these priuileges Which being so many in number as they were the common welth did not onely find a want of such as should help to beare the burthens that were to be laied vpon the same but also they by their multitude were able to make a great party to attempt any thing that they would take in hand And by the large possessions which many of these had they could draw many folowers to be on their side And this I take to be the reason that Boniface the eight as Marcilius Patiuinus writeth was so desirousto inlarge and increase the number of his clergy that he would haue all such as had married a maide and contented themselues but with one wife should be of his clergie Now their exemptions streching to all the clergie I pray you what subiects should be left vnto the king for him to commaund and rule for his owne safetie and the gard of his common wealth It was therefore a great post and piller of poperie to bring these immunities to the clergie and a meane to maintaine it the better Both because it imboldned themselues to doe much mischiefe and also it drew many to be of their societies And so as it was a double dammage to the ciuil estate So was it a double prop to vphold the kingdome of the pope and therefore dangerous moe wayes then one Well thus far we are nowe come in this proofe of popish practises that wee see their subâ—â— shiftes to bring themselues to this high estate It is not vnknowen to vs how wickedly they haue abused their authoritiÌ„e in pride intollerable couecousnesse insaâ—iable and malice vnmeasurable And lastly their gouernment being so very deuilish and detested almost of al yet how and by what means they haue maintained the same That is to say I haue opened their subtil shifts wherby they became so great and secondly their practises and proceedings in this their greatnesse thirdly their cunning and compasses to keepe themselues great the meanes which for the most part they haue vsed to get into this nest which they haue built so high and to â—eepe themselues in the same My meaning is not so lay open their wickednesse of life so long as it is but their priuate fault let them stand or â—all to their owne Lord he against whom they offend shall call them to account But that onely that belongeth to the question of the popes supremacie which now I haue taken in hand to suruey and to the abuse either in getting or in vsing of it that onelie did I purpose to intreate of And hereunto am I forced by double necessitie First because it is one part of the popiâ—h practises But especially to stoppe the mouthes of them whose sight is so quicke towards others as that they can espie a small mote in their eie In our church they can find no ministerie no succession no sacraments all is wrong they see nothing but faults The great beame that troubleth their owne eye they cannot see But as men sightlesse and sencelesse they imagine all is well with them all is catholike Catholike church catholike faith catholike religion catholike doctrine And yet if the matter be well examined neither their church neither yet their faith haue any shew of catholike in them As I trust it is euident to see in this Suruey of the Popes Supremacie that their doctrine is not catholike their doings are not christian like Let vs examine whether that which they teach vs concerning this point haue bene taught likewise of al the godly learned or at the least of the most of them at all times in all places constantly and of set purpose not by the way as we terme it in handling some other matter often and plainely For these are the properties that Viucentius Lyrinensis an old father requireth in that doctrine that is catholike and true That Peter was otherwise a foundation in the building of the church of Christ then were other of the Apostles it is not a catholike doctrine That Christ gaue to Peter onely the keies of the kingdome of heauen it is not by these rules a catholike faith That the feeding of Christs sheep in the whole world or the gouernment of the whole church was commited to Peter onely or especially is most catholikely taught so that not one of all these points of their religion which are indeede the ground-worke whereupon they raise this their stately building of the popes supremacie can be called catholike as is before shewed But if they could prooue these things to be catholike as they will neuer be able to doe yet haue they not obtained their purpose For how is this conueyed to the bishop of Rome if it were in Peter It is not catholikely beleeued that he was bishop of Rome neither yet that he conueyed his estate or interest ouer the whole church if any such had beene in him to the bishop of Rome Or if all this could be proued yet remaineth one point that were able to ouerthrow all For it is not receiued as a catholike doctrine that the Bishop of Rome cannot erre or that for sinne and errour the priuileges which the church of Rome claimes if they had any such could not be forfeited as well in them as in other churches In all which pointes if I haue nor sufficiently prooued that the church of Rome teacheth false doctrine and repugnant to the Scriptures wherein I submit my selfe to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader yet I trust that the aduersaries them selues must needes confesse that these cannot be prooued to be catholike doctrines But on the contrary a man may easily see if hee marke the storie of times that these things which are the only pillers to vphold this popish kingdom were neuer thought vpon in the Apostles times or the ages next to them that is to say in the purer times of the primitiue church But when heresies began to trouble the church and men began to separat them selues from the vnity of faith more boldly and more openly then at the first they did And it pleased God to continue in some reasonable sort sinceritie and trueth of religion in the church of Rome then beganne that seate to be called Peters chaire not because Peter sate there but because that notable confession that Peter made and the faith that he preached was there established and soundly kept and maintained as before I haue shewed out of Optaâ—us and others that Peters chaire signifieth his doctrine And as after the sunne is once set darkenesse groweth still more and more so that the furder from sunne set vntill it be readie to rise againe the greater is the darknesse euen so the farder men were from those purer times the furder did they wander from the wayes of truth and the grosser was the ignorance that they were in So as that which at the first was not once thought vpon yet was it at the last affirmed of some very constantly and boldly But
famous bishop and better knowne to his people then any of the other patriarches and therefore fittest for an example Secondly there had beene a very great schisme or strife about the popedome one Vrsicinus standing for it against Damasus so that many of both sides were slaine in the very church in striuing for it But Damasus in the end obtaining the popedome Saint Ambrose to testifie his owne perswation and to assure others that Damasus and not Vrsicmus was bishop of Rome although he stood for it doth take occasion heere to name him Thirdly Damasus beeing pope was accused of whoredome whereof hauing cleared himselfe it is not vnlikely but that S. Ambrose did the rather take this occasion to pull al suspition out of other mens minds by giuing this testimony of him Another cause also may be added that as it seemeth he was as learned as any bishop of Rome before him For which S. Ambrose himself a being a learned man might then rather delight in naming him The rest of the places out of S. Ambrose haue no waight at all Satyrus did aske the bishop whether he agreed with the Catholicke bishops that is with the Church of Rome He meaneth by catholicke bishops such as held the catholicke faith that then was maintained at Rome If it be a good argument to say Rome is a catholicke church therefore it must gouerne all the churches in the world then will this also be a good argument Hippo was a catholicke church so was Millaine so are also the churches that we haue allowed in England by authority therefore they were and ours are heads ouer all others And that master Bellarmine will not allow But he asketh why the bishops are not catholickes that agree not with the church of Rome if it be not because Rome is the head of the catholike church I maruell much that maister Bellarmine whose wordes go for oracles with many will shew himselfe so ignorant of that he alleadgeth For if hee had read but the wordes that immediatly doe follow the reason is there rendered why he asked that question namely because the church there was in a schisme For one Lucifer had seperated himself from their communion Lo here M. Bellarm. he dreameth not of any headship of that church but asketh this question whether he helde the faith that then was preached at Rome And Athanasius in his creede speaketh in this sence of a catholike faith Yea the name of catholike was also as it were a note of their profession That whereas the Donatists gloried that they onely had the true church the catholikes on the contrary would be known by their name that in any place of the world they might be of the true church Yea there were Emperours that made a lawe that whosoeuer beleeued the one godhead in trinity and equal maiesty of the father the sonne and the holy ghost should be called Christians and Catholikes as their law doth testifie Yea Sozomen reporteth of a lawe made by the Emperour that all should beleeue the lawe deliuered by Peter the head of the apostles but howe he may be called head of the apostles I haue shewed before and that nowe Damasus bishop of Rome and Peter of Alexandria doe holde and that they onely that worship the trinitie with like honoure should be called the catholike church And doeth maister Bellarmine to make his bad proofe seeme better aske howe they may be