A Compend of the Controversies of Religion, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. OF PETER, AND THE Popes Supremacie.
§. 1. That Peter had no ſupremacie of power over the rest of the Apostles: and conſequentlie that his pretended ſucceſſour ſhould claime none over their ſucceſſours anie vvhere.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
MARKE 9.35. And hee ſate downe, and called the twelue, and ſayeth vntounto them, If anie man deſire to bee first, the ſame ſhall bee last of all, and ſervant of all.
Mat. 20.25. Yee know that the Princes of the Nations exerciſe dominion over them; and they that are great, exerciſe authorîtie vponupon them: but it ſhall not bee ſo amongst you; but vvhoſoever vvill bee great amongſt you, let him be your ſervant.
Note then, That Chriſt decydeth not the controverſie in Peter's favours; telling that hee had made him chiefe, or was to make him: but forbiddeth anie ſupremacie of juriſdiction one over an other, vntounto them all alike. In like manner.
Mat. 19.28. In the regeneration, vvhen the Sonne of Man ſhall ſit in the Throne of His glorie, yee ſhall alſo ſit (ſayeth Chriſt) vponupon twelue Thrones, judging the twelue Tribes of Iſrael.
Note then, That there is not a word heere of one throne for Peter aboue the reſt; but twelue thrones, and equall judging, deſigning equall authoritie: even as they are all alike called the foundation of the Church, Epheſ. 2.20. and ſo not Peter alone, nor anie pretended ſucceſſour.
1. Pet. 5.1. The Elders which …re amongst you, I exhort, vvho am …lſo a fellow-elder, and a vvit…eſſe of the ſufferings of Christ, &c.
Remarke then, That theſe humble ſtiles …nd manner of exhorting others, is farre …om the prowde claime of Papall juriſ…iction over all men, and theſe haughtie …tles that the Biſhop of Rome preſump…uouſlie vſurpeth.
Acts 8.14. Now vvhen the Apostles that vvere at Ieruſalem …eard that Samaria had received …he Word of GOD, they ſent vntounto …hem Peter and Iohn.
Note then, Peter's ſubmiſſion to his …ellow-brethren, pleading no exemption …r priviledge of ſupremacie, nor impu…ng to them anie ſaucineſſe, as the Pope …ould doe to other Biſhops, if they pre…med to ſend him in lyke ſort to preach …n anie forraigne Countrey.
Gal. 1.1. Paul, an Apostle, …either of men, nor by man.
Note then, That hee diſclaimeth the …aving of his Apoſtolicke power anie …ayes of Peter, as Superiour, nor anie …ther power, as the following words …ſtifie.
Gal. 2.6.11. They that ſeemed to bee ſomewhat in conferenc… added nothing to mee: bu… vvhen Peter vvas come to Antioch, I vvithſtood him to the face…
Remarke then, How farre this fact o… Pauls croſſeth the ſupremacie: and if… Biſhop would bee well intreated, tha… now ſo publicklie would with-ſtand th… Pope to his face in lyke manner.
Verſe 9. And vvhen Iame… Cephas, and Iohn, who ſeeme… to bee pillars, perceived the gra… vvhichwhich vvas given to mee, they ga… to mee and Barnabas the rig… hand of fellowſhip.
Note then, That Peter is heere ranke… after Iames, and all three are equall… called pillars, and receiveth Paul an… Barnabas as companions alway; Pa… witneſſing elſewhere, that hee was r… inferiour to none of the Apoſtles:… which maketh plainlie againſt Peter's ſ… premacie aboue all the reſt as their he… in authoritie.
Remarke then, by all the former pl… ces: Firſt, That Chriſt never gaue an… ſupremacie of juriſdiction to Peter, … boue the reſt of the Apoſtles; but a-lyk… forbad it to all. Secondlie, That Peter never claymed anie ſuch, as both his Scripturall Titles, and his actions make cleare. And thirdlie, That the reſt of the Apoſtles never acknowledged anie ſuch: which as well their ſpeaches, as their deedes, make manifeſt. And ſo conſequentlie, That his pretended Succeſſours wrongfullie vſurpe the ſame.
