Anti-Mortonus or An apology in defence of the Church of Rome. Against the grand imposture of Doctor Thomas Morton, Bishop of Durham. Whereto is added in the chapter XXXIII. An answere to his late sermon printed, and preached before His Maiesty in the cathedrall church of the same citty..

SECT. I. That it acknowledged the supreme Authority of the B. and Church of Rome.

THAT the sixth Generall Councell was called by the Authority of the B. of Rome, I haue already proued(n). And that it acknowledged the vniuersall iu∣risdiction of the Pope ouer the whole Church, is declared by Constantine the Emperor, who speaking to the Roman Synod held vnder Agatho, calls him, Vniuersall Father, and Vniuersall Arch-Pastor(o); and by the Councell it selfe(p) cal∣ling him. Bishop of the first See, and of the vniuersall Church. And speaking of the Epistle of Agatho sent from the Roman Councell to the Emperor, they receaue it as of the holy Ghost, dictated from the mouth of the holy and most Blessed Peter Prince of the Apostles, and written by the hand of the thrice blessed Pope A∣gatho. And againe:(q) We assent (say they) and agree to the

dogmaticall Epistle of our most holy Father, the soueraigne Pope A∣gatho (sent to your Highnesse,) and to the suggestion of the holy Synod of 225. Fathers vnder him. And a litle after, speaking of the same Epistle, and acknowledging Agatho to be the Suc∣cessor of S. Peter, they adde: The paper and inke appeared, but it was Peter that did speake by Agatho.

One of the things which Agatho spake in that Epistle(r) was, that the Roman Church hath neuer bene stayned with error, & that the whole Catholike Church, all the Councells, & all the Venerable Fathers, and all the holy Doctors haue imbraced her authority, and re∣uerenced, and followed her Apostolicall Doctrine; which contrarily, the heretikes haue maliciously derogated from, and persecuted. And speaking of the same Church to the Emperor, and his two sonnes(s): This your spirituall Mother the Apostolicall Church of Christ by the grace of Almighty God, shall neuer be proued to haue erred from the track of Apostolicall tradition, nor by any deprauation to haue yelded to hereticall nouelties; but as from the beginning of the Christian fayth, the receaued it pur•• from her authors the Princes of Christes Apostles; so she remaineth vntill the end, according to the di∣uine promise which our Lord and Sauiour made to the Prince of his Disciples in the Ghospells, saying: Peter, Peter, Satan hath required to sift you, as one that sifteth wheat: but I haue prayed for thee, that thy fayth faile not, and thou being once conuerted, confirme thy Bre∣thren. Your Clemency therfore consider, that our Lord and Sauiour of all, who hath faythfully promised that the fayth of Peter shall not faile, admonished him to confirme his brethren; which that my Apo∣stolicall predecessors haue alwayes assuredly performed, is a thing noto∣rious to all men. And because Theodorus Patriarke of Con∣stantinople, was a Monothelite, & (as Anastasius testifieth(t) condemned with Pyrrhus, and the rest of that Sect, in this sixth Councell, he addeth; that, Since the Bishops of Con∣stantinople haue endeauored to bring hereticall Nouelties into the Church of Christ, his Apostolicall predecessors of holy memory, haue neuer ceased to exhort, and admonish them to desist from hereticall error, lest by holding one will and operation in Christ, they should oc∣casion a beginning of diuision in the vnity of the Church.

Notes

• (n)

  Chap. 17. sect. 1.
• (o)

  Syn. 6. Act. 18.
• (p)

  Ibid.
• (q)

  Ibid.
• (r)

  Apud Bin. to. ••. pag. 11.
• (s)

  Ibid.
• (t)

  In vita Agathon.