Ecclesiae the word Primatus being so Englished by the best Grammarians is giuen to Peter c. They dare sayle to the Chaire of Peter and to the Principall or chiefe Church Epis 55. ad Cornelium Papam And writing to Stephen Pope of Rome he saith Let thy letters be dispatched into the Prouince of Arles and to the people there residing whereby Marciane who being Bishop of Arles fauoured the Nouatian heresie being excommunicated another may be substituted in his place and the flocke of Christ may be gathered together which to this day is contemned being dispersed and wounded by him Optatus Mileuitanus A Bishops chaire was first conferred vpon Peter in the Cittie of Rome In l. 2. cont Parmenianum wherein the HEAD of all the Apostles Peter sate c. Victor Vticensis And especially the Romane Church which is the HEAD of all the Churches In l. 2. de Persec Van. S. Augustine l. 2. de Bap. contra Donat. Peter the Apostle in whom the Primacie of the Apostles had the preeminencie with so exceellent a grace or aduantage Againe Like as all the causes of Mastership were in our Sauiour In quaest Noui Test q. 75. so after our Sauiour they are all conteyned in Peter for he constituted him to be the HEAD of them the Apostles that he might be the Pastor of our Lords flocke Eugenius who was one of Aurelius his Successours in the Archbishopricke of Carthage The Roman Church is the HEAD of all the Churches Fulgentius de Incarn Gratia c. 11. That which the Roman Church which is the HEAD or toppe of the world holds and teaches and which the whole Christian world together with it both beleeues without hesitation to Iustice and doubts not to confesse to faluation I conclude then that since it is most euident that the Africans were for vs Catholikes both in their words and practices as well before and in the fore said Councells as after the same it is altogether in vaine for the Protestants thence to hope for any helpe or support to their Cause Now Mr. C. hauing returned you a faire full and satisfactorie answer to each of your obiectioÌ„s permit me the fauour of one of your setled answers to that one onely demand which I then made and often iterated and still iterate as being the verie summe and abridgement of all controuersies to witt where was your Church in the yeare 1500. c. till the yeare 1517. when Luther began to storme This is the rule I haue bene taught by the ancient Fathers First by Irenaeus who had the happinesse to haue seene Policarpe S Iohns scholler We saith he can number those who were instituted Bishops in the Churches by the Apostles and their successâ—urs euen vnto vs who taught or knew noe such thing as these doe madly fancie to themselues And a little after But whereas it is too long to nuÌ„ber the successions of all the Churches in such a volume as this we coÌ„found all those who by any meanes gather more then they ought either by their wicked self-complacencie or vaine glorie or els by their owne blindnes and erroneous sense by pointing out that tradition which that greatest most ancient and most knowne Church to all men founded and established at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles Peter and Paul and by faith announced to men brought downe euen vnto vs by the successions of Bishops for vnto this Church by reason of its more powerfull principalitie euery Church ought to resort that is all the faithfull all ouer the world wherein that TraditioÌ„ which is from the Apostles is conserued by those which are all ouer vndique And so names the Popes from Linus who succeeded S. Peter c. till Eleutherius who was in his tyme of whome he saith Now Eleutherius in the twelueth place hath the Bishopricke from the Apostles and he adds By this ordination and succession the TRADITION which is in the Church from the Apostles and the proclamation of Truth is brought downe vnto vs And this is a most absolute demonstration plenissima ostensio that it is conserued in the Church from the Apostles till this day and is deliuered ouer in truth Behold the succession of Bishops is esteemed by him and deliuered vnto vs for a certaine demonstration that those who haue it on their side haue the same liuely faith conserued euen from the Apostles tyme till this day Secondly by the learned Tertullian in the same age saying In Praescri p. c. 32. Let them produce the origin's of their Churches let them declare the row or processe of their Bishops so running downe from the beginning by successioÌ„s that that first Bishop may haue had some one of the Apostles or Apostolicall men which yet perseuered with the Apostles for his Authour and Predecessour Let the Heretikes saith he a little after euen forge any such thing if they can And he counts Peter Linus Cletus Clemens Anacetus Auarestus Alexander Sixtus c. Thirdly Optatus Mileuitanus In 4 Tom. carm contra Marcion saying In that singular vnica Chaire Peter first sate to whom Linus did succeede c. to Iulius Liberius to Liberius Damasus to Damasus Siricius at this day who is our fellow with whom or in whom all the world agrees with vs in one societie of Communion by the commerce of letters formed to witt a kind of circular or communicatorie letters vsed in those tymes to discouer them to be of the same coÌ„manion Produce the origine of your chaire you who will needs challenge the Holy Church to your selues Fourthly S. Augustine In his Ep. 165. thus If the order or processe of Bishops who succeede one another be considerable how much more certainly and indeed sauingly doe we count from Peter himselfe c. For Linus succeeded Peter c. and so counting downe to Anastasius who then was Pope he coÌ„cludes in these words in this ranke or lyne of succession no Donatist Protestant Bishop is found c. Now to know of what consideration and weight the succession is with the same S. Augustine le ts take it from himselfe in his Ep. Fundamenti cap 4. where he professeth that the succession of priests from the verie Sea of Peter the Apostle till this present Bishop-pricke most iustly retaynes him in the bosome of the Catholike Church That this is a reasonable demand in it selfe I am most confident because Fathers so learned and able prouoked to it in their tymes with so much confidence and taught others to doe the same It is necessarie saith Tertullian Praescrip c. 20. that euery familie should be brought backe and reduced to its origine And that it is reasonable in particular from vs it seemes no lesse euident because what we demand we are readie to exhibite to discerne whether you or we are true successours to S. Peter we name our men immediatly from him who haue succeeded one another till this day till this present
