The vvhole workes of W. Tyndall, Iohn Frith, and Doct. Barnes, three worthy martyrs, and principall teachers of this Churche of England collected and compiled in one tome togither, beyng before scattered, [and] now in print here exhibited to the Church. To the prayse of God, and profite of all good Christian readers.

A Supplication vnto the most gracious Prince King Henry. viij.

¶ Grace and peace from God the father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ be with your most noble and excellent grace for euer. Amen.

IN most hūble wise cōplaineth vnto your grace your continuall oratour Ro¦bert Bar∣nes, of the intollerable iniuries, wronges, and oppressions wherwith certaine Byshops of your realme vexe and haue vexed, contra∣ry vnto the worde of God, and their ownelawes, and doctors, not onely me, but also all true preachers & pro∣fessors of the same, in condemning them for heretickes, as they did me: whiche thing they were not able to proue by the Scripture of God, nor yet shall, if it would please your grace indifferently (according to the office wherein God hath set you) to heare the small as well as the great, and to sustaine your poore Orator agaynst their violence and strength.

God I take to recorde that I am right sory to make thys complaint vn∣to your grace against them, if I could coniecture any other meane to cause them to redresse their intollerable op∣pressions, wherewith they dayly op∣presse your poore and true subiectes, so sore and so violently, that without doubt (if your grace sée not shortly a remedy) God must néedes punishe. For I doe not beléeue that euer hée will suffer long so great tyranny a∣gainst his worde, and so violent op∣pression of true Christen mē, as they doe now vse, and that in the name of Christ and hys holy Church. For verely wée doe not read in any me∣moryes, that our fathers haue left vs, that euer the people were vnder so great tyranny, as now your poore sub∣iectes bée vnto thē. Now it is so farre come, that what soeuer hée bée, hye or lowe, poore or riche, wise or foolishe, that speaketh agaynst them and their vicious liuing, hée is either made a traytor vnto your grace, or an here∣ticke agaynst holy Church, as though they were Kings, or Gods. This may your most excellent grace perfectlye know, if you call to remembraunce those good men that they haue had to doe with. Is it not a maruelous court that they haue? wherein there was neuer man accused of heresie, were hée learned or not learned, but they found him gilty? Is not that a marue∣lous court y^e neuer hath innocentes? What court within your realme may say thys againe? And if any mā speak of Gods law and right conscience, a∣gaynst thys damnable tyranny, little will they stick to make him an here∣tick. And if that will not helpe (to colour and maintaine their oppressi∣on) then adde they treason against your grace, though hée bée neuer so true a subiect, and all vnlikly to make any resistaunce, or to thinke any euill vnto your grace.

Now if it please your grace, let vs consider to what ende this vnchari∣table and vnrighteous accusation of the Byshops, yea rather of y^e diuell is inuented.

First, if there bée any men y^e preach dispute, or put forth in writing any thing not towching thē, though it bée neuer so blasphemous against God, y^e bloud of Christ, and his holy worde, they will not once be moued therew^t, the examples thereof are so playne y^t it néedeth no proufe. Your grace may sée what blasphemous rubrikes they allow against y^t bloud of Christ, what shamefull & abhominable pardōs they they tollerate & admyt, what disputa∣tions they doe mayntaine to proue y^t Pope a God & no man, hauing these wordes, That the Pope is neyther

God nor man. And whether y^e Pope can sinne or not? & that no man can condemne the Pope though hée bring innumerable soules to hell by his oc∣casion. Agayne let vs consider, that if any mā but once speake agaynst their cloked ipocrisie, or against neuer so litle a thing y^t longeth to them by the which their abhominations shoulde be disclosed. And we shall euydently perceaue that their can no scripture, no place, no maistership, nor excuse in the world saue, but hée must eyther to open shame, or cruell death. So that is playne that their cruelnes serueth to no other ende, but as they should saye, yf that any man wyll take in hād to preache the verety, and the true Gospel of their Maister Christ purely wherby those winnings should be de∣minyshed, wherwith we mayntayne our honour, our dignity, our worldly promotion, our delicious lyuing, our gorgious apparel, our sūptuous pal∣laces, our lordships, breifly all things that we vse to our pastime & pleasure should bée manifest to all mē, y^e we not only get these thinges by false fayned holynes in deceyuing and robbing the people of their goodes, but also y^e dyspendyng of them to bée abhomy∣nable, and contrary to the ordynance and worde of God. Now rather then this should come to passe, we had le∣uer gather our strēgth togither & op∣presse by vyolēce as many as wil hold w^t this learning, bée hée King, Duke, Lorde, Baron, knight, man, womā, or childe. So that by there practise it is euident to all that will sée: that it is they that goe about to make insurrec∣tion to y^t mayntayning of their world ly pompe, and pride, and not the true preacher, for hée entendeth to mayn∣tayne nothing, but to bring to light the most glorious & heauenly word of God, which by them hath béene dar∣kened and kept vnder, and that with suffering persecution, as the nature of the worde is) and not with perse∣cuting, for he maketh no stryuyng (yf bée bée the true preacher of God) nor fighting for this worlde, but suffereth the children of the worlde to enioye these worldly thinges. Not withstan∣dyng they are not ashamed thus falsly to laye it to the preachers charge, and all because they would make your grace to mayntayne their malicious∣nes. So that vnder the pretence of treason, they myght execute the tyran∣ny of their harts. For who is hée that would bee a traytour, or mayntaine a traytour, agaynst your most excel∣lent and noble grace? I thinke no mā yea & I know surely that no man can doe it, without the great displeasure of the eternall God. For S. Paule cōmaundeth straightly vnto all chris∣tians, to bee obedient in all thinges, on this manner: Let euery man sub∣myt himselfe to the auctoryte of the higher power. For whosoeuer resist∣eth the power, resisteth y^t ordinaunce of God, And they that resist, shall re∣ceiue to them selues damnation. Al∣so S. Peter confirmeth this saying: Submit your selues vnto all manner of ordinaunce of mā for y^t Lords sake, whether it be vnto the king, as vnto their chiefe head, eyther vnto Dukes as vnto them that are sent of hym for the punishment of euell doers, but to the prayse of them y^e doe well. wher∣fore if euery man had the scriptures, (as I would to god they had) to iudge euery mans doctrine, then were it out of question, that the preachers ther∣of, eyther would or could make, or cause to bée made any insurrection a∣gainst there Prince: séeyng the selfe same scriptures straytely commaun∣deth all subiectes to bée obedient vnto their Princes, as Paule witnesseth, saying: warne them (sayth hée) that they submit them selues to Prynces and to powers, & to obey the officers.

Now how cā they that preach and exhort all men to thys doctrine cause any insurrection, or disobedience a∣gainst their prince. But let vs goe further, and consider the preachers, which onely haue preached the word of God, and marke if euer they were occasion of disobedience or rebellion agaynst princes.

First call to mind y^e old Prophets, and with a single eye iudge if any of thē eyther priuely or apertly sturred vp the people agaynst their Princes.

Looke on Christ, if hée submitted not hym self to y^e hye powers: Payde hée not tribute for all hée was frée, and caused Peter likewyse to pay? Suffe∣red not hée with all pacience the pu∣nishmentes of the princes? yea death most cruell, although they did hym o∣pen wrong, and could finde him gilty in no cause.

Looke also of the Apostles (which both taught and wrote the doctrine of Christ, and in their liuing followed hys steppes) and if euer they sturred by any occasion the people agaynst their princes, yea if they themselues obeyed not to all princes, although the most part of them were tyrauntes and infidels.

Consider likewyse those Doctors, which purely and sincerely hath hād∣led the worde of God, either in prea∣ching, or writing, if euer by theyr meanes any insurrection or disobedi∣ence rise among the people agaynst their princes: But you shall rather finde, that they haue béen ready to lay downe their owne heades, to suffer with all pacience, whatsoeuer tyran∣ny any power woulde minister vnto them, geuing all people example to doe the same.

Now to conclude, if neither the Scriptures, neither the practise of the preachers thereof teacheth, or affyr∣meth that y^e people may disobey their princes, or their ordinaūces, but con∣trarywyse teacheth all obedience to bée done vnto them, it is playne that those Byshops or rather Papistes, doe falsely accuse those true preachers and subiectes: which thyng woulde appeare in euery mans sight, if by their violence, the word of God were not kept vnder.

Now is this y^e doctrine that I doe preach and teach, and none other, as concerning thys matter, God I take to recorde, and all my bookes & wri∣tinges that euer I wrote or made. And onely I allow and fauour them, whiche furthereth thys doctrine of Christ, and of thys I am sure myne aduersaries, or rather aduersaryes to Christes doctrine, must beare mée witnesse.

But now as wée haue bréefly tou∣ched the doctrine that the true prea∣chers preach to the people, both by worde, writing, and practise of them: So let vs somewhat touch y^e doctrine and practise of the Pope, and the Pa∣pisticall Bishops, and then let euery man séeke out y^e heretickes, and tray∣tors to their princes.

First, where the preachers onely of the worde of God, preacheth and teacheth all men to obey their princes and their ordinaunces, according to the wordes of S. Peter. There the Pope and the Papisticall Bishops, contrary vnto the minde and facte of Saint Peter, expoundeth S. Peters wordes saying: that S. Peter mea∣ned not hym selfe, nor his successors, but hys subiectes. And by this false interpretatiō excludeth him selfe with hys, frō all obedience to princes. And yet not so content, but craftely draw∣ing all other subiectes from the obedi∣ence of their princes, sayth to them also, that y^e wordes of S. Peter were not spoken as a cōmaundement, but as a counsell.

And by this crafte, if any prince e∣spye hys falsehode, and of conscience goe about to reproue him, then by his false preachers, and maintainers of hym, he lightly withdraweth y^e hartes of the commons from their prince, af∣firming the cōmaundement of God to bée but a counsell, and at the least wyse his authoritie to bée sufficient to dispence with all y^e cōmaundementes of God. And thus (the people being ignoraunt, because they lacke y^e word of God to iudge euery doctrine by) they delude their wittes.

And if any man that perceaueth their crafte, of very loue that hée hath to God and hys commaundementes, exhorteth the people to iudge the doc∣trine of those Papistes by the worde of God: Anone they lay heresie vnto hys charge, laying for thē there Gods lawe, saying: No man may iudge the Pope, no mā also may géeue sentence aboue hys iudgement, but hée shall iudge all men vpon earth.

Item, the seate of Rome géeueth strength and might to all lawes, but it

is subiecte to none.

Item, that the subiectes may bée disobedient to their own Lordes, and that hee may depose kinges.

Item, that hée hath authoritie to breake all othes, bondes, and obliga∣tions made betwéene any man of hye or lowe degrée.

Item, that the Pope hath power to interprete, declare, and to lay forth the holy scripture after hys own will, and to suffer no man to expound it contrary to hys pleasure.

Item, that the Pope is a God vp∣on earth, ouer all, heauenly, earthly, ghostly, and worldly, and hée is all hys owne, and no man may say to hym, what doost thou?

Item, though the Pope were so e∣uill, that hée lead innumerable mē by great heapes to hell, yet shall no man reproue him therefore.

