clericus is this any better then takinge the Aigle by the throte Thus became Otto the first emperour of Germany with al his successors very bōdmen And the moste richest also myghtyest empire and kyngedome of all the worlde was in bondage and remained vnder the popes power dominion THus is the temporall gouernaunce euen here ouerthrowen The popes before were seruauntes and themperoure a prince and gouernour ouer all thempire Nowe is the pope become the gouernoure ouer all and themperoure a seruaunt In somuche that he must kysse the fete of his subiecte A faithfull and true Germaine emperoure oughte rather to graunt to be torne in peces But doutles if he dyd well beginne it wel sholde come of it Fye of soche shame before god and the worlde for this knauery can with no maner of scripture be proued except onely by their owne deuilysshe and vngodly lawes whiche the mounke standinge here by the pope confirmeth Ye and to be euen as true as the holy scriptures WHen a right natural Germain hart remēbreth wel this stinking pride and presumptiō of the pope it is for anger lyke to burst a sunder that the valeante and myghtie Germaine emperours haue suffred them selues to be made such fooles iesting stockes as to kysse the feete of so vngodlye a creature I beleue that if it were not to vyle a thynge they muste haue kyssed the popes hindermost part And yet euery man may not come so nyghe to the holy father AT the firste was it not so Constantinus the first and all his successors as many as were Christianes made and chose byshops at rome and euery where Nowe make the popes emperours kynges and byshops and therefore foineth he lykewise with his scepter at the other byrdes WHyles nowe the pope takethe vpon hym the gouernaunce and rule of this world so must he lykewise promise and swere to the hyghest prince of this worlde whiche is the deuyll And the same declareth the figure nexte following ¶ Here commeth the Deuyll with the pope and giueth hym his commaūdements accordinge to whiche he must behaue hym selfe in thys hys kingdome in earth WHyles as aboue is mencioned by the forsakinge of goddes worde the persuasion and illusion of the deuyll whiche onelye is a prynce of this worlde the popes be become successours and deputies vnto hym as their cheife gouernoure here in earthe So haue they nothinge more to do with god Christe nor his doctrine For Christ saith Ioh. xiiii The prince of this world commeth and hath nothinge in me and so shall nowe whiles I am here the prynce of the worlde be thruste oute Iohan. xii Thus can the pope haue no parte with Christe concerninge the kyngedome of this worlde whyles his chiefe minister the deuyll hathe nothinge in hym Math. 8 ▪ Howe can they now defend the patrimonie and possession as they name it of Christe and Pieter Math. 8. c. Luc. 9. f. Christus hadde not where to lay his head in And Peter forsoke his poore fisher bote with his patched fishernet also CHriste sought not in this worlde as many couetous parsons do the which gather and heap great substance togither neither dare they spend it them selues to the ende that they might leue muche behinde them for their executours but was sente frome his father to teache and suffre persecution which he fulfilled Euen the very same left he to thē that be his seruauntes Mat. 10. b. Luc. 10. ◠for a testament sayenge I sende you forth as my father hath sent me as shepe among the wolues yf they persecuted me Ioh. 13.15 they shall lykewise do the same vnto you for the seruaunt is no greater then his lorde Here fynde we very lyttle of the kyngdome of this worlde ANd thus is all the popes boaste and presumption nothing worthe For he is none of the children of Abraham Howe be it he wryteth and sayth hym selfe to be the folower of Christ but a childe of the deuill whiche fathers wordes and workes he foloweth diligently alwaies And the same verifieth his owne doctrine and lyfe forbidding meates tymes and wedlocke to maintaine horedome with more other abuses whiche be not to be spoken Io. 8. d. 10 a 13. e. 1. Ioa. 4. HE that hearethe goddes wordes and dothe therafter is of god But whosoeuer hearethe them not is not of god Then must he nedes be of the deuyll which is also a father but of lyes Gen. ◠a. Ioh. 8. d. 1. Ioh. 3. b. And who so euer followeth hym goethe about with lyes THe deuill is the prince of this worlde And the pope writeth