him in the way of vertue and well-doing so amongst the children the elder should help the yonger the stronger and more excellent the weaker and more meane none could be fitter to assist him in the Kingly and Priestly office while he liued and to succeed him in the same when he died then the first-borne the beginning of strength the excellencie of dignity and the excellencie of power And heereupon we shall finde that from the beginning the first borne excelled the rest in three things For first he was Lord ouer his brethren according to that of Isaac blessing Iacob the yonger in steed of the elder and thereby preferring him to the dignity of the first-borne Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children bow downe vnto thee Secondly he had a double portion thirdly he was holy vnto God which dignity as it belonged formerly euen frō the beginning to the first-borne as being most worthy excellent so was it confirmed when God striking all the first borne in Egypt spared the first born of the Israelites This praeeminence of the first borne continued the eldest euer succeeding in the Kingly and Priestly office vnlesse for impiety or cause best knowen to God he were reiected by him till the time that Israel came out of Aegypt and the Church of God became nationall For then according to the tenor of Iacobs blessing these priuiledges were diuided Iudah had the Scepter Leui the Priesthood and Ioseph the double portion in that two of his Sonnes Ephraim and Manasses became Patriarches and Heads of tribes and had equall inheritance in the land of promise with the sonnes of Iacob So that in the societies of faithfull and holy ones from the first man that God made till Aaron was sanctified to bee a Priest vnto God in steed of the first borne the eldest alwayes vnlesse for impiety or other cause best knowen to God hee were reiected by him had the Kingly and Priestly direction of the rest So when Cain the eldest Sonne of Adam and first that was borne of a woman to whom the dignity of the first borne did pertaine was for his impiety reiected from that honour and Abel who by fayth offered a better sacrifice then hee was slaine by him God raysed vp Seth who being taught by Adam his father touching the Creation the fall the punishments of sinne and the promised Sauiour assisted him while hee lived in guiding the people and Church of God and succeeded him in the same gouernment after his death In like sorte Enosh assisted and succeeded Seth and dying left that honour to Kenan Kenan to Mahalaleel Mahalaleel to Iered Iered suruiuing Enoch his son whom God translated left it to Methusalem Methusalem to Lamech the father of Noe in whose time the children of God that is the posterity of Seth marying with the daughters of men that is such as came of wicked Cain highly displeased almighty God who therevpon appoynted him to bee a preacher of repentance vnto them whom when they contemned and despised hee brought in the floud and destroyed both them and all the inhabitants of the world Noe and his family onely excepted Noe gouerned the Church before and after the floud and left the same office and dignity to Sem his eldest sonne saying Blessed bee the God of Sem and let Canaan be his servant The Lord perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem. Sem begat Arphaxad Arphaxad Sale Sale Heber Heber Phaleg Phaleg Rehu Rehu Serug Serug Nachor Nachor Thare Thare Abraham and Abraham Isaac All these onely Heber and Isaac excepted he suruiued so that dying he left the right of his office dignity to Isaac Heber hauing corrupted his wayes This Sem the Iewes thinke to haue beene Melchizedek that met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings that brought out bread and wine to refresh his wearied troupes and blessed him in the name of the Lord as being a Priest of the high God Thus then Sem gouerned the Church in his time and dying in part left his honour to Isaac soiourning as a stranger in Canaan Isaac to Iacob Iacob to Iudah and his sonnes who liuing in Aegypt in bondage with the rest of their brethren could not freely exercise the Kingly and Priestly office nor performe the things pertayning therevnto So that none of these succeeded Sem in the fulnesse as well of Kingly as Priestly power CHAP. 3. Of the diuision of the preeminences of the first borne amongst the sonnes of Iacob when they came out of Aegypt and the Church of God became Nationall BVt when it pleased Almighty God who chose vnto himselfe the posteritie of Israel and sonnes of Iacob as his peculiar portion and inheritance aboue all the nations of the world to bring them with a mighty hand and out stretched arme out of the land of Aegypt and the house of bondage to the land which he promised to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to