An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state…An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state…

¹We do believe that there is only one Church of God, and that the same is not shut up as in time past among the Jews into any one corner of kingdom, butte is Catholic and universal, & dispersed into all the world, so that now there is no nation that may truly complain that they be excluded, and can have no part with the Church and people of God. He do believe that the same Church is the kingdom, is the body, is the spouse of Christ, and of this kingdom that Christ is the only Prince, of this body that Christ is the only head, of this spouse that Christ is the only bridegroom: and that there be in the Church divers orders of ministers, some be Deacons, some Elders, some Bishops, unto whom the instruction of the people and the charge and provision for things appertaining to religion is committed, and yet that there is no one man, nor that any one can be superior and ruler over all: for we believe both that Christ is always present with his Church,² and that he needeth no Vicar that should supply his room in all points: and that it is unpossible for any mortal man so much as to comprehend in his mind, much more to set in order and rightly and profitably to govern the whole universal Church, that is to say, all parts of the world: that the Apostles as Cyprian saith,³ were all of like authority, and that the rest were in the very same degree that Peter was. That it was spoken indifferently to them all, Feed. to them all, Go in to the whole world. to them all, Teach the Gospel: And as S. Jerome saith,⁴ that all Bishops in what place so ever they be, other at Rome, or at Eugubin, or ⟨p. 11⟩at Constantinople, or at Rhegium, be all of like desert & of like Priesthood.⁵ And as Cyprian saith, that there is but one Bishopric, and every one holding a part thereof, doth administer the whole: and according to the sentence of the Council of Nice, that the Romaine Bishop hath no more right over the Church of God, then the other Patriarchs of Alexandria & of Antioch: as for the bishop of Rome, who at this day challengeth all things to himself alone, unless he do his office, unless he administer the Sacraments, unless he instruct the people, unless he admonish, unless he teach, ought not of right to be accounted a Bishop, or so much as an Elder in the Church: