it chaunced that Achatius Byshoppe of Cōstantinople who then was placed first amongest the Byshoppes and yet vsed no authoritie ouer them woulde haue condempned Peter the Byshoppe of Alexandria of heresie And bycause the Byshoppe of Rome for the worthynes of the Citie was then in some estimaciō the Byshop of Constantinople wrote to Simplicius then being Byshoppe of Rome desirynge hym that he woulde lykewyse declare the Byshoppe of Alexandria an Heretyke And of thys hath ambitious felowes taken occasion vnworthely God he knoweth to dispute of the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome And so farre haue they gone forward in their ambicion that they haue not bene ashamed falsely to contend that they are the heades of al other churches And on the other syde stode they whyche toke partes with the Byshoppe of Constantinople affirmynge their Byshoppe and not the Byshoppe of Rome to be the supreme head of all other churches Thys ambicious contencion continued amongest these most holy fathers a hundreth twelue yeres And at the last about the yere of our Lorde sixe hundreth when Maurice the Emperour was in Grecia Ihon the Byshoppe of Constantinople gathered all the Byshoppes of Grecia togethyr at Constantinople and there was the Bishop of Constantinople and not the Byshop of Rome ordeyned of them to be the Byshoppe of all other churches But when Maurice wylled the Byshoppe of Rome to submitte hymselfe and hys churche to the Byshoppe of Constantinople Gregory who then was Byshoppe of Rome withstode it called hym y e fore runner of Antichrist And thesame Gregory wrytynge to the Byshoppe of Antioch Alexandria amongest al other thing sayth ye knowe that in the counsell of Calcedon the tytle of the vniuersall Byshoppe was offered to the Byshop of Rome whiche he woulde in no wyse receyue neither was there any of our predecessors y t dyd vsurpe that tytle Yea euen then as they saye to confounde and rubuke y e pride of other he begā to be named the seruaunt of the seruauntes of God Howe be it hys successor Boniface the thirde a manne to ambicious and craftie obteyned of Phocas the Emperour by suttill trayne the dignitie of a Pope What maner of manne thys Phocas the Emperour was it appeareth of hys historye By violence fraude and treason he came to the Empire and caused Maurice the Emperour most cruelly and most wickedly and his wife and all his children to be kylled before his owne face Thys was the holy manne who first gaue this goodly creature of the Popeshyp to the world And this is true y t vntill the dayes of Constātine the fourth Emperour the Byshoppe of Rome was wont to be confirmed of the Emperour Howe be it at the request intreatie of Benet the second of Rome the foresayed Constantine graunted to y e Benet and hys successors that they shoulde be receyued and taken of all menne for Popes without the Emperours confirmacion And so by litle lytle they crepte vp so highe by their craftie diligence that the Emperour must bothe bee confirmed and crowned of the Pope but yet it is necessary that first he take an othe that he wyll defende the Popehod Therfore it is not harde to be knowen what maner of spirite it was that brought the popeshyppe into the worlde and howe the creacion of the Pope and of the Popeshyp is contrary to the birthe of Christe Namely when as Paule writeth Christe glorified not hymselfe neither thrust himselfe to be a byshop but takynge example of Aaron he taried vntyll he was called of hys father But these men thrust themselues in violently vntyll they haue made them selues not onely equall with Christe but also aboue Christe Christe beinge in the shape of god dyd caste downe hymselfe willingly and would take the shape of a seruant vpon him But this fellowe being in the forme of a man whiche is a moste abiect and vile sinner so proudly hathe auaunced hymselfe alofte that he is not ashamed to bragge hym selfe to bee a highe light and a god in earth And if we will consider and waye the lyfe the maners and the workes of Christ and the pope we shall fynde them alltogether quiet contrary the one to the other Christe was innocente poore and would not trouble himselfe with worldly businesses but was altogether bent to the helthe of soules whome he desiered to enrich with heuenly threasure he was meke gentle refusing both crown and kingedome neuer had he any priuat affection of fauour either towardes himselfe or others his kinsfolke or towardes any manne lyuynge beinge inflamed with a great force of the heauenly spirit always sought he the glory of God the father eternall He was a peacemaker sober subiecte to all men for the honour of hys father mercifull and very prone and redye to be pitifull and therefore he wept vpon Hierusalem he was godly shamfast chaste most liberal full of loue and all other vertues But al the popes be in all poyntes diuerse quite contrary to all these vertewes of Christe For there is a rotten dongehill and puddell within them of all vncleannes wickednes and mischefe as it is ryght well knowen to them that haue any