probable but at the first there was no supremacie Ergo there should bée none The 24. Obiection Hée is the head of the church that giueth authoritie and licence to all the other Apostles to preache to bée priestes and to minister the seuen Sacramentes But Peter gyueth all these Ergo Peter is the head of the church Peter Palude is the authour of this argument a man of great woorship The 25. Obiection Hée is the head of the church whom the Chayre doothe blesse although hée were Iudas or a murtherer But the chayre blesseth the Pope ergo the Pope if hée were Iudas or a murtherer is the head of the church The 26. Obiection Hée that is God is the head of the church But the Pope is God ergo the pope is the head of the church The second proposition is proued by the authoritie in the margine The 27. Obiection Hée that is head of Angelles and Archaungelles is the head of the church But the Pope is the head of Aungelles and Archaungelles Ergo the Pope is the head of the church The Minor is proued in the margine The 28. Obiection Hée that is aboue the scripture is the head of the church But the Pope is aboue the scriptures ergo the Pope is the head of the church The assumption is proued by Siluester Prierias The 29. Obiection Hée is the head of the church that is the light of the world which illuminateth euery man that commeth into the world But the Pope is that light which illuminateth euery man that commeth into the world Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church The xxx Obiection He that hath aucthoritie to breake lawes is of more force then he that came not to breake lawes but the Pope came to breake the lawes and Christ came to fulfyll the lawes and not to breake them Ergo the Pope is the head of the Church The xxxi Obiection If there were nothing to proue the Pope to be head of the churche sauing his apparell and ornamentes yet surely they might perswade any man too beleue to maintaine and to glorifie our holie father the Pope dothe not Buechingerus and Inocentius Libro 3 de Altaris mysterio ca. 1. et 10. affirme that there are .9 special ornamentes his hose his shoes or sandalles his succynctory or girdell his Tunicle his Dalmatica or longe sleued Gowne his Metre his Gloues his Ring and Staffe In these consisteth the speciall power of the Pope euen to geue orders to blesse Maides to consecrate Bishopes to laye on handes to make grese or Chrisma to consecrate clothes and vessales to call Sinodes to dedicate Temples and to depose them that are disgraded and do many other merytorious workes What shall I speake of his two horned mitre of the hemmes of his garment of his crosse and staffe of his chimer and other vestements His shoes pardoned venyall sinnes his staffe hathe many vertues the crooked horne fetcheth in them that go astray the ende knocketh the obstinate refourmeth the disobedient What shall I speak of his breches and handkirchef Of his kniues and twoedged Swerds of his goulden hamer I haue spoken before I answer that theise more comend the Pope and set forth his prayse then his vertues do He glorieth in his apparell Paule in Christ his crosse he in outward things Paule in inward he in pompe Paule in pouertie he in vayne glory of the world Paule in the ioyes of Heauen Is not all this apparell corruptible will it not consume will not his crowne in tyme weare away and decay But the immortall crowne which Peter speaketh of will neuer You are not ashamed to put your trust in worldly things but in scriptures you put no trust them you cannot abyde Dooth not Iames Hocstrate in his booke intytuled Of praying to saints pronounce him to bée an heretique that flieth to the scriptures and that custome ought to bée followed before the scriptures bycause a common errour maketh a lawe We haue hitherto proued our holy father to be the head of the Militant Church here in earth though the Lutherians say that hée is head of the Malignant Church Now will wée proue that hée is the head of the Triumphant Church which is in Heauen The first Obiection HE is the head of the Triumphant Church that Canonizeth Sainctes and hath authoritie ouer Aungels that maketh of the triumphant church whom he listeth But the Pope dothe this Ergo he is the head I denie the Minor wée proue it Let vs sée if you find any day in the yeare dedicated to any Saincte which the Pope did not dedicate and consecrate Hée made the Apostles dayes the foure Ladye dayes made Corpus Christi a Sainct S. Peters cheynes S. Graue or S. Sepulchre S. seuen Sléepers s. Sonday s. Grimbold S. Chrisogon s. Gorgon s. Rooke s. Dunstone s. Thomas Becket whom King Henry dyd vnsainte and disgrade holy Iohn Shorne holy King Henry many a Prelate Bishop and Pope and in fine al his benefactours for whom he commaundeth euery Priest to pray for in his