it ¶ In the leafe of C. the .xii. page the. xxvi lyne for names reade canons A TREATISE OF the Popes primacie by Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonia THe adherentes of the Romishe churche affirme Fyrst that S. Peter was made chiefe of thapostles by Christ hym selfe and therefore had the keies of heauen worthily deliuered vnto hym and that the churche was buylded on hym agaynst the whiche the gates of hell shulde not preuaile forasmuche as Christ had praied for his faith and had commanded him bothe to strengthen his bretherne and also to feede his shepe They heape togither also muche more wherby they thynke that the primacie of Peter may be proued Secondarily they hold that the Pope is Peters successour and that he hath by succession all his preeminence and therfore may doo in matters of religion all thynges after lyke sorte and fashion as he might haue doone And therfore they saye that it is vnpossible for the Pope to falle frome the true faith for if that shuld happen the christen religion and the whole church whyche is buylded vppon hym muste needes perisshe To the prose whereof they alledge a testimonie of their own out of Pope Agathon whiche in a certaine Epistle affirmeth that the churche of Rome was neuer entangled with any erroure neyther hathe any tyme swarued frome the true waie of veritie And therfore they say that the Pope hath had his supremacy always sence the Apostles tyme. Also they saye lykewyse that other Metropolitanes and Archebyshoppes are subiecte to hym in lyke maner as the Byshoppes and Prelates whyche are vnder the Arcebyshop of Constantinople are subiect to the sayd archbyshoppe Theu they saye that the Pope hathe appellation They affirme moreouer that he may iudge all menne and that none maye iudge hym neyther in his manners neyther in faythe or doctrine Besydes this they hold that the pope is byshop of no certayne place neither is he so called as other are but simply without circumscription he is named a Bishoppe To the profe wherof they brynge the Pope hymselfe to wytnes who neuer in his letters termeth hym selfe Byshop of Rome Also they affyrme that Rome onely hathe been called the sea Apostolike because that Peter the Apostle bothe ledde his lyfe there a longe tyme and also dyed there Item they affirme that the Pope only hath authoritie to call a counsell Their last assertion is that no lawe can be made without the consent of the pope neither any thynge ordeyned in the churche Then they conclude that the Pope hath all the aforesayde rightes and priuiledges of Peter and that therfore all men owe hym obedience and no man ought to gaynesay any of his commandementes All these thynges the adherentes of the Romysshe churche alledge for the mayntenaunce of the popes dominion and authoritie Vnto the whiche assertions of theirs I nothynge doubte what to aunswere but afore whom I may pleade For yf I should make answere before the Latins themselues and adherentes of the Romishe church what rightful iudgement myght I loke for in submyttyng my selfe to the iudgement of myn enemies But yf I shuld pleade afore our Grekes then myght the Latines haue iuste cause to complayne of me where as I make the Grecians iudges ouer them whom they thinke to be their aduersaries in matters Ecclesiasticall What then must we doo verily Gods truthe ought not to be buried vp in silence euerlastyng but rather we ought to speake freely hauynge good confidence and wishing that those to whom this Booke shall come desire nothyng more than the truthe For surely suche as fauour the truthe shall hereby also profyte somewhat FYRST therfore concernyng the primacy of Peter after what sorte he was chiefe of that holy congregation or what priuilege was geuen or ought vnto hym I thinke it not now so nedeful to be reasoned of For be it after suche sorte and so great yea as it lyketh any man to deuyse yet neuer truely shall it therby be proued that the Pope hath suche right of Peter where by he may rule all other byshops whiche is our aduersaries seconde position For concernyng the Pope two thynges must be consydered the one That he is Byshop of Rome by the whyche title the sacred Synodes terme hym The other that he would be chiefe and hyghest of all byshops The fyrst truely he hathe of Peter that is to wete the byshoprike of Rome But the other his primacie he hath of certayne fathers and kynges whiche for desyre of good order gaue it hym many yeares after thapostles tyme. And to proue this to be true I wyll bryng forth wytnesses not two or three or twise so many but sire hundred and thirty yea and chose holy fathers