and you within one howre after You knowe right well that your restrainte was not vppon that occasion but vpon your seemely behauiour aboute other matters whereof ye make no mention least you shoulde haue prooued your selfe a Lyer After I had in fewe woordes calmed the storme that séemed would aryse betwixt M. Denny and you I entred into talke with you in matters of Religion as I was wont to doo daily before The talke was of veniall mortall sinne you haue not forgotten the occasion I am sure for if you haue in your remembraunce the Monkish Iebusites you cal them Iesuytes you may remember that a crosse that came from them gaue the occasion of the talke in that matter I proued that no sinne is so veniall as it coulde be remitted by any ceremony yea there is no sinne but the same of it selfe is mortall and yet venyall to be purged by the merites of Christe onely and that all sinnes were they neuer so mortall were neuerthelesse venyal sauing al only the sinne against the holy Ghost whiche is irremissible For this my saiyng and other pointes whiche I condemned ye fell into suche a rage that ye not onely rayled against the Bishop of Sarisbury saiynge he was vtterly vnlearned and that he should neuer be hable to answere M. Hardinges booke but also openly called me almoste in plaine termes Heretique and said my doctrine which I preached yet ye would neuer heare me was erroneous filihy and blasphemous so filthely your blasphemous mouth coulde raile against Gods truthe Whereupon I to state you said alonely that those were vnmannerly wordes to be spoken at myne owne table and therfore would as than saye no more openly vnto you there but tolde you that after dynner I would shewe you more of my minde betwixt you me And so shortly after dinner I came vp to you and there calling you into the Gallorie of my house adioyning to your chamber I put you in remeÌ„braunce of that which I had before oftentimes admonished you of your outragious talke in myne absence vsed oftentimes openly at my table whereof I had sondry tymes geuen you warninge for that the same might breede perill to your selfe blame to me and offence to others And bicause I founde stil the continuance of that your misorder yea to be muche more vehement many times in mine absence than in my presence Therfore I willed you thenceforth to absteine from conferring with any man in any wise at all adding that you should haue to your chamber all thinges necessary what meate you woulde competently appointe for your owne diet whiche ye had accordingly And although I did restraine you from comming to my table or to goe so muche at large as you had doon yet had you no other keper than you had before which was your owne man you had a faire Gallory adioyning to your chamber openinge to my parke your seruaunt a chamber by him selfe nexte to yours ye had Leades faire and large on the whiche ye might walke and haue prospect bothe ouer the Parkes Gardeins and Orchardes And therewith thrise in the weake at the least whiles I laye at Waltham with one by me appointed you walked abroade into the Parkes Garden and Orchard and this you call your close empriprisonment Sixthly touching my complaint to the most honourable of you whereby you were remitted prisoner againe to the Tower what the same was their honours can well declare if their pleasure so be beinge suer that I haue not broken promise with you hetherto in vttering your opinioÌ„ against the Lawes of the Realme as I haue before said whiche ye shewed at any time in the priuate conference And so ye haue not any cause to challenge me in that behalfe To conclude by the premisses it may appeare to the honourable as by a tast what sinceritie there is in you Againe that this your quarreling and beliynge me by spreadyng this booke was and is chiefly to recouer your credit with those of your faction who as I haue said had conceiued some doubt of your reuolt and to coÌ„firme them in their grounded errour and herewith to bring me and other suche as I am into obloquy and hatred And lastly to impugne barke against the Q. Maiesties Lawfull and due authoritie whiche you and your complices daily labour to subuert which matter I referre to be further considered by the graue wisdome of the moste honourable FINIS Definition of a gouernour Thom. Aquin quaest 3. de malo â—aâ—ien 1. Deuter. 