made her the patterne of all other Christian Churches his stile should haue arrayed her otherwise than by inuoluing her among Loca Occidentis Secondly in Criminall Causes you belieue that the Supreme Right of Appeale to the Sea of Rome is a Iurisdiction whereinto the Bishop of Rome is inuested by virtue of his Succession from Saint Peter so that all other Churches Christian ought to acknowledge this Right of Appeale vpon all iust occasions and the Cause being there determined all parties are vtterly precluded hauing no power to Appeale from it to any Superior Iudicature This is your pretended Prerogatiue of the Church of Rome consisting of two Termes Appealing to Rome and not Appealing from Rome Will you admit of Saint Augustines determination in both these Saint Augustine as hath bene confessed was one of that Councell of Africke which abandoned the Claime of Right of Appeales from all Churches to Rome which was then challenged by three Popes successiuely to wit Zozimus Boniface and Celestine and yet concluded against them that it should not be lawfull for any within the Churches of Africke to make their Appeale to Rome Accordingly you that would thinke it an intolerable and sacrilegious derogation from the Papall Iurisdiction if in a Criminall Cause after the Pope with his whole Consistory of Cardinals had giuen iudgement any Bishop within the Romane Iurisdiction should be so audacious as to Appeale from that Sentence to an higher Iudicature where you that are my Iudges shall be iudged whether you haue giuen right iudgement or not remember that Saint Augustine concerning the Case of the Bishop Caecilian which was referred to the Arbitrement of Pope Iulius and others doubted not to giue such a Resolution I suppose saith he the Bishops that were at Rome were not good Iudges there then remained a Generall Councell where the Cause may be discussed so that if it shall appeare that those Iudges iudged wrongfully their sentence may be reuersed and disanulled Thirdly from Criminall we proceed to a Doctrinall point You that haue told vs that it is a peculiar Prerogatiue belonging to the Church of Rome as she is The Catholike Church to direct all other Churches which is the true Canon of Diuine Scriptures and that she by her Councell may pronounce euery one Anathema and Accursed that shall not giue beliefe to his Decree touching the right Canon of Scriptures obserue that Saint Augustine perceiuing how the Latine or Romane Church did not in those daies constantly hold the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrewes to be Canonicall and of Diuine Authority resolueth thus Notwithstanding I saith he am rather mooued by the Authority of the East Churches So Saint Augustine which is so much that a conscionable man we thinke should need no more For now we are in a Doctrinall point euen what and which is the Scripture and written Word of God the Principle and Doctrine of all other Principles and Doctrines Whereof when we enquire we are directed by Saint Augustine to consult with the Primitiue Churches as well East as West and wherein these do differ in their Customes therein to yeeld rather to the iudgement of the Greeke and Easterne Churches according as Saint Hierom also determined than to the Romane in the West And lest this Decision of Saint Augustine might seeme to proceed from some voluntary inclination to the Greeke Church rather than to the Latine he addeth that he is so moued by the Authority of the Easterne Churches Now how all these particulars will agree with your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church Mistris of all other Churches without full Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation do you your-selues deliberate Sure we are that this Resolution of Saint Augustine will easily interpret the meaning of his other sentence so often obiected by you to wit I should not haue belieued the Gospell except the Authority of the Church had moued mee that by Church he meant not the then present Church of Rome as you pretend which is as you see another vanity After this discussion of the Doctrinall Cause we adde a Consideration of the Schismaticall state of that Church according as our iudicious Casaubon hath obserued You who accompt it the onely note of Schisme to be diuided from the Romane Church and the Pope thereof as the onely Head of all Churches Answer vs Why Saint Augustine who in seauen Books besides many other places confuted the Schismaticall Donatists yet neuer spake word of the Monarchy of the Pope or of the Infallibility of his iudgement whereby to reduce them to the Vnity of the Church and Truth Lastly as for the Title of The Catholike Church you that appropriate it in your Article to the Church of Rome aduise againe with Saint Augustine who as he hath already defined that Catholike is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The whole as a Comprehension of all Parts and therefore that no Part can be called The Whole so doth he further illustrate the same in his Expositions vpon those words of the Psalmist The Kings daughters were among thine honourable women vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in a Vesture of gold of Ophir Behold Rome saith he behold Carthage behold other Cities as Kings daughters of all which is made one certaine Queene speaking of the Catholike Church whereunto euery one ought to bee vnited in Faith and Hope So he You see that in Saint Augustines time when Rome was indeed Rome and truely glorious for Faith and Holinesse yet Behold Rome what The Queene which is the Catholike Church it selfe No but Behold Rome a daughter of the King And againe Behold Carthage and other Cities How Namely so and no otherwise than Rome and others all daughters of the King that is Particular Churches professing Christ. But the Catholike Church as Queene what must shee be any one of these bee it the Church of Milan Carthage or Rome No but One Vniuersall Church consisting of these and All others CHALLENGE SEe you now with what obliquity of iudgement your Authors haue obiected these colourable sayings of Saint Augustine out of his Epistles vnto Pope Zozimus and Pope Boniface and others Whereas when we come to his deeds he doth freely demonstrate his Faith contrary to your sense when Comparing Particular Bishopricke with Bishopricke as Rome with Carthage hee maketh them and their Bishops both Most Eminent Comparing Churches with Churches as Rome with the Churches of Africke he defendeth euen against the forenamed Popes Zozimus and Boniface both that it is not lawfull for Remote Churches to Appeale to Rome and that it is also lawfull for Churches that are subordinate to the Romane Iurisdiction to Appeale from Rome By which the very pinnacle of the pretended Authority of the Romane Iurisdiction is quite ouerthrowne and cast to the ground Againe Saint Augustine comparing the Two Moities of the whole Catholike Church commonly diuided into the East otherwise called the
ancient Councels Churches Sect. 2. CHAP. VIII III. ARgument is taken from the Iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in her Generall Councels Sect. 1. Proouing that the now Romane Article falsly damneth the Fathers of the Councell of Nice Sect. 2. The Fathers of the first Councell of Constantinople Sect. 3. The Fathers of the Councell of Ephesus Sect. 4. The Fathers of the Councell of Chalcedon Sect. 5. The Fathers of the second Councell of Constantinople Sect. 6. The Fathers of the Sixt and Seauenth Generall Councels which condemned Pope Honorius for an Heretike Sect. 7. The Fathers of the Eighth Generall Councell Sect. 8. CHAP. IX IV. ARgument is taken from the iudgement of Particular ancient and godly Churches which were opposite to the pretended Iurisdiction of Rome and concerning her Excommunication by diuerse Instances § 1. 1. Instance Proouing that shee by her now Romane Article falsly damneth the Churches of Asia and their Catholike Bishops in the daies of Pope Victor Sect. 2. 2. Falsly damneth the Catholike Churches of Africke Numidia Mauritania in the dayes of Saint Cyprian Sect. 3. Yea and Saint Cyprian himselfe Sect. 4.5.6.7 3. Falsly damneth the Churches of Africke in the dayes of S. Augustine yea and Saint Augustine himselfe Sect. 8.9.10.11.12 4. Falsly damneth the Catholike Church of Britaine with the Scottish Irish c. in the dayes of S. Gregory Sect. 15.16 CHAP. X. V. A Argument is because by this now Romane Article are falsly Damned the most Catholike Emperours who anciently opposed the now pretended Papall Dominion Confessed Sect. 1. Instances in the Confessed Oppositions of Constantine the Great Theodosius the elder Theodosius the younger and Iustinian Sect. 2.3 c. The due estimation of these Emperours Sect. 4. CHAP. XI VI. ARgument because the same Romane Article falsly damneth the First and Best and indeed most Catholike Popes of Rome who acknowledged Subiection to the Emperours of their Times as well Ethnikes as Christian. Sect. 1.2.3.4.5 CHAP. XII VII ARgument because the same Romane Article falsly Damneth the most worthie Seruants of God whose names are Registred for Martyrs and Saints in the now Calendar of the Church of Rome or in the Romane Martyrologe viz. S. Polycarpus Sect. 1. S. Cyprian Sect. 2. S. Athanasius Sect. 3. S. Basil. Sect. 4. S. Hilary of Poictou Sect. 5. Saint Hierome Sect. 6. S. Ambrose Sect. 7. S. August § 8. S. Hilary of Arles § 9. CHAP. XIII VIII ARgument because of the Vanity of the Romane Defence in the behalfe of their Romane Article of Catholike Iurisdiction Discouered by Parallels 1. The Romish Pretence froÌ„ Titles anciently attributed to the Romane Chaire by Councels Confuted by Equiualences Sect. 1. 2. From the Titles attributed by ancient Fathers Confuted first by Equiualences Sect. 2.3 Next by their owne Contradictions Sect. 4. Thirdly by the Blasphemousnesse of sundry Titles attributed to the Pope Sect. 5. 3. The Romish PreteÌ„ce of Supreme Iurisdiction from the Sentences of ancient Greeke Fathers Sect. 6. Among Others are the memorable Examples of Theophilus and S. Cyril Patriarks of Alexandria Atticus and Acatius Patriarkes of Constantinople All neglecting the Popes Excommunieation Sect. 7. The same from the Latine Fathers Confuted Sect. 8.9 A Generall Confutation of the former Falshood Sect. 10. 4. The same Romish Pretence of supreme Iurisdiction from the Authoritie of ancient Popes Confuted Sect. 11.12.13 As also from their Acts. Sect. 14. The same Pretence first taken from the Councell of Sardis for Right of Appeales to Rome Confuted Sect. 15. The same opposed by Examples of Antiquity And secondly confuted by an Argument taken from the Councell of Chalcedon Sect. 16. Thirdly from S. Cyprian Sect. 17. Fourthly from Pope Damasus Sect. 18. Fiftly from the Councell of Mileuis Sect. 19. Sixtly from S. Augustine Sect. 20. CHAP. XIV THE THIRD CONSIDERATION of the Church Catholike is in respect of the latter ages of the world Confuting the now Romane Article of the Catholike Church by Instances of three kinds First of Remote Nations 1. Because it falsly damneth the Greeke Church from age to age Sect. 1. Notwithstanding that it continued still a true Christian Church Sect. 2.3.4 And be now in extent wonderfull spatious and for multitudes innumerable Sect. 5 The extremitie of the Romish Article Sect. 6. A Particular Instance in Ignatius Patriarke of Constantinople neglecting the Popes Excommunication Sect. 7. 2. Because it falsly damneth the Churches of the Assyrians Sect. 8. 3. Because it falsly damneth the Churches of other remote Nations Aegyptians Aethiopians Armenians c. Sect. 9. Secondly in Churches more neare Because it as falsly damneth all Protestant Churches although more Orthodox than Rome it selfe and for number infinite Sect. 10. Third Instance in the Church of Rome it selfe Because it condemneth the Church of Rome it selfe in the latter ages thereof proouing either Pope or Church of Rome Schismaticall in themselues Sect. 11.12 Prooued by manifold and ineuitable Necessities as hauing sometimes bene a Church Head-les Sect. 13. Sometimes with a false Head Sect. 14. Sometimes with many Heads Sect. 15. Sometimes Counter-Headed Sect. 16. Sometimes doubtfully Headed Sect. 17 18 19 20. CHAP. XV. THe Determination of the whole Question concerning the Separation of Protestants from the Romane Church to discerne whether Side is to be accounted Schismaticall or may more iustly pleade Soules Saluation Discussed by certaine Theses consisting of foure Parts Sect. 1. The first Part consisting of VII Theses I. Thesis An absolute decay of the whole Catholike Church was neuer defended by any Protestant Sect. 2. II. Thesis The Church Symbolical properly called Catholike cannot erre in Faith Sect. 3. III. Thesis How the Church Representatiue improperly called Catholike may be said to be subiect to error Sect. 4. IV. Protestants hold not any greater Inuisibility or rather Obscuritie of the Church Catholike than that which the Romanists themselues aâ—e forced to confesse Sect. 5. V. Thesis All Particular Churches are not to be forsaken for euery vnsoundnesse either in manners worship or doctrine Sect. 6. VI. Thesis Some vnsound Churches are necessarily to bee auoided and iust Causes why Sect. 7. VII No vniust Excommunication out of a true Church can preiudice the Saluation of the Excommunicate Sect. 8. The second Part is concerning Departure from the Church of Rome comparing the Church of Rome with other Churches I. Thesis The Cburch of Rome is as subiect to error as any other Church Sect. 9. II. Thesis The Church of Rome is more subiect to Error then any other Church Christian. Sect. 10. III. Thesis There is not in all Scripture any Prophecie of the fall of any Christian Church but onely of the Church of Rome from which it may sometime be necessary to depart Sect. 11. IV. Thesis The Church of Rome hath long bene and still is the most Schismaticall Church of all other Christian Churches that carrie in them a Visible face of a Church § 12. The third Part of this Determination concerneth the
