in this poynt euen as the mother after she hathe conceaued and brought forth a childe she is alwayes the childes mother be she neuer so euell neither can the Emperour cause her leaue of to bee a mother or make her not to haue had a chylde whome she hathe brought forthe because that thinge is once done and past of a lyke sorte after that I am once made the mother of al other churches that by Themperors authorite Themperour can not bring it to passe with al the power he hath that I shal not be euermore the mother of them whome I haue begotten The people ▪ And howe may it bee that you haue begotten al churches when it is euident that ther was a great number before you yea and that you wer begotten of other The churche O braynles head Knowest thou not that when Christ honge vpon the crosse and shewed Iohn to hys mother and sayed woman beholde thy sonne forthwith he was made her trewe and naturall sonne so that after those wordes once pronounced it shall be alwayes trewe that Iohn was borne of her Now of the same fashion when the Emperor sheweth vnto me all churches and saythe behold thy doughters by by am I made theyr trew lawfull naturall mother And then began thys sentence fyrst to be trewe that they were all borne of me and therfore canne it not bee but that I begat them and am theyr mother for euer The people Chryste by thys worde mynded to declare nothynge els to his mother but that she should from thence forward take Iohn in stede of her sōne and that he should take Mary in stede of his mother as he alwayes dyd but his mynde was not that she shoulde be Iohns naturall mother as she was that conceaued and bare him The churche Loe nowe ye come in with your tropes and figures the wordes of Christe are simply to bee vnderstanded Christ sayd to hys mother behold thy sonne and he sayd to Iohn beholde thy mother so that it folowethe wel Mary was Iohns very trew mother and Iohn was Maries very trewe sonne but howe this thinge may be it behoueth vs not curiosly to serche Of a lyke fashion the wordes which Christe spake at hys last supper when he there ministred to his disciples taking breade into his handes and deliuerynge it broken to them that sat with him sayinge this is my body be semply and planly to be vnderstanded that is to say that the bread is the very body of Christe and not the breade is a figure of the body of Christ of the very same fashion the Emperours wordes muste be taken when he shewed me all churches sayinge behold thy doughters these wordes must be vnderstanded plainly as they stand wherfore I conclude that they be my trewe lawfull doughtets and I am theyr mother The people What when you neuer begat them I neither knewe nether cold beleue that the Emperoure had euer any such authority that he could make that thīg to be done which was neuer done in this world that is to say that he could make you brīg forth those churches which ye neuer brought forth Yf themperour haue so greate power that he canne make those thinges to haue ben whiche were neuer no doubt he can bring to passe also that those thinges were neuer which haue ben and so may he cause also that ye neuer wer neither euer shal be theyr mother I woulde very fayne that ye coulde perswad thesame thinge which ye tolde me to your monkes and prestes that is that the wordes of Christ are simply to be vnderstāded without any trope or figure as this other saiing of Christ is some there be whiche haue geldyd thēselues for the kingedō of god for takinge it plainly they would gelde themselues and let my women alone vndefiled neither would they be stayned with so much wicked filthines which thynge they should more willynglye do for that they so frowardlye defend that they wyll take no wyues To possesse thynges not nedefull appereth to me not only superfluose but also folyshe Thys woulde I lerne of you when themperour sayed vnto you beholde thy doughters what thīg was it y t he shewed vnto you The churche All churches The people The churches of Christ or the churches of the Deuell The curche I am indifferent The people If it be as you saye I thynke he shewed vnto you the churches of Satan As touchynge my parte I dare boldly saye there is no cause why I should reioyse in this dignitie but rather lament for wheras before I was your onelye sonne and heyre now when ye haue a meany of doughters ye must giue to euery one of thē theyr dowery so that I shal remayne a beggar The church Naye thou shalt bee rychest of all other knowe ye not the fashion of the turkes which selleth theyr doughters for a certaine sūme of money to thē that shal be theyr husbandes so will I sell my churches and byshoprikes to them that will giue moste money and so shall the spoyle of all other prouinces come immediatly to Rome The people Then will ye commit simonie and norishe a den of theues The churche I tolde thee afore that I can not erre and so must thou beleue if thou wilt be accounted my sonne yea