seates to yeelde to that church more interest to meddle in their matters then of right it had yet it cannot appeare by any thing that they bring out of any approued record within the compasse of those yeares that the church of Rome was either by Gods lawe appointed the head ouer others which is indeede the point that they should proue or that by common consent of the godly it was so catholickly receiued And yet if this latter could haue more apparent proofe then euer Rome or Rhemes can afforde in this cause they should gaine nothing but that good men haue either ordained or tolerated such a state Which howsoeuer it might seeme tolerable when many good men possessed that place yet that the church should be subiect to such as nowe for the most part sit in that seat no christian heart can well endure it But now this labour being taken in hand to trie the popes title vnto the supremacy or how he pleadeth or what claime he can make I must needes giue warning to the christian reader to marke how that as maister Bellarmine hath said little or rather nothing at all to prooue this authority of the bishop of to be grounded vpon Gods lawe so be hath not brought one council within the said six hundred yeres or any thing sufficiently materiall out of the fathers of that time to proue that by mans lawe he was decreed so to be but onely somtimes perchance by particular men vsed as if he had authoritie ouer all And shall this be accounted a catholike doctrine that neither God nor man for six hundred yeares after Christ commaunded to be beleeued If there come no better euidence then master Bellarmine can bring without all doubt the pope will be found to be but an intruder into other mens right a vsurper of other mens iurisdiction But master Bellarmine will helpe his former want with a new supply He affirmeth very boldly as hee doth often in other matters that we knowe neither the time wherein neither the author by whom this supremacie had beginning Yet it may be that we shall gesse shrewdly at it But first wee must vnderstand that the roote of this supremacie that is the pride and ambition of heart that was in many of the popes was lying long in the ground before it did sprowt and plainly shew it selfe and when it grew that it might be seene yet was it not perfected in a long time after But it did plainly shew it selfe in the time of Phocas of whome I spake before For he with much adoe ordained that the bishop of Rome should be called and counted the head of all churches as many of the popes frends tell vs and among other Platina A very fitt patron for so proude a prelat And after that the pope had gotten by the emperours decree this glorious title yet he could not presently get quiet possession of the same but the bishop of Constantinople did still striue for that name Vntil at the length they were both content to winke and the one to suffer the other to be be called vniuersall bishop So that both of them had that name and were so called And nowe the bishop of Rome hauing obtaiued thus much in the west church that hee in all councils and meetings was chiefe and that they should submit themselues to him Before it was long hee had taken so good roote aud begane to grow so mighty that he durst alter and chaunge giue to and take from men at his pleasure and to turne all things vpside downe yea and in the end to cheeke the greatest monarchs But of these matters I shall if God will haue better occasion to intreate in the second parte of this treatise Now I will only say that they were comme to such power as Platina writeth of Boniface the eight that they would rather put feare into the hearts of emperours kings princes nations and people then religion And thus when they had bene in increasing and growing in strength for the space of at the least eight hundred yeares at length in the council of Florence we find this their soueraigne and supreme power confirmed in these words We define that the holy apostolike seat and bispp of Rome hath the supremacie in the whole world So that although we cannot perfectly say when this poyson of pride beganne
in the church of Rome yet you see we can perfectly enough tel when it beganne to shew it selfe and when it was made an ecclesiasticall drecrees Neither is that of any waight which master Bellarmine alleageth out of Gregorie to the contrarie that the church of Constantinople is vnder the church of Rome For he cannot meane thereby the church of Rome should haue supreame authoritie ouer it and all other churches seeing that no man more then Gregorie inueieth against the name of vniuersall bishop but his meaning is onely this that the church of Constantinople is not of so good account or authoritie in meetings or assemblies as that of Rome Which beeing applied to our question proueth nothing For to prooue that the church of Rome may sit or go or write his name before the bishop of Constantinople is not to prooue him to haue iurisdiction ouer him That which out of Iustinian he alleageth is answered before as that also that hee bringeth out of the epistle of Valentinian to Theodosius sauing that master Bellarmine incrocheth somewhat and taketh more then is giuen him For where Valentinian saith that Antiquitie hath giuen that to Rome master Bellarmine seeth that will not serue his turne to prooue it to haue beene from Christ from whom onely they can claime it if by the lawe of God they will haue it and therefore hee saith not as Valentinian doth that it hath beene of old time but alwayes And so wresteth his words quite out of tune And it is but a foolish shift whereby they seeke to pervert the truth and by these forced gloses to corrupt the words of almost all stories when they denied Phocas first to haue giuen supremacie to the pope he did if you will trust master Bellarmine but declare it and did not giue it Platina saith that the pope obtained this of Phocas to be called and counted head and so doth Sigebert and Eusebius saith that by the consent of Phocas it was so instituted And Beneuenutus Imolensis a storie cōmended by pope Pius the second by his adding to the same the liues of foure emperors saith that Phocas first obtained that Rome should be head of all churches If he First obtained this title to Rome if he did institute it if the pope obtained this of Phocas then let the indifferent reader iudge how vntrewly master Bellarmine saith that Phocas did but declare this thing and that it was before Yea what needed this any declaration of of the emperour if the church had receiued it as a catholike doctrine Or if it be not a catholike doctrine what meaneth master Bellarmine to make so false braggs as he sometimes doth of the consent of fathers in this doctrine And thus I trust I haue layed open the vanitie of the proofe and the weakenesse of the argument whereby they indeuoure to strengthen and establish the tyranous soueraigntie of the church of Rome For if Peter had no such iurisdiction ouer others hee could not giue it to any other If his beeing bishop of Rome haue not any such ground but that it may iustly be doubted of and strong presumptions to the contrarie then is not the popes succession of Peter so certaine as they would haue it thought Yea and if Peter were bishop of Rome and if hee had such soueraigntie howe do they proue that it is bequeathed to them to what person howe in what words at what time in what place befor what witnesses Al which things how weakely they prooue hitherto I haue declared And yet to goe further admitte that Peter had such iurisdiction which cannot bee prooued but I admit I say that hee had it admit also that hee could and did leaue the same to the bishop of Rome which we also iustly denie must it therefore cleaue so fast to that chaire in Rome that it can not for any cause bee altered Must it be so hereditarie to his successours if they had beene his successours that are bishops of Rome that they could not forfet it for any terspasse that it may not be taken from them for any offence God forbid that wee should be so foolish as to tie God to anie place or people to any sect or succession in such sort as that howsoeuer men doe abuse his graces or their owne callings yet still they must haue the place that once they haue gotten and they must serue him in that place whether he will or not as though they had it by euerlasting patent Did not God chuse to be his hie priest Aaron and his sonnes by name Nadab Abihu Eleazar and Ithamar to serue in the priestes office No man can deny it And yet Nadab and Abihu for offering onely with strange fire many greater offences then that are committed in the church of Rome were burnt with fire from heauen to shew that God is not so in bondage to them whome hee hath placed in such roomes that hee must haue their seruice whether hee will or not Yea and didde the priesthoode continue alwayes in Aarons line vntill the very time that the Leuiticall priesthoode was vtterly abolished No verily For Herod set vp priests at his pleasure when he came to be made king of Iewry so that then the line of Aaron was vtterly extinct concerning the priesthoode and they that afterwards were priests were not of the same Where then is the choice that God made of Aarons posteritie to serue him And what greater promise can the church of Rome finde made vnto Peter I say not to them for they had none made then was made vnto Phinehas euen a couenant of the priests office for euer And yet we see this was not onely altered now when the priesthoode was quite gone from Aarons posteritie but also euen long before when the priesthoode was giuen vnto Eli that was the son of Ithamar and taken from the posteritie of Phinehas so that not so much as his sonne succeeded him And concerning Eli the priest the priest the Lord had said that he and his house should haue walked before God for euer meaning in the priestes office But when God saw how Eli did wincke at the great disorders of his sonnes whereby Gods seruice was hindered then hee let Eli to vnderstand that hee would cutte off his authoritie and stirre himselfe vp a faithfull Priest that shoulde doe according to his heart and according to his minde And this was performed when Abiathar was put out of the priesthoode by Salomon and Zadoc was made Priest in his steede And of this Zadoc it is said by God himselfe by that messenger or man of God that was sent to Eli. I will builde him meaning Zadoc a sure house and he shall walke before mine annointed for euer And yet as is before declared the priesthoode was taken from his line also so that there were diuers hie priests that were not of his house If nowe God in his iust iudgement
