his glorie is nothing in comparison of mine And this is not onely by the pride of the Popes themselues but wheras stories teach that the godly Christians prayed for infidell Emperours now their diuines doe affirme it to be lawfull to disobey to rebell against and to depose such kings or princes as they will call heritickes yea to kill such is with them an action godly and honourable yea meritorious too Would any man haue thought that S. Peter who so humbly as a fellowe elder intreateth the elders to feed the flocke which God hath committed to them not as Lords ouer Gods heritage could euer haue had so degenerate a successour to haue sit in his chaire as they say the Pope doth and yet in pride of heart doth not onely aduance himselfe aboue al bishops but also ouer all creaturs Or would a man haue imagined these holy fathers would euer haue hatched so barbarous treasons Let this then be recorded of a memoriall to all posteritie and for a perpetuall staine to that bloudy Church of Rome the mother of all treasons and tretcheries of al vnnaturall and villainous practises that shee doth not onely directly oppose herselfe to the worde of God the doctrine of the Apostles and the very Law of nature and nations but also shee and her deere darlinges by their most vile practises doe crie it out vnto the world more shrill then the sound of any trumpet that they quite haue abandoned the affections of men Haue not we in England good cause to detest such doctrine and doctours who haue wrought so effectually in the heartes of many of our English fugitiues that their treasons haue no ende their crueltie hath no measure but that they desire and attempt to lay violent handes vpon the Lordes annoynted which the Godly of all times haue feared to purpose or thinke against the most wicked Yea doth not the Catholicke Tyrant that calleth himselfe by the name of a king but is in deede a reproch and shame to the verie name that he so hath dishonoured doth he not corrupt with gold and intice by all fayre promises subiectes to kill their princes and to murther them whome they ought to defende obey and reuerence It is too true it is too playne What kingdomes hath he not tempted what princes hath he not indaungered Howe many hath he gotten destroyed So that I am often times driuen to wonder and maruell what sluggishnesse or security possesseth the heartes of Christian kings and princes that they ioyne not their powers together against that common enemie not to princes onely but euen to mankinde His ambition increaseth as doe his daies his cruel purposes cannot be numbred He incrocheth cōtinually as he can vpon other mens right and vniustly if his might will serue dispossesseth the iust heires of their kingdomes and dominions His doings declare that he enuieth all your glory O you potentates and aspireth to euery of your inheritances and principalities And will you thus stand gazing on as men amazed at his strange attemptes whilest hauing preuailed against your neighbors he also take you in hand when his power shall be increased and yours diminished Doe you not know that it is high time for you to looke about you when your neighbours howse it set on fire Bande therefore and combine your selues together to reforme or restrayne his vnbrideled affections I doe not wishe his subiectes to rebell against him for that we see is vnlawfull but I pray God to put such a hearte and courage into his neighbours and equals that they woulde teach him to knowe that his omnipotente minde made proude with his might and wealth shall not alwaies be satisfyed with the spoyle of other But to leaue this Romish Catholicke to his Catholicke practises vntill God shall eyther conuert his heart or confound his power what cause hath the Pope so to magnifie himselfe and to claime such soueraigntie ouer them whom he ought to obey we see the Apostles would haue all without exception subiect to princes The Popes supremacy is not once mentioned although S. Paule writing to the Romans might haue had good occasion to haue commended the glory of that seate if any such thing had beene and S. Peter if he had any such soueraignty had iust cause to haue required submission to himselfe as wel as to kings and should haue made more accompt of himselfe then to be but a fellow elder with others But the Apostles haue bin taught to speake by the spirit of God The Popes haue done according to the pride of their owne heart And it is a verie strong presumption against the supposed soueraigntie which they say S. Peter had ouer all that S. Marke his fauorit and follower who also if stories be true wrote his gospell at Rome at the request of Peters wel-willers yet the same his gospell neyther maketh any mention of the great miracles which they woulde haue vs to Imagine that he wrought against Simon Magus which is one of their principall argumentes to proue Peters being at Rome neyther hath one worde more then the rest whereby we may gather any such superioritie in him And if he make any mention of Peter it is without any signification of his iurisdiction ouer others Yea when he speaketh of his calling he thus barely deliuereth it vnto vs. And Iesus passing by the sea of Galile hee sawe Simon and Andrew his brother c. And reporting the contention that was among the Apostles which of them should be chiefe he taketh no occasion to commend to them or to vs that soueraignty although the later time Iames and Iohn desired the same from him