1570 Edition | Book 1 | Page 44 
rocke of confession (contrary to the rule of Hilarye De Trini. lib. 6) MarginaliaHIlarius. Lib. 6.do tye the Apostleship or rocke of Peter to one onelye Byshop, and the succession of Peter, to one onely sea of Rome: wher as thys beyng a spirituall office, and not carnal, hath no such carnall rase or discent after any worldly or locall vnderstanding: but hath a more mistical meanyng, after a spirituall sense of succession, such as Hierome speaketh of, epist. ad. Euagriū. Omnes, inquit, Apostolorum successores sunt. &c.
CloseOmnes, inquit, Apostolorum successores sunt. &c. Hierony. epist. ad Euagri?.
All, sayth he (speaking of Byshops) be successours of the Apostles. &c.
P.L. Vol. 22. Col. 1194:
Caeterum omnes Apostolorum successores sunt.
Accurate citation and translation.
Of lyke force and fashion, and out of the same figure, the same autour patcheth moreouer an other argument, prouing that the Bishop of Rome was tituled the head of Christes church, in the primitiue time of the olde aunciters, before the age of Gregorye. Hys argument procedeth thus, in the third figure.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAn argumēt of the Papistes.
Saynt Peter was called by the auncient fathers,
head of Christes church.
Saynt Peter was bishop of Rome:
Ergo the Bishop of Rome was called heade of the
church, in the old auncient time.
MarginaliaAūswere to the argument.This argument expositorye, being clouted vp in the third figure, and concluding singularlye, hath rather a shew of an argument, then maketh any necessary conclusion, standing vpon no moode in the sayde figure, if þe autor therof were put to hys trial. Albeit to leaue the forme, and to come to the matter of the argumēt: First how wil he wel dispatch him selfe of the Maior, & proue vs that saint Peter, although he wer at Rome, & taught at Rome, and suffered at Rome: yet that he was bishop and proper Ordinary of that Citye and speciall Sea of Rome? MarginaliaOrosius. Tertul. lib de præscript. aduers. hære. Cipria. lib. 1. epist. 3. Hier. in catal. & epist. 42.As touching the allegation of Abdias, Orosius, Ado, Tertullian, Ciprian, Hierome, Optatus, and Austen, brought foorth for his most aduauntage, to proue hys Maior: thus I aunswer, concerning Orosius, Tertullian, Cyprian, Hierome, and Austen, that wher they speake of S. Peters chayre, or planting the fayth at Rome, straightway thys mā argueth therupon, that Peter was bishop of Rome. But that doth not clarckly follow. For the office of the Apostles was to plant the fayth in all places, and in euery region, yet were they not bishops in euery region. And as for the chayre, as it is no difference essentiall that maketh a byshop (for so much as a Doctor may haue a chayre, and yet be no bishop) so can not he conclude by the chaire of Peter, that S. Peter was bishop of Rome. For all this proueth no farther, but that Peter was at Rome, and there taught the fayth of Christ, as Paule dyd also, and peraduenture in a chayre likewyse: yet we saye not that Paule was therfore bishop of Rome. But that he was ther as an Apostle of Christ, whether he taught there standing on hys feete, or sitting in a chayre. In the scripture commonlye the chayre sygnifieth doctrine or iudgement, as sitting also declareth such as teache or iudge, whether they syt in the chayre of Moses, or in the chayre of pestilence. Planting likewise is a word Apostolical, & signifieth not onely the office of a bishop. Wherfore it is no good consequent, he sat, he taught, he planted at Rome, his chayre and seate was at Rome: Ergo he was byshop of Rome. And thus much touching Orosius, Tertullian, Cyprian, Austen.