might and in his vpright and faultlesse iustice did take from them that which they might as assuredly haue claimed to themselues and their posteritie as euer Peter might claime such soueraigne iurisdiction to him and his successours so that they haue their light put out and their candlesticke remooued how much lesse may they claime any perpetuitie to rule ouer Gods people that can pretend almost no colour of title for the same What is Rome any better then Silo It pleased God there to dwell many yeeares he made it as it were his tent among men God calles it his place where hee set his name at the beginning And yet was it in the ende made a by-word among the people that God when hee will threaten his grieuous wrath saieth hee will doe as hee did to Silo. And againe I will make this house like Silo and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth because he forsooke the habitation of Silo the tabernacle where he dwelt among men Let them that would so faine tie vs to that Romish chaire shew that euer God sate so in it or said so much of it as hee hath spoken of Silo and when they haue so done yet can they haue no greater interest in God than Silo had from which God departed for the wickednesse of the people of Israel And shall we thinke that hee will rest in that polluted nest or dwell in that vncleane denne where Gods name is most horribly blasphemed with superstitions and idolatries aboue measure If hee haue forsaken Israel can hee delight in Italy If hee haue left Ierusalem will hee tarry at Rome For euen Ierusalem that holy citie nay the Temple there which was the glory of that people and the wonder of the worlde which had so many promises of Gods fauour so many tokens of Gods good liking of it for the Lorde had chosen Zion and loued to dwell therein saying This my rest for euer heere will I dwell for I haue a delight therein Psalme one hundred thirtie two the thirteene and foureteene verses euen that Temple I say which God himselfe commaunded to bee made and chose for his ownne house was not only destroyed by the Babylonians and afterwards being built againe by the Romaines so that not one stone was left vppon an other but also God left the place it selfe and cast off that people for being a people vnto him as the Apostle Saint Paule to the Romanes in the eleuenth chapter telleth vs and experience proclaimeth it Yea where is the promise concerning the flesh that was made vnto Abraham I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede Genesis the seuenteenth chapter and seuenth verse What is become of that peculiar people of God the Lordes owne inheritance the people that he chose to set his name among them the vine that hee brought out of Egypt Were they not many times for their sinnes a pray vnto their enemies a reproch among the people Hath not the wild bore out of the wood so deuoured the same that not so much as one roote of it is knowen to grow there In so much as the prophet Esay in their names maketh a iust and true complaint saying The people of thy holinesse haue possessed it but a little while for our aduersaries haue troden downe thy sanctuarie We haue beene as they ouer whom thou neuer barest rule and vpon whom thy name was not called Esay the sixtie three chapter and eighteene and nineteene verses What then is the promise of God of none effect Will not God be as good as his word Yes doubtlesse he can not lie hee will not deceiue vs. But all such promises haue a secret condition of seruing God to be vnderstoode And if we on our part I will not say performe the condition for we can not doe it but if we will striue and indeuoure earnestly to fulfill it no doubt but hee will assist vs with his good grace and embrace vs with his endlesse and infinit mercies But if we hearken onely to that he promiseth and regarde not that which he requireth we deceiue our selues with a vaine expectation of that that belongeth not to vs. God dealeth with vs as a good maister dealeth with his seruant First hee hireth him to be his seruant and whatsoeuer promises of good turnes he afterwardes maketh vnto him they depend vpon that first couenant if he serue him diligently If then a master promise to his seruant to do him some great pleasure may that seruant neglect his dutie loiter linger about his worke leaue his businesse vndone despise his maisters commaundement and yet say within himselfe my maister oweth me a good turne He may not there is no reason to moue him to it If then the church of Rome claime such promises and priuiledges to belong to them as they pretend they haue yet they might long since by the abusing of their authority and other good graces and gifts of God haue forfeited and lost the same As we haue to see most plainly in the example of the Leuits who were of Aarons time to whom it did belong by right of inheritance as it were and succession to be priests vnto God And yet when they sinned against the Lord and had no regard to keepe couenant with him of them he saith I haue lift vp my hand against them and they shall beare their iniquity and they shall not come neare vnto me to doe the office of the priest vnto me neither shall they come neare vnto any of my holy things in the most holy place but they shall beare their shame and their abominations which they haue committed The like depriuation from their charge and disgrading them of their priesthoode we reade of in Hosea the prophet Because thou hast refused knowledge I wil also refuse thee that thou shalt be no priest to me and seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God I will also forget thy children May he cast off his priestes whome himselfe appointed to be his priestes who had that office by succession and therefore we cannot doubt of their calling And yet must hee be tied to them that by briberie violence and many vile practises as poysenings couenantes with the Deuill and such other lewde meanes doe possesse that seate and therefore haue noe shewe of lawfull calling and when they are in it doe nothing lesse then set foorth Gods trueth maintaine his glorie or thinke of Gods lawe No no he is nowe as free as euer he was to chuse him such seruantes as are according to his owne heart he is no more bound to dwell still at Rome then hee was not to remoue from Ierusalem The one place is alreadie destroied with a perpetuall destruction For the other vnlesse it amend there is reserued a more heauie iudgement And vpon this point I haue staied somewhat the longer not onely for their sakes that imagin the pope
by the doctrine of the church of Rome be gainsaide without danger of heresie so long as man hath not approued the same The lessons I perceiue that God teacheth vs must not bee counted the doctrines of the church vntill the bishop of Rome or some councill haue set downe some order therein Well howsoeuer the wise maisters of Rome will define what shall be heresie yet I trust they will graunt that hee erred in iudgement because he taught then that which not only the scriptures gainesay but euen the papistes themselues will confesse to be erronious But what should I stand in particular examples If it bee true that both Melchior Canus and Bellarmine confesse especially Canus that both the seuenth and the eight sinodes did condemne as an hereticke Honorius the pope doth it not appeare manifestly thereby that they made no doubt whether a pope might erre or not It is not a question amongst them they heare of his doctrine they condemne it as erronious Neither did Formosus his friends vse any such argument to hinder Steuen his cruell dealings against Formosus or Steuens friends to mitigate the rage of Iohn the tenth against Steuen they saide not thus Formosus was a pope and Steuen was a pope they cannot erre No it is a doctrine of later growth and of a newer stamp Maister Bellarmine answereth that those two councels that are before mentioned did thinke that the pope as a priuate man might erre Wherein although he consent not with himselfe who thinketh that he cannot erre as before I said yet would he thereby if he could take away the strength of the argument But he laboureth all in vaine for how doth it appeare that the councels thought of any such matter There is no shew no likelihoode of it No wordes to induce him so to thinke As for that which he saith of Honorius his letters that they condemned him of heresie because of that which they found in his letters I maruell maister Bellarmine hath so soone forgotten himselfe as to alleadge it Seeing himselfe in the beginning of the eleuenth chapter doth first doubt of the credit of those letters and secondlie he denieth that any error is in the same contained Doeth maister Bellarmine thinke the fathers of those councels to haue beene so simple that they could not iudge of Honorius his writings whether they were hereticall or not aswell as himselfe Or will he imagine that they were so rash that they would condemne him without cause If he in his epistles had no errour as maister Bellarmine affirmeth almost in the beginning of his eleuenth chapter why doth he heere affirme that for his epistles and the heresies which therein he maintained he was condemned of those councels If he were an hereticke as by very many testimonies it doth appeare why doth maister Bellarmine seeke so to free him from that fault and to take from him that staine Euen because he would as wel as he can defend that most vntrue doctrine of the church of Rome that the pope cannot erre And yet their owne law supposeth that the pope may erre and confesseth that for heresie he may be reproued But in this as almost in euery point wherein they dissent from vs they shew how little they are in deed according to their name that they woulde faine be called by For they call themselues catholickes as if the doctrine that they teach or beleeue were catholicke that is vniuersâ—allie receiued And yet in this controuersie they are not agreed how to defend it or what to say of it Gerson of Paris Almain Alphonsus all of them papistes and pope Adrian the sixt himselfe are of one mind Albert Pighius an other papist of an other Bellarmine and his maisters make a third sect And yet these men reproue vs for difference in opinion bragge of their owne vnity and must needs be thought to haue a