who can doe it fyner if to maintaine the slewes who kéepeth a more sturre if to fauor fornication they haue no fellowes Good Orators I warrant you they are But in the defence of the Pope what is their reasons Marrie say they as in a Citie ought to bee one chiefe Mayor or Magistrate as in a shippe ought to bée one Maister as ouer a houshold ought to be one husbande and as in a Realme ought to be one ruler or Prince so in the Church amongst Christians ought to be saye they one head Uicar one Uicegerent or Regent vnder Christ Consider gentle Reader indifferently the strength of the example wey it with thine owne conscience vprightly Is it reason bicause a Prince without the assistance vnder God of others as of his counsaylers and officers can not rule well and orderlye his realme that therefore Christ without the ayde and helpe of man may not guide and rightly order his Church shall Gods infinite power bée so pinched and brought into that straightnesse as to bee compared with the miserable estate and impotencie of man shall the argument bée good bicause man maye not therefore God can not What shoulde we speake of the mutabilitie of mans hart or else of the stedfastnesse of the Lords counsell Fie vppon that man and fie vpon that spirituall man which woulde chalenge to rule the whole earth and that woulde abuse the name authoritie and power of GOD to maintaine such pride Fie vpon that tyrannicall tryple crowne chaire diademe scepter and the carying of vpon mens shoulders Fie in déede with dolor of hart I speake vpon all such popish pompe and pompeous poperie If I be earnest beare with me the cause requireth it What reason is it as though GOD were vtterly absent as though he could not be euery where present for a sinfull man to vsurp the maistrie and such a supreme maistrie ouer all ouer Princes Kinges and Emperors but we shall sée euen with our eyes this pride soone to decaye For the prowde is resisted of GOD and to the humble he graunteth his grace He putteth downe the mighty from their seats and exalteth them of low degree Whosoeuer exalteth himselfe shalbe brought lowe The bishop of Rome exalteth himselfe what then followeth therfore he must nedes be brought low And that hée doth exalt himselfe you shall sée that most euidentlye proued Christ woulde not haue neither his Apostles nor disciples to be called kings or Lords For know ye not sayth he that they which seeme to beare rule among the Gentiles doe raigne as Lordes ouer them and they which bee great among them exercise authoritie ouer them So shall it not be among you c. If that then the bishop of Rome doth contrarie vnto this contrarie vnto Christ contrarie vnto the Apostles doth he not exalt himselfe he doth not onely chalenge to be supreme in causes Ecclesiasticall but also to haue royaltie ouer the Christen people He will bée called Lorde of Lordes King of Kings yea the Pope hath saith his defender a kingly power ouer his subiectes euen in temporall things Where is Iames and Iohn the sonnes of Zebede where is your mother why come you not and craue to sit the one on the right hand of the Pope the other on the left in his glorie good God that the eyes of Christen people were once opened that they might equally discerne what it is for one and the selfe same man to be called the seruaunt O hypocrisie of the seruants of God and contrarie vnto that to vse a temporall power a kinglye maiestie ouer all to haue his sworde his scepter to haue his guilt sturrops fye to put in his holy féete and in all defyance of humilitie to haue kings and Emperors to be his footemen What reason is this Pride sayeth Ambrose hath caused angels to become deuils Pride sayeth all the worlde hath caused the Byshop of Rome to be called Pope and of a Pope to procéede further in all the degrées of Antichrist Let neither Cardinall Councell nor Doctor say who is like vnto the Pope who is like vnto the beast who is able to warre with him For as sure as God liueth Babilon that great Citie must fall the walles of Hierusalem will be raised vp falshoode must flie truth will ouercome darknesse must down the light beginneth to shine the deuil maugre his head must yeeld God will haue the field Let vs therfore neuer abuse eloquence to defende pryde to maintaine the Pope For who toucheth Pitch shall bee filed withall and he that will communicate with the prowde shall cloth himselfe with pride Neuer felt our cuntriemen neuer felt learned men greater reprofe than when by shewe of skill they haue sought to defende shadowes to defende dreames and to defende the filthie abhominable abuses of Rome Oh it was not without good cause that the Christian Poet then thus spake of Rome of the Prelacy I say vnder y e