17. The duety of a Kinge Gloss ordinar Aben. Ezra Deuter. 13. Iosue 3. Iosue 4. Iosue 5. Iosue 6. Iosue 8. Iosue 23. 24 2. Sam. 5. 1. Paral. 13. 1. Paral. 15. 1. Paral. 16. 3. Reg. 2. 3. Reg. 5. 2. Paral. 8. 2 Paral. 17. Gloss ord 2. Paral. 19 2. Paral. 20. 4. Reg. 18. 2. Parali 29. 2. Parali 30. 2. Parali 31. 4. Reg. 23. Epist 48. Epist 50. Lib. 2. cont lit Pet. Lib. 2. cont Epi. Gaud. August Epist 48. Cont. lit Petil. lib. 2. cap. 92. Lib. 2. con Epist 2. Gaud. ca. 26 Epist 48. 50. Lib. 2. cont lit Petil. ca. 92. Lib. 2. ca â–ª 26 Epist 48. Epist 50. Epist 48. Epist 48. Epist 50. Epist 48. Lib. 2. cont lit Petil. ca. 92. Danie 3. Rom. 1. 2. Cor. 6. Esa 49. Lyra in Esa cap. 49. Euseb li. 3 de vita Const Lib. 2. Li. 4. de vita Const Lib. â— Lib. 4. Math. 5. Math. 22. 1. Pet. 2. Rom. 13. Epist 125. 1. Tim. 2. Lib. 14. De Trin. ca. 1. Lib. 5. De Ciuit. Deâ— cap. 24. Grad 6. Rom. 13. Lib. 2. ca. 83 Lib. 2. cont 2. Epist Gaud. ca. 11. Lib. 1. dâ— vit Const Lib. 2. De vit Const The princes supremacie in repayringe Religion decayed 1. Tim. 2. Cyril Epi. 17. to 4. Fuseb li. 2. De vi CoÌ„st Euseb li. 3. De vi CoÌ„st Euseb li. 3. De vi CoÌ„st Lib. 1. ca. 19 Lib. 4. De vit Const Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 7. Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 16. Euseb li. 3. de vit CoÌ„st Aug. Epist 50. Euseb lib. 10. cap. 5. August Epist 48. Eus lib. 10. cap. 5. August Epist 166. August Epist 162. Epist 166. Socr. lib. 1. cap. 34. Theod. lib. 1. cap. 28. Athanas Apol 2. In Proaem lib. 5. Lib. 1. De vit Const Lib. 1. ca. 17. Lib. 1. ca. 7. Lib. 3. De vit Const Lib. 8. ca. 14 Theod. li. 1. cap. 9. Sozom. li. 1 cap. 17. Lib. 1. ca. 8. Sozom. li. 1. cap. 17. Theod. li. 1 cap. 7. Euseb li. 3. De vi CoÌ„st Socr. lib. 1. cap. 8. Theod. li. 1 cap. 7. Euseb li. 3. De vi CoÌ„st Socr. lib. 1. cap. 8. Soc. li. 1. c. 9. Theod. li. 1. cap. 13. Sozom. li. 1 cap. 25. Theod. li. 1 cap. 14. Socr. lib. 1. cap. 28. Theod. li. 1. cap. 27. Soc. lib. 1. cap. 34. Lib. 3. ca. 17 Theod. li. 2 cap. 1. Sabell Platin. Socr. lib. 2. cap. 36. 37. Theod. li.
AN ANSVVEARE Made by Rob. Bishoppe of VVynchester to a Booke entituled THE DECLARATION OF SVCHE Scruples and staies of Conscience touchinge the Othe of the Supremacy as M. Iohn Fekenham by vvrytinge did deliuer vnto the L. Bishop of VVinchester vvith his Resolutions made thereunto DEC C. 23. Q. 5. Let the Princes of the worlde knowe that they of duetie shal rendre an accompte to God for the Church whiche they haue taken of Christe to praeserue For whether the Peace and Discipline of the Churche be encreased by faithfull Princes or it be loosed he dooth exacte of them an accompte who hath deliuered his Churche to be committed to their power Imprinted at London in Fleetstreate at the signe of the Oliphante by Henry VVykes Anno. 1566. The Praeface IT is nowe an whole yéere paste since I herde of a booke secretely scattered abroade by M. Fekenham emonge his fréendes And in April laste I came by a copie therof When I had redde the booke and perceiued bothe the matter and the maner of the mannes dooynges therein I sawe his proofes so sclendre and his maner of dealinge so shameles that I stoode in doubte what to doo whether to discouer the man by writinge or to shake him of with silence If I had not séene a further meaninge in his settinge foorth and publishinge the booke then he durste plainely vtter or then his cunninge coulde by any meanes Answeare vnto or then that I with a good conscience mought haue neglected I woulde haue paste it ouer with silence as a péece of woorke not woorthie of Answeare But séeing the chiefe ende and principall purpose intended as may be iustly gathered in publishyng the booke was to ingrafte in the mindes of the subiectes a mislikyng of the Quéenes Maiestie as though she vsurped a power and authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters whereto she hath no righte to sclandre the whole Realme as though it were stranged and directly against the Catholike Churche renouncinge and refusinge to haue Communion therewith And vndre my name to deface the mynisters of Christes Churche I coulde not choose oneles I woulde wilfully neglect my duetie to her