MarginaliaThe pope bound vnder the obedience of the generall Councell.what estate or conditiō so euer they were, yea although that they were Popes them selues, be bounde vnder the obedience and ordinaunces of the sacred general Councels. And although there be a certayne restraynt, where as it is sayd, in such thyngs as pertayne vnto the fayth, the extirpation of Schisme, and the reformation of the church, as well in the heade as in the members: notwythstādyng thys amplificatiue clause which is adioyned, is to be noted, Et in pertinentibus ad ea, that is to say, wyth all the appertenauntes. The whych addition is so large, that it contayneth all thynges in it, whych may be imagined or thought. MarginaliaDiuers places rehearsed out of the gospells and Apostles, for autoritie of the church and generall councels aboue the pope.For the Lord sayde thus vnto hys Apostles, go ye forth and teache all people. He dyd not say in three poyntes onely, but teach them to obserue and keepe all thynges what so euer I haue commaunded you. And in an other place he saith, not this or that, but whatsoeuer ye shal binde. &c. which altogether are aledged for þ^e autority of the church & general councels. For þ^e preferrement wherof, these things also come in place. He that heareth you, heareth me. And agayne: It is geuē vnto you to know the ministeries of God. Also where. ij. or. iij. be gathered in my name. &c. Agayne, what soeuer ye shall aske. &c. O holy father, saue them whom thou hast geuen me. &c. And I wilbe with thē euē vnto the end of the world. Also out of S. Paul these places are gathered. Wee are helpers of God. &c. Whiche hath made vs apt ministers of þ^e new Testamēt. &c. And he appointed some Apostles and some Prophetes. &c. In all whiche places both Christ and the Apostles spake of the authoritie of many, whiche altogether are alledged for the authoritie of the vniuersall Churche. But for so much as that Churche beyng dispersed and scattered abroade, can not decree or ordeine any thyng: therefore of necessitie it is to be sayd, that the chief and principall authoritie of the church, doth consiste in the generall Councels, where as they assemble together. MarginaliaWeightie matters intreated but only in generall coūcells.And therefore it was obserued in the primatiue church, that harde and weighty matters were not intreated vpon, but onely in the generall Councels and congregations. The same is also founde to be obserued afterward. For when as the churches were deuided, generall Councels were holdē. And in þ^e Councell of Nice, we do finde the heresie of Arrius cōdemned. In þ^e Councell of Cōstātinople the heresie of Macedonius. In the Councel of Ephesus, the heresie of Nestorius. MarginaliaThe pope not sufficient of him self to cōuince or iudge heretikes.In the Councell of Chalcedon, the heresies of Eutichius were also condempned: for somuch as they thought the iudgement of the Byshop of Rome, not to suffice to so greate and weyghty matter, and also they thought, the sentence of the Councell to bee of greater force, then the sentence of the Pope, MarginaliaThe pope may erre.for somuch as hee might erre as a man, but the Councell, wherin so many men were gathered together, beyng guided with the holy Ghost, could not erre. Also it is a very excellēt saying of Martianus the Emperour, which serueth for that purpose: whose wordes are these: Truly he is to be counted a wicked and sacrilegious person, whiche after the sentence of so many good and holy men, will sticke to withdrawe any part of his opinion. For it is a point of mere madnes, at the noone time and fayre day light, to seke for a fayned light: for he whiche hauing found the truth, seketh to discusse any thyng further, seketh but after vanities and lyes.

