Germanye and in England Haue they eyther forgotten or can they not see what is done at Rome Or be they our accusers whose lyfe is suche as no man is able to make mention thereof but with shame and vncomelines Our purpose here is not to take in hande at this present to bryng to lyght and open to the worlde those thinges whiche were meete rather to be hyd and buryed with the workers of them It besemyth neyther our Religion nor our modestie nor our shamefastenes But yet he which giueth commaundement that he shoulde be called the vicar of Christ and the head of the Churche who also hearith that suche things be don at Rome who seeth them who suffereth them for we will go no further he can easily consider with him selfe what maner of things they be Let him on Gods name call to mynde let him remembre that they be of his owne Canonistes which haue taught the people that fornication betwen single folke is not sinne as though they had fet that doctrine from Mitio in Terence whose wordes be It is no sinne beleue me for a yonge man to haunte harlottes Let hym remeÌ„bre they be of his own which haue decreed y t a preiste oughte not to be put out of his cure for fornication Let him remeÌ„bre also how Cardinall Campegius Albertus Pighius and others many more of his owne haue taughte y t the preist whiche keepeth a Concubine doth liue more holily and chastelye then he which hath a wyfe in matrimonie I trust he hath not yet forgoten that there be many thousands of common harlottes in Rome and that hym selfe doth gather yearely of y e same harlottes vpoÌ„ a thirty thousaÌ„de Duckettes by â—he way of an annuall pension Neyther can he forgette how himselfe doth maintein openly brothels houses and by a moste filthye lucre doth filthelye and lewdelye serue his owne lust Were all thinges then pure and holy in Rome when Iohane a womaÌ„ rather of parfeâ—t age theÌ„ of parfect lyfe was Pope there bare her selfe as the head of the Church And after that for two whole yeares in that holye Sea she had plaide the naughtie Packe at last going in procession about the Citie in the sight of al the Cardinals and Byshopps fell in trauaile openly in the stretes But what neede one rehearse Concubines and Bawds as for that is now an ordinarie and a gainefull sinne at Rome For harlottes syt there now a days not as they did in times past without the Citie walles and with their faces hid and couered but they dwel in palaces and fayre houses they strey about in Courte and market and that wyth bare and open face as who saye they may not onely laufully do it but ought also to be praysed for so doing What should we say any more of this their vitious and abhominable lyfe is now thoroughlye knowen to the whole world Bernarde writeth roundely and truely of the Byshop of Romes house yea and of the Byshop of Rome him selfe Thy Palaice sayethe he taketh in good men but it maketh none naughtye persones thriue there and the good appayre and decaye And who soeuer he were which wrote the Tripartite worke annexed to the Councel Lateranense saith thus So excessiue at this daye is the ryote aswel in the Prelates and Byshoppes as in the Clerkes and Preistes that it is horrible to be told But these thinges be not onely growen in vre and so by custome and continuall tyme well alowed as all the rest of their doinges in maner bee but they are now waxen old and rotten ripe For who hath not hearde what a haynous act Peter Aâ—oisius Pope Paul the thirdes sonne coÌ„mitted against Câ—â—mus Cherius the Byshopp of Fauenseâ— what Iohn Casus Archebishop of Beneuentanus the Popes Legate at Venyce wrote in the commendation of a moste abhominable fylthynes and how he set furth with most lothesom words wicked eloquence y e mater which ought not once to procede out of any bodys mouth To whose eares hath it not come that N. Diasius a Spaniard being purposely sent from Rome into Germanie did shamefulie and diuilishlie murther his own brother Iohn Diasius a most innocent and a most godly man onely bycause he had embraced y e Gospel of Iesu Christ and wolde not retorne again to Rome But it may chaunce to this they will say These thinges may somtime happen in the best gouerned common welth yea and against the Magistrates willes and besides there be good lawes made to punyshe suche I graunt it be so but by what good lawes I would know haue â—hese greate myscheues benne punyshed emongest them Petrus Aloisius after he hadde don that notorious Acte that I spake of was alwayes cherished in his fathers bosome Pope Paule the third and made his very derling Diasius after he had murthered his owne brother was deliuered by the Popes meanes to thend he might not be punyshed by good lawes Iohn Casus ArchiepuÌ„s Beneuentarius is yet alyue