saye the perticular he receaued of men whereby he was the Bishoppe of Rome The people I haue sene amongest them which professe mounkâ—y when they goe on theyr general visitacion of y e prouinces coÌ„mitted to their charge they wil not bee so generall prouincials that they wyll take vpon them to remoue them away whome they find but suffer theÌ„ to remayne and do their office as they did before and they also be contented with theyr office of visitacion Of a like sorte me thinketh if Christ had ordeyned Peter a vniuersall byshope of all other bishoppes his deutie should be to visit all other churches and yet to leaue euery byshop remayninge in his owne diocese and he himselfe to bee contented with his owne office and regarde nothinge to bee created byshop of euery sundry church But I pray you thys one thinge was Peter a bishope before he was made byshope of Rome and Antioche or not The pope He was but yet a generall byshope of the whole churche of Christe and no seuerall bishoppe of Rome or Antioche The people Then was he called an vniuersall Byshop of Christe and of hys churche by the means wherof he was called a christian byshope and not the bishop of Rome The Pope It is verye trewe as ye say The people Nowe maruayle I very muche whie after he was made byshoppe of Rome he refused the fyrst tytle and receaued the latter seinge that hys last byshoprike was no cause why he should lose the first that not withstandinge he woulde no more be called the chiefe Christian byshop but the byshop of Rome And yet without controuersy the fyrste tytle is more worthy tytle then is the latter And as for the fyrste name and tytle he had it of Christe the latter of man Yf Peter at any tyme woulde haue receyued and allowed to bee called the chiefe christian Byshoppe suerlye youre predecessours woulde haue vsurped and challenged thesame title Which thing because it is not done but they be called y e bishoppes of Rome many men will thinke that neither they neyther any of theyr predecessors were euer vniuersall byshoppe of all churches For if that had so been trewely they woulde haue chaunged the perticular title with the more general and more worthye title or at the leste wayes youre holynes shoulde nowe at the last begyn to be called neither the chiefe nether the Romish byshop but a Christian bishop of Christ and of his congregacion and create some priuat bishoppe of Rome in youre stede The Pope Ye canne not perswade vs to be so much a fole that we will refuse the byshoprike of Rome to runne invisitacion of churches hether thither lyke Egiptyans We wyll holde faste thys byshoprike of Rome and further more we will be and require so to be accounted the supreme head of all other byshops The people As for my parte I am right well contented and satisfied how so euer the matter goe neyther did I moue thys matter for any other purpose but because that name and title of a Christian byshoppe semeth to me muche more excellent then to be called byshope of Rome But and it may like your holynes was Peter the fyrste byshoppe of Rome The Pope That is without question The People Suerly I maruayle muche that Paule was so notable an Apostle and so muche estemed before Peter and yet was not made byshop of Rome And another thing I meruayle at muche more that althoughe the churche of Christe was at Rome yea and that many yeres before Paule came thether and many wyse and godly men were in it as it appereth in the Epistle whiche Paule wrote specially to them wher he saluteth them by name yet that theyr church was so euell ordered that it lacked a byshope The Pop. There were byshoppes there but Peter was not the first byshop of Rome but the first chiefe bishoppe of all other and he made an ordinance that all byshops of Rome which should afterward folow hym should also be y e highest bishops aboue all other The people Uerely I can not see from whence Peter had this authoritie to make suche an ordinance that all bishops of Rome shoulde be Popes and vicars of Christ althoughe they were wicked helhoundes me thinketh it had ben done accordinge to iustice equitie if any shoulde be ordeyned byshoppe aboue all other bishops and churches thesame should be chosen by the consent of all byshops and all churches And thys thinge is moste of all to be maruayled at howe it may come to passe that all your predecessors from Peter euen vntill thys day were highest byshoppes