The safegarde from ship-wracke, or Heauens hauen compiled by I.P. priest.

FATHERS.

The first therfore of the Greekes is Origen (for Dio∣nysius, Clement, Anacletus, and such like Bishops of Ro∣me I omitt, because our aduersaries do not admit them) who liued anno 230. and saith.f Although the whole care of feeding the sheepe was committed to Peter, and the church was founded vpon him as vpon the ground, yet there was no confession of any vertue exacted of him, saue only of charitie.

Eusebius anno 330. saith:g The Apostle Peter borne in the countrey of Galile, And first high priest of the Christians: [where wee are to obserue the difference which Eusebius putteth betweene Peter and the Bishops of other Citties, for of Peter he doth not say, the first Bishop of the Romans, as he saith in the same place of Ia∣mes: The first Bishop of Hierusalem ordayned by the Apostles was Iames the brother of our Lord. And of Euodius he saith: Euodius was ordayned first Bishope of Antioch. Hee speaketh not so of Peter, but cals him the first high priest of the Christians. And againe he cal∣leth Peter,h the most approued and greatest of all the Apostles, prince of the chiefe Apostles, and captaine and and Master of the armie of God.

What other meaning can it beare to be captaine of the army of God, then to be heade of the church mili∣tant?

S. Basil anno 380. speaking of Peter saith:i he is blessed what was placed in authoritie ouer the rest of the Disciples, and to whome the keyes of the kingdo∣me of heauen were committed &c.

k S. Gregory Nazianzen shewing that there must be an order in all thinges: taketh an argument

from the Apostles; whoe although they were all great, yet they had one chief ouer all: saith he you see how a∣mongst the disciples of Christ, all of thē indeed being great and of high degree, and worthy election, this mā was called the Rocke, and had the foundations of the church committed to his charge, and the rest of the disciples were content to be his inferiours.

S. Epiphamus Anno 390 saith:k He chose Peter to be the captayne of his Disciples. And againe:l this is he to whome it was said, feed thou my lambes, to whome the sheepfold was committed.

Cyrillus Hierosom. anno 350.m calleth Peter the most excellent Prince of the Apostles.

n Cyrillus Alexand. anno 4••0. saith: how the Prince and head of the rest, first crieth out; thou arte Christ the sonne of the liuing God. And againe: As Christ, (saith he) receaued the scepter of the Gentiles church from his father, going forth leader of Israel, ouer all principallitie and power, ouer all whatsoeuer it be, that a uery thing might be subiect vnto him so did he com∣mitt fully and wholy vnto Peter and his successours, & Christ gaue that which was his owne, to no other but to Peter himself only.

S. Chrysostome saith:o he ordayned Peter to be the Pa∣stour of the church which was to be And a little be∣neath: [God can only graunt, that the Church which is to be (notwithstandnig so many & so great waues rushing out with their force one auery side) do remaine immoueabl••, whose pastour and head (behold the name of head, vnheard of with Caluin) is a fishermā, & of meane degree. And a little beneath: The father did put Hieremie over one people,p but Christ hath placed this man over the vvho∣le vvorld. And agane he doth often repeat that the care of the brethren, that is, the Apostles, and the vvhole vvolrd is com∣mitted to Peter.

q Euthymius Ano 1150. doth tvvice mention, that Peter hath receaued authoritie ouer the Apostles And saith? Of thou say (saith he) how did Iames receaue the seat of Hierusalem.r I ansvvere, this man (Peter) is ordayned master of the vvho∣le vvorld, vvhere he shovveth, that as Iames vvas bishop of Hierusalem so vvas Peter of the vvhole vvorld.

Theophylactus Ano. 480. vpon that; confirme thy bre∣thren:

saith: The manifest vnderstanding of this is, be∣ause I esteeme thee as prince or chiefe of my Disci∣ples, after that hauing dinied me thou hast wept, and done pennance, confirme the rest, for this becometh thee, whoe after me art the rocke & foundation of the church. And a little beneath Thou, Peter, being conuer∣ted, shalt be a good example of pennance vnto all, who notwithstanding thou hast bene an Apostle and de∣nied me, shalt receaue againe the primacy of all, and gouerment of the whole world.

