time of King Henrie the eight who did roote it out wholy THus hauing hitherto shewed declared how the supremacy and Papacie of Rome béeing not planted by Christe and his Apostles was rooted first in the Church by Boniface the third and afterward spreade abroade farther and farther by his successours so that it grew and brought forth the poysoned fruites which I haue rehearsed Now it doeth remaine that I proceede to shew how it hath ben rooted out of the Church of England by godly princes of famous memorie whose examples some princes haue I wish all princes of the earth would follow And herein I shall euidently discouer and refute their errour who béeing counted men of good knowledge and iudgement haue borne me in hand that the power authoritie of the Pope of Rome was neuer banished out of this our countrie vntill that King Henrie the eight did expell it in the xxvj yeare of his raigne in the yeare of our Lord a thousand fiue hundred thirtie foure For it is certaine and shal be clearely proued that many yeares before that King Henrie the eight was borne or King Henries Fathers Father the kinges of this Realme haue made lawes and statutes against the Bishop of Rome his authoritie and iurisdiction whiche he did wrongfully clayme and vsurp within their dominions and therefore they did iustly remoue it and expell it To the which purpose it must be firste considered that vnder the colour of the decrées aboue mentioned the Popes did take vpon them to preferre strangers vnto the roomes of Archbishops and bishops throughout the Realme of England many yeares together and to place whom they list Abbots and Priors in any religious houses when so euer that the places were voide neither onely to present vnto all manner of religious houses but also to Prebends Prouostries Deanries Parsonages and such like Which thinges as they were done to the great impeachment of the kings dignitie and crowne imperiall of the Realme so did they tend also to the disinheritance after a sort of his maiestie of his coūsellours of the nobilitie of other his subiectes which had by inheritaunce the giftes of such liuings and to the great losse of the whole countrie by decay of hospitalitie and conueying of our treasures out of the Realme through the meanes of straungers who were preferred to these liuinges and spirituall promotions For redresse of which faultes the nobles and commons of this Realme at the Parleament holden at Carlile in xxv Anno. Domini 1296. yere of the raigne of King Edward the first did present and exhibite a bill into the Parleament of all the inconueniences and iniuries offered to the kinges maiestie the nobles and commons by the Bishop of Rome Wherevpon the Parleament tooke order and enacted that from thence forth the Bishop of Romes authoritie shold take no place within this Realme in any such matters if he dealt in any they should be voide and of none effect Which act made againste the Bishop of Rome because there was no penaltie set vpō such as did mainteine or suffer his doings to preuaile against the order taken therefore not long after the death of this good king Edward the first Edward the second his sonne being king a man of no suche courage as his father was neither hauing leasure thorough his great troubles with the Earle Mortimer and the Quéene his wife to looke to such matters the Bishop of Rome did spring againe to doe what he would The substance of this Act made by king Edward the first is not recited in the statutes of the xxv yere of his raigne because it is wholy mentioned in the first part of the statute made the xxv yere of King Edward the third At the which time in a Parleament holden at Westminster the same petition and Act made at Carlile was returned Anno Domini 1350. cap. 1. and more ample order taken withal against the Bishop of Rome For it was prouided there and enacted that whosoeuer did fetche from Rome or take any such prouisions to disturbe any presentation or election made in this Realme or the persons that were in possession of any spirituall promotions that the prouisors and disturbers their procurators executors notaries and attournies should be attached and laid in prison without baile or mainprise there to remaine vntil both they had answered the king such fine and raunsome as shold be taxed at his pleasure and also had agréed with the partie wronged neither should they be deliuered vntill they had put in sufficient sureties neuer to attempt any suche thing afterward Cap. 1. Againe in the xxvij yeare of his raign in the Parleament holden at Westminster the same statute was inlarged and the penaltie made that the offenders therein if they came not to answere at their day in proper person and were found culpable they should forfaite all their landes and goodes their bodie should remaine in prison out of the kinges protection It appeareth farther in the xxx yeare that an excōmengment as they do tearme it was certified by the Pope whiche was disallowed by the Iustices and the bringer thereof should haue bene hanged and drawne if the Chancelour of England had not prayed to the king for him In the xxxviij yeare the like acte was made for such as procured any citations or processes from the court of Rome that their procurers and attourneyes should haue such punishmentes and forfaitures as are before mentioned Now in the time of king Richard