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
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
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
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
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
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