catholike faith But to conclude seeing the giftes of the spirite whether of sanctification or of truth are giuen vnto men according to measure and not in fulnes for to Christ only God giueth the spirite not by measure and therefore he speaketh without errour Gods words seeing that pope Adrian the sixt hath assured vs that popes may erre and we haue it plainely recorded in their owne histories and confessed by many of themselues that they haue erred lastly seeing they haue been euen by councils condemned of heresie and their owne lawe prouideth and taketh order for popes that doe erre and the Church of Rome is not yet resolued how to defend the cantrarie we may I trust hauing so good warant euen from their owne frends without any note of heresie affirme that popes may erre Yea what is there in them but errour They wander out of the wayes of truth and of godlinesse So that in that accursed companie we may see that to be most true that where there is a boundance of sinne there God iustly may and often times in his iudgements doth cast such into the deepth of errour that they who had no desire to liue according to the light that did shine vnto them in seruing the Lord in true holinesse should be cast into the dungeon of ignorance as vnworthie to inioy that light which they so vnthankefully refused of that grace which they so wickedly abused The matter then being thus that neither Peter had any such iurisdiction ouer the whole church as is claimed by the church of Rome neither if he had it he could or for any euidence that yet is shewed he did bequeathe it to the Romish church and lastly seeing that church if any such priuiledge had beene lawfully to her deuolued hath committed such things as would haue forfeted a better right then euer shee had in that vniuersall authoritie it doth I trust appeare to the indifferent Reader that their claime is vniust their title false and that they haue no colour of interest from Christ whose ouely possession that is that they would haue But it is no new thing in the church of Rome to bring in false euidence to prooue a forged claime They did so in the council of Carthage when by vntrue copies of the council of Nice they sought the soueraignty ouer all other churches For Alipius a bishop in that council affirmeth twise that they could not find in the decrees of the Nicen councill any such thing as they aleaged for the authoritie of the Bishop of Rome Nouatus also another bishop saith we reade no such thing in the Nicen councill The fathers therefore of that council did decree that messengers should be sent to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch as Alipius had inoued them to get the true copies For they hauing read many bookes of the council of Nice yet could neuer read in any latine or yet in any Greeke copies that they had that which the bishop of Rome his legat did alleage To trie the truth therfore they sent and sought that they
fathers Thus we see that in as plaine termes as they can deuise this Councill doeth oppose themselues to that which the Bishop of Rome did seeke to obtaine And thus it appeareth how vntruely the church of Rome hath delt very long since to exalt her selfe aboue others and to maintaine her owne pride And how shee hath in the times of those learned fathers beene bridled in their councils Wherein they haue set downe lawes to mitigate and keepe vnder their immoderate affections how soeuer they would sometimes write or speake of them or to them that were bishops of Rome for the peace of the church and the reuerence of the persons being men often times indued with very good gifts and such as by their acquaintance and credit being in the imperiall citie did helpe many that were distressed Now therefore let vs yeld that honour to him onely whome God hath sealed that he be acknowledged the head of his church the lawe maker to his people the sheapheard to his flocke Let vs receaue no other vicar to snpply his roome but that spirit of truth which God our gracious father shall giue and which shall abide with vs for euer But as for them that without any good warrant of Gods word or sufficient calling from God claime to be as kings and loue to liue as lords ouer Gods heritage detest them as the proud off-spring of Corah Dathan and Abiram or rather as the wicked sonnes of Ely that did as themselues would yea as men that are enemies to Gods lawes vsurpers of Christs office despisers of all authoritie abusers of all maiestie and therefore most perillous plagnes to christian princes And thus much to examine how iust a title the pope hath or how iust a claime he may make to be supreame head of the Church The second part of the Suruey of the Popes Supremacie which is a proofe of his Practises NOw that it plainly appeareth in the first part of this Treatise to them that doe not wincke with their eyes against the trueth that this Supremacie that the Bishop of Rome most prowdely abuseth hath not any ground in the worde of God as is seene partely by the weakenesse of their owne arguments and partly because the fathers being assembled together in their generall councils some of them more then foure hundred and fiftie yeares after Christ haue taught vs the contrarie it is necessary for the better vnderstanding of this matter yea for the more detestation of their vniust authoritie that something bee said of the second part of this Treatise which is a proofe or examination of the popes practises But herein I must consider of two pointes First how and by what meanes they got vnto that high estate wherein nowe they are Secondly after what manner they haue vsed themselues in the same In fewe wordes how they haue ruled And because the church of Rome was not sodainely or in one instant aduanced to this place of excessiue pride and insatiable ambition wherein she now challengeth rule and dominion ouer al that professe christianitie it wil not be amisse but a thing very pertinent to this my purpose to see by what steps the pope hath come to such height by what practises he hath attained to such honour Whereas therefore the godly fathers of the primitiue church did many times stand in neede of the help or counsel or comfort of the good Bishops of Rome that were in their times and as occasions fell out were forced somtimes to flee to them for succor who also found reliefe at their hands very often the ages succeeding did interpret this charitable affection and performance of christian duety in these godly Bishops of Rome to be not so much tokens of the loue towards all as of their power ouer all And yet a man may be as good as he will to them ouer whom he hath no power at al. Although therefore we neither can nor will deny that which the Author of the Apologie for the English Seminaries doth so confidently pronounce that the famous fathers called for aide comfort and counsell in their distresses of the bishop of Rome yet iustly we may and for the trueâ—hs sake we must affirme that this seeking for these causes to the bishop of Rome doth not prooue him to haue authoritie ouer all but onely that at such times he had better meanes to helpe the distressed then they that sought vnto him had to releeue themselues But many times the godly are forced to flie for aide as these men did whom the Apology nameth as Cypr. Atha Chrys Aug. Basil Ierom Miletius Theod. to men worse theÌ„ themselues as Iacob to Laban from the wrath of Esau and Dauid to the Philistins to auoide Saâ—â—s rage and Ioseph with Christ to escape the bloudy hands of Herod went into Egypt But if any man desire more particularly to be informed in y e special causes that moued these godly men to make sute to the B. of Rome let him reade that learned answer that Bilson hath made vnto the said apologie he is too wilfull if he be not satisfied for this point Now some B. of Rome though otherwise good men were pufe vp with some prowd conceit of their authoritie when they saw such famous and godly men were driuen to seeke for their help as it may appeare by their owne words if they be their words which go abroad in their name for their Epistles and decrees As Damasus in his fourth epistle writing vnto prosper the B. of the first seat in Numidia and other bishops commendeth theÌ„ that in all matters that may be doubtfull they refer themselues to him as to the head to giue them answere And it is no great maruell though Damasus woulde write or speake much for the dignity of his place for comming to the which he did striue euen to the death of a great number of christians Siricius then commeth next after him who taketh vpon him to threaten to pronounce sentence against such as wil do otherwise then he would haue them And Innocentius writing to the bishops of macedony findeth himselfe grieued and thinketh that that church of Rome to which he telleth them they shoulde haue regard as to their head is wronged because they did not at the first yeelde to his iudgement The like might be said of many other of them Whereby appeareth that they who at the first were intreated by some godly men by such means as God had giuen them to help them in their need at the length tooke vpon them to commaund others to stand to their orders and decrees Insomuch as they also gaue out their decrees which they would binde al to obserue as partly appeareth in Siricius and Innocentius and partly also in others it will be more plaine It sauoureth of too great an arrogaâ—â—y that Zosimus another pope threatneth seuerity if any despise the apostolike authority So did Leo so did pope a afterward
