but one The People I beseche youre holynes to pardon me because I am not yet acquainted with these kiÌ„des of ceremonies Ye haue heard I thinke of the number of Embassadours whiche bee sent from soundry partes of the worlde of whome a great company be come to Rome alredy The Pope For what purpose saye they that they bee come The people To replie against you being offeÌ„ded with this high honour that the Emperour hath geueÌ„ you The Pope We haue receyued thys popshyppe of Christ and not of the Emperour The people Truely I herde say it was geuen you of the Emperour The Pope And who tolde the so The people Your churche of Rome of whom I perceyued of late in communicacion that it was geuen you of Cesars maiestie The Pope As concerninge thys matter she is not aduised what she sayeth The people And she sayth planly that she cannot erre The Pope Trueth in dede no more can she when she is informed and instructed of me Ye know right well accordinge to the doctrine of Paule that a woman must bee subiect to her husbande and so farre forth she speaketh well as she receyue the knowlege of him of the same fashion the churche of Rome speaketh well and erreth not so farre forth as she receyueth instruccions and knowledge of me for she is my spouse and therfore is she my wyfe The people Why how theÌ„ doth she not acknowledge Christ to be her spouse The Po. Yes truely she is both Christes spouse mine The people This is the first tyme that euer I heard that one woman maye haue two husbandes I haue herde of sundry menne that hath had many wyues but I neuer herde of one woman that hath had manye husbandes But let thys passe and let vs retorne agayne to our former talke And most humblye thys one thyng I beseche your holines it wyll vouchesafe to tell me Howe hathe your holines obteyned thys hygh Byshoprike at Christes hande The Pope we will tell the. Christ beinge y e head of the church ordeyned Peter before he ascendyd into heauen to be his vicar and successor And because he cam to Rome and brought his high Popeship with hym and dieng there hathe left thesame to his successors that is to say to y e other Bishoppes of Rome in order we nowe beinge Byshope of Rome haue receyued of Christ by succession and inheritaunce this high Pontificall dignitie power and authoritie The people I heare newes now that I neuer herd before Namely thys that Peter was euer at Rome I am of an excedinge great age as ye see haue dwelled in Rome in Peters daies And so desireful I was to heare newes that yf euer he had come to Rome no doubt I woulde haue sene hym and it had bene for none other cause yet truely woulde I so haue done for his worthye names sake wherwith he fâ—lled our Citie neyther woulde I haue suffered the remembraunce of hym to haue decayed euen as I haue diligently preserued vntyll thys daye fresh the remembraunce of Paule No man can either thinke or shewe what tyme he was here and I absent For I neuer went out of thys citie The Pope All the tyme whyles he was here for the moste parte he was in prison and therfore is it no meruayle thoughe thou sawest hym not The people I haue bene alwayes and am tyll thys daye exceding quisitiue and curious in searchynge of newes My studie is to knowe what is done euerywhere I range and wander euen to the very prisoÌ„s It is not possible that suche a manne shoulde at anye tyme haue come to Rome and haue bene cast in pryson for the gospelles sake but I shoulde haue hearde of it Howebit I not onely neuer sawe hym but more ouer I neuer hearde of any man liuyng that euer he was at Rome sauing euen nowe of your holynes The Pope Yt maye so bee that whyles he was at Rome he laye hyd in some corner The people Howe then preached he the gospel here by thoccasion wherof he was cast in prison and at the last hanged vpon the crosse Besydes thys if he were Byshope of Rome howe was he chosen to that dignitie yf he were not knowen whyles he remayned in Rome The pope Marke well thys thyng that I shall say vnto thee Thou must be circumspect and wise when it shall chaunce the to reason of thys matter For the daye maye come when we shall call the forthe to bee a wytnes in it Whyche thynge yf it happen we wyll the to say that thou diddest bothe see and know him The people What would ye haue me lie lustely and so sensibly that euery manne might perceaue it The Pope We absolue the of this faulte and further we let the to witte that we doe al these thinges of a good and holy intent for the glory of god And this dare we be bold to say that great honor profit shall arise to the by thincreasynge of our dignitie The people Yf I bee absolued of thys lye I can not but doe for you in al other thinges because that herby shall insewe to me