A confutation of the Popes bull which was published more then two yeres agoe against Elizabeth the most gracious Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, and against the noble realme of England together with a defence of the sayd true Christian Queene, and of the whole realme of England. By Henry Bullinger the Elder.

¶To the right honourable and his singular good Lord Robert Dudley Earle of Leicester, Baron of Denbigh, Knight of the honourable order of the Garter, one of the Queenes Maiesties most honou∣rable priuie Counsell. &c. Arthur Golding wisheth health, prospe∣ritie, and abundaunce of Gods grace.

WHat mischiefe hath of late yeares bene attempted against this Realme, and how great a flame hath bene kindled against the walles of the Church, thro∣ugh the great Treasons that haue bene practised to confound the whole state, by reason of the Popes most pestilent Bull: your Lord∣ship right well knoweth: yea and it is euen yet still so apparant (or rather present) in all mens eyes, as there is no wise man but he trembleth at the dreadfull remembraunce, nor simple & godly min∣ded man, but he wondreth at the marueilous disappoin∣ting of the daungers, which were sundry times ready to haue ouerwhelmed vs, euen in one moment, had not God reached out his mercifull hand from heauen in the open face of the world to defend vs. For it can not be denied, but that therby, open defiance hath bene made to faythful∣nesse and allegeance: honestie and vertue were shamefully defaced: Religion and Iustice were openly assaulted: nei∣borod and charitie were trecherously despised: God and godlinesse were wickedly impugned: our most vertuous and renoumed Princes Maiestie was traiterously impea∣ched;

her rightfull preheminence diuersly assailed, her vn∣blameable doinges causelesse diffamed, her gracious cle∣mencie scornfully abused, her noble person priuily pricked at, the welfare of the whole Realme daungerously hazar∣ded, and the state thereof either intitled to inward Com∣petitors, or profered as a pray to forreine enemies. Is it not a straunge case, that a Romishe Bull (or to speake more rightly, a childishe bable) should be able to worke such in∣conueniences, euen where the Gospell shineth most light∣somely? And yet we see, that not onely some of the rude and witlesse sort, but also many of the greater sort, which thought: them selues no small fooles, ne were in deede no young babes, were contented to become such Calues, as to runne out of Gods blissing, into the warme Sunne, and to turne their weapons into their owne bowells, at the bello∣wing of an outlandishe Bull, which notwithstanding was but a Leaden Bull, a paper Bull, a painted Bull, and had neither breath, mouing, nor voyce of it own, till the Calues them selues had breathed into it. But righteous art thou O Lord God, and rightfull are thy iudgemētes. They dig∣ged a pit for others, & are fallen into it them selues. They layd a snare for thine elected, and their own feete be snar∣led in it. Yea thou hast turned their purposed mischief vp∣on their owne heades. Let the Papistes still feele, and let all the world still see, how it is thou onely that fightest for vs O Lord God of Hostes. Now albeit that the brunt of that abhominable Bull, were bent directly at our most gra∣cious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, & at her Ma∣iesties Realme and faythfull subiectes: yet notwithstāding forasmuch as the matter doth implyingly concerne the whole state of Christes Church, which the Romishe Anti∣christ laboureth to draw away frō the obedience & loue of her true husband Christ, to the adulterous imbracing of Sathan: Henry Bullinger the Elder, that godly & pain∣full

minister of Christes Gospell in the Church of Zurike, being by nation a mere straūger, but by Christen Religion a deare brother vnto vs, hath (as it appeareth by his owne Epistle) written this present confutation therof in Latin, at the request or motion of certeine of our right reuerend & godly Bishops. By meanes wherof, the case which other∣wise had bene more peculiar to our selues, is now become cōmon to all the true worshippers of Christ. For such is the nature & bond of holy Religiō, that whatsoeuer happeneth to any seuerall mēber of Christes Church, the feeling ther∣of disperseth it self into the whole body, so as they ioy toge∣ther & sorow together, & also lay all their forces together, to withstand their cōmon enemy, & to put him to flight by the power of the word, & of the spirite, wherwith they be led & gouerned. Therfore to the end that such as haue any where ben bewitched by the sorceries of the Romish Circe and her Idolatrous hypocrites, may returne to their right wits, & ceasse to be deceaued: and that the simple & igno∣rant may not be seduced by such fond toyes heerafter: He learnedly, pithely, & breefly confuteth the vnhonest and shamefull slaunders of that rayling and reprochfull libell, defendeth the innocencie of our most vertuous souereigne Lady, maintaineth the Religion now stablished by publike authoritie of this Realme, disproueth the false vsurped su∣premacie of the Romane Prelates, sheweth the right vse of the keyes which Christ hath cōmitted to his Church, be∣wrayeth the weaknes of the Romish Iupiters thūdercracks, and discouereth the horrible crueltie and outrage of the Popes, in maintaining their wrongfull & vnmeasurable power. And heerwithall, his desire is, that the same his do∣ing may turne to the profit & cōmoditie of as many as may be. For the accōplishment wherof, & that our nation (in whose behalfe it was chiefly writtē) may the more largely & plenteously enioy the benefit, wherof the first cause hath

sprong frō thēselues: I haue turned the sayd boke into our own mother toung: a worke right necessary & profitable for all such as mind to keep them selues true seruauntes to God, & faithfull subiectes to their prince, or can finde in their hartes to loke vpō the light of the truth to their own benefite & incomparable comfort. For doubtlesse, if there be any whom the present experience of our owne times can not moue: they shall see it euidently proued by this booke, that the fruite which the crediting or receauing of Popishe Buls, & such other pedlary trash of Rome yeeldeth, is no∣thing els but horrible murther, Rebellion, slaughter, Trea∣son, & all maner of diuelish & mischieuous wickednesse, matched with most extreme calamitie, hartgreef, & mise∣ry: and in the end (vnlesse Gods wrath be pacified by time∣ly repentance) accōpanied with vneschewable losse both of body & of soule. Wherfore, as well in consideration of the premisses, as also presuming vpon the apparant signes of your Lordships former fauour & great good will towardes me: but specially forasmuch as you are of that most honou∣rable nūber, vpon whose wisedome, foresight, trustinesse, pollicie, & stoutnes, God hath ordained the securitie of our most gracious soueraigne Lady, & of her Maiesties Realme & subiectes, & (which more is) of his owne Religion and holy word to rest & depend: I haue takē boldnes to dedicate this my trauell vnto you, assuring my selfe that your good liking & well accepting of the same, shall cause it to be the more readily receaued, & willingly im∣braced of all others, which thing I most humbly and hartily desire. And thus I cōmit your good Lord∣ship to the continuall pro∣tection of almightie God.

Dated at London the x. of Ianuary. 1571.