¶ Now after that they had sytten in the consciences of men, with these & such like abhominable doctrines, and had excluded mē frō y^e scriptures, as an vnlawfull thing to haue in their mother tonge, lest they should espye their disceatfulnes: Then as mē past shame, being both without feare of God and man, spared not to put in executiō these abhominable doctrines insomuch that they deposed openly Princes, and Emperours, yea and assoyled all their subiectes from the o∣bedience of them, the commaunde∣ment of God not regarded. But that my wordes should the better appeare to all men, I shall recite some of their practises, both out of Autēticke crow∣nycles, and out af their owne lawe.

¶ Zacharias did depose the king of Fraunce, not all onely for his iniqui∣tie, but also because he was vnprofi∣table for so greate a power, and set t•• his ••••éede Pipinum the Emperours father, and did assoyle all Fraunce of their othe and alleagyaunce that they had made ••nto the olde king. The which thing, the holy church of Rome doth oftimes, by hir auctorite. &c.

¶ Now would to God your grace earnestly would looke on this lawe, or at the least, to suffer and géeue the worde of God into y^e handes of your subiectes to compare the obedience, that these men both preache and prac∣tice, to it. But fayne would I know of them all, who hath deposed any king syth Christes passion, sauīg they onelye? who will bée kinges felowes, yea and cōtroulers, sauing they only? Is not this a subtile crafte of Anty∣christ, to warne other men of here∣tykes, and of traytours, and in the meane season, while men stand loke∣ing fhr traytours, commeth hée in and playeth the parte of an open traytour sauing onely hée coloureth his name, and calleth himselfe a true Byshop, & is ready to accuse other mē of treasō, that he might escape hymselfe, but hée is sure, that hée wil neuer accuse none of them that speake against the aucto∣rite of Princes. But if a man doe be∣ginne but to open his mouth, for to declare that hee hath no tempo∣rall power, then rageth hée, and cry∣eth out, treason, treason. But let vs returne to their lawe, & sée how they can proue it by Gods word, and how it standeth with true subiection. Is this resonable, that the Pope, and they (being by Gods lawe, but sub∣iectes) shall depose a king? what ex∣ample have they of our master Christ or if any of his Apostles? what scrip∣ture haue they to helpe them? How dare they bée so bolde, as to depose a king, which is ordayned of God, yea and by his holy worde, hauing no example, nor scripture for them? Be they aboue God & his blessed worde? But they will say, that the king was a wicked man, I aunswere the crow∣nicles geue contrary witnesse, how y^e he was a very good man, and ryght simple. And because hée was simple, Therefore Pipinus, which had all y^e rule vnder him, thought him self bet∣ter worthy to rule then the king, so wrote by a Byshop, and by his chap∣layne vnto the Pope, & desireth hym to geue sentēce, whether he was bet∣ter worthy to bee king, that had all the paynes and labours, or hée that had no labour & could doe nothing? Now the Pope. to make Pipinum his frend and trusting by that meanes to haue

helpe of hym agaynst the Emperour, with whō hée had then béene at vari∣ance, gaue sētēce with him, & deposed the other, and made hym a Monke: & that this falshod should not bée percei∣ued they fained that y^e king had béene a Mōke afore, called Samuell. This can I proue by good cronicles. Now let your noble grace consider, if it were right, not onely to depose suche a king, but also to make him a Mōke. Thus haue they done w^t other noble kinges, And no doubt, but that same or worse, will they attempt to doe vn∣to your grace, if you displease them, and at the least they will doe their vt∣termoste. Let all the hole rable of thē tell your grace, when a true preacher of Christes Gospell dyd such a déede? There is no officer that hath néede to bée afrayde of Christes Gospell, nor yet of the preachers thereof. But of these preuye traytours, can no man bée too wary. But let vs graunt them, that y^e kyng was a wicked man. The Scripture commaundeth vs, to o∣bey to wicked Princes, and geueth vs none auctoritye to depose them, as their owne glose testifyeth vpon this text: Subdeti estote. Who was more wicked then Herode? & yet S. Iohn suffered death vnder hym, who was wyckedder thē Pilate? And yet Christ did not put hym downe, But was crucified vnder hym. Bréeflye, which of all y^e Princes were good in the Apo¦stles dayes? & yet they deposed none. So that Gods worde and their owne learnynge, and the practise of our Maister Christe, and his holy Apo∣stels, are openly agaynst them. More∣ouer their owne glose sayth, that he was not deposed, because he was vn∣sufficient, but because hée was wan∣ton and lecherous with wéemen. O my Lordes, if you bee not afrayde of the vengeaūce of God, at the least take a litle shame of the worlde vnto you, that haue so long tyme with so great tyranny defended these lawes, that bée so openly agaynst Gods ordi∣naunce, agaynst Gods word, and a∣gaynst the common ordinaunce and cōsent of all the world. And this haue you done, to the great iniury of noble Princes, to the intollerable subduyng of all noble bloud, to the oppression of their true subiectes, to the destruction of all common wealthes, and finally to the euerlastyng damnation of ma∣ny a Christened soule. Tell me by your fayth, doe you beléeue that there is a liuyng God, that is mighty to pu∣nish his enemies? if you beléeue it, say vnto me, can you deuise for to auoyde hys vengeaunce, which bée so openly contrary to hys woorde? What aun∣swere thinke you to make to hym? Thinke you that hée will suffer your worde to be heard, and let his godly word bee despised? Thinke you, that it will bée sufficient for you to say, that they bée the lawes of holy Churche? Thinke you that hee will bee thus taught of you? Then were it tyme to plucke hym downe, and set you vp. Nay my Lordes hée is no childe, nor you shall finde it no childes game, thus to trifle and playe with hys holy word, and hys blessed ordinaūce, yea and that to the despising of the maker both of heauen and earth. Say what ye will, ye are not able by no lear∣nyng, to defende this matter, neither afore God, nor yet afore our noble Prince, nor afore any man of lear∣nyng, that will bee true to his prince. For whiche way soeuer you turne you, our master Christ, & all his bles∣sed Apostles bee agaynst you, & will openly accuse you, that you bée cōtra∣ry to their worde, and to theyr déede. Aunswere you to them, aunswere not to me. If I hold my peace, they will speake. Nor it will helpe you but litle, to crye after your old maner, heresie, heresie, a traytour, a traytour: for now you crye agaynst your selues, & of those thynges. Christ and his Apo∣stles doe accuse you. Doe you thinke it with the ordinaunce of God, that you shal depose a kyng, bycause hée ly∣ueth in aduoultry, or is a lecherous man? If you thinke it a lawfull cause, why doe you not preach it opēly? why doe you not lay it to kynges charge? Why suffer you them to bee kynges, that lyue in aduoultry? Why doe you not put your lawes in executiō? You say they bée the lawes of holy church,

and therby may you depose Princes. But if you wil put them in execution, then were it much better, to bée a Bi∣shop, or a Priest, thē to be a Kyng, or a Duke. For you may lyue in whore∣dome, or in any other vngracious ly∣uyng, yea and that to the destruction of many mens soules, and yet no mā so hardy to reproue you, as your own law doth openly commaunde in these wordes. If the Pope doe draw with hym innumerable people on a heape to the deuill of hell, there to be puni∣shed for euer, yet shal no mortall man presume to reproue hys sinnes, for hée must iudge all men, and may bée iudged of no man. &c. Lykewise haue you an other law in your Decretals, that no lay mā may reproue a Priest. &c. How thinke you by these lawes, if they bée not of the deuill, tell me what is of the deuil? You wil both reproue, yea and also depose Princes, but you will neither bée deposed, nor yet re∣proued of any mortall man. What thinke you your selues? Gods? But and ye will depose Kynges for forni∣cation, how would you handle kyng Dauid? and kyng Salomon? would you depose them bycause of aduou∣try? So doe you more then the Pro∣phet Nathan durst doe. Briefly will ye bée content that the kyng shall de∣pose you for fornication, then shall we shortly bee rydde of the most part of you.

But let vs come to Herode, that kept his brothers wife, would you de∣pose hym therefore? Then doe you more then S. Iohn durst doe. For hée durst no more doe, but reproue hys vice, and dare you depose hym? But let vs go forth with your law. What authoritie had y^e Pope & you to set Pi∣pinum in that rowme, and not rather to let the kyngdome choose thē a king? Our master Christ sayd, hys kyng∣dome was not of this world. But you will bée aboue kinges in this world, & not all onely depose them, but also set in new at your pleasure. Moreouer by what authoritie did the Pope dis∣pence with the Realme of their othe? Your law sayth, that the holy church of Rome is wont so to doe. I pray you of whom hath she learned this same wont? who hath geuen her this autho¦ritie? Can shée discharge vs of our obe¦dience that we owe to our Princes? Is not this of the law of God? Stan∣deth it not also with y^t law of nature? Yea doe not Turkes & infidels fayth∣fully obey to their princes? Is not the Princes power of God? & will you depose this power? or can you dipēce with this lawe? S. Peter learneth you, y^t you are more bound to obeye God and his lawe, then man. but you litle regarde S. Peters saying. wherfore what say you to your owne lawe? whose wordes bée these? we must kéepe vnto Princes and powers fayth and reuerence. &c. My Lordes here you not fidem and oportet. & how come you with your despensation, for our othe, and say, Non oportet, that we are not bound to be obedient to our princes, if you despence with vs. How cā you dispence with vs of our othe, seing it is against Gods lawe? Here may men sée, what teachers you haue béene, and also bée toward God and his holy Apostles, and towarde your noble Princes. And y^e this thing may bée clearely knowne, I shall re∣syte an other practyse of yours.

Our Chronicles make mention, that in the time of Edward the iij. Pope Ʋrban dyd depose Perse King of Spaine, because hée was a vicious liuer, and set in hys stede one Henry a bastarde. How thinke you, standeth thys facte with Christes doctrine? which of vs all that preach the Gos∣pell, hath gone about to doe princes such a villanye? you doe the déede, and laye the blame to vs. Doe you not remember, how that in the dayes of Henry the iiij, a captayne of your Church, called Richard Scroupe, Archbishop of Yorke, dyd gather an hoste of men, & waged battell against hys kyng? but God the defender of hys ruler, gaue the king the victorye, which caused y^e traytor to bée behea∣ded. And then your forefathers with their deuilishe crafte, made the people beléeue by their false Chronicle, that at euery stroke that was géeuē at the Bishops necke, the kyng receaued an

other of God in his neck. And where as the king was afterward stricken with a sicknes, you made him and all hys subiectes beléeue y^e it was Gods punishmēt, because hee had killed the Byshop. And not thus content, but you fayned after hys death, that hée dyd miracles. Is not thys toe much, both to bée traytors to your king? and also to faine God to bée displeased with your king, for punishing of trea∣son? finally to make hym a saint, and also that God had done miracles to the defending of hys treason? How is it possible to inuent a more pesti∣lent doctrine then thys is? Here is Gods ruler despised, and hereby is open treason maintained? Thinke you that God will shewe miracles to fortifie these thynges? But no doubt the prouerbe is true, such lippes such lectuse, such saintes such miracles.

