except you tell vs withal and proue it to that in such reformation the whole clergy and the temporalty tooke the Kinge and not the Pope to be the supreame head Gouernour and directer thereof and of al other Ecclesiastical causes also Verily your own authors shewe playnely the coÌ„trary And the Popes authority was at this tyme takeÌ„ to be of such weight and force that the great league made betweÌ„ our KiÌ„g aÌ„d the FreÌ„ch King was coÌ„firmed by the Pope Ye wil perhapps replie and say the Popes whole Authority was abolished a commaundement being geuen vpon paine of drowninge no man shoulde bring into the realme any kinde of letters from the Pope Ye wil tel vs also of certaine letters that the Kinge sent to the Pope admonisshing him to leaue his disordered doings and when that woulde not serue he redressed them by acte of Parliament Why doe ye not M. Horne laye forth the tenour of those letters which as yet I finde not in any of your marginall authours Belyke there lieth some thing hidde that ye woulde be loth your reader should knowe least yt bewray your weake and feble argumente as yt doth in dede Neither that only but directlye proueth the Popes primacy Did this Kinge wene you M. Horne cal the Pope Antichrist as ye doe Or wrote he him self supreame head of the Churche of England Or did he abolishe the popes authority in England Harken then I pray you euen to the beginning of his letters Sanctissimo in Christo Patri Domino Clementi diuina prouidentia sacrosanctae Romanae ac vniuersalis Ecclesiae summo pontifici Edwardus eadeÌ„m gratia rex Francorum Angliae dux Hiberniae deuot a pedum oscula beatorum To the most holy father in Christ the Lorde Clement by Gods prouidence the high bisshop of the holy and vniuersall Churche of Rome Edward by the same grace King of Fraunce and England and Duke of Ireland offereth deuoutly to kisse his holy feete He calleth the Pope Successorem Apostolorum Principis the successour of the prince of the Apostles he desireth the pope to consider the great deuotion and obedience that the King the Cleargie and the people had shewed hitherto to the Sea of Rome He saieth vt nos nostri qui personam vestraÌ„ sanctiss sanctam Rom. Ecclesiam dominari cupimus vt debemus c. that he and all his did desire euen as their dutie was that his holy person and the holy Churche of Rome might gouerne and rule Now M. Horne vnlesse vppon some sodayne and newe deuotioÌ„ ye intende to haue the pope beare rule in England againe and will also offer your selfe yf neede be to kysse the Popes fote to wich thing this great and mighty Prince was not ashamed to say tell vs no more for shame of these letters Neither tel vs of disorders reformed nowe almost two hundred yeares agoe to make thereby an vnseasonable and fonde argumente to abolishe all the Popes authority in our Dayes The effecte then of those letters were to pray and that most humbly the Pope that he woulde not by reseruations collations and prouisions of Archbishoprykes Bishoprykes Abbeis Priories and other dignities and benefices bestowe any ecclesiasticall lyuinges in Englande vppon straungers and aliens The whych thyng hath bene euer synce straitly sene to and there were two Actes of parliament made in this Kinges dayes agaynst the sayed prouisions And yet did the popes ordinarie and laufull authoritie in matters and causes ecclesiasticall remayne whole and entiere as before Neyther doe I fynde nor take it to be true that suche persons as were promoted by the Pope were expelled the realme Nor did the statute take place againste suche as had taken before the enacting of the same corporal possession As for Nauclere it is no maruell yf he being a straunger doth not write so exactely of our matters And no doubte he is deceiued in writinge that the kinge forbad any letters to be browght from the Pope But what say I he is deceiued Nay you that should knowe Englishe matters better then he especially such as by penne ye set abrode into the face of the worlde are deceiued and not Nauclerus Yea rather ye haue wilfully peruerted Nauclerus and drawen his sentence as Cacus did Hercules oxen backwarde into your Cacus denne and to beguile and deceiue your simâ—le reader and to bring him into a fooles paradise therin fondly to reioyce with you as thoughe this King abolisshed all the Popes authority and Iurisdiction For thoughe Nauclerus his wordes be general yet they may be wel vnderstanded and restrayned to suche letters as conteyned any suche collatioÌ„ or prouision inhibited by the statute But you least this shoulde be espied haue altered the forme and order of your authours wordes placing that firste that he placed laste As before coÌ„trariewise ye placed in Paulus Aemilius that laste whiche he placed firste Then haue ye falsly traÌ„slated your authour to wrye him to your wroÌ„gful purpose He expelled sayeth Nauclerus all persons promoted to any benefice in his realme by the Pope commaundinge vnder payne of drowning that no man shoulde exequute there the Popes letters what so euer they were Your authour speaketh not of bringinge letters into the Realme those are your owne wordes falsly fathered vpon him but of exequutioÌ„ And therefore the generall wordes following what so euer are to be restrayned to the exequution of the Popes letters contrarie to the order taken against the sayde prouisions and of none other Whiche statute doth no more take away the Popes ecclesiastical and ordinary authoritie then this kinges royall authority was taken away because the Parliament vppon reasonable causes denied him a certaine paymente that he there demaunded And yet yf I shoulde followe your vayne and humour in your newe rhetoryke I might thereby aswell inferre that the people toke him for no king as you by as good argumentes inferre the abolishing of the Popes authority Nowe as towching theis prouisioÌ„s they were not altogether abolished against the Popes will For this matter was loÌ„g in debate betwene the Pope and the king and at lengthe yt was agreed by the Pope that he woulde not practise anye more suche prouisions And on the kinges parte it was agreed that Archbishoppes and Bishops should be chosen by the Chapter of the cathedral Church without any interruption or impedimente of the king As appeareth aswell in the sayde epistle sente by the king to the Pope as by our chroniclers M. Horne The .137 Diuision pag. 82. b. Next to Levves vvas Charles the .4 chosen Emperour vvho helde a councel at Mentze vvith the Prelates and Princes in the yere of the Lorde 1359. vvherein he much reproued the Popes Legate for his disorders and coÌ„maunded the Archbishop of Mentze to reforme his Clergy and the disorders amongest them for othervvise he would see to it him selfe .451 The Popes Legate seing hovv the Emperor tooke vpon him gate
A COVNTERBLAST TO M. HORNES VAYNE BLASTE AGAINST M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe A ful Reply to M. Hornes Answer and to euery part therof made against the Declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster M. Fekenham touching The Othe of the Supremacy By perusing vvhereof shall appeare besides the holy Scriptures as it vvere a Chronicle of the Continual Practise of Christes Churche in al ages and Countries frō the time of Constantin the Great vntil our daies Prouing the Popes and Bisshops Supremacy in Ecclesiastical causes and Disprouing the Princes Supremacy in the same Causes By Thomas Stapleton Student in Diuinitie Athanas. in Epist. ad solita vitā agentes pag. 459. When was it heard from the creation of the worlde that the Iudgement of the Churche should take his authoritie from the Emperour Or when was that taken for any iudgement Ambr. lib. 5. epist. 32. In good sooth if we call to minde either the whole course of Holy Scripture or the practise of the auncient times passed who is it that can deny but that in matter of faith in matter I saie of faith Bisshops are wont to iudge ouer Christian Emperours not Emperours ouer Bisshops LOVANII Apud Joannem Foulerum An. 1567. Cum Priuil REgiae Maiestatis Gratia Speciali Concessum est Thomae Stapletono Anglo librum inscriptum A Counterblaste to M. Hornes Vaine Blaste c. per aliquem Typographorum admissorum tutò liberè imprimendum curare publicè distrahere nullo prohibente Datum Bruxellis .27 Maij Anno. 1567. Subsig Pratz TO M. ROBERT HORNE THOMAS STAPLETON VVISHETH Grace from God and true repentance of al Heresies IF the natural wisedome and foresight M. Horne described of our Sauiour in the Gospel by a parable had bene in you at what tyme you first set penne to paper to treate of the Othe of Supremacy you would not I suppose so rashly haue attempted an enterprise of such importance The Parable saith VVho is it amonge you that minding to build a Castle sitteth not doune first and reckoneth vvith him self the charges requisit thereunto to see if he be able to bring it to passe lest that hauing layed the foundation and then not able to make an ende al that see him begin to laugh him to scorne saying beholde this man beganne to builde but he hath not bene able to make an ende The matter you haue taken in hande to proue is of such and so greate importaunce as no matter more nowe in Controuersie It is the Castle of your profession The keye of your doctrine The principal forte of all your Religion It is the piller of your Authority The fountaine of your Iurisdiction The Ankerholde of all your proceedinges Without the right of this Supreme Gouernement by you here defended your cause is betrayed your doctrine dissolueth your whole Religion goeth to wracke The wante of this Right shaketh your Authoritye stoppeth your Iurisdiction and is the vtter shipwracke of all your Procedings Againe it toucheth you say the prerogatiue of the Prince It is the only matter which Catholikes stand in by parliamēt enacted by booke Othe required vpō greate penalty refused Other matters in cōtrouersy whatsoeuer are not so pressed Thirdly you haue takē vpon you to persuade so great a matter first to a right lerned and reuerēt Father in priuat cōferēce and next to al the realme of Englād by publishing this your Answer as you cal it The weightier the matter is and the more confidently you haue taken it vpō you the more is it looked for and reason would that you did it substantially lernedly ād truly and before you had entred to so great a worke to haue made your reckoning how you might bring it to perfection But now what haue you don Haue you not so wrought that all your faire building being cleane ouerthrowen mē beginne as the Ghospell saieth to laughe you to scorne saying Beholde this man beganne a great matter but beinge not able to finishe it he is fayne to breake of You will say These be but woordes of course and a certain triumphe before the Victory Haue I not groūded this work of myne vpō the foundatiō of holy Scriptures Haue I not posted it vp with the mighty stronge pillers of the most learned Fathers Haue I not furnished it with a ioyly variety of Stories deducted from al the most Christian Emperours Kinges and Princes of more then these .xij. hundred yeares Haue I not fensed it with inuicible rampars of most holy Councels both general and national And last of al haue I not remoued all such scruples and stayes of conscience as though it were brambles and briers out of the waye to make the passage to so fayre a Forte pleasant easy and commodious You haue in dede M. Horne in owtwarde shewe and countenance sette a gay gloriouse and glistering face vppon the matter A face I say of holy Scriptures of Fathers of the Canon the Ciuill and the lawe of the Realme of manye Emperours Kinges and Princes for proufe of a continuall practise of the like Supremacye nowe by Othe to the Q. Highnes attributed in the auncient Churches of England Fraunce Germany Spayne Italy Grece Armenia Moscouia Aethyopia But all is but a Face in dede and a naked shewe without Substāce of Truth and matter It is like to the Aples and grapes and other fruits of the countrey of Sodome and Gomorre which growing to a full rypenes and quantitye in sight seeme to the eye very faire and pleasant but when a man cometh to plucke of them and to tast he shal finde them vnnaturall and pestilente and to smoder and smoke away and to resolue into ashes Such is the effect of your whole booke It beareth a countenance of truth of reason of learning But coming to the trial and examination of it I finde a pestilent ranke of most shamefull Vntruths an vnsauery and vaine kinde of reasoning and last of al the whole to resolue into grosse Ignorance For proufe hereof I wil shortly lay forth an abridgement of your whole demeanour And wherewith shal I better begin thē with the begīning and foundatiō of al sciēces and that is with grāmer it self Whereof I neuer heard or read in any man bearing the vocation that you pretēde either more grosse ignorance or which is more likely and much worse more shameful and malicious corruptiō You English Conuenit which is it is mete and conuenient into it ought which is the English of oportet not of conuenit You English Recensendam to be examined and confirmed where it signifieth ōly to be read or rehersed Item where your Author hath Priuilegia irrogare that is To geue priuileges you translate it quyte contrarye To take avvaye Priuileges Againe in the same Author pro quauis causa which is for euery cause you trāslate it for any cause as if it were pro qualibet or quacūque causa Al which foule shiftes of howe much importaunce they were I referre
damnationem quia primam fidem irritam fecerunt Incurring damnation because they haue broken their first promise Againe in the first yeare of our gratious Queene the Acte of Parliament for making and consecrating of Bisshoppes made the .28 of kinge Henrye was reuiued And yet the Bisshoppes were ordered not accordinge to the acte but according to an acte made in kinge Edwarde his dayes and repelled by Quene Marye and not reuiued the sayde first yeare And yf they will say that that defecte is nowe supplied let them yet remember that they are but parliament and no Churche Bisshoppes and so no Catholike Bisshoppes as being ordered in such manner and fasshion as no Catholike Church euer vsed But thys is most to be considered and to be lamented of all thinges that wheras no Acte of Parliament can geue anye sufficient warrant to discharge a man from the Catholike faythe and wheras yt was aswel in king Hēries dayes by Acte of Parliament as euer before through out all Churches of Christendome sithens we were christened taken for playne and open heresie to denie the reall presence of Christes bodye in the Sacramente of the aulter for maynteining of the which heresie there is no acte of Parliamēt God be thancked neither of king Edwardes tyme nor in the tyme of our graciouse soueraygne Ladie and Quene that nowe is yet doe these men teache and preache and by writing defend and maynteine the saied greate and abhominable heresie with many other for the which they can shewe no warrante of anye temporall or spirituall lawe that euer hath bene made in Englande All this haue I spoken to shewe it is most true that I haue saied that there will neuer be redresse of errour and heresie or any staie where men are once gone from the vnitie of the See Apostolike which is the welspring and fountaine of all vnitie in the Catholike faith And touching this question of the Supremacie that we haue in hand if we wel consider it we shall find that we doe not agree either with the other Protestantes or with our selues For in this pointe that we make the Prince the supreme head of the Churche we neither agree with Luther him selfe or his scholers which denie this primacie nor with Caluin and his scholers the Sacramentaries Caluin saieth They were blasphemers that called King Henrie head of the Church One of his scholers Iacobus Acontius in a booke dedicated to the Queenes Mai. blameth openly the ciuil magistrate that maketh him selfe the Iudge of controuersies or by the aduise of other commaundeth this doctrine to be published that to be suppressed Nowe some of Caluins scholers and our owne countriemen haue taken forth such a lesson that they haue auouched in their bookes printed and publisshed to the world that a woman can neither be head of the Church nor of any Realme at all Againe manie of the Protestants though they will not the Pope should haue the chiefe gouernement because they like not his true doctrine yet they thinke it meete and conuenient that there be some one person ecclesiasticall that maie haue this supreme gouernement for matters of the Church It is also to be considered that the wordes of the Othe nowe tendered for the mainteining of the Princes Supremacie are other then they were in King Henries or King Edwardes daies with a certaine addition of greatest importance and such as to a ciuil Prince specially to the person of a woman can in no wise be with any conuenient sense applied I meane of these wordes Supreme Gouernour aswell in all spirituall or ecclesiasticall thinges or causes as temporall Such large and ample wordes were in neither of the foresaied Kings times put into the Othe And yet had they bene more tolerable in their persons for that men be capable of spiritual gouernmēt frō the which a woman is expresly by nature and by scripture excluded then they are nowe These wordes are such I saie as can not with any colourable pretext be excused Neither is it inough to saie as the Iniunctions doe that the Quenes Maiestie entendeth not to take more vpon her then King Henrie her father or King Edward her brother did what so euer that were more or lesse but it must be also considered what she or her Successours may take vpon her or them by the largenes of these wordes for an Iniunction can not limit an Acte of Parliament and whether there be any either Scripture or other good doctrine ecclesiastical sufficient to satisfie their consciences that refuse especially this Othe Which doth not only as it did before exclude the Apostolical See and all Generall Councelles also as though not in plaine wordes yet in effect in excluding the ecclesiastical Authoritie of al foren persons and Prelates but doth further adioyne the foresaied newe addition lesse probable and lesse tolerable then was any other parte of the former Othe And therefore certaine Protestants of some name and reputation being tendred this Othe by commission haue refused it Yea and how well trow you is this supreme Gouuernement liked of those Ministers which withstand the Quenes iniunctions touching the order of semely Apparell c Thus ye perceyue that as we are gone from the constante and setled doctrine of the Church touching this primacy so we agree not no not among our selues either in other pointes or in thys very Article of the Supremacy Neither shal we euer fynd anie cause of good and sufficiente contentation or constancye in doctrine vntill we returne thither from whence we first departed that is to the See Apostolike Which of al other people our Nation hath euer most reuerenced and honoured and ought of al other most so to doe As from whence both the Britaines and Saxons receiued first the Christian faith This returne God of his mercie graunt vs when it shall be his blessed pleasure Amen In Louaine the last of September An. 1567. Thomas Stapleton ¶ An Aduertisement to the Lerned Reader TOuching certain Authors alleaged in this Reply about matters of our own Countre it is to be vnderstanded that of certayne writen Copies not yet printed which we haue vsed as of Henricus Huntingtonensis and Gulielmus Neubrigensis or Noueoburgensis or Neoburgensis many thinges are in the said Copies which seme not to be writen of thē but of Some others As in the Copie of Henricus Huntingtonensis certayne thinges are founde which seme not to be writen of him but to haue bene gathered out of his workes and to haue bene writen by some other whom we coniecture to be Simeon Dunelmensis Also in the Copie of our Neubrigensis many thinges are added both at the beginning and at the ende which seme not to haue ben writen by Neubrigensis him self but by some other And that which is added at the beginning was writen as we vnderstand nowe of one Alphredus Beuerlacensis who liued vnder king Steuen The additions which do followe who wrote we yet knowe not except it were Roger Houeden This I
is not Luther the same man to yow that Donatus was to them doth not one of your greatest clerks there with you now write that Wyclyff begatte Husse Husse begotte Luther and thē addeth a shameful blasphemous note this is the seconde Natiuitye of Christe The Donatists being charged and pressed by the Catholiks to shewe the beginning and continuance of their doctrine and the ordinary successiō of their Bisshops were so encombred that they could neuer make any conueniente answer And are not ye I pray you with your felowes protestāt bishops fast in the same myre If not answer then to my thirde demaunde in the Fortresse annexed to S. Bede The Donatists fynding faulte with Constantine Theodosius and other Catholik princes ranne for succour to Iulianus the renegate and highly commended him And doth not M. Iewel I pray you take for his president against the Popes primacy Constantius the Arrian against Images Philippicus Leo Cōstantinus and such like detestable heretiks by general councels condemned Do not your self play the like parte in the Emperour Emanuel as ye cal him and in other as we shal hereafter declare Now who are I pray you Donatists for the defacing and ouerthrowing of Aulters for vilaining the holy Chrisme and the holy Sacrament of the aulter Which they cast vnto dogs which straitwaies by the ordinance of God fell vpon them and being therin Gods ministers made them fele the smart of their impietie It were a tragical narration to open the great and incredible crueltie that the Donatists vsed toward the Catholiks and especially their horrible rauishment of religious Nonnes And yet were they nothing so outragious as your Hugonots haue bene of late in France and the beggarly Guets here in Flandres namely about Tournaye The Donatists said of the Catholiks Illi portant multorū Imperatorum sacra Nos sola portamus euangelia They bring vs many of the Emperours letters we bring the only ghospels And is not this the voyce of all Protestantes whatsoeuer Only Scripture only the gospel only the word of God And for the first parte what is more common in the mouthes of the Germayn Lutherans of the French Caluinistes and now of the flemmish Guets then this complaint that we presse them with the Emperours Diets with the Kings proclamations and with the Princes placarts To the which they obey as much as the Donatists when they haue power to resiste Wel we wil nowe leaue of al other conference and cōparisons and tarry a litle in one more The Donatists though they were most wicked Murtherers of others and of them selues also killing them selues moste wretchedly without any other outward violence don to them yet were they takē of their confederats for Martyrs Of whome thus writeth S. Augustin Viuebant vt Latrones moriebantur vt Circumcelliones honorabantur vt Martyres They liued like robbers by the high way they died like Circumcellions meaning thei slew them selues they were honored as Martyrs And now where lerned M. Foxe the trade to make his holy canonisation in his deuelish dirty donghil of his fowle heretical ād trayterous Martyrs but of those ād such like scholemaisters As of the Montanists that worshipped one Alexander for a worshipful martyr thowgh he suffred for no matter of religiō but for myscheuous murther And of the Maniches that kepte the day wherein their maister Manes was put to death more solemply then Easter day Haue ye not thē in M. Foxe Sir Iohn Oldcastle and Syr Roger Acton canonised for holy martyrs though they died for high treason yea their names al to be painted dasshed ād florished in the kalender with read letters I thinke because we shoulde kepe their daye a double feaste Whose and their confederates condemnation for conspiringe againste the Kinge the nobilitye and their countreye appereth aswell by acte of parliament then made as by the full testimony of all our English Cronicles Is not dame Elleanour Cobhā a stowte confessour in this madde martyrloge whose banishment was not for religion but for conspiringe King Henry the sixts death by wytchrafte and sorcery by the help and assistance of M. Roger Bolinbroke and Margaret Iordeman commonly called the Witche of Aey The which two were openly executed for the same But nowe is it worth the hearing to know how handsomly M. Foxe hath conceyued his matters wherein he plaieth in dede the wily Foxe and springleth with his false wily tayle his fylthy stale not into the doggs but into his readers eies And as the Foxe as some hūters say when he is sore driuen wil craftely mount from the earth and kepe himself a while vpon the eather of a hedge only to cause the howndes that drawe after him to leese the sente of the tracte euen so for all the worlde hath our Foxe plaied with his reader But I trust I shal trace him and smel him out wel inoughe First then though M. Foxes authority be very large and ample in this his canonisation and such as neuer any Pope durste take vpon him yea and though he hath authority to make martyrs yet I dowbte whether he hath authority to make Knights to for this Sir Roger Onley is neither a Sir but of M. Foxes making nor Onley neither But M. Roger Bolinbroke only put to death for the treason before specified as not onely his owne authours Fabian and Harding whome he doth alleage for the story of Dame Elleanour but al other also doe testifie Truthe it is that Harding writing in English meeter and speaking of this M. Bolinbroke endeth one of his staues with this worde Only which is there to signifie no name but to better and sweate the meeter and is as much to say as chiefly and principally meaning that Maister Roger was the principal worker in this nigromancy The meeters of Harding are these He waxed then strange eche day vnto the King For cause she was foreiudged for sorcery For enchantments that she was in working Against the Church and the King cursedly By helpe of one M. Roger only Whiche last woorde some ignorant or Protestant Printer hath made Oonly And then hath M. Fox added a Syr and a Martyr too and adorned him with no common inke to set foorth and beutify his Martyr withal And so of M. Roger Bolinbroke sorcerer and traitour by a cunning Metamorphosis he hath made Syr Roger Onlye Knight and Martyr Wel wil ye yet see further the craftie dubling of a Fox walking on the eather of the hedge Consider then that for Margaret Iordaman that notable witch least if he had named her and M. Bolinbroke by their own names he had marred al the rost he placeth an other woman that by his owne rule died fortie yeares after And yet can he not hit vpon her name neither but is faine to call her in steed of Ione Bowghton the mother of the Ladie Yong who in deed is one of his stinking hereticall and foolish Martyrs For she craked ful
