in this poynt euen as the mother after she hathe conceaued and brought forth a childe she is alwayes the childes mother be she neuer so euell neither can the Emperour cause her leaue of to bee a mother or make her not to haue had a chylde whome she hathe brought forthe because that thinge is once done and past of a lyke sorte after that I am once made the mother of al other churches that by Themperors authorite Themperour can not bring it to passe with al the power he hath that I shal not be euermore the mother of them whome I haue begotten The people ▪ And howe may it bee that you haue begotten al churches when it is euident that ther was a great number before you yea and that you wer begotten of other The churche O braynles head Knowest thou not that when Christ honge vpon the crosse and shewed Iohn to hys mother and sayed woman beholde thy sonne forthwith he was made her trewe and naturall sonne so that after those wordes once pronounced it shall be alwayes trewe that Iohn was borne of her Now of the same fashion when the Emperor sheweth vnto me all churches and saythe behold thy doughters by by am I made theyr trew lawfull naturall mother And then began thys sentence fyrst to be trewe that they were all borne of me and therfore canne it not bee but that I begat them and am theyr mother for euer The people Chryste by thys worde mynded to declare nothynge els to his mother but that she should from thence forward take Iohn in stede of her sōne and that he should take Mary in stede of his mother as he alwayes dyd but his mynde was not that she shoulde be Iohns naturall mother as she was that conceaued and bare him The churche Loe nowe ye come in with your tropes and figures the wordes of Christe are simply to bee vnderstanded Christ sayd to hys mother behold thy sonne and he sayd to Iohn beholde thy mother so that it folowethe wel Mary was Iohns very trew mother and Iohn was Maries very trewe sonne but howe this thinge may be it behoueth vs not curiosly to serche Of a lyke fashion the wordes which Christe spake at hys last supper when he there ministred to his disciples taking breade into his handes and deliuerynge it broken to them that sat with him sayinge this is my body be semply and planly to be vnderstanded that is to say that the bread is the very body of Christe and not the breade is a figure of the body of Christ of the very same fashion the Emperours wordes muste be taken when he shewed me all churches sayinge behold thy doughters these wordes must be vnderstanded plainly as they stand wherfore I conclude that they be my trewe lawfull doughtets and I am theyr mother The people What when you neuer begat them I neither knewe nether cold beleue that the Emperoure had euer any such authority that he could make that thīg to be done which was neuer done in this world that is to say that he could make you brīg forth those churches which ye neuer brought forth Yf themperour haue so greate power that he canne make those thinges to haue ben whiche were neuer no doubt he can bring to passe also that those thinges were neuer which haue ben and so may he cause also that ye neuer wer neither euer shal be theyr mother I woulde very fayne that ye coulde perswad thesame thinge which ye tolde me to your monkes and prestes that is that the wordes of Christ are simply to be vnderstāded without any trope or figure as this other saiing of Christ is some there be whiche haue geldyd thēselues for the kingedō of god for takinge it plainly they would gelde themselues and let my women alone vndefiled neither would they be stayned with so much wicked filthines which thynge they should more willynglye do for that they so frowardlye defend that they wyll take no wyues To possesse thynges not nedefull appereth to me not only superfluose but also folyshe Thys woulde I lerne of you when themperour sayed vnto you beholde thy doughters what thīg was it y t he shewed vnto you The churche All churches The people The churches of Christ or the churches of the Deuell The curche I am indifferent The people If it be as you saye I thynke he shewed vnto you the churches of Satan As touchynge my parte I dare boldly saye there is no cause why I should reioyse in this dignitie but rather lament for wheras before I was your onelye sonne and heyre now when ye haue a meany of doughters ye must giue to euery one of thē theyr dowery so that I shal remayne a beggar The church Naye thou shalt bee rychest of all other knowe ye not the fashion of the turkes which selleth theyr doughters for a certaine sūme of money to thē that shal be theyr husbandes so will I sell my churches and byshoprikes to them that will giue moste money and so shall the spoyle of all other prouinces come immediatly to Rome The people Then will ye commit simonie and norishe a den of theues The churche I tolde thee afore that I can not erre and so must thou beleue if thou wilt be accounted my sonne yea although thou sawest me commit dayly all kindes of abhominacion The peo This cānot be except I lose my fiue wittes The churche Naye I woulde ye shoulde not onelye be persuadyd that I cannot erre but also that I am most holy ought to be called most holy after such a sort that he which nameth me holy not most holy is to be thought not to speake of me The people Then when the Apostles in the Crede saye we muste beleue one holy churche wee must not thynke that sayng to belong to you But I heard say not longe agone a thynge more to bee wondered at that our Byshop is made most holy of all and moste blissed of all other a goddes name The churche Thou hittest the nayle on the head The people Then as concerning holynes he shal be superior to Christ who by the authoritie of scripture is named holy of holies but this good blode of ours is called by the mouthes of mē most holy Therefore should he not desire to come into heauē For be it that he were there euen nowe more then blissed should he not be and being in yearth he is accountyd most blissed Wherfore he should not ascende to a higher state of felicitie but rather descende to a lower And it is maruayle yf thangelles and Saynctes whiche be in heauen come not with spede to Rome and there begynne to sue for thys dignitie of the Byshopryke of Rome that they may be made more blissed and more holy then they nowe be I heard more ouer that he is declared the head of all other churches Thechurch So it is in dede The people Had not then the misticall bodye of the
and afterward intending to ascend into heauen because he coulde not be at the selfe same tyme in heauen and aâ—so susteyne and gouerne his congregacion as though it had bene one tyred with rulynge and laboringe left Peter in his place and so after theÌ„ all the Bishops of Rome in ordinary succession Howe beit yf men and not Christ were the foundacion of the churche of christendome whiche dyd susteyne and beare thesame trewlye it shoulde haue weake and verye feble pillers to leaue vpon and so feble that it woulde not once but more then a thousand tymes haue ben ouerthrowen namely because this thing is without controuersie When the Byshope of Rome is dead there is not by and by another chosen in his roume but some dayes at the least come betwen wherin the church of Christ should lacke a head thoughe it neuer lacked one at any tyme elles Nowe maye you perceyue whether the churche were then destroyed or not And this dare I boldlye saye yf the churche of Christ shoulde leane vpon men after thys sorte as vpon the foundacion hell gates had preuayled agaynst it longe before thys tyme. Furthermore yf we were grounded vpon men and shoulde trust to them as to oure grounde worke and foundacion we shoulde be all accursed accordyng to the sayng Cursed be that manne whiche putteth hys trust in manne And then shoulde not our churche be the churche of Christ but the Sinagoge of Satan and Peter shoulde haue erred excedyngly Christe beyng lyfted vp in to the highe place of heuen and he lefte for the foundacion of the churche in earthe in y t he exhorteth Christian men not to buylde vpon hym but vpon Christe the true and suer foundacion and grounde worke of his churche And this also is very true Euen as Christ dyd not onely aske Peter but all the rest of the Apostles with him when he sayed but whom saye you that I am So also Peter made aunswere in the name of all the Apostles or els they al being demauÌ„ded should euery one haue answerid for theÌ„selues But there was muche communicacion amongest theÌ„ at suÌ„dry times before they al coÌ„fessed with one accorde that he was the sonne of God althoughe Iudas with a lyuelye faythe beleued not so And Christ at another time asked al his Apostles wyll you also depart Peter onely in the name of the reste made aunswere Thou hast the wordes of eternall life Whiche thing is euident of the wordes that folowe to whom shal we goe we knewe beleued longe agon that thou art Christ the very sonne of the liuing God Of a lyke sort he aunswered in the name of them all when he spake these wordes Thou art Christe the sonne of God And because Peter in the name of them all confessed Christe to be the sonne of god ye must graunt that when Christ sayd Thou art Peter and vpon thys rocke will I buyld my church â–ª that he spake not onely to Peter but to them all althoughe it were in the name of Peter As though he had sayed Peter onely is not the liuely rocke but all suche as folowinge hys example verelye beleue and confesse Christ to be the sonne God be liuely rockes which be buylded vpon the vnchauÌ„geable precious corner stone Christ the only foundacion of his church But I praye you tell me in good earnest what sayed master Falsidicus to such thiÌ„ges as were obiected Lepi. Would ye know sayed he how Christ minded by these wordes to make Peter the foundacion and head of his church Reade the wordes that folow ye shal perceyue that he spake to Peter wheÌ„ he sayd To thee wyll I gyue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen And whatsoeuer thou shalt bynde in yearth it shall also be bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou loosest in yearthe it shall be loosed in heauen Yt is not to be thought but that Christ being most true of hys promise performed most habouÌ„dantly y t whatsoeuer he promysed Peter And so muste it bee graunted that the keyes of the kingdome of heauen were deliuered to Peter therfore hath he power to open and to shit vp heauen to whome so euer it shall please hym and to bringe in and dryue out whome he shal thinke mete as he will him selfe so may he lose also and bynde And forasmoche as by the woordes of Christe Peter only had thauthority to loose binde to opeÌ„ and shut heuen it foloweth that Christ gaue authoritie ful and whole to Peter and ordeyned him onely to bee head of hys churche Mas. Yf onely Peter and the byshoppes of Rome haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and they only haue power to open thesame forsothe I would not dye when the sea of Rome is vacant and voyd of a byshop For then shoulde there bee no body whiche shoulde open heauen gates to me And I maruayle more ouer of whome they gatte the keyes of purgatory for it apereth by theyr own coÌ„fession that Christ gaue hym none other keâ—es but of the kyngdom of heauen onely But I coulde haue choked hym euen with one worde Lepi. Howe Mas. Thus would I haue sayed Themperours porter hathe the keye of themperour hys court and hathe authoritie to open and shit and the Mayor of a citie hathe authoritie to bynde and loose and yet neither of them bothe is themperour Of a like sorte be it that Peter had the keyes authorytie to binde and lose it followeth not therfore that he is the head and lord of the churche of god that he is equall with Christe or elles at leste his vicar of equall authoritie by whome our faythe may be stable and suer that he is the vmpieâ— and iudge of all controuersies whiche arise in holie scripture But tell me thys one thynge what answere made thembassadour of Constantinople to thys thinge Lepidus Fyrste he aunswered that Christ gaue not the keyes euen then to Peter but promysed them only not doutinge but that Christe kept promes with him But he was desirous to know of master Falsidicus the time when he deliuered the keies to Peter and gaue him thauthoritie to louse to bind what wordes he sayed when he gaue them For by that meanes the trueth might appere what was ment by these keyes and what is thys authoritie To thys master Falsidicus made aunswere That he assuered Peter of them when after hys resurrection he asked Peter whether he loued hym more earnesâ—ly then the rest dyd or not vnto whome Peter made aunswere saying Thou knowest O Lord that I loue the then Christ gaue him iniunccion to feede his shepe In the very selfe same houre he made him the chiefe shepard and bishop of al soules TheÌ„ Thembassador of Constantinople smylinge sayed yf preachinge the worde of God be the fedinge of soules as the holy doctors with one assent doeth expound it it is with out dout that that office was not onelye gyuen to Peter but also to
