bysshop of Rome hathe put in execucion within this realme of EnglaÌ„de synce the tyme that he fyrst crepte in to it / is and hath ben nothynge els but stronge illusyon vsurpacyon and tyraâ—â—ye / and euery peny that he hathe had playne extorcyon thefte and robberye To this I adde that all be it the wordes of authorytye gyuen vnto all the apostles / and so consequently vnto Peter seme very large and to enclude alle maner of power in them where Chryste sayd What so euer Mathewe xviii ye shall bynde in erthe / shall be bounde in heuen c. Yet I saye that other places of scripture declare / that it ought to be vnderstande of the spirytuall power onely of byndynge and losynge of synne by prechynge the worde of god and mynystrynge the sacramentes That the foresayd wordes include no power ouer temporaltyes or temporall rule / is euydent by the .xviij. chapytre of Iohan where Chryst sayd vnto Pylate My kyngdome is not of this worlde / which is as moche to saye to any wyse man As I am no worldly kynge prynce or ruler nor haue any thynge to do in suche busynesse as concernynge my manhode and the mynystracyon of my fathers worde Here wolde I fayne lerne how the bysshop of Rome came by his temporall power to depose kynges and Emperours seyng that Chryste denyed suche power before good wytnesse I am sure that the bysshop of Rome hathe not more authorytye than Chryst had If Chryst had no temporall kyngdom rule nor power in this worlde / than dare I be bolde to saye that the popet of Rome hath none And for as moche as there be but two maner of condycyons or states in this worlde / that is to wyte / eyther the condicyon and state of a kynge or of a subiecte / it must nedes folowe that the bysshop of Rome who wolde fayne be called pope is nor can be of any other state and condicion than a subiecte / for as 〈…〉 he as he can be of no hygher estate that was Christe / whiche knowledged hym selfe to be but a subiecte before Pylate sayeng If my kyngdome were of 〈◊〉 .xviii. this worlde that is to saye if I were a kynge in this worlde as I am but a subiecte than wolde my mynysters surely lyght that I shulde not be delyuered vnto the iewes / but nowe is not my kyngdom from hence / as who shulde say the contrary is trewe that I am but a subiecte and therfore I may not fight resyst the power and ordynaunce of god but be obedyent thervnto as my father hath coÌ„maunded Ye to signify that as concernyng his manhode the admynistracion of his fathers worde he his mynisters what name so euer they beare must nedes be subiectes vnto the kynges power / in the .xvij. of Mathew he payeth tribute for hym and Peter ye in Peter for all other thapostels and mynisters of the clergye / whom Peter represented and fygured to teche declare and be an ensample to al that euer shulde succede him and his apostels of their due obedyeÌ„ce towarde their princes And this he dyd couertly signifyeng that there shulde come in the latter dayes suche false prophetes and Antychristes as wolde teache the contrary and withdrawe their dutye from their souereygnes Here is it euydent oh good reder that the bysshoppe of Rome can be but a subiect nor is but vnto whom Forsoth to themperour Than note my mynde in one thyng Euery man knoweth that what so euer subiecte maketh insurrectyon agaynst his liege lorde and souerayne must nedes be a traytour vnto him to god also The falsâ—â—ysshop of Rome that nowe is otherwyse called the pope hath done ye daily doth the same / ergo he is a traytour to god and themperour ye if thou enserche thystories with good dylygence thou shalte fynde that there haue ben very fewe other this .vij. hundred yeres If the bysshop of Rome be but the emperours subiecte / by what authoryte may he thinkest thou take vpon him to do that thyng that his owne liege lorde and souereygne themperour may not do at the leâ—st by good authorite and iustyce as to depose and sette vp this kynge and that kynge at his pleasure / whiche his lyege lorde and souereygne the emperour hym selfe can not do And than he beyng but a subiecte howe the dyuell cometh it to passe that he may do it were it a mete thynge that the archbysshoppe of Yorke shulde depose themperour or the kyng of Hungary Nowe seyng that euery bysshop hath as moche authorite one as an other by the lawe of god as we haue proued before / why shulde not the archbysshop of yorke depose the kyng of Hungary or suche another man as well as the byshoppe of Rome that somtyme was named Iunocent the thyrde in a maner deposed the moste vertuous prince kynge Iohan of Englande / and brought hym to that extremyte that he must nedes to saue his lyfe crowne and his realme from further inconuenyentes beyng a kyng knele downe before a knaue called Pandulph the bysshoppe of Romes legate and yelded vp his crowne to the sayde Pandulphe as in to the handes of that foule monstre and hoore of Babylone Innocent beforesayd / whiche crowne the sayd Pandulph receyued and kept fyue dayes in his handes My stomacke abhorreth to declare any further of the mater therfore I beseche the what so euer thou art good reder and the kynges trewe subiectes to seke the rest thy selfe In my conscyence if that same mater were well pondred and regarded with a trewe iudgement and a true subiectes herte of all them that maye and do rede it / with other moste