The rooting out of the romish Supremacy.  
Wherein is declared, that the authority which the Pope of Rome doth challenge to himself over all Christian Bishops and Churches, is unlawfully usurped: contrary to the express word and institution of our Saviour jesus Christ: who did give equal power and authority to all the Apostles, Bishops, and Ministers of his Church, whereof he is the true corner stone, and only head.  
Set forth by William Chauncie Esq. AT LONDON, Printed by H. Middleton, for john Perin. AN. 1580.   

TO THE RIGHT Honourable, and his singular good Lord, the Lord Robert Dudley, Earl of Leycester, Baron of Denbigh Knight of the most Honourable orders of the Garter, and of Saint Michael, Master of the Queen's majesties horses, and one of the Lords of her highness most honourable Privy Council. William Chauncy Esquire, wisheth prosperous continuance of health, long life, and honour, with increase of the grace, and all blessings of Almighty God.  
IT is very well known, and very worthy to be considered, how the transgression and breaking the commandment of Almighty God by our first parent Adam, in Paradise, did so vehemently displease the Lord through disobedience, and so greatly infect all mankind with sin, that Adam lost thereby, not only his Angelical estate of innocency, but also the most blessed joys of paradise, from the which he was driven out into this worldly vale of misery, therein to get & eat his food with the sweat of his face, 
Gen. 3.19.  as God did him command. Whereof it came to pass, that his two first naturally begotten sons of Eva his wife, the Elder named Cain, & the younger Abel, being the two first brethren in this world, who therefore should most singularly and entirely have loved each the other above all other creatures: yet the infection of their Father Adam's sin wrought so, that because Abel's oblation to God dutifully made, was of him well accepted and cain's oblation was not regarded, Cain therefore did so much hate & envy his brother Abel, that when they were in the field, 
Gen. 4.8.  he maliciously fell upon and did wilfully murder him, of whom he never was offended. This malice and sinful envy of Cain, hath ever sith that time so cleaved to man's nature and infected all mankind, that no excellent work or deed can be lightly done by any man, but some other straightways are ready through envy to despise it, and speak reproachfully of it. Yea, not so much as the singular and famous learned in divinity, or in any other knowledge of commendable arts, can set his pen to the book for the devising or setting forth of any work to the advancement of the glory of God, and benefit of his Church, but some there are, who moved with malice & envy, by writing or speaking will hinder & deprave it to the uttermost of their powers, as by plain experience in all Christian kingdoms hath been, and is showed, daily, too manifestly, to the whole world. How greatly then, right honourable, ought I, being not brought up in any University, nor instructed in the arts of Logic and Philosophy, be abashed to take upon me to set down in writing this my simple collection out of the Scriptures, and other laws, and histories: to be thereby made by some others a mock and a gazing stock to evil disposed persons? Wherefore, had not your honour so earnestly required to have a copy of it, whereof my promise being passed I might not deny it: otherwise truly it should never have gone further, but have still remained in my own hands, for the only putting of myself in memory of the things therein gathered, as it may appear by the simple doing of it. But to present it to you, this also made me the bolder, that I know your Lordship is of so Noble a nature, & courteous conditions: that you will be a patron and defender of it against all malicious and envious persons, which hereafter shall endeavour themselves by word or writing to defame and slander it. I present it therefore unto your Honour, according to my promise: committing it wholly to your honourable protection, as unto one most worthy of it, for your true favouring of God's holy word, for setting forth of his glory, for maintaining the doctrine of his only son our Saviour jesus Christ, & the suppressing of the Romish vain and superstitious traditions and abuses. The which your godly virtues are joined together with singular affability, justice. clemency: specially in forgiving of injuries. Which appeareth by that you have not sought or wrought revengement, or hindrance of any body for any wrongs done, either to your own person, or to your noble progenitors, at any time sith you have been in great authority under our prince, and right able to have revenged them: but gently & quietly have borne all such things with great mildness, and without opprobrious rebukes and rehearsals of them, made to any person, as far as ever I could hear of, or learn. Wherein your great modesty, and magnanimity, hath so much redounded to your immortal fame and honour, that I may right well therefore compare you with the right noble Germanicus Caesar, Lieutenant unto the Emperor Tiberius over all Italy. Who during the time of his lieutenantship, did behave himself so gently and uprightly to all men, that he seldom entered into the City of Rome with out great peril & danger of his life, by reason of the throng & press of the multitude of people, which gathered about him, for very love and desire they had to see, and welcome him to the City. These excellent gifts and qualities of that noble man Germanicus Caesar, I say, can no more stain or blemish your most noble virtues before touched: then the burning candle is able to dim or darken the clear bright shining son, at the noon day: whereof I myself (in the time of my great adversities, through most injurious vexations and troubles of some envious persons) have felt and tasted, to my great comfort and relief, as I can not but remember as long as I live. For the which I can but pray, as I do hearty, to almighty God, and wish unto your honour the same blessing, that he promiseth to the just and righteous man, by his holy prophet David: 
Psal. 91.16.  Longitudine dierum replebo eum, & ostendam illi salutare meum: Which blessing of long life & assurance of salvation from almighty God, how hearty I wish unto your honour, I have given testimony by presenting unto you this my little work, set forth for the utter rooting out of the usurped Romish Supremacy out of all the Church of Christ, chiefly out of this Church of England: and also for the declaring of the most true perfect equal authority, given by our Saviour jesus Christ, to all his Apostles, his Bishops, and godly ministers of his word & sacraments, within his true Church, whereof he is the only head & chief corner stone. Which things I myself have been ignorant of, until it hath now within these three years pleased God to give me his grace to read his holy scriptures, and other good authors, and Doctors of his Church, to my great comfort and consolation. Whereby I was stirred up to gather, in this little treatise, these things which moved me to see and know the truth: that if it were Gods will they might do some good to the instruction of others also, to the only glory of his son our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, who have your honour always in his gracious protection.  
May. 1580. Your good Lordships most humble at Commandment William Chauncy.   

To the Christian Reader.  
THe most excellent thing that Almighty God hath given to mankind, is the knowledge of the truth, the treasure of his wisdom, expressed in his holy scriptures. For without it we can neither know God, nor jesus Christ his son our Saviour and Redeemer, who saith of himself, Ego sum via, 
john. 14.  veritas, & Vita. I am the way, the truth, and the life: and no man cometh to my father but by me: and he that knoweth me, knoweth also my father. But the knowledge of this truth, which lighteneth our minds with the faith of God, and of his son jesus Christ, by his holy word, delivered in the Scriptures, hath been many hundred years covered and hidden, from the most part of all temporal men, as they are called: yea from mighty Emperors, Kings, Princes, and Magistrates of this world, through the crafty practices of the Bishops of Rome. Who to extol themselves and their Clergy, above all Emperors and princes, have by wicked policy, hidden and withdrawn from them, and from all Christians, the sacred Scriptures contained in the old and in the new Testaments, that thereby the detestable pride of the Bishops of Rome and their Clergy, might not be known to men, lest they should perceive how far they did vary from the example of Christ, and the humble godly lives of his Apostles and disciples, of Bishops and ministers, for the space of vj. hundred years after the church was planted by our saviour Christ. So that it came to pass, that the Bishops of Rome raged and reigned like Gods upon the earth, and no temporal prince durst as much as look upon the word of God, nor have any books of the holy scriptures, lest they should have been excommunicated for heretics.  
An ungodly policy, devised of them, to the intent, that their devilish pride & intolerable ambition might not be reform by the doctrine of Christ: which is most contrary to their usurped authority & supremacy, which they have challenged and used, sith the time that the Emperor Phocas, more than six hundred years after Christ, did grant unto Boniface the third of that name, the title and authority of universal Bishop over all other Bishops: a thing most contrary to our Saviour Christ's institution and commandments. Wherefore, gentle Reader, to the intent, that good Christian people should be no longer abused & deceived, through the crafty practices of the Bishop of Rome's decrees and counterfeit gloss, whereby he hath usurped his most unjust authority and title of supremacy, with which he hath almost blinded all Christian people & kingdoms: I have in this treatise briefly declared the truth of our Saviour Christ's two commissions, given jointly to all his Apostles, in such manner, that they should be in like authority and power, not one above the other in any degree. I have also showed how earnestly and straightly Christ did forbid all superiority and dominion to be amongst them, which I have approved both by the holy Scriptures, and by Godly ancient writers. I have noted farther, what account was made of the Bishop of Rome in the four first general Counsels, even the same which was made of other Bishops of the chief Sees, in Egypt, in Asia, in Greece and other provinces. I have declared, when this usurped supremacy did first begin, and by whom: moreover how greatly the Bishops of Rome did fall from true Godliness, from the faith of Christ, after they had obtained of the Emperors, that proud ungodly title of universal Bishop. Wherein I have touched the wicked behaviour of a few of them, to give as it were a taste of the fruits of their supremacy. Lastly, I have opened the dealings of good princes against their wickedness and tyranny, in our own country: making thereby manifest, that King Henry the eight, was not the first king of this realm, who did expel that usurped authority: but that almost full two hundredth years before King Henry the eight, it was spurned at, and divers laws and statutes were made by divers Kings of this Realm against it. So that by reading over of this little work, they that desire to see the truth of this matter, shall wander, I trust, no longer in the doubts of darkness, for lack of knowledge of the truth, which is revealed to us by the word of God, that CHRIST our Saviour teacheth us, even he who doth say, 
joh. 8.12.  Ego sum lux mundi, I am the light of the werlde. Doubtless he that walketh in this light shall know the truth, and shall not wander in darkness of any Popish traditions and superstitions, which is the most dangerous and deadly kind of darkness.  
Now, it is said of Christ. 
joh. 12.35.  Qui ambulat in tenebris, nescit quò vadit: He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whether he goeth. Let us therefore hear our Saviour jesus Christ. Ambulate dum lucem habetis, ne vos tenebrae comprehendant. Whilst ye have the light of God's word, walk in it, lest the darkness come upon you, and you return again unto it, 
2. Pet. 2.22 Pro. 26.11.  ut canis ad vomitum & sus ad volutabrum. As a dog to his vomit, as a sow to her wallowing in the filthy mire of Popish superstitions. To the which intent, my trust is in God that this little book shall somewhat help you forward by satisfying the consciences of good people, who will read it with desire to learn the truth. GOD grant that we may all both learn it and follow it: that we never fly from it unto errors of vain devices of men, but only put our whole hope, our confidence, and trust, in the death and passion of our saviour jesus Christ, and lead a holy life according to his word, to the glory of God, to whom be all honour, Dominion, and Majesty for ever and ever. Amen.   

¶ The rooting out of the romish supremacy: wherein is declared, that the authority which the Pope of Rome doth challenge to himself, over all Christian Bishops and Churches, is unlawfully usurped.  

