glorye of god and ye haue taken vpon you the cause of Christe and hys electes agaynste all the enemies of god Neither canne there bee any more worthye meanes deuised to set forth both the glorye of god and also of youre moste excellent maiestie And it is not to be douted but that god will vse your maiestie as a heauenly meane and a fautles instrument to ouerthrowe hys greate enemy euen as in tymes past he vsed Dauyd for an instrumente to ouerthrowe Goliathe Youre maiestie maye stryke of hys head as Dauid Goliathes euen with hys owne sworde that is to saye with the worde of God whiche he hathe moste fylthely abused in despyte of Christe There were verely not a fewe of the olde Emperours who attempted the puttynge downe of thys tyrannye as Henry the fourthe fift Lewes the fourth Frederyke the fyrste and seconde and many moe who coulde not ouercome hym because he reygned in the myndes of men and the people tooke hym for theyr god in earth they feared his thunderboltes excommunications they thought theÌ„selues daÌ„pned yf they contraryed hym neuer so litle therefore coulde they not in good earnest put on theyr harnes take theyr weapons with a valyant corage of spirite to delyuer the Christyan common welthe from thys so great a tyranny Ed. Yf we minde to ouercome him in short space we must fyrste goe about to bryue him out of the heartes of menne for as soone as he hathe once lost his spiritual kingdome in mens consciences he shall forgoe by and by al the rest of his iurisdicciâ—Ì„ without any greate difficultie And to dryue him out of the heartes of men it is not nedefull to vse sword nor violence the sworde of the spirite that is the worde of god is sufficient wherby Christe ouercame and conquered hys enemy Sathan in the desert For all his whole popeshippe is nothinge elles but a manifest deceyt and lye What thynge canne it bee elles but a lye to saye the churche was buylded by Christ vpoÌ„ Peter and that Peter was instituted by Christ the heade of the other apostles and of the vniuersall churche and that Cephas in oure tonge signifieth a heade and that when Christ saied to Peter fede me shepe he made him the onelye shepard of soules and gaue to hym alone the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and power to loose and bynde yt is also a verye vayne lye to saye Peter was at Rome and that Peter had authority geuen him of Christ to leaue there and also that he left there the chiefe byshoppes seate as in one certayne pâ—ace there by succession continueally to remayne to the byshoppes of Rome as they holde opinion it is also a manifest lye and deceyte to saye that Christe is not oure onelye sauyour medyatour and aduocaâ— Purgatory also deuised by them is a lye and theyr lately deuised confessyons absolutions pardons Iubelies blessinges cursinges and excommunications bee all lyes And also theyr heresies hipocrisies Idolatry promesses flatteringes supersticioÌ„ theyr deuelishe tyrannicall authoritie which they vsurpe and chalenge with al their whole Popehod be altogether lyes Wherefore seinge the word of god is y e most bright light at the sight wherof all falsehod and lyes be knowen and auoyded and the trueth apeareth inuinsible it muste nedes be that eueÌ„ as darkenes vanisheth away at y e sight of y e suÌ„ne euen so at the shinynge of goddes worde all lyes deceytes treasoÌ„s wickednes of the Pope shal decaye vtterly be plucked vp by y e rotes This is y e spirituall sworde by whose edge as Paule prophecied he must be slaine Wherfore if we minde to attayne honor glory that neuer shal perishe by thys noble enterprise we muste searche all about and get the most faythfull ministers of goddes worde whiche be indued with a great light of y e spirite in the knowledge and exposicion of the scriptures with a heauenly eloquence boldnes and lybertye whiche ministers bothe canne and will prynte Christe in the heartes of manne Then with out doubt shall Antichrist and all his whole kingdom be ouerthroweÌ„ by and by This must be oure hoste these must be oure fotemen these must be our horse men if we mynde to ouercome this enemie of god And yf we can not fynde enough suche menne within oure owne dominions they muste bee sought for where so euer they maye be founde good learniÌ„g must be made much of promoted forward good wittes must bee norished and prouoked to learnyng studie that the heauenly philosophie of Christ maye reigne alwayes in oure kingedom Then suerly shal we not be ashamed wheÌ„ we shalbe neuer so much excomunicated of y e wicked romishe Robber but we shall rather reioyce with a valiant and bold corage we shall laugh to scorne his cursinges and blessinges all together not settinge a strawe by the whole rabble of the rest of hys wickednes his absolucions dispensacions priuileges bulles and pardons Ed. Throughe the sinne of oure fore father Adam we bee naturallye so fraile and weake so blinde and froward y t we seke for nothinge els but our owne Wherfore yf we will