other menne minister to hym but him selfe rather to minister vnto others that he taketh al Bishops as his felows and equals that he is subiect to Princes as to personnes sent from God that he giueth to Cesar that whiche is Cesars and that he as the old Bishops of Rome dyd without any question calleth the Emperour his Lord Onles therfore the Popes do the like now a dayes and Peter did the thinges a foresayd there is no cause at all why they should glorye so of Peters name and of his succession Muche lesse cause haue they to complaine of our departing and to call vs againe to be felowes and frendes with them and to beleue as they beleue Men saye that one Cobdon a Lacedemonian when he was sent Embassadour to the kyng of the Persians to treate of a legue and founde by chaunce them of the court playng at dyce he returned streight waye home againe leauing his message vndone And whē he was asked why he did flacke to doe the thinges whiche he had receiued by publique commission to do he made aunswere he thought it should be a great reproche to his cōmon welthe to make a legue with Dicers But yf we should content our selues to retorne to the Pope and his popyshe errours and to make a couenaunte not only with dicers but also with men farr◠more vngracious and wicked then any dycers be Besides that this should be a great blot to our good name it shoulde also be a very daungerous matter both to kindle Goddes wrath against be and to clogge and condemne our owne soules foreuer For of very trouthe we haue departed from hym whome we saw had blinded the whole worlde this many an hundred yeare From hym who to farre presumpteouslye was wont to saye he coulde not erre and whatsoeuer he dyd no mortal man had power to condemne hym neyther kynges nor Emperours nor the whole Clergie nor yet all the people in the worlde togyther no and though he should carrie away with hun to Hell a thousande soules From hym who toke vpon him power to cōmaund not only menne but euen Goddes Aungels to go to returne to leade soules into Purgatorie and to bring them back againe when he lyste him selfe whome Gregory said with out all doubt is the very foreronner and standerd bearer of Antichrist and hath vtterly forsaken the catholique faith From whome also those ringeleaders of owers who now with might and maine resist y e Gospel the trouth whiche they knowe to be the truth haue or this departed euery one of their owne accorde and good will and woulde euen now also gladly depart fró hyin yf the note of inconstancie shame and their owne estimacion amonge the people were not a let vnto them In conclussion wee haue departed from hym to whom we wer not bound and who had nothyng to laye for hym selfe but onely I know not what vertue or power of the place where he d'weleth and a continuaunce of seccession And as for vs we of all others moste iustely haue left him For our Kynges yea euen they whiche with greatest reuerence dyd folow and obey the aucthoritie and faith of the Byshops of Rome haue long synce founde and felte well ynough the yoke tyrannye of the Popes kingdome For y e Byshops of Rome toke the Crowne of from the head of our Kynge Henrye the second and compelled him to put a side all maiestie and lyke a meere priuate man to come vnto their Legate with great submission and humilitie so as all his subjectes might laugh him to scorne More thē this they caused Byshops and Monkes and some parte of the nobilitie to be in the feelde against our Kynge Iohn and sett all the people at libertie from their othe wherby they ought allegeaunce to their king and at last wickedly and most abhominablie they bereaued the kyng not onely of his kyngdome but also of his lyfe Besides this they excommunicated and cursed Kyng Henry theight the most famous Prince stirred vp against him sometime the Emperour sometime the Frenche Kyng as muche as in them was putte in aduenture our Realme to haue ben a very praye and spoyle Yet were they but foules and mad to thinke that eyther so mighty a Prince could be scared with bugges and rattles or els y e so noble and great a kyngdome myght so easily euen at one morsel be deuoured and swalowed vp And yet as though all this were to litle they would nedes make all the Realme tributarie to them exacted there yearely most vniust and wrongfull taxes So deere cost vs the freendeshyp of the Citie of Rome Wherefore yf they haue gotten these thinges of vs by extortion thorough their fraude and suttle sleightes we see no reason why we may not plucke