name of the Citie Si quid Roma dabit nugas dabit accipit aurum Verba dat heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat If we haue anye thing from Rome they be trifles It receyueth our gold and deceiueth vs. Alas onely mony nowe there raigneth And what is further sayd thereof little praise I warraunt you and lesse it deserueth Quo magis appropias tanto magis omnia sordent The neerer you come to Rome the worse you will like it the more you loke on it the filthier it shall appeere What should I speake of their briberie ambicion poysoning fornication and euil liuing lothsome is the life if all were disclosed of their chiefe pastor the thing can not bée denyed his déedes be detestable Shall we graunt then by reason shall we be so vnreasonable that such a monster should be a maister and that ouer Gods annointed ouer Kinges and Princes how reuerently doth the scripture speake of Emperours and rulers how vnreuerentlye doth the bishop of Rome abuse and abase them and yet shall we followe the Pope Papam imitari debemus such is the reason that they vse Gregorie in reprouing the pride of the Bishop of Constantinople vseth this reason There were sayth he of the Bishops of Constantinople some that were great heretikes therefore if the bishop there should be called the vniuersall Patriarch the estate of Christes Church shoulde decaye Here if this reason be good we maye frame the like if it be not it is Gregorie and not I that framed it There were of the Bishops of Rome some which were great heretikes and verie lewde men therefore if the Bishop there should be the chiefe then the estate of Christ his Church shoulde decaye This is the Popes owne reason let him sée vnto it Aske of them what Anastasius Sisinnius and Iohn the twelfth of that name were They were Popes of Rome the one was an heretike the seconde was a wicked man and the thirde was a monster and a
for Peters sake to haue the preheminencie the maioritie the superioritie ouer all the rest Christ alloweth it not the Pope will belike it shall be as he will That I speake no worse of him a wilfull part he playeth thus in abusing holye Scripture in peruerting the sense by his insensible reasons to serue his turne and desire But deale he as he list yet dare I lay that he shall be brought down to the depth of hell And as for his arrogant al ignorant arguments they shal bée here layde out their weakenesse shall be disclosed to their shame that still will defende him and to their praise that in time forsake him I craue of thée good Reader in hys name before whom we al must be iudged y t thou wilt for thine owne sake sée vnto these arguments consider their absurdities and wey them with indifferencie Their first fonde argument is this Christ sayd thou art Peter and vpon this rocke I will builde my Church Therefore the Bishop of Rome is the supreme heade O Lorde what a wise reason is this where was Logique and that I speake not of the rest where was cōmon sense when this was framed vppon what will he builde his Church shake off blindenesse confesse the truth super hanc petram id est super hanc fidem vpon this rock that is to say vpon this fayth Vpon him which rightly confesseth that Christ is the sonne of the liuing God shall the Church be builded And did none euer confesse that but Peter yes all the rest of the Apostles Iudas I scariotes excepted Therefore vppon them all vpon any whosoeuer that confesseth Christ to be the sonne of y e liuing God is the Church builded For what is the building of Christ his Church is it any thing else than the increase of faithfull people confessing and acknowledging the faith of Christ what dreame they than vpon Tues Petrus super hanc petram perceiue they not how that place of scripture is most playne or is it vnto them that the holy ghost by the Prophete Esay doth thus speake you shal heare but you shall not vnderstand you shall see and yet not perceyue Oh repent and beleue the Gospell For this argument they themselues sée doth neyther proue in Peter any superioritie nor yet that their Pope ought to haue anye primacie Procede we then to their other arguments Christ sayde vnto Peter féede my lambes féede my shéepe féede my shéepe therefore Peter is the heade of the Apostles I wéene this be to headie an argument in the iudgement of any reasonable man to be graūted Of Logique I will no more speake for as all men may sée they eyther vtterly lacke it or else they want good matter therein to vtter it or both Shall it follow bicause Christ bade Peter féede his sheepe that therefore he is the heade of the Apostles what is it to féede Christ his shéepe is it anye thing else than to preach the Gospel and so to instruct men in the faith sayde he not