Maiestie shewe my selfe ouermuch vnkinde vnto my natiue Countrey and altogeather become carelesse of the Churche Mynisterie but take penne in hande and shape him a ful and plaine answeare without any curiositie Wherein I folowe the order of M. Fekenhams booke I make the proofes accordyng to his request and besides my proofes foorth of the Scriptures the auncient Doctours the Generall councelles and Nationall I make proofe by the continuall practice of the Churche in like gouernement as the Quéenes Maiestie taketh vpon her and that by suche Authors for a great sort of them as are the more to be credited in this matter for that they were moste earnest fautours of the Romishe sea infected as the times weare with muche superstition and did attribute vnto the sea of Rome and so to the whole Cleargie so muche authoritie in Churche matters as they mighte and muche more then they ought to haue done Their iudgementes and sentences shall appeare in readinge by the forme of letter for leuinge foorth the Latine to auoide tediousnes I haue put into English the Authours mindes and sentences and caused them for the moste parte to be Printed in Latine letters that the English reader may know and decerne the Authours sayinges from mine If this that I haue done woorke that effect in the Englishe Reader whiche he ought to séeke and I doo wishe I haue wonne that I wrought for but otherwise let men saie and iudge what they liste I haue discharged my conscience and shewed the trueth Anno Domini 1565. Feb. 25. Rob. Wynchester AN ANSVVEARE TO Maister Io. Fekenham Maister Fekenham The declaracion of such scruples and stayes of conscience touchyng the Othe of Supremacie as M. Iohn Fekenham by vvritinge did deliuer vnto the L. Bisshop of VVinchester vvith his resolutions made thereunto The Bisshop of Wynchester THe proprety of him that meaneth to declare rightly any matter doone is to set foorth the trueth without malice to obserue the due circumstances of the matter persones times and to vse simple plainesse without guileful ambiguities This Title is so replenisshed with vntrue reporte ambiguous sleightes without the note of any necessary circūstance y t there is not almost one true woorde therein wherby you geue at the first a taste to the indifferent reader what he must looke for in the sequele You pretende and would haue your friendes to thinke that the first fower chiefe pointes set foorth in your booke were deuised by you put in writing and so deliuered vnto me as the matter and grounde whereuppon the conference to be had betwixt me you should stande And that I made therunto none other but suche resolucions as it hath pleased you vntruely to report In the first parte you conueigh an vntrueth vnder a coulorable and ambiguous meaning in these woordes as M. Iohn Fekenham by vvritinge did deliuer vnto the L. Bisshop of VVynchester In the other parte you make an vntrue reporte without any coloure at all I doo graunt and will not denie that you deliuered to me a booke whiche I thanke God I haue to shewe whereby to disprooue you The same will declare the time when the place where the occasion wherefore the personnes to whome the booke was written and what is the matter in generall therein conteyned Whereunto must be added at what time the same was deliuered vnto me vpon what occasion and to what ende All whiche circumstances you omitte in your booke published least you shoulde haue bewrayed your selfe and haue appeared in your owne likenesse The booke by you deliuered vnto me touchinge the Othe was writen in the Tower of London as you your selfe confessed and the true title thereof doth plainely testifie in y e time of the Parliament holden Anno quinto of the Q. Maiestie Ianuarij 12. at whiche time you litle thought to haue soiourned with me the winter followinge much lesse meante to deliuer me the scruples and staies of your conscience in writinge to be resolued at my handes And although you woulde haue it seeme by that you haue published abroade that the cause why you wrote was to be resolued at my hande yet the trueth is as you your selfe reported that you your Towerfellowes hearinge that the Statute mooued for the assuraunce of the Quéenes royall power would passe be established did conceiue that immediatly after the same session Commissioners should be sente vnto you to exact the othe Wheruppon you to be in some areadines to withstande and refuse the duetie of a good subiect not without healpe of the rest as may be gathered deuised the matter conteyned in the booke committed the same to writinge and purposed to haue deliuered it for your aunsweare touchinge the Othe of the Supremacie to the Commissioners if they had come This may appeare by the title of that booke that you firste
