Church And bid them now bragge of the visibilitie of their Church and of the standing state it alwaies had since it was a Church because thou canst not deny it them but withall giue them to vnderstand that euen thereby is our Church proued that true Church which the Angel in that chapter foretold should be driuen from home and dispierced abroad and theirs to be the tyrannicall and persecuting Church which should driue it out of her Countrie And thus much for the prouing when their Church first began and how farre it did extend it selfe as also the first beginning of vniuersall Popes to bee sixe hundred and sixe yeares after Christ whereby both their antiquitie and vniuersalitie is vtterly ouerthrowne Now to the conclusion of all 8 Forasmuch as we which now are distinguished from them by the title of Protestants confesse that in this their Romish iurisdiction we had no Church left at the rising of Luther they demaund of vs from whence our Bishops had their callings and how our Ministers which they haue ordained euer since can haue lawfull callings seeing there was then no Protestant Bishops to ordaine them neither that by the Apostles euer any Christians had that title giuen them We answer For the title Protestant wee stand not vpon for wee graunt that in the time of the Apostles there was not any Christians called by that name no more then there was any called by that name Catholique The onely title proper to the professours of Christ was giuen by the Apostles in the Citie of Antioch which was to be called Christians as appeareth in the 11. of the Acts of the Apostles but afterwards when as counterfait professours of Christ as the Arians Macedonians Eunâ—nians were growne to be Sectaries and Heretiques and each of them to challenge vnto themselues the title of the true Church There was another sort in Rome called Homousians which were indeede of the true Church these to distinguish themselues from those counterfait Christians intituled themselues Christian Catholiques Whereupon as Socrates testifieth k Socrates lib. 5. cap. 10. that worthie Prince Theodosius hearing thereof caused these foure sorts of Christians to be brought before him and euery Sect to bring their seuerall opinions in writing which when hee and his Bishops there assembled had throughly pervsed and examined he tore in pieces the Papers of the three Heretiques and approued onely of the Homousians finding it onely to agree with the Doctrine of the Scriptures And thereupon made this Decree All people subiect to our Empire How and when the name Catholique was giuen to Christians we will haue to continue in that Religion which Saint Peter the Apostle deliuered to the Romans as the faith kept from his time to this day doth declare and the which it is euident Bishop Damassus and Peter Bishop of Alexandria a man of Apostolique sanctitie doe professe to wit that according to the Apostolique and Euangelique Doctrine wee beleeue one Godhead of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost of like maiestie in sacred Trinitie The obseruers of this Law we commaund to be taken for Christian Catholiques the rest as mad and frantike we adiudge to beare the reproach of Heretiques which must looke to feele first the vengeance of God and next such penalties as the motion of our hearts directed from aboue shall appoynt And this was about two hundred yeares before the Papists had a Church therefore this act being done onely in our Church it is without all contradiction we onely must needs be of that sort of Christians vnto whom the title Catholique was then giuen and consequently of the true and most auncient Catholique and Apostolique Church So likewise afterwards when as the West part of the Church did vnder the title of Christian Catholiques professe Christ after an Antichristian manner then certaine true Christians withstanding them protested a contrary manner of Christian profession agreeable to the auncient Catholique Faith and Religion and by their protesting did distinguish themselues from that counterfait companie which they then saw as we now haue declared at large in our former Chapters were cleane swarued from the true Faith and Religion And from thence we following their true Faith and religion retain the same title to distinguish our selues from our most counterfait Christian Catholiques But would God both these new titles were laid away and that both sorts might be called by their owne proper titles to wit Christians and Antichristians for so the