shamfull abhomynacions that haue ben sythe that practysed by that babylonycall strompet of Rome and hers / as well in all partyes beyonde the sees as in our natyfe countrey and realme of Englande I doubte not that if all trewe englysshmen knewe them perfytely and pondred theym as they shulde do but that they wolde ye and therto myght with ryght good coÌ„seyence detest defye bespytte and abhorre that same foule tode of Rome as they wolde and myght the graunde dyuell and capytayne of hell Lucifer prince of darknesse Nowe to make an ende of this mater I haue proued that the bysshop of Rome called pope by vsurpacyon hath no more authorite than an other bysshop and that by scrypture doctours and the papystes owne gloses And that furthermore the power that he hath with all other bysshoppes is more spyrituall / and hym selfe but a subiecte with all his to the kynge and his lawes bothe morall iudyciall And that haue I dene by the authorite of Christes own wordes vnto Pylate in the xviij chapyter of Iohan where Christe saith Mykingdom is not of this worlde as who shulde say / I am no kynge or ruler of the worlde / and than must he nedes be a subiecte Seyng than that Christ was but a subiecte in this
worlde as concernyng his manhode / howe can it be auoyded but the bysshop of Rome must nedes be a subiecte If he be but a subiect how can he depose a straunge and alyen kyng as the frenche kyng or suche another the whiche thyng to do his liege lorde and souereygne hath none authorite Ye what maner of subiecte call ye that that compelleth his owne souereygne to kysse his fete and wyll set the crowne vpon his souereygnes heed with his fete and dasshe it of agayne whan he hath done / ye and depose hym therto whan so euer he lyst Howe agreeth this with saynte Paules doctryne in the .xiij. to the Romaynes whiche sayth thus Let euery soule submytte hym selfe vnto the authorite of the hygher powers By the hygher powers he vnderstandeth onely the temperall power as the processe of the text manyfestly declareth / and excepteth neyther bysshop of Rome bysshop of LoÌ„don nor bysshop of Durham / neyther monkes of the charterhouse nor freres of Grenewyche / neyther father pye nor father crowe / neyther father goose nor father gander / nor yet any suche lyke But he saythe let euery soule submyt hym selfe or be subiecte vnto thautoryte of the hygher powers where note that in sayeng euery soule he except 〈◊〉 And thoughe as I sayde before he 〈…〉 th hymselfe afterwardes co 〈…〉 the authoritâ— of the kynge onely sayâ—ngâ—â—e beareth not the sworde for â—aught yet the apâ—stle Peter setteth out Paules meanynge moche clerely iâ— his fyrstâ— epystle and seconde chapytre sayâ—ng S 〈…〉 ytte your selues vnto all â—aneâ— ordynaunce of â—an for the lordes saâ—â— / whether it be vnto the kynge as 〈◊〉 to the chefe heâ—d / eyther vnto rulers as vnto them that are â—ente of hym for the punysshment of y 〈…〉 doers / but for thâ— laâ—dâ— oâ— theâ— that dâ—well â–ª For so is the wyll of godâ—ye and marke what hyghe â—â—ayse is gyuen thâ— kynge in scrypture For he is the â—ynister of god sayth saynt Paule in the .xiij. chapytre to the romaynes And Salomon also in the viij chapytre of his prouerbes / speakynge in â—hâ— person of goddes wysdome saythe thus â—y â—e kynges do reygne Sâ— yâ— not here howe Salomon extolleth the 〈◊〉 of a kynge / affyrmynge that realmes and kyngdomes beâ— gouerned vpholden and defended by the wysdome of god and that their power offyces lawes and ordynaunces ben the very diuyne power and ordynaunces of god And in the seconde booke and twenteth chapyter of the Paralipoâ—eâ—on it is written thus of worldly princes and rulers Ye do not exercyse the iudgement and lawe of man / but of god For as moche than as the offyce and dignyte of kyngê and suche heed rulers ben ordeyned by the hyghe wysdome and prouydence of god / and for as moche also as his iudgement and lawe is not onely mans lawe and iudgement but euen the very iudgement and lawe of god / it foloweth very well accordyng to the sayenge of saynt Paule that who so euer resysteth the kynge and his ordynaunce / Paule sayth who so euer / â—eâ—cepteth no man resysteth the power ordynaunce lawe and iudgement of god / and shall therfore accordyng to the mynde of the same saynte Paule receyue eternall dampnacyon for his rewarde without amendement Here gentyll and indyfferent redâ—â— euen as I â—ntende not to collect and adde in this one lytell corner all the places of scrypture whiche make stablysshe and confyrme the diuyne authorite power of kinges ye rather of god hymselfe / euen so my mynde was not vtterly to â—â—aue it all bare naked vntouched blynde vnto the / but to shewe that some lyght knowlege and vnderstandyng in the obedyence due vnto thy prince / and gyue the occasyon to enserche and seke further for a more clerer perceyuaunce of the same And thus I leaue speakyng of the kynges power addynge a reason or twayne that we haue no nede of the bysshoppe of Rome to be a generall heed of the churche of god / and that I proue thus If we haue any nede of hym eyther we muste haue nede vnto his lawes correctyon whiche is false / for as moche as the kyng is bothe suffycyent and able with his counsayle to punysshe all maner of synne or els we haue nede vnto his personall prechyng whiche is