him selfe also a gouernoure of the worlde as hauynge receaued the same of him that had power to delyuer it The deuyll from the beginninge hathe bene a murderer and lyer and the authore and father of all lyes The same chargeth he like wise his officers and seruauntes withall for he wolde gyue them nothinge doinge not his will Euen so is all that longeth to the pope nothinge but murther lies and deceite Ita patrem sequitur sua proles No crowe becommeth white with wasshinge There is nowe both Crisame and baptyme loste And therfore will the lorde subuerte and ouerthrowe them as it is laudes and praise vnto god begon alreadye yet they thinke styll euen as they gotte it euen so to kepe it As is to be seene in the figures folowinge ¶ The pope thrustethe the lambe thorowe with his sworde And therefore gyueth him the deuyll the keyes that is power and might HOwe be it the pope boasteth daylye cryeth his keyes to be of Christ though it be nothinge so The olde fathers perceaued the same righte wel and therfore haue they painted here the deuil with the keyes by the pope Because that all the auctoritie whiche he hath here in earthe commeth not from god but from the deuyll For howe coulde the power of god be with the sworde that kylleth the lambe THe deuill is the father and the pope the sonne The deuill is a prince of this worlde and the same hath he geuen vnto the pope as his heyre with all maner of worldly might and power the same signifie the keyes the rodde and the sworde And who soeuer obeyeth him not in this his power and dignite the same doth he scourge first with the rodde admonisheth him and curseth c. And yf that wyll not helpe then muste he dye with hys sworde as an heretike The sworde of the spirite whiche Paule speakethe of oughte rather to procede out of the popes mouth Ephes 6. Hebre. 4. yf he wold be named the successoure of Peter But euen suche a mannes seruaunte as he is such kinde of liuery weareth he And the same shewethe the figure folowinge ⧠The pope with his keyes them kepeth a serpente in his pontificall robes and treasor ful of ducates and the power lābe is the harde cote of THe deuyll is the wylye serpente the which yet still by wilynes
sceleri Praemia magna locat Qui pede ceruices Regum premit imperioso Atque tumet fastu turgidus Arsacio Venalesque malis sacros proscribit honores Obruit uerbi semina sancta dei Connubijque suis socialia foedera nescit Pacem almam frangit dissidiumque serit Colliditque armis totum feralibus orbem Foenerat annonas aere flagellat iners Diuinosque suis titulis postponit honores Et redimi sacris coelica regna docet Monstrū haec cuncta Deo patrans pugnantia christi Dici hostem meritô quis dubitare queat Sollicito hunc studio lector peruolue libellum Sat scio uel lectus ter mage gratus erit Non fuco at uero depicta colore placebit Portenti facies prodigiosa trucis Dispeream nisi uera magis quà m oracula Phoebi Delphica uel sortes Diua Sibylla tuae I.A. Paule in his seconde epistle and seconde chapiter to the Tessolonians BRethrē we beseke you by the cōmyng of our LORD Iesus Christ in that we shal assēble vnto hym that ye be not sodenly moued from youre mynde and be not troubled nother by sprete nother by wordes 2. pet 3. a nor yet by letter which shuld seme to be sent from vs as though the daye of Christ were at hande Let no man deceaue you by ony meanes Danie 9. c 1. Tim. 4. a. Luce. xi c For the Lorde cōmeth not excepte the departyng come fyrst and that that mā of synne be opened euē the sonne of perdiciō which is an aduersary is exalted aboue all that is called god or gods seruyce so that he sytteth as God in the tēple of god and boasteth himselfe to be God 1. Co. ◠◠and. 6. c. Dan. xi c Remēbre ye not that whā I was yet with you I told you these thynges And now ye knowe what witholdeth it euen that it myghte be vttered at his tyme. 1. Ioh. ◠◠For the mysterie of the iniquite worketh alredye tyll he whiche now onely letteth be takē out of the way And then shal that wicked be vttered whome the LORD shal cōsume with the sprete of his mouth Iob. 15. d. Esay 11. a. Danie 8. d. Ioh. 8. d. Deu 13. Math. 24 v shall destroye with the appearaunce of his cōmynge euen hym whose cōmynge is after the working of Sathan with all lyenge power and signes and wonders with all deceueablenesse of vnryghteousnesse among thē that peryshe because they receaued not the loue