A mustre of scismatyke bysshopes of Rome otherwyse naming them selues popes, moche necessarye to be redde of al the kynges true subiectes. Cum priuilegio.

The prologue of the translatour . ¶ Iohan Robertes to the gentyll indifferent reder sendeth gretynge and well to fare .

COnsyderyng oh well beloued reder , that so many noble authours / as well of science incomparable as of wytte most clere and excellent , haue in dyuers and sondry workes so lyuely and expresly depaynted and set forthe , as a lyuyng ymage before a mans eyen , the vse , fruyte or commodytees of hystories / so that nothyng more , as concernyng the commendacyon of them can be well desyred / I thought it therfore a thyng lytell requysyte , as at this tyme agayne of any suche thyngꝭ to make declaracion . And though I had attempted so to do , yet I do not stande ( thanked be god ) so hyghly in myne owne conceyte , but whan I had done the best I coulde , and sought all the corners of my wytte / I thynke not the contrary , but there myght haue appered as great difference of eloquence & beautye of oracyon , bytwyxt my encomye or commendacyon and theirs , as bytwyxt the clerenesse of the sonne and the leest sterre in the fyrmament . Therfore the premysses pondred , I haue determyned to leaue that , and to procede to my purpose & shewe the cause of my labours . ¶ There is a fonde folysshe fantasye ragynge in many mens heedes nowe a dayes ( that wolde to god they were so wyse as they be many in multytude that be troubled with it ) and that is this . The pope saye they can not That the pope can not erre the trāslatou●e entenoeth to disprou● . erre . Truthe it is that if he be in a fayre hyghway without any turnynges , and wel hedged on bothe sydes , vpon his mules backe , I thinke he can not moche erre excepte he wolde cause his mule to take the hedge . But that lyghtly he can not , for a mule ( men say ) may abyde the spurre very well . This fantastycall blyndnesse was neuer endued by any man of litterature , but by some pekysshe pedler or cloutyng colyer , it is so grosse of it selfe . well , be it neuer so grosse , yet was I ones grossed therin my selfe : For colyers be not grosse alone . Than chaunsed to come to my hande the lyfe of Gregory the seuenth , otherwyse named Hyldebrande ( herafter folowyng ) wherin whan I had redde a lytell way , as a man wolde say , one leafe and one syde in the latyne tonge , & se the abhomynacion that there was written , I begon some thyng to be moued , & bote the lyppe , scratched my heed , and wexed excedynge wery : yet forthe I went . But whan I came to th ende , and remembred the detestacyon , execracion , and myschefe that I had there met withall by chaunce / and agayne howe shamfully , myserably , and pytously the poore symple soules of Christes churche had ben seduced & mocked / not onely my selfe and one or twayne mo , but hundredes , thousandes / ye al the hole worlde with this pestylent persuasyon , that the pope can not erre / and dyd se before myne eyen the playne contrary , so clere that it can not be denyed / me thought I was bounde in conscience , no lesse than vpon the saluacion of my soule , to declare vnto other the truthe that I had founde , and the darknesse out of the whiche , by the redyng of this forsayd boke I was delyuered . Of this conscyence , zeale , & occasyon I toke vpon me to translate this hystory mencyoned / whiche although it be not so exquisytely done , nor with suche eloquence of englysshe as some man wolde loke for in an hystory / yet shall I desyre all men , whose chaunce shall be to rede it , to admyt my good wyll & endeuoyre . And bycause no man ( in the worlde that nowe is ) can meane , saye , or do any thynge so well or with so clere conscience , but that the poysoned pestylent tonges of false detractours shall peruerte it to the worste : therfore I The protestaryon of the translatour . protest here before god , or I procede any further , that I entende no derogacyon to holy churche , holy popes , holy bysshops , holy fathers , holy doctours , holy man , holy woman , or any other holy thynge / but onely the disclosynge & vtteraunce of them that be naught , and yet notwithstandyng wyll be taken as holy , & wolde haue men byleue that what so euer they do is well , and that they can not erre / ●●d wyll if a man saye the contrary call hym heretyke , and be redy to burne hym , for other defence they haue none . But truthe it is that a galde horse wyll kycke wh●n he is rubbed vpon the gall : and no man wyll make a prouder bragge , souer than 〈◊〉 starke thefe / as Iudas said whan our sauyour Christ shewed his apostels , that one of them had betrayed hym : Not I good lorde quod he . Here coulde I recyte many goodly ensamples of them that wolde be estymed good , & yet in very dede be starke naught , were not for dyuers causes : but amonge so many let vs be content with one . In the tyme of kyng Henry Cardynall Iohan. the first , kyng of Englande , there came in to this realme a cardynall of Rome , whose name was Iohn : this cardynall made a greuous exclamacyon agaynste preestes concubynes / and sayde that it was a shamfull thynge & abhomynable in the syght of god , a preest to ryse from a strompettes syde , to sacre the holy body of Chryst / whiche notwithstandyng the same daye , after that he had songe masse in the mornyng , was taken with an harlot hym selfe at nyght , lyke a good eua●gelycall father . This thyng was so op●n ly knowen that it myght not be forsaken nor hyd . If any man be discontent with the productyon of this ensample , I ●hall desyre hym to holde me excused / fyrste bycause I do it of no malyce , god to recorde / secondaryly for that , that no man entendyng to disclose the maners of them that be naught , & yet wyll be otherwyse taken , can do any other but saye the truthe as he knoweth . And in so doyng he must nedes call a thefe , by this name thefe / a knaue , by this name knaue , and so forth / wherwith no good man ought to be offended . Nowe ( leest we be to tedyous ) it is mete we aproche to our mater .

GRegory the seuenth , or Hyldebrande ●ergius the seconde of that name / before he was created pope of Rome / was surnamed / os ●●r●i in latyn / in englysshe / swines mouth hogges nose / or pygges snowte / whether ye wyll . whiche Sergius bycause he was a shamed of so foule a name / & vnmete for suche a dignytye ( as he thought ) dyd chaunge his name / & called hymselfe Sergius . So that euer synce all popes haue vsed the same / as ye se here in experience by Gregorie the. v●● . whose surname before was Hyldebrande . of whom we spake before , besyde that that he was a damnable heretike of the secte of Arriane , as it is very euydent to be sene in his lyfe / was also so cruell a tyraunt & so leude of maners otherwyse , as neuer god put life in a worse . And euen here without any more busynesse ( as an olde rotten house , blowen ouer with the wynde ) cometh downe in a myschefe our olde rotten raynebeaten opinyon , that the pope can not erre . For that ones admytted that he was an Arriane , as truthe is ( if any credence is to be gyuen to a worldly story ) than no doute but he was an heretyke condempned by the moste famous counsayle of Nece . If the popes warryours wyll fyght agayne t hystory , and say it is of none authorite and credence : I answere that they must approue it nedes , if they wyll at leest approue hym that is euen next cosyne germayne to our holy father . For he that wrote the booke in the latyne tonge , was one Beno cardynall at that same tyme / whiche I suppose was a very good man , ye and coulde erre very lytell , if the pope can not erre at all . Neyther is it best for the sauyng of this opinyon , that ye denye the truthe of this story , leest in your moste nede other men serue you of the same sauce , in the thynges wherin ye wolde best be byleued , as in suche thyngꝭ wherof ye haue nothyng to shewe but stories / and than ye be at a prety poynte .

Peraduenture it wyll be answered , that lykewyse as the aperyng of one swallowe proueth not the springe of the yere , no more dothe the errour of one man , no not of four or fyue conclude that an other or all haue erred in dede . Mary that is truthe / who gothe aboute to proue that ? Our argument is no more but vpon possybylite , as thus . Gregory the seuenth dyd erre and was an heretyke / ergo an other Fyue popes starke heretikes . may so do . Or thus : Gregory the seuenth was an heretyke . Vrbane the seconde was an heretyke . Liberius was an heretyke . Nouatus was an heretyke . Anastasius the seconde was an heretike / and it is not vnpossyble but the rest myght be heretykes : ergo all myght be heretykes . Ye , I dare be bolde to saye , that if men wolde make so fatte heretykes as be made now a dayes , they were no better all for the moste parte . Some man wolde say perchaunce that myne argument is naught . And than I saye agayne ( sauynge my charyte ) he vnderstandeth naught . For though there were no waye to fortyfye myne argument but the commen maner of speakynge , yet coulde I do it . As for an ensample : whan men say a dagger is but dethe / it is as moche to say to al men that haue any wytte , as all daggers be dethe . And whan they saye : I wolde not truste my father , if his hoode and his cote were sowed togyder , or if he dyd weare a shorne crowne : some wyse man wolde take it so , that none suche were to be trusted / and than me thynke they be but euen a ryght bare sorte . Semblably ( to choke them with their owne princyple ) whan they say , the pope can not erre , their meanyng is that no pope can erre : and than muste the contrary nedes be trewe , that whan men saye the pope maye erre , it signyfyeth so moche as all popes maye erre . And nowe I truste to god our argument standeth .

Here haue ye proued that the pope may erre , with the experyence of fyue proued herctikes , condempned by the testymony of the churche & good autentyke stories , whiche for the confutacion of this fonde princyple might suffyse after my mynde . But bycause fyue make but a lytle shewe in a felde , let vs passe forthe and se if we can espye the hole armye of these blyssed bretherne .

For the more manyfest truthe wherof ye shall vnderstande that from the yere of our lorde god . CC .xliij. vnto . M. CCCC .xxxiij. there hath ben .xxiij. scismes in the xxiii . scismes in the churche . churche , amonge the popes them selues . Of the whiche the .xij. scysme endured xvij . yeres . The .xxij. scysme .xl. yeres , and the thre & twenteth .xvi. yeres .

