Church of Rome about the time when it was first erected That Saint Iohn his Faith did not conceiue the same Article of Subiection to the Catholike Romane Church c. SECT 15. NOt long after the same Time of the foundation of the Church of Rome did Saint Iohn write his Booke of Reuelation wherein he reuealeth that the Citie of Rome is Babylon according to the generall consent of your owne Iesuites and other Diuines directed not onely by the iudgement of Ancient Fathers but especially and inuincibly by Saint Iohn in the clearenesse of that Scripture So iust Cause had the most iudicious of Kings Christian IAMES our late Soueraigne of famous memorie to auerre saying This place viz. Reuel chapp 17. 18. doth clearely and vndeniably declare that Rome is or shall be the seat of that Antichrist For no Papist now denieth that by Babylon here Rome is directly meant c. Next that it signifieth Rome not onely as it was Ethnicall Rome in the dayes of heathenish Emperours by which mist many of your Doctors a long time gulled and deceiued their Disciples lest your Papall Rome might haue come within their ken but also noteth Rome as it shall be in the later age of the World the Seat of Antichrist And not thus onely but that the same Citie shall be burnt with fire A Truth so euident that your Rhemists who otherwise of all others are most bleare-eyd at the sight of any light that may any way make against Rome doe thus farre grant as to say The great Antichrist shall haue his seat at Rome as it may well be thought but others thinke Ierusalem rather shall be his seat But your Iesuites Ribera and Viega both of â—hem Spanish Doctors and publike Professors doe confidently auerre that They dare hold him for A MOST NOTABLE FOOLE that shall denie it as being a matter without all doubt So say they nor so onely but also proue it by conuincing Arguments 1 Because that the Text saith expresly of this Babylon that It shall be burned 2 They that shall then liue shall see the smoke of her fire and lament her destruction 3 Because the spirit warneth all them that are in her to depart Come out of her my people that yee receiue not of her plagues But there were then nâ— Faithfull in the heathenish Rome or if any were yet are they commanded to Come out of her for feare of being consumed with fire And lastly they adde to the euidence of the text the Oracles of Sibyl as it were a torch vnto the Sunne viz. that The seauen-hild Rome shall be destroyed with fire Thus farre your owne Authors not once questioned for this doctrine and although professing it in the fierie Region of the Spanish Inquisition yet not so much as an heire of their beards scorched therefore yea these their bookes are publikely allowed by the iudgement of besides others the Prouinciall of the Iesuites Marry yet the foresaid Authors lest they might hereby seeme to yeeld any matter of insultation to vs Heretikes as they call vs or hereby preiudice the Church of Rome they doe againe and againe admonish their Readers that this Prophecie although it point out the destruction of the Citie of Rome for her Apostacie from the faith by her Idolatrie yet aimeth it not at the Church of Rome or the Bishop thereof because the Apostacie shall be say they from the faith of that Church and Obedience to that Bishop Who though he abandon Rome and Rome it selfe be destroid yet is hee still Bishop of Rome So they I. CHALLENGE GOD himselfe by his owne example in his first dayes worke taught vs to diuide the light from the darknesse Thus then That the people of the Citie of Rome in the later age of the world must generally depart from the faith that whatsoeuer faithfull remaining must Depart out of the Citie that the Citie her selfe for her wickednesse and Idolatry must be consumed by fire seemeth now at length euen to our Romish Aduersaries themselues a truth as cleare as the day and that iustly as hath bin shewed But that to free their Church and Pope of Rome from the preiudice of defection and reuolt from the faith wee must forsooth beleeue that The Pope when all Christian people are departed out of the Citie and the Citie it selfe vtterly extinct shall still remaine the Bishop of Rome this we take to be as darke as darknesse it selfe We shall therefore call for a Torch for so you call Baronius his writings to discouer this darknesse He sheweth that The Church of Rome was constituted first by Peter at Rome where saith he his Pontificall seat or chaire was made of wood Then hee sheweth the ancient custome of Erecting Chaires or Seats for Bishops in their Churches placing them aloft and adorning them with ornaments where they did sit c. This was the originall of Episcopall Chaires and Seats so that Patriarks and Bishops had their denominations from the Churches wherein they tooke possession and where they had their first Chaires or seats Hence came the distinct Appellations of the Patriarcal Church or seat of Antioch the Seat of Constantinople and this now specified as they say the Pontificall Seat of Rome Albeit therefore that it cannot be denied that the Bishop of Rome being excluded from his Church and Seat is notwithstanding to bâ— accounted the Bishop of that people and place yet when hee is so departed from them that they are also departed from him so as there shall be no people in Rome professing his faith nor yet that Seat which is the Citie of Rome extant at all but wholly consumed with fire then to be called the Bishop of the Church or Seat of Rome is but a man in the moone and Titulus sine re namely as it is written of Hierusalem How is that faithfull Citie become a whore The Citie is called faithfull not as being now faithfull but onely because it had bin so Saint Paul in his Inscriptions to diuers Churches taketh their denominations from the places where the faithfull Professors were thus To the Churches of Galatia To the Church of God in Corinth and elsewhere to shew that the Church rather doth consist in the Professors then in the places and omitting the name of Church he doth mention onely the Persons To the Saints at Colosse and faithfull brethren in Christ To all the Saints in Christ at Philippi and also for Rome To them at Rome beloued of God called Saints And must wee notwithstanding conceit of a Bishop of a Church of Rome wherein there is neither people professing nor place of profession As if they should call one the Shepheard of Vtopia where there is neither Sheepe in the Countrey nor Countrey for Sheepe except 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be the Shepheard and they speak the language of Babel where None shall heare Nothing of Nobody at all
Departure of Protestants from the Church of Rome occasioned by M. Luther I. Thesis Luther was vniustly Excommunicated out of the Romane Church Sect. 15. II. Thesis Luther had necessary Cause to depart from the Church of Rome Sect. 15. III. Thesis Luther and his Followers are farre more safe for their Soules state in that Separation from the Church of Rome and lesse Schismatikes than They whom they forsooke Sect. 16. IV. Thesis The Romish Obiections vrged against the Separation of Luther are notably friuolous Sect. 17. V. Thesis Their first Oiection in respect of Luthers former Vow to the Pope or Church of Rome is vaine and idle Sect. 18. VI. Thesis The second and most Popular Obiection against Luther in his Opposition to the Romane Church vrging him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by naming his Teachers before him is as fond as the other Sect. 19. VII Thesis The Obiection That all Changes of Doctrines haue bene notorious in the Persons and Places of their Beginnings is false Sect. 20. VIII Thesis The last Obiection Of Cōtinuall and personall Succession in all ages is frustrate Sect. 21. The fourth and last Part of this Determination concerneth the state of the Churches of Protestants after the daies of Luther and their more iust Cause of continuing this Separation from the Church of Rome Sect. 22. I. Thesis Protestants are Generally Excommunicated by the Church of Rome Sect. 23. II. Thesis Protestants are vniustly Excommunicated Sect. 24. III. Thesis In the Continuance of this Separation Papists are rather Schismatikes than Protestants and consequently in the Heresie of the Donatists Sect. 25. IV. Thesis In the Continuance of this Separation the Vnion of the Protestants with the Catholike Church is both more true and more Vniuersall thā is the Vnion of the Romanists § 26 V. Thesis The Protestants granting it possible for some to be saued within the Church of Rome and the Papists denying that any can be saued in the Churches of the Protestants is but a Sophisticall proofe that there is more safety in the Romane Church Sect. 27 VI. Your common Obiection what is then become of the soules of our fore-Fathers more iustifieth the Protestants Separation from Papists than it can the Separation of Papists from Protestants Sect. 28. VII The Protestants at this day stand more Iustifiable in their Separation from Rome than did either the ancient Primitiue Churches in her Excommunicating of Them or yet Luther and his Followers in their Departure from Her Sect. 29. THE GRAND IMPOSTVRE Of the now Church of Rome Manifested in this ARTICLE of the new Romane Creed Viz. The Catholike Romane Church c. Without which there is no SALVATION THat this is the fundamentall ARTICLE of your Romane Church as it is called Romane We cannot bee better enformed than by the Bishops of Rome Heads of the same Church than by the Bodie thereof which is the Church of Rome it selfe in her Councell of Trent together with the Confirmation of the same by Pope Pius the IV than by your publike Catechisme ratified by the like authority Lastly than by her principall Doctors and Diuines in their most approoued and priuileged Books written vpon this Argument of THE CATHOLIKE CHVRCH All which you may read in their owne expresse words CHAP. I. The expresse Profession of the now Church of Rome concerning this her Article vz. The Catholike Romane Church c. without Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation is absolutely and peremptorily proclaimed by the Authority of the Popes SECT 1. IT wil be a good Decorum that in this case we begin to consult with the Heads of your Church the Popes of Rome themselues Gregory the VII in the yeere 1073 decreed thus The Church of Rome saith he was founded only by God and the Pope thereof is rightly stiled The vniuersall Bishop insomuch that whosoeuer consenteth not with the Church of Rome cannot be a Catholike After him in the yeere 1192. Pope Innocēt the 3. distinguishing of the Word Catholike or Vniuersall decreed as followeth If the Church saith he be called Catholike as a cōpany consisting of al Christian Churches so the Church of Rome is not to be termed The Catholike Church but a part therof but take the word Catholike a◠God is called vniuersall Lord because al things are vnder his dominiō so we say that the Church of Rome only hath al other Churches vniuersally subiect vnto it So he More than an hundred yeeres after him Boniface the 8. would needs be heard not speake but roare thunder by peremptory decree in this tenor viz. We declare define pronounce that it is Necessary for euery one that is to be saued to be subiect to the Pope of Rome Thus much for the testimonies of the Popes The iudgement of the late Romane Church SECT 2. SInce those times the Church of Rome her selfe in her Councell of Trent and by the Bull of Pope Pius the IV. set forth for the Confirmation of the same Councell in the yeere 1556. did impose vpon her Professors a new CREED consisting of more than twentie Articles of the now Romane Faith which shee hath prescribed vnto you and all other Ecclesiasticall persons of what denomination or Title soeuer to be professed vnder the tenor and forme of an Oath to wit I N. doe firmely beleeue sweare and professe that the Catholike and Apostolique Romane Church is the Mother and Mistresse of all Churches and I doe vowe promise and sweare true obedience to the Pope of Rome the Vicar of Christ Successour of S. Peter c. And this I hold to be the true Catholike Faith which whosoeuer beleeueth not cannot bee saued So your new Creed The now Romane Catechisme SECT 3. VPon this ground was founded that which you call the Romane Catechisme and published by the authoritie of the same Pope Pius and his Councell of Trent whereby yours as well as other Catechumenists are instructed to beleeue that The Catholike Church is One both because of one Faith also for that it is subiect to one inuisible Gouernour which is Christ and to one visible Head the Pope So your Catechisme The iudgement of Romane Doctors of singular Note SECT 4. IN the last place we are to consult with your publicke Readers in Schooles where by the testimonies of Three you may iudge of the faith of the rest especially these being as fully accomplished with all furniture of learning as any other The first thus The Church of Rome is the vniuersall Catholike Church not as it is a particular Bishopprick but as it comprehendeth all Beleeuers vnder the subiection of the Bishop of Rome And againe Wee must saith he hold it as a point of our Catholike Faith that this indiuiduall Congregation which professeth the Romane Faith and is vnited to the Pope of Rome is the true Catholike Church which I proue first by the Apostles Creed c. The Second thus We define saith