a very great commoditie But lest I should be taken with my lye I woulde fayne knowe what I shall aunswere when I am asked namely of the time when Peter was at Rome The Pope Thou shalt say that he dwelled at Rome still after he came once thether vntill his dyenge day The people Beinge demaunded when he came fyrst shall I say before Paule or after The Pope It is beste for the to say before Paule lest men should haue occasion to thinke that Paule was byshoppe of Rome before Peter The People Nowe call I to remembraunce when Paules cause was first hearde here at Rome before Cesars throne al christian meÌ„ forsoke him as he himself wryteth in a certaine epistle y t he made to Timothie Wherfore it must then be graunted that he was theÌ„ forsaken of Peter for feare Which thing semeth not likely that ther should so great a fault be found in Peter who had so earnest feruent a zeale towards religion and full of christian charitie namelye after Christ ascended into heaueÌ„ and replenishid him with the holy ghost The Pope I coulde not remembre so harde a dont as thys is It is best theÌ„ to say that Peter came wheÌ„ Paule was alredy examined The people Agayne beynge demanded whether he were chosen Byshoppe of Rome in thys citie or not what answere shall I make The Pope Mary thou shalt constantly say yea The people Well then receaued he hys byshoprik of men and not simply only of Christ. How theÌ„ shalit bee trewe that he was pronounced by Christe heade of all other churches The pope Thou vnderstaÌ„dest not this matter Peter had .ii. bishoprikes one perticular another general The chiefe y t is to say y e general he receaued of Christ wherby he is bishop head of al other churches bishoprikes The latter that is to
Rome intendeth to attayne to the dignitie of y e chiefe priest and supreme head of Christes churche his studie is nothyng els but to make himselfe equall with Christ in spirtie knowledge vertue power and in all other giftes and graces Now whether thys be a blasphemous mynde or not iudge you For that man which hath not the spirite of god is not worthie to be called a membre of Christe or a prieste or els a christian manne No he is not worthie the name of a manne for hys greuouse offences Yea he ought to bee banyshed from all christian mennes company be excomunicated from the churche of Christe Yt can not be without a merueylous heynouse offence and a deuillishe pride ones to be so bolde to desire to haue the title of the supreme head of the churche of Christe Where as Paule describeth y e true image of y e church of Christe he sayeth Christe is ascended on highe and hath gyuen giftes to menne some to be Apostles some to be Prophetes some to bee Euangelistes and some to be Doctors And it is not to be doubted but he would also haue ordeined some other supreme head in earthe yf he had iudged it a thyng necessary And the holygoost in thys place whiche should haue made so muche for thys purpose woulde not onely haue expressed the thyng by the mouthe of Paule but also woulde haue named thys chiefe dignitie When Paule myndeth to persuade the Ephesians to remayne together in one spirite knyt with the bonde of peace the argumentes that he vseth be these saying that yf they be true christiaÌ„ men they be thevery membres of one body and they all haue one spirite euen as they all be called to one ende and haue one Lorde Iesus Christe one fayth one baptisme one onely god and eternall father No doubt he woulde haue also sayed in thys place and they haue one Byshope in earth who kepeth the churche of Christ in order and concorde yf he had euer mynded to appoynt suche a byshop Mas. Yf Paule had euer spoken such wordes he had lyed galantly For the bishops of Rome wil indeuour themselues to the vttermost of their power to moue coÌ„tencion and to set christian princes together by the â—ares for their owne inrichynge Lepidus That thyng maye chaunce to bee true But I praye you let me tell on my tale Then thimbassador sayed furthermore yt is not vnknowen vnto you that when the congregacion of the Corynthians auaunced themselues some time in the name of Peter some tyme in the name of Paule and some tyme of Apollo Paule chid theÌ„ bitterly for so doing he sayd not I wyll not haue you thiÌ„ke here after y t I am the head of the churche neither yet Apollo But Peter onely But he rather concluded all maner of men and sayed thus What were you baptised in the name of Paule was Paule euer crucified for you as though he had sayed Truely ye bee neitheir baptized in the name of Paule neither in the name of Peter neither of Apollo neither was there any of theÌ„ crucified for you but ye be baptized in Christs name only Only he suffered for you death vpon