be moued to set forth and amplifie the most high glory of god it is he that must moue stirre vs with hys heauenly spirite And for asmuche as we knowe and bee very well assured that all oure desire and purposes concerninge thys matter bee bent towardes the glory of god according to his word we maye be bolde to saye that thys intente of ours is a worke of God Therefore euen as it canne not be that God wyl forsake him self and leaue of to be God So also can it not be but that he wyl further thys worke to a good ende whiche is not oures but altogether his we doubt not therfore but that God wyll be of our syde and that he wyl triumphe ouer hys enemies Counsel Suerly it shal be a very easie thynge to obteyne what thyng soeuer is godly of youre maiesties subiectes For euen as after the transgression of Adam god grafted a certayne terriblenes of countenaunce in manne wherby he shoulde make beastes affrayed with lokyng vpon manne lest they shoulde hurt hym So hath he indued subiectes with a certayne naturall feare towardes their leage lordes that they may reuerently obey them Wherfore yf a Prynce or Kyng intende a thynge and then declare thesame to be hys mynde and pleasure with a certaine effectualnes and authoritie by and by they all obey namelye when he offereth matters vnto them that be iuste and godlye but as for the trueth of the doctrine of the gospell is of it selfe most effectual therfore we doubt not but it wil come to passe that it shall gladly be receyued of al menne especially when it shal be offered vnto them of the maiestie of a kynge and he shall confirme the same with vprightnes of lif Neither is it to be doubted that the gospell should breed any tumulte
a heuy thing for me if Rome shoulde be turned into Troy The curche Besides this noble dignitie of our byshop I am to muche occupied with an infinite number of matters of ceremonies of sutes and controuersies of other prophane thiÌ„ges that I haue no time left to scratch my head wherfore now wil I forsake you But I wyll tel you one thyng yet before I goe Sence this man was created pope I haue ben wonderfully vexed and sicke bothe in body and soule euen as though I had dronke a pocion of poyson And I canne not well tell whether I gat thys sycknes of to muche ioy wherewith I was replenyshed by the reason of the greatnes of my promocion or elles of thintollerable burden of businesses which grow towardes me dayly Nowe haue I nothinge elles to saye but that I offer my newe kindes of marchandise to bee solde to you before other and that better chepe than any straunger shall haue them The people I thanke you for youre marchant lyke ciuilitie and agayne I offer vnto you my fauor and all my strength and power to defend and increase the greatnes of your honour The Pope Mans Iudgement The people of Rome The Pope AT the last we be come to thys highe honor whiche we haue so much desired and that is more to bee wondered at by the whole consent of all the people of Rome I would neuer haue thought suche a numbre of the nobilitie woulde haue come to gratifie me and to increase my ioye They thynke verely that thys oure promocion shall increase and amplifie their ryches and power not a litle But I am informed for a certayntie that many foren churches were muche vexed therwith namelye suche as bee of the East partes Wherfore we vnderstande that they sende embassadors what they bee I can not tell to replye agaynst the thynge and it maye so be that they wyll dryue the matter to a disputacion Now is it therfore necessarie for vs to arme our selues for oure defence and as in a matter of great weyghte and importaunce to vse a wittie counsell Wherfore mans iudgement who art one of my pryuye counsell with thee I thynke it best to consult Mans iudge Truely sir I haue tossed turned al this matter in my minde agayne and agayne after long and earnest fantasyinge I conclude that there is no more presente remedie to preserue increase and establish thys your promocion kingdom and authoritie then to contend and earnestly to stand in it that it is not the ordinaunce of man but of God So that it is Christ hymself who hath ordeined you to be supreme head of the churche and that with a whole fulnes of power otherwyse shall ye hange alwayes vpon the Emperour who hath placed you in this highe estate of honoure by that meanes as he once gaue it you so maye he agayne take it awaye from you Moreouer your Empier and authoritie cannot be stretched out further then the coastes of the Empier of Rome extendith besydes thys all ChristendoÌ„ wyll laugh to scorne thys fayned and conterfect dominion Crying out that Christe is the supreme head of his churche and that he alone is able ynoughe to gouerne it well with out the helpe of an other head or of any other deceyptfull manne as he hath by hys ministers gouerned it hetherto But yf ye contende earnestly that it is Christ who hath put you in thys place ye shall bothe be deliuered from hanging vpon the Emperour