Clement was ordeyned vniuersall Byshoppe of all churches but onelye the byshoppe of the church of Rome Besides this if Clement was made Byshoppe of Rome by Peter as you saye he was and not chosen of the people no doubt hys successors woulde haue folowed the same example whiche thyng they dyd not and therefore it is false that Peter made hym Byshoppe I will passe ouer that neither Eusebius neither Hierome number these Epistles amongest Clementes workes Yea Clement hym selfe in these Epistles prayseth a boke that he shoulde write the title wherof is Itinerarium Clementis whiche boke of trueth was neuer of hys makynge And furthermore thys boke maketh mencion of dioceses archbyshoprikes primacies and bishoprikes whiche orders and names were not yet distincted and appoynted out neyther doeth he anye thyng els in these Epistles but set forth the dignitie and fredome of priestes whome he wyll haue so free that they shall not intermedle themselues with anye handycraft for a profe of the which absurditie he citeth certayne places of holye scriptures wrythed beyond the nocke More ouer in his second Epistle he is so bolde to teach Iames of what sorte he shoulde minister the Sacramentes And yet that fashioÌ„ is not obserued thys daye namely in the administracion of the lordes supper Furthermore none of the auncient writers make any mencion of these Epistles neither yet of them y t Anacletus or Euaristus should wryte He citeth out of the newe and olde testament that it is not laweful for priestes to sacrifice or syng masse but when the Byshoppe commaundeth them which thynge can neither be founde in the newe neither in the olde testament In the fyft Epistle he affirmeth that all thynges wyfes and other shoulde be common and that yf it be not so it commeth of the wyckednes of menne There bee also in thesame Epistles many other folishe thynges and lyes whiche he rehersed but bycause ye maye read them your selfe I wyll reherse no more Master Pseudologus shewed also certeyne other epistles wrytten as he sayed by Anacletus and Euaristus whereby he minded to stablysh this popeshippe But thimbassadour proued by good reasons that they all were of none authoritie because that it is conteined in them that Clement should be his predecessor which thing Hierome denieth also Ireneus Further he would not y t priestes should be accused or iudged for a profe wherof allegeth y e scriptures with out iudgemeÌ„t or reasoÌ„ he wil haue Byshoppes iudges in seculer matters and that euery manne maye apeale to them When it is well knowen that that thynge was neuer graunted vnto them before the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour and agayne he sayeth that Cephas signifieth a head where as in dede it signifieth a stone And furthermore I can proue the Epistles of Euaristus to be of none authoritie not onely by that he bryngeth manye sentences of scripture sasly writhed y t priestes should not be accused of any lay meÌ„ but also because he writeth ad Gallium BarduaÌ„ two Counsels in whose tyme Anacletus was Byshop of Rome not Euaristus which thing is euident by the histories Master Pseudolog us blushed was ashamed wonderfully when these thinges were layd to his charge because he appeared openlye to all mens sight to haue played a false parte whiche thinge when the embassador of Antioche perceyued he left hym as he was and gaue place to the imbassador of HierusaleÌ„ who spake than wonderfully in this wise There is no doubt but that Christ who was the chiefe and vniuersall Byshop of hys churche preached his gospell chiefely at HierusaleÌ„ in y e which place he was contented to dye for our sakes And this is also certaine y t Iames succeded in hys roume who was nexte Byshoppe in Hierusalem after Christ. Wherfore yf there shoulde be any supreme vniuersall and visible head stablished in yearth of the church of Christ militant because it is sufficiently proued that Peter was not the chiefe Byshoppe our Byshoppes of Hierusalem oughte to be Popes and not the Byshoppes of Rome For you woulde haue your Byshoppes of Rome to be Popes because of none other reason but that they succeded Peter we maye muche the better chalenge oure Byshoppes of Hierusalem to bee chiefe Byshoppes because they succeded Christ in so muche as Christ is greater and more excellente then Peter As touching Christe it is knowen ryght well that he was the vniuersall head of hys churche and that he was crucified in Hierusalem And more ouer not onely Paule nameth Iames first before Peter and Iohn but also in the first consell of the Apostles where as Peter Paule Barnabas and the rest of the Apostles speake he as their heade and iudge sayed his mynde laste whiche was aproued of all thapostles and of the whole congregation And it is not to be doubted but that if the church of Hierusalem be the mother as she is in dede of all other churches and of whome all other churches had theyr beginninge wherefore she ought to bee called mother as it was determyned in Nicene counsell Then muste the byshop of Hierusalem as the spouse of the churche be called the vniuersall father of all other churches and the chiefe byshoppe and byshoppe ouer all other byshops as your Clement calleth hym in hys fyrste epistle if it bee hys as you doe alledge Then thus he sayed These wordes haue I spoken not that I thinke oure byshoppes to bee highest by any meanes for Christe onely is thuniuersall head of hys churche who is onelye sufficient but to declare vnto you by a certayne suer reason if there muste bee anye supreme heade in earthe thesame ought rather by right belonge to our byshop then to the byshop of Rome Ye maye nowe see howe muche vanitie there is in your reasons when our reasons bee so sclender and yet better then yours For Christe made neither Peter neither Iames y â— supreme head of his churche And yet in the fyrste counâ—ell of the Apostles Iames sayed hys mynde laste as byshop of Hierusalem and Paule nameth hym before Peter and Iohn But it followeth not therefore that he was vniuersall byshop aboue all other byshops Notwithstanding this one thinge is trewe that our churche muste be called the mother of all other churches not that it ought to gouerne all other churches as you make your argument Whiche thinge canne not be but because all other churches had theyr originall and fyrste begynnynge of it Wherefore oure byshoppes haue the fyrst place in the counsell appoynted vnto them and bee called bishops of the fyrst seate because of the estimacion of the citie wherein Christe was put to deathe But they muste not therefore bee called the byshops of other byshoppes and the vniuersall heades of the churche of Christe The imbassadour of Alexandrya interrupted thys imbassadour of hys tale sayinge What nede we so many wordes in so playne a matter Yf the byshoppes of Rome had receaued thys
in this poynt euen as the mother after she hathe conceaued and brought forth a childe she is alwayes the childes mother be she neuer so euell neither can the Emperour cause her leaue of to bee a mother or make her not to haue had a chylde whome she hathe brought forthe because that thinge is once done and past of a lyke sorte after that I am once made the mother of al other churches that by Themperors authorite Themperour can not bring it to passe with al the power he hath that I shal not be euermore the mother of them whome I haue begotten The people ▪ And howe may it bee that you haue begotten al churches when it is euident that ther was a great number before you yea and that you wer begotten of other The churche O braynles head Knowest thou not that when Christ honge vpon the crosse and shewed Iohn to hys mother and sayed woman beholde thy sonne forthwith he was made her trewe and naturall sonne so that after those wordes once pronounced it shall be alwayes trewe that Iohn was borne of her Now of the same fashion when the Emperor sheweth vnto me all churches and saythe behold thy doughters by by am I made theyr trew lawfull naturall mother And then began thys sentence fyrst to be trewe that they were all borne of me and therfore canne it not bee but that I begat them and am theyr mother for euer The people Chryste by thys worde mynded to declare nothynge els to his mother but that she should from thence forward take Iohn in stede of her sōne and that he should take Mary in stede of his mother as he alwayes dyd but his mynde was not that she shoulde be Iohns naturall mother as she was that conceaued and bare him The churche Loe nowe ye come in with your tropes and figures the wordes of Christe are simply to bee vnderstanded Christ sayd to hys mother behold thy sonne and he sayd to Iohn beholde thy mother so that it folowethe wel Mary was Iohns very trew mother and Iohn was Maries very trewe sonne but howe this thinge may be it behoueth vs not curiosly to serche Of a lyke fashion the wordes which Christe spake at hys last supper when he there ministred to his disciples taking breade into his handes and deliuerynge it broken to them that sat with him sayinge this is my body be semply and planly to be vnderstanded that is to say that the bread is the very body of Christe and not the breade is a figure of the body of Christ of the very same fashion the Emperours wordes muste be taken when he shewed me all churches sayinge behold thy doughters these wordes must be vnderstanded plainly as they stand wherfore I conclude that they be my trewe lawfull doughtets and I am theyr mother The people What when you neuer begat them I neither knewe nether cold beleue that the Emperoure had euer any such authority that he could make that thīg to be done which was neuer done in this world that is to say that he could make you brīg forth those churches which ye neuer brought forth Yf themperour haue so greate power that he canne make those thinges to haue ben whiche were neuer no doubt he can bring to passe also that those thinges were neuer which haue ben and so may he cause also that ye neuer wer neither euer shal be theyr mother I woulde very fayne that ye coulde perswad thesame thinge which ye tolde me to your monkes and prestes that is that the wordes of Christ are simply to be vnderstāded without any trope or figure as this other saiing of Christ is some there be whiche haue geldyd thēselues for the kingedō of god for takinge it plainly they would gelde themselues and let my women alone vndefiled neither would they be stayned with so much wicked filthines which thynge they should more willynglye do for that they so frowardlye defend that they wyll take no wyues To possesse thynges not nedefull appereth to me not only superfluose but also folyshe Thys woulde I lerne of you when themperour sayed vnto you beholde thy doughters what thīg was it y t he shewed vnto you The churche All churches The people The churches of Christ or the churches of the Deuell The curche I am indifferent The people If it be as you saye I thynke he shewed vnto you the churches of Satan As touchynge my parte I dare boldly saye there is no cause why I should reioyse in this dignitie but rather lament for wheras before I was your onelye sonne and heyre now when ye haue a meany of doughters ye must giue to euery one of thē theyr dowery so that I shal remayne a beggar The church Naye thou shalt bee rychest of all other knowe ye not the fashion of the turkes which selleth theyr doughters for a certaine sūme of money to thē that shal be theyr husbandes so will I sell my churches and byshoprikes to them that will giue moste money and so shall the spoyle of all other prouinces come immediatly to Rome The people Then will ye commit simonie and norishe a den of theues The churche I tolde thee afore that I can not erre and so must thou beleue if thou wilt be accounted my sonne yea although thou sawest me commit dayly all kindes of abhominacion The peo This cānot be except I lose my fiue wittes The churche Naye I woulde ye shoulde not onelye be persuadyd that I cannot erre but also that I am most holy ought to be called most holy after such a sort that he which nameth me holy not most holy is to be thought not to speake of me The people Then when the Apostles in the Crede saye we muste beleue one holy churche wee must not thynke that sayng to belong to you But I heard say not longe agone a thynge more to bee wondered at that our Byshop is made most holy of all and moste blissed of all other a goddes name The churche Thou hittest the nayle on the head The people Then as concerning holynes he shal be superior to Christ who by the authoritie of scripture is named holy of holies but this good blode of ours is called by the mouthes of mē most holy Therefore should he not desire to come into heauē For be it that he were there euen nowe more then blissed should he not be and being in yearth he is accountyd most blissed Wherfore he should not ascende to a higher state of felicitie but rather descende to a lower And it is maruayle yf thangelles and Saynctes whiche be in heauen come not with spede to Rome and there begynne to sue for thys dignitie of the Byshopryke of Rome that they may be made more blissed and more holy then they nowe be I heard more ouer that he is declared the head of all other churches Thechurch So it is in dede The people Had not then the misticall bodye of the
a heuy thing for me if Rome shoulde be turned into Troy The curche Besides this noble dignitie of our byshop I am to muche occupied with an infinite number of matters of ceremonies of sutes and controuersies of other prophane thiÌ„ges that I haue no time left to scratch my head wherfore now wil I forsake you But I wyll tel you one thyng yet before I goe Sence this man was created pope I haue ben wonderfully vexed and sicke bothe in body and soule euen as though I had dronke a pocion of poyson And I canne not well tell whether I gat thys sycknes of to muche ioy wherewith I was replenyshed by the reason of the greatnes of my promocion or elles of thintollerable burden of businesses which grow towardes me dayly Nowe haue I nothinge elles to saye but that I offer my newe kindes of marchandise to bee solde to you before other and that better chepe than any straunger shall haue them The people I thanke you for youre marchant lyke ciuilitie and agayne I offer vnto you my fauor and all my strength and power to defend and increase the greatnes of your honour The Pope Mans Iudgement The people of Rome The Pope AT the last we be come to thys highe honor whiche we haue so much desired and that is more to bee wondered at by the whole consent of all the people of Rome I would neuer haue thought suche a numbre of the nobilitie woulde haue come to gratifie me and to increase my ioye They thynke verely that thys oure promocion shall increase and amplifie their ryches and power not a litle But I am informed for a certayntie that many foren churches were muche vexed therwith namelye suche as bee of the East partes Wherfore we vnderstande that they sende embassadors what they bee I can not tell to replye agaynst the thynge and it maye so be that they wyll dryue the matter to a disputacion Now is it therfore necessarie for vs to arme our selues for oure defence and as in a matter of great weyghte and importaunce to vse a wittie counsell Wherfore mans iudgement who art one of my pryuye counsell with thee I thynke it best to consult Mans iudge Truely sir I haue tossed turned al this matter in my minde agayne and agayne after long and earnest fantasyinge I conclude that there is no more presente remedie to preserue increase and establish thys your promocion kingdom and authoritie then to contend and earnestly to stand in it that it is not the ordinaunce of man but of God So that it is Christ hymself who hath ordeined you to be supreme head of the churche and that with a whole fulnes of power otherwyse shall ye hange alwayes vpon the Emperour who hath placed you in this highe estate of honoure by that meanes as he once gaue it you so maye he agayne take it awaye from you Moreouer your Empier and authoritie cannot be stretched out further then the coastes of the Empier of Rome extendith besydes thys all ChristendoÌ„ wyll laugh to scorne thys fayned and conterfect dominion Crying out that Christe is the supreme head of his churche and that he alone is able ynoughe to gouerne it well with out the helpe of an other head or of any other deceyptfull manne as he hath by hys ministers gouerned it hetherto But yf ye contende earnestly that it is Christ who hath put you in thys place ye shall bothe be deliuered from hanging vpon the Emperour and shall also be as farre aboue hym as holy and spirituall matters are to be preferred to matters prophane and worldely So that your authoritie being by thys meanes established ye shall enter into all the coastes of the yearth There shal be no Christian men in the worlde but when they shall bee persuaded that Christe was the author of thys ordinaunce who hath made you his vicar of whome ye haue receyued thys highe authoritie but they wyll come to you of their owne swynge as thoughe they would wurship this Godhead of yours in earth and wyll glorye that they maye obey you The Pope I woulde alowe thys counsell of yours very well yf it might be brought to passe by any meanes that I coulde persuade so manifest a vanitie to the worlde Mans iudge The folishenes of manne is growen so farre nowe accompanied with a wonderfull deceyt and wickednes I of my selfe am so subtile craftie that me thynketh it a thyng easie to persuade yea and that I nowe see the meanes howe The Pope I desire of all loues that ye wyll tell me by some inkeling what thyng it is that ye euen nowe mused vpon for ye may well know that it is my ioy to talke of suche thynges Mans iudge Yf there coulde bee one iote founde in the holy scripture wherupon wee myght leane for a profe that Paule the Apostle was ordeyned of God to bee supreme and vniuersall head of the churche militant yea thoughe it semed writhed and wrasted with the braakes of your authoritie and drawen by violence to our purpose agaynst the naturall sence yet so that there were some likeâ—yhod therin the victorye were ours For it is euident by the worde of god that Paule was some tyme at Rome thoughe he were then in prison yet shall wee persuade by all meanes possible that he was made Byshop of thys Citie whose office and dignitie you haue by inheritaunce and succeâ—syon obteyned I haue occupied my fantasie to and fro and haue chewed thys question diligently and so at the last I perceyue that there be many wordes in the holy scripture whiche with a litle wrasting woulde make the blinde ignoraunt common people gyue credite to thys vayne opinion that Paule was the chiefe of all the Apostles and vniuersall head of all the churches of Christe And yet shall we not therfore obteyne all our purpose For the selfe same holy scripture is in other places directlye and in playne wordes againste vs. Forasmuche as it is euident that Paule thapostle was none of the twelue Apostles of Christ yea and when Christ was here in earthe he was his enemie and persecutor and afterwarde also a certayne space Neither is it lykelye that Christ woulde ascende into heauen but woulde first well forsee to his churche and leaue vnto it one certayne head to be hys vicar occupie hys rowme Thys thyng was very necessary for him to doe This last reason must we alleage earnestly and defende it stoutly yf we intende to obtayne oure purpose But nowe haue I deuised a farre better waye There bee many places in the gospell whiche may easly be writhed to oure purpose That is to saye wherby some likelyhod maye be alleged that Peter thapostle was pronounced chiefe of the apostles by Christ his owne mouth and was created supreme head of his church militant Nowe yf we coulde bring hym to Rome make hym Byshop of thys citie it shall bee an easie thing to persuad that you be
