haue best of all knowne Christs minde and to deliuer it most faithfully about the gouernment of the Church although they granted a primacie of order and difference to the Bishop of Rome yet they denyed him a supremacie of power and iurisdiction and according to the sixt Canon of the Nicene Councell hembde in the See of Rome into certaine limits wherein being included shee should not breake forth Yet for all that they brake ouer the bounds set downe both by God and Men. God that he might punish the contempt of the Gospell brought so grieuous a sluggishnes vpon the world and so generall an apostacie vpon the Church that the time it selfe laying vp and hiding all meanes of helpe did not only bring to light the bramble formerly hid in the ground but brought it abroad and set it aloft and placed it aboue all the Cedars of Libanus First aboue Bishops in Boniface the third after aboue Kings and Emperors in Gregorie the 7 whose wings being so often clipt by foure Councells Wormes Papta Brixis and Montze grew againe in the successors so farre that they flew at the last aboue Councells Till the three generall Councells of Pisa Constance and Basil Constant Con Sess 1. did not only displace Popes out of the Popedome but decreed that Councels were aboue the Popes For the Pisan Councell did cast two Popes Gregorie and Benett out of their seats and choose Alexander the fift And the Councell of Constance assembled by the summons of Iohn the 23. for refusing their tryall and for his abominable symonie and wicked life and manners depriued him of his Popedome Sess 10 12. Sess 4. 5. and after condemned Gregorie the twelfth not appearing and cut him of as a withered member and an incorrigible heretike and schismatike as they plainly termed him And that it may seeme not to haue dealt rashly This holy generall Synode say they lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost and representing the Church militant hath immediate power from Christ not from the Pope but from Christ whose power any whosoeuer of what estate and condition soeuer euen the Pope himselfe is bound to obey And farther declareth if the Pope do obstinately refuse to obey the statutes ordinances and iniunctions which either this holy Synode or any other hereafter generall Synode lawfully assembled either now haue or hereafter shall decree that he is to be constreyned to a condigne satisfaction and worthily to be punished and so Iohn the 23. being deposed and cast out it choose Martin the fift for Pope The Pope and the Councell did long contend about the maioritie and superioritie as they terme it but the Councell had the vpper hand Here comes to my minde a certaine tale not vnpleasant of the spawne of a frog which a Calfe had troden vpon in the absence of the Damme which Calfe when one escaping from the rest had described to the frogge his damme to bee a great beast how bigge I pray said shee and puffing out hir selfe thus bigge greater by the half said the young one Horaec Sermo 2 Saâ—y 2. what by so much said the Frog when shee had blowne vp hir-selfe more and more not if you breake your selfe said he can you be equall to it The Councell of Constance with her foote trode vpon two frogs though they would haue fled from tryall and declared it selfe to be greater and higher than the Pope though he sweld neuer so bigge The Councell had done well if it had not crusht in peeces two Doues and had not decreed that cuppe which Christ for diuers causes had commanded in his supper should bee giuen to the people for moe and more weighty causes as they say was to bee taken from them Which the Councell of Basill did restore afterward Sess 13. being assembled by Martin the fifts Bull and confirmed by the letters of Eugenius the 4. whom shee deposed and being ratified by the Bull of Nicholas the fift who succeeded Eugenius declared the decree of the Councell of Constance about the power of the generall Councell against the Pope to be a truth of the catholike faith Basil Con Sess 16. and adiudged him an heretike that did obstinately resist the two former truths Therefore let the Pope either submit himselfe vnder the generall Councell or by the iudgement of the generall Councell he must needs confesse himselfe to be an heretike Hence is all their griefe and their secret quarrell against the Scriptures and the former Synods and the latter also though they somwhat fauoured the Romish superstition because they did represse her ambition Till at the last two other Councells the Laterane and the Tridentine did lift vp the Pope not onely aboue all Councells but aboue all Scriptures that hee at his pleasure might put out the Crowes eyes as the Prouerbe is and as if hee were the 13 Apostle set forth a doctrine at his owne liking contrary to the Scripture After this sort after many ages and dangers the Pope got place aboue Bishops Kings Councels and Scriptures themselues So great a worke it was to build the Romish seate The very naked name whereof is opposed against all our encounters as it were Gorgons