knowledge of them that be now a dayes and reade the hystoryes and lyues of them that be past and all thoughe they be very contrary to Christ in these thinges that I haue spoken of more then other men be that is to say in all outward actiō of vertue yet in theyr doctrine certayne other theyr wicked abhomynations they bee moste wycked and moste contrary of all For there be certayne wickednesses peculier vnto them which be of exceding great weyght be so hainouse that they be mete for none other but for these theues onely Wherefore it is vere necessary to graunte them onely to be the very and chief antichristes for these only be they who corruptinge the scripture and withstandyng the expresse word of god haue plucked Christ with theyr wicked handes out of hys highe and gloryouse seate and yet not being contented with that horryble mischief they haue caste downe oppressed and buried and haue bannished quit out of the eyes and memories of man the redemer of all mankinde and haue placed themselues in Christes seat gyuinge to themselues and with force challenginge lyke tyrannes all that dignitie whiche parteyneth to Christe alone Yea they haue made themselues aboue Christe So that in conclusion they woulde not only seme equal to god but also haue auaunced them selfes with a deuelishe and intollerable boldnes aboue god That this thing is as I saye it is euident For the bodye of Christes churche hathe but one heade otherwyse it should bee a monstrowse deformed thynge the lyke wherof hath not been hearde of and shoulde not bee abody knit together with a trewe proporcion of the membres But Christe is the trewe and onely heade of his church a Paule doth playnely wryt that out of thys heade is the spirite lyfe lyghte
the counsells for otherwyse is your argument playne false or at the least waye so made in a circle that in disputacion it beginneth agayne where it began before to no purpose Papi Yf it were so that the Bishoppe of Rome were Antichrist in dede as you saye yet for asmuche as he hathe bene accounted of Christian menne for Pope so many hundreth yeres and the chiefe Byshoppe of all other then the churche of Christe had decayed longe agone contrary to hys promes who sayed I am with you vnto the worldes ende Tho. arch As touchyng this poynte the same answere shall bee made to you nowe that was made in tymes past to Helias when he thought none aliue to imbrace the faythe of God but himselfe alone to whome God sayed I haue preserued to my self seuen thousandes who hath not bowed their knees before Baal Euen so is it nowe for in Europe Affrike and Asia there were alwayes manye christian menne who wurshipd not Antichrist Papi What were they al Heritikes Thomas arch They were by youre sayinge for they woulde neither obey Antichriste neither beleue purgatory neither woulde they kepe the feaste of Easter vpon the sondaye Hen. Ye haue reasoned now enough and enough now we see playnly that this felowe of whom we moued this questioÌ„ was is veâ—y right Antichrist FroÌ„ hence forth we wil in no wise consent to his euilnes lest god continue his anger agaynst vs. We haue suffered to longe a great deale so intolerable a tiranny We will proue suerly whether he be God iÌ„ yearth or not And whether we haue more full authoritie in oure owne dominions and kingdomes then he hath or not Papi Then shal your maiestie loose your title of defender of the fayth Hen Nay we wil be called the destroyers of the false faythe of Antichriste and maynteners of the trewe fayth of Christe Kynge Edwarde the sixte The Lorde Protectour Edvvardâ— ALexander the great dyd sette so muche by the honor and glorie of the worlde that when his father Philippe ouercame moe and moe Cities and contryes daylye and all other men reioysed very much of hys victories Yet he alone beynge of tender age lamented very muche therefore not withstandynge that he ought to haue bene ioyfull and glad beinge his fathers onely heire of all hys kyngdomes thynkynge that hys father woulde preuent hym and take awaye all occasions from hym whereby he mighte compasse the dominion of the worlde by hys owne wit and industrye wherof shoulde insewe worthye renowne and immortall memorie esteminge a kingdome as nothynge without glorye But for as muche as it hath pleased God to lighten our mynde with the cleare bryghtnes of heauenly doctrine therby to gyue vs knowledge that he hath placed vs in thys seat of a king that we shoulde direct the vse of oure scepter royall and the sterne of oure gouernement not to the glorye of the worlde but to the glorye of hym so muche more we be studious of the glorie of God aboue that the glory of the world as we know that the one is heauenlye excellent and durable and the other vayne slydynge awaye and able to continue but for a whyle And we can not but lament euen from the botom of â–ª our heart euen in this tender age of ours when we see our onelye Lorde and sauiour Iesus Christe with no small rebuke of hys heauenlye and eternall father dryuen out of his seat kingdom such a cruell and wicked tyraunte