Chap. 1.  
That in controversies of religion, the truth must be tried by the holy Scriptures. That by the Scriptures no apostle, nor Bishop hath a supremacy over others.  
IN all manner of doubts & controversies, which may arise in our Christian religion, the truth thereof must be tried with the touch of God's word, as well in matters that concern godly instruction, as in those things, which do belong to a Christian conversation.  
Doctrine. And first there must be brought in nothing into the Church of God, but that which God commandeth. Moses therefore in giving of laws to the Israelites, Doctrine. diverse & sundry times hath this saying. Dominus locutus est. 
Exo. 20.1.  The Lord spoke these words. And in the days of Ahas, when the service of God was polluted, and they sacrificed their sons & daughters unto devils, by causing them to pass through the fire, 
8. isaiah. 20.  the Prophet willeth them to repair to the law & to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. And therefore the fierce wrath of the Lord was powered upon Nadab and Abihu, 
Levi. 10.1  sons unto Aaron the high Priest, because contrary to the law of God, they offered strange fire: And this was the cause that Vzzah was strooken & slain, because contrary to God's commandment he would have stayed up the Ark of the Lord. And albeit the man had a good intention, & an honest meaning: yet the spirit of God reproveth the fact, and saith, God smote him in the place for his Fault, 
2. Sam. 6.7.  & there he died by the Ark of God. And in the new Testament our Saviour doth acknowledge that the doctrine was not his, but his fathers, and speaking of the spirit, he saith, that it shall call unto mind those things which he hath spoken: and the Apostle did deliver nothing else unto the Corrinthians, but that which he had received of the Lord jesus. And therefore Christ in the Gospel saith, 
john. 10.  My sheep hear my voice and as for a stranger they will not hear. And this therefore moved the men of Berea to prove Paul's preaching by the writings of the law, and the Prophets: 
Act. 17.11  and this moved Paul to denunce an accurse against those which went about to preach an other Gospel, yea if it were himself, or an Angel from heaven. 
Gal. 1.8.  And therefore Augustine hath this worthy saying: Audi, dicit Dominus, 
Epist. 48.  non dicit Donatus, aut Rogatus, aut Vincentius, aut Hilarius, aut Ambrose, aut Augustinus, sed dicit dominus. Hear, the Lord saith it, not Donatus saith it, or Rogatus, or Vincentius, or Hilarius, or Ambrose, or Augustine, but the Lord affirmeth & avoucheth. And the same in an other place, 
Aug. de nuptiis & concupiscentia. lib. 2. cap. 33.  Ista controversia judicem quaerit, judicet ergo Christus, & cui rei mors eius profecerit, ipse dicat. This controversy seeketh a judge, let Christ then judge, and let him tell what thing his death hath profited. And this did that good & most Christian Constantine in the council of Nice, for the appeasing of Sects which were crept in to the Church, referred the Bishops & the council to the scriptures of God. 
Trip. lib. 2. cap. 5.  But heretics cannot away with the word of God, as it may appear in the Pharisees, which did greatly regard the doctrines of men, 
Mat. 15.  contemning & despising the commandments of almighty God. In Montanus, 
1. Tim. 4.3.  who being delighted in the doctrine of Devils forbidding meats & marriage, did leave the word, and did flee to revelations: in mad Manicheus, who for the establishing of his errors did shroud himself in the harbour of his hellish inspirations: 
Chrisost. de sancto & adorando spiritu  in Adimantus his disciple, infected with the poison of his master, who did bend himself fully and wholly to dispraise the scriptures of God: 
Aug. contra Adimantum. cap. 3.  but most manifestly in the papists, which for the maintenance of their most vile and abominable superstition have called the word of God a nose of wax, or a shippmans' hose, as of late did that fleshly & carnal Cardinal Cusanus, or a black or an inky gospel, as did of late time Eckius & Pighius, two principal pillars of the popish Synagogue or Semen Turcicum a turkish seed, whereas it is the seed of the immortal and everliving God, 
1. Pet. 1.23  as some time did that pestilent prelate, I mean poisoned Pool. Therefore leaving these men in their errors, let us remember that are the Children of God, if there be any error in doctrine to refer ourselves to the written word of God.  
And as in doctrine, 
Conversation.  so in like manner for the ordering of our conversation, and for the amendment of our lewd lives. And therefore by Moses, 
Deu. 12.8. Num. 15.39.40.  almighty God saith. Let not every one do that which is right in his own eyes, but that which I command, you shall observe. Yea god calleth the following of a man's own fancy, and the seeking for to accomplish the desire of his own heart, whoring. And whereas the jews had a great opinion of their father's doings, being drawn thereto by a natual affection, God reclameth them, and by his prophet he saith You shall not go in the ways of your fathers, I am the Lord your GOD: 
Ezech. 20.18.  walk in my precepts. 
Psal. 109.  And therefore David would have a young man to rule himself, according to God's word, and this would the grandmother of Timothy, 
2. Tim. 1.5  and therefore she trained him in the scriptures from his very youth. Verily, verily the ways of the Lord are righteous, and the just will walk therein: but as for the ungodly which have sold themselves unto sin, do break in sunder the cords of God's law, because they hate and abhor to be reform. And therefore having committed the works of darkness, do envy and malice at nothing so much, 
john. 3.  as at the light, for Qui malè agit, odit lucem. He that doth evil, hateth the light. As it may appear in the Popes of Rome, who will not have their doings to be called in question, as it may appear by that speech of Paul the second. 
Platina in vita Pauli secundi.  Pontifex sum, mihique licet pro arbitrio, etc. I am Pope, I may do as I list. And therefore this is decreed in their decretals Sacrilegij esset instar, 
Distinct. 40. si Papa in glossa.  disputare de facto Papae. It should be accounted sacrilege for any man to reason of the Pope's doing. And the rest of the popish clergy are sick of a disease called Noli me tangere. But clean contrary is it in the Church of God, where the members do commit themselves fully & wholly to be censured by the word of God, neither going unto the right hand, or to the left: and whereas they are called God's building, are glad to be squared by the rule of the scripture, and therefore no doubt, but peace, even that peace which passeth all understanding shall come unto them which so walk, 
Gal. 6.16.  and mercy to the Israel which doth appertain to God. And therefore both in things which do concern doctrine, or have a respect unto a godly life, let that at all times take place, which our Saviour Christ hath willed us to search out the truth of them by the Scriptures. 
john. 5.  For in the fifth Chapter of the Gospel after saint john, when he had rebuked the jews, because they would not believe his doctrine which he brought them from God his Father, he said unto them, Verbum ejus non habetis manens in vobis, quia quem misit ille, huic vos non creditis. Scrutamini scripturas, quia vos putatis in ipsis vitam aeternam habere: & illae sunt, quae testimonium perhibent de me. You have not gods word, saith Christ, remaining in you: for you do not believe him, whom the father hath sent. Search you the scriptures, for in them you think to have eternal life: and they bear witness of me. Which words of our Saviour Christ have enforced me the more boldly to search out by his holy scriptures the bishop of Rome his suspect authority, I mean his supremacy and universal jurisdiction, most unjustly claimed, and usurped by him, for these eight or nine hundred years, clean contrary to Christ his word and commandment.  
For it is forbidden by him, as the stories of the Evangelists do show in the holy scriptures. And, as it doth appear by stories ecclesiastical, the bishops of Rome have challenged and used it only sith Boniface the third obtained it of the Emperor Phocas: of whom he was proclaimed universal bishop, to the overthrow of true religion, in the Church of Christ, of virtue, godliness, humility, and obedience among all the clergy, of the imperial estate, and majesty of the noble Emperors and kings, from whom they had their first authority, and not from our Saviour jesus Christ. The which I will endeavour to show in this little work, & specially by the two commissions that he gave: the one before his death and passion, the other after his resurrection, to all his Apostles, in like and equal manner, that not one of them might thereby challenge any jot of authority or power over or above the other, as by the commissions themselves the whole world easily may see. Now, as no subject can have any higher or larger authority than is limited and expressed by plain words in his commission, by his emperors or prince, whosoever it be that granteth it, and as every one of the commissioners, to whom it is directed, have that authority which in their commission is mentioned, and no other: even so in the commission that our Saviour Christ gave to his Apostles, every one of them ought obediently to observe their masters commandment with his authority given to them, and not to break it, and go beyond the bonds and lemitation of it. Yea, much less should they dare to break it, than any subject dare the commandment and commission given him by his Prince, a Prince of this world: whose commission, no subject will be so bold to break in any one point, because he knoweth the danger of it. As for the Bishops of Rome how they have broken their master Christ's commission, you shall find by their doings, most contrary to his two special commissions before mentioned: specially in taking upon them higher power, & greater authority, than any other Bishop hath, or ever had from our saviour Christ: to wit, that they are and aught to be sovereign heads and rulers, not only over all other bishops in this world, but also above all Emperors, Kings, and Princes. Which being clean contrary to their Master Christ's commandment & commission, thereby they have manifested themselves to be of those very Antichristes of whom the scriptures do make mention. 
1 john. 2.    

Chap. 2.  
That the first commission of Christ to his Apostles, when he sent them to preach the Gospel, did give no authority to Peter above the rest, but like and equal unto them all.  
THE first message and commission given by our saviour Christ to his Apostles, is declared by the holy Evangelist Saint Matthew, in the 10. Chapter of his Gospel. 
Matt. 10.  Where he showeth, that the twelve Apostles being called together, they had power given them over all unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and also cure & heal all manner sickness and diseases. Whereupon having recited the names of Christ's Apostles, he saith these words, Hos duodecim misit jesus, praecipiens eyes & dicens: in viam gentium ne abieritis: in civitates Samaritanorum ne intraveritis: sed potius ite ad oves quae perierunt domus Israel. Euntes autem praedicate, dicentes, appropinquavit regnum coelorum. Infirmos curate, mortuos suscitate, leprosos mundate, daemons eijcite: gratis accepistis, gratis date. These twelve, his Apostles, jesus sent forth, commanding & saying to them: You shall not go into the way of the gentiles: you shall not enter into the cities of the Samaritans: but rather go you to the lost sheep of the house of Israel: and as you go, preach, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leopers, and cast out devils: freely you have received these things of me, freely give them. In this first message and commission of Christ, given to his twelve Apostles, you may plainly understand that he gave equal and like authority unto them all, without any preferring of any one of them before all his fellows, he gave the very lowest (if any were lowest) as great and large power, as he gave unto the highest, no exception being made of any one, as higher in authority than they all. So that neither Peter nor any supposed successor of Peter can claim any superiority by this ordinance and commission of our saviour Christ. And therefore if they enter into any higher authority, it must be otherwise then by Christ, belike by that way, which Christ himself doth mention in the gospel of Saint john, where he saith, Ego sum ostium: 
john. 10.  qui non intrat per ostium in ovile ovium, sed ascendit aliunde, ille fur est & latro: I am the door: he that entereth not by the door into the Shepehouse, but climbeth up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. Whereof it followeth, that if the Bishops of Rome have challenged such authority which our saviour Christ hath not given them, but they have obtained it otherwise by worldly policies: then they deserve to be called by the names, that Christ hath appointed for them, even thieves and robbers. Now this will easily and clearly be proved that the Bishop of Rome hath had no such universal authority from our saviour Christ. Then what names, what titles of dignity ought we to attribute to the Bishops of Rome? which so have abused Christ's Church, sith the time of the good bishop Gregory the first: who did utterly withstand the decree of the Emperor Mauricius, by the which he would have made john the patriarch of Constantinople, universal bishop over all the bishops of Christ's catholic Church. 
Gregor. epistolarum. Lib. 4. Epist. 32. & 38.  For he would not suffer this decree to be received within his province of Italy but utterly rejected it: and wrote not only to the emperor, how greatly he did offend almighty God, in admitting this new, profane, blasphemous name, and authority into the Church of Christ, impairing the authority which he hath given to the rest of his bishops and ministers: but also to john the patriarch, that he by taking and usurping that authority, did show himself in pride and presumption to be the very forerunner of Antichrist. Whereby it came to pass that Mauricius the Emperor was so greatly offended with this good Gregory, 
Platina de vitis pontificum Romanorum in Gregorio primo. Volaterranus. Centuria. 6. fol. 872.  that, as Platina doth report, he exhorted the Lombard's to set upon the city of Rome: which Agilulfus the king of Lombary did, besieging it a whole year: Howbeit in the end he was feign to go away without any hurt done to the city, that was saved by the mighty providence of God.   

Chap. 3.  
That Christ in the promise of his second commission, saying unto Peter. To thee will I give the keys of heaven, doth give him no supremacy, Neither by these words, I have prayed for thee Peter, that thy faith fail not.  
Now, to return to the commissions of Christ, because that betwixt the first, which was given before his passion to his Apostles, as I have declared, and the second which he gave them after his death and resurrection, Christ did open to them in the mean time his purpose and intent, both for giving them further authority, then before he gave them, and for instructing of them what they should do with it: he therefore demanded of his disciples, what men did talk of him, and whom they said him to be. To whom when they answered: some, that Thou art john Baptist, and some, Elias, & others, jeremias, or one of the prophets: 
Matt. 16.  then jesus said unto them, Vos autem quem me esse dicitis. Respondens Simon Petrus, dixit: tu es Christus filius Dei vivi. Respondens autem Christus dixit ei: beatus es Simon Bar-iona, quia caro & sanguis non revelavit tibi hoc, sed pater meus qui est in coelis. Et ego dico tibi, tu es Petrus, & super hanc Petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam, & portae inferni non praevalebunt adversus eam. Et tibi dabo claves regni coelorum: & quidcunque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum in coelis, & quidcunque solueris super terram, erit solutum in coelis. But whom, saith Christ, do you say that I am. He said not, Peter, who dost thou say that I am: but in the plural number, to all his Apostles, who do you say that I am. Then Peter, as the mouth and speaker of them all, said, Thou art Christ the son of the living God. To whom our saviour Christ answered and said: blessed art thou Simon the son of jonas: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my father which is in heaven. And I say to thee. Tu es Petrus, alluding to the name of Peter, for his perfect faith on the head corner stone, the is to say, on Christ, whereupon Peter himself was builded, and not Christ upon Peter: therefore Christ said, Upon this rock or stone, of thy confession of me to be the son of the living God, will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Christ did not say, against thee Peter, but against it, that is, his true Church, builded upon that faith that Peter then confessed, and not upon Peter's person. I do believe there is no man so ignorant or void of knowledge, that will judge our Saviour Christ would build his Church upon so weak and frail a foundation, as Peter was, if we regard not his profession, but his person: who showed himself more wavering and unstable than any other of the twelve Apostles, as one that utterly denied his Master Christ three times in one day: 
Matt. 26.  and also before that did speak such carnal and worldly words unto him, that Christ was feign to answer him, Thou art an offence unto me: and added moreover, 
Matt. 16.  Get thee be hind me Satan. Wherefore I do leave it to the judgement of every good Christian man, whether it be more agreeable to our faith, and safe for the Church of God, to be founded upon Christ, or upon Peter: upon the son of the living God, whom Peter confessed, or upon a man, who utterly denied the son of the living God, saying, Non novi hominem istum, and that cum juramento, 
Matt. 26.  I do not know this man, and bound it with an oath, as the Gospel doth testify.  
It is certain that Christ builded his Church upon that rock or stone, 
juellus in replicatione ad responsum Hardingi fol. 221. 222. 246. 262.  which was sure & steadfast: even upon the faith confessed by Peter, and not upon Peter. And that by the judgement of the old fathers, as Hilary affirmeth in his second book De Trinitate. Haec est una foelix fidei Petra, quam Petrus ore suo est confessus. This is the only blessed rock of faith, which Peter confessed by mouth. And Chrysost. in Matth. Hom. 51. Super hanc petram in hac fide & confession aedificabo Ecclesiam. Upon this rock, upon this faith and confession, will I build my Church. And Saint Augustine in his 13. sermon upon Matthew saith, Non me aedificabo super te, sed aedificabo te super me. I will not build myself of thee, but I will build thee upon me. And this was the meaning of Christ. For after Peter had said, Tu es Christus filius dei vivi. Christ said not, Super te Petrum, upon thee Peter, but super hanc petram, upon this rock, or stable stone, even thy confession of me to be the son of the living God, I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. He said not, against Peter, but against his Church, which he builded upon that rock of faith that Peter held. For Christ's words are, 
Matt. 16.  Portae inferni non praevalebunt adversus eam, in the feminine gender, against it: which must needs have relation to Ecclesiam, His Church, & not to Peter: for than he would have said, Non prevalebit adversus eum. Likewise he said immediately, Tibi dabo claves regni coelorum: To thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Now it is plain that he gave those keys unto his Church, and not to Peter's only person: though he said to him, but as to his Apostle, the charge pertaining to all his Apostles, and all the ministers of his Church, by like right, Quodcunque ligaveris super terram erit ligatum in coelis, & quodcunque solueris super terram, erit solutum in coelis. Whatsoever thou shalt bind upon the earth, it shall be bound in heaven, & whatsoever thou shalt lose upon the earth, it shallbe loosed in heaven. For otherwise those keys of losing & binding had been lost clean, and the authority of Christ's church had been overthrown for ever, if Peter only should have possessed those keys, as pertaining to himself alone, and not to Christ's Church. For it followeth in the same chapter, how Christ telling his Apostles that he must go to jerusalem, and there suffer many things by the elders, scribes and princes of the priests, and be●lains, and the third day rise again from death: Peter took him aside and rebuked him, saying, Let this be far from thee, let not this happen to thee. Whereupon Christ turning himself to Peter, said: vade post me Satana, scandalum es mihi: quia no● sapis ea quae dei sunt, sed ea qua● sunt hominum: Get thee behind me, thou Satan, or Devil: thou art an offence unto me: for thou dost not savour of the things that are of God, but the things that are of men. So that whatsoever Christ said to him before if the same had not concerned the authority of his whole church, but only Peter's person: them all the virtue of those sayings had been clearly quenched, and taken from Peter, when Christ called him Satan, and bade him come behind him. But, that the right of these words doth belong unto the whole Church, it is evident by the words of Christ that do follow in the eighteen Chapter, spoken to the Church: 
Matt. 18.  Quaecunque ligaveritis in terra erunt ligata in coelo: Et quaecunque solueritis in terra, erunt soluta in coelo. What soever ye bind in earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye lose in earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Yea, to regard the substance of Christ's words touching that authority of binding and losing mentioned to Peter, Christ said not, tibi do claves regni coelorum, 
Matt. 16.  I do give the keys of the kingdom of heaven to thee, but tibi dabo, I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, to loose and to bind. So that Christ's words were spoken of the time to come, not of the time present: to be given afterward, not as given presently. Whereof it doth follow, that none of the Apostles had authority of binding and losing, of retaining and remitting the sins of all estates of men, through all nations: until our saviour Christ had suffered his death, and had washed away our sins with his blood, and had conquered death by rising from death. At the which time they received the holy Ghost, as it shall appear in the second commission, and had that performed, which was promised, when Christ said, 
john. 20.  I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. But in the mean season, before that was performed: Christ perceiving by his divine prescience and foreknowledge, that Peter should deny him thrice in one day, he said unto him: Simon, 
Luke. 22.  Ecce Satanas expetivit vos ut cribraret sicut triticum: ego autem oravi pro te, ut non deficiat fides tua: & tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres tuos. Ipse verò dixit ei, Domine tecum paratus sum in carcerem & in mortem ire. At ille dixit, dico tibi Petre, non cantabit hody gallus. donec ter abneges, nosse me. Simon, saith the Lord to Peter: Behold Satan hath desired you, to sift you like wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: therefore when thou at length art converted, confirm & 'stablish thy brethren. Then Peter said unto him, Lord I am ready to go with thee into prison & unto death. But Christ said, Peter, I tell thee, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou hast thrice denied that thou knowest me. Which words of Christ were fulfilled the same night, as soon as he was brought before the high priest. For Peter being amongst them that stood by the fire, when he was reported of by a maid, that he was one of those which were with Christ: he answered, I do not know him. When again he was told by another man, who stood by the maid, that he was of them: he answered, I do not know him. Anon after, the third time, when another man said, verily this man was with him, for he is also a Galilean: then Peter cursed and did swear, as S. Matthew doth witness, that he knew not Christ. And immediately the cock did crow. 
Matt. 26.  And Christ looked back upon Peter, and Peter went forth, and did weep bitterly. This I have recited so much the more at large: because there be some, who would prove authority given to Peter by the former words of Christ: which if they be well considered, are but a manifestation partly of Christ's Godhead in that he did foreknow Peter would deny him, partly of his mercy showed graciously to Peter, whose faith he did establish with his prayer, that he should not despair, as judas Iscariot did, who after he had sold Christ, went and hanged himself. So, upon this very sentence of Christ, Ego rogavi pro te Petre, ut not deficiat fides tua: 
Chrisostomus in Mat. Cap. 26. Hom. 83.  Saint chrysostom doth say, that Christ the more sharply to reprove Peter's pride, (who did presume more of himself, than any other of the Apostles) doth signify before unto him, that his fall shall be worse than the fall of the rest, and therefore needeth greater help to raise him up again. Wherefore that he might see and feel his own weakness: Christ suffered him to fall, & told him of it before it happened: yet he preserved him withal, through his great care & favour, that he should not fall from him, though he did deny him: wherewith he comforted him in saying, I have prayed for thee Peter, that thy faith fail not. Now as saint chrysostom doth show, that Christ did thus manifest his divine knowledge and favour unto Peter, by foreshowing him his fall, and promising that he would raise him: so likewise holy Beda writing on the same words, saith, that he who only knoweth what is in man, 
Beda in evangelium Lucae cap. 22. lib. 6.  both as God, did foretell in what sort, at what time, how often Peter should deny him: and as merciful, did promise him the help of his defence, lest that any of the faithful either unadvisedly should presume of his own standing, or more unadvisedly should despair for his own falling. Wherefore to pass over other things that might be said, hereby it is manifest that the words of Christ spoken to Peter of his prayer for him, have no force at all to prove any pre-eminence or superiority in Peter: but they are rather of great force against him, and those that challenge to be his successors, sith they do show a notable fall of Peter, by occasion that he had too great a confidence in himself, as it is evident by Christ's words.   

