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
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
ye not by anye meanes inferre or goe about to proue thereby that thesame authoritie belonged onely to Peter but to all thapostles ioyntly and the whole churche together And yet can I not perceaue howe these reasons hange together Christe sayed checkingly that two swordes were enough ergo Peter had the supreme authoritie bothe spirituall and temporall geuen vnto him Then would master Falsidicus without dout haue made some preaty aunswere as his fashyon is yf the Pope had not coÌ„maunded hym to holde hys peace fearinge leste thys hatefull dysputacyon of bothe swordes should offend themperour Whereof he sayed to Falsidicus that it was sufficient for this present to reteyne the one sworde that is to say the chiefe dominion in spirituall matters to permitte the other of temporall matters to Ceasars maiestie Mas. A wonderfull liberalitie Lepi. But ye muste knowe that he graunted thys but for a tyme yea and againste his will For hys left arme is weake and small because he is not accustomed to vse it but let hym alone suffre his strengthe with a litle excercise to come to hym and yee shall see him halt and lame as he is shed more bloude alone then all themperours of the worlde though ye put theÌ„ together Then master Falsidicus fynding other matters to talke vpon sayed You know ryght well master embassador that Christe kepeth promes and if he geue a name to any man at any tyme that name is not a voyde name it is not the bare sounde of a voyce but the trewth of the thinge it selfe is also agreable to the name And because Christe sayed to Simon from henceforthe thou shalt bee called Cephas whiche by interpretacion signifieth a head ye muste of necessitie graunt that Christe gaue in deede that whiche he promysed with speciall and playne wordes Simon was called Cephas that is to saye a heade then it foloweth that he was a heade by the name that Christe gaue him ergo he was a head in dede that the trueth might be agreable to the name To this thembassador aunswered Truly ye be worthy to be burned for yf ye burne them which depraue the wrytinges of thapostles what ought ye to doe to them which peruerte falsely the wordes of Christ himselfe Christe sayed to Peter thou shalt be called Cephas and Cephas is a worde of the language of the Sirians Whiche is as muche to saye as Petra that is a stone But you deprauinge the holy scriptures saye that Christe sayed thou shalâ—e be called a head this do you to th ende that you would drawe all sentences as thoughe it were halynge them by the necke writhing them to your peruerse purpose and in the meane tyme corrupting the trueth and the maiestie of holy scriptures Mas. I maruayle that he was euer afterwarde called Peter and not rather heade if it bee so that thys name Cephas signifie a head and not Petra which is a stoone as master Falsidicus did contende But tell me I praye you was he not ashamed to speake any more Lepi. Nay then he semed but as it were to beginne to proue the primacie of Peter Mas. And what thing brought he therfore Lepi. First formost thus he saied Euen as it is euident by the scriptures of the olde testament that the fyrste begotten was the Lorde ouer all hys brothren euen so because it is euident that Peter was the fyrste begotten of Christ he must be lord ouer all the rest supreme head of y e whole church of Christe Which thiÌ„g may be proued by that that Peter as the chiefe moste worthy parson speaketh alwaies first for them all and amongest the reste he was alwayes accounted and named the first Yea be it that it could not bee proued by anye worde of God that Peter was declared supreme head by Christ yet ought we to beleue it forasmuche as we muste assuredlye perswade our selues that Christe ordeyned his churche well and therefore that it was done by a certayne â—easoÌ„ order for wher as a certaine order is not obserued ther must al thinges of force be ful of coÌ„fusioÌ„ And certayne order can there none be where as there be not degrees of meÌ„ higher and lougher But where as there is a higher degre of men there muste ye ascende and come to one as to a supreme head that the nature of order maye bee preserued whiche bycause it can not procede so farre but that it muste haue an ende onles there shoulde be some supreme head established it shoulde come all together to nothing Now likely it is not that Christ appoynted any other head then Peter ergo Peter was the supreme head The selfe same thynge maye be proued of the order of natural thynges where all thynges be referred to one as to a chiefe beginninge and originall cause For not onely in any ciuile gouernaunce of man yf the common welthes be well ordered there is one supreme head but amongest brute beastes also we see thys dignitie of order obserued Bees haue their kynge who gouerne the baser sorte of the common people and ouersee them to doe their dewties The Cranes haue one chief guide â–ª whom all the rest doeth folowe The shepe also haue their shepehard whose voyce they know whom they folowe and at whose commaundement they be So that loke howe muche the church of Christ is more excellent more perfect then other thynges that belonge to manne and is also better gouerned so much is it the more lykely that there must be one supreme head in it at whose commaundement all menne must hange as thoughe he were a God To these reasons the imbassador made aunswere Yf the first begotten amongest thapostles ought to be lord of al the rest as Falsidicus said eueÌ„ nowe for as muche as Andrewe was called before Peter to the office of the Apostleshipe Peter shoulde not take the lordshippe awaye from hym whiche of ryght shoulde haue a better tytle to it But trueth it is that Christ is the first begotten amongest his brethren