awaye the same from them againe by laufull wayes iust means And yf out kynges in that darknes and blindenes of former tymes gaue them these thinges of their owne accorde and liberalitie for Religion sake being moued with a certaine opinion of their fained holines now when ignoraunce errour is spied out may the Kinges their successours take them awaye againe seing they haue the same auctoritie the Kinges their auncestours had before For the gyft is voide except it be alowed by the will of the giuer and that cannot seme a perfit will which is dymmed and hindered by errour Thus ye see good Christian Reader howe it is no new thing though at this day the religion of Christ be enterteined with dispites and checkes being but lately restored and as it were comming vp againe a new for somuche as the lyke hath chaunced both to Christ hym selfe and to his Apostles yet neuerthelesse for feare ye maye suffer your selfe to be led amysse and seduced with those exclamations of our Aduersaries we haue declared at large vnto you y e very whole maner of our Religion what our opinion is of God the Father of his onely sonne Iesus Christ of the holy Ghost of the Church of the Sacramentes of the ministery of y e Scriptures of ceremonies and of euery parte of Christian beleue Wee haue sayde that wee abandon and detest as plagues and poysons all those oide Heresies whiche eyther the sacred Scriptures or the auncient Councelles haue vtterly condemned that wee call home againe asmuche as euer wee can the right Discipline of y e Church which our Aduersaries haue quite brought into a poore weake case That we punnishe all licentiousnes of lyfe and vnrulynes of maners by the olde and long continued laws and with asmuch sharpenes as is conuenient and lyeth in our power That we mainteine still the state of kingdomes in the same condition and plight wherin we haue found thē without any diminishing or alteration reseruinge vnto our Princes their maiestie and worldly preeminence safe and without empayring to our possible power That we haue so gottē our selues away from that Church which they had made a denne of Theeues and
stewes nor do suffer to escape vnpunyshed incest and abhominable naughtines nor yet such manquellers as the Aloisrans CasiaÌ„s and DiasiaÌ„s were For yf these thinges woulde haue pleased vs wee neded not to haue departed from these mennes felowship amongest whom suche enormities be in their chiefe pride and pryce Nother â–ª neded we for leauing them to ronne into y e hatred of menne and into most willfull daungers Paule the fourthe not many monethes since hadde at Rome in prison certaine Augustine fryers manye Bysshops and a greate numbre of other deuout men for Religion sake hee racked them and tormented them to make them confesse hee lefte no meanes vnassayed But in thend how many brothels how many whoremoÌ„gers how many adulterers how many incestuous persoÌ„s could he find of all those Our God be thaÌ„ked although we be not y t meÌ„ we ought professe to be yet whosoeuer we be coÌ„pare vs w t these men eueÌ„ oure own life innocencie wil sone proue vntrue condemn their malicious surmises For we exhorte the people to all vertue and well doinge not onelye by bokes and preachinges but also w t oure examples and behauiour We also teache that the Gospell is not a boasting or bragging of knowledg but y t it is y e law of life y t a Christian man as TertulliaÌ„ saith ought not to speak honorably but ought to liue honorably nor that they be the hearers of the lawe but the doers of the lawe which are iustified before God Besides all these matters wherewith they charge vs they are woÌ„t also to add this one thinge which they enlarge with all kinde of spitefulnes that is that we be men of trouble y t wee plucke y e sword and Scepter out of Kinges handes that we arâ—â—e the people that we ouerthrowe iudgemente places destroy the lawes make hauocke of possessioÌ„s seke to make the people Princes turne all things vpsyde downe and to be short y t we would haue nothinge in good frame in a common welth Good lorde how often haue they sette on fyre Princes heartes with these words to thend they might queÌ„che the light of the Gospell in the very firste apperinge of it and might begin to hate the same or euer they were able to know it and to the end that euery magistrate might thinke he saw his deadly ennemy as often as he saw any of vs. Surely it should excedingly greeue vs to be so malitiouslie accused of moste hainous treason onlesse we knewe