Lo saith he how from those which he would haue esteemed the lesser he ascendeth to those whom he would haue esteemed the greater Answ 1. The mans wit went a grazing when he wrote this For if he so conclude from the order then Paul must be inferiour to Apollos when Paul was an Apostle and a Planter but Apollos no Apostle and onely a waterer 1. Cor. 3. 6. 2. In Mat. 10. 2. he would haue Peter the chiefe because hee was named first now here the chiefe because hee is named in a third place Saint Paul Gal. 2. 9. puts him in the second place betweene two and will not they hold him the chiefe for this too Doth not vertue consist in the midst for put him in the first place as in Mat. 10. in the third place as in 1. Cor. 3. 4 22. or in the second as in Gal. 2. 9. its with them a profound Reason to make him alwayes the chiefe for he may take what place he listeth Deepe Diuinitie and an inuincible Reason Though Saint Paul in Gal. 2. takes himselfe to be nothing inferiour to him or to other which seemed to bee Pillars and was inferiour to none of the great Apostles 1. Cor. 11. 5. 12. 11. vpon this Text Chrysostome shewes that S. Paul compared himselfe with the Apostles euen with Peter and the rest Luk. 22. 31. And the Lord said Simon c. When thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren Answ This place proueth not any Headship ouer the Apostles First hee is called Simon by his common name and not Peter which our Aduersaries stand vpon and make their chiefe argument Secondly this place is to forewarne him of his fearfull temptation and so of his fall thereby the vtter peril wherof he should escape not by himselfe or his owne power and grace but by Christs mediation What is this to haue a Headship Thirdly it teacheth him a duty when hee should be conuerted and be recouered from vnder the fall that hee should confirme others If by confirming the Gagger will hence conclude the practice and exercise of greatnesse ouer the Apostles then Saint Paul and Barnabas had this greatnesse too For they did confirme others Act. 14. 21. and Paul and Silas Act. 15. 41. 1. Thes 3. 2. yea it is a common Duty of euery Pastor Is euery one that confirmeth made thereby a Superiour in Rule and Gouernment Then a Priest confirming his Soueraigne is his Superiour And by this Saint Paul was Peters Superiour for he brought Peter backe from his by-path both by reproofe and publike teaching of the truth and so confirmed him who for feare did before goe astray Gal. 2. 11 17. Fourthly the Lord Iesus if they will here vnderstand the Apostles calleth them Simons Brethren and so giueth them equalitie Lastly where are the Gaggers expresse words for Peters Headship out of this place Is it in strengthening A poore strength to support such a Babylonish Tower Luk. 22. 26. He that is greatest among you let him be yonger and he that is Chiefe as he that doth serue Answ 1. The words in the beginning of this verse are against Chiefety for it is said It shall not be so with you when they were at strife for Superioritie Secondly the meaning of the Greatest and Chiefe on which the Gagger doth fasten his teeth doth not imply as hee pretendeth any Chiefety among them but Christ speaketh according to their aspiring minds not of them as any of them were but as some of them desired to be as is cleare by the speech and Petition of the Mother of Zebedees children Mat. 20. 20 27. Thirdly the occasion and the very scope of the place is against all Superioritie in the Apostles Fourthly it cannot be shewed that any of them all did either claime or practise any superioritie or taught in their writings any such thing Fiftly they did striue verse 24. for superioritie which of them should seeme the greater As yet therefore there was no such greatnesse settled among them 6. If any such thing had beene or had beene intended by Christ to be conferred vpon Peter he had vpon this iust occasion to haue decided the Controuersie as surely he would haue done in Peters behalfe in a matter of so great consequence as our Aduersaries make it as he did in the behalfe of Moses and Aaron to appease the contention against them Num. 16. 17. 