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.

WE are now in order come to the Coūcel of Chal∣cedo, the actes whereof being very long and te∣dious, the leaues in the great volume rising to the number of one hundred and more, M. Horne hath here and there pried out good matter as he thinketh, to depresse the Popes primacie withal. Wherein he so handleth him∣selfe, that he semeth to me for many causes neuer to haue read the acts, but to haue taken things as they came to his handes, ministred by his friends, or by his Latine Maisters. Ones, this is sure, that for some of his allegations, a man may pore in the booke, til his eies dasel againe, and his head ake, ere he shal find them, and in such prolixitie of the mat∣ter, when he hath found them, and well weighed them: a man would thinke, that M. Horne had either lost his wits, or els were him selfe a sleape, when he wrote those argu∣ments: or els which is worst of al, that he was past al shame and grace. For as ye saw, good Readers, the Ephesine so shall ye now see the Councell of Chalcedo, by no cleare candle or torche, but all in a darke horne. Wherein he playeth like a false wilie marchaunte, that will not shewe

his wares, but in a darke shoppe. But by Gods helpe I shall bring his naughty marchādise into the bright shining light, that al men may openly at the eye see al the leudnes of it.

And to begyn, with the first action of the said Councel, and to followe M. Hornes steppes with a litle tracing, ther sterteth vp at the first (I will speake with the least) a brace of lyes, besyde other vaine and impertinent talke. Of hys Iudges, whereby he woulde haue the Reader to thinke, that these noble men were Iudges in the decision and de∣termination of matters ecclesiastical, he commeth altoge∣ther to short, as ye shal anon vnderstande. And therefore this shall be the first lye. The second lye is that he saieth. The Emperour prescribed a forme, after which they muste determine the matters in controuersie. For in al the Actes of that Councell, there appeareth no such fourme or pre∣scription made. It is vsual with M. Horne, in euery Coun∣cel to report such a prescription. But as he hath often saied it, so hath he not once proued it, or shewed it by any one Authority, but his owne, which is a singular authoritye, to lye as lewedly (allmost) as M. Iewell. Yet to bleare the Readers eye, and to seame handsomly to furnish his mat∣ter by some president and example, he layeth forth for his proufe, that these Iudges gaue sentence to depose Dios∣corus the Patriarche of Alexandria, and others. This is all∣together false.

For firste they were no competent and ordinary Iudges being mere laye men, especially in causes ecclesiastical to depose a Bishoppe. Secondlye, puttyng the case, they had bene lawefull and ordinarye Iudges, yet was yt no finall and iudiciall sentence. For a final sentēce must decide and determine the matter, by an absolut cōdemnatiō or absolu∣tion:

which was not done here, this pretensed sentence being as your selfe write, cōditional: So that this their iudg∣ment semed good to the Emperour, to whom they referred the whole matter. And here by the waye falleth out an other vntruth: for the Nobles them selues doe not cal this saying a Iudgemēt, but say, yt semeth vnto vs iust. Which words by lawe importe no final iudgemēt. Fourthly and laste, this was no iudgemente, neither was Dioscorus deposed here in this action (for in the beginning of the next action, the Iudges confesse, that sentence was not yet geuen vppon Dioscorus.) but in the thirde action: and that not by theis Iudges, as ye cal them, but by Pope Leo his deputies, and the residew of the Bishoppes without any referring of the matter to th'Emperor as the Iudges doe here.

The rest ye talk of in this place is of no weight: and yf it weyeth anie thing, yt weieth against you, as Marcians ora∣tion, whych tendeth to this, that in new questions and dis∣sensions of religion, we must haue a speciall regard to the do∣ctrine, teaching and writing of the former fathers and coūcels: which rule and forme of Iudgemēt prescribed by him you quit left out, as a rule in dede, importing a plaine destructiō of your new gospel. Now if the making of an oration by a lay man imploieth any authority, voice, or iuriseictiō in the Coūcell, then were many lay men (the ambassadours for their Princes, that made orations there, yea and found ma∣ny faultes to in the Church, and desired the reformation of them) members and Iudges of the late Councel of Trent, which is notoriously false: and so is that also that ye write of the noble men at Chalcedo. And whereas they founde faulte wyth the populare acclamations of the Bishoppes, which of a great zele to the catholik faith cried out against

Dioscorus and other that deposed the godly Bishop Flaui∣anus, and that they would not receiue Theodoretus, nor heare such matters as he had to propose, because he for the time, helde against Cyrillus and other Catholikes: and that these noble men endeuoured to set an order and quietnes among them, doth plainly shew, wherein these noble mens office did rest: as nothing touching the definition of anye matter spiritual, but to prouide that al things might be don with order, indifferency and quietnes. For if a man consi∣der, what disorder, tumulte, crueltie, yea and murder too, fell in the second Ephesin Councell, whiche customably is rather called a Conuenticle, and a cōspiracy, for the main∣tenaunce whereof, ye make Theodosius a very godly Em∣perour, and how that Dioscorus and his cōfederats, would not suffer the Catholique Bishops Notaries, as the manner was, to write the actes there done: but thrusted them out, and put in Notaries of his owne at his pleasure, howe he came to the other notaries and brake their wrytinges and fingers to: howe that he forced the bishops to subscribe to a blanke: that is, in cleane paper, wherein nothyng was writen: howe that, Dioscorus would not suffer the epistle of Leo the Pope sent to the Councel to be read: and final∣ly, howe that he slewe the blessed Bishop Flauianus: he that, I say, cōsidereth and wel weigheth the premisses, and that a great numbre of those schismatical bishops were also with Dioscorus at Chalcedo, shal sone perceue, what nede there was of these noble mens assistance, & that they might wel haue to doe there, thoughe not in ruling and iudging any spiritual matter, yet in the indifferent ruling and dire∣ction of the Catholike Bishopes external doings, and to see that al things might procede with quietnesse and without

parcialitie. Which answere ones made, will serue also for many other General Councels. But what a wicked Cham are you, M. Horne, that reueale to the common people in your vulgare bookes, the faults and disorders of your most holy and reuerent Fathers, the Fathers of so famous, and so learned a Councell? Verely Constantine the Greate, that noble Emperour, would cast his Imperiall garment (he said) to hyde a Bisshops faulte, if by chaunce he should see any. And becommeth it your vocation, bearing the roume of a Bis∣shop your self, to tel the people of the Bisshops whot scholes, of their want of modestie, and of ouershoting them selues? You a Bishop of Gods Church? Nay your sprit sheweth it selfe more bucherly then Bishoply, and as mete to carie a rake as a Rochet.

Notes

• The aun∣svver cō∣cerning the Coū∣cell of Chalcedo
• The E∣phesine and the Chalcedō Councell shevved in a darke horne.
• See the .1. ••ome of councelle the 736. leaf and 737. col. 2. & 1.
• See the 831. leaf. col▪ 2.
• 4. Causes to proue that Dios∣corus vvas not deposed by them▪
• Videtur nobis iustū esse.

  See the 847. leafe col. 2.
• Martians oration returned vpon M. Horne.
• See the 740. leafe col. 1.
• M. Horn•• argumēte for the exclama∣tiō retur∣ned vpon him selfe. See the 743. leafe. col. 1.
• See the 750. leafe. 1. &. 2. col

  See the 847. leafe col. 2.
• Niceph. li 8 ca. 16