of the treuth that they might haue bene saued zacha 5. a. Rom a. 1. d. Therfore shall God sende thē stronge delusion that they shulde beleue lyes that they almyght be dāned Osee 7. a which beleued not the trueth but had pleasure in vnrighteousnesse But we are bound to geue thākes alway vnto God for you brethrē beloued of the Lorde because that God hath frō the begynnyng chosen you to saluacion in the sanctifyenge of the sprete in beleuyng of the treuth whervnto he hath called you by our Gospel to optayne the glorye of our LORDE Iesus Christ Therfore brethren stonde fast kepe the ordinances which ye haue learned whether it were by oure preachynge or by epistle But oure Lorde Ihesus Christ hymselfe God our father which hath loued vs geuen vs euerlastynge consolacyon and a good hope thorow grace comforte your hartes and stablyshe you in all doctryne good doynge And than shall that wicked be vttered whom the lord shal cōsume with the spirite of his mouth and shal destroy him with apperaunce of his cōmynge euen him whose comming is after the workinge of Sathan ¶ The beginnynge and endynge of all poperie beinge taken oute of certaine olde prophecies more then .ccc. yeres agone here faythfully set forth to the amendement of this presente worlde out of hye Almayne by Gwalter Lynne The interpretacion of the wordes of christe Math .xvi. Thou art Peter c. whiche the pope ascribeth vnto hym selfe THe pope because his estate myght seme the hollyer toke the holy scriptures and christ him selfe to defend and maintaine it withall As Lucius Silla by the romaines hauing vnder the pretens of goodnes delyuered them from the Marianes afterwardes betrayed the riche and honest men of them imprisoned spoiled and kylled them Myght not such another parte be plaied with vs yes and it is the more pite come to passe alredy And styll he hath kepte vs vnder with the wordes which Christ spake vnto Peter Thou art Peter c. which wordes in no wise do serue for his purpose But commonlye is it seene that all thinge so begonne come to an euill ende as is to be seene by the hole popery They might better haue ben suffred yf they hadde ruled more with goodnes in peace and tranquillite then with rigour and mere tirannie yf they hadde likewise rather for geuen then still persecuted to death But truelye the wolfe the whiles he is in prison deuoureth no shepe althoughe there were neuer so manye with him in captiuitie but being at libertie let euery mā beware of him CHriste said to Peter Mathew .xvi. Thou art Petrus c. Petrusin the greake tonge is as muche to saye as in the latyne tonge saxum In the englyshe tonge a rocke and therefore of christ he was named a rocke bicause he hadde ben constant in the knowledging al the holy catholique faithe and not wauering hither and thither as the commune people did And vpon the same rocke that is vpon the same stedfast knowledge of faith will I buyld my churche And who soeuer stedfastly standeth to the same the very hell shall not preuaile against him muche lesse shal men Lyke as saint Augustine in his sermon vpon this place dothe attribute these wordes vpon this rocke to our Lord Iesu Christ and not to Peter saieng this is the meaning of it Thou arte Petrus and vpon the same rocke whiche thou hast confessed and knowledged saienge Thou art christ the sonne of the liuing god wil I buyld my church vpon me I wyll buylde the and not me vppon the. But suche as wolde men to be buylded vpon men said thus I holde of Paule I holde of Apollo I hold of Cephas which is Peter The other sort whiche wold not be buylded vpon men but onely vpon the rock Iesu christe saide I holde of Christe c. Augustinus Erasmus Roterodamus I Maruell therfore not a littell that certaine people there be that wrest and wring this place and forcely apply and asscribe him to the pope as if it onely apperteined vnto him But the whyles his churche whiche he nameth the catholyke church is not buylded vpon christe but vpon hym selfe so muste lykewise the foundacion euen be so stronge mightye and durable Yet doth he set forth him selfe with the holy scripture which in no maner of wise doth serue for him Neither is Cyprian with him where as he speakethe of sainte Peter vppon whome the churche was buylded For S. Peter in his
