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
they disable them selfe therby to reforme the abusions errours and heresies which through the craftes sleightes of the fende haue ben brought into the worlde againste the trewe doctrine of Christe and of his gosspel and also againste then samples of holy faders in the primitiue churche and wherof there is no truste of refourmation oncles kynges and princis shortly put to their handes ¶ Of the gatheryng of catholike generall councils The vii chapiter THERE was no auctoritie giuen by Christe to oone apostle aboue an other though peraduenture some reasons myghte be made to proue that Peter oughte to haue some certayne preemynence before the other apostelles but I entende not at this tyme to speake of that preemynence For what soo euer it were it can not be proued by Scripture ne by any other sufficient auctorite wherby any man shulde be bounden to beleue it who was his successoure ne whoo is nowe his successour so that none may claime any preemynence by hym ouer any other Ne it is not redde in Scripture that whan the power of generall councils in the begynnynge of the churche stode in the appostelles and seniours as I haue said before that any of the apostels commaunded an other to come to any council Wherfore it is very lyke whan any doute rose that nedid to haue councill that the apostels and seniours and other of the churche whose presence was necessary of their charitie came to it without any commandement but haply by a charitable and a louynge monition and desyre of one to an nother ne there is not any mention made in scripture that there was any excommunication or interdiction made againste theym that came not for all the mencion that is made Act. xv for the gatherynge of the council at Hierusalem whan the question rose whether circuncisy on shulde be necessary in the newe lawe is that the Apostelles and seniours gathered them selfe to gether to here the matter And in the latter ende of the same chapiter it appereth that the apostles and seniours by assente of the hole churche wrote a letter to the brethern of the gentylles conuerted at Antioch Sirie and Cilyce in whiche countreys the said question fyrst sprang And amonge other thynges they wrote thus vnto them For as moch as we haue harde that some of vs haue come to you and troubled you with wordes tournynge your myndes to whom we gaue no cōmandement so to do It hath pleased vs gathered to gether in one to chose then and to sende to you with oure mooste dere beloued Barnabe and Paule which shal shewe you what we thynke c. And it appereth not that any commaundement was giuen for that gatherynge to gether but that charitie was the very commaundement therin to euery man none other but that Also Act. xxi when the iewes murmured against saynte Paule by cause that as they sayde he taughte the Iewes in the begynnynge of the churche that they shuld not circumcise their children The bretherne at Hierusalem said vnto hym that vopin that matter it behoued to gather the multitude and so it was But it appereth not that any commandement was gyuen for the gatherynge And I haue not harde of any other scripture that warranteth any suche cōmaundement And yet syth the feyned power of Rome beganne it is pretended that suche thynges as at to be doone in the Churche of God muste be done by the commaundement of the by shoppe of Rome and that he muste commaunde all men as well kynges and pryncis as other none excepte spiritual ne temporall and that they muste obey his commaundement and that vppon no lesse peyne then of excommunication or interdiction And that it is he also that is sette to iudge al men and that vpon his welth vnder god the helthe of all the people dothe depende as it is sayd Distinc. xl Si papa And surely these thinges can not be deryuied oute of the mekenesse of Christe whyche as he wytnesse the hym selfe was meke and mylde in harte And I thinke therfore that if it shuld happen hereafter any infydels to be conuerted to the feithe of Christe that they shuld be meruailously astonied whan they heryng of Christis mekenes shulde see suche pride in his mynysters whyche neuertheles pretend the highest perfection in Christis Churche I suppose therfore that it were euen now a thynge moste pleasant to god and the most redy way to encourage infidels to be conuerted and mekely to receyue the faith of Christe that euery kynge and prince in their realmes and dominions before anye other thinge reforme that pride And as for the gatheringe of suche a free catholyque generall councill to be gathered by kynges and princis as I haue saide before it is not to be douted but that euery christen prince by the generall bonde of charitie to the honour of god and to the helthe as well of his owne soule as of the soules of all his subiectes wherof he hath taken moste special cure and charge before any other and for the mayntenance also of the vnitie of