he is onely the lord of all And all the worthines of the first be gettyng whiche was shadowed in the first begotten of the olde testament is fulfilled in Christ hymselfe Nowe bycause that the kyngdome of Christ is altogether spirituall he maye be accounted greater higher and more excellent not that is first borne to Christe in this worlde nor he that is richer or more noble after the fleshe not he that is better learned but he that excelleth more in godlynes hath receyued more lighte and strengthe of the holy gost And althoughe Peter vsed ofteÌ„ times to choppe in and speake firste by the reason of his boldnes hys zeale hys earnestnes and age yet foloweth it not of that that he had authoritie and dominion ouer the rest of the Apostles neither that he was their Pope Neither is he whiche speaketh fyrste in any congregacion to be thought the head of all the rest For then in dede
glorye of god and ye haue taken vpon you the cause of Christe and hys electes agaynste all the enemies of god Neither canne there bee any more worthye meanes deuised to set forth both the glorye of god and also of youre moste excellent maiestie And it is not to be douted but that god will vse your maiestie as a heauenly meane and a fautles instrument to ouerthrowe hys greate enemy euen as in tymes past he vsed Dauyd for an instrumente to ouerthrowe Goliathe Youre maiestie maye stryke of hys head as Dauid Goliathes euen with hys owne sworde that is to saye with the worde of God whiche he hathe moste fylthely abused in despyte of Christe There were verely not a fewe of the olde Emperours who attempted the puttynge downe of thys tyrannye as Henry the fourthe fift Lewes the fourth Frederyke the fyrste and seconde and many moe who coulde not ouercome hym because he reygned in the myndes of men and the people tooke hym for theyr god in earth they feared his thunderboltes excommunications they thought theÌ„selues daÌ„pned yf they contraryed hym neuer so litle therefore coulde they not in good earnest put on theyr harnes take theyr weapons with a valyant corage of spirite to delyuer the Christyan common welthe from thys so great a tyranny Ed. Yf we minde to ouercome him in short space we must fyrste goe about to bryue him out of the heartes of menne for as soone as he hathe once lost his spiritual kingdome in mens consciences he shall forgoe by and by al the rest of his iurisdicciâ—Ì„ without any greate difficultie And to dryue him out of the heartes of men it is not nedefull to vse sword nor violence the sworde of the spirite that is the worde of god is sufficient wherby Christe ouercame and conquered hys enemy Sathan in the desert For all his whole popeshippe is nothinge elles but a manifest deceyt and lye What thynge canne it bee elles but a lye to saye the churche was buylded by Christ vpoÌ„ Peter and that Peter was instituted by Christ the heade of the other apostles and of the vniuersall churche and that Cephas in oure tonge signifieth a heade and that when Christ saied to Peter fede me shepe he made him the onelye shepard of soules and gaue to hym alone the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and power to loose and bynde yt is also a verye vayne lye to saye Peter was at Rome and that Peter had authority geuen him of Christ to leaue there and also that he left there the chiefe byshoppes seate as in one certayne pâ—ace there by succession continueally to remayne to the byshoppes of Rome as they holde opinion it is also a manifest lye and deceyte to saye that Christe is not oure onelye sauyour medyatour and aduocaâ— Purgatory also deuised by them is a lye and theyr lately deuised confessyons absolutions pardons Iubelies blessinges cursinges and excommunications bee all lyes And also theyr heresies hipocrisies Idolatry promesses flatteringes supersticioÌ„ theyr deuelishe tyrannicall authoritie which they vsurpe and chalenge with al their whole Popehod be altogether lyes Wherefore seinge the word of god is y e most bright light at the sight wherof all falsehod and lyes be knowen and auoyded and the trueth apeareth inuinsible it muste nedes be that eueÌ„ as darkenes vanisheth away at y e sight of y e suÌ„ne euen so at the shinynge of goddes worde all lyes deceytes treasoÌ„s wickednes of the Pope shal decaye vtterly be plucked vp by y e rotes This is y e spirituall sworde by whose edge as Paule prophecied he must be slaine Wherfore if we minde to attayne honor glory that neuer shal perishe by thys noble enterprise we muste searche all about and get the most faythfull ministers of goddes worde whiche be indued with a great light of y e spirite in the knowledge and exposicion of the scriptures with a heauenly eloquence boldnes and lybertye whiche ministers bothe canne and will prynte Christe in the heartes of manne Then with out doubt shall Antichrist and all his whole kingdom be ouerthroweÌ„ by and by This must be oure hoste these must be oure fotemen these must be our horse men if we mynde to ouercome this enemie of god And yf we can not fynde enough suche menne within oure owne dominions they muste bee sought for where so euer they maye be founde good learniÌ„g must be made much of promoted forward good wittes must bee norished and prouoked to learnyng studie that the heauenly philosophie of Christ maye reigne alwayes in oure kingedom Then suerly shal we not be ashamed wheÌ„ we shalbe neuer so much excomunicated of y e wicked romishe Robber but we shall rather reioyce with a valiant and bold corage we shall laugh to scorne his cursinges and blessinges all together not settinge a strawe by the whole rabble of the rest of hys wickednes his absolucions dispensacions priuileges bulles and pardons Ed. Throughe the sinne of oure fore father Adam we bee naturallye so fraile and weake so blinde and froward y t we seke for nothinge els