scripture This ancient archybshop lyued not longe after the dayes of Charles the great aboute whose tyme the seuenth Synode was helde at Nice whereof the authour in this boke eft soones maketh mencion He wrote as we may gather by coniectures about the yere of our lord 787. His stile and maner of writynge is very playne and easy and sauereth much of that reuerent antiquitie as the lerned in the tongue maye well perceaue This booke of his is but breefe yet it conteyneth many graue sentences and weighty reasons it hath strong argumentes and piththy coÌ„clusions against that loftye and arrogante authoritie of the Romishe bishop Al the Popes lymmes may blushe and be abashed if their faces were not harder than brasse to say that the byshop of Rome hath had that authoritie and power whyche he now vsurpeth in quiete possession sens the Apostles tyme sithe it is proued by the most ancient doctours and holy fathers that that whiche in dede he had was gyuen hym long after the apostles tyme and that which he nowe boasteth hym selfe of hath ben at all tymes and in all ages denied hym by suche godly and lerned pastors as this Nilus was Whose boke as thou seest I haue translated into englisshe to thende that my countreymen whiche are not experte in the toungues may be ware of them whiche to the mayntenance of the Popes authoritie haue alwayes in their mouthes antiquitie antiquitie And that they may perceyue howe lyttell veritie is ioyned with the aniquitie they speake of the fyrst founder wherof was auncient Sathanas their great grandfather the old forger and father of lies from whom procedeth all presumption vanitie and vntruthe whom the Pope and his secte so lyuely expresse in theyr doynges that a maÌ„ may behold in their hypocriticall faces replenished with all dissimulation a perfect patern and liuely image of their holy father Belzebub In translatyng I haue endeuoured my self to speake playnly that the rude and ignorant myght rede it to the encrease of their knowledge in the true religion and to the auoidyng of such forged reasons as the Pope and his complices falsely alledge for the vpholdynge and maynteynyng of theyr tyrannicall and beastly kyngdome If I wold haue studyed for fynenesse of speche or preferred my priuate commoditie before the profite that maye redounde to manne I myghte easyly in lesse tyme more to myne owne furtheraunce haue fynyshed greatter thynges and with more fauour yea and thankes to at somme mennes handes haue abstayned from this payneful and daungerous enterprise But I rather chuse to haue respecte to the glorye of Christe and his holy churche then to myne owne ease and estimation Euery weapon wherwith we may beate downe errours and lies must be takeÌ„ in hand to the defence of the truth neither ought we to consider how fine eloquent it is but rather what strength force efficacy it hath to ouerthrow the enemies of gods veritie I beseche thee therfore good christeÌ„ Reder to accept what soeuer I haue done to thy furtherance in the knowledge of goddes eternall truth and most holy religion And where as my doinges may peraduenture seme scarce thanke worthy yet for my trauayle in thy behalfe suffer me not if any thynge haue escaped in translatyng in that I minded the good to mysse of thy gentyll pardon Whiche if thou graunt me I shall not onely thynke my self sufficiently recompensed for my trauaile but also thereby I shalbe encoraged to attempt greater things to thy coÌ„moditie Now I protest afore god who knoweth y e secretes of al hartes that in translating herof I haue had respecte chiefly to the commoditie of such as for lacke of instruction haue ben to muche deceyued and seduced by the craftye sophistications and subtyll gloses of the Pope and his impes who to the stuffyng of their gredy paunche and maintenance of their beastly ydle lyfe are not ashamed to paint their positions with fayned gloses and feble distinctions But almyghty god hath and wyl reuele to his elect their falsehode subtilie to their opeÌ„ shame coÌ„fusion Wherin as all true christians ought to refuse no paynes but to do y e vttermost of their endeuors so I by gods grace wyll neuer ceasse to doo all that I may eyther in translatyng or otherwyse to the ende that all men may perceyue on howe weake a ground they haue gone about by fyre and fagotte and all extremitie to compell men to laye the foundation of theyr faith And also how that all that they teache as well in this matter as in other poyntes of religion conteineth not one iote of sounde doctrine if it bee tried by the holye scriptures I speake not this that I malyce the pope or his