at all suffer either the truth of Gods Testament to be so corrupted by such wicked Impostors or the maiestie of kingly gouernment to bee so defaced For the dissolution of gouernment springeth out of the corruption of Gods Testament Wherefore if they would admit of wholesome counsail they would iudge these deceitfull Iuglers who make controuersies last for euer by the pernicious quirkes and trickes were to bee supprest by armes not to be refuted by arte for certainely these will neuer leaue off to offer dishonour to God and wrong to Kings § 153 Then Saturnine you are too hot and earnest sayd he Patriott against that most learned Cardinall and light of our age And you must leaue off said he to praise your Cardinall and prooue the supremacie For your Popish writers could neuer yet agree vpon a text whereon the supremacie was plainely grounded Then Saturnine what is more plaine and euident saith hee then that Peter is called the head of the Apostles Ephes 1. The Popish diuision of the head and the rocke whereon Christ promised he would build his Church Matth. 16. for although S. Paul do call Christ the principall and inuisible head of the Church which giueth life to the whole bodie of the Church yet it is euident that there is a ministeriall and a visible head appointed by Christ that may outwardly gouerne the whole Church Cor. 12. whereof hee maketh mention Corinth 12. The head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you which cannot be vnderstood of Christ the principall head For Christ the eternall word of God can say to vs It followeth not but might haue beene aswell spoken to Iohn or Iames. I haue no neede of you it followeth then that it is to bee vnderstood of a ministeriall head that is Peter and Peters successour the Bishop of Rome And although Paul doe affirme Christ to bee that one onely cheife foundation of the Church 1 Cor. 3 1◠yet when he saith in another place that the Church is builded vpon the foundation of the Apostles therfore vpon the person of Peter the Prince of the Apostles as Christ did first call him the Rocke and Esay when in the spirit of prophesie he spake in the person of God Behold I will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation A text peculiarly proper to Christ blasphemously applied to Peter as hee vnderstandeth Christ the cheife foundation whereof the Apostle speaketh Another foundation 1. Cor. 3. so hee did foreshew Peter whom Christ called the rocke and the Pope that precious corner stone that surefoundation but a second foundation Bellarm in praefat de Rom. Pont. cap. 1. As was likewise prophesied of one head which the sonnes of Iuda and the sonnes of Israel being assembled should appoint to themselues Whereby it appeareth that there ought to be one vniuersall Bishop of the whole Church Saunders of the visib Monar l. 4. c. 5 and that Christ and his Vicar make one head one visible and ministeriall head whereon all the Church should depend for the remedy of schisme one rocke one secondarie foundation euen the person and chaire of Peter whereon the Church might rest for feare of slipping and falling Let vs aske after the fathers the sincere interpreters of § 154 the Scripture Optatus who thinketh that the word Cephas as it signifieth a head taken from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore calleth Peter the head of the Apostles For the word stone in the Syriake signifieth head in the Greeke Ad Marcel tom Epist 2. each prerogatiue of Peter is described by that word Now that the person of Peter was both called and laid the rocke of the Church by Christ Ierome is a witnesse who doth plainely affirme that Peter was he vpon whom the the Lord founded the Church And to Damasus tom Epist 2. August in Psal contra part Donat. I am ioyned in communion with your blessednesse that is to the chaire of Peter I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke And Austin when hee maketh mention of the seat of Peter saith that that is the rocke Cypria de vnica Ecces Cathol And Cyprian Whosoeuer doth forsake the chaire of Peter whereon the Church is builded doth hee trust to bee in the Church It would bee too long to reckon vp all the fathers who haue written that the person of Peter was called and placed the rocke by Christ whereon hee promised not only to build the Church at that time but would build it after And therefore I alleadged three who called it not the person of Peter only but called the chaire the rocke that I might note downe in the Bishop of Rome the perpetuall building of the Church according to the words of Christ Now bee packing Patriott and deny if you can this cheife article of the Catholike faith that the supremacie and principallity of Peter is plainly grounded vpon the Scriptures Whence a diuers beginning and excellency may bee gathered both of the Ecclesiasticall and secular gouernment that the Pope as spirituall Prince as Peter hath deriued his power immediately from Christ to gouerne his subiects But secular Princes haue receiued their power mediately to gouerne their subiects either by the means of election as the Emperour and King of Polonia or of hereditary succession as the Kings of Spaine France England or of grant and donation as the free Princes or of iust warre and conquest as Godfrey heeretofore and other Lords held the holy land Therefore to the Pope as to Peter ordained the cheife spirituall Prince immediately from Christ in the Church as to the head and rocke of the Church spiritual obedience for conscience sake is to be giuen of all Christians But to secular Kings ordained mediately by humane titles onely secular obedience for policies sake to preserue good order and manners is to bee performed obedience to the higher power alway being preserued which I would haue you know I speake to that end that I might call to your remembrance Calander that whereof you cannot bee ignorant that you doe so sweare fealty to the King that you abiure not your fealty to the Vicar of Christ The vse of which article I thought good shortly to set before all Catholikes in respect of their Princes § 155 Then Patriots you haue spoken much in few words sayd he Saturnine and almost all I am sure the cheifest points which your men doe alleadge out of the Scripture for the supremacy so that you seeme to haue placed them in the rereward as your best soulders at the push of the pike whom if I shall by Gods grace ouerthrow I trust I shall more easily defeat the rest of your broken and scattered forces And first wee must shortly see in what sense Christ the eternal sonne of God is said to be the head the rock and foundation of the Church and so it shall easily
with the fellowshippe of honour and power but the beginning from one This therefore is proper to the person of Peter that he be the first stone set vpon the foundation vpon which c. How is it then deriued to Peters chaire whereon the Church was to be builded Let Peter bee changed into chaire and the masculine gender into the feminine Do you thinke that that Father had so weak and childish a memorie that within the compasse of nine lines he would so apparantly contradict himselfe that he would remoue the person of Peter out of his place and place Peters chaire in the roome to displace the Predecessour out of the ranke to place the successours To cast out the first stone in the building out of his order to place those that followed hee would neuer haue done it he was neuer so madde It was not therefore Cyprians ill memorie but the falshood of certaine scribes who brought that new clause of a quite other nature into Cyprians text Many popish correctors in this age and those very § 163 learned One copie of Cyprian alleaged against many and many famous Printers haue taken great paines in setting forth and printing of Cyprian they sought for all the antientest and sincerest manuscripts out of the best libraries of all Christendome they could possibly get they did very diligently compare them betweene themselues and all of them agreed in this that that clause could not be found in any of their written copies Pamelius a Canon of Bryges onely excepted who being an obscure man and of small reckoning said hee found that clause lately written in an old coppy belonging to the Abby of Cambray and brought it into the Anwerp editions printed by Stelsius when that notwithstanding he confesseth he had eight other written coppies in his handes fetcht out of diuers libraries in all which he saith this clause could not be found but only in the copie of Cambray Now let vs giue credit if wee can that one written coppy of the Abby of Cambray was vncorrupt and that all the rest were corrupted Let vs preferre one blinde copie before so many excellent copies both printed and written And let vs preferre one Pamelius Cannon of Briges before so many notable Romane writers Remboltus Cauchius Coster Erasmus Grauius Manutius Morelius Shall we think one to be of more credit then all the rest Which we must needes doe before wee must admit of such a bastardly and new deuised clause Let Saturnine packe vp and be gone let him brag that Peters chaire is the rocke of the Catholicke Church And let mee as my manner is a little consider the consequencies of this peeterly argument Peter confessed Christ the sonne of the liuing God to bee the rocke and foundation of the Church against whom the gates of hell shall not preuaile Therefore Peter is the rock and foundation of the Church against whom they haue preuailed Or thus Peter in respect of doctrine is the foundation as the rest of the Apostles Therefore in respect of his person Or thus Peter the first stone in order set in the foundation is the rocke Therefore the Pope Peters successour as it is presumed is the rocke The person of Peter Therefore the chaire of Peter He is more dull then a stone that gathereth so In one word Peter in this place holdeth the primacie of degree only and order Therefore it giueth the Pope of Rome the supremacie of iurisdiction and power Is not this making of the supremacie out of the rock like the making of a roape of sand how foolishly are these argued but that one thing how blasphemously of Bellarmine who applieth the prophecie of Esay of Christ the chosen stone pretious cheife corner stone a sure foundation to his Master the Pope Christ is the cheife foundation the Pope forsooth is a second This argument is not fetcht from disparates as Tortus plaies vpon vs but from immediate contraries for heauen is no farther distant from hell then Christ from the Pope that is from Antichrist But my good Lordes the Popes doe alwaies lurke vnder Peters cloake as the Dominicans are said to lurke vnder our Ladies frocke Wittily said Erasmus as many things What is charity it is a Monkes cloake said he for it couers the multitude of sinnes In like manner I may call Peters vertue the Byshops cloake for it couereth many a wicked man They do willingly snatch at that speech of Optatus Bellarm lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. cap. 17. Vall. decla de dona Constant who thinking the name Cephas in Siriacke a stone to signifie in greeke a head is set vpon Peter by the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Bellarmine obserues and therefore calleth Peter the head of the Apostles Which learned Valla doth wonder could euer come into any mans minde Comment in Ioh. cap. 1. and Cardinall Catetane a notable writer among the Papists refutes it out of the Gospell For hee alleageth out of the Euangelist to meete with this error that the word Cephas is interpreted to be Peter not a head Ferus in hunc l c. Papists against Papists And Ferus doth flatly say that that interpretation of this word is very foolish and ridiculous The diriuation of this name is not so ridiculous as the proofe of that which out of that § 165 place of Paul the head cannot say to the feete I haue no neede of you Bellarmine being falsly collected Bellarmine mistaketh S. Paul doth violently vrge against the scope and minde of the Apostle who taketh the head by a metaphor for any excellent part which is endewed with great graces the eyes the eares Chrysost hom viges nou◠in 1. Cor. Corinth 12. expounded the hands the feete for inferiour partes which are furnished with meaner gifts as Chrysostome expoundes saying they did excell in gifts some greater some lesse cheifly in the knowledge of tongues They which receiued the greater gifts did contemne them who had receiued lesser giftes and these againe greiued at it and enuied their betters This difference in the mysticall body he went about to compound by the example of agreement of the parts in the naturall body where the head doth not say to the feete I haue no need of you c. But all the members haue mutuall neede one of another Out of this metaphore Bellarmine dreames that the visible and ministeriall head of the whole Church is appointed Now marke the foolish consequences necessarily depending vpon this interpretation If one ministeriall head of the whole Church bee taken out of this place therefore because Paul maketh mention of eyes eares handes feete whereof there are two members it is requisite that there bee two in the Church that must haue two eyes 2. that must haue two eares 2. that may be resembled to two feete then it will be a very beautifull Church that doth consist of nine members only § 166 But how doe they vrge the likenesse of the head