called catholikes that agree with the church of Rome vnlesse it be in this respect that they take it to be the head of the catholike church heere are catholikes we see and yet not bound to beleeue that head After he alleadgeth two other places of like force The effect of them is that he woulde followe the paterne of the church of Rome So woulde I also if I had liued in those daies when they sincerely held the faith committed to them by Gods worde And he doubtlesse if he sawe the superstition and Idolatry and treasons that vnder coulour of religion are hatched there in our daies he would thinke euen the cotten ruines of Rome to bee ouer good to bee a cage for so badde birdes But to follow their example is not to yeelde vnto them power ouer vs. To go forward out of saint Ierome hee reasoneth thus Saint Ierome for pope Damasus answered the Synodicall consultations of the East and West therefore they that sought for answere from the seate of Rome in their matters acknowledged the superioritie thereof If I should tell Maister Bellarmine againe that Maister Caluine in his time and Maister Beza in his time haue answered more matters and questions that came from sundry of the reformed Churches and some particular men then many of the popes of that time yet I am sure he wil neuer confesse them to be vniuersall Bishoppes for that No more neede wee graunt to him that the Pope is a vniuersall Bishop because many questions were mooued to him Againe Saint Hierome confesseth himselfe to be Damasus his sheepe and that hee is of communion with him Alas what childish proofes are these May not Hierome confesse himselfe to depend vpon Damasus but that hee must thereby tie all others likewise to be subiect vnto him It is a shame for men so to deceiue the world aud to hasten euen their owne damnation by abusing the simple in such sort They crie it out in euery corner that there is no saluation to be hoped for vnlesse they doe acknowledge the Bishoppe of Rome to bee head of their Church and yet are they not able to yeelde so much as one good reason out of the Scriptures or ancient writers of the purer age for proofe of their doctrine It must bee beleeued as an article of faith and yet they coulde shewe no ground no warrant for it Out of saint Augustine is alleadged that in the Church of Rome the principalitie of Peters chaire hath alwayes flourished Augustine and Optatus as they were in one time so were they of one minde And as before out of Optatus I shewed and that by Christes testimony that the Apostles chaire is his doctrine so here doeth it signifie And saint Augustine his meaning is that Rome hath especially kept the Apostles doctrine or faith the which in Saint Augustines dayes might truely bee verified Againe out of Saint Augustine epist 92. he desireth pope Innocent to helpe them against the Pelagians which maruellously troubled Palestine and Affrike Now out of this will he conclude the popes Supremacie But saint Augustine himselfe denyeth that hee had any such meaning in that he was one of that sixt councill of Carthage that so stiffely denied supremacie vnto the pope seeking it so earnestly and by very false practises And the Bishop of Rome was then of great abilitie to doe good as also any other may be and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them that seeke for that good at his hands I would haue them
of their popes But if popes may be charged with heresie how can we thinke but that in their talke in their sermons if they did preach and vpon all such occasions as were offered vnto them they would by foure means or other commend that which they liked of and condemne the contrary And their very words when they speake of matters of faith are indeede instructions to all and their examples also are publike instructions to y â— whole church Neither must we imagine that those holy fathers forsooth had one religion in secret and an other that they would publish Therefore if we proue that they did erre I trust also it will followe that this errour was a stumbling blocke to the church and that they may erre when they giue lessons to all the church Lastly let vs consider the foundation whereupon they raise this building Because Christ said vnto Peter Simon Simon behold Sathan hath desired to sift you as wheat But I haue praied for thee that thy faith should not faile To whom was this said To Peter although not to him alone as before out of Theophilact I haue shewed But Peter immediatly after erred so as that he thrise denied his maister as Saint Luke in the same chapter sheweth yea and that as Saint Matthew reporteth with cursing and swearing Whereby it most plainly appeareth that Christ did not pray that Peter or the rest of the apostles should be free from all infirmities and should as it were put of the nature of man but that finally he or they should not fall from the faith But I cannot but maruell here at maister Bellarmine that he cannot see that Peters faith at this time failed For euen handling these words and this fact of Peters we know not saith he that Peters faith euer failed He feared at the question which the damosell asked of him he denied his master and that with cursing and swearing Did he this for feare No doubt he did it for feare What was the cause of so great feare Was it not weaknesse and want of faith Had he litle faith when hee feared drowning in so much as Christ reprouing him said O thou of litle faith why diddest thou doubt And can master Bellarmine find no want of faith in his so excessiue feare that he forswore his master Peter therefore notwithstanding Christs prayer both could and did erre And shall we thinke the pope to be more holy of a more sanctified nature of a sounder iudgement then Peter was They will not so say themselues therefore they also may erre But for master Bellarmines subtill distinction betweene perseuerance and not failing making not failing and not falling all one but perseuerance to be such as that a man may fall and yet by rising againe is said still to perseuere I confesse it is more subtil then sound For perseuering and continuing is all one and continuance hath no ceasing or intermission And further I must put the godly reader in remeÌ„brance that if this were granted to Peter that the pope doth claime that he could not erre yet must he proue himselfe to be Peters successor and that the priuilege is also successiue to that seat before he caÌ„ by these wordes prooue his infallible iudgement And what they can do for these points I haue shewed before their great weaknes if it be but weaknes in so great light and sunshine of truth not to see y â— right way I omit of purpose many popes to whom â—rrour is imputed by some ancient histories I come to Honorius of whome it is written by many histories that he was a Monothelite whose heresie was that Christ God and man had but one will And to omitte all the ancient Records that may be aleadged to prooue him so to be I rest specially vpon Melchior Canus his confession in his theologicall places and one proofe vrged by him amongst many others For hee doth not onely acknowledge Honorius to bee an hereticke but also telleth vs how Adrian the second in the first action of the eighth generall councill confesseth that Honorius was by the Greeke church condemned as a hereticke and that Agathe bishop of Rome consented vnto the same his condemnation In which argument although master Bellarmine dessent vtterly from Melchior Canus yet hee is not any thing able to take away the waight of that reason but that Honorius although a pope must be pronounced and holden for an hereticke euen by the detree of a generall councill What should I speake of the errour that was most apparent in those seditious popes Steuen the sixth and Sergius the third against Formosus another pope now long dead And against the dooings and decrees of pope Theodore and Iohn the tenth Steuen reuoked whatsoeuer Formosus had done vp a councill called belike for that purpose Iohn the tenth afterwards maketh good the dooings of Formosus disamulling that that Steuen did yea their â—â—ntention was so great that they commaunded such as had taken orders of one that they should as if these first orders were nothing worth take orders of another These thinges are reported by all histories and therefore are also confessed of themselues that are our aduersaries If pope Formosus did not erre then Steuen that dâ—â—lt so hardly with him and so disannulled his dooings and decrees did erre If Steuen did right then Iohn who afterwardes vndid all that he had done did wrong Yea they disannulled the very orders that the popes that were their aduersaries had giuen Which thing maister Bellarmine in his fourth Booke and twelfth chapter confesseth to be a matter of faith Therefore heere the pope erred in faith No saith he this is onely a matter of fact it is not decreed by any of them Let vs marke out question that is whether the Pope may erre or not Maister Bellarmine saieth these Popes did wrong but they decreed nothing of disanulling those orders which men booke of their predecessours and therefore erred not in iudgement Sigebert saieth that Steuen decreed that Formosus his ordinations were or should be voyne Platina saieth that Iohn the tenth iudged amisse because hee iudged that they must take orders againe that did take orders of Formosus So Iacob Bergomensis and Stella agree with Platina These therefore condemne Steuen the sixt to erre 〈◊〉 iudgement and so doe manifestly 〈◊〉 that the pope did erre and confute maister Bellarmine his answere to this obiection Iohn the two and 〈◊〉 pope of that name did not beleeue onely but euen teach that the soules should not see God before the latter day as master Bellarmine himself confesseth But it was saith he no heresie in him so to teach because there was not then anie decree or destinction of the church for that point If it true master Bellarmâ—◠〈…〉 heresie 〈…〉 not defined it A thing defined in the scriptures set downe in Gods word and plainly taught in Gods booke may I perceiue