obserued where he exclaimes against that pompous title of vniuersall saying It is euident to all who know the Gospell that the care of the whole Church is committed by our Lords voyce to S. Peter the Apostle the Prince of all the Apostles for to him it was said Peter doest thou loue me feede my sheepe c. beholde he receiues the keyes of the kingdome of heauen the power of binding ad loosing is giuen to him the care and principalitie principatus soueraigntie or dominion of the whole Church is committed to him and yet he is not called vniuersall Apostle OBSERVATION Receiue from saint Gregories owne mouth then that the Sea Apostolique is the head of all the Churches That all Bishops found in fault are subiect to it That Peter was placed ouer all the Churches That the Roman Church is the head of all the Churches That it is knowne to all that know the Gospell that the Care of the whole Church is committed by our Lord himselfe to Peter the Prince of all the Apostles and that yet he is not called vniuersall Apostle What other thing is this I pray then to crye out with a lowde voyce and to make open demonstration to all the world that while he exclaymes against the title of vniuersall Bishop he refuses not the headship of all the Churches but professeth to haue iurisdiction and superintendencie ouer all the other Bishops Archbishops and Patriarkes as doth partly appeare by what I haue alreadie cited out of him and more fully shall yet appeare in my ensuing discourse THE II. TITLE WHEREBY saint Gregorie makes good the supremacie is The exercice of such power all ouer the Christian world FIRST ouer the Bishops of Europe l. 12. Ep. 15. to s. Aug. in particular ouer the Bishops of England Let the Bishop of Yorke order 12. Bishops and enioy the honour of a Metropolitane but let all the Bishops of England be subiect to thy brotherhood Secondly l. 7. Ep. 112. ouer the Bishops of France Granting the vse of the Pall to the Bishop of Auston he saith And withall we perceiued we were to grant that the Church of the cittie of Auston should be after the Church of Lions and to challenge to it selfe this place and rancke by the fauour indulgentia of our Authoritie Thirdly ouer the Bishops of Spayne saying Let him who presumed while the innocent Bishop was yet aliue to be ordered in his Church against the Canons being depriued of priesthood be cast out of all Church-ministerie and withall let him be kept in safe custodie or els be sent vnto vs. Let the Bishops who ordered him being depriued of the Communion of the body and bloud of our Lord for the space of six monthes be appointed to doe pennance in a Monasterie Fourthly l. 7. Ep. 32. Ouer the Bishops of Africa In particular thus to the Bishop of Carthage By louing the Sea Apostolique you baue recourse to the source of your office or dignitie knowing whence priestly ordination had its beginning in Africa Againe l. 10. Ep. 2. Writing to Columbus a Bishop of Numidie c. he saith You are diligently to examine all the contents of his Petition to witt Donadeus Deacon degraded by Victor a Bishop of Numidie and if his complaint be accompanied with truth let canonicall rigour be vsed against his Bishop Victor Fiftly l. 2. Ep. 6. Ouer the Bishops of Greece In particular ouer Iohn Bishop of Iustiniana prima in these words As for the present hauing first disannulled and made of no effect the Decrees of thy sentence we decree by the authoritie of Blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles that for thirtie dayes space thou shalt be depriued of the holy Communion that with verie great pennance and teares thou mayst preuayle with Almightie God to pardon thy so great an excesse And if we shall come to perceiue that thou doest coldly performe our sentence know that then not barely thy iniustice but the contumacie also of thy brotherhood shall be more seuerely punished Againe l. 5. Ep. 7. Writing to the Bishops of Epirus he saith Know that we haue sent a Pall to Andrew our brother and fellow-Bishop and haue graunted or confirmed him all the priuiledges which our predecessours conferred vpon his Againe Writing to Iohn Bishop of Corinth l. 4. Ep. 51. touching Secūdinus a Bishop whom he had deputed to examine and depose one Anastasius Bishop quam causam ei examinandam iniunximus he saith And because in that sentence whereby it is euident that the fore named Anastasius was iustly condemned and deposed our fore-mentioned brother and fellow Bishop so punished certaine persons that he reserued them to our arbitrimēet And a litle after speaking of another we pardō him this fault and we appoint that he should be receiued in his rancke and place Againe We will haue them to witt Euphemius and Thomas to remayne deposed as they are and we decree that they shall neuer more be receiued into holy orders vnder what pretext of excuse soeuer Sixtly l. 5. Ep. 14. Writing to Marinianus Bishop of Rauenna vpō the difference which was betweene his Church and Claudius the Abbot he saith And doe not you your selfe know that in the cause which was agitated by Iohn Priest against Iohn of Constantinople our brother and fellow Bishop recourse was made to the Sea Apostolique following the Canons and the cause was ended definita by our Sentence And thence saint Gregorie frames an argument a fortiori in these words which immediatly follow If therfore the cause be deuolued to our knowledge euen from the Cittie where the Prince to witt the Emperour resides how much more is the busines which is against you to be determined or iudged here the trueth being knowne The like speeches bearing a face of authoritie with them are all his Epistles so full of as may with ease be seene in Dr. Sander's visible Monarchie that who would take the paines could hardly light vpon an Epistle where he should not meete with thē If he should looke vpon the 11. booke and 10. Epistle he would finde him instile the kings his sonnes saying according to the writing of our sonnes the most excellent kings c. And in the end of the same Ep. And we command that all these things shall be obserued for euer which are contayned in this our Decree as well by thy selfe he speakes to a certaine Abbot as by all those who shall succeede in thy place and rancke or whom it may otherwise concerne And if any king Priest Iudge or secular person hauing knowledge of this our Constitution shall offer to oppose it let him be depriued of his honour and dignitie and acknowledge that he stands guiltie of the iniquitie committed in the sight of the diuine iudgement And vnlesse he doe either restore the things which he wickedly tooke away or expiate his iniquitie with the teares of worthy repentance let him be kept from the most sacred body
