and afterward intending to ascend into heauen because he coulde not be at the selfe same tyme in heauen and aâ—so susteyne and gouerne his congregacion as though it had bene one tyred with rulynge and laboringe left Peter in his place and so after theÌ„ all the Bishops of Rome in ordinary succession Howe beit yf men and not Christ were the foundacion of the churche of christendome whiche dyd susteyne and beare thesame trewlye it shoulde haue weake and verye feble pillers to leaue vpon and so feble that it woulde not once but more then a thousand tymes haue ben ouerthrowen namely because this thing is without controuersie When the Byshope of Rome is dead there is not by and by another chosen in his roume but some dayes at the least come betwen wherin the church of Christ should lacke a head thoughe it neuer lacked one at any tyme elles Nowe maye you perceyue whether the churche were then destroyed or not And this dare I boldlye saye yf the churche of Christ shoulde leane vpon men after thys sorte as vpon the foundacion hell gates had preuayled agaynst it longe before thys tyme. Furthermore yf we were grounded vpon men and shoulde trust to them as to oure grounde worke and foundacion we shoulde be all accursed accordyng to the sayng Cursed be that manne whiche putteth hys trust in manne And then shoulde not our churche be the churche of Christ but the Sinagoge of Satan and Peter shoulde haue erred excedyngly Christe beyng lyfted vp in to the highe place of heuen and he lefte for the foundacion of the churche in earthe in y t he exhorteth Christian men not to buylde vpon hym but vpon Christe the true and suer foundacion and grounde worke of his churche And this also is very true Euen as Christ dyd not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he sayed but whom saye you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they al being demauÌ„ded should euery one haue answerid for theÌ„selues But there was muche communicacion amongest theÌ„ at suÌ„dry times before they al coÌ„fessed with one accorde that he was the sonne of God althoughe Iudas with a lyuelye faythe beleued not so And Christ at another time asked al his Apostles wyll you also depart Peter onely in the name of the reste made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Whiche thing is euident of the wordes that folowe to whom shal we goe we knewe beleued longe agon that thou art Christ the very sonne of the liuing God Of a lyke sort he aunswered in the name of them all when he spake these wordes Thou art Christe the sonne of God And because Peter in the name of them all confessed Christe to be the sonne of god ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke will I buyld my church â–ª that he spake not onely to Peter but to them all althoughe it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayed Peter onely is not the liuely rocke but all suche as folowinge hys example verelye beleue and confesse Christ to be the sonne God be liuely rockes which be buylded vpon the vnchauÌ„geable precious corner stone Christ the only foundacion of his church But I praye you tell me in good earnest what sayed master Falsidicus to such thiÌ„ges as were obiected Lepi. Would ye know sayed he how Christ minded by these wordes to make Peter the foundacion and head of his church Reade the wordes that folow ye shal perceyue that he spake to Peter wheÌ„ he sayd To thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde in yearth it shall also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in yearthe it shall be loosed in heauen Yt is not to be thought but that Christ being most true of hys promise performed most habouÌ„dantly y t whatsoeuer he promysed Peter And so muste it bee graunted that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peter therfore hath he power to open and to shit vp heauen to whome so euer it shall please hym and to bringe in and dryue out whome he shal thinke mete as he will him selfe so may he lose also and bynde And forasmoche as by the woordes of Christe Peter only had thauthority to loose binde to opeÌ„ and shut heuen it foloweth that Christ gaue authoritie ful and whole to Peter and ordeyned him onely to bee head of hys churche Mas. Yf onely Peter and the byshoppes of Rome haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they only haue power to open thesame forsothe I would not dye when the sea of Rome is vacant and voyd of a byshop For then shoulde there bee no body whiche shoulde open heauen gates to me And I maruayle more ouer of whome they gatte the keyes of purgatory for it apereth by theyr own coÌ„fession that Christ gaue hym none other keâ—es but of the kyngdom of heauen onely But I coulde haue choked hym euen with one worde Lepi. Howe Mas. Thus would I haue sayed Themperours porter hathe the keye of themperour hys court and hathe authoritie to open and shit and the Mayor of a citie hathe authoritie to bynde and loose and yet neither of them bothe is themperour Of a like sorte be it that Peter had the keyes authorytie to binde and lose it followeth not therfore that he is the head and lord of the churche of god that he is equall with Christe or elles at leste his vicar of equall authoritie by whome our faythe may be stable and suer that he is the vmpieâ— and iudge of all controuersies whiche arise in holie scripture But tell me thys one thynge what answere made thembassadour of Constantinople to thys thinge Lepidus Fyrste he aunswered that Christ gaue not the keyes euen then to Peter but promysed them only not doutinge but that Christe kept promes with him But he was desirous to know of master Falsidicus the time when he deliuered the keies to Peter and gaue him thauthoritie to louse to bind what wordes he sayed when he gaue them For by that meanes the trueth might appere what was ment by these keyes and what is thys authoritie To thys master Falsidicus made aunswere That he assuered Peter of them when after hys resurrection he asked Peter whether he loued hym more earnesâ—ly then the rest dyd or not vnto whome Peter made aunswere saying Thou knowest O Lord that I loue the then Christ gaue him iniunccion to feede his shepe In the very selfe same houre he made him the chiefe shepard and bishop of al soules TheÌ„ Thembassador of Constantinople smylinge sayed yf preachinge the worde of God be the fedinge of soules as the holy doctors with one assent doeth expound it it is with out dout that that office was not onelye gyuen to Peter but also to
honour before manne or for thobteynyng of riches or imperiousely to vse the seruice of hys subiectes neyther to seke for any priuate commoditie but to serue other and to â—eke for the profyt of other The power therefore and thegreatnes of the ministers of Christe is alltogether spiritual and standeth wholly in the seruice and gouernaunce of soules helthe But y e bishop of Rome seketh for no other thing theÌ„ to be estemed greate before the worlde that he maye bee worshipped in earthe as it were a god and haue lybertie to vse tyranny ouer all churches to spoyle and destroy them at his pleasure Yf the church of Christ wer now as in times paste it was ordeyned to be he shoulde be thought greater then all the reste who is indued with more lyght from aboue and hath receaued more gyftes and benefites of Goddes hand and this worthynes of hys woulde he onelye vse in settynge forthe of the gospell whereby he might wynne as many soules as myght bee to Christ. So that be it that Christe had geuen the power of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to Peter onely and by him to you that be byshoppes of Rome which thinge is not trewe what other power or authoritie shoulde you haue therby I pray you then to preach the gospell then to be witnesses that synnes bee pardoned to them that beleue and retayned to theÌ„ that beleue not then to administer the Sacraments accordynge to Christes institucion theÌ„ to exhorte to admonysh to correcte with gentlenes and loue such as be prone to synne then to excommunicat whiche is the chiefe matter of all suche as bee open notoriouse synners when they amend not after monicion geuen accordinge to the doctrine of Christe and wyll not obeye the church Thus farre extendeth your power and authoritie geuen by Christe and no further except ye will confound the boundes and