spouse markes of the place where he dwells she saith Least I be as hidden amougst the flockes of thy competitors that is to saie saith saint AVGVSTINE of those that being in the beginninge with thee would assemble without not thy flocke but theire stocks For what is this but to saie that the Church demaundes marks of her spouse not to be discerned from all kinde of things but to be discerned only from the societie of heretickes which beare by false markes the name of Christ and the title of Churches And secondly it is not necessary that the markes in parte that is to saie those that taken separatlie haue not the entire office of markes may not be found euery one a parte without the thing marked but that the thing may not be found without euery one of them nor they taken iointly and altogether without the thing whose marke they are And therefor the argument of the markes in parte separated is good to argue negatiuely and to saie with sainct Austine against the Donatistes The Church hath this most certaine marke that she cannot be hidden she is then knowne to all nations the sect of Donatus is vnknowne to manie nations then that is not she Or with saint IEROM against the Luciferians Hilarius being dead a deacon he could ordaine no Priest after him now that is noe Church that hath noe Priestes or with the same saint AVGVSTINE against all heresies in generall euerie heresie that sitts in corners is a concubine and no matron But the argument of the markes in part taken iointlie is good to argue both negatiuely and affirmatiuely and to conclude with saint AVGVSTINE Suppose then that I omitt this wisedome that you denie to be in the Catholicke Church there are many other thinges that retaine me most iustlie in her lappe The consent of people and nations retaines me The authoritie begun by miracles nourished by hope increased by charitie confirmed by antiquitie retaines me The Succession of Prelates since the sea of Peter to whom or Lord consigned the feeding of his sheepe after his resurrection to the present Bishops Sea retaines me and finallie the very name of Catholicke retaines me which not without cause this Church alone amongst soe manie and soe great heresies hath so maintained as when a stranger askes where they assemble to comunicate in the Catholicke Church there is no hereticke tha dare shew him his owne temple or his owne howse From what places of the voice of the sheepeheard the markes of the Church ought to be taken CHAPTER VI. The continuance of the Kinges answere The king hath learnt from the reading of the holie Scripture and all the Fathers heretofore none excepted held noe otherwise that the true and essentiall forme of the Church is that the sheepe of Christ doe heare the voice of theire pastor THE REPLIE To heare the voice of the Pastor is the office of the sheepe but not the essentiall forme either of the Church or of the sheepe For the essentiall forme of the Church I meane essentiall forme analogically as that of the supposts constituted by aggregation is vnitie in the meanes of vocation to saluation and the essentiall forme of the flocke is the communion and participation to this vnitie The name of Church saith saint CHRISOSTOM is a name of agreement and vnion And saint AVGVSTINE God is one the Church is vnitie nothing agreeth with this one ' but vnitie But if the essentiall forme of the flocke were to heare the voice of the Pastor doth not he heare the voice of the Pastor that heares her voice of whom the Pastor said by the mouth of Esay Thou shalt iudge euerie tongue that resisteth thee in Iudgement And by his owne mouth The gates of Hell shall not preuaile against her And whosoeuer heares her not shall be held as a heathen and a Publican And by the mouth of saint PAVL He hath placed in the Church Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and Doctors c. that we may no more be little children fleeting and wauering with euerie wind of Doctrine And doth not saint AVGVSTINE cry out The truth of Scripture is held by vs when we doe that which pleaseth the vniuersall Church whom the authoritie of the same scriptures recommends And againe There are manie thinges that the vniuersall Church obserueth and which therefore are lawfullie belieued to haue bene deliuered by tradition of the Apostles although we finde them not written And then againe to heare the voice of the Pastor is it not to heare it according to true vnderstanding for doth not TERTVLLIAN pronounce An adulterate glosse doth as much outrage to the truth as a false penne And doth not Saint Hilarie saie The heresie is in the vnderstanding and not in the Scripture the sense and not the word becomes the crime And doth not saint Ierome write The Ghospell is not in the words but in the sense And doth not saint AVGVSTINE cty out All the heretickes which receiue the scriptures thincke to follow them when they follow theire owne errors And in an other place Heretickes were no heretickes but that misvnderstanding the Scripture they defend obstinately theire owne false opinions against the truth thereof And againe Manie things are spoken by Christ in the Scriptures in such a manner as the impions Spirits of heretickes who will needs teach before they are taught are thereby lead into error And vpon saint Iohn The heresies and peruerse doctrines which intangle Soules and cast them headlong into hell haue theire birth no where but from good Scriptures euilly vnderstood And so is not the question still to whom it belongs to iudge infalliblie of the true sense of the Scripture Moreouer the first voice of the shepheard that the Fathers summond the sheepe to heare is it not that whereby he designes the markes of his Sheepefolde that is of his Church I haue said saint AVGVSTINE the most manifest voice of my pastor who recommends and expresses to me his Church without anie ambigiutie I must blame myself if for the wordes of men I straie from his floke which is the Church since principallie he admonishes me saying My sheepe heare my voyce Now which is this voice of the pastor wherein Saint AVGVSTINE will haue vs seeke for the markes of the Church but that wich expresses not the doctrine contested betweene him and his aduersaries which was that of the truth of the baptisme giuen by hereticks but the prerogatiues of eminencie perpetuitie vniuersalitie and other externall and sensible markes and conditions promised to the Church If the holie Scriptures saith saint AVGVSTINE haue designed the 〈◊〉 only in Africa and in a little medly of men dwelling in the rockes and Mountaines neere Rome and in the howse and territorie of a spanish Ladie though whatsoeuer other pamphlets may be produced there are none but the Donatists that haue the Church if the
in as high fame As was the first inuentour of the same Nor can your worke bee any whit disgrac't By those who think it done with too much 〈◊〉 For had it beene in Michaell Angells power To perfect his great iudgment in one hower Hee who for that should valew it the lesse His owne weake iudgment would therein expresse And though wee in a common Prouerb fay That Rome was not built all vp in one day Yet could wee see a Citty great as Rome In all her 〈◊〉 in one minute come To such perfection wee might more expresse Our wonders and not make the glory lesse So I conclude with modest truth and dare All their free Censures who can but compare And whosoere shall try may spend his Age Ere in your whole work hee shall mend one Page A TABLE OF THE TITLES AND SVMMARIES OF THE CHAPTERS CONTAYNED IN THESE FOWER FIRST BOOKES OF THE REPLIE TO THE MOST EXCELLENT KING OF GREAT BRITAINE THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. OF the vse of the word Cathòlicke fol. 13. II. Of the conditions of the Catholicke Church 17 III. Of the proceeding of the fathers for the preseruation of the vnitie of the Church 21 IV. Of the necessitie of communicating with the Catholicke Church 23 V. Of the markes of the Church 25 VI From what places of the voyce of the Shepheard the markes of the Church ought to be taken 32 VII Of the examples which we haue from the practise of the Apostles 35 VIII Of the definition of the Church and in what vnion it consists 36 IX Of the vnion of the predestinate and by way of adiunction of the visibilitie or inuisibilitie of the Church 39 X. Of the vnitie of eternall faith 48 XI Of other inuisible vnions 51 XII Of the knowledge that the Predestinate haue of their predestination 52 XIII Of the inequalitie of these two phrases to communicate with the Catholick Church and to communicate with some member of the Church departing from the rule of faith 55 XIV How to vnderstand the words of S. Gregory NazianZene there is a sacred warre 57 XV. Of the pretended precepts to goe forth from the visible communion of the Church 58 XVI Of the consequence of the places alledged by the Fathers for the authoritie of the Catholick Church 68 XUII. Of the distinction of the heretickes and schismatickes 69 XVIII Of the agreement of the auncient Catholicke Church with the moderne 70 XIX Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the sence wherein the word Catholick hath been common to the auncient Catholick Church and to the moderne 74 XX Of the comparison of the Church with the citie built vpon a mountaine 76 XXI Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the Donatists and Protestants in the question of the Church 77 XXII Of the extent of the ancient Catholick Church and the moderne 78 78 XXIII Of the communion that the Bishops of the East had by letters with those of the west 79 XXIV Of these words of the constitution of S. Clement the vniuersall Episcopate is committed to Bishops 80 XXV Of the comparison of the Pope with other Bishops 81 XXVI Of formed letters 113 XXVII Of pretended excommunications attempted against the Pope 116 THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Councells 125 II. Of the effect of Councells for the visibilitie of the Church 127 III. Of the comparison of the Pope with the other Patriarkes 128 IV. Of the difficulties of Scripture concerning the time of S. Peters 〈◊〉 at Antioch and at Rome 137 V. Of the Canon of the Councell of Nicea touching the gouernment of the Patriarches 147 VI. Of the addition of the word Churches suburbicarie made by Ruffinus in the Latine translation of the Councell of Nicea 161 VII Of the claime of the Bishops of Constantinople 178 VIII Of the order of sitting in the Councell of Nicea 204 IX Of the order of the sittings in the first Councell of Ephesus 217 X. Of the order of the sittings in the second Councell of Ephesus 219 XI Of the order of sittings in the Councell of Calcedon 220 XII Of the order of the sittings of the fifth Councell of Constantinople 222 XIII Of the order of sitting in the sixt Councell of Carthage 229 XIV Of the order of the sittings in the Councell of Aquilea 231 XV. Of the calling of Councells 232 THE THIRD BOOKE CHAP. I. OF Appeales 244 II. Of the opposition of sainct Ireneus to Pope Uictor 249 III. Of the opposition of S. Cyprian 251 IV. Of the commission of the Emperor Constantine the great for the iudgment of Cecilianus Archbishop of Carthage 264 V. Of the decree of the Mileuitan Councell concerning the beyond-sea Appeales 273 VI. Of the order and distinction of the Councell of Carthage 281 VII Of the African Councell 309 VIII Whether the Latine edition of the African Canons be more faithfull then the Greeke rapsodie 315 IX Of the difficultie touching the Epistles that are at the end of the African Councell 326 X. Of the question of Appeales treated off in the sixt Councell of Carthage 329 XI Of the Councell of Sardica 348 THE FOVRTH BOOKE CHAP. I. THE Estate of the Easterne Church 376 II. What the deuision of the Empire hath wrought to the diuision of the Church 378 III. Of the interpretation of those words Thou art Peter and vppon this Rock I will build my Church 379 IV. Of the indiuisibilitie of the Church 398 U. Of the effect that diuision brings to the Church 399 VI. Of the pretended corruption of the Church 400 VII Of the exclusiō of hereticks frō the bodie of the Catholick Church 402 VIII Of the qualitie wherein the Catholicke Church attributes to herself the name of whole 410 IX Of the sence where in the Roman Church is called Catholick 411 X. Of the causes wherefore the Roman Church hath cutt off the rest from her communion 413 XI Of the sence wherein the Hereticks belong not to the Catholick Church ibid. XII Of the proceeding of other sects 414 XIII Of the perswasion that other sects pretend to haue of the truth of their Church by scriptures ibid. XIV Of the sence wherein Hereticks haue disputed the word Catholicke 415 XV. Of the cases wherein the communion in vow with the Catholick Church may be imputed as actuall 417 XVI Of the equiuocation of termes diminutiues imployed for negatiues 419 XVII Of the authoritie of the worke iutituled imperfect 422 XVIII Of the vnderstanding of these words of sainct Augustine To seeke the Church in the words of Christ. 423 XIX Of the vnderstanding of the words of sainct Chrisostome in the thirtie third Homelie vpon the Acts. 427 XX. Of the rules to iudge admitted by sainct Chrysostome and sainct Augustine 429 XXI Of the application of the Thesis of this obseruation to his Hipothesis 430 XXII Of the personall succession of the Bishops 431 XXIII Of the succession of doctrine 434 XXIV Of the holding of a Councell 436 XXV Of the reduction of the disputation to
deceiptfull that is to saie he spake not this language to shewe that when he writt it there was then noe externall and visible Church which must be communicated with vnder paine of anathema but contrarywise to shew that they must continue to conserue the externall and visible communion of that Church impolluted and vndefiled from the contagion of the Arrians And therefore in the second place alleadged by his Maiestie he representes two Combates that the good Catholicke Pastors had in theire charges some within the Church against the iealousie emulation of euill Catholickes others without the Church against heretickes Schismatickes And which heretickes and not against the Church intituled Catholicke he calleth the warre sacred warre in imitation of the Phocensian warre which was called sacred Of the pretended precepts to goe forth from the visible communion of the Church CHAP. XV. The continuance of the Kings answere NOW that in the Church it was once necessarie to make such a separation we lerrne it cleerely as well out of other places of the Scripture as frō that which is opēlie declared to vs by this admonition of the holy Ghost made to the Church certainely not without cause Goe out of Babylon my people least you communicate in her sinnes Now what this Babilon is from whence the people of God are commaunded to goe forth the kinge searcheth not into it nor decides nothinge in that respect This certainly at least the thinge it self shewes manifestly that whether in that place by the word Babylon be meant a particular Church or the greater parte of the vniuersall Church it must be she hath heertofore bene a lawfull Church wherewith Religious men communicated 〈◊〉 and then from whom after her deprauation had yet past further the faithfull receiued commaundement to goe forth and to breake the communion they had with her Soe as it is easie to be vnderstood from thence that the faithfull ought not to desire all kinde of communion with those which are called vnder the title of Christ but only that which is made retaining still the 〈◊〉 of the doctrine reuealed from heauen THE REPLIE IT was not without cause the first Grecians called their allegoricall sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be it that this word intend hidden conealed senses or whether it intend suspitions For all senses purelie allegoricall are but suspitiōs coniectures haue noe firme solide foūdatiō And it is not without cause that the hebrew Doctors call the literall sense of the scripture the little word the allegoricall sense the great word For the literall sense is restrained by the square straight measure of that which is cōtained in the text where as the allegoricall sence hath noe boūd but is multiplied infinitly goes as farre as humane imaginatio can be stretched And therefore this axiom is past for a prouerbe in diuinitie that allegories proue nothinge Now if there be a booke in the world writtē in an allegoricall stile what one cā be equalled in that kinde to the Reuelation which as Sainct IEROM saith containes as manie Sacraments that is to saie sacred riddles as wordes And if Sainct AVGVSTINE cryed out against the Donatists who would haue found a prediction of theire Church in an allegoricall verse of the Canticles and said to them who is it that dares without a most vnbridled licence produce for himselfe that that is 〈◊〉 in an allegorie if he haue not places more cleere by whose light to illustrate that which is obscure What would he saie in this age not against his Maiestie but against the proceedinges of those that haue built the vocation of theire Church vpon these alegoricall wordes of the Reuelation goe forth of Babylon my people who knowes not that it is a solution sufficient for arguments drawne out of allegoricall expositions to answere I denie it and principally when there may be an other sense giuen to the allegoricall wordes then that according to which they are alleadged If I could not saith Sainct AVGVSTINE answering an allegoricall obiection proue this sense by anie more certaine argument yet it ought to satisfie euerie iudicious bearer that I haue foūd an issue for these wordes by meanes whereof it appeares that they haue alleadged nothīge for thēselues that is certaine but what may de doubted of And not only may there be found an other way of vnderstādinge this passage then that which his Maiestie supposes but antiquitie hath found two others and both celebrated by excellent and authenticall Authors and those which haue come after haue yet added a third The first way of vnderstandinge it is to interpret Babylon described by the Reuelation to be the Societie of all the wicked in generall as S. AVGVSTINE and many others often expound it in that sense and to expound Ierusalem described in the same booke to be the Societie of all the Good which are the two Citties whereof Saint AVGVSTINE hath composed a worke of the Cittie of the diuell which began in Cain and the Cittie of God which began in Abell For as there is the same reason in things contrary and opposite soe must the interpretatio of that Ierusalem painted out in the Reuelation and that of that Babylon which is opposed to it be a like Marke said Saint AVGVSTINE the names of these two Citties Babylon and Ierusalem Babylon signifies confusion and Ierusalem the view of peace c. They are mingled from the beginninge of humane kind and shall continue soe to the end of the world Hierusalem tooke her beginning from Abell and Babylon from Cain And a little after From whence can we now shew them that is discerne them Our Lord will shew to vs when he placeth them the one on his right hand the other on his left Ierusalem shall heare come you blessed of my father take possession of the kingdome which is prepared for you from the beginminge of the world and Babylon shall heare goe you cursed into eternall fire which is prepared for the diuell and his Angells Yet we may also bringe some marke accordinge to the capacitie that it pleases God to giue vs by which the faithfull and godlie Cittizens of Ierusalē may be distinguished from the Cittizens of Babylon Two loues make these two Citties the loue of God makes Ierusalem the loue of the world makes Babylon let euerie one then examine himselfe what he loues and he shall finde of which he is a Cittizen And in an other place all the wicked belong to Babylon as all the Saintes doe to Ierusalem And in the volume of the Cittie of God And what shall we gather from this but that we must flie out of the middle of Babilon which propheticall precept ought spirituallie to be vnderstood in this sense that out of the Cittie of this world wich is without doubt the societie of euill Angells and wicked men we should flie with the steps of faith which workes by loue and
