Militant Church hath a certain primacie in consideration and respect of them ouer whome he is made Primate and chief gouernour albeit when we consider the maiestie of our Maister Christ the very Primate stil continueth altogether a suppliant and an huÌ„ble seruitour to him As for other who vnder the chief ruler haue the charge of particular parishes and Churches committed vnto them they haue also in the same degree and sort a certaine Superioritie which S. Hierom calleth Exortem quandaÌ„ eminentem potestatem In Dial. coÌ„tra Luciferanos a certaine perelesse and high power If he be a Parish Priest he is aboue any other in that parish If he be a Bishop he is aboue any other in that Diocese Of such Rulers S. Paul saith Obedite Prepositis vestris Obey them who are sette ouer you Now it is to be knowen that in any one parish or in any one diocese there neuer was but one ruler at once ordinarily For thence come heresies and schismes saith S. Cyprian because one Priest in the Church for the time Ad Cornel Ep. 3. Lib. 1. and one iudge in Christes stede is not thought to be If then the whole militant Church be also one certaine particular body of a certayne particular administration and condition in respecte of the triumphant Church which is otherwise guided in heauen it must nedes follow that ouer the whole militant house of God one only master and gouernour is set whom we al ought to obey as our chief ruler in earth And so by the superioritie which experience sheweth to belong to one in euerie parish we come by the force of the same reason to acknowledge one chief Postour in the great parish of this world of which kind S. Peter was whiles he liued And that may well be perceiued by the Gospell it selfe For seeing the Euangelist S. Mathew repeting the names of the twelue Apostles saith Primus Cap. 10. Simon qui dicitur Petrus the first is SimoÌ„ who is called Peter and afterwards reckoneth none neither second nor third nor fourth vndoubtedly by calling Peter Primum first he meaneth that he was the first in dignitie and the chiefest among the Apostles and that al the rest afterwardes were to be equallie estemed For to be first where none is put as Second or Third is to be first not by order of numbring but onely by dignitie and preeminence in somuch that the Auncient Fathers expresse the force of this woorde Primus First by calling S. Peter the Prince or chief of the Apostles And certes where there is any in the Church of God first in dignitie and chief in praeeminence there must needes be some primacie Besides if the Bishop of the old law was called in those daies Exod. 22. Princeps populi The Prince of the people and if S. Paul honoured Ananias with that name euen after the death of Christ saying Actor 23. It is written Thou shalt not curse or reuile the Prince of thy people how much more ought he both to be called and to be also beleued to be the chief gouernour and Prince of al Christian people whom Christ hath appointed and sette ouer his familie Ioan. 21. saying Feede my sheepe Onely he must be circumspect that he turne not his primacie into a tyrannie as the GeÌ„tiles and Princes of the world doe How be it this also is to be considered that neither the Prophets nor the Euangelists are wont to be so carefull of woordes as of the sense and things â—hemselues Wherby it commeth to passe sometimes that they geue the name of God to such meÌ„ as haue by participation any diuine or godly thing in them as to Iudges Exod. 22. Psal 81. Ioan. 10. and to whom God vouchsafeth to speake By like meanes it may be verified that some Ecclesiastical persons haue a certaine dominioÌ„ in that respect verely that by participation they receiue a diuine and heauenly thing that is to say that power which Christ their liege Lord and natural Soueraigne indued them withal when he made them gouernours of his familie For among the holy orders of Angels in like manner there is rekened one which is called of S. Paule Dominationes Dominations Coloss 1. not because they haue any dominion or soueraintie ouer other Angels as seruants in subiection vnto them because they reciue that vertue and power of God the onelie true Lord which it pleaseth his Maiestie to haue annexed to that order thereby to geue forth some token and shew of his infinite Lordship and power Wherefore if some man not thinking peraduenture of these controuersies nor weighing rather the thing then the bare word hath at any time expressed the primacy of the Church Dominus Lord staÌ„deth somtime for Sir with this worde Dominion or if any maÌ„ do cal a Bishop by the name of Lord we ought not for any such respect to make an hurly burly as though any proper or true dominioÌ„ were challenged in the Church of one towards an other For as touching that which is properly called DominioÌ„ we defend it not But that there is a primacie in the Church that is the thing which we defend The which Ecclesiastical primacie although it may euidently appere by that which is already said yet it shal not be out of the way to consider how one of those places which are alleaged of our Aduersaries as yf it did vtterly forbid 〈◊〉 Superioritie among the disciples Luc. 22. â—â—th cleerely stablish and confirme the â—â—me For whereas often times there â—ll a strife betweene the Disciples â—ho shoulde be the greater once 〈◊〉 the way to Capharnaum Marc. â— an other â—â—me when the Mother of the sonnes â—f Zebede desired that one of her chilâ—ren might sitte at Christes right and and the other at his left hand Marc. 10. And the third time Luc. 22. after his last â—upper albeit Christ always did dehort â—hem from expectation of that heatheâ—ish kind of dominioÌ„ which was vsed â—n the worlde and alwaies inuited â—hem to humilitie yet he neuer denied â—ut that there should be one in deede â—reater among them and he oftenâ—imes signified that the same should be â— Peter and that as wel when he chose â—im to be the first Apostle as when â—e said Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I wil build my Church and to thee I vvil geue the keiâ— of heauen Math. 16. 