Rede the xxviii Canon of the fourth holy Synode or councell of Calcedonia where are these woordes We folowyng the decrees of the fathers and waying the Canon euen now rehersed of the. 150. Byshoppes gathered togyther at Constantinople called newe Rome in the tyme of the moste holye Emperour Theodosius the same also doo we ordeyne decree concernyng the honoures and prerogatiues of the said church of Constantinople or new Rome For vnto the sea of old Rome the Fathers gaue worthyly the chiefe honour and primacy bycause that Citie then ruled all the worlde the same cause moued the. 150. foresayd byshops to geue the lyke honoure and preeminēce to the sea of new Rome iudgyng it reasonable that this Citie condecorate with the empire and senate imperiall and equal in dignitie with the old imperiall seate should as muche excell in matters ecclesiasticall seyng that it is the next vnto it Then what may we lerne hereby Verily nothyng els but that the Superioritie ouer other churches was geuen to the pope not by the Apostles but by the fathers and that for no greater or iuster cause then that the citie of Rome at that tyme had dominion ouer the whole world For the Canon sayeth playnely That the primacie or superiour dygnitie was geuen to the sea of Rome by the fathers So that the pope hath therfore the Superioritie geuen hym of the Fathers bycause in tymes paste the Citie of Rome had the Empire Then he hath it not as Peters successour neither as geuen hym of the Apostles But for the more apparaunt truthe let vs reade the hundreth newe decree of Iustinian to the ende that it maye appeare that the truthe hath wytnesses on euery syde We ordeyne sayth he accordynge to the Decrees of the Synodes that the moste holy Byshop of olde Rome is the chiefe of all priestes and that the moste blessed byshop of Constantinople or newe Rome is nexte vnto hym and aboue all other Do you not heare that the Emperoure sayeth That the primacye of the Pope of Rome is gyuen hym by the Decree of holye Councelles If that the Pope dooe holde his Supremacye onely by the Decree of Councelles I beseeche you howe may it be trewe that somme menne affyrme that he hath it by succession
A BRIEFE TREATISE Conteynynge a playne and fruitfull declaration of the Popes vsurped Primacye written in Greke aboue .vij. hundred yeres sens by Nilus an ancient archbyshop of Thessalonia and newly traÌ„slated into englyshe by Thomas Gressop student in Oxforde ⧠Pervsed and allovved accordyng to the Quenes maiesties iniunctions Ierem. vi Thus sayth the Lord Go into the stretes consider and make inquisition for the olde waye â–ª and if it be the right and good vvaye then go therin that ye may fynde reste for your soules But they say we vvill not vvalke therin To the Reader THe lande of Egypt which doth lye southeast from Englande coste And reckned is one of those landes Whiche Phebus beames doth rost Hath flowyng in it one famous floude That Nilus men doo call Which once eche yere doth passe his baÌ„kes And whelme the countrey all Whose waters cause not bareynnes As flouds doo commonly But causeth the earth al seedes and frustes To bryng foorth plentuousely To Egypt lande we may compare The spirituall Egypte well Who are all they within whose hertes The fylthy Pope dothe dwell These grauely grounds this Nilus lo A byshop of great fame Doth moist with words of heuenly dewe To great encrease and gaine Seuen hundred yeares he Reader spake In Greke and foreyne tonge But nowe he speaketh in englishe eke By Gressops labour longe Fyrst therfore thanke thalmyghty god Then take in worthe his payne That at the least thy good report He may deserue to gayne Finis ê™ D. I. To the right vvorshipful and his especiall good frend master T. Beacon the true mynister and faithfull seruant of our Sauiour Christ Thomas Gressop vvisheth the continual fauour of God and peace euerlastynge In our redemer IESVS CHRIST WHen I fyrste tooke in hande this lytel Treatise concernynge the Popes vsurped primacie I mynded nothing lesse then to publishe the same that it might come into the handes of many I had so little affiance in my selfe and so symple an opinion of myn owne doyngs that I thought them vnworthy to be red of any other But after that I had receyued no smalle courage by your gentyll and frendly exhortations wherein you willed me to haue respecte to the coÌ„moditie that myght ensue to other whiche being ignorant of the Greke and Latin tong may attain somwhat herby both to the increase of knowledge and also of iudgemente in matters of religion I nothynge doubted after long deliberation to make that commune to