Rome as it is tearmed Catholike Your answer is that Among the Causes which by Diuine Law are referred vnto the Pope one is to decree what Scriptures are Canonicall Well then let this bee our First Question whether the Church of Rome in the dayes of Saint Hierome decreed the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrewes to be Canonicall And Saint Hierome saith that Although formerly all other Churches in the East did account it Canonicall yet it was not receiued as Canonicall in the Latine or Romane Church In the Second place it is inquirable whether vpon this difference Saint Hierome will yeelde to the iudgement of the East and Greeke Church rather than of the West and Latine Church in a Cause of so great moment And Saint Hierome resolueth saying Although the Latine Church doth not admit of this Epistle as Canonicall wee notwithstanding saith hee doe receiue it Say now was Saint Hierome herein a Catholike or not you must needs grant he was a Catholike seeing that since his dayes your Church hath decreed that Epistle to the Hebrewes to be held Canonicall whence it will irresistibly follow that Saint Hierome who held herein with the rest of the Catholike Church against the Church of Rome in discerning of a part of Canonicall Scripture did thereby iudge the Church of Rome not to bee The Catholike Church Wee may see the same concerning the Canon of Scriptures of the Old Testament whereof your Church of Rome hath decreed in the last Councell of Trent as followeth If any doe not receiue as Canonicall the booke of Hester Daniell Baruch Ecclesiasticus Wisdome Iudith Tobias and the Two Bookes of Maccabees with all their parts as they are in the Vulgar edition let him be Anathema and accursed But say now was Saint Hierome of this Faith did he beleeue all those Bookes and their parts now mentioned to be Canonicall Nay did he not abandon them as Apocrypha and not properly Diuine Scriptures Yes saith your Cardinall Saint Hierome said of these that they were not within the Canon of Scriptures where he speaketh not of the Canon of the Iewes onely So he meaning that hee spake of the Canon of Christians If therefore the Church of Rome at that time were of the opinion of Saint Hierome then doth That ancient Church of Rome in reiecting those Bookes as Apocrypha condemne This now Romane Church which hath Canonized them for true Scriptures And if Saint Hierome in iudging these Apocrypha Bookes worthy to be excluded out of the Canon of Christians did herein dissent from the Church Rome in his dayes then did he againe beleeue that the Church of Rome was not The Catholike and Vniuersall Christian Church CHALLENGE WHereas your Obiectors haue dealt like a sort of Trades-men who shew not their wares but in darke lights whereby their Chapmen are often mistaken in their Trafficke we contrarily haue set before you the best kinde of Illustration namely the Comparison of things ioyntly one with another As for Example 1. Comparing Pope with Pope as Damasus a true Catholike with Liberius in apparance an Heretike Wee inferre Saint Hierome his no-beliefe of Gods perpetuall Assistance by Diuine Direction of the Pope 2. Comparing Pope with Bishop as Damasus with Petrus Bishop of Alexandria in Aegypt vpon whom Saint Hierome ioyntly relied in his Opposition against Heretikes Wee inferre that Saint Hierome beleeued not a Necessity of a singular Communion with the Pope 3. Comparing the Pope with Saint Hierome himselfe who although hee had beene a Scribe to the Pope and therefore so neere to the supposed fountaine of Oracles yet was glad to take long iournies and spend much time to Learne the Interpretation of Scriptures from Gregorie of Nazianzum and Didymus of Antioch and not so onely but did also instruct Pope Damasus in the knowledge of Scriptures Wee inferre that Saint Hierome did not beleeue your now Romane Principle which is to referre the last and safest Resolution for vnderstanding of the Sense of Scriptures to the iudgement of the Pope 4 Comparing the Citie of Rome and his Clergie with Palestine and hirs and Hierome not doubting to call Rome Babylon purple Whore strange Land and her Clergie Factious Ignorants and shewing his great contentment which hee found else-where We inferre that Rome is not alwayes to containe that Schoole of learning that Theatre of Sanctitie that Temple of perfit Worship which you vsually boast off 5 Comparing Bishopricke with Bishopricke Saint Hierome equalling the greatest as Rome with the least as Eugubium In honore Sacerdotij In honour of Priesthood And what Saint Hierome meaneth by Sacerdotium who knoweth not Wee inferre that Saint Hierome neuer beleeued the Prae-potency of the Bishop of Rome ouer other Bishops which you call Popedome to be founded vpon Diuine Ordinance 6 Comparing Church with Church as the Westerne or Latine Church whereof Rome is a chiefest member with the East or Greeke Church and all other Churches besides and Saint Hierome forsaking the Custome and iudgement of the West and Latine Church and yeelding to the East and Greeke Churches in a Doctrine which is the Foundation of all Fundamentall Articles to wit the true Canon of Scriptures both in the New Testament and in the Old We inferre that Saint Hierome did not beleeue either a Necessitie of all Vnion with the Romane Church in Doctrine or yet an absolute Dominion of the Romane Church aboue all others Whatsoeuer your reply be you must either expunge your now Romane Article out of the Canon of Faith or else raze the name of Saint Hierome out of your Calendar of Saints VII Saint Ambrose beleeued not the now Romane Article of Necessitie of Vnion and Subiection to the Romane Church SECT 7. SAint Ambrose Bishop of Milane is honored by your Memoriall of him in your Romane Calendar but much more in his owne Bookes and in the mindes of all Orthodox Christians in all ages since he liued for Confessor and Doctor of the Church of whom Saint Augustine could say I haue had experience of his graue constancie labours and perils for the Catholike Cause which the whole Romane world doth commend and report as well as I. This Saint the more excellent hee is the more forcible his Testimony ought to be whether it be on your side or on ours We are willing first to vnderstand what you can obiect Your Obiection out of Saint Ambrose answered Your Cardinall his Argument is this Ambrose calleth Pope Damasus the Rector of the whole Church and his Brother Satyrus would not admit of a Bishop to heare him before he vnderstood that he consented with Catholike Bishops That is saith he with the Church of Rome Ergo the Church of Rome is the Head of the Church Catholike Wherein your Cardinall laboureth of the same Elench whiles hee mistakes the words respectiuely spoken to one person Pope Damasus and circumstantially for one time as if they were absolutely so ment
In which difference the Paynime may seeme to haue the aduantage Is there therefore more safetie in the Conuersation of the Infidell because there is lesse truth in his exception against the Christian A mad man thinketh that all other men are beasts a sober man confesseth that mad man to be a man Hence then by Romish sophistrie the mad man must bee iudged to be in the better Case But how farre and why do Protestants conceiue hope of Saluation in Some dying in the Church of Rome both these points are very considerable They say that Some for their beliefe in Christ although otherwise intangled in Antichristian blindnesse yet by reason of Inuincible ignorance being both without Affectation of ignorance and voide of the meanes of receiuing the light of Truth may neuerthelesse be in the state of life But as â—or Them that may heare the preaching of the word for their Conuersion and will not vpon all such in the iudgement of Protestants is the saying of our Sauiour Christ spoken of the Iewes verified If I had not come and spoken vnto them they should not haue had sinne that is their Damnation is now more iust Hence it is that Protestants teach that of two Papists professing the same Romish doctrine the one in Spaine the other in England the Spanish may be saued and the English damned The reason is plaine the first desired light of iudgement in necessary doctrines the other may possibly see the light but loueth the darkenesse of errour and superstition more than the light of Truth The error of the first being purae negationis or incapacitie to come to the knowledge of the Truth the error of the other being prauae dispositionis through the peruersenesse of their will If you demand why Protestants haue so charitable an opinion of some Romanists you are to vnderstand that it is in regard of that without which they cannot be saued that they died in the beliefe of this Protestant Article of Faith which is To be iustified by remission of all their sinnes through the satisfactorie righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by Faith and not by the legall iustice of Perfection of inherent righteousnesse in themselues as your Councell of Trent hath decreed And this opinion we finde verified in the experience of many Papists who howsoeuer in their life time they professe and magnifie your doctrine of Perfection of workes yet on their death-bed as soone as the least glimpse of the Maiesty of Gods Tribunall is reuealed to their consciences and the bookes of their Consciences begin to be vnclasped and so layd open that they cannot but reade their sinnes which in their life time they held as Venial to be written in capitall letters and to bee Deadly then they take Sanctuary in the wounds of Christ from whence flyeth the Ocean of all Expiatorie merit and satisfaction by which it is impossible but euery faithfull Penitent should receiue life Euen as did of late Cardinall Bellarmine who writing his owne last Will and Testament casteth the anchor of his hope vpon the same Rocke which we do saying I pray God to receiue me into the number of his Elect not as weighing my merits but as pardoning my offences So iust cause haue you to thanke God that the doctrine of Protestants concerning Iustification hath brought Some of you as it did your Ecchius and others to their Iustifying Faith and by it to Saluation Neither yet do Protestants a point to be obserued In this their former Grant yeeld more safety to the Members of the Church of Rome in such a Case than they do to whatsoeuer Heretikes whose beliefe doth not vndermine the Fundamentall Doctrine of Faith Will you see in a Similitude what we conceiue of your Church Of many men that are in a Pest-house infected with the Plague some happily may be saued and yet it were but a damnable Presumption for sound men to runne head-long into the Pest-house thereby as much as in them lyeth making themselues guilty of their owne deaths And whether your Romane Articles of a New Faith whether Idolatrie whether professed Obstinacie in errors whether Tyrannie ouer both bodies and soules of men and whether necessarie Periurie in swearing to your foresaid false Articles be plaguy diseases or no iudge you THESIS VI. Your common Obiection What is then become of the soules of our fore-Fathers more iustifieth the Protestants Separation from Papists than it can the Separation of Papists from Protestants SECT 28. HOnour and loue which man naturally oweth to his Parents and Progenitors is felt in euery mans heart as a forcible motiue to draw on a conceite in the Child both of their godlinesse and also of their after-blessednesse and consequently to inforce an inclination to adhere to their Religion whatsoeuer it was Which we in our experience find in your Disciples to be the greatest barre and hinderance vnto vs for their Conuersion Which Motiue if it be alone is onely preualent in them who consult onely with flesh and bloud yea verily and this your Iesuites will not denie who tell vs from their experience among the Indian Pagans that the like conceit of the soules of their fore-fathers was the greatest reason of their obstinacie in Paganisme Whereas if the matter be rightly discerned the whole interest that man hath in his naturall Parents is bodily onely for man's Soule is not by Traduction in which respect the Apostle setteth a plaine Antithesis betweene our naturall Fathers whom he calleth the Fathers of our flesh and God whom he nameth The Father of Spirits saying We haue had fathers of our flesh which corrected vs and we gaue them Reuerence shall we not much rather be in subiection vnto the Father of Spirits and liue Howsoeuer it be in me as a man surely as I am a Christian man this is not by generation naturall but by spirituall Regenaration and Faith is a gift of this Spirit Therefore do the Fathers of our flesh after our naturall birth send vs to the Priest to be baptized and to receiue a spirituall birth wherein we are not baptized in the name of our Parents nor do we vow to professe the faith of our naturall Progenitors but in the name and to the profession of Christ for The iust shall liue by his owne Faith Not but that we ought to haue a reuerend estimation of the state of our Ancestors to imitate them in faith and godlinesse as it is written Be you Imitators of them who in faith and puritie obtained the promised inheritance Yet not simply Imitators neither but with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Quatenus Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ. Let vs now descend from the Thesis to our Hypothesis First to answer your Obiection against Protestants which standeth thus If your Religion be the Truth what then is become thinke you of all our and your Ancestors who for many ages liued in that which you
