A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe: a ful reply to M. Hornes Answer, and to euery part therof made, against the declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster, M. Fekenham, touching, the Othe of the Supremacy. By perusing vvhereof shall appeare, besides the holy Scriptures, as it vvere a chronicle of the continual practise of Christes Churche in al ages and countries, fro[m] the time of Constantin the Great, vntil our daies: prouing the popes and bishops supremacy in ecclesiastical causes: and disprouing the princes supremacy in the same causes. By Thomas Stapleton student in diuinitie.

Stapleton.

PHY on all shamelesse impudencie.* 1.1 Doth it not shame you M. Horne ones to name this .7. Generall Coun∣cell, which doth so plainly accurse you and your fel∣lowes, for your detestable saiyngs, writings, and doings, a∣gainst the holy Images, and against all such as call them I∣dols, as ye doe in this your booke? Yf the authority of this Coūcel furnished with the presence of .350. Bisshops, esta∣blished with the cōsente of the Pope, and the foure other Patriarches, and euer since of all Catholike people both in the Latine and Greke Church highly reuerēced, may take no force, I know not what law eclesiastical may or ought to take force. Yf you and your fellowes be no heretikes (and it were but for this point onely) according to the rule and prescription, before by me out of the Emperour Iusti∣nians writings rehearsed, who is, was, or euer shall be, an heretike? And can ye then for verye shame medle with the Councel, yea to craue aide of this Councel to healpe you to erect your newe Papalitie? Out vpon this your exceding shamelesse demeanour. Yet were your impu∣dencie, the more to be borne withal, if beside the matter of Images, there were not also, most open and euident te∣stimonie of the Popes Supremacie in this Synode. Cer∣tainelye as in the Councell of Chalcedo, after Pope Leos letters were read, and in the sixt Generall Councell, after

Agathos letters were read: all the fathers receiued and al∣lowed, and highly reuerenced the said letters, and were directed by them, towchinge matters of fayth then being controuersed: Euen so yt fared also here. The letters that Pope Adrianus sent to thēperour, and to the Patriarche of Constātinople towching the Reuerēd Images beinge pro∣poned ād reade to these Fathers, they did most vniformely, and most ioyfullie cōdescēde to the cōtentes of thē: And in ful testimony therof,* 1.2 eche one set to hys hād ād subscriptiō. The sayd Adriā writeth to Tarasius the patriarche of Cōstā¦tinople, that ōlesse, he had wel knowen Tarasius good syn∣cere zeale, ād catholike fayth touching Images, ād the sixe general coūcels, that he would neuer haue cōsented to the cal¦ling of any Councell.* 1.3 Wherby ye see M. Horn that the Pope hath such a voyce negatyue, in summonyng and ratifiyng of Coūcels, that if he only had drawē backe, it had bene no lawful Councel: According as the old Canon alleaged in the ecclesiasticall story commaundeth, that without the Popes Authorityte no Councel ought to be kept, and according as for that only cause diuers coūcels were abolished, as the Antiochian in the East, and the Ariminense in the West. And the sayed Pope Adrian saieth to Tarasius. Vnde & ipse Beatus Petrus Apostolus Dei iussu Ecclesiam pascens nihil om∣nino praetermisit sed vbique principatum obtinuit & obtinet: cui etiam & nostrae beatae & Apostolicae sedi, quae est omnium Ecclesiarum Dei caput, velim beata vestra sanctitas ex sincera mente & toto corde agglutinetur. Saynte Peter feding the Churche by Gods commaundemēt hath omitted nothing at all, but euer hath had the principality, and nowe hath: to whome and to our blessed and Apostolyke see, whiche is the Head of all Gods Churches, I would wish your bles∣sed

holines wythe syncere mynd, and withall your heart to ioyne your self. The Emperour hym self sayth, that the councel was called by synodical letters sente frō the most holy patriarch. And a litle after, by whose exhortatiō ād in a māner cōmaundemēt we haue called you together,* 1.4 saith th'Emperour to the bis••hops. The Popes Legates are named first and sub∣scribe first: The Popes letters were read first of all in the Councel: And that (Tarasius him selfe confesseth) Praeroga∣tiua quadam. For a certeyn prerogatiue dewe to the Pope. Other places also of like agreablenes ye shal find here.

These be the letters M. Horn, that ye speak of, which as ye say thēperor cōmaūded to be read opēly. Wherwith, that ye dare for shame of th'world ones to medle, as also to talk of the story of Paulus ād Tarasius, I can not but most won∣derfully maruayle at. This Paulus was patriarche of Cōstā∣tinople immediatly before Tarasius,* 1.5 and volūtarily renoū∣ced the same office, and became a monke, mynding to doe some penāce the residue of his lyfe, for that he had set forth the wycked doings and decrees of themperours against the images.* 1.6 The Emperour was verye desirous to place Tarasius in hys roome, but he was as vnwilling to re∣ceyue that dignity. And whē the Emperour vrged ād pres∣sed hym vehemētly: he answered. How cā I take vpon me to be Bishop of thys see, being sondred frō the residew of Christes Church▪ ād wrapped in excōmunication.* 1.7 Is not this then pre∣tely ād gayly done of M. Horn, to take this coūcel as a trō∣pet in hys hand, to blowe and proclaime hym self to all the world an heretyke? Pleade on a pase M. Horne, as ye haue done, and yow shall purchase your self at length great glo∣ry: as great as euer had he that burnte the tēple of Diana, to wyn to him self a perpetuall memorye. To the which your glorious tytle for the encrease and amplifying of the same,

let your Vntruthes, which are here thicke and threefolde be also adioyned. That the Popes about this time deuised horrible practises, to haue to them selues only the supreme authority:* 1.8 that Irene Constantines Mother was an igno∣rant and a superstitious woman: that the matters in the .7. Generall Councel were not iudged according to the Go∣spelles: that there was nothing attempted or done in this Councell without the authority of the Emperour. In all this I heare very bolde asseuerations, but as for proufes, I finde none: And none wil be found when M. Horne hath done bis best, this yeare, nor the next neyther.

Notes

• * 1.1

  M. Horns exceding impudēci for allea∣ging for hī the. 7. Generall Councell. Qui vene∣randas i∣magines idola ap∣pellant, a∣nathema. Act. 4. fol. 535. et act 7. fol. 603. Fol. 15.

  M. Horn is by this Councell declared an Here∣tique.
• * 1.2

  Act. 2.
• * 1.3

  Nequa∣quam ad Synodum conuocā∣dā cōsen∣tiremus. Dict. act. 2. fol. 483. Col. 2. b. Ibidē fol. 485. Col. Tripart. lib. 4. cap. 9. Theodoret. lib. 2. cap. 22.
• * 1.4

  Cuius hor¦tatu & veluti iussu vos congrega∣uimus.

  ••ct. 1. fol: 463.
• * 1.5

  Tom. 2. Conc. fol. 608.
• * 1.6

  Zonaras Tom. 3. & Tom. 2. Concil. fol. 464.
• * 1.7

  Ecclesiae à reliquis ec¦clesiis auulsae & anathe∣mati sub∣iectae.

  Zonar. ibidem.
• * 1.8

  M. Horns vntruths.