bishop of Antioche Flauianus against the bishop of Rome and other byshoppes of the Weste who did falsely accuse him of many crymes and at the lengthe by his carefull endeuour in Churche matters and his Supreme authoritie therein this moste faythfull Emperour sayeth Thedoretus sette peace and quietnes amongest the Bishoppes and in the Churches He called a conuocation of the Bishops to the ende that by common consent all should agree in vnytie of doctrine confessed by the Nicen councell to reconcile the Macedodians vnto the catholique Churche and to electe and order a Byshop in the sea of Constantinople whiche was than vacant When the twoo fyrste pointes coulde not be brought to passe as the Emperour wished they went in hande with the third to consult amongest them selues touching a fitte Bishop for Constantinople The Emperour to whose iudgement many of the Synode consented thought Gregory of Nazianzene moste fit to be Byshop but he did vtterly refuse that charge Than the Emperour commaundeth them to make diligent inquisition for some godly man that myght be appointed to that rowme But when the Byshoppes could not agree vpon any one the Emperour commaundeth them to bringe to him the names of all suche as euery one of them thought moste apt to be Bishop wryten in a paper together He referued to him selfe saith Zozomenus to choose whome he lyked best When he had redde ouer once or twyse the sedule of names whiche was brought vnto hym after good deliberation had with him selfe he chose Nectarius although as yet he was not christened the Bishops maruailing at his iudgemeÌ„t in y e choise could not remoue him And so was Nectarius baptized made bishop of Constantinople who proued so godly a bishop that al meÌ„ déemed this election to be made by Themperour not w tout some miraculous inspiratioÌ„ of y e holy ghost This emperour perceiuing y t the church had ben long time molested draweÌ„ into partes by the Arianisme like to be more greuously torne in sonder w t the heresy of Mâ—cedonius a B. of CoÌ„stantinople knowing y t his supreme gouernemeÌ„t empire was geuen him of God to mainteine the coÌ„mon peace of the Church confirmacion of the true faith summoneth a Synode at Constantinople in the thirde yéere of his reigne whiche is the seconde greate and generall councell of the fower notable and famous oecumenicall councelles and when all the Bishoppes whome he had cited were assembled he cometh into the councell house amongest them he made vnto them a graue exhortation to consulte diligently like graue Fathers of the matters propounded vnto them The Macedonians departe out of the Citie the Catholique Fathers agrée conclude a trueth sende the canons of their conclusion to the Emperour to be confirmed writinge vnto him in these woordes The holy counsaile of Bishops assembled at ConstaÌ„tinople to Theodosius Emperour the most reuerent obseruer of godlines Religion and loue towardes God VVee geue God thankes who hath appointed your Emperiall gouernment for the common tranquillitie of his Churches and to establishe the sounde faithe Sithe the time of our assembly at Constantinople by your godly commaundement wee haue renewed concorde amongest our selues and haue prescribed certaine Canons or rules whiche wee haue annexed vnto this our writinge wee beseche therefore your clemency to commaunde the Decree of the Counsaile to be stablished by the letters of your holines and that yee will confirme it and as you haue honoured the Churche by the letters where with you called vs together euen so that you will strengthen also the finall conclusion of the Decrees with your owne sentence and seale After this he calleth an other Councell of Bishoppes to Constantinople of what Religion so euer thinkinge that if they might assemble together