Chap. 4.  
That the second commission which Christ gave out to his Apostles, was given in like sort as the first, not with any greater authority to Peter, then to any of the rest.  
THe second commission which our saviour gave to all his Apostles, was given to them after that he had suffered death upon the cross for all mankind, and having redeemed them with his precious blood, was raised up again from death unto life. This commission is declared by the Evangelist saint Mark in these words: 
Mark. 16.  Novissimè autem recumbentibus illis undecim apparuit, et exprobravit incredulitatem illorum & duritiem cordis, quia his, qui viderant eum resurrexisse non crediderunt. Et dixit eyes: euntes in mundum universum praedicate evangelium omni creaturae: qui crediderit & baptizatus fuerit, saluus erit: qui verò non crediderit, condemnabitur. Last of all he appeared to the eleven Apostles sitting at the table: and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of their hearts, because they did not believe them which had seen him, being risen from death. And he said unto them: Go you into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature: He that shall believe and be baptized, shall be saved: But who so will not believe, shall be damned: unto which commission he added further promises, what signs should follow than who believed: to wit, that in his name they should cast out devils, they should speak new languages, they should take away serpents, yea, if they did drink poison, it should not hurt them, they should lay their hands upon diseased persons, & they should recover. The meaning and manner of this commission that Christ did give them, is declared farther by the Evangelist saint john, in that he doth say: Cùm ergo serò esset die illo, 
john. 20.  una sabbatorum, & fores essent clausae, ubi erant discipuli congregati propter metum judaeorum: venit jesus & stetit in medio, & dixt eyes, pax vobis. Et cum haec dixisset, ostendit eis manus & latus. Gavisi sunt ergo discipuli viso domino. Dixit ergo eis iterum, pax vobis: sicut misit me pater, & ego mitto vos. Hoc cùm dixisset, insufflavit, & dixit eyes: Accipite spiritum sanctum: quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eyes: & quorum retinueritis peccata, retenta sunt. The same day then at night, which was the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the jews, jesus came & stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, peace be unto you. And when he had said that, he showed unto them his hands and his side, than were the disciples glad, when they had seen the Lord. Then said jesus again unto them, peace be unto you: as my father sent me, so I also send you. And when he had said this, he breathed upon them, and said unto them: receive you the holy ghost. whosoever's sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, and whosoever's ye retain, they are retained. By this later commission our saviour Christ gave to all his Apostles like power and equal authority, to go through the whole world, & to preach the gospel of salvation to all creatures, of whom he said in general. He that shall believe and be baptized, shall be saved: he that will not believe shall be damned. He gave them equal authority and power to remit and retain the sins of all, both jews and Gentiles: which by their first commission they could not, because they had not authority to preach unto any, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I say, this authority now given the Apostles, was given in equal and like manner to them all: and not to one more than to all the rest. Wherefore unless that Satan had mightily puffed up the bishops of Rome, naming themselves peter's successors, whom Christ once called Satan, and I know not in what they be his successors, unless it be in that: it might seem strange that any man pretending the name and faith of a Christian, should so far abuse Christ's word and commission, as to claim such authority, so far greater than his word and commission doth extend unto. But it is a true saying, who is so blind as he that will not see? Verily if the Papists would read and see with an humble spirit, and obedient heart to the almighty God, that which is written in his word, as I beseech the Lord they may: then out of doubt they should find that Peter had no greater or larger authority than other the Apostles had. Neither did he ever challenge such authority above other the Apostles, as the Bishops of Rome have done above all other bishops, under the false pretence, that they are Peter's successors, because for sooth they are Bishops of Rome, & therein (as they say) do succeed Saint Peter.   

Chap. 5.  
That Peter was never at Rome, as far as may be gathered by the scriptures, Therefore the Pope's supremacy may not be laid on that foundation.  
BUT to touch this by the way, for so much as they make so much a do about it, by the scriptures they can not prove that Peter was ever at Rome: much less that he was Bishop of Rome. But this we can prove, that he was at jerusalem, and in many other places, governing and instructing the congregation of Christ. Yea above three years after saint Paul's conversion: 
Galat. 1.  we read that he went to jerusalem to see Peter: and having been in sundry countries, after other fourteen years he went up to jerusalem again, & talked with him. Peter afterward came to Antioch, where saint Paul also met with him, as his words do witness to the Galatians. 
Galat. 2.  Cùm autem venisset Petrus Antiochiam, in faciem ei restui, quia reprehensibilis erat. Prius enim quàm venirent quidam 〈◊〉 jacobo, cum gentibus edebat: quum autem venissent, subtrahebat, & segregabat se &c: sed cum vidissem quòd non rectè ambularent ad veritatem evangelii, dixi Cephae coram omnibus: si tu cum judaeus sis, gentiliter vivis, & non judaicè, quomodo gentes cogis judaizare? Therefore when Peter did come to Antioch, saith saint Paul, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be rebuked. For before that some came from james, he did eat with the gentiles: when they were come, he did withdraw himself. etc. But when I saw that they went not the right way to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas (that is Peter) before them all: if thou being a jew, livest as a gentile, and not like a jew: why dost thou cause the gentiles to live after the manner of jews? Now this rebuke of Paul (for that is worth the noting also) Peter did patiently bear and suffer at Paul's hands. Whereby it is manifest that Peter did not claim the Popish supremacy, neither did saint Paul make more account of Peter, then of other the Apostles, reproving him, because he had brought the jews and Barnabas into his dissimulation. And here (to pass over the frailty of Peter in this his great offence) it is to be considered, because the Bishops of Rome have claimed a succession from him, that if there ought to have been such a succession as they imagine of Peter, rather than of other the Apostles, the Bishops of Antioch then by likelihood should have claimed the right of Peter's successors, rather than the bishops of Rome: sith it doth not appear in any place of the holy scriptures, that ever Peter was at Rome: but at Antioch it appeareth, and in sundry places of Asia, and other the East parts of the world. Howbeit, I deny not, 
Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 14.  but that some histories and Chronicles do make mention, that Peter was at Rome. Which I will not say, that they were made to say so, corrupted by popish setters forth of them: I can not affirm it: but this I can affirm & will boldly say, that all, which those histories & Chronicles do writ of Peter's being at Rome, is not agreeable with the word of God, & therefore is not of us to be credited, seeing that it is contrary to the word of truth. And herein all wise men may consider, that seeing Paul's journey from jerusalem to Rome is most plainly set forth in the scriptures, from place to place, from Island to Island, from country, to country, & what he did either by land or by sea: much more if Peter had travailed from Antioch to Rome, and that his journey had been of so great weight to our salvation, as the papists do pretend, by grounding thereupon the supremacy and authority of the Bishops of Rome, it is to be thought that Peter's journey should have been written and set forth most expressly. Yea, of all likelihood it should have been extolled more than the journeys of famous Emperors: then Xerxes' journey into Grece, with ten hundredth thousand men: then Alexander the great his journey to conquer the whole world: then julius Caesar's journeys in his conquest of Asia, France, Spain, England, and many other nations. But if the Papists fancies be true: belike saint Peter did fly in the skies above the ground, and neither travailed by sea, nor by land. Certainly, this is evident, that the foundation of the Romish supremacy is too weak to bear such weight, as they would have it: seeing that it hath no ground in all the scriptures, but only in man's corrupt devices, for worldly vain glory. As in deed it is most ungodly extolled, and advanced, by Albertus, Pighius, Eckius, Hosius, and such other Romish clerk, and Popish Sophisters: who do exalt the Bishop of Rome to the celestial hierarchies: and make a doubt whether he be a mere man or no: whether he have not as great power as our Saviour Christ had: with other such matters grounded on his supremacy, most vain, and blasphemous to the dishonour of God, and our Saviour jesus Christ, in whose word it hath no ground. For (to go forward with Peter's being at Rome, the foundation of this supremacy S. Paul being at Rome in the time of Nero the Emperor, did write his Epistle to the Colossians, in the fourth Chapter whereof, sending greetings & salutations from his friends that were then at Rome with him, he saith to the Colossians. 
Col. 4.  Salutat vos Aristarchus, & Marcus consobrinus Barnabae, & jesus, qui dicitur justus. Hi soli sunt adiutores mei in regno Dei, qui mihi fuere solatio. Salutat vos Epaphras, qui ex vobis est servus Christi. Salutat vos Lucas medicus charissimus, & Demas. Aristarchus doth salute you, & Marcus, Barnabas sister's son & jesus which is called justus. These only are my workfellows to the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort to me. Epaphras doth salute you, which is one of you, the servant of Christ. Luke the beloved physician, and Demas do salute you also, now if Peter had been at Rome in the time of Nero with Paul: was not he worthy to have been named in these salutations, as well as Aristarchus, Marcus, jesus, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas? would not he have been a fellowhelper to Paul: which saint Paul saith none were, but only those three, whom he nameth to them, and Peter is none of them. Yes doubtless. Whereby it appeareth, he was not then at Rome. Again he writeth afterward from Rome unto Timothy. Festina ad me venire citò. 
2. Tim. 4.  Demas enim me reliquit, diligent hoc seculum, & abijt Thessalonicam: Crescens in Galatiam: Titus in Dalmatiam. Lucas est mecum solus. Marcum assume & adduc tecum: est enim utilis mihi in ministerio. Tychicum autem misi Ephesum. Haste thee to come to me quickly. For Demas hath forsaken me, embracing this present world, and is gone to Thessalonica: Crescens into Galatia: Titus to Dalmatia. Luke is only with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me in the ministry. Tichicus I have sent to Ephesus etc. Now if Peter had been at Rome with Paul, when he wrote this Epistle to Timothy: then he would not have written, that there was none with him but Luke only, and therefore required Timothy to bring Mark with him, than would he not have added that which there doth follow, that at his first answering no man did assist him, but all did forsake him: which I think the Papists will not say that Peter would have done, if he at that time had been at Rome with Paul, which that he was not at any time: it may be farther conjectured by that which is written in the second to the Galathians: 
Galat. 2.  how james Peter and john made an agreement with Paul and Barnabas that they should preach unto the Gentiles, as james, Peter and john unto the circumcised, which are the jews. And upon this agreement they did pledge their faith, and gave their right hand of fellowship one to the other. Whereby it may be gathered, that Peter did rather frequent those places where the jews were more dispersed, 
●. Peter. 1.  as Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bythinia, to the which he writeth also his first Epistle, than the lands of Gréece and Italy, with the city of Rome, replenished with the Gentiles, & having fewer jews amongst them. All which things laid together: it will appear to be very likely, the Peter was never at Rome, neither before the time of Nero, nor in Nero's time with Paul. Which proveth the foundation of the romish Bishop's supremacy upon Peter's being at Rome, to be a very weak and fickle foundation: as all the other grounds of his supremacy are, with the rest of his religion.   