false also can not be Or els we haue nede to byleue as he byleueth whiche is false vntrue also / for than we had nede to be heretykes traytours / as coÌ„munly he is hym selfe Or elles we haue nede of his myghty power / whiche is as true as that the mone hathe calued / whan hym selfe hathe no more power than hathe an other bysshop / as we haue made clere before Now yf we nede hym iÌ„ none of these poyntes / than it is easye to coniecture to argue for a truthe that he was neuer ordeyned of god to be generall heed vicare of the churche / but hathe purchased that authoritie onely by the swerde / and dothe falsly vsurpe it by tyrannye For god and nature createth nothynge in vayne One thyng I know that he hath had moche of our money wherof whether he had any nede or none let euery man iudge Yes say the papystes / it is mete that there be one that dare boldly tell Emperours kynges and prynces theyr faultes / as who sholde saye / that no man sauynge the puppet of Rome durst purely and syncerely preche teche and wryte the holy worde of god wherein as in a moost true myrrour and glasse bothe kyngê Emperours other may beholde se the spottes of their soules But your meanynge is oh my fayre papystes that it is mete conuenyent that there be suche a tyraunt deuyll as may be able to lay a fayre swerde in the neckes of prynces whiche they and theyr heyres and successours shall neuer be able to recouer whan so euer they shall do any thyng coÌ„trary to your appetites But we taught by good experyence are compelled to tell you agayne that it is bothe necessarye and nedefull that there be none suche and that we reporte vs to good kynge IohnÌ„ with other bothe kynges Emperours dukes whome your almyghty god father the puppet of Rome hath full lyke a false traytour tyrauÌ„t deposed ¶ Here I leaue your lorde the puppet as I fouÌ„de him for this ones spekyng a worde or twayne of some of his clientes whiche cleuyng to the clyfte of his lordshyps clensyng place defende his godheed from the hyghest to the lowest with the worde of god vnwryten / so they call it Truthe it is that the worde of god vnwryten Of the worde of god vnwritten is of as great strength efficacite as the worde of god wryten I meane yf it be the very worde of god in dede And therfore whan so euer any man wyll vsurpe vpon the oh good reder and fortyfye any mater as in the name authorite of the worde of god vnwryten do no more
Sergius all that was done of Theodore / and condemneth bothe Theodore / IohnÌ„ the .ix. also Formosus / coÌ„maundyng Formosus body to be taken out of the graue ones agayne / and to be appareyled lyke a preest / and his heed to be smytten of in the seate apostolyque / and the body to be cast in the ryuer of Tyber Leo the fyfth was imprisoned of Christofer Leo the fyfthe / and had the papacye withdrawen from hym by maystrye and violence but Sergius the fourth thrust out Christofer and that ryght shortly / accordynge to the olde ê“uerbe Quade do / quade haue Here is a turmoylyng I trowe IohnÌ„ the .x. was sone to Sergius the IohnÌ„ the tenthe fourth / bothe in flesshe and spirite / than ye may be bolde he was no lytell honest Marke the lyfe of these that folow / by th ende / for it is an olde prouerbe If the ende be good / all is good man IohnÌ„ came by the papacye as moo of his felowes dyd / by vsurpacyon violence / I wyll vse no worse termes / and at the last accordyng to his lyfe dyed myserably in pryson his breth stopped with a quysshyon IohnÌ„ the .xvij. came vp by symonye / IohnÌ„ the xvii by the helpe of Crescentius consull of Rome / and afterwardes for no goodnesse had his eyes bored out of his heed / and the rest of his membres al to cutte hewed and mangled Damasus the second entred the poperyche Damasus the second by power and violence / and by all possibilitie lyued well / for he dyed sodeynly without howsell or shryfte IohnÌ„ the .xxj. was not vnlerned / but IohnÌ„ the xxi a very foole in maners / and dyed as folysshly Vpon a tyme belyke whan the cuppes were full / for than be men moost wysest he prophecyed that he sholde lyue many yeres / but it was not longe after ere he dyed wretchedly slayne with a chamber fallynge on his necke whiche was but euen newe buylded And here ye may se how true prophetes they ben Wherto sholde I recyte the greuouse InnoceÌ„t the fourth and intollerable exactions taskes paymentes wherewith pope Innocent the fourth bothe cruelly wrongfully and vncharitably pylled and vexed the Realme of Englande / for the whiche he was sharply rebuked of Grostheed bysshop of Lyncolne Bysshop Grostheed at those dayes in a lettre sente hym from the same Grostheed / for the whiche lettre and for bycause the bysshop wolde not admyt a neuewe of the same Inuocentes beynge but a boye to a Canonrye than voyde in Lyncolne he was accyted to Rome / and ther vpon accursed / and the bysshop appeled to the Throne of the Trinitie After the bysshop was deed there appered to the pope in the nyght one in a bysshoppes rayment / and smote the pope vpon the lyfte syde sayinge Aryse vp wretche coÌ„me to thy dome The pope was founde deed in the mornynge / his bedde all swymmyng with blode Bonyface the .viij. of whome we spake Bonyface the. viiâ— before dyed thus As he withstode the frensshe kynge / and enforced with all his myght and power to haue