and heade of all churches and yet vsed not they this authorytie no there was neuer communicacion of it before thys presente The Pope Neuer thinke that that is so as thoughe they were not chiefe byshoppes in very dede but because it was not nedeful for them to vse theyr authoritie and of a certayne modestie they declared not theÌ„ selues chiefe bishopes as they were But nowe there bee so manye heresies arisen in the churche of god suche sundrye sectes and dissencions that we haue thought it necessary for a remedy agaynste so many mischefes to declare oure selues what power we haue by Christe so to vse oure most high authoritie The people I vnderstande you well Namelye because the chiefe byshoppes of Rome as I heare saye can not erre This one thing also can I not hyde whiche semeth to me sumwhat yf they haue receaued thys high authority of Christ they ought by no meanes to kepe it secrete and hid but to disclose it to the whole world whether they vsed it or not accordinge as the circumstances of thinges parsons tymes and places shoulde requier and that shoulde the more diligentlye haue bene done for that it is nowe opened with a greate offence of all good and godly menne and the worst poynt of all is that men be not so folishe nowe a dayes that they wyll gyue anye credyt vnto you But I as a good child of your holines will alwaies shewe my selfe obedient and redy to beleue you And because I woulde trouble youre holynes no longer with your blessed license I will departe The pope And we now geue the our blyssing frely Thomas Massuccius the master of the horse Lepidus the Popes chamberlayne Mas. YOnder I see master Lepidus commynge hastely and cherfully out of themperours courte I will wayte vpon hym to knowe whether he bringe vs any good tydinges God saue you master Lepidus Suerly you brynge vs some good newes as a man would iudge by your countenance ye seme so pleasant and mery Lepidus I haue so much ioye trussed vp in this brest of myne that I can scarsly staye my selfe within my skynne Mas. As nobell hartes of the worlde may bee estemed so muche the more happie the larger they spred abrode theyr happie state and felicitie Wherfore I beseche you vouchesafe to tell me wherof this ioy of yours ariseth that youre ioy may bee
his successor and so shal we obteyne all our purpose The Pope Will ye attempt to bringe Peter nowe to Rome and he died so many yeres agone This thing me thinketh cannot be Mans iudge In case I shoulde reyse hym vp from deathe and bryng hym to Rome and so in conclusion make hym Byshop of this citie what woulde ye say The Pope Mary I woulde withstand it with tothe nayle Neither canst thou make him Bishop of thys citie but thou shalt bereue me of thys my dignitie Mans iudge Yf I shoulde make hym Byshop and yet robbe not you of youre honour but rather establishe you and make you his successor shoulde it not please you The Pope Yes wonderfully But I see not how that may be brought about Mans iudge I haue written certayne epistles in the name of those christian men whiche were at Rome in the time of the beginning of the church wherin there is oft mencion made of Peter as thoughe he had bene at Rome and not onely Byshop of thys citie but also Pope and vniuersall head of all the churche militant as though sundry constitucions had bene then by him made And bycause ye shall prayse my wit the more I wrot all thys gere in so wonderfull olde bokes that for age they coulde scarsly hange together There is no man that seeth them but they wil iudge they were written a thousand yeres agone or more Lette vs make the people beleue that these bokes be newly found by chaunce in some olde rotten library and so when thys rumor shal once be blowen abrode the common people will strayght beleue that Peter was at Rome If ther were none other cause yet that he came for religions sake on pilgremage to saynctes reliques and to receyue the iubilie and ful pardō The Pope Yet is not all thys ynough For be it that he were at Rome that not with standinge he departed after he had receyued the iubilye and toke his Popeship away with hym and so shall we no longer be his successors Therfore is it nedefull that as ye haue brought hym to Rome and haue made him Pope so ye cause hym also to dye at Rome Mans iudge Abyde a whyle thys is the thing I went about I haue done this thing already And for a confirmacion of the whole matter I gat