A Defense of the Catholic Faith, Book 2 · Article 22
ARTICLE XXII. Of Anarchy, and of the degrees of ſuperiority in the Church.
AFter the refutation of ſo many abuſes, the King of great Britaine ſetteth downe for the ſhutting vp of his confeſſion the Article of the Monarchy of the Church, and of the primacy of the Pope, the which his Maieſty affirmeth to be the cheefe of all other Controuerſies, and indeede vppon iuſt cauſe, for all other errors ſerue to vphold this: ſuperſtition helpeth to ſupport tyranny. Other pointes there are, but this is that for which we diſpute. Whoſoeuer ſhal examine al our Controuerſies, with a iudgement not foreſtalled, nor pre-occupied, ſhall finde that eueryevery errour is a pillar of the Popes Empire, and a prop of his Dominion, and that the Articles of Faith hauehave beene skilfully bended and fitted to the aduantage of his Holineſſe.
To this may be alſo added, that if the Pope cannot erre in the deciſion of doubts: the caſe is then cleare, without further difficulty. Neyther ſhall it be needefull hereafter to aſſemble Councels, nor to ſearch into Scriptures, but onelyonly to conſult this Papall Oracle, and ſo to content our ſelues with what it determineth.
It is therefore vponupon iuſt cauſe, that his Maieſty ſaith this point is the principall Controuerſie, and therefore inſiſteth vponupon it, more then vponupon any other, and therein diſplayeth the admirable ability of his wit, of which I confeſſe, I am rather a learner then a defender, hauing firſt learned to ſpeake of him, before I did ſpeake for him.
But before he entreth into the matter, he ſaith, that to hauehave Biſhops in the Church, is an Apoſtolique Inſtitution, and appointed by God, and ſaith, that he hath alwayes abhorred Anarchie: and that in heauen the bleſſed ſpirits are diſtinguiſhed by diuers degrees, and that the very diuels themſelues, are digeſted and parted into Legions, and hauehave their Princes; that by the ſame reaſon, no humane ſociety can ſubſiſt without this order, and difference in degrees: and thereupon complayneth of certain turbulent perſons that hauehave perſecuted him, euen from his mothers wombe, purſuing his death before he entred into life.
But who theſe perſons were, that with ſo haſty murther would not hauehave expected his birth, it is beſt knowne vntounto his Maieſty: and it is not to bee doubted, but they hauehave beene puniſhed according to the lawes. And for ſuch any puniſhment is too little. But it is true that there is nothing ſo turbulent as an Anarchy, in which there is no Maſter, becauſe eueryevery one is ſuch a one, where eueryevery one by being too free becommeth a ſlaue: for in a State it is better to be vnderunder an ill Maſter, then vnderunder none at all; and Tyrannie is more tollerable then ſuch a freedome which vnderunder the title of liberty, introduceth licentiouſneſſe, and this licentiouſneſſe bringeth in extreame ſeruitude. So is it in Families and Common-wealths, in Armies, yea euen amongſt the Angels themſelues; yea if we diſcend to Bees, and Cranes, wee ſee not theſe meaner creatures without a naturall pollicy, and a kinde of ſuperioritie.
The Church is no way exempt from this order in which God hath eſtabliſhed Paſtors and Biſhops, and aboue them Aſſemblies, which the auncient Church called Synodes and Councels; of which it is likewiſe neceſſary, that ſome one ſhould be Preſident to direct and order the buſineſſes.
But if one demaund, what differences of degrees theſe ſhould be, or whether one man ſhould hauehave ſuperiority ouer one onelyonly flocke, or ouer many? It is another queſtion, and tendeth nothing to the kings purpoſe, which is only to withſtand the Monarchy of one ſingle man ouer the vniuerſall Church. For admitting it ſhould be yeelded, that in eueryevery Countrey and Prouince, there ought to be one ſoueraine Prelate: It would not follow thereupon, that therefore there muſt be one Monarch ouer all Prelates, or one head of the Vniuerſall Church, no more then if a man by proouing that a Monarchy is the moſt exact forme of Gouernement, ſhould by that conclude, that therefore there muſt be one Monarch ouer the whole world. No, there are no ſhoulders of ſtrength enough to beare ſo great a head: the prouidence of no one man can ſtretch or extend it ſelfe ſo farre, or deuide it ſelfe into ſo many peeces: Such Countries as are placed vnderunder an other Hemiſphere, and fall vnderunder the tyranny of Lieftenants and officers, ouer whoſe gouernement a carefull eye could not be had. The ſame inconuenience or rather much greater would be in the Church: for beſides this difficulty, pride is much more pernitious in Diuine, then in humane things. And it would be very hard that any man ſhould climbe ſo high, but that his head would be giddy: for if pride get in amongſt beggars, whom we ſee quarrell and conteſt, whilſt whilſt they ſit ridding themſelues of vermine, how much more would it faſten it ſelfe to ſuch a height of glory, which inueſteth a weake man, and many times a vitious, with the title of the head of the Church, which title the Scripture giueth not but to the onelyonly Sonne of God.