then asmuch vnto the rest hos numero 12. emisit Iesus Christ sent forth euerie of the twelue to preache ad oues perditas to call home the strayed shéepe to féede them He gaue no one iote of authoritie vnto Peter which he gaue not vnto all the rest he sent them all to preache the Gospell to féede his shepe But why would the Bishop of Rome haue Peter so plainly against the scriptures to be the principal or chiefe among the Apostles latet anguis in herba there is a pad in the strawe it is not be ye assured to further Peter it is nothing for Peters sake it is to the intent that he himselfe O prowde man might chalenge a superioritie ouer all This is the cause that these blinde arguments came forth that the scriptures be so wrested abused and belyed Againe they thus reason Christ sayth vnto Peter thou shalt finde in the fish his mouth a péece of coyne of foure drammes paye that for me and thée therefore Peter hath a primacie ouer all the Apostles A perfite argument I warraunt you if it be throughlye weyed there was neuer such absurd toyes neuer such boyish brawling I dare saye deuised Doth I pray you Christ bicause hée then payed tribute chalenge vnto himselfe therefore anye power did not as manye as were at Capernaum pay the tribute of two drammes did anye one of them thereby claime an authoritie how shall Peter then hereby haue any superioritie is it bicause Christ payd for him two grotes good God a great manye yea all they must needes graunt payd at Capernaum for their seruants the like tribute and yet did they not therfore attribute vnto their men any chiefe dignitie The truth is mightie and the contrarie is weake the truth hereof is Peter had neuer a pennie and therfore Christ with that one coyne least he shoulde be an offence vnto them payd for him This is the right sense there is no more in it to séeke What can be plainer than this what can be more peruerse than to shadow with lies with lewdnesse so manifest a truth But O the great strength of veritie which against the deuilish craft and subtilty of men and agaynst all the false guiles of any whosoeuer of hir owne force doth defende hir selfe an other of their argumentes is this Christ sayd vnto Peter Simon Simon beholde Satan hath desired to sifte you as it were Wheate but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not therefore Peter hath a maioritie ouer al the Apostles and is their superiour Suppose here Christen reader what these men would doe if others framed against them such foolish and self will arguments Neuer saye that they are learned except they haue some better learning But I maruayle not so much at their blindnesse I haue bene in it I know therof the effects If I wondered at any thing it shoulde be at this that there are amongst so many men not so much as one eye Neyther speake I of corporall eyes but of those rather which Aungels haue the eyes of vnderstanding the eyes wherewith God is séene wherewith his holy worde is vnderstanded Now touching this place of Scripture whereas Christ sayd vnto Peter that Satan desired to sift them as it were Wheate the ryght meaning marke well indifferent Reader thereof is that our Sauiour Christ perceyuing the time of his passion to approche and vnderstanding the frailtie temptation and feare that his Apostles should then be in he sayd all you shall bee offended through me this night for it is written I will smite the shepherde and the sheepe shall be scattered ▪ Sée here howe plainly the Euangelist S. Marke setteth forth that place of S. Luke The shepehearde is Christ the shéepe are the Apostles at his taking they scattered relicto illo omnes fugerunt they left him in the handes of his aduersaries and fled
one Euery parish had his peculiar God Against the holy Sainctes I will not speake the Sainctes were abused Were it in taking of a iourney in perill and daunger I put it vnto your owne consciences who were called vpon was not God in a maner forgotten and al this happened through ignorance through the want aswell of Gods word truely preached as of the Scriptures to be read in euerye mans language and receyued Let all therefore pray and speake in the speach that is vnderstanded For else when thou blessest with the spirite how shall he that occupieth the rome of the vnlearned say Amen at thy thankesgiuing he vnderstandeth not what thou sayest hee is not edified They further reproue vs for singing of Psalmes and to speak the thing plainly they reprehende vs for praising of God O Turkish blindenesse O Iewish heathennesse O hellish peruersenesse Did not Debora and Barak after the victorie sing the same daye and praise the Lorde Heare Kings Lords I will sing and giue prayse vnto the Lord God of Israell Who euer