me an olde scul bone of a dead carcas into y e which I dyd put a paper whiche had these wordes contayned in it Thys is the head of Saynct Peter the firste Pope of Rome Moreouer I haue compassed this head about with an other head of siluer and haue so framed it with a great bearde that it appeareth verely to be Saynct Peters head And I doubt not but that thys fayned matter maye be easly persuaded to the people yf it be published abrode by your authoritie The Pop◠We must of necessitie graunt that Peter was crucified vpon a crosse for so dyd Christ prophecie of hym nowe it is well knowen that it was the vse of the Iewes and not of the Romans to hange menne vpon the crosse Wherfore I see not howe the people wyll beleue that Peter was kylled at Rome and put vpon the crosse by the Romans Mans iudge Tushe men will not be so curious in other mens matters to searche euery poynt of them so narowely And agayne we shall haue a sure staffe to leane to wherunto we may alwayes resorte We wil say that god wold haue it so that Christes wordes mought bee fulfillyd Who can proue the contrary Besydes this I haue many remedies meanes how to preserue increase and establishe you in thys highe honour as ye shal see by experience neither will I let any good occasion ouerslyp that may be to your furtheraūce Be it that there come Embassadours to the citie of Rome I alone wyll aunswere them all as they ought to be aunswered In the meane space shall you begyn a litle and litle to publishe abrode that it is Christ who hath made you Pope and that ye be the successor of Peter the high Bishop of Rome The Pope But what will then the Emperour say when he shall perceyue that we noyse it abrode that it was Christe and not he whiche made me Pope Mans iudge Our aunswere shal bee that ye were declared and confirmed the chiefe Bishoppe by themperours maiestie but yet that it was Christ who hath placed you in so highe a seat euen as he did youre predecessors before you But loe one whom ye sawe not a gentle man called the people of Rome I thinke he cōmeth to see you and to do hys dewtie I praye you offer hym youre fote to kysse that ye maye so begyn to bring that thyng into a laudable custome The people And euen for the same very purpose haue I caused a redde crosse to be made on the ouer parte of my fote Mans iudge Althoughe many thinke that to be done of you in despite of the crosse yet is it iustly and well done to sette the crosse in the lowest place yea and Christ hymselfe also that your glory may be auaunced to a most hyghe state Namely for that we know the crosse of Christe alwaye to be hated of the wyse men of thys worlde And to saye the truethe it had ben more mete for you to haue caused the crosse to be set vnder the sole of your fote if it had not bene paynfull for you to lyft vp youre fote so oft to all suche as woulde kysse it But I wyll withdrawe my selfe for a tyme that you maye comon alone at your pleasure with thys sonne of yours The people of Oh happie and blissed am I sence I haue thus muche fauoure shewed me that I maye be suffered to come and kysse these holye and blyssed feete The pope In consideracion that thys benefit maye be the more estemed we graūt to you out of the treasure of Peter Paule and other holy Apostles and Saynctes fortie tymes fortie dayes of pardon The people A goodly rewarde and we thanke you highly we thanke you I say as speakyng to many whiche be most holy and most blissed Popes The Pope What meanest thou by that That thou didest call vs most blissed and most holy Popes in the plurall numbre thinkest thou that we be many Popes Seest thou not vs onely placed in this dignitie The people Pardon thou me I beseche the moste holy and blissed father When I herde the speake in the plurell numbre I thoughte that there had bene two Popes at the least The Pope Doest not thou perceyue thy selfe to speake vnreuerentlye thou sayest pardon thou me vnderstandest thou not that thou shouldest of nurtor and dewe reuerence speake to vs in the plurell numbre And that because he worketh continually in vs who first auaūced vs to this high dignitie for we be not alone in working Otherwise whē thou shouldest speake by name to vs thou oughtest to speake in the singular number and that because oure parson and dignitie is
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
