An Antidote Against Popery, Appendix · Chapter 2
CHAPTER II. Of the Church.
SECT. I. Of the conspicuous visibilitie of the CHVRCH, in the true Professoures there-in, at all tymes, and to all persons; as the Romanistes holde, pretending these Argumentes.
MATTH. 5.14. A Citie that is set on an hill, can not bee hid. That is, (saye they) the true Church, shall ever bee conspicuous.
Answere. Chrysostome and Theophylact, on this place, showe, That our Saviour speaketh not of the Churches visibilitie; but of Pastoures their duetie there-in: to wit, That beeing set in eminent Places, as Lights on Candle-sticks, or a Citie on an hill, therefore, they should shyne in the sight of all, both in sincere Doctrine, and an holie lyfe.
This also doeth their owne Lyra, Ferus, and Carthusian, declare. And their late Iesuit Maldonate, telleth vsus, That by these three similitudes of Salt, Light, and of a Citie, our Saviour would declare one, and the same thing: to wit, Howe farre beyonde other common Christians, His Apostles, and their Successoures, shoulde eminentlie shyne, both in lyfe and doctrine.
PSAL. 19.4. Hee placed His Tabernacle, in the Sunne. That is, (say they) Hee hath appoynted His Church, where-in Hee abydeth, to be ever gloriouslie, and conspicuouslie visible, as the Sunne.
Answere. The wordes are, (as their owne Arias Montanus, and Paguin, set downe,) In them hath Hee set a Tabernacle for the Sunne. That is, In the Heavens, as the Text showeth, and as S. Ierome and Theodoret truelie expound.
Thus also sayeth their owne Lyra, In the Hebrew, (sayeth hee) and in S. Ierome's Translation, which is according to the Hebrew, it is sayde, In them Hee set a Tabernacle for the Sunne. That is, Hee hath set a seate for the Sunne, in the midst of the Planets. So that this place showeth, where the Sunne is set in Heaven; but not howe the Church is visible ever on earth.
The Rhemistes also expound this place thus;Rhem in Psal 18. By the Sunne, a most excellent, and super-elementarie creature, the Prophet descrybeth CHRIST; making His course thorowe the world, illuminating, comforting, and strengthening the Church His Tabernacle, wherein Hee perpetuallie dwelleth.
ISAI. 2.1. In the latter dayes, the Mountayne of the House of the LORD shall bee prepared in the toppe of the Mountaynes: And it shall bee lifted vp aboue the little hills: And all Nations shall flowe vntounto it. Whence, therefore, it followeth, (say they) that it must bee conspicuouslie ever visible.
Answere. All that heere-by is meant, Procopius showeth to bee this; to wit, That in the latter dayes, the Christian Church shall bee firmlie built, vponupon the foundations (sayeth hee) of the Prophets, and Apostles, as on the toppes of mountaynes; and shall bee of greater excellencie, aboue the Church of the Iewes, as CHRIST in glorie is aboue Moses; and of greater and more ample extent, in lyke manner, because of the conversion of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Apostles, at that tyme, according to CHRIST'S Commission, saying vntounto them, Goe teach all nations.
Their owne Lyra, Pintus, and Perusin, commenting on this place, jumpe with Procopius, and declare, That this prophesie was fullfilled in the Apostles tymes, as sayde is: but never a one of them affirmeth, That this Text proveth a conspicuous constant visibilitie of the true Church,See Rhem in 2. Thess. 2. And Revel 12 of Orthodoxe Professoures, at all tymes, and to all; which the verie Rhemistes themselues graunt, is not ever to bee expected. And, consequentlie, the former Textes doe not proue the same.
MATTH. 18.17. If thy Brother offende agaynst thee, tell the Church. Therefore, (saye they) the Church must bee ever visible.
Answere. Origen, Chrysostom…, and Hilarie, commenting on this place, show, That by the Church, not the Vniversall, but a particular Church, or Congregation, or those who are set over the same, is meant. Whence also it will onlie followe, That such a Church is visible, to her owne members: but not so to her raging foes,Rhem in 2. Thess. 2. in tyme of persecution. As the Rhemistes tell vsus, That in the tyme of Antichrist, the faythfull then who lurke, shall, notwithstanding, amongst themselues, hauehave their communion in secret: whereby they may doe, as this Text directeth.
