The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

Paragr. 9. Saint Cyprian, concerning Appeales.

Pontificians labour to credite the Popes supremacie by appealesr, saying; That he as supreame Ecclesiasticall Iudge ouer the whole world, had authoritie in the Primitiue Church, to entertaine and call before him the suites and con∣trouersies of all other Churches, and to heare and determine the same in his consistorie as the highest tribunall, from which there lay no appeale, no not to the generall Councells.

The Protestants disproue this assertion and claimet by sundry testimonies; among the which one is taken out of Cyprian, which the Popish Priest quarrelleth in this Section.

T. W. First, Cyprian condemned the Nouatian Hereticks, because of the circumstance and manner of their fact, and not for the thing it selfe, to wit, because they sayled to Rome with merchandise of lies, and endeuoured to breake the vnitie of the Church; and because they appealed without iust cause, and after conuiction.

Answ. Cyprianu both condemneth the accidents and manner, and also the very act of appeale in it selfe, for thus he writeth; It is iust that each mans fault be heard and iudged where the same is committed, and where the accusers and witnesses be present. This speech condemnes appeales to forreine places, in what fashion soeuer. Then he af∣firmeth, That euery Bishop within his owne iurisdiction, hath a certaine portion of the Lords flocke, committed vnto his

proper care and iudgement, whereof he must yeeld account to God. Hence it followeth, that the Romane Bishop hath nothing to doe with other mens flockes, and that he can∣not be a Iudge of their causes, for whose well or euill do∣ing he is to render no account. Reade another testimony of Cyprian, placed in the margentt.

But this notwithstanding the Popish Priest vrgeth two things out of Cyprian, materiall, as he pretendeth, both to confirme the matter of appeales, and also the suprema∣cy of the Pope.

T.W. If those Heretickes censured by the Bishops of Afri∣ca appealed to Rome, that so they might euade their present pu∣nishment, this argueth, that appeales were then in vse.

Answ. Preposterous dealing of Hereticks, is no Ar∣gument to proue a right. For in the like manner Nesto∣rius at the Ephesine Councell, appealed to the Empe∣ror, and to another Councell, yet there was no right for such appeales.

T. W. Cyprian calleth Rome the Chaire of Peter, and principall Church, from whence priestly vnity ariseth: And saith, the Romanes were they vnto whom vntruth could haue no accesse.

Answ. First, The Chaire of Peteru, had no greater iuris∣diction then the other Apostles, as Cyprian himselfe af∣firmethx, saying; The rest of the Apostles were the same with Peter, endued with equall fellowship of honour and po∣wer. Secondly, Rome is called Peters Chaire, because it was in those daies doctrinae salutaris cathedra, the seate of

wholesome faith and doctriney, receiued from Peter and other Apostles. But this prerogatiue was common to o∣ther Churches.

Neither doth the name of principall Church argue Mo∣narchie and papall Supremacie: for principall is spoken of many things, which are equall and of the same kind: the heart and head are principall members of the bodie: Tygris and Euphrates are principall riuers; Iames, Ce∣phas, and Iohn, are chiefe or principall Apostles, 2. Cor. 11.5. And a Church may be called principall for sundry reasons, whereof Popish supremacie is none. The Ro∣mane was a principall Church, in regard it was planted or watered by Paul and Peterz, principall Apostles: in re∣spect of worthy Bishops and Pastors, who liued in the same vntill Cyprians age: in regard of many eminent spi∣rituall graces abounding in it: and lastly, because of the celebritie of the Citie where it was, being the seate of the Empire.

And priestly vnitie arose from the Romane Church, neither onely, nor as from a Monarch ouer other Chur∣ches: but first by way of example, in that it was a presi∣dent of vnitie to others: secondly, by meanes of doctrine and exhortation, whereby it perswaded neighbour and fellow Churches to vnitie. Lastly, whereas Cyprian af∣firmeth, that vntruth or perfidiousnesse can haue no accesse to the Romanes: (which words some Papistsa haue produ¦ced in proofe, that the Romane Church cannot erre:

I answer, 1. That he speaketh of vntruth in matter of fact, and not of faith: and therefore the place is imperti∣nent, because our Aduersariesb confesse, the Romane Church may therein erre. Secondly, Cyprians words are not assertiue and positiue, simply importing, that vn∣truth

could haue no accesse to the Romanes: for then why doth he so carefully premonish and informe them, that they might not erre? but he vttereth a charitable o∣pinion he had of them, and rehearseth their praises, there∣by exciting them to performe their dutie, and to satisfie the good conceit which he and others had of them: but the world is changed with the Romans since those daies, as it is with many other Churches.

T. W. When Maister White sheweth me in this Epistle of Cyprian, these words obiected: The vnitie of Bishops is bro∣ken, when men runne from their owne Bishops to the Bishop of Rome: I will publikely declaime him, The cunningest Optician, or rather Magitian, that the whole ministery of England affordeth.