had beene knowen to be sufficient proofe of the supremacy What needed they so notoriously to falsifie the council What needed the fathers to take such paines and to be at such cost as to send for true copies of that council to Constantinople Alexandria and Antioche to trie whether the fathers in that council of Nice had giuen such power to the bishop of Rome if in these words To thee will I giue the keies of the kingdome of heauen Christ had promised or in these feed my sheepe Christ had giuen such fulnes of power ouer all others to the bishop of Rome Seeing therefore that proofe seemed not strong enough in those times the graunt which they had from Phocas did them no great good to shewe what right they had to that supremacy although thereby they got possession thereof For if by his gift they claimed then they confessed this their authority to be from man and that from too wickes and bloudy a murdering man to doe any great good in Christ his church or for setting downe of any order whereby all should be ruled Then also it might haue beene called in question whether he by his authoritie could subiect all men for euer to that church of Rome or not To make their title therefore as good as they could they deuised another helpe They fained this gift to be from Constantine the first emperour that publickly allowed of christian profession And they make him to giue not onely his palace of Lateran and many other temporallties to the bishop of Rome as master Bellarmine would haue it thought but they bring him in speaking these words We decreeing doe ordaine that he the bishop of Rome shall haue the supremacie as well ouer the foure principall seates of Antioch Alexandria Constantinople and Ierusalem as also ouer all churches in the whole earth And that the pope for the time being of that holy church of Rome shall be hier and Prince of all princes in the world Is this onely to giue temporalties But the falshood of the donation of Constantine doth shine more bright then the noone day although the papists make great account of the same Yea Melchior Canus altogether a papist yet he did either see more or dealt plaiulier in this matter then did master Bellarmine For although he be loth to denie it or to diminish the credit of it yet he bringeth moe reasons against it then hee with all his felowes can be able to answere So that we neede not seeke for arguments out of Laurentius Valla or others to confute it For euen hee hath giuen it a more deadly wound then can be healed againe He confesseth that the lawyers take it to be but a fained matter and therfore cal it chaffe for it is indeed so called in their owne distinctions He acknowledgeth that Eusebius Ruffinus Theodoret Socrates Sozomenus Eutropius Victor and other authors of credit who most diligently wrote all that Constantine did haue not onely made no mention of that donation but also doe affirme that he so deuided his empire among his three sonnes as that the one of them had Italie And that Ammianus Marcellinus in his fifteenth booke writeth that Constantius Constantines sonne had the rule of the citie of Rome and made Leontius his liuetenant there And lastly that all Histories record that many Emperours after that time ruled in Italie yea and in Rome What can be more plaine Their owne Lawyeares confesse it to be fained no good story recordeth it but y e contrary Rome after this gift was the imperial citty and seat Therefore either Constantine gaue no such thing from him and his heires or his gift was nothing worth Melchâ— or Canus also doubteth of the very foundation of this fable which is the leprosie whereof they faine that Constantine was healed plainly affirming that in any good author he readeth no such thing But not he only doubteth hereof but long before him it hath beene spied by Anthonius B. of Florence in his history by Volateran writing of Constantine by the cardinal Nicolas Cusam a fast friend and faithful to that Romish church that this donation was not in the old coppies of Grecians decrees And therfore when it was added themselues accompted it but chaffe and no good corne And these and such reasons made Pius the second pope of that name to maruell in a certaine dialogue written by him being a Cardinall that the Lawyers were so mad as to make any question of that matter which neuer was And that wee may see how all things in this donation of Constantine are but fained whereas the donation maketh Siluester the Pope to whome this gift was giuen yet in another place the same thing is said to be giuen vnto Melchiades that was bishop before Siluester And he is made to speake as though it had beene done before his time also And yet this Melchiades was pope about two or three yeares before Constantine was Emperour and died long before he gaue peace and quietnes to Christians as in the Cronicle of Eusebius who lined in those daies it may appeare What needeth this point of their doctrine any aduersary Themselues doe fully confute one another And the prouerb is in this found true when theeues fal out true men come by their goods For these decrees if they be well considered it is not hard to spie falshood in them both And therefore we may take heede how we trust them seeing that in these two we see plainly how the one is contrarie to the other and both contrary to the truth There are also some impossibilities in the said donation which doe sufficiently prooue it to be but a fraudulent deede For the occasion of this gift is there set downe Namely that Constantine beeing baptised is healed of his leprosie and thereupon giueth these things to Siluester of whome he was baptised And yet besids many other ancient histories of good credit Saint Hierom doth plainly write that he was baptised at the latter end of his life and that not of Siluester bishop of Rome for hee was dead and also Marke that succeded him but of Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia some six or seauen yeares after Siluester was dead How then could these things be giuen to Siluester at the baptisme of Constantine Siluester being dead so long before Or howe at his baptisme in Rome when he was baptised in Nicomedia the chiefe citie of Bithinia many hundred miles distant from Rome But it is strange that they are so impudent as to name Constantinople at this time for one of the principall seats of bishops as in this donation they do which was called not by that name before Constantine in the tenth yeare of his raigne did build it but while Siluester and Marke his successor liued it was called Bizance And about twentie or thirty yeares after the death of Constantine was there a councill at Constantinople wherein y t sea of
Christ himselfe as man onely for he was taught of his father what to doe and what to say much lesse then would his vicar of Rome if he had but one sparke of christian humilitie claime such absolute power ouer the whole earth Seeing therefore by this name head hee chalengeth greater power then either any good man would haue in Gods church for the godly can be content to speake of God as God teacheth them and to doe as hee woulde haue them or is fit for any man to haue as his vnruly doings do sufficiently declare we iustly denie that euer any bishop of Rome was of the godly called the head of the church in that sence that it is now vsed as their doings doe plainly teach vs. As for the name Papa or pope it was a common name to all bishops as is confessed by Baronius yea and graunted also in this place by master Bellarmine himselfe And it signifieth as much as father or grandfather so that it seemeth that it was first giuen vnto bishops by godly christians who did honour and reuerence them for their calling And why may not this name be aptly giuen to any diligent bishoppe or pastour in the church of god No master Bellarmine wil haue this name after a more particular maner to be giuen to the bishop of Rome then to any other Then we must learne of Christ not to call any man our father vpon earth For there is but one our father which is in heauen And therefore if he wil otherwise be our father then man may be our father let him seeke for other children for to such a father we owe no obedience The name of vniuersal bishop was giuen in the councill of Chalcedon to the bishop of Rome maister Bellarmine telleth vs. We deny it not But without a fauourable and good vnderstanding that title may be very odious For euen Gregory himselfe a bishop of Rome and no man more vehemently inueieth against that proud title in many plaids His places are so commonly alleadged that I neede not come to any particular But Bellarmine going about to deliuer this title from all suspition of antichristian ambition telleth vs that this name vniuersall bishop may be taken in two sorts One way that a vniuersall bishop should signifie an only bishop that is such a one as woulde haue none to be bishop but himfelfe onely And such a vniuersall bishop saith master Bellarmine Saint Gregory condemneth And doth he not otherwise condemne Iohn of Constantinople his pride but because he would haue no bishop but himselfe No master Bellarmine the stories are more plaine then that such shifts may go for currant The controuersie was whether the bishop of Constantinople should be as now the bishop of Rome is in his owne account a bishop aboue al bishops Read all the histories and it wil easily appeare his indeuour was only to haue the commanding of other bishops Neither could he be called vniuersal if he were the only bishop but rather the singular bishop But master Bellarmine bringeth two or three testimonies out of Gregory wherein he complaineth that Iohn patriarch of Constantinople would be bishop alone Gregories meaning is plaine enough that he saith he would only be bishop because he only would haue the commanding of all that others should indeede be his suffraganes and at his commandement which reason of Gregory against that title of vniuersall bishop if it be wel marked giueth I thinke a wound vncurable to the church of Rome A soueraigne authoritie in one to commaund all saith he is to take away all bishops but that one onely but such soueraigne authoritie ouer bishops the pope doth chalenge in this name of vniuersall bishop as experience teacheth therefore he maketh him selfe the onely bishop And this is the thing that Gregorie so mislyketh in Iohn bishop of Constantinople therefore I cannot see how it can be tolerable in him of Rome But one may be called a vniuersall bishop saith he in another sence as he hath a care of the whole church and so the Pope may be called a vniuersall Bishop But herein master Bellarmine giueth very litle authoritie to the bishop of Rome For this generall care belongeth not onely to euery Bishop but also to euery Christian as Caesar Paronius doeth plainly confesse of whom master Bellarmine doth write that he is a singular good man and without all doubt most learned And therefore I trust hee will by him be perswaded to let this name of vniuersall bishop be a name that may belong to mo then to him of Rome and so not to make it his peculiar title A fourth name of his is that hee is called most holy And here master Bellarmine doth maruelously insult ouer master Luther for insinuating that the names of most high and most holy had not beene hard of in the dayes of Gregorie Master Luther said not so master Bellarmine onely feared