make of them a mighty people then the former kinde of gouernment which was domesticall not so well fitting a people as a houshold he setled another in steed of the first borne which formerly in each family and kindred was both a King and Priest he chose the tribe of Iudah to sway the scepter and to be a lawgiuer to the rest of of his people and the tribe of Leui to attend his Tabernacle and seruice and out of all the families of that tribe tooke Aaron and his sonnes to serue in the Priests office appointing the rest to meaner seruices about the Sanctuary or to bee assistants to the Priests and rulers in the gouernment of the people CHAP 4. Of the separation of Aaron and his sonnes from the rest of the sonnes of Leui to serue in the Priests office and of the head or chiefe of that company THE Priests the sonnes of Aaron whom God separated from the rest of their brethren the sonnes of Leui were of two sorts For there was an high Prieste and there were others of an inferiour condition Touching the high Priest foure things are to obserued First his consecration Secondly the things that were required in him that was to be consecrated to so sacred a function Thirdly his imployment and Fourthly his attire The consecration of the high Priest was seauen daies in performing in this sort 1. He that was to be consecrated was brought before the Altar 2. Then he was washed with water and clothed with those sacred garments which God had prescribed holy oyle was poured on his heade sacrifice was offered on the Altar for his sanctification and his garments were sprinkled with the blood of it The things that were required in him that was to serue in the high Priests office were these Hee might not be defectiue nor deformed in body His wife must be a virgin not a widdow not one that had beene diuorced nor that had beene infamous
ever after restore them againe Hoc est Angelis casus quod hominibus mors saith Damascene The reason why God limited so short a time to them and assigned so long a time to men was because they were spirituall substances all created at once and that in the empyreall heauens and so both in respect of nature condition and place were most readily prepared disposed and fitted for their immediate everlasting glorification so that it was fit there should be set vnto them a short time to make choice of their future state never after to be altered againe to wit till their first deliberate conuersion vnto him or auersion from him But man being created in a naturall body to fill the world with inhabitants by procreation being set in a place farre remooued even in an earthly paradise had a longer time set him before he should be in finall stay or haue his last judgement passe vpon him to wit till death for particular and till the end of the world for generall judgement when the number of mankind shall bee full These are the reasons that mooued Almighty God that spared not the Angels to shew mercie vnto the sonnes of men So that as god in the day of the creation called foorth all both men and Angels from among the rest of his creatures to whom he denied the knowledge enjoying of himselfe that these onely might know feare and worship him in his glorious Temple of the world and be vnto him a selected multitude and holy Church so when there was found amongst these a dangerous Apostasie and departure from him he held of the Angels so many as hee was pleased and suffered them not to decline or goe aside with the rest and raised vp and severed out of the masse of perdition whom hee would among the sonnes of men The Angels now confirmed in grace and those men whom in the multitude of his mercies he deliuereth out of the state of condemnation and reconcileth to himselfe doe make that happie society of blessed ones whom God hath loved with an everlasting loue This society is more properly named the Church of God than the former consisting of men and Angels in the state of that integrity wherein they were created in that they which pertaine to this happie company are called to the participation of eternall happinesse with the calling of a more mighty potent and prevailing grace then the other For whereas they were partakers onely of that grace which gaue them power to attaine vnto and continue in the perfection of all happie good if they would and then In tanta felicitate non peccandi facilitate in so great felicitie and facilitie of not offending left to themselues to doe what they would and to make their choice at their owne perill These are partakers of that grace which winneth infallibly holdeth inseparably and leadeth indeclinably in the wayes of eternall blessednesse CHAP. 4. Of the Church of the Redeemed ALl these aswell Angels that stood by force of grace vpholding them as