other which at the fyrst as a priuate exercise I thought to haue kept to my self Therfore as the readers hereof yf they receiue any commoditie hereby ought in that behalfe to yelde all thankes vnto you by whome to their profyte I haue been encouraged to attempt this bolde enterprise so I in some parte to shewe my selfe not altogyther ingratefull and vnmyndful of your exceding fauor and great gentilnesse to me wardes haue thought good to dedicate vnto you this my simple endeuour and first fruite of my laboures as vnto one who after a sorte may seeme as in your owne right to chalenge this kynde of duetie at my hande For vnto whom shulde I offer this Treatise of the Popes primacy or whom shuld I make patron therof but one who hath ben long exercised in this and the lyke matters of controuersye who also by vse and experience is well practised in defendyng and puttynge away the strokes and weapons of suche as are ennemies to goddes euerlastyng truthe Suche a one haue you declared your selfe in your bokes and sermons not onely in bearynge of the dartes of wyly Antichrist and his stout army of arrogant priestes as Gregory termeth them but also in beatynge downe that monstrous Hydra with the myghtye strokes of the spirituall sworde so that both he and all his proude army of presumptuous prelates are fayn cowardly to tourne theyr backes and dare not once shewe their faces in open battalt agaynst you Wherfore I moste humbly beseche you accordyng to your accustomed gentylnesse to take in good worthe this my bounden duetie and to receue vnder your protection this worthy archebyshop who lyke a straunger farre from his owne countrey now seketh entertaynment at your handes Whiche yf ye vouchesafe ye shall perceyue this lyttell Nilus so stoutly behaue hymselfe vnder your banner that he shall lyke a myghty champion strike of the head of this aniichristian Golyath with his owne sworde and lyke a valyant conquerour set it on his owne speare to be seene of the whole host of all true englyshe Israelites So that I doubte not but all english men that ernestly professe Christ shal playnly see that the lambe and his host haue geuen the serpent an ouerthrow and haue put to flyght all his ignoraunt armye with their blynde capitains Yea all englishe men as I trust shall perceaue that he which fighteth on our syde agaynst the olde bawde of Babylon and cacolike whoore of Rome is moste myghty and stronge yea that he is a lorde valiant in battaile he shall fyrst vanquishe them in this life with the mighty breath of his mouth in the ministers and true preachers and folowers of his holy worde scatteryng them as the duste from the face of the earth and after this lyfe the terrible iudgement of the Lorde of hostes shal condemne them for euermore when the iuste shall reigne in heauen in ioyes that by no meanes can bee expressed The high shepeherde and pastor our Lord Iesus Christ encrease you with all abundant plentye of his grace and plentyfull abundance of his holye spirite Fare ye most hartily well in Christ From Oxford To the christen Reader THou haste here gentle Reader in this lyttle boke no smalle defence of the Truthe agaynst that blasphemous mouth mentioned in the Apocalips whiche speaketh presumptuously agaynste the lorde god and his chosen people Here mayst thou see howe vaynely and falsely the Pope and his membres boast theimselues of that whyche in deede he neuer had that is to were his pretenced primacye and vsurped power ouer the vniuersall congregation Here also mayst thou plainly perceaue that the Romishe byshoppe hathe no preeminence geuen hym by goddes holy woorde but by the fathers and Emperoures and that none suche as the Pope moste arrogantely and againste all right nowe taketh on hym but only a certayne prerogatiue in honor such as we vse of voluntacy accord to geue to our elders Here maist thou beholde the Pope caught and snared in the nette which he layeth for other and ouercome with his owne argumentes I meane the generall Counselles and olde Doctours which he and his mayn tayners affirme to bee all togyther on their part The author of this Treatise a man of great antiquitie was archbyshop of Thessalonia and successour to the holy apostle Saint Paule who first traded the Thessalonians in the Christen fayth and to the confirmation therof wrote an epistle to them whiche we haue at this tymered in our churches as a parcell of holy