confirmacion to the same And cōtinued vntil such time as thēperour did hed him After that sorte was Paule made pope and Petrus was crucified Therfore hath it another menyng then the pope allegeth And of the same wordes Tu es Petrus They haue made them a lawe contrarie to the doctrine of christe and the Apostles the lyues of faithfull byshops THe same Bonifacius the third when he hadde begged the chief byshoprike of Phoca immediately after he wrote him selfe pope Bonifacius the thirde of that name He gathered al his bishops preistes togither and kept a concile at Rome And declared there openly that from that time forward a pope beinge chosen by the priesthode the cōmon people shuld be taken of asmuch authorite as if he were created by themperour admitted Lo there may we se the first thankes or reward that the pope gaue to themperour for the priuilege graunted vnto him takyng away from him his old rightes which were had ben themperours since the first christen emperour was That thēperour shuld make no more bysshops but the pope so shuld the bysshops lykewise be more obedient to the pope thē to themperour despetch al their matter at Constantinople wtout thēperour And thus began he priuily to rule cōmād his maister themperour of whom he hadde begged the priuilege The same was not done immediatly by rigeur but the pope suffred themperour to haue styl for a time his deputie at Rome which admitted the pope NOwe was it come to suche a point that the popes power wolde breake out and take vppon hym to be aboue themperoure And therfore when after the birth of Christe .viic. .xviii. yeares Leo the third of that name beinge emperoure dyd put downe Germanum a Patriarche at Cōstantinople and in his place set Anastasium The pope of Rome sent Gregory the third vnto themperoure wrote vnto him that he shuld putte Germanum into his place againe whiche themperoure wolde not do There beganne all the mischeife at ones The pope found the meanes that all Italy fel from themperour and forsoke him whiche none other pope hath done but they paciently suffered persecution he cursed also themperour Thinking whē thempire were deuided within it selfe he wold be emperour for he had alredy gotten him a greate name amonge the princes and gouernours Reason wold also require that he were not only the cheifhead by name but also in might and power and so wolde he kepe Rome and graunt thempire to whom he wolde and listed WHen now Constantinus the fifte the sonne of Leo the thirde was emperoure and somwhat offended with the pope zacharia by reason of his father whome Gregorius suffered to dye vnder his curse in Messambria and caused all Italye to fall awaye from him He purposed to haue brought thē againe vnder his subiection zacharius the pope fearing leaste Constantinus might shorten his winges againe soughte another maner of meane then super hanc petram vpon this rocke that is to saye Howe the pope came by rome him selfe He sent for helpe vnto Pipinus thadministratour of fraunce promisinge to make him kynge of Fraunce with the fauoure and good will of the Magistrates and rulers Was not this lykewise done in despite of themperoure And thus was the romishe empire deuided one toke here and another there The pope kept Rome as his owne HEre haue you the first kinge made by the popes power and the fauour of the rulers and gouernours accordinge to the tenoure of his spirituall lawes .xi. q. i. Te quidem Pipinus the firste kyng made by pope zachariā But this pope dyed the nexte yeare after and Stephanus the seconde came in his stede The whiche hadde muche sorowe and trouble by kynge Astulphum and likewise called vnto Pipinus to assiste the churche of Rome Insomuche that the kinge Pipinus toke his parte and dyd driue kinge Astulphum awaye from rome and gaue the pope Stephane Rauēnam with dyuers other cities ANd so is the pope successiuely become a ruler aboue emperours and kynges and al christēdome vniuersallye And hath forsaken the holy scriptures the gospell the footesteppes of the auncients pouertie sorrowe care and all other kyndes of persecutions and troubles c. Howe can he then be the mooste holy vycare of christe and successor of sainte Peter we fynde writen Deare brethern be my followers as I am the folower of christ .i. cor xi yf the pope with his company do folowe Christ then is it reason that we lykewise followe him But for their deuylish and abominable rule and doctrine is ther not one iote in scripture There is neither Peter nor Paule