Chapter 21 of 21

17Feed my sheep. As it was promised him Mat. 16, that the Church should be built upon him, and that the keys of heaven should be given to him: so here it is performed, & he is actually made the general Pastor and Governor of all Christs sheep. For though the other ten (as Matthias and Paul also afterward) were Apostles, Bishops, Priests, and had authority to bind and loose, to remit and retain, to preach, baptize, and such like, as well as he: Yet in these things and all other government, Christ would have him to be their head, and they to depend of him as head of their College, and consequently of the whole flock of Christ: no Apostle nor no Prince in earth (if he acknowledge himself to be a sheep of Christ) exempted from his charge; And that Christ maketh a difference betwixt Peter and the rest, and giveth him some greater preeminence and regiment then the rest, it is plain by that he is asked whether he love our Lord more then the other Apostles do: where, for equal charge no difference of love had been required. To Peter (saith S. Cyprian) our Lord after his Resurrection said, Feed my sheep, and built his Church upon him alone, and to him he giveth the charge of feeding his sheep. For although after his Resurrection he gave his power alike to all, saying, As my Father sent me, so I send you, take the Holy Ghost, if you remit to any their sins, they shall be remitted &c. Yet to manifest unity, he constituted one Chair, & so disposed by his authority that unity should have origine of one. The rest of the Apostles were that Peter was, in equal fellowship of honour and power, but the beginning cometh of unity: the Primacy is given to Peter, that the Church of Christ may be shewed to be one, & one Chair. S. Chrysostome also saith thus: Why did our Lord shed his blood? truly to redeem those sheep, the cure of which he committed both to Peter and also to his Successors. And a little after, Christ would have Peter indued with such authority, and to be far above all his other Apostles: for he saith: Peter, dost thou love me more then all these do? Whereupon our Master might have inferred. If thou love me Peter, use much fasting, sleep on the hard flour, watch much, be patrone to the oppressed, father to the orphans, and husband to the widows: but omitting all these things, he saith, Feed my sheep. For, all the foresaid virtues certes may be done easily of many subjects, not only men but women: but when it cometh to the government of the Church and committing the charge of so many souls, all woman kind must needs wholly give place to the burden and greatness thereof, and a great number of men also. So writeth he. And because the Protestants would make the unlearned think, that S. Gregory deemed the Popes Supremacy to be wholly unlawful and Antichristian, for that he condemned John of Constantinople for usurping the name of universal Bishop, resembling his insolence therein to the pride of Antichrist: note well the words of this holy father in the very same place and Epistle against the B. of Constantinople, by which you shall easily see that to deny him to be universal Bishop, is not to deny Peter or the Pope to be head of the Church, or supreme Governor of the same, as our Adversaries fraudulently pretend. It is plain to all men, saith he, that ever read the Gospel, that by our Lordes mouth the charge of the whole Church was committed to S. Peter Prince of the Apostles. for to him it was said, Feed my sheep: for him was the prayer made that his faith should not fail: to him was given the keys of heaven and authority to bind and loose: to him was the cure of the Church and principality was delivered: and yet he was not called the universal Apostle... the title in deed was offered for the honour of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles, to the Pope by the holy Council of Chaledon: but none of that See did ever use it or consent to take it. Thus much S. Gregory. Who though he both practised jurisdiction through out all Christendom, as other of that See have ever done, and also acknowledged the Principality and Sovereignty to be in Peter and his Successors: yet would he not for just causes use that title subject to vanity & misconstruction. But both he & all the Popes since have rather called themselves, Servos servorum Dei, the Servants of Gods servants. Though the word, universal Bishop, in that sense wherein the holy Council of Chaledon offered it to the See of Rome, was true and Lawful. For that Council would not have given any Antichristian or unjust title to any man. Only in the B. of Constantinople and other, which in no sense had any right