placed in hys roume Wherfore we be very desierfull to restore Christ into his own former place agayne that by him god may be honoured not myndinge in any wise to suffer suche abhominacion to remayne within oure dominions All Christian menne haue euer more abhorred the name of Antichrist and shall we haue hym at home with vs. Knowinge hym to be suche a one as he is and shall leue hym vnbannished out of the coastes of our countryes That shal neuer be Suerly all the treasures honours frendeshippes pleasures and all the happie condicions of thys worlde canne neuer make vs happye no not so muche as in thys lyfe so longe as we see not Christe him selfe not Antichrist reigne in the hartes of his subiectes The maiestie Royall of kynge Henry the viii of famouse memory oure naturall father began thys worthye and noble enterpryse that we intende whose steppes we will followe for the performauÌ„ce of hys wyll seynge that he beinge preuented with deathe coulde not brynge that thinge to suche perfect end as hys mynd was at the fyrste attemptinge therof We haue determined therefore to pursewe the famouse enterprise of oure moste famouse father and not onely to plucke vp by the rootes and vtterlye baÌ„nishe out of our kingdome the name of Antichrist and his Iurisdiction but also clearely to purge y e mindes of oure subiectes from all wycked idolatry heresie and superstycyon and suche lyke deuelishnes as by hym was brought in And for asmuche as there is none other thynge that moueth vs thus to doe but the onelye glory of god we dout not but that Christ wil be with vs and will rule oure councelles and doynges with his holy sprite And althoughe I dout not but that you study likewise with an earnest feruentnes of spirite to set forthe this high glory of god yet haue we thought good to disclose thys oure intent and purpose to you being our dearely beloued and faythful couÌ„saylours To thintent that thys godly dede maye be the more spedely brought to passe Counseil Suerly your maiesty could haue tolde vs nothynge that could haue pleased vs better either that canne be more to the glory of God more profytable to the common welthe or elles more worthy and honorable to a Christian kynge Wherefore we be compelled to render immortal thankes to God and hauinge a tast of youre graces wisdome by thys thing to hope for greater and more excellent enterprises of you then any manne would conceaue in that we perceaue so muche sage and auncient wisedome in thys your so tender age and so feruent a Zeale to the settinge forth of goddes glorye For thys thynge is commonly seen by the common course of nature that suche menne as be of the common sort and of slender corage be colde and slacke in the waye of the Lorde yea and be many tymes offended with suche a confusion and varietie of iudgementes when they see noble men so caryed with a blynde and a wicked zeale with all that euer they canne make for the defense of wicked Babilon and of theyr deuelishe Antichrist not stayinge with blody handes and blody hartes to bee glutted and made dronke with the bloude of Christe and of his electes many times also haue they the better hand as the heauenly prophet Daniel prophecied But your pryncely maiestie as one indued with a high and a heauenly courage haue intended a gloryouse enterpryse and that beinge styrred vp and inflamed thereunto with a feruent zeale to the
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
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
merye and they esteme it as a game wonne and a ioyfull victorie to suffer all kyndes of misfortune for Christes sake so that y e more sorow we doe vnto them the more glorious famous they be and we remayne in more misery and confusion And againe there is one other thing both more hurtefull to vs and more to be lamented that is the resâ— of the people perceauinge them to beare suche ignominie and rebukes with so meruelouse pacience so ioyfull heartes and so constant a corage be compelled to thinke thus with them selues say Truly God lyueth and worketh in theÌ„ meruelously yf they had not an experience and a tast by a secrete mouing of the holy spirite of another lyfe in Christe muche better and happier then this present is they woulde neuer be so desierous to be ridde of this present life And yf it so be that we kyl one Christian man as the fable is of the cutting of one of the heades of Hydra the serpent there springeth as it were of the ashes of him a hundreth immediately in his place When we intende to bringe the kingdome of Christe to nothinge then we make it more nobâ—e riche and gloriouse Nowe yf we shoulde attempte to ouercome this our auncient enemyes kyngedome by reasons and argumentes we shall doe nothinge elles but increase our owne rebuke shame No man can withstande their wysedome wherwith if our reasons be compared truely they bee very folishenes Therfore it is expedient and necessary seynge that we can not ouercome them in playne felde with open warre to attempt their ouerthrowe by arte policie diligence crafte subteltie gyle