chased the Emperour to Constantinople and setteth himselfe in full libertie of all that quarter And in deede then ceassed the Exarchates that is Dukedomes so called that had endured sixe hundred yeeres that were as the lieutenants of the Emperor in a part of Italy The Emperors of Constantinople driuen away the Lombards thereupō did inuade the kingdome of Italie The Pope more feared them then those whom he had driuen away because that they were his more nie neighbours At that time there gouerned in Fraunce the race of Martel very desirous to aspire The Pope therefore putteth himselfe into the protection of the Frenchmen against the Lombards and Pepin the sonne of Martel he passeth into Italie with the powers of France who vanquisheth them The issue was that Pope Zacharie in recōpence dispenseth with the Frenchmen for theyr othe made to theyr natural prince Chilperick who left the gouernement to the Martels more subtil then himselfe and crowned Pepin chiefe of the palaces of the king of France forbidding the princes and people of France vpon paine of excommunication to choose any other then of Pepins race Contrariwise Pepin giueth vnto him the dukedome or lieutenantship of Rauenna Pentapolis which contained 29. Cities onely reseruing vnto himself the soueraigntie and the power to choose the Popes the which lawes were afterwardes released by Lewys the sonne of Charles the great although that some Emperours put them in practise afterwards as the histories are ful thereof And so likewise behold him the head of the spiritualtie because he mainteyned the murtherer of his master and temporall Lord because he crowned a subiect in the place of his natural prince this beginning of the temporaltie grewe vp by the controuersies of the houses of Aniou and Arragon in Italie and afterwardes of the Emperours of Germanie and of the kings of Fraunce till it came to that state wherein we nowe see it in these last times This was after the time that the key of knowledge which Christ promised to S. Peter was changed into the key of power the ecclesiastical censure was employed to excōmunicate all princes peoples kingdomes which would not obey them vntill they had left them for a pray and cut them of from saluatiō without acception of any persons This was in that time that these gaye interpretations were bred That all povver vvas giuen to Christ by the father asvvel in heauen as in earth Therefore the Pope absolutely commandeth both one other Also God translateth kingdomes from one nation to another Ergo the Pope hath power to establish and to put downe as it seemeth good vnto him whereupon Kings and Emperours of blinde zeale began to kisse his feete both present and by their letters and to hold his stirrop This was in that time also that Pope Boniface the eighth caused this to passe as an article of faith That the Pope is soueraigne both of the spiritualtie and temporaltie shewing himselfe in a Iubilie with a key in one hand and a sword in another that Pope Clement the fift his successour not content to commaunde Kinges and Emperours tooke vpon him by an expresse Bull to cōmaunde Angels that they should execute his will. To be short one hath concluded and decided at Rota that is to say in the Parliament of Popes at Rome that God holdeth for wel done all that is done of the Pope that his will is the rule of all right and righteousnes that he can absolutely do in this world all that God can do seeing he is all and aboue all thinges That if he change his purpose it is to be presumed that God changeth his that when he sendeth thousands of his brethren to hell none may therein reproue him that his power extendeth it selfe to heauen and earth yea and to hell that none maye appeale from him to God that he may ordeine against the epistles of Saint Paul as greater then Saint Paul and against the old Testament as greater then any authors thereof And yet one man hath gone further for one hath disputed whether he may ordeine any thing contrary to the Gospell Whether he haue not yet more power then S. Peter Whether he were simplie a man or as god To be short the deuil hath passed so far in this mysterie of iniquitie that one disputed in the schooles a litle before Luther came and somewhat after whether the Pope participated not with both natures the diuine humane with Iesus Christ And what could the deuil say more if he had come in the flesh to haue destroyed the Church And yet notwithstanding the people do worship this monster the princes of the earth do clap their hands at him destroy their kingdomes to serue his lust sacrifice yet euery day their poore subiects for a sacrifice of a sweete smelling sauor at his feete Who would haue beleeued this except the Spirite of God had foretold it and who will beleeue it after vs when the selfe same spirite shall haue destroyed him But which is more marueilous when the power of the bishop of Rome was intolerable he neuer durst alledge in the councills and in the face of the old Church one only text of Scripture to groūd his supremacy on And now that it is so much beyond the bounds that it spurneth the earth vnder feete thereof that it threatneth heauen that it aduaunceth it selfe so farre that it may be aboue God himselfe they are so impudent and so shamelesse but so she must be that is an harlot that they alledge S. Peters See and the word of God and the keyes which were promised to him as though there were no more eyes in the world to reade nor sense in men to iudge Let them not therefore ground their tyrannie vpon this Dabo tibi I wil giue thee which Iesus Christ spake to S. Peter For betwene the kingdome of Christ and the tyrannie of the Pope there is no likenes or agreement But rather if they wil ground themselues vpon some text of Scripture let them alledge that Tibi dabo I will giue thee which sathan vsed to Iesus Christ I wil giue thee saith hee all the kingdomes which thou seest if thou vvilt worship mee That is for worshipping the deuil they haue that they haue and not for any other title they can alledge But I suppose that nowe with the licence of all the Readers I maye conclude by these proofes conteyned in these two chapiters that which followeth That the essentiall head of the Catholique Church is Iesus Christ our Lord That vnder him all the Apostles were equal in dignitie and power That after them the bishops are equall amongst themselues euery one in his Ministerie occupieth the place of Christ That none may be the Ministeriall head of the Church That the Pope of Rome can pretend this title neither by Gods law nor mans That the first roume that he had was by reason of
institution of Christ in the Sacraments to change according to the time the interpretation of the holy scripture to make newe articles of the faith to derogate from the olde Testament from S. Paule his epistles as the vicar of Christ successour of S. Peter This then according to their iudgemēt is an article of great importāce to saluation vpon which all other articles necessarie to saluation are founded In the selfe same quality iurisdiction is giuen vnto him ouer all the East churches to cut them of frō the Cōmunion of the Church to leaue them for a pray to the Turk because they will not acknowledge him To be short it is come to this point that he calleth himself king of kings to establish empires at his own wil to set out kingdomes for a pray to dispence with subiectes for their othe made to their prince This therfore is an article not onely belonging to the saluation of euerye Christian particularly and to all in generall for that same vnion which is so much commended vnto vs but also necessarie to policie to the obedience due to magistrates to the whole life of man But nowe wee see that Iesus Christ his Apostles haue deliuered vnto vs the articles of our faith the doctrine of the Sacraments of the obedience which is due to our superiors in plaine expresse termes and those very often repeated in many places It followeth then that this article by the which new articles of faith are established