yea and lyueth at Rome euen in the eyes and syght of the most holye Father They haue putte to death infinite numbres of our bretherne only bycause they beleued truely and sincereâ—ie in Iesu Christ. But of that great and foule numbre of harlottes fornicatours Adulterers what one haue they at any time I say not killed but eyther excommunicat or once attached Why volunteousnesse adulterie rybaudrie whoredome murthering of kinn incest and others more abhominable partes are not these coumpted synne at Rome Or yf they be synne ought Christes vycar Peters successour the most holye Father so lightly and â—lytely beare them as though they were no synne and that in the Citie of Rome and in that principall tower of all holynes O holy Scribes and Pharises which knew not this kind of holines O what holynes what a Catholike faith is this Peter did not this teach at Rome Paul did not so liue at Rome they did not practise brothelry which these do opeÌ„ly they made not a yearely reuenewe and profite of harlottes they suffered no common Adulterours and wicked Murtherers to go vnpunyshed They did not receiue them into their intier familiaritie into their Councell into their house houlde nor yet into y e coÌ„pany of Christen men These menne ought not therfore so vnresonablie to triumphe against our lyuing It had ben more wysedom for theÌ„ eyther firste to haue proued good their owne lyfe before the worlde or at leaste to haue â—â—â—ked it a litle more conningly For we do vse stil the ould and auncient lawes and as muche as men maye do in the maâ—ers vsed at these dayes when al thinges are so wholy corrupte wee diligently and earnestlye put in execution thecclesiasticall discipline wee haue not commen brothell houses of strumpettes nor yet flockes of Concubynes nor heardes of harlot haunters Neyther do we preferr adulterie before matrimony neither do we exercise beastly sensualitie Neyther do we gather ordinarie rentes and stipendes of
many Prynces only vppon his owne blynd preiudices and foredeterminations and y t without hearing of them speak or without shewing cause whye But bycause he hath alredy so noted vs openlye least by holdynge oure peace we should seme to graunt a fault and specially bycause we can by no meane haue audience in y e publik assembly of the general Councel wherein he would no creature should haue power to geue his voice or declare his opinion excepte he were sworne and straightly bounde to maintaine his aucthoritie For wee haue had good experience hereof in his last conference at the councel at Trident where the embassadours diuines of the Princes of Germany and of the free Cities were quite shutte out from their company nother can we yet forget how Iulius the third aboue ten yeares past prouided warely by his writt that none of our sorte shoulde bee suffered to speake in the Councell except there were som paraduenture y t wolde recante and chaunge his opinion For this cause chieflye we thoughte it good to yelde vp an accoumpte of oure faith in writing truely and openly to make aunswere to those things wherwith wee haue ben openly charged to thende the worlde may see the partes and foundacions of that doctrine in the behalfe whereof so many good men haue litle regarded their oune lyues And y t al men may vnderstand what manner of people they be and what opinion they haue of God and of Religion whome the Bysshop of Rome before they were called to tell theire tale hath condemned for heretikes without any good consideratioÌ„ without any exaumple vtterly without lawe or righte onelye bycause he hearde tell that they did dissente from hym and his in som pointe of Religion And although S. Hierome would haue no bodie to be patient when he is suspected of heresy yet we wil deal herein nether bitterly nor brablingly nor yet be caried away w t angre heate though he ought to be reckned neither bitter nor brabler y t speaketh y e truth We willingly leaue thys kynde of eloquence to oure aduersaries who whatsoeuer they say against vs be it neuer so shrewdly or dipitefully sayde yet thinke it is sayd modestely and comely ynough and care nothing whether it be trew or false Wee neede none of these shyftes which do maintaine the truthe Further yf wee do shewe it plaine that Gods holie Gospell the aunciente Byshops and the primatiue Churche do make on our syde and that wee haue not without iust cause left these men and rather haue retourned to the Apostles and oulde catholique Fathers And yf wee shall be founde to doe the same not coulorably or craftely but in good faith before God truly honestly cleerely and plainly and yf they theÌ„selues which â—ye our doctrine and woulde be called Catholiks shall manifestly see how al those titles of antiquitie whereof they