the second who did next succéed him there was a statute made the thirtéenth yeare of his reigne Anno Domini 1363. Cap. 1. in the Parleament at Westminster againste prouisors of benefices with this penaltie that they should be out of the kings protection and forfeit the benefice But in the sixtéenth yeare of his reigne Cap. 15. the same king made more full and straite lawes against the Bishop of Rome whereby he banished his whole authoritie out of this realme enacting that no processe from Rome should be allowed Yea further Cap. 5. that if any subiect of this realme should receiue or fetch from Rome or set forth any maner Citations Presentations Fulminations Buls or any other things against the kings regaltie crowne he being conuict thereof should loose and forfet all his landes and goods to the king his body to be at the kinges pleasure and out of his protection and in the cause of praemunire The same punishment also appointed for him who so euer should sue any appeale to Rome King Henrie the fourth which succéeded Richard in the second yeare of his reigne in the parlament holden at Westminster An. Do. 1401. Capit. 3.4 did likewise make a lawe that no spirituall or religious person secular or regular should take any maner of promotiō or liuing spiritual or offices in any spiritual houses by any prouisions of Licences or Buls frō Rome vnder the payne contained in the praemunire as in
spiritual food to the soule wher of the wicked are not partakers who are yet partakers of the sacramental bread wine which do signifie the body bloud of Christ for our sauiour doth say Iohn 6. that Whosoeuer doth eate his flesh drink his bloud hath euerlasting life Wherfore it cannot be that the sacramental bread wine should be the verie natural bodie bloud of Christ for as much as the wicked who shal not liue for euer are partakers of them I mean of the bread wine in the sacrament as wel as the godly For as Paul doeth write to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 10. Brethren I wold not haue you ignorant how al our forefathers were vnder the cloud al passed through the sea were baptised vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea Et omnes eandem escam spiritualē manducarunt omnes eundē potū spiritualem biberunt bibebant autem de spirituali consequente eos Petrâ Petra autem erat Christus And they did al eat the same spirituall meate and they did all drinke the same spirituall drinke For they did drink of the spirituall rocke that followed them and that rocke was Christ Wherein we sée first that the wicked among the Iewes with whome God was not pleased did enioye the same sacramentes of Christe the cloude the sea the meate the drinke which the godly did yet did they not enioy the same life by Christ which the godly did for it followeth in Saint Paul that God was not pleased with many of them Which wordes are meant of the wicked Secondly we sée that the godly amongest the Iewes did eate the same meate and drinke the same drinke that the godly amongest the Corinthians did to whome S. Paul doeth write yea that Paul him selfe the Apostles did Now the Iewes did it In spefuturi Christi In the hope of Christ to come for their redemption deliuerance from their sinnes and from death whereof it ensueth that our eating drinking in certa fiducia praeteriti Christi in true beliefe that Christ is come and hath redéemed vs and shed his blood for vs must bée the partaking of a meate spirituall and a spirituall drinke no lesse then that which Paul saith that their fathers did eate and drinke For he saith plainely They did eate the same meat and drunke the same drink that flowed out of the rocke and the rocke is Christ For as the Iewes did it in a figure of Christe by faith in whom to come they were saued as Christ doth say of Abraham Abraham desired to see my day Iohn 8. he saw it and reioiced so are we taught to doe it in remembrance of Christ by faith in whom being come we are saued wherevpon our sauiour said to his disciples Luke 22. Doe this in remēbrance of me Which Paul declareth farther in the first to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 11 the eleuenth chapter where after that he had declared the maner of the Lords supper he addeth to both the parts of it Hoc facite ad mei re cordationem Quotie scunque enim manducabitis panem hunc calicem bibetis mortē domini annuntiabitis donec veniat Do this in remembrance of me saith Christe For as often saith Paul expounding the wordes of Christ as ye shall eat this bread and drinke of this cup ye shall shewe the death of the Lord vntil he come So then if these thinges be well considered which I haue briefly touched out of the wordes of Christ declared by his holy euangelists and Apostles the godly I trust shal easily perceiue that Pope Innocent the thirde could by no autority of scriptures proue any transubstantiation in the sacramēt although it were confirmed by neuer so greate a councel of men assembled at Rome hauing in it as they say Archbyshops 70. Byshops 400. Abbats 12. Priors conuentual 800. besides the Orators and Ambassadours of Gréece of the Romaine Empire of the kinges of Ierusalem France Spaine England Cyprus and other kingdomes Many but all to little to take vppon them to alter and change the ordinance and institution which our Sauiour Christ had with his owne wordes established and set