although thou sawest me commit dayly all kindes of abhominacion The peo This cānot be except I lose my fiue wittes The churche Naye I woulde ye shoulde not onelye be persuadyd that I cannot erre but also that I am most holy ought to be called most holy after such a sort that he which nameth me holy not most holy is to be thought not to speake of me The people Then when the Apostles in the Crede saye we muste beleue one holy churche wee must not thynke that sayng to belong to you But I heard say not longe agone a thynge more to bee wondered at that our Byshop is made most holy of all and moste blissed of all other a goddes name The churche Thou hittest the nayle on the head The people Then as concerning holynes he shal be superior to Christ who by the authoritie of scripture is named holy of holies but this good blode of ours is called by the mouthes of mē most holy Therefore should he not desire to come into heauē For be it that he were there euen nowe more then blissed should he not be and being in yearth he is accountyd most blissed Wherfore he should not ascende to a higher state of felicitie but rather descende to a lower And it is maruayle yf thangelles and Saynctes whiche be in heauen come not with spede to Rome and there begynne to sue for thys dignitie of the Byshopryke of Rome that they may be made more blissed and more holy then they nowe be I heard more ouer that he is declared the head of all other churches Thechurch So it is in dede The people Had not then the misticall bodye of the
A tragoedie or Dialoge of the vniuste vsurped primacie of the Bishop of Rome and of all the iust abolishyng of the same made by master Barnardine Ochine an Italian translated out of Latine into Englishe by Master Iohn Ponet Doctor of Diuinitie neuer printed before in any language Anno Do. 1549 ¶ To the moost myghtye and moste excellent Prince Edwarde the syxte by the grace of God Kynge of Englande Fraunce and Irelande defendor of the faithe and in earth Supreme head of the churche of England and Irelande Bernardinus Ochinus Senensis wisheth all felicitie ALthough god of his mere goodnes hath geueÌ„ to your Maiestie moste rich treasures moste large kingdomes speciall grace and loue of al people moste high nobilitie of bludde moste singuler ornamentes bothe of the body and of the minde partely commyng onely of God and partely through hys fauour obtayned also by your industry beside other innumerable graces whiche it hathe pleased god to endue youre hyghenes withall Yet neuertheles all these thinges ought not nor cannot bee compared to that benefite whiche he hathe shewed vnto you in geuing vnto you in such a darke world and in so tendre age suche clere light of Christ that albeit in thys worlde he was poore lowe dispiced and crucified and your Maiestie is so riche so highe in so great honour and all kyndes of felicitie Yet not only you knowleadge and take hym for youre Lorde and maister but also you loue hym and that in suche sorte that for the loue whiche you beare vnto hym you haue suche a godly hatred to his enemies that folowing the blessed memory of your father fyrste with the fauour of god and than with the aduise of your most derest vncle the lorde Protector and of other youre trusty and faithfull Counseylours you haue dryuen hym out of your Realmes and Dominions hym who among all the wicked hathe the highest place and is moste aduersary to Christ and therfore is he and may wourthely be called Antichriste Now remayneth nothing behinde but that with hym you dryue away also as you haue begon his lyes errours Hypocrisy Symonye Robbery supersticion Idolatrye and all wickednes And than if Pirrus Alexander magnus Anibal Scipio Affricanus and Iulius Cesar had noble victories and tryumphes in thys world howe much more shall your noble actes farre passe al them and theyr actes in the sight of God aungelles and men for asmuch as you being yet but almost a babe shall ouerthrowe the most mighty most crafty most wycked and cruell tyraunte that euer was or euer shal be in the worlde deliuering your subiectes from a longe and miserable bondage and captiuitie And yet forasmuche as many suche as bee blynd and doe take hym for theyr god in erthe where as they ought most hyghly to commende youre Maiestie for your godly proceadinges peraduenture will speake euill of so excellent an acte I thought it my parte for the duetye that I owe to god and to your Maiestie to shewe vnto such men the beginnynge of thys their Papacie and howe it encreased and came into so hyghe estimacion amonge the blinde people So that they perceauinge theyr weake false ruinouse and deuilishe foundacion maye leaue theyr faytâ— whiche they haue in hym and geue glorye to God and to your Maiestie to whome I praye god to â—â—unte a longe and moste blessed lyfe ¶ The parties that doe speake in thys Dialoge are these i. Lucifer and Beelzebub ii Boniface the third Doctour Sapience secretary