blamed them for this I will sing sayth S. Paule with the spirite and I will sing with the minde also Why then will they reprehende our singing ▪ Be yee sayeth he fulfilled with the spirite speaking amongst your selues in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs singing and making melodie vnto the Lorde in your hearts You heare what the Apostle of Christ willeth vs to doe My songs sayth the Prophet Dauid will I make of thy name O thou most highest Whosoeuer therefore rebuketh vs for singing of Psalmes the same doth withstande the Scriptures and holye ghost But if they themselues do allow their owne singings why then disalowe they ours It is an vniust thing sayth S. Augustine that one should iudge another and not to be willing to be iudged himselfe Yea they themselues thus write Concerning the singing of Hymnes we haue the example of our Sauiour and of the Apostles Be not therefore any longer obstinate the Psalmes of Dauid we sing neuer go about to carpe our singing Many other things there be which in vs they doe blame I will touch ouer as manye of them as I remember and be briefe I will not be partiall my penne shall defend no vntroth it shall cloke no wickednesse Let Eurybiadas shake his staffe let as manye as thinke it their pleasure reprehende me so they bée willing to heare mée The truth I knowe must purchase hatred That made Geminius to be hated of Cleopatra Praxaspis of the King Cambyses Pantaleon of Lysimachus Phocion of the people of Athens Aristippus of Dionysius Why were the Apostles of Christ persecuted why were they hated bicause they preached the truth Why were a number put to death in the regions of Aphrica in Antioch and Alexandria bicause they professed the truth Truly it is hard to finde one without enimies who is vnto vice vntruth a professed enimie If all then be not my friendes if all deale not friendly I force not The faithful I trust will weygh with indifferencie my worke they will first reade and then iudge Much contention sayth the aduersaries is amongst our selues much varietic in opinion and great diuersitie in Religion Some will weare say they a cornerd cap some will not What vnitie is amongst these men This may soone be aunswered For what is a greater vnitie than altogither as we doe to hate blindenesse to forsake superstition to renounce Antichrist and to embrace true Christianitie wée all with one minde doe meane to labour for the meate which perisheth not our intent is to set forth the doctrine of Christ the same which the Apostles preached which he himselfe pronounced where can be a greater or a godlier vnitie than this there is amongst vs but one fayth one baptisme and one God What vnitie then is to be compared vnto this What if one if two or thrée doe not so well like the wearing of a Cap shall therefore for a Cap the Gospell of Christ be thus carped Will they not vnderstande that Theodorus and S. Hierome were not in all things of one minde Know they not that S. Augustine and S. Hierome did once contende yea and that Hierome accused Augustine with these termes ostentare doctrinam lacessere pueriliter certare with such others was this no discorde maye it please them to pervse their owne doinges and they shall hardly finde any one point wherin they do not disagrée Some of them sayth that Christ did eate himselfe some otherwise some write one thing some another some alledgeth this some that some say they cannot tell what Is not this a pretie vnitie and will they néedes condemne vs for a Cap let them consider howe amongst the verye Apostles there was some dissension yea and such as amongst two of them one was in an error Quia Petrus qui circuncidebat cessit Paulo veritatem predicanti for Peter who defended Circumcision yelded vnto Paule preaching the truth Came not certaine from Iurie and taught the brethren saying Except you be circumcised after the maner of Moyses ye cannot be saued Great dissension controuersie and disputing was amongst them and yet was the Gospell of Christ not withstanding perfite and good What was there not betwene Paule and Barnabas such sharpe dissension that they parted a sunder one from another you sée that amongst the chosen amongst the verie twelue trifling dissension sometime did happen Howe then may they require a greater perfection in vs than in the primatiue Church than in the Apostles of Christ they saye further that our Ministers which I somewhat haue touched before bée lewde and that they come into the Church for liuing and not for loue or zeale vnto Religion Let them speake this particularlye of some and wée confesse it If they say it vniuersally of all we denie it But is their owne profession so pure their monasteries so perfite that