A TREATISE CONCERNYNGE generall councilles the Byshoppes of Rome and the Clergy 1534 The preface THE AVCTORItie and power of general counsayles ne the tyme whan they beganne in the time of the new testamēt ne yet the maner howe they shulde be gathered or by whome can not playnely be sette forthe to the reder onlesse the powers of kynges and pryncis be fyrste knowen and vnderstande I shall therfore in the begynnynge of this lyttell treatyse recyte certayne textes of scrypture concernynge the power of kynges and prynces howe they haue theyr power immedyately of god and then I shal somwhat touche what mynystrations thē clergy haue by the lawe of god and ▪ what by the lawe of man and that yet many of the lay people haue beleuid that the clergy hath had power to vse them by the lawe of god And then I wol touche some powers and auctoryties that the clergy hath taken vppon them whiche they had neyther power to haue done by the lawe of god ne by the lawe of man ne yet that any custom or prescription can cōfirme them or make them lauful but that the lenger they contynue the greater is the offence And then after those thynges I intende somwhat to touche by what auctorytie catholike generall counsailes fyrst began and what power they haue then I shall speake of such counsayles as haue benne gathered in tyme passe by the power of the byshoppes of Rome whiche haue ben called general counsayles and specially of the general counsayle that the byshoppe of Rome hath nowe of late sommoned And then I shal some what touche ferther vnder what maner suche generall catholyke councilles as be appoynted by scripture ought to be gathered and then I woll recyte some lawes and decrees made by byshoppes of Rome and the clergie in tyme past whiche be agaynst scripture and so I wyl make an ende of this tretise Of the power of kynges and prynces The fyrste Chapiter GOD tourneth not his yen from a ryghtewyse man kinges he settith in theyr seates for euer And nowe O ye kynges vnderstande ye be ye lerned that iudge the worlde By me kynges reygne and makers of lawes dyscerne ryghtewyse thynges Here ye therfore ye kinges and vnderstande lerne ye that be iudges of all parties of the worlde leye to your eares ye that rule the multytude and order the people for power is gyuen to you of god vertue fro the holy ghoste A wyse kynge is the stablenes of his people The kynge commandeth the hole countrey as his subiecte Kynges of the people haue power ouer them Warne them that they be subiects to princis and powers to obey their commaundementes to euery good worke to be redy Be ye subiecte to euerye creature for god eyther to the kynge as precellynge or to Dukes as men sent by hym to the correction of euill doers and laude of good doers Samuel sayde to kynge Saul whan thou were lytel in thyn own syght were thou not made heed in the trybes of Israell and our lorde annointed the king vpon Israel c All the people of Israell sayde to Dauid thy lorde god sayde to the Thou shalte fede my people of Israell Be euery soule subiect to the high powers forsothe there is no power but of god veryly all thynges that be be ordeyned of god and he that resysteth power resysteth the ordynaunce of god forsoth they that resyste get dampnation to them selfe for prynces be not to the dredde of a good werke but of an euell wylte thou not drede power do good and thou shalte haue laude therof he is forsothe the mynyster of god to the into goodnesse If thou doo euyll drede forsothely he beareth not a swerde without cause he is the minyster of god reuenger in to wrathe to hym that dothe euyll and therfore be ye subiecte to necessytie not only for wrath but for conscience Kynge Dauid sayd to all the people Our lorde god of Israell chase me before al the house of my father that I shulde be kynge vpon Israell for euer Salomon accordynge to the constitution of Dauid his father instituted thoffyces of pryestes in theyr ministrations and leuytes in theyr order that they shuld laude and minystre before the pryestes after the customes of euery day and porters in their deuysiōs by gate and gate So commaunded Dauid the man of god and they breke nothynge of the commandementes of the kyngneyther the priestes nor the leuites in all thynges that the kynge commaunded And the said constitution of Dauid appereth 1. Par. 15. 