the changing of the Sacraments the setting vp deposing of princes the subiecting of heauen and earth vnder the power of one onely man must bee there plainely set foorth Nowe if it be not there expresly conteined one of these two things must folow either that our Lord his apostles took pleasure to hide these things frō vs to make a math confusion of heauen and earth together which to thinke were verye execrable blasphemie or else it must bee altogether false and consequently all that is builded vpon it must quite fall downe and bee vtterly razed to the ground Nowe I doe adiure euerye one euen as they loue their saluation that they weygh wel the proofes of this article For if the very foundation of the popishe doctrine which is this here haue no foundation in Christ it followeth that the pope hath layd another foūdation in the Church then Christ contrary to that which the Apostle saith and by consequent that hee is none of those which hath builded vpon the foundation of Christ woode haye stone but the Antichrist him selfe which hath setled him selfe in the place of the chiefe corner stone which is the onely fundation of the Church We say that Iesus Christ is the head of the Churche our aduersaries say that it is S. Peter in his successors or rather the pope and the Church of Rome because of S. Peter his seat Now as we haue found the body out of the Scriptures to wit the church so likewise we ought not to search for the head any where else S. Paul saith that Christ is the head of the church the church the accōplishmēt of him which hath accomplished all in all Also that Christ is the head of the Churche as the husband of the wife and the Sauiour of his body Also wee which are manye are one body in Christ euery one of vs are mēbers one of another These places are so cleare the our proposition can not be denied Thereupon they will graunt vs that Christ is the head of the Church but they will say that there must be a head and generall lieutenant in the gouernment thereof that this is S. Peter in his Successors whome they call for distinction sake the ministerial head of the Church This is it that they must proue vnto vs by plaine textes for wee flatly deny it vnto them First of all we must not here imagine an earthly kingdome For Iesus Christ hath taught vs that his kingdome is not of this world if his be not of this world then much lesse shall his be whosoeuer shal enterprise to be his lieutenant This lieutenantshippe then is neither temporall nor secular neither can it be stretched ouer the empires of the earth neither can the B. of Rome in this qualitie call him selfe the Monarch or onely gouernour both of the spiritual temporal But as the kingdom of Christ is spiritual to wit the gouernmēt of the soules of the faithfull whō he fedeth by his word as S. Paul sayeth that it is peace ioy righteousnes through his spirit so must it be likewise that the administration or gouernmēt of his seruāts must be spiritual to wit the ministery of the word from whence proceede those forenamed effects much lesse ought we to imagine an earthly king For Christ is the Sonne of the eternal God who stileth euery thing with his power who by the vertue of his spirite is present to all thinges and is present with those that consent in his name to the ende of the world He needeth not therefore any lieutenant as doe other earthly princes for to winne the heartes of his people for these are the effectes of his Spirite giuing efficacie to his worde the which no man how great holy ▪ soeuer he seeme can attribute to him selfe And if they finde it strange that our Lord by his spirite in that he is God doth gouerne his Church forasmuch as he hath promised so to doe Let them not thinke it more strange that we deny his corporall and carnall presence in their masse which he hath not instituted Againe here is no question of a kingdome which may be gouerned by a lieutenant alone but of preaching the Gospell throughout the whole worlde of reconciling al the people of the world by the word vnto God in a woorde of the Ministerye of the Gospell which consisteth in administring the worde and Sacraments in all places Nowe it is certaine that no man can accomplish this but onely he who is the worde it selfe and the alone sacrifice because that with his manhode hee hath Godhead and power that is infinite Therfore there can none but he bee the Bishop of Bishoppes the Pastour of Pastours and the high Priest and none can bee this Ministeriall head or Lieutenant in his offices But rather euery Bishoppe and pastor amongest his flocke may represent Christ in exercising his charge without acknowledging of the Bishop of Rome to be aboue him as hath bene most largelye disputed by Cusan the Cardinall in the time of the Council of Constance That which they alledge of Moses and Aaron that they were heades the one of the common wealth the other of the sacrifices whilest yet God walked in the middest of his people is but naughtely drawen into a consequence For besides that there was the expresse institution of God in their persons and in the successors of Aaron for
vs wherein it consisted If they can not then it followeth that all the Apostles were ministeriall foundations as well as he and not founded vpon him and so likewise must it be of all the Churches which were founded by them as Saint Ierome saith vpon the seconde Chapter to the Galatians And according to this S. Paul saith that the faythfull are buylded vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and Apostles Christ being the chiefe corner stone And he gloryeth that he had preached the Gospel in many places without buylding vpon the foundation of any other Saint Iohn likewise That the Citie of God is set vpon twelue foundations wherein are the names of the twelue Apostles of the Lambe Whereof it followeth that all the Apostles are the foundation of the Church aswell one as another and moreouer that Saint Paul hath buylded without any foundation not building vpon Peters ministerie or else the Peter was not that foundation Againe we demaunde of them if this ministerie consist not in the edifying of the Church by the preaching of the Gospel Forasmuch as the Apostles which were all preachers of saluation in Christ were therein master buylders and all they are buylders which buylde vpon the foundations which were layd by them vpon that liuing rocke Nowe if they were all master buylders why then Saint Peter was not the foundation for he coulde not be both the foundation and a master buylder both together It followeth in the selfe same place Tibi dabo c. I will giue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen That which thou shalt binde in earth c. Of this text we further drawe two contrary propositions Theirs is Christ hath giuen here to Peter alone the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and so consequently to the Bishop of Rome and to his successours Ours contrariewise is that Christ here hath promised the keyes to all in the name of Peter and hath giuen them to all his Apostles and after them to all those which lawefully exercise the Ministerie of his Gospel If we knowe what is meant by the keyes and what it is to binde and to loose it wil be easie for vs to iudge whether of these two propositions be true Christe Iesus pronounceth Wo be to you Doctors of the lawe because you haue taken away the keye of knowledge ye haue not entred in your selues and those which woulde wyllyngly haue entred in ye haue forbidden Nowe these Doctours were those who had charge to teach the worde of god These keyes then are no other thing but the charge to preache the kyngdome of heauen and to open the gate thereof by the preaching of the Gospel And concernyng byndyng and loosing Saint Iohn expoundeth what they meāt by these wordes to retayne and to remit sinnes the which is not done but in preaching the forgiuenesse of sinnes displayed in Iesus Christe to all those that beleeue the preaching of the Gospel The keyes then is the charge to preach the woorde to bynde