IN most humble wise complayneth vnto youre grace youre continuall Orator Robart Barnes / of the intollerable iniuries / wronges and oppressions where wyth the bisshoppes of youre royalme vexe and haue vexed / contrary vnto the worde of god and their awne lawes and doctours / not onlye me but also all true preachers and professours of the same / as they did in condemnynge me for an heretyke : whiche thinge they were not able to proue by the scripture of god / nor yet shall not / yff it wold please youre grace indifferently ( accordinge to the office wher in god hath sette you ) to here the small as well as the great and to susteyne youre pore orator agenst their violence and strength .

God I take to recorde that I am ryght sorye to make this complaynte vnto youre grace agenst them / yf I coulde coniecture any other meane to cause them to redresse their intollerable oppressions / where with they dayly oppresse youre pore and true subiectis / so sore and so violently that wyth out doute ( yf youre grace se not shortly a remedy ) god must nedys punish . For I doo not beleue that euer he will suffer longe so great tyrannye agenst his worde & so abhominable liuing as they liue / and that in the name of Christ and his holy churche / verely we do not reade in any memoryes that oure fathers haue lefte vs / that euer the people were vnder so greate tyrauny as now youre pore subiectis be vnto them . It ys so farre come that what so euer he be / hye or lowe / poore or ryche / wyse or folish that speakyth agenste theyr hypocrysy ( which they calle holynes ) Ambicion / pryde dignite ( which they calle honoure of the church ) or vycious liuyng ( whych can not be cloked ) he ys eyther made a traytour vnto youre grace or an heretyke agenst holy church / as though they were kynges or God . This may youre moste exce● grace perfytly knowe if you calle to remem●●aūce those men that they haue had to do with ●s it not a maruelous courte that they haue ? these was neuer man accused afore them of heresy were he lerned or not lerned but they founde hym giltye . ys not that a maruelous courte that neuer hath innocentes ? what courte within youre realme maye saye this agayne ? and yf any man speake of gods lawe and right conscience agenst thys damnable tyranny / lyttle wyll they stycke to make hym as heretyke . And yf that wylle not helpe ( to coloure and mayntayne theyr oppressyon ( than adde they ●asone agenst youre grace though he be neuer so trewe a subiect and all vnlykly to make ony resystaunce or to thynke any evyll vn to youre grace : notwythstandinge they wyll not be a shamed to laye vn to hys charge that he wolde make an insurreccion in youre londe .

Nowe yf yt please youre grace lett vs consyder to what ende thys vncheritable and vnryghtuous accusacion of the bysshoppes is inuentyd .

Fyrst if there be any man that preach / dyspute / or put forth in writtinge any thynge not tow chynge them / though yt be neuer so blasphemous agenst god and hys worde / they wyll not ones be moued therewith : the examples therof are so playne that yt nedeth no proufe . youre grace maye se what blasphemous rubrykes they alowe agenst the bloude off chryst / what shamfull and abhominable pardons they tollerate and admytte / what disputatyons they do maynteyne to proue the pope a god and noo man as theyr conclusyons and questyons be playne in theyr awne lawes That the pope ys nother a god nor a man . And that the pope ys no man / And whether the pope cane syn or not ? and that no man may condemne the pope though he bringe innumerable soules to helle by hys occassyon . Agayne let any man but ones speake agenst theyr cloked ypocrysye / or neuer so lytle a thynge that longeth too them whych shulde hyndre theyr abhomynacyons : and there can no scripture / no place / no mastershyp nor excuse in the world saue / but they must eyther to open shame or cruell deeth . So that yt ys playne that theyr cruelnes serueth to no nother ende / but as they shuld saye yf that ony man wyll take in hond too preache the veryte / and the true goospell off theyr Master Chryst purely wherby those thyngys that we take on vs / that ys oure honour oure dygnyte / oure worldly promosyon / oure dylycyous lyuynge / oure gorgyous aparele / oure sumptuous palases / breuely all thynge that we vse to oure pastyme and pleasure shall be manyfest too euery man / that we doo yt contrary to the worde off god . Soo that they shall knowe opynly by manyfest scryptures oure f●yned hypocrysy / and that we ought not to be lordes of the parlament / nor to haue no place of worldly honour amonge the people nor to haue dominion ouer them / nor that any thynge shuld be orderyd after oure wyl but onlye a●ter the worde of god / nor that we shuld medyll in ony causes but alonly in reding and preachinge of the worde of god / wyth greate studye diligence and labour / yee and thereof be content to haue but a pore lyuing / yee and so pore that we shall be constrayned oft tymis both to hunger / to thrust and to suffer greate colde / as Christ and his appostles were . Nowe rather than this shulde come to passe we had lever gather oure strength to gether and oppresse by violence as many as wyll holde wyth this lerning be he kynge / duke / lorde / Barone / Knight / Man / woman / or childe . So that they / yf it plese youre grace / go aboute to make the insurrexion to the mayntaynyng of their worldly pompe and pryde / and not the trew preacher : for he intendith to mayntayne nothinge but the worde of god and that with suffering persecucion ( as the nature of the worde ys ) and not wyth persecuting / and ys also neyther able nor likly nor wylling yf he might to make any resurrexion agenst youre grace / for he maketh no striuinge ( yf he be the trew preacher of god ) nor fyghtynge for this worlde / but sufferith the childern of the world to enioye these worldly thynges / and intendeth alonly to bring in to light the most glorious and heuenly worde of god / but that wyll not the bisshops ( the childern of the world ) suffer / whych had rather seke and proue all the crafte suttilty and falshode that they can invent / than these thingis shuld by the worde of God come to lyght / so that they wylle make the insurrexion / and not the preacher . Notwythstondyng they ar not a shamed / thus falsly to lay it to the preachers charge / and all by cause they wolde make youre grace to mayntaine ther maylyciousnes . So that vnder the pretence of treason / they might execute the tyrannye of their hartis on lye . For who ys that that wolde be a traytoure / or mayntaine a traytoure / agenste youre moste excelent and noble grace ? I thynk no man / ye● and I knowe suerly that no man can doo yt / wyth out the great dyspleasure of the eternalle god . For. S. Paule commaundeth straytely vnto alle chrysten / to be obedient in all thynges vnto their princes / saynge on this maner / Rom. 13 Lett euery man submytte him selfe to the auctorite off the hye power . For who so euer resystyth the power / resystyth the ordynaunce off god / & they that resyste shall receyve to them selues damnacyon . Also . S. Peter confermyth thys / 1. Pet. 2. saynge : Submytte youre selues vnto all maner ordinaunce off man for the lordes sake / whether yt be vn to the kyng / as vnto the cheffe hed / eyther vn to dukes as vnto them that are sent off hym for the punishment of evell doars / but to the prayse of them that do welle . Here ( most noble prynce ) no man is except from the subieccyon of youre most excellent powre / neyther the bisshops / nor yet no nother man . Not wyth stondyng yff they were so trewe in dede as they pretend in worde / Thys gospelle shulde they preache them selfe faythefully / puerly / and syncerelye to the people / as Paulle commaundeth Titus / and in hym alle bysshops in these wordes . Warne them ( sayth he ) that they submytte them selues to prynces and to powers / and to obeye the offycers Thys are they commaunded not allonly to obserue them selues / but also to teache the people to obey theyr prynces , whyche thynge yff they dyd faythefully in dede / as they dyssemble in worde / than they wolde not make so holy marters of them / that haue dyed agenst the liberte of prynces / in defendyng of their glorie / as they haue done . We haue many that be made sayntes for rebellinge agenst prynces / & for defendyng of theyr fayned spirituall lyberte though yt were in sauing a theuysh preaste from the gallous / whyche had deserued dethe / ye and for defendynge of their temporall possessyons / and that preastes shulde be fre / and all their goodes / not bounde to paye trybute . For these artycles haue they made many holy sayntes / but whan made they one for defendinge of gods worde and the kyngys prerogatiue / whiche ys alowed by godes word ? Neuer one in all their liues nor neuer wyll . where fore youre grace may se and perceaue / that they be but dyssemblers and hypocrytis / and nether trewe in worde nor dede . For yf they were / youre grace shulde