he can and as farre as he durst to obscure and disgrace him M. Horne The .78 Diuision pag. 45. b. Richaredus King of Spaine rightly taught and instructed in the Christian faith by the godly and Catholique Bisshoppe Leander Bisshop of Hispalis did not only bring to passe that the vvhole natioÌ„ should forsake the Arrianisme and receiue true faith but also did carefully study hovv to continue his people in the true Relligion by his meanes nevvelye receiued And therfore commaunded all the Bisshops within his Dominions to assemble together at Toletum in the fourth yeare of his reigne and there to consult about staying and confirming of his people in true faith and religion of Christ by godly discipline VVhan the Bisshoppes vvere assembled in the Conuocation house at the Kings commaundement the King commeth in amongest them he maketh a short but a pithy and most Christian oration vnto the vvhole Synode VVherein he shevveth that the cause vvherfore he called them together into the Synode vvas To repaire and make a .218 newe fourme of Churche discipline by common consultation in Synode vvhich had bene letted long time before by the heretical Arianisme the whiche staie and lette of the Arrianâ— Heresies it hath pleased God saith he to remoue and put away by my meanes He vvilleth them to be ioyfull and gladde that the auncient maner to make Ecclesiasticall constitutions for the vvell ordering of the Churche is novve through Gods prouidence reduced and brought againe to the bounds of the Fathers by his honorable industrie And last of al he doth admonisshe and exhort them before they begin their consultation to sast and pray vnto the Almighty that he vvill vouchsaulfe to open and shevv vnto them a true order of discipline vvhich that age knevv not the senses of the Clergy vvere so much benummed vvith long forgetfulnes VVherevppon there vvas a three daies fast appointed That done the Synode assembleth the King commeth in and fitteth amongest them he deliuereth in vvriting to be openly read amongest them the confession of his faith in vvhich he protesteth vvith vvhat endeuour and care being their King he ought not only to studie for him self to be rightly geuen to serue and please God vvith a right Faith in true Religion but also to prouide for his subiects that they be throughly instructed in the Christian faith He affirmeth and thereto taketh them to vvitnes that the Lorde hath stirred him vppe inflamed vvith the heate of Faith both to remoue and put avvay the furious and obstinate Heresies and Schismes and also by his vigilant endeuour and care to call and bring home againe the people vnto the confession of the true faith and the Communion of the Catholique Churche Furder alluding to the place of S. Paul vvhere he saith that through his ministery in the Ghospell he offereth vppe the Gentils vnto God to be an acceptable Sacrifice he saith to the Bisshops That he offereth by their mynisterie this noble people as an holy and acceptable Sacrifice to God And last of all vvith the rehearsall of his Faith he declareth vnto the Bisshoppes That as it hath pleased God by his care and industrie to winne this people to the Faith and vnite them to the Catholique Churche so he chardgeth them nowe to see them stayed and confirmed by theyr diligente teaching and instructinge them in the trueth After this Confession vvas read and that he him selfe and also his Queene Badda had confirmed and testified the same vvith their handes subscription the vvhole Synode gaue thankes to God vvith manye and sundry acclamations saiyng That the Catholique King Richaredus is to be crouned of God with an euerlasting croune for he is the gatherer togeather of newe people in the Churche This King truely oughte to haue the Apostolique reward reward who hath perfourmed the Apostolike office This done after the Noble men and Bisshops of Spaine vvhom the vvorthy King had conuerted and brought to the amity of faithe in the CoÌ„munion of Christes Church had also geuen their confession opeÌ„ly and testified the same vvith subscription the King vvilling the Synode to goe in hand to repaire and establissh some Ecclesiastical discipline saith to the Synode alluding to S. Paules saiyng to the Ephesians to this effect That the care of a king ought to stretch forth it self and not to cease til he haue brought .219 the subiects to a full knowledge and perfect age in Christ and as 220 a king ought to bend al his power and authority to represse the insoleÌ„ce of the euil aÌ„d to nourish the coÌ„mon peace and traÌ„quility EueÌ„ to ought he much more to study labour aÌ„d be careful not only to bring his subiects froÌ„ erours and false religioÌ„ but also to see theÌ„ instructed taught and trained vp in the truth of the clere light and for this purpose he doth there decree of 221 his own authority coÌ„maÌ„ding the Bisshops to see it obserued that at euery CoÌ„munioÌ„ time before the receit of the same al the peple with a loud voice together do recite distiÌ„ctly the Simbol or crede set forth by the 222 NiceÌ„ couÌ„cel VVheÌ„ the Synode had coÌ„sulted about the discipline and had agreed vpon such rules and orders as vvas thought most mete for that time aÌ„d churche and the King had coÌ„sidered of them he doth by his assent and 223 authority coÌ„firme and ratify the same and first subscribeth to theÌ„ and then after hiÌ„ al the Synod This zelous care and careful study of this and the other aboue named princes prouiding ruling gouerning and by their Princely povver and authority directing their vvhole Clergy in causes or matters Ecclesiasticall vvas neuer disalovved or misliked of the auÌ„cient Fathers nor of the bisshops of Rome til novv in these later daies the insaciable aÌ„bitioÌ„ of the clergy and the ouermuch negligeÌ„ce and vvaÌ„tones of the Princes vvith the grosse ignorance of the vvhole laity gaue your holy father 224 the child of perditioÌ„ the ful svvay to make perfect the mystery of iniquity yea it may appeâ—e by an Epistle that Gregorius surnamed great B. of Rome vvriteth vnto this vvorthy King Richaredus that the B. of Rome did much coÌ„mend this careful 225 gouernmeÌ„t of Princes in causes of religion For he most highly commendeth the doings of this most Christian King He affirmeth that he is asshamed of him selfe and of his ovvne slacknes vvhen he doth consider the trauail of Kings in gathering of soules to the celestial gaine Yea what shal I saith this B. of Rome to the King answere at the dreadful dome when your excelleÌ„cy shal leade after your selâ— flocks of faithful ones which you haue brought vnto the true faith by carefull and continuall preaching c. Although I haue medled and don nothing at al with you doing this 227 altogether without me yet am I partaker of the ioy with you Neither doth Gregory blame this King as one medling in Churche causes
promising by othe to Aldrede Archbisshop of Yorke that crouned hiÌ„ at S. Peters alter in Westminster before the clergy and the people that he would defende the holye Churches and their gouernours But tel your readers good M. Horn I beseche you why that King WilliaÌ„ contrary to the auncieÌ„t order vsed euer before and since was not crowned of Stigandus theÌ„ liuing and being Archbishop of Canterbury but of the bishop of York Yf ye can not or wil not for very shame to betraie your cause tel you reader then wil I do so much for you Forsoth the cause was that the Pope layde to his charge that he had not receiued his palle canonically The said Stigandus was deposed shortly after in a Councell holden at Winchester in the presence of .ij. Cardinals sent froÌ„ Pope Alexander the .2 and that as Fabian writeth for thre causes The first for that he had holden wroÌ„gfully the bisshoprik whyle Robert the Archbishop was liuing The second for that he had receyued the palle of Benett bishop of Rome the fifth of that name The third for that he occupied the said Palle without liceÌ„ce and leful authority of the court of Rome Your author Polychronicon writeth in the like effect Neubrigensis also newly priÌ„ted toucheth the depositioÌ„ of this StigaÌ„dus by the Popes Legat in EnglaÌ„d aÌ„d reporteth that the Popes Legat Canonically deposed him What liking haue you now M. Horne of KiÌ„g WilliaÌ„s supremacy Happy are you with your fellowes the protestaÌ„t bishops and your two Archbisshops that the said WilliaÌ„ is not now king For if he were ye se cause sufficieÌ„t why ye al shuld be depriued aswel as StigaÌ„dê° And yet ther is one other thiÌ„g worse thaÌ„ this and that is schisme and heresy Who woulde euer haue thought good reader that the Pope should euer haue found M. Horne him selfe so good a proctour for the Papacy againste him self and his fellowes For lo this brasen face which shortly for this his incredible impudency will be much more famouse then freer Bacons brasen head of the which the schollers of Oxforde were wonte to talke so much doth not blushe to tel thee good reader to his owne confusion of the Popes Legates and the Councell kepte at Winchester And al this is ye wotte wel to shewe that Kinge William was supreme head in al causes as wel temporall as spiritual Then doth he pleade on foorth full lustely for the Pope for Kinge William heareth a certayne Ecclesiasticall matter beinge in controuersie and dependinge in the Popes cowrte betwene the Archebisshop of Yorke and the Archebisshop of Caunterbury the which cause the Pope had remitted to be determined by the King and the bishops Well said M. Horne and like the Popes faithfull proctour For hereof followeth that the Pope was the supreame head and iudge of the cause And the Kinge the Popes Commissioner by whose commaundemeÌ„t the cause was sent ouer to be heard in EnglaÌ„d And yet was Hubertus the Popes Legat present at the end this notwithstaÌ„ding M. Horne would now belike make vs belieue that King William also thrusted out Abbats and supressed Monasteries when yt pleased him For he telleth vs that by the KiÌ„gs iudgement Abbat Thurstan was chaunged and his monks scattered abrode but he had forgotte to set in also that his authour and others say that it was for slaying of certayne of his monkes and wounding of certayne other The monks also had hurt many of his men And your author of the PollichronicoÌ„ telleth that these moÌ„ks were scattered abrode by the kiÌ„gs hest by diuers bisshopriks and abbays which latter words ye leue out As also you do in your Author FabiaÌ„ who saith not they were scattred about as you reporte as though they had bene scattred out of their coates as of late dayes they were but he saieth they were spred abrode into diuers houses through Englande so that they chaunged but their house not their Religion And so this was no spirituall matter that the kinge did neither gaue he herein any iudgement in any spirituall cause Nowe if all other argumentes and euidences fayled vs to shewe that kinge William toke not him self for supreame gouernour in all maner causes as you moste vntruely and fondly auouche we might well proue it againste yowe by the storie of Lanfranke whome kinge William as ye confesse made archebishop of Canterburie Though according to your olde manner ye dissemble aswell the depryuation of Stigandus in whose place the king set Lanfranke as that Lanfranke receyuid his palle from Rome and acknowledged not the kinge but the pope for supreame head of the Church Which thing doth manifestly appeare in his learned boke he wrote againste your greate graundsier Berengarius Who as ye doe nowe denied then the transubstantiation and the real presence of Christes bodie in the Sacramente and called the Churche of Rome which had condemned his heresie as ye vse to doe the Church of the malignante the councell of vanitye the see of Sathan To whome Lanfrancus answereth that there was neuer anie heretyke anie schismatyke anie false Christian that before hym had so wyckedly babled againste that see And sayth yet farder in an other place of the sayd boke Quotquot a primordio Christianae Ecclesiae Christiani nominis dignitate gloriati sunt etsi aliqui relicto veritatis tramite per deuia erroris incedere maluerunt sedem tamen sancti Petri Apostoli magnificè honorauerunt nullamque aduersus eam huiusmodi blasphemiam vel dicere vel scribere praesumpserunt Whosoeuer from the begynning of Christes Church were honored with the name of ChristeÌ„ meÌ„ though some forsaking the Truth haue gone astray yet they honoured much the See of Peter neyther presumed at any time either to speake or to write any such blasphemy He saieth also that the blessed Fathers doe vniformly affirme that maÌ„ to be an heretike that doth dissent from the RomaÌ„ and vniuersal Church in matter of faith But what nede I lay furth to thee good Reader LanfraÌ„ks learned books or to goe from the matter we haue in hand ministred to vs by M. Horne coÌ„cerning this matter sent to be determined before the King Such as haue or can get either PolychronicoÌ„ or FabiaÌ„ I would wish them to see the very place and thaÌ„ wil they meruail that M. Horne would for shame bring in this matter agaiÌ„st the Popes primacy for the confirmation wherof ye shal find in LaÌ„franks reasoning before the King for his right vpoÌ„ the church of York somthing worth the noting for the Popes primacy Beside this he writeth that Lanfrank was a man of singular vertue coÌ„stancy and grauity whose helpe and couÌ„sel for his affaires the King chiefly vsed And therfore your coÌ„clusion that ye inferre of such premisses as ye haue specified which as I haue shewed do not impugne but establish the popes primacy is a very fond folish and false coÌ„clusion It appeareth well both
Lawe good maister Horne and no Lawe at all of Kynge Philippe made by yowe I say with as good authoritie and truthe as the damnable articles were made in your late conuocation Howe so euer yt be here is nothinge amended but abuses which to be amended no good man will I wene be angrie withall But what say yow nowe maister Horne to the whole ecclesiasticall iurisdiction that the Frenche clergie practised What became of yt Did the king take yt away or no Whie are ye tounge tyed M. Horne to tell the truth that so freelie and liberally yea and lewdly to lie againste the truth Wel seing that ye can not wynne yt at Maister Hornes hands good reader ye shal heare it otherwise The effecte and finall resolution then of this debate was that the kinge made answere to the forsayd bishop of Sans demaunding his resolute answere in the behalfe of the whole clergy that the prelates shoulde feare nothinge and that they shoulde not lose one iote in his tyme but that he woulde defende them in theire righte and customes neither woulde he geue to other an example to impugne the Churche Wherevppon the Bisshoppe in the name of the whole clergie gaue to the kinge moste humble thankes Howe saye yowe good reader hath this man any more shame then hath a very Horne And dareth he to looke hereafter any honest man in the face Yet he wil say that Paulus Aemilius sayth that the King was fayne to make this sharp and seuere Lawe Why CaÌ„ Paulus Aemylius tell better what was done then your other authour Bertrande being presente and playing the chiefe parte in this play and setting yt forth to the world to your perpetual ignominie with his own penne Wel tel vs then what Paulus sayeth Marie saye yowe Paulus reporteth that composuit rem sacerdotum he did set in order the matters of the Priestes But who speaketh of your sharpe and seuere Lawe Wil not coÌ„ponere rem sacerdotuÌ„ agree with al that I haue told out of Bertrand himself Is now coÌ„ponere reÌ„ sacerdotuÌ„ to be englisshed to make a sharpe and a seuere law Suerly this is a prety expositioÌ„ aÌ„d a try me tricke of your new graÌ„mer Your Authour Aemilius vseth his word coÌ„posuit valdè aptè compositè very aptly and fytlie But you M. Horne with your gaye and freshe interpretation doe nothing else but Lectori fallacias componere deceyue and be guyle your reader or to speake more fytely to our purpose ye doe nothing else but Legem Philippi nomine componere counterfeyte a lawe in Philippes name whereof your authour Aemilius speaketh nothing For Aemilius declaring a notable victory that this King had ouer his enemies saith that the victory obteyned and after that he had made his prayers and geuen thankes therefore to God and to his blessed Martyres composuit rem Sacerdotum he set in order the Priestes matters Then doth he shortly specifie that the foresaide Petrus Cunerius complained vpon the clergy for the hearing of many matters that appertayned to the kiÌ„ges secular cowrte and that the foresaid Bertrandus made him answere declaring amonge other thinges that their beste Kinges in Fraunce the most florisshing and the most notable were euer the greateste patrons and defenders of the clergies liberties and that the other that impugned the same came to a miserable and wretched ende He saith further that the Kings answere being from day to day proloÌ„ged the said Bertrandus with a nomber of the prelates vpoÌ„ S. Thomas of Canterburies day went to the Kinge admonishiÌ„g him that S. Thomas in the defence of the Church liberties vppon that daye spente his bloud and lyfe The King at the length answered that he wuld rather encrease than impayre the Churches right Wherevpon all rendred vnto him thankes and the Kinge purchased himselfe thereby the name of a Catholike King Ye heare good reader an other maner of exposition of â—omâ—osuit remsaceâ—dotum by theauthour him self then is M. Hornes gaye lying glose made in his theeuish Cacus denne And therfore with these words wherewith Aemilius beginneth his narration M. Horne endeth the narration to putte some countenance vpon his false and counterfeite Lawe The clergy then enioyed still their liberties and iurisdiction which ordinarilye they had before either by Law or by custome and priuilege though as I said many causes were but temporall Al the which teÌ„poral causes the said Petrus Cunerius by the way of coÌ„sultation only and reasoning declared by some coulorable arguments to belong to the Kings cowrte onely But for excoÌ„municatioÌ„s synodical decrees examinatioÌ„s of meÌ„s beliefes aÌ„d such like he maketh theÌ„ not as ye bable teÌ„poral matters nor abridgeth the clergies iurisdiction therein but onely reproueth certayne abuses therin committed forthe which and for the other the clergy promised a reformation Let vs nowe see your policie aÌ„d to what benefit of your cause ye doe so lie Imagyne yf ye wil that al were true aÌ„d for ones we will take you for Philip the French King and your Law made in your Cacus denne to be in as good force as yf yt had ben made in open parliament in France What issue ioyne you thereof what due and ordinate consequeÌ„t is this the Frenche King maketh a seuere lawe against the clergie vsurping his iurisdiction Ergo the Pope is no Pope or ergo the King of England is the Pope of Englande Agayne yf al are temporal matters howe standeth yt with your doctrine especially of this booke that ye and your fellowes shoulde busie your selfe therewith Neither will yt ease you to say that ye doe yt by the Princes commissioÌ„ for Cunerius vppon whome ye grounde all this your talke dryueth his reason to this ende that spirituall men be not capable of temporall iurisdiction and therefore this commission will not serue you And yf ye holde by commission take heade your commission be well and substancially made But of this commission we shal haue more occasion to speake hereafter M. Horne The .136 Diuision pag. 82. b. In England at this tyme many abuses about Ecclesiasticall causes vvere refourmed although the Pope and his Clergie did earnestly .448 mainteine them by Kinge Edvvard the .3 vvho vvrote his .449 letters to the Pope admonishing him to leaue of his disordered doings and vvhan that vvould not serue he redressed them by act of parliament and as Nauclerus saith he commaunded that from thence forth no body should .450 bring into the Realme any kind of the Popes letters vnder the paine of drowning and expelled al persones out of his kingdome that were by the Pope promoted to any benefice The .32 Chapter Of Edward the .3 King of England Stapleton THis argument also is right futely to the precedent as resting vpoÌ„ the reformiÌ„g of abuses in matters Ecclesiastical But I pray you tel vs no more M. Horn of reformiÌ„g of abuses if you wil ani way furder your preseÌ„t cause
repell all euill customes contrarie to the lawe of God and the lawe of man in their subiectes by the Councell of Diuines and other wise men Also lette them see that they pul vppe by the rootes and destroy more diligently then they haue done Magicall Artes and other superstitions condemned by the lawe of God and all errours and heresies contrarie to the Faith Item that they watche and care earnestly for the exalting of the Faith and the honour of Goddes seruice and the refourming of the Churche that they labour and trauaile diligently for the reformation of althose things which are mentioned afore or here folowing or anye other thinges profitable caet VVhen this booke vvas thus compiled it was offered vppe to the Councel saith Orthvviuus that the most Christian Emperour Sigismunde had called togeather not so much for the agreemente of the Churche as for hope of a generall reformation of their manners hoping verelye that the Prelates woulde put to their helping handes but the Romaine craft beguiling the Germaine simplicitie the new made pope featly flouted the vvell meaning Emperoure saying that he vvoulde thinke on this matter at laisure caet Thus vvas Sigismunde the Emperour misused vvhiche othervvise might seeme to haue bene borne to haue restored Christianitie to the vvorlde againe The frustrating of this refourmation vvas on the other side no lesse grieuouse vnto the Frenche Kinge that bothe before the time of the Councell and in the Councell vvhile had greatly trauailed in taking avvay the Popes exâ—ctions and other Ecclesiasticall abuses vvhervvith his Realme vvas vvonderfully oppressed as appeareth in the Oration that the Frenche Kings Embassadours made in this Councell vvritten by Nicol. de Clemangijs and set forth in Othvvynus Gratius fardell of notable things After this Councell vvas an other holden at Basil vvhither came the Princes of Spaine Fraunce Hungary and Germany vvhiche dooinges of the Princes made pope Eugenius so to feare that he .461 thought to translat the CouÌ„cel to Bononia But the Emperour and other princes and the prelates whiche vvere at Basill not onlye not obeyed him but tvvise or thrise admonished him to come thither This â—â—pe vvas in this CouÌ„cel .462 deposed in the .34 sessioÌ„ Of this CouÌ„cel the Emperour SigismoÌ„de vvas the chiefe and protector and in his absence appointed the Duke of Bauaria in his roome He caused the Bohemes to come to this Councell And whan he hearde of those matters in Religion which were generally agreed vppon he allowed them and commaunded them to be obserued The .35 Chapter Of Sigismund and Friderike the .3 Emperours Stapleton MAister Horne for goddes sake remember your self and what ye haue taken in hande to proue to M. FekenhaÌ„ that is that the Quene of EnglaÌ„de owght to be supreame head of the Churche of Englande and not the Pope RemeÌ„ber I pray you how weighty this is to M. Fekenham as for the which beside this his longe imprisonment he standeth in daunger of losse of lyfe also Goe ones rowndly to your matter and bringe him some fytte and coÌ„uenient proufe to perswade him withal Ye ruÌ„ne on a thre leaues following with the doinges of the Emperours Sigismonde Friderike and Maximilian and then at length after all your busie rufle and greate turmoyle againste the Pope ye come to kinge Henry the .8 and to our owne dayes Nowe howe litle the doinges of these Emperours proue their supreamacie in all causes ecclesiastical euerie childe may see And to beginne with Sigismond we heare of you that in the tyme of the great and mayne schisme he called a councell at Constantia where three Popes were deposed and that theÌ„ Martine the .5 was â—heâ—stâ—r by the Emperors meanes chosen We heare of a booke of reformatioÌ„ offred to themperour for the abuses of some matters ecclesiastical But in al that boke there is not one word either against the Catholike faythe or for M. Hornes heresies Onely he reherseth vp certayne abuses which he woulde haue amended And as for our matter nowe in hande he sayth expressely that the Church of Rome beareth the Principalyte or chief rule in Christes Church deriued principally from Gods ordinaunce and secondarely from the CouÌ„cels What doth this relieue you M. Horne We heare farder that themperour and other princes would not suffer the pope to traÌ„slate the Councell of Basile to an other place and finally that the pope Eugenius was deposed in the foresayd Councell at Basile But what serueth all this for your purpose Yea what shameles impudencie is this for yow thus to vaunte your selfe vppoÌ„ the doings of these two councels that coÌ„demne your great Apostle Wiccliffe for an horrible heretyke and so consequently al your Geneuical doctrine now practised in England And ye must remember that not themperour but the Councel deposed these popes that is the bishops You doe fynde theire sentence definityue in the .34 Session of the Councel of Basill by your selfe alleaged But for the senteÌ„ce definitiue of themperour for theis depositions or any matter of religion ye shall not fynd Ergo the bisshops were the heads and not themperour And so are ye nothing the nearer for the deposition of Eugenius Who yet this depositioÌ„ notwithstanding continued pope still as M. Iewell him selfe witnesseth against you M. Horne and the duke of Sauoye of whome ye make mention in your nexte argumeÌ„t elected in Eugenius his place by the sayde councell was fayne to renounce his papacy as your selfe confesse And notwithstanding so many and so great princes that ye name withstode the translation of yt yet was the councell of Basill translated to Ferraria first and theÌ„ to Florence where the greke Emperour and the Grecians were reconciled to the vnity of the Church and among other things acknowledged the Popes Primacy So that ye haue nowe lost all your goodly schismaticall argumentes that ye haue in this your book brought out of Nilus and otherwise for the Grecians rebellion against the sayd primacy But what doe you tell vs here of Theodorike Nyem and of his greate and large proufes that the reformation of the Church belonged to the Emperours In dede proue he would such a matter But as for him bothe his maner of writing is so course and his proufs so weake that you were ashamed to bring any one of theÌ„ into the face of the opeÌ„ Court And in very dede it is but a great vntruth of yours so to reporte of him Namely out of that booke and Chapter which you alleage For ther he bringeth neither good reason nor any parte of the word of God both which you auouche him to bring and that at large but only one sentence of a decree and the exaÌ„ple of king Theodorike in the matter of pope Symachus which matter as I haue before proued maketh expressely for the popes primacy Such a discrete writer you haue picked out to help forward so badde a matter But to let this maÌ„ passe I will nowe
