gayn, & first beginning w^t the first original of þ^e Britans church declareth in order of time, how the Britanes. &c.

¶ MarginaliaLucius the first king of Britannie christened.The Britanes first possessioners of this kyngdome of Britane, which endured from Brutus to Cadwalader. 2076. yeares vnder an hundreth and. ij. kynges, at length receaued the christian fayth an. Clxij. in the time of Lucius their kyng. Eleutherius bishop of Rome, sent Faganus and Dumanus, preachers vnto them, at which time after their conuersion, they assigned and ordeined in the realme. xxviij. bishops with. ij. archbishops MarginaliaTheonus fyrst archbishop of London.Theonus the archbishop of Lōdon, & Theodoceus archbishop of Yorke. Vnder those bishops and archbishops the church of Britane was gouerned, after their conuersion, almost. 300. yeares, till at lēgth the Saxones being then infidels, with Hēgistus their king, subdued the Britans by fraudulent murder, & inuaded their land: which was about the yeare of the Lord. 440. MarginaliaEx Chronico. Sigebert.After this þ^e Britans beyng driuen into Cambria (whiche we now call Wales) the Saxones ouer running the land, deuided thē selues into vij. kyngdomes. And so beyng infidels and pagans continued, til the time þ^t Gregory bishop of Rome, sent Augustinus, to preach vnto them: which Austen cōming first to MarginaliaDouer the hed citie of Kent.Douer, beyng then the head citie of Kent, & there plāting him selfe, conuerted first the kyng of Kent, called Edilbertus: who had then subdued certayn other kings vnto humber. By reason wherof Augustine was made archbishop of Douer, by the appointment of Gregorius, who sent hym certaine Palles, with hys letter from Rome, whiche before is expressed, page. 159. MarginaliaThis was about. 150. yeares after the comming of the Saxons.Which letter beynge recited, then Thomas expoundynge vppon the same, begynneth to declare for him self, how the meanyng of Gregory in this letter, was to reduce the new churche of Saxones, or English men, to the order that was in tholde time among the Britanes: that is, to be vnder. ij. metropolitanes, one of Londō, the other of Yorke: for so the churche was ordered in þ^e tyme of þ^e Britanes, as is before declared. Notwithstāding, he geueth to Austen this prerogatiue during hys life time, to haue autoritie and iurisdiction, not onely ouer hys. xij. bishops, but vpon all other bishops & priestes in all England. And after his decease, thē these. ij. metropolitanes, London and Yorke, to ouersee the whole clergy, as in tymes past, amongst the Britanes: whom he ioyneth together after the death of Augustine, to cōstitute bishops, and to ouersee the churche. And that he so meaneth, London to be equall in authoritie with Yorke, it appeareth by. iiij. argumentes: First that he will London to be consecrate by no bishop but of his own Synode. Secondly, in þ^t he willeth no distinction of honor to be betwixt London and Yorke, but accordyng onely to that as eche of thē is elder in tyme. Thirdly for that he matcheth these. ij. together in common counsel, and with one agreement to consent together in doyng and disposing such things, as they shall consulte vpon in the zeale of Christ Iesus: and that in such sort, that one should not dissent nor discorde from thother. What meaneth this, but that they should gouerne together, whom he would not to dissent together? Forthly where he writeth, that the bishop of Yorke should not be subiect to the bishop of Londō: what meaneth this, but þ^t the bishop of London should be equiualent with the metropolitane of Yorke, or rather superiour vnto hym?

And thus he expounded the meanyng of Gregory, to be in the foresayd letter. MarginaliaLancfrācus replyeth.To whom Lancfrancus, agayn aunswereth, that he was not the bishop of London, and that the question perteyned not to London. Thomas replieth, hauyng on his part many fauters, that this priuilege was graunted, by Gregory, to Augustine alone, to haue all other bishops subiect to hym: but after hys discease, there should be equalitie of honor, betwixt London, & Yorke, without al distinctiō of prioritie saue þ^e only perioritie of tyme shoulde make superioritie betwene them. And although Augustine translated the seate fromMarginaliaThomas argueth.London to Kent, yet Gregory, if his minde had bene, to geue the same prerogatiue to the successors of Austen (whiche he gaue to hym) would expresly haue vttered it in the words of his epistle, writing thus to Austen. That whiche I geue to the Austen, I geue also and graunt to all thy successors after thee. But in that, he maketh here no mention of his successors, it appeareth therby, that it was not hys minde so to do.