but our owne Wherfore yf we will be moued to set forth and amplifie the most high glory of god it is he that must moue stirre vs with hys heauenly spirite And for asmuche as we knowe and bee very well assured that all oure desire and purposes concerninge thys matter bee bent towardes the glory of god according to his word we maye be bolde to saye that thys intente of ours is a worke of God Therefore euen as it canne not be that God wyl forsake him self and leaue of to be God So also can it not be but that he wyl further thys worke to a good ende whiche is not oures but altogether his we doubt not therfore but that God wyll be of our syde and that he wyl triumphe ouer hys enemies Counsel Suerly it shal be a very easie thynge to obteyne what thyng soeuer is godly of youre maiesties subiectes For euen as after the transgression of Adam god grafted a certayne terriblenes of countenaunce in manne wherby he shoulde make beastes affrayed with lokyng vpon manne lest they shoulde hurt hym So hath he indued subiectes with a certayne naturall feare towardes their leage lordes that they may reuerently obey them Wherfore yf a Prynce or Kyng intende a thynge and then declare thesame to be hys mynde and pleasure with a certaine effectualnes and authoritie by and by they all obey namelye when he offereth matters vnto them that be iuste and godlye but as for the trueth of the doctrine of the gospell is of it selfe most effectual therfore we doubt not but it wil come to passe that it shall gladly be receyued of al menne especially when it shal be offered vnto them of the maiestie of a kynge and he shall confirme the same with vprightnes of lif Neither is it to be doubted that the gospell should breed any tumulte
his successor and so shal we obteyne all our purpose The Pope Will ye attempt to bringe Peter nowe to Rome and he died so many yeres agone This thing me thinketh cannot be Mans iudge In case I shoulde reyse hym vp from deathe and bryng hym to Rome and so in conclusion make hym Byshop of this citie what woulde ye say The Pope Mary I woulde withstand it with tothe nayle Neither canst thou make him Bishop of thys citie but thou shalt bereue me of thys my dignitie Mans iudge Yf I shoulde make hym Byshop and yet robbe not you of youre honour but rather establishe you and make you his successor shoulde it not please you The Pope Yes wonderfully But I see not how that may be brought about Mans iudge I haue written certayne epistles in the name of those christian men whiche were at Rome in the time of the beginning of the church wherin there is oft mencion made of Peter as thoughe he had bene at Rome and not onely Byshop of thys citie but also Pope and vniuersall head of all the churche militant as though sundry constitucions had bene then by him made And bycause ye shall prayse my wit the more I wrot all thys gere in so wonderfull olde bokes that for age they coulde scarsly hange together There is no man that seeth them but they wil iudge they were written a thousand yeres agone or more Lette vs make the people beleue that these bokes be newly found by chaunce in some olde rotten library and so when thys rumor shal once be blowen abrode the common people will strayght beleue that Peter was at Rome If ther were none other cause yet that he came for religions sake on pilgremage to saynctes reliques and to receyue the iubilie and ful pardō The Pope Yet is not all thys ynough For be it that he were at Rome that not with standinge he departed after he had receyued the iubilye and toke his Popeship away with hym and so shall we no longer be his successors Therfore is it nedefull that as ye haue brought hym to Rome and haue made him Pope so ye cause hym also to dye at Rome Mans iudge Abyde a whyle thys is the thing I went about I haue done this thing already And for a confirmacion of the whole matter I gat me an olde scul bone of a dead carcas into y e which I dyd put a paper whiche had these wordes contayned in it Thys is the head of Saynct Peter the firste Pope of Rome Moreouer I haue compassed this head about with an other head of siluer and haue so framed it with a great bearde that it appeareth verely to be Saynct Peters head And I doubt not but that thys fayned matter maye be easly persuaded to the people yf it be published abrode by your authoritie The Pop◠We must of necessitie graunt that Peter was crucified vpon a crosse for so dyd Christ prophecie of hym nowe it is well knowen that it was the vse of the Iewes and not of the Romans to hange menne vpon the crosse Wherfore I see not howe the people wyll beleue that Peter was kylled at Rome and put vpon the crosse by the Romans Mans iudge Tushe men will not be so curious in other mens matters to searche euery poynt of them so narowely And agayne we shall haue a sure staffe to leane to wherunto we may alwayes resorte We wil say that god wold haue it so that Christes wordes mought bee fulfillyd Who can proue the contrary Besydes this I haue many remedies meanes how to preserue increase and establishe you in thys highe honour as ye shal see by experience neither will I let any good occasion ouerslyp that may be to your furtheraūce Be it that there come Embassadours to the citie of Rome I alone wyll aunswere them all as they ought to be aunswered In the meane space shall you begyn a litle and litle to publishe abrode that it is Christ who hath made you Pope and that ye be the successor of Peter the high Bishop of Rome The Pope But what will then the Emperour say when he shall perceyue that we noyse it abrode that it was Christe and not he whiche made me Pope Mans iudge Our aunswere shal bee that ye were declared and confirmed the chiefe Bishoppe by themperours maiestie but yet that it was Christ who hath placed you in so highe a seat euen as he did youre predecessors before you