honour before manne or for thobteynyng of riches or imperiousely to vse the seruice of hys subiectes neyther to seke for any priuate commoditie but to serue other and to â—eke for the profyt of other The power therefore and thegreatnes of the ministers of Christe is alltogether spiritual and standeth wholly in the seruice and gouernaunce of soules helthe But y e bishop of Rome seketh for no other thing theÌ„ to be estemed greate before the worlde that he maye bee worshipped in earthe as it were a god and haue lybertie to vse tyranny ouer all churches to spoyle and destroy them at his pleasure Yf the church of Christ wer now as in times paste it was ordeyned to be he shoulde be thought greater then all the reste who is indued with more lyght from aboue and hath receaued more gyftes and benefites of Goddes hand and this worthynes of hys woulde he onelye vse in settynge forthe of the gospell whereby he might wynne as many soules as myght bee to Christ. So that be it that Christe had geuen the power of the keyes of the kingdome of heauen to Peter onely and by him to you that be byshoppes of Rome which thinge is not trewe what other power or authoritie shoulde you haue therby I pray you then to preach the gospell then to be witnesses that synnes bee pardoned to them that beleue and retayned to theÌ„ that beleue not then to administer the Sacraments accordynge to Christes institucion theÌ„ to exhorte to admonysh to correcte with gentlenes and loue such as be prone to synne then to excommunicat whiche is the chiefe matter of all suche as bee open notoriouse synners when they amend not after monicion geuen accordinge to the doctrine of Christe and wyll not obeye the church Thus farre extendeth your power and authoritie geuen by Christe and no further except ye will confound the boundes and thorder of the power ciuile and the power ecclesiastical Mas. This confusion shoulde not our byshoppe in any wise suffer and that for two causes The fyrste because he will haue all hys power estemed of men to be spirituall and heauenlye al though he ouer run the whole worlde with his vnbrydled tyranny The latter because if he woulde saye that thecclesiasticall power might be mingled and confouÌ„ded with power ciuile he might be afrayed leste haply the Emperor should chalenge theÌ„ both so be made both Emperor and Pope I remembre that I haue hearde tel howe Christe was desiered of a fellowe to make deuision of inheritaunce betwene him and hys brother vnto whome Christe made aunswere who made me your iudge Who gaue me authority to deuide thinheritaunce betwene you As thoughe he had sayed I came not neither am I sent of my heauenly father that I should chaleng to me any political power but spiritual onely I come to preach vnto you the whole spiritual kyngdome to bring you to that highnes of mynde that ye shoulde leaue not onelye the worlde but your selfe also for the glory of god and not to be an arbitrer or iudge of your stryfes Yf therfore our Byshoppe were Pope neuer so much as he striueth to be and Christes vicar in earthe it is very trewe that he hath no more power or authoritie gyuen hym by Christ then had Christe himselfe And therfore whensoeuer there shoulde be any ciuile matters brought before him in iudgement he should make aunswere with Christe who made me youre iudge or elles who gaue me authoritie to deuide or put together to absolue or condempne by a ciuile fashioÌ„ of iudgement Thys power must come some other waies it eÌ„ by Christ. But I feare me muche leste oure popes shall by thys their newe authority bee so much occupied in worldly businesses y t they shal haue no space or time to thinke any whit of God And more ouer so much shal theyr tyranny increase y t they shall wyllynglye desire and drawe to themselues and to their iudgemente seates all maner of controuersies not to make an ende of them but to inuolue them and make them more doubtfull by the meanes whereof the sewtes indure the longer And furthermore wheÌ„ they be once made dronke with the bloud of martyrs they wyll sow deadly discorde and continuall contenâ—ion amongest christian princes and wyll bee the authors almoste of all warres whiche shall continue for manye yeres For it is not possyble that common welthes should be quyet where they shall haue rule But I pray you tell me in good earnest brought the embassador any other authoritie of scripture agaynst the Popeshyppe Lepi He brought amoÌ„gest other as farre as I remeÌ„ber thautorite of Sayncte Paule who wrote to the Galathians that Peter was the Apostle of the Iues euen as Paule was of the Gentiles Wherefore he was neither the Apostle sayed he neither the Pope of Rome neither anye of other nacions but of the Iewes onely Neither was he vniuersall Byshoppe of all christendome neither you that be the byshops of Rome be the successors of Peter because ye be not the Apostles nor bishops of the Iewes But Paule shoulde rather haue bene Pope of the gentiles and so much y â— more aboue Peter bicause that y e geÌ„tiles of whom Paule was the Apostle were moe in numbre then were the Iewes and moe of the Gentiles were conuerted to Christe then of the Iewes And Paule preached also in suÌ„dry places of the world brought forthe the fruite of the gospell more plentifully then dyd Peter wherfore he was an Apostle more vniuersall and more profitable also to the churche of Christ. And Paule more ouer addeth thys thyng in the same place that he had no lesse grace beinge the Apostle of the Gentiles then Peter had being the Apostle of the Iewes Then was not Peter a greater Apostle then Paule was And so consequentlye doethe it folowe that he not hys head yea and Paule doeth playnlye call hym in speciall wordes felowe euen as he dyd bothe Iames and Iohn And Peter also wrytynge to the pastors of other churches commaundeth them not imperiouslye as though he were their superior but exhorteth them gently as hys felowes callynge Christe and not hym selfe the chiefe Pastor And furthermore when he was rebuked of Paule he sayed not that he was aboue all lawes and coulde not erre because he was Pope but gaue place to Paule when he was checked of hym openlye And also when he was sent by the apostles in to Samaria he withstod them not He sayed not it is my office to commaunde I haue authoritie to send whom I will or els to goe my wayes yf it please me for I am youre head But he obeyed their commaundementes as a membre of the churche of Christ. And when thimbassador would haue folowed hys matter that he intended more at large and haue brought moe places of scripture for the vtter subuercion of all the popship Then master Falsidicus thinkyng hymselfe not well handled with thimbassadors manyfolde and
stronge reasons interruptyng his tale past all good maners as a mad man in hys fury cryed out with loud voyce and sayed Ye of the East churches bee full of sectes and heresies And therfore haue you of all other most nede of a supreme visible head in yearth by whose authoritie wisdom ye may be gouerned by whom the cōtenciōs that arise amongest you for sundrye interpretacions of scripture maye be pacified y e thīg being declared opened by the censure and iudgemente of the chiefe Byshoppe by the whiche meanes ye myghte knowe the trueth and remayne firme and stable in the trewe fayth quietly For thys cause shoulde you chiefely desire thys supreme head and gouernoure who nowe labour to hynder y e thyng for lacke of knowlage of y e profit that shall enshewe And therfore can I not stey my selfe but must a litle passe the bondes of pacience and speake my mind frely Yf the whole matter were put to me I know what I had to doe I say no more To these wordes thimbassador aunswered quietlye Master Falsidicus ye say yf the whole matter were put to you ye knowe what ye had to doe Bycause these wordes maye bee taken diuerslye seinge you expoūde them not your selfe there is none of vs that can well tel what ye meane by thē some may peraduenture gesse but none cā haue any certain assuraūce So that you onelye knowe what is ment by them euen as Paule wrote What manne is he liuinge that knoweth the inward partes thinwarde thoughtes desiers and craftes of man excepte it bee the spirit of man that dwelleth within him Euē so because men see not thinwarde thoughtes of menne they vnderstande not to what ende theyr wordes tende therefore is it no meruayle yf they atteyne not the perfect knoweledge of those thinges that be spoken namely when the wordes be douteful and ambigouse Therfore with what face dareth the byshop of Rome beinge a mortall manne chalenge vnto him authoritie and iudgement to expounde the worde of God as it shall please hym and to force menne to folowe his exposicion be it ryght or wronge Yt was the holye ghoste and not Peter that opened the mindes of thapostles whereby they myght vnderstande the holy scriptures and he taught them all his whole wyll as Christ promysed before and as Esay did wryte they were taught of god and the lawe of god was prynted in theyr stomakes and written in theyr hartes frō aboue as Hieremie prophecied longe before Iohn shadowed thesame thinge sayinge Ye haue no nede of any mannes helpe whereby to learne for thanoyntinge it selfe that is to saye the holy goste shall teach you all truethe The holy goste is the trewest teacher of al other and one that performeth his promes most haboundantly He is no lyar as men be that breake theyr faythe and promes it is he onely that canne declare the trew sence of the holy scripture it is he only that can open the myndes of menne that canne teach strengthen and stablyshe vs in all trueth and not the bishops of Rome And if you would say that the pope being lightened by the holy goost geueth light to vs I will aunswere fyrst The Pope is not alone lightened with the light of the holy gost For y e holy gost inspireth where as it pleaseth him and destributeth his giftes amongest men to euery one as hys will is Wherefore mens consciences must not bee bounden and tyed to beleue and thinke that the pope only hath the holy gost that the pope only can not erre that the pope onely is aboue the worde of god that the pope only must be the interpreter the declarer and ruler of holy scripture and that all we muste in all pointes obeye the popes iudgement Because that this is ones suer that visible thynges canne bringe no inwarde lyghte nor confirme menne in theyr faythe and quiet and pacify theyr consciences but the holy goost only canne performe al these thinges plentifully What nedeth many wordes he is very Antichriste whiche boasteth himself that he canne geue light to the mind either by an inwarde lyght or by some other meanes then by thexpresse worde of God as the minister of the worde by good example of lyfe and continuall prayer Yf all we should stande or fall by the iudgement of the pope why is there so much labor spent in gatheringe together of counselles Why spende we our lyues with so muche paine in study for knowledge in turninge our bokes yf we shall leane to the onely worde of the pope Then in the name of god let vs be short let vs come to the pope heare his word as it wer an Oracle and let vs worship him as a god But Paule the Apostle teacheth farre after another sorte when he commaundeth two or thre to speake in the churche in order one after another and the rest diligentlye to waye the iudgementes of them that speake And so the iudgement of Ecclesiasticall matters muste be sought for at the church it selfe and not at the pope of Rome And further Paule willeth in especiall wordes that when one of the members of the churche speaketh the truethe bee reueled to another that sitteth by hym that spake fyrste to holde hys peace thoughe he were Pope and gyue eare vnto the latter vnto whome the truethe is disclosed thoughe he bee one of the basest sorte and vnlerned For many tymes god hydeth the secretes of his wisdome from the prudent and wyse of thys worlde and openeth thesame to lytle ones And in another place he maketh Peter equall with the reste sayinge All thinges be yours whether it be Paule or Apollo or Peter as thoughe he shoulde saye let none bee youre superiors besides Christe and hys worde for Peter and Paule bee youre ministers Yea and Peter in the fyrst councell of the Apostles harkened to other declarynge hys owne iudgement in that poynt and geuynge authorytye to the churche to doe what they shoulde thinke good and willinglye and gladlye to obeye the iudgement which the whole congregacion approueth to be perfecte and suer And althoughe Christ sayed I haue prayed for thee Peter that thy faythe should not fayle yet foloweth it not therefore that Peter coulde not erre For he erred after that tyme sundrye tymes and namely whē he expresselye denyed Christe the sonne of God But when Christe perceyued Peters temerous boldnes y ◠shortly after he would shamefully denye him to arme and strengthen hym agaynste the temptacion which shoulde insewe lest the greatnes of the fault myght hurle hym downe into desperacion he sayed vnto them Satan goeth about to sift you like chaffe and to vndoe and destroye you Yea you had bene all ready vtterly lost yf I had not praied for you and for the especially Peter by name that thy faythe should not fayle beecause thou wylt fall foulier then the rest and I knowe that God hathe herd my