Here were many thinges to bée sayd, but I will passe it ouer. I am sure you doe remember how obedi∣ently you droue King Iohn out of his kingdome? And the very originall of the strife was, because there were iiij. Bishops of England at variaunce with the kinges grace, and because hée required a dymie of the pyed Mō∣kes of England, for to maintaine hys warre agaynst the Irishe men, but they would géeue hym none. Wher∣fore after y^e king had sped well in Ire∣land, hée reuenged him of y^e Monkes, and tooke of euery place a certayne. For y^t which thing your forefathers, maintainers of your deuilishe doc∣trine, wrote vnto their God y^t Pope, and caused him first to excommuni∣cate the kyng, and afterward to inter∣dicte the land, & gaue it to the French kinges sonne, which was maintay∣ned through your fathers, and your naturall king compelled to flée into Wales, and there to tarye till y^e time that hée was content to make agrée∣ment with your holy Idoll the Pope. The cōditions of y^e agréement were, that hée should first géeue xl. M. marke to the iiij. Byshops, and make resti∣tution to the pyed Monkes agayne, and also should géeue to Pandolphus the Popes Legate, a great summe of money. Finally, hée should bée bound to géeue yearely to the Pope of Rome a certayne great summe of money, and hée and all hys successors shoulde receaue the land of the Pope, and holde it in sée ferme, and vnto thys your fathers set their hādes & seales, binding them selues to tompell the king to kéepe thys contracte. But yet you were not so content, but after∣ward you found the meanes that this good kyng was poysoned by a trayto∣rous Monke of Swinested, because he should say, that hée would make a halfepeny loafe worth xx. shillinges if hée liued a yeare. For the whiche word your holy Monke was moued, and went and confessed hym selfe to the Abbot, how that he would poyson the king for thys, and the one deuill, as good as the other, the holy traytor absolued the holy murtherer before the déede was done, and for thys holy murtherer is there founded v. masses for euer.

This is the blessed obedience of your holy Church. How would you cry? how would you yaulpe, if wée had handled a gentlemans dogge on this fashion: but you can call vs poore men traytors, and in the meane sea∣son, you bring both king & kingdome into seruitude and bondage? What is treason? if this bée no treason? to bring so honourable a kinge, and hys lande into such bondage, and compell hym to receiue his naturall and frée kingdome, of such a vyllayne, and lymme of y^e deuell. What can bée said or thought to defend this matter: you haue not all onely done wrong to the kinge, but vnto the yongest childe y^e lyeth in the cradell, y^e which by your meanes is bonde. And thinke it not sufficient, to say that it is not your déede: for first you are the children of these fathers, and you haue alwayes alowed this acte. This hath béene blased, blowen, preached, and cryed out, and all your bookes full of this matter, and many a true mans bloud hath béene shed for speaking agaynst thys. And yet was there neuer none of you, y^e did euer preach against this damnable facte: but with full consent

with full agréement, both in worde, déede, and in wrytyng, you haue alowed this treason. Therfore I take you for the auctors, as well as your forefathers. I would not speake how dampnable it is, to institute masses, for a willing traytor, and murtherer: there was neuer no learninge that could allow this. But there is no re∣medy, hée that dyes agaynst his king, and for the maintayning of your trea∣son must néedes bée a saynt, if masses, blessinges, and myracles wil helpe, for all these bée at your commaunde∣ment to geue where you list. So that we pore men must bée accused of in∣surrection and treason, and we must bere al the blame, we must bée driuen out of y^e realme, we must bée burned for it, and as God knoweth, there is no people vnder heauen, that more abhorreth, and with earnester hart resisteth, & more diligenly doth preach agaynst disobedience, then we doe. Yea I dare say boldely, let all your bookes bée serched, that were written this. 500. years, & all they shall not declare the auctorite of a prince, and the true obedience towarde hym, as one of our litle bookes shall doe, that bee condemned by you for heresy, and all this will not helpe vs. But as for you, you may preach, you may wryte you may doe, you maye sweare, a∣gainst your Princes, and also assoyle all other men of their obedience to∣wardes their princes. You may com∣pell princes to bée sworne to you, and yet are you children of obedience, and good christen men. And if ye dye for this doctrine, then is there no remedy but you must bée saintes, and rather then fayle, ye shall doe myracles. To proue this, I will tell you of a holy saynt of yours, of whom your legend and cronicles maketh mencyon, hys name, as ye call him is s. Germayne. So it chaunced y^e in the tyme of king Ʋortiger he came into England, into a place where the king lay, & desired for hym & his company lodging. The king because hée kept no cōmō Inne, would not receiue hym. So hée de∣parted very angerly, and went to the kinges Neteherdes house, and there desired lodginge, and meate, and drinke for hym and his companye. The Neteherde was contēt to lodge him, but hée sayd hée had no meate for hym, sauyng a yong calfe, that stode suckyng of the damme by the crybbe. The byshop commaunded the calfe to bée slayne, and to bée drest, & brought afore hym, and hée and his company eate it vp, and after commaunded the bones of the calfe to bée gathered to∣gither and put in the calues skinne agayne, and to bée layde in the cribbe by the damme, and by and by y^e calfe starte vp aliue agayne. The next day the byshop went to king Ʋortiger, & reprooued him merueilous straightly, because hée would not lodge hym, and sayde that hée was vnworthey to bée kyng, and therefore deposed hym, & made his Neteherde kyng in hys stede. Of the which Neteherde as y^e cronicles maketh mension, came af∣terward many kings. This is writen by one called Petrus de netalibus, the which writeth the liues of all saintes I thinke no man will binde mée to proue this thing a lye, but yet it must bee preached, & taught in your church it must bée writtē in holy saints liues, & hée must bée a saynt that did it, and why? because hée deposed a king, and set in a Neteherde. These shamefull and abhominable thinges doe you prayse, and alowe: and in the meane season, condemne vs for heretickes, and for traytours. And if we chaunce (moued by the abhomynablenes of your doctrine) to geue you but one euyll worde, then all the world reko∣neth vs vncharitable. But as for my parte, I take God to recorde, a∣fore whome I shall bée saued or dam∣ned, that though you haue done mée shamefull wronge, and intollerable violēce, yet with your owne persons am I neuer displeased nor angry: but agaynst that horrible deuyll y^e dwel∣leth in you, that is the causer, & auctor and mayntayner of such abhominable doctrine, that is against God and his blessed worde, agaynst hym (I say) is my quarell, and agaynst hym doe I striue, this is the truth, let men take my wordes as they will. Is it not ab∣hominable,

thinke you, so shamfully to depose princes? so to rebuke them so to handle them? to compell them to bée sworne to you? and to holde their lands of you? & to bée your ministers? to the greate dishonour of the liuyng God, and blaspheming of his blessed worde, and to the great dispight of all noble potentates? Ye remember the facte that is declared in your lawe of the noble Emperour Friderike, and that wretch Innocent the fourth: the thing was this. The Pope by y^e reasō of certayne complaintes, made by the Emperours enemyes, cited the Em∣perour to appeare at Rome, and be∣cause the Emperour would not ap∣peare, he cursed hym with booke, bell, and candell, and afterwarde deposed hym, and commaunded the electours to chose an other. This is the cause of your lawe briefely. But your text de∣clareth certayne artycles agaynst the Emperour, which bée these. The first that hée had sworne to kéepe peace with y^e church of Rome, which oth hée brake, sayth y^e Pope. The second that hee had done sacrilege, in takyng 22. Gallyes laden with holy spiritual pre∣lates the which would haue gone to y^e councell, gathered agaynst the Empe∣rour in Lugdune. The third, because y^e Emperour was accused of certaine articles of heresye, the which bée not set out. The fourth, because that hee had not payed the annuall pencyon for the kingdome of Sicill (Sicill the which the Pope calleth the spirituall patrimony of S. Peter) in the space of ix. yeares. For these same thinges dyd hée depose y^e Emperour and pry∣uate hym of all hys dignity, and assoy∣leth all hys subiectes of their othe and obedience, and commaundeth euery man not to obey hym, but all men y^e eyther gaue hym councell, helpe, or fauour, to bée excommunicate & cur∣sed. This is your facte, this is your déede, this is your doctrine, in this learning you bée promoted doctours, & vnto this learnyng you are sworne, these bookes bée read openly in your vnyuersities. Marke now, which of vs twayne bée traytours. Eyther you that doe depose Emperours, & kings for such trifles, yea and also make a lawe thereof, and swere vnto it, and compell all other to swere vnto it: or els we, that speake agaynst it, & say y^e you doe wronge both to God, to his blessed ordynaunce, and to all noble potentates. For Fyrste, ye ought to bée vnder them, and not they vnder you, & more can you not doe but re∣preue by Gods worde their vnlawfull factes, but to depose them though they bée infydelles, and heretickes, haue you none authoritye. Ye sée howe our master Christ, and all hys blessed Apostles did vse them selues towarde vnbeléeuyng Princes, they neither deposed them, nor yet cau∣sed them to bee sworne vnto them. What a matter is it to depose an Emperour, bicause hée layeth handes of a carnall Cardinall? Is not Paule and Peter, as holy as all the College of you? And yet for laying handes of them was no mā deposed. What and if hée kéepe no peace? is that a sufficiēt cause to depose hym? your owne law testifieth otherwise. The holy church of God hath no sworde, but the spiri∣tuall sword, with the whiche she doth not kill, but quicken. Lykewise in an other place, blessed S. Ambrose sayth, willyngly will I neuer forsake you, but if I bee cōpelled I may not resist, I may sorow, I may wéepe, I may wayle. Agaynst weapons, agaynst souldiers, agaynst the Gothans, my teares are my weapons. For such thynges bée the defence of a Priest, otherwise ought I not, nor may not resist. &c. Blessed S. Ambrose durst not depose the Emperour, neither for laying hand of him, nor yet for he∣resie, neither for defendyng the liber∣ties of holy Church. But S. Ambrose was a simple foole, & knew not what the liberties of the Church ment, nor yet what the holy spirituall fleshe of Cardinals is worth, and therfore hée could do nothing, but wéepe & wayle. But & if hée had béene halfe so wise, as I read of a certaine Bishop of Sa∣lisbury was, hée had done more in this matter.