Church of Rome saith he not as a particular Dioces or Bishopricke is called the Catholike Church but as it comprehendeth and containeth all Beleeuers in Christ vnder the obedience of the Pope of Rome So they This counterfeit Glosse vpon these termes The Catholike Church as vnder the Obedience of the Pope as Catholike and Vniuersall Head wee shall bring to the Test of the Antient Faith by the witnesse of more than three Fathers I. The iudgement of Saint Augustine SECT 8. WHat was meant by the Catholike Church in the Sence of Antiquity Saint Augustine may be vnto vs herein as the mouth of the whole Church seeing that he had more occasions to discusse this Article than any Other especially because in his time the Donatists did no lesse falsly than arrogantly appropriate the name of the Whole Church vnto their Church in Africke euen as you although in a different Sence hold it proper to the Church of Rome at this day But Saint Augustine The word in Greeke saith he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine Totum aut Vniuersale that is whole or vniuersall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not one but the whole whence the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Catholike is deriued Thus by distinguishing Whole Church from One Church he sheweth that it is as vnconceiuable that the Catholike Vniuersall or Whole should bee but one One part as it is impossible for one part to be the Whole Which is your Paradoxe to call the Head the whole Body whilest as in your Article you make ROMANE as the Head The Catholike and Vniuersall Church it selfe Thus haue we heard Saint Augustine will you now see him Then behold Rem gestam For when by that busie fellow Petilian the Donatist a publike Conference was held at Carthage betweene seuen Orthodoxe Bishops on the one part and seuen Donatists on the other concerning the Catholike Church Saint Augustine was singled out by the Disputer and posed in these words Whence art thou Who is thy Father Is the Bishop Caecilian he This was the Obiection challenging Augustine to answer whence hee receiued his Religion and vpon whom he depended Heare now his answer My communion saith he began first at Hierusalem and from remote places came nearer vntill it entred into Africke and so disperst it selfe through-out all the World From this my Father God and my Mother-Church will I neuer be separated for the calumnies of any man CHALLENGE SAy now if either Petilian the Heretike could haue questioned Saint Augustine professing himselfe a Catholike whether hee had his dependance vpon CAECILIAN Bishop of Carthage as his spirituall Father if it had beene a currant profession among the Churches of those times to haue held the Bishop of Rome The Catholike Father or the Church of Rome The Catholike Mother-Church without which there is no saluation Or whether it could haue stood with the Conscience of Saint Augustine if he had beene of your now Romish Faith in a question about the Father-hood What Bishop and Mother-hood what Church he professed fo◠to passing by all mention of the B. of Rome acknowledge no Head but Christ and neglecting the Romane Church adhere to the Whole Church dispersed throughout the whole Christian World as indeed the properly called Mother-Church How should not Saint Augustine although neuer so admirable a Saint haue beene held a Schismatike and Heretike if he had liued in these daies either for his ignorance or Contempt of the now Romish resolution of Faith in all such Questions to wit that the Spirituall Father of the Church is the Pope of Rome and the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church is selfe because Head of all the rest As for the prime Mother-Church by spirituall procreation wee see that Saint Augustine acknowledgeth no other than Hierusalem which verefieth that which hath been largely prooued to wit that although the ancient Romane Church might in many respects be called A Mother Church of many other Churches in Christendome especially in respect of her admirable care for the preseruation of diuine truth and peace in the Christian world Yet now since first by vsurping an Originall Prerogatiue of the Vniuersall Mother she is become the Mother of Arrogance and Falsehood 2. By preiudicing the Birth-right of other Churches more ancient than her selfe She may be called the Mother of Schisme 3. By excluding All from hope of Saluation that beleeue her not to bee the Mother-Church shee may iustly bee iudged the Mother of damnable Heresie Of Saint Augustines iudgement more hereafter II. The Iudgement of Saint Hierome concerning the Church Catholike SECT 5. SAint Hierome was a professed and deuoute Childe of the Church of Rome when Rome was yet a true and naturall Mother and no Step-dame who notwithstanding when the Custome of Rome was obiected against him in a Case of difference betweene Deacon and Priest calling the Aduerse part An arrogant paucity he maketh an answer full of indignity As though sayth he there were more authority in Vrbe quà m in Orbe that is in one Citie the Seate of the Bishop of Rome than in the whole Catholike Church besides This is the Testimonie of Saint Hierome wherein the Fathers of the Councell of Basil did in a manner triumph in opposition to the Papall Claime saying O Hierome what meane you Is there therefore greatnes in the Pope because he gouerneth the Church His authority is great indeed but not so great as the authority of the Catholike Church which is not conteined in one Citie but comprehendeth in it selfe the whole World CHALLENGE APply you to this former sentence of Saint Hierome if you can your former distinction namely that the Church of Rome is a Particular Church in it selfe but Catholike as the Head hauing Vniuersal Dominion ouer the whole Church and see whether it will abide the test of Saint Hierome who speaking of the Customes of the Church of Rome calleth the Custome of that Church Vrbem meaning the custome but of one Particular Church whose seate is at Rome and opposeth vnto it the Custome of the Catholike Church which hee calleth Orbem the whole world Shewing thereby with whom also doth accord the iudgement of the Fathers of the Councell of Basil that the Authority of the Church Catholike and of the Church of Rome are not equiualent much lesse the same for in Identity there can be no opposition or comparison None can compare a mans head with it selfe And what furthermore Saint Hierome did conceiue heereof will afterwards appeare in due Place III. The Iudgement of Saint Gregory Bishop of Rome Concerning the Head Catholike In denying the Title of Vniuersall Bishop as did likewise Pelagius and Leo both Bishops of the same See SECT 6. ALthough it can be no sufficient Argument for concluding a Papall authority to obiect vnto vs the testimonies of Popes which is your ordinarie guize in their owne Cause yet will it be vnto vs Armour of Proofe to oppose
words of Tert. your owne Beatus Rhenanus hath published as much as we can require Tertullian saith hee doth not confine the Catholike and Apostolike Church to one place and although hee giue an honourable testimonie to the Church of Rome yet did he not esteeme her so highly as we see her accounted of at this day He reckoneth her with other Churches yet doth not make her the onely Church but admonisheth his Readers as well to enquire what milke the Church of Corinth gaue as Rome So Rhenanus who addeth that If Tertullian were now aliue and should say so much hee could not escape without punishment Thus your Rhenanus whiles that hee had the vse of his tongue but since you haue Gagged him by your Index Ezpurgatorius a Booke which we may call the Martyrologe of many innocent bookes But no maruaile for this testimonie of Rhenanus was as a poyniard sticking fast in the very bowels of this Cause Notwithstanding Tertullian will be Tertullian still whom whosoeuer shall reade he will be able to auouch as much as Rhenanus hath obserued namely that Tertullian euen whilest hee was a true childe of the Church neuer allowed the Apostolike which we commonly call the Catholike Church to be appropriated vnto any one place nor had he further respect to Rome than he had to Corinth and other Apostolicall Churches which hee calleth Original Mother-Churches for directing of Christians in the Apostolike faith 4 Athanasius reckoneth vp to the Emperour Constantine the Churches that consented to the Councell of Nice thus The Churches of Spain of Britaine of France of whole Italie of Dalmatia without any precise mention of Rome otherwise than it was comprized in whole Italie A great Contempt doubtlesse if your Article had beene then hatch't because the Consent of Rome onely had been more perswasiue to the Emperour than all the rest 5 Vincentius Lirinensis likewise an ancient Father and greatly approued on all sides in his booke written in defence of the Catholike Truth against all prophane Nouelties aduiseth Christians to trie the Truth equally by the ioynt consent as well of the East as of the West-Church and to consult as well with Petrus Alexandrinus and Athanasius in the one Church as with Felix and Iulius Bishops of Rome in the other Concerning whom more hereafter 6 Saint Augustine against Iulian the Pelagian in the question of Baptisme speaking of Chrysostome the Bishop of Constantinople saith Farre be it from him that hee should dissent from his fellow-Bishops Innocentius Bishop of Rome Cyprian Bishop of Carthage Basil Bishop of Cappadocia Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum Hilary a French Bishop and Ambrose Bishop of Milan Is it possible that these orthodoxe Fathers should in this manner and vpon such occasions haue giuen the Bishop of Rome so many Mates in equalizing others with him if your Article of Monarchicall Dominion had entred into their breasts or braines The same comparisons proued by ancient Churches SECT 2. THe generall Councell of Constantinople in the East to make known their Consent in the Faith with the Church in the West doe endite an Epistle and inscribe it thus To their Reuerend brethren and fellowes as well to Damasus of Rome as to Ambrose of Milan and others The Church of Egypt gathered in Councell in their letters vnto the Emperour Leo professe Their Consent in the Catholike faith with the chiefe Priests in the Christian world naming as well Anatolius Bishop of Constantinople Basil Bishop of Antioch Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem as Leo Bishop of Rome The Decree of the Church of Carthage in her third Councell standeth thus It is decreed that we consult hereupon with our brethren Syricius viz. Bishop of Rome and Simplician viz. Bishop of Milane Not to omit how you confesse that The Bishops of Constantinople did sometime enioy the title of Vniuersall Bishops equally with the Bishops of Rome but this they did say you by permission of the Bishops of Rome and vpon conniuence Tell you this to them who know not that Maiestie brooking no Corriuall the Monarchie of Popes would neuer dispense or continue at any One vsurping equall Title of Monarchicall Iurisdiction which is as much as to snatch their Papall Miters from of their heads CHALLENGE THe distinction of East and West is not more familiarly knowne to euery vulgar man than is the distinction of East and West-Church by euery babe in Historicall learning vnderstanding thereby that they were anciently held as two generall parts of the Catholike Church and not as one subordinate to another as will afterwards more plainly appeare Againe vnlesse you shall except against the most ancient and vniuersally approued Instructors and guides of the Catholike Church we must conclude that the East part of the world is not more opposite vnto the West than is your now Romane Article to wit The Catholike Romane Church contrary to Catholike Antiquitie Insomuch that as when Protestants are controlled condemned tormented or put to death for renouncing this your Article Ignatius Ireneus to omit the authoritie of Councels and Others Tertullian Athanasius Vinc. Lirinensis and Augustine may seeme to suffer in them because it may be said of the rest which your Rhenanus spake of one saying Tertullian if he were aliue should not escape vnpunished for such his Praescriptions So False and Imposterous is your Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church as hauing Dominion ouer all Others CHAP. VIII Our third Argument taken from the iudgement of the Catholike Church it selfe in the first Six Generall Councels after the Apostles Besides a Seuenth and Eight Councell in Your estimation Generall SECT 1. EVery true Generall Councell you will esteeme to be the Representatiue Church Catholike than which after the euidence of diuine Scriptures the Oracles of God no better proofe can be required by the Professors of the Christian faith For this cause we hold it our duetie for your better satisfaction to giue you Instances in the first Six Generall Councels beginning at the first Generall Councell of Nice I. That the Beliefe of the Romish Article viz. The Catholike Romane Church without which c. damneth all the Catholike Fathers of the Councell of Nice and their Beleeuers SECT 2. THe first Generall Councell in Christianitie after the Synod of the Apostles was that famous first Councell of Nice consisting of CCCXVIII Bishops by whom were made two Decrees vtterly preiudiciall to the now Article of the Dominion of the Romane Church and Pope aboue all other Churches and their Bishops One is against the Appeales of persons Excommunicate in any Dioces vnto remote Churches which the Bishops of the Church of Africke in their Councell wherein Saint Augustine was an Actor did absolutely denie by virtue of the Canon of the Councell of Nice The second Instance in the sixt Canon of the same Nicene Synod decreeing thus That the Bishops of Alexandria should haue the Gouernment ouer Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis
depart from you Your Cardinall who vrged the former words leapt ouer these it may be because they were not so much for his purpose as they are for ours to proue that if Saint Hierome had beleeued the pretended Monarchie of Popedome in your after Popes hee would not thus haue twitted and taunted Damasus otherwise an excellent godly Pope not so much for his owne pride as for the pride of the Romane Top or height namely the ambition of his Seat In which reprehension of Papall pride the Councell of Carthage vnder Cyprian the Councell of Africke in the time of Saint Augustine Saint Basil yea and other holy Fathers haue bin most frequent when as yet the Top thereof was not so high as hath bin the after-ambition of Popedome by the one halfe Wee in the next place desire to know what you beleeue concerning the iudgement of the Pope of Rome in matter of Faith and we haue heard you call it Infallible yet did Saint Hierome note Liberius once Pope of Rome that Hee was perswaded to subscribe vnto Haeresie Your Cardinall answereth that Liberius indeede consented vnto Haeresie but Hee consented thereunto saith he not Expresly but Interpretatiuely because in Fact he subscribed to the condemnation of Athanasius whom he knew to be persecuted for his Catholike Faith As though this poore ragge were sufficient to couer that nakednesse No for you looke still vpon the Pope as vpon the Visible Head of the Visible Church If therefore hee Visibly communicated with Haeretikes as hath beene confessed and so Visibly subscribed vnto Haeresie Interpretatiuely that is so that none could Interpret his Fact otherwise than as to thinke it a plaine approbation of Haeresie then wee are perswaded that that holy Father who was so zealous of Gods truth as not to indure an ambiguous word which might any way relish of Haeresie and condemned that Pope Liberius of an Interpretatiue Haeresie would not if hee were aliue at this day suffer such a Deluge of Innouations by your 20. new Articles of the Romane Faith neuer so much as fancied of in his dayes In the next place the same Father expresseth his dislike of the Clergie of Rome crying out vpon them in the words following When I was in Babylon and liued an inhabitant of that purple Whore something I desired to chirpe concerning the holy Ghost and to dedicate the Worke vnto the Bishop of the same Citie And behold the assembly of Pharisees exclaimed vpon mee among whom there was not any learned Scribe but the whole faction of ignorance conspired against mee as if I had proclaimed some Doctrinall warre and strife against them Damasus who first moued me to this worke is asleepe in the Lord so that the song that I could not sing in a strange Countrey I now must murmure and noyse among you here in Iudaea So S. Hierome What one of you is there if not acquainted with the Bookes of Saint Hierome who will not