the crosse Onely he hath redemed you and saued you from sinne Onely he is your head from the which all heauenly giftes desceÌ„d Onely he is your lyghte youre wisdome youre lyfe your saluacion and therfore muste ye acknowledge hym onely and alone to bee youre supreme head in whose name only ye must reioyce And theÌ„ to knyt vp his disputacioÌ„ He sayd not maÌ„ must esteme and take Apollo and me for the ministers of Christ and Peter for the lorde and mayster but putting Peter and him selfe and Apollo altogether he sayed Man must take vs as the ministers of Christ. And in thys poynt he agreeth with the doctrine of Christ who perceyuing his Apostles to contend amonge themselues for the highest place because they herd saye that Iames Iohn had obteyned a prerogatiue of Christe by the procurement of theyr mother that one of them should sytte at his ryght hande and the other at hys lefte he sayd ye knowe ryght well that the prynces of nacioÌ„s beare lordelye rule and menne of power doe exercise their myght ouer them But it shall not be so amoÌ„gest you But he that wyll be greater amongest you shall be youre minister he that wyll be chiefe amongest you shal be your seruannt For the sonne of manne came not to bee serued of other but to serue other hym selfe and to geue hys soule for a redemption for many Wherby it is easie to perceiue y t the church of Christ is al together spiritual And it is not possible y t any maÌ„ caÌ„ be a true priest neither a true christian manne in this spirituall churche of Christe onles he haue the spirite of god and he is to be thought greater that is more inriched with strength and habundaunce of the spirite So that for asmuche as Christe onely hathe the greatest plentifulnes of the spirite he muste without controuersy be iudged and estemed the chiefe and head preste of al other Wherfore yf the byshoppe of Rome desier the place of the chiefe byshoppe he muste of necessitie haue greatest haboundance of the spirite euen as Christe had and then when he is equall with Christe he shall also be chiefe byshoppe and chiefe heade equal with Christ but this also is necessary to bee knowen that the dominion of the spirite is verye diuerse and contrary eueÌ„ as Christ taught to y e dominion of y e flesh for amoÌ„gest carnall men suche as haue more riches more streÌ„gth more fauour amoÌ„gest meÌ„ more freÌ„dshipes more nobilitie of bloud they be y e lordes ouer other they coÌ„mauÌ„d they haue other ministers to theÌ„ they be honoured and obeyed many times they oppresse the weaker and vse tyranny ouer them But it is coÌ„trarywise in the spirituall churche of Christe for such as haue greater light of the spirite they be higher and greater And they that bee suche serue all other by the helpe of the spirite as menne that hath receyued greater gyftes of god more light of knowledge more grace more spirite and a greater talent So that he which hath receaued more habouÌ„dance of the spirite helpeth more and serueth more the necessities of other and setteth forthe the glory of god more plentifully And because Christe had most singular plenty of the spirite therfore came not he to bee serued but to serue for the helth of his chosen Yea he serued all without excepcion and that also humblinge himselfe extremely vntyll that he moued of an exceding greate loue spent hys own life vpon the crosse Therefore woulde Christe haue it knowen to hys chosen that yf ye wil haue a trew nobilitie and worthynes ye muste haue a spirite Christe abused not this spirituall greatnes of hys whiche was in the highest degre of honour therby to chalenge anye
that ye be very dull For this name of Antichrist is not the proper name of any one man but is a common name to many for notwithstanding that it is a fyt name for all them that be contrary and enemies to Christ yet chiefly and aboue all other it agreeth to those byshops of Rome which vsurpe tyrannie lordship and dominion aboue all other byshops Nowe all the difficultie and hardnes of this busines standeth in the beginninge therof that is to saye in gyuinge a beginninge to a matter of so greate importaunce and that same byshope of Rome may be founde who dareth giue the fyrste aduenture to be called the head of al other byshops Yf we may once obtein this at one of theyr handes the reste wil easly folowe willingly daily wil they finde out newe wayes for the stablishment of theyr dominion Therfore let vs al goe nowe out of hand euery man prepare him selfe to doe hys indeuour according to his calling I as your chief capitaine wil firste proue formoste attempt to perswad this godly imaginacion of mine to Boneface the byshope of Rome and I dout not but that I shall obteine present fauour of