head Do we alledge the Fathers what maruell is it if when he perceiueth they stand against him hee reiects them in seuerall when hee contemnes them all in generall Do we alledge Councels The former are corrected by the later the better by the worse and the more by the fewer Do we alledge the Scriptures what good do we thereby when we haue a Sphinx at home who can lay open the Scripture as it were a riddle according to his owne sense and his best auaile Thus they reduce all things at the last to the mother the Church or rather to the father of the Church For they make the mother to be of the masculine gender and bring the most generall generall to one that is singular that is to the Pope for the time ruling With whose spirit that Synagogue being filled it seemeth closely to be offended with none of the Apostles more than with S. Paul by whose silence shee taks her selfe not only not to be assisted but to be hurt by his testimonie when as the merit of workes being abandoned hee concludeth the onely mercy of God in Christ being apprehended by faith to be mans iustice before God Which conclusion doth ouerthrow all Poperie as it shall afterward appeare It doth plague the Synagogue for it toucheth two things to the quicke the Bishops miter and the Monkes bellies for faith being placed in the only merits of Christ hath diminished the Indulgences the treasure of the Church and makes the offrings to images to be more rare and sparing So that the Synagogue doth sometime as well closely accuse S. Paul of heresie as Luther and Caluin I once heard two old popish Doctors one of them a Fryer Ieronimite in Portugall another a Iacobine in France say when they were prest with
of Rome as what it ought to doe For this is rather an admonition then a commendation and with a praise giueth warning of duty Wherefore you shall doe well Calander as S. Peter warnes you if you alwaies giue attention to the holy Scripture as to the candle to the Church as to the candle-sticke so long as it containeth and vpholdeth that candle giuing light to all the house For if it bee bereft of the light of her sunne and being blinde endeauours to make others blinde also while it makes new Articles of the faith and conceales the old it doth retain the name of a Church but it hath altogether lost the nature that which may very truely be spoken of the Church of Rome § 128 You doe very vnaduisedly traduce the Church of Rome saith Saturnine by whom you thinke that new Articles of the faith were made for the Articles of the faith which it propoundes are diuided into two sortes One are of immediate Reuelation Others are drawne and fetcht from thence What articles of faith the Church maketh The Church doth not make new Articles of the faith of the first sort But the Church maketh Articles of the second sort which ought to bee beleeued with the Catholicke faith as the case requireth if it thinke them necessary Therefore Vincentius Lyrinensis thinketh that the life of propheticall and euangelicall doctrine must be directed by the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholike sense so that he doth in vaine brag of the text of scripture who reiecteth the sense of the Church § 129 Then Patriott how absurdly is it said saith he that the Church doth not make immediate reuelations of God Vnlesse that be more absurd to thinke that to fetch and draw from is the same which to make for an Article must first be made before a doctrine can be drawne or fetcht from the same Therefore that is said to bee an Article of the faith which is drawne from an Article Foolishly Articles are principles deductions are conclusions An article is one thing a conclusion drawne from the article is another which often is so contrarie that it vtterly ouerthroweth the article As it shall bee made cleare in the explication of your creede For I confesse with Vincentius Lyrinensis that the line of propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine is to be directed by the rule of the ecclesiasticall and catholicke sense For the ecclesiasticall and catholicke sense must alway agree with the Propheticall and apostolicall text For where the text doth faile vs the glosse cannot helpe vs. Whence I conclude that nothing can bee Catholicke and Ecclesiasticall which is not Propheticall or Apostolicall Now because Vincentius doth restraine the propheticall and apostolicall line to the cannon of the Scripture which he confesseth to be more then sufficient for faith it followeth that nothing contrarie to the canonicall Scripture can be Ca holicke though it bee so determined by the Church Wherefore Calander if the Church of Rome haue cast any article of faith into the Creede of the second sort which is contrarie to an Article of the first sort and haue added an ecclesiasticall glosse disagreeing from the definition of canonicall Scripture that Church shall sooner leaue off to be the Catholicke Church then that Article shall beginne to be Catholicke Let vs come therefore to the Creede and let vs intreat