[Back to Top]As for Abdais, Ado, Optatus, and suche other, although we should haue much wrong offred, and neuer should make an end, if we shoulde be prest with the autority of euery one that could or did moue pen, in al the whole first age of the church, to be our iudges in euery ecclesiasticall matter: and muche more wrong shoulde haue, if the autors eyther corrupted, or counterfayted, should be layd vnto vs, speaking not in the same sense, or in the same toung, or in the same tyme wherin they wrote: yet to helpe and to salue the autorities of theseautors so much as we may, I answer to their allegations, with this distinction of a bishop, which is to be taken either generally or specially. MarginaliaA double taking of the word, ByshopAfter the first, a bishop is he to whom so euer the publicke cure and charge of soules is committed, without anye limitation of place. And so the name of bishop is coincident wt the office of Apostle, or any publicke Pastor, Doctor, or Curator of the vniuersal flocke of Christ. And thus may Paul, Peter, or any other of the Apostles be called bishops. MarginaliaChrist himself a Byshop.So also is Christ hym selfe by expresse woord called xxx and xxx, that is, bishop, and Pastor. 1. Peter. 2. And thus may Peter wel be named a Bishop of these foresaid autors after this maner of taking. But this publik and general charge vniuersally ouer the whole, wythout limitation, ceased after Christe, and the Apostles. For then were Byshops by places and prouinces appoynted, to haue speciall ouersight of some particular flocke or prouince, and so to be resident and attendant onely vpon the same.
[Back to Top]The other diuersity of this name bishop, is to be taken after a more special sorte, which is, when any person orderly called, is assigned namely and specially to some one certayne place, city, or prouince, wherunto he is onely bound to employ his office and charge, and nowher els, according to the old Canons of the Apostles, and of the councell of Nice. MarginaliaCanon. Apost. 13. 14. 34.
Con. Nice. Cap. 15.
Con. Antioch. cap. 3. 13.And this bishop differyng from the other, is called, episcopus intitulatus, hauyng his name of his city or dioces. And thus we denye that Peter the Apostle was euer bishop elected, installed, or intituled to the city of Rome, neither doth Optatus, Abdias, Ado, or Hierome affirme the same. MarginaliaPeters being at Rome.And if Ado saye that Peter was bishop of Rome. 25. yeares, vntill the last yeare of Nero, that is easelye refuted, both by the scriptures and histories: for so we vnderstande by the declaration of S. Paule, Ga. 1. 2. that. 14, yeres after hys conuersion, S. Paule had Peter by the hand at Hierusalem.
Moreouer, the sayd Paule in the foresayde Epistle witnesseth, that the charge Apostolical was committed vnto Peter ouer the circumcised, and so was he intituled. Also S. Paule writing to the Romanes, in his manyfold salutations to them in Rome, maketh no mencion ther of S. Peter, which doubtles shoulde not haue bene vnremembred, if he had bene thē in Rome. Againe S. Peter dating his epistle from Babilon, was not thē belike at Rome.
[Back to Top]Farthermore, histories do recorde that Peter was at Pontus. v. yeares, and at Antioche. 7. yeares. Howe could he then be. 25. yeares at Rome? Finallye, where our aduersary alledging out of Ado, sayth that s. Peter was there. 25. yeares, vntil the last yeare of Nero: howe can that stand, when S. Paule suffering vnder Nero, was put to death the same day twelue moneth, that is a whole yeare after Peter. &c. But especially how agreeth thys with scripture, that Christ should make Peter an Apostle vniuersal to walke in al the world: ite per vniuersum orbem. Item, Eritis mihi testes vsque ad fines terræ. &c.
Closeitem per vniuersum orbem. Item, Eritis mihi testes vsque ad fines terræ. &c.
Not translated
John Wade, University of Sheffield
Go throughout the whole world. Likewise, You will be witnesses for me to the ends of the earth.
This seems to be a reference to Acts Chapter 1, Verse 8:
sed accipietis virtutem supervenientis Spiritus Sancti in vos et eritis mihi testes in Hierusalem et in omni Iudaea et Samaria et usque ad ultimum terrae.
And thus haue I resolued the fyrst vntruth of that popish demonstration aboue rehearsed, Page. 17. wherin they thyncke to proue, that as Peter, althoughe hee was not called vniuersall Apostle, yet was the head of the whole church: so the Pope might and hath had after him the charge of the whole church, although he was not called vniuersall byshop in the olde tyme, &c.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe second vntruth of the argument aboue mentioned.Now followeth the second vntruth to be touched in the same argument, which is, that because Peter was the head of the church: so therfore the Pope must also be the head of the church, and was, albeit he was not called