longer And beinge indewed with a wonderful power stoutnes violence and fury thus he sayed What nede we haue so many wordes for the defence of oure Popeshypppe seynge there hath bene brought stroÌ„g reasons enoughe to ouercome the grossest witte in the worlde in so muche that a blynde man maye see the truethe of them Wherfore bycause these our reasons our pleasures our gentylnes and fayre promises can not content them our moste holye father must vse hys large and endeles authoritie And then turnyng hymselfe and speakyng to the Pope he sayed You moste holy father bee the supreme head of the churche of Christe therefore be you aboue all other parsons men Angels reasons holy scriptures authorities yea and aboue the whole world There is no man may iudge you or elles coÌ„maâ—nde you for so it is come to passe Nowe ye be Pope and being Pope ye can not erre Therfore onely saye thus We be Pope and we wyll be Pope and it is ynoughe Your power and authoritie is so greate that if ye wer not pope if yet ye once prononced these wordes we wil be ye should be out of hande Then loking vpon the imbassadors with a fearce countenance he sayed Yf ye wil be rebelles to hys holines ye shall feele the lighteninges and thunderboltes of his excoÌ„munications and cursinges flye in the ayer euen to the furthest countrye in the Easte and then shall ye knowe whether he bee pope or not Moreouer we shal haue Cesars helpe and fauor ioyned to our strengthes so that all we coupled in one will defende the popes authoritie with our sworde Then all the imbassadours arose at once to aunswer this sayinge with one accorde but there was a signe made to the popes chaplayne that he shoulde doe as he was bidden and straighte waye he beganne with a loud voyce the himne Te Deum laudamus The noyse whereof fylled the ayer vp to the sterres and all the reste folowed them crying whow victoria victoria victoria And euen at the very same instante range all the belles in Rome The pope himsefe was by and by caught with mennes handes and borne vpon theyr shoulders and so they caried home the moste holy father to hys place with a great pompe and triumphe Nowe must ye not meruaylle though ye sawe me as ye sayed in the begynninge iocunde and merye Mas. Alas what became of the poore imbassadors Lepi They were all stryken in a dumpe by and by and departed to theyr innes sad heuy taking thys great rebuke so well as it might be Mas. Yf I had bene in theyr coâ—es I woulde not haue thought that it had bene good taryinge for me then in Rome Lepi. I thinke no manne woulde vse any violence agaynste them Mas. Well I am suer the pope would no more send them wine of Grecia and Corsica Lepi. Or if he sent any it shoulde peraduenture bee myngeled But nowe canne I tary no longer with you for now I see the nyght drauethe on and I haue an excedinge deale of busines to doe Thinke ye not where this disputacion was euen where there was none els by sauing the popes moste faythefull frendes who woulde say nothinge but that should make for the pope Mas. Yf it be as you say either wil they hold theyr peace or elles they haue very litle to saye to theyr commendacion Lepidus Ye bee in a manifest errour For there was neuer so greate a lye but it may be so craftely coloured and painted that the blynd common people may thinke it very trewe I haue nowe tolde you all the whole matter desieringe you to kepe it secret as ye promessed me at the beginninge Mas. I will doe the beste I can but me thinketh it will be very hard for me so to doe I thanke you hartelye for your paynes for shewinge this prety storye so fully and so diligentlye Lucifer Beelzebub I Haue thought good to call you agayne to gether here in thys place that I might reioyce with you for the byrthe of Antichrist so happy so vnloked for euen as the angelles reioysed in Christes natiuitie But nowe must we laye our heades to gether and take counsell by what meanes and deuise wee maye establishe thys our kyngdom and increase it bring it to the highest degre of all wickednes and mischiefe Me thynketh it were best first to goe about so to sette forth and amplifie hys honor that menne by litle and lytle maye take thys Antichriste for a certayne God in earthe and honor and magnifie hym euen as their god That we maye vse the highe authoritie whiche he hath for a handsome and strong instrument to the committinge of all kyndes of deceyptes mischefes and wickednes We wyll prynâ—e in mennes heartes as muche as in vs lyeth that Christe gaue the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ to Peter and his successors and also ful power and iurisdiction not onely of the empire of thys worlde but also of the heauenly kingdome Beelze Truely thys thynge pleaseth vs very well so that he haue none authoritie in hell ouer vs for we be surely persuaded that he will come to so highe a degre in abhominacion and wickednes that yf he shoulde haue the rule ouer vs but one day he would bryng vs into a greate deale worse case then we be Luci. Yt is euen as thou sayest But we wyll foresee to y t ieoperdy wisely ynough for my trust is to bring him to such a wickednes that he shal aduenture with hys theuish fingers to corrupt the holy scriptures shal violently mischeuously wryth them to the establishinge increasing and excercisyng of his intollerable tiranny I knowe well they will not be ashamed to saye when Christe sayed to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas that he mente thou shalt bee called head and so was Peter made head of all thapostles who willinglye obeyed that primacie And also that Peter afterwarde left thys chiefe high authoritie to the Byshoppes of Rome by succession Beelze Yf the matter woulde come thus to passe in case Peter shoulde be raysed agayne from deathe he shoulde no more be Pope no he shoulde haue no maner of authoritte Luci. In dede he shoulde haue no more then shoulde please our Byshoppe of Rome to graunte hym of hys bountifull liberalitie And thys thynge is very notable we will cause all their lyes to be written in their canons and so will we blinde the eyes of the vnlearned that they shall take the same canons for thynges moste holye And also we shall all cause the churche of Rome notwihstandynge it is most wicked and hereticall that it shall not onely be accounted for the churche of Christ but also it shall be takeÌ„ for the head and mother of all other churches Beelze Surely the churches of Christ wyll neuer so take it thoughe oure churches so doe Luci. Yes menne shall haue thys opinion of the churche of Rome chiefelye and so of all other churches that shal hang vpoÌ„ her y t
merye and they esteme it as a game wonne and a ioyfull victorie to suffer all kyndes of misfortune for Christes sake so that y e more sorow we doe vnto them the more glorious famous they be and we remayne in more misery and confusion And againe there is one other thing both more hurtefull to vs and more to be lamented that is the resâ— of the people perceauinge them to beare suche ignominie and rebukes with so meruelouse pacience so ioyfull heartes and so constant a corage be compelled to thinke thus with them selues say Truly God lyueth and worketh in theÌ„ meruelously yf they had not an experience and a tast by a secrete mouing of the holy spirite of another lyfe in Christe muche better and happier then this present is they woulde neuer be so desierous to be ridde of this present life And yf it so be that we kyl one Christian man as the fable is of the cutting of one of the heades of Hydra the serpent there springeth as it were of the ashes of him a hundreth immediately in his place When we intende to bringe the kingdome of Christe to nothinge then we make it more nobâ—e riche and gloriouse Nowe yf we shoulde attempte to ouercome this our auncient enemyes kyngedome by reasons and argumentes we shall doe nothinge elles but increase our owne rebuke shame No man can withstande their wysedome wherwith if our reasons be compared truely they bee very folishenes Therfore it is expedient and necessary seynge that we can not ouercome them in playne felde with open warre to attempt their ouerthrowe by arte policie diligence crafte subteltie gyle and prodition I haue conceaued in my head a deceyt of suche weight and importaunce that yf I maye bringe it aboute after suche sorte as I haue deuised it there was neuer maÌ„ sawe nether yet in the worlde was there euer anye that deuysed the lyke bothe for the straungenes and for the force thereof I haue deuysed with my selfe to make a certaine newe kingdome replenished with idolatry supersticion ignoraunce error falsehode deceit compulâ—ion extorsion treason contencion discorde tiranny and crueltie with spoylinge murder ambicion filthines iniuries factions sectes wickednes and mischiefe in the which kingdome all kyndes of abhominacion shal be committed And not withstandinge that it shal be heaped vp with all kindes of wickednes yet shall the Christian men thinke that to be a spirituall kingdome most holy and most godly The supreme head of this kyngdome shal be a man which is not onely sinfull and an abhominable robber and thiefe but he shal be synne and abhominacion it selfe and yet for all that shall he be thought of Christian men a God in earthe and his members beynge most wicked shal be thought of men most holye God sent hys sonne into the world who for the saluacion of all mankynde hath humbled him selfe euen to the deathe of the crosse and I wyll sende my sonne into the worlde who for the destruccion and condempnacion of mankynde shall so auaunce hymselfe that he shall take vpon hym to be made equall with God Thys is our counsell and wittie inuencion and it is not to be doubted but that if the matter come to passe as I woulde haue it as my trust is that it will we shall in short space see a reuenging of that our olde iniurye Beelze Whan I beholde you moste redoubted prince and ponder your wordes seuerally with myselfe ye woulde not beleue howe muche I am comforted me thinketh that I am nowe so satisfied and that I fele my selfe so presently eased as thoughe I my selfe had powred out all the boylynge poyson of my stomacke agaynste God There was neuer creature that had a more wittie a more noble or a more worthye deuise if the matter myght take lyke effect as me semeth it cannot For who would beleue that the christian menne whiche excell in wisdome and iudgement could be brought to this poynt to beleue that the kingdome of the deuill is the kyngdome of God And that the supreme heade of that kingdome being the very greate deuill of hell ought to be adored and wurshypped for a God in earthe and his membres honored for saynctes Luci. O howe goodly occasions manye tymes men lose and howe goodly interprises come not to suche effecte as they were purposed for by the meanes of the weake fearefulnes of mennes stomakes in that they dare not take the thing in hande whiche they be affrayed