haue more auctoryte than you haue in youre realme / and they shulde haue lesse in the worlde and more in the worde / but they neyther teache it them selues / nor suffer ( with their wille ) other men to teache it . For if any man take in honde to teache the people / that there is no temporal power with in the realme but in youre honde alonely / anon they are ready to accuse him of heresie / by cause he speketh agenst the libertyes of holie churche / and they wil lay to his charge the lawes ( as they cal them ) of the churche / whiche be none other / but dreamis of their owne inuencion / made agenste gods lawe & his holy ordinaunces / & cotrarie to the prerogat●ue of alle noble princes . This will I proue by / lawe that they haue / 15. Q. 6. Alius item whose wordes be these . zacharias did deposse the kinge of fraunce / not alonely for his iniquite / but also by cause he was vnprofytable for so greate a power : and set in his stede Pipinum the Emperours father / & did asoille alle fraunce of their othe & alegiaunce / that they had made vnto the olde king / the whiche thing / the holy churche of rome dothe oft timis / by her auctorite How think youre grace by this law ? is this their obedience that they will shewe / & also lerne other men to be trewe subiectes to their prince / and they be first rebellious traitours / & yet wil they accuse al other men of treason . I wolde knowe of● them all / who hath deposed anye kynge sythe Chrystes passion sauinge they onlye ? who wyll be kynges fellowes / ye and controllars / sauynge they only ? A cast of Antichrist ys not this a subtyle crafte of Antychrist / to warne other men off heretykes and of traytours / and in the meane ceasone while men stonde lokynge for traytours / cometh he in and playth the parte of an open traytoure / sauyng onlye that he coloureth his name / and calleth him selfe / a trewe subiect / & is readie to accuse other men of treason / that he myght escape him selfe / but he is suer / that he will neuer accuse none of them / that speake agenst the auctoryte of prynces / and geue to him full auctorite / But yf any man / doo begynne but to open hys mouth / for to declare that he hathe no temporall power / than rageth he / and cryeth out treason treason : But let vs returne to their lawe / and se how they can proue it by gods worde / and how it stondeth with their trewe subieccion / Is this resonable / that the pope / and they ( being by gods lawe but subiectis ) shall deposse a king ? What example haue they of oure master Christ / or of any of his apostles ? what scripture haue they to helpe them ? we ought not to depose a kinge though he be wyked . How dare they be so bolde / as to depose a kyng / whyche is ordenyd of god / yee and by hys holy worde / hauyng none example / nor scripture for them ? Be they aboue god and hys blessyd worde ? But they wyl saye / that the kyng was a wyked man / I answere / the cronycles / geue contrary wytnes / how that he was a very good man / and ryght symple : and by cause he was so symple / therfore Pipinus whyche had all the rule vnder hym / thought hym silfe better worthy to rule than the kynge / and so wrote vn to the pope and desyred hym to geue sentence / whether he was better worthy to be kyng that had all the paynes and labours / or he that had no laboure Now the pope / to make Pipinum his frende / gaue sentence wyth hym / and deposed the other and made hym a monke . Thys can I welle proue by good cronycles Now lett youre noble grace consyder / yff yt were ryght / not only to depose such a kinge but also to make hym a monke ? Thys haue they done wyth other noble kynges / and no doute / but that same or worse / wyll they attempte to doo vn to youre grace / yff you dysplease them / and at the leste they wyll doo their vtter most . Lett all the hole rable off them / tell youre grace / when a trewe preacher off chrystes gospell dyd suche a deade ; There is no officer that hathe nede to be afrayde off Chrystis gospell / nor yet of the preachers ther off / For they wyll geue them auctoryte temporalle / But off these preuy traytours / can no man be to ware . you may se by experience / how in a maner by their preuy treason they haue gotten in to their handes / halfe youre royalme . But lett vs graunt them / that the kynge was a wyckyd man . The scripture commaundeth vs / to obey to wyckyd princes / and geuyth vs none auctorite to depose them / who was more wycked than Herode / and yet . S. Iohan sufferyd deethe vnder