in his presence and before him conferre touchinge the matters of Religion wherein they disagreed that thei might be reconciled and brought to vnitie of Faith He consulteth with Nectarius and sitteth downe in the councell house amongest them al and examineth those that were in Heresie in such sort that the Heretiques were not onely astonied at his questions but also beganne to fall out amongst them selues some likinge some mislikinge the Emperours purpose This done he coÌ„maundeth eche sect to declare their faithe in writinge and to bringe it vnto him he appointeth to them a day whereat thei came as the Emperour coÌ„maunded and deliuered vnto him the fourmes of their faithe in writinge when the Emperour had the sedules in his handes he maketh an ernest praier vnto God for the assistaunce of his holy spirite y t he may discerne the trueth iudge rightly And after he had redde them all he condemneth the Heresies of the Arians Eunomians rentinge their sedules in sundre alloweth onely and confirmeth the faithe of the Homousians and so the Heretiques departed ashamed and dasht out of countenaunce Theodosius left his twoo sonnes Emperours of the which I will say but litle yet wherein it may moste manifestly appeare that the supreme gouernment in causes Ecclesiasticall belonged to the Emperours Archadius the Emperour when Nectarius the Bishop of Constantinople was dead and so the sea vacant was certified thereof he causeth Iohn Chrysostome to be called from Antioche he commaundeth the other Bishoppes collected into a Synode y t they admonishe Chrysostome of Goddes graces and what belongeth to suche a chardge and that they choose and order him to be the Bishop of Constantinople In whiche dooinge saith Theodoretus the Emperour declared what carefull endeuour he had about the holy Churche matters But this supreme authoritie to care appoint and procure woorthy and good Pastours or Bishoppes when the seas were vacant appeareth more plainly in Honorius the Emperour brother to Archadius whome the Bishop of Rome him selfe in his decrées and his Glosars on the same confesse and acknowledge to haue the ouersight rule and gouernment in the elections orderinge of Bishops yea ouer the Bishoppe of Rome him selfe After the death of Pope Sozimus were twoo Popes choosen at ones in a great Schisme the one Bonifacius primus the other Eulalius whereof when the Emperour Honorius had notice beinge at Millayne he caused them bothe to be banished Rome But after seuen monethes Bonifacius was by the Emperours commaundement called againe and confirmed by his authoritie in the Apostolicall sea This Bonifacius beinge nowe settled in the Papacy by humble suite to y e Emperour prouideth a remedie against suche mischiefes in time to come The case was this saith the Glosator Boniface the firste did beseeche Honorius the Emperour to make a Lawe whereby it might appeare what were to be done when twoo Popes were chosen at ones by the vndiscreetnes of the Electours contendinge amongest them selues Honorius did than constitute that neither of those twaine shoulde be Pope but that in a newe Election a thirde shoulde be chosen by common consente If twoo saithe the Emperour in his Lawe made
enstructe you others also that they doo the same Firste of all euery preacher muste preache in generall that they beleeue the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste to be an omnipotent God c. And so learnedly procéedeth thorough all the articles of our Faithe after whiche he commeth to the conuersacion of life c. And wee doo therfore more diligently enioine vnto you this thing bicause wee knowe that in the latter daies shall come false teachers as the Lorde him selfe hath forwarned and the Apostle Paule to Timothe doth witnes Therfore beloued let vs furnishe our selues in harte and minde with the knowledge of the trueth that wee may be able to withstande the aduersaries to trueth and that thorough Goddes grace Goddes woorde may encrease passe thorough and be multiplied to the profite of Goddes holy Churche the Saluation of our soules and the glory of the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe Peace to the preachers grace to the obedient hearers and glory to our Lorde Iesus Christe Amen This noble Prince was mooued to