prayer For althoughe thou wilt denye me with thy mouthe yet thou wylt not deny me with thyne heart Thou wylt synne but synne shall not reygne in the so that in thy heart thou shalt yeld to noughtie temptacions I wyll suffre thee to haue a foule fall that by the meanes therof thy temerous boldnes maye be bridelled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceyue thy owne infirmitie thy hearte shall bee touched with compassion agaynst those that shall synne reysing them vp with knowledge and cōfirming and boldning them with thyne example Nowe canne I not perceyue howe it maye be proued by the wordes before rehersed that Peter was Pope and could not erre afterward neither the Byshops of Rome after hym accordyng to his example Mas. Wee shall wrythe all the wordes that euer Christe spake to Peter to make for the Popeship of Rome let vs writhe them also when Peter counseled Christ to forsake the crosse saying Saue thy self O Lorde Lepi. What aunswere then made Christ Mas. He sayed vnto hym get the out of my sighte Sathan thou troubleste me thou haste no perseueraunce of thinges belongynge to god but to manne onely it is easyto proue that Peter whas chief head of oure byshops of Rome and they hys successours takinge it of this fashion but tell for the on the disputacion I woulde fayne heare the ende of it Lepi. This embassadour of Constantinople would fayne haue brought other reasons forthe and other sayinges of scripture against our popeshippe but the Emperoure moued by oure byshope wylled hym to holde hys peace and commaunded the other imbassadours that they shoulde also saye theyr myndes Then the Embassadoure of Antioche spake in thys wise Because me thinketh it sufficientlye declared that holy scripture doeth not onely not stablishe the primacie of Peter but also seme quite contrary therunto I will speake my mynde breflye as I am commaunded neither will I bringe any moe reasons or argumentes then thys one althoughe it bee easy to fynde a number Be it that we graunted Peter to be the vniuersall byshope ordeyned of Christe ouer hys churche whiche thinge is not trewe yet muste it not therefore bee graunted that the byshoppes of Rome ought to bee popes but rather our byshoppes of Antioche oughte to be the chiefe and vniuersall byshoppes Because that our byshops and not the byshopof Rome were the successours of Peter For Peter was byshop of Antioche and so vnlykely a thynge is it that Peter was euer at Rome To this argument master Pseudologus made aunswere in the name of our pope crying out w t a loude voice vntill his sides cracked again saying Peter was here our byshop in Rome our pope .xxv. yeares together cōtinually and in this same citie was he afterwarde crucified Then Thimbasadour aunswered A prety rewarde for paynes taken in preachinge But tell me I praye you In what place of scripture fynde you that he was euer at Rome Then aunswered master Pseudologus In no place of scripture quod he But it may well be founde in our Historiographers and in many other bokes of our byshoppes and other holy menne Whereunto thimbassadoure answered Then howe knowe you by the worde of god that your byshoppes of Rome be the chiefe vniuersall byshoppes of the churche of Christe if ye haue not that in holy scripture that Peter was euer at Rome Trewely if ye intend to proue youre byshoppes to bee popes by the word of God ye muste fyrste proue by thesame worde that Peter was ordeyned of Christe the vniuersall heade of his whole churche And then must ye proue by the worde of god that Christe vndoutedly gaue the same authoritie to Peter to make the byshoppes of Rome after hym chiefe byshops by continual◠succession and laste of all it muste be proued by suer authoritie of the worde of god that Peter was at Rome ▪ and byshoppe of that citie and dyed there These thinges done ye might well beleue that youre byshoppes were popes by the worde of God But there is not one of these thre thinges that ye cā proue by scripture especially the second the thyrd as ye youre selfes doe confesse Wherefore I canne not see with what face ye canne beare downe so manifest a lye Then master Pseudologus sayd We know that our byshop is pope that with a fulnes of power we knowe that he hathe receaued thys authoritie of Christe by the meanes of S. Peter and not of man wherefore we knowe him to bee pope by the lawe of god and not by the lawe of manne and we will also holde and beleue thys trueth as an article of oure