haue best of all knowne Christs minde and to deliuer it most faithfully about the gouernment of the Church although they granted a primacie of order and difference to the Bishop of Rome yet they denyed him a supremacie of power and iurisdiction and according to the sixt Canon of the Nicene Councell hembde in the See of Rome into certaine limits wherein being included shee should not breake forth Yet for all that they brake ouer the bounds set downe both by God and Men. God that he might punish the contempt of the Gospell brought so grieuous a sluggishnes vpon the world and so generall an apostacie vpon the Church that the time it selfe laying vp and hiding all meanes of helpe did not only bring to light the bramble formerly hid in the ground but brought it abroad and set it aloft and placed it aboue all the Cedars of Libanus First aboue Bishops in Boniface the third after aboue Kings and Emperors in Gregorie the 7 whose wings being so often clipt by foure Councells Wormes Papta Brixis and Montze grew againe in the successors so farre that they flew at the last aboue Councells Till the three generall Councells of Pisa Constance and Basil Constant Con Sess 1. did not only displace Popes out of the Popedome but decreed that Councels were aboue the Popes For the Pisan Councell did cast two Popes Gregorie and Benett out of their seats and choose Alexander the fift And the Councell of Constance assembled by the summons of Iohn the 23. for refusing their tryall and for his abominable symonie and wicked life and manners depriued him of his Popedome Sess 10 12. Sess 4. 5. and after condemned Gregorie the twelfth not appearing and cut him of as a withered member and an incorrigible heretike and schismatike as they plainly termed him And that it may seeme not to haue dealt rashly This holy generall Synode say they lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost and representing the Church militant hath immediate power from Christ not from the Pope but from Christ whose power any whosoeuer of what estate and condition soeuer euen the Pope himselfe is bound to obey And farther declareth if the Pope do obstinately refuse to obey the statutes ordinances and iniunctions which either this holy Synode or any other hereafter generall Synode lawfully assembled either now haue or hereafter shall decree that he is to be constreyned to a condigne satisfaction and worthily to be punished and so Iohn the 23. being deposed and cast out it choose Martin the fift for Pope The Pope and the Councell did long contend about the maioritie and superioritie as they terme it but the Councell had the vpper hand Here comes to my minde a certaine tale not vnpleasant of the spawne of a frog which a Calfe had troden vpon in the absence of the Damme which Calfe when one escaping from the rest had described to the frogge his damme to bee a great beast how bigge I pray said shee and puffing out hir selfe thus bigge greater by the half said the young one Horaec Sermo 2 Saâ—y 2. what by so much said the Frog when shee had blowne vp hir-selfe more and more not if you breake your selfe said he can you be equall to it The Councell of Constance with her foote trode vpon two frogs though they would haue fled from tryall and declared it selfe to be greater and higher than the Pope though he sweld neuer so bigge The Councell had done well if it had not crusht in peeces two Doues and had not decreed that cuppe which Christ for diuers causes had commanded in his supper should bee giuen to the people for moe and more weighty causes as they say was to bee taken from them Which the Councell of Basill did restore afterward Sess 13. being assembled by Martin the fifts Bull and confirmed by the letters of Eugenius the 4. whom shee deposed and being ratified by the Bull of Nicholas the fift who succeeded Eugenius declared the decree of the Councell of Constance about the power of the generall Councell against the Pope to be a truth of the catholike faith Basil Con Sess 16. and adiudged him an heretike that did obstinately resist the two former truths Therefore let the Pope either submit himselfe vnder the generall Councell or by the iudgement of the generall Councell he must needs confesse himselfe to be an heretike Hence is all their griefe and their secret quarrell against the Scriptures and the former Synods and the latter also though they somwhat fauoured the Romish superstition because they did represse her ambition Till at the last two other Councells the Laterane and the Tridentine did lift vp the Pope not onely aboue all Councells but aboue all Scriptures that hee at his pleasure might put out the Crowes eyes as the Prouerbe is and as if hee were the 13 Apostle set forth a doctrine at his owne liking contrary to the Scripture After this sort after many ages and dangers the Pope got place aboue Bishops Kings Councels and Scriptures themselues So great a worke it was to build the Romish seate The very naked name whereof is opposed against all our encounters as it were Gorgons head Do we alledge the Fathers what maruell is it if when he perceiueth they stand against him hee reiects them in seuerall when hee contemnes them all in generall Do we alledge Councels The former are corrected by the later the better by the worse and the more by the fewer Do we alledge the Scriptures what good do we thereby when we haue a Sphinx at home who can lay open the Scripture as it were a riddle according to his owne sense and his best auaile Thus they reduce all things at the last to the mother the Church or rather to the father of the Church For they make the mother to be of the masculine gender and bring the most generall generall to one that is singular that is to the Pope for the time ruling With whose spirit that Synagogue being filled it seemeth closely to be offended with none of the Apostles more than with S. Paul by whose silence shee taks her selfe not only not to be assisted but to be hurt by his testimonie when as the merit of workes being abandoned hee concludeth the onely mercy of God in Christ being apprehended by faith to be mans iustice before God Which conclusion doth ouerthrow all Poperie as it shall afterward appeare It doth plague the Synagogue for it toucheth two things to the quicke the Bishops miter and the Monkes bellies for faith being placed in the only merits of Christ hath diminished the Indulgences the treasure of the Church and makes the offrings to images to be more rare and sparing So that the Synagogue doth sometime as well closely accuse S. Paul of heresie as Luther and Caluin I once heard two old popish Doctors one of them a Fryer Ieronimite in Portugall another a Iacobine in France say when they were prest with
to the spirituals Carerius a Doctour of Padua Carerius against Bellarmine a sharpe witted and earnest fellow hee is of a contrarie opinion and doth not only striue with argument but laies a curse vpon the aduersaries sparing none no not Bellarmine himselfe whom he taking in hand of purpose to refell in a whole booke written as the Preface importes against the wicked Polititians and Heretickes of our time did a little too plainely touch the Cardinall So farre are they from agreeing in the manner of diriuing so great authoritie to the Pope from Christ Here Patriotta your Doctours saith hee § 83 seeme praeposterously to wrangle among themselues of the manner to deriue such authoritie from Christ when as yet it appeareth not that he hath any at all and in vaine do they argue whether the Pope receiued directly or indirectly such gouernment when it is doubtfull whether he receiued any or no. But I easily grant them by their dissenting about the manner to ouerthrow the thing it selfe that the confusion of tongues may againe seeme to happen in building their tower of Babel § 84 Then Velbacellus somewhat more gently I pray Patriotta Although that I ingenuously confesse while they thus egerly striue among themselues about the manner and ouerthrow their owne opinions with mutuall contradictions they seeme to leaue the Pope very small or no authoritie at all in temporalties For Carerius saith the Pope hath either ordinarie and direct authoritie to depose Kings as he is Pope or he hath no authority at all But he hath none direct and ordinarie as he is Pope by Bellarmines assumption Therefore hee hath none at all by Carerius conclusion It were long to set downe all the reasons drawne from Scripture whereby Bellarmine hath vtterly ouerthrowne the direct and ordinarie authoritie of the Byshoppe neither were it necessarie because they may bee had in his fift booke he set out so that men may thinke hee spake one thing and thought another Which when he might not touch openly for offending the Pope he did with sleights and deuises impugne that he might by any meanes deliuer the truth For he seemeth indirectly that I may vse his owne aduerbe to take away all power of the Pope of depriuing Princes For if the Pope as hee is Pope cannot directly and ordinarily depose Princes though the cause bee iust as Bellarmine saith and yet as hee is the chiefe spirituall Prince may dispose of kingdomes taking them from one and giuing them to another if it be necessarie for the sauing of soules that is indirectly in order to spiritualls as hee affirmeth what other thing did he closly insinuate but that the Pope had no power at all to displace Princes For Saint Peter neither did or could transfer any power but ordinarie Besides it is plaine that the Pope is no otherwise the chiefe spirituall Prince but as he is Pope so that what he cannot do as Pope he cannot do as he is the chiefe spirituall Prince Which Carerius concludeth against Bellarmine and doth vrge it with this grant that the Pope is properly called Gods Vicar Either he is not saith he the Vicar of Christ or else he deposeth inferiour powers as Pope But he deposeth them not as Pope by the witnesse of Bellarmine He is not therefore the Vicar of Christ by the conclusion of Carerius So Bellarmine gaue Christs Vicar so greiuous a wound if we beleeue Carerius that he could neuer cure with all the remedies of his distinctions And Carerius while he deckes him with strange fethers spoiled him of those were his owne Whom while hee ordeined Lord of the temporalties hardly left him Lord of the spiritualties In the mean time when neither the direct nor indirect power bee a matter of faith formally determined by the publicke sentence of the Church as Alanus and Couarruvias confesse there was no reason why Saturnine should call my friend Blackwell wretched Apostata who neuer swarued from the Catholick faith vnlesse by inueighing so bitterly against Blackewell he vaunt himselfe to be of the