onely to take away Ambition from his Disciples But I say that it was not onely his meaning to take from them ambition but all such occasions as tend to ambition together with the fewell of contentions and pride for the worde of God forbiddeth both the euill and the occasions of euill Now that the Monarchy of the Church doth nothing but puffe vp the hearts of those that are climed vp to it there is none that doubteth but such as are hired to flatter or haue not much troubled themselues with the reading of histories whereof we shall produce some proofes hereafter yea Leo Bishop of Rome in his 82. Epistle confesseth this fault to be in himselfe and after he had spoken against those Bishops that hunt after Lordship and authority he addeth these wordes meipsum quodenimodo in Culpam trahi sentio I finde my selfe in a sort drawne into this fault And further the wordes of Iesus Christ herein are very expresse for after hee had said The Kings of Nations rule ouer them hee saith not take you heede that you desire not Souerainty in the Church but thus he saith It shal not be so among you As if he should say they beare rule but you shall not beare rule hee forbiddeth not onely the desire of Dominion but Dominion it selfe Coeffeteau addeth that when Iesus Christ went vp into heauen he did in such sort substitute a visible head as that he hath not bereaued himselfe of the title and quality of Monarch and that he is a more perfect and absolute head then the Pope but of lesse vertue and power then the holy Ghost whereof he doth well to aduertize vs And surely in my opinion Iesus Christ is much bound vnto him The wordes of S. Luke 22. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not haue already beene sufficiently examined and so hath that saying of S. Ierome lib. 1. against Iouinian cap. 14. There so loweth after that Controuersie about the Keyes which the Pope causeth to ringe so loude stil grounded vpon this false supposition that he is the Successor of S. Peter not onely as Bishop of Rome in which sense the Ancients vnderstood it but also in the charge of Apostleship and as the vniuersall head of the Church which neuer any Father eyther beleeued or thought Albeit that that which was spoken to S. Peter doth nothing at all belong to the Bishop of Rome yet we will examine the wordes Iesus Christ then Mat. 16. after Peter had confessed him to be the Sonne of the liuing God saith Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen And I say vnto thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shal not preuaile against it And I will giue thee the Keyes of the King dome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou bindest on earth shall be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shall be loosed in heauen Mr. Coeffeteau produceth this saying Fol. 85. for to Establish the Primacy of S. Peter ouer the other Apostles but he sheweth not how nor wherein nor alleadgeth he any proofes at all It is peraduenture because Christ hath said Thou art Cephas and that Cephas signifieth the Head If a man will beleeue Pope Anaclet in the two and twentieth Distinction Can. SacrosaÌ„cta Cephas id est caput principiuÌ„ with a profound and compleat skill in Grammer It may be also that it is because he said to Saint Peter Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke will I build my Church Whereupon they inferre that the Church is founded vpon S. Peter But I say that these wordes import no such matter for hee saith not Thou art Peter and vpon thee Peter but vpon this Rocke that is to say vpon Iesus Christ whom hee confessed a little before and who is oftentimes termed a Rocke And it is euident that our Lord doth manifestly distinguish betweene Petrus and Petra the person of Peter and the Rocke and especially it is to be obserued that in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of a double sense for it is both the proper name of a man and it doth also signifie Rocke whereof it followeth that the allusion would haue carried a farre better grace if S. Matthew had said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the spirit of God that guided the handes of the Apostle chose rather to let go that ornament of speech for preuenting of errour and sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expresly distinguishing the person of Peter from the Rocke For if the Church be founded vpon S. Peter it must needes be done eyther vpon his person or vpon his Doctrine that was all one with the rest of the Apostles and in this respect they are all Foundations alike if vpon his person then assoone as he is dead and another in his place the foundation of the Church is changed and it may be much for the worse Likewise when the Papall Sea hath beene many yeares voyde which hath often happened the Church of God hath then beene without Foundation Furthermore if the question be of the first and most principall Foundation S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. saith No man can lay another Foundation then that which is already laid which is Christ Iesus And that maketh S. Peter to call him the cheefe Corner-stone 1. Pet. 2. And if the Apostles be at any time called Foundations it is in respect of the Doctrine that they teach And for this reason the holy Scriptures make them equally Foundations as Ephes 2. vers 20 Being builded vpon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the cheefe Corner-stone And Apocalip 21.14 The wall of the Citie which is the Church had twelue foundations in which were the twelue names of the Apostles of the Lambe Since then they be all foundations who can shew any place of the word of God that maketh one of the Apostles a Foundation aboue the rest The Fathers haue vnderstood it thus Origen vpon Matth. 16. If thou thinkest saith he that the whole Church was founded vpon Peter onely Quod si super v. num illum PetruÌ„ taÌ„tum existimas aedificari totam Ecclesiam quid dicturus es de Iohanne filio tonitrui desingulis Apostolis Omnibus Apostolis omnibê° per fectis fidelibê° dictum videtur Petra Christus qui donauit Apostolis suis vt ipsi quoque petrae vocentur Tu es Petrus c. what wilt thou then say of Iohn the sonne of Thunder and of all the other Apostles And hee vrgeth much these wordes Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church as spoken to all the Apostles yea further to all the faithfull This seemeth saith he to be spoken to all the Apostles and to all the perfect faithfull for they are all stones or Rockes and vpon them is the Church builded S. Ierome in his first