Chap. 6.  
That although Peter had been at Rome, yet could he not be the foundation of the Church, which honour is proper unto Christ only. By the way, against the sacrifice of the Mass, and the Popish transubstantiation.  
BUT whether that saint Peter were at Rome or no, it makes no great matter. It is sufficient, that it can not be proved by the scriptures. But if it were granted unto the papists: it maketh nothing for the Pope's supremacy. For saint Paul saith, 
1. Cor. 3.  Fundamentum aliud nemo potest ponere, praeter id quod positum est, quod est Christus jesus. No man can lay any other foundation, then that which is laid, which is Christ jesus. And saint Peter himself saith in the second Chapter of his first epistle, Deponentes igitur omnem malitiam, & omnem dolum, & simulationes, 
1. Pet. 2.  & invidias, & omnes detractiones, sicut modò geniti infantes lac sermonis sine dolo concupiscite, ut in eo crescatis in salutem: si tamen gustastis quoniam dulcis est dominus. Ad quem accedentes, lapidem vivum, ab hominibus quidem reprobatum, a deo autem electum ac honorificatum: & ipsi, tanquam lapides vivi, superaedificamini, domus spiritualis, sacerdotium sanctum, offer hostias spirituales acceptabiles deo per jesum Christum, Laying away therefore all malice, & all guile, & dissemblings, & envies and all backbitings, as new borne babes desire the sincere milk of God's word, that thereby you may grow unto salvation: if so be that you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, disallowed of men, but chosen of God, and precious: upon him be ye builded, as living stones, a spiritual house, a holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable unto God through jesus Christ.  
Out of the which words of S. Paul and saint Peter, we have to learn two notable things: one, that Christ our saviour is the foundation, and the living stone, which the builders refused, but God accepted it: & honoured it the other, that the faithful must be laid on this foundation, & as living stones, be builded upon that head and principal corner stone even jesus Christ, which the more effectually to declare unto us, saint Peter telleth all the faithful, that they, who are so builded, are made a spiritual house, and a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through jesus Christ: spiritual sacrifices, and not carnal, or transubstantiated sacrifices, as the Bishop of Rome, and his prelate's do falsely feign themselves to do. For (to go a little from my chief purpose to sift this horrible heresy of popery) I could never find in all the holy scriptures, or any history of the primitive Church, the ever this kind of transubstantiated sacrifice was meant or spoken of by Christ: but that his Church did always receive and allow the sacrament of Christ's body and blood, in such spiritual manner, as Saint Paul declareth in the first Epistle to the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 11  the eleventh Chapter. No: in all the heresies that troubled the primitive Church which were overthrown by the four first general counsels, there is not one word or question moved of it: but it was continually used as the mystery and sacrament of Christ's body and blood. In which sort it continued in the best parts of Christendom, in the best times, still: until at the length the Bishop of Rome, called a council at Lateran within his own province of Italy, in the which this decree was made, 
Con. Later anno. domini. 1215.  Christi corpus & sanguis, in sacramento altaris, sub speciebus panis & viniveraciter continentur: transubstantiatis, pane in Corpus, & vino in sanguinem, potestate divina. These are the words of the first Canon of the council holden at Rome, in Lateran under Pope Innocent the third, and called the great Lateran council, kept the year of our Lord .1215. Of the which Canon the words do sound in English, That the body and blood of Christ are verily contained in the Sacrament of the altar under the forms of bread and wine: the bread being transubstantiated, that is to say, the substance of it turned into his body, and the wine into his blood, by the power of God. This notable devise of transubstantiation could not be found out for the space of twelve hundred and fourteen years after Christ: his Apostles Evangelists, Disciples, Doctors, general counsels, knew it not. They thought the words of the sacrament to be spiritually meant, and to be spoken by way of a figure: as S. Augustine, to cite one for many, doth say expressly, that in these words, Nisi manducaveritis carnem filii hominis, 
Augusti. de doctrina Christiana lib. 3. cap. 16.  & sanguinem eius biberitis, non habebitis vitam in vobis, Figura est, praecipiens passioni Domini esse communicandum, & suaviter atque utiliter recondendum in memoria quòd pro nobis caro eius crucifixa & vulnerata sit. Whereas Christ doth say, Unless you eat the flesh of the son of man, and drink his blood, you shall have no life in you: this is a figure, saith S. Augustine, or a manner of speech commanding us to be partakers of the passion of Christ, & comfortably to lay up in our minds, that his flesh was crucified and wounded for our sakes. Moreover, speaking farther upon the same words, on the sixth Chapter of Saint john's Gospel: he showeth what it is to eat Christ's flesh and drink his blood. Hoc est ergo manducare illam escam, 
August. in johan. tract. 26.  & illum bibere potum: in Christo manner, & illum manentem in se habere. This is therefore to eat that meat, and drink that drink: to dwell in Christ, and to have Christ dwelling in him. Ac per hoc, qui non manet in Christo, & in quo non manet Christus: procul dubio nec manducat spiritualiter carnem eius, nec bibit eius sanguinem, licèt carnaliter & visibiliter premat dentibus sacramentum corporis & sanguinis Christi: sed magis tantae rei sacramentum ad judicium sibi manducat & bibit, quia immundus praesumpsit accedere ad Christi sacramenta, quae aliquis non dignè sumpsit, nisi qui mundus est. And therefore, saith Augustine, he that doth not dwell in Christ, & in whom Christ doth not dwell: doubtless he neither eateth spiritually the flesh of Christ, nor drinketh his blood, although he do carnally and visibly press with his teeth the sacrament of Christ's body and blood: but rather he doth eat and drink the sacrament of so worthy a thing to his judgement and condemnation, because he doth presume, being unclean, to come to Christ's sacraments, which no man can worthily receive, but he only, that is pure and clean. By Christ's words therefore, being well weighed, as it may appear by S. Augustine's words upon them, it may well be gathered, that Christ did not mean any transubstantiation, or changing the substance of the sacramental bread into his natural body, & of the sacramental wine into his natural blood: but a mystical & spiritual food to the soul, where of the wicked are not partakers, who are yet partakers of the sacramental bread & wine, which do signify the body & blood of Christ: for our saviour doth say, 
john. 6.  that Whosoever doth eat his flesh, & drink his blood: hath everlasting life. Wherefore it cannot be, that the sacramental bread & wine should be the very natural body & blood of Christ: for as much as the wicked, who shall not live for ever, are partakers of them, I mean of the bread & wine in the sacrament, as well as the godly. For as Paul doth write to the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 10.  Brethren I would not have you ignorant, how all our forefathers were under the cloud, & all passed through the sea, & were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea: Et omnes eandem escam spiritualem manducarunt, & omnes eundem potum spiritualem biberunt: bibebant autem de spirituali consequent eos Petrâ: Petra autem erat Christus. And they did all eat the same spiritual meat, and they did all drink the same spiritual drink: For they did drink of the spiritual rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ. Wherein we see, first, that the wicked among the jews, with whom God was not pleased, did enjoy the same sacraments of Christ, the cloud, the sea, the meat, the drink, which the godly did: yet did they not enjoy the same life by Christ, which the godly did: for it followeth in Saint Paul, that God was not pleased with many of them, Which words are meant of the wicked. Secondly, we see that the godly amongst the jews did eat the same meat, and drink the same drink, that the godly amongst the Corinthians did, to whom S. Paul doth write: yea that Paul himself, & the Apostles did. Now the jews did it, In spefuturi Christi, In the hope of Christ to come, for their redemption & deliverance from their sins, and from death. whereof it ensueth, that our eating & drinking, in certa fiducia praeteriti Christi, in true belief that Christ is come, and hath redeemed us, and shed his blood for us: must be the partaking of a meat spiritual, and a spiritual drink, no less then that which Paul saith, that their fathers did eat and drink. For he saith plainly. They did eat the same meat, and drunk the same drink, that flowed out of the rock, and the rock is Christ, For, as the jews did it in a figure of Christ, by faith, in whom to come they were saved, as Christ doth say of Abraham, Abraham desired to see my day, 
john. 8.  he saw it and rejoiced: so are we taught to do it, in remembrance of Christ by faith, in whom being come, we are saved, whereupon our saviour said to his disciples, 
Luke. 22.  Do this in remembrance of me. Which Paul declareth farther in the first to the Corinthians, 
1. Cor. 11  the eleventh chapter, where, after that he had declared the manner of the Lords supper, he addeth to both the parts of it. Hoc facite ad mei re cordationem. Quotie scunque enim manducabitis panem hunc, & calicem bibetis: mortem domini annuntiabitis, donec veniat. Do this in remembrance of me, saith Christ: For as often (saith Paul, expounding the words of Christ) as ye shall eat this bread and drink of this cup: ye shall show the death of the Lord until he come. So then, if these things be well considered, which I have briefly touched out of the words of Christ, declared by his holy evangelists and Apostles: the godly I trust, shall easily perceive, that Pope Innocent the third could by no authority of scriptures prove any transubstantiation in the sacrament: although it were confirmed by never so great a council of men, assembled at Rome, having in it, as they say, archbishops 70. Bishops 400. abbots 12. Prior's conventual 800. besides the Orators and Ambassadors of Gréece, of the Roman Empire, of the kings of jerusalem, France, Spain, England, Cyprus, and other kingdoms. Many: but all to little, to take upon them to alter and change the ordinance and institution which our Saviour Christ had with his own words established, and set in his church, for the space of above twelve hundred years together, before the contrary was decreed, though some did dream of it. But Pope Innocent was sure to enact there what he would, for that he had above the number of twelve hundred shaven crowns in his council with him: so that neither Princes nor Orators of Princes might hinder his pretences. The less it is to be marveled at, that the bishop of Rome would take upon him so proudly to be above all other bishops, yea the Emperors themselves, and kings of this world: seeing that he took upon him to do more than ever Christ did, that is, to make Christ our creator and redeemer of a piece of bread, whensoever he list, and to make that every one of his priests and chaplains might do the same also: as themselves have a saying, Sacerdos est creator creatoris sui, The priest doth make his maker. And all by the authority of this Lateran Council, not by Christ's scriptures. And all for the advancing of his worldly glory, & extolling of his clergy throughout all Christian kingdoms, which after came to pass, to the taking away of the goods and lives of a great number of good true Christians: who would not believe such a new devised faith of the sacrament of Christ, set forth so lately, so fond, so ungodly, never before allowed as any point of our christian faith, for the space of so many hundred years after Christ, as I have showed. For in the former ages the godly had been taught, that Christ according to the presence of his natural body was ascended into heaven: but by the benefits of his spirit, and by the fruit of his passion, he is always present with them who do believe in him. Whereof he gave them a most lively monument, and pledge, in the blessed sacrament of his body and blood: a monument for us to remember his death, & a pledge to us of everlasting life, with out transubstantion of the bread and wine, or any alteration thereof at all, otherwise then of common bread and wine, to make it by the words of Christ the sacramental bread & wine, the signs of Christ's body and blood, he being by those creatures of bread & wine represented to us, that we may thereby with the mouth of our faith (that I may so speak) receive spiritually the very self same Christ, god and man, that was borne of the virgin Mary, suffered death for our sins, ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty, thence shall he come at the last day, to judge the quick & the dead. And this most heavenly manner of the spiritual receiving of Christ, is more agreeable to our christian religion, then is the Romish dream of transubstantiation, which doth as much abhor from religion, as it doth from reason. And therefore not to be suffered in the Church of Christ: but utterly to be rooted out, for the manifold absurdities, and gross errors, that spring of it. Thus much by the way against the Popish heresy of transubstantiation: whereof, though not so greatly pertaining to the matter, that I have in hand, yet I thought good to say somewhat, because I do know that the Pope of Rome hath left this error behind him, in the hearts of many simple men, whom God of his mercy lighten, that they may feel the knowledge and comfort of the truth.   

Chap. 7.  
That Christ's words to Peter after the second commission, when he said thrice unto him, Feed my sheep, prove not any supremacy of him above his brethren.  
TO return therefore to my purpose, to the supremacy of the Pope, which I have showed already how little ground it hath, either on Christ's commissions, or on Peter's being at Rome, or on the foundation of the Church, which is Christ jesus: I come to that which the Papists have so much in their mouths, that Christ when he appeared last to his Apostles, did ask of Peter thrice, whether he did love him more, than the other Apostles did. Dixit Simoni Petro jesus: 
john. 21.  Simon johannis diligis me plus his? Ait ille, etiam domine tu scis quia amo te. dixit ei, pasce agnos meos etc. jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon the son of jona, dost thou love me more than these? (meaning the rest of his disciples there present.) Peter answered & said, Lord thou knowest that I do love thee. Christ said unto him, feed my lambs. He said to him again the second time: Simon the son of jona lovest thou me? Peter answered, yea Lord, thou knowest I love thee. Christ said unto him, feed my sheep. And when he asked him the third time the same question: Peter being sorry he asked him so often, and therefore answering him, Lord thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee: jesus said unto him, feed my sheep. Upon the which words, so often repeated, the Bishops of Rome feign would ground their authority, that they have the universal cure and charge of all Christ's flock: so much the more, because Christ demanded of Peter, whether he loved him more than the other did. But they must be given to understand, that Christ did ask Peter that question, in respect that he had just cause to love him more than all the other: because he had sinned more grievously against Christ, in denying him thrice, and he had forgiven him. Now reason doth require, 
Luke. 7.  that he should love more, to whom more is forgiven: as as our saviour doth teach. And upon this place Saint Cyril doth note, Who doth add also, touching the three demands made by Christ to Peter, whether he loved him: that as he had openly denied three times that he did know Christ: so he must openly confess three times, that he did love Christ: to the intent, that he might recover the honour of his Apostleship, which he had forsaken as it were, by denying him. 
Cyril in evangelium johan. lib. 12. Cap. 64.  Quia cum alijs apostolatus nomine Petrus ab ipso Christo decoratus, ter in tempore passionis negavit: iure nunc ab eo terna dilectionis confessio petitur, ut terna negatio aequali dilectionis numero compensetur. Because that Peter being advanced with others by Christ to the Apostleship, did thrice deny him at the time of his passion: therefore he is justly now required to confess thrice that he doth love him, that his three denials may be recompensed with equal number of love. Ita quod verbis commissum fuit, verbis curatur. So the offence committed by words, is cured by words. Which judgement of S. Cyril is in the same manner confirmed by saint Augustine. So that this saying of Christ to Peter did not give any further, 
Augustinus in Euangel. johan. Tract. 123.  or greater authority to him, than the rest of the Apostles before had. Which beside the judgements of Cyril and Augustine, might be proved farther by sundry other reasons, if it were not peerless to spend more words about it. Especially, sith that I have already proved sufficiently, I trust, the equal authority given by our saviour to all the Apostles. Howbeit, that it may be farther declared, that one of them should not challenge or desire authority above the other: I will show in the next Chapter, how Christ did forbid them utterly to claim or take unto them any such supremacy: commanding them to follow his ensample of humbleness, in ministering as servants, one to another, and not in mastership or dominion one to climb above another.   