thorder of the power ciuile and the power ecclesiastical Mas. This confusion shoulde not our byshoppe in any wise suffer and that for two causes The fyrste because he will haue all hys power estemed of men to be spirituall and heauenlye al though he ouer run the whole worlde with his vnbrydled tyranny The latter because if he woulde saye that thecclesiasticall power might be mingled and confouÌ„ded with power ciuile he might be afrayed leste haply the Emperor should chalenge theÌ„ both so be made both Emperor and Pope I remembre that I haue hearde tel howe Christe was desiered of a fellowe to make deuision of inheritaunce betwene him and hys brother vnto whome Christe made aunswere who made me your iudge Who gaue me authority to deuide thinheritaunce betwene you As thoughe he had sayed I came not neither am I sent of my heauenly father that I should chaleng to me any political power but spiritual onely I come to preach vnto you the whole spiritual kyngdome to bring you to that highnes of mynde that ye shoulde leaue not onelye the worlde but your selfe also for the glory of god and not to be an arbitrer or iudge of your stryfes Yf therfore our Byshoppe were Pope neuer so much as he striueth to be and Christes vicar in earthe it is very trewe that he hath no more power or authoritie gyuen hym by Christ then had Christe himselfe And therfore whensoeuer there shoulde be any ciuile matters brought before him in iudgement he should make aunswere with Christe who made me youre iudge or elles who gaue me authoritie to deuide or put together to absolue or condempne by a ciuile fashioÌ„ of iudgement Thys power must come some other waies it eÌ„ by Christ. But I feare me muche leste oure popes shall by thys their newe authority bee so much occupied in worldly businesses y t they shal haue no space or time to thinke any whit of God And more ouer so much shal theyr tyranny increase y t they shall wyllynglye desire and drawe to themselues and to their iudgemente seates all maner of controuersies not to make an ende of them but to inuolue them and make them more doubtfull by the meanes whereof the sewtes indure the longer And furthermore wheÌ„ they be once made dronke with the bloud of martyrs they wyll sow deadly discorde and continuall contenâ—ion amongest christian princes and wyll bee the authors almoste of all warres whiche shall continue for manye yeres For it is not possyble that common welthes should be quyet where they shall haue rule But I pray you tell me in good earnest brought the embassador any other authoritie of scripture agaynst the Popeshyppe Lepi He brought amoÌ„gest other as farre as I remeÌ„ber thautorite of Sayncte Paule who wrote to the Galathians that Peter was the Apostle of the Iues euen as Paule was of the Gentiles Wherefore he was neither the Apostle sayed he neither the Pope of Rome neither anye of other nacions but of the Iewes onely Neither was he vniuersall Byshoppe of all christendome neither you that be the byshops of Rome be the successors of Peter because ye be not the Apostles nor bishops of the Iewes But Paule shoulde rather haue bene Pope of the gentiles and so much y â— more aboue Peter bicause that y e geÌ„tiles of whom Paule was the Apostle were moe in numbre then were the Iewes and moe of the Gentiles were conuerted to Christe then of the Iewes And Paule preached also in suÌ„dry places of the world brought forthe the fruite of the gospell more plentifully then dyd Peter wherfore he was an Apostle more vniuersall and more profitable also to the churche of Christ. And Paule more ouer addeth thys thyng in the same place that he had no lesse grace beinge the Apostle of the Gentiles then Peter had being the Apostle of the Iewes Then was not Peter a greater Apostle then Paule was And so consequentlye doethe it folowe that he not hys head yea and Paule doeth playnlye call hym in speciall wordes felowe euen as he dyd bothe Iames and Iohn And Peter also wrytynge to the pastors of other churches commaundeth them not imperiouslye as though he were their superior but exhorteth them gently as hys felowes callynge Christe and not hym selfe the chiefe Pastor And furthermore when he was rebuked of Paule he sayed not that he was aboue all lawes and coulde not erre because he was Pope but gaue place to Paule when he was checked of hym openlye And also when he was sent by the apostles in to Samaria he withstod them not He sayed not it is my office to commaunde I haue authoritie to send whom I will or els to goe my wayes yf it please me for I am youre head But he obeyed their commaundementes as a membre of the churche of Christ. And when thimbassador would haue folowed hys matter that he intended more at large and haue brought moe places of scripture for the vtter subuercion of all the popship Then master Falsidicus thinkyng hymselfe not well handled with thimbassadors manyfolde and
glorye of god and ye haue taken vpon you the cause of Christe and hys electes agaynste all the enemies of god Neither canne there bee any more worthye meanes deuised to set forth both the glorye of god and also of youre moste excellent maiestie And it is not to be douted but that god will vse your maiestie as a heauenly meane and a fautles instrument to ouerthrowe hys greate enemy euen as in tymes past he vsed Dauyd for an instrumente to ouerthrowe Goliathe Youre maiestie maye stryke of hys head as Dauid Goliathes euen with hys owne sworde that is to saye with the worde of God whiche he hathe moste fylthely abused in despyte of Christe There were verely not a fewe of the olde Emperours who attempted the puttynge downe of thys tyrannye as Henry the fourthe fift Lewes the fourth Frederyke the fyrste and seconde and many moe who coulde not ouercome hym because he reygned in the myndes of men and the people tooke hym for theyr god in earth they feared his thunderboltes excommunications they thought theÌ„selues daÌ„pned yf they contraryed hym neuer so litle therefore coulde they not in good earnest put on theyr harnes take theyr weapons with a valyant corage of spirite to delyuer the Christyan common welthe from thys so great a tyranny Ed. Yf we minde to ouercome him in short space we must fyrste goe about to bryue him out of the heartes of menne for as soone as he hathe once lost his spiritual kingdome in mens consciences he shall forgoe by and by al the rest of his iurisdicciâ—Ì„ without any greate difficultie And to dryue him out of the heartes of men it is not nedefull to vse sword nor violence the sworde of the spirite that is the worde of god is sufficient wherby Christe ouercame and conquered hys enemy Sathan in the desert For all his whole popeshippe is nothinge elles but a manifest deceyt and lye What thynge canne it bee elles but a lye to saye the churche was buylded by Christ vpoÌ„ Peter and that Peter was instituted by Christ the heade of the other apostles and of the vniuersall churche and that Cephas in oure tonge signifieth a heade and that when Christ saied to Peter fede me shepe he made him the onelye shepard of soules and gaue to hym alone the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and power to loose and bynde yt is also a verye vayne lye to saye Peter was at Rome and that Peter had authority geuen him of Christ to leaue there and also that he left there the chiefe byshoppes seate as in one certayne pâ—ace there by succession continueally to remayne to the byshoppes of Rome as they holde opinion it is also a manifest lye and deceyte to saye that Christe is not oure onelye sauyour medyatour and aduocaâ— Purgatory also deuised by them is a lye and theyr lately deuised confessyons absolutions pardons Iubelies blessinges cursinges and excommunications bee all lyes And also theyr heresies hipocrisies Idolatry promesses flatteringes supersticioÌ„ theyr deuelishe tyrannicall authoritie which they vsurpe and chalenge with al their whole Popehod be altogether lyes Wherefore seinge the word of god is y e most bright light at the sight wherof all falsehod and lyes be knowen and auoyded and the trueth apeareth inuinsible it muste nedes be that eueÌ„ as darkenes vanisheth away at y e sight of y e suÌ„ne euen so at the shinynge of goddes worde all lyes deceytes treasoÌ„s wickednes of the Pope shal decaye vtterly be plucked vp by y e rotes This is y e