men restored by renewing mercy haue a most happie fellowship among themselues and therefore make one Church of God yet for that the sonnes of men haue a more full communion and perfect fellowship being all delivered out of the same miseries by the same benefit of gracious mercie Therefore they make that more speciall society which may rightly be named the Church of the redeemed of God This Church began in him in whom sinne beganne euen in Adam the father of all the liuing repenting after his fall and returning to God For we must not thinke that God was without a Church among men at any time but so soone as Adam had offended and was called to giue an account of that he had done hearing that voice of his displeased Lord and Creator Adam where art thou that so he might know in what estate he was by reason of his offence the promise was made vnto him that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Yet for that Abel was the first that the Scripture reporteth to haue worshipped God with sacrifice and to haue beene divided from the wicked in whom GOD had no pleasure euen cursed Cain that afterward shed his innocent blood therefore we vsually say the Church or chosē company of the redeemed of the Lord began in Abel who being slaine by Cain God restored his Church again in Seth in whose race and posterity he continued his true worship till Noe. In whose time the wickednesse of men being full hee brought in the flood destroyed the whole world Noe onely and his family excepted whom he made a preacher of righteousnesse to the world before and after the flood and chose from among his children Sem his eldest sonne in whose race hee would continue the pure and sincere knowledge of himselfe and the expectation of that promised seede that should breake the serpents head This Sem was the father of all the sonnes of Heber of whom the people of god were afterwards named Hebrewes who was also as some thinke Melchisedech in whose posterity the true Church continued so that God vouchsafed to be called the God of Sem till the dayes of Abraham in whose time there being a great declining to Idolatry after the flood as there was in the dayes of Noe before the flood so that the defection was found not onely amongst those that descended of Cham and Iaphet but euen among the children of Sem and the sonnes of Heber also of whom Abraham was God called him out from his fathers house and gaue him the promise that he would make his seede as the starres of heaven in number that in his seede all the nations of the world should bee blessed and gaue him the seale of circumcision so that all posterities haue ever honoured him with the name and title of the father of the faithfull This man obtayned a sonne by promise in his old age when Sara his wife was likewise old and it ceased to bee with her after the manner of women and named his name Isaac of whom came Esau and Iacob concerning whom GOD pronounced ere they were yet borne or had done good or euill The Elder shall serue the yonger I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau. Iacob therefore prevailed with God and was named Israel the father of the twelue Patriarches of whom came the twelue Tribes of Israel and that chosen Nation of holy Hebrewes who were also named Iewes of Iudah the Patriarch to whom the Scepter and kingly dignity pertained to whom his fathers sonnes bowed according to the tenour of Iacobs blessing concerning whom the Lord did promise that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a law giuer from betweene his feete till the Shilo were come Great was the honour of this people aboue all the Nations of the World for vnto them were committed the
some men in that Church adulterating the doctrine of heauenly trueth bringing in and defending superstitious abuses disliked by others and seruing as vile instruments to aduance the tyraÌ„ny of the Bishop of Rome Wherefore for the discouery of the vanity of their insolent boastings for the coÌ„firming of the weake the satisfying of them that are doubtfull and that all men may know that wee haue not departed from the auncient faith or forsaken the fellowship of the Catholicke Church but that wee haue forsaken a part to hold communion with the whole led so to doe by the most preuailing reasons that euer perswaded men and the greatest authority on earth I resolued to communicate to others what I had long since in priuate for mine owne satisfactien obserued touching the nature of the Church the notes whereby it may bee knowen and the priuiledges that pertaine to it These my simple labours most Reuerend in Christ I thought it my dutie to offer to your Graces censure before they should present themselues to the view of the world that so either finding approbation they might the more confidently