and prodition I haue conceaued in my head a deceyt of suche weight and importaunce that yf I maye bringe it aboute after suche sorte as I haue deuised it there was neuer maÌ„ sawe nether yet in the worlde was there euer anye that deuysed the lyke bothe for the straungenes and for the force thereof I haue deuysed with my selfe to make a certaine newe kingdome replenished with idolatry supersticion ignoraunce error falsehode deceit compulâ—ion extorsion treason contencion discorde tiranny and crueltie with spoylinge murder ambicion filthines iniuries factions sectes wickednes and mischiefe in the which kingdome all kyndes of abhominacion shal be committed And not withstandinge that it shal be heaped vp with all kindes of wickednes yet shall the Christian men thinke that to be a spirituall kingdome most holy and most godly The supreme head of this kyngdome shal be a man which is not onely sinfull and an abhominable robber and thiefe but he shal be synne and abhominacion it selfe and yet for all that shall he be thought of Christian men a God in earthe and his members beynge most wicked shal be thought of men most holye God sent hys sonne into the world who for the saluacion of all mankynde hath humbled him selfe euen to the deathe of the crosse and I wyll sende my sonne into the worlde who for the destruccion and condempnacion of mankynde shall so auaunce hymselfe that he shall take vpon hym to be made equall with God Thys is our counsell and wittie inuencion and it is not to be doubted but that if the matter come to passe as I woulde haue it as my trust is that it will we shall in short space see a reuenging of that our olde iniurye Beelze Whan I beholde you moste redoubted prince and ponder your wordes seuerally with myselfe ye woulde not beleue howe muche I am comforted me thinketh that I am nowe so satisfied and that I fele my selfe so presently eased as thoughe I my selfe had powred out all the boylynge poyson of my stomacke agaynste God There was neuer creature that had a more wittie a more noble or a more worthye deuise if the matter myght take lyke effect as me semeth it cannot For who would beleue that the christian menne whiche excell in wisdome and iudgement could be brought to this poynt to beleue that the kingdome of the deuill is the kyngdome of God And that the supreme heade of that kingdome being the very greate deuill of hell ought to be adored and wurshypped for a God in earthe and his membres honored for saynctes Luci. O howe goodly occasions manye tymes men lose and howe goodly interprises come not to suche effecte as they were purposed for by the meanes of the weake fearefulnes of mennes stomakes in that they dare not take the thing in hande whiche they be affrayed they shall not atcheue Such as be of hault courage auaunce their mynde studeing and attempting thinges of great aduenture and so with witte industrie diligence care and earnestnes at the last they brynge thynges to passe that bee very harde to compasse My hope is therefore that euen as God hath saued the worlde by Christ so in despite of hym I shall destroye the same that vnder the pretence colour of thesame Christ by the meanes wherof men maye bee the easelier deceyued I wyl styrre vp the chiefe captaynes of my kyngdome that they maye so by craft and diligence shadow and couer supersticion and ydolatry with a fayre face and beautye of fayned holy ceremonies and of good intente as they call it that menne shall be made so dronken and so amased with thys outwarde pompe and shewe that they theâ—selues shall not be hable to descerne trueth froÌ„ falshod when they be drowned in the middes of the floude of ydolatrye and supersticion More ouer I haue determined so to extoll and sette vp the carnall man in thys my kingdome and the lyght of nature and the strength of mannes fre wil and his workes that I shall bee habâ—â— to cast downe Christ out of his place and to bury his great benefit and so to minish the profit of his grace his righteousnes and meryte euerlastinge And furthermore I wyll bring men into that madnes that they shall thynke themselues not onely hable by their owne power and might to inioye the prayse of ryghteousnes before God but also that the eleccion and choyse of their saluacion shall depende wholye vpon themselues All these thinges will I persuade to men vnder a pretence of a more perfect ryghteousnes and honestie and vnder a shadowe of a better setting forthe the glorye of the name of God And although the principall heades of thys kyngdome be full of darkenes of ignoraunce of heresie errour fraude and lyes yet shall they shamelesly take vpon them the vsurpacion of authoritie to make newe and wicked articles of the fayth wrasting the holy scriptures to their croked purpose and yet shal they thynke themselues to be in a great clearenes of lyght and trueth For I can easely persuade vnto them that their churche is the churche of Christ although it be nothiÌ„g elles in dede but a very assembly of Satan I wyll persuade vnto them that they be the disciples of Christe and the successours of Sayncte Peter when in dede wee be their chyefe masters and they our