faithe in Christis churche wyll fro tyme to tyme as nede shall require charitably agree that suche catholyke generalle councilles as be before rehersed shulde be gathered and to see that suche personnes haue the voyces therin as shall be thought mooste indifferente And if there were a generall councill thus gathered by auctoritie of kynges and princis I thinke it wolde doo more good at one syttyng then many of the generall councylles that haue ben kept in tyme paste by auctoritie of bysshops of Rome and of the clergie haue done in many yeres For the more pitie is they vnder the colour of reformation haue maynteyned right great abusions and vntrewe doctrines whiche of lykelyhode they of them selfe wyll neuer reforme but our lorde of his goodnes may reforme them whan it pleaseth hym Of dyuers lawes and decrees made by the byshops of Rome and the clergie whiche be not onely vntrewe but be also agaynste scripture The. viii chap. IT IS sayde amonge other thynges Distin. xl Si papa that the pope is sette to iudge al men and that no mortall man may reproue hym for whose perpetuall estate as he saith all faythefull people soo moche the more instantly prayeth as they perceyue that of his welthe nexte vnto god their helthe doth depende And these sayinges be not onely vntrue but also agaynste all the textes of scripture that speake of the power of kynges and princes and also agaynste the texte of fraternal correction Matth. xviii for he sayth in the fayde distinction that no man may correcte hym ¶ Also Distinc. xcvi Si imperator amonge other thynges hit is sayde thus God wolde that suche thynges shoulde be disposed by priestes as perteyne to the churche and not by seculer powers and that christen Emperours ought to submyt theyr executions to ecclesiasticall byshoppes and not preferre them And in the same distinction ca. Nunquam de episcopis it is sayde princis
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
haue the voices in suche councilles and none but they Also that they haue power to make bysshops and none but they to gyue all benefices and spirituall dignities through all christendome to be the vnyuersall byshoppe throughe al dyocises and to bisite in all places seculer and reguler whan they wyll to haue first fruites of all bysshoprickes and of all other spirytuall dygnities Also that they and the clergye make the churche and that such a churche as may not erre and that they haue auctoritie to expounde and declare the doubtes of scrypture and that all men are bounde to stand to that declaration And that they haue auctoritie by the lawe of god to make excommunications and they except therin neyther treasons murders ne felonyes ne yet kynge ne prince They pretende also that they maye make lawes and that all temporal lawes muste gyue place to them also they haue pretended that they maye graunte full pardone a pena culpa and archeby shoppes and cardinals haue pretended y t they might graunte an C. dayes of pardone and euery byshop xl dayes And al bysshops haue pretended that they may make absolutions in many cases where other prystes maye not And al priestes haue made pretence that they maye put away synne and that they maye determyne by power of the keys who is worthy to be admytted into the kyngdome of heuen and who not And all these pretences and many mo here omitted whiche the people haue bene instructed in tyme paste to be trewe be not only vntrewe but also many of theym be heresye and be directly agaynste scripture and none of them can be affermed ne made perfite by custom prescription vse ne by acceptance of the people for they be vntrewe doctrines and an vntrue doctrine can not be reformed tyl it be clerely broken and put away wherfore the len ger they contynue the greatter is the offence in them that maynteyne them And amongest other thynges the greatest hynderaunce of the true doctryne of the gospell and of the perfection of all christen religion the increasynge of heresies and vntrue doctrines haue growen by reson of these pretences folowynge That is to saye that the bysshop of Rome shuld be heed of the vnyuersall churche and that he shuld haue power to sommon general councilles and that byshoppes and pristes shuld only haue the voices in them haue power to expounde the doutes of scripture And I entend now bryfely as I canne to touche some thynge of generall councylles and fyrste I wyll speke of suche catholyke generall counsayles as be appoynted to be kepte by the lawe of god and then of suche councylles as haue ben kepte in tyme paste by the power of the byshops of Rome By what auctorite the catholyke generall councilles fyrste began and what power they haue The fyfthe chapiter VVHEN a man maketh a testament he hath a desyre to haue it performed and he wyl therfore in the beste maner that he can deuyse suche wayes as may moste helpe to the perfourmance therof whervppon it foloweth that sythe our maister Chrysle whiche was