aunâ—ieÌ„t fathers ar good groundes to builde apon Irinaeus S. Ambrose S. Austen and Theodoritus affirme that the churche of Rome is the chief of all other churches Ergo the B. and heade of that churche is chief and heade ouer all other bishoppes and heades of all other churches And thus much by the occasion offred Stephan to return from whence we haue digressed the archebishop of Carthage with three councels of Africa called the B. of Rome pater patrum summus omnium praesulum pontifex that is to saie father of fathers and chief B. of all bishoppes Constantinus the emperour in one place calleth him summus pontifex the chief bishop and in an other vniuersalis papa vniuersall pope In which place he also commaunded that the churche of Rome should be called the heade of all other in the worlde and for so reputed and taken Hetherto haue I proued vnto yow that the B. of Rome hath bene of the auncient fathers of Christes churche within the firste sixe hundred yeares after Christes departure hence called heade of the churche ruler of the churche chief prieste chief of all other bishoppes bishop of the vniuersall churche and vniuersall bishop Nowe will I showe that the doctours and fathers in the primitiue churche haue not onelie in wordes which yet proceding from the mouthes of such men as they wer might to anie honest man seme sufficient so termed him but by seuerall actes also of theirs well witnessed to the worlde that in their consciences for so theie tooke him And euen as in the lawe to proue the possession of a lordshippe or manor it is a sufficient proufe to bring in euideÌ„ce that he who is disturbed therein hath quietlie without interruption or contradiction maâ—ured and tylled the grounde reaped and receauid the fruites or in a controuersie of iurisdiction to proue the doing of such actes as properlie belong thereunto euen so in this case if I proue vnto yow that the auncient fathers of Christes churche the same whome I named to yowe before haue some of them from the fardest parte of the Easte churche complained to the B. oâ— Rome of wronges don to them some of them required him to confirme their actes and ratifie their doinges other some sente to him their worckes by him to be examined and iudged I nothing doubte but yow will easelie graunte that these ar to induce and proue his iurisdiction ouer the whole churche argumentes moste strong and inuincible To performâ— this the better call to your remembrance I beseche yowe that which a littell before I alleaged to yow out of S Chrisostome where he witnessed that Peter and his successors had the charge of those shepe for whome Christ shed his bloud and then iudge I praie yowe whether of likelihood he thought not as he saide when being chased from his folde and flocke at Constantinople where he was archebishop and vniustlie driuen into banishement he wrote vnto Innocentius then being pope and the chief shepherd for helpe after this manner Obsecro scribas quôd haec tam iniquâ— facta absentibus nobis non declinantibus iudicium non habeant robur sicut neque sua natura habent illi autem qui iniquè egerunt poenaeecclesiâ—sticarum legum subiaceant that is to saie I praie yow saith this holie father to the pope addresse furth your lettres to signifie that those thinges which haue so vniustly bene decreed ageinst me in my absence not proceding of contumacy maie be of no force as of their owne nature theie ar not and that they which haue giuen this vniust sentence maie suffer the smart of the ecclesiasticall lawes Beholde here good readers a moste manifest place to proue in those daies the vniuersall auctoritie of the pope Two thinges there ar here to be noted which Chrisostome desireth the pope to doe first to declare that all that was doen ageinst him should be of no force nexte that he would write that they might be punished which had thus misused him Nowe if the pope had had nothing to doe out of his owne churche then had wote yow well Chrisostome bene a mad man to make labour to him to sende his commaundementes to the Grieke churche to entremeddle in the affaires thereof who might easely haue receiued of the doers of those iniuries which wer membres thereof as Chrisostome was this short answer to meddle with his owne matters and to let theÌ„ alone with theirs Or if he had had nothing to doe in that cause which was concerning the archebishoprike of Constantinople woulde he is it like haue excommunicate Arcadius th'emperour with Eudoxia th'empresse for not permitting Chrisostom quietly to enioye his said bishoprike as Nicephorus reporteth of him that he did by thiese wordes Itaquè ego minimus indignus peccator cui thronus magni apostoli Petri creditus est segrego reijcio te illam à perceptione immaculatorum mysteriorum Christi Dei nostri Episcopum etiam omnem aâ—t clericum ordinis sanctae dei ecclesiae qui administrare aut exhibere ea vobis ausus fuerit ab ea hora qua praesentes vinculi mei legeritis literas dignitate sua excidisse dâ—cerno That is to say I therefore Innocentius the pope of all other the leaste and an vnworthy sinner to whome the throne of the greate apostle Peter is committed doe sequestre and reiect both the and her the Empresse he meaneth from the receauing of the immaculate misteries of Christ our god The bishop or clerck within the ordre of the holye churche of god which shall presume what so euer he be from the time that these letters conteining the band of our â—xcommunication shall come to your knowledge to ministre the sacrameÌ„tes vnto yow him pronounce I depriued of his dignitie Nowe if he had then auctoritie ouer Constantinople in the Grieke churche whie doe yowe at thiese dayes M. Iuell thrust him out of Englande in the Latine churche S. Hierom as yow harde before called the B. of Rome chief prieste and successor to Peter If he had not thought as he saide would he euer haue penned his faithe and sent it to him to be allowed with thiese wordes Haec est fides beatissime papa quaÌ„ in ecclesia Catholica didicimus quamque semper tenuimus tenemus In qua si minus perité aut paruÌ„ cauté aliquid forté posituÌ„ est â–ª emendari a te cupimus qui Petri fideÌ„ fedeÌ„ tenes c. This is that faithe most blessed pope which I haue learned in the catholike churche and which I haue euer hetherto mainteined and still doe In to the which if anie thing by me be either not cunningly or without due circumspection infarsed or put in that desire I by yow to be corrected who possesse bothe the faithe and seate of Peter And if this confession of my faithe be by the iudgement of your apostleship alowed who so euer he be
thereto and some iniury to hym also whose liberalitie to the hynderance perhapps of some I should by thys meanes abuse Thus much thought I necessary good Readers to sygnyfye to you concernyng thys enterpryse of myne Where in yf happely I seeme to some ouer sclenderly to haue excused my self them referre I to hys iudgement for my meanyng herein who shall once iudge both me yf I haue not gonne vpryghtly but troden a wrye and them yf they haue not iudged syncerlye but demed amysse Fare ye well at Antwerp the. 26. of Iuly Anno â—564 Thom. Dorman THE ARTYCLES VVHICH THE AVTHOR HATH TAKEN APON HYM TO PROVE AGAYNST M. IVELLES NEGATYVE THat the Bishop of Rome is the head of Christes vniuersal churche here in earth and that within the first six hundred yeares after Christes departure hence he was so called and taken That the people was then taught to beleue that Christes body is really substantially corporally carnally or naturally in the Sacrament That the communion was then ministred vnder one kinde That there was Masse saide at that tyme although there wer none to receaue with the priest A PRAEFACE OR INTRODVCTION TO THE FIRST PROPOSITION THe blessed Martyr of God S. Cyprian wryting to one Rogatianus a Bishop of his prouince hath thiese wordes Iâ—tia hae reticorum ortus atque conatus schisâ—aticorum malâ—e cogitantium haec sunt vâ— sibi placeant vt praepositum superbo tuâ—ore contemnant Sic de ecclesia receditur sic altare prophanum foris collocatur sic contra paâ—em Christi ordinationâ—m atque vnitatem Dei rebellatur Which is in englishe thus much to say The beginning of heretikes the first springing vp and enterprise of schismatikes thinking amisse in matters of faithe groweth of pleasure that they take in them selues and of that that being puffed vp with pride they contemne ther head and gouernour appointed ouer them By this meanes stray they from the churche Thus is a prophane altar placed wythout the dores and thus rebell they agaynst Christes peace gods ordinaunce and vnitie And agayn in an other place he writeth thus Vndâ—e enim schismata haereses obortae sunt nisi dum episcopus qui vâ—us est ecclesiae praeest superba quorundam praesumptione conteÌ„nitur homo dignatione dei honoratus ab indignis hominibus iudicatur Where of sayeth he doe heresies and schysmâ—s spring but of this that the bishop which is one and gouerneth the church is thorough the proude and arrogaÌ„t presumption of certeine contemned and set at nought and being the man by goddes approbation alowed and honored is of vnworthy men iudged The very same thing although in other wordes doeth S. Basile in an epistle written by him to the bishoppes of Italie and Fraunce bewailing there in the estate of his time most plainelie declare Whose wordes because they doe liuely represent vnto vs the most miserable face of this our age I haue thought good to alleage and set before your eyes Ambitiones eorum qui dominum non timent praesidentias inuadunt in propatulo de caetero impietatis praemium proposita est prima sedes Quare qui grauiores blasphemias protulit ad populi episcopum potior habetur Periit authoritas sacerdotalis populi admoneri nolunt praesides dicendi libertatem non habent Silent piorum ora permissum est autem dicere omni blasphemae linguae Prophanata sunt sacra that is to say The pride and ambition of them whych feare not our lorde doeth inuade and set apon ther heads and openly the chiefest place is proposed as a rewarde for wyckednes And therefore he that can vtter against the bishop of the people most grieuouse and slaunderouse blasphemies is accompted of gretest price and had in moste estimation The authorite of priestehood is lost The layte will not be admonished The rulers be restreined of liberte to speake The mouthes of good men kepe silence Euery blasphemouse tongue is set at libertie All holie thinges ar made prophane Hetherto S. Basil. To be short there was neuer yet any heretike emongest so many as from time to time haue continually troubled the churche of god that made not his first entry into his heresies by the proclaiming as it wer of open war against the beautiful ordre of the churche which they haue alwaies forsene to be to them terribilis vt castrorum acies ordinata terrible as is the froont of a battell well set in ordre and ageinst the bishop of Rome appointed by god to be here in earthe the laufull gouernour and head thereof not lacking also therein greate poliâ—ie that by striking the shepherde they might the easelier scatter the flock Thus did in the time of S. Cyprian Nouatus that greate herety k who as Nicephorus reporteth of him holding betwene his hands the handes of such as minded to receiue of him the blessed sacrament of th' altar vsed to them these wordes Adiura mihi per corpus sanguinem domini Iesu Christi nunquam te a me discessurum ad Cornelium Romanus is Episcopus fuit rediturum esse Sweare to me quoth he by the body and bloud of our lorde Iesus Christ that thow wilt neuer forsake me nor return to Cornelius who was then bishop of Rome So did in our time the scholers and folowers of Martin luther So did Iohn Caluin with his congregation at Geneua So doe euen at this time in oure infortunate countrey those wicked men apon whome I beseche almightie god to extende his mercie who occupieng the places and 〈◊〉 mes of catholike bishops being them selues indurat heretikes ceasse not daily most cruelly to practise that lesson learned of ther auncestor Nouatus For what man admit they to any liuing of whome they exact not first this othe Whome suffer they to continue in his liuing if he giue not this othe For the onely refusall hereof how many notable men of the cleargie bothe for life and learning suffer they to pyne away in prison I remembre not heare the greate nombre of gentlemen and other mere laye men not included in the statute of pooer yong scholers of bothe th' vniuersites who witheout all face of lawe for for th' other theie pretended a colour being not so much them selues spoiled of ther colleages as ther colleages vniuersitees yea ther country self which had of the most parte of them byn likely to hauereceiued bothe help and comfort spoyled and robbed of them wander now abroade in dispersion lamenting th' estate of ther miserable countrie Of the whych they maye and we all iustlie now say much more then did S. Basil of the persecution in his time He onely complained that the churche dores wer shut vp that th' altars lacked that spirituall worship that should haue byn doen apon them that there wer no assembles of Christian men that lerned men bare no sway that there was no wholesom doctrine taught that the feastes and holidaies wer not
kept that the praiers in the night wer vtterly ceassed To that holy father it seemed a great outerage that the churches wer shut vppe what would he thinck we then say wer he aliue in these dayes when of our churches he should see some made the dwelling houses of priuat men other some turned into barnes or stables other cleane ouer throwen and made euen wyth the grounde and those that remain whole so moch worse then if they had byn alltogether shut vp left open for heretikes to pollute with schismaticall seruice and diuelysh doctrine It grieued S. Basil that th' altars should lack the spirituall seruâ—ce whych was not nether for any mislike that men had therein but because in that grieuouse persecution of the Christians theie could not be founde that durst doe it And could he haue taken it well to haue seene theÌ„ broken defaced and quite ouer throwen yea whiche is a crime so horrible that to write it I tremble in those places in which the altars stood whereon was wont in that spirituall sacrifice to be offered vp the most pretious body and bloud of Christ Oxen and beastes more vncleane to befedde He lamented that learned men wer not estemed that they wer not prouided of lyuings and would he not much more lament to see them depriued of those whych they had and shoemakers weuers tinckers coweherdes broome men Russians forfelonies burned in the haÌ„ds to be put in ther places Then was no holsom doctrine taught nowe is ther nothing elles taught but poisoned and vnholsom Then wer there no holidaies kepte nor hymnes vsed in the night Nowe ar they accompted to be superstition Nowe as we felt none of all thiese miseries besides a thousand moe so long as we kept our selues wythin the vnite of one heade so is euery man able to beare me witnesse that as soone as the diuel the author of all heresies had once obteined and brought about the banishmeÌ„t in our countrye of that one bishop wyth the whych as you haue hard out of S. Cyprian before he vseth alwayes to begin all these russhed in apon vs as the dore that should haue kept them out being set wide open And as this is confessed by the most auncient fathers that haue wrytten sence Christes tyme that by this meanes we first reuolt from the churche by contemning and not acknowleging the head so muâ—t our return thyther again be by the contrary that is by reuerencing him by acknowleging him by humble submission of our self to him So did those that after ther fall with Nouatus S. Cyprian receiued into the churche again apon ther submission testified in these wordes Nos Cornelium episcopum sanctissmum Catholicae Ecclesiae erectum à deo omnipotente Christo D. nostro scimus Nos errorem nostrum confitemur Circumuenti sumus perfidiae loquacitate factiosa amentes videbamur qua si quandam communicationem cum homine schismatico habuisse Syncera tamen mens nostra in ecclesia semper fuit Nec ignoramus vnum deum esse vnum Christum esse dominum quem confessi â—umus vnum spiritum S vnum Episcopum in ecclesia catholica esse debere We say they acknowledge Cornelius to be erected by god almighty and Christe our lorde to be the holie bishop of the catholike churche We confesse our error we haue byn circumuented ronning madde by the factious babbling of treachery we semed to haue communicated as it wer with that schismaticall man Nouatus yet was our sincere minde alwaies in the churche Nor we ar not ignorant that there is one onlie god and one Christ our lorde and that in the catholike churche there must