Oecumenus saith:s Peter ariseth, not Iames, and is mo∣re feruent, and as it were he to whome the superiotie of the Disciples was committed, anno 1070.

Hugo Etherianus siue Heretrianus, anno 1540. in the tyme of Emanuel the Emperour, writt certaine bookes of the proceeding of the holy Ghost against his Greekes, wherin the saith:t It is manifest euen by the thing it self that Christ did ordayne Peter and his successour, prince and head, not only of the latines and Greekes, the west, and north part of the world; but also of the Armenians, Arabians, Iewes, Medianites and all the East, and middle climate for euer.

Of the Latine Fathers S.v Cyprian, maketh Peter the head, fountaine, and roote of the whole church: And in another place he saith of him; wee hold him the head and roote of the church, anno 240.

Maximus saith:x what great merit then had Peter with his Lord, that after the rule of one little boate, the go∣uerment of the whole church should be deliuered vn∣to him? anno 420.

Optatus, anno 370. saith?y The chaire is one and thou canst not denie, but that thou knowest, the chaire was graunted first vnto Peter in the Cittie of Rome, whe∣re he did sitt head of all the Apostles being from then∣ce called Cephas, or rocke, in whome only the vnitie of the chaire was maintained by all, neither did the rest of the Apostles defend euery one his owne, so that now he should be a Schismaticke and sinner that should place another a gainst this particuler chaire, therefor the chaire is one, which is the first of the dowries. Peter did sitt the first in it, Linus succeeded him, and Clemens, Linus &c. Heere you may see the name of

head and chaire of Peter and his successours to be na∣med the only chaire of the whole church, which were altogether vnheard of with Caluin.

S. Ambrose, anno 280.z calleth Peter the vicar of the Loue of Christ to wardes vs, and saith that he is pla∣ced ouer all.

And againe:a not Andrew (saith he) but Peter recea∣ued the Prama••y. Behold againe a name vnheard of to Caluin.

And againe he saith.b the care of the churches was commaunded to Peter by our Lord, Finally he saith:c our Lord did ascend this only ship of the church, in which Peter was constituted master, our Lord say∣ing; (vpon this rocke will I build my church) which shipp doth slote so in the depth of that age, that although the world perish, yet it preserueth all whome it hath receaued, whose figure wee haue seene already in the old testament, for euen as Note Arcke, when the world suffered ship wracke, preser∣ued all in safty whome it receaued, so likewise the church of Peter, whē the world shall burne, shall presēt all, whome it cōprehendeth, safe and without harme: & as then the deluge falling away, a doue brought the signe of peace to the arcke of Noe, so also the last iud∣gment passing away, Christ will bring the ioy of peace to the church of Peter.

S. Hierome saith:d Amongst twelue one is chosen, that a head being constituted, occasion of Schisme might be, taken away, but why was not Iohn, a virgin chosen, it was bestowed vpon age, for Peter was elder to thend that a young man, and as yet almost a boy might not be ouer men of riper yeares.

S. Augustine saithe I think (saith he) that Cyprian a Bi∣shop, may be compared to Peter an Apostle, without any dishonour, in as much as perteineth to the glorie of martyrdome, but I thought rather to fear, least I be thought contumelius against Peter, for who doth not know, that the primary of his Apostleship is to be preferred before any Bishopricke? but although grace touching the chaires doe differ, yet the glory of mar∣tyres is one

And againe speaking of Peters prymacy saith:

fhe healeth the disease of the whole body in the head of the church it self, he worketh the health of all members in the very toppe &c.

The Author of the questions of the old and new testament saith:g as in our Sauiour there were all causes of master shipp, so after our Sauiour all are conteined in Peter, for he constituted him their head, that he might be the Pastour of our Lords flocke. And a little beneath: it is ma∣nifest (saith he) that all are conteined in Peter; for asking for Peter he did vouchsafe, to aske for all, for the people are alwayes praysed or corrected in him, that is put ouer them.

S. Leo, saith:h Peter is only chosen out of the whole world to be placed ouer the vocation of all gentles, all Apostles, and all fathers of the church, that although therbe many Priestes, and many Pastours: yet Peter doth properly gouerne all, whome Christ also doth principally rule. And againe.