and the rest reporting how Christ reproued him he vseth no excuse no mitigation of the offence Now seeing neither when he setteth forth his calling neither in pointing to his infirmity neyther in noting these contentions he hath so much as any way signifyed his superioritie it followeth that eyther S. Marke was iniurious to his master in not giuing to him his due place or vnmindefull of his duetie to Gods Church in concealing from it so necessary an Article of religion as nowe they holde it or else that there was rather no such matter and therefore he coulde not write of it For after Christ was once ascended and the holy Ghost sent in visible forme then was it time to knowe all the Articles of religion so that our abuersaries cannot tell vs that S. Marke for modesties cause did not write of these thinges For not to write of that which is necessary to be beleeued if hee knewe it had beene greate wickednesse Subiection therefore to Princes was of the auncient faith of the first faithfull Romans But this soueraignty and Supremacy of the bishoppes of Rome is but a poynte of the newe learning or else the dregges of Simon Magus his pride CHAP. XVI THE Apostle hauing exhorted vnto such Christian dueties as we may not omit
of the faithfull Romans because S. Paul teaching them to doe good workes seemeth to require nothing of them but loue which he saith is the fulfilling of the Law so that he would haue vs occupied in performing of loue to God and loue to man which God in the ten commandements requireth of vs and then we shall not faile but doe good works But this yet he teacheth more plainely in the shutting vp of that notable discourse in the fourtéenth Chapter Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne In which place Master Bellarmine wil haue vs by faith to vnderstand knowledge as also the Rhemistes teach vs or persuasion of conscience that the thing which we doe is good and lawfull But whatsoeuer we doe for the which we finde not our direction in Gods word what persuasion can we finde for the same in our conscience that God shall recken it among good workes Or rather why shoulde we not alwaies feare least God for such workes of ours should say Who hath required these thinges of your handes in which respect al the fathers in our good workes require faith And is not I pray you our good worke a flower of sweete sauour and a fruite of pleasant taste vnto the Lorde All men wil confesse it is so From what roote then must it come doubtlesse from no other but from that immortall seede that Saint Peter speaketh of The worde of God Whereby hee woulde also haue vs to growe And if S. Basil concerning the precepts of their monkish life doth think they must not be left vndone to take other workes in hand and that specially because that euery one knoweth not what is conuenient for them to doe but may as well choose that may be to his hurt and hinderance as to his helpe and furtherance then how much more should Gods lawes be in such accompt among vs who are by our profession regular hauing an expresse commaundement to doe that onely which God commaundeth that we would not for any thing adde vnto the same our owne inuentions or mingle with the same our owne traditions And if we suppose that one man may better see how to set downe rules of life then another how is it that we are so be sotted that wee giue not that glory to God that he knoweth better I say not then any but then all men what workes they are that please him best Or if we confesse him to haue that wisedom why doe we not follow then this his direction why do we not studie to keepe his commaundementes why doe wee weary our selues in our owne waies and wast our time in doing our owne workes Thirdly in euery good worke God also considereth to what ende it was done And principally we must respect Gods glorie Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of GOD. And therefore Saint Paule findeth greate fault with the Romans or rather writing to the Romans that neyther the Gentiles when they knewe God did glorifie him as God and the Iewes by their sinnes dishonored the name of God And for that cause giuing to the Romans a caueat he willeth them to take heede of such as made deuision And why For they serue not the Lorde Iesus Christ but their owne bellies They seeke not to glorifie the Lorde but to pamper themselues Yea both Saint Paul and S. Peter also teach vs this lesson by their owne example giuing to him prayse glory and dominion And this glorifying of GOD is especially performed by consecrating vnto him the good grape of our holy obedience Euen by letting our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen Thus then we see that the auncient religion teacheth vs that no good worke can procéede from vs vnlesse the spring of our heart first be purged from the filth of sinne least our affections by that corruption shoulde be mingled like muddie water with sinfull cogitations and withdrawen from sinceritie in our action Then also that such onely are in déede good workes for doing whereof we haue warrant in Gods worde Lastly that in the said worke especially we must seeke Gods glory by seruing him in duetifull obedience for that the worke must be considered according to the ende whereunto it is directed and which we respected in doing the worke Augustine teacheth And if any of these be wanting either a sincere heart which cannot be without faith a direction out of the word or a godly ende