his carnall wisedome Boneface the thyrd Doctor Sapience Secretary to Themperor O immortall God howe sweete and pleasaunte a thing is the glory of the world trewly it is more to be estemed then all worldlye treasures or pleasure I am the Patriarch of Rome and haue vnder my tuicion and gouernaunce an infinite number of people Who beiÌ„g pressed with any kind of affliccioÌ„ straight they come runnyng to me as thike as hoppes they al honour me they haue theyr eyes set vpon me I haue money at will I may haue all kindes of pleasures at my commaundement Yf I coulde bring it to passe to obteine at the handes of Phocas the Emperor the dominion and principality ouer al other byshopes of the world I woulde thinke my selfe to haue attayned euen the verye highest state of felicitie and happye lyfe that myght be Yf then I coulde not by wisdome and industrie brynge to passe that men shoulde worshippe me as a god in earthe I might worthely be accounted a fole and muche vnworthy of so great a felicitie but what shall I doe I can by no meanes disclose this my fantasye to any manne but I shall forthewith disclose this mine arrogancie and he shal iudge me a manne full of ambycion But I see master Sapiens the Emperours secretarye myne olde frende Truly I could not haue founde a more fit instrument for my purpose if he will be so good to me as to open this thinge to the Emperors Maiestie not as a thinge diuised and found out of me but rather of his owne head as though I durst not so hardy of my head will or mynd so great a matter Sapi. God saue your highenes most ReuereÌ„d father Boni Ye be very hartely welcome What newes Sapi. Nothing but y â— al is nought SuÌ„dry letters ther be brought to the Emperors Maiesty the contentes of the which dothe declare that there is such a number of faccions sectes contencions and of diuerse kindes of heresies in the church of Christ that without goddes present helpe the churche will shortly be vtterly vndone Boni Your wordes gyue me both occasion and incoragement to disclose vnto you as to my most faithfull and deare frende my whole mynde and intent I wyll therfore open vnto you the secrete and hyd purposes of my mynde But because the matter is of great waight fyrst I will desier you to kepe counsel Sapi. Sir that is a thinge that belongeth to myne office to kepe secretes for asmuche as I am secretary to the Emperours Maiestie a dignitie whereunto I shoulde neuer haue attayned if I had not sumwhat learned what thinge it is amongest men pryuyly or openly to whist or to talke Wherfore bee not afraied say what ye will and thinke with your selfe that ye may safely say your mind to me for assurauÌ„ce wherof I promes you faithfully that I will open it to no man neither speake anye thinge therof to anye man lyuing but as you shal be contented Boni For one epistle and one message that themperor hath receaued of faccions and heresies which abound in Asia and Affrike I haue receaued a thousand letters and messages for all good men resort to me as to theyr only refuge and succor and I comfort them in their affliccions and calamities Therbe many also not all of the beste sorte which resorte to my gard and tuicion some leste they should worthely be punished of theyr superiors for their offenses and other that vnder the shadowe of my fauour they may be promoted to some dignitie And I of very humanitie and gentlenes can not but intertaine them very frendely and shewe al tokens of kindnes vnto them be they good or be they euyll that come to me for refuge It is not ambition that moueth me to thys thynge neyther gooe I about by thys meanes to increase my pryuate commoditie or to auaunce the worthynes of my dignitie as God he knowethe but christian charitie and a true zeale to Goddes honour moueth me to doe thys my dewtie vnfortunate had the Christian menne been whiche dwell in those countreyes had not I holpen them with my labour and diâ—igence Ther is none amongest theÌ„ who desirethe not thincrease and settyng forthe of myne honour that my authoritie and helpe maye be a staye vnto them in suche thynges as belonge to their profite But I of a certayne naturall inclinacion I can not tell howe bothe naturallye and wyllynglye abhorre all pompe and dignitie Yet to say as I thinke and as my conscieÌ„ce geueth me to speake the trueth I feare me muche lest all churches not onely they of whome I spake euen nowe but our churches also in shorte space wyll be vndone onles they be gouerned of some vniuersall supreme head Ye knowe ryght well that where is no order there of necessitie must be confuâ—ion neither can there be any certayne order except there be a head wherunto all thynges muste be applied as to the chiefe state of