that Christe himselfe the Apostles and a numbre of good and Christian men were in time past blamed and enuied in manner for the same faultes For although Christ taught thei should giue vnto Cesar that which was Cesars yet was he charged with sedition in that he was accused to deuise some conspiracie and to couete the kingdome And herevpon they cryed out with open mouth against him in the place of iudgement sayeng Yf thou let this man scape thou arte not Cesars friend And though y e Apostles did likewise euermore stedfastly teach y e Magistrats ought to be obeyed y e euery soule ought to be subiect to the higher powers not onely for scare of wrath punishment but euen for conscience sake yet bear thei the name to disquiet the people and to stirre vp the multitud to rebel After this sorte did Haman specially bring the nation of the Iewes into the hatred of the kinge Assuerus bâ—cause saide hee they were a rebellious stubborn people dispised the ordinaunces and commaundimentes of princes Wicked king Achab saide to Elie the Prophet of God It is thou that troublest Israell Amasias y e priest at Bethell laid a conspiracie to the prophete Amos charge before kinge Ieroddam sayeng See Amos hath made a conspiracie against thee in the middest of the house of Israell To bee breefe Tertullian saithe this was the generall accusation of all Christians whiles he liued that they were traytours they were rebelles and the ennemies of mankinde Wherefore if now a dayes the truthe be likewise euell spoken of and beinge the same truth it was then yf it be now like dispitefully vsed as it was in times past though it be a greuous and vnkind dealinge yet can it not seeme vnto vs a new or an vnwonted matter Forty yeares agone and vpward was it an easy thing for them to deuise aginst vs these accursed speaches other sorer theÌ„ these when in the middest of the darkenesse of that age firste beganne to springe and to giue shine some one glimmeringe beame of truthe vnknowen at that time and vnhearde of when also Martin Luther Hulderike Zwinglius beinge moste excellent menne euen sent of God to giue light to the whole world firste came vnto the knowledge and preachinge of the Gospell wheras yet the thinge was but newe and the successe thereof vncertain and when mens mindes stoode doubtful and amased and their eares open to all slaunderous tales and when there could bee imagined against vs no fact so deteâ—â—able but the people then woulde soone beleeue it for the nouelty and strangenes of the matter For so did Syminachus so did Celsus so didde Iulianus so did Porphirius the olde foes to the Gospell attempt in times past to accuse all Christians of sedition and treason before 〈◊〉 â—epute or People were able to 〈◊〉 who those Christians were what 〈◊〉 professed what thei beleued or what was their meaning But now sithens our very ennemies do see and cannot deny but we euer in al our wordes and writinges haue diligeÌ„tlie put the people in mynde of their dewtie to obey their Princes and Magistrates ye though they be wicked For this doth very trial and experience sufficientlie teache and all mennes eyes whosoeuer and wheresoeuer they be do well ynough see and wytnes for vs yt was a soule parte of them to charge vs with these thinges and seing they could fynde no nâ—w and late faults therfore to seke to procure vs enuye only with stale and out worne lyes We geue our lorde God thanks whose only cause this is there hath yet at no tyme been any suche example in all the Realmes Dominions and common weales whiche haue recciued the Gospell For we haue ouerthrowen no kingedome we haue decayed nâ— mans power or right wee haue disordered no commoÌ„ welth There continuin thir owne accustomed state and auncient dignitie the Kinges of oure countrie of Englande the Kinges of Denmarke the Kings of Souetia the Dukes of Saxonie the Counties Palatine the Marquesies of Brandeburgh the Lansgraues of Hessia the common wealthes of the Heluetians and Rheâ—ians and the free cities as Argentine Basil Frankforde Vline August and Norâ—enberge doe all I saye abide in the same authoritie and estate wherein they haue beene heeretofore or rather in a muche better for that by meanes of the Gospell they haue their people more obedient vnto them Lette them go I praye you into those places where at