that wyl know them muche lesse wil Chryst hym selfe knowe them Thus shal they be answered nescio uos I know you not Quia operati estis iniquitatē you haue set forth your own noughtynes in summa ebrietate sicut fortes Ephraim in all filthynes and diuers other kyndes of vngodlynes which be not to be wrytten with the myght of this world LO hitherto haue you hadde in wryting the beginninge of the pope thaugmētacion of his state and thirdly his full power and myght Nowe shall you lykewyse beholde and se the same in the olde painted figures folowynge HOw be it many olde and faithful fathers perceyued and sawe it well yet durste they not clearelye sette it forthe excepte only by fygures Trustyng alwais that thorow the mercy of god a tyme shulde come when they myght be brought to lyghte And so clearly sette forth that it were impossible more sightlye to paint them This wyll we now do for the plaisure and to the profit of suche as can not reade To proue whether they be able to knowe a lyon by his clawes ⧠The pope in his pontificall robes on euerye syde a beare castynge them money in their mouthes and the holy ghost a syde of hym IN this estate began the byshop of Rome to sette hym selfe Anno .ccc.xi. at the tyme of Constantinus Magnus the which when he had ouercome Maxentiū graunted the Christianes to buyld churches and gaue excedynge greate giftes towarde it but neither londes nor people nor yet the cure of Rome as they saye he dydde When they smelled ryches and daylye coueted more and more then was goddes worde laide aside And afterwarde ouercame they all thinges as they do yet with monney Lordes dukes emperours kinges landes and people haue made subiect vnto them They hadde well studied the wordes of Philip the king of Macedonia where as he saithe that there is no castell no towne ye no land so stronge which cannot be won yf a moyle laden with money maye entre into it And thus mony ouercommeth all thinges And so haue they sette a syde the very true rocke which is Christe the fotesteppes of Peter and finally al maner of tribulations and persecutions Their church haue they buylded vpon them selues and therefore they may not endure or cōtinue They haue sought also their helpe by
innocent Abel neither hath the earthe dronke it in O god in thy kyngedome hathe the bloud of an Innocente man called vengeaunce vpon Cayne the fyrst murderer Howe can the innocentes bloude holde his peace so longe when the tyrantes haue bathed them selfes almost to the very kne in bloud neither thinke they as yet to hold vp Here neded well an Helias which thorowe the worde of the lorde spake to kyng Ahab in Israell 3. reg 11. 2. reg 12. Thou hast killed and taken possession of Naboths vineyarde Therfore in the place where the dogges lycked the bloode of Naboth there shal the dogges lycke euen thy bloude also c. But it semeth parauenture vnto the righteouse and mercifull god as yet to be no tyme. willynge his people to learne to be the more paciente Psal 9 vntyll the pytte be dygged vp for the vngodly Psal xciiii when the power of the Tiphones ones shal be gathered togither euen as Pharao As these gyauntes called Tiphones throughe the cōfidēce they had in their greate stature endeuoured to cōquire the heauens so dyd Pharo the chyldrē of Israell through the trust he had in his great multitude then shall it be sodenly done with them ¶ An vnicorne thrusteth the popes crowne from his heade HOwe be it the pope with his owne falseheade and subteltie hath gotten the reigne of this worlde by the deuyll for no christian euer helped another to suche a kyngdome he kepeth him self therin And though god haue putte him downe he wil not yet auoide yet shal the righteousenes of god come and iudge and euen vtterlye destroye the pope and expel and driue hym out of his reigne which is the deuylles by whome he gotte it with worldly power And the same signifieth the vnicorne LEt no Christiane be greued thoughe the pope and other tyrannes do yet sticke to their dominion before the face of the world Be it sufficient vnto him to know the iudgement of god and that the pope muste so longe remaine and walke in the same state and lyfe vntyll he happen ones sodenlye to come vnder the gallowes And than must he hange without redemption ALthough the keyes that is the power of absolucion is taken away from the pope yet is he sette here in spyte of all faithfull personnes to forgyue synne vntyll suche tyme as the zodomiticall synne be accomplisshed And then will god euen as he did send to the Iewes a Titum sende a Iehu to Baales preistes and suffre them 3. re 18. ◠4. re 9. 