his malitious persecuting and pursuing of them What neede we to produce examples of forraine countries or former times We haue amongst vs in our dayes better proofe thereof then either we desire or they can denie Is it not too proude and insolent a part for either Pius the fifth or Sixtus the sith to call our soueraigne Queene and most gratious prince Elizabeth whom God hath mercifully placed amongst vs and ouer vs and mightely and maruelously defended from innumerable popish practises and Henry king of Nauarre and nowe also the French king hereticks schismaticks and I know not by what names of reproch he not prouing no nor daring to offer any reasonable triall or lawfull way to prooue the same Why is hee afraid to haue religion tried by a free generall council Why doth he hinder it by all meanes that he can The question is whether his religion that I say which he commendeth to christians and commaundeth to be onely and that vpon paine of death beleeued is true or not We denie it we haâ—e vnanswerable arguments for vs. The religion that he would haue vs to content our selues withall is not catholike that is it is not preached or taught at all times in all places with full consent as he and his frends must confesse when it is examined It hath not any sufficient warrant out of Gods booke which onely should be the ground of our relgion Nay it is so contrarie to Gods written words that it is impossible that that which God in the scripture teacheth vs and that which the popish church requireth of vs should both be true As for Gods worde we know it cannot lie And therfore we haue great cause to say that that which is contrarie to it cannot be true Again the church of Rome as they al confesse prooueth many points of their religion by traditions onely that is to say by the doctrines of men only These things we alleage Admit that it were not euidently true that we say Is it not good reason yet that we should be heard howe we can prooue that we alleage Were it not fit that before indifferent iudges the matter should be tried For why should the pope that is a principall partie in this controuersie or his legats that are his sworne adherents and seruants take vpon them to be iudges in their owne cause We accuse them of Idolatrie superstition many heresies manifest breach of Gods lawe despising of Gods word yea of plaine apostacie from the true faith Shall we euer imagine that they will pronounce sentence against themselues And confesse themseules guiltie of these great crimes No no as we are not so foolish as once to hope that they who with tooth and naile seek to maintaine their owne pride will so subiect themselues to Christs yoke so we are not so mad as to thinke them to be fit iudges to pronounce whether the truth be on our side or theirs For we knowe that they will not speake for vs because they will neuer speake against themselues Let them then permitte this question that is amongst vs to be tried by a free council Let the matters in controuersie be debated let the reasons on both sides be heard and wayghed let indifferent iudges be appointed such as sincerly sighing in singlenes of hart seek to know the truth serue the Lord. TheÌ„ will it appeare who teach the tru religion But this can neuer be tried by such ouer-ruled conuenticles as that of Trent wherein indeed the protestants were admitted to speake But they might say but placet wee are content with that you haue done They might not set downe their reasons against Romish errorn they might not be heard to dispute But that was before concluded in som priuat meeting of a few popish diuines alowed at Rome for catholike doctrine and thence sent to the council to haue approbatian of them that durst not denie it to that they might say Amen Yea and what they could haue said the council wold not greatly haue regarded as it seemeth For Clement the seuenth when the emperour Charles the fift and the French king were earnest with the said Clement to haue a free generall conncil permitted wherein matters might maturely be discussed on both sides he answered that was a perillous matter and preiudiciall that the protestants should be suffered to dispute of those things that had beene before coâ—cluded by councils As though God by his word were not sufficient to giue lawes to his church or that he should be tied to the iudgements of men Not that we thinke the auncient lawfull councils to be against vs but because that vnder the name of generall Councils they bring in their later wicked and vngodly conuenticles of the times wherein corruption grew more and more in the Church which Councils haue concluded manie things that were neuer heard of in the purer age wee would therefore let them vnderstand that as manie of their councils are worthily reiected so euen the best are not to be bleeued but as they consent with Gods vndoubted and infallible worde And that this was the bondage of that Councill of Trent which our aduersaries would so faine haue so much accounted of it appeareth by Sleydon in his historie Brocard who was one in that councill writing vpon the Apocalipse Gentillet and Caluin against that council How theÌ„ dare those arrogant popes whose doctrine can not abide the touch whose decrees do shun the light condemne princes for heretikes or enemies to the catholike faith yet will not permit their faith and religion to be laid to the rule square of the catholike doctrine Theodoret saith truly The decrees of the church must be tried and proued not pronounced as an ouer ruled case or as a sentence of a Iudge And shall we then receiue as an Oracle from God that which is deliuered vnto vs after this maner the church of Rome or the bishop of Rome hath said it God forbid We will trie the spirits whether they bee of God We seeke to trie all their doctrines that we may holde fast that which is good This then I say is an euident argument of arrogant insolencie in Pius 5. and Sixtus 5. that so wickedlie they dare presume as to giue such slaunderous names to princes that professe so vndoubted a truth as then they both did and yet our most gracious Soueraigne dooth But to depriue them of their kingdomes to release their subiects from their bonde of obedience to dispose of their dominions according to their pleasures as they would doe if they could is as intollerable pride as their predecessours before did euer vs to other And so maliciouslie to prosecute this their conceiued mischiefe as they haue done these manie yeares whiâ—h open tumult with secrete conspiracies with poysoning of some principall Princes with murthering of other by other meanes with prepairing the hearts of doubtfull subiects agaynst the time of inuasion to take
cherished and increased through softnesse and sufferance of some superiors For if such gifts of knowledge or vtterance as God lendeth vs be they great or little be giuen vs to edifie and doe good vnto others then let vs vse the same to his greatest glory and gaine for feare of his heauie displeasure if when hee call vs to a reckoning we bee found not to haue occupied to our masters profite because he will be angry with such as hide their talent in their napkin But if wee abuse these his good graces to darken therewith the light of the trueth and to encrease the mistes of errour how fierce shall be his wrath how hard shall be our iudgement For if to be negligent to maintaine the trueth be blame-worthie how great then is their sinne that impugne the same and that with those weapons that God hath bestowed vpon them to defend it withall Let vs therefore my wandring brethren from the plaine pathes let vs I say remember for what we striue Is it not for the trueth where may it be found In Gods eternall and vndoubted word VVhat is this word we truely affirme it with many of the Fathers to bee contained in the Scriptures of the old and new Testament But of your vnwritten verities you haue iust cause to doubt If therefore there be in you any loue to this trueth for the which you say you striue any care of Gods glory any regard of the ignorant who are the Lord knoweth soone led the wrong way any due respect to your owne soules health or any feare of Gods iust wrath let vs proceed by one rule that wee may minde one thing Folow not I pray you those false apostles those craftie workemen that can transforme themselues into Angels of light Deale plainly and truely in Gods cause yea let vs on both sides waigh the goodnes of the proofes not cauilling about words the trueth of the matter not the maner of handling of it If we speake of antiquitie let it be most ancient For that is truest but by and by came in heresies so that that onely which was first can bee true as vpon good ground Tertullian affirmeth If wee bring the Fathers let them be of the soundest and those not maimed nor mangled Neither must we rest vpon any of their doctrines but such as haue their warrant in the worde and being taught of them by a generall consent doe iustly obtaine the name of Catholique And for sundry points of your religion I can neuer be perswaded but such among you as haue any vnfained desire to attaine to true godlinesse doe euen within your selues confesse and acknowledge that many things which are commended to the simple as holy and helpfull for the sauing of their soules whatsoeuer shewe of godlines they may seeme to haue are yet farre from the power thereof For it cannot be that any man or woman that maketh due account of the price of our redemption the ransome for our sinnes the precious bloud of that lambe without spot Christ Iesus can euer become so sottish as to thinke that obseruing of dayes abstaining from some meates buying of buls pardons halowed graines and Agnus deis offering to Saintes pilgrimages going barefoote with haire-cloth next the skin crossings or any such like bodily and trifling exercises or works may euer