saye the perticular he receaued of men whereby he was the Bishoppe of Rome The people I haue sene amongest them which professe mounkâ—y when they goe on theyr general visitacion of y e prouinces coÌ„mitted to their charge they wil not bee so generall prouincials that they wyll take vpon them to remoue them away whome they find but suffer theÌ„ to remayne and do their office as they did before and they also be contented with theyr office of visitacion Of a like sorte me thinketh if Christ had ordeyned Peter a vniuersall byshope of all other bishoppes his deutie should be to visit all other churches and yet to leaue euery byshop remayninge in his owne diocese and he himselfe to bee contented with his owne office and regarde nothinge to bee created byshop of euery sundry church But I pray you thys one thinge was Peter a bishope before he was made byshope of Rome and Antioche or not The pope He was but yet a generall byshope of the whole churche of Christe and no seuerall bishoppe of Rome or Antioche The people Then was he called an vniuersall Byshop of Christe and of hys churche by the means wherof he was called a christian byshope and not the bishop of Rome The Pope It is verye trewe as ye say The people Nowe maruayle I very muche whie after he was made byshoppe of Rome he refused the fyrst tytle and receaued the latter seinge that hys last byshoprike was no cause why he should lose the first that not withstandinge he woulde no more be called the chiefe Christian byshop but the byshop of Rome And yet without controuersy the fyrste tytle is more worthy tytle then is the latter And as for the fyrste name and tytle he had it of Christe the latter of man Yf Peter at any tyme woulde haue receyued and allowed to bee called the chiefe christian Byshoppe suerlye youre predecessours woulde haue vsurped and challenged thesame title Which thing because it is not done but they be called y e bishoppes of Rome many men will thinke that neither they neyther any of theyr predecessors were euer vniuersall byshoppe of all churches For if that had so been trewely they woulde haue chaunged the perticular title with the more general and more worthye title or at the leste wayes youre holynes shoulde nowe at the last begyn to be called neither the chiefe nether the Romish byshop but a Christian bishop of Christ and of his congregacion and create some priuat bishoppe of Rome in youre stede The Pope Ye canne not perswade vs to be so much a fole that we will refuse the byshoprike of Rome to runne invisitacion of churches hether thither lyke Egiptyans We wyll holde faste thys byshoprike of Rome and further more we will be and require so to be accounted the supreme head of all other byshops The people As for my parte I am right well contented and satisfied how so euer the matter goe neyther did I moue thys matter for any other purpose but because that name and title of a Christian byshoppe semeth to me muche more excellent then to be called byshope of Rome But and it may like your holynes was Peter the fyrste byshoppe of Rome The Pope That is without question The People Suerly I maruayle muche that Paule was so notable an Apostle and so muche estemed before Peter and yet was not made byshop of Rome And another thing I meruayle at muche more that althoughe the churche of Christe was at Rome yea and that many yeres before Paule came thether and many wyse and godly men were in it as it appereth in the Epistle whiche Paule wrote specially to them wher he saluteth them by name yet that theyr church was so euell ordered that it lacked a byshope The Pop. There were byshoppes there but Peter was not the first byshop of Rome but the first chiefe bishoppe of all other and he made an ordinance that all byshops of Rome which should afterward folow hym should also be y e highest bishops aboue all other The people Uerely I can not see from whence Peter had this authoritie to make suche an ordinance that all bishops of Rome shoulde be Popes and vicars of Christ althoughe they were wicked helhoundes me thinketh it had ben done accordinge to iustice equitie if any shoulde be ordeyned byshoppe aboue all other bishops and churches thesame should be chosen by the consent of all byshops and all churches And thys thinge is moste of all to be maruayled at howe it may come to passe that all your predecessors from Peter euen vntill thys day were highest byshoppes and heade of all churches and yet vsed not they this authorytie no there was neuer communicacion of it before thys presente The Pope Neuer thinke that that is so as thoughe they were not chiefe byshoppes in very dede but because it was not nedeful for them to vse theyr authoritie and of a certayne modestie they declared not theÌ„ selues chiefe bishopes as they were But nowe there bee so manye heresies arisen in the churche of god suche sundrye sectes and dissencions that we haue thought it necessary for a remedy agaynste so many mischefes to declare oure selues what power we haue by Christe so to vse oure most high authoritie The people I vnderstande you well Namelye because the chiefe byshoppes of Rome as I heare saye can not erre This one thing also can I not hyde whiche semeth to me sumwhat yf they haue receaued thys high authority of Christ they ought by no meanes to kepe it secrete and hid but to disclose it to the whole world whether they vsed it or not accordinge as the circumstances of thinges parsons tymes and places shoulde requier and that shoulde the more diligentlye haue bene done for that it is nowe opened with a greate offence of all good and godly menne and the worst poynt of all is that men be not so folishe nowe a dayes that they wyll gyue anye credyt vnto you But I as a good child of your holines will alwaies shewe my selfe obedient and redy to beleue you And because I woulde trouble youre holynes no longer with your blessed license I will departe The pope And we now geue the our blyssing frely Thomas Massuccius the master of the horse Lepidus the Popes chamberlayne Mas. YOnder I see master Lepidus commynge hastely and cherfully out of themperours courte I will wayte vpon hym to knowe whether he bringe vs any good tydinges God saue you master Lepidus Suerly you brynge vs some good newes as a man would iudge by your countenance ye seme so pleasant and mery Lepidus I haue so much ioye trussed vp in this brest of myne that I can scarsly staye my selfe within my skynne Mas. As nobell hartes of the worlde may bee estemed so muche the more happie the larger they spred abrode theyr happie state and felicitie Wherfore I beseche you vouchesafe to tell me wherof this ioy of yours ariseth that youre ioy may bee
Rome intendeth to attayne to the dignitie of y e chiefe priest and supreme head of Christes churche his studie is nothyng els but to make himselfe equall with Christ in spirtie knowledge vertue power and in all other giftes and graces Now whether thys be a blasphemous mynde or not iudge you For that man which hath not the spirite of god is not worthie to be called a membre of Christe or a prieste or els a christian manne No he is not worthie the name of a manne for hys greuouse offences Yea he ought to bee banyshed from all christian mennes company be excomunicated from the churche of Christe Yt can not be without a merueylous heynouse offence and a deuillishe pride ones to be so bolde to desire to haue the title of the supreme head of the churche of Christe Where as Paule describeth y e true image of y e church of Christe he sayeth Christe is ascended on highe and hath gyuen giftes to menne some to be Apostles some to be Prophetes some to bee Euangelistes and some to be Doctors And it is not to be doubted but he would also haue ordeined some other supreme head in earthe yf he had iudged it a thyng necessary And the holygoost in thys place whiche should haue made so muche for thys purpose woulde not onely haue expressed the thyng by the mouthe of Paule but also woulde haue named thys chiefe dignitie When Paule myndeth to persuade the Ephesians to remayne together in one spirite knyt with the bonde of peace the argumentes that he vseth be these saying that yf they be true christiaÌ„ men they be thevery membres of one body and they all haue one spirite euen as they all be called to one ende and haue one Lorde Iesus Christe one fayth one baptisme one onely god and eternall father No doubt he woulde haue also sayed in thys place and they haue one Byshope in earth who kepeth the churche of Christ in order and concorde yf he had euer mynded to appoynt suche a byshop Mas. Yf Paule had euer spoken such wordes he had lyed galantly For the bishops of Rome wil indeuour themselues to the vttermost of their power to moue coÌ„tencion and to set christian princes together by the â—ares for their owne inrichynge Lepidus That thyng maye chaunce to bee true But I praye you let me tell on my tale Then thimbassador sayed furthermore yt is not vnknowen vnto you that when the congregacion of the Corynthians auaunced themselues some time in the name of Peter some tyme in the name of Paule and some tyme of Apollo Paule chid theÌ„ bitterly for so doing he sayd not I wyll not haue you thiÌ„ke here after y t I am the head of the churche neither yet Apollo But Peter onely But he rather concluded all maner of men and sayed thus What were you baptised in the name of Paule was Paule euer crucified for you as though he had sayed Truely ye bee neitheir baptized in the name of Paule neither in the name of Peter neither of Apollo neither was there any of theÌ„ crucified for you but ye be baptized in Christs name only Only he suffered for you death vpon the crosse Onely he hath redemed you and saued you from sinne Onely he is your head from the which all heauenly giftes desceÌ„d Onely he is your lyghte youre wisdome youre lyfe your saluacion and therfore muste ye acknowledge hym onely and alone to bee youre supreme head in whose name only ye must reioyce And theÌ„ to knyt vp his disputacioÌ„ He sayd not maÌ„ must esteme and take Apollo and me for the ministers of Christ and Peter for the lorde and mayster but putting Peter and him selfe and Apollo altogether he sayed Man must take vs as the ministers of Christ. And in thys poynt he agreeth with the doctrine of Christ who perceyuing his Apostles to contend amonge themselues for the highest place because they herd saye that Iames Iohn had obteyned a prerogatiue of Christe by the procurement of theyr mother that one of them should sytte at his ryght hande and the other at hys lefte he sayd ye knowe ryght well that the prynces of nacioÌ„s beare lordelye rule and menne of power doe exercise their myght ouer them But it shall not be so amoÌ„gest you But he that wyll be greater amongest you shall be youre minister he that wyll be chiefe amongest you shal be your seruannt For the sonne of manne came not to bee serued of other but to serue other hym selfe and to geue hys soule for a redemption for many Wherby it is easie to perceiue y t the church of Christ is al together spiritual And it is not possible y t any maÌ„ caÌ„ be a true priest neither a true christian manne in this spirituall churche of Christe onles he haue the spirite of god and he is to be thought greater that is more inriched with strength and habundaunce of the spirite So that for asmuche as Christe onely hathe the greatest plentifulnes of the spirite he muste without controuersy be iudged and estemed the chiefe and head preste of al other Wherfore yf the byshoppe of Rome desier the place of the chiefe byshoppe he muste of necessitie haue greatest haboundance of the spirite euen as Christe had and then when he is equall with Christe he shall also be chiefe byshoppe and chiefe heade equal with Christ but this also is necessary to bee knowen that the dominion of the spirite is verye diuerse and contrary eueÌ„ as Christ taught to y e dominion of y e flesh for amoÌ„gest carnall men suche as haue more riches more streÌ„gth more fauour amoÌ„gest meÌ„ more freÌ„dshipes more nobilitie of bloud they be y e lordes ouer other they coÌ„mauÌ„d they haue other ministers to theÌ„ they be honoured and obeyed many times they oppresse the weaker and vse tyranny ouer them But it is coÌ„trarywise in the spirituall churche of Christe for such as haue greater light of the spirite they be higher and greater And they that bee suche serue all other by the helpe of the spirite as menne that hath receyued greater gyftes of god more light of knowledge more grace more spirite and a greater talent So that he which hath receaued more habouÌ„dance of the spirite helpeth more and serueth more the necessities of other and setteth forthe the glory of god more plentifully And because Christe had most singular plenty of the spirite therfore came not he to bee serued but to serue for the helth of his chosen Yea he serued all without excepcion and that also humblinge himselfe extremely vntyll that he moued of an exceding greate loue spent hys own life vpon the crosse Therefore woulde Christe haue it knowen to hys chosen that yf ye wil haue a trew nobilitie and worthynes ye muste haue a spirite Christe abused not this spirituall greatnes of hys whiche was in the highest degre of honour therby to chalenge anye
authoritie at Christes hand y t they should be chief byshops gouernours of al other bishops as you say al churches and theyr byshops with theÌ„ the church of Rome onely excepted had ben from the deathe of christe vntill thys daye euer styll heretikes and scismatikes because they neuer acknowledged hym to be theyr supreme heade And moreouer all counsels whiche hathe ben holden vntill this day should haue bene but deuelish metynges because they neyther alowed neither declared the byshoppe of Rome to be Christes vicar and the supreme head of hys church But Nicene counsell chiefly shoulde haue ben deuelysâ—e not onely because it gaue not the fyrste place to the byshope of Rome but the fourth but also much more because they toke so greate and so heauenly a power awaye from hym the best parte whereof they gaue to oure byshoppe of Alexandria who had the charge committed vnto hym of the churches in the Easte parties vnto whome he was appoynted gouernor And the counsell of Affrike should haue passed all other in heresie wherein it was establyshed that the byshop of the fyrste seat ought not to be called the heade priest chiefe byshoppe neither by anye such lyke tytle but chiefely because there was an ordinaunce made in expresse wordes that the byshop of Rome by name muste not be called the vniuersall byshop This is very certayne if the byshopes receyued thys monarchie of god then were these counselles deuelyshe whyche toke thys diuine power away from them Cyprian also shoulde hauebene an heretike not onelye because he callethe the Byshop of Rome brother in hys epistles which he wrot vnto him but muche more because he maynteyneth with S. Augustine that there is none which is byshop of other byshops and that it is a greate tyranny to desier to be lorde ouer other byshoppes And also youre S. Gregory shoulde not onely not haue ben a sayncte but also an extreme wicked and a condempned parsone For he wryteth expresly that he which woulde bee byshop of all other byshoppes shall not haue the place of Christ in earthe but of Lucifer and shal bee very antichriste hymselfe And further he bryngeth in a number of inconueniences whiche shoulde insewe yf the byshoppe of Rome shoulde take vpon hym the dygnitie of the chyefe byshoppe as thoughe it were by the lawe of god Then thus he sayed Seing then that thys your primacie is not godly nor of God ye must of force grauÌ„t that it is either of manne or els of the deuill But it is not of manne as I wyll proue by stronge reasons wherfore it is of the deuyll That it is not of manne thys wyll I proue The Emperour hymselfe can not gyue vnto you anye spirituall power For you youre selues graunte that thys dignitie whiche ye haue is not geuen you of the Emperour but of Christ. Wherfore ye must acknowledge Christ to be your supreme head as all other Byshoppes doth who confesse not that they receyued thys spirituall authoritie that they haue either of the Byshoppe of Rome or elles of the Emperour but of Christe onely So that the Emperour can not gyue vnto you any dominion or power sauinge that whiche is temporall and that onely in suche countreyes as be vnder hys gouernaunce Seing then he hathe no dominion either in Asia or eles in Affrike He caÌ„ not make you superiours to vs neyther haue we anye nede to haue you to be our gouernours the princes that we haue be sufficient for our tuicion He maye gyue vnto you some temporall power but yet only in such prouiÌ„ces as be vnder him in Europa but he can not gyue you the chiefe place onles he will willingly forsake his empire sette you in hys place and make you aboue hym selfe Ye crye and saye that ye be Christes Uicars truely yf ye bee Christes Uicars ye would indeuour your selues earnestly to folowe hym When the Iewes would haue made hym a kynge he fled and woulde not receyue that dignitie But you be farre from folowynge hys example whose Uicars ye seme to be that ye procured wonderful ambiciously thys chiefe supreme dygnitie contrary the expresse worde of Christ who perceyuing the Apostles to conteÌ„d which of them should be aboue other he sayed vnto them playnly he would not haue them stryue to be lordes and beare rule as the princes of thys world but rather to serue Christ him selfe as longe as he was here in earthe woulde take no temporall dominion vpon him that he might holly be bent to the sauinge of soules and that no let shoulde hinder him in settinge forthe the Gospel But you as though ye were superiours to Christ will like tyrauntes with the offence of all the whole worlde chalenge vnto you an vniuersall dominioÌ„ Seing theÌ„ thys primacie of yours is neither of God neither of manne ye must nedes graunt that it is of the deuil Wherfore we all as many as be here together protest with one assent and voyce in the name of oure churches that we wyll not admit thys primacie we alow it not neither wil grauÌ„t we theruÌ„to But vtterlye and exepresly we condempne it we wyll not obey it but wil withstaÌ„d this vnbridled terannye of yours to the vttermost of our powers Then arose master Gooplanus a stout proctour of the Pope thus he began Our chiefe bishop quod he hath not takeÌ„ this high dignitie vpon hym to the intent to offende you spoile you or to excercise any teraÌ„ny ouer you but onlye to defende you to endewe you with honor and to profit you and to enriche you with benefices titles dignities priuileges immunities benedictions stacions absolucioÌ„s dispeÌ„sacioÌ„s pardoÌ„s suffrages Iubilies in the whiche thynges he wyll serue you all he wylbe the seruauÌ„te of the seruauÌ„tes of god wherfore ye ought not to withstande hym in a thynge so profitable vnto you To thys the same imbassador aunswered saying As longe as ye can not proue by vnaunswerable argumentes that youre Byshoppe is equal with Christ in spirite and loue we wyll neuer assent that he shal be oure Byshoppe and supreme head Yf ye wyll haue vs to acknowledge hym not onely to be our chiefe Byshoppe but also oure chiefe prince as by youre argumentes ye appeare to goe about and that we ought to beleue that he may chalenge vnto hym both the authorities ecclesistical and ciuill ye must of necessitie first shewe that he is aboue Christe in wysdome power and loue bycause it is well knowen that Christ woulde in no wise take vpon hym any ciuile gouernaunce in thys worlde We be affrayed of so monstrous and horirible a head Wherfore we can not allowe this authoritie neither that he shoulde be oure superior Yf you intende to admit hym take heede ye be not to hastie for ye shall perceyue to your vtter vndoinge that he is no shepeherd but a bloudie woulfe Then arose master Thrasibristus so sodenly so fearslye that it appeared he coulde staye hym selfe no
apply his whole mind to y e vttermost of hys power for the performaunce of so noble an enterpryse and leaue nothyng vndone that shall seme expedient for the brynginge about therof Doubte ye not but the tyme is at hande when wee maye reuenge our olde iniury agaynst God And for asmuch as he would not suffre vs beiÌ„g most worthy creatures to bee felowes with hym in heauen wee wyll brynge to passe by our industrye that the vilest manne and moste cast awaye in the worlde shal be aboue hym in earthe And nowe that euery one of you in hys degre maye the more cherefully applye hymselfe about thys busines I promise you ye nede not doubt but you maye bee well assured that we shall in shorte space brynge the thyng to passe that we desier For in thys poynte wee haue God hymselfe fauourable vnto vs whoe in sondrye places of scripture prophecied that there should an Antichrist come and nowe is the tyme expired wherin that wycked head of Christendome ought to come into the world Then yf God wyll not be made a lyar it is necessary that at the last he come and be disclosed to the whole worlde For with thys whyppe God wyll scourge and punishe the false christians Who because they woulde not beleue the trueth God of hys rightfull iudgement wyll that they shall beleue lyes and bee worthely deceyued as Paule hathe wrytten There were neuer nor neuer shal be more shynynge cerimonies neither more beawtifull wherby to allure men vnder a coloure of holines then those shal be whyche Antichriste and his membres shall deuise to be vsed amongest menne And know ye more ouer for a confirmacion of their doctryne and liuynge that they maye be more easly deceyued God wyll suffer many woÌ„ders many signes and miracles to be shewed by vs by reason of whom euen the very chosen shall be seduced if it were possible as Christe hym selfe hath prophecied I am sure ye haue in remembrauÌ„ce how that in the beginning of the churche of Christ when it was moste pure a longe ceason after there were chosen aswel in Rome for to be Bishoppes such men as were moste godly best learned in Goddes holye scriptures and as most diligently and faithfully laboured to auaunce goddes true word and his glory but afterwarde when good discipline began to decaye and we had powred ambicion darnel and discencion into the worlde then were chosen to be Byshoppes by their owne procuremente not suche as were most godly but suche as were most worldely most ambitious and craftie seking more their owne glory and lucre then the auauncement of godâ—es glorye and the exercise of their office rather pluckyng from the shepe their mylke than fedyng them with good pastures So that the name of a Byshop now is no more the name of a verye paynfull office as it was in tymes paâ—â— but of a great pompe dignitie Furthermore they haue ordeyned accordinge to the example of the olde Patriarches Abraham Isaac Iacob thre newe Patriarches one of Antioche in Asia another of Alexandria in Affrik and the thyrd of Europe in Rome Of a like sorte ye know that a long ceason all Christian men in the church of Christ haue ben taken for spiritual sanctfied religious meÌ„ as they bee called in the scriputure and as they are in dede for asmuche as they be halowed in baptisme dedicated to god to be his children and to bee led by his spirite But the infidels whiche bee not of the church of Christ as meÌ„ vtterly without Christ be accouÌ„ted as they be iÌ„ dede prophane hetheÌ„ vngod i. But now of late dayes only a sort of cloysterers disguysed men in apparel and lyuinge from other men begin to bee taken for spirituall religyous and holy menne though they bee neuer so vicyous All other Christian menne be they neuer so godly and replenished with the heauenly spirite yet bee they iudged prophane and vnworthy to touche theyr holy garmentes with theyr lytle fynger Thys wonderfull dignitie and magnificence shall set out the royaltie and glorye of oure Monarchie and sole kyngdome not a lytell Beleue me deare bretheren wee haue a mete tyme and oportunitie for our triumph for our glory and victory God for thauauncement and for thincrease and establishment of hys churche gaue to it the holye scripture for a rule to lyue by for euer likewise for the increase the inlargynge and confirmation of our churche we will giue vnto it oure decrees and Cannons which although they bee for the moste parte prophane and wicked yet shall they neuertheles not only seme good and holy but also they shal be takeÌ„ for the veray squire and rule wherbi the holy scripture shal bee tryed Furthermore because God knewe right well that his holy word is a thing most necessary aboue all other he commaunded his Apostâ—es that they shoulde preache throughe out the worlde the voyce of the gospell which in dede is the trew chief office of them whiche wil be taken for the trewe ministers of Christe For although baptisme as all men knowe be a ceremonye ordeined of God both holy and necessary yet was the Apostle Paule so diligent and busied with preaching the worde of god that he christened very few with his owne handes but left that office to other ministers But nowe shall the tyme come yea and it is at hand wherin the chiefe headdes of this our kingdome shall not onely chalenge to be the successors of thapostles but also of Christ him selfe they shal be striken with such a madnes that they shall thinke it a vile shamefull thynge for them to preache the gospell therfore shall they substitute vnder them symple Sir Iohns who for the fashions sake shal pretende and doe the outward ceremonye of preachinge but the doctrine wherwith they shall instructe the people shal be handeled and infected after theyr owne fashion And as for the byshops they shal bee giueÌ„ al together to esteme thinges of the world and of the fleshe And yet to th ende that they may appere before menne as though they were byshops in dede at certayne tymes of the yere they shall set forthe sundry ceremonies with a great shew to the people which shal be no lesse colde dumme and folishe than wicked and supersticious whiche shal be framed and wrought in our workehowse of hel But brefely to comprehende an endles sea of matters in fewe wordes know ye my brotherne that this kingdome of ours shal be so pestilent abhominable that it shall not only infecte hurte the church of god the holy ceremonies constitucions trew worshippinge of god the sacred scripture it selfe but it shall also destroy ouerthrow other lyberaâ—l artes sciences Belzee When I consyder howe shorte the lyfe of man is it semeth to me a thinge vnpossible that one byshop of Rome in so shorte a space shoulde bring to passe so many mischefes Luci. Brother me thinketh