of Peter But here som man may lay Ios not the Pope than wholly the successor of Peter He is truly But in that he is a bishop onely as euery byshop that was ordeyned by hym whiche surely were very many and as euery byshop is the successour of the Apostle of whom he was made or in whose place he techeth And after this sort aswell Peter as other tShapostles had many successours which were byshops only and nothyng elles For Peter was both an apostle and also chiefe of the Apostles But the Pope is no apostle muche lesse chiefe of the apostles for thapostles dyd neither make nor ordeyne Apostles but onely pastours and teachers Moreouer Peter was a Doctoure of all the worlde and so were the reste of the Apostles for the Lorde sayde to hym as well as to the reste of the Apostles Go and preache the Gospel to all nations But the Pope is onely byshoppe of the Citie of Rome and so is he called Furthermore Peter made one byshop at Antioche an nother at Alexandria and an other in an other place but the 〈◊〉 may doo nothyng like Besydes 〈◊〉 Peter may ordeyne the byshop of 〈◊〉 but the Pope can not so doo 〈◊〉 conclude It was sayde to Peter â—â—thout condicion What soeuer thou â—â—â—dest shall be bounde and what so â—â—er thou losest shalbe losed in heauen â—ut when Peter ordeyned the byshop 〈◊〉 Rome he commanded hym to bynd 〈◊〉 lose that which worthily ought to be â—â—sed or bound Beside al this whatsoeâ—er Peter taught either by preachyng â—rityng it is knowen vndoubtedly to be the doctrine of the holy ghoste But of the Pope no suche thynge maye be thought Wherfore the Pope hath not all the prerogatiues giftes and priuiledges of Peter by succession but those onely whiche euery bishop ordeyned of Peter hath that he may bynd and lose baptise and preache and to bee shorte bryng into the way those that are seduced and doo other dueties belongyng to a mynister Thirdly wheras they saye that it is not possible that the pope shoulde falle from the truthe that truely passeth all the gyftes and vertues of Peter hym selfe yea although the Pope must nâ—des haue had theim all by Succession â–ª For he good man full sore agaynst hâ—â— wyll erred more then ones But he 〈◊〉 I woulde fayne knowe whether thâ— Pope may or hath at any tyme falleâ— into the crimes of lyeng couetousnes vayneglorye or other lyke vyces or whether it be impossible that he shulde offende at all Lette theym denye it if they bee not ashamed to lye openly If then it be manyfest that euen he may sometymes offende and synne agaynst conscyence in as muche as he is a manne veryly yt maye happen also that in matters of Relygion he maye bee deceaued The truthe whereof Saincte Paule wytnesseth wrytynge vnto Timothe on this wyfe Hauyng saythe and a good conscience whyche some men not regardynge haue made shypwrecke in matters of Faythe Beholde here we heare that he whose conscience is wounded maye be sycke in faythe Therefore yf the Pope haue not alwayes his conscience free from all offence and this euyll is ioyned with errour in faythe it foloweth of necessitie that they lye manyfestly whiche say that the Pope can not fall from the veritie of Christes relygion Yea it is a kynde of defection to defyle the conscience with synne as S. Paule wytnesseth sayeng They professe God in woorde but in theyr deedes they denye hym Howe then maye it bee that the Pope maye possyblye denye GOD in woorke and deede and not in woorde and doctrine Certaynly Honorius the Pope fell frome the syncere doctrine and therfore was condempned by the syxt Synode as it maye euidentely appeare in the .xvi. decree of the sayd Synode where it is said It behoueth that they whome we haue alreadye pronounced condemned and by the coÌ„mon decree haue put out of y e holy praier bokes be also openly proclaimed accursed ThaÌ„ according to the laudable custome the princis beyng mentioned it foloweth forthwith Cursed be Theodorus Pharanites the heretike Cursed be the heretike Sergius Cursed be the heretike Kyzius Cursed be Honorius the heretike Cursed be the heretike Pirrhus accursed be all that fauoure heretikes But for the more euident truthe lette vs brynge toorthe an other testimonye out of the oration of the holy Synode to the Emperour We remoue sayth the Synode frome the lymittes of the churche and worthyly accurse all new and vayne sermes with theyr inuenters suche as are especially Theodorus Pharanites Sergius Paule Pirrhus and Peter who sometyme ruled this churche of Constantinople and also Cirus the prieste of Alexandria and Honorius bishop of Rome If that Honorius bishop of Rome were an heretike possible it is then that the pope may faile in veritie of doctrine neither shall the wordes of the Lorde be vayne and false although the Pope erre whiche he spake of the church that the gates of hell shulde not preuayle agaynst it for