and to loose is the effect of this word which to one sorte turneth to their saluatiō to the other to their greater damnation Whereupon Saint Paul calleth his Ministerie The Ministerie and word of reconciliation and else where The Ministerie of vengeaunce vpon the disobedient which Esai before had called the acceptable yeere of the LORD and the daye of vengeaunce Nowe forasmuch as no one alone can exercise this Ministerie in euerie place nor towards all It followeth therefore that one alone can not haue these keyes nor this charge of byndyng and loosyng which by the comming of Christie extendeth it selfe to all places They demaunde then wherefore it was saye to Peter I will giue thee IESUS Christe had sayde vnto all Whome thinke ye that I am And he in the name of all had answered Thou art Christ c. And therefore in his name he promiseth to all his Church the power of the keyes which he promiseth also afterwardes to all in the eyghtenth Chapter and after his resurrection deliuered them to all the Apostles equally and without any difference in these wordes Receiue the holy Ghost To all those to whom you shall remit their sinnes they shal be remitted c. That then that was promised here in these wordes I will giue vnto thee c. and not I doe giue thee which sheweth the time to come was then fully accomplished universally to all as in the person of Peter it was there promised to all To be short If as Saint Gregorie saith Saint Peter was not head of the Apostles til it was after his repentance in vaine then do they vpon this place trouble their braine pretending that by that place this power was giuen vnto him And if they will say that the same was meāt there by the keyes promised vnto him by the deliuerance of the keyes which was after his repentance giuen vnto all we conclude that they were here promised vnto all The which we saye not to the ende to derogate any thing from S. Peter whose readines to confesse the sonne of God and zeale toward our Sauiour was incomparable but to discouer the subtiltie of the Pope and of his poleshorne generation that of the keye of knowledge giuen to Saint Peter hath made a key of power and of the preaching of the worde a tyranny ouer all the princes and people of the earth and of the kingdome of heauen a temporall monarchie notwithstanding that there is nothing more cōtrarie to the whole doctrine that Christ hath taught his Apostles As for the auncient doctors they haue vnderstoode it no otherwise then we doe Saynt Cyprian Our Lord in the person of one man gaue the keyes to all to shewe the vnitie of all The others neuerthelesse were euen the same that Peter vvas companions in like equal honour in equall povver but he vvould begin by one man to shevv that the Church is one Saynt Hierome expounding this selfe same place The ignorant Bishops and elders sayth he tooke hereby occasion to vsurpe I know not what maner of Pharisaicall authoritie thinking that they had power to bynd and loose at their pleasure But to bind loose ought to be no other thing but to declare by the word of God Gods sentence Beholde then the Pope in the stead of Cephas a Caiphas euen by the difinitiue sentēce of S. Hierom a minister of the Romane Church And else where All the Apostles had one the selfe same iudicial povver For Christ after his resurrection sayth vnto them Receiue the holy Ghost vvhose sinnes ye shal remitte they shal be remitted in heauen c. All the Church likevvise in his elders Bishops but specially Peter receiued it to the ende that euery one should vnderstand that he that separateth himselfe from the vnitie of faith cannot be absolued from his sinnes nor enter into heauen He sayth from the vnitie of fayth not from the vnitie of Peter nor
Princes and people haue bene such noddies so ignorant that they haue suffered them selues to be troden vnder their feete And this were to doe the auncient doctors great wrong to apply thē to the refuting of this place whereupon some by the two swords vnderstand the olde and newe Testament others sounde doctrine and good example of life as also their owne glose doth But I report me to euery man if this be not opēly to deride Christ his word to say vnto him Haile king of the Iewes as the Pharises did whether these goodly swords deserue any otherwise to be refuted then by the lawfull sword of all Princes which beare the title of Christians And euē as wel grosided is that God hath made two lights the Pope is the Sunne the Emperour the Moone Ergo the Pope I know not howe many thousande times is greater then the Emperor Against which I will oppose none but their owne I sidore alledged by a Sorbonist who by the Sunne vnderstandeth a kingdome by the Moone the priesthood Also Iesus Christ comaunded the deuils to enter into the swine ergo the Pope is lord of the Temporaltie This passeth al kinde of blasphemy Our Lord saith Al power is giuē to me from the father aswel in heauen as in earth The Pope hath therefore an absolute cōmaundement ouer heauē earth And yet are these the ordinarie allegations of their decretals But they are now better aduised in their last disputations touching certeine other places but as ill to the purpose as blasphemous as the other It is writtē say the Iesuits of our time I will iudge saith the Lord betvvixt the sheepe and the sheepe betvvixt the Rāmes the Goates Therefore S. Peter his successors are iudges of al the earth S. August hath made an whole booke vpon this Chap. of Eze. yet neuer thought of this article of faith which was hidden in this verse But let vs reason of their words quite contrary Ezechiel saith that God vvil iudge betvvene the sheepe the sheepe c. the Pope saith that he will be he therefore he setteth himselfe in Gods seate It followeth therefore that the Pope is he of whō S. Paul hath foretold vs that would lift vp himselfe aboue all that is called god Also S Peter saith that baptizme was represēted by the Arke whereof this conclusiō foloweth that as by the Arke mankind was saued as it were begottē againe euen so Christiās are regenerated by baptizme c. They reason thereupō quite cōtrary Baptizme was figured by the Arke Noah was head of his sonnes in the Arke ergo Saint Peter his sonnes in the Arke ergo Saint Peter his successors are heads of the church I aske thē in what Lorgicke schoole this maner of reasoning may be allowed But with their leaue we will conclude otherwise Iustine Martyr one of that aunciētst doctors of the Church expounding this place He saith that Noah vvas a figure of Christ because he vvas the beginning of another generation regenerated by vvater And the Pope sayth that he was a figure of him It followeth then either that the Pope is Christ or else that he cannot be any other but he who woulde aduaunce himselfe to that place in the Church to wit Antichrist I woulde haue bene ashamed to haue alledged these places for them were it not that they which haue no shame to defende the Pope in this time are so impudent to alledge them and to make great bookes thereof And by this a man may see howe destitute they are of playne places when they are driuen to haue recourse to such But forasmuch as it appeareth not by the holy Scripture that our Lord hath ordeyned Peter head of the Church but altogether the contrary It followeth then that we see if S. Peter before his death hath euer exercised this charge and also if the other Apostles haue yeelded so much vnto him He was sent with Iohn into Samaria by the Apostles Now amongst men he that sendeth is aboue him that is sent he was accused amongst the brethren for hauing cōuersation amongst the Gentiles This vvent fore and yet notwithstanding he excuseth himselfe towardes them He did not then what seemed good to himselfe without beyng answereable for it to the brethren In the Councill at Ierusalem he propounded his opinion concerning the matter of the Gentiles whose vocation was reueyled vnto him and Iames there concludeth as President and letters are dispatched awaye in the name of the whole assemblie And yet this shoulde haue bene