¶ The .xxij. scysme aforesayde , was so darke & doutfull , that the cronyclers can not tell ( all the whyle it endured beynge the space of .xl. yeres ) who was the right pope / no nor the best lerned men and most of conscyence that than were . And yet there was euer more choyce of popes ynough : for all that same tyme there were neuer lesse than two or thre at ones . So that in my conceyte if the pope can not erre , me thynkes one of them myght haue tryed the mater who was the true pope . Neyther do I doute but euery man sayde for hym selfe , I am the trewe pope . But for as moche as none of them in so sayeng were alowed of thother , it can not be denyed but that euery one iudged of an other , that he lyed and erred bothe / and was for the defendyng of his errour an antypope or ydole . yet the moste wondre of all is , that it coulde not be discerned who was the trewe pope , by the best lerned & moste of good conscyence that than were as the cronyclers saye . Vpon this it foloweth that there was neuer a true of them all , or els that the clergye or churche was very symple and coulde not discerne it / and consequently had not Christ amongest them , to enstruct them by his spiryte of all truthes : and than they were not the churche of god . For Christe hath promysed to be with his churche to the ende of the worlde , to enfourme it in all vertue . Or if they lyke not that , than must they saye their cronycles be false ( wherwith hytherto they haue founde no faute ) & condempne them / and than we haue made a fayre brewynge . Consyderynge than that the popes wolde not at those dayes ( whan they were two or thre at ones , ye and at other tymes whan they were fyue or .vj. at ones ) alowe one an other / but iudged eche other to lye , erre , & to be antypopes / what nede we any better proues that they may erre , than their owne mouthes ?

In the tyme that these .xxiij. scysmes endured , we fynde that there were to the nombre of halfe an hundred popes , starke errant scismatykes , antypopes , or ydols / whose names be these .

Nouatus Benedictus .x. Liberius Stephanus .vj. Eulalius Benedictus Laurentius Hispanus Sysinius Seysmatykes . Iohannes .x. Sergius Petrus de Carbari● Christoferus Theodorus .ij. Damasus .ij. Iohannes .ix. Formosus Alexander .ij. Benedictus .ix. Romanus .j. Syluester .iij. Benedictus .iiij. Gregorius .vij. Eugenius .iiij. Iohannes .xxiij. Leo .v. Iohannes .xij. Christoferus .iiij. Leo .xij. Sergius .iij. Albertus Innocentius .vij. Arnolfus Gregorius .xij. Theodoricus Alexander .v. Petrus leonis Gregorius the syxte and two mo with hym / besyde these foure that Alexander optayned of . Clemens .vij. Vrbanus .vj. Bonifacius .ix. Benedictus .xiij. Bonifacius .vj.

GRegory the syxt aforesayd was so Gregorye the .vi. rude and so vnlerned , that nedes he must chose an other felowe to execute the offyce with hym , wherwith bycause many men were discontented , they electe the thyrde to put the matter out of stryfe / for the other twayne were fallen by the eares togyther .

Nouatus the pope denyed that there Nouatus . was any forgyuenesse of synnes to them that had ones offended , but without remedy to be dampned for euer . If any man can denye that this man erred , lette hym saye nowe , for this is the last tyme of askyng . It were to longe to recyte all their errours / and therfore let vs se how some of this halfe hundred vsed them selues , as concernynge a parte of some of their lyues / for to reherce the hole storye wolde aske to longe a volume .

Fyrst to begyn withall , Bonyface the Bonyface . viij . a man of yll name and fame , by his falshode and trecherye , disceyued his predecessour good Celestyne the fyfth , & caused hym by a false pollecy to put him selfe downe . Bonyface perceyuyng that Celestyne was a very goddes creature , and easy to make a foole of , thought surely to shewe hym a poynte of sophestry / and for the same purpose made as many frendes as he coulde . But amongest all , he had made a specyall synguler good frende of one of the popes cubiculers / whom at the last he entysed ( for money ) to take a great holowe rede / and therin to speake these wordes that folowe to the pope , in the deed tyme of the nyght . Nowe a man to speake in a rede , maketh a very straunge noyse , as ye knowe . The wordes were these . Celestyne , yf thou wylt be saued , renounce the papacie & pompe of the worlde , Celestyne 〈◊〉 delude● . and serue me as thou dyddest before ( the pope before ledde the lyfe of an anker ) and this was done thre nyghtes togider . The good poore soule the pope supposyng this voyce to descende from heuen , dyd as the voyce commaunded hym . But whan he vnderstode the gyle , knowyng how falsly he was deluded , than he prophecied thus of Bonyface : as a foxe thou came vp , as a lyon thou shalt reygne , and as a dog thou shalt dye . Bonyface was of suche pryde & arrogancye , that he was not abasshed to wryte hym selfe , the lorde of all the worlde , as well in tempora●tyes as in spūaltyes . And he instytute the pardone and indulgence The Iubili● . of the Iubilie .

Benedict the .xij. was of suche disdeyn and skornefulnes , that he thought skorne Benedi 〈…〉 the. x●● . of his owne kynrede / in so moche , that whan any of them came to seke hym for ayde & succour , he answered that a pope had no kynrede at all .

Iohn the .xij. was so hawte , proude , Iohn the xij . & gloryous in all that euer he dyd , & so yll of lyuyng / that he was iudged , not to be saued , but rather to be damned / in so moche that good & religyous fathers in theyr deuout peticions & prayers made vnto god , desyred to knowe the state wherin he stode . Nowe yf he had made any good ende , or lyke to a chrysten man , what nede them put any doubte ?

Wherto sholde I recyte the moost abhomynable pryde that euer was herde of Celestyne the thyrde , whiche lyke an hore of the stewes past all shame , crowned the Emperour Henry the fyfth , holdynge the crowne bytwene his fete : and whan he had so put it on , he smote it with his fote agayne , nothynge ashamed to saye , that he had power to make and depose Emperoures at his pleasure . whan notwithstandyng Chryst sayd that his kyngdome was not of this worlde .

Calixtus the seconde , toke and imprysoned Calixt the seconde . one Benedict a Spanyarde , promoted to the papacye by th emperour / but fyrst set hym vpon a mule , with his face towarde the tayle / & caused hym to holde the tayle in his hande , in stede of a brydle / and to ryde through the cite with moche shame before hym . Some wryters saye , that it was vpon a camell / and in dede it is moost lyke to be trewe / to th entent he myght syt a lofte lyke an Emperour in a playe / and be sene the better / to encrease his shame . Lo what charite is amonge these holy fathers ? But yf he had constrayned hym to take the tayle in his mouth , and playe on it with his fyngers , in the stede of a bagge pype / than a man myght well haue praysed the pagent , without any blame .

I do warne the here good reder of one thyng / & that is this . I haue left out here the names of the wryters , where I toke the substaunce of this prologue , as touchyng what so euer thou shalt fynde therin concernyng the popes , & Emperours , except Gregorye the .vij. and th emperour Henry the fourth / & wyttyngly & of this policie , to proue wheder any man be so well sene , to denye the leest iote or title vntrue , and that it can not be fortifyed by authors hytherto alowed .

Of these .viij. popes that folowe / that is Bonyface the sixth / Stephan the sixth Romane the fyrst / Theodore the seconde / Iohn the .ix. Benedict the .iiij. Leo the .v. and Christofer the fyrst / I fynde no maner of goodnesse / but that they be all togyder sclaunderous , debatefull , & myscheuous , with suche contencyon as hathe not ben herde of at any tymé .

And fyrst of all Stephan , confermyng Stephan the .vi. th actes of Iohn the .viij. in that the sayd Iohn degraded Formosus whan he was cardynal , to the state of a lay man / & enforsed hym to forswere bothe the cite & the seate : condempned also in his tyme the same Formosus Pope Formosus . / with all th actes done of hym in the tyme of his papacye / and toke vp his body after it was buryed / and smote of one of his handes / and dyd the hande to be cast in the ryuer of Tyber / two of the fyngers fyrst smytten of .

Than commeth Theodore the seconde / & Theodore the seconde . he condemneth Stephan & his actes / and approueth pope Formosus & his actes / & so dyd Iohn the .ix. in the counsel holden at Rauenna before .lxxiiij. bysshops .

Than commeth Sergius / and dassheth Sergius . all that was done of Theodore / and condemneth bothe Theodore / Iohn the .ix. & also Formosus / commaundyng Formosus body to be taken out of the graue ones agayne / and to be appareyled lyke a preest / and his heed to be smytten of in the seate apostolyque / and the body to be cast in the ryuer of Tyber .

Leo the fyfth was imprisoned of Christofer Leo the fyfthe . / and had the papacye withdrawen from hym by maystrye and violence : but Sergius the fourth thrust out Christofer and that ryght shortly / accordynge to the olde prouerbe . Quade do / quade haue . Here is a turmoylyng I trowe .

Iohn the .x. was sone to Sergius the Iohn the tenthe . fourth / bothe in flesshe and spirite / & than ye may be bolde he was no lytell honest Marke the lyfe of these that folow / by th ende / for it is an olde prouerbe . If the ende be good / all is good . man . Iohn came by the papacye as moo of his felowes dyd / by vsurpacyon & violence / I wyll vse no worse termes / and at the last , accordyng to his lyfe dyed myserably in pryson , his breth stopped with a quysshyon .

Iohn the .xvij. came vp by symonye / Iohn the xvii . by the helpe of Crescentius consull of Rome / and afterwardes ( for no goodnesse ) had his eyes bored out of his heed / and the rest of his membres al to cutte , hewed and mangled .

Damasus the second entred the poperyche Damasus the second by power and violence / and by all possibilitie lyued well / for he dyed sodeynly , without howsell or shryfte .

Iohn the .xxj. was not vnlerned / but Iohn the xxi . a very foole in maners / and dyed as folysshly . Vpon a tyme ( belyke whan the cuppes were full / for than be men moost wysest ) he prophecyed that he sholde lyue many yeres / but it was not longe after , ere he dyed wretchedly , slayne with a chamber fallynge on his necke , whiche was but euen newe buylded . And here ye may se how true prophetes they ben .

Wherto sholde I recyte the greuouse Innocent the fourth . and intollerable exactions , taskes , & paymentes , wherewith pope Innocent the fourth , bothe cruelly , wrongfully , and vncharitably , pylled and vexed the Realme of Englande / for the whiche he was sharply rebuked of Grostheed , bysshop of Lyncolne Bysshop Grostheed . at those dayes , in a lettre sente hym from the same Grostheed / for the whiche lettre , and for bycause the bysshop wolde not admyt a neuewe of the same Inuocentes , beynge but a boye , to a Canonrye than voyde in Lyncolne , he was accyted to Rome / and ther vpon accursed / and the bysshop appeled to the Throne of the Trinitie . After the bysshop was deed , there appered to the pope in the nyght , one in a bysshoppes rayment / and smote the pope vpon the lyfte syde , sayinge . Aryse vp wretche , & comme to thy dome . The pope was founde deed in the mornynge / & his bedde all swymmyng with blode .