signified He there alleadgeth also S. Ambrose who saith 2. de Consecrat Can. In Christo ex Ambrosio in Epist ad Hebr. We continually offer this is done in remembrance of his death this is one selfe Sacrifice and not many how is it onely one and not many Because Iesus Christ hath beene sacrificed onely once but this sacrifice is done for example of that other Thom as Aquinas hath followed Lombard and decided this question tertia parte Summae Quaest 83. art 1. where he saith that the celebration of the Sacrament is called a Sacrifice for two reasons first because according to S. Austin the signes are called by the name of the things signified secondly because by the Sacrament we are made partakers of the death of Christ He forgot the reason which now they say is the principall to wit that it is because that Iesus Christ is really sacrificed vnder the formes of bread for a sacrifice truely propitiatory ARTICLE X. Of the Communion vnder one kinde The KINGS Confession ANd such are the Amputation of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the people Hereunto Mr. Coeffeteau opposeth the second of the Acts where saith he the Apostles administred this Sacrament vnder one kinde onely for there it is said that the faithfull continued in the doctrine of the Apostles and in fellowship and breaking of bread That our chiefe Doctors confesse that this place must be vnderstood of the Sacrament and yet there is no mention but of one kinde of bread vnlesse his Maiesty saith he who adoreth the sufficiency of the Scripture will make a supplement of something to be added thereunto He addeth that Christ is wholly and entier vnder euery kinde and that the people receiue him neuerthelesse That the Church by this meanes hath prouided against vnreuerent behauiours and preuented the heresie of those that beleeued not that the bloud was together with the body vnder the kinde of bread He affirmeth that heretofore it was free to receiue the communion vnder one or both kindes because the faithfull sometimes carried the Eucharist home to their houses and toooke it not but when they might commodiously doe it and they did it say they for the most part vnder the kinde of bread only and that Athanasius witnesseth that the Communion Cup was not vsed out of the Church that they communicated among themselues vnder one kinde that they might also doe it in publique For thus saith S. Ierome Hierom in Apol. ad Pammachiū Is Christ another in publique then in a priuate house that which is not to be tolerated in the Church is not the rather permitted in a house that the Ministers complayning of the mutilation of one kinde haue in the meane time destroyed the essence of the Sacrament remouing the body of the Lord as farre from the Sacrament as heauen from the earth which is to belye the Sonne of God who saith This is my body c. Before we make answere to the place of the second of the Acts the Reader shall obserue The Answere that this is the first place of Scripture which this Doctor hath alleadged wherein his wisedome hath fayled him for had hee continued not to alleadge any scripture at all an ignorant Reader would haue thought it had not beene necessary but seeing him beginne here to speake of the word of God doubtlesse he will wonder that in so many Controuersies handled heretofore hee hath heard nothing alleadged out of Gods word And indeede the doctrine of saluation was neuer so prophanely handled for GOD is become suspected and his bookes of faith haue now no credite in controuersies This is a great grace which they doe vnto the word of God if after a Legend of reasons and humane allegations at length some short sentence is casually produced and not without cause for why then is it not more fauorable to his Holinesse Empire But let vs heare this place In the second of the Acts ver 42. it is said that the Disciples continued together in the Doctrine of the Apostles and in the Communion and breaking of bread It is not there said that the people participated in the Cup therefore they communicated onely vnder one kinde of bread 1 This coniecture is too light by a great many graines and which is more it makes against the Church of Rome which beleeueth that the Pastors ought necessarily to take it in both kindes Now in this passage it is not said that the Pastors did participate in the Cup and they are no more mentioned then are the people therefore should it follow that the Pastors also did not participate in the cup. 2 This also is a weake kinde of Argumentation to say that in the second of the Acts there is nothing mentioned beside breaking of bread that therfore the Cup was not vsed If I should say that being inuited by such a one I haue eaten with him doth it follow that I haue not drunke although I spake not of it This errour proceedeth from ignorance of the scripture phrase which by the breaking of bread and by eating of bread doth vsually vnderstand the whole banquet and all kinde of sustenance So Gen. 31.54 Iacob inuiteth his brethren to eate breade See Genes 37.25 Matth. 15.2 and sundry other places We cannot be accused by this manner of speakking to adde vnto the Scripture the sufficiencie whereof we defend against our aduersaries For if in this place there be no mention of the Cup it sufficeth that it is spoken of in other places And to ioyne diuers places together which speake of the same thing is not to adde vnto the Scripture Besides it is not credible that the Apostles hauing so expresly receiued this commaundement to drinke all of the Cup would infringe the same Againe when we speake of the sufficiency of the Scriptures our meaning is not that the Scripture recyting a story vnto vs doth specifie all the particularities of that which happened Onely we say that in things which it commandeth vs to beleeue and doe it doth sufficiently instruct vs vnto saluation Now to know what is to be beleeued and done in this sacrament we must learne it out of the institution of the same and out of the expresse commandements of Christ and his Apostles 1 For Iesus Christ instituting this sacrament among his Disciples said vnto them Drinke ye all of this That is Lib. 1. de corpore Christi cap. 15. as saith Paschasius aswell the Ministers as the other beleeuers They answere that all those to whom our Sauior spake were Pastors and therfore this commaundement was giuen onely vnto the Pastors Which if it be so by the same reason also the Pastors onely must eate of the bread for if in these wordes Drinke ye all of this Christ spake to none but to the Pastors then certainly in these words Take eate he speaks also vnto the Pastors if this be so let them tel me where is the commandement which bindeth the
