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The occasion of these speeches of Gregory against this title of Vniversall Bishop, was the pride of Iohn, who was Patriarch of the Church of Constantinople, who did indea∣vor to draw that title vnto himselfe, against which Gregory as you see excepteth, and would not that either Iohn, or any other should vsurpe that name. And as Gregory
withstood it then, so doe we now; & set him against the Church of Rome, as opposite to it. The Papists finding Gregories testimo∣nies true, doe yet put a difference (in secreat meaning) betweene the power and authority which Iohn intended by it for himselfe, and that which they intend by it for the Pope: which is this. Iohn (say they) by striuing for that title attributed it so vnto himselfe, that he meant to be called Bishop alone, so as Bishopricke should bee taken away from all other; and to be such an one as is a Bishop alone and altogether and only, so as there be no other Bishop besides him: finally, that Bi∣shop Vniversall by Gregory, is as much as al Bishops; whereas we giuing it to the Pope, de∣barre not others from being Bishops, or the Church from hauing such, but make him V∣niversall Bishop, over and aboue all other, as being the highest of all, and hauing power over all other Bishops. Therefore the autho∣ritie of Gregory is in this case very imperti∣nētly alleaged against the Pope, who doth not take it in that nature wherein Iohn would haue vsurped it, but rightly vseth it, accor∣ding to Gregories meaning. Thus say they; but here is a bare, a naked, and an idle spe∣culation
of their owne braine. For it shal ap∣peare notwithstanding this fond illation of theirs from the very text and tenor of Gre∣gories wordes by the precedent authorities, and some more of his consequent, that Iohn never meant, nor Gregory never so did vn∣derstand him, as that he would be vniversal Bishop, thereby to take away all other, but e∣ven as the Bishop of Rome now doth, thereby to bring the rest in subiection vnto him. Which if it be so, then is not the autohrity answered, but they condemned by the ver∣dict of their great S. Gregory, who is in time from vs more then 1000 yeares.