Pope acknowledging him the Prince and Head of Gods Holy Priests You make Laws in defiance of him pulling of him down as a Spiritual Usurper They made Laws which were according to his Approbation the Rules and Definitions of the Church backing the Spiritual with the Temporal Sword You make Laws in affront to him and against the Decrees of the Church Thus you see their proceedings herein have no affinity with Henry the Eighth's Headship nor with Edward the Sixth's Reformation of the Ecclesiastick Laws nor with Queen Eliz. New Articles and Canons But that you may more be convinc'd herein I shall give you a few Patterns of these Emperors Decrees which at your leisure you may confront with those of your party and see how they quadrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justinian Novel 131. We enact that according to their own Sanctions the most Holy Pope of Old Rome be the Prince of High-Priests And in his Decrees about Justiniana he acknowledges therein to have followed the Definitions of Pope Vigilius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Justin eod Lib. 7. he says thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither will we suffer any thing which belongs to to the State of the Church not to be referr'd to your Holiness as being the Head of all the Holy Priests of God As for Theodosius I find in Sozom. L. 7. C. 4. that he put out an Edict Commanding that Religion which Pope Damasus had preserv'd as deliver'd to him by St. Peter should be observ'd enjoining all his Subjects to embrace it I can find no Edict of his for reforming and altering it This he enjoyn'd those under him to be of under penalty of being reputed Hereticks and Infamous and deservers of Punishment Thus much Power in Church-Affairs is still granted every King and to speak the Truth 't is their Duty to defend the Church by their Temporal Power against Heresie and Schism By such Actions as these they purchase to themselves the glorious Title of Nursing Fathers and Propugnators not by usurping Authority over the Church depluming its Head of that Power which Christ invested him with and appropriating it to themselves changing Articles of Belief establish'd by General Councils and Antient Traditionary Truths handed down from Father to Son these are Actions unpresidented by any well instructed Christian Emperor who I find to be very cautious touching Church-Affairs as you may perceive by the Answer of the Emperor Valentinian to the Bishop of Heraclea Sozom. Lib. 6. C. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not lawful for me who am one of the Laity to concern my self about such things After this vagrancy of your Roving Fancy you begin to think of home and being return'd into your own Countrey you affirm of our English Kings that Church-Affairs were both de facto jure govern'd by them This if you shall ever be able to prove out of good Authors you will certainly deserve the Palm for an admirable Historian I have already prov'd that Church-Matters do belong to the Spiritual not to the Temporal Power and that these two Governments are distinct and for this I have the Authority of St. Chrysost who in his Hom. 4. de verbis Isaiae in Vidi Dominum says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There be other limits of a Kingdom and other limits of the Priesthood but this is greater than that As for Matter of Fact I will not deny but that some Princes before Henry the Eighth irritated either by their Passion or allur'd by a curiosity of intermedling with what did not appertain to them have intrench'd upon the Immunities of the Church and asserting a pretended Right have clashed with the Roman Bishop and medled de facto with Church-Matters but quo jure is the Question You cannot prove a right of Power by proving an exercise of Power unless it be allow'd of for granted That whatever a King do's is lawful Their Quarrels with the Pope were chiefly about Investitures and disposal of Bishopricks They did not deny his Supremacy in Spirituals or if they quarrelled with any particular Pope they did not attempt the abolishing of Papacy A Pope may be to blame and so may a King but neither of these Institutions as Sacred ought to be abrogated for the faults of Men. But to bring the parrallel home to your Case Did our Kings before Henry the Eighth make themselves absolute Heads of the Church immediately under Christ Did they challenge as innate to their Crowns Supreme Power in all Cases both Spiritual and Civil Did they rob the