In the tyme of kyng Richard the second, it chaūced a baker of London

to beare horsebread in a basket, and there came a seruaunt of the Byshop of Salisbury, and tooke by violence a loafe frō hym. The baker asked why hée dyd so, & hée made hym none aun∣swere, but brake his head, & the pore felow cryed for helpe against this vio∣lence, whereby the people were mo∣ued in the strete to come out, & kéepe the kinges peace, so that the Byshops seruaunt was compelled to flye into a house: Neuerthelesse the people mo∣ued at this great violence, caused the Constable to come for to take hym, & to bryng him to prison, but anone the Maior and the Shriues came and pa∣cified the multitude, and so departed, & did the Byshops seruaunt no more hurt. Notwithstandyng the Byshop of Salisbury, and the Archbyshop of Yorke were so moued with the Citie, for makyng an asaute to the Bishops house, that they made such a cōplaynt to the kynges grace, that hée put the Maior, and both the Shriues out, and set in a Knight called Syr Edward, to rule y^t Citie, and all this was done for a horseloafe. What shall a mā say to the pacience of these spiritual men? They doe open violence, they breake the kynges peace, they robbe men of their goodes, yea & that in the kynges chamber, and also in the kynges hygh strete, to the great disdayne of iustice, to the rebuke of the kyng, and to the great dispeasure of his subiectes, and yet they can packe the matter so, that they bée white sonnes, and other men must suffer for it. I can beléeue none otherwise, but that they haue witched the worlde, that men could neither heare nor sée. For if this bée not a shamefull fact, I can not tell what is shamefull. It had becommed them a great deale better, to haue punished their seruaūt in example of all other. But that was neuer the wont of the spirituall Churche, and yet they will accuse all other men of insurrection, but I dare say there was no rebellion in this Realme this v. C. yeares, if the kyng had displeased them, but they were at the begynnyng of it. We doe read in the time of kyng Henry the se∣cond, that hée required of his spiritu∣all Byshops, that none of them should departe out of y^t land, but they should finde hym sureties, that they should purchase nothyng, to the hurt of the kyngs person, & his Realme. But the spirite of the spirituall fathers would not agrée to it, but rather founde the meanes, that Pope Alexander the thyrd (the whiche was an vsurper of the sea of Rome) condemned this ar∣ticle for heresie, and afterward one of the Bishops (but agaynst his will) dyed for this, and such lyke articles mo, and you declared him a stynkyng martyr, but of this holy martyr, I wil speake more an other time. If this bée obedience to Princes, to intende and purpose to betray them, and their Re∣almes, then are ye the best obedient children that euer were. But if ma∣kyng of dissention, debate, and strife, & settyng men togither by the eares, assoylyng men of their othe towarde their Princes, may be cause of insur∣rection, and treason: then are ye the master of all masters, and the best con∣ueyers of all iugglers. What true Englishe hart would thinke, but that the kynges request was both godly & lawfull? what learnyng is able to de∣fende the contrary? Standeth it not with our fidelity that we owe toward our Prince? yea with the truth that we owe to our father and mother? to our brethren and sisterne? and to all our coūtrey men? Doth not our othe made to our Prince, bynde vs to it? & yet you will not agrée to it: but all your bookes must rather bee fulfilled with contrary doctrine, and all men must bée cōdēned for heretickes, that speaketh agaynst thē. Beleeue me, if I were your mortall enemy (as you reken me to bee, and as you haue wel deserued, that I should bée) I could so set out this matter, that all mē should spytte at you: but I will vse my selfe charitable toward you, and if the mat∣ter had not béene so haynously, and so violently hādled of you, I would not haue geuen you one ill woorde. But now let no man require of me, that I should (vnto such an abhominable & detestable deuill, as hath brought in this wicked and shamefull learnyng

and maners) put of my cappe, & make low curtesie, and geue fayre wordes, and say: God geue you good morow syr deuill, how fare you? I am glad of your welfare, and prosperity, your Lordship doth rule very graciously, and all men prayseth you. I doubte not but God shall prosper you. I say, let no man require this of me: for I am, and will bée so taken, for his mor∣tall enemy, whersoeuer I doe finde hym, whether hée bée Lord, or By∣shop, sauing peraduenture, if I spye hym dwelling in a Byshoppe, I wyll not hādle him with so rough wordes, for the weaknes of certayne men, as I would, if I founde him in an other place. It were not vncharitable, if I recited here by name the innocent bloud, that you haue shed in my time, for the speaking against your vnlaw∣full doctrine. Alas what fault coulde ye sinde in good mayster Bylney, whō ye haue cast away so violently? I dare say, there is not one among you (that knew hym, but must commende and prayse his vertuous lyuinge. And though you had founde him with a li∣tle faulte (the which I thinke, and hée were now aliue, should be no faulte) alas would you cast away so cruelly, so good a man? and so true a mā? both to God, and to his kyng? But I will returne agayne to my purpose, and shewe an other example, how you haue learned, and taught to set kings and kingdomes togither by y^e eares, for the maintenance of your dignities and doctrines.

Pope Ʋrban the vj. which was chosē in the yeare of our Lord 1378. by sedition, & violence of Romaines, which would haue no Cardinall of Fraunce, because they woulde the Pope shoulde bee resident in Rome. This Ʋrban (I say) deuising how to mayntaine his secte and part agaynst his aduersary, which was called Cle∣ment, of whose side y^e kyng of Fraūce helde, sent to the kyng of England, Ed. the 3. (the which as than was not well content with the Frenche kyng) certayne Bulles contaynyng cleane remission a poena & a culpa, for all them that would wage battayle a∣gainst the kyng of Fraunce, & against them that were of Clementes side. And because the kyng and his Lords shoulde bée the willinger to take bat∣tayle on them, hée sent a commaunde∣ment to the Byshops, to rayse of the spiritualtie a taxe, for to pay the soul∣diours wyth. Moreouer because the Duke of Lancaster had a tytle to the kyngdome of Castell, the which helde of Clementes side: therefore y^e Pope graunted, that part of this money should also bée deliuered to hym, if hée would wage battayle agaynst y^e kyng of Castell, promysing hym also, that hée would styrre the kyng of Portyn∣gale (which than had also varyaunce with the sayde kyng of Castelll) to warre agaynst the sayd kyng, and to the mayntaynyng of his warre, hée would graūt y^t kyng of Portyngale a demy of his spiritualty thorow all his Realme. How much was gathered in Portyngale, our stories maketh no mension: but in London, and in the diocese was gathered a tūne of golde, and in the whole realme of England was gathered xxv. C. M. frankes, whiche makes in Englishe money. CC. lxxvij. M. vij. C. lxxvij. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And be∣cause this money was gathered of y^e spiritualitie, and by their diligence therefore the Pope ordayned Henry Spenser the Byshop of Norwych to bée the chiefe captayne of this warre: but or euer the Pope coulde brynge this matter to passe, he sent to y^e king, to his Lordes, and to his Byshoppes xxx. Bulles: So that at the last, thys foresayd Byshop of Norwyche was sent foorth with a greate number of men, in the wages of the Church, And the Duke of Lankester likewise agaynst the kyng of Castell. Theyr oth was geuen them, to fight agaynst no man, nor countrey that helde with Pope Ʋrban. And our chronicle saith, that Pope Ʋrban would haue made peace betwene the Frēch king, and ours at the last. How thinke you? is not this a pretie practise, to set men together by the eares? and than to make them beleeue, that he woulde make a peace? Fyrst we must haue cleane remission to fight, and thā wée

shall bée curssed as blacke as a potte, if wée will make no peace, And why? because the Pope hath hys purpose.

Is not this a goodly packyng of spi∣rituall men? Is not here goodly obe∣dience taught toward Princes? Bée not mens soules well fed wyth thys doctrine? Bée not these good fathers, that thus watcheth nyght and daye, for y^t cure and charge, that they haue of mens soules? Marke how charita∣ble, and liberall that the holy Fathers bée, in distributing of Christes me∣rites? Euery man that fighteth in his cause, shall haue cleane remission a pena, & a culpa, and must néedes bée the childe of saluation. Let Christ say and doe what hée can, for the holye Church hath so determined. And that no man shoulde doubt of it, there bée xxx. Bulles graunted, and that vn∣der leade. And the Church of Rome can not erre, for the spirituall lawe sayth: what the sea of Rome doth ap∣proue, that must néedes bée allowed: and that, that she reproueth must bée of no strength. Likewise in an other place: So must the decrées of the sea of Rome bée accepted, as though they were spoken by the godly voyce of Peter hymselfe.

Agaynst these thinges dare I not speake, for I would fayne bee taken for a Christen man: but yet I muste bee so bolde to speake one worde, the truth is, the deuill himselfe hath blo∣wen out these presumptuous voyces. And yet mē must set both life, & soule on these wordes. For there bée xxx. Bulles of leade, to confirme the mat∣ter. And that is a weightye thynge. But when kyng Iohn, our naturall prince, shoulde haue had of the pyed Mōkes, for the defēce of this realme, but a small summe of money. Than was there neuer a Bull to gette, nor yet one Byshop in Englād, to preach on his side: But now CC. M. pound gathered in one Lent, and a greate deale more, & for the maintainaūce of y^e pope his holy flesh. Was not this a marueilous subiectiō? that we should suffer our selues so lightly to bée mo∣ued, to geue, not onely so greate a sūme of money? but also to send forth, in the defence of such a wicked per∣son, our naturall brethren, kinsemen, and countreymen? I dare say of my conscience, that in fiue hūdred yeares, there was not such a summe of mo∣ney so lightly graunted, (were the cause neuer so great) vnto our right naturall, and lege Lord. Ye I doe be∣léeue, that if the kynges grace at this same day, should desire of y^e spirituali∣ty, but halfe of this summe, I dare say they wold neuer graūt him with their good will, nor there shoulde not bée found one Diuine in England, of the holy Popes Churche, that could and would proue by good Diuinitie, that the kyng might take it, and the spiri∣tualitie were bounde to geue it.

Alas, what shall I say? beléeue me, I doe want wordes, to y^e settyng out of this matter: where is natural affe∣ctiō? where is naturall loue? where is fidelitie? where is truth of hart, that men ought to haue, and to beare to∣ward their naturall Prince? toward their natiue countrey? toward their fathers and mothers? toward their wiues and childrē? yea toward their liues? God of his infinite goodnesse hath geuen vs a noble Prince, to the maintaynyng and defence of all these thynges, and toward hym we haue litle or none affection. But vnto this idole of Rome, are we ready to geue both body, and goodes, and the more we geue, the better we are content. Was not this a merueilous pouery∣shyng to this Realme? to sende out so many thousandes? and to receiue no∣thyng agayne? but deceitfull Bulles? and shéepes skynnes? and a litle péece of leade? yea and worst of all, to make men beléeue, that their saluation dyd hange on it? I dare say boldly, that if we poore men (which bée now condē∣ned for heretickes, and also for tray∣tours against our kyng) had not béen, the Realme of England had not stād in so good a condition as it is, for men had béene bounde still in their consci∣ence, for to obey this wretched idole. Who durst haue kept y^e innumerable summe of money, within the realme, y^e yearely was sucked out, by this ad∣der, if our godly learnyng had not in∣structed

their conscience? Let all the Liberaries bée sought in Englād, and there shall not be one booke writtē in. iiij. C. yeares, and (admitted by the Church of Rome, and by our spiritu∣altie) founde, that doth teach this obe∣dience, and fidelitie toward Princes, and deliuereth our Realme, from the bondage of this wicked Sathan the pope, or els that is able to satisfie, and to quiete any mans conscience with∣in this Realme: and yet I dare say, hée is not in Englād, that cā reproue our learnyng, by the doctrine of our master Christ, or els of his holy Apo∣stles. Yea mē haue studyed, and deui∣sed how they might bryng our migh∣ty Prince, and his noble Realme, vn∣der y^e féete of this deuill. There could bée nothyng handled so secretly with∣in this Realme, but if it were, either pleasaunt, or profitable to the Pope to know, then were all the Byshops in England sworne, to reuelate that matter to him. This may bee wel pro¦ued, by their shamefull, & trayterous oth, that they contrary to Gods law, mans law, and order of nature) haue made to this false man, the Pope. The wordes of their othe, written in their owne law, be these.

I Byshop. N. frō this houre forth, shalbe faithfull to S. Peter, to the ho∣ly Church of Rome, and to my Lord the Pope, to his successours, lawfully entryng into the Popedome. I shall not consent in counsell, nor in déede, that hée shoulde lose either lyfe, or lymme, or that hée should bée taken in any euill trap. His councell, that shall bée shewed vnto me, either by hym selfe, or els by his letters, or by his Le¦gates, I shall open to no man, to hys hurt, or damage. I shall helpe to de∣fend & mayntaine the Papacie of the Church of Rome, the rules of the ho∣ly fathers (sauyng myne order) a∣gaynst all men liuyng. I shall come to the Councell, when soeuer I bée cal∣led, onles I bée lawfully let. The Po∣pes Legate I shall honorablye en∣treate, both goyng, and commyng, & in his necessities, I shall helpe him. I shall visite yearely, either by myne owne proper person, or els by some sure messenger, the sea of Rome, on∣les I bée dispensed with. So helpe me God, and this holy Euangelist.