be thought of woorth to make any recompence for our offences If without sheading of bloud there could bee no remission and that the bloud of Christ by which wee are freed for euer from the danger of sinne and haue eternall redemption what can these trifling toyes helpe vs therein yea what blasphemie is it to match them in this worke with that inestimable and peerelesse price Nowe therefore as Ambassadours from Christ as though God did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christes stead not onely to be reconciled to God whom you haue grieuously offended but also that you will deale plainly with Gods people and soundly and sincerely in matters of religion returne from whence you haue straied so long and so farre yeeld to the truth giue glory to God Lead them not any longer into the pit of error whom Christ hath bought with so rich a ransome Hide not the trueth from them henceforth with those false visardes of antiquitie and vniuersalitie which can neuer be prooued to be in the Romish religion And seeing your selues if you haue any consciences must confesse that many things are amisse in that you teach bee content to follow the godly and wise counsel which Cyprian giueth that we should goe backe to the head if any thing bee wrong in religion and so try where the fault is As if the water faile we will begin at the conduit and so from thence search where it stoppeth so we must saieth he come to that was taught in the beginning by Christ and his Apostles And this he saieth is the readiest way to leaue errors and to find out the trueth Let vs then I pray you walke in that way let vs vse that man to reforme religion But if you haue sold your tongues pennes to serue the Pope and as much as in you lieth to maintaine superstition you shall find vs by Gods grace ready at all times to answere whatsoeuer you shalbe able to say And although I bee not worthy to cary the bookes of many among vs that are accounted and knowen to be learned yet will I encouraged by the goodnesse of the cause apply my time and studie and slender abilitie to that end knowing those howers to be most happily spent that are imploied to the glory of God the benefit of the Church and the furtherance of the Gospel VVherein that you may ioine with vs I pray God if it bee his good will to turne your hearts open your eies to see know that which now you striue against As for your secret practises against God and his people the Lord for Christ his sake confound them and bring them to naught So be it * The first part of the Suruey of the Popes Supremacie wherein is a triall of his Title ALthough there is not in mine opinion any one Article in controuersie by knowledge whereof lesse benefit redoundeth to the church of Christ or lesse comfort to the afflicted conscience of the sorrowfull sinner than this of the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome yet if I be not deceiued there is not any one point more conuenient to be handled or more necessarie to be intreated vpon of such as sincerely loue the trueth of God or hearty obedience vnto soueraigne magistrates than is the same First for the iustifying of the godly and more than needefull lawes of christian Princes which they are forced to make to banish and abandon all forraine power that themselues may sit faster in that seate and the more quietly and safely inioy that soueraigntie wherein God hath placed them which is much hazarded and
endangered by this subtile but false perswasion which wholly possesseth the heartes of many that if they will be saued and auoide the danger of damnation they must stedfastly beleeue that the Bishop of Rome is the vniuersall Bishop hauing authoritie ouer all that he is the head of the church and the generall shepheard of Christ his flocke For that man of sinne hauing so bewitched the hearts of his fauorites that they are once persuaded that it is good religion so to beleeue and that to defend this his pride is christian constancie what shamelesse villanies will not they thinke to be lawfull practises what cruell murders will not they account to be commendable attempts what vnnaturall deuises and drifts wil not they esteeme most godly and catholike vertues I neede not stand long in dilating this point Our natiue soile hath too much and too lamentable experience of such vnkindly slips Who when they did and do owe to their countrey wherein they were bred and brought vp the sweete fruit of loue to her and sacred obedience to her lawes bring forth almost nothing else but the sowre grapes of treasons and treacheries Which all spring out of this bad roote that they falsly perswade themselues that they owe their chiefe obedience to the Bishop of Rome whose commaundements if they obey and follow his directions and hearken to his perswasions then must they suffer no princes with qnietnesse to enioy their ancient and vndoubted inheritance and rightfull crownes but such as will be tenants at will to their lawlesse master Which the more I doe thinke of it the more I feare we haue no great hope as yet to be free from such villainous practises as may bring danger vnto her Maiestie and ruine to this realme because I see that stubburne Recusants who if they haue any conscience in religion it is very strange for many of them shew little conscience in any thing else wilfull Papists I say are not in some reasonable maner forced in this point to shew their obedient and dutiful hearts but may freely without controlment professe themselues enemies to the truth that we acknowledge For how can there be any certainety to this estate that is so pestered with a great number of false hearted subiects whose very religion is to be deuoted to him and to the maintainance of his kingdome that is grieued at nothing more than at our happinesse neither seeketh any thing so much as our destruction To plucke away therefore this visard of Religion from this their disobedient and dissolute affection I thinke it to be the duetie of euery good christian according to our calling and talents wholy to indeuour our selues And as this dutifull affection of christian obedience should effectually moue vs vnto this attempt so the very ruine of religion and the decay of all true deuotion which foloweth that perswasion should forâ—e vs to make haste to take this stumbling blocke out of the way of the simple lest at vnwares running thereupon they should make shipwracke of their faith For the Bishop of Rome by this his pretended priuiledge doeth take vpon him to make lawes to binde the conscience to adde to Gods word to dispence against the same to chop and change religion it selfe as seemeth good to him to doe and vndoe at his owne pleasure And do he neuer so much hurt in the church of Christ yet no man must say Sir why do you so And thus hauing gotten by this prowd name his fulnes of power he hath filled all christendome with horrible superstitions I speake not heere of the prophane or rather blasphemous praises which the flatterers of this vniuersall Bishop do giue to him to make the world not so much to reuerence him as a B. as to honour him rather almost as a god Which if it had bin done onely by his Canonists who liued in the dayes of darkenesse and saw not so much as men now do yet the fault and folly had bin very great But that master Bellarmine a man doubtlesse learned in so cleare light of the trueth as now shineth should so farre ouershoote himselfe as he doeth in this point in his Preface to his bookes of the bishop of Rome it maketh me not a little to wonder at his grosse folly and to detest his irreligious flattery But of this more shall be said hereafter if God permit Seeing therefore the truth of this doctrine is so necessary both for the sinceritie of religion and also for the quietnesse of common wealths my desire purpose is if God giue good successe thereunto to shew and proue that the Bishop of Rome maketh herein an vniust claime and hath possessed himselfe of an vntrue Title To come therefore to the point in controuersie The holy catholike church the spiritual house of God the mystical body of Christ comprehendeth two sortes of members Some that are triumphing in heauen others that are here trauelling vpon the earth some profiting as saint Augustine saith in this life others perfited in an other Now the question is whether this part of the catholike church that is here wandering in this vale of misery which is called militant for here is the place of striuing else-where the place of crowning must needes haue the Bishop of Rome to bee the head thereof This is it that they vntruly and without any good warrant do affirme This is it which iustly and vpon good ground as I trust it shall appeare we deny Master Bellarmine laboureth very much to prooue that the gouernement of one ouer all is the best indeuouring thereby to prooue that if it be best in ciuill regiment it should also be the best gouernment in the church as it appeareth in his Bookes of the bishop of Rome Howsoeuer the monarchicall regiment within euery kingdome or country is liked of yet that vniuersal rule of one ouer al hath not bin thought good of at any time as may appeare by those great monarchies so commended vnto vs in histories To whose subiection kingdomes and nations did not subiect themselues willingly but were subdued to them by might Neither is it necessary that that kind of gouernement which is thought best for worldly kingdomes whose Law-makers are men and whose lawes are alwayes new to be made as new inconueniences do arise in the common-wealth and to be short whose glory is here in this world should also be most conuenient for the church of God whose kingdome is not worldly whose beauty is not outward or external But to knit vp this point with one argument thus I reason That kind of gouernement is fittest for the church that bringeth most profit to them that are gouerned but master Bellarmine confesseth that the mixed gouernement is most profitable therefore it is fittest But because it pleaseth master Bellarmine so well that one should beare rule ouer the whole church let him and his fellowes submit hemselfe to Christ that King