make themselues publike or otherwise be suppressed like the vntimely fruit that neuer saw the Sunne The condition of the times wherein wee liue is such that manie are discouraged from medling with the controuersies of Religion because they are sure besides the vile slanders wicked calumniations and bitter reproches of the common aduersaries to passe the censures of those men who though they will doe nothing themselues yet in the height of a proud and disdainefull spirit with many a scornefull looke smile at the follies of other mens writings as they esteeme them The sinister iudgements of either of these sortes of men I shall the lesse regard for that it pleased your Grace so louingly to accept and soe fauourably to approue these my poore paines bestowed for the clearing of sundry questions concerning tâ—…â—…rch which by your direction and appointment I first entred into It hath biâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…he vaunt of the aduersaries of the Religion established amongst vs that 〈◊〉 written many bookes against vs and none haue beene found to oppose any â—…g against them that they desire nothing more then by writing or disputing to â—…ic the goodnes of their cause But I doubt not but this Nationall Church the gouernment whereof vnder our most gracious Soueraigne is principally committed to your fatherly care shall yeeld men more than matchable with the proudest of the aduerse faction who being animated and hartned by your fauour guided by your directions shall no longer suffer these proud Philistims to defie the armies of the Lord of Hosts For though they proclaime their owne praises with loude sounding trumpets that might haue beene piped with an oaten straw and though they magnifie themselues as if they were the only Paragons of the world and as if all wit learning had bin borne with them should die with them yet whosoeuer knoweth them will little regard the froath of their swelling words of pride and scorne seeing when they haue done vaunting they haue done their best and that which remaineth is little worth their allegations being for the most part nothing but falsifications their testimonies of antiquity the markes notes of their ancient forgeries their reasons sophismes their reports slanders and wicked calumniations their threats the venting of their malice and powring out of their impotent desires their predictions onely manifesting what they wish might be but no way shewing what shall be In the later daies of our late dread Soueraigne Elizabeth of famous blessed memory all their books were nothing but fearefull threatnings of bloody confusions and horrible dissipations of Church and common-wealth which they hoped for and looked after soe soone as it should please God to cut off the thread of her blessed life But he that sitteth in heaueÌ„ hath laughed them to scorne and branded them with the marke of false Prophets For Elizabeth is gathered to her fathers in peace full of daies and full of honour yet they haue not bathed their swords in blood as they desired but God hath disappointed all their purposes frustrated their hopes and continued our happinesse Iosua hath succeeded Moyses and Salomon Dauid and he that disposeth the kingdomes of men giueth them to whom he will hath set vpon the Throne of Maiesty amongst vs a King of a Religious Vertuous and peaceable disposition to whom he hath giuen a wise and vnderstanding heart large as the sands of the sea shore whose delight is in the Law of the Lord who hath chosen his testimonies to be his Counsellers whose constant resolution in matters of faith and Religion daunteth the enemies of it whose admirable vnderstanding in things Diuine more then for many ages the world hath found in any of his ranke giueth vs good assurance that no frauds of any deceiuers shall euer be able to seduce or misse-lead him whose blessed Progenie and Royall issue maketh vs hope that the felicity of these vnited kingdomes shall continue as longe as the Sunne and Moone endure which whosoeuer desireth and seeketh to procure Peace be vpon him vpon the Israel of God Thus crauing pardon for this my boldnesse and humbly beseeching Almighty God long to continue your Graces happie and prosperous estate and to make you a glorious instrument of much good to his Church I rest Your Graces in all dutie RICHARD FIELD WHAT THINGS ARE HANDLED IN THE BOOKES FOLLOWING The first Booke is concerning the Name Nature and Definition of the Church and the different sorts of them that do pertaine vnto it CHAP. 1. OF the Church consisting of men and Angels in the day of their creation pag. 1. Chap. 2. Of the calling of grace whereby God called out both men and Angels from the rest of his creatures to bee vnto him a holy Church and of their Apostasie 