be one holie ghost and one bishop So did Vrsatius and Valens forsaking the heresy of Arrius offer vp ther recantation to Iulius then bishop of Rome By thys meanes good Christian readers returned they to the churche by this must you return that haue straied what so euer you be if you will be saued Seing now as I haue declared the going out of the churche is by the contempt of the head thereof and the return home again by th' acknowleging and reuerencing of the same persuade your selfe that it hath not byn for nothing that good men in all ages haue byn and at this time ar no lesse busyed in defence thereof then heretikes myssecreantâ— and enemies to our faithe ar readie wyth all ther power to assault the same The consideration whereof hath caused also me in this enterprise of mine to begin first wyth the fortifieng of that whereunto our enemies as the very fundacion of all true religion the comfort and stay of the catholikes the terror and vtter vndoing of all heretikes doe most direct ther battery In the handling where of I purpose god willing to take this ordre First before I comme to the principall poinct thatlieth in question betwene vs which is of the bishop of Romes supremacie to proue to you by most plaine and euident reasons that the churche of Christ here militant in earth must of necessitie for diuerse and sondrie vrgent causes haue one chief head and ruler vnder Christ to rule and gouerne the same Secondarily that that one head must nedes be a priest Thirdly and so last of all that of all priests the bishop of Rome is he whych must supply that place and that for so that is head and ruler of the church he hath byn of th' auncient councels and old fathers wyth in the first six hundred yeares after Christes de parture taken THAT CHRISTES CHVRCH HERE IN EARTH MVST OF NECESSITIE HAVE ONE CHIEF HEAD AND GOVERNER VNDER CHRIST TO RVLE THE SAME THe truthe of thys proposition good Christian readers is not onely by the whole ordre and forme of the estate of gods people in th' olde lawe whych was also the true churche of god long before the comming of our sauiour in to this world but by the dailie experience also of ciuile and polytike gouuernenement most manifestly confirmed For who is there so blynde that he seeth not that in the whole frame of this worlde there is no kingdom so mighty no realm so puysant no cytie so populous no towne so welthy yea on the coÌ„trary part also no village so littell no family so small finally no societe of men no not of those that haue wrapped them selues in league to robbe and spoile that can anie while continue wythout a head to gouern them If therefore to lyue vnder the gouuernement of a head be a matter of such importance as wythout the whych neyther great nor little riche nor pooer good nor bad can stande how much more necessary shall we thinck it in Christes churche here militant in earthe where the diuell in hys membres is continually occupied in raysing of schismes in stirring vp discord to vex and molest the people of god to haue thys wholesom prouision for th' appeasing thereof and the restoring of the same being troubled to quietnes
sacerdâ—tum sit We ordeine according to their definitioÌ„ the first fower generall councels that the most holie pope of olde Rome be the chief prieste Finallie how in all like mattersâ— Iustinian is to be vnderstande if nothing elles his epistle written to Iohannes then B. of Rome is able sufficiently to enstruct vs. where he most manifestlie protesteth to suffer nothing that apperteigneth to the estate of the churche to passe yea although the truthe thereof be perspicuouse and out of all doubte without the bringing thereof first to the knowledge of his holinesse and he addeth for a reason quia caput est omnium sanctarum ecclesiarum because he is the head of all the holie churches that be To conclude therefore touching the exaÌ„ples brought from the doinges of the emperour IustiniaÌ„ what so euer theie be I answer that he did those thinges as folowing the olde canons and rules of councelles before deuising nothing him selfe but by his lawes adding to them terrour to cause theÌ„ to be of all men the better obserued or elles that what so euer he ordeined him selfe and put furth in his owne name he did first communicate with the B. of Rome as in the epistle before alleaged he promised he would and procured it to be ratified by his auctoritie And these answers I hope yow haue hard by the emperour him selfe in the places by me before alleaged sufficientlie proued The substance and verie strength of our aduersaries reasons yowe haue hetherto harde There remaineth one or two testimonies mo brought of late by M. HaddoÌ„ in answere to the learned epistle of Hieronimus Osorius as that S. Paule saieth that euery soule should be obedieÌ„t to the higher powers in which wordes they saye that neither bishop prieste nor moncke is excepted and that S. Peter willeth all men to be subiect to euery humaine creature for goddes sake whether it be to the king as to the chiefest and so furth The which reasons if reasons theie maye be called that consist of mere folie because they ar so childishe that euerie childe maie in a manner answer them and so foolishe that he is more then a foole that is by them moued as lothe to spende so much time invaine or trouble your eares and eyes for nothing I passe ouer Onelie this I say that euen as priestes and all without exception owe obedience to their prince in those thinges that coÌ„cerne his iurisdiction I meane thinges temporal so on th'other side ment neither S. Peter nor S. Paule to giue them any preeminence in matters ecclesiasticall For in those thinges they call as fast apon obedience to be exhibited towardes the cleargie namelie S. Paule who addeth the reason to be for that theie ar the watche men which watche to giue the account for our soules The which wordes caÌ„ no more be vnderstaÌ„d of ciuile magistrates who could then full euel be called watchemen for other being them selues fast a slepe and drowned as it wer in the deade slepe of infidelitie then their other place of obedience towarde the king can be vnderstand of matters concerning religion Which anie man that hath but halfe an eye maie easelie percea ue it caÌ„ not if he cast but a quarter thereof to that time in which S. Peter wrote those wordes which was in the reigne of Nero. whome by all lykelihood being to christ and his littel flocke an vtter enemie and extreme persecutor he would neuer make or name to be a cruel gredie and rauenouse wolfe the gouernor and leader of the meke and simple shepe To bid them obeie him in matters of religion had bene to bid them to disobey Christe to refuse him and cast him of Wherefore that obedience must be restreined which it can be to no other thinges then such as onelie consist in ciuile and politike gouernement Thus hauing I trust good readers satisfied both yow and my promesse it foloweth nowe that I showe who is that priest that ought to be the heade of Christes churche here in earthe A PROVFE OF CERTEYNE ARTICLES THAT THE B. OF ROME IS THE CHIEF OF ALL OTHER BISHOPPES THE HEAD OF CHRISTES CHVRCHE HERE IN earthe and that for so the first six hundred yeares after Christ he hath with the olde generall councelles the auncient fathers and doctours bene reputed and taken THose blockes and stumbling stones being at the length remoued and tumbled out of the waie good Christian readers which they that entende then the breache of all good ordre nothing elles heretikes and enemies to our faithe had there placed for the nones to ouerthrowe the weake we ar come to that principall point of the B. of Rome his supremacie ouer all other bishoppes his chief gouernemeÌ„t and superioritie ouer Christes whole catholike and vniuersall churche Wherein trulie emongest all other thinges that ar at this daie called in to controuersy I can not ynough maruell at the shameles impudencie of him that bloweth abrode that we haue not one auncient doctour one olde general councell one allowed example of the primitiue churche to proue that the B. of Rome was within the first sixe hundred yeares after Christ called head of the churche or for so taken Whereas in good faith to me thincking not lightelie or sclenderlie apon this matter and minding some thing to vtter touching the same to the worlde and to imitate at the leaste in good will that honest example of them who hauing with greate daunger escaped them selues the peril of drowning being nowe saufelie arriued on the lande thincke nexte of the deliuerie of their pooer compagnions who floting one while aboue the water an other struggling for life and deathe vnder the same ar in daunger to fall into that which theie so latelie before escaped cast them either a boorde to beare them vppe or reache them a pole to drawe them to the shore or by such other meanes as theie maie cease not busilie to procure their spedie recouerie there happened nothing more hard then in such copie and varietie of substantiall witnesses to satisfie my selfe for all neither my leasure woulde serue me to alleage nor the aduersary demaundeth many but eâ—en onelie one in the choise of those that should for vertue and learning gaine with the honest readers most weighty credite Here first of all because I minde to kepe me within the limites and terme of yeares by yow master Iuell appointed to me I will begin euen with the first pope S. Peter him selfe froÌ„ whome I make this argument S. Peter was bishop of Rome S. Peter was called by thauncieÌ„t fathers that wrote within the first sixe hundred yeares the head of Christes churche Therefore the B. of Rome was with in the firste sixe hundred yeares called and taken for heade of the churche The first parte of this sillogisme the maior that is that Peter was bishoppe of Rome I proue by Abdias a man of the apostles age by Orosius who writeth that he planted there the faith
by Ado who beareth witnesse that he was bishop there 25. yeares vntil the last yeare of Nero his reigne by Tertullian who in teaching vs howe to trie out heretikes which he saieth is if they be not able to deriue their doctrine from some churche where the apostles haue planted first the faithe either from Rome where Peter was or Smirna where S. Ihon the euangelist taught doeth most manifestly giue vs to vnderstand that they wer both bishoppes in those places What shall I here remembre S. Ciprian who had called Rome in vaine S. Peters chaire if he had neuer bene bishop there Or S. Hierom who in one place reconeth howe manie yeares he possessed the bishoprike there and in diuerse other calleth Damasus the B. of Rome successor in Peters faith and seate Or Optatus B. of Miliuetum in Africa who told Parmenian the Donatist that he could not alleage ignorance knowing right well that the bishoppes chaire was first giuen to Peter in the citie of Rome in the which he sate being head of all the apostles And to conclude woulde trowâ— we in skirmishing with the Donatistes S. Austen haue bidden them viewe the bishoppes of Rome sence S. Peters time if he had neuer bene bishop there This therefore standing as manifestlie true it remaineth that I proue the second parte which is that S. Peter being bishop of Rome was called head of the churche The which thing is easie to be proued by the testimony of diuers auncient writers and first of S. Austen Who in a certeine sermon of his entreating of Peters deniall of Christe hath thiese wordes Totius corporis morbum in ipso capite curat ecclesiae inipso vertice componit membroruÌ„ omnium sanitatem that is to saie In the head of the churche it selfe he meaneth of S. Peter hath he cured the disease of the whole bodie and in the chief parte thereof the very top doeth he set in ordre the health of all the membres Leo the B. of Rome the first of that name whome although Caluin because he sawe in his doinges so manie tokens and signes of chief gouernement ouer the churche as by no meanes he coulde auoide but that he so was calleth proude and orgulouse the substance yet of the world for learning and vertue gathered together at Calcedon honored with the name of ter beatus thrise happie or blessed whome Martianus the emperour called Sanctissimus most holie he I saie nameth Peter to be not onelie bishop of the see of Rome but primate also and chief of all other bishoppes Chrisostome a doctour of the grieke churche affirmeth the same in moste plaine and euident wordes saing Petrus futurae ecclesiae pastor constituitur ac caput piscator homo Hunc vniuerso terrarum orbi Christus praeposuit Peter a fissher man is appoincted to be the shepherd and head of Christes churche that he will builde Him hath Christ made ruler ouer all the worlde And in an other place he saieth Christus Petro ecclesiae primatum gubernationemque per vniuersum â—â—undum tradidit Christ deliuered vnto Peter the primacie of the churche and rule thereof thorough out all the worlde Last of all note I beseche yowe to this purpose out of Chrisostome thiese wordes Quanam item de causa Christus sanguinem effudit suum Certé vt pecudes eas acquireret quarum curam tuÌ„ Petro tuÌ„ Petri successoribus committebat Which is in english to saie thus much For what cause I praie yow did Christ shed bis bloud Truelie to redeme those shepe whose charge he committed to Peter and to Peters successors Here would I aske of yow M. Iuel this question whether yow thincke that Christ died for all his churche or for some parte thereof onelie Chrisostome in answering to this question for whome he shed his bloude answereth as hath bene saide for them whome he committed to Peters charge and his successors If the whole churche be not committed to Peter and his successors but onelie one parte thereof then foloweth it that either Chrisostome thought he died for no other or elles did he euel solute his owne question But for so vndoubted a truthe was it taken with Chrisostome and in his time with all other that S. Peter and the popes after him had the vniuersall charge of Christes churche that he was not a fearde by suche a periphrasis or circumlocution to vtter his minde as euery man he wyst as sone as he hard would easelie vnderstande Yow haue here harde M. Iuell for the confirmation of the minor of mine argument or second proposition not one but three substantiall witnesses that haue called S. Peter heade of the churche bishop not of Rome onelie but of all other bishops the chief that haue affirmed that to him was committed by Christ the gouernement and superioritie ouer the churche thorough out all the worlde that he and his successors haue the charge of those shepe for whome Christ died So that apon the coÌ„clusioÌ„ which necessarilie foloweth Ergo the bishoppe of Rome was of one auncient doctour in the firste sixe hundred yeares after christ called head of the churche I might M. Iuell if I wouâ—d eueÌ„ out of hande if yow haue allready yealded to none other chalenge yowe for my prisonier your importune request being as yowe see sufficientlie satisfied For yowe caÌ„ not say pardy that although yowe graunte with the auncieÌ„t fathers that S. Peter was heade of the churche that the bishoppes yeat of Rome his successors wer not First because that wer as much in effect to saie as that Christ would that there should be a heade of his churche and no heade a head while Peter liued and after none And if that be your answer I praie yowe tell vs a cause whie and showe vs some scripture where our Sauiour Christ so taught or his apostles deliuered or the auncient councels and holie fathers haue so affirmed Secondarily yow ar barred of this plea because the verie nature of succession is such that excepte he or some other hauing auctoritie into whose place an other succedeth expresselie prouide for the contrary which yet remaineth to be proued that euer Christ or S. Peter did he coÌ„meth directly in to all the righte and interest what so euer it be that his author had before him Last of all yowe can not vse this friuolouse exception that this title of heade of the churche began and ended alltogether with Peter as most foolishely Iohn Caluin doeth who graunting that Peter was in dede the heade and chief of the apostles because he saieth the verie ordre of nature requireth that in all companies there be one to gouerne the rest denieth yet that the B. of Rome succeding in Peters office should be heade of the churche nowe as S. Peter was of the apostles which represented the same then and that for so the because that which had place emongest a