spirituall sworde by whose edge as Paule prophecied he must be slaine Wherfore if we minde to attayne honor glory that neuer shal perishe by thys noble enterprise we muste searche all about and get the most faythfull ministers of goddes worde whiche be indued with a great light of y e spirite in the knowledge and exposicion of the scriptures with a heauenly eloquence boldnes and lybertye whiche ministers bothe canne and will prynte Christe in the heartes of manne Then with out doubt shall Antichrist and all his whole kingdom be ouerthroweÌ„ by and by This must be oure hoste these must be oure fotemen these must be our horse men if we mynde to ouercome this enemie of god And yf we can not fynde enough suche menne within oure owne dominions they muste bee sought for where so euer they maye be founde good learniÌ„g must be made much of promoted forward good wittes must bee norished and prouoked to learnyng studie that the heauenly philosophie of Christ maye reigne alwayes in oure kingedom Then suerly shal we not be ashamed wheÌ„ we shalbe neuer so much excomunicated of y e wicked romishe Robber but we shall rather reioyce with a valiant and bold corage we shall laugh to scorne his cursinges and blessinges all together not settinge a strawe by the whole rabble of the rest of hys wickednes his absolucions dispensacions priuileges bulles and pardons Ed. Throughe the sinne of oure fore father Adam we bee naturallye so fraile and weake so blinde and froward y t we seke for nothinge els but our owne Wherfore yf we will be moued to set forth and amplifie the most high glory of god it is he that must moue stirre vs with hys heauenly spirite And for asmuche as we knowe and bee very well assured that all oure desire and purposes concerninge thys matter bee bent towardes the glory of god according to his word we maye be bolde to saye that thys intente of ours is a worke of God Therefore euen as it canne not be that God wyl forsake him self and leaue of to be God So also can it not be but that he wyl further thys worke to a good ende whiche is not oures but altogether his we doubt not therfore but that God wyll be of our syde and that he wyl triumphe ouer hys enemies Counsel Suerly it shal be a very easie thynge to obteyne what thyng soeuer is godly of youre maiesties subiectes For euen as after the transgression of Adam god grafted a certayne terriblenes of countenaunce in manne wherby he shoulde make beastes affrayed with lokyng vpon manne lest they shoulde hurt hym So hath he indued subiectes with a certayne naturall feare towardes their leage lordes that they may reuerently obey them Wherfore yf a Prynce or Kyng intende a thynge and then declare thesame to be hys mynde and pleasure with a certaine effectualnes and authoritie by and by they all obey namelye when he offereth matters vnto them that be iuste and godlye but as for the trueth of the doctrine of the gospell is of it selfe most effectual therfore we doubt not but it wil come to passe that it shall gladly be receyued of al menne especially when it shal be offered vnto them of the maiestie of a kynge and he shall confirme the same with vprightnes of lif Neither is it to be doubted that the gospell should breed any tumulte
al the rest of thapostles and namely to Paule who wryteth in special wordes that he labored more then all the rest did in the ministery of preaching Yea and Christe himselfe before he spake these wordes to Peter commaunded the selfe same thynge to all the Apostles sayinge goe ye throughe out the vniuersall worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures So that it can not be sayed that the office of preachynge was gyuen by Christe onely to Peter and to the Byshoppes of Rome in ordinary succession after him by whose appoyntment it shoulde also descend to other For then must it be graunted that there hath bene very fewe lawefull and trewe Byshoppes whiche had lawefull authoritie to preache and so fewe that Peter onely maye bee accountyd the trewe Byshoppe whiche preached lawefully and a fewe besides who were by him appoynted in such countryes where as he preached By thys meanes Paule and the elleuen Apostles and suche as were by them conuerted to the faythe neither were truely bishoppes neither yet preached lawefullye because they neither had their Bishoprike neither authoritie to preache of Peter And more ouer none after the death of Peter should haue bene made Bishop neither haue licence to preache besydes the Byshoppe of Rome And truely the Byshoppes of Rome haue committed a greuouse offence in that they haue hyd this large and greate authorytye of theyrs that they had so necessarye in the churche of God Then replied master Falsidicus euen as Peter quod he loued Christ more earnestly then the rest of the Apostles as it is plaine by the wordes of his aunswere when Christe demaunded him whether he loued hym more feruentlye then the rest dyd so had he more authoritie gyuen vnto hym ouer the shepe of Christ then the rest of the Apostles To this answered thimbassador of CoÌ„staÌ„tinoble And where I praye you haue you founde that Peters aunswere was to Christ that he was more earnestly beloued of him then of the rest of y e Apostles Not withstandyng that he was so demaunded yet hys aunswere was onely in thys wyse Thou knowest O lorde that thou art belouyd of me He sayed not Thou knowest O Lorde that thou arâ—e more feruentlye belouyd of me then of the rest For so coulde he neuer haue sayed without greate suspicion of arrogancie because it was vnknoweÌ„ to hym how much y e rest loued Christ. But let it be graunted that Christ was more earnestly beloued of Peter then of the rest doeth it therefore folowe that Christ gaue him more power Or in case he gaue hym more was it therfore most of all For it is not all one thing to saye fede my shepe and to saye be thou head of my churche or elles Take thou more authoritie then the other Apostles And as for that Christe demaundyd of him thryse whether he loued hym or not it was done for thys ende and purpose that hys loue beinge declared by thryse confessynge myght counteruayle and somewhat make amendes for his fault WheÌ„ he thrise denied him he minded to haue Peters loue sealed as it were warranted before he would commit vnto him the cure of soules that all menne myghte knowe no man can bee a good shephard onles he loue Christ earnestly Furthermore yf your reason were a good reason it shoulde rather folowe therof that Christe declared Ihon the chiefe Byshop then Peter For it is written of Iohn this is the disciple whom Christ loued Wherfore if he were beloued of Chrisâ— aboue other he gaue vnto him more worthye gyftes replenished him more abouÌ„dantlye with grace and therfore placed hym aboue the other and namelye for that he was more mete for the purpose by the reason of the excellent giftes whiche he receiued at Goddes handes And so much the more bycause it shoulde rather appeare that Ihon loued Christ more then the other did was loued againe of Christ knew hiÌ„ more thorowly therfore more like to be iudged worthye to feed the shepe of Christe Yt maybe proued that Christ would haue ordeined hym the vniuersall shepard not onely by reason of the noble light of the heuenly spirit wherwith he was indued and was alwayes nighe and familiare to Christe and amongest all the rest of thapostles he alone folowed him to the crosse but chiefly for thys cause that when he was vpon the crosse he committed his mother vnto him in whome only as you your selues doe confesse the lyuely churche of Christe remayned after Christes death For al thapostles were not a litle afrayed and dismayd with that terryble dolefull sight of Christes death vpon the crosse accordingly as Christe had told hym before And if Iohn were not ordeyned the supreme head of the churche of Christe then muche lesse was Peter Then sayed master Falsidicus will ye see howe Christe ordeyned onely Peter to be the chiefe Pastor of all Reade the Gospel of Luke and there shal ye fynde spoken onely to Peter Thou shalt be a fisher of menne Thereunto aunswered thimbassadour And will you see how Christe ordeyned not Peter to bee the chiefe Pastor of all Reade the Gospell of Mathewe and Marcke and there shal ye finde the same spoken also of Christ to Andrewe and the two sonnes of zebedei Wherfore