there are none peruerse therein be not these their owne wordes Some came to the holye order of Priesthoode not for deuotion but for welth And some went into Monasteries rather for ease than for intent to serue God What further were they negligent in their offyce dissolute in their behauiour ignorant in good learning ambitious riche and couetous Howe with what forheades with what faces can they blame vs when these blames be in themselues For our partes we will doe as Philip the father of Alexander was wont to doe We thanke them for their reprehension we shall endeuor thereby to redresse that is amisse Yet what so euer they alledge against vs let them neuer speake of ignorancie For none were so ignoraunt as they What was a greater ignorancie than to vse such Argumentes as these God is my witnesse whom I serue c. therfore the first See or seate is in the Romaine Church This is no ignorancie I speake it in earnest I dare boldly auouch that the
great their gadding vnto pilgrimages was horrible their hearing and bewraying of secretes their presumption in pardoning of offences was intollerable So farre were they from true repentance that they had pointed it in wordes onelye outwarde meanes and in dayes For did not a thousand thinke if they had gadded to this or that Pilgrimage that then they were perfite if they fasted certain dayes thought they not their sinnes to bée forgiuen if they had confessed their faults vnto the Priest thought they not thēselues wholy discharged yea and which is most abhominable bought they not repentaunce with money was it not solde them had they it not for twentie pence for ten pence for twoo pence some receiued twentie dayes pardon some thirtie some fortie O filthye merchandise Well What was further taught by ignoraunt and vnlearned men touching penance I neede not to say Onely this I dare auouch that therein the Pope himselfe was deceyued and that he deceyued others or deceitfully abused them The confession sayth Leo which is first offered vnto god and then vnto the Priest is sufficient vnto a repenter What the only confession the bare wordes and no compunction O how childish how foolish howe false is this doctrine is it inough with our lips to confesse our sinnes is it sufficient to tell them vnto the Priest is not repentance to be sorie for our sinnes past and afterwards to commit none to be sorie for Here is no telling vnto the Priest no secret whispering no auricular confession Poenitentia vera est dolor amaritudo animae pro malis quae quisque commisit vel consensit True repentaunce is the griefe of the hart and bitternesse of the soule for such euilles as one hath eyther committed or consented vnto This is sayth Ambrose the true repentance we sée what it is truly to repent and that we maye the better sée it we shall herein consider what S. Augustine sayth He speaketh of thrée kindes of repentaunce the one in them which before being heathens haue a mynde to be baptised The second is after baptisme the whole life of one led in prayers charity humilitie and such like vertuous laudable déedes the thirde is the repenting for those sinnes which through mās frailty we haue howsoeuer committed as the breaking of any of al the commaundements We sée here our whole life set forth and how we should at all times repent But let vs come vnto the holy Scriptures vnto whome confessed the Prophete Dauid his sinnes I will knowledge sayth he mine offence and accuse my selfe vnto the Lord. If we bée contrite in hart then is the Lord nye vnto vs if we be humble in spirite he will helpe vs. Repent sayeth our Sauiour for the kingdome of God is at hande And can we not repent except we shewe it vnto the Priest was not auricular confession condemned was it not abolished and that for good causes more than twelue hundred yeres past did not Nectarius the Bishop reprehend put it down what Unto whō I pray you shewed Daniel his grief I turned me sayth he vnto God the Lorde I prayed before the Lord my God What shoulde any moue vs therefore with mediators can we haue any more than one doe the Scriptures allow any more There is sayth S. Paule one God and one meditour betwene God and man which is the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe a raunsome for all men S. Paule sayth there is but one mediatour the Pope sayth there are more whome we shoulde credit I referre that Christian reader vnto thine owne conscience All herevnto that they can obiect is this there are of the Doctors saye they that defende auricular confession What is this else I pray you than to say there are men there are of their own companie that defende it with a good meaning I speake it I woulde to God that wée weyed the writings of men