MarginaliaLanfrancus replyeth.To this Lancfrancus argueth agayne. If this autoritie had bene geuen to Austen alone, and not to his successors, it had ben but a smal gift, procedyng frō the Apostolike seat, to his especiall and familier frend: especially seyng also that Austen, in all his lyfe, did constitute no bishop of Yorke, neither was there any such bishop to be subiect to him. MarginaliaThe dignitie of Canterbury confyrmed by priuileges.Agayne we haue priuileges from the Apostolike sea, which confirme this dignitie in the successors of Austen, in the same seate of Douer. Moreouer, al Englishmen thinke it, both right and reason, where first they tooke the sparkle of right beleuyng. Farther, where as you say, that Gregory might haue confirmed with plain wordes, the same thing, to the successors of Austē, which he gaue vnto hym: all that I graunt: yet notwithstandyng, this is nothing preiudiciall to the seate of Canterbury. For, if you know your Logike, that which is true in the whole, is also true in the part: And what is true in the more, is also true in þ^e lesse. Now þ^e churche of Rome is, as the whole, to whō all other churches be, as partes therof. MarginaliaWel replied of an ItaliāAnd as Homo. i. mankind is Genus. i. the general in a certain respect to al his Indiuidua. 1. to all particular persōs, and yet in euery particular person lyeth the property of the generall: so in like maner, the see of Rome, in a certaine respect, is the generall and the whole, to other churches, and yet in euery particuler church, is conteyned the whole fulnesse of the whole Christian fayth. That churche of Rome is greater then all churches, and that whiche is wrought in it, ought to worke in the lesse churches also: so that the authority of euery chief head of the churche, ought to stand also in them, that do succede: vnlesse there be any precise exceptiō made by name. Wherfore, like as the Lord said, to al bishops of Rome, the same thyng, whiche he sayd to Peter: so Gregory in lyke maner sayd to all the successors of Austen, þ^t which he sayd to Austē. MarginaliaIf this similitude were formed into a sillogisme, neither were the Maior true. And specially the minor were vtterly false.So thus I conclude, likewise as the bishop of Canterbury, is subiect to Rome, because he had his fayth from thence: so Yorke ought to be in subiection to Cāterbury, which sent þ^e first preachers thither. Now where as you alledge, that Gregory would Austen to be resident at London: that is vtterly vncertayn. For how is it to be thought þ^t such a disciple woulde do contrary to þ^e mind of such a master? But graūt, as you say, that Austen remoued to London: what is þ^t to me, which am not bishop of London. Notwithstandyng, all this controuersie ceasing betwixt vs, if it shall please you, to come to some peaceable composition with me (all contention set a part) you shall finde me not out of the way, so farre as reason and equitie shall extend.

With these reasons of Lancfranke, Thomas gaue ouer, condescending that the first of his prouince should begyn at Humber.

MarginaliaOrder takē betwixt Lāfrancus B. of Canterburye and Thomas bishop of Yorke.Wherupon it was then decreed, that Yorke from that tyme, shoulde be subiecte to Caunterburye, in all matters apperteynyng to the rites and regiment of the catholike church: So that wher so euer within Englād, Canterbury should or would hold his coūcell, the bishop of Yorke should resort thither, with his Bishops, and be obedient to his decrees canonicall.

Prouided moreouer, that when the bishop of Canterbury should decease, Yorke should repayre to Douer, there to consecrate with other, the bishop that should be elect. And if Yorke should decease, his successor should resort to Canterbury, or els, where the byshop of Canter-