Certain comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. John Hooper, Bishop of…Certeine comfortable expositions of the constant martyr of Christ, M. Iohn Hooper, Bishop of…

This was the state of the primitive Church, which was both near unto Christ in time, and like unto him in doctrine,¹ and kept S. Pauls equality, ⟨p. 40⟩where as he saith, He was appointed amongest the Gentiles, as Peter was amongest the Jews. And although the bishops in the time of Constantine the great, obtained that, amongest bishops, there should be some that should be called Archbishops and Metropolitans: yet,² all they were not instituted to be heads generally of the Church, but to the end they should take more pains, to see the Church well ordered and instructed: and yet this preeminence was at the liberty and discretion of princes, and not always bound unto one place and one sort of prelates, as the wickedness of our time believeth: as ye may see in the Counsels of Calcedon and Africa. So that it is manifest, this superior preeminence is not of Gods laws, but of mans, instituted for a civil policy: and so was the church of Constantinople equal with the Church of Rome. And in our days Erasmus Rotterdam writeth and saith, this name (To be high bishop of the world) was not known to the old Church: but this was used, that bishops were all called High priests: and that name gave Urban the first unto all bishops, as it is written in Distinct. 59. cap. Si officia. Anno Dom. 226. But as for one to be head of all, it was not admitted. And the Greek Church did never agree to this wicked supremacy, nor obeyed it, until the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and two, compelled thereunto by one Baldwin, that brought the Frenchmen by the help of the Venetians unto Constantinople, to restore one Alexius unto the Empire, upon this condition, that he should subdue the Greek Church to the Church of Rome. But this came to pass, that the Pope, never after he had gotten by alms and help of princes to be over them, passed one jot for the Emperor of Constantinople, further then he ⟨image 37⟩served his turn. So that ye may see both his beginning and proceedings to be of the devil, which if ye kill not with the staff of Gods word, and beat him from your conscience, he will double kill your souls.

This was the state of the primatiue Churche, which was both néere vnto Christ in time, and like vnto him in doctrine,