deposed hym Guyllyam de Longaret a wyse man and farre castynge / and other of Guyllyams frendes made theym stronge / and toke pope Bonyface whome after longe pynynge in pryson they set vpon a wylde horse without any brydell turnynge his face towarde the tayle / and makyng hym ronne and prycke so aboute tyll at the last he lost his wynde / and so was siayne but euen in a maner as I sayd deed before with hunger / agreable vnto the prophecye of Celestyne / as a foxe thou entred / as a lyon thou shalte reygne / and as a dogge thou shalte dye Iohan the .xij. by all lykely hode came IohnÌ„ the xiâ— of gentyll blode / for he loued well dogges and huntynge And as for women he kepte them but euen openly At the last as he was takyng a lytell pastyme with a mannes wyfe for the recreacyon of his spirytes / the deuyll kylled hym sodeynly euen in the doynge of thacte Constantyne the seconde entred vngracyously ConstaÌ„tyne the seconde lyued vngraciously to the great infamye and slaunder of all holy churche and was at the last vngraciously serued / bothe his eyen put out deposed by the charyte as writers say of good christen people for his vngracyous lyfe ¶ I fynde it a trewe sayeng oh good reder that who so regardeth his worke dilygently hath lytell mynde of other thynges In good faythe I was so besy with these popes that I had almost forgotten my selfe / and haue nye hande made halfe a worke in stede of a prologue but I pray the of thy curtesye to pardon my forgetfulnesse and than I wyll speake a worde or twayne of the deposycion of the emperour Henry the fourth with two or thremo and so make an ende Fyrste to remembre the moste cruell Henry the fourth / Emperour tyrannous and pityfull handlyng of the excedynge good vertuous prince Henry the fourth emperour of Rome and of Almayne whose lyfe and hystorye I haue hereafter translated alas it wolde make any mannes herte in the worlde to melte Oh good lorde what man is that lyuyng were he neuer so cruell or vnnaturall whose eyen wolde not braste out in wepynge / to se so excellent a prince so valyaunt and so vertuous to be so villaynously entreated mocked dryuen from place to place cast in prison deposed banysshed / and that euen of his naturall sonne lordes and subiectes The cause and doyng wherof was onely all togyder Hyldebrande otherwyse named pope Gregorye the seuenth / as but to playne if it pleased god otherwyse hereafter it shal be sene in both their lyues folowyng / and therfore I let it passe Than go to Innocent the thyrde / and Otho se how by the authorite of Quodcuque ligaueris he setteth vp putteth downe and maketh hauoke And fyrste of all he enhaunseth Otho the fourth and crowneth hym Emperoure but it was not longe or great varyauÌ„ce fell bytwene the pope and the emperoure Than marke howe that as sone as Otho ones displeaseth Otho is deposed Innosent / by and by he is accursed and thervpon deposed / and Frederyke the fourth is sette vp in his stede But not longe after cometh Innocent the fourth and he deposeth Frederyke / bycause he Frederyke is deposed began to withstande the pope and wolde haue taken no wronge at his handes as other had doone This Frederyke was slayne of his owne sonne / by whose encoragynge it is easy to coniecture was not the emperoure Lewes the Lewes the mylde deposed mylde caste in prisone also and deposed of his owne sonnes by the couÌ„sayle of Gregory the fourth Dyd not pope zacharias at the request Hylderyke deposed of Pypyn ruler of the frenche kynges house depose Hylderyke the frenche kynge at those dayes / and made
meruayle to moche why my coutrey men of EnglaÌ„de whiche had wont euer more to be cyrcumspecte and haue wysdome in all thyngê and fyerse of corage to defende their kyng and realme manfully / shulde seynge no cause why but many and vrgent causes to the contrary / depende and leane to the vsurped authorite of suche a naughty and leude person what sayd I authorite ye tyrannye whiche bycause our moste gracyous and souerayne lyege lorde the kyng wyll permytte and suffre hym no lenger haue his vsurped iurysdyction within this realme and to carye awaye exhauste and deuoure the golde syluer treasure of his poore subiectes and coÌ„mens to molest and trouble them in his courte at Rome / dyuers wayes to oppresse and vse his tyraÌ„ny ouer them by hym selfe and his as he many yeres heretofore hath ben neglygently suffred to do For this our cause I say it is that he beareth so moche malyce vnto our moste benygne protectour defendour our sayd souereygne lorde the kyng our vndouted capitall heed vnder god / enforseth therfore as moche as lyeth in his frowarde vngracyous pollicy and power to bring his hyghnesse and his realme to his vsurped obedyence / whiche moste manfully lyke a most vyctorious christen kyng he dothe defende not onely for hym selfe but for the tender loue and pytie that he beareth to the weale of this his honorable realme and louyng subiectes the delyueraunce of the same from seruage and thraldome Here me thynkes I se euen the hertes of al true englysshmen leape in their bodyes for the loue that they beare vnto their most gracious liege lord thus shamfully cruelly handled for their sakes speke vnto them selues after this maner Shall we suffre our kynges moste gracyous hyghnesse thus malyciously cruelly and frowardly to