this presente through Goddes goodnes the Gospell is taught where is there more maiesties where is there lesse arrogancie and tirrannye where is the Prince more honored where be the people lesse 〈…〉 hathe there at anye time the 〈◊〉 wealthe or the Churche beene 〈◊〉 Perhappes ye will say 〈◊〉 the firste beginninge of this 〈◊〉 the common sorte euerye wheare 〈◊〉 to rage and to ryse throughout 〈◊〉 Alowe it were so yet Martin Luther the publisher and setter 〈◊〉 of this doctrine didde write 〈◊〉 behementlye and sharpely against them and reclamed them home to 〈◊〉 and obedience But whereas it is wont sometime to be obiected by personnes wantinge skil 〈◊〉 the Heluetians chaunge of 〈◊〉 and killinge of Leopoldus the duke of Austria and restoringe by force their Countrie to libertie that was donne as 〈◊〉 playtielye by all stories for 〈◊〉 hundreth and threescore yeares past or aboue vnder Boniface the â—ight when the authoritie of the Byshop of Rome was in greatest solitie about two hundreth yeres before Hulderike Zuinglius eyther beganne to teache the Gospell or yet was borne And euer senâ—e that tyme they haue hadde all thinges still and quiet not onelye from forreine ennemies but also from ciuell dissension And of it were a sinne in the Heluetians to deliuer their owne countrie from foreine gouernemente speciallye when they were so proudelye and tyrannoullye oppressed yet to burthen vs with other mennes faultes or them with the faultes of their forefathers is against all right and reasone But O immortall God and will the Bysshoppe of Rome accuse vs of treason will hee teache the people to obeye and folowe their Magistrates or hath hee anye regarde at all of the Maiestie of Princes whye doothe hee then as none of the olde Bysshoppes of Rome heretofore euer didde suffre hym selfe to bee called of his flaterers Lorde of Lordes as though hee woulde haue all 〈◊〉 and Princes whoe and what 〈…〉 they are to bee his vnderlinges 〈◊〉 doothe hee vaunte hym selfe to bee 〈◊〉 al kynges and to haue kyngelye 〈◊〉 ouer his Subiectes why 〈◊〉 he al emperors princes to swere 〈…〉 and true obedience Whye 〈…〉 that the Emperours 〈◊〉 is a thowsandfould inferiour to hym and for this reason speciallye bycause God hath made two lyghtes in the heauen and bycause heauen and 〈◊〉 were created not at two beginninges but at on Why hath he and hys compâ—tes like Anabaptistes and 〈◊〉 to thende they myght ronne on more licenciouslye and careleslye shakeÌ„ of the yoke and exempted themselues from being vnder all â—iuell power why hath he his Legates asmuche to saye as most sâ—â—tle spyes lieng in wayte in all 〈◊〉 Courtes Councells and priuey 〈◊〉 whye doth he when he lyâ—◠〈◊〉 Christian Princes one against an other and at his owne pleasure trouble the whole worlde with debate and discorde why dothe hee excommunicatâ— and commaund to be taken as a heathen and a Pagan any Christian prince that renounceth his authoritie and why promiseth he his Indulgences his pardoÌ„s largely to any that will what way soeuer it be kil any of his ennemies Doth hee maintaine Empires and kingdomes Or dothe hee once desire that common quiete should be prouided for You must pardonne vs good Reader though wee seeme to vtter these thinges more bitterlye and bitingly then it becommeth Diuines to doe For bothe the shamfulnes of the matter and the desire of rule in the Bysshoppe of Rome is so exceeding and outragious that it could not well be vttered with other words or more mildly For he is not ashamed to say in open assemblie that all iurisdiction of al kinges dothe depend vpon himselfe And to feed his ambitioÌ„ greedines of rule hath he pulled in peeces the Empire of Rome and hered and rent whole Christendom 〈◊〉 falsely and trenterouslie also did he release y e Romains y e Italians him 〈◊〉 to of the othe wherby they and hee 〈◊〉 straightly bound to bee true to the Emperour of Grecia and stirred vp the Emperours subiects to forsake him and taking Carolus Martellus out of FraÌ„ce into Italie made him Emperour such a thing as neuer was seene before He put Châ—perieus the Frenche king being no euel prince beside his realm only because he fansied him not and wrongfullie placed Pipin in his roume Againe after he had cast out king Philip if he could haue brought it so to passe he had determined apointed y e kingdom of Fraunce to Albertus king of Romaines He vtterly deâ—â—oied the state of y e most florishing cyty coÌ„moÌ„ weale of FloreÌ„ce his own natiue couÌ„trie brought it out of a free peasable state to be gouerned at y e pleasure of on maÌ„ he brought to passe by his procurement y e whole Sauoy on the one side was miserably spoyled by Themperour Charles the fifth and on the other syde