hym . who was wyckedder than Pylate ? And yet Christ did not put him doune but was crucified vnder hym . Breuely whyche off all the princes were good in the appostles dayes ? and yet they deposed none . So that gods worde / and the practyse off oure Master Chryst / and hys holy apostles are openly agenste them . More over their owne glosse sayeth that he was not deposed / by cause he was vnsuffycient / but by cause he was wanton and lecherous wyth wemen . O my lordes yff you be not afrayde of the vengeaunce of god / at the leste take a lyttle shame of the worlde vnto yov / that haue so longe tyme wyth so great tyrannye defendyd these lawes that be so opynlye agenst gods ordinaunce / agenst gods worde / and agenst the commen ordynaunce and consent of all the worlde . And this thynge haue yov done / to the greate iniury off noble princes / to the intollerable subduynge off all noble bloude / to the oppressyon off their trew subiectes / to the dystruccyon off alle commen welthes . And fynalle to the damnacion off many a Chrystened soule . Tell me by youre faithe / doo you beleue that there is a lyuyng god / that ys myghtye to punysh hys enymyes ? yf yov beleue yt / saye vn to me can yov deuyse for to avoyde hys vengeaunce / whyche be so opynly contrayrye to hys worde ? what answere thinke yov to make to hym ? Thinke yov that he will suffer youre worde to be harde / & lette hys godly worde be dyspysed ? Thynke yov that yt will be suffycient for yov to saye / that they be the lawes of holy churche ? Thynke you that he will be thus taught off yov ? Than were yt tyme to plucke hym downe / and sett you vpp . Naye my lordes he ys no chylde / nor you shalle fynd yt no chyldis game / thus to tryfle & playe with hys holy word and hys blessyd ordinaunce / ye and that to the dyspysyng / of the maker bothe of heuyn and erthe . Saye what yov wyll / ye are not able neyther by crafte / nor subtyltye ( and yet be you falce ynough ) to defende thys matter / neyther afore god / nor yet afore oure noble prince / nor a fore any man off lernyng that wyll be trewe to hys prince : for whiche waye so ever you turne you / oure Master Christ / and all hys blessyd apostles be agenst you / and will openlye accuse you / that yov be contrarye to their worde / and to their dede . Answere ye to them / answere not to me . yff I holde my peace / they wyll speake . Nor yt will helpe you but lyttle / to crye after youre olde maner heresy / heresy / a Traytour / a traytour : for now you crye agenst youre selves / and off those thinges they doo accuse you . Doo yov thinke yt with the ordinaunce of god / that you shall depose a kinge by cause he lyuyth in advoutrye / or ys a lecherous man ? If you thynke yt a lawfull cause / why doo you not preache yt opynly ? why doo you not laye yt to kingis charges ? why suffer you them to be kingis that lyue in aduouttry ? why do you not put youre lawes in execution ? you saye they be the lawes of holy churche / and there by may you depose princes . But yff you will put them in execucion / than were yt moche better / to be a bysshop or a preaste / than to be a kinge / or a duke .

For you maye lyue in whordom / or in any other vngracious lyuyng / ye and that to the destruccyon off many mens soules / and yet no man so hardye to repreue you / as youre awne lawe dothe openlye commaunde in these wordes . Di. 40. Si papa . Iff the pope doo drawe wyth hym innumerable people on a hepe to the deuyll of helle / there to be ponyshed for euer / yet shall no mortalle man presume / to repreue hys synnes / for he muste iugde alle men / and may be iudged off no man &c. Lykewyse haue you an other lawe in your decretales / that no laye man maye repreue a preate . &c. How thinke yov by these lawys / De. here . Cum exiniuncto . et sicut in . yff they be not off the deuylle / telle me what ys off the deuyll ? you wyll bothe repreue / yee and also depose princes / but yov wyll neyther be deposed / ner yet repreued off any mortall man . what thynke you youre selues godes ? But how can you depose a kyng / and yt lyeth not in youre powre to make a kyng / For eyther he ys borne a kyng / or he cometh to yt by eleccion / or he wynnethe yt victoriously by swerde . which way so euer he cometh by yt / you can not make hym . And wyll you depose hym for fornicacion / how wolde yov handyll kynge Dauid / Dauid . Solomon . Nathan . and kynge Solomon / wolde you depose them by cause of advoutrye / So doo yov more than the prophete Nathan durste doo .

