A profitable and necessarye doctrine with certayne homelyes adioyned therunto / set forth by the reuerend father in God, Edmunde Byshop of London ...

¶An Homelye of the Primacy, or supreame power, of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 gouernor of the mili∣tant Church.

AS in euery natu rall, and polytyke 〈◊〉〈◊〉, so in the chur∣che militāt, (whych is a misticall body) superioritie, and in∣ferioriti, must neds be amōgest y^t m m∣bers thereof, or ells it cannot endure.

And for thys cause speciallye, our Sa∣uiour Chryste, when he was here conuersaunte, on the Earth, dyd, hymselfe, appoynte hys Apostles, & Disciples, and there successours, to haue the ouer∣syght, cure, and hygh gouernement of hys church, to the worldes edde. And to the intente, that no man should contempne theyr aucthoritie, he dothe saye in* 1.1 the thyrtenth of Saynt Ihon, Amen, Amen, Dico vobis, quis accipit si quem misero, me accipit. Qui autemme accipit, accipit eum qui me misit. That is to say. Uerely, Uerely, I saye vnto you, who that receyueth hym whome I sende, receyueth me. And he that receiueth me, receyueth hym that sent me. And in the tenth of Luke he sath, Quiuos audit me audit & qui uos 〈◊〉〈◊〉,* 1.2 me spernit. Qui autem me spernit, spernit eum qui misit me.

That is to saye: He that heareth you hearethe me, and he that dispiseth yon, dispiseth mee and he that dispiseth me, dyspiseth hym that sent me. Of the Apostles also and theyr succes∣sours, and of theyr charge ouer Christes flocke, doth Saynt Paule speake, in the fourthe chapiter to the Ephesyans, saying.* 1.3

Ipse dedit quosdam quidem A postolos, quosdam autem Prophetas, alio∣uero Euangelistas, alios autem pastores, et doctores, ad consummationem sanctorum, in opus ministerū, in edifieationem Corporis Christi donec 〈◊〉〈◊〉 omnes in unitatem fidei, & agnitionis filii dei, in uirum perfec∣tum, in mensuram etatis plenitudinis Christi ut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 non simus paruuli flue tuantes, ne{que} clicuferamur omniuento doctrine, in nequitia hominum, in asturia ad circumuentionem erroris. That is to saye:

He (meanyng Chryste) hath gyuen or ap∣pointed some to be Ipostles, some, Prophets some Euangelistes, some pastores, and tea∣chers, to the perfytynge, or consummating, of the holyons, to doo the worke of the my∣nistery, to edyfye the body of Chryst, vntyll we all come together, in one vnitie of fayth, and knowledge of the sonne of God, vnto the estate of a perfecte man, after y^e measure of the age of the fulnes of Chryst, that from henceforth, we should not be as babes, wa∣ueryng, neyther should we be caryed aboute with euery blaste of doctryne, in the wicked nes of men, in the wylynes of them, who go

aboute to deceyue vs.

Thys place of Saynt Paule most playnelye set∣teth before our eyes, the aucthority, and gouernemēt whyche our sauiour hath apoynted, to contynue to the ende of the worlde, in his churche, and howe the Apostles, Prophetes, Euangelistes, Preachers, and teachers, are giuen of Chryst, to hys pleple, to go∣uerne them. And therewyth al Saynt Paule, in the sayde place, she weth to what ende, suche gouerne∣ment, and authoritie is instituted, it is to wytte, for the spiritual edifieng of the hole body, in the fayth, & for the defense of the hole bodye, from the poyson of heresye. And in dede no one thing can so muche sup∣presse heresye, as yf the Anthoritie, and gouernment 〈◊〉〈◊〉, be accordyngly therevnto estemed, & obeyed, as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Saynte Ciprian, the blessed* 1.4 Martyr, in hys fyrst boke, and thyrd Epystle saieng. Ne{que} 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bereses obortae sunt, aut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sunt scismata, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lnde, quod sacer 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dei non obtemperatur. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 unus in ecclesia ad tempus sacerdos, & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tempus iudex, uice Christi cogitatur, cuisi sneundum magisteria diui 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 uniuersa, nemo 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sacerdotem colle∣gia 〈◊〉〈◊〉 moueret. That is to saye: Neyther other where, or hy othere meanes, are heresies 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vp, and scisines rysen, than hereof, y^t obedience is not gyuen to the preiste of God. Nor one is consydered, or thought to be in y^t churche, for the tyme, the preist, and for the time the iudge, in Christes stede, vnto which one, yf the hole fraternitie dyd (according to the heauenly commaundements) 〈◊〉〈◊〉, no