some supreme head to reduce all menne to an vnitie in religion wherby all waues of opinions may of a Christian sorte bee calmed and ceassed Experience whiche deceyueth no manne but is the chiefe maystres in consultacion teacheth thys thynge so euidently that it cannot bee denied Now that we haue by sage coniecture espied it to be necessary to haue one head in the churche and christian common welth I iudge that christen men wyl more wyllynglye and readly admit and receyue me for their head and gouernour than anye other manne whiche thing may be compassed bothe more safely and better without busines yf the Emperour woulde helpe it forward being so profitable a thing as it is with his royall authoritie agaynst whose wyll and pleasure as I dare attempte nothynge so would I not doubt but that yf he woulde doe thys thyng hymselfe it were no smale meanes to encrease his glory and establishe the continuaunce of his memorie for euer and also for thinlarging of his imperiall dominion dignitie For yf I should acknowelage perpetuall obedience reuerence and fidelitie to hym as I am bounde and as my mynde is to doe he might well thynke all the dominion and authorytie whiche I shoulde haue to pertayne also to hym Nowe yf you thinke it good to common with y e Emperours maiestie in thys matter when ye shall see tyme and place conuenient because I knowe that he louethe you singularlye well and that he settethe muche by your counsell and I knowe how good ye be to persuade a matter and also I am well assured that ye bee my very frende I doubt not but ye shall easly bryng to passe this my desire And for my parte bysides that I shoulde be alwayes bound vnto you I woulde declare vnto you in dede after no slender and meane sorte howe earnestly I loue you for that I had receyued so great a benefit at youre handes And I wyll be playne with you my desire is that ye wyll open all these thinges to themperours maiestie as thoughe they were firste deuised by you and as though I had neuer talked nor spoken of them For me thynketh it a wisdome when I haue obtayned my sute to shewe my selfe as though it were agaynst my wyll that I myght say amongest all men that I toke not thys dignitie wyllynglye but by force and compulcion Sapi. I perceyue all that your highnes hath in this plentifull oracion declared and I promise you my fayth and true diligence for the compassing of thys matter and that my good heart and minde shall appere to your highnes to be voide of al dissimulacion And as soone as I shall perceyue what aunswere Cesars maiestie wyll make I shall declare his wyll and pleasure to your moste noble lordeship and because I am nowe euen cloyed with to many businesses and am also sure that there be a great numbre lokynge for me at the court I wyll take my leaue of your highnes oneles ye wyll commaunde me any other seruice Boni Nothyng but that ye wyll humbly commeÌ„d me to Cesars maiestie Sapi. I wyll with al my heart I thought the tyme of my tariaunce with this manne to be a whole yere long he displeased me so with suche a rolling rhetorical vanitie of wordes Oh Lorde god that there canne be so muche ambition and desire of honor hid in the brest of a man and that of a christian man yea and of a byshoppe whiche will be accounted most holy Yt is no meruayle that he intertayned so frendely all straungers that came to Rome and often tymes praysed them earnestly to the Emperoure for it appeareth by the matter it selfe that it was for none other purpose but to obtaine the fauoure of his neghbours and straungers for the better attayninge to this dignitie whiche he hunteth for And to cloke his hypocrisie with a gaye outwarde shewe he sayeth it is very necessary for the church to haue one supreme vniuersal head of the churche in earthe as thoughe Christe were not the true head of his churche or els dyd not regarde thynges in earthe but satte in heauen idle and slepinge He affirmithe also that yf this head be not stablyshed in the churche of Christe it wyl shortly decay and be vndone but I am of a contrarye iudgemente yf Cesars maiestie fulfyll hys ambicious desire the churche of Christ wyll not only decaye but it wyll vtterly fall downe as thoughe it were plucked vp by the rootes As thoughe the Byshoppes which be already were not sufficient for the churches that they haue And yf there chaunce anye contencion to aryse amongest them they haue counsels by whome to make an ende of their stryfe and controuersies What knowelage canne thys false wretche haue of the churches in Affryke Or of the churches in Asia where he was neuer in al the dayes of hys lyfe but what talke I of Affrike Asia How canne he gouerne those churches that bee in Europe whose language for the most parte he vnderstandeth not By the reason of the great distaunce of places varietie of the nacions and menne Who euer sawe one Crane gyde all other Cranes in the worlde Who euer sawe a shepard whiche coulde alone feede all the shepe in the yearth He were worthye prayse yf he coulde gouerne hys owne well though he were not a whit troubled with caringe for the rest Who knoweth whether Wolfes maye bee founde in hys owne flocke and whether he maye worthylye be iudged the chiefe Wolfe of all It is not many yeres agone sence Iohn Byshop of Constantinople attempted the same interpryse that he might bee made the vniuersall Byshop whome the whole churche dyd wythstande and namelye Gregory the fyrste thys mans predecessour who in hys letters amongest other thynges wrote vnto hym That the name of a vniuersall Byshop was a folishe wicked proude and a churche robbing name and yf he shoulde goe about to vsurpe that name he shoulde doe nothynge elles but make hymselfe lyke to Lucifer and be a fore messenger of Antichriste in takinge awaye the glory and dignitie from other bishops hys brethrene andso to trouble the concorde and vnitie of the faythfull and vndoe the church of Christ. Nowe yf thys ambicious felow may by craft and sutteltie obtayne that thing which his predecessours with the common prayse consent of all menne dyd most iustly condempne in other suerly it shall not be done without great offeÌ„ce of all good menne Thys I dare be bolde to say that neither Affcyke neither Grecia neither the rest of the churches of the East wyll euer consent hereunto but wyll rather resist and rebell amongest themselues and so shall the seameles coâ—e of Christ be torne in many partes This shal be y e fyrst fruite which shall spryng of thys dyuelishe state authoritie Furthermore the churches either wyl not consent thereunto or elles yf they doe consent it shal be by compulcion because they maye easly perceyue howe muche mischiefe thys meruelous
ouer by reason of the thunder boltes of excomunicacion it should be terrible to all nacions so that in shorte space it shoulde inioye a fyrme a perfecte Dominion Besides this I shewed him that if one of the Emperors subiectes should be chosen to be this supreme heade whiche shoulde hang all together vpon the Emperors will and pleasure he shoulde bee a very mete instrument easly to compasse the dominion of the whole world And thus I came nerer by litle and lytle to the communicacion of your moste reuerend hyghnes I dyd put hym in remembraunce how much you fauoured hys Maiestie and howe mete a manne aboue all other ye semed for this purpose and agayne for the greate eistmacion in that ye were byshoppe of Rome in the whiche roume ye dyd nowe seruice with hyghe prayse and commendacion and also how muche this thing was desiered of very many menne which shoulde increase the renowne of the Emperors Maiestie with a great reioysinge of all nacions This thinge also I added Onles his Maiestie woulde declare and establishe this heade by his authoritie it would shortely come to passe that some other woulde attempt thesame thinge and bring it to passe he not knowinge therof yea thoughe he did gayne saye it who to hys Maiesties greate shame and rebuke woulde chose some other whiche was no subiecte to his highnes but so it might chaunce his aduersary and foe that either woulde spoyle vtterly or at the leste muche vexe the borders of the Romayne Empier In cōclusion these and suche lyke reasons preuayled so much with him that being persuaded he interrupted me of my tale and spake to me before I had made an ende of shewing my mynde prayinge and besechynge me that I would goe busely about this matter that I should come straight way to your hyghnes in his name so in hys name pray you very earnestly y t ye would not refuse thys condiciō thus offered neither disdaine to receaue this burden what so euer it bee And this is trewe also I maye tell your highnes in counsell The Emperour charged me priuily that I shoulde not tell you that he desired thys thinge so muche for the priuate commoditie whiche myght thereby to hym insewe but for the glory of god and the profit of the churche Thus your hyghnes hath the begynnynge the myddest and th end of my message Boui My dere frende Sir Sapience not withstandinge that the laste daye I commoned with you somwhat houerly of thys matter yet after that I hadde wayed it more substancially with my selfe I perceaued it to bee a daūgerous enterprise and ful of perell so harde to cōpasse so paynful that I haue repented me more then a thousand tymes sence that euer I begane it So y t if I could haue conueniently brought it to passe in time I would haue chāged my former purpose and haue desiered you neuer to open your mouth neither to Themperor neyther to any mā els for this or such lyke matter Thys I am suer is very trew y t there was some heuēly spirite y t moued me as sone as I fyrste spake of this matter But nowe am I in suche a perplexitie and doubt that I wot not what is best to doe For thys is once I loue quietnes and my desire is to passe ouer the rest of my lyfe in reste and peace without ruffyllynge and busynes And on the other syde agayne there is a certaine zeale to the honour and glory of God which stirreth and prycketh me neither would I wyllingly resist the callinge of the holy gost Then commeth in the authoritie of the Emperours Maiestie whose becke worde and request I take to be as a cōmaundement vnto me Therfore tell themperoure howe that when I thought nothyng lesse then thys thing ye layd glorye of the name of god to my charge and at the last when ye had proued the thynge to me by excedyng strong reasons that I coulde not refuse thys heauenly vocation being freely offred vnto me without a manifest and open iniurie to goddes holy name and therfore that I was compelled to receyue thys offer But of thys one thynge I desire you to moue Cesars maiestie very earnestlye and ye shall moue it to hym in my name that is that he wyl consider agayne and agayne when I am auaunced vp into thys hyghe estimacyon I shal haue many earnest aduersaries whose dartes he hymselfe muste defend and also garde and preserue me in that place wherin I am by hym placed And I thynke it in very dede more wisdome and more standing with bothe our honours that euen at the very first begining neither he should graūt neither I vsurpe this supreme authorytie for the auoyding of all tumult as muche as maye be Yt is ynough at the first that I bee proclamed chiefe Bishop of all And afterwarde as time and occasion shall serue we wyll goe on further a litle and litle vsyng dominion and authoritie mete for suche a dignitie Therefore let hym spedely cause the wrytinges to bee penned and proclamacion to bee made throughout the worlde of this hys determinat mynde and pleasure Shortlye after wyll I come humblye to see hym and furthermore I wyll haue in remembraunce howe muche I am bounde to you and what I haue promised you when tyme shall require Sapi. All thys shall be done and fare ye well Euē as of late oure Byshoppe disclosed vnto me his wonderfull ambicion so nowe I perceyue that he hathe hid within him such an hipocrisie as neuer was herd of I know that he rūneth mad for thys dignitie and yet went he about with his craftie glosynge and deceytfull wordes to persuade that he woulde neuer receyue it when it was offered Nowe seyng that he goeth about to hyd it from me vnto whome he first opened it howe wyll he handle other that knowe not hys deceytfulnes Surely hys shamles ambicion deserueth no lesse but that I should let all the matter quayle whiche thyng woulde be very acceptable to God no doubt But we haue wadid further herin thē is easie for vs to stope it beynge almoste broughte to passe alredy Themperour himselfe is so amased and dronken with my wordes that by no meanes possible canne I withdrawe hym from his purpose And I my selfe who was the beginner and procurer of thys matter am forced not to forsake my sute but rather with my iudgement to alowe it and with my diligence to perfourme it What shall a manne doe Suche chaunce doeth chaunce to them that attempt noughtie matters I wyll get me hence the soner I bryng thys thyng to passe the soner shal I be deliuered of thys noughtie and paynefull fantasies The people of Rome The churche of Rome I vnderstande by common reporte that the byshop of Rome is made head of all other churches by Phocas oure Emperour Yf it bee trewe he hathe done a thynge more folishe more abhominable more perrelous more wicked thē euer was either done
churche a head before nowe Yf it were so it myghte well be accounted monster lyke And I meruayle very muche howe it coulde lyue The churche Oh Christe was the head The people Then the Emperour hath taken away Christ and put our Byshop in hys place The churche Nay not so but he hathe ioyned thys head to the churche and yet doeth Christ remayne The people That talke is more shamefull Was not Christe hable to gouerne his church as an vniuersal head In the beginninge of the primatiue churche a lytle whyle after the churche of Christe dyd florish very muche and was wonderfully replenished and yet had it none other head but Christe He onely as a true head dyd gouerne it and that excedinglye well by the instrumentes of hys ministers Maye it come to passe at any tyme that Christe beinge weried with his painfull gouernaunce woulde nowe rest him so that he nowe hath committed it to themperours discrecion to apoynt some suffragan and helper in hys stede or els truely is he muche displeased with hys churche and loueth it no more neither regardeth the gouernaunce therof but withdraweth his spirite frō it and so shall he be a lyar in that he sayth I am with you to y e worldes ende Furthermore themperor as it apereth is more carefull for the church of Christ then god him selfe For when god withdrewe Christ from his churche themperour hathe prouided it another head But accordinge to the doctrine of Paule we be not ignoraūt y t the militant congregaciō of Christe is as one body whose head is was euer shal be Christ himselfe He as the only trewe head hath gouerned it hetherto syngularly well and will also gouerne it vntyll the latter daye of iudgement and euen vntill suche tyme as he hath subdued his enemies and put them vnder hys feete Thynke ye that christian men be suche bussards that they wyll beleue Christe and hys spirite to be taken awaye vp into heauen as into a place apoynted for hys maiestie and is there conteyned as a triumphinge head of the triumphaunte churche And for that cause the Emperoure hathe apoynted another head of the churche militant in the stede of him that is absēt Yf it be so ye must of force graunt that theselfe same head for asmuche as it is destitute of the spirite of Christe hathe the spirite of the deuyll so shall it be a deuelishe head And yf the churche militant shall from hence forthe haue two heades surely it shall bee a thynge lyke a monster Neither canne I perceyue by coniecture howe two headdes being equall in power and most contrary in condicion maye quietly and safely liue to gether and gouerne at one tyme one speciall charge Uerely it is to be feared so wonderfull is the pryde of oure Byshop bred by the bone that he wyll dryue Christe out of dores from hys owne kyngdome But peraduenture thys thyng is trewe yf oure Byshoppe be once made supreme head of the churche militant by the meanes wherof he maye be estemed aboue Christe it maye so be that he wyll suffer after a sorte that at the lest wayes he maye vse hys seruice as he were a slaue But I canne neuer bee persuadyd that he wyll suffer hymselfe by anye meane to be taken for an vnderlyng to Christ. The curche Thynke not that his power hath anye ende For euen as all power in heauen and in yearthe is geuen vnto Christe so is it likewise geuen to him The people Yea and further also both in purgatory and in hel But speake no more of his power for surely he wyll take more vpon hym then I woulde wish Another doubt I haue wherunto I would haue you answere me yf ye can Shall he be a common head to all other churches Th◠hurche Yea verelie The people Of late I learned of them that bee sene in logike that perticuler menne bee those whiche laboure and doe any thynge but manne that is commen and generall to all men doeth nothyng Then yf he be a commen man he shall neither see heare perceyue nor vnderstande and so shall he bee nothynge elles but a very blocke or image The churche But thou thyselfe shalte well perceyue that he can see heare perceyue and worke The people I beleue it forsoth that he wyl swalow vp largely yea the riches of other churches But tel me howe that maye be That he maye worke beynge a man that is commen to all men The churche He shal be a perticuler man also The people Whye then shall he not be one onelye but he shal be two O what a foole am I and howe dull witted Nowe loe I leue wondrynge For as I heare say as sone as he is made Pope he speaketh no more in the singular number but in the plurall so y t he doeth no more saye this I wil doe or say as they were wont in times past whē they wer but one man but now he sayeth we wyll doe and we will say because that nowe he is made a double man I am also resolued nowe in another doubt whereof I shoulde neuer haue ben answered yf ye had not made me perceyue it The churche What doubt is that The people I haue hearde many tymes saye that after he is created Pope he can not erre as the Pope but yet he maye many tymes as a man erre The churche That is very trewe The people Nowe I am sure of thys trueth that as he is Pope and a common man he can not worke any thyng neither erre The churche Nay as he is Pope he worketh wonders can not erre because of the holy gost which is assistant vnto hym The People Then by your sayng he can not be at one tyme a Pope and a man for thē myght he at one time erre and not erre He myght erre as a manne and not erre as the Pope Therfore at some tyme must he be a Pope and no man and then can he not erre But yet can I not well perceaue what monstrous beaste thys may be which is a Pope and no man and agayne an other time a man no Pope And I meruayle wonderfully that they will robbe the Popeshipe so much of so great a dignitie and so to leaue him a bare man Howe beit I beleue in dede althoughe of an other sort that no Pope can erre because that Christ euer hathe bene and euer shal be the very onely and true head of hys churche neuer shall there bee anye other Pope or head of Christes churche The church I dare not affirme that our Byshoppes can neuer be heretikes The people Peraduenture some haue bene The churche If any suche thyng chaunce in that he is an heretike he cesses to be Pope Yet is this thyng trewe that ye must obey hym and alowe him so long for Pope vntyll he bee iudged and condemned for an heretike and be deposed from hys Popshipe by the authorytie of a generall counsell The people