iudge these words to haue beene the Exclamation and Inuectiue of some Protestant in your opinion Schismaticall and a professed Aduersary to the Church of Rome to call Rome in indignation and despight Babylon and Land of Captiuitie to tearme it a Purple whore and strange land wherein it was not lawfull To sing the Lords Song concerning the Holy Ghost yea to bespot the whole Clergie of that Citie with the note of Ignorance and at last after the death of Damasus to quit ROME as a Land of Bondage that he might inioy his libertie in Iudaea among the Christian Iewes Could this be said of a Citie priuiledged with a perpetuall Residence of the Holy Ghost and deseruing the Title of Motherhood ouer the whole Catholique Church of the Citie of the Popes Holinesse and of the Oracle of Truth Passe we from the Clergie of that Citie and come wee to the Romane Church it selfe there we finde a Custome of preferring Deacons before Priests Which Saint Hierome condemneth and aduanceth the dignitie of a Presbyter vpon which occasion he falleth into a Comparison of the Church of Rome with the whole CATHOLIKE CHVRCH and with other Parts thereof And comparing it with the whole Church he saith The Authoritie of the whole world is greater than of one Citie Meaning that the Authoritie of the Church Catholike is more than the Authoritie of the Church of ROME Which as hath bin proued from the iudgement of the Fathers in the Councell of Basil is a perfect demonstration that the Church of ROME cannot be called The Catholike Church And least any by that Example and Custome of the Church of ROME should prescribe vnto other Churches as though ROME being as you call her the Mistresse of all others All others should subscribe to her Saint Hierome immediately addeth Why doe you obiect vnto mee saith hee the Custome of one Citie and challenge that for a Law which is done of so few in respect whence haughtinesse hath sprung A plaine proofe that your now Doctrine of making one Particular Church to be in Iurisdiction Vniuersall is an Argument of a Sacrilegious Pride and no sound Article of Faith The next Comparison is betweene the Church of Rome other particular Churches in respect of the Iurisdictions of Bishops in their seuerall diocesses according to Diuine Law Wheresoeuer there shall be a Bishop saith hee whether it be at Rome or at Eugubium whether at Constantinople or at Rhegium whether at Alexandria or at Tanais hee is of the same worthinesse and Priesthood What may bee collected from hence you may know from him who being most conuersant in the writings of Saint Hierome is best able to diue into his meaning namely that Saint Hierome hereby seemeth to equall all Bishops among themselues as being equally the Successours of the Apostles who are therefore not to be measured by the amplitude of their Diocesse but by the worthinesse of their deseruings In which comparison Saint Hierome hath vsed singular art to expresse his meaning more Emphatically For whereas there are Three most famous Patriarchships viz. Rome Constantinople and Alexandria hee parallelleth the little Bishopricks vnder the same Patriarchships with the Patriarchall Seats as Eugubium in Italy with Rome Rhegium in Brutia with Constantinople in Thrace and Tanais in Aegypt with Alexandria in the same Prouince So that whatsoeuer Iurisdiction any Metropolitane Primate or Patriarke hath ouer other Bishops it is from Humane Constitution and not from Diuine Law So farre then was Saint Hierome from making Rome the Catholike Bishoprick that he accounted it as distinct from Eugubium as is Constantinople from Rhegium and Alexandria from Tanais After our Comparison of the Church of Rome with others in the Question of Iurisdiction we proceede with Saint Hierome to compare her in matter of Necessary and Catholike Doctrine But tell you vs First what is that Prerogatiue which is included in your Article of The Catholike Romane Church as properly belonging to the Church of
our Brother Cornelius c. Behold this in a secular glasse and conceiue what a despight it were vnto a King to heare his Vassall salute him with a Farewell fellow Henrie Fie fie what will you make of the Fathers will you iudge them so witlesse or senselesse as not to haue vnderstood their Morals Yet so you propound them For some where they giue glorious Titles to the Popes of Rome and in euery such one you point out the Pope the Monarch of the Church notwithstanding the same Fathers gaue the like Titles also to others Sometime they ioyne more familiarly with Popes by Tearmes of Fellowship and Brotherhood and yet euen then also you will haue them to beleeue your Pope to be their Monarch What Solecismes must these be The First as if one should put the Diadem vpon the Kings foot the Second as if hee should put the Kings shooe vpon his head This is not spoken by vs to note the holy Fathers of such default farre be it from vs but to condemne your Authors and Disputers of want of sobrietie that thus reason beyond all reason Thus haue you heard Cyprian interpret his Words by his owne Word Will you now heare Cyprian speake by his Acts and Deeds wee shall but be your remembrancers of that which hath bin largely proued already as namely Cyprian his Reprehending and taunting the person of Stephen the Pope of Rome and Successour to Cornelius contradicting his Decrees opposing his Romane Councell disclaiming his claime of Appeales contemning his threats of Excommunication Can you perswade your selues that Cyprian could haue escaped the crueltie of your Romish Inquisition if hee had liued and so behaued himselfe a Bishop among you at this day All this while we haue said nothing of the Corruptions of the writings of Cyprian which your Papalists feede vpon Our like Discouerie of the like Vanitie of your Proofes out of other the Latine Fathers SECT 9. THE Second Father is OPTATVS Concerning whom your Obiection maketh fâ—r vs a good Answere For if Optatus as hee saith followed the iudgement of Cyprian than it followeth that the foresaid Iudgement of Cyprian may resolue vs of the Doctrine of Optatus to wit that by One Chaire or Church hee ment the whole Vniuersall Church professing the same Catholike Faith and that the Particular Church of Rome as it then stood was an excellent Portion thereof built vpon the same Faith of Peter which all Christians professe but onely a Portion because the same Father obiecteth against the Donatists their want of Vnion with the Churches of Asia commended by Saint Iohn in his Reuelation as well as with Rome You haue no fellowship saith hee with the seauen Angels of Asia whatsoeuer is without these Seauen Churches is an alien namely from the Catholike Church and Saluation Which Doctrine of Optatus is sufficient to proue all Appropriators of an Infallible and Perpetuall Church to onely Rome to be little better then Donatists If you require a further Answer you may receiue it from a farre more elegant penne which will tell you that Optatus who required a necessary Vnion with the Romane Chaire yet neuer taught any Necessity of Vniuersall Subiection vnto it Nay so farre was he from acknowledgement of Monarchicall Dominion in the Pope that he calleth him absolutely his Fellow So he As for Necessity of Vnion it is no more than he required to be had as you haue heard vnto the Churches of Asia so that whensoeuer Rome as Asia hath done shall depart from the sincerity of the Apostolicall profession the departure from that must dissolue the Necessity of Vnion The third Latine Father is Ambrose the fourth Hierom the fifth Augustine If we thought it not an iniury vnto you to repeat the former Answers which haue beene made to all these Obiections it were an easie matter for vs to be superfluous When you shall reuiew the places then we doubt not but it will seeme as well to you as vnto vs an hatefull thing to see what violence your Obiections haue offered to these witnesses of Antiquity but much more to their owne consciences in inforcing these witnesses to speake the language of Babell and conspiring together to build the Tower of Papall Monarchy which both their words and Acts as you haue already heard do in a manner confound The sixt is Prosper whose meaning might haue bene better knowne if he had written in prose and not assumed vnto him the liberty of a Poet. Yet he and the seauenth namely Victor Vticensis call the Church of Rome The Head of all Churches But how in power and Iurisdiction you could neuer prooue this out of any ancient Father No but euen as Antioch and Constantinople with other Churches haue bene so called in other respects The eight is Vincentius Lyrinensis in whose Testimonie your Cardinall doth first mistake a mountaine for a man and secondly painting for person For Lyrinensis called not the Popes of Rome namely Felix and Iulius nor the Church of Rome but the Citie of Rome The Head of all the world What is more frequent than Rome to be called the Head of the Church Caput orbis after an Ethnick stile because of the Ciuill Dominion thereof ouer other Nations Hee called also Carthage on the North and Milan on the South the Sides by reason of their situations onely figuratiuely And although he had in like manner called the Bishop of Rome the Head and the other two Bishops his Sides must therefore the Pope of Rome be truly and absolutly iudged to be the Monarchicall Head of the Church in the meaning of Lyrinensis Then must you as absolutely beleeue that Cyprian of Carthage and Ambrose of Milan and their Successors were alwaies to continue the Sides of the Catholike Church Is this good learning thus to snatch at aduantages of naked Metaphors and with Michol to present vnto vs an image for a man But who is there that knoweth not how little the Church of Rome is beholden to Vincentius Lyrinensis who writing a Booke which you your selues call Little in bulke but most great in weight and worth wherein he giueth Resolution to all Catholikes how they should discerne the True Church yet neuer remembred your Romane Article of making the Church of Rome the Mother Mistris and Monarch of all the Churches in the world without Subiection whereunto as you say there is no Saluation But how should a man remember that which hee neuer forgot or forget that which he neuer learnt For if this had bene his Faith his booke of Resolutions which you say was so Little might haue bene comprehended in one leafe and almost in one line to wit There is but one Catholike Church which is the Roman which hath the Promise of perpetuall infallibility stand euer to this and then you cannot but be a good Catholike Nay he matcheth the Easterne Church with the Westerne as
none but Ignorants For your fuller Satisfaction herein We thought good vpon Contemplation of the Premisses to descend vnto this DETERMINATION of the Cause which wee shall performe punctually by certaine Theses or Positions by which are repelled those Popular Obiections which you vsually cast as Impediments in our way This Tractate then we diuide into foure parts I. Concerning All Churches in generall II. Particularly comparing the Romane Church with other now Remote Churches III. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at the time of LVTHERS departure from her IV. Comparing her with the Churches of Protestants at this day The first part of Comparison which is by Generall Theses I. THESIS An Absolute Decay of the Catholike Church was neuer defended by any Protestants SECT 2. MAny Papists in their aduersnesse to Protestants whom they seeke to traduce do impute vnto them this faithlesse Paradox as to say that the Catholike Church is sometime extinguished whereas Caluine and other Protestants grant saith your Cardinall that the Catholike Church cannot perish And therefore he telleth those MANY that they do but Loose their time in proouing the perpetuall existence of the Catholike Church Hee might as well haue noted in them a Losse of good Conscience by their falsly imposing vpon Protestants a false Doctrine which they neuer taught as you may more perfectly see afterwards by a Sentence of Caluin himselfe II. THESIS The Church Symbolicall and properly called Catholike cannot erre in Faith SECT 3. THat wee call the Symbolicall and properly Catholike Church as it is Militant which is set downe in the Apostles Symbol or Creed beleeued of all Christians viz. The multitude of all Christian Beleeuers whensoeuer and wheresoeuer dispersed through-out the world vnto which belong all those Royall Promises made by Christ vnto her of being Led into all truth Ioh. 16. Of hauing his residence with it Vnto the ends of the world Matth. 28. Of Hell-gates not preuailing against it Matth. 16. Neuer shall you find any Protestant gain-saying this Truth III. THESIS How the Church Representatiue improperly called the Catholike Church may bee said to be subiect to Errour SECT 4. THe Church improperly called Catholike is the Congregation of Christians assembled in a Generall Synod as being the Representatiue body of the Church in the Symbol properly called Catholike whereof wee say no more than Saint Augustine spake to wit that Sometimes former Generall Councels may be corrected by the latter Vnto which sentence of Augustine you could not hitherto giue any Answer but that which Saint Augustine if he were aliue would say is directly contradictory to his meaning For Augustine saith your Cardinall spake not of matter of Faith but of Fact nor of a point of Doctrine but of Manners Whereas the whole dispute of Augustine in that place is about a Doctrine of Faith Whether there can be true Baptisme in a false Church And what hath Saint Augustine said herein which Some of your owne Romish Schoole haue not thorowly auouched viz. that Generall Councels rightly gathered haue erred and that A Generall Councell so erring doth not preiudice the Catholike Church Because A Generall Councell is not the Catholike Church but onely a part thereof Which erring yet notwithstanding Some of the Church shall be still assisted to vphold the truth So they Nor doth this any whit impeach the Promise of Christ to wit * Whensoeuer two or three shall be gathered together in my Name there I will be in the middest of them For Christ promising his presence to all Christians Assembled in his Name did not thereby promise that all Christian Assemblies should be gathered in his Name duly that is with sincere hearts to inuocate him and to subscribe to his reuealed Truth It was an Academicall and Scepticall Paradox to say that because one Sense might be deceiued therefore no Sense was to be belieued Whereunto the Answer was that euery Sense as it might be deceiued so might it also be not deceiued if requisite Circumstances were duely obserued as namely if the Organ and Instrument were sound the Medium rightly disposed the Obiect proper the Distance due and proportionable Accordingly in Councels if the persons assembled as it were the Organs be sincerely affected to Gods glorie with desire of Truth as their proper Obiect and in the maior part thereof not led with the spirit of Contention and Faction which is the Cause of vnequall difference and Distance and if their Diaphanum and Medium be illuminated with the true light as Saint Peter calleth the holy Scripture Then is it not possible for such an Assembly to erre in any principle of Faith So then the difference betweene the Romane Church and the Church of the Protestants is no more but this that the Romanists say that all Generall Councels may erre except they bee confirmed and authorized by the Pope but Protestants say that all Generall Councels may erre except they be directed by the Spirit of Gods word as our Church of England hath truly defined In which difference we seeke no other moderation than the iudgement of the first fiue Generall Councels which in points of Faith propounded to themselues the holy Scripture as the onely Rule of their Doctrines esteemed of the Popes iudgement no otherwise than of a particular suffrage and in it selfe but equall excepting the Dignitie of Order vnto the voices of other Patriarches and Bishops as hath bene prooued IV. THESIS Protestants hold not any greater Inuisibilitie or rather Obscuritie of the Church Catholike than that which the Romanists themselues are forced to confesse SECT 5. NOt but that many of you pretend and boast of a Catholike Church not onely Visible but also Conspicuously and notoriously Visible alwaies both in the Amplitude of compasse and in the Multitude of Beleeuers as the Perpetuall note of the Church which our Sauiour Christ compareth to a Citie set vpon a hill And you are not ignorant of the Epistle which Mr. Fisher a Iesuite presented not long agoe vnto our late Soueraigne King Iames of blessed memorie wherein he professeth a Catholike Church to be alwaies so conspicuous that The whole knowne world may take notice of her yea euen in the dayes of Antichrist shall she be visibly vniuersall for she shall be then euery-where persecuted which she could not bee except she were euery where Visible So He Who neuer regarded that the Church of Christ as it is sometime in lustre glorious as the Sunne so againe it is according to the iudgement of Saint Augustine and Saint Ambrose sometime as the Moone which hath her encreases and decreases In which respect we are to obserue two Seasons of the Church the one long since past in the dayes of that Deluge of the Arian Heresie the other prophesied to happen in the dayes of Antichrist Of both which as well Fathers as your owne Authors say as much concerning the Ecclipse and obscurity of