of her against whose Idolatrie you dayly crye out Nor is it that Church we enquire after we know that that Cittie placed vpon a hill neuer lay hidd that Tabernacle seated in the sunne was alwayes illustrious constant permanent we can bring in reum confitentem vpon that subiect we haue conuictions from our Aduersaries owne mouthes c The surueyer of the pretended discipline 6.8 Priests of all sorts together with the people frō the topp to the toe were drowned in the puddles or dregges of poperie saith one Euen 1260. yeares the Pope and his Clergie possessed the outward and visible Church of Christians raygning without any debatable contradiction saith another d Luther de Capt. Bab. de Bap. The Popes tyrānie for many ages hath extinguished Faith c. saith a third This Idolatrous Romane Harlot then this chaire of pestilence this whore of Babylon for thus yours please to qualifie the Spouse of Christ his wholly faire in whom there is found no spott or blemish was easily found by such as euen sought her not she liued she raigned soueraignely too without contradiction entirely without limitation or reserue ouer priest and people perseuerantly euen for the space of 1260. yeares But we desire Remember I pray to haue the obligation to be ledd to the Protestants Church within the tyme prefixed to heare their sermons to see the administration of their two Sacraments onely let this be shewen and we are readie to communicate with them vnder what kinde or kinds they please But if as it indeed neuer was so it be impossible it should be proued nay if the same be publikely professed by your owne Authours saying In the ages past there was no face of a true Church for some ages the pure preaching of the word vanished e Inst l. 4. c. 1. § 11. so Caluin From 400. yeares and more the Religion of Christ was wholly turned into Idolatrie adds f in his Acts pag. 767. Fox The Church was at that tyme inuisible and could not be shewen confesseth Regius g lib. Apol. pag. 176. The Truth was then vnknowne and vnheard of when Martin Luther c. openly pronounceth h In Apo. p. 4. c. 4. Diuis 2. I uell We say that for many ages before Luthers tyme a generall Apostasie ouerspred the face of the earth nor was our Church in that tyme conspicuous or visible to the world concludes i In exposit symb p. 400. Perkins permitt me to aske by what iniquitie are poore soules fedd or rather starued with falsitie and to conclude with that strongly reasoning Tertullian in the person of the Catholike Church saying who are you when and whence came you what doe you doe in my possession being none of myne By what right dost thou ô Marcion ô Protestant cutt downe my wood By what prerogatiue dost thou ô Valentine diuerte my fountaines By what authoritie dost thou ô Apelles transport my bounds THIS POSSESSION IS MYNE why presume you being strangers to feede and sowe herein at your pleasure THE POSSESSION IS MYNE I POSSESSE IT OF OLD I POSSESSE IT FIRST I HAVE SVRE RECORDS OR EVIDENCES FROM THE OWNERS TO WHOM THE THINGS BELONG I AM THE HEIRE OF THE APOSTLES And this by best right may the Catholike Romane Church affirme because she alone is able by her neuer interrupted succession of her Bishops to deriue her pedigree from the same Apostles Counting confidently without fearing to be contradicted by any though her verie enemyes In the first Age. Petrus Linus Cletus Clemens The 2 Age. Anacletus Euaristus Alexander sixtus I. Ye'esphorus Hyginus Pius Anicetus Soter Ileutherius Victor The 3. Age. Zephyrinus Calistus Vrbanus Pontianus Anterus Fabianus Cornelius Lucius Stephanus Sixtus II. Dionysius Felix Eutychianus Caius Marcellinus The 4. Age. Marcellus Eusebius Miltiades Syluester Marcus Iulius Liberius Felix II. Damasus Siricius Anastasins The 5. Age Innocentius I. Zozymus Bonifacius Celestinus I. Sixtus III. Leo magnus Hilarius Simplicius Felix III. Celasius I. Anastafius II. Symmachus The 6. Age. Hormisdas Ioan. I. Felix IV. Bonifacius II. Ioannes II. Agapitus Syluer us Vigilius Pelagius Ioanues III. Benedictus I. Pelagius II. Gregorius magnus The 7. Age. Sabinianus Bonifacius III. Bonifacius IV. Deusdedit Bonifacius V. Honorius I. Seuerinus Ioan. IV. Theodorus Martinus I. Eugenius Vitatianus Adeodatus Donatus Agatho Leo Benedictus II. Ioan. V. Conon Sergius The 8. Age. Ioannes VI. Ioannes VII Sisinnius Constantinus Gregorius II. Gregorius III. Zacharias Stephanus II. Stephanus III. Paulus I. Stephanus IV. Adrianus Leo III. The 9. Age. Steph. V. paschalis Eugenius II. Valentinus Gregorius IV. Sergius II. Leo IV. Benedictus III. Nicol. I. Hadrian II. Ioan. VIII Martinus Hadrianus III. Stephanus VI. Formosus Bonifacius VI. Stephanus VII The 10. Age. Ioan IX Benedict Leo Christoph Sergius Anast Lando Ioan X Leo VI. Stephanus Ioannes Leo VII Stephanus Martinus Agapitus Ioannes Leo Benedictus Ioannes Donus Benedictus Benedictus Ioannes Ioannes Ioannes Gregorius V. Syluester II. The 11. Age. Ioannes XVII Ioannes XVIII Sergius V. Benedictus VIII Ioannes XX. Benedictus IX Gregorius VII Clem. Damas Leo Vict. Steph. IX Nicol. Alexand. Greg VII Vict. Vrban Paschas The 12. Age. Gelas Calixtus Honorius II. Innocentius II. Gelestinus II. Lucius Eugenius Anastasius IV. Hadrlanus Alexand. Lucius Vrbanus Gregorius VIII Clemens III. Celestinus III. Innocentius III. The 13. Age. Honorius III. Gregorius IX Celestinus IV. Innocentius IV. Alexander IV. Vrbanus IV. Clemens Gregorius Innocent Hadrian Nicol. Martinus Honorius IV. Nicol. Celestinus Bonifacius VIII The 14. Age. Benedictus X Clemens V. Ioannes XXI Benedictus XI Clemens VI. Innocentius VI. Vrbanus V. Gregorius XI Vrbanus VI. Bonifacius IX The 15. Age. Innocentius VII Gregorius XI Alexander V. Ioannes XXII Martinus III. Eugenius IV. Nicolaus V. Cailistus III. Pius II. Paulus II. Sixtus Innocēt VII Alexander VI. The 16. Age. Pius III. Iulius Leo Hadrianus Clemens Paulus Iulius Marcellus Paulus IV. Pius IV. Pius V. Gregorius XIII Sixtus V. Vrban VII Gregorius XIV Innocentius IX Clemens VIII The 17. Age. Leo XI Paulus V. Gregorius XV. Vrbanus VIII Innocentius X. Thus did S. Irenaeus bring downe the successiō of the Church by naming the Bishops of Rome who immediatly succeeded one another from S. Peter to his tyme. And he iudges it a most ABSOLVTE DEMONSRATION Thus did Tertullian c. And he puts it downe for an EVIDENCE of TRVTH Thus did Optatus c. And he concludes that in Pope Siricius who then sate all the world agreed with them Africans in one Communion Thus did S. Augustine c. And he cōfesses it retaynes him in the bosome of the CATHOLIKE CHVRCH Thus finally doe we Catholikes to this day And we instantly demand 1. Why the like proceeding should not be held an absolute Demonstration an Euidence of Truth as well from vs as from them 2. Why we English Catholikes may not by as good right be said to agree with all the world in one Communion in Pope INNOCENTIVS who sitts
