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.

The .31. Chapter. Of Charles the .4. and Philip de Valois sixt of that name, kinges of Fraunce.

Stapleton.

WEll fisht, and caught a frogge. All this lōg tale is tolde for Composuit rem sacerdotum. But to touche the particulars, what wise reason is this, or what reason at al is it, to make the Quene of England supreame head of the Church, because Charles the French king denied the pope the tenthes of the Clergy? Verely his authour saith, the king did empayre his estimation, that men had of his vertue before by this very fact of his. Yea and yet he sayth withall, that afterwarde he did cōdes∣cēde to the popes request. Now what meaneth M. Horn, to alleage that for prouf of dewe gouuerne∣mēt, which his authors report, for prouf of vndewe regiment? Meaneth he that al the worlde shoulde laugh him to skorne? That which foloweth of Peter Bertrād, and eftson of Paulus Aemilius, is M. Horns own: making thē, to speake not theire myndes, but what liketh him, tellīg vs first an obscure, dark, false tale, out of the sayd Bertrād: but I trust we shall drawe him out into the fayre open light, and pluck frō him Petrus Ber∣trand and Paulus Aemilius with whose visour, he woulde fayne couer the vgly face of his impudente and shamelesse lies. Why M. Horn? hath not the Clergy to doe with mat∣ters of contracts of mariage, excommunications, wills, and with the examination of mens beliefes, with making syno∣dical decrees, and such like matters? Wherfor thē do ye not shake of from you the intermedlinge with these matters? Wel I perceiue saying ād doing are two things: and neither

shall Ludouicus the Emperour, though he affirmed that the Clergy should followe Christ and his Apostles in po∣uerty, make yowe to disclaime your goodly landes and patrimony: nor Philip Valesius the Frenche kinge make yowe to disclaime your iurisdiction. The gaine is to sweet. Perhaps ye will answere, that I strayne yowe to farre, and that ye do not deny, but that the Clergy may vse the iu∣risdiction of the foresayd matters, but not as Church or ec∣clesiasticall matters, but as playne temporall matters, for the Frenche kinge proued they were so in dede. Ney∣ther the king proued yt, nor your authour sayth yt, nor any other. The shamelesse dealinge of this man is suche, that he semeth to seke nothing else, but to ouerwhelme the worlde with wordes, litle regardinge to speake, not only great and many vntruthes, but euen such as with∣out further triall and strayning hym no more, but with his owne authours, are incontinently opened and des∣cried. To answere fully, and at large to all his endlesse and importune babling, aswel here as otherwhere would be to to tediouse a thinge. And for this matter, in as muche as Petrus Bertrand is in prynte, I will send the learned reader, that is desirouse; to see the deapth of thys matter, to the originall booke: and will nowe touche so much onely, as shalbe sufficiente for the vnlettered rea∣der, to see and consider M. Hornes vnfaythfull and wret∣ched dealing.

Petrus C••••erius being one of the kings priuie councell proponed to the Clergy before the king, and the nobilitie .76. articles: and wente about to proue, that the prelates and the Clergy, for so many poynts had vsurped vppon the kinges iurisdiction. He auowched also, that tempo∣rall

and spirituall things, are diuided and sondred, and that the one appertayned to the kinge onely, the other to the cleargy onely. The archbishop of Sans, answered to this Petrus, and proued by the olde and the newe testamēt, by the cyuil and canon Lawe, and by the custome of Fraunce tyme out of mynd vsed, and by seuerall graunts and pri∣uileges, receiued from the kings predecessours, that spiri∣tuall and temporall iurisdiction were not so preci••elie di∣stincted, but that one person might occupie both. After him the same daye seuē night, in the presence of the king stode vppe Petrus Bertrandus a Bisshoppe of the people in Fraunce then called Hedui, who are nowe Burgoni∣ons, and enforced the same matter, addinge a full aun∣swere, aswell to the decree Nouit, alleaged here by M. Horne out of the sayd Petrus Cunerius, as vnto all his .76. articles. A greate nomber of the sayde articles, towche matters playne and mere temporall, and yet suche as the clergy did and might medle withall, part∣ly by Lawe, partly by speciall priuilege, and partly by custome. There were certayne faults and abuses fownd in the prelates officers, the whiche the prelates answe∣red, that yf they had knowen them before, they woulde not haue suffred them: and promised to forsee for the tyme to come, for the earneste amendinge and redressinge of them. For the redressing whereof the kinge gaue them a tyme vn∣till Christmas folowinge. Nowe M. Horne would make thee belieue, good reader, that because the prelats dalied and things were not refourmed accordingly, the kinge by a sharpe and a seuere lawe dyd amende and correcte them. But this is your owne Lawe, good maister Horne, and no Lawe at all of Kynge Philippe: made by yowe,