Bonyface the .viij. of whome we spake Bonyface the. vii● . before , dyed thus . As he withstode the frensshe kynge / and enforced with all his myght and power to haue deposed hym , Guyllyam de Longaret , a wyse man and farre castynge / and other of Guyllyams frendes , made theym stronge / and toke pope Bonyface , whome after longe pynynge in pryson , they set vpon a wylde horse , without any brydell , turnynge his face towarde the tayle / and makyng hym ronne , and prycke so aboute , tyll at the last he lost his wynde / and so was slayne : but euen in a maner ( as I sayd ) deed before with hunger / agreable vnto the prophecye of Celestyne / as a foxe thou entred / as a lyon thou shalte reygne / and as a dogge thou shalte dye .

Iohan the .xij. by all lykelyhode came Iohn the xi● . of gentyll blode / for he loued well dogges and huntynge . And as for women , he kepte them but euen openly . At the last as he was takyng a lytell pastyme with a mannes wyfe , for the recreacyon of his spirytes / the deuyll kylled hym sodeynly , euen in the doynge of th acte .

Constantyne the seconde entred vngracyously Constantyne the seconde . & lyued vngraciously , to the great infamye and slaunder of all holy churche , and was at the last vngraciously serued / bothe his eyen put out , & deposed by the charyte ( as writers say ) of good christen people for his vngracyous lyfe .

¶ I fynde it a trewe sayeng , oh good reder , that who so regardeth his worke dilygently hath lytell mynde of other thynges . In good faythe I was so besy with these popes , that I had almost forgotten my selfe / and haue nye hande made halfe a worke in stede of a prologue : but I pray the of thy curtesye to pardon my forgetfulnesse , and than I wyll speake a worde or twayne of the deposycion of the emperour Henry the fourth , with two or thremo , and so make an ende .

Fyrste to remembre the moste cruell , Henry the fourth / Emperour . tyrannous , and pityfull handlyng of the excedynge good & vertuous prince Henry the fourth , emperour of Rome and of Almayne , whose lyfe and hystorye I haue hereafter translated : alas it wolde make any mannes herte in the worlde to melte . Oh good lorde what man is that lyuyng , were he neuer so cruell or vnnaturall , whose eyen wolde not braste out in wepynge / to se so excellent a prince , so valyaunt , and so vertuous to be so villaynously entreated , mocked , dryuen from place to place , cast in prison , deposed , banysshed / and that euen of his naturall sonne , lordes , and subiectes ? The cause and doyng wherof was onely & all togyder Hyldebrande , otherwyse named pope Gregorye the seuenth / as but to playne ( if it pleased god otherwyse ) hereafter it shal be sene in both their lyues folowyng / and therfore I let it passe .

Than go to Innocent the thyrde / and Otho . se how by the authorite of Quodcuque ligaueris , he setteth vp & putteth downe , and maketh hauoke . And fyrste of all he enhaunseth Otho the fourth , and crowneth hym Emperoure : but it was not longe or great varyaunce fell bytwene the pope and the emperoure . Than marke howe that as sone as Otho ones displeaseth Otho is deposed . Innosent / by and by he is accursed , and thervpon deposed / and Frederyke the fourth is sette vp in his stede . But not longe after cometh Innocent the fourth , and he deposeth Frederyke / bycause he Frederyke is deposed . began to withstande the pope , and wolde haue taken no wronge at his handes as other had doone . This Frederyke was slayne of his owne sonne / by whose encoragynge it is easy to coniecture .

was not the emperoure Lewes the Lewes the mylde deposed . mylde caste in prisone also and deposed of his owne sonnes , by the counsayle of Gregory the fourth ?

Dyd not pope zacharias at the request Hylderyke deposed . of Pypyn , ruler of the frenche kynges house , depose Hylderyke the frenche kynge at those dayes / and made hym a monke ? It is a wonder they made hym not a monkas , or some other monster .

Suppose ye also but that kyng Iohn Kyng Iohn of England handled lyke a warde . of Englande was handled metely lyke a warde ? whiche was fayne to yelde vp his crowne to the pope , & make so shamefull an othe of allegyaunce , to holde his crowne of hym / after that maner as I byleue verily no trewe herted subiecte may abyde to here of , moche lesse than to reporte it . Ye , and what was the cause of the cruell handlynge of this good kynge ? Forsothe none other but for that , that he right gentilly demaunded a certayne some of money of the whyte monkes , to ayde hym in his warres and nede agaynst the yrisshe men / whiche monkes answered ryght obstynately ( but clokynge their obstynate pride with the colour of obedyence towarde their religyon ) that they durste not so do , without the consent and lycence of the generall and heed visytour of their religyon , th abbot of Cisteaux in Fraunce . The kyng notwithstandyng whan he retourned from Irelande , compelled them as right was , for their proude & disdaynfull stubburnnesse , to paye moche more than he demaunded before the settyng forwardes of his voyage towarde Irelande .

An other cause was , for that that the kynge wolde not admytte one Stephan Langton ( a man of no small pride & fewe good vertues , as it apereth right well by the cronycles ) to the archbysshoprike of Caunterbury , whome the priour and couent of the same had electe and chosen agaynste the kynges wyll , and sent their election to the pope / whiche the pope confyrmed , and sacred hym at a cytie called Viterbi . If these be reasonable causes ( oh good christen reder ) to enterdyte and accurse this noble realme of Englande , the kyng and his counsayle , with all the dukes , erles , barons , lordes , & other his subiectes that fauoured hym , I reporte me vnto the ? If these be reasonable and iust causes to pyll & poll this moste honorable realme of Englande euer sens that yerely of a thousande marke to be payde to the courte of Rome as a trybute , as the bysshop of Rome pretendeth / with other incouenyentes expressed in the cronycle of Fabyane , the seuenth parte & .xvj. leafe / Rede Fabyane and the cronycles of Englande . and in the cronycles of Englande the. lxxxiiij leafe and the .lxxxv. leafe , I reporte me to the and to all the worlde . without questyon kynge Iohn was a good man , and a moste vertuous kynge / but vngoodly handled and falsly dyffamed by a malycyous sorte of traytours of the clergy after his dethe / and his lyfe and hystory shamfully enterlased with most abhomynable lyes : wherfore I cōntende it syngulerly vnto thy goodnesse to rede it with discrecyon and iudgement . Here ( good and fauourable reder ) I appeale vnto thy very conscyence , and adiure the in the behalfe of god , and as thou wylt answere / for as moche as thou seest here depaynted and set forthe before thyne eyen , the maners and fassyons of the proude bysshoppes of Rome ( whiche be suche that it mere able to make any cleane & christened , and good englysshe herte in the worlde to abhorre at them ) that thou from hence forthe be not so superstycious , so insolent & folysshe to thynke it well done , and alowed of god what so euer the rauenyng bysshoppe of Rome shall do , without or besyde the worde of god . Ye , & I adiure the also in the same name and vertue that I dyd before , that thou suffre not thyselfe to be led in blyndnesse , & dampned in hell with them that helde with the bysshop of Rome , than named pope Innocent the thyrde / agaynst their liege lorde & souerayne kyng Iohn : but that thou endeuoyre thy selfe to knowe thy dutye vnto thy souerayne and lyege lorde / and to resorte vnto suche sermons and bookes as shall teache the the same : vnto whom thou owest suche obedyence , as to shede thy herte bloode in his cause and commaundement / ye agaynst an hole armye of bysshops and popes of Rome , if the case shulde so requyre / as well as agayne an armye of infydels and turkes . I meane where the bysshoppe of Rome wyll take in hande to play the tyraunt , as he dyd with good kynge Iohan / there I saye thou art bounde vnder the payne of dampnacion to stryke . ye I affyrme boldly that who so euer ones fauoured cursed Innocentes parte at that tyme , was dampned for euer in hell / onlesse he repented and were sory therfore or he dyed . That proueth the electe vessell of god saynt Paul● , the .xiij. chapiter to the romaynes , sayeng : who so euer resysteth the power ( meanynge the temperall power onely ) resysteth the ordynaunce of god . Nowe is it playne that who so euer resysteth the ordynaunce of god , commytteth dampnable synne / and shall receyue dampnacyon for his labour as saynt Paule saythe / onelesse he repent and be sory therfore . And that the aydours fautours , fauourers , and consenters vnto synne be as well worthy of euerlastynge dampnacyon as the very doers of the fact , is proued by th authorite of saynt Paule , in the last ende of the fyrst chapiter of the epystle to the romayns , by these wordes . The whiche ( saythe saynt Paule , meanyng of the heathen gentyles in generall ) all be it they knewe the lawe naturall of god , that all they whiche commytte suche synnes / as be adnombred in the same chapyter before ) be worthy of dampnacyon / yet not onely they do the same , but also consent vnto those that do them : as who shulde say , not onely the doer but also the consenter vnto synne , is worthy of euerlasting damnacyon . Neyther can any man pretende ignoraunce before god / for it wyl not serue , as wytnesseth Chryst hym selfe in the gospell / saying . If the blynde lede the blynde Math .xv. bothe shall fall in the dyche . He sayth not , that the one of them shall fall in the dyche but bothe . ¶ Wherfore ones agayne I warne , aduyse , beseche hertely , & adiure all myne owne hertye & welbeloued countreymen of Englande , that they ꝑmyt not themselues to be blynded with affection , with hypocrysye , or with superstycyon . Blyndnes wyll not helpe / & therfore let it passe . Yf thou wylte knowe the bysshops power of Rome / otherwyse called the popes power / as it is conuenyent & syttynge that thou do / resorte vnto the glasse of truthe , & to the booke named the determinacions of the vniuersities / where it is ryght excelle●tly and passynge well declared & debated what the power of the pope is / how farre it extendeth / and what he may do . And to tell the my mynde shortly . Our metropolytane of Caunterburye , within the realme of Englande , is a farre better man than he / both by th autorite of scripture , the doctours of the churche , and the authorite of counsayles generall . And as for the bysshop of Rome , otherwyse called the pope that nowe is , all the worlde knoweth well ynough what he is : a bastarde a symonyake , an heretyke , & a false vsurper of his dignyte . wherfore I can not meruayle to moche why my coutrey men of Englande , whiche had wont euer more to be cyrcumspecte and haue wysdome in all thyngꝭ , and fyerse of corage to defende their kyng and realme manfully / shulde , seynge no cause why , but many and vrgent causes to the contrary / depende and leane to the vsurped authorite of suche a naughty and leude person . what sayd I , authorite ? ye tyrannye : whiche bycause our moste gracyous and souerayne lyege lorde the kyng , wyll permytte and suffre hym no lenger haue his vsurped iurysdyction within this realme , and to carye awaye , exhauste , and deuoure the golde , syluer , & treasure of his poore subiectes and commens , to molest and trouble them in his courte at Rome / & dyuers wayes to oppresse and vse his tyranny ouer them by hym selfe and his , as he many yeres heretofore hath ben neglygently suffred to do . For this our cause ( I say ) it is that he beareth so moche malyce vnto our moste benygne protectour & defendour our sayd souereygne lorde the kyng , our vndouted capitall heed vnder god / & enforseth therfore as moche as lyeth in his frowarde & vngracyous pollicy and power , to bring his hyghnesse and his realme to his vsurped obedyence / whiche moste manfully lyke a most vyctorious & christen kyng he dothe defende , not onely for hym selfe , but for the tender loue and pytie that he beareth to the weale of this his honorable realme and louyng subiectes , & the delyueraunce of the same from seruage and thraldome . Here me thynkes I se euen the hertes of al true englysshmen leape in their bodyes for the loue that they beare vnto their most gracious liege lord , thus shamfully & cruelly handled for their sakes , & speke vnto them selues after this maner . Shall we suffre our kynges moste gracyous hyghnesse thus malyciously , cruelly , and frowardly to be entreated and handled , mocked and deluded of a bastarde , of a symonyake , of a false vsurper , and of an heretyke / and all for the loue and fauour that he beareth vnto vs his poore subiectes / and for bycause his grace onely myndeth and tendreth our commodite , weale , & profyte ? No forsothe , we wyll not suffre his grace to receyue such iniuryes & wronges in any wyse , so farforthe as it shall lye in our power to the contrary / but we wyll agayue like true & louyng subiectes , whan so euer his noble grace shall so commaunde vs , ye but euen wynke vpon vs ( to testify our true hertes & myndes / that his moste noble grace dothe not loue vs in vayne , and suffre so moch iniuryes for our sakes onely for naught ) drawe out our swordes lyke englissh men & trewe subiectes / and manfully fyght in his graces quarell , to spende the best bloode in our hertis to be reuenged of such a false bloodsupper & Antychrist . Let vs well remembre , note , and ponder what benefytes we haue receyued of the kynges most gracyous highnesse , by the space of .xxv. yeres / & what experyence we haue had of his procedynges , & howe we haue ben defended from all outwarde enemyes , & what glorious & moste victorious actes our sayd souerayne hath opteyned in the said .xxv. yeres whyle he hath ben our king , & in what welthe we haue lyued vnder hym / besydes the thyng that he now gothe aboute , as to defende vs from the theft , robbery , oppressyon and tyranny of the bysshop of Rome , that moste myscheuous tyrant . Hath not his grace euer ben our protectour and defendoure , our shelde and buckler bothe in towne and in felde , agaynst the theftes and robberyes of stronge theues & murderers ? who coulde passe out of his dores / ye who coulde abyde at home in his owne house vnrobbed or slayne , were not for the feare of the sworde wherwith his hyghnesse moste myghtyly hath euer defended vs ? whose wyfe coulde be saued from ra●ysshynge ? whose doughter and mayde from deflorisshyng ? who shuld defende vs from the incursyons of outwarde enemyes , as of alyens ? who shulde se vs haue any right in the lawe ? who shulde defende the poore wydowe , the innocent , the fatherlesse and the motherlesse ? Fynally if we had not a gracyous prince ( as lauded be god , no realme hath none such ) it were moche more pleasure for vs to be out of the worlde than to be in it , to be beestes that to be men / consyderynge the mysery wherin we shulde lyue , if the sayd bysshop of Rome and his myght optayne that he and his moste desyre . The premysses therfore well consydred , why shulde we not loue hym , fauour hym , and defende hym with our lyues and goodes to the vttermoste of our powers / as our lyege lorde & souerayne , as our protectour and defendour / ye as a very father vnto vs , as he is without questyon ? And contrary , why shulde we in any wyse loue , fauour , enclyne , or depende any thynge to that tyrannouse Antychrist of Rome , whiche wolde with all his herte se his grace , his realme , & subiectes also vtterly not onely ruyned , but also brought in perpetuall captyuyte and bondage / to th ende that he with his clyentes myght haue his dyuellysshe desyre and luste accomplysshed ? and all this is for our sakes onely . what profyte haue we by that foule romysshe ratten , but pyllyng , pollyng , pykyng , robbyng , stealyng oppressyon , bloodshedyng , & tyranny dayly exercysed vpon vs by hym & his ? Dothe he not enforce to distroy and extynct vs as moche as lyeth hym ? why shulde we be thus blynde ? why shulde we be thus insensyble ? Alas for pytie , let vs ones be wyse & serue god truly and our kyng / and god shall loue vs , fauour vs , defende vs , and be with vs / & than who shall be agaynst vs ? Remembre good reder what I haue sayd I beseche the hertyly in goddes behalfe , and as thou art a trewe subiecte / and away with Antychrist of Rome .

