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,
and life of the Church. For the privileges and names belong only to
Christ, and be properly and only fit for him alone. And that no Bishop
of Rome did ever suffer himself to be called by such a proud name before
Phocas the emperor's time, who, as we know, by killing his own sovereign
Maurice the emperor, did by a traitorous villainy aspire to the empire
about the six hundredth and thirteenth year after Christ was born. Also
the Council of Carthage did circumspectly provide, that no bishop should
be called the highest bishop or chief priest. And therefore, sithence
the Bishop of Rome will nowadays so be called, and challengeth unto
himself an authority that is none of his; besides that he doth plainly
contrary to the ancient councils, and contrary to the old fathers; we
believe that he doth give unto himself, as it is written by his own
companion Gregory, a presumptuous, a profane, a sacrilegious, and an
antichristian name: that he is also the king of pride, that he is
Lucifer, which preferreth himself before his brethren: that he hath
forsaken the faith, and is the forerunner of Antichrist.

Further we say, that the minister ought lawfully, duly, and orderly to be
preferred to that office of the Church of God, and that no man hath power
to wrest himself into the holy ministry at his own pleasure and list.
Wherefore these persons do us the greater wrong, which have nothing so
common in their mouths, as that we do nothing orderly and comely, but all
things troublesomely and without order; and that we allow every man to be
a priest, to be a teacher, and to be an interpreter of the Scriptures.

Moreover, we say that Chri