his successor and so shal we obteyne all our purpose The Pope Will ye attempt to bringe Peter nowe to Rome and he died so many yeres agone This thing me thinketh cannot be Mans iudge In case I shoulde reyse hym vp from deathe and bryng hym to Rome and so in conclusion make hym Byshop of this citie what woulde ye say The Pope Mary I woulde withstand it with tothe nayle Neither canst thou make him Bishop of thys citie but thou shalt bereue me of thys my dignitie Mans iudge Yf I shoulde make hym Byshop and yet robbe not you of youre honour but rather establishe you and make you his successor shoulde it not please you The Pope Yes wonderfully But I see not how that may be brought about Mans iudge I haue written certayne epistles in the name of those christian men whiche were at Rome in the time of the beginning of the church wherin there is oft mencion made of Peter as thoughe he had bene at Rome and not onely Byshop of thys citie but also Pope and vniuersall head of all the churche militant as though sundry constitucions had bene then by him made And bycause ye shall prayse my wit the more I wrot all thys gere in so wonderfull olde bokes that for age they coulde scarsly hange together There is no man that seeth them but they wil iudge they were written a thousand yeres agone or more Lette vs make the people beleue that these bokes be newly found by chaunce in some olde rotten library and so when thys rumor shal once be blowen abrode the common people will strayght beleue that Peter was at Rome If ther were none other cause yet that he came for religions sake on pilgremage to saynctes reliques and to receyue the iubilie and ful pardō The Pope Yet is not all thys ynough For be it that he were at Rome that not with standinge he departed after he had receyued the iubilye and toke his Popeship away with hym and so shall we no longer be his successors Therfore is it nedefull that as ye haue brought hym to Rome and haue made him Pope so ye cause hym also to dye at Rome Mans iudge Abyde a whyle thys is the thing I went about I haue done this thing already And for a confirmacion of the whole matter I gat me an olde scul bone of a dead carcas into y e which I dyd put a paper whiche had these wordes contayned in it Thys is the head of Saynct Peter the firste Pope of Rome Moreouer I haue compassed this head about with an other head of siluer and haue so framed it with a great bearde that it appeareth verely to be Saynct Peters head And I doubt not but that thys fayned matter maye be easly persuaded to the people yf it be published abrode by your authoritie The Pop◠We must of necessitie graunt that Peter was crucified vpon a crosse for so dyd Christ prophecie of hym nowe it is well knowen that it was the vse of the Iewes and not of the Romans to hange menne vpon the crosse Wherfore I see not howe the people wyll beleue that Peter was kylled at Rome and put vpon the crosse by the Romans Mans iudge Tushe men will not be so curious in other mens matters to searche euery poynt of them so narowely And agayne we shall haue a sure staffe to leane to wherunto we may alwayes resorte We wil say that god wold haue it so that Christes wordes mought bee fulfillyd Who can proue the contrary Besydes this I haue many remedies meanes how to preserue increase and establishe you in thys highe honour as ye shal see by experience neither will I let any good occasion ouerslyp that may be to your furtheraūce Be it that there come Embassadours to the citie of Rome I alone wyll aunswere them all as they ought to be aunswered In the meane space shall you begyn a litle and litle to publishe abrode that it is Christ who hath made you Pope and that ye be the successor of Peter the high Bishop of Rome The Pope But what will then the Emperour say when he shall perceyue that we noyse it abrode that it was Christe and not he whiche made me Pope Mans iudge Our aunswere shal bee that ye were declared and confirmed the chiefe Bishoppe by themperours maiestie but yet that it was Christ who hath placed you in so highe a seat euen as he did youre predecessors before you But loe one whom ye sawe not a gentle man called the people of Rome I thinke he cōmeth to see you and to do hys dewtie I praye you offer hym youre fote to kysse that ye maye so begyn to bring that thyng into a laudable custome The people And euen for the same very purpose haue I caused a redde crosse to be made on the ouer parte of my fote Mans iudge Althoughe many thinke that to be done of you in despite of the crosse yet is it iustly and well done to sette the crosse in the lowest place yea and Christ hymselfe also that your glory may be auaunced to a most hyghe state Namely for that we know the crosse of Christe alwaye to be hated of the wyse men of thys worlde And to saye the truethe it had ben more mete for you to haue caused the crosse to be set vnder the sole of your fote if it had not bene paynfull for you to lyft vp youre fote so oft to all suche as woulde kysse it But I wyll withdrawe my selfe for a tyme that you maye comon alone at your pleasure with thys sonne of yours The people of Oh happie and blissed am I sence I haue thus muche fauoure shewed me that I maye be suffered to come and kysse these holye and blyssed feete The pope In consideracion that thys benefit maye be the more estemed we graūt to you out of the treasure of Peter Paule and other holy Apostles and Saynctes fortie tymes fortie dayes of pardon The people A goodly rewarde and we thanke you highly we thanke you I say as speakyng to many whiche be most holy and most blissed Popes The Pope What meanest thou by that That thou didest call vs most blissed and most holy Popes in the plurall numbre thinkest thou that we be many Popes Seest thou not vs onely placed in this dignitie The people Pardon thou me I beseche the moste holy and blissed father When I herde the speake in the plurell numbre I thoughte that there had bene two Popes at the least The Pope Doest not thou perceyue thy selfe to speake vnreuerentlye thou sayest pardon thou me vnderstandest thou not that thou shouldest of nurtor and dewe reuerence speake to vs in the plurell numbre And that because he worketh continually in vs who first auaūced vs to this high dignitie for we be not alone in working Otherwise whē thou shouldest speake by name to vs thou oughtest to speake in the singular number and that because oure parson and dignitie is
but one The People I beseche youre holynes to pardon me because I am not yet acquainted with these kiÌ„des of ceremonies Ye haue heard I thinke of the number of Embassadours whiche bee sent from soundry partes of the worlde of whome a great company be come to Rome alredy The Pope For what purpose saye they that they bee come The people To replie against you being offeÌ„ded with this high honour that the Emperour hath geueÌ„ you The Pope We haue receyued thys popshyppe of Christ and not of the Emperour The people Truely I herde say it was geuen you of the Emperour The Pope And who tolde the so The people Your churche of Rome of whom I perceyued of late in communicacion that it was geuen you of Cesars maiestie The Pope As concerninge thys matter she is not aduised what she sayeth The people And she sayth planly that she cannot erre The Pope Trueth in dede no more can she when she is informed and instructed of me Ye know right well accordinge to the doctrine of Paule that a woman must bee subiect to her husbande and so farre forth she speaketh well as she receyue the knowlege of him of the same fashion the churche of Rome speaketh well and erreth not so farre forth as she receyueth instruccions and knowledge of me for she is my spouse and therfore is she my wyfe The people Why how theÌ„ doth she not acknowledge Christ to be her spouse The Po. Yes truely she is both Christes spouse mine The people This is the first tyme that euer I heard that one woman maye haue two husbandes I haue herde of sundry menne that hath had many wyues but I neuer herde of one woman that hath had manye husbandes But let thys passe and let vs retorne agayne to our former talke And most humblye thys one thyng I beseche your holines it wyll vouchesafe to tell me Howe hathe your holines obteyned thys hygh Byshoprike at Christes hande The Pope we will tell the. Christ beinge y e head of the church ordeyned Peter before he ascendyd into heauen to be his vicar and successor And because he cam to Rome and brought his high Popeship with hym and dieng there hathe left thesame to his successors that is to say to y e other Bishoppes of Rome in order we nowe beinge Byshope of Rome haue receyued of Christ by succession and inheritaunce this high Pontificall dignitie power and authoritie The people I heare newes now that I neuer herd before Namely thys that Peter was euer at Rome I am of an excedinge great age as ye see haue dwelled in Rome in Peters daies And so desireful I was to heare newes that yf euer he had come to Rome no doubt I woulde haue sene hym and it had bene for none other cause yet truely woulde I so haue done for his worthye names sake wherwith he fâ—lled our Citie neyther woulde I haue suffered the remembraunce of hym to haue decayed euen as I haue diligently preserued vntyll thys daye fresh the remembraunce of Paule No man can either thinke or shewe what tyme he was here and I absent For I neuer went out of thys citie The Pope All the tyme whyles he was here for the moste parte he was in prison and therfore is it no meruayle thoughe thou sawest hym not The people I haue bene alwayes and am tyll thys daye exceding quisitiue and curious in searchynge of newes My studie is to knowe what is done euerywhere I range and wander euen to the very prisoÌ„s It is not possible that suche a manne shoulde at anye tyme haue come to Rome and haue bene cast in pryson for the gospelles sake but I shoulde haue hearde of it Howebit I not onely neuer sawe hym but more ouer I neuer hearde of any man liuyng that euer he was at Rome sauing euen nowe of your holynes The Pope Yt maye so bee that whyles he was at Rome he laye hyd in some corner The people Howe then preached he the gospel here by thoccasion wherof he was cast in prison and at the last hanged vpon the crosse Besydes thys if he were Byshope of Rome howe was he chosen to that dignitie yf he were not knowen whyles he remayned in Rome The pope Marke well thys thyng that I shall say vnto thee Thou must be circumspect and wise when it shall chaunce the to reason of thys matter For the daye maye come when we shall call the forthe to bee a wytnes in it Whyche thynge yf it happen we wyll the to say that thou diddest bothe see and know him The people What would ye haue me lie lustely and so sensibly that euery manne might perceaue it The Pope We absolue the of this faulte and further we let the to witte that we doe al these thinges of a good and holy intent for the glory of god And this dare we be bold to say that great honor profit shall arise to the by thincreasynge of our dignitie The people Yf I bee absolued of thys lye I can not but doe for you in al other thinges because that herby shall insewe to me a very great commoditie But lest I should be taken with my lye I woulde fayne knowe what I shall aunswere when I am asked namely of the time when Peter was at Rome The Pope Thou shalt say that he dwelled at Rome still after he came once thether vntill his dyenge day The people Beinge demaunded when he came fyrst shall I say before Paule or after The Pope It is beste for the to say before Paule lest men should haue occasion to thinke that Paule was byshoppe of Rome before Peter The People Nowe call I to remembraunce when Paules cause was first hearde here at Rome before Cesars throne al christian meÌ„ forsoke him as he himself wryteth in a certaine epistle y t he made to Timothie Wherfore it must then be graunted that he was theÌ„ forsaken of Peter for feare Which thing semeth not likely that ther should so great a fault be found in Peter who had so earnest feruent a zeale towards religion and full of christian charitie namelye after Christ ascended into heaueÌ„ and replenishid him with the holy ghost The Pope I coulde not remembre so harde a dont as thys is It is best theÌ„ to say that Peter came wheÌ„ Paule was alredy examined The people Agayne beynge demanded whether he were chosen Byshoppe of Rome in thys citie or not what answere shall I make The Pope Mary thou shalt constantly say yea The people Well then receaued he hys byshoprik of men and not simply only of Christ. How theÌ„ shalit bee trewe that he was pronounced by Christe heade of all other churches The pope Thou vnderstaÌ„dest not this matter Peter had .ii. bishoprikes one perticular another general The chiefe y t is to say y e general he receaued of Christ wherby he is bishop head of al other churches bishoprikes The latter that is to
increased euen with the tellinge therof Lepidus Why is it your chaunce alone not to heare of the disputaciō that hath ben in the court of Rome of that triumph victory that we haue obteined Mas. I knowe nothinge elles but that the last day I heard tell of certayne Embassadours which came from sundrye coastes of the world to Rome whiche woulde reply with open mouthe agaynste this highe authoritie of the pope Lepidus This day was ther an open and a solempne disputacion in the presence of Cesars maiestie of thys matter and in conclusion our men haue obteyned the highe power of the Pope Mas. I woulde fayne knowe what reasons they had to bringe this vnworthy matter to passe Lepidus Suerly I know a greate number of them and some of them were suche that I dare not disclose them vnto you onles ye promes me before to kepe them to your selfe Mas. Yf they be suche reasons as may not be lawfully kept secret ye requier in vayne to kepe counsell of them and thoughe I sware a thousand tymes yet ought I not to kepe it but if I maye lawfullye and ought to kepe it secret ye maye haue so muche credyt in me that ye maye beleue I wyll kepe counsell without an othe yf ye thinke me a man not worthie to be trusted then are ye the more to blame to require an othe of me from the whiche the Pope maye easly absolue me by reason of the high power that he now hath howbeit I promes you by the fayth of a Christian manne to kepe counsell if I may doe it lawfully Lepidus Forasmuche as I truste you not a litle by the reasō of our old frendshipe I can not but disclose the whole matter vnto you When the holines of our Lord master herd say y t the most parte of the whole world was much troubled for this wōderful dignity wherunto he hath attained and that also theyr Embassadours were come to cry out against it openly he toke this wayes fyrste whiche appered to make very muche for his purpose As sone as they came to Rome he sent vnto thē secretly goodly flaggons of y e best wine that could be gottē of Maluesey of wine of Tribiana of S. Iohn of Grecia and of Corsica Mas. Suerly this was a goodly beginninge that he made to the straungers whereby to compasse and ouercome them and as it were to claspe them by the very throte Lepidus He sent moreouer a goodly present and a bewtifull of blyssinges Pardons Iubilies priuileges immunities and very riche promesses of benefices and of all other suche giftes which either he now had or els shoulde haue here after After thys he sent vnto euery one of them cleane remission a pena et culpa Then he absolued them of their othes that they had made to suche as had sent them Mas Uery well that by the meanes therof he might more easely corrupt them Lepi Nay that they being absolued and set fre from their othes myght more easely and frely styke to the trueth And so he caused hys seruauntes to saye vnto them lest peraduenture men shoulde conceyue some euil opinion of them He signified also vnto them that he was very ioyfull when he heard of their comming to Rome that they myght see with their owne eyes and iudge with theyr owne knowlege and know the whole truthe of the matter euen as it was so that at theyr returne home agayne into theyr contreyes they mought shine to other with the light of their knowledge who peraduenture should other wise remayne in the darkenes of ignoraūce or of some false surmise Mas. And yf he were not Pope I durst be bolde to saye he lyed shamefullye in so sayeng For I am sure that the comming of thimbassadors was as pleasant to hym as though one had hurled salt into hys eyes Lepi. And because the disputacion of his Pontifical prerogatiue must be in the presence of Cesar and the Popes holynes for sundrye consideracions woulde defende it to be of God and geuen to hym by Christe not by themperour he fearinge lest by this meanes the Emperours maiestie woulde be vexed signified vnto him that he woulde proponde and establishe the matter after thys sorte not because he dyd not acknowledge that he had thys dignitie onely of hym at whose commaundement he woulde alwayes bee and recognise hym to bee hys singular patrone and defender but bycause he woulde deliuer hym from al suspicion and slaunder which many without cloking dyd obiect as though it were very euill done of hym whiche bestowed this honour vpon one mortal man And lest also other Princes takynge example of him woulde lykewyse establishe in their dominions sundrye supreme heades that shoulde brede schismes and discentions in the churche of Christ. Mas. Oh what an assehead was he if euer he would assent hereunto Lepi Assent Yea and praise him also euen as though it had bene a thyng deuised by god hymselfe and sent to hym from God When they came to the very disputacion themperour had a plentifull oracion where in he exhortyd all them that came thether to intreat vpon that matter to peace concorde and vnitie And when it came to the Popes course to speake bycause he woulde kepe hys state he commaunded master Hypocryt to speake in hys name and he so handled hymselfe with conterfetyd wordes and gesture and went aboute wyth suche a force of eloquense to persuade them that the Popes holynes was not moued of hym selfe to accept so hyghe a state but rather earnestly withstode it and yet hauinge an eye to the glorye of God and folowynge the mouynge of the holy gost at lenghth he toke this heuy sharpe crosse of the popship vpon him thys I saye he persuaded in suche sorte that he had almoste made me beleue it was trewe y t he sayed And so I my sel fe did many times assent to him in y t he sayd that if he could with a saufe conscience leaue thys hyghe authorytye he bothe redely and gladlye woulde so doe But that myght not bee because by that meanes he shoulde doe God great iniurye But seynge the matter was so he was ryght glad that there was at thys present a disputacion appoynted of so greate and weyghtie a matter whereby the truethe there of myghte bee knowen to all menne And thus at last beganne the disputacion Where first arose the embassador of Constantinople a very wyse manne and with a loud voyce sayed before the greate audience there assembled that all the churches of the vniuersall worlde were highlye offended with thys wonderfull and wickyd primacie of the Byshop of Rome whyche neuer was herd of before And that Christe hymselfe was the true and onely head of hys churche in thys militant exile euen as he is also the head of the triumphant churche of the heauenlye Hierusalem and that he neuer ordayned any other head Wherefore it was to be thought y t this wicked innouacion was not
of God and in case it were ordeyned of god yet could not this supreme honor beloÌ„g to y e bishoppe of Rome Therfore was it not onely a diuise of man but wicked also and wrongfull and therfore all together deuelishe and not to bee suffered Not a thinge ordeyned of god as all myght perceaue that haue any iudgement and so false it was that there coulde be anye one worde founde in all scripture for the defense of this primacie that there be a number of sayinges directly agaynste it Then arose master Falsidicus and interrupting the Embassador in his matter spake after this sorte for the popes defense Nay in holy scripture there is not one worde contrary but many thinges be there which make for it Fyrst and formost ye knowe right well that Christe saied to Peter Thou arte Peter vpon this rocke wil I buyld my church Nowe if Peter were made the trewe and only foundacion not of thys or that particular churche but of the whole vniuersall churche of Christe by thassente and apoyntment of Christ it must of force be graunted that the churche was susteyned and gouerned by Peter whiles he lyued here in earthe and so was he the vniuersall heade of the churche as after him Peters successors were and be the trewe heades of the churche Hereunto Thimbassador made aunswer Yf ye fall a gestinge in an ernest matter it is not to bee coÌ„mended in matters of importance But if ye speake as ye thinke I maruayle muche that ye bee ignorant Is it possible ye should be in such an heresie to thinke Peter was the heade and foundacion of the churche of Christe that is to saye of all the faythefull Truly if it were so the churche of Christe in tymes paste should haue had a very feble and weeke foundacion and many tymes shoulde it haue fallen by reason of the feblenes of so slender a grounde And agayne it is an extreme wickednes and playne ydolatry to attribute that to Peter whiche apperteyneth onely to Christe Christ is onely that proued corner excellent suer and stable stone which accordinge to the prophecie of Daniell shall breake all the kingedomes of the world and it selfe shall indure for euer a stable stronge foundacion of the kingdome and congregacion of Chryste Which thynge is confyrmed not only by the testimonie of Daniell but of Esay also and of Dauid and by thautoritie of Christ himselfe And Paule Thapostle teacheth also y e same very doctrine when he saiethe that we muste bee reysed vp in thys holy buylding of the church not vpon Peter but vpon Chrisâ—e the moste stronge foundacion of the prophetes and of thapostles The selfe same doctrine is stablished and confirmed by the witnes of Peter And because that a number of light fellowes might chaunce to stumble at this stone in so much that they shoulde thinke Christe during the tyme of hys beinge in earthe was the foundacion of hys church but wheÌ„ he was once lifted vp into heauen he lefte Peter in his stede Paule thapostle and moste faythfull interpreter of gods heuenly will teacheth the contrary in especiall wordes When he sayeth There can none other foundacion be layed for the church of Christ besides that is already layd that is to saye Christ. And if Christe must alway be the trewe and only foundacion of his churche it must nedes be confessed that neuer was or â—ls euer shal bee any other foundacion of the churche of Christe and therfore none other trewe and vniuersall heade Nowe when Peter had professed the very trewe confession of Christe that he was the sonne of god and Christe had sayed to hym thou arte Peter and vpon thys Rocke I wyll buylde my churche he shewed and declared him selfe to bee the liuely Rocke strong foundacion of hys church by the meanes whereof he began to bee called Peter whereas before he was called Symon and all was by the reason of his confession and of the reuelacion of the heauenly father that he cleâ—ed by faithe to Christe the strongest rocke and foundacion of hys churche The selfe same thinge happeneth to al those that beleue truly in Christ which happened to Peter For they are blessed and haue euerlastynge lyfe as Christ him selfe doeth witnes and they maye be called Peters because by the helpe of lyuely fayth they cleue to the lyuely and vnchangeable rocke which is Christe euen as Christian menne haue theyr name of Christe and agaynste them that beleue of suche a sorte the very gates of hell shall not preuayle Where it is to bee noted that gates were wont to bee excedinge strong and suerly defensed in the which gates iudgement in tymes paste was wont to be exercised and therfore when oure sauior Christe nameth the gates of hell he vnderstandeth the power and wisedome of hys aduersaries or els trewelye he vnderstandeth sinne whereby as it were by gates men enter in to hell as thoughe he had sayed all the power sutteltie false doctrine thretninges and flatteringes of the worlde furnished with theyr hel and paradise shall not preuayle agaynste hys churche And that Christe by this rocke wherevpon he sayed he would buyld hys churche did vnderstande and meane himselfe S. Austen doeth write in an homely whiche he hathe wrytten vpon thys place where he saieth Yf Christe woulde haue layed the foundaicon of hys churche vpon Peter trewely he woulde haue sayed Thou arte Peter and vpon the wyll I buylde my churche Althoughe Chrisostome and Theophilact doe expounde thys place as thoughe Christe woulde haue the sound profession sounde faithe in Christe to be vnderstanded by thys worde rocke Whiche fayth maye bee called vnâ—yll thys daye the foundacion of the churche of Christe forasmuche as the congregacion of the chosen cleueth to Christ the chief and true foundacion of thys churche by faythe Nowe then because Christe is alwaye the true and onely foundacion of hys churche and also that faythe is the thynge whereby we bee ioyned to Christe we must of necessitie graunt that it is as false as God is true that some menâ—e say That Peter or some other Byshoppe of Rome is the foundacion of the churche of christendome Paule writynge to the Galathians sayth not that Peter was the foundacioÌ„ of the church of Christ but calleth hym a piller as he calleth also Iames and Iohn makyng hym equall but not superior Yf there were euer anye manne that sayed that Christ layed the foundacion of hys churche vpon Peter yf they were of right iudgementes they mindyd to declare nothynge elles but that it was buylded vpon the fayth of Christ whiche fayth the chosen and electes haue euen as Peter had Mas. But my beleue was alwayes that Christ was the only one who ruled gouerned and susteyned hys churche neither canne I persuade to my selfe the contrarye But that same master Falsidicus as farre as I perceyue doeth fantasie that Christe gouerned and susteyned hys churche for a season
