Page:The Life of Sir Thomas More (William Roper, ed by Samuel Singer).djvu/176

 in no wise any thing minishe of that matter, of which thing his Highnes shewed me a secret cause, whereof I neuer had any thing herd before. But surely after that I had red his Grace's boke therein, and so many other thinges as I have sene in that point by this continuance of this vii yeres sins and more, I haue founden, in effect the substans of al that holy doctours fro Saint Ignatius disciple of Sainct John the Euangelist, vnto our owne daies both Latins and Grekes, so consonant and agreing in that point, and the thing by such general counsailes so confirmed also, that in good faith I neuer neither red nor hard any thing of such effect on the tother side, that euer could lead me to think that my conscience were wel discharged, but rather in right gret perill, if I shoulde follow the tother side and deny the primacy to be prouided bi God. Which if we did, yet can I nothing (as I shewed you) parceiue any commodite that euer could come by that denial. For that the primacy is at the least wise instituted by the corps of Christendome, and for a gret urgent cause in auoiding of scismis, and corroborate by continual succession more than the space of a thousande yere at the lest (for there are passed almost a thousand yeres sith the time of holy Saint Gregory.) And therefore sith al Cristendome is one corps, I cannot perceiue how any membre therof, may withoute the comon assent of the body, depart from the comon-hedde. And than if we maye not lawfully leue it by our self, I cannot perceiue but if the thing wer a treating in a general counsail, what the question could auaile, whither the primacy were instituted immediately by God, or ordeined by the churche. As for the generall counsails assembled lawfully, I neuer could perceiue but that in the declaration of the truth, it is to be beleved and to be standen to, the aucthoritie wherof ought to be taken for vndoutable. Or els were there in nothing no certeintie, but thorough Cristendome vpon euery man's affectionate reason al thinge might be brought fro day to day into continuall rufle and confusion. From which by the general counsailes, the spirite of God assisting euery such counsell wel assemblid, kepeth and euer shall kepe the corps of his catholick church. And verely, sith the Kinge's Highnes, hath (as by the boke of his honorable counsaile appeareth) appeled to the general counsaile from the Pope, in which counsaile I beseche our