contrarie faction Then Patriotta I willingly behold Bellarmine and § 85 Carerius as Cadmeyes brethren or the Madianites cutting one anothers throate But I could more willingly behold the Pope as a iacke-daw dispoiled of his Egles and Doues feathers which he hath stolne which is of all his regall and Byshoply ornaments wherewith hee hath so long ietted so proudly and terribly vp down but I leaue this cause to God to be mended by him at his due time But truely Baronius and Carerius with all their faction doe flatter the Pope more grosly but Bellarmine with his cunning opposition flatters him more smoothly being the more dangerous enemie to Kings because the more cloase But that I often obserued the witty old fellow crossing of himselfe with his owne trickes and coyning those distinctions whereby hee vnweaued those things which he had weaued before O Penelopean skill of disputing But while he doth touch kings crownes indirectly and tels vs that it is all in the Pope so that he thinkes it meete to belong to a spirituall end he bewraieth lesse malice but greater craft Here Argentine who had kept silence from the beginning looking earnestly first on Saturnine then on Velbacellus Saturnine saith he seemes to me to bee more strickt in this matter then is requisite and Velbacel more loose and remisse because he gaue too much authority this none at all to our most holy father to suppresse Kings when neede requires This great Doctour of the Church therefore Bellarmine tooke a middle course who first ouerthrew that infinite power of ordinarie and inherent gouernment then retained that extraordinarie and borrowed authority in the Pope least Kings like vntamed coultes as it were not hauing bitte and bridle should waxe too lustie whom the most holy Pope might bring againe into the circle of religion and iustice if once they began to start out first with his counsell and after if that were relected with some other moderate chastisement Which would be the most safe course for Kings and very auaileable for subiectes § 87 Then Carolus Regius this moderate chastisement of Kings Argentine as you call it is their vtter ruine and rooting out if you vnderstand Bellarmine aright For there lurkes vnder those Aduerbes certaine deceites which subiectes haue found to be as damnable to them as Kings haue For he bringeth in your Pope whom one doth well tearme Satans Asse with this his extraordinarie and borrowed power which he bestowed vpon him curbing of Kings with a bridle when the raynes lay on his owne necke turning and ouerturning kingdomes at his pleasure taking them from one and giuing them to another Meanes of the Popes greatnesse when he thinketh good that it is for the order tending to spirituall good And by what counsells he alwaies vsed to take from Kings both their kingdomes and their liues all histories do shew them to haue beene by the emulation of
other popish writers subscribe That with a few others did Bellarmine attempt against the Scripture which the boldnes of many popish writers more learned were afraid to attempt And will you hearken to this fellow Calander in a chiefe article of faith as he calls it so far dissenting from his owne side or dare you securely admit of those whom you see as the Madianites mutually wounding them-selues in a cause of such importance Saturnine who seemeth to bee no other thing but very Bellarmine himselfe proceedeth from Christ to Peter from Peter to the Pope from the Pope he falleth to the Popes chaire and hee proueth that the Church is to be founded vpon that rocke out of testimonies borrowed and framed out of Ierome Austin and Cyprian Cic de erat Cicero makes mention of a certaine mad fellow who finding a small boate on the sea-shore purposed to build a great ship of it Papists like mad-men These mens madnes is like who finding Peters chaire in the Fathers do dreame that the Church must be built vpon the chaire Ierome to Damasus I am vnited in communion saith he to your blessednes that is to Peters chaire I know that vpon that rock the Church is builded that is vpoÌ„ the chaire as you relate it Jerome misalleaged But Ierom thus I following after none chiefest but Christ 〈◊〉 vnited to your Blessednes c. You passe by Christ in this sentence as if he were a man vnknowne and you curtall Ieromes words wherein hee confesseth that he doth follow none chiefly but Christ You make mention of Peters chaire Vpon that rocks saith Ierome I knowe that the Church is â—aide Why should you not rather referre That rocke to Christ that goeth before then to Peter that followeth after in the sentence chiefly when Ierome doth adde the word I know that the Church is builded vpon that rocke Now that Christ is that rocke wheron the Church is builded â—one at all doubteth but that Peter is that rocke many deny And yet you are so mad that you will build the ship of the Church vpon the chaire as it were vpon a small boate You haue well Saturnine by rasing out the name of Christ shauen away the sentence as a beard with Ieromes sharpe rasor I shall maruaile much if Austin when he cannot endure that Peter should bee the foundation of the Church would suffer the Pope to be and if when he did remoue the person of Peter from this honor hee would admit Peters chaire But when he makes mention of Peters seat that said he is the rocke Is it so indeed let vs adde the wordes following recken vp said he all the Priests from the very seat of Peter and in that order of Fathers marke who succeeded one another that is the rocke against which the proud gates of hell shall not preuaile Then Saturnine while you are handling another § 161 matter Patriot you doe confirme by Austens authority another article of the Catholicke faith of the Pope Peters successour But said he againe to the confirmation of an article of the Catholicke faith Austens authoritie without the testimonie of the Scripture cannot be sufficient in the iudgement of Austen himselfe who speaketh of the matter as he had heard that the Byshop of Romes seat was the seat of Peter and that in that seat some succeeded others but hee makes it no article of the faith Wherefore when he speaketh that is the rocke it cannot be referred either to the seat or to the succession of Byshoppes in the seat For therein hee should contradict himselfe who makes Christ the rocke of the Church Apostles rockes in respect of doctrine vnlesse rather he referre it to Peter so vnderstood as I said with the rest of the Apostles who in respect of doctrine may in some sort be called rockes But it is not said you will say he is the rocke but shee is the rocke therfore the reference is not to the person in this place but to the seat i. to the chaire As though by the deceit and carelessenesse of writers greater faultes then these had not crept into Austens workes then she for he Although what hinders why shee is the rocke may not aswell bee referred to the person of Peter as those wordes in the Gospell vpon this rocke c. are referred to the person of Peter by the Rhemistes But let that be granted you for a time which you shall neuer euict that Peters chaire is ment in that place Austen saith not that is the rocke whereon the Church is builded but that is the rocke which the gate of hell shall not vanquish So he doth not promise that Rome shall alwaies withstand but doth testifie that Rome did then resist the gates of hell while it kept that faith vncorrupt that Peter left vnto them For if hee should now liue and make diligent search hee should not finde Rome in the middest of Rome This Rome not old Rome Our Romaines at this day are no Romaines they are but the carcasses of those Romaines who receiued their first faith from Paul and Peter which these men haue breathed out as their soules § 162 And now let Cyprian make answer for himselfe who affirmeth that the like power was giuen to all the Apostles by Christ Lib. de vnitat Eccles and that the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was being endowed with the same fellowshippe of honour and power Let him make answere for himselfe how he could lift vp Peters chaire aboue the chaires of the rest and would not haue it forsaken for iust cause which he did oppose in an vniust But Cyprian as both Ierome and Austen and other fathers haue iust cause to complaine Contra Stepha Corruption of Fathers after their death that so many bastardly bookes are brought in the place of those that were right and true And false sentences deceitfully foysted in and true violently cast out that now being dead they are constrained to speake and holde their peace according to other mens pleasures not their owne Now Ierome at your command conceales that which he vttered before Cypr. de vnit Eccles Now Cyprian speaketh that which he neuer meant He that forsaketh Peters chaire whereon the Church is built doth he trust that he is in the Church Cyprian writ thus a little before Christ doth build his Church vpon Peter alone How Peter the first stone in order not in power meaning that Peter was the first stone that was placed vpon Christ the foundation vpon whom the rest in their order were to bee builded First therefore in order not in power therefore he said that equall authoritie was giuen by Christ to all the Apostles but that it tooke the beginning from vnitie that the Church may be shewed to be one The foundation therefore of the building in Cyprian is nothing else but a beginning The rest of the Apostles were this which Peter was being endowed
after crownes but to watch ouer their soules and when hee obeyeth the King then hee prescribeth the doctrine of obedience to others as Christ Paul and Peter went before them both in precept and practise § 183 Then Calander you haue satisfied me abundantly Patriot Primacie of order onely due to Peter in the distinction of these powers now if you please I desire the other about the largnes of that spirituall power which the Pope now vsurpes whether the former Councells did grant the same Then Patriot the Fathers saith he doe grant to Peter the primacie of order and to the Byshoppe of Rome as to his successour whom certaine doe call the Byshoppe of the first sea but they deny vnto him the primacie of power as I said either ouer Kings or ouer their fellow Byshoppes Ierusalem Anâ—ioch Alexandria Constantinople Rome There were either foure or fiue Patriarches among whom the gouernment of the whole Church was diuided That all the rest were equall to the Patriarch of Rome in all points of iurisdiction whose power was bounded within certaine limits out of which he might not passe doth appeare by that notable Cannon the sixt The Nicene Councell of 318. Byshops of the Nycene Councell Which was gathered together by the authoritie of Constantine the great in the yeare of Christ 325. wherein 318. Byshoppes met together and set out 20. true Cannons only as Ruffinus numbers them the true copies whereof remained in all the patriarchall Churches and are extant in many others at this day The sixt Cannon of the Councell doth make the gouernment of the Byshoppe of Rome the forme of gouernment of the Byshoppe of Alexandria as it is said before Where it doth appeare that the gouernment of the byshoppe of Rome was shut within the compasse of his owne Prouince For if it had reached into other Prouinces it had not beene the forme of the gouernment of Alexandria Rome no larger in iurisdiction then Alexandria which was contained in one Prouince Againe it appeareth by the Cannon that the byshoppe of Rome had the same fashion Therfore the gouernment of Alexandria was like vnto Rome How could there otherwise bee a likenesse For there could be no likenesse betweene an vniuersall byshoppe and a prouinciall The second generall Councell was the first Councell § 184 of Constantinople assembled by Theodosius the elder in the yeare of Christ 381. wherein 150. Constantinople Councell the first of 150. Byshoppes byshoppes met together who confirmed the decree of the Nicene Councell Then came the third generall Councell the first of Ephesus The Councel of â—phesus of 