S Prosper saith:i Rome the seat of Peter being made head of pastorall honour to the world, what∣soeuer it doth not possesse by armes, it holdeth by reli∣gion &c.

Arator saith of Peter:k to whome the lambe deliue∣red, whatsoeuer sheeppe he had saued by this pastour through the whole world, by which office he is become the chiefest &c

S. Gregorie saith:l it is plaine to all that know the Ghospell, that the care of the whole church was committed to blessed S. Peter, prince of all the Apo∣stles: And a little beneath: Behold he hath receaued the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, power of bin∣ding and losing is giuen to him, the care of the whole church and principality is committed to him.

S. Bede saith:m He saw the simplicitie of his hart, he saw the courage of his mynd, by whose merit he was to be placed ouer e∣uery church. And againe:n therfore (saith he) S. Peter, who confessed Christ with true faith, affected him with true loue, and recea∣ued especially the keyes of the kingdome of

heauen, and principallitie of iudiciall power, that all belieuers in the world may vnderstand, that whosoe∣uer doth separate himself after any manner from that vnitie of faith and societie of his; he can neither be ab∣solued from the bonds of his sinnes, nor enter the ga∣te of the kingdome of heauen.

S. Bernard saitho The place, wherin thou standest is holy ground, it is Peters place, the place of the prince of the Apostles, where his feete stood; it is his place who∣me our Lord cōstituted master of his howse and prin∣ce of all his possession. And againe:p going like our Lord vpon the sea, he did manifest himself the only vicar of Christ, who ought not to be ouer one people, but ouer all, euē as there are many waters, many people.

These sower and twentie testimonies of the fathers, as the sower and twentie voices of the elders in the Apoca∣lypse, do euidently demonstrate the consent of the primatiue Church, as wel the Greeke as the Latine, to which nothing certenly can be answeared other wise thē Luther and Caluin say of Leo (Pope) they suffered hu∣mane thinges & were deceaued, werfore to make it (if pos∣sible) yet more plaine, se•• heere the Aduersaire.

Notes

• f

  in cap. 6. ad Rom.
• g

  M. Chro¦nico 44 yeare of the birth of our Sa∣uiour.
• h

  lib. 2. hist. c. 14.
• i

  Serm. de iudicio Del.
• k

  de mo∣deratione in disputa∣tionibus seruanda.
• k

  he res 51.
• l

  in Anco∣rato.
• m

  Catech. 2.
• n

  lib. 12 in Ioannem cap 64 in Thes••••ro (si D Tho∣mae credi∣mus ••••n o∣pusculo con••rra Graecos.
• o

  hom. 11. in matth.
• p

  hom. vlt. in Ioānem
• q

  in cap. vlt Ioan∣nis. 7
• r

  in cap. 22. Luc
• s

  in cap. 11 Act.
• t

  lib. 3. cap. 17.
• v

  lib. de••∣nitate Ec∣clesiae. in epist ad Iubaianū.
• x

  in 3. ser. de Apo∣stolis.
• y

  lib. 2. cō∣tra Par∣menianū
• z

  in ca. vlt. Lucae.
• a

  in ca. 12. epist. 2 ad Corinth.
• b

  in cap 1. ad Vilat
• c

  Serm. 11.
• d

  lib 1. in Io••••••••nā Anno 380.
• e

  lib. 2. c••. 1. de Bap∣tismo Ano 400.
• f

  Serm. 124. de temp.
• g

  in tom. 4 operum Augustini q 75.
• h

  Serm. 3. de assump∣tione sua ad Pontifi∣catum an. 450.
• i

  l. de ingra¦tis anno 450.
• k

  in capit. 1. Actor.
• l

  lib 4. e∣pist. ••2. ad Mauritiū anno 600.
• m

  homil. in vigilla S. Andre••, in illud in∣tuitus eum &c Ioan. 142.
• n

  And ho∣mil in s••∣••••o Petri & Pauli anno 720.
• o

  epist. ••••7 ad Eu∣genium.
• p

  lib 2 de consideret speaking of Peter Ano. 1140.