boste so much ar quite shaken out of their haÌ„ds and that there is more pith in this oure cause then they thoughte for wee then hope and trust that none of them wil be so negligent and careles of his own saluation but he will at length studye and bethinke him selfe to whether parte hee were best to ioyne him Vndoubtedlye excepte one will altogether harden his hearte and refuse to heare he shal not repent him to geue good heede to this out defence and to mark well what wee say how truly and iustly it agreeth with Christian Religion For where they call vs Heretikes it is a crime so haynous y t onles it may be seene vnles it may be felt in maÌ„ner may be holdeÌ„ with hands and fingers it ought not lightly to be iudged or beleued when it is â—aide to the charge of any Christian man For heresy is a â—orsaking of saluatioÌ„ a renouncing of Gods grace a departing from the body and spirite of Christe But this was euer an olde and solempne propretye with them and theire forefathers yf any did complaine of their errours and faultes and desired to haue true Religion restored streighte waye to coÌ„demne such one for heretikes as men new fangled factious Christe for no nother cause was called a Samaritan but onely for y t he was thoughte to haue fallen to a certaine newe Religion and to be the Aucthor of a newe sect And Paul thapostle of CHRISTE was called before the Iudges to make aunswere to a matter of heresy and therfore hee saied Acordinge to this way whiche they call Heresye I doo worshippe the God of my Fathers beleeuinge all thinges which be written in the law and in the Prophets Shortely to speake This vniuersal Religion whiche Christen men professe at this day was called firste of the heathen people a Sect Heresy With these termes did they alwaies fil priÌ„ces eares to thintent when they had once hated vs with a foredetermined opinion and had coumpted all that wee sayed to bee faction and heresy they might be so ledd away from y e truth right vnderstaÌ„ding of the cause But the more sore and outragious a crime heresye is the more it ought to be proued by plaine and strong argumentes especially in this time wheÌ„ men begin to geue lesse credite to theyre words to make more diligent searche of theyr doctrine then they were wont to do For y e people of God ar otherwyse instructed now then they were in times past when all the Bysshopps of Romes sayenges were allowed for Gospell when all Religion did depende only vpon their aucthoritie Nowe a daies the holie scripture is abroad the writinges of the Apostles Prophets ar in printe whereby all truth and Catholyke doctrine may be proued and all heresie may be disproued and confuted Sithens then they bring furth none of these for them selues and call vs neuertheles Heretiques which haue nether fallen from Christ nor from y e Apostles nor yet from the Prophets this ys an iniurious and a very spitefull dealinge With this sword did Christe put of the Dyuel when he was tempted of him w c these weapons oughte all presumption which doth auauÌ„ce it selfe against God to be ouerthrowen and coÌ„quered For al Scripture sayeth S. Paule that commeth by the inspiration of God is profitable to teach to confute to instruct and to reproue that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to euery good work Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight agaynst the heretikes with none other force then with y e holy scriptures S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretike of â— Donatistes Let not these woordes quod he be heard betwene vs I say or you say let vs rather speake in this wise Thus sayeth the Lorde there let vs seeke the Church ther let vs boult out our cause Lykewise S. Hâ—erome All those things sayth he which without the testimonie of the scriptures are holden as deliuered from y e Apostles be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods worde S. Ambrose also
this presente through Goddes goodnes the Gospell is taught where is there more maiesties where is there lesse arrogancie and tirrannye where is the Prince more honored where be the people lesse 〈…〉 hathe there at anye time the 〈◊〉 wealthe or the Churche beene 〈◊〉 Perhappes ye will say 〈◊〉 the firste beginninge of this 〈◊〉 the common sorte euerye wheare 〈◊〉 to rage and to ryse throughout 〈◊〉 Alowe it were so yet Martin Luther the publisher and setter 〈◊〉 of this doctrine didde write 〈◊〉 behementlye and sharpely against them and reclamed them home to 〈◊〉 and obedience But whereas it is wont sometime to be obiected by personnes wantinge skil 〈◊〉 the Heluetians chaunge of 〈◊〉 and killinge of Leopoldus the duke of Austria and restoringe by force their Countrie to libertie that was donne as 〈◊〉 playtielye by all stories