But lett vs come to Herod / Herode that kept hys brothers wyffe / wolde yov depose hym therefore ? Than doo you more than . S. Iohan durste doo . For he durste no more do but repreue hys vyce / and dare yov depose hym . But lett vs go forth wyth youre lawe / what auctoryte had the pope and you / to sett Pipinum in the roume And not rather to lett the kyngedom chose them a kynge . Oure Master Christ sayd / hys kyngdom was not off this worlde . But you wyll be above kynges in thys worlde / and not allonly depose them / but also sett in newe at youre pleasure . More ouer by what auctoryte dyd the pope dispence wyth the royalme off their othe ? youre lawe sayth / that the holy church of Roome / is wonte so to doo . I pray yov off whome hath she lernyd thys same wonte ? who hath geuyn her thys auctoryte ? Can she dyscharge vs of oure obedience that we owe to oure prynces ? is not thys off the lawe of god ? Stondeth yt not also wyth the lawe of nature ? yee doo not turkes and infydels faythefully obey to theyr prynces ? Is not the prynces powre off god ? and wyll you depose this powre ? or can you dyspence wyth thys lawe ? Actu· 5 S. Peter lerneth yov that you are more bounde to obey god & his lawe / than to man / but yov lytle regarde . s . peters saynge . wherfore what say yov to yo oure alone law ? whose wordes be these ? Therebe certayne men which saye / 25. q. 1. Sunt quidam that the pope may alle wayes make new lawes . The whyche thynge we doo not allonly denye / but we doo stedfastly afferme / that where oure lorde / and hys appostles openlye / or els holy fathers folowyng them haue defyned any thyng / that there the pope maye make no new lawe . But rather is bound / to confyrme the thynge that is afore preached wyth hys bloude . &c. What saye yov to thys law my lordes / that taketh a way from yov all maner off power off those thyngis that be openly in holy scripture / and commandeth you also to dye for the defence of yt . Nowe / ys not the prynces power openlye in holy scripture ? Are not we commaunded by godes word / to obey all maner off prynces ? Are not we bounde to kepe oure othe by the worde of god / that we haue made to oure prynce ? Thys may be proved by youre awne lawe / 23. q. 5. Regum officium saynge . We must kepe vnto prynces and powers fayth and reuerens . &c. My lordes herey●d not / fidem / and oportet / And how come yov wyth youre dispensacion for oure othe and saye non oportet / that we are not bounde to be obedient to oure prynces / yff you dispence wyth vs . How can yov dyspence wyth vs of oure othe / seynge yt ys agenste godes lawe ? But paraduenture yov wyll answere as youre glosse dothe / Glossa . c. supra . that ye may be defendyd that the pope maye dyspence in those thynges that be agenste the appostle / but not in those thynges that pertayne to the artycles the faythe . &c. By thys lawe / the pope may dyspence / that euery man shall haue two wyues . He may also geue vs licence to lyue in aduoutrye / and to robbe / and to kylle ▪ he maye also dyspence wyth vs / that we shalle owe none obedyence to oure prynce / nor kepe no faythefulnes towarde hym / but rebelle and be traytours agenste hym ( That ys the intent of youre glosse in this place ) for there ys none of these / that be artycles off the faythe . Here may men se / what teachers yov haue byn / and also be toward god and hys holy appostles / and towarde youre noble prynces . The truth ys yov were neuer wonte lenger to holde with them than they dyd maintayne youre carnalle desyers and doo those thynges that you commaunded them to doo . Thys coulde I well prove both by auncient cronicles / and also by the practes off youre awne lawe / yff it were not to longe a processe . But thys dare I well saye / and that vnder the payne off loosyng my lyffe / that yff yt shall chaunce oure moste noble prince ( and off youre partye shalle he want none occasions ) oure to displease yov / or els to restrayne youre carnall appytytes / whiche you call the lybertyes off the churche / or to dymynyshe youre wordly ryches / whych yov call the goodes of the churche / Than shall hys grace welle knowe / ye and also feale yt / that there is no faythefulnes in yov But that yov wyll be contrarye in all youre dedes / to youre fayned wordes