to it, and who usurped it in a very false and tyrannical meaning, it was insolent, unjust, and Antichristian. See also the Epistles of S. Leo the Great concerning his practise of universal jurisdiction, though he refused the title of universal Bishop. And S. Bernard (that you may better perceive that the general charge of Christs sheep was not only given to Peters person, but also to his successors the Popes of Rome, as S. Chrysostom also before alleged doth testify) writeth thus to Eugenius, Thou art he to whom the keys of heaven are delivered, & to whom the sheep are committed. there be other Porters of heaven, & other Pastors of flocks: but thou hast inherited in more glorious & different sort, for they have every one their particular flock, but to thee all universally, as one flock to one man, are credited: being not only the Pastor of the sheep, but the one Pastor of all the Pastors themselves. but thou wilt ask me how I prove that? even by our Lordes word. for to whom of all, I say not only Bishops, but Apostles, were the sheep so absolutely and without limitation committed? If thou love me Peter, feed my sheep. He saith not, the people of this kingdom or that city, but, my sheep, without all distinction. So S. Bernard. And hereunto may be added that the second, feed, is in greek a word that signifieth withal to govern and rule, as Psal. 2, Mich. 3. Mat. 2. Apoc. 2. and therefore it is spoken of David also and other temporal Governors (as the Hebrew word answering thereunto) in the Scriptures very often, and the Greek in profane writers also.Feede my sheepe. As it was promised him Mat. 16, that the Church should be builded vpon him, and that the keies of heauen should be giuen to him: so here it is performed, & he is actually made the general Pastor and Gouerner of al Christs sheepe. For though the other ten (as Matthias and Paul also afterward) were Apostles, Bishops, Priests, and had authoritie to binde and loose, to remitte and reteine, to preach, baptize, and such like, as wel as he: Yet in these things and al other gouernement, Christ would haue him to be their head, and they to depend of him as head of their College, and consequently of the whole flocke of Christ: no Apostle nor no Prince in earth (if he acknowledge him self to be a sheepe of Christ) exempted from his charge; And that Christ maketh a difference betwixt Peter and the rest, and giueth him some greater preeminence and regiment then the rest, it is plaine by that he is asked whether he loue our Lord more then the other Apostles do: where, for equal charge no difference of loue had bene required. To Peter (saith S. Cyprian) our Lord after his Resurrection said, Feede my sheepe, and builded his Church vpon him alone, and to him he giueth the charge of feeding his sheepe. For although after his Resurrection he gaue his power alike to al, saying, As my Father sent me, so I send you, take the Holy Ghost, if you remitte to any their sinnes, they shal be remitted &c. Yet to manifest vnitie, he constituted one Chaire, & so disposed by his authoritie that vnitie should haue origine of one. The rest of the Apostles were that Peter was, in equal fellowship of honour and power, but the beginning commeth of vnitie: the Primacie is giuen to Peter, that the Church of Christ may be shewed to be one, & one Chaire. S. Chrysostome also saith thus: Why did our Lord shede his bloud? truely to redeeme those sheepe, the cure of which he committed both to Peter and also to his Successors. And a litle after, Christ would haue Peter indued with such authoritie, and to be far aboue al his other Apostles: for he saith: Peter, dost thou loue me more then al these do? Wherevpon our Maister might haue inferred. If thou loue me Peter, vse much fasting, sleepe on the hard floure, watch much, be patrone to the oppressed, father to the orphans, and husband to the widowes: but omitting al these things, he saith, Feed my sheepe. For, al the foresaid vertues certes may be done easily of many subiects, not onely men but women: but when it commeth to the gouernement of the Church and committing the charge of so many soules, al woman kind must needes wholy giue place to the burden and greatnes thereof, and a great number of men also. So writeth he. And because the Protestants would make the vnlearned thinke, that S. Gregorie deemed the Popes Supremacie to be wholy vnlawful and Antichristian, for that he condemned Iohn of Constantinople for vsurping the name of vniuersal Bishop, resembling his insolence therein to the pride of Antichrist: note wel the wordes of this holy father in the very same place and Epistle against the B. of