MarginaliaDiuersitie of iudgementes touching the bishop of Rome.Others sayde that no man ought to iudge the high and principall Seate, and that it can not be iudged either by þ^e Emperour, either by þ^e Clergy, either by any king or people. Other affirme, that the Lord hath reserued vnto him selfe the depositions of the chief Bishop. Others are not ashamed to affirme, that the Bishop of Rome, although he cary soules in neuer so great number vnto hell, yet he is not subiect vnto any correction or rebuke.

And because these their wordes are easely resolued, they runne straight waies vnto Gospell, and interprete the wordes of Christ, not accordyng to þ^e sense and meanyng of the holy Ghost, but according to their own will and disposition. They do greatly esteme and regard this whiche was spoken vnto Peter: Tu vacaberis Cephas. I. Thou shalt be called Cephas: by the whiche worde, they make him the head of the churche. Also I will geue thee the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen, and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth. &c. I haue prayed for thee Peter, that thy fayth should not faile. And agayne, feede my shepe: Cast thy net into the deepe: Be not afraid, for from henceforth thou shalt be a fisher of men: Also that Christ commaūded Peter as the prince of the Apostles, to pay tole for them both: and that Peter drewe the net vnto the land, full of greate fishes: and that onely Peter drew his sword for the defence of Christ. MarginaliaHow folishlye the church of Rome doth wrast the scriptures neglecting the expositions of the fathers.All whiche places these men do greatly extoll, altogether neglecting the expositions of the fathers: the whiche if (as reason were) they would consider, they should manifestly perceiue by the authorities aforesayd, that the Pope is not aboue them when they are gathered together in Councell, but when they are separate and deuided.

But these thinges beyng passed ouer, for somuch as aunswere shall appeare by that whiche hereafter shall followe: we will now declare what was reasoned of by the learned men vpon this question. But first we would haue it knowen, that all men which are of any name or estimation, do agree, that the Pope is subiect to the Coūcell, and for the proufe therof they repete (in a maner) all those thinges which were before spoken of the Church: for they suppose all that, whiche is spoken of the churche, to serue for the generall Councell: And first of all, they alledge this saying of the Gospell, Dic ecclesiæ, tell it vnto the churche. MarginaliaThose thinges which were spoken of the church serue also for the generall coūcell.In the whiche place, it is conuenient to vnderstand, that Christ spake vnto Peter, instructing hym what he should do as touchyng the correction of his brother. He sayth, if thy brother offende or sinne agaynst thee, rebuke him betwene thee and him alone. If he geue eare vnto thee, thou hast wonne thy brother: but if he do not geue eare vnto thee, take with thee one or two, that in þ^e mouth of two or three witnesses all truth may stande: if thē he will not geue eare vnto thee, Dic ecclesiæ, tell it vnto the churche.