to the Emperour iii. The people of Rome The churche of Rome iiii The Pope mans iudgement and the people of Rome v. Thomas Massuccius the master of the horse Lepidus the popes chaÌ„berlain vi Lucifer and Beelzebub vii Christ and Michaell and Gabriell archangels viii Kinge Henry the viii and Papista and Thomas Archbisshop of Cantorbury ix Kyng Edward the vi and the lorde Protector ¶ A Tragoedie or Dialoge of the vniust vsurped primacie of the Byshop of Rome of the iust abolishinge of the same made by master Barnardine Ochine an Italian and translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Master Iohn Ponet Doctor of Diuinitie Lucifer and Beelzebub MY deare faithful brethren and most enttierly beloued frendes for asmuche as I knowe howe muche profite ariseth of the labour paines that ye take in the world be ye well assuered that I woulde not haue wylled you to assemble here together in Hell at thys present were there not some great profyte to our common wealth arising of the same that moued me so to doe Ye know right wel my brethren frendes howe wrongfully and vniustly our enemy God without any our fault or deseruing hurled vs downe out of heauen hedlonge and also ye knowe what greuouse torment miserye and calamitie we haue susteyned euer sinâ—e that tyme. And althoughe he wyll nedes reigne alone in heaueÌ„ cannot abyde felowe to be ioyned with him in that kingdome but doeth vsurpe it whole to hym selfe alone yet yf he woulde haue left to vs some dominion in earth this torment and misery of ours might better haue bene borne But wheras we had by muche trauayle and busynes obteyned and inioyed as it were by oure prescription of many yeares the dominion of the world se you not howe he hath sent y e same sonne of his whome they call Christe to marre all that euer we haue made and vtterly to destroy that we haue buylded doe ye not perceaue how that fellow Christ beynge nayled vpon the crosse droweth all men to him and doe ye not perceaue what a number of meÌ„ which before were of our syde be nowe fled to him there to be souldiars vnderneth his banner Yf his Apostles beyng but twelue made such a commotion throughe out the whole world what a ruffell thinke ye wyll so many thousandes make whome they by theyr teaching haue turned Certainly by coniecture it shoulde seeme that the matter wyll daylye waxe worse and worse oules this great mischiefe â—e wyselye prouided for inseason elles wyll it at lengthe come to passe that our scepter royall shal be plucked out of our handes and our dominion vtterlye taken away from vs. But after longe consultinge and dyuising there is now come into my head a very handsome imaginacion wherby we may destroy the kingdome of Christ and stablysh our kyngdome for euer Yf we attempte to oppresse the members of Christe with persecucion and tirrannye we shall that waye but increase more and more our owne sorow For as we be sufficiently taught by longe experience they bee so persed and led with a zeale to y e glorye of god so carried with a vehemeÌ„t heuenly spirit that they contempne all thinge sauinge Christ onely And this one thing semeth much to be maruailed at that whaÌ„ they be spoiled for y e glory of Christ or baÌ„nished in to exile or lose their honour their contrey their substaunce yea or their lyfe also yet they earnestlye triumphe and be
churche a head before nowe Yf it were so it myghte well be accounted monster lyke And I meruayle very muche howe it coulde lyue The churche Oh Christe was the head The people Then the Emperour hath taken away Christ and put our Byshop in hys place The churche Nay not so but he hathe ioyned thys head to the churche and yet doeth Christ remayne The people That talke is more shamefull Was not Christe hable to gouerne his church as an vniuersal head In the beginninge of the primatiue churche a lytle whyle after the churche of Christe dyd florish very muche and was wonderfully replenished and yet had it none other head but Christe He onely as a true head dyd gouerne it and that excedinglye well by the instrumentes of hys ministers Maye it come to passe at any tyme that Christe beinge weried with his painfull gouernaunce woulde nowe rest him so that he nowe hath committed it to themperours discrecion to apoynt some suffragan and helper in hys stede or els truely is he muche displeased with hys churche and loueth it no more neither regardeth the gouernaunce therof but withdraweth his spirite frō it and so shall he be a lyar in that he sayth I am with you to y e worldes ende Furthermore themperor as it apereth is more carefull for the church of Christ then god him selfe For when god withdrewe Christ from his churche themperour hathe prouided it another head But accordinge to the doctrine of Paule we be not ignoraūt y t the militant congregaciō of Christe is as one body whose head is was euer shal be Christ himselfe He as the only trewe head hath gouerned it hetherto