and shall also be as farre aboue hym as holy and spirituall matters are to be preferred to matters prophane and worldely So that your authoritie being by thys meanes established ye shall enter into all the coastes of the yearth There shal be no Christian men in the worlde but when they shall bee persuaded that Christe was the author of thys ordinaunce who hath made you his vicar of whome ye haue receyued thys highe authoritie but they wyll come to you of their owne swynge as thoughe they would wurship this Godhead of yours in earth and wyll glorye that they maye obey you The Pope I woulde alowe thys counsell of yours very well yf it might be brought to passe by any meanes that I coulde persuade so manifest a vanitie to the worlde Mans iudge The folishenes of manne is growen so farre nowe accompanied with a wonderfull deceyt and wickednes I of my selfe am so subtile craftie that me thynketh it a thyng easie to persuade yea and that I nowe see the meanes howe The Pope I desire of all loues that ye wyll tell me by some inkeling what thyng it is that ye euen nowe mused vpon for ye may well know that it is my ioy to talke of suche thynges Mans iudge Yf there coulde bee one iote founde in the holy scripture wherupon wee myght leane for a profe that Paule the Apostle was ordeyned of God to bee supreme and vniuersall head of the churche militant yea thoughe it semed writhed and wrasted with the braakes of your authoritie and drawen by violence to our purpose agaynst the naturall sence yet so that there were some likeâ—yhod therin the victorye were ours For it is euident by the worde of god that Paule was some tyme at Rome thoughe he were then in prison yet shall wee persuade by all meanes possible that he was made Byshop of thys Citie whose office and dignitie you haue by inheritaunce and succeâ—syon obteyned I haue occupied my fantasie to and fro and haue chewed thys question diligently and so at the last I perceyue that there be many wordes in the holy scripture whiche with a litle wrasting woulde make the blinde ignoraunt common people gyue credite to thys vayne opinion that Paule was the chiefe of all the Apostles and vniuersall head of all the churches of Christe And yet shall we not therfore obteyne all our purpose For the selfe same holy scripture is in other places directlye and in playne wordes againste vs. Forasmuche as it is euident that Paule thapostle was none of the twelue Apostles of Christ yea and when Christ was here in earthe he was his enemie and persecutor and afterwarde also a certayne space Neither is it lykelye that Christ woulde ascende into heauen but woulde first well forsee to his churche and leaue vnto it one certayne head to be hys vicar occupie hys rowme Thys thyng was very necessary for him to doe This last reason must we alleage earnestly and defende it stoutly yf we intende to obtayne oure purpose But nowe haue I deuised a farre better waye There bee many places in the gospell whiche may easly be writhed to oure purpose That is to saye wherby some likelyhod maye be alleged that Peter thapostle was pronounced chiefe of the apostles by Christ his owne mouth and was created supreme head of his church militant Nowe yf we coulde bring hym to Rome make hym Byshop of thys citie it shall bee an easie thing to persuad that you be
and afterward intending to ascend into heauen because he coulde not be at the selfe same tyme in heauen and aâ—so susteyne and gouerne his congregacion as though it had bene one tyred with rulynge and laboringe left Peter in his place and so after theÌ„ all the Bishops of Rome in ordinary succession Howe beit yf men and not Christ were the foundacion of the churche of christendome whiche dyd susteyne and beare thesame trewlye it shoulde haue weake and verye feble pillers to leaue vpon and so feble that it woulde not once but more then a thousand tymes haue ben ouerthrowen namely because this thing is without controuersie When the Byshope of Rome is dead there is not by and by another chosen in his roume but some dayes at the least come betwen wherin the church of Christ should lacke a head thoughe it neuer lacked one at any tyme elles Nowe maye you perceyue whether the churche were then destroyed or not And this dare I boldlye saye yf the churche of Christ shoulde leane vpon men after thys sorte as vpon the foundacion hell gates had preuayled agaynst it longe before thys tyme. Furthermore yf we were grounded vpon men and shoulde trust to them as to oure grounde worke and foundacion we shoulde be all accursed accordyng to the sayng Cursed be that manne whiche putteth hys trust in manne And then shoulde not our churche be the churche of Christ but the Sinagoge of Satan and Peter shoulde haue erred excedyngly Christe beyng lyfted vp in to the highe place of heuen and he lefte for the foundacion of the churche in earthe in y t he exhorteth Christian men not to buylde vpon hym but vpon Christe the true and suer foundacion and