faithe notwithstandinge that none of these thinges before rehersed can be proued by thauthoritie of holy scripture Then sayed thimbassadour Because wee all bee bounde to beleue the articles of our faythe as the foundacions and chiefe principles of our religion it is nedefull that they appeare moste playnly by scripture And you wyll sette fire and tormentes before the whole worlde to make men beleue that thynge whiche by your owne confession can not be proued by the authoritie of the holye scriptures Where I praye you can menne laye the foundacion of their fayth yf they be compelled to beleue and to confesse as a necessary article of their fayth your Byshoppe to be the vniuersall head of the churche of Christ when there is not one word therof in the holy scripture Yt is an intolerable tirāny the like whereof hath not bene herd to bynde the conscience of men to receyue so manyfest a lye for an article of their fayth seing it can not onely not be proued by goddes worde but also all the whole scripture is agaynst it You ought to be content to binde men to beleue that the Pope hathe the highest authorite of all But ye wyll further compel them to beleue that that power and authoritie cōmeth fullye and wholly from God and not from manne although that thyng can in no wyse be proued by scripture Furthermore he would haue it be beleued that it maye bee proued by holye scripture that oure Byshoppe was Pope when you your selues be forced to graunte that it can not bee proued by holy scripture y t Peter was euer at Rome Of thys chiefe and vniuersall byshoprike of your byshoppe ye can haue none other opinion but that it is a deuise of manne seing the contrary can not be proued by the worde of God And you wyll haue it receyued for an article of y e faith and that it shal be beleued with an heauenly faythe Yf ye bee not sure whether Peter were euer at Rome or not for the whiche cause ye chaleng your byshoppe to be chiefe and the successor of Peter how can ye haue certayne knowledge of thys your chiefe Byshoprike but vpon the saying of men onely who naturally be lyars To thys master Pseudologus made aunswere The men which sayd that Peter was at Rome were the
longer And beinge indewed with a wonderful power stoutnes violence and fury thus he sayed What nede we haue so many wordes for the defence of oure Popeshypppe seynge there hath bene brought stroÌ„g reasons enoughe to ouercome the grossest witte in the worlde in so muche that a blynde man maye see the truethe of them Wherfore bycause these our reasons our pleasures our gentylnes and fayre promises can not content them our moste holye father must vse hys large and endeles authoritie And then turnyng hymselfe and speakyng to the Pope he sayed You moste holy father bee the supreme head of the churche of Christe therefore be you aboue all other parsons men Angels reasons holy scriptures authorities yea and aboue the whole world There is no man may iudge you or elles coÌ„maâ—nde you for so it is come to passe Nowe ye be Pope and being Pope ye can not erre Therfore onely saye thus We be Pope and we wyll be Pope and it is ynoughe Your power and authoritie is so greate that if ye wer not pope if yet ye once prononced these wordes we wil be ye should be out of hande Then loking vpon the imbassadors with a fearce countenance he sayed Yf ye wil be rebelles to hys holines ye shall feele the lighteninges and thunderboltes of his excoÌ„munications and cursinges flye in the ayer euen to the furthest countrye in the Easte and then shall ye knowe whether he bee pope or not Moreouer we shal haue Cesars helpe and fauor ioyned to our strengthes so that all we coupled in one will defende the popes authoritie with our sworde Then all the imbassadours arose at once to aunswer this sayinge with one accorde but there was a signe made to the popes chaplayne that he shoulde doe as he was bidden and straighte waye he beganne with a loud voyce the himne Te Deum laudamus The noyse whereof fylled the ayer vp to the sterres and all the reste folowed them crying whow victoria victoria victoria And euen at the very same instante range all the belles in Rome The pope himsefe was by and by caught with mennes handes and borne vpon theyr shoulders and so they caried home the moste holy father to hys place with a great pompe and triumphe Nowe must ye not meruaylle though ye sawe me as ye sayed in the begynninge