But loe one whom ye sawe not a gentle man called the people of Rome I thinke he cōmeth to see you and to do hys dewtie I praye you offer hym youre fote to kysse that ye maye so begyn to bring that thyng into a laudable custome The people And euen for the same very purpose haue I caused a redde crosse to be made on the ouer parte of my fote Mans iudge Althoughe many thinke that to be done of you in despite of the crosse yet is it iustly and well done to sette the crosse in the lowest place yea and Christ hymselfe also that your glory may be auaunced to a most hyghe state Namely for that we know the crosse of Christe alwaye to be hated of the wyse men of thys worlde And to saye the truethe it had ben more mete for you to haue caused the crosse to be set vnder the sole of your fote if it had not bene paynfull for you to lyft vp youre fote so oft to all suche as woulde kysse it But I wyll withdrawe my selfe for a tyme that you maye comon alone at your pleasure with thys sonne of yours The people of Oh happie and blissed am I sence I haue thus muche fauoure shewed me that I maye be suffered to come and kysse these holye and blyssed feete The pope In consideracion that thys benefit maye be the more estemed we graūt to you out of the treasure of Peter Paule and other holy Apostles and Saynctes fortie tymes fortie dayes of pardon The people A goodly rewarde and we thanke you highly we thanke you I say as speakyng to many whiche be most holy and most blissed Popes The Pope What meanest thou by that That thou didest call vs most blissed and most holy Popes in the plurall numbre thinkest thou that we be many Popes Seest thou not vs onely placed in this dignitie The people Pardon thou me I beseche the moste holy and blissed father When I herde the speake in the plurell numbre I thoughte that there had bene two Popes at the least The Pope Doest not thou perceyue thy selfe to speake vnreuerentlye thou sayest pardon thou me vnderstandest thou not that thou shouldest of nurtor and dewe reuerence speake to vs in the plurell numbre And that because he worketh continually in vs who first auaūced vs to this high dignitie for we be not alone in working Otherwise whē thou shouldest speake by name to vs thou oughtest to speake in the singular number and that because oure parson and dignitie is
increased euen with the tellinge therof Lepidus Why is it your chaunce alone not to heare of the disputaciō that hath ben in the court of Rome of that triumph victory that we haue obteined Mas. I knowe nothinge elles but that the last day I heard tell of certayne Embassadours which came from sundrye coastes of the world to Rome whiche woulde reply with open mouthe agaynste this highe authoritie of the pope Lepidus This day was ther an open and a solempne disputacion in the presence of Cesars maiestie of thys matter and in conclusion our men haue obteyned the highe power of the Pope Mas. I woulde fayne knowe what reasons they had to bringe this vnworthy matter to passe Lepidus Suerly I know a greate number of them and some of them were suche that I dare not disclose them vnto you onles ye promes me before to kepe them to your selfe Mas. Yf they be suche reasons as may not be lawfully kept secret ye requier in vayne to kepe counsell of them and thoughe I sware a thousand tymes yet ought I not to kepe it but if I maye lawfullye and ought to kepe it secret ye maye haue so muche credyt in me that ye maye beleue I wyll kepe counsell without an othe yf ye thinke me a man not worthie to be trusted then are ye the more to blame to require an othe of me from the whiche the Pope maye easly absolue me by reason of the high power that he now hath howbeit I promes you by the fayth of a Christian manne to kepe counsell if I may doe it lawfully Lepidus Forasmuche as I truste you not a litle by the reasō of our old frendshipe I can not but disclose the whole matter vnto you When the holines of our Lord master herd say y t the most parte of the whole world was much troubled for this wōderful dignity wherunto he hath attained and that also theyr Embassadours were come to cry out against it openly he toke this wayes fyrste whiche appered to make very muche for his purpose As sone as they came to Rome he sent vnto thē secretly goodly flaggons of y e best wine that could be gottē of Maluesey of wine of Tribiana of S. Iohn of Grecia and of Corsica Mas. Suerly this was a goodly beginninge that he made to the straungers whereby to compasse and ouercome them and as it were to claspe them by the very throte Lepidus He sent moreouer a goodly present and a bewtifull of blyssinges Pardons Iubilies priuileges immunities and very riche promesses of benefices and of all other suche giftes which either he now had or els shoulde haue here after After thys he sent vnto euery one of them cleane remission a pena et culpa Then he absolued them of their othes that they had made to suche as had sent them Mas Uery well that by the meanes therof he might more easely corrupt them Lepi Nay that they being absolued and set fre from their othes myght more easely and frely styke to the trueth And so he caused hys seruauntes to saye vnto them lest peraduenture men shoulde conceyue some euil opinion of them He signified also vnto them that he was very ioyfull when he heard of their comming to Rome that they myght see with their owne eyes and iudge with theyr owne knowlege and know the whole truthe of the matter euen as it was so that at theyr returne home agayne into theyr contreyes they mought shine to other with the light of their knowledge who peraduenture should other wise remayne in the darkenes of ignoraūce or of some false surmise Mas. And yf he were not Pope I durst be bolde to saye he lyed shamefullye in so sayeng For I am sure that the comming of thimbassadors was as pleasant to hym