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Whiche of the Anciente Fathers euer saide, that you are the Lorde of Lordes, and Kinge of kinges?
He vseth the cleane contrarie Title, callinge himselfe Seruum Seruorum Dei, the Seruante of the Seruantes of God. Yet if he, for the largenesse of his iurisdiction, haue a number of Lordes and Kinges within his folde,* 1.1 although he himselfe dothe not boast of it, yet in a righte good sense, that Title maie be geuen to him.
Notwithstandinge the Pope cal him selfe the Kinge of Kinges,* 1.2 & the Lorde of Lordes:* 1.3 Notwithstāding he saie, The Emperour is so far inferiour vnto him, as the Moone is inferioure vnto the Sonne: Notwithstandinge he saie, The Em∣peroure is but his Bailife, his Stevvarde, & his Man: Notwithstandinge he saie, He hath power to set vp, & to put downe Kinges, and Emperours at his pleasure, Yet, saithe M. Hardinge, al this maie be spoken in right good sense: for the Pope vseth a cleane contrarie Title, and calleth him selfe, Seruum Seruorum Dei, The Seruante of Goddes Seruantes. Thus he thinketh it sufficient, to weighe matters onely by Title, and not by Truthe.
How be it, al this is but plaieinge vnder a Visarde. The Diuel seldome thew∣eth his hornes:* 1.4 but rather changeth him selfe into an Angel of Lighte. Touching this Title, As the Pope calleth him selfe a Seruante, euen so doothe the Empe∣roure likewise abase him selfe to the name of a Seruante. If ye doubts hereof, reade your owne Glose vpon your Decretalles.* 1.5* 1.6* 1.7 The woordes there be these: Etiam Imperator seipsum appellat Seruum: LIkewise againe the same Glose saithe, Papa se seruum appellat, & Imperator vocat se Seruum Vltimum Ecclesiae: The Pope calleth him selfe a Seruante, and the Emperoure calleth him selfe the vilest Seruante of the Churche.
Al this is nothinge els, but a politique kinde of dissimulation, and Hypocri∣s••e. For if these be Seruantes, I praie you then, whoe be Lordes?
Herueus, one of your owne Doctours, hereof saithe thus, Dicere, quo••d talia di∣cum Summi Pontifices ex Humilitate, est omni•• o' perniciosum. Et hoc est po∣nere os in Coelum. Philosophus dicit, hoc esse peccatum Ironiae, quod opponitur virtuti. Et addit, tales humiles non esse virtuosos, sed timidos, & blanditores. Et Augustinus ait,* 1.8 Cùm Humilitatis causa mentiris, si nō eras peccator antequàm mentireris, mentiendo peccator efficeris: To saie, that the Popes speake these woordes of Humilitie, it were very hurteful. And this is, To set the face against the Hea∣uens. Aristotle saithe, this is the ••••nne of Dissimulation, or Hypocrisie, whiche is con∣trarie vnto vertue. And saithe further, that sutche humble menne are not vertuous, but feareful, and flatteringe. And S. Augustine saithe, when so euer thou speakest vntruthe vnder the coloure of Humilitie, if thou were not a sinner before, yet by tellinge vntruthe thou arte made a Sinner.
Good Reader, pul of this painted Visarde: & vnder this vaine Title of, Seruant of Seruantes, thou shalt finde a Lorde of Lordes. For proufe hereof, thus ye Pope him selfe saith: Neither Emperoure▪ nor Kinge maie iudge the Pope.* 1.9 And his rea∣son is this, Non est Seruus supra Dominum: For (the Emperoure beinge a) Ser∣uante, in not aboue (the Pope, that is) his Lorde. Thus yée sée, he that so humbly calleth him selfe the Seruante of Seruantes, if ye touche him, or anger him, wil sud∣dainely change him selfe into the Kinge of Kinges, and Lorde of Lordes. For in these woordes he plainely, & expressely calleth the Emperoure the Seruante, and him selfe the Lorde. And, what so euer he saide to the contrarie, verily the Popes Exposition muste néedes be more Authentical, then M. Hardinges.
He maketh the Emperoure to holde his Stitope: He maketh the Emperoure to leade his Bridle: He maketh the Emperoure to kisse his Foote: He maketh the Emperoure to lie downe grouelinge,* 1.10 and setteth his foote on his necke: And yet stil calleth him selfe, The Seruante of Seruantes. Fewe good Seruantes wilbe to homely with their Maisters. Doctoure Bonner saithe thus, Notwithstan∣dinde the Pope be a very Roueninge Woulfe, dressed in Sheepes clothinge, yet he calleth him selfe, The Seruante of Seruantes.
In a right good sense.
The Pope Kinge of Kinges.
Extra De Maio∣rit. & Obedi∣entia. Solitae. Dist. 98. Si Impe∣rator. In Glossa. Auentinus in Adriano.
••▪ Corinth. 11.
In Decretal. Grego. In prooe∣mio. In Glossa. Extra. de Pre∣ben. & Digni∣tatib. Iohan. 22.
Execrabilis. In Glossa.
Herueus de Po∣test. Papae. Ca. 12.
August de Ver∣bis Apostoli.
Epistola Nico∣lat Papae, Inter Decreta Adriant Papae. Concil. tomo. 1▪ In purgatione Sixti.
Doct. Bonner in Praefa. in Libel. Stephani Gar∣dineri De Vera Obedientia.