man had fulfilled the law seeing that he was couetous as our Sauiour sheweth Marc. 10 24. where after that this young man had left Christ with purpose rather to keepe his goods then to follow Christ our Sauior said to his Apostles Children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdome of God He that trusteth in his riches and preferreth them before Christ transgresseth the law and doth not loue God aboue all things And indeed Chrysostome in his 64 Homily vpon S. Matthew saith that he was couetous S. Ierome vpon that place sayth that he came to tempt Christ in that our Sauior Christ loued him it was a loue of compassion and not an approbation of his Auarice Luc. 19.41 So Ierusalem was full of the blood of the Prophets and yet our Sauiour wept ouer it which teares could not bee without some loue Secondly they abuse themselues in thinking that this is a counsell giuen to all for we haue shewed that it should be il done oftentimes to obserue it But Christ gaue this commaundement particularly to this young man to discouer his coueteousnesse and to shew vnto him how farre he was from the accomplishment of the law of which hee so much boasted our Sauior putteth his finger vpon his impostume to make him to feele his Maladie For Christ who knoweth the hearts of men and the things that are to come knew well enough that he would not forsake his goods and that hee was not in disposition to follow him And indeede no man can denie but that this young man was much to blame that he reiected Christs counsell and refused to follow him But according to the doctrine of our aduersaries he is not to be reprehended for say they it is a counsell of perfection to which no man is bound In a word it is neyther said there nor else where that in so doing he had done a worke of Supererogation But it seemeth to me that this presumptuous doctrine is not comely in the mouth of Monkes who doe not vow pouerty but rather to be rich There be many Monkes of great reuenues who liue like Princes Others are poore in their owne particular and priuate estates but are rich in common Their begging and loitering is fatter to them then the peoples labouring they gather much money vnder the colour of Pardons They neuer goe but to the funerals of rich men they sing no Masse but for them that haue giuen them before hand they fleece and share euen vpon the graues and death it selfe is made tributary vnto them But especially I finde that their tottering faith and the profession that they make of doubting of their saluation doth very ill sort and agree with these works of Supererogation But to omit for the present this doctrine which preacheth Distrust wheras the Scripture preacheth confidence and certainty of Faith This doctrine I say which teacheth vs to pray Our Father which art in heauen without knowing whether we be the children of the Diuell or no And which accounteth it arrogant pride for a man to trust vpon the promise of God To omit this I say let vs onely consider how these things can agree that men should seeke by works of Supererogation to come to a more excellent degree of glory aboue other men and yet in the meane time to doubt whether themselues shall be saued or eternally damned Thus they tremble seeing Hell open vpon them while their ambition stretcheth it selfe beyond the Kingdome of heauen Like vnto a man whose ambition a whole Kingdome or Empire will not suffice and yet standeth in feare to be hanged the next day Were it not better to sticke to the promises of God then to liue in suspense betweene the feare of hell and the hope of an extraordinary glory ballancing his spirite betweene Pride and Despaire Offending God as much through incredulity as through presumption How great then must the terrour of conscience and trembling of heart be in those men who content themselues with the bare keeping of Gods commaundements and also of those that seeke vnto these men to borrow Satisfactions and to buy their Merites All this that hath formerly beene said is not so to be taken as though we did absolutely denie that there are no counsels in the Gospell the auncient Fathers doe acknowledge as much with vs. It is a good and a wise counsell to abstaine from things lawfull as from the vse of meates when our weake brother is scandalized thereby It is a wise counsell for a Pastor or Minister to take no stipend when he can liue otherwise or when it giueth occasion to the wicked to defame the Gospel It is a wise counsell to a man that hath the gift of continency to abstaine from marriage especially in time of persecution But that the obseruing of them should be a perfection aboue the law or that it should deserue a degree of glory in Paradise aboue the common rancke of Saints is that which we haue proued to be false and contrary to the Gospell and a doctrine that lifteth a man vp on high to precipitate him with a greater downe fall Of superaboundant Satisfactions and of the treasure of the Church HIs Maiesty of England doth vpon good ground auerre that the workes of Supererogation are rightly named Thesaurus Ecclesiae Pag. 39. for satisfaction is a kinde of worke of which Treasure wee must speake somewhat and our Discourse thereof tendeth to these two heads first to shew of what ingredients this Treasure is componnded secondly to what vse it is employed The cheefe part of this Treasure 1 This Treasure is chiefly compounded saith Coeffeteau of the superaboundance of Iesus Christ his merites in which speech beside the abuse there is plaine mockery for he is deceiued in thinking that the merites of Iesus Christ can be deuided into partes and that a part of his satisfaction may be withdrawne from the rest and put into a treasury The poorest man must be saued by the death of Christ and hath neede of his whole satisfaction Euen as all the light of the Sunne doth wholly shine in one place and wholly shine in another place and as all the wordes of an Orator doe at once arriue to the eare of euery hearer so euery beleeuer must necessarily lay hold vpon the whole merites of Christ for his saluation not as these men dream one man vpon one part and a second on another part by which meanes Christ may leaue certaine portions for the Pope to husband and store vp in his treasury being as absurd as if I should seeke to saue a part of the light or reserue a peece of the Oratours voyce Were there fewer beleeuers they should neede Christs whole satisfaction and all his merites And were their number doubled a thousand times they should all finde in the death of Iesus Christ a full redemption Spirituall graces are entirely possessed and without diuision and there is no
