Rome intendeth to attayne to the dignitie of y e chiefe priest and supreme head of Christes churche his studie is nothyng els but to make himselfe equall with Christ in spirtie knowledge vertue power and in all other giftes and graces Now whether thys be a blasphemous mynde or not iudge you For that man which hath not the spirite of god is not worthie to be called a membre of Christe or a prieste or els a christian manne No he is not worthie the name of a manne for hys greuouse offences Yea he ought to bee banyshed from all christian mennes company be excomunicated from the churche of Christe Yt can not be without a merueylous heynouse offence and a deuillishe pride ones to be so bolde to desire to haue the title of the supreme head of the churche of Christe Where as Paule describeth y e true image of y e church of Christe he sayeth Christe is ascended on highe and hath gyuen giftes to menne some to be Apostles some to be Prophetes some to bee Euangelistes and some to be Doctors And it is not to be doubted but he would also haue ordeined some other supreme head in earthe yf he had iudged it a thyng necessary And the holygoost in thys place whiche should haue made so muche for thys purpose woulde not onely haue expressed the thyng by the mouthe of Paule but also woulde haue named thys chiefe dignitie When Paule myndeth to persuade the Ephesians to remayne together in one spirite knyt with the bonde of peace the argumentes that he vseth be these saying that yf they be true christiaÌ„ men they be thevery membres of one body and they all haue one spirite euen as they all be called to one ende and haue one Lorde Iesus Christe one fayth one baptisme one onely god and eternall father No doubt he woulde haue also sayed in thys place and they haue one Byshope in earth who kepeth the churche of Christ in order and concorde yf he had euer mynded to appoynt suche a byshop Mas. Yf Paule had euer spoken such wordes he had lyed galantly For the bishops of Rome wil indeuour themselues to the vttermost of their power to moue coÌ„tencion and to set christian princes together by the â—ares for their owne inrichynge Lepidus That thyng maye chaunce to bee true But I praye you let me tell on my tale Then thimbassador sayed furthermore yt is not vnknowen vnto you that when the congregacion of the Corynthians auaunced themselues some time in the name of Peter some tyme in the name of Paule and some tyme of Apollo Paule chid theÌ„ bitterly for so doing he sayd not I wyll not haue you thiÌ„ke here after y t I am the head of the churche neither yet Apollo But Peter onely But he rather concluded all maner of men and sayed thus What were you baptised in the name of Paule was Paule euer crucified for you as though he had sayed Truely ye bee neitheir baptized in the name of Paule neither in the name of Peter neither of Apollo neither was there any of theÌ„ crucified for you but ye be baptized in Christs name only Only he suffered for you death vpon the crosse Onely he hath redemed you and saued you from sinne Onely he is your head from the which all heauenly giftes desceÌ„d Onely he is your lyghte youre wisdome youre lyfe your saluacion and therfore muste ye acknowledge hym onely and alone to bee youre supreme head in whose name only ye must reioyce And theÌ„ to knyt vp his disputacioÌ„ He sayd not maÌ„ must esteme and take Apollo and me for the ministers of Christ and Peter for the lorde and mayster but putting Peter and him selfe and Apollo altogether he sayed Man must take vs as the ministers of Christ. And in thys poynt he agreeth with the doctrine of Christ who perceyuing his Apostles to contend amonge themselues for the highest place because they herd saye that Iames Iohn had obteyned a prerogatiue of Christe by the procurement of theyr mother that one of them should sytte at his ryght hande and the other at hys lefte he sayd ye knowe ryght well that the prynces of nacioÌ„s beare lordelye rule and menne of power doe exercise their myght ouer them But it shall not be so amoÌ„gest you But he that wyll be greater amongest you shall be youre minister he that wyll be chiefe amongest you shal be your seruannt For the sonne of manne came not to bee serued of other but to serue other hym selfe and to geue hys soule for a redemption for many Wherby it is easie to perceiue y t the church of Christ is al together spiritual And it is not possible y t any maÌ„ caÌ„ be a true priest neither a true christian manne in this spirituall churche of Christe onles he haue the spirite of god and he is to be thought greater that is more inriched with strength and habundaunce of the spirite So that for asmuche as Christe onely hathe the greatest plentifulnes of the spirite he muste without controuersy be iudged and estemed the chiefe and head preste of al other Wherfore yf the byshoppe of Rome desier the place of the chiefe byshoppe he muste of necessitie haue greatest haboundance of the spirite euen as Christe had and then when he is equall with Christe he shall also be chiefe byshoppe and chiefe heade equal with Christ but this also is necessary to bee knowen that the dominion of the spirite is verye diuerse and contrary eueÌ„ as Christ taught to y e dominion of y e flesh for amoÌ„gest carnall men suche as haue more riches more streÌ„gth more fauour amoÌ„gest meÌ„ more freÌ„dshipes more nobilitie of bloud they be y e lordes ouer other they coÌ„mauÌ„d they haue other ministers to theÌ„ they be honoured and obeyed many times they oppresse the weaker and vse tyranny ouer them But it is coÌ„trarywise in the spirituall churche of Christe for such as haue greater light of the spirite they be higher and greater And they that bee suche serue all other by the helpe of the spirite as menne that hath receyued greater gyftes of god more light of knowledge more grace more spirite and a greater talent So that he which hath receaued more habouÌ„dance of the spirite helpeth more and serueth more the necessities of other and setteth forthe the glory of god more plentifully And because Christe had most singular plenty of the spirite therfore came not he to bee serued but to serue for the helth of his chosen Yea he serued all without excepcion and that also humblinge himselfe extremely vntyll that he moued of an exceding greate loue spent hys own life vpon the crosse Therefore woulde Christe haue it knowen to hys chosen that yf ye wil haue a trew nobilitie and worthynes ye muste haue a spirite Christe abused not this spirituall greatnes of hys whiche was in the highest degre of honour therby to chalenge anye
