Run from Rome, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the two latter points in Bellarmines Propoſitions.
HAuing found the two former points to be light and falſe: I come now to weigh the third, which is ſet downe as plainly as either of the former: that,
Feeding Chriſts ſheepe, Ioh. 21. 15. is teaching the whole Church.
There hath beene enough ſaid already to diſcredit and diſable the propoſition: yet I will goe forward, that it may appeare what truth there is in it. Bellarmine laboureth De Rom. Pont. lib. 1. cap. 16.much to proue, that by Chriſts Sheepe in this place, all Chriſtians whatſoeuer are ſignified. But what needeth all this adoe? Wee neuer meant to deny it, neither doth our granting, or his prouing of it, any thing at all helpe them, or hinder vsus. For, there is nothing meant in this place by teaching, but reuealing, as I ſhewed in the former chap. numb. 10, 11, 12. But this the church of Rome claimes not, but ſtriueth tooth and naile for ſuch a teaching as conſiſteth in expounding and propounding things reuealed: yea I will grant him both propoſition and aſſumption in the tearmes wherein they are deliuered. Becauſe the whole Church was to bee inſtructed by the feeding here ſpoken of, and no man had or hath liberty either to refuſe as vntrue, or not to obey as needleſſe any thing that ſhould be deliuered according to this commandement, Feed my ſheepe.
The more doth Bellarmin wrong vsus, in ſaying, that we denie that the whole Church is meant by the name of ſheepe in this place. For whereas our Diuines ſay that Peter was made a particular not an vniuerſall Biſhop: they meane not thereby to deny his authority to teach all Nations whatſoeuer, and all congregations in all nations, as occaſion was offered, but onelyonly to ſignifie, that hee had no commiſſion giuen by thoſe, or any other words to be ſoueraigne Biſhop of the whole Church, as they ſpeake in the words going a little Sect. Primum.before. As for that of Iohn 21. 15. they ſhew, that thoſe words can argue no ſuch authority, becauſe then Paul might not hauehave had the ſame office among the Gentiles, which Peter had among the Iewes: ſo that the vniuerſality denied in that, and other places by our Diuines, is an authority of feeding thoſe, who were ioyned with him in the ſame commiſſion of feeding, and had equall authority with him to reueale the truth of God, to all the ſheepe of Chriſt without exception: which Caluin expreſſeth thus, If the Caluin. Inſtitut. lib. 4. c. 6. n. 4.ſame authority be granted to all which was promiſed to one, wherin ſhall he be aboue his fellowes in office? As for n. 7. which Bellarmine quoteth, Caluin doth neither mention nor ſignifie that place, Iohn 21. 15. therein.
There remaineth the fourth poynt to be conſidered, that ſeeding Chriſts ſheepe, Iohn 21. 15. is teaching by way of iudging or determining what is to be beleeued of all men. This alſo is expreſſed in plaine termes, and is of as much importance, as any of the other three. His proofe is, that wee cannot better vnderſtand it then in that ſenſe.
I ſee not, why I may not grant him this without any inconuenience. For indeed the Apoſtles feeding, either by word of mou…h or writing, was by way of ſentence, ſo that no man might deny or doubt of any thing, which they deliuered. Neither was there any higher court, to which there might be any appeale from their ſentence, but all men were abſolutely bound to beleeue and obey whatſoeuer they taught and commanded. This wee grant, and herein we would agree with Bellarmine, if this were all he meaneth.
But he contenteth not himſelf with this kind of teaching; but will hauehave the teaching here ſpoken of, to be a difi…itiue ſentence declaring and determining what is reuealed, and what the ſenſe and meaning of it is, as I ſhewed chapter 4. numb. 7.
To this muſt his proofes be applyed, which lie thus.
If feeding Iohn 21. 15. be not teaching, by way of determing, what is reue…led, and what the meaning of it is: Then we muſt vnderſtand it of preaching or writing commentaries.
How ſhall the conſequence of this propoſition bee made good; ſince this feeding may (at the leaſt as reaſonably) be vnderſtood of reuealing the ſacred myſteries? yea this interpretatiō is more reaſonable; becauſe the words were ſpoken to him, whoſe office it was to reueale thoſe myſteries by vertue of his Apoſtolicall commiſſion, as I ſhewed numb. 4. yea they are the very ſame in ſenſe and meaning, with thoſe that are vſed in the commiſſion, Goe teach all Nations, Mark. 16. 16. and Iohn 20. 23. as was declared c. 4. n. 4.
But admit a man ſhould ſay, it is meant of preaching or writing: how doth Bellarmine refute him? By telling vsus that if we ſo take it, wee muſt condemne many Popes that hauehave written nothing at all.
As if that were any inconuenience to vsus; although to ſay the truth, moſt of the Popes that hauehave written, might hauehave had as much thanke to ſpare their labors, as to write as they hauehave done. Well, ſay we vnderſtand it of preaching. That may not be neither, ſaith Bellarmine. Why ſo? becauſe the Pope cannot preach to all: no, not diuers Popes to any at all: For as their owne Hiſtories confeſſe, ſome of them did not ſo much as vnderſtand their Grammar. But what if the Pope cannot? no more could any of the Apoſtles, nor Peter preach to all: yet had they authority to preach to all, as occaſion might happen; and were not reſtrained to this or that congregation, dioceſſe, prouince, nation, or Country; and in that reſpect were vniuerſall Paſtors of the whole Church, yea eueryevery one of them.