that those good bishops did much good with that their authority to the church of God and were a great reliefe to the oppressed a comforte to the troubled and a good stay for religion We yeeld moreouer that a care ouer the whole church a belongeth not to the bishop of Rome only but to euery christian as Baronius a papist telleth vs. And as Saint Paule saith of himselfe although hee were not an vniuersall Bishop or pope ouer all the church yt that he had a care ouer all the Churches Which care as it shoulde be in all yet it should be greatest in them whom God hath beautified with greatest graces of power wisedome knowledge credite or any other thing whereby they may doe good to others So that the effect of Athanasius his wordes vnto Felix is that as God hath inabled him so also he should apply his greatnesse to doe him good We doe not yet see the Bishop of Rome to haue iurisdiction ouer the whole church but that the greatnesse that hee hath hee should vse it to the comfort of the godly But indeede the Bishop of Rome in steed of the care that he should haue doth exercise the power that he hath And the excercising of his power beganne somewhat soone in that chaire And therefore the fathers in the sixt council of Carthage as it seemeth were moued in the canons of the Nicen council to alter one worde For hauing agreed in the ninth canon or chapter of that council of Carthage to heare the Nicen decrees read when they come to the sixt chapter where the Nicen council hath that the bishop of Alexandria should hane power ouer the churches of Lybia Egipt Pentapolis as the bishop of Rome hath within his libertie in steede of the word power they read care Which no doubt those godly fathers did because they sawe how immoderately and by what bad shifts they did then seeke to bring vnder their subiection all others And therefore by this meanes they would teach them to whome they did graunt such honorable places that they were called rather to a burden then to an honour to looke vnto their charge rather then to ouer â—ooke them So then this care that the bishop of Rome should haue ouer all churches we wish also that hee would haue And yet we doe not hereby make him the bishop of the vniuersall church And for the third place out of Athanatius it hath lesse waight then any of the rest For because some accused the bishop of Alexandria to the bishop of Rome therefore he concludeth that the bishop of Rome is chiefe iustice aboue all and may take vpon him to iudge all matters but accusations are for the most priuat And who can hinder but that any may make complaint to a man that hath nothing to doe in the matter And many such complaints wil be made to such as will be willing to heare all matters as were many of the B. of Rome to increase their owne power That which is aleaged out of Basil is a request that Basil did purpose to make to the bishop of Rome like vnto that which Athanasius made to Felix and therefore one answere doth serue them both But in that epistle Basil calleth Athanasius the Top of all christians which name they would faine should be peculiar to their pope That out of Gregorie Nazianzene was not woorth blotting of so much paper For hee saieth the Citie of Rome beareth sway ouer the whol world what is that to the church of Rome And that that is alleaged out of Chrysostom in the first place is not much material because Chrisostome maketh that request to the B. of the west church and not to Innocentius alone Yea not Chrysostom only in the same his epistle but Socrates also in his historie testifieth that Chrysostom appealed from his aduersaries not to the pope which he would doubtlesse haue done if hee had taken his authoritie to haue beene such as now the church of Rome would haue it imagined but to the generall council And not hee onely appealed to a council but the multitude also were readie to make a tumult for him and said it was meete the matter should be heard not by the pope but in a generall council Secondly out of Chrysostom he alleageth these words we alwayes thanke you for that you haue declared vnto vs your fatherly good will What will the charitable affection of the pope prooue him to be head of the whole church If it will not this will doe no good his third place is this I intreate your watchfullnesse that although they haue filled all with tumults yet if they will haue their desease healed they be neither afflicted neither put out of mens companie Must the bishop of Rome bee the supreame head or else this request be in vaine He being as it is alwaies confessed of great authoritie although not so great as they imagine might either by intreating or by authority winne many to be of his minde and so hinder the excommunication of Chrysostomes aduersaries So that none of these arguments can conclude for the popes supremacie as we see And yet they wring whatsoeuer is said or done to the church of Rome as if it were a strong proofe for supremacie Whereas the godly of the east church being thus distressed were in policie forced and not for religious causes to seeke for helpe of the West church and of the bishop of Rome for their owne quietnesse And this doth appeare most plainly in an epistle that Basil writeth vnto the bishop of the west church for their helpe and especially by the aduise that hee giueth to Athanasius to that end wherein hee sheweth that there is no way for their safetie but to cause the bishops of the West church to take good parte with them And then if they chance to seeke for this at the popes hand by and by without all doubt hee must be head of the church It maketh me weary euen but to reade their arguments They doe so force their authorities that they bring and so vnnaturally apply them that it is tediousnesse to thinke of it Such is that also that foloweth out of Ciril For Ciril did thinke that if Nestorius would not reuoke his heresies within the time limited by Celestine bishop of Rome all men ought to shunne his companie as a person excommunicat and deposed And writing to Celestinnus he doth desire to know of him whether he thinke good that men shuld yet communicat which Nestorius or they should shunne his company And what if Ciril sawe that in Celestine that he thought him worthie to be especially regarded in these matters doth it thereupon folow that he would haue him to haue soeuraigne iurisdiction ouer the whole church Or if hee thinke him meete to deale in his owne matter must he needs giue him power ouer all men in all causes Master Bellarmine must make
new logicke before he can prooue such bad conclusions But then to mend the matter he bringeth in an authoritie that is not to be found in the Author that he doth aleage for it But wee must take it vpon the credit of Thomas of Aquine They shew that they want proofe when they would faine call againe the things that are not to helpe their cause As for Thomas we know welenough his good will to the church of Rome For he would not onely raâ—e out of the earth these sentences of Ciril but also as Canus reporteth of him hee speaketh of one Maximius that saieth much for the authoritie of the bishop of Rome Yea and he findeth much out of the council of Chalcedon In which councill the Bishop of Rome had his authoritie that he sought for much abridged Yet I say Thomas hath found out euen in that council good stuffe to confirme the authoritie of the bishop of Rome that ueuer came to our hands And no meruel for Melchior Canus telleth vs that Gregorie complaineth that in his dayes they were blotted out by heretiks And I pray you howe then did Thomas of Aquine come by them who was after Gregorie almost seuen hundred yeares Thus you may see howe they seeke by forged writings that which by authorities of credit they can not maintaine Well then let fained Ciril goe and let vs see what Theodoret saith He as others before him had done craueth the Popes helpe against Dioscorus And Leo the pope did for him what he could we deny not But yet before the councell of Chalcedon would restore Theodoret to his place againe he was forced by the whole councell to shew his detestation of Nestorius Eutiches and all heretickes although the pope had receiued him to communion before And heere before I goe any further this one note I thinke necessary to be added concerning many of the former testimonies That because they are drawen from the priuate Epistles of men distressed seeking for helpe and therefore they might wel be forced to write with as great humility as they could deuise to write for to obtaine succour it is no reason that these their forced petitions and priuate requests should be accounted as rules for catholicke religion Then commeth in Sozomen in which he mistaketh both the place alleadging the seuenth chapter for the eighth an errour easily committed and the matter For although Iulius bishop of Rome did thinke well of the dignity of his seat yea and in respect of his mightinesse that hee was now growen vnto partly by the goodnesse of former Emperours but chiefly through the dissentions of the east or greeke churches hee was in duty also bound more then others to haue a great care ouer all churches yet that his supremacy was not then acknowledged that very Chapter shall sufficiently testifie For there it is reported how that the bishops of the east churches to whom Iulius had written somewhat sharpely in the behalfe of Athanasius and others that fled to him did make answere to Iulius with a letter ful of tauntes and threatnings and shewed that their churches were as great and as many as his finding fault also with Iulius for receiuing such to his communion and such other things So that wee see that they did not account the Bishop of Rome as supreame head of the church neither doth Sozomen say that Iulius