for 〈◊〉 hundreth and threescore yeares past or aboue vnder Boniface the â—ight when the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome was in greatest solitie about two hundreth yeres before Hulderike Zuinglius eyther beganne to teache the Gospell or yet was borne And euer senâ—e that tyme they haue hadde all thinges still and quiet not onelye from forreine ennemies but also from ciuell dissension And of it were a sinne in the Heluetians to deliuer their owne countrie from foreine gouernemente speciallye when they were so proudelye and tyrannoullye oppressed yet to burthen vs with other mennes faultes or them with the faultes of their forefathers is against all right and reasone But O immortall God and will the Bysshoppe of Rome accuse vs of treason will hee teache the people to obeye and folowe their Magistrates or hath hee anye regarde at all of the Maiestie of Princes whye doothe hee then as none of the olde Bysshoppes of Rome heretofore euer didde suffre hym selfe to bee called of his flaterers Lorde of Lordes as though hee woulde haue all 〈◊〉 and Princes whoe and what 〈…〉 they are to bee his vnderlinges 〈◊〉 doothe hee vaunte hym selfe to bee 〈◊〉 al kynges and to haue kyngelye 〈◊〉 ouer his Subiectes why 〈◊〉 he al emperors princes to swere 〈…〉 and true obedience Whye 〈…〉 that the Emperours 〈◊〉 is a thowsandfould inferiour to hym and for this reason speciallye bycause God hath made two lyghtes in the heauen and bycause heauen and 〈◊〉 were created not at two beginninges but at on Why hath he and hys compâ—tes like Anabaptistes and 〈◊〉 to thende they myght ronne on more licenciouslye and careleslye shakeÌ„ of the yoke and exempted themselues from being vnder all â—iuell power why hath he his Legates asmuche to saye as most sâ—â—tle spyes lieng in wayte in all 〈◊〉 Courtes Councells and priuey 〈◊〉 whye doth he when he lyâ—◠〈◊〉 Christian Princes one against an other and at his owne pleasure trouble the whole worlde with debate and discorde why dothe hee excommunicatâ— and commaund to be taken as a heathen and a Pagan any Christian prince that renounceth his authoritie and why promiseth he his Indulgences his pardoÌ„s largely to any that will what way soeuer it be kil any of his ennemies Doth hee maintaine Empires and kingdomes Or dothe hee once desire that common quiete should be prouided for You must pardonne vs good Reader though wee seeme to vtter these thinges more bitterlye and bitingly then it becommeth Diuines to doe For bothe the shamfulnes of the matter and the desire of rule in the Bysshoppe of Rome is so exceeding and outragious that it could not well be vttered with other words or more mildly For he is not ashamed to say in open assemblie that all iurisdiction of al kinges dothe depend vpon himselfe And to feed his ambitioÌ„ greedines of rule hath he pulled in peeces the Empire of Rome and hered and rent whole Christendom 〈◊〉 falsely and trenterouslie also did he release y e Romains y e Italians him 〈◊〉 to of the othe wherby they and hee 〈◊〉 straightly bound to bee true to the Emperour of Grecia and stirred vp the Emperours subiects to forsake him and taking Carolus Martellus out of FraÌ„ce into Italie made him Emperour such a thing as neuer was seene before He put Châ—perieus the Frenche king being no euel prince beside his realm only because he fansied him not and wrongfullie placed Pipin in his roume Againe after he had cast out king Philip if he could haue brought it so to passe he had determined apointed y e kingdom of Fraunce to Albertus king of Romaines He vtterly deâ—â—oied the state of y e most florishing cyty coÌ„moÌ„ weale of FloreÌ„ce his own natiue couÌ„trie brought it out of a free peasable state to be gouerned at y e pleasure of on maÌ„ he brought to passe by his procurement y e whole Sauoy on the one side was miserably spoyled by Themperour Charles the fifth and on the other syde by the Frenche kinge so as the vnfortunate duke had scant one Citie left him to hyde his head in Wee are cloyed with exaumples in this behalfe and it shoulde bee very tedious to recken vp all the notorious deedes of the Byshops of Rome Of which side were they I beseche you whiche poysoned Henry Themperour euen in the receauinge of the sacrament whiche poysoned Victor the Pope euen in y e receauing of y e Chalice which poysoned our king Iohn kinge of England in a drinkinge cuppe whosoeuer at least they were and of what sect soeuer I am sure they were neither Lutherians nor Zwinglians What is hee at this daye whiche alloweth the mightiest Kinges and Monarches of the worlde to kisse his blessed feete What is hee that commaundeth the Emperour to goe by him at his horse bridell and the Frenche king to holde his stirrop Who hurled vnder