grounde worke of his churche And this also is very true Euen as Christ dyd not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he sayed but whom saye you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they al being demauÌ„ded should euery one haue answerid for theÌ„selues But there was muche communicacion amongest theÌ„ at suÌ„dry times before they al coÌ„fessed with one accorde that he was the sonne of God althoughe Iudas with a lyuelye faythe beleued not so And Christ at another time asked al his Apostles wyll you also depart Peter onely in the name of the reste made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Whiche thing is euident of the wordes that folowe to whom shal we goe we knewe beleued longe agon that thou art Christ the very sonne of the liuing God Of a lyke sort he aunswered in the name of them all when he spake these wordes Thou art Christe the sonne of God And because Peter in the name of them all confessed Christe to be the sonne of god ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke will I buyld my church â–ª that he spake not onely to Peter but to them all althoughe it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayed Peter onely is not the liuely rocke but all suche as folowinge hys example verelye beleue and confesse Christ to be the sonne God be liuely rockes which be buylded vpon the vnchauÌ„geable precious corner stone Christ the only foundacion of his church But I praye you tell me in good earnest what sayed master Falsidicus to such thiÌ„ges as were obiected Lepi. Would ye know sayed he how Christ minded by these wordes to make Peter the foundacion and head of his church Reade the wordes that folow ye shal perceyue that he spake to Peter wheÌ„ he sayd To thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde in yearth it shall also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in yearthe it shall be loosed in heauen Yt is not to be thought but that Christ being most true of hys promise performed most habouÌ„dantly y t whatsoeuer he promysed Peter And so muste it bee graunted that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peter therfore hath he power to open and to shit vp heauen to whome so euer it shall please hym and to bringe in and dryue out whome he shal thinke mete as he will him selfe so may he lose also and bynde And forasmoche as by the woordes of Christe Peter only had thauthority to loose binde to opeÌ„ and shut heuen it foloweth that Christ gaue authoritie ful and whole to Peter and ordeyned him onely to bee head of hys churche Mas. Yf onely Peter and the byshoppes of Rome haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they only haue power to open thesame forsothe I would not dye when the sea of Rome is vacant and voyd of a byshop For then shoulde there bee no body whiche shoulde open heauen gates to me And I maruayle more ouer of whome they gatte the keyes of purgatory for it apereth by theyr own coÌ„fession that Christ gaue hym none other keâ—es but of the kyngdom of heauen onely But I coulde haue choked hym euen with one worde Lepi. Howe Mas. Thus would I haue sayed Themperours porter hathe the keye of themperour hys court and hathe authoritie to open and shit and the Mayor of a citie hathe authoritie to bynde and loose and yet neither of them bothe is themperour Of a like sorte be it that Peter had the keyes authorytie to binde and lose it followeth not therfore that he is the head and lord of the churche of god that he is equall with Christe or elles at leste his vicar of equall authoritie by whome our faythe may be stable and suer that he is the vmpieâ— and iudge of all controuersies whiche arise in holie scripture But tell me thys one thynge what answere made thembassadour of Constantinople to thys thinge Lepidus Fyrste he aunswered that Christ gaue not the keyes euen then to Peter but promysed them only not doutinge but that Christe kept promes with him But he was desirous to know of master Falsidicus the time when he deliuered the keies to Peter and gaue him thauthoritie to louse to bind what wordes he sayed when he gaue them For by that meanes the trueth might appere what was ment by these keyes and what is thys authoritie To thys master Falsidicus made aunswere That he assuered Peter of them when after hys resurrection he asked Peter whether he loued hym more earnesâ—ly then the rest dyd or not vnto whome Peter made aunswere saying Thou knowest O Lord that I loue the then Christ gaue him iniunccion to feede his shepe In the very selfe same houre he made him the chiefe shepard and bishop of al soules TheÌ„ Thembassador of Constantinople smylinge sayed yf preachinge the worde of God be the fedinge of soules as the holy doctors with one assent doeth expound it it is with out dout that that office was not onelye gyuen to Peter but also to
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