fewe maie not sodenlie be drawen to all the worlde for the gouernment whereof no one man alone can suffise For this grosse errour is bothe by auctoritie and also reason easie to be confuted By the auctoritie of S. Chrisostome who as ye hard before named in the gouernement of the churche as far forwarde the successours of S. Peter as S. Peter him selfe By reason because if there wer such feare of disordre in twelue parsones so small a nombre so well ordered and directed by the spirite of god as the holie apostles wer that euen emongest them for the auoiding thereof there must nedes be had one heade howe much more nede is it to haue one emongest so manie thousandes as the churche consisteth of If a fewe be likelier to agre then a greate nombre if vnitie be named of one because lightelie none iarreth or is at dissention with him selfe if the nearer that all nombres come to that one the lesse confusion and the farder we goe from it the greater is like to folowe then is there no man I trust so blinde but that he maie easelie see that the same cause of schismes and disorder yea so much more greater as the churche is more amplified and encreased to be feared remaining still the remedie which is to haue one heade must also endure and continue still And as for that sory shift of the compase and largenesse of the churche which no one man is hable to rule of what value and force that is he that listeth to cast his eye first to the time passed and gouernement in those daies when nexte vnder god all was gouerned by one and then after to this miserable time of oures in which there be so manie heades one of the churche of England an other of that of Geneua one of VVittemberge an other of Franckford of euerie churche one and in all none euerie one chalenging to him selfe merum imperium absolute iurisdiction out of the checke of anie other and to considre with him selfe in eche of these gouernementes their seuerall effectes the quiet reâ—gne of one truthe in the one the diuerse sectes and heresies in what parte of the worlde so euer theie sprang vp ouerthrowen and repressed the sondrie triumphes that Christes churche hath had ouer them these fiftene hundred yeares in thother scarse yet of forty yeares contâ—nuance the tumultuouse hurliburlie the perniciouse and horrible heresies neuer before hard of the sondrie schismes and sectes so manie as there be heades the arrogancie of the capitaines and maisters while euerie one boasting of the spirite and vaunting as S. Hierom saieth that he hath the churche on his side will submit him selfe to no other the implacable hatred of the scholers and disciples euery one standing apon his maisters honor and reputation with an infinite nombre and whole swarme of euels mo which I reserue to an other place shalbe easelie able without the helpe of anie other him self to iudge I omit here touching this foolishe reason that therefore there can not be nowe one heade of the churche as in S. Peters time there was because the churche is so encreased that no one maÌ„ is able to gouerne the same proceding first from Caluin and patched afterwardes into our englishe apologie that seing he that at the beginning appointed this one heade where he might haue appoincted more and did not neuer chauÌ„ged that ordre sence being all this while not ignoraÌ„t to what greatenes his churche should after growe it can to no man that hath the vse of reason seme other but that either he thought that one ruling by such as he should appointe vnder him might suffise for the gouernement of his churche or suerlie at the leaste that he hath not circumspectly prouided therefore But if all these mere cauillations had bene good and strog reasons yet haue I showed yow ynough in this one B. of Rome S. Peter who hath bene called yow haue hard howe often heade of the churche and chief of all bishoppes to gaine yow if yowe will stande to your worde to our parte M. Iuell Because notwithstanding I would haue yowe with your good will I will yeat showe yow the like titles giueÌ„ by the auncient fathers to other bishoppes of Rome And to frame my selfe the more to your humour although I thinck yow put no difference betwene thiese termes heade of the churche ruler of the churche chief of all other priestes with such like manie other that the fathers and auncient generall councels haue not spared to vse as often as theie had occasion to either write or speake to or of the B. of Rome I will here first alleage vnto yow certeine auctorities where the B. of Rome hathe bene called sence S. Peters time and yet within the first sixe hundred yeares euen in expresse wordes heade of the churche and then after the testimonies of diuerse other who although theie vse not the same wordes affirme yet and confirme the same preeminence and auctoritie Vincentius therefore Lirinensis a man of singuler learning and of the olde age for he florished vnder Theodosius and Valentinian th'emperours writing of the bishoppes that wer assembled at Ephesus in the councell there ageinst the heretike Nestorius maketh mention of two bishoppes of Rome Foelix the martir and Iulius whose epistles after that he had tolde wer there readen in the councell ageinst the saide heretike he addeth immedatlie after thiese wordes Et vt non solum caput orbis verumetiam ipsa latera illi iudicio testimonium perhiberent adhibitus est à meridie B. Cyprianus à Septentrione S. Ambrosius that is to saie And that it might not be saide that the heade of the worlde onelie gaue witnesse to that iudgement ageinst Nestorius but the ribbes also and sides there was present from the Southe blessed Ciprian and from the Northe holie Ambrose In the fourthe generall councell assembled at CalcedoÌ„ we finde that the legates of the B. of Rome writing in a certeine epistle to the emperour what theie had doen in the councell touching Dioscorus had these wordes Vnde sâ—nctissimus beatissimus Papa caput vniuersalis ecclesiae c. whereapoÌ„ the moste holie and blessed pope Leo heade of the vniuersall churche by vs his legates the holie councell consenting thereto hath depriued him Dioscorus of his bishoprick and degraded him of his priestehoode If the B. of Rome had not at that time emongest all men beneso reputed and taken is it credible that they would euer haue bene so boâ—ld nay impudent rather to giue him apon their owne heades anie suche title Or if they woulde haue nedes so called him being not so durst they in their lettres to themperour Wel if they had onely so called him some brable theie might yet perhappes haue made thereabout but seing the whole bodie of the councell the corps of Christendome the churche it selfe for such is euerie generall councell laufullie assembled in that epistle which they sent
by common consent and is rightely termed the certificate of their doinges to Leo the pope wherein they called him the heade and them selues the membres and in that that they termed him the man to whome our lorde committed the keping of his vineyarde doe moste plainelie affirme the same there is nowe left to our aduersaries no starting hole to escape Besides all this that yowe haue hard there is a notable testimonie of Iustinian the emperour who in his Codex calleth in plaine wordes Ioannes that was then the pope of Rome caput omnium ecclesiarum that is the heade of al churches And thus much for such as within the first sixe hundred yeares haue called the B. of Rome by this name heade of the churche To come nowe to those who although they haue not vsed the same terme haue named him yet notwithstanding by the like and haue attributed vnto hiÌ„ and acknowleged in him in all poinctes the same iurisdiction and auctoritie I shall first bring furth the testimonie of that stroÌ„g piller and vnmoueable rocke of Christes churche Athanasius and yet not him alone but accompanied with the whole noÌ„bre of the bishoppes of Egipt Thebaida and Libia Who writing to three seuerall popes Marcus Liberius and Felix called first Marcus S. Ro. Apostolicae sedis atque vniuersalis ecclesiae papam that is the bishop or pope for the worde is in the auncient doctours vsed indifferentlie for bothe of the holie apostles seate at Rome and also of the whole vniuersall churche of Christ and the churche of Rome the mother and heade of all churches acknowleged in the secoÌ„de written to Felix that almighty god had placed the bishoppes of Rome insummitatis arce omnium ecclesiarum curam habere praecepit in the chiefest tower that he had commaunded them to take on them the charge not of their owne propre and peculier churche of Rome onlie as though their charge extended no farder but of all churches vniuersallie witnessed beside whereof theie coulde not be ignorant them selues being present there and then which they coulde not haue brought a stronger proufe to proue the superioritie of that See that in the first councell holden at Nice it was ordeined and agreed apon that no councells should be holden or bisshoppes condemned without the auctoritie of the B. of Rome And in their lettres last of all to Liberius the popeâ— doe so openlie and manifestlie witnesse their opinion in this controuersy in saieng that to him as pope was committed the vniuersall churche of Christe to labour for all to helpe euerie one that I can not ynough maruell at your impudency M. Iuell who standing in defence of the contrary beate in to the eares of the people that this doctrine of the popes auctoritie is newe and hath for warrante thereof not so much as one auncient writers approbation and that as suerly as god is god the Catholikes if they had vouchesaufed to folowe the scriptures the generall councels the examples of the primitiue churche or opinions of th'auncient fathers would neuer haue brought in the pope again being once banished out of the realme The seuerall answers of euerie one of thiese popes wherein they acknowleged no lesse burden of charge then was by these fathers laiâ—d apoÌ„ theÌ„ I here forbeare to bring in lest theie maie by yow perhappes be chaleÌ„ged as principall partes to the title in strife The which because I knowe yow can not say by S. Hierom S. Ambrose S. Austen and other such like I shall here of many alleage some for the confirmation thereof S. Hierome called Damasus who was B. of Rome the chief and highest prieste S. Ambrose calleth him ruler of the churche Ecclesia saieth he domus dei est cuius hodie rector est Damasus The churche is goddes house the gouernor whereof at this day is Damasus S. Austen saieth in writing to Bonifacius the pope ageinst the Pelagians that although the office of being a bishop be to them all comon that yet he was in that care placed aboue the rest And in an other place comparing together the blessed apostle S. Peter and the holie martir S. Ciprian he had cause to feare he saied least he might seme to be towardes S. Peter contumeliouse not as though touching the crowne of martirdome they wer not bothe equall but in respect of their seates and bishoprikes Quis enim nescit illum apostolatus principatum cuilibet episcopatui praeferendum for who is quoth he ignorant that that principalitie of apostleship is to be preferred before all bishoprikes To these shall I adde Theodorite the B of Cyrus who writeth in this wise to Leo the pope Si Paulus praeco veritatis tuba sanctissimi spiritus ad magnum Petrum cucurrerit vt ijs qui Antiochiae de institutis Legalibus contendebant ab ipso adferret solutionem multò magis nos qui abiecti sumus pusilli ad apostolicam vestram sedem currimus vt ecclesiarum vlceribus medicinam à vobis accipiamus Vos enim per omnia primos esse conuenit If Paule that is to saie the messanger of truthe and trumpet of the holie ghost ran vnto mighty Peter to fetch from him the resolution of such doubtes as rising apon th' obseruation of the Lawe ministred to them occasion of strife that wer at Antioche much more neede had we which ar weake and abiect to run vnto your apostolicall seate from thence to fetch salues for the sores of the churche For expedient is it that in all pointes before all other yow haue the preeminence And a little after he addeth that the churche of Rome is of all other maxima praeclarissima quae praeest orbi terrarum the greatest the noblest and that which ruleth all the worlde By occasion of this place of Theodoritus calling the churche of Rome the chief of all other which yet he doeth not alone neither for so did well neare two hundred yeares before his daies Irinaeus when he would haue euery churche that is as him selfe expoundeth it all faithefull Christians from all partes of the worlde to mete and conforme them selues to the imitation of this churche propter potentiorem principalitateÌ„ saieth he for the chiefest souereintie that it hath and after him aswell S. Ambrose whose opinion was that Rome hath bene more honored thorough the preeminence and principalitie of the apostolicall priestehood by hauing there the chief tower of religion then it was before when it had there the chief throne of worldly power and ciuile iurisdiction as also S. AusteÌ„ affirming that in that churche the preeminence and chief honour of the apostolicall priestehood hath alwaies florished I shall here make this argument for the better coÌ„firmation of this controuersie that the B. of Rome is the heade and chief of the whole churche this allwaies presupposed that yowe M. Iuell whome I desire to solute this argument ar stille of this minde that the
that will afterwardes carpe and reproue the same proue he maie wel him selfe a foole or maliciouse or not catholike but me an heretike shall he neuer proue Hetherto S. Hierome with whome if one would after this sorte expostulate What meane yowe S. HieroÌ„ to boaste so much apon the iudgemeÌ„t of one who as he is a maÌ„ although learned yet not the learnedest in the world so maie he both dâ—ceaue and be deceauid Whie saie yow that who so euer â—â—ndeth faulte with your faithe â–ª after Damasus the popes approbation and allowance thereof shall neuer be hable to proue yowe an heretike Maie not many heades finde out that wherein one hath failed Me thincketh I saie to him that should thus question with him I heare him expounding his owne wordes and answering for him selfe in this wise What arte thow man that findest faulte with my wordes and vnderstaÌ„dest not my meaning Am I thinckest thow he that will pinne my faithe to anie mans backe what so euer he be Doe not I knowe as well as thow that Damasus is a man that he maie deceaue and be deceauid yea truelie But on thother side as I knowe all this rightwell so am I not ignoraÌ„t that he that sitteth in Peters chaire that the B. of Rome in matters of faithe can not giue wrong iudgement And therefore cease to maruell if apon the trust of this priuileage I chalenge all the whole worlde and saie that of them all there is no one that can proue me an heretike whome Damasus being thus qualified hath alowed for a good christian It is not Damasus so hath this qualitie to be the chief gouernour of Christes churche altered him that I stay my self apon It is Peter it is Christ him self If apon anie other persuasion I had vsed thiese wordes â–ª well might I haue bene saide to haue abused my self But that this was euen from the beginning my meaning and not inueÌ„ted sence for my defence loke once again to my wordes where I saie not simplie I desire to be corrected of the but of the which holdest Peters faithe and seate nor yeat spake of the alowing of my faithe by Damasus but apostolatus sui iudicio by the iudgement of his seate of his apostleship Thus much touching S. Hierom. of whose minde if any man yeat doubte in this coÌ„trouersy him shall I praie to take the paines for his better instruction to reade a certeine other epistle of his to Damasus and apon these wordes which he vttred of Peters chaire Quicunque extra hanc domuÌ„ agnuÌ„ comederit prophanus est who so euer eateth the lambe he meaneth receiueth the blessed body and bloud of Christ out of this house he is prophane to serche for the iudgement of Erasmus where he shall finde in expresse wordes that S. Hieromes opinion was that all churches should be subiect to the churche of Rome S. Austen as before yow hard called Peter B. of Rome heade of the churche he tolde Bonifacius his successor that he was placed in Christes churche aboue the rest of the bishoppes And did he not well de clare by sending to the same Bonifacius his boke written ageinst the two epistles of the PelagiaÌ„s to be iudged and examined by him that he tooke him for no lesse in deede then he had pronounced of him in wordes For trulie S. Austens learning being such as in his age there liued not his matche for the perusing of his worckes bothe had he had little neede oâ— his helpe and if he had had much there liued yet manie to haue bene consulted thereapon better learned then he and more nearer to him toe then was Rome to the place where he had his abiding had it not bene that persuading him selfe as did S. Hierome in the like case before he had made