Canon of the blessed masse which we trust he will make a Sainct one day for surely she is our good Mistres she prospereth Prelats exalteth Hermits aydeth Hunters purgeth Pigs helpeth Hogs causeth raine and faire weather deliuereth out of Purgatorie and directeth generall councelles Finally she were as worthy to be a Sainct as any of them all I aunswere that the Pope taketh vpon him to doo and saye so But thinke you that hée can doo so Surely hée hath made some saincts that are deuilles and some that there were neuer none such What manner of Sainct is sainct Sondaye or Rymon or s. Gyners or s. Redygons or s. Apellinare for tootheache Ualentine for Louers Loe for Smithes Crispine Martine and Chrispinian for Shoemakers Nicolas and Cletus for Clarkes and yit many write ther was neuer none such as Cletus George for warriers Andrew for Scotlande Denis for Fraunce Iames or Iaques for Spayn about Louane Urbane whom they Crowne and cary about with great pompe to Tauernes if thei haue plentie of frutes if no they spitte vpon him they reuyle him throw him into the kennelles They painte with Iohn and Bernard the deuill with George like to the Egyptians a Crocodile with Rooke a dogge with Antony a sowe The Hollanders vse Paulyne as Louanians Urbane although that there bée no parte in mannes body so honest vnto the which the Pope hath not appointed a sainct and none so vncomely which hath not his saincte Neyther any absurditie that you can name but they haue a sainct for it yet say they the Pope cannot erre although it is euident that he Canonizeth as they saye these Sainctes booth contrarie to Scriptures Councelles and Doctoures It is in sainct Paule that if God onely iustifyeth who can condempne can the Pope Thus I reason Hée that cannot iustifye a man hée cannot Canonize But the Pope cannot iustifye Ergo hée
heauen confusion neyther shalbée nombred amonge the seruauntes of god Hierome sayeth that wheresoeuer a man be Bishop whether at Rome Engubie Constantinople Rhegij Alexandria Thebes or Guarmaria the office is all one the merite all one and degrée all one Who soeuer sayeth Gregorie calleth himselfe the vniuersall priest or desireth to bée called so is a foreronner of Antichrist reade Gregorie Epistola 76.78.79.83.92.194 Here endeth the first Discours THE SECOND DISCOVRS wherein is proued that neyther Peter nor the Pope is the head of Christes Church AS wée haâ—e hitherto proued in the former Oration or discourse that Peter was not at Rome So let vs in this seconde Treatise conclude that neyther hée neyther the Pope neyther any of his Successoures is the heade of the Churche neyther the Church or Seate of Rome to bée preferred before others As out of the head and brayne which is the seate of the senses whereof ryseth all knowledge as the Philosophers and Phisitians write and also as of synowes wherewith the partes of the body are knit and coupled togither procéedeth the lyfe vitall and all mouinge Euen so from our head Christ the fountaynes of grace are deryued and flowe to water our soules the synowes and sensible doctrine to instruct the mynde and the spirit of regeneration to renewe the whole man As the heade and brayne minister too the whole body féeling and moouing so is Christ the head of distributing to euery man seuerall gyftes of the Spirit Hée that is the head of the church which is the body of Christ must néedes gyue lyfe spirite moouing bâ—eing senses féeling vnderstanding grace and all gyftes of the holy ghost but the Pope can gyue none of these Therefore the Pope is not the heade of the church Hée that can not forgyue synnes is not the heade of the Churche The Pope cannot forgyue synnes Ergo hée is not the heade of the church â–ª Solus Deus condonat peccata Onely GOD forgyueth sinne The Pope is not God Ergo hée forgyueth no sinne As the man is the head of the Wooman so is Christ the heade of the church This Church are all the faythfull of all ages the faithfull before the floode the faythfull after the floode The Faythefull before Christ the faythfull after christ If a wooman should haue twoo Husbandes to her head were shée an honest woman were shée not an Adultres were shée not to bée diuorced Ergo if the Romishe Churchâ— haue twoo heades Chryste and the Pope Shée is a Strumpette an Harlotre a Curtesane and the Churche of Satan Moreouer Christe is zeleous ouer his congregation hée will haue no fellowes hée is sufficient alone hée néedeth not the Popes ayde The Popes head may be dronke Christes is alwayes sobre his franitique Christes perfect his phantasticall Christes substanciall his feble Christes stronge his mortall Christes immortall Hée that maketh him self the head of the Church hée must make him self her husband but what an husband is the Pope Surely an adulterer if hée presume too