The Practice of Prelates, Part 5
¶How the Bysshop of Rome became greater then other / and called him selfe Pope.
Thē quod worldly wisdō Hierusalē must be y• greatest for yt was christs sete, et factum …st, so it cā to passe for a seasō And in cōclusiō where a greate cytie was and much riches, ther was y• bis…hop ever greater then his fellowes. Alexander in Egypte / and Antioch in Grece / were greater then theyr neyghbours. Thē those decaying, Constātinople and Rome / waxed greate, and stroue who shuld be greater. And Constantinople sayd, where the Emperour is, there ought to be the greatest seat and chefest bisshop. For ye Emperour lay… most at Constantynople / because it was (I suppose) nygh the middes of the empyre, therfore I must be the greatest sayde the bisshope of Cōstātinople. Nay quod the bisshoppe of Rome, though the Emperour lye neuer so muche at constantinople yet he is called Emperour of Rome / & rome is the head of ye ēpyre, wherfor of right I muste be the Father of all waten. And thus whether they chalenged theyr title by ye aucthorite of God or man, or by peter or poulinge, it was all one: so they myghte be greatest.
And great intercession was made vntounto the Emperours of both parties: but in vayne a greate season / for the emperours stopped their eares at such ambicious requests longe time, tyll at the last there cam an Emperour called Phocas whyche laye long in Italy & was a very soft man & a praye for prelates.Phocas. Pope bon… face the …In whose time Boniface ye third was bysshop of Rome, a man ambicious & gready vponupon honour, & of a very subtil wit nothing inferiour vntounto Thomas wolf ser cardinall of yorcke. This Boniface was greate with the emperour Phocas, & with his wyly… persuasions & greate intercessiō together, obtayned of Phocas to be called ye chefest of all bysshops, & that his churche shulde be the chefe church. Which auctorite as sone as he had purchased / he sent immediatly his cōmādmēt wt the emperours power wherunto all the bisshopps of Almanye▪ … maūdi…g ye eueryevery bysshop shuld call all the priestes of his diocese,the chastit… of priestes how it came vp. & charge thē yt eueryevery man shuld put awaye his wyfe vnderunder payne of excōmunicatiō Which tyranny, thogh great resistaūce was made agaīst it / he yet brought to passe with the emperours swerde and his owne subtiltie to gether: for the Bysshops were rych and durst not displease the pope for feare of the Emperour.
As sone as Nemroth y• myghtie him … had caught this praye, that he had compelled all bysshops to be vnderunder hym and to swere obedyence vntounto hym / then he began to be greate in the earth, and called him self papa,Papa. wyth thys interpreca…yon / father of fathers. And when the Pope had exalted his throne aboue hys fellowes, then the vnitie that ought to be amonge bretheren in Chrystes Church, brake: and diuisyon begā betwene vsus and the grekes / which grekes (I suppose) were at that time the one half of chrystendome.Diuisiō in the church. And when any pope …ens exhorted them to vnitie they āswered that he which wyl reygne ouer hys bretherē wt violēce breaketh vnitie / & not they / & yt they wyl not be vnderunder hys tyrannye whervnto he calleth them vnd a colour of vnite. And from hense forth with the helpe of his bisshops, which were sworne t… be true lyg… men vntounto him, when before tyme they were admitted to their bisshoprikes of ye emperours and kinges, he began to ley abayte to catch the hole Empyre into his handes also.