The Pope confuted The holy and apostolic Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…The Pope confuted The holy and apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…

What meaneth this, that our Lord himself in his Gospel did urge no one commandment more precisely and more earnestly, amongst all other precepts and documents, then too draw the minds of his Disciples from all desire of glory, and ambition unto most humble abasement, lowliness, and humility? as when he willeth them too be contented with the lowest places at feasts and banquets: when as in his own person he washeth their feet, alluring them thereby to follow his example? and again where he exhorteth them to be as mildly minded as little children:¹ and when as he commandeth them too shun the first places in the Synagogues,² and stately salutations in the Streets:³ when as he calleth them back so busily,⁴ to abandon the pride and haughtiness of this world:⁵ too eschew the mighty things of this world, to embrace the baseness of the Spirit, and patiently to sustain all injuries of adversaries? When as Peter also forbade so expressly: That ye become not Lords over the Clergy, and Paul likewise, not too frame their life according to the fashion of this world: I have now declared sufficiently, how that the very meaning of Christ, and the continual course of his discipline in the holy Scriptures, could never digest that universal and more then kingly ambitious seeking of superiority of this Sea. Now would I fain learn what you ean reply against it: what answer ye can make, sir Pope? & what ye have to allege, yea what can ye imagine to colour this glorious title withal? what? was not Peter (will ye say) prince of the apostles? what a jest is this? As though the apostles were not all of one spirit? all ⟨image 35⟩of one calling? or as though ye can vouch any one place in all the Scriptures to justify that Peter was invested in any superiority of power, above the rest, which either he received at any time, or which Christ ever gave him? Or as though the times were such in their days, as would permit the holy Apostles to be so idly disposed, as once to think or to dream upon any principality, being as then in hurly burly, turmoiled and broiled with daily fears and continual perils? Yet I will not deny, but Peter hath bin sundry times blazed out with that brave name of Prince of Apostles,