The triall of the supremacy wherein is set fourth ye unitie of christes church milita[n]t geue[n] to S. Peter and his successoures by Christe and that there ought to be one head bishop in earth Christes vicar generall ouer all hys churche militant: wyth answeres to the blasphemous obiections made agaynste the same in the late miserable yeres now paste.

The .viii. obiection.

Al the apostels receyued im∣mediatly of Christ like & equal dignity power and authoritye euen ouer thuniuersal churche of christ, he saying to al and to euery one indifferently, as my father send me I send you, re¦ceyue al ••holy ghost, go into al places of the world & preache, baptise, heale diseases, and for∣giue sinnes.

Thanswere.

Not onlye thappostels but also .72. disciples receyued all these of Christ, in so much that y^e people of Samaria through Phillp the deacons preaching receyued the ghospel and were baptised: then was rather the tyme to congregate and ge∣ther

together with all spede the flocke of Christe, then to make any mention of rulinge or gouerninge them. Notwith¦standing before all these com∣missions, Peter was made head ouer all: Math. the .xvi. as is declared in the answeres to the first and tenth obiectiōs & in sundrye places mo of this booke. Wherfore Saynct Am¦brose sayth that at the begin∣ninge all taught and baptised at all times and in all places (not only in churches) as occa¦sion serued: but as sone as the people were somewhat gathe¦red together in the fayth, and churches builded, then were ordres sette and rulers appoin¦ted by tholy ghost, some in this place and some in that, euen

as christ promised. So that this now iustlye weyed, what maketh this obiection against Peters authoritie which was geuen to him before by Christ? Surelye no more then now it should be agaynst the legates prerogatiue if Peters succes∣sour the Pope woulde for vr∣gēt causes constitute certayne inferiour Bishops to be lega∣tes equall with him, geuinge them all and to euerye one of them his owne full authoritye some into Germany, some into Denmarke. &c. Yea and beside this, who doth not se y^t though legates haue the Popes full authoritie geuen them, yet in the foundation of the authori¦tye all is not equall: no more

then Christe geuinge to all the appostelles and to the .27. disci¦ples also, his owne whole and full authoritye that he had of his father, was in the roote & foundacion to be counted all equall power and authoritye with that whiche he him selfe had of his heauenly father. A∣gayne what Idiote will iudge the .27. Disciples to be equall with thappostels thoughe in that legacy and imbassage con¦cerninge preaching and bapti¦singe they were appoynted by Christ as all equall? And euen now here the same is to be said to that in this imbassage or le∣gacye Christe for the time send all forthe wyth that equall commyssyon to gether the

people, not then speakynge of anye gonerninge of theym: in whiche gouerninge (when it shoulde ones be put in execu∣tion) Peter was ordeyned euē by Christ to be the head, Ma∣thue the .xvi. So that all this theyr commission and auctho∣ritye was but taken forthe of Peters.

Notes

• In epist. ad ephe.