The grand imposture of the (now) Church of Rome manifested in this one article of the new Romane creede, viz: the holy, catholike, and apostolike Romane Church, mother and mistresse of all other churches, without which there is no saluation. Proued to ba a new, false, sacrilegious, scandalous, schismaticall, hereticall, and blasphemous article (respectiuely) and euerie way damnable. The last chapter containeth a determination of the whole question, concerning the separation of Protestants from the present Church of Rome: whereby may be discerned whether side is to be accounted schismaticall, or may more iustly pleade soules saluation. By the B. of Couentrie & Lichfield.

Your Obiection out of Saint Ambrose answered.

Your Cardinall his Argument is this: n 1.1 Ambrose calleth Pope Damasus the Rector of the whole Church: and his Brother Satyrus would not admit of a Bishop, to heare him, before he vn∣derstood that he consented with Catholike Bishops: That is (saith he) with the Church of Rome. Ergo, the Church of Rome is the Head of the Church Catholike. Wherein your Cardinall labou∣reth of the same Elench, whiles hee mistakes the words (respe∣ctiuely) spoken to one person Pope Damasus, and circumstan∣tially for one time; as if they were absolutely so ment for the persons of al Popes, at all times. Againe, if the bare Title of Re∣ctor of the Catholike Church, ascribed to Damasus, must needs argue your Pope to be Head of the Church, then must you in∣large the Catalogue of your Popes, and inrolle among them as many other. Bishops as haue receiued Titles equiualent, if not more excellent than that. For (as you your-selues well know) o 1.2 Athanasius was intitled the Propp, and Foundation of the Church: Saint Basil, the Mouth of the Church: p 1.3 Saint Na∣zianzene,

the golden Pillar and Foundation of the whole Church; and Saint Ambrose himselfe was commended by the Empe∣rour Theodosius as q 1.4 THE ONELY BISHOP, VVHOME HE KNEVV VVORTHY THE NAME OF A BISHOP. These few Parallells may serue to allay your appetite, vntill we * 1.5 shall be occasioned to satisfie you in this sort to the full. In which kinde of Ascriptions there is not any acknowledge∣ment of Authority, but a commendation of their care, and di∣ligence, iudgement, and directions in behalfe of the whole Ca∣tholike Church.

Concerning the Second, Saint Ambrose addeth a reason of his speach (wisely dissembled by your Cardinall) to wit, The Bishopricke of that Bishop was in a Region diuided into diuers Schismes by Hereticall Spirits; whereas the Church of Rome professed constantly the Catholike Faith. No maruell therefore though Satyrus aske of a Bishop, whose Faith hee suspected, whether hee beleeued as that Church did, whose Faith was knowne to be truely Catholike. As it sometimes cometh to passe in the Common-Wealth, in cases of violent ruptures into many Factions repugnant each to other, and all to the Loyall and faithfull Subiects of the King; among whom some one City, (as for Example YORK) shall bee knowne more generall than any others to professe loyaltie to their Soueraigne: if thereupon an honest man aske of a Soul∣dier, liuing in one of the factious Countries, whether he were a true Subiect, and consented with the Citizens of Yorke; would you iudge it a Politicke Inference to say, that therefore Yorke is the Head ouer all other Cities in the Kigdome? And that you may know the due proportion of this Comparison, remember, we pray you, that euen in the same age of Pope Damasus, and in the time of the same Schismes, many Greeke Bishops were as truly Catholike as was Pope Damasus, and yet were not subiect vnto his Iurisdiction, as hath beene manife∣stly proued out of Saint Basil, and is heereafter to bee more copiously; yea and Confessedly declared.

Notes

• n 1.1

  Cùm totus Mundus Dei sit, tamen Dominus eius Ecclesiae dici∣tur, cuius hodie Rector est Dama∣sus. Et Orat. in Sa∣tyrum. Percuncta∣tus est Episcopum, si cum Episcopis Catholicis, hoc est cum Romanâ Ec∣clesiâ consentiret. Haec Ambrosius. Cur quaeso Catho∣lici sunt, nisi quiâ cum Roma∣nâ Ecclesiâ con∣ueniunt? nisi quià Romana Ecclesia caput est Catholi∣cae Ecclesiae? Bel∣larm. l. 2. de Ram. Pont. c. 16. §. Ter∣tius.
• o 1.2

  Canisius Ies. Ca∣tech init. in Encō. Patrum. Athana∣siú Nazianzenus appellat Columen Ecclesiae, & Ecclesiae dei fundamentum. Basilium Gregorius Nyssenus, Os Ecclesiae.
• p 1.3

  In vitae Hieronymi Tom. 4. Eusebius Nazianzenum appellat Columnam auream, & to∣tius Ecclesiae Fundamentum.
• q 1.4

  De Ambrosio sic Theodosius Ambrosium 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Senensis Bibliothec. l. 4. Tit. Ambrosius
• * 1.5

  See after, ca. 12.