4. Chap. 3. Of the Church consisting of those Angels that continued in their first estate by force of grace vpholding them and men redeemed 5. Chap. 4. Of the Church of the redeemed 7. Chap. 5. Of the Christian Church 9. Chap. 6. Of the definition of the Church 11. Chap. 7. Of the diuers sorts of them that pertaine to the Church ibid. Chap. 8. Of their meaning who say that the Elect only are of the Church 13. Chap. 9. Of the difference of them that are in and of the Church 14. Chap. 10. Of the visible and inuisible Church ibid. Chap. 11. Of the diuerse titles of the Church how they are verified of it 17. Chap. 12. Of the diuerse sorts of them that haue not yet entred into the Church 18. Chap. 13. Of the first sâ—…rt of them that after their admission into the Church of God do voluntarily depart and goe from the same 19. Chap. 14. Of the second sort of them that voluntarily goe out from the people of God 20. Chap. 15. Of them whom the Church casteth out by excommunication 22. Chap.
if all haue sinned and haue bin depriued of the glory of God are justified by his grace redeemed then surely Mary was scandalized at that time and that is it that Simeon now prophesieth And even thy soule which knowest that being a virgine and neuer knowing man thou broughtest him forth which heardest of the Angell Gabriel the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee the power of the most high shall ouershadow thee a sword of infidelity shall pierce thou shalt bee stricken with a sword of doubting and thy thoughts shall rent thee into diuerse parts when thou shalt see him whō thou heardest to be the son of God and whom thou knewest to be generated in thee without the seed of man to be crucified to die to be subiect to humane punishments and at the last with teares strong cries complayning saying if it be possible let this cup passe from me Chrysostome vpon the 13 Psalme agreeth with Origen his words are these When Christ was crucified there was none found that did good the Disciples all fledde away Iohn ranne away naked Peter denied him the sword of doubting went through the soule of Mary her selfe And Augustine to the same purpose hath these words And that which hee addeth saying and a sword shall pierce thy soule that the thoughts of many harts may be reuealed thereby doubtlesse hee signified that euen Mary herselfe of whom the sonne of God tooke flesh should doubt in the time of Christs death but soe as to be confirmed in his resurrection And Theophylact vppon the same place of Luke Happily by the sword he vnderstandeth the dolor happily the scandall wherewith Mary was scanalized for seeing him to bee crucified happily shee thought how hee that was borne without the seed of man who had done miracles and raised the dead could be crucified spitte vpon and die and that hee sayth the cogitations of many harts shall bee reuealed importeth no more but the thoughts of many that shall be scandalized shall be reuealed and being reprehended they shall find present remedy and so shalt thou o virgin be reuealed and manifested what thou thoughtest of Christ and then thou shalt be confirmed in the faith so likewise Peter shall bee manifested when hee shall denie him but the power of God shall be shewed when he receaueth him vppon his repentance Chrysostome writing vpon those words behold thy mother and thy brethren c. and those words of Christ Who is my mother and who are my brethren sayth that Christ vttered these words not as being ashamed of his mother or denying her that bare him for had he bin ashamed of her he would not haue passed through her wombe but shewing that it would nothing profit her that she was his mother vnles she did all those things that beseemed her for this that she now attempted argued too much ambition for she would make it known to the people that she had power ouer and could command her sonne not conceauing any greate matter of him and therefore shee came vnseasonably See therefore sayth hee the want of discretion in her and them for it had beene fitte for them to come in and to haue heard with the multitude or if not to haue stayd till hee had ended his speech and then to haue come vnto him but they call him out and this they doe before all shewing too much ambition and willing to shew that with greate power they command him And in another place It is admirable to see how the disciples though very desirous to learne yet knew when it is fitte to aske him for they doe not this in the sight and hearing of all and this Mathew sheweth saying and comming vnto him and Saint Marke they came vnto him priuately or when hee was alone It had beene fitte his mother and his brethren had done so that they should not haue called him out and made such a shew as they did And writing vpon Iohn and