his table Fraunces Dandalus the duke of â—enice Kinge of Creta and Cypres fast bound with chaines to feed of bones amonge his dogges Who set the Emperiall crowne vpon the Emperour Henry the sixthys head not with his hand but with his foote and with the same foote againe cast the same crowne of sayinge withall hee had power to make Emperours and to vnmake them againe at his pleasure Who put in armes Henry the sonne against Themperour his father Henry the fourth and wrought so that the Father was taken prisoner of his owne sonne and beinge shorne and shamfullye handeled was thruste into a monasterie where with hunger sorow he diued away to death Who so ilfauoredlye and monstrouslye put the Emperour Frederikes necke vnder his feet and as though that were not sufficient added further this texte out of the Psalmes Thou shalt go vpon the Adder and corkatrice and shalt treade the Lyon and Dragon vnder thy feete Suche an example of scorninge and contemninge â— Princes maiestie as neuer before this was heard tell of in any remembruance except I weene either of Tamerlanes the kinge of Scithia a wilde and barbarous creature or els of Sapor king of
Prophetes and continued so euen till the tyme y t Christe shewed himselfe to vs in the flesh This notwithstaÌ„ding how often o good God in the meane whyle and howe horribly was thesame Churche darkened and decayed where was that Churche then when all fleshe vpon earth had defyled their owne waye where was it when amoÌ„gest the nombre of the whole world there were only eyght persones they neither all chast and good whom Gods will was shoulde be saued aliue from that vniuersall destruction and mortalitie â–ª When Ely the Prophete so lamentaâ—â—â—e and byterly made mone that onelye himselfe was left of all the whole world whiche dyd truely and dewly worshipp God And when Esay said The siluer of Goddes people that is of the Churche was become Drosse and that the same Citie which a foretime had ben faithful was now become an harlot and that in y e same was no part sound thoroughout the whol body from the head to the fote Or els when Christ him selfe sayde that the house of God was made by y e Pharasies and Preistes a Denne of theues Of a trouth the Church euen as a cornefyld except it be ared manured tilled trimmed in stede of wheate it wil bring furthe thystles darnell and nettilles For this cause did God send euer among both Prophettes Apostles last of al his own Son who might bring home the people into the right waye and repayre a new the tottering Church after she had erred But least some manne should say that the forsaid thinges happened in y e tyme of the law onely of shadowes and of infancie when truth laye hid vnder figures and ceremonies wheÌ„ nothing as yet was brought to perfection when the law was not graueÌ„ in mennes heartes but in stone and yet is that but a foolishe saying for euen at those dayes was there the very same God that is now the same spirite the same Christe thesame faith the same doctrine the same hope the same inheritaunce the same league and the same efficacie and vertue of Goddes worde â–ª Eusebius also saith all the faithfull euen from Adam vntil Christ were in very dede ChristiaÌ„s though they were not so termed But as I said leaste men should thus speake still Paul the apostle found the like faultes and falles euen then in the prime and chiefe of the Gospel in chiefe perfection and in lighte so that he was compelled to write in this sorte to the Galatians whom he had wel before that instructed I feare me quod he leaste I haue laboured emongest you in vayne and leaste ye haue heard y e Gospel in vaine O my litle Children of whom I trauaile a new til Christ be fashioned againe in you And as for the Churche of the Corinthians how fouly it was defiled is nothing needeful to rehearce Now tel me might the Churches of the Galathians and Corinthians goe amisse and the churche of Rome alone may it not fayle ner goe amysse Surely Christ prophecyed long before of his churche that y e time should come when dessolation should stande in the holy place And Paul saith that Antichrist should once set vp his owne tabernacle and stately seath in the temple of God and that the time shuld be wheÌ„ men should not awaye with holesome doctrin but he turned back vnto fables lies and that wythin the very Church Peter likewise tellyth how there should be teachers of lyes in y e church of Christ Daniell the Prophete speaking of the later times of Antichrist Truthe sayth he in that seasone shalbe throwen vnder foote and troden vppon in the worlde And Christ sayeth how the calamitie confusion of thinges shalbe so exceding great that euen the chosen yf it were possible shalbe brought into errour and how all these