Argentine if hee please to open it vnto vs. Then Argentine I will doe it and very willingly and § 130 I will so professe it as it is propounded by the Bull of Pius the 4. to be a forme of an Oath of the profession of the orthodoxall faith 1 I William Argentine doe firmely admit and hold the Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall traditions and other ordinances and constitutions of the Church of Rome The Popes creede Traditions Scriptures according to the Romane sense 2 I doe firmely hold and admit the holy Scriptures according to that sense which the mother Church hath and doth hold whose right it is to iudge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scripture neither will I euer admit it or expound it but according to the ioynt consent of the fathers 3 I professe that there be seauen Sacraments truely and properly of the new Law 7 Sacraments ordained by our Lord Iesus necessarie for the saluation of mankind Baptisme Confirmation the Eucharist Penance Extream vnction Orders Matrimony I admit the receiued and approoued rites of the Catholicke Church Originall sin and iustification 4 I admit and hold all and euery those points concerning originall sinne and iustification which were determined in the holy Councell of Trent The Masse 5 I professe that there is offered vp in the Masse vnto God a true proper propitiatorie sacrifice for the quicke and the dead Transsubstantiation 6 I beleeue that in the holy Eucharist the body and blood of Christ is truely and really and substantially and that there is made a change of the whole substance of bread into his body and of the whole substance of wine into his blood which change or conuersion the Catholicke Church calleth transsubstantiation I confesse also that vnder one kinde onely whole Christ is receiued and a true sacrament Purgatorie 7 I constantly hold that there is a purgatorie and that the soules there deteined are holpe with the praiers of the faithfull Adoration of Saints 8 I hold that the Saints raigning with Christ are to be worshipped and to be called vpon and that they offer vp their prayers to God for vs and that their reliques are to be worshipped The worshipping of Images 9 I firmely hold that the Images of Christ and the euer blessed Virgin and of other Saintes are to bee had and to be adored with due worshippe Indulgences 10 That the power of indulgences was left by Christ and that the vse of them is very auaileable for saluation The supremacie of the Pope 11 I acknowledge the Catholicke and Apostolicke Romaine Church to be the mother and mistris of all Churches and I vowe and sweare true obedience to the Byshoppe of Rome the successour of blessed Peter the Prince of the Apostles and the Vicar of Iesus Christ The authority of the Councell of Trent 12 I vndoubtedly likewise receiue all other thinges defined and determined by the holy Canons and Occumenicall Councells chiefly of the holy Councell of Trent and I reiect and accurse all things contrarie and all heresies reiected by the Church This true Catholicke faith without which none can § 130 be saued at this present I voluntarily professe I will procure as farre as lyeth in me to be wholy vncorruptly and constantly kept and taught by Gods assistance to my liues end I the same William promise vow and sweare so help me God and these his holy Euangelist And I stand in feare of that which the most holy Father added It shall not bee lawfull for any man to infringe this authoritie of our ordination inhibition
Images The Popes imagine that they be Masters of abstinence and continencie when for conscience sake they forbidde meates and marriages when as in truth they bring in the doctrine of deuills as S. Paul teacheth They doe not intend so you will say The murtherer doth not intend to kill his Father but his enemie but in stead of his enemie hee killeth his Father in the darke shall we say hee killed not his father but his enemie because he intended not his fathers but his enemies death which if it be absurd to speake in this outward darknes do we not thinke it as absurd in this inward darknesse of the soule if any man say that he doth worship God when hee doth worship the Dragon because hee doth intend to worship God not the Dragon Therefore the Emperours and the Popes doe agree in a third that is in worshipping the Dragon from whom they haue receiued their power Adde hereto that the Pope in whom the image of the first beast doth reuiue and liue againe as shall appeare afterward while he driueth men to worship himselfe it may be said that he doth compell them to worship the image of the first beast from whence thus I dispute He that compelleth men to worship the image of the first beast is Antichrist The Pope doth compell men to worship the image of the first beast The Pope therefore is Antichrist CHAP. XV. The decayed Emperour reuiued by the Pope 5 FOR shee is said to cure and heale the deadly blow of the former beast and to restore to him a spirit and a voice That I may not be longer about those things