M. Hardinge. The .23. Diuision.
Now, that the Bishop of Rome had alwaies cure, and rule ouer al other Bishops, 109.* 1.1 speacially of them of the East (for touchinge them of the weast Churche it is generally confessed) beside a hun∣dred other euident argumentes, this is one very sufficient, that he had in the East to doo his steede, three Delegates, or Vicares, now commonly they be named Legates. And this for the commoditie of the Bishoppes there, whose Churches were farre distant from Rome. The one was the Bishop of Constantinople, as wee finde it mentioned In Epistola Simplicij ad Achatium Constantino∣politanum. The Seconde was the Bishop of Alexandria, as the Epistle of Bonifacius the Seconde to Eulalius recordeth. The thirde was the Bishop of Thessalonica, as it is at large declared in the 82. Epistle of Leo, ad Anastasium Thessalonicensem. By perusinge these Epistles euery man may see, that al the Bishoppes of Grece, Asia, Syria, Egypte, and to be shorte of al the Orient, rendred and exhibited their humble obedience to the Bishop of Rome, and to his arbitrement referred their doubtes, complaintes, and causes, and to him onely made their appellations.