The Novelty of Popery Discovered, Chapter 8
CHAPTER VIII.
The Novelty of the Popes supremacie it selfe, and first, over the whole Clergie in matters Ecclesiasticall.
THE Noveltie of Papall supremacie it selfe, (implyed in the fore-named title of Vniversall Bishop,) will the more clear lie app…a…e, by s…tting downe the beginning & progress… thereof, as their owne vndenyable recordes giuegive evidence thereof.
First, then, their owne Duarenus sayeth, That the more auncient and holiest Bishops of Rome, beeing content with their owne Sea and Church, did leaue to other Bishops, the free governament of these Churches that were committed to them: beeing (sayth hee) rather as the Bishops of a Citie, than of the whole world. But these Bishops who came after them, did not contayne themselues within these boundes; but as it were Lords and Kings, they made no doubt to doe all thinges at their pleasure, (say…th hee) and to ascrybe to themselues the governament of the whole Church.
Hee who was afterward one of their owne Popes,Aeneus Sylvius, after Pius. 2 Martino Maer. Epist. 227. lykewyse testifieth, saying, Before the Councell of Nice, everie one lived to himselfe, and small respect was had to the Church of Rome.
After this, Emperours becomming Christian, there were appoynted about the tyme of the Councell of Nice, for the better governament of the Church, foure Patriarches, all of a-lyke jurisdiction, and the Bishop of Rome amongst them as one, having onlie the Primacie of place, for the dignitie of the Citie, and imperiall seat therein;Cōcil, Chalced. Act. 16. as is evident out of their owne wryters, and especiallie out of that Famous Councell of Chalcedon, consisting of 430 Bishops, whose mynde was (sayeth Bellarmine) that the Church of Rome had therefore the first place,Bell. l. 2. de pont. c. 17. & alterū because that Citie was the Seat of the Empyre.
But thereafter, sayth their owne Cardinall Cusanus, Cusa lib. 2. cōcord cathol c. 12.by vse and custome of subjection vntounto him, wee may see how farre the Bishop of Rome hath prevayled in jurisdiction, beyond the holie and auncient boundes (sayeth hee) and allowance, which was only within his owne westerne Patriarchie.
The first thing they stroue for, (after the dayes of Gregorie) was for that style of Vniversall Bishop, which hee had so much damned, and with it to clayme an vniversall supremacie of jurisdiction over all others in matters Ecclesiasticall: which style (as Platina telleth vsus) Boniface the third obtayned from Phocas the Emperour,Anno 657. magna cum contentione, or with great opposition in the verie hatching: for,
How farre contrarie this was (as Gregorie himselfe sayeth) to the Evangelicall ordinance and decrees of Councells,Greg. lib. 4. Epist. 32. let the Canons of the first foure generall Councells testifie,Lib. 1. Epist. 24. which foure their canonized Pope Gregorie, did reverence alyke, as hee did the foure sacred Evangelistes.
The first whereof, was that Famous and first Councell of Nice, vnderunder Constantine the first Christian Emperour, consisting of 318 Bishops, and celebrate Anno 325, In the sixt Canon whereof it was thus decreed, that the Bishop of Alexandria, should brooke alyke jurisdiction within his province, as the Bishop of Rome did in his: showing thereby that all the Patriarches were alyke in jurisdiction within their owne precincts, without anie subordination of one to another. Wherefore Cardinall de Cusa, Cusa lib. 2. cōcord cath. c. 12.(setting downe the meaning of Parilis Mos, vsed by the Councell) sayeth, As the Bishop of Rome, hath power over all his owne Bishops, so lyke-wyse the Bishop of Alexandria, hath the same priviledge of power throghout all Aegypt. Which limitation of everie ones proper power within their owne precinctes, is called foreign, or the auncient custome amongst Bishops before: therefore sayeth the Canon, concerning Antioch, Let Antioch also and other provinces, keepe their Auncient priviledges.
Whence wee conclude out of this Famous Councell, that if this was the auncient priviledge, and custome of other Churches, to bee free from anie subjection to the Church of Rome, then her vniversall claymed supremacie, now over all other Churches, as Mistresse, and Mother over them, is nowayes the auncient fayth, nor profession of the Catholicke Church: but an ambitious vsurpation, and a meere Noveltie.
The next generall Councell, whose sacred Canons militate agaynst the Noveltie of Papall supremacie, is that Famous Councell of Constantinople, consisting of 150 Bishops, and helde in Anno 380;Bell. Pr…f. de Rom. Pon…. which (as Bellarmine confesseth) withstood altogether any such supremacie: the fift Canon of which Councell, giveth onelie a primacie of order to the Bishop of Rome, amongst his fellow Patriarches, which they declare hee had onelie given him, for the dignitie of the Citie, beeing the imperiall seat.
The third generall Councell,Apud Biniū Tom. 2. Act Concil. Eph. app. 1 c. 4. p. 768. that giveth evidence of Romes Innovation heerein, is that Famous Councell of Ephesus, of 200 Bishops, celebrate in Anno 434; resolutelie thus decreeing, Let it be observed, (say they) in all Provinces and Diocesses, that no Bishop draw vnderunder his subjection, anie province which was not his from the beginning: lest vnderunder pretence of Priesthood, hee bring into the Church arrogancie and pryde.
The last, but not the least evidence of the Noveltie of this Papall vsurped supremacie, is that of the Famous and fourth Councell of Chalcedon, of 430 Bishops, and helde Anno 451; decreeing peremptotilie, that how-so-ever the Bishop of Rome, had the primacie of place before the Bishop of Constantinople, yet that the Bishop of Constantinople, in all other thinges should bee equall, and hauehave alyke priviledges with the Bishop of Rome, Now wee know, that the equalitie of power & priviledges betweene two, dissolveth ipso facto Monarchie, which can not bee but in one, as the verie word importeth.
This sacred Conncell, and the Act thereof, so galleth the romaenistes, that forgetting all pretended reverence to Antiquitie, and authoritie of auncient Councells, Bellarmine spareth not to impute to these godlie Bishops,Bell. praef. de… fraude and deceat, saying, They decreed this indeed,Rom. Po…t. but not (sayth he) without fraude and guyle. Which (as sayeth Lyrinensis) What is this else, but to treade vnderunder foot the decrees of the holy Bishops, almost of the whole Easterne Church, for preventing so wyselie, pronounci…g so clearlie, opposing so stoutlie, and decreeing so piouslie, agaynst ani… such Noveltie, of the new Romane Hierarchie?