and afterward intending to ascend into heauen because he coulde not be at the selfe same tyme in heauen and aâ—so susteyne and gouerne his congregacion as though it had bene one tyred with rulynge and laboringe left Peter in his place and so after theÌ„ all the Bishops of Rome in ordinary succession Howe beit yf men and not Christ were the foundacion of the churche of christendome whiche dyd susteyne and beare thesame trewlye it shoulde haue weake and verye feble pillers to leaue vpon and so feble that it woulde not once but more then a thousand tymes haue ben ouerthrowen namely because this thing is without controuersie When the Byshope of Rome is dead there is not by and by another chosen in his roume but some dayes at the least come betwen wherin the church of Christ should lacke a head thoughe it neuer lacked one at any tyme elles Nowe maye you perceyue whether the churche were then destroyed or not And this dare I boldlye saye yf the churche of Christ shoulde leane vpon men after thys sorte as vpon the foundacion hell gates had preuayled agaynst it longe before thys tyme. Furthermore yf we were grounded vpon men and shoulde trust to them as to oure grounde worke and foundacion we shoulde be all accursed accordyng to the sayng Cursed be that manne whiche putteth hys trust in manne And then shoulde not our churche be the churche of Christ but the Sinagoge of Satan and Peter shoulde haue erred excedyngly Christe beyng lyfted vp in to the highe place of heuen and he lefte for the foundacion of the churche in earthe in y t he exhorteth Christian men not to buylde vpon hym but vpon Christe the true and suer foundacion and grounde worke of his churche And this also is very true Euen as Christ dyd not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he sayed but whom saye you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they al being demauÌ„ded should euery one haue answerid for theÌ„selues But there was muche communicacion amongest theÌ„ at suÌ„dry times before they al coÌ„fessed with one accorde that he was the sonne of God althoughe Iudas with a lyuelye faythe beleued not so And Christ at another time asked al his Apostles wyll you also depart Peter onely in the name of the reste made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Whiche thing is euident of the wordes that folowe to whom shal we goe we knewe beleued longe agon that thou art Christ the very sonne of the liuing God Of a lyke sort he aunswered in the name of them all when he spake these wordes Thou art Christe the sonne of God And because Peter in the name of them all confessed Christe to be the sonne of god ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke will I buyld my church â–ª that he spake not onely to Peter but to them all althoughe it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayed Peter onely is not the liuely rocke but all suche as folowinge hys example verelye beleue and confesse Christ to be the sonne God be liuely rockes which be buylded vpon the vnchauÌ„geable precious corner stone Christ the only foundacion of his church But I praye you tell me in good earnest what sayed master Falsidicus to such thiÌ„ges as were obiected Lepi. Would ye know sayed he how Christ minded by these wordes to make Peter the foundacion and head of his church Reade the wordes that folow ye shal perceyue that he spake to Peter wheÌ„ he sayd To thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde in yearth it shall also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in yearthe it shall be loosed in heauen Yt is not to be thought but that Christ being most true of hys promise performed most habouÌ„dantly y t whatsoeuer he promysed Peter And so muste it bee graunted that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peter therfore hath he power to open and to shit vp heauen to whome so euer it shall please hym and to bringe in and dryue out whome he shal thinke mete as he will him selfe so may he lose also and bynde And forasmoche as by the woordes of Christe Peter only had thauthority to loose binde to opeÌ„ and shut heuen it foloweth that Christ gaue authoritie ful and whole to Peter and ordeyned him onely to bee head of hys churche Mas. Yf onely Peter and the byshoppes of Rome haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they only haue power to open thesame forsothe I would not dye when the sea of Rome is vacant and voyd of a byshop For then shoulde there bee no body whiche shoulde open heauen gates to me And I maruayle more ouer of whome they gatte the keyes of purgatory for it apereth by theyr own coÌ„fession that Christ gaue hym none other keâ—es but of the kyngdom of heauen onely But I coulde haue choked hym euen with one worde Lepi. Howe Mas. Thus would I haue sayed Themperours porter hathe the keye of themperour hys court and hathe authoritie to open and shit and the Mayor of a citie hathe authoritie to bynde and loose and yet neither of them bothe is themperour Of a like sorte be it that Peter had the keyes authorytie to binde and lose it followeth not therfore that he is the head and lord of the churche of god that he is equall with Christe or elles at leste his vicar of equall authoritie by whome our faythe may be stable and suer that he is the vmpieâ— and iudge of all controuersies whiche arise in holie scripture But tell me thys one thynge what answere made thembassadour of Constantinople to thys thinge Lepidus Fyrste he aunswered that Christ gaue not the keyes euen then to Peter but promysed them only not doutinge but that Christe kept promes with him But he was desirous to know of master Falsidicus the time when he deliuered the keies to Peter and gaue him thauthoritie to louse to bind what wordes he sayed when he gaue them For by that meanes the trueth might appere what was ment by these keyes and what is thys authoritie To thys master Falsidicus made aunswere That he assuered Peter of them when after hys resurrection he asked Peter whether he loued hym more earnesâ—ly then the rest dyd or not vnto whome Peter made aunswere saying Thou knowest O Lord that I loue the then Christ gaue him iniunccion to feede his shepe In the very selfe same houre he made him the chiefe shepard and bishop of al soules TheÌ„ Thembassador of Constantinople smylinge sayed yf preachinge the worde of God be the fedinge of soules as the holy doctors with one assent doeth expound it it is with out dout that that office was not onelye gyuen to Peter but also to
euidently appeare by the wordes of Christ when he sayeth to his Apostles That whiche I saye to you I saye to all Neither semeth it any thing lykely that he spake that thyng whiche he taught to them only but to all Truelye thys is certayne as Saynct Hierome wrot vpon thys sayng To the I will gyue the keyes of the heauenly kyngdome That y e bishops priestes haue thought hitherto by the reason of their pryde and pharisaical arrogancie that they had power to condempne the gyltles and to deliuer the gyltie But truelye they bee deceyued all ouer the fielde Because that the question is not before God of the iudgement of the priest but of the life of the sinner Whereby he playnlye declarethe that the choyse of binding and loosinge is not left in the libertie of the priest but in the sinner who is coÌ„maunded to beleue The minister of Gods word doeth not absolue but he publisheth declareth man to be absolued likewise he declareth man to be bound and condempned onles he beleue Euen as y e scepter royal signifieth a kinges power and the swerde the empire So likewise doth the keyes betoken the spirituall gouernaunce of the kingdome of god For whosoeuer he be that preache the gospell be it whosoeuer ye will in that he preacheth he doeth all that lyeth in him to open the kingdome of heaueÌ„ to the hearers whether it be openly or priuatly that he preache to one or to many More ouer he delyuereth all the beleuers he forgiueth all theyr synnes he saueth them and bringeth them into the kingdome of God when he teacheth that they be fre by faythe and because they beleue that theyr synnes bee forgeuen them they bee saued and in the kingdome of Christe Agayne on the other syde he byndeth al them which beleue not he retayneth their synnes he condempneth them and shutteth them out of the kingdome of heauen when he teacheth them that they are bound that they remaine in theyr sinne that they be dampned and shut out of the kingedome of grace by the reason of theyr vnbelefe But thys thing is worthye to be noted y t there is two kingedomes of Christe in earthe whereof the one is spirituall and canne not bee seen wherin dwell onely the godly and righteouse men and another that is much greater wherein abyde not onely the good but also all other that bee Baptized whiche will seme to bee christians Neyther were the keyes of bothe these kingdomes deliuered onely to Peter but also to all the rest of thapostles and by them to the successours of thapostles that the ministers of the worde of god might not onely shut and open the fyrste kingdome as it is before declared but also the second For they maye suspende and excommunicate synners openly when they amende not aâ—ter suche order as Christe hathe appoynted and so shut them out of the seconde kingdome and bannishe them the company of other christians They maye also loose when they shewe forthe tokens of penaunce that is to say they maye declare in the christian congregacion that they be fre euen as before they declared them to bee bound by that meanes open vnto them the seconde kyngdome and graunte vnto them the libertie to dwel and abyd in the company of other christians with them to receaue the holy Sacramentes Then were these the keies thys the authoritie that Christ spake of wheÌ„ he sayd to his apostles what so euer ye shal bynde in earth it shall be bounde in heauen and what soeuer ye shall loose in earth it shal be loosed also in heauen The ministers also of the churche of Christe may and ought to enioyne penaunce to suche as bee excommunicated at such time as they conuerte and repent that they maye openly shewe tokens of a penitente harte not that they may thynke thereby to satisfy make a sufficient recompense for theyr offeÌ„ces in the sight of God for y e which Christ hath suffered long a goe y t neither they theÌ„selues neither other folowing their example should any more committe the lyke offences neither should withstand the correction of the churche and of the ministers But as touchynge the signes that bee vnknowen and secret the ministers ought not scrupulously to inquire for y e knowleage of them Neuerthelesse the manne that is troubled with thys kynde of synnes and commynge to a sobre and learned minister in christiaÌ„ knowledge telling him of the trouble of hys conscience and requiryng of hym what were best for him to doe wherby to be restored agayne to goddes mercye Then shall thys Phisician preache to the soule so repentaunt the gospell and moue him to beleue that Christ is he who hath satisfied for hys synnes also for the sinnes of the whole worlde Whiche thyng when the sinner beleueth immediatly the minister of goddes worde openeth vnto him the kyngdome of heauen and beareth witnes that hys sinnes be nowe forgyuen hym and also the sinner so repentaunt may make a rehersall and a confession of hys fayth before the sayd learned minister and maye demaunde of hym whether that bee a true and liuely fayth which shal suffice to saluacion Then shall thys minister open vnto hym the whole doctrine of Christes fayth and so induce him to the true fayth and shewe him the waye wherby he maye attayne to the right fayth and remayne therin increasing continually Then shall the minister open vnto hym remedies mete for hym wherby he may preserue himselfe safe and vnspotted from suche greuouse offences as he perceyueth hym most enclined vnto And who so hath a true faythe goeth streyght wayes to Christe with the Samaritane to render present thankes in hys presence But who so hath not that fayth he shall alwayes be a wicked manne and an infidell though he confesse hymselfe euery daye a thousand tymes Thys is the power whiche Christ gaue not onely to Peter but to all the Apostles of hys churche that is to saye to preache the gospell to declare the remission of sinnes to all them that beleue and to holde in synne suche as beleue not to minister the sacramentes according to the word of god Christes institucion and to punishe them that offende openly and will not repent when they be entreated after suche a sort as Christ hath appoynted That is first that they be excomunicat and then yf they amend to be receyued agayne into the christian congregacion This power being gyuen by Christ vnto his churche is not extendyd but to them onely whiche be in thys lyfe whiles they liue here And therfore sayed Christ whatsoeuer ye shall bynde or whatsoeuer ye shall loose not indifferently in all places but in earth shal be bounde and loosid Wherfore it is true that the churche militant hath no power vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that be passed out of this lif and rest in the lorde Neither gaue he any authoritie to the churche militant to gyue pardons a
pena et culpa neither to ordayne newe kyndes of wurshippinges neither to deuise newe doctrines or to make newe articles of the faythe or to deuise newe commaundementes and that vpon such a condicion that mennes consciences must bee forced tyed to beleue thesame wicked decrees of menne with a tirannicall payne euen to the death to the sworde to the flame and fire appoinctyd for the transgressors of thesame ordinaunces Christ sayed to hys Apostles ye shal be my witnesses not onely in Hierusalem but also in all Iury and Samaria euen to the vttermoste partes of the worlde And it is playne that witnesses muste testifye the treuthe and neither adde nor take away from thesame any word namely when as the church of Christ is his spouse and she must be obedient vnto him as to her husband and speake those wordes only which she heareth of him For Christ opened to his Apostles and to the fyrste beginninge of his churche all thynges that semed profitable and necessary to thobteyninge of saluacion wherefore he sayed to his disciples I haue disclosed all thinges vnto you that I haue receaued of my father The holy gooste opened theyr myndes that they myght vnderstande the scriptures and informed and taught them all suche thynges as Christe had sayed vnto them So that it can not be without a very heynouse offence that any thinge should be added to the doctrine of Christ and thapostles and of the fyrste moste pure and syncere churche Wherfore eyther Christe is a lyar when he sayeth that he taught all or elles were the apostles wicked in that they did not put the rest of the articles of our faythe into the Creede whiche the byshoppes of Rome boaste they could fynd out afterwarde and that suche articles as they saie as be very necessary besides a greate number of preceptes whiche they haue inuented The Euangelistes also shoulde haue ben wicked creatures to kepe hidde thinges so necessary to oure saluacion But neither were thapostles wycked neyther Christe a lyar For bothe Christe taught all thynges necessary and they deliuered thesame to menne accordinglye And Christ commaunded them precisely that they should teache the people to obserue and kepe all those thynges not whiche they dreamed themselues but whiche he commaunded them Yea and Paule thapostle determined all creatures not humayne onely but celestiall also and angelicall to be accursed whiche preached any other gospel then the gospell of Christ. We be all borne a new by y e word of god by y ◠which thing onely as by a perfect and stronge norishement we liue and continewe Now then when master Falsidicus thought the keyes to bee taken out of the popes handes by vnaunswerable reasons by and by he clapped hys handes vpon hys weapon sayinge Reade Saynct Luke and ye shall see howe Christe willeth the disciples to prouide for themselues two swordes Who makinge aunswere that they had twayne in a readines Christ sayed they were enoughe Therfore hath the Pope two swordes and the highest power vpon both sydes the one spiritual the other temporall Mas Oh what a fyne dialecticall witte was that Truelye thys consequence and reason coulde not be aunswered to Uerely I meruayle muche whye they haue not caused thys long tyme Saynct Peter to be paynted with keyes hangynge vpon hys girdle and holdyng two swordes in hys handes the one in the ryght and the other in the left to declare hys chiefe prerogatiue and so to make menne afrayd with that fearefull syght But tell me I praye you what aunswered the embassador to this Lepi He aunswered that Christe promised and gaue to Peter and the Apostles keyes and not swordes and that when Peter vsed a sworde for the defence of hys master Christ hymselfe stayed hys vnaduised rashenes Bycause the kyngdome of Christe is not of thys worlde neither is it worldly and yearthlye but heauenly and spirituall Neither was he sent of his father to reigne in this world of a carnal fashiō as in a kingdom but he was sent to minister and serue and to geue hys life for our saluacion And forasmuche as he sent his Apostles euen of a lyke fashion as he hym self was sent of his father he sēt them not as though they shoulde reygne in the worlde but to be lyke innocent lambes amongest wolues And to mynde to stablishe one supreme head in the churche of Christe is nothynge els but a crownynge agayne of Christe with a crowne of thorne and when he is apparelled with a purple and a kyngly vesture to deliuer hym to menne to be made a laughing stocke as he was scorned in tymes past of the Iewes when he honge vpon the crosse Therfore Christ foreseing that his Apostles would be offended with his death and woulde slippe from that trust they had in hym as he prophecied to them before he demaunded of them whether they wāted any maner of thing whē he sent thē forth naked and destitute of all mannes helpe And when they aunswered that they wanted nothyng he sayed nowe then prouide you for swordes as thoughe he had sayed Hetherto haue I bene your mercifull master and gouernour I haue defended you I haue prouided all necessaries for you as for my beloued chyldrē ye lacked nothing I toke the tuition of you But bycause within thys short space when ye shall see me caught by the handes of the wicked and bounde in conclusion dye ye will be offended with that miserable syght and will faynt from that sure trust that ye haue had in me hetherto it is nedefull that from hence forth ye prouide for your selues and therfore I gyue you warninge to prepare ye swordes for youre defence for the persecution that commeth vpon you shal be great And when they shewed two swordes sayed master loe here be two swordes Christ answered them rebukingly with a priuie checke saing they be ynough Thys was a wonderfull declaracion and fygure of the dulnes of the Apostles and of the clemencie of Christe Euen as thoughe tender infantes shoulde haue shewed their father two speres made of reedes and then aske of hym whether that speres of reede were sufficient to ouercome an excedyng strong armie vnto whom the father shoulde aunswere with a smilling countenaunce saying yea they be sufficiēt as though he had sayed O ye tenderlynges thynke you y t speres of reed can preuayle without my helpe Now is it here euident first and foremost that Christ gaue not swordes to his Apostles whereof it foloweth that he gaue them not the supreme power and authoritie bothe spirituall and temporall whiche is shadowed as you holde opiniō by these two swordes And more ouer Peter only made not thanswere Loe here be two swordes but the disciples as Luke playnly doeth witnes Neyther is it red any where that Peter alone had two swordes And althoughe it were so that the highest supremacie wher shadowed by these two swordes yet maye
