MarginaliaNote the sinceretye of thys good bishop, which stayed him selfe vpon the examples of the primatiue church, and not vpon customes and popes.peat the examples of olde Councels, we shall finde that the inferiours were alwayes present with the Bishops. And albeit that Ludouicus do forbyd vs the examples of the Apostles, I stay my selfe most vpon their doynges: For what is more comely for vs to folowe, then the doctrine and customes of the primatiue Churche? It is sayd therefore in the. xv. chapter of the Actes of the Apostles: it seemed good vnto the holy Ghost and to vs. The which worde (to vs) is referred vnto them which are before named, þ^e Apostles & the Elders. Neither this word, (it seemed good) signifieth in this place consultacion, but decision and determination, whereby it appeareth, that other beside the bishops had determining voyces. In an other place also of the sayd Actes, when as the Apostles should intreate vpon any waightye matter, they durst not determine by them selues, but the xij. called together the multitude. Here Ludouicus saith, that it doth not appeare that the Apostles called other of necessitye: but I say vnto him, how knowest thou they dyd not call them of necessity? But forsomuche as both partes are vncertayne: nothing doth prohibite vs to followe the Apostles. For seing that all thinges were written for our learning, it appeareth that the Apostles woulde geue vs example, that in waighty matters we should admit our inferiours. And therefore in all Councels whych were celebrate and holden afterwardes: we finde that priests were also present: as in the councell of Nice, which of all other was most famous, MarginaliaAnthanasius being but a priest, and no bishop, vanquished an Archbyshop.Athanasius being then but onely a priest, withstood the Arrians, & infringed their argumentes: Albeit there were also other priestes. And albeit mention be made of 322. Bishops, yet it is not denyed, but that the inferiors were there, whom I thynke to bee omitted for this cause, for þ^t they were almost innumerable: for as you know well inough, þ^e denomination for the most part, is taken of the most woorthye. In the Synode of Chalcedon (which was counted one of the. iiij. principall Sinodes) it is sayde that there were present 600. priestes: the whych name is common both vnto Bishops and Priestes. In other councels the name both of Bishops and Priestes is omitted, and mention made onely of Fathers, which hath the same significatiō that thys word Elders had in the Actes of the Apostles. We haue also a testimony of the ecclesiasticall history, howe that there was a Councell gathered at Rome of. lx. byshops, and as many Priestes and Deacons, agaynst the Nouatians which called themselues Cathari. MarginaliaPaule byshop of Antioche.Also, whē Paule the bishop of Antioche, in the tyme of Galiene the Emperour, preached that Christ was a man of commō nature, the councell assembled against him in Antioche: whereunto there came Bishops out of Cesaria, Capadotia, out of Pontus, Asia, and from Ierusalem, and many other Bishoppes, Priestes and Deacons: and it is sayd that for that cause the Councell was often holden. And at the last, in the same place, vnder Aurelian the Emperour, MarginaliaPaule byshop of Antioche.Paule was condemned of all Christian churches whych were vnder heauen: neyther was there any man, which did more confound the sayd Paule, MarginaliaMalchion the priest confounded Paule the heretique with his Godly eloquence.then Malchion a priest of Antioche, which taught Rhetorike in Antioche. But to make no long digression from the matter, wee haue moste euident testimonies for the defence of the inferiors. For the chiefe and principall amōgest all the diuines S. Austen vpon the wordes of Mathew, where Christ sayth vnto Peter: I will geue vnto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen, MarginaliaS. Augustines minde vpon thys setence, Tibi dabo claues regni cœlorum.saith that by those wordes the iudiciall power was geuē, not onely vnto Peter, but also to the other Apostles, and to the whole church the Bishops and Priestes. If then priestes haue a iudiciall power in the Churche, what shoulde let þ^t they haue not also a determining voice in þ^e councels? The famous Doctor S. Hierome doth also agree wyth S. Austen, whose woordes are these vpon the Epistle of Paule vnto Titus. Before