syngularly well and will also gouerne it vntyll the latter daye of iudgement and euen vntill suche tyme as he hath subdued his enemies and put them vnder hys feete Thynke ye that christian men be suche bussards that they wyll beleue Christe and hys spirite to be taken awaye vp into heauen as into a place apoynted for hys maiestie and is there conteyned as a triumphinge head of the triumphaunte churche And for that cause the Emperoure hathe apoynted another head of the churche militant in the stede of him that is absēt Yf it be so ye must of force graunt that theselfe same head for asmuche as it is destitute of the spirite of Christe hathe the spirite of the deuyll so shall it be a deuelishe head And yf the churche militant shall from hence forthe haue two heades surely it shall bee a thynge lyke a monster Neither canne I perceyue by coniecture howe two headdes being equall in power and most contrary in condicion maye quietly and safely liue to gether and gouerne at one tyme one speciall charge Uerely it is to be feared so wonderfull is the pryde of oure Byshop bred by the bone that he wyll dryue Christe out of dores from hys owne kyngdome But peraduenture thys thyng is trewe yf oure Byshoppe be once made supreme head of the churche militant by the meanes wherof he maye be estemed aboue Christe it maye so be that he wyll suffer after a sorte that at the lest wayes he maye vse hys seruice as he were a slaue But I canne neuer bee persuadyd that he wyll suffer hymselfe by anye meane to be taken for an vnderlyng to Christ. The curche Thynke not that his power hath anye ende For euen as all power in heauen and in yearthe is geuen vnto Christe so is it likewise geuen to him The people Yea and further also both in purgatory and in hel But speake no more of his power for surely he wyll take more vpon hym then I woulde wish Another doubt I haue wherunto I would haue you answere me yf ye can Shall he be a common head to all other churches Th◠hurche Yea verelie The people Of late I learned of them that bee sene in logike that perticuler menne bee those whiche laboure and doe any thynge but manne that is commen and generall to all men doeth nothyng Then yf he be a commen man he shall neither see heare perceyue nor vnderstande and so shall he bee nothynge elles but a very blocke or image The churche But thou thyselfe shalte well perceyue that he can see heare perceyue and worke The people I beleue it forsoth that he wyl swalow vp largely yea the riches of other churches But tel me howe that maye be That he maye worke beynge a man that is commen to all men The churche He shal be a perticuler man also The people Whye then shall he not be one onelye but he shal be two O what a foole am I and howe dull witted Nowe loe I leue wondrynge For as I heare say as sone as he is made Pope he speaketh no more in the singular number but in the plurall so y t he doeth no more saye this I wil doe or say as they were wont in times past whē they wer but one man but now he sayeth we wyll doe and we will say because that nowe he is made a double man I am also resolued nowe in another doubt whereof I shoulde neuer haue ben answered yf ye had not made me perceyue it The churche What doubt is that The people I haue hearde many tymes saye that after he is created Pope he can not erre as the Pope but yet he maye many tymes as a man erre The churche That is very trewe The people Nowe I am sure of thys trueth that as he is Pope and a common man he can not worke any thyng neither erre The churche Nay as he is Pope he worketh wonders can not erre because of the holy gost which is assistant vnto hym The People Then by your sayng he can not be at one tyme a Pope and a man for thē myght he at one time erre and not erre He myght erre as a manne and not erre as the Pope Therfore at some tyme must he be a Pope and no man and then can he not erre But yet can I not well perceaue what monstrous beaste thys may be which is a Pope and no man and agayne an other time a man no Pope And I meruayle wonderfully that they will robbe the Popeshipe so much of so great a dignitie and so to leaue him a bare man Howe beit I beleue in dede althoughe of an other sort that no Pope can erre because that Christ euer hathe bene and euer shal be the very onely and true head of hys churche neuer shall there bee anye other Pope or head of Christes churche The church I dare not affirme that our Byshoppes can neuer be heretikes The people Peraduenture some haue bene The churche If any suche thyng chaunce in that he is an heretike he cesses to be Pope Yet is this thyng trewe that ye must obey hym and alowe him so long for Pope vntyll he bee iudged and condemned for an heretike and be deposed from hys Popshipe by the authorytie of a generall counsell The people