and fountaines that spring from them and in this sence the Apostle saith They dranke of the spirituall Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ. By meanes whereof to inferr from this that in these words the Rock was Christ when it is spoken of the Rock referr'd to the water 〈◊〉 sprang from it Christ was intended by the word Rock that heere where it is spoken of the word Rock referrd to the metaphor of the ministeriall building of the Church it should be necessarie to vnderstand it of the person Christ and not of of that of saint PETER were an inconsequent consequence And it is not to be said that in the parable of the man that built his howse vpon the rocke by the word Rock Christ is vnderstood for the litterall sence of the word Rock in this place is noe other then to signifie a good and firme foundation and that this is expounded of Christ it is by allegorie Now there is great difference betweene the litterall sence of places mingled with metaphoricall termes and the allegoricall sence For from the litterall sence of places mingled with metaphoricall termes arguments may be made and consequences may be drawne from one passage to an other and from the allegoricall sence not And then if sainct PAVL had said euen according to the relation to the ministeriall building of the Church the Rock was Christ hath not our Lord vsually communicated his names to his ministers And did not Iacob annoint the stone in Bethell in the figure of Christ as prefiguring that Christ ought to be the stone whereof God prophecied by the mouth of Esay Behold I will set vp in Sion a Rock well founded And neuerthelesse doth not the same Iacob saie that Joseph was the Pastor and the Rocke of Israel making vse of the word Euen in both of them That is to saie doth he not communicate by word the same word Rock of Israell to Ioseph that he had communicated by figure to Christ And if they stagger about the difference which is betweene the word Euen the word Tsur or Petra which signifies Rock although Beza doe not distinguish it when he translates Thou shalt be called Cephas which is interpreted lapis Doth not Tertullian write according to the vse euen of the word Tsur or Petra He hath giuen to the dearest of his disciples to Peter the name of one of his figures And doth not S. HIEROME write vpon the same place of S. MATTHEW As our Lord who is the light hath giuen to his Apostles that they should be the light so to Peter beleeuing in the Rock-Christ he hath giuen to be the Rocke And therefore according to the metaphor of Rock it is said to him with good right I will build my Church vpon thee And elsewhere Not only Christ was the Rock but hee hath giuen to Peter that hee should also be the Rock And sainct BASILL Although Peter be also the Rock neuerthelesse hee is not the Rock as Christ but hee is the Rock as Peter for as much as Christ is essentiallie the vnmoueable Rock and Peter is so by the Rock for our Lord giues his dignities without dispoyling himselfe of them c. He is the Rock he makes the Rock And sainct EPIPHANIVS He hath made the first of his Apostles the firme Rock wherevpon the Church is built And againe It is hee that hath heard from him Peter feede my lambes and to whom the keeping of the Flock hath bene committed And PROSPER This most strong Rock hath receaued from the principall Rock commmunication both of vertue and name For whereas sainct AVGVSTINE after hee had interpreted in manie places the Rock of the person of PETER as in these words of the comentarie vpon the sixtie ninth Psalme Peter who is in this confession had bene called the Rock vpon which the Church should be built And in these words of the Psalmes against Donatus his partie Reckon the Prelates from the Sea of Peter And in this order of the Fathers see who haue succeeded one an other this is the Rock that the prowde gates of Hell cannot ouerthrow And in these words of the comentarie vpon sainct IOHN Peter this Rock answered in the name of all and in those words of the Epistle eightie six Peter the head of the Apostles the Porter of heauen the foundation of the Church remitts it finallie in his retractations to the readers choyse whether of these two interpretations hee thinkes to be most probable to witt either to interpret it of the person of PETER or to interpret it of the person of CHRIST moued with this that the Latine text hath Tues Petrus and not Tues Petra This is a grammaticall error partlie proceeding from the defect of knowledge in the Hebrew and the Syriack tongues in which there is noe difference betweene Petrus and Petra But the text hath it throughout Thou art Cephas and vpon this Cephas that is to saie in Latine Tues Petra supra hanc Petram and in French Tu es rocher sur ce rocher Thou art a rock and vpon this rock partlie for want of experience in the practise of the greeke tongue in which the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie one selfe-same thing from whence it is that manie Greekes haue called the Sunne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saie stone by allusion to the doctrine of Anaxagoras who held that the Sunn was a stone By meanes whereof the Greeke interpreter of S. MATTHEW hath pretended to put noe difference in sence but only in kinde betweene these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and meant to saie no other thing but what wee vnderstand in French by these words Tuesroc sur ce rocher ie bastiray mon Eglise And therefore alsoe saint BASILL produces the first part of the clause in these words Thou art the Rock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hauing regard to the wordes of our Sauiour in which the cōdition of the Hebrew and Syriake tongues permitt not to make the distinction of gender as S. HIEROME notes in these words Not saith hee that Petrus and Petra signifie differing things but because that which in latine we call Petra the hebrewes and Syrians because of the affinitie of their tongues call it Cephas And this Beza though an enemie to the true sence of this passage is constrained to confesse in these words The Lord speaking in Syriack hath not vsed diuersitie of name but in both places hath said Cephas as in our vulgar French the word Pierre is said as well of the proper as of the appellatiue And for this same cause he translates the place of the first Chapter of saint Iohn into these termes Thou shalt bee called Cephas which is interpreted Petra that is to saie Rock or stone And not soe much as the doctors of the lewes but doe
intended in deede and not in Right for we doe not denie but that the heretickes belong by right to the Church that is to saie that the Church hath to exercise her authority ouer them and to iudge censure and excommunicate them but wee saie that they belonge not in deede to the Catholick church that is to saie that they are not actually comprehended and contained in the catholicke Church and are not members and partes thereof And it is not wee that saie this but saint AVGVSTINE who writes it in these words And therefore neither the heretick belongs to the Catholick Church because she loues God nor the Schismatick because she loues her neighbour Of the proceeding of the other sects CHAP. XII The continuance of the Kings answere AND it is not you alone that attribute to yourselues this right others also doe the same for at this daie a word the king cannot speake without groaning there are manie particular Churches which beleeue themselues onelie to be the particular people that they call the Church if you giue them strength like the Romans they would alreadie haue done as that hath done and would iudge the rest no lesse seuerelie THE REPLIE WHAT those are wee are not to Answere let the dead bury their dead only wee maie saie their conclusion would be good if their hypothesis were true for if they were true churches euery Societie which should be excluded out of their communion should be excluded from the title of the Church and from the right of being able to call thēselues a part of the Catholick Church for as much as the Church as hath bene aboue said is either one or none Of the perswasion that the other sects pretend to haue of the truth of their Church by scriptures CHAP. XIII The Continuance of the Kings Answere WHAT shall I saie more that there are at this daie many sects which are celebrated the sectaries whereof are most stedfastlie persuaded that they alone see some thing into holie writt and as saieth the Poet that they alone are vnderstanding and that the rest hunt after a shaddowe THE REPLIE HARPASTE 〈◊〉 domestical foole hauing lost her sight would not beleeue it was she that was become blinde but perswaded herselfe that it was growne darke It is iust soe with all heretickes they thinke it is the Church that is become darke and full of obscuritie and not themselues which are become blinde To finde anie thing answered the Pelagians to saint AVGVSTINE when he alleadged the multitude of Authors for the Catholicke Church A multitude of blind persons serue to no vse And by that only his maiestie may iudge how necessarie it is not to abandon nor prostitute the exposition of the scripture to the iudgement of euery particular person since there is not that man that when he will make himselfe iudge of it doth not beleeue himselfe only cleere sighted and that the rest as Homer saith embrace nothing but darknes For the Scripture consisting according to saint HIEROME not in the reading but in the vnderstanding and men not being able to assure themselues of the vnderstanding of the Scripture by their particular Spirit for as much as saith saint PETER as the exposition of the Scripture is not made by priuate interpretation it is necessarie to determine the differences that are bredd by the interpretation of the Scripture to haue besides the Scripture a Iudge externall and interposed betweene that and vs who may secure vs of the true sence thereof and that this iudge should haue other markes and be notable by other externall meanes then by that of the doctrine contested since it is from that iudgement that wee ought to learne the decision of the true sence of Scripture in pointes disputable otherwise questions in Religion could neuer be determined no more then differences in ciuill controuersies if wee should leaue the deciding of the sence of the wordes of the lawe to the preoccupated vnderstanding of the Aduocates and parties that there were noe iudge ordained aboue them and sett betweene the lawe and them to interpret it Of the sence wherein hereticks haue disputed the word Catholicke CHAP. XIV The continuance of the Kinges answere IT is verie true that there hath bene noe age wherein there hath not bene conuenticles to raise Sectes parasynaxes which haue bragged of the name of the Catholicke Church and haue drawne ignorant persons to them by this allurement THE REPLIE THAT the ancient Sectes and Parasynaxes of heretickes haue effected the title of Catholicke it was not to pretend in good earnest that it belonged to them nor to drawe ignorant persons to them by that allurement but to dispute it with the catholicke Church and to hinder least by the possession of this name she should preserue her menbers from being defrauded and seduced by hereticks And euen so not to dispute it with her in that sence wherein she attributes it to herselfe to witt as an Epethete of communion but to dispute it in the qualitie of an Epithete of doctrine For heretickes haue alwaies sufficiently knowne that this taken in the true sence could neither be giuen nor maintained to their Sects And therefore they spake not of this word but either in seeming to mocke and scorne at it as when Sympronion saith to saint PACIAN that none vnder the Apostles were called Catholickes And when Fulgentius the Donatist said that the word Catholicke was an human fiction And that the Donatists according to the report of Vincentius Lirinensis cryed out to the Catholicks Come come o you miserable madd people commonlie called Catholicks or in disguising the sence of the word and applying it to signifie the qualitie of doctrine and not the communion of the Church as the Donatists which called themselues Bishops of the Catholicke truth and to whom S. AVGVSTINE said you are those that hold the Catholicke faith not from the communion of the whole world but from the integritie of the diuine Sacraments For when they suffered it to bee admitted in a true sēce they were as speedilie as shamefullie driuen from it I asked him saith S. AVGVSTINE speaking of Fortunatus the Donatist if hee could giue letters cōmunicatory which wee called formed whither I would c. But because the thinge was manifestly false they shifted from it by confusion of language And elsewhere Wee must saith hee hold the Christian Religion and the communion of that Church which is called Catholick not onlie by themselues but by their Enemies For whether the hereticks themselues and the foster children of schismes will or nil not when they speake not with those of their Sects but with others they call the Catholick Church noe otherwise then Catholick Neither could they be vnderstood if they did not discerne it by that name by which the whole world calls it And againe This Church alone amongst soe manie and soe great heresies hath so maintayned this name as when a
as it hath pleased God whollie to accept may be hastned by the prayers and sacrifices of the Church and necessarie with necessitie of precept and to exercise christian charitie and pietie both to the Church that offers them and to the ministers and Pastors by whom she offers them The prayer of the Saintes they haue holden as necessarie to the bodie of the Church and to the ministers by whō they are made with necessitie of precept to exercise the commerce betweene the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant and to particular persons out of the offices of the Church and in their priuate deuotions not neeessary with necessitie of act but only profitable that they may the more easilie obtaine pardon for their sinnes by the concourse of their prayers who are alreadie in the per fect and assured possession of the grace of God but necessary to them and all others with nessitie of approbation that is to saie they are obliged not to contradict them and not to condemne the custome and doctrine of the Church in that article and not to separate themselues from her vpon this occasion vnder paine of falling into Anathema and to be holden for heretickes All which things I will not now stand to proue least I make a Booke of a letter but I doe oblige myselfe to iustifie them when soeuer you shall desire it and to make it appeare both by the vnanimous consent of the Fathers that haue flourished in the time of the first fowre councel's and by the formes which remaine to vs in their writings of the ancient Church Seruice that all the Catholicke Church of their times hath vninersallie and vniformely beleeued holden and practised them throughout all the regions and prouinces of the earth I oblige myself I saie to make it appeare to you that she hath holden these fower thinges in the same sence and in the same forme and for the same end as our Lyturgies are and not as obseruations that then sprung vp but as things that the same Fathers testified to haue bene beleeued and practised from all antiquitie and to be deriued to them by an vninterrupted continuance from the tradition or approbation of the Apostles Soe as they cannot renounce the Communion of our Church vnder pretence of anie of these fowre points without renoūcing the Communion of the ancient catholick Church and consequently the inheritance of saluation and that by authors and testimonies all able to abide the touch as you know I am curious to make vse of noe other and with cleare and ingenuous answeres to all obiections collected out of the Fathers of the same ages or of ages before them A thing that will be the more easie for me because the proofes that wee will avouch out of the Fathers are proofes which containe in expresse termes the affirmatiue of what wee saie whereas our aduersaries cannot finde one only passage which containes in expresse terme the negatiue but only in termes from whence they pretend to inferr it by consequence and which at a iust tribunall would not merit so much as to be heard For who knowes not that it is too great an iniustice to alleadge consequences from passages and euen those euill interpreted and misvnderstood and in whose illation there is alwaies some paralogisme hidd against the expresse wordes and the liuely and actuall practise of the same fathers from whom they are collected and that may be good to take the Fathers for Aduersaries and to accuse them for want of Sence or memorie but not to take them for Iudges and to submitt themselues to the obseruation of what they haue beleeued and practised To this I will also adde whensoeuer you shall desire it the present Conformitie of all the other Patriarchall Churches in these fowre cases with the Roman and of all those which haue remained euen to this daie vnder their iurisdiction to witt those that are vnder the Patriarchall iurisdiction of the Patriarck of Constantinople as the Grecians Russians Muscouites and Asians of Asia-minor separate from vs neere eight hundred yeares Of those that are vnde the Greeke Patriarch of Antioch as the Syrians Mesopotamians and others yet more Easterne nations for those that obey the Syrian Patriarch as the Maronites perseuer in the Communion of the Roman Church of those that relye vpon the Egiptian Patriarch of Alexandria as the Egiptians whom they call Cophtites and the Ethiopians which haue bene diuided both from vs and from the greekes more then eleuen hundred yeares euen from the time of one of the fowre first Councells to witt of the Councell of Chalcedon For all these hold these fower pointes yea with more iealousie if it be possible then the latine Churches and particularlie the article of the Sacrament where of they doe not only beleeue transubstantiation which the greekes at this daie call in the very self same sence and phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also exercise the adoration with externall gesture more full of humilitie then ours A manifest proof that these fowre pointes were vniformely holden and obserued by the ancient Cahtholicke Church since all the partes whereinto the ancient Catholicke Church is dismēbred doe retaine them vniformly to this daie notwithstanding soe manie distances separations and diuisions through all the regions of the Earth These are in generall the causes that haue moued me to vse that exception in my letter that you obiect to me in yours whereof if the Excellent King of great Brittaine had as well leasure to heare the particularities as he hath capacitie to comprehend them I assure myselfe he would not thinke it strange that I should desire in him the title of Catholique but he would desire it himsefe and put himsefe in state to obtaine it and to cause it to be obtained by those that are depriued of it that is to saie he would add yet to is other Crownes that of making himsefe a mediator of the peace of the Church which would be to him a more triumphant glorie then that of all the Alexanders and of all the Caesars and which would gaine to his Isle noe lesse an honor in hauing bredd him thē to haue bredd great Constantine the first deliuerer and pacifier of the christian Church I praie god that he will one daie Crowne all the other graces wherewith he hath indowed him with that and heare to this effect the prayers of his late Queene Mother whose teares like those of S. Augustins Mother doe not onlie intercede for him in heauen but her blood also And likewise keepe you Sr. in his safe and holie protection From Paris 15. Iulij 1611. AN ADMONITION TO THE READER This letter to Mons. Casaubon occasiond the whole discourse ensuing For the letter being shewed to his most excellent maiesty our Souuerain Lord king Iames of glorious memory it pleased him not only to read it but to take paines to answer it as he thought most conuenient To which answer of his maiesty the Cardinall replieth