but rather repugnant to the word of God In fine S. Damascene Deliuers it for an vndoubted custome in the Catholike and Apostolike Church to make memorie of the Dead in the vndloudie Sacrifice But the Prot. Church of England will haue it to be a fond thing vainely inuented and the Sacrifice of the Masse ablasphemous fable a dāgerous deceipt rather repugnant to the word of God See what a goodly accord there is betweene the ancient Greeke Fathers and our new Reformers or rather behold their apparently iarring and irreconcileable discord which the smoothest witt is not able euen speciously to appease or to tune it vp to any their least aduantage Their stale and cold replies drawen from the diuersitie which they pretend to be amongst Catholikes themselues vpon this subiect gaine no credit nor are of any moment with rationall men As That they agree not about the place where Purgatorie should be Nor about the Tormentors whether Angels or Deuills Nor about the torments whether by fire or water or neither Nor about the causes of the torments of Purgatorie whether veniall sinnes onely or mortall sinnes also for which full satisfaction hath not bene made in this life Nor about the tyme which the soules tormented may remayne in Purgatorie c. Nor about their state c. For all these things swarue from the purpose as not coming home to the state of the question betwixt vs and the English Protestants which is Whether there be a Purgatorie not where the place of Purgatorie is who are the Tormenters what torments there be whether pure and true fire or some other thing equiualent c. of all which we pronounce with S. Basile Superuacua in Ecclesia sileant Let not superfluous and vnnecessarie questions be heard of in the Church especially so farre as to confound matter of Faith with matter of opinion Now these things touching the place of Purgatorie c. passe among Catholikes for matters of opinion not of Faith and are with amitie humilitie and submission disputed in our schooles but haue not yet bene defined in our Councells whence the beleife or not beleife of them are of free choyce amongst vs we being neither made of the number of the faithfull by that nor miscreants by this We are not of those presumptuous soules who thinke to haue accesse to all the diuine secrets while we know by Saint Paul that we are none of his Counsellours We are willingly persuaded by S. Basile to prayse what we haue receiued vpon the accompt of faith and what hath bene deliuered ouer in trust to vs but doe not curiously sound hidden mysteries We finally receiue of the Catholique Romane Church that there is A Purgatorie and of that we dare not doubt but where and what it is c. she hauing of that deliuered no Decree in all humilitie we dispute nor doe our doubts therin violate touch or call in question the beleife of Purgatorie that stands still vndoubted and inuiolable Since therefore all the Easterne Bishops and Fathers as we haue seene deliuer the same doctrine with one heart one mouth one faith touching purging fire c. Prayer Almes Sacrifice for the dead c. wherby great rest is procured to their soules may not I iustly admire to heare one man stand vp and affirme the cōtrarie and that with so much confidence as that he feared not to passe his word to yeald himselfe à Catholike vpon the proof of it Contra Iulianum l. 2. s. 2. and may I not with iust offence speake to him in S. Aug. words saying To what purpose doc these your words serue but to make euident to the world either how negligent you haue bene to acquaint your selfe with the words and sence of Catholike Doctors in this behalfe or hauing vsed diligence to know them with what fraude you goe about to circumuent the ignorant c. Si nesciens hoc fecisti cur non miseram respuis imperitiam si sciens cur non sacrilegam deponis audaciam si cernis cerne tandem tace Pelagianam Lutheranam linguam tot linguis Catholicis deprime tot venerandis oribus proterua ora submitte Hitherto I haue insisted vpon the productions of the Greeke Fathers authoritie onely because the challenge called thither alone though I could haue vsed a more sure and satisfactorie way the Scriptures as they are vnderstood both by the Greeke and Latine Fathers together with the practice of the whole Church of God and haue said with S. Augustine Vbisupra I conceiue that part of the world ought to suffice you in which it pleased our Lord to crowne the first of his Apostles with a most glorious Martyrdome if you would haue giuen care to Blessed Innocentius presiding ouer that Church you had forthwith freed your perilous youth from the Pelagian Lutheran snares For what could that holy man haue answered to the African Councells Anglicanis conuicijs but what the Apostolicall and Romane sea holds with the rest of the Churches c. There is no reason therefore to prouoke to the Bishops of the East because they two are Christians and that faith of both the parts of the world is one and the same because faith it selfe is Christian and certes the Westerne part brought you out the westerne Church did regenerate you c. It rest that I make the great Saint Augustine alone speake for the practice of the Latine Church and himselfe because I perceiued by a paper which M◠Cosens himselfe presented me with that he had vsed some endeauour to drawe him to his side or at least if he could preuayle no further to render his testimonie doubtfull to the end that he or others might build wood hay stubble or worse vpon that mistaken foundation which he doth most clearely in these ensuing passages S. AVGVSTIN CONF. lib. 9. cap. 12. The Sacrifice of our price is offered for her Sacrifice offered for her soule And. c. 13. booke the same Now I beseech thee heare me for the sinnes of my Mother He prayes for her sinnes Againe a little after She desired onlie that à Memorie should be made of her at thy Altar She desired to be remembred at the Altar at which she serued without intermitting any day where she knew the holie victime was dispensed wherby the hand-writing was blotted out which was contrarie to vs. To these passages some haue made answer that they doe admitt prayer for the Dead a Commemoration to be made for them at the Altar yea and Sacrifice to be offered also Howbeit not as we meane to deliuer them from their paines but for diuers other effects And that thereby we cannot enforce a Purgatorie nor did S. Augustine speake of purging fire Let the holy Father therefore answere for himselfe S. Augustine li. 2. c. 20. de Genesi against the Manichees After this life he shall haue either purging fire Purging fire or eternall punishment So farre are anie from escaping this sentence
