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 ...

XVII. Proposition. That the Church of Rome hath euer beene in perfect vni∣ty within it selfe:

Confuted by their owne Bible.

FOr euen in the Apostles dayes, when Saint Paul wrote his E∣pistles, there were in the Romane Church some, which then made dissentions and scandals, contrary to the doctrine which they had learned, which serued not Christ our Lord, but their owne bellies, Rom. 16, 17, 18. as yet they now doe at Rome. There were vncharitable contentions and iudging of one another about things in themselues indifferent, about eating, and not eating, as also about superstitious obseruing of dayes, Rom. 14. in and about which two things, a great deale of their Religion consists to this day. And if shee hath beene in such vnity alwaies within her selfe, how is it happened, that she is become the great Whore, Reu. 17. and that her Head the Pope, is become that Man of Sinne, 2. Thes. 2. and that Antichrist, the beast like a Lambe, which speaketh as the Dra∣gon, Reu. 13?

Contraried by Antiquity.

I. There is no vnity betweene the Popes and Peter, whom they make their Predecessor. See for this, Catal. Test. verit. pa. 27. 62, &c. Saint Peters life and the Popes compared; Saint Peters Doctrine in his Epistles, and the Popes Decrees toge∣ther.

II. Not betweene Pope and Pope. Not in iudgement: for Martin the fift held with the Councell of Constance, and Euge∣nius the fourth with Ferrara and Florence, against the other, concerning the Popes not erring, and his Authority ouer Coun∣cels. Not in authorizing the Latine Translation: For Pope Six∣tus 5. set out his Edition with his fullest power, as not to bee a∣mended; yet comes Clement 8. with his corrected Edition in many hundred places afterwards. Not in Decrees: for Formo∣sus his Decrees were disannulled by Stephanus, and this Popes by another. Not in affection, as is euident by the so many and so long continued Schismes. Onuphrius reckons vp aboue thir∣tie notorious schismes. Not in life: for though bad inough all of them, after they became Popes, especially from the time of Boniface, yet some were Necromancers, some Mortherers, some Atheisticall contempers of the Gospell, some bloudy Warriers; how many of them filthy Fornicators, and Adulterers, it is not to be told.

III. Not betweene Pope and Councels: for these haue de∣posed Popes. As the Councell of Constance did Iohn the 22; that of Basil, Eugenius the 4. that of Pisa, Gregory 12, and Bennet the 13.

IV. Not betweene Pope and his Cardinals. For of them he hath put out the eyes of some, and caused other to be thrattled: and some of them haue opposed him in their Writings.

V. Not betweene the Pope, and the learned in that Church: such were beside many others, Marsilius of Padua, Dantes Alei∣gerius, Occham, the Doctors of Paris: the state and Diuines of Venice, of late dayes, in an opposition, did not regard the Popes iudgement.

VI. Not betweene the parts of the Popes Lawes; for the Decrees and Decretals are often at odds.

VII. Not betweene Councell and Councell: for Constance and Basil, were against Ferrara and Florence.

VIII. Not betweene the Canonists and Glossaries: for they iarre, and are at difference one with another.

IX. Not betweene the Schoolemen: for among them are particular Sect-Masters, whose Schollers are called after their

names, Thomists, Scotists, Albertists, Occhamists, opposing one another.

X. Not betweene the Friers; for the Dominicans and Fran∣ciscans spent whole ages in Controuersies, one holding one thing, and another another opinion, about the Conception of the Virgin Mary, which bred other differences also.

XI. Not betweene the Priests and the Iesuites: let herein beare witnesse, The Iesuits Catechisme, The sparing Discourse, and other bookes, with all virulencie written one against ano∣ther, in the English tongue.

XII. Not betweene the Learned, of what sort soeuer: for in their writings they crosse one another, in many points of their Religion; and namely, in all those which maintaine the truth with vs, against others of that Romish Faction, as in ma∣ny particulars is already before, and afterwards shall be further shewed. And farther for this, let the Reader reade Pappus, con∣cerning the discord among Papists, Doctor Hall, Deane of Worcester his Booke, called the Peace of Rome; and Doctor White his Way, pa. 154. 155. to 161.

XIII. Not betweene the Inquisitors: for they differ in their iudgement about the purging of Bookes; some allowing for orthodoxe, that which other will not let passe for sound: as may be seene in the Indices expurgatorij of Spaine, Antwerpe, and Rome, varying one from another. See for this, Doctor Iames his Mysterie of the Indices expurgatorij, pag. 15.

XIV. Not betweene the People: for euen among them be differing opinions. As Master Moulin in his Buckler of Faith, sheweth from his owne experience, pag. 279. and as wee may finde among Papists with vs, when they are conferred withall apart one from another.

Gainsaid by their owne men.

From the Papists themselues may the discord of the Romish Church be noted: from their owne Historians, from such as haue written the Popes liues, and from such as in their writings doe acknowledge the differences among them, as Bellarmine himselfe doth confesse very many, and so Nauarre. For which

reade Doctor Hals forenamed booke, intituled, The Peace of Rome, in hundreds of differences.

Many Scriptures are alledged to proue, that vnitie ought to be in the Church; which we acknowledge, and pray for. But yet they proue not their Churches vnitie.

Notes

• See Rainolds against Hart. pag. •• 33.