man woulde stirre, or moue anye thynge against the Colleges or cōpanies of preistes. Hereby you may perceyue, that saynt Cypryans cō∣clusion, or iudgemēt is, that the gouernment Eccle∣siasticall, and especially of one, to be caken, and re∣puted as Christes vicar, is the best meane, to let and suppresse heresies, and that such one gouernor, is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 be o beyed, of all chrysten people, which thynge may be proued very playnely, and euidently, by the holye scriptures them selues. For the scryptures doo wit∣nesse, that our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 appoynted S. Peter, to thys hygh rowme, and charge, ouer his hole flocke, and no one of the Apostles 〈◊〉〈◊〉. In the. xxi. of S. John* 1.5 it is wrytten, howe, oure sauiour, after his resurrec∣tion, appearing at y^e sea 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tiberias, to certen of hys Apostles, amongest whome was Peter, dyd fyrste take breade, and fyshe, and gaue vnto them, And when they had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them selues, he fayde vnto Peter. Simon Iohannes diligis me plus hijs? 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ei, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 domine tu scis, quia amore. Dicit 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as eagnos meos Dicit ei iterum, Simon 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 diligis me? Ait illi. Etiam domine tu scis quia amo te Dicit ci Pasce 〈◊〉〈◊〉 meos Dicit 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 amas me? Contristatus est Petrus, qui a dixit 〈◊〉〈◊〉 tertio, amas me? & 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ci. Domine tu omnia nosti, tu scis, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 amote. 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 oues meas. That is to saye: Symon the sonne of Ioannes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou loue me more then these do? He aunswered vnto him, Yea Lorde, thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that I loue thee. He sayde vnto him. Fede my lambes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he spake to hym agayne, and sayde, Simon the sonne of Ioannes, doeste thou loue me?

He aunswered: yea Lorde, thou knoweste that I loue thee. Hesayde vnto hym againe Feede my lambes. Then spake he vnto him the third tyme, and sayde: Symon the sonne of Ioannes, doest thou loue me? Peter was sorie, because Christ sayd vnto him now the thyrde tyme, doest thou loue me, and he aun swered and sayde: Lorde thou knoweste all thinges, thou knowest that I loue thee. He sayde vnto him feede my shepe. Thys processe of Scripture, hath in it, many circumstaunces to be noted. The fyrst is, that (other Apostles beynge than present, and amongest them, euē he of whom Chryst did euē make very much of, that is to say, S. Iohn) yet our Sauiour Christ, dyd dyrecte his speach, and talke, but to Peter onelye, sygnifyenge the matter, wherof he dyd speake, to appertayne to Peter chief∣lye, and pryncipallye, and not in so speciall a sorte, to anye one of the apostles els. Another, and seconde circumstaunce to be here considered, is that oure sa∣uioure, dyd aske Peter moost earnestly, whether he loued him, more than did the other apostles. And the thyrde cyrcumstaunce is, in that Chryste dyd com∣mytte both hys lambes, and his shepe, vnto hym. These cyrcumstaunce (I saye) and other suche lyke, well considered, doo conuince, and clearelye proue, that the hyghe charge, ouere all the church militant, was especially committed to Peter.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 sauiour Chryst had not intended to giue vn to Peter a speciall authoritie, aboue the rest, what nede was there to speake this, seuerallye, vnto Peter, seing he had spoken it generallye to them all before. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 what thing ment he els, when, in y^t pre sence of all the twelue, he promised to giue vnto Pe ter the keyes of the kingdome of heauē sainge a spe ciall 〈◊〉〈◊〉, or prerogatiue to Peter: Our saui∣our* 1.6 through his heauenly wisedome, perceyuynge, that it is most necessarye, one to be ouer a hole mul∣titude, specially being a multitude congregated of so infinite a number of people, and of so sondry nati∣ons, as is the catholyke churche, dyd appoynte S. Peter, to that offyce, and Peter hauinge receyued such charge at chrystes handes, did incontinently practyse and exercyse the same, and al the rest of the Apostles dyd geue place vnto him. And therfore in the first of the Actes it is wrytten, hawe that after* 1.7 Chrystes ascension, incontinently S. Peter rose vp in the myddest of the faithfull, and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them to goo to the election of one, that should succede in Iu das rowme, with offyce he vndoutedlye woulde not haue takē vpon him, but that oursauiour Christ had Authorised him in such sorte, as is before decla∣red. In the. ii, of the Actes it is wrytten howe that* 1.8 in the presence of all the Apostles, S. Peter tooke vpon him to speake in all their names to the people on whitsonday in the mourning, streight after that they had receyued the holy Ghoste, in the lykenes of clouē tunges: In the third of y^e Actes, it is writtē, how y^t s. Peter healed a lame mā, which was lame

hys mothers wombe, and that whē the people wō∣dred at so straunge a myrycle, the sayd Peter made an oration vnto them.

In the fourth of the Actes, and in the fyfte, and syxt* 1.9 there is the lyke, and in manye other places of the same booke. All whyche places of scripture oughte to perswade euery godly harte, to thynke that oure sauiour did giue vnto sainct Peter, that aucthorite aboue all the rest of the Apostles, vpon hys hoole church, for an vnytie, and good order, to be kept in the same. And yet for your better contentatiō here in, you shall here the authorities of the auncient fa∣thers in thys behalfe.