it foloweth that Peter onely was not assigned of Christ to be the fisher of men Yea and consequently not alone of his owne shepe Christ neuer sayed to Peter onely fede thou my shepe be thou onely a fisher of menne To the onely will I gyue the keyes of the kingedome of heauen No he neuer saied so much as this be thou onely a shepard and a fysher aboue the reste of thapostles Take thou more authoritie then they haue But he sayed in simple and plaine wordes I will gyue vnto thee the keyes of the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ and so he kept promes Mary he gaue thesame keyes also to the reste of thapostles And that this is trew it is euident For Christe gaue the keyes to Peter and to the reste of thapostles after his resurrection from deathe standynge in the middest of them when he had saluted them and shewed hys handes and hys syde that they should both see and know him that talked with them and deliuered them the keies to be in dede very Christe the sonne of god he sayed vnto them as Iohn wryteth Euen as my father sent me so I send you As though he had sayd my father sent me in to thys worlde that I shoulde preache the gospel as Esay the prophet saied longe agoe Therfore do I send you euen of thesame fashion throughe out the worlde to preache thys glad tidinges that I am nayled vpon the crosse and dead for the sinnes of the whole worlde that I am the onely and euerlastynge redempcyon and reconciler who haue purchased the fauour of the eternall father to all mannekynde by the price ranâ—ome of my bloude and that al the synnes of al the menne in the worlde be pardoned and
longer And beinge indewed with a wonderful power stoutnes violence and fury thus he sayed What nede we haue so many wordes for the defence of oure Popeshypppe seynge there hath bene brought stroÌ„g reasons enoughe to ouercome the grossest witte in the worlde in so muche that a blynde man maye see the truethe of them Wherfore bycause these our reasons our pleasures our gentylnes and fayre promises can not content them our moste holye father must vse hys large and endeles authoritie And then turnyng hymselfe and speakyng to the Pope he sayed You moste holy father bee the supreme head of the churche of Christe therefore be you aboue all other parsons men Angels reasons holy scriptures authorities yea and aboue the whole world There is no man may iudge you or elles coÌ„maâ—nde you for so it is come to passe Nowe ye be Pope and being Pope ye can not erre Therfore onely saye thus We be Pope and we wyll be Pope and it is ynoughe Your power and authoritie is so greate that if ye wer not pope if yet ye once prononced these wordes we wil be ye should be out of hande Then loking vpon the imbassadors with a fearce countenance he sayed Yf ye wil be rebelles to hys holines ye shall feele the lighteninges and thunderboltes of his excoÌ„munications and cursinges flye in the ayer euen to the furthest countrye in the Easte and then shall ye knowe whether he bee pope or not Moreouer we shal haue Cesars helpe and fauor ioyned to our strengthes so that all we coupled in one will defende the popes authoritie with our sworde Then all the imbassadours arose at once to aunswer this sayinge with one accorde but there was a signe made to the popes chaplayne that he shoulde doe as he was bidden and straighte waye he beganne with a loud voyce the himne Te Deum laudamus The noyse whereof fylled the ayer vp to the sterres and all the reste folowed them crying whow victoria victoria victoria And euen at the very same instante range all the belles in Rome The pope himsefe was by and by caught with mennes handes and borne vpon theyr shoulders and so they caried home the moste holy father to hys place with a great pompe and triumphe Nowe must ye not meruaylle though ye sawe me as ye sayed in the begynninge iocunde and merye Mas. Alas what became of the poore imbassadors Lepi They were all stryken in a dumpe by and by and departed to theyr innes sad heuy taking thys great rebuke so well as it might be Mas. Yf I had bene in theyr coâ—es I woulde not haue thought that it had bene good taryinge for me then in Rome Lepi. I thinke no manne woulde vse any violence agaynste them Mas. Well I am suer the pope would no more send them wine of Grecia and Corsica Lepi. Or if he sent any it shoulde peraduenture bee myngeled But nowe canne I tary no longer with you for now I see the nyght drauethe on and I haue an excedinge deale of busines to doe Thinke ye not where this disputacion was euen where there was none els by sauing the popes moste faythefull frendes who woulde say nothinge but that should make for the pope Mas. Yf it be as you say either wil they hold theyr peace or elles they haue very litle to saye to theyr commendacion Lepidus Ye bee in a manifest errour For there was neuer so greate a lye but it may be so craftely coloured and painted that the blynd common people may thinke it very trewe I haue nowe tolde you all the whole matter desieringe you to kepe it secret as ye promessed me at the beginninge Mas. I will doe the beste I can but me thinketh it will be very hard for me so to doe I thanke you hartelye for your paynes for shewinge this prety storye so fully and so diligentlye Lucifer Beelzebub I Haue thought good to call you agayne to gether here in thys place that I might reioyce with you for the byrthe of Antichrist so happy so vnloked for euen as the angelles reioysed in Christes natiuitie But nowe must we laye our heades to gether and take counsell by what meanes and deuise wee maye establishe thys our kyngdom and increase it bring it to the highest degre of all wickednes and mischiefe Me thynketh it were best first to goe about so to sette forth and amplifie hys honor that menne by litle and lytle maye take thys Antichriste for a certayne God in earthe and honor and magnifie hym euen as their god That we maye vse the highe authoritie whiche he hath for a handsome and strong instrument to the committinge of all kyndes of deceyptes mischefes and wickednes We wyll prynâ—e in mennes heartes as muche as in vs lyeth that Christe gaue the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ to Peter and his successors and also ful power and iurisdiction not onely of the empire of thys worlde but also of the heauenly kingdome Beelze Truely thys thynge pleaseth vs very well so that he haue none authoritie in hell ouer vs for we be surely persuaded that he will come to so highe a degre in abhominacion and wickednes that yf he shoulde haue the rule ouer vs but one day he would bryng vs into a greate deale worse case then we be Luci. Yt is euen as thou sayest But we wyll foresee to y t ieoperdy wisely ynough for my trust is to bring him to such a wickednes that he shal aduenture with hys theuish fingers to corrupt the holy scriptures shal violently mischeuously wryth them to the establishinge increasing and excercisyng of his intollerable tiranny I knowe well they will not be ashamed to saye when Christe sayed to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas that he mente thou shalt bee called head and so was Peter made head of all thapostles who willinglye obeyed that primacie And also that Peter afterwarde left thys chiefe high authoritie to the Byshoppes of Rome by succession Beelze Yf the matter woulde come thus to passe in case Peter shoulde be raysed agayne from deathe he shoulde no more be Pope no he shoulde haue no maner of authoritte Luci. In dede he shoulde haue no more then shoulde please our Byshoppe of Rome to graunte hym of hys bountifull liberalitie And thys thynge is very notable we will cause all their lyes to be written in their canons and so will we blinde the eyes of the vnlearned that they shall take the same canons for thynges moste holye And also we shall all cause the churche of Rome notwihstandynge it is most wicked and hereticall that it shall not onely be accounted for the churche of Christ but also it shall be takeÌ„ for the head and mother of all other churches Beelze Surely the churches of Christ wyll neuer so take it thoughe oure churches so doe Luci. Yes menne shall haue thys opinion of the churche of Rome chiefelye and so of all other churches that shal hang vpoÌ„ her y t