4. Epist 5. or heresie In this sense therefore are we hereticks and Sectaries sith that now-a-dayes to acknowledge no other Mediator then Iesus Christ nor any expiation but by his blood or any propitiatorie sacrifice but his death nor any satisfaction of Gods iustice but by his obedience nor any rule to guide vs to saluation but his Worde conteyned in the holy Scriptures is accounted heresie But more clearely to purge himselfe of this crime his Maiesty of England following the commaundent of the Apostle S. Peter which is to be alwayes ready to yeeld an account of the hope that is in vs doth set downe at large a confession of his faith agreeable to the holy Scripture and al vncorrupted antiquity Who shal henceforward be ashamed to confesse the name of God or defend the truth of the Gospell being thus ensampled by a mighty King but this confession conceiued in choyse and significant wordes full of euidence and of power doth worthily challenge a seuerall Discourse And besides it is that against which Coeffeteau doth principally discharge his choller THE DEFENCE OF THE CONFESSION Of the Faith of IAMES the first King of Great BRITAINE THE SECOND BOOKE ARTICLE I. Touching the Creede The KINGS Confession I Am such a Catholicke Christian as beleeueth the three Creedes That of the Apostles that of the Councel of Nice and that of Athanasius the two latter being Paraphrases to the former And I beleeue them in that sense as the Auncient Fathers and Councels that made them did vnderstand them To which three Creedes all the Ministers of England do subscribe at their Ordination And I also acknowledge for Orthodoxe all those other formes of Creedes that eyther were deuised by Councels or particular Fathers against such Heresies as most raigned in their times To this Article Coeffeteau findeth nothing to reply and holding his peace thereupon hee iustifieth vs by his silence ARTICLE II. Touching the Fathers in generall AS for the Fathers I reuerence them as much and more then the Iesuits doe The KINGS Confession and as much as themselues euer craued For what euer the Fathers for the first fiue hundred yeares did with an vnaâ—ime consent agree upon to be beleeued as a necessary point of saluation I eyther will beleeue it also or at least will be humbly silent not taking vpon me to condemne the same Here againe Coeffeteau is silent and knoweth not what to reprehend The Reader may please to call to minde that the points in which his Maiesty of England doth abstaine to condemne the Fathers albeit his beleefe is not bound to follow them are eyther points not necessary to saluation or opinions in which as well our Church as the Church of Rome doth condemne them The Auncients for the most part held that the fall of the Diuels came to passe by reason of their cohabitation with women This is altogether false and a point little important to our saluation They held also for the most part that the soules shall all be purged by the fire of the last iudgement in the expectation of which day the soules as well of the good as of the bad are shut vp in certaine receptacles And in this point they are neyther followed by vs nor by our Aduersaries ARTICLE III. Touching the Authority of the Fathers in particular The KINGS Confession BVt for euery priuate Fathers opinion it bindes not my conscience more then Bellarmines euery on of the Fathers vsually contradicting others I will therefore in that case follow S. * Lib. 2. cont Cresconium cap. 32. Augustines rule in iudging of their opinions as I finde them agree with the Scriptures what I finde agreeable thereunto I will gladly embrace what is otherwise I will with their reuerence reiect Doctor Coeffeteau dooth yet approue of all this for good seeing he saith nothing to the contrary He acknowledgeth then that the Fathers often disagree among themselues and that they doe not alwayes accord with the word of God neyther must we settle our selues alwayes vpon what some one Father hath taught Causa 12. Quaest 1. Canon Dilectissimi Denique quidam Graecorum sapientissimus haec ita sciens esse colam debeatur ait Amicorum comia esse omnia In omnibus autem sunt sine du bio Coniuges And indeed his Maiesty of England saith this with iust reason for not we alone but also the Church of Rome doth not allow the opinion of Pope Clement the first who would that mens goods and their wiues should be common among Christians Neyther doth the Church of Rome approue the opinion of Ignatius who in the Epistle to the Philippians saith that to fast on the Saterday or on the Sunday it is to be a murtherer of Iesus Christ nor the doctrine of Iustin Martyr who saith in his Dialogue against Tryphon That God in the beginning gaue the Sunne to be adored Nor the opinion of Athanagoras in his Apologie that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That second marriage is but a handsome Kinde exercise of Adulterie Also the Church of Rome doth not beleeue with Origen that the Diuels shall be saued Nor with Clemens Alexandrinus in the sixth booke of his Stromata that the Greeks were saued by their Philosophy Nor with Arnobius in his second booke that God is not the Creator of soules And that the soules of the wicked are reduced to nothing Nor with Ireneus Lib. 2. cap. 63.64 that the soules separated from the body haue feete and handes Iustin was a Chiliast Tertullian a Montanist S. Cyprian an Anabaptist Saint Hilary in his tenth booke of the Trinity mayntaineth in diuers places Virtus corporis sine sensu paenae vim paenae in se desaeuientis excepit Christus cum cibuÌ„ potum accepit non necessitati corporis sed consuetudmi tribuet Secundam ducere secundum praeceptumo Apostoli licitum est ecundum autem veritatis rationem verè fornicatio est He saith the same about the end of his booke De fide Symholo that Iesus Christ in his death suffered no paine And that he did not eate because his body had neede of sustenance but onely by custome Chrysostome alleadged in the Canon Hac Ratione in the Cause 31. Question 1. he saith that S. Paul commaunding second mariages hath spoken against truth and reason and that is truely fornication Saint Austin in his fift booke of his Hypognosticks and in his Epistles 93. and 106. held that the Eucharist is necessary for young children newly borne that they may be saued And in his booke De Dogmatis Eccles cap. 11. He saith that the Angels are Corporeal and in his booke of the Christian combat cap. 32. he sayth that our bodies after the Resurrection shal be no longer flesh nor blood but an heauenly body Gregory of Nyssa in his first Sermon of the resurrection teacheth a prodigious errour namely that the soule of Iesus Christ was already in the graue euen then whiles