I say, with as good authoritie and truthe, as the damnable articles were made, in your late conuocation. Howe so euer yt be, here is nothinge amended but abuses: which to be amended no good man will I wene be angrie withall. But what say yow nowe maister Horne to the whole ec∣clesiasticall iurisdiction that the Frenche clergie practi∣sed? What became of yt? Did the king take yt away, or no? Whie are ye tounge tyed M. Horne to tell the truth, that so freelie and liberally, yea and lewdly to, lie againste the truth? Wel: seing that ye can not wynne yt at Maister Hornes hands good reader, ye shal heare it otherwise. The effecte and finall resolution then of this debate was, that the kinge made answere to the forsayd bishop of Sans, de∣maunding his resolute answere, in the behalfe of the whole clergy: that the prelates shoulde feare nothinge, and that they shoulde not lose one iote in his tyme: but that he woulde defende them in theire righte and customes: neither woulde he geue to other an example to impugne the Churche. Where∣vppon the Bisshoppe in the name of the whole clergie gaue to the kinge moste humble thankes. Howe saye yowe good reader, hath this man any more shame then hath a very Horne? And dareth he to looke hereafter any honest man in the face?

Yet he wil say that Paulus Aemilius sayth, that the King was fayne to make this sharp and seuere Lawe. Why? Cā Pau∣lus Aemylius, tell better what was done, then your other authour Bertrande, being presente and playing the chiefe parte in this play, and setting yt forth to the world, to your perpetual ignominie, with his own penne? Wel: tel vs then, what Paulus sayeth. Marie saye yowe, Paulus reporteth that composuit rem sacerdotum: he did set in order the mat∣ters

of the Priestes. But who speaketh of your sharpe and seuere Lawe? Wil not cōponere rem sacerdotū: agree with al that I haue told out of Bertrand himself? Is now cōponere rē sacerdotū: to be englisshed, to make a sharpe and a seuere law? Suerly this is a prety expositiō, ād a try me tricke of your new grāmer. Your Authour Aemilius vseth his word cōpo∣suit, valdè, aptè, & compositè, very aptly and fytlie. But you M. Horne with your gaye and freshe interpretation doe no∣thing else, but Lectori fallacias componere, deceyue and be guyle your reader, or to speake more fytely to our pur∣pose, ye doe nothing else but Legem Philippi nomine compo∣nere. counterfeyte a lawe in Philippes name: whereof your authour Aemilius speaketh nothing. For Aemilius decla∣ring a notable victory that this King had ouer his enemies, saith: that the victory obteyned, and after that he had made his prayers and geuen thankes therefore to God and to his blessed Martyres, composuit rem Sacerdotum: he set in order the Priestes matters. Then doth he shortly specifie, that the foresaide Petrus Cunerius complained vpon the clergy for the hearing of many matters, that appertayned to the kīges secular cowrte: and that the foresaid Bertrandus made him answere, declaring amonge other thinges, that their beste Kinges in Fraunce, the most florisshing and the most nota∣ble were euer the greateste patrons and defenders of the clergies liberties: and that the other that impugned the same, came to a miserable and wretched ende. He saith fur∣ther, that the Kings answere being from day to day prolō∣ged, the said Bertrandus with a nomber of the prelates vpō S. Thomas of Canterburies day, went to the Kinge, ad∣monishīg him that S. Thomas in the defence of the Church liberties vppon that daye, spente his bloud and lyfe. The

King at the length answered that he wuld rather encrease, than impayre the Churches right. Wherevpon all rendred vn∣to him thankes: and the Kinge purchased himselfe thereby the name of a Catholike King. Ye heare, good reader, an other maner of exposition of ••om••osuit remsace••dotum, by theau∣thour him self, then is M. Hornes gaye lying glose made in his theeuish Cacus denne. And therfore with these words, wherewith Aemilius beginneth his narration, M. Horne endeth the narration, to putte some countenance vpon his false and counterfeite Lawe. The clergy then enioyed still their liberties and iurisdiction, which ordinarilye they had before, either by Law, or by custome and priuilege, though as I said many causes were but temporall. Al the which tē∣poral causes, the said Petrus Cunerius, by the way of cōsul∣tation only and reasoning, declared by some coulorable ar∣guments, to belong to the Kings cowrte onely. But for ex∣cōmunicatiōs, synodical decrees, examinatiōs of mēs beliefes, ād such like he maketh thē not as ye bable tēporal matters, nor abridgeth the clergies iurisdiction therein, but onely repro∣ueth certayne abuses therin committed, forthe which and for the other the clergy promised a reformation.

