Rhemes against Rome: or, The remoouing of the gagg of the new Gospell, and rightly placing it in the mouthes of the Romists, by the Rhemists in their English translation of the Scriptures. Which counter-gagg is heere fitted by the industrious hand of Richard Bernard ...

XIV. Proposition. That the Bishop of Rome cannot erre:

Confuted by their owne Bible.

IT giueth vs to know, that Peter (whom forsooth they doe make the first Pope of Rome) did erre; first, in mistaking Christs Kingdome, as terrene and earthly, Act. 1. 6. Secondly, concerning the person of Eliah, that he should come before the Messiah, mis-vnderstanding Malachi. Mat. 17. 10. Thirdly, touching the resurrection of Christ, Luke 18. 34. Iohn 20. 9. Fourthly, in hauing conscience of the difference of meates, after Christs Ascension, Acts 10. 14. Fifthly, in not vnderstanding his full Commission to goe to the Gentiles, Act. 10. 20. Sixthly, in not walking rightly to the veritie of the Gospell, Gal. 2. 14. If then this first Pope (as they make him) did so erre, then the af∣ter-Popes may, except they can shew some priuiledge before him.

Contraried by Antiquitie.

For it is manifest by History, that the Popes iudgement was not held to be infallible but that he might erre.

1. For we may find such to haue been made Popes, as may

easily perswade any wise man that they might erre. Some haue bin vnlettered Idiots, no Grammarians, that could hardly write their names in Latine; some, Lay-men, as Constantius the se∣cond, and Bennet the eighth; and once a woman, Pope * Ioane: and very boyes for age; Bennet the ninth, a child of ten yeeres old; Iohn the twelfth, a bastard, a mad Lad, about eighteene yeeres old. Could not these yonkerrene, thinke you?

2. Some haue been most abominable persons, Atheists, blas∣phemers, poysoners, sorcerers, and such like. Is it like that Gods holy Spirit would reside in such filthy monsters to keepe them, forsooth, from erring?

3. Some of them fell fearefully. Marcellinus worshipped Heathen Idols: Zepherinus was a Montanist: Liberius and Fe∣lix, Arians; Anastasius the second, an Acatian; Ʋigilius, an Eutychian; and Honorius, a Monothelite. And cannot yet Popes erre?

4. Some Popes haue abrogated the Decrees one of another: Gregorie the first abolished the Decrees of Pelagius: so Sabinian and Innocent those of Gregorie: Steuen abolished those of For∣mosus: so Romanus those of Steuen, and so forth. And cannot yet Popes erre?

5. Some haue decreed flat against Scripture. Celestine or∣dained Marriage to be void, when either party fell into heresie. Pius Quartus decreed, that it should be lawfull for him to al∣low degrees of Marriage forbidden in Leuiticus, and to forbid what God allowed. And cannot Popes erre?

6. Easterne Bishops and ancient Fathers haue very sharpely reproued the Bishop of Rome; as namely, Polycrates the Bishop of Ephesus; and as Ireneus the Bish. of Lions did Victor, for his rash proceeding against the Easterne Church. And yet doe not Popes erre?

7. Ancient Councels haue withstood him; as that of Chal∣cedon, wherein were 630. Bishops, withstanding Leo in the question of supremacy. The sixth Councell of Carthage, of 217. Bishops, resisted three Popes one after another, in that they would do contrary to the Councell of Nice. These iudged that Popes might erre, else would they haue yeelded to the Popes.

Gainesaid by Papists themselues.

1. Pope Andrian the sixth, de sacr. confir. ar. 3. ad. 2. pag. 55. saith, It is certaine that the Pope may erre. So iudged Innocen∣tius the fourth. So also haue learned men formerly held; as Ger∣son (of which opinion are the Sorbonists,) who hold, that the Pope might erre.

Bosius dares to write, that the Pope may be an heretike, wri∣ting, teaching, and preaching heresies.

Stapleton confesseth it to be no matter of Faith, but of opini∣on onely, because so many famous and renowned Diuines haue euer held the contrary; as Gerson, Almaine, Occam, almost all the Parisians, Durandus; whereto may bee added Waldensis, Turrecremata, and Erasmus; yea, Alphonsus de Castro holdeth them impudent flatterers, which say otherwise. And Cathari∣nus giueth this reason, because the holy Ghost doth not alway, and in euery worke assist him.