gouernaunce And to put you out of doubt christen menne be not nowe of that simplicitie and vertuous behauiour as they were in the begynnynge of the primatiue churche wherfore now it is necessari for them to haue a head whiche may punishe the euill and rewarde the good Ye se with your eyes howe many sectes and heresies be nowe in the churche of Christ and there is smale lyklyhode of amendement but that it shal bee daylye worse and worse yf some remedy be not founde betymes shortly shall ensue amongest menne suche a licentious and vnbrydled libertie that euery manne wyll attempt to inuent a newe kynde of religion of his owne braine so that euery man shal beleue what hym listeth shal also refuse whatsoeuer shall seme contrary to his priuate commoditie Wherfore it is very necessary that there bee
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
thynges that fade and decaye But tell on the ende of the disputacion Lepi. When master Falsidicus had spente all hys matter and sayed what he coulde Thimbassador began to declare howe the holy scripture was directlye agaynst thys primacie And first he made it playne very well that Christe was the chiefe prieste not after the order of Aaron but after the order of Melchisedeche And that he was not of the tribe of Leui or of the stocke of Aaron but of the tribe of Iuda and of the stocke of Dauid And more ouer that he was not chosen as other menne be as other chiefe priestes be chosen of other priestes who doeth not alwaye chose the beste but that he was chosen of his eternall and heauenly father when he sayed Thow art my sonne this daye haue I begotten the. And the other chiefe preestes were anoynted with a materiall oyle but Christe was anoynted with the holy gooste And they had on suche garmentes as Moses apoynted them by gods commaundement but thapparell of Christe was the whole company of al vertues They offered incense and brute beastes but Christe offered himselfe vpon the crosse with a spirituall and heauenly excellent swete sauor They entred the holy of holyes but Christe entred into heauen and sitteth now at the right hande of the eternal father making intercession for vs obteyning what soeuer he desiereth Whereas before tyme he did put vpon him our infirmities that by the meanes thereof he might bee earnestly sorowful for our miseries So that Christ was chiefe preeste after the ordre of Melchisedeche whiche was muche more excellent thenwas the order of Aaron Neither was he only the sonne of god vnto whome the spirite is geuen without measure and all power and dominion in heauen and in earth in whome all treasures of wisedome and knowledge of god be hid who is full of grace and truethe but in him allo dwelleth a full plenâ—ifullnes of all heuenly thynges And that Christe hathe now taken away Aarons presthod as a thing vnperfect and was but a shadow of this which is more perfecte So that they nowe maye bee accounted trewe preestes which be regenerated by Christe and haue the spirite of god â–ª And them to be the greatter and better prestes who hathe receaued a greater measure and habundance of that heauenly spirite And al y e other to bee prophane wicked notwithstaÌ„dinge that they bee a thousande tymes anoynted ordered and chosen in to the numbre of preestes by the Pope and hys membres Wherefore he sayeth eyther ye haue the spyrite or not yf ye haue not the spirite of God then bee ye no priestes neyther after the order of Melchisedech neither after the order of Aaron because ye be not of hys family Therfore canne ye not be prestes but after the order of Beliall after whose order ye may wel be the chief priestes of all But if ye haue y e spirit of god theÌ„ be ye right precious in dede hiÌ„ shal ye thinke to be y e highest priest of all who is replenyshed with more habundaunce of the spirite of god And because that Christe onely receaued the spirite without measure he onely muste be taken for the trewe onelye and chiefe highe prest And for asmuch as Christ onely is full of light grace truethe power and all heauenlye vertue it were an extreme wickednes ydolatrye and abhominacion to study to robbe Christe of these heauenly giftes and apoynt them to a mortall manne and so muche the more and greater shoulde thabhominacion bee the more we bee assuered that Christe is the chiefe euerlastinge preeste as Dauid prophecied and as it is wrytten to the Hebrewes Wherefore as the chiefe prestes of the Iewes died and another was apointed in hys place by the meanes whereof they were manye So this Christe oure eternall preeste beinge once raysed from deathe dieth no more but is ascended into heauen where nowe he lyueth and reigneth chiefe preeste for euer and is able perfectly to saue