to pretende that cause to bee ashamed of the Gospell I woulde the time woulde nowe suffer mee to giue you a taste of that I haue nowe spoken I should then note vnto you the exceeding contention ambition and briberie that a many of them vsed about the yeere of our Lorde 900. after of whom Platina in the life of Benet 4. saith thus Vbi cum ipsis opibus lasciuire caepit Ecclesia nullo principe coercente clericorum flagitia ipsa peccāds licentia haec monstra peperit à quibus illa fedes per ambitionem largitionem occupata est i. When as the Church through riches began to waxe wanton and that no Prince then corrected the great offences of the clergie euen then did libertie to sinne bring foorthe these monsters who nowe by Ambition and Briberie doe holde that Sea And againe in the lyfe of Siluester 2. Eo tum pontificatus deuenerat vt qui largitione ambitione non dico vitae sanctitate doctrina plus possit is tantummodo bonis reiectis dignitatis gradum obtineret quem morem vtmam nostra tempora non retinerent sed hoc parum est peiorá nisi Deus auertat visuri sumus i. To that state then had the Popedome come that he which by briberie and ambition I doe not say holynesse of lyfe and sounde doctrine myght doe most He onely obtained that place of dignitie those which were good being then reiected whiche manner and custome I woulde to God that our times did not continue still Yet this is but a smal matter and worse things then this shall wee see if God turne them not awaye I shouldem oreouer describe vnto you the outragious cruelty of them that could not be contēted to Depose their aduersaries But to cut of their noses to put out their eies to take thē out of their graues thē to cut off their heads and fingers to cast them as dogges without buriall into y ◠ryuer Tyber To famishe them to death to hang them vp an whole day by the heare of their heades with such other practises more like y ◠successors of Phalaris then of Peter For testimonie of these thinges looke Platina in the lyfe of Stephane 6. Sergius 3. Iohn 14. Boniface 7. Calixte 2. And beside Platina Carsulanus Vincentius and Stella Venetus who among other of that time writeth thus Onis virtus tam in capite quam in membris ex hominum ignauia consumpta est i. All kind of vertue aswell in the head as in the other mēbers is by mens great slouthfulnesse and securitie vtterly consumed and gone I should beside this set out vnto you y ◠wicked detestable Sorcerie Nicromancie and poisoning practized about the yeere of our Lord. 1000. long after by Siluester 2. and a meany of his schollers and successors set forthe by Benno a Cardinall in the life of Hilde Brand after called Gregory 7. Which treatise he that wyll reade shall see suche horrible matter as I am sure no Prophane Historie mentioneth of any Heathen or Pagan that euer was I shoulde declare vnto you the monstrous and vnspeakeable Iniuries wrought vnto moste worthie and Noble Emperours by Gregorie the seuenth Adrian the fourth Gregorie the. 9. Clement the sixth diuers other which are so descriued and painted forth by the Abbot of Vrsperge lyuing about that tyme and by Hier. Marius as it woulde cause their owne friendes to detest them Last of all I shoulde laye open vnto you such a bottomlesse gulfe of couetousnesse and Extortion as all the wealth and treasure of Christendome could neuer to this daye satisfie and content Of which the Abbot of Vrsperge in his Chronicle sayth thus Gaude mater nostra Roma quoniam aperiuntur tibi cataracta thesaurorū in terra vt ad te confluant riui aggeres nūmorum in magna copia Jocundare super adiutrice tua discordia qua erupit de puteo infernalis Abyssi vt accumulentur tibi multa pecuniarum praemia Habes quod sitisti decanta canticum quia per malitiā hominū non per`piam religionem orbem vicisti Bee glad our mother Rome because all the Thesauries of the earthe are opened vvyde vnto thee that to the maye come streames and heapes of money in great and large aboundance Sport thou thy selfe with thy fellow helper discorde whiche hath broken forthe out of the bottomelesse pitte of Hell that there might bee heaped vp vnto thee many rewardes of mony Now hast thou that thou diddest thirst for sing thou out a loude for by the wickednesse of men and not by anye good Religion haste thou ouercome all the whole worlde But the time that is appoynted for mee woulde not be sufficient in this manner onely to recken vp theyr mysdoinges