as Paradise was for Adam it is too streight a prison for his Godhead Gen. 3. then since Man is become like one of vs let vs turne him into the wide world out of Paradise from Paradise to a fooles Paradise a little Garden a small City will not comprehend his godhead So shall the Bishop of Rome be vniuersall and like to Lucifer in Heauen and Adam in Paradise take vp the Rome of the second person in Trinity because One. Consid 3. Cap 4. But Saint Bernard thought it not lawfull for him to dismember the Churches at his pleasure to confound Order and to breake open the bounds of the Church which his fathers before had made Rom. 13. power he giues him and thinkes it vnlawfull to resist him power he hath a principall power but not a singular power his meaning is he hath an head aboue him vnto which other eminent members of the Church haue a reference as well as he Euery one knowes how the Fathers runne vpon the difference betwixt praesum and prosum betwixt dominion and dispensation betwixt possession and Law and so his Lordship which was prayed for in their Letanies in the time of Pius Quintus by the name of Dominus Apostolicus amongst the rest is by this discouered to be nothing but truely worse then Octanus and Tiberius his predecessors which refused the name of LORD because it was a Title of power but not of Piety So then his Ecce duo Gladij The two swords the one for the Church the other of the Church the one from the mouth of the Priest the other from the hand of the Emperour It is enough it is too much as deuout Bernard speakes And by this time we see the reason why the Pope aboue Rome and Rome aboue all Citties Inter Caput extulit vrbes haue exalted themselues These 5. things considered will cleere it 1 A primacy in regard of the Empire 2 The chiefe men elected Popes excellent Schollers woorthy Martyrs This made the people wing on that side 3 The Emperour translated to the East The Pope getting the vpper hand of his deputy at Rome the Emperor curbing the Bishop of Constantinople the Latine Church grew strong and the Greeke weake 4 The leuity of the Greeke Church giuen to nouelties distracted with heresies suffering of Bishops opposite to their Church euen within their walls was the cause that compelled the better sort of Bishops to appeale to Rome for succour and of the credit of that Sea 5 The Emperour still withdrawing his forces the Cleargy of Rome ouer-ballancing the temporalty Propter imperium gaue aduantage as stirrups for the man of Pride to raise himselfe by the helpe of Phocas and such wicked Pages that lifted him vp into that seate where now hee sits Although all the Fathers that speake of Order and Gregory and Hierome themselues so much runne vppon that worde Aequaliter yet now ambition teares in peeces those brazen steppes where Deuotion before did weare it selfe and we are wearied with the weight of this great head that is vpon vs that neuer yet could bee set vppon the shoulders of Russia and Armenia and other places and now wee may pray with DAVID Lord saue vs from the Horne of the Vnicorne because this head hath made the most precious home of the Church an Instrument of Murther and of diuision rather then Vnion Be it so that will not content them to be Lords ouer vs but our Faith also They will haue an infallibility of Determination That must depend vpon that Chaire and to this we must be reconciled and so we must thinke vnder paine of damnation This Question was canuassed at Cambridge before the King It must determine and therefore necessary One Tribunall necessary to determine matters of Faith Non vnum vniuersum supremum Tribunal saide the King vppon that ground The Deane of Paules Loquebatur in puncto Doctor Cary. as the Prouer be is His wordes were like goades and nailes sharp and sure How wittily and substantially did hee prooue that there was to bee had the last resolution of Faith that Christ instituted that infallible that it was most expedient to be so that Christ foresaw it to be so expedient that the Church could not be one body without it that there could not be without it a iust vniting of the parts of the Church that there could be no vnity of Faith that without it Hereticks could not be conuinced nor lay men in the Church that the vnity of the Church was more preserued by it that no Heresies were condemned without that Bishops consent and that hce had the definitiue sentence If any were giuen by others yet they had recourse to the Pope for confirmation as in the Mileuitan Councell So pithily disputing that it was enough to haue plucked out a mans eyes as the preaching of Paul to the Galathians and led him by a blinde Iesuiticall obedience to thinke so The King certainly admired the frame of his arguments and therefore impatient of interruption bad them let the Deane goe on A frame indeed Aut hoc inclusi ligno occultantur Achiui Aut aliquis latet error equo ne credite Teucri I had not spoken so much of him but in remembrance of S. Iohns That hath brancht out this goulden Candlesticke to beautifie one of the most famous Churches in this King dome Greg. ep Reg. 12. Indu 11. cp 7. S. Pauls in the time of Gregory the Great complained for want of light this cannot howsoeuer in the other I am sure not in the spirituall sence I haue