thynges that fade and decaye But tell on the ende of the disputacion Lepi. When master Falsidicus had spente all hys matter and sayed what he coulde Thimbassador began to declare howe the holy scripture was directlye agaynst thys primacie And first he made it playne very well that Christe was the chiefe prieste not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeche And that he was not of the tribe of Leui or of the stocke of Aaron but of the tribe of Iuda and of the stocke of Dauid And more ouer that he was not chosen as other menne be as other chiefe priestes be chosen of other priestes who doeth not alwaye chose the beste but that he was chosen of his eternall and heauenly father when he sayed Thow art my sonne this daye haue I begotten the. And the other chiefe preestes were anoynted with a materiall oyle but Christe was anoynted with the holy gooste And they had on suche garmentes as Moses apoynted them by gods commaundement but thapparell of Christe was the whole company of al vertues They offered incense and brute beastes but Christe offered himselfe vpon the crosse with a spirituall and heauenly excellent swete sauor They entred the holy of holyes but Christe entred into heauen and sitteth now at the right hande of the eternal father making intercession for vs obteyning what soeuer he desiereth Whereas before tyme he did put vpon him our infirmities that by the meanes thereof he might bee earnestly sorowful for our miseries So that Christ was chiefe preeste after the ordre of Melchisedeche whiche was muche more excellent thenwas the order of Aaron Neither was he only the sonne of god vnto whome the spirite is geuen without measure and all power and dominion in heauen and in earth in whome all treasures of wisedome and knowledge of god be hid who is full of grace and truethe but in him allo dwelleth a full plenâ—ifullnes of all heuenly thynges And that Christe hathe now taken away Aarons presthod as a thing vnperfect and was but a shadow of this which is more perfecte So that they nowe maye bee accounted trewe preestes which be regenerated by Christe and haue the spirite of god â–ª And them to be the greatter and better prestes who hathe receaued a greater measure and habundance of that heauenly spirite And al y e other to bee prophane wicked notwithstaÌ„dinge that they bee a thousande tymes anoynted ordered and chosen in to the numbre of preestes by the Pope and hys membres Wherefore he sayeth eyther ye haue the spyrite or not yf ye haue not the spirite of God then bee ye no priestes neyther after the order of Melchisedech neither after the order of Aaron because ye be not of hys family Therfore canne ye not be prestes but after the order of Beliall after whose order ye may wel be the chief priestes of all But if ye haue y e spirit of god theÌ„ be ye right precious in dede hiÌ„ shal ye thinke to be y e highest priest of all who is replenyshed with more habundaunce of the spirite of god And because that Christe onely receaued the spirite without measure he onely muste be taken for the trewe onelye and chiefe highe prest And for asmuch as Christ onely is full of light grace truethe power and all heauenlye vertue it were an extreme wickednes ydolatrye and abhominacion to study to robbe Christe of these heauenly giftes and apoynt them to a mortall manne and so muche the more and greater shoulde thabhominacion bee the more we bee assuered that Christe is the chiefe euerlastinge preeste as Dauid prophecied and as it is wrytten to the Hebrewes Wherefore as the chiefe prestes of the Iewes died and another was apointed in hys place by the meanes whereof they were manye So this Christe oure eternall preeste beinge once raysed from deathe dieth no more but is ascended into heauen where nowe he lyueth and reigneth chiefe preeste for euer and is able perfectly to saue all those that comme forthe into the syght of God trustinge vpon hys mediacion It is the office of the chiefe preeste to put hym selfe betwene God and the people to offer for the synnes of menne to praye for theÌ„ and to purchase the fauor of God vnto them But nowe sence Christ hath offered hym selfe vpon the crosse for our synnes and hath pacified the wrath of God the father for euer hah preserued his choseÌ„ once for all y t we shal not more haue any nede of hygh priestes whiche shoulde offer agayne for our offences yf that after all thys we attempt to doe sacryfice agayne for thys ende it can not bee done with out an exceding great iniury of God and open contempt of the sacrifice of Christe We haue no nede at thys present to haue any other meÌ„ to put themselues betwene vs and god as chiefe priestes because that wee obteyne all fauour by Christ onely and alone as by our onely chiefe priest chief head and mediator by whose meanes and for whose sake oure prayer workes and sacrifices be not onely accepted but our selues also Wherfore Christ onely and alone is sufficient for vs neither haue we nede of anye other chiefe priestes because it is a dignitie that no manne liuinge can vse with out y e great offence of God Who knoweth not that Christ onely is called of the holy gost the head of hys churche not onely of the churche militaunt but also of the churche triumphaunt Wherein he shall reygne for euer vntyll the latter daye of iudgement Euen as it is necessarye that he shoulde reygne vntill he hathe put hys enemyes a fote stole to hys feete Christ wyll haue thys highe dignitie of the supreme head in hys churche reserued full and whole to hymselfe As he is the true foundacion of hys churche vnto whom only this dignity worthely agreeth because he is onely one whiche as one supreme head hath the fulnes of the treasures and of the knowledge and wisdome of God and of his fauoure and all vertue Thys is he alone who hauynge the spirite with out measure ruleth and gouerneth his churche as an vniuersall head geuing to other menne as to his inferâ—or membres sundrye gyftes and benefites after a certayne proporcion and measure Wherfore euen as in the spirituall churche of Christe they onely bee trewe priestes who haue the gyft of the holy ghost powred vpon them and they be the greater priestes whiche haue thesame in a more pleÌ„tifull measure And Christ is the onely chiefe prieste who hathe the spirite without measure Of a lyke sort they onely be trewe and lyuelye membres of the bodye of the same churche whiche haue the spirite of god and they be more noble and more worthy who haue thesame spirite more aboundauntly And Christe onely is their head who chiefely and moste aboundantly hathe the spirite ofy e eternall father Wherfore in that the byshop of
honour before manne or for thobteynyng of riches or imperiousely to vse the seruice of hys subiectes neyther to seke for any priuate commoditie but to serue other and to â—eke for the profyt of other The power therefore and thegreatnes of the ministers of Christe is alltogether spiritual and standeth wholly in the seruice and gouernaunce of soules helthe But y e bishop of Rome seketh for no other thing theÌ„ to be estemed greate before the worlde that he maye bee worshipped in earthe as it were a god and haue lybertie to vse tyranny ouer all churches to spoyle and destroy them at his pleasure Yf the church of Christ wer now as in times paste it was ordeyned to be he shoulde be thought greater then all the reste who is indued with more lyght from aboue and hath receaued more gyftes and benefites of Goddes hand and this worthynes of hys woulde he onelye vse in settynge forthe of the gospell whereby he might wynne as many soules as myght bee to Christ. So that be it that Christe had geuen the power of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to Peter onely and by him to you that be byshoppes of Rome which thinge is not trewe what other power or authoritie shoulde you haue therby I pray you then to preach the gospell then to be witnesses that synnes bee pardoned to them that beleue and retayned to theÌ„ that beleue not then to administer the Sacraments accordynge to Christes institucion theÌ„ to exhorte to admonysh to correcte with gentlenes and loue such as be prone to synne then to excommunicat whiche is the chiefe matter of all suche as bee open notoriouse synners when they amend not after monicion geuen accordinge to the doctrine of Christe and wyll not obeye the church Thus farre extendeth your power and authoritie geuen by Christe and no further except ye will confound the boundes and thorder of the power ciuile and the power ecclesiastical Mas. This confusion shoulde not our byshoppe in any wise suffer and that for two causes The fyrste because he will haue all hys power estemed of men to be spirituall and heauenlye al though he ouer run the whole worlde with his vnbrydled tyranny The latter because if he woulde saye that thecclesiasticall power might be mingled and confouÌ„ded with power ciuile he might be afrayed leste haply the Emperor should chalenge theÌ„ both so be made both Emperor and Pope I remembre that I haue hearde tel howe Christe was desiered of a fellowe to make deuision of inheritaunce betwene him and hys brother vnto whome Christe made aunswere who made me your iudge Who gaue me authority to deuide thinheritaunce betwene you As thoughe he had sayed I came not neither am I sent of my heauenly father that I should chaleng to me any political power but spiritual onely I come to preach vnto you the whole spiritual kyngdome to bring you to that highnes of mynde that ye shoulde leaue not onelye the worlde but your selfe also for the glory of god and not to be an arbitrer or iudge of your stryfes Yf therfore our Byshoppe were Pope neuer so much as he striueth to be and Christes vicar in earthe it is very trewe that he hath no more power or authoritie gyuen hym by Christ then had Christe himselfe And therfore whensoeuer there shoulde be any ciuile matters brought before him in iudgement he should make aunswere with Christe who made me youre iudge or elles who gaue me authoritie to deuide or put together to absolue or condempne by a ciuile fashioÌ„ of iudgement Thys power must come some other waies it eÌ„ by Christ. But I feare me muche leste oure popes shall by thys their newe authority bee so much occupied in worldly businesses y t they shal haue no space or time to thinke any whit of God And more ouer so much shal theyr tyranny increase y t they shall wyllynglye desire and drawe to themselues and to their iudgemente seates all maner of controuersies not to make an ende of them but to inuolue them and make them more doubtfull by the meanes whereof the sewtes indure the longer And furthermore wheÌ„ they be once made dronke with the bloud of martyrs they wyll sow deadly discorde and continuall contenâ—ion amongest christian princes and wyll bee the authors almoste of all warres whiche shall continue for manye yeres For it is not possyble that common welthes should be quyet where they shall haue rule But I pray you tell me in good earnest brought the embassador any other authoritie of scripture agaynst the Popeshyppe Lepi He brought amoÌ„gest other as farre as I remeÌ„ber thautorite of Sayncte Paule who wrote to the Galathians that Peter was the Apostle of the Iues euen as Paule was of the Gentiles Wherefore he was neither the Apostle sayed he neither the Pope of Rome neither anye of other nacions but of the Iewes onely Neither was he vniuersall Byshoppe of all christendome neither you that be the byshops of Rome be the successors of Peter because ye be not the Apostles nor bishops of the Iewes But Paule shoulde rather haue bene Pope of the gentiles and so much y â— more aboue Peter bicause that y e geÌ„tiles of whom Paule was the Apostle were moe in numbre then were the Iewes and moe of the Gentiles were conuerted to Christe then of the Iewes And Paule preached also in suÌ„dry places of the world brought forthe the fruite of the gospell more plentifully then dyd Peter wherfore he was an Apostle more vniuersall and more profitable also to the churche of Christ. And Paule more ouer addeth thys thyng in the same place that he had no lesse grace beinge the Apostle of the Gentiles then Peter had being the Apostle of the Iewes Then was not Peter a greater Apostle then Paule was And so consequentlye doethe it folowe that he not hys head yea and Paule doeth playnlye call hym in speciall wordes felowe euen as he dyd bothe Iames and Iohn And Peter also wrytynge to the pastors of other churches commaundeth them not imperiouslye as though he were their superior but exhorteth them gently as hys felowes callynge Christe and not hym selfe the chiefe Pastor And furthermore when he was rebuked of Paule he sayed not that he was aboue all lawes and coulde not erre because he was Pope but gaue place to Paule when he was checked of hym openlye And also when he was sent by the apostles in to Samaria he withstod them not He sayed not it is my office to commaunde I haue authoritie to send whom I will or els to goe my wayes yf it please me for I am youre head But he obeyed their commaundementes as a membre of the churche of Christ. And when thimbassador would haue folowed hys matter that he intended more at large and haue brought moe places of scripture for the vtter subuercion of all the popship Then master Falsidicus thinkyng hymselfe not well handled with thimbassadors manyfolde and
stronge reasons interruptyng his tale past all good maners as a mad man in hys fury cryed out with loud voyce and sayed Ye of the East churches bee full of sectes and heresies And therfore haue you of all other most nede of a supreme visible head in yearth by whose authoritie wisdom ye may be gouerned by whom the cōtenciōs that arise amongest you for sundrye interpretacions of scripture maye be pacified y e thīg being declared opened by the censure and iudgemente of the chiefe Byshoppe by the whiche meanes ye myghte knowe the trueth and remayne firme and stable in the trewe fayth quietly For thys cause shoulde you chiefely desire thys supreme head and gouernoure who nowe labour to hynder y e thyng for lacke of knowlage of y e profit that shall enshewe And therfore can I not stey my selfe but must a litle passe the bondes of pacience and speake my mind frely Yf the whole matter were put to me I know what I had to doe I say no more To these wordes thimbassador aunswered quietlye Master Falsidicus ye say yf the whole matter were put to you ye knowe what ye had to doe Bycause these wordes maye bee taken diuerslye seinge you expoūde them not your selfe there is none of vs that can well tel what ye meane by thē some may peraduenture gesse but none cā haue any certain assuraūce So that you onelye knowe what is ment by them euen as Paule wrote What manne is he liuinge that knoweth the inward partes thinwarde thoughtes desiers and craftes of man excepte it bee the spirit of man that dwelleth within him Euē so because men see not thinwarde thoughtes of menne they vnderstande not to what ende theyr wordes tende therefore is it no meruayle yf they atteyne not the perfect knoweledge of those thinges that be spoken namely when the wordes be douteful and ambigouse Therfore with what face dareth the byshop of Rome beinge a mortall manne chalenge vnto him authoritie and iudgement to expounde the worde of God as it shall please hym and to force menne to folowe his exposicion be it ryght or wronge Yt was the holye ghoste and not Peter that opened the mindes of thapostles whereby they myght vnderstande the holy scriptures and he taught them all his whole wyll as Christ promysed before and as Esay did wryte they were taught of god and the lawe of god was prynted in theyr stomakes and written in theyr hartes frō aboue as Hieremie prophecied longe before Iohn shadowed thesame thinge sayinge Ye haue no nede of any mannes helpe whereby to learne for thanoyntinge it selfe that is to saye the holy goste shall teach you all truethe The holy goste is the trewest teacher of al other and one that performeth his promes most haboundantly He is no lyar as men be that breake theyr faythe and promes it is he onely that canne declare the trew sence of the holy scripture it is he only that can open the myndes of menne that canne teach strengthen and stablyshe vs in all trueth and not the bishops of Rome And if you would say that the pope being lightened by the holy goost geueth light to vs I will aunswere fyrst The Pope is not alone lightened with the light of the holy gost For y e holy gost inspireth where as it pleaseth him and destributeth his giftes amongest men to euery one as hys will is Wherefore mens consciences must not bee bounden and tyed to beleue and thinke that the pope only hath the holy gost that the pope only can not erre that the pope onely is aboue the worde of god that the pope only must be the interpreter the declarer and ruler of holy scripture and that all we muste in all pointes obeye the popes iudgement Because that this is ones suer that visible thynges canne bringe no inwarde lyghte nor confirme menne in theyr faythe and quiet and pacify theyr consciences but the holy goost only canne performe al these thinges plentifully What nedeth many wordes he is very Antichriste whiche boasteth himself that he canne geue light to the mind either by an inwarde lyght or by some other meanes then by thexpresse worde of God as the minister of the worde by good example of lyfe and continuall prayer Yf all we should stande or fall by the iudgement of the pope why is there so much labor spent in gatheringe together of counselles Why spende we our lyues with so muche paine in study for knowledge in turninge our bokes yf we shall leane to the onely worde of the pope Then in the name of god let vs be short let vs come to the pope heare his word as it wer an Oracle and let vs worship him as a god But Paule the Apostle teacheth farre after another sorte when he commaundeth two or thre to speake in the churche in order one after another and the rest diligentlye to waye the iudgementes of them that speake And so the iudgement of Ecclesiasticall matters muste be sought for at the church it selfe and not at the pope of Rome And further Paule willeth in especiall wordes that when one of the members of the churche speaketh the truethe bee reueled to another that sitteth by hym that spake fyrste to holde hys peace thoughe he were Pope and gyue eare vnto the latter vnto whome the truethe is disclosed thoughe he bee one of the basest sorte and vnlerned For many tymes god hydeth the secretes of his wisdome from the prudent and wyse of thys worlde and openeth thesame to lytle ones And in another place he maketh Peter equall with the reste sayinge All thinges be yours whether it be Paule or Apollo or Peter as thoughe he shoulde saye let none bee youre superiors besides Christe and hys worde for Peter and Paule bee youre ministers Yea and Peter in the fyrst councell of the Apostles harkened to other declarynge hys owne iudgement in that poynt and geuynge authorytye to the churche to doe what they shoulde thinke good and willinglye and gladlye to obeye the iudgement which the whole congregacion approueth to be perfecte and suer And althoughe Christ sayed I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faythe should not fayle yet foloweth it not therefore that Peter coulde not erre For he erred after that tyme sundrye tymes and namely whē he expresselye denyed Christe the sonne of God But when Christe perceyued Peters temerous boldnes y ◠shortly after he would shamefully denye him to arme and strengthen hym agaynste the temptacion which shoulde insewe lest the greatnes of the fault myght hurle hym downe into desperacion he sayed vnto them Satan goeth about to sift you like chaffe and to vndoe and destroye you Yea you had bene all ready vtterly lost yf I had not praied for you and for the especially Peter by name that thy faythe should not fayle beecause thou wylt fall foulier then the rest and I knowe that God hathe herd my