and is of moste hyghe wysedome power and goodnesse made a testament which he wolde shulde contynue to thende of the worlde that he wold prouide howe that testamente shulde be perfourmed and bycause it was expediente that there shulde be alwaye certaine powers in his churche that shulde se the execution therof he assygned certayne powers therto in such maner as I shal touche herafter and those powers he appoynted according to the times then to come in his churche to the ende of the worlde wherof the fyrste was the tyme that folowed immediately after his passyon whan the churche was in the begynnynge and in maner as in her infancye to the tyme that kynges and prynces were conuerted whiche by thauctoritie that they had receyued of god ouer his people myght take rule and gouernaunce therof The other tyme was from the sayd time that kynges and prynces were conuerted to the ende of the worlde And for the good order and direction of his testamente in the firste of the sayde tymes he gaue power to his apostles and disciples by this texte When he sayd to Peter in the name of all the appostles and of all the hole churche tyll kynges and pryncis shulde be conuerted to the say the. What soo euerye bynde vpon the erthe shall be boundē in heuens for there were none other thenne that coulde and wolde take the gouernaunce vppon them but onely they and therfore the appostles and dyscyples onely without assystaunce of kynges and prynces or any other of the people by auctoritie of the sayd texte in the name of the hole church for the time appoynted Mathie in the place of Iudas And they also for thencreasynge of the more loue and honour in the hartes of y e peple to the name of Iesu altered the forme of baptime instituted by Christ and commanded that all men shulde be baptised in the name of Iesu. And they also chase the. vii deacons to mynistre to the tables that they them selfe myght attende to prayour and preching And they appointed also that the goodes of them that were conuerted in the begynnynge of the churche if the owners had deuocyon so to do shulde be broughte and leyed at the appostles fete to the comon vse of the multytude of the Christen people then newly conuerted And those directions they made in their owne names bycause there were then no other men conuerted that myght conueniently be ioyned with them in councilles but after whanne other were conuerted that myght be conueniently ioyned with them in Councilles then they toke the seniours of the peple with them in councylles in the name of the hole churche as appereth Acto xv and. xxi and that they dyd also by auctoritie of the said text Mat. xvi for there were no kynges then conuerted that myghte take that power vpon them as is sayde before And al this tyme the Apostels were the hyghe rulers in all the sayd concylles tils but when kynges and pryncis were conuerted to the faythe then the power to see the saide testament of Christe to be duely executed was deuolute to kynges and princis as heedes and rulers ouer the people and that was by the texte What so euer ye bynde vppon erthe shall be bounden in heuen for tho wordes Christ speke to the disciples and to all the people there beinge presente in the name of the vniuersal church and that texte is the verye grounde and warrante of the kepynge of all catholyke generall councilles that haue ben or shall be to thende of the world And here it is to be notid that when Kynges and prynces were infidels they had theyr power of god ouer the people and when they became chrystened they loste none of that power but had it and to this daye haue it in moche more gratyous and excellent maner than they had before And
be wont to submyt theyr heddes to byshops and not to iudge vpon theyr hedes And howe farre these sayinges be agaynste the trouthe and howe directely agaynste the power of kynges and princes to theym gyuen by scripture It wyll appere to theym that wylle rede the textes recyted in the fyrste chapiter of this treatyse ¶ Also xxiii q. viii Omni timore heuenly rewarde is promysed without doubte to all theym that dye for the trouthe of the faithe for saluation of the couÌ„trey and for defence of christen people and yet it is no doubte but that a man maye dye in deedly synne without repentance in all those cases and if he do soo he shall not be saued And that sayinge also is dyrectly agaynst diuers scriptures that speake of penaunce and of tournynge of our hartes to god for the very true penaunce is contricion of harte with a full purpose neuer after to offend and none but that ¶ Also Distinct. xix Enim uero the byshop of Rome saithe thus For as moche as the churche of Rome in the whiche Christe wyl we haue the rule is sette as a glasse and an example to other euery thynge that it commaundeth is alway without denieng of euery man to be obserued And soo it apperethe that as Christe byddeth precisely that his commaundementes be kepte that soo lykewyse