done with him euen in his Relation something may be collected to vnsettle that opinion of dependance vpon the person of that One as cheefe in matters of faith because wee take our leuell of beleefe rather from the matter then the person you shall know him by his fruits Mat. 7.15 nnt his fruits by him It is Christs order not Quis but Quid. The Pope as a Graduate or Catholique Priest may erre not in his Chaire There is not Quid but Quis not what he speaks but what he is the order of Christ peruerted and so giue me at the last leaue to perswade you by the second point That this dependance vpon this one person may bee a cause rather of diuision and separation then of that Reconciliation that is so much implied and so furiously perswaded Now let vs looke backe and see whether wee can be reconciled to that Church which before that head could be set on that bodie caused more distractions and bloud-shed of the Lords seruants then was in any part of Christendome And why did Chrysostome complaine in his time that the Bishop of Rome had filled the Churches with bloud and defiled the holy Eucharist with murthers well it might haue beene preuented if Peters successour had done to his fellow Bishops as Peter to Paul Gal. 2.9 giuen the right hand of fellowship or if they would as Gregory doth
this word Honour which is commended to the fauourable opinion of the world to bee blowen to and fro with the breath of mens nostrils there is an heauenly substance to bee disposed of to bee placed after death according to thy death either in euerlasting Tabernacles or perpetuall torments Wherefore endangering thy selfe in single combat not onely to die but to die the death not onely to perish but to perish and come to a fearefull end not onely to be cut downe but cut downe and cast into the fire Then poize these two the blemish of honour with the hazard of euer lasting life in the ballance of thy iudgement and accordingly make resolution I presume none will deny but in our vsuall and daily quarrels the danger is great and rufull for any Christian to consider but in a case of necessity when otherwise neyther Court can cleare me nor the deuise of man giue remedie there laying apart all personall respects abandoning all affections of Honour without any desire of reuenge only for triall of right I le commend my cause to the proofe of Armes and sentence of weapon to be directed by Diuine iudgement If your resolution be such let mee commend vnto you a double consideration of cause and person 1 Is thine iniury so hainous as may not be borne and the triall so difficult as neyther can bee manifested by Record of Writte Ier. 32.44 nor decided by testimony of two or three witnesses established by our Sauiour nor indeed by Oath Ioh. 8.17 which the Apostle makes the vpshot of all controuersies amongst men If thy quarrell be such Heb. 6.16 thou appealest to the iudgement of Weapon 2 Then in the second place examine thy selfe if respecting the priuate iniury and blemish of honour thou canst meet thine enemy in the field and leaue all sinister affections at home if thou canst carry Christian Charity in thine heart and the weapons of Death in thy hands If thou canst commend a prepared soule to thy Sauior intend to shed that bloud for which his bloud was shed on the crosse If thou canst expect the reward of Gods saints in heauen determine to cast out thy brothers soule in a wrong cause then see you haue warrant and keepe thy resolution but vnderstand that this thy passage into heauen if there be any such after all honest pretences mans witte can deuise all the Differences the Law can afford are bestowed vpon it will prooue as hard and narrow a passage for thy soule as a Nedles eye for the huge Cammell What shall we say then Is there no redresse for the blemish of honour and reputation Yes beloued there will come a day when the most secret cause will be made manifest when all the Courts in the world shall be iudged ouer againe till which time God hath reserued many causes vntried for his owne Court. Therefore saies St. Paul 1 Cor. 3.5 Iudge nothing before the time till the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidde in darkenesse and then shall euery man haue praise of God haue patience then till the trumpe blow and the walls of Iericho fall flatte to the ground Till the Heauens passe with a noyse and the elements melt with feruent heate then shalt thou meet the iudge of the world and receiue sentence according vnto right then shall thine honour bee restored seuen fold in the sight of Men Angels there meane while resolue thy selfe like a Christian if thy supposed honour affect thee in case of Gods honour or the safety of thy soule cast it off better it is for thee to enter heauen lame in honour maimed in reputation in the sight of the world then hauing all sound to be cast into hell fire I speake not after the manner of men else would I perswade that it were not a world could ecclipse true honour Well true or supposed honour shall I suffer disgrace till the last trumpe This is an hard interim I would to God I could releeue you Shall I with S. Augustine adfratres in Eremo commend vnto you the example of our Sauiour who beeing disgraced and shamefully dishonoured of his enemies the first