muche lesse at the full to set forthe the examples of them And yet forsooth it is those men and their mayntayners that at this daye doe finde so great faulte with the lyues of them that professe the Gospell and woulde for that cause haue men to be ashamed of it Muche lyke is the quarrell of them that saye the doctrine of the Gospell dothe disquiet common Weales and cause Sedition and ciuill warres This is the complaynte of them commonly that woulde incite Princes and Noble personages and Magistrates to hate the Gospell and to perfecute the Preachers of it And this theyr complaynt doe they amplifye and make lykely by the example of those stirres that haue beene of late yeeres in Germanie in Fraunce in Scotlande in Flaunders in Englande As thoughe forsoothe there had neuer beene rebellion and stirre before the late preaching of the Gospell As though common Weales had neuer bene turmoiled and troubled before thys daye But this Realme of England may be a very good example of the contrarie wherein scantly one king hath passed his raygne without rebellion made by one or other What a troublous Realme was this in the time of king Henry the second when the Wife after other trouble did set vp the Sonne against the father What horrible and grieuous rebellions were their in Henry the thirds raigne whē after the Slaughter of many thousandes the king himselfe was taken prisoner and forced to yeelde to the decrees of his subiectes What shall I say of Edward 2. when by the pride of the Spensers the Qneeue hir selfe warred against hir husband And that I may not continue altogether in examples of rebellion by Noble persons This Citie of London and the Maiors thereof can bee good witnesses what trouble there was raysed in this Realme in the tyme of Kichard the seconde by Iacke Strawe Tom Millarde Watte Tyler and such other iolly persons I passe ouer Henrie the fourthe and the pitifull raygne of Henrie the sixth And euen in the quiet time of Henrie 7. howe manye attemptes of Rebellion were there by the counterfaited Sonne of the Duke of Clarence by Perkin Warbecke and other
both of them pretended the example of the Apostles Policrates and the East church following Saint Iohn Victor Bishop of Roome and the West Church alleadging the authoritie of Sainte Peter Did not this matter fall out so bitterly that the one part did excommunicate the other What shall I say of the Scismes and greeuous contencions in the East churche betweene Paulinus and Flauianus Lucifer and Eusebius the Meletians and Eustathians all good Christians yet did they with great troubles eschew one the others Communion as you may read in Epiph. li. 2 Tom. 2. Theodo lib. 1. ca. 8. c. Soc. li. 1. cap 23. 30 Sozom. 2. ca. 18. the space of 80 yeares or aboue What shall I say of the great strife betwene Chri. on the one part Theophilus Cyrill Epipha on the other for y â— burning of Origins bookes They were al godly and learned Bishops we do worthily reuerence their names and yet fell this matter so foule out betweene them that because chrisost woulde not consente to the burning of Origines bookes Theophilus and Cyrill would scantly euer acknowledge him to be a lawfull Bishop Epiph. in bitter chiding fell out to such cholar as he said y t he hoped he shold neuer die Bishop To whom Chriso answered as angerly agayne that he trusted he should neuer returne aliue into his countrey of Cypres Which chiding words were not so bitter in sounde as after they proued true in deed For both Epiph. died before he came home to Cypres and Chrisost being put out of his Bishopricke ended hys lyfe in banishment I omit the contentious betweene August and Hierome betweene Hierome VigilaÌ„tius Ruffinus and other betweene Tertul the preists of Rome betwene Ciprian cornelius as wel for other things as for rebaptizing of Heretiks whiche things I here recite not to the discrediting of so worthy learned men as all christendome doth iustly reuerence their memorye but to declare that god oftentimes for such causes as he thinketh good doth suffer the best sort of his preachers to haue not only diuersity of iudgemeÌ„ts but also contention strife among themselues But who I pray you are they that thus find fault w t our dissention diuersity of opinirns forsooth euen they whose whole religion if it be well considered is nothing but a Chaos confuse heape of sects scismes seperations of minds iudgemeÌ„ts And God is my witnes I speake