take an other mans wyfe Is not the Church Christes wyfe ThaÌ„ is shée not the Popes because that shée can not haue two husbands at once If hée bée an adulterous head ergo hée is Antechrist Howe coulde Peter bée Pope at Roome when as it was not lawfull nor permitted to teache but priuatlie in houses Where was his authoritie where were bothe his swoordes Temporall Spirituall Neyther had hée the Temporall to represse Nero his tyrannie neyther the Spirituall to rule the Clergie Was not Paule as good as Peter Did hée not resist him to his face Was Paule inferiour to any of the Apostles Howe chaunceth it that Peter could not rule them that put him to deathe where was the mightie power of M. Pope Is hée the head of the Church whom Christ calleth Sathan Is not that Satanas church which Satan ruleth But Peter is called Satan Ergo that church which Peter ruleth is the church of Satan But saye the Papistes Our Churche is founded vpon Peter Then is the foundation vitious the buylding odyous the pillers which are the colledge of Cardinalles very rotten and corrupt and the pallace of Prelates pestilent and all that they do beastlie sensuall carnall of Antechrist For Christ sayeth to Peter Awaye Satan hence Dyuell for so signifyeth the Hebrewe woorde thou offendest mée thou sauorest of earthly thinges and not of heauenly If the head be Dyuelish what are the members what is the body The Romishe churche is the body is this churche without spotte or wrincle is this of God is this the piller of truthe is this the Kingdome of God Naye it is as Petrarche writeth the sinke of sinne and pudle of Godes yre A denne of Wolfes Lyons Foxes Dragons and Tigres Peter sauored of earthly thinges and sought earthly thinges and so doo the Popes Did not Peter moue Christ that they might make in the mount where Christ was gloriously transformed thrée tentes hée sauored of none other thing then of earth And did Pope Leo any other thinge when hée answered Peter Bembus a learned Cardinall alledging a sentence out of the Ghospell to him that it was knowen well ynough in all ages how much that fable of Christ did profit the Popes and their successours and adherentes And that ye shall vnderstand that the Church is neyther founded vppon Peter nor of any other man sainct Paule sayeth that Christ is only the foundacion And Christ when the Apostles did stryue for superioritie y preeminencie sayd to them reprouing their ambition that hée that presumed to be highest should be lowest and a minister too the rest Which woordes declare that Christ woulde haue no superioritie amonge his Apostles Did not Peter deny Christ thrée tymes Is hée woorthie too bée the head and steward of his family that denyeth his Master that sweareth that hée neuer knewe him Such are Peters Successors for they sweare that they neuer knew such a beggerly body as Christ was For saye they Christ was poore wee bee riche Christ a begger and had nothing wee haue the whole worlde And it is prophecied by Dauid of vs Omnes subiecisti sub pedibus eius oues boues pecora campi To the Pope God hathe layd all thinges vnder his feete sheepe oxen and all cattell Peter did fyght and cut of Malcus eare the Popes cut of the Emperours heades fyght with them subdue them and treade vppon them Theire foundation is the sword fyre fagotte tyrannie and all iniquitie This sword Christ bad Peter put vp they drawe it and shaketh it ouer all Nations Where proue they that Peter was the cheifest of the Apostles where proue they him too bée the best or such a one as all the other shoulde obey was hee the Uicegerat of Christ can he doo all that Christ can doo who was reproued of Paule the least and lowest of all the
Apostles where was his swoord than where was his courageous stomacke Did not little Paule dryue great Peter awaye Wherfore yee see that the Pope founding his authoritie ambition vayne glory Supremacie dignitie and superioritie vppon Peter must needes fall it must needes bee grounded vppon errours and iniquitie That which hath twoo heades is monstruous but if Christ bée head as hée is the only head and the Pope also than is it a monstruous body But more monstruous is that body that hath thrée or foure heades for at once there were thrée or foure Popes together euery one called him self head Which of them was the head let them answer if they can if they can not let the head fall with the body If Rome make the Pope holy if the seate where the Pope is can not erre if his church bée catholique and vniuersall how chaunced it that at one time in the yeare of Christ 1411. Clement was Pope at Auenion in Fraunce Pope Vrbane at Roome Benedict the .xiii. succeded Clement at Auenion in Fraunce Gregorie the .xii. was the Pope at Rome Iohn Pope at Bononia and all deposed in the Councell of Constance One