iocunde and merye Mas. Alas what became of the poore imbassadors Lepi They were all stryken in a dumpe by and by and departed to theyr innes sad heuy taking thys great rebuke so well as it might be Mas. Yf I had bene in theyr coâ—es I woulde not haue thought that it had bene good taryinge for me then in Rome Lepi. I thinke no manne woulde vse any violence agaynste them Mas. Well I am suer the pope would no more send them wine of Grecia and Corsica Lepi. Or if he sent any it shoulde peraduenture bee myngeled But nowe canne I tary no longer with you for now I see the nyght drauethe on and I haue an excedinge deale of busines to doe Thinke ye not where this disputacion was euen where there was none els by sauing the popes moste faythefull frendes who woulde say nothinge but that should make for the pope Mas. Yf it be as you say either wil they hold theyr peace or elles they haue very litle to saye to theyr commendacion Lepidus Ye bee in a manifest errour For there was neuer so greate a lye but it may be so craftely coloured and painted that the blynd common people may thinke it very trewe I haue nowe tolde you all the whole matter desieringe you to kepe it secret as ye promessed me at the beginninge Mas. I will doe the beste I can but me thinketh it will be very hard for me so to doe I thanke you hartelye for your paynes for shewinge this prety storye so fully and so diligentlye Lucifer Beelzebub I Haue thought good to call you agayne to gether here in thys place that I might reioyce with you for the byrthe of Antichrist so happy so vnloked for euen as the angelles reioysed in Christes natiuitie But nowe must we laye our heades to gether and take counsell by what meanes and deuise wee maye establishe thys our kyngdom and increase it bring it to the highest degre of all wickednes and mischiefe Me thynketh it were best first to goe about so to sette forth and amplifie hys honor that menne by litle and lytle maye take thys Antichriste for a certayne God in earthe and honor and magnifie hym euen as their god That we maye vse the highe authoritie whiche he hath for a handsome and strong instrument to the committinge of all kyndes of deceyptes mischefes and wickednes We wyll prynâ—e in mennes heartes as muche as in vs lyeth that Christe gaue the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ to Peter and his successors and also ful power and iurisdiction not onely of the empire of thys worlde but also of the heauenly kingdome Beelze Truely thys thynge pleaseth vs very well so that he haue none authoritie in hell ouer vs for we be surely persuaded that he will come to so highe a degre in abhominacion and wickednes that yf he shoulde haue the rule ouer vs but one day he would bryng vs into a greate deale worse case then we be Luci. Yt is euen as thou sayest But we wyll foresee to y t ieoperdy wisely ynough for my trust is to bring him to such a wickednes that he shal aduenture with hys theuish fingers to corrupt the holy scriptures shal violently mischeuously wryth them to the establishinge increasing and excercisyng of his intollerable tiranny I knowe well they will not be ashamed to saye when Christe sayed to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas that he mente thou shalt bee called head and so was Peter made head of all thapostles who willinglye obeyed that primacie And also that Peter afterwarde left thys chiefe high authoritie to the Byshoppes of Rome by succession Beelze Yf the matter woulde come thus to passe in case Peter shoulde be raysed agayne from deathe he shoulde no more be Pope no he shoulde haue no maner of authoritte Luci. In dede he shoulde haue no more then shoulde please our Byshoppe of Rome to graunte hym of hys bountifull liberalitie And thys thynge is very notable we will cause all their lyes to be written in their canons and so will we blinde the eyes of the vnlearned that they shall take the same canons for thynges moste holye And also we shall all cause the churche of Rome notwihstandynge it is most wicked and hereticall that it shall not onely be accounted for the churche of Christ but also it shall be takeÌ„ for the head and mother of all other churches Beelze Surely the churches of Christ wyll neuer so take it thoughe oure churches so doe Luci. Yes menne shall haue thys opinion of the churche of Rome chiefelye and so of all other churches that shal hang vpoÌ„ her y t