as they be and that wée woulde preferre none before the Prophetes and Apostles of Christ I would to God that men would consider what men were and what they haue written Else religion shall be hindered great absurdities shall growe S. Hierome I knowe was a good man yet if they will stand in all things vnto his iudgement then will I manifestly proue that y e Pope that now is is not of the church of Christ No man sayth Hierome that is spotted with any vncleannesse is of the Church of Christ But the Pope is spotted with some vnclennesse therefore he is not of the Church of Christ Here is a heauie thing they must eyther denie Hierome or deface the Pope You sée what it is to stande so much vppon the Doctors What néedeth manye wordes the repentance that is allowed by Scripture the penance that is approued by the Apostles the same that is set forth by the Propetes and by Christ the same allow we the same we embrace and followe This if they as they doe will reprehende then carpe they not vs but the Scriptures of God Go we then further to sée their almes Wherein what they gaue is to be considered and also howe they gaue it is to be noted Neyther may we omit howe they came by the money which they gaue They came by their riches not rightly they got it by the meanes of Purgatorie If then the foundation bée naught nullius boni operis est supereaeficium no good worke can be builded thereon Yea it is not to bee accounted sayth Gregorie almes deedes if we giue vnto the poore of that which is vnlawfully gotten You sée it then playne that if they defende not Purgatorye their almes was no almes their deedes did nothing auayle them Why will some say haue they not builded houses of religion Colleges and Hospitalles and what of that I will not aunswere with mine owne wordes but with the authoritie of Gregorie Gregorie disprouing the almes giuen of goods vnlawfully gotten saith thus vnde etiam certum est quia si monasteria vel xenodochia vel aliquid aliud ex pecunia quae pro sacris ordinibus datur construatur non proficit mercedi whence it may euidentlye appeare that though Monasteries hospitalles or any such like thing be builded with mony giuen for holye orders such yet doth nothing auayle But peraduenture one will thinke and say there are many Christians which are rich niggardes and couetous I shall not sinne if I take from them and giue vnto the poore such thought sayeth Augustine commeth through the suggestion of the deuill For be it that he woulde giue all vnto the poore which he had taken yet doth he rather encrease his sinne than diminish it If then the Priestes tooke monye for Dirges Trentals Prayers Pardons and Masses which euen by their owne law is vnlawfull and by Gods law is wicked how maye they saye that they gaue almes or had if we iudge indifferently anye deuotion but if they list
of Hell it selfe if all the power and force of Satan shall not preuayle as in déede they can not against the Church of Christ howe then and with what face may y e bishop of Rome in whose person sinne hath triumphed and in whose religion hell hath reioyced how may he chalenge himselfe to be the head supreme and chiefe of that Church whome the holye ghost ruleth and ordereth whom he directeth vntill the consummation of the worlde in the waye of all perfection and truth if the Bishop of Rome be the head in what estate O Lord are the limmes what a monstruous bodie would that be And not to speak of the first heretike Nouatus qui à quibusdam sibi adherentibus sactus est Papa who by certain of his adherents was made Pope did not Marcellinus being bishop of Rome offer sacrifice vnto the Idols did not 2 Siluester which is a great fault for a hyreling flieth when he seeth the Woolfe come and forsaketh his shepe Did he not for feare of Maxentius flie vnto the hil Soracte which is .xx. myles from Rome did he not with a few of his Clergie neither he nor yet they regarding their poore shéepe there in a maner hide themselues was not 3 Liberius banished 4 and Foelix chosen Bishop was not Foelix displaced and Liberius againe receyued subscribed he not vnto the heresie of Arrius betwéene 5 Damasus which was accused of adulterie and 6 Vrsicinus much slaughter there was whiles both of them laboured with force and armes to enter into the Bishopricke Did not 7 Victor offende in cutting as they say from the vnitie of the Churche so great and so manye Churches doth not Ireneus reprehende him therfore the strife was great betweene 8 Bonifacius and 9 Eulalius they at one time both being chosen bishops of Rome To let passe 10 Sixtus which was accused by Passus did not 11 Anastasius fauor the heretike Achatius died he not in his error and miserably did not the Clergie withdraw