A counterblast to M. Hornes vayne blaste against M. Fekenham Wherein is set forthe: a ful reply to M. Hornes Answer, and to euery part therof made, against the declaration of my L. Abbat of Westminster, M. Fekenham, touching, the Othe of the Supremacy. By perusing vvhereof shall appeare, besides the holy Scriptures, as it vvere a chronicle of the continual practise of Christes Churche in al ages and countries, fro[m] the time of Constantin the Great, vntil our daies: prouing the popes and bishops supremacy in ecclesiastical causes: and disprouing the princes supremacy in the same causes. By Thomas Stapleton student in diuinitie.

M. Horne. The .104. Diuision. pag. 66. a.

Pope Leo .4. vvriteth his humble letters vnto Lotharius on the behalfe of one Colonus, vvho vvas chosen to be Bishop of Reatina, but he might not consecrate him vvithout the Emperours licence first obteined thereunto, and therfore praieth the Emperour of his fauour tovvardes Colonus: Vt vestra licentia accepta, ibidem, Deo adiuuante, eum consecra∣re valeamus Episcopum: That hauing your licence, wee may haue authority by Goddes helpe to consecrate him Bishoppe there. Vppon this vvoorde, Licence, The Glosser noteth, the consente of the Prince to be required after the election be made. (.342.) Nexte to Leo, sauinge the (.343.) vvoman Pope Iohan, vvas Benedi∣ctus .3. chosen, vvho vvas ratified and confirmed by the Emperours autho∣rity: vvho sente his Embassadours to Rome for that purpose. This Pope is commended for his greates godline: But he vvas ouer godly to li••e longe in that sea; neuerthelesse he vvas not so godly as the moste of his successours

vvere altogether vngodly, as your (.344.) ovvne vvriters make reporte. And to note this chaunge the better: Nauclerus telleth of diuers vvonders: hovv the Deuil appeared in an vgly shape, and hurled stones at men as they vvent by: set men togeather by the eares: bevvrayed theeues, and Priestes of their Lemmans, and such like: Hovv it rained bloud three daies and three nightes: Hovv great Grassehoppers vvith six vvings, and six fete, and tvvo teeth harder then any stone, couered the ground, and destroyed the fruites: not altogether vnlike those Grassehoppers, that S. Iohn noteth in his Reuelatiō, to come frō the bottōles pit, after the starre vvas fallen. After this folovved a great pestilence: VVhich vvonders, if they be true, be not vnvvorthy the notīg considering the chaunge that follovved. For hitherto stil from time to time, although some Popes did priuily attempte the contrarye, yet the Emperours (.345.) alvvayes kept the confirmation of the Pope, the inuesturing of Bis∣shoppes, and the ordering of many (.346.) other Ecclesiasticall matters, till the next Pope began openly to repine at the matter, and his successour after him to curse, and some of those that folovved, fell from chiding and cursing, to plaine fighting for the same. In the vvhiche combate, though vvith much a doe, at length they vvrong them selues from vnder the Em∣perours (.347.) obedience: Yet alvvaies euen hitherto, Princes haue had no litle interest in Ecclesiastical causes, as hereafter shal appere.

Notes

• The .342. vntruth. You take not the vvhole glose. The next lyne maketh cleane against you. Sabell. Platina.
• The .343. vntruth. Pope Ione, Pope None.
• The .344. vntruth. None write so, but Bale and such other, which be your vvriters, not ours, Apocal. 9.
• The .345. Vntruth: For none, but Char∣lemaine and Le∣vvis the .1 vvho at the lēgth gaue it ouer also,
• The .346. Vntruth. M. Horne can shevv none o∣ther.
• The .347. Vntruth. They vvere ne∣uer vnder their obe∣dience in Ecclesia∣stical ma∣ters,