the worke is not good whosoeuer worketh it or whatsoeuer shew of goodnes it seemeth to haue in the eies of men As on the contrary that which we doe according to Gods worde with a sincere heart desiring to walk on forward in all holy obedience that is in déede a good worke But it is almost a common receiued opinion of our new Romish Catholicks that the good intent maketh a good work Insomuch as many think it must needs be a good worke that a man or woman doth with a good purpose Neither yet do they measure this their intent or purpose with the true line of Gods worde but with the false measure of their owne imaginations And heereby it commeth to passe that the outward appearance of a good worke is taken of many to be an action acceptable to God although it be not either directed to the right end or commaunded in Gods word or done by him that hath the spirit of regeneration And this maketh them so grosly to teach concerning good workes because they would for the better credit of their workes commend the actions not only of the wicked but of the Infidels also that neuer knew God as if they might be perfect and void of sinne which is a thing as absurde to him that by the light of Gods spirit doth walk in the pathes of Gods word as if they would affirme that a wild vyne whilest it remayneth wild might bring forth a kindly grape a crab tree a good apple or from a foule and corrupt puddle might spring sweet and wholsome waters As for Gods Law because the waies therof are not roomy enough for such reelers and rouers to run in who according to their owne foolish phansies are alwaies hatching some new deuotions as not only the infinite swarues of their Religious orders as they falsly call those irreligious companies but also their innumerable toyes and superstitions whereby they would beare the world in hand that they please GOD and deserue his fauour doe plainley prooue they therefore now in the new Romish Religion commaund vnto vs many things whereof in the Scripture they can find no one commaundment no one example They quite forget the straight charge that GOD layeth vpon his people when he telleth them that They must not doe vvhat seemeth good in their owne eyes and concerning Gods Law That they must ad nothing therto nor
his scholler would haue been ashamed to haue taugh it to any Christians CHAP. VI. SAint Paul hauing planted and proued this doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ as he doth in the fourth chapter of this Epistle to the Romans and else where in many places hee then teacheth that in respect of this grace we should be so far from being imboldened to sin that on the contrary we are the more bound therby to holines of life For whosoeuer is dead to sin must not liue to sin But we if we be not baptised into Christ are dead to sin Therfore such as are baptised into Christ may not liue to sin or in sin Yea it is good reason that the seruant obey his Master but we are Gods seruants by promise in baptisme therefore him we must obey then we cannot obey him which God hateth forbiddeth and punisheth but we must serue God our Master in holines and righteousnes And whereas no man euer more plainely taught our frée iustification in Christ without our workes or merites or any inherent righteousnesse euen by the forgiuenes of our sinnes then the Apostle S. Paul both in this epistle and else where yet no man more earnestly and effectually then he exhorteth to holines of life good workes and all Christian duties sinne and security haue not a sharper enemie then he is S. Peter also teacheth vs that Christ his Owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree Whereby he sheweth the satisfaction that he hath made to be the attonement betwéene God and vs and that without vs he hath done it himselfe I say in his owne body hath paid that price and taken away the condemnation due to the sinne that we haue committed Hee hath done it vpon the trée by his death and passion purchasing thereby eternall redemption What can the Apostle say more plainely to teach vs that the satisfaction for al our sinnes is alreadie perfected so in and by Christ that our owne workes can be nothing auayleable to satisfie for them or that there is not to that vse any neede of them What then Séeing he beareth our sinnes shall we lay loade vpon him and by our sinne and vngodly life doe what wee can to make his burthen heauier No no he hath done all this that wee who by this benefite of Christ are dead to sinne should liue to righteousnesse For if GOD bee our God wee must be his people If hee bee our louing Father hee looketh that wee shoulde be his obedient children If he bee our gratious Lorde and Master we must not be vngracious but duetifull seruantes For as God doth couenant with vs to bee our God so do we also by vowe and promise binde our selues vnto him to bée his seruantes And this also doth the Apostle Saint Peter teache vs who in the first Chapter hath plentifully set forth Gods greate merrie towardes vs euen in this question of our free iustification as also in this place he hath done and yet wil not in any wise that any Christian duties should of vs be vnperformed but exhorteth vs to bee occupied in them as we may see Chap. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. and to accompt them as a debt that we owe vnto God and must pay him For we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Saint Marke reporteth vnto vs that our Sauiour Christ preachd often forgiuenes of sinnes as in his third and fourth Chapters it may appeare which forgiuenes of sin doth quite ouerthrow that inherent righteousnes and iustification by worke that the papistes striue to establish And yet the same S. Marke doth register and record among many other godly exhortations that our Sauiour Christ made to his disciples this necessary caueat Take heed watch and pray for you know not when the time is By all which this doth appeare that sanctification and holines must followe iustification and forgiuenes of sinne for we are washed that we should not againe defile our selues with the filth of sin and that Gods loue doth more effectually tie vs to obey him and to indeuour our selues to doe his will And looke howe much the more we are instructed and assuredly perswaded of the free loue of God so much the more will our inner man be inflamed with loue to him againe I say euen with such loue as will thrust vs forwardes to walke in good workes And this is notably proued by our Sauiour Christ who gathereth that the sinfull woman in S. Luke felt That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued so much And thus we sée that the auncient Roman faith was this that such as haue receiued and felt Gods free grace in forgiuing their iniquities as in trueth they are so in duety they must be alwaies ready to serue him So that I may boldly say with S. August It can hardly bée that he that beléeueth well should liue euil But our popish spiders out of this sweete flower doe gather their poyson They burtheÌ„ this doctrine which in expresse words is taught by S. Paul and the effects of it by S. Peter also that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the Law with this slaunder that it is a doctrine of liberty and occasion of licentious life a hinderance to good workes And thus this doctrine which they cannot confute with reason they couer with shame and reproches And that which they cannot with all their learning proue false by this shameles shift they seeke to make odious Far otherwise did the ancient fathers both speak write Iustinus Martyr lerned of the Apostle S. Peter to say that faith profiâ—eth our hearts Ciprian saith to cease from sin that beginneth of faith Tertulian affirmeth that faith sheweth vs the way whither to licentious life No but by which we must come to God Basil ascribeth vnto it great force to allure draw and perswade the mind because as in another place he telleth vs it strengheneth the powers of the same it obtayneth getteth indeuour in vs and Gods helpe which both are necessary in al our works Epiphanius writeth that it preserueth euery faithful man he meaneth from euil no doubt And Theophilact telleth vs that faith in Christ is truely a holy and perfect worke and doth sanctifie or make holy him that hath it And on the other side that such as lead an vncleane life are not truely faithfull who professe that they know God but in workes they deny him By all which it is plaine to see that these holy fathers did thinke that faith doth both quench all the firie dartes of the wicked and nourish or maintaine within vs the good motions of the spirit and so is as it were the fountaine from whence doth spring whatsoeuer good work we can performe But the papistes would beare the worde in hande that the more
from thence And for proofe héereof let vs looke vpon some good worke and with indifferent iudgement let vs trie whether as it commeth from vs it can be perfect or not And what better worke can we finde then prayer which is that sweet sacrifice of perfume that God delighteth in If any man will say that he can offer vp vnto GOD his sacrifice without any wante or imperfection he proclaimeth thereby vnto the worlde that hee knoweth not what it is to pray or hath no feeling of his owne weakenes I speake not heere of popish prayers which are full of horrible blasphemies both in respect of him to whome they pray and of the mediatours by whome they seeke to obtaine and of the merite which they looke for because they haue numbred vp a certaine number of prayers Let the Church of Rome affoorde vs but one man that iustly and truely can say that he can at any time with sincere heart and vnpolluted lippes so earnestly and confidently as God requireth being lifted vp from earth and earthly cogitations talke with God and sue vnto him for necessarie graces onely or especially respecting Gods glorie without wauering in fayth or wandering in affections or forgetting that hee is talking with GOD and then we will yeelde that our works there may be perfection But if in so holy a worke wherunto our owne wantes may stirre vp vs to be the more sincere yet wee shall alwaies finde imperfection how then can our other workes be voyde of sinne But if any man in his excesse of folly and depth of ignoraunce eyther of that he can doe or of that he shoulde doe woulde make the worlde beleeue that he is able to offer vnto GOD the sacrifice of prayer without faulte or blemish his owne thoughtes will testifie against him his knowledge will accuse him and his conscience will condemne him that hee deceaueth himselfe and that there is no trueth in him For this is the perfection which we can looke for and which Saint Paule desireth to bring the Romans vnto not that they shoulde haue no sinne for that he knewe was impossible but that they should not let sinne raigne in this their mortall body that they shoulde thereunto obey by the lustes of