they shall not atcheue Such as be of hault courage auaunce their mynde studeing and attempting thinges of great aduenture and so with witte industrie diligence care and earnestnes at the last they brynge thynges to passe that bee very harde to compasse My hope is therefore that euen as God hath saued the worlde by Christ so in despite of hym I shall destroye the same that vnder the pretence colour of thesame Christ by the meanes wherof men maye bee the easelier deceyued I wyl styrre vp the chiefe captaynes of my kyngdome that they maye so by craft and diligence shadow and couer supersticion and ydolatry with a fayre face and beautye of fayned holy ceremonies and of good intente as they call it that menne shall be made so dronken and so amased with thys outwarde pompe and shewe that they theâ—selues shall not be hable to descerne trueth froÌ„ falshod when they be drowned in the middes of the floude of ydolatrye and supersticion More ouer I haue determined so to extoll and sette vp the carnall man in thys my kingdome and the lyght of nature and the strength of mannes fre wil and his workes that I shall bee habâ—â— to cast downe Christ out of his place and to bury his great benefit and so to minish the profit of his grace his righteousnes and meryte euerlastinge And furthermore I wyll bring men into that madnes that they shall thynke themselues not onely hable by their owne power and might to inioye the prayse of ryghteousnes before God but also that the eleccion and choyse of their saluacion shall depende wholye vpon themselues All these thinges will I persuade to men vnder a pretence of a more perfect ryghteousnes and honestie and vnder a shadowe of a better setting forthe the glorye of the name of God And although the principall heades of thys kyngdome be full of darkenes of ignoraunce of heresie errour fraude and lyes yet shall they shamelesly take vpon them the vsurpacion of authoritie to make newe and wicked articles of the fayth wrasting the holy scriptures to their croked purpose and yet shal they thynke themselues to be in a great clearenes of lyght and trueth For I can easely persuade vnto them that their churche is the churche of Christ although it be nothiÌ„g elles in dede but a very assembly of Satan I wyll persuade vnto them that they be the disciples of Christe and the successours of Sayncte Peter when in dede wee be their chyefe masters and they our
So that if he coÌ„pel me to his wickednes and commaunde me to beleue his heresies before he be deposed of hys popshipe I must obey by youre iudgemeÌ„t Surely it is handsomly counselled of you The churche Thou must obey him in thinges rightfull honest not in thynges that be wicked euen as ye would doe if a man woulde force you to beleue an heresie The people Euen nowe ye sayed he coulde not erre as he was Pope but he as Pope commauÌ„deth me to assent to hys wycked opinions and by youre mynde I must alowe him for Pope vntyll he be deposed by thauthoritie of a lawefull counsell Wherfore it folowteh that I am bounde to obey hym and to be an heretike as he is The churche Thou shalte not trust hym in heresie wicked doctrine though he would coÌ„maund them to you a thousand tymes The people And howe shall I knowe when he fauoreth and teacheth a wicked doctrine for by youre sayinge I muste beleue that he can not erre because that whatsoeuer he appoynteth me to beleue I must determine it to be wholsome doctrine and infected with no dregges of wickednes So y t in thys poynte I shall not folowe the iudgement of myne owne reason And yf I shoulde apoynt the worde of God to be iudge by youre doctrine I shall not vnderstande it but after the Popes pleasure and exposicion And yf the Pope write the scriptures wickedly expound them frowardly as he is wont and by that means frame some heresies which he will giue me that am ignorant to beleue shall I be bounde to receaue and honour them as Articles of my fayth for he must be as it were my refuge succour and a continual guyd rule to declare holy scriptures Yea yf the generall counsell woulde declare him to be a wicked man and worthye to be deposed from hys office yet ought I to alow hym as Pope at the lest wayes vntyll suche tyme as he hathe declared the general counsell to be lawfully gathered and that he was iustly condempned in that counsell But I aske of you is the Pope aboue the counsell or beneth or equal The churche Aboue The peo Then hath he alone more knowledge and inspiracion then the whole counsell And therfore beit that the couÌ„sell lawfully assembled had coÌ„dempned his doctrine for heresie yet ought I rather beleue him then the whole counsell forasmuch as he is aboue them and more indewed with supernaturall light then they be But tel me this one thing ye sayd eueÌ„ now if y e Pope were an heretike yet ought I to receaue him as Pope vntil such time as he were deposed by thautoritie of a counsell Now this questioÌ„ I demauÌ„d of you yf it should chauÌ„ce the Pope to be an heretike and yet not so declared by the counsell whether were he in dede Pope or no The churche Yf suche a thing should chaunce I durst not affirme him to be Pope For theÌ„ should he erre in dede that in matters of the faith that as pope but I sayd euen now that he could not erre as pope althoughe he erred as a man The people Why then should he no more be pope The churche Noe truly The people And how or wheÌ„ dyd he lose his popeship The church In that he is an heretike The People Yf the matter be as you say there shal be very fewe trewe Popes no none at all For a man can not be a Pope except he be an heretike yf he were in no point els yet should he be in thys that he must beleue the Pope to bee the supreme head of the church of Christe But let vs graunt althoughe it be not so that a maÌ„ may be a Pope in dede and yet no heretike When I am not assertayned whether he erre in hys mynde or not in matter that belongeth to our fayth I shal be alwayes in a dout whether he be the trewe Pope or not and therfore shal I also be in dout whether I shall credit his wordes or not and so shall I be alwayes doutfull in my faith The church He is alwaies Pope although he be an heretike in hys harte if it so bee that he disclose not him selfe to be suche a one The people What if he disclose himselfe to be an heretike to some other man and not to me The church Trewly then should he no more be Pope The peopâ—e Then forasmoche as I knowe not whether he haue at any tyme declared hymselfe to be an heretike or not I shall haue his doctrine alwayes in a ielosye and suspicion neyther shall I knowe certaynly that he is Pope and canne not erre because I shall neuer knowe certaynly whether he haue disclosed hym selfe to some man to be an heretike or not The church This shal be enoughe for the to thynke him to be alwayes a Pope to the so longe as he hath not declared himselfe to the to be an heretike But to suche as he declareth hym selfe to be an heretike to them he is Pope no more in very dede The people TheÌ„ if he declare him selfe an heretike to other men and not to me he shoulde be a Pope to me and not to other The church It is euen so as ye say The People But my desier is very much to know whether he be then a Pope in him selfe or not ye can not by any means proue him to be Pope and not Pope all at once For if such a worde shoulde escape youre mouthe ye should perceaue playnly that ye spake contradiction Neither can ye affirme that he is pope For where as he did erre before other yea and that in the doctrine of saluacion than you must nedes grauÌ„t that he erreth as Pope whiche thinge before you sayed coulde not be Therfore ye bee forced to graunt that he is not Pope But I which shall neuer haue knowledge whether he hathe declared to other himselfe to be an heretike or not shal be in a continuall doutinge whether he be truly pope or not so whether he can erre or not of the whiche thinge there aryseth a certayne trembling in my conscience so that I shall neuer bee certayne and suer of the veritie and truethe of his doctrine And so muche the more shall I dout be it that he declared himselfe an heretike to me because I can worse descerne the trewe doctrine from the false and worse iudge whether his opinions bee hereticall or not namely because his worde must bee the fyrst and chefe rule of my faythe But let vs now make an end of our disputacions because the tyme is spent and I must go to themperour before whom I will powre out my complayntes agaynst many ydel varlettes who after they perceaued the greatnes of our bishope they ruÌ„ne to Rome in sholes to get some offices and benefices at his handes and few there be that bringe not theyr trulles with them and suche as do not fal on woyng at Rome But it wer
shoulde Peter haue bene Pope not onely before Christe gaue hym the keyes but also before he promised hym them bycause that often tymes longe before that tyme he spake before hys felowes And Philip also and Andrewe and Thomas and the rest should by this reason haue bene Popes all the which spake first aâ— suÌ„dry times And although Christ wheÌ„ he numbred the Apostles named Peter first yet is it not necessary that therfore he shoulde be Pope ouer the rest Euen as our Byshop of Constantinople hath spoken first in sundrye counselles that hath bene and hath also bene taken for the first Byshop bycause he spake fyrst and sat first in the congregacion And yet for all that was he neuer iudged Byshop ouer all other Byshoppes neither yet their head whiche ye chalenged to you by tyrannye I graunte trewly that Christ dyd set in order and gouerned his church wonderfully well and that it hathe gone forward in a wonderfull ordre so that I â—an not deny but there muste bee some supreme heade in that churche But that heade is Christe hym selfe as Paule testifieth who by his spirite is present with hys churche euermore and gouerneth it after a more wonderfull fashion then mannes vnderstanding can comprehende Neither is it nedefull to dreame of any other vniuersall heade in earthe for Chryst him selfe without any other Popes gouerneth hys churche by hys ministers most wonderfully but let vs graunt that Christ declared Peter to be the heade of thapostles and of the fyrste churche at the whiche tyme because they were very fewe he might right well gouerne theÌ„ all But now when the church of Christ is spred abrod throughe out the whole worlde it is not possible for him to knowe them all or to visit them all to vnderstande theyr tonges to heare theyr matters to prouyde for them all and gouerne theÌ„ al well One crane maye well be the guyde to other .xxv. cranes or elles peraduenture fiftie but me thinketh that it is a thiÌ„g vnpossible that all the cranes in the world should followe this one crane as theyr onely guyde yea and be it that they all folowed thys one yet doeth not that proue that this one beinge guyde is the heade of all the reste Of a like sorte saye I of the bees amongest whome it maye wel be and is that one bee be kinge and gouernor of all y e other that be in thesame hyue as a byshoppe maye be the gouerner of all the soules that be within his diocese But yet as it can not bee that one bee shoulde gouerne all the bees of the worlde so neyther canne it bee that one byshoppe of Rome canne haue the cure of all the soules in the worlde Mas. Will you haue 〈◊〉 say to you what I thinke This byshoppe of ours â—â—meth to me a very asse and without all iudgement and perceueraunce and thys is my reason that moueth me so to saye I haue seen many times haue proued by experience the thing that I shall tell when one sheparde hathe the charge of a thousaÌ„d shepe it is as much as he is able to do to fede so many and order theÌ„ well but thesame sheparde can not 〈◊〉 syxe or eight thousande and yet muche lesse an hudreth beastes and a thousand shepe together and yet muche lesse a thousande shepe and a thousande beastes an hundrethe oxen an hundreth kyne an hundrethe asses an hundreth swyne But thys bishoppe of oures will be the vniuersall bishop and shepard of all Christian menne amongest whom bee founde not only beastes innumerable but asses also and kyne bores and swyne and an infinit number of foxes and wolues Ye knowe that I am the master of his horse and am fayne sometyme to spend a whole moneth to tame one fearse beaste or before I canne brynge a mule to her trewe pase And he will take vpon hym to tame all the whole worlde and he thinketh to