MATTH. 16.18. Ʋpon this rocke I wil build my Church; and the gates of Hell shall not prevayle agaynst it. To wit, (saye they) to make it to bee invisible.
Answere. Chrysostome, (and with him Origen) showeth, That this not prevayling, is onelie, That CHRIST'S Church shal never decline from the Trueth, nor forsake the same, notwithstanding of the furious assaultes of raging Persecution,Hier. contr. Luciferian & in Zephā. 2 stirred vp agaynst Her: which maketh Her sound members, some tymes, so to lurke, as S. Ierome telleth vsus, that the little Boat of the true Church, seemeth, as it were, sunke out of sight.
See also Aug. ep. 80 ad He sychium.Lykewyse, the Promise is, (sayeth their owne Carthusian) that the Elect, of whome chiefelie the Church consisteth, shall not possiblie bee drawne from the Fayth: or, as Lyra sayeth, subverted there from.
SECT. II. Of the Churches infallibilitie, which endeth into the infallibilitie of the Pope, as hath beene showne in the stating of the Question: and which they labour to establish, by these places following.
DEVTER. 17.9.12. There (say they) in doubtsome matters, men are directed to the high Priest, and his Councell: and whosoever hearkeneth not to him, shall die. Therefore, this praesupposeth, that his judgement was infallible: and therefore, so is the Pope's, being the high Priest vnderunder the GOSPELL.
Answere. This place speaketh of the Priestes and Levites, and not of the high Priest, with whom the Civill Iudge is joyned, (as their owne Lyra, and the Text, showeth) whose determination is not in matters of Fayth, but of Fact: to wit, Of stryfe betweene man and man. Whereas tho it were of Fayth, yet (sayeth their owne Lyra) note, that it is not sayde vntounto thee, that thou shalt obey them, except they teach thee according to the Law. And wherby is evident, (sayeth he) if they decree that which is false, or declyne manifestlie from the Lawe of GOD, that they are not to bee heard. Which thing was needlesse to hauehave beene sayde, eyther by the Text, or Lyra, if they had had absolute infallibilitie.
Cyprian also applyeth this,Cypr. ep. 62. agaynst all such as are disobedient to anie Bishop, or Priest, directing them according to the word: to whome, notwithstanding, the Romanistes graunt not infallibilitie.
Neyther would it followe, tho the high Priest vnderunder the Law had beene infallible, (as the examples of Aaron and Vrias proue the contrarie) that therefore the Pope is so,Exod 32 2 King 16 because hee is the high Priest vnderunder the Gospell: because this is to take for graunted, that which is denyed.
LVKE 22.32. Simon, I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy fayth fayle not. Which prayer, (saye they) was for PETER, and all his Successoures, that they should not erre.
Answere. Beda and Bonaventure showe, That CHRIST spake heere of PETER onelie personally, as His designation by name importeth, Simon, Simon: to wit, tho hee erred in denying CHRIST, and so foulie fell; yet, that hee might not finallie fall awaye, as Iudas did, therefore also sayeth Theophylact, I hauehave prayed for thee, that thy fayth fayle not. That is, Altho for a short whyle thou bee shaken, yet that the hid seede of fayth within thee maye remayne. But that CHRIST in this Prayer, prayed not lykewyse for PETER's pretended Successoures, Bishops of Rome, Lyra in Mat, 16. So Aeneus Sylv. de gestis cōcil. Basil. p. 9 Also Alfon de Castro, lib. 1. contr. heres. cap. 4.their owne Lyra, with diverse others, declareth, saying, that the Churches stabilitie consisteth not in men neyther in regarde of their Ecclesiasticke or secular power & dignitie; seeing manie Princes, and Popes too, (sayeth hee) as well as other inferioures, hauehave beene founde to hauehave made Apostasie from the Fayth.
Neyther is there anie doubt, (sayeth their Carthusian) but that Hee prayed for all other His Apostles, having sayde, Satan hath desired to winnow you. But why there-after Hee sayde this to PETER particularlie, I hauehave prayed for thee, CHRYSOSTOME giveth the reason; That it was to fore-tell him, that hee was more grievouslie to fall, than all the rest.
MATTH. 16.18. Thou art Peter, and vponupon this Rocke I will build my Church. That is, (saye they) vponupon PETER, and his Successoures, who shall bee immoueable in the Fayth.