in his church for the space of aboue twelue hundred yeares together before the contrary was decréed though some did dreame of it But Pope Innocent was sure to enact there what he wold for that he had aboue the number of twelue hundred shauen crounes in his councel with him so that neither Princes nor Orators of Princes might hinder his pretēses The lesse it is to be meruelled at that the byshop of Rome would take vppon him so proudly to be aboue al other byshops yea the Emperours themselues and kings of this world séeing that he tooke vpon him to do more then euer Christ did that is to make Christ our creator and redéemer of a péece of bread whensoeuer he list and to make that euery one of his priests and chaplens might do the same also as them selues haue a saying Sacerdos est creator creatoris sui The priest doth make his maker And all by the authority of this Lateran Councel not by Christs scriptures And all for the aduancing of his worldly glory extolling of his clergie throughout all Christian kingdomes which after came to passe to the taking away of the goods and liues of a great number of good true Christians who would not beleeue such a new deuised faith of the sacrament of Christ set forth so lately so fondly so vngodly neuer before allowed as any point of our christiā faith for the space of so many hundred yeres after Christ as I haue shewed For in the former ages the godly had bene taughte that Christe according to the presence of his naturall bodye was ascended into heauen but by the benefites of his spirite and by the fruite of his passion he is alwayes present with thē who doe beléeue in him Wherof he gaue them a most liuely moniment and pledge in the blessed sacrament of his body and bloud a moniment for vs to remember his death a pledge to vs of euerlasting life with out transubstantion of the breade and wine or any alteration thereof at all otherwise then of common bread and wine to make it by the words of Christ the sacramental bread wine the signes of Christes body and bloud he being by those creatures of bread wine represented to vs that we may therby with the mouth of our faith that I may so speak receiue spiritually the very selfe same Christ god and man that was borne of the virgin Mary suffered death for our sinnes ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty thence shall he come at the last day to iudge the quick the dead And this most heauenly maner of the spiritual receiuing of Christe is more agréeable to our christian religion then is the Romish dream of transubstantiation which doth as much abhorre from
the first fourth Chapter of that statute is declared Againe in his sixt yeare at the parleament holdē at Couentrie Capit. 1. there was a lawe made to ease Archbishops and Bishops of their great exactions taken by the Pope and his officers of his chamber for their first fruites Againe in his seuenth yeare an other lawe was made touching the Licences and Pardons graunted from Rome to the incumbents of any benefices that whether they were graunted or to be graunted they should be vtterly voyde and of none effect Againe in his ninth yeare bycause the Archbishoppes and Bishoppes of this realme Capit. 8. were after their elections greatly troubled by the Bishoppe of Rome it was enacted that the elections of Archbishops Bishops Abbats Priors and other spirituall persons should be frée from all manner of interruptions and incumbrances of the Bishop of Rome An. Do. 1407 It were tedious to goe forward in the like sort with the Princes that followed but by this taste the wise may easily perceiue howe no lawe could bridle the vnruly vsurpation of the Pope of Rome but almost vnder the reigne of euery Prince for the space of two or thrée hundred yeares they were compelled to renue olde and make newe prouisions and actes of Parliament against him Notwithstanding all the which his dealings were so outragious and gathered eftsoones new strength that they could neuer be throughly repressed vntill that God did raise vp our noble Prince of famous memorie King Henrie the eight who perceyuing and vnderstanding as well by his owne iudgement and knowledge as also by the learned Cleargie of his realme howe the Bishops of Rome haue of long time fallen away from the sound and pure religion of Christ by their corrupt doctrine and abhominable pride extolling them selues not onely aboue all Bishops but also aboue all Emperours Kings and Princes of the earth disobeying the authoritie of rulers and magistrates whom the Lord set ouer them whom Christ did obey whome the Apostles were subiect to speaking lyes through hypocrysie as they of whom S. Paul doeth prophecie 1. Tim. 4. forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with giuing of thanks of them who beléeue and knowe the truth to come to the chiefest point deuising blind erronious prophane vngodly meanes of obtaining saluation by gadding in pilgrimage by oblations to images by kissing of reliques by numbring of Pater nosters and Aue Maries vpon beades by going barefoote and barelegged by créeping to crosses by their pardons a poena culpa with a number of péeuish toyes and superstitious ceremonies to the blemishing of true faith the anchorhold of all Christians grounded on assured hope of saluation by the death passion of our sauiour Christ which is empaired by Poperie the the Noble Prince therfore King Henrie the eight séeing and considering these detestable enormities and wicked vsurpation of the Pope of Rome did vtterly banish his counterfet authority out of this realme of England with the appurtenances of it Which hauing him selfe begun in part to doe he had it confirmed with the consent of the whole realme by statute and lawe made in the eight and twentie yeare of his reigne at a Parleament holden at Westminster An. Do. 1536. Capit. 