bringe it to passe that all menne shall walke right the same waye that ledeth to god But I pray you tell on the dispuâ—acioÌ„ for in hearing you recite godly their reasoÌ„s in y e name of god I am more and more strengthened in the trueth Lepi. He broughte more ouer an argument of the chiefe prieste of the Iewes saying it is plaine that y e olde testament is a figure of the newe nowe then as they by the wyll of god had one chiefe priest aboue all other so the christian men now a daies must haue one Pope And he must be honoured set forth with such beutie and glory that the kinges of the world as the prophetes haue spoken before shall come to wurship this merueylous godhead in earth And furthermore al christiaÌ„ meÌ„ shal come to Rome as to a spiritual Ierusalem whiche was shadowed by that earthly Hierusalem to obteyne saluacion and receyue heauen at the Popes handes And theÌ„ he sayed thus Nowe me thynketh that I haue confirmed and establishe sufficiently the Popeshippe with these reasons and authorities that I haue alâ—eged Wherefore nowe wyll I make an ende and gyue place to other And to conclude of thys I am sure that the imbassador can not fynde one word in the holy scripture that maye make by any meanes agaynste thys primacie once planted and established Then thimbassador made aunswere in thys wyse The Iewes were but fewe in comparison of the christian men who yf they were thys day compared with them they should appeare innumerable And agayne they were all knyt and ioyned together in one narrowe place but the christian menne thys day be despersed through out the whole world Wherfore that thynge whiche according to the wyll of God was mete for them then that is to say that they shoulde haue one chiefe prieste in earthe can not agree nowe with vs of these dayes Moreouer the highe priesthode of the Iewes shadowed not the highe priesthode of the Byshops of Rome but the high priesthod of Christ. Wherfore that highe priesthod of the Iewes after a certayne tyme had an ende And furthermore the yearthlye Hierusalem figured not Rome but y e spiritual church of Christ wherunto all the chosen resort to obtayne fauoure and helth of Christ our chiefe and euerlastyng prieste to whom all the princes of the yearth ought to come flatte downe and wourshyppe that they maye acknowledge and confesse hym to be the sonne of God But your Rome is so farre vnlike to the spirituall Hierusalem that it maye worthelye be called fylthie and carnall Babilon as Peter termed it Mas. Rome semeth to me the verye liuelye and expresse Image of that greate whore of whome it is written in thapocalypse who hath made dronke corrupted and infected all the whole worlde with her golden cuppe of hipocrisie replenished to the very brime with abhominacioÌ„ and vncleanes she deceyueth and blyndeth the eyes of all menne with a pleasaunt outwarde deceytfull shewe of fayned holines of ceremonies of beawtie of ryches and of aboundaunce of
prayer For althoughe thou wilt denye me with thy mouthe yet thou wylt not deny me with thyne heart Thou wylt synne but synne shall not reygne in the so that in thy heart thou shalt yeld to noughtie temptacions I wyll suffre thee to haue a foule fall that by the meanes therof thy temerous boldnes maye be bridelled and rebuked And againe that after when thou shalt come to thy selfe and perceyue thy owne infirmitie thy hearte shall bee touched with compassion agaynst those that shall synne reysing them vp with knowledge and cōfirming and boldning them with thyne example Nowe canne I not perceyue howe it maye be proued by the wordes before rehersed that Peter was Pope and could not erre afterward neither the Byshops of Rome after hym accordyng to his example Mas. Wee shall wrythe all the wordes that euer Christe spake to Peter to make for the Popeship of Rome let vs writhe them also when Peter counseled Christ to forsake the crosse saying Saue thy self O Lorde Lepi. What aunswere then made Christ Mas. He sayed vnto hym get the out of my sighte Sathan thou troubleste me thou haste no perseueraunce of thinges belongynge to god but to manne onely it is easyto proue that Peter whas chief head of oure byshops of Rome and they hys successours takinge it of this fashion but tell for the on the disputacion I woulde fayne heare the ende of it Lepi. This embassadour of Constantinople would fayne haue brought other reasons forthe and other sayinges of scripture against our popeshippe but the Emperoure moued by oure byshope wylled hym to holde hys peace and commaunded the other imbassadours that they shoulde also saye theyr myndes Then the Embassadoure of Antioche spake in thys wise Because me thinketh it sufficientlye declared that holy scripture doeth not onely not stablishe the primacie of Peter but also seme quite contrary therunto I will speake my mynde breflye as I am commaunded neither will I bringe any moe reasons or argumentes then thys one althoughe it bee easy to fynde a number Be it that we graunted Peter to be the vniuersall byshope ordeyned of Christe ouer hys churche whiche thinge is not trewe yet muste it not therefore bee graunted that the byshoppes of Rome ought to bee popes but rather our byshoppes of Antioche oughte to be the chiefe and vniuersall byshoppes Because that our byshops and not the byshopof Rome were the successours of Peter For Peter was byshop of Antioche and so vnlykely a thynge is it that Peter was euer at Rome To this argument master Pseudologus made aunswere in the name of our pope crying out w t a loude voice vntill his sides cracked again saying Peter was here our byshop in Rome our pope .xxv. yeares together cōtinually and in this same citie was he afterwarde crucified Then Thimbasadour aunswered A prety rewarde for paynes taken in preachinge But tell me I praye you In what place of scripture fynde you that he was euer at Rome Then aunswered master Pseudologus In no place of scripture quod he But it may well be founde in our Historiographers and in many other bokes of our byshoppes and other holy menne Whereunto thimbassadoure answered Then howe knowe you by the worde of god that your byshoppes of Rome be the chiefe vniuersall byshoppes of the churche of Christe if ye haue not that in holy scripture that Peter was euer at Rome Trewely if ye intend to proue youre byshoppes to bee popes by the word of God ye muste fyrste proue by thesame worde that Peter was ordeyned of Christe the vniuersall heade of his whole churche And then must ye proue by the worde of god that Christe vndoutedly gaue the same authoritie to Peter to make the byshoppes of Rome after hym chiefe byshops by continual◠succession and laste of all it muste be proued by suer authoritie of the worde of god that Peter was at Rome ▪ and byshoppe of that citie and dyed there These thinges done ye might well beleue that youre byshoppes were popes by the worde of God But there is not one of these thre thinges that ye cā proue by scripture especially the second the thyrd as ye youre selfes doe confesse Wherefore I canne not see with what face ye canne beare downe so manifest a lye Then master Pseudologus sayd We know that our byshop is pope that with a fulnes of power we knowe that he hathe receaued thys authoritie of Christe by the meanes of S. Peter and not of man wherefore we knowe him to bee pope by the lawe of god and not by the lawe of manne and we will also holde and beleue thys trueth as an article of oure faithe notwithstandinge that none of these thinges before rehersed can be proued by thauthoritie of holy scripture Then sayed thimbassadour Because wee all bee bounde to beleue the articles of our faythe as the foundacions and chiefe principles of our religion it is nedefull that they appeare moste playnly by scripture And you wyll sette fire and tormentes before the whole worlde to make men beleue that thynge whiche by your owne confession can not be proued by the authoritie of the holye scriptures Where I praye you can menne laye the foundacion of their fayth yf they be compelled to beleue and to confesse as a necessary article of their fayth your Byshoppe to be the vniuersall head of the churche of Christ when there is not one word therof in the holy scripture Yt is an intolerable tirāny the like whereof hath not bene herd to bynde the conscience of men to receyue so manyfest a lye for an article of their fayth seing it can not onely not be proued by goddes worde but also all the whole scripture is agaynst it You ought to be content to binde men to beleue that the Pope hathe the highest authorite of all But ye wyll further compel them to beleue that that power and authoritie cōmeth fullye and wholly from God and not from manne although that thyng can in no wyse be proued by scripture Furthermore he would haue it be beleued that it maye bee proued by holye scripture that oure Byshoppe was Pope when you your selues be forced to graunte that it can not bee proued by holy scripture y t Peter was euer at Rome Of thys chiefe and vniuersall byshoprike of your byshoppe ye can haue none other opinion but that it is a deuise of manne seing the contrary can not be proued by the worde of God And you wyll haue it receyued for an article of y e faith and that it shal be beleued with an heauenly faythe Yf ye bee not sure whether Peter were euer at Rome or not for the whiche cause ye chaleng your byshoppe to be chiefe and the successor of Peter how can ye haue certayne knowledge of thys your chiefe Byshoprike but vpon the saying of men onely who naturally be lyars To thys master Pseudologus made aunswere The men which sayd that Peter was at Rome were the
chiefe byshoppes of all other and therfore coulde they not lye when they so sayed Wherefore we be sure and certayne of our popeshippe Then the imbassador sayed Ye take for a grounde that thyng whiche ye had most nede to proue That is that your Bishoppes were chiefe Byshoppes and then agayne that they coulde not erre bothe the whiche poyntes I vtterlye denye Yf ye would say some sainctes affirme Peter some tyme to haue bene at Rome I woulde streight make answere that I knewe not whether they were Saynctes or not for that there is no worde thereof in scripture But ye wyll peraduenture saye they were canonized of oure chiefe Byshoppes whiche coulde not erre to that wyll I aunswere as before that ye take that thynge for your profe whiche remayneth first to to be proued Yea and more ouer wyll I saye be it that â—e were assured that they were Saynctes yet must it be graunted that Saynctes haue sometyme erred And so it maye be that they erred euen the very same time wheÌ„ they sayd Peter was once at Rome Namely the thyng being spoken of them not to that ende that it shoulde be receyued for an article of oure fayth necessary for saluacion as your mynde is thus by all meanes be you in an error But let vs graunte that there hath bene some reuelacion touchyng thys poynt surely I must nedes thynke that it was an elusion of the deuill Yea be it that it were God hym selfe which had reueled thesame thyng vnto you that it were trueth in dede y t it was a reuelacion frome god yet because there is no worde in all scripture of the thinge neyther haue other menne this reuelacion of yours ye shoulde in no wise force menne to beleue this your popeshippe as an article of theyr faythe And furthermore I will proue by strong reasons that these historiogrephers of yours these byshopes and sayntces whiche wrote that Peter was the chiefe byshoppe at Rome and was put to deathe in y e same citie lyed vnreasonably And fyrst of all tell me in good faythe What tyme say they that Peter was at Rome and howe long dwelt he there Therunto auÌ„swered Pseudologus That he came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius themperoure and was made byshoppe there and dwelt there .xxv. yeres by whose preachinge Rome was brought to the faythe of Christe as both Eusebius and. S. Hierome hath wrytten Then aunswered thimbassadour Thys is once playne quod he y t Christe suffered vpoÌ„ y e crosse xviii yere of Tiberius themperour who reigned xxiii yeres After hym succeded Caius and reygned iiii yere Then folowed afterwarde Claudius Nowe then yf Peter came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius ye muste nedes graunt that Peter came to Rome within xi yeres after Christes deathe Agayne on the other side it is playne by the wordes of holye scripture that Paule was not onely not