vicars supply oure roumes and serue our cures in yearthe Finally when in dede we reigne in them they shall thynke they haue the holy gost within them so that although they be in a continuall errour yet shall they persuade menne that they are inspired with a heauenly spirite and cannot erre Oh lorde what a numbre of mischiefes and abhominacions shal be committed in thys kyngdome by reason of the wicked and sinnefull decrees which shal be made of gouernours of the same when they shall glorye that they haue power to bynde the conscience of manne euen of lyke sorte as thoughe they were hayle felowe with God or rather better and all thys vnder the shadowe of religion and holines I wyll cause them to bee moste cruell tyrantes and bochers of Christe and hys chosen membres and that vnder a pretence of a zeale to the house of God They shall attempte to hyde their vncleanes and fylthye behauiour vnder a gaye name of sole lyfe and shall couer their wickednes and abhominacion with an exceding wyde cloke of hypocrysie and with a gloryous shynyng tytle of religion and holynes But what nedeth so many wordes The chiefe head of thys kyngdome shal be directly quite contrarye to Christe and the membres of it shall bee open aduersaries to the chosen of God But one thyng my frendes ye must diligently coÌ„sidre that this thing of necessitie bee alwayes kepte secrete elles yf menne shoulde perceyue by any meanes thys our counsell all our labors should be lost and all oure enterpryse frustrate Dout ye not deare brethren but that yf the thynge come to passe that I intende there shall be suche horrible and wycked viciousnes in thys kyngdome that the chiefe captaynes themselues coulde not abyde them if they knewe them to be so abhominable as they shall be Wherfore it is necessary that the greatter the wyckednes shal bee the more craftilier and coninglye they bee anourned and set furthe with some pleasaunt beautyfull face of religion and a gaye paynted vayle of holynes Belze All these thinges we alowe ryght well and be also redy to obey your counsell and to bestowe all the powers of our wytte and myght to set forwarde thys noble enterpryse howebeit first and formest we thynke it very expedient that ye disclose playnly vnto vs all your intent and purpose that we maye direct al oure labours and study to that ende and so to brynge this noble enterpryse aboute euen as we wil with the common consent of vs all Luci. Euen as vpon Christe dependeth the whole saluacion of all mankynde so is it necessary for vs to deuise a supreme head vpon whom maye depend the whole condempnacion of all mankynde And as the sonne of God for the saluacion of the worlde dyd abase hymselfe from the hyghe state of hys diuinitie and endued hymselfe with mannes nature of a lyke sorte is it nedefull for the destruccion of the worlde that there be some man which shal auaunce hymselfe aboue Christ and aboue God hymselfe that menne beyng blinded by stynkynge and filthye supersticion maye feare honour and obey a mortall manne more then the very lyuyng lorde And more ouer it is necessary that thys man be so furnished with all wickednes and iniquitie that I maye worthelye saye of hym thys is my well beloued sonne in whome is my onely delyte heare him Euen as the heauenly father longe agone dyd testifie of hys sonne Christ. Beelze Me thinketh that I heare the liuely image of Antichriste hymselfe handsomly and properly described of you Luci. It is euen so in dede as thou sayest Beelze But who is I praye you so shamelesse to receyue so wicked a dignitie Luci. Receyue it quod he Thys dignitie shall be honoured and sette forthe with so muche ryches so much pleasure and so much habundaunce of thinges so greatly befrended with noble menne so decked with honour and greate welthe of thys present lyfe that all the prynces of the earthe shal be desirous to atteyne thereunto And as for thabominacions of thys hyghe seate they shall so be couered with a gay gloryous outwarde showe of holines that they theÌ„selues whiche shall sitte in the same shall not be hable to knowe their owne wickednes No a manne woulde scasely beleue it they shal thinke themselues very gods in earth As farre as my wit wil serue me I thynke the Bishoppe of Rome the moste mete instrument to bringe about the thynge that we intend Because that Rome is the heade citie of the worlde it shal be no hard thynge to persuade menne that the bishop therof is the head of all christian menne and the churche of Rome to be mother of all other churches And agayne thinsaciable ambicion of the Romans their crafte their malice and gyle wherwith they be naturally infected shal not be the only thyng that shall helpe forwarde our purpose but also the fauoure and grace that they obtayne at the Emperoures handes of Rome Furthermore it is not vnknowen vnto you that by reason of the manyfolde heresies which we haue sowen in Affrike and in the east parâ—es of the worlde what a numbre of bishops