Fekenhā meant otherwise then he durst plainly vtter or by his cūning could aunswer vnto M. Horne The 2. Diuision Vvherein I follovv the order of M. Fekenhams booke I make the proofes according to his request and besides my proofes foorth of the Scriptures the auncient Doctours the Generall Councels and Nationall I make proofe by the continual practise of the Church .3 in like gouernment as the Queenes Maiestie taketh vpon her and that by such Authors for a great sort of them as are the more to be credited in this matter for that they vvere most earnest fautors of the Romish sea infected as the times vvere vvith much superstitiō and did attribute vnto the see of Rome and so to the vvhole Clergie so much authoritie in Churche matters as they mighte and muche more then they ought to haue done Stapleton I wil not charge M Horne that his meaning is to ingraffe in the mindes of the subiectes a misliking of the Queenes Maiestie as though shee vsurped a power and autoritie in Ecclesiasticall maters whereto shee hath no right as he chargeth M. Fekenham withal vnlesse perchance he were of Councell with the holy brotherhode of Geneua for the Booke whereof we shall hereafter speake that spoyleth the Queenes Maiesty of al her authority as wel tēporal as spiritual and vnlesse he hath in opē sermō at VVinchester mainteined cōtrary to the Quenes ecclesiastical iniunctions such as would not reform their disordered apparel and that after he had put his hand as one of the Queenes cōmissioners to the redresse of the saied disorder And vnlesse he hath and doth maītein many things beside yea and cōtrary to the lawes and orders of the realm late set forth cōcerning maters ecclesiasticall as it is wel knowē and to be proued he hath don as wel in the defending of the Minister of Durley near the Manour of Bisshops Walthā refusing the saied order as otherwise But this may I boldy say and I doubt nothinge to proue it that in al his boke there is not as much as one worde of scripture one Doctour one councell generall or prouincial not the practise of any one countrey throwgh owte the worlde counted Catholike that maketh for such kinde of regiment as M. Horne avoucheth nor any one manner of proufe that hath any weight or pythe in the worlde to perswade I wil not say M. Fekenham but any other of much lesse witte learning and experience I say M. Horne commeth not ones nighe the principall matter and question wherein M. Fekenhā would and of right ought to be resolued I say further in case we remoue and sequester al other proufes on oure syde that M. Horn shal by the very same fathers councels and other authorities by him felfe producted so be ouerthrowen in the chief and capital question vnto the which he cometh not nighe as a man might say by one thowsande myles that his owne company may haue iuste cause to feare least this noble blaste so valiantly and skilfully blowen owte of M. Hornes trompet shall engender in the harts of all indifferent and discrete Readers much cause to mistruste more thē they did before the whol matter that M. Horne hath taken in hande to iustifie Wherefore as it is mete in al matters so is it here also cōueniēt and necessary to haue before thyne eyes good Reader the state and principal question controuersed betwene the parties standing in variance And then diligently to see how the proufes are of eche party applied for the confirming of their assertions There are therfore in this cause many things to be considered Firste that Christe lefte one to rule his whole Churche in his steade from tyme to tyme vnto the ende of the worlde Secondly that this one was Saint Peter the Apostle and now are the Bisshoppes of Rome his successours Thirdly that albeit the Bisshop of Rome had no such vniuersal gouernment ouer the whole yet that he is and euer was the patriarche of Englande and of the whole weste Church and so hath as muche to doe here as any other patriarche in his patriarkshippe Then that all were it that he had nothing to intermedle with vs nor as Pope nor as patriarche yet can not this supremacy of a ciuil prince be iustified whereof he is not capable especiallye a woman but it must remayne in some spiritual man Beside this the Catholikes say that as there was neuer any suche presidēte heretofore in the Catholike Churche so at this present there is no such except in England neither emonge the Lutherans the Zwinglians the Swenckfeldians or Anabaptistes nor any other secte that at this daye raygneth or rageth in the worlde None of these I saye agnise their cyuil prince as supreame gouernour in al causes spiritual and temporal Last of al I say and M. Fekenham wil also saye that euen M. Horne him selfe in this his answere retreyteth so farre backe from this assertion of supreame gouernment in all causes spirituall and temporall whiche is the state and keye of the whole question that he plucketh from the prince the chief and principal matters and causes ecclesiasticall as we shall here after plainely shewe by his owne woordes The premisses then being true and of owre syde abundantly proued and better to be proued as occasion shall serue as nothing can effectually be brought against them so M Horne as ye shal euidently perceiue in the processe stragleth quyte from al these points besetting himselfe all his study and endeuor to proue that which neither greatly hyndereth oure cause nor much bettereth his and for the which neither maister Fekenham nor any other Catholike will greatly contende with him whiche is when all is done that Princes may medle and deale with causes ecclesiasticall Which as it is in some meaning true so dothe yt nothing reache home to the pointe most to haue bene debated vpon And so is much labour vaynely and idlelye employed with tediouse and infynite talke and bablinge all from the purpose and owte of the matter whiche ought speciallye to haue bene iustifyed And therefore this is but an impudente facing and bragging to say that he hath proued the like regiment that we deny by the Fathers by the Councels and by the continual practise of the Churche Now it is worthy to see the iolye pollicy of this man and howe euen and correspondent it is to his fellowe protestants M. Iewel restrayneth the Catholikes to .600 yeres as it were by an extraordinary and newe founde prescription of his owne embarringe al Later proufes Yet he him selfe in the meane tyme runneth at large almoste one thowsande yeares Later shrynkinge hither and thyther taking tagge and ragge heretike and Catholik for the fortifying of his false assertions This wise trade this man kepeth also and to resolue M. Fekenham and setle his conscience he specially stayeth him self vpon Platina Nauclerus Abbas Vrspergensis Sabellicus Aeneas pius Volaterranus Fabian Polichronicon Petrus Bertrandus Benno
other that among other heresies recite some of those that you openly and your fellowes maintaine Yf ye will reiect the poore Catholiques S. Augustine and Epiphanius also yet I trust you will not be against your owne famouse Apologie whiche saith that Epiphanius nombreth fourscore Heresies of the which it is one for a man after the order of Priesthode to marie and S. Augustine a greater nomber and so concludeth you and the residue to be heretikes If ye wil denie ye mainteine any of those heresies your preachings your teachings and writings beare full and open testimony against you What then haue you to iustifie your cause You wil happely forsake and abandon S. Augustines authoritie withal the olde Canons and Councels and flye vnder the defence of your brickle bulwarke of Actes of Parliament O poore and sely helpe o miserable shift that our faith should hang vppon an acte of Parliamente contrary as wel to all actes of Parliament euer holden in Englande before as to the Canons and Fathers of the Catholike Churche A strange and a wonderfull matter to heare in a Christian common welth that matters of faith are Parliament cases That ciuill and prophane matters be conuerted into holie and Ecclesiasticall matters Yea and that woorse is that Laie men that are of the folde onely not shepheards at all and therefore bounde to learne of their Catholique Bisshoppes and Pastours may alter the whole Catholique Religion maugre the heades of all the Bishoppes and the whole Conuocation This is to trouble all things this is as it were to confounde togeather heauen and earth But yet let vs see the prouidence of God These men that relinquishing the Church would hang only vpoÌ„ a Parliament are quite forsaken yea euen there where they loked for their best helpe For I praye you what warrant is there by acte of Parliament to denie the Real presence of Christes bodie in the holie Eucharistia Is it not for anye Parliament as well heresie nowe as it was in Quene Maries King Henries or anye other Kinges dayes What can be shewed to the contrarie Doth not Luther your first Apostle and his schollers defie you therefore as detestable Heretiques Nowe concerning Transubstantiation and adoration is it not well knowen thinke you that in King Edwardes dayes there was a preaty legerdemaine played and a leafe putt in at the printing which was neuer proposed in the Parliamente What Parliamente haue your Preachers to denye free will and the necessitie of baptizing children Againe I pray you is there any Acte to confirme your vnlawful mariage Doth not in this point the Canonicall Lawe stande in force as well nowe as in King Henries daies And so doth it not followe that yee are no true Bishoppe Beside is it not notoriouse that yee and your Colleages were not ordeined no not according to the prescripte I wil not say of the Churche but euen of the verye statutes Howe then can yee challenge to your selfe the name of the Lord Bisshoppe of Winchester Whereof bothe the Municipall and Ecclesiasticall Lawe dothe woorthelye spoyle you Wherefore as I sayed let vs dashe out these wordes and then no reasonable man shall haue any great cause to quarell against the Title of M. Fekenhams Treatise The .2 Diuision M. Horne The booke by you deliuered vnto mee touching the Othe was writen in the Tovver of London as you your selfe confessed and the true title therof doth plainly testifie in the time of the ParliameÌ„t holden Anno quinto of the Q. Maiestie Ianua 12. at which time you litle thought to haue soiourned with me the winter follovving and much lesse meant to deliuer me the scruples and staies of your coÌ„science in writing to be resolued at my hands And although you would haue it seeme by that you haue published abroade that the cause why you wrot was to be resolued my hande yet the trueth is as you your selfe reported that you and your Tovver fellovves hearing that the Statute moued for the assuraunce of the Queenes royall povver would passe and be establissed did conceiue that immediately after the same Session Commissioners shoulde be sente vnto you to exact the Othe VVhereuppon you to be in some readines to withstande and refuse the duetie of a good subiecte .8 not without helpe of the reste as may be gathered deuised the matter conteyned in the booke committed the same to writing and purposed to haue deliuered it for your ansvvere touching the Othe of the Supremacy to the CoÌ„missioners if they had come This may appere by the Title of that booke that you first deliuered to me which is worde for worde as follovveth The answere made by M. Iohn Fekenham Priest and prisoner in the Tower to the Quenes highnes Commissioners touching the Oth of the Supremacie In this Title there is no mencion of scruples and stayes deliuered to the Bisshoppe of VVinchester but of aunsvveare to the Queenes Commissioners I am not once named in the â—itle ne yet in the looke deliuâ—â—â—â— to mee neither is there one worde as spoken to me although in the 〈…〉 abroad you turne all as spoken to me â—n your booke published aâ—e 〈…〉 kinds of speaches To the L. Bishop of VVinchestâ— VVhen youâ— L. shal be able c. I shall ioyne this issue vvith your L. c. But it is farre othervvise in your booke deliuered to me namely To the Queenes highnes coÌ„missioners VVhen ye the Queenes highnes coÌ„missioners shal be hable c. I shal ioine this issue vvith you that vvhen any one of you the Queenes hignes coÌ„missioners c. From October at what time you were sent to me vnto the end of Ianuarie there was daily conference betvvixt vs in matters of Religion but chiefly touching the foure pointes which you terme scruples and stayes of conscience and that by worde of mouth and not by any writing In all which points ye vvere .9 so ansvvered that ye had nothing to obiect but seemed resolued and in a maner fully satisfied VVhervpon I made aftervvard relation of .10 good meaning tovvards you to certain honorable persons of the good hope I had coÌ„ceiued of your conformity At whiche time a certaine friend of yours standing by and hearing what I had declared then to the honorable in your coÌ„medacion did shortly after .11 reporte the same vnto you which as it seemed you did so much mislike doubting that your confederates should vnderstand of your reuolt .12 which they euer feared hauing experience of your shrinking froÌ„ them at .13 VVestminster in the coÌ„ference there the first yere of the Q. Maiestie that after that time I founde you alvvaies much more repugnaÌ„t and coÌ„trary to that wherin ye before times seemed in maner throughly resolued And also to goe from that you before agreed vnto By reason vvhereof vvhen in debating betvvixt vs you vsinge manye shiftes amongst other did continuallie quarell in Sophistication of vvordes I did vvill you to
the artillery of the town plaÌ„ted their ordinaÌ„ce in the great Maire a strete so called stoode there in armes against their PriÌ„ce required opeÌ„ly the kayes of the gates aÌ„d of the town house the banishmeÌ„t of al religious persons aÌ„d priests aÌ„d brefly as the cry theÌ„ weÌ„t about the stretes des CoopmaÌ„s goet en PapeÌ„ bloet the goods of the MarchaÌ„ts aÌ„d the blood of the Priests These I say are manifest clere aÌ„d euident witnesses that the Caluinistes of Antwerp atteÌ„pted no lesse rebellioÌ„ theÌ„ the town of ValeÌ„cens practised in dede But of this Notorious atteÌ„pt and of the whole maner ende and beginning thereof toward the end of this book I shall more largely speak to the which place I remitte the Reader Now what a great and sodayn ouerthrowe God hath geueÌ„ to al these trayterous atteÌ„pts of ghospelliÌ„g protestaÌ„ts and how they haue wrought therein their own destructioÌ„ for had they not atteÌ„pted the dominioÌ„ it self their heresies we feare would longer haue ben winked at and perhaps not repressed at al how first the caluinists in Antwerp were by mayne force of the Catholiks the LutheraÌ„s ioyning in that feate with theÌ„ coÌ„strayned to lay downe their weapons and to crye Viueâ—e Roy God saue the king how sone after vpon palmesonday the towne of Valencenes was taken by the kings Captaynes how straight after Easter the preachers were driuen to departe Antwerpe and al other townes and Cyties of these lowe Countries how their newe Churches are made a pray to the kings souldyars briefely how al is restored to the olde face and couÌ„tenaÌ„ce as nighe as in so short a time may be how wonderfully mercifullye and miraculously God hath wrought herein neither my rude penne is able worthely to expresse it nether my smal experience can sufficiently report it I leaue it therefore to a better time and occasion of some other more exactly and worthely to be chronicled This is lo M. Horne the obedience of the Caluinistes in these low couÌ„tres here as we hear daily with our eares and see with our eyes And truly experieÌ„ce hath to wel shewed that ProtestaÌ„ts obey vntil they haue power to resiste WheÌ„ their faction is the stronger syde as they resiste bothe Prelats and Popes so they laye at bothe Kinges and Keysars And to this the law of their Gospel enforceth them as their own Ministers persuade them So by the persuasioÌ„ of Theodore Beza Caluins holy successour now at Geneua the villayne Poltrot slewe the Duke of Guise his Princes Capitain General By the Authority of Hermannus a knowen rennagate now in Englande and a famous preacher here as before in Italy for open baudery no lesse infamous the towne of Hassels in Lukelande rebelled By the encouragement and setting on of the Ministres who for the time were the chiefe Magistrats there the towne of Tournay for a season also rebelled and sent out ayde to the rebelles of ValeÌ„cens who sped according to their desertes being to the number of ij M. or there aboute intercepted by the kings souldyars and slayne within the twelue dayes at Christmas laste And it is wel knowen namely by the first execution made after the taking of Valencenes aboute witsontyde laste that the Ministers themselues were the chiefe Authours of the loÌ„ge and obstynat rebellion of that towne Such supreme gouuerment of the Prince ouer causes Ecclesiastical your dere brethern here M. Horne the Caluinistes doe acknowledge and practise Which that it renewe not to a farder rebellioÌ„ we for the peace of Gods Churche and for our owne safty doe pray and you for sauing your poore honesty had nede to praye Except your harte also be with them M. Horne though your penne condemne them Nowe for the purgation of the Catholiks against whom this man so falsly and maliciously bloweth his horne yt may seame a good and a conueniente proufe of their quietnes and obedience that al this .8 years and more there hath not ben in the realme no not one that I can heare of that hath bene conuicted of any disloyalty for worde or dead concerning the Princes ciuil regiment which they all wishe were as large and ample and as honorable as euer was our noble countreymans the greate Constantines And albeit I knowe quòd non sit tutum scribere contra eos qui possunt praescribere Yet for matters of conscience and relligion wherein onely we stande we poore Catholikes moste humblye vppon our knees desire her highnes that we may with moste lowlye submission craue and require to be borne withall yf we can not vppon the sodayn and withoute sure and substantial groundes abandon that faith that we were baptized in and as we are assured al our auncetours and al her Maiesties own most noble progenitors yea her owne most noble father King Henry the eight yea that faith which he in a clerkly booke hath most pythely defended and therby atchieued to him and his and transported as by hereditary succession the worthy title and style yet remayning in her highnes of the defendour of the faith Other disobedience then in these matters yf there be any thing in vs worthy that name wherein as I haue said our first and principal obedience must wayt vpon God and his Catholik Church I trust her highnes hath not nor shal not find in any true Catholick Let vs nowe turne on the other syde and consider the fruits of M. Horn his euangelical bretherne and their obedience that by woordes woulde seame to recognise the Quenes Maiesty as supreame gouernour in al causes ecclestical Who are those then I praye yow M. Horne that repine at the Quenes maiesties iniunctioÌ„s and ordinances for the decente and comly apparrel mete for such as occupie the roome of the clergy Whence came those .16 Ministres to Paris and what Ministres were they but roundecappe Ministres of England fleying the realme for disobedience Who wrote and printed a booke at Rhone against the Queenes Maiesties expresse coÌ„maundment of priestly apparel Was it not Minister Barthelet that published before the infamous libel against the vniuersall Churche of God bothe that nowe is and euer hath bene As fonde nowe and peuish against his owne congregation as he was wicked before and blasphemous against the whole Churche of God Who are they that haue preached withe a chayne of golde abowte their neckes in steade of a typpet Who are those that preache euen in her highnes presence that the Crucifixe her grace hathe in her chappelle is the Idoll withe the red face Who are those I pray yow that write Sint sanè ipsi magistratus membra partes ciues Ecclesiae Deiâ—imo vt ex toto corde sint omnes precari decet Flagrent quoque ipsi zelo pietatis sed non sint Capita Ecclesiae quia ipsis non competit iste primatus Let the magistrates also be members and partes and cytizens of the Churche of God yea and that they may be so it