take vpon him this gouernment in Ecclesiastical matters causes not of presumption but by the woorde of God for the dischardge of his princely duety as he had learned y e same both in the examples of godly kings coÌ„meÌ„ded therfore of the holy ghost also by the instructions of the best learned teachers of his time whereof he had great stoare especially Alcuinus an Englisheman of greate learninge who was his chiefe Scholemaister and teacher whome as Martinus telleth Charles made Abbot of Towers Amongst other many notable volumes this Alcuinus writeth one entituled De Fide Sanctae in diuiduae Trinitatis whiche as moste méete for him to know he dedicateth to Charles the Emperour He beginneth his epistle dedicatory after the salutation superscription thus Seeinge that the Emperial dignitie ordeined of God seemeth to be exalted for none other thinge then to gouerne and profite the people Therfore God doth geue vnto theÌ„ that are choosen to that dignitie power and wisedome Power to suppresse the proude and to defende the humble against the euill disposed wisedome to gouerne and teache the subiectes with a godly carefulnes VVith these twoo giftes O holy Emperour Gods fauour hath honoured and exalted you incoÌ„parably aboue your auÌ„cestours of the same name and authoritie c. VVhat than what must your carefulnes most deuoutly dedicated to God bringe forth in the time of peace the warres beinge finished when as the people hasteneth to assemble togeather at the proclamation of your coÌ„maundement he meaneth that he expresseth afterwarde by this assembly or concourse the councell that was nowe in hande assembled as he saith Imperiali praecepto by the Emperours precept And waiteth attentiuely before the throne of your grace what you will commaunde to euery persone by your authoritie what I say ought you to doo but to determine with all dignitie iuste thinges whiche beinge ratified to set them foorth by coÌ„maundement and to geue holy admonitions that euery man may retourne home mery and gladde with the precept of eternall Saluation c. And least I should seeme not to helpe and further your preachinge of the Faithe I haue directed and dedicated this booke vnto you thinkinge no gifte so conuenient and woorthy to be presented vnto you seeinge that all men knowe this moste plainely that the Prince of the people ought of necessitie to knowe all thinges and to preache those thinges that please God neither belongeth it to any man to knowe better or mâ—e things than to an Emperour whose doctrine ought to profit all the subiectes c. All the faithful hath great cause to reioyce of your godlines seing that you haue the priestly power as it is mete so to bee in the preaching of the worde of God perfect knowledge in the Catholique faith and a most holy deuotion to the saluation of men This doctrine of Alcuinus whiche no doubte was the doctrine of all the catholique and learned fathers in that time coÌ„firmeth wel the doinges of Charles and other Princes in calling councelles in making decrees in geuing Iniunctions to Ecclesiastical persons and in ruling and gouerning them in all Ecclesiasticall thinges and causes If the gouernement of this most Christian Prince in Ecclesiastical matters be well considered it shall well appeare that this Charles the great whom the Popes doo extolle as an other great Constantine patron vnto them as he was in deede by enriching the Churche with great reuenues and riches was no whit greater for his martial Prince-like affaires in the politique gouernaunce than for his godly ordering disposing the Churche causes although that in some thinges he is to be borne with consideringe the blindnes and superstition of the time Although herein Lodouicus Charles his sonne were somwhat inferiour to his father Yet not withstanding he reserued these Ecclesiasticall causes to him selfe with no lesse care he ordred the same although in some things being a very milde Prince he winked and bare ouermuch with the ambition of the Popes Shortly after whan as the foresaid Leo was departed was Stephen next elected Pope and without the confirmation of the Emperour tooke the Papacy vpon him All the histories agree that he came shortly after into Fraunce to the Emperour but wherfore most of them leaue