pardonable in other questions which are not yet maturely digested De verbis Apost Serm. 14. nor confirmed by the full authoritie of the Church their errour is to be borne with but it must not aduance so farre as to endeauour to shake the verie foundation of the Church Of the Popes supremacie Against the Popes supremacie Mr Cosen 's vsed 4. or fiue arguments which I will put downe as they past The first Cos S. Gregorie being demanded certaine questiōs of Augustine Achb. of Canterburie answered him that he was to learne of neighbour Churches how he was to behaue himselfe seeming thereby to say in effect why doest thou aske me who haue noe such authoritie learne of the neerest Churches c. Carre To this it was answered that this obiection was nothing to the purpose because S. Augustins demaund was in matter of ceremonie not of Faith of particular obseruance of a small part of the Church not of the generall gouernment of the whole wherein the Popes supreme power is especially and properly exercised and knowne For these are the words of his third demaund Why there being but one faith are the customes of Churches so diuers And there is one custome of Masses in the Romane Church and another is obserued in the Churches of France So that it appeares euidently that saint Augustins demand to saint Gregorie was onely about the diuers customes of saying Masse the verie word will hardly now be welcome and was indeed like to that of Ianuarius to the great saint Augustine Doctor of the Church Epist 209. and saint Gregories answer againe entirely consonant to the great S. Augustines speaking of an indifferent no necessarie obseruation Le ts heare them both Saint Gregory Your brotherhood is acquainted with the custome of the Church wherein you will remember you were bred But it pleaseth me that if you haue found any thing either in the holy Romane Church that of France or in what other soeuer which may be more agreeable to Almightie God you carefully make choyce of it and powre out by speciall institution in the English Church which is as yet young in faith the choycest things which you can cull out of diuers Churches for the things ought not to be loued in respect of the places but the places by reason of good things Cull therfore what is religious pious and right out of what Church soeuer and hauing gathered them as it were into a bundle settle them as a custome in the heart of the English Saint Augustine vpon the like occasion But other things which are diuersified in diuers places and regions as is that that some fast saturday some not some dayly communicate the body and bloud of our Lord others receiue certaine dayes onely in some place no day is omitted wherein it is not offered in others on saturday and sunday onely in others againe on sunday alone or what euer may be obserued of this nature the whole kind of them haue free obseruances nor can a graue and prudent Christian obserue any better rule or discipline herein then to behaue himselfe according to the Church where he chanceth for the time to light for what is neither enioyned against faith nor good manners may be indifferently obserued and may be kept for their societie amongst whom we liue Now how out of these premises of Saint Gregorie this conclusion which was in question Ergo saint Gregorie did not acknowledge himselfe the Head of the Church can be inferred I confesse I am not able to diuine It will belong to him who made vse of it to make it appeare or els to cease with his to bragge of a victorie when the weakest may discouer he falls so farre short of all shew of a proofe and consequenly as was replyed in his presence that passage alleadged made nothing at all to the purpose pretended which was to conclude against the Popes supremacie For the rest how truly saint Gregorie did acknowledge vindicate and exercise the supreme authoritie of the Church of Rome shall be made manifestly and plentifully appeare vpon occasions of answer to Mr Doctors other obiections as they occurre Though the same might be partly obserued too euen out of his said replyes to saint Augustins questions as when he saith to the 9th quest We giue thee no authoritie ouer the Bishops of France because the Bishop of Arles receiued the Pall from ancient tymes of my predecessours whom we ought not to depriue of the authoritie receiued Againe in the same place But we committ the care of all the Brittain Bishops to thy brotherhood that the vnlearned may be taught the infirme strengthened by persuasion the peruerse corrected by authoritie Againe in the answer to the 8. quest We will haue thy Brotherhood so to order Bishops in England c. OBSERVATION Marke how he giues him authoritie ouer the Bishops of Britanie denyes him authoritie ouer the Bishops of France as hauing formerly receiued authoritie from the same sea by the gift of a pall which is practised by the Romane Church till this day finally how he expresses himselfe by Volumus we will c. all which are the words of a master and speake his power to the life at least if we make him the iudge of the Controuersie as Mr Cosens his argument will haue it Cos Againe the same saint Gregorie cryed out against Iohn Patriar of Constantinople for proudly assuming to himselfe the pompous name of vniuersall Bishop c. ergo he did not allow the supremacie of Rome Carre This was his seconde medium and I confesse it were specious enough had it neuer before bene heard of but being too obuious and euen worne thread-bare with euery ones frequent handling it is transparent to vulgar eyes and he walkes but in a nett who makes vse of it for a cloke To this my answer was that therfore saint Gregorie exclaimed against the proud and pompous title of VNIVERSALL BISHOP vhich Iohn Patriarke of Constantinople assumed to himselfe because he apprchended that thereby all the office or dignitie of Bishop was absorpt or exhausted so as none should be Bishop but himselfe Now whether this apprehension was true we labour not it is sufficiēt to shew that saint Gregorie at least made such a conceipt or feared so much Which is euident by these passages drawen out of his owne Epistles 1. l. 4. Epist 32. If therfore saith he that name of vniuersall Bishop be assumed by any to himselfe in that Church c. the vniuersall Church therfore which God forbid doth fall from its state when he falls which is called vniuersall But may that name of blasphemy be farre from the hearts of Christians wherein the honour of all priests is taken away while one doth madly arrogate it wholly to himselfe 2. And it is very hard to be patiently endured in so much as despising all Epist 34. l. 4. Indict 13. my said Brother fellow Bishop should only endeauour to be called The Bishop