Pope of his Power and assume Papal Jurisdiction Did they vendicate to themselves Authority in Church Affairs ordering Laymen Vicar Generals in Spiritualities as Cromwell was who sat in the Convocation-House amongst the Bishops as Head over them This would to them have appear'd as new and monstrous a sight as ever was brought out of Africa Suppose they clash'd with the Church of Rome did they ever part from her and all other Christian Churches besides as you did in your Reformation making Laws to reverse Decrees of General Councils changing Religion and altering Articles of Belief Did they pick Quarrels with the Church and then Sacrilegiously seize on her Lands and Goods Sacrificing to their fury as many Churchmen as would not comply with their Nefarious Oaths Demolishing Religious Houses violating Sacred Orders Was any thing of this nature acted in the days of Henry the Seventh or of those brave Princes before him But I shall not proceed further on this Point we having at present a King granted us by the indulgent benignity of Heaven who well knows how to distinguish betwixt the Rights of the Church and his own Royal Right betwixt what belongs to God and what to Caesar what to the Miter and what to the Crown A most Religious Prince tracing the sure Footsteps of his Great Ancestors owning the Religion which his vast Kingdoms receiv'd at their forsaking Heathenism and Conversion to Christianity In a Right and proper Sense Defender of the true Catholick Apostolick Faith for defending whereof this Crown obtain'd that illustrious Title For this Prince Pietate insignis Armis no less Pious than Valiant no less Just than Good endued with all those Adorable Qualities which render him amongst Kings the most Conspicuous amongst Monarchs the most Renown'd we ought to be highly grateful to the Supreme God whose Lieutenant he is hoping that under so Gracious and Merciful a Prince we may be protected from our cruel inveterate Enemies and that now at length our Innocency may be a sufficient Shield to defend us from the false Oaths of Profligate Perjur'd Villains who have so long triumph'd over us bathing their wicked Hands in guiltless Blood And now having made mention of our Natural Liege Sovereign I shall conclude this Point with a Prayer for him according to the Platform of Tertullian wishing his Majesty Vitam prolixam Imperium securum Domum tutam Exercitus fortes Senatum fidelem Populum probum
p. 27 CHAP. IV. Of Transubstantiation p. 34 CHAP. V. Of Communion in one kind p. 43 CHAP. VI. Concerning Publick Prayers in Latin and of several other Points p. 50 CHAP. VII Concerning Protestants objecting Errors to the Church of Rome The Authors Apologie for himself His Advice to the Protestant Divine with some other Particulars p 56 PART II. CHAP. I. The Preface to St. Peter's Supremacy and whether St. Andrew knew Christ's Divinity before St. Peter p. 67 CHAP. II. The difference betwixt Nathaniel's and St. Peter's Confession of Christ and in what Sense St. Peter is said to be Os Apostolorum p. 74 CHAP. III. Whether the other Apostles knew Christs Divinity as soon as St. Peter Concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. John c. And concerning the Devils knowledge of Christ p. 86 CHAP. IV. Concerning Christs Reply to St. Peter's Answer Whether the Bishop of Rome's Supremacy be grounded on Scripture Of Christs being the Rock and St. Peter's being the Rock Of St. Austin's Interpretation of Super hanc Petram p. 95 CHAP. V. Concerning St. Peter's Faith or Confession being the Rock And how those Fathers who Interpret that to be the Rock Exclude not his Person p. 109 CHAP. VI. Concerning the other Apostles being Foundations Of Peters new Name given him by Christ Peter the Rock of the Church Of Origens Interpretation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all one The Inconvenience of Expounding Christ to be the Rock in this place p. 117 PART III. CHAP. I. Of the Keys That they denote Supreme Power Whether Sobna were High-Priest Of the High-Priests and Kings of the Jews Whether the Jewish Kings were Supreme in Church Affairs The differenoe betwixt the Jewish and Christian Priesthood p. 133 CHAP. II. Concerning the Sacerdotal and Regal Head Of Christian Emperors intermedling with Church Matters The Fathers Opinion of it Particular Emperors who are falsly affirm'd by Protestants to Act as Heads of the Church Of our English Kings Of Henry VIII Of this our present King James II. p. 144 CHAP. III. Of the Keys In what Sense