that he ment some such matter and therefore quareleth with him and telleth him that he lieth Well Leo the pope is called most holy in three seuerall titles that three Graecians wrote to him It is true master Bellarmine and in the same action in a great number of places besids the bishops yelding their consent do call him most holy He is there also called holy and why would not that name holy which is there also giuen to him as well content the bishop of Rome now as to be called most holy Or why should that be a peculiare name to him alone that was giuen in that place as well to others as to him For Anatolius the patriarch of Constantinople is often called most holy Yea and the council writeth vnto Dioscorus patriarch of Alexandria whome they depriued of his dignitie because he was a manitainer of Futiches that notable heretick yet I say the conncill writing vnto him doe call him also most holy And whosoeuer marketh that councill shall see no titles more common then most holy most blessed or happie mow beloued of God and such like Neither were these things giuen vnto them as names to continue to them and their seate but onely such titles as they thought well bestowed vpon such persons as they vsed them to As Leo bishop of Rome who although he were not without his infirmiries yet sure he was a man of great gifts And they in aboundance of affection towardes him called him most holy Must it therefore be a name hereditary to that sinfull and shamelesse broode that since hath sprong vp in that place It were absurd to thinke that coniurers inchaunters poyseners adulterers and such ruffians and rakehelles should be called by right of their seat most holy And yet now nothing more common then this title His fauourites must not speake of him but with this tearme of most holy Looke all his bulles and writings and you shall see that hee that is most vnholy before God and men yet by a lying
answered that the physition said it was not wholsome for him I will haue it saith he in despite of God At another time missing a peacock which he had commaunded to be kept colde against night hee burst into extremitie of choller whereupon a cardinall mouing him to be quiet What said he was God angry for an aple in so much as he cast our first parents out of paradice for that matter and may not I being his vicar be angrie for my peacock The irreligious heart of this prophane pope could neuer haue burst out iuto such blasphemies against God but that in his excesse of pride he esteemed himselfe as God or else in affection euen besotted with atheisme hee said as did the wicked in the prophet Dauid There is no God And so hee proued that to be most true that the same prophet saith in another place man being in honour hath no vnderstanding he is like to the beasts that perish And thus we see howe the bishop of Rome being drunken with too wel liking of himselfe in his authoritie and high estate did not only exalt himselfe by his names aboue al men but made himselfe equall euen with the most high But least the bishop of Rome should seeme to be but God in name and not in deede as a shadow without a bodie and title without authoritie as were Paul the third his archbishops that he sent to the council of Trent whome he was faine to maintaine with his poore almes that he bestowed vpon them he therefore sheweth his prerogatiue and telleth what power and might he hath that he may prooue himselfe to be like to her that said in her heart I will ascend aboue the height of the clouds and I will be like the most Highest If I would indeuour to set downe all that might be said of the pride of the bishop of Rome or at the least of his impudent affection of his claw-backs it were harder to find an outgate then an entrance this field is so large to wander in For what is it that the Pope can not doe Yea what can God himselfe doe more then hee If wee will trust flattering Lawyeares in their approued and allowed bookes he is Christs vitar generall ouer heauen earth and hell ouer angels good and bad yea they tell vs that the pope can doe whatsoeuer God can doe except sinne It seemeth that they meane God can sinne but the pope is so clad with holinesse and compassed about with righteous dealing as with a garment that hee can in no wise sinne such a staine cannot be in his flesh such a clog cannot hang at his backe O proud blasphemie Can that man of sinne for Saint Paul doubtlesse speaketh of him iustly so called because he is a stumbling block to others and a cause of sinne to many thousands and himselfe also often a seruant or rather a sincke of sinne can he I say be without sinne Yea they tell vs that he may and that by the authoritie of pope Symmacus who doth testifie that Saint Peter did bequeath the euerlasting gift of Merites together with the in heritance of innocencie to his posteritie In somuch as if they haue not merits enough yet that sufficeth that Saint Peter hath done He addeth the reason because he I thinke he meaneth Saint Peter either doth aduaunce them that are worthie or doth lighten such as are aduaunced Now if the pope himselfe will say that he in respect of his chaire hath a succession of innocencie it is no great maruel if his flatterers will say he cannot sinne But if all the popes and their parasites would crie it out neuer so loud yet so long as their owne stories are remaining they shal be proued liers Where are now these censurers and seuere forbidders of Gods writings Why vse they not their authoritie to represse such blasphemies The Romish church can take vpon them to prohibit the writings of godly men yea if there be but a note in the margent of the fathers word for word out of the fathers whereby the reader may perchaunce be directed more readily to see the iudgement of that father in some point in controuersie although it change not the meaning of that place yet our seuere censurers still commaund that it be left out But these horrible blasphemies whereof al men may iustly be a shamed are not once misliked of sound not out of time but are melodius musicke in the eares of such holie fathers Can we hope for any good from them that call light darknesse and darknesse light euil good and good euill I feare such bad trees can bring forth no good fruit But to come to some particular points Let vs see what this petty God doth take vpon him and how he plaieth the God indeede For as I haue said the bare name of God although it be far too much that it should be giuen him by others or acknowledged of himselfe wil not please him but he must also doe as God doth And first whereas Christ is our only lawmaker and master as Christ himselfe telleth vs and therfore Saint Iames also exhorteth vs that we be not many masters yet this Romish Rabby will be our master also not contenting himselfe to deliuer that which he receaued from God as did Christ and his apostles whose footsteps he should not be ashamed to follow but he will teach vs his owne lessons and deliuer vs his owne doctrines And although he pretend the direction of Gods spirit yet euen hereby it appeareth that this is but a lying pretence and coulour wherewith they would cloke all their heresies and superstitions For the spirit shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake Aud this reason our Sauiour Christ yeeldeth why the spirite shall lead vs into all truth because he shall teach nothing of his own but that which he shall heare Therefore all new doctrines euen whatsoeuer hath beene added in substance of doctrine vnto that which Christ and his apostles left vs sauoureth of another spirit and not of that spirit of God which shall teach or suggest nothing but that which he hath heard What a master then is that great master not in Israell but in Italy that bringeth in huge heapes of doctrine which themselues confesse onely to rest vpon mens traditions which they call traditions of the church and haue no good warrant or sure ground in the word of God Doeth he not take vpon him Gods office Doeth he not make himselfe herein equall with God It is most plaine it cannot be denied But the infatiable ambition of those holy fathers will not suffer them to content themselues with that excesse of pride in that they take vpon them as God to make lawes and giue rules to Gods church vnlesse they also control and correct as seemeth good to them those lawes which God hath set downe and those ordinances which he
supremacie ouer bishops although this heaâ— was too too feruent that the patriarch for this popes pride should haue his eies burnt out then he was to hold fast aud to increase daily that authoritie which by most impdent and vngodly meanes hee had gotten not onely ouer all princes and kings but euen ouer the Emperour himselfe the greatest monarch that is in all christendome The emperour had wont in the primitiue churches to haue a great saying in the chosing of bishops especially such as were bishops of Rome as all histories make mention and is more euident then that it needeth proofe and more plaine then that it may be doubted of But when the popes came to their ouer great authoritie they began somewhat more boldly to take vpon them to occupie that roome without leaue of the Emperour Adrian the first therefore being B. of Rome and hee thinking himselfe much beholding to Charles the great for defending him and his church from the violence of enemies did in a council holden at Rome by the emperor and the pope make this vniuersall decree that the emperour should haue right to chuse the pope and to order the apostolike seat and to haue the dignitie or preheminence of principalitie I would all our English papists and specially the fugitiue traitours that would for this cause make the happy and quiet gouernment which England hath vnder our most gratious princesse a long time comfortably inioyed because we giue vnto her maiestie the title of sumacie seeme odiuos to others and vnlawfull to our selues I would I say they would marke what pope Adrian and the vniuersall council for so doth Sigebert there call it doe yeeld to Charles the great then emperour that he should haue the principality and supremacie And further it is there decreed that the archbishop and bishop through euery prouince shall be inuested by him and that no man shall be once so bold as to consecrate him whome the king doth not commend and institute and that vpon paine of excommunication And if hee reforme not himselfe his goods to be forfeited and himselfe to be