Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

§ 54. Epist. 7. He declareth that divers Princes having sworn and promised him help, he resolved to come with an Army to recover Ravenna to the Church.

Epist. 8. He rejoiceth that they had newly found St. Matthew's body, and bids them now take him joyfully for their patron. These are the grounds of Popish superstition: The body of St. Matthew that preached to the Abassines in another part of the world,¹ is found at Salerno in Italy, a thousand years after he is dead. O that one knew how to be sure that it was his body, and how it came thither! Divers such findings they glory in.

Epist. 8. He rejoyceth that they had newly found St. Matthew's body, and bids them now take him joyfully for their patron. These are the grounds of Popish superstition: The body of St. Matthew that preached to the Abassines in another part of the world,¹ is found at Salerno in Italy, a thousand years after he is dead. O that one knew how to be sure that it was his body, and how it came thither! Divers such findings they glory in.

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§ 55. Epist. 10. He writeth to Orzoceus Prince of Calaris or Sardinia, to require him as a note of his obedience to St. Peter and concord with the Church of Rome, whose use it is, to let his Arch-Bishop shave his Beard,¹ and to command all the Clergy of his dominion to shave their Beards; and if they obey not, to force them to it, or exclude them. And to be sure of success he lets him know, (how truly I know not) that many Princes importuned him to give them leave to invade his Country, but (this righteous ruling Pope) denied leave to them all, till he had tried whether he would obey him, which if he would do, he would not only deny them leave to invade him, but also protect him. Reader, think here. 1. Whether Princes held not their kingdoms loosely when they where to lose them if they obeyed not the Pope in so small a thing as the shaving of a Priests Beard. 2. Whether it were not a hard thing for the Catholic Church then to have concord, when so small a difference as the shaving or not shaving of Beards were put into their terms of Union