Chap. 8.  
That Christ did not give a supremacy to one of them above another, but did expressly forbid them all dominion and superiority.  
IN the Gospel of the holy Evangelist saint Matthew the twenty chapter, it is written, that our Saviour by occasion of the ambitious request that was made unto him, for the Zebedies, 
Mat. 20.  james and john, did call his disciples unto him, and said unto them: Scitis quod principes gentium dominantur illis: & qui maiores sunt, potestatem exercent in eas, non ita erit inter vos: sed quicunque volverit inter vos maior fieri, sit vester minister: & qui volverit inter vos primus esse, erit vester servus: sicut filius hominis non venit ministrari, sed ministrare. You know, saith Christ, that the princes of nations have dominion over them, and they that be great, exercise power and authority upon them. It shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister: and he that will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the son of man came not to be served, but to serve others.  
Thus our Saviour, we see, hath expressly forbidden his Apostles to have superiority and dominion over their fellowservants. Which as it is witnessed by the Evangelist saint matthew: 
Mark. 22.  so is it also by the rest of the Evangelists, Saint Mark in the tenth Chapter, Saint Luke in in the two and twenty: our Saviour in each of them using his own examples, who was in the midst of them, and did behave himself as a servant unto them, not like a Lord or king above them, that they by him might learn modesty, to humble themselves one to an other  
To the which intent, in the Evangelist Saint john, we have a notable story of Christ's example in this point: how he did wash the feet of his Apostles, and gave them the like instruction upon it. 
john. 13.  Postquam lavit ergo pedes eorum, & accepit vestimenta sua: cùm recubuisset iterum, dixit eyes: scitis quid fecerim vobis? vos vocatis me, Magister & Domine, & bene dicitis: sum etenim. si ergo ego lavi pedes vestros, Dominus & Magister: & vos debetis alter alterius lavare pedes. Exemplum enim dedi vobis, ut quemadmodum ego feci vobis, ita & vos faciatis. Amen, Amen dico vobis, non est servus maior domino suo, neque Apostolus maior est eo qui misit ●llum. Si haec scitis, beati eritis, sifeceritis ea. So after that he had washed their feet, and had taken his clothes: when he was set down again, he said unto them: know you what I have done unto you? you call me, master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am. If I then your Lord and master, have washed your feet: you also aught to wash one an others feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do, even as I have done unto you. Verily, verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his master, nor the Ambassador, greater than he that sent him. If you know these things: happy shall you be, if you do them.  
Thus we see that Christ did give express commandment to all his Apostles, that they should fly ambition of having rule one over an other: that none of them should challenge superiority & dominion over their brethren: whereto he did give them a most notable example of his own humility, which he willed them to follow, acounting them happy, if they did as he willed them. And these words of Christ a man would think were to be heard, credited, and obeyed, if they were recited but by some one of the Evangelists: but now to the intent they might the better be observed and kept most carefully of all the Apostles, & so of all the ministers of the Church of Christ: the holy ghost hath provided that all the four Evangelists should recite and repeat them in diverse words, and sundry times: all to one effect: to beat in hatred of ambition into the minds of his disciples, and keep them at unity in that equal authority which he had given to them. Which the ancient Doctors also of the Church do teach in like sort, to the same intent: as Saint Cyprian saying of the Apostles, 
Cyprian de simplicitate praelatorum.  Hoc erant utique & caeteri Apostoli quod fuit Petrus, Pari consortio praediti, & honoris & potestatis: The rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was, all endued with like fellowship both of honour and power. And why should not Paul be chief as well as Peter? for Ambrose upon 2. Cor. 12. hath this saying Inter Petrum & Paulum quis cui praeponatur incertum est. Between Peter and Paul, whether ought to be preferred before other, it is uncertain. 
Hieronymus in epistola ad Euagrium.  As saint jerom saying of all Bishops. Vbicunque fuerit Episcopus, sive Romae, sive Eugubij, sive Constantinopoli, sive Rhegij, sive Alexandria, siue Tanis: eiusdem est meriti, ejusdem sacerdotij. Wheresoever there is a Bishop, at Rome, or at Eugubium, at Constantinople, or at Rhegium, at Alexandria, or at Tanis: he is of the same worthiness, of the same office, and function in the ministery. As many others, to be short, speaking against such ambition do say the same in substance, that one of them in words hath uttered: 
Chrysost. in opere imperfecto in Mat. Homil. 36.  Quicunque desiderat primatum in terra, inveniet confusionem in Coelo. Whosoever desireth primacy in earth, he shall find confusion in heaven. But howsoever the fathers have spoken it: the Pope of Rome is not moved with it. What marvel, sith the words of Christ do not move him? Nay verily I think, that if Christ himself should have come down from heaven, and have showed himself to some that have been Bishops of Rome within these certain hundred years: they would have used him, I fear me, as evil as ever the jews did: so far are they from yielding unto any thing that makes against their ambition.   

Chap. 9  
That after Christ's ascension, Peter did not exercise a supremacy over his brethren, neither did the Apostles yield any such unto him.  
I Have showed hitherto, that Peter the Apostle, on whom the Popes of Rome do ground their supremacy, had not by Christ's commission any greater power and authority given him, than had the rest of his Apostles: Nay, he was forbidden, as were the rest also, to exercise dominion and supremacy over others. Now I will go forward, and show that as Peter had no such authority committed to him of Christ: so he never challenged, nor used any such as may appear by those things which the Apostles did after Christ's ascension, set down in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Wherein we do read, that the Apostles and Disciples gathered together, 
Acts. 1.  first they did choose Mathias an Apostle, in the place of judas Iscarioth: not by saint Peter's appointment, but by lot. Afterward the multitude of the Disciples chose seven deacons: whom they set before the Apostles, 
Acts. 6.  and they prayed, and laid their hands upon them. When the Gospel of Christ was received in Samaria: 
Acts. 8.  the Apostles, who heard of it at jerusalem, sent Peter and john unto 'em, to instruct them farther, & confirm them in the faith, with the gifts of the holy Ghost. When Peter had preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, and was accused of the brethren, because he went in to men uncircumcised, and did eat with them: he giveth an account of his fact unto the brethren, 
Acts. 11.  and so is acquitted as it were of them. All the which things done by Peter and the Apostles, do show, that Peter used not any supremacy over them: but did behave himself as their equal rather, taking no more upon him in elections, than they did, going when they sent him to preach where they thought good, content to give to them an account of his doings. Now we must remember it appeareth by the scriptures, that Peter was of greater boldness, and audacity, than any of the twelve Apostles. When Christ asked of them, 
Matth. 16.  who do you say that I am: Peter answered for them all. When Christ did show unto them, that he must go to jerusalem, & there be put to death: 
Matth. 26.  Peter took him aside and did rebuke him for it. When there came a great company with clubs and sword in the night to take Christ, and carry him to the high priests: Peter nothing fearing the number of the men, did stretch out his hand, and draw his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. By which and many such tokens saint Peter showed himself to have such stoutness and courage, that we may well conjecture, if he had had any supremacy and authority above the rest of the Apostles, such as the Papists give unto him: his stomach was better, then that he would have lost it, and never have taken any part of it upon him. 
Haec ratio reperitur in quaestionibus tubingensibus in titulo de primatu Romani pontificis.  Which maketh me to think, that he had no supremacy, sith that he did not exercise any part of it, as his behaviour in the Acts of the Apostles doth show. And this, albeit I have proved it by other of his deeds already: yet it may be seen more clearly, by that which is written in the 15. of the Acts, where the council is set forth that was held by the Apostles and Disciples at jerusalem. In the which council, although the books of counsels set forth by the Papists do report, that Peter was head, and as it were, the judge, and chief ruler of it: yet if a man do read the words of saint Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, 
Acts. 15.  Peter should seem rather in that council to be one of the meanest, out of doubt, not the chiefest. For it is the common and ancient order, that whereas matter doth come in question to be argued, the meanest useth to begin, and so as they are of greater authority, for age, or degree, or knowledge, or such respect, they do follow orderly, until that the chiefest speak last, and take up the matter. Wherefore those books of counsels, 
Summa conciliorum, Fr. Barth. Carranzae.  and the abridgement of them, which do make Peter to be head of the council holden at jerusalem, which was holden under him, being the first Pope as they fond speak of him: they do say more of him, than they can prove out of the acts of the Apostles: out of the which they must prove whatsoever they report of this council, or else they forge it. For there it is written, that when Paul and Barnabas had proposed the matter whereof the controversy was: Peter did first begin to declare his mind of it, after great disputation. And when Peter had said, than Barnabas and Paul spoke their minds also. When they held their peace, james ended the matter, giving his sentence and judgement of the controversy. The truth of all the which, that it may be the more manifest, I will set down the very words of Saint Luke, as they are written in the Acts: so far forth as they pertain to the declaring of this matter. Then came down certain from judea, and taught the brethren, saying: except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, 
Acts. 15.  ye can not be saved. And when there was great dissension and disputation by Paul and Barnabas against them: they ordained that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders, about this question. And when they were come to jerusalem, they were received of the Church, and of the Apostles and Elders: and they declared what things God had done by them. But, said they, certain of the sect of the Pharisees which did believe, rose up, saying: that it was needful to circumcise them, and command them to keep the law of Moses. Then the Apostles and Elders came together to look to this matter. And when there had been great disputation, Peter rose up, and said unto them. Ye men and brethren, ye know that a good while ago, among us, God chose out me, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. And God which knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, in giving unto them the holy Ghost, even as he did to us: and he put no difference between us and them, after that by faith he had purified their hearts. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to lay a yoke on the disciples necks, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe through the grace of the Lord jesus Christ, to be saved, even as they do. Then all the multitude kept silence, and heard Barnabas and Paul: which told what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by them. And when they held their peace: james answered, saying. Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared, how God did first visit the Gentiles, to take of them a people unto his name: And to this agree the words of the Prophets. Which words james having rehearsed, doth in this sort conclude and end the matter. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them of the Gentiles, that are turned to God: but that we writ unto them, that they abstain themselves from filthiness of idols, and fornication, and that that is strangled, and from blood. Upon this sentence and judgement of james, it seemed good to the Apostles and Elders, with the whole Church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antiochia with Paul and Barnabas: to wit, judas, whose surname was Barsabas, and Silas, which were chief men among the brethren: and they wrote letters by them after this manner. The Apostles and Elders and the brethren, unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles, in Antiochia, and in Syria, and in Cilicia, send greeting. For as much as we have heard, that certain which departed from us, have troubled you with words, and cumbered your minds, saying, ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: it seemed therefore good to us, when we were come together with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have given up their lives for the name of our Lord jesus Christ. We have therefore sent judas and Silas, which shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us, to lay no more burden upon you, than these necessary things: that is, that ye abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and that that is strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Far ye well. This Epistle containing the decree of the council, agreeth fully with that which james before did speak, when he gave his judgement of the matter that was in question. Saving that in the Epistle it is said, Visum est spiritui sancto & nobis: It seemed good to the holy Ghost, and to us. It is not said, Visum est spiritui sancto & Petro, It seemed good to the holy Ghost, and to Peter: but to the holy Ghost and to us, meaning the Apostles, the Elders, and the brethren, the whole congregation of Christ at jerusalem. Wherefore in the council where Peter's supremacy should appear chief, there appeareth none at all: and sith that neither he claimed any, neither the rest did give him any, it is to be thought he had not any. If any man think otherwise, he believeth not S. Peter, 
1. Pet. 5.  who calleth himself compresbyterum, a companion and fellow of the Elders of the Church, and forbiddeth them to play the Lords over God's heritage. Which overthroweth his Supremacy, whom the Papists do call, Sanctissimum dominum nostrum Papam, Our most holy lord the Pope. God give them grace to acknowledge with us, him that is in deed our most holy Lord, our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ.   