10. to the great comfort of all his faithfull subiectes to the reuiuing of the dignitie of his imperiall crowne and most of all to the true honour and glory of the Almightie After this noble King there succéeded the godly worthie Prince his sonne King Edward the sixt who not onely confirmed that lawe against the Bishop of Rome but further procéeded in the establishment of true religion And of late againe albeit some interruption grewe in the time of Quéene Marie Our most vertuous and gratious Souereigne Quéene ELIZABETH following the godly steps of her noble father and brother had it inacted in her first parleament that the authoritie of the Bishoppe of Rome and of al other forraine power and potentates spirituall and temporall should vtterly be driuen away and remoued out of all her maiesties territories dominions that vpon such penalties vnto all her subiectes that to vpholde maintaine or set forth any such forraine authoritie wtin this realme it is in some pointes and degrées high treason so that they lose and forfaite their liues landes goodes who are guiltie of it A statute that may séeme seuere and is perhappes accounted of some ouerrigorous but they who marke it wisely cannot choose but sée howe sharpe tooles were necessary to roote out this wéede which many godly Princes before King Henrie the eight did endeuour to nip of by sundrie good lawes but it budded still againe brought forth such blossomes or rather fruits of rebellion ambition coueteousnes hipocrisie wicked superstition as it was to be feared woulde haue poysoned the whole lande had not our gratious prince vsed such sharpe instrumentes to roote it out vtterly Chap. 15. A short repetition of the pointes proued witha cōclusion of the whole And an exhortation to the people of Englande to embrace this truth with all the heauenly doctrine of Christes religion WHerefore I doe wishe euen from the very botome of my hearte that euerie faithfull subiect and right Christian mā woulde weigh both this point al the rest which I haue saide to satisfie his conscience in this matter of the supremacie least they builde vppon sande not on the rocke Iesus Christ Let vs consider that our sauiour did not graunt it to any of his Apostles nay he did expressely forbidde such ouerruling and dominion amongest them Let vs remember that as it was not giuen by him to Saint Peter so neyther did Saint Peter practise it nor the Apostles attribute it vnto him Though it had beene giuen to Peter amongest the rest yet what reason is it that the Bishoppe of Rome should be his heire in it syth we reade not in the scriptures that Peter euer was at Rome which we should haue redd doubtles if it had ben of so great weight Herevnto we must adde that in the primitiue Church this preeminēce was not acknowleged either to or by the Bishoppes of Rome The godly Bishoppes of that Citie who many of them were martyres did not take it vppon them The fower first principall and generall councels assembled out of all Christendome did not yeelde it vnto them What haue we then to do with Boniface the thirde to whome the title of supremacie was graunted firste by wicked Phocas What haue wee to doe with Boniface his successors who haue sat in the chaire of pestilenc and haue made their scepter a scepter of iniquitie shall wee rather followe them then Christ then Peter then the Apostles then generall councels then godly Bishoppes of Rome Shall we not be wise and learne to make a difference betwéene the first Byshoppes that were in the Citie frée frō such ambition and betwéene the later who
subiect and obedient to all ordinaunce of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the superiour or vnto the gouernours as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishment of euil doers and for the praise of them that doe well Rom. 13. As saint Paul did warne the Romanes and in the Romanes all Christians Let euery soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God Who so euer therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue to themselues iudgement These lessons of Christe of Peter of Paul the ancient bishops of Rome did shewe by their example they thought them to pertaine not only to the laitie but also to the cleargie not only to the poorest but also to the richest Bishops They thought the same which Chrysostome doth write vpon Saint Paul that obedience to Princes is commanded to all estates Omnis anima potestatibus supereminentibus sit subdita Chrisostom in Epist ad Roma homilia 23. etiamsi Apostolus sis si Euangelista si propheta siue quisquis tandem fueris Neque enim pietatē subuertit ista subiectio Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers though thou be an Apostle saith Chrisostome though an Euangelist though a prophet for godlines is not empaired by this obedience and subiection They thought that Constantine did the duetie of a godly Emperour who