The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

7. BUT I pray Sir, who called this Council, and assembled the World together? you will say Pope Pius the IV. and why he, rather than the Arch-bishop of Toledo? by what Authority and Example of the Primitive Church, and by what law hath he done this? did Peter, Linus, Cletus or Clemens thus put the World in commotion by their Edicts? this, during the Integrity and Prosperity of the Roman Empire, was a sole Prerogative of the Emperor; but now that the Power of the Empire is diminished, and that the several Kingdoms in Christendom have shared the Imperial Power amongst them, this Power is devolved to all the Christian Kings and Princes. Now Sir, search all the Annals, and gather together all the Memoirs of Antiquity, and you shall find ⟨p. 152⟩that all the ancient Councils, as those of Nice, Ephesus, Chalcedon, and Constantinople, were called by the Emperors of Rome, Constantinus, Theodosius the First and Second, and Martianus, and not by the Popes of Rome.

7. BUT I pray Sir, who call'd this Council, and assembled the World together? you will say Pope Pius the IV. and why he, rather than the Arch-bishop of Toledo? by what Authority and Example of the Primitive Church, and by what law hath he done this? did Peter, Linus, Cletus or Clemens thus put the World in commotion by their Edicts? this, during the Integrity and Prosperity of the Roman Empire, was a sole Prerogative of the Emperor; but now that the Power of the Empire is diminished, and that the several Kingdoms in Christendom have shared the Imperial Power amongst them, this Power is devolved to all the Christian Kings and Princes. Now Sir, search all the Annals, and gather together all the Memoirs of Antiquity, and you shall find ⟨p. 152⟩that all the ancient Councils, as those of Nice, Ephesus, Chalcedon, and Constantinople, were call'd by the Emperors of Rome, Constantinus, Theodosius the First and Second, and Martianus, and not by the Popes of Rome.

8. POPE Leo, a Man sufficiently kind to himself, and who did not in any thing neglect the Authority of his See, did yet most humbly supplicate Martian the Emperor, that he would be pleased to call a Council in Italy, because that Country did then seem most convenient for that purpose; his Words are these: All the Priests do most earnestly beseech your Clemency, that You would be pleased to command a General Synod to be celebrated in Italy. But this Emperor, that he might show that he had the Right of calling Councils, and none but he; commanded the Council to meet at Chalcedon in Bithynia, and not in Italy, where the Pope did most violently desire it should have been held. And when Ruffinus, in the Contest which he had with St. Jerome, alleged a Synod, tell us (said St. Jerome) what Emperor commanded it to meet; St. Jerome did not think a General Council of any great Validity, except some of the Emperors called it. Now I do not inquire what Emperor commanded the Bishops to meet now at Trent; but only whether the Pope (who takes so much upon him) hath consulted with the Emperor about holding this Council, and what Christian King or Prince has he prae-acquainted with his Will? Now to break in upon the Rights of another, and to assume to a mans self what belongs to another man