intreating of those words of the virgin when the wine began to faile they haue no wine sayth Shee was willing to do them a pleasure and to make herselfe the more illustrious by her child and happily shee was carried with some humane affection as his brethren were when they sayd shew thy selfe to the world desiring to reape glory from his miracles and therefore hee auswereth something sharpely saying what haue I to doe with thee my houre is not yet come a little after speaking of her calling him out mentioned in the former place hee sayth Shee had not that opinion of him that was fitte but because shee had brought him forth shee thought to command him in euery thing after the manner of other mothers whom she should haue honoured and worshipped as her Lord and therefore hee sayth who is my mother And Theophylact writing vpon the same words sayth the mother of Christ would take vpon her to be a mother and shew that shee had power ouer her sonne for as yet shee conceiued noe great thing of him and therefore shee would drawe him out vnto her while hee was yet speaking being a little proud that she had such a sonne at her commaund What doth Christ therefore because he knew her intention heare what hee saith Who is my mother which he said not to wrong his mother but to correct her minde desirous of glory subject to such affections as men are wont to be Euthymius in his Commentaries obserueth the former place in Chrysostome but dareth not reprehend it as Sixtus Senensis telleth vs. But they will say Augustine affirmeth that the Mother of our Lord was without sinne surely it will be found that he saith no such thing the circumstances of that they alleadge out of Augustine are these The Pelagian commemorateth sundry holy ones which are reported not onely not to haue sinned but to haue liued righteously as Abel Enoch Melchizedech Abraham Isaak Iacob c. and addeth to these certaine women as Deborah Anna Samuels mother Iudith Esther another Anna the daughter of Phanuel Elizabeth and the mother of our Lord and Sauiour whom he saith that pietie requireth vs to confesse to haue beene without sinne The words of Augustine in answer to the Pelagian are these except therefore the holy Virgin Mary of whom for the honour of our Lord I will make no question at all now that wee are to speake of sinnes for hence doe we know that more grace was giuen to her wholly to ouer come sinne who was honored so much as to conceiue and beare him whom wee know to haue had no sinne this Virgin therefore excepted if we could gather together all those holy men and women as now liuing and aske of them whether they were without sinne what answer thinke we would they make I pray tell me whether that which this man saith or that which the Apostle Iohn surely how much soeuer they excelled in sanctity while they were in
same resistance yet they were forced in the end to giue way to the exaltation of the Constantinopolitane Church so that after the time of Iustinian the Emperour they neuer made any more words about this matter Whereby we see that to be true of Hierome Orbis maior est vrbe that is The world is greater then any one city of the world though Rome it selfe The Church of Hierusalem as being the place of Christs passion whence the preaching of the Gospell tooke beginning was euer much honoured yet was it not so much as a Metropolitane Church at the first but the B Clergy there of were subiect to the Bishop of Caesarea as their Metropolitane the Bishop of Antioch as their Patriarch as Hierome writing to Pammachius against Iohn of Hierusalem testifieth And thereupon Leo writing to Maximus Bishop of Antioch blameth Iuuenall Bishop of Hierusalem for seeking to subiect Palaestina to himselfe chargeth him with insolent boldnesse for that attempt But the Fathers of the fifth generall Councell thought good to honour the Church of Hierusalem where Christ suffered and rose againe from death and therefore whereas the Bishoppe thereof had formerly but a bare title and a preeminence in sitting before other they made him a Patriarch in order the fifth and that hee might haue Metropolitanes subject vnto him they tooke some parts of the Diocese of Alexandria and Antioche from the Bishops of those Churches and put them vnder him So that now we haue fiue Patriarches of the Christian Church Touching these the eighth generall Councell taketh order that no man shall offer any indignity to any of them To these they were wont to wish all prosperitie and long life in the conclusion of their Councels Without these no Councell was holden to bee full and perfect These might convocate the Metropolitanes of their seuerall divisions and holde a Patriarchicall Councell which was of greater authoritie then either those in the seuerall provinces or of a