Run from Rome, Chapter 10
CHAP. X.
Of Feeding committed to Peters Succeſſours.
THe fourth and laſt point to be conſidered in Bellarmines 1 Chapt. 5 num. 5. & chap. 8. num.aſſumption, is this:
Feeding, Ioh. 21. is committed to Peters Succeſſors alſo.
This we ſay is vntrue; and will make it appeare to bee 1. Ioh. 21. 25.ſo, by anſwering the arguments he bringeth to proue it. Bellarm. leverbo De, il. b. 3 cap 5. Sect. Quartum.The firſt whereof is in this manner:
Either our Sauiour, when he required Peter to feed his ſheepe, Ioh. 21. ſpake alſo to his ſucceſſors: or elſe he prouided for his church for twenty fiue yeares onelyonly, and not to the end of the world.
But when he required Peter to feed his ſheepe, Iohn 21. he prouided for his Church, not for fiue and twenty years onelyonly, but to the end of the world.
Therefore, Ioh. 21. he ſpake alſo to Peters ſucceſſors.
Concerning the aſſumption, we ſay, that wee are out of doubt, our Sauiour by thoſe words prouided for his church to the end of the world. For hee thereby required Peter to publiſh the Goſpell by reuealing it. Now this reuealing or preaching of the Goſpell by reuelation, is and ſhall be of great vſe to the Church, in all ages and times, ſo long as the world ſhall endu…e. And in this ſenſ… I grant the aſſumption: but in Bellermines ſenſe, that our Sauiour prouided for his Church by inſtituting ſuch an Office as hee fancieth, which the whole argument preſumeth, I deny the aſſumption and propoſition too.
Indeed, the propoſition is vtterly falſe: our Lord prouided for the Church to the end of the world, though hee ſpake not at all in that place to Peters ſucceſſors. For in thoſe words hee tooke order for the reuealing of the Goſpell, which reuelation of Peters, containeth prouiſion for the Church to the end of the world.
There is a ſecond argument of Bellarmines to the ſame Bellarm. do Pont. Rom. l. 2, cap. 12. Sect. quinto.purpoſe.
In which words Chriſt committed all his ſheepe, both for place and time to Peter; in thoſe he ſpoke to Peters ſucceſſors alſo: for Peter was not to liue alwaies in the fleſh.
But in thoſe words, Ioh. 21. Chriſt committed all his ſheepe, both for place and time to Peter. For, it behoued our Sauiour to hauehave no leſſe care of vsus, then of our Predeceſſors.
Therefore in thoſe words, Iohn 21. Chriſt ſpake to Peters ſucceſſors alſo.
Of the aſſumption, which ſpeaketh of our Lords committing his ſheepe to Peter, by thoſe words, there hath beene enough ſaid already in the former chapter, which needeth no repetition.
The propoſition I reiect as falſe. For our Sauiour might well by thoſe words commit all his ſheepe, for place and time, to Peters Feeding, by the doctrine of the Goſpell to be reuealed, which was to continue, as by Gods bleſſing it hath done, and ſhall doe; no leſſe to vsus and our poſterity, then to our predeceſſors, from time to time, whereby hee ſheweth his care of vsus, as well as of them.
Now for a concluſion of this fourth point, and a full ſatisfaction to this whole argument, drawn from thoſe words Iohn 21. 15. I will propound a reaſon or two out of the text it ſelfe, by which it ſhall appeare, if not neceſſarily, yet with as great likelihood as any thing Bellarmine hath brought in this queſtion, that our Lord ſpake to Peter onelyonly, and not to his ſucceſſors alſo.
Of them to whom thoſe words were ſpoken, our Sauiour demanded whether they loued him, or no.
Of Peter… ſucceſſors, Chriſt did not demand whether they loued him or no: for they neither were there in preſence, nor at all in being in the world.
Therefore to Peters ſucceſſours thoſe words were not ſpoken.