banished A necessary Lawe doubtlesse for our dayes both in respect of the lawe it selfe and also in regard of the punishment which is to be layed vpon offendours And the more to be accounted of because it is deâ—ised by such as I hope they will not saie can erre or cannot say they seeke their bloud Wel notwithstanding this decree set downe by councill as you haue hard Steuen the fourth bishop of Rome and next but one to this Adrian the first who by a conucil coÌ„firmed to the emperour this authoritie doth not onely debar the emperour for medling in election of the pope but also accurseth all them that by the emperours consent do obtaine any church And for the lowder proclaming of his pride most lewdly hee compareth his vniust and rash desanulling of that iust decree made by Adrian and the council with Ezechias his godly abolishing of the high places the serpent and such other things as were idolatrously abused by the Israelltes He alone I say without a council reuoketh that which the council had commaunded Pope Paschalis the first succeeding this Steuen had not the consent of the emperour and therefore sent his embassadours vnto the emperour Lodouike to excuse the matter and to make him beleeue that he was forced by the clergie and people to take the popedome on him The emperorbeing of a very mild nature yet willing to retaine that priuiledge willed them not afterward to informe the emperours authoritie but to keepe in their election the decrees of their elders Now the emperour being forced for the repression of some that rebelled against him to send Lotharius his sonne into Italy there to remaine Paschalis the pope inuested the said Lotharius in the empire But hee being gone to his father into Fraunce for greater aid some of his most trusty frends were in the meane time killed euen in the palace of Lateran their eies first put out onely because they were fast and faithfull to Lotharius The pope was commonly supposed to be guiltie or at the least to be acquainted with this outragious dealing of the Romans And although by other he denied the fact yet did he acquite them that had done that deede and pronounced them that were slaine to haue beene guiltie of treason But howsoeuer it was the emperour seeing belike the popes wholy bent to depriue him vtterly of any consent in the election of the pope doth himselfe yeeld it into their hands making it lawfull for the popes to take that place vpon them being chosen by the clargie and people of Rome without the emperours consent not long after him commeth Nicholas the first who seing the emperour so easily to be chrust from his right which was euen by the bishop of Rome in a council giuen to him in electing of the pope thought hee would incroach somewhat further and doth wholy debar him of hauing any thing to doe or being at or in their council vnlesse it be when matters of faith be in handling And further he did decree to cut his power yet shorter that no lay man whatsoeuer should somuch as iudge of Priests or enquire how they liue And although Nicholas the first durst not as yet goe plainlie to worke but rather by craftie meanes sought to diminish the Emperours power yet within lesse than thirtie yeares after it was decreed by Adrian the third that the Emperours consent should not he regarded in electing the Bishop of Rome but the voices or election of the Cleargie and people therein should be free Now by this exemption which the Romans had from the Emperour that hee had nothing to doe in their elections as they were without feare of his displeasure so were they without care of doing in their elections as they ought and by that means preferred many vnworthie of that place Wherefore pope Leo the eight in a Synod holden at Rome did decree that Otho then Emperour and his successours after him should elect not the pope onely but also the chiefe officers of Rome or bishops and that onelie with his consent these must be counted lawfull And if any shall goe about to infringe this decree he is excommunicate If he continue therein he shall be perpetually banished or haue extreame punishment How long this decree was kept which was nowe by two Councils at Rome and by two popes Adrian the first decreed this Leo the eight confirmed it is not certaine But I am sure that not long after it was accounted simonie for anie man to take anie bishopricke or benefice being instituted thereto by anie lay man And this was especially laboured by Hildebrand as soone as euer hee came to haue any thing to doe for the popes that the Emperour or lay men should haue nothing to doe in the election of the pope And because alreadie two
Councils had giuen to the Emperours that authoritie they that followed would not altogether and directly controll the decree of the Councils but more craftily they so handle the matter that by a very generall decree forbidding all lay men to meddle with elections or to inttest the cleargie or rather threatning the cleargie that will receiue anie ecclesiasticall promotion at the handes of anie lay man they imagine that they annihilate that which more particularlie giueth to the Emperour that power And indeed most busie to bring this about was Hildebrand that firebrand of much mischiefe who beeing pope for that is hee that was called Gregorie the seuenth it was almost the greatest sinne that a pope could commit to seeke to haue his election confirmed by the Emperour But before the time of this Gregorie the seuenth his papacie as Pantalcon reporteth Clement the second went also about to debarre the people of Rome for hauing anie thing to doe in electing the Pope And thus the bishoppes of Rome euer repining and grudging that the emperour whose power they feared might bee a bridle vnto them or rather a deserued scourge for their vngodly life or any other lay man should haue anie thing to do in their election at the length did bring to passe that neither cleargie nor people nor emperour should chuse the pope but onely such of the cleargie as were called Cardinals And the first that euer was chosen pope by the Cardinals was Gelasius the second For we reade not of anie so elected before him Paschalis the second who was next after him was as Platina writeth of him despised of the people chosen of the cleargie praised of the Cardinals But of this he saith that hee was chosen by generall consent of the Cardinals and so doeth Rioche a frier an historiographer of our time Well nowe the bishop of Rome hath shaken off his yoke he is now lawlesse and peerlesse he plaieth now the part of an vntaught and vnruly iade that hauing cast his rider striketh at him with his heeles For freeing himselfe from the emperours gouernment he goeth about to bring the emperour to be in seruitude vnder him And therefore first he goeth about to confirme the emperours election as it were not sufficient without his approbation as Innocent the third confirmed the election of Otho Wherin yet by the way y ◠practise of these prelats is to be noted For they would cōmonly intend themselues to medle when by reason of some diuisiō they hoped their taking part wold be acceptable As in this case For there was a diuision about chusing the emperor some inclining to Frederick some to Otho But afterward they came to that boldnesse that we reade that godlesse wretch Iohn 22. or 21. as some reckon did excommunicat Lewes of Bauaria emperor because he tooke vpō him the empire without the approbation of his holinesse which was decreed by Clement that was next before him as Bale out of Marius alleadgeth For although the electours by their election might giue him power to be King of the Romans yet could he not now haue the name of an Emperour but by the pope And thus wee see how vpon a sudden he that but a litle before could not be pope but by the approbation of the emperour is now so great as that the emperour can not be emperour but by his leaue Now hauing gotten thus high his ambition yet had no end his pride had no measure his rage had no bridle For as he had now either fraudulently or violently or rather both waies obtained thus much that he must confirme the emperour before he might haue that title so did he also take vpon him O intollerable presumption soone after to controll him euen this highest maiestie in this worlde if he did but write his name before the pope as Adrian the fourth did Fred the second Thus we see the pope hath set himselfe in Gods seate as Tyrus saieth of her selfe His throne is placed in the cloudes and his nest made very high Now what means haue they vsed to clime vp into the same For you must vnderstand that impotent affections haue driuen them forward so impudently to seek for this honor Which if it do not appeare in that which hath already bin said yet in that that foloweth I trust it wil be as clear as the noone day For many vngodly vnlawfull practise they haue vsed but what doe I giue them such termes as doe nothing expresse their doings Many detestable and deuilish deuises they haue had to intrude themselues into that seate and to setle themselues in that throne Yea I may I suppose boldly affirme that a man shal not reade in any histories or finde in any records of any state or sort of men be they neuer so prophane that haue vsed more vile and vilanous wayes to obtaine their desire then the popes haue doone to mount into that chaire It should not be so I confesse but yet it is so The greater is their sinne the more is their shame No man shall take vnto him any honour and especially so great honour but he that is called of God as was Aron And whosoeuer doth not enter in by the doore into the sheepfold but climeth vp another way is but a theefe and a robber And the theefe commeth not but to steale and to kill and to destroie God by his prophet Ieremie doth often complaine of such prophets as would runne when they were not sent and would prophecie although the Lorde spake not to them And therefore that which they said vnto the people was but lies a false vision and the deceitfulnes of their owne heart But the true prophets neuer came but when God sent them And therefore they doe commonly publish and proclaime their commission in these words The word of the Lord came to me which is more common in the sermons of the prophets then that I neede to point vnto the particular places Our Sauiour Christ when hee came was sent of the Father And for that cause the Iewes sent priests and Leuites to Iohn the Baptist to know what he was what calling hee had in the church and by what authoritie he did that which he did And as Christ himselfe was sent of the Father so he sendeth his Apostles As my Father sent me so send I you As for Paule who was then a persecuter when the other Apostles were sent to preach yet when Christ purposed to haue his seruice in the ministery he called him and that not strangely onely saying to him from heauen Saul Saul why persecutest thou me but effectually also insomuch as he afterwards laboured more aboundantly than they all Whereby it is plaine that God would neuer haue the ministery of any in his church but that he called them lawfully thereunto Neither is it enough for a man to knowe that his calling is good I meane his office or function