and afterward intending to ascend into heauen because he coulde not be at the selfe same tyme in heauen and aâ—so susteyne and gouerne his congregacion as though it had bene one tyred with rulynge and laboringe left Peter in his place and so after theÌ„ all the Bishops of Rome in ordinary succession Howe beit yf men and not Christ were the foundacion of the churche of christendome whiche dyd susteyne and beare thesame trewlye it shoulde haue weake and verye feble pillers to leaue vpon and so feble that it woulde not once but more then a thousand tymes haue ben ouerthrowen namely because this thing is without controuersie When the Byshope of Rome is dead there is not by and by another chosen in his roume but some dayes at the least come betwen wherin the church of Christ should lacke a head thoughe it neuer lacked one at any tyme elles Nowe maye you perceyue whether the churche were then destroyed or not And this dare I boldlye saye yf the churche of Christ shoulde leane vpon men after thys sorte as vpon the foundacion hell gates had preuayled agaynst it longe before thys tyme. Furthermore yf we were grounded vpon men and shoulde trust to them as to oure grounde worke and foundacion we shoulde be all accursed accordyng to the sayng Cursed be that manne whiche putteth hys trust in manne And then shoulde not our churche be the churche of Christ but the Sinagoge of Satan and Peter shoulde haue erred excedyngly Christe beyng lyfted vp in to the highe place of heuen and he lefte for the foundacion of the churche in earthe in y t he exhorteth Christian men not to buylde vpon hym but vpon Christe the true and suer foundacion and grounde worke of his churche And this also is very true Euen as Christ dyd not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he sayed but whom saye you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they al being demauÌ„ded should euery one haue answerid for theÌ„selues But there was muche communicacion amongest theÌ„ at suÌ„dry times before they al coÌ„fessed with one accorde that he was the sonne of God althoughe Iudas with a lyuelye faythe beleued not so And Christ at another time asked al his Apostles wyll you also depart Peter onely in the name of the reste made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Whiche thing is euident of the wordes that folowe to whom shal we goe we knewe beleued longe agon that thou art Christ the very sonne of the liuing God Of a lyke sort he aunswered in the name of them all when he spake these wordes Thou art Christe the sonne of God And because Peter in the name of them all confessed Christe to be the sonne of god ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke will I buyld my church â–ª that he spake not onely to Peter but to them all althoughe it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayed Peter onely is not the liuely rocke but all suche as folowinge hys example verelye beleue and confesse Christ to be the sonne God be liuely rockes which be buylded vpon the vnchauÌ„geable precious corner stone Christ the only foundacion of his church But I praye you tell me in good earnest what sayed master Falsidicus to such thiÌ„ges as were obiected Lepi. Would ye know sayed he how Christ minded by these wordes to make Peter the foundacion and head of his church Reade the wordes that folow ye shal perceyue that he spake to Peter wheÌ„ he sayd To thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde in yearth it shall also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in yearthe it shall be loosed in heauen Yt is not to be thought but that Christ being most true of hys promise performed most habouÌ„dantly y t whatsoeuer he promysed Peter And so muste it bee graunted that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peter therfore hath he power to open and to shit vp heauen to whome so euer it shall please hym and to bringe in and dryue out whome he shal thinke mete as he will him selfe so may he lose also and bynde And forasmoche as by the woordes of Christe Peter only had thauthority to loose binde to opeÌ„ and shut heuen it foloweth that Christ gaue authoritie ful and whole to Peter and ordeyned him onely to bee head of hys churche Mas. Yf onely Peter and the byshoppes of Rome haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they only haue power to open thesame forsothe I would not dye when the sea of Rome is vacant and voyd of a byshop For then shoulde there bee no body whiche shoulde open heauen gates to me And I maruayle more ouer of whome they gatte the keyes of purgatory for it apereth by theyr own coÌ„fession that Christ gaue hym none other keâ—es but of the kyngdom of heauen onely But I coulde haue choked hym euen with one worde Lepi. Howe Mas. Thus would I haue sayed Themperours porter hathe the keye of themperour hys court and hathe authoritie to open and shit and the Mayor of a citie hathe authoritie to bynde and loose and yet neither of them bothe is themperour Of a like sorte be it that Peter had the keyes authorytie to binde and lose it followeth not therfore