al the rest of thapostles and namely to Paule who wryteth in special wordes that he labored more then all the rest did in the ministery of preaching Yea and Christe himselfe before he spake these wordes to Peter commaunded the selfe same thynge to all the Apostles sayinge goe ye throughe out the vniuersall worlde and preache the Gospell to all creatures So that it can not be sayed that the office of preachynge was gyuen by Christe onely to Peter and to the Byshoppes of Rome in ordinary succession after him by whose appoyntment it shoulde also descend to other For then must it be graunted that there hath bene very fewe lawefull and trewe Byshoppes whiche had lawefull authoritie to preache and so fewe that Peter onely maye bee accountyd the trewe Byshoppe whiche preached lawefully and a fewe besides who were by him appoynted in such countryes where as he preached By thys meanes Paule and the elleuen Apostles and suche as were by them conuerted to the faythe neither were truely bishoppes neither yet preached lawefullye because they neither had their Bishoprike neither authoritie to preache of Peter And more ouer none after the death of Peter should haue bene made Bishop neither haue licence to preache besydes the Byshoppe of Rome And truely the Byshoppes of Rome haue committed a greuouse offence in that they haue hyd this large and greate authorytye of theyrs that they had so necessarye in the churche of God Then replied master Falsidicus euen as Peter quod he loued Christ more earnestly then the rest of the Apostles as it is plaine by the wordes of his aunswere when Christe demaunded him whether he loued hym more feruentlye then the rest dyd so had he more authoritie gyuen vnto hym ouer the shepe of Christ then the rest of the Apostles To this answered thimbassador of CoÌ„staÌ„tinoble And where I praye you haue you founde that Peters aunswere was to Christ that he was more earnestly beloued of him then of the rest of y e Apostles Not withstandyng that he was so demaunded yet hys aunswere was onely in thys wyse Thou knowest O lorde that thou art belouyd of me He sayed not Thou knowest O Lorde that thou arâ—e more feruentlye belouyd of me then of the rest For so coulde he neuer haue sayed without greate suspicion of arrogancie because it was vnknoweÌ„ to hym how much y e rest loued Christ. But let it be graunted that Christ was more earnestly beloued of Peter then of the rest doeth it therefore folowe that Christ gaue him more power Or in case he gaue hym more was it therfore most of all For it is not all one thing to saye fede my shepe and to saye be thou head of my churche or elles Take thou more authoritie then the other Apostles And as for that Christe demaundyd of him thryse whether he loued hym or not it was done for thys ende and purpose that hys loue beinge declared by thryse confessynge myght counteruayle and somewhat make amendes for his fault WheÌ„ he thrise denied him he minded to haue Peters loue sealed as it were warranted before he would commit vnto him the cure of soules that all menne myghte knowe no man can bee a good shephard onles he loue Christ earnestly Furthermore yf your reason were a good reason it shoulde rather folowe therof that Christe declared Ihon the chiefe Byshop then Peter For it is written of Iohn this is the disciple whom Christ loued Wherfore if he were beloued of Chrisâ— aboue other he gaue vnto him more worthye gyftes replenished him more abouÌ„dantlye with grace and therfore placed hym aboue the other and namelye for that he was more mete for the purpose by the reason of the excellent giftes whiche he receiued at Goddes handes And so much the more bycause it shoulde rather appeare that Ihon loued Christ more then the other did was loued againe of Christ knew hiÌ„ more thorowly therfore more like to be iudged worthye to feed the shepe of Christe Yt maybe proued that Christ would haue ordeined hym the vniuersall shepard not onely by reason of the noble light of the heuenly spirit wherwith he was indued and was alwayes nighe and familiare to Christe and amongest all the rest of thapostles he alone folowed him to the crosse but chiefly for thys cause that when he was vpon the crosse he committed his mother vnto him in whome only as you your selues doe confesse the lyuely churche of Christe remayned after Christes death For al thapostles were not a litle afrayed and dismayd with that terryble dolefull sight of Christes death vpon the crosse accordingly as Christe had told hym before And if Iohn were not ordeyned the supreme head of the churche of Christe then muche lesse was Peter Then sayed master Falsidicus will ye see howe Christe ordeyned onely Peter to be the chiefe Pastor of all Reade the Gospel of Luke and there shal ye fynde spoken onely to Peter Thou shalt be a fisher of menne Thereunto aunswered thimbassadour And will you see how Christe ordeyned not Peter to bee the chiefe Pastor of all Reade the Gospell of Mathewe and Marcke and there shal ye finde the same spoken also of Christ to Andrewe and the two sonnes of zebedei Wherfore it foloweth that Peter onely was