which are so copiously vnfolded by others the Empire tooke a deadly wound in Augustulus The Empire dead which was the last Emperour of the East from whom the Empire lay as it were dead for 325 yeeres till it was restored againe by the Pope and receiued as it were new life in Charles the Great as Bellarmine doth vauntingly confesse For he saith That the Pope did translate the Empire first from the Greekes to the French reuiued afterward to the Germaines and appointed that the choice of the Emperour should be made by seauen Electors on that condition that the confirmation and inauguration of the Emperour so chosen should belong to the Pope that by this meanes that dead head might seeme to liue and flourish againe by the spirit of the Pope But reseruing to himselfe the power of the Empire hee left the title to the Germaines Cap. 15. de mira Anti as Bellarmine doth vnaduisedly confesse that Antichrist shall be the last that shall enioy the Romane Empire without the name or title of the Romane Emperour The Emperor but titular And therefore the Germane Emperour in respect of his power is only Titular for the Pope hath not only deriued to him the spirituall power but the temporall also therefore the state of Antichrist is the liuely image of the old Empire The Germaine Empire is not now the Empire but the title and dead ghost of the Empire to whom the Pope giueth spirit that is authoritie and a voice that is his Edicts when he giueth life to the Emperour by his confirmation To what end I pray you â— that it may sustaine and vphold the Popes Seate wherein the power of the Empire doth reside without a name according to Iohns Prophecie Hence the Germane Emperour is called the Procurator and protector of the Apostolicall See I dispute then thus Antichrist is the restorer of the old Romane Monarchie witnes S. Iohn The Pope of Rome alone is the restorer of the old Romane Monarchie Bellarmine not onely witnessing it but glorying in it The Pope of Rome therefore alone is Antichrist CHAP. XVI Of bringing downe fire from heauen BVt Bellarmine doth expound this place according to the letter as that likewise of bringing downe fire from heauen Antichrist saith he and the Antichristian Church doth make the image of the Beast to liue and speake But the Pope and the Popish Church did neuer make the image of the Beast to liue and speake Therefore the Pope is not Antichrist Besides Antichrist saith he doth cause fire to come from heauen in the sight of men The Pope did neuer bring downe fire in the sight of men The Pope therefore is not Antichrist The proposition of the former syllogisme taken literally is not S. Iohns proposition for not the image of euery beast is to take life from Antichrist but the image of the first Beast that is of the Romane Empire which the Pope in name and title renued in the Emperour in strength and power retained in himselfe And therefore hee peruersely collecteth out of Iohn that power is giuen to Antichrist to giue life and frame speeches to Images which may seeme as credible to sober men Popish false miracles as that the picture of Memnon being enlightned by the Sunne beames spake very plainely as Tacitus reporteth But grant it be so the assumption literally taken agreeth with the Pope and the popish Synagogue if ye beleeue the Legend How often by them are images counterfeited to moue to sweat to nodd to speake in the sight and opinion of simple people that they may be allured to the worship of those Saints whose images they be There was some wonder toward as oft as the image began to speake Martialis The Deuill did often speake in the images of the Ethnicks but a Priest in the images of the Papist that hee may seeme to take the Deuils turne in deluding of men I retort therefore this argument Whatsoeuer Church doth make images to speake in the opinion of men is Antichristian But the popish Church doth make images to speake in the opinion of men Therefore the popish Church is Antichristian 6. Now I come to Bellarmines latter syllogisme if first I shall explaine the sixt action of the Beast Shee worketh great signes so that she maketh fire to descend from heauen in the sight of men The Beast that is Antichrist doth worke great miracles v 13. which blessed Paul calls lying signes and wonders 1. in respect of the end because they serue to seduce men Ioh 14. 2. in respect of the matter for they be either the counterfeytings of lying men or the wonders of deceitfull spirits as Augustine speaketh 3. In respect of the forme for whereas true miracles doe exceede nature and are wrought by the omnipotent power of God false wonders are they which are partly effected by naturall causes partly by the power of Sathan Bellarmine doth well agree with vs in all False miracles The miracles of the first and second kinde haue been infinite in the darke kingdome of Antichrist the apparition of Spirits the visions of Angells our Ladie how often hath shee come gliding out of heauen how often haue the miserable soules crept puling out of Purgatorie besetting high-wayes and recounting their torments to procure men to pittie them hence the market of