A tragoedie or Dialoge of the vniuste vsurped primacie of the Bishop of Rome and of all the iust abolishyng of the same made by master Barnardine Ochine an Italian translated out of Latine into Englishe by Master Iohn Ponet Doctor of Diuinitie neuer printed before in any language Anno Do. 1549 ¶ To the moost myghtye and moste excellent Prince Edwarde the syxte by the grace of God Kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendor of the faithe and in earth Supreme head of the churche of England and Irelande Bernardinus Ochinus Senensis wisheth all felicitie ALthough god of his mere goodnes hath geueÌ„ to your Maiestie moste rich treasures moste large kingdomes speciall grace and loue of al people moste high nobilitie of bludde moste singuler ornamentes bothe of the body and of the minde partely commyng onely of God and partely through hys fauour obtayned also by your industry beside other innumerable graces whiche it hathe pleased god to endue youre hyghenes withall Yet neuertheles all these thinges ought not nor cannot bee compared to that benefite whiche he hathe shewed vnto you in geuing vnto you in such a darke world and in so tendre age suche clere light of Christ that albeit in thys worlde he was poore lowe dispiced and crucified and your Maiestie is so riche so highe in so great honour and all kyndes of felicitie Yet not only you knowleadge and take hym for youre Lorde and maister but also you loue hym and that in suche sorte that for the loue whiche you beare vnto hym you haue suche a godly hatred to his enemies that folowing the blessed memory of your father fyrste with the fauour of god and than with the aduise of your most derest vncle the lorde Protector and of other youre trusty and faithfull Counseylours you haue dryuen hym out of your Realmes and Dominions hym who among all the wicked hathe the highest place and is moste aduersary to Christ and therfore is he and may wourthely be called Antichriste Now remayneth nothing behinde but that with hym you dryue away also as you haue begon his lyes errours Hypocrisy Symonye Robbery supersticion Idolatrye and all wickednes And than if Pirrus Alexander magnus Anibal Scipio Affricanus and Iulius Cesar had noble victories and tryumphes in thys world howe much more shall your noble actes farre passe al them and theyr actes in the sight of God aungelles and men for asmuch as you being yet but almost a babe shall ouerthrowe the most mighty most crafty most wycked and cruell tyraunte that euer was or euer shal be in the worlde deliuering your subiectes from a longe and miserable bondage and captiuitie And yet forasmuche as many suche as bee blynd and doe take hym for theyr god in erthe where as they ought most hyghly to commende youre Maiestie for your godly proceadinges peraduenture will speake euill of so excellent an acte I thought it my parte for the duetye that I owe to god and to your Maiestie to shewe vnto such men the beginnynge of thys their Papacie and howe it encreased and came into so hyghe estimacion amonge the blinde people So that they perceauinge theyr weake false ruinouse and deuilishe foundacion maye leaue theyr faytâ— whiche they haue in hym and geue glorye to God and to your Maiestie to whome I praye god to â—â—unte a longe and moste blessed lyfe ¶ The parties that doe speake in thys Dialoge are these i. Lucifer and Beelzebub ii Boniface the third Doctour Sapience secretary to the Emperour iii. The people of Rome The churche of Rome iiii The Pope mans iudgement and the people of Rome v. Thomas Massuccius the master of the horse Lepidus the popes chaÌ„berlain vi Lucifer and Beelzebub vii Christ and Michaell and Gabriell archangels viii Kinge Henry the viii and Papista and Thomas Archbisshop of Cantorbury ix Kyng Edward the vi and the lorde Protector ¶ A Tragoedie or Dialoge of the vniust vsurped primacie of the Byshop of Rome of the iust abolishinge of the same made by master Barnardine Ochine an Italian and translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Master Iohn Ponet Doctor of Diuinitie Lucifer and Beelzebub MY deare faithful brethren and most enttierly beloued frendes for asmuche as I knowe howe muche profite ariseth of the labour paines that ye take in the world be ye well assuered that I woulde not haue wylled you to assemble here together in Hell at thys present were there not some great profyte to our common wealth arising of the same that moued me so to doe Ye know right wel my brethren frendes howe wrongfully and vniustly our enemy God without any our fault or deseruing hurled vs downe out of heauen hedlonge and also ye knowe what greuouse torment miserye and calamitie we haue susteyned euer sinâ—e that tyme. And althoughe he wyll nedes reigne alone in heaueÌ„ cannot abyde felowe to be ioyned with him in that kingdome but doeth vsurpe it whole to hym selfe alone yet yf he woulde haue left to vs some dominion in earth this torment and misery of ours might better haue bene borne But wheras we had by muche trauayle and busynes obteyned and inioyed as it were by oure prescription of many yeares the dominion of the world se you not howe he hath sent y e same sonne of his whome they call Christe to marre all that euer we haue made and vtterly to destroy that we haue buylded doe ye not perceaue how that fellow Christ beynge nayled vpon the crosse droweth all men to him and doe ye not perceaue what a number of meÌ„ which before were of our syde be nowe fled to him there to be souldiars vnderneth his banner Yf his Apostles beyng but twelue made such a commotion throughe out the whole world what a ruffell thinke ye wyll so many thousandes make whome they by theyr teaching haue turned Certainly by coniecture it shoulde seeme that the matter wyll daylye waxe worse and worse oules this great mischiefe â—e wyselye prouided for inseason elles wyll it at lengthe come to passe that our scepter royall shal be plucked out of our handes and our dominion vtterlye taken away from vs. But after longe consultinge and dyuising there is now come into my head a very handsome imaginacion wherby we may destroy the kingdome of Christ and stablysh our kyngdome for euer Yf we attempte to oppresse the members of Christe with persecucion and tirrannye we shall that waye but increase more and more our owne sorow For as we be sufficiently taught by longe experience they bee so persed and led with a zeale to y e glorye of god so carried with a vehemeÌ„t heuenly spirit that they contempne all thinge sauinge Christ onely And this one thing semeth much to be maruailed at that whaÌ„ they be spoiled for y e glory of Christ or baÌ„nished in to exile or lose their honour their contrey their substaunce yea or their lyfe also yet they earnestlye triumphe and be
blotted out for my sake The selfe same sentence Marke expressed albeit it wer in other wordes when he sheweth how Christe after his resurrecâ—ion from death saied to his Apostles going through out the vniuersall worlde preache the gospell to all creatures And Mathewe Goe forthe teache al people Lucke wryteth that Christe sayed it is written and therfore it must bee that Christe shall suffer and rise agayne from deathe the thyrde daye in whose name repentaunce and remission of synnes must bee preached to al people beginning at HierusaleÌ„ It is plain that the Euangelistes agre hetherto Iohn furthermore doeth adde that Christe sayed vnto them take ye the holy goste Which thing Luke declareth after another sorte saying that Christ opened theyr myndes that they might vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures which is the very trewe office of the holy goste wherefore he gaue them the holy gost brething vpon them that is as Luke doeth declare he opened theyr myndes and knowledge that they might vnderstande the holy scriptures and that was so done that they myght knowe and perceaue that the Gospell whiche they shoulde preache was no vayne or newe thynge but trewe and of antiquitie spoken of before by the vnfayned sayinges of the prophetes Which thing they beleuinge vndoutedly throughe an earnest styrringe and motion of the holy gost shoulde preache the gospell throughe out the whole world Now afterward when he gaue them the keyes Iohn writeth that he sayed whose synnes so euer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they be retayned That is to say I deliuer you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and