They which flatter the Pope, hold, that he may erre; First, as a man. Secondly, as a priuate Doctor; so Gregory de Ʋalentia; and this, saith Salmeron, is a common opinion. Thirdly, as a Bi∣shop; so Hart yeelds it in his conference with Doctor Raynolds. Fourthly, as Pope in a matter of fact, so acknowledgeth Bellar∣mine. Fifthly, as Pope, in discoursing about matters of Faith, his reasons may not bee apt nor necessary, and it is not worth the labour to rippe them vp to the quicke, or to rest in them. Thus writes Canus and Stapleton, In arguing he may bee de∣ceiued and erre. Onely they hold, that hee cannot erre in the conclusion. How likely is this? What wise man will beleeue it?

2. Martin the fifth consented with the Councell of Basil and Constance, that the Pope might erre. But Eugenius the fourth, with the Councell of Ferrara and Florence, held the con∣trary. The one side must needes erre.

3. The Papists doe not rest, in shewing full obedience to the Popes decrees, which argueth, that they beleeue not all things to be infallible truths which they decree. As for example.

The Pope, in the Councell of Trent, decreed the Apocrypha bookes to be canonicall: and yet since then, Driedo, Sigonius and Sixtus Senensis haue questioned and re••ected them. He also there decreed, that the Latin vulgar translation should bee au∣thenticall, and in all publike readings, disputations, preachings and expositions so vsed, and none vnder what pretence soeuer, to reiect it. Yet Galatinus and Canus are bold to taxe it of cor∣ruption.

If any desire more particulars of the Popes decrees in Coun∣cels, and yet how Papists doe vary from the same, reade Doctor Whites Way.

By this their dealing, it is very cleare, that they hold no such infallibility in Popes, no, not decreeing things in general Coun∣cels.

4. Councels of the Popish Church, haue condemned and de∣posed some: As Ioh. 22. who made a mocke at the Gospell, and at the immortalitie of the soule, and was condemned by the Councell of Constance, which calleth him an incarnate diuell.

So Eugenius the fourth, condemned by the Councell of Basil, as an heretike, an infidell, a limbe of the diuell, and as a capitall enemie to the truth.

The Councell of Pisa, consisting of 1000. Diuines and Law∣yers, deposed two Popes, Gregorie the twelfth, and Bennet the thirteenth, for schismatickes and heretikes.

Lastly, the complaints vttered by Papists, doe shew how Popes may erre.

Francis. Victoria speaking of immoderate dispensations, saith, that a Councell should doe well to bridle him.

Saint Briget speakes thus of the Popes, They are tormentors of soules, and doe teare in pieces the flocke of Christ, &c.

The Councell at Rhemes, vnder Hugh Capet, hauing com∣plained of the times and Popes differing from their predeces∣sors, saith thus, And must so many seruants of God throughout the World be subiect vnto him? So wicked they were, as Pla∣tina, after a long deploring of the Tyranny, impietie and hypo∣crisie, which then reigned in Popes, brake out into these spee∣ches, There can hardly be mercy enough in God for the Popes.

and Petrach durst to say, that the greatest harme that one can wish to a man, is, to be Pope. All these things considered, we may beleeue without doubting, that the Pope may erre.

So then, the Papists virtuall Church may erre.

The Scriptures obiected answered.

Ioh. 11. 49, 51. Caiphas spake this not of himselfe, but being high Priest that yeere, he prophesied, that Iesus should die for the Nation.

Answ. Caiaphas was a wicked man many wayes, and in part an vsurper, as the Rhemists confesse: a very fit patterne & Patron for the Pope. But to answer to the place obiected, for the Popes not erring: First, this was but once by speciall direction, and therefore cannot hence be concluded any perpetuall assurance of direction. Its cleare by that which followed: for this man in another Councell, Mat. 26. 57, 59. heard and accepted of false witnesses, condemned Christ for a blasphemer, vers. 60. 62, 65. and in another Assembly tooke counsell to put him to death, Mat. 27. 1. Secondly, this speaketh of prophesie, an ex∣traordinarie gift to this man then. Thirdly, though the man here was a lewd wicked vsurper; yet was his office of Gods own appointment. What is this to the Popes Antichristian su∣premacie, an office of the diuell, and not of Gods ordinance? Fourthly, If this place afford assurance of an vnerring spirit to the Pope, it must be either in respect of the mans person, or office, or chaire he sate in. But none of these. First, not of his person, who was a wicked vsurper, and Christs enemie. And will the Pope plead his person? Secondly, not of his office, for that is changed, as the Apostle in Hebrewes doth witnesse. Thirdly, not of the chaire; for the seate had no such vertue in it to keepe him safe from error, as before is noted in Mat 26. 57, 59, 61, 62, 65. and 27. 1. for the chaire either had then lost his vertue, and then can it not keepe from error: or it was not the chaires vertue which made Caiaphas to prophesie; and then is it idle to boast of the chaire: or else paraduenture the vertue was in it, but not alwayes operatiue; and then is it vncertaine, when