Here ( moste gentyll reder ) all be it I instauntly requyred the a lytell before as thou woldest answer before god to resorte vnto suche bookes as maye perfytely instructe the in the knowlege of the power of the romysshe popet or bysshop , yet for bycause the mater is nowe in our handlynge also / and for as moche as I desyre nothynge more than that thou & all other my countrey men , may clerely se the playne truthe , as consernynge what his power is in dede / and by that to stycke & abyde : I say & boldly affyrme at fewe wordes , The bysshoppe of Romes power . that the bysshoppe of Rome hath no more authorite than hath any other bysshop in christendome gyuen hym by the scrypture . To proue that , it shall be necessary to recyte the place of Mathewe the .xvj. wherin all his hope and trust is . But first thou shalte vnderstande that our sauyour Christe putteth a certayne questyon vnto his discyples , and demaundeth of them what the fame and reporte of the people was of hym , and howe they estymed hym & toke hym in companye there as the apostels came / not for bycause that he was ignoraunt of the peoples talkynge : for howe can any thynge be vnknowen to god ? but to the ende & purpose that he wolde after , that demaunde of them their owne fayth and byleue / & haue it knowen to all men , as it was before knowen vnto hym selfe / to signyfye that his seruauntes , frendes , and louers whiche be taught inwardly by the spyrit of his father , haue an hygher knowlege , vnderstandyng , and a sure byleue and trust / where as they that be not instructe in their soules by the same spyryte , haue but a waueryng mynde & opinyon , shaken with euery wynde & puffe of doctryne . The wordes of the scripture ben these . whome ( sayd Christe ) do men talke that I am , that same sonne of man ? And they answered : Some say that thou art Iohn Baptyst / other saye that thou art Helyas / other that thou art Ieremy , or one of the nombre of the prophetes . He sayd vnto them . But what saye you that I am ? Than Symon Petre answeryng sayd : Thou art Christ that same sonne of the lyuynge god . Here thou must vnderstande good reder , that lykewyse as Christ proponed his question not onely vnto Peter , but vnto all his apostels / euen so they all and not onely Peter , answered vnto Christes questyon / all be it at the fyrste syght a man wolde thynke the contrary by the wordes of the scrypture : but that answere of all them was made in Peter , and by Peter , in the name of them all / as in worldly besynesse the foreman of a quest answereth and gyueth the verdyte for all his felowes . This affyrmeth saynt Augustyne vpon this same place , by these wordes . Vnus respondit ꝓmultis : Oue Augustyne . answereth ( saythe he ) for many . Item the holy man Bede , our owne countrey Bede . man : Petrus respondit vnus pro omnibus . Peter answereth ( saythe he ) one for all . Item Lyra : Peter ( saythe Lyra ) as Lyra. though he had ben principall of all , gaue answere for hym selfe and for the other . And the glose also called , Glosa interliniaris , saythe the same / and so dothe the ordinary glose . And the noble clerke Chrisostome Chrisostom . in his .lv. homely , vpon this same place of Mathewe / and vpon the last chapiter of Iohn in his .lxxxvij. homilie , calleth Peter the mouthe of th apostels / for that that all they answered in hym , & by his mouth , as by their forman & spokesman , as men call it . And that he was so it apereth well in the syxth chapyter of Iohn , where after a longe sermon that Christ had made vnto the people , wherwith they were so sore offended that they went murmuring away & forsoke his audyence / he sayd vnto all his apostels atones : wyll ye go also ? Than answered Symon Peter . Syr , to whom shulde we go ? Thou hast the wordis of eternall lyfe / and we byleue & knowe that thou arte Christ the same sonne of the lyuynge god . Marke here that he saythe not , I byleue and knowe / but we byleue and knowe , as beynge the mouthe and forman for them all . Of this it is manyfest bothe by scypture and doctours , that Peter answered for all his felowes , and they all in hym / and that his cofessyon was their confessyon . Forget not this good gentle reder , for thou shalte receyue no small fruyte therby & lyght , as touching the truthe of that that I affirme the bisshop of Rome to haue no more authorite than an other bysshop . For this ones graunted ( as it can not iustly be denyed , and as we haue suffyciently proued ) that all the apostels made answere vnto Christes demaunde , and confessed hym to be the sonne of the lyuynge god by the mouthe of Peter / than must it nedes folowe of congruence , that what so euer answere and promesse for that confessyon so made , semeth onely at the fyrst lokynge to be yelded vnto Peter as retrybucion & rewarde of his christyan confessyon / must of necessite also be yelded vnto the rest of his felowes . For the cause ( as sayth saynt Augustyn ) why Peter receyued suche a promesse of Christ as he dyd , was his trewe and faythfull confessyon . Nowe the same cause of promesse and rewarde beynge in them all , that was in Peter / why shulde they not all than enioy and optayne the same gyfte , authorite , and promesse that Peter enioyed and optayned ? specially before so rightwyse a iudge whiche had called them al to one offyce of apostleshyp ? Ye , that our reason is bothe good and problable / and that all the apostels had lyke & egall promesse made vnto them all / ye euen the very same selfe promesse that Peter had made vnto hym , and all at one tyme & place / we shall confyrme and stablysshe by th autorite of doctours , and reason corroborate by scripture . Our fyrst doctour is the holy and worshypfull man Bede , whiche confyrmeth our foresayd reason thus . Lykewyse ( sayth this holy man ) as the apostels generally demaunded of their byleue , Peter answereth one for all / euen so that answere that Christ made vnto Peter , he made to them al in Peter . This geare is playne ynough me thynketh . But let vs se what Lyra sayth . And I say vnto the ( sayth Christ ) that thou art Peter , and so forthe . where Lyra vpon these wordes of Christ : And I say vnto the ( putteth to this glose ) for the & thy felowes . The same affyrmeth Ludolphus in his boke intytled , De vita Christi , euen by the same wordes : and so dothe the foresayd glose interliniar or bytwene the lynes , sayeng thus . Christ answereth them all in Peter . And the ordynarye glose sayth thus . The answere is made to one for all , to signyfye that vnitie ought to be obserued amonge them all . Nowe this ones proued , as we se it is / and as it can not be denyed / but that what so euer promesse of power was here made vnto Peter , was equally and at one tyme and place made vnto all the rest of th apostles ? How can the bysshop of Rome , that vsurper , tyraunt , and bloode supper , for shame ( yf he were not paste all shame ) ones mouthe it , that he sholde haue any authoritie aboue an other bysshop , consydering al th apostles had as moche power promysed vnto them as had Peter , and all at one tyme , as I sayd but euen now ? Yea that there was no superioritie amongest the apostles , appereth in the .xv. chapytre of the actes of the apostles , where whan Peter by the waye of sentence and iudgement , wolde haue rydde the gentyles , that were conuerted vnto Chryste , from the bondage of Moyses lawe , and from all the partes therof , Iames toke vpon hym to correcte Peters sentence , and adiudged that for the weakenesse of the iewes , to th ende that dissencyon & stryfe sholde haue an ende bytwene the gentyles and them , adiudged ( I saye ) that that gentyles sholde abstayne from eatynge of meates off●ed vnto ydolles , from fornycacyon , strangled , and bloode / ye and discerned that so it sholde be , sayinge . My sentence is ( that is to saye , I iudge and ordeyne ) that we trouble not them of the gentyles , whiche be conuerted to god &c. And this ordynaunce stode , and was a playne correccyon to Peters sentence / so that all men may se playnly , that Iames knowledged no superiorite in Peter , whiche he must haue done , yf there had ben any in Peter . Yea yf there sholde be any prymateshyp or superyorytye in any of Chrystes discyples , me thynketh it sholde be in Iudas and Silas , whiche in the same chapytre folowynge be called heed men or superyours among the bretherne , whiche yet can not be vnderstande , as concernyng any power that they had more than their felowes , but for some other syngler gyft wherin they passed the rest . And yet in all scrypture is there no place that speaketh so moche for Peter . That Peter also had no more authorite than any other of th apostels is easy to se in the xviij . of Mathewe , where they receyued all as moche , as hygh , & as great power as Peter had promysed vnto hym in the sayd .xvj. chapiter , al though the wordes myght be referred to Peter alone / as we haue iustly fortyfyed before that they were not . The wordes of the .xviij. chapytre ben these . Trewly I say vnto you ( sayth Christ to his apostels ) that what so euer ye shall bynde vpon erthe , shall be bounde in heuen / and what so euer ye shall lose vpon erthe , shall be losed in heuen . who seeth not here in these wordes as moche power conteyned as is in the .xvj. of Mathew , where he sayth . what so euer thou byndest vpon erthe , shall be bounde in heuen / and what so euer thou losest vpon erthe , shall be losed in heuen . And yet in this .xvj. chapitre of Mathew , the power is but onely promysed . Wherevnto some of the papystes , obiecte well and wysely , that goddes promesse is his dede and performaunce , meanyng that as soone as the promesse was made , which is wryten in the .xvj. of Mathewe , it was performed euen by and by . I wyll make you a lyke argument . Chryste was promysed vnto Aoam , that he sholde comme & redeme hym and all his posteritie from thraldom . ergo by these wyse papystes reasons , Chryste was borne euen by and by . And it was promysed in scripture , that a pure virgyn and mayde , sholde be the sauyour of the worlde . ergo yf god alwayes fulfyll his promesse immedyatly , Chryst was conceyued and borne vpon our lady before she was borne her selfe , thousandes of yeres , long before the aungell saluted her , and went aboute inuysybly to teche the papistes suche subtyll argumentes . No doubte but our papystes ben euer the best lerned , and best reasoned men / where there be no mo 〈◊〉 they . But let vs ymagyn that the power contayned in the .xvj. of Mathewe was promysed than to Peter only / yet maketh it not for al that , that he had any superioryte or primatshyp ouer his felowes / in so moche as the contrary apereth in the xviij . of the same euangelyst , as it is before declared . Suche arguyng is moche lyke as though the kynges grace ( god saue his hyghnesse ) hauynge twelue gentylmen standynge before hym , and promysynge one of them by name hereafter to make hym knyght of the Bathe , but appoyntynge no certayne day / shulde happen afterwardes , accordynge to his promesse , to doubbe hym knyght of the hathe / but with the other .xj. of his felowes , all at one season and tyme . Nowe if this gentylman thus by the kynges grace promoted , wolde take vpon hym to be lorde and mayster ouer his felowes , bycause the diguyte was fyrste promysed vnto hym / I suppose verily that the rest wolde thynke hygh scorne therof / and compte hym not very wyse , nor yet take hym so in d●●e . For all be it that the promsse were made vnto hym fyrst / yet they came vnto it as sone as he / and had the same dignite & as moche gyuen vnto them as had he / and all at one tyme . And so lykewyse it fareth by the power & keys supposed of the papystes to be promysed vnto Peter onely , and before al other / although it be as true as that the see burneth . But admyt that it were of a truthe / yet dothe it not folowe immediatly that he had any superiorite ouer them / for as moche as euery one of them receyued the same selfe authoryte in the xviij . of Mathew / by these wordis . Truly I say vnto you ( saythe Christ ) that what so euer ye shall bynde in erth shal be bounde in heuen / & what so euer ye shal lose in erthe shall be losed in heuen . So that the moste which they might proue if their supposycion were true , as it is not / were that Peter receyued tha●●orite of byndyng & losyng first , & or any of thother receyued it : whiche natwitstandyng is vntrue . And agayn that there was no superiorite among the apostels , doth the holy apostle Paule proue the seconde chapytre to the Galathy●●s , where he saith thus . As sone as Iames , Cephas , & Iohn , whiche semed to be the pyllers , perceyued the grace whiche was gyuen vnto me , they gaue vnto me & Bar nabas theyr handes / and so forth . All the worlde may se by these wordes of Paule that Iames and Peter , whiche he calleth Cephas , and Iohn , were not in dede pyllers and heedes of the rest of th apostles , but semed so to be , and that to some men / for the vehemencye & diligence peraduenture that they shewed aboue their felowes in settyng forth the worde of god . Marke here also how he sayth not that onely Peter semed to be the pyller alone , but Iames and Iohn semed to be pyllers as well as he , and were taken for as greate men as Peter was , whiche coude not haue ben , if his power had excelled theirs . Neyther dothe he saye , that Iames , Peter & Iohn were of any power , or pyllers in dede aboue the rest / but onely that they semed to be the pyllers . Wherfore it is playne that they were not so , but contrarye , of egall power and dignitie with the other .ix. Y● le here furthermore by the authoritie of Paule , that Iames and Iohn were as hyghly estemed as Peter , but neuer man yet sayd that Iames and Iohn had any more authoritie , than Andrew , Mathew , Thomas , and the rest , wherfore it concludeth that Peter had no more authoritie than all other of th apostles . And so it foloweth , that the pope hath no more authoritie than an other bysshop . Whiche graunted , it argueth of necessitie , that he hathe no further to do , than within his owne diocese , whiche ought to extende no further than to the next bysshops diocese adioynyng to his . It argueth agayne , that he can reserue no cases from an other bysshop , that he can not sende any interdiction in to another bysshops diocese / that he can make no maryages / or gyue any dispensacyons in another bysshops diocese . &c. Finally it argueth that he can do nothing in an other mannes diocese , for that that he hath not the worde of god to bere forth his acte , oneles the bysshop of the same , for a more aduauntage , wyll consent vnto his ●surped power / and wynke ther at . Of this it is playne , that what so euer power the bysshop of Rome hathe put in execucion within this realme of Englande synce the tyme that he fyrst crepte in to it / is and hath ben nothynge els but stronge illusyon , vsurpacyon , and tyra●●ye / and euery peny that he hathe had , playne extorcyon , thefte and robberye . To this I adde , that all be it the wordes of authorytye gyuen vnto all the apostles / and so consequently vnto Peter , seme very large and to enclude alle maner of power in them , where Chryste sayd . What so euer Mathewe xviii . ye shall bynde in erthe / shall be bounde in heuen . &c. Yet I saye that other places of scripture declare / that it ought to be vnderstande of the spirytuall power onely of byndynge and losynge of synne , by prechynge the worde of god , and mynystrynge the sacramentes . That the foresayd wordes include no power ouer temporaltyes , or temporall rule / is euydent by the .xviij. chapytre of Iohan , where Chryst sayd vnto Pylate . My kyngdome is not of this worlde / which is as moche to saye to any wyse man : As I am no worldly kynge , prynce , or ruler , nor haue any thynge to do in suche busynesse , as concernynge my manhode , and the mynystracyon of my fathers worde . Here wolde I fayne lerne how the bysshop of Rome came by his temporall power to depose kynges and Emperours , seyng that Chryste denyed suche power before good wytnesse . I am sure that the bysshop of Rome hathe not more authorytye than Chryst had . If Chryst had no temporall kyngdom , rule , nor power in this worlde / than dare I be bolde to saye , that the popet of Rome hath none . And for as moche as there be but two maner of condycyons or states in this worlde / that is to wyte / eyther the condicyon and state of a kynge or of a subiecte / it must nedes folowe that the bysshop of Rome , who wolde fayne be called pope , is , nor can be of any other state and condicion than a subiecte / for as 〈…〉 he as he can be of no hygher estate that was Christe / whiche knowledged hym selfe to be but a subiecte before Pylate , sayeng . If my kyngdome were of 〈◊〉 .xviii. this worlde ( that is to saye , if I were a kynge in this worlde as I am but a subiecte ) than wolde my mynysters surely lyght , that I shulde not be delyuered vnto the iewes / but nowe is not my kyngdom from hence / as who shulde say , the contrary is trewe that I am but a subiecte , and therfore I may not fight & resyst the power and ordynaunce of god , but be obedyent thervnto as my father hath commaunded . Ye & to signify that as concernyng his manhode & the admynistracion of his fathers worde , he & his mynisters what name so euer they beare , must nedes be subiectes vnto the kynges power / in the .xvij. of Mathew he payeth tribute for hym and Peter , ye & in Peter for all other th apostels and mynisters of the clergye / whom Peter represented and fygured , to teche , declare and be an ensample to al that euer shulde succede him and his apostels of their due obedyence towarde their princes . And this he dyd couertly , signifyeng that there shulde come in the latter dayes suche false prophetes and Antychristes as wolde teache the contrary , and withdrawe their dutye from their souereygnes . Here is it euydent ( oh good reder ) that the bysshoppe of Rome can be but a subiect , nor is : but vnto whom ? Forsoth to th emperour . Than note my mynde in one thyng . Euery man knoweth that what so euer subiecte maketh insurrectyon agaynst his liege lorde and souerayne , must nedes be a traytour vnto him & to god also . The fals●●ysshop of Rome that nowe is , otherwyse called the pope , hath done ye & daily doth the same / ergo he is a traytour to god and th emperour : ye if thou enserche thystories with good dylygence , thou shalte fynde that there haue ben very fewe other this .vij. hundred yeres . If the bysshop of Rome be but the emperours subiecte / by what authoryte may he thinkest thou take vpon him to do that thyng that his owne liege lorde and souereygne th emperour may not do , at the le●st by good authorite and iustyce , as to depose and sette vp this kynge and that kynge at his pleasure / whiche his lyege lorde and souereygne the emperour hym selfe can not do . And than he beyng but a subiecte , howe the dyuell cometh it to passe that he may do it ? were it a mete thynge that the archbysshoppe of Yorke shulde depose th emperour , or the kyng of Hungary ? Nowe seyng that euery bysshop hath as moche authorite one as an other by the lawe of god , as we haue proued before / why shulde not the archbysshop of yorke depose the kyng of Hungary or suche another man , as well as the byshoppe of Rome that somtyme was , named Iunocent the thyrde , in a maner deposed the moste vertuous prince kynge Iohan of Englande / and brought hym to that extremyte , that he must nedes to saue his lyfe & crowne , and his realme from further inconuenyentes , beyng a kyng knele downe before a knaue called Pandulph , the bysshoppe of Romes legate , and yelded vp his crowne to the sayde Pandulphe , as in to the handes of that foule monstre and hoore of Babylone Innocent beforesayd / whiche crowne the sayd Pandulph receyued and kept fyue dayes in his handes .