giue you authoritye and power to open and shit thesame by the kingdom of heauen he vnderstandeth the kyngdome of grace and the kyngdome of glorye The synnefull manne was driuen out of the kingdome of the heauenly fauour neither can he fynde any meanes or wayes to entre into thesame agayne but by faithe Accordinge to the doctrine of paule He can not beleue of the common sorte onles he heare the worde of the gospell whiche can not be without preaching So that there was authoritie geuen vnto thapostles and keyes deliuered vnto theÌ„ that they should open the kingdome of heauen to the wicked when Christ gaue them authoritie to preache the gospeâ—l that is to saie to teach that men be saued by Christ. Because that when thei were sinners and without the kingdome of the grace of Christe neyther had any waye opened whereby they might entre thapostles in preachinge the gospell opened the gate of the fauour and grace of god vnto them which guided them in y e ready and plaine waye wherby they might obteyne to them selues the fauor of god by beleuing that Christ died for them by whose mean and helpe they are saued thapostles did moue and styre men to giue credit to this truthe And suche of them as beleued entred in the kyngdome of Chryste by fayth and the Apostles opened the gate vnto theÌ„ by preaching the word of the gospel did set open the waye for their entrye But if y e hearers of this preachiÌ„g beleued not thapostles dyd shut the gate of gods fauor wheÌ„ they taught in their preachinge that onles they beleued the gospell there was no hope of saluacion neither any other way or meanes wherby they mought entre the kingdome of the fauor of god Not withstandinge they had done as many good workes as bee in the whole worlde And so is this opening and shutting as a man may call it a lousing and a bindinge as Christe declared when he saied to Peter to the wil I giue the keies of the kingdome of heuen What soeuer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeur thou lousest iÌ„ earth it shal be also â—oused iÌ„ heaueÌ„ Now these keies and power to open and shut to looâ—e and bynd were geueÌ„ to the Apostles wheÌ„ Christ said vnto theÌ„ whose synnes ye forgeue they shall bee forgeuen and whose synnes ye retayne they shall bee retayned Not that the Apostles themselues should haue power and authoritie to pardon and forgeue sinne for that belongeth to God alone And that shoulde be a wonderful ydolatry and blasphemy to attribute and assigne that thynge to man whiche belongeth to god onely Who is onelye he that forgyueth sinnes for Christes sake euen as it is onely he whiche powreth fayth into vs and men be hys seruantes and ministers in that they preache the gospell and moue men to beleue But the beleuinge it selfe and the faythe it selfe and the remission of synne whiche is by it procured is the gift of God Then the Apostles had no power to remitte and reâ—ayne synnes at their owne wyll and pleasure Neither to loose and bynde neyther yet to brynge manne in or out of the kyngdome of God when they lusted so to doe but they had power to preache the gospell and to shewe that thys preachynge must be beleued and that thys gospell must be embraced with a sound faythe yf they intend to haue forgyuenes of sinnes at goddes handes and so to be loosed to enter into the kingdom of grace For they onely haue their sinnes forgyuen theÌ„ which beleue the gospell they onely be loosed and enter into the kyngdome of god They had also authoritie to declare that their sinnes were retayned whiche beleued not the gospell and that they onelye bee bounde and shut out of the kyngdome of God Yt is euident and playne by Saynct Luke that thys is the wil and mynde of Christe who declarethe the selfesame sentence with more playne wordes saying Christ sayed to his Apostles y t Christ must dey as it was writteÌ„ ryse agayne the thirde daye from death and that repentaunce and remission of sinne must be preached to all nacions in hys name So that by thys it is easie to be perceyued that Christe gaue hys Apostles keyes and power not properly to forgyue synne but to preache remission of synnes to all them that beleue throughe Christ. The selfe same thyng maye also be confirmed by the authoritie of Saynct Marke who expondyng thesame sentence although it be in other wordes sayeth that Christe sayed to his Apostles Goe through out the whole worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shall be dampned Whereby it maye be well perceyued that the authoritie power which Christ gaue vnto hys Apostles was nor to saue and condempne but onely to preache the gospell and to shewe the waye of saluacion in that they moued meÌ„ to enter into that way and they declared hym to be within the compasse of condempnacion which gaue no credit to the gospell and went about to disuade men from thys vnbelefe These be the keyes thys is the power whiche Christ gaue to hys Apostles and not onely to his Apostles but also vnto all their successors Which thyng doeth
euidently appeare by the wordes of Christ when he sayeth to his Apostles That whiche I saye to you I saye to all Neither semeth it any thing lykely that he spake that thyng whiche he taught to them only but to all Truelye thys is certayne as Saynct Hierome wrot vpon thys sayng To the I will gyue the keyes of the heauenly kyngdome That y e bishops priestes haue thought hitherto by the reason of their pryde and pharisaical arrogancie that they had power to condempne the gyltles and to deliuer the gyltie But truelye they bee deceyued all ouer the fielde Because that the question is not before God of the iudgement of the priest but of the life of the sinner Whereby he playnlye declarethe that the choyse of binding and loosinge is not left in the libertie of the priest but in the sinner who is coÌ„maunded to beleue The minister of Gods word doeth not absolue but he publisheth declareth man to be absolued likewise he declareth man to be bound and condempned onles he beleue Euen as y e scepter royal signifieth a kinges power and the swerde the empire So likewise doth the keyes betoken the spirituall gouernaunce of the kingdome of god For whosoeuer he be that preache the gospell be it whosoeuer ye will in that he preacheth he doeth all that lyeth in him to open the kingdome of heaueÌ„ to the hearers whether it be openly or priuatly that he preache to one or to many More ouer he delyuereth all the beleuers he forgiueth all theyr synnes he saueth them and bringeth them into the kingdome of God when he teacheth that they be fre by faythe and because they beleue that theyr synnes bee forgeuen them they bee saued and in the kingdome of Christe Agayne on the other syde he byndeth al them which beleue not he retayneth their synnes he condempneth them and shutteth them out of the kingdome of heauen when he teacheth them that they are bound that they remaine in theyr sinne that they be dampned and shut out of the kingedome of grace by the reason of theyr vnbelefe But thys thing is worthye to be noted y t there is two kingedomes of Christe in earthe whereof the one is spirituall and canne not bee seen wherin dwell onely the godly and righteouse men and another that is much greater wherein abyde not onely the good but also all other that bee Baptized whiche will seme to bee christians Neyther were the keyes of bothe these kingdomes deliuered onely to Peter but also to all the rest of thapostles and by them to the successours of thapostles that the ministers of the worde of god might not onely shut and open the fyrste kingdome as it is before declared but also the second For they maye suspende and excommunicate synners openly when they amende not aâ—ter suche order as Christe hathe appoynted and so shut them out of the seconde kingdome and bannishe them the company of other christians They maye also loose when they shewe forthe tokens of penaunce that is to say they maye declare in the christian congregacion that they be fre euen as before they declared them to bee bound by that meanes open vnto them the seconde kyngdome and graunte vnto them the libertie to dwel and abyd in the company of other christians with them to receaue the holy Sacramentes Then were these the keies thys the authoritie that Christ spake of wheÌ„ he sayd to his apostles what so euer ye shal