it And that our prayer cannot be altogether voyde of wantes what can be more playne to proue then that which S. Paule himselfe teacheth the Romans that Wee knowe not what to desire as we ought For how can wee performe that perfectly which thing we knowe not howe to doe as we ought The spirit of GOD sendeth vp I confesse in deed requests for vs that is maketh vs to request with groninges vnspeakable But what is that to vs and to our nature to the perfection of our worke We are like bad tooles in a good hand I speake of the regenerate The toole being sharpened by the workeman hath an edge and can cut So we when God hath reformed our will by the spirit of regeneration haue a readines or desire to doe good But this edge if it méete with any thing that is harde as iron or stone is broken and made blunt or dull So is this our willingnesse or readinesse taken away when our carnall affections and desires doe oppose themselues So that although Gods spirite that worketh in vs and by vs is holye yet because it worketh by such euill instrumentes as we are looke howe much wee want of the perfection of our regeneration which heere cannot be perfected for whilest heere we liue we are but children and are not come to our perfect groweth so much must needes our worke want of the cleare light of the minde to direct it or of the sincere obedience of the heart to performe And because the Apostle â—newe thus much therefore that wee shoulde not be altogether discouraged in respect of the imperfection of our actions or the corruption of our nature he telleth vs that The lawe of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus marke that this Law of the spirit of life is in Christ not inherent in vs hath freed vs from the Lawe of sinne and death So that we haue no other remedie for our wantes and imperfections then that that holines which is in Christ shoulde by imputation become ours By the which in the ende that sanctification which by the spirit is heere begotten in vs shall be also fulfilled in vs as is promised afterwards For that righteousnes of the Law that there is spoken of that it is not or cannot be fulfilled of vs so long as we cary about vs this body subiect to sinne and correuption experience teacheth and I thinke the papists themselues that haue any shame will not deny For so long as we haue any lust or concupiscence which so long as we liue we shall haue Admit that lust were not sinne as the patrons of lust the papistes woulde haue vs to beléeue and falsly teach yet whilest that remaineth no body can say that the very righteousnes of the Law or whatsoeuer the Lawe required is fulfilled of vs. For euen themselues confesse that lust is aswaruing from the Lawe and is not according to the direction thereof Whereby it appeareth that these wordes of righteousnes of the Lawe that must be fulfilled in vs are to be vnderstoode of that that shall be performed in vs héereafter and not of that righteousnesse that we can now attaine vnto I cannot therefore but maruell at our Rhemistes that by these wordes woulde prooue that we may fulfill the Law For besides that which I haue said that it must be vnderstood of the perfection which we shall haue the wordes themselues also teach vs that this is done not by vs for we cannot attaine to that holines but in vs now if Christ in vs fulfill the Lawe it is not thereby proued that our selues fulfill the Law or that it is possible that we should attaine to the perfect obedience therof I trust that it appeareth that the ancient faith of the Romans which was commended by S. Paul doth so proclaime our vnworthinesse and debase our owne workes if we will consider them how God in his iustice may iudge of them that we may iustly confesse with the people of God Wee haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes as filthy cloutes we all doe fade as the leafe and our iniquities as the winde haue taken vs away So that we alwaies haue good cause to pray that God whatsoeuer thing we take in hande should Forgiue vs our trespasses For as saith Saith Bernard we want trueth charitie and courage Yea and the more we looke into and the better we knowe our selues the more plainely shal we see that these will alwaies be heere vnperfect Reason saith hee fayleth through ignoraunce of the trueth will is weake because affection fainteth the flesh is vnable through scante of courage In so much as reason doth not well vnderstande what it
principall intent and meaning of the Apostle is the sinceritie that euery one in these duties must performe For he would haue vs faithful in the office that is committed vnto vs whatsoeuer it be and that according to the measure of Faith the grace that is gyuen to vs we occupy well our talent vntill our Lord master come Saint Peter is also of that mind If any man speak let him speak as the words of God By these things it may appear to what end the offices were appointed in the ancient Roman Church what was required at the hand of each Officer But afterwards as superstition began to grow so these functions heer spoken of by thapostle began to be lesse regarded and other were had in a greater accompt For these are the orders in the Romish Church Priests Deacons Subdeacons Candle snuffers or Candle-cariers Exorcists or Coniurers Readers Porters Some also reckon the Singers amongst their orders And although euen the meanest of these might performe some necessarie seruice in the Church yet by what reason can