There hath béene wonderous pac∣king vsed, and hath cost many a thou∣sand mens liues, ere that the spiritu∣alitie brought it to passe, that all they should bée sworne to the Pope, & owe none obedience to any man, but to him onely. This matter hath béene wonderous craftely conueyed, for at the beginnyng the Bishops were not sworne so straitely vnto the Pope, as now. For I doe read in the tyme of Gregory the thyrd, which was in the yeare of our Lord. vij. C. lix. how their othe was no more, but to sweare for to kéepe the fayth of holy Church, and to abide in the vnity of the same, and not to consent for any mans plea¦sure to the contrary, to promise also to séeke the profites of the Church of Rome. And if any Byshops did lyue agaynst the olde statutes of holy fa∣thers, with him they should haue no conuersation, but rather forbidde it, if they coulde, or els trewly to shewe the Pope of it. This othe cōtinued a great many of yeares, tyll that a mor∣tall hatred sprang betwene the Em∣perour, and the Pope, for confirming of Byshops, than as many Byshops as were confirmed of the Pope, did sweare the othe, that I haue first writ∣ten. For this othe, that Gregory ma∣keth mention of, was not sufficient: because that by it, the Byshops were not bounde to betray their Princes, nor to reuelate their counselles to the Pope. The which thing y^e pope must néedes know, or els hee coulde not bring to passe his purpose, that is to say, he coulde not bée Lord ouer the worlde, and cause Emperours, and kynges, to fetch their confirmation of him, and to knéele downe, and kisse his féete. The which when hée had broght to passe, hée procéeded farther, adding more thinges in the Byshops othe, to the maintayning of his world¦ly honour and dignitie, as it shall af∣terward appeare. But first wée wyll examine this othe, how it standeth with Gods worde, and with the true obedience to our prince. I pray you

tell me out of what Scripture, or els out of what example of our mayster Christ & his holy Apostles, you haue takē this doctrine, to learne to swere to Saint Peter? or els to the Church of Rome? or els to the Pope? What néede you to sweare to Saint Peter? ye cā neither doe hym good by your fi∣delitie, nor yet hurt by your falshode. Othes be taken, that hée that the othe is made vnto, might bée sure of the true helpe, and succour of hym that sweareth, agaynst all men that could hurte hym.

Now Saint Peter hath none eny∣mies, and though hée had, yet is not hée afearde of them, neyther can you helpe hym, nor deliuer hym, if hée had néede. But the verytie is, that good S. Peter must here stand in the fore frunt, to make men a∣frayde with, and to make men be∣léeue that you are his frendes: but God knoweth, that you neyther fa∣uour his person, lrarnyng nor lyuyng For if S. Peters person were here with his nette on his necke, I thinke you would bid hym walke beggar, if you called him not heretik. Why doe you not sweare to folowe hys ly∣uing? and to preach and teach his doc∣trine? but that maketh nothing for your purpose. Therefore you swerre all onely to S. Peters name. But wherein wyll you bée faythfull to S. Peter? to mayntane his worldly ho∣nours? dignities? or riches? you know well, hée sayth, that hée hath forsaken all these thinges for Christes sake: & And for these thinges, I thinke hée will require none othe of you. Wher∣fore if you will néedes bée faythfull, & sworne vnto S. Peter, it muste bée in mayntayning, and in defending spirituall thynges, as preaching of Christes Gospell purely, and sincere∣ly, mynystring truelye after the insti∣tution of our master Christ, y^e blessed sacramentes of holy church, and in vertuous lyuyng, geuing example to the holy church of Christe. But now if this bée your othe, truely you are periured, & worthy to weare papers, for you doe reken your selues to hye, and to honorable, to goe aboute such simple thinges, as these bée. And ther∣fore you haue applyed your selues, to other greater matters, as to christe∣ning of belles, to halowing of church∣es, to blessing of candels, to conse∣crating of holy oyle, to halowing of chalesies, vestementes, and aulters, and to geuing 40. dayes of pardon, to them that receiueth your blessings in the streate, and to some that visyte holy saintes, & such like greate mat∣ters, which partayneth nothing to your othe. wherefore I doe recken, y^e after the true forme of your othe, we haue but few byshops, but y^e bée per∣iured or abiured (call it as you will) both against God, agaynst S. Peter, and against their prince. It foloweth And to the holy church of Rome what néedeth this? what good can you doe to y^e holy church of Rome. Or what profyte is it to her, that you sweare? where is any request of her in holy scripture that you shoulde sweare? Thinke you that she will compell you by your othe to bée true to her? then must shee néedes sue you of periurie if you breake your othe. But marke how y^e church of Rome is set in your othe. as the better person, before the Pope. wherefore it must néedes fol∣lowe, that y^e Pope is vnder y^e church, and lesse then the church, and no hed of the church, except you will make hym a third person, that neither per∣tayneth to S. Peter nor yet to holy Churche: but is a thyng of him selfe, and as your law sayth: neither God, nor man, but middle betwéene them both, that is as much to say, after my learnyng, as the deuill hym selfe.

But what meaneth it, that you sweare onely to the holy Churche of Rome? will you bée traytours to the holy Church of Constātinople? or els to the holy Churche of England? Or doe you thinke other Churches not holy? tell vs what you meane? for it séemeth a marueilous thyng, and also a speciall thyng, that you make such an othe all onely to the holy Church of Rome, naming none other church. Why are you not rather sworne to kéepe? and to féede? to norish? and to bée true to your owne Church? of the

which you haue taken cure & charge? As S. Peter commaundeth you: Sée that you féede Christes flocke, which is among you. For of these you haue taken your name, lyuyng, and digni∣tie. You are called Byshop of Win∣chester, of London, and of Lyncolne, And of these you are fed, but these bée forgotten in your othe, and these you litle regarde, but to mayntayne the holy Churche of Rome, that geueth you neuer a peny, but robbeth all other Churches, you must bée straitly sworne. And why? Antichrist must haue a cloke for his treason. For now if hée bée a traytour, hée is to bée excu∣sed, why? for hée is sworne to it. But shall I tell you what I doe take out of it? The truth is, that you sweare, to betray, to kil, and slay all members of all other Churches, sauyng those, that liueth after the whoredome, and mischief, that is vsed in Rome. For if you should bee bounde to séeke out in Rome, Christened men, and those that doth liue after the liuyng of holy church, I thinke you should finde but few. Yea and vnto those, you would thinke scorne to bée sworne, Ergo, it must folow, that you are sworne to the worst sort of Rome, and that your holy Churche of Rome is taken for such a sorte, as liueth agaynst God, a∣gaynst his blessed worde, agaynst the liuyng of holy Aposties, agaynst the cōditiōs of our holy mother y^e church. I could say, in all whoredome, in all oppression, in all Sodomytrie, in all murther, in all pōpe, & pride, summa summarum, in all maner of mischief, what toung cā tell, or hart can thinke. But I will not say so, for men would reken me vncharitable, and to vehe∣ment. Neuerthelesse all the worlde knoweth, that you doe recken your selfe, by the vertue of your oth, boūde to no men: but vnto such, as in very déede, liueth after this vngracious ma¦ner: and yet will you bée faithfull, and true vnto them agaynst all men. Yea I dare say, if that their conscience had not cōdemned them of such mischief, they would neuer haue desired this assistence of you, or els haue thought it necessary to haue required an othe of you. But the veritie is, they bée naught, and haue néede of mayntai∣ners in their mischief. And also sus∣pect you, not to bée true, except you made an othe to them, yea and scarsly then, onles that you in very déede, at tyme and place conuenient, doe be∣tray your Princes, for that is y^e cause of your othe, and other profite hath not the kyng by it. I will bée reported by all practise that euer came out of your othe.

It foloweth, And to my Lord the Pope. I would gladly learne, where the Pope hath got the dignitie of a Lord. This thyng is litle regarded of my Lordes the Byshops, to bryng in such a worldly dignitie, yea they will say, it is but a trifle, and mocke men for speaking agaynst it. But the truth is, if they durst as much now, as in times past, they would burne for this litle trifle, the best Lord in England. For I dare say, it hath cost many a mans lyfe, or euer they brought the Pope to Lordshyp. Blessed S. Peter (whose successour the Pope boasteth him selfe to bée) knew nothing of this Lordshyp, for bée sayth vnto hys fe∣lowes, they shall not exercise no Lord∣shyp ouer the congregation. And like∣wise S. Paule durst not take vppon him to commaunde, as a Lord, collec∣tions to bée made for poore men, but mekely desires thē without any Lord∣shyp. Also in an other place: Let no man iudge vs, but as the Ministers of Christ. Blessed S. Paule rekeneth him selfe but a minister, & a seruaunt: And yet y^e day hath béene, that he was so good, as my Lord the Pope. Our master Christ, that came to teach both Peter, and Paule, learned his Disci∣ples not to vse thē selues as Lordes, but as seruauntes. And marke the oc¦casion that hée had.

There bée two newe Disciples brought vnto him, and the old (beyng not yet perfite) thought scorne, that these two should sit aboue all other, y^e one of the right hand, and the other of the left hād: But our master Christ reproueth this proude stomacke of theirs, very straitely, saying: How y^e Princes & rulers of the infidels hath

power ouer their subiectes, but so shal not ye. For hée that will bée greatest amōg you, shal bée least. Here our ma∣ster Christ learneth none hypocrisie, that they shold bée called lest in name, and bée greatest in very déede: but hée will that this doctrine shalbée expres∣sed in their déedes. My Lord the pope, calleth him selfe in woordes, the ser∣uaunt of all seruauntes: but in very déede hée wil bée Lord ouer all Lords. Yea and my Lordes Byshops, will bée sworne to hym, as vnto a Lord, & they wil reken them selues periured, if they burne not all them, that will take the Pope but for a seruaunt. Is not this a marueilous hypocrisie? to bée called seruaunt of all seruauntes? and yet desire for to bée taken as Lord and Kyng ouer all Kynges? Yea and vnto this bée our Byshops sworne, because they wil bée obedient to their Princes. But and their consciences were rypped, you should finde no mā sit there as a Kyng, but my losell the Pope. And we poore men must bée cō∣demned, for reprouyng of this. And why? Ʋerely because my Lords haue sworne to hym, agaynst their Prince, and all his true subiectes.