Professors who are kept hood-winck't in the beleefe of so Imposterous Schismaticall and Damnable an Article by which all the Churches begot by the preaching of Saint Peter and all the other Apostles in the compasse of seauen yeers before the begetting of Rome must be iudged Damned for not beleeuing the Romane Church as you teach to haue beene the Catholike Mother-Church without which Faith there is no saluation Thus much in respect of the Time BEFORE Rome was a Church CHAP. IV. Of the Time about when the Church of Rome had her Foundation Arguing from the Faith of three Apostles Saint Peter S. Paul and S. Iohn and of the Apostolicall Churches in their daies SECT I. THese three Apostles than whom what witnesses can be more competent in this case Wee appeale to your selues The Popes of Rome say you acknowledge both Peter and Paul for their Predecessors because both of them did found and gouerne the Romane Church And as for Saint Iohn his long continuance in the Church Militant will Minister some matter of resolution heerein I. That Saint Peter the conceiued founder of the Church of Rome was not of the now Romane Faith concerning the Article of the Catholike Romane Church SECT 2. WE not to interrupt you by questioning the truth of Saint Peter's residence in that See as Bishop thereof doe punctually inquire whether it entred into his Faith to Beleeue the same Roman Church to be The Catholike Church without which there is no saluation nothing doubting but that you will thinke that He of all others would haue plainely vnfolded thus much whom your Popes assume to haue bene the Founder of that Church together with Saint Paul And because all the pretended Soueraigntie of the Romane Mother-Church is according to your faith deriued from the supreme Father-hood of your Romane Pope and this is as originally descended from the transcendent ordinarie Pastorship of S. Peter ouer all the other Apostles we begin to enquire into the faith of S. Peter Whatsoeuer Prerogatiue Saint Peter might challenge ouer all the other Apostles must appeare either by some promise made singularly to him by Christ or else by some practise of Saint Peter himselfe in the exercise and execution of such his Iurisdiction The due examination of both these would easily cleare the Cause That the Faith of Saint Peter did not conceiue any Monarchicall or supreme Iurisdiction promised vnto himselfe by Christ in the most pretended speech of Christ saying Matth. 16. Vpon this Rocke will I build my Church SECT 3. THis this Scripture in it the word ROCK you haue still obiected as the rocke and fortresse of your now Romane Faith concerning the Article of your Romane Catholike Church because From hence say your Iesuites is proued that Monarchie of S. Peter Insomuch as that whē Luther Caluine and others aduentured to expound this of Christ and Faith in him as the Sonne of God your two grand Cardinals oppose the One his owne passion calling it an Impudent madnesse in Protestants to expound the Rocke to signifie Christ The other obtrudeth the Consent of your owne Schoole saying That by Rocke is meant Peter it is the Common opinion of all Catholikes An Exposition approoued by your Bishop and that not without some insultation saying In this Truth triumpheth as if it were as cleare as the Sunne which Sunne-shine as some call it we Protestants alas our blindnesse cannot discerne but rather iudge that it hath bene and is mistaken by you for Moone-shine through some defect in your faculties or instruments of sight A large Librarie I suppose would scarce containe the bookes that haue bene written vpon this Text whereas the briefe of all that need be said may farre more easily than Homers Iliads be comprized within the shell of a wallnut The Protestants Exposition vpon this Scripture auouched by many excellent Witnesses in the Romane Church yea euen by the Popes themselues SECT 4. OVr Exposition hath euer bene to vnderstand that by ROCK is meant the Confession of Peter when he said of the Godhead of Christ Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God and consequently signified by a metonymie Christ himselfe Where we meane not the Confession of Peter in Concreto as you would haue it vnderstood With relation vnto Peter but as the said Confession of the Godhead of Christ may be the Confession of euery Christian to which truth many of your owne Authors will beare witnesse To which purpose we alleage among your Preachers Ferus saying Vpon this Rocke That is the Confession of Peter and not vpon Peter Among your Glossers the Romane Glosse it selfe saying That is vpon the Article then Confessed concerning Christ and so our Lord Christ built it vpon himselfe Among your Friers Lyranus Vpon the Rock Christ. Among your Iesuites Pererius Christ is the Rock vpon which the Church is builded Among your Bishops Abulensis Not vpon Peter but vpon his Confession and he speaketh absolutely of the Confession it selfe in Abstracto without relation to Peter and giueth this reason because after this Confession thus made Peter himselfe failed in his faith by denying his Lord. Among your Cardinals Hugo and Cusanus By the Rocke is signified Christ. Among your Councels the last Councell of Trent speaking of the Nicene Christian Creed and pointing in the margent at this Text it saith that It is the foundation against which the gates of Hell shall not preuaile Therefore faith in Christ in Abstracto is the foundation for there is in that Creed no mention of Peter Lastly and chiefly among your Popes for now we are clymed vp to the pinnacle of your Temple no fewer than Foure Leo the first Agatho the first Nicolaüs the first and Adrian the first all of them Firsts and therefore more ancient than all others of their names haue as your selues witnesse expounded the Rock to meane the Confession of Saint Peter in acknowledging Christ to be the Sonne of God I. CHALLENGE from the iudgements of the fore-cited Authors IN these former Allegations although most of the Testimonies themselues do sufficiently shew that by ROCK is meant the Confession deliuered by Saint Peter really in it selfe and not personally as it had Relation to him yet for the better clearing of your iudgements you may take these Confirmations I. None will denie but that there was meant in Peters Confession that matter which he confessed but Peter confessed not himselfe but Christ saying Thou art the Sonne of the liuing God Ergo his Confession had Relation to Christ and not to himselfe II. You grant that Saint Peter confessed no more than that which he knew The other Disciples to haue beleeued before he spake because Christs question being generall What say yee He answered as the mouth of the rest True as may fully appeare in our Margent But the Apostles before he spake beleeued Christ confessed and
That which we now contend for in the Popes of Rome may be cleared by an example of him that is called Emperour of Rome who because hee hath neither a foot of possession in Rome nor in the Territories thereof nor yet any professed Subiect inhabiting therein but the whole Princedome is belonging to the Pope your owne Diuines hold it a kinde of Soloecisme to name any at this day The Romane Emperour Therefore to alleadge a few of many that may be produced Lyra The Empire of Rome saith he hath for a long time beene without an Emperour Faber What obedience I pray you saith he doth Rome yeeld to her Monarch meaning the Emperour So to Now saith he is that temporall Dominion of the Citie of Rome ceased and your Iesuite Salmeron The Romane Emperour saith hee was ouerthrowne long agoe II. CHALLENGE THe Romish Babylon then by the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is that Citie of Rome whose place and people must be destroyed No people can be called Romane without they haue relation to Rome nor any people called The Church of Rome except they be Professors of the faith in Rome Therefore Saint Iohn prophecying of these things could not but beleeue that before the end of the world that Church which is now called The Church of Rome shall depart from the faith euen because this Departure must be from the sincere doctrine and worship of God vnto errour and Idolatrie Oh! that this were not at this day a iust Cause to challenge euery one to Come out of Babylon Both which we shall be ready in due time to proue by as true grounds as any haue hitherto beene deliuered That Saint Iohn's faith did not conceiue the now pretended Monarchie of the Pope aboue all other Bishops and Pastors in the Catholike Church SECT 16. WHat that Papall Monarchie is in your faith and how it is deriued we haue heard namely that because Saint Peter was the Vicar of Christ vpon earth as his ordinary Pastor ouer all the other Apostles therefore the Successors of Saint Peter in the same See are of the same authoritie and Iurisdiction ouer the whole Church of Christ and euery member thereof Hence issueth the Article of your now Romane faith that Without obedience and subiection to the Pope as the Catholike Bishop of the Catholike Church None can be saued The meditation vpon this Article begetteth a Probleme viz. whether Saint Iohn the Euangelist who liued 20. yeares after Saint Peter were indeede subordinate and subiect to the Iurisdiction of Linus or Cletus the immediate Successours of Saint Peter Either Saint Iohn was subiect to the Pope or he was not What say you It seemeth vnto mee saith your Iesuite that the Apostles who suruiued Peter were subiect to the Pope because the power of the Pope was alwayes ordinary and to continue in the Church Haue you any ground for this I cannot remember saith hee that I haue read in any Author any thing of this point So he CHALLENGE SAint Paul as hath beene proued reckoned these Three Peter Iames and Iohn equally Columnas that is The Pillars and as it were equally the three Chiefe Worthies among the Disciples who concerning the offices of their Apostleship receiued from Christ as your Cardinall Cusanus hath taught you Euery way an equall charge And without Controuersie the faith of Iohn and Paul was both the same Is it then possible for a Christian man to thinke that Iohn being that Apostle who was immediately chosen by Christ and equall to Peter should thinke himselfe subiect to Linus the Successour of Peter that he who for his sublimitie of knowledge in the mysteries of Christ was called The Diuine who was made the Pen-man of the holy Ghost in writing the Gospell and one for whose infallibility in the truth Christ offered vp praiers to his Father ought hee now to submit his iudgement vnto Linus one of the line of those Popes whereof Some haue beene by Generall Councels and by Popes themselues iudged for Heretikes And againe that Iohn who at the time of the Supper of our Lord leaned vpon the brest of our Sauiour when Peter you know was but next after Iohn should now prostrate himselfe before Linus the Successor of Peter and if this Ceremonie had beene so old to doe him the honour as to Kisse his feet And not this onely but to beleeue this Article of due Subiection to the Pope Without which none can be saued which indeede is more than to Kisse the feet or to licke the dust of the feet of Saint Peter's Successor Sure we are that the Disciples of Saint Iohn to wit the Christians of the Easterne Church were not of your beliefe who to adhere to the orders of Saint Iohn refused to obserue the Easter of the Latine Church which they would not haue done if they had beleeued Saint Iohn to haue beene subiect to those Romane Bishops or yet to Peter himselfe Before we can conclude you are to be exhorted to obserue the Iesuiticall front of Suarez who in a matter of this nature concerning Saluation durst make this Conclusion of the Apostles Subiection and subordination vnder a Pope namely as you haue heard him confesse without any Author besides himselfe Whereby you may discerne with what vntempered morter these men daube vp the Consciences of their Followers CHAP. V. That the Catholike and Apostolike Church of Christ it selfe at or about the Time of the foundation of the Church of Rome had no such Article of faith viz. The Catholike Romane Church without vnion wherewith there is no Saluation SECT 1. THe Churches vnto which Saint Paul writ for we name not the Romanes of whom wee haue intreated before were the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Thessalonians and the dispersed Hebrewes As for the other Apostles Iames Peter Iohn Iude each one writ to Diuers those their Epistles which are intitled Catholike Epistles And the seauen Churches of Asia were they to whom the booke of the Apoealips or Reuelation was directed Among these the Apostles are instant and vrgent in inueying 1 against the Heresies of Iudaisme Saducisme of worshipping Angels 2 Against Apostasie and Antichristianitie 3 Against Diuisions and Schismes in the Church and abuse of Ecclesiasticall Orders therein And yet in all these there appeareth not any one Syllable or Iota to proue your Article of The Catholike Romane Church without vnion and subiection whereunto and to the Head thereof there is no saluation No nor yet so much as to intimate any one of the particles of this Article as first not to signifie that the Church of Rome was a Catholike much lesse THE Catholike Church as being in right which you say The Mother and Mistris of all others Not to note that in the conuincing of Heretikes Christians ought to looke as to their Cynosura to the Faith of the Romane Church nor that for the discouering