here folowīg who speaketh of M. Fekenhā without any regarde so loosely and lewdely as to saye he maketh his belly his God that his frēds mistrusted his reuolting and wauering incōstācy that he sent foorth copies of the book as M. Horn termeth the shedule when he sawe the othe should not be tendred him and such lyke Where are nowe in this your false tale the dewe circūstāces that ye nedelessely required of M. Fekenhā most necessarie here to haue bene obserued of yow Suerly the rest is as true as that ye write of his seruante and of his charges wekely defrayde by his frēds and brought in by his seruāte which is as farre as I can vnderstande stark false Why doe ye not I pray you in these and your other blinde fonde folishe and false ghesses and surmises make your tale more apparāte and cowlorable clothing it with some cōuenient and dew circumstances that ye do so much harpe vppon against M. Fekenham Ye be now again blindly and lewdly harping vpō his revolte to slaunder and deface him Ye say he sent out his copies when he vnderstode right wel that the othe was not like to be tendered him How proue ye it good Sir He and other Catholiks made their certain accompte that after the end of the parliament the othe should haue ben offred thē what was the cause it was not exacted I certainly know not were it for the great plague that immediatly reigned and raged at London I pray God it were no plague to punish the straunge procedings in that parliament against his holy Church and to put vs in remembraunce of a greater plague imminēte and hanging ouer vs in this or in an other world onlesse we repent or were it by special order goodnes and mercy of the Quenes Maiesty I can not tel But this well I wote no gramercy to you sir who so sore thirsted and lōged for the catholiks bloud And therfore as sone as Gods plague ceased thought to haue your self plaged the Catholiks exactīg the Othe of M. Doctour Bonner Bisshop of Lōdon But lo here now began your and your fellowes the protestant bisshops wonderful plague and scourge that throwgh your own seking and calling this man to the othe the matter so meruelously fel out that ye and your felowes as ye were no church bisshops whose authority ye had forsaken and defied so you were also no parliament bisshops Vpō the which a pitiful case your state your honour your worship and bisshoply authority yea faith and al now restethe and dependeth A meruelouse prouidence of God that while ye could not be contente to spoile the true bisshops of their wordly estate and honor but must nedes haue their poore lyfe and al you your self were founde to be no bisshops no not by the very statutes of the realme But lette these thinges now passe and herken we to Maister Hornes blaste The 8. Diuision Pag. 6. b. M. Fekenham First is that I must by a booke Othe vtterlye testifie that the Queenes highnes is the onely supreme gouernour of this realme and that aswell in all Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall thinges or causes as Temporall But to testifie any thinge vppon a booke Othe no man may possiblye therein auoide periury except he doe first know the thing which he doth testifie and whereof he beareth witnesse and geueth testimonye And touching this knowledge that the Queenes maiesty is the onely supreme gouernour aswell in Spirituall or Ecclesiastical causes as in Tēporal besides that I haue no such knowledge I know no way nor meane whereby I shoulde haue any knowledge thereof And therefore of my part to testifie the same vppon a booke Othe beinge without as I am in deede al knowledge I cannot without committinge of plaine and manifest periury And herein I shal ioyne this issue with your L. that whē your L. shal be able either by such order of gouernment as our Sauiour Christe left behinde him in his Gospel and new testament either by the writing of such learned Doctours both Olde and new which haue from age to age witnessed the order of Ecclesiastical gouernmente in Christes Churche either by the general Councels wherein the righte order of Ecclesiastical gouernement in Christes Church hath beene most faithfully declared and shewed from time to time or elles by the continual practise of the like Ecclesiasticall gouernment in some one Church or part of all Christendom VVhan your Lordshippe shal be able by any of these fower meanes to make proufe vnto me that any Emperour or Empresse King or Quene may claym or take vpon thē any such gouernmēt in spiritual or ecclesiastical causes I shal herein yelde and with most humble thankes reken my selfe well satisfied and shal take vppon me the knowledge thereof and be ready to testifie the same vppon a booke Othe M. Horne The reason or argument that moueth you not to testifie vpon a book Othe the Q. Supremacy in causes ecclesiastical is this No man may testifie by Othe that thing vvhereof he is ignorant and knovveth nothīg vvithout committīg periury But you neither knovv that the Q. highnes is the onely supreme gouernour asvvel in causes Ecclesiasticall ▪ as Temporall neither yet knovv you any vvay or meane vvhereby to haue any knovvledge thereof Therefore to testifie the same vppon a booke Othe you can not vvithout committing of plaine and manifest periury For ansvveare to the Minor or seconde Proposition of this argument Although I might plainly deny that you are vvithout all knovvledge and vtterly ignoraunt both of the matter and the vvay or meane hovv to come by knovvledge therof and so put you to your prouf vvherein I knovv you must needes faile yet vvil I not so ansvveare by plain negatiue but by distinctiō or diuisiō of ignorāce And so for your better excuse declare in vvhat sort you are ignoraūt and vvithout al knovvledge There are three kinds of ignorātes the one of simplicity the other of vvilfulnes and the thirde of malice Of the first sort you cānot be for you haue had longe time good oportunity much occasiō and many vvaies vvhereby to come to the knovvledge hereof Yea you haue knovvē and profest openly by deede and vvorde the knovvledge hereof many yeers together For you did 28. knovv acknovvledge and confesse this supreme authority in causes Ecclesiastical to be in King Hēry the eight and his heyres vvhā your Abbay of Eueshā by cōmō cōsent of you and the other Mōks there vnder your couent seale vvas of your ovvn good vvilles vvithout compulsion surrendred into his handes and you by his authority refourmed forsooke your folishe vovve and many .29 horrible errours and superstitions of Monkery and became a secular Priest and Chaplaine to D. Bell and aftervvarde to D. Bonner and so duringe the life of King Henry the eight did agnise professe and teach opēly in your sermōs the kings Supremacy in causes Ecclesiastical This knovvledge remained stedfastly in you al
both their owne and their Readers labour I pray you then good M. Horne bring foorth that King that did not agnise one supreme head and chiefe iudge in all causes Ecclesiasticall among the Iewes I meane the high Priest wherein lieth all our chiefe question Ye haue not yet done it nor neuer shal doe it And if ye could shew any it were not worth the shewing For ye should not shewe it in any good King as being an open breache of Gods lawe geauen to him by Moyses as these your doings are an open breach of Christ and his churches lawe geuen to vs in the new Testament Againe what president haue ye shewed of anye good King among the Iewes that with his laitie altered and abandoned the vsuall religion a thousande yeares and vpward customablie from age to age receiued and embraced and that the High Priest and the whole Clergie resisting and gainsaiyng all such alterations If ye haue not shewed this ye haue straied farre from the marke What euidence haue ye brought forth to shewe that in the olde Law any King exacted of the Clergie in verbo sacerdotij that they shuld make none Ecclesiastical law without his consent as King Henrie did of the Clergie of England And so to make the Ciuil Magistrate the Supreame iudge for the finall determination of causes Ecclesiasticall What can ye bring forth out of the olde Testamente to aide and relieue your doinges who haue abandoned not onely the Pope but Generall Councels also and that by plaine acte of Parliament I saye this partlye for a certaine clause of the Acte of Parliament that for the determination of anye thinge to be adiudged to be heresie reasteth only in the authoritie of the Canonicall Scriptures and in the first foure General Councels and other Councels general wherin any thing is declared heresie by expresse wordes of scripture By whiche rule it will be hard to conuince many froward obstinate heretikes to be heretikes yea of such as euen by the saied fower first and many other Councels general are condemned for heretikes Partly and most of al I saye it for an other clause in the acte of Parliament enacting that no forraigne Prince Spirituall or temporal shall haue any authoritie or Superioritie in this realme in any Spirituall cause And then I pray you if any Generall Councell be made to reforme our misbelief if we wil not receiue it who shall force vs And so ye see we be at libertie to receiue or not receiue any general Councel And yet might the Pope reforme vs wel inough for any thing before rehersed for the Popes authority ecclesiastical is no more forraigne to this realme then the Catholike faith is forraigne sauing that he is by expresse wordes of the statute otherwise excluded Now what can ye shewe that mere laie men should enioye ecclesiastical liuings as vsually they doe among you What good inductiō can ye bring from the doinges of the Kinges of the olde Lawe to iustifie that Princes nowe may make Bishoppes by letters patents and that for suche and so long time as should please them as either for terme of yeares moneths weekes or daies What good motiue cā ye gather by their regiment that they did visit Bishops and Priestes and by their lawes restrained them to exercise any iurisdiction ouer their flockes to visite their flocks to refourme them to order or correcte them without their especiall authoritie and commission therevnto Yea to restraine them by an inhibition from preaching whiche ye confesse to be the peculiar function of the Clergie exempted from all superioritie of the Prince What Thinke ye that yee can perswade vs also that Bishops and Priestes paied their first fruits and tenthes to their Princes yea and that both in one yeare as they did for a while in Kinge Henrie his dayes Verelye Ioseph would not suffer the very heathen Priestes which onely had the bare names of Priests to paye either tithes or fines to Pharao their Prince Yea rather he found them in time of famine vpon the common store Are ye able suppose ye to name vs any one King that wrote him selfe Supreame head of the Iewish Church and that in all causes as well Spirituall as Temporall and that caused an Othe to the Priestes and people the Nobilitie onelye exempted to be tendred that they in conscience did so beleue and that in a woman Prince too yea and that vnder paine of premunire and plaine treason too O M. Horne your manifolde vntruthes are disciphired and vnbuckled ye are espied ye are espied I say well enough that ye come not by a thousande yardes and more nigh the marke Your bowe is to weake your armes to feable to shoot with any your cōmendation at this marke yea if ye were as good an archer as were that famous Robin Hood or Litle Iohn Wel shift your bowe or at the least wise your string Let the olde Testament goe and procede to your other proufes wherein we will nowe see if ye can shoote any streighter For hitherto ye haue shotten al awrye and as a man may saye like a blinde man See now to your selfe from henseforth that ye open your eies and that ye haue a good eye and a good aime to the marke we haue set before you If not be ye assured we wil make no curtesie eftsones to put you in remembrance For hitherto ye haue nothing proued that Princes ought which ye promised to proue or that they may take vppon them such gouernment as I haue laid before you and such as ye must in euery parte iustifie if either ye will M. Fekenham shal take the Othe or that ye entende to proue your selfe a true man of your worde M. Horne The .18 Diuision pag. 11. b. You suppose that ye haue escaped the force of all these and such like godly Kings which doe marueilously shake your holde and that they may not be alleaged against you neither any testimonie out of the olde testament for that ye haue restrained the proufe for your contentation to such order of gouernment as Christ hath assigned in the Ghospel to be in the time of the nevv testament wherein you haue sought a subtil shifte For whiles ye seeke to cloke your errour vnder the shadovve of Christes Ghospel ▪ you bevvray your secrete heresies turning your self naked to be sene of al men and your cause notvvithstanding lest in the state it vvas before nothing holpen by this your poore shift of restraint So that vvhere your friendes tooke you before but onely for a Papist novv haue you shevved your selfe to them plainly herein to be a .50 Donatist also VVhen the Donatists troubled the peace of Christes Catholique Church and diuided them selues from the vnity therof as nor◠you doe The godlie Fathers trauailed to confute their heresies by the Scriptures both of the olde and nevve testament and also craued aide and assistaunce of the Magistrates and Rulers to refourme them to reduce them
far greater busines in hande for he must scrape out S. Iohn Oldcastel knight being not onely a traytour but a detestable Donatiste also Nowe al the weight resteth to proue this substancially to you and to M. Foxe and to stoppe al your frowarde quarrelings and accustomable elusions agaīst our proufes Wel I wil bringe you as I thinke a substancial and and an ineuitable proufe that is M. Foxe him selfe and no worse man For lo thus he writethe of this worthy champion and that euen in his owne huge martyrologe who doubteth but to the great exalting and amplification of his noble work and of his noble holy Martyr The tenth article saieth M. Foxe that manslawghter either by warre or by any pretended law of Iustice for any tēporal cause or spiritual reuelation is expressely contrary to the new Testament which is the law of graceful of mercy This worthy article with a .11 other of lyke sewte and sorte in a booke of reformatiō beilke very lyke to Captayn Keets tree of reformatiō in Norfolke was exhibited in open parliament yf we belieue M. Foxe Nowe you see M. Horn where and vpō whome ye may truely vtter ād bestowe al this nedelesse treatise of yours against M. Fekenhā And therefore we may now procede to the remnāte of your book sauīg that this in no wise must be ouerhipped that euē by your own words here ye purge M. Fekenhā from this cryme ye layde vnto him euen now for refusing proufes taken out of the olde testamente For yf as ye say the order and gouernment that Christ lefte behinde in the Gospel and new testament is the order rule and gouernmēt in Ecclesiastical causes practised by the Kings of the olde Testament then wil it follow that M. Fekenham yelding to the gouernment of the new doth not exclude but rather comprehende the gouernment of the olde Testament also both being especially as ye say alone M. Horne The 20. Diuision Pag. 14. a. Novv I vvil conclude on this sorte that vvhich I affirmed namely that Kings and Princes ought to take vpō thē gouernmēt in Ecclesiastical causes VVhat gouernement orde and dutifulnes so euer belonging to any God hath figured and promised before hande by his Prophetes in the holy Scriptures of the old Testamēt to be performed by Christ ād those of his kingdome that is the gouernmēt order ād dutifulnes set forth ād required in the Gospel or nevv testamēt But that faithful Emperours Kings and Rulers ought of duty as belonging to their office to claime and take vppon them the gouernement authority povver care and seruice of God their Lorde in matters of Religion or causes Ecclesiastical vvas an order and dutifulnes for them prefigured and fore promised of God by his Prophets in the Scriptures of the olde Testament as .53 S. Augustine hath sufficiently vvitnessed Ergo. Christian Emperours Kings and Rulers ovve of duty as belonging to their office to clayme and take vpon them the gouernment authority povver care and seruice of their Lord in matters of Religion or Spiritual or Ecclesiastical causes is the gouernment order and dutifulnes sette foorth and required in the Gospel or nevv Testament This that hath been already said might satisfie any man that erreth of simple ignoraunce But for that your vvilfulnes is suche that you .54 delight only in vvrangling against the truthe appeare it to you neuer so plaine and that no vveight of good proufes can presse you you are so slippery I vvil loade you vvith heapes euē of such proufes as ye vvil seeme desirous to haue The holy Ghost describīg by the Prophet Esay vvhat shal be the state of Christs Church in the time of the nevv testamēt yea novv in these our daie for this our time is the time that the Prophet speaketh of as S. Paul vvitnesseth to the Corinthiās addeth many comfortable promises and amongest other maketh this to Christes Catholike Churche to vvitte Kings shal be Nourishing Fathers and Quenes shal be thy nources Nourishing Fathers saith the glose enterlined In lacte verbi In the mylke of the word meaning Gods vvorde Lyra addeth This prophecy is manifestly fulfilled in many Kinges and Quenes who receiuing the Catholike Faith did feede the poore faithful ones c. And this reuerence to be done by Kings saith Lyra was fulfilled in the time of Constātine and other Christian Kings Certainly Constātin the Emperour shevved himself to vnderstand his ovvn duety of nourishing Christes Church appointed by God in his Prophecy for he like a good tender and faithfull Nource father did keep defend maintein vphold and feed the poore faithful ones of Christ he bare thē being as it vvere almost vveried and forhayed vvith the great persecutions of Goddes enemies and maruelously shaken vvith the controuersies and contentions amongest themselues euen as a nource Father in his ovvn bosome he procured that they should be fedde vvith the svveete milke of Gods vvorde Yea he him selfe with his publike proclamations did exhorte and allure his subiectes to the Christian Faith As Eusebius doth reporte in many places vvriting the life of Constātine He caused the Idolatrous religion to be suppressed and vtterly banished and the true knowledge and Religion of Christ to be brought in and planted amōg his people He made many holsome lawes and Godly cōstitutions wherewith he restrayned the people with threates forbiddinge them the Sacrificing to Idols to seeke after the Deuelish ād superstitious soth saiyngs to set vp 55. Images that they shoulde not make any priuie Sacrifices and to be brief he refourmed al maner of abuses about Gods seruice ād prouided that the Church should be fedde with Gods worde Yea his diligent care in furthering and setting foorth the true knovvledge of Christe vvherevvith he fedde the people vvas so vvatcheful that Eusebius doth affirme him to be appointed of God as it vvere the common or Vniuersal Bishop And so Constantine tooke himself to be and therefore said to the Bisshoppes assembled together vvith him at a feast that God had appointed him to be a Bishoppe But of this moste honorable Bishop and nourshing father more shal be saide hereafter as of other also such like The .17 Chapter opening the weakenesse of M. Hornes Conclusion and of other his proufes out of holy Scripture Stapleton NOw ye may conclude that there is some regiment that Princes may take vpon thē in causes ecclesiastical but if ye meane of such regimēt as ye pretend you make your recknyng without your hoste as a man may say and conclude before ye haue brought forth any prouf that they ought or may take vpon them such gouernment For though I graūt you al your examples ye haue alleaged and that the doings of the olde Testament were figures of the new and the saying of Esaye that Kings shoulde be Nowrishinge Fathers to the Church and al things else that ye here alleage yet al wil not reache home no
great dissention kindled partly about a necessarie Article of our beliefe partly about a ceremony of the Churche Arrius incensed vvith ambitious enuie against Alexander his bisshop at alexandria vvho disputed in one of his lessons or treatises more subtily of the diuinity than aduisedly as the Emperour layeth to his chardge quarreled Sophistically against him and mainteined an horrible Heresis Besides this the Churches vvere also diuided amongest themselues about the order or ceremony of keeping the Easterday The Emperour sent Hosius vvith his letters as I sayd before into the Easte parties to appeace the furious dissentioÌ„ about both these matters and to reconcile the parties dissenting But vvhen this duetiful seruice of the Emperour tooke not that effect vvhich he vvished and hoped for then as Sozomenus vvriteth he summoned a councel to be holden at Nice in Bythinia and vvrote to al the chief Ministers of the Churches euery vvhere .84 commaunding theÌ„ that they should not fayle to bee there at the day appointed The selfe same also doth Theodoretus affirme both touching the occasion and also the summons made by the Emperour Eusebius also vvriting the life of Constantine shevveth vvith vvhat carefulnes the godly Emperour endeuoured to quenche these fiers And vvhen the Emperour saieth Eusebius savve that be preuailed nothing by sending of Hosius vvith his letters Considering this matter with him self said that this warre against the obscure enemy troubling the Church must be vanquished by an other meaning himselfe Therefore as the capitaines of Goddes army towards his voayge he gathered together a Synode oecumenical and he called the Bisshops together by his honorable letters and that they should hasten them selues from euery place These things touching the occasion and calâ—ing of this general counsaile by the Emperour are affirmed to be true also by Nicephorus the Ecclesiastical historian Yea the vvhole counsaile in their letters to the â—hurches in Aegipt and the East partes doe testifie the same Synode to be called by the Emperour saying The great and holy Synode was gathered together at Nice by the grace of God and the most religious Emperour Constantine c. The .4 Chapter Of Constantin the Emperour his dealing in the Nicene Councel and with Arius after the Councell Stapleton MAister Horne here entreth to a greate matter and maketh large promises both to proue his principall purpose effectually and to confounde M. FekeÌ„ham manifestly But he wil I trowe when he hath al sayed be as farre from them both as if he had helde his peace First to proue a Supreme gouernment in Constantin he telleth vs that Constantine summoned the great Councel at Nice in Bithynia but if he had set in out of Ruffinus Ex SacerdotuÌ„ Sententia by the wil minde and consent of the Priests that is of the bisshops then had he marred all his matter and therefore wilily he lefte it out If he had added also out of Theodoret whome he alleageth to proue that the Emperour summoned this CouÌ„cel why and wherefore the Emperour would be present at the Councel him self this imagined Primacy that Maister Horne so depely dreameth of would haue appeared a very dreame in dede The Emperor was present saith Theodoret bothe desirous to beholde the Number of the Bisshops and also coueting to procure vnyty among them These and such like causes doe the Ecclesiastical histories alleage But for any supreme gouernment that the Emperour should practise there as namelye that his Royall assent was necessary to confirme the CouÌ„cell or that without it Arius had not bene coÌ„demned and that he iudged the heresie or any such matter as you now M. Horne doe attribute to the Prince hauing your whole religion only by the Princes Authority enacted and confirmed for any such matter I say neither in this Councel nor in any other doe the Auncient histories recorde so muche as one word Your new Religion M. Horne hath set vp a new kinde of gouernment such as al the Christian worlde neuer knewe nor hearde of before Nowe that you say the occasion of this famous and most godly Councel was the dissension partly about a necessary Article of our beliefe partly about a ceremony of the Churche which ceremony you say after was of keeping the Easterdaye yf it be so as you say as it is most truely what saye you to your owne Apologie that saieth that the vsuall keeping of Easter daye is a matter of small weight and to your greate Antiquary Bale that saieth it is but a ceremony of Hypocrites Suerly Constantin made a greater accompte of this vniforme obseruation then so seeing that it was the seconde chiefe cause that caused him to summon this famous and most godly Councell â–ª as your selfe calleth it Seing also that he maketh them not much better then Iewes that priuately in his time kept Easter daye otherwise then Rome Afrik Italy Aegypte Spaigne Fraunce Grece Britanny and many other greate countries that he him selfe reakoneth vppe And here by the way falleth out in M. Iewel a lye or two saying that our Countre .700 yeres together kept their Paschal daye with the Grecians otherwise then we doe nowe Ye see I haue abridged .300 yeares and a halfe at the lest For Constantin wrote these wordes straight after the Nicene Councell ended which was kept in the yere of our Lorde .328 M. Horne The .35 Diuision Pag. 23. a. The Bishoppes as I said before vvhen they thought them selues or their Churche iniuried by others vvere vvont to appeale and flie vnto the Emperour as the .85 supreme gouernour in al matters and causes Temporall or Spirituall the vvhiche appeareth moste playne to be the practise of the Churche by these Bishops called vnto the Nicene counsaill For vvhen they came to Nice supposing them selues to haue novve good oportunity beyng nighe vnto the Emperour to reuenge their priuate quarelles and to haue redresse at the Emperours handes of suche iniuries as they thought theÌ„ selues to susteyne at others byshops handes eche of them gaue vnto the Emperour a Libell of accusations signifying vvhat vvronges he had susteyned of his fellovve Bishopes and prayed ayde and redresse by his iudgement The Emperour forseyng that these pryuate quarelings if they vvere not by some policy and vvyse deuise sequestred and layde aside vvould muche hynder the common cause tooke deliberatioÌ„ appointing a day against the vvhich they shuld be in a readines and commaunded them to prepare and bring vnto him all their libelles and quarelling accusations one against an other Mark by the vvay the craft and practise of Sathan to stay and ouerthrovv good purposes that euen the godly fathers and Bishoppes vvanted not their great infirmities preferring their ovvn priuate trifles before the vveighty causes of Gods Churche And the vvisdome zeale and humblenes of his moste Christian Emperour vvho so litle estemed his ovvn honour and authority that he vvold rather seeme to be inferiour or for the time no more than equal vvith