the Church Catholike as commonly doe the Professed Protestants The words of your owne Authors amount to no lesse than a plaine Confession that The Arian Heresie trauelled almost ouer the whole Romane Orbe Euen From the rising of the Sun to the noone-point and after passing by the North at length it infected almost the whole Westerne part of Christendome That the same Heresie polluted almost all Christian Churches and the Patriarchall Seates of Antioch Alexandria and Hierusalem and at length passing into the Westerne parts meaning the Romane Iuâ—isdiction substituted Felix into the Romane Chaire instead of Liberius and so ran his Course through-out the whole world in a trice When the Church was brought to that lowe ebbe that the same Pope Liberius hearing the Arian Emperour to obiect the Paucity of Orthodoxe Fathers doubted not to make his Answer It mattereth not saith he whether the true Professors be moe or fewer for the Church of the Iewes was once reduced to the number of Three So accordingly Saint Hilaery bewailed the state of the Church saying that it had forsaken Temples and buildings and was more safe in Mountaines Lakes and Prisons And Greg. Nazianzene speaking of his own Church at that time It was proper to our Fold saith he that it could not be broken insomuch that we were often termed the Arke of Noah as those who onely escaped drowning in the flood So he Would it not pose you to tell what was the face and appearance of the Romane Church when onely the Church of Nazianzum was said to escape the Deluge of that Arrian Heresie But how much greater is the Cloude of Obscurity of the Church prophecied of in the daies of Antichrist Let your Rhemists shout as loud as they can that the Catholike Church is alwaies Notably visible in her visible Pastors Sacraments and names of her Professors yet at length as it were with shouting they waxing hoarse tell you of an Externall cessation of all outward Communion from the Catholike Church excepting the Communion in the hearts of her Professors And falling into a Meditation of these words of the Apoc. Chap. 12. ver 6. The Woman fledd into the Wildernesse whereby is ment the Church Catholike seeking resuge from the violance of Antichrist They giue you this Note At which time for all that say they the Church shall not want our Lord's protection nor Pastors nor be so secret but that all faithfull men shall know and follow her much lesse shall she decay and erre from the Faith as Heretikes wickedly feine but be as the Catholike Church now in England in the time of Persecution because it hath no publike Seate of Regiment nor open free exercise of holy function And although it may be said to be fledd into the Desert yet is it neither Vnknowne vnto the Faithfull that followe it nor to the Enemies that persecute it So They. In which one testimonie we haue an hotch-potch of Truth Folly and Falshood together Truth in acknowledging such an Obscurity of the Church as that whereby shee is depriued of publike gouernement and free exercise of Ecclesiasticall Function Falshood in obiecting vnto Protestants whom they as falsly call Heretikes an opinion of Decay and errour from Faith in the whole Catholike Church which vnto your own Bellarmine seemed in effect to be a lewd Slander And thirdly what greater Folly and absurdity can there bee than to dreame as Master Fisher likewise hath done of a Church Flying into the Desert vnder God's protection that it should not be knowne and yet in his opinion not vnknowne to her Persecutors With like reason might they assure you that the Hare is still knowne to the Hunter when shee flieth into a thicket and place by God's prouidence of such safety that neither man nor dogg can hunt her out We had rather you should heare the more iudicious and ingenuous Acknowledgements of your other Iesuites Ribera Pererius Acosta Viegaâ— from whom you may heare of the Church flying into the Wildernesse to a place prepared for her of God So that Shee can either not be enquired of where shee is by the Ministers of Antichrist or at least not be found out When the Churches seruice and worship shall be in secret the Sacrifice of the Masse shall cease the Liturgie and forme of prayer shall be abolished and all shall adore Antichrist except the Predestinate whose names are written in the Booke of Life So they Did you euer heare from any Protestant a signification of any greater Obscurity of the Church than this is Which differeth not from the iudgement of ancient Fathers who speaking of the Catholike Church say that This Sunne shall be darkened and the Moone shall not giue her light Not appearing to her Persecutors And this Mother shall be vnable to bring forth the Children of her wombe Of Departure from some particular Churches THESIS V. All particular Churches are not to bee forsaken for euery Vnsoundnesse in either Manners Worship or Doctrine SECT 6. WEe haue Christ his Warrant in the Case of Vnsoundnesse in Manners Mat. 23.3 Whatsoeuer they bid you doe that obserue and doe but after their workes doe not Shall the Iniquity of the Minister make the promises of God of none effect God forbid Or because they haue foule hands must I haue deafe yeeres Abel and Cain might offer Sacrifice at one Altar Peter and Iudas present themselues together at one sacred Supper The Publican and Pharisee pray in one Temple Peruse but the Booke of God the holy Scripture from the beginning of Genesis vnto the end of the Apocalypse and you shall scarce finde one example of any particular Church consisting onely of sanctified Professors without mixture as in the barne of both Chaffe and Wheate or without as the net good and badd fishes or without as the fold sheepe and goats still diuers in dissimilitude of manners not in diuision of Sacraments no not in the family of Noah within the Arke Which we speake to the iust Condemnation of all such Separatists who as of old the Donatists for onely scandall taken at the wicked liues of the Professors doe breake the barne burst the net ouerthrowe the fold and rend the vn-seamed Coat of Christ by diuiding themselues from the Church of their owne Profession Next euery corrupt Custome in the publike Worship of God is no sufficient Warrant or cause of Separation from the particular Church wherein we haue beene baptized or haue made profession of our Faith except the forme thereof bee some-way Idolatrous For we reade how the High places and Groues were forbidden of God Deut. 12. yet in the time of their Iudges God suffred their Sacrifice Iud. 6. and as Saint Augustine you know saith God accepted their Offerings As for errour in Doctrine your Cardinall will haue you vnderstand that Particular Churches may erre in some points of Faith and yet be accounted true Churches and hee
hath beene prooued by the Testimonies of Catholike and General Councels Fathers and Martyrs to be an Errour in it selfe The other Principle is that whereon the former dependeth to wit that the Bishop or Pope of Rome is the Vniuersall Head of the Catholike Church which in the iudgement of a most ancient and holy Pope is not onely a Prophane and Antichristian errour in it selfe but also the high-way of erring vniuersally Because saith hee if that One Vniuersall Bishop erre then must the whole and Vniuersall Church erre with him Where the same Saint Gregorie vpon a particular occasion taken at Iohn the Patriarke of Constantinople who ambitiously sought the Title of Vniuersall Bishop gaue this his foresaid generall Doctrine concerning any Bishop whatsouer whether in the See of Constantinople or Rome or wheresoeuer Euen as the Apostle vpon occasion of confuting of one new error among the Galatians giueth them a generall lesson against all other the like Nouelties of Doctrin If we or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise than hath been preached vnto you let him be Anathema or Accursed And that diuerse Popes haue beene Heretikes your owne Histories doe sufficiently proclaime especially in the example of Pope Honorius whom two Generall Councels three Romane Popes his Successours and diuers others your owne zealous Popish Writers haue reckoned among the Monothelites But you will say albeit that Pope were a Monothelite yet did not the whole Catholike Church fall into that Heresie with him True which manifesteth the falshood of your now Romane Article in as much as in those ancient times neither did the Church truely called Catholike hold the Pope to be the Catholike or Vniuersall Head of the Church neither yet did that which you abusiuely absurdly and falsely call the Catholike Church to wit the Church of Rome it selfe beleeue your Article of Infallibilitie of iudgement in your Popes A memorable example wee haue in your Pope Liberius who professing himselfe an Arian and seeking by his Arian faction to returne to his See found a bloudy resistance by both the Clergie and people of the Church of Rome as your selues well know But now when as the falsly-vsurped Title of Vniuersall Head carrieth in the beliefe of the new Church of Rome a confidence of an Vniuersall truth in whatsoeuer new Doctrine of faith in this Case that saying of Christ is verified If the blinde such is hee that in the opinion of his Vniversall Headship presumeth vpon an Infallibilitie of iudgement leade the blinde such are all they who by an Implicit and blind beliefe adhere vnto him as to an Oracle of Diuine truth Both shall fall into the ditch THESIS III. There is not in all Scripture any Prophecie of the fall of any Church Christian from the faith but onely of the Church of Rome from which it may sometime be Necessary to depart SECT 11. FOr where can you finde in all Scripture tell vs that the Spirit of God brandeth any Citie Christian with the note of certaine Apostasie from the truth but onely the Citie of Rome Your owne Iesuites haue confessed Themselues being compelled thereunto by the light of the Reuelation of the holy Ghost in the booke of Reuelation Apoc. 12. to acknowledge saying The Citie of Rome is Babylon there prophesied of to become before the end of the world The Seat of Antichrist and after to be suddenly and visibly Destroyed by the vengeance of God And although they are not more ingenuous in this Confession concerning the Citie of Rome in the dayes of Antichrist to come than they are not to dissemble with you zealous and indeede obstinate in denying that it can be ment of the Church of Rome yet would we faine know what you would thinke of the Church of England if the like Prophecie were extant in God's booke pointing out the Citie of London to be in times to come The Seat of Antichrist Would you desire a more Popular argument especially in these times wherein the ends of the world are come vpon vs to perswade your people to abhorre and detest the Church of England euen for that Citie sake But you are further to remember that which hath beene already prooued that your Church cannot be called The Church of Rome but by reason of the Seate thereof which is in the Citie of Rome Which wee now moreouer Confirme by the Apostle Saint Paul who writing to the Romanes maketh this the Inscription of his Epistle Chap. 1.7 To all you that are at Rome And againe ver 15. I am ready to preach vnto you that are at Rome Signifying that it cannot hereby be called the Church of Rome without relation to a company of Professours in the Citie of Rome Whensoeuer therefore Rome as is confessed shall become that Babylon and Seate of Antichrist whereof the Spirit saith to the faithfull Come out of Babylon my people Apoc. 18.4 then the necessitie of Departure must needes follow THESIS IV. The Church of Rome hath long beene and still is the most Schismaticall Church of all other Churches Christian that carry in them a Visible face of a Church SECT 12. OH that this could be iustly doubted of your owne supreame Article doth abundantly proue it to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Vnion and Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation By which one Article as you haue heard doe stand Excommunicate as much as lyeth in your Romane Church and depriued of all hope of Saluation the most renoumed godly Emperors the most ancient and Reuerend Popes the most graue and Orthodoxe Patriarkes and Fathers of the first Eight in your owne estimation Generall Councels the most famous Christian Churches the most constant Martyrs Confessours and Saints of God that the primitiue times of Christ his Church haue knowne and recorded to posteritie many whereof are at this day registred in the Romane Martyrologe and Calendar of Saints All which hath beene fully proued than which what Doctrine of Schismatikes can be more Schismaticall And what shall wee say of the After-ages of the Church wherein wee haue obserued the Church of the Graecians Aethiopians Aegyptians Assyrians not to mention as yet the Churches of Protestants Armenians Russians and others for extent more large than Rome for worship more pure for faith more sound and for profession thereof more constant by sustaining daily iniuries and thraldomes vnder the Mahumetans and other Pagan Enemies all which Churches amount to innumerable numbers of Christian soules who being by your Article of The Catholike Romane Church excluded from your Communion must accordingly be held to perish euerlastingly But pardon vs if wee from the Example of these so many Churches Christian of so large extent and long Continuance make bold to vse a little Logicke with you in this manner That Church which onely diuideth it selfe from the Communion of all other truely professed Christian Churches in the world the same is the most Schismaticall Church in the Christian