St. Peter may be said to answer for the Rest That what Christ reply'd was directed immediately to Peter only In what Sense 't was extendible to the Rest How the other Apostles may be said to share in the Keys An Account of the Fathers who acknowledge St. Peter Paramount in the Keys The Exposition of St. Matt. 18. v. 18. and of St. John 20. v. 21. How the Church receiv'd the Keys in St. Austin's Sense Whether a Minister of the Protestant Church has the Power of the Keys With Advice to him p. 156 CHAP. IV. Of St. Peter's being call'd Satan And of his Denial p. 171 CHAP. V. The Introduction to Pasce Oves meas Of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wherein St. Peter exceeded the Rest as Pastor Whether Pasce Oves meas were an Exhortation or a Commission Why St. Peter was sorry for Christs thrice asking him The Reason of the trine Interrogation That the foregoing words were spoken immediately to St. Peter only p. 176 CHAP. VI. That St. Peter's surpassing love to Christ was the Foundation of his Prelation That Peter by vertue of Pasce Oves meas had Vniversal Jurisdiction Several nice Distinctions answered That the words Oves meas included the other Apostles That St. Peter was the only Supreme Pastor With an Apostrophe to him p. 190 CHAP. I. Containing the Introduction and concerning St. Peter's True Successor SIR I Had no sooner perused the Papers you sent me but by way of a Letter I imparted unto you my Sense of 'em and withal acquainted you that I would answer ' em But having at that time Imbarqu'd my self in a particular Study which my Genius warps to with a stronger propension than to Controversal Points in Divinity I could not prevail with my relucting Fancy to relinquish it and reassume Polemics till I had conducted it to a Completion But I need not make use of any excusive words for this my long silence matters of so high importance as I am now about to handle ought to be maturely perpended and not spurred on with a hurrying precipitancy However if the adjournment of this my rejoynder hath seem'd to you too long protracted I am content to afford you a proportion'd consideration for your forbearance which you shall find lapp'd up in these Papers As for Disputation I am not so much a forreigner to my self as to be ignorant of its being an imployment not only discordant to my Temper but surmounting my Abilities requiring a richer Exchequer of Learning than I can pretend to So I would not have you figure to your self that I catch at the name of a Disputant I yield that Dignity to those whose politer Temper and more embellish'd Parts entitle 'em to that Honor. But if my Talent did excell this way I should very unwillingly grapple with so topping an Antagonist as you are It might seem presumption in me who am but a Laic to enter the List and take up the Gantlet against so eminent a Controvertist But that which makes me more backward herein is my fear you being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of incurring the displeasure of the rest of your Coat who like the Bells in Joves Dodonean-Grove hang so close together that if one be touch'd all of 'em sound this inconvenience I have fully surrounded so I shall not here so much pretend to oppose you as to defend my self which in Honour I am oblig'd to do And I hope hereby I shall not disgust any Ingenuous Person for you having answered me so briskly and so convincingly as you fancy'd I could do no less than try whether your or my Opinion were erroneous and so expiscate the Truth which I find not to float on the Surface of the Well but to dive very deep according to the saying of Pyrrhon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Truth lies at the bottom It will then be my present employ to examine those Papers which I composed both for the Satisfaction and Defence of my Brother and withal to bring your Answer to a strict Disquisition this is my whole proponiment my pretensions aspiring to no more than what every Christian ought to have a short Scheme and Diagram of his Religion which is what St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such a Platform of Sound Doctrine is attainable by one of the Laity if he will bend his Mind to the Acquisition of it and not indulge himself in a lazy desidious acquiescency For as St. Chrysost affirms Serm. de Sigillis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Soul hath in it self the Seed of Divinity Now if it ever were necessary to possess such an abridgment of wholesome Principles 't is much more so in this humorous inquisitive Age which presents us with so many varieties of false Opinions dress'd up in the semblance of Truth that if a discerning Circumspection be not made use of the fallacy may pass