his full and sure account first that his iudgement in that that he was Peters successor and heade of the churche was by the verie mouthe of Christ him selfe warranted in matters of faithe neuer to erre and nexte that his worcke being confirmed by auctoritie such as was his should so quell and beate downe to the grounde the heretikes his aduersaries as with the worlde they should neither be hable to susteine their credite gotten nor after that gaine newe Theodoritus saide of the B. of Rome Vos enim summosesse conuenit for yow must be the chiefest of all other and of the churche it selfe that it was the greatest the noblest of all other and that which gouerned all the worlde It is euideÌ„t that he wrote as he thought wheÌ„ being vniustly deposed he appealed to the B. of Rome desired his helpe and that he would coÌ„maunde him to appeare before him there to pleade his cause and showe his righte as he did in dede and was restored by him By these auctorities it appeareth M. Iuell that the fathers of Christes churche be not so thinne soweÌ„ on our side as yow beare the worlde in hande theie ar seing that I haue here brought yow not one alone as yow demaunded but manie not their bare wordes which although of theÌ„ selfe moste plaine and manifest might perhappes haue bene subiect to your wrangling interpretations but their seuerall actes and deedes the best expositors of their owne mindes confirming most manifestly the same Will yow haue nowe some allowed example of the primitiue churche to testifie the same What better examples can yowe haue then that in all controuersies arising either betwene bishop and bishop priuatelie or in the whole churche publickelie sence the beginning the B. of Rome hath bene onelie he to whome the parties grieued wer they catholikes or heretikes good or bad haue had recourse for helpe What better examples then that emongest so manie appeales made vnto him there is not so much as one instance to be giuen of some one that laufullie and orderly appealed from him and whose such appeale toke effect Who hath cited to his coÌ„sistorie euen from the fardest parte of the Easte churche and as Theodoritus writeth ecclesiasticam secutus regulâ—â— folowing the rule of the churche offenders and transgressors of the holie canons The B. of Rome Who is it without whose licence and consent the primitiue churche forbad councels to be holden or bisshoppes to be condemned Trulie the pope The whole councell of Nice affirming the same if we will giue credite to Athanasius who was present thereat and affirmeth it to be so although the canon thereof for of 70. there agree apon we haue onelie at this daie 20. be perished and not nowe to be had Where I can not but note by the waye the circumspect manner of writing vsed by Athanasius who saieth not that the councell of Nice decreed or ordeined this but onelie that by their iudgemeÌ„tes they coÌ„firmed and renewed the same His wordes ar these In Nicena synodo 318. episcoporuÌ„ concorditer ab omnibus roboratum â–ª it was in the councell holden at Nice by ful consent of all the
our aduersaries them selues I appeale to their consciences knowe right well that we might abundantlie and in greate store haue heaped together onelie because the gainesaiers might happelie haue excepted ageinst them that not with standing they wer martirs and in the whole course of their liues verie apostles yet because they wer bishoppes of Rome theie wer not in that cause which was their owne indifferent witnesses so would I also haue forborne the alleaging of this answer of Innocentius for the same cause had it not bene that S. Austen him selfe had iustified his parson ageinst our aduersaries in this behalfe For he writing to one Paulinus a bishoppe after long discoursing with him touching the heretikes Pelagius and Celestius telleth him at the length howe the councels of Carthage and Mileuite had written about them and their heresies to Innocentius the pope not onelie the certificate of their doinges but also certeine familier letters beside To all the which saieth he ille no bis rescripsit eodeâ— modo quo fas erat atque oportebat apostolicae sedis antistitem he answered vs by his lettres againe euen as it was right and as was for the B. of the apostolicall See meete Nowe I praie yowe considre here with your selues good Readers â–ª if Innocentius when he wrote to these fathers to auaunce him selfe and his See had being led thereunto by blinde affection without the warrant of goddes worde the vsage of the churche the auctoritie of the canons praised them that keping and obseruing the examples of antiquitie and hauing in remembrance the ecclesiasticall discipline they had referred as theie ought their doinges to his iudgement if he had besides borne them in hande that the auncient fathers had decreed not by mannes iudgement but by goddes him selfe that what so euer wer to be doen wer it of those prouinces that wer neare to Rome or far of it should not be determined before that it wer brought to the knowledge of that seate of his if he had excommunicate Pelagius and Celestius without auctoritie and finallie doen and saide so manie thinges as ar in his saide epistles more at large to be sene for the prerogatiue of his churche and all false howe had then S. Austen saide trulie that he answered in all pointes aright and as the B. of the apostolicall seate shoulde Shall we thincke that S. Austen was ignorant and so deceauid or that he flattred and so lied Orcan we iustly thincke that S. Austen if he had not taken him as heade of the churche would euer haue willed him to haue cited Pelagius being not then in Britaine but in the east partes as in the same epistle it appeareth to co me to Rome But thus much be saide by the waie to that question whie I rather vse the auctoritie of Innocentius then anie of those other popes before him I might here bring furth for examples alowed of the primitiue churche seing hetherto they haue bene practised and neuer disalowed howe that Vrsatius and Valens two ringleaders and chiefe capitaines emongest the Arrians at the length being wearie of their heresies and har telie sorie therefore of alâ— the bishoppes in the worlde went to no other but to onelie Iulius the pope to be absolued and by him receiued into the churche and admitted to the coÌ„munion and coÌ„panie of the faithefull as witnesseth Epiphanius and other howe that the same Iulius restored to their bishoprikes being vniustely depriued Athanasius to Alexandria Paulus to Constantinople Marcellus to Ancyra and Asclepas to Gaza all in the East churche and therefore impossible to haue bene doeÌ„ had not his auctoritie bene vniuersall I might here put yow in remembrance of a nombre of bishoppes of Rome that wrote their lettres in to the fardest parte of the worlde sometimes commaunding other whiles forbidding this or that of the like that directed their commissions to this bishop and to that to execute their auctoritie in countries and prouincies far from Rome as namelie to passe ouer Pius Victor Fabianus and such other of Leo the first who in Grece and the countries bordering thereapoÌ„ appointed the B. of Thessalonia in Fraunce the B. of Arles and in Spaine Hormisdas an other bishoppe to be his vicaires and deputes in those parties Which had bene a matter of all other to be laughed at if they writing such letters and making such delegations had had nothing or no more to doe there then other men But omitting manie other bothe before and sence that haue doen the like I shall at this time onelie alleage Gregorie the first of that name him rather then anie of the rest because in this controuersie yowe beare your selfe on his auctoritie so bolde Did not he ordeine that Maximianus the B. of Siracusa should in his stede ouersee all the churches of Scicilie Did he not write his lettres to all the bishoppes of Numidia coÌ„maunding them that they should giue ordres to no Donatistes Did he not direct his letters to Adeodatus the metropolitane of Numidia to take good heede that none wer promoted to holy ordres by mony And will yow yet M. Iuell hearing this persist in your lewde opinion that S. Gregorie then whome emongest all that range of bishops that haue either gone before him or folowed after yowe coulde neuer haue founde one that more maketh in this point for the catholike faithe and lesse for yow should be a patrone of your heresie But because it maie the better appeare to all men in what distresse yow ar that be driuen to such shamefull shiftes and extreme refuges for the vpholding of your newe founde religion I shall here occasion so aptelie offering it selfe examine that place of S. Gregorie which yowe tosse so coÌ„monlie in your mouthes repete so often in your bookes where he sharpe lie reprehendeth Iohn the B. of Constantinople for taking apon him the name of vniuersall bishop a title alltogether he saithe prophane and mete for antichriste a title which Leo his predecessour hauing offred vnto him by the whole councell of Calcedon refused Thus hath S. Gregorie To this auctoritie the trâ—the it selfe compelling me I must nedes folowe in answering that excellent clercke and man for his lerning not in one thing or two but Vniuersallie in all emongest those of the olde worlde wor thie to be reconed for for no lesse doe the wise and learned iudge him to be howe euer some foolish calfe haue in vaine murmured to the contrarie who being vrged as yowe knowe by your selfe M. Iuell with this place tolde yow that it serued nothing to disproue the souereintie as in deede it doeth not For if yow had reade S. Gregorie so diligentlie as reason woulde yow should before yowe had alleaged him so impudentlie then had yow founde that allthough the B. of Rome had neuer bene called vniuersall bishoppe yeat had that bene no proufe that he is not therefore heade of the churche theÌ„ would yowe not so foolishelie haue noted
apon D. Coles wor des in the margeÌ„t of your boke that no B. of Rome before S. Gregories time would euer be called vniuersall biâ—shop finallie then would yowe not so ignorantlie haue confounded together these termes vniuersall bishop and heade of the churche as though theie had in that place signified all one thing The which that theie doe not no maÌ„ doeth more plainelie expresse then S. Gregorie him selfe who writeth of S. Peter after this maÌ„ner The charge saith he and supremacie of all the whole churche was committed to him and yeat was he not called vniuersall apostle Lo M. Iâ—ell if you had taken the paines to haue scanned the place of S. Gregorie alleaged by yow by this and such other would yow euer haue brought in to the lighte this deade mouse this false argument and vntrue consequent There was neuer anie B. of Rome called or that would be called by the name of vniuersall bishop therefore â–ª theie be not or ought not to be heades of the churche Seing that S. Peter as saithe S. Gregorie had the charge of the whole churche although he wer neuer called by the name of vniuersall apostle If S. Peter might be heade of the churche and without anie absurditie haue the charge thereof as S. Gregorie thought although he wer not called vniuersall apostle whie should yow thicke it now anie more impossible for the pope to be called head of the churche although he be not called vniuersall bishoppe And so haue yowe by the waie an answer to your wise demaunde also that is if no B. of Rome would euer take apon him to be called th'vniuersall bishoppe or heade of the whole churche for the space of six hundred yeares after Christe where then was the heade of the vniuersall churche all that while or howe it coulde then continue without a heade more theÌ„ nowe For we saie vnto yow that that is moste false and vntrue which yowe lay for a grounded truthe that is that no B. of Rome woulde euer be called by the name of heade of the churche within the first six hundred yeares after Christe as hath bene sufficientlie proued before and that also as we haue declared yowe abuse your selfe in the framing of your saide questioÌ„ in taking for all one the heade of the churche and the vniuersall bishoppe And thus haue yow one cause whie this place of S. Gregorie maketh nothing ageinst the supremacie of the B. of Rome And other cause is for that that Iohn the B. of Constantinople by this name or title of vniuersall bishoppe vnderstoode him selfe onelie to be a bishoppe and none elles Which meaning neither in the first six hundred yeares nor at anie time sence anie B. of Rome that I could yeat heare of euer had And that this is the true meaning of S. Gregorie and not forced by me the verie wordes of the same man written to Iohn archebishop of Constantinople doe well witnesse with me Qui enim indignum te esse fatebaris vt episcopus dici debuisses ad hoc quandoque perductusâ— es â–ª vt despectis fratribus episcopus appetas solus vocari that is to saie for thow Iohn B. of Constantinople which once grauntedst thy selfe to be vnworthie the name of a bishoppe art nowe at the length comme to that passe that thowe labourest to be called a bishop alone And a little after Thow goest about saieth he to take awaie that honour from all other which by singularitie thow desirest vnlaufullie to vsurpe to thy selfe Thus maie yowe see M. Iuell howe this place being by th'author him selfe expounded fardereth yow nothing at all and also by suche auctorities and reasons as haue for our parâ—e bene before alleaged vnderstand howe vnaduisedlie it was saide of yowe that the catholikes as sure as god is god if theie would haue vouchesaufed to folowe either the scriptures either the auncieÌ„t Doctours and couÌ„cels would neuer haue restored again the supremacie of the B. of Rome after it was once abolished Doe yow not hereby giue occasioÌ„ to meÌ„ to thinke that your lacke of faithe and mistrust in goddes omnipotency in other thinges groweth euen thereof that yow thincke god is not god For towching the supremacie hauing in the scriptures nothing in the councels as little in the fathers writinges onelie thiese fewe wordes that might se me to impugne the same and yet doe not howe will yow be able to discharge so manie auctorities of the fathers such consent of councels such conformitie of examples and force of reasons as haue bene and maie be brought ageinst yow howe will you satisfie your owne conscience which telleth yowe that so manie ceremonies so manie ordonances so manie decrees of bishoppes of Rome as Thomas Beacon otherwise called Theodore Basile or by what name so euer he be elles termed hath heaped together deliuered by them to the worlde some of them as emongest a nombre that which of all other yowe make lest account of holie water within little more then a hundred yeares after Christe and the most parte in the pure state of the primitiue churche would neuer haue bene by such common and generall confent without contradiction of anie receiued by the whole worlde vsed and frequented in all the churches scattred and dispersed thorough out the same onlesse the authors thereof had had vniuersall auctoritie to establishe that which hath bene vniuersallie receiued Thus hauing hetherto touching the supremacie saide so much as maie presently serue for your chalenge leauing the rest for a whole booke either by me when god shall sende better laisure or some other better able when he shall thincke best to be thereof made I shall nowe passe to the nexte article in question THAT THE PEOPLE VVAS TAVGHT VVITHIN THE FIRST SIX HVNDRED YEARES AFTER CHRISTE TO BELEVE that in the Sacrament of the altar for so dothe S. Austen terme it is conteined Christes bodie reallie substantiallie corporalie and carnallie TErtullian an auncient writer of Christes churche reporteth of heresie that the nature thereof is either when it is pressed with the auctoritie of scripture to denie it platlie to be scripture or if she receiue it with additions and detractions to the framing of her purpose to peruert it or finally with false gloses and vntrue expositions in such sorte to water it that it maie seme to haue a far other sense then had euer the holie ghost the author thereof This lesson and manner of olde heretikes was neuer I trowe more diligently put in execution or earnestlie practised theÌ„ in this our most miserable and wretched time nor in anie controuersie more perspicuouse and easie euen at the eye to be perceiued then in this of the moste blessed sacrament of Christes owne bodie and bloude For when our aduersaries demaunde of vs scripture for the confirmation of our parte and we bring them the wordes not of Peter not of Paule not of anie of thother apostles but of Christe him selfe that