his seat came to that dignity by Christes institution or by Gods law which Bellarmine tooke in hand to proue but hath not brought one testimony of the fathers that can performe that promise They plead as the Lawyers say in possessorio they say they haue it by possession so many haue come to the church of Rome for helpe when they were distressed In thus many cases popes haue intermedled in other bishops charges So they tell vs what they haue done But the question is how iustly by what right law or authority they haue done many of the things that they haue done We would haue them plead de petitorio Let them proue their right For it is true that long since the pride of this seat did beginne abusing Gods good liberality and the fauour of godly princes towarde them still increasing in that ambitious humour vntill they had set themselues aboue all Which authority when they had once gotten they did shew themselues vnsatiable and cruell despising all authority and making their wil to be in steede of law as shal God willing in the proofe of their practise which is the seconde part of this treatise be declared But it doth not followe they haue done this therefore they haue done well in so doing That which is alleadged out of Acutius that Simplician the pope had care ouer all churches is much to the commendation of Simplician that he had so due regard of his dutie but this prooueth him not to haue authority ouer all because he had or at the least should haue care ouer all But I muse what maister Bellarmine meaneth to tell vs a tale out of Liberatus of a namelesse bishop of Patara What matter is it to vs or what strength can it bring to his cause to know what he or other men not knowen in the church of God for their learning iudgement zeale or such other vertues as are necessary for them that shoulde be witnesses in matters of religion doe thinke or say Much such proofe might be had out of the legend of lies But that will neuer proue their doctrince to be catholicke Lastly the woordes of Iustitian in that hee calleth the pope Iohn the seconde head of all holy churches may well bee admitted as in former times that name head was often vsed yea and is still of vs. A man of good dexterity or countenance is called a head man among others although hee hath not authority ouer them But such a head as now the pope is become that will controll all bishops yea depose emperours dispence with Gods word make new laws in the church haue his saying in all matters Iustinian himself could not haue liked And it must be marked that we deny not but a bishop of Rome as also another maÌ„ may welbe called head of the church if they be indewed with such gifts as are to the benefit of the whole church But we deny both that the name is or ought to be peculiar to the church of Rome or the bishop thereof only and also that the authority which by that and such like names he challengeth vnto him is tolerable in him or in any other For indeede our contention is whether the bishoppe of Rome haue supremacy ouer the whole church or not Now excellent names were giuen vnto men in times past as the name of pope Baronius a great papist of our time confesseth was common to all bishops The like he also writeth of the name of vniuersall bishop And Athanasius was called Pontifex maximus
The greatest bishop and yet not he but Liberius was then bishop of Rome And for this name head as I haue shewed it is nothing strange in all societies to haue a heade man and yet he not to haue iurisdiction ouer them By all which it appeareth howe weake an argument may be drawen from these names which may be common to so many to proue the supremacy which the bishop of Rome challengeth to himselfe onely Nowe maister Bellarmine hauing wrung what he can which is not much out of the fathers of the greeke church commeth to the latin writers to try what gleanings he can get among them Whom I doubt not but we shall finde speaking very reuerently of the church of Rome as in truth it well deserued because that the bishop of Rome although he began very soone to encroche somewhat vpon other mens right and to enlarge his power yet he vsed his greatnesse and authority for a long time to the maintenance of true religion the comfort of the distressed and to withstande by himselfe and other the bishops of the West church the heresies that troubled especially the East churches In al which things we know that by their place for that they were bishops of the Imperiall city and the authority that they were come vnto by fauour of the Emperours they were as it were ringleaders vnto others so that although they were moued sometimes to these good things by a desire that they had to be medling in all matters which was one of the waies whereby they came to their greatnes yet in that they did good vnto the church the godly did both commend them and also beare with them although sometime they were too forward and stept too farre before others But when they would haue had this authority confirmed to them in councils and established as a law of the church then did the ancient fathers wisely withstand their vnlawfull desires as the vi councils of Carthage and the councill of Chalcedon doe plainly proue So that the godly learned fathers of those times partly to incourage them in their well doing did giue them due commendation when they deserued it and partly for quietnesse sake and the peace of the church did wincke at many of their inordinate proceedings and vnorderly attempts so long as they were but their priuate actions yet would not the iurisdiction of the vniuersall church And these things being well remembred I may I trust be shorter in answering to the particular places And first for the place out of Cyprian which maister Bellarmine prosecuteth in many words as he is forced to doe that he may get out of him but a shew of an argument It is answered in few words For indeede maister Bellarmine groundeth vpon a false principle which I dare not say that he could not but see his errour but it is maruell if he can be ignorant of it The wordes wherein he especially trusteth are these This commeth to passe that heresies growe in the church whilst there is no returning to the beginning of the truth neither is the head sought for neither is the doctrine of our heauenly maister kept Nowe by this word head he vnderstandeth the head of the church whom he maketh Peter Whereas it is most certaine that Cyprian doth meane nothing els here then in another place where he endeuoureth to perswade after the same maner and by that very argument where by the head he meaneth that which the apostles taught For saith he if we returne to the head and beginning of the tradition of the apostles mans errour ceaseth And there he teacheth vs by a similitude howe we should come to the heade by the similitude I say of a conduct wherein if the water faile we goe to the head of it that is to the fountaine and so from thence examine the want of the water so saith he must Gods priestes goe to the beginning when there is any question of Religion And that he meaneth that head in this place the very wordes by him alleadged do prooue because the former wordes put vs in minde of returning to the originall or beginning of the trueth and the wordes that follow leade vs to the heauenly doctrine Well then the head in this place doth signifie the spring and fountain from which our doctrine must beginne and so master Bellarmines argument is quite ouerthrowen And hauing proued that he buildeth his reason vpon a false ground I trust I neede not bestow any more labour to prosecute him in his wandering wordes Optatus is the second who speaketh nothing to helpe this desperate cause For although he commend vnto vs that one chaire in respect of the vnitie of doctrine for all the priests nowe saith Chrysostome must sit not vpon Moses chaire but vpon Christs chaire yet in the wordes alleadged by master Bellarmine he addeth and we haue proued that that is ours by Peter Optatus a bishop in Affrike not of Rome sitteth in Peters chaire Therefore Peters chaire and the popes chaire are not all one vnlesse their doctrine be one It is not tied to Rome or to that church But alluding to that place of Moses his chaire which our Sauiour Christ speaketh of because the Scribes and Pharises taught that which Moses did teach Optatus also saith that he doth sit in Peters chaire because hee taught that which Peter did confesse and teach Yea and he prooueth by this argument against the Donatists who taught that they onely were the church that the church is also where he taught because euen there is Peters chaire so that if Optatus your owne witnesse speake truly then you haue maruellously abused the world for many yeares in making them beleeue that S. Peters chaire is at Rome onely But Saint Ambrose seemeth somewhat plainer then the rest in that first place alleadged by maister Bellarmine The church is called Gods house whereof Damasus is a ruler this day But yet the words do not import any such thing as may prooue the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome For wee will not deny that the Bishop of Rome is a ruler in the church but that he is the only ruler we can not graunt But Saint Ambrose expounding those wordes of Paule wherein he teacheth Timothie how to behaue himself in Gods house takes occasion to shew both what is Gods house namely the church and who they are that are rulers in Gods house namely the bishops or pastours to whom the ministery is committed And to make this plaine by an example he setteth before vs the house of God at Rome which is the church there and the ruler of Gods house there who is Damasus their bishop If any man aske how it commeth to passe that he rather nameth Damasus then any other bishop Sundry reasons of it may be yeelded First Ambrose himselfe was a bishop in Italy for Milaine is in Italy vnder the popes wings and therefore the bishop of Rome was the most
