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.

¶Here are perused the articles as well of the accusation as also of the slaunders alleadged by the Byshop of Rome in his Bull agaynst the most vertuous Queene of England.

NOw let vs also come downe to the chiefe pointes of the accusation which Pius the fift the byshop of Rome bendeth against the most vertuous Quéene of Eng∣land. For by confuting them, and by mainteining the god∣linesse and innocency of that vertuous Quéene and her

noble Realme, it will appeare againe to the whole world, that the Popes curse is but a very flimflaw and a filme of a nutshell as they say in the prouerbe. Least he might not resemble the reuiling & blasphemous mouth of Antichrist, he beginneth these thinges with rayling and slaundring, for he termeth the noble Prince kyng Henry the eight, fa∣ther of this good Quéene, an Apostata, as who turned a∣way the Church of England from the Church of Rome, & he termeth his daughter Elizabeth by the grace of God now Quéene of England, a thrall of wickednes, as who (by his saying) hath plucked backe and called againe into miserable destruction, the Realme of England which had bene brought to the catholike faith by Queene Marie late∣ly deceased: and also is become the refuge of heretickes. If the beast should not speake so, he could not be beleued to be the same that he is. For so doth he trimly fulfill the things that are written of Antichrist. For Saint Peter speaking of Antichrist, and of Antichristes household, saith that God knoweth how to reserue the wicked to be punished at the day of iudgement, and specially such as folowing the flesh (that is to say, such as being led by lust of the flesh, and not by inspiration of the spirit) walke in vncleane concupis∣cence and despise Lordship (that is to say, the order of domi∣nion & soueraintie) & such as malapertly standyng in their own conceit (that is to wit, such as being stubburne & ouer∣wilfull in their owne opinions) are not afrayd to rayle & reuile the higher powers: wheras y^e very angels (which are greater in power and strength than they) geue not rayling sentence against them before the Lord: and so forth as fo∣loweth in the second chapter of Saint Peters second Epi∣stle. Herewithall agrée the thinges which the blessed Apo∣stle Iudas Thaddaeus hath left written concerning the same matter, saying: these defyle the flesh, despise rulers, and rayle vpon them that be in authoritie. But in the law of God, commaundemēt is geuen that thou shalt not raile vppon the Gods,* 1.1 nor blaspheme the Prince of thy people.

A man may sée that the Byshops of Rome make great ac∣count of these thinges, when they raile vppon Princes o∣penly. But what (I pray you) haue kinges committed whereby they should deserue to be ouerwhelmed with so many & so great reproches and with so foule raylinges?

In déede, that wise Prince king Henry the viii. tur∣ned the Church that is in England away from many Ro∣mish superstitions that were very fowle. And what offen∣ded he therin? Nay rather, he deserued prayse, and his fal∣lyng away is counted among wise men, a vertue, and not a vyce. Moreouer the renowme of this Prince is so famous among all good and godly men, as it can not be defaced by the raylinges of these rascals of the Romish sink. He was of singular learnyng, of notable wisedome and experience, of excellent corage, and adorned with all heroicall vertues and feates méete for a Prince. And it is not I alone that thinke thus of this Kyng: there be other graue personages which haue commended the same thinges in hym. This Prince departyng blessedly out of this lyfe in the xxxviii. yeare of his reigne about the end of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord .1547. and hauyng erst by his will intayled the succession of his Crowne first vnto his sonne Edward a young child of ix. yeares of age, and successiuely after hym, vnto his daughters Marie and Elizabeth: was succeded by the sayd Edward, the vi. of that name, whose ample com∣mendations that notable Historiographer Sleidan hath comprised in few wordes in the xxv. booke of his Comenta∣ries, saying: Edward the vi. the kyng of England, doutlesse a Prince of singular towardnesse, departed out of this lyfe the vi. day of Iuly in the yeare of our Lord. 1553. beyng about the age of xvi. yeares, truly to the grief of all godly men. For after his decease there folowed a very great alteration of thinges in England. Surely Europe hath not had any kyng of so great hope now these certein hundred yeares. Beyng very well trayned vp in godlinesse and instructed in learnyng euen from his tender yeares, he was séene not

onely in the Latin toung, but also in y^e Gréeke & the Frēch tounges, and he had an earnest loue to the doctrine of the Gospell, and gaue interteinement and defence to all lear∣ned men, Germaines, Italiās, Frenchmen, Scottes, Spa∣nyardes, and Polonians. Thus much saith he furthermore Iohn Bale Byshop of Ossoria in Ireland, reporteth that this King did also exercise himselfe in writing, and among other thinges wrate a Comedie of the whore of Babylon.