vncertaine Platina thinketh to auoyde the hurley burley in the Citie that was after the death of Leo. Sabellicus thinketh the Emperours coronation to be the cause Nauclerus saith he went in his owne persone vnto the Emperour Lodouike about or for the Churche matters whiche proueth that the Emperour had chiefe authoritie in ordering the Churche busines But our English Chronicles as some writers affirme doo plainly declare that his comming into Fraunce was to make an excuse of his vnlauful consecration against the decrees made to Charles by his predecessours Adrian and Leo fearing therefore the fequele of the matter he first sent his Legates before him to be a preparatiue to his purgation and afterwards came him self to craue his pardoÌ„ And the rather to please Themperour brought a most beautiful crown of gold for him and an other for the Empresse wherof folowed as Nauclerus saith Omnia quae petiit à pio Imperatore obtinuit he obteined whatsoeuer he asked of the godly Emperour Nowe when Stephen had dispatched all his matters he retourned home and shortly after an other Ecclesiastical cause happened for within a while the Bishop of Reatina died and there was an other chosen And when the sea of Reatina saith Nauclerus was voide the Pope would not consecrate the elect Bisshop onles he had first liceÌ„ce therto of the Emperour The circumstances of this story make the matter more plaine The erle Guido had writen vnto Pope Stephen to consecrate that Bishop whom the Clergy and the people had elect but the Pope durst not enterprice the matter till he were certified of y e Emperours pleasure therupon wryteth
Emperours wordes for as Sozomenus one of y e Tripartite Ecclesiasticall historians affirmeth this suite to be made by catholike Bishops of HellespoÌ„tus Bithinia vnto ValentiniaÌ„ and that this was his answere to their peticion Euen so Socrates an other of the same tripartite historiaÌ„s affirmeth that this suite was made by the Macedonians vnto Valens the Emperour who graunted them their petition the rather supposing that the mater should haue ben determined in that councel after the mindes of Eudoxius Acatius And it is not from the purpose to note which of these Emperours caused this councel to be called for the one of theÌ„ ValentiniaÌ„ was a catholique Emperour the other Valens an Arian Secondly you do falsely report the story for the Bishops of Hellespontus Bithinia did not make suite vnto Themperour Valentinian that he would be praesent in the councel but by their messenger did humbly beseche him that he would coÌ„maunde al the Bisshops as Nicephorus reporteth it or y t he wold suffer and geue leue vnto the Bishops to haue a Synode or councell which they held after liceÌ„ce obteined at Lampsacum as Socrates and Sozomenus the Tripertite Historians make relation Thirdly the Emperour dooth not simply refuse or denie the searche and diligent enquyrie of these matters as thinges nothing apperteining to his office or not lawfull for him to enquire of as ye woulde haue it seeme but excuseth himselfe by his earnest busines and want of leysure saiyng It is not lawfull meaning that his leisure from the waighty matters of the common weale and iust oportunitie woulde not easely nowe suffer him to trauaile in those causes and therefore referreth the exact sifting of those thinges to them whose offices and charge was properly to be occupied in those matters That this is the true purporte of his wordes in his right sense and meaning appereth plainly by the due circumstances set foorth in the story and also by Nicephorus an Ecclesiastical historiaÌ„ who rightly vnderstode his meaning and reporteth it in these wordes Mihi negotijs occupato reip curis distento res eiusmodi inquirere noÌ„ facile est It is no light or easy matter for me that am nowe occupied with businesses and filled so ful as I may be with the cares ef the coÌ„mon weale to enquire or searche suche matters Last of al whether the catholique Bishops of Helespontus and Bithynia required the Emperours presence in the councell as ye affirme or they required therwith his labour and trauaile in the debating or searchinge the truthe of matter whiche may seeme at the first by the bare woordes of his aunswere or they desiered onely licence of him and