to bring some plaine proofe and not so to stand vpon strange coniectures Againe Sozimus bishop of Rome willed hini to go to a councill at Cesarea and hee therefore saide that hee must needes goe If Sozimus did commaund and Augustine would not stand vpon his right in such a matter where perchance his going might be profitable to Gods church yet that would not make Sozimus head of the church No at that time they did not gather any such hard conclusions For although they would not refuse to do good euen being more imperiously commaunded then reason would yet supremacie as I haue shewed they would not acknowledge in the Bishop of Rome but rather were content to bee at great charges to conuince the popes falshoode In the last two places saint Augustine commendeth the bishop of Rome in that being so high as he was yet he would be friendly to them that were humble or lowe and then confesseth euery Bishoppe to be high yet him to be higher A man may be friend to them that are lower then he is and one Bishop may be higher than others and yet not haue iurisdiction ouer them Higher I say in gifts credite place or many other waies In England we see differences of bishoprickes where yet the one hath not iurisdiction ouer the other Now for Prosper it were hard if his poeticall amplifications should be able to carry away the weight of so great a cause But for his words if he say that Rome is Peters seat in respect of the doctrine that there was taught and maintained as before Optatus and Augustine of whome he was a great follower haue done wee yeelde vnto him Otherwise I leaue the godly Reader to the arguments before alleadged to consider what he should think concerning this point whether Peter was Bishop there or not And where he saith that Rome is made vnto the world the head of pastorall honour wee yeelde vnto that also that at that time there was no church that either more sincerely did keepe that which the apostles taught or had more credit and authoritie amongst other churches then Rome had in respect that she was able and willing to do good vnto many other But where he saith that what by armes shee could not by religion shee hath subdued is not simply true For there are manie that neuer were nor will be by likely hood subdued to Romish religion But in some respect we also confesse that to be so in that religion subdueth the heart and winneth the affection of men to bee subiect whereas that outward force can onely preuaile against the outward man Now for Victor Vticensis who calleth the church of Rome head of all other churches I haue often shewed that it may truly so be called in respect of the authoritie which by many occasions it had goten not in respect of any inrisdiction that Christ gaue vnto it more then to other The next is Vyncentius Lirinensis who alluding vnto the name or indeede rather giuing vnto Rome that name that was commonly giuen vnto it saith that the head of the world gaue testimonie vnto it meaning the council of Ephesus You see saith master Bellarmine that the bishop of Rome is called head of the world Nay you see howe our popes catholiks incroch more and more for that vnsatiable gulfe of the church of Rome which will neuer haue honour and authoritie enough Who euer before master Bellarmine hath called the pope the head of the world He hath wont to be but head of the church But I feare that if his kingdome continue a while Acharonta mouebit hee will keepe a stir in hell also But Vincensius giueth no such name to Iulius bishop of Rome He would not be so iniurious to the ciuil authoritie he had learned better then so to giue to Caesar that that belongeth to Caeser and to God that that is Gods although the church of Rome might quite blotte out of their bookes that lesson for any regarde that they haue to keepe it As for Vincentius his meaning is plaine enough to them that will see the trueth For hauing spoken of sundry places from whence learned men came to that councill of Ephesus first out of the East then also out of the West churches he nameth Iulius bishop of the citty of Rome which citty he calleth the head of the worlde as immediately after he calleth Carthage one of the South and Millaine one of the North the sides of the world But if he had made so very great accompt of the church of Rome as in these daies men would haue vs to doe he would haue had perchance some more regard in placing that church in some other order then to make it almost the last that he mentioneth Out of Cassiodor a senatour and a great officer in Rome maister Bellarmine alleadgeth somewhat You saieth he to Iohn Bishop of Rome sit as watchmen ouer christian people as you are called father you loue all I see nothing heere that can helpe maister Bellarmine or his cause For who euer did thinke otherwise then that the Bishoppe of Rome was a watchman ouer christian people Or who will say that the Pope hath not or at the least shoulde haue a fatherly affection towardes all Well it followeth It is our part to looke to somewhat you looke to all Cassiodor liuing vnder the popes nose is content either by this praising of him to teach him what care he indeede should haue not onely to doe good to the people of Rome where he was Bishop but also as occasions should be offered to helpe others also Or els it may be that hee giueth him greater praise then he deserueth But what is this for the popes supremacy Must not the building needes fall that standeth vpon such weake propes Much like is that which followeth that the seat which is pope Iohns peculiar place is giuen generally to the whole worlde that is as I take it to doe good to all If a Romane magistrate to the bishop of Rome doe extoll more then in truth he may the power of that citty or els tell how farre their benefits doe extende must this be so strained and wrung to prooue supremacie The last testimony alleadged by maister Bellarmine doth so little helpe his cause that if he had done wisely he should neuer haue spoken of it For by that Epistle and others that are set before that councill of Chalcedon it may easily appeare that Leo Bishop of Rome did then bestirre him vsing the discention of the East church as a meane to increase his owne authoritie For it is most plaine and cannot be denied that afterwardes in that councill by his legates he sought the supremacy very earnestly and in sundry of his Epistles disanulleth that the councill did against it And in these Epistles he maketh mone to many to procure Theodosius the Emperour to stand his friend Anâ— in this Epistle
Constantinople obtained to be next in account to Rome which before y t time was no patriarchal church And it is plaine by stories that at Constantinople ther was either no church at all or else very secret vntill about the latter end of Constantines time For that very yeare that he was baptised many of Constantinople were baptised in somuch as Nicephorus maketh mention of aboue twelue thousand men besides women and children that were baptised there at once And Constantine himselfe doth much reioyce in a letter that he writeth to Eusebius that in that citie which himselfe did build and did beare his name a very great mumber were become christians and for that cause hee taketh care that they might haue churches built for them So that as yet wee see they had not their churches much lesse can wee imagine that then they had any Bishops that would looke for so high a place among others And therefore euen hereby appeareth the falshood and folly of this forged donation There are also in the same donation some things that sauor of the pride that afterwardes appeareth in the bishop of Rome but was not then in them For that donation falsely attributed to Constantine doth giue vnto the bishop of Rome greater principality of power then this kingly or roial maiesty had and an Imperiall authority Nowe howe manifestly false this is wee may very easily marke if we doe consider either the stile that the Bishoppes of Rome that then were did vse when they wrote vnto their bretheren or their maner of behauionr when they came amongst them or the authoritie which the Nicen council that was in the time of Constantine gaue vnto them but equall with the patriarches of Alexandria and Antioch and euery one of them to looke to their owne charge among whome if there were any inequalitie the priuiledges of the bishop of Rome had not so large a compasse by far as the other patriarches or the soueraignty which Constantine the emperour did still keepe and exerccise in and ouer not Rome onely but the whole church not in ciuil matters onely but in calling of councils commanding the bishops comforting the godly reprouing the hereticks and in directing how and after what maner they would debate and determine matters in the council To be short if we remember how some of the councils of which I haue often spoken alreadie did stifly denie to the bishop of Rome for lesse superioritie then by this graunt they might challenge it will easily appeare that they knewe not then of any such priuiledges that Constantine had graunted vnto that seat For if then any such superioritie or supremacie had beene due vnto them the fatheres of those times who often stoode in neede of their helpe would neuer so flatly haue withstoode their indeuours And themselues also would haue beene as readie by themselues or their legats to haue pleaded the donation of Constantine if then it had beene thought vpon as they were to coine new canons of the Nicen council They pride therefore that in this grant appeareth doth proclaime to the world that it sauoureth not of that christian modestie that was for the most part in the bishops of those times but it is some bastard of a later breede And of that spirit of ambition doth that also sauour that is said that the pope should be prince of al priests and aboue al churches in the world But this is confuted in that which before hath vin spoken For long after this the bishop of Rome yea and