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

10. WELL, but be it so, for this time let it be granted, that the Right of calling Councils belongs to the Pope, and that he can (in this point) command the World; and let whatever we have said concerning the Power of the Emperor, and the Right of Kings be taken for false and vain, and let Pius be supposed too to be a good man; that he was rightly and lawfully chosen Pope, that ⟨p. 155⟩he has not sought the Life of any man, that he has not murdered Caraffa in Prison; yet it is fit that Councils should be free after all this, and that who pleaseth may be there, who cannot conveniently, may on the other side be absent; this was the equity and moderation of better men: Princes then were not treated with so much Violence and Rudeness, so that if any person happened to stay at Home, or did not send Ambassadors to the Council, he should presently be noted by the Eyes and Fingers of all men. I beseech you Sir, what Observer kept count who was absent from the Councils of Nice, Ephesus, Constantinople and Chalcedon? but there was in none of these any Ambassadors from England, Scotland, Poland, Hungary, Spain, Denmark, nor any part of Germany. See, read and consider the Subscriptions, and you will find what I say is true. And why do you not rather wonder that the Britons did not come to those full, famous, celebrated and frequented Councils? Or that the Popes then were so wonderful patient, that they did not presently censure them for Contumacy? But this Papal tyranny was not then grown up, it was then lawful for Pious Bishops and the Holy Fathers, without any Prejudice, to stay at Home. Paul the Apostle, would not trust himself to the Council of Jerusalem, but appealed unto Caesar; and tho St. Athanasius the Bishop was called to the Council at Caesarea by the Emperor, yet he would not come; and he also, when he perceived the Arian Party the strongest in the Council of Syrmium, would not stay, but ⟨p. 156⟩presently withdrew and went away; and the Bishops of the West following his Example, refused to come to that Council. St. John Chrysostom did not come to an Arian Council, tho he was invited both by Letters and Messengers sent by Arcadius the Emperor. When the Arian Bishops in Palestine were met together, and had the greatest part of the Votes on their side, Paphnutius an old man, and Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem departed out of the Convention and went away.

10. WELL, but be it so, for this time let it be granted, that the Right of calling Councils belongs to the Pope, and that he can (in this point) command the World; and let whatever we have said concerning the Power of the Emperor, and the Right of Kings be taken for false and vain, and let Pius be supposed too to be a good man; that he was rightly and lawfully chosen Pope, that