in the Chapter house, and disputed twise most subtillye, and twise declared your minde, what you thoughte in that matter. What do you desire any more? Also out of the territory of the Duke of Millaine, there was present the Archbishop of Millaine, who all be it, he be no ambassadour, yet how famous a prelate he is, you are not ignorant. When he had spoken these wordes, the Archbishop beyng somewhat moued, sayd vnto him. My Lord Cardinal, you supply the roome of a President no better, then I do the place of a Dukes oratour, and began to taunte hym wyth many wordes. MarginaliaThe patience & answere of Arelatēsis.But the Cardinal, (as he was a mā most pacient and would not be prouoked to anger by no meanes) sayde: this is it that I euen now desyred. For if the Archbishop be an ambassadour then hath the Duke no cause to complayne, whiche had hys oratour present at the discussyng of those matters.

I passe ouer other princes, because they do not complaine. Notwithstandyng the moste Christian kyng of Fraunce, had there the bishop of Lyons, a graue and sober man, hys ambassadour at the disputation. As for other princes, I see no cause why they should be taryed for, which knowyng the councell to be congregate for such matters as pertaine vnto fayth, doo not thinke it absurde, that the doubtfull matters of fayth shoulde be declared in the councell: Wherunto, if they had bene willing to come, they would haue bene present or this.

Why this matter should neede so much discussyng, as some will haue, I doe not vnderstand. For if I be well remembred, Panormitane and also Ludouicus, haue oftentymes affirmed in this place, euen the very same thing which þ^e conclusions signifye. And if any of them now will go about to gainesay it, it will happē vnto them, as it did vnto Didimus. MarginaliaDidimus reprehended that which was in hys own boke founde.To whom, when as on a tyme, he repugned againste a certayne historye, as vayne and friuolous, his owne booke was deliuered vnto hym, wherin the same was writtē: So likewise these two men MarginaliaHe meaneth Panormitane, and Lodouicus the Prothonotarye(meanyng Panormitane & Ludouicus the Prothonatory) Albeit they be most excellentlye learned, and eloquent: yet may they be confuted by their owne writynges. Besides this: there are synodall Epistles and decrees of this Councell, which are full of suche conclusions. What is it then wherupon any difficulty canne be raysed? What is it that may bee impugned? Shall we now bring that agayne in doubte, which hath so often bene declared, affirmed, and decreed? But (they saye) the Princes and ambassadours are absent whiche are Byshops, by whose presence the decrees should be of more auctoritye. Well, they are not onely absent whiche are gone vnto Mentz: but almost an infinite number of others, dispersed throughout the whole worlde: whom if we should tary to loke for, nothyng at any tyme should be decreed. They are all called vnto þ^e coūcel: they might haue come if they woulde. To those that are present, power is geuen, and they oughte to debate these matters. If any man will saye, that they whiche are absent, are about the affaires of the common wealth: truly, we sent them not thither, but they wente rather against þ^e will of the Councell, then w^t the consent therof.

And admit that they had ben sent by the Councell: yet were not our power so much restrained, but that we might reforme the Churche, for otherwise there should neuer any thyng be done in the Councell: for somuch as alwayes some are sent out by the Councel, and some are alwayes to be looked and taryed for, and therefore either wee must doo nothyng at all, or send out no Prelates frō the Coūcell. Where as he sayd that Prelates & specially bishops are cōtemned, that is most far from þ^e truth, for they haue the chief & first places. They speake first, and geue theyr voyces first of all vnto all thinges: and if so be they do speake learnedly & truly, all þ^e inferiours w^tout any gainsayng, do sone folow theyr minde.

Neither peraduenture shall it be founde vntrue, that there was neuer any Synode, whiche did more amply-fie the power and authoritie of Byshops then this. For what haue the Bishops ben in our dayes, but onely shadowes? Might they not well haue ben called shepheards without shepe? What had they more then theyr miter & their staffe, when as they could determine nothing ouer their subiectes? Verely in the primatiue churche, the Byshops had the greatest power & authoritie: but now was it come to that point, that they exceded the common sort of Pristes onely in their habite and reuenewes. MarginaliaMarke, O ye byshops, the councell of Basill contendeth for you & ye will not vnderstand it.But we haue restored them agayne to their olde estate: we haue reduced the collation of benefices agayn vnto them: we haue restored vnto them the confirmation of elections: wee haue brought agayne the causes of the subiectes to be heard, into their handes, & haue made them Byshops which were none before. What cause is there then, that the Bishops should say, they are contempned of the Coūcel? Or what iniurious thing haue we at any time done vnto them? But Panormitane sayth, that for somuch as most Byshops are on his parte, and fewe agaynst him, the conclusion is not to be determined by the multitude of the inferiours. But let Panormitan remēber him self that this is no new kind of proceding. This order of procedyng, the Councell ordeined from the begynnyng, neither hath it ben chaunged at any time since. And this order Panormitane, in tymes past hath pleased you well inough, when as the multitude did folowe your mynde. But now, because they do not folow your mind, they do displease you. But þ^e decrees of Councels are not so mutable, as the wils of men. Know ye moreouer, that the very same Bishops whiche do cōsent with you in word: do not consent with you in minde, neither speake þ^e same secretly, whiche they now do openly. They do feare that which you tolde them at home in their countrey: that except they would folow your mind, they should displease the kyng. MarginaliaThys was a true Cardinall: out of whose mouth the veritie dyd speake, which feared not the threatninges of princes, neither sought any worldly glory or dignitie.They feare the power of the prince, and to bee spoyled of their temporalities: neither haue they free liberty to speake as is requisite in Coūcels. Albeit if they were true Byshops, and true pastours of soules, they would not doubt to put theyr lyues in venture for theyr shepe, neither be afearde to shede their bloude for theyr mother the church. But at this present (the more is the pitie) it is rare to find a Prelate in this world, which doth not preferre his temporalties before hys spiritualties: with the loue wherof, they are so withdrawen, that they study rather to please Princes then God, and confesse God in corners, but princes they will openly confesse. MarginaliaMarke what worldly pōpe, dignitie, and wealth had brought the prelates to, in those dayes.Of whom the Lord speaketh in his Gospell. Euery one sayth he, that confesseth me before men, I will confesse him before my father whiche is in heauen. And contrarywise the Lord will not confesse him before hys father whiche is afearde to confesse the Lord before men. Neither is it true whiche Panormitane sayth, most Byshops to be on his parte: for here are many Bishops proctors, whom he doth not recken, because they are not of hys opinion. Neither is the dignitie of the fathers, to be respected in þ^e Councel, as he saith, but onely reason, nor any thyng more to be looked for, then the truth: MarginaliaNote here the great godlynes & most christiā saying of thys good byshop.neither will I for my part, prefer a lye of any Byshop, be he neuer so rich, before a verity or truth of a poore priest. Neither ought a Byshop to disdaine, if he be rude or vnlearned, that the multitude doth not folow hym, or that the voyce of a poore learned & eloquent priest, should be preferd before his.MarginaliaTruth many times dwelleth vnder the ragged cloke. For wisedome dwelleth oftner vnder a bare & ragged cloke, then in rich ornamentes & apparel.

MarginaliaSteuen the fyrst martyr.Wherfore I pray you my Lord Byshops, do not so much contemne your inferiours: for the first whiche died for Christ, the whiche also opened vnto all other the way of martirdome, was no bishop but onely a Leuite. As for that whiche Ludouicus & Panormitane do alledge touchyng the voyces of byshoppes, I knowe not where they haue it. Wherfore I desire them that they would tell me, where they haue founde it. But if we re-