declaration of necessarie pointes of faithe, but the promptinge and teachinge of the Holy
Ghoste.
As for your prouincial Synode, it was none. Synodes cannot be keapte without Bishops. Be∣fore
ye claime the name of a Synode for your packinge and hudlinge togeather, ye muste proue your
selues Bishops, whiche ye are not able to doo. VVhat so euer ye saie, there were neuer
good men, nor Catholike Bishops, that kepte prouincial Synodes, contrarie to approued and law∣ful
General Councels, as your Synode is moste contrary. Neither can ye pretend, that ye
folowed any olde fathers, puttinge thinges in experience before the comminge to an Vniuersall
Councel.
Your Councel prouincial holden in Germanie by Charles the greate, againste the seconde Nicene
Councel general, is a false forged matter, as the Booke againste Images is, whiche one Eli Phili the
man in the Moones sonne, Caluine, Illyricus, and other Heretikes haue fathered vpon that moste godly,
and Catholike Emperoure.
The Councel, whiche you meane, was a Godly, and a Catholike Councel, holden at Franck forde
by Pope Adrian, and Charles the greate, againste the wicked Councel of the Heretikes named
* Imagebreakers, whiche they helde a litle before that at Constantinople, whiche of those Here∣tikes
was called the seuenth, and general, of the Catholikes Pseudosynodus, that is to saie,
the false or forged Councel. Of bothe these Councels, thus writeth Abbas Vrspergensis, so
mutche commended of Melanchthon: The Councel whiche a fewe yeeres before was assem∣bled
at Constantinople, in the time of Irene and Constantine her sonne, of them called the seuenth and
Generall (in this Councel holden at Frankforde) was repealed and put awaie by consente
of al, as voide and superfluous, so as from thence foorthe it shoulde be named neither the seuenth; nor
ought els.
If you beleue not this, as the witnes of a Catholike writer, then beleue Anselmus Rid an erneste
professour of your owne the newest Gospell. VVho writeth that Adrian the Bishop of Rome, and
Kinge Charles, at the Councel holden at Frankforde, execrated, and accursed as Heretical, the
Councel of the Empiere of Constantinople and of the Greekes, whiche they helde for thabolishinge
of Sainctes Images. Those be his very woordes. Beleue Peucerus Philip Melancthons sonne in
lawe writinge, that the Councel of Nice, was kepte by common consente of the Greeke Emperoure
and of Charles. If the seconde Councel of Nice, whiche was altogeather for Images, was hol∣den
by consente of Charles, howe helde he a Councel in Germanie, for puttinge awaie Images, a∣gainste
the Councel of Nice? Beleue Carion, and specially Pantaleo of Zurich, a man of your
owne the moste Euangelical Religion, who vpon warrante of thauthoritie of Regino writeth,
that the Councel of Frank forde abrogated, and disanulled the Greekes Councel, that was againste
the woorship of Images. Briefely, howe falsely you and sundrie other of your secte haue herein
belied that woorthy Prince Charles the greate, it maie easely appeare by that Paulus Aemylius
writeth of him: That he sente twelue Bishops out of Fraunce to the Councel then holden
at Laterane in Rome, in whiche the Imagebreakers false named and forged Councel was a∣brogated.
VVhere of General Councels ye make priuate and prouincial Synodes, ye doo bisides learninge,
reason, and custome of the Churche. A Councel is not accompted general bicause Bishops of al
Countries vnder Heauen be assembled, but bicause many be assembled, and al be lawfully called.
Els in times, when Heresies raigne, the Churche should neuer haue the necessarie remedie of a general
Councel: for alwaies Heretikes woulde refuse to come to it, as ye haue, to come to the late Councel at
Trente.
In Persia, Media, Egypte, Mauritania, I wene, ye finde fewe Bishops at this daie, nor many in the
other Countries, whiche ye recken, and those in manner altogeather ignorant, and schismatikes. Yet
the Patriarkes of Assyria, or Syria Orientalis, and of Armenia, who of late yeres were at Rome, haue
for theire Prouinces bothe subscribed to the Councel of Trente, and receiued the whole Decrees of
the same for theire peoples.