thinges shal come to passe not amoÌ„gest Gentiles and Turkes but that they should be in the holye place in the Temple of God â–ª in the churche and in the companie an felowship of those whiche professe the name of Christ. Albeit these same warnynges alone may suffice a wyseman to take heede he do not suffer hym selfe rashelye to be deserued with the name of the Churche not to staye to make further inquisition therof by Gods worde yet bysyde al this many Fathers also manye learned and godly men haue often and carefully complained how all these thinges haue chaunced in their lyfe time For eueÌ„ in the middest of that thick myst of darknes God would yet ther should be som whoe thoughe they gaue not a cleare bright light yet shuld they kyndle were it but some sparke which menne might espye being in the darkenes Hylarius when thinges as yet were almoste vncorrupt and in good case to ye are yll deceyued saith he with yÌ„e loue of walles ye do ill worship the Church in that ye worship it in houses and buildinges ye do yll bryng in the name of peace vnder roofes Is there anye doubt but Antichrist will haue his seate vnder the same I rather recken hilles wodes pools maryshes prisons quauemires to be places of more safetie for in these the Prophetes either abiding of their accorde or drowned by violence didde prophecie by the spirite of God Gregorie as one which perceaued and forsaw in his mind y e wrack of al things wrote thus to Iohn Bysshop of Constantinople who was the firste of all others that commaunded himselfe to bee called by this newe name the vniuersall Bishop of whole Christes Church Yf y e Churche saith he shall depend vpon one manne it will at once fall downe to the grownd Who is he y e seeth not how this is come to passe longe since for longe aâ— gone hathe the Bysshop of Rome willed to haue the whole Churche depende vpon himselfe alone Wherefore it is no meruail though it be clean fallen downe longe agone Bernard y e Abbot aboue foure hundred yeares past writeth thus Nothinge is nowe of sinceritie and purenes emongest the Cleargie wherfore it resteth that the man of sin should be reuealed The same Bernarde in his worke of the conuersion of Paul It semeth now saith he thaâ— persecution hath ceased no no persecution seemeth but nowe to beginne euen from them whiche haue chieâ—e preeminence in the Churche Thy friendes and neighbours haue drawen neere â–ª stoode vp against thee from the sole of thy foot to the crowne of thy heade there is no part whole Iniquitie is proceeded from the Elders the Iudges and deputies which pretende â—o rule thy people Wee cannot saye nowe Loke how the people be so is the priest For the people be not so ill as the priest is Alas alas o Lorde God the selfe same persons be the chiefe in persecutinge thee which seeme to loue the highest place and beare moste rule in thy church The same Bernard again vpon y e Canticles writeth thus All they are thy friendes yet are they all thy foes â–ª
and that they muste giue place to vs in nothynge Or yf there be anye faulte yet must it be tried by Byshopes and Abboâ—tes only bycause they be y e directers Rulers of matters and they be the Church of God Aristotle saith that a Citie cannot consist of Bastardes but whether the Churche of God may consiste of these men let their owne selues consider For doubtles neither be the Abbottes legitimat Abboâ—tes nor the Byshopes naturall right Byshoppes But graunt they be the Churche let them be heard speak in Councelles let theÌ„ alone haue auctoritie to gyue consent yet in olde tyme when the Churche of God yf ye will compare it with their Churche was very well gouerned both Elders and Deacons as saith Cyprian and certeine also of the coÌ„men people were called ther vnto and made acquainted with ecclesiasticall matters But I put case these Abbottes and Byshâ—pes haue no knowledge what yf they vnderstande nothing what ReligioÌ„ is nor how we ought to thinke of God I put case the pronouncyng and ministringe of the lawe be decayed in preists and good counsell faile in the Elders and as the Prophete Micheas saith the night be vnto them in stede of a vision and darkenes in sted of prophesieng Or as Esaias saith what yf al y e watchemeÌ„ of y e city are become blind what yf y e salt haue lost his propre strength and sauerines and as Christe saith be good for no vse scant woorthe the castyng on the doungehyl Wel yet then they wil bring al matters before the Pope who cannot erre To this I say firste it is a madnes to thynke that the holy Ghoste taketh his flight from a generall Councell to run to Rome to thende yf he doubt or sticke in any matter and cannot expound it of him selfe he maye take counsell of some other spirite I wote not what that is better