the place where this preeminence ought to haue appeared To be short he calleth himselfe a companion or fellowe of the Elders of the Church and louingly exhorteth them as his equalles and not by decrees and commaundementes c. If we should goe any further Saint Paul in two first chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians declareth that he was not subiect vnto him that Saint Peter required it not of him but onely that he gaue him the hande of fellowshippe to trauayle in the Lordes vineyarde and that he reprooued him to his face and that he resisted him as his fellowe and companion And their ordinarie glose sayeth vpon this place The other Apostles seemed to be more worthie then Paul because they were sent by Iesus Christ but he was a great deale more woorthie then they because he was sent by Christ altogether immortall whereas they were but sent by Christ then a mortall man Also he learned nothing of Peter nor of the rest but contrariwise he taught Peter and they conferred not any thing to him but he rather conferred and profited Peter Also the Lord Iesus sayeth Saint Paul which is in vs all hath ordeyned some Apostles some Prophets some Doctors c. for the Ministerie of his Gospell Also we are one body and one spirite hauing the same hope of calling one God one faith one Baptisme It shoulde haue followed that he shoulde haue adioyned in recommendation of this vnitie a ministeriall head of the Church Peter and his successours in the See of Rome Hitherto then we haue not so much as any appearance of primacie Yea but Peter is sometyme first named A poore foundation of so monstruous a buylding And the Uirgine Marie is named in some places the last and Saint Peter himselfe by Paul after S. Iames. But he was wont oftentymes to speake first and he was endowed with great giftes and oftentimes he is called by the fathers the chiefe amōgst the Apostles And who of vs is there that doth denie S. Peters excellencie that doeth not wonder at his incomparable zeale that doeth not place him in the vppermost seate of the Church And contrariwise who is he that doth more dishonour him then the Pope who hideth his filthinesses and vilanies vnder S. Peters Cloke vnder the colour of his name filleth all the worlde ful
more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being and blasphemeth more against his cōming who in the chaire of Christ is more against Christ for this same vndoubtly is the true Antichrist Let vs begin at the person of the Pope Christ hath declared that his kingdome was not of this world that he fledde when they would haue made him a kyng that he rendred obedience euen vnto the least magistrates and commaunded all those that were his to doe after his example Contrariwise the Pope sayth that he is king of the whole earth disposeth of all Empyres treadeth Emperors vnder his feete burneth with fyre and condemneth to hell all those that wyll not acknowledge him for such a one And all this because Christ hath said Al power is giuen to me of the father aswell in heauen as in earth I aske of any one what similitude and likenes there is betweene these two and if this be not in alleadging Iesus Christ to mocke Christ himselfe Againe Christ being God and the sonne of the eternall God vouchsafed to abase himselfe lower then Angels and vnder men themselues to worke the saluation of the worlde and a man quite contrary lyfteth vp himselfe aboue kyngs and aboue the Angels and aboue the heauens of heauens and hath caused men to dispute that he is not simply a man but a partaker of the diuine nature with Christ and that he hath the fountaine and roote of the spirite of Christ in him To be short whereas Christ submitted himselfe vnder heauen earth and hell he will commaund Kings Angels and deuils and all this vnder colour of the key of the word which Christ hath deliuered to his ministers I aske God being made man for the saluation of the worlde howe it can be that this man which maketh himselfe God shoulde be any other then that sonne of perdition come for the perdition of the worlde But we must see howe he hath asmuch as laye in him made voide the comming of the Messiah the crosse of Christ and the saluation we haue by the same We feele in our selues that man continually doeth nothyng but offend God and that it is as possible for vs of our own nature to keepe our selues therefrom as to stay our pulse or to holde in the winde of our breath These offences also are so infinite being committed against him which is infinite that they deserue an infinite punishment whereto all the men in the world together are not able to satisfie It must needes be therefore that the sonne of God in person must descend from heauen to satisfie by his infinite merite for our infinite demerites and not one man coulde euer hope for the mercie of the Father if his iustice had not bene executed vpon his owne sonne This is that which all the holy Scripture teacheth vs that Christ was sent for the saluation of the worlde that he is the onely and alone Sauiour thereof that he was slaine from the beginning of the worlde for the saluation of those that beleeue in him c. And this is it wherein consisteth all the benefite of the comming of Christ and all the treasure of the Church But see howe this good gouernour of the Church dispenseth with this First of all he hath buried the scripture in forgetfulnesse forbidding the readyng thereof vnto the people leauing them nothing but Rosaires Legends of Saints and such other baggage that is to say asmuch as lyeth in him he hath put out the light to the ende that his illusions might be the more of force amiddest the darkenesse And we haue seene many burned onely and simply for hauing read it Moreouer whereas the lawe was giuen to conuince a man of sinne and the Gospel to teache him the remedie in Christ the Popes doctors haue taught that a man as he is of his owne nature can loue God aboue all thinges that it is possible for him to fulfill the lawe and that at the first man was saued by keeping the naturall law afterwards by fulfylling the lawe of Moses now Christians by keeping the Gospel If it be so what shall become of that S. Paul sayth That the law engendreth sinne that it is come vpon vs to multiplie transgressions c. Also what shal the Gospel haue aboue the law Christ aboue the shadowes And wherefore shall not his cōming change the lawe into grace Nowe to turne away the people from theyr Physition there is no shorter and readier meane then to perswade them that they are whole or if they felt in any sort theyr disease that they might cure them selues without any Physition This is that from whēce are sprung these goodly pharisaicall propositions that all the acte of charitie absolutely deserueth euerlastyng lyfe that a man may worke his owne saluation in this
dignitie of the ministerie which he calleth the power of the ecclesiastical gouernmēt ouer the people he maintayneth that the priests are equal to the Popes thēselues he proueth it because in their orders they vse the same words that they vse in the orders of bishops Apostles Receiue the holy Ghost vvhatsoeuer ye bind on earth shal be boūd in heauen c. To be short Cardinall Cusan himselfe maintaineth that the popedome the state of Bishopricks that is to say al their degrees both great smal they are not ordeyned of God but of men That all Priestes according to the ordinance of our Lord are equal that they were likewise ordeined of men for the better to wit to auoyde diuision But whē this better was turned into worse this which men had ordeyned to bring m̄e to God serued to turne thē away frō God then the cause ceasing these positiue lawes should also cease mē should be brought to the first institution And therfore marke saith he that in time of necessitie whē the Pope hath excōmunicated with an euill purpose the least priest may absolue him whosoeuer he be frō his excōmunication Behold therefore that in that the B. is aboue an elder it is but frō mans lawe for order which is no longer order when it is the cause