The learned writers haue thus reasoned against the Pope: that forasmuch as Apostles, Pro∣phets. &c. are sufficient for the building of the Church, therefore there ought to be no Pope. The argument and necessitie of the conclusion is as strong againste the Archbyshop and all one. For by the same reason that the Pope is cast away as a superfluous thing, for that these offices are able to make perfect the Churche, is the Archbyshop likewise throwen out of the Churche, as a knobbe or some lumpe of flesh, which being no member of the body doth both burden it and disfi∣gure it. And as they say that God gaue no Pope to his Churche, therefore the Pope can do no good: so we may well say God gaue no Archbyshop to his Churche, therefore the Archbyshop can do no good.
If there were no stronger places than this against the Pope of Rome his vsur∣ped authoritie, it might stand still, for any thing that I know: bycause this place spea∣keth only of the offices occupied in preaching the worde and administrating the sa∣craments, as I haue said, not of any office of gouernment. Neyther is it a perfect pat∣terne bycause it hath omitted those offices before mentioned. I haue tolde you before that a negatiue argument from the scripture (except it be in matters of saluation) is but weake. Likewise that an Archbyshop is no new ministery, but may well be con∣teyned in the number of those, of whome the Apostle there speaketh. For the name of a Pastor doth comprehende both Archbishops and Byshops. The name dothe but signify an office of gouernment conuenient for the state of the Church in the external pollicy of it. And if it did preuaile againste the Pope, yet dothe it not so againste the* 1.1 Archbyshop. For the Pope dothe chalenge hys authoritie by succession from Peter, so dothe not the Archbyshop. The Pope saythe that he is the head of the vniuersall Churche of Christe, so dothe not the Archbyshop. The Pope saith that to be subiect to him is necessary to saluation, the Archbyshop thinketh no suche matter. The Pope chalengeth power to remitte and retayne sinnes, to dispense with the word of God, to make newe articles of faythe. &c. so dothe not the Archbyshop. To be shorte the Pope claymeth authoritie ouer kings and princes, and saithe that they haue autho∣ritie