He to whom thoſe words were ſpoken, had giuen occaſion, that our Sauiour ſhould repeat this queſtion thrice. For it is not likely that our Lord would hauehave repeated them ſo often, if there had not beene occaſion giuen: and wee finde iuſt occaſion of repeating them thrice, in Peters denying him thrice.
But Peters ſucceſſors had giuen no occaſion of the threefold repetition: for, they neither were at that time, nor had beene before in the world.
Therefore to Peters ſucceſſors thoſe words were not ſpoken.
Thus hauehave I at the laſt examined this argument of Bellarmines, with all the proofes of eueryevery ſeuerall part thereof, whereby it hath appeared (I doubt not) to eueryevery iudicious and vnpartiall Reader, that there is no force in it to proue, that the Church or Pope hath a commiſſion from our Lord Ieſus, to teach the whole Church by way of iudging and determining, what is to be beleeued of all men, and what is not. It will bee looked for perhaps, that I ſhould proceed to the diſcuſsing of ſome other, that are brought for the proofe of this queſtion. But I thinke it would bee but loſt labour: for Bellarmine, who was as able as any Popiſh writer, that hath dealt with this matter, and had allowance of that he wirt (eſpecially in a point that ſo nearely touched the Popes free-hold) if not from the Conſiſtory immediately, yet with the knowledge thereof, from the office appointed for that purpoſe in Rome, ſetteth vp his reſt vponupon that place in Iohn and telleth vsus confidently; that, Then onelyonly Peter receiued the keyes of the kingdome, as principall Bellarm. de Rom. Pont. lib. 1. c. 12. Sect. vt autem.and ordinary gouernour, when he heard thoſe words, Feede my ſheepe: and then alſo (as he ſaith) the charge of the reſt of the Apoſtles, his brethren, was committed to him.
Therefore ſince we require a commiſsion for ſuch an office, and that is either here or no where to bee found: to what purpoſe ſhould we examine other arguments, which can proue no ſuch matter? Now that we hauehave good reaſon to call for the ſight of a commiſsion, by which, ſuch an office ſhould be erected, no reaſonable man can doubt, if he conſider, what himſelfe would doe, if any man ſhould challenge to himſelfe the authority of the Lord Chancellor, or Lord Treaſurer of England: would he take his word without knowledge of his commiſſion vnderunder the broad ſeale? And why then ſhould wee be ſo ſimple, as in a buſineſſe of ſuch importance, to take the word of a Cardinall, for the Popes prerogatiue.
Maſter Fiſher the Ieſuit, after ſome other Papiſts, alleageth for the proofe of this commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19. Goe teach all Nations. But Bellarmine hath diſclaimed and diſproued all commiſſion in that place: and that not without reaſon. For (he ſaith) Then onelyonly he receiued the keyes of the Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 1. c. 12. Sect. Vt autem.Kingdome, as principall and ordinarie gouernour, when he heard, Feed my ſheepe. In this he diſclaimeth it, his diſproofe is, that the commiſſion, Mat. 28. 19. is all one with that Ioh. 20. 21. as that which by Bellarmines confeſſion Sect. Dices. containeth power both of order and iuriſdiction: which is alſo conueyed to the Apoſtles, Math. 28. 20. Goe teach and baptize. And this Maſter Fiſher muſt needs acknowledge, if he will hauehave that place be a commiſſion for the Popes authority. As for that Iohn 20. 21. the power there was not committed ſeuerally to Peter alone, but to all the Apoſtles, as to Legates, not to ordinary paſtors; as Bellarmine noteth. All other Sect. Vt autem.places of Scripture brought by the Papiſts to this purpoſe, are of the ſame kind, and concerne all the Apoſtles as well as Peter: wherefore all this conſidered, I hold it altogether needleſſe, to meddle with thoſe other eight arguments of Bellarmines, which indeed are of another kinde; and perſwade my ſelfe, that I hauehave ſaid enough of that weake foundation of the Papiſts faith, the authority of the Church in perſon of the Pope for the time being. Whereupon I infer my former concluſion, that
The ſaith of the Church of Rome is erroneous and falſe, euen in the very foundation of it; and therefore to bee refuſed and reiected of all men.