3 Because if one be called an vniuersall Patriarch Epist 36. ibid. the name of Patriarch is taken from the rest 4. Least some priuate thing being giuen to one l. 4. Epist 32. all the priests might be depriued of their due honour Hence it is manifest that sainct Gregorie vnderstood Iohn the Patriarch of Constantinople so to arrogate the name of vniuersall Bishop as that he did derogate thereby frō all other Bishops that he did madly arrogate that power wholly to himselfe that with the contempt of his brethren he alone would be called Bishop that the name of Patriarch would be taken from the rest c. As though forsooth he alone were properly the only true Bishop all the rest being but as his Deputyes or Delegates Which were indeed an intolerable sacrilegious abominable attempt altogether repugnant to the sense practice of the Catholike Apostolike Roman Church which holds the least lowest of Bishops to be as absolute proper perfect in genere Episcopi as the greatest in place dignitie For the rest it is so euident that vniuersall Bishop or vniuersall Patriarch may be taken in some other tolerable though not in this pompous odious sense that none cā with any apparāce of reason deny it For reade we not in the 1. Act. of the Councell of Constantinople vnder Menas an addresse to Pope Agapetus in these words To our most holy most blessed Lord Archbishop of the Ancient Rome Oecumenicall or vniuersall Bishop Agapetus Yea doth not euen saint Gregorie himselfe often deliuer In his Epist 32 34. of his 4. book 30. of his 7. that the same Title of vniuersall Bishop was giuen to his Predecessours howeuer out of humility or feare of scandall they refused it in the Councell of Chalcedon one of those 4. Generall Councells which he professed to receiue honour as the 4. Gospells affirming in particular of that of Chalcedon that he embraced it with his whole heart obserued it with a most entire approbation and therfore could not conceiue that any thing was there attributed to the Sea Apostolike which had no good sense at all So farre must he needes be from crying against it in all senses But to loose no more time about a Title or in a question de nomine the worst of questions which I discouer not to be so important to the Catholique cause that it should stand or fall by the Presence or Absence of it Seruus Seruorum Dei being without controuersy the most Christian most vsuall with all our Popes hauing been left them by the same saint Gregorie l. 12. Ep. 32. I thus answer M Cosens his Argument in forme Saint Gregorie cryed out against the proud title of vniuersal Bishop c. In that odious sense whereby he conceiued or feared that Iohn of Constantinople so pretended to be Bishop as that he would not be content to be vnus è multis one amongst many but vnus solus the onely one vt despectis fratribus Episcopus appetas solus vocari excluding all others from that dignitie which out of his words I haue shewed to be his doubt aboue Page 123. I graunt it most willingly as he did it most worthily He cryed out against it in all senses imaginable in particular as it signifies Bishop Head of the vniuersall Church or imports the Supremacy which is the only thing now in question I deny it vndertake to conuince the said Denyall to be rationall good out of the same Saint by many euident titles omitting for breuities sake the multitude of authorities out of others which with ease I could produce THE FIRST TITLE BY WHICH Saint Gregorie makes good the Supremacie is his owne words FIRST l. 11.6.54 by his owne formall words in many places of his workes As in the 11th booke 54. Chapt. where he saith If answer be made that there was neither Metropolitane nor Patriarch one must reply that the cause ought to be heard and iudged by the Sea Apostolike which is the head of all the Churches 2. l. 7. Ep. 63. Whereas he to witt the Primate of Bizacium in Afrique saith he is subiect to the Sea Apostolique if any fault be found in a Bishop I know not what Bishop is not subiect to it Marry when faults exact it not all are equall in the way of humility 3. Hom. 21. vpon the Gospell Why God all mighty permitted him Peter whom he had appointed to be ouer all the Church to be affrayd at the word of à maide to deny himselfe 4. 5. Pauit Psalm v. 9. And the temerity of his madnesse he speakes of a certain Heretique goes so farre that he does challenge to himselfe the Roman Church the head of all the Churches 5. l. 6. Ep. 48. When I knew that Maximus was made Bishop against reason custome I dispatched away letters that he should not presume to celebrate the solemnity of Masses Which letters of mine being published in the Citty c. he caused publikely to be torne did publikely insult in contempt of the Sea Apostolike which how I endure you know who am readyer to dye then that the Church of Blessed Peter the Apostle should degenerate in my dayes 6. l. 6. Ep. 48. I earnestly beseech exhort you with the affection of a Father that euery one would suspend himselfe from an vnlawfull communion and that he would vtterly auoid such as the Sea Apostolique admitts not into the fellowship of her Communion least that he thence stand guiltie in the sight of the eternall iudge whence he might haue been saued 7. l. 4. Ep. 34. Though Gregory's sinnes saith he himselfe to Constantina Augusta be so great as to deserue to suffer such things yet the sinnes of Peter the Apostle are none that he should merit to endure them in your reigne Therfore I beseech you again again for God Allmighty's sake that as the precedent Princes your Parents sought for the fauour of saint Peter the Apostle so also you would endeauour to seeke conserue the same not permitting that his honour may in any sort be diminished with you by reason of our Sinnes who serue him vnworthily who may both now be a helper to you in all things hereafter may be able to absolue your sinnes 8. l 7. Ep. 64 Whence haue they the Grecians till this day that the subdeacons goe in Linnen-Coates tunicis but that they receiued it from their mother the Roman Church 9. Ibid. As for that which they say of the Church of Constantinople who doubts but it is subiect to the Sea Apostolique 10. l. 7 Ep 54 Peruerse men c. will not be subiect to the precepts of the Sea Apostolique they reprehend vs as it were in point of faith l. 4. Ep. 32. which they know not Lastly in his Epistle to Mauritius the Emperour being the very place which is worthy to be