permission to asseÌ„ble togeather in Synode or councell to defermine and decrée with the truthe against the Arianismes whiche the moste and best parte of the Historians agree vnto Their sute and humble peticion maketh plainly against your presumpteous assertion in that they acknoweledged thereby the iurisdiction to call councelles to be in the Emperour and not in Bishoppes or Priestes without speciall leaue licence commission from the Prince For if the power and iurisdiction to call councels had ben in them selues without the Emperours coÌ„mission what neaded them to haue craued licence of the Emperour And if it had not béene lawfull for the Emperour to haue béene present in the Councell and to haue dealte in the diligent searche and debating of matters in ReligioÌ„ then these Catholique Bishoppes did wickedly who as you say mooued him thereunto Although yée vntruely report the story of Theodosius the Emperour and Ambrose the Bishop of Myllaine yet can you not by any meanes wraste it to serue your purpose any whit at all For if it were true that Ambrose forbadde Theodosius the Emperour the entraunce into the Chauncell or that the Emperour had said to him that he had learned the difference betwixt an Emperour a Priest yet can you not conclude therof therfore Bishoppes and Priestes haue power authoritie to make lawes orders and decrées to their flockes and cures and to exercise the seconde kinde of Cohibytiue Iurisdiction ouer them Theodosius as the authour writeth came into the Chauncell to offer his oblacion whereat S. Ambrose founde no fault But when he stayed there still to receiue there the holy Mysteries S. Ambrose sent him woorde to goo foorth and abide with the other of the Church for that place was onely for the Priestes For which monicion the Emperour was returned to Constantinople and came on a time into the inwarde place or Chauncell to offer his oblation and went foorth againe so soone as he had offred Nectarius the Bishop demaunded of him wherefore he taried not still within meaninge to receiue the holy mysteries To whom the Emperour maketh answeare saying I haue scarcely learned the difference betwixt an Emperour and a Priest Fekenham M. Iohn Caluyne intreatinge of the Histories betvvixte these Emperours Valentianus Theodosius and S. Ambrose after alonge processe vvherein he maketh good proufe that all Spirituall iurisdiction doth apperteine vnto the Churche and not vnto the Empyre he hath these vvoordes follovvinge Qui vt magistratum ornent Ecclesiam spoliant hac potestate non modo falsa interpretatione Christi sententiaÌ„ corrumpunt sed sanctos omnes Episcopos qui â—am multi à tempore Apostolorum extiterunt non leuiter damnant Quod honorem officiumque Magistratus falso praetextu fibi vsurpauerint How they doo spoyle the Churche of that authority thereby to adorne temporall Magistrates not onely by corruptinge Christ his appointment and meaninge therein But also they lightly condemne and set at naught all those holy Bishops which in so great number haue continued from the time of the Apostles hitherto which honour and office of Spirituall gouernement they haue saith Iohn Caluin vsurped and taken vppon them by a false pretext and title made thereof And againe Iohn Caluin saith Qui in initio tantopere extulerunt Henricum regem Angliae certe fuerunt homines inconsiderati Dederunt illi summam omnium potestatem Et hoc me semper grauiter vulnerauit erant enim blasphemi cum vocarent ipsum summum caput Ecclesiae sub Christo They whiche in the beginnyng did so much extoll Henry kinge of England and which did geue vnto him the highest authority in the Churche they were men whiche lacked circumspection and of small confideration whiche thing saith Iohn Caluin did at all times offende me very muche for they did commit blasphemy and were blasphemets when thei did call him the Supreme head of the Churche The B. of Wynchester The collectour of your coÌ„mon places did beguile you which you would haue perceiued if you had redde M. Caluin with your owne eyes He entreateth not in that place of the Histories betwixt the Emperours Valentinianus Theodosius and S. Ambrose He confuteth the opinion of such as thinke the Iurisdiction that Christ gaue vnto his church to be but for a time whilest the