of these reuiled an other blasphemed an other cursed excommunicated calling one an other Antechrist Traytor Murtherer Sonnes of Beliall Seruantes of Satan Heretiques Scismatiques and Cruell Tyrauntes If the presence of Peter make the place too bée the best and of most authoritie why was not Hierusalem the chief Cittie the highe See and the Metropolitane of the whole worlde For there Peter preached first and conuerted many thousandes And ye can noâ— reade of one that hée conuerted at Roome when hée was neuer there as the former discours proueth Where gaue Christ and at what tyme the authoritie and prerogatiue of â—osinge and â—ynding Hée gaue it before his death and in Iurye than by good reason that tyme should bée better than this Iury holyer than Roome for many hundreth yeares after was Roome established Now bycause neyther tyme nor place is estemed among Christians but fayth in Iesu Christ there is the Church where Christians woorshippe him in veritie Then Rome is not too bée preferred before the whole world neyther a Cittie before Citties a Towne before Shyâ—es a small parte of Europe before Asia Africa and America Besides this why is not Antioche Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia Asia Egypte and Babylon too bee preferred seeing that there hée preached there hée planted there hée grafted there hee did sowe there hée watered there hée taught and instructed and brought the people from errour to truthe from Superstition to Religion from Tyrannie to Clemencie from Fraude too Synceritie from Dissimulacion and Hypocrisye too Ueritie from Auarice too Frankenesse from Wickednesse too Uertue from Earthly thinges too Heauenly thinges from the admiration of worldly pompe too the contemplation of heauenly thinges from Hell too Heauen from misery too felicitie and from earthly possession too the inheritaunce of Iacob too the bosome of Abraham too the possession of Isaac too the let of Danyell and too the Paradise of the blessed thief NOWE I haste too the confutacion of their Argumentes whereby they go about too proue that Peter and the Pope is the head of the Church But first I will declare a true history from tyme too tyme and that breifly what they were that were afore the Pope and howe the Churche of Rome came too such a prerogatiue and dignitie Christ him self disputed and reasoned with the Doctoures opposing aunswering and conâ—uting them So did Iohn the Baptiste so did the Apostles so did Stephan so Aquila Apollo and all other that had any of theise giftes which are repeted in sainct Paule And this order of euery man too vtter his gifte continued vntoo the tyme of Theodoret and vntoo the tyme of Gregorie the ninth Pope of that name as appereth by his lawe for hée made lawes that no Laye man should preache of whatsoeuer degrée hée were Noble man Gentle man and other An Elder and a Bishoppe were both one at the beginning Act. 20. vers 17.28 which two verses conferred will shewe you that there is no difference betweene an Elder and a Bishoppe The which Paule proueth and Hierom and Theodoret vpon the same chapter Paule in that place calleth Bishoppes Elders such as taughte the people and instructed them and Deacons such as prouided for the poore lyke too our Church Wardens Afterward they began too alter this order for Eusebius libro .4 .5 affirmeth that the Church was a virgin immaculate vntill the death of Iohn the Euangeliste and than errours to haue creeped in who dyed from the birth of Christ .xxv. yeares And about â— yeares after his death or before the Church began to haue one as cheef whom they called a President or one as an Ouersoâ—er of the people and here sayeth Beza the Deuill began to practise his peruersitie and laye the foundacion of his Tyrannye Euery Citie and Towne had a Bishoppe that taught them but emong them there was no Supremacie The Emperoures afterward which had certeyne principall Cities in euery Shyre one or more whereto all the countrie about resorted to the Law and to decide other matters gaue greater authoritie to the Bisshoppes of the Moother cities for so they were called then too the Bishoppes of other Uillages in the countrie And as they called the mother cities Metrapoleis or matrikous kathedras â–ª or meizonas poleis so dyd they call the Bishop or Minister thereof or Pastor protonton protenonta proestota or patriarchin or Metropolitin â–ª As they call the great Cities Moother Cities Moother Seates The first seates or greater Cities so did they call the priest therof or mynister or Byshop or pastour the first the chiefe the president a Patriarche or Metropolitane Wée reade in the councell of Nyce that Alexandria was chiefe ouer Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis and Antioche was chiefe ouer the countries about as Rome was in