not assigned of Christ to be the fisher of men Yea and consequently not alone of his owne shepe Christ neuer sayed to Peter onely fede thou my shepe be thou onely a fisher of menne To the onely will I gyue the keyes of the kingedome of heauen No he neuer saied so much as this be thou onely a shepard and a fysher aboue the reste of thapostles Take thou more authoritie then they haue But he sayed in simple and plaine wordes I will gyue vnto thee the keyes of the kyngdome of heaueÌ„ and so he kept promes Mary he gaue thesame keyes also to the reste of thapostles And that this is trew it is euident For Christe gaue the keyes to Peter and to the reste of thapostles after his resurrection from deathe standynge in the middest of them when he had saluted them and shewed hys handes and hys syde that they should both see and know him that talked with them and deliuered them the keies to be in dede very Christe the sonne of god he sayed vnto them as Iohn wryteth Euen as my father sent me so I send you As though he had sayd my father sent me in to thys worlde that I shoulde preache the gospel as Esay the prophet saied longe agoe Therfore do I send you euen of thesame fashion throughe out the worlde to preache thys glad tidinges that I am nayled vpon the crosse and dead for the sinnes of the whole worlde that I am the onely and euerlastynge redempcyon and reconciler who haue purchased the fauour of the eternall father to all mannekynde by the price ranâ—ome of my bloude and that al the synnes of al the menne in the worlde be pardoned and
blotted out for my sake The selfe same sentence Marke expressed albeit it wer in other wordes when he sheweth how Christe after his resurrecâ—ion from death saied to his Apostles going through out the vniuersall worlde preache the gospell to all creatures And Mathewe Goe forthe teache al people Lucke wryteth that Christe sayed it is written and therfore it must bee that Christe shall suffer and rise agayne from deathe the thyrde daye in whose name repentaunce and remission of synnes must bee preached to al people beginning at HierusaleÌ„ It is plain that the Euangelistes agre hetherto Iohn furthermore doeth adde that Christe sayed vnto them take ye the holy goste Which thing Luke declareth after another sorte saying that Christ opened theyr myndes that they might vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures which is the very trewe office of the holy goste wherefore he gaue them the holy gost brething vpon them that is as Luke doeth declare he opened theyr myndes and knowledge that they might vnderstande the holy scriptures and that was so done that they myght knowe and perceaue that the Gospell whiche they shoulde preache was no vayne or newe thynge but trewe and of antiquitie spoken of before by the vnfayned sayinges of the prophetes Which thing they beleuinge vndoutedly throughe an earnest styrringe and motion of the holy gost shoulde preache the gospell throughe out the whole world Now afterward when he gaue them the keyes Iohn writeth that he sayed whose synnes so euer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they be retayned That is to say I deliuer you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and giue you authoritye and power to open and shit thesame by the kingdom of heauen he vnderstandeth the kyngdome of grace and the kyngdome of glorye The synnefull manne was driuen out of the kingdome of the heauenly fauour neither can he fynde any meanes or wayes to entre into thesame agayne but by faithe Accordinge to the doctrine of paule He can not beleue of the common sorte onles he heare the worde of the gospell whiche can not be without preaching So that there was authoritie geuen vnto thapostles and keyes deliuered vnto theÌ„ that they should open the kingdome of heauen to the wicked when Christ gaue them authoritie to preache the gospeâ—l that is to saie to teach that men be saued by Christ. Because that when thei were sinners and without the kingdome of the grace of Christe neyther had any waye opened whereby they might entre thapostles in preachinge the gospell opened the gate of the fauour and grace of god vnto them which guided them in y e ready and plaine waye wherby they might obteyne to them selues the fauor of god by beleuing that Christ died for them by whose mean and helpe they are saued thapostles did moue and styre men to giue credit to this truthe And suche of them as beleued entred in the kyngdome of Chryste by fayth and the Apostles opened the gate vnto theÌ„ by preaching the word of the gospel did set open the waye for their entrye But if y e hearers of this preachiÌ„g beleued not thapostles dyd shut the gate of gods fauor wheÌ„ they taught in their preachinge that onles they beleued the gospell there was no hope of saluacion neither any other way or meanes wherby they mought entre the kingdome of the fauor of god Not withstandinge they had done as many good workes as bee in the whole worlde And so is this opening and shutting as a man may call it a lousing and a bindinge as Christe declared when he saied to Peter to the wil I giue the keies of the kingdome of heuen What soeuer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeur thou lousest iÌ„ earth it shal be also â—oused iÌ„ heaueÌ„ Now these keies and power to open and shut to looâ—e and bynd were geueÌ„ to the Apostles wheÌ„ Christ said vnto theÌ„ whose synnes ye forgeue they shall bee forgeuen and whose synnes ye retayne they shall bee retayned Not that the Apostles themselues should haue power and authoritie to pardon and forgeue sinne for that belongeth to God alone And that shoulde be a wonderful ydolatry and blasphemy to attribute and assigne that thynge to man whiche belongeth to god onely Who is onelye he that forgyueth sinnes for Christes sake euen as it is onely he whiche powreth