10. But Christ telleth them all that no such thing should be among them in this text and giueth the rest authoritie to pull downe the spirit of him that would seeke to be Chiefe to make him as a Seruant as is euident in the words of the text Therefore here is nothing for any authoritie in Peter Nor indeed in any other Scripture XIX Proposition That S. Peter was Head of the Church THough the former Position ouerthrowne sufficiently confuteth this for if Peter be not Superiour ouer the Apostles who were the principall members of the Church he cannot be the Head of the Church yet seeing this Headship ouer the Church is so stiffely stood in I thought good to handle it also distinctly from the rest for more euidence of the truth to common Christians Confuted by their owne Bible I. By appropriation it giueth the title of Head of the Church onely to Christ Ephes 1. 22. 4. 15. 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. And no where doth it make a man the Head of the Church neither Peter nor any other either expressely or by any necessarie consequent II. It calleth the Church the bodie of Christ 1. Cor. 12. 27. Ephes 4. 12. 6. 23. No where is it called the body of S. Peter III. It telleth vs that Saint Peter himselfe giueth to Christ Headship Principalitie and Chieftie and to none other for he calleth him the Prince of Pastors 1. Pet. 5. 4. the Pastor and Bishop of our soules 1. Pet. 2. 25. as he is also called the high Priest of our confession Heb. 3. 1. IV. The Apostles did not know or acknowledge any such Primacy or Headship in Peter For first they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria Act. 8. 14. which they neither would nor could haue done had he been their Gouernour and Head indeed Secondly Iames in the Councell at Ierusalem tooke no notice of Peters supremacy for Iames did then call him Simon his name before he was an Apostle without any title of preeminencie Acts 15. 14. Hee also said I iudge which word Peter there vsed not vers 19. to whose sentence and iudgement Peter and all the Apostles and Ancients did subscribe vers 22. Thirdly none of the other Apostles then did acknowledge any Headship in Peter for the Decree of the Councell went out vnder the conioynt authoritie of all without speciall mentioning of Peter Act. 15. 23. and 16. 4. Fourthly Saint Paul knew of no such Chieftie in Peter for first when he doth mention any word tending to set out any greatnesse in the Apostles hee applyeth it not singularly as to
Answ 1. Howsoeuer the profound wisedome of the Gagger makes this euident yet Bellarmine graunts it to bee a darke Scripture and there indeed is not a more obscure text wherein most Expositors are to seeke and hardly can finde to giue themselues satisfaction herein And therefore being in sense darke and doubtfull is not a sufficient proofe in a Controuersie Secondly this so euident a place with the Gagger for Purgatorie the Rhemists could not see to note it nor Lyra nor Thomas nor Hugo de Sancto Charo a Cardinall nor their Glosse nor Caietan much lesse Saint Chrysostome nor Ambrose nor Haymo nor other moe some expounding it one way some another but not of Purgatorie nor of any such thing as may iustly inferre Purgatorie Thirdly the scope of the place is to proue the Resurrection of the dead and not Purgatorie for it is said If the dead rise not at all why are they baptized for the dead Now for them to expound baptized afflicted and afflicted to signifie fasting and praying for the dead and that for those in Purgatorie it is farre from prouing the Apostles scope and the Resurrection from the dead Fourthly whatsoeuer the sense of baptized for the dead may be First it is cleare that here by dead is vnderstood the dead in graue whose bodies were to rise againe and not of soules in Purgatorie Secondly if baptisme here should be afflicting yet to bee baptized for the dead is to bee taken not actiuely for such as baptize that is as our Aduersaries here expound doe afflict themselues but passiuely for such to be afflicted by other Thirdly this reason which the Apostle vseth seemeth to be such a thing as was well knowne and so forcible to perswade to beleeue the Resurrection as the same words are in this one verse twice mentioned But how can our Aduersaries proue that men to afflict themselues by fasting prayer for the dead was so well knowne and practised then in the Church And yet if so how proueth it the Apostles Doctrine touching the Resurrection of the dead and the bodies of men to rise out of the graue or that therefore there is a Purgatorie For the Beleeuers mourned for Steuen and made great lamentation ouer him Act. 8. 