that difference was made in religion by the instigation of the Deuil, or that it was spoken amongest the people, I holde of Paule, I of Apollo, and I of Cephas, the Churches were gouerned by the common consent and councell of the Priestes: for a Priest is the very same that a bishop is. MarginaliaBishops are of greater power then priestes, rather by custome, then dispensatiō of truth.Wherefore all Bishops ought to vnderstand, that they are of greater power then Priestes, rather by custome then by the dispensation of the truth of God, and that they ought to rule the church together. And thys we do also gather out of Paule vnto Titus, which maketh so much concordance betwene bishops and priestes, that often times he calleth priestes, bishops: whereby it doth euidentlye appeare, that priestes are not to be excluded from the conuentions of bishops, and determinatiō of matters. And albeit as S. Hierome writeth, that bishops onelye by custome are preferred before Priestes, it may be, that a cōtrarye custome maye take awaye that custome. MarginaliaBishops & priestes ought to rule the church together.For if Priestes ought to rule the church together with the Bishops, it is euident that it also pertayneth vnto them to decide & determine the doubtfull matters of the church. Wherefore the testimony of S. Paule is euident: for (as he writing vnto the Ephesians saith:) If Christ instituted his Apostles, Prophets, Pastours, and Teachers to the worke of the ministery, for the edifieng of his Churche, vntill such time as we should mete him: for this purpose that ther should be no doubt in the diuersity of doctrine: who doubteth then, but that the gouernaunce of the Church is committed vnto others together with the Apostles? Let these our Champions now hold their peace, and seeme to be no wyser then they ought to be. The memoriall of the councell of Constance, is yet freshe in memory, whereas diuers of vs were present, and I my selfe also which was neither Cardinall nor Bishop, but onely a Doctor, MarginaliaÆneas Syluinus.where I did see, without anye maner of doubt or difficulty, the inferiors to be admitted wyth the bishops, to the deciding of hard and doubtfull matters. Neither ought we to be ashamed to followe the example of that most sacred and great coūcel, which also folowed þ^e example of þ^e coūcel of Pisa & the great councell at Lateran, wherin it is not to be doubted, but that the Priests did ioyntly iudge together with the bishops.

MarginaliaNote that Abbotes were not instituted by Christ.Moreouer, if Abbottes, as we doe see it obserued in all Councells, haue a determining voyce, whiche notwithstandyng were not instituted by Christe: why shoulde not priestes haue the same, whose order Christ ordayned by hys Apostles? MarginaliaItaly surmounteth all other nations in nūber of byshops.Herevpon also, if onely bishoppes shoulde haue a determinyng voice, nothing should be done, but what pleased the Italian nation, the which alone doth exceede all other nations, or at the lest is equall with thē, in number of bishops. And how so euer it be, I iudge it in this behalfe to be a worke of god, that the inferiours should be admitted to determinations: for God hath now reuealed that vnto little ones, which he hath hidden from the wyse. Behold you do see the zeale, constancy, vprightnes, and magnanimitye of these inferiours. Where should the councel now bee, yf onely bishops and Cardinals shoulde haue theyr voyce? Where should the autority of the Councels be? Where should the Catholike fayth be? Where should þ^e decrees and reformation be? For all thynges haue now a long tyme bene vnder the wyll of Eugenius, and he had nowe obtayned his wicked and naughty purpose, except these inferiors, whom you now contemne, had wythstande him. These are they which haue contemned the priuatiō made by Eugenius. These I say, are they which haue not regarded his threatninges, spoyle, and persecution. MarginaliaNote the terrible persecution of those daies, and the great constancie of the godly for the truthes sake.These are they which beyng taken, imprisoned, and tormented, haue not feared to defend the truth of the councell: yea enen these are they who albeit they were by Eugenius deliuered ouer for a pray, yet would they stil continue in the sacred councell, & feared not to suffer warre famine, and moste cruell pestilence: and finallye what