as though one had hurled salt into hys eyes Lepi. And because the disputacion of his Pontifical prerogatiue must be in the presence of Cesar and the Popes holynes for sundrye consideracions woulde defende it to be of God and geuen to hym by Christe not by themperour he fearinge lest by this meanes the Emperours maiestie woulde be vexed signified vnto him that he woulde proponde and establishe the matter after thys sorte not because he dyd not acknowledge that he had thys dignitie onely of hym at whose commaundement he woulde alwayes bee and recognise hym to bee hys singular patrone and defender but bycause he woulde deliuer hym from al suspicion and slaunder which many without cloking dyd obiect as though it were very euill done of hym whiche bestowed this honour vpon one mortal man And lest also other Princes takynge example of him woulde lykewyse establishe in their dominions sundrye supreme heades that shoulde brede schismes and discentions in the churche of Christ. Mas. Oh what an assehead was he if euer he would assent hereunto Lepi Assent Yea and praise him also euen as though it had bene a thyng deuised by god hymselfe and sent to hym from God When they came to the very disputacion themperour had a plentifull oracion where in he exhortyd all them that came thether to intreat vpon that matter to peace concorde and vnitie And when it came to the Popes course to speake bycause he woulde kepe hys state he commaunded master Hypocryt to speake in hys name and he so handled hymselfe with conterfetyd wordes and gesture and went aboute wyth suche a force of eloquense to persuade them that the Popes holynes was not moued of hym selfe to accept so hyghe a state but rather earnestly withstode it and yet hauinge an eye to the glorye of God and folowynge the mouynge of the holy gost at lenghth he toke this heuy sharpe crosse of the popship vpon him thys I saye he persuaded in suche sorte that he had almoste made me beleue it was trewe y t he sayed And so I my sel fe did many times assent to him in y t he sayd that if he could with a saufe conscience leaue thys hyghe authorytye he bothe redely and gladlye woulde so doe But that myght not bee because by that meanes he shoulde doe God great iniurye But seynge the matter was so he was ryght glad that there was at thys present a disputacion appoynted of so greate and weyghtie a matter whereby the truethe there of myghte bee knowen to all menne And thus at last beganne the disputacion Where first arose the embassador of Constantinople a very wyse manne and with a loud voyce sayed before the greate audience there assembled that all the churches of the vniuersall worlde were highlye offended with thys wonderfull and wickyd primacie of the Byshop of Rome whyche neuer was herd of before And that Christe hymselfe was the true and onely head of hys churche in thys militant exile euen as he is also the head of the triumphant churche of the heauenlye Hierusalem and that he neuer ordayned any other head Wherefore it was to be thought y t this wicked innouacion was not
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
blotted out for my sake The selfe same sentence Marke expressed albeit it wer in other wordes when he sheweth how Christe after his resurrecâ—ion from death saied to his Apostles going through out the vniuersall worlde preache the gospell to all creatures And Mathewe Goe forthe teache al people Lucke wryteth that Christe sayed it is written and therfore it must bee that Christe shall suffer and rise agayne from deathe the thyrde daye in whose name repentaunce and remission of synnes must bee preached to al people beginning at HierusaleÌ„ It is plain that the Euangelistes agre hetherto Iohn furthermore doeth adde that Christe sayed vnto them take ye the holy goste Which thing Luke declareth after another sorte saying that Christ opened theyr myndes that they might vnderstaÌ„d the scriptures which is the very trewe office of the holy goste wherefore he gaue them the holy gost brething vpon them that is as Luke doeth declare he opened theyr myndes and knowledge that they might vnderstande the holy scriptures and that was so done that they myght knowe and perceaue that the Gospell whiche they shoulde preache was no vayne or newe thynge but trewe and of antiquitie spoken of before by the vnfayned sayinges of the prophetes Which thing they beleuinge vndoutedly throughe an earnest styrringe and motion of the holy gost shoulde preache the gospell throughe out the whole world Now afterward when he gaue them the keyes Iohn writeth that he sayed whose synnes so euer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose sinnes so euer ye retaine they be retayned That is to say I deliuer you the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and giue you authoritye and power to open and shit thesame by the kingdom of heauen he vnderstandeth the kyngdome of grace and the kyngdome of glorye The synnefull manne was driuen out of the kingdome of the heauenly fauour neither can he fynde any meanes or wayes to entre into thesame agayne but by faithe Accordinge to the doctrine of paule He can not beleue of the common sorte onles he heare the worde of the gospell whiche can not be without preaching So that there was authoritie geuen vnto thapostles and keyes deliuered vnto theÌ„ that they should open the kingdome of heauen to the wicked when Christ gaue them authoritie to preache the gospeâ—l that is to saie to teach that men be saued by Christ. Because that when thei were sinners and without the kingdome of the grace of Christe neyther had any waye opened whereby they might entre thapostles in preachinge the gospell opened the gate of the fauour and grace of god vnto them which guided them in y e ready and plaine waye wherby they might obteyne to them selues the fauor of god