words of Tert. your owne Beatus Rhenanus hath published as much as we can require Tertullian saith hee doth not confine the Catholike and Apostolike Church to one place and although hee giue an honourable testimonie to the Church of Rome yet did he not esteeme her so highly as we see her accounted of at this day He reckoneth her with other Churches yet doth not make her the onely Church but admonisheth his Readers as well to enquire what milke the Church of Corinth gaue as Rome So Rhenanus who addeth that If Tertullian were now aliue and should say so much hee could not escape without punishment Thus your Rhenanus whiles that hee had the vse of his tongue but since you haue Gagged him by your Index Ezpurgatorius a Booke which we may call the Martyrologe of many innocent bookes But no maruaile for this testimonie of Rhenanus was as a poyniard sticking fast in the very bowels of this Cause Notwithstanding Tertullian will be Tertullian still whom whosoeuer shall reade he will be able to auouch as much as Rhenanus hath obserued namely that Tertullian euen whilest hee was a true childe of the Church neuer allowed the Apostolike which we commonly call the Catholike Church to be appropriated vnto any one place nor had he further respect to Rome than he had to Corinth and other Apostolicall Churches which hee calleth Original Mother-Churches for directing of Christians in the Apostolike faith 4 Athanasius reckoneth vp to the Emperour Constantine the Churches that consented to the Councell of Nice thus The Churches of Spain of Britaine of France of whole Italie of Dalmatia without any precise mention of Rome otherwise than it was comprized in whole Italie A great Contempt doubtlesse if your Article had beene then hatch't because the Consent of Rome onely had been more perswasiue to the Emperour than all the rest 5 Vincentius Lirinensis likewise an ancient Father and greatly approued on all sides in his booke written in defence of the Catholike Truth against all prophane Nouelties aduiseth Christians to trie the Truth equally by the ioynt consent as well of the East as of the West-Church and to consult as well with Petrus Alexandrinus and Athanasius in the one Church as with Felix and Iulius Bishops of Rome in the other Concerning whom more hereafter 6 Saint Augustine against Iulian the Pelagian in the question of Baptisme speaking of Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople saith Farre be it from him that hee should dissent from his fellow-Bishops Innocentius Bishop of Rome Cyprian Bishop of Carthage Basil Bishop of Cappadocia Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum Hilary a French Bishop and Ambrose Bishop of Milan Is it possible that these orthodoxe Fathers should in this manner and vpon such occasions haue giuen the Bishop of Rome so many Mates in equalizing others with him if your Article of Monarchicall Dominion had entred into their breasts or braines The same comparisons proued by ancient Churches SECT 2. THe generall Councell of Constantinople in the East to make known their Consent in the Faith with the Church in the West doe endite an Epistle and inscribe it thus To their Reuerend brethren and fellowes as well to Damasus of Rome as to Ambrose of Milan and others The Church of Egypt gathered in Councell in their letters vnto the Emperour Leo professe Their Consent in the Catholike faith with the chiefe Priests in the Christian world naming as well Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Basil Bishop of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem as Leo Bishop of Rome The Decree of the Church of Carthage in her third Councell standeth thus It is decreed that we consult hereupon with our brethren Syricius viz. Bishop of Rome and Simplician viz. Bishop of Milane Not to omit how you confesse that The Bishops of Constantinople did sometime enioy the title of Vniuersall Bishops equally with the Bishops of Rome but this they did say you by permission of the Bishops of Rome and vpon conniuence Tell you this to them who know not that Maiestie brooking no Corriuall the Monarchie of Popes would neuer dispense or continue at any One vsurping equall Title of Monarchicall Iurisdiction which is as much as to snatch their Papall Miters from of their heads CHALLENGE THe distinction of East and West is not more familiarly knowne to euery vulgar man than is the distinction of East and West-Church by euery babe in Historicall learning vnderstanding thereby that they were anciently held as two generall parts of the Catholike Church and not as one subordinate to another as will afterwards more plainly appeare Againe vnlesse you shall except against the most ancient and vniuersally approued Instructors and guides of the Catholike Church we must conclude that the East part of the world is not more opposite vnto the West than is your now Romane Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church contrary to Catholike Antiquitie Insomuch that as when Protestants are controlled condemned tormented or put to death for renouncing this your Article Ignatius Ireneus to omit the authoritie of Councels and Others Tertullian Athanasius Vinc. Lirinensis and Augustine may seeme to suffer in them because it may be said of the rest which your Rhenanus spake of one saying Tertullian if he were aliue should not escape vnpunished for such his Praescriptions So False and Imposterous is your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church as hauing Dominion ouer all Others CHAP. VIII Our third Argument taken from the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in the first Six Generall Councels after the Apostles Besides a Seuenth and Eight Councell in Your estimation Generall SECT 1. EVery true Generall Councell you will esteeme to be the Representatiue Church Catholike than which after the euidence of diuine Scriptures the Oracles of God no better proofe can be required by the Professors of the Christian faith For this cause we hold it our duetie for your better satisfaction to giue you Instances in the first Six Generall Councels beginning at the first Generall Councell of Nice I. That the Beliefe of the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which c. damneth all the Catholike Fathers of the Councell of Nice and their Beleeuers SECT 2. THe first Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous first Councell of Nice consisting of CCCXVIII Bishops by whom were made two Decrees vtterly preiudiciall to the now Article of the Dominion of the Romane Church and Pope aboue all other Churches and their Bishops One is against the Appeales of persons Excommunicate in any Dioces vnto remote Churches which the Bishops of the Church of Africke in their Councell wherein Saint Augustine was an Actor did absolutely denie by virtue of the Canon of the Councell of Nice The second Instance in the sixt Canon of the same Nicene Synod decreeing thus That the Bishops of Alexandria should haue the Gouernment ouer Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis
vnto them Much lesse can we be perswaded that the first Catholike Emperors albeit otherwise most godly and humble were knowne to performe it If it had bene so then would not your Massonius when he sought to shew the Antiquity of it send you to seeke it He knoweth not where much lesse would your great Antiquary Polydore abhor this as A new and naughty custome of Imperiousnesse deuised first by the Popes themselues But of all others your Bozius one so transported with zeale towards the Pope and this his honour that he held it an Iniustice in the Pope to refuse this kind of Submission from any Christian whomsoeuer will giue you the best and worst satisfaction touching the practise of ancient Emperours where speaking of this Ceremony of Kissing the Popes feet and answering this doubt why in those Ages all sorts of Bishops gaue greater honour vnto Kings and Emperours than they receiued from them Then saith he whilest that the affaires of Christianity were not as yet established Kings and Emperours swelling with Arrogancy and as yet breathing the Pride of Gentiles were not to be prouoked by Bishops by denying them outward honour Can you haue a better Answer for confirming the Ancient practise of Emperours in receiuing honour or a worse satisfaction than is this his sawcy and malepart boldnesse in blurring the estimation of those Emperours which were first as in time so in excellency of all virtues with the false imputation of Pride for receiuing Honour from all others as an homage due to their state and so prescribed by God as Saint Peter and Saint Paul do both witnesse The Estimation of those forenamed Christian Emperours SECT 4. MVch need not be spoken in the commendation of the former Emperours whom your owne Cardinall produceth both for Examples of Godlinesse and Catholike Beliefe and also as Monuments of Gods miraculous Protection vpon them for their Catholike profession sake euen Because they did heartily and sincerely cleaue vnto God The Emperours whom he nameth are Constantine the Great Theodosius the elder Honorius Theodosius the younger and Iustinian But the last with some detraction Prosperous was the Emperour Iustinian saith he so long as he was a Catholike Also Bozius The Emperour Iustinian saith he was of a sound iudgement in the Doctrine of Christianity for his first ten yeares and was so long prosperous but forthwith he handled two Popes viz. Syluerius and Vigilius so roughly that after he was afflicted with all kind of calamities and in the end fell into the Heresie of the Apthartodocites How long Iustinian was both a Catholike in his Faith and Prosperous in his affaires notwithstanding his withstanding your now Romish Subiection required of Popes of later times from their Emperours we shall willingly commit to the report of your owne Cardinall by whom you may vnderstand that the Emperour Iustinian began his Reigne in the yeare after Christ his Incarnation 528 whom vntill ten yeares after Bozius himselfe acknowledgeth to haue bene a glorious Catholike Within which compasse of yeares we reade concerning Iustinian of nothing but of Building of Churches conuersions of Idolaters Constitutions against Heretiks Edicts for the Faith and whereunto you haue taken such exceptions his booke of the Code and Paudects wherein because he medleth with Ecclesiasticall businesse he hath therefore bene censured by you for an Intruder Inuader and Vsurper of an Authoritie superiour vnto his owne Notwithstanding whatsoeuer Decrees and Constitutions Iustinian published concerning the Catholike Faith and Ecclesiasticall discipline if we may belieue your Baronius they were made by the aduise and counsell of Two Bishops and Patriarkes of Constantinople Now are we come to the Tenth yeare of his Empire being the 538. yeare of our Lord Christ wherein Iustinian sent Pope Syluerius into Exile Betweene which time and his exiling of Pope Vigilius are sixteene yeares in all which space is registred Iustinian his Confession of Faith commended by Pope Vigilius his Patronage of Antiquity and his Sanctions and Contestations against Heretikes Then cometh in the Banishment of Vigilius before the time of Iustinian his Heresie containing the space of fiue yeares in which Interim is reported vnto vs Iustinian his Peace with Vigilius his Reparation of the Temple of Sophia his Erecting a most goodly communion Table and his Discouery of treasons that were plotted against him And now at length Iustinian falleth into an Heresie which although it may be some exception to his person yet can it be none to our Cause who dispute from the Acts and Constitutions of Iustinian whilest hee was a Catholike Neuerthelesse we may not let passe the Testimonies of Such as giue vs better hope of him than to thinke that he died an Heretike who by your owne Confessions after this Emperours death esteemed otherwise of him as namely The Fathers of the sixt Generall Councell honouring his memory with the title of PIETIE So Pope Gregory accordingly calling him an Emperour of holy memory And Agatho the Pope accompting his name to be still Worthy of all religious reuerence famous vnto all for the truth so largely dispersed by his Edicts throughout the world We may conclude with your owne Spanish writer who vpon like proofes hath concluded thus It is now euident by that which hath bene said that they are not to be hearkened vnto who vniustly call Iustinian the Emperour an Heretike So he If any desire to see a iust and full Confutation of all the Obiections made against the Faith and piety of Iustinian he may throughly satisfie himselfe by reading of two worthy Authors who haue lately written both copiously and learnedly of this Subiect CHALLENGE SO many tokens of no Subiection from so famously-pious and Catholike Emperours in so high a degree of Vsurpation and Inuasion as you call it vpon the Iurisdiction of Bishops and Popes in Gathering of Councels in prescribing them Lawes in Commanding their Presence in arresting Exiling their persons and all this in times so ancient and in so admirably-glorious state of the Church of Christ when so many hundreds of most learned and godly Fathers and illustrious Lights of the Church Catholike chiefly flourished and preuailed in Generall Councels for the determining of the Doctrine of Faith All these we say do sufficiently exclaime against the falshood arrogancy and iniquity of your Romish claime by an Article by force whereof all the aforesaid pious and Catholike Emperours Constantine the Great Theodosius the Elder Theodosius the Younger and Iustinian with such others must needs forfait their saluation Is it credible if this your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church and Pope without Subiection whereunto and beliefe of the same Subiection there is no Saluation had bene then of Faith that no one of all those Catholike Bishops would haue Catechized their godly Disciples and taught them not to Inuade and Intrude vpon the Pope his Iurisdiction Or that no