the Sacrifice of the Crosse and the Masse doe differ in number that is that there is as much difference betweene the Masse and the sacrifice of the Crosse as between Philip and Alexander And then it is not the same sacrifice for Philip and Alexander are not the same man 7 Whereupon the Reader may obserue how these men are entangled they say that the Masse is the reiteration of the Sacrifice of the Crosse not conceiuing that they do thereby acknowledge that the Masse is not the same thing with the Eucharist which Christ celebrated with his Disciples for that was not the reiteration of the sacrifice of the Crosse because that was not yet offered and they are onely actions past which are reiterated 8 Yea the sacrifice of the Crosse being finished whosoeuer afterwards would reiterate the same should of necessity reiterate the death of Iesus Christ and crucifie him againe for the sacrifice of the Crosse and the death of Christ are one and the same thing 9 Now were it that proofes of Scripture were of authority among vs this difference were soone decided The Apostle Heb. 10.14 sayth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnica Oblatione that Christ with one offering hath consecrated for euer them that are sanctified Lo then one oblation and the vertue thereof for euer And to exclude all re-iteration he saith in the tenth verse That we are sanctified by the offring of the body of Iesus Christ ONCE made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and more plainely doth he exclude this re-iteration about the end of the ninth Chapter As it is saith he appointed vnto men to die once and after that commeth the iudgement so Christ beeing offered once shall appeare the second time without sinne vnto them that looke for him vnto saluation So that according to the iudgement of the Apostle the offering of Christ can be no more re-iterated then the death of men nay he saith that after the death of men nothing is looked for but the iudgement so after the offering once made by Iesus Christ nothing is expected but his second comming 10 Which doth also preuent the euasion of our aduersaries which say that the sacrifice of Iesus Christ cannot indeede be re iterated with bloud but that it may and ought to be re-iterated without bloud for this cannot agree with the Apostles comparison seeing the death of a man kil'd bloudily cannot be re-iterated without bloud as it may be semblably affirmed of the bloudy sacrifice of our Sauiour 11 Againe this re-iteration without bloud of a bloudy sacrifice should haue his grounde in the holy Scripture but our aduersaries doe thence alleadge neyther commaundement nor example 12 And it is to be maruelled that the two third partes of the Epistle to the Hebrewes being spent in speaking of the Sacrifice and the Priest-hood of the New Testament and of his prerogatiues aboue the sacrifices of the law yet in the whole Epistle is there not one word found eyther of this vnbloudy sacrifice nor of the sacrificing Iesus Christ vnder the formes of breade and wine Surely then or not at all was it fit to treate thereof The Apostle discoursing so largely of the Sacrifice of the new Testament should he haue forgotten the matter wherein it only consisteth if we credite these men should he haue omitted the most essentiall point and principally necessary to his purpose 13 But where is the iudgement of these great suble Doctors that perceiued not that in saying that a bloudy sacrifice might be re-iterated without bloud they doe contradict themselues Who would not laugh if I should say that a race might be runne ouer againe without mouing out of the place or that Coeffeteau doth repeate his speech while he holdeth his peace or that he warmes himselfe againe whiles he freezeth And yet this is it which these Masters say who will haue a bloudy sacrifice re-iterated without bloud a bloudy action done againe vnbloudily and that it is the same action if one beleeue them he doth not beleeue for they say and vnsay and I assure my selfe that they beleeue not themselues 14 The same Apostle chap. 9. ver 22 and this place is very considerable after he hath spoken of sacrifices and purifications concludes with this generall Maxime without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes If then the Masse be an vnbloudy sacrifice it procures no remission of sinnes for the Apost to shew that he speaks not only of Iewish sacrifices that are abolished but also of the present time speakes in the present tense saying Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sinnes And in truth the sacrifices of the law were not propitiatory if they were not bloudy to giue vs to vnderstand that the Sacrifice of Iesus Christ must bee with bloud and that an vnbloudy sacrifice is not the sacrifice of Iesus Christ So that then it follows that the Masse is not the sacrifice of Iesus Christ and that the auncient sacrifices were not figures of the Masse as our aduersaries will haue them for the shedding of bloud cannot be the figure of an action without effusion of bloud Now if vnder the new Testament an vnbloudy sacrifice may be propitiatory who sees not that for the same respects the sacrifices without blood vnder the law might haue bin propitiatory and had more relation vnto the Masse 15 Hereunto adde the confession of Cardinall Bellarmine lib. 1. de Missa cap. 2. In euery sacrifice saith he properly so called there is required some sensible thing that may be offered §. Secundum In omni sacrificio proprie dicto requiritur res aliqua sensibilis quae offeratur but in the Masse that which they pretend to offer to wit the body of Iesus Christ is not sensible neyther doth any see or perceiue it for to say that it is visible vnder the formes of bread which couer it is to say that it is visible because the formes hide it and hinder the sight this is to say that they see it because they see it not Bel. l. 1. de Missa cap. 12. howsoeuer Bellarmine boast of seeing it for hee hath no other eyes then common people haue §. Haec sententia verum reale sacrificium veram realem mortem sacrificium rei immolatae desiderat Gregory of Valence saith the same in the first booke of the Sacrifice of the Masse Cap. 27. l. 1. §. Tertio The same Cardinall in the seuen and twentieth Chapter of the same booke saith That a true and reall Sacrifice requireth a reall death or destruction of the thing sacrificed Now in the Masse the thing which they say is sacrificed to wit Iesus Christ doth not really dye nor is destroyed therefore the Masse is no true and reall Sacrifice To this they reply and it is Bellarmines euasion that the naturall essence of Iesus Christ is not destroyed in the Masse but his sacramentall being First then say we seeing that the essentiall being