of disorder Consequently we saye that those elders haue power to laye on their handes and to ordayne pastors That they had so in the Apostles tyme it is most cleare Neglect not sayth Saint Paul the gift that is in thee which is giuen to prophecie with the imposition of the handes of the Eldership that is to say of the assemblie of Seniors or elders And againe Timothie ordeined him selfe forasmuch as a Bishop elder were al one if by the scripture the Byshops take this power to themselues aswel might the Ministers Elders if they deny it to the ministers elders they deny it to themselues In deede in the olde time this argument was cōmon in the Church He might baptize he might minister the Lordes body ergo he might lay on his hands Also when they ordeined an elder the B. holding his hand ouer his head al the other elders drew neere layd on their hands together held them vpō the head of him whō they so ordeyned as it appeareth in many places of Gratians decretals which was to keepe their right in giuing of orders to shew that although the Bishop had the charge of this action that notwithstanding it was equall amōgst thē that he could not do it of himselfe alone And certaine of their owne haue disputed this same question 300. yeres since And if the ambition of Bishops the negligence of the Ministers Elders haue confoūded all thinges abolished the order of the church we must labour as much as wee can to bring it in againe And if the Bishoppe of a companion which he ought to be is become a tyrant ouer the ministers elders why it belongeth to those that are true ministers and elders to exercise the duetie which is left vnto them And if the primacie of the Bishop brought in by men haue led men to perdition which order we do not altogether disalowe if it be rightly obserued why then by the equalitie of ministers and Elders instituted of God they must bee brought againe to saluation To be short the first Bishops of the Christian Church were but elders and our first ministers were elders the elders by the institutiō of the Apostles had authoritie to lay on their hādes according to which also ours were ordeined ministers therefore ordeined by them are well ordained and their vocation can not in any wise be cauilled at or slaundered Nowe if any thinke them contemptible in comparison of the great prelates of the Church of Rome Caiphas in deede was reuecenced of the worlde whereas Cephas had neither golde nor siluer Paul being a persecuter was in great credit and Paul being an Apostle gotte his liuing with his owne hands Also God is wont to confoūd the great and mightie things of the world through thinges which seeme small And many of ours followe the pouertie of Christ which might be honoured yea and were so sometimes amōgst the chiefe vpholders of Antichrist It is not therfore to the purpose to aske miracles of vs for the approuing of our calling For if we must shew some then must they also for that is ordinarie But if by vertue of their calling they haue taken vpon them to preache newe doctrine why then let them suffer vs by vertue of the same to restore the auncient And if they say it is ours that is newe and not theirs why then there is no more question of our calling but of our doctrine and therefore we must passe through all these suburbes and come directlye to the conference of these two In meane time these were the goodlye fetches that hyndered the fruite of the conference at Poissy from whence all Fraunce wayted for some singular good thing yet this is that vpon which at this day the Iesuites do ground their principall defence When any say vnto them Shew me purgatorie and transubstantiation and the inuocation of Sayntes or any thing which draweth neere to the Scriptures they saye vnto vs Worke miracles Euen so likewise Satan said vnto Iesus Christ If thou be the sonne of God cast thy selfe downe from the toppe of the pinacle c. being as ready to haue turned vnto him if he had done it as if he had done nothing But our Sauiour who could haue done greater things confuted him onely by the scriptures So likewise the Pharises aske him for signes albeit he wrought inow those wonderful But if he cast out deuils this was say they by the power of the deuil If he did thē in earth they aske thē frō heauen if the heauen it selfe should speake to giue authoritie to his vocatiō thē they said What thūder is this Likewise they say vnto him vpon the Crosse If thou be the sonne of God helpe thy selfe c. and when he stept out of the Sepulchre ouerth wart those gross-headed watchmen they said that he was stolne away To be short euen so in asking miracles of vs nowe they are wholy bent to say if we should do them that we were the Antichrists which should deceyue the worlde by signes miracles that therfore we ought not to be beleeued But as the Pharises whē Christ suffered vpon the Crosse in steade of asking him miracles had done a great deale better to meditate vpon this place of Isaie He was wounded for our transgressions he was smitten for our iniquities and with his stripes were we healed So should it be much better for our masters to searche out of the holy scriptures the true markes of Antichrist and deepely to thinke vpon this great miracle which God hath wrought in our
time without miracles abolishing by the onely breath of his mouth and by the off-scouring of the world that horrible moÌ„ster who so loÌ„g time hath caused himselfe to be worshipped in the worlde When the Lawe was published by Moses we reade that then he wrought miracles When there was a matter of iudgement also betwixt God and Baal God wrought miracles by Elias But when Iosias the king Helkias the Priest brought foorth the booke of the Lawe which had bene buried eyther by the negligence or malice of the teachers and that they threw out the idoles which men had brought into the Temple of God when Esdras the Scribe and Priest restored the seruice of God after the captiuitie of Babylon we reade not that they wrought any miracles the reason thereof is very cleare Moses had published a newe Lawe to the people And Elias had to do with a people that openly had renounced the lawe Contrarywise Iosias Helkias Esdras onely kept the lawe and according to that reformed the Church and had to do with a people that beleeued and would yeeld vnto it yea with a people who were taught by the lawe to beleeue the lawe against all miracles In like maner when Christ brought the Gospell he wrought miracles but we finde not when any pastor of the Church hath required the reformation of some abuses of the Councilles which entred thereinto that hee was requested to worke miracles Of Saynt Bernarde who cryed so lowde agaynst the corruption of his time and who sighed so sore after the reformation of the Churche they asked none Nowe the reformation we aske is of many things according to that corruption which so long agoe is entred into al things To be short this should be a great miracle vnto vs that an Angel should bring vs from heauen a newe Gospell and yet notwithstanding the Gospel forbiddeth vs vpon paine of damnation to beleeue it we are not those then that must worke miracles For we preache nothing but saluation in one onely Iesus Christ confirmed by the miracles of Christe and of his Apostles But it belongeth to Antichrist to do them who preacheth saluation by mans works by monkes merites and by his owne indulgences and pardons who hath brought vs in a newe Christ and a newe Gospel which the deuil hath confirmed and sealed to the worlde by straunge signes wonders lying miracles whereof all oratories Chappels not long sithens boasted vaunted which when Christe was borne vanished altogether to nothing as he made the oracles of the deuil to do when he was borne into the world And I aske theÌ„ nowe of their conscience if we came with miracles whether our aduersaries would beleeue our Doctrine which nowe so boldely they condemne to the fyre If they saye No why then they abuse the people when they aske vs for them as though without miracles our Doctrine ought