fayth into vs and men be hys seruantes and ministers in that they preache the gospell and moue men to beleue But the beleuinge it selfe and the faythe it selfe and the remission of synne whiche is by it procured is the gift of God Then the Apostles had no power to remitte and reâ—ayne synnes at their owne wyll and pleasure Neither to loose and bynde neyther yet to brynge manne in or out of the kyngdome of God when they lusted so to doe but they had power to preache the gospell and to shewe that thys preachynge must be beleued and that thys gospell must be embraced with a sound faythe yf they intend to haue forgyuenes of sinnes at goddes handes and so to be loosed to enter into the kingdom of grace For they onely haue their sinnes forgyuen theÌ„ which beleue the gospell they onely be loosed and enter into the kyngdome of god They had also authoritie to declare that their sinnes were retayned whiche beleued not the gospell and that they onelye bee bounde and shut out of the kyngdome of God Yt is euident and playne by Saynct Luke that thys is the wil and mynde of Christe who declarethe the selfesame sentence with more playne wordes saying Christ sayed to his Apostles y t Christ must dey as it was writteÌ„ ryse agayne the thirde daye from death and that repentaunce and remission of sinne must be preached to all nacions in hys name So that by thys it is easie to be perceyued that Christe gaue hys Apostles keyes and power not properly to forgyue synne but to preache remission of synnes to all them that beleue throughe Christ. The selfe same thyng maye also be confirmed by the authoritie of Saynct Marke who expondyng thesame sentence although it be in other wordes sayeth that Christe sayed to his Apostles Goe through out the whole worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shall be dampned Whereby it maye be well perceyued that the authoritie power which Christ gaue vnto hys Apostles was nor to saue and condempne but onely to preache the gospell and to shewe the waye of saluacion in that they moued meÌ„ to enter into that way and they declared hym to be within the compasse of condempnacion which gaue no credit to the gospell and went about to disuade men from thys vnbelefe These be the keyes thys is the power whiche Christ gaue to hys Apostles and not onely to his Apostles but also vnto all their successors Which thyng doeth
pena et culpa neither to ordayne newe kyndes of wurshippinges neither to deuise newe doctrines or to make newe articles of the faythe or to deuise newe commaundementes and that vpon such a condicion that mennes consciences must bee forced tyed to beleue thesame wicked decrees of menne with a tirannicall payne euen to the death to the sworde to the flame and fire appoinctyd for the transgressors of thesame ordinaunces Christ sayed to hys Apostles ye shal be my witnesses not onely in Hierusalem but also in all Iury and Samaria euen to the vttermoste partes of the worlde And it is playne that witnesses muste testifye the treuthe and neither adde nor take away from thesame any word namely when as the church of Christ is his spouse and she must be obedient vnto him as to her husband and speake those wordes only which she heareth of him For Christ opened to his Apostles and to the fyrste beginninge of his churche all thynges that semed profitable and necessary to thobteyninge of saluacion wherefore he sayed to his disciples I haue disclosed all thinges vnto you that I haue receaued of my father The holy gooste opened theyr myndes that they myght vnderstande the scriptures and informed and taught them all suche thynges as Christe had sayed vnto them So that it can not be without a very heynouse offence that any thinge should be added to the doctrine of Christ and thapostles and of the fyrste moste pure and syncere churche Wherfore eyther Christe is a lyar when he sayeth that he taught all or elles were the apostles wicked in that they did not put the rest of the articles of our faythe into the Creede whiche the byshoppes of Rome boaste they could fynd out afterwarde and that suche articles as they saie as be very necessary besides a greate number of preceptes whiche they haue inuented The Euangelistes also shoulde haue ben wicked creatures to kepe hidde thinges so necessary to oure saluacion But neither were thapostles wycked neyther Christe a lyar For bothe Christe taught all thynges necessary and they deliuered thesame to menne accordinglye And Christ commaunded them precisely that they should teache the people to obserue and kepe all those thynges not whiche they dreamed themselues but whiche he commaunded them Yea and Paule thapostle determined all creatures not humayne onely but celestiall also and angelicall to be accursed whiche preached any other gospel then the gospell of Christ. We be all borne a new by y e word of god by y ◠which thing onely as by a perfect and stronge norishement we liue and continewe Now then when master Falsidicus thought the keyes to bee taken out of the popes handes by vnaunswerable reasons by and by he clapped hys handes vpon hys weapon sayinge Reade Saynct Luke and ye shall see howe Christe willeth the disciples to prouide for themselues two swordes Who makinge aunswere that they had twayne in a readines Christ sayed they were enoughe Therfore hath the Pope two swordes and the highest power vpon both sydes the one spiritual the other temporall Mas Oh what a fyne dialecticall witte was that Truelye thys consequence and reason coulde not be aunswered to Uerely I meruayle muche whye they haue not caused thys long tyme Saynct Peter to be paynted with keyes hangynge vpon hys girdle and holdyng two swordes in hys handes the one in the ryght and the other in the left to declare hys chiefe prerogatiue and so to make menne afrayd with that fearefull syght But tell me I praye you