committed the office to instruct the people, and the whole charge and
setting forth of religion. Yet notwithstanding, we say that there
neither is, nor can be any one man, which may have the whole superiority
in this universal state: for that Christ is ever present to assist His
Church, and needeth not any man to supply His room, as His only heir to
all His substance: and that there can be no one mortal creature, which is
able to comprehend or conceive in his mind the universal Church, that is
to wit, all the parts of the world, much less able rightly and duly to
put them in order, and to govern them rightly and duly. For all the
Apostles, as Cyprian saith, were of like power among themselves, and the
rest were the same that Peter was, and that it said indifferently to them
all, "feed ye;" indifferently to them all, "go into the whole world;"
indifferently to them all, "teach ye the Gospel." And (as Hierom saith)
all bishops wheresoever they be, be they at Rome, be they at Eugubium, be
they at Constantinople, be they at Rhegium, be all of like pre-eminence,
and of like priesthood. And, as Cyprian saith, there is but one
bishopric, and a piece thereof is perfectly and wholly holden of every
particular bishop. And according to the judgment of the Nicene Council,
we say, that the Bishop of Rome hath no more jurisdiction over the Church
of God than the rest of the patriarchs, either of Alexandria, or of
Antiochia have. And as for the Bishop of Rome, who now calleth all
matters before himself alone, except he do his duty as he ought to do,
except he minister the Sacraments, except he instruct the people, except
he warn them and teach them, we say that he ought not of right once to be
called a bishop, or so much as an elder. For a bishop, as saith
Augustine, is a name of labour, and not of honour: because he will have
that man understand himself to be no bishop, which will seek to have pre-
eminence, and not to profit others. And that neither the Pope, nor any
other worldly creature can no more be head of the whole Church, or a
bishop over all, than he can be the bridegroom, the light, the salvation,