17. and paie for thee anâ— mee Yf then you demaund how it happened that this notwitstanding th'Apostles striued who should be greater 〈◊〉 that euen after supper wheÌ„ it had beâ— already said Vpon this rocke I vvâ—â— build my Church I answer that noâ—withstanding S. Peter was most like 〈◊〉 be preferred yet whiles Christ liued iâ— the earth it was in his free choise tâ— haue appointed it otherwise Anâ— when the Apostles saw either S. Peteâ— called Satanas Math. 16. Origen in Math. tractat 5. Ne maior noÌ„ esset
with his own hands Exod. 28. 29. he erected an altar and offered publike sacrifice he did poure the bloud vpon the Altar and sprinckled the garment of Aaron with it And yet did he al these Priestlie offices being himself no Priest I marueile thatneither the letter of Gods word nor the reason and as it were the sowle thereof nor the authority of wise and lerned men can moue the Protestants to confesse that Moyses was in dede a priest and a sacrificer But if it be cleare that he was both a priest and a ciuil gouernour vsing the priestlie office in his own person and prescribing to others when thei shuld fight or punish malefactours much more in the tyme of the new TestameÌ„t Heb. 10. which must nedes be as perfit a state as the old law it is lawful for a bishop to haue the right of both offices in him gouerning the Ecclesiastical state by his own personal ministery aÌ„d the outward cares by the help of wise meÌ„ Gregorius l. 1. epi. 24 Quisquis regeÌ„dis fratribus praeest vacare funditus à curis exterioribus non potest sed tamen curandum magnopere est ne ab iis immoderatè deprimatur Who soeuer is set to rule his brethern he can not vtterly be uoide of â—xternal cares But it is diligently to be â—rouided that he be not ouer pressed with them But concerning the Ecclesiasticall state whereof I speake at this tyme the bishop of Rome neither condemneth any man for heresie or schisme to corporal death in his own person nor teacheth that any malefactours may be so condemned of any other ecclesiasticall person Which thing being not rightly vnderstood of the most part of meÌ„ hath made them affirme that the bishop of Rome in matters of faith persuadeth his religioÌ„ with fier and sworde 23. quaest 8. c. Sepe cuÌ„ sequeÌ„t Which to be farre otherwise both the whole body of the Canon law declareth and also experience testifieth To goe forward with our matter this is the greatest difference betwene the primacie of the Church and the dominion of wordlie princes that the teÌ„poral princes haue power only ouer the bodies whereas the rulers of the Church Math. 18. 1. Cor. 5. haue power vpon mens soules They geue the bodies of wicked men to corporal death these haue power to cleanse the soules and so to bring them to euerlasting saluation De Sacerdot lib. 3. Wherupon Saint Chrysostom saith Habent etiam terreni Principes vinculi potestatem verùm corporum solùm Id autem quod dico sacerdotum vinculum ipsam etiam animam contingit atque ad coelos vsque peruadit The earthlie princes haue power to bind also but only of the bodies But the baÌ„d of the priests whereof I speake doth touche the very sowle and reacheth euen to the heauens And not without a cause For our Lord said to Saint Peter Math. 16. To thee I will geue the keyes of the kingdom of heauen and whatsoeuer thow bindest vpon the earth shal be bound in the heauens and whatsoeuer thow loosest vpon the earth shal be loosed â—n the heauens To these words of Christ which â—re deriued to the Bisshop of Rome by â—eanes of the chaier of Saint Peter â—he said bishop referreth all his power â—nd exerciseth it vpon the soules of meÌ„â—oth in his own person and by others Leo. ep 82. who are called to susteine part of â—he Ecclesiasticall care and charge â—hat is committed chiefelie vnto him whereas nothwithstanding the Princes of the world appeale not â—o the lawe of the Gospell neither â—n getting nor in gouerning nor â—n establishing their Dominion and power Last of al this is to be inquired and coÌ„sidered whether the Bishop of Rome doth rule with such pietie lenitie affection and desire to helpe others and to bring them to Christ that he may seme to minister and to serue rather then to rule And in good sooth yf he doth it not as it is certain that he synneth greuouslie so for any such respect he leeseth not his primacie because the humilitie and mercie of the gouernour doth not so much appertaine to the substance of his authoritie Ioan. 11. Caiphas Pontifex as to the true perfection and merite of the man For like as they that preached Christ through enuie and emulatioÌ„ that they might raise aduersitie to S. Paule Philip. 1. who was in Prison were notwithstanding true preachers albeit they preached with an euill intent and minde so albeit the bishop of Rome did rule like a potentate and did seeke his own glorie and not the glorie of God yet thereof it can not be brought to passe that he is not a true ruler and gouernour of the Church But it wold wel follow that he were an euil ruler Of which sort of men our Lord hath said Do those things which they say Matth. 