oblation he offered vpon the Altar of the Crosse was prayer for his enemies that were not so fit it was writ adfratres in eremo but I know to whom I speake Shall I commend the Prophet Dauids example who dishonourably reuiled of Shimei reuenged not againe but dealt honourably with lame Mephibosheth the remnant of his enemies house Yea but Dauid was a Prophet altogether swallowed vp with diuine contemplation we are not of that precise coat yea but Dauid was a Prince and well wist what true honor meant a valiant Prince whose arme would encounter a bow of steele and by the might of his God spring ouer a wall yet herein was his glory to shew kindnes to his deadly foe 2 Sam 9.3 Remaines there not one saith Dauid of the house of Saul on whom I may shew the saluation of God Honourable Dauid that thought it the most honour to be likest God in shewing mercie to his enemies All my Fathers house saith Mephibosheth to Dauid were but dead men before my Lord the King Posse nolle nobile To reuenge a quarrell argues skill and courage but to forgiue or not regard an iniury that is right Honourable Wherefore to conclude this point Mar. 8.35 that which our Sauiour Christ pronounced in the Gospell of Marke is as truely to be meant of honour as of life Whosoeuer will saue his honour shall loose it and whosoeuer shall lose his honour for my sake and the Gospels shall saue it Be it then farre from dust and ashes to seate himselfe in Gods place crying vengeance is mine I will repay it to extoll his owne honour before Gods least he that sits in heauen laugh them to scorne and the Lord should haue them in derision This is one point in which vaine man the Sonne of Adam does affect to become a God Like one of vs. If it would please Almighty God to looke downe from Heauen vpon the sonnes of men Psal 13.2 hee might behold more presumptuous and aspiring gods amongst men or would hee come downe from heauen to make triall of these cries that are come vp to him Gen. 18.21 as himselfe speaketh in the 18. of Genesis would it please him to take a view of his own dwelling place the holy house of his habitation he should perceiue one of Adams vnhallowed sonnes seated in his roome houzed within the holy stones of Sion his chambers chaires adorned with the Churches robes himselfe and his family fed with Tithes and Offrings would not this prouoke Almighty God to take my text for good sooth and say behold the man is become a god like one of vs harboured in our sanctuary and serued with our Priests like one of vs honored and worshipped in consecrated Tithes and holy offerings like one of vs whiles
claues where Obserue that the maine grunsels of that Church are vpon such places which are full of Metaphors As Purgatory is kindled out of that of the 1 Corin. 3. Wood Hay and Stubble 1 Cor. 3.12 and confirmed by the Metaphor of the Minister Iayler and Prison out of which they cannot come vntill they pay the vttermost farthing So the supremacy is founded vpon the Metaphor of the Rocke and keyes wee may climbe vp by a Metaphor well tentered higher then the boughes will well endure 1 Tibi Dabo Claues Aedificabo Dabo A promise here is made of that after was performed 2 By Keyes is expressed the chiefe authority in the Church It is fetcht from Esay 22.22 Esay 22.22 spoken to Eliakim to be steward in the steed of Shebne The key of the house of Dauid will I lay vpon his shoulder so hee shall open and no man shall shut and hee shall shut and no man shall open This key Christ had as the Master Reuel 3.7 in the third of the Reuelation and this say they committed he to Peter As the Master Christ had it so he commits it to the Apostles as stewards 1 Corin. 4.1 1 Corin. 4. Let euery one so thinke of vs as the Ministers of Christ and Stewards so the same word is vsed in Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faithfull Steward But Tibi now is Vobis True 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was first promised to Peter vpon his confession but if the same be performed after to all that is heere promised to Peter Luk. 12.42 is not the point then at an end 1 What is more in Key then a Metaphor of binding and loosing two metaphors one to explane another yes Caiet an and Stapleton say there 's more in keyes then binding and loosing we leaue them to Bellarmine hee confutes Caietan in that by the generall consent of Fathers What can the keyes doe but open and shut We shut men out of heauen by sinne by the Grace of the Gospell they are admitted So by sinne we are bound and bound ouer to eternall condemnation in the chaines of darkenesse By the Gospell we are loosed from sinne to the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God 1 In the keyes then the power is promised 2 The function is declared so saith the Catechisme vpon the Councell of Trent challenge them therfore vpon their Oath Sacram Scripturam nunquam nisi iuxta vnanimem consensum Patrum accipiam aut interpretabor This Scripture being taken according to common consent and interpretation of the Fathers as the Bull of Oath made by Pope Pius the fourth and annexed to the Councell of Trent doth witnesse all shall be well at length 2 What is heere promised to Peter that is not giuen to all Iohn the 20. and the 23. verse Sicut me pater