the byshoppe of Rome say the as precysely withoute exception that the commaundementes of the churche of Rome are to be obserued And vndoubtedlye that sayenge is vntrue and was grounded vpon a greate presumption for the byshoppes of Rome haue made many lawes that may not be obserued as before appereth And there is a lawe of lyke effecte in the same xix distinction Nulli fas est as to the reder wyll appere ¶ Also Distinc. lxxxvi Quando necessitas the byshoppe of Rome say the to all prelates thus whan the necessitie of discipline in good maners coÌ„pelleth you to speke sore wordes so that ye thynke ye haue exceded yet it is not asked of you that ye shall aske forgyuenes of your subiecte leste haply the auctoritie of gouernaunce by she wynge ouer moche mekenes might be broken in them that shulde be subiectes but yet he agreeth that in suche case forgiuenes muste be asked of god And it is to be meruayled what gouernaunce prelates shulde haue that shuld be broken with mekenes For Christe hadde no gouernaunce but that it agreed well and stode hole with mekenes and therfore he said I am meke and mylde in harte ¶ Fynally this distinction is directely agaynst the gospell where our maister Christe commaundeth a reconsiliation to our broder before we make our offerynge for this distinction excepteth prelates therof wheÌ„ they excede in wordes and yet they be not excepted in the sayde gospell ¶ Also xxvi q. i. Sunt quidam the bishoppe of Rome sayth amonge dyuers other thynges that suche thinges as the Euangelistes and prophetes speke not of he maye make newe lawes and he neyther excepteth lyfe londes nor goodes and that pretence is so vntrewe that I thynke verelye there is not one of the clergy at this day that wyl pretende that the clergye maye make lawes of suche thynges thoughe peraduenture somme wolde thinke that they maye make lawes of suche thynges as they calle spiritualle But the truthe is that they maye not make anye lawes of the one ne of the other And yf they did they shoulde doo directely againste dyuers textes of scrypture whiche gyue power in that behalfe to kynges and princis whereof parte be recited before And ouer that yf all the lawes made by bysshoppes of Rome and other bishoppes and the clergie in tyme paste were throughly serched there wolde appere besyde the lawes before remembred ryght many decrees and canons agaynste scripture and againste the power of kynges and princis and that also gyue more occasioÌ„ to pride than to mekenesse and that be like wyse righte harde and greuous as welle to many of the clergye as to the hole multitude of the people And yet it is to be doubted that yf these matters and other lyke shuld be commytted to the bysshoppe of Rome and to the clergie to be reformed in suche councils as haue bene vsed in tyme paste and wherin bysshops and pristes haue only had the voices that right small refourmation shuld folowe thervpon Wherfore kinges and princis now in this daungerous tyme are bounden in conscieÌ„ce to loke the more diligently vppon suche matters ¶ And this treatyse intendeth not that all ministrations and ceremonies whiche haue ben vsed in tyme paste by custome and by the lawe of man shulde be auoyded and clerely set asyde ne yet that defaute shulde be found in the bishop of Rome and in the clergie and to reste there and go no ferther but rather that suche abusyons superstitions as haue risen by occasion of some of the said ministrations and ceremonies of the bishops of Rome the clergye shuld be reformed brought to the true trade of Christes doctrine And that it shuld also be openly shewed and declared to the worlde by what auctorytie the mynystrations and ceremonies nowe vsed amonge the people and also the power of the bishoppes of Rome and of the clergy fyrst began For if true and playne declaration were made in that behalfe it wolde vndoutedly appere that the bysshops of Rome and the clergy haue vnder the colour of the law of god claymed many mo thin ges thenne it gyueth vnto theym and whiche hathe venne in theym a right greatte offence and hath ben also one of the greattest occasyons wherby the charitie peace and quietnes amonge the people haue ben broken and the puritie of Christes doctrine in maner broughte into a hole ceremoniall fashion of lyuing after the deuyce and doctrine of the clergie And if suche thynges were reformed it is very like that trouth whiche is God hym selfe and his trewe doctrines wolde shortly after appiere in the worlde and boldelye shewe theyr faces throughe all christen realmes FINIS Londini in aedibus Thomae Bertheleti regii impressoris excus ANNO. M. D. XXXVIII CVM PRIVILEGIO Iob. 36. Psal. 2. roue 8. api 6. api 6. Ecclesiases 1. Luce. 22. Ad TituÌ„ 3 1. Pet. 2. 1. ReguÌ„ 1. Par. 1 Rom. 13 Par. 28 Par. 8. 2. Par. 5 4. Re. 2 4. Re. 23 Mar vlâ— atth 16. Acto Acto Acto atcto 25. 21. atth 16. Matth. â— Ecclesiates 5. 〈…〉 om 13. 2. Cor. 1â— â—â—tth 11. â—â—tth 5.