that yov now speke . I praye god that I maye be a lyer . But I knowe youre lordeshyps so well / that you wyl not of youre honoure suffer me to be a lyer . And yff hys grace beleue not me / lett hys grace reade all hys cronycles / and not allonly them / but all other noble princes cronicles . And hys grace shall neuer fynde that they were trewe chylderne off obedyence / yff their prince dyd dyspleasse them . I thynke thys be experyence ynough . Almyghtye god forbyd / that euer they shulde lerne yov by any more experyence . But lett vs returne to youre lawe / how are they able to defend yt by fore your grace ? Are not they traytours / that will make any power with in youre royalme / not allonly so good as youres / but aboue youres ? Is yt not agenst youre prerogatiue ? Is yt not agenst the commen assent off the royalme ? who can deny thys commen proverbe / but they only . On god / and on kyng . But what signifyeth youre royall Croune / what the croune signifyeth . that youre royalme geueth you ? Whiche ys vnderneth worthely and suffycientlye fulfylled wyth youre graces bed / And so fulfylled / that vnderneth can no manhed come in / so longe as youre graces ys there : that ys / no man maye by ryght vsurpe any auctoryte that belongeth to youre grace wyth out treason . Furthermore / your crowne ys close aboue / sygnifiyng / that in erth ys there no nother superior powre that belongeth to Englond . Now where wyll my lordes the bisshops come in to this Crowne ? yff they come vnder / they must thruste out youre graces hed / for the Crowne ys to lyttle for bothe youre hedes . yff they come aboue / so breke they the clossenes off youre Crowne / and lye also in youre graces necke / sygnifiyng / that they wyll oppresse youre grace . Lett them answere to thys / as well as they can . I wolde not gladly defende so evell a cause as theyrs is . What wyll they saye to . S. Paule / that was a bysshops as well as they / and neuer the lesse obedyent vnto temporalle prynces / ye and that vnto infidels . And not alonlye he / but all hys ordinaunce . All hys wrytynges / and all his bisshops dyd agre to the same . And yff they wyll dispice . S. Paule / by cause he was but a begger / and no lorde off the parlament what wyll they say to oure Master Christe oure mighty / gracious / and excellent prynce / was not he obedyent vnto Pylate that was an infydelle / and in auctorite muche lesse than youre grace / dyd not he obey in bodye and goodes / dyd not he paye tribute vnto Cesar / was not he crucifyed / vnder Pons Pylat / was not he a spirituall man / was not his cause ryghtuous / was not he mighty to defende his cause was not he worthy to be exempted / was he not annoynted ( I meane not with oyle but wyth the holy gost ) so well as they / and yet wolde kepe the order / that was sett by hys heuynly father . Dyd not he sore rebuke Peter / that wolde haue defended his cause / and sought for suche carnall lyberte / agenste the power off princes / Dyd he not clearly take a waye / the temporall swerd from hym ? we neuer rede that euer he drewe yt after / and yet we reade that he had causys suffycient . And now commyth Peters successoure / and he wyll drawe yt out / and hed pryncis there with . who gaue master vicare auctoryte / to doo that the the parson durste neuer doo / ner coulde neuer doo yt / was his cause neuer so ryght ( ye though yt were to defend christ ) wyth out greate rebuke of his master . Thus youre grace maye se / how they do vsurpe / bothe the name of christ / and off his holye appostles / but they neyther agre in worde nor dede . what dothe yt profyte / to call an open whore an honest woman / the name can not make here honest / Disti . 40. Non est facile . di . 