¶Here begynneth the ordre of Popes of Ro∣me / and contynneth as the lyne of Cryst dyde afore. For in them god lefte his power. ¶Anno domini .xxxiiii.
PEter a Iewe the fyrste pope was a bles∣sed man & a gloryous apostle of Cryst. ¶He was heed of ye chyrche .xxxvii. yere. And he helde hys bysshopryche in the eest .v. yere & sayd masse he made our lorde / & alone sayd the Pater noster. Thenne after he came to Antio∣chiam & there he abode .vii. yere techynge the waye of trouth. And Symon Magus he con∣founded away. That season he preched to the people that were circūcysed / the whiche were in Ponto of Galati. Capadocia. Asia. Bichi∣nia. Thenne herde he that Symon Magus deluded the Romayns / thrugh the loue of the fayth / he came to Rome in the fourthe yere of Claudius ye Emperour. And there he preched the worde of god / and shewed the falshede of Symon Mag{us} and tourned many a man to the fayth / Thenne he sende his precher by dy∣uerse prouynces / by whome crysten relygyon was myghtely encreased. ¶He ordeyned the feest of Lenton afore Eester / and Aduent and the Emerynge dayes to be fasted of all crystē people / in to the myrrour of the fyrste and se∣conde comynge of our lorde Ihesu. ¶Then̄e whan he had be pope at Rome .xxv. yere .vii. monethes and ·viii. dayes / He was slayne of Nero (Ei{us} pla o{per}a vide acti{bus} aplo{rum}) ¶Ba∣ius this tyme was Emperour at Rome & reg∣ned .iii. yere & .x. monethes. This Gaius was fyrst vicyous in lyuynge / for two of his owne sesters he mysused / and on one of them he ga∣••e a doughter / whyche chylde he sette betwext the knees of Iupyter in the Temple / and fey∣ned after warde that Iupyter had goten her. wherfore he dyde crye thrugh the coūtree that alle men sholde worshyppe her as a goddesse / This man also made an ymage lyke hymself and sente it to one Patronie Presydent at Ie∣rusalem vnder the Romayns commaundyn∣ge hym that he shold compell the Iewes to do worshyp therto. And fore thyse enormytees & many other / oure lorde suffred hym to be slay∣ne at Rome in his owne Palays.