not to be receyued and as though they were by and by ready if we had these quietly to allowe it If they saye they would we ought not then to marueil if agaynst Christe they haue receyued Antichrist seeing the deuill hath authorized him by his miracles forasmuch as all Christians were forewarned by the spirite of God that he should woorke strange and monstruous thinges whereupon notwithstanding they ought not to staye and contrarywise that Christ must destroye him by the spirite of his mouth that is to saye by the onely preaching of his worde to which his spirite giueth effect and power Nowe if they wil yet stiffely holde an opinion of miracles one poore Fryer with the onely sounde of the woorde of God hath in one moment shaken al the foundations of this Babylonical Empire which seemed to be so well fensed against all the iniuries of the time And in what time euen theÌ„ when the Pope as a god had al the earth at his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t at that time when he was adored worshipped of kings serued of Emperours when he tooke away gaue Empires at his pleasure when to inquire of his doings was as they say to touch the holy mountaine to open mouth against heaueÌ„ Euen hee at whose voyce otherwise our most mightiest Kings haue treÌ„bled in their thrones at the voyce of a man in respect of men contemptible hath trembled in his throne and can not vntill this daye be quieted With the ayde of a fewe of his companions and of the same estate he hath withdrawen the greatest parte of Christendome from vnder his power he hath deliuered froÌ„ this deuill that possessed them not only meÌ„ or cities but euen whole kingdomes he hath by the word of God opened the eyes of a thousand millions of persons that were blinde euen from their birth And although the only word of God preached by his seruaunts hath done these great marueiles you yet denie that God worketh miracles Yea rather this is the miracle of miracles that this great miracle is wrought without miracles We haue seene in our time many Bethulias many Senacheribs many Herodes and many Dioclesians We haue seene Gyants dashed against the stones we make no reconing of these things because we haue seene theÌ„ but those that come after vs shal wonder at them And who would haue said I pray you that after the 24. day of August in the yere 1572. that euer there shoulde againe any mention be made of vs in Fraunce We were as dead buried they had rolled such a great stone vpon vs to keepe vs downe on euery side they were in armes about our graues God contrariwise from all these same lets restored vs life to praise him and to make all the earth ashamed in their slie purposes he woulde that euen the aduersaries of our religion them selues should remoue the stone and reaching out their hands vnto vs should drawe vs out of the graue againe Nowe if as the Pharises they will yet aske vs for a signe from heauen then during the time that these horrible murthers continued thorowe out Fraunce there began to appeare in the firmament this newe starre whereof sithens the creation of the world the like hath not bene seene but at the birth of our Lorde Iesus Christ All the worlde sawe it three yeres together Al Astrologers wondred at it and are yet amazed to thinke of it The wise meÌ„ of the world which beleeue al things to be eternall beganne from thenceforth to worshippe one Creator And what shall we thinke that it signifieth vnto vs but that seconde birth of Iesus Christ in the earth by the preaching of his word But you wil say We haue seene yet nothing And contrariwise yoâ—r affayres in stead to be aduaunced go backward Well The starre which was followed of the wise men was thirtie yeeres before it shewed his effect and when that effect was accomplished it was by the fleshe of one man of whom meÌ„ made no accompt and by the shame of a crosse that seemed to haue enclosed the whole
they deeme spoyled him selfe of his Empire to enriche them Chrysost sayeth Whosoeuer of the Bishoppes shall desire primacye in earth he shall find confusiō in heauen he that shall desire to be the chiefe he shall not be reputed in the nomber of the seruaunts of Christ Gregory the great Bishop of Rome when the Bishop of Constātinople would attribute vnto him selfe that Supremacy he sayth not that he doeth wrong to Saint Peter or that hee withholdeth vsurpeth the right of the Bishoppes of Rome but rather he protesteth that this vvas a prophane title full of sacriledge and the fore-running of Antichrist and that this was to say with Lucifer I will ascend aboue the cloudes and will make my selfe equall to the high God. That none of his predecessours tooke vpon them to be aboue their brethren cōpanions And if there vvere any such amongst thē he falling downe al the Church should stūble fal vvith him That this vvere to destroy all christianitie And after many such other woordes he pronounceth this generall sentence That vvhosoeuer shal call himselfe vniuersal Bishop or shall desire to be so called that he is the forerunner of Antichrist forasmuch as through pride he axalteth him selfe aboue all As touching him self he flatly refused it and prayed Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria not to giue him this proude name Hee acknowledgeth that the Bishoppes of Alexandria and Antioche are as well in Peters chaire as they of Rome to be short that Peter Paul Andrevv Iohn c. they are al particular heads of the people vvhom they gouerne but all members vnder one head vvhich is Christ hovvsoeuer they holde Peter for chiefe amongest them I beseech the readers that they will take paines to reade vpon this matter the epistles of Saint Gregory and there they shall finde the condemnation of this Supremacie more expressely then yet I haue said To conclude the Emperours haue called generall Councils the patriarks and. Metropolitanes those that were Nationall and prouincial They that were Patriarkes euery one was president ouer the See of his patriarchshippe and not the Bishoppe of Rome nor his deputies in general councils The patriarks or chiefe Bishoppes went not to seeke their Palls at Rome but were Canonically elected ouer those places The Bishoppe of Rome as appeareth by those Epistles them selues of Gregorye the great when hee was chosen exhibited vnto them the confession of hys fayth by a Synodall Epistle as they did to him Eche one of them had an Ecclesiasticall iudgement ouer his owne and none appealed from them no not the Bishoppes them selues beyond the Sea who had no Patriarke in the Sea of Rome I demaunde then by what marke they can shewe vs that Supremacy in the aunciēt Primitiue church be it but by the positiue lawe of man And yet notwithstanding wee see the course from time to time and from Councill to Councill vntill the yeere of our LORD sixe hundred and more when Phocas the Emperour killed his master Maurice and inuaded the Empire and to get fauour of the Romanes after so cursed and detestable murther gayned Boniface the third their Bishop declaring him to be head of the Church and Bishoppe of Bishoppes against that that Gregory his predecessour had a litle before so hotelye fought against If the Church had bene so long time without a head what did the members then And if Iesus Christ were the head then why lesse nowe Also whēce commeth it that when the Bishoppe of Rome was not acknowledged for such a one it had such strength and alwayes afterwards grewe weaker and decayed Againe is it not notable that all the auncient Churche was ignorant of so healthfull a doctrine hidden in the holy Scripture and that Boniface the third shoulde be the firste that shoulde fynde it out That such so necessary priuiledges should be concealed for the space of sixe hundred yeeres in the most happy ages and to the most quick sighted persons which euer were That so many Christian Emperors should make no account of it and one Phocas an execrable murtherer should be the first to giue authority vnto it But as the papacie must needes spring of the ruines of Rome the