23. but doe not those things which they doe But what arrogant presumption is â—his to thinck that the Pope doth good â—eedes with an euill minde If he geue â—â—ntle answeres to them that in matâ—ers of dout aske his counsell if he send â—orth good decrees if he reconcile such â—s are at variaunce yf he prouide careâ—â—llie for the necessarie affaires of the â—hurch whie doe we iudge euil of that â—hich is well done Or yf he doth euill â—t any tyme what malice is it to scorne â—t his nakednesse Genes 9. and with lawghter â—o discouer his shame It is euident to all that will see that â—he bishop of Rome doth shew that humilitie and zeale which Christ requiâ—eth in the ruler of his Church He calleth vs nor bondslaues nor seruaunts nor subiects but all Princes he saluteth gentlie as sonnes and bishops as brethern And as for his owne person â—he writeth not himself neither Lord neither vniuersal bishop nor head of the Church but seruaunt of the seruaunts of God That euen by his name he may geue al men to vnderstand that he is that greatest and chefe ruler Luc. 22. who is as it were a minister and seruaunt And seing he doth and saith that which becometh the primate of the Church both to say and to doe it is our parte to iudge his well doing by that which is well said rather then to synne against the holie ghost whiles we desire to wrest that to an euill sense malitiouslie which was spoken and meant by him charitablie â—f the diuerse senses which are in the holy scripture and namely about these words vpon this rock I wil build my Church and which is the most literal and proper sense of them The third Chap. AMONG manie other things wherein Gods word passeth all other sciences one is most notaâ—le in that not only the syllables and words which are writen there doe â—xpresse the meaning of the holy Ghost â—ut also the things which are told and â—eported by those words doe againe signifie and meane an other thing We â—eade that Abraham had two sonnes
was in dede an increase of outward Sacraments and Cerimonies in diuerse ages But there was no change â—t all of the solemne and publike Saâ—rifice Genes 14. For albeit Melchisedech â—rought foorth his vnbloody oblation and blessed Abraham yet it was don â—o shew afore hand after what sorte Christ should make sacrifice in his supper and not to abrogate the order and kinde of bloody Sacrifices Gene. 4.8 17. for they continued still as Abel hadde begun with them Likewise the Altars remained in vse as Noe had erected theÌ„ Circuncision was kepte with the law And the law with the Temple of Salomon So that from the beginning of the world til Christ there was increasing of Ceremonies but no taking away no changing no newe making or altering of the publike sacrifice For the change thereof is of such importance that God would his owne Son to take flesh for the working of such a weighty matter to theÌ„d al meÌ„ should vnderstand that God reserueth to his owne self the appointment of the Religion wherwith he wil be serued And the Religion as I shewed before consisteth chiefly in the publike sacrifice and priesthood Heb. 7. Psal 109. Christ therefore being a priest after the order of Melchisedech when he had proued his commission froÌ„ God the Father by diuerse notable miracles Math. 26. in his last supper toke bread and wine accordingly as Melchisedech had foresheweÌ„ in a figure He blessed brake Genes 14. and gaue saying take eate this is my body which is geuen for you Luc. 22. doe or make this thing for the remeÌ„brance of me Facite By which woordes the Apostles and their successours in priesthod haue commissioÌ„ to make of bread and wine the bodie and blood of Christ euen till the worldes end Hiero. ad HeliodoruÌ„ 1. Cor. 11. This then is the publike and externall sacrifice of the new testament Ireneus li. 4. c. 32. August in Psal 33. Con. 1. De ciuit Dei li. 17. c. 20 Cont. aduers legis lib. 1. c. 18. the which Sacrifice saith S. Augustine is now spread in the whole circuit of the earth and it is come in place saith he of al the sacrifices of the old testament and is the Sacrifice of the Churche And all the world doth know that both the Greek and Latin Church hath euer vsed this blessed mystery as the Sacrifice prophecied of by Malachy and belonging peculiarly to the Christian peple gathered out of all nations Malac. 1. Now to thinck that Luter and Caluin haue power to alter and abrogate this publike sacrifice called now the Masse it is to thinck that Luther and Caluin are the same toward Christe which Christ was toward Moyses For that is it which Christ meaneth saying False Christes Math. 24 False Prophets and false Christes shal arise Verily because some shall come who wil arrogate that to them selues which no creature caÌ„ do besyde Christ the Son of God whose proper office and honour it is to be of power to change the state and order of the publike priesthood and sacrifice in Gods Church Idolatries They then are Idolatours who supposing Luther and Caluin to be able to abrogate the former sacrifice and maner of seruice and to sette vp a new foorm of publike prayer do therein make them to be fellowes with Christ himselfe But certainly they are false brethern and false Christes And whereas the Protestants pretend that Luâ—â—er and â—aluin do all things according to Gods Worde to omit now that the one of them techeth cleane contrarie doctrine to the other they are so much the more to be abhorred for as Christe in verie truthe in chaunging the Law fulfilled the old figures and the old prophecies eueÌ„ so they taking Christes power vpoÌ„ them pretend falsly by changing ReligioÌ„ Math. 5. to haue their doings figured and prophecied of in the Gospell But if there can be but one Christ and he can be but once borne and died but once be ye assured these men haue no power to abrogate the Masse or to take away the keye of our auncient Religion If any man say that our Masse is not that in deede which we saie it is I answere that as we neuer reade the Iewish Priestes to haue erred concerning