As my Father hath sent me so send I you A larger commission cannot bee giuen in plaine words much lesse in a metaphor Then sicut me Pater misit The Father sent mee to open heauen to the penitent so send I you The Father sent me to preach liberty to the captiues and to them that are bound Esa 61.1 the opening of the prison so send I you Whose sinnes ye remitte they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained If this power were giuen by breathing Christ breathed no more vpon Peter then on the rest for ought we know If the Apostles were made Bishops by laying clouen tongues on their heads we finde no more vpon Peter then the rest If the Apostles be the twelue foundations wee finde not Peter greater then the rest If twelue precious stones in the Reuelation the first is esteemed no more precious vnlesse in our estimation Bellarmine vrged by Caluin Cal. lib. 4. Instit c. 6. Sect. 1. Bell. de Rom. pont l. 1. c. 9.2 Cor. 11.28 How Scripture still giueth the chiefe power to the Apostles equally without preferring Peter before the rest yeeldeth the Bucklers Summa potestas ecclesiastica non solum data est Petrosed etiam alijs Apostolis Omnes poterant dicere Instantia mea quotidiana solicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum fuit enim in illis Ecclesiae primordijs necessarium ad fidem toto orbe terrarum celeritèr disseminandam vt primis praedicatoribus Ecclesiae fundatoribus summa potestas concederetur Mortuis autem Apostolis Apostolica authoritas insola petrisuccessione permansit Is it come to this that their labour was alike that they were all equally the chiefe Preachers that they were all in the same degree founders of the Church and the disseminators of the Catholique Faith The streame of the texts and the current of Antiquity interpreting the same hath driuen him to that Ingenuity What doe wee contending about Peters supremacy amongst these texts Wee had thought hee would haue fetched it from Peter Peter neuer had it search it then from Linus or Clement he that succeeded Peter we do not know who it was 1 Obserue they vrge it as Ius Diuinum and perswade weakelings that of Conscience vnder paine of condemnation we acknowledge our selues members of that Vniuersall Bishop and that out of Scripture Scripture doth not once mention him much lesse giue any preheminence to him aboue the rest 2 Bellarmine belabors al the texts Super banc petram Tibi dabo claues c. as if still Peter had something more then the rest he hath spun such a thred in this point that no spiders thred is more subtill Peter had the grant but neuer to enioy it one houre It was to begin in his successors but after his death So they must haue it from Peter else not Iure diuino else not as the Vicar of Christ or from him yet Peter neuer had it himselfe Somewhat there was which was giuen to Peter in these Texts but to begin after his death and after the death of all the rest It is worth examining for wee neuer came to the maine point till now Goe on with these texts which they presse but you shall finde this to be the issue of all TRACT VII IOHN 21.16 Feede my sheepe LEt vs handle this text occasionally hauing the last Tearme propounded the maine point The Quere whereupon the resolution of mindes vnresolued in Religion do depend to wit whether a man stand bound in conscience to forsake this present Church in which we are baptized and Catechized to bee reconciled to the Church of Rome vnder paine of eternal condemnation so they propound it to their disciples Concerning which I haue made these demands 1 Wee demand some cleere euidence for our Conscience else it were not onely rashnesse but a great sinne in so great a matter that the Church of Rome is the onely Church wherein is saluation 2 Whereas to this testimony of the Church that is of Rome for other they will acknowledge none that shee alone is the onely true Catholicke Church we take exception in this point to
her testimony in her owne cause for if Christ were content to lay by his testimony let it seeme a reasonable demand If shee aske how long we take exception to her testimony we answer iust so long as she hath made the same challenge as she doth and no longer 3 Since other testimony there is none besides the Church and Scripture which they do pretend I demand whether this point that shee is the onely Church wherein saluation may be found be there expressed or by tract of consequent Not expressely 4 Because a man is not bound to beleeue euery thing that by consequent is drawne out of Scripture I demand some cleere consequent for according to the degrees of euidence must we frame our Faith Now this consequent is so farre fetched that before they can perswade a mans conscience that hee is bound to ioyne with them and become subiect to the Bishop of that Sea he must of necessity demonstrate these 5. points 1 That Christ beeing the visible head of his whole Church so as without his Church there was no saluation they must proue that he left this to his Apostle Peter aboue the rest 2 That this power giuen to Peter did not die with him as the Apostleship did with the rest but continued in his successors 3 That Peter at his death did not impart it vnto many after him though it was a great charge and like to grow farre greater but heaped it all vpon one and that that one was the Bishop of Rome 4 That this Bishop who doth now raigne is not onely lawfully chosen but doth vndoubtedly succeede Peter in a direct succession for these fifteene hundred yeeres and aboue without any materiall interruption 5 This proued wee are neuer the neerer by their owne rule except it appeare that this Pope and present Church of Rome doth succeed Peter and his Church as well in Faith and Doctrine as place and person for they doe not exclude vs for want of succession our Records are true and cleere but as heretickes for not obeying their Faith Therefore if they doe not obey the Faith of Peter all the former points are to no purpose Let me therefore make a motiue vnto him who is vnseted in his resolution that hee would rest his soule where it is content himselfe with the plaine text of Christ and his Apostles agreed vpon till these fiue points be made cleere to his Conscience and before that I hope his soule shall be in Abrahams bosome Now that Christ left this power to Peter alone aboue the rest which is the maine foundation which if it faile the whole building must needs fall It is laid vpon foure pillars in foure texts which are repeated before For the first I haue proued that Rocke not to be Peters person as the head of the Church but that which Peter discouered by confession The Sonne of the liuing God and that Christ named Peter alluding to the signification of his name for that hee made a firme confession answerable to his name and should therefore be as a liuing stone vpon that Rocke Blessed art thou Simon Bar-iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this to thee This wee haue proued by the Analogy of place by exact difference obserued betweene Petrus and Petra our originall and their vulgar by the practise of Peter and the rest in building vpon this Rooke and by interpretation of Augustine Ambrose Hillary Cyrill Chrysostome Bede or else by Lyra the interlineall glosse Cusanus Petrus de Aliaco c. For Tibidabo claues that there is no more power meant in the Metaphor of the keyes promised to Peter then is after expressed in binding and loosing Bellarmine himselfe hath vndertaken it against Caittan and Stapleton whatsoeuer Christ did promise to Peter in Matthew is giuen to the rest in Iohn In sicut misit me Pater sic mitto vos As large a Commission and in as plaine termes as may bee As my Father sent mee Esay 61. To preach liberty to the Captiues and them that are bound the opening of the prison so send I you therefore whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted and whose sinnes ye retaine they are retained If there were power giuen by breathing where Christ breathed on all alike If in the sending of clouen tongues no more sate on Peters head then on the rest If as one of the twelue foundations Peter is no bigger then the rest If amongst the twelue precious stones he be no more precious then the rest vnlesse in our estimation Saphire as good as lasper then we may safely as yet determine against them that lay such snares on men soules concerning their saluation For Orabo pro te and confirma fratres Luk. 22.32 vpon examination we haue found no preheminence giuen to Peter at all sauing onely in the occasion which mooued Christ to speake particularly to Peter a prophecy of his denying of Christ in the 34 verse for Christ prayed for the rest as wel as for Peter in Iohn the 17. Father sanctifie them in thy trueth Ioh. 17.11 Now if Christ praied more for Peter it was not for his dignity but because he was in greater danger Christ tels him what neede there is that he should pray for him Confirma fratres He meanes all Christians to whom he preaches and writes as in the 2. of Peter 1. 10. If we will therefore haue Christ to meane his fellow Apostles doth not Paul confirme Peter more then euer Peter did Paul 4 Text. But Pasce Oues meas Galat. 2.11 is the place they lay the most weight on and it demonstrates three things faith Bellarmine 1 That it is directed to Peter alone by name Simon Ioanna and Diligis me plus his His excluding the rest and repeated three times 2 Pasce not onely to feede but also to gouerne expressed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath a third signification To eat It is well that Bellarmine leaues out that for Baronius against Segnorius of Venice an holy Father vses it for Kill and eate Acts 10.13 3 Oues meas there 's the Lambs that 's the Laity The little sheepe the Cleargy and the strong sheepe the Apostles Heretickes deny this diuision saith Bellarmine Nobis autem exploratum certumque est omnes omnino Christianos etiam Apostolos ipsos Petro tanquam ouiculas commendari cum ei dicitur Pasce Oues meas with all Christians and the Apostles themselues commended to his cure Then Peter and Peter alone must be the sole ordinary Pastor of the Church of Christ 1 True it is that this is spoken to Peter and onely to him and that three times The reason is because hee was singular in denying Christ and denying three times and if the place be rightly waighed it is rather a stay of his weakenesse then a note of his greatnesse Ominous it is that the Pope relieth most vpon those places which are grounded vpon Peters deniall 2 For Pasce heere 's no