The practise of prelates. CompiledThe practyse of prelates. Compyled

¶Howe they prove all their general counsels.

¶Howe they proue all theyr generall counsels.

When the Bishops and Abbots and other great Prelates had forsaken Christ and his living, and were fallen down before the beast the vicar of Satan, to receive their kingdom of him / then the pope called together diverse counsels of such holy apostles, and there concluded and made of every opinion that seemed profitable / an article of the faith. If thou axe where is the scripture to prove it? They answer we be the church & can not err, and therefore say they,¹ what we conclude, though there be no scripture to prove it / it is as true as the scripture & of equal authority with the scripture and must be believed as well as the scripture under pain of damnation. For (say they) our truth dependeth not of the trueth of the scripture that is, we be not true in our doing because the Scripture testifieth unto us that we do truly: but contrary / the truth of the scripture (say they) dependeth of us, that is, the scripture is true because that we admit it and tell the that it is true▪ For how couldest thou know that it were the scripture except we told thee so? & therefore we need no witness of the scripture for that we do, it is enough that we so say of our own ⟨image 43⟩head for we can not err·

WHen the Bysshoppes and Abbottes and other greate Prelates had forsaken Chryste and hys lyuinge, and were fallen downe before the beast the vycar of Sathan, to receaue their kyngdome of hym / then the pope called together diuerse counsels of such holy apostles, and there concluded and made of euery opinion that semed proffitable / an artycle of ye fayth. If thou axe wher is the scriptur to proue it? They answere we be the church & can not erre, and therfore saye they,