the true doctrine is preserued in other byshops and doctours Here also we may playnly see that it was not sayde of the sea of Rome that the church of God was theron builded For that were to hard and not indifferent from the seruilitie and bondage of the Iewes to bynde the congregation of God to Rome For Christ buylded his churche himselfe vpon the doctrine and confession of Peter and all those that kepe and mayntaine the lyke faith and profession that Peter dydde And where as pope Agathon boasteth that his church neuer went from the truth it is no meruayle consyderynge what face suche men haue But lette suche honest men take it for a warnyng that they wrest not the truthe of the matter to their owne talke but rather let them tempre their tonges to the truth of the matter And percase Pope Agathon was moued so to write either bicause the state of his matter dyd so require as it hapned ofttymes that he so wrote orels bycause the churche of Rome in dede hath not often departed from the truth Otherwyse if that without exception and condition it were symply true howe coulde that sayeng be verified All are gone astraye and are become wycked there is none that dothe good no not one Besyde that we may well saye that Agathon spake of the tyme past because the church of Rome hath not erred afore tyme and not of the tyme to come as thoughe it were vnpossible that it should euer be deceiued Certainely Agathon wrote that before the .vi. Synode neyther dyd he yet vnderstand the thynges wherof the Synode entreated Also it wer no meruayle yf that holye synode wherein so many holy fathers were gathered togither shulde espye and see that whiche he beyng but one man could not sufficiently perceaue And that these thynges are true it may wel be gathered by an Epistle of Pope Leo who succeded next after Agathon and alowed the vi synode For so
hym go to the magistrate of the diocesse or elles to the sea of the chiefe citie Constantinople and there lette hym be iudged So also sayth the xvii decree of the sayd Synode Moreouer the .xx. and .xxxvi. canon of the .vi. Synode gyueth in all poyntes as muche dignitie and prerogatiue to the one as to the other as muche to the sea of Constantinople as to the sea of Rome wherby they declare that prouocatioÌ„s may be made to the byshop of ConstaÌ„tinople Then where as our aduersaries babble that the Pope maye iudge all men and that no man may iudge hym that veryly is full of arrogancy vanitie vntruthe and farre dissonant from the modest and equall decrees of the apostles For yf that Paule dyd therfore conferre his doctrine with the reste of the apostles that he myghte not seeme to runne in vayne Peter bare myldly and paciently the sharpe reprofes of Paule by what right or with what face maye the Pope of Rome chaâ—â—nge to hym selfe that be onely lyke a tyraunt should geue accompte to no man of his lyfe and deedes althoughe he boaste hym selfe to bee Peters successour But experience it selfe shall easyly proue that to bee moste vntrue For Honorius as wee haue shewed was not onely iudged of the syxt Synode but also condemned for his false doctrine yea and accursed to his deth and graue nothynge auaylynge agaynst that seueritie of the counsaile And as for other dedes and matters Ciuile and Politicall besydes his doctrine in that behalfe also he is no lesse subiecte then any other Bysshop for as muche as he hym selfe also is termed a Bysshoppe Many suche Lawes and Decrees there are partely made by the Apostles and some made by the holy Councelles Yea I canne alledge a place where the Bysshoppe of Rome is separately reproned of a Councell as the thyrtenthe Cannon of the syxte generall Councell doothe euidentely shewe where it is sayd after this sorte For as muâ—â—e as wee vnderstande that in the Churche of Rome in the Decree of Orders it is appoynted That who so euer taketh the orders of a prieste or Deacon shall fyrste professe That they haue no copulatione with theyr wyues Wee folowynge the olde Canon and constitutions of the Apostles wylle and decree that the lawfull matrimonye of holy menne shall be auaylable and that theyr copulation with theyr wyues shall by no meanes be broken neyther that one depriue the other of familiaritie in tyme conuenient Then the canon makynge the sentence more plain and manifest saith moreouer If any maÌ„ presume contrary to the rules of the apostles to depriue any prieste or deacon of the contract or felowshyp of his laufull wyfe let hym bee deposed Lykewyse yf a Priest or Deacon forsake his wyfe for relygions sake let hym be excoÌ„municate and if he so continue lette hym bee deposed The .lv. Canon of the sayde Synode wytnesseth the same The words ar these For asmuch as we vnderstand that certain in the citie of Rome contrarye to the receyued custome of the churche doo fast in the Saboths in the tyme of lent it semeth good to this holye Synode to bynde the churche of Rome by all meanes to the canon whiche sayth If any clerke be found to fast on the sonday or sabboth day one sabboth day onely excepted let hym be deposed If any laie man be founde so doynge lette hym be excommunicate Hereby it playnly appereth that the byshoppe of Rome may and ought to be iudged as well in controuersies of doctrine as in all other his dedes and matters if he commytte any thynge agaynst ryght and equitie And that the pope is not aboue the degree of a Byshop as some men peruersely thynke hym to be it may be plainly proued by this that we haue said For how myght it be if he were in dignitie aboue a bishop that he shoulde be iudged of bysshops in the counsell and be compelled to render vnto them an accompt of his dedes It is manyfeste that the fathers when they write vnto hym call hym a byshoppe truely he is ordeyned of byshops whiche veryly myght not be so yf his dignitie were more then a bysshop For no manne can gyue that to an other whiche fyrst he hath not hymselfe And what els I pray you meane they that so saye but to breake and destroy the order ecclesiastical For Dionysius who lyued in the apostles tyme deuideth the regimente ecclesiasticall into deacons priestes and byshoppes neyther maye we by suspition gather out of his writynges that there is any dignitie in the churche aboue a bishop neyther may it be sayde by any lykelyhode that Dionysius eyther was ignorant that there was any such dignitie in the churche eyther that he of set purpose dyd dissemble it seyng that he professeth that he hath written fully of all the Ecclesiasticall regyment But suppose this to be true may our aduersaries say yet I pray you shew vs with what face ye dare alledge the canons of the .vi. Synode sithe that Synode hathe made no decree at all but those wherin the two natures of our Sauiour are agreed on agaynst the Monothelites to that I aunswere that although the canons which I haue euen nowe alledged were not true neyther the very decrees of the .vi. Synode yee our purpose that the Pope is not greater then other byshoppes neyther free from the iudgement of others may be manifestely proued by other thynges therof dependynge For yf there be no dignitie aboue a byshops then is no bishop greatter than an other in asmuch as he is a byshop For Dionysius saith that all bishoppes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye of one order and dignitie Therfore seyng the Pope is a byshop he ought to bee lyke other bysshops and subiecte to all lawes that other are bounde vnto And truely so many ar the byshoply lawes or lawes of byshoppes and so greate care hadde the holye Synodes in makynge them whose authoritie no maÌ„ ought to withstande that to reherse them all it wold be very harde Besyde that I may well aunswere that that is knowen to all men that are but meanely conuersant in matters ecclesiasticall that the forsayd Canons be the decrees of the sixte Synode and also that they oughte to bee reputed and taken of firme and ratified authoritie as they are in deede For when as neyther the .v. Synode neyther the syxte at the begynnynge hadde any regarde of these constitutions streyght after the .vi. Synode beynge renewed fynysshed that whiche before was neglected For as the other dydde only handle matters of doctrine leauyng and omittyng all other matters so the .vi. Synode beyng begunne agayne or renewed touched lyghtly matters of doctrine and made coÌ„stitutions only coÌ„cerning the gouernaÌ„ce of the churche and other matters ecclesiasticall And that this is the very same vniuersal sinode iterate or begun again it appereth first by the history of Basilius bishop of Gortines in Candy who supplied