conuerted to the faythe when Christe suffered vpon the crosse but it appereth also that he was not conuerted when stephane was stoned Because the scripture is playne that he kepte theyr garmentes whiche stoned StephaÌ„ to death This being so Paule himselfe writeth to the Galathians y t he came to HierusaleÌ„ .xvii. yeres after he was conuerted and that then he founde Peter there Thys was at the leste the .xviii. yere after the deathe of Christe Then if Peter were yet at Hierusalem .xviii. yeres after the deathe of Christe how can it bee that he came to Rome the seconde yere of Claudius as you saye whiche was theleuenthe yere after Christes deathe You youre selues maye easely perceaue when ye saye so that ye speake directlye agaynste the manyfeste wordes of the scripture Furthermore Peter was at Hierusalem not onely eightene yeres after the deathe of Christe but thesame tyme also was he sent to preache the gospell not to the Romans but to the Iewes And it is to bee beleued that he preached y e gospell amongest the Iewes And Paule also in thesame epistle which he wrote to the Romans because he saluteth a great many there by name trewly he woulde haue saluted Peter also if he had then bene the chiefe byshoppe there as you contende Wherefore it is easy to be proued that it is a very false lye that youre Historiographers doe wryte But to say the truethe they that be named to wryte thys gear be not the authors thereof but they bee youre lyes whiche you haue annexed maliciously to theyr bokes directly repugninge to the manifeste authoritie of the holy scripture Then master Pseudologus brought forthe a very olde booke that laye by hym so olde that it was eaten with mothes and wormes wherein there were certayne Epistles I canne not tell what wryten by Clement as he sayed whome he iudged the fyrste byshoppe of Rome after Peter In these letters wrytten by thesame Clement to Iames byshoppe of Hierusalem this thinge was conteyned howe Peter beinge at Rome and perceauynge death drawe nere in the presence of a number of Christian menne toke Clement by the hand and in the hearing of them all saied Bretheren my death is now at hande as Christe hathe reueled vnto me Wherefore I ordeyne thys Clement youre byshop vnto whome onely I deliuer my seate and the preachinge of my doctrine into whome onely I translate the same power of loosinge and byndinge whiche I receaued of Christe Then sayed Pseudologus Loe here maye you see howe that Peter was at Rome and ordeyned Clement byshoppe after hym and set him in hys seate grauntinge him hys full authoritie Then thimbassadour would see and reade those epistles when he had red and weied them he sayd master myne Pseudologus Ye can not cloke youre lyes so craftely but they will apâ—are as they bee that is to say lyes euen at the fyrste sight For these epistles of youres bee nothinge els but fayninges of youre owne without authoritye full of vanyties and lyes And that it is trew I say hereby it maye appere that euen by youre owne Historyographers Linus folowed Peter and not Clemente And after Linus folowed Anacletus afterwarde Clement Who is numbred to bee the fourthe after Peter and yet would you falsely place hym to be the secounde And more ouer by youre owne historiographers yf ye wyll account the course of the times as ye shoulde ye shall finde that Iames was dead seuen yeares before your Clement was Byshoppe wherefore I can not saye by what reason he coulde writ to Iames beinge dead And agayne euen in the first beginning of the salutacion he calleth hym Byshoppe of byshoppes who should gouerne not onelye the churche of the Iewes at Hierusalem but also all other churches And yf Iames were then Pope trewely then was not Peter Pope and therefore could he not make Clement Pope after hym neither by Clemente his successours And more ouer euen by the same very wordes that ye alledge that Peter shoulde saye to Clement before hys death it can not be proued that
Clement was ordeyned vniuersall Byshoppe of all churches but onelye the byshoppe of the church of Rome Besides this if Clement was made Byshoppe of Rome by Peter as you saye he was and not chosen of the people no doubt hys successors woulde haue folowed the same example whiche thyng they dyd not and therefore it is false that Peter made hym Byshoppe I will passe ouer that neither Eusebius neither Hierome number these Epistles amongest Clementes workes Yea Clement hym selfe in these Epistles prayseth a boke that he shoulde write the title wherof is Itinerarium Clementis whiche boke of trueth was neuer of hys makynge And furthermore thys boke maketh mencion of dioceses archbyshoprikes primacies and bishoprikes whiche orders and names were not yet distincted and appoynted out neyther doeth he anye thyng els in these Epistles but set forth the dignitie and fredome of priestes whome he wyll haue so free that they shall not intermedle themselues with anye handycraft for a profe of the which absurditie he citeth certayne places of holye scriptures wrythed beyond the nocke More ouer in his second Epistle he is so bolde to teach Iames of what sorte he shoulde minister the Sacramentes And yet that fashioÌ„ is not obserued thys daye namely in the administracion of the lordes supper Furthermore none of the auncient writers make any mencion of these Epistles neither yet of them y t Anacletus or Euaristus should wryte He citeth out of the newe and olde testament that it is not laweful for priestes to sacrifice or syng masse but when the Byshoppe commaundeth them which thynge can neither be founde in the newe neither in the olde testament In the fyft Epistle he affirmeth that all thynges wyfes and other shoulde be common and that yf it be not so it commeth of the wyckednes of menne There bee also in thesame Epistles many other folishe thynges and lyes whiche he rehersed but bycause ye maye read them your selfe I wyll reherse no more Master Pseudologus shewed also certeyne other epistles wrytten as he sayed by Anacletus and Euaristus whereby he minded to stablysh this popeshippe But thimbassadour proued by good reasons that they all were of none authoritie because that it is conteined in them that Clement should be his predecessor which thing Hierome denieth also Ireneus Further he would not y t priestes should be accused or iudged for a profe wherof allegeth y e scriptures with out iudgemeÌ„t or reasoÌ„ he wil haue Byshoppes iudges in seculer matters and that euery manne maye apeale to them When it is well knowen that that thynge was neuer graunted vnto them before the tyme of Theodosius the Emperour and agayne he sayeth that Cephas signifieth a head where as in dede it signifieth a stone And furthermore I can proue the Epistles of Euaristus to be of none authoritie not onely by that he bryngeth manye sentences of scripture sasly writhed y t priestes should not be accused of any lay meÌ„ but also because he writeth ad Gallium BarduaÌ„ two Counsels in whose tyme Anacletus was Byshop of Rome not Euaristus which thing is euident by the histories Master Pseudolog us blushed was ashamed wonderfully when these thinges were layd to his charge because he appeared openlye to all mens sight to haue played a false parte whiche thinge when the embassador of Antioche perceyued he left hym as he was and gaue place to the imbassador of HierusaleÌ„ who spake than wonderfully in this wise There is no doubt but that Christ who was the chiefe and vniuersall Byshop of hys churche preached his gospell chiefely at HierusaleÌ„ in y e which place he was contented to dye for our sakes And this is also certaine y t Iames succeded in hys roume who was nexte Byshoppe in Hierusalem after Christ. Wherfore yf there shoulde be any supreme vniuersall and visible head stablished in yearth of the church of Christ militant because it is sufficiently proued that Peter was not the chiefe Byshoppe our Byshoppes of Hierusalem oughte to be Popes and not the Byshoppes of Rome For you woulde haue your Byshoppes of Rome to be Popes because of none other reason but that they succeded Peter we maye muche the better chalenge oure Byshoppes of Hierusalem to bee chiefe Byshoppes because they succeded Christ in so muche as Christ is greater and more excellente then Peter As touching Christe it is knowen ryght well that he was the vniuersall head of hys churche and that he was crucified in Hierusalem And more ouer not onely Paule nameth Iames first before Peter and Iohn but also in the first consell of the Apostles where as Peter Paule Barnabas and the rest of the Apostles speake he as their heade and iudge sayed his mynde laste whiche was aproued of all thapostles and of the whole congregation And it is not to be doubted but that if the church of Hierusalem be the mother as she is in dede of all other churches and of whome all other churches had theyr beginninge wherefore she ought to bee called mother as it was determyned in Nicene counsell Then muste the byshop of Hierusalem as the spouse of the churche be called the vniuersall father of all other churches and the chiefe byshoppe and byshoppe ouer all other byshops as your Clement calleth hym in hys fyrste epistle if it bee hys as you doe alledge Then thus he sayed These wordes haue I spoken not that I thinke oure byshoppes to bee highest by any meanes for Christe onely is thuniuersall head of hys churche who is onelye sufficient but to declare vnto you by a certayne suer reason if there muste bee anye supreme heade in earthe thesame ought rather by right belonge to our byshop then to the byshop of Rome Ye maye nowe see howe muche vanitie there is in your reasons when our reasons bee so sclender and yet better then yours For Christe made neither Peter neither Iames y â— supreme head of his churche And yet in the fyrste counâ—ell of the Apostles Iames sayed hys mynde laste as byshop of Hierusalem and Paule nameth hym before Peter and Iohn But it followeth not therefore that he was vniuersall byshop aboue all other byshops Notwithstanding this one thinge is trewe that our churche muste be called the mother of all other churches not that it ought to gouerne all other churches as you make your argument Whiche thinge canne not be but because all other churches had theyr originall and fyrste begynnynge of it Wherefore oure byshoppes haue the fyrst place in the counsell appoynted vnto them and bee called bishops of the fyrst seate because of the estimacion of the citie wherein Christe was put to deathe But they muste not therefore bee called the byshops of other byshoppes and the vniuersall heades of the churche of Christe The imbassadour of Alexandrya interrupted thys imbassadour of hys tale sayinge What nede we so many wordes in so playne a matter Yf the byshoppes of Rome had receaued thys