Scripture haue bounded her to a little number of Moores of the Cesarian prouince then we must goe to the Rogatists if to a little compaine of Tripolitans Byzacenians and prouincialls the Maximianists haue gotten her If onlie to those of the East we must seeke her amongst the Arrians Macedonians Eunomians and others if there be others to be found for who can number the particular heresies of euerie nation But if by the diuine and most certaine testimonie of the holie Scriptures she is designed to be in all Nations whatsoeuer is alleadged to vs or from whence soeuer it is alleadged by those that saie heere is Christ there is Christ if we be sheepe lett vs rather heare the voice of our shepheard who saith beleeue them not for these are not tobe found in manie places where she is and she who is euerie where is also wheresoeuer they are And againe My sheepe heare my voice and follow me You haue heard his most manifest voice recommendinge his future Church not only in the psalmes and in the prophets but by his owne mouth alsoe And a little after This is no obscure question and wherein they may deceiue you of whom our Lord hath foretolde that they should come and saie lo heere is Christ behold he is tbere lo he is in the desert that is to saie out of the frequeneie of the multitud beholde him heere in the secret places that is in hidden traditions and darke Doctrines You heare that the Church must be spread ouer all and grow to the haruest you haue the citie of which himselfe that built it said the Cittie built vpon a hill cannot be hidden it is then she that is not in anie single parte of the earth but is well knowne euery where Beholde the markes of the Church that saint AVGVSTINE affirmes to be designed by the voice of the pastor and soe cleerely designed as they neede noe interpreter to the end that the Church beinge knowne by them we may after by the Church be informed of the sense of the other voices of the pastor which neede interpretarion Produce to vs said he something for your cause which cannot be interpreted more truly against you nay which at all needes no interpreter as these wordes In thy seede all nations shall be blest neede no interpreter As these wordes It behoued that Christ should suffer and rise againe the third daie and that in his name there should be preached penāce and remissiō of Sinnes through all nations beginning from Ierusalem haue no neede of an interpreter c. As these wordes And this Ghospell of the kingdome shall be preached through the whole world in testimonie to all people and then the end shall come haue noe neede of an interpreter As these wordes Let both grow together till haruest haue noe neede of an interpretor For when they had neede of an interpretor our Lord himselfe ineerpreted them for euen as when a testator ordaines some one to interpret the difficulties of his testament and that the name o this interpreter being common and equiuocall to manie the testator assignes marks in his 〈◊〉 to make him knowne the clause whereby he designes the markes to know him must be so cleere as they shall need no interpreter since it is by them that he should be knowne to whom it is necessary they should addresse themselues to make them vnderstand those thing that shall neede interpretation So God hauing promised in his testament to giue the interpretatiō of his testamēt to the Church the wordes whereby the markes of the Church are there designed must be so cleere that they shall neede noe interpreter so that by them the Church beinge knowne we may after by the Church learne the vnderstanding of those things that neede an interpreter And therefore the order and course of S. AVGVSTINE was to verifie by places of Scripture which had not need of an interpretor the externall and sensible markes ' of the Church by the externall and sensible markes of the Church the Church itselfe and by the Church the vnderstanding of those places of Scripture which had need of interpretation n This point said he we reade it not plainely and euidētly neither I nor thou but if there were beere some mā indued with wisdome to whom our Lord himselfe had giuen testimonie and that he were consulted with by vs about this question I beleeve we would nothinge doubte to doe as he would 〈◊〉 vs for feare of beinge iudged repugnant not soe much to him as to our Lord Iesus Christ by whom he was recommended Now he giues testimony to his Church And elswhere Whosoeuer then feareth to be deceaued through the obscuritie of this questiō lett him cōsult with that Church which the holy Scripture bath designed without 〈◊〉 ambiguitie But this was when hee disputed with the Donatists who agreed with the Catholicks concerninge the truth of the Scripture for when he disputed with the Manichees or with the Infidells which denied or questioned it then he changed his method and did not proue to them the Church by the Scripture but the Scripture by the Church and to that end he vsed two kindes of proceedinge The one was to put it for a ground that if god haue care of the Saluation of man as without this principle all discourse of Religion is in vaine there can be noe doubt but he hath appointed a meanes howe they might attaine it and that this meanes not cōsisting in thinges knowne by naturall reason for as much as thē naturallie all men would agree in it it is thē of necessity that it should consist in authority and then this ground benig laid to verifie that amonge all the Societies of Religion that bee in the world the onely Catholicke Church hath the true markes of authority The other proceedinge was to propose to them the accomplishment of profecies touching the extirpation of Idolles and the ruyne of the false Gods of the paganes and touchinge the abolishment of the Iewish Ceremonies and the dispersinge of the people of the Iewes and touchinge the comeinge of a newe lawe maker and of a newe Religion and to represent to them that these prophecies were written before the birth of our Lord and kept by the enemies of the Church and were couched in termes soe cleere that it was a wonder that the Iewes which kept them were not persuaded by them but that within the same bookes it was foretolde that theyshould be stricken with blindnes and that in seeinge they should not see And by this meanes to proue to them that these were sacred and inspired from God and then this obtained to shewe them in the same prophecies the markes whereby amongst soe manie Societies which should vsurpe the title of Christian Societies shee was to be discerned to whow appertained the right of beinge the true Common wealth of Christ. And she beinge finally acknowledged to addresse them to
corrected or explained it both in the conference that he had with them in Carthage and in his retractations as there remaines noe more colour to abuse it For Saint AVGVSTINE in his first disputatiōs against the Donatistes finding himself pressed with the arguments that they brought to proue that baptisme could not be giuen by heretickes because heretickes were out of the Church aduised himselfe and particularlie in the worke of the seuen bookes of baptisme from whence this distinction of people knowne in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men is principally taken to helpe himselfe against them not with the formall definition of the Church by which onely infidells and hereticall and Schismaticall Christians are excluded but by the finall definition of the Church that is to saie by the definition of the Church considered according to the finall and future number of those of whom she should be constituted in the other world from which wicked Catholickes are also excluded to the end to inferr from thence against the Donatistes that as euill Catholickes though they were out of the Church defined according to her future permanent and principall being did truly baptise soe heretickes and Schismatickes though they were out of the Church defined according to her present and passant being yet might administer true baptisme And for a foundation of his definition he made vse of Epithetes of Salomon and S. Paul hauing noe spott nor wrinkle and 〈◊〉 her such like elogies of the Church which appertained either to the state of the other world or to the puritie of doctrine But after that the Donatistes abused both this definition and the testimonies from whence it was taken to inferre from thence that the Catholicke Communion which was mingled with wicked men was not the Church he changed his proceding in the conference that he had with them at Carthage and declared that this definition belonged not to the Church considered according to the present and formall being which she hath in this world but accordinge to the future and finall being which she shall haue in the next The Catholicks saith he made it appeare by many testimonies and examples of holy Scriptures that wicked mē are now so mingled in the Church that although Ecclesiasticall discipline ought to be watchfull to correct them both in words and by excommunications and degradations neuerthelesse not onely being hidden they are vnknowne but euen being knowne they are often tollerated for the vnitie of peace and shewed that the testimonies of scriptures did in that manner well agree together to witt that the places whereby the Church is represented with the medly of the wicked signisie the present tyme of the Church as she is in this world and the places whereby she is designed to haue no wicked persons mixt with her signifie the future state of the Church such as she shall eternally haue in the world to come And a little after so the Catholickes refuted the calumny of the two Churches declaring expressely and instantly what they intended to saie to witt that they had not pretended that that Church which is now mingled with wicked men should be an other Church then the kingdome of God that shall haue no wicked pesons in it but that the same one and holy Church is now in one sorte and shall be then in an other now she is compounded of good and wicked men and thē she shall not be soe And in the worke of the Cittie of God made by him after the Conference of Carthage there where the one and other kinde are found that is good euill there the Church is as 〈◊〉 is at this present but where the one only shal be there is the Church such as she is to 〈◊〉 when there shal be no wicked men in her And in the answere to the second Epistle of Gaudentias written also after the said Conference You see that the Church according to Cyprian is called Catholicke by the name of all and it is not without manifestly-wicked men And in the second booke of his retractations I wrote said he 7. bookes of Baptisme against the Donatistes attempting to defend themselues by the authority of the most happie Bishop and Martyr 〈◊〉 in all those bookes where I haue described the Church without wrinckle or spott it must not be takē of the Church as shee in her present being but as being 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 such whē she shall appeare in glorie And againe In my writings to an vnknowē Donatist speaking of the multitude of cockle I said by which are vnderstood all heretickes there wantes a Coniunction which is necessary for I should haue said by which are also vnderstood all beretickes c. whereas I spake as if there were onely cockle out of the Church and none in the Church And neuerthelesse the Church is the Kingdome of Christ from whence the Angells in the haruest tyme will plucke vp all Scandalls which caused the Martyr Cyprian to saie Although we see tares in the Church yet ought neither our faith nor our charitie to be so diuerted as because we see tares in the Church we should therefore seperate our-selues from the Church Which sense we haue also followed els where and principallie against the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 present in the act of the Conference From whence it appeares how much it is to abuse Saint AVGVSTINES wordes against the sense whereto himselfe intendes they should be either corrected or explained to transferr as the protestantes doe that that he spake of the Church considered according to her future and finall being in the other world and applie it to the Church considered accordinge to her actuall being heere and to inferr from thence that she may consist in this world formally in the onely mumber of the predestinate and remaine hidden and visible To the fift obiection which is that Saint Ierom writes vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians The Church is glorions wthout spott or wrinkle or anie such like thing he then which is a sinner and soyled with anie spott cannot be called of the Church of Christ neither subiect to Christ We answere that he meanes not to saie that wicked men are not of the Church which is the body of Christ which fightes heere below but that they are not of the number of the Church which is the bodie of Christ which shall raigne in heauen For soe farr of is it from Saint IEROM to belieue that the promise to be without wrinkle or spott of manners appertaines to the Church considered as she is in this world that he cryes out quite contrarilie against the Pelagians That what the Apostle writes that our Lord will make his Church holy and without spott or wrinkle shall be accomplished at the end of the world and in the consummation of vertues And againe True perfection and without soyle is reserued for heauen when the bridegrome shall say to the bride Thou art wholie saire my
if anie of her members departe from the rule of faith will preferre the loue of truth before the loue of vnitie She knowes that the supreme lawe in the howse of God is the sinceritie of heauélie doctrine which if anie one forsake he forsakes Christ who is truth it self he forsakes the Church which is the 〈◊〉 foundation of truth VVith such separatistes a man truly Catholique neither will nor maic communicate Far what agreement is there betweene Christ and 〈◊〉 THE REPLIE HEERE his Maiestie must giue me leaue to saie that he changeth the way of his disputation and goes out of the lists quite from the state of the question For the question is not whether to obtaine the name of Catholicke to attaine to saluation it be necessary to be vnited with anie one of the members of the Church when it comes to be separated frō truth but whether to obtaine the name of Catholicke attaine to saluation it be necessatie to be vnited with the whole masse vniuersall Bodie of this Church which the Fathers haue called Catholick Neither is it the question whether there may be anie externall and visible societie wherewith it is vnlawfull to commuuicate but whether such a tyme can be wherein there is noe externall and visible Societie wherewith it is necessary to communicate For to saic that all Communion are not to be desired and that there are Congregations wherewith it is not lawfull to Communicate whieh of vs euer doubted it Nay contrarily doe we not daily pronounce anathema against those that Communicate with heretickes or Schismatickes and in that we 〈◊〉 his maiestie to returne to the Communion of the Catholicke Church from that of the Caluinists doth it not proue sufficiently that we holde not that there should be Cōm union helde with all kinde of sects The state thē of the questiō to ouerthrowe our Thesis and cōclude some thinge against vs requires not to proue that there may be Societies wherewith we ought to haue noe Cōmunion for who denies that but to proue that there may come a tyme wherein there can be found noe externall and visible Societie wherewith it is lawfull to communicate and that this tyme beinge come as Luther supposed it to be when he began to pitch his ensignes in the fielde it is necessary to goe forth from all the Religions that are then to be found visible in the world and to make a new Communion and a congregation a parte See heere what is needefull to be proued and in steede of this the excellent kinge aleageth that if anie member of the Church departe from the rule of Faith the Church must preserr the loue of veritie before the loue of vnitie To this answere of his 〈◊〉 we will answere two thinges the first that there is noe incompatibilitie beweene this thesis we must be vnited with the vniuersall bodie of the Catholicke Church And this antithesis if anie member departe from the rule of faith we must not be vnited with it For the one speakes of the bodie of the Church and the other speakes of some one of the members of the Church and the speciall mention os some one of the Church departing from the true faith supposes the staie and perseuerāce of the rest of the bodie of the Church in the faith Now it is with that bodie from whence that parte that forsakes the faith deuides it selfe that wee say we must haue Communion and vnitie and not with the parte that separates it selfe from the bodie for it is not a meanes to maintaine vnitie to haue vnitie with those that deuide themselues from vnitie The second that there is great difference betweene the rightes and 〈◊〉 of the Catholicke Church the preuiledges of particular Churches For the infallible assistance of the holy Ghost was neuer promised to euery particular Church but to the bodie of the Catholicke Church And therefore as the elements are corruptible in their partes but incorruptible in their all soe the Church is corruptible in her parts but incorruptible in her all in such sorte that though some particular Churches may erre in faith and consequentlie cease from beinge Churches neuerthelesse there alwaies remaines one masse of a Churche exempt 〈◊〉 corruptiō soe greate and eminent that she representes and conserues in herselfe the beinge rightes and prerogatiues of all the whole And soe the obligation that we haue to Communicate with the Catholicke Church is one thinge and an other the obligation that we haue to Communicate with particular Churches For with her wee are bound to Communicate necessarily and absolutely vnder paine of anathema and damnation because out of her Communion none can be saued and with others onely whiles they Communicate with her And the pretence of truth cannot be alleadged to make this obligation conditionall since Saint Paule saith the Church is the fouudation of truth And Saint AVGVSTINE within the wombe of the Church truth hath her dwellinge Nor can it be obiected that the supreme lawe in the howse of God is the sinceritie of heauenly Doctrine For besides that this lawe hath her Statutes written and vnwritten following this precept of S. PAVL followe the traditions that you haue receiued from vs whether by wordes or by Epistles And this testimonie of Eusebius The Apostles haue giuen some things by writing and others by vnwritten lawes And this obseruation of sainct CHRYSOSTOME From whence it appeares that the Apostles haue not deliuered all things by writinges but manie things alsoe without writing it is not only necessary in matters contested to haue a lawe but it is needefull besides the lawe to haue a iudge with authoritie able to oblige and subdue the sense of particular persons to interpret the wordes of the lawe which Iudge as we haue alreadie demonstrated cā be noe other but the Church How to vnderstand these wordes of sainct Gregory Nazianzene There is a sacred warre CHAP. XIV The continuance of the Kings Answere THE Church then must flye the communion of those and saie with sainct Gregory Nazianzene that a 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 is better then an infected vnitie And will not doubt to pronoūce with the same blessed Father that there is a sacred warie THE REPLIE THERE is noe doubt of prouing that there may be some societie whose communion must be auoided for none denies it but of prouing that there may come such a tyme wherein there is noe externall and visible societie wherewith we are bounde to cōmunicate Now the places that his Maiestie citeth out of S. GREGORIE NAZIANZENE are soe farre from insinuatinge anie such thing as they affirme the quite contrary For S. GREGORIE saith not these wordes against the externall and visible Communion of the Church of his tyme but against the craftie practises of the Arrians which demaūded vnder pretence of peace to be receiued into the communion of the Church with Confessions of the faith ambiguous and
