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 ...

XVIII. Proposition. That Saint Peter was Prince of the Apostles, and had a primacie of Power and Authoritie aboue all the other Apostles:

Confuted by their owne Bible.

1. IT telleth vs, how Iesus Christ reproued the contention, which arose about their vaine conceit of Superioritie one aboue another. This hee plainely condemned, and as plainely told them, that there should bee no such Superioritie among them, as they did dreame of: and therefore hee exhorted them to humilitie; yea, in such a sort, as that hee keepeth him downe as the inferiour Minister, and Seruant of the rest, that would be greatest among them, Mat. 20. 24, 25, 26, 27. Mar. 10. 42, 43, 44. Luke 22. 24, 25, 26.

2. By their Bible wee are giuen to vnderstand, that all the Apostles are euery way made equall: in the like chusing and manner of calling, Math. 4. 18. 21. In the like Commission giuen to all at once, Mat. 28. 19, 20. & 10. 5. Mar. 16. the like power, Mat. 10. 1. the same authoritie, Ioh. 20. 21, 23. the same bene∣diction, Luk. 24. 50, 51. In breathing on them with one and the same breath, his holy Spirit, Ioh. 20. 22. In making them all Apostles, in office the same, and in title, Luk. 6. 13. For the Apo∣stles were the chiefest of all appointed in the Church, Eph. 4. 11. 1. Cor. 12. 28. All therefore being Apostles, they were equall; for a higher dignity amongst them there was not. They were all called foundations, Reuel. 21. 14. They were all installed into

their Apostleship by one and the same meanes, Act. 2 1, 2, 3, 4. They were all ordained to one and the same end; to bee with him, to goe and preach, Mar. 3. 14, 15. & 16. 15. to be witnesses of him to the vtmost parts of the Earth, Act. 1. 8. and all of them at the length to sit and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israel, Mat. 19. 28. The Lord made no difference among them. If any had been, it may seeme to haue been in Iohn. 1. For he, with his brother, was Christs neerest kinsman. 2. He was called the Dis∣ciple whom Christ loued. 3. Hee and his Brother were called Boanerges, Mar. 3. 17. sonnes of thunder. 4. He was euer one with Christ: as in his transfiguration, Math. 17. 1. and in other places, Mat. 26. 37. Mar. 5. 37. 5. Hee was the onely Disci∣ple, after whom Peter made enquirie, what he should doe, and of whom a saying went abroad, that he should not dye. 6. He was the onely Disciple, that went boldly in with Christ, and when he was in the High Priests house, hee brought in Peter. 7. He was the onely Disciple that stood by Christ when he was vpon the Crosse. 8. He was the onely Apostle to whom Christ committed his Mother, to take care of her. 9. Hee was the onely Apostle, which Christ would haue to call his Mother, Mother, and she to hold him as her sonne. 10. He, with Mat∣thew was the onely Apostle that did write a Gospell, adding thereto three Epistles. 11. He was the onely Apostle that was rapt in Spirit on the Lords day, to receiue the Reuelation of Ie∣sus Christ by an Angell, foretelling the Churches estate to the worlds end. 12. Lastly, hee was of all the rest that liued, the longest, and alone after them all. In these was hee farre beyond Peter. He neuer denied his Master, as Peter did. Hee was neuer called Satan, as Peter was. Yet for all these excellencies in Iohn, the Papists will not haue any Chiefty in him. And surely, if these eminencies wil not afford him the Headship among them; it cannot be found in Peter, who attained not to such excellen∣cies.

Contraried by Antiquitie.

Cyprian. de vnitat. Eccles. Verily the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was, endued with equall fellowship, both of honour and authoritie.

Ierome aduers. Iouin. lib. 1. All the Apostles receiued the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen; and the strength of the Church was established equally vpon them all.

Origen on Math. 16. tract. 1. saith of the Keyes, that they were not giuen to Peter alone, but to all alike, and that which Christ said, was spoken in common to them all.

Ambrose de incarnat. cap. 4. saith, that Peter receiued the Primacie of confession, not of honour; the primacie of Faith, not of Degree.

Rabanus Maurus de institut. Clericorum, lib. 1. cap. 4. saith, That the rest of the Apostles were fellowlike with Peter, in Ho∣nour and Authoritie:

Gainesaid by some of their owne side.

Aquinas. id opuse. 20. calleth all the Apostles the Vicars of Christ.

Cusanus lib. 1. de concord. Cathol. cap. 13. Wee know that S. Peter hath not receiued more authoritie of Christ, then the rest of the Apostles. In the Masse they singing to Christ, pray that he would keepe his flocke by the holy Apostles, who are there called Vicars of his worke.