they be y â— churches of Christ thoughe they be ours neuer so muche We wyll persuade also that the churche of Rome is without spot and worthye to be as a glasse and ensample to all â—ther churches Beelze Yea of all abhominacion Luci. All shall folowe after her as after a chiefe ladye maysters that can not doe amisse who hath full power vnto whom all may appele and from whom none maye appeale vnto whome men must ruÌ„ne for refuge in matters of weight as it were to god because she maye be iudge to all other and be iudged of none other and maye call agayne her sentences as oft as her listithe chaunge statutes made in counselles and pronounce hym an heretike whiche darreth speake one word against it whose seat dignitie authoritie is hyghest by the whiche authoritie she may gather general counselles together by whom all doctrines shal be alowed or disalowed who onely may determine stablishe controuersies in religioÌ„ of what matter so euer they began Who only maye expounde the olde canons and the holy scriptures as it pleaseth her And that all menne maye honour and obeye her thoughe the thynge she commaunde seme neuer so wrongefull and intollerable Nowe if the churche of Rome haue once so large authoritie and yet be vnder the pope euen as the wife is in the subiection of her husband consider then with youre selues how greate authoritie our high bishop of Rome shall haue For besides all these thynges rehersed he may bringe to passe that the sentence whiche he hath once geuen and alowed for good maye be vayne and of none effecte he onely shall haue authoritie to establish new religions al such ordinaunces as he shal make must be receaued with no lesse reuerence then though they had ben spoken with gods own mouth Because that his goodnes shal bee the helthe of men and may haue none other iudge but god alone and that it is not necessary that he should pourge himself of his fault when he is accused by other because Peter hath left to all byshops of rome by continuall succession not onely al his merites but also his innocencie and because he hathe authoritie ouer iustice and also because hys power is of god themperours of the pope and hath authoritie ful and whole in earth to apoynt and determine what him listeth in all coÌ„trouersies that come in question in matters of religion for he hathe the solutions of all controuersyes hid within hys breste and he is the heyer of all thempier and of the kingdome of the Romanes and therfore may he doe what he will for he hathe as muche authorytie as euer had Peter Beelze This onely thing excepted that he can not rayse deade men to life againe as Peter once dyd Luci. He only hathe thauthoritie to canonize Sainctes he only is aboue al couÌ„selles ordinances he only may dispence agaynst iustice he only may change gods definitiue sentence And if it were so that al the whole world should speake against the pope yet must y e minde of the pope onely bee alowed He only hath y e knowledge of the church and that after such a sorte that he only caÌ„ chaunge the nature of thinges make somwhat of nothing In him only must the will onely be estemedfor the best reason that can be deuised not so hardy that any man should say vnto him why doe you this or this thing after this or that fashioÌ„ For he can make rightuousnes of wronge amend all thynges as he shal thinke good he caÌ„ expound chaunge lawes make al square thinges rounde as one that is neither pure god neyther pure manne Beelz Then shall he be a deuell or elles some kind of brute beast But I thinke it no very harde thinge to perswade all thys geare to hym hys mynd is so woÌ„derfully puffed vp with ambicion Yet can I not see howe menne maye be made beleue that the Pope is their God in earth Luci. Yea ye knowe not that it is an easie thynge to deceyue the common sort of the vnlearned namely in maters of religioÌ„ You knowe right wel y t they be naturally enclining to al kindes of supersticioÌ„ There is none so shamefull a lye nor no deceypt so farre out of frame that the worlde wyll not reedely receyue yf it be deliuered them by anye authoritie with some colour and lykelihod of a trueth What christian man is he whiche wyll not wyllyngly beleue that Christ is ascended vp into heauen and hathe left hys Uicar here in earth indwed and furnished with a ful power and authoritie to doe all maner of thynges At the least wyse that faultes myghte be amended whiche amongest a numbre of matters readely arise in the churche by the reason of hys absence And that especially when the worlde hathe conceaued a wonderfull good opinion of their lyfe and learnynge whiche shal be the setters forthe of the matter And more ouer we wyll accurse hym what so euer he be and declare him an Apostata a blasphemer agaynst the holy gost irregular worthye to bee suspended and disgraded that wyll aduenture to speake but one worde agaynst our Popehod And yf it fortune that he be a Byshoppe or a priest that committe thys fault we will haue hym declared excomunicate deliuered into the power of Satan an heretyke a defamed person an infidell a committer of Sacriledge a Sismatike a dampned and a cursed body Who is that wyll not be affrayed of these wordes When the very sounde of them being spoken is so feareful Yf these threteninges wil not be sufficient then in dede wyll we attempt moste cruel persecucions men shal be cast in prisoÌ„ shal lose bothe life and goodes There shal bee no fault in the worlde more heynously punished then thys one of disobedience agaynste our Popehod Menne shall heare God blasphemed and some deny the myght of God and some mocke God and yet shall all menne laughe make a game therat as though it were but a trifelyng matter But yf any manne shall attempte to deny the Popes power or to deminish thesame neuer so lytle he shall be burned alyue with longe tormente More ouer we wyll cause all the bokes to be burned as manye as shall seme to make any thinge agaynste our pophod Yea and we will forbid men that they shall not haue the holy scripture in thyr handes nor in theyr sight vnder the payne of fyer and rope Beelze This thinge woulde they doe very gladly because the scriptures be against them But it wold be so manifest and open sacriledge and wickednes that it can not well be cloked with no color pretence fraude or craft Truly it shal be enough to corrupt the scriptures and violently to writhe it to theyr croked purpose without al feare or shame Luci. They shall not alow nor suffer any bookes to be red but such as maynteyne this craft falshod So that euen as the simple shepe
and rightuousnes powred into all the other membres of the chosen For he is our lyfe lyght and ryghtuousnes ▪ Nowe on the othersyde the pope sayeth I am the heade of the church militant Yf ye wyl haue lyght and knowledge of heauenly thynges ye muste come to me For I onelye am a boue all learned and holye menne aboue the counselles and aboue holy scriptures it selfe yea and also aboue youre fayth Wherfore ye must beleue accordinge to my worde and although the wordes of holy scripture be the wordes of god yet must they be expounded and declared after my fashyon and as I say I am onelye he whiche canne not erre Wherefore as concerning matters of faythe euery manne ought to shit his eyes and truste to my worde and sticke thereunto vndoutedly The pope sayeth more ouer yf any manne bee deade in the sight of god and a synner let hym come to me and out of hand by the helpe of my absolutions and pardōs he shal liue and be made rightuouse in the sight of god As thoughe he shoulde saye I am your light and rightuousnes and not Christ. What thinge doth pulle Christe violentlye out of his place and thrust in hymselfe if thys doe not Christe is oure chiefe and euerlasting priest as it is wrytten of him Who whē he had once offred hymselfe vpon the crosse founde out euerlastinge redempcion for vs and satisfied for oure synnes and pleased the wrath of god the father for euer The pope sayeth I am the chiefe byshoppe of the churche of Christ y e sacrifice that Christ made was not sufficyent to satysfye for synne and pacyfy the wrathe of God And therefore haue I ordeyned the sacryfice of the masse and other offeringes and meritoriouse workes To doe thus is not onely to plucke Christ out of his place put in him selfe but it is also a manifest confession that Christe was not an imperfecte prieste because that with hys sacryfice he made not suffycient satysfaction for oure synnes neyther pacifyed the wrathe of god enoughe and therefore hathe he nede of the Popes helpe yea and it is also a confession that the holy goste in holy scripture was a lyer whiche thinge is nothinge elles but a mynde to place himselfe aboue god For the pope canne neyther lye neither erre in matters of faythe and god dyd bothe lye and erre by hys confession Christe also is the onely mediator betwyxt god and manne as it is written No manne commeth to the father but by thys mediatour he is the waye and the gate that leadeth to God he is oure aduocat oure propiciacion oure holynes oure redemption and helthe He onelye is oure Iesus and sauiour neither is oure saluacion in any other but in hym onelye as Peter wryteth And therefore Chryste calleth all menne to hym sayinge come to me all ye that labour and be burdenid with the burden of synne and I wil geue reste and quietnes vnto you Who so thursteth for saluacion let hym come to me and he shal bee refreshed But the Pope contrarywise sayeth I am he by whome ye may pacifye the wrathe of god by me onelye and by my ministers ye maye obteyne remission of youre synnes I am the waye that leadeth to heauen I haue the keyes of the kingdome of heauen I canne open and shute at my pleasure to whome when and after what sorte it shall please me By me onelye ye maye haue lyfe euerlastynge and god wylbee mercifull and pleased with you Neyther wyll I that ye shall haue Christe alone youre mediator and aduocat in heauen but I wyll that ye chose some amongest them that bee dead suche as lyke you best so that they bee canonized by me and take them for your mediatours intercessours proctours aduocates and patrones I wyll also that ye seke for youre saluacion not in Christe alone thoughe Peter saye playnly that it canne be founde in none other but chiefly in me in my absoluciōs benedictiōs and pardons and in youre owne workes also and in the merites and intercession of Saynctes Wherfore come to me all that be troubled with sorowe of conscience and in me ye shall finde peace Nowe whether all these thynges be most cruell wicked and blaphemouse or not he maye easly perceyue that is not al together blynde Therfore it is most true that Daniell sayed speakynge of hym that he shoulde bee suche a shameles blasphemor that he should speake agaynste God hymselfe And we also knowe that accordynge to the doctrine of Paule euery christian manne is the temple of god and of a lyke sort the congregacion of the faythfull is called the churche of God and we se that the Pope reygneth in the heartes of some christiā men which worship him euen now as their God And also wee see not onelye howe he reygneth in the heartes of sundrye menne but also in the middest of the churche militant as the supreme of all creatures Therefore it is fullye accomplyshed and performed that Paule spake of hym when he wrote y t he should sitte in the temple ▪ God not in the temple buylded by mannes handes at Hierusalem but in y ◠heartes of men and in the militant church of Christ as though he were God and braggeth hymself before menne as very God And bycause these thynges whiche Paule sayed can not be applied to none other in the worlde it must of necessitie be graunted that he onely is the same ryghte and great Antichriste and the very selfe same horrible abhominacion of whom Christ prophecied that he should stablishe hys seat in the holy place Neither was it ynough for hym to thrust hym selfe in to Christes place and to auaūce himselfe aboue god but also he woulde depraue the holy scriptures be in all poyntes quite contrary to Christ. That all these thynges bee true hereof it maye appeare Euen as Christe hath left nothynge vnproued for vs whiche are necessary for the mayntenaunce of oure naturall lyfe so is it to be beleued that muche lesse he woulde leaue anye of those necessaries vnprouyded whiche shoulde apartayne to the spirituall lyfe Therefore must we beleue that god hath declared vnto vs in the holy scriptures as much as is nedefull wherunto no creature must adde neither take awaye one word as God by Moses doth comaunde for they only be in all poyntes perfect Therfore Paule writinge to Timothie saieth All scripture inspired from aboue is profitable to rebuke and amende to instruct in righteousnes that a manne who is dedicate to God maye be vpryght and perfect in all good workes Then by the doctrine of Paule it is playne that those thynges which be conteyned in the holy scripture be sufficient to make a manne perfecte whiche thynge must nedes be graunted for Christe disclosed to hys Apostles as to hys beloued frendes and children all that he receiued of hys father And afterwarde he opened their myndes by hys spirite and declared vnto