what aunswered the embassador to this Lepi He aunswered that Christe promised and gaue to Peter and the Apostles keyes and not swordes and that when Peter vsed a sworde for the defence of hys master Christ hymselfe stayed hys vnaduised rashenes Bycause the kyngdome of Christe is not of thys worlde neither is it worldly and yearthlye but heauenly and spirituall Neither was he sent of his father to reigne in this world of a carnal fashiō as in a kingdom but he was sent to minister and serue and to geue hys life for our saluacion And forasmuche as he sent his Apostles euen of a lyke fashion as he hym self was sent of his father he sēt them not as though they shoulde reygne in the worlde but to be lyke innocent lambes amongest wolues And to mynde to stablishe one supreme head in the churche of Christe is nothynge els but a crownynge agayne of Christe with a crowne of thorne and when he is apparelled with a purple and a kyngly vesture to deliuer hym to menne to be made a laughing stocke as he was scorned in tymes past of the Iewes when he honge vpon the crosse Therfore Christ foreseing that his Apostles would be offended with his death and woulde slippe from that trust they had in hym as he prophecied to them before he demaunded of them whether they wāted any maner of thing whē he sent thē forth naked and destitute of all mannes helpe And when they aunswered that they wanted nothyng he sayed nowe then prouide you for swordes as thoughe he had sayed Hetherto haue I bene your mercifull master and gouernour I haue defended you I haue prouided all necessaries for you as for my beloued chyldrē ye lacked nothing I toke the tuition of you But bycause within thys short space when ye shall see me caught by the handes of the wicked and bounde in conclusion dye ye will be offended with that miserable syght and will faynt from that sure trust that ye haue had in me hetherto it is nedefull that from hence forth ye prouide for your selues and therfore I gyue you warninge to prepare ye swordes for youre defence for the persecution that commeth vpon you shal be great And when they shewed two swordes sayed master loe here be two swordes Christ answered them rebukingly with a priuie checke saing they be ynough Thys was a wonderfull declaracion and fygure of the dulnes of the Apostles and of the clemencie of Christe Euen as thoughe tender infantes shoulde haue shewed their father two speres made of reedes and then aske of hym whether that speres of reede were sufficient to ouercome an excedyng strong armie vnto whom the father shoulde aunswere with a smilling countenaunce saying yea they be sufficiēt as though he had sayed O ye tenderlynges thynke you y t speres of reed can preuayle without my helpe Now is it here euident first and foremost that Christ gaue not swordes to his Apostles whereof it foloweth that he gaue them not the supreme power and authoritie bothe spirituall and temporall whiche is shadowed as you holde opiniō by these two swordes And more ouer Peter only made not thanswere Loe here be two swordes but the disciples as Luke playnly doeth witnes Neyther is it red any where that Peter alone had two swordes And althoughe it were so that the highest supremacie wher shadowed by these two swordes yet maye
chiefe byshoppes of all other and therfore coulde they not lye when they so sayed Wherefore we be sure and certayne of our popeshippe Then the imbassador sayed Ye take for a grounde that thyng whiche ye had most nede to proue That is that your Bishoppes were chiefe Byshoppes and then agayne that they coulde not erre bothe the whiche poyntes I vtterlye denye Yf ye would say some sainctes affirme Peter some tyme to haue bene at Rome I woulde streight make answere that I knewe not whether they were Saynctes or not for that there is no worde thereof in scripture But ye wyll peraduenture saye they were canonized of oure chiefe Byshoppes whiche coulde not erre to that wyll I aunswere as before that ye take that thynge for your profe whiche remayneth first to to be proued Yea and more ouer wyll I saye be it that â—e were assured that they were Saynctes yet must it be graunted that Saynctes haue sometyme erred And so it maye be that they erred euen the very same time wheÌ„ they sayd Peter was once at Rome Namely the thyng being spoken of them not to that ende that it shoulde be receyued for an article of oure fayth necessary for saluacion as your mynde is thus by all meanes be you in an error But let vs graunte that there hath bene some reuelacion touchyng thys poynt surely I must nedes thynke that it was an elusion of the deuill Yea be it that it were God hym selfe which had reueled thesame thyng vnto you that it were trueth in dede y t it was a reuelacion frome god yet because there is no worde in all scripture of the thinge neyther haue other menne this reuelacion of yours ye shoulde in no wise force menne to beleue this your popeshippe as an article of theyr faythe And furthermore I will proue by strong reasons that these historiogrephers of yours these byshopes and sayntces whiche wrote that Peter was the chiefe byshoppe at Rome and was put to deathe in y e same citie lyed vnreasonably And fyrst of all tell me in good faythe What tyme say they that Peter was at Rome and howe long dwelt he there Therunto auÌ„swered Pseudologus That he came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius themperoure and was made byshoppe there and dwelt there .xxv. yeres by whose preachinge Rome was brought to the faythe of Christe as both Eusebius and. S. Hierome hath wrytten Then aunswered thimbassadour Thys is once playne quod he y t Christe suffered vpoÌ„ y e crosse xviii yere of Tiberius themperour who reigned xxiii yeres After hym succeded Caius and reygned iiii yere Then folowed afterwarde Claudius Nowe then yf Peter