be entreated and haÌ„dled mocked and deluded of a bastarde of a symonyake of a false vsurper and of an heretyke / and all for the loue and fauour that he beareth vnto vs his poore subiectes / and for bycause his grace onely myndeth and tendreth our coÌ„modite weale profyte No forsothe we wyll not suffre his grace to receyue such iniuryes wronges in any wyse so farforthe as it shall lye in our power to the coÌ„trary / but we wyll agayue like true louyng subiectes whan so euer his noble grace shall so coÌ„maunde vs ye but euen wynke vpon vs to testify our true hertes myndes / that his moste noble grace dothe not loue vs in vayne and suffre so moch iniuryes for our sakes onely for naught drawe out our swordes lyke englissh men trewe subiectes / and manfully fyght in his graces quarell to spende the best bloode in our hertê to be reuenged of such a false bloodsupper Antychrist Let vs well remembre note and poÌ„der what benefytes we haue receyued of the kynges most gracyous highnesse by the space of .xxv. yeres / what experyeÌ„ce we haue had of his procedynges howe we haue ben defended from all outwarde enemyes what glorious moste victorious actes our sayd souerayne hath opteyned in the said .xxv. yeres whyle he hath ben our king in what welthe we haue lyued vnder hym / besydes the thyng that he now gothe aboute as to defende vs from the theft robbery oppressyon and tyraÌ„ny of the bysshop of Rome that moste myscheuous tyrant Hath not his grace euer ben our protectour and defendoure our shelde and buckler bothe in towne and in felde agaynst the theftes and robberyes of stronge theues murderers who coulde passe out of his dores / ye who coulde abyde at home in his owne house vnrobbed or slayne were not for the feare of the sworde wherwith his hyghnesse moste myghtyly hath euer defended vs whose wyfe coulde be saued from raâ—ysshynge whose doughter and mayde from deflorisshyng who shuld defende vs from the incursyons of outwarde enemyes as of alyens who shulde se vs haue any right in the lawe who shulde defende the poore wydowe the innocent the fatherlesse and the motherlesse Fynally if we had not a gracyous prince as lauded be god no realme hath none such it were moche more pleasure for vs to be out of the worlde than to be in it to be beestes that to be men / coÌ„syderynge the mysery wherin we shulde lyue if the sayd bysshop of Rome and his myght optayne that he and his moste desyre The premysses therfore well consydred why shulde we not loue hym fauour hym and defende hym with our lyues and goodes to the vttermoste of our powers / as our lyege lorde souerayne as our protectour and defendour / ye as a very father vnto vs as he is without questyon And contrary why shulde we in any wyse loue fauour enclyne or depende any thynge to that tyrannouse Antychrist of Rome whiche wolde with all his herte se his grace his realme subiectes also vtterly not onely ruyned but also brought in perpetuall captyuyte and bondage / to th ende that he with his clyentes myght haue his dyuellysshe desyre and luste accomplysshed and all this is for our sakes onely what profyte haue we by that foule romysshe ratten but pyllyng pollyng pykyng robbyng stealyng oppressyon bloodshedyng tyraÌ„ny dayly exercysed vpon vs by hym his Dothe he not enforce to distroy and extynct vs as moche as lyeth hym why shulde we be thus blynde why shulde we be thus insensyble Alas for pytie let vs ones be wyse serue god truly and our kyng / and god shall loue vs fauour vs defende vs and be with vs / than who shall be agaynst vs Remembre good reder what I haue sayd I beseche the hertyly in goddes behalfe and as thou art a trewe subiecte / and away with Antychrist of Rome Here moste gentyll reder all be it I instauntly requyred the a lytell before as thou woldest answer before god to resorte vnto suche bookes as maye perfytely instructe the in the knowlege of the power of the romysshe popet or bysshop yet for bycause the mater is nowe in our handlynge also / and for as moche as I desyre nothynge more than that thou all other my couÌ„trey men may clerely se the playne truthe as consernynge what his power is in dede / and by that to stycke abyde I say boldly affyrme at fewe wordes The bysshoppe of Romes power that the bysshoppe of Rome hath no more authorite than hath any other bysshop in christendome gyuen hym by the scrypture To proue that it shall be necessary to recyte the place of Mathewe the .xvj. wherin all his hope and trust is But first thou shalte vnderstande that our sauyour Christe putteth a certayne questyon vnto his discyples and demaundeth of them what the fame and reporte of the people was of hym and howe they estymed hym toke hym in companye there as the apostels came / not for bycause that he was ignoraunt of the peoples talkynge for howe can any thynge be vnknowen to god