Christ his life and conuersation were inquired vpon by Charles the great the emperor All which things do plainly proue that it is most false that Gratian out of many of them doth affirme that the Emperours Christian did alwaies submit themselues vnto the bishops And the selfe-same examples also doe plainly declare that the clergie may not be accused onely before ciuil magistrats but punished also by them according to the qualitie of their offence Neither did our sauiour Christ whose immunities and exemptions I suppose they will confesse were as great as any may claime when hee was standing before Pilate to be iudge plead that they might not meddle with him neither yet Saint Paul when he stoode before Festus who if there had beene any such priuiledge belonging vnto clergie men would at the least haue claimed it that others might haue by their examples alleaged the like But saint Paul in appealing vnto Cesar dooth giue vs a strong argument to prooue that princes may middle with such as they call clergie men But of the matter it selfe there is no iust cause of doubt Neither can it be proued that such immunities and exemptions are grounded vpon any testimonie of Scripture but rather are most contrarie to that subiection to magistrats that they commaund and God requireth But by those priuileges there came to the ciuil estate dubble damage First because thereby euil subiects were maruelously imboldned to doe whatsoeuer the bishop of Rome that very baine of true christian obedience would set them to doe for inlarging his liberties As among as infinit mumber of examples that one of Thomas Becket that archtraitor of England and yet forsooth a Romish saint and martyr doth sufficiently declare For how traiterously he sought to in fringe the auncient liberties of his and our natiue countrie to the maintenence whereof he was also sworne yea how leudly he stoode in defence of the liberties that they claime vnto clergie men and that in an vnhonest cause for Philip Brocke a canon of Bedford being accused and tried of mâ—rder gaue euil words to the iudges and the archbishop would not suffer him to be punished by the ciuil magistrate how stifly he set himselfe against the king to the mislike of most of the bishops in the land Mathew of Paris though otherwise a well-willer of his doth plainly set downe Yea what safetie may kings haue to their persons or what quietnesse in their dominions if they who are called clergie men may within any princes dominions execute against them the popes rash and vniust decrees without punishment of them that beare the sword If vnquiet heades and rebellious persons may deuise and practise what they thinke good to follow their owne lust and get vnto themselues the raines of libertie and when these things shall any way breake out they may not be examined by princes or magistrates or accused before such authoritie In this respect therefore that by such immunities bad men were much imboldned either to performe the popes commaundements or their owne desires princes had the lesse abilitie and oportunitie to shake off that yoke of more than Egyptiacal bondage which the pope laid vpon them For if they once indeuoured to attempt any such thing they had within their realm euen such as shuld by christian duty and very naturall affection be their strength aid them that vnder pretence of obedience to the vicar of Rome would make faint the hearts of the princes friends and mightily strengtheÌ„ the hands of his worst sort of subiects And no maruell though in the dayes of deepe darknes or ignorance this leprousie did so infect and spread for we among whom the light of Gods trueth doth shine in some reasonable manner in many places and in great abundance in some yet cannot be rid of that scabbe For though God in his tender mercy towards vs hath banished out of this land that prowd authoritie of the pope and giuen vnto vs as an inestimable treasure the true libertie of conscience and ministery of the word yet because our princes and magistrates are farre short of that zeale that was commended in godly kings and should be in christian magistrates and we our selues euen the whole body of the subiects do not walke according to our calling or worke according to our profession but detaine the trueth in vnrighteousnesse euen for our sins I say doubtles it commeth to passe that there are so many Cananites in our land waiting still as occasion may serue to bee prickes in our eyes and thornes to pricke vs in our sides so that though their power will not serue yet to cast vs out of the land yet they can find meanes enough to grieue vs in the land It is our sinne also that bringeth in among vs these that creepe not into widowes houses onely but into the houses of men especially women that are simple and ignorant and laden with sinne many of them withdrawing them from the true knowledge of God and duty towards their magistrates I meane the Iesuits and seminary priests a kind of people as necessary and commodious to liue among good subiects or in any quiet common-wealth as the frogges lice fâ—ies and grashoppers of Egypt were or as caterpillers are for fruit corne or grasse They seeme to be the very locusts that came out of the darke smoke that issued out of the botomlesse pit whose sting is secret like the scorpions teaching rebellion to princes vnder colour of obedience to the pope They are nimble and want no courage like horses prepared to the battell They are crowned with the honourable name of Iesuites and haue faces like men in external profession of obedience and trueth They seeme like vnto women that is not like to do hurt but yet obstinate and stiffe they are in that they take in hand and cruel and mightie to doe much â—urt among them that receaue them They are armed with the habergeon of authoritie from Rome They are lifted vp with the wings of proude conceit of their owne knowledge whereby they make a noise as though they could beare downe all before them Lastly they haue a king set ouer them for the kings that are ouer other subiects are not good enough to rule this crowned companie The pope is their king him they serue to him they yeld their obedience And their trauel is to make other also to become his subiects Whose fiue monethes that is the time of whose contiunance among vs is not yet expired because our sinnes as I haue said and must say againe and again our sinnes prolong the time of our chasticement The second inconuenience that these immunities granted the clergie men did bring vnto ciuil estates was the iâ—finit swarmes of subiects that were accounted of that number For besides their clarkes regular and irregular which grew to maruelous great multitudes they had their lesser orders which had also their part in
if they cannot prooue it to be a doctrine generally receiued at all times euen in the dayes of the apostles and so by continuall succession constantly taught in the ages next folowing and so deliuered vs they do but too much abuse the simple to tel them that is catholike auncient that is but the dreame or late deuise of some later teachers Now I call them whatsoeuer antiquity they seeme to haue that swarue any thing from that which the auncient of daies hath taught or Christ who is our true antiquitie hath deliuered It behooueth therfore al christians to take heede of such as vnder pretence of being popish catholicks and vnder or colour of this glorious name which belongeth neither to them neither yet to their religion creepe into corners deceiue the ignorant seeke to make many of their profession by hauing onely in their mouths this worde catholike faith catholike religion catholike church whereas in truth as it seemeth that they being neither thought worthy of preferment at home neither yet finding that they looked for abroad euen as the cormorants gather where the carkas is to get their prey so these seeke their meate and maintenance by seducing such simple and sillie soules Neither doe I affirme that all are moued by these causes either to leaue their natiue countrie either to returne to sowe amongst her maiesties subiects this seede of seduction and sedition but they that doe trouble this Realme are for the most part such and moued by such reasons But as they can not proue by an catholike grounds their title to the supremacie to bee good so their practise is too bad and farre from that christian modestie and meekenesse which should be in Gods children For if saint Peter said truly that such as himselfe was should not as Lords beare rule ouer the Lords hereâ—age but be as examples to the flocke then howe can the pope claime that soueraigne authoritie ouer all kings and whom saint Peter calleth chiefe If none can enter into anie calling especiallie to haue the charge ouer the flocke of Christ vnlesse he be called therevnto as it is confessed by all men what reason can the bishops of Rome pretend why either they should without any warrant nay contrarie to the worde so exalt themselues aboue all other or so vnlawfully or rather by so vile practises and shifts as by violence and strife by buing and selling by falshood and craft by poisoning and murders by sorcerie and the diuels helpe get to be popes Or being placed in that proude place howe commeth it to passe that with so great boldnesse without feare without shame they prophane the maiestie of God and despise yea tread vnder foote the excellencie of man be he neuer so high Is this the fruit of their catholike doctrine Doe such lewde dealings become Christs vicar or Peters successour But to conclude seeing the popes title vnto the supremacie hath no shew of truth and seeing his exercise of the same is almost nothing else but a blaspheming of God and a defacing of all authoritie ordained by God raise and rouse vp your selues after your long sluggishnes O ye christian princes and magistrates shake off from your neckes this yoke of bondage wherein you serue that Italian priest Ioine your powers and strength togither Gather and call a free Councill in deed where the pope as a partie may plead his cause not sit as iudge Force him to content himselfe with that place which the worde of God will aâ—foord him If any more be giuen vnto him or any other yet let not the godly potentats giue vnto any as they haue done such reines of libertie but that they may knowe that authoritie to be but from man and that their power is not full or absolute but onely limited and that if they abuse the same they may and shall answere for their boldnesse according to the qualitie of their offence So shall you deliuer christendome from a heauie bondage your owne realmes from a most daungerous enemie and the church of God from a most manifest Antichrist So shall you vse your authoritie to the comfort of the godly as you should doe and as in dutie you are bound to Gods glorie and establishing of the Kingdome of Christ Now vnto the king euerlasting immortall inuisible vnto God onelie wise be honour and glorie for euer and euer Amen FINIS Iohn 10. 