bynde in earth it shall be bounde in heauen and what soeuer ye shall loose in earth it shal be loosed also in heauen The ministers also of the churche of Christe may and ought to enioyne penaunce to suche as bee excommunicated at such time as they conuerte and repent that they maye openly shewe tokens of a penitente harte not that they may thynke thereby to satisfy make a sufficient recompense for theyr offeÌ„ces in the sight of God for y e which Christ hath suffered long a goe y t neither they theÌ„selues neither other folowing their example should any more committe the lyke offences neither should withstand the correction of the churche and of the ministers But as touchynge the signes that bee vnknowen and secret the ministers ought not scrupulously to inquire for y e knowleage of them Neuerthelesse the manne that is troubled with thys kynde of synnes and commynge to a sobre and learned minister in christiaÌ„ knowledge telling him of the trouble of hys conscience and requiryng of hym what were best for him to doe wherby to be restored agayne to goddes mercye Then shall thys Phisician preache to the soule so repentaunt the gospell and moue him to beleue that Christ is he who hath satisfied for hys synnes also for the sinnes of the whole worlde Whiche thyng when the sinner beleueth immediatly the minister of goddes worde openeth vnto him the kyngdome of heauen and beareth witnes that hys sinnes be nowe forgyuen hym and also the sinner so repentaunt may make a rehersall and a confession of hys fayth before the sayd learned minister and maye demaunde of hym whether that bee a true and liuely fayth which shal suffice to saluacion Then shall thys minister open vnto hym the whole doctrine of Christes fayth and so induce him to the true fayth and shewe him the waye wherby he maye attayne to the right fayth and remayne therin increasing continually Then shall the minister open vnto hym remedies mete for hym wherby he may preserue himselfe safe and vnspotted from suche greuouse offences as he perceyueth hym most enclined vnto And who so hath a true faythe goeth streyght wayes to Christe with the Samaritane to render present thankes in hys presence But who so hath not that fayth he shall alwayes be a wicked manne and an infidell though he confesse hymselfe euery daye a thousand tymes Thys is the power whiche Christ gaue not onely to Peter but to all the Apostles of hys churche that is to saye to preache the gospell to declare the remission of sinnes to all them that beleue and to holde in synne suche as beleue not to minister the sacramentes according to the word of god Christes institucion and to punishe them that offende openly and will not repent when they be entreated after suche a sort as Christ hath appoynted That is first that they be excomunicat and then yf they amend to be receyued agayne into the christian congregacion This power being gyuen by Christ vnto his churche is not extendyd but to them onely whiche be in thys lyfe whiles they liue here And therfore sayed Christ whatsoeuer ye shall bynde or whatsoeuer ye shall loose not indifferently in all places but in earth shal be bounde and loosid Wherfore it is true that the churche militant hath no power vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that be passed out of this lif and rest in the lorde Neither gaue he any authoritie to the churche militant to gyue pardons a
they be y â— churches of Christ thoughe they be ours neuer so muche We wyll persuade also that the churche of Rome is without spot and worthye to be as a glasse and ensample to all â—ther churches Beelze Yea of all abhominacion Luci. All shall folowe after her as after a chiefe ladye maysters that can not doe amisse who hath full power vnto whom all may appele and from whom none maye appeale vnto whome men must ruÌ„ne for refuge in matters of weight as it were to god because she maye be iudge to all other and be iudged of none other and maye call agayne her sentences as oft as her listithe chaunge statutes made in counselles and pronounce hym an heretike whiche darreth speake one word against it whose seat dignitie authoritie is hyghest by the whiche authoritie she may gather general counselles together by whom all doctrines shal be alowed or disalowed who onely may determine stablishe controuersies in religioÌ„ of what matter so euer they began Who only maye expounde the olde canons and the holy scriptures as it pleaseth her And that all menne maye honour and obeye her thoughe the thynge she commaunde seme neuer so wrongefull and intollerable Nowe if the churche of Rome haue once so large authoritie and yet be vnder the pope euen as the wife is in the subiection of her husband consider then with youre selues how greate authoritie our high bishop of Rome shall haue For besides all these thynges rehersed he may bringe to passe that the sentence whiche he hath once geuen and alowed for good maye be vayne and of none effecte he onely shall haue authoritie to establish new religions al such ordinaunces as he shal make must be receaued with no lesse reuerence then though they had ben spoken with gods own mouth Because that his goodnes shal bee the helthe of men and may haue none other iudge but god alone and that it is not necessary that he should pourge himself of his fault when he is accused by other because Peter hath left to all byshops of rome by continuall succession not onely al his merites but also his innocencie and because he hathe authoritie ouer iustice and also because hys power is of god themperours of the pope and hath authoritie ful and whole in earth to apoynt and determine what him listeth in all coÌ„trouersies that come in question in matters of religion for he hathe the solutions of all controuersyes hid within hys breste and he is the heyer of all thempier and of the kingdome of the Romanes and therfore may he doe what he will for he hathe as muche authorytie as euer had Peter Beelze This onely thing excepted that he can not rayse deade men to life againe as Peter once dyd Luci. He only hathe thauthoritie to canonize Sainctes he only is aboue al couÌ„selles ordinances he only may dispence agaynst iustice he only may change gods definitiue sentence And if it were so that al the whole world should speake against the pope yet must y e minde of the pope onely bee alowed He only hath y e knowledge of the church and that after such a sorte that he only caÌ„ chaunge the nature of thinges make somwhat of nothing In him only must the will onely be estemedfor the best reason that can be deuised not so hardy that any man should say vnto him why doe you this or this thing after this or that fashioÌ„ For he can make rightuousnes of wronge amend all thynges as he shal thinke good he caÌ„ expound chaunge lawes make al square thinges rounde as one that is neither pure god neyther pure manne Beelz Then shall he be a deuell or elles some kind of brute beast But I thinke it no very harde thinge to perswade all thys geare to hym hys mynd is so woÌ„derfully puffed vp with ambicion Yet can I not see howe menne maye be made beleue that the Pope is their God in earth Luci. Yea ye knowe not that it is an easie thynge to deceyue the common sort of the vnlearned namely in maters of religioÌ„ You knowe right wel y t they be naturally enclining to al kindes of supersticioÌ„ There is none so shamefull a lye nor no deceypt so farre out of frame that the worlde wyll not reedely receyue yf it be deliuered them by anye authoritie with some colour and lykelihod of a trueth What christian man is he whiche wyll not wyllyngly beleue that Christ is ascended vp into heauen and hathe left hys Uicar here in earth indwed and furnished with a ful power and authoritie to doe all maner of thynges At the least wyse that faultes myghte be amended whiche amongest a numbre of matters readely arise in the churche by the reason of hys absence And that especially when the worlde hathe conceaued a wonderfull good opinion of their lyfe and learnynge whiche shal be the setters forthe of the matter And more ouer we wyll accurse hym what so euer he be and declare him an Apostata a blasphemer agaynst the holy gost irregular worthye to bee suspended and disgraded that wyll aduenture to speake but one worde agaynst our Popehod And yf it fortune that he be a Byshoppe or