M. Hardinge. The .30. Diuision.
Now for a briefe answeare to M. Iuel, who denieth, that within. 600. yeeres after Christ the Bishop of Rome was euer called an Vniuersal Bishop, or Head of the Vniuersal Churche, and maketh him selfe very suer of it: although it be a childishe thing to sticke at the name any thing is called by, the thing by the name signified being sufficiently prooued: yet to th'intente good folke may vnderstande that al is not trueth of the olde Gospel, which our new Gospellers either affirme, or denie: I wil bring good and suf∣ficient witnesse, that the bishop of Rome was then called bothe Vniuersal Bishop, or Oecumenical Pa∣triarke, which is one, to witte, Bishop, or principal father of the whole worlde, and also Head of the Church. Leo that worthy B. of Rome, was called the Vniuersal Bishop, and Vniuersal Patriarke, of sixe hundred and thirtie Fathers assembled togeather from al partes of the worlde in General Councel at Chalcedon: whiche is bothe 118 expressed in that Councel, and also clearely affirmed by S. Gregorie in three sundrie Epistles to Mauritius the Emperour, to Eulogius Patriarke of Alexandria, and to Ana∣stasius Patriarke of Antioche. Thus that name was deferred vnto the Pope by the Fathers of that greate Councel: whiche by them had not beene doone, had it beene vnlawful. In very deede neither Leo him selfe, nor any other his successour, euer called or wrote him selfe by that name, as S. Gregorie saith, muche lesse presumed they to take it vnto them: But rather vsed the name of humilitie, callinge them selues eche one Seruum Seruorum Dei, The Seruant of the Seruantes of God. Yet sundri•• holy Mar∣tyrs Bishops of Rome vsed to cal them selues Bishops of the vniuersal Churche (119) which in effecte is the same, as the fathers of Chalcedon vnderstoode. So did Sixtus in the time of Adrianus the Empe∣rour, in his Epistle to the Bishops of al the worlde. So did Victor writing to Theophilus of Alexandria. So did Pontianus writing to al that beleeued in Christe, before. 1300. yeeres past. So did Stephanus in his Epistle to al Bishops of al Prouinces, in the time of S. Cyprian. And al these were before Constan∣tine the greate, and before the Councel of Nice, whiche times our aduersaries acknowlege and con∣fesse to haue been without corruption. The same title was vsed like wise after the Nicene Councel, by Felix, by (120) Leo, and by diuers others, before the sixe hundred yeeres after Christ•• were expired. Nei∣ther did the Bishops of Rome vse this title and name onely them selues to their owne aduauncement, as the aduersaries of the Churche charge them, but they were honoured there with also by others▪ as namely Innocentius, by the Fathers assembled in Councel at Carthago, and Marcus by Athanasius, and the Bishoppes of Egypte.