by beleuing that Christ died for them by whose mean and helpe they are saued thapostles did moue and styre men to giue credit to this truthe And suche of them as beleued entred in the kyngdome of Chryste by fayth and the Apostles opened the gate vnto theÌ„ by preaching the word of the gospel did set open the waye for their entrye But if y e hearers of this preachiÌ„g beleued not thapostles dyd shut the gate of gods fauor wheÌ„ they taught in their preachinge that onles they beleued the gospell there was no hope of saluacion neither any other way or meanes wherby they mought entre the kingdome of the fauor of god Not withstandinge they had done as many good workes as bee in the whole worlde And so is this opening and shutting as a man may call it a lousing and a bindinge as Christe declared when he saied to Peter to the wil I giue the keies of the kingdome of heuen What soeuer thou shalt bind in earth shal be bound in heauen and whatsoeur thou lousest iÌ„ earth it shal be also â—oused iÌ„ heaueÌ„ Now these keies and power to open and shut to looâ—e and bynd were geueÌ„ to the Apostles wheÌ„ Christ said vnto theÌ„ whose synnes ye forgeue they shall bee forgeuen and whose synnes ye retayne they shall bee retayned Not that the Apostles themselues should haue power and authoritie to pardon and forgeue sinne for that belongeth to God alone And that shoulde be a wonderful ydolatry and blasphemy to attribute and assigne that thynge to man whiche belongeth to god onely Who is onelye he that forgyueth sinnes for Christes sake euen as it is onely he whiche powreth fayth into vs and men be hys seruantes and ministers in that they preache the gospell and moue men to beleue But the beleuinge it selfe and the faythe it selfe and the remission of synne whiche is by it procured is the gift of God Then the Apostles had no power to remitte and reâ—ayne synnes at their owne wyll and pleasure Neither to loose and bynde neyther yet to brynge manne in or out of the kyngdome of God when they lusted so to doe but they had power to preache the gospell and to shewe that thys preachynge must be beleued and that thys gospell must be embraced with a sound faythe yf they intend to haue forgyuenes of sinnes at goddes handes and so to be loosed to enter into the kingdom of grace For they onely haue their sinnes forgyuen theÌ„ which beleue the gospell they onely be loosed and enter into the kyngdome of god They had also authoritie to declare that their sinnes were retayned whiche beleued not the gospell and that they onelye bee bounde and shut out of the kyngdome of God Yt is euident and playne by Saynct Luke that thys is the wil and mynde of Christe who declarethe the selfesame sentence with more playne wordes saying Christ sayed to his Apostles y t Christ must dey as it was writteÌ„ ryse agayne the thirde daye from death and that repentaunce and remission of sinne must be preached to all nacions in hys name So that by thys it is easie to be perceyued that Christe gaue hys Apostles keyes and power not properly to forgyue synne but to preache remission of synnes to all them that beleue throughe Christ. The selfe same thyng maye also be confirmed by the authoritie of Saynct Marke who expondyng thesame sentence although it be in other wordes sayeth that Christe sayed to his Apostles Goe through out the whole worlde and preache the gospell to all creatures who so beleueth and is baptised shal be saued and he that beleueth not shall be dampned Whereby it maye be well perceyued that the authoritie power which Christ gaue vnto hys Apostles was nor to saue and condempne but onely to preache the gospell and to shewe the waye of saluacion in that they moued meÌ„ to enter into that way and they declared hym to be within the compasse of condempnacion which gaue no credit to the gospell and went about to disuade men from thys vnbelefe These be the keyes thys is the power whiche Christ gaue to hys Apostles and not onely to his Apostles but also vnto all their successors Which thyng doeth
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
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
welbeloued spouse whome I my selfe haue redemed washed and clensed with myne owne proper bloude Mich. We see all together and meruayle truely very much howe ye could suffer now aboue foure hundreth yere suche horrible abhominacions Christ. Althoughe the iudgementes of god be for the most parte hid from the knowledge of humayne creatures yet must they be taken as they be in dede to be righteous and holy For the wyll of God as it is moste ryght of necessitie it is not onelye impossible that it shoulde erre it selfe but also it is a rule of all other willes and therefore muste euery creature take it for beste reason And yet one cause canne I brynge whye god woulde suffer so muche euell to reigne so longe space Mich. We take the vnkyndnes of manne to haue deserued these great mischiefes that so it ought to be y e god should suffer theÌ„ so to fall as they haue falleÌ„ into so great euill darkenes heresies and michiefes bicause they loued not thee as they ought thou being the chiefe lyght trueth wisdom lyfe and ryghteousnes neither woulde they obey thy worde Christ. There be many causes why god hathe so suffered thys longe space But the chiefe is that he woulde make his glory more notable And you know that durynge the reygne of thys Antichrist not one of the electes haue perished Seinge they be in the handes of me and my heauenly father none shall take theÌ„ from me neither canne anye of them perishe And ye knowe also that thys wicked abhominacion with all hys malice craftes fraude suttelties errours deceytes prodicions offences euyl examples michiefes promises flatterynges rewardes thretnynges slanders persecucions tormentes and deathes haue not hurte any whit in any