Popedome of Innocentius and we desire you fairely to produce the like euidence or els cease vniustly to pretende the succession which you can shew no right to Finally that it is the onely short and sure way to discerne trueth from falshood which is the onely thing we ought to ayme at the great Tertull. testifies and makes manifest What the Apostles preached saith he that is what Iesus Christ reuealed vnto them ought not to be tryed Praescrip c. 21. nor proued saue onely by the same Churches which the Apostles founded by preaching vnto them by word of mouth or afterwards by their Epistles Which things being so it is euident thence that all doctrine which doth conspire or agree with those Apostolicall Churches which are the Mothers matrices and sources of faith is to be esteemed true as holding without all controuersie what the Churches receiued of the Apostles the Apostles of Christ Christ of God Marrie all other doctrine ought to be preiudged of falsitie which sauours against the Truth of the Churches Apostles Christ and God c. But we Catholikes miscalled Papists communicate for the present and did communicate with the Apostolicall Church of Rome in her Pastour Alexander the VI. in the yeere 1500. as holding no doctrine contrarie to it but conspiring with it therefore our Doctrine is to be iudged true the contrarie to be preiudged false This concludes Tertullian is an EVIDENCE of Truth or accordin to Irenaeus plenissima ostensio a most full DEMONSTRATION Such a Demonstration it is which we demand of you in the hehalfe of your Protestant Church from the yeere 1500. downeward of your Church I say whether you define it as in the 39. Art The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithfull men Art 19. in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duely ministred c. Or as you describe it by oppositiō to ours tearming it a Congregation of men c. which opposeth Masses vnbloudie Sacrifice adoration of the consecrated hoste worship of Angels and Saints and prayer to them Purgatorie the Supremacie the infallibilitie of the Church c. Assigne the place where this Congregation appeared giue vp the names at least of some of their chiefe Bishops or Pastours or Doctors or Elders Verifie that they preached against the Masse vnbloudie Sacrifice c. Rationall and modest men will iudge I am spareing enough in these my demands sith it is to goe no further then a Definitione ad definitum to know where this Cōgregation c. then was yea euen your owne men confesse it For will not a Fulke against Fulke say that Pastors and Doctors haue alwayes bene in the Church Heskins and Sanders p. 69 and that they haue continually from Christ to Luthers tyme resisted false doctrine will not others maintaine b Bācroft in Recognitione pag. 441. That the administration of the word and Sacraments is absolutely necessarie to saluation c Willet in his synopsis pag. 71. That the Church continues no longer then it hath these markes d Hiper in his common places l 3. p. 548. That these markes ought to be externall and visible to the end men may know where the Church is and to what societie euery one of the faithfull ought to ioyne himselfe Finally e Whitgift in Def. p. 465. that the Church of God is not to be shut vp in one kingdome c. My demand is sparing enough then I say for I might well require further according to the Ancient Fathers Rules aboue to haue it euidently proued that such a Church or Congregation had alwayes bene in all tymes and places one and the same and that too made good by continuall and vninterrupted succession that so it might appeare to haue descended from some of the Apostles and consequētly be indeed as the true Church is defined in the Nicene Creede one holy Catholike Apostolique Howbeit knowing well that neuer yet any Protestant hath returned a faire answer euen to these few demands I will presume you will find it worke enough for the present to point vs out within the tyme prefixed The place where the Congregation was assembled The names of the Preachers or Preacher at least with euidence that he preached or held the Doctrine of the thirtienyne Art or what els may be meant by the pure word of God or opposed that which is contayned in the Councell of Trent And that they or he duely administred the Sacraments and that but two onely according to Christs ordinance c. Doe not I beseech you as you sometymes did name S. Ignatius That is too prodigious a leape at once to skippe aboue 1400. yeares backwards and yet not proue your affirmation neither to which euery disputant is lyable I could with like facilitie name him too and yet you would not admitt that for good payment You will please to remember the thing I demand is that you would acquaint vs with the names of some of your Bishops or Pastours c. in the beginning of the 16. Age not in the end of the first As S. Ignatius passed too tymely for our present purpose so Bishop Tunstall and B. Gardner came too sate though you made no bones to name them too but sure you were not serious with your friends in a subiect which exacted it or els your poore answer is a plaine conuiction how desperate your cause is They haue both left learned workes behind them which will euer speake them Roman Catholikes a Tunstall pag 47. de verit Corp. Christi Ed. Parisianae 1554. The Transubstantiation and the b Idem in codem lib. pag. 93. Sacrifice of the Masse are not tenets of the Protestant Church to name no more a Et Gard. in Confutatione c. pag. 73. Nor did Bishop Tunstall sure dye a Prisoner in Lambeth in Queene Elisabeths tyme for being a Protestant b Idem in codem lib. p. 5. If this assertion then to witt that Bishop Tunstall and Bishop Gardner helped to continue the succession of the Protestant Church which came accompanied with noe countenance or apparence of Truth were tearmed impudent what wrong were done to it since it could not fall from a man as hauing any thing of satisfaction any face of reason but as a Mercurie of euery wood to stand in the light and to stoppe the course of Truth which S. Augustine might haue haply tearmed inanissimam vocem temeritatisque plenissimam l. de moribus Ecclesiae Cath. c. 29. For was it euer written euer affirmed euer called in question by any By any I doe not say by Catholikes but euen by Protestants themselues Nay doe not euen a In l. de Praesulibus Anglia in vita Tunstalli Good man and b In Elisabetha pag. 37. Camden deliuer the contrarie and put it out of all doubt Doe not flie to the Catholike Romane Church neither that were too poore a shift to begge a succession