Catholicke Church Saint AVGVST and the other Bishops of Africa answered them that the separation intended by that passage was the morall separation of faith and breach of Communion It was saith S. AVGVST represented what ought to be the separation of the good from the bad in this world that they might not communicate in theire sinnes to witt separation of hart by dissimilitude of life and manners and that otherwise ought not to be vnderstood that which is written goe out from the middle of them and withdrawe from them and touch not theire vncle annesse that is to saie be distinguished in liuing in an other sorte and consent not to theire vncleannesse But the excellent kinge saith that there are other places of scripture whereby is proued that which he pretendes to gather from the allegoricall wordes of the reuelation to witt that the visible Church should become soe corrupt as the faithfull should be obliged to leaue her communion Now the obiections that his Maiestie reserues for vs in this regard are either taken from this interrogatory of our Lord In your opinion the sonne of man when he comes shall he finde faith vpon the earth or from these wordes the moone shall not giue vs her light Which S. AVGVST interpretes of the Church or from this prophecie of Saint Paule the Sonne of perdition shall be seated in the temple of God Or out of these words of the same booke of the reuelation two winges of a great Eagle were giuen to the woeman that she might flye into the wildernesse Or from the examples of the pretended ecclipses and sincopes of the Iewish Church And therefore settinge aside the obiection of the symptomes of the Iewish Church which we remitt to treate of heereafter it is fitt that we solue all the rest presently To the first obiection then which is to the interrogatory that our Lord made to his disciples when he asketh them In your opinion when the Sonne of man comes shall he finde faith on the earth Wee saie saint IEROM and S. AVG. haue answered it longe agoe the one against the Luciferians and the other against the Donatists And haue shewed that this passage is intended not of confessed and doctrinall faith but of iustifiynge faith workinge by charitie and yet not of the extinction but of the diminution of this iustifiynge faith The Donatists saith saint AVG. alleadge that this that our Lord asketh in your opinion the Sonne of man vhen he comes shall he finde faith vpon the earth is to be expounded of the reuolte of all the earth which we vnderstand to be said either in regarde of the perfection of faith which is soe oifficult to men that in the very Saintes who where to be admired as in Moses there was found some thinge wherein they haue staggered or might stagger or for the aboundance of the wicked and the smalle number of the good And saint IEROM speakinge of the Luciferians If they flatter themselues said hee with this sentence written in the Ghospell in your opinion when the Sonne of man comes shall he finde faith vpon the earth let them know that the faith there mentioned is that whereof the same Lord said Thy faith hath saued thee And agaiue of the Centurion I haue not found so great faith in Israell And a little after it is this faith that our Lord hath foretoulde shall be rarelie found it is this faith that euen in those that belieue well is hardlie found perfect Let it be done to thee said hee accordinge to thy faith I would not haue that word pronounced to me for if it be done to me accordinge to my faith I shall perish and yet I belieue in God the father I belieue in God the Sonne and I belieue in God the holy Ghost To the second obiection which is that sainct AVGVSTINE interpretes allegorically these other wordes of the Ghospell then the moone shall 〈◊〉 more giue her light to be meant of the Church which in tyme of persecutions whereof he speakes shall not appeare we answere sainct AVGVSTIN meanes that she should not appeare in her carnall and weake members but not that she shall not appeare in her strong and spirituall Champions that she shall not appeare or lesse appeare in her 〈◊〉 parte in her strawe in her drosse because that parte will yeild to persecutions but not that she shall not appeare in her more excellent parte in her corne in her golde which contrarywise will then shine more then before This appeares by what he writes in his Epistle to 〈◊〉 It is shee said hee that is sometimes obscured and as it were shadowed with 〈◊〉 by the multitude of scandalls that is to saie persecutions when the Sinners 〈◊〉 theire bowe to wound it the obscuritie of the moone the lawes of theire heart but euen then she is eminent in her moste firme champions And a little after It is not in vaine that it was said of the seede of Abraham that is should be as the starrs of heauen and as the sand vpon the Sea-shore that by the starrs of heauen might be meant the faithfull lesse in number more steddie and more cleere and by the sand which is on the Sea-shore the multitude of weake and carnall men who some-times in calme weather appeare free and quiet and sometimes are couered and troubled with the waues of tribulations and temptations And therefore after he hath said she shall not appeare he adds for as much as manie which seemed to shine in grace shall yeilde to persecutions and fall awaie and some faithfull persons verie firme shall be troubled And againe persecution shall so precede as that defection of some shall followe that he might shew that he meanes not to saie that the Church shall not appeare in her whole bodie otherwise how coulde he crye out in an other place she hath this most certaine marke that she cannot be hidden but that she shall not appeare in some of those that had bene her partes Which neuerthelesse in matter of application of allegories where it is permitted to bow the sense of the wordes to accommodate it to the grace of the application and where interpretors content themselues if the thinge signified answere in anie parte to that signifiyinge it sufficeth to make him say to the end to appropriate the 〈◊〉 of the moone to the Church that the Church then shall not appeare that is shall not appeare in some of her partes The third obiection followes which is that saint Paul writes that the daie of the Lord shall not come till the reuolte be first made and till the man of sinne be reuealed and the sonne of perdition who shall oppose and exalte himselfe aboue all that is called God or esteemed an obiect worthie of whorship euen to sitt in the temple of God shewinge himselfe as if he where God Now I will not heere stand to dispute what saint Paul meanes by this reuolte or
to conferr it Marriage for a true and proper Sacrament Pennance for a true and proper Sacrament and vocall Confession to the Pastors of the Church for one of the Conditiōs necessary to this Sacrament Order for a true and proper Sacrament and Extreame Onction for a true and proper Sacramēt which are the seuen Sacramentes that the Roman Church acknowledges and the Greeke Communion alsoe makes profession to embrace with vs. A Church which in the Ceremonies of baptisme vsed oyle salte waxe lights exorcismes the signe of the Crose the word Epheta and other thinges that accompanie it to testifie by oyle that in baptisme wee are made Christians that is partakers of the vnction of Christ by salte that God contracted with vs in baptisme an alliance for euer followinge the stile of the Scripture which calls eternall alliances alliances of salte by the light that Christ is the light that enlightens all men commeinge into the world by exorcismes that baptisme puts vs out of the Diuells possession by the signe of the Crosse that it is the Death of Christ that giues strength to all Sacramentes by the word Epheta that God accomplisheth spiritually in vs by baptisme what he wrought corporally in the deafe and dumbe man A Church that esteemed baptisme for persons of full age necessary with a conditionall necessitie and for children necessary with an absolute necessitie and for this cause permitted lay men to baptise in danger of death A Church that vsed holy water consecrated by certaine wordes and ceremonies and made vse of it both for baptisme and against inchantments and to make exorcismes and coniurations against euill spirits Frō whence it is that S. Gregory the great who though he were after the first fower Councells yet not to be excepted against by English men who tooke the originall of their mission from him ordained when Englad returned backe from paganisme to Christiā Religiō that the temples should not be demolished but expiated by the sprinkling of holy water A Church that in the oeconomy of Ecclesiasticall ministrie held diuers degrees the Bishop the Priest the Deacō the Acolite the Exorcist the Reader and the Porter and consecrated and blessed them with diuers formes and ceremonies And in the order Episcopall acknowledged diuers seates of iurisdictīo of positiue right to witt Archbishops Primates Patriarckes and one supereminent by diuine law which was the Pope without whom nothing could be decided appertayning to the vniuersall Church the want of whose presēce either by himself or by his legates or his confirmation made all Councells pretended to be vniuersall vnlawfull A Church wich held a succession of Bishops not interrupted since the first mission of the Apostles for an essentiall condition of her reputed those who had it not or that communicated with those that had it not for Schismatiks and cul pable of the same Curse with Core Dathan and 〈◊〉 A Church that held the distinction of Bishop and Priest and namely in the acte of ordinatiō for a thing of diuine law and Apostolicall tradition and condemned as hereticks those that held it not A Church that held free will for a doctrine of faith reuealed in the holy scripture that held that faith onely without Euāgelicall works is not sufficient for saluation that wicked men perseuering to the end were reprobates but not predestinate to euill that the certainty that particular men presumed to haue of their predestination was a rashe bouldnes A Church wherein their seruice was said throughout the East in Greeke and through the west aswell in Africa as in Europe in Latine although that in none of the prouinces neither of Europe nor Africa except in Italie in the citties where the Roman colonyes resided the latine were vnderstood by the simple people but onely by the learned In briefe a Church that vsed either in gender or in species either informe or in analogie the very same ceremonies vvhich are the vvords vvell knovven the all men vvhich the Catholique vseth vniuersally at this 〈◊〉 obserued the distinctīo of the Feasts and ordinary daies the distinction of Ecclesiasticall and lay habits the reuerence of sacred vessells the custome of shauing and vnction for the collation of orders the ceremonie of vvashing their hands at the Altar before the consecration of the mysteries the kisse of peace before the 〈◊〉 pronounced a part of the seruice at the Altar vvith a lovv voice and vvheard made processions vvith the relickes of the martyrs accompained the dead to their 〈◊〉 vvith vvax tapers in signe of ioy and future certainty of their resurrectiō had the pictures of Christ and his Saînts both out of Churches and in Churches and vpon the very altars of martyrs not to adore them as adoration signifies di nine vvorship but to reuerence by them the souldiers and champions of Christ vsed the signe of the crosse in all their conuersations imprinted it on the forehead of their catechumenists painted it on the portall of all the hovvses of the faithfull gaue the blessing to the people vvith their hand by the signe of the Crosse imployed it to driue away evill spirits proposed in Ierusalē the very Crosse to be adored on good friday vsed incense in their Synaxes not particularly incēse of Arabia but indifferently odoriferous gummes for they held not incense for sacrifice as in the tyme of the lawe but for a simple ceremony designed to represent the effect of prayers described by these wordes of Dauid Let my prayer arise euen as incense into thy presence And by these of the Reuelation The smoke of the incense of the prayers of the Saints ascended from the hand of the Angell before God And finally a Church which held that the Catholicke Church had the infallible promise that she should be perpetually visible and eminent in her communion perpetually pure and vncorrupted in her doctrine and in her Sacramentes and perpetually bound and cōtinued in the succession of her ministrie and that to her onely belonges the keeping of the Apostolicall traditions the authority of the interpretation of scripture and the decision of controuersies of Faith and that out of the succession of her Communion of her doctrine and of her ministrie there was neither Church nor saluation Beholde what the excellent King when it shall please him to consider it at sufficient leasure shall finde the Catholicke Church to haue bene in the tyme of saint AVG. and of the 4 first Councelles Let his Maiestie see whether by these features he can knowe the face of Caluines Church or of ours Of the conformitie or inconformitie of the sense wherein the word Catholicke hath bene cōmon to the ancient Catholicke Church and to the moderne
haue alwaies obserued what the authority of the Prelates of the sea Apostolicke hath commaunded And why then when saint GREGORIE the Great to whom I haue brought downe this information as well because the English men deriue from him the originall of their Mission Ecclesiasticall as because Calume propoundes him for true and lawfull modell of the iurisdiction of Popes reprehended 1027. yeares agone Natalis Bishop of Salona in Dalmatia for the fault that he had committed for which he after did penance in deposing Honoratus Archdeacon of Salona notwithstanding Pope Pelagius letters did he write to him that such a disobedience had bene intollerable euen in one of the fower Patriarkes If one of the fower Patriarkes said hee had committed such an act soe great disobedience could not haue escaped without a greeuous scandall And why then when Clementius Primat of Bysacia in Africa had bene accused before the Emperor and sent backe by the Emperor to the Sea Apostolicke doth the same S. GREGORY saie If there be anie faulte in the Bishops I knowe not what Bishop is not subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if a faulte require it not according to the reason of humilitie we are all equall And why then when John Archbishop of Larissa in Thessalia had vniustly and vnworthily condemned Adrian Bishop of Thebes one of the Bishops of his iurisdiction and that the Bishop of Thebes had appealed to Rome from him did S. Gregorie ecclipse the Bishop and Bishopricke of Thebes from the iurisdiction of the Archbishop of Larissa his Metropolitan and declared the Archbishop of Larissa if euer he attempted more to exercise anie act of Metropolitan ouer him interdicted from the sacraments soe as they could not be restored to him except at the howre of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome Wee ordaine said hee that thy brotherhood abstaine from all the iurisdiction which you haue formerly had ouer him and ouer his Church And a while after that if in anie time or for 〈◊〉 occasion whatsoeuer thou shalt attempt to contradict this our statute knowe that we declare thee depriued from the sacred communion soe as it may not be restored to thee except in the article of death but with the leaue of the Bishop of Rome And why then finally when the Patriarke of Constantinople had gotten the vpper hand of the other Patriarkes did he continue to suffer appeals of causes from his iurisdiction to the Popes tribunall and to acknowledge himselfe subiect and inferior to the Pope Iohn priest of Chalcedon saith S. GREGORIE in the cause that he had against our Brother colleague Iohn Bishop of Constantinople hath had recourse according to the Canons to the Sea Apostolicke and the cause hath bene determined by our sentence and againe pronouncing the restitution of Athanasius a priest and a Religious man of Lycaonia who had bene deposed and cast out of his monastery by the same John Patriarke of Constantinople and had appeald to him Wee declare thee said hee to be free from all spott of heresie and a Catholick c. and giue thee free leaue to returne into thy Monasterie and to holde there the same ranke as thou didst before And againe who doubts but the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Emperor and our brother Bishop of the same towne doe continually protest For as for the word vniuersall Bishop wherein the Bishop of Constantinople desired to participate with the Pope but vnder the Pope and in the Empire of the East forasmuch as Constantinople had bene erected into the title of the second Rome it shall be answered in a chapter by it selfe for the resusall that S. GREGORIE made to vse the title of vniuersall Bishop though it had bene giuen to his Predecessors in the Councell of Chalcedon it shal be satisfied in the same place and shewed that it was because of the euill sence the word vniuersall Bishop might receiue which was to signifie only Bishop and soe exclude the other Prelates from the title of Bishops in chiefe and of ministers and officers of God and to hold them but for committees and deputies of the vniuersall Bishop as the same S. GREGORIE protestes when he faith If there be one that is vniuersall Bishop all the rest are noe more Bishops and not to depriue himselfe from the superintendencie and iurisdictiō ouer all other Bishops of which he cryes cleane contrary If there be anie crime in the Bishops I knowe noe Bishop but is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke if noe crime require it according to the reason of bumilitie we are all equall Of formed letters CHAPT XXVI The continuance of the Kinges answere THEN were alsoe in frequent vse formed letters by the commerce and contexture where of the communion was admirably exercised amongst all the members of the Church how farr soeuer they were distant one from an other in place THE REPLIE IT is true but the center of this communion and of this Ecclesiasticall vnitie which was exercised and entertained by the commerce of formed letters was the Sea Apostolicke and the Roman Church This appeares by S. Ireneus who cryes to the Romā Church because of a principality that is to say as it hath bene aboue manifested because of the principalitie of the Sea Apostolicke it is necessary that euery Church should agree This appeares by S. Cyprian who calls the Roman Church the chaire of PETER and the principall Church and the originall of Sacerdotall vnitie This appeares by the lawe of the Emperor Gratian which ordained that the Churches should be deliuered to those that were in the Popes communion Hee ordained saith Theodoret that the sacred howses should be restored to those that cōmunicated with Damasus And a while after and this lawe was indefinitely executed in all nations This appeares by S. Ambrose who writes speaking of his Brothers comeing into one of the citties of the Isle of Sardinia He asked the Bishop of that place whether he agreed with the Catholicke Bishops that is to saie added he with the Roman Church This appeares by S. IEROME who writes to Pope Damasus I am ioyned in communion with thy Blessednesse that is to saie with Peters chaire I knowe the Church is built vpon that Rocke whosoeuer is not in the Arke he shall perish at the coming of the floud he that eates the lambe out os this howse is profane And a while after Whosoeuer gathers not with thee scatters that is to saie whosoeuer is not of Christ is of Antichrist And againe Send me word with whom I ought to communicate in Antioch for the heretickes of Campes with those of Tharses haue noe other ambition but that they might vnder the authoritie of your communion preache the three hypostosies according to the ancient vnderstanding And in an other place The while I cry if anie of you be ioyned to Peters chaire he
of Rome Now Liberius falle was in the end of his first banishement as saint HILLARY insinuats when he reproacheth to the Emperor Cōstantius that he had plucked Liberius out of 〈◊〉 and that he was vncertaine whether he had shewed more impietie in his banishement or in his repeale And as saint IEROM affirmes when he saith Liberius ouercome with the wearinesse of his banishment and hauing subscribed to the Arrian impietie was entred into Rome in manner of a conqueror And thefore the faith of Sirmium which Liberius had signed before his fall which happened at the end of his first exile that is to saie two yeare before the Councell of Arimini could not be that which was forged at 〈◊〉 the yeare of the Councell of Arimini but it was the first of Sirmium which 〈◊〉 also ratifies when he saith that Those of the East brought a forme of Faith that they had drawne from Liberius by which he condemned those that did not affirme that the Sonne was like to the Father in substance and in all things For that was the first Creede poposed to the Councell of Sirmium and embraced by the Demy Arrians which concealed the word 〈◊〉 and insteede thereof substituted like in substance The second coniecture is that the Latine translation of the faith of the false Councell of Sardica which is inserted into the Appendix of the Epistles which is annexed to the end of this writing which Monsieur le Feure will haue to bee gathered by the same Author is so differing not in sence but in wordes from that which is found in the worke of the Synodes of saint HILLARY that it seemes they could not both come from one pen and besides it is noted with this Title The decree of the Arrians whereas saint HILLARY in his booke of the Synodes to spare the Demy-Arrians which held the Simbole of the false Councell of Sardica and to oblige them to bandy against the compleate Arrians whose impietie was proceeded much farther in their latter professions reckons the Faith of the false Councell of Sardica amongst the orthodoxall beleifes supplyed by interpretation that it might receiue an orthodoxall interpretation and was not hereticall by expression but by omission The third coniectures is that in the tyme this writing intitled from saint HILLARY was composed that is to saie after the Councell of Arimini neither saint HILLARIE not anie other Catholicke could say 〈◊〉 to Liberius whosefault and repentance were both arriued before the Councell of Arimini but only the Luciferians who withdrew themselues from the communion of Liberius and of the Catholicke Church after the death of Constantius because that when Constantius was dead Liberius and the other Bishops and Catholickes receiued into the communion of the Church and to the exercise of the Episcopall order those Bishops which hauing bene induced by fraude or force to signe the councell of Arimini protested to repent it For when this writing was made that is to say after the Councell of Arimini Liberius was acknowledged for a Catholicke by all the Catholicke Bishops of the Earth and was so euer after the Councell of Arimini euen to the end of his life as it appeares both by the testimonie of the Councell of the West celebrated vnder Damasus imediate successor to Liberius which disanulling the acts of the Councell of Arimini alleaged amongst other nullities that the Bishop of Rome whose sentence should be attended before all others neuer cōsented to it And by the testimony of saint BASILE who solicites saint ATHANASIVS to write to the Bishop of Rome to be watchfull ouer the affaires of the East and send some to disannull the Councell of Arimini and testifies that the Catholicks of the East and namely the Councells of Militina and Tyana communicated with Liberius