undiscover'd and whoever considers the vast differences amongst those who are in the attire of Christians their various and discrepant Judgments in Doctrinal Points and ritual Ceremonies and with what ardour every Sect endeavours to defend its Opinion and with what acrimony it opposes that of anothers must needs judge it absolutely necessary to purchase so much knowledge as to be able to shield himself from those many impostures which Prestigiators in Religion obtrude on credulous Persons under the livery of saving sound Doctrines This made Theoph. call false Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dicers or Coggers of Dice alluding to St. Paul's Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This setting topping the Die even in Temporals is pernicious enough being able to decoct and ruine the most flourishing Estate but in Eternals it is far more exitial and destructive as much as Spirituals transcend Temporals It will therefore highly concern every one to guard himself from the grand cheat of being impos'd on in matters of Religion and considering there is so much cozenage in the World to be cautious what Articles he admits as Sterling measuring his Faith by a sure Standard which is the Method I design to take in my ensuing Discourse not devoting my self to any Private Persons Opinion or Dictates but steering my course by the unerring Pharos of Antiquity The first Objection you make against my Treatise of St. Peter's Supremacy is That if his Monarchic Power were suppos'd the Bishop of Rome 's Succession in that Dignity could not be inferr'd any more than the Primates of Antioch c. This Opinion of yours I look on as erroneous for those Primates succeeded him not in the full ampltitude of his Power but in that particular Diocess Succession to any in his whole right being only to him who leaves his place either by voluntary Resignation Deposition or natural Death whereas St. Peter tho he was at Antioch for some time yet he invested in the High Priest-hood quitted that place Vivus valensque and with his Person transplanted all the Pontificial Dignities from thence to Rome having upon his departure from Antioch subrogated in his place either Evodius or Ignatius This his removal from thence to Rome is asserted by St. Chrysost in Inscript Act. Apostol 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is one of the Prerogatives of our City of Antioch to have had first the Prince of the Apostles for its Teacher for it was no more than fit that that City in which the name of Christians was first heard should receive the first Shepherd of the Apostles but when we had him for our Teacher we did not keep him all his life-time but we deliver'd him over to the Royal City of Rome This clearly manifests his relinquishing Antioch and his Transmigration to Rome where he settled and fixed his Cathedra and concluded his Life by a most glorious Martyrdom so that the Bishop of Rome who succeeded St. Peter dying there and not the Bishop of Antioch which place he had abandon'd inherits the Pontificate and Prefecture of the Universal Church as being his apparent Heir Hence St. Hierom in his 58th Epistle ad Damasum calls him Successor Piscatoris and in the Council of Ephesus Parte Secunda Pope Coelestine is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Successor and Vicar of St. Peter and accordingly Rome by the Fathers is called St. Peter 's See as in St. Augustin cont literas Petil. Cathedra quid tibi fecit mali in quâ Petrus sedit in quâ hodie Anastasius sedet And likewise St. Hierom in his 57th Epistle ad Damasum Ego Beatitudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior Suitable to which is that of St. Cyprian Navigare audent ad Petri Cathedram ad Ecclesiam Principalem But that which gives me full satisfaction in this point is the Custom of the Fathers who in their enumeration of the Bishops of Rome place St. Peter first as the Author of that Succession some of them joyn St. Paul with him Irenaeus reckons the Catalogue from St. Peter and Paul to Pope Eleutherius Eusebius likewise to Sylvester Optatus from St. Peter to Siricius St. Austin from St. Peter to Anastasius Tertullian from the same to Anicetus and demands of the Hereticks of his time a List of their Bishops Irenaeus having begun a Roll