2. yet proueth it not a Purgatorie nor that Steuen was in it being a Martyr and the first of all other These three things let the Gagger proue before he build his paper Purgatorie on this Text. Fiftly the words for the dead may bee expounded for the hope of the Resurrection of the dead and the word baptized for afflicted and so the words may bee thus read Else what shall they doe which suffer and endure troubles in hope of the Resurrection of the dead if so be the dead doe not rise at all why are they then afflicted for this hope of the dead to rise againe Thus interpreted it is current enough agreeable to the scope and the next verses 30 31 32. seeme to me to confirme this exposition For the Apostle hauing said Why are they baptized forth with he saith Why stand wee in ieopardie euery houre then he telleth of his dying dayly and of his fighting with beasts at Ephesus and all vpon the hope of the Resurrection professing all to be in vaine no aduantage to him if the dead rise not at all So as here the Apostle expoundeth the word baptized to be all one with to stand in ieopardie to dye dayly and to fight with beasts and the words for the dead his certaine hope of their rising againe which aduantageth him in enduring such troubles and afflictions else it were no matter to liue like Epicures and then say Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye Thus this place vnderstood remoueth obscuritie agreeth with the scope hath warrant from the stile of the Apostle is a strong reason to perswade that the dead shall rise againe and may satisfie the minde of him that seekes resolution in so manifold varieties of expositions as haue been hitherto made vpon this place Luk. 16. 9. Make you friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when you shallneed they may receiue you into the euerlasting habitations Answ 1. The Rhemists looking on this place found no Purgatorie but that Saints departed doe pray for vs. Which what is it to Purgatorie Secondly by they is to hee vnderstood the Angels by the euerlasting habitations meant Heauen How the Gagger could picke out Purgatorie hence I see not Surely hee had a great blazing Torch bigger then all Purgatorie fire else could hee not haue seene Purgatorie thorow this darke creuise Luk. 23. 42. Lord remember mee when thou commest into thy Kingdome Hence saith he the good thiefe presupposed that soules might be holpen after death Answ 1. What then Ergo a Purgatorie Proue this For soules are holpen after death when by the holy Angels they are carried into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. Secondly the good Thiefe prayeth here to Christ for saluation by him as now he was in the world and ready to die and not through feare of Purgatorie to bee deliuered out of it The Gagger must proue that he beleeued a Purgatorie Thirdly Christs answer cleereth this for hee said This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Christ vnderstood him to pray to goe to heauen and not to bee holpen in Purgatorie and therefore promiseth him Heauen that day whither he himselfe went 2. Machab. 12. 46. It is therefore an holy and healthfull cogitation This is as it is in their Bible to pray for the dead that they may bee loosed from sinnes Answ 1. This booke is Apocryphal and so of no force to perswade in a doubted point of faith Secondly here is no word of Purgatorie though we should admit of the place Thirdly in this Verse see Montanus his Bible there is in the originall no mention of praying for the dead but of making reconciliation Fourthly but to yeeld the translation What then Praying for the dead proueth not Purgatorie For the Greekes pray for the dead and yet beleeue no Purgatorie Fiftly they prayed here for the pardon of sinnes and not for freedome out of Purgatorie Sixtly the parties here prayed for dyed in mortall sinne and were guilty of horrible idolatry forbidden by the Law ver 40. but such as so dye goe not to Purgatorie it is a place for veniall and not for mortall sinners as they teach Seuenthly the mouing cause of their praying and making an offering to send to Ierusalem for a sinne-offering was for that they were mindfull of the Resurrection verse 44. and not that they thought these men to be in Purgatorie This rests to be proued Eighthly and lastly it is cleere that the Author of this booke did not dreame of any Purgatorie For hee maketh the ground of praying for the dead onely the hope of the Resurrection affirming the act otherwise to be superfluous vaine verse 44. Tobie 4. 18. Set thy bread and thy wine vpon