the substaunce of theire publique Sacrifice because all the people Exod. 23. were bound to frequent it by Gods own commandement so it is much lesse possible that the vniuersall Churche of Christ should erre in that publike act wherein Christ himself saith S. Cyprian is the Sacrifice Li. 2. epi. 3 in Sacrificio quod Christus est Math. 28. No no masters Antichrists yee may be Christ ye can not be He is with his Apostles aÌ„d their successours the bishops al dayes vntil the worlds end This being so reason would that all nouelties layed a syde men should return to the old faith and Church again Wherevnto if I am so bolde as to exhort you M. D. Parker before al other I trust you wil not take it in euil part For as my exhortation commeth of my wel wishing to your worship so I consyder no Ecclesiasticall person in al our Country is able to doe more good in that behalf then you Consyder then for Gods loue in whose chaire you sitte consyder whence the first Bisshop came who satte there yea â—â—rther consyder what all your predeâ—ssours taught only one excepted of whome all good and zealons men must â—eedes be ashamed Cranmer as who at the enâ—ing into his bishoprike was wilfullie â—orsworn to the Pope of Rome It appereth so by his Catechism And afâ—erward changed his religion from Luâ—heranisme to the Sacramentary hereâ—ie And a little before his death for a â—ew houres of temporall life sold his â—oore faith twise a day Neither was he otherwise a witâ—esse of your doctrine then that despeâ—ation made him pretend to suffer that for religion which he must needes suffer though he had changed his religion That one desperat man then excepted who seemeth to haue ben of no religioÌ„ â—l your predecessours were of our faith What speake I of your predecessours Al â—he bishops of the realme yea al of the whole world were of the same belefe with vs as it may right wel appere for â—hat all the Catholikes in the world coÌ„municated with S. Gregorie as witâ— the best man the greatest Doctour the highest Bisshop that liued in those daies Beda in histor eccle Gentis An glorum Now S. Gregorie sent S. Augustine to our Auncestours froÌ„ whosâ— time till the chaÌ„ge which began a late all Christian men are knowen to hauâ— beleued and professed that which we doe presently defend If this holy felowship be not that Catholike and Apostolik Church which iâ— al times and couÌ„tries professed Christes Gospel then goe into the desert after Wiclef and Hus goe into the corners and priuie inmoste places of the house after the poore men of Lions
nations but also in a fâ—â— more excellent kinde then the Christian Kings are For to what Christian King did Christ euer say Ioan. 20. As my father sent me I send thee Math. 16. or vpon this rock I will build miâ— Church Ioan. 21. or doest thow loue me more then these fede my shepe â–ª feede my lambs And yet is a King aboue priests â–ª yea aboue the high pastour of Christes flock he is so in dede with them who make lesse accompt of Christes heaueÌ„ly institution and Officer then of him that was first made either by the necessitie of wordly calamities to kepe away a greater euil from the common weale or els by the wanton and proud affection of earthly men ambitiously affecting tyrannical power Let no man thinck that I despise the authoritie of Kings God forbid but thei are a good thing brought in mercifully sumwhere to staye violent iniuries and robberies and other where permitted of God for our iust punishment 2. Cor. 5. and not any like thing to that diuine order of pastours which Christ ordeined purposely for our reconciliation to God the father and for the auoiding of al iust punishment otherwise deserued It was a King as Saint Gregorie In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1 noteth who deuided the ten tribes from the Churche of God and made those by the iust punishment of God to be idolatours who so greedely preferred his gouernment before the gouerment of the priests And are not we now in the same case who for greedines to reiect the Vicar of Christ are come to preferre the secular and temporall power before the spirituall the body before the sowle and earth before heauen In 1. Reg. lib. 4. c. 1. Nonnulli saith Saint Gregory in tantum dementiae malum proficiunt vt commouere ipsum etiaÌ„ statum Ecclesiastici culminis non vereantur There are some who are come to so great madnes that they are not a feard to moue and trouble euen the state it self of the Ecclesiastical toppe or highest dignitie of the Churche And a little after His autem qui viuebant sub spiritali regimine Ibidem Regem petere quid aliud est quà m eandem spiritalem praelationem in seculaâ—m dominationem transferre geâ—re For those that did liue vnder the spiâ—â—tual gouernment to require a King â—hat other thyng is it then to goe aâ—out to transfer the same spiritual preâ—teship or gouernment into a tempoâ—al dominion Yf any man would deepely weigh with himself that God chose such a â—ecret and extraordinarie way to â—â—ue mankinde that no creature â—ould worck it beside his owne Almightie Sonne and that he comming â—nto the world was so farre from working his purpose by Kings and princes that whereas it was most easie for him to haue made manie Kings and Princes at the beginning to beleue in him 1. Cor. 1. he rather chose the weakest things of the world to confound the strong things and wrought the beginning and increase of his Church by the misbeliefe and persecâ—tion of princes if he would be thinâ— himself how farre the pouerty and hâ—militie of the Kingdome of heauen 〈◊〉 from the pompe and wordly distractiâ—â— of Kings Yea though thei be Christiaâ— and good also he wold much wondâ—â— what sense in holy matters thei haue who dare make