adherentes any thing whose persons as God knoweth I hate not although I abhore their detestable and erronius doctrine but that I myghte drawe out of that stinckynge puddle of wylful ignorance as many as I could I hate the errour and not the menne Whiche if they forsake I shall gladly yelde them all christen loue and due reuerence Therfore I lytle esteme what any man either of malice or ignorance shall report of these my doynges knowyng that whatsoeuer the one saythe procedeth of a peruerse iudgement and what so euer the other reporteth commeth of rashues rather then of reason in iudgyng that which he knoweth not Wherfore as I regarde nat what they saye of me in this behalfe so I submyt bothe this and all my dooynges to the iudgement of the true christian reder whose hart god hath opened to acknowledge and receaue the veritie of his holy wyll besechyng almighty god of his great goodnes and infinite mercye to bryng to the knowledge of his truthe all those whom the god of this worlde yet holdeth in captiuitie that they can not perceyue the power of saythe neyther knowe the Lorde aright in his only sonne Iesus Christ our alone aduocate and true head of the congregation to whome with the father and the holye ghoste bee all honour and glorye euerlastyng Amen LEt rankour not you rule O men of Romyshe secte Expell theÌ„ poyson froÌ„ your brests That dothe you thus infecte Let not that hauty whoore That boasts her selfe for god That rules the realms of Cesars right With her vsurped rod Let not this hag I say Bewitche your earthly eyes That here embraceth beastly ioye And vertue dooth despyse Antiquitie she sayth Gaue her this stately place Lo here Antiquitie you see Dothe her and hers deface Lo here dothe Nilus teache A man of ancient tyme Howe muche she is to be abhorde Howe muche she swelles with crime Leaue her therfore in tyme Forsake her wicked wayes Let vs and you agree in one So God shall haue his prayse Finis ê™ B. G. Fautes escaped in the printyng ¶ In the leafe of B. the .xi. page or side the .xxvii. lyne for indifferent rede muche different In the same leaf of B. the xvi page the vii lyne for yet reade
it ¶ In the leafe of C. the .xii. page the. xxvi lyne for names reade canons A TREATISE OF the Popes primacie by Nilus Archbishop of Thessalonia THe adherentes of the Romishe churche affirme Fyrst that S. Peter was made chiefe of thapostles by Christ hym selfe and therefore had the keies of heauen worthily deliuered vnto hym and that the churche was buylded on hym agaynst the whiche the gates of hell shulde not preuaile forasmuche as Christ had praied for his faith and had commanded him bothe to strengthen his bretherne and also to feede his shepe They heape togither also muche more wherby they thynke that the primacie of Peter may be proued Secondarily they hold that the Pope is Peters successour and that he hath by succession all his preeminence and therfore may doo in matters of religion all thynges after lyke sorte and fashion as he might haue doone And therfore they saye that it is vnpossible for the Pope to falle frome the true faith for if that shuld happen the christen religion and the whole church whyche is buylded vppon hym muste needes perisshe To the prose whereof they alledge a testimonie of their own out of Pope Agathon whiche in a certaine Epistle affirmeth that the churche of Rome was neuer entangled with any erroure neyther hathe any tyme swarued frome the true waie of veritie And therfore they say that the Pope hath had his supremacy always sence the Apostles tyme. Also they saye lykewyse that other Metropolitanes and Archebyshoppes are subiecte to hym in lyke maner as the Byshoppes and Prelates whyche are vnder the Arcebyshop of Constantinople are subiect to the sayd archbyshoppe Theu they saye that the Pope hathe appellation They affirme moreouer that he may iudge all menne and that none maye iudge hym neyther in his manners neyther in faythe or doctrine Besydes this they hold that the pope is byshop of no certayne place neither is he so called as other are but simply without circumscription he is named a Bishoppe To the profe wherof they brynge the Pope hymselfe to wytnes who neuer in his letters termeth hym selfe Byshop of Rome Also they affyrme that Rome onely hathe been called the sea Apostolike because that Peter the Apostle bothe ledde his lyfe there a longe tyme and also dyed there Item they affirme that the Pope only hath authoritie to call a counsell Their last assertion is that no lawe can be made without the consent of the pope neither any thynge ordeyned in the churche Then they conclude