haue fled to Rome for succoure of the Emperoure The byshop of Rome as a manne that gapeth for this honour of the highest place intertaineth al men very frendly declaryng tokens of kyndnes and loue towardes euery body in so much that some of a meâ—e simplicitie and other some by crafte and fraude will be so desirous of the election and apointment of this highe dignitie that they wyll bee very glade to gyue theyr voyce to the byshop of Rome Who on the other parte is so replenished with deceyt and suttelty with such a botomles desier to be a Prince that it shal be easy for him with the helpe and fauour of our spirite to attayne to this moste highe dignitie namely because as ye know they be sufficiently furnished al ready with learning and also holpen by the power and workiÌ„g of our spirit The churches of the East-part of the world wereeasly infected with the heresies that weresowen abrode because theyr heresis be now knowen to all menne they can not infect thother churches of Christe whiche bee more syncerelye instructed But as for this churche of Rome it muste be infected by litle litle not in the outward showe but in the inwarde bowelles and that so extremelye vntyll it cannot be made more wicked thoutwarde pompe and shewe and a certayne forme of the church of Christ beyng preserued that by the meanes therof it maye brynge all other churches more easly into errour and may be the onely chiefe bredyng mother of errour and wickednes lyke as it shal be taken for the mother of all other churches Thus haue I declared vnto you deare brethren and frendes all my whole inuencion and imaginacion and I haue opened also and set before your eyes the ende wherunto we must direct all oure labours and study It resteth now iÌ„ you that euery one
ye not by anye meanes inferre or goe about to proue thereby that thesame authoritie belonged onely to Peter but to all thapostles ioyntly and the whole churche together And yet can I not perceaue howe these reasons hange together Christe sayed checkingly that two swordes were enough ergo Peter had the supreme authoritie bothe spirituall and temporall geuen vnto him Then would master Falsidicus without dout haue made some preaty aunswere as his fashyon is yf the Pope had not coÌ„maunded hym to holde hys peace fearinge leste thys hatefull dysputacyon of bothe swordes should offend themperour Whereof he sayed to Falsidicus that it was sufficient for this present to reteyne the one sworde that is to say the chiefe dominion in spirituall matters to permitte the other of temporall matters to Ceasars maiestie Mas. A wonderfull liberalitie Lepi. But ye muste knowe that he graunted thys but for a tyme yea and againste his will For hys left arme is weake and small because he is not accustomed to vse it but let hym alone suffre his strengthe with a litle excercise to come to hym and yee shall see him halt and lame as he is shed more bloude alone then all themperours of the worlde though ye put theÌ„ together Then master Falsidicus fynding other matters to talke vpon sayed You know ryght well master embassador that Christe kepeth promes and if he geue a name to any man at any tyme that name is not a voyde name it is not the bare sounde of a voyce but the trewth of the thinge it selfe is also agreable to the name And because Christe sayed to Simon from henceforthe thou shalt bee called Cephas whiche by interpretacion signifieth a head ye muste of necessitie graunt that Christe gaue in deede that whiche he promysed with speciall and playne wordes Simon was called Cephas that is to saye a heade then it foloweth that he was a heade by the name that Christe gaue him ergo he was a head in dede that the trueth might be agreable to the name To this thembassador aunswered Truly ye be worthy to be burned for yf ye burne them which depraue the wrytinges of thapostles what ought ye to doe to them which peruerte falsely the wordes of Christ himselfe Christe sayed to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas and Cephas is a worde of the language of the Sirians Whiche is as muche to saye as Petra that is a stone But you deprauinge the holy scriptures saye that Christe sayed thou shalâ—e be called a head this do you to th ende that you would drawe all sentences as thoughe it were halynge them by the necke writhing them to your peruerse purpose and in the meane tyme corrupting the trueth and the maiestie of holy scriptures Mas. I maruayle that he was euer afterwarde called Peter and not rather heade if it bee so that thys name Cephas signifie a head and not Petra which is a stoone as master Falsidicus did contende But tell me I praye you was he not ashamed to speake any more Lepi. Nay then he semed but as it were to beginne to proue the primacie of Peter Mas. And what thing brought he therfore Lepi. First formost thus he saied Euen as it is euident by the scriptures of the olde testament that the fyrste begotten was the Lorde ouer all hys brothren euen so because it is euident that Peter was the fyrste begotten of Christ he must be lord ouer all