Church of Christ should the better be knowne from the Church of Antichrist 9 Now for the lawfulnesse of our Bishops callings wee say that when the time drew neere that the Gospel which Antichrist had suppressed in the Romish iurisdiction should be set vp againe according to that old Romish prophesie intituled Stimulus diuinae contemplationis written I know not how many hundred yeares agoe bearing that after the yeare of Christs Incarnation 1534. In an olde Booke Good Law good Religion good peace together with Faith Truth and sound Doctrine should returne againe into the World in their proper shape and true likenesse then about that time when by the meanes of that man of Cod Luther some Bishops were conuerted to true Christianitie againe and that others had time to conuerse with them concerning the present necessitie of electing and ordaining Christian Ministers then they entered by the olde ordinances of those Christian Bishops which were before Poperie was and so ordained ministers by the rules and authoritie of the first Apostolicke order which had alwaies continued in those other parts of our Churches which as wee shewed were neuer members of the Popish Church For otherwise had they not bin first conuerted they and all the Ministers which they haue ordained should haue been the seruants of Antichrist euen as those were before and at this day are which haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope For so their S. Bernard speaking of Bishops and Ministers which haue their calling from and by the Popes ordination saith l Bernard supra cant Serm. 33. They serue Antichrist Also their Albertus Magnus saith m Albert in Jehn 10. They bee the Ministers of Antichrist and the vnderminers of the flocke of Christ. And therefore whether it be likely that our Ministers which be ordained by Bishops of an ordinarie calling from the Apostles of Christ haue lawfull callings or such as haue their calling from Antichrist the Pope let the Christian Reader iudge And the more to inlighten his iudgement and better discerning the truth hereof let him consider these fruits and effects of their calling Their Saint Bridgit bringeth in Christ thus complayning of the Romish Clergie n Bridgit lib. 1. cap. 56. They faine themselues to be mine and in the meane time they worke wickedly against mee Their Saint Elizabeth bringeth in Christ thus reporting of them o Elizabeth against the corruptions of Rome lib. 3. cap. 14. They that walk vnder my name doe not feare to
approued of the Popes supreame titles and authorities See the next Chapter 19. Section whether these words doe not concerne the Bishop of Rome as well as others 11 About the yeere of Christ 410. liued Saint Chrisostome who finding the Bishop of Rome to exalt the City of Rome in excellency of dignity aboue all the Cities in the World to plucke downe her proud Peacockes-tayle wrote thus in disdaine of her pride q Chrisostome Hom. 35. the 40. distinct Multi Our Citie of Antioch is most deerest to Christ aboue all others And like as Peter did first preach among the Apostles so among Cities this had first of all the name of Christians as a certaine wonderfull Crowne and no Citie in the World hath this besides no saith hee in scorne of Rome not the Citie of Romulus Againe in that booke called Opus imperfectum which goeth vnder the name of Chrysostome the vnlawfulnesse of the Popes supremacie is in these words made manifest r Hom. 3. ad Pop. Antiche He that seeketh primacie in earth in heauen he shall finde confusion and he that doth but once intreat of primacie is not worthie to be numbered amongst the seruants of Christ Now then if the Pope for seeking supremacie in earth shall find confusion in heauen and is not worthie to be numbred amongst the seruants of Christ because of his horrible ambitious pride how is that true that all Councels and Fathers euer approued of the Popes vniuersall supremacie 12 About the yeare of Christ 431. there was a third generall Councell holden of two hundred Bishops in the Citie of Ephesus where for the preseruing the priuiledges of the other Patriarkes and prouinciall Bishops it was thus decreed ſ Councel of Ephesus last chap. It seemed good to the holy vniuersall Synod keeping to euerie Prouince pure and sound their priuiledges which by auncient custome and from the beginning belong to the same Wherefore the Patriarkes of Ierusalem Antioch and Alexandria hauing had by auncient custome the same prerogatiues which they had with Rome in the vniuersall