10. ◠one to destroye another BVt that the pope shoulde and muste be putte downe from a great dignitie and power And the whiles he hathe the deuyll the prince of this worlde to assist hym on his syde can not so soone be done as we meane so must his enemies be as strong as vnicornes DAVYD calleth vnto the God Psalm .xxii. Delyuer me frome the vnicornes Psal xxii ◠By them he meaneth doutles his myghty and stronge enemyes of the whiche he fearethe that he shall in no wise be delyuered except god helped him as namely was Saule with his company Lykewise the persecutours of Christe be named in this Psalme vnicornes by reason of their tirannye wherein they were lyke to the kynde and nature of the vnicorne Therof writeth Iob lykewise cap. xxxix Thinkeste thou that the vnicorne wil be so tame as to do the seruice Iob. 39. or to abyde styll by thy cryble Canste thou bynde the yoke aboute an vnicorne in thy forow to make hym plowe after the in the valeis maiest thou trust hym bycause he is stronge or commyt thy laboure vnto hym that he wyll brynge home thy corne or to cary any thinge to thy barne In no wise For it is to excedynge stronge fearfull and vnruely a beast THe very true horne of saluacion that shal ouerthrow all vngodlynes yf thou wylte spirituallye vnderstande it zacharias reciteth Luce. 1. Luc. i. And what soeuer god hath spiritually that is ordeyned by hym selfe that must alwayes procede in the world There can he well fynd an assure when his plaisure is and afterwarde breake the rodde also and cast it into the fyre Seynge the pope wyll haue it so that no man shal be able to resiste his power So muste there nedes come a more puissant and mightier than he that shall lyft him out of his neste that must he nedes a byde and must perish in the meane tyme let him defende him well Mat. 3.17 luce 3. Apo. 18. For then is all lost The axe is put vnto the roote of the tree and the workeman stryketh alreadye therein to pul out his roote from the grounde in somuch that men shall aske Apo. 18. where dyd Babylon the great citie stande ¶ By the pope lyeth a stronge oxe prayenge and the worldly gouernours beholde it styll IN the .xxii. Psa 22. Psalme complainethe Dauid vnto god saieng manye Oxen are come aboute me and fatte bulles close me in on euery syde There signifye the bulles and oxen doubteles the stronge enemyes of Dauid the kynge Saule with his adherentes But spiritually it appartaineth vnto the death and passion of Christ these twaine haue thorowe the helpe of god ouercome all their enemies as hauinge righte the pope as hauynge no right The whiche hath almost brought vnder him all princes landes cities and people for all these muste lye downe at the popes fete and kysse them deuoutly wisshing neuertheles to be disamist of it if possible were SEcondarely is lykewise this Oxe compared to the common poore artificer and husband man Seinge the Oxe is a common rude beaste and apt to all rude and hard laboures in the feldes and villages but selden in the greate cities fedde with no delicate meates but onely with heye and chapped strawe c. And is by the popes vngodly and tirannishe institutes so farre consumed that he can no more pul or drawe and so sore sucked out ye the very marye out of his bones that he is no more able to stonde but lyeth there wishinge delyueraunce of the popes tyrannye but all in vayne for suche as shulde helpe therin stand styll and loke vpon it And euery one putteth from hym as if it appertained not vnto hym By raison ought emperours kinges and princes here to putte to their handes and to helpe the poore oxe out of his miserye and so mighte their owne busines likewise prosper the better afterward And the subiectes shoulde become the more obedyent For the holy gospell hath taughte them how they shall behaue them selues towarde the potestates and rulers ye and they wold dowtles do it But in the reuelacion may we sone see what they be that worship the beaste Apo. 13. ◠And then shall we haue the reason and cause why it happeneth not And therfore becommeth of the paciente oxe a grimminge beare as shewethe the figure folowinge Falleth on the pope a griminge beare with her