euidently appeare by the wordes of Christ when he sayeth to his Apostles That whiche I saye to you I saye to all Neither semeth it any thing lykely that he spake that thyng whiche he taught to them only but to all Truelye thys is certayne as Saynct Hierome wrot vpon thys sayng To the I will gyue the keyes of the heauenly kyngdome That y e bishops priestes haue thought hitherto by the reason of their pryde and pharisaical arrogancie that they had power to condempne the gyltles and to deliuer the gyltie But truelye they bee deceyued all ouer the fielde Because that the question is not before God of the iudgement of the priest but of the life of the sinner Whereby he playnlye declarethe that the choyse of binding and loosinge is not left in the libertie of the priest but in the sinner who is coÌ„maunded to beleue The minister of Gods word doeth not absolue but he publisheth declareth man to be absolued likewise he declareth man to be bound and condempned onles he beleue Euen as y e scepter royal signifieth a kinges power and the swerde the empire So likewise doth the keyes betoken the spirituall gouernaunce of the kingdome of god For whosoeuer he be that preache the gospell be it whosoeuer ye will in that he preacheth he doeth all that lyeth in him to open the kingdome of heaueÌ„ to the hearers whether it be openly or priuatly that he preache to one or to many More ouer he delyuereth all the beleuers he forgiueth all theyr synnes he saueth them and bringeth them into the kingdome of God when he teacheth that they be fre by faythe and because they beleue that theyr synnes bee forgeuen them they bee saued and in the kingdome of Christe Agayne on the other syde he byndeth al them which beleue not he retayneth their synnes he condempneth them and shutteth them out of the kingdome of heauen when he teacheth them that they are bound that they remaine in theyr sinne that they be dampned and shut out of the kingedome of grace by the reason of theyr vnbelefe But thys thing is worthye to be noted y t there is two kingedomes of Christe in earthe whereof the one is spirituall and canne not bee seen wherin dwell onely the godly and righteouse men and another that is much greater wherein abyde not onely the good but also all other that bee Baptized whiche will seme to bee christians Neyther were the keyes of bothe these kingdomes deliuered onely to Peter but also to all the rest of thapostles and by them to the successours of thapostles that the ministers of the worde of god might not onely shut and open the fyrste kingdome as it is before declared but also the second For they maye suspende and excommunicate synners openly when they amende not aâ—ter suche order as Christe hathe appoynted and so shut them out of the seconde kingdome and bannishe them the company of other christians They maye also loose when they shewe forthe tokens of penaunce that is to say they maye declare in the christian congregacion that they be fre euen as before they declared them to bee bound by that meanes open vnto them the seconde kyngdome and graunte vnto them the libertie to dwel and abyd in the company of other christians with them to receaue the holy Sacramentes Then were these the keies thys the authoritie that Christ spake of wheÌ„ he sayd to his apostles what so euer ye shal bynde in earth it shall be bounde in heauen and what soeuer ye shall loose in earth it shal be loosed also in heauen The ministers also of the churche of Christe may and ought to enioyne penaunce to suche as bee excommunicated at such time as they conuerte and repent that they maye openly shewe tokens of a penitente harte not that they may thynke thereby to satisfy make a sufficient recompense for theyr offeÌ„ces in the sight of God for y e which Christ hath suffered long a goe y t neither they theÌ„selues neither other folowing their example should any more committe the lyke offences neither should withstand the correction of the churche and of the ministers But as touchynge the signes that bee vnknowen and secret the ministers ought not scrupulously to inquire for y e knowleage of them Neuerthelesse the manne that is troubled with thys kynde of synnes and commynge to a sobre and learned minister in christiaÌ„ knowledge telling him of the trouble of hys conscience and requiryng of hym what were best for him to doe wherby to be restored agayne to goddes mercye Then shall thys Phisician preache to the soule so repentaunt the gospell and moue him to beleue that Christ is he who hath satisfied for hys synnes also for the sinnes of the whole worlde Whiche thyng when the sinner beleueth immediatly the minister of goddes worde openeth vnto him the kyngdome of heauen and beareth witnes that hys sinnes be nowe forgyuen hym and also the sinner so repentaunt may make a rehersall and a confession of hys fayth before the sayd learned minister and maye demaunde of hym whether that bee a true and liuely fayth which shal suffice to saluacion Then shall thys minister open vnto hym the whole doctrine of Christes fayth