Let vs nowe see your policie, ād to what benefit of your cause ye doe so lie? Imagyne (yf ye wil) that al were true, ād for ones we will take you for Philip the French King: and your Law made in your Cacus denne, to be in as good force as yf yt had ben made in open parliament in France. What issue ioyne you thereof? what due and ordinate consequēt is this: the Frenche King maketh a seuere lawe against the clergie, vsurping his iurisdiction: Ergo the Pope is no Pope: or, ergo the King of England, is the Pope of Englande? A∣gayne, yf al are temporal matters, howe standeth yt with

your doctrine, especially of this booke, that ye and your fellowes, shoulde busie your selfe therewith? Neither will yt ease you to say, that ye doe yt by the Princes commissiō: for Cunerius, vppon whome ye grounde all this your talke dryueth his reason to this ende, that spirituall men be not capable of temporall iurisdiction, and therefore this com∣mission will not serue you. And yf ye holde by commis∣sion, take heade your commission be well and substan∣cially made. But of this commission, we shal haue more oc∣casion to speake hereafter.

M. Horne. The .136. Diuision. pag. 82. b.

In England at this tyme many abuses about Ecclesiasticall causes, vvere refourmed, (although the Pope and his Clergie, did earnestly (.448.) mainteine them) by Kinge Edvvard the .3. vvho vvrote his (.449.) letters to the Pope, admonishing him to leaue of his disordered doings, and vvhan that vvould not serue, he re∣dressed them by act of parliament, and (as Nauclerus saith) he commaunded that from thence forth, no body should (.450.) bring into the Realme any kind of the Popes letters, vnder the paine of drowning, and expelled al persones out of his kingdome, that were by the Pope promoted to any benefice.

Notes

• P. Aemilius li. 8. in Carolo Pulchro. Carolus Rex & vir∣tutis & clementiae laudē, fructum{que} ad eum diē tulit, exin aduersourmore, quòd sacri in Ludouicū Bae¦uarū belli noīe deci∣mas de sacerdotibus Frācispetentipōtific. Max. Iohāni cū pri∣mum denegasset, pa∣ctione deinde expug∣natus, concessisset vt in partē ipse veniret, & caet.
• Vide libel¦lum Petri Bertrandi episc. He du••us. & Cardina∣lis aduer∣sus Pe••rū de Cune∣rijs super facto prae∣••a••o••ū ec∣clesiae gal∣lis••naean. 1••29.

  Hīc l••bel. reperies adiūctum cum Qua d••il••g. de vita Be. Thom Pa∣ris. Anno. 1495.

  A shorte declarati•• of the matter in hande.
• Petr. Ber∣trandus.
• Petrus Bertran∣dus.
• M. Horns shame∣lesse Dea∣linge.
• Paul{us} Ae∣milius. Lib. 8. in Philip. 6. Valesio, sup¦plicationi∣bus ac gra¦tijs numi∣ni ac san∣ctis mar∣tyribus hae¦bitis rem sacerdotū composuit. Praetores regij &c. The mat∣ter truely declared out of ••. Aemilius M. Horns authour.
• P. Aemi∣lius dict. lib. 8.

  Tum Rex, iura, in∣quit, eccle∣siarū auxe¦rim potius quàm im∣minutae ve¦lī. Gratias vniuersi e∣gere, Rex Catholici nomē pro∣meruit.
• M. Horns imperti∣nent argu¦ments.
• M. Horne loke vvel to your cōmissiō.
• Paral. Vrsp. Fabian. Caxton. Polyd. Nauclerus.
• The .448. vntruth Slaunderous.
• The .449. vntruth. For those letters proue the Popes Supremacy.
• The .450. vntruth. Nauclere falsly re∣ported.