Chap. 10.  
That in the primitive church of Christ, the Bishop of Rome's supremacy was not acknowledged, as it is proved by the four principal and first general counsels, which took order against it.  
THat the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome hath not any ground in the holy Scriptures, neither in the commissions of our saviour jesus Christ, neither in the practices of his holy Apostles: I hope it is manifest to such as are desirous to search out the truth, by that which hitherto hath been said. Now if we go forward from Christ and his Apostles to the ages which ensued: we shall easily perceive, that it was not received of the primitive Church, nay, it was repressed, when it began to take root, and spread abroad amongst them. The which doth appear by the four principal & first general counsels: wherein the Christian Bishops did assemble themselves together, to the rooting out of heresies, and overthrowing of disorders, which began to bud in the Church of Christ. The first of these counsels, 
Histor. tripa. lib. 2.  was the council of Nice: at the which there were present three hundred and eighteen Bishops, beside a great number of other learned men, called together by the good Emperor Constantine the great, in the year of our Lord three hundred twenty & seven, or there about, against the heresy of Arrius. But to pass over other things handled in the council, touching the authority of the Bishop of Rome, this decree was made, 
Con. Nicen. can. 6.  in the sixth Canon. Mos antiquus perduret in Aegypto, & Libya, & Pentapoli, ut Alexandrinus Episcopus horum omnium habeat potestatem: quoniam quidem Episcopo Romano parilis mos est. Similiter autem & apud Antiochiam caeterasque provincias, honour suus unicuique servetur Ecclesiae. Let the ancient customs continue in Egypt, and Libya, and Pentapolis, that the Bishop of Alexandria have the government over them all: For the Bishop of Rome hath the like order. Likewise at Antioch, and in other Provinces, let the due pre-eminence and honour be reserved unto every Church. Which words do not give any supremacy to the Bishop of Rome above all other Churches: but they do limit him the bounds of his own jurisdiction, no less than they do others. As it is more plainly declared by Ruffinus: who writing in his story the things that were done at the council of Nice, doth say, that it was decreed in this Canon, 
Ruff. hist. ecclesiast. lib. 1. cap. 6.   apud Alexandriam & in urbe Romana vetusta consuetudo servetur: ut vel ille Aegypti, vel hic suburbicariarum ecclesiarum sollicitudinem gerat: That at Alexandria, and the city of Rome, the ancient custom be kept: that the Bishop of the one have care over Egypt, the other over the Churches that are about the city of Rome. And thus much of the council of Nice, which was the first. The second general council was holden at Constantinople: 
Histor. tripertit. lib. 9  where there were assembled a hundred and fifty Bishops, called together by the Emperor Theodosius, about the year of the Lord three hundred four score and five, for the suppressing of the heresy of Macedonius, In the which council, touching the pre-eminence and authority of the Bishops, 
Concil. Constantinop. Canon. 2.  this decree was made. Episcopi qui super dioecesin sunt, and ecclesias quae extra terminos eorum sunt, non accedant: neque confundant & permisceant ecclesias. Sed secundum regulas constitutas, Alexandria quidem Episcopi gubernent ea solùm quae sunt Aegypti: Episcopi orientis, solius orientis curam gerant, seruatis honoribus primatus ecclesiae Antiochenae, qui in regulis Nicenae Synodi continentur: sed & Asianae dioecesis Episcopi, ea quae sunt in Asia tantummodo gubernent: Ponti autem episcopi Ponticae tantùm dioecesis habeant curam: Thraciae verò, ipsius tantummodo Thraciae. Bishops that have the charge of a diocese, let them not come unto the Churches which are without their bounds, neither let them confound or mingle the Churches. But according to the Canons and orders appointed, let the Bishops of Alexandria deal with the government of Egypt only: the Bishops of the East only with the East, reserving the privilege and pre-eminence of honour to the Church of Antioch, according to the rules of the council of Nice. In like sort the Bishops of diocese in Asia, let them govern only Asia: and the Bishops of Pontus, the diocese of Pontus: and the Bishops of Thracia, the diocese of Thracia. Now as this decree was made by them in general, touching all Churches for the government and rule of them, howsoever in places and order of dignity they set one above another, as Rome first, 
Histor. tripertit. lib. 9 Cap. 13.  Constantinople next: so in the Epistle written from the most of them to the Bishops of the West, neither do they submit all their doings to Damasus Bishop of Rome: neither give they greater titles unto him, then to the rest, but only name him first: neither come they to the council of Rome at his request, whereof they give this reason one among others, that they have not the consent of their fellowe-bishops in their provinces so to do. Whereby it is manifest that at the time of this council of Constantinople, the provinces were governed by their own Bishops: the Bishops in general by their counsels and assemblies: neither was there any one Patriarch set over them, (as the Bishop of Rome would be, who therefore claimeth this supremacy) though there were many patriarchs appointed in that council unto sundry provinces, as it is declared in the Tripartit story. 
Historia tripartit. lib. 12.  The third general council was celebrated at Ephesus, about the year of our Lord four hundred thirty three, by the commandment of the Emperor Theodosius the younger, who called together two hundred Bishops into that City, to quench the heresies of Nestorius. And in this assembly, by occasion that was given them to speak of the authority of certain Bishops over others, through complaint made by the Bishops of Cyprus against the Bishop of Antioch, 
Concil. Ephesin. Can. 8.  as usurping over them: first, they do forbid the Bishop of Antioch to ordain Bishops in Cyprus, giving the Bishops of Cyprus full authority to ordain their own Bishops themselves. Then do they decree the same point in general of all other dioceses and provinces wheresoever: that no Bishop do usurp and take upon him the government of another province, which was not before, and from the beginning under him or his predecessors: that if any have done so, and by force have brought a province in subjection to himself, he shall restore it, lest the Canons and orders of the fathers be broken, and under colour of holy function in the government of the Church, Potentiae tumour, The swelling ambition of bearing rule, of dignity, do privily creep in: and so at unwares by little and little we lose that liberty which our Lord jesus Christ the redeemer of all men, hath purchased unto us with his own precious blood. Which discourse at length is shut up in the council with these very words: Placuit igitur sanctae & aecumenicae Synodo, ut singulis provincijs pura & inviolata, quae iam inde ab initio habent sua iura seruentur: ut unusquisque metropolita, secundum priscum & & solitum morem, rerum faciendarum aequabiliter facultatem obtineat, propriumqueius firmum possideat. Quòd si quis superbia contumaci definitis obuiam ierit: hunc abrogatum iri placuit toti sanctae & oecumenicae Synodo. It hath therefore seemed good to all this general council, that every province should keep wholly, without any breach or impairing at all, their ancient rights & liberties, which they have had from the beginning: that every Metropolitan, according to the old and accustomed manner, do freely enjoy the like and equal power of doing things belonging to them: and each keep surely and safely his own right. If any puffed up with pride do go against these determinations: it hath pleased all this holy and general council, that he shall be deprived. By the which decree of the council of Ephesus, it is most manifest that the Bishop of Rome may not meddle within the province of any other: which yet the Bishops of Rome did, endeavouring still to climb up by little and little over other Bishops, till they might overlook them all. 
Concil. Carthagin. 6.  As it doth appear by the council of Carthage, whereat Saint Augustine was present, and by sundry others. But this ambition was repressed, both by those provincial counsels, and by the general of Ephesus, which but now I spoke of: according to the judgement whereof, the Bishop of Rome should be deprived, because he doth meddle with the provinces of others. 
Euagrius lib. 2. Hist. Ecclesiast. Summa conciliorum.  The fourth general council was holden of Chalcedon a City of Bithynia: where there met six hundred and thirty bishops, being called together by the Emperor Marcianus, against the heresy of Eutyches.  
And here, although there be more great and manifest prints and tokens of an aspiring mind in the Bishop of Rome's deputies, whom he did send unto that council: notwithstanding the fathers of the council did allow no lesser privilege and pre-eminence of honour to the Bishop of Constantinople, then to the Bishop of Rome. 
Concilium Chalcedon. Can. 28.  Howbeit this decree which I have heard say, and the learned do know it, is in the Greek copies of the council of Chalcedon, the eight and twentieth Canon in the latin Book called Summa conciliorum, An abridgement of counsels, is wholly left out: for what cause, a wise man may easily conjecture. Yet the Friar, who did set forth this abridgement of counsels, setting forth again the council of Chalcedon (after the Canons of it) in an other sort, out of a new translation, 
Concilium Chalced. actione. 16.  as he doth say: doth show in this second copy of the council, in the sixtéenth action, how the Bishop of Rome's deputies, hearing of that decree, wherein the fathers allowed the like authority and dignity to the Bishop of Constantinople, as to the Bishop of Rome, did whine and mutter at it. In so much that one of them stood forth, and said, that the See of Rome, the See apostolic (as he calleth it) must not in their presence be so humbled and oppressed. Notwithstanding, for all the misliking and grudging of the Bishop of Rome's deputies, who would not consent unto it: the council did alter no word of their determination, but did conclude the point, as they before agreed of it. Thus I have showed that in the four principal and first general councils, the supremacy of the bishop of Rome, which he doth claim over all bishops, was never allowed: nay, by those counsels he was restrained, though not so straightly as he deserved, yet within his own Province, no less than other metropolitans and patriarchs as they called them. Whereby it may appear, how falsely Master Fecknam did avouch and affirm in the Parliament house, at the beginning of the reign of our Sovereign Lady & gracious Queen Elizabeth, 
Anno primo Reg. Elizabethae.  when the Pope's supremacy was entreated of, that to renounce the authority of the see of Rome, was to condemn the judgement of these four notable counsels, the council of Nice, of Constantinople, of Ephesus, of Chalcedon: for as much as they acknowledged, said M. Feckenam, the Bishop of Rome to be their chief heads and judges, and were obedient unto them. The which his report how notably it is untrue: the indifferent reader, I trust, may perceive in part by that which I have said: and shall perceive a great deal better, if he peruse the counsels themselves, and the stories ecclesiastical which do entreat of them.   

Chap. 11.  
How Boniface the third above Six hundred years after Christ, did first get the title of universal Bishop, and the pre-eminence of supremacy by the grant of Phocas a wicked Emperor.  
WHen as the Church was planted by our saviour Christ after his ascension: all the Apostles, & after the Apostles all Bishops were equal. At the first general council, some bishops of the chief Cities did lift their heads above their brethren: yet were they still equal amongst themselves. At the counsels which followed, the Bishops of Rome, and of Constantinople, Rome that had been, Constantinople that was the seat of the Emperor, by reason of their princely and Imperial Cities, were counted chief among the rest: Yet equal one with an other, chief at the council of Chalcedon, as I have showed. But ambition never resteth, till it do climb above all. The Bishop of Rome got the supremacy at the last: but the Patriarch of Constantinople was busy first with it. For in the time of Mauricius the Emperor, john the Patriarch of Constantinople did challenge to himself the title of universal Bishop: calling for that purpose a council of the Grecians, 
Platina de vitis Pontific. Rom. in Gregorio primo.  and maintaining himself in it, by the authority of the Emperor: who as he willed other bishops to make that account of him, & accordingly to obey him: so namely he required it at the hands of Gregory the first, Bishop of Rome, to whom he wrote purposely touching this matter. 
Gregorius lib episto. 4. cap. 76. & lib. 6. cap. 194.  But Gregory having received the emperors letters, wrote back again unto him, that the name and title of universal Bishop, which john did take upon him, is a new, proud, vain, foolish, presumptuous, and blasphemous name: that whosoever doth either call himself so, or desire to be called, he in this his pride is a forerunner of Antichrist. Wherefore he maketh this humble request unto the Emperor, that he will repress this proud attempt of john: who by the swelling puff of vain glory doth lift up his neck against the Lord almighty, and the ordinances of the Fathers. As for myself, saith he, I trust in the Lord that john shall not bow my neck unto him, no not with sword. Which as he writeth boldly unto to the Emperor: so doth he write also to the Patriarch john himself, 
Epistolarum lib. 4. cap. 82.  exhorting him to abstain from the usurping of so foolish and arrogant a name. And what saith he, wilt thou answer at the day of judgement to Christ the head of the universal Church: who goest about to set all his members under thee, by this name and title of universal Bishop. But in conclusion, what soever Gregory could say, either to the Emperor, or to the Patriarch, the Emperor being inflamed with wrath and anger against Gregory, for refusing to yield to the patriarchs pride, did call his soldiers out of Italy who before did defend it against the lombards, 
Platina in vita Gregorii primi.  and exhorted the lombards to set upon the Romans, and to besiege the city of Rome, which Agilulfus the king of lombards did: and continued his siege a whole year against the city, putting it to great distress. But they defended so well themselves against him and all his power: that at the last he was feign to raise his siege, returning home to Milan with great dishonour, through the gracious providence of Almighty God. So Gregory withstood john: not suffering the title of universal bishop to be given him. 
Gregor. Epist. lib. 7. cap. 30.  Neither would he himself accept it, when Eulogius the Bishop of Alexandria in his letters did give it to him, whom he requesteth not to give him the proud name and title: which he would have to be denied no less to him then to others. But that which the figtrée, the vine, and olive did refuse: the bramble took upon him, as it is written in the judges. 
judg. 9  That which Gregory refused, and willed all godly bishops to refuse: Boniface the third, the successor of Gregory in the see of Rome, 
Platina in vita Bonifac. 3.  not only took it, but also sought it. For after that Mauricius the Emperor was traitorously murdered by Phocas: Boniface being puffed up with as great pride as ever was john the Patriarch or greater, never ceased from making suit unto Phocas, that he might be proclaimed universal bishop, the general Vicar of Christ on earth, until he did obtain it, which was about the year of our Lord six hundred & five. 
Cent. 7. fol. ●29.  And this is the first birth of the Pope's supremacy and universal dignity: which came not from our Saviour Christ, but from the Emperor Phocas a traitor and murderer of his Lord and master. Who, as he murdered his master, the Emperor Mauricius, even that Mauricius who would have given the supremacy to john the Patriarch of Constantinople: so he himself, who gave it to Boniface Bishop of Rome, was after murdered by his Leiutenantes, Heracleonas and Heraclius. A just judgement of God, for his great iniquities: amongst the which this was not the least, that he did foster the ambition of the Bishop of Rome, promoting him to the supremacy: out of the which there issued afterward so great calamities to the Church of God.   

Chap. 12.  
How the Pope's having gotten the supremacy over all Bishops did climb higher and higher, until they had it also over Princes and Emperors.  
AFter that the Bishop of Rome had obtained the title of pre-eminence over all other Bishops and Churches by the grant of Phocas: the successors of Boniface, to whom the grant was made, were very busy still, having gotten an inch, to make it an ell: and get in their whole bodies, where they had gotten in their heads: I mean, to increase and augment the authority, whereof the title they had purchased. Wherein they traveled so painfully, and did speed so well, that they set themselves at length in the possession of that supremacy, which they claim at this day: whereby they did not only set themselves above Bishops, but also by crafty means they crept clean out of the emperors jurisdiction, and by little and little raised up themselves above all the Emperors, and princes of the earth. So that in process of time, when they had grown from Bishops to be Popes, they grew from Popes to be princes, nay above Princes: yea according to S. Paul's prophecy of Antichrist, 
2. Thess. 2.  they did sit as God in the Temple of God. For to consider the degrees and points of their exaltation, and change of their state, how they crept from their humility to the throne of their supremacy, and settled themselves in it: first whereas before they were subject to the Emperors, and could not be made Bishops of Rome without their consent, and allowing of the election: they got their election into their own hands, so that they needed not the emperors consent, yea they made Emperors, the stoutest of them at the length to be subject unto them, and glad to have them their good Lords. Platina, their own man, in the story that he writeth of the Pope's lives, is a sufficient witness of it: for in the life of Pelagius the second, having showed how the clergy did choose him Bishop of Rome, he saith, 
Platin. de viti● pontificum Romanorum in Pelagio●.  that at that time the Clergies election of the bishop was nothing worth, unless that the Emperor had allowed his election. But this was before that Boniface had gotten the title of supremacy. afterward, as the same Platina doth show, though for a while the Emperor had still to deal with their elections, yet they often grudged at it, 
Platina in Paschali. 1. Adrian. 3. Leone 9 Gregorio. 7.  and sometimes did it without him, and said they ought so to do, and at the last made a law that the Pope should be chosen by the clergy of Rome, and the emperors authority should have nothing to do in it. Moreover the Bishops of Rome before that time, as all other bishops, were subject and obedient to their Emperors and Princes. They were called to general counsels, by the writs and commandments of Emperors, and they obeyed: as before I showed of the four principal counsels summoned by Constantinus Theodosius, and Martianus. Neither only did they obey, when they were summoned to counsels: but in all other things they did behave them selves, as it becometh subjects to their sovereign Lords. 
Matt. 22.  As our saviour Christ had taught them: who both did pay tribute himself unto Cesar, and commanded his Disciples to give to Cesar, that which is Caesar's, and was obedient unto the emperors Laws even unto death, 
Matt. 26.  and never took upon him to disobey so much as the emperors ministers, or officers whatsoever. As they had learned of Peter: who saith to all the faithful, 
1. Pet. 2.  Subditi estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum: sive Regi, quasi praecellenti; sive ducibus, tanquam ab eo missis, ad vindictam malorum laudem, verò bonorum: Be you subject and obedient to all ordinance of man, for the Lords sake: whether it be unto the King as unto the superior, or unto the governors as unto them that are sent of him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. 
Rom. 13.  As saint Paul did warn the Romans, and in the Romans all Christians: Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: and the powers that be, are ordained of God. Who so ever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist, shall receive to themselves judgement. These lessons of Christ, of Peter, of Paul, the ancient bishops of Rome did show by their example, they thought them to pertain not only to the laity, but also to the clergy not only to the poorest, but also to the richest Bishops. They thought the same which chrysostom doth write upon Saint Paul, that obedience to Princes is commanded to all estates: Omnis anima potestatibus supereminentibus sit subdita: 
Chrisostom. in Epist. ad Roma. homilia. 23.  etiamsi Apostolus sis, si evangelista, si propheta, sive quisquis tandem fueris. Neque enim pietatem subvertit ista subiectio. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers: though thou be an Apostle, saith chrysostom, though an Evangelist, though a prophet: for godliness is not impaired by this obedience and subjection. They thought that Constantine did the duty of a godly Emperor, who when a council of Bishops assembled at Tyrus had wrongfully and unjustly condemned Athanasius: he commanded them all to come to him speedily at Constantinople, that you may prove, saith he, 
Historia tripartit. lib. 3. Cap. 7.  the soundness and uprightness of your sentence and judgement, Coram me quem proprium esse Dei ministrum, neque vos negabitis, Before me whom yourselves can not deny to be the true and right servant of God. But after that the successors of Boniface had felt the savour of the supremacy: neither our saviour Christ's example, nor his Apostles authority, nor the judgement of the fathers, nor the practice of the godly bishops could keep the Pope within his bounds, in subjection to the Emperor: but he exempted first himself from his power, afterward all the clergy, and lastly brought the Emperor in subjection to himself, taking the two sword upon him, the spiritual and the temporal.  
Then ceased the Popes to call the Emperors their Lords, 
Greg. Episto. lib. 4. cap. 76. & passim.  as Gregory the first did call them, after his godly predecessors: and they began to call them their sons, and their children, as now they use to write unto them. Then did they make decrees, that the civil magistrate should have nought to deal with any of the clergy: 
Novel. constitut. justinian.  where as before, justinian the Emperor did govern and rule the highest of them, as his laws do show, the which are yet extant. Then did they count themselves the only Vicars of God on earth: not acknowledging that in Princes, which Eleutherius did in Lucius the ancient king of England: whom he willed as God's Vicar within his own kingdom to draw him laws out of the scriptures, there by to rule his own subjects. Then did they forbid, that bishoprics and spiritual livings should be taken at the hands of lay men, no not of Emperors: they made themselves Lords of them, and therefore did condemn both such as gave them otherwise, and such as received them. To be short, they grew to such outrage of presumption, of rebellion, of riot, of tyranny, of extortion, of lust, and all enormities: that a man might know the tree by the fruits, and the wise must need abhor that supremacy, out of the which such villainies and abominations did springe into the world.   