came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius ye muste nedes graunt that Peter came to Rome within xi yeres after Christes deathe Agayne on the other side it is playne by the wordes of holye scripture that Paule was not onely not conuerted to the faythe when Christe suffered vpon the crosse but it appereth also that he was not conuerted when stephane was stoned Because the scripture is playne that he kepte theyr garmentes whiche stoned StephaÌ„ to death This being so Paule himselfe writeth to the Galathians y t he came to HierusaleÌ„ .xvii. yeres after he was conuerted and that then he founde Peter there Thys was at the leste the .xviii. yere after the deathe of Christe Then if Peter were yet at Hierusalem .xviii. yeres after the deathe of Christe how can it bee that he came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius as you saye whiche was theleuenthe yere after Christes deathe You youre selues maye easely perceaue when ye saye so that ye speake directlye agaynste the manyfeste wordes of the scripture Furthermore Peter was at Hierusalem not onely eightene yeres after the deathe of Christe but thesame tyme also was he sent to preache the gospell not to the Romans but to the Iewes And it is to bee beleued that he preached y e gospell amongest the Iewes And Paule also in thesame epistle which he wrote to the Romans because he saluteth a great many there by name trewly he woulde haue saluted Peter also if he had then bene the chiefe byshoppe there as you contende Wherefore it is easy to be proued that it is a very false lye that youre Historiographers doe wryte But to say the truethe they that be named to wryte thys gear be not the authors thereof but they bee youre lyes whiche you haue annexed maliciously to theyr bokes directly repugninge to the manifeste authoritie of the holy scripture Then master Pseudologus brought forthe a very olde booke that laye by hym so olde that it was eaten with mothes and wormes wherein there were certayne Epistles I canne not tell what wryten by Clement as he sayed whome he iudged the fyrste byshoppe of Rome after Peter In these letters wrytten by thesame Clement to Iames byshoppe of Hierusalem this thinge was conteyned howe Peter beinge at Rome and perceauynge death drawe nere in the presence of a number of Christian menne toke Clement by the hand and in the hearing of them all saied Bretheren my death is now at hande as Christe hathe reueled vnto me Wherefore I ordeyne thys Clement youre byshop vnto whome onely I deliuer my seate and the preachinge of my doctrine into whome onely I translate the same power of loosinge and byndinge whiche I receaued of Christe Then sayed Pseudologus Loe here maye you see howe that Peter was at Rome and ordeyned Clement byshoppe after hym and set him in hys seate grauntinge him hys full authoritie Then thimbassadour would see and reade those epistles when he had red and weied them he sayd master myne Pseudologus Ye can not cloke youre lyes so craftely but they will apâ—are as they bee that is to say lyes euen at the fyrste sight For these epistles of youres bee nothinge els but fayninges of youre owne without authoritye full of vanyties and lyes And that it is trew I say hereby it maye appere that euen by youre owne Historyographers Linus folowed Peter and not Clemente And after Linus folowed Anacletus afterwarde Clement Who is numbred to bee the fourthe after Peter and yet would you falsely place hym to be the secounde And more ouer by youre owne historiographers yf ye wyll account the course of the times as ye shoulde ye shall finde that Iames was dead seuen yeares before your Clement was Byshoppe wherefore I can not saye by what reason he coulde writ to Iames beinge dead And agayne euen in the first beginning of the salutacion he calleth hym Byshoppe of byshoppes who should gouerne not onelye the churche of the Iewes at Hierusalem but also all other churches And yf Iames were then Pope trewely then was not Peter Pope and therefore could he not make Clement Pope after hym neither by Clemente his successours And more ouer euen by the same very wordes that ye alledge that Peter shoulde saye to Clement before hys death it can not be proued that
they haue or shall receyue of god So that they shal imagine them selues hable to deserue so much glory that god is not hable to repay and rewarde the thynge that he oweth vnto them And therfore shall they fell their merites to other meÌ„ as thoughe they had superfluous and to manye And because they can neuer sell or giue so many but that they shal alwayes haue a number remayninge they shal make oure holy father the pope the inheritour of theyr merites that he maye accomplyshe all thinges for all men requisit And this riche treasorer of merites he shall sell wonderfull dearely in his Iubilies and pardones so fonde an opinion shall they haue that they shal thiÌ„ke theÌ„ selues hable to deserue gods fre electioÌ„ and shal thinke gods heuenly prouidence and all thinges that belonge to saluacion to hange vpon theyr fre will and vpon theyr pope Beelze Yf it be so as ye say then is free wil a greate Lorde shal be a boue god him selfe For as I perceaue he shall either chose or refuse healthe or condempnacion like a lord and god as his seruaunt shal minister occasions and tyme conuenient vnto him so shall the will of god be lyke a bonde woman and the wil of man like vnto a Quene it shal be necessary not that manne shall applye hys will to gods wyll but that god shal applye hys will to mans wyl Neither canne god chose men without the popes license So that incase god had neuer so reproued and reiected any manne and the pope in whose hande all power is mindeth to saue thesame manne gods determinacion shal be voyde And so shal the pope be greater theÌ„ Christe and mannes fre wil also because the whole saluacion of al man kynde shal be