that princely state sâ—preme head of the Church which of 〈◊〉 states came last to the faith and the pomp whereof is most contrary of aâ—â— other degrees to the profession of the same And yet what are they who persuade this matter The incoÌ„stancie of the protestants verely those who hauing iustly reproued some lewd and proud bishops for their wordly pompe afterward set vp Kings in the bishops places yea aboue them also as though any King had lesse wordly pompe then the bishops Yea they also doe it who protesting thei will beleue nothing but the expresse word of God yet beleue Kings to be the heads of the Church â—hich they not only can not find in â—ods word but thei rather finde there 1. Reg. â— â—at God was angrie when the â—ouernment of the highe priest â—as reiected and a kingly gouernment â—alled for Moreouer yf by this precept the â—ings of the nations haue domiâ—ion ouer them it shall not be so â—mong you not only all tyrannical or â—ordly power of life and death but also â—l spiritual primacie and superioritie be forbidden to the Apostles ouer the whole militant Church it is forbiddeÌ„â—ikewise that there should be any superiour in any one part of the Church For the parts accordiÌ„g to their degree are of the same nature whereof the whole is Therefore if the whole militant body may haue no one head much lesse any part thereof may haue a head If then no Apostle may be superiour or primate in any parte of the Church much lesse any other Christian maÌ„ wâ—â— is inferiour to an Apostle may be sâ—preme gouernour in any one part of thâ— same Church But euery King in thâ— behalf as he is a Christian is inferioâ—â— to the Apostles for he is both tawgâ—â— his faith of them Matth. 28 and baptized by them and in spiritual matters he must be guided by them therefore seing the King may not be supreame gouernour of any parte of Christes Church in that respect as he is a Christian maÌ„ if yet he shal be supreame head of his own Christian realme by any meane at all it must be by that power which he either had before his Christianity or beside it For by his christianity it is not possible that he shold haue any greater power then the Apostles had Ioan. 20 who were sent into the world with Christes authority If then a King be supreme gouernour of the Church where he is a King besides his christianity he is no otherwise supreame gouernour thereof then any Ethnik prince might haue beÌ„ And so it 〈◊〉 brought to passe by the doctrine of the â—rotestaÌ„ts that an infidel King hah suâ—reme power to visite to reforme to â—orrect and to depose any bishop â—ithin his own realm The which arâ—umeÌ„t wheÌ„ Antichrist or the great Turk shal make vnto the ProtestaÌ„ts â—hey must nedes yeld vnto it and grauÌ„t â—iÌ„ to be supreame head of their Church Be it so of their Church but the Caâ—holikes shal stil keepe them vnder the â—piritual gouernmeÌ„t of the bisshops and â—astours which Christ hath instituted To enter one degree farther in this matter let vs graunt that some King were so ê‘fit so poore in spirit so chast so liberal as euer any bishop or priest was required to be in Gods law VVhat things a King caÌ„ not doe caÌ„ he yet baptize caÌ„ he coÌ„secrate Christes body can he forgeue synnes can he preache can he excommunicate can he blesse the people can he iudge of doctrine by his kingly authority If he can not doe these things how can he be aboue theâ— coÌ„cerning these causes who haue receaued
Sander It is but reason trulie that Peter be builded vpon Christ and that we also beleue But for asmuch as we are in the metaphore of building doth not reason teache vs that when we haue layed in the foundation of a house a mightie great stone that the next which we laye vpon it should be also a verie great one yea after the lowest the very greatest of all Doth any wise man hauing laid in the foundation a stone of twentie cubittes place next vpon it a stone of one or two ynches If not so by all proportion the second stone shal be the greatest that can be gotten next vnto the first Dan. 7. Christ is so great a stone that he hath filled the whole earth I ask of M. Iewel who shal be next vnto Christ Mie verdit is that in respect of the militant Church which is dayly a building on the earth S. Peter is the next stone Because God who geueth his benefits most freelie voutsafed first of all men to graunt S. Peter this grace Ioan. 21. to be the Pastour of his flocke Matth. 10 and the porter of his kingdom next vnto himself Saint Peter being the next stone in building of the Church vnto Christ is therefore a Rocke because he is built immediatlie vppon the Rocke For in a bodie compacted together euerie thing partaketh most intierlie the nature of that wherevnto it is next ioyned Note good Reader that we speake 〈◊〉 the whole Church which hath 〈◊〉 the beginning of the worlde but onely of that portion which liueth on the earth for the time For thereof onely Peter and his successours are the Rocks whereas Christ is the Rocke of Rockes which vphouldeth the whole Church and al the rocks that euer haue ben or shal be in the Church from the beginning of the worlde to the ende thereof Ievvel Al these Fathers be plaine Sander Against you for as none of them denie Peter to be this Rocke which thing you haue denied so many affirme that the confession of S. Peter and his faith is the Rock whereof Christ spake And yet seeng the faith of S. Peter is no greater then himselfe is if his faith be the Rock him selfe is also the Rock Ievvel In 16. Matth. None is so plaine as Origen he is the Rock vvhosoeuer is the disciple of Christ Sander In the 3. Chap. This kind of sense is not literal as I shewed before But admit it were literal yet seeng S. Peter is the disciple yea the chef disciple of Christ as S. Mathew saith Primus SimoÌ„ qui dicitur Petrus Simon is the first Matth. 