how lytle but be vncertayne therof / it foloweth that they be vncertayne of their saluacyon / and wolde for that entent haue vs parte takers of their sorowes for it is a pleasure to wretches to haue some companyons of their wrechydnesse Solatium est miseris sotios habuisse malorum Dyd not god also by the mouthe of Moyses The fourth Non addetiâ— ad vbuÌ„ / quod loquor â—obis net auferetis ab eo Deute iui ec .xvii. coÌ„maunde the chyldren of Israell as foloweth Thou shalt not adde any thyng to this worde nor take any thynge from it I beseche you my wyse vnwritten gospellers for what entent was that / but bycause their worde written was suffycient Be we than in worse case than they were / or dothe not this coÌ„maundement staÌ„de yet in effecte Is it eyther iudiciall lawe or ceremoniall / if it be neyther than it apertayneth to vs as well as to them / and than go playe you with your vnnedefull vnwritten worde Howe say ye now hath not IohnÌ„ the same senteÌ„ce in the last chaptre of thapocalypse wyll ye neuer be wyse Answere to this why dyd the apostels The fyfth set their pennes to the booke to write was it not bycause the gospell of Christ shulde not be forgoten And why than dyd they as ye saye leaue it vnsuffycient Maye not the rest that ye saye is vnwritten be forgotten Yes and is so moche forgotten all redy that ye can not tell what it is nor howe moche By your tale a man myght well accuse as well all as one of the apostels / bothe of vncharytablenesse as of wylfull neglygence and murdre of mens soules in leauynge that vnwritten wetyngly and for the nones that is of necessyte requysyte to the saluacion of our soules / seyng it may be forgoten And yet the coÌ„trary is knowen to well that they were bothe to good charytable and dylygent / and loued the coÌ„maundement of Christe to well to be taken tardye in any suche fautes / wherfore all your bablyng is not worthe a button But what nede vs go aboute to proue The â—yetâ— the negatyfe whan it is suffycyent for our parte to denye there is any thyng necessary to our saluacyon vnwritten in the scriptures therfore oh good reder which art not lerned whan so euer thou hast any suche reason made vnto the demauÌ„de of hym that reasoneth with the what he meaneth by that same worde necessary If he answere necessary to saluacyon denye thou that any suche thynges lacke in scrypture written If he meane of other necessaries be not afrayde to grauÌ„te it hym As thoughe it be not written in scripture that if our fantastycal doctours were vpon the spaynysshe sees in a shyp wtout bottome they must nedes be drowned / yet must thou by necessyte of reason byleue it Onlesse their faythe were better than was Peters whan he wente vpon the see / or that god wolde shewe a a hygher myracle than was done vpon the holy mayde of Kent And thus moche The holy mayde of Kent for the coÌ„futacyon of theyr maior Now to the minor or second parte of their reason Whan they can not auowe the maior or fyrst parte of theyr argumeÌ„t than it is vnpossyble to make good the minor or seconde parte / as whan it can not be ê“ued that there is any thyng vnwryten in scripture necessary to our saluacyon / how is it possyble than to assygne or appoynt any certayne thynge as the fastynge of lent or any other thynge and saye this is one of them for I must fyrst proue that there be some suche thynges vnwryten ere I can say this or that is one of them As in example Yf a man wolde ê“ue that there be some good and honest vnwriten gospellers coude not make it good yf he were put to his probacyon / how the deuyl than were it possyble for hym to assygne and poynt out some certayn man of that secte and saye suche a man is one of those honest and good men And by my truthe I thynke it were as great maystry to proue that there be any good vertuous people of that secte as to proue that Chryst was borne before our lady I take no mo to be of that secte but suche as defende this arronyous opynyon in the pulpet or by wrytynge or obstynate disputacyon Now whan neyther the maior nor the minor can be ê“ued where shall we fynde the conclusyon God knoweth for I can not tell Yet to proue what our ymagynatyfe doctours can do let vs for good company graunte that there be some thynges vnwryten necessary to the saluacyon of our soules / shall it folowe therfore that those same vnwryten verytyes whiche some of them assigne to be the worde of god vnwryten be so in dede I wonder in what fygure this same argumeÌ„t staÌ„deth whether in Bocardo or in Neweâ—ate Suche maner of arguynge is moche lyke as yf one of these vnwryten prophetes goynge to the feldes to shote and lackynge bothe braser and shotynge gloue wolde proue that he neded his wyues nyght cap and argue thus By god I haue nede of dyuers thynges whiche I haue not if I shulde shoote well Mary that is truthe myght an other of the company say Nowe if this wyse man wolde conclude vpon the others graunt and say / ergo it is my wyues nyghtcappe / myght not an vngracyous felowe standynge by saye / ergo it is an halter / or ergo thou wylte neuer be wyse yes in good faythe excepte he wolde make a braser or a shotynge gloue of his wyues nyghtcappe Semblably whan our doctours saye there be many thynges vnwritten in scrypture necessarye to our saluacyon to be byleued ergo this or that is one of them / yet that same this or that foloweth not of necessyte no more than the good wyues nyghtcappe dothe / so that if thou se cause why thou maye as well saye / ergo it is the good wyues nyghtcappe or denye it and put hym to the probacyon of it and of this I dare make the warrantyse that neyther he nor all the frendes he hath shall euer be able to make it good But the best sporte of all is that our vnwritten euaÌ„gelystes be driuen by their owne confessyon to forsake the worde of god written as the thynge that is not able to beare them out in their trouble 〈◊〉 â—ory 〈◊〉 to seke this sorye shyfte of the worde of god vnwritten and that of necessyte as they saye Of what necessyte euery man knoweth Trewly bycause they be not able to proue the bysshoppe of Romes power and tyrannye with other erronyous artycles by scrypture written / but grauÌ„t well and wysely that the worde of god staÌ„deth not on their parte and must therfore make their refuge to the worde inuisyble that flyeth aboute in the ayre and no man can tell what it is nor where to fynde it Be not these sore felowes to fyght in a mannes