in theyr owne power But Christe aunsweringe the children of zebedee of whome the one disired to syt on the right hand of Christe and the other on the left sayed it was not in him to geue that thinge because all hong vpon gods free election and Christe also sayed not trewe when he so saied for he shoulde haue graunted that al depended vpon the pope and mans free wil. Luci. Yf he were not suche a one he shoulde not be Antichriste And because the election of god dothe abase a man casteth hym down more theÌ„ any thing els whiche thinge manne beinge naturally inclyned to esteme highely himselfe can not abyde therefore shal it be an easy thynge to perswade to menne that al the whole matter hangeth vpon hys owne fre wil and not vpon god Therefore wil the pope neuer forsake thys office to promote and further this our purpose by al the meanes that he canne and that for many other causes but chiefly for that mannes merites shall be as it were a grounde worke of all hys marchandise and vauntage Howe beit that he maye the beâ—tâ—r sell and vtter theÌ„ he shal mingle some merites of Christ amongest them and shall boast that he hath the key of al these treasures and ful authoritie to distribute to apply to sel and to giue al at hys will and pleasure And also a tyme there shall come when the worlde shal beleue because they shal thynke hym a god in earthe indued with moste greate authoritie that he can bothe bynd and loose saue or condempne when it shal be hys pleasure Nowe maye ye easelye perceaue whether menne wyl runne to hym or not to bye heuen and paradise of hym Oh howe many and howe abhominable fantasyes shall menne committe when they shal saye to them selues what care I of thys am I suer that I canne be absolued for money What a number of soules shal bee damned thinking to be saued by theyr own merites by the popes pardones and absolutions because they shal be without faythe and without Christe Out of thys deuelyshe fouÌ„taine shal spriÌ„g Iubilies statioÌ„s pardoÌ„s absolucioÌ„s dispensacioÌ„s relaxations an infinit number of monstors whiche dayly they shal deuise to sel Christ and hys merites and heuen and paradise with all Furthermore we will cause that this oure mischeuouse paricideÌ„ shal by his fraude and craft perswade Christian menne that Christe with al hys merites passion death and benefites be not sufficient to saue I will not saye the reproued and reiected sorte but euen the very chosen of god be it that they beleue in Christe with neuer so lyuely a faythe For they muste moreouer of necessitie confesse all theyr synnes bothe open priuate euen the verye inward thoughtes and desiers yea all the brauÌ„ches and circumstances of them and disclose al thinge whether they be to be spoken or not to a priest of hym apoynted Beelze This thinge is not possible to bee done for theyr synnes be innumerable Luci. Suerly oure priestes can not deuise a better waye to holde mens consciences in a perplexitie doutefull and vncerteyne And so when men shal bee in a continual doutinge whether they be in the fauor of god or not they shal runne oft to oure prieste and his gayne shall alwayes increase in that he shal receaue wel for his absolutions Beelze Yf there shoulde suche a tyme come when I myght see Christian men disclosing theyr secretes euen suche as be of greatiste weight and that slaunderinge them selues contrary bothe to the lawe of god and the lawe of nature and oftentymes also with no smal offence of their neighbour to a wicked thiefe shoulde also suffer their wiues their doughters sisters to opeÌ„ y e botome of their hartes matters of no honesty not alway to a gelded maÌ„ but most coÌ„monly to a vicious verlet I would be bold to saye they were the most foles in the vniuersall world But tell me in good fayth what profit shoulde insewe of this deuelishe folishenes yf it shoulde bee brought in to our churche Beelze Oh it should muche increase and amplyfie the honour of our byshop and hys members and bee a very greate gayne and profit to hys churche For then should men beleue that he by hys ministers did pardone synnes and not god and that the same syns were not forgeuen by the vertewe of the passion of Christ but by the vertew of the absolution that they herd the priest speake And in confession mentioÌ„ shal be made of all thinges sauyng of Christ and so shall we bury Christ together with his passion and death god with his grace And more ouer what a greate commoditie shall it bee to the pope trowe you when his ministers by thys means shall knowe all the secrets of princes I passe ouer how that in hearing of women secretly disclose theyr dishonestie with al the circumstaunces thereof and all vnhonest thoughtes and desieres suche confessours being inflamed with the communicacion and consideringe craftely howe theyr myndes bee inclined will beginne many fayer and handsom snares which they may easely make whereby to holde them euen as it were by the heere of the head when they are once made pryuye to their
