A Brief and Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith

If they believe not us, nor the acts of the Counsels, let them believe the requests, intercessions, and excuses contained in the Epistles of Leo the first, a man among the rest full of ambition, which nevertheless did not once think of that which his Successors hath usurped. Gregory the first, which they hold as a Saint, did he call the Emperor any otherwise then his sovereign Lord?

If they beléeue not vs, nor the actes of the Counselles, let them beléeue the requestes, intercessions, and excuses contayned in the Epystles of Leo the first, a man amonge the rest full of ambition, whiche neuerthelesse did not once thinke of that which his Successours hath vsurped. Gregorie the first, which they holde as a Saint, did he cal the Emperour any otherwyse then his soueraigne Lorde?

^aNamely, did not he witness that it is by the commandment of the Emperor, that he was Bishop? Much less then did the Pope make the Emperors. In the time of Constantine, in the cause of² a Bishop of Carthage named Caecilian, was not the Bishop of Rome with other Bishops Delegates, as Judges appointed by the Emperor? And afterward, because there was an appeal from his judgement, the Bishop of Arle was he not sent as Delegate by the Emperor, for to know the cause of the appeal? When ^aLeo the first would extol his preeminence, by his Ambassadors ⟨p. 166⟩in the council of Calcedon, although that which he pretended was a small thing, in respect of that which is done since: was it not put back and denied quickly by the Council? Was it not expressly forbidden in the counsel Milevitane (where as Saint Augustine⁴ was) that from Africa they should not appeal over the Sea? And when three Popes one after another, to wit, Zozinius, Boniface, and Celestine, alleged in the sixth council of Carthage, a false Canon of the council of Nicene, for to usurp jurisdiction over Africa