did as one that had bene freed take another wife by the authority of the Church and consent of her Parents by which wife after some yeares he had children But loe his former wife vnlooked for returneth againe and requireth to haue her husband againe that had done ill in marrying another The man maruailing hereat and being loath to be diuorced from his latter wife maketh long delaies yet at length brought into Law and being cast gaue way to the Truth and taketh his first wife againe by the iudgement of the Church When now the Parents friends of the latter wife made the like wonderment as these men do against me saying vnto him thou hel-hound thou wicked couenāt-breaker c. And if a man would consider this businesse shall he not see as it were in a glasse the very image of that Husband in me For indeed I seeing I beleeued that no such Truth of obedience had bene c. I compelled my selfe in a second Couenant and thereto plighted my troth Wherefore I thought that I had kept lawfull Companie but when the TRVTH came which is euery mans first wife maried to him in publike Baptisme which wil require the first Promise at al mens hands to her I applyed to her I cleaued and from my second knot as of none effect by the iudgement of my Church I departed And shall any man thinke it indifferent that I shall be called a Liar because I obey the Truth c. I am by most graue iudgement of the Truth diuorced from the Church of Rome which it was not lawfull for me to keepe still and am compelled to take my wife TRVTH to me when she cometh againe Thus farre B. Gardiner The right and accurate Sence of this Similitude may as the beames of the Sunne dispell the foggie myst of Romish error concerning the Question we now haue in hand it being taken from the consideration of our Christian Vow made in Baptisme Wherein we are to obserue the Parties betrothed together which are the Soule of a Christian and the Truth of God in Christ and secondly the Parties and if I may so say Parents by whose consent and Authoritie this mariage is made which in the inward is our Father euen GOD in the vnity of Three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost and in the outward is our spirituall Mother mentioned in our Creed at the rime of our Vow in Baptisme The holy Catholike Church It especially therefore concerneth euery Votarie that hath vowed himselfe in Baptisme to learne to acknowledge his true Father his true Mother and his owne true Wife For Father he is baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinitie in the vnity of one God euerlasting not in the name of any man whatsoeuer as Saint Paul prooueth against the Schismatikes in the Church of Corinth that would seeme Some to hold of Cephas that is Peter Some of Paul as though the Gospell or Truth were Pauls or Peters he answereth them No his Reason is interrogatiuely Were you baptized in the name of Paul As much as to say He onely is essentially your spirituall Father in whose Name you are baptized Secondly the Mother is mentioned in our Vow at Baptisme to be The holy Catholike or Vniuersall Church not any particular Church though by the particular Church I am brought into the Catholike We say not any Particular Church because euery Particular Church as hath beene Confessed may possibly erre and Apostate from Truth But the Catholike is built vpon a Rocke immoueable as the earth yea or the highest heauens Lastly the Wife whereunto euery Soule is betroathed in Baptisme is onely that Truth which was first reuealed by Christ vnto his Apostles as the Apostle teacheth If any preach any other Gospell than that which you haue receiued that is to say already hold him Accursed Now giue vs leaue to trie what kind of Mariage is made by your Votaries in the Church of Rome First by beleeuing the Infallibility of the Pope in whatsoeuer Reuelations which he shall propound to be beleeued of all Christians it is to assume a new Father which is thus prooued If I saith Saint Paul or an Angel from heauen preach otherwise let him be Accursed but who in all the Church of Rome will say Though the Pope teach vs otherwise then was Apostolically and Primitiuely taught from the immediate Doctrine of Christ I shall account him Anathema Next the Partie baptized in your Church is Catechized to beleeue the Church of Rome to be The Catholike and Mother-Church of all other Churches which wee through-out this Treatise haue prooued to be an Imposterous Schismaticall and Blasphemous Article First Imposterous because The Catholike Church mentioned in the Apostles Creed was extant in the dayes of the Apostles diuerse yeares before Rome was that we may so say Baptized to haue the name of a Church Secondly Schismaticall because it being as hath bene shewed but a Particular Church and vsurping the Title of The Catholike Church doth thereby peremptorily diuide her selfe from All other Churches of Christ which both for Truth and Extent make a farre more Catholike Church than she is Thirdly Blasphemous in Damning by this Article of the Catholike Romane Church all the most glorious Christian Fathers Martyrs Professors and Churches as well Primitiue as Successiue which are infinite that haue denyed Subiection to the Romane Church All which Particulars haue bene prooued at large In the last place each Christian in Baptisme being espoused to his wife Truth which can be but One euen that whereof Saint Paul spoke saying That which you haue receiued before and accordingly Saint Iude Contend for the Faith which once was deliuered to the Saints therefore euery other New Article of Faith as it were a later Consort and wife that shall bee admitted is no true loyall wife but an vnlawfull Concubine and strumpet So then so many Concubines may the Church of Rome be said to betroath her Children vnto as she hath set downe New Articles in her Romane Creed and imposed vpon all her Ecclesiastikes vnder the bond of an Oath Among which is your Article of Indulgences from which as from a supposititious wife Luther necessarily made his diuorce returning vnto the Primitiue Truth whereunto in holy Baptisme he had formerly plighted his Troth THESIS VI. Your Second and most Popular Obiection against LVTHER in his Opposition to your Romane Church vrging in him to prooue his Doctrine by immediate Succession and by Naming his Teachers Before him is as fond as the other SECT 19. I. FOr the no-Necessitie of Name we reade first that our Sauiour Christ answering a question concerning Diuorce whether it were lawfull for the husband to put away his wife at his pleasure or no an Abuse which by the hardnesse of the Iewes hearts had continued among them many hundred yeares sendeth them to Gods first Institution of Marriage set downe in the beginning of Scripture saying From the beginning it
and auoiding of Antichrist Christians ought to subiect themselues to the Pope of Rome as the Vicar of Christ. Finally nor yet that for the preuenting of dissentions and Schismes in the Church Christians ought to adhere and to be vnited to the same Monarchicall Head of the same Romane Church All which those holy Apostles the faithfull Embassadours of our Lord Christ without Controuersie ought and would haue done if according to the now Romane Faith either the name CATHOLIKE had bene then Antonomastically to be appropriated to Rome or the Infallibilitie of Faith to be ascribed to the iudgement of her Bishop or that the Necessitie of Vnion and Subiection to the authoritie of the same Head had bene so necessarie as without which no Christian could be saued To begin at the word CATHOLIKE We desire to vnderstand why the Epistles of Iames and Iohn and Iude were called Catholike or Vniuersall as well as the two Epistles of Peter if the word Catholike were so proper to the Romane Chaire Seeing that the Epistle of Saint Iames and so of the rest was no more sent to or from Rome nor had any relation to Peter there than the Epistles of Peter had to Iames at Hierusalem Secondly why Paul was so sole as of himselfe to Anathemize the false Apostles saying If wee or an Angell from heauen preach any other Gospell vnto you let him be accursed or in admonishing the Irresolute saying Behold I Paul tell you and I testifie againe vnto you And that no otherwise than he did in absoluing the penitent Incestuous saying I haue pardoned him in the person of Christ that is to say As the Vicar of Christ as your Rhemists obserue in their Annotations vpon this place If so as you pretend The name of Vicar of Christ be wholly belonging to the Pope as an argument of his Succession from Saint Peter in the Monarchie ouer the whole Church But principally doth Saint Paul shew himselfe in preuenting and repressing of Schismes once among the people whom he will not haue to adhere to any one man no more to Cephas that is Peter than to Paul or Apollos Whereas your Roman Cephas would haue taught Saint Paul a contrarie lesson saying that They who adhere vnto Cephas cannot be called Schismatikes as those who hold of Apollos because Cephas was that ROCKE whereupon the Church was built and such a Visible Head is now as necessary on earth to auoide Schisme as to beleeue on Christ the inuisible Head now glorious in heauen Againe among the Ecclesiasticall Orders twice first to the Corinthians where he alleageth them thus First Apostles then Prophets after Doctors and accordingly to the Ephesians He gaue some Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists c. Here wee should haue had good reason to haue expected the mention of Saint Peter as the visible Head among the Apostles if we had bene of your Faith to beleeue that the Pope of Rome as Successor of Saint Peter is the Head of the visible Church and that therefore The vnion with the Bishop of Rome as the Head thereof is a true Note of the Church Whereby it may be infallibly discerned whether or no a Christian man be a member of the Catholike Church without which there is no Saluation Which what were it but to call into question the iudgement of Saint Paul the most profoundest Disputant that euer writ as though he had bene ignorant of the maine and onely Argument for the confuting of Schismatikes and auoyding of Schisme by keeping forsooth the Vnion with the Pope and Church of Rome As for the Seauen Churches in Asia vnto whom Saint Iohn writ concerning the dayes of Antichrist when the great Departure from the sincere Faith of Christ must be herein notwithstanding you could neuer yet find one particle to prooue either the Right of Monarchie in the Pope or Infallibilitie of his iudgement or Necessitie that the Faithfull be Vnited and Subiected vnto him But many Characters may you find at least of an Antichrist as well of his person in the Pope as you haue done of his particular Seate confessing ingenuously that it must be at Rome Saint Peter in his Catholike Epistle To the dispersed Christians in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia Bithynia exhorting the Presbyters whom he after calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Superintendents or Byshops saith The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder Feede the flocke of God not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domineiring ouer Gods heritage that when our chiefe Shepheard shall appeare c. What may be inferred from hence you may vnderstand in the third Challenge I. CHALLENGE NOne will make doubt but that the Churches to whom the Apostles haue written were of the same faith with their Teachers the holy Apostles and that therefore in the point of Heresie it was not more requisite that the Church of Thessalonîca should subscribe to the Faith of the Church of Rome than that the Romanes should be guided by the Faith of the Thessalonians or that in the point of Schisme the Church of Corinth should be compelled to keepe Vnion with the Church Romane more than the Romane with the Colossian or yet that among the Churches to whom the Catholike Epistles of Peter Iude Iohn and Iames were directed some should be thought to owe more Subiection to the Letters of Peter than to the other of Iames or Iohn Else would some Items haue bene giuen out to signifie your pretended respects due to the Romane Church especially euery one of them being required in your Faith vpon Necessitie of saluation All men would wonder for example sake that the Bishops of Italy being al within the Romane Iurisdiction should write letters farre and neare vpon all occasion of Heresie and Schisme to diuerse Churches within the same Romane Dioces and yet neuer make mention nay nor so much as giue intimation of the necessary dependance they haue and ought to acknowledge themselues to haue of the Pope and Sea of Rome II. CHALLENGE IF it had bene as manifestly reuealed by Saint Iohn that England was Prophesied off to be the Seate of Antichrist in the latter times as according to your Iesuites Expositions and Demonstrations he did of Rome in the word Babylon from whence all the faithfull are commanded to depart except they will be Partakers of her plagues sure we are that your Iesuites and Professors would neede no seueritie of Lawes to quit England and to abhorre it especially now when the Controuersie whether Antichrist be alreadie come is so daily and duly debated III. CHALLENGE SAint Peter albeit an Apostle of Iesus Christ yet in the exercise of his Iurisdiction in the ordaining the Bishops of Pontus Cappadocia and other Churches doth intitle himselfe A Fellow-Priest or Bishop a stile not to be found in your Popes Breues For we speake not now of termes of Humiliation as that of SERVVS SERVORVM but of Office and