vnto Their Chiefe meaning the Pope of Rome and addeth saying I hate the Pride of That Church meaning the Church of Rome Marke wee pray you Their Chiefe and That Church are these notes of his Subiection to the Pope or Church of Rome Nay are they not direct demonstrations of his no Subiection or Subordination to either of both can you conceiue any to bee a true and loyall Subiect who writing to others concerning his owne King and Soueraigne and his Soueraignty should say I writ to their King and I hate the pride of that Kingdome Yet you heare what Saint Basil writ concerning the Pope and his Church and notwithstanding was he â—hen a reall Member of the Catholike Church Nor is this all but he hath furthermore imputed besides the vice of Pride Ignorance vnto them Notwithstanding all which Saint Basil was euen then a Saint Militant and hath beene euer since held in God's Church a Saint Triumphant who for his excellent learning iudgement piety and industrie in protecting and propagating the Catholike Truth obtained in the Church of Christ the attribute of THE GREAT and in the Elegie of Ephrem to be called Chiefe Priest of the Lord. Which may serue as an instrument to launce the Papall Impostume of your Romane Pope who neuer heareth of any such Adiunct ascribed vnto himselfe but he presently swelleth with Pride and taketh it as Appropriate to his person as he is Successor to Saint Peter Although therefore we denie not but that notwithstanding this Opposition made by Saint Basil against the Romane Church hee held Communion with the Church of Rome both in Faith and Charity because at that time Rome was in her integrity Yet that Necessity of Subiection and the Beleefe thereof which your Article requireth of All that shall be saued is a doctrine as you see abandoned by Saint Basil. We therefore choose rather to abhorre your new Article as Imposterous and Impious than to suffer that blessed Father to be razed out of the number of Saints V. Saint Hilary of Poictou did not beleeue the Romane Article of Necessity of Vnion with the Pope of Rome SECT 5. WHat and how great a Saint this Hilary Bishop of Poictou was your Romane Church doth shew in her Kalendar as it were in her church-Church-Booke wherein is Registred his name as a Prime Saint and that worthily For as your Lippelous truely saith he for his learning and Sanctity was Admirable both in the Greeke and Latine Churches liuing in the yeere 356 in the daies of the Emperour Constantius and of Pope Liberius So he Well then wee are to enquire what was his iudgement concerning this Pope Liberius and the necessity of Communion with him This being a part of that your Article concerning The Catholike Romane Church to beleeue that In matters of Faith the iudgement of the Pope is infallible Saint Hilary no sooner vnderstood that Pope Liberius as your Cardinall hath confessed had subscribed to haue communion with the Arian Heretikes but hee made bold to Excommunicate the Pope out of his Communion and fellowship saying I Anathematize thee Liberius and thy fellowes This you will thinke was too liberally spoken and will iudge it rather not spoken at all But why I pray you was it not alwaies lawfull for any Catholike Bishop to Excommunicate any Hereticall Bishop that is abandon his fellowship and Communion or had not Hilarius iust cause so to vse Liberius at this time This is that Liberius who two yeeres after Banishment for his Catholike Faith became an Heretike Interpretatiuè saith your Cardinall that is in the vnderstanding of men iudging of him by his outward Act of Subscribing to the Condemnation of Saint Athanasius and communicating with knowne Heretikes nor so onely but euen expressely an Heretike If to bee of opinion with Heretikes If to bee made an Heretike If to be ouercome and to consent vnto Arian Heresie may be Testimonies of an expresse Heretike as your owne Platina Alphonsus de Castro Cardinall Turrecremata and out of the words of Saint Hierome Cardinall Cusanus haue confessed Which was the very cause that moued Saint Hilary also to bid the same Pope Auant else could hee not haue complained of the Hereticall Emperour Constantius for releasing of the same Liberius out of Banishment namely vpon such conditions as that Emperour inioyned the said Pope saying I know not O Emperour whether thou hast shewed more impiety in Banishing of Liberius or in releasing him from his Banishment What other sense could this haue than that Liberius was now as full an Heretike in his Releasement as he had beene before a Catholike in his Banishment CHALLENGE SCanne you this matter a right and then you must confesse that the Faith of Saint Hilary was to beleeue that a Pope might become an Heretike in his Publike person as for example Pope Liberius did by his publike Subscribing vnto Heresie and that therefore no Christian is bound to haue further Vnion of Faith with any Pope than a Pope doth stand in the Vnion of the true and Catholike Faith Which beeing the beleefe of all Protestants and the Cause of dis Vnion from the Pope of Rome at this day is therefore censured by you as a note of Heresie in it selfe and as you thinke a sufficient cause of Separation from all hope of Saluation As though Saint Hilary a Father of the same profession were no more to be esteemed a Saint But a Saint you acknowledge him to be know then that he who abandoned the Popes Vnion would neuer haue submitted to his Dominion VI. Saint Hierome beleeued not the now Romane Article concerning the Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Church and Bishop thereof SECT 6. SAint Hierom whom the Church of Rome hath dignified and honoured with the place of a Saint in her Calendar vnder the Title of Confessor and Doctor of the Church liued about the yeere of our Lord 390 and was aboue all the Fathers that we can name of those times the most deuout childe of the Church of Rome Neuerthelesse dare we in the examination of this Fundamentall Article of the same or rather the foundation it selfe referre our selues vnto the iudgement of this Saint And we proceed in this disquisition according to our former Method of your Obiections and our Answer and Reply from the same Father Your Obiection SAint Hierom writing vnto the Pope Damasus acknowledgeth himselfe his Sheepe although hee was vnder the Patriarch of Antioch nameth the same Pope Successor of Peter professeth himselfe to haue Communion with the Chaire of Peter mentioneth as a reason the Rocke whereupon the Church of Christ is built the House without which none may eate the Lambe that is Offer Sacrifice and the Arke of Noah without which whosoeuer is must needs perish So Saint Hierom. Vpon this Foundation some of your Master-Builders would erect an Infallibility of the Popes Iudgement an Vniuersality of his
made her the patterne of all other Christian Churches his stile should haue arrayed her otherwise than by inuoluing her among Loca Occidentis Secondly in Criminall Causes you belieue that the Supreme Right of Appeale to the Sea of Rome is a Iurisdiction whereinto the Bishop of Rome is inuested by virtue of his Succession from Saint Peter so that all other Churches Christian ought to acknowledge this Right of Appeale vpon all iust occasions and the Cause being there determined all parties are vtterly precluded hauing no power to Appeale from it to any Superior Iudicature This is your pretended Prerogatiue of the Church of Rome consisting of two Termes Appealing to Rome and not Appealing from Rome Will you admit of Saint Augustines determination in both these Saint Augustine as hath bene confessed was one of that Councell of Africke which abandoned the Claime of Right of Appeales from all Churches to Rome which was then challenged by three Popes successiuely to wit Zozimus Boniface and Celestine and yet concluded against them that it should not be lawfull for any within the Churches of Africke to make their Appeale to Rome Accordingly you that would thinke it an intolerable and sacrilegious derogation from the Papall Iurisdiction if in a Criminall Cause after the Pope with his whole Consistory of Cardinals had giuen iudgement any Bishop within the Romane Iurisdiction should be so audacious as to Appeale from that Sentence to an higher Iudicature where you that are my Iudges shall be iudged whether you haue giuen right iudgement or not remember that Saint Augustine concerning the Case of the Bishop Caecilian which was referred to the Arbitrement of Pope Iulius and others doubted not to giue such a Resolution I suppose saith he the Bishops that were at Rome were not good Iudges there then remained a Generall Councell where the Cause may be discussed so that if it shall appeare that those Iudges iudged wrongfully their sentence may be reuersed and disanulled Thirdly from Criminall we proceed to a Doctrinall point You that haue told vs that it is a peculiar Prerogatiue belonging to the Church of Rome as she is The Catholike Church to direct all other Churches which is the true Canon of Diuine Scriptures and that she by her Councell may pronounce euery one Anathema and Accursed that shall not giue beliefe to his Decree touching the right Canon of Scriptures obserue that Saint Augustine perceiuing how the Latine or Romane Church did not in those daies constantly hold the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrewes to be Canonicall and of Diuine Authority resolueth thus Notwithstanding I saith he am rather mooued by the Authority of the East Churches So Saint Augustine which is so much that a conscionable man we thinke should need no more For now we are in a Doctrinall point euen what and which is the Scripture and written Word of God the Principle and Doctrine of all other Principles and Doctrines Whereof when we enquire we are directed by Saint Augustine to consult with the Primitiue Churches as well East as West and wherein these do differ in their Customes therein to yeeld rather to the iudgement of the Greeke and Easterne Churches according as Saint Hierom also determined than to the Romane in the West And lest this Decision of Saint Augustine might seeme to proceed from some voluntary inclination to the Greeke Church rather than to the Latine he addeth that he is so moued by the Authority of the Easterne Churches Now how all these particulars will agree with your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church Mistris of all other Churches without full Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation do you your-selues deliberate Sure we are that this Resolution of Saint Augustine will easily interpret the meaning of his other sentence so often obiected by you to wit I should not haue belieued the Gospell except the Authority of the Church had moued mee that by Church he meant not the then present Church of Rome as you pretend which is as you see another vanity After this discussion of the Doctrinall Cause we adde a Consideration of the Schismaticall state of that Church according as our iudicious Casaubon hath obserued You who accompt it the onely note of Schisme to be diuided from the Romane Church and the Pope thereof as the onely Head of all Churches Answer vs Why Saint Augustine who in seauen Books besides many other places confuted the Schismaticall Donatists yet neuer spake word of the Monarchy of the Pope or of the Infallibility of his iudgement whereby to reduce them to the Vnity of the Church and Truth Lastly as for the Title of The Catholike Church you that appropriate it in your Article to the Church of Rome aduise againe with Saint Augustine who as he hath already defined that Catholike is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole as a Comprehension of all Parts and therefore that no Part can be called The Whole so doth he further illustrate the same in his Expositions vpon those words of the Psalmist The Kings daughters were among thine honourable women vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a Vesture of gold of Ophir Behold Rome saith he behold Carthage behold other Cities as Kings daughters of all which is made one certaine Queene speaking of the Catholike Church whereunto euery one ought to bee vnited in Faith and Hope So he You see that in Saint Augustines time when Rome was indeed Rome and truely glorious for Faith and Holinesse yet Behold Rome what The Queene which is the Catholike Church it selfe No but Behold Rome a daughter of the King And againe Behold Carthage and other Cities How Namely so and no otherwise than Rome and others all daughters of the King that is Particular Churches professing Christ. But the Catholike Church as Queene what must shee be any one of these bee it the Church of Milan Carthage or Rome No but One Vniuersall Church consisting of these and All others CHALLENGE SEe you now with what obliquity of iudgement your Authors haue obiected these colourable sayings of Saint Augustine out of his Epistles vnto Pope Zozimus and Pope Boniface and others Whereas when we come to his deeds he doth freely demonstrate his Faith contrary to your sense when Comparing Particular Bishopricke with Bishopricke as Rome with Carthage hee maketh them and their Bishops both Most Eminent Comparing Churches with Churches as Rome with the Churches of Africke he defendeth euen against the forenamed Popes Zozimus and Boniface both that it is not lawfull for Remote Churches to Appeale to Rome and that it is also lawfull for Churches that are subordinate to the Romane Iurisdiction to Appeale from Rome By which the very pinnacle of the pretended Authority of the Romane Iurisdiction is quite ouerthrowne and cast to the ground Againe Saint Augustine comparing the Two Moities of the whole Catholike Church commonly diuided into the East otherwise called the