it will worke, to keepe the man from error which sits therein, so as he may some time or other erre, or be left in doubt whether he doth erre or no. This being the state of that chaire, how can the Pope clayme an vnerring spirit from this? Fourthly, though the Euangelist Iohn, guided by Gods Spirit, did expound the meaning of the words otherwise then Caiphas euer meant them; yet those in Councell with him, vnderstood them not spiritual∣ly, but tooke them as vttred in State policie, for outward peace and safetie of the Nation; as is cleare in Ioh. 11. 48, 53. So as he erred in his owne scope, and they in apprehending the words in another drift and sense, then God did intend by them. Therfore as Caiphas and his companie herein erred, so may the Pope and conclaue of Cardinals, for any helpe to the contrary that they can get from this place.

Luk. 22. 31. I haue prayed that thy faith faile not.

Answ. 1. This is spoken of Peter, and not of the Pope. 2. This was in respect of a future lapse in Peter, which Christ foresaw, more then in any of the Apostles, as the euent decla∣red. 3. This is meant of Peters owne particular inward grace of faith, which was terribly shaken, when he denied and forswore his Master, and not of his teaching in the execution of his mi∣nisterie. For why should Christ pray more for Peters teaching, then for the rest, whom Christ sent out as well as him, to teach all Nations?

Mat. 16. 18. This text is spoken vnto Peter, of the Churches preseruation against the gates of hell: but speaketh nothing of Peters not erring, much lesse of the Popes; of whom Christ in this place neuer dreamed. And its cleare by Scripture, that the gates of hell preuailed against Peter, after Christ had vttered these words vnto him, though not totally and finally to destru∣ction, yet in a great measure to transgression, and fearefull fal∣ling.

Mat. 23. 2. This is very largely answered before; and there is it fully proued, that these Scribes and Pharises erred grosly in many things.

Ioh. 21. 15, 16, 17. This text speakes of Peters dutie, that as he loued Christ, he should feed his lambes; but speakes not a

word of his not erring, who after this was found ignorant in some things of the nature of Christs Kingdome, Act. 1. 6. of going to the Gentiles, and eating things forbidden by the Law, abrogated by Christ, Act. 10. 12, 14. and he also erred at Antioch, Gal. 2. But if this did cleare Peter, what maketh it for the Pope, who shewes no loue to Christ in feeding his lambes? If he neuer teach, then he may be sure neuer to erre in that kind.

Exod. 28. 30. First, what this Vrim and Thummim was, can no man tell. Secondly, though Aaron had it, yet he foully erred in the golden Calfe, in making it, in building an Altar before it, and proclaiming a feast thereupon to the Lord, Exod. 32. 4, 5 And did not Vrijah erre in the dayes of wicked Ahaz, 2. King. 16. 11, 16? So the high Priest in Christs time? Therefore this place alledged to proue that the high Priest could not erre, is much abused. Thirdly, what is this to the Pope, who is neither Gods high Priest (for such is there now none, but Iesus Christ onely;) neither hath this Vrim & Thummim, which Aaron had?

Notes

• Alphonsus de Castro, haeres. li. 4. ca. 4. Platina in Iul. 1. * See Master Alex. Cooke his booke of this, which no Pa∣pist hath vn∣dertaken to answere. See such Au∣thors as haue set out the Popes liues. Platina and other.
• Benno. Platina. Supplementum Chronic.
• Alphons. li. 1. ca. 4. de haeres. Trent. Conc. sect. 8. can. 3. sub Pio 4.
• Euseb. li. 5. c. 26.
• Acts 16.
• Can. 105.
• Arbor. Theo∣soph. li. 4. ca. 32. De potestat. Ec∣clesiae consid. 10. 11. De signis Eccle∣siae li. 18. ca. 6.
• Controuers. 3. qu. 4.
• De haeres. li. 1. cap. 4. De certitud. Grae. assert. 13.
• Analys. li. 8. on Gal. 2. ca. 7. di∣uis. 5. pa. 355.
• Li. 4. de P. Rom. cap. 12.
• Loc. Theol. l. 6. cap. 8. princ. doct. l. 8. ca. 14. & 15.
• De Script. & Dogm. Eccle. li. 1 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lt Comment in Seu〈…〉〈…〉 Bibl〈…〉〈…〉 4. 44. De a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 li. ••. ca. 7. Loc li. 11. ca. 5. pag. 3••1. Digres 26. sect. 7. pa. 169.
• Theod. Niem. de schis. li. 3. ca. 44. pa. 91.
• De potestat. pap. & Concil.
• In her Reuel.