A reply to an answer made of M. Doctor Whitgifte Against the admonition to…A replye to an ansvvere made of M. Doctor VVhitgifte Against the admonition to…

Jerusalem was a famous church / so was Rome as the apostle witnesseth / so was Antioch and others / where also were great contentions / both in doctrine and otherwise / and yet for avoiding of contention and schism there / there was no one that was ruler of the rest / therefore we ought rather to follow these churches being many / in keeping us to the institution of the apostles / then Alexandria being but one church / and departing from that institution / and if there had been any one set over all the rest in other places / it would have made much for the distinction that Jerome had recited. But against this distinction of s. Jerome / I will use no other reason / than that which Jerome useth in the same epistle to Evagrius. Jerome in that epistle / taketh up very sharply the archd. that he preferred him self before the elder / & the reason is / because by the scripture the deacon is inferior ⟨p. 108⟩unto the elder. Now therefore Jerome him self confessing that by the scripture a bishop & an elder are equal / by Jeromes own reason / the bishop is to be sharply reprehended / because he lifteth him self above the elder. But what helpeth it you / that there was a bishop of Alexandria / which urge an archbishop / or what advantageth it you / that there was one chief called a bishop in every several congregation / which would prove that there ought to be one bishop / chief over a thousand congregations. What could have been brought more strong to pull down the archbishop out of his throne / then that which Jerome sayeth there / when he affirmeth that the bishop of the obscurest village or hamlet / hath as great authority and dignity as the bishop of Rome? Erasmus did see this / and said / eironevomenos, that is jestingly / that Jerome spake that of the bishops of his times / but if he had seen how the metropolitans of our age excel other bishops / he would have spoken otherwise.

Ierusalem was a famous church / so was Rome as the apostle witnesseth / so was Antioche and others / where also were great contētions / both in doctrine and otherwise / and yet for auoiding of contention and schisme there / there was no one that was ruler of the rest / therfore we ought rather to folowe these churches being many / in keping vs to the institution of the apostles / then Alexandria being but one church / and departing from that institution / and if there had bene any one set ouer all the rest in other places / it would haue made much for the distinction that Ierome had recited. But against thys distinction of s. Ierome / I will vse no other reason / thē that whych Ierome vseth in the same epistle to Euagrius. Ierome in that epistle / taketh vp very sharply the archd. that he preferred hym selfe before the elder / & the reason is / because by the scripture ye deacon is inferior