not this of stomake to aggrauate y â— matter but of very coÌ„science finding y â— thing to be so am forced to speake it as a most plain and certain truth And first for proofe of this I pray you coÌ„sider with me whether among the fautors of the sea of Rome euery countrey Citie parishe and house haue not a peculiar patrone in whom he trusteth euery man his peculiar Saint y â— especially he worshippeth euery disease a peculiar helper Mediatour to cure it England hath S. George Fraunce S. Lewes ScotlaÌ„d S. Andrew freland S. Patrike likewise of other In Roome S. Peter in Milain S. Ambrose in Vienne S. Stephane in Coline y â— iii. Kings are worshipped S. Appoline for y â— teeth S. Roche for the plague S. Swithine for the lost key is cheefely sought vnto euery person euery thing had his peculier God This sort wold go to heauen by S. Francis rule y t sort by S. Benedicts the third by S. Dominikes the fourth by S. Augustines Some would be S. clares disciples other wold be S. Bridgets And herof came their manifold swarms sects of religious persoÌ„s of which som were called FraÌ„ciscanes some Dominickes some Augustines som clemeÌ„tines some IohaÌ„nites some Iesuites some Scapucinâ—s I can not tell what so that they would bee called all things rather then Christians What other thing is this then that Christ prophecyed should come to passe in the latter dayes Loe here is christ Loe there is Christe So that al forsake him the Lord and only Christe and in euery corner and Monastery followe their own peculier Sauieur and Christ S Paule was greued with the Corinthians for that they were so distracted in factions that some would say we are Apollos schollers other we are Cephases other we are Paules WheÌ„ they call themselues Dominikes Benedictines c. mighte wee not saye to them as Paule sayd to the Cor. Is christ deuided Was Dominike crucified for you was Francis or Benet crucified for you that you chuse rather factiously to beare their names then with all other y t name of christ I will not stand to recite the Repugnancie and concrarietie â—â—t the decrees of the Bishops of Roome seeing that Platina their own historiographer writeth that their coÌ„tinal maner was that one Bishop disanulled the decrees of the other His words are these Magnafuit haec controuersia pessimi exeÌ„pli cuÌ„ pòst seÌ„per seruata sit haec consuetudo vt acta prioruÌ„ pontificuÌ„ sequentes aut infringereÌ„t aut omnino tollereÌ„t i. Great was this controuersie and vnto very ill example when as alwayes after this custome is continued that those Popes which followe doe euer eyther breake eyther vtterly disanul the deeds of their predecessours The like he writeth in the life of Romanus of the disseÌ„tioÌ„ betweene the Popes Loke Exasmus in his annotations vpon the 7 Cor. Who is able to recken vp the infinit disagreinges of the Scholemen both against y â— maister of the Sentences and among themselues and that in matter of no small wayght Do not al the scholers almost in sundrye points swerue from their maystor with this clause Hic Magister non tenetur Heare is not our Maister to be holden and maintained The maister of y â— SenteÌ„ces touching Original sin saith y e mans nature is by it so corrupted that by the power of nature they caÌ„ do no goodnes toward god coÌ„trariwise Scotâ— OccaÌ„ other aâ—â—â—rme y â— natural mans streÌ„gth is yet indifferent and may apply and prepare it selfe to Grace The Maister of the Sentences in the vse of the Sacramentes reiecteth Opus operatum i. The deede of receauing that it in it selfe shoulde haue vertue to geue grace and requireth Panitentiam fidem Faith and repentaunce to be also in the Receauer that shall haue benefite by the sacrament The other ScholemeÌ„ doe erpressely and plainely teache that the Sacramentes haue power to sanctifie Ex opere operato etiam sine bono motu vtentis i. Euen by their being receaued and that without any good inward motion of the Receauer But they doe not onely thus runne from their Maister Lomberde but are foule fallen out also betweene themselues whyle some will be called Terminales some Reales some Nominales some Formales some Thomistes some Scotistes some Occamistes and so forth a many moe This diuersitie of professions could not bee without great repugnancie in opinions If I should staye
