Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 11
11. THat S. Peter was not ordayned by Christ, the firſt head, or chief amongſt the Apostles.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrarie to Math. 10. 2. where Peter is firſt named, and therfore concludeth that he was firſt not onelie in order, but in power and juriſdiction aboue the reſt. Which is an abſurd inference, that of twelve perſons of one equall function, becauſe ſuch an one is firſt named, therefore hee hath authoritie and juriſdiction over all the reſt, for ſo, Gal. 2. 9. where Iames is firſt named before Peter, it would follow that Iames had juriſdiction over Peter. Whereas all were alike in power and juriſdiction, as Cyprian (de unit. Eccleſiae.) ſayeth, The rest of the Apostles were the ſelf ſame that Peter was, endued with alike fellowſhip both of honour & power, And we know (ſayeth Cardinall Cuſanus. lib. 2. de concord. Cath. cap. 13. That Peter received no more power frō Christ than the other Apostles.
The ſecond place which he bringeth is, Math. 16. 18. Ʋpon this rock I will build my Church. Which he adduced before for the Popes infallibilitie, and to which I hauehave alreadie anſwered in the ſixth Aſſertion. And now he bringeth it to prove the Popes ſupremacie, wheras beſide Cardinall Cuſanus forecited words on this place, their learned Ferus ſayeth thus, It is proper onlie to Chriſt to be called this rock, as Peter himſelf calleth him. 1. Pet. 2. 4. and whereby it is evident (ſayeth he) that Christ built not his Church on Peter, or any other man, for there is no man ſo firme and constant, who cannot be moved, which in Peter himſelf we manifestlie ſee, therfore Chriſt himſelf is that rock wheron his Church is built (ſayeh he) according to 1. Cor. 3. 11. other foundation can no man lay, than that which is laid, even Jeſus Christ.
The third place is, Math. 16. 19. I will giuegive to thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven, Wherunto I anſwer, that not only all the fathers (except Origen) declareth that all the diſciples received the power of the keyes aſwel as peter (as Maldonat on this place confeſſeth) but alſo Cardinall Cuſanꝰ (lib. 2. concord. cath. cap. 13.) and with him Ferus and others, ſay, that Peter received no more power heereby from Chriſt, than did the others. Iohn 20. 23.
The fourth place is, 1. Cor. 3. 4. where one ſayeth, I am of Paull, another I am of Apollos, another I am of Cephas, another I am of Christ, where Peter is named next to Christ, aſcending from the leſſer (ſayeth he) to thoſe whom he would hauehave esteemed greater. To whom I anſwere, 1. from nomination in order (as hath beene ſaid) to conclude juriſdictiō over others in power, is an abſurd conſequence. 2. If the aſcending be here from the leſſer to the greater, then it will follow that Paull who is named heere firſt, is leſſe… (though an Apoſtle) than Apollos which is abſurd.
The fifth place is, Luke 22. 31. where it is ſaid to Peter, When thou art converted confirme thy Bretheren, that is (ſayth he) practiſe & exerciſe greatnes & dōinion over thē. I anſwer, that this is a ſtrange gloſſe indeed, for to confirme, is a duty of Miniſtration, but not a dignitie of Donation, as is ſaid Act. 15. 32. That Judas and Silas exhorted the bretheren with many words and confirmed them, which is not that they excerciſed greatnes & dominion therby over thē, but far otherwiſe, as Theophylact on this place teaches (and with him Beda, Lyra, Stella, and Maldonat) Our Saviour ſhowing that Peter having after his denyall gotten ſuch merciemercy from God, and reſtoring to his dignitie of Apostle-ſhip, he ſhould from this experience confirme thē that were … of merciemercy and not to dispaire, if thorow frailtie they ſhould fall, and did there-after repent (ſayeth he) which dutie alſo we ſee David in the like caſe promiſeth to performe. Pſal. 51. 13.
The ſixth place is, Luke 22. 26. wher Chriſt ſaith, He that is greater amongſt you let him be as the younger, which ſhoweth (ſayeth hee) that amongſt the twelve one was greater thā another even in Chriſts account. To which I anſwere. 1. The Evangeliſt Mathew, cap. 20. 16. ſhowes, that it was not, that amongſt the Apoſtles one was greateſt or chief in Chriſts account, but that ſome would hauehave been ſo, as we ſee in the mother of Zebedes ſonnes petition, Math. 20. 21. Next their own Lyra Carthuſian & Stella, ſhoweth that here the Apoſtles wer taxed of ambition by Chriſt, becauſe of the cō tention of ſome for preheminence aboue the reſt. Which was equally forbidden to all, and not adjudged to be in the perſon of one. Therefore alſo ſayeth Ambroſe on this place, Ʋnto all the Apoſtles is given one plat forme of interdiction, that none of them ſhould brag of preheminence.
The ſeventh place is, Iohn 21. 15. where Chriſt ſayeth to Peter Feed my ſheep, that is, (ſayth he) governe my Church. whereunto I ſhall anſwere onlie in Cardinall Cuſanus words (lib. 2. de concord. Cath. cap. 13.) ſaying, If it was spoken to Peter, feed my ſheep, yet it is manifeſt (ſayeth hee) that this feeding was but by the word and his holie example, and that according to S. Auguſtin in his Commentarie on theſe words, the ſame was commanded likewiſe to all the others, in ſaying, go yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to everie creature, ſo that nothing is spoken to Peter (ſayeth he) which importeth any other power, and therefore we conclude rightlie (ſayeth the Cardinall) that all the Apoſtles were equall in power with Peter. Bellar. alſo (l. 4. de pont. cap. 23. §. addit) acknowledgeth that what was givē to peter by theſe words (feed my ſheep) was given to all by theſe other words, as my Father ſent me ſo ſend I you.