My stomacke abhorreth to declare any further of the mater , therfore I beseche the what so euer thou art good reder , and the kynges trewe subiectes , to seke the rest thy selfe . In my conscyence if that same mater were well pondred and regarded with a trewe iudgement and a true subiectes herte , of all them that maye and do rede it / with other moste shamfull abhomynacions that haue ben sythe that practysed by that babylonycall strompet of Rome and hers / as well in all partyes beyonde the sees , as in our natyfe countrey and realme of Englande : I doubte not that if all trewe englysshmen knewe them perfytely , and pondred theym as they shulde do , but that they wolde , ye and therto myght with ryght good conseyence detest , defye , bespytte , and abhorre that same foule tode of Rome , as they wolde and myght the graunde dyuell and capytayne of hell Lucifer prince of darknesse .

Nowe to make an ende of this mater , I haue proued that the bysshop of Rome called pope by vsurpacyon , hath no more authorite than an other bysshop , and that by scrypture , doctours , and the papystes owne gloses . And that furthermore the power that he hath , with all other bysshoppes is more spyrituall / and hym selfe but a subiecte with all his to the kynge and his lawes , bothe morall & iudyciall . And that haue I dene by the authorite of Christes own wordes vnto Pylate in the xviij . chapyter of Iohan , where Christe saith . Mykingdom is not of this worlde , as who shulde say / I am no kynge or ruler of the worlde / and than must he nedes be a subiecte . Seyng than that Christ was but a subiecte in this worlde , as concernyng his manhode / howe can it be auoyded but the bysshop of Rome must nedes be a subiecte ? If he be but a subiect , how can he depose a straunge and alyen kyng , as the frenche kyng or suche another the whiche thyng to do his liege lorde and souereygne hath none authorite ? Ye what maner of subiecte call ye that , that compelleth his owne souereygne to kysse his fete , and wyll set the crowne vpon his souereygnes heed with his fete and dasshe it of agayne whan he hath done / ye and depose hym therto whan so euer he lyst ? Howe agreeth this with saynte Paules doctryne in the .xiij. to the Romaynes , whiche sayth thus . Let euery soule submytte hym selfe vnto the authorite of the hygher powers . By the hygher powers he vnderstandeth onely the temperall power , as the processe of the text manyfestly declareth / and excepteth neyther bysshop of Rome , bysshop of London , nor bysshop of Durham / neyther monkes of the charterhouse , nor freres of Grenewyche / neyther father pye , nor father crowe / neyther father goose , nor father gander / nor yet any suche lyke . But he saythe let euery soule submyt hym selfe , or be subiecte vnto th autoryte of the hygher powers : where note that in sayeng euery soule , he except 〈◊〉 . And thoughe as I sayde before he 〈…〉 th hymselfe afterwardes co 〈…〉 the authorit● of the kynge onely ; say●ng●●e beareth not the sworde for ●aught yet the ap●stle Peter setteth out Paules meanynge moche clerely i● his fyrst● epystle and seconde chapytre , say●ng . S 〈…〉 ytte your selues vnto all ●ane● ordynaunce of ●an , for the lordes sa●● / whether it be vnto the kynge as 〈◊〉 to the chefe he●d / eyther vnto rulers , as vnto them that are ●ente of hym , for the punysshment of the 〈…〉 doers / but for th● la●d● o● the● that d●well ▪ For so is the wyll of god●ye , and marke what hyghe ●●ayse is gyuen th● kynge in scrypture . For he is the ●ynister of god , sayth saynt Paule in the .xiij. chapytre to the romaynes . And Salomon also in the viij . chapytre of his prouerbes / speakynge in ●h● person of goddes wysdome saythe thus : ●y ●e kynges do reygne . S● y● not here howe Salomon extolleth the 〈◊〉 of a kynge / affyrmynge that realmes and kyngdomes be● gouerned , vpholden and defended by the wysdome of god ? and that their power , offyces , lawes , and ordynaunces , ben the very diuyne power and ordynaunces of god ? And in the seconde booke and twenteth chapyter of the Paralipo●e●on , it is written thus of worldly princes and rulers . Ye do not exercyse the iudgement and lawe of man / but of god . For as moche than as the offyce and dignyte of kyngis and suche heed rulers , ben ordeyned by the hyghe wysdome and prouydence of god / and for as moche also as his iudgement and lawe , is not onely mans lawe and iudgement , but euen the very iudgement and lawe of god / it foloweth very well accordyng to the sayenge of saynt Paule : that who so euer resysteth the kynge and his ordynaunce / Paule sayth who so euer / ●e●cepteth no man . resysteth the power , ordynaunce , lawe and iudgement of god / and shall therfore ( accordyng to the mynde of the same saynte Paule ) receyue eternall dampnacyon for his rewarde without amendement .

Here ( gentyll and indyfferent red●● ) euen as I ●ntende not to collect and adde in this one lytell corner , all the places of scrypture whiche make , stablysshe , and confyrme the diuyne authorite & power of kinges , ye rather of god hymselfe / euen so my mynde was not vtterly to ●●aue it all bare , naked , vntouched , & blynde vnto the / but to shewe that some lyght knowlege and vnderstandyng , in the obedyence due vnto thy prince / and gyue the occasyon to enserche and seke further for a more clerer perceyuaunce of the same . And thus I leaue speakyng of the kynges power , addynge a reason or twayne that we haue no nede of the bysshoppe of Rome to be a generall heed of the churche of god / and that I proue thus . If we haue any nede of hym eyther we muste haue nede vnto his lawes & correctyon , whiche is false / for as moche as the kyng is bothe suffycyent and able with his counsayle to punysshe all maner of synne : or els we haue nede vnto his personall prechyng , whiche is false also & can not be . Or els we haue nede to byleue as he byleueth , whiche is false & vntrue also / for than we had nede to be heretykes & traytours / as communly he is hym selfe . Or elles we haue nede of his myghty power / whiche is as true as that the mone hathe calued / whan hym selfe hathe no more power than hathe an other bysshop / as we haue made clere before . Now yf we nede hym in none of these poyntes / than it is easye to coniecture & to argue for a truthe , that he was neuer ordeyned of god , to be generall & heed vicare of the churche / but hathe purchased that authoritie onely by the swerde / and dothe falsly vsurpe it by tyrannye . For god and nature createth nothynge in vayne . One thyng I know , that he hath had moche of our money , wherof whether he had any nede or none , let euery man iudge . Yes say the papystes / it is mete that there be one that dare boldly tell Emperours , kynges and prynces theyr faultes / as who sholde saye / that no man sauynge the puppet of Rome durst purely and syncerely preche , teche , and wryte the holy worde of god , wherein as in a moost true myrrour and glasse , bothe kyngis , Emperours , & other , may beholde & se the spottes of their soules . But your meanynge is ( oh my fayre papystes ) that it is mete & conuenyent , that there be suche a tyraunt & deuyll , as may be able to lay a fayre swerde in the neckes of prynces , whiche they and theyr heyres and successours shall neuer be able to recouer , whan so euer they shall do any thyng contrary to your appetites . But we taught by good experyence , are compelled to tell you agayne , that it is bothe necessarye and nedefull that there be none suche , and that we reporte vs to good kynge Iohn , with other bothe kynges , Emperours , & dukes , whome your almyghty god & father the puppet of Rome , hath full lyke a false traytour & tyraunt deposed . ¶ Here I leaue your lorde the puppet as I founde him for this ones , spekyng a worde or twayne of some of his clientes , whiche cleuyng to the clyfte of his lordshyps clensyng place , defende his godheed from the hyghest to the lowest , with the worde of god vnwryten / so they call it .