40. multi sacerdot● . so lykewysse ( as their lawe saith ) They be not the chyldern off holy men / that sytte in the romes of holy men / but they that doo their workes . &c. Also in a nother place . The seate dothe not make a preaste / but the preast maketh the seate . The place dothe not sanctifie the man / but the man sanctifyeth the place / All preastie be not holye / but all holye men be preastes . &c. Nowe yff youre grace wolde follow their awne lawe / what were they lesse than bysshops ? Take a way theyr seate / that is their worldely pompe and pryde / their outwarde shynynge / & their glorious name / and what remayneth in them / Surelye not one poynte that belongethe to a bisshope / Thys may youre grace well doo / there is neyther lawe nor conscience can lett you ye bothe the lawe of god / and also conscience dothe bynde you to doo yt / how can youre grace otherwyse be discharged / except yov sett other men in their romes / that wille doo those thynges / that belongeth by holy scripture to bysshops to doo ? There out commith their name / why shulde they not also be hounde to lyue there after ? youre grace hathe taken some off them from the bochers staulle and made them bysshops / you haue taken some out of the carte and sett them in Peters Chayre / who can denye but this youre grace maye doo ? ( All ways providyd that they doo those thynges that belongeth to their office by the worde of god / or els youre grace is in daunger . ) But who can proue / that they are worthye off thys dignite / that youre grace hath heuen them ? moche lesse to be youre controllars / yee and also to be aboue all youre lawes / and to haue auctorite to deposse you . But yf youre grace wolde doo them ryght / you shulde returne them home ageyne / the bocker to his staulle / The begger to hys wallet / the carter to hys whyppe / and than aske them yff they be of the church ? and what exempcion they haue from youre obedyence ? and from youre lawe / and what auctorite to deposse kynges ? But as for thys / youre grace can order yt moche better / than I cane deuyse . I saye yt for no nother purposse / but for to declare youre graces power / and youre goodnes towarde them / and lykewyse their vnworthynes / and ingratitude / agenst youre most noble grace .

I wylle returne agayne to oure Master Christ / whan the multitude wold haue chosene hym kyng dyd he not flye ? Io . So that he dyd not allonly lerne obedience in his doctrine / but also he dyd practice yt in his outward workes and lyuinge .

Fynallye / they shall neuer be able to prove to youre grace / but that Chryst and alle his apostles were subiect / to the temporal princes / bothe in bodye and goodes / and toke no nother rule in this worlde / but only to preache the eternalle worde of god / and lefte all wordly rule / vnto temporall princes / whether they were faythefull / or vnfaythefull . But now commyth oure spirituall fathers ( So muste we call them allonly of customme and of no deseruynge ) and wyll commaunde prynces to be sworne vn to them / and to defende them / and their lybertes / with all their gorgyousnes / and prowde dignytyes of this worlde . which othe / yff the prynces wyll not make to them / they wyll interdyte theyr londe / and priuate them of theyr dignite / yee and also asoyle men off the othe / that they made to their prince . This ys opyn in their lawe / de hereticis . De hereticis . Ad abolendum . Ad abolendum . How dothe thys agre wyth . S. Paulys commaundement / and wyth oure Master Christes factes ? Is thys obeying to princes / to depelle them their royalme / yff they wyll not be sworne vnto them / Be these trewe subiectes . Is this the offyce of byshops / Be these the successors of Peter / & Paule . Be these the perfyt men that haue forsaken all thyng and followed Christ . Doubtles they forsake all thynges / that they can not gett . Be not these perfytt / forsakers . But they wyll saye that princes be bounde to be sworne / to defend their churche / from heretykes or ells to be deposed . This ys yt that I lokyd for . Whom call you heretykes . Who shall iudge these men to be heretikes . After what lawe shall they be iudged . yff you call them heretikes / that speke agenst youre lawes / and agenst youre libertyes / and agenst youre dignite / than are Christ and all his holy appostles heretikes . For they defende ( pertinaciter as yov say ) their lerninge agenste youre lawes / and that not in one place / but in euery place / as yt ys open in holy scripture . But now yff you take them for heretykis that be agenst Christ and his holy worde / than ys the kynges grace sworne to expelle you his realme and to defend the churche from yov . For more contrary than yov be / can no man be . But the very truth ys / that yov doo intende to make the kyngis grace but youre hangeman ( thys is