His laſt place which he bringeth, is, Math 12. 25. Every kingdome divided againſt it ſelf is brought to deſolation, and if Satan caſt out ſatan &c. whence he moſt ridiculouſlie reaſoneth thus, Satan hath a kingdome whereof he is chief, if then there be not onelie a viſible head of the Church triumphant in heaven▪ but alſo a viſible head even in hell, why not alſo a viſible head on earth? (ſayeth he) riſum teneatis amici. A goodlie conformitie indeed! But as he would ha…e the Church to hauehave a viſible vicar head on earth, aſwell as a chief one in heaven▪ ſo he ſhould let Satan alſo hauehave a viſible vicar head on earth, aſwel as he is the chief head in hel, and indeed wee acknowledge the Pope to be that vicar of his power▪ but not the vicar of Chriſt, Horned like the Lamb, but ſpeaking like the Dragon. Revel. 13. 11.
As for Teſtimonies of Fathers which he citeth as of Theophy lact, who calleth Peter the prince of the diſciples, this importeth no more ſupremacie of juriſdiction over the reſt, nor where it is ſaid of Virgil, That he is the Prince of poets, that therefore he had juriſdiction over all poets in his age. Therefore, Cyril Hier▪ his words (which he alſo citeth) ſhoweth the true meaning thereof, calling Peter Prince, that is, The moſt excellent of the Apoſtles, which none doth deny. And wheras Euſebius calleth him, The firſt Biſhope of Chriſtians, this importeth onlie primacie in order, but no ſupremacie of power. As for Chriſoſtome his 55. Homile on Mathew, where he alleadgeth that hee is ther called, The head of the church, there is no ſuch title there, which (as I ſhall ſhow heere-after) Pope Gregorie calleth proud and prophane. Laſtly, he citeth one Euthymius a late Monck, as a Father, who lived 1118. years after Chriſt, who calleth Peter, Maſter of the whole World, not by dominion over it, (as all knoweth) but in reſpect of that Apoſtolicall commiſſion, Math. 28. 19. Go teach all nations, &c. And the laſt is, Pope Leo's teſtimonie, in his owne behalf, calling Peter, Head and chief of the Apoſtles in the ſenſe forenamed, and yet all theſe prove onlie what Peter was perſonallie, but nowiſe that the Pope is the ſame ſucceſſivelie.
But before I leaue this ſo pleaded for papall ſupremacie, I will batter this loftieſt tow…e of myſticall Babylon, with a batterie furniſhed onlie by a Pope himſelf. Gregorie the great, thus Bellarmin (lib. 2. de pont. cap. 31.) proveth the Popes ſupremacie by theſe two titles given to him to wit, that he is called The Head of the Church and Ʋniverſall Biſhop. Of the firſt wherof, ſayeth Gregorie (lib. 4. indict. epiſt. 36) It is Sa…anicall pride by any ſuch title of Head, ſo to ſubject all Chriſts members to one man which cohereth to one Head onelyonly & alone, Chriſt Ieſus. And of the ſecond, he ſaith, Any one ſo to mount aboue others, to ſuch an hight of ſingularitie, as that he would be under none, but he alone would bee aboue all, (as Pope Boniface thereafter claimed Extrav. lib. 1. Tit. 8. cap. 1. (to be acknowledged by al, under paine of damnation,) It is a moſt proud and prophane uſurpation.
And leſt that Gregorie ſhould ſeem to oppoſe theſe titles in the perſon of Iohn Biſhop of Conſtantinople, who firſt obtained the ſame from the Emperour Manritiꝰ as a wrong done to him, or his ſea, to whom theſe titles wer due. Therfore 1. he cleareth himſelf of this, ſaying to the Emperour, Epiſt 32. In this matter (moſt religious Lord) do I defend any cauſe of mine? or do I challenge heerin any wrong done to mee? No. And yet the more to cleare this, he ſayeth epiſt. 36. None of my Predeceſſours would ever conſent to uſe ſuch a prophane title, no▪ not Peter himſelf the firſt founder of this ſea, who, altho he was chief of the Apoſtles, and according to his Apoſtle-ſhip had the care of all the Church committed to him, yet notwithſtanding (ſayth he) was not called the univerſall Apoſtle. And in the ſame Epiſtle to Eulogiꝰ B. of Alexandria, hee ſhoweth that himſelf would no wiſe accept of any ſuch ſtyle when it was offered to him. And therefore he ſayeth to Eulogius, Let not your Holineſſe in your letters ſtyle any man whoſoever univerſall Biſhope, yea morover (ſayeth he) epiſt. 38. I confidentlie affirme, that whoſoever calleth himſelf univerſall Biſhope, or deſireth ſo to be called, he is the fore-runner of Antichriſt. Yea, more yet, (epiſt. 39. & lib. 6. epiſt. 30) whoſoever aſſenteth, or acknowledgeth any ſuch ſtyle, he loſeth the faith (ſayeth hee) and maketh ſhipwracke thereof, (a ſadd doom againſt all papiſts) all which made Cardinall Cuſanꝰ to ſay thus. (lib. 2. de concord. Cath. cap. 13.) whil we defend this, that the Pope is not univerſall Biſhope, but onlie the firſt aboue others (to wit in place or primacie) in ſo doing we defend the truth (ſayth he) Thus doth a great Pope and famous Cardinall pleade againſt papall ſupremacie, as much as any Proteſtant can do.