But howe standeth it with your othe toward your Prince, for to bée sworne to the Pope? which is not all onely an other Lorde: but also con∣trary, yea and as the worlde now is the greatest mortall ennemy, that our Prince hath. For I dare say, that if this wretched Clemēt could drowne our noble Prince with one worde, it shoulde not bée longe vndone, sine Cle∣mentia. The common sayinge went in Hamburgh, that this caytyfe hath not al onely excōmunicated our noble prince, but also geuen away the king∣dome to an other. And this facte must you defende, for you are sworne to y^e Pope. Yea I dare say, if you had con∣uenient occasion, you would declare your fidelitie. I doe Iudge after your factes, that you haue done to kinges in tymes past, whensoeuer that you had power & might to bring to passe y^e which you haue conceiued agaynst your Prince. If you thinke I iudge a mysse, or els doe you wrong. let me bée put to my proofe, and you shall sée, what an heape of holy factes y^e I will bring you out of your own chronicles and bookes, for the which you will bée lauded, and praysed hyely, that you haue so faythfully stucke vnto this dā∣nable Idole of Rome. Yea I dare say it had béene heresie within this two yeares, to haue written, or sayd thus much agaynst the lymme of the deuyll on our princes side. This all y^e worlde can testefye, wherefore I thinke you will put me to no tryall. But to your othe. Howe doth it stand with your allegyance toward your prince, to bee sworne to the Pope? your owne lawe sayth, that a lege man can make none othe of fydelytye, to none other man, but to his owne kinge.

Moreouer you doe remēber your othe made vnto your prince, wherein you doe renounce all clauses, wordes and sentences, made vnto the Pope, which may bée hurtfull or preiudiciall to his highnes. How agréeth these ij. othes? you may set them togither as well as you cā: but I know no waies to auoyde your periury. For the very truth is, that the kinges grace, and his councell, considering your othe made to the Pope, to bée periudiciall to his regall power, causeth you, in your othe afterwarde made vnto him to reuoke those thinges that you haue afore sworne to y^e Pope, & to declare that his grace & his counsell did rec∣kon your othe made to y^e pope to bée a¦gainst him, therfore he maketh you to reuoke it by name, naming the same othe, & also the same Pope. So that you may clearely perceiue, how that our prince doth suspect you, for your othe making. And in very déede, the popes meaning & yours was none o∣ther: but for to betray y^e king and his realme. And therfore as soone as there was any variance, betwéene y^e king & y^t pope, thē were you first of all, assoy∣led of your allegyance dew vnto our king, and that absolucion, was blasen and blowen, preached, and taught, throughout all the world, & all dores and postes must bée decked with pa∣pers and bulles, for your discharge. But for to helpe your Prince, you could neuer bée discharged of your he∣reticall,

& trayterous othe made vnto the Pope, agaynst your Prince. Here neither Peter nor Paule can helpe, nor there is no key y^e can open that locke.

O Lord God how haue we beene blynded thus trayterously to handle our naturall Prince? But how this Caterpiller is come to bée a Lorde, and hath brought kinges vnder hys féete, I will speake (God willyng) af∣ter this in a peculiar treatyse. It fo∣loweth, and to his successours, law∣fully and regularly entryng in. After what lawe? I reade in your owne bookes of law, after which me think∣eth there bée very few byshops made wherein I finde among all other good thinges, that hée shoulde bée chaste of lyuyng, méeke, gentle to speake to, mercyful, wel learned in y^t new & olde testamēt, and y^e we shoulde not forbyd maryage, nor should blame the eating of fleshe, and should also beléeue, that all maner of synnes, as well actuall, as original, bée clerely forgeuē in bap∣tysme. How many of these things the Popes holines is indewed with all, and how many hée aloweth, his owne bookes, and déedes wil testelie. Wher∣fore I recken that your othe doth not meane this laws, nor yet y^e lawe that blessed S. Paule writeth of. For then I recken, that by the vertue of your othe, you haue not béene bound to one Pope this 400. yeares, so that it must folowe, that you haue other lawes, then blessed S. Paule speaketh of, or the councell of Charthaginence to chose your Pope by: the which as farre as men can recken, by common experience, and practice, bée these,

In primis, Hee that shall bée able to bée Pope, must bée a vēgeable tyraūt, neuer kéepeing peace, but all wayes warryng for the defence (as yée call it) of S. Peters patrimonye. To suf∣fer no Prince to dwell in rest by hym but to snatch his possessions, to the vnholy Church of Rome. To set prin∣ces together by the eares, tyll they bée both weary, and then to take y^e matter in his hande, and neuer to make an ende, tyll both partyes hath geuen some possessiōs to his holy fatherhed: to assoyle the soules, that hath bene slayne through his packyng. And hée that dare moste boldelye, and with least shame, depose Princes, without a cause, hée is best able to bée pope. He that can by any trayne, craft, or sub∣tyltye, bring vnder hym any byshop, or any spirituall person, or inuent any newe clausein their othe, hée is to bée alowed afore other. Moreouer, hée y^e kéepeth fewest women, and hath most of them, that you wote of, hée is holy∣est, & apte to bée head of your church. And hée y^e can most tyranously burne mē for preaching of y^e Gospel, and hée hym selfe to take no labours therein. Item to burne priestes y^e mary wiues and hée hym selfe, to liue in all mys∣chefe, & whordome: yea in such abho∣minablenes, as no man may with ho∣nestye speake (you knowe what I meane) this man I say, hath a good testimony, afore his spirituality, that hée is a lawfull man to that office.

Furthermore, hée that is a whores sonne, as our holy father is now, and can finde the meanes, that. 12. men will forswere them selfe, that hée is lawfully borne, as this holy Clement dyd. This is a fitte father, for such children. Finally, hée y^e can geue most mony, and bye y^e greatest part of car∣dinales of hys syde, hée is best worthy to bée called Pope, & to sit on Peters stoole. For it can not bée vnknowen to you, how y^e Thomas Woulcy, an holy piller of your Church, woulde haue béene Pope, whē this Clement was chosen, and did offer for it a reso∣nable peny: But Clement dasshed hym out of consayte with. 20000. li. more then hée offered, and so hée was iudged best worthy, and entered in lawfully, and regularly, and vnto him our bishops bée sworne, and obedient. And why because they will haue such a head, as they bee members: for how coulde els their kingdome stand? For if one should bee chosen, after the rule of blessed S. Paule, or els after the lyuynge of these newe heretykes, which bée simple and poore, and care not for no dignityes, nor will neuer swere, nor fyght, and would rather mary a wyfe of their owne, then take

other mens, and alwayes studying, & preaching Gods worde, séeking one∣ly the honour of God, and the profyt of his neighbour, and will bée subiect and obedient in all thinges (desiring none exception) to his prince. This man I say, shoulde bée vnlawfull, & not eligible, for hée were able to de∣stroy y^e whole kingdome of y^e papistes and not worthy to receiue an othe of my Lordes y^e byshops, which will not gladly be periured for such a mās sake. For he were able to destroy y^e whole church of Rome, vnto the which our Byshops haue béene before sworne. It foloweth in your othe, I shall not consent in counsell or in déede, that they shoulde lose eyther lyfe or mem∣ber, or that they shoulde bée taken or trapped, by any euill meane. What néede you to sweare thus vnto the Pope? doth not the order of charitie binde you thus to vse your selfe to∣warde all men? that is to say, neither to hurt them, nor to harme them, nei∣ther to intrappe them, nor betraye them. But all men must bée betrayde and with crafte and subtiltie vndone, for the mayntenaunce of thys one wretched person. The truth is, that neuer man spake against this popet, but you destroyde him, and betrayde him. But this popet hath blasphemed and betrayde all potestates, and yet you were neuer against hym. And why? because you be sworne to hym. And you will kéepe your othe, bée it right or wrong.

But in your last othe, which hath béene newely made, is added thys clause. That no man should lay vio∣lent bandes vpon them in any wyse, or any wrong shoulde bee done vnto them by any maner of colour. This part is newly brought in, since the fleshe of the Pope hath béene so holy, that no man might touch it but har∣lottes. Christen men must patiently suffer iniuries and wrōges, but your head will forsweare that point, and mayntaine himselfe through your po∣wer against all men. How neare that this is the Apostles liuing, all Chri∣sten men can well iudge. It foloweth in your othe. Their counsell that shal bée shewed vnto mée, either by theyr letters, or by their messengers, I shal open to no man to their hurte or da∣mage. Let Princes beware, whan the pope sendeth coūselles vnto you, for the meaning is to betraye them. For all the worlde knoweth that the pope and you doth litle regarde, what the beggars of the worlde doth han∣dle: But what Emperours, kyngs, and Dukes doth handle, that must you let, and destroye. For that is the Popes counsell. And you may shewe it to no man, No not to your kyng. And why? because you are sworne to the pope.

But what say you to your othe made vnto your prince? wherein you sweare, that you shall be faithfull and true, and beare vnto him aboue all creatures, loue, and fauour, to lyue and to dye with hym, and to open vn∣to him all maner of counselles, that may bée hurtful vnto his grace. Now is it well knowne, that the pope hath done and dayly doth handle such coū∣selles, as bée against our princes ho∣nour, and conseruation. And yet you may neyther tell it to your prince, nor let it. And why? because you be sworn to the pope, and for sworne to your prince. Tell me when any thyng was opened vnto our prince, by you, that the pope had handeled in counsell a∣gaynst our prince. Of this thing I will take recorde of his noble grace, whether I say true or false. And yet must I bee accused of treason. And why? because you are sworne to the pope, And I am true to the kyng. It foloweth. I shall helpe to defend and mayntaine the papistry of Rome, a∣gainst all men, sauing myne order. And in your new othe, now in oure dayes made, is added. The regalles of Saint Peter. What and in all mē bée contained your prince? you must néedes defend him. And why? because ye bée sworne to the pope, & forsworn to your prince. For your othe to your prince, is to defend him with all your wit & reason against all men. Now must you forsake one of them, And your practise hath béene alwayes to forsake your prince, and sticke to the

pope. For of your othe made to your prince, you haue béene oftentimes as∣soiled. And as your lawe sayth, the Church of Rome is wont so do doe. But of your othe made vnto y^e pope, there is no absolution, neither in hea∣uen nor earth. Neither was it euer redde, heard, nor séene, that there could bée any dispensation for it.

Let mée bée reported by all y^e bookes that euer were written, and by all the bulles that euer were graunted, and by all the experience that euer was vsed. And if I bée found false, let mée bée blamed. And yet I am sure many mē will recken, that I speake vncha∣ritably. But I would faine learne of all y^e charitable mē in England, with what other English wordes I coulde declare this intollerable or subtile treason, thus long & shamefully vsed against my prince, which is necessary to bée knowne. And I am compelled by violēce to declare both my confessi∣on and learning in this cause. For mē hath not béene ashamed to report, that I would (which am but a wretch and poore simple worme, and not ha∣ble to kill a Catte, though I woulde doe my vttermost) to make insur∣rection against my noble and mighty prince, whom (as God knoweth) I doe both honour, worship, loue, and fauour, to the vttermost power of my hart, and am not satisfied, because it is no more. This I speake afore God. Let him bée mercifull vnto mée as it is true. And if I were not so true in mine hart, it were not possible for mée so earnestly to write agaynst thē, whome I doe recken to handle vn∣faythfully, and vntruely wyth theyr prince, yea against both Gods lawe, and mans lawe. The very truth is, I can suffer, (through Gods grace) all maner of wronges, iniuries, and sclaunders: but to bée called an here∣ticke agaynst God, or a traytour a∣gainst my prince, he liueth not, but I will say, hée lieth. And wil bée able so to proue him, if I may bée reported by my workes or déedes, by my con∣uer sation or liuing, or by any thinge that euer I did.