What shall we vnderstād by the Church in þ^t place? shal we say that it is þ^e multitude of þ^e faithfull dispersed throughout the whole world? My yoke is pleasaūt saith the Lord, and my burden is light. But how is it light, if Christ commaund vs to do that whiche is impossible to be done? For how could Peter speake vnto the churche whiche was dispersed, or seke out euery Christian scattered in euery towne or Citie? But the meanyng of these woordes, is farre otherwise, and they must bee otherwyse interpreted: MarginaliaPeter representeth a double person.for whiche cause it is necessary that we remember the double person, whiche Peter represented, as the person of the high bishop, and a priuate man. The sense and meaning of his woordes are euident and playne enough of them selues, that they nede no supplement or alteration. MarginaliaThe interpretation of thys place, die ecclesiæ.We must first marke and see, what this word Ecclesia signifieth, MarginaliaWhat the church is.the which we doo finde but onely to be twyse spoken of by Christ: once in this place, and agayne when as he sayd vnto Peter: Tu es Petrus, et super hanc Petram edificabo ecclesiam meam, that is: Thou art Peter, and vpon this rocke wyll I buyld mychurch. MarginaliaChrist nameth the church but twyse in the gospel.Wherefore the church signifieth the conuocatiō or congregation of the multitude. Dic ecclesiæ, tell it vnto the church. That is to say, tell it vnto the Congregation of the faythfull: the which for so muche as they are not accustomed to come together, but in a general coūcell, this interpretation shall seeme very good, Dic ecclesiæ, tell it vnto the church, that is to say, Dic generali concilio: tell it vnto the generall councell. In this case I would gladlye heare if there be anye man, which doth thinke these words to be more properly expressed in any prelate, then in the councell, when as they must put one man for the multitude: whyche if it bee admitted in the scriptures, we shall from hencefoorth finde no firme or stable thing therein. But if anye man do maruayle at this interpretation, let him search the olde wryters, and he shall fynde that this is no newe or straunge interpretation, but the interpretation of the holye fathers and olde doctours, which haue fyrst geuen lyght vnto the Churche, as Pope Gregory witnesseth (a man woorthy of remembraunce, both for the holynes of hys lyfe, and hys singuler learning) whose wordes are these, written in hys Register vnto the bishop of Constantinople: And we (sayth he) agaynst whom so great an offence is committed thorow temerarious boldnes, doo obserue and keepe that which the truth doth commaund vs, saying, Si peccauerit in te frater, that is: if thy brother do offend agaynst thee. &c. And afterward he addeth more, if my rebukes and corrections bee despised, it remayneth that I do seeke helpe of the Church. MarginaliaThe church taken for the general Councell.The which wordes do manifestlye declare the Churche here to be taken for the generall councell. Neither did Gregory saye, that he would seeke helpe of the church that is dispersed abroad in euery place, but of þ^t is gathered together, that is to say, the generall councell: for that which is dispersed abroad cannot be had, except it be gathered together. Also Pope Nicolas reprouing Lotharius the kyng for aduoutry, said: if thou doest not amend the same, take hede that we tell it not vnto the holy church. In the which saieng Pope Nicolas did not say, that he would go throughout the worlde to certifie euery one, man by man: but that he would call the church together, that is to say the generall councell, and there would publish and declare the offence of Lotharius, that hee whych had contemned the Popes commaundementes, shoulde feare the reuerence of the generall councell. I coulde recite an infinite nomber of witnesses for that purpose, the which all tend vnto one end: but this one testimony of the councell of Constance shall suffice for thē all, wherin it is sayd that not only þ^e pope in þ^e correctiō of hys brother is remitted vnto þ^e councell, whē as he cā not correct him of him self: MarginaliaThe councell of Cōstance decreeth the pope to be vnder the councell.but also whē as any thyng is done as touching þ^e correction of þ^e Pope himself, the matter ought to be referred to þ^e coūcel. Wherby it appeareth our interpretatiō to be most true, which doth expound þ^e church to be in þ^e generall councell. MarginaliaThe actes of the Apostles.Hereupon in þ^e Actes of þ^e Apostles, the congregations whyche were then holden, were called the Church. MarginaliaThe coūcel of Nice.Also in the councell of Nice and in other councels, when as any man should be excommunicated, alwayes, in a maner, thys sentence was adioyned: Hunc excommunicat catholica et Apostolica Ecclesia. The catholike and Apostolike church doth excommunicate this man. MarginaliaThe title of the councells.And hereupon that title is geuen vnto þ^e Councels whereby we doo say, that the generall councell doth represent the vniuersall Churche. MarginaliaThe constitutions of the B. of Rome are not the lawes of the church.Wherefore the lawes and decrees of the Councell are called the lawes of the church, for that þ^e church doth not set forth any lawes in any other place, then in the generall councell: except we wil cal the Popes constitutiōs the lawes of the church, which can not be properly said but of þ^e Councell: wheras, albeit al those which are of þ^e church do not assemble and come together, yet the most part of them are accustomed to be there present, and in those which come, the