that the Pope hath all the aforesayde rightes and priuiledges of Peter and that therfore all men owe hym obedience and no man ought to gaynesay any of his commandementes All these thynges the adherentes of the Romysshe churche alledge for the mayntenaunce of the popes dominion and authoritie Vnto the whiche assertions of theirs I nothynge doubte what to aunswere but afore whom I may pleade For yf I should make answere before the Latins themselues and adherentes of the Romishe church what rightful iudgement myght I loke for in submyttyng my selfe to the iudgement of myn enemies But yf I shuld pleade afore our Grekes then myght the Latines haue iuste cause to complayne of me where as I make the Grecians iudges ouer them whom they thinke to be their aduersaries in matters Ecclesiasticall What then must we doo verily Gods truthe ought not to be buried vp in silence euerlastyng but rather we ought to speake freely hauynge good confidence and wishing that those to whom this Booke shall come desire nothyng more than the truthe For surely suche as fauour the truthe shall hereby also profyte somewhat FYRST therfore concernyng the primacy of Peter after what sorte he was chiefe of that holy congregation or what priuilege was geuen or ought vnto hym I thinke it not now so nedeful to be reasoned of For be it after suche sorte and so great yea as it lyketh any man to deuyse yet neuer truely shall it therby be proued that the Pope hath suche right of Peter where by he may rule all other byshops whiche is our aduersaries seconde position For concernyng the Pope two thynges must be consydered the one That he is Byshop of Rome by the whyche title the sacred Synodes terme hym The other that he would be chiefe and hyghest of all byshops The fyrst truely he hathe of Peter that is to wete the byshoprike of Rome But the other his primacie he hath of certayne fathers and kynges whiche for desyre of good order gaue it hym many yeares after thapostles tyme. And to proue this to be true I wyll bryng forth wytnesses not two or three or twise so many but sire hundred and thirty yea and chose holy fathers Rede the xxviii Canon of the fourth holy Synode or councell of Calcedonia where are these woordes We folowyng the decrees of the fathers and waying the Canon euen now rehersed of the. 150. Byshoppes gathered togyther at Constantinople called newe Rome in the tyme of the moste holye Emperour Theodosius the same also doo we ordeyne decree concernyng the honoures and prerogatiues of the said church of Constantinople or new Rome For vnto the sea of old Rome the Fathers gaue worthyly the chiefe honour and primacy bycause that Citie then ruled all the worlde the same cause moued the. 150. foresayd byshops to geue the lyke honoure and preeminēce to the sea of new Rome iudgyng it reasonable that this Citie condecorate with the empire and senate imperiall and equal in dignitie with the old imperiall seate should as muche excell in matters ecclesiasticall seyng that it is the next vnto it Then what may we lerne hereby Verily nothyng els but that the Superioritie ouer other churches was geuen to the pope not by the Apostles but by the fathers and that for no greater or iuster cause then that the citie of Rome at that tyme had dominion ouer the whole world For the Canon sayeth playnely That the primacie or superiour dygnitie was geuen to the sea of Rome by the fathers So that the pope hath therfore the Superioritie geuen hym of the Fathers bycause in tymes paste the Citie of Rome had the Empire Then he hath it not as Peters successour neither as geuen hym of the Apostles But for the more apparaunt truthe let vs reade the hundreth newe decree of Iustinian to the ende that it maye appeare that the truthe hath wytnesses on euery syde We ordeyne sayth he accordynge to the Decrees of the Synodes that the moste holy Byshop of olde Rome is the chiefe of all priestes and that the moste blessed byshop of Constantinople or newe Rome is nexte vnto hym and aboue all other Do you not heare that the Emperoure sayeth That the primacye of the Pope of Rome is gyuen hym by the Decree of holye Councelles If that the Pope dooe holde his Supremacye onely by the Decree of Councelles I beseeche you howe may it be trewe that somme menne affyrme that he hath it by succession