ownces of Gold so deare is the friendship of these holy fathers The other proposed to Lewes the Emperor such cōditions as no bondslaue-would haue bene contented to admit that is y t he should come vnto him within three dayes forsake the title of y t Empyre yeeld into his hands himself his wife his children and al his goods neuer to receiue any of them again but at his pleasure Looke Abbas Vrspergēs Hiero Marius you shall see those things so set forth as it would cause any reasonable hart to abhorr thē I should hold you to long if I shoulde at large sette forth theire vuiust dealing in altering and trausposing Kingdoms and continuall indeuour to make all princes subiect to them First as touching the Empire where the Emperour of Constantinople had alway his Deputie in Italie for the rule of the West part the Bishops of Roome by the ayde of the Frenche Kinges wreasted oute the Emperoures Deputies and tourned that whole power to themselues Afterward about the yeare of our Lorde 800. contrarye to all right Leo made Charles the greate his great Benefactour Emperoure of the weast and gaue occasyon of most deadly warres betweene the Emperoures of the East and of the Weast About y ◠yeare of our Lord 920 they again transferred the Empyre of the Weast from the French Kinges among whome it had a good time remayned vnto the Germaines where at this daye it yet continueth But they vsed not this onely in the Empyre but well neare in all the Principallities of Christendome Did not Zacharie most iniuriously without any reasonable pretence transferre the Kingdome of Fraunce from Childerike and the stocke of Clodouei wherein it had from the beginning continued vnto Pipine that had no right vnto it and without anye quarrel discharged the Frenche men of their othe of allegiance sworn to their King Childrike being then alyue Did not Adrian the first vnmercifully deliuer Bercha the widdow of Charlemaine her two sonnes heires of the Kingdome in captiuitie to Charles the yonger brother y t had no right vnto it only because hee woulde not displease Charles but winne him to be his friende as his Father Pipine had bene Howe they sette vp and pulled downe Emperoures at their pleasure howe they altered the Tytle and righte of the Kingdome of Arragon of Naples of Sicilie of Englande Hystories doe largely declare Whensoeuer they did for any quarrell excommunicate a realme their penaunce in absolution was euer to paye a great summe of money to the Sea of Rome to make the kingdome feodable vnto the Bishop wherein they sought to make all Realmes and Princes Vassals and slaues vnto them Which was so fully brought to passe in the time of Boniface the eyght that he openly vaunted that he had the full power of both Swordes and all Kinges to haue their principallitie at his handes and hee immediatelye of God and this doctrine hath bene taught euer since by the mainteiners of y ◠sea The time cutteth me of frō matter y ◠I haue to say in this point I will gather therefore to a cōclusion of this part Seing the Popes thēselues whom they count y ◠pillers of their religion y ◠heads of y ◠church y ◠Vicars of Christ that are lead as they saye by the Holye Ghost that cannot erre that haue knowledge of truth and interpretation of scripture in their harts seing I say they are found proued by their own histories to be in ambitiō so outragious in vniust and wicked dealing so horible in pride and crueltie so detestable I leaue their couetousnes for that time doth exclude me what shall we thinke of the inferiour sorte shall we thinke that they did their duety when the other nothing mynded it Such as the spring and Fountayne is suche is the Water of the Streame Such as the roote is such is the Tree branches Such as the maister is such are his Schollers Suche as the head is such are the members If the Spring be corrupt the Roote putrifyed the Mayster wicked the head greeuously diseased we must needes haue naughtye streames putrifyed Braunches miching Schollers and sicke members of the body The holyest of that sorte were men that were couered vnder the Lambe skinnes of Fasting praying and forsaking of the world and yet Vnder these Titles had they gotte them the riches of the world and their liues were so notable that in the common voyce of men there was no ill tale but a Freere or a Religious manne was at the one end of it Now as touching that the aduersaries obiect against vs loosenesse of manners and dissolute life and with eger spirites erie that since our doctrine hath begun in the worlde nothing hath increased but