Italie Where was there any superioritie more at Rome then at Alexandria or at Antioche In the second councell holden at Constantinople it was decréed that the Bishop of Alexandria should gouerne the Cast countries that Antioche might haue that dignitie that was appointed in Nycene councell the Bishop of Thrace his countrie the Bishop of Pontus his the Bisshop of Rome Italie and so of all the rest Socrates in his historie repeteth seuerall Metropolitanes which are called Patriarches for they were booth of one Authoritie As Nectarius ouer Megapolis meaning Constantinople and Thrace Helladius ouer Pontus Basile ouer Cesarea of Cappadocia Otrius ouer Miletene in Armenia Amphilochius in Asia at Iconiam Optimus at Antioche of Pisidia Timothe to Alexandria of Egypt Pelagius to Laodicia Diodorus to Tharsus Meletius to Antioche The Bishoppe of Hierusalem to Hierusalem These same Metropolitanes they called also Archebishoppes They say the false framed Epistles ascribed to Clemens and
against the hole land against the Preistes Kinges people and the mighty Princes of Iuda and such Tyrauntes Ieremy intreateth of in the end of his fystenth chapter If euery good man bée a lyuely stone as Peter him self writeth and all the congregation a Spirituall howse and the howse of God the piller and ground of truthe and lykewyse Christes own body and the fulnesse of him that filleth all thinges Than is not the Pope Cardinalles and Clergie the church and pillers in whom dwelleth no vertue Neyther Peter had any other keys than Adam Seth Noe Melchisedeck Abraam Iob Moses and all the faythfull had from the beginning The keys of the Kingdome of heauen are the opening and interpretacion of the Scripture What keye sayeth Tertullian in the .iiii. booke against Mar. had the Doctours of the Lawe saue interpretation Tertullian inuehing ageinst the Eustix affirmeth the keys to bée gyuen generally to all the which euery man whan hée departeth hence carieth with him Wherfore who so euer confesseth his sinnes repenteth and beléeueth in Christ hath these keyes wherwith hée openeth the locke and entereth intoo heauenly felicitie Euery man may bynde and loase him self Augustinus de doctrina lib. 1. cap. 8. sayeth Too binde is too perseuer in errour too procede in vyce too louse too repente him of his sinne beléeue that here in earth his sinnes shall bée forgiuen him And this is too bynd and louse The second Obiection Hée that giueth authoritie too the Church is supreme head But the Pope giueth authoritie to the church ergo hée is supreme head I deny your assumption called otherwyse the Minor. Wée proue it say they by S. Augustine who sayeth I wold not beléeue the Scriptures if the catholique church should not moue mée I answer This church that Augustine speaketh of is not the church of Rome and therfore the Pope giueth no authoritie to the church If Augustine had meaned the church of Rome then their argumeÌ„t myght haue semed to haue had a good ground But Augustine meaned the church of Christ as the Crede it self expoundeth it What is the Catholique Church The Crede answereth and interpreteth in these words A communion societie or companie of all Saincts and Godly men Nowe if Rome bée all the world and a communion of Saincts only then is it the only Church but it is neyther all the world neyther a communion of Saincts therfore it is not the Church Are shamefull synners Saincts horrible offenders Holy Augustine meaned by the Catholique Church Christ and his Disciples and the consent of all them which sawe Christ which heard him and his Disciples and therfore is it called in the common Crede of Nice the Apostolique church If Augustine did imagine that the Scriptures should take authoritie of the church it had bin an absurditie considering that there is no congregation so perfect no company so holy no men so pure which do not dayly desire God too forgyue them their offences as they forgyue them that offend against them If wée saye wée sinne not wée are lyers and there is no truth in vs. Let vs proue both by Reason which is the Lawe of Nature infixed in man Naturally and by Scripture that the Church doth take her authoritie of the Woord and not the Woord of the Church If Cleantes and other Philosophers as Tullie testifieth affirme partly by the Naturall motions of their myndes no doubt moued by inspiration that there is a GOD partly by the presciencie and foreknowledge of the thinges to comme partly by the commodities which proceede of the temperature of the ayer the plenty abundance of all thinges necessary for mans vse partly by tempestes thunder inundacions hayle lightening earthquakes stormes wonders miracles blasing starres eclipses of Sonne and Moone of the reuolution of the heauens of the constant and certein course of the fixed Starres