a Noune appellatiue and the other a proper name 3. The present alteration of the speech from Peters person to some other thing will not admit him to be the Rocke For it is not said as it in plainenesse of speech should be if indeed the Rocke had been Peter Thou art Peter and vpon thee will I build my Church but Thou art Peter and vpon this Rocke c. Where the Pronoune this hath Relation to some other thing then to Peter euen to his confession that Iesus was Christ the Sonne of the liuing God vpon which Rocke Christ would build his Church For no where the Scriptures thus vary in a Relatiue if the intendment of the speech be to one and the same person neither doe any thus vse to speake nor may wee thinke that Iesus Christ would haue thus doubtfully spoken if he had purposed to haue had Peter held to be the Rocke III. The words following I will build my Church remoueth Peter from being the Rocke First Church here is to be vnderstood the whole Church militant and Triumphant How can Peter be the Rocke on which it is built Could he be the Rocke of the Church Triumphant when he was here militant Or can he be the Rocke now of the Militant and he a Saint in Heauen Triumphant Or how the Rocke of both then and now as hee that is the Rocke must be For on the Rocke is the Church built not a part of it but the whole and not for a time but euen for euer For will all or any part of the Church once built vpon the Rocke bee remoued off from the Rocke Or will the Rocke cease to bee the bearer vp of the Church Then either is Peter now the Rocke or he neuer was the Rocke at all But how can he now be whose bodie is turned to dust Can his Soule be the Rocke As for a Rocke by succession it is but a fantasie Christ speakes of an euerlasting sustaining Rocke and but of one Rocke and not of one Rocke after another dying and decaying Secondly the Church and this Rocke are two things for Christ saith he will build his Church vpon this Rocke Now Peter was one in and of the Church here a principall member militant and now a Saint triumphant He must therefore bee one built with the Church vpon the Rocke he cannot therefore himselfe be the Rocke for so himselfe should be built vpon himselfe Thirdly Christ speakes of his Church and saith my Church Had he no Church but that which was built vpon Peter Had not he at this very time when he spake these words a Church Was Zachary and Elizabeth Iohn Baptist Ioseph and Mary Simeon and Annah the other Apostles the 70. Disciples and many others following him not of his Church If they were were they built on Peter Did they know Peter to be the Rock Or were they of the Church not built as yet vpon the Rock For as yet Peter was not the Rocke by Bellarmines confession Fourthly Christ here made himselfe a Builder I will build saith he my Church He built while he did liue by his Word and Spirit But did his Word and Spirit gather any to Peter Did his Word and Spirit build his followers vpon Peter Christ built his Church by his Apostles for they are said to build and Paul speaketh of himselfe as of a wise Master-builder 1. Cor. 3. 10. But vpon what did they build Euen vpon Christ alone 1. Cor. 3. 11. Ephes 2. 20. in whom all the building is knit together verse 21. They built not vpon Peter nor he on himselfe but vpon Christ 1. Pet. 2. 4 5 6. Did any of the Apostles preach Peter Paul saith he preached not men but God Gal. 1. 10. Or did Peter preach himselfe to be the Rocke If he was the Rocke why did they not preach him If they did not who can beleeue it Fiftly if Peter now was made the Rock and Head as Aquinas Turrecremata and many other Papists auerre though Bellarmine saith it was but here promised how came this Rocke by and by after in Mathew to be called Satan Mat. 16. 23 Is it like that Christ would call the Rock on which he will so firmely build his Church Satan Lastly if it were granted that Christ built his Church on Peter yet is it not spoken exclusiuely as on him alone secluding the rest of the Apostles for elsewhere he conioynes them with him Ioh. 23. 23. Ephes 20. 20. Reu. 21. 14. Mat. 28. 