his subiectes to the ende he might by his humbling of him selfe aduance and exalt Gods glory to the edifiyng and quietnes of his Churche The day came vvhiche vvas the day before the first Session should be in the councel as Socrates saith the Bishoppes did not sleape their ovvne matters but had their billes in a readines and deliuered them vnto the Emperour This vigilant noursefather vnto Gods Churche had cared and deuised so diligently for the common cause as the Bishoppes had done for their priuate quarelles and therefore vvhen he had receiued their Libelles verye .86 politiquelye saieth bicause he vvoulde irritate none of them for that tyme That the day of general iudgement shoulde be a fitte time for these accusations and Christ the Iudge then would iudge al men As for me .87 it is not leafull to take vpon me 8â— the iugement of .89 suche Priestes accused and accusing one an other VVhereunto neuertheles he added this priuy nippe to pynche them vvithal For of al other thinges saith he this is least seemely that Bishoppes shoulde shewe them selues suche as ought to be iudged of others And so caused the Libelles to be cast into the fire giuing them an earnest exhortation to peace and quietnesse Stapleton It is a worlde to see the singular logicke and depe reasoning of M. Horne that can of such slender premisses inferre such mighty conclusions For the Emperour to be the Supreme Gouernour in all matters or causes temporall or spirituall it appereth most plain saieth he to be the practise of the Church by these Bisshops câ—lled vnto the Nicene Councel Answere first M. Horne How could this possiblye be a practise of the Churche that neuer before was vsed in the Churche Except you wil say that euen heathen princes may be your Supreme gouernours in al causes Ecclesiastical You knowe before this Constantine there was neuer Christian Emperour to whome bisshoppes might put vp their complaintes as to their Supreme gouernour onelye Philip excepted Who is neuer read euer to haue medled with the lest matter or cause Ecclesiasticall but liued rather like a close Christian being afearde to displease the Romain Legions who then were in maner al heathens and who as the worlde then wente bore al the stroke in electing of the Emperour and in the continuance also of him Contrarywise that he was subiect to the Bisshops it appereth wel by the doing of Pope Fabian shutting him out at an Easter tyme from the number of coÌ„municants because he sticked to confesse his sinnes as other Christians did Answere therefore first to this howe you auouche that for a practise which was or coulde neuer be vsed Wel lette this goe for an other vntruthe Now let vs heare howe ioylely you wil proue that the 318. Fathers of the Nicene Councel doe condemne M. Fekenhams opinion which before you promised to doe The cause is to your seeming that certain Bisshops accused one the other before the Emperour Constantine But how can this be a good motiue for you M. Horn to pronounce him therefore a Supreme Gouernour in all causes temporal and spiritual seing it dothe not appere what those causes were which the bisâ—hops did put vp vnto him They might be and so it is most likely they were causes temporal Verily your selfe confesseth they were priuat quarrels and so no matter of faith and religioÌ„ of which can growe no priuat quarrels but coÌ„moÌ„ coÌ„trouersies but as it may seme it was some priuat coÌ„teÌ„tioÌ„ betwene neighbour aÌ„d neighbour for at that time euery town had bis bisshops yea many meane Villages also concerning the limites and boundes of their possessions or â—uch like matter which is a matter plaine temporall Beside this they were not al at dissention but certaine and perchaunce very fewe how is then M. Fekenham condemned by 318. Bisshops of Nice I see you wil play smal game rather then ye wil sit out I wil now bring you for M. FekeÌ„ham and for the Popes supremacy no such trieflinge toyes and folishe gheasses but a substantial authour Athanasius him self that reciteth out of Pope Iulius epistle that this famous and moste godly synode decreed that no bisshop should be deposed onlesse the Pope were first thereof aduertised and that nothing owght to be determined in Councel but that he should be thereof made priuye before But why doe I craue ayde against you of this Councell seing your own example plainlye destroyeth your imagined Primacy in that Constantine answereth to these quarreling bisshops that it was not lawful for hiÌ„ to be their Iudge Which sentence of his being so plaine you more grosslye then truely or politykely would elude as thowgh ConstaÌ„tin meant no such matter but politykely spake this because he would not irritate them or leaste by priuate quarrels the weighty cause of the faith in hand should be hindred Such gay gloses that destroy the text may you by your extrauagant Authority make at your pleasure But the senteÌ„ce of Sozomene only laied forth shal both discouer your bastard glose and open also your vntrue handling of his text For Constantine refusing to iudge of the bisshoppes complaintes calling them first as Ruffinus at large reherseth Goddes and such as ought to iudge ouer him not to be iudged of him or of any men at al but of God only he addeth and saieth as Sozomenus your alleaged Author reporteth As for me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a man which woordes you guilfully left out it is not lawfull to take vpon me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such iudgement not the iudgemeÌ„t as you absolutely but vntruly turn it For straight he expouÌ„deth what maner of iudgement it is not lawful for hiÌ„ to take vpoÌ„ him adding immediatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wheÌ„ priests are parties plaintifs and defendants not of such Priestes c. as you now the third tyme in one sentence most lewdely and liyengly doe translate it These woordes therefore of Constantine thus spoken to the Bisshoppes were not politikely as you glose Maister Horne but religiously and reuerentlye deuised as to whome in plaine woordes he said Deus vos constituit Sacerdotes potestatem vobis dedit de nobis quoque iudicandi ideo à vobis rectè iudicamur Vos autem non potestis ab hominibus iudicari God hath appointed you Priestes And hath geuen you power to iudge ouer vs also And therefore we are orderly iudged of you But you can not be iudged of men Here by the waye Maister Horne The best the noblest and the wysest Emperour that euer Christendome had confesseth the Bisshoppes his superioures and iudges Shewe you where euer any wise or good Bisshop so flatly agnised the Emperour his superiour or Iudge in matters of Religion Nowe that this facte of Constantine proceded not of policie but of reuerence beholde howe this example was interpreted afterward aboue a thousand yeares past both of Emperours and of Bisshops Martianus that vertuouse Emperour protested
of Athanasius Meddle not Sir Emperour saith Hosius with maters of the Church neither commauÌ„d vs in such things but rather learne them at our handes God hath betakeÌ„ and coÌ„mitted to thée th' Empire aÌ„d to vs hath he coÌ„mitted Church matters And Leontius B. of Tripolis at what time this Constantius being present at a Synod of Bisshops was very busy in talke to set forth certain coÌ„stitutioÌ„s saith boldly vnto him Syr Imaruail with my self why that ye leauing your own busy your self with other meÌ„s affaires the commoÌ„ welth and warlik maters are coÌ„mitted to your charge the which your charge you forslow sitting amoÌ„g the Bisâ—hops aÌ„d mâ—kiÌ„g lawes coÌ„cerniÌ„g maters Ecclesiastical wherin ye haue nothiÌ„g to do And if this maÌ„ deposed Bishops as ye say then haue ye fouÌ„d a fair welfauored presideÌ„t to grouÌ„d your primacy vpoÌ„ How wel fauored a preÌ„sideÌ„t he is aÌ„d how worthy to be folowed if ye list to see M. Horn ye may learn of M. Nowel who saw farder in this mater a great deale then your prelatship He hath laid forth no lesse then .13 Articles against this your supreme gouernour M. Horne to proue that he was for his busy gouernmeÌ„t in dede a very Antichrist Thus you iarre aÌ„diuÌ„ble againe one agaiÌ„st an other and can neuer agree in your tales As for that he called the CouÌ„cel at AriminuÌ„ aÌ„d els where that induceth no such primacy as I haue and shal better herafter declare namely wheÌ„ I com to your own author the Card. Cusanê° In the meaÌ„sesoÌ„ ye haue ministred to me a good mater to iustify the Popes primacy For behold Damasus broke aÌ„d disanulled al that was don at AriminuÌ„ saith Theodoret because his consent waÌ„ted thereto And here that Councel which the Emperour by his supreme gouernmeÌ„t as M. Horn fansieth soÌ„moned the Pope as a Superiour gouernour to this supreme gouernour quite disanulled which made S. Ambrose to say Meritò ConciliuÌ„ illud exhorreo I do for good cause abhorre that Councell For which cause also it is to this day of no authoritie at all Thus al M. Horns exaÌ„ples run rouÌ„dly against hiÌ„ aÌ„d quite ouerturne his purpose For why How can possiblie a false cause be truly defended That you say Liberius the Pope of Rome became an ArriaÌ„ is a slauÌ„derous Vntruth It is your brethreÌ„s coÌ„moÌ„ obiectioÌ„ aÌ„d hath so oft beÌ„ soluted by the Catholiks that your part had beÌ„ now beariÌ„g your self for a lerned Prelate not to resume such rusty reasons but to replie against the Catholiks answeres aÌ„d solutioÌ„s if ye were able The worste that euer Liberius did to make any suspitioÌ„ in him is that after banishmeÌ„t he was restored and yelded to CoÌ„staÌ„tius But Athanasius saith expresly that the same his yelding was not to the ArriaÌ„ heresy but to the deposing of him froÌ„ his Bisshoprik And that was al that the Emperor required of Liberius as it maye appeare by the learned and stout coÌ„municatioÌ„ had betwen this Liberius aÌ„d the Emperor in Rome as Theodoret at large recordeth And to this he was driueÌ„ by force of tormteÌ„s saith Athanasius Nowe for hiÌ„ to become an ArriaÌ„ is voluÌ„tarily to teache to beleue or to allow the ArriaÌ„ heresie Are thei al trow you Caluinists in EnglaÌ„d which for fear of displeasure of banishmente or of losse of goods do practise the order of the Caluinists supper or Communion As they are no right Catholiques so are they not proprely Caluinistes or Heretiques They are neither hotte nor colde God will therefore but if they repent spue them out of his mouth As for Liberius S. Basil and Epiphanius S. Augustine Optatus aÌ„d S. Ambrose doe speake honourably and reuerentlye of him and doe reken him among the new of the Romaine Bishoppes which they would neuer haue done if as M Horne saith he had bene become an Arrian It semeth M. Horne is of alliaunce with M. Iewel So hard it is for him to tel a true tale Nowe to the next M. Horne The .40 Diuision Pag. 26. a. Valentinianus the Emperour after the death of Auxentius an Arrian bisshop of Millaine calleth a Synod of bisshops at Millayn to consult about the ordering of a nevv bisshop He prescribeth vnto them in a graue or ation in vvhat maner a man qualified ought to be vvho should take vppon him the office of a bisshop They passe to the election the people vvere diuided till at the last they all cry vvith one consent to haue Ambrose vvhom although he did refuse the Emperour commaunded to be baptized and to be coÌ„secrate bisshop He called an other Synod in Illirico to apeace the dissentioÌ„s in Asia and Phrigia about certaine necessary Articles of the Christian faith and did not only confirme the true faith by his .105 royall assent but made also many godly and sharpe Lavves as vvell for the maintenaunce of the truth in doctrine as also .106 touchinge manye other causes or matters Ecclesiasticall The sixth Chapter Of Valentinian the Emperour Stapleton VAlentinian the Emperour commeth in good time I meane not to proue your Primacy M. Horne but quite to ouerthrowe the same For this is he that made an expresse Lawe that in Ecclesiastical matters only Ecclesiasticall men should iudge S. Ambrose witnesseth it expressely in an epistle he wrote to younge Valentinian this mans sonne The forme of the law was this In causa fidei vel ecclesiastici alicutus ordinis eum iudicare debere qui nec munere impar sit nec iure dissimilis Haec enim verba rescripti sunt Hoc est sacerdotes de sacerdotibus voluit iudicare That in the cause of faith or of any ecclesiastical order he should iudge that was neither by office vnequall neither in right vnlike Those are the words of the Rescript That is he wil haue Priestes to iudge ouer Priestes Thus S. Ambrose plainely and expressely in one sentence quyte ouerturneth al M. Hornes supremacy Yea so farre was this Emperour from al gouernment ouer Priestes in matters ecclesiastical that euen in matters ciuil or temporal he woulde not suffer priestes to be called to the ciuil court For thus it foloweth immediatlye in S. Ambrose Quinetiam si aliâs quoque argueretur episcopus morum esset examinanda causa etiam hanc voluit ad episcopale iudicium pertinere Yea farder if a bisshop were otherwise accused and some matter of behauyour or outwarde demeanor were to be examined that matter also he would to belong to the iudgement of Bisshops Beholde gentle Reader what a supreme gouernor in al causes both spiritual and temporal ouer priests and Bisshops M. Horne hath brought forth Verily such a one as in very ciuil causes refuseth gouernment ouer them But this is he that commâ—unded Ambrose to be consecrated bisshop of Millaynâ— saieth M. Horne and in that election prescribed to the bisshops in a graue oration what a qualified man a bisshop ought to be
Ipsos interpretes cōstituit sacerdotes Behold what the Christiā Emperor hath appointed He would not doe iniury to the Priestes He hath appointed the Priests them selues to examine the matter Was it not this Theodosius the great M. Horne Yes surely it was he Was it not Theodosius to whome Saint Ambrose enioyned penance which he most humbly obeied Where was Theodosius Ecclesiasticall supremacye then Is it not Damasus the Pope that calleth these Bisshops assembled at Constantinople euen to Rome there to aide and assist him in keping of a Councel What Saied they to him Syr we haue nothing to doe with you ye are a forrain Bishop to vs of the East Nay nay they confesse that he called them as his members thē must he needs be the head to the Councell at Rome Yea they confesse that by his letters they came to the Councel at Constantinople they declare their good wil and readines to come to Rome too but for their excuse they alleage many reasonable causes none of those that the Protestants alleage at this day And finally in the name of the whole thei send certaine of their Bishops thither Now further doe not these Fathers decree at this their general Councel that the Church of Cōstantinople shoulde be the first and chiefe of al other after Rome Do they not then therin acknowledge the Popes Primacie It is writen M. Horne Sapientis oculi in capite eius stultus in tenebris ambulat The eies of a wise man are in his head alwaies opē and in a readines to direct him in his way whereas the folish man walketh in darcknesse being vncertaine and vnsure which way to take or to goe Now whether your eyes priyng and seking forth this story of Theodosius were opened or shutte I leaue the iudgement to the indifferent Reader But this dare I firmely auouche that these things whiche I haue nowe last rehearsed beside other that I willingly omitte drawe much nearer to make the Pope supreme head of the Churche then anye thinge ye haue broughte foorth for the doinges of Theodosius to make him Supreame Head Which when ye haue al sayde and done be nothing agreable to the articles in question betwene vs concernyng our princes regiment And therfore yf the matter were much stronger of your side touching Theodosius yet did ye nothing touche that ye owght to touche M. Horne The .42 Diuision pag. 27. b. Theodosius left his tvvoo sonnes Emperours of the vvhich I vvil say but litle yet vvherein it may moste .116 manifestly appeare that the supreme gouernement in causes Ecclesiastical belonged to the Emperours Archadius the Emperour vvhen Nectarius the bishop of Constantinople vvas dead and so the sea vacant .117 vvas certified thereof he causeth Iohn Chrysostome to be called from Antioch he commaundeth the other bishoppes collected into a Synode that they admonish Chrysostome of Goddes graces and vvhat belongeth to suche a chardge and that they choose and order him to be the bishop of Constantinople In which dooinge saith Theodoretus the Emperour declared what careful endeuour he had about the holy .118 Churche matters But this supreme authoritie to care appoint and procure vvoorthy and good Pastours or bishoppes vvhen the seas vvere vacant appeareth more plainly in Honorius the Emperour brother to Archadius vvhome the bishop of Rome him selfe in his decrees and his Glosars on the same cōfesse and acknovvledge to haue the ouersight rule and gouernement in the elections and orderinge of bishops yea 119. ouer the bishoppe of Rome him selfe After the death of Pope Sozimus vvere tvvoo Popes choosen at ones in a great Schisme the one Bonifacius primus the other Eulalius vvhereof vvhen the Emperour Honorius had notice beinge at Millayne he caused them bothe to be banished Rome But after seuen monethes Bonifacius vvas by the Emperours cōmaundement called againe and cōfirmed .120 by his authoritie in the Apostolicall sea This Bonifacius beinge novve settled in the Papacy by humble suite to the Emperour prouideth a remedie against suche mischiefes in time to come The case vvas this saith the Glosator Boniface the first did beseeche Honorius the Emperour to make a Lawe whereby it might appeare what were to be done when twoo Popes were chosen at ones by the vndiscreetnes of the Electours contendinge amōgest them selues Honorius did than constitute that neither of those twaine shoulde be Pope but that in a newe Election a thirde shoulde be chosen by cōmon cōsente If twoo saithe the Emperour in his Lavve made at the humble sute of Bonifacius by chaunce againste righte be chosen thorough the vndiscreete cōtention of the Electours wee permitte neither of them to be Priest or Pope but wee iudge him to remaine in the Apostolike sea whom the diuine iudgemente and the common consente dothe appointe frō amongest the Clergy in a newe Election Vppon this vvoorde vvhere the Emperour saithe wee permitte the Glosar saith and so the Emperour dothe not onely abrogate the clayme of bothe those that be chosen in the contention but dothe make them bothe for that time vnable and dothe decree an other to be takē out of the Clergie for that time Againe the Glosar interpretinge this the diuine iudgement saithe this is the meaninge that the Emperours wil and election muste stande the Clergy and the whole people acceptinge with thankefull minde whome the Emperour doth choose For the Emperours were called in those daies holy and their rescriptes and iudgementes Diuine Here you see by the .121 Popes decrees and Glosars that the Emperour had the supreme rule and gouernement in Churche causes and this vvas the .122 continual practise of the Churche for the most parte yea euen the bishoppes of Rome before they vvere ordered and consecrated had their election ratified and confirmed by the Emperours their Lieutenant or other Princes The .8 Chapter Of the Sonnes of Theodosius Honorius and Archadius Stapleton NOwe folowe in rew Theodosius his sonnes Archadius and Honorius of whome M. Horne sayeth he wil say but litle belike because he hath said to much of they re father alredye and more then he can iustifie or for that he wil make vs a shorte tale but yet a sweete And wherein it shal most manifestly appere that the supreame gouernement in causes ecclesiastical belonged to the Emperours Al Archadius doings here stande in appointinge S. Iohn Chrysostome to be bishop of Constantinople a most worthie man who dowbteth And I woulde to God as this his firste dealing with Chrysostome was to his worthy prayse so he had not by his after dealinge blotted and blemished the same As for this election first Archadius did it not of his own Supreme authoritie but the fame of Iohn Chrysostom being great and after some debate aboute the election Intra modicū tēpus cōmuni decreto omniū clericorū laicorū Imperator Archadius euocauit eum Within a litle while saieth Socrates by the common decree
the Popes Legates would not therto agree no nor Leo him selfe though the whole CouÌ„cel besought him but coÌ„firmed al other things that the CouÌ„cel had determined vpon and caused Anatoliê° the patriarch of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople to surcease froÌ„ this his ambitious claime and to coÌ„fesse his faut Last of al in a letter of Paschasinus one of the Popes Legates in that CouÌ„cel touching the condeÌ„nation of Dioscorê° this pope Leo is expresly called Caput Vniuersalis Ecclesiae Head of the vniuersall Church Many other things myght be gathered for this purpose as wel out of the Actes of this Councel as otherwhere especially that S. Gregorie writeth that of this holy Councell his predecessours were called Vniuersall Bisshppes M. Horne The .55 Diuision Pag 33. b. This Synode being finished the Emperour banished Dioscorus into the Cytie of Gangren VVhich thyng doon The noâ—les of the Cytie saith Liberatâ—s asseÌ„bled together to choose one both for life and learning worthy of the Bisshopricke for this waâ— .156 coÌ„maunded by the Emperours Decrees At the length Pâ—oteriuâ— vâ—â—s â—ade Bisâ—hop against vvhom the seditious people raysed one â—imotheus Helluâ—us or Aelurus vvho in conclusion murthered Proterius The catholique Bissoppes vvhich mainteined the Chalcedon councel made humble supplication vnto Leo the Emperour both to reuenge the death of Proterius and also .157 to depose Timotheus Hellurus as one not Lavvfully instituted in the Bishoprike on the contrary parte other Bishops make supplication vâ—to hâ—m in the defence of Timotheus and against the Chalcedon councel VVhen Leo the Emperour had considered the matter of both their supplications for good and godly consyderations he vvrote his letters to the Bisshops of euery city declaring both these causes and vvilling them to send him .158 their aduise vvhat vvas best to be done from vvhom he receiued anâ—vvere that the Chalcedon Councel is to be mainteined euen vnto â—eath vvherevpon the Emperour vvriteth to Sâ—ila his Lieutenaunt of Alexandria that he should maintein the Chalceâ—on Councell Stila did as the Emperour commaunded he expelled Timotheus Hellurus and .159 placed an other in his roume named Timotheus Sâ—lefacialius or Albus vvho liued quietly all â—he raigne of Leo and Zeno the Emperours til Basilicus gat the Empire vvho restored Timotheus the Heretique But vvhen Zeno recouered the Empire this Timotheus poisoned him selfe in vvhose place the Heretiques chose one Peter Mogge Afâ—er that Zeno the Emperour knevv of the crafty dealing of the heretiques he vvrote to his Lieuâ—enaunt Anthemius that he should depriue Peter Mogge and restore Timotheus to the bisshopricke and further that he should punish those that vvere the authours to enstall Peter Mogge Anthemius receiuing the â—mperours mandate did depose Peter Mogge as one that vvas but a counterfayt made bissop contrary to the lavves of the Catholique Churche and restored Timotheus Salefacialius vvho being restored sent certeine of his Clergy to the Emperour to render him thankes The .15 Chapter of Leo and Zeno Emperours Stapleton THis collection standeth in the banishing of Dioscorus and in the election and deposing of bishoppes Proterius was chosen vniuersorum sententia by the verdit of all the Citizens of Alexandria as the maner of choosing then was both before and after The Emperours commaundement was not the only cause thereof but the coÌ„maundement of the Councell for execution whereof the Emperour gaue forth his letters also For concealing whereof in your first allegatioÌ„ out of Liberatus you leaue out the worde Et Also where Liberatus saieth For this was also commaunded by the Emperours edictes The worde Also you leaue out to make your Reader beleue that the onely Absolute coÌ„maundement of the Emperour was the cause that Proterius was ordered bishop in the place of Dioscorus Whereas themperours edict came forth partly for auoyding of tumultes which the hereticall adhereÌ„ts of Dioscorus were likely to raise And which they raised in dede straight after the death of Marcian themperour and remouyng Proterius made Timotheus to sitte in hys place partly for executing the Chalcedon Councels Decree which was that a newe bishop should strayght way be ordered at AlexaÌ„dria in the roume of Dioscorus whom they had deposed Nowe Timotheus was an open heretike standing against the CouÌ„cel of Chalcedo and a murtherer withall of hys lawefull bishop Proterius and therefore no greate accompt to be made of the Emperours doings towards hym he being no bishop at al in dede Nowe where the Emperour coÌ„maunded an other to be put in his place it had bene well done if ye had placed also as your author doth the whole words and doings of themperour which was that Stila his deputy shuld set in aÌ„ other But wheÌ„ M. Horne when all the Bissops had answered that the Councel of Chalcedo was to be maintayned euen to death And that the foresayed Timotheus was vnworthy to be called either Bisshop or Chaistian man And howe M. Horne Decreto populi With the consente of the people which kinde of choosing Bishops was then no newe thinge in the Churche but vsed bothe before and after As for the banisshing of Dioscorus being before deposed of the Councell I think your self wil confesse yt to be no spirituall matter M. Horne The .56 Diuision pag. 34. a. After this Timotheus Ioannes de Talaida vvas choosen vvhereof vvhen Acatius Bisshop of Constantinople hearde he being offended vvith Iohn for that he had not sent vnto him synodical letters to signifie of his election as the maner vvas he ioyned him selfe vvith the fautours of Peter Mogge and accused Iohn vnto the Emperour as one not sounde in Religion nor fit for the Byshoprike Peter Mogge espying this oportunity dissembleth an vnity and recoÌ„ciliation and by his friends vvynneth Acatius vvho breaketh the matter to theÌ„perour and persvvadeth him to depose IoaÌ„nes de Talaida and to restore Peter Mogge so that the same Peter vvold first receiue and professe the HenoticoÌ„ that is the confessioÌ„ of the vnity in faith vvhich the Prince had set foorth vvherof this is the effect Zeno the Emperor to al Bishops and people throughout AlexaÌ„dry and Aegipt Lybia and PeÌ„tapolis For somuch as we know that the right and true faith alone is the begiÌ„ning coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce streÌ„gth and inuiÌ„cible shyld of our Empire we labour night aÌ„d day in praier study and with Lawes to encrease the Catholik and Apostolike Church by that faith Al people next after God shal bowe doune their necks vnder our power Seing therfore that the pure faith doth on this wise preserue vs and the Romain coÌ„mon wealth many godly fathers haue huÌ„bly beseched vs to cause an vnitie to be had in the holy Church that the meÌ„bers displaced and separated through the malice of the enemie may be coupled and knit together And after this declaring his faith to agree vvich the Nicen councel and those that condeÌ„ned Nestorius and Eutiches he sayth we curse those that thinke the contâ—ary After vvhiche curse declaring al the