cruce aequi uaâ—eant Images are equiualent to the holy Gospels And in the eight Act it is ordained that d Imaginibus adorationem ex hibeant quemadmodâ— typo venerandae viuificae crucis sanctis EuaÌ„gelys such adoration be vsed vnto Images as is vnto the venerable and quickning Crosse and the holy Gospels In the same fourth Session speaking of the holy Hystories of Abraham and of the Martyrs it saith that maior est Imago quam oratio An Image is of more excellency then prayer In the fifth Act the entire body of the Councel pronounceth Ecclesia sentit noÌ„ omnino esse corporis expertes muisibiles veruÌ„ tenus corpore prae dito aerio siue igneo that the Church holdeth that the Angels are corporall and not inuisible but that they haue subtile bodies compounded of aire or fire And throughout the whole Councell is the worshipping of Images commanded Now this Councell in the Church of Rome is most authenticall is stiled Canonicall and confirmed by the Popes and it is to be beleeued that such a Councell cannot erre which is as much as can be said of the holy Scripture Bellarmine with other of their Doctors following this decision doth teach that Images are religiously to be worshipped and adored Who directly opposeth that which Coeffeteau saith that Images are worshipped Simply for that which they represent For Bellarmine in the 21. chapter of his booke of Images sets downe this maxime in Capitall letters that the Images of Christ and the Saints Imagines Christi SanctoruÌ„ venerandae sunt noÌ„ solum per accidens vel impropriè sed etiaÌ„ per se propriè tita vt ipsae termineÌ„t venerationeÌ„ vt in se considerantur non solum vt vicem gerunt exemplaris ought to be worshipped not by accident only or improperly but properly and by themselues so that the worship of them is determined in the Images as they are considered in themselues and not according to the patternes which they represent And about the end of the 22. chapter The vsuall worship performed vnto externall Images is considered properly and in themselues So the worship done to Images doth euidently shewe that they reuerence the Images for themselues For among the diuers Images of one Saint one is couered with dust another is cladd in silke and is often in change of rayment and some haue offerings tendered vnto them and some haue none and which â—s more the Images of the selfe same Saints haue diuers names there is our Lady of Vertue our Lady of Ioy our Lady of good newes our Lady of Snow whose festiuall day is in Italy celebrated in the moneth of August and hee that should call our Lady of Vertue by the name of our Lady of Ioy should be reputed a blockhead or that he had beene at Geneua And so doubtlesse when one censeth an Image or kindleth lights or clothes it with apparaile or offers vnto it or when one speaketh to a piece of wood or to the painting in a cloth I see not how the Saint is more honoured thereby for he meddles not with the perfumes and when the stones are polished he sees not a whit the clearer He takes no delight in seing the Images clothed or naked nor doth he gather vp anie of the offerings but they are all for the Curates and Vicars And if any should speake to the picture of a King the King would not esteeme himselfe honoured thereby And if Images which doe but doubtfully resemble the countenances of Saints must be worshipped then why should not the Bible bee adored wherein the power of God is most certainly represented Now if his Maiestie of England speake of this abuse as an abhomination what would he say if he had been an eye-witnesse of that superstitious madnesse wherwith the poore multitude are inflamed if he had seene behinde an Image of stone cladde in silke a poore naked picture standing for the Image of God if he had seene the people marching in procession before Lent toward the Image of our Lady for leaue to eate butter if he had seene the rule practised which the Tridentine catechisme sets downe approuing such as say a Pater noster before the picture of S. Dominicke or S. Barbara Cap. de Oratione Editionis Lonaniensis p. 483. Cum ad imaginem sancti alicuius quis Dominicam orationem pronunciat ita tum sentiat se ab illo petere vt secum oret if he had seene troupes of Saints in Churches diuersly apparailed among which some are but very basely cladde and some Saint hauing a hogge by his side some other a dogge c and these creatures to haue a share in the perfume to be equally adorned with lights He that should breake an arme of one of these liuelesse Images shall be thought to haue committed a greater fault then if he had broken the heades of a hundred liuing men howbeit the Image might be mended when the men could haue no amends This abuse is boundlesse and here superstition addeth madnesse vnto their blindnesse For the liuing Image of God fals downe before the Image of a dead man He among them that should see a church without Images would thinke himselfe in a newe world or he that should see Images vnworshipped would perswade himselfe he were among Deuils Such as blush at this abuse and speake thereof more nicely as Coeffeteau doth they say that Images doe helpe our deuotion but whence then is it that they may not be seene in Lent which is the time of deuotion and what deuotion is there without nay against the commandement of God Others say that they are ignorant mens bookes and they say the truth for they keepe them in ignorance So Habacuc cap. 2. calleth them teachers of lyes the mischiefe is that whiles the Churches and publique places are filled with these bookes for the ignorant they keepe away the Scripture which might haue made them learned and cured their ignorance they amaze the people insteed of instructing them they quicken the sense but dull the conscience they kindle their wax-lights while the Candle of Gods word is hid vnder the bushell of an vnknowledge language and by this meanes are men turned into stones hauing stones for their instructers And this is an old tricke of policie to busie the people with playes and publike shewes while their liberty is vndermined Tacitus in Iulio Agricola Paulatim discessum ad del inimenta vitiorum porticus balnea conuiuiorum elegantiam Id apud imperitos humanitas vo cabatur cum pars â—eruitutis esset so dealt Alcibtades by the Athenians and so as Cor. Tacitus witnesseth the Romanes dealt in great Britaine The same cunning hath beene vsed by the Pope who hath built his Hierarchy vpon the ruines of the Romane Monarchy he sets the people gazing on paintings and spectacles while he doth insensibly change the doctrine of saluation to make it seruiceable