and so induce him to the true fayth and shewe him the waye wherby he maye attayne to the right fayth and remayne therin increasing continually Then shall the minister open vnto hym remedies mete for hym wherby he may preserue himselfe safe and vnspotted from suche greuouse offences as he perceyueth hym most enclined vnto And who so hath a true faythe goeth streyght wayes to Christe with the Samaritane to render present thankes in hys presence But who so hath not that fayth he shall alwayes be a wicked manne and an infidell though he confesse hymselfe euery daye a thousand tymes Thys is the power whiche Christ gaue not onely to Peter but to all the Apostles of hys churche that is to saye to preache the gospell to declare the remission of sinnes to all them that beleue and to holde in synne suche as beleue not to minister the sacramentes according to the word of god Christes institucion and to punishe them that offende openly and will not repent when they be entreated after suche a sort as Christ hath appoynted That is first that they be excomunicat and then yf they amend to be receyued agayne into the christian congregacion This power being gyuen by Christ vnto his churche is not extendyd but to them onely whiche be in thys lyfe whiles they liue here And therfore sayed Christ whatsoeuer ye shall bynde or whatsoeuer ye shall loose not indifferently in all places but in earth shal be bounde and loosid Wherfore it is true that the churche militant hath no power vpoÌ„ theÌ„ that be passed out of this lif and rest in the lorde Neither gaue he any authoritie to the churche militant to gyue pardons a
and rightuousnes powred into all the other membres of the chosen For he is our lyfe lyght and ryghtuousnes ▪ Nowe on the othersyde the pope sayeth I am the heade of the church militant Yf ye wyl haue lyght and knowledge of heauenly thynges ye muste come to me For I onelye am a boue all learned and holye menne aboue the counselles and aboue holy scriptures it selfe yea and also aboue youre fayth Wherfore ye must beleue accordinge to my worde and although the wordes of holy scripture be the wordes of god yet must they be expounded and declared after my fashyon and as I say I am onelye he whiche canne not erre Wherefore as concerning matters of faythe euery manne ought to shit his eyes and truste to my worde and sticke thereunto vndoutedly The pope sayeth more ouer yf any manne bee deade in the sight of god and a synner let hym come to me and out of hand by the helpe of my absolutions and pardōs he shal liue and be made rightuouse in the sight of god As thoughe he shoulde saye I am your light and rightuousnes and not Christ. What thinge doth pulle Christe violentlye out of his place and thrust in hymselfe if thys doe not Christe is oure chiefe and euerlasting priest as it is wrytten of him Who whē he had once offred hymselfe vpon the crosse founde out euerlastinge redempcion for vs and satisfied for oure synnes and pleased the wrath of god the father for euer The pope sayeth I am the chiefe byshoppe of the churche of Christ y e sacrifice that Christ made was not sufficyent to satysfye for synne and pacyfy the wrathe of God And therefore haue I ordeyned the sacryfice of the masse and other offeringes and meritoriouse workes To doe thus is not onely to plucke Christ out of his place put in him selfe but it is also a manifest confession that Christe was not an imperfecte prieste because that with hys sacryfice he made not suffycient satysfaction for oure synnes neyther pacifyed the wrathe of god enoughe and therefore hathe he nede of the Popes helpe yea and it is also a confession that the holy goste in holy scripture was a lyer whiche thinge is nothinge elles but a mynde to place himselfe aboue god For the pope canne neyther lye neither erre in matters of faythe and god dyd bothe lye and erre by hys confession Christe also is the onely mediator betwyxt god and manne as it is written No manne commeth to the father but by thys mediatour he is the waye and the gate that leadeth to God he is oure aduocat oure propiciacion oure holynes oure redemption and helthe He onelye is oure Iesus and sauiour neither is oure saluacion in any other but in hym onelye as Peter wryteth And therefore Chryste calleth all menne to hym sayinge come to me all ye that labour and be burdenid with the burden of synne and I wil geue reste and quietnes vnto you Who so thursteth for saluacion let hym come to me and he shal bee refreshed But the Pope contrarywise sayeth I am he by whome ye may pacifye the wrathe of god by me onelye and by my ministers ye maye obteyne remission of youre synnes I am the waye that leadeth to heauen I haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen I canne open and shute at my pleasure to whome when and after what sorte it shall please me By me onelye ye maye haue lyfe euerlastynge and god wylbee mercifull and pleased with you Neyther wyll I that ye shall haue Christe alone