gouernement by vertue of this Decree wee see they shall haue the same priuiledges to continue still and all Prouinciall Bishops vnder them as they had at the first by their ordination And where then as yet is to be found the Bishop of Romes singular dominion ouer all 13 About the yeare of Christ 451. the fourth generall Councell was holden by sixe hundred and thirtie Bishops in the Citie of Chalcedon in which it was thus decreed t Councel of Chalcedon chap. 28. Our fathers worthily gaue the first place of honour to the Sea of olde Rome because that Citie then raigned and vpon like consideration the one hundred and fiftie Bishops in the royall Citie of Constantinople hath giuen the like degree of honour to the same Citie being new Rome Wherefore then seeing the highest degree of honour that was giuen to the Bishop of Rome was 〈…〉 sit highest in Councels and Assemblies and that not of any right from Peter but onely because his Sea was the most auncient seate of the Emperour and that after the same Emperour was remoued from Rome to Constantinople for the same cause the like degree of honour was giuen to the Bishop of Constantinople and also for that little degree of honour seeing it was not established to the Bishop of Rome till the Councell of Nice which was aboue three hundred yeares after Christ how can that bee true that from Christ and Peter the Pope had not only the chiefest place but was Prince and ruler ouer all 14 About the yeare of Christ 540. there was a fift generall Councell holden at Constantinople in which also it was thus decreed u Councel of Constantinople chap. 35. Renewing those things which were ordayned by the one hundred and fiftie Fathers which were assembled in this Citie and by the sixe hundred and thirtie which were gathered together in Chalceden wee decree that the Sea of Constantinople haue like and equall dignitie with the Sea of old Rome So that hereby we see still continued and confirmed the Bishop of Constantinoples equallitie with the Bishop of Rome onely whensoeuer it should happen that they were both in place the Bishop of Rome should haue the highest place But I demaund what was here now for him to challenge an vniuersall dominion by It is one thing for some one Noble man to haue that honour in Councels and Assemblies to sit in the highest roome and another thing to take vpon him therefore to be supreame head of all the Kings Dominions if any should bee found so presumptious should he not soone be conuicted of high Treason yea verily and well worthie Also what is here to be found by these Councels and Fathers to proue the Popes vniuersall supremacie approued of by generall consent or not the contrarie Againe if the truth thereof would haue serued their turne what needed they then to haue sought such shifts by flat forgeries as they haue done For whereas these words are further added in that Cannon Forgerig And in ecclesiasticall matters the Sea of Constantinople bee aduaunced as farre forth as the Sea of elder Rome The Popes Lawe hath put in bee not as appeareth in Distinction 22. Renouantes turning the affirmatiue into a negatiue thereby vtterly peruerting the true sense to their great shame Againe because some when they were excommunicated in Affrica to shift off their punishment appealed to Rome the Councell of Affrica made this decree * Caus 2. quaest 6. placuit If any within Affrica offer to appeale ouer the Seas let none within Affrica receiue him to the communion they haue foysted in these words Except they appeale to Rome And so that which the Councell did to keepe men chiefly from Rome their Law peruerteth to draw them to Rome Caus 2. quest 6. placuit Againe whereas to draw vniuersall authoritie to Rome for the hearing all appeales Zozimus then Bishop of Rome when the Councel was holden at Affrica Councell of Affrica chap. 101.102.103.104.105 whereat Saint Augustine was present alledged for himselfe a Cannon of the Councell of Nice But the Councell withstanding his claime of vniuersall authoritie answered We haue the Councell of Nice in which wee finde no such Cannon And therefore Alypius who was also present at the same Councell being then Bishop of Tagasta finding himselfe greatly grieued at such iugling by the Bishop of Rome said thus x Councel of Carthag 6 chap. 4. This thing moueth me much that when we laid together and examined the originalls of the Nicene Councell written in Greeke these things concerning the superioritie of the Pope we found not there And thus Christian Reader thou seest that saying of Bellarmine to bee but a fond fable to wit that all the Christian World ouer the Popes vniuersall supreame authoritie was approued of by all Councels and Fathers Now it remaineth that wee answere an Obiection which the Iesuites