one poynt the soule of any one of my choseÌ„ But their malice hath rather made mine more gloryous in that their vertue hath ben tried as golde in the fornace and those that be false christians by thys profe be declared to be hypocrites And therfore whether he wyll or not I haue vsed hym as an instrument and a seruaunt for the larger setting forth of goddes glory And more ouer God woulde haue all the deuilles of hell and all euil menne to abuse thys head of theirs to the distruccioÌ„ my of kyngdom by deceate and violence that I being moued by that occasion shoulde withstande ouercome and destroye thys head of abhominacion and triumphe worthelye of hym as ye shall shortly see by the whiche victorye I myght set forthe more clearely the power and wisdome of God Marke therfore now and ye shall see how that in destroyeng of hym y t he may be destroyed w t more ignonimie I wyll not vse my power but the bare worde of my ministers wherby I wyll disclose these great mischiefes and wyll lighten their mindes with the knowledge of the trueâ—he I knowe that menne wyll then open their eyes and when they shall perceyue that they haue bene so longe tyme buried in such darkenes of ignoraunce in that they haue wurshipped abhominacion it selfe in stede of God they wyll humble themselues vnder the stronge hande of God and shall know what a miserable creature manne is and what he canne doe when he is destitute of God into howe many daungers he fallethe headlonge and howe necessary a thing the grace of god is for hym Nowe be all mischiefes and abhominacions come euen to the hiest state and degre that they canne come the measure is full their wickednes excedeth and is spread ouer all therfore must I no longer suffer For as I haue promised I muste and wyll shorten these wofull dayes of malice for the loue of my choseÌ„ I must disclose thys wycked head of this abhominacion to hys confusion and goddes glorye For as I haue sayed before there is nothyng hidden but must be reueled Ye shal see y t when as I toke maÌ„hod vpon me and appeared visible into the world althoughe synne reygned stirred vp by the lawe and ruled all with a great force and power yet I in dyinge vpon the crosse had the victory and ouercame valiantly all the enemies of God euen so nowe wyll I triumphe of thys shameles and wycked head of abminacion Fyrst and formost I wyll destroye the tyraÌ„nicall dominion whiche he hathe wrongfully vsed in the simple consciences of menne and afterward will I take awaye from hym hys temporall power And to hys further rebuke Euen as the worlde hath taken him for a god in earthe thys long space so wyll I nowe cause the worlde to acknowledge hym to be the moste wicked tyrant that euer was or euer shal be amongest menne You myne angels that bee appoynted to the ministery of my chosen ye shall doe your dewties diligently And to the Gabriel as thou wast sent to Daniell to tell hym the tyme of the coÌ„minge of Messias and afterwarde also to zacharie to signifie vnto hym the commyng of my fore runner Iohn the Baptist and laste of all to my mother to declare vnto her my concepcioÌ„ so shalt thou now goe to Henry the eighte kinge of Englande in whose heart thou shalt prynt and perswade that all delayes set a parte he dryue thys cruell tyrant out of all his realmes and dominions Gabri Forsouth we wyll gladlye o lord and with a swyftenes of spirit performe your coÌ„maundemeÌ„t Christ. Ye shall vnderstande that Henry the eyghte shall deliuer hys dominions from the tiranny of thys mischieuous robber and he shall not vtterly clense it from ydolatry superstcion whose rotes be further enteryd in to the heartes of menne then that they can be pulled out agayne at the first plucke For he shall not long lyue after thys valiant interprise attempted But I wyll gyue hym a sonne named Edwarde the sixte and because he shal be one euen after myne own heart indwed with sundrye godly giftes as one that shall loue me vnfaynedly and shall perceyue howe manye and dyuerse wayes he is bounde to God he shall not abide this great and rancke enemie of mine Therefore folowynge hys fathers steppes he shall pourge all hys kyngdomes and dominions from all the supersticion and ydolatry of Antichrist I wyll be allwayes with hym neither shall he want of my fauour grace and defense at any time and he shal haue a Christian protectour whom I will vse as a meane and instrumente and very fyt messenger betwixt me and the kinge to performe thys my purpose whome I wyll geue vnto hym a very valiant manne both in noblenes and in vpryghtnes of mynde and a singuler louer and frende of right religion By whose wisdome and grauitie I wil haue myne Edwarde to be instructed and brought vp euen from hys chyldhod that all the dayes of hys lyfe he may haue continuall warre with al thinges that shal desplease god This chosen instrument of myne shall be the fyrst that shal bende his speare agaynst the fornamed myne vnpardonable enemy Whose wonderfull example moste worthye to be folowed of all other