in these dominions or cause any sedicioÌ„ or losenes of libertie for Christe dothe approue and confirme chiefelye the power and authoritie of princes and magistrates and causeth menne to thynke humbly and lowely of them selues to loue peace and quietnes and therfore as thoughe they were gentle lambes it shal be an easie thyng no great payne to rule them Ed. We know ryght well that a sicke body which is ful of corrupt humors can not be purged and clensed with out some commocion and stirryng of the body and membres and euen so is it of our kingdomes And we also knowe that the gospell is a moste swete and pleasant medecine to the chosen of god although it turne the stomake of suche as be reiected And euen as he shoulde not bee a good father who hauinge a soÌ„ne sicke that he could make whole again with some medicine and yet durst not minister thesame vnto him for feare of stirryng of hys body so suffer hys sonne to perish with the greatnes of the disease So should not we bee a good kynge yf when we shall see oure people sicke of a spirituall disease as in dede we doe shoulde suffer them to perishe eternally for feare of a coÌ„mocion should not minister vnto them the wholesome medecine of the gospell wherby to restore them agayne to health Wherfore we be in a full readynes to aduenture not onely our honor but also our lyfe it selfe for the wealth of our people and for the glory of God There be not a fewe that wyll goe about to stey vs from thys noble enterpryse They saye that the Greekes and other nacions of the East partes of the worlde were punished of God by the tyrannye of the Turke bycause they refused to obey the Pope As thoughe the Popes tyranny were not a great deale greater and crueller then is the tyranny of the Turke Or as thoughe Affryke and Asia had in tymes paste bene subiect to the Pope Neither minde we to rente or louse the seemeles coate of Christ as some peraduenture wyll thynke who hathe cut it into so manye smale peces that it canne be deuided nomore â–ª But we mynde to cutte and teare asunder the veale of hypocrysie that their vice and wickednes maye be knoweÌ„ of all menne Thys thing is without question as ofte as euer the Turke hathe fought with the Christian menne for the most parte he hath had the ouer hand whiche God suffered so to be not onely to punishe vs for that in stead of Christe we haue wurshypped Antichrist but also bycause he minded by litle litle to withdrawe vs and deliuer vs from the wicked tyranny of Antichrist And it is not to be doubted but y â— euen as the Iewes be punished chiefly for the sinnes of their priestes bycause they were y e causers of the deathe of Christe so be the Christian men punyshed thys daye for the sinnes of Antichrist and his priestes who haue crucified Christ agayne muche more in despite of God then the Iewes dyd in tymes paste Wherefore yf we wyll preuayle agaynst the Turke firste lette vs thrust thys wicked manne out of the churche of God whiche is a home dwellyng Turke for whose sinnes God beinge offended with vs vseth that whippe for the punishemente of the Christians and when god is once pleased and contented agayne with vs we shall easelye by goddes helpe giue hym the ouerthrowe Therefore let vs dryue all heresie idolatrye supersticion wickednes out of the church of god and then shall we not onely triumphe ouer the turkes but also they will bee conuerted to Christe when they shall see the beames of the light of the gospel and the holy life of the Christians sprede ouer al. This arrant these of Rome hath robbed y e worlde vnder the pretence of religion and battayle agaynste the turkes and to deliuer the Christians whiche bee amongest the turkes in seruitude and bondage Let hym nowe dryue hym selfe out of the churche of god if he mynde to delyuer vs out of bondage whiche is muche more cruell and tyrannical then the other Let hym dryue Sathan out of hym selfe and out of his wicked Babilon and then beinge conuerted and armed with spirituall vertues and with the sworde of goddes worde folowing thexample of Christ and hys apostles let hym fyght agaynste gods enemies And if it so be that he canne not be amended but wil continue on still in hys wicked and cruell tyrannye so that he will coÌ„pell force to be made let it be made agaynste hym for he onely noyeth more the church of Christe then all the enemies of god ioyned together We hate not the popes parson but hys abhominations whome all menne ought of deutie to abhorre Counsell Euen as y e doctrine of the gospell excelleth all other kindes of learninge in purenes gentlenes pleasauntnes propfytablenes excellencie and wonderfulnes So if it bee infected once with neuer so litle an heresy it is more pestilent and perniciouse then anye other Wherfore lette vs doe all oure indeuoure that it being pourged from all false and supersticious imaginacions and mannes traditions maye bee ministred to the people pure simple and syncere as it is of it selfe And as concernynge the articles of the faythe the worde of God ought to be sufficient except we wyll seeme wiser then God hym selfe And as touchynge woorkes the lawe that God hym selfe hathe made whiche is most pure and holye shal be sufficiente Whose preceptes be without spot sounde and cherefull to the mynde Whereunto Christes interpretacion muste bee annexed And as for prayer and inuocacion what shall wee rather alowe then the Lordes prayer whiche the sonne of God hymselfe taught vs. Whiche teacheth vs playnely and fullye what we ought to aske of God And it also teacheth howe we ought to aske all gyftes of God throughe Christe oure mediatoure Forsothe it is a wicked thynge to desyer to bee more wyse then was Christe hymselfe who delyuered vs that prayer as a perfecte forme of prayer wherefore it canne not bee well to adde any thynge thereunto Trulye all doctrine that is necessarye for saluacyon is playne and cleare yf we darken it not with the darkenes of mannes inuentions We wyll therefore dooe oure dylygence fyrste to put a waye all suche thynges as maye bee a hynderaunce to the goinge forwarde of the Gospell and hauynge allwayes goddes honour before oure eyes the helthe of soules we will pray that he wyll graunt vnto vs that purenes and earnestnes of spirit that we maye sette forth hys glory and serue hym in holines and that we may through Iesus Christ oure redemer gyue all prayse glory and honor to God the father euerlastynge Amen ¶ Imprynted at London for Gwalter Lynne dwellyng on Somers kaye by Byllynges gate Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum Anno. Do. 1549. Esaâ—y xiiiâ— Lucke x. Apo. xiâ— Iohn xvij rom viii Gala. vi phil â— Iohn iii. phyl i. Gala. ii Heb. xiii i. Iohn v. Mat.