derogation will statute decree and commandement or by any rash attempt to withstand it If any shal presume to attempt any thing against these let him know that he shall incurre the displeasure of almightie God and of blessed Peter and Paul his Apostles Giuen at Rome at Saint Peters in the yeare of the incarnation of our Lord 1564. in the Ides of Nouember and of our Byshopricke the first You haue heard of mee Calander the 12. open and § 131 knowne Articles of the Popes Creede Secret Articles drawne from the former Now if it please you take them which are drawne from them more hidden and vnknown I hope my old friend Saturnine will giue me leaue to open vnto you seeing your time is not long and are not farre from heauen and doe daily expect the houre of your departure to open I say to you the inward sense of the creede and to furnish you as it werewith prouision in this your iorney that when you depart hence Saint Peter the Porter of heauen may the sooner let you in being thus prouided The Masters speake wisedome among those that bee perfect they haue certaine hid mysteries all which they doe not lay open to all but some certaine to some as these are thought best to agree with their capacities and desires Neither will I poure out all I will reserue the mysticall sense of euery Article to be found out by the practise In the meane time by your fauour Saturnine the order being somewhat inuerted I will propound the primacy the eleuenth Article in order the first in authoritie whereon all the rest depend which I desire you with some of your best reasons to defend now rather then at any other time wherein it is fiercely impugned by the assaltes of the Heretickes of our time § 132 I beleeue therefore that Saint Peter was very certainly appointed in the Scripture to be the primate The primacy is the chiefe head of faith and the cheife foundation of the Catholike faith as Bellar in Torto most plainly grounded vpon the Scriptures and Prince of the Apostles and of the vniuersall Church and that the Pope of Rome Peters successor is the heire of this primacy and vniuersal principality in the whole who being the key-keeper of eternall life the Pastour of the vniuersall flocke the head and foundation of the vniuersall Church the infallible rule of faith the cheife iudge of all causes and persons hauing the same tribunall with Christ and the same consistorie in steade of Christ nay in steade of God nay as God himselfe vpon earth and therefore I hold him to bee reuerenced and worshipped I beleeue the chiefe inward power annexed to the primacy is of 2 sorts Sacred Temporall The sacred whereby the Byshoppe of Rome as the spirituall Lord can by excommunication driue away Kings and Princes from the flocke of Christ not onely Heretickes in the faith as rauening wolues but Catholickes also if they proue wicked as outragious rammes and to depriue them of all gouernment and free their subiectes from the Oath of fealty and Obedience The temporall whereby the Pope as Lord of the temporalties in earth can dispose of all crownes and them directly Princes saucily resembled to Wolues Rammes by Bellarmine or indirectly in order to the spiritualls as it set downe by you Saturnine in the former Dialogue can take from one and bestow vpon another as hee shall thinke it to be auaileable to the spirituall end And I vow and sweare spirituall obedience to the chiefe Prince my spirituall Byshoppe of Rome according to those mysticall rules which our Masters haue prescribed to the cureent right of the present Church and the preseruation of the same Here Saturnine you seeme not halfe wary enough § 133 Argentine said he who not contenting your selfe with a publicke profession of the faith Popish misteries not to be reuealed which Pius the 4. did prescribe especially to the more learned sort but haue published the hidden and secret Articles drawne from thence i. Mysteries as wee call them and that in the presence of Heretickes which before the creede was set out ought to haue beene beleeued of you but ought not to be reuealed It seemes then said Patriott as Aristotle had some strange bookes which he writ to all and other subtill bookes which he writ for them of the wiser sort which were said to be set out and not set out So the Pope hath some doctrine that is populare and other that is mysticall that many of the doctrines of your Church seem to be Proserpinaes mysteries Yet you see sometime how they fall from men that bee not so euill disposed and come abroad into the world Then Argentine as much as euer I hated heresie so § 134 much I loue the Catholicke faith whereof I need not be ashamed seeing Calander required it at my handes and you were present who can stoutly maintaine the same against any cauelling Hereticke whatsoeuer That was very necessarie said Calander seeing other were here who could as stoutly make answere Therefore let vs ignorant Lay-men learne let the