200. Byshops gathered together by Theodosius the younger in the yeare of Christ 4â—1 it consisted of 200. byshoppes in which two Councells the Prouinces of the Christian world were diuided and euery Prouince assigned to his owne Patriarch and the byshoppe of Constantinople by name made equall to the byshoppe of Rome without any difference of honour but that the byshop of Constantinople was next after the byshop of Rome in place had the second voice in all answers and subscriptions The 4. The Councel of Chalcedâ—ne of 630. Byshoppes generall Councell of Chalcedon gathered by Valentinian and Marcian in the yeare of Christ 451. which consisted of 630. byshoppes who decreed thus in the 28. Cannon we euery way following the decrees of the holy Fathers and acknowledging the Cannon of the 150. byshoppes we also decree the very same and ordaine the same about the priuiledges of the most holy Church of Constantinople which is new Rome For to the throne of old Rome because that Citie bare rule ouer all the Fathers by right giue the priuiledges Constantinople equall with Rome and the 150. Fathers being mooued with the same consideration doe giue equall priuiledges to the most holy throne of new Rome rightly iudging that citie which is honoured both with the Presence and Senate of the Empire and doth enioy equall priuiledges with Rome that ancient Lady should be aduanced in causes Ecclesiasticall aswell as she and be as much esteemed being the next vnto her § 185 But the fathers of the Councell of Chalcedone Acto 3. write thus to Leo the most holy and blessed vniuersall Archbishop and Patriarch of great Rome Note saith Binius that in these bookes Leo is called the vniuersall Archbishop Suri tom 2. Concil pag. 111. Bini tâ—m 2. Concil fol. 215. But note also that which Binius concealed that it is added to Leo the Archbishop of the Romanes Note heere the authority of the Bishop of Rome saith Surius but it may be that these words slipt out of the margent into the text though they bee most true saith Binius But we appeale from these two pararasites of the Romane Bishop to the very acts of the Councell themselues which we before alleadged But this canon is reiected say they by Leo the Bishop of Rome about the priuiledges and eminency of the Bishop of Constantinople because he presupposeth that the Roman seat was made the head of the Church not by Gods Law but by mans Law as Binius saith fol. 180. whom shall we beleeue Leo who out of his ambition reiected the canon or Gregorie who with all reuerence receiued the whole Councell as it is in Gratian distinct 15. cap. sicui But the Councell say they in their Epistle writ Leo the head of the vniuersall Church Because Leo so writeth Piniuâ—iâ— anno in hanc Synod 188. lib. 3. epist 3. to Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria your holinesse knoweth that by the holy Synode of Chalcedon the name of vniuersality was giuen to the seat of the Bishop of Rome onely wherein now by Gods prouidence my selfe doe serue Why then is not the name of vniuersall prefixed before the Epistle of the fathers It was prefixed say they but by the craft of some Scribe it was taken out what a iest is this as if it were not more likely that the Popes Epistle admitted a fraudulent addition Whether one Leo or 600. Bishops are rather to bee beleeued then the Epistle of the generall Councell a subtraction But hee it so let Leo haue written so Whether is it more meete to giue credit to the Pope priuately in his owne cause or to 600 Bishops in the cause of the Church decreeing against it in a publike Councell especially when as Gregorie the great doth plainely write that none of his predecessours did euer vse the title of vniuersall Bishoppe Farther the fift generall Councell was the second of § 186 Constantinople assembled in the Empire of Iustinian 2. Constantinople Councell of 280. Bishops in the yeere of Christ 586. wherein were present 280. Bishops who repeating word for word the former decree of Chalcedon renewed in the 36. canon Whereby it is euident that Constantinople had no lesse authority in Ecclesiasticall causes then Rome had and that Rome had obtained the primacy of order because it was the cheife
Nycene Councell and denie them to be among the Canons as Turrian plainely in his proeme vpon the canons of Neece in Binius part 1. pag. 169. But of these constitutions which you vrge there will bee another time when you shall haue a particular answer Heere I rest heere I dwell heere I sticke fast against all the corruptions and falsifications where Austin hath taught me to set fast footing who doubteth saith hee that all the copies of the Nycene Councell are true which are brought out of so many sundrie places and from so noble Grecian Churches being compared together and do so well agree I giue credit to Cyrill of Alexandria so writing backe to the Carthaginian fathers I thought it necessarie to send ouer to your Charity Sur tom 1. rescript Cyril Alexan p. 586 the faithfullest copies out of the authenticke in the Synode held in Nice a a city of Bithinia Epist Atti. episc con ibidem fol. 190. Me thinkes I heare Atticus Bishop of Constantinople thus writing backe I haue sent vnto you the canons all of them as you commanded as they were decreed in the citie Neece by the fathers I ought not I cannot but must needes consent to 217. fathers assembled in the African Councell whereto Austin did subscribe Is anie man so mad to prefer the forged writings of a counterfet Mark and a counterfet Iulius fetcht I know not whence written in the darke and in a corner disagreeing betweene themselues before the true and vndoubted canons reserued in the Registry not onely of Carthage and Alexandria but of Constantinople and Rome exemplified in the light openly and agreeing in all points among themselues And will any man hearken to 3. suspected conuicted witnesses in their owne cause rather then to more then 200. witnesses assembled in a Councell in the common cause and those bringing in the pride hurtfull to the Church with out all reason these suppressing that pride with all forcible and holy reasons they could § 198 But there is brought vpon the stage by Bellarmine the ridiculous person of one Iohn Ridiculous Iohn brought vpon the stage whom hee calleth a very learned man who affirmeth in the Councell of Florence forsooth that he could shew many testimonies of the Ancient What doth this iolly Iohn affirme that the fathers of Carthage did at the last acknowledge that false and corrupt canons of the Nycene Councell were sent them from Alexandria and Constantinople Who affirmes it One Iohn Who tolde him so No body Onely hee saith on his bare word that hee can shew many testimonies of the Ancient Why then doth he not shew them Therfore what a certaine ignorant animall saith he can shew and doth not shall we accept it for a lawfull testimonie of a recantation made by so excellent and wise a Councell And because a certaine Robert hath brought in an obscure Iohn in the fagge end of all and calles him a very learned man therefore we must admit of him as a fit and sufficient witnesse against so many most reuerend fathers of Carthage And when he dare obiect ignorance to all these doth hee not see that in himselfe hee doth betray his owne arrogancy he doth attribute learning to one Iohn and ignorance to Austin forsooth he thinkes he can fetch smoake out of lightning and light out of smoake Minerua's heire who dreames that all knowledge is borne with him and shall die with him For otherwise hee would neuer haue obiected ignorance to Austin and the rest of the Carthaginian fathers as if they knew not to distinguish betweene the two Councels of Sardis when himselfe betraied more ignorance in confounding the Councels of Neece and Sardis But that we may returne thither where wee went aside § 199 necessarily to pursue the aduersarie Primacy of order granted to Rome but of power denied and shortly to set downe to you the iudgement of the Primatiue Church Calander concerning the primacie you see that the primacie of order and degree was granted to the Bishop of Rome but the primacie of power and iurisdiction was denied by sixe Councels I am not ignorant Victor did affect before the Nycene Councell what Leo did arrogantly seeke afterward like the two sonnes of Zebede one of them desirous to sit on the right hand of Christ the other on the left But the desire of glorie doth not inferre an article of the faith Therefore the fathers of the Primatiue Church did prouide as farre as they might that one should not aduance himselfe aboue the rest The fathers of Neece did assigne a prouince aswell to the Romane Bishop as to the Bishop of Alexandria out of which hee might not depart The Bishops of Constantinople Ephesus and Chalcedon did make the See of Constantinople equall to the See of Rome The Carthaginians did denie the right of appealing from the African Synodes to Rome It is not credible that so many learned and holy fathers assembled in sixe Councels would haue denied that iurisdiction to the Romane Bishop which the Scripture had yeelded him But there are other started vp who saw more and vnderstood the Scripture better then 2000. fathers assembled in those sixe Councels Now they can shew vs an heauenly charter in many places wherein God gaue to Peter and to Peters successour as they presume the Bishop of Rome that vniuersall principality I will giue thee the keyes and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde c. and feede my sheepe and thou art Peter and vpon that rocke and diuers others of that kinde § 200 But those fathers though they searched vsually into all the mysteries of holy Scripture with peircing eyes Peters key was no better his tongue no more free then the rest yet they could not perceiue a greater key or a better giuen to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles nor a larger or a more shining fiery tongue sitting on Peters head as the cheife Prince then on the rest neither that one piller was set more sure and strong then the other 12. pillers but that they were al alike equal among themselues Acts 15. Acts 8. Peter not equall but inferiour to the rest nor that Peter alone was appoynted the Pastour of all the Apostles much lesse the Prince lifting vp himselfe aboue the rest of the Apostles aboue the Emperor aboue the Councell Therfore in the first Councell of Ierusalem Peter was not President but Iames. And Peter being sent by the rest of the Apostles with Iohn into Samaria obeied Now the superior is not sent by the inferior but contrary It followes that Peter was not aboue the rest but equal with the rest yea truly below the whole Councell to the which for going to Cornelius the Centurian being accused hee gaue accompt of his fact wherein he confessed himselfe to bee inferiour to the Councell which was kept not by Peters command but by the consent of all the Apostles Therein there was a great discourse of the summe of Christianitie of