Truthe it is , that the worde of god vnwryten Of the worde of god vnwritten . is of as great strength & efficacite as the worde of god wryten , I meane yf it be the very worde of god in dede . And therfore whan so euer any man wyll vsurpe vpon the ( oh good reder ) and fortyfye any mater , as in the name & authorite of the worde of god vnwryten , do no more but denye the vnwryten worde that he allegeth , to be the worde of god , & put hym to the ꝓses of it / and this be sure of , that neither he , nor any of his shall euer be able to proue it . It may fortune he wyll enforce to proue it thus . There be many thyngꝭ necessary to be byleued , that be not wryten in scripture / & this is one of them . ergo this must be byleued of necessite . To the maior or the first part I answere thus , that as concernyng the necessite The fyrst argument that the worde o● of god written is suf〈…〉 ●yent . of our saluacyon , it is false that there lacketh any thyng in scripture writen / for it is wryten Iohn . ʒ . Sic enim deus dilexit mundum , vt filium suum vnigenitum daret , vt ois qui credit in eum non pereat , sed habeat vitam aeternam . God loued the worlde so intyerly , that he gaue his onely sone , to th ende that who so eue● byleueth in hym , sholde not peryshe / but haue lyfe euerlastyng : and in the same chapytre . Qui credit filio , habet vitam aeternam . He that byleueth the sone , hath lyfe euerlastyng . And Iohn the sixth . Qui confidit mihi , habet vitam aeternam . He that trusteth in me , hath euerlastyng lyfe : & so forth in .vj. hondreth places mo . Now ben all articles necessary to our byleue in Chryst , in the scripture wryten , & they do saue vs , as is before proued ( bycause that who so byleueth in Chryst , byleueth in the father , & so in the hole trinite ) ergo the scripture writen dothe saue vs , & is suffycyent to our saluacyon . And so is the maior / that is to wyte , that there be any thynges necessary to the saluacyon of our soules vnwryten in scripture , proued false . Mary otherwyse to speke of necessary thyngꝭ , truthe it is that there be many thynges necessary to be byleued of congruence and good reason , that be not in scripture / as to byleue that false harlottes & shrewes wyll neuer be true . And that poules steple can not ryde .xl. myles vpon a day , no though Lyncolne mynstre were the horse .

The maior or fyrst parte of their argument aforsayd is proued vntrewe also , by th autorite of saint Augustyn : Ad fratres Saynt Augustyn in the boke wryten to the chrysten bretherne / lyuyng in wyldernesse . in heremo , sermone .xxviij. Satis enim nouit charitas vestra , quod tota perfectio nostre vite , et edificationis , ex euangelio accipitur . Your charyte ( sayth saynt Augustyne ) knoweth perfytly that all the perfectyon of our lyfe & edifycacion , is taken out of the gospell . Nowe myne olde popysshe papystes , where is become your worde of god vnwriten necessary to be byleued to the saluacyon of our soules . Saynt Augustyne saythe that all the perfectyon of our lyfe and edifycacion , is taken out of the gospell . If all be taken out of the gospell , howe is any thynge vnwritten ? Ye , and he sayth not only all / but addeth ther vnto perfectyon & edifycacion , whervpon it foloweth that your worde of god vnwritten is of no perfection nor edificacion / and than it is not necessary to be byleued to the saluacion of our soules . But pe●aduenture ye wyll vse your olde shamlesse fassyons , and saye that he includeth in this worde gospell , the gospell of god vnwritten . Non sic impij , noc sic . Not so ye wicked , not so / for he expoundeth himselfe of what gospell he meaneth , in his .xxxviij. sermon to the christen bretherne lyuing in wyldernesse . Legite sacram scripturam ( inquit ille ) in qua quid tenendum et quid fugiendum sit , plene inuenietis . Rede ye holy scrypture ( sayth saynt Augustyne in the whiche ye shall fynde at full , what is to be helde and what to be auoyded . How say ye now , dothe not saynt Augustyne commaunde vs to rede holy scripture ? but who can rede that that is not written / wherfore ye se that he speketh of the worde of god written / and he addeth therto , that we shall fynde in it at full , that is to saye to euery wyse man , suffyciently ynough what is to be holden , & what to be auoyded . Howe lyke ye this worde at full , whiche before he called all the perfectyon and edifycacyon of our lyfe ? And yet we fynde not in scripture your worde of god vnwritten . wherfore I conclude that it is not to be admytted and helde , for as moche as all thynges that are to be holden , ben ( as saynte Angustyne saythe ) comprehended in the worde of god written at full . And a lytell after . Et quid tenendum , et quid vitandum est apertissime demonstrauit . And it hath shewed vs ( saith he , menyng of holy scripture ) moste clerely & openly , what is to be helde , & what to be refused . Howe say ye to these termes , most clerely & openly ? More ouer to come to holy scripture agayn / saynt Luke in the fyrst chap. of th actes , aproueth saint Augustynes wordes thus . Superiore quidem volumine diximus de omnibus Theophlie , que cepit Iesus The seconde argument . tum facere , tum docere . &c. In our first volume or boke ( saith Luke ) we haue writen of al thingꝭ o Theophilus , which Iesus both practised & taught . &c. Howe say ye now to th euangelist Luke , he excepteth nothing that Christ dyd or taught , wherof he hath not writen : wherfore if ye wyll be so good not to be discontent that Christ dyd and taught al thingꝭ necessary to our saluacion / than must ye nedis confesse that they be expressed & writen of Luke ( though my new olde maysters haue not the wytte to espy them out ) and than I put no doute but in the hole bodye of the scrypture written they be sette forthe at full and at large / and so as for your worde of god vnwritten , ye may laye it vp to an other yere that there come some derthe of the worde of god written . But what name shuld I haue better for these noble diuynes , than to call them doctours dreamers , or gospellers ymaginatyfe doctores imaginatiui . / for all that they proue is by dreames ymagynacions , & scyence ymagynatyue .

Paule the fyrst chapiter to the romaynes , The thyrbe argument . saythe thus . Non enim me pudet euangelij Christi . Siquidem potentia est dei ad salutem omni credenti . I am not asshamed of the gospell of Christ ( saythe Paule ) For it is the power of god to saue al that byleue , trust , or stycke surely thervnto . I meruayle sore howe our ymagynary fe doctours or gospellers can auoyde me this place of Paule . Paule reputeth the gospell of god to be of suche power and suffyciency , to saue all that byleue it : and than is the scrypture written suffycyent to our saluacyon / and nothyng vnwritten pertaynyng to the same . Do we lacke any of the gospell thynke you ? than lacke we a pece of our saluacyon . Fynally if our ymaginatyue euangelystes byleue that we lacke any parte of it , for bycause they can not tell howe moche that parte is , nor how lytle , but be vncertayne therof / it foloweth that they be vncertayne of their saluacyon / and wolde for that entent haue vs parte takers of their sorowes : for it is a pleasure to wretches to haue some companyons of their wrechydnesse . Solatium est miseris , sotios habuisse malorum .

Dyd not god also by the mouthe of Moyses The fourth . Non addeti● ad vbum / quod loquor ●obis net auferetis ab eo . Deute . iui . ec .xvii. commaunde the chyldren of Israell as foloweth ? Thou shalt not adde any thyng to this worde , nor take any thynge from it . I beseche you my wyse vnwritten gospellers , for what entent was that / but bycause their worde written was suffycient ? Be we than in worse case than they were / or dothe not this commaundement stande yet in effecte ? Is it eyther iudiciall lawe or ceremoniall / if it be neyther , than it apertayneth to vs as well as to them / and than go playe you with your vnnedefull vnwritten worde . Howe say ye now ? hath not Iohn the same sentence in the last chaptre of th apocalypse ? wyll ye neuer be wyse .

Answere to this : why dyd the apostels The fyfth . set their pennes to the booke to write ? was it not bycause the gospell of Christ shulde not be forgoten ? And why than dyd they ( as ye saye ) leaue it vnsuffycient ? Maye not the rest that ye saye is vnwritten be forgotten ? Yes : and is so moche forgotten all redy , that ye can not tell what it is , nor howe moche . By your tale a man myght well accuse as well all as one of the apostels / bothe of vncharytablenesse , as of wylfull neglygence and murdre of mens soules , in leauynge that vnwritten wetyngly and for the nones , that is of necessyte requysyte to the saluacion of our soules / seyng it may be forgoten . And yet the contrary is knowen to well , that they were bothe to good , charytable , and dylygent / and loued the commaundement of Christe to well , to be taken tardye in any suche fautes / wherfore all your bablyng is not worthe a button .

But what nede vs go aboute to proue The ●yet● . the negatyfe , whan it is suffycyent for our parte , to denye there is any thyng necessary to our saluacyon vnwritten in the scriptures : therfore ( oh good reder which art not lerned ) whan so euer thou hast any suche reason made vnto the , demaunde of hym that reasoneth with the , what he meaneth by that same worde , necessary . If he answere , necessary to saluacyon : denye thou that any suche thynges lacke in scrypture written . If he meane of other necessaries , be not afrayde to graunte it hym . As thoughe it be not written in scripture , that if our fantastycal doctours were vpon the spaynysshe sees in a shyp without bottome , they must nedes be drowned / yet must thou by necessyte of reason byleue it . Onlesse their faythe were better than was Peters , whan he wente vpon the see / or that god wolde shewe a a hygher myracle than was done vpon the holy mayde of Kent . And thus moche The holy mayde of Kent . for the confutacyon of theyr maior . Now to the minor or second parte of their reason .

Whan they can not auowe the maior or fyrst parte of theyr argument , than it is vnpossyble to make good the minor or seconde parte / as whan it can not be proued , that there is any thyng vnwryten in scripture , necessary to our saluacyon / how is it possyble than to assygne or appoynt any certayne thynge , ( as the fastynge of lent , or any other thynge ) and saye this is one of them ? for I must fyrst proue that there be some suche thynges vnwryten , ere I can say , this or that is one of them . As in example . Yf a man wolde proue that there be some good and honest vnwriten gospellers , & coude not make it good , yf he were put to his probacyon / how the deuyl than were it possyble for hym , to assygne and poynt out some certayn man of that secte , and saye , suche a man is one of those honest and good men ? And by my truthe I thynke it were as great maystry to proue that there be any good & vertuous people of that secte , as to proue that Chryst was borne before our lady , I take no mo to be of that secte , but suche as defende this arronyous opynyon in the pulpet , or by wrytynge , or obstynate disputacyon .

Now whan neyther the maior nor the minor can be proued , where shall we fynde the conclusyon ? God knoweth , for I can not tell .