they imagine that their Candle-cariers or Porters are neerer to the Priests office then other that haue no such office in the Church As for their Priests who are to supply the place of Prophets teachers and exhorters they haue in a maner altered that function and giuen them another work to doe For when they take orders the Bishop giuing them in their hand the Chalice with wine and the couer of the chalice with one of their cakes vpon it saith to them Receiue power to offer a sacrifice to God and to say Masse both for them that liue and for the dead in the name of the Lord. So preaching is no part of their dutie but only to sacrifice and say Masse And if any man will obiect that we our selues haue also want of such learned Ministers as are able truely and soundly to teach and rightly to deuide the word of life I must needs confesse that we are neither as we should neither as we would be for that point but wish and pray daily that the Lord would increase mightily the number or paynfull and faithfull labourers in his vineyard But yet we are not either so sencelesse or shamelesse that we dare alter Christes ordinance We are not so sawcy that when he biddeth his seruants doe one thing we will commaund them to doe another If he say go teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost We dare not say goe offer Sacrifice and say Masse for the quicke and the dead For that is quite to alter Gods ordinance to make them pastours that I say not cannot but must not feede and teachers that neede not teach It is a scorne saith one Gilbert as Durand citeth him A watchman to be blinde a forerunner to be lame a prelate to be negligent a teacher to be vnsauery or ignorant and a cryer to be dumb No man therfore can deny but that there is in the Church of Rome a great degenerating and swaruing from the auncient offices which S. Paule speaketh of so that as in their doctrines they wholy dissent from that pure antiquitie so in their doings they disagree from their perfect patterne How vnlike in affection are these men to the godly fathers who commended in times past the faith of Rome Ciprian is much â—greeued that he could not come to the people of Assuris as I take it that he might vse his ministery among them to the comforting of euery particular man God forbid saith Gregory Nazianzen that I shoulde play the euill sheephearde which deuoureth the milke clotheth himselfe with the wool and doth sell and kill the fat of the flocke leauing the rest among the wild beastes and rockes God forbid that I shoulde feede my selfe and not my flocke If I exhorte not you saith S. Augustine to agree with your aduersary I shall continue in srife with him He that biddeth you doe commandeth vs to speake If you become his aduersaries because you doe not that he willeth we also shall be his foes in not saying that he chargeth vs. Yea Gregorie himselfe a Bishop of Rome howsoeuer it is now enough for a priest to say Masse and lift faire for that is a fine qualitie and much commended doth flatlie pronounce that a priest going in and out must die for it if hee make not his voyce to be heard and that he prouoketh against him the wrath of the iudge whom now we see not if the voyce of his preaching sound not so that in his time as in the daies of S. Paule pristes must be preachers which now is not very necessarie or requisite with them CHAP. XV. AS for obedience to princes without sinne it cannot be denyed vnto them because Christ commaundeth to Giue to Caesar that which is Caesars So that it is a debt that we owe vnto them and is due to be paid a duety that they may claime of vs yea that God inioyneth vs to doe and therefore it must be performed For this cause the Apostle S. Paul commandeth euery soule to be subiect to the higher powers Noting thereby not onely the outward shew of subiection which many times may be where is a trayterous heart but euen that hartie true submittnig of our selues with duetiful affection which he calleth the subiection of the soule The same lesson S. Peter did teach who they say was Bishop of Rome and wrote this Epistle at Rome Submit your selues to al maner of ordinance of man for the Lordes sake And againe Honor the king And this subiection as not onely lay men are bound to performe but euen priestes and monkes yea Apostles Euangelists Prophets if we 〈◊〉 beléeue Chrisostome vpon this place so the bishops of Rome for some hundreds of yers dutifully obserued the same reuerencing as their Lords the mighty potentates as by some of their owne writings and in the histories it may appeare and also patiently suffering vnder them reproches and death But the Church of Rome that now is doth many waies seeke to rase out this Law and to disanull this commandement First in that the Bishops of Rome haue so exalted themselues aboue the Emperours who are the greatest Monarches that they haue made them to cary their meate to them to giue them water to wash and bowe and kneele to them to leade their horse cary their canapy hold their stirrop waite at their gates barefooted and bare legged to lie prostrate at their feete with such other most reprochfull disgraces as they haue offered vnto them And who knoweth not the constitution of Boniface the eight That if a man wilbe saued he must beleeue that euery creature is subiect to the bishop of Rome God commaundeth euery soule to be subiect to princes Not so saith the Pope all princes yea the Emperour himselfe shalbe subiect to me nay