themselues from him 12 Simmachus and 13 Laurentius were both chosen to be Bishops great contention was amongst them The lyke sturre was betwéene 14 Bonifacius and 15 Dioscorus Yea did not Bonifacius contrarie vnto all order choose 16 Vigilius to be his successor was not 17 Siluerius chosen by simonie was not 18 Pelagius elected contrarye vnto all former custome what broyle was there in the choosing of 19 Sergius what wickednes was wrought betwéene 20 Sisinius and 21 Dioscorus 22 Constantinus came to be bishop through ambition 23 Sabinianus was a very lewd man As for Pope 24 Ioane an honest woman she was What was 25 Stephanus an example of much mischiefe What crueltie vsed he towards the deade bodie of 26 Formosus what a wolf was 27 Christophorus what crueltie was in 28 Sergius it is horrible to heare what wickednesse was committed in a maner by twentie eyght Byshops of Rome Did not eyght Bishops raigne within the space of twelue yeares who had togither forsaken the steps of S. Peter What was 29 Iohn a verie monster he was slaine they say in his filthie adulterie What adoe was betwéene 30 Leo and 31 Benedictus Was not 32 Bonifacius a murtherer Was not 33 Iohn the .xv. a lowd man as for 34 Iohn the .xvij. his wickeducsse is horrible What was 35 Siluester the second a Coniurer In 36 Benedictus if his friendes write truly there was great fault What were not 37 Benedictus the .ix. 38 Siluester the .iij. and 39 Gregorie the .vi. at one time Bishops of Rome led they not yll lyues the one played the Bishop at S. Peters the second at S. Maries the third at S. Iohns 40 Damasus if they write the thing as it was intruded himselfe into the Bishoprick with méere force I will not speake of the warrier 41 Leo as he was a lewde Capitaine so had he euill lucke Betwéene 42 Benedictus and 43 Nicholas what sturr◠what a doe was kept the like was betwéene 44 Alexander and 45 Cadolus Touching 46 Gregorie he was excommunicated by the Bishops of Italie and why for simonie manslaughter and adulterie How great was the dissension betweene 47 Guibertus and 48 Paschal 49 Gelasius offended 50 Honorius became Bishop through ambition 51 Innosentius and 52 Anacletus contended for the dignitie 53 Eugenius forsooke his flocke So did 54 Pascall 55 Adrianus was to blame Lorde what debate was betwéene prowde 56 Alexander 57 Victor what should I shewe howe one Pope cursed another 58 Innocentius dydde lewdly 59 Calistus was a verie theefe I will omit dreaming 60 Iohn who promising vnto himselfe a long life was sodenlye slain with the fall of a chamber What was 61 Nicholas and 62 Bonifacius the one was vnthankful and cruell They both preferred rather their friends than such as feared God 63 Clemens was chosen by simonie What dissension was betwéene him and 64 Vrbanus 65 Bonifacius was yong and vnlearned With him did 66 Alexander contende What were not 67 Innocentius 68 Benedictus and 69 Gregorie all three at one time clayming and chalencing the dignitie Was not 70 Iohn a verie foole did not 71 Martinus and 72 Clemens contend at one time Did not 73 Eugenius forsake his flocke was not 74 Foelix a wicked and an ambicious man was not 75 Paulus lewde was not 76 Xystus vnprofitable I recken not vp one name twise if I haue declared that many of one name were lewde they were so they were sundrie men and sundrie Bishops Well is here all that were wicked bishops of Rome No. For a great number besides there were but touching these they are tried in a maner without study by their owne authorities to be such And shall these be the head of Christ his Church O Christ I commit the iudgement thereof to such as doe knowledge thée to such as in déede be Christians to such as vse some indifferency P Vae misero mihi mea nunc facinora Aperiuntur clam quae speraui fore My hidden faults be vttered now a wretch alas I am By Pride and fonde desire to raigne to passing shame I cam Psalm 1. Beatus est vir qui non abijt in concilio impiorum Happie is the man that followeth not the way of the wicked To the Reader YOV haue seene here what a number of lewde men were Bishops of Rome And yet some peraduenture will saye that their liues and wickednesse can stand in no force to barre them of their dignitie of their vsurped title of primacie No can Can any bee a member of Christ his Church who is so voyde of the holye Ghost that hee hath in him dwelling the right riches of Satan simonie I meane ambition pride murther and crueltie if such then maye not bee called a member howe shall wee tearme him how shall he claime to be the chief the head the supreme Iudge indifferentlye for so you shall profite your selues and easily be eased from the clog of bondage wherewith ▪ agaynst all reason good