sayth Leo in his epistle written to the Emperor conceruynge the said sinode Also we holde accursed the authors of the new heresy thatis to wite Theodorê° bish of Pharanite Cirus of AlexaÌ„dria Sergius Pirrhus Paule Peter successours rather thaÌ„ bishops of the church of ConstaÌ„tinople and also Honorius who hath not beautified this Apostolike church with doctrine lefte by the apostles but rather hath assayed with prophane treason to subuert the vnsported and pure faithe In the fourth place where as our aduersaries say that the pope is after the same sort and fashion superiour to the Bishop of Constantinople as the saide Bishop is to the Byshop of Cesaria or to any other Byshop vnder hym that truelye as it is manifestelye false so maye it in no wise be suffered for certaynly the Bishop of Rome is therfore called first because the Bishop of Constantinople in respect to hym is second in order and worthynesse But the bysshop of Constantinople in respecte of the bysshop of Cesaria is not called fyrst neyther the sayd byshop neyther any other of these that are vnder hym hath the seconde degree or place of dignitie as nexte vnto hym But he is so fyrst of them that ar vnder hym that as though he were alone he hath none adioyned to hym that maye in anye poynt as seconde in degree be compared with him in worthines The bishop of Cesarea is not called seconde in respect of the bishop â—f Constantinople But first in comparison of theim that with him at subiect to the bishop of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople of the which one is secoÌ„d to hym another thirde an other fourth And that the primacye of the bishop of Rome is not lose and free as though it were a monarchye but vnited with others as the dignities of felowes in office are conioyned togyther betweene them selues yet may be easily proued For the xxxvi Canon of the foresayd Synode hath these wordes Renuyng the decrees of the huÌ„dred and fifty holy fathers who helde a counsell in this imperiall Citie preserued of God And of the vi hundred and thirty gathered togyther at Calcedonia we doo ordeyn and constitute that the sea of Constantinople haue equall dignitie with the sea of olde Rome haue as much priiledge in matters ecclesiasticall as the sayd sea seynge that it is nexte vnto it and next to Constantinople lette the bishop of the great citie Alexandria haue place and after him let the bishop of Hierusalem be placed If so be that the Pope doo therfore chalenge to him dominion ouer other bicause he is first named and hath the fyrst degree in honour he must lykewise grant the same power to the bysshop of Constantinople bycause he is named seconde ouer them that in order folowe hym the byshop of Alexandria and others And also to the bishop of Alexandria who is named thirde authoritie ouer the bishop of Antioche and to the byshop of Antioche who is fourthe power ouer the byshop of Ierusalem who hath the .v. place in noumber and order But this were neyther iuste neyther any thyng els but a disturbance of the churche of God And hereby maye we perceyue that the byshop of Rome is not superiour to the byshop of Constantinople in lyke sorte as the sayd byshop is to the byshop of Cesarea for asmuche as the bishoppe of Constantinople ordeyneth bothe the bish of Cesarea and al other subiecte to hym But the byshoppe of Rome ordeyneth neyther the byshop of CoÌ„stantinople neyther any other Metropolitan But that it may more euidently apere that the Pope hath no power ouer all other byshops let vs rede the .vi. canon of the Nicen couÌ„sell wher it is playnly commanded that the Byshop of Alexandria shulde rule somme churches the byshop of Rome other and other the byshop of Antioche Neither maye any of them medle in others proince Lette the olde custome take place whiche was that the bysshop of Alexandria shulde be chiefe and haue the highest dignitie in Egypte Lybia and the .v. cities bycause this is a custome with the byshop of Rome also Lykewise at Antioche and in other prouinces lette the primacie hyghnesse dignttie and authoritie of the churches he maynteyned Here ye playnely see that the canon of Nice commaundeth the olde custome to be kept and al men to be content therwith whiche custom dothe attribute and preserue to euery churche his owne worthinesse so that the churche of Alexandria shoulde rule some the churche of Antioche other that is to say those whiche are in bothe Syrias The churche of Rome other and other the Churche of Ierusalem euen those as the seuenth Cannon of the Synoda appoynteth whiche are Phenicia Palestina and Arabia and to Constantinople by the .xxviii. Canon of Calcedonia the churches of Asia Pontus and Thracia Therefore all Metropolitanes that are contente with their owne churches kepe the decree the lawe and ordinance And yf any manne not contente with his owne desyrethe an nothers he trewely oughte to bee counted a breaker of custome and of the