Chap. 13.  
What fruits did springe out of the supremacy, wherein the wicked mischiefs and abominations of the Pope's lives and dealings are, touched by their own writers.  
THese fruits of the supremacy of the Roman bishops, would be considered further in their lives and doings: which if I should endeavour to run them over all, such as pertain unto this purpose: I should never make an end. Wherefore I will touch but only certain of the chiefest, as it were for a taste: noting out of them, as near as I can, the very natural fruits of the Romish supremacy. Amongst the which first there cometh in place their contention and ambition in procuring of the Popedom, for the which there hath been commonly such corruption, such bribery, such debate, such imprisoning, murdering & poisoning, & all evil means used betwixt them: that in Platina, their own secretary and writer of their lives, it is a common note in very many of them, that they were made Popes, some by Mars, some by money, some by favour of friends, some by power of noble men, some by sorcery and magic, some by like policies of the Devil. 
Platina in johann 10.  Pontifices ipsi a Petri vestigijs discesserant, saith Platina. The bishops of Rome were now departed from Peter's steps. Which complaint he doth make upon occasion of their hatred, conceived by one of them against another, through their ambition. For john the ix. was vexed by Martin the second: so that being imprisoned he was feign to escape by flight: Martin the second, made Pope through evil means, did restore Formosus, whom john had deprived. afterward Formosus getting the room by bribery, came in by perjury unto it, and lived in it accordingly. Steven the sixth that succeeded him, did abrogate and repeal all the acts of Formosus, whose body he digged also out of his grave, cut off his two fingers, wherewith he hallowed Priests, and cast them into the river. After Steven came Romanus, Theodorus, and john the tenth, who did repeal the acts of Steven, and restored Formosus acts to full authority again. Which villainous dealing of them one against an other, enforceth Platina himself, 
Platina in Formos'. 1. Stephan. 6. Romano. 1. Benedicto. 4. Christopher 1. etc.  though otherwise favouring the Popes, to break out into these complaints: that the virtue and honesty of the Bishops of Rome now was decayed: that they did aspire and attain unto the office by ambition and bribery: that hereof did spring their hatred one against an other, when they were put beside it: that of this hatred there a rose a common custom, which was almost kept always afterward, that what the former Bishops had done & decreed, their successors would either wholly or in part take away: that these petty Popes (for so he doth call them) did think of nothing else, but how they might deface the name and dignity of their predecessors, by repealing of their acts, that when the Church did wax wanton with honour and wealth, there being no prince in Rome to repress men's wickedness, the lose licentiousness of sin did bring forth these beasts, who through ambition and bribery did invade the see of Peter: finally, that these Bishops had but short lives, because God did quickly take them out of the earth, as it were certain monsters. And these are the testimonies that Platina doth give of this trim succession of the Roman Bishops, following one an other, when yet their power was lesser, and their supremacy not grown so high. If I should go forward to speak of their behaviour, who came after these men, and did succeed them in that see: as namely of the cruelty of Sergius the third, 
Platina in vitis horum pontificum.  who did behead the carcase of Pope Formosus, long after he was dead: of the beastliness of john the thirteenth, a man even from his youth given over to filthy lusts, and all dishonesty of life: of the sacrilege of Boniface the seventh, who being driven of the citizens out of Rome, did rob Saint Peter's Church of jewels, and making money of them, returned to buy the Popedom: of john the sixteenth, who to enrich his kinsmen, spared neither heaven nor earth, regarding neither Gods honour, nor the Church's commodity: of Silvester the second, who gave himself unto the devil, that he would help him to be Pope, upon condition that he should have him wholly after his death: of Benet the ninth, Silvester the third, Gregory the sixth, of whom the first sold, the other bought the dignity, and strove together for it, three most ugly monsters as Platina doth call them, and to pass over the rest, of Alexander the vi. in our own days, who wasted and spoiled all Italy most miserably to make his bastard Borgia Cesar a Prince: and having at the length certain of the richest Cardinals at supper, did mind to poison them to have their riches for his bastard, 
Onuphrius in vita Alexandri sexti.  but himself was poisoned through the error of his butler, who mistaking the flagon gave the good wine to the Cardinals, and to the Pope the poison: If further I should speak of all their strange and horrible schisms and contentions, when two or three were made Popes at one time, and raised their thrones at once in diverse places, of the which kind themselves do number thirty schisms, some of them lasting for fifty years together, as namely that for which the council of Constance was assembled by Sigismond the Emperor, because the state of Christendom was troubled then with three Popes, all chosen by Cardinals. The first Pope in Italy, the second Pope in France, the third Pope in Spain, and none would yield to other: the very rehearsal of these and the like points, would I fear be tedious, and I could say no more of them, than that which Platina doth say often, O quantum degenerarunt isti Pontifices a suis maioribus: Alas how greatly do these bishops degenerate from their ancestors. Or rather that which the Apostle doth write to the Romans, he spoke it of the Gentiles, it was fulfilled in the Popes: Because they knew God, 
Rom. 1.  and did not glorify him as God, but became vain in their own imaginations, and turned the glory of the incorruptible GOD into the similitude of the image of a corruptible man: therefore God gave them up to their hearts lusts, unto uncleanness, unto vile affections, unto reprobate minds. Wherefore, to leave the rest which might be said touching these fruits of the Romish supremacy, to the further search and consideration of the godly reader: only this I can not choose, but I must expressly note, as the chiefest pearl of their supremacy, that after they had gotten the lofty title of it by the grant of Phocas, of emperors subjects, they became the Lords of Emperors, commanding what they list, deposing whom they list, as though they were the sovereign kings of all the earth. First Constantine the Pope did only resist Philippicus the Emperor, refusing to pluck down images as he commanded him. Then Gregory the second, when Leo the Emperor gave him the same charge, did take away from him his Empire in Italy: and Gregory the third did both deprive him of the Empire, and of the fellowship of the faithful. But in this point Gregory the seventh, who was named Hildebrand, before he was Pope did far pass all his predecessors: for whereas before that time the Emperor had authority to give byshopriks and other spiritual livings, through all his dominions: Gregory the seventh took authority upon him to forbid the Emperor to give any such livings, threatening him withal, that if he did give them, he would condemn both him, and whosoever should receive them. Which commandment of the Pope for as much as Henry the Emperor misliked, thinking it unjust, and would not therefore obey it: Gregory the Pope excommunicated him, and deprived him of his Empire, assoiling all his subjects of their allegeances unto him, and charging them withal that they should not obey him. Whereupon a part of his Empire did rebel, and great wars were raised against him by the Saxons: which, and other discommodities that did ensue I will not stand upon. Only I do note the presumption of these Priests who both rebel themselves against their Lords and Emperors and stir up others to rebellion, under the colour of their supremacy. Whereof we need not to seek for the proof in Gregory the seventh, who did so abuse the good Emperor Henry, we have had experience of it at home within our own realm, which Pius the fifth did raise to rebellion against our gracious Queen Elizabeth: whom the Lord defend for ever, as he did then defend her: when Pope did curse her, he did bless her. But to knit up this point of the fruits of the Pope's supremacy, this is the sum of all, that they do seek their own dominion, the honour, the wealth, the pleasures of this world: they will rather spoil Princes and Emperors all of their right, than any part of their pre-eminence or commodities shall be impaired. Upon this ground to satisfy their ambition, their covetousness, their lusts, beside dominions in Italy, which with Italian policies by the discord of kings and Emperors they have gotten into their hands: they have endeavoured to take away, as I have showed in Hildebrand and might at large in sundry others, which I omit for breveties sake, they have done I say whatsoever they could to take away from Emperors, Kings, noblemen, gentlemen, and all the temporality, as they did term it, their liberties of patronages, donations & presentations of all spiritual promotions, in all kingdoms and countries, reserving to themselves either alone, or especially full power, & authority to give bishoprics, and abbeys, and Prebends, & personages, and other such livings. And all to maintain their inordinate ambition, their excess of riot, their imperial pomp, their fleshly sensuality, which are the natural children of the Romish supremacy, the daughter of covetousness & pride, the mother of mischiefs and all abominations.   