that you may againe fall into the fault of which you falsely accuse others you are out in your computation of the yeeres of the holding of the Councell of Florence but this I doe not mention as a matter of moment it being brought in but on the by But I cannot omitt a weighty passage that you haue a little before where you say that betweene the seuenth and the eighth generall Councell you trow there cannot come another if it were so great and so generall as this is sayd to be Wherby you intimate that the greatnesse of this Councell was the hinderāce that it could not come betweene the seuenth and the eighth and by consequence that if it had beene a little one it might haue come betweene which is a very new and pretty fancy A little generall Councell it seemes might haue crowded in betweene the seuenth and the eighth as an appendix to the former or otherwise haue found place and vnion with it vnder the same name and number of the seuenth but this being so great and so generall could not possibly finde a roome betwixt them but that it must make two eights as you say rather than an eighth and a ninth which ninth if it had beene so in this case might yet haue beene called the eighth in some other respect as I haue shewed But I had thought that Councells in regard of number being of discrete quantity did not require any place by reason of their greatnesse as if they were in this regard of continued quantity also more than if they had beene little the abstract number of eight I trow can no more come in betweene seuen and eight in a small subiect thā in a great and therfore the greatnesse of this Councell was no more hinderance to its coming in betweene the seuenth and the eighth without chāging the name and order of the number than if it had beene neuer so little You tell vs also that in the last session of the Councell of Florence it is expressely set downe Finis octaui Concilij generalis c. yet the words more expressely than you haue set thē downe are Finis generalis octauae Synodi which though not different in substance yet the difference of the words Concilium and Synodus if you had vnderstood the reason thereof had beene enough to preuent your obiection For it appeares hy an epistle of Bartholomaeus Abramus to the Archbishop of Rauenna set downe by Crab at the beginning of this Councell and by Binius at the end that the Latin Originall of this Councell was lost and that this that is now extant was translated by the sayd Abramus out of the Greeke for which reason he vseth the word Synodus according to the Greeke not Concilium and it is called octaua because it was so in the greeke which hee translated and the Greekes set it downe so because as I sayd before they accounted no Councells generall but where they themselues were present and which they did receiue of which this was indeed the eighth But this account is for very good reasons reiected by a Praefat. huic Synod Surius and b Notis in Concil Florent Binius and by all Catholiques And Crab though hee haue no caueat vppon this place yet that you may see he spake according to the letter of the greeke coppy and not his owne minde he calleth all the Councells betwixt the 2. of Nice and Florence Generall Councells all that the Church accounteth so and particularly of this Councell of Lateran he sayth Instituta generalis Concilij Lateranensis tempore Innocentij Papae tertij In the end of this section you make this notable conclusion So that vnlesse they will make two eight generall Councells this of Lateran could be none which out of your discourse may as iustly be inferred thus so that vnlesse they will make two or nine eight generall Councells that of Constantinople the fourth the fower of Lateran the two of Lions that of Vienne that of Pisa that of Florence or some one of these could be none Could be none is a false consequence could not be the eighth is true nor is that of Florence or Lateran numbred for the eighth by any Catholiques at this day but this is reckoned the twelfth that most commonly the sixteenth But that the number of eight which you so hunt heere may come in because nos numeri sumus he that first made this obiection which I belieue was not you shall by my consent be reckoned Sapientum octauus the eighth wise man which he shall be without a riuall there shall not be two of them especially if he that next aspires to it be a great one for then I trow he cannot interueene in the order of number betweene the eighth and the ninth as you haue taught vs for our learning C. Besides if it were a generall Councell how came it to passe that the Canons of it were neuer generally receiued as amongst vs in the Church and kingdome of England they were not and as without doubt they would haue beene had the Councell in those dayes beene accounted generall and the Decrees of it vnder that stile and title sent abroad into the world But with vs in England euer since that time and contrary to the 46. pretended Canon of it subsidies haue beene payd to the king inconsulto Pontifice and against the 41. Canon with vs Currit praescriptio though oftentimes ex bona fide ortum non habeat and yet againe contrary to the third Canon there with vs Clericorum bona qui de haeresi conuicti sunt they goe not to the vse of the Church but are alwayes brought into the kings Exchequer ANSWER The generality of this Councell you further goe about to disproue because the Canons thereof were not as you say generally receiued and this you proue because they were not receiued in England but that they were not receiued in England you doe not proue but by three instances which you doe not proue and if you had they had proued nothing For it is not properly the generall receiuing that makes a Councell to be generall but the generall calling thereof from all parts of the Christian world and such was this Otherwise no Councell could be stiled generall in the calling of it or while it was sitting or when it was concluded vntill it did appeare that all the world had receiued it which is a condition that neuer happened to any Councell because some or other heretiques against whom all generall Councells haue beene commonly called or perhaps all did refuse to receiue it So that by this your character of a generall Councell you haue plainly casheired all the generall Councells that euer were for euen the first fower which you seeme to magnifie and grant them the title of Generall were the Canons of them generally receiued It is manifest that they were not but were reiected by all those sorts of heretiques who were the occasion of