so odiouse a thinge was in his eares the name of the churche that for the worde churche he gaue the worde Reipub. coÌ„mon welthe Much like honestie showed an other of youre coÌ„panions in translating the Grieke writer of the ecclesiasticall historie Socrates Who making mention of certeine lettres sent by Iulius then pope to the bishoppes assembled at Antioche wherein he repreheÌ„deth them that contrarie to the canons and rules of the churche theie had holden a Councell not calling him thither whereas by the order of the churche there maie be no Councell kepte withoute the auctoritie of the B of Rome He turned the wordes there maie be no lawes made or no councell holden into these there maie be no churches consecrate without the B. of Romes auctoritie Which wordes if they had bene so had giueÌ„ yet no small preeminence to the B. of Rome for whose licence to consecrate a churche theie shoulde be faine to runne from the fardest parte of the Easte churche to Rome in the west But seing this coulde by no meanes be the minde of the author who in that chapitre mencioneth not one worde of the dedicating of anie churche and that the complaint of the bishop had bene moste childishe and without all witte to haue saide that theie had done euel in not calling him to their councell because by the canons without his auctoritie there mighte be no churches consecrate and that also thereof he him selfe coulde not be ignorant it must necessarilie folowe that he did it of wicked malice In your doinges and allegations M. Iuell is your faithe the 〈◊〉 yowe and dealing any better No truly For if it had neuer woulde yow so falsely and vntruly haue alleaged the wordes of that excellent and learned bishop of blessed memory Steuin Gardiner B. of winchestre vpon whome in youre replie to M. Doctour Cole yow father these wordes as writteÌ„ by him in his booke called Marcus Anton. Constantius Quôd ait panem in sua substantia vel natura manere vel substantiam sentit Accidente vel naturâ— proprietatem and calle it a strange phrase of speache to say Substantiam accidente as truly it had bene if he had either so saide or written But because he did neither yow haue well signified to the worlde that it is no newe or straunge thing with yow to carie aboute in youre vnquiet heade a lieng sclaunderouse tongue The wordes of the bishop entreating of the place obiected by the heretike out of Gelasius arre these Quòd addit in sua substantia vel natura manere he meaneth panem vinum which wordes go before vel subsistentiam sentit accidentium vel naturae proprietatem The which how farre they differ from youres all men may see and youre selfe can not be ignorant This manner of dealing to laie to the catholikes charges wordes that they neuer spake vsed long ago Celsus the heretike as Origene reporteth of him But to let this passe if yow had ment which of all other in goddes matters especially yow ought to haue done to deale plainely simply and vprightely woulde yow euer haue brought ageinst the reading of sainctes liues in the churche the third councell of Carthage Woulde you haue alleaged the first parte of the canon Placuit vt praeter scriptur as canonic as nihil in ecclesia legatur that is we haue agreed that nothing be reade in the churche besides the canonicall scriptures and haue lefte oute the last Sub nomine diuinarum scripturarum vnder the name of holie scripture Wherebie might haue appeared that the scope of those fathers gathered together in that councell was not to banishe oute of the churche the legendes of sainctes liues but to agree vpon such bookes of holie scripture as the auctoritie whereof being oute of doubte theie woulde haue to be readen in the churche for scripture and no other And therefore in that canon we finde named for canonicall scripture to be reade in the churche the bookes of the Machabees the epistle of S. Paule to the Hebrues and also that of S. Iames all though theie be not enrolled in youre registâ—r of Genâ—ua And that this councell ment nothing lesse then to forbid the reading of sainctes liues in the churche the other wordes that folowe if yowe had not guilefullie suppressed them woulde well haue declared where the same councell by expresse wordes permitteth that yearelie on the martirs daies their liues maie be reade in the churche Thus plaide yow before with the decree of Anacletus excepte yowe will saie that there yowe cut of the first parte and here yowe left oute the last Thus alleaged yow corruptelie the wordes of Leo his epistle which being that the prieste maie celebrate Masse offer the sacrifice because yowe woulde not haue those wordes sticke in youre readers teethe yowe wer so bolde to change with him and as the englishe prouerbe hath to steale a goose and sticke in her place a fether Whereas for those wordes yowe saie that Leo permitteth the prieste to ministre two or three communions in one daie Thus till yowe coate the place where yowe finde those wordes will we saie that yowe haue sarued Theophilus Alexandrinus as before in the article of communion vnder one kinde I haue noted Thus alleaged yow once in a sermon that yow made in S. Peters churche in Oxford in the Lent a saing of S. Austen for the mariage of votaries then which neither he nor all the other fathers that euer wrote haue or can speake more directlie ageinst them And yet yow so cunning a Maister yow ar in youre arte made it iust to serue youre purpose For whereas S. Austens wordes ar these Quapropter non possum dicere a proposito meliori lapsas si nupserint foeminas adulteria esse non coniugia Sed planè non dubitauerim dicere lapsus ruinas à castitate sanctiori quae vouetur Deo adulterijs esse peiores that is wherefore I can not saie that such women if theie fall from their better purpose and marie that this is adulterie and not mariage but this I dare be bolde to saie that the falling and sliding awaie from holie chastite vowed to god is worse then adulterie yow deuide the senteÌ„ce iust in the middest and where he saithe that he caÌ„not calle such mariages adulterie that swete soppe yowe keepe for youre owne toothe but that which foloweth that he dareth be bolde to call such manner of dealing worse then adulterie that sower sauce yow make no mention of at all but leaue it to such scrupulouse consciences as will not breake their fast with youre deintie delicates Thus much touching youre vneuen dealing in Christes cause Whereof I can saie no more but hartelie praie to god that bothe yowe and as manie take youre parte maie earnestlie repent and be hartely sorie therefore YOVRE rebellion and open war proclaimed agenst youre prince your sacking his townes your robbing his treasour your
square all youre doinges by the auncieÌ„t tradition and doctrine of the fathers yet when yowe haue all doen yowe will be taken for an heretike as theie were and in calling them youre fathers that neuer coulde abide the sighte of that malignant churche the strompet youre mother and â—n refusing them which in deede begot yowe as before in the eighte cause it appeareth to haue proued youre selfe an impudent lier on the one side and an vnnaturall childe on the other FINIS Quoniam Liber iste a Thoma Dormanno Anglo sacre theologiae Baccalaureo compositus a viris doctis probis Anglica linguae peritis apud me fide dignissimis diligenter est examinatus probatus vtilis iudicatus qui euulgetur libenter eâ—rum sententiae subscribendum esse iudico Cunnerus Petri pastor Sancti Petri Louanij 9. Iulij anno 1564. Faultes committed in the Printing The leafe The side The lyne 2 Country self reade countrye it self 2 5 7 VVordly VVorldly 2 28 8 Interpretatyon interpretation 2 16 8 Hereaster hereafter 2 22 15 Leâ—t lefte 1 8 22 asnvver ansvvere 1 25 24 Ecclesiaflica ecclesiastica 2 24 24 Them those 2 30 29 Cuhrche churche 2 24 31 inrerpret interprete 2 31 32 Intetpretation interpretation 1 30 43 Infidleles infidelles 1 9 45 Might not be might be 1 3 54 strog strong 2 7 55 Immedatly immediatly 1 4 65 thicke thincke 2 26 66 And. An. 1 15 90 Paiers praiers 1 17 101 Tarito tarye to 1 30 134 acerbissimem dolorum acerbissimum dolorem 2 3 136 Subsistentiam Substantiam 2 8 1. Cor. 9. vvho plaÌ„â—â—th a vyn â—ard an â— tastith not of the fâ—uâ—ctes thereof Lib. 〈◊〉 3 episâ— 11. Lib. 4. epist. 9. Epistola 61. ad Episcopos per ItaliaÌ„ Galliani Lib. 6. cap 30. The baâ—ishment of scholers from th' vniuer sites for re fusing to svveare ageinstthe Pope Epistola 70. A comparison betvâ—ene the complaynt vvhich S. Basile ma de of his time and that vvhich vve may make of ourâ—â— The vvay to return to the vni tâ— of the church Epistola ad CornElium papam lib. 3. This Cornelius vvas B. of Rome One god One Christ One holy ghost One Bishop 1. 2. 3. Lib. 1. Episto 3. The high vvay to heresyes to thynck that there is not one iudge in earth in the steed of Christ. The Apologâ—e of the Englysh churche reproued by S. Cyprian The definitioÌ„ of the protestants Church Contrâ— Lâ—â—iferianâ—s One chief prieâ—t to auoide scâ—ismâ—â— Ad 〈◊〉 Episâ—ola ad Anastasiâ—Ì„ Episcopâ—Ì„ Thessâ—l Bishops Arâ—hebishops Pope Ciprian Hieron Lco. Cap. 17 Lib. 3. de Theologia 〈◊〉 10. 1. Cor. 9. 〈◊〉 25 â—polog Eccles. Aâ—glic sol â— The common reason of the protestants ageinst the Supremacy of the Popâ— Hovv Christ is head of the churche and hovv the Pope Deâ—ter 17 Apocâ—â—ip Cap. 17. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Reg. 15. Hosiuâ— the Cardinal sclaundre by the heretikes Lib. de Hae resib nostri temporis Hosius Cardinalis Numer 1â— The protestants reason as Chore Dathan and Abyron did Numer 16. The scripture not hable to determine all the controuersies that maie rise apon the meaning of the lettre Deuter. 17 â—â—â—an 17. â— Cor. 10. Iâ—â—an 15. Iâ—â—an 1. Marc. 16. Rom. 10. Abacue 2. S. HieroÌ„ in doutes referred him self to Peters Seate Tom. 2. epist. ad Damasum The churche builded on S. Peters chair ibid. In quaest veteris noui testameÌ„t q. 110 The heretikes churche a dead troÌ„ck or a lyue monstre In oratione de modestia in disceptat tenenda a ad virg lapsam Cap. 5. b in orat de virginitate c in cap. 7 1. Cor. d lib. 1. contra IouiniaÌ„ e lib. de bono vid. cap 10. f epist. ad Theododor lapsum Caluinus bro. 4. instit capit 20. The cause of endovvinge the churche vvith landes Eccleâ—iastical iuri diction â—â—here in it conâ—isteth Matth. 16. Leuitici Cap. 10. Cap. 17. cap. 21. Cap. 44. Aggeus 2. Malacâ— 2. â— Cor. 12. Lib. 4. Iâ—â— sti cap. 3. sect 4. That ciuile magistrates should gouern in the church it can not be proued by the nevv testament by CaluiÌ„s â—eason Actuum 10. Matth. 19. Ignatius Epist. ad Philadelpheâ— Epist. ad Smyrnens Epist. ad Philippens â— Cor. 12. Actor 20 Homel 38 in ca. Mat. 21. The prieâ— tes chief gouernors in spirituall matters â—oâ—stantiâ—â—s Lib. 10. â—ap 2. â—ccles â—ist Conâ—tanâ—ine the emperour refused to be iudge in the bishops causes Onelie god the iudge of bishops causes Epist. 166 Valentinianus Tripart histor lib. 7. cap. 12. Valentinian his ansvver being required to entre meddle in matters of religioÌ„ â–ª Tâ—eodorit lib. 7. hist. eccl cap. 8. Nicolâ—us papa in epistola ad Faustuâ—â— To. 1. coÌ„cil de expurg Sixti ValeÌ„tiniaÌ„ the sonne Lib. 5. episâ—ol 33. Lib. 5. epiâ—tâ—l 32. Our couâ—trefeit biâ—sâ—ops proused true flatteres by S. Ambrose Epist. 34. lib. 5. Act. ca. 18. In. 4. sâ—nod Rom. sub Simacho papa In churcâ— matters vvhat the prince hath to doe Aurelianus Eusebius lib. eccle hist. 7. cap. 26. Psalm 2. ConstaÌ„â—ius Lib. 2. cap. 41. a. paralip cap. 26. Liberius Atâ—anas in epist. ad solitariam vitam ageÌ„â—es Hosius Histor. eccles lib. 5. cap. 16. Athanas. in epist. ad solitariam vitam ageÌ„tes A necessary admonitioÌ„ for princes that entre meddle in matters of the churche Athanasius In epist. ad solitar viâ—aÌ„ agentes A questioÌ„ to be ansvvered by the Huguenotes Arrius he resie first brought in that priÌ„ces should medle in matters of the churche A poinctâ— of Antichrist for a lay man to entremeddle in spiritual iurisdiction Daniel capit 9. Iulianus Lib. â— histor eccles cap. 50. Oration ad subdit â—iâ—ore perculs Imper irascâ—Ì„â—em Lib. 4. ca. 18. A pleasant vvitty and godlie an svvere to stop their mouthes vvithall vvho in matters of religioÌ„ obiect alvvaies the priÌ„ces auctoritie Sermon 1. in Oseâ—â— cap. 1. Amos. 7. Lib. 4. cap. 11. sect 4. Deuter. 17. Ezech. cap. 44 â—ggeus 2 1. Cer. 12. Actor 20 Igâ—â—tius Epistol ad Philadelphens Liberius Hosius Athanasius Gregorius NaziaÌ„zenus Ambrose Chrisostom Homilia 5 â–ª de verbis Esaiae Heb. 7. Libr. 3. de sacerdotio Damascenus The first argument of the protestants Moyses The ansvvere Psalm 9 4 The Reply The solutioÌ„ prouing that Moyses vvas a priest Hieron in Psalm 9 8 Psalm 9 8 Exod. 28. Exod. 28. In quaestiâ— Sup. Leuit. Lib. 3. cap 23. By the bisshoppes appareâ—lâ— vnderstaÌ„d the executioÌ„ of the things beâ—longing 〈◊〉 Exod. 4. Hovv Moyses vvas chief and hovv Aaron In oratione quaÌ„ habuit in praesent Gegor fratris Basilij de Moyse Aaron Leuit. capite 8. Lib. Instit. 4. cap. 11. Sect. 8. Caluins ansvver to the obiection of Moyses The secoÌ„de example Iosue The .3 example 1. Paralip cap. 13. â— Paralip cap. 15. The bringing home the arck vvithout the priestes acknovvleged by Dauid to be an vnlauful act 3. Paralip â—â—p 15. Salomon 3. Reg. Cap. 8. Ezechias 4. Reg. cap. 18. Iosaphat Iosiat Ioas. Iehu
1. Reg. 15. 1. Reg. 15. 16 Numer Cap. 25. 3. Regum cap. 1. Ecclesiastici cap. 48. 4. Reg. Cap. 9. Cap. 22. 4. Reg. Cap. 22. Exod. 3. 12. Psalm 109. 1. cap. 2. That kinges should be subiect to priestes no absurditie at all Lucae 10. Lib. 4. histor suae Iosepus lib. antiq 11. cap. 16. Origin contra Celsum lib. 5. AlexaÌ„ders reuerence tovvards the high priest Examples brought by the protestants A similitude Libro 3. de vita Constantini CoÌ„stantinê° vvould not fit in the councel vvith the bisshops before he had asked leaue of them so to doe Lib. 1. Capâ— te 8 Hist. ecclestrip lib. 2â— Cap. 5. The church gouerned before Constantinus time either by priestes or by infidelles or by none Histor. eccles trip libro 9. cap. 18. Concilium Aquileien se. Lib. 5. â—pist 32. Actio 3. Act. 3. Euagâ—ius Lib. 2. cap. 4. Constantinus The difference be tvvene the bisshops subscribing in the Councel and the Emperours Ex relatioÌ„ Sinod Calcedon ad B. papam Leon. Hovv the Emperours gouernemeÌ„t in the councel is to be vnderstand Concilio Constantinopolit 3. Act. 18. Note the difference betvvene the bisshops and the Emperour Subscriptions in the old councels Act. 15. Concil 2 Aurasiâ—anum Hovv the laie men subscribed in the councel Aurasican The protestaÌ„ts example taken out of the councel Aurasican maketh ageinst them Iustiniâ—â— The aduersaries obiection turned against him self Bishoppes and priestes forbidden to marie by Iustinians Constitution Chastitie vovved in IustiniaÌ„s time Hovv Iustinian made lavves in matters of the churche The first fovver general councelles defined the popes superioritie not Phocas as the protestaÌ„ts maliciouly affirme a Constit. 131. Epistola inter claras C. de sum tri fid cathol The. pope confessed by Iustinian the emperour to be the head of all churches Ro. 13. 1. Cap. 2. Hobr. 13. That S. Petre vvas B. of Rome Lib. 1. hist. apostol Lib. 7. cap. 6. Ado. Lib. de praescript aduers haer Tertulliâ—Ì„s rule to knovve an heretike Lib. 1. Epistol 3. In Catalogo Epist. 42. Lib. 2. contra Doâ—atistas Sermoâ— 124. de teÌ„pore Sermon 1. 3. Homil. in Math. 55. Cap. 16. Homil in Math. 59. Lib. 2. de Sacerdot Au inuincible argument that by ChrisostoÌ„ the charge of the vvhole churche vvas coÌ„mitted to the BB. of Ro. Peters successors Augustin Leo. Chrisost. Lib. 4. Inst cap. 6. Sectione 8. Lib. 2. de Sacerdotio Hiâ—ron â–ª ad Euagrium Secundo commonito rio The B. of Rome heade of all the vvorlde Ex Epist. Paschâ—sini alioruÌ„ collegarum de damâ— natione Dioscoâ—â— Epist. inter claras â—desum triuit fid Cath. Athanasius The pope called the B. of the vniuersall churche of Christ. The first councell of Nice alleaged by Athanasius for the Popes auctoritie In praefat in 4. euaÌ„g Chief prieste 1. Tim. 3. Ruler of the churche Ad Bonifac contraduas epist. Pelagian lib. 1. cap. 1 Placed aboue all Bishoppâ—s Lib. 2. de Baptismat Cap. 1. Epist. commentar in Pauli epist. prâ—â—fix The churche of Rome ruleth all the vvorlde Lib. 3. Cap. 3. De vocat gentium lib. 2. cap. 6. Epist. 162. A reason to proue the pope head of the churche Chief bisshoppe of all bishoppes In confessione sua In aedicto Epist. ad Innoâ—â—â— tium 〈◊〉 5. Nicephâ— lib. 11 cap. 17. The tenor of the excoÌ„munication pronounced by Innocentiê° the pope ageinst Arcadius the Emperour This vvas aboue a thousand yeares agoe To. 1. 〈◊〉 42. Tom. 2. Epist. 