decrees of holye Fathers for as muche as the decree of Nice doothe straightly forbydde it and wylleth the olde vsage herein to bee folowed If the Canon hadde deuyded the worlde betweene other Metropolites and hadde geuen nothynge vnto the Bysshoppe of Rome but onely haue sayde That he oughte to rule the reste then myghte a manne of lykelyhoode haue gessed that he oughte all togyther to rule all congregations of the whole worlde and that all other as welle Byshops as Metropolitanes are vassalles and subiecte vnto hym euen as to the Bysshoppe of Constantinople other Bysshoppes of his prouynce that ar his inferiours Nowe seeynge that sundrye countreyes are appoynted to the Bysshoppe of Rome other to the Bysshoppe of Alexandria and other to the bysshop of Constantinople no more are they subiect to hym then he is to theym Then our aduersaries say that the Pope hathe prouocation in matters ecclesiasticall and that therefore he is chiefe of all other The same prouocatione hathe the byshop of Constantinople and yet therby hath he neyther authoritie neither iurisdiction of other Metropolitans Therefore neyther the Pope oughte to let or hynder the iurisdiction of other Metropolites And that it may appeare that I haue sayde truely that the byshop of Constantinople hath prouocation I wyl alleged the .ix. canon of the .iiii. Synode or couÌ„sell of Calcedonia If one clerke haue an action against an other let hym not leaue his owne bysshop and runne to the secular iudge but lette the matter be fyrst debated afore his owne bishop or at the least by thaduise of their owne byshop let theim take suche a iudge as bothe the parties shall bee contented with If any doo otherwise he shall bee in daunger of the decree If any clerke haue an action agaynste his owne byshop or any other lette the matter bee tried afore the Synode of the same prouince And yf any byshoppe or clerke haue a complaynte agaynst the Metropolitane let
the rome of the Pope in the said sinode Moreouer it is manifest in that the sinode calleth it selfe alwais vniuersall And it had not ben true so great a company of bishops wold haue feared to be taken in a manyfeste lye Besides that the .vii. holy synode sayth in the first decree therof We willingly gladly imbrace the godly cōstitutiōs and we confirme their stedfast and vndefyled authoritie as those that the trumpettes of the holy ghoste hath ordeyned that is to saye the apostles and holy fathers that haue bene gathered togither in dyuers places for the selfe same purpose For they inspired with the spirite of god decreed those thynges that they thought profytable Whome they accursed we accurse also whome they haue suspēded we suspend whom they haue deposed we depose And to be short when they by any other meanes dydde punyshe we also doo taxe in lyke maner Sainct Paule who was taken vp into the thyrd heauen and to whom those thynges were reueled that are not laufull to bee spoken of cryeth out that the maners of the holye ought to be farre from all couetousnes and that they shulde be content with their owne estate and condition Therfore seynge that neyther the .vi. Synode at the first comyng togyther neither the seuenth hath meddled with the constitutions of the apostles and the names of the .vi. vniuersall synodes but the sayd sixthe synode being iterate and renewed hath supplied the defecte therof it is manyfest that the .vii. Synode speaketh of the canons of the said .vi. counsel More ouer where as the Synode accursethe those that regarde not the authoritie of the decrees Is it not a terrible thyng yea is it not ynough to moue any stony hart Besides that the bishop of Rome hym selfe so long as he agreed with the churches of the east dyd so muche approue and allow the decrees of this synode that Adrian the fyrst wrytyng to Taratius archebishop of Constantinople with great admiration cōmendeth hym bycause he dyd so constantely obserue these decrees Whiche may appere by the very wordes of his epistle whiche forth with I wyll alledge We doo perceaue sayth he by the synodall epistle how earnest your profession is in the right faith and how great a zele ye haue towardes the holy congregations and the .vi. holy Synodes and towardes the venerable and sacred Images whyche surely is wonderfull and wrothy great admiration Wherin it is playnely to be seene that in the laudable godly and right canons of the sixte synode that worshipful picture is allowed in which the lambe shewed by demonstration with the finger of the precursor is liuelie expressed which beinge receued of vs as a figure of grace doth represent vnto vs the true lambe