The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

Now what this dignity / and preeminence was / may easily be seen by that the bishop of Rome having ^fpreeminence, or dignity over the bishop off Constantinople / Alexandria / &c. had nothing thereby more then they / saving only the first place in their meetings Seeing therefore thes words translated to have power, signify nothing but to have honour, which consisted only in having the highest place: by thes words off the Council groweth nothing to the Metropolitan / but only to sit in the highest place at meetings. This may also appear by the same h Council / ²where it is said / that if there rise disorder in any church which is not compounded, it ought to be decided at the provincial Council, which was therefore to be holden twice every year: in which faults were to be corrected, not by the Metropolitan / but by the bishops together. And because the Council here referreth us / to that accustomed before: it is to be considered what that was / so far as we have testimony. The bishops assembled at Nice / brought their quarrels one against an other / ³and offered them to the Emperor: which they would not have done / at least so generally / if there had been any such order taken off referring their debates to the Metropolitan. The Emperor likewise receiving their bills / and answering that it pertained ⁴not unto him to decide those matters: sendeth them not to their Metropolitans to be judged / but adjourneth them to the judgement off God. Yet if there had been any such authority ecclesiastical off the Metropolitans: the Emperor / as he was very religious in those observations / would not by all likelihood / have failed in that.

Now what this dignitie / and preeminence was / may easely be seen by that the bishop of Rome hauing ^fpreeminence, or dignitie ouer the bishop off Constantinopel / Alexandria / &c. had nothing therby more then they / sauing onely the first place in their meetinges Seing therfore thes wordes translated to haue power, signifie nothing but to haue honour, which consisted onely in hauing the highest place: by thes wordes off the Councell groweth nothing to the Metropolitan / but onely to sit in the highest place at meetinges. This may also appeare by the same h Councell /