learned teach It is your part to answere mine to demaund It is an olde song of the Papists a learner must beleeue but a truer a learner must aske You beleeue too many things Argentine as there be many men who bee too incredulous in many thtngs so I feare that in many things many be too credulous When we beginne to beleeue that wee ought not wee will not beleeue that wee ought How oft and that without cause may you heare it among vs It is a matter of faith which ranging out of the circuite of holy Scripture I suppose reacheth farther then it ought These doctrines therefore of the Catholicke faith as they are called which are brought by our men into the forme of a creed the state and drift of euery cotrouersie being briefly and truly propounded I could wish they were soundly disputed and discust by you But chiefly that primarie Article of the supremacy whereof I desire not to know all but the most chiefe pointes as also of the rest that the errors of the Church of Rome now doting for age as they be well obserued by certaine honest Pontificians may appeare vnto vs. § 135 Those certaine Pontificians Saturnine said must be very honest I warrant you that reproue our Father the Pope and accuse our mother the Church of dotage For whereas you desire to haue the Articles of the Catholicke faith discust Calander you are in a great error For they are in all humilitie to be receiued not curiously to be discussed For as Austen saith well the simplicity of beleeuing not the quicknesse of vnderstanding is required in a Christian man That he may with reuerence beleeue what the Church teacheth not wittily discusse it and may humbly submit himselfe to the iudgement of the Church without any discourse § 136 But said Calander if you confesse that our mother the Church hath
at all suffer either the truth of Gods Testament to be so corrupted by such wicked Impostors or the maiestie of kingly gouernment to bee so defaced For the dissolution of gouernment springeth out of the corruption of Gods Testament Wherefore if they would admit of wholesome counsail they would iudge these deceitfull Iuglers who make controuersies last for euer by the pernicious quirkes and trickes were to bee supprest by armes not to be refuted by arte for certainely these will neuer leaue off to offer dishonour to God and wrong to Kings § 153 Then Saturnine you are too hot and earnest sayd he Patriott against that most learned Cardinall and light of our age And you must leaue off said he to praise your Cardinall and prooue the supremacie For your Popish writers could neuer yet agree vpon a text whereon the supremacie was plainely grounded Then Saturnine what is more plaine and euident saith hee then that Peter is called the head of the Apostles Ephes 1. The Popish diuision of the head and the rocke whereon Christ promised he would build his Church Matth. 16. for although S. Paul do call Christ the principall and inuisible head of the Church which giueth life to the whole bodie of the Church yet it is euident that there is a ministeriall and a visible head appointed by Christ that may outwardly gouerne the whole Church Cor. 12. whereof hee maketh mention Corinth 12. The head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you which cannot be vnderstood of Christ the principall head For Christ the eternall word of God can say to vs It followeth not but might haue beene aswell spoken to Iohn or Iames. I haue no neede of you it followeth then that it is to bee vnderstood of a ministeriall head that is Peter and Peters successour the Bishop of Rome And although Paul doe affirme Christ to bee that one onely cheife foundation of the Church 1 Cor. 3 1◠yet when he saith in another place that the Church is builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles therfore vpon the person of Peter the Prince of the Apostles as Christ did first call him the Rocke and Esay when in the spirit of prophesie he spake in the person of God Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation A text peculiarly proper to Christ blasphemously applied to Peter as hee vnderstandeth Christ the cheife foundation whereof the Apostle speaketh Another foundation 1. Cor. 3. so hee did foreshew Peter whom Christ called the rocke and the Pope that precious corner stone that surefoundation but a second foundation Bellarm in praefat de Rom. Pont. cap. 1. As was likewise prophesied of one head which the sonnes of Iuda and the sonnes of Israel being assembled should appoint to themselues Whereby it appeareth that there ought to be one vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church Saunders of the visib Monar l. 4. c. 5 and that Christ and his Vicar make one head one visible and ministeriall head whereon all the Church should depend for the remedy of schisme one rocke one secondarie foundation euen the person and chaire of Peter whereon the Church might rest for feare of slipping and falling Let vs aske after the fathers the sincere interpreters of § 154 the Scripture Optatus who thinketh that