our Brother Cornelius c. Behold this in a secular glasse and conceiue what a despight it were vnto a King to heare his Vassall salute him with a Farewell fellow Henrie Fie fie what will you make of the Fathers will you iudge them so witlesse or senselesse as not to haue vnderstood their Morals Yet so you propound them For some where they giue glorious Titles to the Popes of Rome and in euery such one you point out the Pope the Monarch of the Church notwithstanding the same Fathers gaue the like Titles also to others Sometime they ioyne more familiarly with Popes by Tearmes of Fellowship and Brotherhood and yet euen then also you will haue them to beleeue your Pope to be their Monarch What Solecismes must these be The First as if one should put the Diadem vpon the Kings foot the Second as if hee should put the Kings shooe vpon his head This is not spoken by vs to note the holy Fathers of such default farre be it from vs but to condemne your Authors and Disputers of want of sobrietie that thus reason beyond all reason Thus haue you heard Cyprian interpret his Words by his owne Word Will you now heare Cyprian speake by his Acts and Deeds wee shall but be your remembrancers of that which hath bin largely proued already as namely Cyprian his Reprehending and taunting the person of Stephen the Pope of Rome and Successour to Cornelius contradicting his Decrees opposing his Romane Councell disclaiming his claime of Appeales contemning his threats of Excommunication Can you perswade your selues that Cyprian could haue escaped the crueltie of your Romish Inquisition if hee had liued and so behaued himselfe a Bishop among you at this day All this while we haue said nothing of the Corruptions of the writings of Cyprian which your Papalists feede vpon Our like Discouerie of the like Vanitie of your Proofes out of other the Latine Fathers SECT 9. THE Second Father is OPTATVS Concerning whom your Obiection maketh fâ—r vs a good Answere For if Optatus as hee saith followed the iudgement of Cyprian than it followeth that the foresaid Iudgement of Cyprian may resolue vs of the Doctrine of Optatus to wit that by One Chaire or Church hee ment the whole Vniuersall Church professing the same Catholike Faith and that the Particular Church of Rome as it then stood was an excellent Portion thereof built vpon the same Faith of Peter which all Christians professe but onely a Portion because the same Father obiecteth against the Donatists their want of Vnion with the Churches of Asia commended by Saint Iohn in his Reuelation as well as with Rome You haue no fellowship saith hee with the seauen Angels of Asia whatsoeuer is without these Seauen Churches is an alien namely from the Catholike Church and Saluation Which Doctrine of Optatus is sufficient to proue all Appropriators of an Infallible and Perpetuall Church to onely Rome to be little better then Donatists If you require a further Answer you may receiue it from a farre more elegant penne which will tell you that Optatus who required a necessary Vnion with the Romane Chaire yet neuer taught any Necessity of Vniuersall Subiection vnto it Nay so farre was he from acknowledgement of Monarchicall Dominion in the Pope that he calleth him absolutely his Fellow So he As for Necessity of Vnion it is no more than he required to be had as you haue heard vnto the Churches of Asia so that whensoeuer Rome as Asia hath done shall depart from the sincerity of the Apostolicall profession the departure from that must dissolue the Necessity of Vnion The third Latine Father is Ambrose the fourth Hierom the fifth Augustine If we thought it not an iniury vnto you to repeat the former Answers which haue beene made to all these Obiections it were an easie matter for vs to be superfluous When you shall reuiew the places then we doubt not but it will seeme as well to you as vnto vs an hatefull thing to see what violence your Obiections haue offered to these witnesses of Antiquity but much more to their owne consciences in inforcing these witnesses to speake the language of Babell and conspiring together to build the Tower of Papall Monarchy which both their words and Acts as you haue already heard do in a manner confound The sixt is Prosper whose meaning might haue bene better knowne if he had written in prose and not assumed vnto him the liberty of a Poet. Yet he and the seauenth namely Victor Vticensis call the Church of Rome The Head of all Churches But how in power and Iurisdiction you could neuer prooue this out of any ancient Father No but euen as Antioch and Constantinople with other Churches haue bene so called in other respects The eight is Vincentius Lyrinensis in whose Testimonie your Cardinall doth first mistake a mountaine for a man and secondly painting for person For Lyrinensis called not the Popes of Rome namely Felix and Iulius nor the Church of Rome but the Citie of Rome The Head of all the world What is more frequent than Rome to be called the Head of the Church Caput orbis after an Ethnick stile because of the Ciuill Dominion thereof ouer other Nations Hee called also Carthage on the North and Milan on the South the Sides by reason of their situations onely figuratiuely And although he had in like manner called the Bishop of Rome the Head and the other two Bishops his Sides must therefore the Pope of Rome be truly and absolutly iudged to be the Monarchicall Head of the Church in the meaning of Lyrinensis Then must you as absolutely beleeue that Cyprian of Carthage and Ambrose of Milan and their Successors were alwaies to continue the Sides of the Catholike Church Is this good learning thus to snatch at aduantages of naked Metaphors and with Michol to present vnto vs an image for a man But who is there that knoweth not how little the Church of Rome is beholden to Vincentius Lyrinensis who writing a Booke which you your selues call Little in bulke but most great in weight and worth wherein he giueth Resolution to all Catholikes how they should discerne the True Church yet neuer remembred your Romane Article of making the Church of Rome the Mother Mistris and Monarch of all the Churches in the world without Subiection whereunto as you say there is no Saluation But how should a man remember that which hee neuer forgot or forget that which he neuer learnt For if this had bene his Faith his booke of Resolutions which you say was so Little might haue bene comprehended in one leafe and almost in one line to wit There is but one Catholike Church which is the Roman which hath the Promise of perpetuall infallibility stand euer to this and then you cannot but be a good Catholike Nay he matcheth the Easterne Church with the Westerne as
the Church Catholike as commonly doe the Professed Protestants The words of your owne Authors amount to no lesse than a plaine Confession that The Arian Heresie trauelled almost ouer the whole Romane Orbe Euen From the rising of the Sun to the noone-point and after passing by the North at length it infected almost the whole Westerne part of Christendome That the same Heresie polluted almost all Christian Churches and the Patriarchall Seates of Antioch Alexandria and Hierusalem and at length passing into the Westerne parts meaning the Romane Iuâ—isdiction substituted Felix into the Romane Chaire instead of Liberius and so ran his Course through-out the whole world in a trice When the Church was brought to that lowe ebbe that the same Pope Liberius hearing the Arian Emperour to obiect the Paucity of Orthodoxe Fathers doubted not to make his Answer It mattereth not saith he whether the true Professors be moe or fewer for the Church of the Iewes was once reduced to the number of Three So accordingly Saint Hilaery bewailed the state of the Church saying that it had forsaken Temples and buildings and was more safe in Mountaines Lakes and Prisons And Greg. Nazianzene speaking of his own Church at that time It was proper to our Fold saith he that it could not be broken insomuch that we were often termed the Arke of Noah as those who onely escaped drowning in the flood So he Would it not pose you to tell what was the face and appearance of the Romane Church when onely the Church of Nazianzum was said to escape the Deluge of that Arrian Heresie But how much greater is the Cloude of Obscurity of the Church prophecied of in the daies of Antichrist Let your Rhemists shout as loud as they can that the Catholike Church is alwaies Notably visible in her visible Pastors Sacraments and names of her Professors yet at length as it were with shouting they waxing hoarse tell you of an Externall cessation of all outward Communion from the Catholike Church excepting the Communion in the hearts of her Professors And falling into a Meditation of these words of the Apoc. Chap. 12. ver 6. The Woman fledd into the Wildernesse whereby is ment the Church Catholike seeking resuge from the violance of Antichrist They giue you this Note At which time for all that say they the Church shall not want our Lord's protection nor Pastors nor be so secret but that all faithfull men shall know and follow her much lesse shall she decay and erre from the Faith as Heretikes wickedly feine but be as the Catholike Church now in England in the time of Persecution because it hath no publike Seate of Regiment nor open free exercise of holy function And although it may be said to be fledd into the Desert yet is it neither Vnknowne vnto the Faithfull that followe it nor to the Enemies that persecute it So They. In which one testimonie we haue an hotch-potch of Truth Folly and Falshood together Truth in acknowledging such an Obscurity of the Church as that whereby shee is depriued of publike gouernement and free exercise of Ecclesiasticall Function Falshood in obiecting vnto Protestants whom they as falsly call Heretikes an opinion of Decay and errour from Faith in the whole Catholike Church which vnto your own Bellarmine seemed in effect to be a lewd Slander And thirdly what greater Folly and absurdity can there bee than to dreame as Master Fisher likewise hath done of a Church Flying into the Desert vnder God's protection that it should not be knowne and yet in his opinion not vnknowne to her Persecutors With like reason might they assure you that the Hare is still knowne to the Hunter when shee flieth into a thicket and place by God's prouidence of such safety that neither man nor dogg can hunt her out We had rather you should heare the more iudicious and ingenuous Acknowledgements of your other Iesuites Ribera Pererius Acosta Viegaâ— from whom you may heare of the Church flying into the Wildernesse to a place prepared for her of God So that Shee can either not be enquired of where shee is by the Ministers of Antichrist or at least not be found out When the Churches seruice and worship shall be in secret the Sacrifice of the Masse shall cease the Liturgie and forme of prayer shall be abolished and all shall adore Antichrist except the Predestinate whose names are written in the Booke of Life So they Did you euer heare from any Protestant a signification of any greater Obscurity of the Church than this is Which differeth not from the iudgement of ancient Fathers who speaking of the Catholike Church say that This Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light Not appearing to her Persecutors And this Mother shall be vnable to bring forth the Children of her wombe Of Departure from some particular Churches THESIS V. All particular Churches are not to bee forsaken for euery Vnsoundnesse in either Manners Worship or Doctrine SECT 6. WEe haue Christ his Warrant in the Case of Vnsoundnesse in Manners Mat. 23.3 Whatsoeuer they bid you doe that obserue and doe but after their workes doe not Shall the Iniquity of the Minister make the promises of God of none effect God forbid Or because they haue foule hands must I haue deafe yeeres Abel and Cain might offer Sacrifice at one Altar Peter and Iudas present themselues together at one sacred Supper The Publican and Pharisee pray in one Temple Peruse but the Booke of God the holy Scripture from the beginning of Genesis vnto the end of the Apocalypse and you shall scarce finde one example of any particular Church consisting onely of sanctified Professors without mixture as in the barne of both Chaffe and Wheate or without as the net good and badd fishes or without as the fold sheepe and goats still diuers in dissimilitude of manners not in diuision of Sacraments no not in the family of Noah within the Arke Which we speake to the iust Condemnation of all such Separatists who as of old the Donatists for onely scandall taken at the wicked liues of the Professors doe breake the barne burst the net ouerthrowe the fold and rend the vn-seamed Coat of Christ by diuiding themselues from the Church of their owne Profession Next euery corrupt Custome in the publike Worship of God is no sufficient Warrant or cause of Separation from the particular Church wherein we haue beene baptized or haue made profession of our Faith except the forme thereof bee some-way Idolatrous For we reade how the High places and Groues were forbidden of God Deut. 12. yet in the time of their Iudges God suffred their Sacrifice Iud. 6. and as Saint Augustine you know saith God accepted their Offerings As for errour in Doctrine your Cardinall will haue you vnderstand that Particular Churches may erre in some points of Faith and yet be accounted true Churches and hee