in no wyse to be doubted And of this dyuellisshe drifte purpose they put forth this questyon to the blynde people sayeng Howe know ye that the byble which ye haue dayly in your haÌ„des and whiche ye rede is the true worde of god but by vs Or els to what other entent shulde they mone such questyons but that they mynded purposely to bring me in waÌ„hope doute of that thyng wherin they neuer douted before Oh good lorde why doest the suffre these wretches thyne enemyes so longe to reygne to rule to deuoure to murdre to sâ—â—e kyll bothe the body and soule of thy poore creatures Discende good lorde discende reuenge the bloode of the innocent with the slauÌ„drous blasphemy of thy holy name Thou hast here proued vnto the good christen reder that the bysshoppe of Rome otherwyse vniustly called pope may erre / howe that by the meanes of that same foule monstre bloodsupper and by his clientes this realme of EnglaÌ„de hath ben greuously vexed troubled pylled polled shorne shauen scraped euen to the very harde bones and mary and not onely this realme but other also / the heedes rulers wherof as before is declared haue ben of the same gargle faced Antichrist with his ministers shamfully handled vexed imprisoned deposed And this hath beâ—â— done wtout thautorite either of goddâ— lawe or mans by very power tyrannye hym selfe beyng but a subiect and of no power without his owne dyocese / whiche ought to extende no further than the dyocese of the next bysshop It is proued also by the authorite of scripture that all men ought to be obedyent to the kyngê power of what coÌ„dycion or state so euer they be / and that vnder the payne of euerlastyng fyre wherto I haue annexed that the worde of god writen is suffycient to the saluacion of our soules / that the vnwriten worde is but a dreame fantasye And nowe prepare thyselfe to the lyfe of Gregory the seuenth somtyme bysshop of Rome / of al tyrantes monsters vnfaythful mamalukes that euer was the moste wherin thou shalt se suche mischefe abhomynacion â—etestacion execrable maners pride tyraÌ„ny craft subtyltie ambytion symony poysonyng necromancy settyng vp puttyng downe preuenting supplantyng as hath neuer ben sene in no one mans lyfe that euer was written or redde And that not of Gregory alone but of many other mo suche monsters bysshops of Rome contayned in the same lyfe of his Finally most gentle and indiffereÌ„t reder by that tyme that thou hast perused it / I dare be bolde to affirme that thou woldest for no good worldly but that thou haddest sene it And if thou fynde not my wordes true blame me hereafter as it shall seme good vnto the. And to the ende that thou mayst gyue the more credence to the truthe of the history thou shalt vnderstande that it was written in latyne as I tolde the before by one of the most famous and vertuous cardynals that than lyued called Beno Thou doest lust longe peraduenture to se it / be of good comforte for with all the spede that may be possyble it shall be imprinted And thus in the meane whyle fare as well as I wolde my selfe ¶ The fawtes in the pryntynge Folio 2. pagina 2. linea 21. endued rede enduced Folio 7. pagina prima linea 24. vertue rede / vertitie Folio 9. pagina 2. linea 20. it with rede / it of with Folio 15. pagina 2. linea 17. mere rede / were Folio 30. pagina 2. linea 10. more rede mere Folio 34. pagina prima-linea 10. 〈◊〉 rede / proues Folio 36. pagina 2. linea secâ—da not sâ—c rede / non si◠¶ Imprynted by wynkyn de worde / for IohnÌ„ Byddell otherwyse Salisbury
sentence / so that all men may se playnly that Iames knowledged no superiorite in Peter whiche he must haue done yf there had ben any in Peter Yea yf there sholde be any prymateshyp or superyorytye in any of Chrystes discyples me thynketh it sholde be in Iudas and Silas whiche in the same chapytre folowynge be called heed men or superyours among the bretherne whiche yet can not be vnderstande as coÌ„cernyng any power that they had more than their felowes but for some other syngler gyft wherin they passed the rest And yet in all scrypture is there no place that speaketh so moche for Peter That Peter also had no more authorite than any other of thapostels is easy to se in the xviij of Mathewe where they receyued all as moche as hygh as great power as Peter had promysed vnto hym in the sayd .xvj. chapiter al though the wordes myght be referred to Peter alone / as we haue iustly fortyfyed before that they were not The wordes of the .xviij. chapytre ben these Trewly I say vnto you sayth Christ to his apostels that what so euer ye shall bynde vpon erthe shall be bounde in heuen / and what so euer ye shall lose vpon erthe shall be losed in heuen who seeth not here