that he is the head and lord of the churche of god that he is equall with Christe or elles at leste his vicar of equall authoritie by whome our faythe may be stable and suer that he is the vmpieâ— and iudge of all controuersies whiche arise in holie scripture But tell me thys one thynge what answere made thembassadour of Constantinople to thys thinge Lepidus Fyrste he aunswered that Christ gaue not the keyes euen then to Peter but promysed them only not doutinge but that Christe kept promes with him But he was desirous to know of master Falsidicus the time when he deliuered the keies to Peter and gaue him thauthoritie to louse to bind what wordes he sayed when he gaue them For by that meanes the trueth might appere what was ment by these keyes and what is thys authoritie To thys master Falsidicus made aunswere That he assuered Peter of them when after hys resurrection he asked Peter whether he loued hym more earnesâ—ly then the rest dyd or not vnto whome Peter made aunswere saying Thou knowest O Lord that I loue the then Christ gaue him iniunccion to feede his shepe In the very selfe same houre he made him the chiefe shepard and bishop of al soules TheÌ„ Thembassador of Constantinople smylinge sayed yf preachinge the worde of God be the fedinge of soules as the holy doctors with one assent doeth expound it it is with out dout that that office was not onelye gyuen to Peter but also to
or herd of The Emperor knoweth not how much ambicion gyle malice craft and wickednes reygneth in hym he hathe begonne to broode in hys bosome suche a yonge adder as wyll shortly shot vp to a mightie dragon and wyll at lengthe digge out his owne eyes This priestlynge in continuaunce of tyme wyll so growe in ambicion pryde and bostyng in vayne glory that he will stablishe hys seate aboue the dignitie of Themperours There wyll a tyme come and it is now very nye at hand when it shal be nedefull for the Emperour if he will haue hys crowne he shall aske it receyue it if it please him to geue it at our bishops handes and that he shall come as an humble suter to hym and kysse his fete and he in the name of God a very holy byshoppe shall trede with hys fote vpon the Emperours throte Neyther wyll he bee contented with all that ignominy but in conclusion he wyll stryke of his heade Yt maye chaunce peraduenture that themperours name onelye shall remayne vnto hym but he shall not possesse one foote of land which shall properly be called themperours O lamentable state of thee O people of Rome What misery arte thou falling into Thou shalt bee taken from y e great dominion and noble renowme wherin thou diddest floryshe in tymes paste and shortly shalt bee made a dryuen drudge and a vile slaue of a most foule castaway priest Yf our old aūceant noble harted Romās shoulde lyue in those dayes how woulde they abide it when they should see the sacred senat house replenished with so many wycked theues But I see the churche of Rome comminge out of the church of S. Iohn Lateran she semeth to iourney towardes me and I desiere very muche to common with her I haue met her ī good time God saue you holy churche of Rome The churche Wishe ye me to bee saued when as I within this fewe dayes haue gotten so muche saluacion and helthe by the reason of the wonderfull dygnitie that I haue receaued at themperours handes whereby I am the mother of all other churches that the helth of al the whole world dependeth vpon me Therfore must not I receaue thys thynge of other but communicat it to all other The people Sence I vnderstode that our byshoppe is changed by the Emperour from most reuerend to most holy and most blessed I haue bē more troubled then euer was man and many and sundry doubtes doeth vexe my brayne The churche Shew me your doutes and I will resolue you fully in them al for ye know right wel that there is nothynge to be douted of myne answere I am now made blameles so that I can no more erre The People Tell me in good faithe had ye neuer a begynninge The churche Yes without question The people And who was youre mother that conceaued you The churche The churche of Hierusalem as it was forspokē by Esay the prophet The lawe came out of Sion and euen so the worde of god from Hierusalem Therfore when Christ ascended into heuen ther remayned none other churche in earthe besides the churche of Hierusalem and she by the ministery of thapostles begat all other churches The people Yf the churche of Hierusalem bee youre mother as ye confesse her to be howe then cōmeth it to passe now that the self same mother is made your doughter The churche O immortall god what a grosse phylosopher ye seme to be For euen as ye knowe ryght well that the selfsame virgin Mary is both the mother and doughter of Christe euen so am I my selfe the doughter of the church of Hierusalem also the mother of her and all other churches The people O how blynde was I now I perceaue howe the matter standeth As the vyrgyne