hath beene prooued by the Testimonies of Catholike and General Councels Fathers and Martyrs to be an Errour in it selfe The other Principle is that whereon the former dependeth to wit that the Bishop or Pope of Rome is the Vniuersall Head of the Catholike Church which in the iudgement of a most ancient and holy Pope is not onely a Prophane and Antichristian errour in it selfe but also the high-way of erring vniuersally Because saith hee if that One Vniuersall Bishop erre then must the whole and Vniuersall Church erre with him Where the same Saint Gregorie vpon a particular occasion taken at Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople who ambitiously sought the Title of Vniuersall Bishop gaue this his foresaid generall Doctrine concerning any Bishop whatsouer whether in the See of Constantinople or Rome or wheresoeuer Euen as the Apostle vpon occasion of confuting of one new error among the Galatians giueth them a generall lesson against all other the like Nouelties of Doctrin If we or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise than hath been preached vnto you let him be Anathema or Accursed And that diuerse Popes haue beene Heretikes your owne Histories doe sufficiently proclaime especially in the example of Pope Honorius whom two Generall Councels three Romane Popes his Successours and diuers others your owne zealous Popish Writers haue reckoned among the Monothelites But you will say albeit that Pope were a Monothelite yet did not the whole Catholike Church fall into that Heresie with him True which manifesteth the falshood of your now Romane Article in as much as in those ancient times neither did the Church truely called Catholike hold the Pope to be the Catholike or Vniuersall Head of the Church neither yet did that which you abusiuely absurdly and falsely call the Catholike Church to wit the Church of Rome it selfe beleeue your Article of Infallibilitie of iudgement in your Popes A memorable example wee haue in your Pope Liberius who professing himselfe an Arian and seeking by his Arian faction to returne to his See found a bloudy resistance by both the Clergie and people of the Church of Rome as your selues well know But now when as the falsly-vsurped Title of Vniuersall Head carrieth in the beliefe of the new Church of Rome a confidence of an Vniuersall truth in whatsoeuer new Doctrine of faith in this Case that saying of Christ is verified If the blinde such is hee that in the opinion of his Vniversall Headship presumeth vpon an Infallibilitie of iudgement leade the blinde such are all they who by an Implicit and blind beliefe adhere vnto him as to an Oracle of Diuine truth Both shall fall into the ditch THESIS III. There is not in all Scripture any Prophecie of the fall of any Church Christian from the faith but onely of the Church of Rome from which it may sometime be Necessary to depart SECT 11. FOr where can you finde in all Scripture tell vs that the Spirit of God brandeth any Citie Christian with the note of certaine Apostasie from the truth but onely the Citie of Rome Your owne Iesuites haue confessed Themselues being compelled thereunto by the light of the Reuelation of the holy Ghost in the booke of Reuelation Apoc. 12. to acknowledge saying The Citie of Rome is Babylon there prophesied of to become before the end of the world The Seat of Antichrist and after to be suddenly and visibly Destroyed by the vengeance of God And although they are not more ingenuous in this Confession concerning the Citie of Rome in the dayes of Antichrist to come than they are not to dissemble with you zealous and indeede obstinate in denying that it can be ment of the Church of Rome yet would we faine know what you would thinke of the Church of England if the like Prophecie were extant in God's booke pointing out the Citie of London to be in times to come The Seat of Antichrist Would you desire a more Popular argument especially in these times wherein the ends of the world are come vpon vs to perswade your people to abhorre and detest the Church of England euen for that Citie sake But you are further to remember that which hath beene already prooued that your Church cannot be called The Church of Rome but by reason of the Seate thereof which is in the Citie of Rome Which wee now moreouer Confirme by the Apostle Saint Paul who writing to the Romanes maketh this the Inscription of his Epistle Chap. 1.7 To all you that are at Rome And againe ver 15. I am ready to preach vnto you that are at Rome Signifying that it cannot hereby be called the Church of Rome without relation to a company of Professours in the Citie of Rome Whensoeuer therefore Rome as is confessed shall become that Babylon and Seate of Antichrist whereof the Spirit saith to the faithfull Come out of Babylon my people Apoc. 18.4 then the necessitie of Departure must needes follow THESIS IV. The Church of Rome hath long beene and still is the most Schismaticall Church of all other Churches Christian that carry in them a Visible face of a Church SECT 12. OH that this could be iustly doubted of your owne supreame Article doth abundantly proue it to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation By which one Article as you haue heard doe stand Excommunicate as much as lyeth in your Romane Church and depriued of all hope of Saluation the most renoumed godly Emperors the most ancient and Reuerend Popes the most graue and Orthodoxe Patriarkes and Fathers of the first Eight in your owne estimation Generall Councels the most famous Christian Churches the most constant Martyrs Confessours and Saints of God that the primitiue times of Christ his Church haue knowne and recorded to posteritie many whereof are at this day registred in the Romane Martyrologe and Calendar of Saints All which hath beene fully proued than which what Doctrine of Schismatikes can be more Schismaticall And what shall wee say of the After-ages of the Church wherein wee haue obserued the Church of the Graecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians not to mention as yet the Churches of Protestants Armenians Russians and others for extent more large than Rome for worship more pure for faith more sound and for profession thereof more constant by sustaining daily iniuries and thraldomes vnder the Mahumetans and other Pagan Enemies all which Churches amount to innumerable numbers of Christian soules who being by your Article of The Catholike Romane Church excluded from your Communion must accordingly be held to perish euerlastingly But pardon vs if wee from the Example of these so many Churches Christian of so large extent and long Continuance make bold to vse a little Logicke with you in this manner That Church which onely diuideth it selfe from the Communion of all other truely professed Christian Churches in the world the same is the most Schismaticall Church in the Christian
very Baud of all Impietie Whence to vse your owne words Adulteries Incests Periuries Homicides and the spawne of all euils did arise THESIS II. LVTHER had necessary Cause to Depart from the Church of Rome SECT 15. IT is not as you haue heard the corruption of a Doctrine which can alwaies driue a man out of the Church except other properties of necessary Remoouing do concurre What these are you may call to your remembrance Which may be obserued in this Case of Luther and iustifie him before God and Man As first the generall Obstinacie of contrary Teachers such as were the Romish of whom Luther complained saying They Alto fastu with high disdaine contemned my Preaching against Indulgences Secondly Luthers hearing if he had stayed the way of Truth often blasphemed Thirdly Luthers complaining of violent forcing of men to subscribe vnto New Articles this is Tyrannie And lastly he further chargeth them with Compelling him to submit to Satanicall Doctrines speaking both of the vilenesse of Indulgences and the Idolatrie of and in the Romish Masse Albeit any One of all these had bene a sufficient cause for him to warrant his Departure out of Romish Babylon THESIS III. LVTHER and his Followers were farre more safe for their Soules state in that Separation from the Church of Rome and lesse Schismatikes than They whom he forsooke SECT 16. ALL sound knowledge is by vnderstanding of the true Causes of things It is the Cause that distinguisheth a Martyr from an Heretike and the same iust Cause also truely and essentially vniteth one with the true Catholike Church discerneth him both from an Excommunicate properly so called and from a Schismatike Attend then to that which your Cardinall would haue you to MARKE Marke saith he that an vniust sentence of Excommunication is of no force at all Accordingly Saint Augustine Iniusta vincula iustitia disrumpit Vniust bonds are more iustly broken then kept Of this somewhat more hath bene said in a former Thesis This knowne it wil be no hard matter to find out the true Schismatike For as it is the vnlawfull Agent and not the Innocent Patient that maketh the Fray so in Excommunication Whosoeuer Excommunicateth another vniustly condemneth not that other but himselfe Accordingly in Separation from any Church the Actiue if vniust and not the partie Passiue is the Schismatike vpon which Suppositition Firmilianus Concluded against Stephen Pope of Rome that the said Stephen was the Schismatike by his Excommunicating and separating S. Cyprian with many Others in the Africane Chuches and else-where from his Communion In like Case well said once your Cardinall Benno that Eusebius did binde Liberius by forsaking his Communion Euen as did also the Africane Bishops in their Synod by Excluding Pope Vigilius out of their Communion in the dayes of Iustinian Now that Luther was vniustly Excommunicate by your Pope the first Thesis hath fully prooued And that Luther was a Passiue in this Separation appeareth not onely by his owne Complaints saying I was Compelled Constrained c. but also by the Proceedings of Pope Leo against him Else why is it that your owne Thuanus speaking of this Separation said that Some in those dayes layd the fault vpon Pope Leo More fully your Cassander an Author selected in those dayes by the King of the Romanes as the chiefest Diuine of his time and one most fit to be Consulted with concerning the same Separation of Protestants I cannot saith he denie many of them in the beginning to haue bene mooued and prouoked with a pious zeale to a sharpe reprehension of manifest Abuses and that the principall cause of this calamity and Disunion is to be imputed to them who superciliously and disdainefully contemned such godly Admonitions Neither yet euer had there bene as I am perswaded any Contention about the externall Vnitie of the Church except the Popes had abused their authority to an ambitious and Domineiring manner of Rule aboue the limits which Christ prescribed to his Church So He. But it will be said Why did not Luther seeke remedie and redresse of his wrong somewhere where we pray you should he haue sought it can you tell By Appealing to a Generall Councell why that meanes was barred by the Popes Extrauagant denouncing him to be Anathema whosoeuer shall so much as consult or deliberate to Appeale from the Pope to a future Generall Councell Albeit this preferring the Popes iudgement before a Councel's is by the sentence of two Romish Councels as namely Constance and Basil held a Doctrine of all others most Schismaticall Oh! but he being but a Sheepe cited to Rome should haue appeared before Leo his Pastor notwithstanding the Popes high indignation against him As though you could be ignorant of the Apologue of the Sheepe and the Lion at their meeting the end whereof could be no other then this Ora Leonis habes for the sheepe to run head-long into the Lions mouth A Fable which of later times the Venetian Fulgentius the French Abbot of Boys and after them the Dalmatian Spalatensis verified seelie Sheepe with the losse of their liues THESIS IV. The Romish Obiections vrged against this Separation of LVTHER are notably friuolous SECT 17. STill we say that an ill Cause oftentimes bewrayeth it selfe as much by the friuolous Obiections of an Opponent as it is discouered by the iust Euidences of a Defendant There are but foure kinde of Obiections besides such as haue bene alreadie answered which you do usually vrge against Luther THESIS V. The I. Obiection in respect of LVTHER'S former Vow to the Pope or Church of Rome is vaine and idle SECT 18. IT is true Luther had bene a Vowed and if you will a sworne Vassall to the Pope and to the Romane Church And so was once your owne Stephen Gardiner sometimes Bishop of Winchester whose answer in like case may satisfie your Curiositie and controlle your scurrilitie in this point Hee in his booke of True Obedience to the King notwithstanding the Popes Breeues to the contrary enlargeth himselfe in his Answer after this manner following Some saith he pull me backward asking why I enterprize so to teach Obedience as that I do disclose my owne Disobedience to the authority and power meaning of the Pope for whose Defence I was bound by my Oath to defend his authority to my possible Power Where is his keeping of Oaths become say they where is his fidelitie He was sworne to defend the Rights of the Church of Rome and now professeth himselfe an open enemie ther-unto But this their talke no more mooueth me than the bumbling sound of an old barrell because where vnlawfull Oathes there also vnlawfull Vowes are not to be kept for none are to sweare to any wickednesse Thus your owne Bishop and after illustrateth this by an elegant Similitude A certaine married man saith he when he thought by iust likely-hoods his first wife was dead