falshood craft deceipt periurie hatred malice strife contention sedition warre and murder lecherie wantonnesse vncleanenesse sectes diuisions and all mischiefe and trouble Oh dearely beloued this is a greeuous and heauy accusation that whereas by Gods singular benefite the doctrine of repentance remission of sinnes and newnesse of life is taught among vs more distinctly more truely and sincerely than euer it was before yet that godlynesse of lyfe and honest conuersation should not followe This surely should be an heauie corsie to our hartes if we be true Christians and in deede fauour the Gospel For although this sclaūderous accusation hath euer followed the Gospell euen in Christes owne tyme and at this daye God be praised is not so iust and true as our aduersaries would haue it seeme to be Yet wee must confesse before the face of God and his Angels and before all the Saintes and Creatures of God both in heauē and earth that the doctrine of the Gospell hath not brought forthe suche fruites of godlye conuersation as it shoulde haue done and that the blessed seede of his heauenly worde through the barraine grounde of our corrupt heartes hath not so prospered as our dueties require that it should haue done For in deede the most part we confesse remayne in deepe securitie ouer whelmed with the corruption of thys lyfe and pleasures of the world Neither can we denie that with manye this wholesome doctrine hath not onely not brought forth conuenient fruites but is vsed as a cloake of licentiousnesse and dissolute libertie and as a meanes to Spoyle the goods patrimonie of the Church which they seeke wholly to imploy to the pampering of their owne pleasures not to the furtherance of Gods seruice Wherfore in the feare of God I exhorte you that you will continually and earnestly call vpon him in your hartie prayers that by the grace of his holy spirit he will mollifie mens hartes and make them good grounde and beate into their remembraunce that whatsoeuer colour they cast vpon them selues by profession of the Gospell yet by the testimonie of their owne consciences they are conuinced within them selues and by their fruites declare vnto the worlde openlye that they are
an vsurper or if any maÌ„ be ignoraunt thereof lette him looke into Saunders Monarchie and there beside shamefull and detestable treason towarde her Maiesties person and state he shall finde good ground of that opinyon layde and yet forsooth Protestants must be the daungerousts Subiects vnto Princes I pray you of what professioÌ„ are they that haue altered the title of al the principalities almoste in Europe of Arragon of Naâ—are of Italy of Naples of Sicyly of Fraunce of Germany of the Empyre both of the Weaste and of the Easte And what the Pope challengeth at this day for the principalitie of England Ireland euer since King Iohn his time euery man that hath read the English Chronicles knoweth Of what professyon are they that say they haue all temporall power immediatelye of God and all Princes to holde the same as feodaryes vnto them And therefore haue they exempted their annoynted Clergye from all secular power and authoritie and haue so tyed Christian Princes that they maye not drawe theire owne Sworde of Justice nor doe anye thing in theire owne Dominions but at the becke and appoyntment of the Sea of Roome and then mighte the Father drawe the Sworde againste the sonne and the sonne agaynste the Father and Brother against brother finally all subiects against their Prince Yea in all Countries they did set shackles and fetters vpon Princes to bridle them that they might do nothing but that was liking to them I meane they sette some of theire owne Court in euery region as it were to keepe vnder the Prince and to see euen into his secrete dealings such as Thomas Becket and Stephen Lancton were in this lande Which I doubt not but godly and wyse Princes and counsellers will consider and specially call to remembrance that the honorable state dignitie and Maiestie of Princes was continually troden vnder foote vntill it was within this 40. or 50. yeeres that it pleased God to restore into the world the light of his Gospel and by the Preachers therof out of his holy word did let the Princes vnderstand the right authoritie of their dignitie which before was kept from them Therefore great iniurie doe they in these dayes whosoeuer they bee that seeke to perswade Princes that the Preachers