and Planettes Than must wée confirme with Dauid and Paule that Gods power nature and diuinitie is knowen by visible thinges subiected to our senses If Dauid and Paule proue by the naturall courses of the heauens that there is a God neyther any people to bée so ignorant any Natiâ—n so rude any country so Barbarous which haue not heard their voyces for Dauid sayeth Their sound are gone through all the world Or as it is in the Hebrew Their rule course is knoweÌ„ through all the world By a figure the sound voyce is attributed in the .19 Psal. to the heauens bycause they declare vntoo vs with their constant course mouing and other meruelous dispositions constellations and influences that there is a god And by this meanes Paule proueth the Gentyles to bée without excuse bycause they might haue knowen God by his creatures and dyd knowe but dyd not glorifye him as god By these it is euident that the heauens and Gods woounderous workes are not the causes why there is a God but God is the cause of them and they are as witnesses and testimonies that there must néedes bée a god And bycause al the Scriptures teache nothing else but God to bée the maker defender and gouerner of all wée are assured that they are the true scriptures bycause they agrée with this lawe of Nature wyth this Heauenly description and celestiall disposition wherby there is vnderstand to bée a god If Dauid and Paule prooue the diuinitie power and prouidence of God by his creatures so must wée allowe the scriptures by the same meanes bycause they differ not from the discourse Wherefore the church taketh no authoritie of it selfe but of God nor the scriptures any power of men whiche are full of erroures Wée knowe Moses Danyels Salomons Iobs woorkes and the rest of the scriptures to bée of force bycause they agrée with the rule of nature They are witnesses but no authours If a Lawyer aunswere by the Lawe hée dooth his dutie but if hée aunswere of his own brayne it is nought neyther will any man beléeue him Hée is a wicked Iudge that attributeth more to hys owne witte and will than to the lawe This doth the Pope contrarie to all the auncient Doctours and vertuous writers who affirme no man to bée beléeued onlesse hée alleadge the scriptures If an Ambassadour goe from one Prince to an other and be commaunded neyther to adde to his commission nor diminishe hée is a traytour if hée doo How much more the Pope who by his false embassage dooth not onely adde and diminishe where hee lusteth but also chaungeth peruerteth correcteth depraueth and abolissheth the Scriptures setting vppe hys owne constitutions and braynelesse Decréees The Prince to whome this Embassadour is sent cannot tell whether his commission is true or no but by conferring of the other Princes letters out of the which he must haue the truthe So must wée runne to the scriptures and trye by them whether the Pope and other impure spirits doo well in vsurping such authoritie The Church may bée a
but Christ prayed for Peter ergo Peter could not erre I deny the proposition which you call the Maior for Christ prayeth for all men as well as for Peter and also for them that persecute him ergo by your argument all men should bée head of the Church yea euen they that persecute Christ as the Pope doth Augustine wryteth that Peter figureth all Christians the vniuersall Church ergo when Christ prayed for Peter that hée should not erre hée prayed also for all Christians and for the vniuersall church that it should not erre And that this is Christes meaning ye shall vnderstand by the often fall of Peter after this prayer of Christ for hée denyed Christ thrise was also reproued of Paule after this prayer The tenth Obiection Peter féede my shéepe these woords giue too Peter a superioritie I answer that Christ did commaund Iames and Iohn with the rest of the Apostles to doo the lyke Did they not féede the shéepe of Christ also Did not Iames preache at Hierusalem and Iohn at Ephesus Moreouer Paule exhorteth the elders of Ephesus too féede the flock and church of God committed too their charge wherfore too féede Christes shéepe is as well proper too all men that haue the gift as too Peter Of this matter reade Ambrose in his pastorall The .xj. Obiection As Christ came too doo the will of his Father so must you doo the will of your mother the churche of Rome I answer that you call the church of Rome the Pope his Cardinalles but Christ calleth his church generall and not speciall a communion of Saincts and not a rable of Bishoppes as Tertullian writeth Catholique and not Priuate For Christ sayeth wheresâ—euer there be two or thrée gathered together in his name there is hée among them yea though they bée Laye men as Tertullian noteth Is the Pope the churches sonne or is hée her father If her sonne