whole Nation formerly mentioned because it consisted of more and more honourable Bishops yet had the Patriarches no greater authoritie ouer the Metropolitanes within their larger circuites then the Metropolitanes within their lesser compasse These were by the order of the eighth generall Councell to confirme the Metropolitanes subject vnto them either by imposition of hands or giuing the Pall but inferiour Bishops they might not meddle with but were to leaue them to the ordering of their Metropolitanes CHAP. 32. How the Pope succeedeth Peter what of right belongeth to him and what it is that he vniustly claimeth VVE deny not but that blessed Peter had a kinde of primacie of honour and order that in respect thereof as all Metropolitanes doe suceede him as being greater then other Bishops in honour and place so the Patriarches yet more specially and amongst them the Romane Bishops in the first place We will not therefore put our Adversaries to so much paines as some other haue done to proue that Peter was at Rome that he dyed there and that the Bishop of Rome succeedeth him But this is it which we say that he succeeded him in the Bishopricke of that Citie and in the honour of being one of the prime Bishops of the world as the Bishops of Alexandria and Antioche likewise did but not in the condition of being vniversall Bishop that is such a one in whom all Episcopall power and authority is originally invested from whom it is deriued to others and who may limite and restraine the vse of it in other as seemeth good vnto himselfe Por Peter was not such an Apostle but had only a joint commission with the rest who were put into it immediatly by Christ as well as he though hee were in some sort the first man in it We deny not therefore to the Romane Bishop his due place among the prime Bishops of the World if therewith he will rest contented but vniuersall Bishop in sort before expressed we dare by no meanes admit him to be knowing right well that euery Bishop hath in his place and keeping his owne standing power and authority immediatly from Christ which is not to be restrained or limited by any but by the company of Bishops wherein though one be chiefe for order sake and to preserue vnity in such sort that all things must take their beginning from him yet he can do nothing without them The Bishop of Constantinople as I haue alreadie noted in the time of the second generall Councell obtained to be one of the foure Patriarches by reason of the greatnes of his Church and citie and in the fourth holden at Chalcedon to haue equall priviledges with the Bishop of Rome but not contenting himselfe long with this equality soone after he sought to be aboue him and would be called vniversall Bishop seeking thereby to subiect to himselfe all other Bishops and Churches in which proud claime he was resisted by Gregory the 1 who professeth that whosoeuer assumeth this title ouerthroweth the dignity honour of all other Bishops in his pride is like Lucifer may rightly be thought to be a fore-runner of Antichrist Paul the Apostle saith Greg. when he heard certain men say I am of Paul I am of Apollo I of Cephas trembling quaking exceedingly to heare and see this tearing and renting asunder of the Lords body through which his members joyned themselues in companies factiously vnto other heads cryed out aloud saying Was Paul crucified for you or were yee baptized in the name of Paul In such sort therefore did hee decline the particular subiecting of the members of the Lords body to certaine Heads as it were besides Christ yea though they were the Apostles themselues And what wilt thou be able to answere to Christ the Head of the vniuersall Church in the tryall of the last Iudgement which goest about by assuming the title of vniuersall Bishoppe to put vnder thy selfe all the members of his mysticall body Who is it I pray thee whom thou proposest to thy selfe for imitation in taking to thee so perverse a title but hee who despising the Legions of Angells joyned with him in society as companions sought to climbe vp aboue them to the heighth of singularity that neither hee might seeme to bee vnder any nor any might bee found ouer whom hee was not who also said I will ascend into heauen I will exalt my throne aboue the Starres of heauen I will sit in the mountaine of the testament in the sides of the North I will ascend aboue the heighth of the cloudes and will bee like vnto the most high For what are thy brethren all the Bishoppes of the vniuersall Church but the starres of Heauen whose life and tongue or speech doe shine in the midst of the sinnes and errours of men as it were in the midst of the darkenesse of the night whose name and honour while thou seemest to trample vnder thy feete in that thou seekest by this title