The English concord in ansvver to Becane's English iarre: together with a reply to Becan's Examen of the English Concord. By Richard Harris, Dr. in Diuinitie.

BECAN, Exam.

THat they are not the words of Chrysostome,* 1.1 but of some other author ioyned with him. 2. That these words are against our King, desiring Supre∣macie in earth. 3. That the Author speaketh promiscuously of both the Primaces, Secular and Ecclesiasti∣call; 4. but distinguisheth betweene the desiring and obtai∣ning of the Primacy; referring the one to vanitie, and the o∣ther to the iudgement of God.

D^r. HARRIS Reply.

1 I Doe commiserate the seely ignorance of this Iesuite Becane, who knoweth not, that these very words aforesaide, are not onely canoni∣zed, but also expresly fathered vpon Chrysostome, in the Popes Canon law; which the Iesuite dare not affront.* 1.2 The wordes of the Canon are these; Also Iohn Chrysostome: Not euery one is a true Priest, which is named a Priest. Many Priests, and few Priests: Ma∣ny in name, but few in work: Take heede therefore bre∣thren, how you sit vpon the Chayre; because the Chayre doth not make the Priest, but the Priest the Chayre, &c. The same Chrysostome: Whosoeuer shall desire Pri∣macy

in earth, shall finde confusion in heauen: neither shall he be numbred among the seruants of Christ, Qui de Primatu tractauerit, Who handleth, or ambitiously speakes of, or challengeth Primacy.* 1.3 And according to that Canon, the most profound and famously renowmed Canonist (euen by Bellarmine in his late booke) to witte, Henry Cardinall Hostiensis (vpon the 15. Chapter of Penitency and Remission, Cap. Cui Papa) ascribeth these words vnto Chrysostome, as to the Author of them, thus: And so in the Peni∣tentiall Court, the Pope is made lesse, and his Confessor greater: and this Chrysostome insinuateth, Dist. 40. Multi.

Wherefore the Iesuite may take from mee, thus cleared, this falsity vnto himselfe: or else hee must returne it ouer; To the Authoritie of their Aposta∣ticall Church; To their authentike and ordinary glosses and explanations of the Gospell; To the de∣crees of the Romane Bishops; To their chiefest Ca∣nonists and Diuines: for in the writings of all those, he may finde sentences written in that Worke, cal∣led the Imperfect Worke, alleaged as out of Chryso∣stom.

2. By the expresse words of the foresaid Canon, it is manifest, that the words of Chrysostō, are by their Canon law referred vnto Priests and Priests onely, who sit vpon the Chayre, in expresse tearmes often repeated. Whereby it appeareth, what a seely and vnmannerly Sophister this Iesuite is, who thence frameth his Argument against our King, drawne thus into form syllogisticall; as indeed from thence

it can be drawne no otherwise.

What Priest soeuer desireth Primacy in earth, shall finde confusion in Heauen.

The King of England is a Priest desiring Prima∣cie in earth.

Therefore he shall finde confusion in heauen.

Were this Iesuite in our Vniuersitie Schooles, he wold be hist out, as an absurd Dunse, for arguing. Our gratious King is no Priest, but detesteth their Priests and Priesthood, as Antichristian. Hee is by the grace of God the high and potent Monarch of Great Britanne, France and Ireland; and vnder Christ made of God (without any ambitious desire of his) Primate or Supreme Gouernour ouer all persons, and in all causes Ecclesiasticallor Temporall, within his Domi∣nions; maugre the beard of the Pope, and all his Shauelings.

But if the Iesuite will rightly assume out of the Maior proposition, set down in the said Canon law; he must take the triple crowne of Primacy from the Popes head, and wrap it vp in the dust of Confusion, thus:

What Priest soeuer (though it were Peter himselfe) doth challenge, or ambitiously desire Primacy in earth, shall finde confusion in heauen.

