sons. This councel cōtinued the space of. v. yeres, wherin was great contention about the supremacy, and iurisdiction of Rome. The bishop whereof then was Zosimus. This Zosimus the Romayne bishop had receaued the same tyme into the communion of the churche without any examination, one that came to complaine to him out of Aphrike, named Apiarius, a priest whom Aurelius the metropolitane, and the councell of Aphrik had worthely excommunicated for his detestable conditions before. Vpon this Zosimus after that he had so receued, and shewed such fauour to Apiarius, for that he did appele and complain to him, sendeth to the councell his messengers, to witte Faustinus bishop of Potentine and two priestes of the church of Rome named Philippus and Aselus, with these foure requestes: first that Apiarius whom he had absolued might be receaued of them againe, and that it myght be lawfull for bishops or priestes to appeale from the sentence of their Metropolites, & also of the councel, to the sea of Rome.

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Secōdly, that bishops should not fail ouer importunely ad comitatum. Thirdly, that if any priest or deacon were wrongfully excommunicat by the bishops of their own prouince, it should be lawful for thē to remoue the hearing & iudging of their cause, to their neighbour bishops. Fourthly, þ^t Vrbanus ther bishop, either should be excommunicated, or els sente vp to Rome, vnles he would correct those things that were to be corrected. &c. For the approbation wherof, the sayd Zosimus alledged for him the words (as he pretended) taken out of Nicene councel. MarginaliaThe Popes of Rome taken with the maner-in falsefying the decrees of Nicene counsell. The councel of Cathage hearing this, & remembring no such thing in the councel of Nice to be decreed, and yet not suspectinge that þ^e bishop of Rome to dare wrongly to falsefy the wordes of that councell: writeth again to Zosimus, declaringe that they neuer red to their remembrance, in their common latten exemplare of Nicene coūsel any such canon, yet notwithstāding for quetnes sake, they would obserue the same til time they might procure the originall copies of that councell to be sent to them from Constantinople, Alexandria, and from Antioch. In like effect afterward they wrote to pope Boniface, which then succeded Zosimus

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And thirdelye also to Celestinus, whiche shortelye after succeded Boniface. In the meane tyme this foresaid councel sent their legates, Marcellus, and Innocentius to Atticus Patriarche of Constantinople, and to Cyrillus Patriarch of Alexandria, for the autētique copies in Greke of Nicene councell, which beyng sent vnto them, and they findynge in the true originals no such canon, as the bishop of Rome had falsly foreged, they wrote a sharpe and an handsome letter to Celestinus B. of Rome, callynge him in the said letter by the way: Domine frater: MarginaliaThe bishop of Rome called Domine frater, that is, brother Bishop.declaryng to hym, how they had perused al the copies of the councel of Nice, and coulde fynd no such canon, as he and his predecessors had falsely alledged, MarginaliaBishops of Rome proued falsefiers of Nicene counsell.& ther withal reciting the. vj. canon aforementioned, declared how the decrees of Nicene councel had committed all and singular persons ecclesiasticall, as well byshops, as other, vnto the charge of their Metroplitanes. Moreouer expoundyng the same decree, the shewed the reasons therof.

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Marginalia1.
Fiue reasōs, why matters of controuersie ought not to be had out of other countreyes vnto Rome.1. For that (sayd they) the fathers of that councel dyd wel foresee, to be most iust & conuenient, þ^t al controuersies there be ended (in iisdem locis) wher they beginne.

Marginalia2.2. For that it is not to be supposed contrary, but that the grace of God wilbe as prest and ready in one prouince as in an other, to instructe his ministers both prudentlye to vnderstand iudgement, and constantly to maintaine the same.

Marginalia3.3. For that ther is no nede to seeke further to any outlandyshe helpe, because especially that the partie whosoeuer is not contented with the determination of his iudges or commissioners, may lawfully appeale eytherto a prouinciall, or to a generall councell.