the holy Ghost to whom soeuer you shall forgiue their sinnes they shall be forgiuen and looke whose sinnes yee retaine they shall be retained Now to vnderstand how farre the gift of any charge extendeth it selfe we must not so much respect the promises made as the actuall donation and the maner how it is receaued 4 Doubtlesse if by these words Iesus Christ had giuen vnto S. Peter power ouer the other Apostles he would haue commanded them to obey S. Peter and to acknowledge him for their Superior which is not found in any place of Scripture Now that Iesus Christ gaue the Keyes and power of binding and losing to all the Apostles Putas soli Petro dantur à Christo claues coelorum nemo ali bea toruÌ„ accipiet cas Si auteÌ„ coÌ„mune est inter omnes quod dicitur dabo tibi claues reg ni coelorum quomodo non omnia quae superius sunt dicta ad Petrum omnium videantur esse communia it doth appeare not only by the reasons afore alleadged but also by the testimony of auncient Fathers Origen vpon the sixteenth of Matthew the first Treatise How then saith he hath Iesus Christ giuen the Keyes onely to S. Peter And shall not the other receiue them also Or if that which is said I will giue vnto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen be also common to all the other why should not as well also all that that goeth before and that which followeth after be common though it were spoken to Peter Hilary in the fixth booke of the Trinity speaking to the Apostles Vos ô Sancti beati viri ob fidei vestrae meritum claues regai coelorum ligandi soluen dâ—ius in terra adepti O ye blessed men that by the merite of your faith haue the Keyes of the Kingdome and the power to binde and lose And then hee further saith Heare the Lordsaying I will giue thee the keyes c. That which is spoken to Peter is spoken to the Apostles Audi dicentem Tibi dabo c. Quod Petro dicitur Apostol's dicitur S. Ierome in his first booke against Iouinian All the Apostles receiue the Keyes of the Kingdome of heauen Cum illud vnus pro omnibus dixerit hoc cum omaib tauquam bersonam gerens ipsius vnitatis acceperit Ideo vnus pro omnib quia vnitas est in omnib S. Augustine in his 218. Tract vpon Iohn saith S. Peter spake these wordes for all and receiued the aunswere with all the other as representing the vnity in his person and therefore one receiued it for all because there was one vnity amongst them all In the Councell of Aix vnder Lewes the courteous the people is brought in speaking thus of the Clergy in generall By whom we are made Christians Tom. 3. Concil pag. 416. per quos Christiani sumus qui claues regni coelorum habentes quodommodo ante diem iudicij iudicant Who hauing the Keyes of the kingdome of heauen doe after asort Iudge before the day of Iudgement In the Councell of Paris vnder Lewes and Lotharius Emperours the third booke and eight chapter the Bishops of France speake thus This may easily be vnderstood by the wordes of the Lord Quod ex verbis Domini facile intelligere possunt quibus beato Petro cuiê° vicem indigni gerimus ait Quaecunque liga ueris c. when he said to Peter Whose place we vnwrothily occupie whatsoeuer thou bindest c. you see that they be all called the Successours of Peter and that they enioy his place And chap. 3. they giue those titles vnto Priests They are the strong Pillars vpon whom the whole multitude of beleeuers being founded Cap. 9. Ipsi sunt Ianitores quibus claues datae sunt regni coelorum Fol. 84. p. 2. are by them vpheld and supported Againe they are the Porters vnto whom the keyes of the kingdome of heauen are giuen But the Priests of Fraunce dare not speake now adayes in this stile To be short the case is so cleare that Coeffeteau is constrained to confesse that the Keyes were giuen to all the Apostles but he saith not with so large extent as they were to Peter See then the issue of this difference all our aduersaries acknowledge that the Keyes were equally giuen to all the Apostles but not in so high a degree as to S. Peter being demaunded where they finde this difference Or if there be any place of Scripture where Iesus Christ giueth the Keyes to S. Peter more then to the rest here they are as dumbe as fishes and when they come to the very exigent and issue of the matter they bleede at the nose and cannot produce any kind of proofe from the word of God Coeffeteau onely alleadgeth Hilary which is to bring in mans testimony against God and yet hee speaketh not any thing that eyther contradicteth the Gospell or vs for he onely saith that S. Peter is the Foundation of the Church and that he hath the Keyes but he saith not that he hath them more then the rest of the Apostles And if that Coeffeteau acknowledge that the Keyes are giuen to all the Aposties let him shew me in what place of scripture for there is not any place in the Gospell that speaketh of the giueing of keyes but this onely and here is no speech made of two kindes of giuing the keyes Besides it is easie for vs to proue that the Pope doth vniustly diminish the power of the Keyes giuen to all Bishops and Priests for since they be all Successors of the Apostles they ought to haue the same Keyes which the Apostles had Whence it followeth that God saith to all the faithful Pastors of the Church in the person of the Apostles That whatsoeuer they shal binde on earth shal be bound in heauen But the Pope correcteth this and sayth vnto them whatsoeuer you lose shall not be vnbound for there are certaine great offences which are called Cases reserued the absolution whereof lyeth not in your power but is a priuiledge peculiar vnto me Vnderstand now what these greeuous sinnes are that are thus reserued to the Pope Is it Paricide Incest treason against Princes murder or blasphemy against God No such matter that is euer pardoned by euery Bishop for such sinnes are but against the law of God but the sinnes that be out of their power are these See the Bull de caena Domini which is of cases reserued to the pope If any man hinder them that goe to Rome for Pardons if any man be an intruder into any Benefice or office Ecclesiasticall if any haue purloyned the goods of the Church or if any haue offended the Sea Apostolicall the absolution of such horrible sinnes as these are is no where else to be had but at Rome These are the cases reserued For to offend the Pope or to bereaue him of his profite is matter farre more heynous then to