But the Popes of Rome haue, and (now most of all) doe challenge (as their right) Primacy in earth; [Not onely ouer the whole Cleargy (contrary to that Inhibition of S. Peter. 1. Pet. 5. v. 3. Not as Lords ouer Gods He∣ritage) but also ouer Kings: and that not only in Spiri∣tualls, but also in their Temporalls: viz. in their Goods,

Reuenews, Crownes, Kingdomes, liberties and lines; As their chiefest Iesuite Writers, Bellarmine & Sua∣rius, and this meane Iesuite Becane, haue not beene ashamed to dogmatize in their late publike writings: some whereof haue beene euen by State-Papists, in their Parliaments censured and condemned, as sedi∣tious & pernitious against Kings prerogatiues roy∣all, crownes and dignities. And some of them by vs, here lately haue beene purged by fire.] and also most ambitiously haue and do desire and practise to get the Popedome; and being opposed therein, do by all, euen bloudy meanes, endeuour to retaine the same;* 1.4 as the thirtie Schismes in the Church of Rome about the Popedom (wherof the last & worst lasted by the space of fiftie yeers together, raysed and con∣tinued by the ambitious desire thereof in the Popes themselues; euen to the shedding of the liues bloud, of two hundred thousand christians, caused by two Antipopes at once) doth more then demonstrate. To instance this ambitious desire in one, but their principall one and chiefetaine, Hildebrand the first, who with brasen face did openly vndertake to de∣pose the Emperour from his Empire: The Car∣dinall Beno, who liued with Hildebrand and knewe him too well, writeth thus of him; Hildebrand poysoned sixe Popes, to make his waie to the Popedoma. Nauclere reporteth that the clergy saide, Pope Hil∣debrand was excommunicated by the Bishops of Italy, as hauing defiled the Apostolike Sea with Simonie, &c. And Abbat Vrspergensis writeth,* 1.5 that the Councell of Brixia censured Pope Hildebrand

as an vsurper of the Sea of Rome; not appointed by God, but intruding by fraude & money. And to speak in ge∣neral, as Mantuan saith, of Rome and Romanists;

—Venalia nobis. Templa, Sacerdotes, Altaria Sacra, Coronae: Ignis, thura, preces, coelum est venale, Deus{que}. Where Church, Priest, Altar, Masse, Crowne, for money tolde: Also Fire, Incense, Prayer, Heauen, and God are solde.

Where all things come for money, there is no probabilitie, that the Popedom (there more worth then all things else) should come freely without money, &c. Rome is no changeling: of which the Iesuites may read in the Canon law, thus: Roma fundata fuit a praedonibus, adhuc de Primor dijsretinet; dicta Roma, quasirodens manus.

Roma manus rodit: quos rodere non valet, odit.

Rome was first founded by thieues, and sauoreth still of her beginnings.

By th' hand Rome byteth States: and whom shee cannot bite, she hates.

If Rome bite all not giuing; sans gifts, shee popes none liuing.

Now since the Assumption is so plainely proued, we may thus conclude,

Therefore the Popes of Rome shall finde confusion in Heauen.

Hence the Popish Antichrist is by the Apostle tearmed fitly, Filius perditionis, The sonne of perdition or confusion.

Moreouer, from the words of Cyprian, is this Syl∣logisme (as canon-shot) directed against the verie heart of the Popes Primacy, thus: If Peter did not, ne could challenge to himselfe Pri∣macy; then the Pope hauing no Primacy, but as Peters successour, cannot challenge Primacy to himselfe: But Peter could not challenge Primacy to himselfe (as Cyprian here saith,* 1.6 and else where proueth thus: Hoc erant vti{que}, &c. The rest of the Apostles vvere the same that Peter vvas, endewed vvith like fellowship of Honour and Power.)

Therefore the Pope cannot challenge the Primacy.