MarginaliaWhether the pope may be desposed by the councel or not.Now I thinke it is euident enough vnto all mē, that the Bishop of Rome is vnder the Councell. Notwithstādyng some do yet still doubt, whether he may also be deposed by the Councell or not: For albeit it be proued that he is vnder the Councell, yet for all that, will they not graunt, that he may be also deposed by the Coūcell. Wherfore, it shall be no digressyng at all from our purpose, somwhat to say vpon that matter: and first of all, to speake of these raylers, whiche are yet so earnest for the defēce of the Byshop of Rome: which beyng vanquished in one battell, still renewe an other, and contendrather of obstinacie thē of ignoraūce. They would haue here recited agayne, that which we haue before spoken, as touchyng the preeminence of the Bishop of Rome, or the patriarke. And as there are many of them more full of wordes then eloquent, they stay much of this penne, where as Christ sayd vnto Peter: Tibi dabo claues tegni cœlorum. MarginaliaThe places Tibi dabo claues regni cœlorum. Pasce oues meas make nothing for the popes supremacie.I will geue thee the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen, and what soeuer thou shalt bynde vppon earth shalbe bounde in heauen: as though by those wordes, he should be made head ouer the other. And agayne they do amplifie it by this: Pasce oues meas: feede my sheepe, whiche they do not finde to be spoken to any other of the Apostles. And because it is sayd that Peter was þ^e chief and þ^e mouth of the Apostles, therfore they iudge it well spoken, that no man shall iudge the chief and principall Sea: beyng all of this opinion with Boniface, whiche sayd that the Pope ought to bee iudged for no cause except he be perceiued or knowen to swarue frō the fayth, although he do cary innumerable people with him head lōg into hel, there to be perpetually tormēted: MarginaliaThe popes supremacie confuted.as though he could not open the kyngdome of heauen to others, if any other could shut it agaynst hym, neither that hee could feede other, if he him selfe lacked pasture.

But wee counte these as thinges of no force or difficultie. For S. Augustine in the Sermon of the natiuitie of Peter and Paul, sayth in this wise: Our Lord Iesus Christ before his passion, chose his Disciples (as ye doo know) whom he called brethren. MarginaliaPeter representeth the person of the church and not of the pope.Amongest those, Peter alone almost in euery place, represented the person of the Churche, and therfore was it sayd vnto hym, Tibi dabo claues regni cælorum. i. Vnto thee will I geue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen. MarginaliaThe keyes geuē to the church and not to one man.These keyes did not he receiue as one man, but as one he receyued them for the Churche. And in an other place, where he writeth of the Christian agonie, hee sayth: the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen were geuen vnto the churche, when as they were geuen vnto Peter. And when it was spoken vnto him: Amas me? Pasce oues meas. i. louest thou me? feede my sheepe: it was spoken vnto thē all. And S. Ambrose in the begynnyng of hys pastorall, sayth whiche sheepe and whiche flocke, the blessed Apostle S. Peter tooke not charge of alone, but together with vs, and we all together with him. By whiche woordes the foundation and principall argumētes of those flaterers, are vtterly subuerted and ouerthrowen. For if Peter represented the person of þ^e Church, we ought not to ascribe the force of these wordes vnto Peter, but vnto the Church. MarginaliaPope Boniface erreth.Neither do I see how that can stande, whiche Boniface doth affirme, for it is farre distant from the truth, except it bee vnderstand otherwise then it is spoken. But it may peraduenture seme a great thing vnto some, that it is said, the Bishop of Rome to be þ^e head of the militāt churche. For, as in the body of man, Phisicions doo neuer gyue Coūcell to cut of the head for any maner of sicknes and disease, although it be neuer so full of vlcers or infected: so in this ministicall body of the church, the head ought alwayes to be kept: and albeit it be neuer so wicked, yet is it to be suffred and borne withall. But now conuert this argument. MarginaliaThe B. of Rome vnproperly called the head of the church.If it were possible in the body of man, when one head is taken away, to finde an other to put in his place, as wee see it may bee done in the Churche, should not heades then bee oftentymes chaunged for diuers diseases? Moreouer, if we will thus reason, that the head of the church should be in respect of his body, as the head of mā in respect of þ^e body of mā: thē doth it necessarely folow that þ^e head beyng dead the body must also die, as is manifest in the body of mā: So should it grow into an absurditie to confesse þ^t the pope beyng dead, the churche also should be dead: the whiche how farre it dissenteth frō the truth, it is most manifest. Therfore what soeuer other men say, I am not of opinion with them, which affyrme the Byshop of Rome, to be head of the