And if anie might challenge the largeſt charge, or juriſdiction to bee called Ʋniverſall Biſhop, it was Paul; vntounto whom was committed the Gentiles; and who ſayeth, 2. Cor. 11.28. that hee had comming vponupon him daylie the care of all the Churches.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
TO this our doctrine againſt Peter's ſupremacie over the reſt of the Apoſtles, Antiquitie thus witneſſeth: The reſt of the Apoſtles (ſayeth Cyprian) were the ſelfe-ſame that Peter was, endewed with a-lyke fellowſhip, both of honour and power. lib. de vnit. Eccleſ.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
CHRIST would not hauehave the reſt of the Apoſtles ſubject to Peter, (ſayth Caietan) but all a-lyke, as Brethren. comment. p. 278. cited in judice errarum Cajetani a Catharin….
§. 2. That the Pope is not the Head or huſband, and foundation of the Church, as the Papists holde, (Bellarm. lib. 2. de pontif. cap. 31.) and therefore that all men are not bound to bee ſubject to him.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
EPheſ. 5.23. For the Huſband is the Head of the Wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church, and is the Saviour of the Bodie.
Note then, That as an Husband will bee onlie Head, and hauehave no ſubſtitute in his place, with his wife, vnderunder him: no more will Chriſt (who is a jealous God) hauehave anie other Head, or Huſband over His Church, vnderunder Himſelfe.
Note alſo, That hee that is the head of his Church, is the ſaviour of the bodie: which ſeeing the Pope dare not take vponupon him, neither ſhould he the ſtile of head, that doth import the ſame.
Eph. 4.4. There is but one bodie: Therefore but one head. Where note, That the Church is not a perfect bodie, having an head of its own, beſide Chriſt; but Chriſt and His Church maketh vp a perfect bodie; Hee beeing the onelie Head, and the Church His Members.
2. Cor. 11.2. For I hauehave eſpouſed you to one Huſband, that I may preſent you as a chaste Virgine to Christ.
Note, That hee ſayeth to one, and not to two; for ſo the Church ſhould not bee thought a chaſte ſpouſe to Chriſt onelie.
Iohn 3.29. Hee that hath the Bryde, is the Brydegrome: but the friend of the Brydegrome, who ſtandeth and h…areth him, rejoyceth with …oy for the voyce of the Brydegrome.
Note, That Iohn maketh one onelie Brydegrome, as there is one onelie Bryde: and, that none can bee called Brydegrome, but that one, who oweth the B…yde: hee him-ſelfe (altho the grea…eſt amongſt the ſonnes of women) and …ll others, beeing but friendes onelie of …he Brydegromes, but not having right …o the Bryde her-ſelfe.
1. Cor. 3.11. For other Foundation can no man lay, beſide that which is layde, which is CHRIST IESVS.
Epheſ. 2.20. Built vponupon the foundations of the Apostles & Prophets, Ieſus Christ Himſelfe being the chiefe corner ſtone.
Note then, That anie one, can never be called the foundation of the Church, but Chriſt alone: and as for others, the whole Prophets and Apoſtles are called ſo in common, in reſpect of their doctrine, and not of their perſons: and they onlie themſelues are ſo, but neither one of them aboue the reſt, nor yet anie ſucceſſour.
2. Witneſsing of Antiquitie.
TO this our doctrine, that the Pope is not the head, husband, and foundation of the Church, teſtifieth Antiquitie: It is Satanicall pryde (ſayeth Gregorie) by an arrogant title of Head, to ſubject ſo all Chriſts members to one man, which doe coheyre to one onelie head, Chriſt Ieſus allanerlie. lib. 4. ep. 36. where hee ſhoweth alſo the ſtile of Ʋniverſall Biſhop, to bee alyke Satanicallie prowde, and altogether Antichristian… which he, nor none of his predeceſſours, would ever accept, nor vſe. Adde heerevnto likewiſe the decree of that famou… Councell of Chalcedon, againſt vniverſall ſupremacie, Concil. Chalc. Act. 16. Next, for the title of Huſband: if thou bee the friend of the Brydegroome (ſayeth Bernard. Epiſt. 237.) call not his beloved ſpouſe, thy chiefe one, but his; challenging nothing as proper to thee over her: except it bee that if neceſſitie ſo require, thou oughteſt to giuegive thy lyfe for her: and if Chriſt hauehave ſent thee, thinke that thou art not come to bee ſerved, but to ſerue.
3. Confeſsion of Partie.
ANd laſt, for the ſtile of Foundation: When in holie Scripture (ſayth Pope Gregorie) in the ſingular number a foundation is ſpoken of, there is none other deſigned to be ſuch, but Chriſt Himſelfe allanerlie, in 38. Iob. cap. 9.