scoles and bokes whether God be or not And y e same thing dare your preachers also euē in the pulpet thoughe there be none that doubteth of so manyfest a trueth yet standeth it not with your consciences to reason in a brefe disputacion of the Byshoppe of Romes primacie Maye it euer come to passe or not y t the Pope shal be so muche greater and higher then God that it shall not bee lawfull to speake of hys primacie And lawefull enoughe to dispute boldly of goddes essencie Papista It is lawfull to dispute whether God bee or not Without any remorse of conscience and without daunger because the reasons whiche be brought for the contrary parte bee so weake and the other so stronge cleare and pithie wherby it is proued that god is that after suche disputacion menne remayne muche more assured But there can not be a disputaciō of the primacie of the Byshoppe of Rome without prickyng of conscience bycause thys thynge is not so cleare and euident as the other is that is to say that there is a God And perhappes yf it shoulde come in question we should remayne in greater doubt then we were before Wherfore it shoulde seeme that it were better to lette the matter sleape as it is and not to question therof Hen. Then you your selues graunt that the Popeshyp is a doubtfull thynge and agayne on the other syde ye woulde haue vs shut oure eyes and beleue it and imbrace it and vndoubtedly to receyue it for an heauenly thynge Yf the popeshyp were a thynge indifferent whiche coulde neither hurte nor profyt the soule of manne it shoulde seme no matter though we left reasonynge therof and let it remayne quiet as it is without disputacion But for asmuche as vpon the Byshoppe of Rome hangeth oure saluacion yf he be Christes Uicar in earth as they say he is and agayne yf he be not vpon hym contrarywyse hangeth oure dampnacion we haue determined to know the trueth of the thynge And so muche the more desirouse be we to haue thys disputacion goe forewarde for that we see you so earnest to refuse the same We may be well assured that we shall offend God in no poynt of thys disputacion yf wee doe all thynges soberlye with a meke spirite to the glory of God hauinge alwayes goddes worde for our iudge whiche is the onely and euerlastyng rule of trueth Papist Bycause it semeth good to youre maiestye that it be so I for my part haue nothynge els to say but that the byshoppe of Rome is Christes Uicar in earthe with full power Hen We knowe not whether he bee Christes Uycar or not but to y e intent to haue a perfect knowledge therof I haue sent for you Of thys we be well assured that the moste parte of them were excedynge vicious we perceaue also that y e great eccleciastical reuenues whiche of ryght belonge to the poorer sort of Christ be by hym consumed and solde for ready money and the cure of soules also whome the sonne of god him selfe redemed with the pryce of hys bloude And they be not affrayed to committe so weyghtie a charge euen the cure of soules to the children which be euil borne and worse broughte vp And to menne vnlearned wicked and vicious to horse kepers and to their cinoedis Sodomittical boies We also know that he doeth not only sell his priuileges relaxaciōs composicions and dispensacions but hys Iublies also hys pardons and remissions of synne his absolucions hys blessinges hys masses hys buryalles hys Sacramentes yea and the merites and bloude of Christ and heauen it selfe And it is well knowen that they haue caryed awaye great treasures out of our kyngdomes we receyuyng nothynge agayne but ynke and parchement and seales of leade vnder pretence of their buyldynges and warres agaynst the Infideles they haue polled more money from vs then all oure kyngdomes bee worthe A blynde man maye see what meanes they vse to robbe both quicke and dead In so muche that of the house of God they haue made a denne of thieues And all these thynges haue they done vnder a shadow of religiō a pretence of holines Yf a man coulde open hys eyes and loke vpon the discordes and striues whiche they haue sowen in all christendome and see the bloude they haue shed the slaunders and offēces they haue committed the soules they haue lost and the viciouse life of them that wylbe called moste holy who ought to ieoparde their owne liues to profit their neighbour Yf I say he coulde see howe they be couered with fraude vnfaythfulnes and deceate howe they trouble all the whole worlde with suche thunderynges in contencions as thoughe heauen and yearthe went together and all for none other cause but to encrease their yerely reuenewes to preserue their falsely pretended honour and their vayne titles Surely he would not iudge them to be the Uicars of Christe but rather to occupie the ruome of the great deuyll of hell Papista Be it that their workes were neuer so wicked yet cease they not therfore to be Christes vicars yf their doctrine be sounde Henry Yea mary that is the thynge that we bee desirous to knowe whether he be Christes Uicar or not Whether he be Antichrist or not Whether hys doctrine be true or false Whether we ought to wurshyp hym or to banishe hym out of oure kyngdome Therfore of these thynges we be desirous to heare other mennes myndes Thomas arche When God determined to saue hys electes firste he disclosed himselfe by a certayne light shewed in the olde testament by hys Prophetes and holy men before he came into the worlde and he mynded so to doe not onely bycause he woulde be knowen a farre of that menne shoulde put theyr trust in hym and so be saued but also that at hys commynge he myght be knowen agayne by thesame sygnes and tokens and the gentlier receyued of a lyke sort when he determined for the larger settyng forth of his glorie to publish the triumph of Christ the perfect happy state of his electes he paynted forth and expressed lyuely in the holy scriptures that suche as haue vnworthelye the name of christians muste haue one head in earth full of abhominacion and wickednes to the intent that he beinge disclosed vnto vs we shoulde not only not gyue credit vnto hym but should by all meanes possible shunne hys wicked tiranny First therfore as touchyng the place god hath playnly declared vnto vs that he must be borne at Rome As Daniell the Prophet wrot who discribed the foure monarches of the worlde vnder a similitude of foure beastes that is to saye the Empire of Babilon which was of the Assirians The empire of the Persians of the Grecians and of the Romanes And out of the head of the fourth beast that is to say out of the head of the monarchie of Rome sprange a litle horne that is to say Antichrist himselfe Who hath so auaunced his might and power that