them the true meanyng of those thynges which the same apostles dyd writ preache and publishe abrode plentifully So that the gospell is moste perfecte and full as Paule wrote to the Hebrues And as for the pope he is all together contrary to all these thynges that be spoken First and formost he sayeth that holy scripture is imperfect and is not sufficient to declare fully all mattiers that belonge to saluacion and that he can adde vnto it as he hathe done when he allowed those bokes that be apocripha and of none authoritie for holy bokes as though they were in the canon And also when he made an innumerable sorte of decrees and decretalles and commaundementes of manne and articles of our fayth And he sayeth more ouer thougheit be closly that the twelue articles of the faythe deliuered and preached by the Apostles be not sufficient to saluacion And then the Apostles bee damnned all christian men who hath not receyued the lyghte of the articles obseruacions and commaundementes of the Pope So that it must folowe in the name of God that the Popes were wyser then Christ hym selfe or at the least wyse were more mercifull bycause they haue opened so many thynges to the worlde whiche bee as they saye necessarye to oure saluacion and neuer opened neither by Christe nor god But what a mischeuous dede is it that all these articles of the faythe made by the Pope bee all together repugnaunt and quite contrarye to the articles of the Apostles and to all holy scripture as it is well knowen For brefely in the Creade and in holye scripture it is comprehended that it is god by whose goodnes and grace throughe Christe who suffered death for vs who rose againe and ascended into heauen and sitteth on the ryghte hande of God the father all creatures muste receyue saluacion and also fele hys plentiful loue towardes vs through the holy gost and that he who beleueth in Christ shal haue lyfe euerlastyng as he hym selfe is a witnes But the contentes of the Popes articles bee all together contrary to thys geare that is to say that fayth in Christ is not sufficent to saluacion and that it is necessarye to beleue that the Pope hath authoritie ouer all And that we must beleue accordyng to the doctrine of y e Pope that neither the grace of Christ nor the death of Christ is sufficient to saluacion but that our meritorious workes must also of necessitie be added with confession deuised by the Pope and hys absolutions pardons and prayer to Sayntes and besydes all thys the fire of purgatory And that the holy gost as they saye is not enoughe for the vnderstandynge of holy scripture and to knowe the wyll and pleasure of God but that the Pope muste expounde all thynges No manne canne denye but thys is a very settinge of him selfe aboue God Daniel wrote wonderfull learnedly of hym saying that he shall induce men noughtely and wickedly to breake their promises that they haue made to God For euen as God who is the well springe of all goodnes promised in Aabraham to be our god that he woulde take y e charge of euery one of vs woulde gyue himself for vs makyng vs pertakers of all hys felicitie And we agayne haue promised hym that we wyll be hys people to aske and loke for al goodnes at his hand only to acknowledge him onely our God and will gyue thankes and render honor wurshyp to him alone On thother side the pope sayeth naye to this geare that God is angry with vs and that Christ coulde not sufficiently pacifie hys wrath but that the Pope must helpe with his authoritie and the Saynctes with their prayers and merites also we our selues with our good workes and also the deuells with theyr fyer of purgatory Therfore is it very trewe that Daniel sayd that he should chaunge the tymes he shoulde transpose the tyme of grace into the tyme of the lawe the tyme of light into the tyme of darknes Neyther thinke they it a dede mischieuouse enoughe to make newe articles of the faythe at theyr pleasure contrary to tharticles of god excepte also they depraue the lawe of god with their preceptes and commaundementes which commaundementes be also contrary to the commaūdementes of God For it is without controuersy that all the lawe of God doeth depende vpon the loue towardes god and towardes oure neighbour and the pope myndynge to destroye bothe the partes of the lawe of god hathe infected purposely these two chiefe groundes vpō the which hange al the lawe ◠the prophetes For he affirmeth cōtrary to thexpresse worde of God y t god requireth not necessarely of vs that we shoulde loue hym with all our hart with all oure soule and all oure mynde but that we shoulde loue hym aboue al other thynges affirminge that to be the commaundemente and to loue god with all oure hearte is but a counsell And as touchinge oure neyghbour of a lyke sort he sayeth that it is a counsell and a perfection and not cōmaundement to loue oure enemy with all our harte but that onelye we ought to shewe outward tokens of loue towardes our enemyes And agayne whereas the lawe is most perfect there sayth he that it is vnperfecte therfore he holdeth that it is lawfull and that wee ought to adde some thing vnto it and to doe some workes besydes them that be commaunded in the lawe of god whiche be called supererogatory workes that is to say workes that be not commaunded For this cause hathe he deliuered new rules to the world new trades of lyuyng ordinaunces and commaundementes suche it may chaunce as he dremed when he was in some frensy vtterlye pugnant cōtrary to y e cōmaūdementes of god wheras god commaunded himself onely to be wurshipped he will also be wurshipped of vs and moreouer commaundeth vs that we shall not onely worship Sainctes but also theyr dead bodies and relikes God willeth and commaundeth vs that we shal make no ymage neither of himselfe neither of any other creature any picture or similitude to be worshipped The pope willeth commaundeth ymages and pictures of Sainctes to be made to bee set vp all aboute in the churche in euery corner there to be wurshipped that no place there bee voyde of ydolatrye Of a lyke sorte god commaundeth that no man should take hys name in vayne that is to saye when a man promyseth any thynge by an othe takinge god to witnes he muste kepe the thinge that he promyseth but the pope denieth that promes ought to be kept with heretikes as he taketh heretikes that is to saye with true Christian men willinge and commaunding with expresse wordes to deceaue thē that they maye be betrayed and burned thoughe he haue sworne the cōtrary neuer so much taking god and all saynctes to witnes Yea he doeth pardon forgeue and absolue men from theyr rightfull othes in honest ciuile matters so that it redounde
to hys profyte and glory that he be rewarded lyberally therfore God commaunded the Sabboth day to be kept holy And sence Iesus Christ y e soÌ„ne of rightuousnes appered to the worlde we ought to iudge all tymes of grace to be a most holy Sabboth to take all the times of our life without putting diuersitie betwene one daye and another to be all together holy and to spende all together in the honour and glory of God But the pope commaundeth the contrary that there shal be a diuersitie betwene dayes and tymes in holynes that some daies shal be halowed yet with none other kinde of religion but idelnes idolatry supersticion in the remembraunce of some feast deuised by hym or of some Sayncte that he hathe canonized all other tymes he taketh not to bee holye God commaundeth honour to be geuen to the father and mother and obedience to princes whiche be ordeyned of hym The pope contrarywyse willeth that the chyldren may contrary to the myndes of theyr parentes professe some supersticiouse deuelish kinde of relygion and remaine tyed therein to theyr wicked vowes yea though theyr father and mother pine for hungar and wantethe comfort of theyr children by the reason of extreme necessitie He will also haue all his priestes monkes and nunes to be fre discharged from all obedyence to theyr prince and magstrates whiche be ordeyned of god God commaundeth that no man shall kyll but this bloudy paricide and mankiller being made dronke with the bloud of martirs and of Christian men graunteth full pardon to mankillers and parricides to suche as saye they fought vnder the banner of the crosse of Christe that by the meanes of thys deuelishe licence he may increase and amplify hys cruell tyrannye God forbiddeth adultery and all vncleannes commaundeth by the mouth of Paule hym who hathe not the gifte of chastitie to to mary a wyfe but this shameles baude dothe the contrary he forbiddeth marriage to al that be anoynted of hym whether they haue the gift of chastitie or not as thoughe mariage were an vnholy and an vncleane thynge and not muche more holy and more honest then is theyr wiueles lyfe and as thoughe accordinge to the doctrine of Paule matrimonie were not honorable holye and vndefyled in all states Yet in the meane space he graunteth to suche as hange vpon hym all kindes of beastlynes and fylthye vncleanes And also at sundrye tymes of the yere and within sundry degrees deuised by him he forbiddeth maryage for none other intent but to kepe hys honor in estimacion and to get greate suÌ„mes of money by dispensinge therewith God commaundeth that no maÌ„ shal desiere another mans goodes but this thefe vnder the pretence of Annates Dimes Pardones Iubelies compositions absolutions dispensations priuileges blessinges greues and deuelish coactioÌ„s he ouer runneth and robbeth al the whole world And as sone as these goodes bee gotten or rather stolen together come he by them by robbinge or stealinge neuer so yet be they strayght waye made holy so holy y â— they may not bee alienated without this theues licence But why stand I so longe in this matter For to knit vp so great a matter in fewe wordes whereas Christ came not to breake the lawe but rather to fulfyll it he corrupted infected and depraued al the whole law Wheras Christe did abrogate y â— ceremoniall preceptes of the Iewes he hathe brought in al the deuelish supersticions of the gentiles Therfore is that vndoutedly trewe that Daniell spake of him that he shoulde chaunge the lawes And he is not conteÌ„t to professe opeÌ„ly that the merites of Christ be not enough that he fulfilleth the thing y t waÌ„teth in theÌ„ except he maye further haue his saing y t he is y e â—uarde and the destrybutour of thesame merites of Christ and that it is hys office to applye them for the quicke and the dead as he shall thynke good as who shoulde saye that Christ can not applye them or els that he would not prouide for the health of soules so that there is moche more charitie in the Pope then in Christ. What nedeth so many wordes Christe neuer had nor neuer shall haue neither was there euer a greater enemie in the worlde to the gospell then he is He hathe continuall warre with theÌ„ that beleue in Christ and with all that bee godly and vertuous and them he ouercommeth with deceyte and crueltie as Daniell sayed of hym before Wherfore we be bound to confesse that he is the trewe greate Antichriste hymselfe Papi Then erred the counselles where in it was decreed that he should be Pope Tho. arch That is as muche to saie as Then erred the Byshoppes and Pharyseis when they gathered a counsel together and determined to crucifie Christ. I praye you doeth that seme so straunge a thynge â—o confesse that they haue erred whiche bee Byshoppes by name onely but in dede tyrannes and wolues and wretched verlettes ioyned together in their sessions onely to maynteyne and stablishe their tiranny wyckedly deprauinge the worde of God Yf youre counselles can not erre howe commeth it to passe that many tymes one of them hathe made contrary lawes to an other And yf one counsell be contrary to an other as they be in dede it must bee graunted that one of them erred Where as they speake purposely of the Pope the counsell of Affryke made a lawe that the Byshop of Rome shoulde not onely not be Pope but also that he ought not to haue that name Then either erred that counsell or yours Truely theÌ„ wyll I beleue your counsell is gathered together by y e holy gost erred not when I shall perceyue that it was not reuled and lead by your sensuallitie ambicious sekynge of honor and by gyftes and rewardes but by the worde of God Yf you woulde expounde the scriptures to the contempt of youre selfe and to the glory of God I woulde thynke the matter might bee well taken But if ye will be the Iudges of holy scriptures and then wyll expounde thesame as your dulnes tirannye and selfe wyll shall leade you wrythynge the worde of God otherwise then the trewe sence and meanyng therof leaedeth you to the increasynge and establyshement of your tyrannye mynding to vsurpe the dominion of the earth heauen and hell that ye maye be wurshypped in earthe as goddes to the great rebuke of god I doubt not but that you are gathered together in the spirite of the deuill And you intende to proue to me the Pope to be Pope by authoritie of the counsel But those thinges that be established in the counsell as you saye be of none effecte onles the Pope confirme them but the Pope canne not confirme them onles he first be Pope Therfore tell me first howe the Byshoppe of Rome was made Pope and howe he can not erre in confirminge the decrees of the counselles and then maye ye proue the Popeship by