prayer For althoughe thou wilt denye me with thy mouthe yet thou wylt not deny me with thyne heart Thou wylt synne but synne shall not reygne in the so that in thy heart thou shalt yeld to noughtie temptacions I wyll suffre thee to haue a foule fall that by the meanes therof thy temerous boldnes maye be bridelled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceyue thy owne infirmitie thy hearte shall bee touched with compassion agaynst those that shall synne reysing them vp with knowledge and cōfirming and boldning them with thyne example Nowe canne I not perceyue howe it maye be proued by the wordes before rehersed that Peter was Pope and could not erre afterward neither the Byshops of Rome after hym accordyng to his example Mas. Wee shall wrythe all the wordes that euer Christe spake to Peter to make for the Popeship of Rome let vs writhe them also when Peter counseled Christ to forsake the crosse saying Saue thy self O Lorde Lepi. What aunswere then made Christ Mas. He sayed vnto hym get the out of my sighte Sathan thou troubleste me thou haste no perseueraunce of thinges belongynge to god but to manne onely it is easyto proue that Peter whas chief head of oure byshops of Rome and they hys successours takinge it of this fashion but tell for the on the disputacion I woulde fayne heare the ende of it Lepi. This embassadour of Constantinople would fayne haue brought other reasons forthe and other sayinges of scripture against our popeshippe but the Emperoure moued by oure byshope wylled hym to holde hys peace and commaunded the other imbassadours that they shoulde also saye theyr myndes Then the Embassadoure of Antioche spake in thys wise Because me thinketh it sufficientlye declared that holy scripture doeth not onely not stablishe the primacie of Peter but also seme quite contrary therunto I will speake my mynde breflye as I am commaunded neither will I bringe any moe reasons or argumentes then thys one althoughe it bee easy to fynde a number Be it that we graunted Peter to be the vniuersall byshope ordeyned of Christe ouer hys churche whiche thinge is not trewe yet muste it not therefore bee graunted that the byshoppes of Rome ought to bee popes but rather our byshoppes of Antioche oughte to be the chiefe and vniuersall byshoppes Because that our byshops and not the byshopof Rome were the successours of Peter For Peter was byshop of Antioche and so vnlykely a thynge is it that Peter was euer at Rome To this argument master Pseudologus made aunswere in the name of our pope crying out w t a loude voice vntill his sides cracked again saying Peter was here our byshop in Rome our pope .xxv. yeares together cōtinually and in this same citie was he afterwarde crucified Then Thimbasadour aunswered A prety rewarde for paynes taken in preachinge But tell me I praye you In what place of scripture fynde you that he was euer at Rome Then aunswered master Pseudologus In no place of scripture quod he But it may well be founde in our Historiographers and in many other bokes of our byshoppes and other holy menne Whereunto thimbassadoure answered Then howe knowe you by the worde of god that your byshoppes of Rome be the chiefe vniuersall byshoppes of the churche of Christe if ye haue not that in holy scripture that Peter was euer at Rome Trewely if ye intend to proue youre byshoppes to bee popes by the word of God ye muste fyrste proue by thesame worde that Peter was ordeyned of Christe the vniuersall heade of his whole churche And then must ye proue by the worde of god that Christe vndoutedly gaue the same authoritie to Peter to make the byshoppes of Rome after hym chiefe byshops by continual◠succession and laste of all it muste be proued by suer authoritie of the worde of god that Peter was at Rome ▪ and byshoppe of that citie and dyed there These thinges done ye might well beleue that youre byshoppes were popes by the worde of God But there is not one of these thre thinges that ye cā proue by scripture especially the second the thyrd as ye youre selfes doe confesse Wherefore I canne not see with what face ye canne beare downe so manifest a lye Then master Pseudologus sayd We know that our byshop is pope that with a fulnes of power we knowe that he hathe receaued thys authoritie of Christe by the meanes of S. Peter and not of man wherefore we knowe him to bee pope by the lawe of god and not by the lawe of manne and we will also holde and beleue thys trueth as an article of oure faithe notwithstandinge that none of these thinges before rehersed can be proued by thauthoritie of holy scripture Then sayed thimbassadour Because wee all bee bounde to beleue the articles of our faythe as the foundacions and chiefe principles of our religion it is nedefull that they appeare moste playnly by scripture And you wyll sette fire and tormentes before the whole worlde to make men beleue that thynge whiche by your owne confession can not be proued by the authoritie of the holye scriptures Where I praye you can menne laye the foundacion of their fayth yf they be compelled to beleue and to confesse as a necessary article of their fayth your Byshoppe to be the vniuersall head of the churche of Christ when there is not one word therof in the holy scripture Yt is an intolerable tirāny the like whereof hath not bene herd to bynde the conscience of men to receyue so manyfest a lye for an article of their fayth seing it can not onely not be proued by goddes worde but also all the whole scripture is agaynst it You ought to be content to binde men to beleue that the Pope hathe the highest authorite of all But ye wyll further compel them to beleue that that power and authoritie cōmeth fullye and wholly from God and not from manne although that thyng can in no wyse be proued by scripture Furthermore he would haue it be beleued that it maye bee proued by holye scripture that oure Byshoppe was Pope when you your selues be forced to graunte that it can not bee proued by holy scripture y t Peter was euer at Rome Of thys chiefe and vniuersall byshoprike of your byshoppe ye can haue none other opinion but that it is a deuise of manne seing the contrary can not be proued by the worde of God And you wyll haue it receyued for an article of y e faith and that it shal be beleued with an heauenly faythe Yf ye bee not sure whether Peter were euer at Rome or not for the whiche cause ye chaleng your byshoppe to be chiefe and the successor of Peter how can ye haue certayne knowledge of thys your chiefe Byshoprike but vpon the saying of men onely who naturally be lyars To thys master Pseudologus made aunswere The men which sayd that Peter was at Rome were the
they be y â— churches of Christ thoughe they be ours neuer so muche We wyll persuade also that the churche of Rome is without spot and worthye to be as a glasse and ensample to all â—ther churches Beelze Yea of all abhominacion Luci. All shall folowe after her as after a chiefe ladye maysters that can not doe amisse who hath full power vnto whom all may appele and from whom none maye appeale vnto whome men must ruÌ„ne for refuge in matters of weight as it were to god because she maye be iudge to all other and be iudged of none other and maye call agayne her sentences as oft as her listithe chaunge statutes made in counselles and pronounce hym an heretike whiche darreth speake one word against it whose seat dignitie authoritie is hyghest by the whiche authoritie she may gather general counselles together by whom all doctrines shal be alowed or disalowed who onely may determine stablishe controuersies in religioÌ„ of what matter so euer they began Who only maye expounde the olde canons and the holy scriptures as it pleaseth her And that all menne maye honour and obeye her thoughe the thynge she commaunde seme neuer so wrongefull and intollerable Nowe if the churche of Rome haue once so large authoritie and yet be vnder the pope euen as the wife is in the subiection of her husband consider then with youre selues how greate authoritie our high bishop of Rome shall haue For besides all these thynges rehersed he may bringe to passe that the sentence whiche he hath once geuen and alowed for good maye be vayne and of none effecte he onely shall haue authoritie to establish new religions al such ordinaunces as he shal make must be receaued with no lesse reuerence then though they had ben spoken with gods own mouth Because that his goodnes shal bee the helthe of men and may haue none other iudge but god alone and that it is not necessary that he should pourge himself of his fault when he is accused by other because Peter hath left to all byshops of rome by continuall succession not onely al his merites but also his innocencie and because he hathe authoritie ouer iustice and also because hys power is of god themperours of the pope and hath authoritie ful and whole in earth to apoynt and determine what him listeth in all coÌ„trouersies that come in question in matters of religion for he hathe the solutions of all controuersyes hid within hys breste and he is the heyer of all thempier and of the kingdome of the Romanes and therfore may he doe what he will for he hathe as muche authorytie as euer had Peter Beelze This onely thing excepted that he can not rayse deade men to life againe as Peter once dyd Luci. He only hathe thauthoritie to canonize Sainctes he only is aboue al couÌ„selles ordinances he only may dispence agaynst iustice he only may change gods definitiue sentence And if it were so that al the whole world should speake against the pope yet must y e minde of the pope onely bee alowed He only hath y e knowledge of the church and that after such a sorte that he only caÌ„ chaunge the nature of thinges make somwhat of nothing In him only must the will onely be estemedfor the best reason that can be deuised not so hardy that any man should say vnto him why doe you this or this thing after this or that fashioÌ„ For he can make rightuousnes of wronge amend all thynges as he shal thinke good he caÌ„ expound chaunge lawes make al square thinges rounde as one that is neither pure god neyther pure manne Beelz Then shall he be a deuell or elles some kind of brute beast But I thinke it no very harde thinge to perswade all thys geare to hym hys mynd is so woÌ„derfully puffed vp with ambicion Yet can I not see howe menne maye be made beleue that the Pope is their God in earth Luci. Yea ye knowe not that it is an easie thynge to deceyue the common sort of the vnlearned namely in maters of religioÌ„ You knowe right wel y t they be naturally enclining to al kindes of supersticioÌ„ There is none so shamefull a lye nor no deceypt so farre out of frame that the worlde wyll not reedely receyue yf it be deliuered them by anye authoritie with some colour and lykelihod of a trueth What christian man is he whiche wyll not wyllyngly beleue that Christ is ascended vp into heauen and hathe left hys Uicar here in earth indwed and furnished with a ful power and authoritie to doe all maner of thynges At the least wyse that faultes myghte be amended whiche amongest a numbre of matters readely arise in the churche by the reason of hys absence And that especially when the worlde hathe conceaued a wonderfull good opinion of their lyfe and learnynge whiche shal be the setters forthe of the matter And more ouer we wyll accurse hym what so euer he be and declare him an Apostata a blasphemer agaynst the holy gost irregular worthye to bee suspended and disgraded that wyll aduenture to speake but one worde agaynst our Popehod And yf it fortune that he be a Byshoppe or a priest that committe thys fault we will haue hym declared excomunicate deliuered into the power of Satan an heretyke a defamed person an infidell a committer of Sacriledge a Sismatike a dampned and a cursed body Who is that wyll not be affrayed of these wordes When the very sounde of them being spoken is so feareful Yf these threteninges wil not be sufficient then in dede wyll we attempt moste cruel persecucions men shal be cast in prisoÌ„ shal lose bothe life and goodes There shal bee no fault in the worlde more heynously punished then thys one of disobedience agaynste our Popehod Menne shall heare God blasphemed and some deny the myght of God and some mocke God and yet shall all menne laughe make a game therat as though it were but a trifelyng matter But yf any manne shall attempte to deny the Popes power or to deminish thesame neuer so lytle he shall be burned alyue with longe tormente More ouer we wyll cause all the bokes to be burned as manye as shall seme to make any thinge agaynste our pophod Yea and we will forbid men that they shall not haue the holy scripture in thyr handes nor in theyr sight vnder the payne of fyer and rope Beelze This thinge woulde they doe very gladly because the scriptures be against them But it wold be so manifest and open sacriledge and wickednes that it can not well be cloked with no color pretence fraude or craft Truly it shal be enough to corrupt the scriptures and violently to writhe it to theyr croked purpose without al feare or shame Luci. They shall not alow nor suffer any bookes to be red but such as maynteyne this craft falshod So that euen as the simple shepe
folow theyr shephearde so shall the Christen men theyr heades we will so indeuor our selues to blynde menne that they shall not onely beleue and magnifie thys hyghe byshop for theyr priuat commoditie but they shall also defende it tothe and nayle euen to the very deathe Beelze But howe maye it be brought to passe that they shall not see so manifest a lye they beinge the heades of the churche Luci. We wyll iuggle their eyes with proud tytles highe dignities offices benefices the reuenewes of whom shal be fat stipendes that they maye make gaudes triuÌ„phe w t all abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of pleasure We wil also make lawes y t the people shall not only reuerence them but shal also esteme them as goddes for theyr religions and popish holynes And againe y t men shal alway studie occupie al y â— wittes in theyr heads to preserue increase this dignitie whereunto there may apeare some hope y t they shall atteyne all shall hange vpon the popes sleue not for feare only of losse of theyr office benefices yerlie reuenewes promotions but also vpon hope to get more Now maye you easely iudge whether they will apply the powers of their strength wit or not for y e settinge forthe establyshing of our pope hod the earnester they will be in this poynte the more necessary profytable a thinge it wil be to them to defend thesame For if the popeshippe once fall they should all sterue for huÌ„ger because they haue none honest craft or exercise to take them to Yea and I will cause the pope to forbid them al honest kindes of exercises and that vnder a couler of religioÌ„ holines lest peradueÌ„ture y e handes consciences of spirituall meÌ„ should be fouled with laboringe they shall all bee occupied suche shal be the bosting about y e helth of soules So great shall they be that they shall disdayne to preache gods worde neither shall they be otherwise occupied then in celebrating againe agayne their colde and supersticiouse ceremonies and that with such a pompe and glory that it shall be a shewinge and a settinge fourthe of themselues Beelze In what kynde of exercise then shall they occupie themselues all theyr life tyme for it is a very paynefull thinge to be allwayes ydell Luci. They shall not bee alwayes ydell good syr but shal haue somethinge adoe alwayes in disynge cardinge bankettinge in wantonnes contencion and other such lyke courtly pastymes And that they may be more diligent in the maynteyninge of thys popeshipe I will prouyde for them vnder a pretence of an ecclesiasticall lawe y t they shal be disbordened and fre from all exactions of princes of thys worlde More ouer I will make a lawe whereunto shal be sworne all byshoppes and Doctors that they shall not onely attempt no thing agaynst this popehod but also shal maynteyne and defende it to the vttermoste of theyr power And also for the stablishement of oure Antichriste it shall be sâ—ablyshed by a law that these wicked wretches moued thereunto by oure spirite shall sometyme congregate them selues together in theyr wicked counselles onelye to kepe downe and extinguish by a common consent the treuth of the gospel By meanes of the which congregacion they shall retayne all the princes and magistrates of the earthe to confirme theyr tyrannye and to defende thys detestable abhominacion of the Pope And we wyll make the worlde beleue that suche counselles canne not erre whiche thinge wil be easy to compase men shal be so blynd and ignorant We will also deuise for the popes pleasure a newe kinde of diuinitie altogether vaine supersticiouse voide of learning heretical wicked ful of vanities and darknes of mans inueÌ„tions doubâ—es questions contencions the mother of all sectes errours and abhominations Thys euill kynde of diuinitie shall brynge in suche a darkenes that it shall hurte and deceyue verye good wittes There shall bee no scole neither vniuersitie whiche shall not be hurted and infected with this Antichrist of ours Good letters shall be banyshed and so shall they lacke all good learnynge in so much that their children though they be baptised and therfore dedicated to God they shall learnenothinge â–ª els in their scoles but vayne and fylthye tales And furthermore that the tiranny of thys Bishoppes empire may be the more stronglye and surely established the Popes beinge inspired with oure spirite shall wryte decrees and decretalles that is to saye prophane wicked and abhominable sentences And yet not withstanding the worlde shal be in suche a blindenes that they shall thynke them very holy decrees And to conclude in fewe wordes thoughe God onely bee to bee wurshypped and prayed vnto with a trewe louynge intiernes of myndes yet by my craftes wyll I bryng it to passe that the Pope shall commaunde menne to praye not onely to Angels and Saynctes and to such as were most wicked and yet by hym canonized but also vnto their Images pictures and reliques and that with as stinking a kinde of supersticioÌ„ as may be Beeze Uerely I can not perceyue howe euer it wil come to passe that christian menne maye fall into so manifest vices wickednesses and ydolatry Of a truethe if there woulde come suche a tyme wherin these detestable vices myghte bee committed that ye haue now spokeÌ„ of I thinke the christian men would haue moe ydoles then euer had either the Iewes or the gentiles and woulde excede with their wickednes and ydolatry all other nacions of the worlde Luci. But I promise you that we may easely bringe it to passe by the meanes of thys oure head that men shal fall both into these al other kyndes of abhominacions Yf ye doubt how this thing may be brought to passe I wyll tell you that ye maye helpe to sette it forwarde to the vttermost of your powers It is not vnknoweÌ„ vnto you y t they haue a custome in y e church of Christ when any christian man suffrereth martyrdome the rest of the Christian congregacion doethe what they caÌ„ to haue their bodies honorably buried as it is a thynge bothe honest and godlye And their Bishoppes yerely vpon thesame daye that those martirs suffered be wont to make mencion of their constancie and victorie to thintent that menne shoulde be incouraged not onely to folowe the example of the Saynctes that they maye bee stronge to dye for the glorie of Christ yf the thyng so require but also for a witnes of the resurreccion that is to come to bring menne in a contempt of thys lyfe whiche shortly wyll faade and perishe into the hope of lyfe euerlastynge Whiche deuocion God hath soundrye tymes approued and confirmed with soundry miracles Now wil we moue and stirre menne vnder a pretence of religion and holines to rip and cutte vp theyr dead bodies to put their bones in vesselles of Christall siluer or golde to set theÌ„ vpoÌ„ aulters where the lordes supper is acustomed to be ministred as
they haue or shall receyue of god So that they shal imagine them selues hable to deserue so much glory that god is not hable to repay and rewarde the thynge that he oweth vnto them And therfore shall they fell their merites to other meÌ„ as thoughe they had superfluous and to manye And because they can neuer sell or giue so many but that they shal alwayes haue a number remayninge they shal make oure holy father the pope the inheritour of theyr merites that he maye accomplyshe all thinges for all men requisit And this riche treasorer of merites he shall sell wonderfull dearely in his Iubilies and pardones so fonde an opinion shall they haue that they shal thiÌ„ke theÌ„ selues hable to deserue gods fre electioÌ„ and shal thinke gods heuenly prouidence and all thinges that belonge to saluacion to hange vpon theyr fre will and vpon theyr pope Beelze Yf it be so as ye say then is free wil a greate Lorde shal be a boue god him selfe For as I perceaue he shall either chose or refuse healthe or condempnacion like a lord and god as his seruaunt shal minister occasions and tyme conuenient vnto him so shall the will of god be lyke a bonde woman and the wil of man like vnto a Quene it shal be necessary not that manne shall applye hys will to gods wyll but that god shal applye hys will to mans wyl Neither canne god chose men without the popes license So that incase god had neuer so reproued and reiected any manne and the pope in whose hande all power is mindeth to saue thesame manne gods determinacion shal be voyde And so shal the pope be greater theÌ„ Christe and mannes fre wil also because the whole saluacion of al man kynde shal be in theyr owne power But Christe aunsweringe the children of zebedee of whome the one disired to syt on the right hand of Christe and the other on the left sayed it was not in him to geue that thinge because all hong vpon gods free election and Christe also sayed not trewe when he so saied for he shoulde haue graunted that al depended vpon the pope and mans free wil. Luci. Yf he were not suche a one he shoulde not be Antichriste And because the election of god dothe abase a man casteth hym down more theÌ„ any thing els whiche thinge manne beinge naturally inclyned to esteme highely himselfe can not abyde therefore shal it be an easy thynge to perswade to menne that al the whole matter hangeth vpon hys owne fre wil and not vpon god Therefore wil the pope neuer forsake thys office to promote and further this our purpose by al the meanes that he canne and that for many other causes but chiefly for that mannes merites shall be as it were a grounde worke of all hys marchandise and vauntage Howe beit that he maye the beâ—tâ—r sell and vtter theÌ„ he shal mingle some merites of Christ amongest them and shall boast that he hath the key of al these treasures and ful authoritie to distribute to apply to sel and to giue al at hys will and pleasure And also a tyme there shall come when the worlde shal beleue because they shal thynke hym a god in earthe indued with moste greate authoritie that he can bothe bynd and loose saue or condempne when it shal be hys pleasure Nowe maye ye easelye perceaue whether menne wyl runne to hym or not to bye heuen and paradise of hym Oh howe many and howe abhominable fantasyes shall menne committe when they shal saye to them selues what care I of thys am I suer that I canne be absolued for money What a number of soules shal bee damned thinking to be saued by theyr own merites by the popes pardones and absolutions because they shal be without faythe and without Christe Out of thys deuelyshe fouÌ„taine shal spriÌ„g Iubilies statioÌ„s pardoÌ„s absolucioÌ„s dispensacioÌ„s relaxations an infinit number of monstors whiche dayly they shal deuise to sel Christ and hys merites and heuen and paradise with all Furthermore we will cause that this oure mischeuouse paricideÌ„ shal by his fraude and craft perswade Christian menne that Christe with al hys merites passion death and benefites be not sufficient to saue I will not saye the reproued and reiected sorte but euen the very chosen of god be it that they beleue in Christe with neuer so lyuely a faythe For they muste moreouer of necessitie confesse all theyr synnes bothe open priuate euen the verye inward thoughtes and desiers yea all the brauÌ„ches and circumstances of them and disclose al thinge whether they be to be spoken or not to a priest of hym apoynted Beelze This thinge is not possible to bee done for theyr synnes be innumerable Luci. Suerly oure priestes can not deuise a better waye to holde mens consciences in a perplexitie doutefull and vncerteyne And so when men shal bee in a continual doutinge whether they be in the fauor of god or not they shal runne oft to oure prieste and his gayne shall alwayes increase in that he shal receaue wel for his absolutions Beelze Yf there shoulde suche a tyme come when I myght see Christian men disclosing theyr secretes euen suche as be of greatiste weight and that slaunderinge them selues contrary bothe to the lawe of god and the lawe of nature and oftentymes also with no smal offence of their neighbour to a wicked thiefe shoulde also suffer their wiues their doughters sisters to opeÌ„ y e botome of their hartes matters of no honesty not alway to a gelded maÌ„ but most coÌ„monly to a vicious verlet I would be bold to saye they were the most foles in the vniuersall world But tell me in good fayth what profit shoulde insewe of this deuelishe folishenes yf it shoulde bee brought in to our churche Beelze Oh it should muche increase and amplyfie the honour of our byshop and hys members and bee a very greate gayne and profit to hys churche For then should men beleue that he by hys ministers did pardone synnes and not god and that the same syns were not forgeuen by the vertewe of the passion of Christ but by the vertew of the absolution that they herd the priest speake And in confession mentioÌ„ shal be made of all thinges sauyng of Christ and so shall we bury Christ together with his passion and death god with his grace And more ouer what a greate commoditie shall it bee to the pope trowe you when his ministers by thys means shall knowe all the secrets of princes I passe ouer how that in hearing of women secretly disclose theyr dishonestie with al the circumstaunces thereof and all vnhonest thoughtes and desieres suche confessours being inflamed with the communicacion and consideringe craftely howe theyr myndes bee inclined will beginne many fayer and handsom snares which they may easely make whereby to holde them euen as it were by the heere of the head when they are once made pryuye to their