the Empire renewed in the West to vphold the Pope 70. the Rom Empire not dissolued but diuided 68. Two degrees of the Empires fal 71. how when the Empire was translated from the Greekes to the Germaines 258. An exhortation to Ministers 136. to Princes 152 to come out of Babylon 141 Excommunication the mother of rebellion 390 F COrruption of Fathers after their death 316 To Feede and teach all one 297. Not to rule 299. The Colliars Faith 288. Implicite Faith a blinde Idoll 287. What ment by Feeding 290. Saint Fâ—â—â—cis â—ypicall Christ 146 His conformities brought to light 24 Fredâ—ricke the 2. had good successe against the Pope 254. after murthered 255. Forgiuenesse of sinnes is free perfect eternall 148. How Fire came down from heauen the three sorts thereof 47. Forgery reiected 363. A desirâ— that France and Spaine would forsake the Pope 63 G GArnet and three other Iesuites Authours of the Gunpowder treason 172. 33. The Germaines condemne Hildebrand 257. Gregorie the great obeyed Mauritius 248. Alleaged to depose Kings before they were borne 259. Gregorie the 3. vaunted himselfe aboue the Emperour Gregorie the 3. spoiled him 72. Gregorie the 7. ouerthrew all 73. stroke fire out of his bosome 48. Cast out of his popedome 251. First excommunicated and cursed Emperors 251. The name of GOD in Scripture giuen to Angells and Kings 18. God the obiect of spirituall obedience 340. The enemie of God called Gog Magog 95. 139. Gods help beginnes whenas mans help doth faile 137. Grosâ—heads definition of heresie 186. The Gospâ—ll hath been preached in all Lands 88. 91. Hindered by Mahomet in the East Antichrist in the west 93. The Gunpowder treason found out by a letter 173. H TO make the Pope Head is blasphemie 321. Three witnesses of happines Henry the 4. French King compared to Caesar 38. Henry the 3. and 4. French Kings murthered 33. Henry the 2. and King Iohn gaue not their kingdomes to the Pope 241. Henries treachery against his father 233 Henry the 4. Emperor slandered by popish writers 234. Hermannus ruine 252. Paules not salute an Hereticke how applied 187. How Heretickes are to be dealt withall 188. Seruants and children ought to obey Heretickes 188. Heretickes not to be saluted 222. Hildebrands false prayses 257. Hildebrand no fit example against kings his reuelation 232. Three condemned and for what 260. What is meant by the lambes 2. hornes 6. What is meant by the last houre 133. I IDolatrie to worship the image for the Creator with the Creator 22. compared to fornication 22. The Iesuits violence taxed 198. The practise of Iesuits 32. 220. 336. The Iesuits doctrine hath troubled the Papists 170. Rebellion among Iesuites is an article of faith 171. The false report of Iesuits made Pius the 5. excommunicate Q. Elizab. 169. Iesuits Authours and Actors of rebellion 171. Iehcida had Gods law and mans law to approue his action 200. Iehu not the Prophet deposed Ahab 225. 4. degrees of the Iewes deliuerance 102. Ierusalem in the Apoc alwaies taken for the holy ciâ—y 81 Ierusalem the figure of the Christian Church 82. The destruction of Ierusalem taken for the end of the world 88. Ieremy and Paul exhorted to pray for bad Princes 216. Forged Ignatius brought to crosse Salomon 178. If any one had the supremacie it was Iohn that suruiued 385. Ieroboam not deposed by the Priest 196. His Priests types of poperie 196. An image is an Idoll when it is worshipped 22. Immortalitie not ouercome by death 117. A great impossibility foolish interpretations and worse consequences 387. Inheritance not loft for leprosie 197. Ierome misalleaged 314. A counterfeit Iulius 364. K KIngs by Papists iudgements may be killed by force or craft 32. Saucily compared to rammes wolues 32. 291. Discord of Kings haue encreased the Popes power 155. Kings dutie 156. Kingly maiestie and Popelike maiestie cannot agree 164. The King an humane creature 178 A King excommunicated no King with Papists 182. Kings wherin heads of the Church 199. Kings not immediately from God but from the Church say they 233 A King not to be resisted with swordes but wordes 224. A King may aswell depriue a Pope as a Pope a King 242. No bad King of 33. deposed by a priest 207. Whence Kings haue their gouernment as Papists say Jbid. Kings deposed Priests 306. What is meant by the keies by binding and loosing 290. The right interpretation of the keies 292. Peters key no greater then the rest 368. Two keyes of order iurisdiction 292. All the Apostles receiued keyes All fiery tongues 294. How the Papists may kill a King how not 300. L 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the name of the beast 51. Lambart and Rabirius 2. Popes Legates scoft at 261. Leo the Pope obeyed the Emperours Theodosius and Martian 247. Leo the 4. obedient to Kings 249. Leo the Emperour how deposed by the Pope 258. The legacies of the sonnes of God are in question 147. A learner must beleeue and aske 285. The parts forme and legacies of the new testament 148. A Leper neuer lost his inheritance 224. The thundering Legion of the Christians 86. Licurgus deuise to make his common-weale last 117. The number diuision and power of Locusts 34. The Locusts hurt and afflict men but kill not 34. Resembled to Horses and why 36. Their Craft pride and crueltie 36. Lombardes foolish interpretation of a place in Iob. 33. Luthar not that falling starre nor Protestants those Locusts 37. A counterfeit Lynus 386 M The Martyrdome of the King and kingdome 172. Marcion destroyed Christs humanitie 28. Marcus receiued an Epistle after he was dead 362. Martials Ca liodore and tâ—â— Iesuits â—â—e Canibaâ—s 54. Martials Cobler 38. The Masse confirmed by a blacke horse 48. Gouernment left by Christ not Monarchicall but Aristocraticall 308. Mathew the 24. expounded The Monkes cloake resembled to charitie 319. How Moses Salomon and Iude vsed Princes 215. Number doth oppresse the memory waite doth beget knowledge 289. N Nostorius diuided Christ his natures 28. O THe Priest to be Obeyed so long as he preserues knowledge 175. Two foundations of Christian obedience 176. A double obedience due to Kings actiue and passiue 179. Odo brother to W. the Conqueror 174. Primacie of order granted to Rome of power denied 367. What 3 things obedience requireth 180 What obedience is due to Princes 180. Austius words corrupted 354. Ozias leprosie no type of excommunication 167. P PEter would beare no rule ouer the Clergie 370. What Peter did to Princes 213. How Peters next successors vsed Princes 214. How Paul vsed Princes 215. Priests haue bin deposed by Kings 226. How Priests ought to oppose princes 207. Peter infâ—riour to the rest 368. Peter commanded obedience to Kings Peter of Rome now otherwise 177. Paul nothing inferiour to Peter 369. Councells deposed Popes 383. Subiect to the Emperour and his Vicegerent 72. 242. 2â—â— The Pope a persecutor 118. An hypocrite 114. Bisely accompted of 135. Iniurious to God and man 147. dangerous to hold peace with 162. His bull hanged the Iesuits 169. He forbiddeth that whiâ—h God coÌ„mandeth 174. Power from God not from the Pope or people 181. His power pretended greater then the former Priests to depose Princes 192. Inferior to the Councell 383. His practise toward Princes 244. He had primacie of order 245. The Popes power pretended from Christs priesthood 209. His charge to feede sheepe 209. How he feedeth 298. His supremacie cause of much mischiefe 269. He can no way depose Princes 236. The Popes Creede 281. Spaine and France haue taken great wrong from Popes 158. Two meanes how hee ouerthroweth Princes 230. 253. Popish Writers traduce Princes 261. Poperie begetteth dangerous effects to Kings and Subiects 239. God vsed Prophets tongues to reproue Princes not their handes to depose them 205. Phâ—cas a murtherer the vniuersall Byshoppe and Mahomet of one birth 71. The difference of gouernment between Byshoppes and Princes 343. How Christ stood before Pylate 376. R. REasons not to appeale to Rome 358. A Recapitulation of the former discourse 74. 75. Rome spiritually Sodom Egypt 81. Two stages erected for crueltie one at Constantinop another at Rome 122. Old Rome doteth for age 286. This Rome not ancient Rome 316. The Popes of Rome do erre by the Papists iudgement 286. How Christ a rocke 339. How the teÌ„porall rule descends vpon the Pope 372. S. SAmuel did not excommunicate Saul 194. Places of Scripture obscured by Popish interpretations 31. No doctrine necessarie but grounded on Scripture 28â— The office of the Scripture 278 Scripture alone hurtfull to the Romane Church 290 An admonition to popish Kings to beware of Sirene and Erinnis 156. T. Foure Popes acknowledged Theodosius supreme Lord. 246 Tiberius at Rome killed Christ in Ierusalem 80. Christ obeyed Tiberius a Pagan the Papists will not obey King Iames a Christian 177. The councell of Trent reiected by their owne side 287. Bellarmine buildeth his church gouernment vpon Tropes 302 W. The two witnesses Apoc 11. not agreed on 85. The vncerteyne certaintie of the end of the world 91. Z. ZAcharie supposed to depose Childericke but did not 256. FJNIS
the order to the spiritualties as very learned and holy Catholicke fathers haue deliuered I am not ignorant what was attempted lately by George Blackwell the Archpriest with certaine answeres of his to weaken and cut in sunder all the sinewes of ecclesiasticall excommunication Neither that onely Blackwell accompted an Apostata but hath broken and cut off as it were the ioyntes of the Popes two armes not that of his supreame authoritie spirituall and ecclesiasticall but of his ciuill and imperiall power which the Romane Byshop hath receiued from Christ and hath exercised vpon the earth vnder Christ But the timerous old man and wretched Apostata did not so much hurt by his fact as by his example which gaue occasion of a very foule schisme to you the Catholicke laickes whose constancie the Christian world did much commend Heere Calander you are too testie said he Saturnine § 75 who strait-way call me a Renegate when I neuer fell from the Catholicke faith onely because I refused and reiected certaine false Catholicke errors brought in by a companie of factious fellowes certaine claubackes of the Pope But because your heate hath carried you so farre to accuse the reuerend old man George Blackwell as a wretched Apostata and a Captaine of schisme I will intreat Velbacellus that hee answere somewhat not for mee only but much more for our Archpriest his antient friend Then Velbacellus Truly said hee when I am vnwilling § 76 at any time to dissent from my brethren then neuer more vnwilling then at this time when ill happe hath made our aduersaries beholders of our disorders But because I thinke it not fit Calander to neglect your authoritie and withall haue purposed to satisfie both your conscience and mine in this worthy businesse of religion I will doe as you aduise me Two popish meanes to ouerthrow Princes These are as you say Saturnine the two ingines the Romane Byshoppes haue vsed to ouerthrow Princes the one ecclesiasticall excommunication the other ciuill and imperiall authoritie What was the force and nature of excommunication they were not Ignorant they knew it was giuen to binde sinnes not scepters as Patriotta did truely dispute out of our own men Which first when Gregorie the 7. was Pope as he did rightly obserue out of Frisingensis Sigebert and Vincentius all ours brought foorth those monstrous effectes the deposing of Kings the absoluing of subiectes and the styrring of them vp to take armes against their Prince with which this present Oath of allegeance doth meete Whose successours fearing that ecclesiasticall excommunication in processe of time would loose not that natiue and inherent power but that vnnaturall and borrowed in the opinion of men they assumed that ciuill as you call it and imperiall power giuen by the Canonists for the increase of their owne authoritie as if it had beene bestowed by Christ himselfe § 77 For the old Canonists did first make them Lords of all the temporalties and sayd that the supreame iurisdiction not in spirituall things onely but in temporall things also did belong to Peters successours whose worme eaten assertions and such as long agoe were hist out by the more sober Papists certaine men not vnlearned haue lately renued and haue set them out publikely in printed bookes for found and Catholike doctrine and haue very stoutly defended them Whereof some a Franci Bozius de temp eccles monarch lib. 1. cap. 3. fol. 98. as you say defend the Bishop of Rome to bee directly Lord of things temporall one and the same to bee the Ruler and Monarch of the world That b Baron annal tom 1. ann 57. pag. 423. 