the Actes of the thirde Synode that Simmachus the Pope did keepe at Rome vvherin the King doth not only auouche the decree of Simplicius but also addeth VVe maruaile that without vs anye thīg was accōpted seing that whiles our Priest meaning the bisshop of Rome Simplicius was on liue nothing ought to haue bene taken in hande without vs. The .16 Chapter of Simplicius Felix .3 and Symmachus Popes of Rome Stapleton IF Pope Simplicius by decree gaue the Prince Authority to confirme the chosen Pope what helpeth this your supremacy Nay doth it not much impayre the same For then al the Princes Authority in this behalfe dependeth of the Popes decree as of a Superiour lawe And so he is subiect both to the law and to the lawemaker And yet this is all that in this Diuision hath any maner inckling to iuduce the Prīces Supremacy in any cause ecclesiastical But yf M. Horn would haue loked but a litle further and vpō the first line of the next leafe he mought haue found in the said Synod that the see of Rome hath the priestly primacy ouer all the whole world And that Councels must be confirmed by that see with such other like matter For whereas this King Odoacer beside the decree touchīg the chosing of the Pope which as your self say he made at the Popes request made also an other concerning not alienating Church goods the whole Synod reiected and cōdemned it for these .ij. causes expressely First saith Eulalius a bisshop of Sicily whose sentence the other bisshops saying the same the whole Synode folowed because against the rules of the Fathers this Decree appereth to be made of Layemen though religious and godlye to whome that any authoritye was euer geuen ouer Ecclesiasticall goods it is not reade Secondlye it is not declared to be confirmed with the subscription of any bisshop of the Apostolike See Nowe whereas the holy Fathers haue decreed that if the Priestes of any whatsoeuer prouince keeping a Councel within their owne lymities shall attempt any thing without the authority of their Metropolitane or their bisshop it should be voyde and of none effect howe much more that which is knowen to haue bene presumed in the See Apostolike the Bisshop thereof not present which bisshop by the prerogatiue of the blessed Apostle Peter hauing throughe the whole worlde the Primacy of priesthood hath bene wonte to confirme the Decrees of Councels presumed I say of layemen though certayn bisshops agreing vnto it who yet could not preiudicat their Prelat of whom it is knowen they were consecrated is vndoubtedly voyde and of no effect neither any waye to be accompted amonge Ecclesiastical decrees Thus farre that Synod by your selfe alleaged M. Horne God rewarde you for geuing vs such good instructions against your selfe Or yf it came not of you but of your frende let him haue the thankes therefore But yf it so falleth out against your willes both yet God be praysed that as by sinne he worketh somtime a greater amēdement and turneth horrible temptations into a more confortable calmenesse then before the storme came so also by your vnhappy meaning hathe yet brought vs to a happye information of such doctrine as vtterly ouerthroweth your heresye For here you see M. Horne not only the laie Magistrat yea the King him selfe yea though he were religiouse and godly vtterly excluded from all authority in causes Ecclesiasticall whereby your phantasticall Primacie vanisheth cleane away but also that the Pope whome you cal a forraine power hath the Primacy the chiefty and supreame praeeminence of Priesthode not onely in Rome or the Romaine Prouince but saith this Synode by your self clerckly alleaged per vniuersum orbem throughout the whole worlde and then if you be a parte of the worlde he is your Primate too Thus much saith this Synode and thereby vtterly ouerthroweth the whole effect of the Othe in both those partes for the whiche the Catholikes refuse to swere vnto it Verely if ye goe on as you haue hitherto you wil surely be espied for a preuaricatour that is for a double faced Proctour secreatlie instructing your clients aduersarie but in face protesting to plead against him For better instructions no hyred aduocate coulde haue geauen vs then you the Counterpleader haue ministered vnto vs. M. Horne The .58 Diuision pag. 35. a. Next after Simplicius vvas Foelix the third chosen vvho after his confirmation sent many letters as vvell to the Emperour as to Acatius Bisshoppe of Constantinople about the matter betvvixt Iohn and Peter but vvhen he coulde not preuaile in his suite he made Iohn Bisshoppe of Nola in Campania One of the letters that Pope Foelix vvrote vnto Zenon the Emperour about this matter is put into the fift Synode of Constantinople vvherein the Pope after the salutation doth most humblye beseech the Emperour to take his humble suite in good parte He shevveth that the holy .162 Churche maketh this suite that he vvill vouchesafe to mainteine the vnitie of the Churche that he vvill destroye Heresies that breaketh the bonde of vnitie that he vvill expell Peter Mogge bothe oute of the Citie and also from Churche regiment that he vvould not suffer Peter being deposed to be admitted to the Communion of the Churche but that by his honorable letters he vvould banish him out of the bounds of Antioche And saith this Bisshop of Rome Foelix vnto the Emperour In his place appoint you one that shal beutifie the Priesthode by his woorkes Stapleton You procede still to bring authorities against your selfe This Peter was deposed I confesse But by whome M. Horne Not by the Emperour but euen by Pope Foelix as appeareth but one leafe before the place which your selfe alleage And in case it was to painefull for you to turne backe a leafe or two before yet might you haue vouchsaued to haue read the next lines before your own allegatiō In the which Foelix signifieth that he was so deposed and therfore requesteth th'Emperour to expel him and to place some other mete man for him whiche thing Popes doe at this day requiring Catholike Princes to remoue hereticall Bishops and to place good in their roome neither yet therfore are or euer were Princes accompted enacted or intituled Supreme gouernours in all causes Ecclesiasticall Your new Religion hath inuented this newe Title This Pope Foelix also excommunicated Acatius of Constantinople for bearing with this Peter Mogge as witnesseth Liberatus Whereby appeareth clerely the Popes Primacie ouer the ij chiefe Patriarches of the East Churche of Constantinople and Antioche And you againe are with your owne examples cleane ouerthrowen M. Horne The .59 Diuision pag. 35. b. Anastasius the Emperour .163 deposed Macedonius Bisshoppe of Constantinople as one that falsified the Ghospels as Liberatus saith Stapleton If this Macedonius falsified the Ghospel he was I wene worthy to be deposed But your Author vseth not this worde Deposed but he saieth he was expulsed Whiche might be being by an
impudently in going about to make your Readers belieue that Richaredus and other Princes after him were takē for Supreme heades of the Church till now in these later daies and most blasphemously in calling the Pope for this mater the childe of perdition As wel might you for this cause haue called Gregorie so too Who is surnamed as ye here write the Great But God wotteth and the more pitie not very great with you and your fellowes Of al bookes his writinges beare most ful and plaine testimonie for the Popes singular praeeminence whiche thing is in an other place by me largely proued that though the matter here semeth to require somewhat to be said I neede not say any thing but onely remit the Reader to that place where he shal finde that S. Gregorie practised this Supreme authoritie as wel in Spain as other where throughout the whole Christened world But what saith S. Gregorie Forsothe that the King Richaredus by his carefull and continuall preaching brought Arrians into the true faith S. Gregorie saith wel And yet you wil not I trow say The Prince himself preached in pulpit to the Arrians What then Verelye that which he did by his Clergie and to the which he was a godly promoter that he is saied to doe him selfe As to preache to conuert heretiques to decree this or that and briefely to gouerne in causes Ecclesiastical All which the Prince in his owne person or of his owne authority neuer dothe But by his furderance such things being done he is saied sometimes as here of Saint Gregorye to doe them him selfe We might now passe to the next mater sauing that as ye without any good occasion or bettering of your cause bring in that Richaredus woorked these thinges without Pope Gregorie So it may be feared ye haue a woorse meaning and that ye doe this altogeather craftely to blemishe and deface Sainte Gregorye with the ignoraunte Reader Els tell me to what purpose write ye that Saint Gregorye was asshamed of him selfe and his owne slacknesse Why bringe you in these woordes of Sainte Gregorye What shall I aunsweare at the dreadfull doome when youre excellencye shall lead with you flockes of faithfull ones which ye haue broughte into the true faithe by careful and continuall preachinges I muste then either to refourme your ignorance if ye knew it not before or to preuent your readers circumuention by your wilye handeling of the mater like to be perchaunce miscaried if ye knewe it before admonish you and him that this is spoken of S. Gregorye in deede but as proceeding from a maruelouse humilitye and lowlines In like maner as he wrote to Sainte Augustine oure Apostle in the commendation of his doings wherein yet vndoubtedly he was a great doer him selfe many wayes as by the Historie of Bede clerely appeareth Otherwise though Richaredus doings be most gloriouse and worthy of perpetuall renoune yet shal S. Gregory match him or passe him Neither shal he altogether be voide of his worthy cōmendation concerning his care for the refourming of Spaine and repressing of heresies there either by his authority or by his learned woorkes Verely Platina witnesseth that by the meanes of this Gregorie the Gothes returned to the vnite of the Catholike faithe Whiche appeareth not at that time any otherwhere then in Spaine Hearken farder what Nauclerus one that you ofte reherse in this your booke writeth of him In super Beatus Gregorius c. Beside this Saint Gregorie compelled the Ligurians the Venetians the Iberians which had confessed their schisme by their libell to receiue the Decrees of the Councell of Chalcedo and so broughte them to the vnitye of the Churche He reduced them from Idolatrye partely by punnisshmente partlye by preaching the Brucians the people of Sardinia and the husbandmenne of Campania By the good and mightye authoritie of his writings and by Ambassadours sente in conueniente time he sequestred from the bodye of the Churche the Donatiste Heretiques in Affrique the Maniches in Sicilie the Arrians in Spaine the Agnoites in Alexandria Onely the Heresie of the Neophites in Fraunce rising by Symoniacall bribes as it were by so manye rootes was spreade farre and wide againste the whiche he valiauntlye foughte labouring mightelye against it to the Queene Brunechildis and to the Frenche Kinges Theodoricus and Theodobertus till at the lengthe a Generall Councell beinge summoned he obteined to haue it vtterlye banned and accursed This saith Nauclerus of other Countries Now what nede I speake of our Realme the matter being so notoriouse that by his good meanes by his studye and carefulnes we were brought from most miserable idolatrie to the faith of Christe And therefore as our Venerable Countreyman Bede writeth we maye well and oughte to call him our Apostle Rectè nostrum appellare possumus debemus Apostolum Quia cum c. For saith he wheras he had the chiefe Bisshoprike in all the worlde and was the chiefe Ruler of the Churches that long before were conuerted to the faithe he procured oure Nation that before that time was the Idols slaue to be the Church of Christ. So that we may well vse that saiyng taken from the Apostle All were it that he were not an Apostle to other yet is he our Apostle We are the seal of his Apostlesship in our Lord God It appeareth that S. Gregorie had to doe in Ireland also by his Ecclesiastical authoritie Thus much haue I here spoken of S. Gregorie either necessarily or as I suppose not altogether without good cause Surely not without most deape harte griefe to consider how farre we are gon from the learning vertue and faith whiche we nowe almost one thousande yeares past receiued at this Blessed mans handes Which altogether with our newe Apostle M. Horne heere is nothing but Grosse ignorance And this blessed and true Apostle of our English Nation no better then the child of perdition That is as he meaneth in dede a plaine Antichriste I pray God ones open the eyes of our Coūtrie to see who is in dede the true Antichrist and who are his messengers and forerunners thereby carefully and Christianly to shun as well the one as the other Christ is the Truth it selfe as him selfe hath said Who then is more nere Antichriste then the teacher of Vntruthes And what a huge number hath M. Horne heaped vs vppe in that hitherto hath bene answered being litle more then the third part of his boke Yea in this very Diuision how doe they muster Some of them haue already ben touched But now to the rest more at large let vs ouer runne the Diuision shortly againe First besides his false translation putting for repairing the order of Ecclesiasticall discipline to make a new fourme thereof as though that King altered the old Religion of his realme and placed a newe neuer vsed before in Christes Churche as M. Horne and his fellowes haue done in our Countrie beside this pety
of this Charles which can not be commended inowghe and whome the councell kepte at Mens commendeth euen as M. Horne reporteth for his godlie wisedome in continual feadinge of Christs sheepe withe holie foode and instructinge them with diuine knowledge farre passing thorowgh his holy wisdome the other kings of the earthe A wise man would now maruayle to what end M. Horne hath heaped these and all his other prayses of thys Emperour who truly can not be praised to much but the truer and greater his prayse is the more discommendation to M. Horne and to his boke beinge directe contrarie to the doings and belief of Charles and this matter so certaynly true that Maister Horne him selfe can not denie yt Beside here appeareth a contradiction the whiche Maister Horne shal neuer shift away charging him before for want of pure knowledge whereof yet he doth nothing else but purge him almost fowre leaues following together as one hauinge a priestlie power to preache the worde of God and hauing perfytte knowledg in the catholyke fayth And saying that al the catholyk and learned fathers of that tyme confirme well the doinges of Charles which he him selfe dothe here impugne for Masses Chrisme and other poyntes of catholyke religion Consider these thinges good reader well and then iudge with indifferency who be the blind bussardes that M. Horne spake of Your note in the margent may be suffred wel inowgh being agreable to your texte onlesse yt be that sometyme good thinges be the worse for comminge to yl mens handes The priestly power that Alcuinus meaneth resteth in this poynte that as the priestes in they re Synodes and preachinges set forthe the true fayeth so doe good princes set forth the same by theire proclamations For you will not I trowe say that the Emperour him self preached in pulpyt with gown and surplesse or with cope and Rotchet as you poore soules are driuen full againste your willes to doe And so for all your note and shrewde meaning Charles is as farre of from his supremacy as euer he was before Yea I will nowe proue after the vsual sort of M. Hornes reasoning against the catholikes that bishops at thys tyme yea in the tyme of greate Theodosius to were supreame heads aswell in causes temporall as spirituall For by the decree of Charles and Theodosius yt was Lawfull for all men in all suites to appeale to the bisshoppes withowte anie appeale to be made from they re sentence and decree But of this we haue spoken before more at large Yet you tel vs again here after your maner that this Charles ruled and gouerned ecclesiasticall persons in all Ecclesiasticall thinges and causes This you conclude stil. But this clause saying or assertion coulde neuer yet appeare in any text by you alleaged And here I might ruffle with you in M. Iewels Rethorike for this clause Supreme gouernment in all Ecclesiasticall thiÌ„gs and causes as he doth against D. Harding for the bare termes of Priuate Masse vniuersal Bisshop head of the Church c. and say to you If Emperours and other Princes were supreme Gouernours in dede in all Ecclesiasticall causes so allowed and taken in the whole worlde why were thei neuer expressely and plainely named so was there no man in the worlde for the space of a thowsand yeres and more from the tyme of Constantine to Maximilian able to expresse this name or Title It had ben the simpler and playner dealing for M. Horne to haue said This Title can not yet be found and so to haue takeÌ„ a longer daie And againe This title of supreme Gouernour in al Ecclesiastical causes is the very thing that we deny aÌ„d that M. Horn hath takeÌ„ in haÌ„d to proue and boldly auoucheth that he hath already plainly shewed it and yet not in one of his allegations it can be found As though he woulde say al the olde fathers of the Church both Greekes and Latines wanted woordes and eloquence and either they could not or they durste not call the supreme Gouernour by his own peculiar name And again thus From the tyme of Constantine the great to this Charles there haue ben of Christen Emperours aboue .30 and beside a greate nombre of Christen Kinges in Spayne in Fraunce yea and in our Countrye to for their Constancy in faith for their vertues and knowledge far exceading the rest that haue ben sithence at least wise by your Iudgements which condemne these later ages The nombre of them beinge so greate their vertues so noble their power so mighty it is merueyl M. Horne should not be able to shew that any one of them all in so long tyme was so much as once Called Intitled Saluted or proclaymed The supreme Gouernour in al causes Ecclesiastical And last of al. This supreme Gouernement to the which we must nedes sweare by booke othe so Auncient so vniuersall so Catholike so Gloriouse can not be founde neither in the Romain Empire neither in al the Easte Church nor in FrauÌ„ce nor in Spaine nor in England but must be sought out in broken sayinges of this and that man and that by coniecture only This I might as I said in M. Iewels Rhetorike ruffle a litell with you But because as his chalenge it selfe I beleue so farre misliketh you that you wishe his tounge had bene tyed to a pillery when he vttered it at Paules Crosse so this his Rhetorike also pleaseth you I trowe neuer a whitte Therefore not to trowble you I am content to leaue it Onelye I desire the Reader to marke that euer you conclude pronounce and affirme in your owne woordes Supreme Gouernement in al Ecclesiasticall causes but in your allegations and Authorities being so thicke and so long you can not for your life so much as once finde it And so Christen men are sworen to that which neuer synce Christ was borne was euer reade sene or herde of in any Councel or Doctour Bisshop or Father Emperour or Prince Countrie or City whatsoeuer But to returne to you Maister Horne whome I hadde almoste forgotten I will note one moste fonde contradiction in you and so passe to the next Diuision You say this Prince Charles the greate is in some thinges to be borne with considering the blindnesse and superstition of the tyme. And yet you say in lesse theÌ„ tweÌ„ty lines before This doctrine of Alcuinê° who was this Charles his Chaplain was no doubt the doctrin of al the Catholik and learned fathers in that tyme. Now good sir. If there were Catholik aÌ„d learned fathers in that tyme aÌ„d the doctrin of Alcuinê° was the doctrin of theÌ„ he also being themperors chaplaine and dayly instructer in Gods matters why feare you in theÌ„peror a corruptioÌ„ of the blindnes aÌ„d superstitioÌ„ of the tyme Or what blindnes and superstitioÌ„ is there in the tyme wheÌ„ Catholik aÌ„d learned fathers flourish in the time Except you wil say that to be Catholik and learned is also a