learned then him selfe For yf this be true what neded so many Byshopps with so great charges and so farre iorneyes haue assembled their ConuocatioÌ„ at this present at Trident Yt hadde ben more wisedom and better at least it had ben a moche nearer way and handsommer to haue brought all thinges rather before y e Pope and to haue come streght furth and haue asked counsell at his diuine breast SecoÌ„dly it is also an vnlaufull dealing to tosse our matter from so many Byshoppes and Abbottes and to bryng it at laste to the trial of one onely man specially of hym who him selfe ys appeached by vs of hainous and foule enormities and hath not yet put in hys aunswere who hath also afore hand coÌ„dempned vs without iudgement by order pronounced and or euer we were called to be iudged How saye ye do wee deuise these tales Is not this the course of the Councelles in these dayes are not all thynges remoued from the whole holy Councell and brought before the Pope alone that as though nothing had ben don to purpose by the iudgementes and consentes of suche a numbre he alone maye adde alter diminishe disanull alow remytt and qualifie what soeuer he lyst whose wordes be these then and whye haue the Byshoppes and Abbottes in the last Councell at Trident but of late concluded with sayng thus in thende Sauing alwyes the auctoritie of the sea Apostolique in all thynges Or whye doth Pope Pascall write so proudelie of him selfe as though saith he there were any general Councell able to prescribe a law to the Church of Rome wheras al couÌ„celles both haue ben made and haue receued their force strength by the Church of Romes auctoritie and in ordinaunces made by Councelles is euer plainely excepted the auctoritie of the Byshop of Rome Yf they will haue these thynges alowed for good why be Councels called but yf they commaunde then to be voyd why are they left in their bokes as thinges alowable But be it so Let the Byshop of Rome alone be aboue all CouÌ„celles y t is to say lette some one parte be greater then the whole let hym be of greater power let hym be of more wysedome then all his and in spite of Hieromes head let y e aucthoritie of one Citie be greater then the aucthoritie of the whole worlde Howe then if the Pope haue sene none of these things haue neuer read either y e scriptures or y e olde Fathers or yet his owne couÌ„celles How if he fauour y e ArriaÌ„s as once Pope Liberius did or haue a wicked and a detestable opinion of the lyfe to come and of the immortalitie of the soule as Pope Iohn had but few yeres synce or to encrease nowe his owne dignitie do corrupt other Councelles as Pope Zosimus corrupted the Councell holden at Nice in times past and do say that those thinges were deuised and appoincted by the holy Fathers which neuer once came into their thought and to haue the ful sway of auctoritie do wrest the Scriptures as Camotensis saith is an vsual custome with the Popes How yf he haue renounced the faith in Christ and become an Apostata as Liranus sayth many Popes haue bene And yet for all this shall the holye Ghoste with turning of a hand knock at his breast eueÌ„ wheter he will or no yea wholy against hys will kindle hym a lyght so as he maye not erre shall he streght waye be the head spring of al right and shal al treasure of wisdome and vnderstanding be founde in him as it were laide vp in store Or yf these thinges be not in him can he giue a right and apte iudgement of so weightie matters Or yf he be not able to iudge wold he haue that al those matters should be brought before hym alone What will ye say yf the Popes Aduocates Abbottes and Byshops dissemble not the matter but shew them selues open enemies to the Gospell though they see yet they will not see but wrye the Scriptures and wyttingly knowingly corrupt and counterfeite the word of God and fouly and wickedlye applye to the Pope al the same thinges whiche euidently and proprely be spoken of the person of Christ only nor by no meanes can be applied to any other And what thoughe they saye the Pope is all and aboue all Or that he can do asmuch as Christ can and that one iudgemeÌ„t place and one Councel house serue for y e Pope and for Christ both together Or that the Pope is the same light which should come into the worlde whiche wordes Christ spake of hym selfe alone and that who so is an euil doer hateth and flieth from that light Or that all the other Bysshoppes haue receaued of the Popes fulnes Shortly what though thei make Decrees expreslye against Gods worde and that not in huckermucker or couertly but openly in the face of the worlde muste it needes yet be Gospell straighte whatsoeuer these men say shall these be Gods holy army or will Christe bee at hande amonge them there shall the