1 10. Mat. 22. 21 Rom. 13. 1. 1. Pet. 2. 13. Esa 1. 12. Rom. 2. 16. Matâ— 23. Answere to the English Iustice cap. 1. Among the letters taken with Car the Hispauiolised Scot. William Allen his letter Cap. 4. Matth. 25. 26. Philip 3. 16 2. Cor. 11. 13. De praescript 1. Pet. 1. 19. Heb. 9. 22. Heb. 9. 12. 10. 14. 2. Cor. 5. 20. Ad Pompeium contra epistolam Stephan Least necessary to saluation Most necessary in some other respects The popes supremacie an enemie to all princes The religion of Papists The popes suprâ—macie the decay of true religiòn Dist 40. cap. 51. Papa The Popes flattâ—reâ—s Praefat. in lib. dâ— Rom. pontif The Popes claim vniust The Church Triumphant Militant The question Whether monarchicall gouernement be best M. Bellarmines first argument to proue there must be one visible head Lib. de pontif Rom. 1. cap. 5. That is not of necessitie be â— gouernment for the Church that is best for other kingdomes De pontif Rom. liâ— 1. cap. 3. Christ king in his Church Reuel 19. 16. Ephes 1. 22. Dan. 7. 14. Psal 72. 8. A pastour in particular churches a particular head â— Sâ—m 8. 7 10. Two heades Bellar. lib. 1. de pontif Rom. c. 9. Pastors appointed of God The pope not of God De pontif Rom. lib. 2. cap. 12. The Popes pride His contempt of the sword of Gods word The Popes charge infinit Tertull. de praescientia haeretic M. Bellar. his second argument Argument 3. Answere Hebr. 8. 9 10. Aaron no figure of Peter The church not subiect to one hie priest De missa li. 1. c. 2 1. Kin. 17. Ionah 3. Arg. 4. Bellarm. Answere Praefat. in ps 139 De Immunit m. 6. e Quoniam Bell. arg 6. Answere Bell. arg 7. Answer Ruffin hist eccl lib. 1. cap. 9. Bellar. arg 8. Answere Prouer. 29. 2. Popish vnitie Psal 2. 2. Vnitie without supremacie Act. 15. â— De Rom pontif lib. 1. cap. 9. An argument against the visible head ouer the whole church The Papists argument for the supremacie De pontif Rom. lib. 1. cap 10. Whether Christ haue resigned his place Ephes 1. 22 and 4. 15. and 5. 23. Coloss 1. 18. Acts 4. 11. â—ad Popes Mat. 28. 25. Ioh 14. 16 17. De praescript haeretie De simplie prel Concil Carth. 6. Galced Concil Act. 16. Lib. â— cap. 3. Barenes of proofe for the supremacie De pontif Rom. li. 1. cap. 12. Mat. 16. 13. Iohn 1. 42. 1. Cor. 3. 11. Esy 28. 16. Bellarm maketh the Popethis stone or Peter
keis besides the testimonie of Theophilact we haue most plaine proofe out of Gods word Whatsoeuer is promised Mathew the sixteenth chapter in these words I will giue thee the keis is performed Iohn the twentieth chapter in these words whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained but in Saint Iohn no chiefe power is giuen but such as is generall and common to all the apostles therefore in Saint Mathew there is not promised any chiefe power but such as is common to them all and so to all pastours in them My minor needeth no proofe for it is confessed by master Bellarmine But master Bellarmine denieth my maior and yet hath no ground of his deniall but this onely that he taketh it not be all one to binde and to retaine sinnes or sinners and to loose or remit Which subtil difference the fathers did not see And therefore Theophilact doth not onely expound this place of Matthew the sixteenth chapter by that place out of Saint Iohn the twentieth chapter making this later to bee a perfourmance of that promise I will giue thee the keies but also hee flattely there opposeth remitting to binding whereas by master Bellarmines doctrine if hee had beene brought vp in his schoole he should haue set remitting against retaining and not against binding For saith hee it is a greater matter to binde then to retaine to loose then to remit Saint Ambrose also maketh to binde and to retaine to remitte and to loose all one For whilest the puritie of doctrine in some measure remayned this subtile Sophistirie was vnknowen in Gods church But nowe for defence of popery such stuffe must serue the turne when they haue no better And heere I cannot but maruell at master Bellarmine his answere vnto this argument out of the centuries For they that wrote those bookes reason thus if in these wordes to thee will I giue the keies c. there were promised any supremacie the Apostlles could not haue doubted which of them should haue beene chiefe but they doubted of this therefore there was not in those wordes any such supremacie promised Maister Bellarmine maketh no question but that they doubted of it for there was among them some contention about that matter but for the maior hee answereth that the apostles did not vnderstande plainelie that there was anie promise made to Peter vntill after that Christ rose againe but then they suspected some such matter and that made them striue Is it not great boldnes in master Bellarmine in so waightie matters to bring no other warrant but his foolish fancie Or to answere such an vnanswerable argument by such silly shiftes They knewe not saith master Bellarmine that Christ made such promise to Peter vntill after Christ was risen againe But if it had beene an article of such importance as now it is made why shoulde they not haue knowne it They heard what Christ said to Peter they heard the promise of the keies and this is asmuch as our Romish Rabbines can nowe bring for their proofe If they vnderstoode it not so as master Bellarmine heere confesseth they did not what newe reuelation haue our newe Romish teachers to assure this to be the meaning of those wordes But they seeme to be whelpes of one haire with those hereticks whome Tertullian reprooueth because they saide the apostles knewe not all thinges that if their doctrine were not agreeable to that which the Apostles taught they might the lesse bee condemned As Bishoppe Fisher not knowing better howe to excuse their additions vnto the auncient doctrine which the church of Rome hath brought in saith that later wits knowe thinges better then before they did Well master Bellarmine you see confesseth that the apostles vnderstoode not then that promise as nowe the papistles doe When did they reforme their iudgement Where in what place doe they shew any signification that they euer vnderstood it otherwise If they neither vnderstood it so before Christs resurrection neither yet gaue anie signification afterwardes by woorde or deede by their writings or examples that their knowledge was in this pointe reformed howe can wee saie that they euer tooke that to bee Christes meaning But the first of these is confessed as before is shewed by Maister Bellarmine the latter they cannot shewe Therefore it maie be gathered that the apostles neuer vnderstood the words of Christ as the papistes doe And howe doeth hee prooue that which hee boldlie affirmeth that then they suspected such a thing Or that after Christes resurrection they did striue It is mentioned in the storie of the gospell that twise they did striue who shoulde be chiefe Of both which times the three Euangelistes doe make report And Saint Iohn also in his gospell seemeth to pointe vnto the latter strife when hauing washed his Apostles feete Christ giueth them good lessons of humilitie But that after Christes resurrection they did consende for this it cannot bee prooued For both these times were before his death And therefore I cannot but maruell that Maister Bellarmine will bring such proofelesse stuffe to open light as though hee imagined that his counterfaite coyne must goe for currant And whereas afterwardes hee alleadgeth out of Origen Chrysostóme and Hierome that the apostles did striue amongst themselues because they suspected this supremacie of Peter himselfe doeth not in this giue credite to these fathers For if it bee true that maister Bellarmine saide before that this suspition was not vntill Christ was risen then howe is this true that they affirme that they suspected thus much when they did striue first of all Which was at the least about a yeare and a halfe before Christ rose againe Neither doe these fathers heerein deserue to bee beleeued For the grounde of this their conceite is that they imagined the paying of the tribute money to haue beene before this contention For they surmise that because Christ said paie for mee and thee therefore the rest of the apostles suspected that Peter shoulde haue some superiority ouer them and grudged at it But this their imagination as it is farre from the thought of the apostles for any thing that may be gathered so is it flatly confuted by the scripture For this contention was before the tribute money was demaunded namely in the way before they came to Capernaum as is most plaine in the euangelist saint Markes gospel the ninth chapter and three and thirtie and foure and thirtie verses And the tribute was not demaunded before they were entred into Capernaum and into a house there Matthew the seuenteenth chapter and xxv verse Therefore that suspition of supremacie was not the cause of their contention which maister Bellarmine woulde prooue out of these fathers But perchance rather that ambitious affection that was in Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebedee which afterwardes they shewed more plainely in asking that one might sit at his