The second reply of Thomas CartwrightThe second replie of Thomas Cartwright

And that this was the first institution off Metropolitans which I have alleged / and that I have herein not strayed from the meaning of the Councels / may appear by the testimonies ¹off others / which have spoken off this matter. Calvin saith: they were instituted, for preservation only of the policy: and what that was / he showeth by the bishop / the same in his own church / which the Metropolitan in the Province. That it was as the office off a President in a Council, to propound matters, together ²the voices, &c and to put that in execution, which was decreed by the rest: denying flatly that he had any dominion over the Elders off the same church, and affirming that he him ⟨p. DLXVII⟩self was subject to the company of the elders The same therefore by his judgement / must be the state off the Metropolitan / ³towards other Bishops. Bucer saith / there were certe in bishops assigned to the chief seats, whereof they had a singular care: which did not be have themselves as bishops over the bishops off those dioceses, but if any of them faulted: admonished him as one brother doth an other, as one fellow, and companion in office doth an other. And if the bishop admonished, ether did not, or could not amend the fault: he made relation of the whole matter unto the Synod. After he showeth that at the first the excellency, and preeminence off the bishop off Rome, Constantinople, and Alexandria, &c. was not off power and jurisdiction, but of knowledge, zeal, care, and help of others: which those chief bishops did so yield unto the churches, that they left the whole right off the bishops office, equal with that they them selves executed, unto every bishop. Bullinger / after he had proved all dominion / primacy / and majority ⁴/ forbidden by our Saviour Christ unto the minister / saith: From the beginning the Apostles, and ministers off the churches which followed the rule off the Apostles, governed their churches equally, without that one was preferred before an other (which he offereth to prove by many testimonies): and about the council off Nice, and a little before, Metropolitans by mans ordinance not to be contemned, were received: which should as it were be presidents unto the rest, or rather serve all the rest in calling Synods.