the word Cephas as it signifieth a head taken from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore calleth Peter the head of the Apostles For the word stone in the Syriake signifieth head in the Greeke Ad Marcel tom Epist 2. each prerogatiue of Peter is described by that word Now that the person of Peter was both called and laid the rocke of the Church by Christ Ierome is a witnesse who doth plainely affirme that Peter was he vpon whom the the Lord founded the Church And to Damasus tom Epist 2. August in Psal contra part Donat. I am ioyned in communion with your blessednesse that is to the chaire of Peter I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke And Austin when hee maketh mention of the seat of Peter saith that that is the rocke Cypria de vnica Ecces Cathol And Cyprian Whosoeuer doth forsake the chaire of Peter whereon the Church is builded doth hee trust to bee in the Church It would bee too long to reckon vp all the fathers who haue written that the person of Peter was called and placed the rocke by Christ whereon hee promised not only to build the Church at that time but would build it after And therefore I alleadged three who called it not the person of Peter only but called the chaire the rocke that I might note downe in the Bishop of Rome the perpetuall building of the Church according to the words of Christ Now bee packing Patriott and deny if you can this cheife article of the Catholike faith that the supremacie and principallity of Peter is plainly grounded vpon the Scriptures Whence a diuers beginning and excellency may bee gathered both of the Ecclesiasticall and secular gouernment that the Pope as spirituall Prince as Peter hath deriued his power immediately from Christ to gouerne his subiects But secular Princes haue receiued their power mediately to gouerne their subiects either by the means of election as the Emperour and King of Polonia or of hereditary succession as the Kings of Spaine France England or of grant and donation as the free Princes or of iust warre and conquest as Godfrey heeretofore and other Lords held the holy land Therefore to the Pope as to Peter ordained the cheife spirituall Prince immediately from Christ in the Church as to the head and rocke of the Church spiritual obedience for conscience sake is to be giuen of all Christians But to secular Kings ordained mediately by humane titles onely secular obedience for policies sake to preserue good order and manners is to bee performed obedience to the higher power alway being preserued which I would haue you know I speake to that end that I might call to your remembrance Calander that whereof you cannot bee ignorant that you doe so sweare fealty to the King that you abiure not your fealty to the Vicar of Christ The vse of which article I thought good shortly to set before all Catholikes in respect of their Princes § 155 Then Patriots you haue spoken much in few words sayd he Saturnine and almost all I am sure the cheifest points which your men doe alleadge out of the Scripture for the supremacy so that you seeme to haue placed them in the rereward as your best soulders at the push of the pike whom if I shall by Gods grace ouerthrow I trust I shall more easily defeat the rest of your broken and scattered forces And first wee must shortly see in what sense Christ the eternal sonne of God is said to be the head the rock and foundation of the Church and so it shall easily
other popish writers subscribe That with a few others did Bellarmine attempt against the Scripture which the boldnes of many popish writers more learned were afraid to attempt And will you hearken to this fellow Calander in a chiefe article of faith as he calls it so far dissenting from his owne side or dare you securely admit of those whom you see as the Madianites mutually wounding them-selues in a cause of such importance Saturnine who seemeth to bee no other thing but very Bellarmine himselfe proceedeth from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope from the Pope he falleth to the Popes chaire and hee proueth that the Church is to be founded vpon that rocke out of testimonies borrowed and framed out of Ierome Austin and Cyprian Cic de erat Cicero makes mention of a certaine mad fellow who finding a small boate on the sea-shore purposed to build a great ship of it Papists like mad-men These mens madnes is like who finding Peters chaire in the Fathers do dreame that the Church must be built vpon the chaire Ierome to Damasus I am vnited in communion saith he to your blessednes that is to Peters chaire I know that vpon that rock the Church is builded that is vpoÌ„ the chaire as you relate it Jerome misalleaged But Ierom thus I following after none chiefest but Christ 〈◊〉 vnited to your Blessednes c. You passe by Christ in this sentence as if he were a man vnknowne and you curtall Ieromes words wherein hee confesseth that he doth follow none chiefly but Christ You make mention of Peters chaire Vpon that rocks saith Ierome I knowe that the Church