second beast of the Carrion of the first so also must it needes he that the supremacie of the Bishop of Rome as that of the first kings was must bee founded and buylded vpon murther Against these decrees of the generall councills they blush not to alledge vnto vs those goodly bookes of Clement whereof we haue spoken a litle before that same ridiculous epistle of Anaclet That Cephas is asmuch to say as head of the church that same authentical reuelation of Pope Marcellus of Peters seate to be remoued from Antioch to Rome and such other beggerly trumperie of that decree which some euen of their owne side do deride Also certaine other epistles of Pope Leo who laboureth therby asmuch as he can to make vs credit the latine Church But we know that none must be iudge in his owne cause and if as Gerson Panormitan say One lay man may set himselfe hauing the holy Scripture on his side against a vvhole generall councill vvhich erreth from it By a more strong reason maye the whole primitiue Church oppose it selfe all the whole Scripture hauing al the general councils on her side that were for the space of 600. yeres against the tyrānie of one man alone which cannot alledge any thing but his owne ambition yea against the decretall epistles of some Popes yet for the most part but shuffled in vnder the name of some of the auncient fathers I will not denie notwithstanding that a good time the bishops of Rome had not attempted to establishe a spirituall monarchie at Rome according to the example of the temporall which made them to be enuied For the Church of God began by Abel as Saint Augustine saith and Babylon by Cain and likewise it is not to be doubted but that very quicklye after the foundations of the Christian Church were layde Sathan layd also the foundations of Antichrist In Paul his time the mysterie of iniquitie began to worke when one said that hee was of Apollo another that he was of Paul and another of Cephas Victor the bishop of Rome enterprised to excommunicate all Asia for the feast of Easter but he was most liuely reprooued by Irenee Steuen also receiued the schismatiques of Affricke against the Sentence of the Churche that they should not appeale beyond the Sea but Cyprian calleth him proud and ignorant and the councill of Affricke holden about the selfe same time setteth it selfe against him Iulius in the time of Constantine beganne to establishe his Empire but the councill of Nice limitted him his power bringing him to the bound and skantling of others Yea in the sixth council of Carthage where Saint Augustine was present three bishops of Rome one after another
Diuinitie in one Tombe Notwithstanding after that the diuel had cast out his fire against the Apostles and disciples of Christ that he had raysed against them infinite persecutions it must needes be in the end that he yelde himselfe that al the earth acknowledge their lord Let the earth therefore do what it will the word of God endureth for euer And it must be that Antichrist perish be discomfited by the breath of the mouth of Christ that he be abolished by the brightnesse of his comming All kings and al the earth can do nothing against this determination But I beseech the Almightie that it will please him to inspire into the heartes of all Kings and peoples a true desire of knowing the trueth to search for their saluation a true zeale to bring Christendome againe to true vnitie vnder the obedience of Christ a true affâ—â—â—â— on to reigne and to liue in him as they raigne and liue by him to the ende that Kings being well obeyed of their people and the people well commaunded of their Kinges we may see in our dayes one onelye Iesus Christ acknowledged of all peoples Kinges to be the King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes and in his Church the onely mediatour fauiour and Lawegiuer Amen Conclusions THe Church is considered as it is to be seene or not to be seene The Church not to be seene is the companie of those whom God hath chosen to euerlasting life in all times and places The Church that is to be seene is the company of those who are called thereinto and is considered according to certaine times and places There is notwithstanding but one Church but considered diuersely In that which is to be seene as the corne with the chasse in that which is not to be seene as the corne threshed and fanned This visible Church was first without the law afterwards vnder the law tyed to one certain place familie Now through grace it is spred throughout the world one place hauing no more priuiledge then an other whereof it is called Catholike that is to say vniuersall The Catholike Church comprehendeth vnder it all assemblies of Christians in al regions whoÌ„ we call Churches as we call partes of the sea the sea distinguishing theÌ„ notwithstanding by their names as the Church of Greece of Affrike c. Of the parts of the Church as the members of the same body yea though it be vniuersall some are pure and some impure and of those that are impure some are more and some lesse impure The pure Churches are those in which the word of God is purely preached and the sacraments duly administred albeit that in respect of God there is nothing pure The one they call the sound and true Churches the other but unproperly Catholike Churches The impure are those in which the word of God and his sacraments are ill administred whatsoeuer other outward marckes they can pretende And because that al the doctrine of Christ is faith and charitie we cal those that are impure in the doctrine of faith heretical Churches and those that haue separated themselues from the vnitie which they do through lacke of charitie Schismatical And some there are that are both heretical and Schismatical as the Churche of Rome and they that at this day cleaue vnto it for they maintaine many damnable heresies and persecute and excommunicate those that desire reformation Notwithstanding forasmuch as the profession of Christ remayneth there in some sorte we denie them not the name of a Church as we call a man a man howe sicke or brainelesse soeuer he be To discerne the pure churches froÌ„ the impure God hath deliuered vs his worde contained in the scriptures the which is perfect cleere to saluation for it hath for his aucthor the most perfect father of light This is that therfore by which men ought to determine the coÌ„trouersies of this time to reforme the Church as the coÌ„moÌ„ welth according to the lawes abolishing that which God hath there forbidden vs holding that for forbidden in his seruice which hee hath not ordeined looking to that which he hath commaunded and interpreting his wil by it selfe concerning those thinges that are in controuersie The Churches which follow that wil caÌ„not erre for that is the way of saluation and following that God guideth them also by his spirit which enlightneth them and is inseparably ioyned thereto Contrariwise the Churches which departe from it may and doe erre yea and that in the matter of saluation for that they goe out of the way of saluation Neither can they beast of the spirite for God bestoweth it not but vpon his sheepe neither doth he hold any for his sheepe but those that heare his voyce Therfore the Church following mans fantasie not the lawe of God hath greatly erred in all her particular states times euen vntil the crucifiyng of the sonne of God that is to say her owne saluation As in our time we say that the Church of Rome doth adore and worship the sonne of perdition that is to say Antichrist The Church is a body Christ the sonne of God is the head thereof giuing efficacie to the Ministerie of his Gospell through his spirit by the selfe same assisting all those that truely call vpon him And this is that wherein consisteth the administration or gouernement of the head of the Church And as touching the ministerial head no man may be it For the Church by the comming of Christ is spread throughout the whole world none can exercise that ministerie throughout the world but rather euery pastor representeth