say that no decree may be made in the Church without the Popes consente whyche in dede they may very well lay against vs but we shall repaye oure aduersaries with the same measure For neyther the Pope yf wee beleeue the canons of the apostles maye constitute any thyng in the Churche without the aduise of other For so sayth the .xxxiii. Canon of the Apostles The bysshops of euerye nation muste knowe who is chiefe amonge them and count hym in manner as theyr heade neyther maye they doo any newe thynge without his consente lette euery man handell suche matters by hym selfe as appertayn and belonge to his Diocesse and the places vndernethe hym neyther may he that is chiefe amonge theim doo any thynge without the consent of the reste For so shall concorde be mayntayned and god shall be glorified through our Lorde in the holy ghoste If our aduersaries say that the Canons of the Apostles ar not theyrs neither of authoritie sufficiente but Apocriphe we may lay vnto them agayne the authoritie of the fathers in the firste thirde fourthe sixthe and seuenth synode whiche defend the authoritie of the Apostles cannons For the fyrste Synode in the fyfth cannon therof maketh mention of two of the apostles cannons the .xii. and the .xxxii. Also the same Synode in the .xv. canon speaketh of the .xv. canon of the apostles The thirde Synode or Ephesine councell writyng to Theodosius maketh mencion of the .lxxiii. canon of the apostles wherwith the sayd synode was armed agynste Nestorius and condempned hym lyke as the fowerth synode with the same condemned Dioscorus Moreouer the same fourthe synode in the .v. canon thereof wryteth in this wyse worde for woorde of the .xii. xiij .xiiij. and .xv. Canon of the Apostles As for suche bysshoppes as wander from one citie to an other and often chaunge theyr mynistery it seemeth good to this Synode that they shall be in daunger and punysshed by the Canons of the Apostles Furthermore the Decrees of the syxte Synode doo shewe the full number of the apostles canons For so hathe the seconde Decree of the sayde Synode It seemeth to this holy Synode that it were most expedient that the .lxxxv. canons in the Apostles name receaued and allowed by the holye Fathers and delyuered to vs by tradition shoulde also from hencefoorthe remayne fyrme and stedfaste that they maye be wholsome medicines for the sowle and remedyes for dyuers dyseases in the Churche The seuenthe Synode in the fyrste Cannon thereof rehersynge the lawes of the Churche beefore all other mencioneth the Cannons made by the Apostles adioynynge oute of Moises That nothyng ought to be added to theym or taken from theym Shall we therefore condemne as fayned and vnprofytable those Cannons that are so muche commended and approued of so many holye fathers No trewely But lefte this bee the summe and chiefe of all our talke and disputation that so longe as the Pope doth keepe the coneuniente order in tymes paste ordeyned so longe as he holdeth and maynteyneth the veritie celestiall and so longe as he cleaueth and stycketh faste to Christe the hygh and trewe Lorde and head of the churche I gladly permytte hym to be heade of the Churche and chiefe priest and successoure to Peter or yf he lyste to all the Apostles all menne to obeye hym and nothynge touchynge his honour to be diminished But yf he be fallen from the truthe and wyll not retourne vnto it agayne he oughte but to bee reputed as a personne condempned and reprobate These thynges haue I spoken accordynge to my abilitie of the Popes primacye as that whyche I iudge to bee manyfeste and trewe If they be otherwyse I desyre to be better enfourmed For I also praye and syng vnto the Lorde that oute of the Psalme Take not from my mouthe the worde of Truthe FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Sutton for Rafe Newbery Authorised accordyng to the Quenes maiesties IniuÌ„ctions In the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred sixty The .xvi. daye of Marche And are to be solde at his shop in Fletestrete a lyttle aboue the Cundite Grego li. 4. Epi. 48. 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Papistes antiquitie as olde as the diuell him selfe The papiâ—tes best argumentes Gods word muste not be hidde The Pope hathe not his primacy of the apostles The Popâ— Peters successour The Pope 〈◊〉 not in this pointe bee Peters successour Math. 16. Math. 26. Gala. â—â— 1. Tim. 1. The Pope may be sick in faith 〈◊〉 the Pope coÌ„demned for heresy The Pope maye be an heretike Math. 16. The foundatioÌ„ of the churche Pope Agathon Psalm 13. One Pope coÌ„demneth in other Psalm 1â— This Custom the B. of Rome hath brokeÌ„ The Papistes are full of vanitie The Pope 〈◊〉 Prestes mariage lauful by the old canon and constitutions of the apostles The Pope as not aboue a byshop Note the pope breaketh order ecclesiasticall 1. Tim. 6. Pope Adrian proâ—â—â—â— for Image The Popes ar togither by the eares The Pope is not to be estemed The Pope byshop of no place The Pope ouercome vvith his owne reasons The Pope attempteth to make a rope of saÌ„d The sea of Rome only is not called apostolique VVhy the fathers did attribute so much to the sea of Rome Deut â—4 He stycketh fast against him â—he pope a â—â—probate â—â—â—son â—sal 119.