10 who is called Peter surely M. Iewel by your confession Peter next vnto Christ is the chief Rock A man would thinke you were frantike when you denying a mortal man as Peter was to be this Rock yet afterward proued that euery mortal man who is Christes Disciple is the Rocke Ievvel Vppon such a Rock al Ecclesiastical learning is built as Origen saith Sander But S. Peter is such a rock therefore vppon S. Peter al Ecclesiastical learning is built Who could wissh such an aduersarie as M. Iewel is who proueth altogether against himself Ievvel If thou think that the vvhol Church is built only vpoÌ„ Peter vvhat then vvilt thou say of Iohn the sonne of the thunder Metth. 1â— and of euery of the Apostles saith origen Sander Maister Iewel left out in his English this woorde illum Petrum A vvord left out If thou thincke the whole Churche to be onelie built vppon that Peter to witte that Rocke of stone what wilt thou saie of Iohn and of euerie of the Apostles Origen saith Peter is a Rocke which thing Maister Iewel denieth But he is not only a Rocke and that we graunt But Maister Iewel saith no mortal man but Christ himself is this rocke therefore I aske him what he saith of S. Iohn and of al the Apostles Was not Saint Iohn a mortal man wo to this cause M. Iewel whereof you are become the patrone God kepe me from such an aduocate who shall nede none other euidence against him to lese my cause withal besides his owne words You saie the old Fathers haue writen not anie mortal man but Christ himselfe the Sonne of God to be this Rock Ex ore tuo te iudico serue nequam But S. Iohn and S. Peter and euerie one of the Apostles is called here this rock whereof being named in the sixtenth of S. Matthew we dispute and yet no Apostle is Christ the Son of God therefore some mortal man is this Rocke besyde Christ the Sonne of God Ievvel Shall we dare to saie that the gates of hell shall not preuaile onlie against Peter or are the keyes of the kingdome of heauen geuen only vnto Peter saith Origen Sander It is inowgh that the gates of hell shall least of all preuaile against Peter And he hath chefelie the keyes of heauen For as S. Peter of all the Apostles first confessed in the name of the whole Churche August in Ioan. tractat 124. so al that confesse after him and by him for all were in him as in their primate and chiefe pastour enioye both his confession and his reward That as he was sette ouer al the Church for euer so others for their parte were called into parte of the care To conclude this matter M. Iewel should haue proued that S. Peter is not the Rocke wherevpon Christ promised to build his Churche But he hath not done it neither was he able to bring any one syllable out of the holie scriptures nor anie one saying out of the Doctours which denied Peter to be this Rocke But he only hath ministred matter to me for the prouf of the contrarie assertion The conclusion of the former discourse and the order of the other which followeth The VIII Chap. HItherto it hath bene proued by moste euident reasons of Gods promise of the circumstance and of the conference of the holy scriptures of the authoritie of the Fathers and of the special reasons which moued them to thinck and write so and last of all by the refutation of M. Iewels own words that Saint Peter with such qualities and conditions as Christ indued him withal is this rock wherevpon the Church was built And because looke what kinde of building the Churche was once ê“mised to haue that must still continue seing the Churche doth still tarie the same howse of God there must be alwaies some one mortal man like vnto Peter who being first made a rock by election may afterward by Gods reuelation stil confesse the faith for the whol Church when so euer he is demaunded or consulted what is to be thought and beleued in maters belonging to Christian religion If then there must be some one such Rock vpon whose authoritie the faithfull menne may grounde them selues it is not possible that it should be any other manne besides the Bisshoppe of Rome First because he
man in himselfe so hath euery Bishop for his part the whole nature of a bisshop in hiÌ„self This equalitie of bishoply order and office notwithstanding the Apostles were in their bishoply prelateshippe and Iurisdiction a great way behiÌ„d S. Peter because he had a higher and larger power of gouerning geuen to him ouer Christes shepe then any of the other had in that behalfe Touching then the superiority of S. Peters iurisdiction for asmuch as all the power he had was either Apostolike or bishoply seing he could not easily haue more coÌ„mitted to hiÌ„ ouer the rest of the shepe by his Apostolike office Math. 2â— then the other Apostles had for ech of theÌ„ had charge ouer the whole Church and the gouerment of their owne persons excepted what greater power could S. Peter haue if this notwithstandig I proue euideÌ„tly that Christ committed to S. Peter more Ecclesiastical power eueÌ„ ouer his shepe then to anie other it must needes be rather meant of more bishoply then of more Apostolike power And so albeit the power and iurisdictioÌ„ of the Apostles ouer the rest of the shepe be equal yet the power of bishops euen ouer the same shepe is not equal How proue I theÌ„ that S. Peter had more coÌ„mitted to his charge theÌ„ the other Apostles Verily because Christ in the presence of S. Iohn S. Iames aÌ„d S. Thomas the Apostles aÌ„d of other three disciples said to Peter SimoÌ„ IoaÌ„nis diligis me plê° his Ioan. 21. Simon the son of Iohn doest thou loue me more then these And surely seing S. Iohn was among them who was so tenderly beloued of Christ that he was