it chaunced that Achatius Byshoppe of Cōstantinople who then was placed first amongest the Byshoppes and yet vsed no authoritie ouer them woulde haue condempned Peter the Byshoppe of Alexandria of heresie And bycause the Byshoppe of Rome for the worthynes of the Citie was then in some estimaciō the Byshop of Constantinople wrote to Simplicius then being Byshoppe of Rome desirynge hym that he woulde lykewyse declare the Byshoppe of Alexandria an Heretyke And of thys hath ambitious felowes taken occasion vnworthely God he knoweth to dispute of the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome And so farre haue they gone forward in their ambicion that they haue not bene ashamed falsely to contend that they are the heades of al other churches And on the other syde stode they whyche toke partes with the Byshoppe of Constantinople affirmynge their Byshoppe and not the Byshoppe of Rome to be the supreme head of all other churches Thys ambicious contencion continued amongest these most holy fathers a hundreth twelue yeres And at the last about the yere of our Lorde sixe hundreth when Maurice the Emperour was in Grecia Ihon the Byshoppe of Constantinople gathered all the Byshoppes of Grecia togethyr at Constantinople and there was the Bishop of Constantinople and not the Byshop of Rome ordeyned of them to be the Byshoppe of all other churches But when Maurice wylled the Byshoppe of Rome to submitte hymselfe and hys churche to the Byshoppe of Constantinople Gregory who then was Byshoppe of Rome withstode it called hym y e fore runner of Antichrist And thesame Gregory wrytynge to the Byshoppe of Antioch Alexandria amongest al other thing sayth ye knowe that in the counsell of Calcedon the tytle of the vniuersall Byshoppe was offered to the Byshop of Rome whiche he woulde in no wyse receyue neither was there any of our predecessors y t dyd vsurpe that tytle Yea euen then as they saye to confounde and rubuke y e pride of other he begā to be named the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God Howe be it hys successor Boniface the thirde a manne to ambicious and craftie obteyned of Phocas the Emperour by suttill trayne the dignitie of a Pope What maner of manne thys Phocas the Emperour was it appeareth of hys historye By violence fraude and treason he came to the Empire and caused Maurice the Emperour most cruelly and most wickedly and his wife and all his children to be kylled before his owne face Thys was the holy manne who first gaue this goodly creature of the Popeshyp to the world And this is true y t vntill the dayes of Constātine the fourth Emperour the Byshoppe of Rome was wont to be confirmed of the Emperour Howe be it at the request intreatie of Benet the second of Rome the foresayed Constantine graunted to y e Benet and hys successors that they shoulde be receyued and taken of all menne for Popes without the Emperours confirmacion And so by litle lytle they crepte vp so highe by their craftie diligence that the Emperour must bothe bee confirmed and crowned of the Pope but yet it is necessary that first he take an othe that he wyll defende the Popehod Therfore it is not harde to be knowen what maner of spirite it was that brought the popeshyppe into the worlde and howe the creacion of the Pope and of the Popeshyp is contrary to the birthe of Christe Namely when as Paule writeth Christe glorified not hymselfe neither thrust himselfe to be a byshop but takynge example of Aaron he taried vntyll he was called of hys father But these men thrust themselues in violently vntyll they haue made them selues not onely equall with Christe but also aboue Christe Christe beinge in the shape of god dyd caste downe hymselfe willingly and would take the shape of a seruant vpon him But this fellowe being in the forme of a man whiche is a moste abiect and vile sinner so proudly hathe auaunced hymselfe alofte that he is not ashamed to bragge hym selfe to bee a highe light and a god in earth And if we will consider and waye the lyfe the maners and the workes of Christ and the pope we shall fynde them alltogether quiet contrary the one to the other Christe was innocente poore and would not trouble himselfe with worldly businesses but was altogether bent to the helthe of soules whome he desiered to enrich with heuenly threasure he was meke gentle refusing both crown and kingedome neuer had he any priuat affection of fauour either towardes himselfe or others his kinsfolke or towardes any manne lyuynge beinge inflamed with a great force of the heauenly spirit always sought he the glory of God the father eternall He was a peacemaker sober subiecte to all men for the honour of hys father mercifull and very prone and redye to be pitifull and therefore he wept vpon Hierusalem he was godly shamfast chaste most liberal full of loue and all other vertues But al the popes be in all poyntes diuerse quite contrary to all these vertewes of Christe For there is a rotten dongehill and puddell within them of all vncleannes wickednes and mischefe as it is ryght well knowen to them that haue any knowledge of them that be now a dayes and reade the hystoryes and lyues of them that be past and all thoughe they be very contrary to Christ in these thinges that I haue spoken of more then other men be that is to say in all outward actiō of vertue yet in theyr doctrine certayne other theyr wicked abhomynations they bee moste wycked and moste contrary of all For there be certayne wickednesses peculier vnto them which be of exceding great weyght be so hainouse that they be mete for none other but for these theues onely Wherefore it is vere necessary to graunte them onely to be the very and chief antichristes for these only be they who corruptinge the scripture and withstandyng the expresse word of god haue plucked Christ with theyr wicked handes out of hys highe and gloryouse seate and yet not being contented with that horryble mischief they haue caste downe oppressed and buried and haue bannished quit out of the eyes and memories of man the redemer of all mankinde and haue placed themselues in Christes seat gyuinge to themselues and with force challenginge lyke tyrannes all that dignitie whiche parteyneth to Christe alone Yea they haue made themselues aboue Christe So that in conclusion they woulde not only seme equal to god but also haue auaunced them selfes with a deuelishe and intollerable boldnes aboue god That this thing is as I saye it is euident For the bodye of Christes churche hathe but one heade otherwyse it should bee a monstrowse deformed thynge the lyke wherof hath not been hearde of and shoulde not bee abody knit together with a trewe proporcion of the membres But Christe is the trewe and onely heade of his church a Paule doth playnely wryt that out of thys heade is the spirite lyfe lyghte
glorye of god and ye haue taken vpon you the cause of Christe and hys electes agaynste all the enemies of god Neither canne there bee any more worthye meanes deuised to set forth both the glorye of god and also of youre moste excellent maiestie And it is not to be douted but that god will vse your maiestie as a heauenly meane and a fautles instrument to ouerthrowe hys greate enemy euen as in tymes past he vsed Dauyd for an instrumente to ouerthrowe Goliathe Youre maiestie maye stryke of hys head as Dauid Goliathes euen with hys owne sworde that is to saye with the worde of God whiche he hathe moste fylthely abused in despyte of Christe There were verely not a fewe of the olde Emperours who attempted the puttynge downe of thys tyrannye as Henry the fourthe fift Lewes the fourth Frederyke the fyrste and seconde and many moe who coulde not ouercome hym because he reygned in the myndes of men and the people tooke hym for theyr god in earth they feared his thunderboltes excommunications they thought theÌ„selues daÌ„pned yf they contraryed hym neuer so litle therefore coulde they not in good earnest put on theyr harnes take theyr weapons with a valyant corage of spirite to delyuer the Christyan common welthe from thys so great a tyranny Ed. Yf we minde to ouercome him in short space we must fyrste goe about to bryue him out of the heartes of menne for as soone as he hathe once lost his spiritual kingdome in mens consciences he shall forgoe by and by al the rest of his iurisdicciâ—Ì„ without any greate difficultie And to dryue him out of the heartes of men it is not nedefull to vse sword nor violence the sworde of the spirite that is the worde of god is sufficient wherby Christe ouercame and conquered hys enemy Sathan in the desert For all his whole popeshippe is nothinge elles but a manifest deceyt and lye What thynge canne it bee elles but a lye to saye the churche was buylded by Christ vpoÌ„ Peter and that Peter was instituted by Christ the heade of the other apostles and of the vniuersall churche and that Cephas in oure tonge signifieth a heade and that when Christ saied to Peter fede me shepe he made him the onelye shepard of soules and gaue to hym alone the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and power to loose and bynde yt is also a verye vayne lye to saye Peter was at Rome and that Peter had authority geuen him of Christ to leaue there and also that he left there the chiefe byshoppes seate as in one certayne pâ—ace there by succession continueally to remayne to the byshoppes of Rome as they holde opinion it is also a manifest lye and deceyte to saye that Christe is not oure onelye sauyour medyatour and aduocaâ— Purgatory also deuised by them is a lye and theyr lately deuised confessyons absolutions pardons Iubelies blessinges cursinges and excommunications bee all lyes And also theyr heresies hipocrisies Idolatry promesses flatteringes supersticioÌ„ theyr deuelishe tyrannicall authoritie which they vsurpe and chalenge with al their whole Popehod be altogether lyes Wherefore seinge the word of god is y e most bright light at the sight wherof all falsehod and lyes be knowen and auoyded and the trueth apeareth inuinsible it muste nedes be that eueÌ„ as darkenes vanisheth away at y e sight of y e suÌ„ne euen so at the shinynge of goddes worde all lyes deceytes treasoÌ„s wickednes of the Pope shal decaye vtterly be plucked vp by y e rotes This is y e spirituall sworde by whose edge as Paule prophecied he must be slaine Wherfore if we minde to attayne honor glory that neuer shal perishe by thys noble enterprise we muste searche all about and get the most faythfull ministers of goddes worde whiche be indued with a great light of y e spirite in the knowledge and exposicion of the scriptures with a heauenly eloquence boldnes and lybertye whiche ministers bothe canne and will prynte Christe in the heartes of manne Then with out doubt shall Antichrist and all his whole kingdom be ouerthroweÌ„ by and by This must be oure hoste these must be oure fotemen these must be our horse men if we mynde to ouercome this enemie of god And yf we can not fynde enough suche menne within oure owne dominions they muste bee sought for where so euer they maye be founde good learniÌ„g must be made much of promoted forward good wittes must bee norished and prouoked to learnyng studie that the heauenly philosophie of Christ maye reigne alwayes in oure kingedom Then suerly shal we not be ashamed wheÌ„ we shalbe neuer so much excomunicated of y e wicked romishe Robber but we shall rather reioyce with a valiant and bold corage we shall laugh to scorne his cursinges and blessinges all together not settinge a strawe by the whole rabble of the rest of hys wickednes his absolucions dispensacions priuileges bulles and pardons Ed. Throughe the sinne of oure fore father Adam we bee naturallye so fraile and weake so blinde and froward y t we seke for nothinge els but our owne Wherfore yf we will be moued to set forth and amplifie the most high glory of god it is he that must moue stirre vs with hys heauenly spirite And for asmuche as we knowe and bee very well assured that all oure desire and purposes concerninge thys matter bee bent towardes the glory of god according to his word we maye be bolde to saye that thys intente of ours is a worke of God Therefore euen as it canne not be that God wyl forsake him self and leaue of to be God So also can it not be but that he wyl further thys worke to a good ende whiche is not oures but altogether his we doubt not therfore but that God wyll be of our syde and that he wyl triumphe ouer hys enemies Counsel Suerly it shal be a very easie thynge to obteyne what thyng soeuer is godly of youre maiesties subiectes For euen as after the transgression of Adam god grafted a certayne terriblenes of countenaunce in manne wherby he shoulde make beastes affrayed with lokyng vpon manne lest they shoulde hurt hym So hath he indued subiectes with a certayne naturall feare towardes their leage lordes that they may reuerently obey them Wherfore yf a Prynce or Kyng intende a thynge and then declare thesame to be hys mynde and pleasure with a certaine effectualnes and authoritie by and by they all obey namelye when he offereth matters vnto them that be iuste and godlye but as for the trueth of the doctrine of the gospell is of it selfe most effectual therfore we doubt not but it wil come to passe that it shall gladly be receyued of al menne especially when it shal be offered vnto them of the maiestie of a kynge and he shall confirme the same with vprightnes of lif Neither is it to be doubted that the gospell should breed any tumulte
in these dominions or cause any sedicioÌ„ or losenes of libertie for Christe dothe approue and confirme chiefelye the power and authoritie of princes and magistrates and causeth menne to thynke humbly and lowely of them selues to loue peace and quietnes and therfore as thoughe they were gentle lambes it shal be an easie thyng no great payne to rule them Ed. We know ryght well that a sicke body which is ful of corrupt humors can not be purged and clensed with out some commocion and stirryng of the body and membres and euen so is it of our kingdomes And we also knowe that the gospell is a moste swete and pleasant medecine to the chosen of god although it turne the stomake of suche as be reiected And euen as he shoulde not bee a good father who hauinge a soÌ„ne sicke that he could make whole again with some medicine and yet durst not minister thesame vnto him for feare of stirryng of hys body so suffer hys sonne to perish with the greatnes of the disease So should not we bee a good kynge yf when we shall see oure people sicke of a spirituall disease as in dede we doe shoulde suffer them to perishe eternally for feare of a coÌ„mocion should not minister vnto them the wholesome medecine of the gospell wherby to restore them agayne to health Wherfore we be in a full readynes to aduenture not onely our honor but also our lyfe it selfe for the wealth of our people and for the glory of God There be not a fewe that wyll goe about to stey vs from thys noble enterpryse They saye that the Greekes and other nacions of the East partes of the worlde were punished of God by the tyrannye of the Turke bycause they refused to obey the Pope As thoughe the Popes tyranny were not a great deale greater and crueller then is the tyranny of the Turke Or as thoughe Affryke and Asia had in tymes paste bene subiect to the Pope Neither minde we to rente or louse the seemeles coate of Christ as some peraduenture wyll thynke who hathe cut it into so manye smale peces that it canne be deuided nomore â–ª But we mynde to cutte and teare asunder the veale of hypocrysie that their vice and wickednes maye be knoweÌ„ of all menne Thys thing is without question as ofte as euer the Turke hathe fought with the Christian menne for the most parte he hath had the ouer hand whiche God suffered so to be not onely to punishe vs for that in stead of Christe we haue wurshypped Antichrist but also bycause he minded by litle litle to withdrawe vs and deliuer vs from the wicked tyranny of Antichrist And it is not to be doubted but y â— euen as the Iewes be punished chiefly for the sinnes of their priestes bycause they were y e causers of the deathe of Christe so be the Christian men punyshed thys daye for the sinnes of Antichrist and his priestes who haue crucified Christ agayne muche more in despite of God then the Iewes dyd in tymes paste Wherefore yf we wyll preuayle agaynst the Turke firste lette vs thrust thys wicked manne out of the churche of God whiche is a home dwellyng Turke for whose sinnes God beinge offended with vs vseth that whippe for the punishemente of the Christians and when god is once pleased and contented agayne with vs we shall easelye by goddes helpe giue hym the ouerthrowe Therefore let vs dryue all heresie idolatrye supersticion wickednes out of the church of god and then shall we not onely triumphe ouer the turkes but also they will bee conuerted to Christe when they shall see the beames of the light of the gospel and the holy life of the Christians sprede ouer al. This arrant these of Rome hath robbed y e worlde vnder the pretence of religion and battayle agaynste the turkes and to deliuer the Christians whiche bee amongest the turkes in seruitude and bondage Let hym nowe dryue hym selfe out of the churche of god if he mynde to delyuer vs out of bondage whiche is muche more cruell and tyrannical then the other Let hym dryue Sathan out of hym selfe and out of his wicked Babilon and then beinge conuerted and armed with spirituall vertues and with the sworde of goddes worde folowing thexample of Christ and hys apostles let hym fyght agaynste gods enemies And if it so be that he canne not be amended but wil continue on still in hys wicked and cruell tyrannye so that he will coÌ„pell force to be made let it be made agaynste hym for he onely noyeth more the church of Christe then all the enemies of god ioyned together We hate not the popes parson but hys abhominations whome all menne ought of deutie to abhorre Counsell Euen as y e doctrine of the gospell excelleth all other kindes of learninge in purenes gentlenes pleasauntnes propfytablenes excellencie and wonderfulnes So if it bee infected once with neuer so litle an heresy it is more pestilent and perniciouse then anye other Wherfore lette vs doe all oure indeuoure that it being pourged from all false and supersticious imaginacions and mannes traditions maye bee ministred to the people pure simple and syncere as it is of it selfe And as concernynge the articles of the faythe the worde of God ought to be sufficient except we wyll seeme wiser then God hym selfe And as touchynge woorkes the lawe that God hym selfe hathe made whiche is most pure and holye shal be sufficiente Whose preceptes be without spot sounde and cherefull to the mynde Whereunto Christes interpretacion muste bee annexed And as for prayer and inuocacion what shall wee rather alowe then the Lordes prayer whiche the sonne of God hymselfe taught vs. Whiche teacheth vs playnely and fullye what we ought to aske of God And it also teacheth howe we ought to aske all gyftes of God throughe Christe oure mediatoure Forsothe it is a wicked thynge to desyer to bee more wyse then was Christe hymselfe who delyuered vs that prayer as a perfecte forme of prayer wherefore it canne not bee well to adde any thynge thereunto Trulye all doctrine that is necessarye for saluacyon is playne and cleare yf we darken it not with the darkenes of mannes inuentions We wyll therefore dooe oure dylygence fyrste to put a waye all suche thynges as maye bee a hynderaunce to the goinge forwarde of the Gospell and hauynge allwayes goddes honour before oure eyes the helthe of soules we will pray that he wyll graunt vnto vs that purenes and earnestnes of spirit that we maye sette forth hys glory and serue hym in holines and that we may through Iesus Christ oure redemer gyue all prayse glory and honor to God the father euerlastynge Amen ¶ Imprynted at London for Gwalter Lynne dwellyng on Somers kaye by Byllynges gate Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Anno. Do. 1549. Esaâ—y xiiiâ— Lucke x. Apo. xiâ— Iohn xvij rom viii Gala. vi phil â— Iohn iii. phyl i. Gala. ii Heb. xiii i. Iohn v. Mat.