Constantinople, by which you shal easily see that to deny him to be vniuersal Bishop, is not to deny Peter or the Pope to be head of the Church, or supreme Gouerner of the same, as our Aduersaries fraudulently pretend. It is plaine to al men, saith he, that euer read the Gospel, that by our Lordes mouth the charge of the whole Church was committed to S. Peter Prince of the Apostles. for to him it was said, Feed my sheepe: for him was the prayer made that his faith should not faile: to him was geuen the keyes of heauen and authoritie to binde and loose: to him was the cure of the Church and principality was deliuered: and yet he was not called the vniuersal Apostle... the title in deed was offered for the honour of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles, to the Pope by the holy Councel of Chaledon: but none of that See did euer vse it or consent to take it. Thus much S. Gregorie. Who though he both practised iurisdiction through out al Christendom, as other of that See haue euer done, and also acknowledged the Principality and Soueraintie to be in Peter and his Successors: yet would he not for iust causes vse that title subiect to vanitie & misconstruction. But both he & al the Popes since haue rather called them selues, Seruos seruorum Dei, the Seruants of Gods seruants. Though the word, vniuersal Bishop, in that sense wherein the holy Councel of Chaledon offered it to the See of Rome, was true and Lawful. For that Councel would not haue giuen any Antichristian or vniust title to any man. Onely in the B. of Constantinople and other, which in no sense had any right to it, and who vsurped it in a very false and tyrannical meaning, it was insolent, vniust, and Antichristian. See also the Epistles of S. Leo the Great concerning his practise of vniuersal iurisdiction, though he refused the title of vniuersal Bishop. And S. Bernard (that you may better perceiue that the general charge of Christs sheepe was not only giuen to Peters person, but also to his successors the Popes of Rome, as S. Chrysostom also before alleaged doth testifie) writeth thus to Eugenius, Thou art he to whom the keies of heauen are deliuered, & to whom the sheepe are committed. there be other Porters of heauen, & other Pastors of flockes: but thou hast inherited in more glorious & different sort, for they haue euery one their particular flocke, but to thee al vniuersally, as one flocke to one man, are credited: being not onely the Pastor of the sheepe, but the one Pastor of al the Pastors them selues. but thou wilt aske me how I proue that? euen by our Lordes word. for to whom of al, I say not onely Bishops, but Apostles, were the sheepe so absolutely and Without limitation comitted? If thou loue me Peter, feede my sheepe. He saith not, the people of this kingdom or that citie, but, my sheepe, Without al distinction. So S. Bernard. And herevnto may be added that the second, feede, is in greeke a word that signifieth Withal to gouerne and rule, as Psal. 2, Mich. 3. Mat. 2. Apoc. 2. and therefore it is spoken of Dauid also and other temporal Gouerners (as the Hebrew word answering therevnto) in the Scriptures very often, and the Greeke in profane writers also. Margin: Peter is here made the general Pastor, and the Church is builded vpon him. — The Protestants otherwise denying this preeminence of Peter, yet to vphold their Arch bishops, do avouch & proue it against the Puritanes. — Cypr. de vnit. Ec. — Li. 2. de Sacerd. — Greg. li. 4. ep. 76. — See li. 1. ep. 72, 73. li. 2 ep. 37, 45. li. 4 ep. 95. li. 7 ep. 63. — Bernar. li. 2. c. 8. de cõsid. — Beza in hunc loc. — 2 Reg. c. 5. Ps. 77. — Peters successors succede him in vniuersal authoritie..

18An other shall gird thee. He Prophecieth of Peters Martyrdom, and of the kind of death which he should suffer. that was, crucifying. which the Heretics fearing that it were a step to prove he was martyred in Rome, deny: whereas the Fathers and ancient writers are as plain in this, as that he was at Rome, Origen apud Euseb. li. 3. c. 1. Euseb. li. 2. c. 24. Hist. Ec. Tertul. de praescript. nu. 14. Aug. tract. 123 in Ioan. Chrysost. Beda in hunc locum.An other shal gird thee. He Prophecieth of Peters Martyrdom, and of the kinde of death which he should suffer. that was, crucifying. which the Heretikes fearing that it were a steppe to proue he was martyred in Rome, deny: whereas the Fathers and ancient writers are as plaine in this, as that he was at Rome, Origen apud Euseb. li. 3. c. 1. Euseb. li. 2. c. 24. Hist. Ec. Tertul. de praescript. nu. 14. Aug. tract. 123 in Ioan. Chrysost. Beda in hunc locum. Margin: Beza in hunc locun. — Peter crucified at Rome..*