16. Kynge Iosaphat ordeyned iuges in al the cities of Iuda and in Hierusalem he ordeined leuites and pristes and prynces of familyes that they shuld iudge the iugement and cause of our lord to al the dwellers therof And ferther he added therto sayinge Amary your prieste and byshop shal be chiefe in suche thinges as perteyne to god In the. xviii yere of Iosias king of Iuda the kynge sente Saphan the scrybe of the temple to Elchias the hygheprieste that al the money that was gatherid of the people for the temple shoulde be molten and deliuered to smithes to be bestowed vpon the temple and Elchias dyd as the kynge commaunded and also sente hym by Saphan a boke of the lawe that he had founde in the house of god And when Saphan had redde it to the kynge he cut his clothes and commaunded Elchias the hyghe prieste that he shuld coūcell our lorde vppon the wordes of that boke for he sayd the wrathe of god was kendellyd agaynste them and Elchias dyd as the kyng commanded hym And soo it appereth that the kinge commanded the high pryste concernynge the reparation of the temple and also concerninge the sayde boke and he obeyed Also the kynge Iosias commaunded Elchias the bysshoppe and the pristes of the seconde order and the porters that they shuld caste out of the house of god all vesselles that were made to Baal and they obeied And these textes proue that kynges haue theyr power immediately of god And that they iudge the worlde that al that be within their dominions are theyr subiectes and owe to obeye them and neyther byshop or priste is not excepted in any of these textes ¶ Of dyuers powers that the clergye hath by the law of god The. ii chapit THE power of preachynge is by the lawe of god where it is sayd Preche ye the gospell to euerye creature And that might euery priste haue doone in the begynnynge of the churche as soone as he was pryste and noone myghte haue prohibite him therof but after by lawes of the bysshops of Rome ordinaries myght make prohibitions in suche cases and that hindred trewe preachynge very moche Also matrimony was ordeyned by god And ouer that the power that the clergy hath to cōsecrate the body of our lord to assoile to make deacons prystes and bysshoppes is by the law
than he might commaunde hym as a superiour to hym and that is directly against the said texte ecclesiastes v. and if the bysshoppe of Rome came in to the realme of any other kyng he shulde for the tyme be subiecte to that kynge and ought to be obediente to his lawes and commaundementes And also it is sayd Sa. vi Here ye kynges and vnderstande lerne ye that be iudges of all partes of the worde And if kinges be Iuges of al partes of the worlde what part of the world is left to the iugement of the bishoppe of Rome And if the bysshoppe of Rome were supreme heed of the vniuersall churche then he might iudge vniuersally in al realmes and that were directely ageynst the sayde textes It is heresie therfore to saye that the byshoppe of Rome is heed of the vniuersall churche Also to say that the byshoppe of Rome and the clergie maye make lawes to bynde kinges and princis and their subiectes is also against scripture psal 11. where it is saide O kynges vnderstande ye be ye lerned that iuge the world For yf the bysshoppe of Rome and the clergie shoulde haue power to make lawes to bynde kynges and their people then myght not kynges iudge the world for they might not iudge vppon tho lawes ne reforme tho lawes For he that maye make a lawe hath power to interprete and to reforme the lawe and none but he and so shulde kynges be bounden by tho lawes myght not of their owne power iudge the worlde as the sayde texte Psal. 11. say the they do Also seyncte Paule Ro. xui sayth of euery prynce thus He is the reuenger in to wrathe to hym that dothe euylle And sayncte Paule in the sayd wordes excepteth no maner of euylle And if princes haue power to reuenge euery euyll It is heresye to say that the byshop of Rome may iudge or reuenge any maner of euyll by his owne power And neuertheles not withstandyng the sayde textes and dyuers other whiche proue sufficientely that the high power of the worlde is in kinges and princis wherof I haue recited parte in the firste chapyter of this treatise yet the bysshoppes of Rome haue in tyme past as heedes of the vniuersall churche taken vpon them to summon and appoynt generall councils as they haue called them and to commande kinges and princis to obey that sommons and to assiste theym therein but yet when kynges princes haue done soo they ne any other by their appoyntemente ne yet any lay manne shulde haue in the sayde councilles any voyces but bysshoppes priestes and religious and other of the clergie onely For they haue pretended that they make the vniuersall churche and that such a churche as may not erre And surely to say that byshops and pristes make the vniuersall churche is a great erroure for the vniuersall church is the congregation of all faithefull people and not onely of the bysshops and priestes And of that churche saint Paule speke Ephes. v. whanne he sayde that for his churche Christe gaue hym selfe and no man wylle say that Christ gaue hym selfe only for the clergie Also saint Paule spe kynge of the particular churche of the Corinthians saith thus Despondiuos vni uiro uirginem castam exhibere Christo That is I haue espoused you to gyue your selfe a chaste virgin to one manne that is Christe And by those wordes a chaste vyrgine he vnderstandeth the vniuersal churche of the Corinthians and not onely