a shamfull name for a prynce ) but the shame be vn to you that are not ashamyd / to geue hym the very offyce off this name / yee and ( by cause you will doo nothyng but shamfullye ) also to mock hym / with a glorious title . For you make hym but a mynister of youre myschevous tyrannye so that so oftyn as yov haue condemned any man / agenst ryght and agenst godes law / for an heretyke : so oftyn must he come and receyve thys man off youre hande ( for yov saye wyth the Iewes / that yov maye kylle no man ) and so put hym to dethe / and not once denye yt / nor yet aske yov what he hath done to deserue dethe / for yov are readye to answere hym / and saye ( as the Iewes did . If he were not an evell doar we wolde not commytt hym to youre hondes . More getteth he not of you / for you be spretualle men and may kylle no man / but he is bound to doo yt by youre lawe / vnder the payne of losyng his royalme . So that he is bound / to crucifye chryst so oftyn as you crye Crucifige / Crucifige . Lett euery Christen prynce consyder in hys conscience / whether that the Iewes dyd not procede even on thys maner agenst Christ or no / yee that was more indyfferent than thys ys / for there Pylate was iudge / and here be they Iudgis / and princes be but seruauntes . But I pray yov my lordes / where haue yov gotten thys auctorite ouer princes / to compelle them to swere to yov in ony cause / what and if the kynge wolde be an infidell / wolde yov expel hym ? what can you do more bi right than lay the worde of god to him / and the daunger of hys infydelite ? yov haue no auctorite to deposse hym / for Christenyd men must obey to vnfaythefulle princes / did not Christ this ? did not Peter thys ? did not Paule thys ? dothe not the worde of god commaunde yov thys to do ? saynge .

1. Petri. 2 Fere God / honour youre kynge / be subiect not allonly vnto them that be good and easy / but vnto them that be evell . What saye yov to these wordes ? how can you avoyde them ? how can yov auoyd the vengeaunce of god ? But now if yt pleasse youre grace / they wille laye to my charge / that I speke agenst the preuileges of holy churche / I will infringe the lybertyes of holy churche : I answere . I know no lybertyes nor preuyleges that holy churche hathe / but these that Christ hathe lefte here / Is thys libertye in his worde to do agenst christes holy worde and ordinaunce / and to folowe mens dremes ? Is Christes holye worde / of so lytle effecte ? why dyd not Christ than geue this lyberte in his worde to holy churche ? Did he leue that to yov to do ? Shewe youre commission .

Call yov thys a preuilege / to be agenst youre naturall prynce of the royalme / and to make him subiect vnto yov which haue no tytle of preheminence / but alonly of tyranny ? Than hathe holy churche gottyn a goodlye lyberte . But what meane yov whan yov say / holy churche ? yf yow meane youre selues onlye / than the kynges grace is muche bound vnto yov / that yov do exclude his grace and al his commens out of holy churche / in to the whyche Christ hathe bought them with his most precious bloude . And if yov vnderstond by holy churche the wholle congregacion / than are all Chrystenyd men and alle there godes exemptyd from the kynges grace and vndernethe yov / So that bi this meanys yov wil make his grace a kynge with out a royalme / and he shal haue the name / and yov shal haue the auctoryte and the foolke . But is thys Christes churche ? Is thys holy churche that is so contrary to the lorde of all holynes ? who hathe made her so holye ? why dyd she not clayme this liberte / in christes and his holy apostles dayes ? But now my lordis oure moste noble and gracious prynce commaundeth yov to answere / and to defende youre awne lawes / to defende youre libertyes / and to laye for yov by what tytle you do vsurpe his graces power / seynge that yow be but his subiectis . He wille know by what auctorite yov do kepe any Courtes / or do execute any commaundementes with in his royalme ? what auctoryte yov haue to prove testamentes / and to take of euery pound a sertyn ? and to geue letters of mynystracion / ouer those godes / that yov neuer laboured for ? What tytle haue you there to ? The man was not youre subiect / and how come yov by the mynistracion of his goodes .