* 1.2Concernyng the gouernaunce of Quéene Mary, and her bringyng of the Church backe agayne to the Sea of Rome: I will say nothing at this present, bycause the de∣claration therof would be very sorowfull and lamentable, and (to say truth) it sticketh yet still more fresher is all mēs myndes, thou that it néedeth to be ripped vp agayne. This onely will I say further, that the Bishops of Rome were euen then also heauie frendes to the Realme of England as they had ben oft afore: accordyng as they had alwayes wrought mischief vnto other kingdomes also in Christen∣dome for these fiue hūdred yeares and more. But God will iudge them when he séeth tyme.

* 1.3After Quéene Marie, succeded Quéene Elizabeth in the kyngdome, not a thrall of wickednesse as the Popes rayling mouth doth slaunderously reuile her, but the ser∣uaunt, yea and the faithful seruaunt of Iesus Christ our re∣demer and Lord, as by him set at libertie from the thral∣dome of sinne, and made his fréewomā, so as she is now the daughter of God, and an enemie of all wickednesse, yea euē of the Popes for their wickednesse sake. For she cleaueth entierly to her onely Redemer Christ: to him onely doth she with singular faithfulnesse and diligence indeuer to knit the people of her Realme and the subiectes that be vn∣der her charge: Her owne selfe liueth a lyfe beséemyng a Christian princesse, commendyng holy and honest conuer∣sation to all folkes through her Realme, and (as much as in her lyeth) forbidding & restreining all wickednesse. Which thing truly, is not to draw backe her subiectes to destructiō,

but to plucke them from destruction, and to restore them to assured saluation. They that know this Quéene, know al∣so that I feyne nothing here to curry fauour. And I touche these things the more sparely, least I may séeme to purpose in any wise to flatter. Neither hath her maiestie any néede of my defence considering that her owne godlinesse and in∣nocencie defend her.

Surely her Maiestie (like as also her brother of most blessed memorie Kyng Edward the vi. did) opened a San∣ctuarie to outlawes,* 1.4 I meane mē that fled their countryes, and banished men, that is to wit which were driuen out of the Popish common weales, not for committyng wicked crymes, but for castyng away of Idolatrie, and for profes∣sing the healthfull Gospell of Iesu Christ. I graunt that these folke are enemyes or angry in their hartes, howbeit not against Christ and his most holy Gospell, but against y^e Pope and his most lewde practises, & cursed superstitions. I graūt that the pope termeth these mē heretikes, howbeit wrongfully, for in very déede they be right Catholikes, ab∣horryng all heresie & fightyng agaynst it. He that receiueth these receiueth Christ, accordyng as Christ himselfe wit∣nesseth, who also promiseth most ample reward to such as giue enterteinemēt to his outcastes. Therfore let that gra∣cious Quéene reioyce, let her reioyce I say, in openyng re∣fuge to the miserable outcastes that are driuen out of their countrie for the true Religion:* 1.5 for she shall assuredly re∣ceiue those most ample rewardes at the Lordes hand. And let not her Maiestie passe at all for that abhominable bar∣barousnesse and crueltie of Rome, which both persecuteth the innocentes most outrageously it selfe, and also cruelly commaundeth others to persecute, oppresse, and murther them. That these men should so do, S. Peter hath foretold in his Epistle, where he matcheth them with wyld beastes. Let that vertuous Quéene then shunne these cruell and beastly examples,* 1.6 and let her rather hearken to Esay the holy Prophet of God, speaking in the name of his God and

saying: Set thy shadow as a night, in the midday hyde the chased, and bewray not them that be fled. Let my banished people dwell with thée. Moab, be thou their refuge agaynst the destroyer. To impeach the right of hospitalitie hath al∣wayes ben reputed as one of the heynousest crymes that could be, euen among the heathen. But to giue harbrough to the afflicted, and to the Church of Christ, it hath alwayes (and specially in Christes Church) bene reckened among the cheefest vertues, and allowed of all good men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Exod. 23.
• * 1.2

  Queene Ma∣ry.
• * 1.3

  Queene Eli∣zabeth.
• * 1.4

  The giuyng of interteinement and refuge to banished foli••s▪
• * 1.5

  The barba∣rousenesse and crueltie of the Romish By∣shops.
• * 1.6

  Esay. 16.