that by vnlawful meanes sometime did seeke for that preheminence but it would not be graunted vnto them how beit one thing in this donation I cannot but remember you of because it sheweth in my iudgement that this forgery was committed but of late yeares in comparison euen after that they had brought the emperours vnder their subiection and did beare all the sway in the citie of Rome And that is this that they bring in the emperour yelding the imperiall citie into the popes hands and that as though it were not fitt or seemely that the earthly emperour should dwell there where the heauenly emperour saith he hath placed the head of christian religion Can there be any greater disgrace to worldly princes then to make them vnworthie to be neighbours to that proud priest of Rome Can they lift vp themselues by any meanes hier in pride against man then so to aduaunce and esteeme of themselues aboue the greatest monarches in the world Did Constantine vse to speake or write so Did he thinke himselfe vnworthie to be neere them They that are but indifferently acquainted with the stories of Constantine doe know that he loued ful wel to be not only neere to bishops but euen among them also But they that forged this fable would haue the world to thinke that either they are more holy then euer were the leuiticall priests or else that that good emperour his scepter sworde and crowne were more vnholy and prophane then those ensignes of gouernment that belonged to the kings ouer the Iewes And what else doe all those imperiall ornaments crownes scepters miter coller clocke cote banners and such like signifie which there they say are giuen to them but that this forgerie was committed after that the proud popes did so ouercrow the emperours that they became but as it were their seruants For it was far from Constantines minde to make him selfe their seruant as afterwards the emperours were And the popes that then were had other matters to doe and other thoughts possessed their hearts then that they could be caried away to such vaine deuises They were scarsly out of one persecution being freed from it by Constantine but that they fell into another that troubled the church maruelously namely the Arrian heresie against which the good bishops did then oppose themselues with might and maine And as these things doe sauour of the pride of latter times so some things also sauour of superstition more then as yet was crept into the church For Constantine in this his donation which they impudently ascribe vnto him doth giue for the maintenance of lights in the church of saint Peter and Paul his possessions in the east west north and south and by name he reckoneth vp many countries where he had giuen his possessions for the maintenaunce of those lights But in deed it appeareth that he did bestow his reuenues vpon more necessary things as in the building of churches whereunto christians might resorte to serue God and in calling the Nicen council for the determining of some questions in religion As for lights if then they vsed any yet such large deuotion in such toies and trifles is a plaine fruit of latter daies of ignorance Thus there is almost no kinde of thing granted vnto them in that dotation but is a good argument to conuince their falshoode The apish imitation of the emperours court for officers and attendants that is there graunted
might attaine to these benefites who would not sell the whole earth to winne heauen Who would not loose his life to saue his soule But the sunne-shine of knowledge would easily driue away all such mists And they who in their blindenesse do esteeme that man of sinne that sitteth at Rome to be more then halfe a god and see nothing but greatnesse in him as the blinde man of Bethsaida who before he saw perfectly saw men walking like trees so great they seemed in his eies yet when God shall take away that veile of blindnesse and heale that infirmitie in them they shall then see the bishop of Rome as he is indeede to be an enemy to God and man a subuerter of estates a foe to princes a snare to subiects and a very corrupter of true christianitie and godlines And thus much of the shifts and sleights that the Bishop of Rome vsed to come to his greatnesse by little and little growing to that that now we see Sometime vsing flattery falshood and forgery yea and afterwards bringing the emperour vnder by plaine force and feare alwaies taking aduantages and oportunities when emperors were either otherwise imployed in affaires or hated for their life or some way so distressed that they could not withstand him and his partakers then would hee most earnestly pursue and persecute them vntill he had his wil which I trust will appeare plainely in the discourse that now I am to enter into which is as it were a trial and search of the doings of the bishop of Rome and of his behauiour after that he beganne to be so mightie Now to take a good and sufficient suruey of the popes Supremacie it is not inough to trie his Title to see his euidence and consider of his proof neither yet to acquaint our selues with his shifts and practises wherby he hath gotten himself into that very high seate and fulnes of power as Sixtus Quintus speaketh which they would seeeme to claime by right and wherein now they play more than rex of which two points I haue spoken before but it is also in my iudgement very necessary that we looke somewhat into his doings and examine how hee hath ruled and raigned what good he hath done to the church what profit he hath brought to the christian common-wealth When God did see the continuall rebellion of his people that they would by no meanes be reclaimed from sinne and howe little good it had wrought in them that they had beene very lately in a grieuous captiuitie he then by his prophet Zachary chapter 11. verse 16. threatneth vnto them this great and grieuous plague that he will raise vp a sheepeheard in the land which shall not looke for the thing that is lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that that is hurt nor feede that that standeth vp but he shall eate the flesh of the fat and teare their clawes in peeces And that there were such sheepeheardes amongst the people of Israel and that wo and destruction belonges to them God by his prophet Ezechiel chapter 34. verses 2 3 4. doeth testifie pronouncing wo to the shepheards that feed themselues eate the fat cloth thēselues with the wooll kil them that are fed but feed them not they strengthen not the weake they heale not the sicke binde not vp the broken bring not againe that which was driuen away seeke not the lost but rule them with crueltie and rigor I neuer reade or thinke of this description of an euill shepheard but I see me thinkes therein a right paterne of popish gouernment Neither doe I at any time earnestly enter into scanning of that regiment that is vnder that most holy father but I remember how the holy ghost painteth out these proude cruel and idoll shepeheards The one seemeth to bee so right a paterne of the other as if they were all one thing and no difference at all betweene them or as if the Spirite of God did both foresee and foreshew the most holy father in that glasse of the most vnholy shepheard But that it may the better appeare that he that would be accounted the herd of Christs flocke doth but seek for to satisfie his own pride profit and pleasure not hauing any due regard either to Gods glorie or the good of them whom he calleth his sheepe let vs consider how violently and impotently his immoderat affection doth carry him to say do as himself liketh best both against God and man and how insolently he beareth sway in Christ his church And first to beginne with his names and titles out of the which M. Bellarmine wil prooue that the Bishop of Rome is Peters successour in the whole or vniuersall church For that he tooke in hand to proue But I on the contrary by those names shall by Gods grace plainely prooue that he robbeth Christ of his ornaments and taketh from him his titles that belong to him onely And first he calleth himselfe head of the vniuersall church which name so properly belongeth vnto Christ that we cannot giue it to any other without great wrong both to the head and the body of the church To the head in that the office which God the father laid vpon Christ in appointing him ouer all things the head to the church shuld be bestowed vpon a sinful man to the body which is Christs church because by that meanes it should haue but an idle head euery way vnable to performe the dueties of a head I deny not but the church of Rome for 4 or 5 hundred yeres after Christ might iustly be called the head of the church that is a ring leader to other churches in respect of religion which remained more sincere there then elsewhere for many yeares neither was that church so troubled with heresies as were others I confes also that som of the bishops of Rome for their forwardnesse learning and paines imployed to the benefit of the church might worthely be called in some sence heads of the church as in the first parte of this treatise I haue shewed Then will some man say what is then the fault which you charge the bishop of Rome withall in calling himselfe the head of the vniuersall church First that he maketh that name proper to him and his seate which many times more iustly belonged vnto others who for their learning and trauel for the church of God deserued much better of Gods church then any pope of them al. Further also that it is not that signification of the name head that will satisfie the popes ambitious humour thereby to be counted a man onely able or fit to guide and direct others but he will so be a head that hee must commaund forbid bind loose retaine remit dispence denie doe and vndoe as his vnbridled affection should carie him Which soueraigne power ouer the church or any parte of the church we cannot find that God gaue vnto any man either Peter or Paul yea or to