Mary is the carnall mother of Christ also Christes doughter spiritually so be you where as in tymes paste ye were the spirituall doughter of the church of Hierusalem within this fewe daies ye are made the carnal mother of thesame churche and al other Nowe then seinge ye be the carnal mother of al churches ye shal as a carnal body be shortly infected so infected that in short time ye shall depraue destroy w t youre poison rottennes slander and corrupciō al other churches as well as your selfe And when they all be once poysened as ye bee ye shall beget them to hell as in tymes paste the churche of Hierusalem your spirituall mother begat you to Christe Suerly I maruayled howe ye could otherwise regenerat the church of Christe whiche is gouerned with the spirite of god els is it not the churche of Christe excepte ye gaue vnto it the spirite of the deuill for there is but onlye one holye spirite whiche continueth for euer The church I will be theyr spirituall mother and as a spiritual mother I wil comfort them giue sucke to them and noryshe them to Christe The people Nay ye will suck al the blude from thē and if ye fortune to gyue thē suck it shal be with the mylke of adulacion and flattery The churche I will make all churches riche The people Yea wys with iubileis pardons and blissinges The churche I wyll defende suche as flye to me for succour when they be opressed with other The people Ye will defende them in dede be it right or wrong if they bryng money The churche Yf ther arise any dout in matters of religion I will open it by and by The people With your owne iudgement agaynste the worde of god The churche I will also punnish them that will not obeye The people Ye mary with your wicked decrees and decretalles and that with fyer wherunto ye wyll committe them whiche confesse the wholsome doctrine of the gospell whiche is quite contrary to your doctrine I denie not but ye may be so highe aboue other churches in spirite in faythe and good workes and somuche profyt them with youre good example and learnyng that ye maye worthely be called theyr mother and superiour but I am afraide leste all together chaunce cleane contrary and that there was neuer tyraunt so cruell towardes hys subiectes as you wil be towardes youre doughters and therfore not worthy to be accounted or called theyr mother The church Be it that I were as wycked as might be possible yet shall I allwayes be theyr mother for that one prerogatiue the Emperour hymselfe hathe gyuen vnto me The People And what power I pray you hath themperor to make you mother of other churches if they agre not amongest thēselues therunto but be al vtterly agaynst it namely the churches of the Easte in coūtreyes where themperour hath no power nor dominion it muste nedes bee therfore that ye confesse themperoure hathe the chefe authorytie in spirituall matters and euen as he gaue you this dignity wrōgfully so may he lawfully take thesame away agayne from you The churche Naye that wyll I neuer graunte were it neuer so trewe Fayne I would haue you perswaded
folow theyr shephearde so shall the Christen men theyr heades we will so indeuor our selues to blynde menne that they shall not onely beleue and magnifie thys hyghe byshop for theyr priuat commoditie but they shall also defende it tothe and nayle euen to the very deathe Beelze But howe maye it be brought to passe that they shall not see so manifest a lye they beinge the heades of the churche Luci. We wyll iuggle their eyes with proud tytles highe dignities offices benefices the reuenewes of whom shal be fat stipendes that they maye make gaudes triuÌ„phe w t all abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of pleasure We wil also make lawes y t the people shall not only reuerence them but shal also esteme them as goddes for theyr religions and popish holynes And againe y t men shal alway studie occupie al y â— wittes in theyr heads to preserue increase this dignitie whereunto there may apeare some hope y t they shall atteyne all shall hange vpon the popes sleue not for feare only of losse of theyr office benefices yerlie reuenewes promotions but also vpon hope to get more Now maye you easely iudge whether they will apply the powers of their strength wit or not for y e settinge forthe establyshing of our pope hod the earnester they will be in this poynte the more necessary profytable a thinge it wil be to them to defend thesame For if the popeshippe once fall they should all sterue for huÌ„ger because they haue none honest craft or exercise to take them to Yea and I will cause the pope to forbid them al honest kindes of exercises and that vnder a couler of religioÌ„ holines lest peradueÌ„ture y e handes consciences of spirituall meÌ„ should be fouled with laboringe they shall all bee occupied suche shal be the bosting about y e helth of soules So great shall they be that they shall disdayne to preache gods worde neither shall they