a priest that committe thys fault we will haue hym declared excomunicate deliuered into the power of Satan an heretyke a defamed person an infidell a committer of Sacriledge a Sismatike a dampned and a cursed body Who is that wyll not be affrayed of these wordes When the very sounde of them being spoken is so feareful Yf these threteninges wil not be sufficient then in dede wyll we attempt moste cruel persecucions men shal be cast in prisoÌ„ shal lose bothe life and goodes There shal bee no fault in the worlde more heynously punished then thys one of disobedience agaynste our Popehod Menne shall heare God blasphemed and some deny the myght of God and some mocke God and yet shall all menne laughe make a game therat as though it were but a trifelyng matter But yf any manne shall attempte to deny the Popes power or to deminish thesame neuer so lytle he shall be burned alyue with longe tormente More ouer we wyll cause all the bokes to be burned as manye as shall seme to make any thinge agaynste our pophod Yea and we will forbid men that they shall not haue the holy scripture in thyr handes nor in theyr sight vnder the payne of fyer and rope Beelze This thinge woulde they doe very gladly because the scriptures be against them But it wold be so manifest and open sacriledge and wickednes that it can not well be cloked with no color pretence fraude or craft Truly it shal be enough to corrupt the scriptures and violently to writhe it to theyr croked purpose without al feare or shame Luci. They shall not alow nor suffer any bookes to be red but such as maynteyne this craft falshod So that euen as the simple shepe
in a place moste holy and replenyshed with all godlye religion In the meane space the people shall flocke thither together and shall beginne not onely to pray to the Saynctes but also to theyr bones and reliques Whiche ydolatry we wyll confirme with some miracle of ours by thesame power that god hath permitted vnto vs as he promised in holye scriptures Of thys shall arise suche supersticion amongest menne and suche a vnaduised zeale of religion that by by they shal begyn to buylde temples chapelles aulters which shal be halowed in the honor of these Sainctes there shall the Images of them be sette forthe to be sene of the people Yea and yerelye shall their feastes bee kepte that euen as a greate number of the Iewes ranne to Bethania not for Iesus sake onely but to see Lazarus when they heard tell that he was reysed agayne by Christe from deathe So shall the Christian menne runne to the churches rather for to see and worshippe those Images and reliques of saynctes then for Christe Neither is it to be douted but that a tyme wyll come when they shall set more store in very dede by saynctes then by god althoughe they will peraduenture be afrayed to say so And also we muste handle the pope wisely whome they shal take for theyr god that he may not only allowe these mischiefes and abhominacions but that he may of himselfe will them and commaunde them Thys thinge will he doe not onely for the gayne and priuat commoditie that shall aryse therof when he shall see people ruÌ„ne to deade mens bodies to Images of Saictes to altars and pictures and offer there muche money buyld gorgeouse and sumptuouse chappels and churches and giue vnto them great yerely reuenewes whereby his kingdome shal be increased but also for thopinioÌ„ of religion and holines that he may shewe himselfe as a god in earthe and habâ—e dayly to fynde out new religions and fashions that were neuer sene before neither knowen to men that be aliue neither to the old holy fathers neither yet to Christe hym selfe Then as tirauntes bee accustomed to doe when they wyll reigne whiche make common games and triumphes and goodly shewes where with to occupy mens myndes that the people gasing vpon the sightes present shal haue no leasure to fansy howe to auoide the tyranne or to consider howe to discharge theyr shoulders from the burden of bondage so shall the pope of a lyke sort iudge it mete to deuyse dayly new rules new religions new kyndes of seruinge god new trades of lyuinge and new ceremonies Thus shall he doe that menne beinge taken and astonied with merueylinge at these newes and faste tyed with the rope of supersticioÌ„ and blinded with the inchantment of error shall haue neither leasure neither meane to open their eyes whereby to espie out the popes abhominable wickednes Beelze Al this geare pleaseth vs very wel one thing only excepted Luci. What is that one thinge whiche pleaseth you not Beelze Not withstanding that there can no greater abhominacioÌ„ be committed then that ye haue rehersed yet wil he now be much worse theÌ„ we Wherfore I feare me lest when he shall dye come down hether to hell that as he passeth vs in wickednes so he wil be aboue vs in dignitie Luci. Knowe ye not that as Christe for his humblenes was auaunced aboue al the companies of angels so also must Antichriste for hys pryd be auaunced aboue al the orders of deuels we muste take this seruice wel a worthe And as for my parte suerly I would not stycke to lease my chiefe rule in hel of condicion I might wreke my malice vpon god Thinke ye that he will desiere to bee any thinge els ouer vs then oure heade as he is in the worlde the heade of oure members But I pray you suffer me to make an end of my matter Ye know ryght wel that the chosen of God be saued by the mere mercy and goodnes of God through Christ who is dead for them vpon the croâ—se Yea and that the good thinges which either they haue nowe or had in tymes paste or here afâ—er shall haue all came of the pure grace and tender mercy of God by the deathe of Christe whiâ—es they beleue in hearte and mynde and assuredly feale in the spirite that all these thynges bee geuen them of God freely In the whiche thinges consisteth the true christian religion But I by the meanes of oure head wyll prayse and magnifie by lytle and lytle the lyghte of nature as muche as may be and that man hath of hymselfe his witte hys wisdome hys power his free wyll and in the meane space wyll I minishe the lawe of God I wyll bury Christ and shadow the grace of God with darkenes so wittely and so warely that men shall beleue that they be able as they shall dreame to fulfyll the whole lawe of God by a certayne influence of his grace graunted to all menne And more ouer to doe certayne other workes of muche more perfection then those workes whiche Christe commaunded whiche workes they shall call workes of supererogacion By the meanes of these workes shall be established sundrye newe fashions of liuinge and newe rules shall arise which shal be allowed by oure chiefe byshoppe though they be playne contrary to the law of God to Christ to the grace of God and to the gospell And the professors of these rules studying vnder a preteÌ„ce and shadowe of great holines and perfectnes of religion to amplifie the dignitie of the chiefe Byshoppe and commending it aboue the mone as blynd leaders of the blynde shall firste deceyue them selues and afterwarde almost the whole vniuersalll world These newe monstrous creatures shall preache these shal be beleued when they shall crye that the lawe of God is imperfect and that their fathers haue fulfylled that whiche was of God omitted and haue ioyned many perfections to the lawe of God not disclosed to the worlde as yet neither by the Prophetes neither by Christe neither by the Apostles without the keping of the whiche thynges menne canne not be perfecte Furthermore they shal affirme and contend that men shal receaue the grace of God by thys most holye and stronge thyng called frewyl and that they maye by the helpe therof kepe the lawe of god and fulfil his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes full whole And besides these workes which god hathe commaunded that they be hable to do other workes of more perfection And they shall hold y e men maye make recompense sufficient to the goodnes of god for al y â— giftes which either they haue receaued or shal receyue at hys hand how much so euer it be that they haue receyued And that they can satisfie for all the synnes whiche euer they haue or shall committe and for what thynge els so euer it be that they be bound to God for And that they may of theÌ„selues deserue all maner of goodes bodely or gostlye whiche either