the rest supreme head of y e whole church of Christe Which thiÌ„g may be proued by that that Peter as the chiefe moste worthy parson speaketh alwaies first for them all and amongest the reste he was alwayes accounted and named the first Yea be it that it could not bee proued by anye worde of God that Peter was declared supreme head by Christ yet ought we to beleue it forasmuche as we muste assuredlye perswade our selues that Christe ordeyned his churche well and therefore that it was done by a certayne â—easoÌ„ order for wher as a certaine order is not obserued ther must al thinges of force be ful of coÌ„fusioÌ„ And certayne order can there none be where as there be not degrees of meÌ„ higher and lougher But where as there is a higher degre of men there muste ye ascende and come to one as to a supreme head that the nature of order maye bee preserued whiche bycause it can not procede so farre but that it muste haue an ende onles there shoulde be some supreme head established it shoulde come all together to nothing Now likely it is not that Christ appoynted any other head then Peter ergo Peter was the supreme head The selfe same thynge maye be proued of the order of natural thynges where all thynges be referred to one as to a chiefe beginninge and originall cause For not onely in any ciuile gouernaunce of man yf the common welthes be well ordered there is one supreme head but amongest brute beastes also we see thys dignitie of order obserued Bees haue their kynge who gouerne the baser sorte of the common people and ouersee them to doe their dewties The Cranes haue one chief guide â–ª whom all the rest doeth folowe The shepe also haue their shepehard whose voyce they know whom they folowe and at whose commaundement they be So that loke howe muche the church of Christ is more excellent more perfect then other thynges that belonge to manne and is also better gouerned so much is it the more lykely that there must be one supreme head in it at whose commaundement all menne must hange as thoughe he were a God To these reasons the imbassador made aunswere Yf the first begotten amongest thapostles ought to be lord of al the rest as Falsidicus said eueÌ„ nowe for as muche as Andrewe was called before Peter to the office of the Apostleshipe Peter shoulde not take the lordshippe awaye from hym whiche of ryght shoulde haue a better tytle to it But trueth it is that Christ is the first begotten amongest his brethren he is onely the lord of all And all the worthines of the first be gettyng whiche was shadowed in the first begotten of the olde testament is fulfilled in Christ hymselfe Nowe bycause that the kyngdome of Christ is altogether spirituall he maye be accounted greater higher and more excellent not that is first borne to Christe in this worlde nor he that is richer or more noble after the fleshe not he that is better learned but he that excelleth more in godlynes hath receyued more lighte and strengthe of the holy gost And althoughe Peter vsed ofteÌ„ times to choppe in and speake firste by the reason of his boldnes hys zeale hys earnestnes and age yet foloweth it not of that that he had authoritie and dominion ouer the rest of the Apostles neither that he was their Pope Neither is he whiche speaketh fyrste in any congregacion to be thought the head of all the rest For then in dede
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
the reste of the princes of Christendome shal be astonied to beholde and shall applye them selfes to folow his enterprise beinge incoraged by hys worthye vertue Neyther shall it be nedefull for hym to vse any violence wherby to purge his kingedomes of these michiefes lyes heresies supersticions Simonies ydolatries wickednesses betraying of â—oules wherwith y e whole worlde was replenyshed by the meanes of thys abhomynable thefe For all these thynges thoughe they bee very haynouse shall vanyshe awaye sodainly and be brought to nothing at the commyng of the lyght of my worde whiche he shall allwaye vse as a continuall burninge light bothe in this and all other his doinges Happy therfore shall you Englishe men bee in that ye shall frame all youre affayres earnestly to goddes glorye to the saluacion of hys chosen electes and my worthye triumphe Mich. So shal it be Henry the eyght Papista Thomas Archebishoppe of Cantorbury Henry WE haue sent for you in to oure prsence as for men whiche haue more knowledge in y e scriptures and olde writers then the rest of oure realme to resolue vs of a dout that is come to our minde Therefore two thynges we requier of you the one that euerye of you saye hys mynde frankelye and frely what he thinketh without respecte of fauoure or displeasure to any manne lyuynge And the other that ye kepe it secrete and disclose not one worde of the thinges that shal be here reasoned For it is a matter of great weight toucheth our honour wherfore we charge you so longe to keepe counsell vntill the truethe bee knowen and that you haue lycense of vs to open it There is a thought entred into oure head which we bee perswaded