by the lawe that is to wete Christ him selfe Therfore we receauyng the olde fygures sygnes and shadowes as tokens of the truthe and markes geuen to the churche dooe acknowledge the grace and truth as they that thynke it to be the fulnes of the law To the end therfore that that image may in liuely coloures he expressed to all mens eyes whiche representeth in manhoode the lambe that taketh away the synnes of the worlde that is to say our God we thynke good that from hensefoorth instede of the olde lambe there be a newe erected in the churches of God to the intent that we maye consyder the raysynge vp of the basenes of gods word and he put in mynde of that common welthe wherein he lyued in the flesshe and also be led as it were by the hande to the contemplation of his Passion and moste wholsome deathe by whiche the freedome of the worlde was purchased That therfore this cannon was alowed of Pope Adrian and that it is the .lxxiii. of the synode now mencioned the autenticall bookes do testifie But no man can sufficiently meruayle at the vnstedfastnesse and lyghtnesse of the Popes adherentes not only for that they nowe hate and deteste the holye generall counselles whyche sommetyme they allowed but also that the Popes theym selues are at varyaunce one with an other For as wee reade euen nowe Pope Adrian meruaylousely commendethe these decrees but Innocentius or some other reiecteth theym If any manne wyll affirme that the Pope is not subiecte to the lawes and rules of the Fathers he trewelye in no wyse is to bee suffered For that were moste vnwoorthy that the Pope shoulde not esteeme the Fathers by whome he hathe obteyned that dygnytie of prehemynence whereof we spake beefore Moreouer yf the Pope contempne decrees he despiseth his owne authoritie for he hymselfe hathe made many and so by the testimonye of Paule he maketh hymselfe an offender But we haue shewed and declared that he is bounde to gyue accompte bothe of his doctrine and also of his other gouernance and regiment ecclesiasticall so that he is of necessitie subiecte to the constitutions of the fathers and counsels Certainly it were not right that any man shuld reuerence the Pope as a Father seyng that he hymselfe regardeth nought so many holy Fathers Nowe the Popes adherentes saye that he is not byshop of any one place but that he is symply a Byshop that is to say Byshop of all the world Wherin truely they speake against the truth For fyrst we haue proued already that he is of one degree with other bishops and as a man woulde say in one order with theym Besyde that the synodes when by occasion they make mention of hym as it oftetymes happeneth alwaies they call hym Byshop of Rome So that yf he be byshop of Rome he is out of doubt a bishop of some determinate place onlesse perhappes any man deny Rome to be a certayne place but per aduenture some man wyll say that the Pope when he writeth to other termeth not hymselfe bysshop of Rome but symply a byshop wherby he declareth hym selfe to bee byshop of no one certayne place but of all the worlde To whom we may answer that he attempteth to proue matters of most importaunce with ouer lyght I wyll not say triflyng reasons Whiche kynde of profe yf we would vse we myghte more easily ouerthrowe the Popes dignitie then they establyshe the same For where as he nameth hymselfe by the vsed name of the common dignitie a byshop and not Pope neyther chiefe of all priestes with the whiche and other lyke titles his adherentes flatter hym it is a taken that the Pope hymselfe acknowledgeth his owne estate and testifieth the same foorthewith by his title But neyther we mynde to striue with suche stronge reasons in so weighty a matter agaynst the Pope neither he in vsyng these argumentes doth any more preuayl then if he shuld attempt to wrethe a rope of sande For if there wer so great force in this kynd of reasonyng then Cyrillus also shuld haue such highnes in honor y t he shuld be byshop of all the worlde yea that so much the sooner then the Pope in that he is