so they say Both by the Canons and also by your letters and both these had relation to another part of Reasons and inducements premised in that place And is not this then slie Sophistrie to conclude an whole from a Part Yea but the same Councell say that They durst not iudge Iohn the Bishop of Antioch and therefore reserued him to the iudgement of Pope Celestine which plainly sheweth the supreme authority of the Pope So you What signifie these words that They durst not iudge Iohn of Antioch why they do plainly relate in the same Epistle that they had already deposed him We haue say they deuested him of all his Sacerdotall power So after this referring him to the iudgement of the Pope That for so they say they might with lenity ouercome his rashnesse This was not to preferre him to another Censure for there had bene no lenity in that but to the aduise of Celestine that by his perswasion he might be first reclaimed from error and afterwards restored to his place For a further discouerie of the Ecclipse of the Conscience in your Cardinall let vs consider what Supreme authority he would insinuate to wit that if the Councell could not depose Nestorius Patriarch of Constantinople without the Popes Mandate nor durst depose Iohn Patriarch of Antioch but referred the Cause to the iudgement of the Pope the issue hereof must be directly this viz. That the Pope is absolutely aboue a Generall Councell as the Cardinall defendeth else-where This were a Supreme authority indeed but in truth it is a falshood and long since condemned as you know by your owne Councels of Constance and Basil for a flat Heresie Which your Doctors of Paris haue alwaies disclaimed as contrary to antiquity and which no Councell since the beginning of the Christian Faith did as yet expresly decree as your Doctor Stapleton a great Champion in this Cause doth not denie and therefore betaketh himselfe to the Late tacit and silent consent of the Doctors of your Church Was not this then more than boldnesse in your Cardinall to inferre this Supreme authority out of this Councell Our Opposition First this Councell called Celestine Bishop of Rome Fellow-Minister and did as you haue heard Excommunicate and depose the Patriarch of Antioch before they made any Relation thereof vnto Celestine the Bishop of Rome Ergo It did not acknowledge the now pretended Supreme authority and priuilege of the Pope which is to haue Cases of that nature soly Reserued to his owne Determination Secondly looke into the Councell it selfe and into the Epistle alleaged wherein concerning the points which Pope Celestine had constituted Wee say they haue iudged them to stand firme wherefore we agree with you in one sentence and doe hold them meaning Pelagius and others to be deposed Ergo Consent to the Confirmation of the Popes sentence doth gaine-say his Supreme authority But principally we oppose the Acts of this Councell of Ephesus in decreeing that Neither the Patriarch of Antioch who made claime Nor any other should assume authority of ordaining any Bishop within the Isle of Cyprus The Arguments and Reasons whereupon the Synod made this Decree shew that as well the Authority of the Bishop of Rome as of any other is thereby excluded And they adde more peremptorily It is to be obserued say they in all Prouinces and Dioces that no Bishop drawe vnder his subiection any Prouince which was not his from the beginning lest that vnder pretence of Priest-hood he bring into the Church Arrogance and Pride The very selfe-same disease which Saint Basil and Saint Augustine with the whole Councell of Africke haue both expressely noted and openly detested in the Romane Popes euen of their times CHALLENGE NOne of you euer doubted that this Councell of Ephesus was Generall and the Bishops therein truely Catholikes wherein notwithstanding you see diuers Arguments although not of disunion yet of no Subiection And therefore You except you will condemne CC. holy Bishops must needs iudge your Romane Article to be damnably false IV. That the Beleefe of the Romane Article of The Catholike Romane Church without subiection whereunto there is no saluation Damneth aboue CCCC Catholike Bishops in the fourth Generall Councell of Chalcedon SECT 5. FOure hundred and thirty Bishops were assembled in this Councell of Chalcedon with whom we are to aduize concerning your Article of Necessary Subiection to the Bishop of Rome and his Church But first wee are ready to answer and then to replie Your Obiection THis Councell saith your Cardinall said that The custodie of the Vine that is of the Catholike Church is committed to the Pope by God It saith so and so doth that godly primitiue Pope Eleutherius say to the Bishops in France as you know that The whole Catholike Church is committed by Christ vnto them Were They therefore thinke you all Popes What say you The meaning of Eleutherius is say you that for as much as Heretikes doe oppugne the Catholike and Vniuersall Church it belongeth vnto euery Bishop to haue an vniuersal care to defend support it And this is a true Answer indeed else must you grant that Saint Paul was a Pope ouer Saint Peter because he tooke vpon him The cure or care of the whole Church and that Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria was Pope aboue the then Bishop of Rome because Gregory Nazianzene saith of him that He hauing the presidence of the Church of Alexandria may be said thereby to haue the Gouernement of the whole Christian World By these Euidences we are compelled to aske with what Conscience you could make such Obiections in good earnest to busie your Aduersaries and seduce your Disciples with all whereunto you-your-selues could so easily make answer But thus Catchitiue haue you beene at the shadow let vs trie whether we can apprehend the substantiall Truth Our Opposition For what is that which you will say belongeth really to the Supreame and Papall Dominion of the Bishop of Rome Because say you with common consent the Pope hath supreme authority in gouerning the Church therefore can hee change the Canons and decrees of General Councels So you But what then say you to the equalling of other Patriarchall Seates with Rome The Fathers of the Councel of Chalcedon say you did giue Priuileges to the Patriarkeship of Constantinople equall to the Church of Rome but Pope Leo did oppose against the Decree of the Councell and disclaimed it You say true but yet let vs come to the ground of beleefe as well of the Fathers of that Councell in opposing your pretended Papall dignity and authority as of your Doctors in contradicting them Secondly therefore The Pope of Rome say you hath his Monarchie and sole gouernment of the Church from diuine right And The Romane Church was founded by God What Prouince then in the world is free from her Iurisdiction So
Rome and Bishâ—p thereof without subiection whereunto according to your Faith there is no saluation nor can any be saued that doth not beleeue the truth of this Article If therefore those ancient Popes beliefe had bin of a Subiection due vnto them from Emperours in such Causes wherein they by their practise of Humilitie Reuerence and Obedience denyed all such Right then should their Fact haue betrayed their Faith a faithlesnesse which wee you will pardon vs dare not impute vnto those holy ancient Popes In all these Instances you may obserue that wee haue alleaged onely such Popes who were the FIRST of their owne name because we would not be found superfluous yet these First because they must be so much the more aduantagious to warrant our Conclusion to wit that either must your Article of beleeuing such a Necessitie of Subiection damne so many and in your owne iudgements excellently godly and learned Popes of Ancient times or else must their profession condemne your Article of Noueltie and you consequently of Haeresie in beleeuing a Doctrine so Imposterous Scandalous Schismaticall and so manifoldly Blasphemous against so holy Emperours and Popes CHAP. XII Our Seauenth Argument is because this Article The Catholike Romane Church without beliefe whereof there is no Saluation damneth the most learned Saints and Martyrs that are placed in the Romane Calendar for Saints or Martyrs of Christs Church First from Saint Polycarpus SECT 1. POlycarpus Bishop of Smyrna is Registred a Saint in your Roman Calendar and indeede he was an excellent Saint of whom Ecclesiasticall Historie you know giueth so notable a Testimonie as shewing that hee was the Disciple of Iohn the Euangelist who being now brought to Martyrdome by the Proconsull his persecutor and being moued to sweare Heathenishly By Caesar answered saying I AM A CHRISTIAN being then threatned to be cast into the fire said This fire now flameth and will shortly be extinguished but there is an eternall fire prepared for the torment of the wicked which thou artignorant of being burnt in the fire he yeelded a smell as fragrant as the sweetest spices whom when the Iewes and Gentiles heard professing himselfe a Christian they cried out in their wrath saying This is the Doctor of Asia this is the Father of Christians c. Lastly this Polycarpus is hee by whose authoritie Polycrates in the fury of Pope Victor then Excommunicating all the Bishops of Asia that would not celebrate Easter according to the Romane Custome defended and iustified himselfe saying When Polycarpus came to Rome in the dayes of Anicetus Bishop of that See and fell into dispute about the time of Obseruation of the Feast of Easter yet could not Anicetus perswade Polycarpus to alter his Custome which he had kept with Saint Iohn and with other Apostles with whom he himselfe had beene conuersant and in the end both Anicetus and Polycarpus notwithstanding their dispute about these Rites did mutually communicate with each other Thus farre the Ecclesiasticall Storie CHALLENGE BY this it appeareth that Polycarpus and Polycrates were both of the same spirit to maintaine their old Custome of Easter notwithstanding whatsoeuer Opposition of the Bishop of Rome because they both tooke their Resolution from the same ground to wit an Apostolicall Custome of their Church so that Pope Anicetus could no more preuaile with Polycarpus by perswasion for Alteration thereof than Pope Victor could ouercome Polycrates by his Excommunication The difference then is not betweene the Two Asian Bishops Polycarpus and Palycrates for both had the same Resolution the onely difference is betweene the Two Popes viz. Anicetus notwithstanding this Contrarietie will hold Communion with Polycarpus but Victor will needs breake out into Excommunication against Polycrates and was freely reproued for his presumption by godly Fathers of those times You will say this was but a Question of Rites and a matter of small importance be it so But the meaner the matter is they contended about the mainer and more forcible is our Consequence by good Law of Logicke as for example your whole claime is that the Pope is the Bishop of Bishops and Spirituall Monarch in the whole Christian world and ouer Kings and Monarchs You know that in them Impetrare est Imperare their Couetings and desires are Commands If therefore Saint Polycarpus would not yeeld his consent at the much instancing of Pope Anicetus in as wee may so call it a trifle in respect it plainly argueth that hee ought the same Pope no Canonicall Obedience by Law of Discipline much lesse by Doctrine of Faith if any of the now new Romane Articles had beene imposed vpon him seeing that for all the perswasion which the Pope could vse he kept his owne Conclusion still Nor is it altogether nothing which you may obserue that when both Iewes and Heathen cryed out vpon him calling him in despight The Father of Christians as though there were no Bishop in Christianitie as Monarch aboue him he did not vtter one word in behalfe of the Pope and his Supreme Dignity aboue All other Bishops which doubtlesse hee ought to haue acknowledged if that this kinde of Appellation were as you teach so proper to the Pope as to be an Argument of his Primacie aboue all other Christian Bishops II. Saint Cyprian was Exoommunicated by Stephen Bishop of Rome for not beleeuing the Necessitie of Vnion with him SECT 2. SAint Cyprian is also one of the Saints inrolled in your Romane Calendar vnder the title of Confessor and Martyr This witnesse you doe as vehemently Obiect for defence of your former Romane Article as wee doe to impugne and confute it Your Obiection answered It is an horrour to any man of iudgement to see the violence which is offered by your Doctors vnto Saint Cyprian by racking his sentences and inforcing him to say in defence of Papall Primacy that which he neuer ment nor yet dreamed of For that which hee spake of his owne onely Authority against Schismatikes who troubled his Iurisdiction That soundeth in the preoccupation of your iudgements as though it concerned onely the Pope of Rome and where hee maketh One Vniuersall Bishopricke consisting of All Bishops equally one with another without any respect to Rome more than to any other Church That also ringeth in your eares the onely Monarchy of the Bishop of Rome All which your futilily is exactly confuted by an Author who will surely satisfie any confcionable Reader But Saint Cyprian writing to Pope Cornelius doubtlesse a godly Bishop among other allurements hee inserteth this Perfidiousnesse saith he cannot haue accesse to Rome the chaire of Peter Ergo saith your Cardinall Cyprian affirmed that neither the Pope nor the Church of Rome could possibly erre No Father of the Primitiue times is more vrged by you for proofe of this Conclusion than Saint Cyprian no Epistle more insisted vpon than this now cited no words more inculcated than these which we haue alleaged and
was the Councell of Arimine So he And why must not this be true if you will allow your Cardinall Bellarmine to make this Greeke Father to speake what Papall Romane Language he shall impose by his Sophisticall translation But your Cardinall Baronius one otherwise as partiall as any Writer euer was and catching at euery shadow of proofe for the aduancement of Papall Monarchy hath made another interpretation of the words of Saint Basil which may be a iust confutation of your other Cardinall from point to point For Bellarmine talketh of the Popes Seeing the Easterne Bishops by a Visitation of Iurisdiction But Baronius alloweth no more than a Seeing by Consideration of their estate but euery Care and Consideration of other mens estate doth not inferre a Iurisdiction ouer them Secondly Bellarmine will needs haue Saint Basil to desire the Popes Decree another tenure of Papall Authority Baronius readeth the word Councell or Aduise which may agree with a Co-equall Thirdly Bellarmine interpreteth Basil as though he yeelded to the Pope a peremptory power of Cutting off and disanulling the Acts of Generall Councels such as was that of Arimine Baronius saith that the motion of Basil was they should Bring with them such things as had bene done namely by some Orthodox at Arimine which might make for the necessary solution of that Councell which all Catholikes haue iudged Hereticall But this argueth not an Authoritatiue power proper to the Pope of dissoluing of Decrees of any Generall Councell which for the space of sixe hundred yeares he neuer had but an Arbitrary Authority granted vnto him by consent of the Easterne Bishops to exercise his fatherly and graue iudgement for the better establishing of the East-Churches which were now rent into sixe seuerall Schismes through the difference of sixe diuerse Heresies Howsoeuer what Authority this was we may best know from Saint Basill himselfe who deploring the State of the East-Churches now pestered with diuers pernitious Heretikes desireth helpe from the Bishops of the West how To comfort the afflicted and to set right and restore those that are broken Helpe then of Confortation it was not of Dominion Secondly shewing that he desireth no more helpe from the Westerne Bishops than the Bishops of the East both ought and would requite in the like case he calleth it A mutuall helpe of louing and brotherly Visitation or Consideration Thirdly his reason why he is so importunate to haue the helpe of the Westerne Bishops he expresseth to be this Because that priuate grudges among the Bishops of the East hindered the fruit of their doctrine and therefore the Westerne Bishops the farther distant they were so much the more Authority would they haue with the people and he addeth that Accustomed speach is not so preualent as that which proceedeth from Strangers chiefly if they were such as were more specially indued with Gods grace as you are euery where knowne to be saith Saint Basil speaking of the Westerne Bishops because you haue preserued the Faith in all sincerity among you So Saint Basil who would neuer haue vsed so often so great and sometimes indeed so crosse and thwarting reasons