of Popes succeeding one the other adds Per hanc Successionem confundi omnes Haereticos and St. Austin contra Epistolam Manichei confesses that this Succession of Bishops from St. Peter was one of the Reasons which kept him in the Catholick Church 'T is observeable That when the Fathers design to give the true Succession and descendency from St. Peter as he was the Christian High-Priest they do not enumerate the Antiochian but the Roman Succession Not placing St. Peter first then Evodius or Ignatius Bishops of Antioch but first St. Peter then Linus c. Bishops of Rome These things duly perpended I could not but wonder how B. Bramhal should question how the Bishop of Rome came to be St. Peter's Heir ex asse to the Exclusion of his Elder Brother the Bishop of Antioch I never read says he that the Church was govern'd by the Law of Gavelkind that the youngest must inherit Here he affecting to shew some sportive Wit seem'd to me to talk more like a Lawyer than like a Divine But now you pretend to give a Reason why the Bishop of Rome could not succeed St. Peter in his Dignity affirming That singular and personal Priviledges are not derivable to Successors herein you are certainly right for Privilegium personale cum persona moritur but then on the other side you are as much in an Error in fancying what was spoken by our Saviour to him was delivered as to a Private Person and to terminate with him You had pleas'd me very well had you mention'd what those singular Priviledges were that were so solely affix'd to St. Peter's Person as not to be inherited by his Successors Tu es Petrus super hanc Petram c. was none of them nor Confirma Fratres nor Pasce oves meas Cardinal Bellarmine gives this account of them Quaedam dicuntur Petro pro se tantum ut vade post me Satana Ter me negabis quaedam ut uni ex fidelibus ut si peccaverit in te frater quaedam pro se Successoribus ratione officii Pastoralis ut Pasce oves meas c. This Pastoral Privilege conferr'd on him was not Personal but transient to his Successors being granted him as a Publick Person so not to expire with him but to survive in his descendents For the Office of a Pastor being ordinary ought to be continued as long as there be Sheep Quamdiu permanet ratio institutionis Christi tamdiu etiam res instituta necessario permanere debet the Pastorship which was instituted for the good of the Flock ought to have an equal duration with it which is to the consummation of
Orbem quietum And I hope you will join with me herein not formally as when you pray for him in your Church marring your Prayer with some oblique Reflection but ex Pectore Heartily wishing him all those Benedictions which he may desire as Homo and as Caesar Which God grant him Morever I would desire you to leave off injuring your Prince in railing against his Religion in your Sermons falsly representing it to your cheated Auditory impressing them with wrong Ideas of it and thereby alienating the Affections of his Majesties Liege Subjects which is a Crime of the greatest magnitude and of most dangerous Consequences yet this freedom is taken by several who fancy they may wreak and evaporate that Passion which they dare not on his Sacred Person safely against his Religion thus slily discharging their rancour against a most incomparable Prince to whom they can ascribe no other fault but what really in it self is Glorious and deserving Acclamations namely His returning to the bosom of the Catholick Church which Action of his being render'd more noble by the violent Oppositions and Contrasts of his Enemies will maugre their spight purchase to him surpassing Glory in this World and Immortal Beatitude in that to come He who like a Generous Eagle slighting the Artillery of the Sky darting through the midst of the storm where the flashes are most astonishing and the claps most loud with an undaunted Spirit triumphantly resisted and brake through the tumultuous Rage of popular fury and stemm'd the torrent of its impetuous stream contemning those many Crowns that did attend him for his Conscience sake He has not only now his Victorious Temples adorn'd by the Justice of Heaven with a Diadem more bright than that of his Predecessors being thereby made CONTEMPTAE DOMINVS SPLENDIDIOR REI But has an innumerable quantity of Celestial Crowns beset with Stars reserv'd for him in the rich Treasury of Heaven as a suitable reward for his hazarding his Temporal ones for the sake of his GOD AND RELIGION For Thee GREAT PRINCE Praise has no proper