and himselfe calls him the blessed Bishop Liberius And by the testimonies of saint EPIPHANIVS who writeth 〈◊〉 Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia the lesse seemed to doe the office of a Legate with many other Bishops to the blessed Liberius of Rome and subscribed to the proposition of the councell of Nicea and to the profession of the orthodoxall Faith And by the testimonie of saint AMBROSE who intitles Liberius after his Death Liberius of happie memory And finally by the testimonie of Siricius imediate Successor to Damasus who saith The generall decrees of my Predecessor Liberius of Reuerend memorie sent through all the prouinces after the disannulling the Councell of Arimini forbad to rebaptise the Arrians when they returned to the Church By meanes whereof either this writing which anathematizeth Liberius after the Councell of Arimini is not saint HILLARIES but of some Luciferian author of the same age or these parenthesises inserted by forme of notes in the Epistles of Liberius inuironned with Semycircles and written in other caracters this is the Arrian trechery this I haue noted I that am noe Apostata And a while after I for my parte saie anathema to thee Liberius and to thy complices And againe Anathema to thee for the second third time ô wicked Liberius haue bene interlaced by the Luciferians or saint HILLARIE inserted the parenthesis into the Epistle of Liberius before he made this writing and hauing in this writing left the places voide to put iu the Epistles which he cited whose Collection was a parte in his papers those that caused them to be published after his death sett into the voide blancke places which he had left the copies of the Epistles which were amongst his papers as they were there found And the fowrth coniecture finallie is that this writing is not a compleate and intire writing of saint HILLARIES but a collection of diuers fragments of the intier worke of saint HILLARIES put together in a heape and without order as may appeare by the transposition of the Epistles there inserted and particularlie of one of Liberius Epistles which is sett in the place where the Epistle of the Councell of 〈◊〉 to Constantius should haue bene By occasion whereof it remaines vncertaine whether these parenthesis be of the author or of the collector that is either of saint HILLARIE or of some Luciferian compiler who to fauor the 〈◊〉 of the Luciferians and to make the memorie of Liberius odious and adhominable hath thrust in these parenthesis And this is spoken of the first answere The second answere against saint HILLARIES pretended anathema against Liberius is that there is great difference betweene an excommunicatiō and an anathema for asmuch as every formall excommunication importes iurisdiction and euery anathema doth not soe For there are two kinds of anathema the one iudiciarie the other executory applicatorie and adiuratory Iudiciary anathema's are those which are pronounced by persons constituted in the Ecclesiasticall Tribunall and which haue power to iudge of matters of Religion and who decree what kindes of things or persons ought to be anathematized and these anathema's import iurisdiction
rootes but not that Ruffinus did not dye an hereticke and anathematized by the Roman Church as saint IEROME insinuates when he saith describing enigmaticallie the reuolte anathema and the sepulcher of Ruffinus who was dead in Sicilia The Scorpion is pres 〈◊〉 vnder the Sicilian earth betweene Enceladus and Porphirus it must be read betweene Enceladus and Porphirion who were two of the Giants that the Poeticall fables had said to be reuolted against Jupiter and had bene strucken dead with thunder bolts and couered with the Mountaines of Sicilia With what faith then can they alleadge the words of Ruffinus when the authoritie of the Roman Church is in question by whose Tribunall he had bene condemned and excommunicated you can scarce light vpon a place in Ruffinus translations where there is an occasion presented to speake of the Pope and of the Roman Church but he sharpens and enuenoms it as particularly when Eusebius reporting the history of Pope Victor who had excommunicated the Church of Asia be cause of the question about keeping the pasch saith There are yet to be found letters of the Bishops which handled Victor some what roughlie Ruffinus adds of his owne as prouiding vnprofitablie for the affaires of the Church and in the verse following where Eusebius writes Ireneus exhorted Victor not to cut off all the Churches of God which helde the tradition of this ancient custome Rufsinus turnes it Ireneus reprehended him that he had not done well to cutt off from the bodie of vnitie so manie and so great Churches of God and sees not that in thinking to calumniate Pope Victor he callumniates the councell of Nicea who renewed the same excommunication a thing possibly pardonable in Eusebius who besides that he was an Arrian writt his histories before the Councell of Nicea but inexcusable in Ruffinus who made his translation afterwardes With what colour then would they square the intention of the originall Greeke of the canons of the Councell of Nicea by the addition that Ruffinus a passionate translator incensed against the Church of Rome hath made thereto And as for ignorance what translator was euer more worthie to be refused in that regard then Ruffinus whose clauses are almost as manie prooffs of ignorāce and impertinencie for what could be imagined more vnapt then to make of Iames Bishop of Ierusalem Iames Bishop of the Apostles of the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signfies Blessed or happie a Saint called Macarius of Eusebius Pamphilus an heretick and an Arrian Pamphilus a Catholicke and a Martyr of Xistus a pithagorian and Pagan Philosopher XISTVS Pope and Martir An error that S IEROM bitterly reproues and which gaue occasion to saint AVSTIN to stumble and retract vpon the same matter of question which comes of quaero a verbe actiue querimony which comes of queror a verbe deponent of Corepiscopus whereof the Nicea Councell speakes the vacant place of a Bishop and so of infinite others which moued saint IEROM to saie that Ruffinus was so vnapt in both tongues as the Romans tooke him for a Grecian and the Greekes for a Roman And as for bouldnesse and rashnes what interpreter euer shewed lesse Religion or Faith in obseruing the text of his Authors then Ruffinus who hath alwaies taken libertie to add or diminish as it seemed good to him Thy conscience saith saint IEROM speaking to Ruffinus of the translation hee had made of Origen knowes what thou hast added and what thou hast taken away and what thouhast changed from one place to an other as it hath pleased thee And Erasmus in his preface vpon saint HILARY Ruffinus hath 〈◊〉 to himselfe the same authoritie in the translation of all the bookes which he hath translated and principallie in that of Origens writings and in that of Eusebius historie but this is not the libertie of an interpreter but the licence of a defiler of an others workes And Scaliger in his annotations vpon the Chronicle of Eusebius It is the custome of Ruffinus saith hee to omitt to peruert and to change the texts as he list With what face then can they now leaue the Greeke text of the Councell of Nicea to haue recourse to Ruffinus translations a perpetuall corrupter of the translations of antiqultie and particularlie of that of the Canons of Nicea where of he Suppresses some diuides others mangles some adds to others depraues some mistakes the sence of others I haue said Suppresses some for he suppresses the twentith Canon of the Councell of Nicea which containes the Ordenance to adore standing in the Sundaies seruice and during the fiftie daies of Pentecoste And that in hate of the resurrection of the very flesh which as an Origenist he opposed no more remembring what he had written of it when he was yet a Catholicke I haue said diuided and multiplied others for he diuided the eigth and the ninteenth Canons into two others and of either of them made two different Canons I haue said mangles some for he mangles the sixt and ecclipseth from it the Rights of the Bishop of Antioch in fauour of Iohn Bishop of Ierusalem whom he pretended to be an Origenist as himself was And maymes the end of the thirteenth And that which the fathers saie of Dying penitents to whom the Councellregrauntes the communion of the Sacrament after the examination of the Bishop with condition notwithstanding that if they chance to suruiue they shall be admitted but to the communion of prayers he interprets it of the examination of the Bishop for penitents recouered I haue said adds to others for he adds to the eighteenth this whole clause That Deacons in the absence of Bishops and priests might distribut the Eucharist And to the ninth 〈◊〉 or haue bene conuinced thereof by others which are no more within the Greeke text of the Councell then this of the Churches suburbicary I haue said depraues some for he depraues the ninteenth and saith of Deaconesses in generall that which the Canon onely saith of the Paulianist deaconesses I haue said mistakes the sence of others for in the eigth he is ignorant of the sence of the word Corepiscopus and turnes it the vacant place of a Bishop And in the ninth that of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and interprets of confession of priests after promotion That which the councell saith of the Confession of Priests before promotion that is to say of the Confession made in the triall of those that were to be promoted to priesthood For whereas some to warrant the clause of the Churches Suburbicary alleadge that Pope Gelasius writing about the end of the same age approued the workes of Russinus excepting those things that saint IEROM had reprehended It is a vaine and friuolous warrantie for as much as Pope Gelasius intended to speake of the workes or dogmaticall translations of Russinus as was the Commentary vpon the Creede and the
these words Who is it saith hee that doubts but that the Church of Constantinople is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Lord the Emperor and our brother Bishop of the same cittie continuallie protest For as for the illusion of those who to weaken the credit of this passage cauill vpon the word Eusebius which is in the printed copies before these words Bishop of the same cittié and obiect that the Bishop of Constantinople then being was not called Eusebius but Cyriacus I will not stand vpon it to say that there was noe inconuenience in it that Cyriacus might haue had two names and be called Eusebius Cyriacus as Sainct IEROME was called EVSEBIVS IEROME And besides that the word Eusebius might there be taken adiectiuely and signifie pious and religious as when Arrius writt to Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Farewell Eusebius trulie Eusebius that is to saie farewell Eusebius truly Religious It will be a shorte cutt to answere at the first that it is an error of the Exemplarists who of an 〈◊〉 euill written and for that occasion blotted out and written againe haue made Eusebius for the copies of this epistle which had bene currant two hundred yeare after saint GREGORIE read simplie and our brother Bishop of the same cittie without makeing anie mention of 〈◊〉 as is seene by the relation of Amalarius Bishop of Treuers who liued eight hundred yeares agone who inserting into his Booke of the Ecclesiasticall offices this epistle of saint GREGORIE whole and intire from the beginning to the endinge reports the period now in question in these onely words without anie mention of Eusebius for as for that which is spoken of the Church of Constantinople who doubts but it is subiect to the Sea Apostolicke which the most Religious Lord the Emperor and our brother the Bishop of the same Towne continually protest And therefore alsoe when the Patriarkes of Constantinople were in anie Synodicall action with the Popes Legates yea within Constantinople it selfe they abstayned from the title of Vniuersall and left it to the Popes Legates alone for their master to the end to shew that they held the Pope for head and stocke of the Vniuersalitie and did repute themselues Vniuersall but in the absence of him or of those that represented him as appeares by the signatures of the third generall Councell of Constantinople which was celebrated vnder Constantine Pogonat in the next age after Sainct GREGORIE wherein the Popes Legates signed in the qualitie of Legats to the vniuersall Pope and the Patriarke of Constantinople in the qualitie of onely Bishop of Constantinople for though the epistle of the Emperor to the Patriark of Constantinople written before the holding of the Councell attributes to him the title of Vniuersall neuerthelesse in the signatures of the Councell the onely Legats of the Pope take the title of Vniuersall for their master and signe in this forme Theodorus humble Priest of the holy Church of Rome and holding the place of the blessed and vniuersall Pope of the cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed George humble Priest of the holy Church of Rome and holdinge the place of the blessed and Vniuersall Pope of the Cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed Iohn humble ` Deacon of the holy Church of Rome and holding the place of the blessed and vniuersall Pope of the Cittie of Rome Agatho I haue subscribed And the Patriarke of Constantinople forbare it and signed thus George by the mercie of God Bishop of Constantinople new Rome I haue voted and subscribed The third Answere is that whatsoeuer was the intention of the Patriarke of Constantinople so farr was hee from doeing anie thinge against the Popes authoritie as contrarywise he confirmed and 〈◊〉 it altogether And that it is so how from this that the Bishop of Constantinople pretended to be vniuersall Bishop because Constantinople had bene associated to the Rights of Rome can it chose but followe that the Bishop of Rome was so primitiuely and originallie For as for those that saie that the Patriarke of Constantinople was called Oecumenicall Bishop in the same sence wherein the other Patriarkes were so called not knowing that there is great difference betweene the word Catholicke Bishop which Nilus attributes to the Patriarkes which signifies generall Bishop of a Region and the word 〈◊〉 Bishop which signifies vniuersall Bishop either of all the Imperiall Orbe or of the particular Orbe of the Empire of Constantinople I will not stand to confute them it shall suffice me to aske them why then the Patriarke of Constantinople neuer gaue the name of vniuersall Patriarke to the other Patriarkes of the East And why the other Patriarkes of the East neuer gaue it one to another but haue yeilded it onely to the Bishops of Rome and of Constantinople And why the Bishops of Constantinople haue stirred vp so many tragedies to participate therein and haue alleadged that Constantinople was the second Rome and ought after her to enioy the same Rights and priuiledges And in briefe it shall sussice me to aske them why then both anciently and euen to this day the Patriarke of Constantinople doth attribute to himself by vertue of his vniuersalitie this aduantage aboue the other Patriarkes of the East to call the generall Councells of the East and to preside in them and to iudge by appeale of the sentences of the other Patriarkes It hath bene reported saith Pope Pelagius in the epistle before alleadged to those of the East to the Sea Apostolicke that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople inscribes himselfe Vniuersall and by vertue of that his presumption hath called you to a generall Councell And the Emperors Constantine and Leo The care and the iudgement of all the Metropolitanships and Bishopricks and of all the Monasteries and Churches appertaine to their proper Patriarke but the Patriarke ol Constantinople may in the territorie of the other Seas when there hath bene noe precedent consecration plant the Crosse and not onelie soe but also may decide and determine the controuersies bredd ' in the other Seas And Nilus The twentie eight canon of the Councell of Chalcedon and the thirtith six of the sixth Councell honoring the Sea of Constantinople with like priuiledges to that of Rome graunt also manifestly the appeales to that of Constantinople And Balsamon This priuiledge is not giuen to the Pope alone to witt that euerie condemned Bishop should haue recourse to the Sea of Rome but it ought also to be vnderstood of the Patriarke of Constantinople And elsewhere that which neuerthelesse is but a claime bredd amongst the Greekes since the schisme The fifteenth canon of the councell of Antioch was abolished by the fourth Canon of the councell of Sardica or at least is to be vnderstood of the Synods which are subiect to noe appeale as those of the Pope and of the Patriarke of Constantinople For as for the place of Photius from whence they
imprinted this title of prowd nomination Calling me Uniuersall Pope which I praie your most deare holynesse noe more to doe And a little after And certainely your holynesse knowes that this title was offered in the Councell of Chalcedon and since againe by the Fathers followinge to my Predecessors but none of them would euer vse this word because in preseruing in this world the honor of all Bishops they might maiutaine their owne toward God Almightie To this then to make an end wee answere that the word Oecumenicall or vniuersall hath two meaninges the one proper litterall and grammaticall whereby it signifies onelie Bishop And the other transferred and metaphoricall wherby it signifies superintendment ouer all Bishops And saint GREGORIE censered this title in the first sence forasmuch as it would haue ensued from the vse of this word grammaticallie taken and measured by the letter that there had bene but one Bishop onely be it in all the Empire or be it in the particular Empire of Constantinople and that all the rest had bene but his commissioners and deputies and not true Bishops in title and true offices of Christ. If there be one that is vniuersall Bishop saith saint GREGORIE all the rest are noe more Bishops Now saint GREGORIE maintained that all Bishops were true titularie Bishops and true ministers and officers of Christ although concerning iurisdiction they were subordinate one to an other as the inferior iudges of a Kingdom although concerning iurisdiction they be subalterne to the superior Iudges and that there be appeales from the one to the other yet are they not their commissioners or their deputies but are also themselues Iudges in title and ministers and officers to the Prince And therefore he opposed this title as a title full of sacriledge and arrogancie by which he that vsurpes it putts himself into the place of God makeing of Gods officers and euen in that by which they are Gods officers and exalting himfelfe for that which is of the Episcopoll order aboue his Bretheren that is to saie denying to his Bretheren the Essence and the proprietie of Bishops and holding them but for commissioners and substitutes in the Bishops Sea and not for true Bishops in title and true ministers and officers of Christ And in briefe reputing himselfe not as Seruant constituted ouer his fellowe seruants whereof the Ghospell speakes but as the Master and Lord of his fellowe seruants And it is not to be said that the Bishop of Constantinople pretēded not to the title of vniuersal Bishop in this first sence for when a title hath two sences whereof the one is euill and pernicious it is easie for him that is in possession of such a title to transferr it abusiuelie from one sence to the other And therefore saint GREGORIE reiected absolutelie the vse of the word Vniuersall for feare least vnder pretence of an acception in processe of time it might be captiouslie drawne to the other And for this cause he withstood it not according to the metaphoricall sence which was giuen it but according to the naturall and originall sence which it had For that it was in this sence that saint GREGORIE cried out That he that intituled himselfe Uniuersall Bishop exalted himselfe licke Lucifer aboue his Bretheren and was a fore-runner of Antichrist to wittin as much as the word Uniuersall Bishop tooke from others the qualitie of Bishops and the title of officers of Christ And not to deny in case of iurisdiction the prelature and superioritie of one Bishop ouer others he shewes it sufficiently when hee writes For as much as it is notorious that the Sea Apostolicke by Gods institution is preferred before all other Churches so much amongst manie cares we are most diligent in that which we must haue when for the consecration of a Bishop they attend our will And when he alleadges to distinguish betweene these words Principalitie and Vniuersalitie the example of S. PETER who was indeede Prince of the Apostles and head of the vniuersall Church and notwitstanding was not vniuersall Apostle The care of the Church said hee hath bene committed to the holie Apostle and Prince of all the Apostles Peter the care and principalitie of the vniuersall Church hath bene committed to him and yet he is not called vniuersall Apostle And when he adds that none of the Saints vnder the lawe was euer called vniuersall The Saints before the lawe said hee the Saints vnder the lawe and the Saints vnder grace compounding one Bodie of Christ haue all bene constituted amongst the members of the Church and none would euer be called Vniuersall Certaine proofes that by the vniuersalitie that S. GREGORIE opposed he intended not to exclude the principality and superintendence of one Bishop ouer others not to depriue himselfe of the qualitie of head of the Church noe more then in denying that saint PETER was vniuersall Apostle he denied him to be head of the Apostles that the principalitie superintendēcie of the vniuersall Church was committed to him he that contrarywise came from saying The principalitie of the vniuersall Church is committed to Peter nor in denying that any vnder the lawe was called vniuersall hee meanes not to denie that the highest Priest of the lawe was head of the Iewish Church had the superintendencie ouer all the other Priests Leuites And therefore what pretence is left to the Ministers of the excellent King to abuse this passage to calumniate the Sea Apostolicke They saie S. GREGORIE cries out That a Bishop that intitles himselfe Vniuersall Bishop exalts himself like Lucifer aboue his bretheren and is a forerunner of Antichrist it is true but besides this is so too that S. ATHANASIVS cries yet with a stronger voice That an Emperor that makes himself Prince of Bishops and presides in iudgments Ecclesiasticall is the abhomination foretolde by Daniel Who knowes not that there is great difference betweene Forerunner and Predecessor And that Antichrist should not sit in the Seate of his Forerunners for fo are all hereticks and schismaticks noe more then our Lord sate in the Seate of S. IOHN who was yet his Forerunner but not his Predecessor otherwise Antichrist must sit in the Episcopall Seate of Constantinople for it was the Bishop of Constantinople that S. GREGORIE pretended by this clause to qualifie the Forerunner of Antichrist And then what blindnes is it to strike vpon the refusall that S GREGORIE made of the title of Vniuersall and not to see that the same S. GREGORIE protests that by the refusall of this word hee intends not to refuse the qualitie of head of the Church nor superintendencie iurisdiction ouer all the other Bishops Archbishops and Patriarks for what age of S. GREGORYS epistles is not full of testimonies that the Roman Church is the head of all the Churches Heauen in her bosome not so manie Starrs embow'rs The Sea so manie sailes th' Earth so manie Flow'rs He writt