to moue the Westerne Bishops to compassionate their case and helping them for composing of such and so pernicious distractions by reasons taken onely from Brotherly loue Mutuall duty and Facility of effectuating that great good because of the Remotenesse of their dwelling and therefore to be esteemed persons more indifferent because of their Constancie in preseruation of sincere Faith and consequently beetter witnesses for the ancient Truth without any mention at all of the Prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome as their Pope or of their Church of Rome as their Mother and Mistresse as you haue pretended if he had any beleefe of this Article Because this one reason taken from the Papall Romane Iurisdiction and dominion if it had bene a matter of Faith had bene more perswasiue and would haue bene more preualent than whatsoeuer hath hitherto bene mentioned by S. Basil. Besides which will be worthy your remarking after fowre seuerall Legations and Messages from the Greeke Church deliuered vnto the Bishops of the Latine Church for their help the Greekes as Baronius is perswaded neuer receiued any Answer Now therefore consult with your best iudgments whether the Church of Rome and her Chiefe Bishop whom Saint Basil more than once condemneth of Pride which Pride was also condemned by a Councellin Africke vnder Saint Cyprian and another wherein Saint Augustine was present for intruding craftily and iniustly vpon the Iurisdiction of other Churches would in humility refuse the offer of Subiection of the whole Greeke Church or he not haue exercised his Visitation ouer them if any such authority had beene intended by Saint Basil. For so should Rome haue beene marked with a greater note of infamy than was her Pride euen her deserting of the flocke of Christ committed vnto her and in a manner betraying the Cause of Catholikes vnto their many and most mischieuous Aduersaries the Sects of Heretikes But wee shall shew that Saint Basil was of a flat contrarie Faith Our Opposition shewing that Saint Basil did not beleeue your Article of Necessity of Subiection to the Romane Pope or Church Baronius would you should know that Saint Basil hauing written diuers letters and sent many Messages vnto Pope Damasus and to other Westerne Bishops yet receiuing no Answer from them in so vexatious and perilous times when the Greeke Church seemed as a ship almost split asunder by the continuall billowes of most pestilent Heresies He thereupon fell into distrust and if he might so say hatred with the Church of Rome So he We had rather you should heare Saint Basil expressing his owne Cordolium and hearts-griefe What helpe can we expect saith he from the supercilious Pride and haughtinesse of the Westerne Bishops who neither know the truth themselues nor yet will Baronius negligently rendereth it Tell learne it Againe I meant to write vnto the Chiefe of them meanig Pope Damasus to signifie by letters that Pride ought not to be accompted a Dignity And againe the same holy Father Saint Basil speaking of the Church of Rome as you know said I hate the Pride and arrogancie of that Church Yea but wee heare him call the Bishop of Rome CHIEFE True but with this limitation their Chiefe And yet if it had beene Chiefe of all others could this inferre a Popedome and Dominion aboue others Then must you confesse that Athanasius was more Pope than Damasus For Basill that calleth Damasus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 calleth Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying The Crowne of the Head The chiefe of all Wee are saith he to flie vnto thy integrity as to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Top or Crowne of All others CHALLENGE SAint Basil Bishop of Caesarea speaking of the Bishops of the West saith distinctly I meant to write
for the persons of al Popes at all times Againe if the bare Title of Rector of the Catholike Church ascribed to Damasus must needs argue your Pope to be Head of the Church then must you inlarge the Catalogue of your Popes and inrolle among them as many other Bishops as haue receiued Titles equiualent if not more excellent than that For as you your-selues well know Athanasius was intitled the Propp and Foundation of the Church Saint Basil the Mouth of the Church Saint Nazianzene the golden Pillar and Foundation of the whole Church and Saint Ambrose himselfe was commended by the Emperour Theodosius as THE ONELY BISHOP VVHOME HE KNEVV VVORTHY THE NAME OF A BISHOP These few Parallells may serue to allay your appetite vntill we shall be occasioned to satisfie you in this sort to the full In which kinde of Ascriptions there is not any acknowledgement of Authority but a commendation of their care and diligence iudgement and directions in behalfe of the whole Catholike Church Concerning the Second Saint Ambrose addeth a reason of his speach wisely dissembled by your Cardinall to wit The Bishopricke of that Bishop was in a Region diuided into diuers Schismes by Hereticall Spirits whereas the Church of Rome professed constantly the Catholike Faith No maruell therefore though Satyrus aske of a Bishop whose Faith hee suspected whether hee beleeued as that Church did whose Faith was knowne to be truely Catholike As it sometimes cometh to passe in the Common-Wealth in cases of violent ruptures into many Factions repugnant each to other and all to the Loyall and faithfull Subiects of the King among whom some one City as for Example YORK shall bee knowne more generall than any others to professe loyaltie to their Soueraigne if thereupon an honest man aske of a Souldier liuing in one of the factious Countries whether he were a true Subiect and consented with the Citizens of Yorke would you iudge it a Politicke Inference to say that therefore Yorke is the Head ouer all other Cities in the Kigdome And that you may know the due proportion of this Comparison remember we pray you that euen in the same age of Pope Damasus and in the time of the same Schismes many Greeke Bishops were as truly Catholike as was Pope Damasus and yet were not subiect vnto his Iurisdiction as hath beene manifestly proued out of Saint Basil and is heereafter to bee more copiously yea and Confessedly declared Our Opposition from the Example of Saint Ambrose his Opposing against the Church of Rome Sixe hundred and seuenty yeares after the death of Saint Ambrose his Church of Milan was visited by Petrus Damianus Legat vnto Pope Leo the ninth assuming Iurisdiction ouer them when the Clergie of Milan withstood the Legat alleaging that The Church of Ambrose had bene alwaies free in it selfe and neuer was subiect to the lawes of the Pope of Rome The veines of those Clergie-men must haue bene voyd of all tincture of bloud in making a most shamelesse Answer if that it had bene a knowne Catholike Article then that all Churches Christian are necessarily Subordinate vnto the Authority of the Papall and Romane Iurisdiction And why did they in challenging their libertie call their Bishopricke of Milan Ambrose his Church but onely that they knew that Saint Ambrose did preserue the liberty thereof neuer acknowledging Subiection vnto the Bishop of Rome Whereof we haue more than a presumption in the writings of Ambrose himselfe in the Question touching Washing of the feet of Infants baptized which the Church of Rome iudged to be superfluous but contrariwise Ambrose and the Church of Milan held to be necessary The same Father lest the Authority of that Church might preiudice their custome pre-occupateth in this manner I wish in all things saith Ambrose to follow the Church of Rome but yet be it knowne that we being Men haue sense also in continuing this Custome which is likewise more rightly obserued else-where CHALLENGE THis one short sentence is as a Canon full charged to batter downe your great Bulwarke that we may to call your Article of Papall Monarchy For first Ambrose speaking of his owne Church of Milan in opposition vnto the Church of Rome and saying Sed tamen Nos c. BVT YET VVEE c. Ergò he held not his Church of Milan to be a member subordinate to the Romane Church as to the Head thereof But wherein is he opposite Tamen nos homines sensum habemus But we men haue sense As if he had said We in Milan hold this Ceremony necessary They of Rome iudge it superfluous and ridiculous as though we were Asses or Blocks but neither so for we are men nor so for we haue sense and hold that which is more rightly obserued Ergò Ambrose held no Necessity of inthralling his iudgment to the Pope of Rome which is a part of your Article of Faith And in that he saith Cupio I wish to follow the Church of Rome in all things yet this TAMEN or Non obstante doth againe confirme both our former Collections because by calling it The Church of Rome he maketh it no Vniuersall Church in essence and in refusing to follow it where he thinketh hee hath iust cause so to do prooueth that he belieued not her iudgement to be Vniuersally and Necessarily Catholike nor her power and Iurisdiction absolute The Prouerbe is A Lyon is knowne by his claw As well may we discerne Saint Ambrose his Faith by this Clause who in this one Resolution teacheth all Christian Churches to follow the Church of Rome in nothing wherein they are perswaded as Saint Ambrose was in this Case that the Church of Rome hath denyed to follow the Church of Christ. Now for you to answer that his meaning was To follow the Church of Rome in all things necessary though not in a Rite This Answer as it is false for Saint Ambrose held this Rite Necessary so it is also friuolous because if it be iust to withstand the Church of Rome in a Rite and Ceremony as it were in a Mite then how much more may it be lawfull not to follow or belieue her in her many new Articles of Faith whereof among other this is a Principall to wit The Catholike Romane Church without Subiection whereunto there is no Saluation which can neuer be credible as long as Saint Ambrose is belieued to haue bene a Saint VIII Saint Augustine belieued not the now Romane Article of Necessary Subiection to the Church of Rome and Pope thereof SECT 8. SAint Augustine as All will confesse deserued to haue his memory Registred not onely as it is in your Romane Calendar in paper monuments but in the minds and hearts of all Christians so excellent a Saint was He. It is not long since one of your Priests published a booke entituled Saint Augustines Religion wherein he will needs be thought to haue himselfe collected all the materials of
and Soueraigns therfore am I the King of those Kings Fourthly If you omit such holy men as addressed their requests to the Bishop of Rome such as were Theodoret Athanasius Chrysostome Flauianus not as to a peremptory Iudge but as to a Patron and Arbitrary Dais-man and one vpon whose Authoritie and credit one of them depending acknowledgeth in expresse words his reason to wit The integritie of the Faith of the Pope and promising to abide his award with the assistance of others and to be content therewith whatsoeuer should be determined relying vpon their iudgements so Theodoret Now whom one acknowledgeth to be his Patron and Aâ—bitratour him he denieâ—h to be his Iudge If we say these many Witnesses may be forborne then is there nothing at all said for the Necessitie of your Romane Article of Papall Dominion in respect of Vniuersall Right of Appeale Nay Fifthly if you will but obserue that the Popes which are most apprehensiue of Appeales to the Church of Rome doe not plead any Right from Diuine Authoritie but onely from Ecclesiasticall Canons and Customes so then for the Church can no more create an Article of Faith for mans soule to beleeue than it can create the soule of man your Article cannot be of Faith which wanteth Diuine Ordinance the onely Foundation of Faith Our second Discouery of the Vanity of your Pretence for Vniuersall Right of Appeales to Rome by an Argument taken from the Councell of Chalcedon SECT 16. ONE whole Chapter is spent by your Cardinall in answering the Obiection of Nilus Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica in Greece proouing Appeales to haue been as generally allowed vnto the Patriarch of Constantinople as vnto the Patriarch of Rome because of the Equall Priuiledges granted by Generall Councels to the one with the other In answer whereunto your Cardinall is so miserably perplexed that we shall need no other Reply than to manifest how manifoldly he is repugnant vnto a Generall Councell to euident Truths and oftentimes vnto himselfe as may appeare by the Marginals The Canon of the Councell of Chalcedon held in the yeare 451. standeth thus If any Clerke haue a Cause against a Clerke let him be iudged by a Bishop if against a Bishop by an Arch-Bishop if against an Arch-Bishop by the Primate or by the Bishop of Constantinople The question is what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated Primate He answereth by allowing the Answer of Pope Nicolas that by Primate is there meant the Bishop of Rome False for the Canon vseth a Climax or Gradation from Clerke to Bishop from Bishop to Arch-bishop from Arch-Bishop to Primate or the Bishop of Constantinople Therefore doth the word PRIMATE signifie that which is expressed namely the Bishop of Constantinople and not that which is not expressed viz. the Bishop of Rome Yet be it that it pointeth out the Bishop of Rome then beware the Popes Head of Monarchie because the Bishop of Constantinople in this Gradation hauing the last that is the most excellent place he must be confessed to be iudged by that Canon Superior or at least Equall to the Bishop of Rome As it doth appeare in the like case thus A common Souldier is subiect to a Lieutenant a Lieutenant to a Captaine a Captaine to a Colonell or to a Generall shall Generall in this place be inferior to a Colonell But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he signifieth a Prince and therefore agreeth onely with the Pope who onely is a Prince False for the Councell of Carthage applying the same word to Priests forbiddeth that any be called Prince of Priests But the Councell speaketh saith he of Appellants that were neare to Constantinople False for it speaketh Generally of Euery Church as If a Clerke If a Bishop If an Arch-Bishop not if some certaine but whosoeuer But the Canon saith he speaketh of the First iudgement and not of the Last which is by Appeale Most false for the Canon it selfe denounceth peremptorily If any whosoeuer shall do contrary hereunto let him be subiect to Canonicall punishments Thus farre appeareth your Cardinalls repugnancy to the Truth of the Canon This Obiection is a Gordian Knot he could not vntie it with his teeth and now Alexander-wise he will cut that which he cannot loose These Canons â—f Chalcedon saith he Haue no force in our Church vntill they shall be confirmed by some Pope So he Why my Masters was not this Councell one of the First and best Generall Councells Did not your Pope Gregory adore this with Three others as the Oracle of God Was there euer any ancient Orthodox Father the Popes excepted that tooke exception vnto any Canon of that Councell Oh! you the Children forsooth of Ancient Fathers who can blow away three hundred and thirty Reuerend Fathers and Bishops with one breath But how should he agree with Others who in the third place will be found at variance both with Pope Nicolas and with himselfe Nicolas saith he expounded the Canon aright that by Primate was meant the Pope of Rome and notwithstanding for a farewell to this Obiection he saith that The Canon is to be vnderstood of the First iudgement Which euidently crosseth the Popes Exposition who granting that Iudgement to be there allowed to the Bishop of Constantinople Per permissionem and extraordinarily which Per Regulam and ordinarily he challenged to belong to himselfe could not but vnderstand the Last therfore the chiefest iudgement for Nicolas was one of the first vsurping Popes But your Cardinall that saith Pope Nicolas did rightly expound it if he would haue him make his Papall Iudgement for in gradation of Appeales the Last is alwaies the highest and most excellent to be the First The Popes we thinke would iudge him no true Proctor but a plaine Praeuaricator in their Cause So easie a matter it is for any that will be repugnant to all Others to be found sometimes contradictory to himselfe Our third Discouery of the Vanity of your Pretence of Right of Appeales the Principall part of your Romane Article out of Saint Cyprian Anno 256. SECT 17. SAint Cyprian hath bene often an Actor with others in our former Scenes in this he entereth the stage alone The Argument of his Epistle vnto Pope Cornelius is 1. His Expelling Fortunatus and Felicissimus from his Communion 2. Their Appeale to the Pope 3. His Preuention by his Letters to the Pope and his Reasons to perswade the Pope not to admit of their Complaints The summe whereof is comprized in one sentence which if your Cardinall had set downe sincerely without pulling our Wiâ—nes backe at the midst of his tale by omitting a principall part of his speach the very Sentence it selfe would haue on Cyprianus part decided the whole Cause concerning the point of Appeales to Rome For seeing that it is decreed saith Cyprian to Pope Cornelius of vs all and it is likewise both equall and iust