Chap. 14.  
How the Princes of England made many laws and statutes, against the Popish supremacy long before the time of King Henry the eight, who did root it out wholly.  
THus having; hitherto showed & declared, how the supremacy, and Papacy of Rome, being not planted by Christ and his Apostles, was rooted first in the Church by Boniface the third, and afterward spread abroad farther and farther by his successors, so that it grew and brought forth the poisoned fruits, which I have rehearsed: Now it doth remain, that I proceed to show how it hath been rooted out of the Church of England by godly princes of famous memory: whose examples some princes have, I wish all princes of the earth would follow. And herein I shall evidently discover and refute their error, who being counted men of good knowledge and judgement, have borne me in hand, that the power & authority of the Pope of Rome was never banished out of this our country, until that King Henry the eight did expel it, in the xxuj. year of his reign, in the year of our Lord a thousand five hundred thirty & four. For it is certain, and shall be clearly proved, that many years before that King Henry the eight was borne, or King Henry's Father's Father, the kings of this Realm have made laws and statutes, against the Bishop of Rome his authority and jurisdiction, which he did wrongfully claim and usurp within their dominions, and therefore they did justly remove it and expel it. To the which purpose it must be first considered, that under the colour of the decrees above mentioned, the Popes did take upon them to prefer strangers unto the rooms of Archbishops and bishops throughout the Realm of England, many years together: and to place whom they list Abbots, and Priors in any religious houses, when so ever that the places were void: neither only to present unto all manner of religious houses, but also to prebend's, Provostries, Deaneries, Parsonages, and such like. Which things as they were done to the great impeachment of the king's dignity and crown imperial of the Realm: so did they tend also to the disinheritance after a sort, of his majesty, of his counsellors, of the nobility, of other his subjects, which had by inheritance the gifts of such livings: and to the great loss of the whole country, by decay of hospitality, and conveying of our treasures out of the Realm, through the means of strangers, who were preferred to these livings and spiritual promotions. For redress of which faults, the nobles and commons of this Realm, at the parliament holden at Carlisle in xxv. 
Anno. Domini. 1296.  year of the reign of King Edward the first did present and exhibit a bill into the parliament, of all the inconveniences and injuries offered to the kings majesty, the nobles, and commons by the Bishop of Rome. Whereupon the parliament took order, and enacted, that from thence forth the Bishop of Rome's authority should take no place within this Realm in any such matters: if he dealt in any, they should be void and of none effect. Which act made against the Bishop of Rome, because there was no penalty set upon such as did maintain or suffer his doings to prevail against the order taken: therefore not long after the death of this good king Edward the first, Edward the second his son, being king, a man of no such courage as his father was, neither having leisure through his great troubles with the Earl Mortimer and the Queen his wife to look to such matters, the Bishop of Rome did spring again to do what he would. The substance of this Act, made by king Edward the first, is not recited in the statutes of the xxv. year of his reign: because it is wholly mentioned in the first part of the statute made the xxv. year of King Edward the third. At the which time, in a parliament holden at Westminster, the same petition and Act made at Carlisle was returned, 
Anno Domini 1350. cap. 1.  and more ample order taken withal against the Bishop of Rome. For it was provided there and enacted, that whosoever did fetch from Rome, or take any such provisions to disturb any presentation or election made in this Realm, or the persons that were in possession of any spiritual promotions: that the provisors and disturbers, their procurators, executors, notaries, and attorneys, should be attached, and laid in prison, without bail, or mainprize: there to remain until both they had answered the king such fine and ransom as should be taxed at his pleasure: and also had agreed with the party wronged: neither should they be delivered until they had put in sufficient sureties never to attempt any such thing afterward. 
Cap. 1.  Again in the xxvij. year of his reign in the parliament holden at Westminster, the same statute was enlarged, and the penalty made, that the offenders therein if they came not to answer at their day in proper person, and were found culpable, they should forfeit all their lands, and goods, their body should remain in prison, & out of the kings protection. It appeareth farther in the thirty. year that an excommengment, as they do term it, was certified by the Pope: which was disallowed by the justices, and the bringer thereof should have been hanged and drawn, if the Chancellor of England had not prayed to the king for him. In the xxxviij. year, the like act was made, for such as procured any citations or processes from the court of Rome: that their procurers and attourneyes should have such punishments and forfeitures as are before mentioned. Now in the time of king Richard the second, who did next succeed him, there was a statute made the thirteenth year of his reign, 
Anno Domini. 1363. Cap. 1.  in the parliament at Westminster, against provisors of benefices, with this penalty: that they should be out of the king's protection, and forfeit the benefice. But in the sixtéenth year of his reign, 
Cap. 15.  the same king made more full and strait laws against the Bishop of Rome: whereby he banished his whole authority out of this realm, enacting, that no process from Rome should be allowed: Yea further, 
Cap. 5.  that if any subject of this realm should receive, or fetch from Rome, or set forth any manner Citations, Presentations, Fulminations, Bulls, or any other things against the king's regalty & crown: he being convict thereof, should lose and forfeit all his lands and goods to the king, & his body to be at the kings pleasure, and out of his protection, and in the cause of praemunire. The same punishment also appointed for him, who so ever should sue any appeal to Rome. King Henry the fourth which succeeded Richard, in the second year of his reign, in the parliament holden at Westminster, 
An. Do. 1401. Capit. 3.4.  did likewise make a law, that no spiritual or religious person, secular or regular, should take any manner of promotion or living spiritual, or offices in any spiritual houses, by any provisions of Licences or Bulls from Rome, under the pain contained in the praemunire, as in the first & fourth Chapter of that statute is declared. Again in his sixth year, at the parliament held at Coventrie, 
Capit. 1.  there was a law made to ease Archbishops and Bishops of their great exactions, taken by the Pope and his officers of his chamber, for their first fruits. Again in his seventh year, an other law was made touching the Licences and Pardons granted from Rome to the incumbents of any benefices, that whether they were granted, or to be granted, they should be utterly void, and of none effect. Again in his ninth year, because the archbishops and Bishops of this realm, 
Capit. 8.  were after their elections greatly troubled by the Bishop of Rome, it was enacted that the elections of Archbishops, Bishops, abbots, Priors, and other spiritual persons, should be free from all manner of interruptions and encumbrances of the Bishop of Rome. 
An. Do. 1407  It were tedious to go forward in the like sort with the Princes that followed: but by this taste the wise may easily perceive, how no law could bridle the unruly usurpation of the Pope of Rome, but almost under the reign of every Prince, for the space of two or three hundred years, they were compelled to renew old, and make new provisions and acts of Parliament against him: Notwithstanding all the which, his dealings were so outrageous, and gathered eftsoons new strength: that they could never be thoroughly repressed, until that God did raise up our noble Prince of famous memory King Henry the eight, who perceiving and understanding, as well by his own judgement and knowledge, as also by the learned Clergy of his realm, how the Bishops of Rome have of long time fallen away from the sound and pure religion of Christ, by their corrupt doctrine and abominable pride: extolling themselves, not only above all Bishops, but also above all Emperors, Kings, and Princes of the earth: disobeying the authority of rulers and magistrates, whom the Lord set over them, whom Christ did obey, whom the Apostles were subject to: speaking lies through hypocrisy, as they of whom S. Paul doth prophecy, 
1. Tim. 4.  forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with giving of thanks, of them who believe and know the truth: & to come to the chiefest point, devising blind, erroneous, profane & ungodly means of obtaining salvation, by gadding in pilgrimage, by oblations to images, by kissing of relics, by numbering of Pater nosters and ave Maries upon beads, by going barefoot and bare-legged, by creeping to crosses, by their pardons a poena & culpa, with a number of peevish toys and superstitious ceremonies, to the blemishing of true faith, the anchorhold of all Christians, grounded on assured hope of salvation, by the death & passion of our saviour Christ, which is impaired by Popery: the the Noble Prince therefore, King Henry the eight, seeing and considering these detestable enormities, and wicked usurpation of the Pope of Rome, did utterly banish his counterfeit authority out of this realm of England, with the appurtenances of it. Which having himself begun in part to do, he had it confirmed with the consent of the whole realm, by statute and law made in the eight and twenty year of his reign, at a parliament holden at Westminster, 
An. Do. 1536. Capit. 10.  to the great comfort of all his faithful subjects, to the reviving of the dignity of his imperial crown, and most of all to the true honour and glory of the Almighty. After this noble King, there succeeded the godly worthy Prince his son, King Edward the sixth, who not only confirmed that law against the Bishop of Rome, but further proceeded in the establishment of true religion. And of late again (albeit) some interruption grew in the time of Queen Marie, Our most virtuous and gracious Sovereign, Queen ELIZABETH, following the godly steps of her noble father and brother, had it enacted in her first parliament, that the authority of the Bishop of Rome, and of all other foreign power, and potentates, spiritual and temporal, should utterly be driven away, and removed out of all her majesties territories & dominions: & that upon such penalties unto all her subjects, that to uphold, maintain, or set forth any such foreign authority within this realm, it is in some points and degrees high treason: so that they lose and forfeit their lives, lands, & goods, who are guilty of it. A statute that may seem severe, and is perhaps accounted of some overrigorous: but they who mark it wisely cannot choose, but see how sharp tools were necessary to root out this weed, which many godly Princes before King Henry the eight did endeavour to nip of by sundry good laws, but it budded still again, & brought forth such blossoms, or rather fruits, of rebellion, ambition, covetousness, hypocrisy, & wicked superstition, as it was to be feared would have poisoned the whole land, had not our gracious prince used such sharp instruments to root it out utterly.   

Chap. 15.  
A short repetition of the points proved, witha conclusion of the whole. And an exhortation to the people of England to embrace this truth, with all the heavenly doctrine of Christ's religion.  
WHerefore I do wish even from the very bottom of my heart, that every faithful subject, and right Christian man would weigh both this point, & all the rest, which I have said, to satisfy his conscience in this matter of the supremacy: lest they build upon sand, not on the rock, jesus Christ. Let us consider that our saviour did not grant it to any of his Apostles: nay he did expressly forbid such overruling and dominion amongst them. Let us remember, that as it was not given by him to Saint Peter: so neither did Saint Peter practise it, nor the Apostles attribute it unto him. Though it had been given to Peter amongst the rest: yet what reason is it that the Bishop of Rome should be his heir in it? sith we read not in the scriptures that Peter ever was at Rome: which we should have red doubtless, if it had been of so great weight. Hereunto we must add, that in the primitive Church this pre-eminence was not acknowledged, either to, or by the Bishops of Rome. The godly Bishops of that City, who many of them were martyrs, did not take it upon them. The four first principal and general counsels assembled out of all Christendom, did not yield it unto them. What have we then to do with Boniface the third, to whom the title of supremacy was granted first by wicked Phocas? What have we to do with Boniface his successors: who have sat in the chair of pestilenc and have made their sceptre a sceptre of iniquity? shall we rather follow them, than Christ, than Peter, then the Apostles, then general counsels, then godly Bishops of Rome? Shall we not be wise, and learn to make a difference between the first bishops that were in the City, free from such ambition: and between the later, who swerved from their steps? For as they did follow Christ and his Apostles in preaching and teaching the holy word of God, in ministering the sacraments in plain and humble manner: in ordering well the flock of Christ by good and wholesome discipline: so these of the other side, after that they had obtained the supremacy of the Emperor, they increased the seeds of error and superstition, which before were cast, and fell away more & more from Christ's example & doctrine, making themselves a new priesthood, & framing it after the manner of the priesthood amongst the jews, both by changing the ministration of the lords supper into a sacrifice propitiatory, and an oblation for the sins of the living and of the dead, though they were not partakers of it: and also by devising to themselves such gay and disguised vestures of cloth of gold and silver, of velvet & such other stuff, so that not Aaron was appareled more gorgeously than they. But this was the least fault: yet out of doubt a fault. For our saviour Christ did not abrogate the ceremonies of the law of Moses, to bring in others like unto them. But other things were greater, and most of all to be condemned in these bishops of the supremacy: that they devised new ways and means for men to obtain forgiveness of their sins and everlasting life, such as neither Christ our saviour did ordain, neither did they advance the glory of Christ, our only saviour. For they devised that men might be saved by their own works, and by praying to images, and by going a pilgrimage, and by setting up of candles before the pictures of saints, and by purchasing of Pardons from the Bishop of Rome, specially, if they were pardons called a Poena & culpa, and by trentals, and diriges, and by Masses of Requiem, & of Scala coeli, and by their tapers of wax, and by their sacring bells, and clackes, and by their paschal, and by their pax, by their sensings and solemnities, by their devout creeping to crosses and wearing of cowls of monks, and such other a thousand trumperies, holy cream, holy oil, holy bows, holy ashes, holy bread, holy water, to keep them from evil spirits, and I know not what. Thus they led the people from their faith, and trust in the blood and death of our saviour jesus Christ, to put their faith and trust in the Pope's indulgences, and in such other blind illusions: to the great danger of their souls, & the dishonour of the Lord. Neither contented with this corruption of doctrine, they brought in a greater confusion of discipline: calling away the elections of Bishops, and handling of Church matters, unto the court of Rome: where the Market was, for spiritual promotions, for deciding of controversies, for buying out of sins, for keeping of concubines, for cleansing of purgatory, for engrossing of livings, for non residence upon them, & for what not? All was at Rome, and might be had from Rome for money. The lords vineyard did lie waste. The Church was become a den of thieves. Wherefore, good Christian brethren and countrymen, sith the light of the Gospel hath opened these things unto us: let no man deceive us under colour of antiquity, or by saying, thus and thus our forefathers have thought many hundred years past, and therefore it is good. For if you will have respect to antiquity: them do, I beseech you, as I have here done: begin at our saviour Christ's time, and so come down to ours, as it were by steps, and you shall see that there is as great difference betwixt the primitive Church of Christ for five or six hundred years, and these latter times of darkness which followed the light, as is almost betwixt white and black in colour, or God and the devil in goodness. For the Bishops of Rome in these latter ages have been so clean contrary in all respects to Christ, that the Prophecy of saint Paul to the Thessalonians doth seem to be fulfilled in them: 
2. Thess. 2.  in that he doth say, there should be a departing first from the faith, and then the man of sin should be disclosed, even the child of perdition, which is an adversary to God, and exalteth himself against the most highest. Which words, what Antichrist can they describe more lively, than the Pope of Rome? For to passover his falling from the faith, and his corruption of doctrine which I have already noted, as Christ was most humble and meek: so the Popes are most haughty and proud. As Christ was most simple and poor: so the Popes are most subtle and full of treasures. 
john. 18.  As Christ said his kingdom was not of this world: so the Popes do lift themselves above the Princes of this world. As Christ went lowly upon the ground: so the Popes must be carried aloft on men's shoulders for fear of touching the ground. As Christ in apparel, behaviour, and conversation, applied himself to common men: so the Popes in these things do resemble rather the majesty of Emperors. They may be well compared to the pharisees whom Christ did liken to painted tombs, 
Matt. 23.  which appear beautiful in the uttersides, but are within, full of dead men's bones and all filthiness. Such are the Bishops of Rome, most rich in robes of cloth of Gold, their very shoes set with precious stones: but within, their souls most filthy, with riot, covetousness, ambition, and other worldly vices, as their lives do show, which are set forth unto the world by Platina and others, men that knew them well, and were conversant about them. Wherefore, sith it is manifest that under colour of holiness pretending to be Christ's Vicars, they are Christ's adversaries, even his greatest adversaries, with drawing his people from their special trust in him to their own errors and wicked superstitions: therefore now, good Christian brethren, let us follow the counsel of the Scriptures. 
john. 12.  Dum lucem habemus, ambulemus in ea: While we have the light, let us walk in the light, even in the light of the Prophets and Apostles. Whereby Christ doth teach us the falsehood of Antichrist, that we may fly from him, and from all his works of darkness: that we may detest his unjust supremacy, and erroneous doctrine, and fantastical ceremonies, and all the dregs of Babylon. 
Matt. 11.  Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis & onerati estis, & ego reficiam vos, saith our Saviour Christ. Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden, and I will refresh you. I will refresh you, saith our Saviour: he calleth most comfortably unto himself, all, which are trouble and afflicted in mind, through the consideration of the grievousness of their sins, which deserve eternal death, and are ready to cast them into desperation: and he doth promise them, that he will ease them, without suing to Rome for pardons, or having Masses, or trentals, or diriges, or other such foolish fancies of men. But he willeth them to come unto himself, 
Matt. 1.  who was called jesus, that is to say, a Saviour, by the commandment of God, because that he should save his people from their sins: of whom saint john doth say, 
1. john. 2.  Si quis peccaverit: advocatum habemus apud patrem, jesum Christum justum: & ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris: non pro nostris autem tantùm, sed etiam pro totius mundi. If any man, sin, saith john the Evangelist, we have an advocate or Mediator with God the Father, jesus Christ the just: and he is the propitiation, the pacifier of God, obtaining mercy for our sins, yet not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. Wherefore sith the Pope doth teach us to have other mediators & advocates to the Father, even the saints, whom himself and his Cardinals have canonised, and doth lead men so many ways, as though they might be saved by them, where as our Saviour Christ is the only way, 
john. 8.  the truth and the life: let us leave this false priest, and his bulls, and his pardons, and the rest of his trumperies, and let us think well of our godly princes, who have cut out the roots of his supremacy, whence all the poison doth flow. For the staying of the which, lest it should be received into the bowels of the Realm, and corrupt the whole body: many godly Princes heretofore began that work, by making sundry laws and statutes, which in our days King Henry the eight, King Edward the sixth, and our gracious Queen Elizabeth have brought to good end, through the great mercy of God. That which our Saviour said, is fulfilled herein: 
Math. 15.  Omnis plantatio quam pater meus coelestis non plantavit, eradicabitur: Every plant which is not planted by my heavenly father, shall be pulled up by the root. The light of Christ's Gospel hath openly disclosed to us that man of sin, and child of perdition, which taketh on him to sit in the temple of GOD, as God. It is manifest that his supremacy, with all his errors builded on it, are plants which were not planted by God our heavenly father. God will therefore root them out, according to his promise: upon the which promise, in part fulfilled already, we are to make our daily prayers, that he will more and more fulfil it: that he will root out all, speedily, and thoroughly, not only out of our Church of England, but out of all people's consciences: that the servants of God may be joined altogether in one Christian faith, setting their whole confidence in jesus Christ alone, the son of the living GOD, who suffered cruel death, and shed his precious blood for the ransom of all our sins, as many as believe in him, that he might join us to himself, and present us to his father, making us partakers of his own glory with him. Which the Lord grant us of his infinite mercy, through our mediator and saviour jesus Christ. Amen.   
FINIS.