41. Erasmus iudgemeÌ„t against the Protestants Examples of the primitiue churche to proue the B. of Rome his supremacy Tripart hist. lib. 4 cap. 6. The odorit lib. 2. cap. 4. Triparti histor lib 4. cap. 9. Epist. ad Felicem Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 24. He liued in the yeare of our lorde 193. ConciliuÌ„ Constan. about the yeare of our lorde 369. ca. 5. Concil EphesinuÌ„ in the yeare of our lorde 433. CounciliuÌ„ CalcedoÌ„ The yeare 453. Act. 8. Sessione 1. Act. 16. The CoÌ„clusion of the CouÌ„cel of Calcedon tovvching the Popes superioritie Concilium Carthag MileuitanuÌ„ Apud August epist. 90. August epistlaÌ„ 92. August epist. 9â— Not man but god hath refer ued to the pope the determi nation of all doubtes August epist. 93. The yeare or our lord 470 Epist. 106 Epist. 95 Epiphâ— heresi 68. Athan. â—apolog 2. Histor. trip lib. 4. cap. 34. Socrates Lib. 2. cap. 15. Epist. 85. 83. 89. Lib. 2. Epist. 4. lib. epist. 1. epist. 75. S. Gregories place brought by the ProtestaÌ„ts ageinst the Popes supremacy examined The vvord vniuersall B. not taken vvith S. Gregorie to signifie the head of the churche Lib. 4. cap. 76. S. Gregorie expouÌ„ded to make nothiÌ„g for the protestaÌ„ts by his ovvne vvordes In vvhat sence it is true that no B. of Rome vvould euer be called vniuersall bisshop lib. epist. 4. Epist. 4. In the. 2. ansvvere to D. Coles 2. letttres The antiquitie of holie vvater Lib. 10. de ciuitatâ— dei cap. 6. Lib. de prescript ad â—ersus haer Lib. 4. de SacrameÌ„t Cap. 5. Super illud Lucae Hoc est corpus TertulliaÌ„ in the yeare of our lord 200 Lib. de Resur carnis Ciprian â–ª The yeare 349. Sermon de 〈◊〉 dâ—Ì„i TransubstantiatioÌ„ Athâ—nas the yeare 379. Lib. de passione imagiâ—is Christi Cap. vlâ— Homil. 5. de Paschâ—â— Transubstantiatio To alleage the oÌ„nipotency of god vvhat had it neded if there had bene no other chaunge in the bread and vvine theÌ„ the Protestants saie there is Ambrosius The yeare of our lorde 380 Lib. 4. de Sacrament cap. 4. Note that of breade the fleshe of Christ is made De ijs qui init myster cap. 9 In responad quaest 172. A Protestants faithe Lib. 1. 〈◊〉 15. Esaiae 40 Rom. 11. De Sacrâ—mentis Lib. 6. Cap. 1. Christâ—s true fleshe in the Sacrament 〈◊〉 6. VVhie in the Sacrament the accidents be not changed Lib. 4. de Sacraâ— Cap. 5. De his qui initiantur mystâ— râ—js Cap. vlâ—i The bodie consecrate by the priest the same that vvas borne of the virgin Lib. 6. de Sacram Cap. 1. Christes true flesh in the Sacrament euen as Christ vvas the true sonne of his father It had bene in vaine to haue brought examples of thingest urned in substance to proue the same in the sacrament if there had bene no such chaÌ„ge there Augustinan 400. in psal 98 A sinne not to vvorship Christes bodie in the Sacrament Adoratio Homiâ— 24 in 1. Cor. 10. Christe to be vvorshipped on the altar Ibidem Hovv Chrâ—steâ— bâ—die is vvorshipped in the SacrameÌ„t Psalm 33. Chrisostomus Ad populuÌ„ Antiochen homil 2. Christes cloke his fleshe Epist. 1. ad InnoceÌ„tium papam Nicephor lib. 13. cap. 19. Tertullian Oyprianus Athanas. Eusebiusâ— Ambrosi Really Ioan. 6. He liued Anno dnÌ„i 371. Naturally Concilium EphesinuÌ„ â— Anno domini 433. 1. Cor. 11. Lib. 5. Contrahaereses Valeâ— tini aliorum Substantially Vbi supra An absurditie in Irenaeus time to graunt that in â—he
of emperours and kinges ouer bishoppes and priestes Trulie that Iustinian did this it is but barelie affirmed nor any place in th'apologie is there coated where a maÌ„ that doubted might see it proued And therefore with the same auctoritie might it be denied with the which it is proposed to be beleued True it is that Theodora th'empresse as some write being alltogether giuen to the heresie of Eutiches after she had long trauailed first with Siluerius and after Vigilius bothe bishops of Rome to haue Menna the catholike archebishop of Constantinople depriued of his bishoprick and the heretike Anthimius remoued by Agapetus before restored again and could not obteine at their handes her wicked purpose did apon displeasure conceiued by this repulse â— procure by the meanes of Belisarius Iustinians chief â—apitaine the banishement first of th'one and after of th'other Who so euer deposed them or who so euer banâ—shed them true is it that this was the cause thereof and no other Which being as in dede it is most true let vs nowe graunte to our aduersaries that it was not the empresse but the emperour him self that deposed them and let vs see how they be hable to proue thereby that emperours and kinges may degrade priestes and depose bishoppes If they will deale vprightely they must to proue it â—eason thus Iustinian otherwise a Christian emperour but in this point a cruell heretike tirannously deposed two popes Siluerius and Vigilius onely because they would not doe wrong that is depriue him of his bishoprick to a catholike bishop and restore an heretike laufully before depriued Ergo th'emperour is aboue the pope Ergo kinges be aboue bishoppes Is not this a propre kinde of reasoning trowe yow Might they not haue reasoned after this sort that Nero deposed S. Petre that Traian put downe Clement with a nombre of such like examples For to saie that Iustinian was a christian whereas thiese wer infidelles is but a mist cast in to th'obiection to desell our eyes For who seeth not if he be not allreadie blinde that this deede if it should haue bene Iustinians to mainteine and defend an open heretike ageinst a faithefull and true catholyke had bene the act of a tyrant and infidell not of a Christian and good prince and that it is no better reason to say and conclude that he deposed them and therefore iustlie then it should be to say that he defended the heretike Anthimius and therefore rightefullie But seing this example will not serue our aduersaries turn let vs assaie to make it serue ours And first let vs examine what should be the cause why Iustinian should be so earnest with these two bishoppes of Rome to depose the B. of Constantinople and to restore the heretike that stoode depriued was he not emperour of all the worlde had he not by the meanes thereof as our newe doctours beare vs in hande the chief gouernement ouer all matters spirituall and temporall was on the other side the auctoritie of the bishoppes of Rome at that time such that it extended I will not saie out of their owne diocesse to any other bishoppes in the Latine churche but to Constantinople the chief of the Grieke Here ar they taken how so euer they answer For first if th'emperour had bene of that auctoritie that they saie the laie magistrates arre why did he not then by his owne mere and absolute power displace the one and place the other Might he not as well haue deposed one bisshop at Constantinople as two at Rome But if on the contrarie parte they answer that the pope was he that must necessarilie place and displace euen at that time and in the Grieke churche and not the emperour whie then should it be laufull at this time for emperours or kinges to doe that which was not laufull to be done then Or why should it not now be laufull for the B. of Rome which at those daies was not vnlaufull Thus may yowe see good Readers howe this history wholly and truly alleaged maketh not onely not against vs but also much with vs if it had bene true that th'apologie saieth that Iustinian had deposed those two popes Yea but say they yowe can not denie that the emperour made lawes of matters of religion that he absteined not euen in matters of the churche froÌ„ thiese termes Sancimus iubemus we ordeine we commaunde with such like Trulie this can I not denie and if I would there be whole constitutions of his ready to be brought againste me as that where he commaundeth that none be made bisshop that hath a wife and of them that haue had such as haue had oneâ—ie one the same no widowe neither deuorced from her husband neither forbidden by the holie canons and also that where he commaundeth that of priestes no other be receiued to that ordre but such as vel coelibem vitam agunt vel vxorem habuerunt aut habent legitimam eam vnam primam nequé viduam nequé diuortio separatam à viro aut alioquiî legibus aut sacris interdictam canonibus that is to saie as either leade a single life or haue had a laufull wife or presently haue and that one and the first no widowe none diuorsed from her husband or otherwise by the lawes or holie canons forbidden and that of deacons also where he giueth coÌ„maundement that if he that should be deacon haue no wife presently he be not otherwise promoted except being first asked of him which giueth the ordres whether he caÌ„ from thence furth liue without a wife he answer yea In somuch that th'emperour plainely pronounceth that he that ministreth to him the ordres can not dispence with him to mary after and that if he should so doe the bishop which suffred it should be deposed But although this be true that th'emperour Iustinian not onelie in thiese matters which touched the cleargie but in manie other also hath entremedled yet hath he alwaies so tempered the matter as he hath showed him selfe to be a folower not a leader a ministre to execute not a gouerner to prescribe The which thing his owne wordes in all such places where he entreateth of such matters placed as it wer for the nones to take awaie all such sinistre suspicioÌ„ doe manifestlie declare For either he hath these wordes Sequentes ea quae sacris definita sunt canonibus folowing the definition of the holy canons or thiese Sacras per omnia sequentes regulas in all poinctes folowing the holie rules or such like wherebi he would haue testified to the worlde that he meaneth by his penall lawes seuerelie to execute the canons of the churche and nothing lesse then to make newe him selfe In this sense vsed he the worde Sancimus we ordeine Where speaking of the first fower generall councels and the B. of Rome he hath thiese wordes Sancimus vt secundum eorum definitiones sanctissimus veteris Romae papa primus omniâ—m
so long time six hundred yeares after Christ there vvas no priuate masse in the catholike church in any countrie or coast thoroughe ovvt the vvorlde A harde matter is it M. Iuell that yow take apon yow to proue for it is a negatiue so generall that to proue it is a thing impossible To proue that there is no Masse saide imagine with your selfe in all London how harde a matter it were You ar not able for your life to proue that there is no masse saide in the diocesse whereof yow call your selfe bishopp For how shoulde yow proue it being denied but by witnesses how is it possible to haue witnesses to depose for euery church for euery corner in euery churche euery towne euery house in euery towne euery chamber and secrete place in euery house not for once in the weeke but for euery daie not for euery daye but for euery hower of the daie all which he must doe that will conclude a necessarie proufe And yet all this haue yow M. Iuell vndertaken to proue not in the citie of London or diocesse of Salesburie but in all England Fraunce Spayne Scotland Portugall Denmarck Germanie Italie emongest the Indians the MauritaniaÌ„s the Egyptians the Persians the Arabians the Armenians the Grecians or in any other place or coast thoroughout the whole worlde not that there was no priuate masse in some one of these places but in neuer a one of them in neuer a towne of al those countries in neuer a house of all those townes in neuer a place were it neuer so secrete of all those houses not for one two or thre yeares but for the continuall space of six hundred A greater matter I confesse then if yow had stoode to the lawe yow coulde peraduenture haue bene constreined to haue done but seing yow trust so much to your selfe let vs heare how yow proue it For saye yow All the vvriters that vver vvithin the compasse of that time haue lefte behinde them vvitnesse sufficient of a communion but not one of them all coulde euer tell vs of anie priuate masse Here if a man should desire of yow good sir a catalog of all such writers as wrote within the first six hundred yeares I thinck for all your greate bragges you woulde turne him ouer to your frend Gesnerus where I am sure he were like to finde many a worcke named that neither he nor yow nor any man elles a liue euer sawe yet and I thinck and feare it to the more is the pitie I maie adde no man hereafter shall see But let this passe yow kepe not your quarters so close but that a man maie râ—ache yow a rapp when he will If one shoulde aske yow whether yow haue but â—ene all those writers that beâ—ng extant and to be sene wrote within the compasse of the first six hundred yeares I thinck such a question would grauell you But if he shoulde goe farder and coniure yowe apon youre false faithe trulie to answere him of those fewe that yowe haue sene how much yow lefte behinde in them that yow neuer reade Esopes dawe neuer was cause of so greate laughter to her other fellowes being spoiled of her borowed fethers as yow woulde bring shame to your companions when your counterfeite lions skinne being plucked ouer your eares and your loftie lookes and greate bragges broughte to nought yow shoulde appeare to the worlde in your simple asses carcas But let this be graunted to your spirite of arrogancie that yow maie saie frelie that yow haue sene all the writers which no man elles aliue hath done let it be a figure of rethorick that yowe haue ransacked euery corner in their worckes who haue not reade the twentith parte thereof and of that little which you haue reade haue not borne awaie perhapps the hundreth Yet all this I saie being graunted what logike is this of youres to reason after this sort All these holy doctours haue geuen vs perfect euidence of a communion without mencion making of any priuate masse Ergo there was in Christes churche within the first six hundred yeares no priuate masse If apon your witnesse yow bring not in this conclusion yow saie nothing against vs. If this be your conclusion in effect yow saie as little forasmuch as euery childe is in a manner able to teache yow that this consequent is nought he speaketh not of such a thinge Ergo there is no such thing Or as yowe reason they did not Ergo they coulde not I would alleage your auctorities of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir Ambrose Hierom Austen Leo sauing that we finde in them that which we denie not that is to saie that with the priest the people did vse to communicate but that if as yow saie the people would not the priest should not thereof we finde not one worde which till yow proue to vs Chrisostome his yea wilbe taken for better then youre naie In the meane season yow maie if it please yow take this for an answere That as the catholikes forbidde no man to receiue with the priest that will but hartelie wisshe that all men would so dispose theÌ„selues that at euery Masse with the priest there might be some to coÌ„municate so neither can they constreine them to receiue whose deuotion thereto serueth them not nor maie them selues absteine from the sacrifice whereunto Christes institution bindeth them Which reason allthough it please one of youre coate I meane him that toke on him your defence of late as appeareth by a little treatise by him sent a brode to call the roote of all the abuses of the L. supper and farder to affirme that Christes institution maketh no mencion of any oblatioÌ„ or sacrifice to be done by the priest sauing onelie the sacrifice of thankes geuing Yeat ar we able well to proue that bothe the sacrifice which is offered is not of thanckes geuing onelie but of the very bodie of Christ bothe owt of Martialis the B. of Burdeaulx one of the disciples of Christ S. Ambrose S. Austen S. Chrisostome and others and also that it ought dailie to be offered and so was vsed in the primitiue churche and last of all that Christe him selfe commaunded him selfe to be offered If yow thinâ—ke that this be but a shift and that we meane nothing lesse then that the people should communiâ—ate and receiue together with the priest lookeapon that citie cast your eyes to that churche which of all other I dare saie in the worlde yow hate moste Rome I meane and there shall yow by the comon and frequent communicating of the people with the prieste well perceiue how greately yow haue iniuried vs with that selaunderouse diffamatioÌ„ that oure priestes inhibite and forbid the laitâ—e to communicate with them at their Masses Loke apon those religiouse men of the societie of Iesus whose chieffest-profession is to enstruct youthe in vertue and learning to trauaile about the worlde to bring in to Christes folde infidelles and