offend against the Maiesty of God And in the booke of the Penitentiary Taxe in the chapter of Absolutions the falsifying of Letters Apostolical is taxed at seuenteene groats whereas for a man to company with his mother but at fiue groates onely Seeing then that about this inequality of the Keyes which giueth a superiority to S. Peter aboue the other Apostles our aduersaries cannot defend themselues by any authority out of the holy Scripture let vs see whether wee can furnish our selues with any places directly against it 1 I say then that if the Apostles had not the Keyes of heauen nor the power to binde and lose but subordinately vnder S. Peter the Apostle S. Paul should haue spoken very vnaduisedly in saying 2. Cor. 11.5 I thinke that I haue not in any thing beene inferiour to the rest of the Apostles when hee sayth in any thing he admitteth no exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Adde hereunto that if he had beene subiect to S. Peter he should much haue forgotten himselfe when Galat. 2. he said that there was no difference betweene him and those that seemed to bee the chiefe for then there must needes haue been great difference betwixt their charges 3 And againe this that he speaketh is yet much more That those who were in the greatest account among the Apostles added nothing vnto him whereas doubtlesse S. Peter would at the least haue giuen authority to S. Pauls charge if it had depended from the authority of S. Peter 4 But cheefely that which Paul addeth is worthy of consideration that the charge of preaching to those of the vncircumcision was in as large a maner committed vnto him as that of the circumcision was vnto Peter See here how they parted the labour betwixt them it fel vnto S. Peters lot to preach vnto the Iewes and S. Pauls to preach vnto the Gentiles a thing that would be ridiculous and strange now a dayes if any Bishop should seeke to diuide the charge of gouerning Churches betweene him and the Pope or should send the Pope to preach in Almaine or Spaine to conuert the Iewes 5 It is also worth the noting that S. Paul in the same place verse 9. naming those three Apostles Iames Cephas and Iohn placeth Cephas which is Peter after Iames. Now in these our dayes if a man should speake thus The Bishop of Lyons the Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Ambrun men would holde him for a madde man But S. Paul in setting Peter betweene others he sheweth that he had not yet learned that S. Peter was chiefe of the Church vniuersall or that he had iurisdiction ouer the rest of the Apostles For their last assault and encounter they produce the wordes of Iesus Christ vnto Peter Feede my Lambes which wordes they haue made wonderfull fruitfull and full of many consequences for thus they expound them Thou Peter and thy Successours Popes of Rome feede you alone all my lambes and doe you take vpon you a soueraignty ouer all other Pastors How many strange and venterous Glosses are here on the Text And how haue they peeced out this latchet to make it reach home For though Iesus Christ doe expresly commaund Peter to feede his sheepe yet he excludeth not the other Apostles They are all called Pastors and all faithfull Bishops and Ministers are enioyned to feed the Church of God Acts 20.28 True it is that S. Peter was Pastor of all the sheepe of Iesus Christ throughout the world but so were likewise the other Apostles For S. Paul also 2. Cor. 11. verse 28. saith that he hath the care of all Churches their charge was to walke and to haue an eye euery where for thus saith Iesus to them all Acts 1. And you shall be witnesses vnto me to the very endes of the earth And hereupon S. Augustine is very plaine in the thirtieth chapter of his booke of the christian combate When the Lord saith vnto Peter Cum dicit Petro amas me pasce oues meas idem dixit caeteris Louest thou me feede my sheepe he saith the same vnto all But why speaketh he to him alone Because not long before he onely had denyed him He onely that fel had onely neede to be raised vp and to be re established in his charge for otherwise a man might well haue called his Apostleship into question And why doth he rehearse the same wordes vnto him thrice Because he had denied the Lord three times as many fals so many restorings These be not raisings of him vnto dignity but strengthnings of his infirmity As saith S. Augustine Treatis 123. vpon S. Iohn A triple deniall is recompenced with a threefold confession Redditur negationi trina confessio ne minus amori lingua seruiat quam timori c. to the end that his tongue might serue him no lesse to declare his loue then it had done in disclosing his feare In the meane time albeit all the Apostles had a generall care ouer all Churches yet this doth not hinder but that each of them might haue a peculiar charge besides their generall S. Paul was charged with instructing the Gentils and S. Peter with teaching the Iewes and it appeareth not that this his commission was at any time changed and that in stead of being the speciall Teacher of the Iewes he was made Bishop of Rome Besides that his dwelling at Rome could not well haue sorted and agreed with the teaching of the Iewes Act. 18.11 who now were banished from Rome vnder Claudius the Emperor which was the very time of S. Peters preaching during which time he visited the Iewes scatteredinto Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithinia and into all Asia as appeareth by the first verse of his first Epistle This was somewhat too farre from his Bishopricke of Rome and nothing sutable with the dignity of the Monarch of the Vniuersall Church We will not here contend whether S. Peter were euer at Rome for albeit this History be full of darknesse yet I am enclyned to beleeue that he suffered Martyrdome at Rome because Tertullian Eusebius and others doe affirme the same But yet the day-light is not more cleare then it is euident that stayed there but a very small time and not twenty fiue yeares as our aduersaries doe calculate One proofe shall serue to be added to those which are alleadged by others We graunt then that S. Peter and S. Paul did suffer Martyrdome at Rome vpon one and the same day as Eusebius and some others affirme This being so we will shew most plainly that S. Peter had not yet beene at Rome three yeares before his death For S. Paul being to depart from Corinth to goe towards Ierusalem wrote an Epistle to the Romanes as appeareth by the subscription of his Epistle dated from Corinth and by the fiue and twentieth verse of the fifteenth Chapter Now I goe vp to Ierusalem His voyage to Ierusalem is described in the 18 19 and 20. chapters of the Acts