knowen by the name of the Disciple whom Iesus loued Ibidem when Peter is asked whether he loue more theÌ„ they he is in effect asked whether he loue more then any other Apostle or Disciple Neither doth our Lord demaunde this question as a thing whereof he doubted but to instruct vs that Peter loued him more then the other Wherevpon S. Augustine concludeth In Ioan. Tract 24. Sciebat igitur Dominus noÌ„ soluÌ„ quôd diligeret verumetiam quôd plus illis diligeret eum Petrus Therefore our Lord did know that Peter did not onely loue him but also that he loued him more then they And yet seing Peter could not loue Christ more then the other did except Christ had first loued Peter more then he loued the other for Peters excelleÌ„t loue towards Christ must nedes come of the former exceding loue of Christ toward Peter as the scripture it selfe doth teache vs it is out of all controuersie that Christ first loued S. Peter 1. Ioan. 4. Prior dilexit nos more then he loued any other man in the whole world What The question more then he loued S. Iohn Or more then he loued his own Mother I answere An exaÌ„ple that there are diuerse coÌ„siderations of loue Alexander the great had two frindes who loued him for diuerse respects The one called Craterus loued him as king and loked to his honour in matters belonging therevnto The other called Hephestion loued his ê‘son and diligently ê“cured his health aÌ„d priuate wel doing WhereupoÌ„ King Alexander was wont to saie that Craterus loued the King but Hephestion loued Alexander EueÌ„ so Christ loued his Morther aboue all creatures in the respect of that loue which it pleased him as her Sonne to owe vnto his Mother by the Law of nature Exod. 20. And therein he loued her almost incoÌ„parablie aboue S. Peter Likewise he loued personally S. Iohn the Euangelist August in Ioan. Tractat 124. and S. Iohn loued him more then other in that he was a virgin by Christes gift as who had dedicated his bodie and soule to Christ alone But in respect of Christes flock which was to be fed aÌ„d gouerned in the earth in that respect Christ loued S. Peter and S. Peter him more theÌ„ others The which distinction being kept we maie well say that our Lady loued Christ as the Sonne of God taking flesh of her own bodie more then any other and that S. Iohn loued Christ as the cause of his virginitie and the Athour of his chast loue more then any other and that S. Peter loued Christ as the prince of pastours more then anie other 1. Pet. 5. of which last kind of loue Christ now speaketh as it may wel appeare by his owne words For wheÌ„ S. Peter had answered yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus said to hiÌ„ fede my laÌ„bs As who should saie for asmuch as thou in respect of my pastoral power louest me more then these take more power then they to feede my lambs For now sith Peters loue is the cause why Christ geueth him power to feede his lambs according to the measure of the loue the measure of the feeding must be vnderstanded De temp serm 149. Dominus Iesus saith S. Augustine respondenti amoreÌ„ commendat agnos suos dicit pasce oues meas tanquam diceret quid retribues quia diliges me dilectionem ostende in omnibus To Peter answering that he loueth our Lord Iesus commendeth his lambs and saith Feede my shepe as if he should say what wilt thou render to me because thou louest me Shew thy loue toward the shepe The same verie sense S. Chrysostom geueth In Ioan. Hom. 87. Si amas me fratruÌ„ curaÌ„ susci pias If thou louest me or seing thou louest me take the care of thy brethern Yf then the authority of feeding be the reward of Peters loue for asmuch as accordiÌ„g to S. Augustines iudgemeÌ„t grouÌ„ded vpoÌ„ the expresse word of God Peter loued more theÌ„ the other Peter is now bid to shew more loue in taking cure of his brethern then any other Which thing because he can not doe except he receiue more power and authoritie to feed his brethern Iacob 1. then other haue for Peter can doe no more in that behalfe then is from heaueÌ„ committed to him it doth inuinciblie follow that Christ at this time geueth to Peter alone more povver and authority to feede his sheepe then any other had or can haue For the literal meaning of Christes whole discourse is none other thing then to say for as muche as thou louest me more then these feede my sheepe In the cumpasse or meaning of which wordes it is not possible for any other Apostle to be comprehended aequallie with S. Peter Note this reason For if any other may feed aequallie with him by the force of this commission the same cause of feeding must be in him which is named in this commission That is to say More theÌ„ these he must loue more then these But if any other doe so then hath Peter no commission to feed Christes sheepe because he then doth not loue more then they seing they must loue more then he or els no coÌ„missioÌ„ of feeding is geueÌ„ theÌ„ Who so euer hath this commission to feed