made to mee in their late answere whereby notwithstanding they would proue the Popes vniuersall supremacie to bee vniuersally approued of before this our prescribed time and the rest which we say was not till two yeares after Gregories death These be their wordes * The Iesuites answere to me page 4. Besore his time the Doctrine of the Popes supremacie was current And for proofe they bring in Iustinian the elder Emperour of the East and Valentinian the Emperour of the West both which gaue to the Bishop of Rome the title of vniuersall Bishop But what of this doth it therefore follow that because these two Emperours did so the one of the East the other of the West they may conclude that the Popes vniuersall supremacie was approued of by generall consent of Councels and Fathers from East to West Mauricius would haue had his Bishop of Constantinople to be supreame Fredericke counted the Popes supremacie Antichristian in Epist to Otho If this be a sound conclusion then is this also as sound namely that because two Emperous Mauricius the Emperour of the East and Fredericke the second the Emperour of the West denied the Bishop of Rome supremacie therefore it was denied by generall consent of Councels and Fathers from East to West and then what haue they gained by their two Emperours 15 True it is that Iustinian at the first gaue that title to the bishop of Rome and sought meanes to aduance his Sea a degree aboue his fellowes the Patriarkes as may appeare by these words y Cod. de summa Trinita Fide cath Inter â—â—aras Wee labour to aduaunce the honour of your Sea and the authoritie thereof Wee labour to subdue and to ioyne all the Priests of the East part vnto the Sea of your holinesse Thus shall the authority of your Sea encrease Then which nothing can make it more manifest that albeit hee gaue him the title of vniuersall Bishop as yet he was not so from East to West which was well towards sixe hundred yeares after Christ Also the effect doth plainly proue that the title which Iustinian gaue to the Bishop of Rome and the supreame dignitie which hee seemed to labour to aduance him vnto was onely but in pollicie euen to lift him vp a degree aboue his place and fellow Patriarkes that he might place his Bishop of Constantinople in his roome to be established a commissioner among the Patriarkes which thing when he had accomplished he thus reioyced thereat and said z Cod. de sacrosan Eccles omninouation Now our Citie of Constantinople enioyeth the prerogatiues of elder Rome Also it may appeare that he did it onely but for that very same purpose for that when as he had effected that matter immediately he tooke from him both the title and authoritie as doth euidently shew in that first he made his title common with the other Partriarkes when he said a Iustinian 230. Nouel Wee commaund the most blessed Patriarkes that is the Pope of Rome and of Constantinople and of Alexandria and of Antioch and of Ierusalem seeing it is acustome Secondly in that as soone as his aforesaid Councell was dissolued a Letter was sent to the Bishop of Rome with this commaundement b Genaâ—ius ad omnes Metropol ad Papam Roman Let your Holynesse see vnto your owne cures and to the Bishops that be subiect vnto you As also afterwards he making another new Patriarke gaue vnto him as great authoritie as he gaue before to the Bishop of Rome And this appeareth by these his owne words c Iustinian Nouel 131. Let the Bishop of the first Iustiniana haue vnder him the Bishops of Dacia c. and let him be consecrated by them and let him haue the same priuiledges ouer them which the Bishops of Rome hath ouer the Bishops that are placed vnder him And thus we see this Emperour to make so little for the Popes vniuersall supremacie as that he maketh directly against it Now let vs come to Valentinian the Emperour of the West 16 Thou shalt vnderstand Christian Reader that what titles or dignities hee gaue to the Bishops of Rome was as little materiall for he being a very simple minded man was neuer willing to trouble his head with any matter of controuersie as may well appeare in that when as the Bishope of Hellespontus and Bithynia besought him to haue the hearing and disputing of a matter in question betweene the Arrians and them