of the clergie there Howe be it the byshops of this realme are clere fro that errour for they right well and catholikely haue confessed in their boke called the Institution of a christen man in the title of matrimonie that the congregation of al faithfull people maketh the vniuersall churche And by reasone of the said pretences that the byshops of Rome shulde be supreme heedes of the vniuersall churche and that they might summon a general coūcill as they haue callid it to reforme the churche as they haue pretended in capite membris in fide moribus that is to say in heed and membres in faith maners vnderstādyng by that worde heed the byshoppe of Rome and by that worde membres kynges and princes and theyr people they haue brought in many gret perillous errours and abusions as well to the hurte of theyr owne soules as of all the people And ouer that for mayntenance of theyr own honour power riches libertie and suche other haue made lawes directely agaynst scripture agaynst the power of kynges and princes and theyr lawes and also agaynste all trouthe and charitie and whereof they hadde noo power to make any lawes and canons but onely that they toke vpon them to do it by the vsurped powers before rehersed And nowe lette euery manne in his owne conscience iuge whether it be an indifferent waye of Justice that the byshoppe of Rome and the clergie shulde be in these mattiers iudges to redresse the sayde abusions heresyes and vntrewe doctrynes brought in by them selfe by their predecessoures and whyther they wolde be dilygente to abbate their accustomed vsurped honor power riches libertie and suche other as in this worlde be thinges ryght delectable and plesant specially if the councill be kepte where they haue worldly power I doubte not but that there be som of the clergie that wolde put therto right greatte diligence but to fynde many of them I thinke it wold be very hard And yet the byshop of Rome hath nowe of late summoned a councyll to be holden after the old fashion And it he shuld shew him self out wardly to do it for a reformation in wardly intende to maynteyne forthe the old abusyons it shoulde be in hym to great a faute enormitie to be suffred And therfore it is to think that he knowith many of the clergy that wyll helpe forthe his good purpose therin Howe be it thoughe his intent be neuer soo good in this matter yet if ignorance do not excuse I thinke verily that he and all that haue moued hym to sūmon it haue fallen therby into a ryght great heresie for the causes before rehersed And it wyll be very harde to proue that ignoraunce of the lawe of god shulde excuse any manne specially them that are moste bounde to haue knowledge of it wherfore I wyll say thus farre concerninge the said councill that as many kynges and princis as knowe the said text Ecclesiastes v. and other textes lyke wherby it appereth euidentely that the high power and the high commandement of the worlde restith in kinges and princes and that none hath auctoritie vnder god to commaunde theym and neuer the lesse wyl appere at the sayd councill that they agree that the bysshoppe of Rome is heade of the vnyuersalle Churche and so assente to the saide herysye and be maynteyners and partteakers of it and that they also renounce and forsake therby the power that they haue receyued of god ouer his people and that
of god And they may also baptise without ceremonyes or exorcysmes by the lawe of god and so may euery lay mā but none may vse the ceremonies or exorcysmes but prystes and that is by lawes of the byshops of Rome and so like wise the ceremonyes in other ministrations be by lawes of bishoppes of Rome or by custome Also the mynistration of extreme vnction none may exercise but onely priestes and as for the puttyng away of synne no prist maye doo it neyther by the lawe of god ne by the lawe of man for god onely of his mercye throughe contricion which is the very trewe penaunce putteth awaye synne and none but he And euerye man that hath offended muste vse this mynystration of penaunce and of contrytion in hym selfe and in his owne harte if he wyll haue forgyuenes And none other but he may vse this mynistration for hym ¶ Of dyuers mynystrations whiche the clergye hath vsed by custome and by lawes of man and yet many of the lay people haue thought that they haue vsed theym by the lawe of god The thyrde chapiter MATRIMONY was ordeyned by god as is sayde before and it hath ii greate prerogatyues before any other mynistration that is to say by reason of the place and of the tyme of the place for it was instituted by god in paradise of the tyme for it was fyrste ordeyned before all other mynystrations And trouth it is that prestes by custome haue had alway the ministration the solempnysyng therof and none but they as to the ceremonies so it is right cōuenient that they haue stil but yet it is expedient that it be knowē by what authorite they haue it and that