M. Hardinge.
It is a greate eie sore to the Ministres of Antichriste, to see the Vicare of Christe aboue Lordes and Kinges of this vvorlde: to see Princes and Emperours promise and svveare obedience vnto him. But they that are the faithful subiectes of the Churche of God, thinke it no absurditie, that the Shepherd be set••, not onely aboue the Lambes and Ewes of the Churche, but also aboue the VVethers and Rammes them selues. It is a very greate folie for them to finde faulte with the superioritie of the Bishop of Rome, who can neuer proue, that he is not the Vi∣care of Christe.* 1.1 If he were not his Vicare, yet beinge a Bishop he is aboue any temporal Prince‡ 1.2 con∣cerninge his Priestly office. But sith Christe saide to Peter, Vpon this rocke I wil build my Churche, and hel gates shal not preuaile againste it,* 1.3 Barke vntil your bellies breake, ye that be the helhovvndes of Luthers and Zuinglius litour, or rather of Sathans your and theire chiefe maister, shal not preuaile againste the Apostolike see of Peter. It hath withstan∣ded al Diuels and Heretikes a thousande fiue hundred yeeres: and thinke ye that your selues be stronger then Arius? It greeueth you, that the Pope is higher then the Emperour, not for any loue ye beare to the Emperour, nor for hatred that ye haue to the Popes person, whom ye knowe not: but your quarrel is againste Christe, whose person the Pope beareth. Or tel vs, I praie you, dooth he cal him selfe any Princes or Emperours vicegerent, and not rather the‡ 1.4 Vicare of Christe alone? VVhom impugne ye then but Christe in his Vicare?* 1.5 Haue ye not readen, qui vos spernit, me spernit: he that despiseth you, despiseth me? Ye thought the Pope had no better text for his primacie and supreme auctoritie, thē two lightes, which God made in Heauen. But if malice had not blinded you, in the very same chapter of Innocētius the thirde, (from whence like a spider ye sucked that ye thought was worste) ye might haue seene an other reason goinge before,* 1.6 where he saide, Pontifex in Spiritualibus antecellit, quae tant•• sunt temporalibus digniora, quant•• anima praefertur corpori. The Bishop (saide Innocentius) in spi∣ritual matters passeth (the Emperour): whiche spiritual thinges are so mutche aboue the temporal, by howe mutche the soule is preferred before the bodie. Howe like ye that reason? VVithin a litle after Innocentius bringeth forth an other proufe. VVhere it was saide to Ieremie the Prophete▪ who came * 1.7 of the Priestes race,* 1.8 and was a Prieste him selfe,‡ 1.9 behold I haue set thee ouer natiōs and Kingdomes, to the intente thou maiest pul vp and scater, and builde, and plante.
Then after that Innocentius had* 1.10 by natural reason and holy Scripture proued the highest Bi∣shops superioritie aboue Princes, he commeth in the thirde place not nowe to proue, but to make his former saieinge already proued more plaine, by alludinge to that is written in the beginning of Ge∣nesis. VVhere Moyses declareth how God made two lightes in the Firmamente of the Heauen, a grea∣ter, and a lesser.
But this cannot sounde in the eares of our newe preachers. They woulde not haue the guide of heauenly thinges aboue the guide of earthly cares. They loue the Earth, the fleash, the worlde too wel, to be of that minde, and therefore do aske, why the Popes of Rome like Anabaptistes and Libertines haue shaken of the yoke, and exempted them selues from al ciuile power. VVhat yoke meane ye? The yoke of infidels and Paynimes?