in these wordes as moche power conteyned as is in the .xvj. of Mathew where he sayth what so euer thou byndest vpon erthe shall be bounde in heuen / and what so euer thou losest vpon erthe shall be losed in heuen And yet in this .xvj. chapitre of Mathew the power is but onely promysed Wherevnto some of the papystes obiecte well and wysely that goddes promesse is his dede and performauÌ„ce meanyng that as soone as the promesse was made which is wryten in the .xvj. of Mathewe it was performed euen by and by I wyll make you a lyke argument Chryste was promysed vnto Aoam that he sholde coÌ„me redeme hym and all his posteritie from thraldom ergo by these wyse papystes reasons Chryste was borne euen by and by And it was promysed in scripture that a pure virgyn and mayde sholde be the sauyour of the worlde ergo yf god alwayes fulfyll his promesse immedyatly Chryst was conceyued and borne vpon our lady before she was borne her selfe thousandes of yeres long before the aungell saluted her and went aboute inuysybly to teche the papistes suche subtyll argumentes No doubte but our papystes ben euer the best lerned and best reasoned men / where there be no mo 〈◊〉 they But let vs ymagyn that the power contayned in the .xvj. of Mathewe was promysed than to Peter only / yet maketh it not for al that that he had any superioryte or primatshyp ouer his felowes / in so moche as the contrary apereth in the xviij of the same euangelyst as it is before declared Suche arguyng is moche lyke as though the kynges grace god saue his hyghnesse hauynge twelue gentylmen standynge before hym and promysynge one of them by name hereafter to make hym knyght of the Bathe but appoyntynge no certayne day / shulde happen afterwardes accordynge to his promesse to doubbe hym knyght of the hathe / but with the other .xj. of his felowes all at one season and tyme. Nowe if this gentylman thus by the kynges grace promoted wolde take vpon hym to be lorde and mayster ouer his felowes bycause the diguyte was fyrste promysed vnto hym / I suppose verily that the rest wolde thynke hygh scorne therof / and compte hym not very wyse nor yet take hym so in dâ—â—e For all be it that the promsse were made vnto hym fyrst / yet they came vnto it as sone as he / and had the same dignite as moche gyuen vnto them as had he / and all at one tyme. And so lykewyse it fareth by the power keys supposed of the papystes to be promysed vnto Peter onely and before al other / although it be as true as that the see burneth But admyt that it were of a truthe / yet dothe it not folowe immediatly that he had any superiorite ouer them / for as moche as euery one of them receyued the same selfe authoryte in the xviij of Mathew / by these wordê Truly I say vnto you saythe Christ that what so euer ye shall bynde in erth shal be bouÌ„de in heuen / what so euer ye shal lose in erthe shall be losed in heuen So that the moste which they might proue if their supposycion were true as it is not / were that Peter receyued thaâ—â—orite of byndyng losyng first or any of thother receyued it whiche natwitstaÌ„dyng is vntrue And agayn that there was no superiorite among the apostels doth the holy apostle Paule proue the seconde chapytre to the Galathyâ—â—s where he saith thus As sone as Iames Cephas IohnÌ„ whiche semed to be the pyllers perceyued the grace whiche was gyuen vnto me they gaue vnto me Bar nabas theyr handes / and so forth All the worlde may se by these wordes of Paule that Iames and Peter whiche he calleth Cephas and IohnÌ„ were not in dede pyllers and heedes of the rest of thapostles but semed so to be and that to some men / for the vehemencye diligence peraduenture that they shewed aboue their felowes in settyng forth the worde of god Marke here also how he sayth not that onely Peter semed to be the pyller alone but Iames and IohnÌ„ semed to be pyllers as well as he and were taken for as greate men as Peter was whiche coude not haue ben if his power had excelled theirs Neyther dothe he saye that Iames Peter IohnÌ„ were of any power or pyllers in dede aboue the rest / but onely that they semed to be the pyllers Wherfore it is playne that they were not so but contrarye of egall power and dignitie with the other .ix. Yâ— le here furthermore by the authoritie of Paule that Iames and IohnÌ„ were as hyghly estemed as Peter but neuer man yet sayd that Iames and IohnÌ„ had any more authoritie than Andrew Mathew Thomas and the rest wherfore it concludeth that Peter had no more authoritie than all other of thapostles And so it foloweth that the pope hath no more authoritie than an other bysshop Whiche grauÌ„ted it argueth of necessitie that he hathe no further to do than within his owne diocese whiche ought to extende no further than to the next bysshops diocese adioynyng to his It argueth agayne that he can reserue no cases from an other bysshop that he can not sende any iÌ„terdiction in to another bysshops diocese / that he can make no maryages / or gyue any dispensacyons in another bysshops diocese c. Finally it argueth that he can do nothing in an other mannes diocese for that that he hath not the worde of god to bere forth his acte oneles the bysshop of the same for a more aduauntage wyll consent vnto his â—surped power / and wynke ther at Of this it is playne that what so euer power the