This of Cyprian the Iefuit passeth ouer, dry-foot: and not without cause; seeing hee could get no baulme from Gilead to cure this deadly wound gi∣uen to the Pope, by Saint Cyprians foresaid Canon∣shot.

3. The Iesuite doth here shamefully bely Chryso∣stom, affirming that hee speakes promiscuously of both Primacies, Secular and Ecclesiasticall; where∣as most distinctly hee writeth thus of them: Do∣minus introduxit, &c. The Lorde brings in a diffe∣ference betweene worldly, or temporall Princes, and Ecclesiasticalls: because the Princes of the vvorld are therefore made, that they might rule ouer their subiects, and serue themselues of them,* 1.7 and spoyle them to their owne profit and glory (according to the saying of God to Samuel;

This shall be the manner of your King: hee will take your sonnes for his Chariot∣driuers, Captaines, and Husbandmen; and your Daughters for Apothecaries, Cookes, and Bakers:

he will take your fields and vineyardes, and giue them to his seruants, &c.)

But the Princes Ecclesiasticall are therefore made, that they may serue their vnderlings, and minister vnto them all things which they haue receiued from Christ: That they should neglect their owne profit, and procure the profit of others: and if neede be, that they should not re∣fuse to die, for the safety or saluation (pro salute) of their inferiours. Therefore if these things be so, there is cause and profit to desire the Secular Primacy; but to desire the Ecclesiacticall, there is neither reason nor cause. For what wise man would hasten vvillingly to submit him∣selfe to seruitude, labour, griefe, and such a danger, as to render an account for all the Church, before the inst Iudge? vnlesse peraduenture, he thinke there is no iudge∣ment of God, or feares it not: as one, abusing his Ecclesi∣asticall Primacy secularly, changeth the Ecclesiasticall into the Secular.

Than which words, what could be written more distinctly and plainely, against this lying Iesuite, and his Popes Primacy; to stop the mouth of the one, and to plucke vp the other by the rootes? I meane the Primacy Papall, which is now become the high∣est temporall Primacy in the earth: of which, the Emperours, as vassals, holde their Imperiall crowns, yea their liues; and yet neither of these, but during the Popes pleasure. And this is with them become an article of the Romish faith. Hence it is, that his Maiesties subiects are forbidden by the Pope, in their oath of Allegiance, to sweare, that, what in them lieth, they will preserue the life of their So∣ueraigne,

against the Papall, and all other forrain pow∣er; because (as the Pope hath definitiuely set it down) they should therein deny the faith. Is not this his Ec∣clesiasticall Primacy become Temporall, or rather Dia∣bolicall? Therefore euery good Christian, from Chry∣sostome here is to learne, That the Pope either thinketh there is no God, or Iudgement of God to come; or that the feare of God, and of his Iudgement, is not before his eyes. Surely, if the popish Primacy be that Ecclesiasti∣call, here described by Chrysostome; the Pope will no longer contend for it; he will soon hate it worse than dogge or snake.

4. The Iesuite here either very ignorantly, or ve∣ry impudently abuseth his Reader; whom hee would make belieue that Chrysostome in that Homily, so di∣stinguisheth the Primacy of Honour, to witte Ecclesi∣astical, from the obtaining of that Primacy; as though he misliked the one for vanitie, and approued the o∣ther as a good thing giuen by God: whereas the ex∣presse words of Chrysostome are cleane contrary; thus: Nune scimus, &c. Now vve knowe that a good vvorke is one thing, and the Primacy of honour is another thing; And that it is good to desire a good thing: but to couet the Prima∣cie of honour, is vanitie.