heretikes Which they haue so done within these fewe yeares with such spirituall fruite and encrease with such exceding greate gaine of lost soules not sparing their owne bloud and liues in Christes cause in Africa in India in Persia and elles where that god hath well testified by sundry miracles wrought now by them in those parties no lesse then once in the primitiue churche by his apostles how highly he estemeth their labour loke I saie apon them whose vertuouse life and godly conuersatioÌ„ shall once I trust be the bane and vtter ruine of all heresiesâ— and yow shall finde it to be true that bothe at Colein at Augusta at Treuires at Cambray at Tournay and in other places of their abode there passeth no Sonday or holie day in the yeare in which there communicate not with the priest bothe of men and women greate store And yet arre they it is well knowen as farre all this while from yowe in your heresies as yow be from them in perfection of life and true religion Well although the testimonies of Clemens Dionisius Iustinus martir with the rest sarue not your purpose yeat yow haue other that touche vs more neere you will saie as fivst the. 10. canon of the apostles which yowe alleage in this manner Fideles qui in ecâ—lesiam ingrediuntur scripturas audiunt communionem sanctam non recipiunt tanquâm ecclesiasticae pacis perturbatores a communione arceantur that is to say Such christian men as come to the churche heare the scriptures and receiue not the holy communioÌ„ let them be excommunicated as men that trouble the peace and quietnes of the churche To this I answere that this canon being truly alleaged according to the Greke the founteine from whence it was taken first hath no such thing in it that all that be present at the Masse or holy communion shoulde communicate but onely continue there to the ende that by their either often whipping in and oute either ouer hasty departure from thence they might not trouble the churche or be scandulouse to any Secondarily that if it wer to be vnderstand as yow say that yeat yow must adde some more force thereto before it well will serue your turne seing there is neuer a worde there that forbiddeth which is the thing that yow must proue the prieste to receiue alone if none will receiue with him And for the first that yowe maie perceiue how this translation hath deceiued yow and how euell it squareth with the grieke knowe yow that the founteine and originall copie hath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wordes Haloander a birde of the same wing that yow arre translateth after this sorte neque apud praeces sanctam coÌ„munionem permanent that is they that abide not out or continue not to the ende of the praiers and holy communion This translation beside that the wordes in the greke doe beare it 〈◊〉 for the other there is neuer a worde to signifie or â—â—â—resse the receauing of the communion it hath also to â—â—inteine it the auctoritie of Theodorus Balsamon the grieke writer and Patâ—â—â—ke of Antioche who in his commentaries apon the canon next before this hath these wordes Dicere fideles laicos consecratos qui sacra non tractant oportere quâ—â—â—die sanctis commâ—â—â—care alioqui segregari nec est ex senteÌ„tia canonis nec potest fieri Eâ— ideo nonus canon dixit puniri 〈◊〉 qui non 〈◊〉 that is To saie that the faithefull laie men and those that be not laie but yeat handle 〈◊〉 the holy misteries ought daily to communicate 〈◊〉 to be excommunicate it is neither the meaning of the canon nor it can sâ— be and therefore the. 9. canon the next which in some bookes is noted for the. 9. in some other for the. 10. hath that the faithefull not continuing to the ende shalbe punished Thus vnderstandeth he the seconde canon of the councell holden at Antioche in the daies of Aureliaenus the emperour Where examining those wordes of the canon by which all they arre excoÌ„municated who comming to the churche refuse the holy participation of the sacrament propter aliquam insolentiam for some insolency he writeth thus Diâ— quôd iâ— non existimabuntur sacram participationeÌ„ auersari qui â—am odio habent abominantur velqui vt nonnulli dicebant propter pietateÌ„ humilitateÌ„â—am fugiunt Illi enim non solum segregabuntur fed etiam vt haeretici extermin abuntur hi vero propter pietatem venia digni habebuntur Sed illi qui prae contemptu arrogantia ex ecclesia ante sanctam participationem inordinatè exeunt nec intueri sustinent That is in effect to say thus much Thincke not that the canon here speaking of theÌ„ which shoonne the participation of the blessed sacrament is to be vnderstand of them that haue it in hatred or abhomination or of them as some saied that of a certeine pietie and humilitie absteine from it For of these two kinde of men the first shall not onely be segregate for a time but as heretikes rooted out for euer the other for their deuotion and worthy reuerence towardes the sacrameÌ„tes shalbe thought worthy pardon But those ar they whome this canon noteth who of contempte and arrogancie departe ageinst ordre out of the churche before the holy participation not so much as vouchesausing to beholde the same Thus yow see M. Iuell how this patriarke and learned Grecian expoundeth the canon by yow alleaged not as to signifie a precise necessitie in all that be present at the Masse to receiue with the prieste but to continue there onely to the ende that by that meanes although they did not sacrameÌ„tally they might year at the leaste in ioining their praiers with the priestes and by holy meditating apon Christes deathe and passion together with him communicate the one with the other spiritually He addeth in his saide commentaries apon the aboue named seconde canon of the councell of Antioche that he thinketh the distribution of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which name I iudge he calleth oure holy breade to haue bene taken oute of this canon that they which wer not partakers of the liuely and holie misteries shoulde be bouÌ„de to tarito the ende of the diuine ministery and to receiue the same at the priestes handes ad sanctificationem to sanctifie them Thus vnderstandeth this greke canon Ioannes Monachus Zonoras him selfe a Grieke borne also as in his commentaries extant thereapon to him that listeth to searche maye be more at large seene But let the canon be expounded euen as oure aduersaries would haue it let it be so that the primitiue churche appointed greate penalties for them that being present at the Masse woulde not receiue with the priest Yeat is there all this while nothing brought ageinst the priestes receuing the sacrament alone why he may not take it being so disposed if other will not And yet is this the point ye wote well
that yow must proue The nexte auctoritie that yow alleage to this purpose is taken oute of the first epistle of Anacletus and neuer written as yow ignorantly sayde it was by Calixtus But whose so euer it be yow handle it like youre owne For hauing cut of that which otherwise might haue bewrayed your falsehoode yow bring vs in a piece that semeth without the rest to make for your purpose Truly the ciuile lawes call it inciuile euen in worldly matters to iudge apon the onely bare viewe of some one parte of the lawe what the meaning is of the whole What they wer like to call mangling and hackling tearing and dismembring such as yow vse in goddes matters I referre it to your owne conscience to iudge by the argument of L. Cornelia de Fals. The wordes of Anacletus arre these Episcopus Deo sacrificans testes vt praefixum est secuÌ„ habeat c. The bishop when he doeth sacrifice to god let him as is before saide haue witnesses and mo then an other priest For as his honour is greater so hath he nede of mo witnesses For apon highe and solemne feastes shall he haue with him either seuen or fiue or thre deacons which ar called his eyes besides subdeacons and other ministres Who hauing apon them the holy vestimentes shall stande with humble spirite contrite harte and demure countenaunce before him and behinde him the priestes on the right hande and on the left garding him from euell disposed parsons and giuing their coÌ„sent to the sacrifice It foloweth Peracta consecratione omnes communicent c. The consecration being ended let them all communicate they that will not shalbe suspendid from entring in to the churche For so haue the apostles ordeined and the holy churche of Rome oâ—serueth These arre the wordes of Anacletus which if yow had wholly according to true meaning alleaged euery man shoulde haue easely perceiued how little this place had made for youre purpose euery man could haue saide that the wordes let all communicate shoulde be restreined to the priestes Deacons and other ministres of whome assisting the bishop at Masse he had before spoken and not to be racked as by you they violently arre to all the whole people that they should take place not in euery priestes masse but in euery bishoppes not at all times but at high and solemne feastes But what M. Iuell if as now it appeareth that this place maketh nothing for the prouse of youre assertion that there was not or coulde not within the first six hundred yeares after Christ or now may not any masse be saide without there be â—ome present to communicate with the priest so I make the same place to th' intent yow may not be sayde to haue taken the paines to haue alleaged it in vaine to serue for vs ageinst yow Truly I nothing doubte but that in right and indifferent iudgement I shall be hable to doe it The assistentes to the bishop at his masse should ye wote well as appeareth by this place of Anacletus coÌ„municate peracta consecratione after the consecration But what if they had refused at any time so to doe What should then haue bene done with that which was consecrated To haue reserued it vntill an other time youre doctrine in that point would not haue permitted to haue cast it away or abused it to profanevses your reuerence to those highe misteries could not haue alowed it I put here no case either impossible or vnthought apon For Anacletus him selfe prouided yow see a punishement for those that woulde not receiue which might as well haue bene all as one Thus I hope for this matter we shall not neede to trye the lawe Yow will easely graunte your selfe that the bisshop might haue finished his masse and haue receiued a lone and so either haue song or saide a priuate masse contrary to that which yow haue hetherto affirmed To the place of Chrisostome and that other of S. Gregori by the which it appeareth that such as woulde not receiue with the prieste wer commaunded away although it wer ynough for vs to answere that all this proueth nothing that when they be gone the prieste which came thither for that purpose may not goe forwarde in his Masse and receiue yea alone so that resting on this pointe we might looke for youre replye yeat although these testimonies be not I saye to the purpose forasmuch much neuerthelesse as they goe nearer to vs then any of the other auctorities before alleaged while they seme to barre the people to be present at the masse without they will receaue the sacrament with the prieste I shall thereunto in fewe wordes answere after this sorte First that these fathers of a vehement and earnest zeale that they had to reuoke and call in to vse againe that frequent and common vsage of receauing with the prieste from whence they then sawe the people thorough coldenesse of deuotion which by the cruell and often persecutions of the heathen emperours was wont to be kindled and enflamed in them to be not a little swarued and fallen away vsed a phrase and manner of speche although exactly considered in it selfe not all together simply true yet for that time and those manners very much bothe expedieÌ„t and necessary For euen as no man reprehendeth him that minding to make a crooked wand streight boweth it first to a greate deale more crookednesse on the other side then it had before not that he aloweth that any more then he did the other but onely because he knoweth right well that to make it at all streight this is the onely way euen so these fathers if they commaunded them awaie that being present at the Masse woulde not communicate with the prieste if they threatened them that if they wer not worthy to receiue the communion they wer not worthy to haue any parte of the common praiers yea if they added that excepte they wer worthy euery daie to receiue they shoulde not be worthy once in the yeare we must nedes thinke that here they bowed these crooked pieces as farre an other way and that they ment no more to haue them stande thus then as they did before If you here demaunde of meapoÌ„ what groundes I dare leauing the manifest wordes of these fathers giue this interpretation knowe ye that two causes there arre which haue moued me so to doe The first is for the auoiding of absurdities and inconueniences for which causes they that be learned in the lawes will tell you that it is not vnlaufull to swarue often times and goe froÌ„ euen the plaine wordes of he lawe or statute which otherwise we should of necessitie fall in to and from which of good reason we ought to thinke those holy and learned fathers in all their actes and doinges to haue bene most farre For if they had meÌ„t verely as their bare wordes imporre what coulde haue bene spoken more absurdely then this
omitted so much as one worde ▪ let vs nowe I beseche yow as yow tendre the common quiet of the churche as yow regarde the health of youre owne soule doe the like Youre owne selues confesse within the terme of yeares by me mencioned of the beginning and continuance of youre religion youre Apologie alleaging 40. yeares for all the vniuersall worlde M. Haddō to Hieronimus Osorius standing more stoutely then wisely apon the quiet possessiō of thirty yeares six excepted in which the course thereof was interrupted within oure realme of England So that yow can not say that I haue here imagined a case impossible but by youre owne selues confessed and by manie a man aliue if yow would denie it easy to be proued To conclude if all that hath byn allready saied satisfie yow not let yet Tertullian persuade yow in this poinct whose wordes touching this matter written ageinst the heretikes of his time folow in english after this sorte Well let it be graunted that all haue erred Hath the holie ghost yet all this while regarded no churche to leade it into the truthe being sent for that purpose by Christ being therefore expressely demaunded of his father to be the teacher of all truthe Let it be so that goddes bailif and Christes vicair haue suffered the churches to vnderstand otherwise then he taught by his apostles Is it yeat likely that so many and famouse churches should erre in one faithe And a littell after he addeth thiese wordes The truthe belike looked for some Marcionites and Valentiniās the heretikes against whome he wrote to deliuer it in the meane season till whose comming the ghospel was not rightely preached so many thousand thousands baptized amisse so many worckes of faithe euell ministred so many vertuouse cures and giftes wrongfully wrought so many priesthodes and ministrations naughtely executed so manie martirdome to make an ende suffred in vaine Thus far Tertullian To whome it seemed a thing absurd and vnlikely that the holie ghost should faile the churche in the reuealing and opening to the same of any wholesom and necessary truthe that gods bailiff and Christes vicair should suffer so many churches to fall in to an erroniouse and wrong belief that so many agreing all in one faithe should erre that no chaunce should at one time or an other haue varied the ordre had it byn nought of that doctrine which so many churches taught This wrote he when Christes churche was yet in herba when it had continued little aboue two hundred yeares What would he haue saied were he now aliue in oure time to heare that all the churches in the wide worlde the same where the apostles them selues gouerned from whence as from a spring all scripture all true religion next after god flowed in to the reast of Christendome should be noted agreing all in one faithe to haue perniciously erred not one hundred yeares or two but by the continuall space of fiftene hundred Or if that cōfession fell from yow in youre Apologie vnwares as in a booke set furth with such publike consent first commendid to the world next as the common and certeine pledge of youre religiō and last of all vaunted to be placed openly in the eyes of all the world and such as no one of youre aduersaries wer able to refell it is not easi to be presumed yeat for the terme of nine hundred yeares at the least For for so long continuance the moste parte of yow graunt that we ar able to bring proufes and witnesses of oure religion and therefore yow chalenge all the writers that haue written within that compasse Would he not now haue cried out and haue asked where was become the holie ghost