is â—aide Why should you not rather referre That rocke to Christ that goeth before then to Peter that followeth after in the sentence chiefly when Ierome doth adde the word I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke Now that Christ is that rocke wheron the Church is builded â—one at all doubteth but that Peter is that rocke many deny And yet you are so mad that you will build the ship of the Church vpon the chaire as it were vpon a small boate You haue well Saturnine by rasing out the name of Christ shauen away the sentence as a beard with Ieromes sharpe rasor I shall maruaile much if Austin when he cannot endure that Peter should bee the foundation of the Church would suffer the Pope to be and if when he did remoue the person of Peter from this honor hee would admit Peters chaire But when he makes mention of Peters seat that said he is the rocke Is it so indeed let vs adde the wordes following recken vp said he all the Priests from the very seat of Peter and in that order of Fathers marke who succeeded one another that is the rocke against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Then Saturnine while you are handling another § 161 matter Patriot you doe confirme by Austens authority another article of the Catholicke faith of the Pope Peters successour But said he againe to the confirmation of an article of the Catholicke faith Austens authoritie without the testimonie of the Scripture cannot be sufficient in the iudgement of Austen himselfe who speaketh of the matter as he had heard that the Byshop of Romes seat was the seat of Peter and that in that seat some succeeded others but hee makes it no article of the faith Wherefore when he speaketh that is the rocke it cannot be referred either to the seat or to the succession of Byshoppes in the seat For therein hee should contradict himselfe who makes Christ the rocke of the Church Apostles rockes in respect of doctrine vnlesse rather he referre it to Peter so vnderstood as I said with the rest of the Apostles who in respect of doctrine may in some sort be called rockes But it is not said you will say he is the rocke but shee is the rocke therfore the reference is not to the person in this place but to the seat i. to the chaire As though by the deceit and carelessenesse of writers greater faultes then these had not crept into Austens workes then she for he Although what hinders why shee is the rocke may not aswell bee referred to the person of Peter as those wordes in the Gospell vpon this rocke c. are referred to the person of Peter by the Rhemistes But let that be granted you for a time which you shall neuer euict that Peters chaire is ment in that place Austen saith not that is the rocke whereon the Church is builded but that is the rocke which the gate of hell shall not vanquish So he doth not promise that Rome shall alwaies withstand but doth testifie that Rome did then resist the gates of hell while it kept that faith vncorrupt that Peter left vnto them For if hee should now liue and make diligent search hee should not finde Rome in the middest of Rome This Rome not old Rome Our Romaines at this day are no Romaines they are but the carcasses of those Romaines who receiued their first faith from Paul and Peter which these men haue breathed out as their soules § 162 And now let Cyprian make answer for himselfe who affirmeth that the like power was giuen to all the Apostles by Christ Lib. de vnitat Eccles and that the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was being endowed with the same fellowshippe of honour and power Let him make answere for himselfe how he could lift vp Peters chaire aboue the chaires of the rest and would not haue it forsaken for iust cause which he did oppose in an vniust But Cyprian as both Ierome and Austen and other fathers haue iust cause to complaine Contra Stepha Corruption of Fathers after their death that so many bastardly bookes are brought in the place of those that were right and true And false sentences deceitfully foysted in and true violently cast out that now being dead they are constrained to speake and holde their peace according to other mens pleasures not their owne Now Ierome at your command conceales that which he vttered before Cypr. de vnit Eccles Now Cyprian speaketh that which he neuer meant He that forsaketh Peters chaire whereon the Church is built doth he trust that he is in the Church Cyprian writ thus a little before Christ doth build his Church vpon Peter alone How Peter the first stone in order not in power meaning that Peter was the first stone that was placed vpon Christ the foundation vpon whom the rest in their order were to bee builded First therefore in order not in power therefore he said that equall authoritie was giuen by Christ to all the Apostles but that it tooke the beginning from vnitie that the Church may be shewed to be one The foundation therefore of the building in Cyprian is nothing else but a beginning The rest of the Apostles were this which Peter was being endowed