The vvoefull crie of Rome Containing a defiance to popery. With Thomas Bells second challenge to all fauorites of that Romish faction. Succinctly comprehending much variety of matter ...

CHAP. XIIII. Of the Popes double person.

COncerning the popes double person, I haue written at large thereof in a peculi∣ar treatise, which is intituled, (y^e hunting of the Romish Foxe.) Now it shall suf∣fice, to say a little in that behalfe. William Watson that popish traytour, hath these words: as the prudent Greeke appealed from Alexander furious, to Alexander sober; and Byshop Crostate from pope Adrian priuate, to pope Adrian publique, and as summus pontifix in cathedra Petri: so may the seculars appeale from the pope as Clemens, vnto his holinesse as Peter. Thus writeth Watson, and all the papists generally, (who are learned) are of this opinion herein, I say (who are learned,) because the multitude and vulgar sort of papists, (being as blinde as beetles in popish affaires,) know not, what the popes double person meaneth. They are taught to beleeue as the pope beleeueth, iumpe with the collier.

viz. the Church, that is, the pope belieueth so, therefore doe I belieue so. The truth of this question standeth thus: that the pope or Byshop of Rome may erre personally, speake erroneously, preach erroneously, write erroneously: yet all this must be done, as he is a priuate person onely. This notwithstanding, he can neuer erre, say our papists, when he defineth a matter of faith or manners iudicially, and as hee is pope or a publique person: so hold the papists ge∣nerally of late dayes, as the Iesuiticall Cardinall Beller∣mine, the mouth of all papists, telleth vs. These are his expresse wordes;

Multi canones docent, pontificem non pos∣se iudicari, nisi inveniatur a fide deuius, ergo potest deuiare a fide, alioqui frustra essent illi canones: sequitur: respondeo istos omnes canones loqui de errore pontificis personali, non iudiciali.

Englished thus.

Many canons teach, that the pope cannot be iudged, vnlesse hee bee an Heretique: therefore he may bee an Heretique, otherwise those canons should be all in vaine. I answere, that all those canons speake of the personall, not of the iudiciall error of the pope.

This is the clarkly resolution of our Iesuite, and consequently of the Pope himselfe.

Vignerius a very learned and famous popish Fryer, hath these expresse wordes;

Si dicatur, summus pontifex errare po∣test, & in animo suo concipere aliquem articulum orthodoxae fidei contrarium, & etiam privatim proferre, vt legitur de Anasta∣sio secundo; si ergo posset novum symbolum edere, fides ecclesiae vnius hominis periculo sub••aceret, dicendum, quod summus ponti∣fex, vt privata persona errare potest, non tamen vt est summus pontifex, ideo si vt privata persona symbolum edere tentaret, non esset symbolum, maxime vbi a vera fide deviaret.

Englished thus.

If any say, that the pope may erre, and conceiue in his heart any article contrarie to the Catholique Faith, and also vtter the same priuately, as we reade of pope Anastasius the second; if therefore he could make a newe Creed, the faith

faith of the Church should be subiect to the hazard of one man; wee answerre, that the pope may erre as a priuate person, but not as pope or the high Byshop. There∣fore if hee should make a Creede as a priuate man, it should bee no Creede at all; especially, when hee swarued from the right Faith.

Thus writeth Ʋigne∣rius, beholde here (gentle Reader,) vppon what rotten stuffe, the papists would haue vs to builde and ground our Faith. Wee must belieue that the Pope cannot erre, and yet are wee sure that hee can erre, and that he hath al∣ready erred in very deede. We must likewise belieue, that he cannot but teach the truth: and yet must wee also be∣lieue, that he both can teach heresie, and bee an Heretique himselfe. We must yet further belieue, (as I haue proued else where) that it is sacriledge to dispute of the popes pow∣er: and all this notwithstanding, wee must perforce both dispute of his power, and straitly examine his doctrine, as also knowe assuredly, whether hee speaketh pub∣liquely as a publique man, or priuately as a priuate man, and neuerthelesse, when wee haue done all that possibly we can: wee knowe no more what to thinke or say of his doctrine, preaching, or writing, (but with preaching popes now adayes doe not trouble men,) then when wee haue an Eele by the taile. For when the pope shall tell mee, that I must beleeue this and that: if then he speake as a pri∣uate man, where is my faith? it is no faith at all, and why? because forsooth, the pope spake as a priuate man. Ah syr, here is both fast and loose, here is legerdemain indeed. For if wee charge the pope with heresie or errour, answere will bee made with speede: that hee spake or wrote personally, as hee was a priuate man: not iudicially, as he was a publique man. Truly, this is a very lage preroga∣tiue, which the papists ascribe vnto their pope: and a ve∣ry hard matter it is, to gainsay or withstand the same. Yet by the popes good fauour, a verie famous, and as learned a pope as euer was pope, Adrianus by name, doth constantly & roundly controwle & confute the same.