Gratian, dist. 21. in Nouo. 24. 4. c. loquitur. Nothing was said to Peter, that was not said to the rest of the other Apostles, who according to S. Ierome, are all the Fundamentall stones of the Church, Reuel. 21.

Leo first Bishop of Rome, in Aniuers. die assump. suae ad Pon∣tificatum. Ser. 3. saith, I giue thee the Keyes, was a power trans∣ferred to all the Apostles.

Scriptures obiected, answered.

Mat. 10. 20. Now the names of the twelue Apostles are these; the first Simon, who is called Peter, &c. Because he is first na∣med, therefore they will conclude a Headship ouer the rest.

Answ. Here is no expresse word of Headship, but in num∣bering the Twelue, the first beginneth with Peter. So he is one∣ly first here in reckoning, in order of numbring, but not of com∣manding superioritie. Saint Marke chap. 3. 16. & Luke 6. 14. leaue out the word first, in naming of the Apostles. And Saint Paul in naming the Apostles with Peter, giueth him not the first place, Gal. 2. 9. He is first reckoned, for that hee was first called by Christ, Mat. 4. 18. Andrew knew Christ before him, and brought him to Christ: but when Christ called them to follow him, and to be his Disciples, Peter is first in that place of Mat∣thew. For when Andrew brought him to Christ, neither of them were as yet called by him to follow him, for that was not till Iohn the Baptist was imprisoned. Andrew was Iohns Disciple, and his knowing of Christ was this, by Iohns teaching, Ioh. 1. 35, 36, 40. and he brought Peter to Christ, vers. 41, 42. but An∣drew abode with Christ but that day, verse 39. neither did hee as yet leaue his Master Iohn: but when Iohn was imprisoned, both Andrew and Peter returned to their calling, Mar. 1. 14, 16. In which vocation Christ found them, and then called them, and the first of them was Simon; Math. 4. 18. And hereupon being first named when he was called, and the first called of all the Apostles by Mathews relation, chap. 4. he is in the reckoning of the 12. first named by him, in chap. 10. 21. and so by the other Euangelists. For it is the Rhemists errour, to say that Andrew was first called; and a common mistake to yeeld them so much: whereby they seeme to take more hold from this place, and from the rest where Peter is first named, then there is iust cause, although the argument is of it selfe very weake, as by the for∣mer Reasons is euident, and as before hath beene proued. For Reuben was first in the numbring, but Iudah for all that was chiefe in gouernment.

Math. 16. 19. I will giue vnto thee the Keyes, &c.

The Gagger will haue Peter chiefe, for that he supposeth the Keyes were giuen to him onely.

Answ. 1. The question which Christ propounded, was to all the Apostles, verse 13. 15. though Peter readiest euer to speake, made the answer; yet not onely for himselfe, but for all the rest, as appeareth in verse 20, where our Sauiour commandeth them all, not Peter alone, not to tell that he was Christ which shew∣eth that they all knowing it, would haue professed as much, if Peter had not preuented them. Therefore his answer beeing for all, Christs power giuen thereupon was generall to all.

Secondly, the Keyes giuen, are no such things as belong one∣ly to Peter; but are common to all. See before, an answer to this place.

Thirdly, the words following in this Text, Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth, &c. containing the action, or office of the Keyes, belong to all, Math. 18. 18. which power here was giuen not onely to Peter, but also to the other Apostles, by the Rhe∣mists owne confession.

Fourthly, Iesus Christ, when hee breathed on them the Holy Ghost, Ioh. 21. 22, 23. (which with one bredth he gaue to all, saying, As my Father sent me, so I send you) and gaue them all power of forgiuing, and retaining of sinnes, which is the power of the Keyes here spoken of, Christ sent all his Apostles, as his Father sent him: Therefore Peter cannot haue more authoritie then the rest, vnlesse they can proue that Peter was sent by Christ, otherwise then Christ himselfe was sent by his Father.

Fiftly, the words are a promise of giuing the Keyes, and power to bind and loose, to remit and retain sinnes, afterwards, and not the giuing of them now: but this promise, wee see, was not performed to Peter alone, but to all the Apostles, Ioh. 20. 23. not then naming Peter; and therefore this promise was made vnto all; and so intended to be performed, as the fulfilling sheweth.

Lastly, the Fathers are of the same opinion with vs, touching the meaning of this Text: See before Origen, Ambrose, and the same on Psal. 39. Austin in Iohan. tract. 118. Theophylact

on Mathew 16. Beda on this Text.

1. Cor. 3. 4, 22. One saith, I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, I of Christ.

The Gagger here from the order would proue Peter chiefe next Christ. Lo, saith he, how from those, which he would haue esteemed the lesser, he ascendeth to those whom he would haue esteemed the greater.