it may with a cause be taken fro them by the hyghe powers as it may in dede Also confyrmation is by the lawe of man and was ordeined by the bishoppes of Rome and the clergie throughe the example of thappostles in the prymitiue churche whiche by touchynge of theyr handes gaue the holy gooste in a vysyble sygne but that gyfte went not to theyr successoures how be it theyr successours haue ordeyned that they shall lyke wyse confirme them that be baptised by tow chynge of theyr handes and if they that do it be in grace it maye doo good and elles it wil do lytel good Also auriculer confessyon is by the lawe of man and it may sometime do good and be occasyon to bringe in contrition Neuer the lesse many of the clergye affyrme and all the peple in maner beleue that it is by the lawe of god Also satisfactyon if it be taken as a parte of penance gyuen by iniunction of the confessour in suche maner as hath benne vsed in tyme past after confessions is by the lawe of man And if it be taken as good deedes of prayour fastynge and almes deede done of deuotion then it is commanded to euery man by the lawe of god but yet whiche way so euer it be taken it neuer putteth away synne but it maye throughe grace and through the free gyfte of god whether it be frely done or by waye of iniunction and penaunce encrease his merite and rewarde in heuen Also benedictions and hallowynges as they be commonlye vsed be by the lawe of man and if the minister be in state of grace his benedyctyons and halowynges may do good but if he be out of grace then as of them selfe they do rather hurt then good And neuerthelesse many of the people thynke that the euyll lyfe of the mynyster hurteth not suche hallowynges or benedyctions noo more than it dothe hurte theyr consecrations and absolutions or suche other mynystrations as they haue by the lawe of god And surelye that is a ryghte great errour Also bysshops haue power to examyne encumbentes that be presented to benefyces but that is in this realme onely by custome and by the fauour and sufferaunce of the king and his lawes and not by the lawe of god for it can not be proued by the lawe of god that one prist hath that power ouer an other priste ne none shoulde be made pristes but such as were able to take a cure Also all holydays excepte the seuenth daye and also the precyse fastynge dayes matyns euensonge the ceremomies at masse and other like be by the law of mā and so is the power of iurisdiction that the clergye hathe vsed in tyme paste as to kepe courtes and councilles to do corrections and suche other And yet many thynke that suche thynges haue ben by the lawe of god Trouthe it is that many of the prayours that be sayde at masse matyns euensonge and diriges be taken out of scripture and be scripture in dede but to this intente that they shall be sayd in one place of the seruice rather then in an other or in this tyme of the yere more than in this or to this intente one time and to this an other they are but ceremonyes for they be ordeyned to be saide in that ordre by the onely lawe of man And therfore it were righte expediente that it were openly declared and knowen what thynges be vsed by the law of god and what by custome and by the lawe of man And vndoubtedly there is no lawe of god that commaundeth settynge vp of ymages but whether the settynge vp of them be prohybited by the lawe of god that is to say by the xx Chapyter of exodie or not is a great doubte to many men and as it semeth if the sayde texte were indyfferently loked vpon it wold appere that the settyng vp of them is therby clearly prohibite howe be it if the clergy be iudges in that matter it is verye lyke that many of them wyl mainteyne that theyr predecessours began Also all the inferiour orders vnder deacon and also these names Pope patriarke Cardinall and dyuers other haue ben inuented and broughte vppe by the power of the bysshoppes of Rome and the clergye and not by the lawe of god ¶ Of dyuers thynges that the byshops of Rome and other byshops and prystes haue claimed vnder the color of the law of god whiche it gyueth them not ne that theyr protence therin can not be affyrmed by custome ne yet by assente of the people The fourthe Chapyter FYRSTE bysshoppes of Rome haue pretcded to be supreme hed of the buyuersall churche of Christ and they haue pretended also thae they haue bothe powers spitytuall and temporal howe be it they agre that they haue gyuen the execution of the temporall power to kynges pryncis but the power of tight they haue pretcded to haue holly in them selfe and therfore they haue sayde that they haue power to depose kinges and pryncis and that some of theyr predecessours haue doné so in dede And ferthermore they haue pretended that by theyr sayde supremitie they haue power to somon a generall councill and to commaunde kynges and princis to assiste theym therin And that byshoppes pristes and other of the clergye aughte to