what a sonne is hée that vsurpeth and preferreth him self before his mother Therfore sayeth Augustine God will not acknowledge him self to be his father that will not confesse the church to be his mother If her father ergo not her child You say the Pope is the head I answer that when the Pope is cut of by death where is your head is it not dead where is the body is it not dead But the body that is the Church lyueth alwayes eyther Militant or Triumphant or rather both Ergo wée must looke for an other head that can not dye euen Christ aboue The .xij. Obiection Had not Pope Paschalis in the yeare of Christ .1100 a girdell hauing seuen keyes and seuen seales in token of his seuenfolde power according to the seuenfolde grace of the holy Ghost of binbing loosing shutting opening sealing resigning and iudging I answer that it is blasphemy to compare the Pope with the holy Ghost Is not hée Antichrist that attributeth to him self all the giftes of the holy Ghost The .xiij. Obiection No Councell may bée called without the Pope I answer to this obiection on this wyse Wée reade that Christ called the first councell willing the Apostles not too departe out of Hierusalem but to looke for the promise of the Father In the election of the seuent deacons which was the second councel Peter did not call the councell but .12 Apostles called the multitude The thyrd councel was called in the .15 of the Actes Where it apereth that Iames was the chéefe and not Peter Was the Pope called to any of these councels Nay surely they neuer knew him And many yéeres after Christ all the councels til the Pope began to rule were gathered togither by the Emperours Kiâ—â—es princes and other magistrates The .xiiii. Obiection Omnino definimus declaramus pronuÌ„ciamus omnem creaturam subesse Romano pontifici de necessitate salutis We define declare and pronounce that euery creature must be vnder the Pope of necessitie or els it cannot be saued I answer that saluation commeth nether from the East nor the west neither from Rome neither from priest prelate nor Pope but from God only Your welth and riches giue you aucthoritie you are rich in reuenues but poore in heauenly treasures Blessed bee the poore in sprite you are arrogant and presumptuous since that venym I meane riches entred into the church as the Lord Cobham sayde whom the Archebishop of Caunterburie Thomas Arundell asked what hée meaned by that venyme I meane sayd hée your Possessions Lordeshippes and Iurisdictions For than cryed an Aungell in the ayre as your owne Cronicles make mention wo wo wo Nowe euen this daye is venyme powred into the church Chryst was méeke and mercifull the Pope is proude and a Tyraunt Christ is poore and forgaue the Pope is riche and a malicious murtherer Rome is the nest of Antichrist and out of that filthie nest come out vncleane birdes Prelates Priestes Monkes Cardinalles which are the body of Antichrist and the pilde Fryers the Tayle which couer his most filthie parte For they preache lyes and therfore are the tayle behinde The xv Obiection Ieremie prophecieth of the church of Rome saying beholde I haue set thée ouer all Nations and Kingdomes to pluck vp and to breake downe and buylde and to plant I aunswere that God commaunded Ieremie to pull vp the wéedes of superstition and to pull downe all the monumentes of Idolatrie But the Pope draweth this godly sentence to the defence of his vsurped power peruerting the mynde of the holy ghost and deprauing the Text of Ieremie and by this Text hée vsurpeth that hée may pull down the Gospell and set vp his decréees roote out the truthe plante heresie or superstition as it is written of him in another place Diruit aedificat mutat quadrata rotundis The xvi Obiection Iohannes de turre cremata a holy Cardinall writeth thus Papa est Rex Regum Dominus dominantium verus Dominus totius orbis iure licet non facto The Pope is King of Kings Lord of Lordes and the true Lord of the whole world by right though not in déede And that Constantinus when hee gaue him Rome restored to him but his owne for the Pope as S. Iohn writeth of Christ in propria venit sui eum receperunt Hée came into hys owne and his owne receyued him I aunswere Is not hée Antichrist that peruerteth the Scriptures and that eyther addeth or taketh awaye but hée taketh awaye Non and attributeth the Texte to him selfe whiche vtterly peruerteth the Text. Ergo hée is Antichrist What a presumptuous Prelate is hée that calleth himselfe King of Kinges and Lord of Lordes If yée reade the letter sent to Cardinal Poole by Stoxâ—ye Bishop of London and Tunstall Bishop of Durham and the booke of Obedience written by Stephan Gardner Bishoppe of Wynchester which all were ranck Papistes ye shall vnderstand that they proue that the Pope is not the heade of the Church