19. IV. These words and the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it will ouerthrow Peters being the Rocke For this Rock beareth vp so powerfully the Church that Hell gates shall not preuaile against it Whence followeth that this Rocke must needs be stronger then Satans power and policies But what power can that be but the power of Christ and of God For who but God can resist Hell gates Therefore from all the words of this Text it is cleare that Peter cannot by it bee the Head of the Church nor the Rocke on which it is built and yet this place is one of the chiefest for his Headship The words in the next verse 19. I will giue thee the Keyes are answered before Ioh. 21. 15 17. Iesus said to Simon Peter Simon sonne of Ionas louest thou me more then these Feed my Lambes Answ 1. Here are no expresse words of Headship neither can any such thing be concluded out of this place by any well framed argument and yet this is the very principall place which they alledge to vphold it Secondly Christ here calleth him not Peter for that name is vttered by the Euangelist but onely Simon the sonne of Ionas as thereby preuenting the conceit of Headship which our Aduersaries dreame of from the name of Peter Which our Sauiour here mentioneth not nor the name Cephas because of his fearfull deniall of him so lately as now therefore vnworthy of that name Thirdly he is here questioned concerning his loue which he so much boasted of before Christs taking and soone after seemed to haue lost by forswearing Christ And three times hee is asked to remember him of his three times deniall of Christ it being now also the third time of Christs appearing to them verse 14. Also the question is with a comparison Louest thou me more then these What if hee meant it of the 153. great Fishes with the Ship Nets and other things therein for he leaped into the Sea hearing of Christ and cast off all respect to the ship and Fishes verse 7. till Christ willed them to bring of the fishes ver 10. 11. And therefore might Christ demand thereupon this question neither is any thing in the Text against this For Christ was by the fishes and the question was after dinner But conceiue it of the rest of the Apostles as it is commonly vnderstood for Peter had preferred his owne loue before all of them before Mat. 26. 33. Luk. 22. 23. Which here Christ by
no condemnation saith Paul Rom. 8. 1. For by Gods grace are wee iustified gratis by redemption that is in Christ Rom. 3. 24. and hee hath set vs free Ioh. 8. 36. free from sinne both in respect of the guilt as also of punishment Else how are we free Are Gods workes imperfect 2. Cor. 5. 1. Wee know that if our earthly house of this habitation be dissolued that we haue a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in heauen Saint Paul speakes of himselfe and of all true Christians in this word wee of whom he saith that after death they haue their house for euer in heauen hee puts no lodging or Inne of Purgatory betweene And in the tenth verse of the same Chapter hee saith that at the last Day euery one is to receiue as hee hath done in this bodie So whilest man liueth here in bodie and not as hee suffers in soule in Purgatorie is hee considered Heb. 10. 14. By one oblation hath hee consummated for euer those that are sanctified Note here 1. That Christ hath made an oblation for his 2. That this is but one 3. That this one Col 2. 13 4. 1. Ioh. 1. 7. hath consummate and made his perfect 4. And that for euer So as in verse 17. it s said that their sinnes and iniquities I will now remember no more And will he yet punish them in Purgatory Will he cleanse them from all sinne pardon all offences not imputing sinne Rom. 4. 8. and yet will he exact a satisfaction It s vnreasonable to thinke it 1. Thes 4. 17. Where the Apostle speakes of those aliue at the last Day to be onely changed and so taken vp to Christ All the elect at that time shall escape Purgatorie or it may bee it will then be blowne out or it and hell turned into one Ephes 1. 10. Here the Apostle speaketh of perfecting all in Christ in heauen and in earth Note how hee here onely mentioneth two places in which those be who haue benefit by Christ those in Heauen and in Earth The Apostle forgot them which were frying in Purgatorie If Saint Paul had beleeued such a place where hope of Saluation had beene would he haue left those soules comfortlesse Reu. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours Where rest is there is no torment It were small comfort to thinke this to be spoken of the body for so beasts and beastly men rest Also to vnderstand it of the soule that it rests from the feeling of temptations to sinne and from feare of damnation and yet to be in hellish torments for sinne they not knowing how long What a rest may this be called Let them shew where the word rest is ascribed to any and that they are blessed and doe rest while they be in flaming torments Thus the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 henceforth pointeth at the present transition to blessednesse Math. 16. 19. and 18. 18. Here is mention of the Churches power to loose on earth but not in Purgatorie except Purgatorie be on earth Not Peter nor the Pope hath any power allowed by Christ from these Scriptures to meddle with any binding or loosing of any after death but onely in this life Note this you Papists which rest so much on the Popes power and helpe of friends after death Luk. 23. 43. The good thiefe went forthwith into Paradise which is heauen 2. Cor. 18. 2 4. So Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Luk. 16. 22. Both escaped Purgatorie the one vnder the Law and the other vnder the Gospell In all the old Testament there was no sacrifice ordained for soules of the departed When Aaron offered incense it was onely for the liuing to pacifie Gods displeasure towards them but not for the dead Numb 16. 48. Wisd 3. 1. The soules of the iust are in the hand of God and torment shall not touch them So doth Montanus translate truely according to the Greeke text But in Purgatory is torment and therefore iust mens soules are not in Purgatory for they are in peace ver 4. What can bee more direct against their Purgatorie Hee that desires more Scriptures according to our translation let him reade a booke intituled Ignisfatuus where are alledged out of the Old Testament Ezech. 18. 22. Esai 57. 1. Eccles 12. 7. Psal 32. 1 2. Psal 51. 7. Esai 53. 4. Leu. 1. 3 6. Out of the New Testament 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Heb. 1. 3. 1. Tim. 2. 6. Heb. 10. 14. Rom. 6. 23. 8. 33. 5. 1. Reu. 14. 13. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Col. 1. 20. Gal. 6. 8. Ioh. 9. 4. 2. Cor. 4. 17 18. Mar. 11. 25. Col. 2. 13. Mat. 6. 12. Ioh. 10. 18. Gal. 5. 22. All which places are vrged in forme of reasoning Contraried by Antiquitie The booke of questions and answeres at the end of Iustine Martyrs workes saith in quest 75. thus After the soules are departed out of the body the soules of the good are carried into Paradise the soules of the wicked into hell And in quest 60. it is said that men after the departure of the soule out of the bodie cannot by any prouision care or study get helpe or succour Cyprian against Demetrian saith This life being ended wee are diuided into the euerlasting lodgings of death or immortalitie Ierome on Amos 9. The soule loosed from the bands of the body shall bee carried to hell or be lifted into the heauenly habitation Greg. Nazianzen in Epitaph Caesar fratris saith that euery good soule fearing God freed from the body presently enioyeth admirable pleasure Austin de vanit Tom. 9. c. 1. When the soule parteth from the bodie she is instantly placed in Paradise or headlongly cast into hell and in lib. 5. of his Hypognost he saith A third place wee know none neither doe we find any such place throughout the holy Scriptures Ambros cap. 2. of his book of the profit of death saith When the day commeth wee goe assuredly to our Father Abraham c. and although our workes faile vs marke this yet our faith may secure vs. The Greeke Churches to this day beleeue no Purgatorie See Master Moulin his Buckler of Faith pag. 214. 219. citing Chrysostome Lactant. Hilarie Victorinus Austin Ambrose Origen Greg. Nazianz. and Basile touching soules departed Gainesaid by their owne men Espencaeus in 2. Tim. pag. 144. saith Euery soule after the dissolution of the body doth enter into an vnchangeable estate Leo Decr. part 2. Consecr 33. dist 1. cap. 49. saith That which a man in his body receiueth not being vncloathed of his flesh he cannot obtaine Lombard 3. D. 19. saith of such as are in Christ that they are so deliuered that after this life there is not any thing to bee found to be punished Bishop Fisher called Roffensis against Luther Art 18. confesseth that in the ancient Fathers there is either none at all or very rare mention of Purgatorie Greg. on Iob lib. 13. cap.