by the Frenche kinge so as the vnfortunate duke had scant one Citie left him to hyde his head in Wee are cloyed with exaumples in this behalfe and it shoulde bee very tedious to recken vp all the notorious deedes of the Byshops of Rome Of which side were they I beseche you whiche poysoned Henry Themperour euen in the receauinge of the sacrament whiche poysoned Victor the Pope euen in y e receauing of y e Chalice which poysoned our king Iohn kinge of England in a drinkinge cuppe whosoeuer at least they were and of what sect soeuer I am sure they were neither Lutherians nor Zwinglians What is hee at this daye whiche alloweth the mightiest Kinges and Monarches of the worlde to kisse his blessed feete What is hee that commaundeth the Emperour to goe by him at his horse bridell and the Frenche king to holde his stirrop Who hurled vnder his table Fraunces Dandalus the duke of â—enice Kinge of Creta and Cypres fast bound with chaines to feed of bones amonge his dogges Who set the Emperiall crowne vpon the Emperour Henry the sixthys head not with his hand but with his foote and with the same foote againe cast the same crowne of sayinge withall hee had power to make Emperours and to vnmake them againe at his pleasure Who put in armes Henry the sonne against Themperour his father Henry the fourth and wrought so that the Father was taken prisoner of his owne sonne and beinge shorne and shamfullye handeled was thruste into a monasterie where with hunger sorow he diued away to death Who so ilfauoredlye and monstrouslye put the Emperour Frederikes necke vnder his feet and as though that were not sufficient added further this texte out of the Psalmes Thou shalt go vpon the Adder and corkatrice and shalt treade the Lyon and Dragon vnder thy feete Suche an example of scorninge and contemninge â— Princes maiestie as neuer before this was heard tell of in any remembruance except I weene either of Tamerlanes the kinge of Scithia a wilde and barbarous creature or els of Sapor king of
mad a mocking stock The world espyeth a good whyle a gon what there ys a doyng abroade This flame the more it is kept downe somuch the more with greater force and strengh doth it break out and flye abroade Their vnfaithfulnes shall not diâ—apoincte goddes faithfull promyse And yf they shall refuse to laye awaye this their hardenes of heart and to receiue the Gospel of Christ then shall Publicanes and synners go before them into the kingedome of Heauen GOD and the Father of oure Lorde IESVS CHRIST open the eyes of them all that they maye be able to see that blessed hope whereunto they haue ben called so as wee maye altogither in one glorifie hym alone who is the treâ— God and also that same Iesus Christ whome he sent downe to vs from Heauen vnto whome with the Father and the holy Ghost be giuen all honour and glorie euerlastinglye So be it The ende of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande The manner how the Churche of Englande is administred gouerned The Churche of EnglaÌ„d is diuided in to two Prouinces Canterbury and Yorke The Prouince of Canterbury hath Tharchebyshop of the same who is Primate of all Englande and Metropolitane The Byshop of London The Byshop of Winchestes The Byshop of Elye The Byshop of Chichestes The Byshop of Hereforde The Byshop of Salysburie The Byshop of Worcetor The Byshop of Lincolne The Byshop of Couentrie and Lichefield The Byshop of Bathe and Welles The Byshop of Norwiche The Byshop of Excetor The Byshop of Rochester The Byshop of Peterborough The Byshop of S. Dauies The Byshop of S. Assaph The Byshop of Landaffe The Byshop of Bangor The Byshop of Oxforde The Byshop of Glocester and The Byshop of Bristowe The Prouince of Yorke hathe Tharthebyshop of the same who is also Primate of England and Metropolitane The Byshop of Durham The Byshop of Carliell and The Byshop of Chester Amongest vs heere in Englande no man is called or preferred to bee a Bysshop except he haue first receiued the orders of Priesthoâ—de and be well hable to instruct the people in y e holy scriptures Euery one of the Archebyshops and Byshops haue their seuerall Cathedrall churches Wherein y e deanes beare chiefe rule being men specially chosen both for their learning and godlines as neere as maye bee These Cathedrall Churches haue also other dignities and CanoÌ„ries whervnto bee assigned no ydle or vnprofitable persones but suche as eyther bee Preachers or professours of the Sciences of good learninge In the saide Cathedrall Churches