bodie of your Church how then to speake onely from your owne Confessions hath growne the opinion of the foresaid Necessity of the Administration of the of the Eucharist vnto Infants not onely with no Opposition but euen with the great approbation of your Popes how your Custome of Communicating but in one kinde whereof you your selues grant a Non constat or Ignoramus when it first began Whereas for a Thousand yeeres cantinuance the Contrarie was held as you know in the Catholike Church yea and in the Romane Church it selfe Or how will you answer for the Corruption of your Romane Worship whereof wee haue your Fathers in the Councell of Trent decreeing that Because many Corruptions haue crept into the celebration of the Romane Masse either by the errour of the time or negligence and improbity of men therefore an order must bee taken to purge them So They. Are not diseases diseases because we can but coniecture the first Cause or time of their being The former Confession of your Professor and Iesuite before pointed at now set downe at large wil giue vs the vpshot Some Traditions saith he are perpetual in time euen from the beginning of the Church Others are onely temporall the beginning whereof may be knowne somtimes positiuely what time they began and sometimes onely negatiuely by being able to shew what time neere the beginning of the Church such a custome or doctrine had no being though afterwards it was inuented Whereby it may be iustly collected that such a Tradition had it's beginning after the Apostles albeit the certaine and determinate time in which it began be not knowne Which Tradition because it is not vniuersall in time it cannot beget any Catholike beleefe So he euen such an He whom your Romane Church esteemeth for the most eminent general both Doctor and Proctor of her Cause at this day By which Sentence are auoided both your former Obiections of the Necessity of giuing of Names of Authors before Luther and of demonstrating the Time Persons and Place of the beginning of Errors in the Church As also there is reached vnto Protestants a strong engine to the vtter ouerthrowe of your now Romane Creed consisting of more then 12. new Articles concerning Worshipping of Images Purgatory Indulgences and the like which can neuer be shewed to haue sprung in the ages af Antiquity bordering on the Apostles time and therfore according to this former true and necessary Rule set downe by your Iesuite can beget no Catholike Beleefe THESIS VIII Your last Obiection of Continuall and Personall Succession in all Ages is frustrate SECT 21. LEst that Succession and not Succession may seeme to alter the Case because the Romane Church is by Personall Succession of Catholike Pastors the Protestant Church is by Secession and Departure whereas true Succession doth manifest a true Church euen as no true Succession doth notifie a false Church as you vse to say you need doe no more but cast your eyes vpon your owne Historians who reporting the great deluge of that horrible Heresie of the Arrians declare that in the most Churches Christian â—he true and Orthodoxe Bishops were remoued out of their Bishopricks and cast into Banishment As for example the Chiefe Patriarks Liberius out of Rome Athanasius out of Alexandria Paulus out of Constantinople c. Againe the Wheele of God's prouidence turning backwards the Arian Heretikes lost their Bishopricks and Patriarkships the Orthodoxe and Catholike Professors succeeding in their places We demand will you then indeed say that Succession in place is absolutely an affirmatiue Note of a true Church How then shall those Churches bee iudged Hereticall wherein Arians immediately succeeded Catholikes Or is not Succession negatiuely a Note of no true Church How then were not the Churches false wherein Catholikes immediately succeeded Heretikes So then if you pronounce any Church true by the Succession of Persons onely you doe but waste your winde if by the Succession of Doctrine then Luther's doctrine being truly Apostolicall his Church cannot be but truly Catholike The Fourth and last part of this DETERMINATION concerneth the state of the Churches of Protestants after the daies of Luther and their more iust Cause of Continuing this Separation from Rome SECT 22. WHy should we not thinke that after our iustification of the first Departure of Protestants from the Church of Rome you should expect some Addition for the Defence of our Continuance of that Separation lest otherwise some might surmize that now sure the Councell of Trent pretending a Generall reformation of all Abuses the Protestants might haue iuster Cause to re-unite themselues to the Church of Rome THESIS I. Protestants are Generally Excommunicated by the Church of Rome SECT 23. YOur Pope of Rome doth by his Bulls yearely bellow out his Excommumications Anathematismes or Curses by name against all Lutherans Caluinists Hugonots and all Protestants together with all their Defenders Fauourers Receiuers Readers of their Bookes without speceall Licence whosoeuer they be THESIS II. Protestants are Vniustly Excommunicated SECT 24. ALl the Causes for which Scripture hath authorized a Departure from any visible Church do accordingly iustifie our Separation from the Church of Rome I. Falshood by Creation of a new Creede consisting of so many Articles II. To a false Faith is ioyned false Worship by Idolatrie not onely by the vulgar in Worshipping of Relikes Images and Saints Idolatrously as is witnessed by your selues but also generally by the Adoration of your Romish Moloch in the Masse Wherein that which after Consecration you adore take it at the best is but a Christ as you teach voide of all sence naturall power of motion and facultie of vnderstanding Which Doctrine touching the glorified body of Christ Wee thinke to be Blasphemous Take it as it may possibly be and then by your owne generall Confession in all probabilitie Fiue hundred to one after Consecration the thing you adore is but Bread still which is a possible yea and as you your selues tearme it a materiall Idolatrie And take it as we are ready to proue to wit that it is infallibly still euen after Consecration the substance of Bread and consequently your Adoration is really necessarily and formally Idolatrous All these points are to be fully prooued in a Treatise to be intituled CHRIST HIS MASSE which in due time may salute you in like manner as this doth if God permit III. To Heresie and Idolatrie your Church ioyneth Obstinacie not that wee can denie but that the Fathers of the Councell of Trent decreed A safe Conduct and full securitie to all Protestants in Germanie to come to that Councell and according to the tenure of that same Decree To propound whether by word or writing what Articles they would and with free libertie to dispute thereof So they And was not this a Fatherly Consideration shall Wee thinke but your Thuanus will tell you of diuerse Protestants that came to
you haue heard And in the same Book entituled Against all profane Innouations he doth throughout condemne all your new Articles of the now Romane Church by one infallible and inuiolable Rule which is this that No Article as of Faith should be admitted into the Church which was not taught and professed in the dayes of the Apostles Your last Father for due Antiquity is Cassidore who because he saith no more than hath bene formerly said we forbeare to answer more than hath bene answered that from Particular Answers we may now speedily addresse our selues to the more Generall Our Generall Discouery of the Falshood and Vanity of the former Obiections out of the Ancient Fathers SECT 10. DIstingue tempora is a necessary Aphorisme and Caution especially in historicall Obseruations Right glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God saith Dauid of Ierusalem but when when the Inhabitants professed the true worship of God But assoone as they reuolted from God then Bethel became Bethauen and the Virgin Sion an Adulterous whore So say wee Right admirable commendations haue bene often Anciently attributed to the Church and Bishops of Rome for their Integritie of life Constancie in the Faith Care and Conscience for the preseruation of all Churches in the Christian profession But not to distinguish in both these the differences of Times by Was from Is were to confound Chastity with Adultery God with Belial Christ with Antichrist Apply we this to the point in Question Take vnto you this Position When the Fathers say that the Church of Rome cannot erre the word Cannot is not to be taken absolutely and simply How like you this Thesis Do you approue of it Then do all your proofes from Testimonies of Ancient Fathers concerning the power dignity and integrity of the Ancient Church of Rome vanish with their times because the Church of Rome is long since farre degenerated from her first integrity But do you not allow it why it is the Confession of Bellarmine the greatest Champion that your Church hath had in these later Ages He onely addeth to the Thesis this Caution So long as the Apostolicall Sea continueth at Rome he should haue said with vs according to the Generall Doctrine of the Fathers So long as the ancient and sincere Faith and diuine worship is preserued at Rome for it is not Sedes but Fides that defineth a Church And for your further knowledge that the Commendations giuen vnto Rome and other Churches in the dayes of Antiquity were not absolutly and simply vnderstood call but to mind how often Tertullian Irenaeus Augustine Optatus and other Fathers for the proofe of Orthodox Doctrines did instance in the Churches of Corinth Thessaly Antioch Asia and other Churches as well as in Rome To giue you one Example for all in the last of Asia because it commeth first to hand it is that which you receiued but euen now out of Optatus who speaking of the Churches of Asia Whosoeuer saith he is without these Churches namely concerning the Faith professed is an Alien and without Saluation This was then as iustly said of Asia as now it cannot be said thereof and what one Encomium of Presidence onely that of Order excepted or Iudgment or Sanctity hath bene euer exhibited to Ancient Popes by any Excellency of Titles which as you haue heard by iust Parallells haue not bene communicated vnto Athanasius Basil Augustine and some other Fathers Yet are we not contented with this Answer although otherwise most true but add for clearer Demonstration of this Truth and auerre that the glorious Phrases which were anciently ascribed to the Church of Rome and her Bishops were not giuen as absolutely and simply belonging to her no not in those very times of Antiquity when they were more proper vnto her For Cyprian that said in his Epistle to Pope Cornelius that No perfidiousnesse could haue accesse to Rome meant not that this his Commendation should continue in Succession with their Popes who himselfe in his Epistle to Pope Stephen one who a yeare after the death of Cornelius succeeded in the same Popedome did vehemently reproue yea and reproach him for admitting the very same kind of Perfidiousnesse before mentioned euen by his allowing of False and perfidious Excommunicates and Incorrigible persons Appealing to his See And Hierom who accompted euery one Prophane and execrable that did not Communicate with Pope Damasus would not haue so farre honoured Pope Liberius whom hee himselfe brandeth with a blacke marke of Subscribing to Arian Heresie Lastly Saint Augustine that magnified Rome in this style saying The Principality of the Romane Chaire did alwaies flourish extended not this to an Absolute Monarchy who himselfe was one of them that in the Councell of Africke clipped the wings thereof by decreeing that Transmarine Appeales should not be made meaning to Rome The speed we make to new matter will not suffer vs to multiply Instances from other former Examples I. CHALLENGE AS often therefore as you haue obiected vnto vs the Encomiasticall speaches of Ancient Fathers we may challenge you to obserue the difference betweene your Obiections and our Retorsions You vrge onely the Phrase and we the Reason of the speach Againe you haue obtruded the sound of Words of the Fathers we haue opposed their euident Acts and Deeds the best Interpreters of their sayings From their Acts therefore we take confidence to argue that to omit the great and weightier matters if S. Polycarpus would not yeeld to the Church and Pope of Rome no not so much as in a Feast-day Saint Augustine not so much as in a Fast Saint Basil not so much as in exception against onely the word Hypostasis Saint Ambrose not so much as in a Ceremony of Washing of feet which are you will thinke in respect but matters of Mint annise and cummin how shall not our Opposition stand iustifiable who refuse Vnion and Subiection vnto her for the great matter of the Law word of God If vilification of the Sufficiency of his written Testaments if Mutilation of a true Sacrament and which is worse the Addition of fiue false ones if babling in vnknowne prayer if forging of new Faiths and not to speake of the daily tyrannie vpon mens Consciences by her strange 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or New Constitutions if in some respects as absurd as Heathenish Idolatrie may seeme vnto you iust cause of exception against her wherein our Profession is iustified from point to point by the same Fathers So damnable is your now Romane Article of Absolute Necessity of Vnion and Subiection vnto the Church and Bishop of Rome as without which there is no Saluation by which together with your Aduersaries you damne those whom euery where you assume to haue bene your owne Ancient Fathers on earth and now acknowledge them Saints in heauen II. CHALLENGE A Second Consideration which is to be had in this point is to obserue the list