To shut vp this point; The Christian Reader may here vnderstand, that the Pope euen by the vertue of this testimony of Chrysostome, set down in, and autho∣rized by, the Canon law, is incapable of Ecclesiasticall Primacy. For if he be no Priest indeede, he can be no Ecclesiasticall Primate indeede. But by this Canon indeede he is no Priest, because he is no Priest Opere, in Priestly work, that is, as S. Paul expounds it, to preach the

vvord in season,* 1.8 out of season, &c. or as Saint Peter ex∣plaines it, To feede Christs flocke vvith the sincere milke, or strong meat of the vvord: or as Chrysostome here de∣scribes it, To serue his inferiours, by ministring vnto them all that hee hath receiued from Christ: ready not onely to neglect his owne profit, to procure theirs; but also, if neede vvere, to lay down his life for them. The Pope therfore being lesse in nothing then in this work, is, by the ex∣presse words of this Canon, nothing lesse then a Priest indeede; and by necessary ineuitable consequence, no∣thing lesse then Ecclesiasticall Primate indeede. Here is now high time for this Iesuite to lay-vnder his shoul∣ders for support of the tottering Primacy of his Pope, very sore shaken by this Canon law-shot, and ready to fall down into the dust. Wherein, pittiful is the Popes case, who in this conflict, for his defendour, bath so see∣lie a weakeling, and so ignorant a Iesuite, as this Becane is, and hereafter will more and more appeare to be.

English Concord.

BEcane, in his book of Iarre, & in his second Que∣stion, demanded, Whether that Primacy of the King be Ecclesiasti∣call and Spirituall?

And I in my booke of Concord,* 1.9 and in my second Question, demanded, Whether that Primacy of the Pope be Secular and Tempo∣rall?

Because on the one side, the Pope, Lucifer-like, asser∣teth, All power to be giuen vnto him, as vvell in heauen,

as in earth. Which power Pope Boniface the eightth went about to put in practise, vvhen hee endeuoured to strike a Terrour into Kings, Princes, Nations, and people on the earth; rather then to plans Religion in them. And on the other side, Chrysostome saith: They who belieue not the Iudgement of God, nor feare it, abusing their Primacy secularly, turne it into the Secular. And Christ saith, first vnto Peter; I vvill giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen (not of earth) and then of himselfe; My king∣dom (that is, my Primacie, which to the Pope is in stead of his kingdome) is not of this world.* 1.10 If it vvere of this vvorld, my seruants would surely fight, that I should not be deliuered to the Iewes. And this said diametrall oppositi∣on betwixt the Primacy of Christ, and the Primacy of the Pope-Antichrist, caused Pasquill to write in verse no lesse truely, then eloquently, thus:

Christus regna fugit: sed vi Papa subingat vrbes. Spinosam Christus; Triplicem gerit ille coronam. Abluit ille pedes: Reges his of cula praebent. Pauit oues Christus: Petit hic Regna omnia mundi. Pace venit Christus: venit hic radiantibus armis.

Christ, worldly kingdoms offered, did eschew: The Pope by force, seeks kingdoms to subdue. A Crowne of Thorne our Sauiour Christ did beare: The Pope a triple Crowne of gold doth weare. Christ vvasht the feet of his disciples all: But all must kisse the Popes feet, great and small. Christ fed his sheepe and lambs most carefully: The Pope to worldly kingdoms casts his eye. Christ to his owne, both milde and meeke did come: The Pope with Armes, the world doth ouerun.

Here is a matter very dangerous to the Popes Pri∣macy: which this shallow Iesuite not daring to denie, and yet not able to answere vnto it; leauing it as it were the body, flyeth onely vpon the shadow, that is, the Citation, as it followeth.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pag. 92
• * 1.2

  Dist. 40. ca. Multi.
• * 1.3

  De Scrip∣tor. Ecclesi∣asticis.
• * 1.4

  Onuphr, in Chronie. Rom. Pont.
• * 1.5

  Anno. Dom. 1080.
• * 1.6

  De Simple Praelator
• * 1.7

  1. Sam. 9 ver. 11. &c.
• * 1.8

  2. Tim. 4.2 1. Pet. 5.2 Heb. 5.14
• * 1.9

  Page 4.
• * 1.10

  Ioh 18.36