after them. And that their authority ceased in their persons, it stands with rea∣son also, because it was giuen in so a••ple a manner for the founding of the church of the new testament: which beeing once founded, it was needfull on∣ly, that there should be pastours & teachers for the building of it vp vnto the end of the world.
Reason III. When the sonnes of Zebedeus sued vnto Christ for the grea∣test roomes of honour in his kingdome (deeming hee should bee an earthly king) Christ answers them againe, ye knowe that the Lords of the Gentiles haue dominion, and they that are great, exercise authoritie ouer them: but it shall not be so with you. Bernard applieth these very wordes to Pope Eugenius on this man∣ner. It is plaine, saith he, that here dominion is forbidden the Apostles. Goe to then: dare if you will, to take vpon you ruling an Apostleship, or in your Apostleship rule or dominion: if you will haue both alike, you shall loose both. Otherwise you must not thinke your selfe exempted from the number of them, of whome the Lord complai∣neth thus: they haue raigned but not of me: they haue beene but I haue not knowne them.
Reason IV. Eph. 4. Mention is made of gifts which Christ gaue to his church after his ascension, wherby some were Apostles, some prophets, some Euangelists, some pastours and teachers. Nowe if there had beene an office in which men as deputies of Christ should haue gouerned the whole church to the ende of the world, the calling might here haue beene named fittely with a gift thereto pertaining: and Paul (no doubt) would not here haue concealed it, where he mentioneth callings of lesser importance.
Reason V. The Popes supremacie was iudged by sentences of scripture & condemned long before it was manifest in the worlde: the spirit of prophesie foreseeing and foretelling the state of things to come. 2. Thess. 2.3,4. The man of sinne (which is that Antichrist) shall exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God, &c. Nowe this whole chapter with all the circumstances thereof, most fitly a∣grees to the sea of Rome and the Head thereof: and the thing which then stai∣ed the reuealing of the man of sinne, v. 6. is of most expounded to be the Ro∣mane Emperour. I will alleadge one testimonie in the roome of many. Chry∣sostome saith on this place, As long as the Empire shall be had in awe, no man shal straitly submit himselfe to Antichrist: but after that the Empire shall be dissolued, Antichrist shall inuade the state of the Empire standing void, and shall labour to pul vnto himselfe the Empire both of man and God. And this we find nowe in expe∣rience to be true: for the See of Rome neuer flourished, till the Empire decai∣ed, and the seate thereof was remooued from the cittie of Rome. Againe Reu. 13. mentioned is made of two beasts, one comming out of the sea, whome the Papists confesse to be the heathenish Romane Emperour: the second com∣ming out of the earth; which doth al that the first beast could doe before him: and this fitly agreeth to the popes of Rome, who do and haue done all things that the Emperour did or could doe, and that in his very sight.
Reason VI. The iudgement of the ancient Church. Cyprian saith, Dou••t∣lesse the same were the rest of the Apostles that Peter was: indued with equall fellowshippe both of honour and of power: but a beginning is made of vnitie,