the same sort as wee haue learnt it soe wee teache 〈◊〉 to the people of God After which words these immediatly followe 〈◊〉 was said by all the Bishops so certainely haue we receiued it soe we hold it following the faith Apostolicke From this former discourse then the compilers of the collection intituled the sixth Councell of Carthage haue stolen their prologue except that in steede of these wordes 〈◊〉 the Bishop said they haue sett downe to fitt their theft to the sixth Councell of Carthage All the Councell saith And in steede of this answere It was said by all the Bishops they haue sett it was said by all 〈◊〉 Bishops newly promoted Behold their language All the Councell saith vnder the auspices of Gods fauour the ecclesiasticall Faith that we consigne 〈◊〉 to be before all things vniformely confessed in this glorious assembly and then the order of euery point of Ecclesiasticall Discipline ought to be establisht by the consent of all and to confirme the spirits of our bretheren and fellowe Bishops 〈◊〉 promoted those things must be propounded which we haue receiued from our Fathers by an assured deposition to the end that the vnitie of the trinitie that wee retaine consecrated in our sences so haue they corrected the word finibus which was in the second Councell of Carthage not discerning that in the steede of finibus must be read sinibus that is breasts to 〈◊〉 of the Father sonne and holie Ghost which is acknowledged to haue 〈◊〉 difference so haue they corrected the word notitiam not seeing that in steede of notitiam must be read nouitatem which is an allusion of 〈◊〉 that Genetlius would make to the word vnitatem In the same 〈◊〉 as we haue learnt it soe we teache it to Gods people And immediatly after Item it was said by all the Bishops newly promoted Soe certainely haue we receiued it soe we hold it so we teache it following the Euangelicall faith with your doctrine Now this fragment cannot subsist neither in the place nor forme where it is coucht For besides that the Fathers of the sixth Councell of Carthage had alreadie yea from the 〈◊〉 of the Councell and before all other things caused the creede of the Councell of Nicea to be read by meanes whereof this instance of propounding the faith of the Trinitie was to noe purpose how could it be all the Councell that said to confirme the spirite of our 〈◊〉 and fellow Bishops newly promoted those things must be propounded which we haue learnt from our Fathers And how could the Bishops newly promoted answere so haue we receiued it soe wee holde it soe wee 〈◊〉 it following the Euangelicall faith with your doctrine For the Bisshops newly promoted which made this Answere where they not parts of the Bodie of the Councell and then what likelyhood is there that all the Bishops in a Councell should pronounce word for word 〈◊〉 selfe-same speach There is often tymes noted in the front of the Canons a all the Councell saith for as much as such Canons hauing 〈◊〉 propounded and read by some of the Fathers of the Councell all the rest haue giuen their consent vnto it And there are also sometimes Clauses of two or three wordes pronounced together by all the Bishops of a Councell And principallie in the acclamations to Princes where one of the Bishops hauing begun a period all the rest repeate with him in the forme of an Eccho the same wordes There are also sometymes orations composed and pronounced by the deputies of Councells which are attributed to the whole bodie of the Councells but that a whole Councell hath made and pronounced immediately one same oration and principallie an oration that had bene spoken word by word by one Bishop in an other Councell neere thirtie yeare before there is noe sparke of likelyhood in it The sixth reason is that the most part of the Canons of this pretended Councell are taken from diuers Clauses of former Councells sticthed together and threded as it were in the forme of Centons one at the end of an other and ioyned with soe little relation and so vnaptlie and impertinently as the Collection can but be attributed to the ignorance of a particular Rapsodist and not to the sufficiencie and napacitie of the Fathers of the Councell I will content myselfe with producinge two examples to the end that from thence the readers may coniecture the rest The first example shall be drawne from the fifth Canon whereof this is the tenor Aurelius Bishop saith there is none doubtes but that the greedines of Couetousnes is the mother of all euills and therefore it must be interdicted that anie should vsurpe the bounds of an other or for hope of profitt to trench beyond the limitts establisht by the Fathers neither shall it be lawfull for anie to take vsurie of anie thing whatsoeuer although the new propositions which are either obscure or hidden vnder the generalitie of words being considered by vs shall receiue a rule But for the rest those whereof the Scripture hath cleerely determined must not longer be delayed but rather to execute iudgement And therefore that which is reproued in laymen ought by as much stronger reason to be condemned before all others in ecclesiasticall persons all the Councell saith None can labour without danger either against the prophets or the Ghospell Now this Canon is a centon compiled of two clauses taken the one from the tenth Canon of the first Councell of Carthage which forbidds Bishops to trench vpon the lymitts of their fellowe-Bretheren and the other from the thirteenth which forbidds Clerkes to lend vpon vsury betweene which the Rapsodist hath vnaptlie interposed this interlocution although the new propositions which either are obscure or hidden vnder the generalitie of wordes being considered by vs shall receiue a rule yet those where the ordonance of the seripture is cleere must not be delayed but rather the iudgement must be executed which is not of the bodie of the originall Canon but is an answere to the demaund that Abundantius Bishop of Adrumeta had made that they should confirme in the first Councell of Carthage which was a generall Councell of all Africa the decree that had bene propounded in the Councell of Adrumeta which was a particular Councell of one of the prouinces of Africa that it was not lawfull for Clerkes to lend vpon vsurie To this demaund then Gratus answered that new propositions and the decisions whereof were either obscure or ambigious in the Scripture it was reasonable to deliberate of before they should be resolued But that those where the ordonance of the Scripture was cleere as in the case of vsurie which was euidently forbidden both by the old and new Testament there needed noe deliberation but execution And the Rapsodist hath inserted the answere into his centon without makeing mention of the question And to tye it to the rest of his fagot he hath put in
beholde how it is couched at the end of the first Councell of Carthage Gratus Episcopus dixit Iuxta statuta concilij meae mediocritatis sententiam placet facere rerum omnium conclusionem vniuersi tituli disignati digesti teneant sententias suas In which place the Rapsodists of the collection intituled the sixth Councell of Carthage haue impertinentlie taken the word tituli in the genitiue singular and the greeke interpretors euen the same and haue expressed the period in this sence Be it registred in the actes of the Church the treatie of all the title designed digested this daie Not considering that in Gratus his proposition it is a nominatiue plurall and not remembring that tituli in the Statutes of the first Councell of Carthage signified Canons and besides 〈◊〉 perceiuing that the word Uniuersi in the same first Councell of Carthage hath reference to the Bishops and not to the decrees For the order of the Sence sheweth that Gratus his proposition must be read by waie of interrogation and expounding it in these wordes Doth it please you according to the Statutes of all the Councell the sentence of my mediocritie to make the cōclusion of all things And in the second clause after the word Vniuersi to sett in as in all the other canons of the same Councell dixerunt and to interpret it in this sence all the Bishops did saie that the canons designed and digested maintaine their sentences and this done to repeate Gratus Bishop saith I know well neuerthelesse that in the verball processe of the sixth Councell of Carthage inserted into the ordinarie volumes of the Coūcells there were some articles ordained to be registred as it appeares by the wordes of the Councell to Aurelius which are these The copies of the faith and of the Statutēs of the Councell of Nicea which were brought to our Councell by the Bishop Cecilian late predecessor to your Hollinesse which had assisted there and also the thinges that our Fathers constituted heere following the same copies and those that we by a common Synod constitute now remaine registred in the present Ecclesiasticall acts But that these wordes the things that we constitute now by a common Councell are meant of the determination to send to seeke the Councell of Nicea into the East and to obserue it treated in the eight chapters preceding the verball processe which the 〈◊〉 would should be reduced into writing and not of anie other decrees the rest of the speeche shewes it which is To witt that as it hath bene aboue said your Blessednesse should vouchsafe to write to the Reuerend Bishops of the Churches of Antioch Alexandria and Constantinople to send vnder the testimonie of their letters the most certaine copies of the Councell of Nicea whereby the truth being cleered the chapters that our brother and fellowe Bishop Faustinus heere present and our fellowe Priests Phillipus and Asellus haue brought with them in their instruction either if they bee found they shall be confirmed by vs or if they be not found we will assemble a Synod to aduise vpon it And as for these wordes and also the thinges that our Fathers constituted heere following the same copies they are meant by the confirmatiue decrees of the Councell of Nicea made by the Councell of Carthage holden vnder Cecelianus and other 〈◊〉 of the Bishops of the sixth Councell of Carthage where the Statutes of the Councell of Nicea had bene imposed both in grosse and in retaile to all the ecclesiasticall Orders of Africa and not of the canons of the collection intitled the sixth Councell of Carthage whereof the more parte had bene made in the Councell holden vnder Aurelius and are not contayned neither in Sense nor in wordes in the canons of the Councells of Nicea Well doe I know againe that the decrees of this collection are alleadged both by the Epitomy of the Councells sent in Pope Adrians name to Charlemaine and by Hinckmarus Archbishop of Rheims in the worke of the fiftie fiue Chapters and by manie others But the misreckoning being come from a higher roote and hauing had place from the tyme of Dionisius and Cresconius and of the Greeke translation it must not to be thought strange if from one absurditie manie others haue ensued It sufficeth that Fulgentius Ferandus who was both before them and more versed in the knowledged of the Councells of Africa then they represents no track of the collection of the thirtie three Canons intitled the sixth Councell of Carthage for that Fnlgentius Ferandus hath preceded all the other collectors of this kinde in anti quitie whether it were that Ferandus deacō of Carthage that writt the workes of the fiue Questions to saint FVLGENTIVS Bishop of Ruspia in the time of the Emperor Anastasius Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an other deacō of Carthage yet more ancient which hath borne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Fulgentius Ferrandus it appeares as well because hee speakes not neither of the Canons of the Apostles nor of the Epistles of the Popes later then Syricius as because he makes mention of infinite Councells of Africa as of the Councell of Suffetula of the Councell of Septimunica of the Councell of Marazan of the Councell of Tusdra of the Councell of Macria of the Councell of Tenis of the Councell of Iuca of many Councells of Carthage whereof there is found no track neither in Dionisius nor in Cresconius And that he hath surpassed them in the knowledg of the Councell of Africa it is manifested aswell by the same citations as by the testimonie that Cresconius giues of him in the Epistle to Liberinus which containes these wordes I did remonstrate to you that the Epitomy of the Canons had bene alreadie made by Ferandus most Reuerend 〈◊〉 of Carthage and that it ought to suffice for our instruction least vndertaking to 〈◊〉 an other it may seeme that we would steale from his wisdome And therefore also those that haue collected the bodie of the Councell in forme haue passed ouer the medley of the thirtie three canons intitled by some the sixth Councell of Carthage in silence Of the African Councell CHAPT VII NOW as for this medley and rapsody of the Councells of Africa that we call the African Councell which is a century of African canons gathered from diuers coūcells there are therin two difficulties The first difficultie concernes the author of the Rapsodie cōsists in this to witt whether this composition hath bene made by anie particular canonist or whether it hath bene gathered in a Councell The Greekes the Protestants who follow them and some Catholickes as well ancient as moderne belieue it to be made in a councell which some suppose to haue bene the sixth Councell of Carthage and others the seauenth I contrarywise incline to beleeue that it hath bene made by some African canonist and whilst the Uandalls possest Africa in which tyme there could no
nationall councell be assembled in Africa And this I incline to beleeue for ten reasons amongst others The first reason is that the Epistle of the Councell of Africa to Pope Celestine is there inserted which was made in a coūcell holden expressely for the second processe of Apiarius and after the last voyage of Faustinus into Africa as appeares by these wordes Our holie Brother and fellow Bishop Faustinus coming to vs we haue assembled a Councell and haue beleeued that the aime of his coming hath bene that as by his procurement Apiarius had bene once before restored to the priesthood so now by his labour he might be purged from the accusations of the Tabracenians Now this Councell that we call the ninth was holden long after the fixth seauenth which had bene celebrated vnder Boniface And to sale that it was in this ninth that the Rapsodie of the Councells of Africa were made it is a thing that cannot subsist for the Fathers would not haue bene contented to insert heereinto their Epistle only but would haue added to it somewhat of the historie and of the date of their Councell The second reason is that after the quotation of the Councell of Hippo which is the first whose date is registred in this Rapsody follow these wordes The acts of this Councell are not heere described because the things that hane bene therein ordained are aboue inserted which words cannot haue relation either to the rapsody of the councells of Africa or to the sixth Councell of Carthage for the actes of the Councell of Hippo which containe more then fortie canons are inserted neither into the Rapsodie which begins with the Councell of Hippo and comprehends nothing that precedes it nor in the thirtie three canons attribured to the sixth Councell of Carthage but are the wordes of the Exemplifier or Rapsodist which remitts the readers to finde the Canons of the Councell of Hippo to the former collections of the Councells The third reason is that in the quotation of the Councell 〈◊〉 the fixth of the calends of Julie vnder the Consulship of Cesarius and Atticus there are these wordes Whosoeuer will search the acts of this councell shall finde them in the authentic all copies A thing which shewes it is a particular collection and not a Councell that speakes The fourth reason is that at the head of the sixtith one chapter after these wordes Under the consulships of the noble cōsulls Stelicō for the secōd time Arthemius the tenth of the calēds of Septēber at Carthage in the Basilicke of the second region these followe I haue not transcribed from the one end to the other the acts of this coūcell for asmuch as they more regarde 〈◊〉 of time then anie generall ordinances but for the instruction 〈◊〉 the studious I haue digested from them a briefe Summary Frō whēce it appeares that this collection was made by a particular compiler For that the Greekes haue translated it in the third person in steed of these words for the instruction of the studious haue turned it of things studiouslie ordained that is to saie in steede of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haue supposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a corruption too apparant The fifth reason is that in the thirteenth chapter of the latine Rapsody which is the fourtie seauenth of the Greeke Rapsody the Canon saith in either edition Likewise also that it may be lawfull to reade the the passions of the Martyrs which hath noe relation to the words of the former Canon which are that reconciliation shall not be refused to comedians but it is a traine that hath bene torne from his head that the latine Rapsody hath omitted and that the Greeke hath trāsferred from his place to witt from the Canon that forbids other Scriptures then those that are canonicall to be read in Churches as appeares both by the Councell of Carthage intire where these two Canons are couched the one after the other and by Ferandus his Breuiarie where they are quoted as two canons following one an other in these words That there shall be nothing read in the Churches but the Canonicall Scriptures the Councell of Laodicea title fiftie sixt and the Councell of Carthage title fourtie fifth That it shall be lawfull also to read the Martyrs passions in the anniuersary daie of their Martyrdomes Coūcell of Carthage title fourtie sixt A thing that shewes that this collectiō hath bene made by a particular Rapsodist who inserting the third Councell of Carthage into his Rapsody hath omitted the canō of the canonicall Bookes forasmuch as this canon was made in the Councell of Hippo was but repeated in the third Councell of Carthage had contented himselfe with inserting that that the Councell of Carthage had added to it to witt the permission of reading also in the Church the passiōs of the Martyrs The sixth reason is that of the fifth canon of the seauenth councell of Carthage which ordaines That if a Bishop saith that if anie one haue cōfessed that is to saie with ciuill confession a crime to him alone and that he after denie it the Bishop shall not holde it for an iniurie if creditt be not giuen to his only testimonie and that if the Bishop moued with the scruple of his owne conscience saith that he will not communicate with him that so denies as long as the Bishop shall not communicate with him other Bishops shall not cōmunicate with the Bishop The Rapsodist hath made two different canōs to witt the nintie ninth hùdredth of his Rapsody And to perfect the construction of the nintie ninth which otherwise was without sence hath added these words that he shall notwithstāding secretly interdict him the cōmunion till he conforme himselfe which are directly against the intētion of the Councell See heere the words of the nintie ninth If a Bishop saith that anie one hath cōfessed a crime to him alone and that he denie it and will not do penāce for it the Bishop shall not hold it for a particular iniury that credit is not giuen to him alone and if moued with the scruple of his owne consciēce he saith that he will not cōmunicate with him that so denies let him 〈◊〉 interdict him the cōmunion 〈◊〉 till he conforme himself And behold heere the words of the hundredth Whiles a Bishop communicates not with his excommunicated Diocesan 〈◊〉 not the other Bishops communicate with such a Bishop An error that the Fathers of the sixth or seauenth Councell of Carthage would neuer haue committed if themselues had compiled this Rapsody seeing it was themselues that had composed the whole Canon And it is not to be said that the later Exemplifiers perceiuing this fault haue reunited the two Canons in one and haue reported the canon compleate as it is couched in the seauenth councell of Carthage For the ancient latine Rapsodies made two canons of it as it appea-res