But vnto my purpose: the By∣shoppes doth sweare one othe to the pope, and an other contrary to their prince. And yet they will bée takē for good and faithfull children. And I poore man must bee condemned, and all my woorkes for heresy, and no mā to reade them vnder the payne of treason. And why? because I write a∣gainst their periurie towarde their prince. But how commeth S. Pe∣ter by these regalles, that you are sworne to defende? seing that he was neuer no kyng, but a fisher? All the worlde knoweth, that regalia belon∣geth to kinges, and to like power of kynges. Why are you not rather sworne to defend Peters net, and his fisherie? the which thinges hee both hadand vsed, & neuer regalles. But these thinges will not maintayne the holy Church of Rome, and therefore ye sweare not to maintayne them. But what meane you by that sen∣tence: Sauing mine order? why say you not, sauing my kinges pleasure? Your glose sayth, you may not de∣fend these thinges with weapons. But oh Lord God, what vnshame∣fulnesse is this? thus to delude with wordes all the whole worlde? Men knoweth, that when the Pope hath néede of your helpe, there is no men sooner in armes then you are, if you call armes harneys, bylles, & glaues, swordes, and gunnes, and such other thyngs. Doe you not remember how soone the Byshop of Norwiche, Hen∣ry Spenser, was in armes to defende pope Vrbane? It were but foly to re∣cite examples.

In the yeare of our Lord. 1164. was there a controuersie betwéen the kynges grace, & the Byshops of Eng∣land, for certaine prerogatiues belō∣gyng to the kyng. Wherfore the king required an othe, and a confirmation of the Byshops, as concernyng those Articles and prerogatiues. But aun∣swere was made of the Bishops, that those prerogatiues, cum omnibus pra∣uitatibus in regio scripto contentis, were of none effect, nor strength, bicause they did forbyd to appele to the Court of Rome, onles the king gaue licence. And bicause that no Byshop might

goe at the Popes callyng out of the Realme, without the kynges assent. And bicause that Clerkes should bée conuented in criminall causes afore a temporall iudge. And bicause the kyng would heare matters, as cōcer∣nyng tythes & other spirituall causes. And bicause that it was agaynst the sea of Rome, and the dignitie of the same, that a Byshop should bée conuē∣ted afore y^e kyng. Briefly, they would not bée vnder the kyng, but this addi∣tion should bée set vnto it, Saluo hono∣re Dei, & Ecclesie Romane, & ordine no∣stro, that is, we will bée vnder your grace, sauyng the honour of God, of the Churche of Rome, and of our or∣der. The cause why they dyd except these thynges, was this, as they them selues graunt: For kynges receiued their authorities, and power of the church, but the Church receiueth her authoritie of Christ onely, wherefore they conclude, that the kyng can not commaunde ouer the Byshops, nor absolue any of them, nor to iudge of tythes, nor of Churches, neither yet to forbyd Byshoppes, the handlyng of any spirituall cause.

Is not here a marueilous blynd∣nesse and obstinacie agaynste theyr Prince? They will make it agaynst Gods honour, to obey their king, and are not ashamed to say in the kynges face, that his power is of them. But I pray you whether was kynges be∣fore Byshops? or Byshops before kynges? You shal finde, that God had long admitted kynges, or any Bishop (as you take hym) was thought of. Doth not the holy ghost commaūde, that we should honour kynges? Also in an other place. Let all men bée vn∣der the high powers, for the power is of God, and hée that resisteth the pow¦er, resisteth Gods ordinaunce. Here blessed S. Paule sayth, that kynges power is of God, & not of Byshops. Furthermore, what reason is it to de¦fende the Popes prerogatiue agaynst your Princes? Is not your Prince nearer, and more naturall vnto you, then this wretch the Pope? But here is a thyng, y^e maketh me to marueile. When you sweare to the Pope (Sa∣uyng your order.) Is as much to say, as you shall not vse no weapons: but els you shall bée ready and obedient in all thynges. But when you shall sweare to your kyng, then (Sauyng your order) is as much to say, as you haue authoritie to confirme kynges, and to bée their felowes, and neither to bée obedient vnto them, nor yet to aunswere to any Iustice before them, but clearely to bée exempted, and they not to medle with you, excepte they will geue you some worldly promo∣tion. If I would vse my selfe as vn∣chatariblye agaynst you, as you haue handled me, doubtles I could make some thyng of this, that shold diplease you. How would you cry? and how would you handle me poore wretch, if you had halfe so much agaynst me, as this is? But I will let you passe, God hath preserued mée hitherto of his in∣finite mercy agaynst your insaciable malice, and no doubt but hée shall doe the same still. I will returne to your othe.

It foloweth. I shall come to the Synode when I am called, vnles I shall bée lawfully let. But why doe you not sweare to compell the Pope to call a Councell? seyng that it hath béene so often, and so instantly requi∣red of him, by many and noble Prin∣ces of Christendome, yea, seyng that all Christendome doth require with great sightes, an order to bée taken, & set in the highest articles of our faith? But vnto this you are not sworne. And why? bicause it is agaynst your holy popet of Rome. For if there were a generall Councell, both hée, & you do know, that there must néedes folow, both ouer him & you a streight reformation. Therfore after my coū∣sell say, that you can not come, for you bée lawfully let. It foloweth I shal ho∣nourably entreate the popes Legate, both going and comming, and in his necessitie I shal helpe him. I pray you sée, and prouide well, that hée goe not a begging, as Peter did. And sée also that he neither preach nor teach, but pyll and poull, with all mischiefe, and vnshamefastnes. And why? because you are sworne this to maintayne.

It foloweth. I shall visite yearely my selfe, or by some other messenger, the pope of Rome, vnles I bée dispenced with of them. I pray you what per∣taineth this to the office of a Byshop, yearely to visite Rome? Christ and the most of his Apostles, were neuer at Rome, and yet they were méetely good Christen men. But I reade in the traditions of the Turke, that cer∣tayne of them must yearly visite their Mahomet. From whom I thinke, you haue taken this custome. Your owne law saith, that vnto this clause must these bishops all only bée boūde, that bée immediatly vnderneth the Pope. Now are not you such, for you sweare in your othe to the kyng, that you will immediatly take your By∣shopprick of him, and holde it all one∣ly of his grace. Wherefore then doe you here sweare against your owne lawe? And also against your othe made to your prince?

Moreouer, you know that there was an olde custome, in the dayes of kyng Henry the second, that no By∣shop shoulde goe out of the Realme, without the kinges licence. Are you not bound to kéepe this custome: but answere, that the Pope hath dispen∣sed with you, and that you are not bounde to kéepe any obedience to∣warde the actes that your prince ma∣keth. Moreouer, I meruaile sore, that you be all so straitly sworne of so long tyme, and neuer one of you that euer went in my dayes to Rome to discharge his othe. And why? be∣cause you are dispensed with. But were it not as good to leaue it out of your othe at the first, séeing you en∣tende not to kéepe it, as afterwarde to dispence with you for it? No for∣sothe, for than the Pope coulde not bynde you to come to Rome at hys pleasure, and betraye your kyng, & all his counselles. But in your othe that is newly made, & that you haue sworne laste, is added. That if the pope bée on this side y^e mountaines, you shall visite him euery yeare. But if hée bée beyond the moūtaines, then euery three yeares. One that knew not your practise and the circumstaū¦ces of your factes y^e hath béene done, would litle suspect this additiō. But the very truth is, there is a mischie∣uous and abhominable treason in it agaynst Princes. For if it chaunced the Emperour, or els any temporall Prince neare vnto Rome, to fall at variaunce with the Pope, then dyd y^e Pope straight runne into Fraunce, that is to say, on this side the moun∣taines, where you must visite hym yearely. And why? Bicause your god is in distresse, and hath conceiued a deadly hatered agaynst a Prince, and can not bring it to passe without your helpe and counsell. Wherefore you must come yearely. And also hée must know, through your betraying, how your Prince is mynded, and whether hée bée addicted to his contrary parte or not. If hée bée, then must you be∣traye his counsell, and that yearely. And why? bicause the pope is on this side the mountaines. But and if hée bée in Rome, and hath all Princes neckes vnder hys gyrdell, then is it sufficient that you come euery thyrd yeare. For you cā at ones commyng, deuise as much treason, as Princes shall auoyde in fiue yeares.

But what belongeth this vnto a Bishop? that the Pope is on this side the moūtaines, or beyonde. If ye bée bounde by Gods law, yearely to vi∣site the Pope, then must you visite him, where soeuer hée bée, though hée were either with God, or the deuill, And if you bée not bounde by Gods law, what a presumption is it of him to bynde you? Yea what an ouersight is it of you, to let your selfe thus to bée bounde? And what a wickednes is it of you so straitely to kéepe this othe? to the which you are not boūde by Scripture, against your obedience made to your Prince, whiche is com∣maunded by Gods word? But I pray you what example hath either hée or you of blessed S. Peter, to bynde by the vertue of an othe, the other Apo∣stles yearely to visite him at Rome. All the world may perceiue, that this othe is inuented of insaciable coue∣tousnes, that the Pope and you haue toward honours and dignities. And

that is well declared by these wordes, that foloweth in your othe. The pos∣sessions of my Church, I shal not sell, geue, lay to morgage, or make any feoffement, or by any other meanes alienate the same, without the coun∣sell of y^e pope. But I pray you tell me one thing, why doe you not sweare, that you shall neither bye, nor yet re∣ceiue any possessions to your church, nor you shall neither pill, nor poull, nor shaue, to encrease the possessions of your Church. But the truth is, all is fish that commeth to the nette with you. And if it come ones within your cloukes, it neuer cōmeth out agayne, thoughe the Kyng and his Realme should stand in neuer so great néede. But to receiue all his lande, you are alwayes ready, and it is not agaynst your othe.

I do not say thus, bicause I would ye should sell, or alienate the possessi∣ons of the Churche, but bicause I sée that there is nothyng maintained by them, but all onely your mischeuous pompe and your pride. Your owne law commaundeth, that the fourth part of the spiritual goodes, should bée distributed among poore men. And for that cause they bée called, Bona paupe∣rum, but how litle their part is, all the world can testifie. Wherfore doe you sweare, not to alienate your goodes, without the popes licence? The pope gaue them not to you, but the kyng & his subiectes. How commeth hée now to bée so neare of your counsell in a∣lienating them? and the king is thrust out, the whiche hath deserued best to bée of your counsell. But doe you not remember your own law? the which doth forbid that the pope in any wise, or sor any necessitie, should alienate the goodes of the Church, except it bée old houses, whiche can not bée kept without great charges. This is your owne law, and agaynst this will you sweare? Then must you néedes bée periured, for if you alienate your goodes with the Popes licence, then is this Decrée agaynst you and cur∣seth you. Wherfore then put you this in your othe, seyng you can not alie∣nate your goodes with his consent, nor yet without it?

It foloweth in your new othe, de∣crées, ordinaunces, sentences, dispo∣sions, reseruations, prouisions, and commaundementes apostolike, with all my power I will obserue, & shall and cause other men to obserue them These things were added, when this Idole was brought so highe, that no man durste wynche agaynst hym. and when hée might saye, and doe what he would. And as your lawe com∣maundeth, no man so hardye to aske hym why hée doth so. Then began de∣crées, ordinances, depocytions, dis∣posycyons, reseruations, prouysions with like shamefulnes sor to spring. and there is no remedy, but they must contynue? And why? Because you are sworne to kéepe them your selfe, and to compel other men also to kéepe them. And out of the kéepinge of this part of your othe, springeth out an o∣ther sentence that foloweth, which is this. All heretykes, sysmatikes, and rebelles, towardes our sayd Lorde y^e Pope, to my power I shall persecute and withstand.