the mischiefe sprang VVhen the Pope vnderstoode of his comming he prepared to receiue him in moste honourable vvise and vvith suche humilitie behaued him selfe tovvardes the Emperour and shevved suche faire face of repentaunce that the vvell meaning Emperour thought he had meant as he pretended and svvare the Pope to obedience and loyaltie against Berengarius and Adalbertus as Luithprandus vvriteth and so returned into his countrie This Luithprandus is the more to be credited for that he vvas liuing a famous vvriter and .356 Deacon Cardinall euen in the same time The Pope immediatly against both Othe and honesty .357 practised vvith Adalbertus to depose this godly Emperoure and promised him by Othe his aide The reason or cause why Iohn the Pope shoulde hate this moste godlye Emperoure who had deliuered him out of the handes of Adelbert his ennemie and wherefore the Deuill shoulde hate God his creatoure seemeth not to be vnlike For the Emperoure as we haue had good experience vnderstandeth things pertaining to God he worketh he loueth them he mainteineth with maine and mighte the Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters he decketh them with manners and amendeth them by lawes but Iohn the Pope is against all these thinges The Emperoure seeketh by diuerse vvayes to reconcile this Pope and to bring him from his filthy life to some honesty and regarde of his office VVhan by no persuasions he can vvinne him he determineth to depose him and .358 for that purpose he calleth a Councell of the Bisshoppes of Italie to the end he may seke the refourmation vvhich he mindeth and savv to be ouermuch nedeful by their aduise Pope Iohn .359 seeing him selfe to be tried by a Synode runneth avvay vvhen al the people savv their Pope vvas runne avvaye from them they svvare fidelity to th' Emperor promising by their Othes that they vvould neuer hereafter elect or make any Pope vvithout the consent of the Emperour VVithin three daies after there vvas a great assemblie in S. Peters Church at the requests of the Bisshops and people In vvhich Councell sate the Emperour vvith many Archebisshoppes and others to vvhom the godly Emperor propouÌ„deth the cause of their assemble exhorteth theÌ„ to do al thiÌ„gs vvith vpright iudgemeÌ„t aÌ„d the Bisshops deacoÌ„s Clergy aÌ„d al the peple make solempne protestation and obtestatâ—on of their iust and vpright dealing in the cause propounded And because the chiefe matter touched the Pope that vvas runne avvay the holy Synode said if it seme so good to the godly Emperour let letters be sent to the Pope and cyte him to come and purge him selfe The letters vvere directed in this fourme Otho by Goddes grace Emperour with the Archebisshops of Liguria Tuscia Saxonia and FrauÌ„ce send greeting in the Lord to Iohn the Pope VVe comming to Rome for our Seruice to God and enquiring the cause of your absence from your Church were enformed by the Bisshops Cardinales Priestes Deacons and the whole people of such shameful doings by you as we are asshamed to rehearse whereof these are parte they charge you with Murder periurie sacrilege incest with twaine of your owne sisters that in your banquetes which is horrible to be rehearsed ye drinke wine in the loue of the Deuill in your plaie at dice you craue the helpe of Iupiter Venus and other Diuels wherefore we pray you to repaier vnto vs your selfe To this the Pope vvriteth this ansvvere I heare saye ye will make an other Pope which if ye attempte I excommunicate you all that ye may haue no licence or power to order any c. To this short ansvvere the Emperour vvith the Synode replieth telling him that they had vvritten to let him vnderstand of the crimes vvherevvith he vvas charged and that he had sent them such an ansvveare as rather became the folly of a childe then the grauitie of a Bisshop as for the povver of bindâ—ng and losing they say he ones had as Iudas had to vvhom it vvas saide Quaecunque ligaueritis super terram c. VVhat so euer ye binde on earth shal be bound in Heauen c. But novv he hath no more povver against the Emperour and the Synod then Iudas had vvhen he vvent about to betraie Christ his Maister These letters vvere sent vnto him by tvvo Cardinalles vvho returned not finding him and therfore the Synode procedeth to his deposition They beseche the Emperour to remoue Monstrum illud that Monster and to place some vvorthy bisshop in his roome Tune Imperator placet inquit quod dicitis Your request pleaseth me saith the Emperour 360. The Clergie and the people saith Nauclerus doth make humble supplication vnto the Emperour to prouide for them a vvorthy Bishoppe to vvhom the Emperour ansvvereth Choose you your selues one 361. whom hauing God before your eyes ye may iudge worthie and I wil confirme him The Emperour had no sooner spoken this saith Luithprandus than they all vvith one assent named Leo The Emperour gaue his consent Et Ottho Imperator Leonem creat Pontificem and Ottho the Emperoure created Leo Pope as Sabellicus and Platina saith Here Luithprand tellâ—th at large hovve after this creation of Leo the Emperour .362 dissolued the Synode and vvhat mischiefe the Monstruous Pope Iohn vvâ—ought aftervvard For by his friends in Rome Pope Leo vvas driuen avvay And after this Monster vvas deade the Romaines elected Benedictus in his place and requireth the Emperoure vvho vvas than at Spolet to confirme him the Emperoure vvoulde not but compelled them to receiue Leo againe And heere the Emperoure summoned againe a nevve Synode vvherein he .363 satte him selfe for the Canonicall deposition of Benedictus notvvithstanding this sayth Nauclerus Leo being vveary of the inconstancy of the Romaines did constitute by their consent in the Synode holden at Rome that the vvhole authority of chosing the Bishop shuld remayne in the Emperour at it is rehearsed in the decrees in these vvordes Being in the Synode at Rome in the Church of the holy Sauiour lyke as Adrianus Bisshop of Rome graunted to Charles the great the dignity of patricianship the ordering of the Apostolical sea and the inuesturing of Bishops So I also Leo Bishop of Rome seruaunt of Goddes seruauÌ„tes with the coÌ„sent of all the Cleargy and people of Rome doo constitute confirme and corroborate and by our Apostolicall authority wee doo graunt and geue vnto the Lorde Ottho the first King of DutchmeÌ„ and to his successours in this kingdome of Italy for euer the authoritie to elect after vs and to ordeine the Bishop of .364 Rome and so Archbisshops and Bisshops that they receiue of him as they ought the inuesturing and consecration .365 excepting those whoÌ„ the Emperour hath grauÌ„ted to the popes and Archebisshops And that no man hereafter of what dignitie or RelligioÌ„ so euer haue power to elect one to the dignitie of CoÌ„sules bloud or to be bisshop of the .366 Apostolike See or to make any other bisshop without
It is straÌ„ge me thinketh to heare at your haÌ„ds of the Popes holy haÌ„d namely seing your authour Nauclerus speaketh of hys haÌ„d only withowt any other additioÌ„ Belyke there is come vppon yow some sodayne deuotion towards the Popes holines But lo I see now the cause of your deuotioÌ„ The Popes haÌ„d is holy with yow now wheÌ„ he being forced aÌ„d coÌ„strayned deliuereth vppe such priuileges as with his heart he did not deliuer and therfore did afterward in a CouÌ„cel of Bishops reuoke al these doinges Whiche your authour in the nexte leaf as also Sabellicus at large doth declare and what sturre aÌ„d busines the Emperour made for it swearing first to the Pope that he wold vse no violence and that he woulde cause all the Bishops of Germany which had bene made by Simonye to be deposed Who yet afterward brake bothe partes of his Oâ—he Toke the Pope out of Rome with him as prisoner because he would not confirme his symoniacal Bisshops And after long vexation of the Pope and spoiles of the Romaine territorie extorted at the lengthe by fine force his consente thereto which yet after the Emperour being departed he reuoked as I said in a ful Councell And this periurie and violence of this Emperour the Italian Emperours doe witnesse also Briefly al came to this conclusion that Paschalis being dead the Emperour shortly after renounced to the Pope Calistus the .2 all this inuesturing of Bisshops and left to the clergy the free electioÌ„ without the princes coÌ„firmatioÌ„ which was al that Paschalis grauÌ„ted to this Emperour For the grauÌ„t of Paschalis as it is recorded in Nauclere referreth it selfe to the former grauntes of his predecessours made to Catholike Emperours And farder he specifieth his graunt thus That he haue priuilege to geue the staffe and the ring to al Bisshops and Abbats of his dominions being first freely chosen without violence or symonie and to be afterward consecrated or ordered of the bisshop to whom they belong But al this was as I haue said both reuoked of Pope Paschalis and geuen ouer of Henrie the fift But I pray you tell me was your holy hand so vnlustie and heauy that ye could or rather would not set in this also being a parcell of your authors narration and the finall conclusion of this great controuersie Whiche as it was theÌ„ troblesom to the church many yeres so it is troblesom also to your Reader as occupiyng a greate parte of your booke but no part of your principal mater and yet as litle material as it is in fine al agaiÌ„st you And therfore ye shake the ful declaratioÌ„ of the mater from your holy handes as a man would shake away a snake for feare of stinging M. Horne The .115 Diuision pag. 74. b. The next Emperour to Henrie vvas Lotharius vvho so laboured vvith the Pope to retaine the inuesturing of Ecclesiasticall persons and besides that he so trauailed in other Ecclesiastical causes so .396 vvel as Temporal that saith Vrspurg Huius laus est à vindicata religione legibus The praise of this Prince is in that he refourmed Religion and the Lawes Next to vvhom vvas Conradus the Emperour to vvhome the Romaines vvrote supplications to come and chalendge his right in these matters to reduce the fourme of the Empire to the olde state whiche it was in in Constantine and Iustinians daies and to deliuer them from the .397 tyranny of the Pope To vvhom also the Pope vvrote humble supplications to take his cause into his protection against the Magistrates of Rome which toke vppon them to reduce the Pope to the olde order and state of the .398 aunciente bisshoppes of Rome Stapleton Let the Emperour Lotharius labour to retain the inuesturing of Bishops which as ye heard Henrie the .5 resigned before to Calistus let him if ye will needes vse that word reforme the ciuil lawes and religion to the meaning wherof is no more but that he restored the ciuil Lawe the vse therof being discoÌ„tinued many yeres aÌ„d restored Pope InnoceÌ„tius the .2 to his See beiÌ„g thrust out by an Antipope wherof he was called Fidelis Ecclesiae aduocatus a faithfull defeÌ„der of the Church Yet why do you vtter such grosse lyes M. Horne telling your Reader that the Romaines besought th' Emperor to deliuer them froÌ„ the tyraÌ„ny of the Pope Neyther Otho Fringensis nor Nauclerus who rehearseth his words haue any such thing The Romaines at that time would be lusty a Gods name and reduce their state to the old magnificence of the victorious Romaines being proud of a litle victorie whiche they had against the Tiburtines And therefore the Pope complained to the Emperour of their tyrannie not they of the Popes tyrannie Yea they thrusted out the Emperours Praefectus and placed in his roome their owne Patricius And so woulde shake of as well the Emperour as the Pope Foorth then with the storie Let Pope Lucius .2 make huÌ„ble supplicatioÌ„ to the Emperour Conradus against the Magistrates of Rome coÌ„cerning the ciuil regiment of Rome and their subiection to the Pope in temporalities for that was the matter and no other and yet were they faine shortlye after to submitte them selues to Eugenius .3 the next Pope Let all this be as you tell it not perspicuouslie but couertlie as though the Romaines then woulde haue bene Schismatiques as you are nowe and denied his Authoritie in Spiritual causes as you doe nowe let all this as I saie be graunted vnto you But then I pray you set your conclusion to it that therefore the Prince is Supreme Gouernour in all causes Ecclesiasticall and then shall euery childe sone conclude with you that your Conclusion concludeth nothinge to the purpose For all the strife and contention here was partely about Temporall and Ciuill regiment partely not against the Popes Authoritie absolutelye but against such or suche a Pope whiche thing I woulde haue you wel to note Maister Horne not here onelye but in all these and other quarrellings of Emperours againste Popes That they neuer repined againste the Popes Authoritie as the Pope but they repined against this man or that maÌ„ whom they woulde not agnise for the Pope but some other by them selues elected M. Horne The .116 Diuision pag. 74. b. Next to vvhome follovved the Godly and zelous Emperour Frederike the firste vvho .399 seeing the horrible vices of the Romissh Church commaunded that no Legate of the Church of Rome should be suffered to enter into Germanie without he were called or hyred of the Emperour nor would suffer that any man vnder the name of appellation shuld goe vnto the Court of Rome After the death of Adrian the fovvrth the Cardinals fell out amongest them selues for the Election of a nevv Pope some stryuinge to haue Rovvlande other some contendinge to haue Octauian a man saith Abbat Vrspur in all points honest and religious Herevppon sprang an horrible schisme and great discord Rouland
Romaine and Ciuil Law so is it to be thought of Britaine And Polidorus writeth that Agricola th' Emperor Vespasians deputie gaue to the Britaines certain Romane lawes ād orders to be vsed and practised by them Neither is it likely but that before this time there was some copie of the Romaine lawes in Britain the yōg Noble men of the Realme being much geuē to be eloquēt in the Romain tong wherin Agricola did prefer thē before the Galles or French mē and being brought vp in Rome especially Coilus king Lucius father spēding al his youth there So that Lucius had no nede to send to Pope Eleutherius for Caesars lawes And if he had nede it is more likely he would haue sente to some other then to Eleutherius who with other blessed Popes at that time medled God wot litle with Caesars Ciuill lawes or with any other lawes of Pagan Princes But of al other things Eleutherus answer is most vnlikely For who would think him so vnwise and so vnskilfull that he would appoint the old and the new Testament only as sufficiēt to gouern and rule a cōmon welth by Which thīg was neuer yet practised in any Christiā coūtry nor cā possibly be practised the old law being al in a manner abolished and the new Testament cōsisting of such principles of the Christiā faith as be immutable ād not variable wheras politik lawes haue ben are and euer shal be and so must be according to many incidents alterable and variable This epistle then be it true or be it a counterfait doth as yet serue M. Horne to no great purpose but for any thing we haue brought out of this Epistle M. Horne perchance wil not him self greatly passe of it There is an other priuie treasure hiddē here for the which I suppose this Epistle is chiefly brought forth and that is to proue euē by the Pope Eleutherius him self that the King and not the Pope is the supreme heade in al causes Ecclesiasticall For Eleutherius saith that Lucius was Vicare of God in his Kingdome This this is the marke that M. Horne al this while hathe shot at this is the cause that this Epistle that hath so many hūdred yeares lyen dead is now reuiued by M. Horne Yea for this clause this Epistle was solemply alleaged in open parliament against the Popes Primacie And seeing that your new Diuinitie now is nothing but English and Parliament Diuinitie I will remitte you ones againe M. Horne to your owne Braughton who vseth the same woordes Which must nedes be as by him appeareth taken that the King is Gods Vicare in his Kingdome that is in the tēporall administration of Ciuile and not for Spirituall matters And therfore this Epistle doth as wel serue M. Horne to proue the Princes Primacie by as it serueth M. Iewel to proue that the seruice must be in the English tongue which is as true as that other where he saith that Lucius sente to Rome to Eleutherius for his aduice touching the ordering of his Church Wherein if M. Iewell meane that he sent to Rome before he was Christened then haue ye one witnes more against you But if he meaneth as it semeth he doth by his discourse of these letters that you specifie parte wherof he also reciteth and among other things that the King is Gods Vicare then is he also deceiued For in these letters king Lucius doth not aske his aduise in any Church matters but requireth only to haue Caesars lawes sent him appeareth by the tenour and purport of the said Epistle So that I perceiue this Epistle is an Instrument to set forth the new Ghospel many wayes but for such a Ghospel such a proufe is very mete We will therfore nowe passe forth to the residewe of your answere where you goe about to disproue M. Fekenham saying that Constantine the great was the first Christiā king The force and weight of his argument as I sayd doth not stande vppon this whether there were any Christian kings before Constantinus the great This is but a by matter and yet ye dwell vppon it and handle the matter seriously as thoughe all lay in the duste if there were any kinge Christened before Constantine But herein ye do but trifle with M. Fekenham who saieth not simply or absolutely that Constantin was the first Christiā king but the firste that ioyned his sworde to the maintenance of Goddes worde as in making sharpe Lawes againste Idolatours and heretikes and in making sharpe warre against Maxentius and Licinius that persecuted the Christians which thinges are not read of any king before him Againe if there were anie other Christian princes they were very fewe and of small dominion and rule As Abgarus who seameth by his own lettres to Christ to haue ben lorde but of one small and obscure towne As the .3 wise mē that are called kings to auaūce the honour of Christes natiuitie and are thought to haue ben either kings or Lordes in Arabia minore which may perchaunce be called kings aswel as those were called in holy scripture which did scorne and checke holy Iob. Yf there were any of greater renowne and dominion as king Lucius Philip themperour Constantius Constantinus father yet because either they did not ioyne theyr sworde to the mayntenaunce of Gods word or for that their successours were paynims and Infidells as it chaunced to the sayd Lucius and Philip there is the lesse accompt made of thē How so euer it be M. Fekēhā ought not to be reprehēded in this hauīg good authors that wrote so before him namely Eusebius Lactantius and S. Ambrose who all cal Cōstantinus the first Emperor that from the beginning of the world was christened Which thing belike they write for the causes by vs rehersed or some lyke Yea he hath S. Augustin to cōfesse so much as he did as M. Horn him self wil anon tel vs. But yet see good reader the wise and polityke handling of the matter by M. Horn. He goeth about to disproue M. Fekenham for sayinge there were no Christian princes in Christes tyme and for his relief brīgeth me forth Abgarus and the thre wise men but so as he semeth to take it but for a fable And therfore he sayth yf we may belieue Eusebius and Nicephorus againe yf there be any creditte to be geuen to the popish Church concerning the .3 kings and doth nothing vnderstād that the more he defaceth their kingdoms the more he defaceth his own answere and strengtheneth his aduersaries argument M Horn. The .155 Diuision pag. 94. b. Thus it is made manifest that bothe your argument faileth in truthe of .521 matter and you your self vvere beguiled through ignorāce by .522 vvante of reading But put the case that your antecedent vvere true yet is it a faulty fallax made à dicto secundùm quid ad simpliciter and the consequent follovveth not for that there is more conteined in the conclusion than the
from the highest him self Bilike these meÌ„ would seme to be called as S. Paul was NoÌ„ ab hominibus neque per homineÌ„ sed per Iesum ChristuÌ„ Not of men nor by man but by Iesus Christ euen with a voice froÌ„ heauen O peuish pride and most foÌ„d presumption But to the matter The Lutherans or Martiniste Ministers of Antwerpe in their Confession haue one whole Chapter Contra errorem Sacramentariorum Against the errour of the Sacramentarâ—es It is the seuententh in number In that Chapter they proue the Reall presence and the Consecration of the Mysteries and they labour to coÌ„fute the fond obiectioÌ„s of the Sacramentaries vsed also very sadly of M. Iewel in his Replie against the Reall presence touching the tropicall sence of Christes wordes whiche they denie vtterly and touching the assension of Christe into heauen which they proue though by an other errour of their owne as Tiletanus at large declareth that the same article maketh nothiÌ„g against the Real or Corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament Briefely the Lutherans do thus pronounce of your Brethern the Sacramentaries Communion M. Horne which you doe make so holy a matter The Lutheran Ministers of Antwerp in their printed Confession say thus Caluinistarum Leiturgia noÌ„ vno sacrilegio vitiata coÌ„taminataque est eoque proh dolor passim innumeras animas aeterno exitio inuoluit The CoÌ„munion of the Caluinists is defiled and contaminated with diuers Sacrilegies aÌ„d therfore alas it enwrappeth euery where infinit nuÌ„bers of soules into eternal damnatioÌ„ Lo M. Horne what agreemeÌ„t in Religion there is betwen you Protestaunts Your holy CoÌ„munion of England is coÌ„demned for sacrilegious and damnable of your owne brethren the scholers of Martin Luther whom your Apology commendeth for a most excellent man and one sent of God to lighten his Church All that frequente your holie Communion Maister Horne are damned saie the Lutherans of Antwerpe Bragge no more Maister Horne of your agreement Your horrible dissention glistereth so cleere cryeth so lowd and blustereth so great that as long as we haue eyes to see eares to heare and hands to fele we can not choose but behold it in the face we must nedes heare the voice of it and our senses must of necessitie palpablie feele it And the sight the voyce and the sense therof coÌ„uinceth vnto vs with an vnuincible Argument that your whole Religion is a cleere heresie as proceeding from the Deuill the spirit of dissention not from God who is the God of vnity peace and concorde The .160 Diuision Pag. 101. a. M. Fekenham The fourth and last point is that I must swere to the obseruatioÌ„ of this othe not only to the Quenes highnes aÌ„d our soueraign Lady that now is but also vnto her heyers and successours Kings and Queenes of this Realme And bicause euery Christian man ought to be carefull to auoid periurie therein I would right gladly knowe that if any her highnes successours should by the refusall of the said title of Supremacie bind her subiects by the like statute lawe vnto the cleane contrarie experience whereof was of late made here in this Realme that it is yet freshe in the memories of all men In this case I would right gladly knowe what authoritie is able to dispence againe with this Othe And if there be none at all then the subiectes of this Realme in this case are bounde and that by booke Othe to liue in a continuall disobedience to the lawes of their soueraigne Lord or Ladie King or Quene the case wherof is very lamentable And christian charity would that it shoulde be foreseene and prouided for And for mine owne parte being further touched herein then I haue yet expressed my very trust and hope is that the charity of this our newe refourmed Churche here in this realme shal not be found so colde and shorte as in prouiding so sharpe lawes and paines of death to force men to take this othe of the Quenes Highnes Supreamacie but that it will prouide also such meanes and wayes wherby the subiects may receiue the same with safe coÌ„science and without al periurie And in so doing I shal most willingly submit my selfe and receiue also that part of the Othe And shall further therevpon set foorth the Quenes highnes Supremacie with al Titles and Prerogatiues bothe by penne and worde of mouth and that with as desirous harte and glad will as any subiect that is this day liuing in her highnesse Realme So that of the premisses ye may well vnderstande that there is in mee no other cause of staie touching the later part of this Othe then very conscience And that I would before right gladly know touching these forenamed points how I might sweare vnto them and not committe periurie therein M. Hoâ—ne As euerie Christian man ought to be carefull to auoide Periurie both in this and al other matters euen so vvise men may vvell knovve vvhat you meane by the conditionall case ye put of the refusall by her highnesse Successours of this Title vvhereto the holy Ghoste maketh you this plaine ansvver Spes Hypocritae peribit The Hypocrites hope shall perishe You sprinkle this doubtfull case vvith a pouder of late experience â—vhiche seasoneth your mater De facto non de Iure For it is not lavvfull for any Christian prince to refuse .554 this Supremacie vvhich is the beste parte of his princely Ministery and seruice vnto God Neither may be more biâ—de his subiectes by lavve to become svvoren to the Pope and Poperye than to the â—55 greate â—urke and turkerie For that the Pope is a more perillous .556 ennemie vnto Christ than the turke and Popery much more Idolatrous then turkery And therefore there is no humaine Authoritie that can dispence vvith the violation of this lavvfull Othe made of duety vnto the Christian Princes This is a lameÌ„table case I grauÌ„t that subiectes should liue in coÌ„tinual disobedieÌ„ce to the lavves of the prince vvhether it happeÌ„ for that the lavves be so vngodly that a christian subiect may not vvith good coÌ„scieÌ„ce obey theÌ„ experience vvherof vvas of late made here in this Realme Or for that the stubbornesse of the subiect mainteined vvith a vvicked and yet a vaine hope be so stiffe that vvilfully he liueth in a coÌ„tinual disobedieÌ„ce to the Godly lavves of his soueragine vvherof experience is made novv at this time in you and a fevve others of your .557 conspiracie There is good cause vvhie ye should haue your very trust aÌ„d hope as you saie ye haue hovv vngratiousely soeuerye thiÌ„k assured of the charity of our church nevvly reformed after the rule of gods vvord vvherat ye Popish svvine grunte and groine For you in your ovvne self haue perfect experieÌ„ce that the supreme gouernour vnder Christ of this realm folovving the exaÌ„ple of her heaueÌ„ly father doth bouÌ„tifully of her goodnes vvith much more patieÌ„ce and loÌ„g sufferiÌ„g allure you to dutiful