Christians wherein they were contained from whence it appeares that from the lesser of these computations nothing can be inferred against the larger To proue it so when Origen in his cōmentary vpon the psalmes speakes of the Scriptures of the old Testament he followes the canon of Esdras and the nūber of the twentie two Hebrew letters wherin neither Tobias nor Iudith nor that of Wisedome had anie place Yon must not be ignorāt said hee that the bookes of the Testament according to the tradition of the Hebrewes are 22. according to the number of their letters And whē he speakes in his cōmentary vpō the book of Nūbers of the volumes of the Scripture he followes the accessory cōputatiō of the christians the appēdix of the posthumall bookes sets downe the 〈◊〉 of Iudith Tobie that of Wisedome amongst the canonicall Bookes When there is presented saith hee to those that are newly Schollers in diuine Studies anie reading of the diuine volumes in which there is nothing that seemes obscure as the booke of Hester or of Iudith or of Tobie or the precepts of wisedome they receiue it willinglie but if the booke of Leuiticus be read to them their spirit is presentlie dulled And in the same place of the cōmentary vpon the psalmes where he reckons the Canonicall Bookes of the old Testament according to the cōputation of the Hebrewes and the number of the Hebrew letters hee adds out of this ranke are the bookes of the Machabees which the Hebrewes call Sarbit Sarbaneell that is to saie the Scepter of the Prince of the childrē of God By which wordes he intēdes not to saie that they are not of the ranke of the canonicall Bookes of the old Testament for then wherefore hauing purposed to speake of the Canonicall Bookes should he mentiō the Machabees but that they were not in the ranke of the canonicall bookes inserted in the canon of Esdras Likewise when S. EPIPHANIVS in the Booke of the Hebrew weights measure in the confutatiō of the Sect of Epicurus speaks of the canonicalll Bookes of the old Testamēt he followes the catalogue of Esdras the cabbale or tradition of the twentie two Hebrew letters and saith that the Bookes of Wisedome Ecclesiasticus were not of this nūber The Wisdome of Salomon and that of Iesusthe sonne of Syrach are vsefull and profitable but are not sett downe amongst the bookes enrolled that is to saie enrolled by Esdras And for that cause they are not placed in the Aron that is to saie in the Arke of the testimonie for so it must be read not neither in the Aron nor in the Arke as it is read at this daie by the ignorance of the booke writers interpreters who of the word Aron which in hebrew signifies Arke haue made Aaron brother of Moyses And when he disputeth against Aetius head of the heresie of the Anomeans he follloweth the accessory cōputation of the Church setts both those amongst the diuine and Canonicall Scriptures You must saith hee turne ouer the twentie seauen bookes of the olde Testament that the hebrewes reckon twentie two and the four Ghospells and the fourteen epistles of the Apostles S. PAVL and the Acts of 〈◊〉 Apostles made before and during the same time and the Catholick Epistles of Iames Peter Iohn and Iude and the 〈◊〉 of John and the two Wisdomes that is to saie that of Salomon and that of the Sonne of Syrach and in summe all the diuine Scriptures And finallie the fourth and last aduertisment shall bee that there is not one of all the Greeke canons wherein the Machabees are past ouer in silēce except those that follow the double computation whereof wee now speake which is not according to the verie iudgment of Geneua imperfect omitts those Bookès the Caluinists théselues confesse to be canonicall And to proue it so in the canon of Melito the booke of Hester is omitted in the canon of S. CYRILL of Hierusalem in the canō of the coūcell of Laodicea the Apocalips is forgoten in the Synopsis falsely imputed to S. ATHANAS the booke of Hester is cutt of in the canon laid to S. GREGORIE of Naziazenes charge I say laid to his charge because this canon leaues out Wisedome which S. GREG. of Nazianzene in his true writings cites as canonicall the Booke of Hester and that of the Apocalips are excluded In the catalogue attributed to Amphilochius the booke of Hester and the Apocalips are called in question In the catalogue of Iosephus an author that was an Hebrew by nation but whose Bookes are written in Greeke the booke of Job is omitted principallie according to their computation that will haue Job to haue been before Moyses as Origen amōgst the old Christians Mercerus the Caluinist amōgst the moderne Raby Moyses Kimhi amongst the Iewes And in all the Iudaicall antiquities of the same Josephus there is no mētion made of Iobs history By meanes whereof nothing can be concluded from the silence of those imperfect rolls against the volumes by thē omitted And indeede notwithstanding this catalogue Josephus leaues not of if wee giue creditt to the Greeke text of the worke against Appion to alleadge the booke of Ecclesiasticus for one of the pieces of the Jewish lawe when he writes The lawe saith that the woeman is in all things worse then man and that a mans iniquitie is better thē the good worke of a woeman Nor to insert a great parte of the history of the Machabes into his treatie of the dominion of reason ouer the senses yea with the title of a sacred Booke if wee beleeue the finall clause of the worke which is defectiue in the Greeke text but is in the anciēt latine translation acknowledged publisht by Erasmus For whereas the same Iosephus distinguisheth betweene the bookes written before Artaxerxes when the Prophets flourished in the Jewish Church the Bookes writté since so farr of is he frō excluding heereby the bookes of the Machabes frō the nūber of the bookes writtē by the Prophets that cōtrary wise in noting that the bookes written since Artaxerxes are not reputed so worthie of credit as the former because the successiō of the Prophets hath not bene exact he shewes that they were beleeued to haue bene writtē by the Prophets but with a beleefe lesse assured mingled with some vncertaintie Since Artaxerxes saith he euē to our tyme other things hane bene writtē but they are not esteemed worthie of the same credit as the former becanse the Succession of the Prophets hath not bene exact Now this vncertaintie S. IOHN S. PAVL seeme to take awaie S. IOHN whē he reportes that our Lord assisted at the feast of the dedication of winter whose institutiō is described in the only collection of the Machabees for the historie of the dedication of winter was a thing necessary to Saluatiō
Africans to Pope Celestine I haue said the mocke-Councell of Rhemes for as much as the very Centuriators that caused it to be printed confesse it to haue bene a tyrannicall Councell holden at the instance of Hugh Capet to oppresse Arnulphus bastard Brother to the king Lotharius Legitimate and innocēt Bishop of Orleans And besides that it was disannulled three yeares after by the authoritie of the Sea Apostolicke and of Seguin Archbishop of Sens and with the consent of Hugh Capet himself Then whether the Latine text of these Epistles be a translatiō of the Greeke edition or whether the ancient latine originall being come to our hands hath bene corrupted be it by the ignorance of the Book-binders or by the malice of the 〈◊〉 is the thing in question And the causes of this doubt are that whereas in the copie of the African Canons the latine edition is much more correct then the Greeke in the copie of the Epistles contrarywise the Greeke edition is very correct and the latine most depraued and corrupt and the corruptions are such as seeme to proceede from the ambiguitie and misunderstanding of the Greeke wordes I will alleadge fiue patterns The first patterne shall be taken from the Epistle to Pope Boniface where the Greeke text speaking of the canons that Pope Zozimus had sent into Africa vnder the title of the Canons of the Councell of Nicea saith These things haue bene rigistred in the Acts till the more certaine Copies of the Councell of Nicea shall come in which if they be couched in the same forme as they are contained in the instruction that our Bretheren haue shewed vs sent by the Sea Apostolicke and that they be obserued in the same fashion by you in Italie we will make no more mention thereof nor further contest of the not suffering them which is the true sence of the African Bishops who had newly before be sought the Pope that he would cause them to obserue in the like case what should be found in the copies of the Coūcell of Nicea which should be brought out of the Eact And which is the sence also that hath bene followed by the Protestants of Germanie in the last impression that they haue made of the Councells of Africa And the latine text contrarywise saith These things haue bene inserted into the Acts vntill the coming of the more certaine copies of the Councell of Nicea which if they be there contained so as they are 〈◊〉 in the instruction as our Bretheren sent by the Sea Apostolicke haue alleaged and were kept in the same forme amongst you in Italie we shall be no waie constrained to tollerate things such as we will not now call to memory or to suffer them intollerable Wordes that besides the impertinencie of the construction in the alternatiue whereof there is no antithesis are directly repugnant to the sence and intention of the Epistle which is contrarywise to saie that if the clauses intended by the Popes instruction were to be found in the copies of the Councell of Nicea which should come out of the East they would not so much as open their mouthes to speake of it and would not contest of the not suffring them and whereof the corruption seemes to proceede from the ambiguitie of the two Greeke verbes whereof the one signifies to make mention or to commemorate and the other to bee constrained and to contest The second patterne shall be taken from the exordium of the Epistle to Pope Celestine where the Greeke text speaking of Apiarius saith For first he hath mainely resisted all the Councell charging it with diuers contumelies vnder pretence of pursuing the priuiledges of the Roman Church and willing to cause himselfe to be receiued into our communion because your Holynesse beleeuing that he had appealed to you which he could not proue had restored him to the communion Yet this did not succeede with him as you shall more at large vnderstand by reading the Acts Which is the true sence of the wordes of the Epistle and which also the Protestants of Germanie haue followed in the last impression that they haue made of the Councell of Africa And the latine text contrarywise importes referring these wordes to Faustinus the Popes Legate For 〈◊〉 how much he hath resisted all the Assemblie Charging it with manie 〈◊〉 vnder colour of pursuing the priuiledges of the Roman Church and willing to 〈◊〉 him to be receiued into our communion because your Holynesse beleeuing he had appealed to you which could not be proued had restored him to the commnnion which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was not lawfull as you shall better discerne by reading the Acts which are three deprauations one in the neck of an other the first in this that the latine text referrs to Faustinus that which the Councell saith of 〈◊〉 as it appeares by these words For first which shew that it speakes of him of whom it had begun and continued to speake of in the following periods and by this subsequent clause when we examine the crimes that haue bene obiected to him which could not be vnderstood but of Apiarius And this seemes to proceede from the ambiguitie of the Greeke pronowne which being taken in a reciprocall signification signifies himselfe and obligeth the Readers to translate willing to make himselfe be receiued which is the sence that the new editions of the Prote stants of Germanie haue embraced and being taken in a direct signification signifies him and obligeth the Readers to translate willing to cause him to be receiued The second in this that insteede of these words of the Greeke text Notwithstanding this hath not succeeded to him which are spoken of the Action of Apiarius the latine text setts downe which yet was not lawfull and referrs it to the action of the Pope against the credit of this remitment as you shall better discerne by the reading of the Acts which shewes that the Councell speakes of the issue of Apiarius his cause and not of the Popes action and this seemes to haue proceeded from the Ambiguitie of the Greeke verbe which signifies to succeede and to be lawfull And the third in this that insteede of the aduerbe greatlie which is in the greeke text the latine edition reades how much a thing which depriues the construction both of sence and verbe and makes the speeche suspence and defectiue The third paterne shall be taken from the beginning of the request of the same Epistle where after these words Premising then the office of a due salutation we beseech you affectionatly that henceforward you will no more so easily admitt to your eares those that come from these partes nor restore to the communion those that haue bene excommunicated by vs for as much as your Reuerence will easily discerne that this hath bene defined by the Councell of Nicea the 〈◊〉 text adds for although it seeme that there should only mention bee made of Clerkes and laymen by how much stronger reason should
carnally that Peter that should tell them knew them 〈◊〉 FOR that in the sixth of S. IOHN S. PETER answeres in common for all the Apostles Wee beleeue and knowe thou art Christ the Sonn of the liuing God besides that the Latine editions haue not the word liuing Wee saie it was a later thing for as much as when sainct PETER answered Wee beleeue and know that thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God hee had bene alreadie constituted head and Prince of the other Apostles and in this qualitie he answered alone for all the rest as sainct CYRILL testifies in these wordes By one that presided or that was preeminent all answered and had alreadie receiued the promisses of our Lord that vpon him he would build his Church As S. CYPRIAN declares in these wordes Peter speakes heere vpon whom the Church had bene built And therefore as the Apostles had part in the primacie of this confession only by adherence and non-repugnancie so our Lord gaue them part in the authotitie he had giuen to S Peter by adherence and communication with S. PETER that is to saie vnder condition of cōmunicating and adhearing and remayning in vnitie with saint PETER And yet this part that he promised and gaue them in the rule and ministrie of the Church was afterward to witt as in right in the eighteenth of saint MATHEW What yee bind on earth shall be bound in heauen And as the installment into the possession in the twentith of saint IOHN Receiue the holie Ghost whose sinns yee forgiue shall be forgiuen to the end to shewthat to sainct PETER ōly the cōditiō of being a Rock that is to sa rule and foundation of the building of the Church had bene principallie and originally giuen and that afterwards it was extended to the other Apostles it was by aggregation and association and by communicating and adhering with him and as hauing relation and correspondence to him as to the Center and middle forme of the veritie of the Church For as God gaue first his spiritt to Moyses and after tooke of the Spiritt that he had giuen to Moyses and gaue thereof to the seauen tie two Elders not that God tooke awaie from Moyses anie portion of the spiritt that he had giuen him not that the spirit of God was diuisible but to the end to establish and shew a relation of vnitie dependencie and adherencie of the seauentie two Elders to Moyses Soe in some sort for I compare not the two histories wholie our Lord gaue first the whole authoritie of the ministrie and the Chaire Apostolicke to saint PETER alone I intend as in right and not in actuall possession which he receaued not till after the Resurrection and after 〈◊〉 it to all the twelue Apostles in common to the end to shew the relation of dependencie vnitié and adherence that they ought to haue with saint PETER whom vpon this occasion Macharius an antient Egiptian diuine calls the successor of Moyses Afterward said hee to Moyses succeeded Peter to whom the new Church of Christ and the true priesthood hath bene committed Which hath caused the Fathers to saie that there was but one Chaire which was the Chaire of PETER but that in this Chaire all the Apostles were placed to witt by the adherence communion and vnitie that they had with S. PETER In the Episcopall Chaire saith saint OPTATVS Mileuitanus there is sett the head of all the Apostles Peter from whence he also hath bene called Cephas to the end that in this only Chaire vnitie might be preserued in all least the other Apostles should attribute to themselues euery one his Chaire a parte but that he might be a Schismaticke 〈◊〉 that against this onelie Chaire should erect an other And therefore also the surname of PETER by which this Condition of being the foundation of the rule of the Church is designed hath bene giuen to him only to beare it in the title of a proper name and not to anie other Apostle to show that to him by excellencie and eminencie ouer all the rest appertained the thing whereof he alone bore the name For since our Lord should by the word PETER designe the condition of being the ministeriall foūdation of the Church for what cause should he affect it to Peter alone to beare it in the title of a proper and ordinarie name and not giue it to anie other if he were not to bea foundation of the Church in an other manner then the rest Which S. BASILL hath in such sort acknowledged as desiring to shew the difference which is betweene the substance and the hipostaticall proprieties of anie subiect he alleadgeth for example of the substance the substāce of humanitie which is commō to PETER PAVL although said he the appellations be different yet the substance of Peter and Paule and of all men is one and alleadgeth amongst the examples of the hypostaticall indiuiduall and incommunicable conditions of PETER that is to saie which are particular to him onely and are not common to him with saint PAVL nor with anie other the condition of being the foundation of the Church Because said he the names of men signifie not their substances but the proprieties whereby each of them is designed in particular From thence it is that when wee heare the name of Peter we vnderstand not his substance c. but conceiue the sence of the proprieties which are perticular to him For as soone as wee heare this word wee vnderstand Peter the Sonne of Ionas he that was of Bethsaida he that was Brother to Andrew he that of a Fisherman was made an Apostle he that 〈◊〉 reason of the supereminencie of his Faith receiued vpon him the edification of the Church AND for this same cause to saint PETER onely there hath bene conferred singularlie separately and apart the authoritie of the rule of the Church and to all the rest onely in common and ioyntlie with him to the end to shew that he was the originall the source the center and the beginning of the vnitie of the Church and that no other out of his Communion could exercise the rule and ministrie thereof but that the rest had right to exercise it it is onely as associated and aggregated with him and as grafted and inserted vpon him For our Lord neuer said singularly to anie of the Eleuen Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke I will build my Church and I will giue thee the keies of the Kingdome of heauen nor I haue praied for thee that thy faith shall not faile And finallie Thou being conuerted confirme thy Bretheren nor louest thou me more then these feede my sheepe But only hath said in generall to all the Bodie of the Apostles sainct PETER being Colleague present and comprehended therein that which he had said before to saint PETER alone as to the head That which yee shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen and they