This is the cause that hath made vs poore men so great heretykes. For it can neuer bée proued, that euer we spake agaynst God, or our king, and yet bée we heretikes. And why? For∣sooth because the Byshops are sworne to the Popes decrées, the which con∣demneth all them for heretikes, that speaketh against his holynes, though hée bée as holy as my horse. For hée sayth hym selfe in his lawe, that hée nedeth not to bée holy hym selfe, but it is sufficient, that hée sytteth in an holy seat. These be his wordes: who doub∣teth but hée is holy, y^e which is exalted to so great a dignitie? In whō though good workes of his owne merites be wantinge yet are those good workes sufficyent, the which were done by his predecessours. Ʋpon the which texte their glose sayth, that if it bée o∣penly knowen, that the Pope bée an aduoulterer, or a murderer, yet ought hée not to bée accused. &c.

Now we poore men can not suffre such myscheuous vyces, wherefore we must bée heretikes. But why? be∣cause

my lords y^e byshops are sworne to persecute vs. But neuertheles, I trust to Gods grace, and the Kinges, that my Lordes the Byshops, wyll not bée so hard, in this poynt of their othe, as they haue béene. And why? Because mē may nowe come to their aunswere. Surely, there bée many clauses in his last othe added, that bée cleare iniury vnto princes, & against Gods lawe, and mans lawe. And yet our Byshops will swere them, yea & that, which is worst of all, they will accuse other men of treason & rebel∣liō, And there is no mā sworne to trea¦son, nor rebellion, but they onely.

¶ Wherfore most gracious prince with all mekenes and lowlynes that is due to soe noble a prince, and also that doth béecome a true subiecte to doe, I lowly and méekely require and desire your grace, to Iudge betwéene the Byshops and me, whiche of vs is trewest and faythfullest to God and to your grace. I speake all onelye of those that hath and also would nowe (if they durste) defende the Pope, and his lawes. Agaynst them I make this supplication, and agaynst them haue I declared the learning and doctrine, that I haue both taught and wrytten. And as for my factes, & déedes, what I haue done agaynst God and your grace, I require them to say their vt∣termost, that they can proue, or elles by your gracious fauour, I am bere presente and offer my selfe to proue thē lyars, And that vnder any maner of payne, that your grace shal assigne. And agaynst them I haue declared the learnyng and doctrine of theyr Churche, and also brought exam∣ples of their factes and déedes, with the whiche they haue put theyr do∣ctrine in exercise. Nowe if they bée gréeued, or thinke thē selues wrong∣fully handled of mée, then I require no more of your grace, but indifferēt∣ly and graciously, to here both them and me, the which thing, no doubt as your grace doth knowe our heauēly father doth require of you. who preserue your highnes in all honor & dignite.

Amen.

Notes

• The com∣playnt of Doctour Barnes made to K. Henry the viij. agaynst the Lordly Byshops & Prelates of Englād.
• The tyran∣nous go∣uerment of the By∣shops of England.
• In the By¦shops court no man can be founde Innocent.
• What soe∣uer is not agaynst the Clergye, thoughe the same be ne∣uer so wic∣ked, yet finde they no fault therewith.
• In vi. Cap. Quo. in ver 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Papa. Dist. xl. Ca. Si Papa.
• Whosoeuer speake a∣gaynst or preache a∣gaynst any of their a∣buses and abhomina∣tions, her •…•…st nedes bee caught and moste shamefully and cruelly hādled and tormented.
• No power nor poten∣tae maye hinder the gayne and profites of the Clergy
• Is y^t false preacher is a persecu∣ter, so the true prea∣cher is a sufferer.
• Roma. 13.
• 1. Pet. 2.
• The scrip∣tures in the common toung teach all obediēce to the ru∣lers, and is not the mo∣uer of sedi∣tion.
• The Gos∣pell of Christ is not y^e cause of insurrec∣tion.
• No Pro∣phet that e∣uer styrred vp the peo∣ple agaynst the Prince.
• Christ sub∣mitted him¦selfe to the higher po∣wers.
• The Apo∣stles obey∣ed the Princes.
• All true preachers teach obe∣dience to the Prince.
• In 6. Lib. 1. titulo. 33. de matori obedientiae cap. Solite.
• The Pope falsifyath the Scrip∣tures.
• The Pa∣pistes teach disobedi∣ence to Princes.
• The doc∣trine of the Papist.
• Dist. xl. c. Si papa. 9. q. 6. ca. Cuncta. 30. q 1. cap. Ideo permit
• In 6. Lib. 2. de sen. & re iudic.
• 15. q. 6. cap. Alius.
• 26. q. capit. Quotiens
• In 6. de cōc. preb. ca. Ad Apostolatus in verb. con∣tinetur dist. 40. cap. Si Papa.
• The shame¦lesse doings of the Pa∣pistes.
• ••5. quest. 6. Alius item.
• The shame¦full arrogā∣cie and ty∣ranny of the Pope.
• A cast of Antichrist.
• Popes take vpon them the deposition of kinges.
• We ought not to de∣pose a king though he be wicked.
• 1. Pet. 2.
• Christ and his Apo∣stles are the ouerthrow∣ers of the Popes, do∣ctrine.
• Dist. ul. Si Papa.
• De hereti∣cis. Cū ex iniuncto. Et sieut in.
• Dauid. Salomon. Nathan.
• Herode.
• The Pope will dispēce with y^e othe of obedi∣ence that subiectes make to their prince.
• Actuum. 5.
• 23. q. 5. Re∣gū officium.
• An. 1366.
• Byshops captaynes of Rebelles against the Prince.
• Kynge Iohn was cruelly handled of the Clergy.
• Kynge Iohn poy∣soned.
• Abhomi∣nable hypo∣crisie.
• There is no such en∣nemy to a true man as is a theefe.
• The story of Ger∣maine one of y^e popes Saintes.
• A worthy miracle for the Popes Saintes.
• A kyng de∣posed by a Saint, and a cowheard set vp in his kyngdome.
• Iust. li. ij. de sen. & re iuds. ca. ad Apost.
• Fridericke the Empe∣rour depo∣sed.
• Articles alleged a∣gainst Fri∣derike the Emperour
• Note here the diffe∣rence be∣tweene the Papistes and Prote∣stantes.
• xxxiij. q. q. Inter haec.
• xxiij. q. viij Conuenter.
• The hauty mynde and loftie cou∣rage of a Byshop.
• The paci∣ence of Bi∣shops are soone tur∣ned to wrath.
• Henry the second.
• Alexander the thyrd.
• The true occasions & matters that styrre vp insurre∣ction a∣gaynste Princes.
• Master Bylney.
• Iohan Fros. in Croni. suis.
• Pope Cle∣mēt against Pope Ʋr∣bane, and Ʋrbane a∣gainst Cle∣ment, eche defiyng and cursing o∣ther.
• Popes the styrres vp and procu∣rers of warre and destruction of people & countreys.
• Dist. xix. Si. Ro. & enim vero & nul ifas. & ca. Sic omnes.
• How rea∣dy the spi∣ritualtie is is to helpe the Pope.
• What pro∣fite Eng∣land hath by the Gos¦pell.
• In. vi. lib. ij. tit. de iure iurando c. Ego Episco∣pus.
• The othe of the By∣shops made to the pope.
• Isidorus in Decretis Gregoris mi noris c. In nomine.
• The Pope chaungeth the bishops oth, as oftē as it ma∣keth for his profite.
• Firste kynges hee brought w^t violence vn¦der the Po¦pes foote, & then By∣shops bee sworne to maintaine it.
• The holy workes of Byshops.
• In Prohe. vi. ca. Quo∣ni. in verbo Papa.
• 1. Pe••. 5.
• Byshop Fisher o∣therwise called B. of Roche∣ster. answe∣red that hee was sworn to y^t Pope, and there∣fore hee woulde not sweare to y^e kinges su∣premacye.
• A true de∣scription of the leudnes of the By∣shops of Rome.
• How com¦meth the Pope by the name of Lord.
• 1. Pet. 5.
• 2. Cor. 8.
• 1. Cor. 4.
• Math. 20.
• Seruus ser∣uorum.
• The Pope is a mon∣strous hi∣pocrite.
• What good minde Cle∣ment the Pope bare vnto kyng Henry the viij.
• In. 6. lib. 2. de senten. et re iudicata. ca. pastora∣lis in verbo homo{que}.
• Excuse the Byshops periurie who can.
• Byshops be assoyled of their oth towarde their prince, but neuer from othe made to the Pope.
• Di. 23. Qui episcepus ex consilio. 4. Cartha.
• 1. Timo. 3. Tit. 1.
• Who is lawfull to be Pope.
• The popes wickednes described at large.
• Clement the Pope was the sonne of a Curtisan.
• If Popes shoulde bee chosen after S. Paules rule. then all y^e vayne trompery of y^e clergie were clear∣ly ouer∣throwne.
• Charitie by•…•…deth all men to thinke well one of ano∣ther.
• The fleshe of the pope is now much more holy, then in tyme past it hath beene.
• The Pope doth prac∣tise coun∣sailes a∣gainst the honourable state of Princes.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. quest. vi. c. Alius.
• Here is spe¦cially to bee noted the practise of Prelates. For such are the do∣yngs of the holy father of Rome that for the rebellion a∣gaynste princes, hee woulde geue abso∣lution but for matter agaynst his popedome, there was neuer abso∣lutiō might bee obtey∣ned.
• The popes Regales.
• Peter was acquaynted with hys nettes, but not with Regalles.
• In Ʋerbe. salue ordi∣ne.
• These Ar∣ticles bee now graun¦ted and are none here∣sie.
• The Pre∣lates can not abyde to vse obe∣dience to their prince.
• We haue beene leade by blynde guydes.
• The kings power is immediatly of God.
• 1. Pet. 2.
• Roma. 13.
• He that de∣fendeth the Pope a∣gaynst hys soueraigne Lorde or Lady is a vnnaturall subiect.
• Sauyng of order hath two signifi∣cations.
• The Pope will hold a Councell where and whē it plea∣seth hym.
• In. vi. lib. i. de maiori∣tate & obe¦dientia Di∣lecti filij, De iure iu∣rando. ca. Ego in ver∣be singulis.
• The Pre∣lates will obeye the Pope, but not the Prince.
• A deuilish practise of Prelates.
• The By∣shoppes sweare to visite the Pope yere∣ly.
• The Pope taketh sure order with his By∣shops for his owne gayne.
• ••ij. quest. ij. c. Quatu. & de redi∣tibus, &c. Mosest.
• xij. quest. ij. c. non liciat Papa.
• In vi. tit. iiij. ca. ad Apost. in verbo conti∣••etur.
• This is the clause that maintey∣neth the Popes pompe and glory. And this is that y^t to geueth him libertie say and doe what hee list.
• Dist. xl. ca. Non nos.
• Glosa in verbo quis.
• The prea∣chers of the doctrine of Christe must nedes bee here∣tickes for the said do∣ctrine is a∣gaynst the Pope, and so they preach a∣gaynst the Pope, and therfore are heretickes.
• The wri∣ters petitiō of the kynges grace.