The woorde of God which saith this is my body is the fire which deuoureth the earthlie substance of bread and wine brought vnto the altar the which word worketh that which it souÌ„deth aÌ„d is honorable 16 They are cursed who hauing a beast of the male kind doe not offer it but rather doe offer a spotted or weake one as the reiected Iewes did 16 We shuld likewise be cursed it hauiÌ„g Christes bodiwe shuld not offer it but rather should saâ— our own righteousnes 〈◊〉 be most principally thâ— cleane oblation wherâ— of the prophet speakeâ— â–ª Which yet the member of Antichrist doe say â–ª Read the prophet Malachie witâ— diligence and see whether the conference of the holy scripture doth not necessarily import this sense which 〈◊〉 haue now geuen And I haue geueÌ„ it according to the vniforme interpretatiâ— of the auncient fathers of whome noâ— one denyeth the body aÌ„d blood of Christ to be here meant albeit some of them expound some part of this chapiter of praiers and of inward righteousnes the which inward sacrifice is alwaies to be ioyned with the vnblodie outward sacrifice or consecration and oblation of Christes body and blood which is the new oblation of the new testament with a Lib. 4. cap. â— Ireneus with whome b DemoÌ„st euange li. 1. c. 10. Eusebiâ— c In Malach 1. S. Hierom d Orat. 2. aduersus Iudaeos S. Chrysostom e Lib. 4. c. 14. Daâ—ascene agree Neither doth this our vnbloody sacrifice derogate any iote to that one â—loody sacrifice of Christes crosse For we â—onour that one sacrifice so much that through the power of it we beleue the daily remembraunce thereof being made by the outward consecration of bread and wine into the same bodie and blood which was once offered vppon the crosse to be necessarily a publike sacrifice because it is not possible Note but that euery publicke and external fact which is made by Gods authority to put vs in minde of that great sacrifice once fulfilled on the crosse must also partake the nature of that sacrifice whereof it is the remembraunce For if euen the killing and burning of a calf was an external aÌ„d publike sacrifice because it signified that Christ should die for vs how infinitely more shal the body and blood of Christ being made of bread and wine to signifie his owne death be a publick and an external sacrifice And because in the saied body of Christ the whole merit of his priesthod and crosse is stil really conteined for he is a priest for euer according to the order of Melchisedech whensoeuer that body is made present by consecration as it is alwaies at Masse then Heb. 7. seing that substance is made present which euen till this day whersoeuer it be 2. Ioan. 2. or in earth maketh God merciful to vs a propitiatory sacrifice in his kind is made hable to be applied to the vse of the liue and of the dead Which doctrine who so denieth vpoÌ„ pretence of a zeale to Christes death let him be wel assured he dishonoureth his death aboue measure if whereas euery signe externally made in calues or gotes which went before his death was therfore a publik external sacrifice he will now deny the same honour to a signe of the same deathe appointed to be made euen by Christes owne mouth and exaÌ„ple in the self same body which died for vs. I can not tarie any longer vpon this matter because it is not my principal purpose The eight mark of an Antichristian THE viij mark of the false prophets of Antichrist is to spoile Christ of his inheritaunce which God gaue him in all nations For so a Psal 2. Dauid b 60. 61 Isaias yea the c Luc. 14. Gospell doth teache Neither is it only meant that in diuerse natioÌ„s some or other shal some at one aÌ„d other at an other tyme priuily beleue in Christ but it is meant Isai 2. Psal 44. Malac. 1. that many nations together shal professe Christes religioÌ„ and name outwardly and openly for his name is great among the Gentils not in one nation only but among many nor surely by those who lie priuie but by those who are not ashamed to be knowen for Christians and for Catholikes For such only doe honour the name of God as be knowen to be of his Churche Math. 5. Isai 2. Hereof it is called a city which can not be hidden a hil built in the toppe of hils Psal 18. Matth. 5. a tabernacle sette in the son a candle being light and sette vppon the candlesticke the children of light Luc. 16. Matth. 13. the kingdom of Christ who reigneth in the house of the spiritual Iacob for euer Yea it is called the croune of glory in the hand of God Isai 62. and the pride or magnificent ioy of all ages from generation to generation Al which texts notwithstanding the protestants will make vs beleue that they are Christes Church whereas fifty yeres a goe there were not onlie not many nations of them which professed their faith openly so that Gods name might therby be great among the Gentils but there was not one nation no not one city not one towne not one whole village in al the wyde world where it may be shewed that they had one Church or chappel or howse of publike praier vnder the son And yet though they shewed half a dosen such it could not serue Is this the gloriouse kingdome and common weale which Christ doth inherit O vnspeakeable blasphemy vnto his gloriouse name Isai 54. Gal. 4. The Iewish synagoge was neuer half so base wheras Christes Churche among the Gentils was prophecied to passe it in nuÌ„ber and greatnes And yet this misery of the Church say they dured eight or nine huÌ„dred yeres Math. 16. Ergo so long hel gates preuailed against the Church of Christ But on the other side there can no moment of an hower be named in the which we are not ready to shew that many Note the true Churche yea very many natioÌ„s professed openly and outwardly practised Christes true religion together with the pope of Rome from S. Peters tyme to this hower O gloriouse City of God and a kingdoÌ„ prophecied of in all ages before Christ worthy of his Son Iesus ageinst which hel gates neuer did nor neuer shall preuaile To this City and kingdom yee must all resort who looke to inherit the kingdom of heauen The ninth Mark of an Antichristian THE ninth marke of Antichristes brotherhod is the intolerable pride whereby they make themselues onelie the supreame iudges of the right vnderstanding of Gods woorde yea of the text also and of the letter thereof For whereas it is not possible for any resonable man to cite with good conscience any one text of holy scripture for his purpose vnlesse he iudge first the same text to be conuenient and agreable to his intent and therefore whereas nothing