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MAister Horne, as he sayeth, returneth againe to A∣gatho, wherin he doth wel: for this hath bene an ex∣trauagant and an impertinent discourse. But he re∣turneth withall to his accustomable dealing: sayinge that pope Agatho of his owne authoritie coulde not call a councell. Which neither his authour Platina sayeth, nor anie other, nor he him self proueth. He coulde M. Horne haue cal∣led a Councell, (and so he did call at Rome at this verie
tyme a great Councell of an .1••5. Bisshoppes, our con∣treyman S. Wilfryde Archbisshoppe of Yorke and the A∣postle of Sussex being one of them) without the Emperor, and such as this Emperour him selfe confesseth to be a ge∣neral Councell. But because, the schisme of the Mono∣thelites was deaply setled in Grece, and was fast and depe∣lye rooted by continuance of .46. yeares, not onely in the Bisshoppes of the chiefe sees, as Constantinople, A∣lexandria, Antiochia, and others, but also in the Emperours withall: full godly and wisely, that the Councell might be more effectuall and fruytful, he thowght good to worke with the aduice and assistance of the Emperour: and so he did: And this his godly pollicy had his prosperouse successe accordingly.
Maister Horne will nowe recite to vs his collections oute of this Councell called, the .6. Generall Councell, that he hath gathered, (but how well and fytlye to proue his matter, ye shal anone vnderstande) for the confirma∣tion of his newe erected primacy. And first he glaunceth at the See of Rome, surmising that because the Emperour exhorted the Pope to vnity, the pride of Rome and of Con∣stantinople striuing for superiority and supremacy was a greate nourishment of the Schisme. This is a lewde and a false surmise. For the Emperour in that place expressely tel∣leth (by the reporte of the Greeke Patriarches) the cause of that stryfe to be, quòd verba quaedam nouitatis intro∣missa sunt, that certaine newe doctrine was brought in∣to the Churche. And will Maister Horne haue his vn∣proued surmise, to waighe downe the Emperours plaine confession?
The malice you talke of Maister Horne, is in your self▪ It was not in Pope Agatho. The Emperour protesteth, you say, to kepe the faith that he hadde receiued wholy and without blotte. Woulde God all Christen Princes had done so. You hadde hadde then Maister Horne, no place in our countre to preache and sette forthe your damnable heresies.
You say farder: The Bisshop of Rome obeyed the Empe∣rours commaundement. And this also you note verye so∣lemnely in your Margin. But both your text and your mar∣gin, by your leaue, lyeth. For the Emperour in his letters to the Pope (wherein he inuited him to this Councel) saith plainely. Inuitare & rogare possumus ad omnem commenda∣tionem & vnitatem omnium Christianorum, necessitatem ve∣rò inferre nullatenus volumus. Well we may moue you and praye you to fall to an vnity, but force you by no meanes wil we. Where then is this forceable commaundemēt that you imagine? You woulde faine haue the Emperours very Imperiall, ouer Popes and Bisshoppes: You woulde, as Auxentius the Arrian Bisshop did, Laicis ius sacerdotale substernere, bring vnder the Laye Princes foote, the Priest∣ly right and Authoritye. You woulde haue them, as the Arrians persuaded Constantius, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 being sette to gouerne one thinge, to take vpon them an other thing. This with your predecessours hereti∣call Bisshoppes, your prelatship also would Emperours shoulde take vppon them. But they expresselye refuse so to doe: they proteste the contrary: they abhorre suche lewde clawebackes. You adde farder, that in the Councell, the holye Gospelles was brought forthe and layde before them, as the iudges. This is a flatte vntruthe.
The Councel hath no such woordes, I meane that the Gos∣pels were Iudges. No doubte but by the ghospels the Coun∣cel did iudge and determine the controuersies, and had al∣waies those holy books before thē, as also a Signe of the Crosse and other relikes, as Cusanus writeth. But a Iudge must speake and pronounce a Sentence. Such is not the Scripture, but such are they that be (as the Apostle saith) Dispensatores mysteriorum Christi, the dispensours of the mysteries of Christ, the ordered teachers of his woorde, the successours of his Apostles. But you to make folke wene, that Scripture alone were the only Iudge, as though the booke could speake and geue sentence it selfe, without a Teacher or Pastour, sticke not, to falsifie and missere∣porte the holy Councel, seing by true dealing you cā proue nothing. But it maketh perhaps for you, that the Popes Le∣gates, cal the Emperour most benign Lord, and affirme the Apostolike see of Rome to be subiecte to him. But they do not, I am assured, adde, in al spiritual matters. And so are ye nothing the nere to your purpose: and as the Popes Legats cal him Lorde, so pope Agatho calleth him his sonne.
And that which the Legates said of the See Apostolike, the same Pope Agatho in his letters saied of the City of Rome, calling it seruilem Principatus sui vrbem: A Cyty sub∣iect to his gouernement. And it may be well thought, the Legates spake in no other sence, then did their Lorde and Maister. But as for such phrases S. Gregory spake as hum∣bly and as basely to the Emperour Mauritius (which Cal∣uin also hath noted) as euer any Pope before him, or after him did to any whatsoeuer Emperour. He called Mauri∣tius his good Lorde, and him selfe, his vnworthy seruaunt. But yet (as I haue at large proued against M. Iewel) he
practised in Ecclesiastical causes an vniuersall Supremacy throughout all Christendome.
And nowe beside, that I haue said, in as much as the Popes .3. Legats, two being priestes, and one but a Deacon, be, as wel in the rehersall of the Bishops names, as in the placing of the Bishops, first named, and do first speake in this action, I thinke I may make thereof also a better col∣lection for the Popes Primacy, then you haue made against it. Whereas you say the Emperour was president of the Councel, I graunt you in that sense, as I haue before decla∣red: and that is, concerning thexternal order, moderation, and direction of things to be done and heard quietly and without parciality in the synode: but not for any suprema∣cy in geuing sentence, against their wils, as themperour him self euen now declared.
Beda lib. 5. ca. 20. Conc. 6. Act. 4. pa. 306.
Constātin{us} omnibus sanctissi. vniuersa∣lis Synodi Apostolica sedis conci¦liū reprae∣sentantib. Ibidem. Act. 18. fo. 409. col. 2. a.
The cause vvhy Pope A∣gatho ioy¦ned with thēperor for the Councell to be had. M. Horns reasons out of the 6. General Councell for his Primacy.
Tom. 2. Concil. fol. 280. col. 2. a.
Ibidem.
Amb. li. 5. epist. 32. Suidas in Leontio.
De Con∣cord. Ca∣thol. li. 2. cap. 6. 1. Cor. 4.
Act. 5. fol. 301.
Act. 4. Cō¦cil. 6. Cō∣stant. pag. 289. a. Gregor. li. 2. epi. 20. li. 3. epi 16. Instit. lib. 4. cap. 11.
The Po∣pes Le∣gates are first na∣med, and doe speke first in the Coū∣cell.
How the Emperor is presi∣dent of the Coū∣cell.