this allwaies your Consequent I say vpon one or diuers particulars to conclude affirmatiuely an vniuersal For what one Emperour or Prince amonge so many so longe a succession and in so diuers countres haue you brought forthe by whose example by sufficiente enumeration of all partes ▪ you might logiquely and reasonably cōclude the affirmatiue vniuersal that is the Supreme gouernement in al spiritual or ecclesiastical thinges or causes You haue not M. Horne brought any one suche Shewe but one and I will allowe you in all And come you nowe to charge M. Fekenham with thys foule and euil consequent What Thought you so by preuention to blame M. Fekenhā that you might escape therby the blame your selfe or thought you we shoulde haue forgotten to charge you herewith excepte your selfe by charging an other had put vs in minde thereof Vpon this imagined Conclusion of M. Feckenhams you induce a dilemma that whether the Conclusion folow or not folow yet he shal alwaies remayne in some absurdite But we say that as he neuer made that consequent so also that it foloweth not Then say you If the Conclusion folowe not cōsequētly vpon the Antecedent ▪ than haue ye concluded nothing at al by Christes diuinity that may further the matter ye haue taken in hande to proue To the which I answere That M. Feckenham hereby fully cōcludeth his principall purpose For Commission of Spiritual gouernement being geuen as he reasoneth and you expresly cōfesse to Bishops immediatly from God by Christ him selfe true God not only in some but euen in the principall spirituall causes as to fede the Church with true doctrine to preache the worde to bind and loose to minister the Sacraments it foloweth euidētly that the Prince is not the Supreme Gouernour in al Spiritual causes And that the Acte hath wrongfully geuen to the Prince the ful authorising for al maner of spiritual causes in any wise concerning any Spirituall or Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction to be vsed and exercised by persons when and as often and for such and so long time as it shal please the Prince to authorise them It foloweth I saye that the Acte hath wrongfully geuen al this to the Princes authorising seeing that God him selfe hath already geauen it to the Apostles and their successours Bishops and Priestes in his Churche without any cōmission or authorisatiō for any prince of the earth whatsoeuer God hath your self say M. Horn geuē to the Bisshops sufficiēt cōmission for the discharge of their cures It were therfore you say an horrible absurdity if they might not exercise any iurisdictiō ouer thē by that cōmissiō without a furder cōmission frō the Quenes highnes But bothe by the practise in king Edwardes daies at what time by the Kings letters patēts bishops had a special cōmissiō to minister the Sacraments and to preach the word frō the Prince and at the Princes pleasure as it hath before ben declared ād also by the plaine Act in the Quenes M. daies now reigning bishops can not exercise vse or execute any Spiritual iurisdiction without the Authorising naming and assigning of the Prince yea and that no oftener nor no longer then it shall please the Prince to Authorise them so that beeing a Bishoppe to daye to morowe by the Acte he shall be none if it please the Prince to dissauthorise him or discharge him Ergo by Maister Hornes own confession and plaine constante assertion bothe in King Edwardes dayes and now in the Acte an horrible absurdity is committed You haue saied M. Horne a great deale more against the Acte then euer M. Feckenham saied Beare therefore with him and vs I pray you yf to auoide such an horrible absurdity bothe he and we refuse the Othe of this acte Some reason I perceiue M. Sampson and D. Humfrey of Oxford had when they refused this othe being tendred vnto them by a Commission They saw it was in dede a most horrible absurdity so to weakē Gods authority that it must yet not of congruite but of necessite and by force of lawe be bolstered as of it selfe insufficient with the Princes authorising and letters patents The sawe it was a great impiety that bishops and Pastours by Gods lawe ordayned to suche offices should not oftener exercise their offices nor no lenger remaine in the saied offices then it should please the Prince for the time to Authorise them and allowe them Therefore these men them selues no doubte true subiectes to the Quenes highnes and well willers to her Maiest Person refused yet this Othe as is aboue saied But what a conclusion is this M. Horne how fowle an absurdity is it to take the Othe of supreme gouernemente in al spiritual thinges or causes in which Othe also you say nothing may be excepted for if you except any it is not al these are your owne wordes and yet to make nowe a limitatiō and to except so many and so principall causes ecclesiasticall in the which as you say also the Prince hath no gouernement at all but only the Bishops as hauing sufficient commission herein from God him selfe Whereas if there were in dede any limitation by the Acte expressed or intēded as there is not in dede any at all in the Authorising of mete persons to execute all maner of spirituall Iurisdictions it were yet open and manifest periury to sweare to a supreme gouernement in all causes without exception What yf you and your felowes intende not or meane not al maner spirituall causes Can this excuse them which sweare to all from manifest periury How many haue receyued the Othe which neuer vnderstode worde of any suche limitatiō If you meane in dede a limitatiō M. Horne procure thē that the limitation be put to the Othe expresly that men may sweare to no more then is intended Els if you intangle mens soules in open periury vnder a couert limitation assure your selfe you and al other the procurers hereof shal answer full derely to God for all the soules that hereby haue perished And assure your self that as the holy ghost infallibly threatneth he wil come as a quicke witnesse against al periured and forsworen persons Neither yet doth the limitatiō excuse thē frō periury which sweare Princes to be supreme gouernors in some spirituall causes who are in dede no gouernours at al in such causes nor euer had by the lawe of God any spiritual charge or Iurisdictiō cōmitted vnto them But yet if this limitation were annexed the periury were the lesse and the dealing were more playne though not therfore good In the meane while you which force men to sweare to al ecclesiastical causes and yet will except so many ecclesiastical causes how vnreasonably ād how absurdely do you write But of these your contradictory assertions I haue before spoken If I should here aske M. Horne ▪ what Authorite the parliament had to geue to the Prince all or any Iurisdiction at all in matters mere spiritual that parliament especially consisting only
sinnes but declare onely sinnes to be remitted For Theodosius confessed that by the sentence of this Bishoppe he was excluded not only from the Church but from heauen also I wil now discourse only whether this storie be aptly brought foorth .4 for M. Fekenhams purpose which ye denie But he that doth not see most euidentlie that this Storie proueth S. Ambrose for causes Ecclesiastical to haue bene the head of the Church of Millaine and not the Emperour he will neuer see any truth as long as he liueth and is like to him that in a faire sunny daie stoppeth his eyes with his handes at midnoone and then crieth out that they are fooles that saie it is daie lighte No no euery man may easely see by this Storie that the tenour of your othe can not possiblie be iustified whereby men are vrged to swere that the Prince is supreme head not in one or two but in AL causes or things ECCLESIASTICAL Surely an vntrue and an horrible proposition The which S. Ambrose if he now liued rather then he woulde confesse he woulde be dismembred with wilde horses This is to open and to euident an absurditie and though ye will not or dare not confesse it with plaine wordes yet as we haue declared it may be wel gathered your selfe doe not like it And therfore ye craftelie wind your selfe from that as much as ye may possiblie and finde many starting holes as in the former leafe That out of Constantinus Storie it may not be gathered that Bisshoppes haue all manner of Cohibitiue Iurisdiction And here that it can not be proued by this Storie of Theodosius that they haue the seconde Cohibitiue Iurisdiction But in case out of bothe it may be gathered as it is in deede necessarilie gathered that the Prince is not supreame Heade in all matters Ecclesiastical then is Maister Fekenham free from taking the Othe as being such as neither he nor any good man may with safe conscience receiue Now further what if of this Storie it shal be proued most euidently that Bishops haue not only the .2 Cohibitiue but the first Cohibitiue too as ye call it And that it is so I sette fast footing and ioyne issue with you And first for your first Cohibitiue Iurisdiction as ye call it in which by you is comprehended excōmunication whiche ye see here practised without any Princes commission yea vppon the Prince him selfe And as no man euer read or hearde that S. Ambrose had any other commission either from Prince or from his Churche to excommunicate Theodosius and that as it is not likely that the whole Church and Congregation of Millaine woulde agree to the excōmunication of the Emperour or that they had any such authoritie So a man may doubte whether there were any one laie man or Priest that was of such courage as herein to ioyne with S. Ambrose in so dāgerous but yet a worthy enterprise Surely S. Ambrose had none other cōmission then all other Bisshops then or sithens haue had None other I say then he had when he excōmunicated a seruant of the Erle Stillico for forging of false letters Which excōmunication wrought so wōderously that he waxed mad and was possessed of the Diuel that began al to teare him None other then he had when he excōmunicated also Maximus the tyrāt not without great daunger of his life None other I say then that that he receiued of God when he was made Bishope This iurisdiction then did S. Ambrose exercise by his supreame Ecclesiasticall authoritie vppon the higest Monarche of al the world This did he by his episcopal office and yet not without a plaine celestiall reuelation to encourage hym therto and to confirme him as him selfe declareth Herein his doinges were agreable to his teachinges For he taught with all other Catholikes that this excommunication perteyneth to the Bishopes ād not to the multitud The Bishops office is sayth he if it maybe to heale canckered and foystered soores and if that may not be to cut the perniciouse and rotten partes quite of It is then a most true principle that Bisshops neede to looke for none other warrant to excōmunicate any man that deserueth excōmunication no nor the Prince neither putting the case as ye falsely do that he is the head of the Church And therfore either you muste take from him thys vnnatural and monstrouse head by which ye sette two heades vpon one bodie or ye muste graunte him authoritie to excommunicat to Maruell it is to me if this your preaching and teaching be so true and sure as ye make it that the learned men about Theodosius could not espie it O that ye had bene at his elbowe to haue enspired him whith a litle of your newe diuinitie ye might haue wonderfullie eased his woful harte and perchance if you might haue proued your doctrine haue worne for your labour the Popes triple croune by Theodosius good helpe for suche good seruice in so greate distresse What a sort of dolts had Theodosius being so mighty a Prince about him that none of them could tell him that he neded not to passe a buttē for S. Ambroses excōmunicatiō vnlesse he saw yt withal sealed by the whole congregation Yf Theodosius had learned this lesson he would haue shifted wel inough for him felfe nor neded not to haue pined away so many moneths with cōtinual mourning and lamentatiō But suerly yf ye had tolde him so M. Horne he would haue takē you as ye are that is for a lier and an heretike He was as I haue sayed brought vp in the knowledge of Gods law ād knew ful wel that he was laufully excommunicated by S. Ambrose The whiche he did muche feare pronounced not by a Bishop onely that hath therto ordinary but such was his deuotiō and his life so cōformable to Gods lawes of other that had none authority at al. And therefore being on a time excommunicated of a froward mōk hauing none authority therto he would neither eat nor drink vntil he wer assoiled of him yea though th'Archbishop him self of Cōstātinople offred to assoil him We will now come to the 2. cohibitiue as ye cal yt and to the authority of making lawes and decrees euidently to be proued by this story For from whense commeth this order and maner to distincte the chauncell from the bodie of the Churche and to place the priestes in the one and the laity in the other but from the Bishops without any commission of the Prince or people The which order and lawe ye see that S Ambrose appointed to the Prince hym selfe which he euer afterward kepte thoughe before he vsed the cōtrary Againe doth not S. Ambrose prescribe to Theodosius for his penaunce a certain lawe and order to be set forth by him by his proclamation Thirdly is it not a Law made of the Bishops and councel without any commission of Princes or people that a sentence ones geuen or
Donus first practised vvith Reparatus the Archebisshop of Rauenna to geue ouer vnto him the superiority and become his obedientiary and that as it may appeare by the sequele vvithout the consent of his Church After the death of Reparatus vvhich vvas vvithin a vvhyle Theodorus a familiar friend to Agatho the Pope and a stoute man vvhom .246 Agatho did honour vvith his Legacy vnto the syxth general Councel at Cōstātinople because his Clergy vvoulde not vvayt on him on Christmas daye solempnely .247 conducting him vnto the Churche as the maner had been did geue ouer the title ād made his sea subiect to the Pope for enuy ād despite of his Clergy saith Sabellicus vvherevvith the Rauennates vvere not content but being ouercome by the authority of the Emperour Constantin vvho much fauored Agatho they bare it as patiently as they might And Leo the seconde successour to Agatho made an ende hereof .248 causing the Emperour Iustinian to shevve great .249 cruelty vnto the vvhole Cyty of Rauenna and to Felix their Bisshop because they vvould haue .250 recouered their olde liberty And so this Pope Leo by the commandement and povver of the Emperour Iustinian brought Rauenna vnder his obeisance as the Pontifical reporteth These Popes through their feyned humility and obedience vnto the Emperours vvhich vvas but duty vvan both much fauour and ayde at the Emperors hādes to atchieue their purpose much desired The .3 Chapter of Vitalianus Donus and Leo the .2 Bishops of Rome and howe the Church of Rauenna was reconciled to the See Apostolike Stapleton WHy Maister Horne Put case the Pope signifieth his election to the Emperour Putte case the Popes were sometyme stowte and braue And sometyme againe couered they re ambitiouse meaninge with a patched cloke of humilitye and lowelines what yf the Churche of Rauenna after long rebellion became an obediētiarie to the apostolike see of Rome This is the effect and contents almost of one whole leafe What then I say Knitte vp I pray you your conclusiō Ergo a Prince of a Realme is supreame head in al causes ecclesiasticall and tēporal Wel and clerckly knitte vp by my sheathe But Lorde what a sorte of falshods and follies are knitte vp together in this your wise collection As concerning the stowtnes and cloked humility of the Popes your authours the Pontifical and Sabellicus write no such thinge but commend Vitalian Donus Agatho Leo for very good Popes yea and for this their doing concerning the Church of Rauenna Other writers commende these Popes also for good and vertuouse men But I perceiue they are no meane or common persons that must serue for witnesses in your honorable consistorie your exceptions are so precise and peremptorye Yet I beseache you sir in case ye will reiecte all other lette the Emperour Constantin himself serue the turne for this Vitalian Who at what tyme the bisshops of the easte being Monothelites woulde not suffer Vitalians name to be rehersed according to the custome in the Churche at Constantinople did withstande them And why thinke you M. Horne for any fayned holynes No no but propter collatam nobis charitatem ab eodem Vitaliano dum superesset in motione tyrannorum nostrorum For his charity employed vppon vs saieth the Emperour whil he liued in the remouing and thrusting out of those that played the tyrants against vs. Why doe ye not bring forth your authours to proue them dissemblers and Hypocrites but you shal proue this when you proue your other saying that there had ben an old ād a cōtinual dissensiō betwen these .ij. Churches ād that the Rauēnates were not subiect to the see of Rome This is wel to be proued that they ought to haue bene subiect to the see of Rome not onely by a common and an vniuersal subiection as to the see of all Churches But as to they re patriarchall see withall It is also aswell to be proued that in S. Gregories tyme who died but .72 yeares before Donus was made pope the Archebishops of Rauēna acknowledged the superioritie of the Church of Rome as appereth by sondrye epistles of S. Gregorie and receyuid theire Palle from thense a most certayne token of subiection matters also being remoued from thense to the popes consistory yea the bishop of Rauēna cōfessing that Rome was the holy See that sente to the vniuersall Churche her lawes and prayeth S. Gregorie not onely to preserue to the Church of Rauenna which peculiarly was vnder Rome her olde priuileges but also to bestowe greater priuileges vppon her Wherein appeareth your great vntruth and foly withal in that you saie there had bene an olde and continuall dissention betwixt the Archebishop of Rome and the Archebishop of Rauenna for the superioritie Now you see the dissension was not continual nor very olde it being so late subiect to the See of Rome in the tyme of S. Gregory Herein appeareth also an other of your vntruths where you alleadge out of the pontifical that Pope Leo brought Rauenna vnder his obeisaunce For the pontificall saieth Restituta est Ecclesia Rauennas sub ordinatione Sedis Apostolicae The Church of Rauenna was restored or brought home againe vnder the ordering of the See Apostolike In which wordes if you had truly reported them woulde easely haue appeared that the rebelliouse childe was then brought home again to obediēce not that then first it was brought vnder subiection as you vntruly and ignorantly surmise You say also as ignorantly or as vntruly that Theodorus the Archebishope of Rauenna who submitted his Church to Pope Agatho was a familiar frēd to Agatho and was of him honoured with his legacie to the sixt generall Councell of Constantinople intending thereby to make your reader thinke he did it of frendship or flattery and not of duety But your conceytes haue deceyued you For the legat of pope Agatho in that Councel so familiar a frend of his and so much by him honoured was one Theodorus presbyter Rauennas a priest of Rauenna as both in the life of Agatho and in the very Councel it self euidently appeareth Neither could that priest be afterward the same bishope that so submitted him self for that submission was before the Councell as in the life of Agatho it appeareth So lernedly and truely M. Horne in his talke procedeth With like truthe M. Horn telleth that Theodorus made his see of Rauenna subiect to Rome bicause his clergy did not so solemnely conducte him to Church vpon Christmas day as the maner had been Would not a man here suppose that this was a very solemne prelat that forlacke of his solemnyty would forsake his whole clergy But it is not possible for these lying superintendentes to tel their tales truly The story is this Theodorus the Archebisshop of Rauenna saieth Nauclerus minding vpon Christmas daye before the sonne risyng to say Masse in S. Apollinaris Church was forsaken of al his clergy And vntil it was
towarde noone they came not at him at what tyme by the meanes of the Exarchus they brought him to Churche The cause of this enmyty that the Clergy bore to him was as Nauclerus writeth for that he was a great almes man and liberal of the Churche goods and also very busy to kepe his Clergy in good order For this cause they hated him and in so solemne a daye vtterly forsoke him Which is more I trowe M. Horne then not so solemnely to conducte him as the maner was To lacke the ordinary solemnity and to be cleane destitute are two things And there is a difference you knowe betwene staring and starke blinde I thincke your selfe M. Horne as holy and as mortified as you be woulde be very lothe to shewe your self in S. Swithens Quyer at Winchester vpon a Christmas day al alone without any one of your Ministers as seely as they are Again where you say that Leo the secoÌ„d made an end hereof causing theÌ„perour Iustinian to shew great cruelty c. This is a very grosse lie For Leo the second was Pope only in Constantins time father to this Iustinian 2. And the cruelty that IustiniaÌ„ shewed to the whole City of RaueÌ„na was after the death of this Leo. 2. at the lest tweÌ„ty yers vnder CoÌ„staÌ„tine the Pope at the later end of IustiniaÌ„s reigne being restored then from banishment but yet continuinge in al his former cruelties And as Nauclerus writeth he changed neuer a whit his former life only excepted that after his banishment he euer shewed Reuerence to the See Apostolike otherwise then before his banishmeÌ„t he was wont to do And therefore hearing that Felix the bishop of Rauenna disobeied the Pope he commaunded his Lieutenant in Sicilie to punish them which he did in dede very cruelly and barbarously But that he did of his own accorde not by the causing as you ignorantly affirme of Leo the .2 Who was dead at the lest .20 yers before nor by the causing of CoÌ„stantine the Pope then for ought that appeareth in the Stories And therefore where you conclude that Pope Leo by the commaundement and power of Iustinian brought Rauenna vnder his obeissance as the Pontifical reporteth you belie the Pontifical and the whole storye of that tyme to to ignorantly The Pontificall in dede saieth Percurrente diuale iussione c. By the commaundement of the Emperour sent abrode the Church of Rauenna was restored c. But Iustinian it nameth not It meaneth Constantine the Emperour who straight after the .6 Councel ended promulged that edicte Leo the .2 being then Pope Suche a longe and tedious mater it is to open M. Hornes vntruthes M. Horne The .83 Diuision pag. 50. a. But Benedictus the secoÌ„d vvho succeded next to Leo the second vveÌ„t in this point beyonde al his predecessours for Constantin being moued vvith his .251 humanity piety and fauourablenes tovvards al meÌ„ vvhen he sent to theÌ„perour for his confirmation theÌ„perour sent saith Platina a decree that from henceforth loke whome the Clergy the people and the Romain army should chose to be Pope al men without delay should beleue him to be Christes true vicar abiding for no confirmation by themperour or his Lieutenant as it had been wonte to be doen. c. For that was wont to be allowed in the Popes creation that was confirmed by the Prince him self or his vicegerent in Italy Here first of al it appereth if this story be true hovve this interest of the Prince in this Ecclesiastical matter thus continuing .252 long tyme although many vvayes assailed and many attemptes made by the Popes to shake it of vvas at the length through their flattery vvhich their Parasites cal humility geueÌ„ vnto them of theÌ„perours to vvhom it apperteined But vvhether this story be true or not or if it vvere geuen hovv it vvas geuen or hovv long the giftes toke place or hovv it vvas taken avvay and retourned to the former right may vvell be called into question for there is good .253 tokens to shevv that it vvas not geuen in this sort For these tvvo Popes vvho sat in the Papal seat .254 but .10 moneths a peece or there about vvere in .255 no such fauour vvith TheÌ„perour as vvas their predecessour Agatho vvho made great suit vnto theÌ„perour for such like things and obteined his suit but vvith a speciall Prouiso for the reseruatioÌ„ of this authority stil to remain vnto theÌ„perors as vvitnesseth the Pontificall and Gratian. He receiued from the Emperour letters say they accordinge to his petition wherebye the somme of moeny was releassed that was wont to bee geuen to the Emperour for the Popes Consecration but so that yf there happen after his deathe anye election the Bisshoppe electe be not consecrated before the election be signified to the Emperour by the general decree he meaneth the Synodicall letters accordinge to the auncient custome that the orderinge of the Pope maye goe forwarde by the Emperours knowledge or consent and commaundement The Glossar vppon Gratian noteth vppon these vvordes VVhich summe was wont to be geuen For euery Bisshop was wonte to geue something to themperour at his election But did not themperour coÌ„mit Symony in releasing this right vnder this coÌ„dition that his coÌ„sent should be required in the election answeare no because both these belonged to hiÌ„ of right before wherefore he might nowe remitte the one But as I said let it be true that Constantin gaue ouer this iurisdictioÌ„ but Volateranus addeth to this suspected donatioÌ„ this clause found true by experience which donatioÌ„ saith he was not loÌ„g after obserued And in dede it vvas kept so smal a vvhile .256 that vvithin one yere after or litle more vvheÌ„ the electors after loÌ„g altercation had agreed on Conon Theodorê° theÌ„perors LieutenaÌ„t as saith Sabellicus gaue his assent aÌ„d Platina shevveth the same although not so plainly So that by this also it appeareth that if stil it appertained to theÌ„perours Lieutenant to geue his asseÌ„t to the Popes electioÌ„ that than this gift is .257 either fained of the Papistes and that the rather vnder the name of Constantinus to bleare therevvith the ignorauntes eies as though it vvere the graunt of Constantine the great as they doe about Images vvith .258 the name of the Nicene CouÌ„cel or by like the gift vvas not so autheÌ„tically ratified as it vvas vnaduisedly promised but hovv so euer it vvas it helde not longe the Pope himselfe solempnely vvith the consent and decree of a vvhole Councell resigning al the foresaid graunt vnto the Emperours for euermore The .4 Chapter of Benedictus the .2 Pope and Constantine the .5 Emperour Stapleton I Can not tel whether this matter is by M. Horne more vntrulye or more vnwiselye handled The Emperour Constantin moued with the great vertue of Benedictus the .2 gaue ouer to him saith Platina his accustomable right in the confirmation of the Popes election Nay saith M. Horne