Marginalia4.4. That waye to bee better, then to runne to any one foren Iudge, it must nedes be graūted, because it is not lyke, that our God will inspyre hys iustice and truth of examining, vnto one bishop, and denie it to a multitude congregated in a whole councell.

Marginalia5.
Euery country to appeale first to his own Metropolitane, secondly to a prouinciall or generall counsell.5. Neyther can it be, that any such outlandyshe iudgement in hearing and determining causes, cā stand perfecte and vpryght, for that the necessary persons of witnesses, either for infirmitie of sexe, of age, of infyrmitie, or some other impeachment, are not able to bee present, by whō the truth of þ^e sentence should be directed. Wherfore as by these & other resons they thought it not cōuenient frō them to bring their matters ouer vnto Rome: so either was it to be found, sayd they, by any councell of the old fathers decreed, that anye Legates shoulde be sent from Rome to them, for deciding of their matters. And therfore exhorted they the said bishop of Rome, that he woulde not induce, fumosum typum, (or rather as I maye call it) typhos seculi, MarginaliaFumosum typhos seculi.in ecclesia christi, quæ lucem simplicitatis et humilitatis præfert iis qui deum diligunt,  

that is, that he woulde not induce the swelling pryde of the world into the church of Christ, which church sheweth and geueth the lyght of simplicitie and of humilitie to such as loue to see God, &c. In these foresayd letters moreouer is signified, how the forenamed malefactor Apiarius, whom the Bishop of Rome before had absolued and receaued to the communion of the church, was afterward found culpable, and therfore the councell proceded agaynst hym, brought hym to open confession of hys faultes, and so enjoyned hym due penaunce for hys demerites, notwithstanding the absolution and inconsiderate clering of þ^e Byshop of Rome before preceding.MarginaliaSūmarye notes gathered out of the counsel of carthage agaīst the Pope.

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In summe out of thys councell of Carthage these are to be noted. Marginalia1.Fyrst, how glad the Bishops of Rome were to receaue such as came to them for succour.

Marginalia2.2. What pryde they tooke by the occasion therof, thinking & sekyng therby to haue al vnder theyr subiection.Marginalia3.3. To the entent to allure other to seeke to them, how redy they wer to release & quit thys Apiarius as giltles, which after was tryed culpable by his own confession.Marginalia4.4. How contrary to the actes and doings of the romish bishop, this councel cōdemned him, whō the said bishop of Rome before had absolued, little respecting the procedings of the Romyshe church. Marginalia5.5. How the Byshops of olde time haue bene falsefiers of auncient councels and writings: wherby it may be suspected, that they whiche shamed not to falsefye and corrupt the councel of Nice, much lesse would they sticke to abuse and falsefie the decretall Epistles and wrytings of particular Byshops & Doctors, for theyr owne aduauntage, as no doubt they haue done many one. Marginalia6.6. In thys foresayd councell, wherat, Austen hym self was present, and where Aurelius president of the same, was called Papa, the Bishop of Rome was called expressely in theyr letters, but byshop of the citie of Rome, and Dominus frater, that is, brother byshop. Marginalia7.Seuenthly, the dominion of thys Romane Patriarche, in þ^e sayd Councell of Carthage, was cut so short, that neyther it was permitted to them of Aphrike to appeale ouer the sea to him, nor for him to send ouer hys Legates to them, for endyng theyr controuersies. Wherby it may sufficiently appeare, that þ^e Bishop of Rome in those dayes, was not fully admitted to be þ^e chiefe of all other bishops, nor the head of the vniuersall church of Christ in earth, &c. Marginalia8.8. We heare in this counsell fyue causes or reasons geuen, why it is not necesary nor yet conuenient for all foren causes to be brought to one vniuersall head or Iudge, as is before recited. Marginalia9.9. Lastly, by the said coūcel of Carthage we heare a vertuous exhortation to be geuen to the byshop of Rome, þ^t he would not induce into the meke & humble Church of Christ, the fuming and swelling pryde of the worlde, as

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