vpon Sondayes and festiuall dayes the Canons make ordinarilye special Sermons wherevnto duely resorte the head Officers of the Cities and the Citizens and vpon the workendayes thryse in the weeke one of the Canons doth read and expound some peece of holy Scripture Also the saide Archebyshops and Bysshops haue vnder them their Archedeacons some two some foure some sixe accordinge to the largenes of the dioces the whiche Archedeacons keepe yearly twoo visitations wherein they make diligent inquisition and searche both of the doctrine and behauiour as well of the ministers as of the people They punishe thoffendors and if any errours in religion and heresies fortune to springe thei bring those and other weighty matters before the Byshops themselues There is nothing read in oure Churches but the canonical scriptures which is done in suche ordre as that the Psalter is read ouer euery moneth the new Testament foure times in the yeare and the olde Testament once euery yeare And if the Curate be iudged of y e Byshop to be sufficiently seene in the holy scripturs he dothe withal make some exposition and exhortacion vnto godlines And for somuch aâ— our Churches and Vniuersities haue ben woÌ„derfully marred and so souly brought out of al fashion in time of papistrie as there can not be had learned pastors for euery parysh there bee prescribed vnto the Curates of meaner vnderstandinge certaine Homelies deuised by learned men whiche doe comprehende the principall poinctes of Christian doctrine as of Originall sin of Iustification of Faith of Charitie suche like for to bee read by them vnto the people As for Common prayer The lessons taken out of the Scriptures thadministringe of the sacramentes and the residue of seruice done in the Churches are euery whitt done in the vulgare tongue whiche all may vnderstande Touchinge the vniuersities Moreouer this Realme of England hathe twoo Vniuersities Cambridge and Oxforde And the manner is not to liue in these within houses that be Innes or a receipt for common geastes as is the custome of some vniuersities but they liue in colledges vnder moste graue and seuere discipline euen suche as the famous learned man Erasmus of Roterodame beinge heere amongest vs about fourtie yeares past was bolde to preferre before y e very rules of the Monkes In Cambridge bee xiiii Colledges these by name that folowe Trinitie Colledge founded by kinge Henrie the eight The kinges Colledge S. Iohns Colledge Christes Colledge The Quenes Colledge Ihesus Colledge Bennet Colledge Pembroke Colledge or Pembroke halle Peter Colledge or Peter house Bunwell and Caws colledge or halle One other Trinitie colledge or Trinitie halle Clare colledge or Clare halle S. Katherins colledge or Katherin halle Magdalene colledge In Oxford likwise there be Colledges some greater some smaler to the number of foure and twentye the names whereof be as followeth The Cathedrall Churche of Christe wherein also is a great company of studentes Magdalene colledge Newe colledge Marten colledge All sowles colledge Corpus Christi colledge Lincolne colledge Anriell colledge The Ouenes colledge Baptie colledge or Bailioll colledge S. Iohns colledge Trinitie colledge Excetor colledge Brasen nose colledge Thuniuersitie colledge Glocetor colledge Brodegaâ—e halle â—â—aete halle Maâ—â—alene halle Aâ—borne halle S. Marie halle â—hyre halle â—ewe Iâ—â—e Edmonde halle And besides these Colledges that be in the Vniuersities this Realme hath also certein collegiate churches as Westmynster Windesour Eaton and Wynchester The two last whereof do bring vp and fynde a greate number of yong Scholers the whiche after they be once parfect in the rules of Grammer and of versifieng and well entred in the principles of the Greeke tong and of Rhetorike are sent from thence vnto the vniuersities as thus Out of Eaton colledge they be sent vnto the Kynges colledge at Cambrydge out of Wynchester vnto the New colledge at Oxford The Colledges of both the Vniuersities be not only very fayre and goodly builte thorough thexceding liberalitie of y e kynges in olde time of late dayes of Byshopps and of noble men but they be also endowed with marueylous large liuinges and reuenewes In Trinitie colledge at Cambrydge and in Christes colledge at Oxford both whiche were founded by Kyng Henry theight of most famous memorie are at the least founde foure hundreth Shollers and the like number wel neere is to be seene in certen other Colledges as in the Kynges Colledge S. Iohns Colledge