youre mediator and aduocat in heauen but I wyll that ye chose some amongest them that bee dead suche as lyke you best so that they bee canonized by me and take them for your mediatours intercessours proctours aduocates and patrones I wyll also that ye seke for youre saluacion not in Christe alone thoughe Peter saye playnly that it canne be founde in none other but chiefly in me in my absoluciōs benedictiōs and pardons and in youre owne workes also and in the merites and intercession of Saynctes Wherfore come to me all that be troubled with sorowe of conscience and in me ye shall finde peace Nowe whether all these thynges be most cruell wicked and blaphemouse or not he maye easly perceyue that is not al together blynde Therfore it is most true that Daniell sayed speakynge of hym that he shoulde bee suche a shameles blasphemor that he should speake agaynste God hymselfe And we also knowe that accordynge to the doctrine of Paule euery christian manne is the temple of god and of a lyke sort the congregacion of the faythfull is called the churche of God and we se that the Pope reygneth in the heartes of some christiā men which worship him euen now as their God And also wee see not onelye howe he reygneth in the heartes of sundrye menne but also in the middest of the churche militant as the supreme of all creatures Therefore it is fullye accomplyshed and performed that Paule spake of hym when he wrote y t he should sitte in the temple ▪ God not in the temple buylded by mannes handes at Hierusalem but in y ◠heartes of men and in the militant church of Christ as though he were God and braggeth hymself before menne as very God And bycause these thynges whiche Paule sayed can not be applied to none other in the worlde it must of necessitie be graunted that he onely is the same ryghte and great Antichriste and the very selfe same horrible abhominacion of whom Christ prophecied that he should stablishe hys seat in the holy place Neither was it ynough for hym to thrust hym selfe in to Christes place and to auaūce himselfe aboue god but also he woulde depraue the holy scriptures be in all poyntes quite contrary to Christ. That all these thynges bee true hereof it maye appeare Euen as Christe hath left nothynge vnproued for vs whiche are necessary for the mayntenaunce of oure naturall lyfe so is it to be beleued that muche lesse he woulde leaue anye of those necessaries vnprouyded whiche shoulde apartayne to the spirituall lyfe Therefore must we beleue that god hath declared vnto vs in the holy scriptures as much as is nedefull wherunto no creature must adde neither take awaye one word as God by Moses doth comaunde for they only be in all poyntes perfect Therfore Paule writinge to Timothie saieth All scripture inspired from aboue is profitable to rebuke and amende to instruct in righteousnes that a manne who is dedicate to God maye be vpryght and perfect in all good workes Then by the doctrine of Paule it is playne that those thynges which be conteyned in the holy scripture be sufficient to make a manne perfecte whiche thynge must nedes be graunted for Christe disclosed to hys Apostles as to hys beloued frendes and children all that he receiued of hys father And afterwarde he opened their myndes by hys spirite and declared vnto
them the true meanyng of those thynges which the same apostles dyd writ preache and publishe abrode plentifully So that the gospell is moste perfecte and full as Paule wrote to the Hebrues And as for the pope he is all together contrary to all these thynges that be spoken First and formost he sayeth that holy scripture is imperfect and is not sufficient to declare fully all mattiers that belonge to saluacion and that he can adde vnto it as he hathe done when he allowed those bokes that be apocripha and of none authoritie for holy bokes as though they were in the canon And also when he made an innumerable sorte of decrees and decretalles and commaundementes of manne and articles of our fayth And he sayeth more ouer thougheit be closly that the twelue articles of the faythe deliuered and preached by the Apostles be not sufficient to saluacion And then the Apostles bee damnned all christian men who hath not receyued the lyghte of the articles obseruacions and commaundementes of the Pope So that it must folowe in the name of God that the Popes were wyser then Christ hym selfe or at the least wyse were more mercifull bycause they haue opened so many thynges to the worlde whiche bee as they saye necessarye to oure saluacion and neuer opened neither by Christe nor god But what a mischeuous dede is it that all these articles of the faythe made by the Pope bee all together repugnaunt and quite contrarye to the articles of the Apostles and to all holy scripture as it is well knowen For brefely in the Creade and in holye scripture it is comprehended that it is god by whose goodnes and grace throughe Christe who suffered death for vs who rose againe