he refused and said d Sozmen lib. 6. cap. 6. cap. 7. For me that am but a Lay man I thinke it not lawfull to search curiously into such deepe matters Therefore wee see hee might easily be seduced to giue any manner of Titles to the Bishops of Rome which they challenged for their due And therather for that as their Doctour Maister Harding declareth plainely e Harding Apolog cap. 6. Diuis 10. that from the beginning of the first Christian Emperours they were taught by the Bishops themselues what titles they should giue vnto them Therefore what can be effectually drawne from these two Emperours to proue that the Popes vniuersall supremacie was approued of by all Councels and Fathers from East to West or rather who seeth not that Iustinians words directly proue the contrary in shewing that the Bishop of Rome had but a patticular Cure in which onely those Bishops were subiect vnto him And now being come within the compasse of lesse then one hundred yeeres of our full number of six hundred and sixe let vs see how the rest were accomplished 17 Briefly in a word after this it fell out that as by giuing to the Romaine Emperours Bishop a degree aboue his fellow Patriarkes he sought to be vniuersall head ouer all so by making the Greeke Emperours Bishop his fellow Patriarke and his equall hee also sought to be supreame head ouer all Hence it was that that great contention grew betweene him and the Bishop of Rome which fell out for the Christian Churches great good for euen therby it pleased God to bring the truth of our cause to light For when as the Bishops of Rome who from the time of Irenaeus sought to aspire to that dignitie as first Victor whom as wee proued in our third Section was reproued for the same by Irenaeus and Polycrates as also by diuers others Secondly Stephanus whom we proued in our fift Section was reprehended by Saint Cyprian and other Bishops in the Councell of Affrica Thirdly Cornelius as we proued in the same Section for receiuing Appeales from the iurisdictions of others was reprehended by Cyprian Fourthly Sozimus and Bonifacius who for seeking superioritie ouer Affrica was withstood by Saint Augustine and two hundred and sixteene Bishops in the Councell of Carthage where it was proued the Bishop of Rome not to haue vniuersall authoritie nor his Title which he claimed from Peter to be called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest to be lawfull as appeareth in the tenth Section
ouer into Asia there haue ye the Church of Ephesus If ye border neere to Italie there haue ye the Church of Rome * Tertullian De praescription Cotra Haereticos These so many and so great Churches are all that same one first Church planted by the Apostles from whence issued all the rest And so are they all first Churches and all Apostolike in that they all follow one vnitie And thus we see that albeit at this present time when Tertullian wrote this Ierusalem was destroyed by enemies Rome was yet then but a chiefe part of the Church and not as they write The mother and mistresse of all neither as they write that c 24. q. 1. c. Rogamas c. Sacro sancta therefore all Churches are subiect to the Sea of Rome because Peters Sea was tranflated from Antioch to Rome seeing Saint Cyprian in the open Councell of Affrica reprehending Stephanus Bishop of Rome for seeking that subiection said d Cyprian ad Qairâ—um Peter was neuer so insolent or arrogant as to aduance himselfe as Primate and one vnto whom nouices and punies should be subiect But here they haue marred their whole matter and ouerthrowne the antiquity of the Sea of Rome which they of long time haue borne the World in hand was established by Christ himselfe and that Peter was installed therein immediately vpon the death of Christ in that they affirme Peters first Sea to be at Antioch where Eusebius witnesseth c Anton. chro part 1. tâ—â— 6. cap. 4. paraâ— 1. Eliseb 〈◊〉 lib. 3. cap. 1.4 He was Bishop and resident vpon that charge seauen yeeres euen as Gregory the Great also witnesseth before he came to Rome And thus we see how wickedly they haue deluded the World touching Peters supreamacy and the Antiquity of the Church of Rome 19 But now whereas they alledge succession of vniuersall Popes and will proue it both by Saint Ireneus and Saint Augustine in that they numbred the Bishops of Rome from Peter Irenaeus they say * In their Callendar numbred the Successours by name from Peters time thirteene but let them proue that any one of them was by him or any other before him called vniuersall Pope and the victory shall be theirs if they can proue none then it is certaine that to his time there was none Also whereas their Doctor Master Harding saith f Harding Apol. cap. 5. Diuisio 1. Augustine Epist. 