Yet to proue what our ymagynatyfe doctours can do , let vs for good company graunte that there be some thynges vnwryten necessary to the saluacyon of our soules / shall it folowe therfore , that those same vnwryten verytyes , whiche some of them assigne to be the worde of god vnwryten , be so in dede ? I wonder in what fygure this same argument standeth , whether in Bocardo , or in Newe●ate . Suche maner of arguynge is moche lyke , as yf one of these vnwryten prophetes , goynge to the feldes to shote , and lackynge bothe braser and shotynge gloue , wolde proue that he neded his wyues nyght cap , and argue thus . By god I haue nede of dyuers thynges whiche I haue not , if I shulde shoote well . Mary that is truthe myght an other of the company say . Nowe if this wyse man wolde conclude vpon the others graunt , and say / ergo it is my wyues nyghtcappe / myght not an vngracyous felowe standynge by saye / ergo it is an halter / or ergo thou wylte neuer be wyse ? yes in good faythe : excepte he wolde make a braser or a shotynge gloue of his wyues nyghtcappe . Semblably whan our doctours saye : there be many thynges vnwritten in scrypture necessarye to our saluacyon to be byleued . ergo this or that is one of them / yet that same this or that foloweth not of necessyte , no more than the good wyues nyghtcappe dothe / so that if thou se cause why thou maye as well saye / ergo it is the good wyues nyghtcappe , or denye it , and put hym to the probacyon of it : and of this I dare make the warrantyse , that neyther he nor all the frendes he hath shall euer be able to make it good .

But the best sporte of all is , that our vnwritten euangelystes be driuen by their owne confessyon , to forsake the worde of god written , as the thynge that is not able to beare them out in their trouble , & 〈◊〉 ●ory 〈◊〉 . to seke this sorye shyfte of the worde of god vnwritten , and that of necessyte as they saye . Of what necessyte euery man knoweth . Trewly bycause they be not able to proue the bysshoppe of Romes power and tyrannye , with other erronyous artycles , by scrypture written / but graunt well and wysely that the worde of god standeth not on their parte , and must therfore make their refuge to the worde inuisyble that flyeth aboute in the ayre , and no man can tell what it is nor where to fynde it . Be not these sore felowes to fyght in a mannes quarell , that castyng their best weapons from theym , ronne home to their wyues & say they be driuen to flye for faute of weapon / and desyre a podynge in the stede of a sworde ? God sende euery good man in a iust cause , somwhat more wyser counsayle than he were lyke to haue of suche men , whiche euen at the fyrste choppe / ye and without any study to , confesse they be but beggers and haue no ware to fell . Is not a mannes money well bestowed vpon suche merchauntes as crye creke euen at the. fyrste brunte ? These be they that wyll beat● downe all the worlde with then gonne shotte . But if other men had ben driuen to suche shamefull shyftes by them good lorde what exclamacions wolde they haue made . And as for the perpetuall virgynite of our lady / no man douteth of it that I knowe . But in the meane tyme I desyre my maysters the papystes , with the proctours of bycherly buggersters to tell me as they wyll abyde by , whether they byleue the perpetuall virgynne of our lady to be comprehended in scrypture written or no ? all be it I knowe that in some places they haue sayd naye all redy . But as for that I wyll take no holde of it but gyue them for this ones the priuylege of cornisshmen , that is to tell their tales twyse , for at the fyrst tellyng it may fortune they were not well aduised , or peraduenture the mens wyttes were rauysshed , or ( as the commune saying is ) breched . Neyther is it good maner to take a man at the worste .

An other cauellacyon haue they , & that This cauelacion toke the patriarche of vnthriftes out of doctour dronkarde . is this . How knowe ye say they which is the true worde of god ? Whervnto I answere , that as concernyng our outwarde knowlege , th apostles & ꝓphetes haue left their myndes therof behynde them in writyng , by the whiche we may discerne the true worde of god from dreames & fantasyes . Well say they agayn . But how be ye sure that th apostles & ꝓphetes dyd write that same worde the ye red● ? as who sholde say , it is possyble that ye may be deceyued , & that the byble whiche ye haue & loke vpon , may be falsly intytled , & be none of th apostles & prophetes doynges . Whervnto I make answere , that as concernyng the outwarde knowlege , we haue as moche and good assuraunce that it is the very selfe same worde that Chryst , his apostles , & the ꝓphetes taught : as that same sorte , which ye cal the churche / that is to say , the preestes , monkes ●●eres , chanons , abbots , bysshops . &c. and haue herde Chryst , th apostles , & the prophetes teche & preche as often as euer did they / & sene them as often as euer dyd they . Wherfore as concernyng the outwarde tytle & knowlege , as I said before , we be so wel assured therof as they ben , and receyue no knowlege of them , no more than they receyue of vs . Neither haue they any better know lege in this behalfe , than we haue . Than procede our wyse dreamyng doctours further / & affirme that we of the temporaltie haue none other knowlege & assuraunce of the true worde of god , but bycause the churche , that is the clergye as they meane , beyng assured which is the true worde , & which not , by the instruction & techyng of the holy goost , doth certifie & tell vs by the same spirit , which is that same true worde of god . It is an olde sayd sawe ( good reder ) that a man shal soone ●ceyue a thefe by his own tale . These olde bottell bretherne be so subtyl , that they wote not in the worlde what they say . I ●myse you they ben excedyng connyng in wrastlyng by the armes / but whan they comme to the collers , they ben choked vp forthwith , as the deuyl wolde / & cast in theyr owne trip . Let vs marke well their wordes , and se what they haue won by their owne tale and confession . If the holy ghost ( as they confesse , and as there is no doute ) eustructeth the churche & teacheth her to discerne the true worde of god , from false dremes and fantasyes / than is it as false as euer god almyghty was true or is , that we of the temperaltye haue no other knowlege or assuraunce whiche is the trewe worde of god , but by the spirytualty , for as moche as we by the redemptyon that is in Christ Iesu be of the same churche , that is enstructe , taught , & made perfyte in all verytees or truthes . For loke howe the holy ghost enfourmeth & teacheth all the hole holy catholyke churche of god / euen so he inspyreth & teacheth euery trewe and lyuyng membre of the same , in all veritees and truthes necessary to their saluacyon . But truthe it is that the papysticall spyritualtye , with the doctour of the vnwriten worde , be not of the churche of god / ergo they be not enstruct by the holy ghost : and consequently knowe not the true worde of god . wherfore of good congruence & reason y● & by theyr own reson , they must bylene 〈◊〉 , whan we say vnto them , this is the true worde of god , & not we them . For that they be none of the churche approueth saynt Paule in the .viij. chapitre to the Roma●s , saying But if any man haue not the spiryt of Christ , that man is none of his . The papistical spiritualtie , with the prophete of lytell verait , haue not this spirit of Chryst . ergo they be none of his sorte , by the wytnesse of his seruaunt Paule . Yea how can they for shame be so bolde to saye that they haue his spiryte , whan they be al vtterly voyde of the fontes aseribed & appropriate to them that haue the spirite ? Oneles they coulde make good , & fortifie these lytle prety ones that I shall adnōbre to be the frutes of Chrystes spiryte , as ambicion , pryde , lordlynesse , enuy , malyce , disdeyn , preuy & open murdre , oppressyon , tyranny , sleuthe , ease , glotony , with all maner of lechery , brennynge , drownynge , hangyng men in their owne gyrdels , sectes scismes , diuision , debate , contencion , & stryfe with Symon magus & Iudas , & the people of Sodome & Gomorre , with hawkes , horse , hoores , knaues , theues , & all that naught is , and whether these be the knowen & manifest fruites of the papistycall kyngdome , the heed , father , & god wherof is Antychrist of Rome / & his atturney the great god of Cateway , the father of vnwritten veritees / I reporte me to all the worlde . And now ye se what our vnwriten euangelistes haue won by their owne tale , & to what point & conclusion they be brought by their vndouted veritees : Forsoth that they be neyther sure whiche is the worde of god , nor yet be none of his churche / & that for bycause they be not endued with his spiryt , as their fruytes do well declare . But the very entent , purpose , & pollicy of the authours of the forsayd vnwritten worde was vndoutedly , herafter whan they shuld haue sene tyme conuenyent / to haue denyed all holy scripture writen , bothe th olde testament & the newe to be the worde of god . This is in no wyse to be doubted . And of this dyuellisshe drifte & purpose , they put forth this questyon to the blynde people , sayeng . Howe know ye that the byble which ye haue dayly in your handes and whiche ye rede , is the true worde of god , but by vs ? Or els to what other entent shulde they mone such questyons , but that they mynded purposely to bring me in wanhope & doute of that thyng wherin they neuer douted before ? Oh good lorde , why doest the suffre these wretches thyne enemyes so longe to reygne , to rule , to deuoure , to murdre , to s●●e & kyll bothe the body and soule of thy poore creatures ? Discende good lorde discende , & reuenge the bloode of the innocent , with the slaundrous blasphemy of thy holy name . Thou hast here proued vnto the ( good christen reder ) that the bysshoppe of Rome , otherwyse vniustly called pope , may erre / & howe that by the meanes of that same foule monstre & bloodsupper , and by his clientes , this realme of Englande hath ben greuously vexed , troubled , pylled , polled , shorne , shauen & scraped euen to the very harde bones and mary : and not onely this realme , but other also / the heedes & rulers wherof as before is declared , haue ben of the same gargle faced Antichrist with his ministers , shamfully handled , vexed , imprisoned & deposed . And this hath be●● done without th autorite either of godd● lawe or mans , by very power & tyrannye , hym selfe beyng but a subiect , and of no power without his owne dyocese / whiche ought to extende no further than the dyocese of the next bysshop . It is proued also by the authorite of scripture , that all men ought to be obedyent to the kyngis power , of what condycion or state so euer they be / and that vnder the payne of euerlastyng fyre . wherto I haue annexed that the worde of god writen is suffycient to the saluacion of our soules / & that the vnwriten worde is but a dreame & fantasye . And nowe prepare thyselfe to the lyfe of Gregory the seuenth somtyme bysshop of Rome / of al tyrantes monsters , & vnfaythful mamalukes that euer was the moste : wherin thou shalt se suche mischefe , abhomynacion , ●etestacion , execrable maners , pride , tyranny , craft , subtyltie , ambytion , symony , poysonyng , necromancy , settyng vp , puttyng downe , preuenting & supplantyng as hath neuer ben sene in no one mans lyfe that euer was written or redde . And that not of Gregory alone , but of many other mo suche monsters bysshops of Rome , contayned in the same lyfe of his . Finally ( most gentle and indifferent reder ) by that tyme that thou hast perused it / I dare be bolde to affirme that thou woldest for no good worldly but that thou haddest sene it . And if thou fynde not my wordes true blame me hereafter , as it shall seme good vnto the. And to the ende that thou mayst gyue the more credence to the truthe of the history , thou shalt vnderstande that it was written in latyne ( as I tolde the before ) by one of the most famous and vertuous cardynals that than lyued called Beno . Thou doest lust & longe peraduenture to se it / be of good comforte , for with all the spede that may be possyble , it shall be imprinted . And thus in the meane whyle fare as well as I wolde my selfe .