Encomium nor COMMENDATION a fit Panegyrick nor this World an adequate Recompence nor thy Kingdoms a suitable Sacrifice but that of the Hearts of thy Subjects Too happy would this Nation be had it understanding enough to apprehend its own Good having a Prince who would not only protect them here on Earth but serve as a Pilot to conduct them to Heaven CHAP. III. Of the Keys In what Sense St. Peter may be said to answer for the Rest That what Christ reply'd was directed immediately to Peter only In what Sense 't was extendible to the Rest How the other Apostles may be said to share in the Keys An Account of the Fathers who acknowledge St. Peter Paramount in the Keys The Exposition of St. Matt. 18. v. 18. and of St. John 20. v. 21. How the Church receiv'd the Keys in St. Austin 's Sense Whether a Minister of the Protestant Church has the Power of the Keys With Advice to him IT may now seem high time to finish my intermitted Discourse concerning the Keys answering you likewise in that Point But upon perusing your Papers I find you write but little on this Subject but only offer me a rude indigested Lump of Quotations without any Method which in lieu of becoming a Clue to conduct me were a Skain of snarled Thred to perplex and involve me which made me more curious in prying into the intricacies of this matter and of acquiring satisfaction herein which I thought could not be obtain'd without reducing your Quotations into some form and then by solving them Your chief drift in them was I perceive First to prove that Peter answered for the rest of the Apostles and thence to infer that what was said by our Savior to him was spoken to the Rest By this Method you would evince the Rest to be equally concern'd with him in the donation of the Keys This in short is the Web of your Design which I shall here endeavour to unravel This kind of Argumenting I find Dr. Whitaker to make use of long before you Petrus Discipulorum omnium nomine respondit Tu es Christus c. Ergo omnium nomine audivit Tibi dabo Claves but the cunning of this reasoning will be easily detected when it is examined upon what account he may be said to answer for the Rest Dr. Whitaker says it was because they had the same Faith and he only spake for them his words are these Non in suâ tantum personâ illam confessionem edidit Petrus fuit enim communis illa fides atque confessio Petri unius ore edita But this his Opinion can never be prov'd the Revelation of the true Faith being made to him only as I have already manifested As for the Fathers who affirm that Peter answered for the Rest Salmeron says of them thus Recte intelligendi Orthodoxè interpretandi And this is good Advice for they in saying so take the Twelve as a Society and Peter as their chief and in this Sense he may be said to speak for them But then he did not speak as their Praeco but as their Princeps he spake not their Sense but what God the Father had reveal'd and suggested to him he answered what they could not answer but they by their silence approving his Confession upon his first promulging it are said to answer by his Mouth tho' properly speaking Petrus solus respondit caeteri assentiuntur Now they being Members of that Community of which he was Supreme the words may be said in an inferior Sense to be spoken to the Rest which were originally spoken to him But now if they had the same Faith as he had our Saviors rejoinder had seem'd more proper thus Beati estis quia Pater meus revelavit vobis vos estis Petrae c. But you see Christ addresses his Reply to Peter only the words Tu and Tibi shutting out all partnership And this is St. Austin's Opinion of it Serm. 5. In Festo Petri Pauli where speaking of Peter he says thus Solus inter Apostolos meruit audire Amen dico tibi quia tu es Petrus c. And herein Spalato is very honest Certè verba Christi adeo sunt arctata voculis individuantibus ad unum Petrum directa ut nefas sit ea a Petri personâ divellere directè ad alios dirigere certissimum est Christum cum Petro directè proximè loqui Now if Persons would be ingenuous it is easily discern'd when Christ grants a thing peculiar to Peter and when he grants a thing in common to them all what he designs the other Apostles should equally share in with him he evidently expresses in the Plural Number Hoc facite in mei commemorationem this related to the Sacrifice and concern'd them all jointly as Priests What appertain'd to Preaching and Baptizing was deliver'd in common to them all Euntes docete omnes Gentes Baptizantes