433. Christ as hee receiued all Iudiciall power from the Father and vnited it with his Preist-hood when he meant to settle a Kingly Preist-hood in the Church put it ouer to Peter and his successours and that as Christ was King of Kings and Lord of Lords so the Church ought to be Queene and Lady of all and if the husband must be Lord of all the temporalties the spouse must be Ladie of all likewise that all temporall Princely power did first reside in the soule of Christ then in the Church the Queene of the world and from thence it did flow to others that were faithfull or vnfaithfull as from a fountaine c Thom. Bozi de iure statu praefat ad Aldobran That this spouse of Christ Queene of the world as often as the order of the vniuersall doth require it can transferre the proper right of one to another as a secular Prince for the adorning of a city may plucke downe priuate mens houses and may doe it by Law although hee haue not erred by whom such rights were translated to others So the Pope gaue the Indies to the Spaniards d Isodor Mosco de maiest mili Eccles pag. 670 All dominion do hold of the Church and of the Pope the head of the Church And that authority is to be considered in the Pope power in Emperours and Kings for power doth depend of authority that true e Care de potest Rom. Pont. pag. 9. Difference betweene power and authority Idem pag. 111. iust and ordinate from God and meere dominion as well in spirituall things as in temporall is fetcht by Christ and the same is committed to S. Peter and his successours that Christ was Lord of all these inferiour things not onely as hee was God but also as he was man hauing at that time dominion in the earth and therefore as the dominion of the world both diuine and humane was then in Christ as man so now it is in the Pope the Vicar of Christ As God may be called by a secondary meanes the temporall Gouernour and Monarch of the world though in himselfe principally hee bee neither temporall nor of the world Idem pag. 112. so the Pope may bee sayd to bee the temporall Lord and Monarch although his power be a certaine spirituall thing That Christ when hee had performed the mysterie of our redemption as a King gaue Peter the gouernment of his kingdome and that holy Peter did vse that power against Ananias and Sapphira That Christ as he is directly the Lord of the world in temporall things and therefore that the Pope Christs Vicar is the like that hee set out an immutable truth by the sole comming of Peter to Christ vpon the water Pag. 151. and that the vniuersall gouernment which is signified by the sea was committed to Peter and his successors that diuers powers and authorities were giuen of God but that all did depend vpon the supreme authority of the Pope and that they take their light from thence as the starres doe from the Sunne § 78 And as God is the supreme Monarch of the world productiuely and gubernatiuely Pag. 145. although of himselfe he be neither of the world nor temporall so the Pope although originally and from himselfe hee haue dominion ouer all things temporall yet he hath
no errors The Pope of Rome doth erre by the Papists iudgement Peter de Aliaco a Cardinall Adrianus Pope The three Legates of the Trent councel I wonder that Peter de Aliaco a very learned Cardinall granted that there were many things not only in manners but in faith had neede of reformation Why did Adrian the sixt ill touching the fountaine it selfe say that all mischiefe came from the cheife Byshoppe into the whole Church and promised reformation of all things by his Legate Cheregatus to the Germaines I wonder also why the three Legates in the Councell of Trent did apply that Prophesie of Ieremy to themselues and to the popish people This people haue committed two great euills They haue forsaken mee saith the Lord the fountaine of liuing water and haue digged to themselues cisternes that can hold no water And in the Councell it selfe Cornelius the Byshoppe of Bitont did openly acknowledge the Apostasie of the Church of Rome in the chiefe heades both of doctrine and life I would to God saith he that they had not falne wholy from religion to superstition from faith to infidelitie from Christ to Antichrist from God to Epicurisme saying out of a wicked heart and with an impure mouth There is no God Neither did any Shepheard or Pope care for these things For all of them sought their owne and not one of them all sought for those things that belong to Iesus Christ § 137 I wonder also why after that Councell many not onely priuate Doctours did plucke in peeces the decrees of that Councell as Sixtus Senensis Canus The councell of Trent reiected by their owne side Lindanus the Byshoppe Catharinus Pighius Ouander Ferus and many more but Pope Pius himselfe confest that the worshippe of the Church of Rome had much swarued by continuance of time from the ancient institution Therefore these reuerend Doctours Cardinalls and holy Byshoppes doe giue mee both cause and leaue greatly to doubt Neither doe I desire only that the chiefe Articles of immediate Reuelation be discust which I embrace with all faith and reuerence but these articles of the second sort which are supposed to be fetcht from the first and in truth doe altogether ouerthrow them For whereas by the aduice of Austen the simplicitie of beleeuing noâ— the quickenesse of vnderstanding is required not an humble desire of learning things necessarie but a curious desire to seeke after high mysteries is forbidden by him For the simplicitie of beleife Implicite faith blinde Idoll doth as well shut out brutish ignorance as presumptuous knowledge I can therefore no longer adore that blinde Idoll implicite faith whereby we are taught to receiue with all reuerence what the Church teacheth and to beleeue as the Church beleeueth though wee doe not well know what the Church beleeueth Bellarm de iustific lib. 1. cap. 7. Neither can I giue credit to Bellarmine saying that faith doth consist in the assent not in knowledge and may better be defined by ignorance then vnderstanding Whence our learned aduersaries do too truly conclude that as Cleargy poperie was before nothing else but a catechisme of treason so Laicke-popery was nothing else but meere idiotisme and as they worthily laugh at the fox-like craft of our Doctors so likewise the asse-headed ignorance of our schollers Such faith which the colliar had so commended by Staphilus A certaine colliar being at the poynt of death Apolâ—g Staphi pars 1. pag. 53. was tempted by the Diuell and demanded what faith he held the colliar answered I beleeue and die in the faith of the Church of Christ The Colliars faith And beeing againe demanded what was the faith of the Church answered as it § 138 were in a circle it is that faith that I holde and so the Diuell being vanquished by this answer fled away if we may beleeue Staphilus Therfore the faith of a Romish Catholike is the Colliars faith that is a circular faith I pray you Saturnine teach mee first before I giue my assent and write to that reuerend Bellarmine that hee will prouide that implicite faith which is nothing else but blinde and affected ignorance bee put out of the creede wherewith the grauity and wisdome of the Catholike religion is greatly defaced I haue learnt at last to distinguish between the fictions of mans braine and the doctrines of Christian faith the foundations wherof are not the opinions of men but the oracles of God and those which are committed to writing by the Prophets and Apostles by inspiration of God wherein all necessarie principles of faith and precepts of life are plentifully contained as I heare it affirmed by the fathers Let vs now come to the creed § 139 Wherein first I demand whether the supremacy of Peter with such things as depend thereon haue her foundation directly in the Scripture as the Cardinall writeth in Tortus For I hold no doctrin necessary to be beleeued vnlesse it bee founded on the Scripture as Pope Gregorie the first reacheth I am a bad Text-man and I reade the bookes of the Prophets and Apostles but seldome the reading whereof the Church hath forbidden to vs lay-men fearing lest by reading we should fall into heresies But I am both ashamed and repent of that my ignorance and negligence Yet I leaue not off to reuerence the fathers both olde and new whose sonne I professe my felfe to bee and not their seruant I account them for schollers in the Scripture not masters witnesses and interpreters thereof not arbitrators and iudges Neither am I so much mooued with their names as with their reasons I seeke not then what they bring out of themselues but what they prooue out of the Scripture in the cause of faith I will henceforth admit of no definition of the Church vnlesse it relie vpon a manifest testimonie of holy Scripture or at the least a necessarie conclusion drawen from thence I will not haue the matter ordered by bare authority but let thing with thing cause with cause and reason striue with reason neither am I led with the number of arguments but with the waight * Number doth oppresse the memory waight doth beget knowledge Neither am I delighted with circumstances I desire breuity And I will preferre one sound argument shortly and directly concluded out of the Scripture before all the quirkes of men brought for pompe and shew Neither will I suffer any of you to leape from this one poynt to another before I see this bee fully sifted and discussed among you Buckle vp your selfe therefore Saturnine to set the onset and confirme the supremacy of Peter and the succession of the Pope and that power which you say is annext to the supremacie out of the holy Scripture but that you may not swarue from the state of the question remember that you are to prooue the primacy not of order and distinction which is granted to Peter but the primacy of power and iurisdiction which is denied For
this is as Bellarmine saith the cheife point of the Catholike faith and the cheife foundation of all religion Then Saturnine you doe too much restraine saith § 140 he Scripture alone hurtfull to the Romish Church Calander the Catholike faith if you keep it within the compasse of the Scripture For if you admit of Scripture onely it doth goe ill with the Catholike Church as Paul the fift did wisely answer the Venetian Ambassadour Yet I will doe as you will haue mee and I will comprehend these three together the primacy of Peter the succession and power of the Pope For the Church could not long stand without a Primate and Prince nor a Prince without a successour nor a successour without a supreme power I will giue you the keies Matth. 16. Whatsoeuer you binde or whatsoeuer you loose Feede my sheepe feede my Lambes Ioh. 21. What they meant by Popish keies What by feeding When Christ therefore promised the keies of the Kingdome of heauen to Peter alone that is to the Church hee promiseth the principallity When hee committed the power of binding and loosing to Peter alone hee committed the power of the keyes When hee gaue the charge to Peter alone to feede the whole flocke hee gaue him the principallity Therefore the primacy was there promised heere it was giuen For as he that receiues the keies of a city receiues the gouernment of the city so he that hath receiued the keyes of the Church hath receiued the gouernment of the Church And because to feede is the same which to gouerne and onely Peter is commanded to feede not some but all therefore onely Peter receiued the promise first in those words to gouerne the whole Church Wherein there is ioyned to the threefold confession of his loue What to loose bind a twofold confirmation of honour but those words of Christ ioyned to the primacie do prooue the power of excommunicating which was directed to Peter alone whatsoeuer you shall binde and whatsoeuer you shall loose And that twofold one of binding Kings the other of loosing subiects not onely from sinnes but from vowes lawes and oathes For in those words whose sinnes ye remit or the power of order is giuen to all Io. 20. limited ouer sinne But in those words whatsoeuer you shall binde and whatsoeuer you shall loose there is a power not limited and vniuersall giuen to Peter alone not restreyned to sinnes not to persons because he doth not say whomsoeuer but whatsoeuer Whence it followeth that Iames the King of Great Britanie doth either not belong at all to the sheepfold of Christ or that he is subiect to Peter and to his successor the Bishop of Rome the chiefe