apppointed by Christ demaunded of the father to leade the churche in to all truthe Whether it were likely that so many and notable churches agreing all in one faithe should erre would he not thincke we take vp oure newe doctours yow and youre cōpanions telling yow that the truthe laie euer bounde and could neuer be losed till frier Luther and his brother Zuinglius cam and set it at libertie and that in the meane season the ghospel was neuer preached aright baptesme euel ministred with such like functions in the churche But leauing Tertullian and comming nearer to oure owne time will not thinck yow Hieronimus Osorius laughe in his sleeue whē of thirteene hundred yeares for so long is it and more sence we Englishe men first receiued the faithe at the handes of pope Eleutherius M. Haddon his aduersary after so much turning and tossing troubling and vexing of Cicero his maister and chiefest author of his diuinitie could at the length with much ado finde but .24 yeares that our countrie had continued in the doctrine of the gospell Is he not like thinke yow to serue him again with this tennis ball Hoc est tuū Gualtere nescio stupidius an improbius ad Hieronimi epist. respōsum And will not some other trowe you cut him shorte of this accounte eleuen yeares and bid him for .30 lacking six to write .30 lacking .17 Except he will flie to this to iustifie his reaconing that as soone as the pope was once banished although Masse Mattins and all other seruice cōtinued till the deathe of king Henry that yeat was all as it shoulde be and according to the doctrine of their gospell How euer it be fower and twenty or .13 yeares hath not the Quene our gratiouse lady trow yow and the whole realme good cause to decree and appoint a perpetuall salary out of the common coffers to such a patrone But because Osorius is well knowen to be man good ynough for M. Haddon and therefore bothe cā and will if he thincke it needefull to reply apon so fond an answere defend him selfe I will leauing to write any more thereof as perteining not principally but incidently to my purpose conclude here this first cause with my earnest request to yow once again that yow considre it diligently and seriously not lightely or scornefully THE second cause that hath weighed much with me and maie also iustly doe the like with yowe is the same that S. Austen disputing with the Maniches affirmed to haue kept him in the lappe of the catholike churche that is the auctoritie of the same churche by which we ar taught to giue credite vnto the ghospell For as he reasoned thus ageinst Manichaeus Quibus ergo obtemperaui dicentibus c. Those therefore whome I beleuid bidding me beleue the ghospell why shoulde I not giue credite to the same men warning me not to beleue Manichaeus so maie yow or I saie to all such factiouse men as labour to bring vs from the obedience of the catholike churche of Rome to their parte The churche of Rome the mother and chief of all other taught vs Englishe men first to beleue the gospell and other knowledge the reof then which we had from that church we haue none Why should we
S. Peters time first mainteined that we reade of any heresie against the truthe haue yow not borowed this wholesome doctrine of youres that such good worckes as god giueth vs the grace to doe merite for vs nothing towardes oure saluation Nouatus Nouatus whose heresies raged in the churche in S. Cyprian his is time Cornelius being theÌ„ pope aboute the yeare of oure lorde 249. withdrewe him selfe from the obedieÌ„ce of the See of Rome he exacted a solemne othe of those that receiued the blessed sacrament of the altar at his handes that they should vttrely renounce the obedience of the pope which was at that time Cornelius as I saide before Doe not yow the like Manichaeus in the yeare of oure lorde 271. The Manichees denied that man hath any freewill They refused to fast on such dayes as the churche had appointed and prescribed and therefore they fasted not the wednesdaies and fridaies as all Christian men beside did but the sondaies as witnesseth S. Austen Aâ—â—rius almoste 1300. yeares ago Aâ—â—rius did not onely refuse to obserue the prescript and appointed fasting dayes alleaging for him â—elf that so he should be vnder the iudaicall yoke of boÌ„dage a reason also of youres M. Iuell and youre coÌ„panions wheÌ„ ye claime the libertie of youre newe gospell but he was an enemie also to sacrifice and prayers for the deade and defended that they were vnlaufull Iouinianus in the yeare 388. If yow agree not iustly with the Manichees and the Aâ—erians it is because you haue ouerrunne them For yow denie not simply with Aâ—eÌ„rius the offering vp to god of sacrifice for the deade but yow which they were not so impudent to doe condemne all manner of sacrifice bothe for the quicke and the deade Yow arre not contented barely to denie the solemne fasting on certeine prescript and appointed dayes but going farder condemne with Iouinian the heretiâ—e all manner of fasting and abstinence from meates vtterly Aâ—erius and Manicheus although they woulde be bound to no certeine time fasted yeat at some time onely yow will fast at no time so religiously doe yow kepe and so fast doe yow holde the fast learned of Iouinian youre auncestor He taught that all sinnes were equall yow put no difference betwene veniall and mortall The virginitie of noonnes and continencie of men choosing to liue single he counted no better nor more meritoriouse then the chaste mariages of other men For so reporteth S. Austen of him by thiese wordes Virginitatem etiam sanctimonialium continentiam sexus virilis in sanctis eligentibus coelibem vitam coniugiorum castorum atqueue fidelium meritis adaequabat The vowes of chastitie he animated and encouraged those that had made them to breake them His wicked persuasions were to the men by asking them whether they thought them selues to be better then Abraham and other the holye fathers that were maried to the womeÌ„ whether they durst compare them selues with Sara with Suâ—anna and such holye women that were also maried and had husbandes Whether yow agree in this pointe with Iouinian let the hearers of youre sermones and readers of youre bookes iudge Or if yow will not put the matter to iudgement but youre selues confesse as the truthe is that yow receiued this doctrine from Iouinian if yow will nedes stande in defence thereof that it is bothe sounde and good then expostulate with S. Austen why he called Iouinian the first author thereof a monstre why he termed the doctrine it selfe heresie when nombring it emongest other heresies he wrote thereof in this manner Citò tamen ista haeresis oppressa exâ—incta est nec vsâ—que ad deceptionem aliquorum sacerdotum potuit peruenire This heresie notwithstanding was quickely repressed and sone extinguished nor euer coulde it come to be able to deceaue any priestes Heare yow not here S. Austen calling this doctrine of youres heresie Heare yow him not as it were reioising of the sodeine decaye thereof and that although the author deceiued therewith some seely simple women he was not yeat able to entrappe any prieste Oh had he liued in oure time when Martin Bucer taughte the same doctrine that Iouinian did if he had sene Peter Martir not a prieste onely but a moncke also so farre deceiued that he shoulde be yoked in countrefeite mariage to a nonne What thincke yow he woulde haue saied What mettall woulde maye we iudge M HaddoÌ„ his paire of golden olde men haue bene tried oute to be if they had bene touched by S. Austens touchestone Thus much of Iouinian Vigilantius in the yeare â—98 Vigilantius the heretike against whome S. Hierome wrote murmured against the tapers and lightes that burned in the churche he spake against the worshipping of sainctes and dispised the holy reliques of martirs Lo M. Iuell an other of youre fathers Eutiches in the yeare 453 Leo the pope the first of that name complaining by his letters to Martianus the emperour of such outrages as were committed in Alexandria by the furie of Euâ—iches and his companions who denied that oure Sauiour had anie more then the diuine nature emoÌ„gest other wordes hath also these Intercepta est sacrificij obâ—aâ—iâ— defecit Chrismatis sanctificatio the oblation of the sacrifice is by their meanes kepte from the people the halowing of the crisme faileth Who kepeth from vs in oure countrie the dailie sacrifice Who letteth the sanctifieng of that crisme the lacke whereof in the baptising of Nouatus that heretike Cornâ—lius a bishop of Rome and a holy martir writing to Fabianus the bishop of Antioche iudged to haue bene the cause as Eusâ—bius reporteth why he neuer receiued the holie ghost who but yow treading the steppes of Eutiâ—hes and his folowers going before yow I might here alleage diuerse other heretikes from whome yow haue borowed a greate parte of the rest of youre wicked and perniciouse opinions were it not that I hope that this which allreadie hath bene brought shalbe sufficient to make you either to mislike the other or to giue yow at the leaste iust occasion to seke therefore youre selfe and also for this that in the proâ—ecuting of youre agrement with them in their manneâ—s manie other of their opinions arre like in that discourse to come to light also Of the Protestantes agrement vvith the olde heretikes vvith the infidelles vvith Antichrist vvith Sathan him self Paulus Samosatenus The yeare 273. Eusebius writeth in his ecclesiasticall historie that Paulus Samosatenus whose herâ—sie was that Christ the sonne of god neuer came from heauen trained vp after that sorte his hearers that at his lessons and sermones they shoulde bothe men and womeÌ„ giue greate showtes in token of that liking and pleasure that they tooke in their maisters doctrine Si quis verô auditorum honestius verecundius agens a clamore nimio temperasset velut iniurâ—am faciens patiâ—batur iniuriam If any of his hearers saith Eusebius
saye or any other so much as one example of crueltie that maye be able to matche this For who woulde euer thincke in men endowed with reason and those especially whose mouthes and tongues sounde so commonly the Gospell the Gospell such inhumanitie shoulde haue bene founde as first to cut of the priuy partes of their ChristiaÌ„ brother then to frie them after to cause him by violence to swallowe them downe and last of all to rippe the stomacke of him being yeat a liue to see what was become thereof Maruell not now good readers if at S. Macarius they buried the catholikes quicke if they cut the very infantes in two if they ripped the bellies of priestes and drewe oute by little and â—â—ttle their entrailles winding the same either about some sticke or tree Maruell not if at a vilage called Patte sixe or seuâ—n leagues distant from Orleance they spared not so much as the innocent age of infancy but whereas two little children had by chaunce gotten oute of the belfrie whither the residue to the nombre of twenty or fiue and twenty were for their sauegarde fledde these cruell murderers not gospellers but manquellers meting with them in their flight brought them backe againe and threwe them in to the fier there to perishe with the reste If I shoulde here particulerly reherse all the cruell and horrible actes done by the Caluinistes in Fraunce a whole booke truly shoulde I make thereof This which allready hath bene brought maye suffise for the comparing of them I will not saie with the Donatistes onely but with the moste cruell and barbarouse tirauntes that euer liued Of the rest who so is desierouse to haue more perfect knowledge him remitte I to the booke entituled Du Saccagement des Eglises printed at Paris and written by Claudius de Sainctes oute of the which I haue takeÌ„ what so euer hath here bene alleaged touching this cruell dealing of theirs Arriani The nexte comparison is of oure gospellers with the Arrians Whose vilanie and hatred towardes the blessed sacrament of the altar was such that they trode it vnder their wicked feete The churches in Africa they ouerthrewe and made of them stables for their horses Of the vestimentes and altar clothes they made shurtes and breeches They burned the bookes they spoiled the churches of their ornamentes as in an epistle written by the bishoppes of Egypte to Marcus the pope it appeareth more at large Finally as Gregorius Nazianzenus writeth mysteria verterunt in comoedias The misteries of oure religion they turned in to plaies and comedies What one thing is there of all these that yow and your companions haue omitted to doe M. Iuell wherein agree yow not with them Can yow saye that yow haue not abused the sacrament by treading it vnder youre feete That yow haue not ouerthrowen churches and turned them to worse vses then to stables that yow haue not made breeches shurtes yea cotes for plaiers and dizzardes of the holie vestimentes and altar clothes that yow haue not burned the churche bookes and other ornamentes and moste shamefully spoiled the temple of god haue yow not to conclude which I tremble as often as I remembre turned the misteries of oure faithe the sacramentes of the churche the pledges of oure redemption into comedies and playes I woulde to god yow neuer had But as it is more manifest that yow haue so done then that it can be denied so seme yow to giue little token of repentaunce thereof when yow brag of youre infamouse companie of plaiers that they arre one of the three engines set vp of god to plucke downe the popes triple crowne as much to saye although yow plainely expresse it not as to ouerthrowe all true religion Iulianus Apostata the yeare 365. Iulianus the emperour who of a good and vertuouse catholike prince became sodenly a cruell wicked and tirannouse persecutor of Christ in his membres beganne the foundation of this goodly newe religion of his with the robbing of churches and spoiling the cleargie of their priuileages He banished aftâ—rwarde the priestes and faithefull he ouerthrewe the aultars and caused the sacrifice to ceasse as in a sermon that Chrisostome made of the two martirs Iuuent and Maximus who being bothe souldiours and men of armes woulde he saith sacrifice and offer vp them selues to god seing the sacrifice of the churche ceassed it maye moste manifestlie appeare He reproued the Christians as witnesseth Cirillus and called them wretched men for doing reuerence as then was the guise of Christian men to the crosse of Christe for making the signe thereof in their forheades for painting of it on the doores of their houses he reproued them for worshipping the reliques of martirs for visiting their tombes for praieng to them at their graues and sepulâ—hres calling them deade men He ouerthrewe the image and picture of Christe The arcke or shrine wherein were religiously kepte the bones of S. Iohn Baptist he brake open burnt them and dispersed abroade the asshes Now to make the comparison Whether yow contemne as Iulianus did the crosse of Christe whether with him yow call them wretched men that reuerence it that make the signe thereof on their foreheades that painte it on their doores kepe it in their houses let youre burning and breaking of so many thousandes youre banishing them oute of the churches youre troubling and vexing of such honest men as being desirouse to haue with them some liuely remembraunce of Christes deathe and passion to stur vp their colâ—e deuotion to moue their dull and heauy affectioÌ„s kepe them for that purpose youre iudgementes agreing all on him whome entring in to a churche falling vpon his knees yow beholde marcking his forheade with this signe which was notwithstanding once as witnesseth Chrisostome the manner of kinges at their entraunce in to the churche to be moste assuredly an enemie to Christes gospell Finally let that horrible acte done in the late troubles in Fraunce by youre companions who in the contumelie of the same comming in to a churche where was the image of Christe crucified strangled first two priestes and then hanged them vp after on either side of it be a moste ample and sufficient testimonie thereof As for the rest denie that yow agree with him if yow can So little shall that displease me that yow shall I protest make me very glad to heare thereof giue me good cause to hope and occasion to praie that at the length yow will and also maie falling awaye from all other heretikes and all their diuelishe heresies drawe home to the lappe of youre mother that suer sanctuarie from whence to your owne harme and her greate griefe yow haue so farre strayed Ethnikes Iues. The Ethnikes and heathen men brake the image of Christe as Sozomenus writeth The Iues as Athanasius reporteth crucified it on a certeine time euen as their fathers did Christe him selfe They asked of him in