These are his expresse wordes, as the zealous, religious, and learned papist Alphonsus de Castro, reporteth and re∣hearseth them.

Sexta haeresis docet nullam animam ante diem iudicij esse beatam, quum vt ait, nulla anima ante illum diem videt deum, huius haerefeos authores sunt Armeni, ean∣dem etiam tuentur Graeci: post istos surrexit Iohannes, 22. huius nominis pontifex, Sed ne verbis meis aliquis in hac parte dero∣get, verba Adriani papae referam, qui in suo quarto sententia∣rum, in calce cuiusdam quaestionis de sacramento confirmationis, ita ait novissime fertur de Iohanne, 22 quod publice docuit decla∣ravit, & ab omnibus teneri mandavit, quod animae purgatae ante finale iudicium non habent stolam, quae est clara & facialis visio dei: & vniversitatem Parisiensem ad hoc induxisse dicitur, quod nemo in ea poterat gradum in theologia adipisci nisi primitus hunc errorem iurasset se defensurum, & perpetuo ei adhaesurum, haec Adrianus.

Englished thus.

The sixt heresie teacheth, that no soule is in eternall blisse before the day of Doome: because as it saith, no soule before that day seeth God, the Armenians are the Authors of this heresie, & yet the Greekes hold the same. After these rose vp pope Iohn the twelfth of that name. But least any man distrust my wordes in this point, I will rehearse the words of pope Adrian, who in his fourth booke of senten∣ces, in the ende of a certaine question of the sacrament of confirmation, saith thus? last of all, it is reported of pope Iohn the twelfth: that he publiquely taught, declared, & cō∣manded all men to hold (this opinion,) that the soules of the iust haue not the stole before the day of Doome, wh••ch is the cleare and faciall sight of God. And it is said, that he in∣duced the Vniuersitie of Paris to this: that no man should take any degree in the same, but he that first did sweare to defend that errour, & to maintaine the same for euer. Thus saith pope Adrian,

the most excellently learned Byshop▪ that euer was at Rome: and the famous religious Fryer Al∣phonsus a Castro, doth constantly defend his Doctrine. Out

of whose words I note first, that pope Adrian saith of Pope Iohn (Docuit) he taught. Secondly, he saith, (Publice) publi∣quely. Thirdly, he saith (Mandauit) he commanded all to hold it? Fourthly, hee saith none could be made graduate in theologie, saue onely he that held this opinion. Fiftly, hee saith euerie graduate did sweare to defend it for euer. So then, the pope may erre, not onely personally as a priuate man, but also iudicially as a publique person, and pope of Rome, and that euen by the flat testimonie of Adrianus, who himselfe was also pope of Rome. Alas, alas, how hath the late Romish church bewitched vs.

Notes

• Quodl. 6. art. 10.
• For the full answere vnto Watson, see my anatomy of popish tyranny
• Bellarm libt. 4 cap. 7. de ••om. pont.
• Vignetius de potest. cōdendi symbolum pa. ••37.
• O braue an∣swere.
• In my booke of mo••ues.
• Popes of late dayes vse not to preach.
• Adrianus a ve∣ry learned pope.
• Alphonsus Libr. 3. aduers. haeres. prope ••inem.
• The pope commandeth his vassales, to swea••e vnto false doctrine.