The Apology of the Church of England | Page 9

which may have the whole
superiority in this universal state: for that Christ is ever present to assist
His Church, and needeth not any man to supply His room, as His only
heir to all His substance: and that there can be no one mortal creature,
which is able to comprehend or conceive in his mind the universal
Church, that is to wit, all the parts of the world, much less able rightly
and duly to put them in order, and to govern them rightly and duly. For
all the Apostles, as Cyprian saith, were of like power among
themselves, and the rest were the same that Peter was, and that it said
indifferently to them all, "feed ye;" indifferently to them all, "go into
the whole world;" indifferently to them all, "teach ye the Gospel." And
(as Hierom saith) all bishops wheresoever they be, be they at Rome, be
they at Eugubium, be they at Constantinople, be they at Rhegium, be
all of like pre-eminence, and of like priesthood. And, as Cyprian saith,
there is but one bishopric, and a piece thereof is perfectly and wholly
holden of every particular bishop. And according to the judgment of the
Nicene Council, we say, that the Bishop of Rome hath no more
jurisdiction over the Church of God than the rest of the patriarchs,
either of Alexandria, or of Antiochia have. And as for the Bishop of

Rome, who now calleth all matters before himself alone, except he do
his duty as he ought to do, except he minister the Sacraments, except he
instruct the people, except he warn them and teach them, we say that he
ought not of right once to be called a bishop, or so much as an elder.
For a bishop, as saith Augustine, is a name of labour, and not of honour:
because he will have that man understand himself to be no bishop,
which will seek to have pre- eminence, and not to profit others. And
that neither the Pope, nor any other worldly creature can no more be
head of the whole Church, or a bishop over all, than he can be the
bridegroom, the light, the salvation, and life of the Church. For the
privileges and names belong only to Christ, and be properly and only
fit for him alone. And that no Bishop of Rome did ever suffer himself
to be called by such a proud name before Phocas the emperor's time,
who, as we know, by killing his own sovereign Maurice the emperor,
did by a traitorous villainy aspire to the empire about the six hundredth
and thirteenth year after Christ was born. Also the Council of Carthage
did circumspectly provide, that no bishop should be called the highest
bishop or chief priest. And therefore, sithence the Bishop of Rome will
nowadays so be called, and challengeth unto himself an authority that is
none of his; besides that he doth plainly contrary to the ancient councils,
and contrary to the old fathers; we believe that he doth give unto
himself, as it is written by his own companion Gregory, a
presumptuous, a profane, a sacrilegious, and an antichristian name: that
he is also the king of pride, that he is Lucifer, which preferreth himself
before his brethren: that he hath forsaken the faith, and is the forerunner
of Antichrist.
Further we say, that the minister ought lawfully, duly, and orderly to be
preferred to that office of the Church of God, and that no man hath
power to wrest himself into the holy ministry at his own pleasure and
list. Wherefore these persons do us the greater wrong, which have
nothing so common in their mouths, as that we do nothing orderly and
comely, but all things troublesomely and without order; and that we
allow every man to be a priest, to be a teacher, and to be an interpreter
of the Scriptures.
Moreover, we say that Christ hath given to His ministers power to bind,

to loose, to open, to shut. And that the office of loosing consisteth in
this point: that the minister should either offer by the preaching of the
Gospel the merits of Christ and full pardon, to such as have lowly and
contrite hearts, and do unfeignedly repent themselves, pronouncing
unto the same a sure and undoubted forgiveness of their sins, and hope
of everlasting salvation: or else that the same minister, when any have
offended their brothers' minds with a great offence, with a notable and
open fault, whereby they have, as it were, banished and made
themselves strangers from the common fellowship, and from the body
of Christ; then after perfect amendment of such persons, doth reconcile
them, and bring them home again, and restore them to the company and
unity of the faithful. We