Answere. Their owne Cardinall Petrus de Aliaco, P. de Aliaco, in recō. sacrae Scriptshoweth the contrarie, saying, Who is that would build the firmnesse, or stabilitie of the Church, vponupon PETER's infirmitie? Of whose infirmitie, aske the Mayde (sayeth hee) that kept the doore, and shee will tell thee, Where-fore, sayeth their owne Ferus, Ferus in Math 16It is moste evident, that CHRIST did not builde His Church vponupon PETER, or anie other man who-so-ever. For there is no man who-so-ever, so firme, or constant, (sayeth hee) who may not bee moved, or shaken; which thing in PETER wee manifestlie see. See then in Rivet, p. 303. Quid Petra.
Lyke-wyse Ambrose and Origen doe showe,Amb in Psal. 38. sub finem Orig. in Math 16. tract. 1. Cusan. de cōcord. cathol lib. 2. c. 13. That this which was spoken to PETER, was lyke-wyse spoken to all the other Apostles: and there-fore would inferre alyke infallibilitie of all their Successoures.
Their owne Cardinall Cusanus also sayeth, There is nothing sayde to PETER, which was not sayde vntounto all the rest. For, as it was sayde vntounto PETER, What-soever thou shalt binde on earth, &c. was it not sayde vntounto all the rest, (sayeth hee) What-so-ever yee shall binde? And, altho it was sayd to Peter, Thou art Peter, and vponupon this Rocke I will build my Church; yet by the Rocke, (sayeth hee) wee vnderstande CHRIST Him-selfe, whome hee confessed. And if PETER were to bee vnderstoode by this Rocke, as a ground-stone of the Church, according to Sainct Ierome, Are not (sayeth hee) the other Apostles ground-stones of the Church in lyke manner? Of whome it is spoken in the penult of the REVELATION, where by the twelue stones of the foundation of that Citie HIERVSALEM, which is the holie Church, no man doubteth, (sayeth hee) but the Apostles ought to bee vnderstoode.
IOHN 11.51. And this hee spake, not of him-selfe, but being high Priest that yeare. Therefore, (saye they) as propheticall infallibilitie was in Caiaphas, as the high Priest vnderunder the Lawe; So is the priviledge of INFALLIBILITIE tyed to the Pope, as high Priest vnderunder the Gospell.
Answere. First, this is to take that as graunted, which wee still denye. Next, Chrysostome and Ambrose, on these same wordes, showe, That the high Priest's intention was wicked, and his sentence according there-vntounto, moste erronious. There-fore, sayeth their owne Cardinall Tolet, Tolet in Iohan. 11.Remarke, that Caiaphas sentence, in that sense as hee conceaved it, (sayeth hee) was moste wicked, and did proceede (sayeth Cyrill) from him-selfe,Cyril lib. 8. in Iohan. cap. 3 and not from the holie Ghost. But in so farre, as the vertue of CHRIST'S death was declared there-by, this the LORD would hauehave to bee vttered by his mouth, in regarde of the qualitie, and authoritie, of the person; as whose speaches were of moste speciall remarke, and weyght amongst the people; and not because INFALLIBILITIE was tyed to his Chayre: the contrarie where-of kythed, when judiciallie sitting in CATHEDRA, hee pronounced CHRIST'S Profession of His owne DEITIE, to bee open blasphemie.
As for that of our Saviours, MATTH. 28.20. Loe, I am with you allwayes, even vntounto the ende of the world; which they would hauehave to bee tyed to the Pope onlie, with his Councell, for establishing their INFALLIBILITIE.
Turrecr. Sūma de Ecclesia, lib. 2. c. 91.Cardinall Turrecremata declareth, That this is so to bee taken, (sayeth hee) that GOD doeth so assist His Church to the ende of the worlde, that there shall bee ever some, altho not all, who hauehave true fayth, (sayeth hee) working by charitie. And so that this promise is not tyed to anie one person, or particular Church.
SECT. III. Of the Pope's Supremacie over the CHVRCH,Math 16.18 See p. 304 as head there-of: Which the Romanistes would establish, by these TEXTS following.
JOHN 21.17. IESƲS sayeth vntounto him, Feede My Sheepe. That is, (say they) bee thou onelie governour over the whole Church.