and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father all creatures muste receyue saluacion and also fele hys plentiful loue towardes vs through the holy gost and that he who beleueth in Christ shal haue lyfe euerlastyng as he hym selfe is a witnes But the contentes of the Popes articles bee all together contrary to thys geare that is to say that fayth in Christ is not sufficent to saluacion and that it is necessarye to beleue that the Pope hath authoritie ouer all And that we must beleue accordyng to the doctrine of y e Pope that neither the grace of Christ nor the death of Christ is sufficient to saluacion but that our meritorious workes must also of necessitie be added with confession deuised by the Pope and hys absolutions pardons and prayer to Sayntes and besydes all thys the fire of purgatory And that the holy gost as they saye is not enoughe for the vnderstandynge of holy scripture and to knowe the wyll and pleasure of God but that the Pope muste expounde all thynges No manne canne denye but thys is a very settinge of him selfe aboue God Daniel wrote wonderfull learnedly of hym saying that he shall induce men noughtely and wickedly to breake their promises that they haue made to God For euen as God who is the well springe of all goodnes promised in Aabraham to be our god that he woulde take y e charge of euery one of vs woulde gyue himself for vs makyng vs pertakers of all hys felicitie And we agayne haue promised hym that we wyll be hys people to aske and loke for al goodnes at his hand only to acknowledge him onely our God and will gyue thankes and render honor wurshyp to him alone On thother side the pope sayeth naye to this geare that God is angry with vs and that Christ coulde not sufficiently pacifie hys wrath but that the Pope must helpe with his authoritie and the Saynctes with their prayers and merites also we our selues with our good workes and also the deuells with theyr fyer of purgatory Therfore is it very trewe that Daniel sayd that he should chaunge the tymes he shoulde transpose the tyme of grace into the tyme of the lawe the tyme of light into the tyme of darknes Neyther thinke they it a dede mischieuouse enoughe to make newe articles of the faythe at theyr pleasure contrary to tharticles of god excepte also they depraue the lawe of god with their preceptes and commaundementes which commaundementes be also contrary to the commaūdementes of God For it is without controuersy that all the lawe of God doeth depende vpon the loue towardes god and towardes oure neighbour and the pope myndynge to destroye bothe the partes of the lawe of god hathe infected purposely these two chiefe groundes vpō the which hange al the lawe ◠the prophetes For he affirmeth cōtrary to thexpresse worde of God y t god requireth not necessarely of vs that we shoulde loue hym with all our hart with all oure soule and all oure mynde but that we shoulde loue hym aboue al other thynges affirminge that to be the commaundemente and to loue god with all oure hearte is but a counsell And as touchinge oure neyghbour of a lyke sort he sayeth that it is a counsell and a perfection and not cōmaundement to loue oure enemy with all our harte but that onelye we ought to shewe outward tokens of loue towardes our enemyes And agayne whereas the lawe is most perfect there sayth he that it is vnperfecte therfore he holdeth that it is lawfull and that wee ought to adde some thing vnto it and to doe some workes besydes them that be commaunded in the lawe of god whiche be called supererogatory workes that is to say workes that be not commaunded For this cause hathe he deliuered new rules to the world new trades of lyuyng ordinaunces and commaundementes suche it may chaunce as he dremed when he was in some frensy vtterlye pugnant cōtrary to y e cōmaūdementes of god wheras god commaunded himself onely to be wurshipped he will also be wurshipped of vs and moreouer commaundeth vs that we shall not onely worship Sainctes but also theyr dead bodies and relikes God willeth and commaundeth vs that we shal make no ymage neither of himselfe neither of any other creature any picture or similitude to be worshipped The pope willeth commaundeth ymages and pictures of Sainctes to be made to bee set vp all aboute in the churche in euery corner there to be wurshipped that no place there bee voyde of ydolatrye Of a lyke sorte god commaundeth that no man should take hys name in vayne that is to saye when a man promyseth any thynge by an othe takinge god to witnes he muste kepe the thinge that he promyseth but the pope denieth that promes ought to be kept with heretikes as he taketh heretikes that is to saye with true Christian men willinge and commaunding with expresse wordes to deceaue thē that they maye be betrayed and burned thoughe he haue sworne the cōtrary neuer so much taking god and all saynctes to witnes Yea he doeth pardon forgeue and absolue men from theyr rightfull othes in honest ciuile matters so that it redounde