Now the end and ſcope of the gouernement of the Church, and of Eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline, is the peace of the Church, the reformation of manners, ſuppreſſions of ſcandals, and the conſeruation of the purity of doctrine: to which end I conceiue we may attaine by different wayes. And he ſhould be raſh, that would tye all other Churches to that exterior Eccleſiaſticall policy, which is practiſed in his owne Countrey; or by a peeuiſh preſumption preſcribe his particular example, for an vniuerſall rule. Farre is it from the charitable opinion of the King of England, who towards the end of his book declareth, that he no way intendeth to condemne thoſe Churches, which hold a differing forme of gouernement, ſince in the grounds, and in all the points of doctrine, we fully agree with the Engliſh Churches, which are our brethren in our Lord Ieſus, members of the ſame body, ſenſible of our common greefes, and whoſe quarrell we eſteeme to be our owne, as perſons tending to the ſelfe ſame end, and by the ſelfe ſame way, though cloathed perhaps in colours differing. For the ſuſpition of Mr. Coeffeteau, is ill grounded, when vponupon the proteſtation which the King of great Britaine maketh, that he diſliketh the Puritanes, hee inferreth, that his confeſſion of faith, publiſhed in Scotland, was a ſuppoſed confeſſion, made by the Scottiſh Miniſters, in which they make him ſpeake like a Puritane; for that confeſſion agreeth in ſubſtance with that which the ſame King inſerteth into his booke: the defence whereof we vndertake. But if in Coeffeteau his opinion, to pray to God onelyonly, in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, to denie the fire of Purgatory, to reiect the Popes Indulgences, to pray in a knowne tongue, and to abſtaine from Idolatry; if this be to be a Puritane, there is none of vsus that had not rather be a Puritane with the Apoſtles, then be impure with the Biſhop of Rome. So that his Maieſty by the ſame wiſdome, by which he prudently gouerneth his Kingdomes, can well diſcerne in this matter of Eccleſiaſticall gouernment, betwixt ſuch of his ſubiects, as oppoſe themſelues meerely for contradiction, and whoſe heat is accompanied with contempts: from ſuch who though they differ ſomewhat in opinion, yet walke in obedience and with a good conſcience, deſiring nothing more then the eſtabliſhment of his Throne, and are ready to lay downe their liues for his ſeruice: ſuch are the faithfull Miniſters, who carefully employ themſelues to root out thoſe tares which Sathan ſoweth whilſt we ſleepe, and to pull vp Popery out of mens hearts; the encreaſe whereof being nouriſhed by our petty diſcords, cannot chooſe but be a weakening to the greatneſſe of Kings, and the diminution of their Empire: for it is certaine, vntounto himſelfe in England, ſo many ſubiects his Maieſty doth gaine vntounto his Crowne, ſeeing that according to the rules of Popery, a King is an vſurper, if he be not approued by the Pope, and that his ſubiects are bound to rebell, aſſoone as the lightnings of the Vatican hauehave beene caſt forth vponupon any ſoueraigne Prince. And ſeeing that alſo the Cardinal Bellarmine dareth to affirme, and to maintaine, that England is part of the Popes Demaines, and that the King is Feudatory and Vaſſall to the Biſhop of Rome. It is to be preſumed that his Maieſty hath ſent him his picture, drawne out of the Apocalips, to pay him his Arrearages, and to yeelde homage to his Lord in cheefe.
Theſe things conſidered, the beſt meanes to be reuenged of ſo great an iniury, is to giuegive order, that the people bee carefully inſtructed, and that the Countrey Churches be not vnprouided of faithfull Paſtors, who may watch carefully ouer their Flockes, and may expound plainly the benefites of Ieſus Chriſt, and the doctrine of the Goſpell: In preſence of which, Poperie doth vaniſh and fall downe, as DAGON fell before the Arke of the Couenant.