Answ. It is said of some, that they cannot see wood for trees; and the holy Ghost affirmeth of others, that they haue eyes and see not, Isaiah 6.10. Ioh. 9.3.9. 2. Thess. 2.10c. The thing and matter from whence these words are inferred, is found in Cyprian; and therefore the shewing thereof in bare lettersd is not materiall. And touching your liuerie of Optician, Magitian, &c. surely vnlesse you be of the kindred of that Cat, whereof your Antonine speaketh in his Storiee, I see no reason why you should not passe from one matter to another, with∣out leauing a stinke behind you. But howsoeuer, peru∣sing your Stories of the Romane Cleargie, we obserue sundry Popes, Priests, and Monkes, to haue beene no∣torious Magitiansf: but to finde one such in the English

ministerie, I thinke it will not bee easie for you, though your education be in a nursery of tales, and your self haue Cats or Lamia her eies.

Notes

• r

  Linda. Panopl. l. 4. c. 89. Quo Romani Ponti∣ficis prae alijs ecclesiarum epi¦scopis, principa∣tus eluceat, ex ipsa episcoporū omnium ad ip∣sum appella∣tione, &c. Bellar. de Pon∣tif. l. 2. c. 21. Siluest. sum. verb. Apellatio. & alij summiste v. Apellatio.
• s

  Turrecrem. sum. de eccles. l. 3. c. 47. & 48. & 49. Iacobat. de con∣cil. l 10. ar 1.
• t

  Bishop Iuel. challenge, ar. 4. pag. 197.
• u

  Cypr. ep. 55. or l. 1. ep. 3. Vide Gregor m. epist. l. 11. ep. 56. cum nouel. Iu∣stinian. 123. Si quis, &c.
• t

  Cypr. orat. ad Concil. Carthag de haeret. baptis. Neque quisquā nostrûm episco∣pum se esse epi∣scoporum con∣stituit, aut tyrā∣nico terrore ad obsequendi ne∣cessitatem, col∣legas suos adi∣git, quando ha∣beat omnis epi∣scopus pro li∣centia libertatis & potestatis suae arbitrium pro∣prium, tanquam iudicari ab alio non possit, quā nec ipse alterū iudicare. Sed expectemus v∣niuersi iudiciū Domini nostri Iesu Christi, qui solus & vnus ha∣bet potestatem, & praeponendi nos in ecclesiae suae gubernati∣one, & de actu nostro iudi∣candi.
• Concil. Ephe∣sin. 1. edit. Peltan. to. 3. ca. 20. & Append. 2. ca. 2. & 4. & 11.
• u

  Tertul. de praescript. c. 36. Percurre ecclesias Apostolicas, apud quas, ipsae adhuc cathedrae apostolorum, suis locis praesidentur, &c.
• x

  Cyprian. de vnit. eccles. Zabarel. de schism. pag. 561. B. Petrus non sic administrauit, vt occu∣paret aliorum potestatem; immo tanquam vnus ex Apostolis accepit partem administrationis.
• y

  Aug. ep 116. Chrys. ••up. Ioh. t•• 85. Cathedra Christi, eius e∣nim doctrinam acceperunt. Aug. sup Psal. 1. Cathedra pesti∣lentiae pernicio∣sa doctrina.
• Liuius lib. 4. de bel. Maced. Duae legiones, dua∣bus principalib{us} portis, signa efferre ius••ae.
• z

  Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Epiphan. haer. 27
• a

  Sande de visib mon a. l. 72. p. 58. Hos. confess. Petroc. c. 28. Greg. Martir. praef. discouery. Ioh. Driedo de eccles. dog. l. 4. c. 3. p. 3. pa 234.
• b

  Bellar de Pont l. 4. c. 7. & l. 4 c. 2. Aeneas Silu. in epist. de mor. Germ. Turrecremat. Totrensis, & alij
• c

  Aug. de nat. & grat. c. 22. Prae∣uaricatorem le∣gis diu. lux de∣serit veritatis, qua desertus v∣tique sit caecus.
• d

  Aug de gen. ad lit. l. 4. c. 5. Dum res cog∣noscitur, non e••le de vocabu∣li•• lit••gandum.
• e

  Antonin. sum. hist. tit. 23. c. 2. Viderunt muli∣eres cattum, qui habebat grossos oculos & flam∣mantes: Non compatuit, foeda post se relinquens vestigia.
• f

  Syluest. 2. chron. Mart. Polani. Platina, & alij. Hildebrand. See Benno Card. Antonin. hist p. 2. tit. 16. c. 7. §. 4. Palumbus, &c. erat Nigromanticus & in malesicijs potens. Will. Malmesbur. de gest. Reg. Anglor. Palumbus, sub∣urbanus Presbyter, erat is Necromanticis artibus instructus, &c. Magicas figuras excitare, dae∣mones territare, & ad quodlibet officium impellere.
• Papir. Masson. de episc. Vib. in Ioh. 21. Nihil cupidius audie∣bat quam ru∣mores, &c. Tacit. vit. Agrip.