that euery mans Cause be heard where the crime is committed And which words your Cardinall thought good to pretermit euery Pastor hath committed vnto him a portion of the flocke of Christ which he is to gouern wherof he is to giue an account vnto God And doubtlesse they who are vnder our gouernment ought not to gad and wander nor rashly and cunningly to make a difference betweene Bishops that are at Vnity and Concord but they should pleade their cause there where both accusers and witnesses may be had except some few desperate and naughty fellowes thinke the Authority of the Bishops of Africke to be of lesse power or might who haue iudged and by the grauity of their iudgement haue condemned men whose consciences are fettered in the cords of their owne offences their cause is already knowne and tried and iudgement is giuen already vnto them nor can it agree with the censure of Bishops to deserue the reprehension of lightnesse and inconstancy So he Than which what could be said more to the strangling of your pretended Right of Appeales to Rome Your Cardinals Answeres are many and various it will be the most expedite way for vs to follow him step by step 1. Cyprian saith he albeit he did vnwillingly endure yet did he not altogether abrogate Appeales True if you meane simply the Abrogation of All Appeales within Africke but if you vnderstand that he abrogated not All Appeales beyond the Seas and consequently to Rome then is your Answer most false Secondly your Cardinall instanceth in an Example of One Appealing from Spaine vnto Rome many hundred miles distant yet Cyprian writing hereof saith he said Non tà m quà m the Pope was not so much too blame who was deceiued by the Appellant as was the Appellant himselfe that deceiued him As though this were not a full Reprehension of both If one say that he is not so fellonious that receiueth stolne goods as the man that did steale them your Non tà m quà m doth distinguish them in the degree of more or lesse fellony but maketh no difference in their nature and kind for both are felonies So then the Pope was lesse blameable Ergo he was blameable but the other more because the Appellant would needs Appeale in the consciousnes of his Crime but the Pope entertained it in a presumption of the mans integrity and therefore Both blameable because as Cyprian argueth against equity and iustice Thirdly but The decree which Cyprian speaketh of saith your Cardinall was against the First iudgement which is to be made in the place where the crime is committed but he forbiddeth not Second iudgements else-where by way of Appeale Than which what can be more false I had almost said faithlesse for the Cardinall himselfe knoweth that Cyprian vseth this as a Reason against their flying to Rome for a second Iudgment euen Because saith Cyprian they had bene already iudged by me and my Bishops by whom they were condemned Fourthly but Cyprian saith he argueth from this Decree as it implyeth most notorious and manifest crimes What did your Cardinall meane by this his Ipse dixit to infascinate his Reader and to depriue him both of reason and sense For ordinary reason teacheth in points of Law first that A man must not distinguish where the Law doth not distinguish although then it happened that these Crimes of the Appellant were indeed notorious yet in the Decree it selfe there is no such Distinction Secondly it is a vaine thing to thinke that any Crime can appeare so Notorious to a Iudge who is many hundred miles off but one report will encounter another and the Appellant will still make faire pretence of innocency for himselfe vntill the matter be tryed And that we may Appeale to common sense in reading of the Canon and Decree it selfe it is Generall thus It is iust that euery mans Cause be heard there where the crime is committed It seemeth then that your Cardinall dreamed of a Cause implyed in this Decree which could not be any mans Cause else he would haue considered that where Euery mans Cause is expressed No cause of any man could be excepted Fifthly but If Cyprian saith he should here deny Appeales then should he take away all Appeales not onely to Rome but euen to euery place else which Answer how vnworthy it is the iudgement of any man of learning you will easily perceiue Cyprian as your Pamelius noteth was the Chiefe Primate in Africke who held a Councell of his Bishops to Excommunicate Fortunatus and to depose him the Councell fore-seeing the factiousnesse of Fortunatus that he would seeke to Rome to trouble the Church of Christ by working distraction betweene the Churches of Rome and Carthage made the former Decree expressing the iniquity of any Appeale to Remote places where the Cause could not be iustly tryed Heereby the said Councell tooke not away All Appeales within Africke for it was then lawfull for a Clerke to Appeale from his Bishop to an Arch-Bishop from a Metropolitan to a Councell and behold here was a Councell of Bishops which put the Period to all further Appeales expressely forbidding Appealing to places so remote as Rome was which none in Africke could come vnto without Transmigration ouer Sea Your Cardinal's Answer would teach a man to argue thus There lyeth an Appeale from th◠Bishop of Chester to the Arch-Bishop of York and from the Court of York to the Delegates but the State of England denieth Transalpinari Appeales from England ouer the Alpes to Rome Ergò the State of England abrogateth all manner of Appeales whether from Chester to York or from York to the Delegates Moreouer Cyprian speaking of those Schismaticall Appellants Except saith he some few desperate and wretched fellowes thinke the Authority of the Bishop of Africke lesse Insinuating as we may truly iustly and according to their Intention interpret it than the Authority of the Bishop of Rome thereby impairing the power of the Bishop of Rome in respect of the iudgement of a Nationall Councell No saith your Cardinall but the words lesse Authority haue Relation to the Cause and not to the Bishop of Rome as signifying that the Bishops of Africke had authority sufficient to iudge that Cause Here againe he feigneth Cyprian to haue thought those few desperate and wretched Appellants to haue beene so absurd as to thinke they could not be iudged by a Prouinciall Councell whereunto they were subiect An absurdity which none i◠Christianitie could truely imagine Besides the words Lesse Authoritie of them that haue iudged haue Relation to him whom those Fellowes desired to re-iudge their Cause namely the Pope therefore it was as much as if Cyprian had said Least those few naughty fellowes may thinke the Bishops of Africke haue lesse Authority than is that which they Appeale vnto and their Appeale was to the Bishop of Rome So apparant it is that Cyprian thus twitting those Few desperate
the Case whether shall we call the Schismatikes for so the one party necessarily must be That in this Case the Pope is the Schismaticke SECT 20. SOme would thinke that the Pope could not be the Schismatike because which is your common Argument the Head although it be diseased yet it is not separated without the destruction of the Body If there be any peircing sharpnesse in the point of this Reason it may to your owne mischiefe easily be turned backe into your owne bowels as the Fathers of the same Councell wisely did because say they If the Case could be the same in a Naturall Body as it is in a Body Ecclesiasticall that assoone as one Head is remoued another might be had then in many head-aches would men make often changes of their Heads And indeed if there were not this difference betweene the Ecclesiasticall and Naturall Head it should follow that as oft as the Ecclesiasticall Head the Pope should die the Ecclesiasticall Body and Church of Christ should perish also So they Come we to their other Reason That which Christ promised to his Church doth more especially agree to a Generall Councell now Christ said vnto Peter if he should take any offence Dic Ecclesiae Tell the Church the Complainant is not of equall Authority with the Iudge It were ridiculous to interpret that by Church was meant Peter himselfe and as fond to send him vnto any Inferiour to himselfe and no lesse absurd had it bene to send him to the whole Church diffused euery-where therefore Christ meant the assembly in a Councell Besides The Pope is Minister and but one part in Comparison to the whole therefore lesse yea in Authority for the greatnesse of the Authority dependeth vpon the Maior pars the greater part of suffrages and voyces So that Synod of Basil. We might adde hereunto the Argument of Nilus the Greek Arch-Bishop of Thessalonica If that saith he the Pope had Infallibility of Iudgement to what end were the cost and labour of troubling all parts of Christendome for gathering Generall Councels Nor he alone but another more Romish than he could be If so saith he why should the learned in Lawes be sought for Why so many Vniuersities vexed by discussing of Questions belonging to Faith c. So he CHALLENGE AFter your perusall of these Premises remember but your Iesuites Assertion If the Pope should diuide himselfe from the whole Church Hee should be iudged a Schismatike But whether the guilt of Schisme be in Pope or Councell your owne guilt in such a Case can be no lesse than Periury who by your Article are bound to belieue that both Subiection and Vnion vnto both Romane Church and Pope are Necessary to Saluation You haue now a Woolfe by the eares whether you hold him or let him loose you are sure to be bit Thus much of the Dis-union betweene the Head and Body of the Romane Church The fourth Instance of the Dis-union betweene the Romane Church and some Members thereof in the Examples of France and England SECT 21. AN Appeale was made about the same time of the Councell of Basil against Pope Leo the tenth by the Vniuersitie of Paris in Defence of the Authority of the same Councell wherein the same Vniuersity taxeth the Session of the Pope and his Cardinalls as Not gathered together by the Spirit of God professing herein that Not the Popes particular Assembly in the Citie but the Congregation in the publicke Councell is to be called The Church of Rome And this Right of Appeale from the Pope is a liberty which the Vniuersity of Paris hath alwaies challenged to this day yea and the whole Church of France whose King by his Orator in the Councell of Trent made knowne the Vniuersall Tenet of that Church namely that The Pope is not Superiour to a Councell Which they still maintaine notwithstanding Pope Pius the fourth his contention by Arguments in his letters to the contrary And how little accompt they make of the Trent-Canons which are the Articles of Faith whereunto you are sworne is more than manifest seeing they haue not yet admitted of that Councell within the Kingdome of France and therefore are yet at libertie to beleeue as much thereof as they list Not long after this in the dayes of Henry the Eight then King of England Stephen Gardiner being of the Romane Religion yet withstood the Romane Dominion in this kingdome saying as followeth The Authority which the Bishop of Rome would be thought to haue by Gods Law is no Authoritie with vs like as no manner of forraine Bishop hath Authority among vs. Afterwards he descanteth vpon the Title of Head as it is attributed to the Church and Pope of Rome and denyeth him to be the Head by Dominion but by Order in like respect as Appelles was called the Head of Painters and Lutetia or Paris the Head of Vniuersities As for the other Supremacy which the Pope challengeth it is that which Pope Boniface the second begged of the Emperour Phocas It is an ambitious vanity for them to be called Supremes who are Postremes in that which is least All sorts of people in England are agreed vpon this point with most stedfast consent learned and vnlearned both men and women that no manner of person bred or brought vp in England hath ought to do with Rome So he This was the Faith of the Church of England then notwithstanding the Excommunication of the Pope against the King and All his Adherents CHALLENGE IN these Examples to omit others you haue two most potent Kingdomes excepting the Article now in Question vnited in Faith and the one also professing Subiection to your Church of Rome as noble Members thereof who all in all the time of their Opposition if your Article of Necessary Subiection and Vnion to the Church of Rome and Pope thereof bee of Faith are made liable with all their people vnto eternall Damnation Wherefore as we do complaine of the maliciousnesse of your Romane Article which denounceth Curses vpon all Protestants and Others of a different Religion from Rome so may wee cry out vpon the madnesse thereof by which she strangleth the children of her owne wombe yea and her whole Representatiue Bodie in her late Generall Councels as hath bene proued CHAP. XV. The Determination of the whole Controuersie betweene the Church of Rome and the Church of England together with other Protestant Churches concerning the CHVRCH CATHOLIKE to discerne whether Side is rather to be accounted Schismaticall or may more iustly pleade Soule 's Saluation First by Generall THESES SECT 1. THE word CATHOLIKE CHVRCH is that which you oppose vnto vs in euery Dispute as it were a Gorgons head able to terrifie Protestants at the first mention thereof Which name as it is appropriated to the Romane Church we haue prooued to be but a bare name and indeed Medusa's head painted in a shield a meere delusion able to feare