Answere. Augustine testifieth,Aug. de a… gone, c. 30. Amb. in Psal. 38. Cypr. de vnit. Eccles Ferus in Iohā. 21 Cusan concord. cathol lib. 2. c. 13. saying, When it was sayde to PETER, it was sayde to all the Apostles, Lovest thou Mee? then feede My Sheepe. So sayeth S. Ambrose: and more expresslie sayeth S. Cyprian, That there-fore the rest of the Apostles were the selfe-same that PETER was, endewed with a-lyke Fellowship, (sayeth hee) both of Honour, and Power.
Which thing also their owne Ferus doeth clearlie homologate; as lyke-wyse their famous Cardinall Cusanus, 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. Augustine, in his Commentarie vponupon these wordes, the same was commaunded there lyke-wyse vntounto all others, in saying, Goe yee into all the world, and preach the Gospell vntounto everie creature. Mark 16.15So that nothing is spoken to PETER, (sayeth hee) which importeth anie other power. And, there-fore, wee conclude rightlie, (sayeth the Cardinall) That all the Apostles were equall in power with PETER.
MATTH. 16.19. And I will giuegive vntounto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven.
Math 18.18 Iohn 20.23 Hieron. lib. 1. adv. Iovinian. Orig. in Math tract. 1. Theophyl. in Math 16. Aug. tract. 18. in Iohan Beda, hom. in Evang. quem me dicūt? Cusā. cōcord cathol lib. 2. c. 13. Ferus in Matth. 16. Theophyl. in Matth. 16. & Basil. Constit. Monastic. 22.Aunswere. Besides Scripture, which showeth vntounto vsus, That the power signified by those keyes, was given vntounto all the rest of the Apostles, the Fathers also clearlie witnesse the same: There-fore, sayeth Ierome, (and with him Origen, Theophylact, Augustine, and Beda) The whole Disciples receaved the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven: and, what was sayde to PETER, was common to all the rest.
And in lyke manner, their owne Cardinall Cusanus, (and with him Ferus, and others) We know, that PETER receaved no more power from CHRIST, (sayeth hee) than the other Apostles: For there was nothing spoken to PETER, which was not spoken to the rest. For, as it was sayde to PETER, (sayeth hee) What-so-ever thou shalt bind on earth; was not the same sayde also to others, Whatso-ever yee shall bind? Yea, not onelie was this sayde to all the Apostles; but (as Theophylact sayeth) to all their Successoures. Whence it should followe, That as manie Bishops and Pastors were in the Church, so manie Monarches and Lordes should bee over the same; and Stewardes, or Porters, who hauehave the Keyes, should bee Masters in the Families wherein they are.
LVKE 22.32. When thou art converted, strengthen thy Brethren. Loe heere, (say they) a power given to PETER, over all his Brethren.Iob 4.4. Act. 14.22 and 15.32 41. Also 18.23 And Rom. 1.11. Beda & Theophyl. in Luc. 22
Aunswere. Besides Scripturall speaches, which proue. That this importeth no Monarchicke Supremacie, Beda giveth this exposition, as if CHRIST had sayde, Remember, by the example of thy repentance, (sayeth hee) to rayse vp, and comforte anie Brethren that are weake; lest they, perhappes, shoulde despare of pardon. So lyke-wyse sayeth Theophylact; Beeing converted, that is, repenting, and powring out teares, and rysing from thy Fall, bee thou an example to others, (sayeth hee) that they repent lyke-wyse, and despare not.
And so lyke-wyse doeth their owne Lyra, Stella, and Maldonate, expound: collecting from this place, no Papall or Monarchicke Supremacie.
LVKE 22.26. Hee that is greatest amongst you, let him bee as the younger, &c. Where wee see, (saye they) That amongst the Apostles, one was greatest; and this, doubtlesse, was PETER.
Answere. MATTHEW showeth, That it was not,Math 20.26 that one was greatest indeed: but that amongst them some would bee greatest. And therefore sayeth Ambrose, VntoUnto all the Apostles,Amb. in Luc. 22. is given one plat-forme of interdiction, (sayeth hee) that none of them should vaunt of Preheminence. Lykewyse, their owne Lyra, Carthusian, and Stella, showe, That here the Apostles were taxed by CHRIST, of Ambition; for the contention of some, for a Preheminence aboue the rest, which was equallie inhibited vntounto all.