be otherwise occupied then in celebrating againe agayne their colde and supersticiouse ceremonies and that with such a pompe and glory that it shall be a shewinge and a settinge fourthe of themselues Beelze In what kynde of exercise then shall they occupie themselues all theyr life tyme for it is a very paynefull thinge to be allwayes ydell Luci. They shall not bee alwayes ydell good syr but shal haue somethinge adoe alwayes in disynge cardinge bankettinge in wantonnes contencion and other such lyke courtly pastymes And that they may be more diligent in the maynteyninge of thys popeshipe I will prouyde for them vnder a pretence of an ecclesiasticall lawe y t they shal be disbordened and fre from all exactions of princes of thys worlde More ouer I will make a lawe whereunto shal be sworne all byshoppes and Doctors that they shall not onely attempt no thing agaynst this popehod but also shal maynteyne and defende it to the vttermoste of theyr power And also for the stablishement of oure Antichriste it shall be sâ—ablyshed by a law that these wicked wretches moued thereunto by oure spirite shall sometyme congregate them selues together in theyr wicked counselles onelye to kepe downe and extinguish by a common consent the treuth of the gospel By meanes of the which congregacion they shall retayne all the princes and magistrates of the earthe to confirme theyr tyrannye and to defende thys detestable abhominacion of the Pope And we wyll make the worlde beleue that suche counselles canne not erre whiche thinge wil be easy to compase men shal be so blynd and ignorant We will also deuise for the popes pleasure a newe kinde of diuinitie altogether vaine supersticiouse voide of learning heretical wicked ful of vanities and darknes of mans inueÌ„tions doubâ—es questions contencions the mother of all sectes errours and abhominations Thys euill kynde of diuinitie shall brynge in suche a darkenes that it shall hurte and deceyue verye good wittes There shall bee no scole neither vniuersitie whiche shall not be hurted and infected with this Antichrist of ours Good letters shall be banyshed and so shall they lacke all good learnynge in so much that their children though they be baptised and therfore dedicated to God they shall learnenothinge â–ª els in their scoles but vayne and fylthye tales And furthermore that the tiranny of thys Bishoppes empire may be the more stronglye and surely established the Popes beinge inspired with oure spirite shall wryte decrees and decretalles that is to saye prophane wicked and abhominable sentences And yet not withstanding the worlde shal be in suche a blindenes that they shall thynke them very holy decrees And to conclude in fewe wordes thoughe God onely bee to bee wurshypped and prayed vnto with a trewe louynge intiernes of myndes yet by my craftes wyll I bryng it to passe that the Pope shall commaunde menne to praye not onely to Angels and Saynctes and to such as were most wicked and yet by hym canonized but also vnto their Images pictures and reliques and that with as stinking a kinde of supersticioÌ„ as may be Beeze Uerely I can not perceyue howe euer it wil come to passe that christian menne maye fall into so manifest vices wickednesses and ydolatry Of a truethe if there woulde come suche a tyme wherin these detestable vices myghte bee committed that ye haue now spokeÌ„ of I thinke the christian men would haue moe ydoles then euer had either the Iewes or the gentiles and woulde excede with their wickednes and ydolatry all other nacions of the worlde Luci. But I promise you that we may easely bringe it to passe by the meanes of thys oure head that men shal fall both into these al other kyndes of abhominacions Yf ye doubt how this thing may be brought to passe I wyll tell you that ye maye helpe to sette it forwarde to the vttermost of your powers It is not vnknoweÌ„ vnto you y t they haue a custome in y e church of Christ when any christian man suffrereth martyrdome the rest of the Christian congregacion doethe what they caÌ„ to haue their bodies honorably buried as it is a thynge bothe honest and godlye And their Bishoppes yerely vpon thesame daye that those martirs suffered be wont to make mencion of their constancie and victorie to thintent that menne shoulde be incouraged not onely to folowe the example of the Saynctes that they maye bee stronge to dye for the glorie of Christ yf the thyng so require but also for a witnes of the resurreccion that is to come to bring menne in a contempt of thys lyfe whiche shortly wyll faade and perishe into the hope of lyfe euerlastynge Whiche deuocion God hath soundrye tymes approued and confirmed with soundry miracles Now wil we moue and stirre menne vnder a pretence of religion and holines to rip and cutte vp theyr dead bodies to put their bones in vesselles of Christall siluer or golde to set theÌ„ vpoÌ„ aulters where the lordes supper is acustomed to be ministred as