Origine, a greeke wryter, whyche was wythin* 1.10 two hundred yeares after Chryst, in hys exposition made vpon the. vi. Chapter of S, Paules epistle, to the Romaynes, wryteth thus. Petro cumsumma rerū de pas∣cendis ouibu straderetur, et super ipsū tan qsuper terr am fundaretur 〈◊〉〈◊〉 clesia, nullius confessio uirtutis alterius, nisi charitatis exigitur, That is to say: When the hyghest authoritie, orfee∣dinge of chrystes sheepe, was omitted vn∣to Peter, and the churche was builded vpō hym, as vpon a sure grounde, ther was re∣quyred or exacted of hym, the profession of none other vertue saue onely of charitie.

The blessed martyr, saynt Cyprian, in many pla* 1.11 ces, affyrmeth the same. and amongest other, in his epystle wrytten: Ad inbalanum sayeth, Manifestum est, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ct per quos, remissio peccatorum dari possit, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 dominusprimum petro su per quem edisicauit ecclesiam suam, et vnde unit at is origenē institute, 〈◊〉〈◊〉

ostendit, potestatem istam dedit? That is to say, It is ma∣nyfest where, and by whome, remission of synnes maye be gyuen, for oure Lord fyrste vnto Peter (vpon whome he buylded hys churche, and from whome he dyd ordeyne. and shewe, the begynninge of the vnitie, to procede) dyd giue that power, or authoritie. And in the same Epystle, (within a whyle after) he sayeth. Ecclesiam, que una 〈◊〉〈◊〉, sundauit super unum, That is to say, He dyd founbe his chuche, which is but one, vpon one.

Sainct Basyl, in his boke against Tauonius, writeth* 1.12 thus. Perhanc uocem intelligimus 〈◊〉〈◊〉 filiū, qui fuit ex Bethsaida, An dreae 〈◊〉〈◊〉, qui expiscatore, in Apostolatus ministeriū uocatis est Qui quoniam fide, prestabatecclesiae in se aedificationem suscepit. That is to say, by this voice, we vnderstād the sonne of Jonas, which was of Bethsaida, the bro ther of Andrewe, which son of Jonas was called from a fyther, to the ministerye of the Apostleshyp, and bycause he excelled in faith he had the church buy 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon hym.* 1.13

Saint 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in his fourth sermon sayeth. Petrus deni{que} pro 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, ecclesiarū petradicitur, sicut ait dominus 〈◊〉〈◊〉, et 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiammeam Petraenim dicitur, 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fidei fundamenta posuerit 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 immobile, to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 operis Christiani compagem 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cō tineat (That is to say) Fynallye, or for a conclu∣sion, Peter, for the soundenes, or substācial∣nes

of his deuotion, is called' the rocke of the churches, as our Lorde sayeth. Thou arte Peter, or of a rocke, & vpon this rocke wyll I builde my churche. In dede he is called a rocke bicause he was the fyrst that did laye the foundation of faith amongest the gen∣tiles, & as a stone, or a rocke, that cannot be moued, he docth conteine or kepe, the frame and weight of the hole christen woorke.* 1.14

S, Augustyne hath the lyke in his syxe & twenty sermon, de sanctis, and in his xvi. sermon de tempore, but moost notably in his, 124. sermon de tempore wher he maketh a large processe of sainct Peter, & emōgest other thinges, speaking of Peters denial of his mai ster, he writeth thus of hym, Totius corporus morbum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 capite cura: ecclesie, et in ipso 〈◊〉〈◊〉 componit membrorum omniū sani tatem. That is to say. He (meanyng Chryste) doeth cure in the very heade of the church (mening Peter) the dysease, of the hole bodye, & in the very crowne, or top of the head, he frameth the healthe of all the members. Here ommyt∣tynge infynite, other authorities of the auncient fa∣thers, touchyng the primacye, or hyghest anthoritie ecclesiastical, to haue beue geuen vnto sainct Peter of our sauioux Chryst himselfe, I exhorte you in con sideratiō, partely of these testimonyes, some wherof are taken out of the very, scrypture, some out of the auncient and famous doctours of the churche, and

partly, and moost especially, in consyderation of the cōsent of the hole catholike church herin, nothing to dout in thys matter, but that y^t holy Apostle S. Pe ter was Christes vicar on earthe, and had hygher, and more authoritie generall, then anye one of the Apostles els, and that the special purpose, why that Christ would haue such authoritie to be in one mā, was, & is, for thepreseruatiō of vnitie in his church, whych church, is but one, and thus much for this time, shal now suffice you. In the next homely, you shal here fur∣ther of thys matter.

Io. Harpesfelde, sacrae theologiae professoris. et Archidiaconi London.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Iohn. 13.
• * 1.2

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. 10.
• * 1.3

  Ephes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.4

  Ciprian, 〈◊〉〈◊〉. i 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.5

  Iohn. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.6

  Actes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.7

  Actes. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.8

  Actes, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.9

  Acte. 4, 5 9.
• * 1.10

  Origenes
• * 1.11

  Ciprian.
• * 1.12

  〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.13

  Ambrosi.
• * 1.14

  〈◊〉〈◊〉