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.

CHALLENGE.

BE the Cause matter of Faith, or onely of Fact, or Per∣sons, it mattereth not, nor to what end it was done. Wee are not to inquire into the doctrines, but the dispositions of this Councell: nor to respect the point of Vnion of Churches, but that which you haue created for a new Article of Faith, the point of Necessary subiection to the Romane Church, and Bishop thereof. First, by your owne Confession, the Pope de∣fendeth that, which afterward the Councell gain-sayeth: Next, the Pope contradicteth the Decree of the Councell, to wit, of the same Councell, determinately concluding and persisting in their Sentence against the same Pope, euen to his Banishment for the same Cause. Yet in the end he is glad (for Vnions sake) to yield vnto the former Decree of the Councel. So They, who in their Annotations conceale that, which the Text expressely deliuereth; a 1.1 We condemne (say they) all that haue defended Tria Capitula. But Vigilius (say you) had before this Councell defended those, Tria Capitula. Therefore was your Pope also condemned by this Councell.

Behold now, forsooth, your Romane Faith! Behold your Monarch! Behold his Dominion! Behold the necessary Subiecti∣on

of his Subiects! If it be called Dominion to Command, and be glad to yeeld: or accounted Subiection of that Councell, to prescribe Decrees against the sentence of your Pope: or estee∣med Faith of your Article of Necessary subiection to the Ro∣mane Church, vpon losse of Saluation, to persist in dissenting from the Pope, and his Apostolicall See in this whole Cause; and not thus onely, but in condemning him also. It must there∣fore follow, that these 165 Bishops of this Generall Councell, and the Catholike Church in them, not onely in not beleeuing this Article, but also in withstanding it, were damned; or el••e that your Article, and the defenders thereof are iustly dam∣nable.

Consider, we pray you, in what a snare of Heresie and Blasphemie you are intangled, seeing that you cannot but see, that your owne Article, viz. The Catholike Romane Church, without subiection whereunto there is no saluation, is Contradi∣cted by the truely Catholike Church it selfe, in her purer and more primitiue age of the first 500 yeeres: by those fiue Ge∣nerall Councels, the first fower whereof Saint Gregory him∣selfe professed b 1.2 To imbrace, as the booke•• of the Gospell: * 1.3 And the Fift (saith he) I also reuerence. Idle therefore, and vaine is your Obiection, out of that Synod, from one word c 1.4 Obedi∣ence, which they professed to the Catholike See; by not dis∣cerning betweene a Logicall and a Morall Obedience. For they promised Obedience to that See, in all her Orthodoxe and reasonable Perswasions; but not to her peremptory Com∣mands and Conclusions. For you may Obey Saint Augustine, by subscribing to his iudgement, without submitting to his Iurisdiction. If you know not this, then may * 1.5 you learne ìt; namely, that a Superior may be said to obey his Inferior, when he yeeldeth to his reasonable perswasion, As a sicke man to the Physitian.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Factâ à no∣bis condemna∣tione contra Hae∣reticos, & eorum impietaem, nec non contra eos qui defenderunt, vel defendunt tria Capitula, Sic ipsum Conc. ad fi∣nem eius, ante Sub∣scriptiones. Collat. 8. apud Biniū. Tria Capitula erant Theodorus, Mop∣suestenus, Epistola Ibae, & Scripta Theodoreti ad∣uersus Cyrillum. Binius Jbid. Tom. 2. Annot. in in id. Concil. 5. Oecumen.
• b 1.2

  Quatuor Syno∣dos Sanctae Vni∣uersalis Ecclesiae, veluti quatuor libros Sancti Euā∣gelij, recipimus. Greg. l. 1. Epist. 24.
• * 1.3

  See aboue. lit. x.
• c 1.4

  Haec Synodus per Menam Patri∣archam Concilij Praesidem ita lo∣quitur: Nos, in∣quit, Apostolicam sedem sequimur, & obedimus, &c. Si totum Conc. Apostolicae sedi obedire se profite∣tur, certè Aposto∣lica sedes toti Ec∣clesiae cum autho∣ritate praeest. Bel∣lar. l. 2. de Pont. c. 13
• * 1.5

  Sciunt Graecae linguae periti, ver∣bum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, & 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 nul∣lam vt plurimùm Dominatio nis habere signisica∣tionem: nam 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saepè dicitur à Graecis, cùm vel par, vel etiam inferior superiorem alloquitur. Sic 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 de eo vsur∣pa••ur, qui suadentis & monentis consiliū probat & sequitur, vt aeger Medici. Jsaac. Casaub. Exercit 16. num. 161.