all those that comme forthe into the syght of God trustinge vpon hys mediacion It is the office of the chiefe preeste to put hym selfe betwene God and the people to offer for the synnes of menne to praye for theÌ„ and to purchase the fauor of God vnto them But nowe sence Christ hath offered hym selfe vpon the crosse for our synnes and hath pacified the wrath of God the father for euer hah preserued his choseÌ„ once for all y t we shal not more haue any nede of hygh priestes whiche shoulde offer agayne for our offences yf that after all thys we attempt to doe sacryfice agayne for thys ende it can not bee done with out an exceding great iniury of God and open contempt of the sacrifice of Christe We haue no nede at thys present to haue any other meÌ„ to put themselues betwene vs and god as chiefe priestes because that wee obteyne all fauour by Christ onely and alone as by our onely chiefe priest chief head and mediator by whose meanes and for whose sake oure prayer workes and sacrifices be not onely accepted but our selues also Wherfore Christ onely and alone is sufficient for vs neither haue we nede of anye other chiefe priestes because it is a dignitie that no manne liuinge can vse with out y e great offence of God Who knoweth not that Christ onely is called of the holy gost the head of hys churche not onely of the churche militaunt but also of the churche triumphaunt Wherein he shall reygne for euer vntyll the latter daye of iudgement Euen as it is necessarye that he shoulde reygne vntill he hathe put hys enemyes a fote stole to hys feete Christ wyll haue thys highe dignitie of the supreme head in hys churche reserued full and whole to hymselfe As he is the true foundacion of hys churche vnto whom only this dignity worthely agreeth because he is onely one whiche as one supreme head hath the fulnes of the treasures and of the knowledge and wisdome of God and of his fauoure and all vertue Thys is he alone who hauynge the spirite with out measure ruleth and gouerneth his churche as an vniuersall head geuing to other menne as to his inferâ—or membres sundrye gyftes and benefites after a certayne proporcion and measure Wherfore euen as in the spirituall churche of Christe they onely bee trewe priestes who haue the gyft of the holy ghost powred vpon them and they be the greater priestes whiche haue thesame in a more pleÌ„tifull measure And Christ is the onely chiefe prieste who hathe the spirite without measure Of a lyke sort they onely be trewe and lyuelye membres of the bodye of the same churche whiche haue the spirite of god and they be more noble and more worthy who haue thesame spirite more aboundauntly And Christe onely is their head who chiefely and moste aboundantly hathe the spirite ofy e eternall father Wherfore in that the byshop of
stronge reasons interruptyng his tale past all good maners as a mad man in hys fury cryed out with loud voyce and sayed Ye of the East churches bee full of sectes and heresies And therfore haue you of all other most nede of a supreme visible head in yearth by whose authoritie wisdom ye may be gouerned by whom the cōtenciōs that arise amongest you for sundrye interpretacions of scripture maye be pacified y e thīg being declared opened by the censure and iudgemente of the chiefe Byshoppe by the whiche meanes ye myghte knowe the trueth and remayne firme and stable in the trewe fayth quietly For thys cause shoulde you chiefely desire thys supreme head and gouernoure who nowe labour to hynder y e thyng for lacke of knowlage of y e profit that shall enshewe And therfore can I not stey my selfe but must a litle passe the bondes of pacience and speake my mind frely Yf the whole matter were put to me I know what I had to doe I say no more To these wordes thimbassador aunswered quietlye Master Falsidicus ye say yf the whole matter were put to you ye knowe what ye had to doe Bycause these wordes maye bee taken diuerslye seinge you expoūde them not your selfe there is none of vs that can well tel what ye meane by thē some may peraduenture gesse but none cā haue any certain assuraūce So that you onelye knowe what is ment by them euen as Paule wrote What manne is he liuinge that knoweth the inward partes thinwarde thoughtes desiers and craftes of man excepte it bee the spirit of man that dwelleth within him Euē so because men see not thinwarde thoughtes of menne they vnderstande not to what ende theyr wordes tende therefore is it no meruayle yf they atteyne not the perfect knoweledge of those thinges that be spoken namely when the wordes be douteful and ambigouse Therfore with what face dareth the byshop of Rome beinge a mortall manne chalenge vnto him authoritie and iudgement to expounde