Answ 1. The mans wit went a grazing, when he wrote this. For if he so conclude from the order, then Paul must be inferi∣our to Apollos, when Paul was an Apostle and a Planter: but Apollos no Apostle, and onely a waterer, 1. Cor. 3. 6.

2. In Mat. 10. 2. he would haue Peter the chiefe, because hee was named first: now here the chiefe, because hee is named in a third place. Saint Paul, Gal. 2. 9. puts him in the second place betweene two: and will not they hold him the chiefe for this too? Doth not vertue consist in the midst? for put him in the first place, as in Mat. 10. in the third place, as in 1. Cor. 3. 4, 22. or in the second, as in Gal. 2. 9. its with them a pro∣found Reason, to make him alwayes the chiefe; for he may take what place he listeth. Deepe Diuinitie, and an inuincible Rea∣son! Though Saint Paul in Gal. 2. takes himselfe to be nothing inferiour to him, or to other which seemed to bee Pillars; and was inferiour to none of the great Apostles, 1. Cor. 11. 5. & 12. 11. vpon this Text, Chrysostome shewes, that S. Paul compared himselfe with the Apostles, euen with Peter and the rest.

Luk. 22. 31. And the Lord said, Simon, &c. When thou art conuerted, strengthen thy Brethren.

Answ. This place proueth not any Headship ouer the Apostles.

First, hee is called Simon, by his common name, and not Peter, which our Aduersaries stand vpon, and make their chiefe argument.

Secondly, this place is to forewarne him of his fearfull temp∣tation, and so of his fall thereby, the vtter peril wherof he should escape, not by himselfe, or his owne power and grace, but by Christs mediation. What, is this to haue a Headship?

Thirdly, it teacheth him a duty, when hee should be con∣uerted, and be recouered from vnder the fall, that hee should confirme others. If by confirming, the Gagger will hence con∣clude the practice and exercise of greatnesse ouer the Apostles; then Saint Paul and Barnabas had this greatnesse too. For they did confirme others, Act. 14. 21. and Paul and Silas, Act. 15. 41. 1. Thes. 3. 2. yea it is a common Duty of euery Pastor. Is eue∣ry one that confirmeth, made thereby a Superiour in Rule, and Gouernment? Then a Priest confirming his Soueraigne, is his Superiour. And by this, Saint Paul was Peters Superiour: for he brought Peter backe from his by-path, both by reproofe, and publike teaching of the truth, and so confirmed him, who for feare did before goe astray, Gal. 2. 11, 17.

Fourthly, the Lord Iesus (if they will here vnderstand the Apostles) calleth them Simons Brethren, and so giueth them equalitie.

Lastly, where are the Gaggers expresse words for Peters Headship, out of this place? Is it in strengthening? A poore strength to support such a Babylonish Tower.

Luk. 22. 26. He that is greatest among you, let him be yonger, and he that is Chiefe, as he that doth serue.

Answ. 1. The words in the beginning of this verse are against Chiefety; for it is said, It shall not be so with you: when they were at strife for Superioritie.

Secondly, the meaning of the Greatest, and Chiefe, on which the Gagger doth fasten his teeth, doth not imply as hee preten∣deth, any Chiefety among them: but Christ speaketh according to their aspiring minds; not of them, as any of them were, but as some of them desired to be, as is cleare by the speech and Petition of the Mother of Zebedees children, Mat. 20. 20, 27.

Thirdly, the occasion and the very scope of the place, is against all Superioritie in the Apostles.

Fourthly, it cannot be shewed, that any of them all did either claime, or practise any superioritie; or taught in their writings any such thing.

Fiftly, they did striue verse 24. for superioritie, which of

them should seeme the greater. As yet therefore there was no such greatnesse settled among them.

6. If any such thing had beene, or had beene intended by Christ to be conferred vpon Peter, he had, vpon this, iust occa∣sion to haue decided the Controuersie: as surely he would haue done in Peters behalfe, in a matter of so great consequence, as our Aduersaries make it, as he did in the behalfe of Moses and Aaron, to appease the contention against them, Num. 16. & 17. 10. But Christ telleth them all, that no such thing should be a∣mong them, in this text, and giueth the rest authoritie to pull downe the spirit of him that would seeke to be Chiefe, to make him as a Seruant; as is euident in the words of the text. There∣fore here is nothing for any authoritie in Peter: Nor indeed in any other Scripture.

Notes

• Ioh. 1. 41, 42.
• Cyprian. Ep 71. ad Quint. Greg. in Ezech. hom. 18. are of this iudgement, that Peter was first called.