Pastor as well as the King of France and Spaine that as Kings catholike Kings very sawcily resembled to Rams and Wolues but euill as vnruly Rammes so hereticall Princes as rauening wolues are iustly to be driuen by him out of the fould depriued of all gouernment the Lords being bound that they rule no longer the subiects are loose that they obey no longer Here Patriot An egge saith he is not so like an § 141 egge as Saturnine to Bellarmine who as if he had distrusted that the primacie and principalitie of Peter could be proued out of one place huddled three together whereby he boasted in Tortus that it was most plainly founded Here before I weigh Saturnines argument I purpose to marke the popish Doctors wrangling among themselues by what Text of Scripture the supremacie of Peter is said to be giuen vnto him Cardinall Contarenus saith it was giuen Contar de Sacra Christ. leg l. 3. p. 203. Bellar de Rom. Pont. lib. 1. cap. 12. Câ—nterane and Bellarmine 2. Cardinals at a farre when Christ said to Peter I will giue thee the keyes Cardinall Bellarmine contradicteth Contarene and denieth that the keyes were then giuen but promised and that the gift of supremacie was graunted with the keyes Ioh 21. when Christ said to him Feed my sheepe as Saturnine obserued more subtilly than truly saith Contarene But there is no more promised to Peter Matt 16 than was giuen to all the Apostles Ioh 10 as Christ the best interpreter expounded that his whatsoeuer you shall loose spoken to Peter in those words whose sinnes soeuer you remit speaking to all his Apostle And taught that all this power of the keyes was both common to all the Apostles and directly restrained to sinnes as Ambrose Austin Theophylact and Bernard thought Therefore the supremacie of Peter was not founded vpon the keyes § 142 But marke I pray you the singular subtlety of Bellarmine in this place which Saturnine also vsed In the first words is vnderstood the vnlimited power of iurisdiction giuen to Peter alone not restreyned to sinnes or to persons because he saith not whomsoeuer but whatsoeuer in the second words the power of order limited ouer sinne communicated to all O admirable witty interpretation The Bishop therefore may set open any prison resolue any hard doubt for that generall word Whatsoeuer you shall loose doth plainly conteyne all these things vnder it The right interpretation of the keies Those things are knowne and common which the Fathers both old and new both the popish and our owne haue left written in their Commentaries of the proper and true sense of the keyes all of them did comprehend the right of the keyes and the power of binding and loosing within the remitting and reteyning of sinnes the key wherewith heauen is opened or shut they make to be the interpretation of the Law as Tertullian the knowledge of the Scriptures as Chrysostome appointed for sinnes not Seignories as Bernard giuen to all Ministers that they may binde and loose that they may reteyne or remit sinnes as out of Christ Ambrose Austin Theophylact that they might rightly out and diuide the word of wrath and the word of grace as St Paul that to the obstinate this to the penitent The key of knowledge doth direct the key of power .i. the force of doctrine the execution of discipline whereby the obstinate are shut out and the penitent are reconciled Two keyes of order and iurisdiction This is the force this is the vse of the keyes whereof the Fathers made two the one of Order the other of Iurisdiction The key of order the power of the Ministerie whereby they preach the Gospell administer the Sacraments and by the preaching of the Gospell remit or reteyne sinnes The key of Iurisdiction the power of restreyning sinners by excommunication that is by expelling the obstinate out of the Church and receiuing the penitent Concil Colo sub Herman Sacra confess Concil Colon. sub Adulpho as Gropper in his booke of the Councell of Coleyne vnder Hermannus and Adulphus who said that ech key did not belong to Peter alone but was transferd to all the Apostles and their successors And Cusanus long before that Nothing said he is spoken to
Peter that is not spoken to others for as it is said to Peter Cusan a Cardinall against Bellarmine whatsoeuer thou shalt binde so it is said to others whatsoeuer yee shall binde Here you haue Cusan opposite to Bellarmine a Cardinall to a Cardinall One Peter you will say receiued the keyes but he receiued them not as one man but as the vnitie of the Church as Pius the second said Pius 2. a Pope against Bellarmine Here you haue a Pope opposite to a Cardinall Peter receiued them not as in his owne person but as in the person of the Church For if this be said to Peter only I will giue thee the keyes the Church hath them not If the Church haue them Peter when he tooke the keyes signified the whole Church as Austin taught Tract 14. in Joh. Then Caietane the Cardinall when he could not rid himselfe out of these straites If we speake saith he formally and properly the keyes promised to Peter are aboue the keyes of order and iurisdiction But this saith Cardinall Bellarmine is not true for it was neuer heard of in the Church that there were more keyes in the Church then two which hee doth as well grant to all the Apostles as to Peter Whence I thus argue against Bellarmine Peter receiued no other power than that which was promised in the keyes as Bellarmine saith But the rest of the Apostles had all that power as the Fathers and the learneder Papists teach and Bellarmine whether he will or no doth confes Therefore Peter had no other power than the rest of the Apostles Yet Bellarmine hath a tricke how to scape hee saith § 143 that the keyes were giuen to Peter immediately to the rest mediately by Peter With hundred chaines binde fast the man And yet this flye ladd Proteus Will still escape doe what you can And yet he shall not escape for if the keyes were giuen mediately to the rest by Peter they should open and shut binde and loose not in Christs name but in Peters name Then how can that be true which Paul writeth of himselfe Paul the Apostle neither from men nor by man but by Iesus Christ For if we credit Bellarmine he came mediately either from the man Peter or by the man Peter How doth Paul affirme that he was not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles as who had receiued both his doctrine and his vocation immediately with them from Christ Will the Cardinall then father a lye vpon the Apostle and labour to proue that Paul did mediately receiue the keyes from Peter All the Apostles receiued the keyes from Christ the spirit descended vpon all the Apostles in fiery tongues All the Apostles receiued the keyes and fiery tongues from Christ All the Apostles are pillars All the Apostles are said to be the pillars of the Church as the Fathers obserued out of the Scripture What Did Bellarmine read that to Peter was giuen a greater and a better key than to the rest of the Apostles Hath he heard that a larger and a more shining fiery tongue than the rest sate vpon Paters head as the prince then vpon the other Apostles heads Hath he learn'd that of twelue pillars one was set more firme and surer than all the rest that the house might be more supported by that than by the rest which if Bellarmine knew not let him leaue of to play the foole and to tell vs that the power was giuen to Peter immediatly from Christ and to the rest mediately by Peter as it were by assignment Marke I beseech you Calander I cannot say whether more wicked or more ridiculous consequences follow necessarily out of this place of the keyes The keyes are promised to Peter § 144 Therefore to none but to Peter Wicked and ridiculous coÌ„clusions Two keyes were giuen as badges of the ministerie Therefore three Crownes as badges of the Empire For when Christ gaue the keyes he gaue principalitie as Bellarmine saith Peter receiued the keyes of the kingdom of heauen Therefore of earthly kingdomes Peter can exclude Kings hereticall out of heauen Therefore out of their thrones He can binde sinnes Therefore Scepters He can shew his power in offences Therefore in possessions He can release penitent men from their sinnes Therefore trayterous subiects from their oathes He hath a key wherewith he doth loose the sinnes of Kings Therefore he hath a club wherewith he may breake their heads So Bellarmine hath changed Peters key into Hercules club He can loose and binde any thing He can therefore as Oedipus loose any riddle he can binde Turkes and beares These consequences proue that a King is not to be depriued of his kingdom for heresie but that the Cardinall is depriued of his wit for phrensie Peters key is altogether the key of heauen whereby by the preaching of the eternall Gospell hee hath opened heauen to the faithfull and penitent and shut it to the vnfaithfull and impenitent which the Pope the counterfet successor of Peter doth vse otherwise as somtime an elegant Poet played vpon this princely porter I should not maruaile much Doctor Giles Fletcher If that the Popes good grace Did happily beare the key Of that darke stigian place For he enriched hath that place with many an elfe And opened wide hell gate And entred in himselfe But sith that heauen and hell Are set so far asunder That he should beare the key Of heauen it is a wonder But now t is none at all From heauen he all shuts out And â—pes the gate of hell And letteth in that rout As the falling starre in the prophecie of Iohn he hath changed the key of heauen into the key of the bottomles pit § 145 Bellarmine being driuen from the keyes must needs betake himselfe to that his hold Feede my sheepe Why then good Sir why do you vrge this place of the keyes any more for the supremacie whereby nothing was promised more to Peter than was granted to all the Apostles as the Fathers both old and new both strangers and your owne do apprarantly proue But in this place because to feed is the same with to rule and Peter alone is commanded to feed the sheep not some but all therefore to Peter alone is giuen the principalitie ouer the whole Church being armed with a double sword with a double power spirituall and temporall which the old man saw I beleeue as lunatike Pentheus by fitts saw Two seuerall Sunnes two seuerall Moones appeare which the Fathers both old and new being of a more setled wit Bellarmines pride in making a Cardinall equall to a King and sharper insight could neuer see But Bellarmine thinketh so gaily of the pastorall vocation that in respect thereof he preferreth a Bishop before a King as a sheepheard before a sheepe which perhaps he had well concluded if Christ had said to Peter Feed thy sheepe he said it not but feede my sheepe But he doth not only prefer a Bishop before