professors of the Gospell be the most daungerous subiects and the Papistes or at least the good indifferent men which passe not which way religion goeth but keepe themselues safe for all chauÌ„ges to be the best most quiet and assured faithfull subiectes But the euent wyll teach godly Princes and wyse counsellers the contrarie But whatsoeuer others shall doe I doubt not but that mightie and mercifull God that raised our gratious Soueraigne out of the dust of death and pulled hir out of the Lyons deune and out of y â— iawes of hir greedie enimies gaping for hir destruction to our vnestimable comforte and benefite set hir in the Royall throne of this lande to the ende that she might bee a noursing mother vnto the church of God and this land a noursery for the Gospell of Christ and a place of refuge for the afflicted saintes of God in these miserable dayes and for that ende and purpose hath myraculously defended preserued and maintained hir against all the deuises and pollicies of our enimyes and not onely sâ— but hath made hir being but a woman dreadfull to hir mightiest enimies and the especiall worldlye comforte that the Saintes of God and the true professors of his Gospell haue in these dayes against all the daungerous enimyes then which things greater honour could neuer be done vnto Prince And therefore I saye I doubte not but that the same God wyll also at thys time lighten hir mynde and direct and strengthen hir heart that by no colour of cunning or flattering counsell shee shall be caried away eyther to forsake hir gratious Lorde God as Salomon dyd or conceaue heauie displeasure against the Ministers of Gods trueth as vnkinde Joas dyd And that this may bee so wee haue all great cause most earnestly to desire it of God in our continuall prayers A third matter wherwith Preachers be vniustly burdened in these daies is y â— they ar charged not only with their owne sinnes and offences which god knoweth are too many but with the slacknesse wickednesse of al other For vpon vs only they lay al the whole fault of the smal fruite y â— the doctrine of the Gospell hath taken here in this land now for the space of this twentie yeares Oh saye they if we had good and zealous Bishops and godlye Preachers such as the Apostles were vndoubtly this doctrine of the Gospel would haue had better successe and more woulde haue preuayled in mens hartes For they are not zealous nor seeme themselues to be moued with the spirit of God therefore it cannot be that they shoulde moue other O dearely beloued though this reason seemeth plausible to some yet I aduertice all them that haue anye sparke of Gods feare in their hartes that they take heede of it beware that they be not caryed awaye with it For I neuer read that the people of God among whome true doctrine hath â—in preached as the Lord be thanked it hath bin with vs did euer vse such allegation for their owne defence It hath bene alwayes the pretence of the reprobate and wicked to excuse and colour their owne obstinacie and contempt of Gods word when they were offered the light of the Gospell and called to repentance But that these men may not flatter nor deceaue themselues I let them vnderstand that the Scriptures doe in no place teach them that the offences and faultes of the Ministers and Preachers are alwayes the onely cause why the worde of God doth not take place in mens heartes It is more commonly and almost alwayes imputed vnto the waywardnes vnthankfulnesse and obstinacie of the people that heare it Therefore it were good for all sortes of men of what calling soeuer to looke into their owne â—oosomes and carefully to consider whether the fault thereof bee not in themselues for they knowe the Maister may be learned and diligent and yet the scholler not thriue by reason of his owne dulnesse The Phisition may be honest skilfull the obstinate patient make light of hys wholsome Counsell The seede may bee good and the seede sower a painful honest person yet the fruite not to bee aunswerable to hys trauaile because of the naughtines barrennes of y t ground This our sauiour Christ teacheth vs in the parable of the seedesower Matth. 13. The sower saith he went out to sowe the seede and some fell in the high way that is into the harts of them that were continually trampled with wicked and naughtie cogitations so y t the seede could not sinke into their harts but by those birdes of y e Diuell was caried away w tout