say that no decree may be made in the Church without the Popes consente whyche in dede they may very well lay against vs but we shall repaye oure aduersaries with the same measure For neyther the Pope yf wee beleeue the canons of the apostles maye constitute any thyng in the Churche without the aduise of other For so sayth the .xxxiii. Canon of the Apostles The bysshops of euerye nation muste knowe who is chiefe amonge them and count hym in manner as theyr heade neyther maye they doo any newe thynge without his consente lette euery man handell suche matters by hym selfe as appertayn and belonge to his Diocesse and the places vndernethe hym neyther may he that is chiefe amonge theim doo any thynge without the consent of the reste For so shall concorde be mayntayned and god shall be glorified through our Lorde in the holy ghoste If our aduersaries say that the Canons of the Apostles ar not theyrs neither of authoritie sufficiente but Apocriphe we may lay vnto them agayne the authoritie of the fathers in the firste thirde fourthe sixthe and seuenth synode whiche defend the authoritie of the Apostles cannons For the fyrste Synode in the fyfth cannon therof maketh mention of two of the apostles cannons the .xii. and the .xxxii. Also the same Synode in the .xv. canon speaketh of the .xv. canon of the apostles The thirde Synode or Ephesine councell writyng to Theodosius maketh mencion of the .lxxiii. canon of the apostles wherwith the sayd synode was armed agynste Nestorius and condempned hym lyke as the fowerth synode with the same condemned Dioscorus Moreouer the same fourthe synode in the .v. canon thereof wryteth in this wyse worde for woorde of the .xii. xiij .xiiij. and .xv. Canon of the Apostles As for suche bysshoppes as wander from one citie to an other and often chaunge theyr mynistery it seemeth good to this Synode that they shall be in daunger and punysshed by the Canons of the Apostles Furthermore the Decrees of the syxte Synode doo shewe the full number of the apostles canons For so hathe the seconde Decree of the sayde Synode It seemeth to this holy Synode that it were most expedient that the .lxxxv. canons in the Apostles name receaued and allowed by the holye Fathers and delyuered to vs by tradition shoulde also from hencefoorthe remayne fyrme and stedfaste that they maye be wholsome medicines for the sowle and remedyes for dyuers dyseases in the Churche The seuenthe Synode in the fyrste Cannon thereof rehersynge the lawes of the Churche beefore all other mencioneth the Cannons made by the Apostles adioynynge oute of Moises That nothyng ought to be added to theym or taken from theym Shall we therefore condemne as fayned and vnprofytable those Cannons that are so muche commended and approued of so many holye fathers No trewely But lefte this bee the summe and chiefe of all our talke and disputation that so longe as the Pope doth keepe the coneuniente order in tymes paste ordeyned so longe as he holdeth and maynteyneth the veritie celestiall and so longe as he cleaueth and stycketh faste to Christe the hygh and trewe Lorde and head of the churche I gladly permytte hym to be heade of the Churche and chiefe priest and successoure to Peter or yf he lyste to all the Apostles all menne to obeye hym and nothynge touchynge his honour to be diminished But yf he be fallen from the truthe and wyll not retourne vnto it agayne he oughte but to bee reputed as a personne condempned and reprobate These thynges haue I spoken accordynge to my abilitie of the Popes primacye as that whyche I iudge to bee manyfeste and trewe If they be otherwyse I desyre to be better enfourmed For I also praye and syng vnto the Lorde that oute of the Psalme Take not from my mouthe the worde of Truthe FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Sutton for Rafe Newbery Authorised accordyng to the Quenes maiesties IniuÌ„ctions In the yere of our Lorde a thousande fyue hundred sixty The .xvi. daye of Marche And are to be solde at his shop in Fletestrete a lyttle aboue the Cundite Grego li. 4. Epi. 48. 〈…〉 〈…〉 The Papistes antiquitie as olde as the diuell him selfe The papiâ—tes best argumentes Gods word muste not be hidde The Pope hathe not his primacy of the apostles The Popâ— Peters successour The Pope 〈◊〉 not in this pointe bee Peters successour Math. 16. Math. 26. Gala. â—â— 1. Tim. 1. The Pope may be sick in faith 〈◊〉 the Pope coÌ„demned for heresy The Pope maye be an heretike Math. 16. The foundatioÌ„ of the churche Pope Agathon Psalm 13. One Pope coÌ„demneth in other Psalm 1â— This Custom the B. of Rome hath brokeÌ„ The Papistes are full of vanitie The Pope 〈◊〉 Prestes mariage lauful by the old canon and constitutions of the apostles The Pope as not aboue a byshop Note the pope breaketh order ecclesiasticall 1. Tim. 6. Pope Adrian proâ—â—â—â— for Image The Popes ar togither by the eares The Pope is not to be estemed The Pope byshop of no place The Pope ouercome vvith his owne reasons The Pope attempteth to make a rope of saÌ„d The sea of Rome only is not called apostolique VVhy the fathers did attribute so much to the sea of Rome Deut â—4 He stycketh fast against him â—he pope a â—â—probate â—â—â—son â—sal 119.