Christ in his charge And in deede our sauiour Christ before he ascended into heauen ordeyned none such neither did any of the Apostles exercise any such office the whole primitiue Church neuer knewe of it Wherefore following the worde of God and the opinion of the same church we hold that the Papal See which vnder this false title exerciseth tyranny ouer all the world is Antichrist the which without other proofes and circumstances may be verified by his doctrine alone Notwithstanding that this Papal See placed in one part of the Church is not the Churche neither a part of the Church but as a pestilence to the body of the Church which hath corrupted and infected all asmuch as it coulde and had vtterly choked it without the special mercie of God. We doe therefore depart from the papacie and not from the Church from Idoles and not from the temple from Tyranme and not from the common wealth from the plague and not from the Citie being ready entirely to knit and ioyne our selues againe when Antichrist the euil which he hath brought in shal be taken away And in waiting for this we reforme the Ministerie of the worde of God and as nye as we can his seruice according to his institution by the example of the Apostles excommunicated out of Hierusalem which yet notwithstanding is not to
called together by the Emperour Martian Leo the Bishoppe of Rome beeyng there president hee was called Archbishoppe as were the others But the history sayeth that he required the Emperour and the Empresse to gouerne there because that in the seconde Councill of Ephesus Dioscorus the Patriarke of Alexandria abusing his authoritie had approued the heresie of Eutyches whereof then there was question Nowe in that hee demaundeth this fauour it sufficientlye declareth that it was not done vnto him and if this might once bee drawen into consequence as well also must this that Cyrill was President ouer the first councill of Ephesus for all the Bishoppes of Alexandria And in very deede in the fift Councill of Constantinople his successour withstoode it not when Menas the patriarke of that place was there presidēt In the generall Councill of Aquilie S. Ambrose the B. of Millane was president there was not any mētion made of the B. of Rome although this was in Italy But behold the questiō was determined the parties being heard by the determinate sētēce of a coūcill The B. of Rome tooke vpon him a goodly large title of being patriarke ouer the churches of Affrike the schismatikes of Affrike willingly departed to go to him to finde there aid whereupon the coūcil of Mileuitane where S. Aug. was with a good nomber of fathers pronounced all them for excommunicate that had or shoulde appeale beyonde the Sea. The Bishoppe of Rome finding him selfe grieued sent to the sixth councill of Carthage where also Saint Augustine was that he might haue redresse in this matter the which was so long time in debating that Zosinius Boniface and Celestine Bishoppes of Rome succeeded one another during this Councill Aurelius the Archbishoppe of Carthage notwitstanding that their legates were there was president there and in the ende the definitiue sentence was pronounced in this force That the Bishop of Rome should not receiue those that were excommunicated by the Bishops of Affrike neither should he receiue the appellations of those that by them should be cond̄ened that all they which should appeale to him should be holdē for excōmunicated persōs The reasons of this councill contained in the 105. chapter by the letters of the council to Celestine Bishop of Rome are these that there is no coūcil that had so decreed Contrariwise that the Council of Nice had put the Clergie the Bishops of ech prouince vnder the Metropolitan That the grace of the holye Spirite had not withdrawen it selfe from euerye Prouince to discerne the right of all causes That anye myght appeale to a Prouinciall councill if hee felt him selfe grieued that it vvas more credible that GOD vvoulde inspire a great assemblie of ministers in a Councill then one man alone And because that the B. of Rome required to send his legates to be ouer those places to enquire of matters and causes they made answere that they could not find any councill that had so decreed and likewise that they would not suffer it In this council where they had time enough to dreame all their forbidding yet shall you not finde that the primacie was founded vpon anye lawe of God much lesse that which they call the fulnes of power And in very deede for to decide the matter men were not sent to search the scriptures in which S. Augustine who was present there was wel able to haue found it if it had bene there but rather to the foure originals of the coūcill of Nice which were kept in the foure patriarchall Sees In meane while Gratian the Compiler of their decree was so sottishly malicious that reciting this Canon of the Councill of Carthage That men should not appeale beyond the Sea he added vnlesse to the B. of Rome as though the Canon had bene made quite contrary to it selfe all the reasons being heard concluded to the contrary And by this place a man may very well gather what to accompte of their Canons being rehersed with such fidelitie In the Councill of Carthage holden vnder the Emperour Mauricius about the yeere of Christ sixe hundred the matter of the Supremacie was also largely debated because that thē the B. of Constantinople fauoured of the Emperor Mauricius by prerogatiue of the Citye of Constantinople called him selfe Bishop of Bishops and vniuersall Bishop And Mauricius vphelde and ayded him to beate down old Rome because thē the empire was trāslated into the East Italie left for a pray to the Northern people Let a mā read ouer al the Canōs of that council they pronounce a curse not onely vpon the B. of Cōstantinople but generally vpō al those who shall take the title of an vniuersall B. All the auncient doctors who liued during the time of these Councils yea the Latines that yelded very much to the Bishopricke of Rome as being their most neere patriarchshippe doe witnesse the selfe same thing vnto vs Athanasius albeit hee was greatly bound to the See of Rome which had receiued him in his exile he saith that all the Apostles were equal in honour power S. Hierom a minister of Rome he saith If there be any question of the authoritie of all the world the vvorld is greater then one City Wherefore vvilt thou bring the order of the Church into the subiection of a fevve persons Whence cōmeth this presūption Wheresoeuer there is a Bishop be he at Rome or at Agubiū be he at Constātinople or at Rhegiū he is of one and the same dignitie and Ministery Riches or pouertye neither make one superiour nor inferiour Againe there is saith he in euerye Churche a Bishoppe one chiefe amongest the Deacons and another amongest the Elders and all the order of the Churche consisteth in these gouernors It should folow therupon seeing the the question was of vnity that he should adde and say a B. ouer the other Bishops but he speaketh nothing S. August hath written a story which maketh this matter most cleare Donate of the black cotages a Numidian of whō the Donatists tooke their name had grieuously accused Ciciliā the Archbishop of Carthage Constantine the Emperor committed this cause which was merely ecclesiastical to Miltiades B. of Rome to certain other Bishops of Italie Gaule Spaigne Nowe if this had bene his ordinarie Iurisdiction there needed not any Cōmission of the Emperor it had belonged to him to haue chosen vnto himselfe his assistants not to haue receiued them But see further Donate being condemned appealed to the Emperor who sent his appellatiō to the Archb. of Arles either to proue or disalow the B. of Romes sentence I demand then in this fact which in this case is worth a million Where is the Supremacy where is the Iurisdiction without appeale and where is this same knowledge of all appellations this fulnes of power wherof they speak so much And yet this is that Constantine of whom they boast so much who as