Disciples And Optatus Mileuit In the Roman Chaire there is sett Peter the head of all the Apostles And againe Against the gates of hell we reade that Peter our Prince hath receaued the wholesome keyes And S. CYRILL of Alexandria Peter as the Prince and head of the rest first cryed out thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God Euen vntill then it was a thing so well knowne vnto antiquitie that sainct PETER was the visible head of the Church and of Christian religion as the verie Pagans and Porphirius amongst the rest as sainct HIEROME reportes it reproched it to Christians that S. Paul had bene so rashe as to reproue Peter the Prince of the Apostles and his master And they fained as saith sainct AVGVSTINE that the Oracles of their false Gods hauing bene inquired of concerning Christian Religion answered this blasphemie that Chrict was innocent of the imposture of the Christiās but that Peter who was a Magitian for the loue he bore to his Master had inuented Christian Religion And this may be said of the comparison betweene PETER and the other Apostles for I will not now treate of the other frequent markes of the preheminēce and authoritie of S. PETER which are in the Euangelicall and Apostolicke historie As that our Lord commaunded him to paie the tribute for himself and for him that he vndertooke the care of the replacing of an other Apostle in Iudas his steede all the Colledge of the Apostles suffring themselues to bend and to be lead by his words that he is nominated as for preheminence and ranked a part Peter and the Eleuen that they bore the sicke into the Apostles waie that Peters shadowe might passe ouer them that that he alone iudged Ananias and Saphira to death that to him alone is reuealed the introduction of the nations into the Church and other the like for as much as it is not my purpose to examine the other places of scripture but onely those that his maiestie hath alleadged and to examine those not by scripture but by the Fathers whose obiection me thinkes I haue sufficiētly satisfied And as for Origēs interpretatiō which extends this text to all Christians in generall and saith that whosoeuer confesseth that Christ is the Sonn of God is made a foundation of the Church it is an interpretation morallized from this passage to bring it into sence although strained and wrested whose fruite may be applied to all the hearers and not a serious and litterall interpretation as the same Origen that makes vse of it testifies when he expounds it expressly and literallie of the persō of Peter There remaines the third point which is that the Church is built vpon Christ now in this point we are all of accord with his Maiestie but yet wee graunt not that S. PETER leaues to be the visible and ministeriall Foundation of the Church for the Philosophers teach vs that thinges subordinate combat not one an other but imbrace presuppose one other therefore to saie that Christ is the foundation of the Church and to saie that S. PETER is the foundation of the Church are not repugnant propositions but vnanimous and compatible For wee doe not pretend that they are foundations of the Church after one and the same sort but we hold that Christ is the foundation of the Church by himself and by his owne authoritie and S. PETER only by commission no more then to saie with Moyses that God only was the guide of the people of Israell in their passage from Egipt to the land of Chanaan and to saie with S. STEVEN that Moyses guided the people in the Wildernesse This was he said he that was with the Church in the desert Are not things incompatible for god was the guide of the people of Israel by his proper vertue and Moyses by commission and lieuetenancie from God Likewise to saie that the Vice-Roy of Ireland is the foundation of the gouernment and policie of Ireland And to saie that the excellent Kinge of Great Brittaine is the foundation of the state and policie of the same Ireland are not things incompatible for the excellent King of Great Brittaine is so by his proper authoritie and the Vice-Roy is soe by commission lieuetenancie and representation Although notwithstanding that the literall intention of this passage Vpon this Rock I will build my Church is no way to designe by the word Rock the person of Christ but that only of Peter as it appeares by six euident reasons THE first that our lord hauing foretold to S. PETER that he would change his name not by the attribution of a simple Epithete as he did to the Sonns of Zebedee whom he called the Sonns of thunder but by the imposition of a name ordinarie and permanent in saying to him Thou shalt be called 〈◊〉 puts him noe where in possession of this promise nor explaines to him noe where the cause of the imposition of this name but in this passage Thou art Peter vpō this Rock I will build my Church Now this passage cānot explaine the sence of the word Peter if in the secōd part of the passage the word Rock be not taken in the same sence and for the same subiect for which it is taken in the first and by consequence this clause vpon this Rock I will build my Church cannot there be interpreted of the person of Christ but on the only person of S. PETER The second that our Lord meanes in this place to render an exchange for the words that S. PETER spake of him as may appeare by this preface And I tell thee which for this cause Beza hath translated into these words And I tell thee reciprocallie Now S. PETER in his propositiō had done two things the one to declare the appellatiue name of our Lord which is Christ the other to explaine the sence and energy of the same name of CHRIST in saying Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God And therefore the lawe of the Antithesis correspōdencie wills that not only our lord should declare the name that he had promised to giue him in saying to him Thou art Peter but also should explaine the sence energy of this name in saying to him and vpon this Rock I will build my Church Which could not be vnlesse by the word Rock in this second clause there were literally vnderstood the person of S. PETER and not that of CHRIST THE third that it had bene a thing extremely from the purpose to haue made mention of the name of Peter for the language that our Lord meant to speake to S. PETER if by this clause and vpon this Rock he had not intended to speake of the person of Peter For the word Rock hath no metaphoricall relation to the keyes but to the building The fourth that it had bene an inconstant grammaticall consequence and euil knitt to saie And I
declare to thee that thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke which is my self I will build my Church and I will giue to thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen The fifth that the connexion of the pronowne this with the repetition of the word Petra before exprest sheweth that it is a relatiue pronowne and whose relation is determined to the antecedent alreadie exprest by meanes whereof this pronowne could not be diuerted from the naturall vse of the relatiue that the repetition of the antccedent giues it to an vse of a demōstratiue pronowne but by the application of an externall gesture of demonstration either exprest in the text of the historie or by the verie explication of the historian As when our Lord after he had spoken of the Iewish Temple said Destroie this temple and within three daies I will build it vp againe The Euangelists to hinder the pronowne from being taken for a pronowne relatiue as the repetition of the word Temple alreadie before expressed would haue informed the auditors adds this he spake of the Temple of his 〈◊〉 a thing which is not in this passage AND the sixth and principall that it is most certaine that our Lord in these words thou art Peter and vpon this Peter or Rocke intended to allude to the name of S. PETER Now all allusions which are made to names are either allusions of confirmation or allusions of correction I call allusiōs of confirmation those which are made to confirme or approue the imposition of the name which had bene first giuen As when Uopiscus called the Emperor Probus trulie Probus that is to saie trulie an honest man and Carus truly Charus that is to saie trulie deare And saint ATHANASIVS called Osius truly Osius that is to saie 〈◊〉 holy And the Councell of Constantinople holden vnder Menas called Agapet truly Agapet that is to saie 〈◊〉 beloued I call allusions of correction those which are made to correct and reprehend the imposition of the name first giuen to shewe that the effect of the name agrees not with him that beares it And these allusiōs of correction againe are of two sortes the one are made by simple negation 〈◊〉 antithesis as when Noemi said Call me no more Noemi that is to saie Agreable but call mee mara that is to saie bitter And the other are made by translation as when the name that hath bene first imposed vpon anie one is transferred to an other As when saint 〈◊〉 speaking of Absalon whose name signified the peace of the Father saith That the true Absalon is Iesus Christ it is an allusion of translation and consequentlie of correctiō by which he transferrs the name of Absalon to Iesus Christ and shewes that it had not iustlie bene imposed vpon Absalon From whence it ariseth that if our Lord in saying Vpon this Rock I will build my Church intended by the word Rock the person of sainct PETER he ment to make an allusion of approbation but if hee intended his owne he ment to make an allusion of translation and consequently of correction Now besides that it must be impertinent that our Lord should make an allusion of correction vpon a name imposed by himselfe it is manifest that in honorable names allusions of approbation and confirmation are in steede of complements and gratifications and allusions of correction are in steede of reprehensions and chasticemets Then to know whether our Lord did there meane to make an allusion of approbation and by the word Rock intend the person of S. PETER or to make an allusion of correction and translation and by the word Rock intend his owne there needes but to see whether he meant by these words to cherish gratifie and recompence S PETER or to shake him vp and chastice him For if by the word Rock he vnderstood the person of S. PETER he ment to cherish and recōpence him but if there by he vnderstood his owne he meant to be rough with him and to correct him Now both the foregoeing confession of S. PETER Thou art Christ the Sonn of the liuing God and the preface of our Lords words Blessed art thou Symon the Sonne of Iona and this marke of recompence and reciprocall vicissitude of title and elogie translated by Beza himself into these wordes I saie reciprocallie to thee cannot without sacrilege suffer a doubt but that he intēded not in that place to be harsh with him and to chastice him but to gratifie and recompence him The blessed confession saith S. HILLARIE hath receaued the reward nor consequētlie but that our lord intēded to make an allusiō of cōfirmation not of correction that is to saie that he designed by the word Rock not his owne persō but the persō of S PETER And against this ought not to be obiected that S. PAVL writes The Rock was Christ. For metaphoricall names are not takē alwaies in the sams sēce nor for the same thinges but varie their significatiōs according to the seuerall relations whereunto they are imployed which hath caused S. THOMAS to saie that in metaphors there is not so much regard to be had from whence they are takē as to what they are taken and therefore although the word Rock sometimes signifies Christ in the scripture it would neuerthelesse be a blinde 〈◊〉 to will that wheresoeuer the scriptures vseth it it should be intēded of Christ. For sometimes the word Rock is imploied according to the relatiō that the Rock of a quarry hath to the morcels of stone that are drawne out of it And in this sence Abraham is called Rock Looke saith Esaie vpon the Rock from whence you haue bene cutt vpō Abraham your Father sometimes it is imployed according to the relation of the drynesse barennes that rockes haue to the seede that is cast vpon them and in this sence hard and indocile partes are intended by the word Rock Part of the seed said our Lord fell vpon the Rock Sometimes it is imployed according to the relatiō of the stedfastnes and soliditie that Rocks haue in the buildings which are founded vpon them And in this sence our lord saith to S. PETER Vpōthis Rock I will build my Church alluding to the custome of ātiquitie who vsed when they were to build temples to choose to build them vpō Rocks for their firmnes rather then vpon other places From whence it is that the place where vpon the Temple of Delphus was built was called the Delphian Rocks and that the men of a certaine Cittie of Asia to be preferred in the building of a Temple to the Emperor Tiberius represented to him that their cittie was situate vpon a Rocke And therefore our lord intending to build his Church vpon S PETER said to him according to the Hebrew and the Syriacke Thou art a Rock and vpon this Rock I will build my Church Sometymes it is imployed according to the relation that Rocks haue to the sources
alone and from belonging to her alone noe more then when in a common weale the factious part and which separated it-selfe from the state and reuoltes against the true preseruers of the Estate come to be deuided from that which remaines in the lawfull administration of the Estate this diuision hinders not the part which restes vnited with the Estate from preseruing the right and title of the vniuersallitie of the cōmon-wealth and those thinges which are done by it alone from being accounted to be done by the whole Bodie of the common-wealth Whose whole being is preserued in this part alone the other by the desertion thereof hauing lost all the part it had in the name and effect of the common-wealth Of the sence wherein the Roman Church is called Catholicke CHAP. IX The continuance of the Kinges answere TO attribute to themselues the title of Catholicke as proper to themselues alone THE REPLIE WHEN wee vse this traine of Epithetes the Catholicke Apostolicke Roman Church we intend not by the word Roman the particular Church of Rome but all the Churches which adhere and are ioyned in communion with the Roman Church euen as by the Iewish Church wee intended not the tribe of Iuda only but the lines of Leui and Beniamin and manie relikes of the lines which were ioyned therewith For S IOHN BAPTIST was of the tribe of Leuy and sainct PAVL of that of Beniamin Anna of the tribe of Aser and neuerthelesse they were all of the people of the Iewes and of the Iewish Church but they were called Iewes and Iewish people because of the adherence and communion that they had with the principall Tribe which was that of Iuda Soe all the other Churches which communicate with the Roman in what soeuer part they are constituted are comprehended vnder the common word of the Roman Church when wee saie the Catholicke Apostolicke and Roman Church because they hold the Roman Church for the center and originall of their communion And in this sence saint AMBROSE saith that his brother inquired if the Bishop of one of the citties of Sardica where he desired to be baptised consented with the Catholicke Bishops that is to saie added hee with the Roman Church And in this sence saint HIEROME saith that the Church of Alexandria glorifies her selfe that she participates with the Roman Faith And in this sence Iohn Patriarke of Constātinople writes to Pope Hormisdas Wee promise not to recite amongst the sacred mistiries the names of those which are separate from the communion of the Cathoick Church that is to saie that consent not in all thinges with the Sea Apostolick And in this sence Beda vseth these words Our mother the Roman Church In this same sence they comprehend vnder the Greeke Church not only the natuaall Greekes but the Russians and Muscouites although they be distinct in nation and in language from the Greekes yea euen haue their Seruice in a tongue quite different for asmuch as they adhere to the Creeke Church Not that the particular Roman Church may not also in a certaine regard be called Catholicke For the word Catholicke is taken in three sortes to witt either formallie or causallie or participatiuelie Formally the only vniuersall Church that is to saie the Societie of all the true particular churches vnited in one selfe same communiō is called catholicke Causallie the Roman church is called Catholicke for as much as she infuseth vniuersalitie into all the whole bodie of the Catholicke church That it is soe to cōstitute vniuersalitie there must be two thinges one that may analogicallie be insteede of matter thereto to witt the multitude for where there is no multitude there can be noe vniuersalitie And the other to be in-steede of forme thereto to witt vnitie for a multitude without vnitie makes noe vniuersalitie Take awaie saith sainct AVGVSTINE the vnitie from the multitude and it is a tumult but bring in vnitie and it is the people And therefore the Roman Church which as center and beginning of the ecclesiasticall communion infuseth vnitie which is the forme of vniuersalitie into the Catholicke Church and by consequent causeth vniuersalitie in her may be called catholicke causallie though in her owne being she be particular noe more nor lesse then the Galley to which all the other Gallies of a Fleete haue relation of dependancie and correspondencie is called the Generall although she bee but one particular Galley because it is she that by the relation that all others haue to her giues vnitie to the totall and generall bodie of the Fleete And finallie particular Churches are called Catholicke participatiuely because they agree and participate in doctrine and communion with the catholicke Church And in this sence the Church of Smyrna addresseth her Epistle To the Catholick Church of Philomilion and to all the Catholick Churches which are throughout the world Of the causes wherefore the Roman Church hath cutt of the rest from her communion CHAP. X. The continuance of the Kings answere AND to exclude from their communion all the rest which dissent from them in anie thinge or refuse the yoake of slauerie THE REPLIE THE most excellent King may be pleased to remember two things one that antient authors haue written that oftentimes for one only word contrarie to Faith manie heresies haue bene cast out of the bodie of the Church And the other that the societies of the Egiptians and Ethiopians haue not bene excluded out of the Church for refusinge that which his maiestie call the yoake of slauerie that is to saie the Superintendencie of the Roman Church but for hauing imbraced the Sect of Eutyches who with all his partakers was cutt off from the Church by the Councell of Chalcedon and that euen to this daie they are all readie and haue often offerred to acknowledge the Pope whom they confesse to bee the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles if they might be receiued into the communion of the Roman Church without obliging them to anathematize Eutiches and Dioscorus And as for the diuision of the Greeke Church the true cause thereof hath bene the Schisme fallen out betweene Ignatius lawfull Patriarke of Constantinople whom the Pope preserued in his communion and Photius intruded into the Patriarkship by the fauour of the Emperor to which Schisme the Greekes added for an obstacle of reuniō as the crabb cast the stone into the oyster to hinder it from shutting itselfe againe the difference of the procession of the holy Ghost and of Schismatickes became flatt heretickes This was the true cause of the seperation of the Greekes and not the yoake of slaueries of the Roman Church of the which neither Jgnatius nor anie of his Catholicke Predcessors had euer complayned Of the sence wherein the hereticks belonge not to the Catholick Church CHAP. XI The Continuance of the Kings Answere AND so on the suddaine to pronounce presumptuouslie that they belonged not in anie thing to the Catholicke Church THE REPLIE This deniall is