coÌ„meth of god That the Pope who heretofore hathe bene taken for a god in earth is very Antichrist and if we had certaine knowledge that this thinge were trewe we would as we are bouÌ„d bannishe him out of al the coastes of oure kingdome not onely because he should no more robbe vs of our threasure but muche rather leste he shoulde any longer exercise tyranny in mens consciences and bring suche a number of soules in daunger of euerlastinge damnacion Yf he were the vycar of Christe in dede we woulde be his louyng children from hence forth as we haue bene in tymes past Saye nowe euery of you youre myndes soberlye and trewlye what he thinketh Papi I can not but meruayle very muche when I heare youre princely maiestie make a doubt question of matters that bee moste cleare questionles and certaine I can not perceaue y t it is lawfull to thinke muche lesse to speake of suche a matter without doinge God open wronge For such holy thinges as the popehod is ought to be worshipped and not douted vpon and called in question Hen. A trueth if it be a truth the diligentlier it is discussed and examined the clerer the bryghter and more plaine it appeareth Therfore when we dispute of thys matter trueth hathe no wronge but rather a benefit Therfore if the pope bee in dede Christes vicar in earthe the more seriously this trueth is reasoned of the more pleÌ„tifully shal it be published abrode and all men shal more gladly redely receaue it So that we will neither do the pope wronge neither the truth but shal rather shew theÌ„ both a singular pleasure And it is not to bee douted but y t heaueÌ„ly thinges must be worshipped but now here is the question whether the popeship be a heaueÌ„ly thing or not thys is y e matter which we desâ—er to haue discussed Papi Peraduenture your maiestie doeth minde to accuse al our forefathers al kinâ—domes al ChristeÌ„ men of heresie by whose iudgement the pope hathe alway bene and is to this day taken of Christes vicar in earthe Hen. That the trueth coÌ„meth to light is not y e cause that maketh men heretikes but rather deâ—iuereth theÌ„ from all error deceyte heresie and betrayinge And truely we desier nothing els then to haue the truthe boulted forthe by all meanes possible In the ende of our disputacion yf we shal be assuered that the pope is Christes vicar we wyll so take hym as we haue done hetherto and we shal be muche more strengthened in that opinion without hurâ—e of any creature But if we shall perceaue the contrary and be assured that he is Antichriste in dede then surely wiâ—l we indeuour our selues to ridde vs froÌ„ his tyranny wherin we haue lyued hetherto taking him to be a certaine god in earthe And also all other errors and incoÌ„modities muste be taken awaye whiche sprynge out of this counterfecte belefe and more ouer we wyl indeuour oure selues to ridde other men also from thesame So that I se not what can come of this dispuputation but that shal be good and godly Papi Trewly we might worthely bee noted of a temerous arrogancie if we should thinke our selues hable to knowe and iudge better then a number almost infinit of worthie men both in religion and doctrine who without al question beleued the popeship to be a heuenly thing And more ouer what opinion shall we conceaue of an innumerabe sorte of christiaÌ„ meÌ„ which either now be or els hath ben in times past and haue died in this fayth or liue therein this daye Surelye in so weyghtie a matter it behoueth vs to leue of disputing and fall to beleuinge Hen. Yf such as beleued that the popeship was an heuenly thinge were deceaued it is playne that they were neither lerned nor holy in that point And therfore ought we in a matter of so great importaunce to open oure eyes and be wiser then they As for y e blind multitude I thynke must not be folowed who receyueth that manifest errour for an article of their fayth but yf suche as beleued that the pope was Christes Uicar in earth were not deceyued but being in thys opinion thought well Surely we wyll take them both for learned and holy We minde not by thys our disputacion to take from them one iote either of their wisedom or holynes but we shall rather bee confirmed and strenghtened in thesame good opinion which we haue coÌ„ceyued bothe of theÌ„ and of the Popeshyp Yf our intent be to ouercome them with the lyght and knowledge of the trueth to goddes glorye puttynge not our trust in our owne strength but in the onely goodnes of god our godlye studie muste not be called a temerous boldnes Neither doe I allowe the sayinge that we ought simply to beleue it that is to saye grossely for then shoulde the Turkes and Heritykes be excused But as Paule sayeth we must proue all take onely that is good Papi Surely as for my part I can not persuad my selfe in my conscience that I maye put my tongue in heauen and despute of the Popeshippe as though I doubted of so great a matter Hen. Your diuines be not affrayed to put their mouthes and tongues bothe in heauen and to dispute in their
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