and the feete I would faine know whom they vnderstand to be the feete of the Church Some take them to bee Kings Inquitie after the inferiour members as Cardinall Poole some for learned men as Turriane most of all the Iesuits of his owne order Kinges who with their gouernment may sustaine this putrified head Iesuites who may doe the like with their wittes and may carrie it ouer among the Indies to domineer in the new found world To the which feete the Pope cannot truely say I haue no neede of you and therefore he giueth greater credit to the Iesuites then to those idle paunches the Monkes who in their howerly praiers spend their whole time in mumbling on their beads That that also may agree with the argument of your head which Paul hath in the same place that the greatest honor is put vpon the dishonestest members hence it may be other orders will conclude that the Iesuites are more dishonest then all the rest of the Monkes But I demand why there should not be many ministeriall heades when there be many ministeriall feete where be the two eyes wherby this metaphoricall head without braines may prye into the secrets of Kinges where be the two eares whereby they may listen after all reports where be the two hands whereby they may rake and gather in all mens monies if you answere that two are not necessarie for the head when the head hath many more we confesse that it is better for your head to encrease his treasure then to make good the argument For a duality of these members are more necessarie to make the vnitie of the head that a fit proportion may be reserued But this so honorable a title the head of the Church § 167 the head of faith being proper to Christ who liueth and raigneth in the heauens To make the Pope head is blasphemie so that hee bee present in earth with his Church with his maiestie and spirit yea that hee is within his Church to giue life and gouerne the same with his word to haue this communicable with a mortall man and a sinner cannot bee done without blasphemous contumelie Some thinges in Bellarmine are blasphemous some are friuolous these are both blasphemous and friuolous as this argument drawne from a metaphoricall head whereon the supremacy the cheifest foundation of their catholike religion doth depend And here see I pray you what discreet men may suspect who think the Cardinal to be learned they yeld so much to his wit that rather then they will thinke him to be a foolish disputer they take him as it seemes to be a secret betrayer of the cause He defends his head with so withered forces and ridiculous arguments that without any resistance of the Aduersarie hee will fall to the ground by his owne weaknesse That which the Oratour said to Mar. Callidius Cicer. in Bruto negligently and coldly defending the cause of his owne head and life Thou Mar. Callidius vnlesse thou dissemblest thou wouldst not thus plead This may more rightly bee spoken to this worthy patron of his head Thou Bellarmine if thou thoughtst as thou speakest wouldst thou handle a case of such importance so lazily so loosely For whereas out of the premisses Saturnine you gather a different beginning with Bellarmine of Ecclesiasticall and secular gouernment and from the diuers beginning of each power do draw a diuers nature of obedience due to each power and doe propound the twofold vse of this article to bee considered of all Catholikes because all this discourse doth so neerely touch the Kings crown dignity I leaue it to be discussed by Regius our Counseller wherefore Calander you are to entreat him that he would tell vs what he thinks in this matter and ease me of the labor of farther disputing § 168 Then Calander truely said hee when I diligently marke all the parts of your answer I perceiue little or nothing making for this our vniuersall Ecclesiasticall Prince to be in the text For if Christ gaue the key not a scepter as well to all the Apostles and Ministers as to Peter and gaue a Bishops staffe not a sword and ordained Peter not to bee the head but a member and not the foundation of the building but a worke man as not onely many ancient but Popish interpreters of the Scripture doe teach with one consent where I pray you shall I finde grounded plainely vpon the text that vniuersall Church gouernment as they call it vnlesse peraduenture we may call Peter the Prince of the Apostles as we call Homer the Prince of Poets Demosthenes the Prince of Oratours and Plato the Prince of Philosophers Wherefore my good friend Charles I entreat thee that as Patriott hath layd open the truth of God obscured by diuers sophismes so you would free the dignity of Princes being defaced by Popish vsurpation as it becommeth one that is of counsell with the King which I euer held more deere to mee then my life euen then when I was most nousled vp in popery Then Regius All power said he is from God it is Either Ordained And that two fold Ecclesiasticall § 169 Secular The diuision of power Tolerated The Ecclesiasticall 1. If you respect Christ it is Monarchicall or gouerned by one for all power is giuen to him alone by the father both in heauen and earth 2. If you respect men is is Aristocraticall or gouerned by many and those the cheifest as Patriott confirmed out of Paul Therefore this your spirituall Prince Saturnine chosen a Monarch by himselfe a King at his owne pleasure a supposed Vicar of Christ an vniuersall Bishop ordained not by Christ the maintainer of Kings but by Phocas the murtherer of kings at that very time when as Mahomet that false Prophet his brother came into the world successor not of Peter but of Romulus what power hee hath immediately to rule ouer Kings when Peter himselfe had none at all I vnderstand that it is but tolerated As the Dragon hath from whom the two horned beast tooke all his power as Iohn testifieth in the Apocalyps Therefore this power is not ordained but tolerated not for the comfort of the world but for the plague not an holy ordinance but to bee a scourge for the Saints But there is a certaine spirituall power immediately from God True but that which promotes the Kingdome of light not that which promotes the Kingdome of darknesse which is immediately from the Diuell such as the wofull experience of many ages hath proued you Popish power to be Therfore to your spirituall Prince holding the seate of the Dragon spirituall obedience is no more due to him then to the Dragon § 170 But secular power whether it consist in many in few or in one although it be in Nero yet it is immediately ordained of God as Paul hath taught and to that purpose is called by him the ordinance of God But that Secular power from God will some say
Byshoppe and by the power and authoritie of the King § 180 There are some who foolishly compare these two together there are other who doe wickedly mingle them together so that one doth destroy the other which God hath most wisely ioyned together that one should helpe the other Now this spirituall power if you respect Christ Ephes 4. is monarchicall vnder him alone if men it is aristocraticall vnder many as wee shewed out of Paul The ciuill is of three sorts Either belonging to the People Princes or cheife King Which last when wee set foorth wee disgrace not the rest The duty of a Byshoppe It cannot be denied but that the byshoppe in his spirituall perfection and comfort doth excell the King for God doth not appoint the King but the byshoppe to bee the seedsman of his word the Messenger of his grace the disposer of the mysteries of his kingdome But in the outward authoritie and power of compelling the King doth excell the byshoppe while hee commandes that which God alloweth Neither do I so preferre the ciuill gouernment before the spirituall but do affirme that the same God who teacheth those that be simple and draw such as be willing by the mouth of the minister doth draw those that bee negligent and constraine such as be retractory by the sword of the magistrate whom the spirit and God of the spirits hath ordained to that purpose Yea truly they who set the ciuill gouernment behind the spirituall simply as the body behinde the soule and the flesh behinde the spirit do make a very fleshly comparison betweene Kings and Byshoppes vnlesse they imagine Byshoppes to be without bodies and Kinges without soules And who so inferre thereupon that a godly king cannot inflict a punishment vpon a wicked Priest doe deface holinesse in the King as a matter temporall and aduance wickednesse in a Priest as a matter spirituall And who thence conclude that a Christian King cannot promote holy rites by his lawes as well as a minister can by his doctrine and censure giue more without cause to the shauing of a Priest then to the character of Baptisme and do foolishly preferre priestly annointing before the Princely And they seeme not wel to vnderstand what those excellent lights of the world Constantine Iustinian Theodosius Valentinian Gratian Zeno Charles the great Lâ—wes his sonne and Lothary his nephew and many other Kings and Emperors did out of Gods word iustly commaund Byshoppes in causes ecclesiasticall and wherein they did obey Byshoppes as was made manifest before But the Byshoppe hath power from God to gouerne § 181 the Church as is before said therefore aboue the King in the gouernment of the Church I distinguish of the gouernment One was Inward Outward It is one thing to administer the inward another thing to order it In the administration of the inward gouernment a Byshoppe doth excell a King in the ordering of it a King doth excell a Byshop I confesse a Pastor is superiour in feeding so Carpenters in building and Mariners in sayling are aboue a Prince A Priest not aboue a Prince What then are they simply better It is a fallacy from that which is in part to that which is simply But the actions of a Byshoppe are more excellent then the workes of a King as the preaching of the word the administration of the Sacraments the remitting and retaining of sinnes Therefore a Byshoppe doth excell a King But the working and perfection of these things doth depend not vpon the arbitrement of the Byshop but the commandement of God August cont Cres lib. 4. c. 6. Ambros There is a double spirituall power 1 Ministeriall of men 2 Imperiall of God Therefore the credit of these actions must serue the glory of God not the honour of the Priest The spirituall worke is of God A Byshoppe great not in respect of his person but doctrine the bodily seruice is of the Minister Men in the remission of sinnes doe not exercise the right of power but doe exercise their Ministerie They pray God doth grant The ministerie is from men the gift from an heauenly power The reason therefore drawne from the perfection of heauenly graces in the Church to preferre the person of a Priest before the person of a Prince is very weake because the subiection due to the sword is annexed to the person of the Prince the worthinesse and power due to the key is not annexed to the person of the Byshoppe but to his doctrine § 182 By Gods law obedience is due to each For hee that saith keepe the commandement of the King saith likewise obey your Prelates who watch ouer your soules But we are to hold this that here are not to be vnderstood by Prelates Popes and Cardinalls who obtrude their owne inuentions vpon vs but holy and Christian Byshops and Pastors who deliuer the word of God vnto vs as the Apostle addeth for wee are not tyed to the decrees of Doctours but to the oracles of God Therefore the obedience required is not the outward subiection to the person of the Priest but an inward submission to the doctrin of Christ and an allowance and practise of the same For in respect of the person Byshoppes are called seruantes and their function is called a Ministery as I said Therefore the greatest King is bound to beleeue and obey the least seruant of God deliuering his Lords will And he oweth that subiection to the Lord not to his Messenger to his doctrine not to his person For hee commeth not in his own but in the Lords name which may be as truely said of the meanest Minister as of the greatest Byshoppe What a Byshop may do A Byshoppe therefore may teach a King that is ignorant may reproue him being an Hereticke as the Prophet did Ieroboam king of Iuda may admonish him being of a bad life as Iohn did Herod may correct him being a Tyrant as Elias did Ahab may reprehend him being otherwise good if hee doe openly and greeuously trangresse as Nathan did Dauid and depriue him of the sacrament of grace while he repent as Ambrose did Theodosius But whether he can remoue him from the companie of his faithfull subiects by excommunication it is a great question and diuersly discussed by the Fathers They who hold it may be done by the Byshop do denie for all that that the King by him may bee put from the obedience of his subiectes much lesse being excommunicated bee abandoned by his subiects and killed either by open force or secret treacherie as certaine of the popish sort doe hold I say certaine for the honester sort decree otherwise and commit the King to the Byshoppes cure submit him not to his Court. For the King is the Lords seruant and the Byshoppes Lord as I said before subiect to the Byshoppes pulpit not his consistorie that he may be directed by him not iudged by him A Byshoppe is appointed to perswade not compell not to gape