the worde of God as it shall please hym and to force menne to folowe his exposicion be it ryght or wronge Yt was the holye ghoste and not Peter that opened the mindes of thapostles whereby they myght vnderstande the holy scriptures and he taught them all his whole wyll as Christ promysed before and as Esay did wryte they were taught of god and the lawe of god was prynted in theyr stomakes and written in theyr hartes frō aboue as Hieremie prophecied longe before Iohn shadowed thesame thinge sayinge Ye haue no nede of any mannes helpe whereby to learne for thanoyntinge it selfe that is to saye the holy goste shall teach you all truethe The holy goste is the trewest teacher of al other and one that performeth his promes most haboundantly He is no lyar as men be that breake theyr faythe and promes it is he onely that canne declare the trew sence of the holy scripture it is he only that can open the myndes of menne that canne teach strengthen and stablyshe vs in all trueth and not the bishops of Rome And if you would say that the pope being lightened by the holy goost geueth light to vs I will aunswere fyrst The Pope is not alone lightened with the light of the holy gost For y e holy gost inspireth where as it pleaseth him and destributeth his giftes amongest men to euery one as hys will is Wherefore mens consciences must not bee bounden and tyed to beleue and thinke that the pope only hath the holy gost that the pope only can not erre that the pope onely is aboue the worde of god that the pope only must be the interpreter the declarer and ruler of holy scripture and that all we muste in all pointes obeye the popes iudgement Because that this is ones suer that visible thynges canne bringe no inwarde lyghte nor confirme menne in theyr faythe and quiet and pacify theyr consciences but the holy goost only canne performe al these thinges plentifully What nedeth many wordes he is very Antichriste whiche boasteth himself that he canne geue light to the mind either by an inwarde lyght or by some other meanes then by thexpresse worde of God as the minister of the worde by good example of lyfe and continuall prayer Yf all we should stande or fall by the iudgement of the pope why is there so much labor spent in gatheringe together of counselles Why spende we our lyues with so muche paine in study for knowledge in turninge our bokes yf we shall leane to the onely worde of the pope Then in the name of god let vs be short let vs come to the pope heare his word as it wer an Oracle and let vs worship him as a god But Paule the Apostle teacheth farre after another sorte when he commaundeth two or thre to speake in the churche in order one after another and the rest diligentlye to waye the iudgementes of them that speake And so the iudgement of Ecclesiasticall matters muste be sought for at the church it selfe and not at the pope of Rome And further Paule willeth in especiall wordes that when one of the members of the churche speaketh the truethe bee reueled to another that sitteth by hym that spake fyrste to holde hys peace thoughe he were Pope and gyue eare vnto the latter vnto whome the truethe is disclosed thoughe he bee one of the basest sorte and vnlerned For many tymes god hydeth the secretes of his wisdome from the prudent and wyse of thys worlde and openeth thesame to lytle ones And in another place he maketh Peter equall with the reste sayinge All thinges be yours whether it be Paule or Apollo or Peter as thoughe he shoulde saye let none bee youre superiors besides Christe and hys worde for Peter and Paule bee youre ministers Yea and Peter in the fyrst councell of the Apostles harkened to other declarynge hys owne iudgement in that poynt and geuynge authorytye to the churche to doe what they shoulde thinke good and willinglye and gladlye to obeye the iudgement which the whole congregacion approueth to be perfecte and suer And althoughe Christ sayed I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faythe should not fayle yet foloweth it not therefore that Peter coulde not erre For he erred after that tyme sundrye tymes and namely whē he expresselye denyed Christe the sonne of God But when Christe perceyued Peters temerous boldnes y ◠shortly after he would shamefully denye him to arme and strengthen hym agaynste the temptacion which shoulde insewe lest the greatnes of the fault myght hurle hym downe into desperacion he sayed vnto them Satan goeth about to sift you like chaffe and to vndoe and destroye you Yea you had bene all ready vtterly lost yf I had not praied for you and for the especially Peter by name that thy faythe should not fayle beecause thou wylt fall foulier then the rest and I knowe that God hathe herd my