An other of M. Doctors reasons, for to proue the Archbishop, is that, Cyrill maketh men∣tion of an high priest, where vnto I answere, that he that bringeth in a priest into the church, goeth about to burie our sauiour Christe: for although it might be proued that the worde Priest were the same with the Grekes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, yet (as shall appeare in his place) is the vse of this worde (priest) for a minister of the Gospell very daungerous. And as for him that bringeth in an high prieste into the Churche, he goeth about to put our sauiour Christe out of his office, who is proued in the Epistle to the Hebrues to be the onely high priest, and that there can be no more as long as the world endureth. And yet if all this were graunted, you are not yet come to that which you desire to proue, that is an Archbyshop. For if you looke in (*) 1.1. Theodoret you shall finde this worde 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth the high priesthood, to be nothing else but a byshopryke and in the seuenth chapter of that booke, and so forth diuers tymes, you shall haue 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 taken for a Bishop, as speaking of the councell of Nice, he sayth that there was 318. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 high priests. Now I thinke you wil not say there were 318. Archbishops, if you do, you are confuted, by all Ec∣clesiasticall wryters that euer I read, which speaking of them calleth them Byshops.
This name Priest is vsuallly applied to the minister of the Gospell, in all Hi∣stories, fathers and wryters of antiquitie. And the most of the latest writers do vse it, and make no great serupulositie in it, neyther doth the name Priest, burie our Saui∣our Christe, as long as it is vsed for a minister of the Gospell: neyther is there any daunger in it at all, as long as the office is lawfull.
Not onely Cyrill vseth this name (high Priest) but Tertull. also in his booke De* 1.2 Baptismo, where he sayeth that Episcopus, is, summus sacerdos, The Bishop is the hie Prieste, and in lyke manner Theodorete, as you here say, and yet none of them ment to de∣rogate any thing from the office of Christe.
I told you before how names proper to Christe, may be also attributed to men: this beyng graunted, I haue as much as I desire: for as the Bishop is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the respect of other Priestes that be inferiour vnto him, so is the chiefe Bishop called Archiepiscopus, in respect of other Bishops that be gouerned and dire∣cted by him. And as among the ministers there is one chéefe which is called a Bi∣shop,