165. Saint Augustine hauing reckoned vp in order the Bishops of Rome to Anastasius Successour to Siricus who was the eight and thirty after Peter saith that in all that number role of Bishops there is not found one that was a Donatist and therefore he concludeth Ergo the Donatists be not Catholique So we say by the same rule that forasmuch as Saint Augustine found in all that rolle not one that was or had the title of vniuersall Pope but Bishop onely it is cleare that vniuersall Popes cannot be Catholique Againe that it may appeare that Saint Augustine did not approue of any such haughty titles nor allowed any lawfull but the name of Bishop He with the assent of 215. Bishops in the third Councell of Carthage made this decree g Councel Carthage Cannon 26. It hath liked vs that a Bishop of a First See be not called Prince of Priests or Highest Priest or any such like but onely a Bishop of a First See Which words albeit their Doctor Master Harding h Harding Apolog cap. 4. Diuis 2. would not haue to extend to the Bishop of Rome yet in the words following by a consequence he granteth it doth For saith he By these two words Prima Sedes those Fathers vnderstood any City in which a Patriarke or Primate hath his See I call it a First See or rather if it might be permitted a Primate See In great Cities where the Highest Courts were kept for Iustice and where the chiefe Pagan Priests of the Latines named Primi Flamines were resident before the comming of Christ there after Christs comming were Patriarkes or Primates placed by whom the weighty matter of Bishops should be decided And we proued in our 5. Chapter and 8. Section that the foure first Patriarkall Cities were these Ierusalem Antioch Rome and Alexandria Therefore the words of the Councels Decree must of force as well concerne the Patriarke of Rome as any of the other three Patriarkes And that it may appeare they doe their Gration alledging the words of that Councell applyeth them to the Bishop of Rome Also in the glose are these words i Dist 99. Prime This is the third part of this distinction wherein it is said that the Pope ought not to be called vniuersall Bishop And as to this Councell I finde not in any Prouinciall Councell the name of Pope so neither in the first second nor third generall Councell doe I finde the name of Pope once mentioned but the name Bishop onely True it is that in the fourth generall Councell holden at Chalcedon Councell of Chalcedon Action 16. about the yeere of Christ 451. the name Pope was giuen to the Bishop of Rome but not by the Councell but onely by the Bishop of Romes Legate Lucentius as appeareth in the 16 action Who when hee saw that the Councell had set downe a Decree for the restraining the Bishop of Rome from the vniuersall authority which he challenged and would not reuerse it he said in the behalfe of himselfe and Paschasinus his fellow Legate If ye will not put the matter againe to voyces yet let our protestation against it be set downe in record that we may know what to informe the Pope of the vniuersall Church The Iudges answered That which we pronounced the whole Councell hath approued The title which this Councell gaue to the Bishop of Rome as appeareth in the beginning of this 16. Action was the same which they there gaue to the Bishop of Constantinople which was Archbishop and not Pope 20 And now whereas their Master Harding saith k Harding Apolo cap. 4. Diuision 3. that Gregory the Great affirmeth that this Councell did offer to Leo then Bishop of Rome the title of vniuersall Pope and he refused it this we see not to be so but had it beene as they say that this Councell did offer it vnto him and he refused it it maketh as well to proue the title not lawfull nor to descend from Saint Peter as that the Councell refused to giue it vnto him For if the Title had descended successiuely from Peter and beene a lawfull Title what cause had he to refuse it Againe if the Title bad beene a lawfull Title why did Gregory himselfe refuse it when Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria did offer it vnto him and not simply refused it but thus flowted him for his folly l Gregory lib. 7. Epist 30. Ecce saith he Behold euen the Title of your Letter ye haue written the proud poefie meaning me the vniuersall