when a councel of Bishops assembled at Tyrus had wrongfully and vniustly condemned Athanasius he commanded them all to come to him spéedily at Constantinople that you may proue saith he Historia tripartit lib. 3. Cap. 7. the soundnesse and vprightnes of your sentence and iudgement Coram me quem proprium esse Dei ministrum neque vos negabitis Before me whome your selues can not denie to be the true and right seruant of God But after that the successors of Boniface had felt the sauour of the supremacie neither our sauiour Christes example nor his Apostles authoritie nor the iudgement of the fathers nor the practise of the godly bishops coulde kepe the Pope within his boundes in subiection to the Emperour but he exempted first himself from his power afterward al the cleargie and lastly brought the Emperour in subiection to him self taking the two swordes vpon him the spirituall and the temporall Then ceased the Popes to call the Emperours their Lords Greg. Episto lib. 4. cap. 76. passim as Gregorie the first did call them after his godly predecessors and they beganne to call them their sonnes and their children as nowe they vse to write vnto them Then did they make decrees that the ciuil magistrate should haue nought to deale with any of the cleargie Nouell constitut Iustinian where as before Iustinian the Emperour did gouerne and rule the highest of them as his lawes do shew the which are yet extant Then did they count them selues the onely Vicars of God on earth not acknowledging that in Princes which Eleutherius did in Lucius the auncient kinge of Englande whome he willed as Gods Vicar within his own kingdome to drawe him lawes out of the scriptures there by to rule his owne subiectes Then did they forbid that bishoprickes and spirituall liuinges shoulde be taken at the handes of lay mē no not of Emperours they made them selues Lords of them and therefore did condemne both such as gaue them otherwise and such as receiued them To be short they grewe to such outrage of presumption of rebelliō of ryot of tyrannie of extortiō of lust and all enormities that a man might knowe the trée by the fruites and the wise must néede abhorre that supremacie out of the which such villanies and abhominations did springe into the worlde Chap. 13. What fruites did springe out of the supremacie wherein the wicked mischiefes and abominatiōs of the Popes liues and dealinges are touched by their owne writers THese fruites of the supremacy of the Romane Byshoppes woulde be considered further in their liues and doings which if I shoulde endeuor to runne them ouer all such as pertaine vnto this purpose I shoulde neuer make an ende Wherefore I will touch but onely certaine of the chiefest as it were for a tast noting out of them as neere as I can the very naturall fruites of the Romish supremacie Amongest the which first there commeth in place their contention and ambition in procuring of the Popedome for the which there hath ben cōmonly such corruption such bribery such debate such imprisoning murthering poysoning all euill meanes vsed betwixt them that in Platina their owne secretarie and writer of their liues it is a common note in verie many of them that they were made Popes some by Mars some by monie some by fauour of friendes some by power of noble men some by sorcerie and magike some by like pollicies of the Deuill Platina in Iohanne 10. Pontifices ipsi a Petri vestigijs discesserant saith Platina The Byshoppes of Rome were now departed from Peters steppes Which complainte he doth make vppon occasion of their hatred conceyued by one of them against another through their ambition For Iohn the ix was vexed by Martine the seconde so that being imprisoned he was faine to escape by flight Martine the seconde made Pope through euill meanes did restore Formosus whome Iohn had depryued Afterwarde Formosus getting the rome by bryberie came in by periurie vnto it and liued in it accordingly Steuen the sixt that succéeded him did abrogate and repeale al the actes of Formosus whose body he digged also out of his graue cut off his two fingers wherewith he hallowed Priestes and cast them into the riuer After Steuen came Romanus Theodorus and Iohn the tenth who did repeale the actes of Steuen and restored Formosus actes to full authoritie againe Which villanous dealing of them one against an other enforceth Platina him selfe Platina in Formos 1. Stephan 6. Romano 1. Benedicto 4. Christophero 1. c. though otherwise fauouring the Popes to breake out into these complaintes that the vertue and honestie of the Bishops of Rome nowe was decayed that they did aspire and attaine vnto the office by ambition and briberie that hereof did spring their hatred one against an other when they were put beside it that of this hatred there a rose a cōmon custome which was almost kept alwayes afterward that what the former Bishops had done decréed their successors would either wholy or in part take away that these petie Popes for so he doeth call them did thinke of nothinge else but how they mighte deface the name and dignitie of their predecessors by repealing of their actes that when the Church did waxe wanton with honor and wealth there being no prince in Rome to represse mens wickednesse the loose licentiousnesse of sinne did bring foorth these beasts who through ambition and briberie did inuade the sée of